Xbox Adds More Perks For Game Pass Ultimate Members (July 2022)

I know off subject and I have all three consoles.
But Xbox need to do something this year and all these selling charts right or wrong can give there results on sales.
But the series s and x sales in the UK have really dried up. Being linked to UK retail through family, not my business. Units are just not getting purchased and even small little incentives are being introduced to sell them.
Now in summer the UK are slightly used to this but it is below what is expected, even with the cost of living increases.
Now Xbox is known for improving during in the UK with the run up to Christmas 🎄 and a couple of big AAA exclusives around that time or just before to inject sales, but there are none coming this Christmas.
Of course the Xbox is not doomed of course Microsoft can ride any storm they are mega rich.
But I don’t think the company even long term are doing the Xbox console sales business any good what so ever.
What it goes to show game pass or no game pass as well, exclusive games make a console, or maybe Xbox has just lost that brand recognition I am not sure.
But I think in the UK at least and maybe world wide at the end of this generation they will be hardly any better of than the end of last generation.
No company is perfect any of them, but I’m finding when it comes to AAA exclusives Xbox is such a big smoke and mirrors company. And with even with recent showings of Redfall and Starfield the mass general public where the big sales are in the UK at least have not the slightest interest in them.
Even my own Xbox fan brain is like they don’t look next generation or that Wow or special.
Xbox to me made the best console series x this new generation of them all, but it so far has gone to waste.

@Dezzy70 lol

That Fall Guys costume is sweet. Definitely snagging that tonight.

@Dezzy70 I think we all realise the reality of 2022 being the year next-gen really kicks off for Xbox is a wash. This year has been pretty terrible so far on the support front…with MS focusing more on bringing gamepass to more people with no games from them this year to play on it. You only have to look at the reaction far cry 5 has gotten in the last couple of weeks to see we’re starving.

It’s those four words again…’wait till next year’… but I think next year will definitely be the start of seeing what these new consoles can actually do…it just may not come from Xbox’s own studios.

@Bleachedsmiles
Not sure about Xbox studios.
I see playground games and Turn 10
Can deliver I’m sure they can and bring a top end AAA experience all round as I think the coalition will do.
The others have shown nothing yet of top end AAA quality. Both Starfield and Redfall looked ok and may play well but they don’t look top end or even at the level of say ACV, HFW and FH5.
It’s all a bit dumbed down at Xbox studios.

@Dezzy70 Dumbed down how? It could be argued HFW, GoW, uncharted, last of us, etc…all top of their game when it comes to production values and writing. Gameplay…well, let’s be honest, they’re all basically the same game.

Starfield I personally think looks impressive visually. It’s not matching linear games like Sonys, no. But it’s certainly a clear step up visually from what bethesda put out last gen. And it’s certainly going to be more ambitious than any of Sonys first party we know of. So I can’t personally see how that’s ‘dumbed down’.

In fact variety is something Xbox studios has clearly over Sonys first party. You have your fps, racings games, linear story driven games, but also things like flight sim, rts games, rpg games…
It’s just what Sony studios do well they do far better than Xbox studios. But that may start to equal out a bit next year when Hell Blade 2 hits…if sp story driven linear high fidelity is what you’re after well that should have you covered.

@Bleachedsmiles
Forget Sony just focus on what Xbox is not bringing to table AAA game wise.
Apart from FH5 AAA, nothing in 2 years
Halo dumbed down overall campaign.
Better environments on the Xbox360.

Xbox have a couple of very good developers the rest is dumbed down AAA stuff probably for the game pass market.

Starfield out side looked rubbished go watch a real outside environment like ACV, far cry and HFW
even Xbox FH5, all open world.
Starfield inside and main buildings looked good but outside no environmental life and the creatures looked bad as well.

Xbox is the no AAA, or dumbed down AAA
apart from FH5 and FM.

@Dezzy70 what are you talking about? You sound dumbed down.

Your judging games purely on visuals. Ac, fc, are the same game every year…following the same format. This you don’t see as ‘dumbing down’?

Halo infinite doesn’t look bad. The outside environment looks decent. It just doesn’t offer the same variety as the more linear games did, that’s true. Gameplay thought, it was spot on imo.

Xbox have plenty of talent in their studios. Talent isn’t their issue…direction and focus is. And this comes from lack of decent management.

A real outside environment like ACC, fc, hfw? Those are based on Earth…you’re comparing Earth to a desolate rock planet in space. See what I mean by you sound dumbed down. Starfield is going to have 1000 planets. Not all of them are going to be full of life…ask yourself how many planets in our solar system are full of life. That’s not ‘dumbing down’…that’s keeping a grasp of some sort of realism.
Those planets that do have life, full on cities ect…will not only offer plenty of variety, plenty of different creatures, but they’re also said the cities will be bigger than anything in their previous games. The variety we’ve seen is already impressive. And if you don’t care about exploring the planets that don’t have huge cities or story beats…guess what, you don’t have to.

As for dumbed down for the gamepass market? Wth you on about? Gamepass is the reason why Xbox’s own studios are taking so many risks and being inventive with more of their releases. Wake up.

@Bleachedsmiles
You keep saying Halo is open world and Starfield
So is ACV,FC and HFW so there is no excuse for Halo or Starfield.
I would bet any amount of money Starfield outside in the best planet possible you can chose, environmental and environment wise graphical effects, wind,snow, water, detail etc etc. will not get close to ACV, FC or HFW older games and they are also last generation games as well.
As where Starfield is new generation only.
Dumbed down or basically the effort not put in.
As for gameplay the shooting in Starfield looked very generic to lots on here and me.
There is not a single game apart from FH5 or probably the new FM that looks anything top end decent for the 12tflop series x.
Redfall is another, looks a nice fps and a sound story, but so far looks wise big standard.
Also the series consoles will become a one trick unreal engine console if they are not careful which will result in similar effects and display etc, it happened in the Xbox360 days a little.

