To me, if a publisher does not want to ship day one releases on my XB, then they don't think my money is all that important and I won't buy any of their games.
I still haven't bought a SE game since FF VII Remake skipped XB on day one.
I disagree. I think there is room for multiple FPS campaign/multi-player war games. Personally, I like a healthy Battlefield plus CoD because it creates competition and keeps things moving forward to the benefit of everyone... Gamers, the publishers, and the developers of the two franchises.
@Krzzystuff I think too many people have nothing better to do then to document and post this stuff. Or they are just looking for clicks.
XB has full shelfs and people are posting that sales are brutal. They have empty shelves and people post that they are leaving the market.
With all the chaotic tariffs that cause supply chain realignment and problems, things happen. This is not about messaging, This is about a bunch of bored people that have nothing better to do then try and create FUD.
I can't believe that gamers have nothing better to do then monitor stock of XB at stores! In no other hobby do I see people monitor the stock and availability of stuff at stores. This kind of up to the second monitoring is ridiculous and only leads to the term called "speculation" (not based on fact) and "rumors" (again not based on fact).
Here's a suggestion... There are a bunch of games out and coming out for the holiday season, why don't you play and enjoy the games? If you still stayed on GamePass there are literally hundreds of titles to play through and fun titles coming before the holiday!
Gamers and gaming media should spend less time on the business/commercial aspects of gaming and more time on the gaming side of gaming. I know the gaming media gets more clicks with stories like these, but maybe if they did more real investigation and found more interesting real gaming stories to cover these stories would become secondary. But that would require real journalism rather than wandering the internet searching for FUD stories on XB.
What about stories on what we can expect to see in recent innovations in game engines such as Unreal and Unity? What about more behind the scenes about upcoming games? What about more about how gaming is evolving and changing? How about more on every publisher's roadmaps, not just the first party publishers?
As with any subscription service each person must assess whether they feel it is worth it for themselves. If not cancel. If it is then you pay the price of the subscription.
I have looked it over and have decided it works for me. Still way less expensive then buying the games and they constantly release new games that I may have bought in the past. So for me it is worth it. Others have to decide on their own.
I am all for companies going private. Public companies pay a lot of overhead dollars to comply with regulations and focus on keeping shareholders happy.
Private companies can change the focus back to technology, innovation, and the games themselves. Hopefully EA gets back to what brought them success in the early years, versus the milking machine it has turned into.
This is my first day one hardware purchase since the Xbox Series X. Unlike others I don't think I am getting a super deal here. I think it is a day one cost.
But, I do a ton of travel and therefore a mobile gaming device makes sense. I already have a ROG Ally and it is on its last legs so I wanted to replace it anyhow. To me, this is more a replacement purchase then a Day One purchase.
@BattleMonkey I remember getting extra XBox 360's for $129 CDN dollars!
Things have changed. Games have gone up in price substantially over the last three years. Console prices have risen, not fallen this generation. Subscription services have gone up in price. I don't agree with it, but if anyone thinks this will change, I doubt it. It is the new reality.
I find it harder and harder to justify day one purchases of anything in gaming anymore.
Since Xbox One, Playstation 4, and Switch consoles generations have become meaningless. The big thing in each new generation now is mostly framrates, resolution, and quality of sound. AI will probably change this, but for now it is pretty meaningless.
Generations used to be important when there were core gameplay changes... Ex. 2D to 3D, Graphics moved from simple to realistic, etc.
But until recently a lot of people could still play almost all new games on Xbox One and PS4. I have a lot of TVs that I own and play games on, this generation was the first generation I did not buy a new Xbox for each of my TVs because I felt it was not necessary given I could still play most games on Xbox One until about the past year and a bit.
@Fiendish-Beaver Agreed. I have only played fully through Act I on insane so far but have picked up friendly AI stupidity. I do like though that I have to do the work and kill pretty much everything. I have just ignored them rather then reviving downed friends unless it is convenient to help them.
Also, I would've thought they would've improved the sudden motions characters have and some awkward sudden screen re-orientation at times. A couple of times it has cost me my life in battle when I am moving around and then all of a sudden things re-orient to a different view and and by the time I re-orient myself I am dead.
All in all it is pretty much like the original Gears though which is a good thing. lol. I play Gears campaigns with friends where all I use is the lancer and chainsaw (where possible). Some of my funnest run thrus are seeing how many baddies I can kill on a level with the chainsaw and the entire team yelling OPA! when I make each chainsaw kill.
I just hope this guy takes Halo in the right direction. Let's drop the mistakes made in previous games for various reasons and chart a new course for Halo.
I want a campaign story that has intensity and urgency in the story. That was lacking in Infinite. I want a multiplayer that on day one feels complete and not just a work in progress. I want them to follow traditional Halo lore, with the various baddies of each Halo game and all the weapons avilable on day one. And finally I want a Halo that gives me that unique Halo feeling.
I will buy based on reviews and what updates come with my ROG Ally I bought two years ago. If an update comes available for my existing one to use the same OS (less Windows Services at startup and boot straight to XB UI with multiple integrated stores) then I would probably stick with my existieng one until the next generation of consoles/handhelds.
@WildConcept6 Agreed. Exclusivity has zero value for the content creators, zero value for consumers, but was created simply to lock consumers into a specific hardware platform.
@Ricky-Spanish It was a lot different for sure, but I still enjoyed it. I would agree though that it was not a typical Halo campaign, and had it been a typical Halo campaign I would have liked it more.
Every economic model has its pros and cons. I would argue that the idea of paying $70-80 for a new game is ridiculous, expecially now that 90% of games ship in an incomplete or in a beta state. That to me is just as much a definition of stupidity as GamePass is.
And to me this is all about the consumer experience as I am a consumer not the publisher or developers. Am I getting value for GamePass? Yes. Therefore I keep buying it. If it was a bunch of garbage games and the content was not always changing I would not purchase it anymore. But the fact that I pay about $20 / month and get MS/Activision-Blizzard/Bethesda/Mojang games all on day one keeps me purchasing it. And that they keep bringing good third party stuff as well.
