SuntannedDuck2

None for me. Some of the Indies look cool never heard of them in other articles or elsewhere so had to look them up.

If I had to vote (but I won't) based on playing none and just looking up the games I didn't know and those I already have a general idea about of bigger titles I'd say probably C or D. I'd say it's a fair month.

From this list I've only played TR on 360 not the Def Edition.

Aveum come across from others on PS5. Lord of the Fallen is probably fine for the type of game it is. Moving Out 2 I see the appeal even if not my thing. Little Kitty Big City just disappoints me. I get why it's just sigh.

Like Galacticare surprised me just from looking it up, and Chants of Sennaar. Humanity is cool for what it is compared to other puzzle games I've played and enjoy obstacle course/puzzle room type ones (mostly those I discovered on PSP).

I know someone that played Hellblade 2 and didn't like it compared to the first besides the visuals were improved but the rest felt it was a step down and I could see why.

Seems like a good month though. I don't use Gamepass I have too much a backlog of Xbox One/360 games let alone other platforms I don't have time for nor do I care for subscription services anyway.

I played Psychonauts 2 on Gamepass but that was it, only up to the camp level intro, I got stuck, got busy with other games, still a fun time, nothing else catches my eye or I'm too busy with other games on all platforms retro and modern to deal with limited time experiences.

Good review. I have been catching up on the MotoGP, WRC or F1 titles of years ago (done my research of other arcade/simcade so on to annual racing ones as well) as I expect them to be easier (in MotoGPs case they have as 16/Ride 4 were way too hard for me to play besides their side content being a saving for me of playable that the major racing bikes are too hard for me to play and I'm not new to MotoGP or any racing games either and no matter the AI level either with final updates).

I don't always see the last few years PS4/Xbox One titles in bargain bins and always never know when to dip into the newer titles due to how far the physics could be or

The EA-ness aside as I expect as much sigh. That and I play on Pad. I got a wheel for mostly PS consoles but rarely use it.

Watching a restrospective of F1 09 to 21 of the Codies era has been interesting and kept me informed and the minor changes between entries has made me wondered.

To me with annual racing games I mostly look for a story, challenges, career mode of sorts. If the challenge career is worth it I'll consider it and the physics/similiarties the past few years seem like a sign but whether I feel it's so who knows.

I suck at realistic driving models but it varies from game to game. So simcade more so I go for (besides my dip into arcade). Playing many a lot of awkward tires in GT5 & 6 to fair of Grid to Forza 6 & 7 I got around to finally in the last few years as had 5 as my last entry that whole Xbox One gen till I saw copies of 6 & 7. Researching Tokyo Extreme Racer or Sega GT for their mechanics and differences.

Besides just retro Xbox OG/PS2 first and third parties of the past I'd missed out on as gems or understanding them as a big deal besides my limited PS2 mostly and Forza 1 OG Xbox briefly only at that time experience.

I just do the one season for these games (well MotoGP 06, 08 (done challenges got to get to career, 03 had the same format but I love those 20 custom tracks Namco did, sometimes original tracks do it for me) and 09/10 so far bought F1 12 & 13 (besides 96 & 01 or 02) which I know are similar but got to get what can find sometimes) as that's usually enough for me for the cheap prices I paid for the older entries.

So I'll keep F1 current entries in mind of the 22+ era of what they offer.

Fair sale but it's no BC games they haven't offered yet. Till they do I don't care. Give me Pitfall (where is the TR/Indy competition), TimeShift, Prototype they have a sale yet my disk doesn't work on Xbox One so how is it a sale unless 360 eshop? Works fine on 360 just why a sale for both if they aren't BC? Or is it a regional BC thing if so why?

Blur (I know car licenses), Geometry Wars or others, even older CODs from COD Classic to Big Red One, Finest Hour and 2 or 3, I'm still waiting.

Fair I guess. I don't care for social features. I don't use them, I play solo and to me I preferred the TV TV TV picture in picture app multi-usage.

It's why I dream of Wii U future potential or dual screen phones app uses, because I liked Windows 8 besides the app closing with task manger all the time (not the TV TV TV era marketing/advertising of course not) then social features but I'm not the target audience anyway.

I want AI of enemies to be able to repeat your own character's or other enemies, to losing their moves. Say a robot enemy. Like say Binary Domain or something else. But not 'AI' AI.

Then again I hate File Explorer search it messes up so much let alone Windows search where I just want a local on my computer search not a web search like it ALWAYS wants to prioritise. I only use it for run winver anyways to check the version before the next Windows 10 updates. XD

To better animations that aren't as stiff and done to death. But I also don't care that much to me gameplay matters. If it's assistance then sure but so things don't need it in games or any software. I mean how much do people care about Personal Assistants in Windows or the agents like Clippy or Clippit in MS Office? Or Microsoft Bob.

There is assistance or other tweaks and then there is wikis/guides or walkthroughs or strategy guides or glitch/speedruns or other things.

To me the Xbox help/support app is pretty useless for some things. I was searching for something and I can't remember what it was now but I already knew they didn't have what I was looking for. They could 'try' to answer it but I know it's not something they would ever answer anyway that's why I searched out of curiosity not because I expected a solution to my question.

Then again they could put better effort into the BC side of things. I just look at wikipedia or the Xbox page with the listings. But on the console nah I just put the disk in to check instead. But I check a website before I buy it just encase but just still get them if my 360 can handle them and they can. But OG Xbox games nah it's BC only that way on Xbox One or 360 and IF I want to use my 360 capable of OG Xbox games (the online one I use the offline one mostly).

Co-pilot itself is so limited. I get not offering more to control Windows and scripts and such but even still many questions aren't able to be answered or need a web search when even many apps digital manuals (the ones with the purple box in Windows XP ones) are kind of it or needed more or whatever the case.

Offering assistance or having companies go wait our audience looks to fans/creators doing that work for us. I mean well yeah because some things company staff in some department don't uncover or QA or they don't need to so how much control and solutions do they need? Sometimes it's just something that happens. Or we don't need perfect games. To me imperfections make them more interesting but also copy paste games AAA or nostalgic Indies don't help either.

I mean even Roller Coaster Tycoon having NPC guests using an umbrella in the rain (so different states and models of characters, I mean you can have any colour for an object or any name appear in a text space) to me I was like wait they are doing that in GTA I mean cool but what why is that a big deal small things like that come and go or some are new but some aren't it just depends on the games people play and what they see in them.

Cool to see more from Antstream. Not a service I'd use but has it's place.

Re-Loaded cool but I own it physical by happen stance like many games that old I just come across randomly in retro stores I'd never heard of as more PS2/Xbox/GameCube+ era familiar than many PS1 gems then again a lot of OG Xbox/360 I'd never heard of either. Loaded is a better game or so I've heard I can't compare.

40 Winks got PS Vita, PS1 version. Besides the N64 version finally releasing with a physical cart cool to see it on modern platforms.

Glover. I mean when is the console version coming out? PC version on Steam came out already.

Where is the modern console port of the N64 version of the game? Piko Interactive come on!

Enslaved or DMC reboot hmm. I mean I liked the PS3 Heavenly Sword but if only Xbox which I played Enslaved on PS3 but have a 360 copy for BC just encase and I played DMC on PS3 but that aside and I haven't played their Ninja party game on OG Xbox and I haven't some of their other games or the Disney Infinity 3.0 content they made.

I can only say between Enslaved and DMC and while DMC reboot I enjoyed the gameplay ideas and the story was just what is going on of nonsense. Enslaved was a great game story and gameplay.

Scifi adaptation of a classic story that it is but a fair action adventure game for the time that I enjoyed playing in I think 2019 or so. I got the PS3 version in my equivalent to Walmart when they still sold them and probably the 360 version in EB or somewhere else.

To me I didn't want to play it (I didn't play the first but I enjoy Ninja Theory's older games) as the camera angle annoys me and the combat could be eh. Not into Ryse Son of Rome and while I 'beat' the story of God of War 2018 I did it because I already binged the series. I didn't like 2018 and didn't care for Ragnarok it's not a direction I cared for. I'm not playing Stellar Blade as the combat/pacing wasn't for me either but I know how good a game it is.

I assume it has many good puzzles like the first game.

But story wise yeah it's hard to recreate what they did with the first from what videos I've seen on the story and how the game presents itself. To me this game I think I can respect more than going oh great a movie like experience sigh. Because of what it's going for. The things the character faces are more engaging and the questions presented more than just an action movie set in wherever and some mentoring or family drama or whatever. Just questions Hellblade presents are great to show in a movie but also a game. So while I won't play it (and also digital) I respect it for sure.

Pushing too much of 'it's depressing and this and that' isn't great. It depends how they do it, how they convey the voices, the world, the themes. Making it too dark can be comical if overdone. It needs a balance or a highlight on 'why' or 'what the voices are conveying'.

Nothing wrong with being artsy but it needs more and 'how it goes about it'. It's a very interesting game and to see exploration further is nice but sometimes a one off can be better than recreating that magic or expanding on it and just going other directions that can work but maybe don't. It depends how the developers see it and how other people see it of how far they go with things.

The most general way of saying I assume it can be better and the themes are a bit tropey. I mean to me it's hard to do I can tell but at the same time I don't care about emotional moments I care about a good mix of tension/pacing to make it happen as to me the more going on and the more to question the more engaging it is.

I don't need some action just some interesting events. It can be a balance of silly, tense and serious if done well. It can be emotional but not message pushing in my face and there is good and bad ways to do it.

If going off Xbox One or Series it would be just to have the next one to prepare for what is coming. The Xbox One was used a fair few times. I use it more nowadays then I did the whole gen. XD That in mind it is a Soundcloud while playing games, Blu-ray/DVD/CD player for game soundtracks or Anime tv series physical. Backwards compatibility and the odd Smart Delivery or older Xbox One games. That's it at the moment.

The Xbox OG and 360 have so many gems. Xbox One/Series are passable consoles but not something I care about that much. I only have memories of the OG Xbox as I don't own one anymore so BC compatible titles only at the moment.

DS/Wii were my first Nintendo systems and had a PS2 onwards as well as PSP, PS3, PS4, I myself don't care for a PS5 but have access to one from people I know. I don't own a PS1 but I bought a Vita during 2017+ because the PS4 was so boring of releases. 2017 itself had games I like of Knack 2 or Gravity Rush 2 or Dreams in 2020 or Blood and Truth on PSVR1 but mixed in with later (hence why Vita 2017, Wii U 2018, 3DS 2020, Switch 2021, other PSP 2000/OG DS/Vita 1000 mixed in there).

I don't care for those new IPs or old IPs but with new directions like their current PS5 strategy and why I don't want a PS5 is other than decent third parties of certain types that are hit and miss of appeal. (or I got them for PS4 like Valkyrie Elysium or Diofield anyways) With eh PSVR2/Portal execution that disappointed me I have no care for a PS5. Dead studios I cared about and so gone the creative games I wanted for games I've got no reason to get a PS5 for of first party at all.

I miss the Kinect gestures tutorial and the Windows 8 TV TV TV experience. Not because of the media aspects I mean the app picture in picture design of it. Also I mean I liked the Blade/last 360 design so the 2013 design while yes ads I find it less annoying then nowadays OS being so bad and ad sucking garbage my Xbox One X is so sluggish because of it. I hate to see the Xbox One VCR as bad I still have it but just barely converted it back for what I had it setup for before. I will just put games or Kinect games on it probably (not BC I know they don't support them but just Kinect compatible games that's all).

I want the apps/games to function like that again but we got social features YAY. I never use them. So Wii U/Vita/3DS or researching older consoles or just dual screen phones yeah the Xbox One being very 'normalised' has made me like it less even besides the fair games for it and barely using it for years anyway till brief on and off nowadays of first party, second party deals and mostly third parties like Ride 2 or Valkyria Chronicles 4 or so I put most of my time into last few years then on and off BC and Xbox One first party so infrequently. I even use my Xbox One X for YouTube then my Roku TV box being very eh and buggy/laggy/outdated these days.

OG Xbox I think we got it to play Halo or some others. I don't own it anymore but we used to have Blinx, Halo (I never saw but got told later), I had Scaler (I own 3 copies of it now, box art, no box art and box art with manual and 3 different status of the disk condition between them of scratches or not but 100% function) and probably others. I did own Forza Motorsport 1 but I want to get it again. Voodoo Vince.

I got a few Star Wars games and PGR 1 & 2 nowadays.

360 I think it was Halo 3, Gears, Forza Motorsport 3 & 4 along with just whatever other third parties. I have since picked up of course the many Rare games since like I did the many Xbox One games I didn't own of exclusives.

Nowadays my 360 is a DVD player or primilarly (besides the few moments of OG Xbox BC for PGR 1 & 2 but haven't bought many since to play on it) is just 360 games i missed out on. Whether that be 7th gen shooters or racing games or others like Kingdom Under Fire, Eternal Sonata, Blue Dragon or others I missed back in the day and had a lot of fun with them.

Series X though it's been a Gamepass system and otherwise left to sit around even more then the Xbox One ever did.

Xbox One at least it was Forza Motorsport 5, Gears 4 & 5 (5 Gamepass though), Halo 5/MCC (I didn't play 5 till years later when I went eh fine), the odd games like State of Decay, Sunset Overdrive I hated then played it again and went what was I thinking and it's my favourite open world of 2 or 3 others as not into the genre/game design open worlds offer usually. Lucky's Tail. ReCore.

I got Rare Replay, Forza Motorsport 6 & 7 to be disappointed by 6, Forza Horizon 3, Quantum Break and Crackdown 3 years later aka last few years or months now.

Like I enjoy Strangers of Paradise or Demon Turf and Project Cars 3 is fine for smart delivery titles but otherwise I've no interest in the Series myself I just have access to it from people I know.

A discount is nice but 60? I mean most of these probably are on the Xbox One anyways. Some like WRC5 I assume the 360 version isn't and the Xbox One version would be but still like wow.

Most of these are pretty typical titles, a handful I'd never heard of but most I had big or small, so I don't see the point.

Well backwards compatibility is left and however many online games left but for how long especially BC OG Xbox no licensing issues there? Servers still up for the updates or access there hmm please. That and the 2025 clock display (unless it auto counts past it) but you can just reset it to 2005 or maybe there is a 2026+ patch or whatever.

Then again who bought the Indie games not moved over to Xbox One/Series? Or the retro classics. Or if backwards compatibility titles were purchasable like they are Xbox One not just updates/access on 360 for OG Xbox titles (or whatever licensing).

Those are more worth it I think then just well get the 360 version physical sure it's more effort in the future but I mean unless it's big it's easy to get digital or physical as it's a big well known IP.

But for Indies and further digital or physical or in digital bundles or something then sure. The physical Triple Indie Pack of Limbo, Trials HD and Splosion Man I own is great but not many get on those let alone the less I assume out there Xbox Arcade disks and those are well known Indies anyway so of course not really missing out as many like Limbo I have a PS4 Limbo/Inside physical and it's always been on Xbox One anyway so it's not hard to get it.

I get some studios are just like eh we aren't going to do anything the store will go down or Pure Xbox are only mentioning big notable titles? If this is the full list then hmm fair enough. The discounts aren't worth it for some but it's still surprising to see any at all discounted.

Sure sure. I mean Sony isn't they killed many of those or we stopped seeing certain ones like a VR horror one I remember and went huh that's cool. Here they Lie I think it was. But I'm fine with smaller games or assistance studios helping smaller teams.

Even seeing PS Minis I for years never knew what they were but eventually did but then again I didn't know what Ad hoc was either. Nintenndo made Wiiware/DSiware or Download play more clear to me.

AAA small teams or whatever other studios to make a small game/already are small teams anyway.

Insomniac did Song of the Deep in 2016 (PS4 and Xbox One) with Gamestop and that didn't get noticed much as too early I think (probably like Tourist Trophy people that follow the dev know, people that don't, don't know any different) but Xbox's like Pentiment got noticed years later. Sigh timing does hurt some games until the right time and people come around to them.

I'm all for smaller games but if the design lacks I still won't praise them. I'll be just as disappointed as I would AAA, nostaglia bait or fan/clone level type games more so.

How you use your budget/skills is up to you but if your worlds/characters suck to play in and eh licensing if it's a racing game and the modes/event types are generic with nothing new to add no thanks.

Have some fair ideas, put a spin on it. Not make a generic product. Make one stand out just enough even if a little bit. Not trend following or safe and just make me gloss over/ignore your game.

Every little bit counts. So as someone into smaller games yeah they aren't getting my money for their blockbuster ones that already sell without me contributing to them anyway due to their direction or sequels I already had no interest in.

Glad Toys for Bob moved from ABK if they were to be next of options ever for 'creative titles we don't want because they aren't blockbuster enough' or more COD support.

Whichever over at Bethesda to not be suffering next either.

So without many of us they aren't getting higher sales/users. They are from some new people sure but forget other platforms sales, or user numbers.

The financial reports matter.

Disappointing. Well the showcase better be worth it. Whatever they have planned and I still likely won't care about many of them if big obvious games, updates to games and maybe 1 title that's actually exciting hopefully or none at all.

ABK back compat I doubt will happen and even then that's not enough compared to current gen GOOD titles. But well I'll stick to old Xbox games then. Sure it's not supporting the studios but like they want to support them and support studios I don't want to anyways.

Japanese presence from Microsoft/Bethesda gone (only focus on western region sales, and many western players into Japanese games not just the Japanese getting screw over, aka like I am doing with any OG Xbox or 360 games western or Japanese/Korean I missed out on like Kingdom Under Fire series).

Something creative, gone. Redfall was unfortunate for Arkane Austin but Tango. Just no. Couldn't wait till the Switch port of Hi Fi Rush or whatever else Tango had planned that wasn't far enough along yet if they weren't doing the porting but another studio instead which makes sense.

I can understand Xbox fans disappointment because to me too it is disappointing. Some of us want other projects to succeed, seek something different then what is offered and they give us the finger instead and 'hope' we give them money for their big projects only. Nah pass. Sigh.

Games like Hi Fi Rush ARE system sellers for me because they are different, because they stand out. Sure Prime 4/Bayonetta 3 were reasons I bought a Switch but most of it is other titles as well as Bayo 3. Not the big blockbuster games I don't have interest in most times unless a particular one comes along.

I'm so picky with third party small/AAs at this point as my system sellers or continued game purchases.

Most of the time I'm buying up retro games instead and playing them not current gen. Even if back compat I check the list but do I play a lot on it not really. If not back compat I'm playing them on my 360, for OG Xbox it is the limited titles on back compat lists for both 360/Xbox One & Series.

Well I'll keep buying up 360 left overs those studios don't care about I'm not buying their sequels on current/Xbox One anyway.

So only benefits a small audience and black bars like Order 1886 for most people? Because who wants a movie experience people want GAMES. Just make it fit the common audience range or just not offer them at all. People want it to fit their screens.

Do they forget that not everyone has what staff have in their offices/their own TVs. Seriously. Will they only notice once in their own homes when it launches. XD

I don't think it's not purchase worthy but even then I wasn't interested anyway. The story will be good but the gameplay/camera put me off the first one, God of War 2018 and Ryse Son of Rome. Godhand I think balanced it a bit better and had better combat customisation in 2006 then these cinematic behind the head approaches.

While I don't have any Xbox digital to me I do wonder. Logitech G Cloud Android/Cloud direction. The disappointing Portal direction or actual handheld? To me the PC handhelds batteries suck but the performance is fair and the Window OS is 'fine' but not ideal.

Putting something else that doesn't take up as much space on the device versus game compatibility and an OS that's fair enough to support it.

I am fine with a Android and Xbox gaming kind of approach so it's still usable. It's why I think the Portal was a loss, no dual screen, no Android to fall back on (sure security but even then the G Cloud isn't great but at least it has Android as an option then just cloud and useless paper weight years later) just custom Android for it. That's just disappointing. Let alone emulation officially maybe but that takes time too. More could be done but they made the bare minimum. They want remote play to take off sure but they barely offer other use cases for it like come on.

I think an Xbox handheld for competition is great, but HOW they handle it has always made me go, but how? Why? What way will they go about it to make it a remote play, cloud, same hardware (like people assumed PS4 hardware in the Portal but then go even weaker hardware for a remote play only bare minimum use case device) or something else but using the same hardware? Maybe as the Series S but reworked with a screen and more? That would be interesting to do.

I know having another storefront and physical (probably not and digital only which is understandable these days) type of thing does become a challenge.

But a more Steam Deck kind of handheld that is not Windows OS but is the Xbox experience on the go makes sense to me.

Most times it'd be Windows phone or Pocket PCs, so with PC handhelds sure but people wanting a more console experience I can see reason in that if they do it right but the streaming/casting to a screen in the Portal/Wii U/to your phone way I do wonder or a more offering remote play/cloud but still local of some kind Android or actual Xbox hardware reworked is what I question.

They wouldn't want more complexity of supporting too many platforms/services so they'd want to rework hardware to a handheld (Vita and Vita TV or Evercade handheld/console type is what I mean which is what I would wish for Switch 2 if they ever did something of the sort) or make a more mid range hardware but how games get there is the question I always wonder of remote play, of cloud of however they go about it.

I think it's a fair Microsoft strategy.

In terms of people that don't have money for 2 consoles I totally get that (console wars nonsense aside). Some people may have been prior Xbox owners but the Xbox One period burned them. For me I got an Xbox One at launch and still on and off played it. Sunset Overdrive, ReCore, Forza Motorsport 5, but since I've used it more than I did years ago. A few third parties but still barely used. Ryse barely played, retry-ed still barely played (don't like God of War 2018 for the same camera angle/details in it).

Price and marketing I think did well here.

That and Hi Fi Rush I myself see as yes similar to No Straight Roads but besides being a great cartoony/hack n slash with rhythm like that game has fair personality but I don't think of it as AA type. Sure it may not be as over the top as a Bayonetta/Devil May Cry but I think it stands out.

Pentiment has it's appeal of a

My guess is more so the platforms people are happy with/2 consoles and one getting less used. I won't deny yes with Xbox One/Series X I have used an Xbox the least amount of times then I have an OG Xbox or 360 but besides blu-rays or back compatability yes I am using my Xbox One but so little. I haven't other than Project Cars 3 or Demon Turf aka smart delivery titles and one being an Indie platformer only physical on Xbox as a means for me to care about the platform even though I'd like to.

I haven't touched any of these 3 games like at all. I won't either because I'm just too busy with other games and even then while I appreciate them, they aren't much my thing.

1 being they aren't easy physical, 2 being I have so much else to play.

3.I am not against old games presented as new but I think it was the marketing/timing that made them stand out. There is others out there with similar ideas I'd rather play too.

To me if State of Decay 3 or 2 came out on PS5/Switch then sure I'd think they'd sell well too. They aren't worse then a Last of Us or Days Gone. To me Last of Us is overrated it wasn't my type of game.

But to me even new wise nothing is compelling me this year other than what Another Code Recollections I am taking my time with and because of the Indie Showcase from Nintendo Steam World Heist 2.

I'm full of old games right now or 2022/2023 games I haven't finished. I may consider Front Mission 2nd Remake but I just got the 1st and I'm not THAT into them for the Square tactics remakes really they are 'fine'. Even then I have Disgaea 7 to buy the demo was fine. Or Rain Code as well.

In terms of games with appeal in this case I think these definitely had appeal it's just they prior were on 1 platform, it was timing and marketing them more to be noticed by people.

So console warriors can say this and that loyalty nonsense but I think for the wider audience that has no care about that it's just they couldn't.

There is only so much that appeals to people that buy one platform for something else then these games later.

Me I haven't touched them on either platform but I still think they had appeal.

So in some cases some people are full of themselves and in other cases it's people have 1 console they can't afford more.

In terms of Gamepass, phone, PC, Xbox sure there is many ways they could play them for sure if they wanted to and weren't lazy to but some people are.

Grounded and Sea of Thieves being live service sure but Grounded is a such a good idea for a survival game I think, rather than it mostly being applied to other games like a licensed Toys Story or Bug's Life or something like Deadly Creatures, Metamorphosis, Mushroom Men as more less human but more insect. I mean Honey I Shrunk the Kids or The Ant Bully are probably the most comparable.

Sea of Thieves has made a name for it's self better than I'd have thought for sure. Not my thing but I see the appeal.

It's a strategy, will see how it goes. I don't expect it to be the best I think the uplifting/look at this hope for everyone tone is a bit much. We will see what actually happens over time. It could go either way.

Coffee Stain being well enough (and good personality enough like Larian Studios in the Satisfactory update videos). Not surprised people that barely know studios just go yep use their name in dumb ways.

The buying up AA IPs was a big gamble. That and the many other AAA studios for sure.

We will see what changes help or not when games release or whatever changes.

If their free to play and their card/board game sides do well sure. If A/AA and AAA do then hmm.

@themightyant Exactly. I agree with a lot of what your saying and fine with another look at both sides even if yes RighteousNixon had many points I had to rethink more on then went yeah they are right on that.

I could look on Wikipedia or other sources but some videos/title searching doesn't help. Especially for racing I want to see modes, I don't always see menus. Just brief gameplay. So sometimes I have to buy them. Sometimes I come across them not long after like I did The Club from Raycevick not from the internet, I found a copy not long after. Great timing. I probably would have still been interested. I would have seen the Bizzare Creations logo besides Sega and gone yes please or the back description as it's a pretty simple box art on the front.

Many browsing, many retro game shop trips for some easily $5, others vary. My and US or other currencies vary of course.

