@Balaam_ So long a game can be bought in a transferable format, I think we will be seeing everyone call it "physical" in these reports.
It's highly likely that code-in-a-box-at-retail might be seen as physical at some point as it would still indicate a third party retailer is getting a share of the revenue.
Don't think we will ever get a real answer but really would love to hear why where the prices increased that far to begin with.
I highly doubt it Phil's or Sarah's to increase prices so drastically. That call, as well as the 30% profit margins for all game studios, were likely coming from the top at MS and I would love to know why. Again, don't expect we will ever get anything nore than rummors.
Best I heard is that Satia has delegated many of his previous roles and started working closer with operations and in that process has realized how much MS has messed up all over (reason we are also nearly simultaneously seeing changes in the Windows side of things).
Mostly trying to find time to finish Spider-Man 2 on PC and then hop into Pragmata, also on PC. Other than that... doing a lot of overtime work so maybe I wont manage to do either.
@Link41x I don't check this site as often as I used to but I absolutely love your dedication to play on Win Phone! đ
Are all these games ones you already owned or is the store still open? I have not charged my Nokia Lumia 1520 in ages, no clue if the store would even launch these days, or if they would allow me to download stuff that been delisted.
If Xbox gets rid of PlayAnywhere I am likely off the ecosystem entirely.
I donât care if an Xbox game is on other platforms, but could see some logic to keep some stuff exclusive or timed exclusive.
Ironically, if I was in charge, I would do the opposite to what they been doing: the iconic names (Fable, Halo, Forza, Gears) would stay exclusive but smaller games with a niche audience (like Obsidian stuff, things like Hi-Fi Rush) and licensed games (Blade, Indiana Jones) would go multiplat to give them a higher chance at finding an audience.
We're doing less reviews these days as we're a smaller team than Nintendo Life and Push Square and unfortunately a lot of our third-party reviews weren't getting enough interest to make them worth the time and effort.
Sorry for the back to back ping but... have you guys considered joining forces for these cross platform game reviews? I could see a place for a core review and a small dedicated section that just tests performance per platform on the initial hour of play that could be added at the end of the article by each site.
Edit, also was thinking... maybe there is room for some branching in the future with the direction of Helix and potentially expand the reach of PureXbox. Given how even if a user sticks to Xbox, the world of Green is soon to intertwine with all of PC gaming... perhaps this site could aim for news that are Windows PC gaming focused in addition to Xbox? Outside of PC Gamer, I have not found enough coverage for PC focused gaming as I have seen for PlayStation and Nintendo. Most PC gaming sites seem to be generalists. There might be room for growth there.
I don't think I have ever preordered a digital game before but I did for this one. The puzzle elements combined with real time combat really peeked my interest, and Capcom has been on one hell of a roll.
I do am trying to play through all the Spider-Man games to 100% completion, though (started SM2 this weekend) so not sure if I'll actually get to play it day one.
I preordered it for Steam, but would consider getting a refund and buying it on xbox if it's Play Anywhere. @FraserG any word if this is PlayAnywhere?
The funny thing about Xbox's backwards compatibility efforts is that everything feels obsolete. Outside a handful select games that are actually worth diving for any given individual, almost everything I could care for can be played on my XSX or XSS.
Trying to play any of them on original hardware feels like self punishment.
Sony and Nintendo consoles might be seen as aging great due to high number of locked-in exclusives (except the Wii U, almost everything that anyone would want to play there is already on Switch)
That said, I still do have my 360 hooked up for those select few games I would like to go back and play once in a while (Bullet Witch for life). The controller feels preheistoric to me, but I got a dongle that lets me use XSX controllers on it.
If you ask me purely from a console hardware design point of view, I think the Xbox One X is simply perfection, with the One S a few steps behind it.
Imagines a world where you start squeezing through a narrow hallway and the narrow halway becomes longer and longer and all through the squeeze the wall becomes a huge billboard playing a video...
So all those devices that were purported to be âXboxesââare they still Xboxes? Were they ever Xboxes? Do we have a clear statement as to what precisely constitutes an Xbox going forward?
They literally are renaming the Full Screen Experience in their Xbox app to Xbox Mode so they pretty much still consider a device you play Xbox games to be a part of the Xbox family ecosystem. This retirement is just them acknowledging the campaign didn't resonate, but they are 100% moving full steam ahead with everything the campaign was selling.
I objectively can see that this campaign didnt work as intended but still have trouble understanding exactly why. The campaign, as described by the article, was an attempt to communicate how the Xbox ecosystem extends beyond the console.
Their strategy did not change because of the campaign, and I strongly question it having any impact on console sales. Even after its retirement, they seem to be doubling down on all the things this campaign was trying to consolidate (play anywhere, cloud gaming, etc).
Yes, sale numbers have gone down but that's not something that has been exclusive to Xbox. Sony too is struggling with that issue, the economy is simply not doing well, and hardware prices keep going up. People are opting to just play on the computers and phones they already feel they must own anyways (more reason for MS and Xbox to double down on this even if the marketing line is retired).
@Jaxx420 most tech sectors can coast via shrinkflation of sorts.
Truth is the computing market has been tossing more power at consumers than they need. We will start seeing more emphasis on cheaper pcs with less ram, maybe even an increase of devices with DDR4 and more computers with basic SSDs instead of NVME.
Same will likely apply to a lot other tech reliant devices (from TVs to, cars and what not).
But gaming, its gong to hit gaming hard, specifically Triple A gaming as these really tend to demand an amount of computing power that is likely to become very uncommon and out of reach.
To clarify: Yes other industries will still go through headaches, but I doubt few things are about to be hit as hard as high budget Triple A game development will be.
@Jaxx420 I do think we will see a gaming crash, or at least a Triple A crash.
The economics of volume are going to collapse if the cost of entry limits how many can even get a console or powerful PC as people move away from gaming be it due to life responsibilities or loss of interest. Without that volume, the budgets for these Triple A games just wont work anymore.
