Fair feature. I wasn't that big on it with Switch 1, but was Wii or Wii U. PS I don't have it at all other then the yearly round ups, Xbox either.
Folders/groups off topic:
======================
But I found myself using the library/groups on Switch 1 a lot more then I did on Xbox One. PS4/Wii U I used them a fair bit but they function differently so I can't make genre categories or what peripherals support (touch screen, gyro, I don't have a surround sound group as didn't care to, but I have probably about 30 or more based on genres, anime games, fan service ones, digital, physical,, first games in a series, sequels, and many more) and random group types on those like i can Switch 1/Xbox One.
So I have come to appreciate them a lot more then I used to compared to preferring PS4/Wii U folders but making whatever groups and re-assigning a game to them then 1 folder they can go in, does make the Switch 1/Xbox One groups really interesting to use.
========================
Back on topic:
So having a clear idea how much I have say Soundcloud in the background (or say I forget to close the eshop as I hate how I have to round about close it compared to every other app, it's like Windows 8 task manager app closing all over again, the way to go about it on an Xbox One/Series these days compared to prior OS/prior use of the store app) or any games I play actively is fair, I have gaps between playing my Xbox One or 360 so it would be interesting to know (of course this will be Xbox One/Series most likely but even still).
So the game publisher that had one of their staff tell us to just get used to not owning DVDs, and the Crew is the reason for this petition as well as many others?
I enjoy Ubisoft trying different types of games but not all of them appeal, and especially if their formulas get in the way.
Also if true they blamed Star Wars for Outlaws failures? It was Ubisoft's fault, their game design, messaging, marketing. If any movie/other brand staff said things of how they are allowed to fit Outlaws into the rules they set sure, but otherwise it's on Ubisoft.
Yeah uh GT Sport (GT PSP to GT6 had memory card or even per profile I think it was save file checks to avoid car duplication, makes sense, was still annoying, so you had to delete your save all the time, forget moving it to another PSP or PS3, I don't think it was hardware ID checked as I used different profiles same PS3, different PS3, memory card moved on PSP to check these, I can't say for digital copies either only physical)/Suicide Squad beat them to a offline state update, there is no excuse, if they can update games regularly, they can add offline status patches.
If they have licenses/a focus to keep it on store fronts, it's fine, small amounts of money sure, but still available.
We aren't expecting support forever, we aren't expecting classic MMO style approach.
Playing UE3/Brink bot matches. or Shadowrun tutorial.
It's called leaving the game available for sale or delisting but keeping the game (depends on the license), or adding an offline mode and people can still buy it on PC, physical console, digital console eshops if it isn't too much of a licensing hassle.
People will advertise games all the time even after they are over, singleplayer, multiplayer servers cut, bot matches, whatever the case. Games come around and get found out about.
Others you end up with Piglet's big movie games as a Resident Evil style game and people put the price up because of whatever nonsense can be said about a game. Will Chicken Run get expensive too because it's like MGS. XD
Many don't want LAN/fan co-op at all just publisher run servers, to waste money and have control.
They can try to make people buy the newest, or ignore past projects, but some people wanted those old projects, and be fed up and not buy their later projects, how many that effects can build up over time. Maybe 1 leaves, 2 buy the newest project, sometimes 2 leave, 1 buys it, but sometimes many don't like the direction, game design, story, etc.
It's not always nostalgia, it's quality, it's direction, people are playing old games not just because of MTX, it's knowing their product purchase was wasted, it's because of what was better.
Not everyone treats a game the same as a streaming service show that was bad or good, or moving games space off streaming when it varies for Sony/Xbox/Nintendo.
I enjoy old trends because I found their directions interesting for mechanics, I don't modern trends. I am very picky of modern games.
A fair service but to me the app always opened for any videos I already had that weren't related to the service at all. Unless confusing it with another one, which I may be.
I barely even knew it was a service app.
Still 360/PS3 to Xbox Series/PS5. What a long time to offer such digital tv/movies on consoles for the audience that did go for them.
I would just use whatever media player really but otherwise I always used my physical tv series/movies in an Xbox One/360 or PS4 as I prefer the menus, I am not a fan of PS2 artefacting (could just by my PS2 or how I position the AV cable or it connected to a HD 3D TV too, or the modern DVDs I am putting into it also) or the PS2/PSP/PS3 menus at all.
Even then the Xbox having tv/movies longer then PlayStation did seem fair, but I can see why it isn't going to last. At least they aren't removing the licenses, or at least not yet.
I never used a PSP for media (I have a few songs on there, never converted videos to it, tried on Vita as it's less effort but removed for space, was cool though even if volume limits are what they are too on there even besides AVLS) much but people did use the PC to PSP connection instead of the apps for comics, music and so on too.
I used some disks on my PC with VLC as still got a working disk drive there.
Even then who rents or digitally buys compared to just viewing? I never would bother with a digital rent/license buy of something on Xbox, Youtube or any other services. I just get physical, watch whatever others are that are into streaming services but I am not that active in tv/movies to watch really unless it's of actual interest.
Like I looked at a few anime on the Xbox One when browsing the storefront and it seemed ok, but I don't go out of my way to search for them I just did that 1 time out of curiosity. I put a game OST CD if I want to test CD apps/playback that's about it really.
Otherwise I watch my anime physical. Research digital.
Most people use streaming and move on from a series, or physical media or they just go with videos via a USB or whichever other app/'source experiences' instead. It's why I was surprised Microsoft left it as a thing for so long and went yeah we can get rid of this to save money/work around licenses.
I mean when you have a VLC or other media players why not use those.
Well to me Ghost of Yotei even if of no interest to me seems to be putting the SSD use well for the young/old idea, I like that. It's what I wanted Rift Apart to do, but it just replicated PS3 2009 HDD use again and also poorly.
To me games are trying to work around the tools while having mixed ideas, leadership and mentality they themselves have as staff or leaders make a challenge, which I am not surprised. I myself don't even care for HDR or RT, I have learned the differences from SDR and baked in lighting, subtly but even still I don't care. So if games are just being too much focused on graphics, the design is all over the place of worlds, the stories are hit and miss, gameplay is so basic either to be accessible or they don't have time to make it, so at that point why even bother. Gameplay is so basic I am so put off by many games at this point.
Plenty of OG Xbox/360 era games were more exciting of mechanics in many genres, nowadays they don't even have a strong hook, oh we have insert this license, insert this decent world, nothing actually exciting. I literally buy shooters, platformers, racing and more genres like tactics, hack n slashes off of gameplay ideas. Psi Ops/Fracture are a lot of fun 6th/7th gen shooters.
The fair mix of rocks, trees, grass and other objects is also noticeable (Star Wars Outlaws canyons or dust and other things weren't that convincing I find, Indy did an ok job of hiding natural light behind trees in the beginning area, I can't say for the rest of the game) in it of environment details in games, I don't care for that but I get why they offer them.
Also the fog in the Yotei showcase, you can see the mountain, looking at Horizon Zero Dawn you can tell even if intentional the fog in the mountains they can barely show, in Yotei it has fogs but it's also still able to be seen through, an interesting detail and large coverage of land for render distance like that is insane.
Even Valkyrie Elysium I noticed PS4/5 the grass objects being less on PS4. So yeah some games even if linear scale like that did (also had a lot of particles that game but the Wanted Dead/other team did a fair job with Elysium I think), but many western devs do like to show off environments and Yotei seems to do that.
Xbox I don't have enough reference of games in showcase or otherwise. I can't remember, but there probably is some out there that may.
Racing games vary of course in car models/track details, sounds, physics/CPU wheel data I don't even care about then focusing on decent progression that isn't boring and terrible let alone more that isn't just boring racing and repetitive. XD
I mostly care for more the young/old and other gameplay changing benefits of Yotei to utilise the console.
If we see others offer more enemies on screen, particles and more then sure but to me I don't know what to expect with current geming other then mechanics being so weak.
Xbox I can't say for sure as I don't play or have interest in any they have offered at all. So I don't know what they offered towards power of the console other then the GPU usage being probably fair for some things above the regular PS5.
They all seem to be fair uses of the hardware, but I don't know for sure.
I have no interest in GTA 6 at all, it will have fair execution of things sure, but I still don't care.
But they have Candy Crush Solitaire (got an ad for it, not that I care, Microsoft has had Solitaire games for years), they make tons of money, right?
Do they need AI for every generic puzzle game for casuals? Compared to any other types of mobile stuff they consider in the future AI can't do as well?
@Lup It's why I have a Switch, for any Vita ports, 1st party niche games or any odd Indies that don't port as much or may later. I was surprised how many Switch Indies I have that I don't always find a PC listing or mobile listing.
To me Switch was fair for the console gimmicks, the Switch exclusive Indies (some are Switch/PC but I prefer Switch instead) or any AA Japanese games that do consoles but usually do more so on handhelds. Especially for many I've researched over the years it made sense to go with Switch for them.
On occasion they go to Xbox but rarely and did usually for Gamepass for a brief time. Like seeing Danganronpa on Xbox was cool but at the same time it had been 10 years, it had been to Xbox last.
Or the Vita ports/other odd games that go to Switch/PC, but if they were PS4/PC and no Switch (the few that did and many nowadays go between Switch/PC or all 3 Switch/PC/PS5, odd PS4 release digital then physical) then they likely stay PC instead and I can understand why due to what type of content or audience they want to target.
Xbox has it's benefits but yeah we all know we have Xboxs for their uses of games, apps, etc. and the PS/Nintendo/PC for their libraries of other types of games, audiences that flock to them for those and policies.
Never been against having different consoles for different things.
I don't know what to think of this. Even if I'm sort of off Halo and Gears, or would like to see other IPs, the other IPs are kind of eh, so I guess Halo/Gears it is. Forza Motorsport 8/2023 wasn't in the direction I wanted so eh and it's ended so there is that. At least I got Forza Motorsport 1/2005 and enjoying it to complete my FM collection with 1 to 7.
Sure remaking the multiplayer, maps, services, etc. I mean we got Reach multiplayer with the 360 remaster even.
They don't want to maintain/offer crossplay or anything with MCC it seems just go eh a reboot of the campaign, why not. It's less work and they want to make an impact/test their use of the engine. I mean 343 started with 360 anniversary so.... Why not again. Better this time though? Maybe?
I think having Gears for it's multiplayer was fair. They don't need to offer everything as complete. Multiplayer is challenging and recapturing the singleplayer is fine by me.
But? Will it have split screen co-op I doubt it? If it's online only then yeah pass. Singleplayer only otherwise.
Is it all on the disk if they do a disk release? Many Microsoft releases over the years have been terrible disk releases, even Infinite was a partial and was a pain/a worthless disk release. I wasn't buying it. I didn't even play Halo Infinite, I played 5 like a few years ago, and hated it/never played it at launch, so I played it with a different mindset when I chose to play it. It was ok.
But here? I mean are we to expect padding to make it a lengthy campaign? Will they fix the padding the original had and better work around it? Or is it just as accurate as possible even it's issues?
I would be fine if it's close enough to the original, maybe a few tweaks sure, tweaks always benefit, how they execute it of course but still in need of changes or fixes, but if they have to pad it out as people want their length/money's worth then yeah I'd say pass.
Make the new areas or changes count for something.
Make gameplay changes that benefit or additional levels/areas, use the flashlight more, have fair camo/ammo secrets or skulls or whatever, besides the graphics.
Understand how to make the most of indoor/outside Halo levels, level pacing, and more.
Even then Halo 1 is very padded with samey locations/asset uses and pathing that can be confusing for a first time play, not so bad on repeat playthroughs.
I don't know what to think. It gave me Eternal Cylinder vibes with the art style. I know it will be a very different game though.
Is it an adventure game, is it action adventure. No clue. It looks nice. It's very Double Fine but I have no clue what it is.
I have not played many of their games, but i picked 'look forward to' as to me even if I don't play it I look forward to whatever they are as they are very creative. Respect.
Even the most failed games or consoles I still care about more then them being cancelled and never seeing them actually in action. I think many still had great ideas, I don't care what is popular and generic. I care what they attempted, did it land, they tried but it didn't or didn't get the marketing or wasn't appealing to THAT audience but was another audience.
I would still rather pick up a Virtual Boy/32X or others, then I would a PS5/Series X, because they were more interesting. Cancelled games like Eyedenify or Starcraft Ghost or others.
