Exactly, @johnedwin! Up until the point that Microsoft began porting their games to PlayStation, they had loads of exclusive games, yet they were not making sufficient money to enable them to remain exclusive.
Fast forward a couple of years and you have to ask, in what way is Xbox in a better position now than it was when they began porting their games to PlayStation? The answer is very simple; they are not in a better position, so what will keeping E-Day as an exclusive achieve? That remains to be seen, but history would suggest that we'll just end up putting Xbox games on PlayStation once again, probably starting with E-Day...! 😉
You're absolutely right, @Millionski, The Coalition did not close down. However, other studios did. Jobs were lost. Games were cancelled, and games were then ported to PlayStation. That is exactly my point.
Tell me this, what games does Xbox have coming out that will see people rushing to buy an Xbox? E-Day? Maybe to some extent, but then what? Blade? 2, 3 or more years from now, yes. Elder Scrolls 6? 4 or 5 years from now, in all likelihood.
That is the point I am getting at. Yes, cancelling all the PlayStation games would have been a draconian step, but the problem is without those games that are promised to PlayStation, Xbox lacks the killer games that will entice people to buy an Xbox.
Do you really think that Xbox can limp on for another 3 years waiting for its next system seller?
What has changed within the past 2 years since Microsoft began porting their games to PlayStation? How have things improved since then? Sharma has whispered some nice things, and we all feel a bit more positive about Xbox, but what has actually changed that puts Xbox in a better position than it was when it first decided to put their games on PlayStation (a time when they had loads and loads of exclusive games)?
That is why I say Xbox needs to grow by 10 million within the next 12 months, but the truth is they need more than that. It's impossible, yes, but that does not mean it is not needed.
The only hope for Xbox, in my opinion is to remove day one first-party games from Game Pass. Force people to pay for those games if they really want to play them. That way each game lives or dies on its quality, rather than being plonked on Game Pass and just existing without making any decent revenue.
As for Hellblade, it would seem that they are changing the direction of the third game, but you need to recall that it was on Game Pass and a lot of PlayStation gamers had already played it by the time it came to PlayStation, and if you look at the current poll on Push Square, it would seem 20% of them also own an Xbox anyway so they would have played it via Game Pass rather than buy it. In other words, success or failure is relative, and the studio and Microsoft considered it a success. Successful enough to warrant a third game! I would go so far as to suggest, though, that if the third game is not successful, that will be it for the franchise...
I agree, @ILuvGames. You just know that all those celebrating E-Day being an exclusive will just play it on their already stacked Game Pass and Microsoft will basically get nothing from them. As someone that frequents these forums all too often, you cannot help but notice that the majority here play first-party games on Game Pass rather than buying them. Obviously that's on Microsoft. They allow their games on there, and people are going to take the cheapest option to play them. However, people then seem surprised when Microsoft port their games to PlayStation, and cannot seem to understand how their playing everything on Game Pass is hurting Microsoft's bottom line, and is the reason for the ports.
Personally, I really hope that Microsoft take the decision to remove day one first-party games from Game Pass. It's clearly not working for them, and nothing within the past 2 years has changed, so how anyone can expect a different result now is beyond me. It will be an unpopular decision, and it will lead to people leaving Game Pass, but it also might be the one thing that actually benefits Xbox, and therefore Xbox gamers, in the long-run. If I were Sharma, I would scrap Ultimate, keep Premium as the top tier, and therefore do away with the day one games. Microsoft could continue to bring third-party games day one to Game Pass, just not first-party ones. The could still keep Game Pass as an attractive proposition, particularly for those that like to play the smaller, indie titles that already appear on the service.
To my mind that is the one way to truly help Xbox. It will meet with a lot of push back, but it will ultimately be very beneficial to Xbox. Also, it works for Sony, so why could it not work for Xbox...?
That's exactly my point, @Sindayl. Microsoft playing nice is not going to help Xbox. They should have cancelled all pre-orders and they should have cancelled all intended ports. If they had done that, sure PlayStation gamers would have been in uproar, but since when should Microsoft worry about Sony? Their first concern should be Xbox and Xbox gamers.
Let's face it, if they had cancelled all upcoming PlayStation games then they would have had a killer line-up over the next 12 months; E-Day, Clockwork Revolution, Fable, Forza Horizon 6, and Halo: Combat Evolved. You are talking about a fantastic line-up there that will have tempted many people into buying an Xbox...
I agree with most of what you say, @Millionski, but let's say that E-Day underperforms, it is not necessarily The Coalition that will bear the brunt of any cuts. Microsoft may seek to make cuts elsewhere and save The Coalition, but if they need to make cuts because the revenue was not made, the cuts they will make. Add to that cutting jobs at The Coalition would be a public admission that things have gone badly wrong with E-Day having been kept as an exclusive, so cutting elsewhere at another studio that is either underperforming, or close to the edge, would not be such a clear sign of the reasons why those cuts were being made. Basically closing The Coalition would be somewhat humiliating for Xbox, and rather than make the cuts there, they will make them somewhere else.
Honestly though, I would not be shocked to see E-Day on PlayStation in a couple of years, 3 at the latest. The game is all but ready for PlayStation, and if it does indeed underperform on Xbox and PC then Microsoft might seek to reverse the decision and make their money that way, which I think is the most sensible decision.
Unfortunately, I think that Sharma is listening to the loudest voices who are rejoicing and poking their tongues out at PlayStation gamers, without taking into account the genuine potential for harm that this could cause the franchise in the long run, and indeed the harm it could do to their beloved Xbox consoles.
What Microsoft should have done is removed every promised game from PlayStation, bar any that was already taking pre-orders (although they could have just cancelled those too). E-Day and Clockwork Revolution are not enough to save Xbox. E-Day, Clockwork Revolution, Fable, Forza Horizon 6, and Halo: Combat Evolved all within the next 12 months and you are talking about a fantastic line-up that will have tempted people in the droves to buy an Xbox. Microsoft playing nice is going to backfire because the only forthcoming game they have in the pipeline that could possibly be a system seller is Blade, but that is probably at least 2 years away. Microsoft can keep many of its smaller titles as exclusive, but people will not be buying an Xbox in order to play them, and that is precisely why E-Day was kept as an exclusive, to attract people into the ecosystem, but on its own that's an uphill battle...
I had to buy the PC version of the Halo Collector's Edition, @ILuvGames, and also buy it from Europe, so it cost me a fair bit more too. Still, I never open my Collector's Editions anyway, so it matters not that it is for PC really, I would just have preferred it to have been for the Xbox. You never know, Microsoft might make more Xbox versions available. Still, I thank you for alerting me to its existence because I didn't even realise there was one for Halo until you mentioned it.
It's been a a supremely expensive day for me because not only did I buy the Gears of War: E-Day Collector's Edition and the Halo: Combat Evolved Collector's Edition, but I also just bought the Fable Collector's Edition. Again, I did not realise it was available until just now, and so I ended up having to get it for the PS5. Damn, I've spent a lot today...
My thoughts exactly, @ILuvGames. People need to change their habits with Xbox. Yes, play all those wonderful third-party games via Game Pass but at least buy one of two of the first-party games. Things cannot continue as they currently are.
Nothing has changed with Xbox since the day the first one time exclusives began being ported to PlayStation. Indeed, the situation may have in fact deteriorated. Thus, as the saying goes, insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.
If we, as consumers carry on as before, and play all these exclusives via Game Pass, then we will be back to square one in a hurry, and next time the solutions may be even less palatable than just putting our first-party games on PlayStation...
What I want is not unreasonable, @Millionski, it just unobtainable.
Tell me though, if you are really happy with the way things are right now with E-Day being a console (and PC exclusive), and are celebrating the win, how will you feel if in a couple of years the job lay-offs begin, or The Coalition is shutdown, or indeed, Microsoft, having been unable to sustain Game Pass, fundamentally change it, or stop it altogether, or indeed, if Microsoft withdraw from the console space because they simply cannot make the numbers work in their favour? Will you still be celebrating the small wins then? If it transpires that keeping E-Day as a console exclusive is a massive mistake that really harms the franchise meaning that we never get another one, is the juice worth the squeeze then?
That is why I am against this, and not celebrating E-Day being a console exclusive. I honestly believe this could really harm Xbox long term because Microsoft do not have enough games coming through to grow the brand. Well, they kind of do right now, but all but 2 are still going to PlayStation, and what's to come after that? Blade and...? Any other system sellers you can think of...?
It's the long term consequences of these decisions that I am worrying about, and which so many seem utterly oblivious too...
Right, @MinervaX76, but if a version were built for Helix/PC, would the Series be able to run it or would a separate version be required? I was under the impression they would need two versions, but I may well be wrong...
I agree, @FreasurePlanten. If every game were available on every platform, then it would just be a matter of picking your preferred platform and be done with it. It would save people such as myself a great deal of money because I always buy both the Xbox and PlayStation consoles despite primarily being an Xbox gamer.
Everything everywhere is likely going to happen at some point, it just might take another decade or two to happen. If one of the consoles makers drops out of the market, then I think that will hasten events. So if the plug is pulled on Helix 3 to 5 years after it first comes out, then I can see Sony making the PS7 as their own version of Helix, at which point everything will be available everywhere (other than Nintendo, who will always do their own thing)...
Whilst I understand your point about Helix being a PC, @MinervaX76, unless Microsoft release the Helix and immediately stop making versions of their games for the Series consoles (which they obviously won't) then they will still be building two versions of the games, albeit I imagine that the Series consoles are very PC like when it comes to development so the difference is probably minimal when it comes to the work required...