Casual, indie (and Nintendo) games that can either run on cheap PCs or be made at low enough budget to be profitable with a few thousand copies sold might be able to keep the market alive, though.
Also keep in mind this is all happening at the same time that we are facing a huge recession (we likely are in one but that's a whole other topic) that will likely impact game buying behaviors in an industry that keeps trying to charge more and more for each game too.
I used to manage a videoclub back in the 2000s and have avoided this game mostly because I know it would be the only thing I play for way too long and am not ready for that comitment.
On the topic at hand, two main takes I'm seeing are insistance that they actually should port it and dismissals about this not being important (we get it, its not a one of your qwwawity games, move on).
This is a team of two people. Making a game is not that easy. Even when we get Helix, its not going to be a trivial thing. I doubt MS is going to be opening up Xbox development SDKs as much as Steam has (yes kids, Steam IS a platform with its own SDK) and for a team of one or two people it's just not realistic to navigate all that AND continue to update the game. If one gets luck and money starts flowing, hiring someone to do the port is possible but still might not be trivial.
I can't be happy about 1000 people losing their jobs, period. Like @themightyant noted, it is possible these jobs would not have existed if the service game was not there to support them. So I wont be joining the "bleep service games" parade.
I feel like a 1000 people firing in a burst like this is evidence that they filed to adjust expectations at some turn, but the severance packages being provided do sound rather decent. Beyond what I expected Epic to do (not sure how much of it might be required by regional laws, are they in CA?)
This is likely just the start (yea, despite all other firings we seen). Not sure if he was supposed to affirm this, but he seems to have confirmed there that consoles are indeed struggling as a whole. Yea we kind of knew but its all been mostly "estimates". This is a big affirmation: consoles [period] are on a downturn. Partner consoles makers are certainly not going to be happy about that bit getting highlighted.
@kmtrain83 They are claiming there is no AI mandate for Xbox (they shied away from actually saying it would not be added if **they** feel its beneficial) but there been plenty of articles about MS making AI usage a mandatory part of even working at MS.
@INeedGoodGraphics At least in a PC based Helix console, there is a chance that as a more open system we can just kill the process. If not easily, then via community provided tools.
@betterthings AI systems don't store or transmit raw video. Its complex to go into all details but it converts all its awareness into vector databases that are not as data heavy as full captures/streams. This vector data processing is precisely why GPUs are so important for AI.
BTW don't confuse vector databases with vector image conversions, it's different stuff.
Anyways, despite this simplification of the context representation, the total data collects are gargantuan and why AI datacenters are not just wrecking havoc on ram and GPU costs but also on all forms of quick storage.
@betterthings There is a gigantic difference between snapshots being synced to one cloud, or basic stats like how long you play, time you earned achievements, etc being collected.
On every context Copilot is implemented, it's aware of your every single action and learns from everything unless the application in question allows for it to be entirely disabled or uninstalled.
@kmtrain83 Most implementation of copilot in other places (like Visual Studio) rely heavily on constantly being attentive at what you are doing in the thing you are working on for situational awareness (and to learn from your actions).
I have zero doubt this will be any different.
At least in those products, entirely disabling copilot is an option because many corporate customers would literally jump ship if it was mandatory.
I hate this⌠the exchange alone has that vomit inducing affirmation I detest so much from
AI âabsolutely! letâs do thisâ đ¤˘
Also this thing is going to be constantly looking at my activity⌠this better be a feature that can be disabled entirely because I donât want no ai spying at all I do in any game.
If Xbox was really listening to feedback, this thing would be scrapped. But it wonât, because despite the lies, there IS a mandate to incorporate this slop.
@Fiendish-Beaver this. All of this. I have seen people leave projects several times only for the new guy literally grab all of their committed work and take credit for months of work and this reeks of it.
I was extremely hyped for this game and bought it twice. I own the briefcase and watch that came with a Steam edition of the game and, because at the time I really wanted my achievements on Xbox, I also bought the premium edition digitally [and 100% completed those achievements, although never did the DLC].
My biggest complain about the game is actually very different from everything I heard from everyone.
I didn't mind the "teleporting" from planet to planet (sounds tedious to actually travel the universe honestly), although I was no fan of the galactic map UI at all.
My real complain though, was the game was not randomized enough. While everyone complained the game was too RNG, my issue is that after you see the handful of installation templates... you have see everything. I ran into all those buildings so many times in so many planets and moons... every single time, the second I saw the facility in the distance, I instantly knew the whole inner map for the instance... Even most story focused dungeons were repeats with a tiny exclusive section that is sealed on standard reuses of the dungeon.
So yea my issue was that the game was too much copy and paste, not that the game was RNG. Hell... I'm not sure if there was any randomization. I forget the achievement, but for one of the resource-based achievements I literally followed a guide that said, "go to this exact coords in this exact planet and do this", it turned out every planet is identical on every run. At least at launch.
Anyways, enough ranting. Other than the above, the core game was good, and I been hoping enough DLC to address my concerns before I go back and try to do the extra content. From what I hear, so far, my concerns have not really been addressed.
Like this. A thing that I found frustrating trying to use Xbox app as a launcher was precisely the lack of this feature. I can add non-steam games to my Steam library with a bit of work (or no work if I don't care about the in-library presentation) allowing me to easily use Steam Big Picture mode as my only launcher even when playing standalone games like FFXIV (non-steam version) or Genshin Impact (don't play it but it's an example).
Xbox Mode still needs a lot of work, though. I have a hard time putting it into words, but when Steam enters Big Picture Mode, it behaves like a game. Smooth hardware accelerated UI that feels more like a game on itself.
Xbox Mode just feels like a magnified Windows App with some very janky UI gamepad navigation. And don't get me started about how horrible the xbox app overlay is with a controller... it's like some windows dev spat C#.net forms all over the screen!
