In previous games you had to unlock the ability to fast travel anywhere for free.
In FH5, for example, you have to first unlock the ability to buy houses, then buy a particular house that unlocks fast travel. However, at that point, you have to pay to fast travel (in in-game credits obviously), so if you want to be able to fast travel anywhere for free, you then have to find and smash every fast travel board, which are scattered around the map. The fast travel price decreases the more boards you smash, then it becomes free when you've smashed them all.
Obviously I don't know if FH6 will take the same approach.
The sudden interest in hyping up Play Anywhere, which has been around for over a decade, just reinforces my feelings that MS's next "console" will be a PC that won't play the vast majority of my Xbox game library, much like if I bought one of those ROG handhelds.
I hope I'm wrong, but why the sudden push for this now?
A couple of my friends had an OG Xbox, so I got to play on one, but I never owned one.
I bought a 360 in late 2007 to play Assassin's Creed. I wanted one before that, but all of my friends that owned one had had at least one RROD, so I waited for the "Falcon" revision to come out. Sadly, I also ended up suffering with the RROD, but only once!
I was very impressed with the 360 in terms of the performance relative to the price, and the very well thought-out system software. It was loud though, especially before the option to install games to the hard drive was added. If only the hardware had been as quiet and reliable as the Xbox One, I think things could have been very different for MS.
I loved the first Division game, as buggy as it was, but I won't be going back to it, no matter how good the "definitive edition" is, assuming there even is one.
I enjoyed the demo, so I pre-ordered the full game, given that it's only £16. Since MS did away with being able to buy Game Pass credit with MS Rewards points, I paid for this game with those points instead.
The Xbox app on PC is horrible. Not even MS believes in their own OS. The app on Android is so good, it might as well have been made by a completely different company. They don't even care about bug reports when it comes to the Windows version. It's just a really bad way to push Game Pass.
I'll definitely keep my eye on this one. I've been through so many Elite Series 1 & 2 controllers, it's kinda ridiculous. I'm in my 50s and have been gaming since "TV games". I've never had an issue with a controller from any manufacturer, including MS, until the Xbox One/Series era, where I've gone through a couple of dozen I reckon. It's also the only time I've had controllers be broken right out of the box, including my original "Day One" controller that came with my Xbox One.
I still get advertised games and DLC I already own on the home screen quite regularly. It shouldn't take "AI" to fix that.
If the ads were actually smart and recognised "hey, you play the hell out of game X, but you don't own DLC Y for that game" and advertised it to me, that would be great, but it doesn't take artificial intelligence to do that. It takes intelligence from the people who are coding the algorithms that dictate what ads I see.
If MS had sold more consoles than Sony and Nintendo in the Xbox One generation, they wouldn't be peddling any of the nonsense they're peddling now. When one number looks bad, hold up another number and say "this is the one that matters!".
As for "Play Anywhere", what worries me is that the next "Xbox" will basically be a PC that can play your "Play Anywhere" games along with PC games from other stores, but that's it.
The only one of those games that I own is Marvel Puzzle Quest: Dark Reign, which I uninstalled some time ago. I just checked my full games library and it's missing.
I can see the achievements I unlocked for it on TrueAchievements, but the game is not in my "All achievements" list on the console itself. Based on replies to the supposed workarounds on Reddit, there are no workarounds that actually work and it's something that MS will have to fix.
I've owned at least one console in very generation and the Series X is definitely up there as one of my favourites. The hardware is fantastic IMO; powerful and quiet.
The OS has come a long way since the launch of the Xbox One and has improved in lots of ways, but it never feels like it's 100% polished. Still, in terms of features and functionality, I don't really have any major complaints.
Games-wise I've been more than happy, although a lot of that has to do with Game Pass, as I've played games that have blown me away that I likely would never have bought, such as "What Became of Edith Finch". Also, while I was sceptical that devs would do free upgrades to their games when the Xbox One X came out, lots did, and again with the Series X.
