I'm really looking forward to this and plan to preorder one monday provided it does not sell out immediately.
I prefer offset sticks but I can see why they would do it this way. The addition of those touch pads really shift things. Offset sticks would mean the dpad is too close to a sensitive area your thumb would rest on, and generate lots of false inputs. Having the left stick paralel to the right is likely the best choice for the functionality they were aiming to here.
I been doing more and more of my gaming on PC, mostly on Steam but also on the xbox app. I do hope the standard features of this controller work with the xbox app, and that the notes mentioned above be restricted to additional functionality. If I can still use the touch pads for mouse movement when needed, I will be a very happy gamer.
@Kezelpaso @FraserG relatively off topic but there been a lot of FFXIV news this weekend about the next big expansion as well as the next patch (landed today) that finalizes this expansion main story arch (not final patch for the expansion but story and Alliance raids themed around FFXI are both culminating today).
Not sure if that’s something you are planning to cover but it’s always nice to hear updates about Square Enix games, especially Final Fantasy stuff, in Xbox focused spaces.
Highlights worth highlighting is a whole new combat system next expansion, inclusion of Shadowbringers expansion to the free tier (best expansion on an MMO ever) and a whole new progression system m, plus the usual 2 new jobs (unspecified but confirmed to be a tank and a physical ranged dps).
The biggest advantage of using Discord is that it's cross platform. These days it's integrated with Xbox and PS5 in addition of working on PC. It's a one-stop solution for cross-platform communication on anything but Nintendo. Even on Nintendo, you can always run it on your phone while playing on the Switch.
Discord also is a social media of sorts, allowing many gaming communities to form, be it official or player driven ones. Many online games tend to host their own discord servers and so do many indie studios. It has really become a better alternative for gaming communities than forums, IMO.
@Coletrain technically this makes you the old man yelling at clouds 😅
I would welcome this if it includes online play on console. Else, means nothing to me.
I already subscribe to Nitro for a few perks, I doubt those 50 titles will ever be used but really would love it if that sub also ended up removing the multiplayer paywall from my Xbox.
Worth noting: you can subscribe for yearly Nitro packages for a discounted price, but we cant do that with Game Pass Essentials. It's not a huge discount, but $100 compared to $120 a year is something, if you can take advantage of it as a means to access online play on Xbox, that is.
@YungCizzle24 BO6: best CoD launch until that point despite being in GP. BO7: nearly universal negative reception. The game was just not only poorly received, but it also was a back to back entry in the same series, something that they admit hurt sales.
My take coming into this is that I can play AC4 right now on any platform I want. I can even play the thing on the Wii U! Prettier graphics would not sell me on this. So I was hoping for a lot of changes. This falls a bit short, but not short enough for me to pass on it.
My expectations:
Whole new combat system. Combat system seems significantly different, even if not as much as I was hoping. Not because I didn't have fun in AC4's combat, but because I want the game to FEEL like a new game since, again, I can alwas play AC4 anywhere. Naval combat also seems expanded uppon. Do look forward to see how these changes feel.
Expanded story content with lots more story. There seems to be new story content, but at least based on the reveal it seems limited to the new crew NPCs and some new content for Black Beard. That, IMO, was direly needed because Black Beard was criminally underused in AC4.
Things I was hoping that are seemingly not being touched are expanded hideout development features, more legendary ship encounters and doubling down on the fantasy that was introduced in the post-Origins era.
Before Origins, all games treated the precursor race and artifacts as an expansion of Judeo-Christian religious cultures. Post Origins, they expanded the precursor race to have factions that all represented multiple religious pantheons.
With that expanded freedom, I was really hoping this resynced entry would add some endgame side content that dug into David Jone's Locker and other Caribbean pirate era superstitious believes like mermaids, the kraken, etc. A naval fight against the Kraken would had been amazing end game content once all legendary ships are tackled. Sadly, this is just, for the most part, a one-to-one remake. It seems even buildings and fauna haver 100% placement, just with assets replaced.
Still, I'll very likely be playing this. Day one? Not sure. Maybe, depends what else is going on that week.
@Nakatomi_Uk If your passion is making games, you wont stop unless it's no longer financially viable. What shocks me is that he still gets press for these promisses that never deliver.
My biggest issue with this pricing is that I feel this actively discourages me from even booting my Xbox.
For me, logically, PC Gamepass is the no-brainer best option. My PCs are either already a much more powerful device than the xbox or have the benefit of being a handheld. PC Gamepass being cheaper than premium... feels odd.
PC might be missing EA Play, Fortnite whateveryacallit and UB+ Mini... but I don't care for those anyways?
Of course, all of this will have to be rerworked when Helix launches, since Helix would otherwise just make Premium obsolete. Will have to see how things look at that point.
@GeminiX53 We have had plenty of devs telling us that GP has been good for them.
Game Pass was a thing during the most financially year of gaming: during the pandemic. So obviously GP didn't hurt.
Also: Game Pass as a concept is nothing new. Rentals were a mainstream thing until Blockbuster went out of business in 2010. Even then Redbox was still a thing until a couple years ago.
The time window where Game Pass nor rentals were a thing was a relatively small period and it was not exactly a bursting era.
People that were not going to buy games, where not going to buy games. They would rent, borrow, or buy used.
I've mostly forgotten about it. I think it was an error, and we all make those, but it was on something pretty insignificant.
An error is to give us the wrong date or number or giving us the wrong Live account name. This was a fabricated lie to try to look her look as much of a gamer as Phil was. That was not an "error". I don't care as much about the incident itself as much as what it tells us: that they were ready to lie and that they thought we were dumb enough to not notice.
I don't know if it was her idea, though. Someone else at MS might had been the one planning that before her eventual promotion. That's as much as I'm willing to give her on that topic.
Molyneux never stops overhyping, does he? I don't think he has ever delivered on any of his promises. Are his games good? Sure. But they are never the revolutions he pitches.
Don't care about CoD, but one thing I hate about this is that it proves Kotick was right about CoD, its development cost, and it not being profitable for THAT game to be in a subscription service.
I detest giving Kotick a single point because he is a horrible person.