All we know for sure is that Sony sold 50% fewer consoles, but that they still sold and estimated 400 more consoles than Microsoft. The 12% increase for Xbox is an estimate (which may well be accurate), @HonestHick. We do not know, and indeed never know, when it comes to Microsoft because when things began to look bad for Microsoft they stopped giving us the facts and figures. Any increase in console sales is good, matey, but the truth is they need to add something like an extra 50 million console gamers if they want to truly compete with Sony, and they need to add that 50 million rapidly, like within the next 12 months rapidly, and we both know that ain't gonna happen!
As for E-Day, it does look amazing; I have bought both the Collector's Edition at a cost of £291, and the Premium Edition costing £90, today. Now I am just waiting on them announcing the Collector's controllers, because I'll be buying two of them as well (one Elite, and one Standard). I was chuffed that they made the CE for E-Day available in the UK this time, because I had to import my Gears 5 one from the US, and of course the game would not work over here.
I liked the look of most of the enemies. I was a little disappointed with what essentially looked like Juvies, when they should have been closer in design to Wretches. Also, you have to wonder whether there is a significant time jump in the game because the Chainsaw Lancer did not enter active service until about 3 years after E-Day. Obviously, it would not be a Gears of War game without the Chainsaw Lancer, so I knew they were going to include it, but in doing so they may well be messing with the lore. I did like the fact that they included Tai using a proper chainsaw, which is what Adam Fenix used as inspiration to make the Chainsaw Lancer. To us fans, such little easter eggs, are a there to put a smile on our faces.
Seeing some of the original enemies, including tickers and corpsers was awesome. I liked the added verticality because it never made sense that they could not climb upwards before (it never does in any game!).
The only other nit-pick I have is the inclusion of new weapons such as the grenade launcher. Why have it now, but not have it in later games? It kind of makes no sense because you would think such a weapon would be used by Gears in every game, but for some reason they just abandon it? Kind of makes no sense, if you think about it, but then I guess this is a reboot, so we just have to accept it.
One thing I will say though is that surely the only reason we have E-Day, and not Gears 6 is because Microsoft were going to put the game on PlayStation? So not getting 6 is even more annoying now that E-Day is not releasing on PlayStation (for now! 😉).
Still it'll be great to get into a new Horde mode. I was slightly disappointed that it was not mentioned, and I have no interest in a 12 player horde, so really hope that is not going to be the only option...
I think Microsoft are right to concentrate on games that are releasing within the following 12 months. Obviously sometimes a game slips into a later time period, but I think trying to stick to that rule is the right thing to do.
As for Blade, we have only seen a cinematic for the game thus far, and it could well have been made just to announce the game (way too early, but hey ho), so the probabilities are that the game is at least another couple of years away yet. We might see something of it at next years June showcase, but equally, I would not be surprised if we don't.
The interesting thing is probably by then Microsoft will have a better understanding of how exclusivity is working out for them. If it is working, then Blade may well be an exclusive, if it is not working, then it probably won't be exclusive. The fact that it is a licensed game, may also factor into whether the game will be exclusive.
It'll be interesting to see how the game is handled by the time it releases, and it would interesting to know now whether Microsoft are still developing the PlayStation version in tandem with the Xbox one, because whilst they will probably hope that they would be able to keep it as an exclusive, the Xbox landscape may look very different in two years, and so keeping it exclusive may not be an option. I'm not sure whether they would rather develop both platforms versions at the same time, or delay the release of the Xbox version whilst they ready the PlayStation one. If they have stopped work on the PlayStation version, then that shows some confidence in Xbox right now. If they haven't, then the reverse is true.
I'd love to be a fly on the wall at Arkane... 😉
I think that may have been badly worded, @FreasurePlanten. What I meant was that if people really want Microsoft to bring all their games back as exclusive, then I don't think they can continue business as usual and expect a different result.
In other words, there was a reason that Microsoft went multiplatform in the first place, and that was down to games not making enough money on Game Pass, Xbox, and PC as it was. Nothing about that has changed. And nothing about that will change unless either we, as the consumer do things differently, or Microsoft force us into doing things differently.
I totally agree that the onus is on Microsoft, but I would have been much happier if Microsoft had chosen to put E-Day on PlayStation (because it is essentially a Live Service game), or if they had done the same as they did with CoD, and said E-Day would not be going on Game Pass day one. Not putting it on Game Pass would have forced people to behave differently. They would have had to buy the game.
As they say, insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Nothing about Xbox has changed in these past two years; Game Pass still exists, first-part content still goes on Game Pass day one, people tend to play the games via Game Pass rather than buying the games. So as nothing has changed, how can we possibly expect a different outcome?
What I was trying to get at with my original comment was that if people really want things to change, and if Microsoft don't make the necessary changes themselves, then perhaps we need to change what we do ourselves to ensure a bright future for Xbox. Clearly it is not incumbent on us to change, but if we do then things can only improve...
They need to double, or better still, triple the number of people that own an Xbox console in this generation or the next, @Millionski. It is a simple question of mathematics, there are simply not enough people that own an Xbox to support big, expensive, high quality AAA games.
Too many people play games via Game Pass, which funnels too little money back to the studios. If you have your Game Pass subscription stacked (having probably done so via some crafty way of getting it cheaply), and then play the likes of E-Day that way, what extra money is the studio getting for their game?
If you managed to stack Game Pass for a year for the same price as one AAA first-party game, and then play two or more such games via the Service, Microsoft are essentially losing out on half the money that they could have made had you bought both games.
If it were possible for Microsoft to add 50 million Xbox owners over the course of then next 12 months or so, I'd be delighted, but that is roughly how many they need to add, and we both know they are highly unlikely to be able to do that within the next decade let alone 12 months.
There are three reasons why Sony can afford to keep games exclusive, first their first-party games do not go on their subscription service, and secondly, that means that if you want to play the game, you have no option but to buy it. Thirdly, they have roughly 3 times the number of gamers than Xbox has.
Conversely, Microsoft put the games on Game Pass, which means that far fewer people buy their first-party games, and they have a third of the number of people gaming on their systems too, which obviously means fewer people to buy the games.
If you put it in simple numbers; a game costing £70 bought by 10% of PlayStation gamers is going to raise £630 million. If 10% of Xbox gamers were to do the same then the game would raise £210 million, which is massively less, but then you have to factor in that the vast majority of Xbox gamers will play the game via Game Pass, which will then drastically reduce that £210 million, probably taking it to well under £100 million, maybe hugely under that!
So I'd like some certainty that this move is not going to end up backfiring with job loses, studio closures, and franchise cancellations. I love to see Xbox grow by 50 million console owners over the next 12 months, and I would be very happy if Microsoft decided to no longer put their first-party games on Game Pass day one in the future, because I believe this massively harms the revenue income that first-party games bring in...
I agree, @DetJayT, but Booty could also have said that if that is what they are thinking. That at least would have made some sense.
Personally, and I have said this before, I think it needs to be all or nothing when it comes to exclusives. I would have taken the hit and been seen as the bad guy and just cancelled every PlayStation port.
I would have stood their and said as the new boss of Xbox, I am changing some of the decisions that the former boss made. Yes, it would have been unpopular with PlayStation gamers, but so what! Microsoft should be concerned with growing Xbox, not keeping PlayStation gamers happy.
It would have meant that people who wanted to play Halo or Forza Horizon 6 or Fable, would have had to buy an Xbox, and surely Halo Combat Evolved, FH6, Fable, State of Decay 3, Clockwork Revolution and E-Day all within a 12 month period are very strong reasons to buy an Xbox console, whereas just E-Day and Clockwork Revolution are probably not. E-Day, maybe to some extent, but on it's own it's not enough, and whilst this particular line-up is impressively strong, this is not your typical library of releases. Usually it is one or two big releases a year, not 6 or 7. Microsoft should have just taken the criticism from PlayStation gamers, and made everything exclusive (outside Call of Duty which they are legally obliged to keep multiplatform)...
I agree with everything you say, @fatpunkslim (except for Game Pass being profitable, because I am not convinced of that, and I believe it is only cleverly worded statements that give that impression, but let's not get into that).
The simple fact is that the base game costs £70. That means it takes 5 people joining Game Pass for one month in order to play the game to equate to one purchase.
You are right to say that not every one is like you and I; by way of example, I have bought the Collector's Edition of E-Day at a cost of £291 today, and also the Premium Edition at a further cost of £90 because I do not want to unseal my Collector's Edition, so I'd be shocked if people are like me, but then I am a huge Gears of War fan.
However, the truth is that most people will play the game via Game Pass, which is all well and good, but the further truth is that most of us have stacked Game Pass for months or years, and so even if 5 million of us play the game via Game Pass, that does not mean that the game is received money from the majority of us because we paid our fees quite some time ago.
Let's face it, why do we subscribe to Game Pass? The answer is twofold, first (and annoyingly!) you need it to play online, but secondly, and for the main part, we subscribed because it offers us great value. It is a cheaper way to play a lot of games. The very fact that it is cheaper goes to show that not every game is going to receive the same funds they would have had we bought their games and played them that way.
Personally, I can see Microsoft using E-Day as a test; first they will want to see how many buy new Xbox consoles, and how many more subscribe to Game Pass (and crucially stick around for more than a month). If the game does not perform as well as they think it could have had it also released on PlayStation then they may use it as a reason to do one of two things; one, revert to releasing all first-party games on PlayStation, or two, no longer putting the big first-party games on Game Pass day one.