With online multiplayer/co-op games, the more players the better IMO. I play a lot of Overwatch and before they added cross-play, the queue times were horrendous sometimes; so long that the queue time would often be longer than the match itself.
From a business POV, I think exclusives are absolutely a necessary part of selling hardware, but MS have been backed into a corner and forced to pretend like they don't matter.
The main thing that concerns me is the future of Xbox consoles. Being able to carry the bulk of my games library forwards across generations has been great, and many games have had free upgrades/enhancements too, but I have almost zero confidence in MS to continue producing hardware that allows that - or even producing hardware full stop, past the next generation.
It's a useful feature for sure. I use a website that shows you graphs that go back much further than 30 days, plus you can also set a maximum price you want to pay for a game and it'll notify you via email if it ever drops below that price, which is also kinda nice.
It's their long-term strategy with hardware that bothers me. I went digital-only when I got an Xbox One, so I have a huge collection of digital games, many of which have received free enhancements to the Xbox One X and/or Xbox Series consoles, which is great, but I want to be able to carry those games forward when new hardware comes out. I just don't see how MS can achieve growth in the console market anymore, which means at some point, no more new hardware.
I would definitely buy an $800 console though, assuming it was worth the money in terms of power/features compared to the competition.
I've been through a bunch of Elite Series 2s. I've had several be broken right out of the box with one or more face buttons that doesn't properly register a press, and I've had several develop faults over time, typically with LB or RB. I've owned at least one console in every generation and before the Xbox One came out I'd only ever replaced one controller because it was faulty.
When they do work, they're great. I couldn't go back to a controller without paddles now.
Features I would like to see in an Elite Series 3: -
Better build quality, particularly the sticks and buttons.
A physical switch that allows you to sync it to 2 different devices at once.
The features of the Stereo Headset Adapter built-in. Some controllers from other brands have this.
Better haptics, as well as gyro controls.
The ability to share controller mappings with friends would be good.
I don't care about gimmicky stuff such as LED lights, little OLED screens, being able to sync it to my phone and what not. It just pushes the price up for no benefit when it comes to gaming, and sometimes eats into the battery life.
In an ideal world they'd focus heavily on repairability, for example, the microswitches that are under LB and RB don't even cost a buck each, but it's not a simple job to replace them. Likewise replacing a faulty analogue stick is cheap in terms of buying the parts, but not easy for the majority of gamers to do at home.
I like the look of it, but I know I just wouldn't use it enough to warrant a purchase.
I can't see any circumstances where I'd take it out of the house, given how big it is, except maybe on a plane flight, and I've got a couple of Xbox consoles at home already.
Comments 19
Re: Forza Horizon 6's Controversial Game Pass Upgrade Costs As Much As The Game Itself
The 3 different versions of the game are £5, £20, and £25 more expensive than FH5 too.
Re: Forza Horizon 6 Officially Launches On Xbox In May, Here's Your First Look At Open-World Japan
@Llamageddon
In previous games you had to unlock the ability to fast travel anywhere for free.
In FH5, for example, you have to first unlock the ability to buy houses, then buy a particular house that unlocks fast travel. However, at that point, you have to pay to fast travel (in in-game credits obviously), so if you want to be able to fast travel anywhere for free, you then have to find and smash every fast travel board, which are scattered around the map. The fast travel price decreases the more boards you smash, then it becomes free when you've smashed them all.
Obviously I don't know if FH6 will take the same approach.
Re: Xbox Play Anywhere Is Convincing People To Buy Their Multiplatform Games On Xbox
The sudden interest in hyping up Play Anywhere, which has been around for over a decade, just reinforces my feelings that MS's next "console" will be a PC that won't play the vast majority of my Xbox game library, much like if I bought one of those ROG handhelds.
I hope I'm wrong, but why the sudden push for this now?
Re: Talking Point: As Xbox Celebrates 25 Years, What's Your First Ever Xbox Memory?
