@Cakefish Same, I'm over the hill, slow reflexes, original was too challenging for me. I highly doubt I'll play Silksong much, but glad it's on GPU so I can give it a try & not waste money buying it.
@xxk7xx Yeah, I can't see how this ends well for the unionization effort. These workers are like between a rock & a hard place. It is too easy to outsource to somewhere else with a lower cost of labour and with the pace of AI progress, I would be very worried...
Teammates, colleagues & friends have essentially no value other than to pump up CEO wealth. Keep fuelling the ever widening pay gap.
In the old days, you could understand job cuts if a company had hit on hard times. Now companies rake in Billions in profits & cut people without any regard to doing things with loyalty... retrain, reassign to other areas of job growth, reduce head count due to normal attrition, offer early retirement packages, hiring freeze, etc.
Now it is just buh, bye! Need to pump up the CEO bonus...
I don't even know why anyone would pre-order a game now. You pay top price (wait a few months) & you get to do free QA for the company (wait for the bugs to get sorted out).
There are already so many good games to play & people must have huge backlogs, go play something else for a few months. Price is guaranteed to drop even if this comes in at $70 instead of $80
I literally watched a Youtube video yesterday on the rise of piracy... I try to be a good sheep & buy legal content... BUT I am being punished for not sailing the seas...
To be honest I know that I actually didn't "Buy"/"Purchase" any Movies as it is really a license that can be revoked at any time, however my expectation was that the main risk is the company I bought the license from going bankrupt, which I just could not see Microsoft doing. Well obviously after no longer selling new content, there is going to reach a point where it doesn't make sense for Microsoft to keep the servers.
Kinda frustrating I built so much content (Movies & TV shows) & basically it is only a matter if time until I lose all the content due to Microsoft greed.
Starfield is the posterchild of why Game Pass has value, boring game, saved me wasting money buying it.
As I recall Starfield was the reason Microsoft bought Zenimax/Bethesda for $7.5Billion as they were scared Sony would get an exclusive on Starfield, so they bought the developer to prevent that. Starfield definitely does not live up to the hype/expectations.
The beauty of the Series S|X is it's a dying console generation. Lots of great deals in the used market. I picked up a used Seagate 1TB drive for like 1/3 current new retail price. Definitely not worth the new price given no moving parts, used is just as good as new. Although lots of people literally high on the prices they asking for used Series hardware, the rush for the door is accelerating. Quite frankly I don't mind... I like value & Microsoft still doesn't know what it is doing... Microsoft rewards is so broken, still easy to earn free GPU every month.
Definitely not. I have an Asus ROG Ally Z1 extreme, I always thought it was a niche product. Got it free with an ASUS laptop & I find that it really is a product that does not have a clear lane to exist.
If I am at home I would rather game on the Xbox Series S or X connected to a big screen. If I'm on the go, the Ally is too big to say fit in a pocket, so I have to bring a backpack. If I have a backpack, then I might as well bring the laptop & a controller as I would prefer to game on the bigger laptop screen.
So in conclusion at home, console wins. If I had a gaming PC, I would say gaming PC would also win. And if I am on the go, laptop form factor wins.
Now if you don't have a home console or laptop, then I guess you could argue for its existence with a dock to connect to a bigger screen for home use, and portable for use on the go...
I'm too old to overpay for this stuff... I'm not paying extra for scalped: electronics, shoes, concert tickets, sports tickets, etc... I'm just playing video games in winter & fishing in the summer... The only reason things like a boxed toy figure or video game or comic book can be with fortunes is because they are rare, no one thought they would be collectible so were used, abused & disposed of, now everything is a collectible & thus can't really be that rare & unique if there are tons of copies of the stuff in existence & saved like they are a precious museum piece.
@VeganHerpes Similar, it is May 17 & I have earned almost 10,000 points so far this month & for sure will get over 15,000 this month with another 14 days left to the month. 12,000 points for GPU, means I earn enough points for GPU every month.
Now some may say the grind is not worth it or do something else with your time to earn money as earning points is less than minimum wage... sure fair enough if you find grinding out the points annoying, each to their own.. but in my books it is easier than ever to earn points. I literally earn all my points having breakfast. I don't know how efficient you guys are with your breakfast or if you can monetize that time (ie. earn money while having breakfast), but it is not that annoying to me to pump out some searches while waiting for water to boil & cook food (soft boiled eggs or oatmeal) or eat cereal (how fast do you chew/swallow, slow down... taste the food...). I'm up before everyone else in the house, so it is not like I have anyone else to say do something else with my time, eg. have a conversation etc. And now you literally don't need to play games as you don't need to earn achievements, just launch a game & let it sit.
The only points thing I don't bother doing is play jewel as you actually need to play it & complete a level
Xbox Series has been outstanding value!!! Nothing comes close!!! Sure Xbox Series are now obviously the betamax and losing market share to the VHS is going to accelerate, but that does not change the fact that owning both a Series S (got free with retail chain store points as PS5 too popular & impossible to get) & Series X (bought used) has been incredible value: -Years of games with Gold conversion to Game Pass Ultimate -Easier than ever rewards points farming that still earns a free GPU monthly subscription each month for minimal effort. I am basically done collecting daily rewards points during breakfast even if I am busy as you don't even need to play games anymore (eg. previously you actually needed to earn achievements by playing games, now you just launch the game)... Launch game on console, launch on PC & let them sit till rewards pops & do the searches while I eat breakfast...
