Hey Kowen. Screw the haters and sad people. There is absolutely no way anyone can downplay this.

Xbox in Profit at launch. Microsoft post the biggest earnings in a quarter again EVER in the history of Microsoft.

Xbox One 3.9m consoles sold.

This is how you run a company. This is HOW.

4 x more growth than Apple and 1.5x more growth than Google.
Windows doomed. Xbox doomed. Gotta love the internet.

Two things I learned about Microsoft, over the years:

1) "ETHICS" does not play a part in their business strategy. Hence the gaming direction they've taken that isn't beneficial to the Hardcore Gamer.

2) "ETHICS" does not play a part in their business strategy. Hence their financial earnings STAY in the Black.

I speak for myself when I say this: I'm a Hedge Fund Manager, but I have no financial stock in Microsoft, SONY, or Nintendo. So from a GAMERS perspective, I don't like the non gaming aspect of their gaming division. Congrats on Microsoft's overall amazing profit numbers, though...

Oh dear. Ethics does not play a part in their business strategy, because the gaming direction is not beneficial to the hardcore gamer. That is one crazy statement for a company that donates so much money on charity. Founded by the guy, who is collecting money from billionaires and raising 200 billion USD (!!!) for charity with "The giving pledge".

But yeah, Ethics does not play a big role for them, because their gaming direction is not beneficial for the hardcore gamer.

Btw. I am a hardcore gamer, how is their "direction" (whatever this means) not beneficial to me?

I came across this a few moments ago on NeoGaf:

Microsoft reported a net income of $6.56 billion in this report. Meaning, they've netted more money in the past quarter than Sony has in the past ten years combined:

http://www.wikinvest.com/stock/Sony_...Flow_Statement

http://www.wikinvest.com/stock/Micro...Flow_Statement

I apologize for this in advance to any that would take offense, but this is the first thing that came to mind when I read this.

Okay...lol. You have no idea what "business ethics", means.  Very good.  Let's just move on to the gaming question you asked,later.  Here's the thing about that term "Hardcore/True Gamer": as much as it's a perspective thing, there's an overall consensus on what a "Hardcore/True Gamer is.

About two months ago, one of the producers of the COD series admitted, with no shame, that their games aren't for "True Gamers".  If the main reason Microsoft's console has moved so many units in the past was for that series, or that genre, that doesn't say who they're MAINLY selling this console to?  Microsoft's reveal consisted of tv, NFL, &...COD Ghosts.  This is VGChartz, don't take my word for it, check out sales of ANY COD on 360 to PS3.  Such a large gap.  Coming from the creators of the series that says their audience is not "Hardcore/True Gamers".

Again, the term is STILL anyone's opinion.  But when the creator if that syatem's MAIN system seller, also the MAIN system to play that genre, is also having that view about his games, then...maybe you might need to open your perspective on games, a bit...

There is absolutely no unethically business practice from MS in their gaming division.... Business ethics has actually nothing to do with the relation towards the end customer... Beside maybe lying to them about your product, or selling defective/dangerous/illegal products knowingly...

now what did they do wrong??? Try to implement something that is coming in the tech world no matter what ??? Always online and online drm and DD are just realities... And btw not only there isn't such thing as true gamers... There are just different kind of gamers... Hardcore being one of them... And to be honest a true hardcore doesn't resell games... So once again what is anti gamer about MS???? Especially since 90% of console gamers are not hardcore gamers anyway??? Cause there pre 180 policy surely didn't concern me one bit... I'm always online, my connection never goes down and if does for more than 24h I'd be more likely busy switching provider than playing anyway... And I've been gone DD for a while now.... So tell me what is wrong with MS now that all the old farts whiners have their 180 ???

The insane part about all of this is that Microsoft still has over $80 Billion in the bank in cash and short term investments.
To put that in perspective... That's more money on hand than a majority of governments in the world.

Wonder what they intend to do with all that cash?

Funny you say that. Apparently that's more money than the US had in the bank at some point in 2011.

As for the cash, keep it. Contrary to popular believe many think that this economic crisis is not over, it's just taking a deep breath.

This gif seems more appropriate: