Talking Point: Next Month Is A Big One For Xbox Game Studios, And We're Here For It

This is such a weird release strategy putting all these games out in quick succession. They did it earlier in the year too with Doom, Elder Scrolls 4, and South of Midnight. I prefer Nintendo's game of the month model and think that would makes more sense for GP.

Outer Worlds 2 is the one I am most looking forward to, and I will probably by the Premium Edition closer to the time of release.

I may also give Ninja Gaiden 4 a whirl on the Game Pass too. That will mean I've played two games this year on my Ultimate Game Pass subscription (with the other one being Expedition 33). That is an unusually good year for me when it comes to Game Pass... 😂

I am really excited for outer worlds 2 but keeper is a wildcard for me. I love double fine and there is a real possibility that anything they make will be a 10 in my book.

I am not that interested in any of them and only one of these is actually exclusive to Xbox so I don't know how that makes a great month for 'Xbox'.

Yes those games may well be financially a success - but I don't see them swinging the 'needle' towards MS/Xbox when the two biggest are releasing on PS5 the same day. Obviously the following month has CoD, another big multi-platform game but will these sell hardware (RoG Xbox Ally also launches in October) or Game Pass Subscriptions?

I voted Outer Worlds 2 but only because of the 3, its the one I'm most likely to try. Keeper doesn't appeal at all and wasn't that much of a fan of Ninja Gaiden games so doubt I'd have bothered even trying these...

Sorry I will still be playing Borderlands 4 might get into outer worlds sometime in 2026

@kezelpaso Ninja Gaiden 4 is not a first party game. It’s developed by Team Ninja, Platinum Games and Koei Tecmo. Microsoft only does the publishing. It’s like calling Dragon Quest 11 a first party Nintendo game because Nintendo published it on Switch.

@BAMozzy

Probably because:

A) This is an Xbox site. Just like when you go to read the news on Push Square and you don't know if the games release on other consoles or not.

B) The three games will be on Game Pass, which most Xbox users have.

I agree that is a good month for gaming in general though. Although of course that is subjective to personal taste.

@Lup I know all that, but my point still stands. Might as well add in BF6, Chronos, Hollow Knight etc as other big and anticipated multi-platform games release on Xbox this month - some too will be on Game Pass but 'sold' on PS5.

Ninja Gaiden isn't what I consider First Party. I don't believe MS own the IP - even if they Comissioned and are publishing it, its more 2nd Party than first.

Keeper doesn't seem like a AAA game or a game that will bring gamers to the Xbox platform as the only exclusive. I can't see these 3 games in particular seeing a significant increase to Game Pass Subscriber numbers so most Xbox users that have Game Pass and play would still have paid that months Game Pass fee regardless of these games - they don't increase Xbox revenue this month despite 'new' products on the market.

So if EVERYONE that plays on Xbox/PC were already on Game Pass, they won't get any extra revenue. To increase the monthly revenue, they need to sell more Subscriptions and/or sell more games than they did last month. They are selling on PS5 so will generate extra revenue..

@RBRTMNZ
I like the 1 AAA TITLE, 1 AA Title per month strategy myself.
However, with so many releases these days, it's very competitive out there.

@RBRTMNZ I know. I have a feeling because of this we are in for another couple very sparse years. All of their studios have now pretty much recently released a game, and the ones that haven't they closed. So they'll need another 4 or 5 years to release another.

@Nic-Noc20th-C They don't have enough games to put out two monthly. They do have enough games to put one out roughly every six weeks and I think that would be a great cadence.

@FatGuyInLilCoat I've been thinking about this too. They're just flooding the market with games the last year and a half and I often wonder if they should be holding some of them back for an unforeseen fallow period. That's how Nintendo avoids droughts. They reportedly hold onto completed games for years sometimes.

Outerworlds 2 and Ninja 🥷 4.
That’s me sorted for a while then.

Nothing for me with these games but my plate is very full as it is!

@BAMozzy It sounds like you have a narrow interest in games. Game Pass is putting out great games all year; if you don't have an interest in the vast majority of games (on or off the service) then that is no indictment of the service.

Regarding exclusivity — after everything that has happened in the last two years, it seems as though you are sticking to the "force every game behind the console at all costs" mindset. That's over — these companies can't justify it anymore.

I'm looking forward to all of these, BUT, I just can't put down Expedition 33. I'll no doubt try OW2 to begin with, and then keeper.

@BAMozzy why does it have to be a console war thing again?

3 big releases on Xbox but all 3 of them on Xbox Game Pass on Day 1. So obviously it's a big month for Xbox regardless of if some are also on PS5 (and they aren't going onto PS Plus anyway.)

I just don't get people's fascination with scrutinising what means which company are 'winning' or 'losing' all the time. We're getting 3 new releases on Game Pass. That's really good.