When I was subscribed to GP, I only cared for single player games anyways. I'm not even sure I ever got much value off GP. I mostly kept it going as a way to keep full access to play any xbox first party games I wanted regardless if it was old or new. I might had gotten more out of the special sales for members than the lineup itself. Anyways I'm derrailing, I dont care about CoD so dont actually care about this change outside it making GPU cheaper. I still wont be likely to re-sub to GPU and instead just subsribe to the PC tier and play all first party games on my monster PCs or Rog Ally X.
@themightyant The boosted gamerscore was one move that will keep me skeptical for years. It was a level of dishonesty that will be hard to forget, even if I'm sure most people wont ever even hear of it.
I still have a huge collection of digital xbox games, and Hylix will likely eventually bring my pc and xbox experiences closer together with fallbacks to go PC only if they really ruin things... but I can't stop wondering how long will it take for this perceived freedom to be taken away from her be it because she fixes things or because they feel she is not fixing things fast enough. Sooner or later parent MS might once more decide to force an illogical corporate direction.
@themightyant My annoyance with the whole thing is that at their prime, Phil and Sarah were doing great precisely when they had freedom. The ship started going through rough waters because the freedom was very obviously taken away from them.
Yea, Asha is being given the freedom now, but how long will it last? And would we also be seing these same improvements had Phil and Sarah had just been given the freedom instead? I like to see some of these changes but not sure creating so much division in the community was the way to get here.
I know I'm not the only one that feels Asha has a lot more work to do to earn trust from scratch than Phil had to given he already had delivered in the past.
Side note, I feel the PC tier is in an odd spot. Not a bad one, but it entirely devaluates all the xbox tiers. I know it's not the case for everyone but both my PCs heavily outclass my Xbox. Why should I even turn my xbox on if I can subscribe to PC GP and get day one on all first party games on PC? The odd third party game that is only on console day one IF I pay for the ultimate tier? Until Helix comes around and they are forced to rework these tiers again, I feel actively discouraged from using my Xbox.
@Balaam_ So long a game can be bought in a transferable format, I think we will be seeing everyone call it "physical" in these reports.
It's highly likely that code-in-a-box-at-retail might be seen as physical at some point as it would still indicate a third party retailer is getting a share of the revenue.
Don't think we will ever get a real answer but really would love to hear why where the prices increased that far to begin with.
I highly doubt it Phil's or Sarah's to increase prices so drastically. That call, as well as the 30% profit margins for all game studios, were likely coming from the top at MS and I would love to know why. Again, don't expect we will ever get anything nore than rummors.
Best I heard is that Satia has delegated many of his previous roles and started working closer with operations and in that process has realized how much MS has messed up all over (reason we are also nearly simultaneously seeing changes in the Windows side of things).
Mostly trying to find time to finish Spider-Man 2 on PC and then hop into Pragmata, also on PC. Other than that... doing a lot of overtime work so maybe I wont manage to do either.
@Link41x I don't check this site as often as I used to but I absolutely love your dedication to play on Win Phone! 💝
Are all these games ones you already owned or is the store still open? I have not charged my Nokia Lumia 1520 in ages, no clue if the store would even launch these days, or if they would allow me to download stuff that been delisted.
If Xbox gets rid of PlayAnywhere I am likely off the ecosystem entirely.
I don’t care if an Xbox game is on other platforms, but could see some logic to keep some stuff exclusive or timed exclusive.
Ironically, if I was in charge, I would do the opposite to what they been doing: the iconic names (Fable, Halo, Forza, Gears) would stay exclusive but smaller games with a niche audience (like Obsidian stuff, things like Hi-Fi Rush) and licensed games (Blade, Indiana Jones) would go multiplat to give them a higher chance at finding an audience.
We're doing less reviews these days as we're a smaller team than Nintendo Life and Push Square and unfortunately a lot of our third-party reviews weren't getting enough interest to make them worth the time and effort.
Sorry for the back to back ping but... have you guys considered joining forces for these cross platform game reviews? I could see a place for a core review and a small dedicated section that just tests performance per platform on the initial hour of play that could be added at the end of the article by each site.
Edit, also was thinking... maybe there is room for some branching in the future with the direction of Helix and potentially expand the reach of PureXbox. Given how even if a user sticks to Xbox, the world of Green is soon to intertwine with all of PC gaming... perhaps this site could aim for news that are Windows PC gaming focused in addition to Xbox? Outside of PC Gamer, I have not found enough coverage for PC focused gaming as I have seen for PlayStation and Nintendo. Most PC gaming sites seem to be generalists. There might be room for growth there.
I don't think I have ever preordered a digital game before but I did for this one. The puzzle elements combined with real time combat really peeked my interest, and Capcom has been on one hell of a roll.
I do am trying to play through all the Spider-Man games to 100% completion, though (started SM2 this weekend) so not sure if I'll actually get to play it day one.
I preordered it for Steam, but would consider getting a refund and buying it on xbox if it's Play Anywhere. @FraserG any word if this is PlayAnywhere?
The funny thing about Xbox's backwards compatibility efforts is that everything feels obsolete. Outside a handful select games that are actually worth diving for any given individual, almost everything I could care for can be played on my XSX or XSS.
Trying to play any of them on original hardware feels like self punishment.
Sony and Nintendo consoles might be seen as aging great due to high number of locked-in exclusives (except the Wii U, almost everything that anyone would want to play there is already on Switch)
That said, I still do have my 360 hooked up for those select few games I would like to go back and play once in a while (Bullet Witch for life). The controller feels preheistoric to me, but I got a dongle that lets me use XSX controllers on it.
If you ask me purely from a console hardware design point of view, I think the Xbox One X is simply perfection, with the One S a few steps behind it.
Imagines a world where you start squeezing through a narrow hallway and the narrow halway becomes longer and longer and all through the squeeze the wall becomes a huge billboard playing a video...
So all those devices that were purported to be ‘Xboxes’—are they still Xboxes? Were they ever Xboxes? Do we have a clear statement as to what precisely constitutes an Xbox going forward?
They literally are renaming the Full Screen Experience in their Xbox app to Xbox Mode so they pretty much still consider a device you play Xbox games to be a part of the Xbox family ecosystem. This retirement is just them acknowledging the campaign didn't resonate, but they are 100% moving full steam ahead with everything the campaign was selling.
I objectively can see that this campaign didnt work as intended but still have trouble understanding exactly why. The campaign, as described by the article, was an attempt to communicate how the Xbox ecosystem extends beyond the console.