Many games or console hardware/peripherals were always more appealing to me those that got cancelled, not even because they were cancelled. Even the failed ones had ideas I found interesting of Virtual Boy, PC-FX, Playdia, Casio Loopy, Wonderswan, Lynx, Neo Geo Pocket, GP32, Jaguar, 3DO and more. Interesting ideas, business practices varied and yeah. Some didn't need to offer what they did or be executed how they did but you could still see something there. Wii U is still more potential or exciting then a Switch to me. The Switch is just a continuation of cabled/docked handhelds or PC devices. Who cares. Other then Joycons, Vita ports and not as used IR or other features. It's the most boring tablet with ok ideas and modern era boring games besides the few that are decent, not many niche B grade games to it either that many 5 to 7th gen had as those are gone, a few revivals but even still. The Xbox has Impulse triggers but otherwise a pretty hit and miss library.
Even tech demos/games as well that were cancelled. Many of my favourite games aren't AAA, they are AA/B grades. Because of their gameplay ideas. Ambitious teams that do good enough and more interesting ideas, some are still rough but even still.
Bad direction can be that but that's not on the studios' main staff that's the publisher demands or leadership. IF they were forced to make a game in a direction they aren't used to, then why would I blame the staff.
If they can adapt, or were wanting to sure, seeing Nightingale after Mass Effect Andromeda procedural generation (then changed to what it was), yeah that staff don't get the survival game community all that well. Some can, others don't. Those that make nostalgic games may land but it varies. I'm too gameplay focused, so to me if people say the games suck I disagree because I don't care what personality, if it's gameplay and the personality matches it's still a good game to me not personality and saying oh it doesn't match this and that. Well it doesn't need to. I base on quality not familiarity/references or what may have a vibe, that's not useful, I go by quality as this is more definable and it shows more in it.
Not just the money, the time, the careers, but just seeing something release is still appealing.
I would take this as a, uh duh, and a well this is what they have done to themselves. They needed to manage it better, but better leaders if it was them not the staff having a 'can do this better and better and better' mentality.
Just release it and take time to add updates. Or just release it, add updates and make the next game. But nope. They take too long, and waste time, money and meetings/work achieving nothing.
Current Rare aren't an experimental studio (very few can be anymore, surprised Double Fine even are still alive, Travelers Tales had Lego and dropped their unique games entirely, no idea what they are up to now, other examples can apply) like the past staff were, but even still. Can they even do a regular game anymore? Are they too live service deep or modern game design deep at this point?
Even Hytale they went eh lets do this, but it was also Riot or the C#/C++ engine team, that just made it take longer. They should have just released it in Java, made the add on elements over time and been fine but nope. What a waste. Even Minecraft was smart enough even if annoying to go Java, other platforms, legacy console, rework to Bedrock so less time wasted on each console unique version but try to add parity and instead they went eh Bedrock parity, not Java parity but good enough.
Has it? I haven't seen one yet. XD Seriously I haven't. Bad management, eh games leadership or staff/HR and others. All boring execution, boring modern era gaming. Business practices or game design.
Xbox audiences are very particular, small ones enjoy what comes over, but it's not a lot, Microsoft have tried, but it makes no difference either. I don't know if they can change mentality of users either. Other then design elements that suck, they never will change and I know they won't change them but besides that.
Oh ABK purchase, eh, no old CODs, no Pitfall, nothing interesting there, oh more money for Microsoft & removing layoffs. Ah, impactful sure. Defining in a good way no.
Boring IPs that are 3rd party follow the leader design (but have appeal for some reason, shrugs, gameplay wise they are boring, but people eat up that personality/it was on another console/came over or something, I don't get it, even with how much I barely use my Xbox, even if I didn't have one I wouldn't go oh this forbidden experience of Xbox on PS/Switch XD, I don't even care for PS/Xbox IPs over the years), boring OS navigation/art direction. Hit/miss business practices.
I have collected consoles I missed out on/ weighed up what they had, I still wanted them/games for them. I still see reason in an Xbox even if it's pretty eh.
Gamepass games that I don't care about. I have no subs to any of the console maker's services (people around me do, I still don't use them, I don't care for PS5/Xbox Series services, controllers, games, any of it, they are ok, but not wow factor for me, not upgrade worthy, I used a PS5 for 2 games.... that's it, the rest I can wait for and even then those 2 games were just eh, decent at best of prior formulas, some racing ones have 'ok' ideas but not that great and everything else is just PS4/Xbxo One game design I already haven't liked for 10+ years since 7th/8th gen other then niche games more and more that were good), why would I if the quality of life that's dumb behind a paywall (PS+), cloud storage (Xbox offers for free, no need to sub for unless like One Drive higher tiers, but still enough on free tier), beta access to MP games I don't care for or games selection is so eh.
Other then what Hi Fi Rush or South of Midnight, along with Japanese AAs on Gamepass briefly. Even those are pretty whatever.
I haven't seen a defining moment since the 360, actual games/design I like, OG xbox/360 or just 5th to 7th but more 5th to 6th gen and partial 7th, even lesser 8th, none at all 9th. Good or bad ones.
Xbox One had what the PC/Games for Windows Live problem then back tracked for Xbox One, hasn't for PC as it's already in full effect. It was solved but still.
But besides what back compat that's decent but many licenses didn't appear, that's up to third parties or no Halo as MCC does it already for that. It was ok. Not much Microsoft can do that. Got PS side but even those IPs/licenses will be limited too.
To me I haven't seen a defining AA, AAA, Indies or otherwise for Xbox or many places, in a while. It's been just down hill.
I still keep the console as sure the apps Nintendo/Sony don't offer is great, even if it's Windows storefront it's more useful for Xbox use cases. The impulse triggers...... Quick resume..... digital only applicable but still cool....... That's it.
Yeah not a lot to say about Xbox at all, it's 'there' but it's pretty boring.
It says a lot when they still have to make it not look like an alpha build because it's not attractive enough to players/investors, but have to make it look good enough of some systems working as they want to show it off. It's just so stupid.
I am sick and tired of outsourced CGI trailers, and all this other stuff, I want to see alphas. Even seeing Bodycount's alpha looks amazing, I still enjoy the final game despite how scaled back it was, but even still the alpha looked good enough even if not as impressive as the other 'we dressed it up' games of the era, but that's expected.
I want to see alphas, betas, demos, enough spoken up about games, not this we try to give the illusion of it being on the right track when they are far from it. It's just stupid I don't buy into illusions.
It's not completely Killzone 2 trailer lying as all animation, but it is still a working enough to be 'close to what we wanted' but still a lot of animation/art assets being enough of what's there.
I mean it's not Halo 2 and isn't finished enough comparable is it? Then the game ended up as good as it was despite how troubled it was?
Ok this just seems sad, seems like a Tango situation, a 'you have finished a project, are starting a new one, good bye'. Which is just dumb. Microsoft looked at the sales and went hmm this did good, this studio is a hanging off from the purchase then the main ones we want, get rid of them.
Because just get rid of the ones that help with Doom/Wolfenstein IPs I assume and like Raven dump them as the main studios are more important, get rid of the assist studios. That's just mean.
Projects that waste too much money and are in development hell, sure, those that underperform even though we hear differently, sigh.
But ones performing but 'not enough' or 'business politics' is just silly.
I guess a 'we bought what we did, kill the ones hanging off the sides' huh, very disrespectful to see.
They have the talent/reputation to go their own way again (if they even want to after something like this) sure but it's just odd.
IF it's a device to bridge the cap of APIs/dev kits, by all means, whether Steam, Xbox, any other store front.
I mean not like Windows 8, Phone, Xbox didn't try to at some point. Why not again?
Make things easier then too segmented. Make releases easier to go about doing so but still keep the strict hardware a console always has been besides upgrades sold as a package.
Sure store licensing can't be cheap, and sure whatever things go about policies, cuts and more between platforms but I mean sure.
I personally don't care for Steam on a console, I barely use Steam as it is, I don't even buy digital on PC/Xbox anyway really. So the offering is fair but it won't change my mind really.
The layoffs eh, those that were incompetent good riddance, those that struggled to keep up but were really trying, I feel for them, those that are veterans can go anywhere, whatever Microsoft/other demands sure it's tough but they took too long, they wasted time/money, the directions, expectations to meet and more factors of changing their minds or whatever the case, is just yeah, a challenge but I mean if they didn't meet them, it is what it is.
Well Perfect Dark staff/that studio always had issues, why not, if they couldn't work things out it shows you can't have some big deal staff in a room they just aren't going to work. The project wasn't progressing well, might as well end them.
No Xbox project has made me interested in years, Series gen or Xbox One it's past few years either. A few did Xbox One, none Xbox Series. Sure Hi Fi Rush/South of Midnight did intrigue me but haven't played, but the rest seemed eh, and only few I respect and that's from Obsidian who have proven themselves. Even Outer Worlds 2 I won't play as not my thing, but I respect what they are doing a lot, any games with as many interesting ideas as they have shown, I respect, I am really impressed by them.
For those that were useless at Rare, The Initiative, Turn 10 and other assist studios (RIP however many at Raven, but even still) then yeah, get rid of them, for those that couldn't keep up I feel for them, if big staff, they can go anywhere.
Microsoft and others may have expectations but if they couldn't meet those, or couldn't make anything that has a bit of flare of theirs into it then why bother, make something they can execute in a few years, not directions that jump all over the place.
Are big publisher tough, yes but at the same time to me even Indies are just as nostalgically or heavily inspired incompetent to make their own games stand out let alone major AAA ones that have higher expectations and restrictions sure.
So I get it, but I mean if other studios have their singleplayer game strengths, have better dev cycles of project releases, besides the live services, those ones know what they are doing, and Microsoft is happy with them.
For those that can't make a decent singleplayer game, multiplayer game or live service, it shows some of these staff just don't mesh well. Is adapting from what one is used to let alone having to keep up, sure, but at least meet enough of that to be kept afloat.
If the staff constantly of leadership or other staff, change their minds, leadership are too much to handle which can happen, or any number of them are incompetent to get something done in time. Not just the reasoning for retakes of art or level design aspects or programming/animating, etc.
Unless they do well enough with Sea of Thieves to give more staff a chance or fit in another tiny project sure.
But otherwise they kept dragging their feet not knowing what to do with it, so good riddance. Live service or not. Better direction/money/time to be spent, they didn't do it, it's on them.
Well lines on charts or not. If they are useless staff with not worth contributions, projects not working out of length, money spent on them, difficulty with working out ideas or changing their minds all the time with directionless execution, good riddance. I won't miss them.
If Obsidian can have better staff and project releases for it's audience in such times, if the live service teams that do well are staying and whatever else of other studios agreements with Microsoft for the singleplayer/live service, support studios then sure. Otherwise get rid of the useless staff in any of them.
If Sony can have their direction that stands out, Xbox studios are all over the place and Sony makes them up a cut of period and to get it out, make the most of the time/budgets, and better coordinates them.
Xbox/Microsoft needs to as well, or they expected the leaders to or the staff do, but it seems that didn't happen, or else yeah they get cut off. Sony's removals were disappointing too but I can see why even if they were studios I cared for that went away, sigh. Xbox's, yeah many of them were incompetent so I have very little sympathy to any for them.
If they couldn't keep up those ones I have sympathy for, but it depends on how much they were keeping up, but the useless that didn't contribute much or couldn't settle on execution, needed to do better. But I don't know what the expectations or deadlines were either.
It depends what the studios/publishers expectations were set they had to meet, how they contributed to the projects, which staff it was in which departments. If they couldn't meet them, sure, if they were making it a hassle to get anything done, with decisions here and there, or not keeping up execution to meet expectations, then good riddance, we don't need them. Get rid of useless staff.
If some happen to try but got caught in layoffs, then I feel sorry for those staff, as that can happen no doubt.
If people with a high enough reputation, they can go anywhere, just remember they may be veterans but they still have to work out what they want in a new studio if they create one, budgets and more, compared to other big publishers/studios they can move over to.
But even more so what were the other staff or those people doing that it took too long to make something work in those projects, at those studios?
Have better ideas, settle on those ideas, not change your mind constantly or have awkward staff.
If publisher demand changes, sure that's a pain to deal with, but if it's staff being incompetent, as in the really bad ones, good riddance, they need to be better at things not wasting time/money. But the ones that tried to keep up but couldn't those people I feel for.
I don't care how heartless that makes me sound I still care for those that tried, versus those that just couldn't settle on ideas or those that were useless. Because that's wastes, everyone's time and money, and they need to do better not be all over the place.
Good riddance of Turn 10 staff, if they had bad staff, bad leadership, get rid of them. Have a smaller team, with smarter ideas, better time spent on it, or else support or gone.
Car licensing isn't cheap and bad staff, also doesn't help with them using those.
