@FrenchVaniIIuxe Speak for yourself, there's a decent amount of people interested in the game. Even still, I'm not sure what kind of thought process you used to go from "game has no hype" to "why is the female protag so ugly?" Reeks of culture warring to me.
My question is, if the next Xbox is just a Windows 11 PC, then how exactly is Microsoft gonna convince developers to bring games to their storefront? Won't most companies, especially indie devs, just ignore Xbox entirely and tell Xbox players to buy their games from Steam? Seems like a massive mistake, one that could mark the death of the ID@Xbox program.
Also, focusing so heavily on Play Anywhere in marketing seems kinda pointless, if the next Xbox is indeed a PC.
@cross717 25 years from now, Xbox will be nothing more than a third-party publisher, like Sega. I don't see their hardware division or even storefront existing for another quarter-century, with the pace that Microsoft is going at.
However, maybe that won't matter too much in the long run, because I imagine traditional home consoles aren't long for this world. The RAM shortages will probably make the PS6 (an already-redundant console due to the lack of graphical enhancements) very expensive, which will in turn likely make it the worst selling PS ever. But I could be wrong.
@swedetrap Same. Maybe my tastes in games are just broad, but I'm interested in playing nearly all of the stuff listed here.
Only games I'm not too down for are Marathon (though I do like the artstyle), Invincible VS, Halloween (depends on how good the singleplayer campaign is), Halo: Campaign Evolved (was never a big fan of the first Halo), and Star Wars: Galactic Racer.
I'm a bit iffy on Resonant: A Plague Tale Legacy too, since I wasn't a big fan of the Plague Tale games, but I'd be willing to buy it on sale.
As I expected, Microsoft had basically nothing of note to show here other than PS5 ports of the few Xbox exclusives they have left. Great way to kick off 2026.
That is absolutely terrible, and it is so unexpected. It felt like he had just started to get Battlefield on track. Even though I didn't play many of his games, I knew he was a very talented developer and easily one of the best FPS creators in the industry.
@Allenspurs Never say never. What you're saying is exactly what people said about God of War before it was eventually released for PC in 2022.
Now, I don't know if GT will ever come to Xbox, but a PC port of GT8 (probably too late for GT7) is all but guaranteed. Who knows, since GT is technically a live service series, Sony may even put GT8 on PC day-one. Like all of their other live service games (barring MLB for odd reasons).
@Fiendish-Beaver Man, I'm sorry about what happened to your wife, and it's really unfortunate that you're suffering from persistent back issues, but at least it's nice that you've had the time to share your thoughts about all things gaming here on a regular basis.
To be honest, when I first saw your comments on Pure Xbox, I actually wasn't a big fan of you because we disagreed on a lot of things. But the more I've read your takes, the more I've realized that we actually share more in common about gaming than I thought. And you seem like a nice guy, too!
I think it's safe to say that I (and many others) appreciate the contributions you make to the comment sections of this site.
PlayStation didn't sign an exclusivity deal for this game, the devs were just fanboys who thought that PlayStation deserved to have the game first because it's the "home of great storytelling in video games" or something along those lines (ignoring the fact that Telltale-style games have always been released on Xbox and Nintendo consoles).
Considering how fast they're able to get these Switch ports out the door, it's clear that budgetary restraints were not the reason for their inability to release the game on Switch 2 and Xbox.
Something tells me this is gonna be another Dave the Diver situation, and they won't release the game on Xbox until 2027, if at all.
@RadioHedgeFund Because it isn't remotely as exciting skimming through a few trailers on Pure Xbox/IGN as it is watching the show live for yourself. Like, if you hate the Game Awards, have a limited taste in games, and/or don't have the time to watch a 3-hour awards show, I can understand. But if you are interested in showcases like this one, then I don't know why you would spoil the show for yourself by looking up all the games online.
@niggyt2004 No, it doesn't have new cutscenes, just some new songs that were in the original Japanese release. It has two intro cutscenes now instead of one, but these were in the original Japanese game. They just were never released in the West until now
Technically the Kiwami 2 upgrade is more substantial since it adds 60 FPS support
I know what Tim Cain is working on... He's bringing back Stormlands, the cancelled Xbox One exclusive RPG from Obsidian that no one remembers! Or at least I wish...