A couple of my friends had an OG Xbox, so I got to play on one, but I never owned one.
I bought a 360 in late 2007 to play Assassin's Creed. I wanted one before that, but all of my friends that owned one had had at least one RROD, so I waited for the "Falcon" revision to come out. Sadly, I also ended up suffering with the RROD, but only once!
I was very impressed with the 360 in terms of the performance relative to the price, and the very well thought-out system software. It was loud though, especially before the option to install games to the hard drive was added. If only the hardware had been as quiet and reliable as the Xbox One, I think things could have been very different for MS.
Re: Ubisoft Seemingly Preparing 'The Division: Definitive Edition' Ahead Of 10-Year Anniversary
I loved the first Division game, as buggy as it was, but I won't be going back to it, no matter how good the "definitive edition" is, assuming there even is one.
Re: This New RPG Is Heavily Inspired By Paper Mario, And It's Releasing On Xbox Next Week
I enjoyed the demo, so I pre-ordered the full game, given that it's only £16. Since MS did away with being able to buy Game Pass credit with MS Rewards points, I paid for this game with those points instead.
Re: Report: Xbox Working On 'Major Updates' To PC App For Next Console's Dashboard
The Xbox app on PC is horrible. Not even MS believes in their own OS. The app on Android is so good, it might as well have been made by a completely different company. They don't even care about bug reports when it comes to the Windows version. It's just a really bad way to push Game Pass.
Re: 8BitDo Unveils New 'Pro-Level' Xbox Wireless Controller Built For 'Serious Players'
I'll definitely keep my eye on this one. I've been through so many Elite Series 1 & 2 controllers, it's kinda ridiculous. I'm in my 50s and have been gaming since "TV games". I've never had an issue with a controller from any manufacturer, including MS, until the Xbox One/Series era, where I've gone through a couple of dozen I reckon. It's also the only time I've had controllers be broken right out of the box, including my original "Day One" controller that came with my Xbox One.
But yeah, this one looks good on paper!
Re: New Microsoft Survey Suggests Five AI Features That Could Be Added To Xbox Game Pass
None of it sounds any use to me.
I still get advertised games and DLC I already own on the home screen quite regularly. It shouldn't take "AI" to fix that.
If the ads were actually smart and recognised "hey, you play the hell out of game X, but you don't own DLC Y for that game" and advertised it to me, that would be great, but it doesn't take artificial intelligence to do that. It takes intelligence from the people who are coding the algorithms that dictate what ads I see.
Re: Phil Spencer Was Asked About Xbox's 'Unusual Strategy' In 2019, And The Answers Are Still Relevant Six Years Later
If MS had sold more consoles than Sony and Nintendo in the Xbox One generation, they wouldn't be peddling any of the nonsense they're peddling now. When one number looks bad, hold up another number and say "this is the one that matters!".
As for "Play Anywhere", what worries me is that the next "Xbox" will basically be a PC that can play your "Play Anywhere" games along with PC games from other stores, but that's it.
Re: Xbox Fan Lists 13 Games That Are Currently Hidden From Players' Libraries
The only one of those games that I own is Marvel Puzzle Quest: Dark Reign, which I uninstalled some time ago. I just checked my full games library and it's missing.
I can see the achievements I unlocked for it on TrueAchievements, but the game is not in my "All achievements" list on the console itself. Based on replies to the supposed workarounds on Reddit, there are no workarounds that actually work and it's something that MS will have to fix.
Re: Poll: Now That The Dust Has Settled, Which Xbox Game Pass Tier Are You Subscribed To?
I'm still on Ultimate, but only cos I'd stacked up 3 years of it via MS Rewards.
Re: It's A Big Birthday For The Xbox Series X, So Let's Look Back At Our Review From 2020
I've owned at least one console in very generation and the Series X is definitely up there as one of my favourites. The hardware is fantastic IMO; powerful and quiet.
The OS has come a long way since the launch of the Xbox One and has improved in lots of ways, but it never feels like it's 100% polished. Still, in terms of features and functionality, I don't really have any major complaints.
