HonestHick

@themightyant yeah i think you were hitting the nail on the head. It seems to be in play as there is no other reason that makes sense at the moment. Other than they know a lot of casual Xbox players will just use the Xbox store and not get all caught up in steam and other stores. But that don’t seem like the bigger picture move at all. Then again in this industry you just never know what will happen.

@Fiendish-Beaver you are stacking up an impressive controller collection. Nice work buddy!

I can’t wait for the Gears of War E-Day one. Maybe the saw on the lancer will move. These are pretty cool, but I’ll stick to my Doom Dark Ages for now.

@cragis0001 Certainly agree with you on forced in that direction but only to a degree. MS see’s console gaming on a single platform regardless of the install base as smaller than desired money. I mean even Sony that beats MS in console sales is looking outside their own leading box. So this to me was always a play MS would look to even if they were selling 100 million consoles. Selling their IP’s to all gamers on all screens was going to be the next play, but being the smaller install base 2 gens in a row for sure sped it up. I also think the US will get involved in years to come on storefronts fronts and MS will wait it out to someday try and get that 30% lowered and deceiver their content everywhere for max earnings. It’s easier knowing COD will sell well on every screen vs trying to get every penny you can from its sales outside the Xbox platform. I believe they are working on that. Maybe it don’t happen on console but does on Cloud. Again MS has the money and IP’s to play the long game. Please again don’t think i am saying this is the only move they are banking on, it’s an option, i think it makes sense. But things happen, so hard to tell, but as i have been saying on here for months, this is a industry of where there is smoke there is fire. Steam and MS is a fire and i expect it to continue to burn in front of us for years to come.

@LogicStrikesAgain i agree about phones vs console. But dating apps and music app’s aren’t essential. They to are entertainment. Spotify and Epic fight with Apple’s 30% cut like crazy. It’s in courts all the time. So i think MS see’s that, and they too are getting pushed of IOS from apple with the MS gaming store. MS don’t want to give them 30%. Strange cause they will give Sony 30% but again i think this is in play. We heard it from the CEO of Microsoft’s own mouth, he hates exclusives. Hence he brought of all office 365 to the MAC. He and Phil are going to battle as hard as they can to be able to enter other hardware platforms with MS software and not pay the cut. Adding steam and Epic to Xbox is showing they are willing to let this be a battle of software on storefronts. Cause MS owns most of the biggest cash cows in gaming right now. Time will tell if this is the play and if it is it makes sense as to why steam being sideloaded or even native into the Xbox console Ui is important to them. Again please don’t take it as i am saying fact, cause this thing is likely a plan that takes a long time and or never even happens. But as i have been saying on here, where there is smoke there is fire in this industry and there couldn’t be more logs on the fire for steam to Xbox than there currently already is.

@Jenkinss i think MS looks at console gaming of not only the position they are in, but even the leaders like say PlayStation. The answer is there isn’t enough money being made in their eyes on console if you are selling 40 million consoles or 140 million consoles. So i think this change that they are doing isn’t entirely cause Xbox consoles aren’t flying off the shelves. Did that speed up the plan to be on Mobile, Cloud, and all platforms? Yes, surely it had to. But i think consoles as they are and have been is to small of money for where MS wants their games and reach of money. Having a store front on every device that can play games i think was always in their minds, as we don’t live in the 90’s no more. Young kids and even young adults play on more than just console. It’s just a fact and MS see’s that money and wants it. Buying ABK opened doors for them that is short term and long term strategies. Xbox consoles aren’t going away. There is no reason to throw that money away cause they still make money just not the MONEY Microsoft wants and knows they can go get in due time.

@LogicStrikesAgain @Coletrain @Sol4ris @Millionski @cragis0001 @themightyant @Titntin @Cakefish

So i tagged a lot of you that i have either discussed Steam on Xbox or by reading some of your comments on why and how does this make money. Stay with me i just watched a video from Jeff Grub explaining what could be the long term play with this. Again this won’t be fact, it will be an angle MS can use and likely will at some point.