Their strategy did not change because of the campaign, and I strongly question it having any impact on console sales. Even after its retirement, they seem to be doubling down on all the things this campaign was trying to consolidate (play anywhere, cloud gaming, etc).
Yes, sale numbers have gone down but that's not something that has been exclusive to Xbox. Sony too is struggling with that issue, the economy is simply not doing well, and hardware prices keep going up. People are opting to just play on the computers and phones they already feel they must own anyways (more reason for MS and Xbox to double down on this even if the marketing line is retired).
@Jaxx420 most tech sectors can coast via shrinkflation of sorts.
Truth is the computing market has been tossing more power at consumers than they need. We will start seeing more emphasis on cheaper pcs with less ram, maybe even an increase of devices with DDR4 and more computers with basic SSDs instead of NVME.
Same will likely apply to a lot other tech reliant devices (from TVs to, cars and what not).
But gaming, its gong to hit gaming hard, specifically Triple A gaming as these really tend to demand an amount of computing power that is likely to become very uncommon and out of reach.
To clarify: Yes other industries will still go through headaches, but I doubt few things are about to be hit as hard as high budget Triple A game development will be.
@Jaxx420 I do think we will see a gaming crash, or at least a Triple A crash.
The economics of volume are going to collapse if the cost of entry limits how many can even get a console or powerful PC as people move away from gaming be it due to life responsibilities or loss of interest. Without that volume, the budgets for these Triple A games just wont work anymore.
Casual, indie (and Nintendo) games that can either run on cheap PCs or be made at low enough budget to be profitable with a few thousand copies sold might be able to keep the market alive, though.
Also keep in mind this is all happening at the same time that we are facing a huge recession (we likely are in one but that's a whole other topic) that will likely impact game buying behaviors in an industry that keeps trying to charge more and more for each game too.
I used to manage a videoclub back in the 2000s and have avoided this game mostly because I know it would be the only thing I play for way too long and am not ready for that comitment.
On the topic at hand, two main takes I'm seeing are insistance that they actually should port it and dismissals about this not being important (we get it, its not a one of your qwwawity games, move on).
This is a team of two people. Making a game is not that easy. Even when we get Helix, its not going to be a trivial thing. I doubt MS is going to be opening up Xbox development SDKs as much as Steam has (yes kids, Steam IS a platform with its own SDK) and for a team of one or two people it's just not realistic to navigate all that AND continue to update the game. If one gets luck and money starts flowing, hiring someone to do the port is possible but still might not be trivial.
I can't be happy about 1000 people losing their jobs, period. Like @themightyant noted, it is possible these jobs would not have existed if the service game was not there to support them. So I wont be joining the "bleep service games" parade.
I feel like a 1000 people firing in a burst like this is evidence that they filed to adjust expectations at some turn, but the severance packages being provided do sound rather decent. Beyond what I expected Epic to do (not sure how much of it might be required by regional laws, are they in CA?)
This is likely just the start (yea, despite all other firings we seen). Not sure if he was supposed to affirm this, but he seems to have confirmed there that consoles are indeed struggling as a whole. Yea we kind of knew but its all been mostly "estimates". This is a big affirmation: consoles [period] are on a downturn. Partner consoles makers are certainly not going to be happy about that bit getting highlighted.
@kmtrain83 They are claiming there is no AI mandate for Xbox (they shied away from actually saying it would not be added if **they** feel its beneficial) but there been plenty of articles about MS making AI usage a mandatory part of even working at MS.
@INeedGoodGraphics At least in a PC based Helix console, there is a chance that as a more open system we can just kill the process. If not easily, then via community provided tools.
@betterthings AI systems don't store or transmit raw video. Its complex to go into all details but it converts all its awareness into vector databases that are not as data heavy as full captures/streams. This vector data processing is precisely why GPUs are so important for AI.
BTW don't confuse vector databases with vector image conversions, it's different stuff.
Anyways, despite this simplification of the context representation, the total data collects are gargantuan and why AI datacenters are not just wrecking havoc on ram and GPU costs but also on all forms of quick storage.
@betterthings There is a gigantic difference between snapshots being synced to one cloud, or basic stats like how long you play, time you earned achievements, etc being collected.
On every context Copilot is implemented, it's aware of your every single action and learns from everything unless the application in question allows for it to be entirely disabled or uninstalled.
@kmtrain83 Most implementation of copilot in other places (like Visual Studio) rely heavily on constantly being attentive at what you are doing in the thing you are working on for situational awareness (and to learn from your actions).
I have zero doubt this will be any different.
At least in those products, entirely disabling copilot is an option because many corporate customers would literally jump ship if it was mandatory.
I hate this… the exchange alone has that vomit inducing affirmation I detest so much from
AI “absolutely! let’s do this” 🤢
Also this thing is going to be constantly looking at my activity… this better be a feature that can be disabled entirely because I don’t want no ai spying at all I do in any game.
If Xbox was really listening to feedback, this thing would be scrapped. But it won’t, because despite the lies, there IS a mandate to incorporate this slop.
@Fiendish-Beaver this. All of this. I have seen people leave projects several times only for the new guy literally grab all of their committed work and take credit for months of work and this reeks of it.
I was extremely hyped for this game and bought it twice. I own the briefcase and watch that came with a Steam edition of the game and, because at the time I really wanted my achievements on Xbox, I also bought the premium edition digitally [and 100% completed those achievements, although never did the DLC].
My biggest complain about the game is actually very different from everything I heard from everyone.
I didn't mind the "teleporting" from planet to planet (sounds tedious to actually travel the universe honestly), although I was no fan of the galactic map UI at all.
My real complain though, was the game was not randomized enough. While everyone complained the game was too RNG, my issue is that after you see the handful of installation templates... you have see everything. I ran into all those buildings so many times in so many planets and moons... every single time, the second I saw the facility in the distance, I instantly knew the whole inner map for the instance... Even most story focused dungeons were repeats with a tiny exclusive section that is sealed on standard reuses of the dungeon.
So yea my issue was that the game was too much copy and paste, not that the game was RNG. Hell... I'm not sure if there was any randomization. I forget the achievement, but for one of the resource-based achievements I literally followed a guide that said, "go to this exact coords in this exact planet and do this", it turned out every planet is identical on every run. At least at launch.