I know people want to celebrate Xbox seemingly returning to exclusives, but we do not yet know what they long-term effects will be. It could all turn out swimmingly, and Xbox could grow from 30-35 million Series owners to considerably more, going from strength to strength. However, there is also the possibility of job loses, studio closures, franchise cancellations, return to multiplatform, fundamental changes to Game Pass, and so on. We simply do not know what will happen in the future, and how things will turn out in the end. We can only hope for the best.
I'm doing my part by doing what I always do, by buying first-party content rather than playing it via my Ultimate subscription. We can only hope that more people see this as an opportunity to support Xbox and do the same, rather than just playing it via Game Pass and affording Microsoft no additional money in the process. People that game on Xbox do need to change their habits, truth be told, because the only reason that Microsoft began putting their games on PlayStation is because they were not getting enough revenue on Xbox and PC alone. Nothing about that has changed in the past couple of years, so unless people change how they go about playing first-party titles, we will be back to square one within a year or two...
Gears of War is essentially a Live Service game with a polished campaign attached. Future support for the game will be more and more maps added to the game to support the multiplayer, and if we are lucky, we may get a story expansion of sorts as we did with Hivebusters but whilst they ALWAYS add more multiplayer maps, characters, skins, etc. they do not always add more campaign DLC (they didn't with GoW4 for example).
So why is E-Day not multiplatform, because it is essentially a multiplayer game?
In the same breath, why is State of Decay 3 going multiplatform, when the first two games have never been outside console and PC?
Personally, I think they have made E-Day exclusive to appease the fans, even though it could be highly detromental to the franchise. It would have made far more sense to put E-Day on PlayStation, and keep State of Decay 3 as a console exclusive, than the decision they have made. After all, until yesterday, State of Decay 3 had never been announced for PlayStation either, so going by his "games announced for PlayStation will be honoured" comment then State of Decay 3 would have been okay to keep as an exclusive.
So, it's business as usual as the mixed messaging continues...
I've just managed to grab the E-Day one, @ILuvGames, thanks to your message here. When I went to bed last night (it's 8 a.m. here right now) it wasn't available to order, but it is now. If not for your message, I might have missed it. £291 though for me, which is probably the most expensive Collector's Edition I have ever bought. Anyway, thank you for the heads up. Now to find the Halo one... 😂
I failed to mention it @HonestHick because it is pretty meaningless with out the base figure. If the Series X was sold 100 consoles the prior month, is 112 consoles the following month that much more impressive? Without knowing what we are adding 12% too, the fact it has increased by that figure is barely worth mentioning, albeit it has moved 12% more. We know Xbox console sales have been so bad that Xbox has not told os how many have been sold for many years now. Truth is, if it went from 1000 to 1200, is that so much better?
I just said the same thing, @Weebleman. When the numbers don't add up, the likelihood is that they will bung E-Day on PlayStation where it will probably do reasonably well. Problem with that is if they had released it day and date on PlayStation, it would have done very well rather than reasonably well. You have to question the wisdom to listening to your fans who do not have the financial answers that the likes of Sharma has. You have to wonder what loses are acceptable to Xbox, and what the consequences of them will be...
I totally get what you are saying, @awp69. The problem is, how many more consoles and subscriptions are these two games going to shift? If it was these two games, Forza Horizon 6, State of Decay, Fable, Senua etc. then suddenly you have a lot of reasons to own an Xbox, and all in a very short span of time, which is precisely what Xbox needs.
And what happens next? E-Day and Clockwork result in a few thousand more consoles sold, and a few thousand more subscriptions, but will that be worth then saying other games will be made exclusive?
When Fable is a roaring success on PlayStation, will they then decide to keep the sequel as an exclusive, or will they use the excuse that as the first game is on PlayStation, we cannot keep the sequel from them?
If Microsoft go down that path, what games are there that Xbox could keep as exclusives? Not Doom, not Indian Jones 2, not Fallout, not Halo, not Forza Horizon, etc. etc. etc. The point being, if you have put all your big games on PlayStation, and then take the stance (as they have with Doom, for example) that any franchises that have previously been on PlayStation will continue to be on PlayStation, what big franchises does Xbox have left that they can claim as an exclusive?
There are not any big ones whatsoever, and in fairness, Clockwork is not exactly a big one either.
It just seems to me they are going to use E-Day to test the waters, when on its own it cannot achieve the numbers that Xbox needs. It literally needs to be everything except the likes of Call of Duty which they are legally obliged to put on PlayStation and Nintendo.
It seems to me that E-Day is being hung out to dry. I can see Sharma speaking to the Xbox community in a couple of years saying that exclusivity is not working for Xbox, and that they will fully embrace PlayStation once more. The problem with that is what damage is done to The Coalition in the mean time? Will there be job loses because the game fails to make back its development costs? Or will they just drop a bombshell in 2 years time and announce E-Day for PlayStation, which will be an admission that exclusivity has failed?
The thing is, I think with enough will, and an acceptance of loses in the short term, keeping all games as an exclusive can potentially pay off. Doing it piecemeal will only see the harm and not the benefits...
She would have got a rapturous reception had she walked into Sony showcase and given the consoles away, @Kaloudz! She really had no reason to do it here because the probabilities were that every one of the people present already owned an Xbox! That is why they were there, after all. I'm not saying it does not look good, and that the people are not happy, but Microsoft literally had no reason to do this other than good PR. Sharma has proven that she knows what she is doing when it comes to this type of thing, but do not be fooled into thinking this was done as an act of kindness. The optics are good for Xbox, so it is good for Xbox. That is how PR works...
It's only the right move if you have a lot of exclusive content, @Darylb88. Two games will not move the dial. Not in the slightest. The only thing it could do is lead to job losses, studio closures, and no further games in the franchise. The chances of either of these games making back their development costs whilst exclusive to Xbox and PC is minimal. E-day is available to pre-order on Steam too, which will possibly help the game itself, but that does not help Xbox in terms of consoles. If the only thing that saves E-Day is Steam sales, then what's the point in it being called an Xbox exclusive...
Absolutely, @Weebleman. I was devastated (and I mean that) when they announced E-Day as an exclusive, and when the only other game was Clockwork Revolution, and not even State of Decay 3, I just could not understand the thinking. It was like she caved into the loudest voices, completely ignoring common sense in the process...
I mean, it's great for us gamers, but as most of us have Game Pass stacked years in advance, it literally means that we can play all of these games without giving Microsoft another penny (until we need to renew our subscriptions, which could be a couple of years off yet).
Honestly, I think Game Pass is great for us gamers, but it is a terrible thing for Microsoft's business model...
I agree entirely with what you are saying, @awp69, but the two games announced as exclusives will not move the dial for Xbox.
And therein lies the problem; in reality, every game that can be exclusive to Xbox should be exclusive, and straight away, not phased in over the next few years. But we all know that means Microsoft losing money for several years to come on any game they make exclusive. It will probably take a decade of great exclusives to put Xbox closer to PlayStation in terms of Xbox console owners, and there is simply no way that Microsoft will accept loses for that long.
So where does that leave us? Games that fail to make the required revenue leading to studio closures and job cuts? Cancelled games, including sequels to the likes of E-Day?
There is no doubt that a strong portfolio of exclusives can entice people into your ecosystem, but just two games is just a token gesture to appease a set number of rabid voices who have not thought of the long term consequences of failure. Xbox needs way more big exclusives, and they need them in a hurry. They had the chance to keep State of Decay 3 as an exclusive, a game that has never been on PlayStation, but then announce it as going there today. Where is the common sense in that?
I would have been even more aggressive if I were Sharma, and I would have pulled Forza 6 and Fable too. I would have told the PlayStation gamers that as the new boss, I was changing some of the decisions that the former boss had made. It would have been unpopular with the PlayStation gamers, but so what? You are trying to build Xbox up, not keep PlayStation gamers happy.
Honestly, this token effort is going to backfire. All or nothing, and I would have preferred nothing, truth be told, because at least in putting E-Day on PlayStation you were assured healthy sales and the potential for a sequel. Now we are at risk of E-Day being the swansong for the franchise...
Agreed, @Ooccoo_Jr. Same is true of State of Decay 3, the franchise has never been on PlayStation. Never been previously announced for PlayStation. And yet they put that game on there. Why stop at E-Day and Clockwork Revolution? Why not SoD3 as well?
And in all honesty, Sharma could have stood front and centre today and said as she is the new boss, she is going to reverse some of the previous decisions, and that Fable and Forza 6 will now be exclusive to Xbox. She could have simply said, if you want to play them, buy an Xbox.
What I would love is some transparency from Xbox (which we know we will not get). I would love them to be honest with us when it comes to telling us how many copies E-Day sells, how many more consoles are sold, and how many more people take out new Game Pass subscriptions. I would like to know how much the game cost to make, and how much money the game brings in as a console exclusive.
Basically, I would like Microsoft to prove to us that this is a plan worth following, because I am not convinced it is.
I will be mightily peeved if The Coalition faces job cuts or closure, and we never get another Gears of War simply because the game does not do the required numbers...
The fact is that exclusives sell platforms, @Sol4ris. There really is no way of getting away from that.
In an ideal world, we would all just choose our platform and be able to play everything. No exceptions. However, we live in a far from ideal world. If we were all starting on a level playing field, the it might be different, just as would be the case were Sony minded to share their first-party content. However, not only are Sony minded to keep their exclusives to themselves, but they start out with something like 3 times the number of gamers too. That last part makes a huge difference as well because whilst if Microsoft did not put their games on Game Pass day one, they would need something in the order of 8-10% of Xbox gamers to buy a game day one (i.e: at full price) to make back 200 million in developmental costs, Sony only need 3%-4% of their gamers to buy a game to get to the same point. That really is a massive difference, and is much more easily achieved by Sony that it is for Microsoft, and that's before you factor in Game Pass.