Sometimes got to o browse the web, other times a random video other times in person.

Like I bought Prototype 2 just encase they offer it for ABK BC. If not I have a 360 to play it. I'd like to see the other games I mentioned in my other post way higher up but I have other means to play them on PS2 or PS3 or 360 on the original hardware. I just thought those IPs deserve more support for people that haven't played them.

I'm playing many on other platforms instead that are on the Xbox One/Series BC list or 360 for OG Xbox games list because they are just the version I got. In some cases grew up with them, others I just got lucky with at the time, I always check with the console besides just the list as sometimes just adding it to my OG Xbox/360 groups on the console is just satisfying to check if it's compatible. The games are great of course or else I wouldn't have considered buying them unless I wanted to blindly surprise myself I do do that and enjoy them. Others are the PS2 version because of no OG Xbox support even though an OG Xbox version was in reach when browsing retro game stores.

In a way finding niche games has been nice though. Or some exclusives. Kingdom Under Fire Circle of Doom is different then the OG Xbox games but I learnt about the series from this game. I like moments like that finding what I don't expect.

I could look on Wikipedia or other sites b

Sometimes I have to install them but my disk tray belt isn't great either. But it does still vary per games still. I am fine installing and removing when I feel like it on 360.

Down to a master, down to bitrate on movies/TV shows. Games no idea maybe it still applies.

Disk rot for sure. However deep the scratches are as well/broken. Gladly don't own broken just deep to thin scratches. Some work better than others.

A Wolfenstein 2009 PS3 disk I had didn't work. Mario Kart Double Dash.

In many cases Final Fantasy 13 on PS3 is the full game. While ma y disk's is nothing new apparently it's worse? I don't have the PS3 version I own th 360 version. But I myself didn't notice the difference in resolution or other details.

If side by side probably I could. The blur, stepping look, or depth of colours or other details.is the digital version better I mean 1 disk and a download is nice but I don't know for sure I'd have to check the back compat version.

Digital for them is great for those that prefer that/easier access to them (then a hunt for them physical/whatever prices, even if Xbox prices aren't as higher as others) and it also gives money to Microsoft and whoever if they are still alive companies that have the license/source code. I don't expect it to be messaging saying revive this or in some cases some games are BC and re-releases so like it really matters. But hey while I could get a PAL Borderlands 1 copy I have an NTSC one. I can't use the PAL DLC disk I have and apply it but I mean it's not like copies of it digitally or physically remastered/re-releases aren't impossible to find. There is plenty of ways to play that game.

That or games like Spec Ops The Line getting delisted. At least physical exists or if people already own it prior to that delisting. They don't last forever for various reasons. I don't expect them too. Same with servers upkeep/shut down for fair reasons as well of prices to keep them alive we don't see. Especially as we don't see many bots/split-screen multiplayer as much only in certain games. So some multiplayers are just dead, some live services are dead, some are patched for offline like 1.69 GT Sport but that's rare and some fan step in like with Lawbreakers. But not everyone will revive a game/patch them to be capable offline either or have fan unofficial private servers that need a DNS change or a modded console either.

Like digital via 360 or Xbox One/Series internet/cloud based (or just cloud saves, hey at least you don't have to pay for cloud like you do Sony/Nintendo's offerings, Microsoft even gives away like Google a free portion of storage that's generous of them) is not a bad thing.

It is emulation. Emulation isn't a bad thing, we see it happen with older Genesis or other collections all the time. Some systems aren't worth doing native remasters for sometimes. That's totally fine.

I won't say the whole Nintendo thing of oh a game you got with Switch or any other system and the fan emulation (you did or didn't rip it or download it from a ROM/archive source) thing. I won't go into that. How much is that accurate I don't know.

Microsoft excels in software. PS3/Wii were hardware based. Now PSP/Vita for PS1/PSP or 3DS/Wii U/Switch they are eshop/virtual console or cloud or internet based. That's not a bad thing. They see no reason in native offering them.

I don't deny Antstream for sure (never used but heard of it/seen what it's like). I can't remember if it was that or a different service (I saw in another video) how they handled it and Nintendo went nope you can't do that even though it was a per user access or something. I thought that was pretty cool it's not misusing them badly. It's doing it in a really interesting way and was checked for legal use case.

PS+ offers a lot but at the same time the access is slower (well PS Now was but then again I don't know if OnLive it was originally before Sony bought their assets was slow either it was probably reasonable before it shut down).

I'm not saying Microsoft has to achieve full backwards compatibility that is impossible. Microsoft even cancelling the program prior I was totally ok with. They knew as far as they could go with the licenses/source code/reverse engineering, whether they wanted to even do the program anymore.

Whether the effort was even worth it if people were even playing the games/buying them digital enough (more than a oh I remember this, barely plays it, moves on or buys the remaster instead) to begin with or the digital purchases which suits them better over the physical where they don't get the money of used/pre-owned in the first place. All very valid things a company would consider.

Like I don't expect them to do Kinect. I'd be nice but I have a 360 Kinect finally so I'm open to jumping at those like I did Playlink for the first time as never owned a 360 Kinect that and I never owned a Slim 360 so that also plays into it.

That or we just went from Eye Toy/Singstar and the Wii but didn't go for Move, Kinect or more until PSVR so we skipped a lot of official or even third party gimmicks because I mean not all of them are worth it either but that's on me researching them too what is out there, never saw one but had the Xbox One Kinect with my launch model.

I don't expect that. I'm totally fine getting licensed sports/racing games or just left behind games on older systems but I won't deny my OG Xbox options are limited, I'm totally fine with what they have achieved already. I don't expect 100% or a absolute result. I am fine with what they offer already then nothing or the fewer they could have offered being probably more sad but still something. Every bit counts.

I mean there is also the GBA on PS1 using the Serial port that's very suspicious. XD Or the NES/Genesis/GB on SNES I think. Because third parties do that. Console makers or more responsible companies don't do that unless it's Atari 2600 with Colecovision and Intellivision of course. Because that happened.

That it just means I have to sometimes get the PS2 or other versions if I come across them and I have in some cases, not a bad thing I don't limit myself to one console, one era, always expecting BC to happen, I understand how much BC suits a certain audience and how often it doesn't make it's way to some systems and how much that actually effects anything other than those that take gaming more seriously do, not others (like Legend of Spyro new beginning for PS2 then the OG Xbox version I saw, same with COD Big Red One or Finest Hour got both on PS2 instead, but I can't play Mech Warrior or Voodoo Vince (unless the digital Remaster) I'm not afraid to use other consoles or miss out that's totally fine)

because I don't own one but I do a 360 Elite (the HDMI added but old looking model that had I think 250GB but I have a 120GB drive in it and used a USB once that drive failed that's the only red ring I've ever had unlike the overheating playing Mass Effect 3 BC PS3 that as PAL regions only got the software emulation PS2 support well like PAL regions had hardware BC at all like the US got), 360 E (the Xbox One looking model) and Xbox One VCR, One X/Series X.

Yeah the wikipedia numbers versus whatever other numbers are out there and whatever archive/ROM sites say of games backed up that aren't modded ROMs either to confuse numbers with.

Yes agreed many have been remastered/re-releases if not ported so that also changes things so in those cases those games did have a change where others did have any BC or remaster at all. Not all games are great either but at the same time what makes a game good depends on the person some of the worst games ever (shovelware or worst in a series) are still liked by people.

Some of the most niche are as well of course.

I guess. Depends on how they do the BC. If the enhancements were done well. I won't deny maybe the audio sounds different, the speed is off or the lack of widescreen or other possibilities. They could be nothing more than just a 'way to play them' rather than enhancements most of the time people would think.

Not all blu-ray re-releases are better but not everyone is going to get a Laser Disc or other older version/machine for them either. Some are worse modern versions and sometimes fans step in to improve them. Some are not altered and could be seen as bad but it's better than them touching them up to make them worse.

I wasn't disappointed I have a re-releases with no touch ups but I was happy it wasn't stretched from it's original resolution or new dub or anything else for the tv anime I have that is the case there. It could be seen as lazy but I'm not disappointed by it. Blurry or not, it's still the same content untouched.

Compared to say old films with worse improvements and fans need to fix colours or other things from the film negatives. Like the Star Wars re-release situation that happened.

Or in some ports cases if a licensed soundtrack or advertising or something like a Crazy Taxi that changed a lot between Dreamcast and other platforms.

But yes you are correct not all remasters, back compat or others are the best, they don't reflect all numbers but people would need to make/find an updated 'these are remasters/ports' list if they ever get added or people just leave it as a table column than than a new table/article.

Very good points made. Some like the remasters I think I missed and the imperfect versions of BC too. Very much appreciate that angle covered.

@RIghteousNixon Ok term wise I see what you mean I just needed to think about it more. Objectively yes I won't deny that yes. Dictionary definition or execution of it yes.

I'm for them offering the games the way they are. Cloud/digital does offer more than just the hardware method and they can't always offer a hardware way to do it either.

As far as I understand with code. If I'm completely unaware and there is a possibility of it by all means you are correct. But to my understanding it isn't possible. I'm not an exprrt programmer or disk printing expert. Which yes is obvious.

i know it never will. It's a wish/what if scenario of course. XD I am used to it doesn't mean it doesn't come to mind of course. I don't expect what ifs/wishes to happen.

You made good points I just needed to re-read them a bunch.

Then again got an awkward PS5 disk drive eats the outer rims of disks if it's left there in rest mode (easy to avoid but that's new titles, maybe just the firmware, maybe the supplier/factory printed in, the disk drive arms just playing up/misaligned even though it's horizontal not vertical at least no PS2 slim disk reading issue situation) and got a external hard drive that cuts out if on the PS4 menu (PS4 base model) but not if an app/game is loaded. Go figure. Anomalies happen. I don't use rest mode just know of someone that had it happen to their PS5. I always re-seat the games in the case/some safe place.

Not going for an argument (sorry if it came off that way as not always clear by text that and due to how little particular symbols/punctuation I use when people convey that) you have made excellent points.

@RIghteousNixon Video game museums have done a better job then Microsoft has. But Microsoft can only do so much so I'm not blaming Microsoft here. It's more third party publishers that complicate things and their wants, those aren't up to Microsoft they can't force their games to be preserved only those they have. But at the same time they aren't just focusing on Xbox only and that makes sense let alone what other publishers think and don't care about game preservation.

Besides if like Windows some applications/8, 16, 32 bit apps don't work due to particular code. Say same thing with Voodoo Vince hence the remaster that's understandable not everything can be. Sometimes they just have to make a translation layer or work around it other times in a game's case remaster it because it's not the same as an application. There is usually plenty of modern ones it's more the data stored in the apps used, what differences in coding language/encryption. Why else would it be hard to get a Kobalt programmer or anyone that understand the IBM 5100 and store things that way then the most recent solutions.

I'm glad Microsoft does don't get me wrong, but digital only goes so far and what we can do with the digital files, heck we can't even sell them, where is the Robot Cache or other services on console they aren't there they are on PC, licensing, source code, other factors that limit possibilities of game preservation on many levels.

They have differences and scale they can preserve. Besides it's up to other publishers if they don't want to that's on them. If Ubisoft doesn't want us to, but Microsoft does the games they can offer that's great. But other companies don't have that same want to do so.

Microsoft is doing what they can but there is limits to what they can do to preserve, to even get access to the games they can preserve in the first place, due to licenses, source code, effort if they WANT to reverse engineer things which takes a lot of time of course and things out of their control. I understand that.

It was broken when I bought it I actually take care of my disks actually. Second hand market you don't know what your going to get. I am prepared for that. Even my PS2 while I've had some games not work I have no fixed them and they still work it's just the console or the disk reading laser messes up. I've not had to replace anything in it. Sometimes weird anomalies happen. I could 'try' and sell them/return them to get my money back and sometimes I have. Sometimes toothpaste method works.

Everything I have owned PS1 to nowadays still works. I see the scratched on them and all I've done is put them in the disk tray, play them a few times and that's it. I actually do keep them in typical use condition. Everything second hand is actually worse condition then my own games because all my oldest games ever purchase still work. Disks wear.

I have too, any movies, tv shows, music and more. I care about physical media/always take care with my stuff. Second hand market you just end up with awkward results leftovers that end up in states that they do/keep looking for not broken/scratched ones.

Not all resurfacing works. Sometimes if the code in a certain sector is gone it's gone. No way is filling in the gaps going to save it it can't magically resurface the code back onto that sector of the disk. Depends on the depth of the scratches/dents of course but still. Unless it's reprinted some sectors are just not being saved with a resurface.

Sure while you can get a temp file/deleted file to return and saved and not removed forever. After a while it will disappear too if not trying to return it via methods to do so.

I don't expect Microsoft to. I'm not blame a company 100% mindset I know what they can or can't do. Or what they choose to do as well.