@theduckofdeath Not at all - but I don't enjoy certain types of games and both Keeper and Ninja Gaiden are both games I wouldn't play.

As I said, there are great games coming this month Borderlands 4, Dying Light: the Beast, Chronos and even Indiana Jones DLC all appeal far more to me - Hollowknight is arguably the most anticipated if you go by the number of games that delayed their release and how many sites name is a highlight of the month - coming to Game Pass Day 1 too.

Just because I don't really enjoy games like Keeper or Ninja Gaiden, I hate Sports Sims, Board/card games and Fighting games too doesn't mean that I have a 'Narrow' interest. After 50yrs of gaming, I know what I like and what I dislike. I've never struggled to find games I want to play so I would say that I have a broad enough interest across multiple genres, styles, settings etc that there is ALWAYS at least 1 or 2 games releasing every month that I'd play.

However, I also have a LOT of games I haven't finished or got round to playing yet - gears of war reloaded for example and many of those appeal far more than some new releases. In other words, I'd rather play a 20yr old game than waste my time trying Keeper/Ninja Gaiden because it appeals 'more'.

You might not enjoy games like CoD or BF, may not like MMO's or Live Service games, might not enjoy Street Fighter/Mortal Kombat fighters, might not like JRPGs or really dislike certain mechanics like QTE's or turn-based, but that doesn't mean there isn't a wide range of other games available and 'more' games than you have Gaming time to ever play them all. I'd rather spend the limited Gaming time I have playing the types of games I enjoy and not waste it trying things I know from years of experience I don't like, wasted time and money on in the past...

@ANJB78 It's not about Console WARS - that's the whole POINT I'm trying to make. It doesn't really matter these are 'Xbox' games on Game Pass this month because they aren't even the biggest games coming to Xbox or Game Pass this month.

Silksong for example is on Game Pass and arguably the most anticipated. The ONLY exclusive is Keeper and I can't see that moving Consoles or Subscriptions. The others are on PS5 Day/Date so will buy on their Platform. I bet next month Xbox make more 'money' with just CoD so will be a bigger month.

Yes we get 3 MS Published games in one month on Game Pass but I doubt we'll see a big jump in Subscription figures and the majority already have Game Pass.

I don't really see the difference between say a Microsoft Published Multi-platform release that's also on Game Pass to any other multi-platfporm release on Game Pass - in fact some of the 3rd Party Games have appealed far more.

I still think its a good month for Game Pass and Games coming to Xbox this month, but I don't necessarily think that's because MS has a few games to release this month. Outer Worlds 2 could well be one of the best RPG's to release this year but I don't think its the most anticipated game on Game Pass this month...

@BAMozzy I just don't get why people have to overthink what's doing well and why and start getting all into intricate details about what articles mean about which is doing well and all that jazz.

At the end of the day there's 3 games releasing in one month which are big titles for Game Pass. Obviously some will like them more than others, but that's the news. 3 relatively big game pass releases in a month means it's a big month for Microsoft games and most fans of Day 1 games. Does it really matter if not all are exclusive or what this all means in the big picture of consoles and companies?

I find the same with wrestling fans. Rather than just enjoy what they enjoy and not what they don't, some just can't help getting into analysing which wrestlers draw more money blah blah, like they have some sort of management or financial interest in it or something. For me it's irrelevant, I just focus on good games coming to a service I have or which good games come out on the consoles rather than obsessing over what it all supposedly means for sales figures and corporate interests.

@ANJB78 Again, its not about Exclusivity or the fact that MS is releasing 3 games, its more the fact that those 3 games aren't likely to be the 'biggest' games coming to Xbox (let alone other Platforms) this month. Its not like they are releasing Halo, Gears and Forza in one month - its an 'indie' style, a partnered project and a first party AAA game and I doubt any is 'most' anticipated release on Xbox or Game Pass this month.

Ninja Gaiden isn't an Xbox IP or made by an Xbox Studio either so I think its somewhat pushing it to call it an 'Xbox' game so from my perspective, It seems to be almost pushing a Console war narrative and bringing the Xbox Console warriors out to defend it. Yesterday I said that Playstation has the 'highest' entry point to gaming this gen - the Series S and Switch are significantly cheaper - yet all the Sony Console warriors took offence. A steamdeck is cheaper over 5yrs than a Series S too because these Console require a Sub to unlock all content and features. So in Economic hardship, Sony are most 'prohibitive' to new gamers.