Steam Big Picture mode is the minimum bar Xbox Mode needs to aim for. Until then, I'll do the opposite of what they want and manually add any installed Xbox game to my Steam library manually.
I'm wish I was baffled at how many seem to actually like how this garbage look, but am not given how many like photoshopped fan garbage that "prettifies" female characters some boys dim "ugly".
Anyways this stuff is horrible and not just because "it's AI". Increased resolution via AI is ok (most of the time). Frame generation was already annoying and added zero responsiveness. But this is a complete bastardization of the artist's work.
This industry is going a rabbit hole that leads to the sewers, and some gamers will literally cheer while diving into the sewage waters.
@Banjo- Focusing on Xbox, not the competition: it will take a lot for me to stop being pessimistic about the shakeup, especially the fact that an ai exec got put in charge.
I chose Xbox as my primary platform this gen precisely because of the focus on respecting our purchases across console and windows.
The minute I see copilot integration into Xbox consoles expand, though, chances are I'll just drop everything and go full steam from there.
@Banjo- I'm still extremely skeptical especially after that whole cooked gamer profile fiasco.
I'm not writing off Xbox, but I need to see a lot more obvious action than just a few "we hear you" tweets for me to be convinced this is going to go the right direction.
If I see a complete restructuring of GamePass that results in something reasonable instead of the current overpriced mess, I might start being somewhat optimistic again.
@Matthewnh Although some of the names have been weird indeed (mainly Xbox One, IMO) PlayStation (until just recently with the Switch 2) was the only console that used sequential numbers.
Every single console ever released before and after has always used a sub-name... ok there is one other exception: Magnavox Odyssey 2.
Atari: 2600, 5200, 7800, Jaguar, Lynx Nintendo: NES, Super NES, N64, GameCube, Wii, Wii U, Switch, GameBoy: GB Color, GB Advance, Nintendo DS, DSi, 3DS, New 3DS Sega: Master System, Genesis, Saturn, Dreamcast Xbox: 360, One, Series X|S
Even Sony named their handhelds something arbitrary: PSP and PSVita
Anyways point being, only reason sequential numbers are seen as the logical is because a 2 (3?) of the most successful Sony consoles used numbers.
All in all, I think Series X|S was not that bad of a name considering the dual model setup. But they really should start embracing some of these internal codenames because they are a lot cooler than the names they go to marketing with. Ok... Brooklin was a dumb name so Series X|S would still be better there... but Scorpio was a damned cool name!!!
@Banjo- No management can spin a ship this large around that fast. My bet is this stuff was all lined up and ready to go forth. All we seeing is stuff that has been years in the making. Even the Helix name is something I bet was already decided.
All the stuff that is being talked about now are just confirmations on rumors we been hearing for years. Only thing I **might** give the new management would be a choice to toss the Helix name out there a week earlier instead of dropping the news at GDC. But I'm nearly 99% certain this was the plan.
I even argue that the whole "everything is an Xbox" strategy is going forward, simply rebranded. Note how "full screen experience" was renamed "Xbox mode", more literally turning anything running the mode into an "Xbox". Only thing they doing is removing the marketing line, not the strategy.
The campaign might be gone but not it's spirit. Yea many users hated it, but the core idea that you can play Xbox on any device that can host their ecosystem is very much still there.
Proof? Look at their announcement of their full screen experience rolling out publicly next month. It's literally being renamed to Xbox Mode. They are doubling down on their strategy, just acknowledging the messaging for it failed. They as hell are not backing down from the strategy, though.
For me, the main reason I preferred consoles is that playing with keyboard is just impossible due to accessibility issues. Gamepads work perfectly with my needs. Since their first attempt at a Steam Machine, Valve has worked hard to make gamepad usage on PC as smooth if not smoother than on console. They even make sure any console controller is fully supported. Want to use a Dual Shock 4 or a Nintendo Switch Pro controller? Steam got you covered!
Their system is also becoming more and more TV friendly, and I think it will just blow up when the Steam Machine finally lands. Especially if they finally truly open up the OS for anyone to install without pursuing forks. In the meantime, big picture mode on a windows PC works wonders.
@themightyant My perspective as an indie that is diving back into it after a decade of just doing the standard corporate thing (not stopping that, just deciding to spend some of my free time relearning the indie curve) supporting the Xbox PC store is not exactly something you do with the push of a button.
As far as I understand, engines like Godot don't directly let you do that because of closed APIs that require being part of something like id@xbox. One ends up having to use middleware solutions that have additional costs to be able to push indie projects into Xbox, even just the Xbox PC game store (not exactly the same as the Microsoft Store for apps.)
I am not sure if what they are talking about here is going to fix this, but if they open up more, actually allowing anyone to use their achievements APIs and all that mumbo jumbo in a way that allows Godot and other engines to just push to Xbox out of the box, you might see more indie games hit Xbox PC day and date instead of only happening after they see enough success in Steam.
As an indie dev, I have zero reason to not target a platform other than contractual and financial barriers.
If I recall correctly, the BC program was ended because it reached the limits of what was possible due to licensing or technical limitations.
However, this was before MS acquired ABK and at a point where any new addition had to work on Xbox One.
ABK ownership opens up their options for licensing as MS might be very willing to secure IP needed for re-listing the games. On the technical front, the program could reopen with a caveat that new titles might not work on Xbox one, maybe not even on Series X|S and be available only on Helix.
Spider-Man 2 was ported âat record speedâ with about 15 month exclusivity.
Even if Yotei was to follow that pattern, a port would not land until January 2027 at the earliest. Chances are Oct 27. Thatâs so far away that any of this sounds like articles for the sake of clicks and views.