As an example, I stacked my Ultimate Game Pass subscription 2 years ago for 3 years, so if I play E-Day via Game Pass when it releases in a couple of months time, Microsoft literally get nothing from me, and that stands to be true for every Xbox gamer that plays via Game Pass that has already been stacked.
For Microsoft to stand a chance of E-Day making back its development costs, they need a huge surge in the number of people buying new Xbox consoles, and people taking out brand new subscriptions, which is highly unlikely to happen. There will be a spike, I'm sure, but not in the numbers Microsoft need. They probably need to shift a good 10-20 million new consoles, and the same number of new Game Pass subscriptions, neither of which is going to happen.
Honestly, the risks associated with having any big game exclusive to Xbox are probably not worth taking. Any and every studio is at risk of closure if their IP is seen as not performing, and if Microsoft try going down the path of timed-exclusives then it is all but pointless because PlayStation gamers will just wait for the game to arrive on their consoles, or ignore it when it does arrive, which in either event will just cost Microsoft money.
As I keep saying, there is a reason why Microsoft began putting their games on PlayStation, and nothing has changed for the better since they did so, indeed, I would argue that things have got worse for Xbox because many gamers have abandoned the platform and gone to PlayStation. In other words, there are fewer Xbox gamers now than there were when the first began porting their games...
I entirely agree with you, @Weebleman. I honestly fear that this is a case of trukeys voting for Christmas, and could well be a move that we come to regret, one which it will be too late to put right once the dust has settled.
As for the PlayStation port, that is my thinking, I believe that Sharma will tell us it's exclusive, but leave some wriggle room so that she can walk back on it at a later point if sales of the game do not meet expectations (which I highly doubt they will, not because it won't be a good game, but people on Xbox, on the whole, play first-party content via Game Pass, and that in no way compensates for a lost sale).
If she is honest, and announces it as a timed-exclusive, then unless she tells us it is 3 years or more, then doing so is utterly pointless because PlayStation gamers will just wait for the game.
If she is not honest, and does not tell us that it is timed, and then in 6 months it is announced for PlayStation, then mob mentality will set in and they'll be calling for her head.
If The Coalition suffers job loses, or worse still, is closed down, then people will definitely call for her head, and rightly so, in my opinion, because we could have told her that the game will not sell well enough to make back its development costs so long as the game goes on Game Pass day one.
And that there, is the only other path open to her, in my estimations; do not put the game on Game Pass day one. Prove to Xbox gamers once and for all that if they want first-party games to succeed as exclusives on Xbox that there is only one way to do that, and that is by no longer putting them on Game Pass day one. But of course they won't do that because Game Pass Ultimate subscriptions will tank, and they'll be an outcry from the community.
Of course if they do pull the game from Game Pass, then this move means this could prove to be a costly disaster for the Gears of War franchise...
As a massive Gears of War fan, I am hoping that we not only see a strong showing for Gears of War: E-Day but also a reveal of Gears Tactics 2, and maybe even Gears of War 2: Reloaded.
I would also love to see a new Gears of War: E-Day Collector's controller, and if they show it I'll be buying both the Elite and Standard versions.
Also, I am hoping that we see a Gears of War: E-Day Collector's Edition, with a stylish model of some description. My only hope is that they release it in the UK this time, because they did not do so with Gears 5, and so I have to import it from America, which just adds to the costs (plus the game does not work over here anyway!).
A strong showing for E-Day will make my wallet bleed, but it will be well worth it...
It would be big news indeed, @Weebleman & @ILuvGames, if E-Day has been pulled from PlayStation, but it leaves me massively concerned.
If E-Day cost 200 million to make, then before taxes it would need to be bought by between 5% and 10% of those that game on an Xbox. That's buy not be played via Game Pass which brings in a fraction of the revenue a unit sold does.
So, whilst many will be celebrating the fact that it is an exclusive, what they could be celebrating is the arrival of the very last Gears of War game that we ever get if it does not sell well enough. Any game that is exclusive to Xbox faces the very real risk of job loses at the studio, franchises being cancelled or indeed studio closures.
Honestly, having the game as an exclusive could be the worst thing to happen as a Gears of War fan...
As stoked as I am to see E-Day, @ILuvGames, and I really am, I think they will have to show something truly epic to beat what was shown last night in the form of Exodus. Obviously they are in no way similar, but if E-Day wants to be seen as the best game reveal of the June showcases, then they have a very high standard to beat...
I don't think Fable will be at this showcase, @Millionski. They will probably save it for the showcase in August after having delayed it to next year. It would seem a little pointless to me showing it now when we know it will be a long wait for the game to arrive...
Without a shadow of doubt, EXODUS was the strongest game to be shown in any of the showcases thus far @KITG_Group_BrunoB & @Jenkinss. Indeed, I was slightly confused whilst watching it because I thought the game was actually The Expanse: Osiris Reborn because that game is being described as very much like Mass Effect, but it you ask me EXODUS is the game that will scratch that Mass Effect itch (which I happen to be scratching right now by replaying the Legendary Edition).
A very strong showing for EXODUS, and it has moved right up my to buy list, and I really am excited for it. Indeed, I would go so far as to say that this is now my most anticipated game (other than perhaps E-Day...
I watched the whole thing, and much preferred the overall presentation to Geoff's show. That said, there were actually fewer games I was interested in whilst watching FGS.
Those that did interest me were:
Arizona Sunshine Gothic 1 Remake - my Collector's Edition actually arrived earlier last week. Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced - I really liked the look of the game. It looks much better than I fear it would. The Sinking City 2 THE LIFT: Supernatural Handyman Simulator Mistfall Hunter (providing that it offers a satisfying single-player experience). Clive Barker's Hellraiser: Revival Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis - I already have the Collector's Edition pre-ordered. EXODUS, which looked utterly fantastic. Easily the best game shown thus far this June.
Of the games I did like, I thought the quality looked particularly high...
Maybe, @Elbow, but last year was the year of Expedition 33 so even if nominated, it would not have won, but it would have been good to see it at least in the mix.
I loved Cronos so much, that I went straight through it again on the hardest difficulty, earned every achievement, and then bought the PS5 version. I have not yet started it again, but I will do within the next few months.
Yes, I know what you mean, @Skinny-Pete. As a straight guy, it felt a little weird to me that Kaiden has the hots for my character at the moment in ME2. I had to turn him down because my heart is set on Liara... 😂
Absolutely, @Sol4ris. Veilguard was another game that was treated harshly. I pre-ordered the game and loved it, and found the transgender issues thought provoking. Too many closed minds, unfortunately, and too many sheep...
Comments 5,492
Re: 'It Doesn't End With Gears & Clockwork' - Xbox Reporter Teases More Console Exclusives
Exactly, @johnedwin! Up until the point that Microsoft began porting their games to PlayStation, they had loads of exclusive games, yet they were not making sufficient money to enable them to remain exclusive.
Fast forward a couple of years and you have to ask, in what way is Xbox in a better position now than it was when they began porting their games to PlayStation? The answer is very simple; they are not in a better position, so what will keeping E-Day as an exclusive achieve? That remains to be seen, but history would suggest that we'll just end up putting Xbox games on PlayStation once again, probably starting with E-Day...! 😉
Re: Xbox Fans Go Wild As Asha Sharma Gives Free Consoles To Everyone At FanFest LA
You're absolutely right, @Millionski, The Coalition did not close down. However, other studios did. Jobs were lost. Games were cancelled, and games were then ported to PlayStation. That is exactly my point.
Tell me this, what games does Xbox have coming out that will see people rushing to buy an Xbox? E-Day? Maybe to some extent, but then what? Blade? 2, 3 or more years from now, yes. Elder Scrolls 6? 4 or 5 years from now, in all likelihood.
That is the point I am getting at. Yes, cancelling all the PlayStation games would have been a draconian step, but the problem is without those games that are promised to PlayStation, Xbox lacks the killer games that will entice people to buy an Xbox.
Do you really think that Xbox can limp on for another 3 years waiting for its next system seller?
What has changed within the past 2 years since Microsoft began porting their games to PlayStation? How have things improved since then? Sharma has whispered some nice things, and we all feel a bit more positive about Xbox, but what has actually changed that puts Xbox in a better position than it was when it first decided to put their games on PlayStation (a time when they had loads and loads of exclusive games)?
That is why I say Xbox needs to grow by 10 million within the next 12 months, but the truth is they need more than that. It's impossible, yes, but that does not mean it is not needed.
The only hope for Xbox, in my opinion is to remove day one first-party games from Game Pass. Force people to pay for those games if they really want to play them. That way each game lives or dies on its quality, rather than being plonked on Game Pass and just existing without making any decent revenue.
As for Hellblade, it would seem that they are changing the direction of the third game, but you need to recall that it was on Game Pass and a lot of PlayStation gamers had already played it by the time it came to PlayStation, and if you look at the current poll on Push Square, it would seem 20% of them also own an Xbox anyway so they would have played it via Game Pass rather than buy it. In other words, success or failure is relative, and the studio and Microsoft considered it a success. Successful enough to warrant a third game! I would go so far as to suggest, though, that if the third game is not successful, that will be it for the franchise...