But Raven, really? Well that sucks. I feel for them, as you never know with assist studios really. Depends on the staff I guess. Probably some pretty useless or some not great contributions/conversations I assume.
Or whatever metric they go by to get rid of them not meeting the expectations set.
IF they hire more staff sure, but make sure it's good staff, not ones so useless we got a terrible product and terrible marketing that just put me off the game and console entirely.
As unfortunate as it is, I don't care, they deserve it, is it people's lives, sure, but it was up to them to execute it well, if they didn't, good bye, no sympathy, whether marketing, whether artists, animators, programmers, designers, QA, HR, etc. I don't care if I sound heartless, it's on them.
If any of them were useless or not capable of good ideas, or executing them, good riddance.
Everwild kept going on too long and looked unfocused and Perfect Dark was getting there but was also taking too long/unfocused.
Why would a publisher keep them around if the staff contributions and leadership wasn't good, staff were particular what direction and it shows.
I wouldn't continue keeping them around either. If the conversations, direction and execution isn't good, get rid of them, no matter their skill, if they make it through sure, if they don't well, they had to keep up in some way.
Make a more focused game with the right themes, art style, gameplay and story in under a few years. Many other better studios do.
Not all have to be Obsidian, but they have had more games out, and sure quality varies for them then the others or the scale of those projects but them and many others show they can for the audiences they cater to, Sea of Theives does as a live service, State of Decay 3 will see with that one.
What others go or stay as well.
Veterans that are too sad, sure but they have their reputation and skill, but for the others not so much. I care about creative projects or ones that do enough for business, I don't care how much delight chats they had.
Turn 10 are a joke so good riddance to many of those useless/uncreative staff. If the rest do a good job with smart strategies, less staff, support or main project, fine, if they are useless staff too good riddance.
I don't have sympathy for useless staff and bad projects. It's on them.
If the more creative and effective ones stay good, if many of those are gone that will be unfortunate but if many useless ones go, not fussed to see them go at all.
@smoreon Agreed, plenty to add, the amount of PS2 games even to PS+ or purchase even by third parties just makes me wonder why many of them held back on Xbox versions at all.
Why did Atari not offer Battle Engine Aquila for Xbox, but did PS2? It's just weird. Source code or licensing or whichever.
I get the licensing costs, source code, performance, plenty they had worked on or more focus on what exists already and improving platform to platform but even still.
To maintain them or they didn't want to work on any more sure, but even ABK games could have been offered but nope. Waited for COD OG Xbox games to be offered, nope. Only COD 1 for PC/expansion and World War 2 Xbox One. How exciting.
Even Blinx 2, but nope got only the 1st game.
Also offering the originals not just MCC versions is also a factor if people want to put their disks in an license check but oh well. I guess we just have to keep our 360s around for OG Xbox games, the licensing and effort just won't compare at all even if they did I think let alone the amount of companies or licenses/IPs even relevant anymore or willing to bother with them nowadays.
Better games, better transparency, better staff direction on projects.
If we see more State of Decay 3, Everwild, Fable, perfect Dark sure. But otherwise most of those don't interest me it's just interesting to see them finally happen then in development for so long.
@Drnsnsr Same, though with PGR1 to others. I found 1 had it's uniqueness of how the Kudos system was scaled and 2 onwards did change things but some parts were lost.
Even Ratchet series I found the tactical element (Taunter to blow mines, or others) was gone to more generic third person strafe focus besides it's other personality. Too many immediate satisfaction weapons then more to them depth. Why have wacky weapons if they are just going to be simple pistols, grenade launchers, rockets, etc. anyway. Just makes them more 'recognisable' but more dull in comparison of creativity there. After the original robots used for different use cases ideas to then simplifying due to the amount of animations and effort required I get why but they dumbed it down further and further. It works but it does feel like something is missing.
I wouldn't say it was bad either series changes but it can be interesting to see how much something alters, but it altering to be easier when sometimes they go too far yes in Revenge I think they did go too far yeah. (I won't deny Burnout Revenge does make it way too easy, it can still have challenge but it does back and forth determine the moments you can and the moments you can't while the older games are more consistent or challenging to avoid), or the others were too particular of appeal to audiences.
I see why Xbox has done what it has, to me it's the Windows/Internet Explorer or Office strategy, I do think they are overdoing it but I get why they do it.
Also putting Xbox on a handheld seemed like an experiment or a do we bother with a new piece of hardware we can't maintain?
Companies that throw their branding around make me less likely to listen. But it just so happens I don't care for PS/Xbox games or consoles over the years either so not like it matter. Third parties of taste it is.
They just think Xbox or PS means so much, they do it with merch, they do it with many things. I don't care for a brand plastered everywhere, I just ignore that stuff. I get what I want of books, games, tv shows, not figures, not t shirts, shampoo, snacks, whatever. Never cared to live the merch life companies want and it being our favourite brands and all that. Never had that mentality.
I mean to me the Xbox handheld might as well be marketing, just throwing the brand around like Xbox shampoo. That's how the handheld could be seen, too far with the logo/branding and thinking the illusion works when many smart people want to see more effort put into it not a logo slap on. Sure impulse triggers are there and the OS but even then it's still minor details.
To me the PS Portal is just a recycling of the Vita remote play app but just worse so I find it branding over substance as well on the PS side too. No resolution targeting that Vita app had of 360/540p when the Portal could do the same offer 480p to 1080p but nope, the console can, so why not do the same for casting too, is it because they don't want customers complaining even though smart people may want to use it, people use 144p on YT, why would people not want to do the same with a PS Portal casting scale. Sigh.
No dual screen use, just a casting solution that some people may be into and only few people question, compared to Wii U where it was confusing too but people that really got into it understood it's 70 feet local range, enjoyed the games and really got creative with it in bags with a power bank, car chargers, any place with power ports and more or those that really got into Vita remote play really understood it.
To me Portal has it's use to recontextualise what they have 3 prior times and really just feels like a branding solution, they have it on phones since 2019 Android and backbone/Apple app release later. PS4/PC as well have it. So to me offering it in many ways is fine but it's so overused I just blank it out.
I'd like substance over style or 'services' that only offer so much of a purpose/access that only so many people use anyway or notice of advertising. There is only so much they can execute with substance though too, so the marketing/approaches have 'some' weight but eh, they have audiences that do you use them so they do have some purpose people may not have considered or really enjoyed experiencing no doubt.
The games vary but aren't as strong as the past either.
Gamepass and others have a place but also seem like an easy 'if you want to rent/try things sure' otherwise easy to move on. But demos could do the same thing as well.
Even video footage makes it easy to not play a game anymore, why because the gameplay is usually so similar for most games, Indies it varies but for AAA they are so repetitive your basically playing for story and looking at menus to see what things you engage with a lot.
Well yeah. It does a lot right. The whole series did well I think. Paradise to me is awkward but it does a fair job transitioning to open world even if I find the speed, stunts and more to be too awkward or the pathing of opponents and the city is just confusing.
It's good arcade fun, no licensed cars, a lot of fair personality to it, so it's CREATIVE.
But that doesn't stop Wreckfest being a successor to Flatout but also modern era game design boring (the different vehicles does no change anything really, racing/derbies are fine but it's 2 modes, most older games had more then 3 modes and multiple rules to them, even V Rally has 5 event types and 2 rules per them, it's pathetic, the illusion doesn't fool me) besides how good of a game it is. Wreckfest 2 has not impressed and looks like every other game that's just doing the bare minimum to refine, despite the excuse I can give to 1 being a kickstarter project modern Bugbear seem about as boring as any other modern racing game or Indie studio, bare minimum content and recycling it too much then offering enough to it and cycling it a racing game should have of it's formula, so this time, no excuse being as bland as others in the racing genre of being 'empty'.
The series is great, I own almost all of them. I'm not a BIG fan but I see appeal in them sure. I feel it's like Rayman I had to come around to why they are good even though I think they were just alright.
I didn't care for NFS Hot Pursuit 2010 360 or Remaster I got on Switch, and no the graphics weren't why I just found it a boring Burnout 5 but even less appealing then a a Burnout. Sure it's an NFS game and I have no context/experience with Hot Pursuit 1 and 2 but even still. I preferred NFS Hot Pursuit 2010 Wii, if that makes things clear.
Modern ones do fine but even current NFS is just bad. Creativity in the graphics, yet sub par in playlists and gameplay structure. It's just a joke.
I am not an NFS fan I came to them late so my experience/impressions and favourites are very different.
@Kaloudz I agree. Well I just read it on Push Square, so to me it's likely July 3rd even though it says July 2nd. So it will be Thursday for me, Wednesday for the US or others that side of the world. Or whenever we hear about it I guess.
We can speculate but we could easily be wrong with any one of them depending how convincing, or what they see in them.
Many of these will be sad, or welcomed. But which is which hmm.
So they are going to just release whichever into there slowly.....
Besides COD 1 PC/expansion......
What predictable and boring news, wake me up when they do something interesting not just 360/Xbox One era COD to Gamepass over months/years from now or delist them from the service. This is just so boring.
Wake me up when something interesting and not predictable happens. These companies choices are getting boring and ignore worthy.
You can get old COD physical for cheap as who really wants them anymore? Exactly, cheap as ever to get them.
Digital that price will vary and usually stays high on even old storefronts anyway.
I already own it so too me it's not a bother but for those that didn't I think it's a good entry despite what people say.
Yeah for older COD of OG Xbox era, I will continue to play those on PS2, thanks ABK. Great to see your offering only the Xbox One era ones and being absolutely lazy about offering more interesting stuff, How risky, as in safe your offering this stuff.
I'm ok doing that. Seeing if the next COD is good of it's sci-fi ideas or else ignore it like the past few entries I have been ignoring.
So hardly that interesting Microsoft/ABK at all. Still not bothered.
Pretty boring news really. Offer us things we won't expect, not the most predictable and more.
Wow a slow roll out of 360 or Xbox One offering COD games over months/years, wow, no way, what NEWS! XD
@Kaloudz Obsidian and Insomniac to me are the most amazing at balancing projects. So Obsidian has to be safe, their output and handling is excellent for Microsoft of small scale like Pentiment and Outer Worlds, Grounded, Avowed.
Playground has shown themselves too. Fans may have their ups and downs but they have proven themselves to output and Fable will just take time due to the type of game it is then what they are used to.
Other more creative studios can be hit and miss, Compulsion, Double Fine and others it's up in the air if they do like Tango, or Sony removing London/others but I'm surprised Media Molecule is still alive as besides Asobi, they are the only other creative studio doing different things left.
The rest it's hard to tell. Anything could happen with them.
For ABK/Bethesda studios I do wonder as well with how their fair outputs have been and we already saw what's become of those they removed.
If it's main Microsoft studios and not to do with the other two publishers that narrows it down but by how much.
Also if it were QA or others and not main staff then even more hmm questioning there too. It could be any staff in any area really.
I mean Rare has had a lot of time with Everwild but Sea of Thieves is still going strong. I think they will be safe.
Some others I forget. May other mobile studios we forget. Similar to how with Tango/Arcane, it also had the one studio that did the Doom mobile game or others was also dropped most likely no one had heard of.
With lengthy projects, delays or quality, yeah.
If the studios that are bad are left, you know it's business politics and they have connections or are good at convincing somehow keeping them there, otherwise it seems a bit odd.
Fair list. More so the title made me think more than it's offering with 'Stream Your Own Game' (not as in a players made games, just even otherwise to that of how you'd go about mixing them or whatever) but still, always great to see a service like this.
It's not my thing at all though either, but I think it's great it exists for the purpose it does and the audience it does.
While would be nice to see Quake 4 be available again and not PC/360 trapped. I mean.... I also don't care that much and would like to see PLENTY of other games, even PLENTY of other shooters get revived instead then safe options like Quake here even if they are quality.
Quake Champions has it's place and sure Quake 3 does but Quake 4 would be more appealing if I had to go with the limited options listed. But I'd still like to see other games really. There is a reason I am buying up PS2/Xbox/PS3/360/Wii shooters. I like many of the ideas in them, and no one wants to remaster them, so might as well buy them if no one will do anything about them on modern platforms.
I don't want to replay or see appear games I haven't and the same safe IPs or only the biggest games, or else I might as well give my money to second hand stores instead for the B grades/AAs and more of the past instead, source code access many have sure is a challenge or licensing, but otherwise, why should I bother, the others are everywhere, and the ones I want to are not, so why would I give console makers or Nightdive money, why bother.
