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@Kaloudz while I don't wanna protect other large corporations that surely are just as greedy as MS, it does seem to happen more often and at a larger scale there.
And, assuming public numbers are correct, while at the same time producing some of the highest profit numbers.
Hard to advocat such behavior.

Not sure what to think about this. Gaming on Windows is 100% a reason why I've switched to consoles exclusively, but at the same time if MS can back up creating a streamlined console-like experience.. why not?
I'll just have to see it to believe it (and I'll drop out of it the first time my drivers cause a game crash, etc..)

Series S version I believe is mandatory, but 30 FPS might be ok. I'm a bit hesitant about 60/30 targets though, given previous experiences with CDPR.

$499/€499 wouldn't be terrible. It is similarly powerful to Switch 2, which is priced at €450. But the one I would really like is just too expensive. That's desktop PC territory.
Hopefully this leak is proven wrong, as they often are.

That is quite an asking price on a more powerful model. If this was local market I'd say, sure, we can start bargaining from that, everybody knows that's unreasonable.. but I guess it's not.
Lower speced one is basically in Steam Deck class, so I'll be rooting for Xbox app on Switch 😁 or my TV. Whatever, I just can't cash out a thousand dollars for another console.

@CaptainSquirrelPants yes and no. Different companies, different aims.
Asus is a hardware company and it's expected for their customers to be interested in thought process behind configuration/setup.
Nintendo has always been open about providing fun/experiences first, and their communication has always been centered around what new entertainment new hardware can support. Never ever have they dissected the hardware, it was considered an enablement tool.

I don't care if MS is going to produce their own first party device or not, but I would love for them to create OS for handhelds. Totally fine owning one if the experience becomes console/Switch comparable.

@FraserG oh, apologies, my comment was 100% aimed at the comments section and not at staff. Sorry if it read differently.

How PX has turned on this studio.. I remember their game being received very positively through trailers and release.
Dev just spoke their opinion, and it's probably true (I don't think I ever bought a game that went straight into any service).

Although literally the same decision made on Switch 2 was criticized by many, I believe for both it was a right call. VRR is a life-saver on handhelds which are bound to have wobbly performance, vs. OLED which can produce better colors but most people won't notice the difference on the move (where you should play your handheld, if you only use it in bed or docked you are doing it wrong).

@Kaloudz well, that depends on what it means to be FF
It's not turn-based, and in general combat is closer to DMC than other FF games. However, if you like larger than life setpieces, with behemoths fighting and effects going all over the place, it has you covered. Stakes are high all the time. Story is also different and interesting as it plays on some real life topics often avoided. Ending is a bit meh, but it was hard to close out the narrative and make all players happy.

In just to say FF16 is not as bad as internet would let you believe
Story and set pieces are genuinely awesome.

I enjoyed the first one, but for some reason couldn't stand the second. No idea what it was, as they are essentially the same. Anyway, couldn't make it pass hour 3 or something like that.
Maybe next one gel's better with me..

Not gonna rate it as I dropped out half way through (around Dune) when it became unbearably boring, but by the rest of announcements this morning I can see it at least picked up some. Anyway, definitely didn't start good.

Looking forward to it. Seems like Switch release has put the pressure, Sony delivered with SoP, I expect a decent Game show today, and big MS is probably bringing the big guns too. Good times!

Seems like a good decision to make, but I'm not sure why MS expected things to go differently.. supporting your endorsed handheld for just a year and a half before making it obsolete with first party device would have been terrible customer treatment.
At the same time, technology will not be there by 2027. to do what they want (migrate existing libraries in a truly usable way).
It'll be great once it actually matures, I just feel like the goal was too aggressive.

Time for PX to setup a timer until GP price increase in their header..

Played through the Tales of Kenzera: ZAU before, and it's a decent game. Had the misfortune of being released around the same time as new Prince of Persia which was realistically a more imaginative game, but even if it is by the numbers metroidvania, setting was refreshing.

I've played through Quantum Break recently, still a decent fun game.. ironically, my PC wasn't able to run it back when it was released.

Maybe they could start doing what Netflix did (given it's similarly a subscription model), and instead present hours played?
Might be a more accurate metric regarding how a game did, if engagement is what they are going for.

