@S1ayeR74
And how is this proof of danger for a store closing?
They didn't say you won't be able to download your games that you bought. They explicitly have said you can continue to download your previously purchased games and content for those games. And I always keep a downloaded version of my games so I can play them long after any store quits allowing me to download.
Now, if they said they were withdrawing purchased, digital rights that would be a completely different story.
@shoeses I think every console vendor relies on certain studios yearly. PS is relying on Insomniac as their first party has been dry this year as well.
There is always a ton of pressure on first party studios to deliver great games.
What is wrong with a game costing more now than when it was originally made? EVERYTHING!
I do realize it has been re-mastered and features added, but this is not a complete re-make. Let's put it this way, if this game was made by a new developer today it would maybe score an average of 70-80 on Metacritic.
I always wonder when I see these dates in fictional lore how many of them are related to significant dates and numbers to the people on the teams that made them.
I would love split screen on every multi-player and co-op game. But the reality of tracking and displaying two or more full games running on a single console would require the developers to gimp the games either graphically and/or gameplay computationally.
I know not everyone can afford two XB Series X and corresponding extra TVs, but I can and have and therefore don't have the problem that I am sure many others do.
It would be interesting if someone came up with a screen splitting device. One that on the fly could take multiple HDMI inputs and turn them into a single HDMI output with next to zero latency. That way you could get over the two TV requirement at least.
But when it comes to better gameplay/graphical vs split screen, in my books I always choose better gameplay/graphics.
@Cashews Agreed. I called the previous generation the remaster generation. This generation so far is labelling itself the remake generation.
Additionally, we are still waiting for generational leap games. It is hard for me to listen to publishers say that their games are next generation when they ship the same game on XB One and PS4. Or also make the game for Nintendo Switch. If you can ship the game on those devices how can you term it a generational leap?
Latency is everything. I could deal with HD resolutions since the ideal devices for cloud gaming would be handheld, but currently any game with any level of action just is not fun on cloud streaming.
That said, I have the Asus ROG Ally and quite enjoy downloading games on it and playing it normally.
@PhileasFragg
People miss the point on Forza Motosport vs Forza Horizon.
Motorsport is a racing simulator aiming at accuracy to the real world.
Horizon is an arcade racer aiming to simplify reality in return for greater fun.
Both have different purposes and target audiences. Forza Motorsports is targeting car nuts who want to see what it would be like to drive each car on a closed circuit track similar to real professional racing. Forza Horizon is a broad audience arcade racing game.
I like both, but for those different reasons. I like cars and like the Motorsports for what it is. Also like Horizon for the fun.
@Cashews Whether the game is good or not remains to be seen.
But, historically Obsidian has built and shipped above average to great games. So this is a wait and see for me.
Your post is highly dramatic. As for the Microsoft gaming division. You don't go and spend $70 bln buying Activision and about $10 bln on other studios over the past 7 years just to shut everything down. And there seems to be a lot of good content in the pipeline even though a lot of it was delayed through covid. Hellblade II, Fable, something Gears, Clockwork Revolution, more Flight Simulator, Everwild, Outer Worlds 2, Forza Motorsport, Perfect Dark, Starfield, State of Decay 3, Indiana Jones, Elder Scrolls VI, etc. For a gaming division that is shutting down they sure are busy making games.
And pretty soon they will probably own ABK... Call of Duty, Diablo, World of Warcraft, Overwatch, Spyro, Crash, etc. Doesn't look like a division shutting down at all.
Gamers seem to think these games are made overnight. The reality is that each game made with a new game engine is anywhere from 3-7 years of development. Even games based on existing engines are 2-4 years of development now-a-days. There are almost no first party studios releasing yearly games. Any first party studios releasing a lot of games have multiple studio teams. Single team first party studios are typically at least 2 years to make each game.
I like what MS is doing, they have to prove that they can release games consistently, but once they get over that hump, they should be fine. 2021 was a good year on releases, 2022 was a drought, 2023 is so far good and hopefully getting better, 2024 onward is starting to look consistent.
You look at how Microsoft has often supported its customers. Continued significant, free upgrades and features on games like Halo MCC and Sea of Thieves, the multiplayer fixes even for BC titles, the fact that BC has games dating back to the original XB and XB360, Game Pass feature first party studio games on day one, etc. IF you are a XB customer MS is giving you full value for every dollar you spend. And with the addition of Bethesda and ABK it just keeps getting better. Not to mention the studios they have acquired are preparing to ship their first XB games soon... Hellblade II!