Anyways, enough ranting. Other than the above, the core game was good, and I been hoping enough DLC to address my concerns before I go back and try to do the extra content. From what I hear, so far, my concerns have not really been addressed.
Like this. A thing that I found frustrating trying to use Xbox app as a launcher was precisely the lack of this feature. I can add non-steam games to my Steam library with a bit of work (or no work if I don't care about the in-library presentation) allowing me to easily use Steam Big Picture mode as my only launcher even when playing standalone games like FFXIV (non-steam version) or Genshin Impact (don't play it but it's an example).
Xbox Mode still needs a lot of work, though. I have a hard time putting it into words, but when Steam enters Big Picture Mode, it behaves like a game. Smooth hardware accelerated UI that feels more like a game on itself.
Xbox Mode just feels like a magnified Windows App with some very janky UI gamepad navigation. And don't get me started about how horrible the xbox app overlay is with a controller... it's like some windows dev spat C#.net forms all over the screen!
Steam Big Picture mode is the minimum bar Xbox Mode needs to aim for. Until then, I'll do the opposite of what they want and manually add any installed Xbox game to my Steam library manually.
I'm wish I was baffled at how many seem to actually like how this garbage look, but am not given how many like photoshopped fan garbage that "prettifies" female characters some boys dim "ugly".
Anyways this stuff is horrible and not just because "it's AI". Increased resolution via AI is ok (most of the time). Frame generation was already annoying and added zero responsiveness. But this is a complete bastardization of the artist's work.
This industry is going a rabbit hole that leads to the sewers, and some gamers will literally cheer while diving into the sewage waters.
@Banjo- Focusing on Xbox, not the competition: it will take a lot for me to stop being pessimistic about the shakeup, especially the fact that an ai exec got put in charge.
I chose Xbox as my primary platform this gen precisely because of the focus on respecting our purchases across console and windows.
The minute I see copilot integration into Xbox consoles expand, though, chances are I'll just drop everything and go full steam from there.
@Banjo- I'm still extremely skeptical especially after that whole cooked gamer profile fiasco.
I'm not writing off Xbox, but I need to see a lot more obvious action than just a few "we hear you" tweets for me to be convinced this is going to go the right direction.
If I see a complete restructuring of GamePass that results in something reasonable instead of the current overpriced mess, I might start being somewhat optimistic again.
@Matthewnh Although some of the names have been weird indeed (mainly Xbox One, IMO) PlayStation (until just recently with the Switch 2) was the only console that used sequential numbers.
Every single console ever released before and after has always used a sub-name... ok there is one other exception: Magnavox Odyssey 2.
Atari: 2600, 5200, 7800, Jaguar, Lynx Nintendo: NES, Super NES, N64, GameCube, Wii, Wii U, Switch, GameBoy: GB Color, GB Advance, Nintendo DS, DSi, 3DS, New 3DS Sega: Master System, Genesis, Saturn, Dreamcast Xbox: 360, One, Series X|S
Even Sony named their handhelds something arbitrary: PSP and PSVita
Anyways point being, only reason sequential numbers are seen as the logical is because a 2 (3?) of the most successful Sony consoles used numbers.
All in all, I think Series X|S was not that bad of a name considering the dual model setup. But they really should start embracing some of these internal codenames because they are a lot cooler than the names they go to marketing with. Ok... Brooklin was a dumb name so Series X|S would still be better there... but Scorpio was a damned cool name!!!
Comments 3,939
Re: Steam Controller Vs. Xbox Controller: What The Critics Are Saying So Far
I'm really looking forward to this and plan to preorder one monday provided it does not sell out immediately.
I prefer offset sticks but I can see why they would do it this way. The addition of those touch pads really shift things. Offset sticks would mean the dpad is too close to a sensitive area your thumb would rest on, and generate lots of false inputs. Having the left stick paralel to the right is likely the best choice for the functionality they were aiming to here.
I been doing more and more of my gaming on PC, mostly on Steam but also on the xbox app. I do hope the standard features of this controller work with the xbox app, and that the notes mentioned above be restricted to additional functionality. If I can still use the touch pads for mouse movement when needed, I will be a very happy gamer.
Re: Nacon's RPG Studio Seemingly Shutting Down Following Financial Troubles
Damn... this is so sad to hear!
Re: Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth Headlines Batch Of New Free Demos On The Xbox Store
@Kezelpaso @FraserG relatively off topic but there been a lot of FFXIV news this weekend about the next big expansion as well as the next patch (landed today) that finalizes this expansion main story arch (not final patch for the expansion but story and Alliance raids themed around FFXI are both culminating today).
Not sure if that’s something you are planning to cover but it’s always nice to hear updates about Square Enix games, especially Final Fantasy stuff, in Xbox focused spaces.
Highlights worth highlighting is a whole new combat system next expansion, inclusion of Shadowbringers expansion to the free tier (best expansion on an MMO ever) and a whole new progression system m, plus the usual 2 new jobs (unspecified but confirmed to be a tank and a physical ranged dps).
Re: Xbox Game Pass 'Starter Edition' Revealed Via Discord Nitro Leak
The biggest advantage of using Discord is that it's cross platform. These days it's integrated with Xbox and PS5 in addition of working on PC. It's a one-stop solution for cross-platform communication on anything but Nintendo. Even on Nintendo, you can always run it on your phone while playing on the Switch.
Discord also is a social media of sorts, allowing many gaming communities to form, be it official or player driven ones. Many online games tend to host their own discord servers and so do many indie studios. It has really become a better alternative for gaming communities than forums, IMO.
@Coletrain technically this makes you the old man yelling at clouds 😅
Re: Xbox Game Pass 'Starter Edition' Revealed Via Discord Nitro Leak
I would welcome this if it includes online play on console. Else, means nothing to me.
I already subscribe to Nitro for a few perks, I doubt those 50 titles will ever be used but really would love it if that sub also ended up removing the multiplayer paywall from my Xbox.
Worth noting: you can subscribe for yearly Nitro packages for a discounted price, but we cant do that with Game Pass Essentials. It's not a huge discount, but $100 compared to $120 a year is something, if you can take advantage of it as a means to access online play on Xbox, that is.
Re: Xbox Announces Price Reductions For Game Pass Ultimate & PC Game Pass
@YungCizzle24
BO6: best CoD launch until that point despite being in GP.