@MrMagic I'm constantly trying to use AI, but damn it today it hallucinated existence of a parameter in the API spec, and then based the full implementation plan around that non-existent value.
I'd like to meet people using this rubbish to actually make their job easier and quicker, not different type of challenging and usually slower.

What is wrong with MS. First time in many years they were having an opportunity to turn their image around, and they do something like this.
Similar to Tango once, it seems like success does not correlate with job security at Microsoft.

@OldGamer999 you do understand Nintendo will likely release cheaper handheld only version afterwards (Lite).
I don't oppose the idea of a purely home console version, but I would need to be presented with a final price (270 is uninformed guess I wouldn't estimate too differently, but if it's 320 or more I don't believe it makes sense to target another SKU).

First of all, leaks might not end up being true.
But if they are, I'm not sure where this fits in a world where Switch 2 exists. It's an GP machine, sure. But it's clunkier, less slick, does not "Switch", and is marginally stronger (not a generational leap, if you are targeting one platform, you'll likely target the other too). Even stronger is debatable as it wouldn't have DLSS and other Nvidia tricks we might not know as of now.
However, if I remember correctly MS is looking at this as a test to learn from, and future proper handheld Xbox might be far better.

Kind of don't care, it's MS version of TLOU Part 1. Second remaster of an old game, except Gears is even older and it only bumps resolution compared to first remaster. Naughty dog at least actually remade the game on their second try

Well, I kind of get it. Me myself took a long break after an exceptionally long and demanding (consuming) project. If anything, it's fair to yourself and the world, recharging before dedicating to the next thing..

I understand the game price increase, but they are overpricing their inferior console. What's going on?
XSS now costs samey as a full fledged PS5, XSX 2TB costs more than PS5 Pro. Which is according to MS themselves best place to play their own games 🤦‍♂️
MS really hates selling consoles I guess.

Price increase would just be a death sentence to current generation. I'm not sure if Xbox can take a financial hit of selling at a loss in MS eyes, but it definitely should unless they want to phase out Series consoles and switch to XboxNext early.

Played for a few chapters, this game is very similar to Kena: Bridge of spirits. Seems like equal budgets, gameplay, some of art style and targeted audience.
Which don't get me wrong, I loved, but most Xbox players basically burned.
Suffice to say, South of Midnight works for me.

I'd say Split fiction and Xenoblade Chronicles X. While second one is platform locked, SF is an amazing game people should try out.

I guess this is why this guy is an ex-employee?
Games might be a bit pricey, but console most definitely is not compared to what is out there in the here and now. It's debatable if a price hike would have happened either way, or Nintendo will cause it. Many people predicted GTA6 to be the cause and turning point, either way I personally believe it was always in the cards (as much as I hate it).

To be frank, Nintendo's new pricing might have only been a predicted reaction to obvious world trading war that is ongoing and will undoubtedly result in global price increase in video games as a luxury goods. Just saying..

Immortals: Fenyx Rising. There, I said it.

Representing the minority here, but I really don't want a branded PC. Reason why I exited the PC master race space was because I wanted a hustle free gaming experience. I'm already bothered with multiple performance modes (it exists so I can see in 30FPS how game could look, but as I can't stand it I need to switch to perf). Making next Xbox a tinkerbox is only going to make that far worse. Please move away as far as possible from Windows, open platforms, driver updates, shader compilation, and all other annoyances taking attention from actual gaming.

I'm having trouble understanding how this would help Xbox brand. It's yet another device with scattered support to dilute brand recognition and confidence. MS is obviously going for 1st party handheld in less than 2 years. What kind of support and lifespan can one expect from "2nd party" device created in the next 9 months??
They should skip this and just run with their own device down the line. Or go all in on Xbox being a tool/service on certified devices. But don't make it a hybrid strategy, that literally never works out.

@Kaloudz Doom I believe could be a candidate for the GOTY. From what we have seen for now, it is looking absolutely amazing.

@Weebleman once all loop holes are closed and the price is stabilized, value proposition is gonna sit a bit differently with many a fans.

@Cakefish I absolutely agree with you that they "can't" or "wouldn't" do that, due to the situation they have put themselves into.
But you might have also picked up on me not being a fan of MS direction with Xbox hardware, and a long standing goal of creating a similar but more boring and maybe slightly faster PS.
Fact is MS is not willing to risk it to reach the top in gaming hardware, and instead is taking a biggest game publisher route for a steady and predictable route. Which is absolutely fine and on brand, MS always did that, and has always been service and software company above anything.
When I spoke about what MS should do, just as I would guess Seamus, I didn't expect they'll actually do it.
Hopefully they prove me wrong and Xbox Next hook doesn't end up being a bigger CPU/GPU.