Re: 'It Doesn't End With Gears & Clockwork' - Xbox Reporter Teases More Console Exclusives
I agree, @ILuvGames. You just know that all those celebrating E-Day being an exclusive will just play it on their already stacked Game Pass and Microsoft will basically get nothing from them. As someone that frequents these forums all too often, you cannot help but notice that the majority here play first-party games on Game Pass rather than buying them. Obviously that's on Microsoft. They allow their games on there, and people are going to take the cheapest option to play them. However, people then seem surprised when Microsoft port their games to PlayStation, and cannot seem to understand how their playing everything on Game Pass is hurting Microsoft's bottom line, and is the reason for the ports.
Personally, I really hope that Microsoft take the decision to remove day one first-party games from Game Pass. It's clearly not working for them, and nothing within the past 2 years has changed, so how anyone can expect a different result now is beyond me. It will be an unpopular decision, and it will lead to people leaving Game Pass, but it also might be the one thing that actually benefits Xbox, and therefore Xbox gamers, in the long-run. If I were Sharma, I would scrap Ultimate, keep Premium as the top tier, and therefore do away with the day one games. Microsoft could continue to bring third-party games day one to Game Pass, just not first-party ones. The could still keep Game Pass as an attractive proposition, particularly for those that like to play the smaller, indie titles that already appear on the service.
To my mind that is the one way to truly help Xbox. It will meet with a lot of push back, but it will ultimately be very beneficial to Xbox. Also, it works for Sony, so why could it not work for Xbox...?
Re: 'It Doesn't End With Gears & Clockwork' - Xbox Reporter Teases More Console Exclusives
That's exactly my point, @Sindayl. Microsoft playing nice is not going to help Xbox. They should have cancelled all pre-orders and they should have cancelled all intended ports. If they had done that, sure PlayStation gamers would have been in uproar, but since when should Microsoft worry about Sony? Their first concern should be Xbox and Xbox gamers.
Let's face it, if they had cancelled all upcoming PlayStation games then they would have had a killer line-up over the next 12 months; E-Day, Clockwork Revolution, Fable, Forza Horizon 6, and Halo: Combat Evolved. You are talking about a fantastic line-up there that will have tempted many people into buying an Xbox...
Re: Xbox Fans Go Wild As Asha Sharma Gives Free Consoles To Everyone At FanFest LA
I agree with most of what you say, @Millionski, but let's say that E-Day underperforms, it is not necessarily The Coalition that will bear the brunt of any cuts. Microsoft may seek to make cuts elsewhere and save The Coalition, but if they need to make cuts because the revenue was not made, the cuts they will make. Add to that cutting jobs at The Coalition would be a public admission that things have gone badly wrong with E-Day having been kept as an exclusive, so cutting elsewhere at another studio that is either underperforming, or close to the edge, would not be such a clear sign of the reasons why those cuts were being made. Basically closing The Coalition would be somewhat humiliating for Xbox, and rather than make the cuts there, they will make them somewhere else.
Honestly though, I would not be shocked to see E-Day on PlayStation in a couple of years, 3 at the latest. The game is all but ready for PlayStation, and if it does indeed underperform on Xbox and PC then Microsoft might seek to reverse the decision and make their money that way, which I think is the most sensible decision.
Unfortunately, I think that Sharma is listening to the loudest voices who are rejoicing and poking their tongues out at PlayStation gamers, without taking into account the genuine potential for harm that this could cause the franchise in the long run, and indeed the harm it could do to their beloved Xbox consoles.
What Microsoft should have done is removed every promised game from PlayStation, bar any that was already taking pre-orders (although they could have just cancelled those too). E-Day and Clockwork Revolution are not enough to save Xbox. E-Day, Clockwork Revolution, Fable, Forza Horizon 6, and Halo: Combat Evolved all within the next 12 months and you are talking about a fantastic line-up that will have tempted people in the droves to buy an Xbox. Microsoft playing nice is going to backfire because the only forthcoming game they have in the pipeline that could possibly be a system seller is Blade, but that is probably at least 2 years away. Microsoft can keep many of its smaller titles as exclusive, but people will not be buying an Xbox in order to play them, and that is precisely why E-Day was kept as an exclusive, to attract people into the ecosystem, but on its own that's an uphill battle...
Re: Gears Of War: E-Day Releases October 2026, And It's An Xbox Console Exclusive
I had to buy the PC version of the Halo Collector's Edition, @ILuvGames, and also buy it from Europe, so it cost me a fair bit more too. Still, I never open my Collector's Editions anyway, so it matters not that it is for PC really, I would just have preferred it to have been for the Xbox. You never know, Microsoft might make more Xbox versions available. Still, I thank you for alerting me to its existence because I didn't even realise there was one for Halo until you mentioned it.
It's been a a supremely expensive day for me because not only did I buy the Gears of War: E-Day Collector's Edition and the Halo: Combat Evolved Collector's Edition, but I also just bought the Fable Collector's Edition. Again, I did not realise it was available until just now, and so I ended up having to get it for the PS5. Damn, I've spent a lot today...
Re: 'It Doesn't End With Gears & Clockwork' - Xbox Reporter Teases More Console Exclusives
My thoughts exactly, @ILuvGames. People need to change their habits with Xbox. Yes, play all those wonderful third-party games via Game Pass but at least buy one of two of the first-party games. Things cannot continue as they currently are.
Nothing has changed with Xbox since the day the first one time exclusives began being ported to PlayStation. Indeed, the situation may have in fact deteriorated. Thus, as the saying goes, insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.
If we, as consumers carry on as before, and play all these exclusives via Game Pass, then we will be back to square one in a hurry, and next time the solutions may be even less palatable than just putting our first-party games on PlayStation...
Re: 'It Doesn't End With Gears & Clockwork' - Xbox Reporter Teases More Console Exclusives
Other than Blade what potential system sellers does Xbox have in the works, @Sindayl? Genuine question...
Re: Xbox Fans Go Wild As Asha Sharma Gives Free Consoles To Everyone At FanFest LA
What I want is not unreasonable, @Millionski, it just unobtainable.
Tell me though, if you are really happy with the way things are right now with E-Day being a console (and PC exclusive), and are celebrating the win, how will you feel if in a couple of years the job lay-offs begin, or The Coalition is shutdown, or indeed, Microsoft, having been unable to sustain Game Pass, fundamentally change it, or stop it altogether, or indeed, if Microsoft withdraw from the console space because they simply cannot make the numbers work in their favour? Will you still be celebrating the small wins then? If it transpires that keeping E-Day as a console exclusive is a massive mistake that really harms the franchise meaning that we never get another one, is the juice worth the squeeze then?
That is why I am against this, and not celebrating E-Day being a console exclusive. I honestly believe this could really harm Xbox long term because Microsoft do not have enough games coming through to grow the brand. Well, they kind of do right now, but all but 2 are still going to PlayStation, and what's to come after that? Blade and...? Any other system sellers you can think of...?
It's the long term consequences of these decisions that I am worrying about, and which so many seem utterly oblivious too...
Re: 'It Doesn't End With Gears & Clockwork' - Xbox Reporter Teases More Console Exclusives
Right, @MinervaX76, but if a version were built for Helix/PC, would the Series be able to run it or would a separate version be required? I was under the impression they would need two versions, but I may well be wrong...
Re: 21 Game Pass Titles Get New Announcements At The Xbox Showcase 2026
I agree, @FreasurePlanten. If every game were available on every platform, then it would just be a matter of picking your preferred platform and be done with it. It would save people such as myself a great deal of money because I always buy both the Xbox and PlayStation consoles despite primarily being an Xbox gamer.
Everything everywhere is likely going to happen at some point, it just might take another decade or two to happen. If one of the consoles makers drops out of the market, then I think that will hasten events. So if the plug is pulled on Helix 3 to 5 years after it first comes out, then I can see Sony making the PS7 as their own version of Helix, at which point everything will be available everywhere (other than Nintendo, who will always do their own thing)...
Re: 'It Doesn't End With Gears & Clockwork' - Xbox Reporter Teases More Console Exclusives
Whilst I understand your point about Helix being a PC, @MinervaX76, unless Microsoft release the Helix and immediately stop making versions of their games for the Series consoles (which they obviously won't) then they will still be building two versions of the games, albeit I imagine that the Series consoles are very PC like when it comes to development so the difference is probably minimal when it comes to the work required...
Re: Poll: How Would You Grade The Xbox Games Showcase 2026?
All we know for sure is that Sony sold 50% fewer consoles, but that they still sold and estimated 400 more consoles than Microsoft. The 12% increase for Xbox is an estimate (which may well be accurate), @HonestHick. We do not know, and indeed never know, when it comes to Microsoft because when things began to look bad for Microsoft they stopped giving us the facts and figures. Any increase in console sales is good, matey, but the truth is they need to add something like an extra 50 million console gamers if they want to truly compete with Sony, and they need to add that 50 million rapidly, like within the next 12 months rapidly, and we both know that ain't gonna happen!
As for E-Day, it does look amazing; I have bought both the Collector's Edition at a cost of £291, and the Premium Edition costing £90, today. Now I am just waiting on them announcing the Collector's controllers, because I'll be buying two of them as well (one Elite, and one Standard). I was chuffed that they made the CE for E-Day available in the UK this time, because I had to import my Gears 5 one from the US, and of course the game would not work over here.
I liked the look of most of the enemies. I was a little disappointed with what essentially looked like Juvies, when they should have been closer in design to Wretches. Also, you have to wonder whether there is a significant time jump in the game because the Chainsaw Lancer did not enter active service until about 3 years after E-Day. Obviously, it would not be a Gears of War game without the Chainsaw Lancer, so I knew they were going to include it, but in doing so they may well be messing with the lore. I did like the fact that they included Tai using a proper chainsaw, which is what Adam Fenix used as inspiration to make the Chainsaw Lancer. To us fans, such little easter eggs, are a there to put a smile on our faces.