MS and XB have a lot of good momentum right now. The earlier games showcase was solid, the AKB deal is going to go through, and now Square Enix appears to be re-getting on board to XB.
MS needs to keep this going and continue after this delivering great 1st party content and fully follow the rules they are agreeing to with the AKB acquisition. I expect at some point they would need to buy another large third party publisher at some point but if they stick to this formula for the next 3-5 years then they will be more trusted to make another major third party publisher acquisition.
At this point I am not sure I care too much. I really liked playing FF XV on XB. And when XIV never came last gen, and then the XVI snub I pretty much decided that I wouldn't need to play Square Enix games anymore.
They will have to convince me that they are on XB to stay and that they are truly committed before they will see any more of my money. I am not running back just because they are singing happy songs.
@AnVold I would argue that MS has completed their focus on consoles for now. They are in third in the console space and probably will be there for the foreseeable future. I see nothing that will change that. Starfield, AKB acquisition, etc. They will stay third in consoles until consoles are no longer a thing.
Why own several devices with the same library? So, I don't always have to re-buy library items just because I am playing on a different device. A lot of the XB games allow me to purchase once and use on many devices. Only XB provides that.
I do agree with different form factors for different games. RTS games are more suited to mouse/keyboard, etc. But I do not agree with buying different variants of the same form factor to play different games. I wish I only needed to buy one console to play all the games I want to play on my TV, but I end up buying a Nintendo, Sony, and MS console to play all the games I like on my TV. It is annoying switching the inputs, upgrading consoles as new games come out, etc. The current world is company friendly, not consumer friendly.
@AnVold Why can't we get more XB experiences on more devices? I don't see why they have to have just a laser focus on only the console experience. Gamers want to game on more than just their console and MS is catering to that. This is another major feature that attracts me to the XB environment.
If I based my primary console environment only on games, then I would primarily play on PS because frankly when you look at their catalogue it is better. But, since I want to play on PC, phone, portable game devices like ROG Ally, and console, I have chosen XB as my primary gaming environment.
I really like that I can play RTS games primarily on PC, for my shooter/action/RPG fix I play on console, when I am out and about and only have my phone I have the odd opportunity to use cloud streaming on my phone, and when I travel I have my ROG Ally. Only XB gives me that flexibility.
I love Gears a ton. To me, it is the best third person shooter ever. The Coalition can take a while though, I want the next Gears to kick things up a notch and be even better then any Gears to date.
@Nydius If you read the press release of the extension between AKB and MS, there are escalating costs to MS beginning August 29th if they walk away. I doubt MS wants to pay those, so in my opinion the deal will be closed before August 29th. They have just left some buffer time just in case negotiations with the CMA take longer than expected.
I am planning on playing some AKB games I do not have on XB GamePass this fall/Christmas!
@BeerIsAwesome
Just because exclusives exist everywhere, does not make it right. I am well aware of the reality. But, that doesn't make the realty right. And I have wrapped my head around the fact that it is wrong.
Also, it is a lot different forcing you to subscribe for a month to netflix then forcing you to buy a $500 console to play only a few games.
Honestly, at the end of the day we are gamers. I would expect every gamer to want every other gamer to be able to play every game on their chosen device. Whether that is God of War, Halo, Mario, Zelda, Gears, Horizon, Call of Duty, Destiny, etc.
Maybe now, Microsoft will finally have the clout to negotiate with Sony and say, sure Diablo, CoD, Spyro, Crash, etc. will stay on your console... Oh, and we will add Gears, Halo, Hellblade, and Starfield to your console, but... God of War, Horizon, The Last of Us, Ratchet & Clank, and Uncharted need to make their way to XB as well...
Same with Nintendo.
No more console wars, no more exclusives, every gamer can choose their console and play every game on it! The world of gaming should be one community, not several. Consoles should be differentiated based on the hardware, services, network, and gaming profile features. Not have vs have not games with exclusivity.
@TheSimulator I don't see them doing another one for a period of time. While they got approval through the courts to proceed, taking on another or two other major publishers would surely start to have things look like they are buying the industry to become a monopoly.
Personally, I think this is a good time for them to consolidate their gains and show how well they can manage the acquired publishers/studios. With AKB MS will add another 15 studios! That is almost doubling what they have today!
And frankly as a gamer to me the big prize was not CoD... It was Blizzard Entertainment with Diablo, WoW, StarCraft, and Overwatch. Blizzard makes only platinum standard IPs. CoD is like the Toyota Camry... It is the best selling car in the world but that doesn't make it the best car you can buy. It is just built for the masses.
