I don't think the mass market gives a fuck about Senua anyway, regardless of any drama

Syph79 wrote:

The problem with that Nathan Brown quote is that, whether or not the Devs are a rounding error to a business the size of Microsoft, it's misunderstanding that Microsoft has divisions and if a division is perceived to be failing it is chopped off mercilessly. I'm sure we can all list products and services that Microsoft have dropped quickly after not living up to financial expectations. The second problem is how you define failing, because by all stated in-house metrics HiFi Rush was considered a success. So by that logic it's the bigger metrics that are at play, which are ultimately not in the hands of the acquired developers - the growth of Game Pass and/or the Xbox brand itself.

Fair criticisms from yourself and Monkey. I think in part Nathan is just very angry.

I ha da good discussion with someone else about the fact that a lot of the stuff you can attribute to poor leadership, you can attribute to good leadership on any other day. There are a lot of factors swirling around that make a definitive take basically impossible.

The only real accurate truth I think anyone can point to is that overinvestment off the back of the Pandemic created a bubble that could not be sustained, and investors and shareholders demand year on year growth - damn the circumstances. Regardless of how we got here, it's still barbaric, but it's the system working as intended to carry on making shareholders money in the short term - which is all they care about.

Oh yeah, I know that plenty of other companies have done this - especially in gaming. GW also made money hand over fist during that time, but the board are committed to security and doing their best to prevent staffing cuts. Not that they don't follow trends to please investors, but we also just got the second half of our biggest ever yearly bonus. 

Calling the Activision thing gambling feels like the right terminology. It often feels like investors and shareholders are betting these acquisitions to fish for a big win rather than following any kind of sound strategy.

monkey wrote:

Just back to this, I don't think the small size of the businesses as a reason why MS wouldn't get rid of them. Imagine how many small devs they'd be carrying round after decades of acquisitions if they didn't chop off the small bits that aren't adding anything. That their contributions to the business are a rounding error is an argument (from their POV) to getting rid rather than keeping them.

What does not adding anything mean though? HiFi Rush was according to Microsoft " a break out hit for us and our players in all key measurements and expectations" It won a BAFTA, a Game Awards and GDC Award. That certainly seems like it's adding something.

Diluted Dante wrote:

monkey wrote:

Just back to this, I don't think the small size of the businesses as a reason why MS wouldn't get rid of them. Imagine how many small devs they'd be carrying round after decades of acquisitions if they didn't chop off the small bits that aren't adding anything. That their contributions to the business are a rounding error is an argument (from their POV) to getting rid rather than keeping them.

What does not adding anything mean though? HiFi Rush was according to Microsoft " a break out hit for us and our players in all key measurements and expectations" It won a BAFTA, a Game Awards and GDC Award. That certainly seems like it's adding something.

Not Game Pass subscriptions though, which is the key metric and the bigger picture.

Locally, Tango Gameworks would have the usual metrics to deliver to - being on budget, on time, getting X metacritic score. These are the metrics that will have been important to Xbox and their devs.

Microsoft, on the other hand, will be interested in how their significant investments into developers and their output is resulting in the promised Game Pass growth. As it hasn't, then costs need to be cut on the shareholders aren't getting their return.

Just bought Crow Country for Xbox.
It's great! Proper old school PS1 style horror game set in a creepy abandoned theme park.
Used my MS rewards points too. Win

Once again lamenting the treatment by EA on its FC24 community this weekend. Long story short, competitive timed weekend modes rewards were broken. This weekend was the launch of Ligue 1 Team Of The Season, and as you can imagine, it features plenty very very powerful high rated PSG players, including Mbappe, the most powerful currently playing in real life player in the game.

So yeah, the rewards were broken. You've to play twenty games and rewards are based on amount of wins you accrue. People that play nothing else can start it 6pm Friday and get it done super quick. Soon after on Friday evening, via SocMed and twitch streamers doing shareplays, people noticed almost everyone was getting Mbappe, Dembele, Zaire Emery, the absolute best of the best available.

So then as word spread, people started to get on and try get it done before EA pulled the rug.

