@HonestHick This is the current state of every big publisher, with the only exception being Nintendo, that cleverly outsourced development and kept budgets small and found unusual success with ports on top of that. You are right. ABK was not counted because it is good business for Xbox. Like you, @Toecutter, @Jean_McClane and many others have said, the problem that Xbox has is not ABK nor Game Pass, but certain studios bleeding money and not performing as they should. Basically, the hands-off approach I said that wouldn't work with studios that are not great at managing themselves. I love State of Decay 2, but something was definitely wrong in that studio. I still believe that State of Decay 3 will release. I suppose no one here has all the answers about the future and there is nothing official yet regarding Double Fine, Compulsion and Ninja Theory, the three I predicted would be in trouble, and Undead Labs, a studio I was hoping had bounced back, so I will patiently wait for what Xbox announces. I think that all this will help them make Xbox a tighter, leaner and more efficient business in a world where not everybody is playing every video game.
@awp69 Right, but at least some others are cracking up...
@Skinny-Pete Right, for gameplay purposes it makes more sense, although I had already done everything except the elusive achievements. You save both! The other options don't save any of them.
@ILuvGames What I do on the PC app is tick the Play State, Installable filter. Do you do it like that? The filter is in My Library, so it only shows owned games.
@carlos82 @Millionski All the new first-party releases are supported as you probably know. The quickest way to check if a third-party game supports Play Anywhere is launching Xbox.com or the console store and searching the game. It's featured on the top. I love that older games are being added and I hope that more come soon in preparation for Helix.
@AI-Generation What a time-saver Quick Resume is! Another great feature: I just started Fable III and it's 4K (Xbox One X enhancement available on Series X) and 60fps (FPS Boost). It's like a remaster.
The hilarious thing is that 3% of the reviewers rated it 1 or 2 out of 5 after pre-ordering five months before the release date. Why did they pre-order? Yep, flawed feature as it is now.
One of the best Xbox features if not the best, along with free backwards compatibility. These two things makes Xbox a worthwhile long-term investment, undeniably. However, we want more! Capcom, for instance, is not a consistent supporter compared to Square Enix, if you can believe that.
@m0m0 I agree, the reviews system is dated and illogical, but the store itself is the most responsive and smooth of any console, because it's integrated into the Xbox dashboard. The updates don't bother me. They are weekly, automatic and last one or two seconds. Browsing the Nintendo and Sony stores feel more like browsing slow websites in comparison. Credit where credit is due.
One that I liked since it was revealed. It felt as if Game Freak was looking forward to doing something different. It wouldn't surprise me if they worked harder on this game than on recent Pokemon titles. Another excellent addition to Game Pass!
I assume that this reboot is to make the Xbox division sustainable in the long term and that includes not subsidising hardware and getting rid of money-bleeding studios that burn the successful studios' revenue, but I wonder if Nintendo and Sony will follow as they have already raised their prices for the current generation.
The component crisis is real, but it's not just because of the RAM used by AI since it uses another type. It's also affected by wars and the global economy based on speculation and not being entirely real. Microsoft has a point when they say that the crisis impacts consoles more because they are typically not sold at a profit. They are still good value if you compare them to a PC with equivalent graphical capabilities (not raw specs) or Steam Machine. The 512GB model does not even include a controller and both versions are less capable than Series X.
For Nintendo and Sony subsidising hardware makes more sense because they are walled gardens, meaning their games and stores are not available on PC and don't accept third-party codes or credit. Most of Sony's revenue comes from third-party commissions on their digital store. Nintendo gets most of its revenue from its popular exclusives, with low budgets and outsourcing used to cut costs.
However, Xbox has a PC Play Anywhere alternative since Xbox One and next generation it will be the same store for console and PC. Moreover, Helix will play console and "PC games". I'm starting to think that "PC games" include games bought on other PC storefronts but that Helix won't feature third-party storefronts. If it has Edge, you'll probably be able to buy on third-party storefronts, anyway. That's why I always say that the third-party storefronts is the most intriguing part about Helix, because their own console-PC store needs to be prioritised on their own system if they want to be competitive in the PC landscape, but how are they going to do it? I can't picture Microsoft removing Edge and desktop mode from Helix and Helix is only a piece of the Xbox ecosystem, so will Xbox games stopped being released on third-party PC storefronts (Steam)? That's the only option that makes sense being that the next-gen Xbox store will be accessible on any PC and not just on Helix.
