Posted on 03/02/2026 10:45:15 AM PST by BenLurkin
One of the co-founders of Xbox recently signaled that the end may be near for the video game console that has shaped generations of gamers.
In an interview with Gamesbeat, a business-to-business media outlet for gaming, entertainment, and tech, Seamus Blackley said that Xbox is no longer a priority for Microsoft, which makes the console. Instead, the company is shifting their focus to artificial intelligence.
“[Microsoft CEO] Satya Nadella has made an incredible number of bets and invested an incredible amount of money and credibility in the transform model AI future,” Blackley said. “Xbox, like a lot of businesses that aren’t the core AI business, is being sunsetted. They don’t say that, but that’s what’s happening.”
Blackley compared the fall of Xbox to a person suffering with a severe illness.
“I expect that the new CEO [of Microsoft Gaming], Asha Sharma’s job is going to be as a palliative care doctor who slides Xbox gently into the night,” he said.
(Excerpt) Read more at ktla.com ...
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What’s an Xbox ?
The console is not being sunsetted because of AI. Its being sunsetted to force everyone into online subscription services.
“The console is not being sunsetted because of AI.”
Yes, that is a stupid postulated reason. They could amp up Xbox a lot more with embedded AI. That has to be the direction for the future.
Kids play on Playstation these days if they play on an old fashioned console at all
Is life really worth living without Xbox? 18 hours a day playing Halo, The Elder Scrolls and Grand Theft Auto V gives a person a reason to get out of bed and get dressed. They can’t take that away. It would be cruel and unusual punishment without a trial.
-PJ
I was under the impression that Xbox had subscription services through their console.
Plus, it may be that the gaming PC's have taken over consoles, at least of the Microsoft variety. When I replaced my laptop and wanted one powerful enough to run a DB service for making homemade DB applications, there were tons of "gaming PCs" (laptops) to choose from that were high end. The laptop I got is basically a gaming laptop but minus the advanced video processing. I can stream a football game onto my television from my laptop (normal video stuff, not gaming processor stuff) while also running SQL queries on my SQL Server Express DB without it missing a beat.
Satya Nadella made some profitable calls during his first few years... but his fixation on AI and the way that the Windows 11 transition has shown that he is no longer up to the task. Microsoft has lost nearly 20% of their value since January 28. The majority of this loss occurred in the first 5 days. Their market capitalization has lost approximately $670 Billion since January 28.
It is time for Billy G. and the others at MS to throw his skinny Indian a$$ under the bus, and move on. He has a vision that has now failed Microsoft completely. There is no better example than Windows 11, Co-Pilot and Microsoft’s AI boondoggles.
The only change is they want you to pay by the minute of playtime - no more buying a game and playing it for years.
I’ll take a gaming PC with flight controllers and racing wheel over a gaming console any day of the week...
I know the PS4 will be retired, no longer useable. My niece is begging for us to get her a PS5 for her birthday. $500 for that box!
I think you may be correct.
If I had to take a guess, that would be mine.
Someone did. Just got back from a used music store. Old, used game cartridges for every type of system are pricey. More than original $.
The last, and only, video game console I ever had was an Atari 2600 my uncle bought the family. The last game I probably ever played was Pitfall 2. Other than that, I waste enough time on FR to make up for my lack of playing games.
The VCR says, “hold my beer”
We bought my nephew and his wife a stove for 800 bucks. You’re getting off easy. Lol.
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