Digital isn't bad at all. Neither is cloud it depends on how they handle the business models that matters more than using the technology, them using it is perfectly fine, more solutions to play games, the adaptive controller. I'm fine with them being a thing. It's always about HOW they go about it not OH it's bad. They never were bad.

They could have made Xbox One DRM as bad as PC with 1 user only and non-resellable disks. I know they made it more about used copies or similar but different extent. But that was more 3rd party publishers I think. They were the ones I think enforcing it more than Microsoft. Sure they have changed since then. But with different people or different companies you get differences in what they want to do to the products/how they treat their customers. If Ubisoft wants to AC2 on PC onwards offer awkward means of don't get comfortable owning your games that's on them. If Microsoft wants to I'm all for it.

I don't' care so much about ownership I don't own the disk, I purchased it, sure it's not the same as a digital rental as long as it isn't removed (or renting in the typical rent a movie sense) it's just accessibility.

They can be old or not as long as playable. The fact many do or don't have older titles or care for older titles on their PC launchers is on them. Source code sure, actual care for them because they would rather push other IPs that's their own priorities. They are the ones making the cut off after all. They focus on what IPs they think will sell. They can use them in other mediums. But if they don't want to offer other ones that's on them.

Do you think I should be forced to update to access an eshop. For security sure updates matter no doubt but no it's they want to keep people up to date on purpose. If it's to add more to the eshop then sure but then again not everything requires a restart. It depends on the level of software/hardware. The more software and business models make sense for WHY companies do what they do the more clear it is.

1.Not call it game preservation because we know licenses limit things so stop lying to us.

Widescreen would be nice. The few games I've seen with widescreen like PS2 Legend of Spyro New Beginning surprised me (used to own the Xbox version not anymore and it's not BC so I could never pick it up when I did see OG Xbox copies as don't own an OG Xbox yet). However many games on OG Xbox that have already widescreen, better widescreen than fake/not well implemented widescreen. But those that never did would be nice. I don't mind 4:3 but sometimes 16:9 or 16:10 look nice with some HUDs/games view.

Also 2025 360 clock can they patch that or something or does it just tick over to 2026 but it doesn't actually matter like the 2000/2038 Y2K it's just something else. If PS2 has 2100 or 2099 why wouldn't I question the 360's clock/date options.

Also besides the 360 eshop going what about the 360 OG Xbox list being apparently 63 out of 998 even though the other source on Wikipedia says (obviously salt taken than believeable) being 462 of 988 which I swear in a video I saw it was 1001 so whatever the accuracy actually is right now and also not a typo of 988 than 998.

That's internet based too and with updates. I want Xbox to answer me THAT. But no one seems to ask that question yet they know how the current BC works. I mean maybe they don't think about it/care for OG Xbox games but I mean as if the 51 or so OG Xbox games list on current gen is actually good compared to half the library on BC for 360.

Or the 633 of 2155 according to Wikipedia (however much of the service actually it has and not removed since) or not as much of 360 games even if some digital Indies on a disk are safe and usable on One/Series BC like Limbo, Trial HD, Splosion Man, or the Xbox Live arcade disk with Pacman Championship Edition, Boom Boom Rocket an EA classic and others but not UNO you need the 8th gen version of that not the 7th gen version. XD

I mean not everything is just Kinect, licensed sports/racing/music games there is many games that are one or two offs with no backwards compatibility at all. Why else would I buy up many dead PS3/360/Wii left behind shooters. They aren't all great but still. Those or many other genres games are left behind forever. Wii ones will always hence why not on many 3rd party publisher streaming services but even still. Some they just don't offer the 360/PC version for them. Because other IPs have more focus instead. Source code sure but reverse engineer it. We will wait for them like any other games reverse engineered by official devs to get them on modern platforms because they had no choice besides well the many remakes and tools overlaid on the originals say the Spyro Reignited trilogy way.

If that goes well there goes my PGR 1 & 2 or other games access then. Might as well besides getting a OG Xbox which I will eventually stick to PS3/Wii BC as it's hardware based not internet based/eshop based releases (Vita for PS1/PSP like Virtual Console).

If at it why don't they let us not need the disk for the digital. I can put it in but why can't I boot without the disk oh right licensing. I still have it sure but first time makes sense, EVERY TIME is just annoying. I get it for security/licensing/a hold over from customers/hackers and what not but even still. A bunch of reasons why they won't/can't.

Not everyone is distributing them we just want to play it after we have our disks. Some disks break I can't always have the license on the disk visible that's just insanely unfair if the disk breaks, I can't have the installed game be detected. If that happens I'm not buying digital I'm just giving up or finding a PS3 copy.

I did with Bodycount for a 360 a non-backwards compatibility shooter left behind like 100s then the few that got re-releases on 8th gen. So my copy was rough, I got sick of trying to get it to work and I couldn't install it to the hard drive (some games I just can't so I have to play the game with a noise disk tray because I can't install it if the disk is a bit damaged in such areas).

So I bought a PS3 copy. I paid more for it but at least it was less scratched. Is it a good game, it's passable but at the same time I'm collecting these old PS3/360/Wii era shooters to see what they are like. Same as racing and platformers from 5-7th gen as well with some exciting ideas in them which is why I'm researching them rather than Indie platformers being so generic, popular game only inspired, clone/fan game disappointing.

2.Make some games perform better. Maybe it's just my Xbox One X at times but playing Pure and going to apps the game struggles upon switching back as if the app switching and BC just doesn't work and while it loads the game again it just doesn't make the game playable/menus playable. Only has happened with that game so far.

3.Framerate/resolution sure. HDR don't care for. Pseudo ray tracing either/real ray tracing pass too no need for it.

4.Activision, Blizzard, King licenses. ACTUALLY USE THEM. Reverse engineer the games if you have to if no source code.

Otherwise why should I bother with backwards compatibility or game preservation the Xbox way I might as well continue to buy on the second hand market and not put them in my Xbox.

I don't archive my games I could just haven't yet. But with many people having done that and if they have the 360 store only games especially while I'm a physical collector so not my area.

It's hard to care about a service if they don't really offer much and I'm sticking with finding the games myself (people wanting digital then seeking the disk to put in) and play them on the OG Xbox/360 instead or 360 OG Xbox list there differs from the Xbox One/Series list and then again if I find a PS2/GameCube/Wii/PS3/Wii U/PS4/3DS/Vita/DS/PSP or any other platforms even if they flopped and get a copy I'll pick those up eventually instead.

The expensiveness of games, waiting for a sales, hating modern game design, MTX and tipping culture. How much do they want me to not care about the games companies because you give us more reasons to do so. XD

I mean companies aren't our friends, the companies get enough money as it is.

We aren't tipping for a suggestion box, feedback/bug reports let alone anything else what do they think were stupid.

If to a friend or because in a job in the US sure. But tipping culture in other countries without it or just the US only versions. No thanks. Stop spreading excuse suggestions. Don't make it wide spread.

We will praise the games with our words or how much we hate it. Not with more money that only one country pushes of tipping culture and even then they don't deserve it they get salaries, they get what they do from the games. If the tipping is for the execs or publishers even more so no.

This is cool to see. Will the publisher step in though hmm.

But seeing some fans come and revive an online game (arena shooters or any others with online that don't get offline patches and are just cancelled/abandoned).

We haven't seen it with others but eventually I assume we will with some that do have an online connection be made offline or part of fan servers eventually just how long it takes and if people even care enough about some of these games/have the disks/archive the files.

For PC players make sense with an unofficial method. Console yeah good luck with that till the console or release is less relevant or archived enough. Whatever updates or the 1.0 on the disk for console and building upon them if possible besides the reworking.

To me they are fine games this or Dangerous Driving or others. Heck if we can't even have baby steps why bother players/customers are too harsh.

I don't put nostalgia into what makes a game great. Janky or other details ok yeah that is disappointing. If it's parts of the design then well like modern design is ever good anyway. Thing is Wreckfest while good is very light compared to Flatout's offerings and even then you could NFS Shift beat the whole game without buying a single car/upgrade to me that kind of sucked but my save file is staying that way right now on purpose (I'll play it again properly to use all of what the game has to offer but even still) if you wanted a challenge run to do so. You just race what you can. The fact NFS Shift had half the game of easiness to access the end game and I barely had to play it just made me just shocked. Let alone it still being a thing in a way with some games. I get some difficulty with events/AI in some modern games but even still. It devalues the systems/events excitement.

Then again a Blur/Split Second type mechanics or appeal would be nice but they didn't sell will they these days who knows. Then again Lucid didn't learn with Destruction Allstars no one cares about vehicles and a trend like they attached it too and part of those were Bizzare Creations staff let alone those at Playground doing better but making eh Forza Horizon design look a bit off.

I think customers have too high expectations. I get how it was with Burnout 1, 3 and Paradise as my entry points these past few years now, no nostalgia for them but even still even if multiplayer online (I mean not all can do that they aren't all AAA) nah, if split screen then sure that's something if done well, if singleplayer than sure. People just have too high expectations.

Sure modern games aren't the best but even then I've played many niche games of the past better than many modern due to just movesets being so weak and oh the boring heavy feel of characters or oh the worlds are so formulaic or eh stories that make me no care at all because the gameplay sucks the characters are basic.

But even some games in some genres too miss the mark and go oh visuals/story/eh characters over gameplay. That's why I think they suck.

Some Indies in racing either make decent games, nostalgic games or just don't try hard enough with their ideas.

They either need to learn lessons on what worked/didn't or try harder with their ideas/execution. Yes that is a bit much with my be reasonable portion prior but I mean if you look at games in the past not pathetic modern competitors you get more going on and not just 1 successful arcade racer of the past. ALL OF THEM. For better lessons or better ideas to brew.

If I can do it through research or collecting it isn't that hard to do the same.

We haven't had any good arcade racers in years because of sometimes customers pushing any baby step possibility aside (if visuals/worlds in a racing game then seriously I'd rather care the game feels right then where it's located or licensed vehicles or not I'd gladly take a Wreckfest no car licenses approach any day and again like Burnout) or because the games are just bad or barely heard about compared to trashy sims we have these days then good game design in those sims because they want their simulation and their rigs to be a shine. Who cares. I don't like most sims because their game design sucks 8th gen+.

Worst console dashboard/OS/UI ever. Not only is PS5/Switch also got the trash libraries focus then the folders of PS4/Wii U so thanks those two for taking on what Xbox offered most of the gen and continues to. Too much network hogging trash. Worst thing I've ever seen. I'd take Windows 8 because I didn't hate it other than the apps in the background not closing so I need task manager every time for them.

But I'd probably take Windows ME over this garbage. It's Microsoft's/Xbox's worst OS ever, visually or functionally.

The Xbox store doesn't even close properly even for updates. Thanks Microsoft. I can get around it but in a stupid way.

The quiet from POST is great still and it took Sony till PS5 to do this.

The what you have in your library is stupid. It displays demos because oh digital focus and digital services. My disk stuff appears but even still I put groups for them in games and apps but some icons don't appear correctly. The disk/none and what not icon I should have memorised by now. I still don't because it's not clear but I just put the disk in and treat the console like an OG Xbox disk in play. Maybe some music from Soundcloud and that's it. Or a blu-ray if I feel like it. Simple. Barely use the console because it sucks.

More network hogging garbage of achievements and ads and utter nonsense. The fact Sony goes we do or don't have ads for the PS store deals on occassion aka rarely to never anymore says a lot when Microsoft wants as much real estate for ads and other nonsense as possible.

I'm not into minimalism I'm into not wasting my time with nonsense on a device and Microsoft just loves to have network sucking garbage on both the Xbox One/Series consoles. It boggles the mind. They can have the telemetry but I'm not interacting with any of it I don't need any of it. It took me years to even understand or care about he record feature why because I don't need it.

I'd rather the gestures tutorial for Kinect or the Windows 8 style apps side view in the 2013 dashboard besides it's garbage ads placement of 360 too then the garbage of these days. But I use an offline 360 so I don't see any ads.

Goodbye customisation the last one had because Microsoft needs those ads to appear. So I have 6 layers of garbage I can't remove that makes the Xbox One X chug because of network sucking garbage on the dashboard. The One VCR probably performs even worse.

I'd still prefer the Xbox One/360 era last one over this garbage. I hate flatness but it's navigation is a pain. 2010s flat wasn't that painful even if I preferred Aero and more variety of the past. Not the digging flatness so much further and in worse directions I can't even look at it without being confused or just annoyed at seeing it everywhere.

To me any web design/UI design just makes me want to look the other way it's so vile. But if I was forced to design them that way I wouldn't want to be making them I'd make something else.

I can't even close the Xbox store properly because of the way the app works. It's so bad. That's like Windows 8 task manager level annoyance of apps not closing properly I remember as it happened A LOT on Windows 8. 10 year old design Xbox can't even get right apparently.

Why should it matter it's because the app doesn't close so it can't update. Brilliant 10/10 UI and back end software design Xbox you don't get a gold star for such terrible design to get the console to work.