About time!!! I wonder if this is something they intentionally refused to add... You have no clue how many games I got off steam because of this feature, being able to sort my wish list by discount is huge for publishers... not so much for my wallet because it makes me buy games I likely wont ever play... đ
Personally I think Steamâs SteamDeck has shown us what Xbox should have always been. I donât care much for Bill Gates, but the whole point of Xbox from the get go was to bring Windows and Microsoft to the living-room.
At the time, the distinct console made sense but today, a unified streamlined OS is a lot more logical. We just need that Gaming Mode to feel more like a console (as Steam Big Picture does) than a maximized PC app (sadly how Xbox Full Screen Experience feels).
The whole âeverything is an Xboxâ relied heavily on GamePass growth and adoption of game streaming turning any device into an Xbox client, but I think that path died when GamePass growth died down.
I bought a Xbox 360 for GTAV and loved it. GTAV was also great but then they shifted to maintaining an online game and I lost all interest in the franchise.
Itâs obviously working for them, but as far as I expect GTA6 is just a Trojan horse into yet another whale fishing online game.
Maybe Iâm wrong, but I got plenty else to play. If I ever buy it, itâs because it went on a deep discount.
It will be on Xbox one way or another, sooner or later, unless they decide to stop selling games on PC.
I'm indifferent either way, I jumped into to the My Windows PC is My Xbox back when Starfield launched with 30fps on Series X and am very unlikely to go back for anything but a few old exclusives. Even that might eventually phase out if the rumors of software backwards compatibility end up being true.
Doesn't Game Pass Premium already give some access to PC Gamepass? Because due to crossplay for me all that sounds like is not expanding GP but limiting/removing PC Game Pass and forcing PC users into either the limited Premium tier or the Ultimate one, both being more expensive/limited paths.
I also do wonder what any of this would mean in a future where the next Xbox is simply a PC [with potentially console BC]...
This comment section is sure full of some... wild opinions.
The key issue was noted in the article: these games took 6 years to build. IMO they were solid games but spending 6 years in a game balloon both the budget and the expectations.
As a new IP (despite being tied to Pillars, for most Avowed is a new IP) they might had invested too much into it. And they could had gotten away with a game half the size of OW2 for the sequel.
I think both these games are suffering that they were designed and greenlit at a time where Game Pass was growing like crazy and apparently would keep on going. As soon as that slowed down, they should have either scaled the projects down or pursue a multi-platform release.
But honestly, the entire industry needs to stop this 6-10 year dev cycles. They are ridiculous, the games over engineered, and anything other than wild success can doom whole studios or even entire publishers. We need to go back to the days of 3 year dev cycles.
Make a game and release at least 2 sequels that are mostly iterative. Stop trying to remake every single asset for every sequel!!!
Can you imagine if every movie ever produced insisted on re-buying every single prop used on set???
Comments 4,223
Re: Xbox's Starfield Tops The US Gaming Charts For First Time Since 2023
@Balaam_ So long a game can be bought in a transferable format, I think we will be seeing everyone call it "physical" in these reports.
It's highly likely that code-in-a-box-at-retail might be seen as physical at some point as it would still indicate a third party retailer is getting a share of the revenue.
Re: Xbox Announces Price Reductions For Game Pass Ultimate & PC Game Pass
Don't think we will ever get a real answer but really would love to hear why where the prices increased that far to begin with.
I highly doubt it Phil's or Sarah's to increase prices so drastically. That call, as well as the 30% profit margins for all game studios, were likely coming from the top at MS and I would love to know why. Again, don't expect we will ever get anything nore than rummors.
Best I heard is that Satia has delegated many of his previous roles and started working closer with operations and in that process has realized how much MS has messed up all over (reason we are also nearly simultaneously seeing changes in the Windows side of things).
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (April 18-19)
Mostly trying to find time to finish Spider-Man 2 on PC and then hop into Pragmata, also on PC. Other than that... doing a lot of overtime work so maybe I wont manage to do either.
@Link41x I don't check this site as often as I used to but I absolutely love your dedication to play on Win Phone! đ
Are all these games ones you already owned or is the store still open? I have not charged my Nokia Lumia 1520 in ages, no clue if the store would even launch these days, or if they would allow me to download stuff that been delisted.
Re: Xbox Is Having 'Very Big Discussions' About Exclusivity, Says Reporter
If Xbox gets rid of PlayAnywhere I am likely off the ecosystem entirely.
I donât care if an Xbox game is on other platforms, but could see some logic to keep some stuff exclusive or timed exclusive.
Ironically, if I was in charge, I would do the opposite to what they been doing: the iconic names (Fable, Halo, Forza, Gears) would stay exclusive but smaller games with a niche audience (like Obsidian stuff, things like Hi-Fi Rush) and licensed games (Blade, Indiana Jones) would go multiplat to give them a higher chance at finding an audience.
Re: Xbox Boss Declares Game Pass Is 'Too Expensive' And Needs A 'Better Value Equation'
I'm going to say I would not mind if GP ditched the Day 1 promise for a lower price.
I know technically that's what Premium does, but the mere existance of the Ultimage tier creates a horrible marketting perception disaster.
I would honestly get rid of Ultimate, keep it only as a grandfathered option.
Re: Roundup: Here's What The Reviews Are Saying About Capcom's Pragmata
@FraserG
Sorry for the back to back ping but... have you guys considered joining forces for these cross platform game reviews? I could see a place for a core review and a small dedicated section that just tests performance per platform on the initial hour of play that could be added at the end of the article by each site.
Edit, also was thinking... maybe there is room for some branching in the future with the direction of Helix and potentially expand the reach of PureXbox. Given how even if a user sticks to Xbox, the world of Green is soon to intertwine with all of PC gaming... perhaps this site could aim for news that are Windows PC gaming focused in addition to Xbox? Outside of PC Gamer, I have not found enough coverage for PC focused gaming as I have seen for PlayStation and Nintendo. Most PC gaming sites seem to be generalists. There might be room for growth there.