Companies make the economics work in their favor otherwise, they would not exist. Consumers have to look out for ourselves. GamePass has reduced my gaming costs and has encouraged me to try (and in some cases enjoy) games I would've never thought of buying. To me that is a win for me, it must be a win for at least some publishers/developers because they keep signing up to bring games to GamePass, and because MS keeps pushing GamePass it must be a decent win for them.
@Ricky-Spanish I enjoyed playing the Halo Infinite campaign, but the fact that it did not ship Day One with co-op was a really sore spot for me and took a lot of the excitment away.
I do like the idea of a reboot starting with a remake of Halo Combat Evolved. As long as it has Co-op Day One I would be really excited.
There is no sense putting good money into something that may not be going well.
BUT
MICROSOFT PLEASE STOP ANNOUNCING STUFF WELL BEFORE YOU KNOW THE GAME WILL EVER SEE THE LIGHT OF DAY! THIS IS FRICKIN' RI-DONK-ULOUS!
Makes me wonder why we should even watch game announcement showcases. I would be better off just waiting for the market to tell me a game is coming out.
@Tasuki I do agree that his work may be overrated. But, I also think that unlike many devts Kojima's studio is willing to take chances and try different things. He has to be respected in an industry where it seems like mediocre is rewarded, Kojima is willing to try different concepts and gameplay to move things forward.
Definately not. Limited edition consoles are not worth the effort and not worth the money to buy. Help gamers save money to buy games!
One thing I would like to see is a customizable startup sound. I do still love turning on my 360 Gears of War limited edition console that plays the checkpoint dong at startup.
With skins for XB I can customize my console look any time I want!
It is good to see the heads of XB on a show floor and playing games. Shows that they are engaged in the gaming market. Unlike many other gaming vendors.
@Fiendish-Beaver True we don't have any info on which games yet.
It took some time before MS started to port its biggest and newest games to PS. It will likely take time for Sony to do the same on XB. And unlike most XB game studios, Sony studios did not hire multi-platform developers so I expect it will be even longer for them to get up to speed on full multi-platform development.
@HonestHick Agreed. A lot of these recent announcements are more announcement then real and actual change. Console hardware the past two generations has been PC based.
The real announcement was the availability of stores other then XB on XB hardware. Or as you said, "opening it up". To me that is a necessary step to promoting the hardware. Open it up so more gamers like Steam and Epic gamers can use the hardware. It makes the hardware you use irrelevant. Games and gaming services is where they make the money. Nobody makes money on hardware unless you are selling 100's of millions per year like Dell, Lenovo, HP, Asus, etc.
To me consoles should've always been a hardware spec and many manufacturers should be able to sell them. Let Omen, Alienware, ROG, all sell the hardware too, then gamers have real choice. You just buy XB certified hardware and all the game stores certify their games will work on the hardware. And let's go to one gaming profile across gaming networks. That way if I earn achievements on XB, Achievements on Steam, etc. they all show on my profile.
One hardware certification process, one gaming network, , many stores that compete to sell games at the lowest price, and publishers delivering the games that work on the hardware/gaming network. That would be consumer nirvana for gaming.
The first issue I have is that hardware sales do not translate to single users. I for example have 5 XSX and 1 XSS. I know i am not the norm but I help skew the numbers.
Second, PS as an example put out a pro again this generation, so how many of the sales are people with regular PS5's upgrading to pro?
Third, as you state I can be an XB player without ever owning an XB.
Hardware sales will continue to become more and more ridiculous over time. People can argue about including mobile games or not but I think Monthly Active Users is what MS cares about most. You addict people to your content and then they try to sell you more content and services through that content.
I think people need to take a step back here. The reality is that quarterly reports are provided for investors as part of regulations related to public companies.
Too many times gamers read this stuff wrong. Gamers are not the target of this information, investors are. The only thing that should be taken out of this from a gaming point of view is that MS is satisfied with the direction the division is going and they feel that highlighting certain data they are measuring is what they think investors want to hear to support their positive outlook.
@Vaako007 I describe myself as very technical but I like consoles because they don't require me to tinker with them all the time unlike PC. If MS can deliver a device that works on TV just like XB does I will continue to buy the brand. But I also am fortunate enough to be able to afford to buy the other consoles as well. I would spend more on games though if the devices all just merged and there was only one device for gaming on TVs.
@Fiendish-Beaver Again, another assumption that every game on Steam will be able to be used on the XB PC console. I think Steam will limit the games available on their XB store to ones that meet a seamless standard for install. Or at least they will be marked in some way that they will install seamlessly.
I do agree Steam sells cheaper, but that doesn't mean they always will be selling cheaper. Or that games on MS game store will be more expensive. When separate markets come together, prices tend to standardize.
@Fiendish-Beaver
First you are assuming two things that may be wrong.
Assumptions:
1) The XB PC will be just as difficult to configure and run games as a regular PC.
2) MS views gaming store revenue as an important and non-negotiable revenue stream.
So, what if:
1) MS ships a PC configured like an XB is today and it is just as easy to manage as the XB console is today?
2) MS views being the gaming platform (OS and cloud) as the revenue streams they really want rather than the gaming stores and only GamePass is the non-negotiable revenue stream.
Then,
1) MS becomes the largest gaming/cloud platform holder along with Tencent.
2) MS still have a store that is centered around GamePass. (Which is probably where 80% of their gaming store revenues probably come from today anyhow).
You have to remember why MS got into consoles to start with... It was because they felt that consoles (specifically PS2) would canibalize gaming on PC and therefore MS would lose gamer enthusiast revenues on Windows. If MS continues to view it this way your assumptions might not be as strong as you think they are.
I think the ROG Ally this year is going to start to clarify this picture more.
@Fiendish-Beaver But you have one thing missing by disregarding PC gamers...
As a PC gamer if you could buy a console at as you say 1/3 the price of a good gaming PC, then wouldn't you consider buying your next gaming PC as a console?