@Cakefish "How else can one interpret ‘largest technical leap’ other than better performance?"
Not necessarily. Technical leap would also be exiting their comfort zone, and creating a console that uses piece of technology not conventionally used in the field. For example, room sensors making your whole living room a playground (in an actually functional way), which is something MS has historically been very interested in doing (Kinect, and the recent spyware I did not bother to remember name of).
Technology is a broader term, and one should not limit themselves by a confounds of a current trajectory and immediate market competitors when observing what it can offer.

This discussion has devolved into a measuring contest of how bad Xbox has it currently.
I believe Seamus's point, and what MS should be concentrated on, is innovation and change they can make to improve their status going forward. Even if they were market leader, there is nothing stopping them from imagining new ways of playing and shaking what gaming is for next generation. That is what sells systems, not graphics (is what Seamus is saying).
Historically, consoles that returned (or gained for the first time) market share were always like that, with differentiation factor. As an example, PS1 compared to Nintendo offerings of the time was a miracle of innovation, easier to develop for with better and cheaper storage medium, well performing 3D graphics which were unusual for the time.
Nintendo Wii made gaming accessible to everybody in the family, and all of a sudden it was not just for teens but also parents and grandparents.
Nintendo Switch took that further, and made gaming accessible everywhere, by making it a single console and a single game you were carrying around.
That is what MS needs, because it's very hard to flip market with heavy brand awareness and mental (and all digital) investments people make into these platforms. How they do it, I don't know. But if next Xbox is just another box with better graphics, I ain't buying it.

For the measuring convo, I'll only reflect on 100 million subs target. That was never realistic, as there is not such a big market out there. If you combined all GP and PS Plus subs you wouldn't get that big of a number, and human population is just not gonna grow that much in next 5 years

I kind of agree with Seamus (although he is eccentric and a bit out there, it's hard to argue his points).
But I don't think it's just content, it's a differentiation factor that is required to survive in today's market. Nintendo has handheld and family gimmicks nailed down, Sony tried their best at immersion (DualSense, PSVR, Audio, avoiding loading, etc..).
Xbox differentiation factor is GamePass, which is not marketed very well, and claim at the most powerful console on the market, at the time when that claim has historically lowest value.

@Reptilio to be fair 90% of modern RPGs devolve into a checklist, as they tend to have up to 5 different types of side quests that are rehashed and reskined until any joy is taken out of them..

Smart move to turn around a failing business and potentially grow it bigger then ever.
I'm sure people managing their shelf in mother's fridge will criticize and provide wise leadership advices, but I'm with Phil on this one (would be cool if he was transparent about it earlier though).

I can never understand how PR for these companies works. They announced biggest technical leap ever over a year ago, and it has been approved just now. How would they have know?

@Vaako007 that's the thing, I don't have a GP sub currently. Also, I'd either be picking this up on PS (when inevitably it's released) or PC.
Maybe it will get a trial and I'll be able to get a taste... (and yes, with my gaming habits and how much I expect to get from an RPG, it makes sense to buy vs. get GP)

Apologies to everybody on this website doing their job conscientiously (if they find this offensive), but online video game reviews have really became a laughing stock.
I'd say about 50/50 split as of now, switching these pros and cons points from one category to the other. How is one supposed to get the feel for the game reading these?
Is it just reviewers complaining for the sake of it?

This sort of news makes me sad regarding current state of gaming 😞
I loved Alan Wake 2, got myself a Deluxe/DLC edition as soon as it was released (I kind of expected it and held off, as that is a move they do woth all their games). One would expect such an awesome game to turn profit earlier, instead of all the MT, live service, F2P garbage that is polluting the space in recent years.

I am surprised Indiana Jones was not played by more than 4 million people. That is shocking given it's a genuinely good game and only competition it had on GP was COD.

Broforce. Just Broforce.
You'll love it.

@OldGamer999 now VRR, that is a real difference and a measurable win for Team Green. I am currently playing FF16, and that game is rough on PS5 performance mode. Might get to shine on XSX, although it's tough to justify developers expecting users to have VRR displays to make the game playable.