But the point is that Xbox has great games coming this month that aren't necessarily Xbox games and some are on Game Pass too and I think that Black Ops 7 next month alone will be 'bigger' for Xbox than the '3' games this month. I think Silksong will be bigger on Game Pass than at least 2 out of the 3 - if not all 3 games. I can't see many peopple wanting to buy an Xbox or Subscribe 'this month' because those 3 games are launching. They aren't the biggest games coming to Xbox this month so just being published by MS isn't really enough to make this a big one for Xbox Studios as the title actually states as Ninja Gaiden isn't made by an Xbox Studio and the other two aren't the most anticipated or 'biggest' releases of the month and if we move on from the 'Console war' narrative, then surely we can say that whilst MS may have a few games out this month, they aren't necessarily the 'biggest' most anticipated releases this month on Xbox or Game Pass. There are 'bigger' games on Xbox in the next month or two that are more anticipated, likely to get more gamer 'time' on Xbox than their 'own'!!

Recently beat Outer Worlds 1 and was suprised about how much i enjoyed it, so tempering expectations for 2 as i know life doesn't always work out 🤣

@BAMozzy Yes, time is limited between work and life. Many of us have deep backlogs that may never worked through...well, we may never get to play all the games we had interest in when we acquired them. Yet, we don't play games in chronological order. I'm still only a few hours into Elden Ring, despite completing over a dozen games and playing far more since its release.

However, you disagreed with the assessment of your tastes in games as "narrow", then you proceeded to list a litany of genres you don't have interest in. Deservingly popular games and genres. Game Pass isn't quite a rental service, more curated offering of games, with new titles added every month (all MS owned releases included), and some third-party titles rotating out.

It won't have every game released available for installation. Anyone subscribing to Game Pass and commenting on it online knows this. So, if you're aware of the service's content model, and you know you possess selective tastes, wouldn't you imagine the majority of months out of each year wouldn't have something for you?

@theduckofdeath Of course I do - are you missing the point here? I don't see these games as big - 1 is and 1 is basically an indie game, the other a 2nd party game at best - not an Xbox game.

Its a 'big' month for games in general with Silksong (in the 'indie category) Borderlands 4 (in the Sci-fi shooter RPG category) and numerous other big releases coming to Xbox and Game Pass this month that may make it tough for those games to get game-time in my opinion - Outer Worlds 2 the exception.

I'm sure Keeper will have its Niche following, rate highly but not be a big success in terms of players, same with Ninja Gaiden - I bet many will quit it that try it too - if its true to its Origins!

That's just me assessing the month as a whole ON Xbox and Game Pass and thinking that these games (1 of which isn't really an 'Xbox' game) as being that big this month when there are 'bigger' games competing - yes some may need purchasing on Xbox but are still likely to consume Game Time so even if you have Game Pass too, doesn't mean that 'curated' Library consumes 'much' of your game time (or if it does, its not in those games) - even if they are 'free' or made by MS, even less so if they don't appeal and listing off a 'few' genres like board/card games, fighting games and sport sims doesn't narrow down my games that much at all - there are still all the action, shooters, RPG's, platformers and numerous other genres and mix-ups of multiple genres I really enjoy so not 'narrow' at all...

The point I was making is that 1 niche indie, 1 2nd party/3rd party IP, and a sequel to a game that hasn't really been an 'Xbox' IP and could be a 'big' game but get 'lost' in the sea of 'big' games releasing this and next month on XBOX and/or Game Pass in some cases. How big is Silksong expected to be? on Game Pass too of course. If people are playing Borderlands 4, will they play Outer Worlds 2 just because its free for example....

The only Game I am interested in, the Outer Worlds 2 is likely to be a 'big/long' game to play and with all the 'big games' coming, some I will need to buy, I'm not even likely to start it this year...

Outer Worlds 2 Premium Edition already preordered. Between this Borderlands 4 & Path of Exile 2 I am good for the remainder of 2025.

Only other game I have an interest in is Project Motor Racing but that is one that I will have see reviews of the Xbox version before I buy.

While I want to play NG4, I have no sense of excitement or anticipation. I hope it does well though. Will try it out in a year or two. Will be a nice filler game.

@FatGuyInLilCoat There's a bunch of games coming over the next year+. State of Decay 3, Clockwork Revolution, Fable, Gears E Day, Grounded 2 Full Release, FH6, OD, Blade, Project Mara, some unnamed Toys for Bob game. That's not including the couple still slated for 2025.

I'm sure Obsidian will put out maybe 3 more games before lunch tomorrow, they're good at that.

I play Horde in Gears 5 online with my mate every weekend, @Millionski. I have Ultimate because I also have a gaming PC, although I don't use it.

In all honesty, I may try to see how well my PC plays Gears 5 (which I own) and if all is good, I may not re-sub to Game Pass when my subscription ends next year (or maybe the year after, I forget which). I really do not get the benefit of it, truth be told, and I do prefer to buy the games I play...

None of these are of any interest to me. I'll be playing Metal Gear, Borderlands 4 and Silent Hill F, probably all on my PS5 Pro. Because realistically they will look superior on the PS5 Pro and there will be all sorts of issues on the Series X versions.