Toys For Bob’s Post

Microsoft & Xbox baffle internet after shutting down Hi-Fi Rush dev & three other | YongYea Microsoft has announced the closure of several ZeniMax-owned studios, including Tango Gameworks and Arcane Austin, resulting in widespread disappointment and shock from fans and influencers alike. タンゴゲームワークス（Tango Gameworks）, known for developing games such as The Evil Within and Ghostwire Tokyo, was on the rise and had demonstrated their talent with the success of their game, Hi-Fi Rush. The closure of the studio came as a surprise to many, with founder Shinji Mikami tweeting his sadness at the news. Arcane Austin, which had developed renowned games like Prey, was also shuttered, with the cancellation of their upcoming game, Redfall. The studio had been pushed into developing a live service game by publisher ZeniMax Media, a departure from their usual single-player immersive sim experiences. The closure of the studios has raised concerns about the prioritization of short-term financial gain over long-term nurturing of talented studios. The decision has also affected consumers who had purchased promised DLC for Redfall, with no clear details on the restitution they will receive. Microsoft's corporate speak in their announcement of the closures has added insult to injury for those affected by the decision. Any thoughts about this? #Microsoft #Xbox #HiFiRush #GamingIndustry #TechNews #GameDevelopment #InternetReactions #GamingCommunity #TechControversy #VideoGames https://lnkd.in/gkSu-SMf

Check this out - Penny’s Big Breakaway is Out Today for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch, and PC: Evening Star and Private Division's 3D platformer was shadow-dropped at Nintendo's recent Partner Direct presentation. 🔴 The Next Big Wave Of Video Game Layoffs Is Here 🌊: Studios big and small are laying off game developers 🎮. To ensure your studio can keep production costs down and profits up, consider kaedim3d.com for AI that turns images into models in minutes ⏰. Use code A836A7X to get 1 month of Kaedim’s Starter Plan free (up to 10 credits) on Kaedim3d.com 🆓. If you’ve already searched for a 3D AI generator, you know that Kaedim3d.com alternatives will only leave you with unusable meshes and wasted time ⌛. The Kaedim3d.com image to 3D AI engine can be used with Unreal Engine, Unity, Omniverse, and Blender or via API for seamless integration into your workflow 🔄. The best part about 2D to 3D AI is that you now have unparalleled access to allow user-generated content like never before 👥. Used by more than 200 studios, the Kaedim3d.com 3d model AI generator adds levels of quality control to provide the best 2d sketch to 3d model option on the market 🏆. Remember to use code A836A7X on the Kaedim3d.com Starter Plan for 10 credits for new customers 🎁. You will not find a comparable AI 2D to 3d converter 🔍.

🎮 News for gamers! Xbox is expanding its horizons with a multiplatform announcement 🚀. According to The Verge's Tom Warren, titles like High-Fi Rush and Penton are heading to PlayStation 5 and Switch 🎉. Speculated games for multiplatform release include Starfield, Halo Infinite, Master Chief Collection, Gears of War, and the newly announced Indiana Jones game 🕹️. There's been talk about the future of Xbox consoles 🤔, with debates on whether they'll continue making consoles and what this means for the gaming community. Additionally, Game Pass revenue and subscriber numbers have fallen short of internal targets, raising questions about sustainability and future strategies 💡. Is this the beginning of a new era for Xbox? Share your thoughts below! #Xbox #GamingNews #Multiplatform #GamePass #FutureOfGaming

🎮 Significant news for gamers! Xbox exclusives like High-Fi Rush, Sea of Thieves, Hellblade 2, Starfield, and even Indiana Jones might be heading to PlayStation! 😱 Microsoft's senior leadership is weighing the pros and cons of expanding to other platforms to boost profits. 💰 Opinions are divided, with some seeing it as a smart move while others express concern about the direction of Xbox. 🤔 What do you think about this potential shift in strategy? #Xbox #PlayStation #GamingNews #GamePass #IndustryTrends

The big issue with Xbox and Microsoft game studios? A complete lack of a platform content strategy. Lots of teams, lots of great IP, zero overall platform strategy. Xbox could at least build on a "we're not Sony or Nintendo" content platform strategy in the short term, but even then there appears to be no leadership or will. Without a content strategy, Xbox treads water moving into the next generation. And, at some point they're just going to sink

🎮 Xbox Game Pass: The $5.5 Billion Game-Changer! 🚀 📊 Mind-blowing stats according to Ampere: Xbox Game Pass is set to smash the $5.5 billion revenue mark! 💰 The impending price hike for Games Pass subscriptions next year is expected to significantly contribute to this spike in revenue. Although Microsoft has not revealed the recent revenue from the Xbox game pass, Ampere Analysis estimates it will make more than 200% in 2022, a significant increase from the current revenue figures. According to estimates, the ARPU will be $151, making the estimated subscribers 36 million players, more than Xbox units sold to date. 🤔 Is Microsoft pulling a Netflix? Will it shift from hardware manufacturer to content publisher? #xbox #gamesindustry #gamingindustry #videogames