@M20B25 Well as stated the digital Ultima III (actually Ultima's 1 -IX) are not gone, they are in my GOG library & playable. My floppy discs are unplayable to me. So where is the real value?
edit: OK I did a ebay search... apparently my boxed floppies might be worth hundreds (I would be shocked...), but who knows if there are any transactions at those ask prices? All I can say is I wouldn't pay hundreds of dollars for the floppies & then still need the digital version to play the game... which is where we are at with current physical discs.
I honestly don't see what all the physical complaining is about, if you want a complete game on disc it's going to be buggy. That ship of physical game preservation has basically sailed.
In the old days, game devs had to make sure the shipped product was the final product since issuing patches was going to be cost prohibitive (sending out new cartridges, floppy discs, optical discs...).
Now that you have digital delivery, you can keep patching at basically no cost. So pressure to get games out means, games are basically "good enough" from the developers point of view, they ship, fully knowing they are going to be multiple post launch patches. I'm not saying that I support launching buggy games, but that's the way it is now. If you own physical, you're still going to need the patches, so preserving what is on disc doesn't make much sense.
Heck the first game I really played day in day out was Ultima III. I still have the original floppy discs, but even though I have the physical discs after almost 40yrs later the physical discs are still unplayable since I don't own any hardware to play them. So even though I have physical floppy discs that's are fully playable I still had to purchase digital versions & rely on GOG digital game preservation if I want to play Ultima III.
@FatGuyInLilCoat Honestly if you're on chapter 7 & you already find it stale.... let me save you from unnecessary frustration, stop playing South of Midnight & move on to Clair Obscure!!! Combat in SOM is too repetitive it is a chore! I finished SOM, mainly because I felt I got so far into the game I needed to finish it.... don't bother you're not missing anything special.
I feel like I want to complain about price increases, but honestly with all the boneheaded marketing Microsoft has done (Game Pass Gold to Game Pass Ultimate conversion for $1... then beneficial Core to GPU conversions) they probably need to increase prices for all the cheap GPU people have been enjoying.
@TheGameThrifter I don't know if it is marketing rights, but it makes sense either way. PS5 outsells Series consoles at least 2 to 1, then of that "1" there is another at least 2 Series S to 1 Series X sales. I will go out on limb and say on the Series S GTA6 is not going to look like the trailer... So it makes sense to promote PS5.
At this point we just need to recognize Series sales are playing second fiddle...
Dredge was given away free on Epic Games the past Christmas Eve. It does have good reviews, but I'm not playing this on game pass. Too many other games to try to keep up with. I'm tackling Clair Obscure now & Oblivion is next. I'll play Dredge when I don't subscribe to game pass ultimate any more
Well as I recall from Activision takeover, Phil said something to the effect of... If Microsoft sells a game on PS5, Sony takes a 30% cut for basically doing nothing. Then uses that revenue to compete fiercely against Microsoft. Of course the real goal is to get 100% of your own game sales on your platform, plus 30% of everything else that sells on your platform, but if your platform lost the console race... Then let's face it, bragging about game sales success on PS5 is really about making lemonade from lemons.
Next gen xbox better be a PC, because I can't see how a console gamer will choose the next xbox console over PS6, when it's obvious the choice is either PS6 or PC to get the best/most games.
@Cakefish Game started off great for me, but likewise completely agree that combat was very repetitive, it is like each checkpoint you get to you need to do the same combat x3 + limited variety of enemies. I finished the game, mostly because I had got far enough that I wanted to see the end, but getting there was a chore.
There is no way I am ever playing this game again. Zero replayability.
If the next-Box (or PS6) is not functionally a PC, I'm done with dedicated gaming consoles. We are seeing the tip of the price hikes, just wait for the next gen. I bet it will be eye watering!
With all the power, it will be absurd if next gen are only good for gaming. If it is not a multi-bladed tool, I'm done with consoles. Time to go full PC gaming. PC game pass is cheaper & acquiring games/keys is cheaper.
At this rate of console price inflation, I can't see myself going for the next gen xbox console, especially if it is a device primarily for gaming. PC game pass is cheaper and I need a PC/laptop, might as well spend a little more & up the gaming capabilities...
Perfect timing for a new game drop!! I just finished South of Midnight yesterday, quite frankly I didn't want to finish that game, but felt I got far enough into it that I needed to finish it, the repetitive combat throughout the game really got annoying & also the game was too linear/little exploration.
I'm up to chapter 6, it's OK for me. Enjoyed it more at the start, but the novelty is already wearing thin... I will probably finish it, but definitely cannot ever see myself replaying this. Sure, original story, music... But playing doesn't feel very rewarding, defined path, combat is very repetitive, same creatures
Logically you go Roman numeral like the Superbowl, then you know what is the latest and greatest version & you get to use more X's without it seeming like an adult only console. 😁
Then if you want more clarity or confusion, depending on your point of view, add extra letters for different versions... Xbox XXV series H = handheld Xbox XXVII series X|S Obviously like the Superbowl you don't actually say X X V I I, you say Xbox 27 series X|S 😁
@Rog-X Yes correct, I have Ally not Ally X. Googling direct from ASUS website they state Ally X battery life for AAA gaming on the X is double the previous generation at 2.7 hrs. That is certainly more reasonable than the max 1.5hrs I would see, but I still see this as a niche product. And yes I could also carry a big powerbank as a simple solution to battery life issues, but this is still not a portable gaming device (won't fit into any of my pockets...), it is luggable, I still need a backpack to carry it, but then I might as well game on my laptop's larger screen.
