@Fiendish-Beaver to be fair it sounds like Xbox was controlled by people who knew gaming but not how a business runs. That has obviously changed now. Its clear that Xbox division was haemorrhaging money from everywhere (especially Game Pass) and it took someone with business acumen to stop it. It's how every business works. Its a bit like me buying treats non-stop for my kids so they love me more than my wife, only for her to make me stop or we'll be in trouble financially, only for my kids to tell her she doesn't understand parenting
My biggest problem now is I bought my Series S to play Game Pass but its now at a point I'm not paying that price. So all I have is a box that does next to nothing. Think this gen has been a learning curve for me and how digital isn't the way forward for me personally.
@Weebleman I think MS HAS put that genie back in the box many times over. GP was all about day one games as part of the service. Then they changed it to day one only on the premium tier (or Ultimate tier or whatever). Then it became Day One ONLY if you pay the additional premium on top of the premium to get it Day One so the Premium Tier subscribers get it day 7 (or whatever it now is). To the point as a Pure Xbox reader I'm completely lost with it all. Can't imagine the casual gamer has a clue whats going on with the service!
I mentioned this in another post but had no response. Isn't the new Xbox already out? Aren't there PC's already out there that will be as good as the next gen releases (albeit expensive atm) that use Xbox controllers and have the Xbox store, GP, Steam etc?
I'm not sure what the difference between the new xbox would be other than having to pay for online versus not for the current PCs?
Going to sounds an odd question but if I were to buy a brand new top of the range PC today, wouldn't it be able to play Xbox games AND Steam games and likely be as powerful as the next Xbox? I don't really understand what the difference is? Isn't the next Xbox technically already available now then?
Edit: And another question? Would the only difference on top of my head be that my brand new PC bought today will play all those games online for free, but the Xbox version would require a subscription to play online?
The more I read about the Series S getting a poorer version the more I think there should be a cheaper tier GP subscription for Series S owners. I know it wouldn't work, but a bit like when users watch films in HD or 4K the prices are different due to quality differences. Sometimes feels annoying I'm paying the same price but getting a worse service
Silly question but if the next xbox is going to be PC based and potentially upgradable like current PC's why would anyone buy one instead of a PC? Would I use the new Xbox to work on? Can't imagine so, but could I use my gaming PC to work from? Yes. I can't think of a reason I'd want to buy the next Xbox ahead of a PC other than console exclusives which aren't a thing? I guess MS are going to have to do something to convince me I'm wrong.
If I get this right the PS Vita sold about 10-15 million according to google and was seen as a massive flop. On the assumption this does twice as good as Steam Deck then would it be seen as a massive flop too? And I'm referring to MS seeing this as a flop, not the fans. Unless this is crazy cheap I just can't see this being worth while for them?
I'm going with 'done with Xbox after this gen'. I'll have a series S and will assume I'll be able to play the next gen for a good 5 years after it starts and longer, and after that I assume I'll be able to stream games and the quality of streaming will have improved by then. I also expect the price of the nextbox to be far too much for me to spend the money.
Starfield is just a typical Bethesda game. Awful gameplay, boring story, old gen graphics, dodgy scripting, terrible AI like all their games but I still put over 150 hours as with the others. No idea how but they must be doing something right somewhere?!?
@Medic_alert Didn't Balders Gate 3 have to cut multi player as it wouldn't work on Series S? Maybe its there now, I can't be sure anymore. Obviously the developers would never say it but wonder if this is the reason Local multiplayer was dropped from Halo Infinite? No chance its because the Series X can't handle it, but maybe not worth the effort to get it onto Series S? Real disappointment as I had planned playing that game with my son but in the end we just have to play different games instead.
@Jenkinss I sort of agree with what you are saying. I read this as developing a game that will work at the lowest level then scale up. Doesn't sound great for pushing game development. Although saying that I have a Series S so can't really complain too much as I'm one of those to blame!
Will definitely give this a go. Series X HDMI port broke when I plugged in the cable so it all works fine but doesn't output an image. Instantly a £450 paper weight 😥. Bought an S to replace it but very disappointed as it was my first Xbox since the 360 RROD but had GP annual subscription so was wasting my subscription without an Xbox to use it. But I guess I now have some hope.
GP is making me so confused. Like @Isolte I thought this was day one (or day 6 was it?). Makes me not understand why anyone would get GP Standard if it doesn't offer what I thought was GP's main purpose? Wasn't Starfield released about a year ago?
@BacklogBrad When you say more and more people, do you mean just MS because they have no other choice? Or were they clueless for the last couple of decades but suddenly figured it all out once their sales dried up? Don't imagine Nintendo or Sony agreeing with this idea anytime soon. Especially Nintendo. They are doing better than they ever have so seeing the light for them is probably staying more exclusive than ever?
Wonder if launching a year ahead was good or bad idea. MS got ahead of the competition and I managed to get hold of one early and initially loved it, but getting ahead they possibly cut corners resulting in the RROD problems which soured the 360 for me. Once I got RROD I waited for the PS3 to release to get that instead and didn't bother with the XB One.