Seeing some of the original enemies, including tickers and corpsers was awesome. I liked the added verticality because it never made sense that they could not climb upwards before (it never does in any game!).
The only other nit-pick I have is the inclusion of new weapons such as the grenade launcher. Why have it now, but not have it in later games? It kind of makes no sense because you would think such a weapon would be used by Gears in every game, but for some reason they just abandon it? Kind of makes no sense, if you think about it, but then I guess this is a reboot, so we just have to accept it.
One thing I will say though is that surely the only reason we have E-Day, and not Gears 6 is because Microsoft were going to put the game on PlayStation? So not getting 6 is even more annoying now that E-Day is not releasing on PlayStation (for now! 😉).
Still it'll be great to get into a new Horde mode. I was slightly disappointed that it was not mentioned, and I have no interest in a 12 player horde, so really hope that is not going to be the only option...
Re: Xbox Fans Question Marvel's Blade Absence From XGS 2026
I think Microsoft are right to concentrate on games that are releasing within the following 12 months. Obviously sometimes a game slips into a later time period, but I think trying to stick to that rule is the right thing to do.
As for Blade, we have only seen a cinematic for the game thus far, and it could well have been made just to announce the game (way too early, but hey ho), so the probabilities are that the game is at least another couple of years away yet. We might see something of it at next years June showcase, but equally, I would not be surprised if we don't.
The interesting thing is probably by then Microsoft will have a better understanding of how exclusivity is working out for them. If it is working, then Blade may well be an exclusive, if it is not working, then it probably won't be exclusive. The fact that it is a licensed game, may also factor into whether the game will be exclusive.
It'll be interesting to see how the game is handled by the time it releases, and it would interesting to know now whether Microsoft are still developing the PlayStation version in tandem with the Xbox one, because whilst they will probably hope that they would be able to keep it as an exclusive, the Xbox landscape may look very different in two years, and so keeping it exclusive may not be an option. I'm not sure whether they would rather develop both platforms versions at the same time, or delay the release of the Xbox version whilst they ready the PlayStation one. If they have stopped work on the PlayStation version, then that shows some confidence in Xbox right now. If they haven't, then the reverse is true.
I'd love to be a fly on the wall at Arkane... 😉
Re: 21 Game Pass Titles Get New Announcements At The Xbox Showcase 2026
I think that may have been badly worded, @FreasurePlanten. What I meant was that if people really want Microsoft to bring all their games back as exclusive, then I don't think they can continue business as usual and expect a different result.
In other words, there was a reason that Microsoft went multiplatform in the first place, and that was down to games not making enough money on Game Pass, Xbox, and PC as it was. Nothing about that has changed. And nothing about that will change unless either we, as the consumer do things differently, or Microsoft force us into doing things differently.
I totally agree that the onus is on Microsoft, but I would have been much happier if Microsoft had chosen to put E-Day on PlayStation (because it is essentially a Live Service game), or if they had done the same as they did with CoD, and said E-Day would not be going on Game Pass day one. Not putting it on Game Pass would have forced people to behave differently. They would have had to buy the game.
As they say, insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Nothing about Xbox has changed in these past two years; Game Pass still exists, first-part content still goes on Game Pass day one, people tend to play the games via Game Pass rather than buying the games. So as nothing has changed, how can we possibly expect a different outcome?
What I was trying to get at with my original comment was that if people really want things to change, and if Microsoft don't make the necessary changes themselves, then perhaps we need to change what we do ourselves to ensure a bright future for Xbox. Clearly it is not incumbent on us to change, but if we do then things can only improve...
Re: Xbox Fans Go Wild As Asha Sharma Gives Free Consoles To Everyone At FanFest LA
They need to double, or better still, triple the number of people that own an Xbox console in this generation or the next, @Millionski. It is a simple question of mathematics, there are simply not enough people that own an Xbox to support big, expensive, high quality AAA games.
Too many people play games via Game Pass, which funnels too little money back to the studios. If you have your Game Pass subscription stacked (having probably done so via some crafty way of getting it cheaply), and then play the likes of E-Day that way, what extra money is the studio getting for their game?
If you managed to stack Game Pass for a year for the same price as one AAA first-party game, and then play two or more such games via the Service, Microsoft are essentially losing out on half the money that they could have made had you bought both games.
If it were possible for Microsoft to add 50 million Xbox owners over the course of then next 12 months or so, I'd be delighted, but that is roughly how many they need to add, and we both know they are highly unlikely to be able to do that within the next decade let alone 12 months.
There are three reasons why Sony can afford to keep games exclusive, first their first-party games do not go on their subscription service, and secondly, that means that if you want to play the game, you have no option but to buy it. Thirdly, they have roughly 3 times the number of gamers than Xbox has.
Conversely, Microsoft put the games on Game Pass, which means that far fewer people buy their first-party games, and they have a third of the number of people gaming on their systems too, which obviously means fewer people to buy the games.
If you put it in simple numbers; a game costing £70 bought by 10% of PlayStation gamers is going to raise £630 million. If 10% of Xbox gamers were to do the same then the game would raise £210 million, which is massively less, but then you have to factor in that the vast majority of Xbox gamers will play the game via Game Pass, which will then drastically reduce that £210 million, probably taking it to well under £100 million, maybe hugely under that!
So I'd like some certainty that this move is not going to end up backfiring with job loses, studio closures, and franchise cancellations. I love to see Xbox grow by 50 million console owners over the next 12 months, and I would be very happy if Microsoft decided to no longer put their first-party games on Game Pass day one in the future, because I believe this massively harms the revenue income that first-party games bring in...
Re: Matt Booty Explains Xbox's Plans For Exclusive Games Going Forward
I agree, @DetJayT, but Booty could also have said that if that is what they are thinking. That at least would have made some sense.
Personally, and I have said this before, I think it needs to be all or nothing when it comes to exclusives. I would have taken the hit and been seen as the bad guy and just cancelled every PlayStation port.
I would have stood their and said as the new boss of Xbox, I am changing some of the decisions that the former boss made. Yes, it would have been unpopular with PlayStation gamers, but so what! Microsoft should be concerned with growing Xbox, not keeping PlayStation gamers happy.
It would have meant that people who wanted to play Halo or Forza Horizon 6 or Fable, would have had to buy an Xbox, and surely Halo Combat Evolved, FH6, Fable, State of Decay 3, Clockwork Revolution and E-Day all within a 12 month period are very strong reasons to buy an Xbox console, whereas just E-Day and Clockwork Revolution are probably not. E-Day, maybe to some extent, but on it's own it's not enough, and whilst this particular line-up is impressively strong, this is not your typical library of releases. Usually it is one or two big releases a year, not 6 or 7. Microsoft should have just taken the criticism from PlayStation gamers, and made everything exclusive (outside Call of Duty which they are legally obliged to keep multiplatform)...
Re: 21 Game Pass Titles Get New Announcements At The Xbox Showcase 2026
I agree with everything you say, @fatpunkslim (except for Game Pass being profitable, because I am not convinced of that, and I believe it is only cleverly worded statements that give that impression, but let's not get into that).
The simple fact is that the base game costs £70. That means it takes 5 people joining Game Pass for one month in order to play the game to equate to one purchase.
You are right to say that not every one is like you and I; by way of example, I have bought the Collector's Edition of E-Day at a cost of £291 today, and also the Premium Edition at a further cost of £90 because I do not want to unseal my Collector's Edition, so I'd be shocked if people are like me, but then I am a huge Gears of War fan.
However, the truth is that most people will play the game via Game Pass, which is all well and good, but the further truth is that most of us have stacked Game Pass for months or years, and so even if 5 million of us play the game via Game Pass, that does not mean that the game is received money from the majority of us because we paid our fees quite some time ago.
Let's face it, why do we subscribe to Game Pass? The answer is twofold, first (and annoyingly!) you need it to play online, but secondly, and for the main part, we subscribed because it offers us great value. It is a cheaper way to play a lot of games. The very fact that it is cheaper goes to show that not every game is going to receive the same funds they would have had we bought their games and played them that way.
Personally, I can see Microsoft using E-Day as a test; first they will want to see how many buy new Xbox consoles, and how many more subscribe to Game Pass (and crucially stick around for more than a month). If the game does not perform as well as they think it could have had it also released on PlayStation then they may use it as a reason to do one of two things; one, revert to releasing all first-party games on PlayStation, or two, no longer putting the big first-party games on Game Pass day one.
I know people want to celebrate Xbox seemingly returning to exclusives, but we do not yet know what they long-term effects will be. It could all turn out swimmingly, and Xbox could grow from 30-35 million Series owners to considerably more, going from strength to strength. However, there is also the possibility of job loses, studio closures, franchise cancellations, return to multiplatform, fundamental changes to Game Pass, and so on. We simply do not know what will happen in the future, and how things will turn out in the end. We can only hope for the best.
I'm doing my part by doing what I always do, by buying first-party content rather than playing it via my Ultimate subscription. We can only hope that more people see this as an opportunity to support Xbox and do the same, rather than just playing it via Game Pass and affording Microsoft no additional money in the process. People that game on Xbox do need to change their habits, truth be told, because the only reason that Microsoft began putting their games on PlayStation is because they were not getting enough revenue on Xbox and PC alone. Nothing about that has changed in the past couple of years, so unless people change how they go about playing first-party titles, we will be back to square one within a year or two...
Re: Matt Booty Explains Xbox's Plans For Exclusive Games Going Forward
What Booty has said makes ZERO sense!
