Microsoft announced extremely bullish (?) profit news lately, with year-to-year revenue up 20% across the corporation, totally to almost $52 billion (it's interesting to think that, before long, Microsoft could probably pay for the entire Activision-Blizzard acquisition with a single year's total revenue).
More relevant to us, this translating to the Xbox division: overall revenue increased 6% this quarter, citing continued growth with Xbox Game Pass and software sales, with hardware revenue increasing by 14% (more than twice overall revenue). Only so much of that can be owed to selling gamepads; it sounds like the Xbox Series X and S sales have done very well for the bottom line, even if we're not getting unit sales. This isn't to say that the subscription and software sales aren't the primary profit-maker for the Xbox division, but as it stands hardware is getting more lucrative faster.
Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion is short and fun. It probably is what you’d call a meme game, and its humor can be overtly referential, but it got some genuine laughs out of me and didn’t overstay its welcome (I finished it in under 3 hours).
I wondered what the hell that was, beyond "It looks kind of like Stardew Valley."
Yeah it's kind of a fetch quest game with a few jokes here and there. It wasn't too bad. The length is the best part... Any longer and I think I would have disliked it a bunch.
Microsoft announced extremely bullish (?) profit news lately, with year-to-year revenue up 20% across the corporation, totally to almost $52 billion (it's interesting to think that, before long, Microsoft could probably pay for the entire Activision-Blizzard acquisition with a single year's total revenue).
More relevant to us, this translating to the Xbox division: overall revenue increased 6% this quarter, citing continued growth with Xbox Game Pass and software sales, with hardware revenue increasing by 14% (more than twice overall revenue). Only so much of that can be owed to selling gamepads; it sounds like the Xbox Series X and S sales have done very well for the bottom line, even if we're not getting unit sales. This isn't to say that the subscription and software sales aren't the primary profit-maker for the Xbox division, but as it stands hardware is getting more lucrative faster.
Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion is short and fun. It probably is what you’d call a meme game, and its humor can be overtly referential, but it got some genuine laughs out of me and didn’t overstay its welcome (I finished it in under 3 hours).
I wondered what the hell that was, beyond "It looks kind of like Stardew Valley."
Joke spoiler, you find this letter somewhere in the game.
On the business stuff, I’ve looked it up and apparently March was the best month for Xbox hardware… ever? Wild that it happened during the chip shortage era.
Speaking of which, it sounds like I was wrong about things possibly only getting better for supply. They’re forecasting shortages again next quarter, so good for everyone who pulled the trigger on a console last month.
It sounds like Microsoft may have made some major moves in acquiring chips from manufacturors, which is what is putting them so far ahead of Sony in the day to day sales. (Sony still has the overall sales, I'm pretty sure.)
Series S is also like half? the die space, so that's handy when trying to reserve a spot on a fab.
Series S is already collecting dust in retail stockrooms. There's really no need to manufacture them right now.
I think it’s just in what used to be the typical state for a piece of electronics: in store shelves and you can just go buy it. Abnormal only because it’s very normal.
Series S is also like half? the die space, so that's handy when trying to reserve a spot on a fab.
Series S is already collecting dust in retail stockrooms. There's really no need to manufacture them right now.
I think it’s just in what used to be the typical state for a piece of electronics: in store shelves and you can just go buy it. Abnormal only because it’s very normal.
I know it's anecdotal, but my store has been working through the same batch of Series S for the last 3 months. It never took this long to burn through a similar sized shipment of One S. I wouldn't call this normal.
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BRIAN BLESSEDMaybe you aren't SPEAKING LOUDLY ENOUGHHHRegistered Userregular
edited April 2022
The Series S was always positioned as a budget option for non-power gamers and families with kids who can't tell the difference, none of this is particularly surprising
Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion is short and fun. It probably is what you’d call a meme game, and its humor can be overtly referential, but it got some genuine laughs out of me and didn’t overstay its welcome (I finished it in under 3 hours).
Reading this post made me want to try it. It's pretty dumb in a mostly funny way. The running gag of Turnip Boy's disdain for literally all documents kept amusing me. Bizarrely, when you get to the last part where you can go after the final area and final boss, the framerate eats shit and I even had a crash to the Xbox home screen.
Edit: Addendum, I did the stuff required for 1000/1000, but it's very bugged on Xbox and several achievements don't unlock properly. Hopefully they're able to fix all that.
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reVerseAttack and Dethrone GodRegistered Userregular
The Series S is a nice piece of equipment for the price.
I can understand not wanting one if you're a big power gamer who games a new game twice a week or whatever, but for casual use it's perfect. Fast, quiet and small.
