gaming division Archives

AppWizard

July 14, 2025

DICE and Goodbye Kansas vet Loving takes over LEGO game arm

Fredrik Loving has been appointed as the Senior Vice President and global head of LEGO's gaming division. He previously served as president at Spin Master for over five years and has experience at Rovio and DICE, where he worked on the Battlefield franchise. Loving founded Goodbye Kansas in 2017 but left after two years. LEGO is shifting its video games division in-house, moving away from reliance on licensing agreements.

AppWizard

July 8, 2025

Arkane co-founder calls Xbox Game Pass “unsustainable”

Raphael Colantonio, co-founder of Arkane Studios, expressed concerns about the sustainability of Xbox Game Pass, calling it "unsustainable" and "actively damaging" to the gaming industry. He believes the model, supported by Microsoft's financial resources, is not viable long-term and cannot coexist with traditional sales models. Colantonio stated that "the maths don't work for Game Pass" and highlighted that the service's current success is due to Microsoft's significant investment. Game Pass has 34 million subscribers, but recent layoffs in Microsoft's gaming division raise questions about the future of the company's gaming strategy.

Winsage

July 4, 2025

Microsoft’s enshittification of Xbox, Surface, and even Windows itself, are by design — with greed and corner-cutting replacing innovation

Microsoft announced 9,000 layoffs, bringing the total for the year to over 15,300, including cuts within Xbox. The layoffs are attributed to unrealistic fiscal expectations set by CFO Amy Hood, creating an environment of fear and uncertainty. There is a perception that these layoffs are part of a broader shift towards artificial intelligence, with Microsoft executives and shareholders reportedly resenting the investment in Activision-Blizzard. The company plans to invest billions in new AI training centers globally, raising concerns about the impact on its core gaming and consumer products. Microsoft’s AI products have faced criticism, and the company has been accused of losing sight of the human element in its consumer businesses. The recent layoffs have left employees feeling uncertain about their futures, and there is a growing sentiment that Microsoft lacks a coherent mission or ethos, prioritizing short-term gains over long-term innovation.

AppWizard

June 26, 2025

Report: Xbox poised to make yet more layoffs

Microsoft is expected to announce significant job cuts in its Xbox division next week, as part of ongoing restructuring efforts. This follows earlier reports of potential layoffs affecting thousands of positions in Microsoft's sales business. The upcoming layoffs at Xbox would mark the fourth round of job reductions in 18 months, totaling approximately 15,000 employees let go since January 2023. Phil Spencer, head of Microsoft's gaming division, confirmed the redundancy of 650 staff members in September 2024, highlighting the emotional impact of these changes and the importance of support within the team.

Winsage

June 13, 2025

Xbox handheld rumoured to be ‘essentially cancelled’ but the new Asus Xbox Ally is actually a preview of all future Xbox consoles, not just handhelds

A recent report suggests that the anticipated Xbox handheld console may be "essentially canceled." The Asus ROG Xbox Ally X and ROG Xbox Ally handhelds, recently unveiled, are not true Xbox consoles but PC handhelds using existing PC chips and a new iteration of Windows optimized for gaming. Microsoft has rebranded its gaming division as 'Xbox PC' and acknowledged Steam as a competitor. None of these developments have been officially confirmed.

Winsage

June 5, 2025

‘Xbox PC’ Could Be Microsoft’s Next Big Thing

Microsoft is considering the introduction of the 'Xbox PC' branding to unify its PC games and applications under a single identity. The Xbox PC logo was seen at the end of a gameplay trailer for the game MIO: Memories In Orbit, suggesting a potential cohesive branding strategy for Microsoft's gaming content on PCs. This initiative aims to clarify the distinction between Xbox and PC gaming, particularly with the Game Pass service available on both platforms. However, Microsoft has not yet officially confirmed this new branding for its PC gaming division.

AppWizard

May 31, 2025

Nintendo is bringing one of its exclusive games to PC claims Microsoft website

A listing on Microsoft’s Edge Game Assist webpage includes the Nintendo title Xenoblade Chronicles X, which has raised speculation about potential collaborations between Microsoft and Nintendo. Despite this, many believe the inclusion is likely a mistake, as the game is not available on PC. Xenoblade Chronicles X was released for the Nintendo Switch in March and is the last major Wii U title to be ported to the platform. All Xenoblade games are now accessible on the Switch, and Monolith Soft, the developer, is reportedly working on a new role-playing game. The chances of a partnership between Microsoft and Nintendo to bring exclusive titles to PC seem slim.

AppWizard

May 14, 2025

Microsoft cuts 3% of workforce

Microsoft has announced a reduction in its workforce by three percent, equating to approximately 6,840 positions, as part of its strategic efforts to align with market dynamics. As of June 2024, Microsoft employed around 228,000 individuals. A WARN notice has been filed in Washington state, indicating that 1,985 employees will be affected, though it is unclear if this number pertains only to Washington or the entire U.S. In January 2023, Microsoft cut 10,000 jobs (4.5% of its workforce), followed by 1,900 positions in January 2024 within its gaming division, and another 650 employees by September 2024. Further layoffs are expected to be announced in January 2025.

AppWizard

March 28, 2025

Warner reportedly axes Hogwarts Legacy expansion

Warner Bros has halted the development of an expansion for Hogwarts Legacy due to concerns that the amount of content did not justify the proposed price. The expansion was being developed by Avalanche Software in collaboration with Rocksteady Studios. Rocksteady has faced challenges, including layoffs and ceasing support for Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, which contributed to Warner Bros' admission of underperformance in its gaming division. The company also decided to close three studios, including Monolith Productions, and experienced a leadership change with the departure of gaming division head David Haddad.

Winsage

March 23, 2025

Microsoft Paywalls Its AI Features in Notepad and Paint

Microsoft has announced that access to certain features in Notepad and Paint will now require a paid subscription to a Microsoft 365 account. Users will need this subscription to access new AI enhancements, including an image generator in Paint and AI-driven text rewriting in Notepad. Windows users without a subscription will still have access to core functionalities, but subscription-required features will be grayed out. Ram Bala, an associate professor of business analytics, notes that this aligns with a broader "freemium" strategy due to the high operational costs of deploying AI features. Bala highlights a trend in the tech industry toward usage-based pricing models for AI services. Microsoft has made significant investments in AI, incorporating features across its applications, but some initiatives, like the Copilot feature, have faced delays and privacy concerns.