There are certain franchises on each console that are so iconic to the brand that they absolutely need to stay exclusive, no matter what. For Xbox, that's Halo and Gears.
A big part of why I chose Series X over the PS5 was the fact that Halo and Gears are exclusive to the Xbox ecosystem. Porting either of them to ANY Playstation or Nintendo system would not only feel like a slap in the face and a huge insult to me personally, but it would feel like Xbox was selling its soul.
IDGAF if it's the latest and greatest like Gears 5 or a straight-up port of Gears 1 with absolutely no upgrades of extra content whatsoever, Gears of War should NEVER be on Playstation!
And quite frankly, if this is how CliffyB feels, I'm glad he no longer has anything to do with the franchise. Why do people even care what he thinks? He hasn't had anything to do with Gears in over a decade and the passage of time has proven he needs Gears more than Gears needs him. Stop giving him publicity for his ***** takes.
So it sounds like this announcement was not nearly as massive as we had been led to believe. My main concern is the possibility of Halo and Gears, Xbox's flagship franchises, going multiplatform.
While nothing's been confirmed yet, from what they've said about the games making the jump it sounds like it will be smaller scale service-based games. Let's hope it's limited to just that. If Xbox truly understands the importance of exclusives, as they claim, then iconic Xbox first-party franchises need to stay exclusive at all costs, regardless of port-begging from PS fanboys or demands from shareholders with no passion or soul who care about nothing but money.
Diablo IV coming to GamePass is a sweet surprise! I'd been thinking of picking that up, so I'll definetely check it out.
The other concern I have with this is the talk of next-gen hardware. It still feels like we're too early in this gen for that. I feel like at most this gen is only halfway over and it still feels like it's just getting started.
The fact that it's done in podcast format is interesting, to say the least. That plus the fact it's done by the Xbox team rather than corporate gives me hope that the rumors were vastly overblown.
As for what I'm hoping to see, I've been giving it a lot of thought over the past few days and I feel like the following outcome is something I could be happy with:
Xbox clearly announces they have NO intention of stepping out of the console market and that console production and sales will continue. CERTAIN games will be announced to be going multiplatform, but iconic Xbox franchises such as Halo and Gears will remain exclusive. Revenue generated from multiplatform sales will go to funding development of new exclusives titles, both new IP and revivals of dormant ones, as well as subsidizing Game Pass to keep subscription costs down, get more games on the service Day One, and keep them there longer.
If they want to announce a refresh of the Series S|X that's fine too. I just hope they don't announce a next-gen console. It feels like it's far too early in the gen for that, and announcing a next-gen system prematurely would kill off interest in the current console.
What I am EXPECTING to see: An update on the future of Xbox and their plans, whatever those may be.
What I am HOPING to see: Confirmation that Xbox is NOT leaving the console market, and that iconic titles like Halo and Gears, ideally more, stay exclusive.
What I will NEED to see IF the rumors are true: Phil Spencer explaining to me exactly how Xbox porting their best and biggest games to other platforms benefits me as a gamer/consumer and how it strengthens the Xbox brand as opposed to weakening and diluting it. And I'm gonna need him to explain it to me like I'm a 5-year old with Down Syndrome so severe I make Forrest Gump look like Albert Einstein by comparison.
Hopefully this is my last comment on the matter until we know what's what.
When it comes to Xbox games appearing on other platforms, I divide them into three tiers.
Tier 1: Games they are legally obligated to keep multiplatform or games that were already multiplatform before MS acquired them: CoD, Minecraft, etc.
Tier 2: Smaller games that I would be fine with going to other platforms if and only if Xbox was getting something of equal value in return. Hi-Fi Rush and Sea of Thieves would both likely fall into this category.
Tier 3: Games that are central to the identity and soul of Xbox that should under NO circumstances ever appear on any other console. This would include the big 3 of Halo, Gears, and Forza, as well as Fable and recent/future AAA titles like Starfield, Clockwork Revolution, Avowed, Indiana Jones, etc.
These past couple of days have been mentally exhausting as an Xbox fan. Thinking about the possibility of losing it as a dedicated console just as I was getting back into it, I've had my Series X for three years and still feel like I've just barely dipped my toes back in the water. I feel like there's so much I have yet to do and experience within the Xbox community and ecosystem. The thought of having that ripped away from me is frightening. I can't fathom the idea of going to Playstation with their inferior controller (Offset > symmetrical) and their toxic AF community.