There’s no way I could go back to the 360s short ass joysticks, compared to the modern controllers they’re just far too limiting and imprecise.
When the dust has settled, I do think the Xbox 360 gamepads were probably the best first-party mainstay gamepads of that particular generation (I really didn't like the Gamecube formfactor, Wavebird, etc., and the Xbox 360 also became the standard for PC gamepads); it was definitely better than the Sixaxis and Dualshock 3, both of which I owned. But I think the sticks, shoulder buttons and overall ergonomics are inferior even to the original Xbox One controller (which pretty much took its place on the PC side; even with the PS4 thoroughly outselling Xbox One it doesn't seem like DS4's knocked Xbox out of that PC niche, from what I remember).
That isn't really going to change any minds in terms of personal preference, but there's a reason why they've been so popular for almost a decade now, even among people who didn't buy an Xbox console.
Minor nitpick, but the generation of the 360, Nintendo's controllers were the Wii Remote and Nunchuk, and the Classic Controller/Pro.
I don't feel this does much against your argument, though, except that Nintendo still had better Dpads at the time (not so now).
I just recently downloaded the other two Mega Man Legends games I didn't have on the PS3, and using the controller -- along with so much else of the experience -- was unpleasant. I seem to recall getting used to it when playing Yakuza Dead Souls at Halloween a few years ago, but still... and the damn thing doesn't even turn the console on! What's with that? It's been plugged in, so it should be charged...
I was a actually cognizant of the fact, but I thought that the Gamecube's weird controller had become the predominant "normal" gamepad for the Wii (since it was compatible).
On further research, I don't think this was the case. However, the Wii remotes were definitely not PC compatible (probably someone out there got them working with the PC, but even using the Dualshock 3 was more common); I'm not sure about the Classic Controller though.
I don't remember the D-Pad from the Classic Controller at all. So I'll have to take your word for it.
Oddly, since the WiiMotes have bluetooth, they are easier to connect to PCs than the 360 controllers, which requires a USB dongle.
That said, the WiiMote is not a good pad for anything other than Wii games. So it's not very useful on PC.
Oh, sorry, I didn't realize that we were talking about stuff that's PC-compatible.
Wait, was the GameCube stuff PC compatible?
Like Mega Man Legends? Then check out my story, Legends of the Halcyon Era - An Adventure in the World of Mega Man Legends on TMMN and AO3!
If you opt for Game Pass Ultimate, it's worth noting that none of the PC Game Library is on streaming either (everything is console based); but then again, those are very distinct from the Xbox consoles as well.
Really hoping we start seeing those acquisitions bear fruit. I feel like the last presentation was kinda packed with pre-rendered teasers and vague release windows.
Really hoping we start seeing those acquisitions bear fruit. I feel like the last presentation was kinda packed with pre-rendered teasers and vague release windows.
Really hoping we start seeing those acquisitions bear fruit. I feel like the last presentation was kinda packed with pre-rendered teasers and vague release windows.
So, E3?
The other big publishers tend to have a good balance between bullshit teasers and actual gameplay reveals. That's really all I'm looking for from their showcase this year. I want actual Xbox games to be excited about instead of concepts and hypotheticals.
Really hoping we start seeing those acquisitions bear fruit. I feel like the last presentation was kinda packed with pre-rendered teasers and vague release windows.
So, E3?
The other big publishers tend to have a good balance between bullshit teasers and actual gameplay reveals. That's really all I'm looking for from their showcase this year. I want actual Xbox games to be excited about instead of concepts and hypotheticals.
I don't think Sony can say that anymore, even after leaving E3 (to be fair, their last showing there was mostly bullshit teaser and a flute solo). Using a tech demo for UE5 as their headliner for that long of a time in the immediate post-console launch haze, for example. But this is all pretty arbitrary--Microsoft has just made a point of showing way more games at each major presentation (like at that final E3, where they showed four to five times the titles Sony did), even if that means a lot of them are, well, "indie soup"* actual gameplay that isn't console exclusive anyway.
*Okay, that's a bit unfair to the developers and their labor, but a lot of those indie games really tended to blend together when you see their gameplay.
On an unrelated note, if you purchase a new Surface Pro device (as I did during the sale, upgrading to an i7 and to teach myself how to use Windows 11), Microsoft oh so generously gives you a free month of Game Pass Ultimate (and only through the Xbox app, as far as I can tell). It's not exclusive to a new account or trial period, it can be added to your existing subscription provided that's the account signed into the app (the same app that is now the normal way to use PC Game Pass).