Busy day for me. Congratulations to those that already own a current-gen video game console. Subsidising is almost over.
@Feffster Since Xbox One, boxes are too boring. Black, grey, no green. They could plaster Rare Replay, Halo, Gears of War or Forza all over the box and someone besides the serious gamers would pay attention to them. Some of them had some artwork on the back but I think it could have been done better.
I guess that all upcoming Sony games and remaining studios are at risk of being cancelled and closed by the same expert criterion applied to Xbox. Sony has already closed 8 studios this generation, so hopefully the bloodbath ends soon and these developers find shelter somewhere else.
@shiny-enzo The funny thing is that the lurking Xbox haters are negative 100% of the time, only believe the negative rumours and ignore every single positive fact, while the genuine Xbox players are just tired of wild rumours and doomsayers. If some Xbox studios are going to be sold or closed, that will not surprise us nor anyone else because the industry is getting rid of all studios and projects except the top performers. This studio in particular had been working on an underperforming game for seven years, so it's not like other publishers that open and close studios depending on their last financial growth meeting.
@MinervaX76 I just checked. My playthrough lasted 12h 55'. I don't rush games at all. I spend twice as much as the shortest time you can see on How Long to Beat playing some games for the first time. South of Midnight is linear and rough in terms of gameplay and performance. It has very beautiful locations but not that many. There is some simpler filling. My intuition tells me that they realised it was taking forever and rushed parts of it to make what is considered a complete game.
I'm not sure these are layoffs if they are leaving the studio. I don't blame them for leaving but that lowers the chances of finding a new parent company or spinning off on their own.
The game was available on PS5 and Switch 2. It was more than an Xbox or Game Pass title. The problem is that development took seven years and reportedly $100m and that's difficult to justify after playing the game as I did. That doesn't mean that it's a bad game, it is not.
The problem I see with physical editions since 2013 is that games need to be installed and require downloadable patches that massively transform the experience, so I don't really see what's the point in collecting physical games besides the boxes themselves since they no longer have manuals.
Who knows but perhaps next year or whenever Helix releases you can pay for a next-gen upgrade instead of another release because you own a digital Series X|S copy.
That said, I see the point in collecting CDs and BDs because you get the top-quality playback without internet and installing and updating are not required.
@BacklogBrad I agree and I also think that a delay does nothing, as it's not like in the past when timing was everything and you needed your console to be a big seller from the start to introduce the new and exclusive software in the market.
According to Digital Foundry, Steam Machine is a mini PC that compares to PS5 in terms of graphical capabilities. Helix is the next-gen Xbox that plays Xbox and PC games. We don't know its power and price nor how the components prices will vary, but Microsoft can get better deals and has excellent hardware engineers, so it would be better value and a proper console with optimised and customised hardware. The price will be premium but considered good value for next-gen gaming. I also think that the cross-gen period will be long as this one that lasted 5 years.
@Friendly I wasn't referring to you, and I told you once that I don't think that you are a troll despite our disagreements, but you know how hypocritical some posters are. I don't check PS very often because it's very toxic starting with the articles, but if you are coherent and say the same things everywhere, I really respect that.
There are several Xbox games this generation that I consider masterpieces, and I have a feeling that three more are coming soon. Scores are not the holy grail but completely subjective. I couldn't care less about many 90+ games that I consider massively overrated, just as I consider others underrated.
I agree with you about Xbox shows being excellent lately and the marketing being awful, at least until Asha joined, but I also know that these sites don't represent the positive engagement that Xbox consistently has but a microscopic vocal minority pushing their agenda across all gaming sites. The real gamers don't care thaaaat much. Again, I don't mean you.
Lastly, you suggest that Game Pass is very expensive, but you can also pay for Premium that gets you every first-party game within a year. Buying games is all right, but games are really, really expensive on all platforms, so subscriptions as long as they are optional, unlike Nintendo's replacement of the Virtual Console, are user-friendly. Moreover, you can buy them at launch, play them at launch on Ultimate, play them within a year paying for a cheaper tier, play them on Game Pass and buy them on sales... There are many options on Xbox, and although I don't want/can't buy (nor play) everything, I'll always support the games, IPs and studios that I love, paying the full price of the most expensive edition and pre-ordering.
@Friendly Same as Xbox haters that claim to have an Xbox and buy Xbox games... Don't you know that making excuses is often insincere? Anyway, my comment does not address anything that it's not well known, so there's no discussion to have about it, really. We could discuss Game Pass, but we have talked about it many times and my opinion is already posted.