I could see AI being quite useful in gaming! For example, recently with Avowed, even though I had some of the treasure maps, I still needed to google/youtube to help me out. Or if I'm missing just a couple of the totem pieces, same thing, I'm googling for the missing piece, just asking AI for help would be easier... Sure maybe I should just play the game without the extra help, but then again, people are posting how to find/do things because people want the help... You know, let me the player decide, how much frustration I want to deal with & I decide when & how much help I want.
I have a ROG Ally. I was not convinced on the utility of the device, but it was offered free with the purchase of an Asus laptop. It is kinda exactly as I expected, niche product...
If it is supposed to be for portable on the go gaming, it really doesn't serve that purpose. After all it is too big to put in your pocket. You need to have a backpack to bring it along, in which case why not game on a bigger screen... laptop? If you're at home you are going to want to game on a bigger screen...
Also battery life is dreadful, sure it gets me through gaming on my dinner break at work (I work evening shifts), but again not something you can be away from a power source for any length of time. And again if I want to game at work during dinner break, I might as well game on my laptop with a bigger screen...
To me it is getting absurd to have a super powerful console and it can't also be a replacement for a PC or vise versa. Even if Microsoft did not make the next console like a PC, Series X|S would anyhow probably be my last dedicated console. PC gaming content is so much bigger & cheaper (eg. PC Game pass is cheaper & ability to buy games/keys cheaper). Future primarily gaming on PC is probably the future for me... I'm not going to be spending for figures $$$$ each for the next gen console and a PC.
Next gen console being essentially a PC is the most logical decision from my perspective. We have seen the blowback from the PS5 Pro price. Next gen top tier model (excluding the everything is an xbox, as even just your TV by itself can be an xbox...) will likely be similarly priced & get blowback if it is a device only for gaming.
I am old enough to have lived in a world where your phone now replaces multiple devices (phone, camera, GPS, game boy/entertainment...). We accept current high sticker price of phones because they do so much. It is getting absurd that you pay so much and have so much power in a gaming box & it doesn't replace the need to also have a PC or the reverse.
@TheGiraffe Yeah, there is no question wealthy countries also have significant amounts of their population who are not wealthy... Being in debt/bankrupt, can't leave parents house/homeless, or one paycheck away from being broke or one illness from also being broke (be it inability to work/earn income and/or medical bills)
But it would be impossible to price products based on your bank account balance or income level, so instead there is regional pricing.
I have always thought the buy codes from say India & VPN very sketchy, so I have not & wouldn't do that. I'm not surprised there could be blowback on people's accounts.
I would rather save money by buying non-recent highly rated games.
Skype was great for taking to family overseas, WhatsApp for me killed off Skype. It's like night & day between those two. I kept getting roped into scam group chats on Skype, I spent more time blocking these than actually using the product. Eventually I just stopped using it. As far as I'm concerned Microsoft really butchered Skype.
Looks like it is already patched. I downloaded Xbox One version. When I started it asked if I wanted to upgrade to Series X|S version, I accepted, it said something to the effect of thank you for your purchase. I go to my Owned games, but I don't see it. When I go back in to Xbox One, it again offers to upgrade, when I accept, it says it looks like I already own it, but I still don't see it in my Owned games list.
Edit: If I actually go to the X|S version it does say Install You Own this, but it doesn't actually show up in my Owned list of games (unlike Alan Wake Remastered glitch that still shows up in my Owned list). So it seems to be in the half patched limbo. In a few years I'm not going to remember that I "own this" if it doesn't show up in my owned list of games...
I'm 24hrs in & sleep deprived between getting gaming in after work & family duties are over. It felt like an 8/10 for me, but honestly should be higher if it is causing sleep deprivation😁
For those that criticize some elements of it, I'm glad I don't need a masters degree in RPG gaming. For a casual gamer, Avowed is great!
I am tempted to add to my GPU subscription before more points price inflation, but the reality is I also need a break from GPU to catch up on my backlog of games that I can't catch up on when I'm trying to get value from GPU by playing those games.
@Gooseuk I have been playing on both my Series X & also streamed it on my ROG ally (when main TV being used by family). For me it played fine, not going to really complain. Dropped connection once in a few hours of gaming, not really a show stopper... if it was a multiplayer game, getting dropped would be a real issue
@SMJ "Selling lots of consoles isn't the future of the industry and Microsoft know it."
Exactly 💯. PC/Steam gaming is anyhow the future.
Game pass is cheaper on PC, games are cheaper on PC, forget bragging about which console has more exclusives & better games, PC beats them all, forget about moaning about your library potentially being left behind if there is not a next or next/next console generation.
People whine about cost of living, cost of PS5 Pro, what's the next Gen going to cost?? Are people going to keep buying both a PC/laptop & a Console?
Quite frankly as a consumer, I don't see myself buying both, next Gen for me is most probably just shifting to PC gaming.
Hardware progressing is also diminishing returns. I have both a series X & S. Besides storage space, functionally I don't really notice a difference between them. Look at steam stats, huge numbers of PC gamers gamer on old hardware & play old games. Most people are not going to need a next console for a long time.
@johndoe89 I watched Youtube videos comparing Oblivion vs Avowed & Skyrim vs Avowed. Kinda surprising an almost 20yr old game is in many ways better than Avowed... NPCs are interactive, physics of old games are better, richer environment to interact with... Never played those two games. I will have to get around to playing those two in about 2yrs once my GPU sub runs out!
