Idk, Kotaku isn’t exactly a good source for ethics in this industry. They list something that every single large game company does: buy studios, move talent around, close the old studios. They also talk about how he claims to champion preservation and emulation, something we all agree with.
I vote he stays.
They list something that every single large game company does: buy studios, move talent around, close the old studios.
Not every large game company acts this way. This is also not what he did at all - he didn’t restructure the studios after buying them, he closed them and laid off their employees.
They also talk about how he claims to champion preservation and emulation, something we all agree with.
He’s a known liar (just a year ago he claimed Arkane will continue to polish Redfall, now Arkane Austin has closed before giving people DLC they already paid for)
Phil Spencer has been the head of Xbox for a decade, a decade where Xbox consistently got worse. The only smart decision they made this entire time is Game Pass IMO.
Not every large game company acts this way.
I’d like you to name a large game company that hasn’t done this, I’m not aware of a single one.
This is also not what he did at all - he didn’t restructure the studios after buying them, he closed them and laid off their employees.
Incorrect, employees are being moved to different studios. I’m unaware how many, if any, are being laid off. For example, Roundhouse is being assigned to Zenimax who run Elder Scrolls Online which is admittedly actually a pretty cool game.
He’s a known liar (just a year ago he claimed Arkane will continue to polish Redfall, now Arkane Austin has closed before giving people DLC they already paid for)
A corporate hack who is in touch with what gamers want is still better than some other out of touch corporate shill, as the state of gaming exemplifies every single day. On the subject of Redfall, it’s no surprise that studio got shut down after the incredible failures at launch, they clearly were never qualified to work on the title anyways, and that’s hardly Phil Spencer’s fault.
Why are we quoting each other? I remember the comment before yours. I made it. Idiot.
Why are we quoting each other? I remember the comment before yours. I made it. Idiot.
This is a beehaw community you’re posting on. We expect you to bee nice here.
I’m sorry. You’re right. Feel free to eat my ass.
I’ve given you a 7 day temporary ban to reflect on how you might better engage with the community in the future. Bee better
Why are we quoting each other? I remember the comment before yours. I made it. Idiot.
Grow up
Here is a response without any quotes, I’m sure their ommision makes this comment much clearer:
Valve hasn’t done this.
At the end of January, Xbox fired 1900 employees:
https://www.theverge.com/2024/1/25/24049050/microsoft-activision-blizzard-layoffs
It’s Phil Spencer’s fault that they released Redfall at 70$. It is his fault that he promised the game will be polished. It is his fault people who paid for the DLC will never get it.
He also closed Tango, which made a critically acclaimed game.
Valve has also published 8 games in 10 years. They did acquire Campo Santo studios between 2016 and 2018 which lead to the delayment of Valley of the Gods because Valve put the studio’s members on other projects including Steam, Dota Underlords, and Half Life: Alyx.
They didn’t close Campo Sango though, and haven’t closed other studios they bought historically (like Turtle Rock, which eventually became independent of Valve again and released Back 4 Blood).
You asked for an example, he gave you one. Then you try to discredit it with a red herring illogical argument.
You should take your temporary ban and reflect on what is truly important in your life. Because you clearly need some help.
Multiple teams are being cut, at least at Arkane Austin. I don’t know the total heads rolling. Many of my friends are now out of a job. The severance isn’t terrible, at least for some of the engineers. That’s not better than a job, though.
Game Pass is a profoundly stupid decision. It doesn’t make it’s money back and now Xbox users are used to not paying for games. And from a consumer perspective, enshittification always eventually happens with subscriptions.
Yeah their head editors just left saying that they were being forced to write lower quality stories and things with agendas. I wouldn’t trust Kotaku much anymore.
No one’s asking you to trust them.
Just as a heads up, when you post an article, unless otherwise stated, you are telling people that the source can be trusted. So, yes in a way you are asking us to trust them
It’s an opinion piece. This isn’t reporting. It says “Commentary” up at the top of the article.
I think you can “trust” when someone tells you that their opinion is actually their opinion. That’s the only question of “trust” here.
There’s an op-ed in the NYT right now titled At the Met Gala, Celebrities Are Nearly Nude. Are We Not Aroused? Do you trust that?
I vote he stays.
The article didn’t say he needs to go, they said people need to stop treating him as though he is actually on the side of consumers and employees, rather than investors.
The literal last line of the article is
I hope moving forward Xbox fans and the media hold Spencer more accountable for future mistakes, cuts, and failures.
As someone who used to really like Phil, I agree with this. He’s clearly banking on his popularity as a “celebrity” within the gaming community to put a smiling spin on what is a clearly horrible business record.
The question here is not whether Microsoft does the same things that all businesses do (i.e. be evil Capitalist monstrosities that run people’s livelihoods over in the name of investor greed)- that much is obvious.
The question is whether Phil Spencer is actively enabling this behavior and also covering for it- which he is.
And that is why, as the article suggests, people need to stop treating him as anything other than a corporate representative who wants to extract as much value as he can before it all runs into the ground.
