![\"Xbox](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/SEI_301985692-54d3.jpg\")
\n\t\tMoney can\u2019t buy you love (Myles Goode\/Metro)<\/p>\n
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\n\t\tMoney can\u2019t buy you love (Myles Goode\/Metro)<\/p>\n
After one of the worst weeks in its 25 year history, Xbox<\/a> seems like it\u2019s on the ropes and a reader isn\u2019t sure they want to see what happens next.<\/p>\n I wasn\u2019t going to try and write anything about what\u2019s been going on with Xbox this week<\/a>, because I didn\u2019t think I could really add to it. It\u2019s clear Microsoft<\/a> is acting its usual uncaring self towards the livelihoods of thousands, it\u2019s clear they\u2019re only really interested in gaming in terms of whether they can dominate it or not, and it\u2019s just as clear that none of them really know what they\u2019re doing.<\/p>\n That\u2019s obvious to everyone and all I can really add is the usual stuff about me loving the Xbox 360<\/a> back in the day and wasn\u2019t it great when everyone was really into Halo<\/a>? Lots of you reading this probably have those memories and I hate to break it to you (and Microsoft) but that was 20 years ago, and those days aren\u2019t coming back.<\/p>\n Realising how long it is since Xbox was on top, it brings home to me what a mess they\u2019ve made of things and how Phil Spencer only ever made things worse, even though he seemed to know what he was talking about. At least he wanted the business to grow though, but I think it\u2019s looking increasingly obvious that the new boss has been told to wind things down.<\/p>\n Although it seems that Game Pass<\/a> is the biggest cause of Xbox\u2019s downfall, since It\u2019s super expensive to do but it doesn\u2019t attract enough people to make it all worthwhile, it was obvious to me that the Xbox Series X<\/a> was doomed the minute it didn\u2019t launch with Halo or any games that anyone cared about.<\/p>\n Worse than that, Xbox said, as if it was a good thing that everyone would approve of, that there would be no Xbox Series X exclusive for, I think it was two years. So if you bought a new Xbox Series X console at launch you could guarantee it wouldn\u2019t be used to its full potential for at least two years. The fact that when Halo Infinite eventually came out it was rubbish, hardly seemed to matter compared to that, because the Xbox Series X was already bleeding out by that point.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\tExpert, exclusive gaming analysis\t\t\t<\/p>\n Sign up to the GameCentral newsletter<\/a> for a unique take on the week in gaming, alongside the latest reviews and more. Delivered to your inbox every Saturday morning.<\/p>\n You could easily say the console was dead on arrival, because at no point did it ever look like it was going to be a contender and then when Starfield<\/a> came out and was a dud, that was it, you could tell that\u2019s when they gave up and said let\u2019s just release everything multiformat on PlayStation 5<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n That\u2019s a sad way for Xbox to go out but we\u2019ve been there before with Sega<\/a>, so we know it doesn\u2019t have to be the end. But now I think it is for Xbox, even if it\u2019s going to be a slow, agonising death filled with denial and false hope. Whereas my memory with Sega is they just shrugged their shoulders and got on with the job of being a third party publishers almost immediately.<\/p>\n I don\u2019t particularly blame the new Xbox boss for the last few weeks of madness, she\u2019s been given a job and they knew she didn\u2019t know anything about games when they hired her, so she\u2019s trying to speak to people and fans to get ideas of what to do. The whole exclusivity thing<\/a> is stupid, and everyone can see their rules for it don\u2019t make any sense, but at this point I get the feeling even hardcore Xbox fans have lost hope.<\/p>\n It\u2019s a death of a thousand cuts, very literally because after all that nonsense about making Xbox (sorry, XBOX) great again we\u2019re now into the cold reality of the situation: massive job cuts and studio closures.<\/p>\n It\u2019s Wednesday afternoon as I type this and there hasn\u2019t been any new news for a couple of days but as far as I\u2019ve read we\u2019re looking at probably Ninja Theory being shut down or sold off, as well as maybe two or three studios \u2013 the smaller ones like Double Fine that make art house games that never sell (which makes you wonder why Microsoft bought them in the first place).<\/p>\n I don\u2019t know if there\u2019s any accurate prediction of how many people are going to be laid off but it seems to be in the thousands rather than hundreds\u2026 again. And not just the smaller developers but people from Bethesda<\/a> and Activision<\/a> as well. Talented people that have been making games we all enjoy for years and then are thrown out at a moment\u2019s notice because Microsoft\u2019s graph isn\u2019t going up quickly enough.<\/p>\n And then what\u2019s left after that? A bunch of crippled studios with not enough people to do the work needed, that are constantly fearing for their job and planning to leave Microsoft as soon as they can. Good job Microsoft, you\u2019ve killed Xbox. Except it\u2019s not a quick death and I\u2019m not sure I\u2019ve got the stomach for watching it happen over the next few weeks.<\/p>\n By reader Xane<\/p>\n \t\t The reader\u2019s features do not necessarily represent the views of GameCentral or Metro.<\/p>\n You can submit your own 500 to 600-word reader feature at any time, which if used will be published in the next appropriate weekend slot.<\/p>\n Just contact us at gamecentral@metro.co.uk<\/a> or use our Submit Stuff page<\/a> and you won\u2019t need to send an email.<\/p>\n Arrow Arrow Arrow![\"Master](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/1781952013_649_SEI_297309619-541a.jpg\")
\n\t\tIt\u2019s a long time since Halo was the biggest thing around (Xbox Game Studios)<\/p>\n
\nMORE: Xbox\u2019s real exclusivity problem is they don\u2019t make games people want \u2013 Reader\u2019s Feature<\/a><\/p>\n
\nMORE: How to be a dad and a gamer and still get a good night\u2019s sleep – Reader’s Feature<\/a><\/p>\n
\nMORE: Zelda: Ocarina Of Time remake is going to beat GTA 6 for Game of the Year – Reader\u2019s Feature<\/a><\/p>\n