This isn't about Sony, Nintendo, and MS selling consoles. This is about MS changing the market so that it becomes a lot bigger. Merging both console and PC gaming into one community. No more porting, no more console wars, just a bunch of gamers buying hardware from any vendor and using one gaming OS and platform. Just like music and movies, everything becomes standardized so that publishers can sell their games to as many gamers as possible.
@Banjo- At some point the gaming platforms have to merge. Porting games is a waste of resources and if every publisher becomes multi-platform then as an industry it is in their best interests to standardize the platform so that porting disappears.
I am getting happier and happier with console vendors starting to get rid of forever exclusives.
I would love to see The Last of Us, God of War, Ghosts of Tsushima, Spider-man, Ratchet & Clank, and Uncharted games make their way to XB.
Now we just need all the gaming platforms to merge into one! Standard hardware and standard OS/platform for every gamer. And MS is starting this off with the meld of XB and PC into one.
@Tainted This is correct. The platform where you can play the most number of popular games is PC.... Not console. A lot of console owners have not understood this reality that has been around for a while now.
And in the end MS strategy to ship essentially a Windows device as a console begins to make more and more sense. A gaming rig can be really expensive. Shipping a gaming console that the masses can afford that plays PC and previous XB console games would be in my opinion the ultimate device for gaming.
MS Services are second to none in my opinion. And I really like the hardware. XSX and XSS are perfectly fine to me as they give people different cost levels to enter gaming.
People often tell me that MS hardware is not as good because of 360's RRoD. I actually am more pro-MS hardware because of RRoD. I had two RRoD bricks. Both, I shipped back to MS and were replaced no questions asked. That is called great customer service. They took a massive financial hit to fix RRoD. They could've easily just said, let's drop console and walk away, but they felt it was important to stay and to try and keep their customers happy enough to keep buying their products. That is a huge reason why I primarily play my games on XB. The company showed loyalty to the customer base when they could've just abandoned the whole thing, saved money, and left the industry and people would've talked about it but it would not have changed anything for their other products at the time which sold much better.
@Wizzle8899
I should have qualified this with, "If used properly".
I use AI to look up information on how to do things and to give me directional ideas. It has become a huge part of my day and I feel has made me much more productive. I can agree that if you blindly rely on AI you lose productivity. A few weeks ago our team was researching for a product we want to buy and someone just asked AI and sent the unfiltered result to the team. LOL. They should've read it first because it made them look stupid. Needless to say they don't work with us anymore.
@HardRockGamer
This is a reality of economics in industries. It is not unique to gaming. Prices are always going up and corporations seem to almost always be making more money.
Gaming is voilitile because it is still a pretty young industry as compared to things like energy, movies, music, retail, textiles, etc. But, as it matures, the tendency is for industries to become leaner, more consolidated, and have the companies left milk them for all they are worth.
@Banjo- Yes, agreed. MS is very clear on what they are doing.
And, it is also funny. With other entertainmernt media such as movies/tv and music I can pretty much use any device and get a subscription to any movie/tv and music service I want. In PC land I can play any game that my hardware is capable to play. On phone games are almost all shipped on both Android and iOS devices.
BUT, ON CONSOLES! OH MY GOD! YOU SHIPPED A GAME ON A COMPETITOR'S DEVICE! HOW DARE YOU TRY AND EXPAND HOW MANY GAMERS PLAY YOUR GAMES!
The play here is clear. MS is trying to break the artifical console barriers created. The model is not consumer friendly and is elitist. Meaning it makes each console owner need their console to be special because the content on each console cannot be what is on every console. This is not how Movies/TV and Music work. The device does not matter. That is how consoles should be.
@Millionski The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. You call it flip flopping, I call it changing direction in the hopes of getting a better result.
XB has tried since day one to play the console game the same way as Sony and Nintendo. OG XB and 360 tried this. they finished third both generations. XBO they tried an entertainment focus that failed. XB Series tried a different hardware model that failed to move them up. They have to do something radical and now they have.
You may or may not like the direction, but I for one am fine with it. You are entitled to feel differently.
Also, with companies, I am not defending MS. I am just as cautious with them as any other company I purchase products from. But in my years of experience buying MS products I find I get good value as compared to competitors for the same products. Because of that I continue to buy many of their products. I cannot say the same about my experiences with Nintendo and Sony.
@Kaloudz I agree. People think that there is some sort of deep relationship between themselves and the products they buy. They think that companies care about their customers. Newsflash, companies care about making their shareholders happy first and foremost.
And gamers should be the same. My use of XB is not about the company, it is about the console, services, and games they make available to me. XB saves me a lot with GamePass, I trust the security of XB online services, and they are supplying me with a constant stream of great games.
I also game on PC, mobile, Nintendo, and Sony. So, I can play there too, but, I prefer XB. Not because I am buddy buddy with MS, but because I feel that their offering across the board is the best in gaming for me. Others can see it differently and that is why there are other options.
@Millionski
1) Sony is considerably smaller then MS gaming now. So, yes they will lay off less people. But last round the percentages were similar. We will see what happens in the next round for Sony. Nintendo is opague about layoffs.
2) I think less is across the board in gaming. I don't see a lot of new stuff from any publisher. And many are talking about next iterations of tried and true games.
3) MS has been clear that they want as many gamers as possible to play their games. Console, PC, and mobile. And they have publicly committed to a next console. So they are not exiting. Consoles in general are selling less then last generation, so consoles as we know them are probably disappearring long term.
4) I do development (not game development). I use AI all day everyday in my job to help me develop. It makes me more productive. It did not replace me. But, yes devts are getting let go in my shop as well. Mostly because they didn't embrace AI and become as productive as I am now. The AI innovation for devts requires a devt to think and work differently. Lot's of devts are not embracing this and are paying the price because of it. AI is a tool not a replacement.
5) I have not felt MS flip flopped. They have measured their gaming unit by "player engagement" meaning how many people play their games and use their services. They have done logical things to improve that. I saw this all coming several years ago. The getting rid of exclusives, more focus on all devices, etc. You can choose to go a different direction and it sounds like you have, but for me, I like the direction because I travel so gaming on many devices is beneficial, and the exclusive thing does not bug me one bit since they are selling their games to more customers which helps improve studio retention.