Netflix just confirmed that, yes, they are going to be acqurining all of Warner Bro's game studios. So Mortal Kombat is now going to be a Netflix franchise.
Interestingly, the trailer on the Xbox channel is the reveal trailer, which is just CGI. The gameplay trailer (which is 7 minutes long) is currently only on the PlayStation channel, so it seems Sony may have the marketing rights to the game.
@Fiendish-Beaver If it wasn't a simultaneous release, it wouldn't have a trailer on the official Xbox YouTube channel right now, which it does. But you are right, though, this is an odd set of circumstances.
@themightyant No, it's still part of the PlayStation China Hero Project. Push Square asked the devs, and they confirmed so themselves. In spite of that, Sony is allowing the game to come to Xbox. Maybe this is a stretch, but this might be a sign of them easing their focus on exclusivity.
@Fiendish-Beaver I think if the next Xbox is like the ASUS Rog Xbox Ally, then we can not consider a true Microsoft product. Microsoft may license the Xbox brand out to other companies again, and those won't be actual first-party hardware. So long as Microsoft is producing and designing the hardware, as they are with the Xbox Series X/S, then we can consider them true Microsoft products.
@Fiendish-Beaver No, I don't think they do, but neither does Nintendo. All of Nintendo's Switch 2 consoles are also manufactured by Foxconn. Some PS5s are made by Foxconn as well, but Sony does have an Electronics Manufacturing division.
@Banjo- Yakuza 0, Kiwami, and almost all the other Yakuza games run at 60 FPS on Xbox Series X/S. Yakuza 6 only runs at 60 FPS on Xbox and PC, though; the PS5 version is capped at 30 FPS.
The only other Yakuza game that doesn't run at 60 FPS on Xbox is Yakuza Kiwami 2. The game has been stuck at 30 FPS since launch and it never got FPS Boost support. Thankfully, though, this new Xbox port will finally run at 60 FPS.
@RBRTMNZ You think there are more than 50 games released this year that are better than South of Midnight? Not putting it in a Top 10 list I can understand, but saying it doesn't belong in a Top 50 list is a little harsh imo
@swedetrap Except Gunfire Games, the actual developers and creators behind the Remnant games, are still owned by THQ Nordic, and in turn, Embracer Group. So it would be bad if Embracer DIDN'T retain the rights to the Remnant IP, but Arc Games did.
I know a lot of people have trashed this on social media, but I liked it quite a bit. Much better than the last State of Play imo, simply because it actually had some new games to show. Dave the Diver coming to Xbox was the real highlight for me, though, since I've been waiting years to play it. A B- for me.
Really odd that Silent Hill 2 wasn't here, though.
@BaldB3lper78 No, Microsoft isn't going to announce any of their first-party Xbox exclusives coming to PS5/Nintendo Switch, because this is a third-party presentation. It will only feature games from third-party developers, no Microsoft stuff will be present here.
By "Partner," it's referring to developers/publishers bringing their games to Xbox, not other platforms. Unless PlayStation and Nintendo announce games for Xbox here...
@kmtrain83 That was an alternative suggestion from Matt Booty, not a plan that they actually pursued. If you read the "spend Sony out of business" quote in full, it becomes clearer that that was the case. Microsoft did buy several companies, but they didn't necessarily do it to make PlayStation go bankrupt. They did it more so for stuff like, in Activision's case, mobile gaming.
@Fiendish-Beaver While the argument you're making does make a lot of sense, I somewhat disagree with what you're saying, simply because Microsoft was planning a lot of these multiplatform things from the very beginning.
In summer 2010, Microsoft made an internal document about its plans for the Xbox 720 (a.k.a. the Xbox One) that was leaked online a few years later. In it, Microsoft said a lot of the things that they're saying now: namely, that they wanted Xbox on as many screens as possible through the cloud and whatnot. Keep in mind this was made during the height of the Xbox 360 gen, when Xbox was on top of the world. And yet, Microsoft was still pursuing this ecosystem-type approach.
Microsoft was never gonna copy Sony's business model, no matter how many consoles the Xbox sold (ironically, they were expecting the Xbox One to sell more than 100 million units, despite this multiplatform approach). They may not have put games on PlayStation and Nintendo consoles, sure, but they were always going to make Xbox more than just a console brand. They were internally pushing the idea of "you don't need an Xbox to play Xbox games" roughly 15 years ago.