Phil's recent tweet, well let's just say I can't help but feel there's at least some truth to all these rumors that have been going around. To what extent I don't know, but I hope and pray that I'm wrong. I want Phil to walk out and say "we're not going anywhere and we're doubling down on exclusives and GamePass."
At the end of the day, nobody really knows what the future of Xbox holds except Xbox. Whatever decision they were going to make has been made, and fretting over it won't change a damn thing.
In closing, I genuinely hope that Xbox as a dedicated platform isn't going anywhere. I'll be mad as hell and disappointed if they start porting stuff like Starfield and Indiana Jones to PS5. But hey, at the end of a day, I'm a huge Halo and Gears whore. As long as those remain exclusive to Xbox, I myself won't be going anywhere.
With all of that being said and out there, maybe now I'll be able to relax and simply enjoy myself and have fun gaming, whatever the news is that drops next week.
I'd be more upset about Sea of Thieves going multiplat than Hi-Fi Rush, honestly, as I personally consider Sea of Thieves a pillar of Game Pass. Though Sea of Thieves on Switch with crossplay does have some appeal, I'll admit, since then me and my bff could play together. But I doubt it would ever run well on Nintendo's carboard online infrastructure.
I've got a lot of different thoughts and feelings on this matter, but the simplest way I know how to explain it is this: I'm okay with CERTAIN Xbox first-party games going to other consoles so long as the following criteria are met:
1. It needs to be a smaller game, NOT a AAA cornerstone like Halo, Gears, Forza, Starfield, etc. I suppose whether or not Sea of Thieves counts a cornerstone is debatable. I personally consider it one.
2. The other console, be it PS or Nintendo, needs to release one of their first-party games on Xbox in return. Something of equal size, value, and scope. Equivalent exchange.
@K1LLEGAL Yeah, I can understand that attitude of writing it off as "just another dudebro shooter" cuz that's how I was until I played it. Makes me sad that so many people aren't willing to look beneath the surface to see what's truly there.
I've recently come to the realization that Gears of War is my all-time favorite video game franchise. A big part of that is how it shattered my non-existent expectations. I thought nothing more of it at first than "it's a bunch of steroid dudes with guns" and only rented it from Blockbuster, where I was working at the time, because my younger brother wanted to play it.
As we played co-op, I gradually realized "This is actually pretty cool" and absolutely fell in love with Gears 2, where my reaction went from "pretty cool" to "this is AWESOME!"
One of the biggest reasons I'm glad I chose Series X over PS5 was it helped reconnect me with Gears, as I sat out the XB1. I'd forgotten how much I genuinely loved the franchise until it was absent from my life for a while.
In regards to the content of this article, I would argue that Gears never truly lost its horror roots, at least not from a story perspective. There's a valid argument to be made that the gameplay of the first had elements of survival horror the sequels have lacked, but looking at the story as a whole? You have the Lambent, a parasitic organism capable of infecting anything and anyone, the origins of the Locust in general, and the fact that from a certain point of view, they can never truly die. They just metamorphose into something else.
As far as the future of Gears, I'm both hopeful and fearful. Fearful because it's been so long with no news on Gears 6 or the oft-rumored Marcus Fenix Collection. Hopeful because I can't help but think that with all the time that has passed, The Coaltion has been cooking up something AMAZING that will totally blow away all expectations once it's finally revealed/released.
In conclusion, I'm a skeptic turned true believe. Long live Gears!
I played it. In fact, I wrote a review of it for my community college newsletter as I had gone back to school at the time. The weakest entry in the series, but still a fantastic game in its own right. I recently acquired a physical copy and was looking forward to having Baird himself, Fred Tatasciore, autograph it at Pensacon last month. Sadly he had to cancel. Maybe next year...
Comments 9
Re: Gears Of War Creator Thinks 'The More, The Merrier' In Regards To Getting Gears On PS5
There are certain franchises on each console that are so iconic to the brand that they absolutely need to stay exclusive, no matter what. For Xbox, that's Halo and Gears.
A big part of why I chose Series X over the PS5 was the fact that Halo and Gears are exclusive to the Xbox ecosystem. Porting either of them to ANY Playstation or Nintendo system would not only feel like a slap in the face and a huge insult to me personally, but it would feel like Xbox was selling its soul.