Yeah and Monolith that makes Xenoblade helped make Breaeth of the Wild and you can tell, what greatness did Halo Studios/343 offer here that Obisidan couldn't do due to their size/talent/prior budgets. They can 'assist' but I hardly doubt they did that much to contribute (harsh I know but you can really tell sometimes with how much a studio effects others in certain ways).
I mean Outer Worlds 2 to me is a step up like Alpha Protocol had it's conversation system as still amazing to this day despite how rough it is. So is the game ambitious in many ways yes, they really want to do a lot with this game and I can tell so assisting is totally fine, many can do that in-between other projects other staff are working on their projects. But I don't get the same wow from this as I did my example above because with Monolith I can tell their quality and I haven't played all their games, with Halo Studios I don't really see much here.
@Kaloudz To me other then a few decent event types/modes (first for the series not competition wise of games that already did them years ago, like Sprint aka 1 Lap Magic from GT4 or any other GT series driving missions or 3rd party racing games mechanics or aesthetics over the years), it felt like it remixed ideas well enough to be appealing but otherwise yeah they haven't done anything particular well in years.
The fact Project Car Racing (or whatever it's called) with it's recent career mode trailer/showcase or Ride 4 have used region systems Forza Motorsport 1 and 2 had but expanded upon them in interesting ways and Turn 10 haven't a single decent idea says a lot of how incompetent Turn 10 are.
Or better showcased cars, tracks, sponsors, progression and more. Let alone better marketing.
Ride has always tried to be Forza Motorsport but bikes even 2 has a cutscene similar to Forza Motorsport 6, let alone menus. Milestone don't even have the budget (and their European jank does appear but I still find them appealing) did way better ideas back in the OG Xbox era but still doing well to mix things up besides their budget or other IPs they balance.
So bad staff, bad use of resources to 'save money/reuse assets' but not in a good way and yet they don't know how to make a racing game? As particular as people are about Forza Horizon, at least many from that studio know how to make one.
Turn 10 aren't even close to their best or their middle but still decent games times.
Goodbye Turn 10 you won't be missed, Xbox/Microsoft/the current staff have done it themselves, they have ruined their reputation and many people have bad leadership, seem to be very 'we connect well but can't make a decent product' so why even have useless staff then, business at Xbox related studios seems to be about pleasing people with dumb conversations, rather than making good products, that's pointless.
If Xbox can have a decent team make a better than we got racing game sure, but if they can't turn Turn 10 around what's the point. I'd like them and Forza Motorsport to continue but the current efforts are so bad I have no respect for them, they did this to themselves. They need a game like this in the space, but they treated it badly and that's just sad and disgusting.
Part 2: Not everything can be big budget and successful, sometimes you need niche games to get for example people like me to be interested in your console or games. I am very much a Nintendo niche gamer at this point because PS/Xbox haven't bothered. Switch just happened to have Vita IPs I want ported as well as their niche IPs. The gimmicks didn't appeal to me as much as prior Nintendo, PS or Xbox consoles, the library did.
But no you want big budgets, have a loyal audience that is into a mix of different games (which is great if they offer the right ones to appeal/execute it) but not likely as much as others into the Halo, COD and others that are 1 IP type players.
That and they can put on every platform or any device but they can't expect more to be out of no where no matter how far they widen things.
Let alone a better console OS/gimmicks that isn't terrible and not 360 getting an advertising update made by idiots.
So playing the Google card of 'we don't understand gaming but want money'. Xbox sure but Microsoft seems to act like it's their first time entering gaming with decisions like this. The lacking leadership, the mutual 'we have this under control attitude' is just so hilarious. Some studios do it excellently and you can tell, others don't in the slightest and others get awards for the worst leadership, why? Of they were good or acted good in the company yet the games were garbage but they still got a leadership award. Sure.....
If Xbox removes Compulsion, Double Fine, Ninja Theory and more then is it their budgets or is it their niche audience games or publishers thinking they are bigger deals then they actually are and not having the context players have (of course that's the case).
If so, Microsoft won't have much left for other audiences they may want to appeal to yet won't because they cut them out and people not into big games (or of the types released, let alone taking too long to make as well so cut the rest and still waste money on dev time/changes/other factors which isn't ideal) that's not a lot but it still eats into things. Maybe the big ones didn't appeal to people as much, what a waste of time, money and 'appeal' that doesn't land, why waste it on big projects, they aren't always a good strategy.
If it's Turn 10 it's their own fault the game sucks, car/track/music licenses are expensive sure but HOW THEY USE THEM should be important but this staff wouldn't know in the slightest and it shows, plenty of other 3rd parties or GT games show it, I don't like GT series direction or many 3rd parties but you can see why they go for what they do in their design.
The current staff swap out is just atrocious and while 5 to 7 I wasn't big on they were still decent, had a lot of variety and fair remixes to them. 8 or 2023 is just bland and no updates will change my mind on the garbage marketing (I don't take marketing as a factor but it was still really bad) and bad design it has. I would have given Xbox my money for it but nope they made it a terrible release and I refuse to support it. Your own fault Turn 10 staff that aren't the same as they used to be.
If it's particular other services/studios sure but if it's major ones, monitor your studios with better leadership, better staff, better design goals, actually make games that appeal to audiences, but they won't they will copy paste what their competitors do and make third party style garbage and wonder why. Their competition is pretty weak.
They are proud of their particular reputation and think like every other company that they are special and to me it's quality that only sometimes shows, I haven't really seen much in them at all, there are some I respect or would play/buy, but most from any 1st/3rd parties seem very 'we push the value we think we see in these' yet audiences say otherwise and it shows, their reputation is a joke to me at this point.
I'd have preferred Bing search bar to come back or a 2026+ clock update, as someone tested that the 2026+ does work it's just not visible. Or some other minor things that need minor tweaks. Then it will be fine to end off the console updates and I'd be happy, but no they do the stupid thing instead.
It's like with the Series S/X OS dashboard update last time, oh players cut the advertising, with customisation, time to put the advertisng back in and annoy them even more. Same here, advertising. Is that all Xbox is good in visual design? Do they want us to laugh at them. Is ads all Microsoft understands? Seriously. Who are these idiots.
I'd rather they fix that then some visual changes like this to the dashboard advertising the Series consoles. Microsoft/Xbox are so marketing/advertising first and useless I swear. Visual changes, and advertising, that's the best they can do. Seriously. XD I get not supporting the platform, but visuals and not other quality of life fixes, I don't expect a grand update, but come on, how useless can they be. This is disgusting.
No wonder the OS is broken and ugly/the worst I've ever navigated on a piece of technology. It wouldn't be in my top 100 let alone 1000 or million devices on this planet.
It's fair but compared to Halo 2600 homebrew, live service ones Nintendo has for Tetris, Mario, F Zero 99 and such ones to recontextualise those games.
Or even some like Cadance of Hyrule that were more a partnership type, I don't see this fan game as that great.
I mean this gives off Capcom Megaman Street Fighter crossover fan game vibes. Cool but something to get out rather then others that have more to them.
Also a Halo Vampire Survivors fan game.... I mean if people want a modern game and something different but there is a reason i respect Halo Wars more for different genre use of Halo then this.
Seen something like this of princess manager type games. Seems fair. Cool to see on Xbox as usually wouldn't think they would release on Xbox. More so PC, maybe other consoles if that.
It should be better in EU or Japan/Asia, but nope. Those that know, know, those that don't don't with an Xbox existing, how they market things and so on.
Xbox's reach is 'something' but Sony has the largest reach of consoles or their other departments devices. So they will always do better then Microsoft that does so more for Windows then they do Xbox or any other types of products/services.
I think the many ads I've seen for Aussies is pretty hmm besides all the other ones on their YouTube channel or Summer of Gaming period ads/trailers were underwhelming. Of Gamepass to in general other stuff.
Like sure I see the Shapes biscuits win a Series console ones or the Aldis Forza Motorsport 8/23 car ones with Gamepass on it but otherwise if I didn't go online with articles or was that into gaming, I'd barely see anything of Xbox other then going to stores with technology/gaming that have them in stores or advertising but if they weren't my regular route then probably non existent.
I mean sure... But what about Mixed Reality headsets? What happened to those? Also why not just get a Heads Up Display instead. I've seen Sony ones from the 2000s even. Could just do that instead, it would maybe be cheaper too.
It's fine to do but eh. Branding, use with a console or still with PC and branding. Who cares. Price point has been clear to people. Is it more an option, sure. Like the ROG Xbox Ally, it's fair to have but is the price, branding and game support worth it? I just don't see much point.
VR games aren't appealing to people unless certain ways anyway so will it change much?
That's been clear for years now. I have more an open mind to VR and have potential hope for it but even I barely use it because of how devs treat it, they refuse to learn how to make games in it appropriately of motion or controller use, their mentality is just sad.
Gamers expectations are set in stone like many adults do besides those with more open eyes ideas that are like a few percent maybe 1%, so is much going to happen? I don't know.
Part 2: I haven't liked the way consoles are going since 2013, maybe 2015, more so 2017+ when I started collecting and researching niche, popular, failed, successful, peripherals, consoles, games, anything to see what ideas and approaches have been done.
When I can see better use of trends ideas in the past and hate modern it's because of quality/effort, not nostalgia.
That's 10 years of disappointment and lack of interest in game design or console features being boring, bland and just a PC with less interesting gimmicks then prior years and games so grounded and bland I wonder why anyone would even bother the worlds are done to death and boring.
I don't see the appeal they haven't done anything exciting with those worlds mechanically or thematically at all, so besides non pathetic Indies (many bad ones that are just as unoriginal slop with lacking potential) and retro games or odd AAs that aren't the ones people bring up.
Back compat is consistent, I don't expect them to jump to another architecture. That's a good thing, we don't need more messing around. So to me that's not exciting, it's good so it's not boring in a bad way, it's good to see them keep it going. Competition is nice to see but it's also boring competition too so I hardly care. Consistency good, competition is boring.
Microsoft has 'variety' but unlike PS1 to 3/PSP/VIta Sony that had variety it had more creativity. Xbox hasn't had OG Xbox/360 level design game design in years so why would i be excited?
But it's also not new licenses like Nintendo/Sony are offering it's just enhancing or consistency. That's on third parties more so then Microsoft but even still. It's boring but it's good boring is how I'd put it.
But the rest, I haven't cared about this whole generation on PS5/Series S and X, Switch 1/2 at all.
The handheld is branding, it's something but besides how well it runs and an OS side of things or Impulse Triggers keep going yay, it's pretty who cares. It's like Portal, a safe 'experiment' and a very boring one. I get why.
But eh I can go without them. It has it's place no doubt, but it's not good or bad boring it's just neutral, it's 'there'. I don't care.
Even if there was a Xbox/PS handheld I don't like the game design direction these days to care at all to buy them. The console gimmicks will be boring as well, so why bother.
Portability is not a selling point, nor trophies. Gimmicks are to me. Because without those and boring game design why would i bother. Games in the past being experimental I didn't mind gimmicks or not, with no experimentation just 'you start the trend or else we follow' design of gaming. What is there to get excited for.
Nice to have, can go without. Switch to me it's gimmicks were boring but it had old games or decent Nintendo niche games. Otherwise to me I couldn't care less for it, it continues what other consoles previously did, a few other ideas sure but eh splitting joycons is good, but HD Rumble sucks, IR is underused when they can backwards use them for Wii or other uses, cool, nice to have, hardly exciting. Switch 2 is also boring, library will build, but boring device.
Games are gameplay boring with too much focus on story, graphics or being as copy paste repetitive and accessible worlds/ground with no imagination needed to play, so yeah I haven't been excited in the slightest.
I played 3 PS5 games, hated them all. Ratchet/GT7 were the worst of those series execution yet and Space Marine 2 was a 1.5, good but not exciting.
Xbox, not touched once, I touched the Xbox One on 'occasion' was still boring but had it's use. Series S/X have their benefits but the same bland OS I hate on Xbox One over it's Series time span and besides it's eh prior Xbox One OS revisions that some were good, some were bad, Series era, some were good, some were bad/still in the bad one.
I used my PS3 more then PS4 during it's early period, I haven't touched current gen more than 1%. Because there is no need for me to. It's not that third parties are all I care for or they go to PS4/Xbox One it's that the game design sucks for both 1st/3rd party so most games aren't even worth a look at.
The gimmicks are eh. Quick resume is ok but even if digital only and I don't do digital on Xbox it's still a fair idea, it's no dual screen/multi app/games use more flexibly like a phone/PC but it's something. Impulse trigger still here yay.