3hrs in, initial feeling is it is an 8/10 for me. Certainly good enough for me to want to continue playing.
At least for me, better than say Starfield or Flight Simulator, both of which I had no interest in playing after a couple hrs in, but not quite as good as Indian Jones and the Great Circle
If Xbox earns 100% on Xbox hardware, and only 70% on PlayStation hardware, but with PS5 outselling Xbox X|S in the range of 2 to 1. It's obvious Microsoft can't ignore launching games on PS5. If you sell $1 on Xbox and $2 on PS5 = $1.4, you still more than double console gaming revenue by selling on PS5. Not to mention adding in Nintendo switch.
In my books it should be obvious that Microsoft strategy of ditching exclusives is the right one. I really don't see what the issue is. Microsoft's whole existence is basically due to selling software that ran on other companies hardware, I can't say I am getting worked up about whether or not Microsoft makes console hardware forever.
@BacklogBrad Yeah, not to mention when you look at PCs, Steam hardware survey shows how much older hardware is so prevalent.
I have both a Series S (basement) & X (family room). I don't really notice a difference jumping between the two. There are diminishing returns from here out, our eyeballs & brain are only going to detect so much detail/information. Plus I don't have 20/20 vision, like many others as well.
@Jenkinss yup completely agree. Original LOTR trilogy was one book one movie, so The Hobbit should have followed that precedent with one movie. Not to mention The Hobbit 3 extended length movies is definitely over doing it!
@Isolte I'm already at the point where I am never paying full price for a game again, it has got to be at least 50%off to get my attention. There are literally too many good games I already own in the backlog to play.
Plus I have 2yr+ of GPU remaining & I'm accumulating PC games at around 300 games/yr on PC from EPIC (1-2 games/wk & daily games for 2 weeks during Christmas) & Amazon Prime games (approx 20 games/mo). Those 300 games/yr are not all gems, but even at 5-10% good games I would want to play, there is an insane accumulating backlog to work through... There is zero point in buying any games.
At this point the only "new" games I am getting is to put something on my wish list so people have something to buy me for Christmas, Father's day, & Birthdays, otherwise there is no point in adding to the ridiculous backlog.
Thanks! Works for me in Canada. I already purchased the LOTR in UHD on Microsoft Movies & TV app, was not a big fan of the Hobbit series, but for just 1,500 points that's a super cheap price! It didn't ever ask which resolution I wanted, but after redemption it is the UHD version, so thanks again!
These rewards are easier, but I am not sure I would say better, but certainly brain dead... I just launch any game left it idle for 15 min, did something else, repeat & knocked off the 4 & 8 game quests. PC & Console quests will mostly be launch game for 15min, if I don't actually have time to play what I want to.... At least for me, the achievements forced you to actually play a game...
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Re: Talking Point: So, Is Hollow Knight: Silksong Worth The Hype On Xbox Game Pass?
@Cakefish Same, I'm over the hill, slow reflexes, original was too challenging for me. I highly doubt I'll play Silksong much, but glad it's on GPU so I can give it a try & not waste money buying it.
Re: 450+ Diablo Devs Vote For Union Representation Amidst Concerns Around Job Instability
@xxk7xx Yeah, I can't see how this ends well for the unionization effort. These workers are like between a rock & a hard place. It is too easy to outsource to somewhere else with a lower cost of labour and with the pace of AI progress, I would be very worried...
Re: Microsoft CEO Comments On Recent Xbox Layoffs, Doubles Down On AI
Teammates, colleagues & friends have essentially no value other than to pump up CEO wealth. Keep fuelling the ever widening pay gap.
In the old days, you could understand job cuts if a company had hit on hard times. Now companies rake in Billions in profits & cut people without any regard to doing things with loyalty... retrain, reassign to other areas of job growth, reduce head count due to normal attrition, offer early retirement packages, hiring freeze, etc.
Now it is just buh, bye! Need to pump up the CEO bonus...
Re: Microsoft Reverts Price Increase For The Outer Worlds 2, Will Launch For $70 On Xbox
I don't even know why anyone would pre-order a game now. You pay top price (wait a few months) & you get to do free QA for the company (wait for the bugs to get sorted out).
There are already so many good games to play & people must have huge backlogs, go play something else for a few months. Price is guaranteed to drop even if this comes in at $70 instead of $80
Re: Microsoft Movies & TV Is Officially Ending, Which Will Have A Big Impact On Xbox
I literally watched a Youtube video yesterday on the rise of piracy... I try to be a good sheep & buy legal content... BUT I am being punished for not sailing the seas...
To be honest I know that I actually didn't "Buy"/"Purchase" any Movies as it is really a license that can be revoked at any time, however my expectation was that the main risk is the company I bought the license from going bankrupt, which I just could not see Microsoft doing. Well obviously after no longer selling new content, there is going to reach a point where it doesn't make sense for Microsoft to keep the servers.
Kinda frustrating I built so much content (Movies & TV shows) & basically it is only a matter if time until I lose all the content due to Microsoft greed.
Re: Talking Point: After Almost Two Years, How Do You Feel About Xbox's Starfield In 2025?
Starfield is the posterchild of why Game Pass has value, boring game, saved me wasting money buying it.
As I recall Starfield was the reason Microsoft bought Zenimax/Bethesda for $7.5Billion as they were scared Sony would get an exclusive on Starfield, so they bought the developer to prevent that. Starfield definitely does not live up to the hype/expectations.