IDGAF if it's the latest and greatest like Gears 5 or a straight-up port of Gears 1 with absolutely no upgrades of extra content whatsoever, Gears of War should NEVER be on Playstation!
And quite frankly, if this is how CliffyB feels, I'm glad he no longer has anything to do with the franchise. Why do people even care what he thinks? He hasn't had anything to do with Gears in over a decade and the passage of time has proven he needs Gears more than Gears needs him. Stop giving him publicity for his ***** takes.
Re: Roundup: Here's What Was Revealed At The Xbox 'Business Update Event'
So it sounds like this announcement was not nearly as massive as we had been led to believe. My main concern is the possibility of Halo and Gears, Xbox's flagship franchises, going multiplatform.
While nothing's been confirmed yet, from what they've said about the games making the jump it sounds like it will be smaller scale service-based games. Let's hope it's limited to just that. If Xbox truly understands the importance of exclusives, as they claim, then iconic Xbox first-party franchises need to stay exclusive at all costs, regardless of port-begging from PS fanboys or demands from shareholders with no passion or soul who care about nothing but money.
Diablo IV coming to GamePass is a sweet surprise! I'd been thinking of picking that up, so I'll definetely check it out.
The other concern I have with this is the talk of next-gen hardware. It still feels like we're too early in this gen for that. I feel like at most this gen is only halfway over and it still feels like it's just getting started.
Re: Microsoft Announces Official Date & Time For 'Updates On The Xbox Business'
The fact that it's done in podcast format is interesting, to say the least. That plus the fact it's done by the Xbox team rather than corporate gives me hope that the rumors were vastly overblown.
As for what I'm hoping to see, I've been giving it a lot of thought over the past few days and I feel like the following outcome is something I could be happy with:
Xbox clearly announces they have NO intention of stepping out of the console market and that console production and sales will continue. CERTAIN games will be announced to be going multiplatform, but iconic Xbox franchises such as Halo and Gears will remain exclusive. Revenue generated from multiplatform sales will go to funding development of new exclusives titles, both new IP and revivals of dormant ones, as well as subsidizing Game Pass to keep subscription costs down, get more games on the service Day One, and keep them there longer.
If they want to announce a refresh of the Series S|X that's fine too. I just hope they don't announce a next-gen console. It feels like it's far too early in the gen for that, and announcing a next-gen system prematurely would kill off interest in the current console.
Re: Talking Point: What Do You Expect To See From Microsoft's Update On The Future Of Xbox?
What I am EXPECTING to see: An update on the future of Xbox and their plans, whatever those may be.
What I am HOPING to see: Confirmation that Xbox is NOT leaving the console market, and that iconic titles like Halo and Gears, ideally more, stay exclusive.
What I will NEED to see IF the rumors are true: Phil Spencer explaining to me exactly how Xbox porting their best and biggest games to other platforms benefits me as a gamer/consumer and how it strengthens the Xbox brand as opposed to weakening and diluting it. And I'm gonna need him to explain it to me like I'm a 5-year old with Down Syndrome so severe I make Forrest Gump look like Albert Einstein by comparison.
Hopefully this is my last comment on the matter until we know what's what.
Re: Reaction: We're Conflicted About Xbox Exclusives Potentially Going To PS5
When it comes to Xbox games appearing on other platforms, I divide them into three tiers.
Tier 1: Games they are legally obligated to keep multiplatform or games that were already multiplatform before MS acquired them: CoD, Minecraft, etc.
Tier 2: Smaller games that I would be fine with going to other platforms if and only if Xbox was getting something of equal value in return. Hi-Fi Rush and Sea of Thieves would both likely fall into this category.
Tier 3: Games that are central to the identity and soul of Xbox that should under NO circumstances ever appear on any other console. This would include the big 3 of Halo, Gears, and Forza, as well as Fable and recent/future AAA titles like Starfield, Clockwork Revolution, Avowed, Indiana Jones, etc.
These past couple of days have been mentally exhausting as an Xbox fan. Thinking about the possibility of losing it as a dedicated console just as I was getting back into it, I've had my Series X for three years and still feel like I've just barely dipped my toes back in the water. I feel like there's so much I have yet to do and experience within the Xbox community and ecosystem. The thought of having that ripped away from me is frightening. I can't fathom the idea of going to Playstation with their inferior controller (Offset > symmetrical) and their toxic AF community.