They would massively be shooting themselves in the foot if this happened. I lost a bit of faith on the S anyway when they marketed it on release as the same as the X but lower resolution output which was a lie. But the final straw would be if they said I was in the current gen with my S and then potentially took that away from me. Imagine the uproar if GTA6 was released for X but not S. There is no chance they would do this to their customers. No chance.
I am so lost with all this praise for Indy. Was exited for it but its the biggest disappointment of the year for me. So much is so wrong with it it makes it impossible for me to pick it back up? On the other hand I'm not a CoD fan but I'm really enjoying the latest instalment. I'd never have tried it if not for GP. I'd love to know why people this its the best game this year? My review would be: Pros:
Decent graphics & Sound
Cutscenes are enjoyable Cons:
Awful enemy AI and design (no variety, just copy and paste goons who all have colds making them blind as bats)
Awful gameplay (fighting mechanics are terrible, Indy can't open doors or climb ladders without dropping items)
Poor/boring map design (feels like a copy and paste corridor) 6/10
To be fair I haven't made it passed the Vatican yet. Does it improve after this or do I just not 'get it'? Would be interested in other opinions of why they love it so much (without spoilers obvs )
There is no way the next xbox will be a 'next gen' console. It wasn't that long ago I got my Series S and current gen games are starting to struggle on it. No way it'll cope with another gen so soon My S will become obsolete pretty quickly and leave me feeling burned.
@Fiendish-Beaver This is a very interesting take and does make a lot of sense. My only question to MS would be why they didn't offer similar help to get the game out on the S? MS have a blank cheque book and could have potentially solved this issue without anyone knowing about the S issues but seem to have instead gone for the 'complain to the masses about Sony spending money to get the game out' route.
Also in answer to a lot of people saying that MS should drop the S and not hold parity across the X - that would be the final nail in the coffin for MS. Owning just the S it would end my ability to play current gen games that only release on the X. Not a good option!
Makes no sense to me that Sony would have paid for exclusivity. The game clearly is struggling to run on Series S and will take years to optimise (as per the CEO comments). Why would Sony then offer to pay money to stop a release that can't be released within a timed period? Whoever pays for exclusivity at that point should be sacked!
Saying a phone is an xbox is like saying your phone is a cinema, a word processor, a PC etc. Technically it is but who uses a phone for those things? Probably a select audience. Because its an awful option versus the real thing. Same with Xbox streaming games to these sort of devices. Its just not the proper intended experience.
Anything to improve it or give us option is welcome. Can they cure all the guards from looking like the same person with the same cold. Take some Lemsip perhaps? Can you teach Indy to not drop items when climbing ladders or opening doors. My child has learned that one already. Can you make it so I at least think the stealth parts are stealth. Once I figured out you can just ignore the guards are even there as they pretty much ignore you even if standing right in front of them. And can you make it either first person OR third person and not flip during the game. Find it very annoying and causes motion sickness for me more than sticking to one perspective in either option. Thanks
It seems to be just me but I'm struggling to get into Indiana Jones. First few levels feel very last gen. Currently in the Vatican and all the enemies are the same generic imbecile with the same cough and are extremely simple to attack. It feels like the AI is missing. The weird switches from first person to third person feels distracting. Simple things like opening a door makes you drop your weapon so you have to pick it up again.
People are talking about this game a GOTY potential but it feels like it's a rushed to release game? I'm confused at what I'm not getting. Love the fact I'm Indy, but if this was any other character I'd have switched off after 5 minutes.
Please someone tell me it gets better and worth persevering with
In terms of a game I thought this was the most disappointing game of the year, but technically very impressive, especially the sound. I personally think a lot of the awards made a lot of sense for once this year, in fact nearly all of them spot on for me with the only one I can't comment are for winners on games I haven't played so can't disagree with.
@BAMozzy I didn't really 'get' the living with psychosis part of the game myself, but great that others did. Didn't click with me the same as something like Take Shelter (with Michael Shannon) did, which I loved, however the acting and audio were of the best I've seen in a game for Hellblade so deserved the wins.
Love Turok. They need to just make this 100% fun. I was hoping for Doom with dinosaurs but maybe it'll be more horizon with it being 3rd person. Whatever it is, just make it non serious crazy fun and don't make it impossible to complete a la Turok 2: Seeds of Evil 😂
Wasn't great for MS this. The RROD on my 360 made me replace it with a PS3 then buy a PS4, PSVR, PS5 and PSVR2. Now I'm ingrained into the Sony ecosystem for life. I bought myself a Series X this gen only for the HDMI port to break after a few months. As I have free GP ultimate with my phone subscription I bought a Series S, however too many burns means it will probably be my last Xbox whatever they make next. Proper shame as I loved my 360
Just sour grapes - or a good way of making themselves relevant when ignored. Easy PR by getting people talking about FH5 again, even if just for a day or two. But no - it's no better than any of those games on the list.
