Sakai

I would guess most people just want them to be upfront and honest. Games should be shown on Xbox hardware, not pc, in my opinion.
And it should be clearly labelled if its gameplay or not. Then people can judge better. Honesty is always the best policy.
The developer direct at the start of the year was good, it was a really good format
Sony are still the best for labelling their trailers, being honest about what is gameplay and what is not, and what it is played on

Microsofts infamous hands off approach seems to work with some developers, and not with others.

What they need to do is learn from their mistakes and not repeat them. If a certain studio needs a stick, you best start beating them with it.
I imagine it is difficult balance to get, but that's not really the consumers problem. Maybe Microsoft was worried about stepping on toes, with developers who were half way through a game, when they were purchased. Pretty poor excuse in my opinion. I suspect Arkane will get alot more assistance after Redfall dropped so badly.

Think il give the whole interview a listen while I finish my work for the day. Hope he's honest

@themightyant if its anything like their previous games, Starfield will be a far heavier sim than Horizon. And will be far bigger in size and scope, but I guess we will find out next month at the show. Zelda, Starfield and FF16 are my most anticipated games on each console. Let's hope they all land awesome, should be a great year.

@themightyant Starfield has a whole galaxy to explore with thousands of planets, and is a heavy sim based game. Very different to Horizon Forbidden West. They are totally different types of games. Maybe I'm wrong and it will include 60fps, but I very much doubt it. Starfield will more likely be cpu limited and not gpu limited, so dropping resolution or visual fidelity more than likely wouldn't help a great deal.

If it doesn't hit 60fps, that doesn't mean it's not beneficial to release on less platforms. There is more to a game than framerate and it can be a benefit in other areas. Not sure why you think it's just wind if it's not 60fps. I see more and more 30fps games coming out once crossgen period is over.

@Dezzy70 at this point I would prefer a switch 2 over a pro. If they announced the switch 2 il be there day 1

@NEStalgia thinking about it, with some tweaks, maybe a Njnja Gaiden VR Edition with a first person perspective would be really cool. I'm imagining Ninja Gaiden 2 on 360 in VR now and it would be so difficult. Its hard enough in 3rd person!

@Dezzy70 I was waiting on the "Switch pro" we have been hearing about from insiders for years, but never happened. Now I have changed my mind and on May 11th I will be ordering an Asus Ally with the Z1 Pro chip. Looks like a great bit of hardware in my opinion. You thinking of picking one up?

@Dezzy70 ToTK looks great, it's one of only 2 games I have preordered this year. Just hope the wife doesn't hog my Switch when it comes out, like she usually does!

@Snake_V5 we all do from time to time. It's like the word inconsistent was invented specifically to describe Microsofts gaming division. It's either feast (2021) or famine (2022) there is no inbetween.

@NEStalgia I think VR is great for some genres (like Gran Turismo) but I'm still not convinced what it would add to my favourite types of games like Ninja Gaiden, Nioh etc. Even the dualsences adaptive triggers get in the way on those types of games, never mind motion controls. Hated the adaptive triggers when playing Nioh Remaster Collection on ps5, much more difficult and inconsistant than playing on a Dualshock on ps4. I'm not really chasing immersion, I need consistency and ultra responsive controls for the types of games I love.

@NEStalgia nobody can keep up with Dezzy he sells his xbox that many times lol. But we still love him anyway. I still love me some AAA from time to time, im playing Ragnarok at the minute for example, but I think the older you get, the less enamoured you are with AAA. Alot of de ja vu and been there done that kind of feelings.
My favourite developers is Team Ninja, and they sure are not AAA really! Gameplay over graphics for me.
I'm sure @Snake_V5 does, but alot of his comments recently have come across as trolling. Maybe he doesn't mean it, so sorry for asking @Snake_V5. My bad I apoligize

@TakeItEasy "we didnt have great quality games for years"
This is pretty hyperbole to be honest. Microsoft were publisher of the year in 2021 with the highest metacritic average score ever.
2022 was a total disaster, everyone would agree. But let's not get to carried away with the hyperbole. We are all hoping Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo all have a great year this year

@Snake_V5 what's the point coming here just to troll. Genuine question, what do you gain from it?

