Kilamanjaro

Glad Phil is finally opening up and being honest about this as well. Microsoft is all about software & Xbox isn't the hottest console around, it had some good runs over the years & will continue to be a hardware option but in terms of business growth, it's all outside of the Xbox ecosystem for them.

So amazing, I wish more Western developers had awesome fun like this in their games while having solid gameplay mechanics. Have the demo downloaded and ready to give it a shot!

@TheEstablishment when I got the ASUS ROG Ally I was really disappointed at how many Xbox games were available for me to play on that thing considering how massive my Xbox library is. Hope they make a lot more of their games available via the Microsoft store & put agreements in place to make that license good on Xbox & vice versa. Maybe consolidate the two?

Obviously waiting for Broforce over my 120+ games I own. Hope they pick up the pace but pretty sure it might be a licensing issue. I'm sure all the new Xbox studios games will alter contracts to make this a Day 1 thing hopefully

Every gaming device is a computer

That's really all I want as an Xbox fan is honesty and transparency

This is one of my favorite couch co-op games. The learning curve is quick & steep but once you get it, it's loads of fun

Oh boy the 18th can't come soon enough!!!

@donv2135 I personally love consoles & what they offer. That being said I don't think it makes sense for every major company to stay in the game if they are especially good on the software side

8k 120fps games with full ray tracing better come to XSX to fulfill the promise on my box 🥹 please?

@abe_hikura Stadia, Luna, Netflix gaming. None of those companies inherently knew what it was to make games. Such a good comment there, Nintendo handled it pretty well imo too. They dropped the ball with Animal Crossing content but even their vanilla game was a freaking smash hit!

So hard for studios to stick around but they deserve long tenure. Great writing, great graphics and fun games are all you can ask for. I'm looking forward to Avowed next week!

@Markatron84 I'll give it another shot soon

I'll try out Bloodstained later, one of my favorite Metroidvanias & here's hoping the streaming can keep up with the action!

@Markatron84 yeah I really had a great experience running out my laptop off the browser or with the dongle. They refunded all my purchases too when they ultimately failed but they allowed 4k 60fps gaming and I can't say Gamepass offers the same fidelity as consistently. How's the experience been lately? I'll admit it's been maybe 2 years now since I've tried at home but have tried mobile more often with mixed results

Optimization is always welcome, makes a better game experience

Finally Xboxes will be sold again. I honestly love my Series X and wish it was better marketed, it's the best console I've owned maybe ever. Not the best games but it's just so reliable and it's quiet and the games are beautiful and a good price.

I'm taking a break this weekend, up in the mountains and away from the screen. I am looking forward to Avowed.

Yeah but if you count PS5 as an Xbox, that's 90 million Xboxes 🧠 big brain time Phil

The only lame part with the physical is that it's a code. Let me has my disc drive 😭 I understand how digital on a disc vs hard drive works but c'mon, even the Witcher 3 got thrown in a Switch cartridge. Gimme my disc. It's probably because of their digital only consoles so if grandma and grandpa mess up there are no returns

I've been looking forward to this - Count Dooku

Awesome, happy to see this collection out

Halo should've had the same game plan at launch! Transparency like this is great so people don't speculate and it manages people's expectations

@OriginalDrGonzo PlayStation has PS Remote Play, think they've had some variation of it since PS3, for sure PS4. Xbox has the nice mobile controls but I remember reading somewhere they're having a hard time breaking into the market for mobile gamers with their Xbox app. Obviously with ABK their mobile games are making bank but don't think a lot of people are flocking to pay for GPU for a laggy experience. My hope is with the new AppStore rules, Microsoft rebrands their mobile gaming division so you can "buy PC games on your phone" via the Microsoft game store app and it adds all the game pass stuff there for us legacy console players to take advantage of while drawing in new players. I would like the option to download games locally rather than stream even if it's at suboptimal graphics settings just to have less latency. I own the Kishi peripheral and a controller adapter but just haven't had the next experience on GPU on my phone from my personal experience. I am glad to hear it works well for you, sounds like a fun time if it's a smooth experience

@Dampsponge I didn't really think about it but you're totally right about the ads. At the very least remove them for paid subscribers to any version of Game pass