The FTC is entering Trump territory. They were both losers and need to get over it.
The USA is turning into the laughing stock of the world. It is no longer ok to take a loss, you have to fight until the ship has sunk and even afterwards fight it more until you fully drown.
Everyone should pause and think about this for a second. MS released Halo MCC on XBO in 2014. Here we are 9 years later and MS is still strongly supporting the game and bringing new features to it. Think about that 9 years.
People often ask me why I am loyal to MS/XB. This is my reason. Yes, like every other company they walk away from products and abandon them if they don't do well. But, when they decide they are supporting something their support of the product is second to no company in the tech industry.
@ycshinobi
I just got my ROG Ally this week! Very Impressive.
To configure it I connected a bluetooth mouse and keyboard. Added a 1 TB SD card to sync my OneDrive, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, Microsoft 365, Spotify, installed a bunch of games that I have on Steam and Xbox GamePass/EA Play. LOL. Even installed Candy Crush Saga from Windows Store. Device plays games perfectly fine. Also, have a substantial library from MS Films & TV that I also can watch on the device. Battery life is thin so bought two 25,000 mha battery packs to keep it running at full resolution and brightness for about 6-8 hours.
I am sure it will bring me 1,000's of hours of entertainment in mobile settings.
Have Candy Crush Sage, Age of Empires I/II, Battletoads, Command & COnquer, Crysis, Death Stranding, Forza Horizon 5, Geometry Wars Evolved, Lego Star Wars Saga, Moving Out, Ori and the Will of the Wisps, Psychonauts 2, Rise of Nations, Shadowrun, SimCity, Talespire, and The Ascent on it for gaming.
Good, I like that Double Fine isn't always working on the same IP. And I would prefer seeing them make yet another new IP. They are a creative bunch. I like that a lot.
@Widey85 I don't think it is as far as way as we expect but definitely not immediate.
Both Steam and XB seem to be playing the same game. I just bought an Asus ROG Ally and am really impressed. They get the battery life up, and I would describe this as a pretty perfect mobile gaming device. I was toying about buying SteamDeck instead but ROG Ally got me because it is Windows out of the box and the screen resolution/audio is better according to reviews.
I unanimously don't like Jim Ryan. Will he just disappear because of it?
And XB wasn't the first to offer game subscriptions. Playstation started them with PSN's instant game library. It is funny how people take shots at "ownership on GamePass" when it was PSN that started it with their "two free games a month". And by the way, the day you stop subscribing to PSN you lose access to all the games you ever accumulated in that model. All XB has done with GamePass is improved on the model.
I don't know why people hate on or overly love GamePass. Personally, I like it a lot.
But, at the end of the day it is just a different way to buy games/game content. Just like cars have rent/lease/buy models. Same with furniture stores, etc. All GamePass is, is a different method to get games. And there are a bunch of factors that drive people to different methods... Financial state, gaming preferences, ownership perspective, cost per game, etc.
I don't think anyone is less of a gamer based on whether they are on GamePass or not.
@Widey85 Yes, I know there was two standards for a while and the best standard did not win. That was the same for VHS/Beta and 8 track/cassette.
Standards come and go and there is often a "figuring out" of the standard by the manufacturers and the market place. Although that isn't great for consumers it usually gets to one standard.
As gaming matures and the tools mature there will be a drive towards a standard. technically it already started as consoles have morphed to be more and more PC like.
Exclusives are used to tie people into platforms and services. To me this is wrong. Whether it is Starfield, God of War or Mario games. All exclusives are not consumer friendly.
Every gamer should have the right to play every game on every piece of hardware. Like we buy standard blu-ray players and can play all blu-ray movies on it and we buy HDMI TVs and they all interface the same way to devices.
@PixelDragon I do agree with the sense of ownership thing.
But, when we buy a game we are not buying a physical copy of the game. The license agreement clearly states you are buying a license to use that game. The disc is simply a medium to distribute the game.
From a collector or ownership perspective, I would rather have unique game posters (preferably signed), and cool, unique things associated with the game rather than a disc.
I am not sure how something like this makes headline news.
LOL. Imagine going on to your local news network and the host anchor starts the newscast with, "And today, controversy is swirling in the gaming industry as people are confused as to whether a disc will or will not be included with the special edition of Bethesda's latest RPG game Starfield. Over to Jeff, for on the scene live at a gamer's home for this important issue that effects every gamer".