@nomither6 games like starfield (huge scope, heavy systems based) tend to be cpu heavy so it's not a simple case of lowering resolution or effects. Some games just won't hit 60fps on a £450 console

@TakeItEasy if people expect the impossible because of some poor PR, then more fool them. I prefer to live in the real world where decisions are based on facts and not feelings. I very much doubt a game the size and scope of Starfield will run at 60fps on a £450 xbox. I thought that would be obvious to most people. Has a Bethesda rpg ever launched at 60fps on any console?

@TakeItEasy @Krzzystuff @Chaudy does anyone really expect a game with the size, scope and systems in a Bthesda rpg to run at 60fps on an xbox? Because I sure dont. This is not a linear game. Has a Bethesda rpg ever launched on console at 60fps?

Look forward to it. Hardly anyone makes proper rpgs anymore, especially with the size and scope of Bethesda.

Me and the wife look forward to the summer showcases from all 3 every year. Always a time to be excited as a gamer

Microsoft were publisher of the year in 2021, with the highest average score ever. the way some of you talk, it's like they haven't released a good game in 20years lol. Complete hyperbole

@hbkay Wo Long has been my favourite game released this year on any console, and that was on gamepass day 1. So it really is the best deal in gaming

@UltimateOtaku91 I knew this would score roughly the same as Forspoken. Both games just never looked that good, even in trailers. I'm sure some people will enjoy it, just like Forspoken, but it's not for me

I tried telling people that this wasn't over, it was perplexing how many thought it was over the other day and celebrated.
With more deals being announced and cloud providers like nvidia and boosteroid already publicly criticising the decision, there is plenty of legs left in this story.

I have also seen alot of people online say the CMA have never lost an appeal, which is completely wrong, they have several times, they even lost one a few months ago at the end of last year.

I'm not sure if it will go thru or not, but this is not the end. (I wish it was)

This kind of thing is so awesome to see, and not just in Forza. Allowing more people to enjoy video games is a great thing. When everybody plays, we all win.

Successive UK government's have a long standing tradition in stifling invest and jobs in the UK. They are beyond useless. History keeps repeating and the UK never seem to learn from their past mistakes. This is a problem far bigger than the ABK deal and is just another to add to the list

Honestly from a purely selfish standpoint, I wish they wouldn't appeal. I want this topic over, another year of this sounds like the worst outcome all round. Its just so boring. I hoped today would be the beginning of the end, not the dawn of a fresh start. Sadface

ABK deal Blocked by the CMA due to Cloud Concerns. Seems like it's all over

@themightyant alot of people don't buy bundles and wait for the console to become available on it own. The same with ps5 last year, if you wanted to buy a bundle with tshirts, controllers and games you could get one. But alot of people waited until this year when normal stock was available and you could buy the console by itself without a mark up.

In other news:

ABK deal Blocked by the CMA due to Cloud Concerns. Seems like it's all over

@themightyant the standard Xbox Series X is currently out of stock at Smyths, Amazon and Argos when I just checked. Some do have stock of the Forza Bundle, so they obviously are having some supply issues and have been for a few months. Our resident sales fanatic Dezzy has mentioned it a few times recently, of low or no stock on Series X. All the sites have plenty series s and ps5. This time last year it wasn't even possible to buy a ps5 at all, so having huge increases this year is to be expected

When I purchased God of War Ragnarok last weekend, I noticed Smyths Toys had stock of ps5 and series s, but the Series X was out of stock. And on Amazon they only have the Forza bundle in stock, no standard series x. Thats here in the UK. I was kind of surprised tbh as I thought stock problems had ended

@mousieone kids know xbox, and its for one simple reason, Roblox. That game is huge for kids, I don't see the appeal myself.