Games-wise I've been more than happy, although a lot of that has to do with Game Pass, as I've played games that have blown me away that I likely would never have bought, such as "What Became of Edith Finch". Also, while I was sceptical that devs would do free upgrades to their games when the Xbox One X came out, lots did, and again with the Series X.
Re: Talking Point: How Do You Feel About Halo: Campaign Evolved Launching Day One On PS5?
With online multiplayer/co-op games, the more players the better IMO. I play a lot of Overwatch and before they added cross-play, the queue times were horrendous sometimes; so long that the queue time would often be longer than the match itself.
From a business POV, I think exclusives are absolutely a necessary part of selling hardware, but MS have been backed into a corner and forced to pretend like they don't matter.
The main thing that concerns me is the future of Xbox consoles. Being able to carry the bulk of my games library forwards across generations has been great, and many games have had free upgrades/enhancements too, but I have almost zero confidence in MS to continue producing hardware that allows that - or even producing hardware full stop, past the next generation.
Re: Talking Point: Xbox Should Use And Improve This New PlayStation Store Feature
It's a useful feature for sure. I use a website that shows you graphs that go back much further than 30 days, plus you can also set a maximum price you want to pay for a game and it'll notify you via email if it ever drops below that price, which is also kinda nice.
Re: Xbox Rolls Out Age Verification (UK) And Game Hub Improvements In New Insider Update
@Nightcrawler71 If you don't verify your age, it only affects the following social features.....
These would become friends only: -
Voice/text chat
Party and game invites
User generated content (e.g. posts on an activity feed)
And these would be blocked altogether: -
Looking for group
Custom clubs
It does not affect your ability to play age-restricted games, as that's not within the scope of the (laughable) Online Safety Act.
Re: Xbox 'Magnus' Leak Suggests Next Console Will Be Powerful, Expensive & Maybe A Hybrid Device
It's their long-term strategy with hardware that bothers me. I went digital-only when I got an Xbox One, so I have a huge collection of digital games, many of which have received free enhancements to the Xbox One X and/or Xbox Series consoles, which is great, but I want to be able to carry those games forward when new hardware comes out. I just don't see how MS can achieve growth in the console market anymore, which means at some point, no more new hardware.
I would definitely buy an $800 console though, assuming it was worth the money in terms of power/features compared to the competition.
Re: Xbox Exec Questioned About Elite Series 3 Controller, Offers Slight Tease For The Future
I've been through a bunch of Elite Series 2s. I've had several be broken right out of the box with one or more face buttons that doesn't properly register a press, and I've had several develop faults over time, typically with LB or RB. I've owned at least one console in every generation and before the Xbox One came out I'd only ever replaced one controller because it was faulty.
When they do work, they're great. I couldn't go back to a controller without paddles now.
Features I would like to see in an Elite Series 3: -
Better build quality, particularly the sticks and buttons.
A physical switch that allows you to sync it to 2 different devices at once.
The features of the Stereo Headset Adapter built-in. Some controllers from other brands have this.
Better haptics, as well as gyro controls.
The ability to share controller mappings with friends would be good.
I don't care about gimmicky stuff such as LED lights, little OLED screens, being able to sync it to my phone and what not. It just pushes the price up for no benefit when it comes to gaming, and sometimes eats into the battery life.
In an ideal world they'd focus heavily on repairability, for example, the microswitches that are under LB and RB don't even cost a buck each, but it's not a simple job to replace them. Likewise replacing a faulty analogue stick is cheap in terms of buying the parts, but not easy for the majority of gamers to do at home.
Re: Talking Point: So, Did You End Up Pre-Ordering The ROG Xbox Ally?
I like the look of it, but I know I just wouldn't use it enough to warrant a purchase.
I can't see any circumstances where I'd take it out of the house, given how big it is, except maybe on a plane flight, and I've got a couple of Xbox consoles at home already.