Re: Roundup: Here's What The Reviews Are Saying About Capcom's Pragmata
I don't think I have ever preordered a digital game before but I did for this one. The puzzle elements combined with real time combat really peeked my interest, and Capcom has been on one hell of a roll.
I do am trying to play through all the Spider-Man games to 100% completion, though (started SM2 this weekend) so not sure if I'll actually get to play it day one.
I preordered it for Steam, but would consider getting a refund and buying it on xbox if it's Play Anywhere. @FraserG any word if this is PlayAnywhere?
Re: The Bully-Inspired 'Agefield High' Releases For PC This Summer, Xbox Later In 2026
Yikes faces in that trailer looks stiffer than a board...
I'm guessing this is an indie title but still... they might had aimed a bit higher than they could tackle here.
Re: Roundup: All The Biggest Xbox Reveals From The Triple-I Initiative Showcase 2026
That Castlevania game looks sooooo good!!!! I cant wait!!!
Re: Xbox Achievements Are Getting A 'Refresh' With Multiple New Improvements
First thing I'm seeing that sparks my curiosity. Lets see how this moves forward.
Hope they dont forget about doing something for earning achievements while playing xbox games on pc because the notification for those is very sad.
Re: Talking Point: Which Xbox Console Do You Think Has Aged The Best?
The funny thing about Xbox's backwards compatibility efforts is that everything feels obsolete. Outside a handful select games that are actually worth diving for any given individual, almost everything I could care for can be played on my XSX or XSS.
Trying to play any of them on original hardware feels like self punishment.
Sony and Nintendo consoles might be seen as aging great due to high number of locked-in exclusives (except the Wii U, almost everything that anyone would want to play there is already on Switch)
That said, I still do have my 360 hooked up for those select few games I would like to go back and play once in a while (Bullet Witch for life). The controller feels preheistoric to me, but I got a dongle that lets me use XSX controllers on it.
If you ask me purely from a console hardware design point of view, I think the Xbox One X is simply perfection, with the One S a few steps behind it.
Re: Talking Point: How Many Consoles Have You Bought At Launch, And Were They Worth It?
Think the only console I bought at launch was the XSX. Before that I did get the PS4 early-ish, but not immediately at launch.
Before that I only got consoles when a big game I really wanted (almost always a third party game) released.
N64 I did get for Mario 64 but got it over a year after release when I was able to afford it.
Re: 'Xbox Game Pass Flex' Is An April Fools' Joke, But Could It Actually Happen One Day?
Imagines a world where you start squeezing through a narrow hallway and the narrow halway becomes longer and longer and all through the squeeze the wall becomes a huge billboard playing a video...
Re: The Elder Scrolls Online Is Coming To PC Game Pass With Xbox Play Anywhere Support
So does this mean the PC and Console servers are now shared? Used to be the consoles played on isolated servers, I think.
Or is the PC GamePass version of the game siloed from other PC versions?
Re: Microsoft Issues Statement On Why 'This Is An Xbox' Campaign Has Been Retired
@Balaam_
They literally are renaming the Full Screen Experience in their Xbox app to Xbox Mode so they pretty much still consider a device you play Xbox games to be a part of the Xbox family ecosystem. This retirement is just them acknowledging the campaign didn't resonate, but they are 100% moving full steam ahead with everything the campaign was selling.
Re: Microsoft Issues Statement On Why 'This Is An Xbox' Campaign Has Been Retired
I objectively can see that this campaign didnt work as intended but still have trouble understanding exactly why. The campaign, as described by the article, was an attempt to communicate how the Xbox ecosystem extends beyond the console.
Their strategy did not change because of the campaign, and I strongly question it having any impact on console sales. Even after its retirement, they seem to be doubling down on all the things this campaign was trying to consolidate (play anywhere, cloud gaming, etc).
Yes, sale numbers have gone down but that's not something that has been exclusive to Xbox. Sony too is struggling with that issue, the economy is simply not doing well, and hardware prices keep going up. People are opting to just play on the computers and phones they already feel they must own anyways (more reason for MS and Xbox to double down on this even if the marketing line is retired).
Re: Sony Announces Major PS5 Price Hikes, Here's How They Compare To Xbox Series X|S
@Jaxx420 most tech sectors can coast via shrinkflation of sorts.
Truth is the computing market has been tossing more power at consumers than they need. We will start seeing more emphasis on cheaper pcs with less ram, maybe even an increase of devices with DDR4 and more computers with basic SSDs instead of NVME.
Same will likely apply to a lot other tech reliant devices (from TVs to, cars and what not).
But gaming, its gong to hit gaming hard, specifically Triple A gaming as these really tend to demand an amount of computing power that is likely to become very uncommon and out of reach.
To clarify: Yes other industries will still go through headaches, but I doubt few things are about to be hit as hard as high budget Triple A game development will be.
Re: Sony Announces Major PS5 Price Hikes, Here's How They Compare To Xbox Series X|S
@Jaxx420 I do think we will see a gaming crash, or at least a Triple A crash.
The economics of volume are going to collapse if the cost of entry limits how many can even get a console or powerful PC as people move away from gaming be it due to life responsibilities or loss of interest. Without that volume, the budgets for these Triple A games just wont work anymore.
Casual, indie (and Nintendo) games that can either run on cheap PCs or be made at low enough budget to be profitable with a few thousand copies sold might be able to keep the market alive, though.
Also keep in mind this is all happening at the same time that we are facing a huge recession (we likely are in one but that's a whole other topic) that will likely impact game buying behaviors in an industry that keeps trying to charge more and more for each game too.
Re: 'Please Don't Expect Console Ports' - Retro Rewind FAQ Addresses Xbox & PS5 Demand
I used to manage a videoclub back in the 2000s and have avoided this game mostly because I know it would be the only thing I play for way too long and am not ready for that comitment.
On the topic at hand, two main takes I'm seeing are insistance that they actually should port it and dismissals about this not being important (we get it, its not a one of your qwwawity games, move on).