I think MS has been very clear. They are shipping another console and they want to tap into PC gamers with that console because they are including non-XB PC stores. They want every device to play XB games (Either streamed or natively). They want as many gamers as possible playing their games. There is nothing unsaid and unclear about what is happening. You may not like the message but I see it as very clear and I feel they have been building to this for at least a decade.
Yes, there have been multiple rounds of lay-offs, but this is an ongoing tech trend. Will not be surprised to see Sony do the same.
Key franchises are important but they still have Clockwork Revolution, Keeper, Contraband, and OD announced as new IPs they are publishing.
Every company that is in tech or uses knowledge workers is pushing AI. AI adoption is faster then people adopted the Internet according to OpenAI charts I have seen.
No marketing? They pushed ROG Ally as a new device. I am sure when they have a new console it will be pushed. You don't heavily market a console when it is on the back end of its cycle.
I don't know what the doom and gloom is. I have been enjoying every game pretty much that MS released this year. The biggest issue this year for me was the stopping of movies and TV sales, and I learned that Sony and others stopped this way earlier.
I love my SX and S consoles. I will stick with MS consoles/PCs. And buy the others as well. But XB is my primary gaming platform.
Anytime a team decides to use a propreitary engine over a 3rd party engine you are saying that you think your proprietary engine gives you some advantage over the 3rd party engine. Given the features and functionality that I saw in Halo Infinite I am not sure Slip Space gave them any advantage. They used valuable resources on the engine that could've been more focused on making the game better then it was. I for one felt the game was great but it lacked content on Day One and the lack of Co-op in a Halo game on Day One I felt was just plain dumb.
When I say, "I cleaned up my freezer last night". It sounds a lot better then, "I went into and deep depression and ate two quarts of ice cream from my freezer last night".
The article title is, "Nacon Commits To Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown With Extensive Year 2 Roadmap". Sounds a lot better then, "We released a hot mess of a game and to try and recover the brand we are going to spend two years cleaning it up".
Personally, I think MS is trying to consolidate the existing gaming market on one platform. I am not sure they are overly concerned about stores because strategically they need the platform not the stores. There may be a requirement on the next XB that if you want to publish on XB stores you have to publish on all of them. That would ensure each store is equal from a content perspective.
As for the hardware. Surface is mediocre today, but when introduced it was exceptional. MS used Surface to get PC manufacturers off their butts and make them make devices that could compete with Apple's thin and elegantly designed devices. It succeeded. Now there are all kinds of PC devices. And most have very cool designs.
As for MS' gaming power. They have a lot of power having all the studios they own. I think they are using it to get everyone on the XB track. Telling Steam, Epic, etc. Get on the platform and abandon your own. We will let you have the store, we provide the platform, network, and gaming services. Win-Win. And a win for XB gamers. Especially, if you can buy once and play anywhere.
Comments 874
Re: Absolum Studio Clarifies Xbox Situation, Tells Fans To 'Stay Tuned For Upcoming Announcements'
To me, if a publisher does not want to ship day one releases on my XB, then they don't think my money is all that important and I won't buy any of their games.
I still haven't bought a SE game since FF VII Remake skipped XB on day one.
Re: Battlefield 6 Boss: 'The Only Reason COD Exists Is Because EA Were D*cks'
I disagree. I think there is room for multiple FPS campaign/multi-player war games. Personally, I like a healthy Battlefield plus CoD because it creates competition and keeps things moving forward to the benefit of everyone... Gamers, the publishers, and the developers of the two franchises.
Re: Microsoft Issues Statement Denying Target & Walmart Are Pulling Xbox Products
@Krzzystuff
I think too many people have nothing better to do then to document and post this stuff. Or they are just looking for clicks.
XB has full shelfs and people are posting that sales are brutal. They have empty shelves and people post that they are leaving the market.
With all the chaotic tariffs that cause supply chain realignment and problems, things happen. This is not about messaging, This is about a bunch of bored people that have nothing better to do then try and create FUD.
Re: Xbox Journalist Says Latest Rumours Are 'A Huge Challenge For The Brand Right Now'
I can't believe that gamers have nothing better to do then monitor stock of XB at stores! In no other hobby do I see people monitor the stock and availability of stuff at stores. This kind of up to the second monitoring is ridiculous and only leads to the term called "speculation" (not based on fact) and "rumors" (again not based on fact).
Here's a suggestion... There are a bunch of games out and coming out for the holiday season, why don't you play and enjoy the games? If you still stayed on GamePass there are literally hundreds of titles to play through and fun titles coming before the holiday!
Gamers and gaming media should spend less time on the business/commercial aspects of gaming and more time on the gaming side of gaming. I know the gaming media gets more clicks with stories like these, but maybe if they did more real investigation and found more interesting real gaming stories to cover these stories would become secondary. But that would require real journalism rather than wandering the internet searching for FUD stories on XB.
What about stories on what we can expect to see in recent innovations in game engines such as Unreal and Unity? What about more behind the scenes about upcoming games? What about more about how gaming is evolving and changing? How about more on every publisher's roadmaps, not just the first party publishers?
Re: Poll: What Are Your Plans For Xbox Game Pass After This Week's News?
As with any subscription service each person must assess whether they feel it is worth it for themselves. If not cancel. If it is then you pay the price of the subscription.
I have looked it over and have decided it works for me. Still way less expensive then buying the games and they constantly release new games that I may have bought in the past. So for me it is worth it. Others have to decide on their own.
Re: EA To Be Acquired By Consortium Of Investors For $55 Billion USD
I am all for companies going private. Public companies pay a lot of overhead dollars to comply with regulations and focus on keeping shareholders happy.
Private companies can change the focus back to technology, innovation, and the games themselves. Hopefully EA gets back to what brought them success in the early years, versus the milking machine it has turned into.