It's fair. I don't care that much as it's expected then pulling away and wasting more time/money on things. Keeping existing, get enough new while not sacrificing too much is completely fair and less hassle on the hardware side. It makes total sense to do so for both companies if they keep that consistent.
So the consistency, enhancements and more are appreciated but to me I can stick to an Xbox One or Series and still not care about the benefits of the next one besides the consistency (I already don't care about resolution, HDR, etc. stuff, frame rates sure but otherwise most new benefits consoles offer have been uninteresting, how they are used, what they actually do, I just don't care, I keep up to date on them and cues, as much as I can understand, still don't care about them, to be informed, see how they are used, but also see what garbage design trends we see of visuals, frame rates and other nonsense TV/other makers want to put that is just going to be eh, let alone I already don't care about reality or eh artstyles, and gameplay sucks so what else is there to do other then go retro).
Let alone I'd rather just play a game that's exciting then boring modern games, fair list of old games and no new licenses but those on PS/Nintendo because third parties are too lazy or source code access, reverse engineering time/money or other factors.
I'd rather play OG Xbox games on a 360 or any other platform that has certain games or 'other means'. Licensing is a pain and always will be. I don't care how they perform and how bad, if they were good enough still they are good enough, enhancements are nice but I don't need them, not really.
I have no questions, to me it will be more power, existing games (understandable to work with and improve those, no other licenses want to be offered to Xbox for back compat only Sony or Nintendo which is sad but it is what it is), and more new ones for Series/next console.
I doubt much for controller gimmicks or software till we see more. If we see another social feature like the share button (was fair to add but the only thing besides quick resume, eh). IF we see nothing even more this console is going to be boring.
Store front we will see. What happens, what games are part of a whitelist and blacklist. So who knows what comes about let alone compatibility layers or no need at all even. Whatever the agreements, money and more to focus on.
I really don't care for Steam support, no matter what. Game design already doesn't appeal to me so no matter the old games on Steam or current ones PC only to expand on possibilities and less compatibility restrictions and so on.
It's fine to offer but if game design already sucks on all platforms by many developers AAA to Indies, no amount of combining is going to change my mind. Is it cool yes, it is worth it maybe, will game design change and all were getting is compatibility focus. Eh.
Benefits for devs/pubs is fine, for the customer only so much, and what they seek out of this.
But otherwise it will be the typical product selling mindset of power/new games and no new back compat just existing back compat. Who knows gimmicks/benefits besides a typical product experience with a few expanded elements more then usual so what. I don't go to PC for it's storefronts and games because I don't care to regardless of my lacking hardware of a PC. The games still don't appeal.
If other things happen sure but otherwise I have no questions, none I want answers to because I am not excited at all. For a boring box, boring handheld/console/any device (apps or games utilising things/ideas/money and thought put into it) or a boring station, by what 1st party and 3rd parties offer that's not appealing at all and just formulaic, inspired, trend following badly or nostalgic slop then genuine potential not achieved by brain dead developers making uncreative wastes of time.
So visuals, don't care, back compat for all existing games part of it.... sure, why not. But to me no matter the 4K, HDR, RT, etc. for back compat to apply to or modern games, I don't care.
Steam can be offered. I still don't care. It's nice but who cares if the games still suck.
When console competition/offering Xbox as an option is the only thing I care about with an Xbox then what it can actually can do because it's so bad. There is a reason I barely care about the Xbox or PlayStation at all. Yet years ago would gladly support them.
They can make it a PC like or another Xbox. For competition I'm all for it. For everything Xbox has done I've touched none of it's so boring, nothing will change for me. I'll ignore it like I already have this gen, same as PS5, boring consoles, boring games, eh OS design and average to boring peripherals/gimmicks that do a decent job.
When can we get to actual 'games' not visual/story telling garbage we have been getting for years now ever since PS3/360 when we had enough decent ideas in some trends to now just graphics card/story telling priorities I never want to play. The wrong mentality and continuing with it. Devs/console makers/publishers are just so boring.
I'm just going to mechanically compelling older games more and more, laughing at wrong potential using Indies and just ignoring AA/AAA mentality garbage, because the industry and audiences just want more and more of it. Refinements or stagnation, pass.
They can rework the OS layers, sure, if it's just for the bare minimum don't care. I want the 2013-2017 TV TV TV stuff as in not THAT per say but the feature for any apps/games. What quick resume kind of fills the space of now I guess.
Pass on the 100th boring way to offer social features/other stuff we didn't need but got priority over.
Or any other console gimmicks I'd like to see. Or even something else besides Impulse Triggers being the highlight to me on the Xbox One controller as awesome (even better then HD Rumble) to a share button on Series S/X controllers/grip feel. Well that sucked.
The game design still sucks, the visuals don't impress and I want other controller/console gimmicks. The consoles and games are bad, boring, unoriginal and trend boring. Devs/console makers mentalities are just a waste it's so disappointing.
We won't see better game design ideas, we have to see boring visuals/story telling I don't even want to buy/Gamepass try out ever. Great.
I have no interest in this at all. I'll keep playing my back log or my OG Xbox/360 games that aren't back compat or are OG Xbox only on 360 back compat. Let alone the other platforms I'd rather play on as well older games or odd modern games I barely play.
Part 2: Many older racing games have more modes/track/progression/car use case substance with their low car counts. You can have many characters, but it's meaningless if no body uses them or WANTS to use them, racing, platformer, shooter, action adventure, RPG, whatever. Imagine that. Due to their movesets, their benefits as a character and more.
Inertial Drift or Distance, maybe Art of Rally but most Indies I find boring, unlicensed (fine) but unoriginal and too inspired/referential then putting their own ideas into things. I don't want racing to be a nostalgia genre, even platformers are nostalgia and weak design not showing it's potential. It's just sad.
I'll play any B grade to AA/AAA old racing games with better ideas over cutting corners modern day slop for 20 hours that's for sure. I want ideas to be put in not offer the bare minimum and hide it with bad progression and car incentives.
I found something in PGR2's restrictions yet many wanted to drive a car that's high end immediately. Yet 3 did just that. I hate classes in modern game, generic skill trees and all that other modern era safeness/incentives garbage design. For arcade maybe, but a career mode it's boring as ever. I can have whatever strategy in old games, what is the point in strategic fun in modern games there isn't as much due to what cars, tracks and expectations for 'open ness or just generic events' with little effort put into them for game design/progression at all. Open isn't always better, restrictions but smartly designed and not too far is
If Forza Rally or Forza more creative modes, progression or anything else yes.
If Forza to be like the Behaviour studio concept art with the ships and other random locations or other stuff. Sure. That won't happen but I mean someone needs to be creative in the racing space.
More original tracks, more original ideas, more interesting progression, not just brands/licensed tracks, cars maybe, OST I never listen to anymore, etc. Bad staff that don't care about the IP or understand a direction for it.
The fact even though I hate how Milestone had handled MXGP (1 is balanced, 3 sucks), MotoGP (played older ones fine or SBK, later ones got worse) and Ride (1 to 3 was good) but Ride 4 (or 16, not played all I have more Namco's 3, 4, THQ's 06, Capcom's 8 and 9/10 or so, all over the place to see what I can acquire and see how they go about things besides challenges are more fun then season mode also management or physics of 9/10 I was fine with and 3 like 16 has more tracks/bikes I want to use not always the REAL WORLD STUFF) had a spin on Forza Motorsport 1 and 2's region system but more restrictive/innovating on it but hard AI, means I hate the game but was still impressed by it. None of the modern Forza team even comes close at all. Sure I prefer Milestone's older era innovative racing games no one played but at the same time they still impress me more then their Turn 10 as a inspiration to compete with ideas for. XD
If Horizon 6, no. If Motorsport not garbage direction for the series.
Give me a Stuntman type game, or bowling, auto cross, interesting obstacle or vehicle based rules, other event or mode types.
Or other mechanics. Or track design.
Good split screen career modes or arcade modes.
I would take ANY interesting arcade racer or sim racer, I hate the racing genre by 3rd parties or 1st parties, boring classes, boring progression, forced reward cars I never need due to singleplayer progression not needing them, barely anything strategy to the cups/parts or tuning. Other then Forza Motorsport what 1 or 2 that's it. Sure difficulty settings of AI/physics but even still. They don't have to be GT like but even still. More interesting event types, they got duller and emptier and less modes with 8/2023 then even 5 to 7 tried a few different things.
I only care about what 5/6th gen arcade/sims did whether Milestone, Sega, Capcom, Konami, Activision, EA and many more because of their mechanics/ideas were better, not just style, OSTs and track originality that is way better then the non existent those are these days.
Racing is an embarrassing genre these days, and so far behind, many gave up on it and audiences/devs have shown with esports, game design and manufacturers.
Let alone Wreckest (besides being a Kickstarter or Wrecreation whenever that is, Wreckfest 2 seems generic and a physics update, how boring and low effort of mode ideas can anyone offer, it's like shooters, make 1 mode, get money what happened to the others? I don't want to just race, I want many rules/things to do with a car/character not be bored doing the same thing for 20 hours whether a shooter or a racing game, I find RPGs boring because their level designs are more dull then any other genre let alone 30-100+ hour counts of dialogue and boring design)
But being yes more a Flatout successor but no licenses of cars yet it is still bland and boring for 20 hours with 2 modes, barely much style they want to lean into of modes for obstacles or anything interesting besides races/derbies and a mix of vehicle types that really do nothing but 1 race event with them. Flatout had more personality, better tracks (some) and even the fling your driver events. Like we can't do that anymore as people will take things too seriously even though Jackass and others were a thing back then.
Even Gravel or others have better presentation of variety of modes, for how few it has, but fair track variety that still works with it's limited modes. V Rally 4 I think did it wrong, 2 point a to b (that are the same really). 2 circuit types and 1 time trial/score based. That and I didn't like it's use in-game currency to advance which was a hassle. I have played R Racing Evolution sure but it did it better to justify events and car access, V Rally 4 is just tedious and to me the lose of events or skill was 'understandable' but felt awkward to progress to higher tiers. It didn't flow well.
WRC3 I just got plenty of event types besides it's championship/time trial/others I never even touched because the career events was so good of a mode (RIP none of that on Vita version but PS3/360/PC it was good). Best annual racing game I've played in years, besides MotoGP16 (and it's bad MotoGP AI but good balanced dirt bike/rally car AI, go figure there).
Comments 754
Re: Microsoft Is Adding A 'Play History' Tab To The Xbox Dashboard
Fair feature. I wasn't that big on it with Switch 1, but was Wii or Wii U. PS I don't have it at all other then the yearly round ups, Xbox either.
Folders/groups off topic:
======================
But I found myself using the library/groups on Switch 1 a lot more then I did on Xbox One. PS4/Wii U I used them a fair bit but they function differently so I can't make genre categories or what peripherals support (touch screen, gyro, I don't have a surround sound group as didn't care to, but I have probably about 30 or more based on genres, anime games, fan service ones, digital, physical,, first games in a series, sequels, and many more) and random group types on those like i can Switch 1/Xbox One.
So I have come to appreciate them a lot more then I used to compared to preferring PS4/Wii U folders but making whatever groups and re-assigning a game to them then 1 folder they can go in, does make the Switch 1/Xbox One groups really interesting to use.
========================
Back on topic:
So having a clear idea how much I have say Soundcloud in the background (or say I forget to close the eshop as I hate how I have to round about close it compared to every other app, it's like Windows 8 task manager app closing all over again, the way to go about it on an Xbox One/Series these days compared to prior OS/prior use of the store app) or any games I play actively is fair, I have gaps between playing my Xbox One or 360 so it would be interesting to know (of course this will be Xbox One/Series most likely but even still).
Re: Ubisoft Responds To 'Stop Killing Games' Petition, Says They're Doing Their Best To Support Players
So the game publisher that had one of their staff tell us to just get used to not owning DVDs, and the Crew is the reason for this petition as well as many others?
I enjoy Ubisoft trying different types of games but not all of them appeal, and especially if their formulas get in the way.
Also if true they blamed Star Wars for Outlaws failures? It was Ubisoft's fault, their game design, messaging, marketing. If any movie/other brand staff said things of how they are allowed to fit Outlaws into the rules they set sure, but otherwise it's on Ubisoft.
Yeah uh GT Sport (GT PSP to GT6 had memory card or even per profile I think it was save file checks to avoid car duplication, makes sense, was still annoying, so you had to delete your save all the time, forget moving it to another PSP or PS3, I don't think it was hardware ID checked as I used different profiles same PS3, different PS3, memory card moved on PSP to check these, I can't say for digital copies either only physical)/Suicide Squad beat them to a offline state update, there is no excuse, if they can update games regularly, they can add offline status patches.