BO7: nearly universal negative reception. The game was just not only poorly received, but it also was a back to back entry in the same series, something that they admit hurt sales.
BO7s lackluster sales had nothing to do with GP.
Re: Assassin's Creed: Black Flag Resynced Formally Unveiled, Heading To Xbox In July 2026
My take coming into this is that I can play AC4 right now on any platform I want. I can even play the thing on the Wii U! Prettier graphics would not sell me on this. So I was hoping for a lot of changes. This falls a bit short, but not short enough for me to pass on it.
My expectations:
Whole new combat system. Combat system seems significantly different, even if not as much as I was hoping. Not because I didn't have fun in AC4's combat, but because I want the game to FEEL like a new game since, again, I can alwas play AC4 anywhere. Naval combat also seems expanded uppon. Do look forward to see how these changes feel.
Expanded story content with lots more story. There seems to be new story content, but at least based on the reveal it seems limited to the new crew NPCs and some new content for Black Beard. That, IMO, was direly needed because Black Beard was criminally underused in AC4.
Things I was hoping that are seemingly not being touched are expanded hideout development features, more legendary ship encounters and doubling down on the fantasy that was introduced in the post-Origins era.
Before Origins, all games treated the precursor race and artifacts as an expansion of Judeo-Christian religious cultures. Post Origins, they expanded the precursor race to have factions that all represented multiple religious pantheons.
With that expanded freedom, I was really hoping this resynced entry would add some endgame side content that dug into David Jone's Locker and other Caribbean pirate era superstitious believes like mermaids, the kraken, etc. A naval fight against the Kraken would had been amazing end game content once all legendary ships are tackled. Sadly, this is just, for the most part, a one-to-one remake. It seems even buildings and fauna haver 100% placement, just with assets replaced.
Still, I'll very likely be playing this. Day one? Not sure. Maybe, depends what else is going on that week.
Re: Fable Creator Says His New Game Is 'Most Significant Event' In His Entire 40-Year Career
@Nakatomi_Uk If your passion is making games, you wont stop unless it's no longer financially viable. What shocks me is that he still gets press for these promisses that never deliver.
Re: Here's A Breakdown Of The New Prices For Xbox Game Pass As Of April 2026
My biggest issue with this pricing is that I feel this actively discourages me from even booting my Xbox.
For me, logically, PC Gamepass is the no-brainer best option. My PCs are either already a much more powerful device than the xbox or have the benefit of being a handheld. PC Gamepass being cheaper than premium... feels odd.
PC might be missing EA Play, Fortnite whateveryacallit and UB+ Mini... but I don't care for those anyways?
Of course, all of this will have to be rerworked when Helix launches, since Helix would otherwise just make Premium obsolete. Will have to see how things look at that point.
Just merge PC/Premium already.
Re: Xbox Announces Price Reductions For Game Pass Ultimate & PC Game Pass
@GeminiX53 We have had plenty of devs telling us that GP has been good for them.
Game Pass was a thing during the most financially year of gaming: during the pandemic. So obviously GP didn't hurt.
Also: Game Pass as a concept is nothing new. Rentals were a mainstream thing until Blockbuster went out of business in 2010. Even then Redbox was still a thing until a couple years ago.
The time window where Game Pass nor rentals were a thing was a relatively small period and it was not exactly a bursting era.
People that were not going to buy games, where not going to buy games. They would rent, borrow, or buy used.
Re: Xbox Announces Price Reductions For Game Pass Ultimate & PC Game Pass
@themightyant
An error is to give us the wrong date or number or giving us the wrong Live account name. This was a fabricated lie to try to look her look as much of a gamer as Phil was. That was not an "error". I don't care as much about the incident itself as much as what it tells us: that they were ready to lie and that they thought we were dumb enough to not notice.
I don't know if it was her idea, though. Someone else at MS might had been the one planning that before her eventual promotion. That's as much as I'm willing to give her on that topic.
Re: Fable Creator Says His New Game Is 'Most Significant Event' In His Entire 40-Year Career
Molyneux never stops overhyping, does he? I don't think he has ever delivered on any of his promises. Are his games good? Sure. But they are never the revolutions he pitches.
Re: Call Of Duty Titles Will No Longer Join Xbox Game Pass On Day One
Don't care about CoD, but one thing I hate about this is that it proves Kotick was right about CoD, its development cost, and it not being profitable for THAT game to be in a subscription service.
I detest giving Kotick a single point because he is a horrible person.
When I was subscribed to GP, I only cared for single player games anyways. I'm not even sure I ever got much value off GP. I mostly kept it going as a way to keep full access to play any xbox first party games I wanted regardless if it was old or new. I might had gotten more out of the special sales for members than the lineup itself. Anyways I'm derrailing, I dont care about CoD so dont actually care about this change outside it making GPU cheaper. I still wont be likely to re-sub to GPU and instead just subsribe to the PC tier and play all first party games on my monster PCs or Rog Ally X.
Re: Xbox Unveils New Controller And Headset For Forza Horizon 6
Almost wish the yellow bits were white. If you get it it, you get it.
Re: Xbox Announces Price Reductions For Game Pass Ultimate & PC Game Pass
@themightyant The boosted gamerscore was one move that will keep me skeptical for years. It was a level of dishonesty that will be hard to forget, even if I'm sure most people wont ever even hear of it.
I still have a huge collection of digital xbox games, and Hylix will likely eventually bring my pc and xbox experiences closer together with fallbacks to go PC only if they really ruin things... but I can't stop wondering how long will it take for this perceived freedom to be taken away from her be it because she fixes things or because they feel she is not fixing things fast enough. Sooner or later parent MS might once more decide to force an illogical corporate direction.
Re: Xbox Announces Price Reductions For Game Pass Ultimate & PC Game Pass
@themightyant My annoyance with the whole thing is that at their prime, Phil and Sarah were doing great precisely when they had freedom. The ship started going through rough waters because the freedom was very obviously taken away from them.
Yea, Asha is being given the freedom now, but how long will it last? And would we also be seing these same improvements had Phil and Sarah had just been given the freedom instead? I like to see some of these changes but not sure creating so much division in the community was the way to get here.
I know I'm not the only one that feels Asha has a lot more work to do to earn trust from scratch than Phil had to given he already had delivered in the past.
