Everything but focusing on making great games and outstanding franchises. Nintendo figured that out, Sony figured that out and both are now leaning into making way more money with movies and media as a result of making people fall in love with their virtual worlds & characters.

Yeah that's great an all but is it Xbox Series X 8K ready??

They have upped the bar for how games should look, now my memory has all GTA games automatically looking like it and I know I'll be disappointed if I reopen those bad boys again. Very much looking forward to this.

@oopsiezz the next gen has finally begun lol

Game looked amazing and very smooth if it's 30 FPS

Now I think it's a cool feature and have been thinking about the benefit of this to a division losing money. I think the benefit here is market research from those that add their discs to their online profiles so Xbox can then see who purchased which titles and currently owns them to better build out their buyer persona and market similar games or see which are the most popular old franchises and games people play. It's pro consumer but also a good deal for Microsoft to track discs to their customers for better data on what people buy physical and they can break it down into genre, publisher, developer, etc. etc. to have the best insights on what franchises to invest in next. Not saying it's a bad thing but guessing this is part of the reason along with going all digital for the next console to "lower the cost" of the next console which will be overpriced in any case. Hope they offer a USB disc reader as an option since it's pretty much a PC they're releasing.

These are the main buyers of the console, let's face it. Many of my fellow die hard Xbox friends have indeed died hard with this release. Hope they can sit on the stock and load value as it stops real fans that have been saving for something like this.

"True 4K
Gaming and 8K ready"

Get outta town with the 8K marketing on display for this thing! (And regular Series X)

Brooo I can get a brand new LG OLED AND another Series X for less. C'mon TWO people playing it on their couch in their living room! The hubris with team Xbox rn, smh 🤦‍♂️

Now this would have been a better team to layoff than their game devs

The only thing I currently know about and care about seeing is the Ocarina of Time release details. Already picking up GTA 6, Castlevania, Duskbloods and double dipping on Elden Ring (this time with the DLC I never touched) so let's see what else may slip into my collection.

Let's see if the single player fans can do enough to support some of these niche studios. I love and own tons of single player games but rarely play or complete them due to online multiplayer activities 🙈 Point is I STILL buy the games and support devs and publishers as I add dozens to my backlog

Wow another improved sequel review following Mortal Shell 2, I can only say I like that. If you look at From software, it took them 15+ years to even start getting mainstream hits so for these companies to make big improvements in the short span they've been around is hopefully good news for them. I still have to finish my playthrough of the first game

A surprise to be sure but a welcome one. I especially like the description "kinetic gameplay", might try it on demo or a free play day if those appear

Glad Nintendo is doing something about Xbox's quality control management

I love Scabby! That's what they get for being scabs

@Shinato2024 agreed. I had a really good time personally with the game & it's been cool to see the community grow. Jealous of the PC Star Wars mods not coming to console.

@Dodoo lol they were indeed paid employees to hype the crowd & then show the first few minutes of gameplay, which were choppy to be fair. I still bought the various editions of the game & it has a special place, looking forward to diving in with all the new updates in the future

@VisitingComet1 I need to definitely get back into it, waiting for a few more updates and I think the winter is a nice time to get back into space. The shipbuilding aspect was honestly one of my favorite things to do

@mac_da_man yeah totally agree, the hype around Starfield was insane and it launched a good 7-8/10 game not a groundbreaking 10/10 game so keeping my expectations in check. I was at Gamescom for the Starfield trailer reveal and the people they hired were def paid to say "Starfield is so ****ing cool!" and after we all watched the gameplay were like, mmm it looks okay. All paid marketing hype until we see some gameplay footage in the real world

@MasterClank smart move tbh, you'll have to let us know how you like it. Have always wanted to get into these but never bought them so when my Game pass expired they were gone! At least you get the GP discount purchasing new

This is honestly one of the best years for games of all time and layoffs are spoiling the good fun and hard work (hoping they don't layoff in 2 weeks like they've been doing all year across studios)

It's almost as if we have processes in place for this already..very happy to see this not be a "thing". Adults are responsible for what is played on an Xbox pure and simple and making us verify is a bit silly.

20 years until ES6 remaster boys, let's start saving!

Side note, she's prob not even played an Elder Scrolls game, marketing hype with the Oblivion release on Switch 2. Let me enjoy Oblivion again before getting me thinking about the next game, gawl *randy marsh

This is a tough question in a way because I do buy a lot of digital games but typically when on very low discount. I buy used physical (depending on condition) and new physical as well. I buy a lot of games so probably not the typical/ average demographic and these companies care more about average than the top or bottom 20% of their base

I'm hoping this means they start using the format on the next Xbox and possibly add a port or adapter so people can use it on PC. Otherwise I kind of see these as e-waste once the generation goes away, new releases keeps me hopeful it's a longer term plan with Xbox.