So the idea is, everyone is going after Google and Apple for taking a 30% cut from thier stores, similar to what consoles do on their storefronts. Europe is looking into this practice and could have a ruling in a few years. MS’s hope is when and if they appear in court with the matter they can say look at our platform. We have the MS store, Epic store and STEAM. Allowing customers choice, ok Mr Microsoft what do you want to say. Well we would like our MS store on all other platforms as well. Nintendo and SONY. Now for all the money lost on Xbox players that choose Steam over MS store. MS get’s to sell COD and it’s huge list of IP’s on the PS without giving Sony the 30% cut. That includes micro transactions. That would line MS’s pocket to the brim and have Sony going crap we just lost 50% of our profits. Again not saying this happens or happens over night. But it could be the play, so yes MS gambles on Xbox players using it’s own store, but by having all stores on it platform it gives them a lot of play in the courts ruling on digital storefronts and the cut that platform takes.that would be the END GAME of all end games. Lose a couple 100 billion now to make trillions later. Remember i keep saying the future of consoles isn’t units sold entirely, it’s users buying your software and most importantly MTX. On the flip side Sony could put it’s store front on Xbox but that wouldn’t net them the same in return. They don’t own COD and Minecraft and others.

Gears of War and Red Dead, maybe Diablo. As i have sunken 1000 hours into each of those ip’s or more. But i still think $70 is enough when games have micro transactions and early access selling for $100 etc etc. it’s not like MS and Sony aren’t selling record breaking revenues and profits.

@Titntin yeah i am not sure how the will work out the money portion of it. I think the idea is sell a Xbox to fans of Xbox and they will use the default MS store cause thats what they know to use and have libraries there. Steam to me will likely just be side loaded. Which for the hardcore enthusiast with a steam library will be a compelling enough option to maybe buy a Xbox for the ease of use having it plug and play under the TV. Again that is purely a guess. But to your point and many others what if 40% or more of the people that buy the next Xbox don’t use the MS store and do side load steam? That’s where this get’s tricky. I would assume MS thinks well we have 30 plus million players on GP? A lot of moving options with a more open ended PC like console. But i too am excited for it. 😀

@themightyant The switch Pro was a real leak. The issue was Nintendo didn’t want to battle the production issue that was happening with silicon shortage. So they just released it as Switch Oled. But the leaks and info were true. Which brings me to my last point on the steam talks. We all follow this industry closely enough to know where there’s smoke there’s fire and there is a lot of smoke with Steam coming to Xbox. I personally still think it will just be a side load. Which is fine, it’s a nice option for those with big steam library’s. But i am happy to see MS doing something different with the next Xbox. They need to swing for the fences

@Titntin which again i never said MS WILL buy valve, just that offers and conversations were had. No reason to have tho if they have no plans for them. But what i have been saying is a sure thing at some point is Steam is coming to Xbox. In some form, plus you are smart in this industry and know it takes a long time to integrate that into the console. So there is going to be more leaks and bread crumbs to follow. Tho there hasn’t been as many for Epic game store. Other than Phil saying it once. MS has to go big with the next Xbox to get players to look at it as an option. Sadly the hole they dug leaves them with Steam, as not even Gamepass will do it beyond the mid level excitement it has going for it now.

@Titntin “ I dont understand your frustration.
I hope you are correct, but I fear you are wrong.

It’s that comment right there, you said i fear you are wrong. Fear is a feeling not a fact. You can’t show me fear, but i can link you and others links to info of MS trying to buy valve and Phils interviews suggesting such is coming. I can fear hope and wish about something all i want but i can’t use it to combat someone putting out evidence. I should at the very least give him the benefit of the doubt if i ain’t going to do the research myself. These aren’t open forums of education and informed thoughts, it’s always about someone’s feelings.

@Titntin oh i am all for open talks on here or any hobby site in fact. But when people don’t use their YouTube, or internet browser of choice to see what facts, leaks and discussions are already there, it makes it a little frustrating to me, cause it comes from a less informed place. Something i never come from. There were tons on here that didn’t even know MS has a 16 Billion dollar offer to buy Valve. Why buy Valve if no interest in bringing it to Xbox?

Also there is no out for MS now. They can’t release the same hardware. Phil has said this already. They plan for the hardware and store front options to be the reason you choose the Xbox hardware. Thus MS is not keeping Halo and Gears and Forza as reasons to buy an XBox. That side of the plan we have already seen. Phil is doing interviews by the month. I watch them all and he has given clues and breadcrumbs as much as he can for now to show the pivot and yet Xbox fans on Xbox sites give me grief cause i do my homework and they talk from feelings and non informed standpoints.