If they have licenses/a focus to keep it on store fronts, it's fine, small amounts of money sure, but still available.
We aren't expecting support forever, we aren't expecting classic MMO style approach.
Playing UE3/Brink bot matches. or Shadowrun tutorial.
It's called leaving the game available for sale or delisting but keeping the game (depends on the license), or adding an offline mode and people can still buy it on PC, physical console, digital console eshops if it isn't too much of a licensing hassle.
People will advertise games all the time even after they are over, singleplayer, multiplayer servers cut, bot matches, whatever the case. Games come around and get found out about.
Others you end up with Piglet's big movie games as a Resident Evil style game and people put the price up because of whatever nonsense can be said about a game. Will Chicken Run get expensive too because it's like MGS. XD
Many don't want LAN/fan co-op at all just publisher run servers, to waste money and have control.
They can try to make people buy the newest, or ignore past projects, but some people wanted those old projects, and be fed up and not buy their later projects, how many that effects can build up over time. Maybe 1 leaves, 2 buy the newest project, sometimes 2 leave, 1 buys it, but sometimes many don't like the direction, game design, story, etc.
It's not always nostalgia, it's quality, it's direction, people are playing old games not just because of MTX, it's knowing their product purchase was wasted, it's because of what was better.
Not everyone treats a game the same as a streaming service show that was bad or good, or moving games space off streaming when it varies for Sony/Xbox/Nintendo.
I enjoy old trends because I found their directions interesting for mechanics, I don't modern trends. I am very picky of modern games.
Re: Microsoft Movies & TV Is Officially Ending, Which Will Have A Big Impact On Xbox
A fair service but to me the app always opened for any videos I already had that weren't related to the service at all. Unless confusing it with another one, which I may be.
I barely even knew it was a service app.
Still 360/PS3 to Xbox Series/PS5. What a long time to offer such digital tv/movies on consoles for the audience that did go for them.
I would just use whatever media player really but otherwise I always used my physical tv series/movies in an Xbox One/360 or PS4 as I prefer the menus, I am not a fan of PS2 artefacting (could just by my PS2 or how I position the AV cable or it connected to a HD 3D TV too, or the modern DVDs I am putting into it also) or the PS2/PSP/PS3 menus at all.
Even then the Xbox having tv/movies longer then PlayStation did seem fair, but I can see why it isn't going to last. At least they aren't removing the licenses, or at least not yet.
I never used a PSP for media (I have a few songs on there, never converted videos to it, tried on Vita as it's less effort but removed for space, was cool though even if volume limits are what they are too on there even besides AVLS) much but people did use the PC to PSP connection instead of the apps for comics, music and so on too.
I used some disks on my PC with VLC as still got a working disk drive there.
Even then who rents or digitally buys compared to just viewing? I never would bother with a digital rent/license buy of something on Xbox, Youtube or any other services. I just get physical, watch whatever others are that are into streaming services but I am not that active in tv/movies to watch really unless it's of actual interest.
Like I looked at a few anime on the Xbox One when browsing the storefront and it seemed ok, but I don't go out of my way to search for them I just did that 1 time out of curiosity. I put a game OST CD if I want to test CD apps/playback that's about it really.
Otherwise I watch my anime physical. Research digital.
Most people use streaming and move on from a series, or physical media or they just go with videos via a USB or whichever other app/'source experiences' instead. It's why I was surprised Microsoft left it as a thing for so long and went yeah we can get rid of this to save money/work around licenses.
I mean when you have a VLC or other media players why not use those.
Re: Opinion: Xbox Series X Still Hasn't Been Fully Utilised Yet, But 2026 Could Be The Year
Well to me Ghost of Yotei even if of no interest to me seems to be putting the SSD use well for the young/old idea, I like that. It's what I wanted Rift Apart to do, but it just replicated PS3 2009 HDD use again and also poorly.
To me games are trying to work around the tools while having mixed ideas, leadership and mentality they themselves have as staff or leaders make a challenge, which I am not surprised. I myself don't even care for HDR or RT, I have learned the differences from SDR and baked in lighting, subtly but even still I don't care. So if games are just being too much focused on graphics, the design is all over the place of worlds, the stories are hit and miss, gameplay is so basic either to be accessible or they don't have time to make it, so at that point why even bother. Gameplay is so basic I am so put off by many games at this point.
Plenty of OG Xbox/360 era games were more exciting of mechanics in many genres, nowadays they don't even have a strong hook, oh we have insert this license, insert this decent world, nothing actually exciting. I literally buy shooters, platformers, racing and more genres like tactics, hack n slashes off of gameplay ideas. Psi Ops/Fracture are a lot of fun 6th/7th gen shooters.
The fair mix of rocks, trees, grass and other objects is also noticeable (Star Wars Outlaws canyons or dust and other things weren't that convincing I find, Indy did an ok job of hiding natural light behind trees in the beginning area, I can't say for the rest of the game) in it of environment details in games, I don't care for that but I get why they offer them.
Also the fog in the Yotei showcase, you can see the mountain, looking at Horizon Zero Dawn you can tell even if intentional the fog in the mountains they can barely show, in Yotei it has fogs but it's also still able to be seen through, an interesting detail and large coverage of land for render distance like that is insane.
Even Valkyrie Elysium I noticed PS4/5 the grass objects being less on PS4. So yeah some games even if linear scale like that did (also had a lot of particles that game but the Wanted Dead/other team did a fair job with Elysium I think), but many western devs do like to show off environments and Yotei seems to do that.
Xbox I don't have enough reference of games in showcase or otherwise. I can't remember, but there probably is some out there that may.
Racing games vary of course in car models/track details, sounds, physics/CPU wheel data I don't even care about then focusing on decent progression that isn't boring and terrible let alone more that isn't just boring racing and repetitive. XD
I mostly care for more the young/old and other gameplay changing benefits of Yotei to utilise the console.
If we see others offer more enemies on screen, particles and more then sure but to me I don't know what to expect with current geming other then mechanics being so weak.
Xbox I can't say for sure as I don't play or have interest in any they have offered at all. So I don't know what they offered towards power of the console other then the GPU usage being probably fair for some things above the regular PS5.
They all seem to be fair uses of the hardware, but I don't know for sure.
I have no interest in GTA 6 at all, it will have fair execution of things sure, but I still don't care.
Re: Report: Activision Blizzard's King Team Sees Axed Job Roles 'Replaced' By AI
But they have Candy Crush Solitaire (got an ad for it, not that I care, Microsoft has had Solitaire games for years), they make tons of money, right?
Do they need AI for every generic puzzle game for casuals? Compared to any other types of mobile stuff they consider in the future AI can't do as well?
Re: Final Fantasy Dev Suggests PS5 Exclusives Are A Thing Of The Past For The Series
@Lup It's why I have a Switch, for any Vita ports, 1st party niche games or any odd Indies that don't port as much or may later. I was surprised how many Switch Indies I have that I don't always find a PC listing or mobile listing.
To me Switch was fair for the console gimmicks, the Switch exclusive Indies (some are Switch/PC but I prefer Switch instead) or any AA Japanese games that do consoles but usually do more so on handhelds. Especially for many I've researched over the years it made sense to go with Switch for them.
On occasion they go to Xbox but rarely and did usually for Gamepass for a brief time. Like seeing Danganronpa on Xbox was cool but at the same time it had been 10 years, it had been to Xbox last.
Or the Vita ports/other odd games that go to Switch/PC, but if they were PS4/PC and no Switch (the few that did and many nowadays go between Switch/PC or all 3 Switch/PC/PS5, odd PS4 release digital then physical) then they likely stay PC instead and I can understand why due to what type of content or audience they want to target.
Xbox has it's benefits but yeah we all know we have Xboxs for their uses of games, apps, etc. and the PS/Nintendo/PC for their libraries of other types of games, audiences that flock to them for those and policies.
Never been against having different consoles for different things.
Re: Rumour: Halo 1 Remake/Remaster Started Development In 2023, May Not Include Multiplayer
I don't know what to think of this. Even if I'm sort of off Halo and Gears, or would like to see other IPs, the other IPs are kind of eh, so I guess Halo/Gears it is. Forza Motorsport 8/2023 wasn't in the direction I wanted so eh and it's ended so there is that. At least I got Forza Motorsport 1/2005 and enjoying it to complete my FM collection with 1 to 7.
Sure remaking the multiplayer, maps, services, etc. I mean we got Reach multiplayer with the 360 remaster even.
They don't want to maintain/offer crossplay or anything with MCC it seems just go eh a reboot of the campaign, why not. It's less work and they want to make an impact/test their use of the engine. I mean 343 started with 360 anniversary so.... Why not again. Better this time though? Maybe?
I think having Gears for it's multiplayer was fair. They don't need to offer everything as complete. Multiplayer is challenging and recapturing the singleplayer is fine by me.
But? Will it have split screen co-op I doubt it? If it's online only then yeah pass. Singleplayer only otherwise.
Is it all on the disk if they do a disk release? Many Microsoft releases over the years have been terrible disk releases, even Infinite was a partial and was a pain/a worthless disk release. I wasn't buying it. I didn't even play Halo Infinite, I played 5 like a few years ago, and hated it/never played it at launch, so I played it with a different mindset when I chose to play it. It was ok.
But here? I mean are we to expect padding to make it a lengthy campaign? Will they fix the padding the original had and better work around it? Or is it just as accurate as possible even it's issues?
I would be fine if it's close enough to the original, maybe a few tweaks sure, tweaks always benefit, how they execute it of course but still in need of changes or fixes, but if they have to pad it out as people want their length/money's worth then yeah I'd say pass.
Make the new areas or changes count for something.
Make gameplay changes that benefit or additional levels/areas, use the flashlight more, have fair camo/ammo secrets or skulls or whatever, besides the graphics.
Understand how to make the most of indoor/outside Halo levels, level pacing, and more.
Even then Halo 1 is very padded with samey locations/asset uses and pathing that can be confusing for a first time play, not so bad on repeat playthroughs.
Re: Talking Point: Are You Excited For Double Fine's Follow-Up To Psychonauts 2?
I don't know what to think. It gave me Eternal Cylinder vibes with the art style. I know it will be a very different game though.
Is it an adventure game, is it action adventure. No clue. It looks nice. It's very Double Fine but I have no clue what it is.
I have not played many of their games, but i picked 'look forward to' as to me even if I don't play it I look forward to whatever they are as they are very creative. Respect.
Re: EA Japan GM Comments On Xbox Layoffs, Says Long-In-Development Games 'Deserve To Ship'
Even the most failed games or consoles I still care about more then them being cancelled and never seeing them actually in action. I think many still had great ideas, I don't care what is popular and generic. I care what they attempted, did it land, they tried but it didn't or didn't get the marketing or wasn't appealing to THAT audience but was another audience.
I would still rather pick up a Virtual Boy/32X or others, then I would a PS5/Series X, because they were more interesting. Cancelled games like Eyedenify or Starcraft Ghost or others.
Many games or console hardware/peripherals were always more appealing to me those that got cancelled, not even because they were cancelled. Even the failed ones had ideas I found interesting of Virtual Boy, PC-FX, Playdia, Casio Loopy, Wonderswan, Lynx, Neo Geo Pocket, GP32, Jaguar, 3DO and more. Interesting ideas, business practices varied and yeah. Some didn't need to offer what they did or be executed how they did but you could still see something there. Wii U is still more potential or exciting then a Switch to me. The Switch is just a continuation of cabled/docked handhelds or PC devices. Who cares. Other then Joycons, Vita ports and not as used IR or other features. It's the most boring tablet with ok ideas and modern era boring games besides the few that are decent, not many niche B grade games to it either that many 5 to 7th gen had as those are gone, a few revivals but even still. The Xbox has Impulse triggers but otherwise a pretty hit and miss library.
Even tech demos/games as well that were cancelled. Many of my favourite games aren't AAA, they are AA/B grades. Because of their gameplay ideas. Ambitious teams that do good enough and more interesting ideas, some are still rough but even still.
Bad direction can be that but that's not on the studios' main staff that's the publisher demands or leadership. IF they were forced to make a game in a direction they aren't used to, then why would I blame the staff.
If they can adapt, or were wanting to sure, seeing Nightingale after Mass Effect Andromeda procedural generation (then changed to what it was), yeah that staff don't get the survival game community all that well. Some can, others don't. Those that make nostalgic games may land but it varies. I'm too gameplay focused, so to me if people say the games suck I disagree because I don't care what personality, if it's gameplay and the personality matches it's still a good game to me not personality and saying oh it doesn't match this and that. Well it doesn't need to. I base on quality not familiarity/references or what may have a vibe, that's not useful, I go by quality as this is more definable and it shows more in it.
