Zephrese Posted January 17, 2023 Share Posted January 17, 2023 (edited) Always a huge red flag when massive multi-billion dollar corporations start saying shit like that, imho. The fact that there are people agreeing with what was said, while not surprising in the slightest given how braindead a lot of people are, is equally as disgusting. Edited January 17, 2023 by Zephrese 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
craig_obviously Posted January 18, 2023 Share Posted January 18, 2023 (edited) i just heard that Microsoft is cutting 10,000 jobs, including cuts at Bethesda (Starfield and many more properties) and 343 Industries (Halo) source radio...quoting Bloomberg Edited January 18, 2023 by craig_obviously Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post MidnightDragon Posted January 18, 2023 Popular Post Share Posted January 18, 2023 Microsoft being lying hypocrites again? Shocking! 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaivRules Posted January 18, 2023 Share Posted January 18, 2023 9 minutes ago, craig_obviously said: i just heard that Microsoft is cutting 10,000 jobs, including cuts at Bethesda (Starfield and many more properties) and 343 Industries (Halo) source radio...quoting Bloomberg It's being reported everywhere, here is a verge article:https://www.theverge.com/2023/1/18/23560315/microsoft-job-cuts-layoffs-2023-tech Quote Microsoft currently has more than 220,000 employees, and this latest round of layoffs affects around 5 percent of its workforce. These cuts are also significantly larger than the 1 percent cut Microsoft made to its workforce last year. Sources familiar with Microsoft’s layoffs tell The Verge that today’s cuts affect employees working on HoloLens and Microsoft Edge, as well as impacting workers in Microsoft’s marketing teams and at 343 Industries and Bethesda. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post TheRetroManiac Posted January 19, 2023 Popular Post Share Posted January 19, 2023 Lol Microsoft do make me laugh let's fire 10,000 people from their jobs just so we can get this deal through because that's more important than people's jobs which they rely on to get by. They really are desperate to secure this deal because they know it's a moneymaker, but it would take ages before they make it profitable, I mean have they even made a profit on Minecraft yet, I don't think they have as most people owned it way before they purchased Mojang. Here's hoping this blows up In their face and this deal gets rejected, and they lose out on all the fees, as they deserve it for not being honest in their Bethesda deal, let alone this one. 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Rozalia1 Posted January 19, 2023 Popular Post Share Posted January 19, 2023 Look at all of those Microsoft employees getting unlimited time off. For those unaware that was a change that Microsoft passed before this. If unlimited time off is good or bad is up for debate (seems it can be done right, but obviously is pretty much always done badly on purpose), but when combined with this here it is obvious what Microsoft is going for. You going to be taking significant stretches of time off if it likely means you'll be fired for it? Most won't, which means people will ultimately take less time off and Microsoft has to pay out a lot less. This news seems to have really done a number on neutrals perception of this deal. The only defence supporters seem to have is that this is just normal and a result of tech companies over hiring due to Covid, but it doesn't seem to work. A couple of details on all of this: 1: Boss man at Microsoft (who has featured on this deal a lot) shamelessly stated that Microsoft needs to do more with less hence the massive cuts. Yet they will go on a buying spree for Xbox (which is now larger than PlayStation, though without all the profits) and on top of that wants this deal plus further purchases. Clearly Microsoft has no belief in doing more with less, but that is of course nothing new as one of the reasons that Microsoft earned the moniker of tasteless was for always trying to run over people with sheer cash. Regulators should certainly throw that at Microsoft when they keep saying they need more and more size to be able to compete. No they don't, they just need to do more with less. 2: Note the firings in the gaming division yes, especially at Bethesda. Ultimately Microsoft has no need for a publisher under them when they (Xbox) are publisher themselves so all the related people for that at Bethesda are surplus to requirements and as such it is likely Bethesda will eventually get put under Xbox which is the worse thing that could happen to them. Seems the lag was simply so when people stated they'd fire a whole lot of people the moment they picked a game company up they could cite it not happening at Bethesda. Seems I overestimated Microsoft as I had thought that the reason for this separation and keeping those people around was Microsoft had at least realised that they have fools at Xbox, even if they are for whatever reason apparently unable to get rid of them and get someone with a clue in. Which is thought to be because those people are in the "old boys club" of Microsoft so are basically near untouchable. The current boss did say he'd stop there being untouchables but I believe has in fact made it worse. 3: Getting this deal would add almost as many as the firings here meaning they'd again be over 10k where they want to be which would mean another mass firing would inevitably have to follow. Sorry, my mistake, more unlimited time off. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zephrese Posted January 19, 2023 Share Posted January 19, 2023 (edited) On 1/17/2023 at 3:46 PM, Zephrese said: Always a huge red flag when massive multi-billion dollar corporations start saying shit like that, imho. Hate to say I was "right", but god damn does Microsoft know how to make a complete ass of themselves. lmao Absolutely disgusting. Edited January 19, 2023 by Zephrese 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rozalia1 Posted January 20, 2023 Share Posted January 20, 2023 The hits keep coming. A considered credible rumour that is getting confirmed by others is that 343 Industries, the company created by Microsoft to manage Halo is getting gutted hard (so the cuts we know are happening aren't small). Apparently the plan going forward is 343 will manage lore and the like while acting as a support studio to whichever third party Microsoft decides to contract in future (if they get Activision they might skip contracting and use them). 343 might well count themselves lucky that the optics of Microsoft closing a studio whole while trying to get this deal means that they have only been hit this hard and not totally destroyed (buys them a few years). Naturally the guy at the top was not part of any such cutting as he just got moved elsewhere in Microsoft. This all happens while Microsoft executives are having a private concert for them from Sting in Switzerland. One thing that is getting shown a light on more as Ex-devs who worked for Microsoft are coming out and attacking Microsoft is the contractor issue. That is where Microsoft hires people on for for 18 months and then get rids of them to save a little bit of cash. 343 out of all of Microsoft's studios gets hit the hardest as while others use Unreal or whatever which incoming workers are likely to have experience with, 343 had their own (much maligned) engine. This results in contractors needing to get trained in the engine, mentored by permanent workers which takes their time away too, and then they also need to make sense of the work the previous contractors have done. Then they're out of the door and the next poor sap gets put through the process. Microsoft supporters are naturally throwing 343 under the bus as incompetents and failures with Microsoft/Xbox itself being largely blameless to them (best you'll get out of many of them is Microsoft's problem is actually they're... too nice with their developers). The truth is quite the opposite. The contractor issue comes straight from the very top and is company wide in Microsoft. The money making parts of Microsoft seem more able to handle the matter, but it is devastating to anything under Xbox. Steve Jobs in the famous interview if I remember correctly made a point that Microsoft is not a creative company and this very much supports that. Microsoft management clearly believes that there is no difference between creative work and what the rest of their business is. None of this is news to me obviously as I've been calling Xbox utterly incompetent for a long time. I'll even go further as Spencer's PR (which he bungled lately too by the way) and the money being poured down the money pit makes people believe that current management is better. Don Mattrick gets a lot of flak as an incompetent for a number of reasons but obviously the overwhelming one is the Xbox One fiasco. What was the Xbox One? The all in one entertainment device to dominate the living room, which is what Xbox wanted to develop towards form the very start when they entered the console market. They believed that as things were going that the all in one device was going to be big money and if they didn't jump in quick then Sony would build up such power (and by extension wealth) that it'd then be pointless to try and then compete. Mattrick was in charge when Microsoft's dream came to fruition, that is all. The whole thing was bigger then him and he was tasked with carrying out something doomed to fail no matter who was at the helm. Now yes, Microsoft did not build up the studios they needed to under Mattrick and that is certainly a failing (among others) but guess what. To take a line from Microsoft management as they fire 10k+ workers, with less he did more, as the Xbox One actually had exclusives at release (11 was it?). Spencer with the Series X/S (just horrible names) had... 0. Yes yes, development is harder now they say but you work that into your plans, and its really that much harder also that you go from double digits to 0? Others seem to be able to manage it. We'll see if anything more follows from this but none of it is good for them getting their deal through. Which should have some news coming next week when the EU puts forward their issues with the deal. Depending on those issues it might well signal the end for the deal if they're issues that Microsoft simply cannot budge on such as not wanting them to put Activision's games on Gamepass. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RadiantFlamberge Posted January 20, 2023 Share Posted January 20, 2023 I see Xbox as 85% conniving and 15% incompetent. A few missteps, but to some extent they know what they're doing. The move to buy out Activision is a cheap shot against Sony and Nintendo. They're trying to justify this deal by saying Sony has more exclusives and is too big to fail either way? Still doesn't make it fair. Let this deal tank. Their reactions to this getting shot down should be interesting. Let's hope some of these fired 343/Bethesda staff get a new studio running. If they sell any part of it, they should keep the controlling interest (don't sell any more than 50%) to avoid the shitty business that can happen when they're fully under a larger company. Xbox Series X is a terrible choice of name, especially with there being Xbox One X. Some play on the number 4 like Xbox Quattro would sound nicer, and appropriate given it's the fourth Xbox platform. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post SuchRemorse Posted January 20, 2023 Popular Post Share Posted January 20, 2023 On 1/18/2022 at 9:48 AM, TheArcadeKid said: I'm not going to miss any Activision IP (apart from a theoretical Crash/Spyro sequel), but I really resent Microsoft's strategy here. Effective, I'm sure, but shamelessly monopolistic. Microsoft can't make any good games on their own. What do they have? For the past 10 years it's just been Halo Forza and Gears... That's all... Now they are trying to buy all companies to put them on gamepass? It's a terrible situation for gamers. They bought so many companies so far and haven't done anything with them. Then you talk to microsoft fanboys and they all say the same thing... "it takes time to make a game" yes I agree... But Microsoft has owned some of those companies for over 10 years already and still haven't done anything with them. RARE anyone??? What have they done with that company? Nothing.... They are going to buy up all these good companies and then just sit on the games. What a waste! 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuchRemorse Posted January 20, 2023 Share Posted January 20, 2023 Microsoft is ridiculous, firing 10,000 people for what? So they can secure their "deal" with blizzard and activison? They are a horrible company. and they have a horrible mindset. Yes I understand it's a company and they want to make money but firing 10,000 people? These people need jobs! At some point you have to be human.. Everything can't just be about money. They don't even do anything with the companies they buy. RARE anyone? They have owned that company for over 10 years. RARE has some really good IPs and they are all basically lost now that Microsoft owns them. Every year Phil Spencer says the same thing "this is going to be the year of xbox" and that clown still hasn't done anything. They buy all these games cause they don't have a clue how to make games. What do they have? All they have is Forza, Gears and Halo and to be honest those haven't even been that good lately. They buy 100's of IPs for their "gamepass" service and what do they do with them? Nothing!!!! I understand that games take awhile to develop but they have owned multiple companies for YEEEEEARS now and they still don't have anything. Now they want to take call of duty? I honestly don't care about that because I'm not the biggest call of duty fan. I mean what are we up to now? Call of duty 19??? It's become a sports franchise where you get a new/same game every year with some recycled backgrounds and maps. If they want that let them have it. But don't buy up all these IPs and fire 10,000 people just so they fund their sick plot of videogame world domination and just sit on them. That's not good for a business standpoint or for the 10,000 people that are now out of a job and for gamers!!! What a joke! 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MidnightDragon Posted January 20, 2023 Share Posted January 20, 2023 You’re just realizing this now? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuchRemorse Posted January 20, 2023 Share Posted January 20, 2023 6 minutes ago, MidnightDragon said: You’re just realizing this now? No... But I'm just writing about it now! lol 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post MidnightDragon Posted January 20, 2023 Popular Post Share Posted January 20, 2023 2 minutes ago, SuchRemorse said: No... But I'm just writing about it now! lol That works. Anyone who thinks MS is the white knight of the gaming industry is either delusional or an idiot. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Z1MZUM Posted January 20, 2023 Share Posted January 20, 2023 44 minutes ago, SuchRemorse said: Microsoft can't make any good games on their own. What do they have? For the past 10 years it's just been Halo Forza and Gears... That's all... Now they are trying to buy all companies to put them on gamepass? It's a terrible situation for gamers. They bought so many companies so far and haven't done anything with them. Then you talk to microsoft fanboys and they all say the same thing... "it takes time to make a game" yes I agree... But Microsoft has owned some of those companies for over 10 years already and still haven't done anything with them. RARE anyone??? What have they done with that company? Nothing.... They are going to buy up all these good companies and then just sit on the games. What a waste! Remember the launch titles on XB1? Horrible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuchRemorse Posted January 20, 2023 Share Posted January 20, 2023 7 minutes ago, Z1MZUM said: Remember the launch titles on XB1? Horrible. Yes.. and I also remember the forced ALWAYS online xbox that nobody wanted.. and they took that away really quick when the fans spoke back! Also remember the mandatory bundle featuring the kinect that nobody wanted for an extra $100. Not sure if it was exactly $100 but I know it was up there... Who wanted a kinect? Not even people that were buying a 360 wanted it lol 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HusKy Posted January 20, 2023 Share Posted January 20, 2023 (edited) This isn't just MS. Pretty much every major tech company fired large amount of their work force. https://www.cnbc.com/2023/01/18/tech-layoffs-microsoft-amazon-meta-others-have-cut-more-than-60000.html And it's happening in smaller companies too. Edited January 20, 2023 by HusKy 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Z1MZUM Posted January 20, 2023 Share Posted January 20, 2023 1 hour ago, SuchRemorse said: Yes.. and I also remember the forced ALWAYS online xbox that nobody wanted.. and they took that away really quick when the fans spoke back! Also remember the mandatory bundle featuring the kinect that nobody wanted for an extra $100. Not sure if it was exactly $100 but I know it was up there... Who wanted a kinect? Not even people that were buying a 360 wanted it lol Yeah that was a terrible console introduction. I have the day one edition with Kinect, 2013? I don't trust MS but I don't trust Activision