The app will even keep reminding you of the free month unless you click the checkbox telling it not to; I belated realized what it was offering, and let it add it to my existing subscription (which turned on reoccurring billing; just turned it off afterwards and kept the free month).
Something to consider, since the wording is...vaguely confusing if you overthink it.
Activision's board of directors (you know, those guys who come out in support of Bobby Kotick every time something terrible comes out about him) investors (or at least 98% worth) approved the sale of Activision to Microsoft. Deal still needs regulatory approval.
Apparently, there's some scuttlebutt about how the stock is still trading at around 70 something dollars a share, so that 95 sale price should look like an easy money maker, but nobody is really buying indicating there's not a lot of investor confidence of the sale going through, possible due to the FTC making noise.
Activision board of directors (you know, those guys who come out in support of Bobby Kotick every time something terrible comes out about him) approved the sale of Activision to Microsoft. Deal still needs regulatory approval.
Apparently, there's some scuttlebutt about how the stock is still trading at around 70 something dollars a share, so that 95 sale price should look like an easy money maker, but nobody is really buying indicating there's not a lot of investor confidence of the sale going through, possible due to the FTC making noise.
Even someone like me who seethes with hatred every time I have to log into the TD Ameritrade website something-something-traditional-IRA can tell you, it's extremely limiting to compare stock prices with something like this; for starters, even just carving out a big chunk of ownership would, at least in theory, have a radical effect on the price. Look at the shenanigans Elon Musk is engaging with in Twitter for a more insane example of this.
Activision board of directors (you know, those guys who come out in support of Bobby Kotick every time something terrible comes out about him) approved the sale of Activision to Microsoft. Deal still needs regulatory approval.
The board of directors approved of the sale before it was announced. What happened today was the stockholder approval vote, which is also necessary but not the same thing.
Activision board of directors (you know, those guys who come out in support of Bobby Kotick every time something terrible comes out about him) approved the sale of Activision to Microsoft. Deal still needs regulatory approval.
The board of directors approved of the sale before it was announced. What happened today was the stockholder approval vote, which is also necessary but not the same thing.
Star Wars sale. Lots of bc games for $5 each. Thinking of Lego Star Wars TC (though I think I still have that on disk) and TFU2 since the dlc never came to PC.
Wish there was a Star Wars classics bundle for $20, $5 is good price, but adds up quick on games I already have on PC (and many I had on Xbox at dinner point)
I've either already got them or absolutely don't want them. But I have my eye on Fallen Order and Squadrons.
Fallen Order is amazing!
Squadrons felt very half assed to me. Maybe I went into it with too high of expectations, expecting Ace Combat but make it Star Wars Rogue Squadron which it didn’t live up to in the little bit I played before deciding to move on.
Whatever you say about Squadrons, it's certainly no TIE Fighter, despite trying very hard to be. I couldn't even be bothered to play it more than a day on Game Pass, much less pick it up on PC for VR and HOTAS support.
For a while, around Xbox One launch I worked at MS and was manually inputting achievements and other game specific back-end data hooks/etc (the system for ingestion was totally broken) leading up to launch. Got a few games spoiled for me based on the Achievements.
For a while, around Xbox One launch I worked at MS and was manually inputting achievements and other game specific back-end data hooks/etc (the system for ingestion was totally broken) leading up to launch. Got a few games spoiled for me based on the Achievements.
Achievement Unlocked - Help me! I've been kidnapped by Washingtonians to work in an underground dungeon in Redmond!
And are there any secret achievements that don't just have aome vague description or story apoiler anyway?
When you're trying to figure out what achievements you're missing and there's like 3 secret ones for ? points, it's pretty annoying to narrow it down. This is a good update.
Posts
Microsoft announced extremely bullish (?) profit news lately, with year-to-year revenue up 20% across the corporation, totally to almost $52 billion (it's interesting to think that, before long, Microsoft could probably pay for the entire Activision-Blizzard acquisition with a single year's total revenue).
More relevant to us, this translating to the Xbox division: overall revenue increased 6% this quarter, citing continued growth with Xbox Game Pass and software sales, with hardware revenue increasing by 14% (more than twice overall revenue). Only so much of that can be owed to selling gamepads; it sounds like the Xbox Series X and S sales have done very well for the bottom line, even if we're not getting unit sales. This isn't to say that the subscription and software sales aren't the primary profit-maker for the Xbox division, but as it stands hardware is getting more lucrative faster.
I wondered what the hell that was, beyond "It looks kind of like Stardew Valley."
Joke spoiler, you find this letter somewhere in the game.
