Microsoft
Microsoft business and news from across the web.
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Microsoft doesn't know what to do about the memory pricing crisis Microsoft is causing
Microsoft is facing a memory pricing crisis, partly caused by its own AI ambitions, which is impacting its ability to release a cutting-edge new Xbox at an affordable price. New Xbox boss Asha Sharma acknowledged the need for new business models beyond just high-performance hardware, suggesting radical changes and flexible storage solutions to address the affordability issue.
Yet more layoffs reported at Ubisoft, this time in San Francisco
Ubisoft has reportedly laid off dozens of employees from its San Francisco studio as part of an ongoing restructuring, following studio closures in Winnipeg and Belgrade. Meanwhile, Xbox is also reportedly planning significant layoffs and budget cuts across marketing and other areas as new CEO Asha Sharma initiates a "reset" for the business, aiming to improve efficiency and player value.
Xbox Planning Major Layoffs Next Month, Could Involve a Studio Closure
Xbox is reportedly planning significant layoffs next month, potentially affecting thousands of employees and possibly including the closure of a studio. This comes amid reports of declining annual revenue despite substantial investments, leading to a reassessment of business strategies and a potential shift back towards console exclusives.
Xbox reportedly planning more layoffs as "CEO calls for "Xbox reset"
Xbox is reportedly planning significant layoffs and budget cuts as new CEO Asha Sharma initiates a "reset" for the business. The company aims to become more self-reliant in engineering and re-evaluate investment priorities over the next five years. This comes amid declining revenue and a focus on exclusive titles and subscription service growth.
Roadmaps and Plans
Microsoft has commented on the development status of The Elder Scrolls 6, acknowledging its absence from recent roadmaps. While no new details were provided, the company reiterated its commitment to the highly anticipated title.
Xbox CEO Asha Sharma issues statement on restructuring following leaked email regarding layoffs
Xbox CEO Asha Sharma has issued a statement confirming a restructuring and potential layoffs by the end of June, following a leaked internal email. Sharma cited overspending and the need to "reset" the business, emphasizing that the company has "over extended" in areas like live-service demands. The move comes as Xbox aims to re-evaluate its investment priorities for the next five years.
Spyro: A Realm Beyond studio had to "buy back" its independence from Xbox "to get back to the games we were known for" instead of Call of Duty and Overwatch
Toys for Bob, the studio behind Skylanders and a co-developer for Call of Duty and Overwatch, has become independent from Microsoft. Studio head Paul Yan stated the decision was made to "buy back" creative control and return to developing games the studio is passionate about, rather than supporting larger IPs. The studio is now working on a new Spyro game, Spyro: A Realm Beyond, with a spring 2027 release window for Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC, and has an agreement with Xbox to publish it.
Major Xbox layoffs reportedly on the way as CEO Asha Sharma admits Microsoft's gaming division is "over…
Xbox is reportedly planning significant layoffs and budget cuts across its gaming division, according to an internal email from CEO Asha Sharma. Sharma and chief content officer Matt Booty cited over-investment in content and studios, which has not yielded expected revenue growth, as the reason for this "Xbox reset."
Xbox Reportedly Planning Big Layoffs For Next Month
Microsoft's Xbox division is reportedly planning significant layoffs after June 30, following statements from new CEO Asha Sharma about the business's financial health. Sharma cited declining revenue, increased hardware component costs, and strategic overextension as reasons for the impending cuts. These layoffs come after a period of studio expansion under previous leadership.
'It Looks Amazing and It's Coming Along Well': The Elder Scrolls 6 Is Making Progress
Xbox boss Matt Booty has stated that The Elder Scrolls 6 is progressing well and looks amazing, though it is still years away from release. He acknowledged that the game was announced too early and that Microsoft is considering its platform exclusivity strategy.
Microsoft reportedly bans employees from using Claude's new model over data retention concerns
Microsoft has reportedly restricted its employees from using the latest version of Anthropic's Claude AI model due to concerns over new data retention policies. While previous versions of Claude remain available, the newest model's ability to retain user prompts and responses has raised concerns within Microsoft regarding customer and internal data security. The company's legal team is reviewing the situation.
Gears Of War: E-Day Skipping PS5 Means Reaching Fewer Players, And Microsoft Is OK With That
Microsoft's The Coalition has confirmed that Gears of War: E-Day will not be released on PlayStation 5, opting instead for an Xbox and PC exclusive strategy. Studio creative director Matt Searcy stated that the decision makes sense for the Xbox brand, despite reaching a smaller audience. Xbox CEO Asha Sharma and CCO Matt Booty have emphasized a renewed focus on exclusives to drive platform sales and reward loyal fans.
Xbox drops over 60 minutes of gameplay for Fable and Halo: Campaign Evolved
Microsoft showcased extended gameplay for two upcoming Xbox titles: Fable and Halo: Campaign Evolved. The Fable demo highlights its fantasy RPG elements and world-building, while the Halo demo focuses on its remake aspects and mission gameplay. Both games are set to release on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, and PC.
Xbox Will 'Try to Do More' Console Exclusives if the Health of Its Business Improves
New Xbox CEO Asha Sharma stated that the company will increase console exclusives if its business health improves, citing Gears of War: E-Day and Clockwork Revolution as initial examples. Sharma acknowledged that Xbox's current business is not healthy, but emphasized the goal of making games available everywhere while also maintaining platform exclusivity. She also noted the high cost of components and hinted at radically different business models emerging later this year.
Xbox 'console exclusives' are strictly about console releases, Xbox exec affirms: Games will 'still show up on all the normal places where we sell the PC version'
Xbox executives have clarified that 'console exclusives' specifically refer to releases on Xbox consoles, not PlayStation. Games designated as such will still be available on PC and through Xbox Cloud streaming. This strategy aims to differentiate Xbox from PlayStation by ensuring titles are not released on Sony's platform, while still leveraging the synergy between Xbox and PC.
I had a blast playing Halo: Campaign Evolved, but it's not the remake Halo deserves
Halo: Campaign Evolved offers a visually updated take on the original Halo: Combat Evolved campaign, utilizing Unreal Engine 5. While the graphical enhancements are impressive, the remake largely retains the original's mechanics and level design, leading to questions about whether it goes far enough to justify its existence, especially given the omission of multiplayer.
Morning Tech Bits
This article rounds up recent tech news, including a discovery of an AMD artifact belonging to former CEO Rory Read and updates for Microsoft PowerToys and Visual Studio Code. The piece highlights a specific version update for PowerToys and Visual Studio Code.
AI Yi-Yi!
NVIDIA's Confidential Computing technology will support Apple's Private Cloud Compute initiative. Meanwhile, Microsoft's AI chief no longer believes AI will replace human workers, and Anthropic's Fable 5 is mentioned.
Microsoft Comments on Yet Another The Elder Scrolls 6 No-Show
Microsoft has commented on the long-awaited The Elder Scrolls 6, stating that its eventual reveal will assure fans the game is "coming soon." The announcement of the game is now eight years old, with no concrete release date or further details provided.
After a 'corporate mandate' demanded they help with Call of Duty, Toys for Bob studio head says it took 'many mini miracles' to buy their independence from Activision
Toys for Bob, the studio behind Spyro: Reignited Trilogy, has successfully bought back its independence from Activision Blizzard. Studio head Paul Yan stated that a 'corporate mandate' to support Call of Duty: Warzone and Overwatch 2 was not the right fit for the studio's identity. Following layoffs at Microsoft, Toys for Bob proposed a radical plan to spin out as a separate company, focusing on making the types of games they are best known for.
