Xbox
Xbox business and news from across the web.
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Comings and Goings
Double Fine Productions has laid off 25 percent of its staff following its transition back to independent status after splitting from Xbox. Xbox has commented on the situation, acknowledging the layoffs that occurred during this period of change for the studio.
Evening Gatherings and Events
Xbox will be present at Gamescom 2026, as indicated by an announcement from Xbox Wire. Further details regarding specific events or announcements are not provided in this brief mention.
Evening Consolidation
Xbox experienced a day-long outage that prevented both online and physical games from functioning, which the company has since resolved. The issue was reportedly caused by a licensing problem, highlighting the complexities of digital rights management even for physical media.
Double Fine is independent again, but they’ve had to make layoffs
Double Fine has become an independent studio again, branching off from Xbox. This transition involved layoffs affecting 23 team members, which studio head Tim Schafer stated was necessary for the studio's survival and to achieve a sustainable size. An Xbox spokesperson confirmed Double Fine's full divestment, with the studio retaining its IP and catalog.
Double Fine Announces Layoffs As It Goes Independent From Xbox
Double Fine has announced layoffs affecting 23 team members following its separation from Xbox. Studio head Tim Schafer stated the decision was made to ensure the studio's future as an independent entity.
Double Fine Productions confirms layoffs after Xbox divestment
Double Fine Productions has confirmed layoffs affecting 23 employees as the studio seeks to ensure its future following its divestment from Xbox. Studio head Tim Schafer announced the staff reductions in a social media message. The studio recently released the party brawler Kiln.
Xbox Speaks Out After Double Fine Lays Off 25 Percent of Staff in Transition to Independent Status
Double Fine, known for the game Psychonauts, has laid off 25.6% of its staff. This comes three weeks after Xbox revealed its own significant restructuring efforts. The studio is transitioning to an independent status.
'Only the survival of our studio would make us consider such a painful action': Tim Schafer announces Double Fine layoffs just 3 weeks after Xbox cut it loose
Double Fine Productions has laid off 23 employees just three weeks after Xbox allowed the studio to become independent. Studio head Tim Schafer stated the layoffs were necessary for the studio's survival, emphasizing the need to scale down to a sustainable size. This move follows a broader restructuring by Xbox that also saw Compulsion Games spun off.
Xbox Game Pass failed to hit subscriber targets because most people don't play lots of games, says analyst, and going indie won't save it: "I don't see a solution"
Industry analyst Mat Piscatella suggests that Xbox Game Pass failed to meet subscriber targets primarily because the average consumer does not play many games. He argues that focusing on indie titles would further alienate the mainstream audience and worsen the service's outlook. Piscatella believes that the subscription model itself faces significant challenges in the current market, stating he sees no viable solution for Game Pass's struggles.
XBOX @ gamescom 2026
Xbox will host its presence at gamescom 2026 in Cologne, Germany, celebrating 25 years of Xbox with 25 upcoming games playable across 140 stations. The event will feature hands-on demos for titles like Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4, Gears of War: E-Day, and METRO 2039, alongside community events like Xbox FanFest. For those unable to attend, Xbox will provide live streams on YouTube and Twitch with developer interviews and gameplay reveals.
A Mission Worthy of Master Chief
Xbox hosted a Halo experience at the Fandom Party during San Diego Comic-Con, celebrating the franchise's past and future. The event highlighted key moments and discussed the ongoing legacy of the iconic series.
Morning Consolidation
Xbox has explained an outage that prevented players from accessing their games, with the company's CTO promising to "do better." The article also briefly mentions Marvel's Spider-Man 2 in relation to budget and staff reductions.
Xbox explains what caused this week's 'unacceptable' major outage
An Xbox executive explained that a recent major service outage was caused by an external licensing service, not directly by Xbox systems. The company acknowledged the disruption was unacceptable.
Xbox and Ubisoft console-to-PC collab lets users access games cross-device "at no additional cost"
Xbox and Ubisoft have expanded their partnership, allowing players who own digital console versions of select games to access the PC version via Ubisoft Connect at no additional cost. This offer includes titles like Assassin's Creed Shadows and Star Wars Outlaws, with a progressive rollout for existing owners until August 4.
Xbox CTO apologizes for outages and explains what happened
Xbox CTO Scott Van Vliet apologized for recent widespread service outages, calling the situation "unacceptable." He explained that a critical external licensing service failure caused sign-in and game entitlement issues for Xbox Live. The company will conduct a review of the incident.
Microsoft’s Chaotic Server Outage Was Down To A Single Service Failure
Microsoft's Xbox network experienced a significant server outage that prevented players from signing in, making purchases, and accessing games. Xbox Chief Technology Officer Scott Van Vliet explained the failure was due to a single licensing service and detailed the steps taken to restore functionality. Microsoft is implementing measures to prevent similar single points of failure from impacting services in the future.
Xbox ber om ursäkt för gårdagens strul och avbrott
Xbox has apologized for a widespread service outage that prevented players from logging in, accessing their game libraries, and launching games. Scott Van Vliet, CTO for Xbox, explained the issue stemmed from a licensing service and promised improvements in error detection and communication. The company plans to share more details on platform improvements in the coming weeks.
Subscriptions, Clouds, and Streams
This article analyzes the impact of Xbox Game Pass, discussing how subscription services, cloud gaming, and streaming were intended to revitalize Xbox. It argues that these strategies may be negatively affecting the company's overall business.
Xbox Live’s Extended Network Outage Was “Unacceptable”, Says CTO
Xbox division CTO Scott Van Vliet apologized for a 15-hour network outage that prevented users from accessing games and services. The extended downtime was caused by an external licensing service failure, which cascaded into broader issues. Microsoft plans to improve its infrastructure to prevent similar incidents and increase transparency with users.
Fable Has Gone “Uncomfortably” Over Budget – Rumor
A rumor suggests that Playground Games' upcoming title, Fable, has significantly exceeded its development budget. While specific figures are unknown, the high cost is attributed to the game's scale, extensive content, and long development cycle. The game is slated for release on February 23rd, 2027, for Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, and PC.