It's unacceptable filth software design. 0/10 Microsoft/Xbox team should be ashamed for such terrible coding, terrible art design and no concept of anything for navigation or functionality other than business model advertising, network hogging apps/thumbnails/live title filtering nonsense and just a lot of garbage decisions.

Stop selling us a under the TV billboard and give us a console you cowards.

If it weren't for backwards compatibility or say 4 games I care about on Xbox One (the rest of many 1st/3rd parties aren't worth my time). I'd sell the thing it's a piece of garbage.

They can keep trying but until we see older CODs, Pitfall Lost Expedition, TimeShift, Blur, Prototype or more why should I care.

If it's just Xbox One titles from Activision/Blizzard then eh pass no interest at all I'll stick to what copies I have then Xbox One BC support compatible copies.

Spyro, Crash and more are great but I mean eh not because played them even if I felt parts of the reworking for quality of life left Spyro 3 to just suck even if I don't like Spyro 3 much anyway originally. Starfish Sparx level done and the quality of life reward is available from the start/nothing to replace it just getting the gems/egg like come on. I know the game had rough development even with the delay but still. Replace it with something besides other little details and eh character weight modern games do suck.

That or Spyro 4 maybe but seeing as many 3D platformers by Indies are so generic I don't have my hopes up with eh minigame quests (I don't want 3D platformer open worlds/hubs they are getting boring. Yooka Laylee was fine but so many being Banjo/Mario/Spyro clones is getting really boring and the movesets suck) and eh abilities in many of them these days let alone oh a platformer I have sure played many times but have noticed the parts I don't like more and more to end up with Splatoon 2's campaign being one of the best in years I played recently and got around to for the first time for cheap.

Other than Demon Turf via smart delivery and because it's the only physical copy of the game is on Xbox not the other platforms. Nothing.

Maybe Gears 6 will change my mind (I haven't played Tactics but it isn't physical and it's probably fine but I respect it existing to take series different directions sometimes gameplay wise then not).

Otherwise the rest just aren't for me. Minecraft Legends is just pathetic compared to other strategy games it's so lacking in depth like Foamstars or Biomutant are. Age of Empires 4 is probably good but not big into strategy. Third parties have been eh formuliac titles and the ideas are pretty eh of impact. Some are fine but not compelling enough to buy the games only a quick that's cool and move on impression.

Hi Fi Rush is cool but digital only, come on Microsoft if other hack n slash/character action games sell your just not trying hard enough. Grounded and Sea of Theives are 'fine' but not of interest to me. Grounded's concept is cool for a survival game but not enough for me to play it compared to other survival games.

Nothing this gen really matters to me on Xbox. Sure I got a few Square titles on PS4 (some sucked because they didn'ttry hard enough with the gameplay) but even then the rest on PS5, nah, none of interest at all. Even third parties on both they are fine. Not interested enough to care. I'm not missing out.

The enhancements just don't interest me. PS Portal sucks. PSVR2 is underwhelming. Quick Resume is ok but digital only so I can't use it. Smart delivery is good but only applies a bit nowadays to not at all really anymore. I haven't bought really many games with it as a program so to me Demon Turf/Project Cars 3 were fair but anything else hasn't really mattered.

The graphics/HDR/whatever else don't matter to me. The share button is the most who cares thing compared to Impulse Triggers so waiting for the gyro on the next controller. Even the share feature is just alright.

Adorably digital is the most can't wait to ignore it even more thing I've ever heard.

I'm buying more to only retro games these days (unless the odd Switch title) that's how non-existent of caring current gen releases are to me it's just kind of unappealing of a gen for games any genre.

I finished Medal of Honor 2010 which is average to bad, Bodycount was fine once I got a working copy. That should say how bored I am of current gen to play those and continue my shooters of PS3/360/Wii hunt let alone other games even if average, or really good gems in old gens through research then big IPs of old I"ve mostly come across. At least Chamber of Secrets or Spyro New Beginning will be fun.

Remote play/cloud are 'fine' but again suit digital and remote play on Xbox never used. Cloud is only digital.

None of the games are my thing really it's just that on PS5 the IPs I liked are ruined or uninteresting so they suck more. The third party deals haven't been any more compelling either.

I can wait on literally any I could care about on both platforms of third parties and any I did care that bit extra about suck in their demos so why would I pick them up.

Offer Pitfall Lost Expedition, TimeShift, Prototype 1 & 2, Blur (will never happen) and more and I'll be interested. If not I couldn't care less. IF they have the source code fine, if not I'll good with the second hand market only use of them then Xbox One/Series use instead.

Or whatever else. If Brute Force or others that were on 360 BC for OG Xbox games to Xbox One then sure but most of those more than 50 on Xbox One as it's what 491 or something a lot won't come over let alone if they cut support for it I'll be really annoyed.

PGR 1-4 won't be coming over any time soon. Whacked as well.

Forward compatibility makes sense I guess but preservation nah uh that isn't going to happen. We know they can try with the licensing or whatever the case or the games they can 'preserve' of their own IPs (cough where is Blinx 2 Microsoft to mention not preserved games on your BC program source code or reverse engineering it) but otherwise since when can companies do it/actually care about preservation?

It's hard to do and they can't anyway on a wider scale so it's not really that compelling to us customers if it's only select games Microsoft will offer to preserve of their own IPs let alone all of their own IPs versus whatever licensing with third parties THEY want to keep alive and milk the current ones but don't care about their older titles anyway so the second hand market preserves them instead because they don't have to deal with IPs, licensing or complexities like companies have to deal with they just do because they care/if they can afford them and come together to preserve them.

Not with digital till they change the licensing let alone let us use the disks to be more install optional or something (like 360 offered the option to) and not keep the disk hostage in the disk drive to license check all the time which we know won't happen. It will never happen because it's too risky of course. They need the control over them for security after all.

That aside offering ABK games if they have source code/reverse engineering for BC would be nice. Otherwise I couldn't care less got no reason to use my Xbox One/Series other than YT/Soundcloud/smart delivery games, backwards compatibility and Blu-rays not current gen games at the moment like they want me to. Sure it's still 'using it' but not in the way Microsoft wants us to. No Gamepass, no current gen games they want me to use the console for.

Gamepass I'm not joining up for and never will.

While cool where is the Mixed Reality/VR ones for virtual trips, for VR worlds?

Breaking down games this way is cool and what each of those games offer to showcase as well between them for sure. I don't take what I experienced in the WW2 era shooters that seriously as it was suited to the games parts of history but some are close or accurate to the wars. They have to form games around the moments some how after all some corners do get cut.

I mean history/sight seeing in VR projects/apps let alone yes breaking down games and making them educational is cool but other things also showcase possibilities that and well use cases for VR and VR sales would help it just like Kinect tracking for helping in the medical field.

Then again Minecraft Education edition had limits but tech mods even if some fictional elements to them the realism does come through and helps in many cases far beyond what Education edition can do. The many electricity, science, engineering sides. I don't understand them on the level they are but still they were fun and used them for years.

I assume as many other Indies games with some science, history, or just how to make games/programming/problem solving puzzles aspects to them besides the AAA ones.

With how restrictive co-pilot is in Edge or Windows 10 (yes it is which surprised me when it dropped) and Windows 11. Yeah I don't have much care.

I know how eh their help app is I barely use it. I look on the Microsoft support or other sources instead or work it out myself/not care and give up if it isn't that important.

Co-pilot I tried a bit on Edge/even less in the Windows 10 OS version and it just sits there. I don't use it because I know how restrictive it is and I also don't need one.

Even Cortana I never used because I didn't need a voice assistant/Personal Assistant. Also because I don't trust it is why I never used Cortana not because I didn't think her benefits weren't good as they were for an upgraded more features Clippy/I mean Clippit and other agents over the years of ideas attempt to try again.

I mean Co-pilot barely does anything because they don't want even registry changes, or maybe automation or other stuff AI would be useful for (only tech people use what they understand of Windows not well general public anyway) if Microsoft allowed people to do so. I mean it's not like tech people don't consider possibilities and vulnerabilities of an AI messing around with WIndows incorrectly how Microsoft wouldn't want it to be used so it ends up pretty basic so it's really basic of a question assistant and that's about it. Wow thanks. I mean that can be helpful but most information I find myself on the topics or refine my search engine, use another search engine or try to avoid the paid top results to get what I'm after anyway. The - or '' if I have to to remove or better define key words even because tricks in search engines exist.

In the hands of server admins or OS developers I'd say for automation maybe it could be useful and is being used for all I know but for the general public it will be just a waste let alone what possibilities if it was more open so it's just sort of 'there'.

AI doesn't need to be on a console even for search suggestions in search bars to tracking other things/assisting in areas we don't need it. If devs or Xbox want telemetry, account banning and other measures for community (and misuse of too), bug reporting or much more, which they already have our telemetry as it is they already know how to fix or track things to solve problems.

We don't need an AI in certain areas for certain things really I don't see a point even if it catches things humans don't or forwards things on, it's actions could be bad in some cases or just helpful for the Xbox OS devs sure if they need it but not the general public I think. Then again how much power it offers depending how it's developed/it's use cases.

So for testing sure, for use cases how restricted/near or completely useless will it be or powerful. I mean I'd take the Xbox One Kinect gestures tutorial over this and that app is dead now.

Prototype 1 & 2 (I literally bought 2 when I saw a copy as never played the series, and planned to put it in my Xbox One X, still waiting, glad I got a 360 instead to play it there).

With Pitfall they don't even have to re-sell 2600 Pitfall 1 and 2. They are part of Lost Expedition on PS2/Xbox/GameCube/Wii. That and Activision Anthology wasn't on the Xbox they were PS2, PSP, Android/iOS, GBA, Windows, Mac and Digiblast.

Timeshift why not many PS3/360 era shooters are left behind. Army of Two 1 being on there is annoying when I own 2 40th Day on 360 but 1 on PS3. I am literally buying up that era of shooters for a reason getting support for them on modern consoles I'd play it there and they can have the telemetry or cloud saves besides giving us the performance boosts but nope 360 it is (even if I own a PS3 copy).

Spyro series whichever were on Xbox and worth of bringing back/source code availability, Crash.

Geometry Wars yeah I'd go for that. Got it in PGR 2-4 with Retro Evolved and the other versions in each entry and the DS entry. But 3 on Gamepass would probably be good as it's the latest and easiest to add to the service.

Any backwards compatibility they haven't yet from Activision do it then put it on Gamepass for those that want it and backwards compatibility for us that want it with old disk licenses or digital storefront.

Old CODs, any of the older ones older than 4 MW1 everything modern is on there and I want to experience the older entries and I am.

I bought Finest Hour and Big Red One on PS2 because they didn't offer the Xbox version. If they did I would have played them on Xbox One/Series instead.

Blur I mean come on it's a licensing complexity for cars/music but it's an arcade racer classic.

I can still play PGR 1-4 on my 360. I can play Grid 2 on my Xbox One/Series why not.

Pitfall Lost Expedition come on Xbox/Activision do it already. Give it to us and make a new Pitfall game to rival Tomb Raider, Tad, Uncharted or Indiana Jones. I may own the PS2 version, may want the Wii version for the control differences compared to the analogue stick ones for the hands as camera wasn't standard on that era back then even God of War was for dodging back then even. But getting an Xbox copy why not.

All the IPs they don't care about that I want supported.

I'd say he has had a fair run these 10 years and still going well. I don't think every decision was great but that happens.

Some games just eh didn't do it for me of direction of their series, same has happened with PlayStation too.

Other business stuff has probably been fine I can't remember right now.

@armondo36 Yes I have. I bought Kingdom Under Fire Circle of Doom randomly one day in the last fortnight having never heard of it even and enjoying it even if different from the other entries in the series doing research after I bought it.

I bought it the same time I think (if remember from the receipt I have in game's box) I bought a 360 Kinect as never owned one even though got a 360 Elite and E models. It's a novelty but I'm still curious to give it a go and certain games.

I'm happy to have my copy of Blue Dragon from years ago I picked up I need to get into it more.

Was Eternal Sonata too enjoyed it got stuck at the garden maze or so. Enjoyed what I did play while get through it at some point.

I picked up a copy of Shadowrun too. I played a bit of the offline tutorial, not into multiplayer so was unsure but I still wanted to see what it was like.

Xbox has a lot of good IPs left behind I have yet to uncover whether first party or third party OG Xbox/360 IPs am excited for or will stumble upon having never heard of I don't find through research or those I have heard of through research like I did recently. Whenever the next one comes around that is.

I haven't even picked up Brutal Force yet. I need to. But 360/Xbox One back compat ah and game availability where I look.

I'll get my Forza Motorsport 1, Blinx 1 (if I ever see a 2 copy as well) and Toe Jam and Earl 3 as well. Happy with my PGR 1-4 and Voodoo Vince I'll get an OG Xbox for. I know the Remaster exists but eh fine with the original copy.