Microsoft is set to announce the inclusion of the next "Call of Duty" installment in its Game Pass subscription service, marking a significant shift from the series' traditional standalone sales model. The announcement is expected during the company's annual #Xbox showcase on June 9. This move follows Microsoft's $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard, which closed late last year. "Call of Duty," a highly successful first-person shooter franchise, has generated over $30 billion in lifetime revenue. Traditionally, new editions of the game have been released annually, priced at around $70 each. However, Microsoft's decision to include the new instalment in Game Pass aligns with the company's broader strategy to enhance its game subscription services. Xbox President Sarah Bond recently stated at a conference that Microsoft plans to release all first-party Xbox games on Game Pass on their launch day. Game Pass, a subscription service offering access to a variety of games from Xbox and other developers, had 34 million subscribers as of February, up from 25 million in 2022. This strategy is part of Microsoft's efforts to challenge the dominance of Sony's #PlayStation consoles. The addition of "Call of Duty," known for its large and loyal fan base, is expected to attract more subscribers to Game Pass. #DigitalPakistan #TechUpdate

Dumping money into a 'gen' AI bubble that will burst later this year or early next while cutting down a sustainable Xbox business is such a terrible look. It helps validate antitrust arguments. Here below first are the investments in ZeniMax/Bethesda and Activision Blizzard King. Microsoft PROTECT THESE INVESTMENTS. Stop laying of talent, closing studios, and losing institutional knowledge. The PEOPLE KNOW HOW TO MAKE THE GAMES, not the IP, and not the 'studio' itself. Game layoffs kill investments in publisher and studio acquisition. First the Game Publisher investments: Microsoft acquires ZeniMax for $7.5 Billion (Sept 21, 2020 - Mar 9, 2021) Microsoft: (start) https://lnkd.in/giV_KSxZ Microsoft: (finish) https://lnkd.in/gZepMzBN TheVerge: https://lnkd.in/gJbj__RM Microsoft acquires Activision Blizzard King (Jan 18, 2022 - Oct 16, 2023) Microsoft: (start) https://lnkd.in/gv6YWFxe Microsoft: (finish) https://lnkd.in/g9atHspX Forbes: https://lnkd.in/gewrXj-T ----- Next the AI investments in just the last 30 days. Here below are 3 AI investments totaling $8.4 billion just in the last month. And also 2 initiatives with untold costs behind them. And then details on the larger investment in OpenAI. $3.3 Billion AI Investment in Wisconsin (May 8, 2024) Microsoft Blog: https://lnkd.in/g2pV4vBx https://lnkd.in/ghcaMEJr $2.2 Billion Investment in Malaysia *May 2, 2024) Microsoft Blog:https://lnkd.in/gxY3dVSJ $2.9 Billion AI investment in Japan (April 10, 2024) Microsoft Blog:https://lnkd.in/g8qvtGNQ Next larger initiatives: TomsHardware: "Nvidia sold half a million H100 AI GPUs in Q3 thanks to Meta, Facebook — lead times stretch up to 52 weeks: Report. Join the queue for Nvidia's top AI/HPC GPU." (November 27, 2023) "Omdia, a market tracking company, believes that Meta and Microsoft are the largest purchasers of Nvidia's H100 GPUs. They procured as many as 150,000 H100 GPUs each, considerably more than the number of H100 processors purchased by Google, Amazon, Oracle, and Tencent (50,000 each). " TomsHardware: https://lnkd.in/gDGmfJsN Microsoft Nvidia Integration - Azure Adoption of the Grace Blackwell GPU at GTC (March 18, 2024) Microsoft: https://lnkd.in/gxFFYvaa "OpenAI has received just a fraction of Microsoft’s $10 billion investment" (Nov 18, 2023) Semafor: https://lnkd.in/g33izfGX CNBC: Microsoft’s $13 billion bet on OpenAI carries huge potential along with plenty of uncertainty" (Apr 8, 2023) CNBC: https://lnkd.in/gk4Qmber Semafor: "Microsoft eyes $10 billion bet on ChatGPT" (Jan 9, 2023) https://lnkd.in/gnvdf4dt Conclusion: the Acquisition of Activision Blizzard King and ZeniMax/ Bethesda dwarf the AI efforts in acquisition, revenue, audience size and consumer impact. They need to be protected. And at least in the short to middle term they stand the test of reality to bring in money rather than purely spend money. Protect the investment. Don't take it for granted. #microsoft #ai #genai #xbox #gameindstry #competinginvestments

How to watch Microsoft’s 2024 Xbox and Call of Duty showcase

Hey friends! 👋 You won't believe what the Federal Trade Commission is saying about Xbox Game Pass! Apparently, they think Microsoft has turned it into a "degraded product." Here's a quick summary: 💲 The new Xbox Game Pass Standard tier costs $14.99/month, 36% more than the old Console tier, but no longer includes day-one game releases. 📈 Existing Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers will see an 18% price hike from $17 to $20/month. 🤼 Microsoft argues the Standard tier is better because it includes multiplayer features, but the FTC says it's a "degraded product" and a sign of Microsoft's post-merger market power. Last year Microsoft completed its $68.7 billion merger with Activision Blizzard, a deal the FTC heavily opposed. What do you think about these changes? 🤷♂️ Is the FTC right to be concerned, or is this much ado about nothing? 💬 Let me know in the comments! Have a great day and an awesome week! Image source Game Developer via Microsoft.