Re: EA To Be Acquired By Consortium Of Investors For $55 Billion USD
@RadioHedgeFund
The former Burnout developers are shipping Wreakreation in October...
https://www.purexbox.com/news/2025/09/former-burnout-devs-return-with-wreckreation-on-xbox-series-xs-this-october
Re: Talking Point: So, Did You End Up Pre-Ordering The ROG Xbox Ally?
This is my first day one hardware purchase since the Xbox Series X. Unlike others I don't think I am getting a super deal here. I think it is a day one cost.
But, I do a ton of travel and therefore a mobile gaming device makes sense. I already have a ROG Ally and it is on its last legs so I wanted to replace it anyhow. To me, this is more a replacement purchase then a Day One purchase.
Re: ROG Xbox Ally Prices Finally Revealed, Pre-Orders Now Live
@BattleMonkey
I remember getting extra XBox 360's for $129 CDN dollars!
Things have changed. Games have gone up in price substantially over the last three years. Console prices have risen, not fallen this generation. Subscription services have gone up in price. I don't agree with it, but if anyone thinks this will change, I doubt it. It is the new reality.
I find it harder and harder to justify day one purchases of anything in gaming anymore.
Re: Borderlands 4 Performance Degrades On Xbox The Longer You Play, Dev Suggests Workaround
LOL. This is usually a sign of a memory leak in the code. Not easy to find.
As with most games now-a-days I feel vindicated for not buying on Day One!
Re: Poll: Are You Buying Borderlands 4 Next Week?
I'll wait for all the DLC and then buy it at a decent price. No way I am spending full price on games now-a-days.
Re: Final Fantasy Boss Says 'There's No Real Need' For Next-Gen Consoles Like A Series X Successor
Since Xbox One, Playstation 4, and Switch consoles generations have become meaningless. The big thing in each new generation now is mostly framrates, resolution, and quality of sound. AI will probably change this, but for now it is pretty meaningless.
Generations used to be important when there were core gameplay changes... Ex. 2D to 3D, Graphics moved from simple to realistic, etc.
But until recently a lot of people could still play almost all new games on Xbox One and PS4. I have a lot of TVs that I own and play games on, this generation was the first generation I did not buy a new Xbox for each of my TVs because I felt it was not necessary given I could still play most games on Xbox One until about the past year and a bit.
Re: Roundup: Here's What The Critics Are Saying About Gears Of War: Reloaded
@Fiendish-Beaver
Agreed. I have only played fully through Act I on insane so far but have picked up friendly AI stupidity. I do like though that I have to do the work and kill pretty much everything. I have just ignored them rather then reviving downed friends unless it is convenient to help them.
Also, I would've thought they would've improved the sudden motions characters have and some awkward sudden screen re-orientation at times. A couple of times it has cost me my life in battle when I am moving around and then all of a sudden things re-orient to a different view and and by the time I re-orient myself I am dead.
All in all it is pretty much like the original Gears though which is a good thing. lol. I play Gears campaigns with friends where all I use is the lancer and chainsaw (where possible). Some of my funnest run thrus are seeing how many baddies I can kill on a level with the chainsaw and the entire team yelling OPA! when I make each chainsaw kill.
Re: Former Call Of Duty & Apex Legends Dev Joins Halo Studios As Creative Director
I just hope this guy takes Halo in the right direction. Let's drop the mistakes made in previous games for various reasons and chart a new course for Halo.
I want a campaign story that has intensity and urgency in the story. That was lacking in Infinite. I want a multiplayer that on day one feels complete and not just a work in progress. I want them to follow traditional Halo lore, with the various baddies of each Halo game and all the weapons avilable on day one. And finally I want a Halo that gives me that unique Halo feeling.
Re: Talking Point: Has This Week's ROG Xbox Ally News Sold You On The New Handheld?
I will buy based on reviews and what updates come with my ROG Ally I bought two years ago. If an update comes available for my existing one to use the same OS (less Windows Services at startup and boot straight to XB UI with multiple integrated stores) then I would probably stick with my existieng one until the next generation of consoles/handhelds.
Re: Xbox Vet Rod Fergusson Has Been Drafted In To Help Launch BioShock 4
Nice! Whereever Rod goes, successful games tend to happen!
Re: Gears Reloaded On PS5 'Thrills' Cliffy B As Series Creator Remains 'Open' To Return
@WildConcept6
Agreed. Exclusivity has zero value for the content creators, zero value for consumers, but was created simply to lock consumers into a specific hardware platform.
Re: Halo Is Quietly Having A Resurgence Right Now, And There's A Lot More To Come
@Ricky-Spanish
It was a lot different for sure, but I still enjoyed it. I would agree though that it was not a typical Halo campaign, and had it been a typical Halo campaign I would have liked it more.
Re: Ex-PlayStation Exec Still Not Convinced By 'Dangerous' Xbox Game Pass Model
Every economic model has its pros and cons. I would argue that the idea of paying $70-80 for a new game is ridiculous, expecially now that 90% of games ship in an incomplete or in a beta state. That to me is just as much a definition of stupidity as GamePass is.
And to me this is all about the consumer experience as I am a consumer not the publisher or developers. Am I getting value for GamePass? Yes. Therefore I keep buying it. If it was a bunch of garbage games and the content was not always changing I would not purchase it anymore. But the fact that I pay about $20 / month and get MS/Activision-Blizzard/Bethesda/Mojang games all on day one keeps me purchasing it. And that they keep bringing good third party stuff as well.
Companies make the economics work in their favor otherwise, they would not exist. Consumers have to look out for ourselves. GamePass has reduced my gaming costs and has encouraged me to try (and in some cases enjoy) games I would've never thought of buying. To me that is a win for me, it must be a win for at least some publishers/developers because they keep signing up to bring games to GamePass, and because MS keeps pushing GamePass it must be a decent win for them.
Re: Halo Is Quietly Having A Resurgence Right Now, And There's A Lot More To Come
@Ricky-Spanish
I enjoyed playing the Halo Infinite campaign, but the fact that it did not ship Day One with co-op was a really sore spot for me and took a lot of the excitment away.