What is true is that Game Pass is the best gaming subscription, that we don't know all the numbers to judge it financially and that all the big publishers except Nintendo that heavily relies on outsourced development since 2017 are firing staff and closing studios, so I wouldn't blame Game Pass, even though I believe that adjustments are needed and that it will be tuned in the following months.
Game Pass is not what was bleeding the money earned by Xbox's successful games and studios. There are other reasons. For example, the price hike because of Call of Duty caused millions to cancel, but Game Pass is not why South of Midnight took 7 years of development, had a $100m budget and failed to meet the engagement expectations on Game Pass and the expected sales on Xbox and other consoles, PS5 and Switch 2 included.
I don't agree with you about Xbox losing the faith of developers, because they consistently support it, nor of gamers, because hardware sales have improved lately and the public perception is better since Asha joined the team as CEO, not to mention the high level of engagement (purchases, downloads and play time) of current users.
@Friendly Only when it's proven that there's a lack of sincerity and hypocrisy in excess. In Thomas's case, it is well-known how toxic he is and why Xbox decided to stop funding his games, and he still hasn't got over it.
He has always shown resentment towards Xbox while unsuccessfully trying to sound like the wisest that has all the answers – like many , actually. It's okay, I respect his opinions but disagree with them.
"Xbox handheld" is probably just the new nomenclature replacing "Optimised for handheld" referring to Rog Xbox Ally and it makes sense since they already have "Xbox on PC". I really hope that more third parties add their games to Play Anywhere like Square Enix and others are doing.
@Dr_Rocanlover It's likely despite Resident Evil 5. They did the same with VII, using the word "evil" and with VIII, using the word "village" and different colours to highlight the letters "VII" and "VIII". The interesting thing is that Capcom had not used Roman numerals for Resident Evil until then. They couldn't do it with Requiem, though.
I don't really like what Capcom did with VII and Village is the most disappointing Resident Evil game ever as the huge fan I am, but Code Veronica is on another level and my most requested remake for years.
This is a game that they have built on their own engine for Series X and Series S from the start, so I expect both versions to have a good (30fps) performance and decent upscaling.
Very premium gaming handheld and exactly the one I would get because of the specs, bigger OLED screen and TMR sticks. It's expensive but also plays all my Xbox Play Anywhere games, so I wouldn't need to buy those.
@Coletrain Not just you, nobody really knows the answer because we don't know all the numbers. We know it's profitable after spending $1B yearly in third-party additions, but the first-party games are much more complicated to measure and we don't have a clue about that. All we know is that some studios were bleeding money and that millions of subscribers were lost after the price hike, but they are seeing growth and retention now and, of course, have very successful studios and games.
They will monitor Game Pass subscribers and content sales in this new era and, depending on how they look, they'll make adjustments. I think that the first of them is making Game Pass more accessible somehow, because Asha teased that, probably to furtherly boost the number of subscribers and retention, but more drastic changes could happen eventually if needed, like changing the tiers or the included content.
The section about the infrastructure and vendors makes me think that they can save a huge chunk of money that way. Why not merge a few ABK studios and just have one publishing arm, instead of having Zenimax and ABK operating separately? There are several reasons why Xbox is bloated besides the great number of studios and Asha referred to that in the letter. I expect positive changes in this direction.
@Master_Cthulhu70 All true and also their wording is completely different depending on if Xbox or Sony is the subject closing studios. No clear statement about multiplatform plans from Sony? They are smart because they are keeping their options open. No clear statement from Xbox about what they will be doing in the next ten years? I can't stand it anymore! They don't have a clue! Xbox is dead! I'm an Xbox fan that can't live without knowing if Halo 9 will be on PS7 or not!
@SigmaTheDJ I think they want a balance. They have said many times that games sell well or even more because of Game Pass, perhaps because those games stand out and get more attention. Likely, it's not always the case, but it happens. So I think that it will depend on how many users stay subscribed. If it's a healthy number, there's no reason to remove day one as long as the most important releases still sell well, like Forza Horizon 6 did. If the number of subscribers is not enough, they have a solid argument for removing day one/Ultimate and convert those subscriptions to more months of Premium or whatever. This topic and what they will do with the third-party PC storefronts next generation are the most intriguing.