I would love to know why it's not on PlayStation and Nintendo. Maybe Microsoft could do some marketing centred around that?

@mousieone I was just pointing out the UK is far from PS v Switch, and in the UK the xbox is far from a Non-factor. Even during the ps4 dominating generation, it was very close. It always is.
I am from Newcastle (same as Jim Ryan) and its awesome our games market is so close. Competition is great for consumers like me and you.
I have 2 kids, a boy and girl, and they are more interested in mobile and pc, and hardly ever play on my PS5, Switch or Xbox. Roblox and Minecraft are the go to games. I'm not sure consoles are that interesting to their generation

@mousieone
The UK games industry is the most competitive console market in the world. Over the last 10 years, Xbox, PS and Nintendo have all led the market at one point.

Last year, Xbox Series, PS5 and Switch all had over 30% market share each (GfK data)

In terms of PS4 vs Xbox One, 57% of sales were for PS4 and 43% for Xbox One. On PS5 vs Xbox Series it's pretty much the same (56% vs 44%). It's close"

Source: https://mobile.twitter.com/Chris_Dring/status/1636394786235064321

@mousieone "Most countries including the UK it’s PS vs Switch; Xbox is a non-factor period"

What do you mean by this buddy?

@Dezzy70 Didn't you say you sold your Xbox? Or did you buy another one? I cant keep up anymore lol

@NEStalgia I have to say that's a brilliant post, articulated 100 times better than I ever could

@Tharsman I will take your word for it, because I have no way of confirming or denying it. Even the link Otaku posted has a big edit saying "people say he is no longer reliable" and a big list of things he got wrong. At least we can all agree that he was completely wrong this time

@FraserG possibly, but don't forget a broken clock is correct twice a day.
It can be interesting to hear rumours about upcoming games, but only a publisher would know the sales numbers or sales targets, not Jeff Grub. He is in the business of clicks

@Sol4ris the FUD around xbox has been pretty extreme recently. It can't be a coincidence that the ABK deal is weeks away from being approved or denied in the UK and EU

@UltimateOtaku91 Evil Within 3 would be nice, that's a good shout. I enjoyed number 2

And that's why you should never listen to "insiders" is the lesson we should all take from this. With games sales or psvr2 sales. They are only doing it for clicks

Unless you get sales metrics from a publisher, they are about as useful as a underwater no smoking sign or a chocolate fireguard

@UltimateOtaku91 i am prerty sure Forspoken sold more than Hi Fi Rush (I would be seriously concerned if a heavily marketed ps exclusive could not beat a shadow dropped gamepass release) but i must say that reddit thread is awful, full of assumptions and guesswork based on loose steam data and is torn to shreds by every commenter. Not really proof of anything lol

"I was just trying to say that I heard Hi-Fi Rush didn't make the money it was expected to make. But to be clear, I don't really know how Microsoft measures success. This was just a small, passing statement in a larger conversation. It wasn't meant to make people worry about HFR"

Already walking back his statement because its so easy to poke holes in it. This is why "insiders" are not even worth the time to report what they say, im not sure why you do it.

He has absolutely no idea if MS regard it as a success or not. He has absolutely no idea how much money it was supposed to make, or how much it did make. He knows absolutely nothing about it. Zero. He just wanted the clicks and attention, and you gave him it. Insiders just throw as much stuff at the wall and see what sticks, same with the psvr2 "reports"

This should never have been a story to begin with

I really dislike like these so called "insiders" trying to make news with absolutely zero facts or figures to back up their assumptions. Their source is always "trust me bro" . Same with the recent PSVR2 articles saying it flopped, without any evidence to prove that. Its just white noise designed for clicks. Anything you can find to shoehorn into a predetermined narrative, even if it doesn't really fit, like this.

For the record I am one of the few people who didn't like HiFi Rush as much as I thought I would. I respect it, technically it was great, but I didn't find it all that amazing on a personal level.