I do like the idea of a reboot starting with a remake of Halo Combat Evolved. As long as it has Co-op Day One I would be really excited.
Re: Xbox President 'Delighted' To Join Board Of Directors At Tyson Foods
@Millionski
You hit the nail on the head.
Execs are often members of many boards. This is news as much as a headline that said the sun rose today. Makes me really wonder about journalism.
Re: Sony SVP Discusses 'Moving Away From A Hardware-Centric Business Model'
This is all just logic and sound business practices. Get your content to as many people as possible. Focus on the content not the devices!
Re: Xbox Is Officially 'Stopping' Development On First-Party Game Contraband
There is no sense putting good money into something that may not be going well.
BUT
MICROSOFT PLEASE STOP ANNOUNCING STUFF WELL BEFORE YOU KNOW THE GAME WILL EVER SEE THE LIGHT OF DAY! THIS IS FRICKIN' RI-DONK-ULOUS!
Makes me wonder why we should even watch game announcement showcases. I would be better off just waiting for the market to tell me a game is coming out.
Re: Hideo Kojima Says We're Either Going To Love Or Hate His Xbox-Published Game 'OD'
@Tasuki
I do agree that his work may be overrated. But, I also think that unlike many devts Kojima's studio is willing to take chances and try different things. He has to be respected in an industry where it seems like mediocre is rewarded, Kojima is willing to try different concepts and gameplay to move things forward.
Re: Talking Point: Should Xbox Bring Back Limited Edition Consoles?
Definately not. Limited edition consoles are not worth the effort and not worth the money to buy. Help gamers save money to buy games!
One thing I would like to see is a customizable startup sound. I do still love turning on my 360 Gears of War limited edition console that plays the checkpoint dong at startup.
With skins for XB I can customize my console look any time I want!
Re: Xbox's Phil Spencer & Sarah Bond Make Surprise Appearance At ChinaJoy 2025
It is good to see the heads of XB on a show floor and playing games. Shows that they are engaged in the gaming market. Unlike many other gaming vendors.
Re: Rumour: Sony Is Planning To Bring More PS5 Games To Xbox
@Fiendish-Beaver
True we don't have any info on which games yet.
It took some time before MS started to port its biggest and newest games to PS. It will likely take time for Sony to do the same on XB. And unlike most XB game studios, Sony studios did not hire multi-platform developers so I expect it will be even longer for them to get up to speed on full multi-platform development.
Re: Microsoft Highlights First-Party & Xbox Game Pass Success In FY25 Q4 Earnings Report
@HonestHick
Agreed. A lot of these recent announcements are more announcement then real and actual change. Console hardware the past two generations has been PC based.
The real announcement was the availability of stores other then XB on XB hardware. Or as you said, "opening it up". To me that is a necessary step to promoting the hardware. Open it up so more gamers like Steam and Epic gamers can use the hardware. It makes the hardware you use irrelevant. Games and gaming services is where they make the money. Nobody makes money on hardware unless you are selling 100's of millions per year like Dell, Lenovo, HP, Asus, etc.
To me consoles should've always been a hardware spec and many manufacturers should be able to sell them. Let Omen, Alienware, ROG, all sell the hardware too, then gamers have real choice. You just buy XB certified hardware and all the game stores certify their games will work on the hardware. And let's go to one gaming profile across gaming networks. That way if I earn achievements on XB, Achievements on Steam, etc. they all show on my profile.
One hardware certification process, one gaming network, , many stores that compete to sell games at the lowest price, and publishers delivering the games that work on the hardware/gaming network. That would be consumer nirvana for gaming.
Re: Microsoft Highlights First-Party & Xbox Game Pass Success In FY25 Q4 Earnings Report
@BAMozzy
To me hardware sales are irrelevant.
The first issue I have is that hardware sales do not translate to single users. I for example have 5 XSX and 1 XSS. I know i am not the norm but I help skew the numbers.
Second, PS as an example put out a pro again this generation, so how many of the sales are people with regular PS5's upgrading to pro?
Third, as you state I can be an XB player without ever owning an XB.
Hardware sales will continue to become more and more ridiculous over time. People can argue about including mobile games or not but I think Monthly Active Users is what MS cares about most. You addict people to your content and then they try to sell you more content and services through that content.
Re: Xbox Game Pass Annual Revenue Nears $5 Billion For First Time, Says Microsoft CEO
I think people need to take a step back here. The reality is that quarterly reports are provided for investors as part of regulations related to public companies.
Too many times gamers read this stuff wrong. Gamers are not the target of this information, investors are. The only thing that should be taken out of this from a gaming point of view is that MS is satisfied with the direction the division is going and they feel that highlighting certain data they are measuring is what they think investors want to hear to support their positive outlook.
Re: Report: Two Of Xbox's Upcoming First-Party Titles Are In Development For PS5
@Vaako007
I describe myself as very technical but I like consoles because they don't require me to tinker with them all the time unlike PC. If MS can deliver a device that works on TV just like XB does I will continue to buy the brand. But I also am fortunate enough to be able to afford to buy the other consoles as well. I would spend more on games though if the devices all just merged and there was only one device for gaming on TVs.
Re: Report: Two Of Xbox's Upcoming First-Party Titles Are In Development For PS5
@Fiendish-Beaver
Again, another assumption that every game on Steam will be able to be used on the XB PC console. I think Steam will limit the games available on their XB store to ones that meet a seamless standard for install. Or at least they will be marked in some way that they will install seamlessly.
I do agree Steam sells cheaper, but that doesn't mean they always will be selling cheaper. Or that games on MS game store will be more expensive. When separate markets come together, prices tend to standardize.
Re: Report: Two Of Xbox's Upcoming First-Party Titles Are In Development For PS5
@Fiendish-Beaver
First you are assuming two things that may be wrong.
Assumptions:
1) The XB PC will be just as difficult to configure and run games as a regular PC.
2) MS views gaming store revenue as an important and non-negotiable revenue stream.
