EvenStephen7

I’m firmly in the “I’ll believe it when I see it” camp after so many years of broken promises and “next year will be Xbox’s biggest year” statements. As it stands, my Series X is getting jealous of the action my PS5 and Switch get — and I’m eager to see something that can really showcase the power of this $500 Microsoft box!

@BAMozzy Not trying to be cheeky, but what’s with the single quotation marks? I can’t tell if I’m missing something; sorry in advance if I’m misunderstanding your intent.

FWIW, I think this is going to change quickly. Microsoft and Sony partnered on azure streaming for PlayStation, you can stream PS+ now, and many PlayStation exclusives head over to PC after console launch. Would not be shocked at all if both consoles start rushing towards this future but I think Xbox wisely figured out long ago that a console-less future was the way (I also remember a lot of criticism from the Xbox community over this theory). I guess that’s expected when you have a software company (MS) and a hardware company (Sony).

@Rangers420 I think this is a huge part of it. Porting games over aren’t always cheap or worth it if, historically, the audience isn’t there.

If you want Bethesda, Rare, or (soon) Activision Blizzard games, you get an Xbox.
If you want Square, Altus (at launch), and JRPGs you get a PlayStation.
If you want Nintendo’s premium first-party titles, you get a Switch.

I understand not everyone can afford multiple consoles but everyone has their strengths and no one console is going to have everything.

I work in the streaming tech space. Without writing a giant paragraph explaining all the details I’ll be brief:

There’s zero chance this happens.

@themightyant Ha, back at you. And if I do we're going to have a "Spider-Men pointing at each other" meme situation

@FraserG I understand, but March 2020 was a very different time for the service. Maybe a different approach to this monthly piece (one that doesn't stoke so many negative flames) would be a better approach. Just my two cents.

Lol, what’s the point of this? Literally no games that anyone will list will be offered, and everyone is just going to be angrily commenting on how awful GWG is. Keep expectations low and best case we’re all surprised.

There have been a lot of posts lately that seem determined to kick the hornet’s nest and get everyone agitated.

Sometimes I think Pure Xbox tries to find the most controversial topic to drive engagement in the comments.

@Enigk I feel ya. It's Tuesday and so far I got...one hour to play games on Sunday night, and fell asleep early last night.

Meanwhile, the games keep stacking up.

@Chaudy One has to wonder if that means yet another year of MS trying to downplay its plans and anything that'd make them look successful or powerful.

One of the weirder aspects of this situation has been watching both Xbox and Playstation go to great lengths to insist that they're the weaker party.

@Enigk Man, I both admire your optimism and am immensely jealous of anyone who has that time.

I think directs are a bad idea for Xbox at the current time. Last gen was a sales disaster. This gen has not gotten off to a great start for Xbox, with the lack of exclusives, barren 2022, and troubled launches like Halo Infinite. Playstation continues to be the market leader — even by MS's own admission — and Nintendo has found an excellent niche that generates excitement. That's why they've found success with their own directs.

More than anything, I'd argue MS needs to fix the narrative around "Xbox doesn't have any games" which is done by A) Actually releasing exclusives and B) promoting those on broader platforms that have the highest visibility. Directs are fine but they're inevitably preaching to the choir, whereas something like E3 and The Game Awards drives larger viewership. Especially of those who aren't Xbox owners yet but might be.

What's done is done, but showing off something during last week's TGA would have been more effective at driving hardware and GP sales than a direct that's catering to an install base that's already so eager for exclusives that they'll show up regardless. At the very least, they need to balance directs with larger stage events. Maybe big events for announcements and trailers that generate hype, then follow with directs for gameplay deep dives.

Man, this is a bummer. Another swing and a miss. I guess this release is a fitting end to Xbox’s 2022.

Rich elitist CEO mad he isn’t making more money, blames other rich elitist CEO for wanting to make more money.

Fantastic if you’re a multi-console player; probably pretty rough if you’re strictly Xbox only. There were several big surprises tonight though, especially Death Stranding 2, Hades 2, a new Armored Core, and Horizon Forbidden West DLC. If you own a PS5 there was a lot to be excited about tonight.

…but where’s the Goldeneye remaster? Truly thought it’d be shadow dropped tonight on Gamepass and Nintendo Switch Online, as it’s the last month of Bond’s 60th anniversary.

Like others here, nothing on this list was exciting or a favorite of mine. To be more accurate, this poll could use a “none” option (and/or a “I don’t have Gamepass” option for anyone who doesn’t).

@Lowcut Not everything is some grand conspiracy.

Great news! Probably going to get crap for this, but this is the first Gamepass game I’ve been excited for in a quite a while. Would love to see more semi-recent “big”/AAA games.

As others have pointed out, this article only does more damage by highlighting Xbox’s fatal flaw — especially in a week where everyone (including Phil Spencer) is talking about God of War.

If you want to play FPSes and western RPGs (along with anything Activison or Bethesda), you get an Xbox.

If you want to play JRPGS, Japanese-gaming fare, or big narrative-driven AAAs, you get a PS5.