This is a team of two people. Making a game is not that easy. Even when we get Helix, its not going to be a trivial thing. I doubt MS is going to be opening up Xbox development SDKs as much as Steam has (yes kids, Steam IS a platform with its own SDK) and for a team of one or two people it's just not realistic to navigate all that AND continue to update the game. If one gets luck and money starts flowing, hiring someone to do the port is possible but still might not be trivial.
Re: Xbox 'Copilot' Demonstration Hints At How It'll Work On Your Series X|S
@betterthings TLDR you didnt understand anything I explained.
Re: Epic Games Lays Off 1,000 Staff, Announces Closure Of Fortnite Rocket Racing
So conflicted about this...
I can't be happy about 1000 people losing their jobs, period. Like @themightyant noted, it is possible these jobs would not have existed if the service game was not there to support them. So I wont be joining the "bleep service games" parade.
I feel like a 1000 people firing in a burst like this is evidence that they filed to adjust expectations at some turn, but the severance packages being provided do sound rather decent. Beyond what I expected Epic to do (not sure how much of it might be required by regional laws, are they in CA?)
This is likely just the start (yea, despite all other firings we seen). Not sure if he was supposed to affirm this, but he seems to have confirmed there that consoles are indeed struggling as a whole. Yea we kind of knew but its all been mostly "estimates". This is a big affirmation: consoles [period] are on a downturn. Partner consoles makers are certainly not going to be happy about that bit getting highlighted.
Re: Xbox 'Copilot' Demonstration Hints At How It'll Work On Your Series X|S
@kmtrain83 They are claiming there is no AI mandate for Xbox (they shied away from actually saying it would not be added if **they** feel its beneficial) but there been plenty of articles about MS making AI usage a mandatory part of even working at MS.
https://www.windowscentral.com/microsoft/using-ai-is-no-longer-optional-did-microsoft-makes-copilot-mandatory-for-staff
Re: Xbox 'Copilot' Demonstration Hints At How It'll Work On Your Series X|S
@INeedGoodGraphics At least in a PC based Helix console, there is a chance that as a more open system we can just kill the process. If not easily, then via community provided tools.
Re: Xbox 'Copilot' Demonstration Hints At How It'll Work On Your Series X|S
@betterthings AI systems don't store or transmit raw video. Its complex to go into all details but it converts all its awareness into vector databases that are not as data heavy as full captures/streams. This vector data processing is precisely why GPUs are so important for AI.
BTW don't confuse vector databases with vector image conversions, it's different stuff.
Anyways, despite this simplification of the context representation, the total data collects are gargantuan and why AI datacenters are not just wrecking havoc on ram and GPU costs but also on all forms of quick storage.
This very simplified video might give you an idea:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gl1r1XV0SLw
Re: Xbox 'Copilot' Demonstration Hints At How It'll Work On Your Series X|S
@betterthings There is a gigantic difference between snapshots being synced to one cloud, or basic stats like how long you play, time you earned achievements, etc being collected.
On every context Copilot is implemented, it's aware of your every single action and learns from everything unless the application in question allows for it to be entirely disabled or uninstalled.
Re: Xbox 'Copilot' Demonstration Hints At How It'll Work On Your Series X|S
@kmtrain83 Most implementation of copilot in other places (like Visual Studio) rely heavily on constantly being attentive at what you are doing in the thing you are working on for situational awareness (and to learn from your actions).
I have zero doubt this will be any different.
At least in those products, entirely disabling copilot is an option because many corporate customers would literally jump ship if it was mandatory.
Re: Xbox 'Copilot' Demonstration Hints At How It'll Work On Your Series X|S
I hate this⌠the exchange alone has that vomit inducing affirmation I detest so much from
AI âabsolutely! letâs do thisâ đ¤˘
Also this thing is going to be constantly looking at my activity⌠this better be a feature that can be disabled entirely because I donât want no ai spying at all I do in any game.
If Xbox was really listening to feedback, this thing would be scrapped. But it wonât, because despite the lies, there IS a mandate to incorporate this slop.
Re: 'Keep The Feedback Coming' - Xbox Boss Says New Console Features Were Built Two Weeks Ago
@Fiendish-Beaver this. All of this. I have seen people leave projects several times only for the new guy literally grab all of their committed work and take credit for months of work and this reeks of it.
Re: Starfield Gets Major Free Update & New Expansion Next Month, Alongside PS5 Release
I was extremely hyped for this game and bought it twice. I own the briefcase and watch that came with a Steam edition of the game and, because at the time I really wanted my achievements on Xbox, I also bought the premium edition digitally [and 100% completed those achievements, although never did the DLC].
My biggest complain about the game is actually very different from everything I heard from everyone.
I didn't mind the "teleporting" from planet to planet (sounds tedious to actually travel the universe honestly), although I was no fan of the galactic map UI at all.
My real complain though, was the game was not randomized enough. While everyone complained the game was too RNG, my issue is that after you see the handful of installation templates... you have see everything. I ran into all those buildings so many times in so many planets and moons... every single time, the second I saw the facility in the distance, I instantly knew the whole inner map for the instance... Even most story focused dungeons were repeats with a tiny exclusive section that is sealed on standard reuses of the dungeon.
So yea my issue was that the game was too much copy and paste, not that the game was RNG. Hell... I'm not sure if there was any randomization. I forget the achievement, but for one of the resource-based achievements I literally followed a guide that said, "go to this exact coords in this exact planet and do this", it turned out every planet is identical on every run. At least at launch.
Anyways, enough ranting. Other than the above, the core game was good, and I been hoping enough DLC to address my concerns before I go back and try to do the extra content. From what I hear, so far, my concerns have not really been addressed.