Side note, I feel the PC tier is in an odd spot. Not a bad one, but it entirely devaluates all the xbox tiers. I know it's not the case for everyone but both my PCs heavily outclass my Xbox. Why should I even turn my xbox on if I can subscribe to PC GP and get day one on all first party games on PC? The odd third party game that is only on console day one IF I pay for the ultimate tier? Until Helix comes around and they are forced to rework these tiers again, I feel actively discouraged from using my Xbox.
Re: Xbox's Starfield Tops The US Gaming Charts For First Time Since 2023
@Balaam_ So long a game can be bought in a transferable format, I think we will be seeing everyone call it "physical" in these reports.
It's highly likely that code-in-a-box-at-retail might be seen as physical at some point as it would still indicate a third party retailer is getting a share of the revenue.
Re: Xbox Announces Price Reductions For Game Pass Ultimate & PC Game Pass
Don't think we will ever get a real answer but really would love to hear why where the prices increased that far to begin with.
I highly doubt it Phil's or Sarah's to increase prices so drastically. That call, as well as the 30% profit margins for all game studios, were likely coming from the top at MS and I would love to know why. Again, don't expect we will ever get anything nore than rummors.
Best I heard is that Satia has delegated many of his previous roles and started working closer with operations and in that process has realized how much MS has messed up all over (reason we are also nearly simultaneously seeing changes in the Windows side of things).
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (April 18-19)
Mostly trying to find time to finish Spider-Man 2 on PC and then hop into Pragmata, also on PC. Other than that... doing a lot of overtime work so maybe I wont manage to do either.
@Link41x I don't check this site as often as I used to but I absolutely love your dedication to play on Win Phone! 💝
Are all these games ones you already owned or is the store still open? I have not charged my Nokia Lumia 1520 in ages, no clue if the store would even launch these days, or if they would allow me to download stuff that been delisted.
Re: Xbox Is Having 'Very Big Discussions' About Exclusivity, Says Reporter
If Xbox gets rid of PlayAnywhere I am likely off the ecosystem entirely.
I don’t care if an Xbox game is on other platforms, but could see some logic to keep some stuff exclusive or timed exclusive.
Ironically, if I was in charge, I would do the opposite to what they been doing: the iconic names (Fable, Halo, Forza, Gears) would stay exclusive but smaller games with a niche audience (like Obsidian stuff, things like Hi-Fi Rush) and licensed games (Blade, Indiana Jones) would go multiplat to give them a higher chance at finding an audience.
Re: Xbox Boss Declares Game Pass Is 'Too Expensive' And Needs A 'Better Value Equation'
I'm going to say I would not mind if GP ditched the Day 1 promise for a lower price.
I know technically that's what Premium does, but the mere existance of the Ultimage tier creates a horrible marketting perception disaster.
I would honestly get rid of Ultimate, keep it only as a grandfathered option.
Re: Roundup: Here's What The Reviews Are Saying About Capcom's Pragmata
@FraserG
Sorry for the back to back ping but... have you guys considered joining forces for these cross platform game reviews? I could see a place for a core review and a small dedicated section that just tests performance per platform on the initial hour of play that could be added at the end of the article by each site.
Edit, also was thinking... maybe there is room for some branching in the future with the direction of Helix and potentially expand the reach of PureXbox. Given how even if a user sticks to Xbox, the world of Green is soon to intertwine with all of PC gaming... perhaps this site could aim for news that are Windows PC gaming focused in addition to Xbox? Outside of PC Gamer, I have not found enough coverage for PC focused gaming as I have seen for PlayStation and Nintendo. Most PC gaming sites seem to be generalists. There might be room for growth there.
Re: Roundup: Here's What The Reviews Are Saying About Capcom's Pragmata
I don't think I have ever preordered a digital game before but I did for this one. The puzzle elements combined with real time combat really peeked my interest, and Capcom has been on one hell of a roll.
I do am trying to play through all the Spider-Man games to 100% completion, though (started SM2 this weekend) so not sure if I'll actually get to play it day one.
I preordered it for Steam, but would consider getting a refund and buying it on xbox if it's Play Anywhere. @FraserG any word if this is PlayAnywhere?
Re: The Bully-Inspired 'Agefield High' Releases For PC This Summer, Xbox Later In 2026
Yikes faces in that trailer looks stiffer than a board...
I'm guessing this is an indie title but still... they might had aimed a bit higher than they could tackle here.
Re: Roundup: All The Biggest Xbox Reveals From The Triple-I Initiative Showcase 2026
That Castlevania game looks sooooo good!!!! I cant wait!!!
Re: Xbox Achievements Are Getting A 'Refresh' With Multiple New Improvements
First thing I'm seeing that sparks my curiosity. Lets see how this moves forward.
Hope they dont forget about doing something for earning achievements while playing xbox games on pc because the notification for those is very sad.
Re: Talking Point: Which Xbox Console Do You Think Has Aged The Best?
The funny thing about Xbox's backwards compatibility efforts is that everything feels obsolete. Outside a handful select games that are actually worth diving for any given individual, almost everything I could care for can be played on my XSX or XSS.
Trying to play any of them on original hardware feels like self punishment.
Sony and Nintendo consoles might be seen as aging great due to high number of locked-in exclusives (except the Wii U, almost everything that anyone would want to play there is already on Switch)
That said, I still do have my 360 hooked up for those select few games I would like to go back and play once in a while (Bullet Witch for life). The controller feels preheistoric to me, but I got a dongle that lets me use XSX controllers on it.
If you ask me purely from a console hardware design point of view, I think the Xbox One X is simply perfection, with the One S a few steps behind it.
Re: Talking Point: How Many Consoles Have You Bought At Launch, And Were They Worth It?
Think the only console I bought at launch was the XSX. Before that I did get the PS4 early-ish, but not immediately at launch.
Before that I only got consoles when a big game I really wanted (almost always a third party game) released.
N64 I did get for Mario 64 but got it over a year after release when I was able to afford it.
Re: 'Xbox Game Pass Flex' Is An April Fools' Joke, But Could It Actually Happen One Day?
Imagines a world where you start squeezing through a narrow hallway and the narrow halway becomes longer and longer and all through the squeeze the wall becomes a huge billboard playing a video...