Think MS has to put all its eggs into the services basket now. Not sure if next gen xbox will exist but there is no chance I will be buying it this time as I'll be able to play GP (if I decide to) elsewhere and most if not all games will end up on PS anyway - so would guess next gen hardware will be an even bigger bust for them. It's all about the CoD subscriptions for them now, possibly their only positive story this gen, albeit it cost them a lot of billions for that success.
I just can't understand why a game that usually lasts about 6 hours takes that much space. Can we just not download the multiplayer section? Think Advance Warfare was my last CoD purchase. Played for 30 minutes, hated it and never touched CoD again so not really sure what they do nowadays with installs but a 6 hour corridor shooter shouldn't take up that much space!
do they have figure included? is it switch at 15 units, xbox at 16? or are we talking 15 million vs 16 million? Tbh xbox series console also outsold the PS4 so we could celebrate that too?
Am I the only one that thinks its wrong to charge anything, let alone £29.99. I'm paying GPU prices a month, which have gone up and up and up, to play first party games on day one, to then be told to pay loads of money to continue the story. I know I'll be completely alone with this opinion but I bought GP for it's value for money, yet I'm still missing out on first party content and paying through the roof for the privilege?? Probably the first time its really bothered me because I played about 150 hours of Starfield base game so would have probably given this a go.
Is the DLC free on GamePass or do you have to buy it AS WELL AS GamePass? I may try it if free, although it's been so long I'm not sure I can be bothered to go back or not.
Not switched on my Series S since I finished Hellblade 2 but will be giving this a go for the 4 hours or so single player campaign on offer. Hopefully its good. I may possibly be tempted to try the multiplayer although last time I did that it was no fun at all, surviving no more than 5 seconds at a time!!
I'd hazard a guess its due to low console numbers and unless they get a worthwhile chunk of GP money from MS there's no point trying to compete against GP. Probably not worth the risk for them.
I think ES6 will be impossible to be a great game. I just don't think Bethesda have the game engine to do it. Or did I hear they are moving to Unreal? They have to do something. Starfield was outdated the day it released and was still impossible to play for more than an hour without crashing (for me at least). It also needs to do something innovative. The success of ES5 will be its downfall as everyone has played that to death, multiple times and likely very recently with updated face paint. Unless ES6 does things differently it will very easily feel like the same game without some major changes.
Hellblade 2 the only game I've played on Xbox this year, so for me its that by process of elimination. Personally thought it was 'good'. In terms of all gaming this year then easily would be Astro Bot, however I tend to be a year behind with my gaming due to crazy backlog. Finally just started Elden Ring...
Put about 120 hours into, completed it a few times over but rated it 6/10 on the vote above. It just felt extremely last gen and tired. It wasn't bad but it should have been much, much better with so much potential there. Understand they wanted Skyrim in space but it was literally skyrim in space without any improvements other than the awful temple sections. It didn't help that the game crashed out at least once every gaming session. Just wish they'd give up on it and try something else - or maybe get next elder scrolls out quicker.
Pretty straight forward this.
On one hand....Announced for Xbox, mentions of delays, no exclusivity deal mentioned previously, Sony not claiming console exclusivity as with every other exclusive in the past, previous Xbox games being delayed because of the S being underpowered and console release parity between X and S, reports that technical issues causes the delay.
On the other hand... IGN, Windows Central, Forbes say so.
The logical brain in me says to never read an IGN, Windows Central and Forbes article ever again...
I honestly don't know why they bother talking. Xbox fans will be happy if they put a turd on a stick and call it an xbox while PS fans will hate xbox even when they have the most powerful console. Seems to make no difference what they say or do. Just make some damn games that play well on a turd on a stick and I'll be happy. not booted up my series s for about 6 months now and thats got nothing to do with how focused you say you are!
what confuses me is the majority on this site would defend MS to the hilt to say GP was obviously sustainable only to bend over backwards to defend the need to double day 1 gaming prices? It can't be both. It's obvious the growth has stagnated (and likely reached it maximum) so instead of having more people on the same price they need to have the same number on higher prices - even though they were obviously sustainable already. So in other words the trillions they make for their investors wasn't enough so they need to squeeze more out of us.
What happens when people stop subscribing because they either played most of the games available or just believe the service is value for money anymore? I guess the big hail mary for them is when they make CoD exclusive in 10 years and throw all their eggs into that one basket?
I think its got to a point for me where it's no longer value for money. I get my subscription as part of my phone contract which is great as I don't see any price increase right now - however no matter how many more games they add to the service I don't get more to play as my gaming is limited to how much time I have available. Add another 2000 games to the service then I'll still only play a few games a month anyway.
Same issue applies to any other forms of entertainment - watching TV, movies, sport, PS+ (and excluding non sit on my ass hobbies I have such as golf, football and gym memberships and working almost 12 hours a day) then there just isn't enough time in life to make the most of GamePass. On its own, an additional £24 a year (plus any further increases to come) isn't the end of the world, but on top of all the other memberships in my life its not the best value for me and would probably be first to be dropped if I have to start paying for it.
But I assume MS see me as an exception to their rule otherwise they wouldn't have raised their prices.