If the back of your XBox looks like that in the Pic then it’s not the Xbox you need to clean, it’s your whole house. You live dirty. I have had my Xbox since launch and it’s never needed to be cleaned cause i clean my house once a week. That includes dusting and sweeping.

@Coletrain @Cakefish @cragis0001 @themightyant

Have i not been on here saying Steam is coming to Xbox for months now? HAHA

Next up full PC software mode, so devs only have to make a PS and PC copy of the game. Thus Xbox misses no games and for those that want a platform war or console war. It is no longer PS vs Xbox, it’s PC vs PS.

@Titntin I’ve been tell everyone for the last 4-5 months Steam IS 100% coming to Xbox and all i get is backlash about how will they make money and this and that and these and them. That part isn’t well known yet. But what is known is the leaks of Steam coming to Xbox and or possibly MS buying Valve has been right there in front of our faces for 4-5 months now. Next up there will be no need to create a “Xbox” version of a game, it will just be the PC. To top it off i can finally play PS games without my thumbs cramping.

@Fiendish-Beaver we will 1000% see some E-Day. But not to much cause it will be the after event game next year would be my guess. It makes sense as it should release in 2026 alongside the anniversary. So 2026 is the year of E-Day, but we will see some but not to much time on Gears of War Reloaded as what’s left to show for a game that’s 20 years old. Maybe they show 2 mins of gameplay with an after the event beta for PVP?

Fable yes, and countless others that we might not know about, Phil said there are surprises he is trying not to let slip. Excited for that and for what games come to the cancel station 5. Who cares? It’s the least attractive place to play them. Full price, no GP. Worst controller in the business with a Ui that takes more button presses to do something then beating a boss in Elden Ring. I think we are in for a heck of a show, not to mention how good we been eating these last few months.

10 for me cause of Gears of War E-Day. Should see a decent amount more of it. The rest is just all gravy for me. Really looking forward to it tho.

@themightyant yeah we could see steam on a Xbox branded PC handheld. It makes sense. As for Steam buyout, it’s a private non traded company. Not sure they would get much roadblocks on it. I Could be wrong. But it seems like now that they cleared house on that awful department, they won’t be nearly as involved for the sake of being involved only to lose in court again any time soon. But i still ain’t convinced Steam and Gabe would want to sell. But i did my part in sharing the limited info on the subject. But i have no clue how that will go from here. Likely just talks and nothing more. At least for now. 😀

@Coletrain Yeah Arm would be the better solution for a handheld. Less heat, lower power. But not sure about how that would work with back compatibility. So it’s just a rumor for now and MS took it down from the job listing. Meaning either they didn’t mean to include Xbox or they leaked their plans and took it off. It’s all a guessing a game until they come out with the reveal. 😀

@Cakefish and maybe they don’t sell it for some of those reasons, thats why it is a take it for as little of a story as it is now. But the talks have been made and i think will continue to as MS for ways to improve it’s PC/Xbox footing into ways that expand it across all devices.

@Jenkinss of course i needed to ask. it seemed like such a simple thing to do alongside all the other teams improving their FPS on games while a game that sold around 74 million is sitting there at 30 fps with a huge fan base asking for the upgrade. Happy if this rumor is true and we finally get it.

@Coletrain what they are missing is other reports were it is listed as ARM for Surface products and Xbox devices, as for back compat we already know MS is working on a huge back compat project now. So what’s that for? My guess would be the change from X86 to WIN32. Making the Xbox and PC platform the same design language. Whether or not ARM fits into that in the handheld or home box time will tell.

@themightyant i am merely stating what has been leaks from the conversations. As to what a deal like that is worth and or if it even happens is anyone’s guess. Again i can only work with the info i have given to me and i don’t want to overstate something that is likely to not happen, but to say it would never happen or hasn’t been discussed would also not be smart to include when people ask why would MS and Xbox allow Steam.

@Millionski they have already said they are making a new Gen console with a huge generational leap. Whatever that is time will tell. But it will be a PC/Hybrid console for sure it’s looking like to go alongside the handheld. We do know MS will be making Xbox Os and that will be on the console handhelds and other OEM devices. Exciting times ahead for me as the traditional console space as we have it is a little stale on both platforms or me at the moment, so a shake up on the Xbox side is a nice welcome for me personally.

