Massive Microsoft document leak reveals next-gen Xbox, new games, and surprising Game Pass details
$Microsoft(MSFT.US$ An apparent slipup by Microsoft attorneys has revealed a trove of Microsoft’s most closely guarded plans for its Xbox division.
Regardless of where the fault lies for the documents, it’s the clearest look to date about where Microsoft could plan to take the Xbox unit (keeping in mind, of course, that plans and dates can, and often do, shift in the video game industry).
Here’s a rundown of the highlights.
Here’s a rundown of the highlights.
A MID-GENERATION CONSOLE REFRESH
The Xbox Series X could look a lot different next year, as the documents show Microsoft plans a refresh of the flagship console.
The Xbox Series X could look a lot different next year, as the documents show Microsoft plans a refresh of the flagship console.
Prior to that, a refresh of the Series S could occur, with the new controller and enhanced Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. That’s slated for a September 2024 release.
2028’S NEXT-GENERATION XBOX
Beyond the 2024 refreshes, the documents also revealed Microsoft’s ambitions for a next-generation machine that would be a hybrid of sorts between a cloud gaming device and a traditional console.
Beyond the 2024 refreshes, the documents also revealed Microsoft’s ambitions for a next-generation machine that would be a hybrid of sorts between a cloud gaming device and a traditional console.
The pitch deck for this system seems to have been put together in 2022, so plans could be radically different by this point. Per the roadmap, though, the first dev kits will make their way to developers in 2027.
DISCUSSIONS ABOUT BUYING NINTENDO
$Nintendo (ADR)(NTDOY.US$ While it was never a real possibility, Microsoft did (and may still) have designs on purchasing Nintendo. In a 2020 email to Microsoft marketing executives, Xbox chief Phil Spencer wrote, “Nintendo is THE prime asset for us in Gaming and Gaming is our most likely path to consumer relevance. I’ve had numerous conversations with the LT [presumed to mean leadership team] of Nintendo about tighter collaboration and feel like if any US company would have a chance with Nintendo we are probably in the best position.”
$Nintendo (ADR)(NTDOY.US$ While it was never a real possibility, Microsoft did (and may still) have designs on purchasing Nintendo. In a 2020 email to Microsoft marketing executives, Xbox chief Phil Spencer wrote, “Nintendo is THE prime asset for us in Gaming and Gaming is our most likely path to consumer relevance. I’ve had numerous conversations with the LT [presumed to mean leadership team] of Nintendo about tighter collaboration and feel like if any US company would have a chance with Nintendo we are probably in the best position.”
MICROSOFT’S DEEP POCKETS FOR GAME PASS AND THE “DISASTER SITUATION” FOR GAME PASS
The delay of Bethesda’s Starfield in 2022 left Microsoft in a tough spot. The company had talked about the service’s AAA releases, but none were forthcoming. Spencer expressed frustration in an email about the “huge hole with our games lineup.”
The delay of Bethesda’s Starfield in 2022 left Microsoft in a tough spot. The company had talked about the service’s AAA releases, but none were forthcoming. Spencer expressed frustration in an email about the “huge hole with our games lineup.”
Later emails showed what the company expected it would have to pay to lure big releases from third-party publishers onto the service. Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, for instance, carried an expected $300 million price tag, while Mortal Kombat 1 was pegged at $250 million.
Other games mentioned included Dying Light 2 ($50 million), Gotham Knights ($50 million), and Assassin’s Creed Mirage ($100 million). Microsoft has not previously discussed what it pays studios to include their games on Game Pass.
It’s important to differentiate between what Microsoft thought a title would cost and what it was willing to pay, which was not made clear in the documents.
It’s important to differentiate between what Microsoft thought a title would cost and what it was willing to pay, which was not made clear in the documents.
UNANNOUNCED GAMES
Included in the leak was a management forecast from ZeniMax, parent company of Bethesda, which detailed several games that have not yet been announced. Among those were:
Remasters of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion and Fallout 3
- A new entry in the Doom franchise called Doom Year Zero
- Dishonored 3 (slated for fiscal 2024)
- A sequel to Ghostwire Tokyo
Some or all of those plans may have changed since the document was written.
Included in the leak was a management forecast from ZeniMax, parent company of Bethesda, which detailed several games that have not yet been announced. Among those were:
Remasters of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion and Fallout 3
- A new entry in the Doom franchise called Doom Year Zero
- Dishonored 3 (slated for fiscal 2024)
- A sequel to Ghostwire Tokyo
Some or all of those plans may have changed since the document was written.
MICROSOFT'S GAMING STRATEGY EMPHASIZES MOBILE, ADS
Microsoft foresaw gaming growth in mobile and ads in a leaked 2022 presentation during its Activision Blizzard legal battle.
Revenue expected to double to $36 billion by 2030, with mobile at $2.6 billion, comprising 11% of total gaming revenue.
Microsoft foresaw gaming growth in mobile and ads in a leaked 2022 presentation during its Activision Blizzard legal battle.
Revenue expected to double to $36 billion by 2030, with mobile at $2.6 billion, comprising 11% of total gaming revenue.
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