Phil's recent tweet, well let's just say I can't help but feel there's at least some truth to all these rumors that have been going around. To what extent I don't know, but I hope and pray that I'm wrong. I want Phil to walk out and say "we're not going anywhere and we're doubling down on exclusives and GamePass."
At the end of the day, nobody really knows what the future of Xbox holds except Xbox. Whatever decision they were going to make has been made, and fretting over it won't change a damn thing.
In closing, I genuinely hope that Xbox as a dedicated platform isn't going anywhere. I'll be mad as hell and disappointed if they start porting stuff like Starfield and Indiana Jones to PS5. But hey, at the end of a day, I'm a huge Halo and Gears whore. As long as those remain exclusive to Xbox, I myself won't be going anywhere.
With all of that being said and out there, maybe now I'll be able to relax and simply enjoy myself and have fun gaming, whatever the news is that drops next week.
Re: Rumours Resurface About Xbox Shadow Drop 'Hi-Fi RUSH' Releasing On More Platforms
I'd be more upset about Sea of Thieves going multiplat than Hi-Fi Rush, honestly, as I personally consider Sea of Thieves a pillar of Game Pass. Though Sea of Thieves on Switch with crossplay does have some appeal, I'll admit, since then me and my bff could play together. But I doubt it would ever run well on Nintendo's carboard online infrastructure.
I've got a lot of different thoughts and feelings on this matter, but the simplest way I know how to explain it is this: I'm okay with CERTAIN Xbox first-party games going to other consoles so long as the following criteria are met:
1. It needs to be a smaller game, NOT a AAA cornerstone like Halo, Gears, Forza, Starfield, etc. I suppose whether or not Sea of Thieves counts a cornerstone is debatable. I personally consider it one.
2. The other console, be it PS or Nintendo, needs to release one of their first-party games on Xbox in return. Something of equal size, value, and scope. Equivalent exchange.
Re: Soapbox: Gears Of War Should Return To Its Horror-Themed 'Mad World' Roots
@K1LLEGAL Yeah, I can understand that attitude of writing it off as "just another dudebro shooter" cuz that's how I was until I played it. Makes me sad that so many people aren't willing to look beneath the surface to see what's truly there.
Re: Soapbox: Gears Of War Should Return To Its Horror-Themed 'Mad World' Roots
I've recently come to the realization that Gears of War is my all-time favorite video game franchise. A big part of that is how it shattered my non-existent expectations. I thought nothing more of it at first than "it's a bunch of steroid dudes with guns" and only rented it from Blockbuster, where I was working at the time, because my younger brother wanted to play it.
As we played co-op, I gradually realized "This is actually pretty cool" and absolutely fell in love with Gears 2, where my reaction went from "pretty cool" to "this is AWESOME!"
One of the biggest reasons I'm glad I chose Series X over PS5 was it helped reconnect me with Gears, as I sat out the XB1. I'd forgotten how much I genuinely loved the franchise until it was absent from my life for a while.
In regards to the content of this article, I would argue that Gears never truly lost its horror roots, at least not from a story perspective. There's a valid argument to be made that the gameplay of the first had elements of survival horror the sequels have lacked, but looking at the story as a whole? You have the Lambent, a parasitic organism capable of infecting anything and anyone, the origins of the Locust in general, and the fact that from a certain point of view, they can never truly die. They just metamorphose into something else.
As far as the future of Gears, I'm both hopeful and fearful. Fearful because it's been so long with no news on Gears 6 or the oft-rumored Marcus Fenix Collection. Hopeful because I can't help but think that with all the time that has passed, The Coaltion has been cooking up something AMAZING that will totally blow away all expectations once it's finally revealed/released.
In conclusion, I'm a skeptic turned true believe. Long live Gears!
Re: Talking Point: Did You Play Epic's Ill-Fated Gears Of War Spinoff On Xbox 360?
I played it. In fact, I wrote a review of it for my community college newsletter as I had gone back to school at the time. The weakest entry in the series, but still a fantastic game in its own right. I recently acquired a physical copy and was looking forward to having Baird himself, Fred Tatasciore, autograph it at Pensacon last month. Sadly he had to cancel. Maybe next year...