@Deformedpye Many times I wished they read the facts that are reported on this very site instead of announcing the Dead of Xbox every five minutes...
State of Decay 2 is a blast. It's kind of "realistic", immersive, dangerous and satisfying. Even the driving feels good. It's all about the gameplay in this case. 😁
So the topic was Call of Duty but I find this particular digression interesting. The only fact that we know is that Asha teased more tiers and adjustments in the interview. Game Pass Ultimate is currently the best value in gaming because it includes AAA games on day one, all of Xbox minus Call of Duty and incredible third parties like Sega's Persona. Games are very expensive, so yes, it's great value even if you just play a few of them. Great for us, players.
However, what would be better for Xbox? They are assessing the engagement and how the price reduction is currently increasing the number of subscribers and retention after losing millions with the price hike. She also confirmed that they want the platform and subscription to be more accessible.
Because of these facts, I can see two possible outcomes: keeping things as they are if Game Pass keeps growing after the price reduction or remove day one/Ultimate if there are not enough subscribers to justify the investment. It will depend on the number of subscribers and retention.
Regarding that rumoured advertisements tier, if they go ahead with that, it will be a mobile-Cloud thing for getting some casuals on board with limitations, like that Discord perk. PC Game Pass will disappear, I'm afraid, because it's too good. My prediction is that once Helix arrives, PC Game Pass is gone or merged with another tier because Xbox games will be exactly the same on console and PC. Online multiplayer might be free on Helix.
Comments 8,644
Re: Xbox's State Of Decay 3 Studio Could Be In Trouble Right Now
@HonestHick This is the current state of every big publisher, with the only exception being Nintendo, that cleverly outsourced development and kept budgets small and found unusual success with ports on top of that. You are right. ABK was not counted because it is good business for Xbox. Like you, @Toecutter, @Jean_McClane and many others have said, the problem that Xbox has is not ABK nor Game Pass, but certain studios bleeding money and not performing as they should. Basically, the hands-off approach I said that wouldn't work with studios that are not great at managing themselves. I love State of Decay 2, but something was definitely wrong in that studio. I still believe that State of Decay 3 will release. I suppose no one here has all the answers about the future and there is nothing official yet regarding Double Fine, Compulsion and Ninja Theory, the three I predicted would be in trouble, and Undead Labs, a studio I was hoping had bounced back, so I will patiently wait for what Xbox announces. I think that all this will help them make Xbox a tighter, leaner and more efficient business in a world where not everybody is playing every video game.
@awp69 Right, but at least some others are cracking up...
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (June 27-28)
@Skinny-Pete Right, for gameplay purposes it makes more sense, although I had already done everything except the elusive achievements. You save both! The other options don't save any of them.
Type [ spoiler ] ... [ /spoiler ] without spaces.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (June 27-28)
@Skinny-Pete It's not an easy choice, what did you do?
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (June 27-28)
@Skinny-Pete Love. The most important thing to me.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (June 27-28)
After Fable and Fable II, Fable III. I'm pleasantly surprised with the third being 4K and 60fps on Series X.
Some Forza Horizon as well.
Happy weekend!
Re: Xbox Play Anywhere Deserves Serious Praise After Passing 2,000 Supported Games
@ILuvGames What I do on the PC app is tick the Play State, Installable filter. Do you do it like that? The filter is in My Library, so it only shows owned games.
Re: Xbox Play Anywhere Deserves Serious Praise After Passing 2,000 Supported Games
@carlos82 @Millionski All the new first-party releases are supported as you probably know. The quickest way to check if a third-party game supports Play Anywhere is launching Xbox.com or the console store and searching the game. It's featured on the top. I love that older games are being added and I hope that more come soon in preparation for Helix.
Re: Xbox Play Anywhere Deserves Serious Praise After Passing 2,000 Supported Games
@AI-Generation What a time-saver Quick Resume is! Another great feature: I just started Fable III and it's 4K (Xbox One X enhancement available on Series X) and 60fps (FPS Boost). It's like a remaster.
Re: GTA 6 Is Highlighting A Flaw With The Review System On Xbox
The hilarious thing is that 3% of the reviewers rated it 1 or 2 out of 5 after pre-ordering five months before the release date. Why did they pre-order? Yep, flawed feature as it is now.
