Phil Spencer is taking responsibility for Xbox's latest first-party game launch. Redfall, a game developed by Arkane, was released on May 2nd, to atrocious critical reviews, and even worse player reception. Billed as an open-world co-op first-person shooter, players overwhelmingly found it to be repetitive, glitchy, and bland. The game also promised to run at 60fps prior to its launch, but drew controversy when it was walked back, and the developers instead planned to have a 60fps update made available sometime post-launch.

When appearing as a guest on the Kindy Funny Games podcast, Xbox's CEO Phil Spencer bluntly stated, "There’s nothing that’s more difficult for me than disappointing the Xbox community, and just to watch the community lose confidence, be disappointed, I’m disappointed, I’m upset with myself," adding that, "we let a lot of people down this week with the launch of the game, but we will continue to strive on." In a response to fans asking why the game wasn't just further delayed, Spencer claimed, "I think there’s a fundamental piece of feedback that we get that the game isn’t realizing the creative vision that it had for its players. That doesn’t feel like a 'hey, just delay it' [situation]--that feels like the game had a goal to do one thing, and when players are actually playing they’re not feeling that thing, that creative execution of the team."

Furthermore, Spencer was questioned about the current state of affairs with Xbox, following this, on top of the CMA's refusal to allow Microsoft to acquire Activision. His response focused on how losing the Xbox One generation was "the worst generation to lose", and that great games aren't enough to draw customers in anymore, saying, "this idea that if we just focused more on great games on our console that somehow we’re going to win the console race doesn’t really lay into the reality of most people. There is no world where Starfield is an 11 out of 10 and people start selling their PS5s, that’s not going to happen." His plans for Xbox's future is to, "stay focused on making sure that console experience is awesome, but I know some people want to hold us up as being a better green version of what the blue guys do, and I’m just going to say there’s not a win for Xbox by staying in the wake of somebody else. We have to go off and do our own thing with Game Pass, the stuff we do with xCloud, and the way we build our games."

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[V800]

It’s not too surprising, chances are most PS4 owners just continued with the PS5, similar to how the momentum of the PS1 helped the PS2 (DVD aside) but they screwed up the PS3.

Don’t know how much stock availability might have played a part, anecdotally I’ve seen far far fewer Series X units where I work, but our stock levels are partially demand based.

That said, IMO, MS could have potentially rebuilt support over time with a better games library and that could have potentially sold more units over time and/or cause a shift next gen.

If they were betting on Gamepass being a system seller, then they should have included it with the consoles e.g. 1 year free Gamepass.

I don't believe Sony screw Ps3 as much as Xbox 360 and Wii were fierce competitors. They definitely could have handled it better but I don't think it was possible to repeat the success of the Ps2 (the biggest in history).

 

[tech3475]

I don't believe Sony screw Ps3 as much as Xbox 360 and Wii were fierce competitors. They definitely could have handled it better but I don't think it was possible to repeat the success of the Ps2 (the biggest in history).

I meant more in terms of launch, for example, at least where I live the PS3 cost nearly as much as the competition combined.

Had the PS3 launched closer in price and dates to the 360, I think it would have been more successful earlier on.

 

[wolf-snake]

I’m still pissed about crackdown 3. They really suffered from the Ubisoft effect. Too big of a world not enough to do. Few and far repetitive tasks

Which is fine to an extent that’s what crackdown 2 was. But at least that was fun and not filled with tons of emptiness until you reach the objective

Ohhhh the Crackdown situation was hilarious. Do we even know what Phil Spencer meant by "The power of the cloud"? That game looked less technologically advanced than Devil's Third on the Wii U

 

[Veneris]

What would he like to "win the generation" with? Hopes and dreams?

 

[_Hexenhammer_]

Agreed. Nintendo Switch is years behind the competition in terms of technology, connectivity and services. But it has an incredible line up of games that has helped it sell more units than the Xbox S|X and/or PS5 will probably ever sell.

Microsoft have been coasting on the success of the 360 for over a decade at this point. They haven't had a true system selling exclusive in two console generations now. I want the old Microsoft back. The one that had loads of great exclusive games on the OG Xbox and 360. The one that made me actually want to buy their console.

Nintendo has their "unique" fanboys thats what saves them each time.
Their games far from incredible, at least for me, they extremely overrated, simple and doesn't bring anything interesting or new to the table.

 

[urbanman2004]

What's up w/ Phil and his defeatist attitude? The snag in XBox / Microsoft's Activision Acquisition deal isn't the end all be all...

 

[Vetusomaru]

Why this idiot still has a job as Xbox's CEO?

 

[Treskatae]

"great games alone aren't enough to win a console generation"

Nintendo: and I took that personally

 

[Spider_Man]

What you mean to say is, we at microshite can't get anything right, we copy crapple by recycling a shit OS and recycle old software to try bring features to a console OS, which doesn't need all the crap that comes with windonts.

We cant make games, we cant think of anything new, so what do we do, buy out all these studios and make them exclusive to xbox and our digital shit service as a means to fool the world into thinking this is something great.

This is plan B for microshite and their plan to ban pre owned games from playing on your console, lets push everything to our digital platform and get everyone signed up, then we will ditch hard copy games and win.

We will then strip away all these day one titles and reduce our library and games we offer, your all fucked and already hooked, so you'll bend over and have at it, hell, we will even up our prices and make new packages.

In the end, this won't win a console war and Microsoft need to stop treating it like a war, gamers buy a brand that they like, if Microsoft actually made a better job at making a console OS and not force windows and its shit power on options and a console that actually detects what you own.

Fuck me, ive had no ultimate access for 4 days, microshit claiming payment problem and to make payment again, when it was taken already.

No chance of getting any sense from their customer service, you might as well talk out of your arse, maybe then they'd understand what your saying.

 

[SylverReZ]

Microshaft has always been shit with the Xbox throughout its lifespan.