Topic: General Xbox Series X|S Thread

@Pastellioli I bought Rare Replay as I loved Rare - inc their pre-Rare 'Ultimate' days I spent hours and hours playing Sabrewulf and Knightlore for example. However, trying to play Jet Force Gemini and even Blastcore two of my Favourite Rare games that I think would seriously benefit from a complete remake for modern Hardware.

But neither felt right or 'fun' anymore but then I lived and played through that era, being old enough to play the first Games and had some of the Hardware. I played Goldeneye and Perfect Dark with my Kids - now my kids are older than a lot who frequent here...

@Pastellioli I didn't have this one for N64, but I beat Jet Force Gemini on Xbox and although some levels are challenging, I enjoyed it a lot. It took me some time to get used to the controls and aiming, that have been improved in the Xbox version, but once I got the hang of it, it was a blast, with the typical addiction of Rare's games. Also, you just reminded me that I tried but I didn't beat Blast Corps.

@Pastellioli Yes, you need to beat the others first 🤣. The first level of Jet Force Gemini is the most difficult of all, because the player is probably not used to that kind of controls and aiming. If you go back to this level to find the Tribles later, then you realise how easy it really is. It's one of those games that is easier the more you play, except certain platforming section, strangely enough.

So very glad to have grabbed Hellblade Senua's Sacrifice on the sale for 0.25 $. Feel very, very glad to own the game now.

https://blog.activision.com/activision/2024/activision-announ...

Activision has formed an all-new internal studio, Elsewhere Entertainment. The new team, headquartered in Warsaw, Poland, with additional resources in the U.S., is exclusively focused on creating a new narrative-based and genre-defining AAA franchise.

Built from the ground up, Elsewhere Entertainment is a premier and standalone studio dedicated to establishing an environment that inspires bold and diverse ideas. The team’s underlying mission encourages everyone to explore and collaborate creatively to craft a franchise with an enduring legacy that resonates far beyond games.

The talented team at Elsewhere Entertainment consists of a collection of storytelling experts whose credits include The Last of Us, Uncharted, The Witcher, Cyberpunk, Destiny, Tom Clancy’s The Division, and Far Cry.

Maybe won't make up for the 'loss' of Tango, maybe it will prove to be more Fruitful too....

@BAMozzy Yeah the closure of Tango Gameworks was sad imo. They seemed to be such a good group of people. Its sad that it seems as we will not see or hear much more from them in a while at least

@oliverp Whilst it is sad, especially when you look back at games like Evil Within as well - but we really don't know the 'state' of that Studio. The creator of Evil Within and even the creators of Ghostwire all left Tango before Ghostwire released so you don't know if that Studio was capable of developing a AAA game that the Studio had been known for without a LOT of recruitment and investment - made more difficult logistically by being in Japan as Costs are rising. Without the creator of Evil Within, maybe won't get another...

Hi-Fi Rush could have been made by an indie sized team, all that's left of Tango and for MS, the 'cost' to rebuild Tango, get them back to making AAA games and delivering product to recoup that cost - in a 'high cost' region like Japan, maybe doesn't make financial sense when Activision can open a new Studio in Poland where costs are lower overall, logistically 'easier' to support having other European Studios/Devs and closer to US in distance and time-zones. If Tango needed help from the Coalition with UE5, that's logistically more difficult than a EU studio.

With Tango having just released HiFi Rush, I can understand why people are upset. But the staff that were left may not have had any 'plans' or other projects in development, didn't have any 'future' they could offer MS to keep them open. People talked about Ninja Theory being 'at risk' if Hellblade 2 doesn't hit whatever Target MS dictates - but NT have other Projects in Development, a plan for their future releases. You don't 'kill' a Studio whilst they have Projects in development you can 'sell', you close them down after they have released 'product' and haven't started on their next 'product'.

I think both Arkane Austin (which could be used to boost their other Austin Studios by moving some staff) and Tango were likely a 'shell' of their former selves with many of the creative talent leaving - Arkane because they weren't happy to be forced to make a Live Service game for example and didn't have the Staff, Projects in development etc, They may have required so much investment over the next 5yrs plus before they release a game - money that could be better invested in ensuring those games in development come out on time and at a consistent cadence, ensure that the other Studios get the support they need to ensure those games release at the quality we expect, not need a year or more of patches etc.

And like I said, MS has opened 2 'new' Studios - Infinity Ward Austin and Elsewhere Studios in Poland...

@BAmozzy Oh thanks for your very good and cool ansluts man. Hm had no idea that Tango Gameworks had transformed in the way you described. Although we are not there yet I have liked always thought that it would be cool if studios in the game industry was a bit more open and transparent with things. Communicating more with the fans of the respective of the franschses hehe 😉. Until that is the case I guess we need to keep guessing.