@InterceptorAlpha I don't think PlayStation and Nintendo's game publishing documents are freely available, either. Hard to say that this is another one of those "one step forward 10 steps back" situations when there aren't really any console manufacturers that did this up until now. This was pretty much just a Steam/PC-only thing.
@ddlevine I know most people won't care about this, but honestly for Xbox players, this is kinda a big deal, since the game hasn't been playable at 60 FPS on Series X/S for a long time, even though the PS4 port supports 60 FPS. It being free is a nice touch, since they probably had to make a completely new Xbox port (without multiplayer) for this re-release, unlike the PS5 and Switch 2 versions.
@darylb24 Since it will be backwards compatible with the Series X, the next Xbox should be able to play GTA 6 on day-one before the game is officially released for PC.
@Fiendish-Beaver I mean that it will be able to play Xbox games without having to stream them through the cloud or whatnot. The next Xbox is supposedly going to play Xbox console games in the exact same way that the Series X plays Xbox console games, if that makes sense.
@Lrapsody What? You think the Western teams are developing games themselves? Most of the people who were laid off were part of the marketing departments and stuff like that.
@Weebleman Windows Central's recent report about the next Xbox said that it will be able to natively play all games that you can currently play on an Xbox Series X/S. So it seems like it will indeed be native.
But, like you said, at the end of the day, all of this is just speculation. We need to wait for Microsoft to actually make announcements on the matter to get a clearer picture.
@wittedbugle I see then, lol. You're right that most people will not look at the next Xbox as a first option, in that regard. But at the same time, let's be honest: most people haven't been looking Xbox as a first option in over a decade. I don't think Microsoft cares, considering they're doing everything in their power to make the current Series X/S unappealing to newcomers.
Then again, you could say the same thing for Valve and the Steam Machine as well. They probably don't care that their device doesn't have mass market appeal, either. Hmm...
At the end of the day, I think it's clear that the Steam Machine and the next Xbox are being specifically designed to target niche audiences, not mainstream markets. But for me personally, being able to play all Xbox and PC games on one device is a bigger selling point than "affordable gaming PC."
@wittedbugle "No one who already plays on a PC will give up on their own rig for a Microsoft machine if they can have a Steam one or simply upgrade their setup."
The thing is, you could make the same argument for the Steam Machine, as well.
No one who already plays on a PC will give up their own rig for a Valve machine if they can simply upgrade their setup.
Considering that it's weaker than a Series X and can't play certain multiplayer games like Fortnite and GTA Online due to running on Linux, how much of an audience will the Steam Machine really have? I mean, it only really appeals to people with garbage PCs who are looking for an affordable gaming rig, or people who have never been into PC gaming at all. Gamers who are heavily invested into Steam and PC gaming likely have great PCs already, meaning that there's little reason for them to get a Steam Machine.
@Weebleman If it's gonna be backwards compatible, then it's gonna require a custom Windows-based OS of some kind. Unless there's just gonna be an Xbox emulation app that's pre-installed on all consoles or something.
Personally, I'd rather play everything in one place rather than separate my library between two devices. Plus, you get the added benefit of being able to play next-gen PS6 games that you wouldn't be able to play on Series X or the Steam Machine. As well as being able to play existing Series X games at a better framerate/resolution.
As for why developers would put their games on the Microsoft Store, I think the answer is simple: they'll get a bigger cut by putting their games on Xbox instead of Steam. Microsoft Store is still going to be front and center on the next Xbox, and it will likely remain the storefront that most existing Xbox owners buy their games on, for the same reason that most PC gamers prefer to have all their games on one storefront rather than spreading them out across various platforms. I could be wrong, but I don't think Steam and other PC storefronts will as be easily accessible as people think they'll be.
@Weebleman The next Xbox will probably be able to play your Steam library too, as well as your Xbox library. The Steam Machine can't play any of your Xbox games, and to make matters worse, it's weaker than a 5-year-old Series X.