Truly, gamers are spending way too much time nitpicking every thing possible about Starfield. Microsoft is looking to have a good game here, and people are nitpicking every aspect of it trying to find a flaw.
In Canada we would pay $11.99 for XB Gold and $16.99 for GamePass today. So incrementally, I am paying $5.00 for GamePass Ultimate. I assume Canada will see a $3-4 jump. Still worth it in my books. Do I like price increases? No... Is this one OK? Yes.
Given that we are just starting to see games that cannot ship on previous generation hardware, I think a mid-generation upgrade would be a waste of time. Give us truly next gen games for a few years please.
Sony showed us an unreal 5 demo to start the generation. We have yet to see anyone ship a game to that caliber this generation yet using UE5.
@Serpentes420
A good game will be a good game no matter what franchise it is based upon. The jury is still out on whether it will be a good game.
People buy the Spider-Man game because it is a good game. For literally years their were Spider-Man games that never delivered a good game and didn't sell all that great. Sony made a great Spider-Man game, then it sold well.
Personally, I don't see Hellblade II and God of War as very comparable franchises. They are in the genre, but very different themes to the games. Just like I wouldn't compare Halo and Killzone. Again, same genre but two very different approaches and themes to the games.
Comments 812
Re: Microsoft Announces The Xbox 360 Store Will Close In July 2024
@S1ayeR74
And how is this proof of danger for a store closing?
They didn't say you won't be able to download your games that you bought. They explicitly have said you can continue to download your previously purchased games and content for those games. And I always keep a downloaded version of my games so I can play them long after any store quits allowing me to download.
Now, if they said they were withdrawing purchased, digital rights that would be a completely different story.
Re: Bethesda Exec Urges Patience In Response To Restless Starfield & Fallout Fans
@shoeses
I think every console vendor relies on certain studios yearly. PS is relying on Insomniac as their first party has been dry this year as well.
There is always a ton of pressure on first party studios to deliver great games.
Re: Xbox Backwards Compatibility Had A Major Effect On July's UK Charts
6 of the top 10 games are from previous generations. Just wow!
Gamers are flocking to BC and remasters way too much. I like that the games are still doing well, but frankly holding 6 out of 10 top spots is sad.
Re: Quake 2 Remastered Is Getting Multiple Physical Editions For Xbox
What is wrong with a game costing more now than when it was originally made? EVERYTHING!
I do realize it has been re-mastered and features added, but this is not a complete re-make. Let's put it this way, if this game was made by a new developer today it would maybe score an average of 70-80 on Metacritic.
Re: Starfield Backstory Reveals What Happened Leading Up To 2330 A.D.
I always wonder when I see these dates in fictional lore how many of them are related to significant dates and numbers to the people on the teams that made them.
Re: Forza Motorsport's Multiplayer Looks Awesome, But Split-Screen Didn't Make The Cut
I would love split screen on every multi-player and co-op game. But the reality of tracking and displaying two or more full games running on a single console would require the developers to gimp the games either graphically and/or gameplay computationally.
I know not everyone can afford two XB Series X and corresponding extra TVs, but I can and have and therefore don't have the problem that I am sure many others do.
It would be interesting if someone came up with a screen splitting device. One that on the fly could take multiple HDMI inputs and turn them into a single HDMI output with next to zero latency. That way you could get over the two TV requirement at least.
But when it comes to better gameplay/graphical vs split screen, in my books I always choose better gameplay/graphics.
Re: Lollipop Chainsaw Remake Gets A New Name And 2024 Release Date
@Cashews
Agreed. I called the previous generation the remaster generation. This generation so far is labelling itself the remake generation.
Additionally, we are still waiting for generational leap games. It is hard for me to listen to publishers say that their games are next generation when they ship the same game on XB One and PS4. Or also make the game for Nintendo Switch. If you can ship the game on those devices how can you term it a generational leap?
Re: Talking Point: What Would Convince You To Use Xbox Cloud Gaming More Often?
Latency is everything. I could deal with HD resolutions since the ideal devices for cloud gaming would be handheld, but currently any game with any level of action just is not fun on cloud streaming.
That said, I have the Asus ROG Ally and quite enjoy downloading games on it and playing it normally.
Re: Forza Developer Highlights Eight 'New To Motorsport' Cars Available At Launch
@PhileasFragg
People miss the point on Forza Motosport vs Forza Horizon.
Motorsport is a racing simulator aiming at accuracy to the real world.
Horizon is an arcade racer aiming to simplify reality in return for greater fun.
