@Fiendish-Beaver
The hype is totally lost on me too, I've played every GTA game and I find them really quite dull, with clunky zero fun combat and gunplay and at best ok(ish) driving mechanics.

I'll no doubt play this one too, eventually, but I can't see it changing my mind on the franchise, overhyped, clunky and dull, but fun for a quick mindless blast occasionally.

Give me Saints Row and Crackdown any day.

Evercade fan here too. Awesome console. 😁

@RTGX Yep I'm a mixture of digital and physical too, across the various media formats. I'd like for the choice to be around for everyone, but Xbox and PS is all digital for me, although I like a mix on Switch 2, physical where available there.

Music, I use Spotify, but buy cassettes, CDs and very occasionally vinyl too.

Movies, I have purchased a lot on digital in the past, but with MS binning their movie store and Sony removing access to previously purchased films I've swung back to Blu-ray and DVD.

All about choices and what people feel comfortable with.

@fatpunkslim All valid points, a really nice feature.
I only have a handful of discs on Xbox, and I think I already bought them a second time digitally when on deep sales. 🤣
It's worth checking though, I can always add them to my daughter's account and she can play them in the future if she wants to.
Actually, it's a nice way to hand down your games, gifting a physical and digital version in one, very cool, I don't believe you are allowed to pass on your digital only licences to family when you pass (of course you could change account details, name and email address, but the Ts & Cs say licenses aren't supposed to be transferable).

Bungie seem to have 9 lives, they are here and still ticking. They need a big success soon though, I predict a fail.

No cassette? Pah, I wasn't buying it anyway, just like the game. 🤷🏻🤣

I'd rather they binned it all together and go back to Live and Games with Gold. Just two games per month, of a better quality than when they were available last time.

"Xbox CTO is as transparent as the 25th Anniversary Xbox, and we love to see it"

But isn't the anniversary console translucent? 🤔😋

Everybody forgets that this was a thing on the 360, I've never ever seen anyone talk about it. 🤷🏻
Look at your achievements on the 360 dashboard and it states "games completed", games that you obtained all the achievements for. I think it was the base cheevos, and doesn't included DLC.
So the system was already there in place, they just need to present it in an interesting way.
Why they didn't do this at the launch of the Xbox One is mystifying really. Better late than never I suppose, and it will be interesting to see how it's implemented.

Forza Horizon 3, the best one in the series!

This is a fantastic feature, massive praise to MS for this.

I have this on Switch 2 and haven't had time to really get into it yet. All the reviews praise it so much, so I'm sure I'm in for a real treat when I have the time to give it a real chance.

Love Evercade, a great platform, I much prefer it to Xbox these days, and that Doom Nexus is almost worth jumping in on... But I will stick to my old Capcom EXP and original VS. Great for those new to the platform though.

So we've had Activision, Rare and Doom so far, surely more MS franchises are to come.

I'd just be happy if they introduced a cheap Gold tier, just online facilities, maybe with access to the old Gold games library (if you previously claimed them) and that's it.

I sub to the most basic Gamepass tier, but don't want that library at all, I just want online features.
It would be even nicer if online was free and then I wouldn't have a subscription at all, but I guess they know that and that's what it isn't offered free. 💁🏻🤣

No purchases from me, my Xbox spend is still suspended (since sometime in 2024, I've only bought a couple of games on sale), pending next gen and how things work out on the platform.

I will continue to pay for the bottom tier Gamepass so my already existing library is fully functional (online is essential really). But I don't see me jumping back in again, I'm here for the nostalgia at this point, my former favourite platform. 🤷🏻🤣

@Runex2121 What? No online play? So basically the old "Gold" service part of Gamepass? This is crazy!
So you just get to play some old games, but then if you want online play Gold isn't an option any more so you have to subscribe to Gamepass, the thing you are getting free?! But actually... you aren't. 🤷🏻🤦🏻‍♂️🤣 There's no top up sub to add the online feature. People are going to be confused. This went from excellent to totally useless.

Thanks for letting me know a about this. 👍🏻

EDIT
Useless form an Xbox point of view, I guess it's nice that you get to play some Xbox games on your headset. But it's basically a promo to advertise Xbox and make you subscribe for console play. Smart marketing I suppose.
I am currently not planning on re-subbing to Meta, and I have an active lowest Gamepass sub via a code. I'll stick to that lowest sub, I just want online play really. If online was free that would be great, or maybe even a lower tier that was cheaper.
Regardless, this former Xbox whale realises not much is for me in Xbox land any more.

This is interesting. I had the Meta + sub, but cancelled it when I wasn't using my headset as much. If the price of the base level Gamepass is now included then I may re-sub and I'm getting two for one, both systems are low usage for me these days, but at least the value will be there, online services available to me when I do use the headset or console.

