What we talked about.
Lee sold his fridge.
And bought a game.
In this house, that's what we call being fiscally responsible.
🟢 XBOX Has a Plan. Again.
XBOX CEO Asha Sharma has been talking about the future of XBOX, Project Helix, and why Microsoft desperately needs new games that aren't called Halo, Gears or Forza. Apparently, XBOX won't survive without fresh ideas. Which is an interesting thing to say after spending the year cancelling projects and getting rid of the people who make them. There's talk of returning to growth, making XBOX consoles matter again, and building the next generation of hardware. We've heard a few XBOX comeback stories over the years, but maybe this time they've found the PowerPoint that fixes everything.
⚙️ Gears of War: E-Day Has a Game Pass Problem
Gears of War: E-Day reportedly sold around 62,000 copies on XBOX while attracting an estimated 1.7 million Game Pass players. That's a lot of people chainsawing Locust without ever buying the game outright. It's great for players, but it raises some awkward questions about the future of full-price XBOX games. When your biggest fans are already paying a subscription, convincing them to hand over another $70 might be a bit of a challenge. But, keep in mind, that's 1.7 million who paid for early access. So maybe double dipping really does work. At least when you can double dip for $30...
📺 Microsoft Wants Ads in Your Loading Screens
You know that wonderful moment when you're waiting for a game to load and have a few seconds to contemplate your existence? Microsoft has filed a patent involving advertisements during game loading screens. Because apparently the one place we haven't been advertised to enough is inside the games we've already paid for. It's only a patent, not a confirmed XBOX feature, but we're already imagining Master Chief taking a quick break from saving humanity to tell us about affordable car insurance. Or, and maybe Microsoft are the good guys here - they patented it to stop the other guy from doing it. Hey, one can dream.
🏎️ Forza Horizon 6 Players Are Getting Grumpy
Forza Horizon 6 took us to Japan, gave us beautiful cars, and then apparently forgot to keep talking to the people driving them. The community has been getting increasingly frustrated with repetitive updates, missing features and Playground Games going rather quiet. After months of complaints, the studio has finally acknowledged the feedback and says it's looking at making changes. Which is lovely. Now we just need them to tell us what those changes actually are. Preferably before Forza Horizon 7.
🎬 XBOX Goes to Hollywood
XBOX has announced XP Entertainment, a new division focused on bringing its gaming franchises into movies, television and other entertainment. Because after spending billions buying game studios, the obvious next step is to make television shows about them. There's plenty of potential in the XBOX catalogue, from Gears of War and Fallout to Fable and beyond. We're just hoping somebody remembers to make some actual XBOX games between film shoots. Funny first. Factual second.™