Both have different purposes and target audiences. Forza Motorsports is targeting car nuts who want to see what it would be like to drive each car on a closed circuit track similar to real professional racing. Forza Horizon is a broad audience arcade racing game.
I like both, but for those different reasons. I like cars and like the Motorsports for what it is. Also like Horizon for the fun.
Re: Obsidian Axed Avowed's Co-Op To Focus On 'Things' It Was Best At
@Cashews
Whether the game is good or not remains to be seen.
But, historically Obsidian has built and shipped above average to great games. So this is a wait and see for me.
Your post is highly dramatic. As for the Microsoft gaming division. You don't go and spend $70 bln buying Activision and about $10 bln on other studios over the past 7 years just to shut everything down. And there seems to be a lot of good content in the pipeline even though a lot of it was delayed through covid. Hellblade II, Fable, something Gears, Clockwork Revolution, more Flight Simulator, Everwild, Outer Worlds 2, Forza Motorsport, Perfect Dark, Starfield, State of Decay 3, Indiana Jones, Elder Scrolls VI, etc. For a gaming division that is shutting down they sure are busy making games.
And pretty soon they will probably own ABK... Call of Duty, Diablo, World of Warcraft, Overwatch, Spyro, Crash, etc. Doesn't look like a division shutting down at all.
Gamers seem to think these games are made overnight. The reality is that each game made with a new game engine is anywhere from 3-7 years of development. Even games based on existing engines are 2-4 years of development now-a-days. There are almost no first party studios releasing yearly games. Any first party studios releasing a lot of games have multiple studio teams. Single team first party studios are typically at least 2 years to make each game.
I like what MS is doing, they have to prove that they can release games consistently, but once they get over that hump, they should be fine. 2021 was a good year on releases, 2022 was a drought, 2023 is so far good and hopefully getting better, 2024 onward is starting to look consistent.
Re: Talking Point: Would You Be Interested In A Digital-Only Xbox Series X?
I have had my series x since day one and have yet to stick a disc in the drive. A drive is useless if you have gone all digital.
I still think it should be available with a drive, but I would prefer to have the option to buy without a drive as well.
Re: Reaction: Red Dead Redemption PS4 Port Highlights How Amazing Xbox Backwards Compatibility Is
You look at how Microsoft has often supported its customers. Continued significant, free upgrades and features on games like Halo MCC and Sea of Thieves, the multiplayer fixes even for BC titles, the fact that BC has games dating back to the original XB and XB360, Game Pass feature first party studio games on day one, etc. IF you are a XB customer MS is giving you full value for every dollar you spend. And with the addition of Bethesda and ABK it just keeps getting better. Not to mention the studios they have acquired are preparing to ship their first XB games soon... Hellblade II!
Re: Quake 2 Remastered Will Seemingly Stealth Launch On Xbox Game Pass This Month
I would love to see a total remake of all 3 Quake story games rather than just remasters.
Re: Killer Instinct 10th Anniversary Update Coming To Xbox Series X|S
Nice. Yet another example of XB supporting good games over a long period of time, providing significant improvements without charging gamers.
Re: Square Enix Is Bringing Final Fantasy 14 Online To Xbox In Spring 2024
MS and XB have a lot of good momentum right now. The earlier games showcase was solid, the AKB deal is going to go through, and now Square Enix appears to be re-getting on board to XB.
MS needs to keep this going and continue after this delivering great 1st party content and fully follow the rules they are agreeing to with the AKB acquisition. I expect at some point they would need to buy another large third party publisher at some point but if they stick to this formula for the next 3-5 years then they will be more trusted to make another major third party publisher acquisition.
Re: Xbox & Square Enix Announce Plans To 'Partner Closely' On Future Games
At this point I am not sure I care too much. I really liked playing FF XV on XB. And when XIV never came last gen, and then the XVI snub I pretty much decided that I wouldn't need to play Square Enix games anymore.
They will have to convince me that they are on XB to stay and that they are truly committed before they will see any more of my money. I am not running back just because they are singing happy songs.
Re: Phil Spencer Says Xbox Is 'Focused' On Improving Handheld PC Gaming Experience
@AnVold
I would argue that MS has completed their focus on consoles for now. They are in third in the console space and probably will be there for the foreseeable future. I see nothing that will change that. Starfield, AKB acquisition, etc. They will stay third in consoles until consoles are no longer a thing.
Why own several devices with the same library? So, I don't always have to re-buy library items just because I am playing on a different device. A lot of the XB games allow me to purchase once and use on many devices. Only XB provides that.