Gears of War is essentially a Live Service game with a polished campaign attached. Future support for the game will be more and more maps added to the game to support the multiplayer, and if we are lucky, we may get a story expansion of sorts as we did with Hivebusters but whilst they ALWAYS add more multiplayer maps, characters, skins, etc. they do not always add more campaign DLC (they didn't with GoW4 for example).
So why is E-Day not multiplatform, because it is essentially a multiplayer game?
In the same breath, why is State of Decay 3 going multiplatform, when the first two games have never been outside console and PC?
Personally, I think they have made E-Day exclusive to appease the fans, even though it could be highly detromental to the franchise. It would have made far more sense to put E-Day on PlayStation, and keep State of Decay 3 as a console exclusive, than the decision they have made. After all, until yesterday, State of Decay 3 had never been announced for PlayStation either, so going by his "games announced for PlayStation will be honoured" comment then State of Decay 3 would have been okay to keep as an exclusive.
So, it's business as usual as the mixed messaging continues...
Re: Gears Of War: E-Day Releases October 2026, And It's An Xbox Console Exclusive
I've just managed to grab the E-Day one, @ILuvGames, thanks to your message here. When I went to bed last night (it's 8 a.m. here right now) it wasn't available to order, but it is now. If not for your message, I might have missed it. £291 though for me, which is probably the most expensive Collector's Edition I have ever bought. Anyway, thank you for the heads up. Now to find the Halo one... 😂
Re: Poll: How Would You Grade The Xbox Games Showcase 2026?
I failed to mention it @HonestHick because it is pretty meaningless with out the base figure. If the Series X was sold 100 consoles the prior month, is 112 consoles the following month that much more impressive? Without knowing what we are adding 12% too, the fact it has increased by that figure is barely worth mentioning, albeit it has moved 12% more. We know Xbox console sales have been so bad that Xbox has not told os how many have been sold for many years now. Truth is, if it went from 1000 to 1200, is that so much better?
Re: Xbox Fans Go Wild As Asha Sharma Gives Free Consoles To Everyone At FanFest LA
That's exactly my point, @RegnumSolipsi. Why give someone that already owns an Xbox an Xbox other than for it making for great PR...?
Re: Poll: How Would You Grade The Xbox Games Showcase 2026?
I just said the same thing, @Weebleman. When the numbers don't add up, the likelihood is that they will bung E-Day on PlayStation where it will probably do reasonably well. Problem with that is if they had released it day and date on PlayStation, it would have done very well rather than reasonably well. You have to question the wisdom to listening to your fans who do not have the financial answers that the likes of Sharma has. You have to wonder what loses are acceptable to Xbox, and what the consequences of them will be...
Re: Poll: How Would You Grade The Xbox Games Showcase 2026?
I totally get what you are saying, @awp69. The problem is, how many more consoles and subscriptions are these two games going to shift? If it was these two games, Forza Horizon 6, State of Decay, Fable, Senua etc. then suddenly you have a lot of reasons to own an Xbox, and all in a very short span of time, which is precisely what Xbox needs.
And what happens next? E-Day and Clockwork result in a few thousand more consoles sold, and a few thousand more subscriptions, but will that be worth then saying other games will be made exclusive?
When Fable is a roaring success on PlayStation, will they then decide to keep the sequel as an exclusive, or will they use the excuse that as the first game is on PlayStation, we cannot keep the sequel from them?
If Microsoft go down that path, what games are there that Xbox could keep as exclusives? Not Doom, not Indian Jones 2, not Fallout, not Halo, not Forza Horizon, etc. etc. etc. The point being, if you have put all your big games on PlayStation, and then take the stance (as they have with Doom, for example) that any franchises that have previously been on PlayStation will continue to be on PlayStation, what big franchises does Xbox have left that they can claim as an exclusive?
There are not any big ones whatsoever, and in fairness, Clockwork is not exactly a big one either.
It just seems to me they are going to use E-Day to test the waters, when on its own it cannot achieve the numbers that Xbox needs. It literally needs to be everything except the likes of Call of Duty which they are legally obliged to put on PlayStation and Nintendo.
It seems to me that E-Day is being hung out to dry. I can see Sharma speaking to the Xbox community in a couple of years saying that exclusivity is not working for Xbox, and that they will fully embrace PlayStation once more. The problem with that is what damage is done to The Coalition in the mean time? Will there be job loses because the game fails to make back its development costs? Or will they just drop a bombshell in 2 years time and announce E-Day for PlayStation, which will be an admission that exclusivity has failed?
The thing is, I think with enough will, and an acceptance of loses in the short term, keeping all games as an exclusive can potentially pay off. Doing it piecemeal will only see the harm and not the benefits...
Re: Senua Brings A 'Different Kind' Of Hellblade Game To Xbox Game Pass In 2027
I'm here for a third game, particularly if it is more action orientated...
Re: Xbox Fans Go Wild As Asha Sharma Gives Free Consoles To Everyone At FanFest LA
She would have got a rapturous reception had she walked into Sony showcase and given the consoles away, @Kaloudz! She really had no reason to do it here because the probabilities were that every one of the people present already owned an Xbox! That is why they were there, after all. I'm not saying it does not look good, and that the people are not happy, but Microsoft literally had no reason to do this other than good PR. Sharma has proven that she knows what she is doing when it comes to this type of thing, but do not be fooled into thinking this was done as an act of kindness. The optics are good for Xbox, so it is good for Xbox. That is how PR works...
Re: Gears Of War: E-Day Releases October 2026, And It's An Xbox Console Exclusive
It's only the right move if you have a lot of exclusive content, @Darylb88. Two games will not move the dial. Not in the slightest. The only thing it could do is lead to job losses, studio closures, and no further games in the franchise. The chances of either of these games making back their development costs whilst exclusive to Xbox and PC is minimal. E-day is available to pre-order on Steam too, which will possibly help the game itself, but that does not help Xbox in terms of consoles. If the only thing that saves E-Day is Steam sales, then what's the point in it being called an Xbox exclusive...
Re: Gears Of War: E-Day Releases October 2026, And It's An Xbox Console Exclusive
The game is available to pre-order on Steam too and you can get a Steam version of the Collector's Edition, @anoyonmus...
Re: Poll: How Would You Grade The Xbox Games Showcase 2026?
Absolutely, @Weebleman. I was devastated (and I mean that) when they announced E-Day as an exclusive, and when the only other game was Clockwork Revolution, and not even State of Decay 3, I just could not understand the thinking. It was like she caved into the loudest voices, completely ignoring common sense in the process...
Re: Xbox Fans Go Wild As Asha Sharma Gives Free Consoles To Everyone At FanFest LA
I guess the thinking is we can grow our Xbox community if we literally give away the consoles, @RegnumSolipsi. It might actually work... 😂
Re: Xbox Fans Go Wild As Asha Sharma Gives Free Consoles To Everyone At FanFest LA
I've said it many times now, @Kaloudz, Sharma knows how to PR...
Re: 21 Game Pass Titles Get New Announcements At The Xbox Showcase 2026
I mean, it's great for us gamers, but as most of us have Game Pass stacked years in advance, it literally means that we can play all of these games without giving Microsoft another penny (until we need to renew our subscriptions, which could be a couple of years off yet).
Honestly, I think Game Pass is great for us gamers, but it is a terrible thing for Microsoft's business model...
Re: Poll: How Would You Grade The Xbox Games Showcase 2026?
I agree entirely with what you are saying, @awp69, but the two games announced as exclusives will not move the dial for Xbox.
And therein lies the problem; in reality, every game that can be exclusive to Xbox should be exclusive, and straight away, not phased in over the next few years. But we all know that means Microsoft losing money for several years to come on any game they make exclusive. It will probably take a decade of great exclusives to put Xbox closer to PlayStation in terms of Xbox console owners, and there is simply no way that Microsoft will accept loses for that long.
So where does that leave us? Games that fail to make the required revenue leading to studio closures and job cuts? Cancelled games, including sequels to the likes of E-Day?
There is no doubt that a strong portfolio of exclusives can entice people into your ecosystem, but just two games is just a token gesture to appease a set number of rabid voices who have not thought of the long term consequences of failure. Xbox needs way more big exclusives, and they need them in a hurry. They had the chance to keep State of Decay 3 as an exclusive, a game that has never been on PlayStation, but then announce it as going there today. Where is the common sense in that?
I would have been even more aggressive if I were Sharma, and I would have pulled Forza 6 and Fable too. I would have told the PlayStation gamers that as the new boss, I was changing some of the decisions that the former boss had made. It would have been unpopular with the PlayStation gamers, but so what? You are trying to build Xbox up, not keep PlayStation gamers happy.
Honestly, this token effort is going to backfire. All or nothing, and I would have preferred nothing, truth be told, because at least in putting E-Day on PlayStation you were assured healthy sales and the potential for a sequel. Now we are at risk of E-Day being the swansong for the franchise...
Re: Xbox Confirms Its Two New Console Exclusives Are Not 'Timed'
Agreed, @Ooccoo_Jr. Same is true of State of Decay 3, the franchise has never been on PlayStation. Never been previously announced for PlayStation. And yet they put that game on there. Why stop at E-Day and Clockwork Revolution? Why not SoD3 as well?
And in all honesty, Sharma could have stood front and centre today and said as she is the new boss, she is going to reverse some of the previous decisions, and that Fable and Forza 6 will now be exclusive to Xbox. She could have simply said, if you want to play them, buy an Xbox.
Confusing madness, if you ask me.