Of course, however, the value of the next-gen Xbox and the Steam Machine varies depending on how many games you own on Xbox and Steam, respectively. If you own very few Xbox games and are only interested in playing indie titles on Steam, then sure, the Steam Machine would make more sense for you. But if you want to play all of your non-Nintendo games in one place, and are willing to spend more money on hardware, then the next Xbox makes the most sense.
Thing is, I'm not so sure about the "there being no next-gen Xbox games" part. There's a good chance that the next Xbox will still have its own developer kit, and that companies will have to make native ports for it in order to put games on the Microsoft Store. The next Xbox won't just be a PC with an Xbox logo on it; apparently, it's going to have a custom AMD chipset that will allow it to run Xbox games. Because of that, I still think ports will still be a thing.
Comments 521
Re: Poll: In Order, Which Games Are You Most Excited For At The Xbox Developer Direct?
@FrenchVaniIIuxe Speak for yourself, there's a decent amount of people interested in the game. Even still, I'm not sure what kind of thought process you used to go from "game has no hype" to "why is the female protag so ugly?" Reeks of culture warring to me.
Re: Report: Xbox Working On 'Major Updates' To PC App For Next Console's Dashboard
My question is, if the next Xbox is just a Windows 11 PC, then how exactly is Microsoft gonna convince developers to bring games to their storefront? Won't most companies, especially indie devs, just ignore Xbox entirely and tell Xbox players to buy their games from Steam? Seems like a massive mistake, one that could mark the death of the ID@Xbox program.
Also, focusing so heavily on Play Anywhere in marketing seems kinda pointless, if the next Xbox is indeed a PC.
Re: Phil Spencer Reveals 'Xbox 25' Logo And Shares Video Message Ahead Of Developer Direct
@cross717 25 years from now, Xbox will be nothing more than a third-party publisher, like Sega. I don't see their hardware division or even storefront existing for another quarter-century, with the pace that Microsoft is going at.
However, maybe that won't matter too much in the long run, because I imagine traditional home consoles aren't long for this world. The RAM shortages will probably make the PS6 (an already-redundant console due to the lack of graphical enhancements) very expensive, which will in turn likely make it the worst selling PS ever. But I could be wrong.
Re: Poll: In Order, Which Games Are You Most Excited For At The Xbox Developer Direct?
@FrenchVaniIIuxe What does that have to do with the subject of the article?
Re: Feature: 30 Xbox Series X|S Games To Look Forward To In 2026
@swedetrap Same. Maybe my tastes in games are just broad, but I'm interested in playing nearly all of the stuff listed here.
Only games I'm not too down for are Marathon (though I do like the artstyle), Invincible VS, Halloween (depends on how good the singleplayer campaign is), Halo: Campaign Evolved (was never a big fan of the first Halo), and Star Wars: Galactic Racer.
I'm a bit iffy on Resonant: A Plague Tale Legacy too, since I wasn't a big fan of the Plague Tale games, but I'd be willing to buy it on sale.
Re: Roundup: All The Xbox Trailers From The New Game Plus Showcase 2026
As I expected, Microsoft had basically nothing of note to show here other than PS5 ports of the few Xbox exclusives they have left. Great way to kick off 2026.
Re: Talking Point: What Have You Bought In The Xbox Countdown Sale This Year?
@themightyant Anthem has been delisted for a while, how did you buy it?
Re: Legendary Game Designer Vince Zampella Has Suddenly Died, Aged 55
That is absolutely terrible, and it is so unexpected. It felt like he had just started to get Battlefield on track. Even though I didn't play many of his games, I knew he was a very talented developer and easily one of the best FPS creators in the industry.
May he rest in peace.
Re: As Forza Motorsport Winds Down, Gran Turismo Is Experiencing A 'Phenomenon' At PlayStation
@Allenspurs Never say never. What you're saying is exactly what people said about God of War before it was eventually released for PC in 2022.
Now, I don't know if GT will ever come to Xbox, but a PC port of GT8 (probably too late for GT7) is all but guaranteed. Who knows, since GT is technically a live service series, Sony may even put GT8 on PC day-one. Like all of their other live service games (barring MLB for odd reasons).
