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The Latest Breaking News from Matthew Ball

Marianela: Timeless review – perfect ballerina shows off a leg-whipping, frictionless mastery

In what is officially her first solo show, the star principal marshals technically peerless performances from a tremendous company in finely chosen repertoire

The Guardian - UK

Xbox Helix and Steam — and why it no longer makes sense

One of the coolest new features of the next-gen Xbox is the promise of PC-like openness. But ... does it still make sense from a strategic point of view? Does it still fit Xbox's wider plan under Asha? Let's discuss.

Windows Central

'I can assure you, Gears of War: E-Day and Clockwork Revolution are not the only titles we're planning' — Xbox's chief strategy officer confirms the company wants to make more exclusives, but 'large live-service titles' will be multiplatform going forward

Xbox has confirmed that the Microsoft-owned company is looking to expand its console-exclusive portfolio outside of Gears of War: E-Day and Clockwork Revolution.

TechRadar

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OPINION: Xbox's mixed messaging on exclusive games isn't encouraging — only the big guns will move the needle for the platform

Xbox's C-suite doesn't seem terribly committed to big exclusives for console. Only the heavy hitters will make a difference; otherwise, it'll be pointless.

Windows Central

Xbox exec tells fans not to "overly fixate on single-player" games becoming console exclusives because it's not "carved in stone"

Matt Booty says not all single-player games will be locked down

GamesRadar

"There has to be a reason for people to buy an Xbox": Making sense of Microsoft's messy return to console exclusivity

The Saturday Read | Senior leaders across Xbox detail why the platform is returning to console exclusivity, and explain why Gears of War: E-Day and Clockwork Revolution are only the beginning

GamesRadar

Xbox's new chief strategist is a metaverse true believer

Matthew Ball was hired to help fix Xbox. Will gamers like what he prescribes?

PC Gamer

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What does Xbox's Matthew Ball mean when he says "We are working very hard to rethink everything that we can about Helix"?

In a recent interview, Xbox Chief Strategy Officer said that the firm's next console "Helix" is being rethought. What exactly does he mean by this? Let's speculate, for funsies.

Windows Central

GTA 6 launch means "demand will likely outstrip supply" for consoles in November, warns major retailer

Xbox will have a "severe limitation" on stock

GamesRadar

After years of mixed messaging, Xbox is putting exclusives front and center and making it clear they still matter

Xbox appears to be highlighting its renewed focus on console exclusives with a new EXCLUSIVE label on the Xbox Series X|S dashboard. The move follows recent comments from Xbox leadership confirming that players can expect signature exclusives every year going forward.

Windows Central

"The rumors are false": No, Microsoft isn't already looking to 'reverse course' on Xbox exclusives — but it's not hard to understand why these rumors spread

Rumors picked up over the weekend spread by anonymous forum posters that Microsoft wasn't truly committed to exclusive games. Microsoft has denied them.

Windows Central

Why Xbox (and others) are considering the role of "ads" on console — it's more complicated than simple "greed," unfortunately

Even before the current memory crisis and various other crises, the volume of players spending literally *nothing* on consoles like Xbox and PlayStation is increasing. When you're selling hardware at a loss, that's a problem.

Windows Central

Xbox exec clarifies that Netflix-style in-game ads that interrupt gameplay would be a bad idea, actually

"Ads should be used to offer more affordable alternatives alongside today's ad-free experiences"

GamesRadar

Xbox's chief strategist considers using ads to "offer more affordable alternatives" for experiences — but says "The question is not 'Can we cram ads in everything?'" [UPDATED]

Xbox's chief strategist is considering ads that might help "keep our products affordable" and "fund outstanding work from our development teams."

Windows Central

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Windows Central

"We have no desire to move away from the console business": Xbox reaffirms Microsoft's commitment to console even as it plans to "get better" at PC, mobile

While Microsoft and Xbox plan to explore other platforms, it says it needs to "shore up the platform we have," and vows it won't "move away" from consoles.

PC Gamer

Xbox's new chief strategy officer is still a big believer in in-game ads

Matthew Ball predicted a rise in ad-supported gaming before joining Xbox, and he still thinks it's a good idea.

Windows Central

"It has become difficult to articulate why you should pick an Xbox console": Xbox says exclusives are about more than just selling games

Xbox Chief Strategy Officer Matthew Ball says Xbox has struggled to clearly explain why players should choose its consoles. In a recent interview, Ball argued that exclusives are about more than selling games, helping give players a stronger reason to invest in the Xbox ecosystem.

Windows Central

"The crisis is the right term": Xbox strategy chief says memory shortages will impact next-gen and Project Helix, but Microsoft will work to adapt

Microsoft's Xbox CSO Matthew Ball says it's doing everything it can to adapt to the impact of the RAM crisis as it develops the Project Helix console.

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Windows Central

"Play your PC games — have backward compatibility": Xbox doubles down on Project Helix's core vision amid uncertainty

Xbox CEO Asha Sharma has reaffirmed that Project Helix will support PC games, backward compatibility, and high-end performance, providing greater clarity following recent comments that sparked speculation about the console's future direction.

Windows Central

Xbox admits some exclusives will sell fewer units but promises a steady pipeline of games

Xbox has reiterated its commitment to exclusives, with Chief Strategy Officer Matthew Ball promising a reliable pipeline of future Xbox-only titles. While Microsoft says exclusives remain important to platform growth, questions remain about which games will stay exclusive going forward.

Windows Central

Xbox executive says Game Pass "lost millions of subscribers" as a direct impact of the brand's egregious price hikes

Xbox has revealed that its controversial Game Pass price increase led to the loss of millions of subscribers. New comments from Matthew Ball offer a rare look at the impact of the decision and how Xbox has since adjusted its subscription strategy.

PC Gamer

Xbox lost 'millions' of Game Pass subscribers after last year's massive price hike

This would explain why Asha Sharma moved so quickly to lower them.

GamesRadar

Xbox Game Pass lost "millions of subscribers" in just "a few months" after 50% price hike

As it turns out, people don't like when subscription prices go up that much

GamesRadar

"Our business today is not healthy": Xbox exec says plan for exclusive games is "not ready" but Microsoft is working on it

Gears of War is exclusive, but Halo is not

Windows Central

How Microsoft’s new Gaming Chief Strategy Officer Matthew Ball could save Microsoft's Xbox business

XBOX has a new chief strategy officer as part of another leadership shakeup from CEO Asha Sharma. How might Matthew Ball handle XBOX's future? We can infer a bit from his own analysis.

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