Re: Xbox Confirms Its Two New Console Exclusives Are Not 'Timed'
What I would love is some transparency from Xbox (which we know we will not get). I would love them to be honest with us when it comes to telling us how many copies E-Day sells, how many more consoles are sold, and how many more people take out new Game Pass subscriptions. I would like to know how much the game cost to make, and how much money the game brings in as a console exclusive.
Basically, I would like Microsoft to prove to us that this is a plan worth following, because I am not convinced it is.
I will be mightily peeved if The Coalition faces job cuts or closure, and we never get another Gears of War simply because the game does not do the required numbers...
Re: Xbox Games Showcase 2026: Date, Start Times, What To Expect & More
The fact is that exclusives sell platforms, @Sol4ris. There really is no way of getting away from that.
In an ideal world, we would all just choose our platform and be able to play everything. No exceptions. However, we live in a far from ideal world. If we were all starting on a level playing field, the it might be different, just as would be the case were Sony minded to share their first-party content. However, not only are Sony minded to keep their exclusives to themselves, but they start out with something like 3 times the number of gamers too. That last part makes a huge difference as well because whilst if Microsoft did not put their games on Game Pass day one, they would need something in the order of 8-10% of Xbox gamers to buy a game day one (i.e: at full price) to make back 200 million in developmental costs, Sony only need 3%-4% of their gamers to buy a game to get to the same point. That really is a massive difference, and is much more easily achieved by Sony that it is for Microsoft, and that's before you factor in Game Pass.
As an example, I stacked my Ultimate Game Pass subscription 2 years ago for 3 years, so if I play E-Day via Game Pass when it releases in a couple of months time, Microsoft literally get nothing from me, and that stands to be true for every Xbox gamer that plays via Game Pass that has already been stacked.
For Microsoft to stand a chance of E-Day making back its development costs, they need a huge surge in the number of people buying new Xbox consoles, and people taking out brand new subscriptions, which is highly unlikely to happen. There will be a spike, I'm sure, but not in the numbers Microsoft need. They probably need to shift a good 10-20 million new consoles, and the same number of new Game Pass subscriptions, neither of which is going to happen.
Honestly, the risks associated with having any big game exclusive to Xbox are probably not worth taking. Any and every studio is at risk of closure if their IP is seen as not performing, and if Microsoft try going down the path of timed-exclusives then it is all but pointless because PlayStation gamers will just wait for the game to arrive on their consoles, or ignore it when it does arrive, which in either event will just cost Microsoft money.
As I keep saying, there is a reason why Microsoft began putting their games on PlayStation, and nothing has changed for the better since they did so, indeed, I would argue that things have got worse for Xbox because many gamers have abandoned the platform and gone to PlayStation. In other words, there are fewer Xbox gamers now than there were when the first began porting their games...
Re: Xbox Games Showcase 2026: Date, Start Times, What To Expect & More
That's interesting, @ZeD. I wonder if that gas now changed...?
Honestly, as a massive Gears fan, I don't want to take the risk that it brings exclusive poses...
Re: Xbox Games Showcase 2026: Date, Start Times, What To Expect & More
I entirely agree with you, @Weebleman. I honestly fear that this is a case of trukeys voting for Christmas, and could well be a move that we come to regret, one which it will be too late to put right once the dust has settled.
As for the PlayStation port, that is my thinking, I believe that Sharma will tell us it's exclusive, but leave some wriggle room so that she can walk back on it at a later point if sales of the game do not meet expectations (which I highly doubt they will, not because it won't be a good game, but people on Xbox, on the whole, play first-party content via Game Pass, and that in no way compensates for a lost sale).
If she is honest, and announces it as a timed-exclusive, then unless she tells us it is 3 years or more, then doing so is utterly pointless because PlayStation gamers will just wait for the game.
If she is not honest, and does not tell us that it is timed, and then in 6 months it is announced for PlayStation, then mob mentality will set in and they'll be calling for her head.
If The Coalition suffers job loses, or worse still, is closed down, then people will definitely call for her head, and rightly so, in my opinion, because we could have told her that the game will not sell well enough to make back its development costs so long as the game goes on Game Pass day one.
And that there, is the only other path open to her, in my estimations; do not put the game on Game Pass day one. Prove to Xbox gamers once and for all that if they want first-party games to succeed as exclusives on Xbox that there is only one way to do that, and that is by no longer putting them on Game Pass day one. But of course they won't do that because Game Pass Ultimate subscriptions will tank, and they'll be an outcry from the community.
Of course if they do pull the game from Game Pass, then this move means this could prove to be a costly disaster for the Gears of War franchise...
Re: Xbox Games Showcase 2026: Date, Start Times, What To Expect & More
As a massive Gears of War fan, I am hoping that we not only see a strong showing for Gears of War: E-Day but also a reveal of Gears Tactics 2, and maybe even Gears of War 2: Reloaded.
I would also love to see a new Gears of War: E-Day Collector's controller, and if they show it I'll be buying both the Elite and Standard versions.
Also, I am hoping that we see a Gears of War: E-Day Collector's Edition, with a stylish model of some description. My only hope is that they release it in the UK this time, because they did not do so with Gears 5, and so I have to import it from America, which just adds to the costs (plus the game does not work over here anyway!).
A strong showing for E-Day will make my wallet bleed, but it will be well worth it...
Re: Xbox Games Showcase 2026: Date, Start Times, What To Expect & More
It would be big news indeed, @Weebleman & @ILuvGames, if E-Day has been pulled from PlayStation, but it leaves me massively concerned.
If E-Day cost 200 million to make, then before taxes it would need to be bought by between 5% and 10% of those that game on an Xbox. That's buy not be played via Game Pass which brings in a fraction of the revenue a unit sold does.
So, whilst many will be celebrating the fact that it is an exclusive, what they could be celebrating is the arrival of the very last Gears of War game that we ever get if it does not sell well enough. Any game that is exclusive to Xbox faces the very real risk of job loses at the studio, franchises being cancelled or indeed studio closures.
Honestly, having the game as an exclusive could be the worst thing to happen as a Gears of War fan...
Re: Xbox Games Showcase 2026: Date, Start Times, What To Expect & More
As stoked as I am to see E-Day, @ILuvGames, and I really am, I think they will have to show something truly epic to beat what was shown last night in the form of Exodus. Obviously they are in no way similar, but if E-Day wants to be seen as the best game reveal of the June showcases, then they have a very high standard to beat...
Re: Xbox Games Showcase 2026: Date, Start Times, What To Expect & More
I don't think Fable will be at this showcase, @Millionski. They will probably save it for the showcase in August after having delayed it to next year. It would seem a little pointless to me showing it now when we know it will be a long wait for the game to arrive...
Re: Roundup: All The Xbox Reveals From The Future Games Show 'Summer Showcase' 2026
Without a shadow of doubt, EXODUS was the strongest game to be shown in any of the showcases thus far @KITG_Group_BrunoB & @Jenkinss. Indeed, I was slightly confused whilst watching it because I thought the game was actually The Expanse: Osiris Reborn because that game is being described as very much like Mass Effect, but it you ask me EXODUS is the game that will scratch that Mass Effect itch (which I happen to be scratching right now by replaying the Legendary Edition).
A very strong showing for EXODUS, and it has moved right up my to buy list, and I really am excited for it. Indeed, I would go so far as to say that this is now my most anticipated game (other than perhaps E-Day...
Re: Roundup: All The Xbox Reveals From The Future Games Show 'Summer Showcase' 2026
I watched the whole thing, and much preferred the overall presentation to Geoff's show. That said, there were actually fewer games I was interested in whilst watching FGS.
Those that did interest me were:
Arizona Sunshine
Gothic 1 Remake - my Collector's Edition actually arrived earlier last week.
Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced - I really liked the look of the game. It looks much better than I fear it would.
The Sinking City 2
THE LIFT: Supernatural Handyman Simulator
Mistfall Hunter (providing that it offers a satisfying single-player experience).
Clive Barker's Hellraiser: Revival
Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis - I already have the Collector's Edition pre-ordered.
EXODUS, which looked utterly fantastic. Easily the best game shown thus far this June.
Of the games I did like, I thought the quality looked particularly high...
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (June 6-7)
No chance of a shadow drop for such a big game, @Skinny-Pete. It'll be either late August or maybe mid-September for E-Day...
Re: Roundup: All The Xbox Reveals From Day Of The Devs 2026
I'm grateful for all you do for us, @FraserG. I hope you get paid overtime...! 😂
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (June 6-7)
Maybe, @Elbow, but last year was the year of Expedition 33 so even if nominated, it would not have won, but it would have been good to see it at least in the mix.
I loved Cronos so much, that I went straight through it again on the hardest difficulty, earned every achievement, and then bought the PS5 version. I have not yet started it again, but I will do within the next few months.
Glad you are enjoying it...
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (June 6-7)
Yes, I know what you mean, @Skinny-Pete. As a straight guy, it felt a little weird to me that Kaiden has the hots for my character at the moment in ME2. I had to turn him down because my heart is set on Liara... 😂
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (June 6-7)
Absolutely, @Sol4ris. Veilguard was another game that was treated harshly. I pre-ordered the game and loved it, and found the transgender issues thought provoking. Too many closed minds, unfortunately, and too many sheep...
Re: Roundup: All The Xbox Reveals From Day Of The Devs 2026
Did you stay up to watch it, @FraserG?
I was falling asleep towards the end of Geoff's showcase, and despite wanting to stay up for Day of the Devs decided to go to bed instead.
That said, the only game in that list that holds any interest for me is Trine 6, but I still haven't played 4 and 5 yet despite owning them...