"Investors want Microsoft’s new CEO to kill Xbox, Bing and Surface"

[TopWargamer]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-switch/wp/2014/02/05/investors-want-microsofts-new-ceo-to-kill-xbox-bing-and-surface/

 

Two influential Microsoft shareholders have been pushing the Redmond software giant to abandon what they view as non-essential product lines so that Microsoft can focus on its core strength: selling enterprise software to businesses. Nadella has spent the last seven months running Microsoft's $20 billion server and tools division, so he could be ideally suited to manage that transition.

 

But doing so would mean repudiating much of the legacy of his predecessors, Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer, who have long believed that Microsoft needs to win over consumers, not just corporate IT managers. As a 22-year Microsoft insider, Nadella owes much of his career to Gates and Ballmer.

 

No...no no...no no no. This is stupid. I realize that Bing and Surface aren't really making Microsoft a profit, so I guess it would be okay to scrap those projects, but giving up on the Xbox? That's utterly stupid. That's a huge revenue source for Microsoft. I REALLY hope that Nadella makes the right decision here, and *I* think that it's to kill off Bing and Surface, but keep Xbox around. 

 

I mean, I'm glad that these share holders want Microsoft to focus on enterprise software, and Microsoft really should, but that doesn't mean that they can't keep these other projects, especially Xbox, alive at the same time. 

[PillowSmoke]

I don't like the surface.

 

Edit: Eh Bing is alright. Not awesome compared to google though since it's so simplistic.

[NameOfNoInterest]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-switch/wp/2014/02/05/investors-want-microsofts-new-ceo-to-kill-xbox-bing-and-surface/

 

 

No...no no...no no no. This is stupid. I realize that Bing and Surface aren't really making Microsoft a profit, so I guess it would be okay to scrap those projects, but giving up on the Xbox? That's utterly stupid. That's a huge revenue source for Microsoft. I REALLY hope that Nadella makes the right decision here, and *I* think that it's to kill off Bing and Surface, but keep Xbox around. 

 

I mean, I'm glad that these share holders want Microsoft to focus on enterprise software, and Microsoft really should, but that doesn't mean that they can't keep these other projects, especially Xbox, alive at the same time. 

I like the idea besides XBox. Maybe kill off Internet Explorer from their computers and switch to Mozilla 

[Damikiller37]

Keep Xbox kill the rest in my opinion. I want Microsoft to go back to its origins and fully concentrate on making Windows better than doing all of these side projects which are already done better than what they are doing.

[Benjamin G]

I hope that he kills Xbox off. Microsoft destroyed every decent franchise it ever had.

[dizmo]

Not true, at all. Xbox is a loss for Microsoft. It merely gets their name out there.

Microsoft makes $2 billion dollars a year from Android. Xbox? Loss after loss after loss.

 

Yes, this chart shows positives for the past few years, but overall it's a huge loss.

While I do wonder how much of that loss is because of their faulty early designs, it's a loss nonetheless.

 

Xbox is quite popular. They wouldn't kill it but would likely sell it off to another company, or perhaps make it it's own company under the Microsoft umbrella.

 

I think they'll also focus on getting rid of Microsoft branded peripherals.

[TopWargamer]

I hope that he kills Xbox off. Microsoft destroyed every decent franchise it ever had.

Eh, not necessarily. But again, Xbox is a huge profit revenue for them. I would be shocked if they gave up on Xbox. 

[DudeWazap]

I don't think that Microsoft will kill off all those things. They want to be everywhere and in everything.

 

However I do believe killing off Bing would be fine as well as The surface and just let Manufactures like Asus for example take over making surface like Tablets.

[MasterJV]

Kill Bing. Just do it. I'm ok with everything else except Bing.

[Benjamin G]

Eh, not necessarily. But again, Xbox is a huge profit revenue for them. I would be shocked if they gave up on Xbox. 

you remember we talked about Bungie and 343's Halo? What I meant is that theres no passion in it's exclusivity anymore. Double Helix was bought by Amazon, they payed off Crytek because of their poor revenue, and they bought out respawn because they knew they were vulnerable. Everythings a complete money grab with them, and yeah you could say that for any company but their not half of what they used to be from a gaming standpoint.

[SJBijzitter]

I like the idea besides XBox. Maybe kill off Internet Explorer from their computers and switch to Mozilla

Firefox is currently worse than IE, though.

Google Chrome or Opera/Opera Next are the three browsers to go to on Windows systems right now.

As for killing the xbox... honestly I couldn't care less as I'm more than happy with my PC as a gaming platform.

[Eddyall]

A round of applause for the investor!

[ForsakenLive]

don't kill them, just don't make them suck.

[NameOfNoInterest]

Firefox is currently worse than IE, though.