So, what if:
1) MS ships a PC configured like an XB is today and it is just as easy to manage as the XB console is today?
2) MS views being the gaming platform (OS and cloud) as the revenue streams they really want rather than the gaming stores and only GamePass is the non-negotiable revenue stream.
Then,
1) MS becomes the largest gaming/cloud platform holder along with Tencent.
2) MS still have a store that is centered around GamePass. (Which is probably where 80% of their gaming store revenues probably come from today anyhow).
You have to remember why MS got into consoles to start with... It was because they felt that consoles (specifically PS2) would canibalize gaming on PC and therefore MS would lose gamer enthusiast revenues on Windows. If MS continues to view it this way your assumptions might not be as strong as you think they are.
I think the ROG Ally this year is going to start to clarify this picture more.
Re: Report: Two Of Xbox's Upcoming First-Party Titles Are In Development For PS5
@Fiendish-Beaver
But you have one thing missing by disregarding PC gamers...
As a PC gamer if you could buy a console at as you say 1/3 the price of a good gaming PC, then wouldn't you consider buying your next gaming PC as a console?
This isn't about Sony, Nintendo, and MS selling consoles. This is about MS changing the market so that it becomes a lot bigger. Merging both console and PC gaming into one community. No more porting, no more console wars, just a bunch of gamers buying hardware from any vendor and using one gaming OS and platform. Just like music and movies, everything becomes standardized so that publishers can sell their games to as many gamers as possible.
Re: Talking Point: So, What Other PS5 Games Do You Want To See Come To Xbox?
@Banjo-
At some point the gaming platforms have to merge. Porting games is a waste of resources and if every publisher becomes multi-platform then as an industry it is in their best interests to standardize the platform so that porting disappears.
Re: Talking Point: So, What Other PS5 Games Do You Want To See Come To Xbox?
I am getting happier and happier with console vendors starting to get rid of forever exclusives.
I would love to see The Last of Us, God of War, Ghosts of Tsushima, Spider-man, Ratchet & Clank, and Uncharted games make their way to XB.
Now we just need all the gaming platforms to merge into one! Standard hardware and standard OS/platform for every gamer. And MS is starting this off with the meld of XB and PC into one.
Re: Xbox Will Apparently Announce More PS5 & Switch 2 Ports 'In The Coming Weeks'
@Tainted
This is correct. The platform where you can play the most number of popular games is PC.... Not console. A lot of console owners have not understood this reality that has been around for a while now.
And in the end MS strategy to ship essentially a Windows device as a console begins to make more and more sense. A gaming rig can be really expensive. Shipping a gaming console that the masses can afford that plays PC and previous XB console games would be in my opinion the ultimate device for gaming.
Re: Microsoft CEO Comments On Recent Xbox Layoffs, Doubles Down On AI
@Banjo-
Agreed.
MS Services are second to none in my opinion. And I really like the hardware. XSX and XSS are perfectly fine to me as they give people different cost levels to enter gaming.
People often tell me that MS hardware is not as good because of 360's RRoD. I actually am more pro-MS hardware because of RRoD. I had two RRoD bricks. Both, I shipped back to MS and were replaced no questions asked. That is called great customer service. They took a massive financial hit to fix RRoD. They could've easily just said, let's drop console and walk away, but they felt it was important to stay and to try and keep their customers happy enough to keep buying their products. That is a huge reason why I primarily play my games on XB. The company showed loyalty to the customer base when they could've just abandoned the whole thing, saved money, and left the industry and people would've talked about it but it would not have changed anything for their other products at the time which sold much better.
Re: Microsoft CEO Comments On Recent Xbox Layoffs, Doubles Down On AI
@Wizzle8899
I should have qualified this with, "If used properly".
I use AI to look up information on how to do things and to give me directional ideas. It has become a huge part of my day and I feel has made me much more productive. I can agree that if you blindly rely on AI you lose productivity. A few weeks ago our team was researching for a product we want to buy and someone just asked AI and sent the unfiltered result to the team. LOL. They should've read it first because it made them look stupid. Needless to say they don't work with us anymore.
Re: Xbox Game Pass Contributed To 'An All-Time High' For Subscription Spending Last Month (US)
@HardRockGamer
This is a reality of economics in industries. It is not unique to gaming. Prices are always going up and corporations seem to almost always be making more money.
Gaming is voilitile because it is still a pretty young industry as compared to things like energy, movies, music, retail, textiles, etc. But, as it matures, the tendency is for industries to become leaner, more consolidated, and have the companies left milk them for all they are worth.
Re: Microsoft CEO Comments On Recent Xbox Layoffs, Doubles Down On AI
@Banjo-
Yes, agreed. MS is very clear on what they are doing.
And, it is also funny. With other entertainmernt media such as movies/tv and music I can pretty much use any device and get a subscription to any movie/tv and music service I want. In PC land I can play any game that my hardware is capable to play. On phone games are almost all shipped on both Android and iOS devices.
BUT, ON CONSOLES! OH MY GOD! YOU SHIPPED A GAME ON A COMPETITOR'S DEVICE! HOW DARE YOU TRY AND EXPAND HOW MANY GAMERS PLAY YOUR GAMES!
The play here is clear. MS is trying to break the artifical console barriers created. The model is not consumer friendly and is elitist. Meaning it makes each console owner need their console to be special because the content on each console cannot be what is on every console. This is not how Movies/TV and Music work. The device does not matter. That is how consoles should be.
Re: Microsoft CEO Comments On Recent Xbox Layoffs, Doubles Down On AI
@Millionski
The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. You call it flip flopping, I call it changing direction in the hopes of getting a better result.
XB has tried since day one to play the console game the same way as Sony and Nintendo. OG XB and 360 tried this. they finished third both generations. XBO they tried an entertainment focus that failed. XB Series tried a different hardware model that failed to move them up. They have to do something radical and now they have.
You may or may not like the direction, but I for one am fine with it. You are entitled to feel differently.