@nomither6 Yeah once i buy the 5080 it will be mainly putting it together and ready to go. But i am ok with taking my time as my Series X gets turned on just about every night. I wish i got to see their next gen plans before hand but that is unlikely.

Fatty Dual sense hurts my fingers so bad, Really hope Sony redesigns it for PS6.

@RaZieLDaNtE Hey there buddy, yes that would be amazing to see Red Dead running the best it’s ever done on console. It sit’s at around 70 plus million in sales now, so a RDR 2 upgrade repackaged and lightly marketed could get it over the 100 million unit sales mark which is just insane. Still my favorite single player story game ever made. The Online is an embarrassment and i would be happy to see it excluded in the remaster update if it is a new game and not just an update.

@Cakefish @Titntin

I am not here to claim rumors nor add to much fuel to their fire. But do remember it’s been leaked that MS has made a 16 billion dollar offer to acquire Steam / Valve. Not saying it happens but if it does there is your answer to how Steam on Xbox makes money. The likelihood of it is low yes. But it has been reported and Valve hasn’t commented. With the digital age upon us, Storefronts and IP’s is the battle ground, not unit sales. MAU, which even Sony just listed as trying to grow and they sell plenty of hardware units. Micro transactions and digital storefronts is the money and has been for a while now, MS will continue to invest in that as they own a plethora of IP’s already, next up a storefront or multiple store fronts to go alongside Gamepass. Again not saying it happens but 16 billion is pocket change for MS that admitted they still have 90 billion to invest after the ABK deal. Maybe they don’t invest all that into gaming, maybe some of that goes to cloud, AI and other core MS projects. But 16 out of 90 would be ink to paper if Valve agrees.

@Millionski it has already been said MS has green light the next gen console. Could other PC/Console builds exist from other OEMS time will tell but it’s likely. Which could be really cool. I’d be interested in a high end Razor Xbox model with more power at any cost.

@Kaloudz @Coletrain @themightyant @Banjo-

It’s already been leaked that MS is planning a Xbox and Sufface device to use ARM. Likely a Snapdragon. This would be perfect for the handheld. Now will it carry into the home console. I have zero clue. But MS using ARM was even leaked in the ABK file under future plans. Not that that can’t change. But it’s likely ARM is being heavily tested and not just for Xbox but it said Surface products too. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZE4_aq3CCc

@Titntin this is going to be 1 sku for the lower entry, the main hardware will be the powerfully PC/Console hybrid. This has been leaked and rumored for a while now. So you could just skip the handheld and get the main console. I do like the option tho, as it sounds like PS6 also will be doing a handheld and console as they have two deals with AMD for SOC’s. So you can skip that one too and get the console from Sony. 😊

The Purple Browse the Store should be Gone, there is already a Store icon at the top. That should be gone, then just cut one ad and it’s only 2, sure it be nice to have none but lets be real. So by removing the Purple Store and just 1 add that cleans up the bottom, i like the ability to only have a few games in the row. That i would use. So i welcome this. It would be a nice update. Hope to see it roll out soon.

Please Please Please be true. I have been asking nicely for years rockstar. Just do me this one favor.

@nomither6 been getting a few of the smaller things for it. The 5080 is near impossible to find and still jacked high in price, I’d like to slowly build it as Gears of War E-Day is the game i will want it finished by. Tho of course i will be keeping my Xbox of course and Switch 2. PS games would just be PC at that point. I rarely play much on PS5 as you know i dislike their controllers since the dawn of time HAHA

By the way no one rips the Dual Sense on Push Square better than you. You call it a fatty and all sorts of stuff. I laugh every time. HAHA

@OldGamer999 @Kaloudz @Banjo- Consider i play my Series X everyday and the other consoles just sometime. I think that say’s all thats needed for my console purchase, but i want to add that much of my excitement with Xbox comes from chatting and learning from you guys and see you all excited as well about Xbox games and news. We thick as thieves over here. This site alongside yall have made the Xbox that much more fun for me. We all love to see the good news and try and be positive when things aren’t going right. There is 0% chance i don’t buy the next Xbox as i know i will get my money’s worth.

@AlwaysPlaying i won’t even entertain that!

@PlatinumMikey Ford maverick is barely a truck. I was talking F150 and Silverado 1500 and up. Tho my best friends wife bought a maverick and likes it. I wouldn’t pull a boat with it tho. Just saying, Fords, Chevys and Rams are all great trucks. Even the Tundra is decent.