Fanboys from both MS and Sony are making this into a bigger thing than it is. MS buying up publishers is likely to push Sony to sign more exclusives, since they don't have the pocketbook to do the same. Which in turn will encourage MS to buy another giant publisher again, and the cycle repeats. Neither console is going to have everything you want, so it's better to either buy in a way that aligns with your tastes or get both consoles (if financially possible).

It's hard to imagine anyone who's a multi-console player not being excited for God of War: Ragnarok. This feels like one of those "event" games that we don't see too often these days.

@Kaloudz I've been saying the same. Halo used to be the crown jewel of Xbox, and the game directly responsible for Xbox success as a brand (I was there day 1, and while I loved the OG Xbox, it's hard to imagine it getting off the ground without Halo). These games used to be events that transcended gaming and became part of pop culture at large.

It boggles the mind that Xbox has let the quality of the series lapse so dramatically. If MS cares about Halo at all (and honestly, at this point I don't know if they do) they should really let someone else take a crack at it. At the very least, let another team do a side project like a ODST 2.

Not going to lie, last year I was kind of "meh" and this year I've barely used my Series X. Thankfully there's also a PS5 and Switch in the mix to keep me afloat, but my series X has always felt like an investment for the future than something to use now.

Really looking forward to that changing in 2023. Also — looking forward to using Gamepass more, as the day-1 first-party titles was a huge selling point for the service that has gone unrealized this year. I think it'll good for both subscribers and MS to start making good on that promise.

Should go without saying, but MS isn't stupid. 73% was chosen as a KPI for specific reasons, based on growth data that no one here (including the editors) have access to. Two years ago they hit 86% growth, surpassing their goal of 71%. Last year they fell short of the goal by a decent margin. So they're not happy about big of a swing-and-a-miss, or the continued downward trend.

As others have pointed out, the lack of AAA games definitely torpedoed this objective, along with (oddly) near-zero mainstream market advertising and awareness campaigns.

That said, I know this is a fan site, but 27% doesn't seem too peachy to me either. Last year was 37%, and the year before was 86% (the last time they beat their goal). Of course, you could point to more people subbed meaning less prospects converting, but the service it NOWHERE near its ceiling yet. They need to really revisit the service and get the word out beyond the fringe hardcore to grow further.

@Snake_V5 I know plenty. Honestly, if I didn't have a 3-year sub locked in right now I'd probably temporarily cancel (the promise of day-1 AAA exclusives was the selling point for me, and that obviously hasn't happened for a while). I'm a multi-platform guy and most of the games I play on my Series X are games I own.

But there are also lots of reasons. When my kid was born, Gamepass just wasn't a good value prop for me so I let it lapse. It fits certain lifestyles but doesn't work for everyone. I think it does Xbox a disservice to say that enjoying it means you have to spend another $180 a year, every year, on top of the purchase of the console.

@Would_you_kindly Very. They’re worlds apart — even 10 years ago was different. Heck, all of Florida was.

I live on the Gulf Coast side but have been to Miami; this all looks and feels very accurate for the city and state.

Been riding along since the first one - really excited to take a trip down memory lane and for the series to take a much-deserved victory lap (how many racing analogies can I fit in one sentence?).

Not expecting anything too groundbreaking, though yea, a remaster of 1 (arguably the best) would be incredible — and highly unlikely. I'll gladly take this though, especially since it's free.

Between this and Infinite, it's rough being a Halo fan lately. I forgot I didn't even bother finishing S1 of this.

@Dezzy70 This is my thought as well. Bonnie made some poor decisions, no doubt about it, but I also think she took the most heat. I personally feel Halo's problems stemmed far beyond her, up to and including Aaron Greenberg and Phil Spencer — but no one will ever say that.

@ParsnipHero Well, there goes any interest me in me re-downloading Halo Infinite soon. I swear, this game isn’t going to be complete until next gen.

In a perfect world, MS would have been putting out day-one AAA games frequently on the service (as promised). That would have filled in the gaps and made these departures sting less. But lately it just seems like more great games are leaving than coming. I'm not even using Gamepass lately, just playing games I own.

Can’t say I’m really interested. Lots of Ubi games already hit Gamepass, Ubisoft+ Classics is bundled in as part of PS+ (for those of us who are multiplat), and the few games that aren’t on either — I bought, often for cheap.

@Eleventy8 I have the same memories of Test Drive Unlimited. An open-world racer seemed so magical at the time, years before FH and The Crew would emulate it. Test Drive Unlimited walked so FH could run.

Oof. This stings. Is it me or does it seem like more good games are leaving Gamepass than coming? The lack of more AAA first-party offerings this year probably doesn't help fill those gaps either. They might have to open up the wallet and try to secure quality content for longer while they wait for their first-party offerings to catch up.

My issue is that I bought 3 years of Gamepass at once when the Series X came out — and the big selling point, AAA games day and date — has mostly been bust. That’s maybe less to do with the service itself and more MS’s first-party output, but they’re all intertwined.

