LionHead: Can we have the money we were promised to make our game?

Microsoft: The online multiplayer shooter?

LionHead: Uhh, no. The Open World RPG, you know... Fable?

Microsoft: Mmm, that sounds expensive. Why don't you make something cheap that we can put micro-transactions on?

LionHead: Ok...

-Time passes-

LionHead: Here is the game you ordered.

Mircosoft: What is this shit, you are fired.

I think they mean the "story" mode games of minecraft arnt selling as well as they thought.

Even if they ever sort themselves out, this will be the gen where Xbox will never catch a break, anything good that would ever come out of that system will just be stamped on by the negative, even from the past going forward.

That sounds like a huge management mistake. Either way was more or less fine, but both? No way. There can't be two people you're responsible to, unless you're responsible to them in completely unrelated ways. But here, both obviously had their own ideas. So basically mismanagement killed Lionhead.

Also, it's probably not the best idea to put a successful studio working on something completely different to what they've done in the past. Games as a service can work pretty well, but what was tried sounds like a pretty big risk to me.

MS as a company are making these mistakes so let's not try to brush it under the carpet by attributing these mistakes to certain individuals.

I don't know. I imagine most people - outside of the most diehard Sony loyalists - want Xbox to succeed. More competition is always good.

Personally, I have a lot invested in Xbox. I own an Xbox, X360, and XOne, so I want the ecosystem to deliver. I love Halo and Fable and Gears of War and want to see those properties flourish. I have fond memories of Banjo and Perfect Dark and Conker and hate seeing those series collect dust.

Right now, though, it seems like Microsoft has one foot out the door in terms of Xbox, which doesn't inspire confidence.

Because for the small steps they make in the right direction, there's these threatening glimpses of their true motives constantly shining through that are incredibly anti competitive or anti consumer even which they need to be held accountable for being as influential and powerful a company they are. They are a source of inspiration, and what they do will be copied by other companies. The way that Windows 10 is installing itself being the latest example of what I'm talking about. The painfully mixed signals their Xbox division gives is an example. UWP and its non tamperable, DRM heavy file system is an example.

And then of course there were those of us who had to be Guinea pigs with the 360s hardware simply because Microsoft wanted a one year jump on the start of the previous generation. At their consumers expense they tried to gain control of a market.  Some of us don't forget that shit, and still wait to see a change in corporate culture from them. I've been burned before, and for that I want them to suffer (or at least genuinely change)

This is a great post and sums up my thoughts as well.  I have really enjoyed my Xbox, Xbox 360, and Xbox One and I hope that the brand continues to change and improve.  I am hoping that fresh announcements and more adjustments lead future success and give gamers great options.  I will always want the XBox, Sony, and Nintendo brands to be a part of my gaming life.      

What do you mean? This was Phil Harrison's fault for his stupid "games as a service" push. This decision was made in 2012, so there was no changing it.

Who are these certain individuals you speak of?.