Google Chrome or Opera/Opera Next are the three browsers to go to on Windows systems right now.

As for killing the xbox... honestly I couldn't care less as I'm more than happy with my PC as a gaming platform.

For me Firefox is the best system. Chrome is worse than IE and I've never used Opera or Opera Next

[GoodBytes]

Can you guys please stop posting click bait articles.

This stupid, articles from the Washington post goes everywhere on the internet.. and all it does is promote these d00m articles, and stupidities as it attract viewers to worthless articles designed to provide stupid information to clueless people. And that just encourages them to continue with this, and not do actual journalism.

So as I mentioned in another forum:

Kill XBox? It's a MASSIVE revenue for Microsoft. It has saved the company numerous times. Every game produced by a third party company is 8-10$ license fees in Microsoft pocket. That is why PC games are usually 10$ cheaper.

In addition, Microsoft get 60$ per year for almost all XBox One and 360 users for it's XBox Live subscription to play online games.

Surface sales has DOUBLED since the last generation, as well. It's no iPad, but it's when it DOUBLES, then you know you are doing something right.

You may say: "Yea but the investors says..."

Most investors are looking for a quick buck. They are not interested in Microsoft long terms success, they want the stock to go up, sell, then never talk about Microsoft ever again, until it drops down, to buy some more.

So the way it works is that anything that doesn't have a HUGE success, in their eyes, should eliminated immediately. Lets say Apple releases the iPhone 6, and the success of it is not as great as iPhone 5. Still very good, but not as great? Guess what investors will say? "Apple should sell the iPhone division, and pull out". That is exactly what they need to say, and it is the role of the CEO to do gatherings, fancy golf games, and all that crap to talk to each of it's big investors, to end up say: "Look don't pull out, this is the vision of the company, this is the new plan of action we will take, as we know that the product reduce success was not the product itself, was because <insert some reason here>". And do meeting all day, none stop. That's part of the job of the CEO, beside taking company decision, and getting the last word on conflicting idea or paths.

Look at Nintendo. Oh the WiiU sales aren't great? Investors says that they should pull a Sega, or do mobile games... First of, Nintendo is doing A LOT better than with the GameCube. Nintendo had to sale the GameCube for 99$.. a 250$ console, for 99$ rather quickly, and even then, it didn't really help. Yet they are still doing fine, as they spend their money wisely, don't spend more than what they make. Why this decision from investors? Simple:

-> They expect that Nintendo game will magically translate well on phone witch lack any of control. Investors either don't know that, or they do know, and hope that people will buy it for the name "Mario", "Zelda", then the sales will jump really high (Angry bird style), then they'll sale all their shares, people will realize of shitty the games are as you need proper controls for these games, and well the investors don't care, they got their money, and Nintendo is in the ditch doing repair work for many years as it ruined their reputation.

-> If Nintendo sales their games on multiple platform, then it would make more money, GTA style, and pull a Call of Duty where you release every year, massive profit. Ignoring the fact that Nintendo games, the reason why they are successful, is because the console is uniquely adapted for it. That is right, Nintendo makes a game console for themselves, NOT for third parties. Why? Because Nintendo sees themselves as a toy manufacture, and Nintendo games provides a unique experience that you can't get anywhere else. If they put Nintendo IPs on other consoles, then it strips their game from that unique experience, and then it just becomes "generic platformer" or "generic adventure game #12".

Investors aren't loyal. It's not their company. They want revenue NOW. Tomorrow, they don't care, they'll be invested at some different company, bugging them. That is why Dell switch to private. They were sick and tired of selling out their name by producing el-Cheapo, non-innovative, generic computers, because investors are pushing Dell to meet their quarterly results in a market where people don't buy computers anymore, because they find their tablet and/or phone is plenty adequate to surf the web, and check their e-mail is that is what they do. Hence the joke: iMac: The 2000$ Facebook machine. As the user doesn't need the provided performance, does nothing on it beside e-mail and Facebook, but just got it because of the social status value, something fairly unique to Apple in technology (usually it's clothing).

News site LOVES to report investors comments. Why? Because it's "bad news", and people are intrigued, but it ends up being worthless, or provide false information.

It sales their newspaper too. People try to find out why, and have lack of information to actually say: "Wait, this article is stupid!". It used to be shocking pictures on the front page of newspaper. Now that things went on the web, this is a new desperate tactics by newspaper to get attention. Do real journalism, and people maybe will start reading your news and even subscribe. Reporting yesterday news, no one cares.

[CornOnJacob]

I would kill Bing and IE. They are just too far behind the competition to make it worth their while. Surface has great potential as a device that you can actually work on (especially as MS Office expands into the "cloud" Google Drive style), and XBox should be integrated with Windows, not killed completely.

[Antistatic12]

Is Mr Nadella for Xbox Division or against it?
That's the real question, he has the power to get rid of it.