To me it's how they use it. The cost of performance for it is not worth it. I get the effort baked in lighting of textures requires but even still. To me glass or puddle reflections I don't care for. As a programmer or artist I'd say sure. As a player I couldn't care less.

Same with walking scenes. To set the pace or not. Or to have us walk around and appreciate what the rooms were filled with of objects. I mean to me a Musou with many enemies is a bit much and their AI but I mean objects in a good, the bricks, the wallpaper. I just don't care. I've played enough games. I didn't need the walking and talking. I didn't need the oh the game has to have me listen to the dialogue, or make the game longer by having us walk or because everyone else had to have their COD4 MW1/Rage 1 car scene moment equivalent.

We didn't have it the gen before for a reason. The same reason 2D games don't have that nonsense.

Unless it's used for a mechanic gimmicky if they want to offer one with water physics, lighting, or not (cough why the SSDs if we get scripted rifts Rift Apart, give me a gimmicky experience) I don't care how good the game looks.

I have cared for gameplay/mechanics since forever game developers. There is a reason if platformer logic your character moveset sucks in platforming, combat or navigation the game in part sucks which is why in many cases i hate RPGs your story isn't good enough for me and your level design isn't either. So it's down to combat hmm passable or not worth my time. Japanese Tactics RPGs it is these days. Boards, grind, get in and out. Fair visual novel scenes. Not tactics battle, world to explore, dialogue and the upgrading is tedious.

I care about song structure since many years now. Not lyrics. Not everyone has my radio unless it's relevant enough to say and not Borderlands/Ratchet levels of annoying. If you need a cutscene have it not drag it out. If want a reputation or charisma skill point/detective clues relevance system add it then dialogue selection and the reactions not meaning much.

Like I get some graphics techniques but ray tracing hasn't been one of them I see performance benefit for just so we get better lighting, reflections I didn't care for on glass buildings any more than I did a mirror in an old game just once was good enough or windows with outside sites to see.

I already didn't care seeing oh the reflections inside a cupboard. To me just having 1 mirror is good enough. Having ray tracing for lighting or reflections on buildings when you can have less glass buildings oh wait modern day cities sigh.

I mean some areas in PS3/360 games had mirrors like Alpha Protocol besides it's good dialogue system and mission selection where Last of Us had a broken mirror but it was pushing other goals for it's level design I get that.

I mean if Mario Kart 64 or other racing games can have footage tracking the player on some TV like screen then just whatever fake/pre-recorded footage. There is a reason why mirrors/TVs with footage can be done on hardware if it's done right or benefits the game. That can be impressive I find. I don't hate mirrors but I don't need a cupboard/glass modern era building with them scale to make me impressed for the ray tracing I already don't care about anymore to offer it of performance cost.

Even a mechanic with ray tracing like benefits with light puzzles or something would be nice.

I'd be fine with just a torch or something else to compensate, I've seen a PS1 homebrew game to prove that point slightly without lighting or other details not that that is a lot to go on but still (or does that need baked in lighting too to achieve the effect? and level design, does a light source and less tunnels or something to make the lighting work out in level design).

Party like it's 2024 or the Activision IP licensing aside. I get them being flexible but do they actually have the access to it?

I'm for them doing something else but they have been doing something beside Crash Rumble clearly. Whatever Beenox is doing as well more COD after the CTR content? Vicarious Visions moved to Blizzard so that's clear. I'm fine with a Spyro 4 existing but I mean I also question it. The changes to Spyro 1-3 had me disappointed. The changes made sense but it's the gameplay ones I didn't like not the world/artstyle/characters. All that to translate it and modernise it was fine I had no issues with any of those parts to bring it to life. Even the analogue stick camera made total sense then the L2/R2 or the roll. But I mean even Pitfall Lost Expedition using the right stick for the hand to interact (almost Wii motion like even if it did get a Wii port later) or games like God of War or even Knack as to dodge. It's not like the right stick can't be camera only and can be for other things like the attacks in I think it was the Bouncer or another game for combat the way a space shooter would of dual stick shoot em ups.

The quality of life/modernising of it made sense but to me even simple things like Spyro 3 Sparx bonuses were quality of life and no reward but gems. Granted I know Sanzaru and others had to do what they could about Spyro 3 I totally get that but it's still disappointing to see that happen.

Simple jumps just annoyed me. From Spyro 1 to Spyro 3 throughout. I got the hang of it, still felt it was just awkward.

I hated the feel of Spyro. The floatiness of him in the past I found better and PS1 games don't usually age well. The swimming I think was fine enough it's been a while though.

Skill points not being clear and not gating trophies I was fine with. Skill points of Spyro 1 as an inclusion like the Crash 1 & 2 time trial were a nice touch but still some were unclear.

So to get a game where the characters have to feel heavy when other than Bentley or Hunter makes sense for that it's really annoying and it's why I don't like modern characters human, animal whatever. I hate platformers having heavy characters. Even other genres just any character feeling heavy which is many just bugs me. Platforming or otherwise. If a vehicle sure but other than that why are they so heavy. The engines of today offering that or the programmers/animators decisions to do that to their characters keep throwing me off with that.

The recreations of the levels, dragons and more are great but the quality of life and gameplay aspects threw me off. Even titles like Sphinx and the Cursed Mummy while I haven't played have me worried of the oh even in that era they tried to do more heavy characters and it just doesn't work to nowadays so many have that it's just eh. It just doesn't make me excited for some aspects.

Let alone the minigames, the characters, the worlds. I mean I'm fine with a breath mechanic from the other games. I'm fine with more to add to the Spyro formula but I mean I already had Indie 3D platformers clone formulaic nostalgic releases as it is. Will I care for Spyro 4. Maybe not. That's the thing that I am skeptical on right now.

Even then hub based 3D platformers aka mission ones. If minigames sure. If it's actual quests I'm not buying it. I hate open worlds. I play mostly minigame ones or not theme pack feeling ones. There is a reason why Spiderman it's an open world I liked. I liked the lab puzzles then I did the rest of the game. The taskmaster ones were fine. Gravity Rush and Sunset Overdrive balanced their challenge ones and their quests.

Infamous Second Son more minigame like side content was more fun then the actual story missions dullness but then again it's good/bad points system and punishment of skill tree or story mission access was hilarious then the Infamous 1 dynamic react to a situation gameplay wise and be good or bad. How far immersion hasn't come clearly.

So yeah there is a reason I get picky with games is some gameplay just feels off to me at least. Worlds need to be exciting of level design and abilities or things you do. But when so many platformers exist and I prefer 5-6th gen not popular ones more and more for their mechanics or obstacle course design yeah Spyro 4 being sigh comparable to these Mario 64/Banjo/Spyro clone Indies makes me less excited.

Love of a character and it's games isn't for me. I do love the character but I mean I prefer Spyro 1 for how good the super speed, Metalhead boss, flame fairies and more happen in that game then I do busy work minigames in 2 & 3 and the playable characters of 3, vehicles and more was so much. For their ideas and scale at the time the game is packed, all of it worth it no it's just a too much and not all of it is fun. But then again sometimes i find some games suit simplicity others don't it's why I question some games like Biomutant with a basic character moveset, why is it I got more inspiration from Space Station Silicon Valley (Toys for Bob article rememberance) then with many animals and varied movesets when Biomutant has vehicle quests and gas immunity but not animal trait/ability system?

AA as they are Experiment 101 it just lacked besides the typical open world gameplay tropes. Or Foamstars basic modes and I had more ideas for it on announcement then some eh 2 modes and seasons/cosmetics. Boring. Give me a reverse foam maze mode, a surfboard race, give me traps/more maps, give me chemicals to deal with the foam. When foam makes me want to think for a game mechanic and Splatoon doesn't for it's fair simple but fair depth to it ink use cases multiplayer or singleplayer there is a reason why I prefer Splatoon not for comparison but for it's gameplay depth I don't have to question but could but I don't because the obstacle course use cases work then me caring for abilities all the time. A foam building contest. If I can come up with that before the game even comes out and it's that basic Foamstars. The game sucks because it's underdeveloped not by my want I didn't even care to play the game just felt it was lacking in ideas for such a title. Multiplayer games with good mechanics and maps matter as much as me being a singleplayer type and coming up with ideas there.

I have standards for game design these days to be more exciting and I keep finding more exciting mechanics in retro titles. Some Indies are good but in other areas they are nostalgia factories I won't touch and am not against saying I don't want to support those Indies with the platformer genre compared to other genres/others in the Indie space. I am not an emotional person happy with characters and worlds for platformers.

How will the discounts be. How with the encryption, accounts, data signing away, license agreement pop ups. So many factors. If on a Windows mode extent then maybe? Dev mode isn't Other OS PS3/PS2 Linux but I mean they could offer it even if Edge allows a lot for it's version on Xbox anyway.

Offer us singleplayer and multiplayer separate for more games. Offer Xbox on a Smart Fridge then we will talk. XD On a graphics calculator even that I can hook a cable up to.

I mean as if PC isn't a mess though. I get the monopoly angle of 1 storefront and to look good, the cuts, the other factors but PC has shown how much people trust some platforms regardless of more options. Variety helps but their business practices or too much choice or limits in their more choice don't change much. The features of Steam, the trust of Valve. Offline mode. Improvements over the years.

While they could bridge the gap for some companies for others it won't change player's minds really.

There is a reason that while Crunchyroll can be bad some times we can't leave it. Some of my anime licensing ends up with Crunchyroll even if I don't use their service they have for physicals. I can't win there can I. What was the point in Madman and Hanabee if Crunchyroll has bigger reach and has many of Madman releases. It's called give up. The fact it took them as long as it did to add other licensors flexible subtitles with a dub audio change is a joke. Laziness and quality assurance lol clearly.

If people hate the launchers for many things and how much their few IPs they support are for these third parties as it is (even though I don't use my PC as much and do partial gaming it's none of their launchers that's for sure) make you go oh they don't have many games to give me a reason for their launcher/to open it that often (Xbox at least having more due to back compat but PC may of old titles too I assume unless more the case with GOG/Steam compat of old games instead while similar. PS doesn't offer of back compat releases so less to offer and well no Nintendo platform Ubisoft games or other examples end up on their other platforms so just get those games while you can physical at that point on the old hardware I mean they aren't porting Red Steel 2 to VR, PC or the Switch so might as well enjoy my Wii copy they don't care about it).

If players don't care for most of their games, publishers don't their older titles, why should I a player bother with them.

They can push Gamepass/Ubisoft+/EA Play. I'm not using those services no matter how much they want me to I'm just not. They don't have games I want to play and the time span I play for is too unbalanced for those services so it doesn't suit me while physical or a regular digital storefront does sure but I buy physical, install and uninstall it whenever with less internet annoyance.

That and their accounts/license agreements. That as well is why I go AA/Indies. I am not giving them my data to play their AAA safe experience games.

I think even if context fully given or not. I think it's a bit much. Depending the game and it's audience. I think small audiences matter. Also just noticeability as if Gamepass hasn't help that either or people be more picky like demos.

Companies wanting big turn around is just a joke. Think about the audience. They don't want to build up an audience they just want money. It's a joke. Even if a case of an anime game or something else or it's got censorship so it's limited appeal to a niche audience then a more wide spread one.

I mean the Xbox games stereotype of sports, racing and shooters can apply but it's not the case at all anyway. A lot of other mindsets can happen of what types of games, made by who and whatever else or what vibe fits the console.

But to me if I see a copy for any of the 3 platforms available because I have all 3 or I think it fits the controller I'm using because it has Impulse Triggers or it has Touchpad support or something I'm on the game. I could buy Terraria on anything. I bought it on Wii U for the Stylus support. Yes Wii U Gamepad features matter to me. Even if updates on other versions is probably more relevant having the older version doesn't bother me that much. It may but I mean got Minecraft many ways as well.

It's like with Meta Quest oh no AC Nexus didn't sell well. Oh Zombi U didn't sell well delay Rayman Legends. I'm sorry but how is a Zombie game (as particular as Zombi U is around the Gamepad then the PS4/Xbox One ports) for a different audience related to Rayman. They aren't. Sure I own both games but not everyone aligns with both games either let alone age rating. Well to Ubisoft twice it was a case of oh no not enough userbase, oh no not enough sales for completely opposite audience games but the sales numbers need to be good because that matters more than the audience. XD

Like how stupid can a company get of narrow vision I'd rather focus on the game suiting to make the sales not the sales itself because oh no the shareholders need another yacht and green in the report with few reds even by 0.01% or something. XD Obviously it's more than that to keep a company afloat but at the same time it is something else to try and push a company to be too big then go oh we pushed too far look at the mess we made from online passes to MTX to push their scale but still possible to make a joke about it they did this to themselves as much as set expectations for games for us customers.