Thankfully I also have a Switch and PS5 so between the three I have been busy this year, but I have to be honest — I feel like I’m not using it enough to probably get my “money’s worth” every month. Xcloud is probably the biggest selling point for me these days; I use that all the time. When I do turn on my Xbox over the other consoles it’s more for games I own, with the exception of Forza Horizon 5 and the glut of kid-friendly games recently.

That said I also don’t have as much time to play anymore (jobs, little kids, etc.). So I’ve probably fallen out of the Gamepass target audience for a while; I think it’s something that gives more the more you put in.

I might use it for watching media more than gaming sometimes (depending on what I'm playing on the other consoles). Native smart TV apps suck, Xbox apps have Dolby Vision and Atmos support, and I prefer using headphones over my surround system at night when the kids are asleep.

It's interesting how a lot of it is now on tracks/more confined than FH5 proper. I don't mind at all as a racing game fan, but I can see that turning some people off.

Overall I'm enjoying it, though it hasn't blown me away. As someone else said, it feels a little lifeless. And I can tell I'm going to be done with this FAST - at just a few hours I'm already halfway through. But I'm enjoying my time and it keeps pulling me back in, even when I have other games like Stray to play this week. More FH5 is always a good thing. 8/10

@awp69 Same. That seems like a glaring omission (but an odd mistake). It would have been my pick too, I’m loving it right now.

@Dezzy70 I also played H:FW at launch and have no clue where this “buggy mess” stuff is coming from. Sounds like the vast majority of commentators here never had a problem on day 1; I’m wondering if the people claiming it was broken even played it at all, let alone at launch.

I’ll be there for God of War and I’ll be there for Starfield. Corey gets it; this console war nonsense is childish.

I’m really disappointed if this is true. An entire year with no AAA first-party titles? Not only is this confusing -Sony and Nintendo have several this year- it drives down my Gamepass value. Don’t get me wrong, I love indies, but part of the service’s value proposition is games day and date. I know my Series X has lots of potential, I just want more opportunities to see what that is/use it.

This game was excellent, and pretty much made me into a FF fan. But if you're a RPG fan or a Final Fantasy fan, you probably already own a PS5. Still, games getting a wider audience and not being behind one console is always good.

I just want to say I appreciate these GwG posts. While they're surely easy to put together, I'm aware they probably don't get the most clicks. But it always reminds me to go into the store and grab them - so thank you!

Also the PS+ news today actually surpassed my expectations. So here's hoping this is both a great PS5 service and drives more competition/doesn't let Xbox rest on its laurels for Gamepass. Consumers win.

A great addition to the new PS+ tier. I don't think it hurts Gamepass necessarily, but it's yet ANOTHER reminder that it's best to own both consoles if you can afford it (or all if you don't have a Switch).

@Bdbrady 100% agree. I don't get what's going on with project management. 343 has consistently dropped the ball. The Initiative has been having all kinds of problems with Perfect Dark, from high turnover to delayed projects to outside help being brought in. Rare has been having issues with Everwild, rebooting the game mid-development already and pushing back release dates. Now this.

That's a lot of devs that are struggling, and last year Xbox acquired Bethesda and all their studios...and they're about to acquire Activision Blizzard and all of theirs on top of it. I don't even know how many studios that is but it's huge...and makes me concerned it's going to get worse if a plan isn't put in place.

I understand game dev is difficult, and pandemics make it harder, but it feels like something's up. I don't want crunch, but there's also something to be said for project management and mid-project goal lines. Either studios leads are too nervous to go back to Microsoft and ask for help — maybe because of increasing competition for resources and attention as more studios get acquired — or maybe project management at Xbox under Matt Booty are strained. Or maybe Xbox has just kept a pretty hands-off approach but that's starting to negatively impact development.

As someone who works in advertising, I can attest that us creatives need a long leash — but also guardrails to not go completely off the map. I hope this can get sorted out, especially before even more studios are heaped on.

Between my SX and my PS5, the latter is getting more play overall because of the exclusives (though man I love me some Forza Horizon 5). Aside from exclusives, Sony stumbled out the gate a little with bad optics, some questionable choices, the inability to make consoles fast enough, and no Gamepass competitor. This should have been MS's time to strike with just a nonstop barrage of games that made them the console to get.

Does anyone know what game that is in the featured image above?

While the media keeps drumming this up as a “Gamepass competitor” it’s clearly going to be its own kind of service. But as a owner of both consoles I’m excited - this could be a great service for PS5 and competition will drive MS to keep improving Gamepass. Everyone wins, especially if you’re a multi-platform gamer.

Selfishly I kind of like the cadence — Sony has the first half of the year covered with exclusives and Xbox has the back half. Spring and summer I play my PS5 and barely turn on my Series X; fall and winter all the Xbox exclusives hit and I barely touch my PS5.

That said Xbox has been stepping it up. They’re already miles ahead of where they launched this generation, when it almost looked like they were unprepared due to lack of exclusives. Looking forward to seeing this momentum continuing to build, even if it means I have to start using both consoles year-round.