Re: Xbox Quietly Releases New 4TB Expansion Card For Series X|S
The beauty of the Series S|X is it's a dying console generation. Lots of great deals in the used market. I picked up a used Seagate 1TB drive for like 1/3 current new retail price. Definitely not worth the new price given no moving parts, used is just as good as new. Although lots of people literally high on the prices they asking for used Series hardware, the rush for the door is accelerating. Quite frankly I don't mind... I like value & Microsoft still doesn't know what it is doing... Microsoft rewards is so broken, still easy to earn free GPU every month.
Re: Talking Point: Will You Be Buying The 2025 Xbox Handheld From ASUS?
Definitely not. I have an Asus ROG Ally Z1 extreme, I always thought it was a niche product. Got it free with an ASUS laptop & I find that it really is a product that does not have a clear lane to exist.
If I am at home I would rather game on the Xbox Series S or X connected to a big screen. If I'm on the go, the Ally is too big to say fit in a pocket, so I have to bring a backpack. If I have a backpack, then I might as well bring the laptop & a controller as I would prefer to game on the bigger laptop screen.
So in conclusion at home, console wins. If I had a gaming PC, I would say gaming PC would also win. And if I am on the go, laptop form factor wins.
Now if you don't have a home console or laptop, then I guess you could argue for its existence with a dock to connect to a bigger screen for home use, and portable for use on the go...
Re: The Witcher 3 Xbox Controller Sells Out, Instantly Targeted By Scalpers
I'm too old to overpay for this stuff... I'm not paying extra for scalped: electronics, shoes, concert tickets, sports tickets, etc... I'm just playing video games in winter & fishing in the summer... The only reason things like a boxed toy figure or video game or comic book can be with fortunes is because they are rare, no one thought they would be collectible so were used, abused & disposed of, now everything is a collectible & thus can't really be that rare & unique if there are tons of copies of the stuff in existence & saved like they are a precious museum piece.
Re: Talking Point: Xbox Fans, How Are You Getting On With Microsoft Rewards In 2025?
@VeganHerpes Similar, it is May 17 & I have earned almost 10,000 points so far this month & for sure will get over 15,000 this month with another 14 days left to the month. 12,000 points for GPU, means I earn enough points for GPU every month.
Now some may say the grind is not worth it or do something else with your time to earn money as earning points is less than minimum wage... sure fair enough if you find grinding out the points annoying, each to their own.. but in my books it is easier than ever to earn points. I literally earn all my points having breakfast. I don't know how efficient you guys are with your breakfast or if you can monetize that time (ie. earn money while having breakfast), but it is not that annoying to me to pump out some searches while waiting for water to boil & cook food (soft boiled eggs or oatmeal) or eat cereal (how fast do you chew/swallow, slow down... taste the food...). I'm up before everyone else in the house, so it is not like I have anyone else to say do something else with my time, eg. have a conversation etc. And now you literally don't need to play games as you don't need to earn achievements, just launch a game & let it sit.
The only points thing I don't bother doing is play jewel as you actually need to play it & complete a level
Re: Talking Point: Do You Feel You've Had Value For Money With Your Xbox Series X|S?
Xbox Series has been outstanding value!!! Nothing comes close!!! Sure Xbox Series are now obviously the betamax and losing market share to the VHS is going to accelerate, but that does not change the fact that owning both a Series S (got free with retail chain store points as PS5 too popular & impossible to get) & Series X (bought used) has been incredible value:
-Years of games with Gold conversion to Game Pass Ultimate
-Easier than ever rewards points farming that still earns a free GPU monthly subscription each month for minimal effort. I am basically done collecting daily rewards points during breakfast even if I am busy as you don't even need to play games anymore (eg. previously you actually needed to earn achievements by playing games, now you just launch the game)... Launch game on console, launch on PC & let them sit till rewards pops & do the searches while I eat breakfast...
Re: 'Huge' Number Of People Cancelling DOOM Pre-Orders Over 'Botched Physical Release'
@M20B25 Well as stated the digital Ultima III (actually Ultima's 1 -IX) are not gone, they are in my GOG library & playable. My floppy discs are unplayable to me. So where is the real value?
edit: OK I did a ebay search... apparently my boxed floppies might be worth hundreds (I would be shocked...), but who knows if there are any transactions at those ask prices? All I can say is I wouldn't pay hundreds of dollars for the floppies & then still need the digital version to play the game... which is where we are at with current physical discs.
Re: 'Huge' Number Of People Cancelling DOOM Pre-Orders Over 'Botched Physical Release'
I honestly don't see what all the physical complaining is about, if you want a complete game on disc it's going to be buggy. That ship of physical game preservation has basically sailed.
In the old days, game devs had to make sure the shipped product was the final product since issuing patches was going to be cost prohibitive (sending out new cartridges, floppy discs, optical discs...).
Now that you have digital delivery, you can keep patching at basically no cost. So pressure to get games out means, games are basically "good enough" from the developers point of view, they ship, fully knowing they are going to be multiple post launch patches. I'm not saying that I support launching buggy games, but that's the way it is now. If you own physical, you're still going to need the patches, so preserving what is on disc doesn't make much sense.