On the business stuff, I’ve looked it up and apparently March was the best month for Xbox hardware… ever? Wild that it happened during the chip shortage era.
Speaking of which, it sounds like I was wrong about things possibly only getting better for supply. They’re forecasting shortages again next quarter, so good for everyone who pulled the trigger on a console last month.
Series S is already collecting dust in retail stockrooms. There's really no need to manufacture them right now.
Getting clearances at Woot already
Steam ID: Good Life
I think it’s just in what used to be the typical state for a piece of electronics: in store shelves and you can just go buy it. Abnormal only because it’s very normal.
I know it's anecdotal, but my store has been working through the same batch of Series S for the last 3 months. It never took this long to burn through a similar sized shipment of One S. I wouldn't call this normal.
It's probably time for MS to get rolling on the next-gen exclusives, if they can.
Reading this post made me want to try it. It's pretty dumb in a mostly funny way. The running gag of Turnip Boy's disdain for literally all documents kept amusing me. Bizarrely, when you get to the last part where you can go after the final area and final boss, the framerate eats shit and I even had a crash to the Xbox home screen.
Edit: Addendum, I did the stuff required for 1000/1000, but it's very bugged on Xbox and several achievements don't unlock properly. Hopefully they're able to fix all that.
I can understand not wanting one if you're a big power gamer who games a new game twice a week or whatever, but for casual use it's perfect. Fast, quiet and small.
Oh, sorry, I didn't realize that we were talking about stuff that's PC-compatible.
Wait, was the GameCube stuff PC compatible?
Like Mega Man Legends? Then check out my story, Legends of the Halcyon Era - An Adventure in the World of Mega Man Legends on TMMN and AO3!
Most of those will run on the PC via cloud gaming with GP ultimate.
Steam ID: Good Life
If you opt for Game Pass Ultimate, it's worth noting that none of the PC Game Library is on streaming either (everything is console based); but then again, those are very distinct from the Xbox consoles as well.
So, E3?
The other big publishers tend to have a good balance between bullshit teasers and actual gameplay reveals. That's really all I'm looking for from their showcase this year. I want actual Xbox games to be excited about instead of concepts and hypotheticals.
I don't think Sony can say that anymore, even after leaving E3 (to be fair, their last showing there was mostly bullshit teaser and a flute solo). Using a tech demo for UE5 as their headliner for that long of a time in the immediate post-console launch haze, for example. But this is all pretty arbitrary--Microsoft has just made a point of showing way more games at each major presentation (like at that final E3, where they showed four to five times the titles Sony did), even if that means a lot of them are, well, "indie soup"* actual gameplay that isn't console exclusive anyway.
*Okay, that's a bit unfair to the developers and their labor, but a lot of those indie games really tended to blend together when you see their gameplay.
The app will even keep reminding you of the free month unless you click the checkbox telling it not to; I belated realized what it was offering, and let it add it to my existing subscription (which turned on reoccurring billing; just turned it off afterwards and kept the free month).
Something to consider, since the wording is...vaguely confusing if you overthink it.
Apparently, there's some scuttlebutt about how the stock is still trading at around 70 something dollars a share, so that 95 sale price should look like an easy money maker, but nobody is really buying indicating there's not a lot of investor confidence of the sale going through, possible due to the FTC making noise.
Even someone like me who seethes with hatred every time I have to log into the TD Ameritrade website something-something-traditional-IRA can tell you, it's extremely limiting to compare stock prices with something like this; for starters, even just carving out a big chunk of ownership would, at least in theory, have a radical effect on the price. Look at the shenanigans Elon Musk is engaging with in Twitter for a more insane example of this.
The board of directors approved of the sale before it was announced. What happened today was the stockholder approval vote, which is also necessary but not the same thing.
Shit, you're right. My bad.
Wish there was a Star Wars classics bundle for $20, $5 is good price, but adds up quick on games I already have on PC (and many I had on Xbox at dinner point)
Steam ID: Good Life
Fallen Order is amazing!
Squadrons felt very half assed to me. Maybe I went into it with too high of expectations, expecting Ace Combat but make it Star Wars Rogue Squadron which it didn’t live up to in the little bit I played before deciding to move on.
I would have had Fallen Order if they still had the Star Wars X1X when I finally bought mine.
And are there any secret achievements that don't just have aome vague description or story apoiler anyway?
Achievement Unlocked - Help me! I've been kidnapped by Washingtonians to work in an underground dungeon in Redmond!
When you're trying to figure out what achievements you're missing and there's like 3 secret ones for ? points, it's pretty annoying to narrow it down. This is a good update.