3am..
https://twitter.com/EASFCDirect/status/1789111173847396598?s=19

So, if you got it done early, well done. You get to keep what you got. But for those who have lives, jobs, who try to fit in the twenty around the weekend? Nope. Tough titties.

Okay, maybe sour grapes but still, that tweet is explicit admission from EA they cook pack weight and can adjust on the fly whenever they want. And you getting the good shit? That was UNINTENDED. So what's the intended outcome? We all get shit and get forced towards the store where we spend real dough? Not to mention what it does to the general playerbase. It's now split, the haves and have nots.

Patches? Improvements to gameplay? Removal of years old gameplay exploits or bugs cos of your dogshit Frostbite engine that was never meant to be for sports games? Sorry no can do. Oh but wait there's something that'll actually make the timed competitive mode a bit more fun since people will know the best rewards are actually attainable but will stop them buying store packs because why would they with a Mbappe tots?? FUCK BETTER CHANGE IT AND TWEET.

The biggest streamer on twitch, NickRFTM, yesterday called on fellow big names to do something. Was met with the toxicity this community is known for. Great.

And yep, I doubt anyone here gives a fuck.

But this is the state of play in a game that makes billions, is the only dog in the race, and is marketed towards kids. I love football. I love games. I just want better.

I know I've said it to you before Gav, and it's well fucking easier said than done, but if youre against it don't give it your wallet / time / metrics.

It's only gonna get worse if you look at the trends around the industry.

As I said, easier said than done and hard because they're the only show in town.

DrewMerson wrote:

putting paper cuts in your bell end

I didn't need that in my head on a sunny Sunday morning when I'm about to mow the lawn

FIFA peaked in 1998.

Okay so people will keep throwing money at it, just like cod will still sell, Fortnite will still sell battle passes, etc but at least those games, when they fuck up, are called out and buoyed by a press willing to cover it and personalities willing to call it out. Here it's just NEW STORE PACKS X 100 (HD) OMG CRAZY!!.mp4

regmcfly wrote:

afgavinstan wrote:

Okay so people will keep throwing money at it, just like cod will still sell, Fortnite will still sell battle passes, etc but at least those games, when they fuck up, are called out and buoyed by a press willing to cover it and personalities willing to call it out. Here it's just NEW STORE PACKS X 100 (HD) OMG CRAZY!!.mp4

I don't think they do tbh? I suppose, and this is where the game is different, I think those other games broadly read the room better.

I think those other games also have competition that players can migrate to if things get bad enough.

I'm really sorry I'm doing My Thing again guys, I really am. I just feel I'm banging my head against the brick wall that is Andrew Wilson's forehead when speaking about this stuff. Yes I know UT is and has been a cancerous leech of a thing. Yes I know I can (and have done for periods in the past) uninstall. But I don't think I'm anywhere near as complicit as guys like Bateson ffs.

The only thing EA seemingly react to is negative press. Happened with Battlefront, Anthem, you can list them off. What I'm noticing here is we're now at the point even those who sook the teet of EA starting to turn, and I hope it means something.

Re: store

Up until this year, you could go into the store at any time and buy the exact same packs that could be given as gameplay rewards. Same packs, drawn from the same pool of players, same odds. And that lends weight to the statement where I said look, you can avoid and just grind thru gameplay and a weekly cycle of rewards to get a very decent team made, with zero spend. So, to me, that's a take it or leave it. Pay your money, take your choice.

Now? Now in the store we have packs with volume, weight, and cost that's exclusive to that pack, and it's place in the store behind a currency or real money pay wall. Packs with rating guarantees. Packs with descriptions guaranteeing at least one or two players from the current "promo" team. Cards you used to just get lucky getting when opening a "normal" pack within normal pack parameters. Now you can chuck a score in and guarantee yourself one. So that removes the incentive to grind. That's something that's came in this year in this cycle. Fuck, we had a guaranteed base icon pack a few months ago. Unheard of up until FC 24.

And that's the crux. Sure it's been shit for years but they are really tightening the screw now. There's a marked difference.