Heck the first game I really played day in day out was Ultima III. I still have the original floppy discs, but even though I have the physical discs after almost 40yrs later the physical discs are still unplayable since I don't own any hardware to play them. So even though I have physical floppy discs that's are fully playable I still had to purchase digital versions & rely on GOG digital game preservation if I want to play Ultima III.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (May 10-11)
@FatGuyInLilCoat Honestly if you're on chapter 7 & you already find it stale.... let me save you from unnecessary frustration, stop playing South of Midnight & move on to Clair Obscure!!! Combat in SOM is too repetitive it is a chore! I finished SOM, mainly because I felt I got so far into the game I needed to finish it.... don't bother you're not missing anything special.
Re: Talking Point: Will Xbox Game Pass Get A Price Increase This Year?
@GuyinPA75 I think the saying goes... Is the Pope Catholic?
Re: Talking Point: Will Xbox Game Pass Get A Price Increase This Year?
I feel like I want to complain about price increases, but honestly with all the boneheaded marketing Microsoft has done (Game Pass Gold to Game Pass Ultimate conversion for $1... then beneficial Core to GPU conversions) they probably need to increase prices for all the cheap GPU people have been enjoying.
Re: GTA 6 Trailer 2 Has Arrived Ahead Of May 2026 Release On Xbox Series X|S
@TheGameThrifter I don't know if it is marketing rights, but it makes sense either way. PS5 outsells Series consoles at least 2 to 1, then of that "1" there is another at least 2 Series S to 1 Series X sales. I will go out on limb and say on the Series S GTA6 is not going to look like the trailer... So it makes sense to promote PS5.
At this point we just need to recognize Series sales are playing second fiddle...
Re: Indie Hit DREDGE Is Available Today With Xbox Game Pass (May 6)
Dredge was given away free on Epic Games the past Christmas Eve. It does have good reviews, but I'm not playing this on game pass. Too many other games to try to keep up with. I'm tackling Clair Obscure now & Oblivion is next. I'll play Dredge when I don't subscribe to game pass ultimate any more
Re: Three Xbox Games Revealed As Best-Selling PS5 Titles Of April 2025
Well as I recall from Activision takeover, Phil said something to the effect of... If Microsoft sells a game on PS5, Sony takes a 30% cut for basically doing nothing. Then uses that revenue to compete fiercely against Microsoft. Of course the real goal is to get 100% of your own game sales on your platform, plus 30% of everything else that sells on your platform, but if your platform lost the console race... Then let's face it, bragging about game sales success on PS5 is really about making lemonade from lemons.
Next gen xbox better be a PC, because I can't see how a console gamer will choose the next xbox console over PS6, when it's obvious the choice is either PS6 or PC to get the best/most games.
Re: South Of Midnight Passes 1 Million Players With The Help Of Xbox Game Pass
@Cakefish Game started off great for me, but likewise completely agree that combat was very repetitive, it is like each checkpoint you get to you need to do the same combat x3 + limited variety of enemies. I finished the game, mostly because I had got far enough that I wanted to see the end, but getting there was a chore.
There is no way I am ever playing this game again. Zero replayability.
Re: Talking Point: Would You Still Buy An Xbox At Microsoft's 2025 Prices?
If the next-Box (or PS6) is not functionally a PC, I'm done with dedicated gaming consoles. We are seeing the tip of the price hikes, just wait for the next gen. I bet it will be eye watering!
With all the power, it will be absurd if next gen are only good for gaming. If it is not a multi-bladed tool, I'm done with consoles. Time to go full PC gaming. PC game pass is cheaper & acquiring games/keys is cheaper.
Re: Reaction: $80 Game Prices Are Ridiculous, Adding Even More Value To Xbox Game Pass
There is zero chance I am going to be paying new launch game prices! It is getting time to start tackling the game backlog!
Re: Xbox Is Raising The Price Of Consoles, Games And Accessories
At this rate of console price inflation, I can't see myself going for the next gen xbox console, especially if it is a device primarily for gaming. PC game pass is cheaper and I need a PC/laptop, might as well spend a little more & up the gaming capabilities...
Re: The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered Is Now Available On Xbox Game Pass
Perfect timing for a new game drop!! I just finished South of Midnight yesterday, quite frankly I didn't want to finish that game, but felt I got far enough into it that I needed to finish it, the repetitive combat throughout the game really got annoying & also the game was too linear/little exploration.
Re: Opinion: South Of Midnight Reminds Me Why I Love Xbox Game Pass
I'm up to chapter 6, it's OK for me. Enjoyed it more at the start, but the novelty is already wearing thin... I will probably finish it, but definitely cannot ever see myself replaying this. Sure, original story, music... But playing doesn't feel very rewarding, defined path, combat is very repetitive, same creatures
Re: Talking Point: What Should Microsoft Call The '2027' Xbox Console & Handheld?
Logically you go Roman numeral like the Superbowl, then you know what is the latest and greatest version & you get to use more X's without it seeming like an adult only console. 😁
Then if you want more clarity or confusion, depending on your point of view, add extra letters for different versions...
Xbox XXV series H = handheld
Xbox XXVII series X|S
Obviously like the Superbowl you don't actually say X X V I I, you say Xbox 27 series X|S 😁
Re: Report: Xbox Handheld For 2025 Being Made By ASUS, Will Feature Console-Like Interface
@Rog-X Yes correct, I have Ally not Ally X. Googling direct from ASUS website they state Ally X battery life for AAA gaming on the X is double the previous generation at 2.7 hrs. That is certainly more reasonable than the max 1.5hrs I would see, but I still see this as a niche product. And yes I could also carry a big powerbank as a simple solution to battery life issues, but this is still not a portable gaming device (won't fit into any of my pockets...), it is luggable, I still need a backpack to carry it, but then I might as well game on my laptop's larger screen.