Re: With Project Helix On The Horizon, Xbox Is Now Letting You Add Games Manually On PC
Like this. A thing that I found frustrating trying to use Xbox app as a launcher was precisely the lack of this feature. I can add non-steam games to my Steam library with a bit of work (or no work if I don't care about the in-library presentation) allowing me to easily use Steam Big Picture mode as my only launcher even when playing standalone games like FFXIV (non-steam version) or Genshin Impact (don't play it but it's an example).
Xbox Mode still needs a lot of work, though. I have a hard time putting it into words, but when Steam enters Big Picture Mode, it behaves like a game. Smooth hardware accelerated UI that feels more like a game on itself.
Xbox Mode just feels like a magnified Windows App with some very janky UI gamepad navigation. And don't get me started about how horrible the xbox app overlay is with a controller... it's like some windows dev spat C#.net forms all over the screen!
Steam Big Picture mode is the minimum bar Xbox Mode needs to aim for. Until then, I'll do the opposite of what they want and manually add any installed Xbox game to my Steam library manually.
Re: Bethesda Says Starfield Looks 'Amazing' With Nvidia's DLSS 5, But Don't Expect It On Xbox
I'm wish I was baffled at how many seem to actually like how this garbage look, but am not given how many like photoshopped fan garbage that "prettifies" female characters some boys dim "ugly".
Anyways this stuff is horrible and not just because "it's AI". Increased resolution via AI is ok (most of the time). Frame generation was already annoying and added zero responsiveness. But this is a complete bastardization of the artist's work.
This industry is going a rabbit hole that leads to the sewers, and some gamers will literally cheer while diving into the sewage waters.
Re: Talking Point: What Should Xbox Call Its 'Project Helix' Console?
@Banjo- Focusing on Xbox, not the competition: it will take a lot for me to stop being pessimistic about the shakeup, especially the fact that an ai exec got put in charge.
I chose Xbox as my primary platform this gen precisely because of the focus on respecting our purchases across console and windows.
The minute I see copilot integration into Xbox consoles expand, though, chances are I'll just drop everything and go full steam from there.
Re: Talking Point: What Should Xbox Call Its 'Project Helix' Console?
@Banjo- I'm still extremely skeptical especially after that whole cooked gamer profile fiasco.
I'm not writing off Xbox, but I need to see a lot more obvious action than just a few "we hear you" tweets for me to be convinced this is going to go the right direction.
If I see a complete restructuring of GamePass that results in something reasonable instead of the current overpriced mess, I might start being somewhat optimistic again.
Re: Talking Point: What Should Xbox Call Its 'Project Helix' Console?
@Matthewnh Although some of the names have been weird indeed (mainly Xbox One, IMO) PlayStation (until just recently with the Switch 2) was the only console that used sequential numbers.
Every single console ever released before and after has always used a sub-name... ok there is one other exception: Magnavox Odyssey 2.
Atari: 2600, 5200, 7800, Jaguar, Lynx
Nintendo: NES, Super NES, N64, GameCube, Wii, Wii U, Switch, GameBoy: GB Color, GB Advance, Nintendo DS, DSi, 3DS, New 3DS
Sega: Master System, Genesis, Saturn, Dreamcast
Xbox: 360, One, Series X|S
Even Sony named their handhelds something arbitrary: PSP and PSVita
Anyways point being, only reason sequential numbers are seen as the logical is because a 2 (3?) of the most successful Sony consoles used numbers.
All in all, I think Series X|S was not that bad of a name considering the dual model setup. But they really should start embracing some of these internal codenames because they are a lot cooler than the names they go to marketing with. Ok... Brooklin was a dumb name so Series X|S would still be better there... but Scorpio was a damned cool name!!!
Re: Talking Point: What Should Xbox Call Its 'Project Helix' Console?
@Banjo- No management can spin a ship this large around that fast. My bet is this stuff was all lined up and ready to go forth. All we seeing is stuff that has been years in the making. Even the Helix name is something I bet was already decided.
All the stuff that is being talked about now are just confirmations on rumors we been hearing for years. Only thing I **might** give the new management would be a choice to toss the Helix name out there a week earlier instead of dropping the news at GDC. But I'm nearly 99% certain this was the plan.
I even argue that the whole "everything is an Xbox" strategy is going forward, simply rebranded. Note how "full screen experience" was renamed "Xbox mode", more literally turning anything running the mode into an "Xbox". Only thing they doing is removing the marketing line, not the strategy.
Re: Talking Point: What Should Xbox Call Its 'Project Helix' Console?
Just call it X-Box Helix, don't throw a year of free news coverage marketing go down the drain by coming up with a new name like they did with XCloud.
Re: Microsoft's 'This Is An Xbox' Post Taken Down As Fans Wonder If The Controversial Ad Is No More
The campaign might be gone but not it's spirit. Yea many users hated it, but the core idea that you can play Xbox on any device that can host their ecosystem is very much still there.
Proof? Look at their announcement of their full screen experience rolling out publicly next month. It's literally being renamed to Xbox Mode. They are doubling down on their strategy, just acknowledging the messaging for it failed. They as hell are not backing down from the strategy, though.
Re: Data Firm Predicts PC Revenue Will Soon Surpass Console As Xbox Prepares To Bridge The Gap
Capcom already stated recently that half their sales come from PC. No math needed to note this means PC platforms combined outsell every individual console. This mostly means Steam, Capcom has very few games listed in gog or epic and don't sell games directly.
For me, the main reason I preferred consoles is that playing with keyboard is just impossible due to accessibility issues. Gamepads work perfectly with my needs. Since their first attempt at a Steam Machine, Valve has worked hard to make gamepad usage on PC as smooth if not smoother than on console. They even make sure any console controller is fully supported. Want to use a Dual Shock 4 or a Nintendo Switch Pro controller? Steam got you covered!
Their system is also becoming more and more TV friendly, and I think it will just blow up when the Steam Machine finally lands. Especially if they finally truly open up the OS for anyone to install without pursuing forks. In the meantime, big picture mode on a windows PC works wonders.