Re: Gears Of War: E-Day Is The Coalition's 'Most Ambitious Game Yet'
@themightyant I think the devs at Obsidian probably said that when they announced Pentiment and Grounded lol
Re: 'Xbox Wrapped' Ditched For 2025 Due To Ambitious 2026 Plans, Suggests Report
@Fiendish-Beaver Man, I'm sorry about what happened to your wife, and it's really unfortunate that you're suffering from persistent back issues, but at least it's nice that you've had the time to share your thoughts about all things gaming here on a regular basis.
To be honest, when I first saw your comments on Pure Xbox, I actually wasn't a big fan of you because we disagreed on a lot of things. But the more I've read your takes, the more I've realized that we actually share more in common about gaming than I thought. And you seem like a nice guy, too!
I think it's safe to say that I (and many others) appreciate the contributions you make to the comment sections of this site.
Happy early birthday btw!
Re: 2025 GOTY Contender 'Dispatch' Just Got Revealed For Switch, But What About Xbox?
PlayStation didn't sign an exclusivity deal for this game, the devs were just fanboys who thought that PlayStation deserved to have the game first because it's the "home of great storytelling in video games" or something along those lines (ignoring the fact that Telltale-style games have always been released on Xbox and Nintendo consoles).
Considering how fast they're able to get these Switch ports out the door, it's clear that budgetary restraints were not the reason for their inability to release the game on Switch 2 and Xbox.
Something tells me this is gonna be another Dave the Diver situation, and they won't release the game on Xbox until 2027, if at all.
Re: Bungie's Marathon To Release In March 2026, Pricing And More Details Revealed
It seems like Sony is legit afraid to make a free-to-play game lol
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (December 13-14)
@Link41x You are probably like one of three people on the planet who are still playing Windows Phone games on a regular basis lol
Re: Here's Everything That Was Revealed At The Game Awards 2025 (For Xbox)
@RadioHedgeFund Because it isn't remotely as exciting skimming through a few trailers on Pure Xbox/IGN as it is watching the show live for yourself. Like, if you hate the Game Awards, have a limited taste in games, and/or don't have the time to watch a 3-hour awards show, I can understand. But if you are interested in showcases like this one, then I don't know why you would spoil the show for yourself by looking up all the games online.
Re: Yakuza 0, Kiwami & Kiwami 2 Are The Latest Games With Upgrade Issues On Xbox (And PS5)
@niggyt2004 No, it doesn't have new cutscenes, just some new songs that were in the original Japanese release. It has two intro cutscenes now instead of one, but these were in the original Japanese game. They just were never released in the West until now
Technically the Kiwami 2 upgrade is more substantial since it adds 60 FPS support
Re: Roundup: All The Xbox Reveals From The PC Gaming Show: Most Wanted 2025
@FraserG Yeah seriously, it took them several hours to announce the console versions
Re: Fallout Creator Rejoins Xbox Studio Obsidian, Hints That He's Not Working On New Vegas 2
I know what Tim Cain is working on... He's bringing back Stormlands, the cancelled Xbox One exclusive RPG from Obsidian that no one remembers! Or at least I wish...
Re: Roundup: All The Xbox Reveals From The PC Gaming Show: Most Wanted 2025
@Toot1st Thankfully it is coming to Xbox
https://x.com/ID_Xbox/status/1996685945819545643?s=20
Re: Roundup: All The Xbox Reveals From The PC Gaming Show: Most Wanted 2025
@FraserG No problem! Just checked btw and Sol Shogunate is also coming to Xbox too.
Re: Netflix Is Buying Warner Bros. For Even More Money Than Xbox's ActiBlizz Deal
Netflix just confirmed that, yes, they are going to be acqurining all of Warner Bro's game studios. So Mortal Kombat is now going to be a Netflix franchise.
Re: Roundup: All The Xbox Reveals From The PC Gaming Show: Most Wanted 2025
You can add Dungeons of DUSK (turn-based spin-off to the FPS game of the same name) to the list now, it just got announced for Xbox.
https://www.gematsu.com/2025/12/turn-based-dungeon-crawler-dungeons-of-dusk-announced-for-ps5-xbox-series-switch-2-switch-pc-ios-and-android
Re: The God Slayer Is Bringing Its Open World RPG To Xbox, And It's Getting Help From PlayStation
@Fiendish-Beaver The devs made a trailer that specifically only lists Xbox as a platform, so I don't think it was a mistake.