Physical media is in a joke of a state right now. Why even ship and produce the plastic for 80MB? Seems pointless. I am all digital but for those that want physical, i can see why they are upset.

@PlatinumMikey $48-100K vechiles are cheap? With certain gas engines getting 200K miles on them is cheaply made? . Fake news Mikey . They are expensive vehicles and have been. Have some of the nicest interiors of any vehicle these days.

@MrMagic you don’t know what you’re talking about. There is still no deal in place with China and the deals aren’t meant to hurt china, it’s meant for the US not to lose money, but if China wants to play dirty we can sink their economy with all those boats in their bay right. China is nervous and they are the ones starting to crack and negotiate. Without the US importing goods they are poor. They want to get a deal done and we want a deal done. 15 Billion dollars in a month and we still got more deals to be made. We were losing that in a few days before with those crooked deals.

@PlatinumMikey Nissan trucks aren’t awful, they just don’t sell cause Nissan don’t put the R&D into their truck line up like Ford and Chevy and Ram. So no they don’t make better trucks and thats largely why they didn’t sell. Less payload, less MPG, less horsepower etc etc. they weren’t junk, just not what they specialize in. Ford has been the leader in truck sales for almost 5 decades now. The best selling vehicles in America are trucks. Nissan really should take a merger with Honda tho. It be smart business for them.

@MrMagic US made 15 Billion dollars in those tariffs in just one month for the US and more deals are happening . Thats what happens with fair trade. Couldn’t be happier! 😀

The cost of housing is what is leading to people spending less on goods and services. You need to make 124K a year to own a home, most salaries are closer to $65-74K, the money to put a roof over your head is the main cause. Then throw in property taxes on the inflated home values and you are left with empty pockets. But Tech always bounces back and job will come open for future projects. Not like Apple, MS and Google are going away, they will rehire in time.

@MrMagic Nissan got rid of its full size truck production cause they don’t compete with Ford, Chevy and Ram. That was a huge loss of jobs that had nothing to do with tariffs or government. Simply put Nissan don’t make better full size truck than Ford or Chevy. The internet is full of lazy answers so i try and help when and where i can. Nissan should have taken the merger with Honda when they had the chance. Honda moves a lot of units like a Ford or Chevy, would have been good for a lesser high volume brand in Nissan.

I will for sure get one, missed the pre order, but have many friends in retail that will tell me to come snag one when it’s in stock. I only use a Nintendo console for Nintendo games, but for me that is worth the investment. Excited for Mario Kart and Metroid Prime 4. Plus i love playing Super Nes games on it. Super Punch out one of my all time favorites. Looking forward to it. I suspect in 3-4 years we will get a Oled model as Nintendo always revises their handhelds.

This is my favorite IP in gaming. For story Gears of War 2 for PVP Gears 5. Can’t wait for Reloaded and E-Day!

@johnedwin So does the PS5 not run AMD parts? With a Ryzen CPU zen 2? Cause if you answer yes, and you should cause it does. Then let’s fill in the blank. those are blank parts!! Give you a hint it’s 2 letters tough guy!!!

Now if you want to say the PS3 is a console cause it used the Cell sure, but that got beat over it’s head and Sony went to X86 which is….. say it with me tough guy PC game architecture.

@Millionski the thing is PS5 and Xbox Series consoles are PC’s now. They are just locked down controlled PC’s. They all use AMD chipsets and SSD’s etc etc. it’s a PC build part wise with under the hood UI’s and closed box functions. So the next Xbox build will be the same with just more open features of the PC. Hence you will play it like a console, same under the tv ease of use. Just running WIN32 like PC games. It’s not as far off from what we have now as some think. Which more open seems good if they do it right. But this is MS so expect something to be janky in the beginning haha

Only played around 2 hours so far. It’s fun. Be more fun with friends in Co-Op. nothing groundbreaking but good fun none the less.

There was a dev that said he got to see Gears of War E-day and said it was the best looking video game he ever seen. Coalition is the best with UE 5 so i expect that game to be breathtaking but Rockstar games are just next level. RDR2 was the best looking game that generation and 1/3 of this Gen honestly. I expect GTA 6 to be the benchmark for years and years to come. Very few devs have this type and of talent and most importantly budget. Not to mention knowing whatever they spend on the project they will get back 10 fold.