The fact I can think about games and their behind the scenes to some degree is on me. I can still set my expectations low for many studios/publishers but at the same times sometimes I won't because they need to own up to it, not lie to me and make a compelling gameplay product not a safe generic one. I respect AAs because they can't do things AAA can more than I do AAA because I know their limits or in some AAs case it's their engine refinement laziness too so that's why the European AA studios janky games reputation becomes a problem. Compared to the good European studios that don't make janky games and have better polish in their products.

That's why I laugh at companies with such narrow focus on what they need not the other factors that come from it with a sequel and more of an audience going yeah I liked that I'll buy the next one. Ok that balanced enough. Ok I hated it. Oh ok putting it on PS+/Xbox Gamepass helped me recognise it this go around then not hearing about it before. Hey this physical copy, it's still new but the price is cheap and I came across it now.

Discoverability makes a difference. How far or what your marketing reaches for people.

It can't be a hit always out of the gate, if so lower the standards of the game. Make it less AAA/AAAA and more AA, or small team scale. Like it's not hard. But to them it is with their narrow focus.

Sometimes Xbox copies have helped me. I found a Valkyria Chronicles 4 Xbox copy. It's the 1.0 disk, which to me is rare on Xbox then other platforms and it's a series I like now, a genre I like and well while I may have found a PS4/Switch version I was happy I got the Xbox version I used my Xbox One a lot with that game.

I see many Indies physical I've never heard of either. I learn about studios from wikipedia, from articles, from discovery of physical media and digital eshops IF I look on them and browse say a bunch of discounts.

Sometimes Xbox third party copies help me. Sales wise sure I got the game when it was $5 preowned that didn't help Sega at all. But at the same time the next one I will buy it.

I did so when Disgaea 6 came out and bought up he prior entries I got it on Switch still new condition pricing I made my contribution to the series FINALLY then preowned all the time or retro game store level for some series.

I loved the Square demos, I bought those games. I got disappointed with Diofield in the second half but I still enjoyed the first half. Still enjoying Valkyrie Elysium. I waited for them to go cheap, I still paid the new price because I still wanted to contribute to them with my $28.

Balan I knew would flop. I played the demo, I still enjoyed it in the context I was buying it for. I paid $20 I knew it would flop so no higher price contribution would have helped the game anyway.

Well Office is strong. Who uses LibreOffice ah a niche audience got it. So many similar Microsoft tactics in their Windows/Office space does sometimes unfortunately happen in their Xbox team as well, it's getting predictable.

Other than having back compat, an app store with a CD player or other things Sony won't offer on their own console. Sure. It's always shareholders these days for them. The Xbox was always a Microsoft product under the TV to them just more so than ever. Even the using Edge to do things on your Xbox aside (and it being many places too like Office) it's not surprising they go hmm what audiences on Switch/PS, what games will suit, what ones have that appeal. What ones achievements or online Xbox Live will help too hmm Grounded or Sea of Thieves hmm as well Hi Fi Rush is singleplayer right? It fits the people into cartoony, action games (I like Hi Fi Rush in many ways gameplay and artstyle).

You can put software anywhere look at Office. Internet Explorer or Edge/Chromium Edge. Why should they stay when they can be anywhere. Games anywhere. Xbox mobile, PC, TVs, PC handhelds if not another OS or Steam Big Picture, console, cloud, anywhere people will allow it then obstacles of other platforms.

Then again the amount of Xbox/PC similarities with their tactics over the years and mindset of software never fails to not be the case sometimes.

The can't beat them join them or can't beat them find another plausible solution is always fun.

The they will come to us eventually via these methods and it isn't not allowed it is possible to do this and that. It proves it can happen, in many case it has happened with other companies, past Microsoft.

From Sega Saturn/PC to third party or the Windows CE and well Sony/Microsoft in Pocket PC 2000s era seeing hardware going of phones, iPhone, tried tablets 3.1, XP, Surface onwards. From Microsoft Gameboy Colour games of PC entertainment packs to GBA alongside the Xbox as had no handheld even though in a way Pocket PCs of the 2000s were Pocket Windows besides well Laptops.

There is many things going on they have done in the past, can do or will do/do.

While I'm hopeful it turns out well.

I also am on the eh mindset of like Yooka Laylee, like Calisto, like others it will be oh we have this IP we liked working on in the past, we vet devs continue on with an IP when we couldn't due to the publisher so we make a successor/simple one but don't have the license to it.

Like that's fine but to me things like Nightingale were more exiciting because unlike Mass Effect Andromeda or others some ex Bioware staff worked on a survival game. That's awesome.

Just seeing continuations of other games, seeing these IPs suffer or be different and not having the publisher saying it needs this and that.

I'm all for more flexibility of these teams and what staff is there to make a successor/their vision of an IP they enjoyed working on or created in the past without the license but still.

To see them flop due to design decisions customers don't like or it not being a big name does make it hard for these teams and I feel for them.

Even if I myself am getting into the Bioshock series now via PS3/360 and some playing via back compat on Xbox One X (not the PS4/Xbox One collection version I just didn't see copies when I bought the older versions) and I'm kind of sick of many IPs to take inspiration from.

After Yooka Laylee or more eh racing games or so I got sick and tired of so many platformer Indies or racing Indies being so disappointing of the formulas, nostaglia and only hit games of inspiration of game design among the amount of 5-6th gen platformers I've seen, researched that get ignored and are far more interesting then the hit games but no Indies will go further for inspiration the lazy. Part of it is me researching/being a collector but I mean if I can find them why can't others past nostalgia or nostalgic customers. Lazy. Nostalgia Indies are as bad as AAA.

I've bought up many shooters of 6-7th gen. So part of it is me of researching or collecting pickups, seeking an understanding of some trends, some not of game design in games and genres.

But part of it is also just getting sick and tired of some games trends of game design in AAA or Indies besides the IP and just wanting something different.

Aveum was an example. I was excited for the setting something fantasy FINALLY not another military shooter or sci-fi one, wasn't for the gameplay. The magic idea was fine the looter shooter element. Eh. While I enjoy it in Borderlands I don't in other games or want THAT many looter shooters.

While there is other shooters seeing many multiplayer WW1 or other settings for AA or other Indie ones come up makes me go eh. Like Ready or Not and Unrecord look fine of SWAT or otherwise that's fine. But that's more so PC then console shooters I come across on occasion.

So when I go 'besides VR is there any exciting story driven singleplayer ones' and they flop I go 'thanks customers this is why we can't have modern singleplayer story driven shooters anymore great'.

The next Perfect Dark is ways off too. Could be horrible for all we know. I hope not.

No matter where they are set even if setting helps and more interesting weapons then just the same generic based on real life ones and why I enjoy Ratchet (did), Metroid or others like a Bioshock offering more interesting weaponry in their worlds and level design.

If the setting is good, the weaponry is different and unique to it's world in design and maybe partial functionality I'm in. Good enemies, a fair world. Any steampunk, biopunk, analogue weapons or something else would be cool. Ammo types or function matter to make interesting weapons after all. Not just futuristic versions of real life weapons that's just boring if that's ALL there is, some can be sprinkled in but not only those. Some futuristic with some fair directions for how they function not just oh it's got futuristic ammo counts and other dials on them.

Or else I'll stick to the ones I am from old gen, wait it out for the next and play The Club for some arcade modern action as no one is making anything like that anymore.

I mean they could but like Pocket PCs, PSP/DS, to now yes many PC handhelds, emulation handhelds and more is there a point.

Windows wins by Windows alone on these PC handhelds as they did Pocket PCs besides Windows phone direction and well it dying off sadly I liked Windows phone.

An Xbox or Windows handheld sure I guess but I just don't see it. If like Kinect or SmartGlass beside remote play (later on Xbox) or Wii U, and competition with Switch besides Portal or the Samsung TV app deal.

I mean Steam Deck has the ability for Linux, Steam Big Picture and other OSs the same way the other PC handhelds offer Windows at the forefront and Windows 10/11 are big OSs than Linux being tiny in comparison of space on the drives.

They could have a go at a handheld by all means. But the thing is I don't do digital on Xbox..... So for me it's useless for others sure I'd be nice to finally see an Xbox handheld happen.

It was just PC handhelds of the 2000s with Pocket PCs or nowadays happen besides well Laptops/2 in 1s, Windows ARM I guess or whatever of Surface Duo of Microsoft Android flavour or so and Windows Tablets of old like Pen Computing 3.1, XP Tablet Edition, Surface and more.

To me I care more for Xbox controllers to have gyro like the future design docs, as I enjoyed Impulse Triggers in the few games that used it 2013+.

But a handheld sure I guess if it's worth it. Then a G Cloud without the Tencent parts, some other quirks or other Android/Windows devices and an Xbox focused then Xbox/Windows combo I guess as they want it likely closed down more like Switch is.

You'd want to hope it isn't like SmartGlass but improved or Remote Play and like Portal. Eh if it is pass.

Give it dual screen or split screen nah that won;'t happen either. Or Android.

Or Gamepass games only either hmm. Nah too many factors of hardware and just not packing it into a handheld it will be cloud or remote play wireless. I don't see it being exciting locally.

Spyro 4 hmm. I mean Party like it's 2024 hmm. But nah it's an Activision IP. Did they get flexibility for that I doubt it.

Space Station Silicon Valley got mentioned years ago but it's unlikely. That's a 2K/Take Two or so game isn't it? As DMA Design aka Rockstar North? So maybe their IPs gotten taken with them.

It could be anything. If a 3D platformer sure I'm open to that or anything else they want to do. If it's Banjo then pass for me. I'm sick to death of that style of platformers. I don't want minigame or RPG quest design hub based Platformers.

I'm sick of them. I already hate open worlds and the few I have enjoyed are thin. Platformers being more family friendly but with fun animal creatures doesn't change the still boring trend of game design I'm sick and tired of right now.

When it comes to gameplay yeah it gets to me. The characters/worlds aren't good enough to me like they are other people so I have yes very differing opinions due to what I seek in games and am very research open to ideas or coming up with my own for Foamstars/Biomutant in ways I think they lack depth. But for platformers eh I need more than what is being offered sadly they just aren't exciting gameplay environments or movesets to me.

Many 3D platformers big or Indies have been pretty boring or uninteresting to me where many 5-6th gen niche titles I don't like them because their niche I like them because no one actualy took their ideas they are so different and everyone else wanted to follow trends and milk them with eh differences of a key mechanic, eh story, eh characters and eh world. Look at any 7th gen shooter, cover based third person besides the first person ones differences and 1 key cool mechanic to market the rest boring and bland. While racing it was like platformer of 5-6th, brilliant left behind ideas, dumbing down the rewind mechanic over the years and now boring as ever realism and business models. Sorry old school and part Indies among the also yes too nostalgic arcade racers. Pass. Some need more exciting ideas and they just aren't there.

Like sure Art of Rally, Inertial Drift, and many others exist but just as much safe nostalgia ones exist too.

When Indies are as bad as AAA but just nostalgic safe not trend safe there is a problem. You get some good Indies among certain genres and design ideas, but many are just as pathetic as others. Like I could praise puzzle games like Viewfinder but you get Kula World/Roll Away successor like Gravity Trickster on PS4 only last I checked it's good but I mean it's not as abundant as the amount of eh platformers/racing by Indies at least. Will we get a Devil Dice successor or other puzzle games (not only remakes of old ones I mean) yes I can tell. Other genres eh it depends what ground they push away from others for a nostalgia safe game.

So I'd be welcome to something from them. I hope it isn't too Spyro or Crash safe though. Enough Indies have made me sick to death of the classics and wanting more Glover or other more out there characters, movesets, level design not an animal with Mario 64 like movesets or a few differences and eh Banjo like mission design.

Sure some have the Spyro/others obstacle course or hub design but even still. Eh many are just so unappealing to me.

I'd struggle to vote for any of them with the way directions of games have been with many IPs, reason for me to care about their consoles.

Microsoft wouldn't be in my top 10 let alone 20. Let alone many of the big ones here publishers or developers. Same with Sony their directions made me less care for PlayStation.

If years ago maybe, but nowadays not even close.

Like even besides Valkyrie Elysium from Square, Diofield sucked and like I care about other Square titles never did really. Capcom and Ubisoft it's their old games not their new I don't care for their big IPs at all. I never touch Bethesda titles other than what Doom/Wolfenstein really even then I barely engaged with those but respect their legacies and updates of those IPs. Is Hi-Fi Rush good yes. But that's more Tango making good than Bethesda.

Even Codemasters like Grid Legends is good but like I care that much. Milestone same thing Ride 4+/MotoGP16+ (probably even a few earlier and likely still current) aren't for me anymore they are just too difficult to play. Among the bad state the racing genre is in.

I'm more likely to care about the AA Japanese or western publishers and developers more or just old games from dead publishers/devs at this point then current alive ones. Even then I've only played few games from them let alone even know if they are trustworthy businesses either.