Re: The Elder Scrolls Online Is Coming To PC Game Pass With Xbox Play Anywhere Support
So does this mean the PC and Console servers are now shared? Used to be the consoles played on isolated servers, I think.
Or is the PC GamePass version of the game siloed from other PC versions?
Re: Microsoft Issues Statement On Why 'This Is An Xbox' Campaign Has Been Retired
@Balaam_
They literally are renaming the Full Screen Experience in their Xbox app to Xbox Mode so they pretty much still consider a device you play Xbox games to be a part of the Xbox family ecosystem. This retirement is just them acknowledging the campaign didn't resonate, but they are 100% moving full steam ahead with everything the campaign was selling.
Re: Microsoft Issues Statement On Why 'This Is An Xbox' Campaign Has Been Retired
I objectively can see that this campaign didnt work as intended but still have trouble understanding exactly why. The campaign, as described by the article, was an attempt to communicate how the Xbox ecosystem extends beyond the console.
Their strategy did not change because of the campaign, and I strongly question it having any impact on console sales. Even after its retirement, they seem to be doubling down on all the things this campaign was trying to consolidate (play anywhere, cloud gaming, etc).
Yes, sale numbers have gone down but that's not something that has been exclusive to Xbox. Sony too is struggling with that issue, the economy is simply not doing well, and hardware prices keep going up. People are opting to just play on the computers and phones they already feel they must own anyways (more reason for MS and Xbox to double down on this even if the marketing line is retired).
Re: Sony Announces Major PS5 Price Hikes, Here's How They Compare To Xbox Series X|S
@Jaxx420 most tech sectors can coast via shrinkflation of sorts.
Truth is the computing market has been tossing more power at consumers than they need. We will start seeing more emphasis on cheaper pcs with less ram, maybe even an increase of devices with DDR4 and more computers with basic SSDs instead of NVME.
Same will likely apply to a lot other tech reliant devices (from TVs to, cars and what not).
But gaming, its gong to hit gaming hard, specifically Triple A gaming as these really tend to demand an amount of computing power that is likely to become very uncommon and out of reach.
To clarify: Yes other industries will still go through headaches, but I doubt few things are about to be hit as hard as high budget Triple A game development will be.
Re: Sony Announces Major PS5 Price Hikes, Here's How They Compare To Xbox Series X|S
@Jaxx420 I do think we will see a gaming crash, or at least a Triple A crash.
The economics of volume are going to collapse if the cost of entry limits how many can even get a console or powerful PC as people move away from gaming be it due to life responsibilities or loss of interest. Without that volume, the budgets for these Triple A games just wont work anymore.
Casual, indie (and Nintendo) games that can either run on cheap PCs or be made at low enough budget to be profitable with a few thousand copies sold might be able to keep the market alive, though.
Also keep in mind this is all happening at the same time that we are facing a huge recession (we likely are in one but that's a whole other topic) that will likely impact game buying behaviors in an industry that keeps trying to charge more and more for each game too.
Re: 'Please Don't Expect Console Ports' - Retro Rewind FAQ Addresses Xbox & PS5 Demand
I used to manage a videoclub back in the 2000s and have avoided this game mostly because I know it would be the only thing I play for way too long and am not ready for that comitment.
On the topic at hand, two main takes I'm seeing are insistance that they actually should port it and dismissals about this not being important (we get it, its not a one of your qwwawity games, move on).
This is a team of two people. Making a game is not that easy. Even when we get Helix, its not going to be a trivial thing. I doubt MS is going to be opening up Xbox development SDKs as much as Steam has (yes kids, Steam IS a platform with its own SDK) and for a team of one or two people it's just not realistic to navigate all that AND continue to update the game. If one gets luck and money starts flowing, hiring someone to do the port is possible but still might not be trivial.
Re: Xbox 'Copilot' Demonstration Hints At How It'll Work On Your Series X|S
@betterthings TLDR you didnt understand anything I explained.
Re: Epic Games Lays Off 1,000 Staff, Announces Closure Of Fortnite Rocket Racing
So conflicted about this...
I can't be happy about 1000 people losing their jobs, period. Like @themightyant noted, it is possible these jobs would not have existed if the service game was not there to support them. So I wont be joining the "bleep service games" parade.
I feel like a 1000 people firing in a burst like this is evidence that they filed to adjust expectations at some turn, but the severance packages being provided do sound rather decent. Beyond what I expected Epic to do (not sure how much of it might be required by regional laws, are they in CA?)
This is likely just the start (yea, despite all other firings we seen). Not sure if he was supposed to affirm this, but he seems to have confirmed there that consoles are indeed struggling as a whole. Yea we kind of knew but its all been mostly "estimates". This is a big affirmation: consoles [period] are on a downturn. Partner consoles makers are certainly not going to be happy about that bit getting highlighted.
Re: Xbox 'Copilot' Demonstration Hints At How It'll Work On Your Series X|S
@kmtrain83 They are claiming there is no AI mandate for Xbox (they shied away from actually saying it would not be added if **they** feel its beneficial) but there been plenty of articles about MS making AI usage a mandatory part of even working at MS.
https://www.windowscentral.com/microsoft/using-ai-is-no-longer-optional-did-microsoft-makes-copilot-mandatory-for-staff
Re: Xbox 'Copilot' Demonstration Hints At How It'll Work On Your Series X|S
@INeedGoodGraphics At least in a PC based Helix console, there is a chance that as a more open system we can just kill the process. If not easily, then via community provided tools.
Re: Xbox 'Copilot' Demonstration Hints At How It'll Work On Your Series X|S
@betterthings AI systems don't store or transmit raw video. Its complex to go into all details but it converts all its awareness into vector databases that are not as data heavy as full captures/streams. This vector data processing is precisely why GPUs are so important for AI.
BTW don't confuse vector databases with vector image conversions, it's different stuff.
Anyways, despite this simplification of the context representation, the total data collects are gargantuan and why AI datacenters are not just wrecking havoc on ram and GPU costs but also on all forms of quick storage.
This very simplified video might give you an idea:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gl1r1XV0SLw
Re: Xbox 'Copilot' Demonstration Hints At How It'll Work On Your Series X|S
@betterthings There is a gigantic difference between snapshots being synced to one cloud, or basic stats like how long you play, time you earned achievements, etc being collected.
On every context Copilot is implemented, it's aware of your every single action and learns from everything unless the application in question allows for it to be entirely disabled or uninstalled.