Technically they're all computers so the only difference a console makes is if it has unique features that enhance the experience: Xbox with Kinect, Wii with motion controls, DS with two screens, Switch with home & on the go functionality, etc. I'm all for hardware enabling games for bespoke experiences and also having easy development for more mainstream gaming. Having fewer consoles also makes development easier for devs

@Isolte I think all day one releases are only in ultimate now

@DaddyDuder great points

Live service doesn't fit all genres nor goals for game development. The game would need to be designed from the ground up with extensive player UAT and market research showing the willingness of people to play that in the niche it covers

More great games is good news for everyone

We're not saying it's aliens, but hey, it's aliens

@BigRedPaper woah calm down dude. I own Xbox shirts and shoes and buy their anniversary stuff. They have rebranded from Xbox Game Studios to Microsoft Game Studios. Hope venting makes you feel better and saying people should die for their POv is worrisome. I comment on this site frequently. I'm all for more consoles, Nintendo and Sony dominate but I also own retro consoles and the Evercade. Settle down.

Haven't they just lied about a lot of things in retrospect? They can just be open and transparent to better manage fan expectation. They have a strong brand and I want Xbox to do well but only if they continue to earn our trust rather than disappoint us or throw us into a niche they find to be unprofitable compared to other demographics.

Capcom is amazing, always love their work. They do excellent fan service.

I am excited to play this game, looks like a lot of fun

Glad to see Dorsey and Bluesky taking off. So much more positive than X and drama free.

@dskatter yeah I have been saying I am going to sell my games but no, I never do 😂 I am a collector

@dskatter physical is king. I love when design has to be created for the real world be touched & felt. Maybe even resold for a handsome sum? *Doctor evil pinky smirk

Game looks the same. Literally no difference.

Jk

Square Enix with the support! Thank you for making this article!

Good for age of empires. Hopefully people stop playing clash of clans and enjoy these masterpieces more than all the mobile clones

Raw Fury and Team 17 are always great

@Rog-X Microsoft literally provided absolutely no marketing for Hi Fi Rush. Nintendo or Sony aren't known for acquiring everything under the sub. The studio got acquired within 3 months of closure announcement. Xbox barely know how to work with the Japanese market or their studios if 20+ years of trying has shown anything . Sony & Nintendo have great Quality Assurance & provide adequate marketing for their releases. Nintendo straight owns the concept of shadow dropping hits during their Nintendo Directs & it's after carefully curating those for their audiences. Xbox does a "here's what we got" series of random devs and personalities playing demos for games. I'll admit the Xbox format got much better the past year compared to the messes they were before. Pure Xbox should do a poll showing the rankings of Xbox showcases since they launched. I bet they've improved over time. December was a great month for Xbox so cynicism aside, I hope this Indie Direct focuses on great games AND that Xbox supports the ones that make a splash. I am a big Xbox fan so hope for the best but have been disappointed the last year. Sorry for the rant. Your points are valid.

Any Microsoft Games Studio indie studio that wins an award will be shutdown within 6 months. RIP Tango Gameworks.

@BigRedPaper they rebranded to Microsoft game Studios. They'll transition away from the brand in time once boxes are no longer needed.

They are called MicroSOFT for a reason. They've historically made bad hardware decisions and products but their software? World dominating.

Alright this review has convinced me to go into the military and do this in real life because it might be easier than the game actually I am looking forward to this. I think PsychoGhost is going to be streaming this on Twitch so I'll check it out there before hopping into it myself.

@Nintendo4Sonic hopefully they make a physical copy then 😭

Bloodstained is so much fun

@Secryt I think it'll be nice for the players that stay in the console game, we are more niche now compared to PC and Mobile gaming. I'll likely build out a PC in a couple of years but I'll always be bespoke gaming hardware as long as they offer it. I tried to hold a GBA at a GameStop recently and they wouldn't let it out of their hands because people steal them point blank 😂 some people are literally desperate for consoles, new or old. Fair points you made I just think Microsoft should pivot to PC and Mobile and publish/ develop for the console space. They don't need to compete anymore on consoles imo