Some big companies can do some probably fair things with their management but if their games don't appeal to me like i care as a customer if the direction is disappointing, I'm not playing them they are too safe, too boring, too pathetic, too bland of design to care about any of it or pick them up let alone Gamepass experience them why should I.

Besides whatever marketing either or annoying me holding information back, weak trailers then bombshell nonsense making me less likely to care. Forza Motorsport 8 what a joke marketing campaign and an eh game besides 6 being boring, 5 & 7 just as much but less annoying design but still not great.

Cozy games have their place, epic experiences, cough nostaglic long running IPs you either never experienced or find the current ones are just so eh of direction these days.

I'm not playing any of them so I don't really fit in with modern gaming much, so to me my votes would be very picky on game design and the few games of the PS4/Xbox One gen and current gen I didn't ignore and did buy and enjoyed.

Which is very few because I don't like modern gaming, only a few in these gens, very very few.

Yes please Nightdive. While Quake remasters are great. Having something of a cult classic revived to me is more exciting.

Heard about these months ago. Definitely worth it. Great to see them have a chance then left behind and if Sony won't have the PS2 version up and running even if yes it is probably different then the PC version.

Could do with something more theme or just ideas compelling to come out. Some 60s spy theming/setting yes please. Some different from the past is better than something done to death and formuliac these days.

If no one else is going to make a successor/be inspired by it might as well remaster it right. Cough Indies in certain genres with their narrow minded inspiration laziness as much as AAA are.

Sure it's old, sure another remaster, but I mean at least it is something not popular for easy money like most are. I see the cult classic appeal in it. I can respect old and good but left behind games that we never know if they will ever get a revival/return that now are deserve to be remastered.

@Dm9982 I have heard of Road Redemption, same with Dangerous Driving as a Burnout Successor. Not looked into them.

Yeah Road Rash has been fun. I think the combat makes it stand out still and while the art is very 90s it has it's charm.

I have noticed the rubberbanding quite a bit but I'm getting there with it. The other versions of the series seem pretty good I'll have to look at footage besides just seeing the names and learning the series.

So many old EA games I'd heard of/had to discover but never played and glad I have. Sure I played Theme Hospital or Sim Tower back in the day but many others I just never got around to.

Not interested. They could have it be comparable upscaling or hopefully not.

But otherwise I have no reason to upgrade as it is. Sure family own a PS5 disk system/Series X and Gamepass gets used on occassion with it, but with how games aren't using them that well or many games aren't exciting enough to upgrade eh.

I barely use my Xbox One X/VCR and even then I use them still more than the Series X gets used. I find anime blu-rays or I find some fair games, 99% of them being back compat physical titles still though if not PS3 physical.

I myself don't want either console. I'm sticking to PS4/Xbox One for a bit till they actually make the consoles compelling not on price on actually not disappointing peripherals and actually exciting games.

I'm not buying them for a bunch of RPGs/certain other trends.

I have a few current gen due to particular genres/gameplay ideas but most I got on last gen anyways.

There isn't even more than 10+ games I want. Let alone less than 5 I want or had to get. PS5 or Xbox. I can wait or I have nothing I want.

Give me something gimmicky with the hardware not just ray tracing, formuliac games and load times, while quick resume is nice, it's digital only, doesn't suit me.

When was the last time a game used Impulse Triggers even? Last I played was Project Cars 3 or Gears 5.

More impressive animations, better gameplay/level design ideas, enemies that learn or unlearn their own, the player or another enemies moves.

Actually impress me than just whatever formulaic games, passable Indies in certain genres or nostalgic garbage Indies making fan game level safe games with weak ideas or only whatever hits did, actually think further outside the box or make broader characters, movesets, ANYTHING NEW and ray tracing.

Because I haven't seen anything exciting yet.

@IssaBrvndo I agree, even though Halo Legends as a collection of different stories was good with each story covering different aspects of the series.

If it was more a linear one than collection yeah I'd be curious in another Halo anime.

Haven't seen the Dragon Age one but the Mass Effect one was pretty weak in what character focus and the events were passable.

I enjoyed the Witcher anime.

With some of the things in the adaptation I'd say sure the scale was big but I mean did it need to be 'that big' or 'that needed' in the story.

Professional or not I mean eh. The scale was a going a bit of a certain way anyways with the story/CGI limits they were pushing for I assume. Or whatever actors were asking for too.

Many parts have been huh worthy but others have been really good.

The games may be fair (compared to whatever people want to say on other platforms) I keep watch of what Xbox has but they aren't my type of games and the waits may be what they are but I think they are trying their best.

I haven't used the services or benefits of current gen and I'm not fussed to either but to those that are glad your enjoying them and the current gen games or old games your enjoying. I'm fine where I am right now at the moment.

I'm still enjoying collecting OG Xbox or 360 games or the odd Xbox One games I haven't. Playing game OST CDs via the CD app. Or playing anime blu-rays on my Xbox One and mostly because the POST beep is off. Not buying a PS5 to be able to enable a setting to do the same.

The major third parties of this gen I've played a few, most even on PS5/Series consoles are fine. Nothing that I'm that desperate for. The enhancements/load times I'm fine ignoring and sticking to old gen for a bit longer.

In terms of third parties many people I know of are playing on PS5. I myself haven't touched really any third parties of current gen because any I was interested in I got on PS4 because that's the copies I haven't to find or they were exclusive like Valkyrie Elysium so I had no choice but to get the PS4 version.

In terms of the people I know they prefer the Touchpad for inventories or just used to the controller even if they prefer the Xbox Series controller due to the Dualsense's sharpness. I find it to be the case on it too and the Xbox Series controller to me has too much grip I don't like personally. It feels like sand level of just too much awkwardness with the grip and I can't stand it so glad the Xbox One controllers are support and I don't use the share feature really anyway but Impulse Triggers still yay in the handful that use them in Gears 4 & 5 or racing games that I've experienced them on Xbox One. The Xbox One controller with slight grip for the later model with the bluetooth is just enough without being too annoying feeling to me.

While Minecraft Legends, Halo Infinite, Pentiment, Starfield, Age of Empires, Gears Tactics, Forza (either series but I prefer Motorsport), Hifi Rush, Hellblade 2, Redfall, Avowed or State of Decay 3 when they come out, and more have been fair releases and continued support of Sea of Theives. To me they aren't really my type of games or I'm not desperate to play them. Also digital only makes me less interested to play them either Gamepass or not.

Hifi or Gears Tactics may but I have so many other hack n slashes or tactics games of 360/PS3 (Dante's Inferno 360 playing back compat Xbox One, Conan on PS3, Brtual Legend on 360 back compat Xbox One, some Disgaea series on PS3/4/PSP/Vita, Valkyria Chronicles 1 on PS3, Tactics Ogre Reborn, Wargroove, some other to buy too) to play then them right now. If physical was more wide spread for them sure but as digital or limited run I'd rather just watch let's plays at that point.

The games are fine so far. The services seem fair. I just haven't used them so I can't comment on them personally just people I know that have. I'm on Xbox One and happy still being on there right now. Even PS5 the Portal/PSVR2 isn't exciting and I want them to be. The first party don't interest me they killed of London/Media Molecule is surviving, Japan Studios are gone. I have nothing left to care about on PS platform unless it's old.

HiFi I haven't played. Forza Motorsport disappointed so the one game I would have wanted to play via Gamepass (as otherwise sometimes the Xbox Series X gets played and less so than the Xbox One VCR/Xbox One X we have that I've used more now then I did when the console was relevant but still infrequently) for hours I won't even touch even for it's updates I'm still not interested in it's core.

Hellblade is probably fine and I know someone that will play it. I didn't play the first (did Heavenly Sword/Enslaved Odyssey to the West/DMC reboot Ninja Theory games of old so I do like what they make) and like Ryse Son of Rome or God of War 2018/Ragnarok weren't my thing. While I did beat the story of 2018 I didn't like it. I have tried Ryse to about chapter 2 or 3 and I just dropped off. I may try it again at some point. The camera and the combat didn't do it for me.

Godhand I think even if similar camera angle and an old game the ideas of the combat system and silliness in it appeal to me more and the camera does put me off these games besides the content probably more so.

To me my Xbox One X/VCR appeals are back compat, Blu-rays/CD playing apps not on modern PS consoles and whatever leftover Xbox One games I never got around to. Otherwise I'm sticking to Xbox One VCR/Xbox One X at the moment and the few smart delivery games.

I have access to a Xbox Series X. I don't care to use it though. Load times don't interest me/quick resume is fine but more so for digital which I don't do so I can't access it. Smart delivery is nice for the games of that period of course. The new games are fine but I'm not that interested in experiencing them because of my backlog or even then many of them still aren't my thing for the most part but good on those they do appeal to.

Otherwise while family have used Gamepass for Disney Dreamlight Valley or Steam World Build I myself haven't got any interest to do so.

@Dm9982 Same here with Gear Club Unlimited 1 & 2 and I forget if it's the same or different Eden Games staff but still Eden games is back. I found it enjoyable, the classes weren't a bother as much, the upgrades were fine, the garage/upgrade and cosmetic station were a fun minigame and upgrades were achievable then annoying. I really enjoyed it.

The rewind can be yeah good and bad. But nice if the AI are being annoying or the track design of the highway point A to B/circuits (DLC I have not played or regular game circuit layouts) can be awkward to approach sometimes. But getting good enough Bronze to Gold wasn't too bad it was enjoyable enough without being annoying of an endgame. AI or own driving performance for sure.

Playing Gear Club Unlimited 2 made me go hmm maybe this is good prep for old NFS games and playing NFS 2 it sort of was in a way. Or Road Rash.

Otherwise besides Gear Club I went for Wreckfest just because while I have done a no upgrades runs and part of it is my driving at times or the AI, it's arcade, derby and circuits focus while a successor to Flatout in some ways does a fair job with it's silly vehicles (sofa, bus, tractors, driveable lawnmower) as it does it's serious ones of different classes. I don't find the classes, I think they are like Gear Club (since I last played Gear Club Unlimited 2), there but not intrusive.

I played the Gear Club mobile game briefly to get an idea of what Unlimited 1 was like as it's basically the same just obviously Unlimited 1 cuts out the mobile nonsense.

I too enjoy getting a cheap car and upgrading it. Building up and trying different events available to see how I go. The progression/making the car more of your own I can get that appeal even if I'm not into cosmetics as much but I get the appeal of it when I see some liveries in reviews of certain games.

Sega GT I think car builder aside on Dreamcast (not played 2002/Online but seen footage) I think the classes were fair, the two license times were a bit eh at times, the sponsors were nice, drag racing, but not classes as 'the whole focus' like GT5+ or Forza Motorsport sort of did then too far over with later entries. It turned me away too. The tick over of classes for upgrades is just dumb (also the auto upgrading was annoying as well).

To me the classes made the progression less fun in Motorsport 5+ it's why I dislike them a lot not just the FM6 modding (weight feeling the only different) and the split of side content and main content made me just get more bored with the main races.

The upgrades while I never use them in any entries of the series (which is just hilarious as it is of need for them in the first place and difficulty scaling)

Even if I can tweak the settings to my liking the classes limited things so I'd go the highest point stock car and be good to go. If not immediately, but of course credits collected to eventually buy them or use whatever candy car they'd give me and use that (well in FM1-4 terms not 5+ I don't need those fast cars or have no use for them even at the beginning of the game at low level class cough, what great game design). It made it less fun.

Gran Turismo reward cars always had issues and dead ends but at least they were fair enough at certain times. Even if the upgrades sometimes were mandatory and ridiculous sometimes.

It's why exploring the other racing games of the era I can appreciate the differences in progression and event types. Upgrades being better balanced too then having to grind and upgrade it too far to win that Gran Turismo can be sometimes.

Seeing just people mod GT4 shows a lot of it's issues for sure even if people can replay it different ways with a randomiser sure or quality of life aspects. It's fair on execution but still has issues.

I never did go for liveries but I get the appeal of it with many street racing games. Juiced/NFS I've come to see as fair games and their upgrade systems were alright ideas. Juiced's with a event to do then you get the upgrade or pink slips. Which it clearly took from other games.

I forgot Apex too on OG Xbox (Milestone in their PS2/OG Xbox experimental era) as well. I think it had similar Sega GT Dreamcast aspects to it or some part of a mechanic storyline and getting up and going and you upgrade them in a certain way. I've only seen footage that's why I don't know enough about it.

But Evolution GT was fair enough as well.

Supercar Street Challenge also did it's more body changes then upgrade changes as it was an arcade racer.

The price sure, the Halo branding sure. The 1080i is pretty nice. Sure some games PS2 or Xbox have 1080i but applying it to all games is really nice of a bonus.

720p for just enough as well then the interlacing of 1080i.

Sucks it's NTSC only for now but it's fine they can't all do other regions from the get go, maybe they will in the future if this does well? Not only the US are in for retro niche market stuff I'd assume?