101Force

I have Game Pass essential for online play and sales, that's it. I was a Game Pass Ultimate subscriber but couldn't justify the cost after a couple of price hikes.

It's a shame that Microsoft is (seemingly) abandoning the X|S strategy after one generation. I'm of the opinion Microsoft could have sold significantly more Series S consoles if it was marketed as a "party" or"family" console, instead of as a "budget" console, and there was a bit more effort into bringing games with local multiplayer to Xbox. And given the ongoing RAM and general affordability crises, there is definitely an appetite for "light" Helix console.

1. Prioritize indie games, first-party AAA games, and older AAA games on Game Pass. This would allow Microsoft to offer a larger library of games for a lot less cost, minimize subscription price hikes, and market themselves as a supporter of indie studios and independent business.

2. Prioritize gameplay and game mechanics as key performance indicators for first-party games under development.

3. Continue with the X|S strategy, but market the S-line of consoles as "party" or "family" consoles, rather than as "budget" consoles.

4. Modify older first-party and IP-acquired games released for the OG Xbox, Xbox 360, and Xbox One to include local multiplayer when running in backwards compatibility mode for the Series X|S, provided the games originally didn't include local multiplayer but it's a reasonable addition.

I'm of the opinion the RAM shortage could kill Xbox consoles.

Both Sony and Nintendo reportedly secured supply contracts for RAM before the shortage started, while Microsoft didn't. And if the Xbox Magnus is everything it's rumoured to be, then it will need to be positioned as a premium alternative to the upcoming Steam Machine that is still less expensive than a gaming PC. As a result, pricing will be crucial to the success of the Xbox Magnus but the RAM shortage inflates the cost.

I host a monthly game night with friends where GoldenEye 0007 is still a popular game, but all of us are waiting for the N64 decompilation-recompilation PC port or even the recently announced decompilation-recompilation PC port for the cancelled Xbox 360 game. The big thing we're all hoping for to come out is subsequent mods that either add LAN support or up to 6-player deathmatch to take advantage of 16:9 screen support.

Maybe contracting a smaller, third-party studio to develop their IP will prove to be a success.

The assumption here is that consumers will eat the costs, but I predict a lot of people will make low-spec machines their gaming platform of choice and then pursue indie games, retro games, emulation, and decompilation / recompilation.

I'd bet the price will be high enough that I'll go with a PC, even if the performance isn't quite as good, so that least I can have more with mods, fan-translations, free games, emulation, non-gaming apps, etc. etc.

Germany has very strong consumer protection laws, so I'd bet it has to do with that there, but elsewhere? I'm not sure,

This reads like an admission that Game Pass is pricing-out a meaningful number of subscribers / consumers.

I'd prefer Game Pass be the home of (well-made) AAA games from Microsoft and its subsidaries, and indie games. The way I see it, AAA third-party games drive up the cost of Game Pass, at least when they're relatively new, and because the vast majority of AAA games are in decline it isn't a good trade-off. It would be far more cost-effective to use Game Pass to foster the indie gaming community, alongside Microsoft's AAA games.

If Microsoft had any sense, they'd:

1. Only put AAA, new releases on Game Pass from Xbox Studios and their subsidaries (and ensure those games are well-made, instead of hype-driven cash grabs).

2. Only put AAA games from third-party developers on Game Pass if the titles are older and thus less costly.

3. Prioritize good games from indie developers on Game Pass, including day-one titles, and make sure they're paid well enough (but not AAA game prices) to foster growth in the indie gaming community.

This would allow Game Pass to capture a larger segment of the gaming market by keeping subscription prices low and establish Xbox as the platform of choice for indie gaming, which would be much more profitable during the current trend of AAA collapse.

I was going to buy the game this past weekend... but decided agsinst it after reading about all the bugs, particularly with random character deletion when playing in split-screen on the Series S and other consoles.

Unless the price of Xbox consoles go down, I'll probably move over to a PC running SteamOS or ChimeraOS for a console-like experience. It won't be a cutting edge PC, not by a long-shot, but between PC games, extensive mods, freeware, emulation, etc. all integrated into one I'll be happy with it regardless.

I just want a Star Wars game with an immersive, GTA-like world and procedurally-generated missions for endless fun. Set the game on a world the Empire has recently taken over and cast players as rebels, tasked with everything from sabotage to covert supply missions and everything inbetween. Heck, you could even give it a bit of the KOTR morality system by including criminal elements that can help you achieve your goals (assuming they don't double-cross you) if you turn a blind eye to their other endeavours.

I just want a port of the Dreamcast version of Quake III: Team Arena with the split-screen / local player count bumped up to six to capitalize on the change from 4:3 to 16:9. New maps, more bot options, and more gameplay modes wouldn't hurt, but the game would still be perfect otherwise.

I might be alone in saying this, but any game that was released (or in this case, was already remade for) the Xbox One or the PS4 doesn't need another remake. The leap in graphics between then and now just isn't that much.

There's something to be said for a company that is trying to position itself as an economical option in a time when the buying power of the lower and middle classes is decreasing, while simultaneously prioritizing "AI" over its employees.

This could be a good direction for Xbox overall, but I wonder how well the next generation's Xbox "consoles" will be able to compete on price with PlayStation with this approach.

A lot of people outside of the video game industry have jobs that are threatened by AI / LLMs, but Microsoft expects them to forget about that and embrace AI / LLMs in their entertainment as it causes job losses in the video game industry. It's ridiculous.

Now the Perfect Dark franchise is being carried by the N64 game's decompilation-recompilation project and the modding community that will attract.

I don't have a GTA V deal available to me, but I don't own any version of the game. What I do have are deals for versions of Tiny Tina's Wonderland that come with less content than the version I already own, which is ridiculous.