@oliverp yeah Shinji Mikami, the person who formed Tango and the creator of RE and Evil Within left and Ikumi Nakamura, Creative Director of Ghostwire left before that game released for example. That may have left the Studio without their Creators, their own creative identity. A 'small' team, maybe all that's left at Tango, could have made Hifi Rush and 'support' it post launch, but also costing a LOT to keep open, require a LOT of additional cost to build up and unlikely to recoup costs for 'years'.

I'm not saying that is the case. Other than the fact some high profile people left Tango, the rest is 'speculation' and MS aren't going to turn round and say that Zenimax forced Arcane to make something they weren't comfortable or experienced enough to make causing many Staff to leave so became a very different Studio to the one that made Prey, no longer have the 'talent' behind Resi Evil/Evil Within that made Tango Games etc so had to 'close'.

MS mentioned trying to relocate staff in those closures too and Arkane, being based in Austin, had options with MS - including the newly opened Infinity Ward Austin. Roundhouse, who were Supporting Zenimax Online were merged into Zenimax Online. But Tango, in Japan with High Costs (inc Rates, Wages etc) feels more of a Loss because it was MS's foot in the Japanese Door. They can't relocate or merge, Logistically 'difficult' as their only Japanese Studio (very difficult to co-ordinate, communicate and/or support when half way around the world in very different time-zones. Poland on the other hand is much cheaper and has a much larger pool of Developers to staff it, logistically better as MS can combine visits with visiting their other studios and partners, etc.

As they had just finished HiFi Rush, unless they had their 'next' game in at least pre-production with something they could present to MS, you have to factor that in as well. HR could have led to a sequel but as well received as it was 'Critically', it also seemed 'niche'. It's not a game you hear sold well on PS5. No point making a sequel for the sake of it - and unless they had something 'else', you could be looking at another 5 or 6 yrs before Tango released another game. That could be too much 'cost', for not enough 'return' too.

We are unlikely to really know the truth - even if Tango was in need of a LOT of investment to recruit and/or build up that Studio to delivering the 'games' we as MS gamers expect, they'll be people saying MS should use their 'vast' resources to keep it open regardless of cost, regardless of whether it loses MS money, regardless of whether that money would be better invested in 'more' product for us coming sooner and at the quality expected. They'll always be someone who'd rather have HiFi Rush 2 than Hellblade 2 or Avowed, would rather see 343 closed for their handling of Halo so no rationale will appease...

@Yousef- Some Super Mario 64 courses perfectly describe what you mean, depending on the chosen star, there are different courses in each course, with a start and an ending. Think of Rainbow Ride.

I completed Super Mario 64 many times with 120 stars because it was my first N64 cartridge and as I kid I wasn't given many games. I can't say it's overrated because it's revolutionary, but Banjo-Kazooie is much more enjoyable. It's more about free exploration and collecting, like you said, but also it has much more charm, it is more beautiful and has a better soundtrack. Moreover, it's like a traditional European story and that is invaluable.

@Pastellioli Yep, Rare's games are more than games, so they stick with you. Probably, because they are a reflection of a deeper involvement by the developers. Remember Cranky in the Donkey Kong Country trilogy, Banjo, Kazooie, Conker... Super Mario 64 as a game got a lot of things right and even better than modern games, like mapping walking and running to the analogue stick, instead of requiring an additional button to run like some stupid modern controls.

@Yousef- First of all, I need to beat Kao the Kangaroo on Xbox that I already started. I've played Ratchet & Clank on PS4, but it was mostly shooting. It was fine, but nothing special. I also played Knack 2 that I enjoyed somehow. Why do you like about Kirby so much? I'm curious. I've played Kirby 64, Kirby Super Star and I have a few more downloaded for 3DS, but I've never been a fan. Cranky is so funny 🤣.

Matt Booty implies Studio's shut down due to Leadership changes - particularly Tango https://www.eurogamer.net/matt-booty-implies-tango-gameworks-...

This kind of confirms what I thought - the fact that the Studio founder and the creator of Games like Resident Evil and Evil Within, even Ghostwire, is no longer at the studio, maybe means that Studio doesn't have the leadership or creative talent to make the Games that made 'Tango' the studio it was, may not have been able to make another 'Evil Within' for example.

The same can be said for Arkane Austin too as we also know they lost staff during the Redfall era so may not have had the staff or the 'leadership' in place to make another 'Prey'. Was Infinity Ward the 'same' Studio after they lost half their Staff team when the creators of CoD left and set-up Respawn? Arguably not as Activision had to pull in more studios - inc Neversoft who ended up being merged into Infinity Ward.