Re: Phil Spencer 'Excited' About Xbox Copilot, An AI Tool That Helps Players Finish Games
I could see AI being quite useful in gaming! For example, recently with Avowed, even though I had some of the treasure maps, I still needed to google/youtube to help me out. Or if I'm missing just a couple of the totem pieces, same thing, I'm googling for the missing piece, just asking AI for help would be easier... Sure maybe I should just play the game without the extra help, but then again, people are posting how to find/do things because people want the help... You know, let me the player decide, how much frustration I want to deal with & I decide when & how much help I want.
Re: Report: Xbox Handheld For 2025 Being Made By ASUS, Will Feature Console-Like Interface
I have a ROG Ally. I was not convinced on the utility of the device, but it was offered free with the purchase of an Asus laptop. It is kinda exactly as I expected, niche product...
If it is supposed to be for portable on the go gaming, it really doesn't serve that purpose. After all it is too big to put in your pocket. You need to have a backpack to bring it along, in which case why not game on a bigger screen... laptop? If you're at home you are going to want to game on a bigger screen...
Also battery life is dreadful, sure it gets me through gaming on my dinner break at work (I work evening shifts), but again not something you can be away from a power source for any length of time. And again if I want to game at work during dinner break, I might as well game on my laptop with a bigger screen...
Re: Talking Point: If The Next-Gen Xbox Is More 'PC-Like', Will You Still Buy It?
To me it is getting absurd to have a super powerful console and it can't also be a replacement for a PC or vise versa. Even if Microsoft did not make the next console like a PC, Series X|S would anyhow probably be my last dedicated console. PC gaming content is so much bigger & cheaper (eg. PC Game pass is cheaper & ability to buy games/keys cheaper). Future primarily gaming on PC is probably the future for me... I'm not going to be spending for figures $$$$ each for the next gen console and a PC.
Re: Xbox Reporter 'Pretty Sure' New Console Is Set To Launch In 2027
Next gen console being essentially a PC is the most logical decision from my perspective. We have seen the blowback from the PS5 Pro price. Next gen top tier model (excluding the everything is an xbox, as even just your TV by itself can be an xbox...) will likely be similarly priced & get blowback if it is a device only for gaming.
I am old enough to have lived in a world where your phone now replaces multiple devices (phone, camera, GPS, game boy/entertainment...). We accept current high sticker price of phones because they do so much. It is getting absurd that you pay so much and have so much power in a gaming box & it doesn't replace the need to also have a PC or the reverse.
Re: Xbox Players Say They're Being 'Banned Indefinitely' For Using A VPN
@TheGiraffe Yeah, there is no question wealthy countries also have significant amounts of their population who are not wealthy... Being in debt/bankrupt, can't leave parents house/homeless, or one paycheck away from being broke or one illness from also being broke (be it inability to work/earn income and/or medical bills)
But it would be impossible to price products based on your bank account balance or income level, so instead there is regional pricing.
I have always thought the buy codes from say India & VPN very sketchy, so I have not & wouldn't do that. I'm not surprised there could be blowback on people's accounts.
I would rather save money by buying non-recent highly rated games.
Re: Poll: What Do You Think Of 'Balatro' On Xbox Game Pass So Far?
@FarmDog08 Similar, didn't do anything for me... I don't know maybe it is because I don't play poker?
Re: Talking Point: As Skype Shuts Its Doors, An Old Xbox Feature Retires To The History Books
Skype was great for taking to family overseas, WhatsApp for me killed off Skype. It's like night & day between those two. I kept getting roped into scam group chats on Skype, I spent more time blocking these than actually using the product. Eventually I just stopped using it. As far as I'm concerned Microsoft really butchered Skype.
Re: Xbox Glitch Sees 'Dragon Ball FighterZ' Get 100% Discount
Looks like it is already patched. I downloaded Xbox One version. When I started it asked if I wanted to upgrade to Series X|S version, I accepted, it said something to the effect of thank you for your purchase. I go to my Owned games, but I don't see it. When I go back in to Xbox One, it again offers to upgrade, when I accept, it says it looks like I already own it, but I still don't see it in my Owned games list.
Edit: If I actually go to the X|S version it does say Install You Own this, but it doesn't actually show up in my Owned list of games (unlike Alan Wake Remastered glitch that still shows up in my Owned list). So it seems to be in the half patched limbo. In a few years I'm not going to remember that I "own this" if it doesn't show up in my owned list of games...
Re: Xbox RPG Avowed Seemingly Sold Well Despite Being In Game Pass
I'm 24hrs in & sleep deprived between getting gaming in after work & family duties are over. It felt like an 8/10 for me, but honestly should be higher if it is causing sleep deprivation😁
For those that criticize some elements of it, I'm glad I don't need a masters degree in RPG gaming. For a casual gamer, Avowed is great!
Re: Microsoft Rewards Appears To Be Increasing Its Prices For Xbox Game Pass
I am tempted to add to my GPU subscription before more points price inflation, but the reality is I also need a break from GPU to catch up on my backlog of games that I can't catch up on when I'm trying to get value from GPU by playing those games.
Re: Poll: Xbox Fans, What Review Score Would You Give Avowed So Far?