Top end in house engines on consoles and a top end AAA team normally get the best results from the console, which with FH5 and FM Forzatech Engine shows in a positive way on Xbox.

@Dezzy70 I think you need to understand different engines have different strengths. AI, dialogue, animation, even sound, all eat memory. It’s not just textures.
Halo infinites engine will have greater strengths than Ac, and vice versa.
Starfields engine will have greater strengths than HFW, and vice versa.
Don’t forget Bethesda have access to one of the most visually impressive engines (ID) on the market…and chose not to use it. You have you assume there’s a reason for that. That the ID engine isn’t as capable with certain systems they’re implementing in the game. Or the open nature of it.

Weather effects may not get close to the games you mention. That may not be the focus. Just like space combat isn’t the focus in AC…so

Gunplay generic… how do you want the gun play to be? We’ve only seen two guns? We’ve also seen AI taking cover. We’ve seen AI reacting passively to a gun being pointed at them too… most games just have enemies instantly running at you without a care.

Dude, no game on either platform looks next gen yet. Or taking advantage of either console yet. I’ve played nothing on my ps5 that looks a generational leap over the pros visuals or couldn’t be done on ps4 - the proofs in the fact that most games are cross gen still.

FH5 doesn’t look a generational leap over what it looks like on Xbox one base. It’s the same game with a higher resolution and frame rate. It’s still the same game.

The only thing that’s given a hint of what these consoles are capable of is the matrix demo.
And next year hell blade 2 should be out…nobody has viewed that gameplay and said to themselves the ps4/Xbox one is capable of that.

@Bleachedsmiles
So you know I have been with Xbox since day one
I know I’m old 😂
I just see some of what their studios have produced so far this generation and maybe what is coming in the next 12 months showcase and think dam they could be doing so much better and that they should be showing Sony studios this is how to do it on 12tflops console and the general public this will make you go wow capture your imagination and make your eyes burn and mouth water. And want a series console or game pass.
Like it or not, that is not happening as much as Xbox like to make you think it is.
Not gonna go on about my shop sales analysis etc, but they not shifting units like they were and some almost stagnant on sales.

@Dezzy70 I have too. Even had the original with the duke controller.

Thing is, the only game that MS has put out this gen so far that isn’t cross platform is flight sim. And flight sim is doing some impressive stuff…but it’s not really a showcase game. It has the opposite problem to your complaints…it’s not a game that’s ‘dumbed down’, it’s not a game thats ‘generic’. So it’s not going to speak to that larger audience.
I also think you may be using these terms incorrectly. As you instantly use AC and Farcry as comparisons … you’ve heard of the ‘Ubisoft formula’ right? A term specifically put out into the world due to the generic nature of ubisofts open world games…a set blueprint.

Yes, Xbox should be capitalising on the momentum they built last year… but they once again showed their management issues. This isn’t going to be fixed. So though fanboys will allow excuses for them…the sales will not be so kind. So yeah, I’m not surprised we see hardware sales dropping off.
But then look at the messaging from Xbox…they don’t care if you buy the hardware. They haven’t since Phil Spencer took over. They’re now marketing the app proudly as not needing a console. It’s all about the services - that’s where they put their money into.
Long as gamepass subs are growing it really doesn’t matter if Xbox consoles stay on the shelves.
But, the only way gamepass subs will keep its growth is if the games are there…and this is why first party is so important, and having that regular output. This year should have been the start of that. Next year will be. If no games come from Xbox studios next year then they will finally have to start addressing the management problems as frankly it’s ridiculous that a console in its second year has no first party support.

@Bleachedsmiles
They only thing I would say if they sell a console they could sell a game pass subscription.

they can sell gamepass subscriptions to pc users, xbox one users, Series consoles users, mobile users and now samsung tv users.

Microsoft dont care what you play it on as long as you have gamepass

Wonder when we’re going to get all those benefits for Riot Games. I’ve been holding off downloading Wild Rift on my phone until we get that offer for every character for free.

@trev666 I saw on twitter they have a deal with LG now to make their TV the official xbox TV so gamepass will probably be LG TVs soon

UK got the best perk of all of them….30 says paramount plus trial is dope!

@Dezzy70
Did you know "Dezzy" in Japanese means "Dumbed Down"...
It totally does.

LoL But for real, your way too long of comment on an article that has nothing to do with the subject of your comment... totally something a dumbed down person would do.

I hope someday youwill understand that Xbox does not make games "for Game Pass" meaning that if it is a game going straight into Game Pass that they are going to make it cheaper and the game being overall a lower quality.
That is just BS that Sony Fanboys got planted into your dumbed down brain.
Xbox is producing games and not rushing them out, instead making sure they are as good as they can be.

They want the games in Game Pass to be high quality... that is how they create value. Making dumbed down games... That is just a dumbed down idea.

If Xbox was more worried about putting out a first party game every couple months to make the Game Pass library look bigger and seem to have more content coming in constantly.... They would not have delayed Star Field and RedFall. Simple as that. The wouldnt have delayed Halo either.

Hopefully my manscape hedgetrimmer worked well enough and you didnt get a face full of my curlies when I tea bagged you over and over in this reply... If you likedthe trim, use code, "Xbox2" at checkout for free shipping and 10% off
: )

@Stoned_Patrol
Well let’s just see how great and AAA
Starfield and Redfall are when they make an appearance.
Yes Halo Infinite was delayed and was better for it but it was no AAA overall. It’s was still dumbed down.