Personally I don't think it will go.

[GoodBytes]

Not true, at all. Xbox is a loss for Microsoft. It merely gets their name out there.

Microsoft makes $2 billion dollars a year from Android. Xbox? Loss after loss after loss.

 

Yes, this chart shows positives for the past few years, but overall it's a huge loss.

While I do wonder how much of that loss is because of their faulty early designs, it's a loss nonetheless.

 

Xbox is quite popular. They wouldn't kill it but would likely sell it off to another company, or perhaps make it it's own company under the Microsoft umbrella.

 

I think they'll also focus on getting rid of Microsoft branded peripherals.

Any product that comes out looses A LOT of money at first. That is how it works. It takes time to pay things and be profitable. The "Angry Bird" style success are very rare in history.

With XBox one, Microsoft will lose money again...for at least 2 years (well depending on how much money Microsoft looses with the console), then they'll be profitable, and over long term, they'll start making money. XBox Live is what helps a lot Microsoft, and the market share that Microsoft has acquired of late, makes the 8-10% license fee per game that the company gets, very profitable. Especially it has successful games like GTA and Call of Duty on its side which sells several millions.

The iPod and iPhone where huge losses for Apple at first. It took several years before it becomes hugely successful.

[GoodBytes]

I would kill Bing and IE. They are just too far behind the competition to make it worth their while. Surface has great potential as a device that you can actually work on (especially as MS Office expands into the "cloud" Google Drive style), and XBox should be integrated with Windows, not killed completely.

Bing is R&D for Microsoft that brings revenue. Bing is used to improved Windows search engine system Shared knowledge.

Compare Windows XP search, and Windows Vista/7... big difference in improvement. While Bing wasn't out then, Microsoft had a crappier search engine, and with the knowledge they acquired working on Bing, they put it into Windows, and it shows. Windows 8 has a more deeper implementation, where they can actually say: Powered by Bing.

So it's R&D that works thanks to ad revenue.

IE11 is actually not bad web browser. In fact, as much as I hate saying this, but on a touch screen device. IE is the single BEST web browser you can get.

Scroll is perfectly smooth, zoom and interaction with buttons. Firefox 29 Beta, is the only version of Firefox where it's USABLE... somewhat. Scrolling is almost smooth. Zoom... forget it.

Chrome is falling apart, and eats your battery life like no tomorrow.

What IE really needs right now, is extension support, with a community supported site, like Firefox, and things will go better for the web browser. Heck, I may even switch to IE, until Firefox improves things.

[gastew15]

I would kill Bing and IE. They are just too far behind the competition to make it worth their while. Surface has great potential as a device that you can actually work on (especially as MS Office expands into the "cloud" Google Drive style), and XBox should be integrated with Windows, not killed completely.

 

I Actually have IE on my Desktop with the Inori Aizawa skin just for the lulz..

[James_AJ]

hooooooley sh1t, are investors crazy? People actually use those things...

[MatheusSanzo]

Come on don't kill bing.

 

Where else we are going to bing google.

 

obviously i'm joking, kill all of it with fire.

[deathjester]

Welp. Seeing that the Xbox One basically has a AMD 7790 in it that is underclocked with ddr3 vram, that performs worse then 2008 200 dollar video cards, like a GTX 260 216 core I have sitting in a internet machine?

 

And....seeing that the Xbox One fails at the very thing it is supposed to do (media)?

 

I would say it is going to kill itself.

 

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/digitalfoundry-2014-ps4-vs-xbox-one-which-is-the-better-media-player

 

The PS4 is 100 bucks cheaper and at least has a underclocked 7870, performing like a 7850. It should be "ok" for a few years yet. MS really screwed the pooch going so low on the GPU. Without websites like IGN selling people on the Xbox One with 720p screenshots, taken from compressed video stills? The Xbox One would have bombed big time. Then they compare FPS with a video locked at 30 fps...

 

Can't say MS isn't good at propaganda, and doesn't use their money well. Hardware? That thing is a joke. Now bring in Steam Machines, low level api's to the computer? An I3/r9 270 will beat a PS4 handily in Mantle (console efficiency). The Xbox One is WAY behind.

 

 http://pclab.pl/art55953-3.html

 

Xbox One is dead. If I was an investor I would want it shut down as well. Word of mouth will ruin the idea that it is a good console (and already is). 

[carolkarine]

Have any of you guys used a surface pro? They are easily the nicest tablet on the market and out do Apple in terms of build quality. I would spend more than they are asking for as of right now.

As for Xbox, it can be saved by unlocking the Xbox os and allowing for installation on a pc, or allowing Xbox one games to run on pc, and instituting a hard hardware lock to ensure quality control.

[atomicmonkey101]

please dont kill xbox....