I do agree with different form factors for different games. RTS games are more suited to mouse/keyboard, etc. But I do not agree with buying different variants of the same form factor to play different games. I wish I only needed to buy one console to play all the games I want to play on my TV, but I end up buying a Nintendo, Sony, and MS console to play all the games I like on my TV. It is annoying switching the inputs, upgrading consoles as new games come out, etc. The current world is company friendly, not consumer friendly.
Re: Phil Spencer Says Xbox Is 'Focused' On Improving Handheld PC Gaming Experience
@AnVold
Why can't we get more XB experiences on more devices? I don't see why they have to have just a laser focus on only the console experience. Gamers want to game on more than just their console and MS is catering to that. This is another major feature that attracts me to the XB environment.
If I based my primary console environment only on games, then I would primarily play on PS because frankly when you look at their catalogue it is better. But, since I want to play on PC, phone, portable game devices like ROG Ally, and console, I have chosen XB as my primary gaming environment.
I really like that I can play RTS games primarily on PC, for my shooter/action/RPG fix I play on console, when I am out and about and only have my phone I have the odd opportunity to use cloud streaming on my phone, and when I travel I have my ROG Ally. Only XB gives me that flexibility.
Re: Microsoft Seems To Have Improved More Xbox 360 Matchmaking, This Time With Gears Of War
I really like that MS is providing support to many older games. MS is excelling and setting the standard in game preservation.
Re: Tencent Will Soon Become 'Majority Shareholder' Of Dying Light Developer Techland
I love the way they worded that...
They forgot to add:
"But Tencent is now the majority owner so they can change anything they feel like at any time."
Re: Phil Spencer Played A Huge Role In Bringing Antstream Arcade To Xbox
I really like this service! Can't wait for more games and continued evolution.
Re: Many More PS1 Games Are Coming To Antstream Arcade On Xbox
I want them to add Colecovision games too!
Re: These 1400+ Games Are Included With Antstream Arcade On Xbox
Too bad there are no Colecovision games.
Re: Talking Point: After Almost Four Years, We're Starting To Miss Gears
I love Gears a ton. To me, it is the best third person shooter ever. The Coalition can take a while though, I want the next Gears to kick things up a notch and be even better then any Gears to date.
Re: Xbox Boss: We Could Close ActiBlizz Deal In US, But We're Waiting On UK
@Nydius
If you read the press release of the extension between AKB and MS, there are escalating costs to MS beginning August 29th if they walk away. I doubt MS wants to pay those, so in my opinion the deal will be closed before August 29th. They have just left some buffer time just in case negotiations with the CMA take longer than expected.
I am planning on playing some AKB games I do not have on XB GamePass this fall/Christmas!
Re: Microsoft & Sony Sign Binding Agreement To Keep Call Of Duty On PlayStation
@BeerIsAwesome
Just because exclusives exist everywhere, does not make it right. I am well aware of the reality. But, that doesn't make the realty right. And I have wrapped my head around the fact that it is wrong.
Also, it is a lot different forcing you to subscribe for a month to netflix then forcing you to buy a $500 console to play only a few games.
Re: Payday 3 Dev Says 'We Need You To Be Online' For Upcoming Xbox Game Pass Title
@Moby
There are two reasons that justify always online...
1) Ensuring you always have a valid license for a game.
2) To reduce the ability to cheat games for achievements.
Re: Microsoft & Sony Sign Binding Agreement To Keep Call Of Duty On PlayStation
Honestly, at the end of the day we are gamers. I would expect every gamer to want every other gamer to be able to play every game on their chosen device. Whether that is God of War, Halo, Mario, Zelda, Gears, Horizon, Call of Duty, Destiny, etc.
Maybe now, Microsoft will finally have the clout to negotiate with Sony and say, sure Diablo, CoD, Spyro, Crash, etc. will stay on your console... Oh, and we will add Gears, Halo, Hellblade, and Starfield to your console, but... God of War, Horizon, The Last of Us, Ratchet & Clank, and Uncharted need to make their way to XB as well...
Same with Nintendo.
No more console wars, no more exclusives, every gamer can choose their console and play every game on it! The world of gaming should be one community, not several. Consoles should be differentiated based on the hardware, services, network, and gaming profile features. Not have vs have not games with exclusivity.
Re: Xbox Boss Acknowledges 'Team Effort' In Victory Against FTC
@TheSimulator
I don't see them doing another one for a period of time. While they got approval through the courts to proceed, taking on another or two other major publishers would surely start to have things look like they are buying the industry to become a monopoly.
