Another week rolls around, and I find myself pondering the latest happenings at Microsoft and their gaming branch. Trying to understand the thought process behind Xbox has always been a mind-bending exercise, but I’ve usually managed to make sense of it. However, it seems like in May, Xbox was so fixated on layoffs that they allegedly spaced out on the fact that one of the biggest game releases for the first half of 2024, if not the entire year, is just around the corner. We’re talking about one of the biggest games that are exclusive to Xbox. How did that happen?
Not for everyone
Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice hit the scene in 2017 and was immediately a critical darling. It offered a bold, highly original take on Norse mythology and the struggle with one’s inner demons. The game followed a Pictish warrior named Senua on her journey to the underworld to save her lover’s soul. It sounds outlandish – but I won’t spoil any more of it for you. The developers coined it an “AAA indie game” and took immense pride in delivering such an impressive audiovisual experience on a smaller budget.
While the game sold respectably, it didn’t exactly shatter records. It seemed Microsoft’s acquisition of Ninja Theory was primarily a play to nab some future award wins. The studio behind hits like Heavenly Sword and DmC: Devil May Cry is renowned for its knack for crafting spectacular, monumental games – and Hellblade is arguably their magnum opus in that regard. Odds are nobody at Xbox seriously banked on such an artistic title being a commercial juggernaut, but flaunting an exclusive at The Game Awards would still be a nice feather in their cap. Sony had always outmaneuvered them there, but now Phil Spencer held all the trump cards. With Sony’s first-party output slowing, it was the perfect time to finally snatch up some coveted trophies.
When Microsoft was hyping up “the world’s most powerful console” in 2019, the Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II trailer showcased the full might of the Series X. It was clear they were going all-in on this game: signs pointed to hundreds of millions invested in its production. No longer just an indie experiment, but the flagship for one of gaming’s biggest publishers. Nobody doubted that years of work would culminate in one of the generation’s most beautiful and ambitious titles.
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When gamers beg for you to start marketing, something’s not right
Of course, I may be exaggerating a bit – the Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II trailer has been shown off several times, especially at various gaming events (most recently in January). But apart from those few glimpses, we’ve seen precious little, and this spring, when the gaming market is relatively quiet, many expected Xbox to go hard promoting their major upcoming release. Yet, radio silence. Social media stayed mum, with no commercials to be seen. Fans grew restless last week: what’s even going on here? While Xbox was busy axing some of their top studios, their potential hit title seemed to fall by the wayside. It’s baffling to think the game launches in just two weeks!
Honestly, I can’t recall a time when gamers outright demanded a corporation advertise one of their products, but that’s precisely what transpired. The tipping point was a mocking post on Xbox’s Threads account that merely shared a screenshot and the game’s title. No tagline, no storefront link. Players fretted: what does this signify? Does Microsoft think their new game is doomed to fail? Conventional wisdom says underperforming projects get minimal marketing treatment – we saw something similar with Redfall around a year ago. But while Arkane Austin’s creation looked rough from the jump, Senua’s Saga seemed to inspire no such doubts. So maybe we’re just missing something here?
Post by @xboxView on Threads
These mixed signals from the publisher greatly undermine the sequel’s already questionable chances of turning a profit. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not pre-emptively critiquing it – I’m just looking at the situation objectively. In 2024, the video game market is experiencing a creative drought: every major publisher (except for the perpetually paradoxical Nintendo) is banking on games-as-a-service and shying away from bankrolling expensive, narrative-driven blockbusters that quickly lose relevance. Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice was never meant for mass appeal from the outset – it was too artsy. The sequel, by all indications, will double down on that niche sensibility. I don’t believe the company had lofty commercial expectations for Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II. If it breaks even, that’d be something. But it’s not even about the game itself, it’s about Game Pass: Microsoft’s subscription service is steadily cannibalizing sales of exclusives that hit it day one.
We saw the same thing with the excellent Hi-Fi Rush – the game got literally zero PR push and was immediately added to the subscription, leading to underwhelming sales despite numerous awards. Just like it, Senua’s Saga won’t get a physical release. Is Microsoft not learning? Are they once again consigning one of their finest works to obscurity?
It’s hard to fathom such blatant ineptitude from one of the world’s richest companies. But something is clearly awry in Xbox’s camp. The promises of Phil Spencer and Sarah Bond completely contradict the reality, with their hundred-million-dollar games fated for irrelevance. And it’s not like Xbox doesn’t know how to market – earlier this year they allocated a significant budget towards promoting Palworld, even doing special console bundles. This for a blatant rip-off of an established franchise from a tiny publisher.
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Our global paid media campaign started yesterday across YouTube, HBO/Max, Facebook, Instagram, Reddit (In-feed promoted posts), Search, and Samsung. Our special Iceland creator event is happening now including hands on with the game. Will keep folks posted as more drops like… pic.twitter.com/6CjJHauz0z
— Aaron Greenberg 🙅🏼♂️💚U (@aarongreenberg) May 9, 2024
It’s been just over a week since that post sparked the uproar, and Xbox is finally stirring. Aaron Greenberg, the company’s chief marketer, suddenly transformed into Ninja Theory’s biggest cheerleader – even posting a thread to justify the PR plan and list which advertising campaigns had already seen investment. Their official social channels also sprung to life. The marketing machine is whirring… but is it too little, too late? It seems either enthusiastic gamers or industry insiders are the only ones aware of this spring’s biggest blockbuster. You can’t move units with awareness that niche.
The new release drops on May 21st, so we’ll learn about its commercial (non)success soon enough – if at all. It’ll likely top Game Pass downloads for a week or two before fading into obscurity. Given Microsoft’s near-indifference, no hype is building, so it’ll just be perceived as another freebie in the subscription rotation. And that’s a tragedy. A tragedy for anyone hoping modern gaming can still be about more than just chasing trends, gamification, and microtransactions. There’s a high chance Ninja Theory itself won’t exist a year from now. Am I being dramatic? God, I hope so. But we’ve seen this before. No one believes CEO Phil Spencer’s words anymore – Xbox doesn’t believe in creativity or value developers. After dropping tens of billions on major publishers, Phil isn’t shy about axing one studio after another the moment it becomes clear there’s no money to be made. It’s capitalism, but we shouldn’t just accept it.
Unfortunately, we’re merely observers in this unfolding process. We can’t influence anything, but we can vote in our way – by buying good games and spreading the word about them.