Not just the money, the time, the careers, but just seeing something release is still appealing.
Re: Rare Is Completely Re-Evaluating Its Development Process After Everwild Cancellation
I would take this as a, uh duh, and a well this is what they have done to themselves. They needed to manage it better, but better leaders if it was them not the staff having a 'can do this better and better and better' mentality.
Just release it and take time to add updates. Or just release it, add updates and make the next game. But nope. They take too long, and waste time, money and meetings/work achieving nothing.
Current Rare aren't an experimental studio (very few can be anymore, surprised Double Fine even are still alive, Travelers Tales had Lego and dropped their unique games entirely, no idea what they are up to now, other examples can apply) like the past staff were, but even still. Can they even do a regular game anymore? Are they too live service deep or modern game design deep at this point?
Even Hytale they went eh lets do this, but it was also Riot or the C#/C++ engine team, that just made it take longer. They should have just released it in Java, made the add on elements over time and been fine but nope. What a waste. Even Minecraft was smart enough even if annoying to go Java, other platforms, legacy console, rework to Bedrock so less time wasted on each console unique version but try to add parity and instead they went eh Bedrock parity, not Java parity but good enough.
Re: Xbox Glitch Sees Players Being Asked To Update All Of Their Games
Very odd glitch. Not encountered, not used my Xbox One in a while, not seen that issue on the Series X either.
Re: Talking Point: It's Been Two Years Since A Defining Moment In The History Of Xbox
Has it? I haven't seen one yet. XD Seriously I haven't. Bad management, eh games leadership or staff/HR and others. All boring execution, boring modern era gaming. Business practices or game design.
Xbox audiences are very particular, small ones enjoy what comes over, but it's not a lot, Microsoft have tried, but it makes no difference either. I don't know if they can change mentality of users either. Other then design elements that suck, they never will change and I know they won't change them but besides that.
Oh ABK purchase, eh, no old CODs, no Pitfall, nothing interesting there, oh more money for Microsoft & removing layoffs. Ah, impactful sure. Defining in a good way no.
Boring IPs that are 3rd party follow the leader design (but have appeal for some reason, shrugs, gameplay wise they are boring, but people eat up that personality/it was on another console/came over or something, I don't get it, even with how much I barely use my Xbox, even if I didn't have one I wouldn't go oh this forbidden experience of Xbox on PS/Switch XD, I don't even care for PS/Xbox IPs over the years), boring OS navigation/art direction. Hit/miss business practices.
I have collected consoles I missed out on/ weighed up what they had, I still wanted them/games for them. I still see reason in an Xbox even if it's pretty eh.
Gamepass games that I don't care about. I have no subs to any of the console maker's services (people around me do, I still don't use them, I don't care for PS5/Xbox Series services, controllers, games, any of it, they are ok, but not wow factor for me, not upgrade worthy, I used a PS5 for 2 games.... that's it, the rest I can wait for and even then those 2 games were just eh, decent at best of prior formulas, some racing ones have 'ok' ideas but not that great and everything else is just PS4/Xbxo One game design I already haven't liked for 10+ years since 7th/8th gen other then niche games more and more that were good), why would I if the quality of life that's dumb behind a paywall (PS+), cloud storage (Xbox offers for free, no need to sub for unless like One Drive higher tiers, but still enough on free tier), beta access to MP games I don't care for or games selection is so eh.
Other then what Hi Fi Rush or South of Midnight, along with Japanese AAs on Gamepass briefly. Even those are pretty whatever.
I haven't seen a defining moment since the 360, actual games/design I like, OG xbox/360 or just 5th to 7th but more 5th to 6th gen and partial 7th, even lesser 8th, none at all 9th. Good or bad ones.
Xbox One had what the PC/Games for Windows Live problem then back tracked for Xbox One, hasn't for PC as it's already in full effect. It was solved but still.
But besides what back compat that's decent but many licenses didn't appear, that's up to third parties or no Halo as MCC does it already for that. It was ok. Not much Microsoft can do that. Got PS side but even those IPs/licenses will be limited too.
To me I haven't seen a defining AA, AAA, Indies or otherwise for Xbox or many places, in a while. It's been just down hill.
I still keep the console as sure the apps Nintendo/Sony don't offer is great, even if it's Windows storefront it's more useful for Xbox use cases. The impulse triggers...... Quick resume..... digital only applicable but still cool....... That's it.
Yeah not a lot to say about Xbox at all, it's 'there' but it's pretty boring.
Re: Roundup: All The Xbox Reveals From Bandai Namco's Summer Showcase 2025
Nothing for me here, but still fair projects.
Re: Perfect Dark Developer Responds To 'Big Controversy' Over 2024 Gameplay Trailer
It says a lot when they still have to make it not look like an alpha build because it's not attractive enough to players/investors, but have to make it look good enough of some systems working as they want to show it off. It's just so stupid.
I am sick and tired of outsourced CGI trailers, and all this other stuff, I want to see alphas. Even seeing Bodycount's alpha looks amazing, I still enjoy the final game despite how scaled back it was, but even still the alpha looked good enough even if not as impressive as the other 'we dressed it up' games of the era, but that's expected.
I want to see alphas, betas, demos, enough spoken up about games, not this we try to give the illusion of it being on the right track when they are far from it. It's just stupid I don't buy into illusions.
It's not completely Killzone 2 trailer lying as all animation, but it is still a working enough to be 'close to what we wanted' but still a lot of animation/art assets being enough of what's there.
I mean it's not Halo 2 and isn't finished enough comparable is it? Then the game ended up as good as it was despite how troubled it was?
Re: DOOM Co-Creator Has Funding Pulled For AAA Title, Seemingly By Xbox
Ok this just seems sad, seems like a Tango situation, a 'you have finished a project, are starting a new one, good bye'. Which is just dumb. Microsoft looked at the sales and went hmm this did good, this studio is a hanging off from the purchase then the main ones we want, get rid of them.
Because just get rid of the ones that help with Doom/Wolfenstein IPs I assume and like Raven dump them as the main studios are more important, get rid of the assist studios. That's just mean.
Projects that waste too much money and are in development hell, sure, those that underperform even though we hear differently, sigh.
But ones performing but 'not enough' or 'business politics' is just silly.
I guess a 'we bought what we did, kill the ones hanging off the sides' huh, very disrespectful to see.
They have the talent/reputation to go their own way again (if they even want to after something like this) sure but it's just odd.
Re: Xbox Next-Gen Console Plans 'Not Impacted' By Microsoft Layoffs
IF it's a device to bridge the cap of APIs/dev kits, by all means, whether Steam, Xbox, any other store front.
I mean not like Windows 8, Phone, Xbox didn't try to at some point. Why not again?
Make things easier then too segmented. Make releases easier to go about doing so but still keep the strict hardware a console always has been besides upgrades sold as a package.
Sure store licensing can't be cheap, and sure whatever things go about policies, cuts and more between platforms but I mean sure.
I personally don't care for Steam on a console, I barely use Steam as it is, I don't even buy digital on PC/Xbox anyway really. So the offering is fair but it won't change my mind really.
The layoffs eh, those that were incompetent good riddance, those that struggled to keep up but were really trying, I feel for them, those that are veterans can go anywhere, whatever Microsoft/other demands sure it's tough but they took too long, they wasted time/money, the directions, expectations to meet and more factors of changing their minds or whatever the case, is just yeah, a challenge but I mean if they didn't meet them, it is what it is.
Re: Xbox's Matt Booty Issues Statement On Layoffs And Game Cancellations
Well Perfect Dark staff/that studio always had issues, why not, if they couldn't work things out it shows you can't have some big deal staff in a room they just aren't going to work. The project wasn't progressing well, might as well end them.
No Xbox project has made me interested in years, Series gen or Xbox One it's past few years either. A few did Xbox One, none Xbox Series. Sure Hi Fi Rush/South of Midnight did intrigue me but haven't played, but the rest seemed eh, and only few I respect and that's from Obsidian who have proven themselves. Even Outer Worlds 2 I won't play as not my thing, but I respect what they are doing a lot, any games with as many interesting ideas as they have shown, I respect, I am really impressed by them.
For those that were useless at Rare, The Initiative, Turn 10 and other assist studios (RIP however many at Raven, but even still) then yeah, get rid of them, for those that couldn't keep up I feel for them, if big staff, they can go anywhere.
Microsoft and others may have expectations but if they couldn't meet those, or couldn't make anything that has a bit of flare of theirs into it then why bother, make something they can execute in a few years, not directions that jump all over the place.
Are big publisher tough, yes but at the same time to me even Indies are just as nostalgically or heavily inspired incompetent to make their own games stand out let alone major AAA ones that have higher expectations and restrictions sure.
So I get it, but I mean if other studios have their singleplayer game strengths, have better dev cycles of project releases, besides the live services, those ones know what they are doing, and Microsoft is happy with them.
For those that can't make a decent singleplayer game, multiplayer game or live service, it shows some of these staff just don't mesh well. Is adapting from what one is used to let alone having to keep up, sure, but at least meet enough of that to be kept afloat.
If the staff constantly of leadership or other staff, change their minds, leadership are too much to handle which can happen, or any number of them are incompetent to get something done in time. Not just the reasoning for retakes of art or level design aspects or programming/animating, etc.
Re: Xbox's Everwild Gets Cancelled As Layoffs Hit Sea Of Thieves Developer
Unless they do well enough with Sea of Thieves to give more staff a chance or fit in another tiny project sure.
But otherwise they kept dragging their feet not knowing what to do with it, so good riddance. Live service or not. Better direction/money/time to be spent, they didn't do it, it's on them.
Re: Xbox Layoffs Begin As Phil Spencer Shares Internal Microsoft Gaming Update
Well lines on charts or not. If they are useless staff with not worth contributions, projects not working out of length, money spent on them, difficulty with working out ideas or changing their minds all the time with directionless execution, good riddance. I won't miss them.
If Obsidian can have better staff and project releases for it's audience in such times, if the live service teams that do well are staying and whatever else of other studios agreements with Microsoft for the singleplayer/live service, support studios then sure. Otherwise get rid of the useless staff in any of them.
If Sony can have their direction that stands out, Xbox studios are all over the place and Sony makes them up a cut of period and to get it out, make the most of the time/budgets, and better coordinates them.
Xbox/Microsoft needs to as well, or they expected the leaders to or the staff do, but it seems that didn't happen, or else yeah they get cut off. Sony's removals were disappointing too but I can see why even if they were studios I cared for that went away, sigh. Xbox's, yeah many of them were incompetent so I have very little sympathy to any for them.
If they couldn't keep up those ones I have sympathy for, but it depends on how much they were keeping up, but the useless that didn't contribute much or couldn't settle on execution, needed to do better. But I don't know what the expectations or deadlines were either.
It depends what the studios/publishers expectations were set they had to meet, how they contributed to the projects, which staff it was in which departments. If they couldn't meet them, sure, if they were making it a hassle to get anything done, with decisions here and there, or not keeping up execution to meet expectations, then good riddance, we don't need them. Get rid of useless staff.
If some happen to try but got caught in layoffs, then I feel sorry for those staff, as that can happen no doubt.
If people with a high enough reputation, they can go anywhere, just remember they may be veterans but they still have to work out what they want in a new studio if they create one, budgets and more, compared to other big publishers/studios they can move over to.
But even more so what were the other staff or those people doing that it took too long to make something work in those projects, at those studios?
Have better ideas, settle on those ideas, not change your mind constantly or have awkward staff.
If publisher demand changes, sure that's a pain to deal with, but if it's staff being incompetent, as in the really bad ones, good riddance, they need to be better at things not wasting time/money. But the ones that tried to keep up but couldn't those people I feel for.
I don't care how heartless that makes me sound I still care for those that tried, versus those that just couldn't settle on ideas or those that were useless. Because that's wastes, everyone's time and money, and they need to do better not be all over the place.
Re: Forza Motorsport Team Reportedly Loses 'Nearly 50% Of Staff' In Xbox Job Cuts
Good riddance of Turn 10 staff, if they had bad staff, bad leadership, get rid of them. Have a smaller team, with smarter ideas, better time spent on it, or else support or gone.
Car licensing isn't cheap and bad staff, also doesn't help with them using those.
But Raven, really? Well that sucks. I feel for them, as you never know with assist studios really. Depends on the staff I guess. Probably some pretty useless or some not great contributions/conversations I assume.