Re: Xbox Play Anywhere Deserves Serious Praise After Passing 2,000 Supported Games
One of the best Xbox features if not the best, along with free backwards compatibility. These two things makes Xbox a worthwhile long-term investment, undeniably. However, we want more! Capcom, for instance, is not a consistent supporter compared to Square Enix, if you can believe that.
Re: GTA 6 Is Highlighting A Flaw With The Review System On Xbox
@m0m0 I agree, the reviews system is dated and illogical, but the store itself is the most responsive and smooth of any console, because it's integrated into the Xbox dashboard. The updates don't bother me. They are weekly, automatic and last one or two seconds. Browsing the Nintendo and Sony stores feel more like browsing slow websites in comparison. Credit where credit is due.
Re: 'Hooked Me From Minute One' - Beast Of Reincarnation Could Be A Must-Play On Xbox Game Pass
One that I liked since it was revealed. It felt as if Game Freak was looking forward to doing something different. It wouldn't surprise me if they worked harder on this game than on recent Pokemon titles. Another excellent addition to Game Pass!
Re: Here's How The New Xbox Prices Compare To PS5, Switch 2 & Steam Machine
I assume that this reboot is to make the Xbox division sustainable in the long term and that includes not subsidising hardware and getting rid of money-bleeding studios that burn the successful studios' revenue, but I wonder if Nintendo and Sony will follow as they have already raised their prices for the current generation.
The component crisis is real, but it's not just because of the RAM used by AI since it uses another type. It's also affected by wars and the global economy based on speculation and not being entirely real. Microsoft has a point when they say that the crisis impacts consoles more because they are typically not sold at a profit. They are still good value if you compare them to a PC with equivalent graphical capabilities (not raw specs) or Steam Machine. The 512GB model does not even include a controller and both versions are less capable than Series X.
For Nintendo and Sony subsidising hardware makes more sense because they are walled gardens, meaning their games and stores are not available on PC and don't accept third-party codes or credit. Most of Sony's revenue comes from third-party commissions on their digital store. Nintendo gets most of its revenue from its popular exclusives, with low budgets and outsourcing used to cut costs.
However, Xbox has a PC Play Anywhere alternative since Xbox One and next generation it will be the same store for console and PC. Moreover, Helix will play console and "PC games". I'm starting to think that "PC games" include games bought on other PC storefronts but that Helix won't feature third-party storefronts. If it has Edge, you'll probably be able to buy on third-party storefronts, anyway. That's why I always say that the third-party storefronts is the most intriguing part about Helix, because their own console-PC store needs to be prioritised on their own system if they want to be competitive in the PC landscape, but how are they going to do it? I can't picture Microsoft removing Edge and desktop mode from Helix and Helix is only a piece of the Xbox ecosystem, so will Xbox games stopped being released on third-party PC storefronts (Steam)? That's the only option that makes sense being that the next-gen Xbox store will be accessible on any PC and not just on Helix.
Re: Xbox Announces Worldwide Price Increases For Series X|S Consoles
Busy day for me. Congratulations to those that already own a current-gen video game console. Subsidising is almost over.
@Feffster Since Xbox One, boxes are too boring. Black, grey, no green. They could plaster Rare Replay, Halo, Gears of War or Forza all over the box and someone besides the serious gamers would pay attention to them. Some of them had some artwork on the back but I think it could have been done better.
Re: Sony Issues Statement Announcing 'Significant' Job Cuts At Bungie
@Sol4ris With the word "bloodbath" in the headline and a bloody PS logo, surely.
Re: Sony Issues Statement Announcing 'Significant' Job Cuts At Bungie
I guess that all upcoming Sony games and remaining studios are at risk of being cancelled and closed by the same expert criterion applied to Xbox. Sony has already closed 8 studios this generation, so hopefully the bloodbath ends soon and these developers find shelter somewhere else.
Re: Xbox Layoffs Seemingly Begin As Devs Reveal They're 'Open To Work'
@shiny-enzo The funny thing is that the lurking Xbox haters are negative 100% of the time, only believe the negative rumours and ignore every single positive fact, while the genuine Xbox players are just tired of wild rumours and doomsayers. If some Xbox studios are going to be sold or closed, that will not surprise us nor anyone else because the industry is getting rid of all studios and projects except the top performers. This studio in particular had been working on an underperforming game for seven years, so it's not like other publishers that open and close studios depending on their last financial growth meeting.