This feels like the biggest 'next step' for Gamepass and will be the main way I'll use my subscription. Currently my series S is gathering dust in the bedroom but this would change everything for me. Assuming it all works well enough of course...
@GamingFan4Lyf I guess its a different perspective. The puzzles don't really make sense to me and feel out of place to how the game plays. And all the other bits you mention that have happened are cut scenes, although not sure what the boss battle you refer to is. Maybe I haven't got there yet, although I've played about 3 hours so far. I sometimes am able to run but sometimes its really slow walking, frustratingly as well. There is an open corridor path to head down but I can't understand why sometimes I can run and sometimes not. Maybe its a bug and its not running when it should be so I'm still technically less than an hour in?
Its not a terrible game and getting to see what UE2 is technically capable of is worthy of me getting through it - but I guess I'm disappointed its not much better and had hopes it would end up king of the walking simulators. Probably my fault for having expectations too high. Not saying you loving it is wrong - I'm just jealous I can't feel the same with it.
@awp69 completely agree with you on the audio. Its pretty damn impressive when wearing headphones and as disappointed as I am with it so far (as I mentioned above) I do love what they've done with the audio and more than anything feels like a showcase of how other games could use the technology.
Very pretty game to be sure, but I'm really struggling to get through it. Probably about half way I'd guess and nothing has really happened yet other than the odd one-to-one battle. The odd thing for me is I love walking simulators but I'd argue this is nowhere near the level of Everyones gone to the rapture, What Remains Of Edith Finch or even The Stanley Parable. I'm just struggling to understand what the hell is going on other than I need to walk somewhere and the story seems pretty none existent. On a more positive note, with the game feeling more like a tech demo it is extremely exciting that this will now set a new graphical benchmark that maybe other future walking simulators might try and match - or possible other more 'on rail' games might try. Games like Silent Hill and resident evil for example (although not if they are going open world!)
This is the one I've been waiting for but it better not suffer on the Series S. After my X bricked I couldn't afford the full whack again so bought an S - which is fine - so long as it handles this game acceptably 🤞
Edit: Saying all that I do have a PS5 so technically could wait for its release in about a year IF the S doesn't handle this game well enough.
@TheLastHarbinger 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 Exactly. Gone back to Fallout 4 as never finished it due to a game breaking bug. It's nice to have my game crash every odd game instead of every time I played with Starfield! Although to be fair I've only managed to get through 3 Bethesda games without a bug stopping me completing it and Starfield was one of them, so I should congratulate them on that.
The main problem Bethesda have is they can't cut corners with QA because they already removed that department years ago. Perhaps they cut back on the development side and hope it all works out?
Comments 675
Re: Report: Xbox Has Been Asking Its Studios To Hit 'Higher Profit Margins' Since 2023
@Fiendish-Beaver to be fair it sounds like Xbox was controlled by people who knew gaming but not how a business runs. That has obviously changed now. Its clear that Xbox division was haemorrhaging money from everywhere (especially Game Pass) and it took someone with business acumen to stop it. It's how every business works. Its a bit like me buying treats non-stop for my kids so they love me more than my wife, only for her to make me stop or we'll be in trouble financially, only for my kids to tell her she doesn't understand parenting
Re: Xbox Fan Shares Their Concept For A Game Pass 'Select' Plan With Optional Add-Ons
My biggest problem now is I bought my Series S to play Game Pass but its now at a point I'm not paying that price. So all I have is a box that does next to nothing. Think this gen has been a learning curve for me and how digital isn't the way forward for me personally.
Re: PS Plus Has 'Surpassed Expectations' Since Becoming More Like Xbox Game Pass
@Weebleman I think MS HAS put that genie back in the box many times over. GP was all about day one games as part of the service. Then they changed it to day one only on the premium tier (or Ultimate tier or whatever). Then it became Day One ONLY if you pay the additional premium on top of the premium to get it Day One so the Premium Tier subscribers get it day 7 (or whatever it now is).
To the point as a Pure Xbox reader I'm completely lost with it all. Can't imagine the casual gamer has a clue whats going on with the service!
Re: Poll: When Do You Think Xbox's Next-Gen Console Is Coming Out?
I mentioned this in another post but had no response. Isn't the new Xbox already out? Aren't there PC's already out there that will be as good as the next gen releases (albeit expensive atm) that use Xbox controllers and have the Xbox store, GP, Steam etc?
I'm not sure what the difference between the new xbox would be other than having to pay for online versus not for the current PCs?
Re: Xbox Announces Next-Gen Console Strategy, Promises 'Deeper Visuals' & Backwards Compatibility
Going to sounds an odd question but if I were to buy a brand new top of the range PC today, wouldn't it be able to play Xbox games AND Steam games and likely be as powerful as the next Xbox? I don't really understand what the difference is? Isn't the next Xbox technically already available now then?
Edit: And another question? Would the only difference on top of my head be that my brand new PC bought today will play all those games online for free, but the Xbox version would require a subscription to play online?
