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G2ThaUNiT on 01 July 2026
shikamaru317 said:

I sure hope that Asha doesn't decide to follow Sony and kill off Xbox physical entirely, I'm sure the prospect of that full 30% cut of every digital game sale is tempting compared to offering physical where the combined cost of manufacturing the case and disc and shipping it stores works out to like $4 per physical copy resulting in a much lower cut that 30% on physical sales, but I think it would be more wise to keep offering physical options on Project Helix and the lower end Helix model Asha suggested they might do, win over some aggrieved Playstation physical enthusiasts potentially.

Part of me thinks it's not really up to her because Sony does a LOT of manufacturing of game discs. Would other members of the BRA pick up the slack? I find it hard to believe.

But, with the rumored disc-to-digital feature, there's some ever slight amount of home, but I'm not placing any bets on that.



You called down the thunder, now reap the whirlwind

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Zippy6 on 01 July 2026
G2ThaUNiT said:
shikamaru317 said:

I sure hope that Asha doesn't decide to follow Sony and kill off Xbox physical entirely, I'm sure the prospect of that full 30% cut of every digital game sale is tempting compared to offering physical where the combined cost of manufacturing the case and disc and shipping it stores works out to like $4 per physical copy resulting in a much lower cut that 30% on physical sales, but I think it would be more wise to keep offering physical options on Project Helix and the lower end Helix model Asha suggested they might do, win over some aggrieved Playstation physical enthusiasts potentially.

Part of me thinks it's not really up to her because Sony does a LOT of manufacturing of game discs. Would other members of the BRA pick up the slack? I find it hard to believe.

But, with the rumored disc-to-digital feature, there's some ever slight amount of home, but I'm not placing any bets on that.

The disc-to-digital feature doesn't seem like something that suggests hope for a physical future to me. That seems like a programme to carry your physical collection forward to the future all digital console.

Xbox have been heading towards dropping physical for a while. So it definitely surprised me to see Sony pull the trigger first.



ice on 01 July 2026
shikamaru317 said:

I sure hope that Asha doesn't decide to follow Sony and kill off Xbox physical entirely, I'm sure the prospect of that full 30% cut of every digital game sale is tempting compared to offering physical where the combined cost of manufacturing the case and disc and shipping it stores works out to like $4 per physical copy resulting in a much lower cut that 30% on physical sales, but I think it would be more wise to keep offering physical options on Project Helix and the lower end Helix model Asha suggested they might do, win over some aggrieved Playstation physical enthusiasts potentially.

Yeah I have zero faith in that considering how xbox is already treating physical games. One can hope though 



ice on 01 July 2026

Well, June was a double fine kinda month for me. My ratings 

Keeper - 7/10
Kiln - 6.9/10
Stacking - 7.3/10
Psychonauts 2 - 8.9/10

what double fine game should I play next?



Zippy6 on 02 July 2026

Christopher Dring is now reporting that obsidian are negotiating their survival. Obsidian!?!? Wtf?

https://www.thegamebusiness.com/p/xbox-divided-over-its-future-and?triedRedirect=true

"Today, the mood is different. Xbox is looking to reallocate where it spends money. The company wants to invest in its big franchises, and to do that, it needs to cut from elsewhere. Studios such as Compulsion, Ninja Theory, Double Fine, Obsidian, Undead Labs and others are deep in negotiation with Microsoft to avoid closure"



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trunkswd on 02 July 2026
Zippy6 said:

Christopher Dring is now reporting that obsidian are negotiating their survival. Obsidian!?!? Wtf?

https://www.thegamebusiness.com/p/xbox-divided-over-its-future-and?triedRedirect=true

"Today, the mood is different. Xbox is looking to reallocate where it spends money. The company wants to invest in its big franchises, and to do that, it needs to cut from elsewhere. Studios such as Compulsion, Ninja Theory, Double Fine, Obsidian, Undead Labs and others are deep in negotiation with Microsoft to avoid closure"

That report was shot down by Jason Schreier, the most trusted journalist in gaming.

"Despite a report this morning, I can confirm that Obsidian is *not* in negotiations to avoid shutting down. Plenty of details are still up in the air surrounding the layoffs (picture will be clear on Monday) but Xbox is keeping Obsidian, according to people familiar with the situation."

https://bsky.app/profile/jasonschreier.bsky.social/post/3mpoabmnoek2s

Let me add that Obsidian is almost guaranteed to be put on Fallout. Whether it is a New Vegas remaster/remake or a new entry. 

Last edited by trunkswd - on 02 July 2026

VGChartz Sales Analyst and Writer - William D'Angelo - I stream on Twitch and have my own YouTube channel discussing gaming sales and news, as well as posting random gaming content. Follow me on Bluesky.

I post and adjust the VGChartz hardware estimates, with help from Machina.

Writer of the Sales Comparison | Monthly Hardware Breakdown | Monthly Sales Analysis | Marketshare Features, as well as daily news on the Video Game Industry.

Zippy6 on 02 July 2026

Good that has now been put down and that by Monday we'll apparently know the full extent and there won't be just more rumour and speculation.



trunkswd on 02 July 2026
Zippy6 said:

Good that has now been put down and that by Monday we'll apparently know the full extent and there won't be just more rumour and speculation.

Yeah I am glad Jason came out as quickly as he did. Obsidian shutting down make zero sense with Fallout right there. 

Jason is the most trusted journalist in gaming and only reports things he knows are pretty much 100% accurate. Which does mean Compulsion, Ninja Theory, and Double Fine are gone. Either shutting down or going independent. He hasn't reported on the Arkane or Undead Labs reports. Likely means Jason has heard something on them, but can't 100% confirm what he has heard. 



VGChartz Sales Analyst and Writer - William D'Angelo - I stream on Twitch and have my own YouTube channel discussing gaming sales and news, as well as posting random gaming content. Follow me on Bluesky.

I post and adjust the VGChartz hardware estimates, with help from Machina.

Writer of the Sales Comparison | Monthly Hardware Breakdown | Monthly Sales Analysis | Marketshare Features, as well as daily news on the Video Game Industry.

G2ThaUNiT on 02 July 2026
Zippy6 said:

Good that has now been put down and that by Monday we'll apparently know the full extent and there won't be just more rumour and speculation.

Yeah it's insane how every little rumor is suddenly getting spread like wildfire. It's gonna be terrible regardless, but we gotta wait and see just how bad.



You called down the thunder, now reap the whirlwind

konnichiwa on 02 July 2026

Rewards seem to have changed? I am a gold member now on bing and can't search for 90 points on pc anymore.