Ryse, the most underrated exclusive of it's generation. A viking sequel would still be great today. It's shame we probably won't see it.

@BacklogBrad Like on PlayStation? Nah mate, we are second class citizens over here.

This makes things right worth regards to content being free elsewhere, but the real parity we want is an Xbox One/Series version of BO1 and 2. The hacked 360 versions could really do with being replaced.

@Elbow Yeah it always struggled on last gen, but I still played the heck out of it.

TBF it actually got to a playable state, especially if you were around from the start - The melty buildings where it would spawn around you and you'd get stuck inside a table, 15 frames per second etc etc. 🤣

So yeah the 30fps was welcome! But they binned support of last gen a while ago so it's Series and PS5 consoles only now.

Nice updates to an amazing game.
I have sunk days and days of play time (weeks actually !😬🤣) into this game since launch, jumping in for months at a time. If I was more time rich I'd play it constantly now too.

@Mr-Cage The game supports zero cross play. The 360 version is hacked and must be kept separate.

The PS4 and PS5 version are also separate and don't even support cross play with each other, which is surprising, I would have thought they would be to increase the player base.

Even so, this should have been released on XB1 and XB series consoles. Just a disgrace that an MS owned franchise doesn't even get a release on its own consoles!

@Mr-Cage
I think you need to re-read my comment mate. Back compatibility is awesome, I never said it was a waste of time.

Putting words in my mouth. Well done. 👏🏻

@oopsiezz Yep, its a disgrace. The 360 versions, although great, are hacked to death. I would have bought these, at the launch discount prices anyway.

Thanks for treating us so well MS. Shove your Helix.

Ponies are in full meltdown. Always fun to watch.

(I have all three consoles, my comment is pointed a the large toxic Sony fanboy community).

Great option.

Basically Helix will be DOA, just like the Steam Machine. Best case they subside the box, but with Xbox on its arse that sounds unlikely.

It's game over guys, the writing is on the wall. An OG here can see this, yeah it hurts as I've invested so much in their ecosystem, but at this point, well it's a zombie brand....

Deadman walking!

No worries, everyone who wants an Xbox already has one so they can sit on an inventory of stock and polish them all if they like. Perhaps they can gut them to use the components in AI? 🤣

What a time for gaming. 🤷🏻🤦🏻‍♂️ How Sony and MS think they'll sell next gen consoles over the next year or two, it's laughable, no chance at the prices they'll be, we will all sit on our current hardware.

I'm glad I bought a Switch 2 near launch, it scratches the new console itch and will sit alongside my PS5 and XSX. It's good for another six years at least, perhaps the tech world will be less crazy by then?

So they really really aren't going to give us new versions on Xbox? 😱
That's all my Xbox spend done. The final straw... Series X will become a legacy machine, to play my thousands of games I've already bought on the platform...I think, thanks MS.

I'd already slowed down to almost a complete halt after the last couple of years, but yeah an OG here on the outs. This really could be the final straw. After all this time. Surely they wont do this?! 🤷🏻🤔😡🤬

@FraserG Evercade? A man of culture.

I cannot see a scenario where they would not also release these on Xbox. Yes we have the 360 versions and they are back compat, but they are old games with lots of hackers in the lobbies.

I think they will be free to current 360 version owners, or worst case a whole new purchase at a lowish price.

(If MS somehow mess this up and the above does not come to pass, wow, expect a final straw moment happening for many many long time Xbox gamers, like myself, since the OG. Not even MS are this stupid, so it won't happen....).

@BottleCapDave2021 Oh no. They should have left that, it had it's own unique boot up that was very cool.

Very nice. I will fire up the Series X later to check it out. I assume it's just current gen? I like the One X's unique bootup, I hope that is still in place.

Xbox
Makes the totally expected and correct decision

Me
Of course, well done.

Internet
Agghhhhhhh! wahhh wahhh wahh! Xbox is dumb and deader than dead.

@DojoMax
As I said in my comment I know I'm probably in a small percentage of users that actually utilise the port... but to be fair to this "grifter" I do have a good headset, with controls too.

That's not the point here, it's a lot more simple to use the buttons connected to the pad, a smaller hand movement, faster and more elegant for sure. Also, a feature that's been available for over a decade, across two console generations, just being taken away, well, isn't that a shame? Just because you don't use it it doesn't mean that it's not a valid thing to be disappointed about.

I doubt that anyone who has actually used the stereo adapter for some amount of time would say that using the dashboard controls or taking their hand up to their headset is a more intuitive, fast or efficient way to operate a headset.