Re: Digital Foundry Impressed With Oblivion Remastered, But Xbox Series S 'Takes A Hit'
The more I read about the Series S getting a poorer version the more I think there should be a cheaper tier GP subscription for Series S owners. I know it wouldn't work, but a bit like when users watch films in HD or 4K the prices are different due to quality differences. Sometimes feels annoying I'm paying the same price but getting a worse service
Re: Two Games Are Available Today With Xbox Game Pass (April 17)
Really want to download Crime Scene but currently have latest CoD on my Series S so can't download any other games Big decision to make....
Re: Xbox's Next-Gen Vision Could Transform How We Look At Consoles In The Future
Silly question but if the next xbox is going to be PC based and potentially upgradable like current PC's why would anyone buy one instead of a PC? Would I use the new Xbox to work on? Can't imagine so, but could I use my gaming PC to work from? Yes. I can't think of a reason I'd want to buy the next Xbox ahead of a PC other than console exclusives which aren't a thing?
I guess MS are going to have to do something to convince me I'm wrong.
Re: Opinion: The 2025 Xbox Handheld Could Have A Major Impact On The Brand's Future
If I get this right the PS Vita sold about 10-15 million according to google and was seen as a massive flop. On the assumption this does twice as good as Steam Deck then would it be seen as a massive flop too? And I'm referring to MS seeing this as a flop, not the fans. Unless this is crazy cheap I just can't see this being worth while for them?
Re: Talking Point: If The Next-Gen Xbox Is More 'PC-Like', Will You Still Buy It?
I'm going with 'done with Xbox after this gen'. I'll have a series S and will assume I'll be able to play the next gen for a good 5 years after it starts and longer, and after that I assume I'll be able to stream games and the quality of streaming will have improved by then. I also expect the price of the nextbox to be far too much for me to spend the money.
Re: Starfield Has Possibly The Best Single-Player Narrative Of All Time, Says God Of War Director
Starfield is just a typical Bethesda game. Awful gameplay, boring story, old gen graphics, dodgy scripting, terrible AI like all their games but I still put over 150 hours as with the others. No idea how but they must be doing something right somewhere?!?
Re: Xbox Series S 'Greatly Helped' With Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 Development
@Medic_alert Didn't Balders Gate 3 have to cut multi player as it wouldn't work on Series S? Maybe its there now, I can't be sure anymore. Obviously the developers would never say it but wonder if this is the reason Local multiplayer was dropped from Halo Infinite? No chance its because the Series X can't handle it, but maybe not worth the effort to get it onto Series S? Real disappointment as I had planned playing that game with my son but in the end we just have to play different games instead.
@Jenkinss I sort of agree with what you are saying. I read this as developing a game that will work at the lowest level then scale up. Doesn't sound great for pushing game development. Although saying that I have a Series S so can't really complain too much as I'm one of those to blame!
Re: Xbox Partners With Currys To Offer Console Repairs In UK & Ireland
Will definitely give this a go. Series X HDMI port broke when I plugged in the cable so it all works fine but doesn't output an image. Instantly a £450 paper weight 😥. Bought an S to replace it but very disappointed as it was my first Xbox since the 360 RROD but had GP annual subscription so was wasting my subscription without an Xbox to use it.
But I guess I now have some hope.
Re: Three Games Are Available Today With Xbox Game Pass Standard (February 5)
GP is making me so confused. Like @Isolte I thought this was day one (or day 6 was it?). Makes me not understand why anyone would get GP Standard if it doesn't offer what I thought was GP's main purpose? Wasn't Starfield released about a year ago?
Re: Reporter Suggests Console Exclusives Will Soon Be 'Obsolete', Especially For Third-Party Devs
@BacklogBrad When you say more and more people, do you mean just MS because they have no other choice? Or were they clueless for the last couple of decades but suddenly figured it all out once their sales dried up? Don't imagine Nintendo or Sony agreeing with this idea anytime soon. Especially Nintendo. They are doing better than they ever have so seeing the light for them is probably staying more exclusive than ever?
Re: Xbox 360's Launch Was One Of The 'Scariest' Career Moments For Ex-PlayStation Boss
Wonder if launching a year ahead was good or bad idea. MS got ahead of the competition and I managed to get hold of one early and initially loved it, but getting ahead they possibly cut corners resulting in the RROD problems which soured the 360 for me. Once I got RROD I waited for the PS3 to release to get that instead and didn't bother with the XB One.
Re: Xbox Boss Dismisses Idea Of Removing The Series S Parity Clause
They would massively be shooting themselves in the foot if this happened. I lost a bit of faith on the S anyway when they marketed it on release as the same as the X but lower resolution output which was a lie. But the final straw would be if they said I was in the current gen with my S and then potentially took that away from me. Imagine the uproar if GTA6 was released for X but not S. There is no chance they would do this to their customers. No chance.
Re: Multiple Xbox Games Nominated For 14th Annual New York Game Awards
I am so lost with all this praise for Indy. Was exited for it but its the biggest disappointment of the year for me. So much is so wrong with it it makes it impossible for me to pick it back up? On the other hand I'm not a CoD fan but I'm really enjoying the latest instalment. I'd never have tried it if not for GP.