Here's the trailer btw: https://youtu.be/7TG-RKvz-qY?si=Hrzuxi7mTwFSNXg_
Interestingly, the trailer on the Xbox channel is the reveal trailer, which is just CGI. The gameplay trailer (which is 7 minutes long) is currently only on the PlayStation channel, so it seems Sony may have the marketing rights to the game.
Re: Left 4 Dead Creator Is Making A New 'Four-Player Co-Op Shooter', But It Might Not Come To Xbox
If the game is successful, they'll probably bring it to Xbox a year later
Re: The God Slayer Is Bringing Its Open World RPG To Xbox, And It's Getting Help From PlayStation
@Fiendish-Beaver If it wasn't a simultaneous release, it wouldn't have a trailer on the official Xbox YouTube channel right now, which it does. But you are right, though, this is an odd set of circumstances.
Re: The God Slayer Is Bringing Its Open World RPG To Xbox, And It's Getting Help From PlayStation
@themightyant No, it's still part of the PlayStation China Hero Project. Push Square asked the devs, and they confirmed so themselves. In spite of that, Sony is allowing the game to come to Xbox. Maybe this is a stretch, but this might be a sign of them easing their focus on exclusivity.
Re: Report: Foxconn Subsidiary Plans To Make Up To 4.8 Million 'Xbox Consoles, Parts And Other Devices' Per-Year
@Fiendish-Beaver I think if the next Xbox is like the ASUS Rog Xbox Ally, then we can not consider a true Microsoft product. Microsoft may license the Xbox brand out to other companies again, and those won't be actual first-party hardware. So long as Microsoft is producing and designing the hardware, as they are with the Xbox Series X/S, then we can consider them true Microsoft products.
Re: Report: Foxconn Subsidiary Plans To Make Up To 4.8 Million 'Xbox Consoles, Parts And Other Devices' Per-Year
@Fiendish-Beaver No, I don't think they do, but neither does Nintendo. All of Nintendo's Switch 2 consoles are also manufactured by Foxconn. Some PS5s are made by Foxconn as well, but Sony does have an Electronics Manufacturing division.
Re: Three Yakuza Re-Releases To Be Discounted For Existing Owners On Xbox This December
@Banjo- Yakuza 0, Kiwami, and almost all the other Yakuza games run at 60 FPS on Xbox Series X/S. Yakuza 6 only runs at 60 FPS on Xbox and PC, though; the PS5 version is capped at 30 FPS.
The only other Yakuza game that doesn't run at 60 FPS on Xbox is Yakuza Kiwami 2. The game has been stuck at 30 FPS since launch and it never got FPS Boost support. Thankfully, though, this new Xbox port will finally run at 60 FPS.
Re: Three Xbox First-Party Games Make The Cut In AP's Top 10 Releases Of 2025
@RBRTMNZ You think there are more than 50 games released this year that are better than South of Midnight? Not putting it in a Top 10 list I can understand, but saying it doesn't belong in a Top 50 list is a little harsh imo
Re: Embracer Group Sells Off Two Studios As Its Acquisition Spree Dies Down
@swedetrap Except Gunfire Games, the actual developers and creators behind the Remnant games, are still owned by THQ Nordic, and in turn, Embracer Group. So it would be bad if Embracer DIDN'T retain the rights to the Remnant IP, but Arc Games did.
Re: Dave The Diver Finally Announced For Xbox, And It's Splash-Landing Today!
@UnusedBabyWipes Awesome, didn't know that!
Re: Dave The Diver Finally Announced For Xbox, And It's Splash-Landing Today!
Really sucks that we're never gonna get the Yakuza and Godzilla DLCs on Xbox, but I'll take this nonetheless.
Re: Roundup: All The Reveals From 2025's Xbox Partner Preview Showcase
@Tyrant_T103 Were you expecting Microsoft to revive dormant first-party IPs at this event?
Re: Poll: How Would You Grade November's Xbox Partner Preview Event?
I know a lot of people have trashed this on social media, but I liked it quite a bit. Much better than the last State of Play imo, simply because it actually had some new games to show. Dave the Diver coming to Xbox was the real highlight for me, though, since I've been waiting years to play it. A B- for me.