Quake III Arena with new arenas, enhanced bots (take a page from the bot options for Perfect Dark's deathmatch), proper 16:9 support, and maybe up to six players for local deatmatches, and you'd have one of the best party games ever made.

Locking a console to a specific store has typically been the trade-off for a machine that is less expensive than a comparable PC. It will be interesting to see if the next Xbox console will continue to be less expensive than comparable PCs, or if it will only be a standard for PC developers to aim for.

Whatever the approach, I for one do hope they provide two console specs — the market is on the verge of fracturing into distinct lower and higher ends and Microsoft's attempt to maintain a bridge between them has some benefits.

That puts the rumours about the next generation of Xbox consoles being built around ARM to rest. It's a bit shame though, Microsoft is actually in a position to build an effective X86/64-to-ARM translation layer for backwards compatibility.

I'm on Game Pass Core strictly for the purposes of playing online. A price increase for Core will probably push me to PC gaming and no, I wouldn't be getting PC Game Pass.

This is cool, but personally I'm hoping for more Xbox console game giveaways, like what we saw on Prime Gaming recently.

I sincerely hope they implement proper multiplayer for the handheld titles, especially if they don't add any other versions of Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance.

It sounds to me like OlliOlli World and Rollerdrome were sold to 2K by the new owners after they acquired them from Private Division.

There's a couple of games in this week's sale that don't usually go on sale, most notably Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove.

Maybe I'm just a pessimist, but I think the "budget" demographic will soon encompass the vast, vast majority of gamers, and there's nothing Sony or Microsoft can do to change that. Microsoft is however working to make Game Pass a viable option for the "budget" demographic, so Yoshida's criticisms here strike me as ignorant of the emerging financial reality for the lower and middle classes.

That's probably for the best.

The Series S has been a major seller for Microsoft and while I would have preferred they marketed it as a "family" or "party" console, given the declining buying power of both the lower and middle class I must concede it's probably because it's appealing as a "budget" console. I don't think finances are going to improve for these consumers anytime soon and there's probably going to be more of them with every year that passes, so Microsoft should lean into the two-pronged approach of providing both "luxury" and "budget" console options.

This is cool, but we really need another Dragon Quest IV remake — it's only been released for the NES, PS1, and NDS, which have relatively low resolutions compared to modern consoles — and it's easily one of the most unique JRPGs ever released, even today.

I'm of the opinion that 8-bit (and 16-bit and 32-bit) retro game re-releases should at the very least be enhanced with proper 16:9 support — not just screen stretching — and, where applicable, support for a larger number of local multiplayers. Otherwise, there's nothing here that hasn't been readily available with emulation for the past 30 years or so.

Perfect Dark on the N64 had some of the best deathmatches out there — multiple game modes, highly customizable bots, and great maps. I hope the decompilation/recompilation effort that's currently underway yields a mod for more local players (up to six or maybe even nine), LAN support, and online support with private/self-hosted servers.

I just want less ads on the home screen and more options — like more groups — to organize my installed games.

I mentioned in another article that Game Pass Core members appear to be excluded from the Game Pass RPG Sale that's currently going on, which leads me to believe Microsoft will be trying to maximize Game Pass revenue however possible, so I expect a price increase.

It looks like the Game Pass RPG Sale isn't available to Game Pass Core members, I'm just being told I have to enroll in Game Pass Ultimate if I try to buy a game.

My next gaming machine — which is still a few years away, at least — will be a PC. Not a cutting-edge or top-of-the-line PC mind you, but the cheapest option that I'm comfortable with.

I'm of the opinion that modern consoles are synonymous with the Neo Geo AES — which cost $650 in 1991, or a bit more than $1500 today when adjusted for inflation — and that these price increases are paving the way for a cheaper option similar to the SNES — which cost $200 in 1991, or a bit more than $460 today when adjusted for inflation — to swoop in and dominate the market, provided it contains a few key features that appeal to gamers.

So is this still actually happening, or are they just going to be "working on it" until people forget about it?

I'd like nothing more than for Microsoft to release a "gamer's version" of Windows to compete directly with SteamOS and make Xbox "consoles" a baseline PC standard for developer's to aim for. But if Microsoft is going to manufacture Xbox "consoles" I don't see how they could allow Steam on them and also sell them at a loss with the intention of recouping money from game sales. The risk of selling cheap consoles that are used by consumers exclusively for Steam seems to high to ignore.

At this point, I can only look forward to large acquisitions if the new parent company hires on enough employees to maintain (or expand upon) the franchises they're gaining. But that's not what's happening, companies are being acquired for one or two franchises while the rest — sometimes a dozen, or more — are effectively put into storage.

...F.E.A.R.

I still think everyone is expecting too much from this Steam-Xbox thing though.

I'd bet dollars to doughnuts everyone is expecting more from this than the reality will offer.

Damn. I know it was a long-shot, but I was hoping when official support ended we'd end up with community-run and private servers, similar to Ultima Online's "shards".

I switched to Game Pass Core earlier this month after being on Game Pass Ultimate for the past four years. Financially, it made the most sense for me to be on Game Pass Core and to buy the occasional game, despite what I'll be missing out on with Game Pass Ultimate.

RE6 is easily the worst in the series. It relies on far too many "cinematic" sequences where players just spam a single button to move on, and the co-op is incredibly disappointing compared to the solid gameplay of RE5. For RE6, anything less than a complete remake would be a terrible idea.

This is, quite frankly, something that Microsoft shoukd have been trying to do with Rare since the beginning. All this IP is going to waste.

The only standout — from these screenshots, at least — is Below, as it rarely goes on sale otherwise.