It seems people still want to judge Microsoft via game sales, despite targeting completely different metrics of success for several years.
They didn't even release a physical copy of the game, and shadow dropped it, doesn't scream that they were expecting huge sales to begin with.
Isn't their whole ethos now about increasing gamepass subscribers. Its all getting a bit weird recently and this article is really scraping the bottom of the barrel

@UltimateOtaku91 Redfall and Starfield were delayed in May 2022

https://www.forbes.com/sites/paultassi/2022/05/12/bethesda-delays-starfield-and-redfall-to-2023-leaving-xboxs-2022-barren/

There's the Forbes article from May 2022

If I had to guess, my guess would be Elder Scrolls

@Snake_V5 crisis core just released on xbox

Correct me if i am wrong, but Netflix purchased the Oxenfree developer and IP

Xcloud is their direct competitor, as Netflix is a subscription cloud service. It makes some sense not to support Xbox but support places which are not directly competing.

There seems to be a weird amount of fearmongering and hyperbole around xbox at the minute, I cant help but think the ABK deal has a few people shook/panicking and are creating mountains out of mole hills

Gears Tactics was actually pretty great. I had never played a game like that before, and without gamepass i probably never would have, but i actually enjoyed it alot

@FatalBubbles I watched that video and its littered with mistakes and doesnt provide any technical data as evidence. Just one example:

Control is one of the games they list but Digital Foundry write:
"All three systems follow a very similar performance profile: the action is fast and smooth, marred only by screen-filling effects work that can cause drops to the mid-50fps region as the chaos plays out on-screen. Owing to the dynamic nature of play, 'ranking' the consoles here is not easy - it seems that in some scenarios, Series X can outperform PlayStation 5, while in others the opposite is true"
Gamerant write:
"Digital Foundry video does make note that the visuals overall on PS5 appear a bit brighter compared to the Xbox Series X, but other than that, the game runs similarly between the two consoles"

I really wouldn't watch a video from PlayStation Portal for an objective, unbiased opinion

@GamingFan4Lyf one of the issues for xbox is how easy they made it to run pc code on an xbox. When porting games things like RT "work" without any changes, but not very well or optimised. It gives lazy developers an excuse to cut corners with the xbox version.

Whereas for PS5, the code has to be written from scratch, this means more effort, but quite often better results as the code is more "tailor made" for the console. There is no "it works but poorly" version for PS5. They could do this for the xbox version aswell, but some are not for some reason (budget costs would be my bet)

It something DF themselves have mentioned, and they believe we will see less of it as the generation progresses with more demanding games

@Dezzy70 @Trmn8r @GamingFan4Lyf John Linneman from DF actually addressed this last year on Twitter:

"So over the past 28 months or so, I've done 15 platform comparisons. For console warriors, Xbox took the top spot 8 times, 5 were a draw or broken everywhere and 2 went to PS5."

Source: https://twitter.com/dark1x/status/1542546724476133377?lang=en

People on either side of the stupid/pointless console war only selectively remember which games "win" on their platform. (I'm not calling any of you console warriors just to be clear)

Just trying to add some context to the discussion, from a professional who most of us trust

It's bad an ps5, it's even worse on Xbox. Neither version should be celebrated. Too many options/settings. Not good enough.

And I doubt they will fix any of the issues, as they didn't fix either version over the last year.

What's even crazier is HiFi rush runs flawlessly, a game by the same developer.

Do better Tango

I never liked Frank's direction of 343. I remember him saying a while ago that he hired alot of people who didn't like Halo and hated aspects of Halo, instead of you know, hiring people who love the franchise and are super passionate. Always seems like a really wierd decision, especially bragging about it.

@Kaloudz I think they basically send out a few questionnaires to market participants. I don't think it's as complicated as it sounds. But again I am no expert and don't know every last detail. I personally think its a formality that it will be approved by the EU, now it's got this far, but I could be wrong