I'd love to know why people this its the best game this year? My review would be:
Pros:
Cons:
6/10
To be fair I haven't made it passed the Vatican yet. Does it improve after this or do I just not 'get it'? Would be interested in other opinions of why they love it so much (without spoilers obvs )
Re: Rumour: Microsoft's Next-Gen Console Dubbed 'Xbox Prime' Is Possibly Coming In 2026
There is no way the next xbox will be a 'next gen' console. It wasn't that long ago I got my Series S and current gen games are starting to struggle on it. No way it'll cope with another gen so soon My S will become obsolete pretty quickly and leave me feeling burned.
Re: Black Myth: Wukong's Xbox Saga Just Got A Whole Lot More Confusing
@Fiendish-Beaver This is a very interesting take and does make a lot of sense. My only question to MS would be why they didn't offer similar help to get the game out on the S? MS have a blank cheque book and could have potentially solved this issue without anyone knowing about the S issues but seem to have instead gone for the 'complain to the masses about Sony spending money to get the game out' route.
Also in answer to a lot of people saying that MS should drop the S and not hold parity across the X - that would be the final nail in the coffin for MS. Owning just the S it would end my ability to play current gen games that only release on the X. Not a good option!
Re: Black Myth: Wukong's Xbox Saga Just Got A Whole Lot More Confusing
Makes no sense to me that Sony would have paid for exclusivity. The game clearly is struggling to run on Series S and will take years to optimise (as per the CEO comments). Why would Sony then offer to pay money to stop a release that can't be released within a timed period? Whoever pays for exclusivity at that point should be sacked!
Re: YouTuber Breaks Down Xbox's 'Almost Perfect' New Ad Campaign
Saying a phone is an xbox is like saying your phone is a cinema, a word processor, a PC etc. Technically it is but who uses a phone for those things? Probably a select audience. Because its an awful option versus the real thing. Same with Xbox streaming games to these sort of devices. Its just not the proper intended experience.
Re: Indiana Jones And The Great Circle 'Glitch' Shows How The Game Would Look In Third-Person
Anything to improve it or give us option is welcome. Can they cure all the guards from looking like the same person with the same cold. Take some Lemsip perhaps? Can you teach Indy to not drop items when climbing ladders or opening doors. My child has learned that one already. Can you make it so I at least think the stealth parts are stealth. Once I figured out you can just ignore the guards are even there as they pretty much ignore you even if standing right in front of them. And can you make it either first person OR third person and not flip during the game. Find it very annoying and causes motion sickness for me more than sticking to one perspective in either option.
Thanks
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (December 14-15)
It seems to be just me but I'm struggling to get into Indiana Jones. First few levels feel very last gen. Currently in the Vatican and all the enemies are the same generic imbecile with the same cough and are extremely simple to attack. It feels like the AI is missing. The weird switches from first person to third person feels distracting. Simple things like opening a door makes you drop your weapon so you have to pick it up again.
People are talking about this game a GOTY potential but it feels like it's a rushed to release game? I'm confused at what I'm not getting. Love the fact I'm Indy, but if this was any other character I'd have switched off after 5 minutes.
Please someone tell me it gets better and worth persevering with
Re: Xbox's Hellblade 2 Brings Home Multiple Awards At TGA 2024
In terms of a game I thought this was the most disappointing game of the year, but technically very impressive, especially the sound. I personally think a lot of the awards made a lot of sense for once this year, in fact nearly all of them spot on for me with the only one I can't comment are for winners on games I haven't played so can't disagree with.
@BAMozzy I didn't really 'get' the living with psychosis part of the game myself, but great that others did. Didn't click with me the same as something like Take Shelter (with Michael Shannon) did, which I loved, however the acting and audio were of the best I've seen in a game for Hellblade so deserved the wins.
Re: Sci-Fi Dino Hunting Is Back In 'Turok: Origins', Confirmed For Xbox Series X|S
Love Turok. They need to just make this 100% fun. I was hoping for Doom with dinosaurs but maybe it'll be more horizon with it being 3rd person. Whatever it is, just make it non serious crazy fun and don't make it impossible to complete a la Turok 2: Seeds of Evil 😂
Re: Random: Xbox Has Apparently Made A 'Red Ring Of Death' Ugly Sweater
Wasn't great for MS this. The RROD on my 360 made me replace it with a PS3 then buy a PS4, PSVR, PS5 and PSVR2. Now I'm ingrained into the Sony ecosystem for life. I bought myself a Series X this gen only for the HDMI port to break after a few months. As I have free GP ultimate with my phone subscription I bought a Series S, however too many burns means it will probably be my last Xbox whatever they make next. Proper shame as I loved my 360
Re: Forza Horizon Dev Throws Shade After Being Ignored For The Game Awards 2024
Just sour grapes - or a good way of making themselves relevant when ignored. Easy PR by getting people talking about FH5 again, even if just for a day or two.
But no - it's no better than any of those games on the list.
Re: Xbox Fans Ponder What 'Largest Technical Leap' Means For The Series X Successor
They're putting Kinnect back in the box!
Re: Xbox Hardware Revenues Down Again Despite Content & Services Growth
Think MS has to put all its eggs into the services basket now. Not sure if next gen xbox will exist but there is no chance I will be buying it this time as I'll be able to play GP (if I decide to) elsewhere and most if not all games will end up on PS anyway - so would guess next gen hardware will be an even bigger bust for them. It's all about the CoD subscriptions for them now, possibly their only positive story this gen, albeit it cost them a lot of billions for that success.
Re: Black Ops 6 Leaked Physical Copy Hints At Huge File Size On Xbox
I just can't understand why a game that usually lasts about 6 hours takes that much space. Can we just not download the multiplayer section? Think Advance Warfare was my last CoD purchase. Played for 30 minutes, hated it and never touched CoD again so not really sure what they do nowadays with installs but a 6 hour corridor shooter shouldn't take up that much space!
Re: Xbox Series X|S Now UK's Second Best-Selling Consoles In 2024 As Nintendo Switch Falls Away
do they have figure included? is it switch at 15 units, xbox at 16? or are we talking 15 million vs 16 million? Tbh xbox series console also outsold the PS4 so we could celebrate that too?
Re: Review: Starfield Shattered Space (Xbox) - Bethesda Fumbles A Big Chance To Reignite Starfield's Thrusters
Am I the only one that thinks its wrong to charge anything, let alone £29.99. I'm paying GPU prices a month, which have gone up and up and up, to play first party games on day one, to then be told to pay loads of money to continue the story.
I know I'll be completely alone with this opinion but I bought GP for it's value for money, yet I'm still missing out on first party content and paying through the roof for the privilege??
Probably the first time its really bothered me because I played about 150 hours of Starfield base game so would have probably given this a go.
Re: Here's What Players Are Saying About Starfield Shattered Space So Far
Is the DLC free on GamePass or do you have to buy it AS WELL AS GamePass? I may try it if free, although it's been so long I'm not sure I can be bothered to go back or not.
Re: Poll: How Excited Are You For Call Of Duty: Black Ops 6 On Xbox Game Pass?
Not switched on my Series S since I finished Hellblade 2 but will be giving this a go for the 4 hours or so single player campaign on offer. Hopefully its good. I may possibly be tempted to try the multiplayer although last time I did that it was no fun at all, surviving no more than 5 seconds at a time!!
Re: PS Vita Classic 'Freedom Wars' Is Getting A Remaster For Everything Except Xbox
I'd hazard a guess its due to low console numbers and unless they get a worthwhile chunk of GP money from MS there's no point trying to compete against GP. Probably not worth the risk for them.
Re: Bethesda Veteran Says It Will Be 'Almost Impossible' For ES6 To Meet Expectations
I think ES6 will be impossible to be a great game. I just don't think Bethesda have the game engine to do it. Or did I hear they are moving to Unreal? They have to do something. Starfield was outdated the day it released and was still impossible to play for more than an hour without crashing (for me at least).
It also needs to do something innovative. The success of ES5 will be its downfall as everyone has played that to death, multiple times and likely very recently with updated face paint. Unless ES6 does things differently it will very easily feel like the same game without some major changes.
Re: Talking Point: What's Your Favourite Xbox Game Of The Year So Far?
Hellblade 2 the only game I've played on Xbox this year, so for me its that by process of elimination. Personally thought it was 'good'.
In terms of all gaming this year then easily would be Astro Bot, however I tend to be a year behind with my gaming due to crazy backlog. Finally just started Elden Ring...
Re: It's Been 365 Days Since One Of The Biggest Releases Of The Xbox Series X|S Era
Put about 120 hours into, completed it a few times over but rated it 6/10 on the vote above. It just felt extremely last gen and tired. It wasn't bad but it should have been much, much better with so much potential there. Understand they wanted Skyrim in space but it was literally skyrim in space without any improvements other than the awful temple sections. It didn't help that the game crashed out at least once every gaming session.
Just wish they'd give up on it and try something else - or maybe get next elder scrolls out quicker.
Re: Black Myth: Wukong Xbox Delay Reportedly Tied To PS5 'Exclusivity Deal'
Pretty straight forward this.
On one hand....Announced for Xbox, mentions of delays, no exclusivity deal mentioned previously, Sony not claiming console exclusivity as with every other exclusive in the past, previous Xbox games being delayed because of the S being underpowered and console release parity between X and S, reports that technical issues causes the delay.
On the other hand... IGN, Windows Central, Forbes say so.
The logical brain in me says to never read an IGN, Windows Central and Forbes article ever again...
Re: Microsoft CEO Reassures Investors That Xbox Is Focused On Console, PC And Mobile
I honestly don't know why they bother talking. Xbox fans will be happy if they put a turd on a stick and call it an xbox while PS fans will hate xbox even when they have the most powerful console. Seems to make no difference what they say or do. Just make some damn games that play well on a turd on a stick and I'll be happy. not booted up my series s for about 6 months now and thats got nothing to do with how focused you say you are!