Personally, I think this is a good time for them to consolidate their gains and show how well they can manage the acquired publishers/studios. With AKB MS will add another 15 studios! That is almost doubling what they have today!
And frankly as a gamer to me the big prize was not CoD... It was Blizzard Entertainment with Diablo, WoW, StarCraft, and Overwatch. Blizzard makes only platinum standard IPs. CoD is like the Toyota Camry... It is the best selling car in the world but that doesn't make it the best car you can buy. It is just built for the masses.
Re: FTC Appeals Court's Ruling Permitting Microsoft's Acquisition Of Activision Blizzard
The FTC is entering Trump territory. They were both losers and need to get over it.
The USA is turning into the laughing stock of the world. It is no longer ok to take a loss, you have to fight until the ship has sunk and even afterwards fight it more until you fully drown.
Re: Halo: Master Chief Collection July Update Includes Huge Changes To Firefight Mode
Everyone should pause and think about this for a second. MS released Halo MCC on XBO in 2014. Here we are 9 years later and MS is still strongly supporting the game and bringing new features to it. Think about that 9 years.
People often ask me why I am loyal to MS/XB. This is my reason. Yes, like every other company they walk away from products and abandon them if they don't do well. But, when they decide they are supporting something their support of the product is second to no company in the tech industry.
Re: Microsoft And UK CMA Agree To Pause Legal Battle Over Activision Blizzard Deal
CMA leverage has completely disappeared. This is now done.
Re: Xbox Wins FTC Court Case As Judge Denies Preliminary Injunction
This is a seismic shift in the gaming industry. I didn't really care about Call of Duty, but MS owning Blizzard to me is huge!
Re: Deals: Get Up To 85% Off Major Xbox Titles In The Steam Summer Sale
@ycshinobi
I just got my ROG Ally this week! Very Impressive.
To configure it I connected a bluetooth mouse and keyboard. Added a 1 TB SD card to sync my OneDrive, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, Microsoft 365, Spotify, installed a bunch of games that I have on Steam and Xbox GamePass/EA Play. LOL. Even installed Candy Crush Saga from Windows Store. Device plays games perfectly fine. Also, have a substantial library from MS Films & TV that I also can watch on the device. Battery life is thin so bought two 25,000 mha battery packs to keep it running at full resolution and brightness for about 6-8 hours.
I am sure it will bring me 1,000's of hours of entertainment in mobile settings.
Have Candy Crush Sage, Age of Empires I/II, Battletoads, Command & COnquer, Crysis, Death Stranding, Forza Horizon 5, Geometry Wars Evolved, Lego Star Wars Saga, Moving Out, Ori and the Will of the Wisps, Psychonauts 2, Rise of Nations, Shadowrun, SimCity, Talespire, and The Ascent on it for gaming.
Re: Hogwarts Legacy Is Currently The Lowest Price It's Ever Been On Xbox
LOL. The game has been out only since February. I expect we will see better pricing in the Black Friday/End of Year sales.
Re: Elder Scrolls 6 'Projected Release Is 2026', Claims Microsoft Lawyer
Take as long as they need. It looks like the lineup of games is solid for the next while anyhow.
Re: Double Fine Isn't Working On Psychonauts 3 Right Now, Confirms Tim Schafer
Good, I like that Double Fine isn't always working on the same IP. And I would prefer seeing them make yet another new IP. They are a creative bunch. I like that a lot.
Re: Microsoft's CEO Isn't A Fan Of Console Exclusives, Blames Sony
@Widey85
I don't think it is as far as way as we expect but definitely not immediate.
Both Steam and XB seem to be playing the same game. I just bought an Asus ROG Ally and am really impressed. They get the battery life up, and I would describe this as a pretty perfect mobile gaming device. I was toying about buying SteamDeck instead but ROG Ally got me because it is Windows out of the box and the screen resolution/audio is better according to reviews.
Re: Jim Ryan: Publishers 'Unanimously' Do Not Like Xbox Game Pass
I unanimously don't like Jim Ryan. Will he just disappear because of it?
And XB wasn't the first to offer game subscriptions. Playstation started them with PSN's instant game library. It is funny how people take shots at "ownership on GamePass" when it was PSN that started it with their "two free games a month". And by the way, the day you stop subscribing to PSN you lose access to all the games you ever accumulated in that model. All XB has done with GamePass is improved on the model.