Re: Xbox 'Copilot' Demonstration Hints At How It'll Work On Your Series X|S
@kmtrain83 Most implementation of copilot in other places (like Visual Studio) rely heavily on constantly being attentive at what you are doing in the thing you are working on for situational awareness (and to learn from your actions).
I have zero doubt this will be any different.
At least in those products, entirely disabling copilot is an option because many corporate customers would literally jump ship if it was mandatory.
Re: Xbox 'Copilot' Demonstration Hints At How It'll Work On Your Series X|S
I hate this… the exchange alone has that vomit inducing affirmation I detest so much from
AI “absolutely! let’s do this” 🤢
Also this thing is going to be constantly looking at my activity… this better be a feature that can be disabled entirely because I don’t want no ai spying at all I do in any game.
If Xbox was really listening to feedback, this thing would be scrapped. But it won’t, because despite the lies, there IS a mandate to incorporate this slop.
Re: 'Keep The Feedback Coming' - Xbox Boss Says New Console Features Were Built Two Weeks Ago
@Fiendish-Beaver this. All of this. I have seen people leave projects several times only for the new guy literally grab all of their committed work and take credit for months of work and this reeks of it.
Re: Starfield Gets Major Free Update & New Expansion Next Month, Alongside PS5 Release
I was extremely hyped for this game and bought it twice. I own the briefcase and watch that came with a Steam edition of the game and, because at the time I really wanted my achievements on Xbox, I also bought the premium edition digitally [and 100% completed those achievements, although never did the DLC].
My biggest complain about the game is actually very different from everything I heard from everyone.
I didn't mind the "teleporting" from planet to planet (sounds tedious to actually travel the universe honestly), although I was no fan of the galactic map UI at all.
My real complain though, was the game was not randomized enough. While everyone complained the game was too RNG, my issue is that after you see the handful of installation templates... you have see everything. I ran into all those buildings so many times in so many planets and moons... every single time, the second I saw the facility in the distance, I instantly knew the whole inner map for the instance... Even most story focused dungeons were repeats with a tiny exclusive section that is sealed on standard reuses of the dungeon.
So yea my issue was that the game was too much copy and paste, not that the game was RNG. Hell... I'm not sure if there was any randomization. I forget the achievement, but for one of the resource-based achievements I literally followed a guide that said, "go to this exact coords in this exact planet and do this", it turned out every planet is identical on every run. At least at launch.
Anyways, enough ranting. Other than the above, the core game was good, and I been hoping enough DLC to address my concerns before I go back and try to do the extra content. From what I hear, so far, my concerns have not really been addressed.
Re: With Project Helix On The Horizon, Xbox Is Now Letting You Add Games Manually On PC
Like this. A thing that I found frustrating trying to use Xbox app as a launcher was precisely the lack of this feature. I can add non-steam games to my Steam library with a bit of work (or no work if I don't care about the in-library presentation) allowing me to easily use Steam Big Picture mode as my only launcher even when playing standalone games like FFXIV (non-steam version) or Genshin Impact (don't play it but it's an example).
Xbox Mode still needs a lot of work, though. I have a hard time putting it into words, but when Steam enters Big Picture Mode, it behaves like a game. Smooth hardware accelerated UI that feels more like a game on itself.
Xbox Mode just feels like a magnified Windows App with some very janky UI gamepad navigation. And don't get me started about how horrible the xbox app overlay is with a controller... it's like some windows dev spat C#.net forms all over the screen!
Steam Big Picture mode is the minimum bar Xbox Mode needs to aim for. Until then, I'll do the opposite of what they want and manually add any installed Xbox game to my Steam library manually.
Re: Bethesda Says Starfield Looks 'Amazing' With Nvidia's DLSS 5, But Don't Expect It On Xbox
I'm wish I was baffled at how many seem to actually like how this garbage look, but am not given how many like photoshopped fan garbage that "prettifies" female characters some boys dim "ugly".
Anyways this stuff is horrible and not just because "it's AI". Increased resolution via AI is ok (most of the time). Frame generation was already annoying and added zero responsiveness. But this is a complete bastardization of the artist's work.
This industry is going a rabbit hole that leads to the sewers, and some gamers will literally cheer while diving into the sewage waters.
Re: Talking Point: What Should Xbox Call Its 'Project Helix' Console?
@Banjo- Focusing on Xbox, not the competition: it will take a lot for me to stop being pessimistic about the shakeup, especially the fact that an ai exec got put in charge.
I chose Xbox as my primary platform this gen precisely because of the focus on respecting our purchases across console and windows.
The minute I see copilot integration into Xbox consoles expand, though, chances are I'll just drop everything and go full steam from there.
Re: Talking Point: What Should Xbox Call Its 'Project Helix' Console?
@Banjo- I'm still extremely skeptical especially after that whole cooked gamer profile fiasco.
I'm not writing off Xbox, but I need to see a lot more obvious action than just a few "we hear you" tweets for me to be convinced this is going to go the right direction.
If I see a complete restructuring of GamePass that results in something reasonable instead of the current overpriced mess, I might start being somewhat optimistic again.
Re: Talking Point: What Should Xbox Call Its 'Project Helix' Console?
@Matthewnh Although some of the names have been weird indeed (mainly Xbox One, IMO) PlayStation (until just recently with the Switch 2) was the only console that used sequential numbers.
Every single console ever released before and after has always used a sub-name... ok there is one other exception: Magnavox Odyssey 2.
Atari: 2600, 5200, 7800, Jaguar, Lynx
Nintendo: NES, Super NES, N64, GameCube, Wii, Wii U, Switch, GameBoy: GB Color, GB Advance, Nintendo DS, DSi, 3DS, New 3DS
Sega: Master System, Genesis, Saturn, Dreamcast
Xbox: 360, One, Series X|S
Even Sony named their handhelds something arbitrary: PSP and PSVita
Anyways point being, only reason sequential numbers are seen as the logical is because a 2 (3?) of the most successful Sony consoles used numbers.
All in all, I think Series X|S was not that bad of a name considering the dual model setup. But they really should start embracing some of these internal codenames because they are a lot cooler than the names they go to marketing with. Ok... Brooklin was a dumb name so Series X|S would still be better there... but Scorpio was a damned cool name!!!