I also use the stereo adapter and occasionally the chatpad, so this is a loss of some functions for me. I bet I'm in a super small percentage of people though, so it goes the way of Snap, on the scrapheap. Meh.

Yeah any ads should be gaming related, a fast food one is just insulting.
What's worse, and I'm no snowflake, but at least offer a survey to make them relevant ffs, I'm a veggie, advertising a crappy chicken product is of no interest to me. I don't get this on my Switch 2. Do better Microsoft.

I played this one on my Switch 2 and commented with my opinions over on Nintendo Life.

To add my thoughts here, well I played this last Saturday and enjoyed it. The music creates a great atmosphere and the sequences although very light on actual gameplay are enjoyable, with the graphics looking very nice.

On reflection, a few more days after completing it, the characters could have been more likeable and maybe a little more humour may have helped too.
Regardless I'd recommend playing this, although it is definitely being overrated, for me it's a 7.5/8 out of 10.

Playground managed to produce a locked 30fps with perfectly even frame pacing and excellent tight and responsive controls in the early FH games, they felt totally acceptable. It's tempting to play this at 30fps and get the extra eye candy. It'll play very well in either mode, so I will swap between them and see what I think.

Blur, now it's Microsoft IP, surely it will come. Then follow it with a sequel. 😁🤟🏻

All four with a cool animation would be nice, gotta love the 360 and One X boot animations, how about them too?

As someone who has owned all three leading consoles each generation I think I'll finally be out. I may not buy either the Sony or Microsoft machine, we will see. I have a Switch 2 and the cross gen will be so long that my PS5 (and XSX, if it still receives games, I think support will be quickly binned) will be just fine.

A lot of people are saying that they are out, I wonder if it's just your time, lots of younger gamers will be coming in and taking your (and maybe my) place, buying the new hardware.
That's fine, I'm finding Atari 2600/7800, Evercade and Switch 2 more than meet my needs for games these days.

I think Forza is now the Horizon series, Motorsport needs to at least be put on hold indefinitely. Turn 10 could then be the Project Gotham studio. A new start, FM had become stale anyway and PGR is due a return.

@Globo Not really.
The question was what do you expect from Xbox over the next five years, I said "Dead as a pure console, all releases will be PC based". I stand by that, thats cleary what's going to happen, it'll be dead as a console, hopefully alive as a PC gaming mode. Let's see how people accept it.

You replied to me and I so replied to you. I stand by my first comment, I didn't say dead as a platform... Although that is also possible, but I hope not. 😬🤦🏻‍♂️🤣
Xbox being dead as a console is a positive thing anyway, they gave up trying to beat Sony so they needed to pivot to PC and we will see what happens.

To be clear, if you don't know my username I'm a reader of this site since the first time round (before it was shut down for years and then reborn) and own thousands of Xbox games so I'm not hating on Xbox. I rarely post these days as it's been a depressing couple of years being an Xbox fan, my spending went on hold as things went wrong and that's after Xbox being my main platform since the OG.

@Globo
There will be Xbox releases on an Xbox store, of course, but they won't be "console" releases, they will basically be PC releases as the new hardware is a PC with Xbox legacy compatibility via onboard hardware. They will run in an Xbox mode on a Windows PC, the next gen hardware.

Well, as you will be able to select between modes, I have a great name... Windows Switch

Joking aside who knows with Xbox naming, they should just let their imaginations go wild. What could possibly go wrong?

Xbox One U?

@Globo
Let me clarify for you.

In five years there will be no 'console' releases on Xbox, they will be PC based and run on the new PC/Console hybrid. They will run in a console like environment/front end, but they will be PC based games as the next machine is a PC hybrid.

So yeah, as a pure console Xbox will be dead in five years. This is not a bold prediction I am making here, but clearly what MS is morphing Xbox into.

Dead as a pure console, all releases will be PC based.

I enjoy playing the classic CODs, and with the multiplayer lobbies being hacked , sadly, I go Rambo and play solo in private games against a team of bots, great fun.
I will try this mode out, I don't recall ever playing it, it sounds like it will be right up my alley, thank you.

I am glad that this is seeming being buried, but this and the release of games on other formats has totally killed confidence in the brand. I say this as a long time reader of this site (from first time round before it was closed and resurrected) who's main console, you know an actual console, was an Xbox, since the OG.
When MS lost their minds I slowed spending down to an almost complete stop on the platform.

I'm sure MS have an Excel sheet somewhere noting how people like me, decades old customers with literally thousands of games, went down to spending almost nothing on games and the basic cheapest subscription. They scared off their most loyal customers, quite an achievement. The past couple of years have been worse than the Xbox One launch, it's been a monumental screw up. Can they come back from this? Sadly I don't think so.