Really odd that Silent Hill 2 wasn't here, though.
Re: Xbox Partner Preview November 2025 Showcase Confirmed For This Week
@BaldB3lper78 No, Microsoft isn't going to announce any of their first-party Xbox exclusives coming to PS5/Nintendo Switch, because this is a third-party presentation. It will only feature games from third-party developers, no Microsoft stuff will be present here.
By "Partner," it's referring to developers/publishers bringing their games to Xbox, not other platforms. Unless PlayStation and Nintendo announce games for Xbox here...
Re: Former Xbox Exec On Steam Machine: Choice Is Good, Not Everything Needs A Winner Or Loser
@kmtrain83 Probably yeah, I don't see any reason why they would make it exclusive. It wouldn't make business sense for them to do so
Re: Former Xbox Exec On Steam Machine: Choice Is Good, Not Everything Needs A Winner Or Loser
@kmtrain83 That was an alternative suggestion from Matt Booty, not a plan that they actually pursued. If you read the "spend Sony out of business" quote in full, it becomes clearer that that was the case. Microsoft did buy several companies, but they didn't necessarily do it to make PlayStation go bankrupt. They did it more so for stuff like, in Activision's case, mobile gaming.
Re: Developing For Xbox Can Be Difficult, So Microsoft Is Taking Major Steps To 'Remove Barriers'
@Fiendish-Beaver While the argument you're making does make a lot of sense, I somewhat disagree with what you're saying, simply because Microsoft was planning a lot of these multiplatform things from the very beginning.
In summer 2010, Microsoft made an internal document about its plans for the Xbox 720 (a.k.a. the Xbox One) that was leaked online a few years later. In it, Microsoft said a lot of the things that they're saying now: namely, that they wanted Xbox on as many screens as possible through the cloud and whatnot. Keep in mind this was made during the height of the Xbox 360 gen, when Xbox was on top of the world. And yet, Microsoft was still pursuing this ecosystem-type approach.
Microsoft was never gonna copy Sony's business model, no matter how many consoles the Xbox sold (ironically, they were expecting the Xbox One to sell more than 100 million units, despite this multiplatform approach). They may not have put games on PlayStation and Nintendo consoles, sure, but they were always going to make Xbox more than just a console brand. They were internally pushing the idea of "you don't need an Xbox to play Xbox games" roughly 15 years ago.
Here's the source for the document btw: https://www.businessinsider.com/microsoft-xbox-720-presentation-2012-6#-8
Re: Developing For Xbox Can Be Difficult, So Microsoft Is Taking Major Steps To 'Remove Barriers'
@InterceptorAlpha I don't think PlayStation and Nintendo's game publishing documents are freely available, either. Hard to say that this is another one of those "one step forward 10 steps back" situations when there aren't really any console manufacturers that did this up until now. This was pretty much just a Steam/PC-only thing.
Re: Red Dead Redemption 1 Has Suddenly Been Rated For Xbox Series X|S
@ddlevine I know most people won't care about this, but honestly for Xbox players, this is kinda a big deal, since the game hasn't been playable at 60 FPS on Series X/S for a long time, even though the PS4 port supports 60 FPS. It being free is a nice touch, since they probably had to make a completely new Xbox port (without multiplayer) for this re-release, unlike the PS5 and Switch 2 versions.
Re: Red Dead Redemption 1 Has Suddenly Been Rated For Xbox Series X|S
@Sindayl It's getting a native current-gen Xbox port for free now, Rockstar just confirmed it. That means it will finally run at 60 FPS on Xbox
Re: Analyst Questions Whether Next Xbox & PS6 Could Slip To 2028 Following GTA Delay
@darylb24 Since it will be backwards compatible with the Series X, the next Xbox should be able to play GTA 6 on day-one before the game is officially released for PC.
Re: Talking Point: What Does The 'Steam Machine' Mean For Xbox's Next-Gen Console Plans?
@Fiendish-Beaver I mean that it will be able to play Xbox games without having to stream them through the cloud or whatnot. The next Xbox is supposedly going to play Xbox console games in the exact same way that the Series X plays Xbox console games, if that makes sense.