Re: DayZ Publisher Shows Xbox Game Pass Some Love 'For No Particular Reason'
I don't know why people hate on or overly love GamePass. Personally, I like it a lot.
But, at the end of the day it is just a different way to buy games/game content. Just like cars have rent/lease/buy models. Same with furniture stores, etc. All GamePass is, is a different method to get games. And there are a bunch of factors that drive people to different methods... Financial state, gaming preferences, ownership perspective, cost per game, etc.
I don't think anyone is less of a gamer based on whether they are on GamePass or not.
Re: Microsoft's CEO Isn't A Fan Of Console Exclusives, Blames Sony
@Widey85
Yes, I know there was two standards for a while and the best standard did not win. That was the same for VHS/Beta and 8 track/cassette.
Standards come and go and there is often a "figuring out" of the standard by the manufacturers and the market place. Although that isn't great for consumers it usually gets to one standard.
As gaming matures and the tools mature there will be a drive towards a standard. technically it already started as consoles have morphed to be more and more PC like.
Re: Microsoft's CEO Isn't A Fan Of Console Exclusives, Blames Sony
Exclusives are used to tie people into platforms and services. To me this is wrong. Whether it is Starfield, God of War or Mario games. All exclusives are not consumer friendly.
Every gamer should have the right to play every game on every piece of hardware. Like we buy standard blu-ray players and can play all blu-ray movies on it and we buy HDMI TVs and they all interface the same way to devices.
Re: Does Starfield Include A Disc? Bethesda Causes Confusion With Contradictory Tweets
@PixelDragon
I do agree that the vendor should be clear what is in the package. Whether they must include a disc or not is entirely up to them.
Does it give gamers more choice? Yes. Do they have to offer more choice? No. Do I believe they should offer the choice? Yes.
Is it front page news? Definitely not.
Re: Alan Wake 2 Being Digital-Only Will Hopefully Result In A 'Better' Game, Says Developer
LOL. We are only a few months from release and they are talking about more polish will make it a better game.
I am now concerned at what state it is in right now!
Re: Does Starfield Include A Disc? Bethesda Causes Confusion With Contradictory Tweets
@PixelDragon
I do agree with the sense of ownership thing.
But, when we buy a game we are not buying a physical copy of the game. The license agreement clearly states you are buying a license to use that game. The disc is simply a medium to distribute the game.
From a collector or ownership perspective, I would rather have unique game posters (preferably signed), and cool, unique things associated with the game rather than a disc.
Re: Does Starfield Include A Disc? Bethesda Causes Confusion With Contradictory Tweets
I am not sure how something like this makes headline news.
LOL. Imagine going on to your local news network and the host anchor starts the newscast with, "And today, controversy is swirling in the gaming industry as people are confused as to whether a disc will or will not be included with the special edition of Bethesda's latest RPG game Starfield. Over to Jeff, for on the scene live at a gamer's home for this important issue that effects every gamer".
Truly, gamers are spending way too much time nitpicking every thing possible about Starfield. Microsoft is looking to have a good game here, and people are nitpicking every aspect of it trying to find a flaw.
Re: Poll: Will You Stay Subscribed To Xbox Game Pass After The Price Hike?
In Canada we would pay $11.99 for XB Gold and $16.99 for GamePass today. So incrementally, I am paying $5.00 for GamePass Ultimate. I assume Canada will see a $3-4 jump. Still worth it in my books. Do I like price increases? No... Is this one OK? Yes.
Re: Xbox Was Worried It Would Lose Starfield Prior To Bethesda Acquisition
LOL. I think the FTC should just drop the case at this point. They are going to lose badly.
Re: Xbox Is Expecting The 'Next Generation Of Consoles' To Begin In 2028
Given that we are just starting to see games that cannot ship on previous generation hardware, I think a mid-generation upgrade would be a waste of time. Give us truly next gen games for a few years please.
Sony showed us an unreal 5 demo to start the generation. We have yet to see anyone ship a game to that caliber this generation yet using UE5.
Re: Bethesda's Indiana Jones Game Confirmed As An Xbox Exclusive
@Serpentes420
A good game will be a good game no matter what franchise it is based upon. The jury is still out on whether it will be a good game.
People buy the Spider-Man game because it is a good game. For literally years their were Spider-Man games that never delivered a good game and didn't sell all that great. Sony made a great Spider-Man game, then it sold well.
Personally, I don't see Hellblade II and God of War as very comparable franchises. They are in the genre, but very different themes to the games. Just like I wouldn't compare Halo and Killzone. Again, same genre but two very different approaches and themes to the games.