Re: Xbox Layoffs Seemingly Begin As Devs Reveal They're 'Open To Work'
@MinervaX76 I just checked. My playthrough lasted 12h 55'. I don't rush games at all. I spend twice as much as the shortest time you can see on How Long to Beat playing some games for the first time. South of Midnight is linear and rough in terms of gameplay and performance. It has very beautiful locations but not that many. There is some simpler filling. My intuition tells me that they realised it was taking forever and rushed parts of it to make what is considered a complete game.
Re: Xbox Layoffs Seemingly Begin As Devs Reveal They're 'Open To Work'
I'm not sure these are layoffs if they are leaving the studio. I don't blame them for leaving but that lowers the chances of finding a new parent company or spinning off on their own.
The game was available on PS5 and Switch 2. It was more than an Xbox or Game Pass title. The problem is that development took seven years and reportedly $100m and that's difficult to justify after playing the game as I did. That doesn't mean that it's a bad game, it is not.
Re: Eek, GTA 6's 'Physical Edition' Is A Download Code In A Box
@Dar3dev A beautiful nation according to the documentaries I've watched.
Re: Four New Console Features Begin Rolling Out Today For Xbox Insiders (June 24)
Fable II, the game I'm playing now after I and before III. 😊
Re: GTA 6 Costs $80, Described As A 'Single-Player Experience'
Wasn't Mario Kart World the first $80 video game (standard edition)?
Re: Round Up: The Previews Are In For Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy
@Schonks Beast or Reincarnation also looks awesome.
Re: Eek, GTA 6's 'Physical Edition' Is A Download Code In A Box
The problem I see with physical editions since 2013 is that games need to be installed and require downloadable patches that massively transform the experience, so I don't really see what's the point in collecting physical games besides the boxes themselves since they no longer have manuals.
Who knows but perhaps next year or whenever Helix releases you can pay for a next-gen upgrade instead of another release because you own a digital Series X|S copy.
That said, I see the point in collecting CDs and BDs because you get the top-quality playback without internet and installing and updating are not required.
Re: Round Up: The Previews Are In For Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy
Another excellent – and not slop like the Xbox haters say – addition to Game Pass. 😁
Re: GTA 6 Costs $80, Described As A 'Single-Player Experience'
@kmtrain83 We will play GTA VII in spaceships.
Re: What Does A $1049 Steam Machine Mean For Xbox's Project Helix?
@AI-Generation Right but at the same time software sales are not interrupted. I expect at least a five-year cross period like the last one.
Re: What Does A $1049 Steam Machine Mean For Xbox's Project Helix?
@BacklogBrad I agree and I also think that a delay does nothing, as it's not like in the past when timing was everything and you needed your console to be a big seller from the start to introduce the new and exclusive software in the market.
Re: What Does A $1049 Steam Machine Mean For Xbox's Project Helix?
According to Digital Foundry, Steam Machine is a mini PC that compares to PS5 in terms of graphical capabilities. Helix is the next-gen Xbox that plays Xbox and PC games. We don't know its power and price nor how the components prices will vary, but Microsoft can get better deals and has excellent hardware engineers, so it would be better value and a proper console with optimised and customised hardware. The price will be premium but considered good value for next-gen gaming. I also think that the cross-gen period will be long as this one that lasted 5 years.
Re: "The Catalogue Was Just Nowhere Near Good Enough" - Ori Creator Likens Xbox Game Pass To A "Slop Factory"
@Friendly I wasn't referring to you, and I told you once that I don't think that you are a troll despite our disagreements, but you know how hypocritical some posters are. I don't check PS very often because it's very toxic starting with the articles, but if you are coherent and say the same things everywhere, I really respect that.
There are several Xbox games this generation that I consider masterpieces, and I have a feeling that three more are coming soon. Scores are not the holy grail but completely subjective. I couldn't care less about many 90+ games that I consider massively overrated, just as I consider others underrated.
I agree with you about Xbox shows being excellent lately and the marketing being awful, at least until Asha joined, but I also know that these sites don't represent the positive engagement that Xbox consistently has but a microscopic vocal minority pushing their agenda across all gaming sites. The real gamers don't care thaaaat much. Again, I don't mean you.
Lastly, you suggest that Game Pass is very expensive, but you can also pay for Premium that gets you every first-party game within a year. Buying games is all right, but games are really, really expensive on all platforms, so subscriptions as long as they are optional, unlike Nintendo's replacement of the Virtual Console, are user-friendly. Moreover, you can buy them at launch, play them at launch on Ultimate, play them within a year paying for a cheaper tier, play them on Game Pass and buy them on sales... There are many options on Xbox, and although I don't want/can't buy (nor play) everything, I'll always support the games, IPs and studios that I love, paying the full price of the most expensive edition and pre-ordering.