Re: Square Enix Is Cutting Down Its Western Workforce, Focusing On Japanese Development
@Lrapsody What? You think the Western teams are developing games themselves? Most of the people who were laid off were part of the marketing departments and stuff like that.
Re: Talking Point: What Does The 'Steam Machine' Mean For Xbox's Next-Gen Console Plans?
@Weebleman Windows Central's recent report about the next Xbox said that it will be able to natively play all games that you can currently play on an Xbox Series X/S. So it seems like it will indeed be native.
But, like you said, at the end of the day, all of this is just speculation. We need to wait for Microsoft to actually make announcements on the matter to get a clearer picture.
Re: Talking Point: What Does The 'Steam Machine' Mean For Xbox's Next-Gen Console Plans?
@wittedbugle I see then, lol. You're right that most people will not look at the next Xbox as a first option, in that regard. But at the same time, let's be honest: most people haven't been looking Xbox as a first option in over a decade. I don't think Microsoft cares, considering they're doing everything in their power to make the current Series X/S unappealing to newcomers.
Then again, you could say the same thing for Valve and the Steam Machine as well. They probably don't care that their device doesn't have mass market appeal, either. Hmm...
At the end of the day, I think it's clear that the Steam Machine and the next Xbox are being specifically designed to target niche audiences, not mainstream markets. But for me personally, being able to play all Xbox and PC games on one device is a bigger selling point than "affordable gaming PC."
Re: Talking Point: What Does The 'Steam Machine' Mean For Xbox's Next-Gen Console Plans?
@wittedbugle "No one who already plays on a PC will give up on their own rig for a Microsoft machine if they can have a Steam one or simply upgrade their setup."
The thing is, you could make the same argument for the Steam Machine, as well.
No one who already plays on a PC will give up their own rig for a Valve machine if they can simply upgrade their setup.
Considering that it's weaker than a Series X and can't play certain multiplayer games like Fortnite and GTA Online due to running on Linux, how much of an audience will the Steam Machine really have? I mean, it only really appeals to people with garbage PCs who are looking for an affordable gaming rig, or people who have never been into PC gaming at all. Gamers who are heavily invested into Steam and PC gaming likely have great PCs already, meaning that there's little reason for them to get a Steam Machine.
Re: Talking Point: What Does The 'Steam Machine' Mean For Xbox's Next-Gen Console Plans?
@Weebleman If it's gonna be backwards compatible, then it's gonna require a custom Windows-based OS of some kind. Unless there's just gonna be an Xbox emulation app that's pre-installed on all consoles or something.
Personally, I'd rather play everything in one place rather than separate my library between two devices. Plus, you get the added benefit of being able to play next-gen PS6 games that you wouldn't be able to play on Series X or the Steam Machine. As well as being able to play existing Series X games at a better framerate/resolution.
As for why developers would put their games on the Microsoft Store, I think the answer is simple: they'll get a bigger cut by putting their games on Xbox instead of Steam. Microsoft Store is still going to be front and center on the next Xbox, and it will likely remain the storefront that most existing Xbox owners buy their games on, for the same reason that most PC gamers prefer to have all their games on one storefront rather than spreading them out across various platforms. I could be wrong, but I don't think Steam and other PC storefronts will as be easily accessible as people think they'll be.
Re: Talking Point: What Does The 'Steam Machine' Mean For Xbox's Next-Gen Console Plans?
@Weebleman The next Xbox will probably be able to play your Steam library too, as well as your Xbox library. The Steam Machine can't play any of your Xbox games, and to make matters worse, it's weaker than a 5-year-old Series X.
Of course, however, the value of the next-gen Xbox and the Steam Machine varies depending on how many games you own on Xbox and Steam, respectively. If you own very few Xbox games and are only interested in playing indie titles on Steam, then sure, the Steam Machine would make more sense for you. But if you want to play all of your non-Nintendo games in one place, and are willing to spend more money on hardware, then the next Xbox makes the most sense.
Thing is, I'm not so sure about the "there being no next-gen Xbox games" part. There's a good chance that the next Xbox will still have its own developer kit, and that companies will have to make native ports for it in order to put games on the Microsoft Store. The next Xbox won't just be a PC with an Xbox logo on it; apparently, it's going to have a custom AMD chipset that will allow it to run Xbox games. Because of that, I still think ports will still be a thing.