Also, with companies, I am not defending MS. I am just as cautious with them as any other company I purchase products from. But in my years of experience buying MS products I find I get good value as compared to competitors for the same products. Because of that I continue to buy many of their products. I cannot say the same about my experiences with Nintendo and Sony.
Re: Talking Point: What Would You Like To See Ubisoft Do With 'Ghost Recon' On Xbox?
I describe Ubisoft as mediocre. I would like to see them do a lot with their franchises, but instead they just keep doing mediocre.
Re: Microsoft CEO Comments On Recent Xbox Layoffs, Doubles Down On AI
@Kaloudz
I agree. People think that there is some sort of deep relationship between themselves and the products they buy. They think that companies care about their customers. Newsflash, companies care about making their shareholders happy first and foremost.
And gamers should be the same. My use of XB is not about the company, it is about the console, services, and games they make available to me. XB saves me a lot with GamePass, I trust the security of XB online services, and they are supplying me with a constant stream of great games.
I also game on PC, mobile, Nintendo, and Sony. So, I can play there too, but, I prefer XB. Not because I am buddy buddy with MS, but because I feel that their offering across the board is the best in gaming for me. Others can see it differently and that is why there are other options.
Re: Microsoft CEO Comments On Recent Xbox Layoffs, Doubles Down On AI
@Millionski
1) Sony is considerably smaller then MS gaming now. So, yes they will lay off less people. But last round the percentages were similar. We will see what happens in the next round for Sony. Nintendo is opague about layoffs.
2) I think less is across the board in gaming. I don't see a lot of new stuff from any publisher. And many are talking about next iterations of tried and true games.
3) MS has been clear that they want as many gamers as possible to play their games. Console, PC, and mobile. And they have publicly committed to a next console. So they are not exiting. Consoles in general are selling less then last generation, so consoles as we know them are probably disappearring long term.
4) I do development (not game development). I use AI all day everyday in my job to help me develop. It makes me more productive. It did not replace me. But, yes devts are getting let go in my shop as well. Mostly because they didn't embrace AI and become as productive as I am now. The AI innovation for devts requires a devt to think and work differently. Lot's of devts are not embracing this and are paying the price because of it. AI is a tool not a replacement.
5) I have not felt MS flip flopped. They have measured their gaming unit by "player engagement" meaning how many people play their games and use their services. They have done logical things to improve that. I saw this all coming several years ago. The getting rid of exclusives, more focus on all devices, etc. You can choose to go a different direction and it sounds like you have, but for me, I like the direction because I travel so gaming on many devices is beneficial, and the exclusive thing does not bug me one bit since they are selling their games to more customers which helps improve studio retention.
I think MS has been very clear. They are shipping another console and they want to tap into PC gamers with that console because they are including non-XB PC stores. They want every device to play XB games (Either streamed or natively). They want as many gamers as possible playing their games. There is nothing unsaid and unclear about what is happening. You may not like the message but I see it as very clear and I feel they have been building to this for at least a decade.
Re: Microsoft CEO Comments On Recent Xbox Layoffs, Doubles Down On AI
@Millionski
The exclusive thing is real.
Yes, there have been multiple rounds of lay-offs, but this is an ongoing tech trend. Will not be surprised to see Sony do the same.
Key franchises are important but they still have Clockwork Revolution, Keeper, Contraband, and OD announced as new IPs they are publishing.
Every company that is in tech or uses knowledge workers is pushing AI. AI adoption is faster then people adopted the Internet according to OpenAI charts I have seen.
No marketing? They pushed ROG Ally as a new device. I am sure when they have a new console it will be pushed. You don't heavily market a console when it is on the back end of its cycle.
I don't know what the doom and gloom is. I have been enjoying every game pretty much that MS released this year. The biggest issue this year for me was the stopping of movies and TV sales, and I learned that Sony and others stopped this way earlier.
I love my SX and S consoles. I will stick with MS consoles/PCs. And buy the others as well. But XB is my primary gaming platform.
Re: Talking Point: Would Halo Infinite Have Been A Bigger Success Using Unreal Engine 5?
Anytime a team decides to use a propreitary engine over a 3rd party engine you are saying that you think your proprietary engine gives you some advantage over the 3rd party engine. Given the features and functionality that I saw in Halo Infinite I am not sure Slip Space gave them any advantage. They used valuable resources on the engine that could've been more focused on making the game better then it was. I for one felt the game was great but it lacked content on Day One and the lack of Co-op in a Halo game on Day One I felt was just plain dumb.
Re: Nacon Commits To Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown With Extensive Year 2 Roadmap
LOL.
When I say, "I cleaned up my freezer last night". It sounds a lot better then, "I went into and deep depression and ate two quarts of ice cream from my freezer last night".
The article title is, "Nacon Commits To Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown With Extensive Year 2 Roadmap". Sounds a lot better then, "We released a hot mess of a game and to try and recover the brand we are going to spend two years cleaning it up".
Re: PSA: Movies Anywhere Allows You To 'Sync' Your Xbox Purchases With Other Film Providers
All fine and dandy for USA XB owners, but not so much outside the USA. What is MS doing to help non-USA movie owners?
Re: Rumour: Xbox Is Working On Next-Gen Cloud Gaming, Including PC-Based Streaming
@WildConcept6
All fair comments and questions.
Personally, I think MS is trying to consolidate the existing gaming market on one platform. I am not sure they are overly concerned about stores because strategically they need the platform not the stores. There may be a requirement on the next XB that if you want to publish on XB stores you have to publish on all of them. That would ensure each store is equal from a content perspective.
As for the hardware. Surface is mediocre today, but when introduced it was exceptional. MS used Surface to get PC manufacturers off their butts and make them make devices that could compete with Apple's thin and elegantly designed devices. It succeeded. Now there are all kinds of PC devices. And most have very cool designs.
As for MS' gaming power. They have a lot of power having all the studios they own. I think they are using it to get everyone on the XB track. Telling Steam, Epic, etc. Get on the platform and abandon your own. We will let you have the store, we provide the platform, network, and gaming services. Win-Win. And a win for XB gamers. Especially, if you can buy once and play anywhere.