even more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taihou Posted January 20, 2023 Share Posted January 20, 2023 15 Years and I'm still waiting on a new Viva Pinata game 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zephrese Posted January 20, 2023 Share Posted January 20, 2023 (edited) 1 hour ago, HusKy said: This isn't just MS. Pretty much every major tech company fired large amount of their work force. https://www.cnbc.com/2023/01/18/tech-layoffs-microsoft-amazon-meta-others-have-cut-more-than-60000.html The problem with this instance specifically is that Microsoft, while laying off all of these employees, is simultaneously trying to push the Activision Blizzard acquisition deal through (in addition to promising to make similar future acquisitions, all of which will likely result in further mass layoffs). It's extremely scummy of them regardless, although I don't think this needed its own thread either. Edited January 20, 2023 by Zephrese Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rozalia1 Posted January 20, 2023 Share Posted January 20, 2023 Say you want about the Xbox One's launch exclusives, but at least they existed unlike the Series X/S. As for the "well Google/Meta/Whoever has laid off workers too" angle. There is actually a key difference between Microsoft and them and it ain't simply them trying to make a big purchase like this because those companies too are doing purchases (not any anywhere as large as far as I recall though). They're all bad on that respect. What is especially scummy with Microsoft is unlike those other companies Microsoft has actually somehow fooled a whole lot of people into thinking they are some shining white knight of labour rights. Not joking, it's a thing. Microsoft has throughout this constantly promoted themselves as pro-labour and how this move would be so good for labour. They've fooled a bunch of unions into actually thinking Microsoft is their friends and as the fools they are they've wrote (pointlessly thankfully) to regulators (FTC even reportedly mocked them as naive fools) to let it through for good guy Microsoft. The only body with any sense thats written in support of Microsoft in that field was the European one who in their letter asked the EU to force Microsoft to do a bunch of stuff Microsoft would never agree to, because they at least are smart enough to know that Microsoft can go from saying nice things one day to "you actually believed us? What an idiot" the next. Related to that is also the whole "saving Activision workers from its management" angle which is amazing anyone falls for. Kotick put forward the company to be sold because of the heat he was taking. It was daily bad press for himself and the company. Those within the company wanted to strike, unionise, just shut things down to force Kotick and his top stooges out. How the situation was, no matter how supported Kotick was he was eventually going to have to resign as it would reach the point where the board would tell him that they'd have no choice but to fire him with good cause (means a lot of lost money for Kotick) if he didn't resign. Those board members love Kotick yes, but believe me that they love money a lot more and if Kotick is going to keep hurting that then sadly for them he has to go. Then Microsoft comes in with a deal (which makes what Kotick gets larger by the way) and all that heat just disappears. Kotick has since continued without a care in the world as Microsoft is there to shield him from everything. If this deal passes he'll be most pleased. If it fails then possibly those who try to start a campaign against Kotick won't have as much support as they used. The media & public might not care as much as it is just bringing up some old issue whose time has passed. So he might well survive. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheRetroManiac Posted January 24, 2023 Share Posted January 24, 2023 So this has happened today my thoughts, it reeks of desperation too me. Source: https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/microsoft-has-subpoenaed-playstation-for-its-defence-against-ftc-lawsuit/ Quote Microsoft has served Sony Interactive Entertainment with a subpoena as it looks to build its defence against a Federal Trade Commission (FTC) lawsuit. According to a court filing, the Xbox maker wants Sony to divulge details of PlayStation’s game production pipeline. The information, which Microsoft believes is relevant to its case, may include confidential details that Sony would be reluctant to share with its rival if possible. “Negotiations between SIE and Microsoft as to the scope of SIE’s production and a discovery schedule are ongoing,” the filing reads. Following a week-long extension, Sony has until January 27 to move to limit, quash or otherwise respond to the subpoena. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Z1MZUM Posted January 24, 2023 Share Posted January 24, 2023 On 1/21/2023 at 9:58 AM, Rozalia1 said: Say you want about the Xbox One's launch exclusives, but at least they existed unlike the Series X/S. XBSX and XBSS is just an extension of the XB1 though, same controller and OS. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SnowxSakura Posted January 24, 2023 Share Posted January 24, 2023 13 hours ago, TheRetroManiac said: So this has happened today my thoughts, it reeks of desperation too me. Source: https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/microsoft-has-subpoenaed-playstation-for-its-defence-against-ftc-lawsuit/ Not sure why Sony would ever divulge what they are currently working on, nor is it any of microsoft's business. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Property_Damage Posted January 24, 2023 Share Posted January 24, 2023 Xbox is still a thing? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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