Amy Hennig leaving Naughty Dog too made a 'difference' to Uncharted 4 - which does have a different 'vibe'. The first 3 were more 'Indiana Jones' with Mystical, other worldly aspects whereas 4 is much more Goonies, looking for 'Pirate Treasure' to set them up for the future. I kept expecting some mystical element, maybe end up fighting Pirate Skeletons for example. Not saying that was a 'bad' move, just that without certain people, you maybe don't get the same game - even if its the same 'IP'. Without Kojima at the helm, will a 'new' MGS game made by Konami without Kojima be the 'same', have the same direction, humour, ambition, ideas etc that MGS fans want/expect? Even if made by the SAME studio that made MGS before, without Kojima, its not the 'same' studio anymore.

It doesn't always mean that a Studio has to be closed or can't produce 'great' games or be 'more' successful, but you can't always expect that Studio to make the games that those creators created if those creators aren't there. People say Rare aren't the same studio and not capable of making the games they did for N64 as those staff are now at Playtronic making Yooka-Laylee games.

Very intresting article and note @BAmozzy (even if I had not had time to read the article yet). It does seems a bit strange to me that a company such as Microsoft should not able to hire some great talent that would make up for if like one or two persons decide to leave, that is something I find a little bit confusing. Maybe they have concluded it is not worth the expsense it menas to have the studio open and operate on full speed then.

@oliverp I don't know and maybe we will ever know.

Its possible they could have tried to hire the right talent and invest money into building that Studio back up, commit to investing for the next 5yrs+ until that Studio has produced something that MS can 'sell' to start recuperating on all that Money they've spent on Recruitment, wages, rates etc. However, they may think that money is better spent on their current Studios to ensure that the games they have in development come out when expected, not delayed and at the quality we as Customers expect.

MS also took on ABK - a massive influx of staff and Studios - a massive increase in their costs - much higher wage bill, much higher rates bill, much higher cost to keep many more studios open making games. Many of which are at full speed on Games we expect to see in the coming years, whilst Tango may not have anything in pre-production yet, no 'product' for MS and waiting for 'leadership' to take that Studio forward.

The article doesn't come out and say that Tango or Arkane was 'closed' because they had no leadership or because those staff left leaving MS no choice. As I said it implies that their 'history' and the Games we think of were made by a 'different' staff team so no longer the 'Studio' that created those games so you have to look at where that Studio is today and near future.

MS have had numerous 'teams' take-over from Original teams - Halo isn't made by Bungie anymore, Gears no longer by Epic - so they could make Evil Within 3 with a different team. Yes it maybe won't be a Shinji Mikami game, but Evil Within 3 made by Tango wouldn't be either in the future. So you can't keep 'Tango' just because they made EW in the past, you keep them because whatever game is coming 'next'.

With Tango being in Japan, a country with rising Costs, the 'cost' to hire, build up and get product out could be very high making whatever 'Product' extremely expensive to produce requiring even more sales to recuperate when Elsewhere in Poland maybe would cost 'less' due to lower costs and therefore a lot less 'risk' and won't need to sell as many either. If it gets delayed, that extra development time too is less.

I'd have rather seen Tango be 'let go' rather than closed - but I did think it would be difficult as the 'ONLY' Japanese Studio, a very different culture and time zone. They could have felt very isolated in a much bigger pond where everyone else is in the US/UK/EU.

Again not trying to say MS was 'right' to shut Tango and/or Arkane but that MS perhaps had little/no choice as a 'business' and as we don't truly know, trying to find a rational reason from the little info we can determine. MS no doubt would look at the 'cost' of Hiring and keeping that studio and maybe the numbers didn't make sense to them...

@Yousef That will be interesting. Donkey Kong 64 tested my patience on my way to 100% (101%). @Pastellioli I have the Wii U version of Donkey Kong 64, but I know that Retroarch/Mupen64Plus-Next is a good N64 emulator, if you have access to that. I'm going to check the other thread and read your opinion about Perfect Dark right away!

@Pastellioli Hello, my friend! To be more specific, Retroarch/Mupen64Plus-Next is what I use for N64 on Series X, but Series S is as good for emulation because the CPU is basically the same. You can only use home-made apps in developer mode, but you can switch between developer and retail mode as much as you want. If you are interested, you can find more information about it elsewhere and how to set up a developer account on Microsoft's website. I barely play on PC or mobile.

Next time, she will be wearing that thick jacket covering her whole neck, no make-up, short hair and have surgery to make her eyes small and her head square and masculine. 😅

To make it clear, I was referring to the Perfect Dark 3 trailer. What I liked about it was that it revealed gadgets, infiltration scenes and the music is very Perfect Dark. It's being built on Unreal Engine 5 and it's looking good, even though Joanna is not Joanna.