@Gooseuk I have been playing on both my Series X & also streamed it on my ROG ally (when main TV being used by family). For me it played fine, not going to really complain. Dropped connection once in a few hours of gaming, not really a show stopper... if it was a multiplayer game, getting dropped would be a real issue
Re: How Microsoft Managed Xbox Brand 'Is Not My F**king Fault', Says OG Xbox Creator
@SMJ "Selling lots of consoles isn't the future of the industry and Microsoft know it."
Exactly 💯. PC/Steam gaming is anyhow the future.
Game pass is cheaper on PC, games are cheaper on PC, forget bragging about which console has more exclusives & better games, PC beats them all, forget about moaning about your library potentially being left behind if there is not a next or next/next console generation.
People whine about cost of living, cost of PS5 Pro, what's the next Gen going to cost?? Are people going to keep buying both a PC/laptop & a Console?
Quite frankly as a consumer, I don't see myself buying both, next Gen for me is most probably just shifting to PC gaming.
Hardware progressing is also diminishing returns. I have both a series X & S. Besides storage space, functionally I don't really notice a difference between them. Look at steam stats, huge numbers of PC gamers gamer on old hardware & play old games. Most people are not going to need a next console for a long time.
Re: Poll: Xbox Fans, What Review Score Would You Give Avowed So Far?
@johndoe89 I watched Youtube videos comparing Oblivion vs Avowed & Skyrim vs Avowed. Kinda surprising an almost 20yr old game is in many ways better than Avowed... NPCs are interactive, physics of old games are better, richer environment to interact with... Never played those two games. I will have to get around to playing those two in about 2yrs once my GPU sub runs out!
Re: Poll: Xbox Fans, What Review Score Would You Give Avowed So Far?
3hrs in, initial feeling is it is an 8/10 for me. Certainly good enough for me to want to continue playing.
At least for me, better than say Starfield or Flight Simulator, both of which I had no interest in playing after a couple hrs in, but not quite as good as Indian Jones and the Great Circle
Re: Marvel Rivals Publisher Confirms Mass US Layoffs In New Company Statement
Can't say I would want to work in the gaming industry. Job losses & likely more with AI.
Re: Xbox's New Strategy Is 'Right' For The Business And Needs To Be Embraced, Says Former Exec
If Xbox earns 100% on Xbox hardware, and only 70% on PlayStation hardware, but with PS5 outselling Xbox X|S in the range of 2 to 1. It's obvious Microsoft can't ignore launching games on PS5. If you sell $1 on Xbox and $2 on PS5 = $1.4, you still more than double console gaming revenue by selling on PS5. Not to mention adding in Nintendo switch.
In my books it should be obvious that Microsoft strategy of ditching exclusives is the right one. I really don't see what the issue is. Microsoft's whole existence is basically due to selling software that ran on other companies hardware, I can't say I am getting worked up about whether or not Microsoft makes console hardware forever.
Re: Poll: What Kind Of Review Scores Are You Predicting For Avowed?
@Ricky-Spanish Exactly, quite pointless trying to guess at this point. Could be a Starfield or God forbid a Redfall...
Re: Xbox Series S 'Greatly Helped' With Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 Development
@BacklogBrad Yeah, not to mention when you look at PCs, Steam hardware survey shows how much older hardware is so prevalent.
I have both a Series S (basement) & X (family room). I don't really notice a difference jumping between the two. There are diminishing returns from here out, our eyeballs & brain are only going to detect so much detail/information. Plus I don't have 20/20 vision, like many others as well.
Re: Microsoft Rewards Is Practically Giving Away Six Big Movies Right Now
@Jenkinss yup completely agree. Original LOTR trilogy was one book one movie, so The Hobbit should have followed that precedent with one movie. Not to mention The Hobbit 3 extended length movies is definitely over doing it!
Re: Talking Point: Are You Buying Kingdom Come Deliverance 2?
@Isolte I'm already at the point where I am never paying full price for a game again, it has got to be at least 50%off to get my attention. There are literally too many good games I already own in the backlog to play.
Plus I have 2yr+ of GPU remaining & I'm accumulating PC games at around 300 games/yr on PC from EPIC (1-2 games/wk & daily games for 2 weeks during Christmas) & Amazon Prime games (approx 20 games/mo). Those 300 games/yr are not all gems, but even at 5-10% good games I would want to play, there is an insane accumulating backlog to work through... There is zero point in buying any games.
At this point the only "new" games I am getting is to put something on my wish list so people have something to buy me for Christmas, Father's day, & Birthdays, otherwise there is no point in adding to the ridiculous backlog.
Re: Microsoft Rewards Is Practically Giving Away Six Big Movies Right Now
Thanks! Works for me in Canada. I already purchased the LOTR in UHD on Microsoft Movies & TV app, was not a big fan of the Hobbit series, but for just 1,500 points that's a super cheap price! It didn't ever ask which resolution I wanted, but after redemption it is the UHD version, so thanks again!
Re: Xbox Glitch Sees Alan Wake Remastered Get 100% Discount
Thank you! Worked for me up here in Canada! Still "Just for You" free due to a recent purchase (Alan Wake II trial). Still free at 1pm!
Re: Talking Point: Xbox Fans Divided Over Changes To 'Rewards' System
These rewards are easier, but I am not sure I would say better, but certainly brain dead... I just launch any game left it idle for 15 min, did something else, repeat & knocked off the 4 & 8 game quests. PC & Console quests will mostly be launch game for 15min, if I don't actually have time to play what I want to.... At least for me, the achievements forced you to actually play a game...