Re: FTC Calls Out Xbox's New 'Degraded' Game Pass Tier & Price Increases
what confuses me is the majority on this site would defend MS to the hilt to say GP was obviously sustainable only to bend over backwards to defend the need to double day 1 gaming prices? It can't be both.
It's obvious the growth has stagnated (and likely reached it maximum) so instead of having more people on the same price they need to have the same number on higher prices - even though they were obviously sustainable already. So in other words the trillions they make for their investors wasn't enough so they need to squeeze more out of us.
What happens when people stop subscribing because they either played most of the games available or just believe the service is value for money anymore?
I guess the big hail mary for them is when they make CoD exclusive in 10 years and throw all their eggs into that one basket?
Re: Here's A Complete List Of All Price Increases Coming To Xbox Game Pass
I think its got to a point for me where it's no longer value for money. I get my subscription as part of my phone contract which is great as I don't see any price increase right now - however no matter how many more games they add to the service I don't get more to play as my gaming is limited to how much time I have available. Add another 2000 games to the service then I'll still only play a few games a month anyway.
Same issue applies to any other forms of entertainment - watching TV, movies, sport, PS+ (and excluding non sit on my ass hobbies I have such as golf, football and gym memberships and working almost 12 hours a day) then there just isn't enough time in life to make the most of GamePass.
On its own, an additional £24 a year (plus any further increases to come) isn't the end of the world, but on top of all the other memberships in my life its not the best value for me and would probably be first to be dropped if I have to start paying for it.
But I assume MS see me as an exception to their rule otherwise they wouldn't have raised their prices.
Re: Xbox Is Bringing Cloud Gaming To The Amazon Fire TV Stick
This feels like the biggest 'next step' for Gamepass and will be the main way I'll use my subscription. Currently my series S is gathering dust in the bedroom but this would change everything for me. Assuming it all works well enough of course...
Re: Digital Foundry Analyses 'Next-Level Visuals' Found In Hellblade 2 On Xbox
@GamingFan4Lyf I guess its a different perspective. The puzzles don't really make sense to me and feel out of place to how the game plays. And all the other bits you mention that have happened are cut scenes, although not sure what the boss battle you refer to is. Maybe I haven't got there yet, although I've played about 3 hours so far. I sometimes am able to run but sometimes its really slow walking, frustratingly as well. There is an open corridor path to head down but I can't understand why sometimes I can run and sometimes not. Maybe its a bug and its not running when it should be so I'm still technically less than an hour in?
Its not a terrible game and getting to see what UE2 is technically capable of is worthy of me getting through it - but I guess I'm disappointed its not much better and had hopes it would end up king of the walking simulators. Probably my fault for having expectations too high. Not saying you loving it is wrong - I'm just jealous I can't feel the same with it.
@awp69 completely agree with you on the audio. Its pretty damn impressive when wearing headphones and as disappointed as I am with it so far (as I mentioned above) I do love what they've done with the audio and more than anything feels like a showcase of how other games could use the technology.
Re: Digital Foundry Analyses 'Next-Level Visuals' Found In Hellblade 2 On Xbox
Very pretty game to be sure, but I'm really struggling to get through it. Probably about half way I'd guess and nothing has really happened yet other than the odd one-to-one battle.
The odd thing for me is I love walking simulators but I'd argue this is nowhere near the level of Everyones gone to the rapture, What Remains Of Edith Finch or even The Stanley Parable. I'm just struggling to understand what the hell is going on other than I need to walk somewhere and the story seems pretty none existent.
On a more positive note, with the game feeling more like a tech demo it is extremely exciting that this will now set a new graphical benchmark that maybe other future walking simulators might try and match - or possible other more 'on rail' games might try. Games like Silent Hill and resident evil for example (although not if they are going open world!)
Re: Beta Footage Of Valve's New Game Has Apparently Leaked
@Xbox_Dashboard and thats the only reason I clicked the link. What a disappointment
Re: Hellblade 2's Official Launch Trailer Shows Off Its Stunning Next-Gen Visuals
This is the one I've been waiting for but it better not suffer on the Series S. After my X bricked I couldn't afford the full whack again so bought an S - which is fine - so long as it handles this game acceptably 🤞
Edit: Saying all that I do have a PS5 so technically could wait for its release in about a year IF the S doesn't handle this game well enough.
Re: Rumour: Xbox Currently 'Formulating Plans' To Fast-Track Next Fallout Game
@TheLastHarbinger 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 Exactly. Gone back to Fallout 4 as never finished it due to a game breaking bug. It's nice to have my game crash every odd game instead of every time I played with Starfield! Although to be fair I've only managed to get through 3 Bethesda games without a bug stopping me completing it and Starfield was one of them, so I should congratulate them on that.
Re: Rumour: Xbox Currently 'Formulating Plans' To Fast-Track Next Fallout Game
The main problem Bethesda have is they can't cut corners with QA because they already removed that department years ago. Perhaps they cut back on the development side and hope it all works out?