Re: "The Catalogue Was Just Nowhere Near Good Enough" - Ori Creator Likens Xbox Game Pass To A "Slop Factory"
@Friendly Same as Xbox haters that claim to have an Xbox and buy Xbox games... Don't you know that making excuses is often insincere? Anyway, my comment does not address anything that it's not well known, so there's no discussion to have about it, really. We could discuss Game Pass, but we have talked about it many times and my opinion is already posted.
What is true is that Game Pass is the best gaming subscription, that we don't know all the numbers to judge it financially and that all the big publishers except Nintendo that heavily relies on outsourced development since 2017 are firing staff and closing studios, so I wouldn't blame Game Pass, even though I believe that adjustments are needed and that it will be tuned in the following months.
Game Pass is not what was bleeding the money earned by Xbox's successful games and studios. There are other reasons. For example, the price hike because of Call of Duty caused millions to cancel, but Game Pass is not why South of Midnight took 7 years of development, had a $100m budget and failed to meet the engagement expectations on Game Pass and the expected sales on Xbox and other consoles, PS5 and Switch 2 included.
I don't agree with you about Xbox losing the faith of developers, because they consistently support it, nor of gamers, because hardware sales have improved lately and the public perception is better since Asha joined the team as CEO, not to mention the high level of engagement (purchases, downloads and play time) of current users.
Re: "The Catalogue Was Just Nowhere Near Good Enough" - Ori Creator Likens Xbox Game Pass To A "Slop Factory"
@Friendly Only when it's proven that there's a lack of sincerity and hypocrisy in excess. In Thomas's case, it is well-known how toxic he is and why Xbox decided to stop funding his games, and he still hasn't got over it.
Re: "The Catalogue Was Just Nowhere Near Good Enough" - Ori Creator Likens Xbox Game Pass To A "Slop Factory"
He has always shown resentment towards Xbox while unsuccessfully trying to sound like the wisest that has all the answers – like many , actually. It's okay, I respect his opinions but disagree with them.
Re: Microsoft Adds "Xbox Handheld" Logo To Xbox Store Pages, But What Does It Mean?
"Xbox handheld" is probably just the new nomenclature replacing "Optimised for handheld" referring to Rog Xbox Ally and it makes sense since they already have "Xbox on PC". I really hope that more third parties add their games to Play Anywhere like Square Enix and others are doing.
Re: Resident Evil Veronica Remake Makes Its First Appearance On The Xbox Store
@Dr_Rocanlover It's likely despite Resident Evil 5. They did the same with VII, using the word "evil" and with VIII, using the word "village" and different colours to highlight the letters "VII" and "VIII". The interesting thing is that Capcom had not used Roman numerals for Resident Evil until then. They couldn't do it with Requiem, though.
Re: Halo: Campaign Evolved Has Some Weird Xbox Account Requirements For Local Co-Op
ElectricWizard wrote:
Because
Xbox 😈
PlayStation 😇
Re: Resident Evil Veronica Remake Makes Its First Appearance On The Xbox Store
I don't really like what Capcom did with VII and Village is the most disappointing Resident Evil game ever as the huge fan I am, but Code Veronica is on another level and my most requested remake for years.
Re: Poll: What Do You Think Of Call Of Duty's Delay To Xbox Game Pass?
@Glorioso
Exactly. Win-win for Xbox and Game Pass subscribers.
Re: Talking Point: How Well Do You Expect GTA 6 To Run On Xbox Series X|S?
@Markatron84
I think you mean an unannounced "impossible port"? 😂
Re: Talking Point: How Well Do You Expect GTA 6 To Run On Xbox Series X|S?
This is a game that they have built on their own engine for Series X and Series S from the start, so I expect both versions to have a good (30fps) performance and decent upscaling.
Re: Talking Point: How Well Do You Expect GTA 6 To Run On Xbox Series X|S?
CPU-bound, so 30fps on all current-gen consoles, but 40fps for VRR would be nice.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (June 20-21)
@Skinny-Pete Thanks. I played the Anniversary Edition of Fable I and really loved it. Happy birthday!
@TrollOfWar Happy weekend!