Re: 'We Will See More Games Come To Xbox Quicker' - Microsoft Exec Talks Plans For The Future
@themightyant My perspective as an indie that is diving back into it after a decade of just doing the standard corporate thing (not stopping that, just deciding to spend some of my free time relearning the indie curve) supporting the Xbox PC store is not exactly something you do with the push of a button.
As far as I understand, engines like Godot don't directly let you do that because of closed APIs that require being part of something like id@xbox. One ends up having to use middleware solutions that have additional costs to be able to push indie projects into Xbox, even just the Xbox PC game store (not exactly the same as the Microsoft Store for apps.)
I am not sure if what they are talking about here is going to fix this, but if they open up more, actually allowing anyone to use their achievements APIs and all that mumbo jumbo in a way that allows Godot and other engines to just push to Xbox out of the box, you might see more indie games hit Xbox PC day and date instead of only happening after they see enough success in Steam.
As an indie dev, I have zero reason to not target a platform other than contractual and financial barriers.
Re: Xbox Says Backwards Compatibility Program Will Be Revived For 25th Anniversary
If I recall correctly, the BC program was ended because it reached the limits of what was possible due to licensing or technical limitations.
However, this was before MS acquired ABK and at a point where any new addition had to work on Xbox One.
ABK ownership opens up their options for licensing as MS might be very willing to secure IP needed for re-listing the games. On the technical front, the program could reopen with a caveat that new titles might not work on Xbox one, maybe not even on Series X|S and be available only on Helix.
Re: Resident Evil Requiem Hits Incredible Sales Milestone In Less Than A Week
Wildest bit (not in article) from Capcom financial report was that PC alone is now 50% of their total sales!!!
Re: Next Xbox Console Could Be Affected By PlayStation Pulling Back On PC
Spider-Man 2 was ported âat record speedâ with about 15 month exclusivity.
Even if Yotei was to follow that pattern, a port would not land until January 2027 at the earliest. Chances are Oct 27. Thatâs so far away that any of this sounds like articles for the sake of clicks and views.
Re: Xbox Adds New 'Sort By' Options On The Microsoft Store, Including By Price & Discount
About time!!! I wonder if this is something they intentionally refused to add... You have no clue how many games I got off steam because of this feature, being able to sort my wish list by discount is huge for publishers... not so much for my wallet because it makes me buy games I likely wont ever play... đ
Re: Xbox's 'Pivot Away From Console' Had Been Failing And Questioned At Microsoft, Claims Report
Personally I think Steamâs SteamDeck has shown us what Xbox should have always been. I donât care much for Bill Gates, but the whole point of Xbox from the get go was to bring Windows and Microsoft to the living-room.
At the time, the distinct console made sense but today, a unified streamlined OS is a lot more logical. We just need that Gaming Mode to feel more like a console (as Steam Big Picture does) than a maximized PC app (sadly how Xbox Full Screen Experience feels).
The whole âeverything is an Xboxâ relied heavily on GamePass growth and adoption of game streaming turning any device into an Xbox client, but I think that path died when GamePass growth died down.
Re: Phil Spencer Announces That He's Retiring From Xbox
I always defended Xbox⌠but I donât think it survives this.
Re: Sony's Bluepoint Games Might Be Gone, But We'll Never Forget Their 'Impossible Port' For Xbox 360
Another great studio dead due to Sonys live service game gold rush⌠đ
Re: Poll: As Things Stand, Will You Be Buying GTA 6 On Xbox This November?
I bought a Xbox 360 for GTAV and loved it. GTAV was also great but then they shifted to maintaining an online game and I lost all interest in the franchise.
Itâs obviously working for them, but as far as I expect GTA6 is just a Trojan horse into yet another whale fishing online game.
Maybe Iâm wrong, but I got plenty else to play. If I ever buy it, itâs because it went on a deep discount.
Re: Insomniac Shares Cold-Hearted Response To The Chances Of Spider-Man 2 Coming To Xbox
It will be on Xbox one way or another, sooner or later, unless they decide to stop selling games on PC.
I'm indifferent either way, I jumped into to the My Windows PC is My Xbox back when Starfield launched with 30fps on Series X and am very unlikely to go back for anything but a few old exclusives. Even that might eventually phase out if the rumors of software backwards compatibility end up being true.
Re: Report: Microsoft Is In The Early Stages Of 'Expanding' Xbox Game Pass
Doesn't Game Pass Premium already give some access to PC Gamepass? Because due to crossplay for me all that sounds like is not expanding GP but limiting/removing PC Game Pass and forcing PC users into either the limited Premium tier or the Ultimate one, both being more expensive/limited paths.
I also do wonder what any of this would mean in a future where the next Xbox is simply a PC [with potentially console BC]...
Re: Obsidian Says Two Of Its 2025 Titles Didn't Meet Sales Targets, Vows To Learn For The Future
This comment section is sure full of some... wild opinions.
The key issue was noted in the article: these games took 6 years to build. IMO they were solid games but spending 6 years in a game balloon both the budget and the expectations.
As a new IP (despite being tied to Pillars, for most Avowed is a new IP) they might had invested too much into it. And they could had gotten away with a game half the size of OW2 for the sequel.
I think both these games are suffering that they were designed and greenlit at a time where Game Pass was growing like crazy and apparently would keep on going. As soon as that slowed down, they should have either scaled the projects down or pursue a multi-platform release.
But honestly, the entire industry needs to stop this 6-10 year dev cycles. They are ridiculous, the games over engineered, and anything other than wild success can doom whole studios or even entire publishers. We need to go back to the days of 3 year dev cycles.
Make a game and release at least 2 sequels that are mostly iterative. Stop trying to remake every single asset for every sequel!!!
Can you imagine if every movie ever produced insisted on re-buying every single prop used on set???