@M20B25 I'm just gonna leave this here to age very well, I will do the same for the next Elder Scrolls game for at least another two gens

Hey these guys were right about Game Pass and I'm happy to pay for $100 for something I actually want than shovelware and B-class day one releases that costs $180/year. I absolutely love physical but imagine this is 100GB so likely not going to make sense. I buy lots of physical and want it on most games but some just won't make sense unless they ship it on a memory card and in that case may as well download. That being said, I'd pay $120 for a physical copy hehe

I mean they quoted two good games you can spend your money on. I have had Started Valley bookmarked for a hot minute

They need to NOT do the Halo 2 Remake and focus on releasing a GOOD MODERN Halo game. They need to develop a studio that can make a great game that people want to play. It may just be Halo has been surpassed by many other excellent titles so idk how they get out of it. Launch has to be flawless online? whatever comes out next

End of the day it's bad sales numbers for a Halo title so it makes sense. Idk who wanted or asked for another remake but clear where their resources should be spent now: world class multiplayer and a strong story for an 10-16 hour campaign with online coop and single player. I'm all for more brutal combat, hope they give it to id so Chief can rip and tear. Hope they move away from Brutes as the baddies and give us better aliens than bullet sponges and corny grunts, been there done that for 25 years. I always have a special high hope in my heart for another excellent Halo experience. They can't buy their way into a good Halo game & need excellent devs, writers and musicians so their recent layoffs may very well make the next game a flop 😭

@darylb24 I join you in this sentiment. Looks amazing.

Possibly my final great purchase on Xbox this gen. Let's face it, the real reason to own a next gen console for a lot of casual gamers has always been the next GTA game. GTA V had such a good story & acting in it. Leggoooo!!

*No need to take that too seriously if you don't like the franchise, let me be hyped 😁✌️and yes the Netflix thing is lame

I have 6 games wish listed, just bought Ghost wire Tokyo for $15 so now 5 left. I don't think there are 1000 games I want to own on Xbox although I do have a fair amount owned (vast majority paid but also including years of Games with Gold, F2P and free titles)

Pretty bold using the new Fable rather than the latest one from August 2010 ages and feels old in real time 🤪

I'm really hoping it's a hit. Fable 1 felt like Xbox's response to Zelda with a fun fantasy game. Hope they keep it coming this year with more free goodies given all the price hikes

I can't watch anymore. [deactivates hologram]

They should have kept the program instead of whatever the hell they just experimented on with us 🥲 I moved to Core anyway with all the price hikes which I'm sure they did not want

Sad to say but a lot of these F2P shooters need to just stop unless they're backed by billion dollar orgs because they just get absolutely trampled even if they have some fun mechanics by better established communities

I've been playing Truxton Extreme

@shoeses I agree with this sentiment, Halo and Gears doing re-releases along with Forza have shown how little has changed for their ecosystem as a whole, especially letting go of some studios that made new exciting IPs. I was die hard for these 18-20 years ago 😱 shocked to say it, but my love for the franchises have definitely changed. Unsure of the right path forward with these as they've indeed had total team and identity changes over what is now decades+

@NishimaruX I had started to buy a bunch of digital, then they closed a few of the Nintendo eShops and around 2019 started buying more and more physical. Physical largely outpaces my digital spend at this point so I can have access when shops eventually close, the physical media they're on lasts longer than 15 years which is the longest they keep a lot of these open anyway. I bought a lot of Japanese games on Xbox as well to specific support those developers producing discs, although funny enough even until recently many were released during the Series X lifecycle but released in Xbox One boxes. In any case, I support options as I also own hundreds of digital games at this point while newer titles or special releases I get physical (I'm looking at Truxton Extreme, the upcoming Zelda OOT remake, Castlevania, Fire Emblem and Super Bomberman Collection just to name a few!)

Can't believe it's not a mountain dew orange or code red partnership. Bit silly to make am account

@HonestHick bro some LAN parties with this would be legendary tbh. Would be fine with 4 player splitscreen and 16 player LAN over online.

The Covenant don't know what's coming. Very happy they're restarting or rebooting for newer generations.

I would say it's a bit unfair that it's barely available and there is already a spoiler post on a sequel before the rest of us had a chance to finish the Maw ourselves? C'mon 😭

The magic of Halo Legendary endings is the post credit content. Halo 3 being one of the best post credit scenes out there.

Own nearly everything I want on Xbox so have been dipping into Switch 2 sales. Still waiting on the Skyrim upgrade pack to go on sale so I can get the Switch 2 upgrade. I currently have Black Myth Wukong as the only game I'm waiting for a drop in price on Xbox. On the fence for RE Requiem on Series X or Switch 2 for portability, ehhh

@Eastergregg I also dislike the digital online checks of Xbox. Just wanna drop my content in and play offline without getting pop ups and checks to sign up for digital content.

This is a spoiler in and of itself, like saying the end of Halo 2 shows that there is a "spoiler" . Great game though, guess we should wait for the MCC Remake in 2031 with all the remakes combined??

Thanks for sharing this list.
Separate note, bruh, cloud gaming got me to drop $100 on a Razer Kishi and $20 on a controller attachment and for the games I play (online multiplayer games) it was a bad investment since they load slowly. Have heard cloud has improved but still haven't tried it in 2 years and counting. How's it now?

I think Skull and Bones was a good concept but terribly executed. Just needed to label it Assassin's Creed Pirate Wars (something more clever of course by marketing people) with these graphics and it would've sold more. I love pirate themed stuff but Sea of Thieves is old and not innovative at all and this game is a great one, not a whole lot in that genre. Summer time is a PERFECT time to release nautical games!

I guess one of the most important aspects of the first Halo game was the emphasis on sacrificing some graphical power to have enhanced AI. The review didn't really cover this, is anyone here on Pure Xbox able to confirm if it's using similar enemy AI to the original release or if its just the more basic version found in later Halo games?