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (June 20-21)
Fable II for the first time, so I can play Fable III before Fable (IV). 😁
Re: Halo Studios Unveils Six Hours Of Footage From Campaign Evolved's Main Menu
@nomither6 FYI, first-party games are on PC since 2016.
Re: ROG Xbox Ally X20 Marks The 'Opportunity Of A Lifetime', But Expect A High Price
Very premium gaming handheld and exactly the one I would get because of the specs, bigger OLED screen and TMR sticks. It's expensive but also plays all my Xbox Play Anywhere games, so I wouldn't need to buy those.
Re: Poll: What Do You Think Of Call Of Duty's Delay To Xbox Game Pass?
@Coletrain Not just you, nobody really knows the answer because we don't know all the numbers. We know it's profitable after spending $1B yearly in third-party additions, but the first-party games are much more complicated to measure and we don't have a clue about that. All we know is that some studios were bleeding money and that millions of subscribers were lost after the price hike, but they are seeing growth and retention now and, of course, have very successful studios and games.
They will monitor Game Pass subscribers and content sales in this new era and, depending on how they look, they'll make adjustments. I think that the first of them is making Game Pass more accessible somehow, because Asha teased that, probably to furtherly boost the number of subscribers and retention, but more drastic changes could happen eventually if needed, like changing the tiers or the included content.
The section about the infrastructure and vendors makes me think that they can save a huge chunk of money that way. Why not merge a few ABK studios and just have one publishing arm, instead of having Zenimax and ABK operating separately? There are several reasons why Xbox is bloated besides the great number of studios and Asha referred to that in the letter. I expect positive changes in this direction.
Re: Gears Of War: E-Day Continues To Look Incredible In New 60FPS Xbox Series X Footage
@Master_Cthulhu70 All true and also their wording is completely different depending on if Xbox or Sony is the subject closing studios. No clear statement about multiplatform plans from Sony? They are smart because they are keeping their options open. No clear statement from Xbox about what they will be doing in the next ten years? I can't stand it anymore! They don't have a clue! Xbox is dead! I'm an Xbox fan that can't live without knowing if Halo 9 will be on PS7 or not!
Re: Poll: What Do You Think Of Call Of Duty's Delay To Xbox Game Pass?
@SigmaTheDJ I think they want a balance. They have said many times that games sell well or even more because of Game Pass, perhaps because those games stand out and get more attention. Likely, it's not always the case, but it happens. So I think that it will depend on how many users stay subscribed. If it's a healthy number, there's no reason to remove day one as long as the most important releases still sell well, like Forza Horizon 6 did. If the number of subscribers is not enough, they have a solid argument for removing day one/Ultimate and convert those subscriptions to more months of Premium or whatever. This topic and what they will do with the third-party PC storefronts next generation are the most intriguing.
Re: State Of Decay 3 Gets 72 Minutes Of Raw Gameplay Footage In New Early Alpha Video
@Deformedpye Many times I wished they read the facts that are reported on this very site instead of announcing the Dead of Xbox every five minutes...
State of Decay 2 is a blast. It's kind of "realistic", immersive, dangerous and satisfying. Even the driving feels good. It's all about the gameplay in this case. 😁
Re: Poll: What Do You Think Of Call Of Duty's Delay To Xbox Game Pass?
So the topic was Call of Duty but I find this particular digression interesting. The only fact that we know is that Asha teased more tiers and adjustments in the interview. Game Pass Ultimate is currently the best value in gaming because it includes AAA games on day one, all of Xbox minus Call of Duty and incredible third parties like Sega's Persona. Games are very expensive, so yes, it's great value even if you just play a few of them. Great for us, players.
However, what would be better for Xbox? They are assessing the engagement and how the price reduction is currently increasing the number of subscribers and retention after losing millions with the price hike. She also confirmed that they want the platform and subscription to be more accessible.
Because of these facts, I can see two possible outcomes: keeping things as they are if Game Pass keeps growing after the price reduction or remove day one/Ultimate if there are not enough subscribers to justify the investment. It will depend on the number of subscribers and retention.
Regarding that rumoured advertisements tier, if they go ahead with that, it will be a mobile-Cloud thing for getting some casuals on board with limitations, like that Discord perk. PC Game Pass will disappear, I'm afraid, because it's too good. My prediction is that once Helix arrives, PC Game Pass is gone or merged with another tier because Xbox games will be exactly the same on console and PC. Online multiplayer might be free on Helix.