Or whatever metric they go by to get rid of them not meeting the expectations set.
IF they hire more staff sure, but make sure it's good staff, not ones so useless we got a terrible product and terrible marketing that just put me off the game and console entirely.
Re: Two More Xbox Games Are Being Cancelled, Including Perfect Dark
As unfortunate as it is, I don't care, they deserve it, is it people's lives, sure, but it was up to them to execute it well, if they didn't, good bye, no sympathy, whether marketing, whether artists, animators, programmers, designers, QA, HR, etc. I don't care if I sound heartless, it's on them.
If any of them were useless or not capable of good ideas, or executing them, good riddance.
Everwild kept going on too long and looked unfocused and Perfect Dark was getting there but was also taking too long/unfocused.
Why would a publisher keep them around if the staff contributions and leadership wasn't good, staff were particular what direction and it shows.
I wouldn't continue keeping them around either. If the conversations, direction and execution isn't good, get rid of them, no matter their skill, if they make it through sure, if they don't well, they had to keep up in some way.
Make a more focused game with the right themes, art style, gameplay and story in under a few years. Many other better studios do.
Not all have to be Obsidian, but they have had more games out, and sure quality varies for them then the others or the scale of those projects but them and many others show they can for the audiences they cater to, Sea of Theives does as a live service, State of Decay 3 will see with that one.
What others go or stay as well.
Veterans that are too sad, sure but they have their reputation and skill, but for the others not so much. I care about creative projects or ones that do enough for business, I don't care how much delight chats they had.
Turn 10 are a joke so good riddance to many of those useless/uncreative staff. If the rest do a good job with smart strategies, less staff, support or main project, fine, if they are useless staff too good riddance.
I don't have sympathy for useless staff and bad projects. It's on them.
If the more creative and effective ones stay good, if many of those are gone that will be unfortunate but if many useless ones go, not fussed to see them go at all.
Re: Talking Point: What Do You Want To See From Xbox In The Second Half Of The Year?
@smoreon Agreed, plenty to add, the amount of PS2 games even to PS+ or purchase even by third parties just makes me wonder why many of them held back on Xbox versions at all.
Why did Atari not offer Battle Engine Aquila for Xbox, but did PS2? It's just weird. Source code or licensing or whichever.
I get the licensing costs, source code, performance, plenty they had worked on or more focus on what exists already and improving platform to platform but even still.
To maintain them or they didn't want to work on any more sure, but even ABK games could have been offered but nope. Waited for COD OG Xbox games to be offered, nope. Only COD 1 for PC/expansion and World War 2 Xbox One. How exciting.
Even Blinx 2, but nope got only the 1st game.
Also offering the originals not just MCC versions is also a factor if people want to put their disks in an license check but oh well. I guess we just have to keep our 360s around for OG Xbox games, the licensing and effort just won't compare at all even if they did I think let alone the amount of companies or licenses/IPs even relevant anymore or willing to bother with them nowadays.
Re: Talking Point: What Do You Want To See From Xbox In The Second Half Of The Year?
Better games, better transparency, better staff direction on projects.
If we see more State of Decay 3, Everwild, Fable, perfect Dark sure. But otherwise most of those don't interest me it's just interesting to see them finally happen then in development for so long.
Re: Two Decades Later, Burnout 3 Is Still Incredible To Play On Xbox
@Drnsnsr Same, though with PGR1 to others. I found 1 had it's uniqueness of how the Kudos system was scaled and 2 onwards did change things but some parts were lost.
Even Ratchet series I found the tactical element (Taunter to blow mines, or others) was gone to more generic third person strafe focus besides it's other personality. Too many immediate satisfaction weapons then more to them depth. Why have wacky weapons if they are just going to be simple pistols, grenade launchers, rockets, etc. anyway. Just makes them more 'recognisable' but more dull in comparison of creativity there. After the original robots used for different use cases ideas to then simplifying due to the amount of animations and effort required I get why but they dumbed it down further and further. It works but it does feel like something is missing.
I wouldn't say it was bad either series changes but it can be interesting to see how much something alters, but it altering to be easier when sometimes they go too far yes in Revenge I think they did go too far yeah. (I won't deny Burnout Revenge does make it way too easy, it can still have challenge but it does back and forth determine the moments you can and the moments you can't while the older games are more consistent or challenging to avoid), or the others were too particular of appeal to audiences.
Re: Xbox Founding Member 'Not Pleased' With State Of The Brand In 2025
I see why Xbox has done what it has, to me it's the Windows/Internet Explorer or Office strategy, I do think they are overdoing it but I get why they do it.
Also putting Xbox on a handheld seemed like an experiment or a do we bother with a new piece of hardware we can't maintain?
Companies that throw their branding around make me less likely to listen. But it just so happens I don't care for PS/Xbox games or consoles over the years either so not like it matter. Third parties of taste it is.
They just think Xbox or PS means so much, they do it with merch, they do it with many things. I don't care for a brand plastered everywhere, I just ignore that stuff. I get what I want of books, games, tv shows, not figures, not t shirts, shampoo, snacks, whatever. Never cared to live the merch life companies want and it being our favourite brands and all that. Never had that mentality.
I mean to me the Xbox handheld might as well be marketing, just throwing the brand around like Xbox shampoo. That's how the handheld could be seen, too far with the logo/branding and thinking the illusion works when many smart people want to see more effort put into it not a logo slap on. Sure impulse triggers are there and the OS but even then it's still minor details.
To me the PS Portal is just a recycling of the Vita remote play app but just worse so I find it branding over substance as well on the PS side too. No resolution targeting that Vita app had of 360/540p when the Portal could do the same offer 480p to 1080p but nope, the console can, so why not do the same for casting too, is it because they don't want customers complaining even though smart people may want to use it, people use 144p on YT, why would people not want to do the same with a PS Portal casting scale. Sigh.
No dual screen use, just a casting solution that some people may be into and only few people question, compared to Wii U where it was confusing too but people that really got into it understood it's 70 feet local range, enjoyed the games and really got creative with it in bags with a power bank, car chargers, any place with power ports and more or those that really got into Vita remote play really understood it.
To me Portal has it's use to recontextualise what they have 3 prior times and really just feels like a branding solution, they have it on phones since 2019 Android and backbone/Apple app release later. PS4/PC as well have it. So to me offering it in many ways is fine but it's so overused I just blank it out.
I'd like substance over style or 'services' that only offer so much of a purpose/access that only so many people use anyway or notice of advertising. There is only so much they can execute with substance though too, so the marketing/approaches have 'some' weight but eh, they have audiences that do you use them so they do have some purpose people may not have considered or really enjoyed experiencing no doubt.
The games vary but aren't as strong as the past either.
Gamepass and others have a place but also seem like an easy 'if you want to rent/try things sure' otherwise easy to move on. But demos could do the same thing as well.
Even video footage makes it easy to not play a game anymore, why because the gameplay is usually so similar for most games, Indies it varies but for AAA they are so repetitive your basically playing for story and looking at menus to see what things you engage with a lot.
Re: Two Decades Later, Burnout 3 Is Still Incredible To Play On Xbox
Well yeah. It does a lot right. The whole series did well I think. Paradise to me is awkward but it does a fair job transitioning to open world even if I find the speed, stunts and more to be too awkward or the pathing of opponents and the city is just confusing.
It's good arcade fun, no licensed cars, a lot of fair personality to it, so it's CREATIVE.
But that doesn't stop Wreckfest being a successor to Flatout but also modern era game design boring (the different vehicles does no change anything really, racing/derbies are fine but it's 2 modes, most older games had more then 3 modes and multiple rules to them, even V Rally has 5 event types and 2 rules per them, it's pathetic, the illusion doesn't fool me) besides how good of a game it is. Wreckfest 2 has not impressed and looks like every other game that's just doing the bare minimum to refine, despite the excuse I can give to 1 being a kickstarter project modern Bugbear seem about as boring as any other modern racing game or Indie studio, bare minimum content and recycling it too much then offering enough to it and cycling it a racing game should have of it's formula, so this time, no excuse being as bland as others in the racing genre of being 'empty'.
The series is great, I own almost all of them. I'm not a BIG fan but I see appeal in them sure. I feel it's like Rayman I had to come around to why they are good even though I think they were just alright.
I didn't care for NFS Hot Pursuit 2010 360 or Remaster I got on Switch, and no the graphics weren't why I just found it a boring Burnout 5 but even less appealing then a a Burnout. Sure it's an NFS game and I have no context/experience with Hot Pursuit 1 and 2 but even still. I preferred NFS Hot Pursuit 2010 Wii, if that makes things clear.
Modern ones do fine but even current NFS is just bad. Creativity in the graphics, yet sub par in playlists and gameplay structure. It's just a joke.
I am not an NFS fan I came to them late so my experience/impressions and favourites are very different.
Re: Forza Motorsport Studio Said To Be 'Bracing' For Job Cuts At Xbox
@Kaloudz I agree. Well I just read it on Push Square, so to me it's likely July 3rd even though it says July 2nd. So it will be Thursday for me, Wednesday for the US or others that side of the world. Or whenever we hear about it I guess.
We can speculate but we could easily be wrong with any one of them depending how convincing, or what they see in them.
Many of these will be sad, or welcomed. But which is which hmm.
Re: Xbox Brings Another Call Of Duty To Game Pass Today (June 30)
So they are going to just release whichever into there slowly.....
Besides COD 1 PC/expansion......
What predictable and boring news, wake me up when they do something interesting not just 360/Xbox One era COD to Gamepass over months/years from now or delist them from the service. This is just so boring.
Wake me up when something interesting and not predictable happens. These companies choices are getting boring and ignore worthy.
You can get old COD physical for cheap as who really wants them anymore? Exactly, cheap as ever to get them.
Digital that price will vary and usually stays high on even old storefronts anyway.
I already own it so too me it's not a bother but for those that didn't I think it's a good entry despite what people say.
Yeah for older COD of OG Xbox era, I will continue to play those on PS2, thanks ABK. Great to see your offering only the Xbox One era ones and being absolutely lazy about offering more interesting stuff, How risky, as in safe your offering this stuff.
I'm ok doing that. Seeing if the next COD is good of it's sci-fi ideas or else ignore it like the past few entries I have been ignoring.
So hardly that interesting Microsoft/ABK at all. Still not bothered.
Pretty boring news really. Offer us things we won't expect, not the most predictable and more.
Wow a slow roll out of 360 or Xbox One offering COD games over months/years, wow, no way, what NEWS! XD
Re: Forza Motorsport Studio Said To Be 'Bracing' For Job Cuts At Xbox
@Kaloudz Obsidian and Insomniac to me are the most amazing at balancing projects. So Obsidian has to be safe, their output and handling is excellent for Microsoft of small scale like Pentiment and Outer Worlds, Grounded, Avowed.
Playground has shown themselves too. Fans may have their ups and downs but they have proven themselves to output and Fable will just take time due to the type of game it is then what they are used to.
Other more creative studios can be hit and miss, Compulsion, Double Fine and others it's up in the air if they do like Tango, or Sony removing London/others but I'm surprised Media Molecule is still alive as besides Asobi, they are the only other creative studio doing different things left.
The rest it's hard to tell. Anything could happen with them.
For ABK/Bethesda studios I do wonder as well with how their fair outputs have been and we already saw what's become of those they removed.
If it's main Microsoft studios and not to do with the other two publishers that narrows it down but by how much.
Also if it were QA or others and not main staff then even more hmm questioning there too. It could be any staff in any area really.
I mean Rare has had a lot of time with Everwild but Sea of Thieves is still going strong. I think they will be safe.
Some others I forget. May other mobile studios we forget. Similar to how with Tango/Arcane, it also had the one studio that did the Doom mobile game or others was also dropped most likely no one had heard of.
With lengthy projects, delays or quality, yeah.
If the studios that are bad are left, you know it's business politics and they have connections or are good at convincing somehow keeping them there, otherwise it seems a bit odd.
Re: 17 Xbox 'Stream Your Own Game' Titles Coming Soon, Including An Unannounced Release
Fair list. More so the title made me think more than it's offering with 'Stream Your Own Game' (not as in a players made games, just even otherwise to that of how you'd go about mixing them or whatever) but still, always great to see a service like this.
It's not my thing at all though either, but I think it's great it exists for the purpose it does and the audience it does.
Re: Nightdive Studios Teases 'Big Thing' Happening At QuakeCon 2025
While would be nice to see Quake 4 be available again and not PC/360 trapped. I mean.... I also don't care that much and would like to see PLENTY of other games, even PLENTY of other shooters get revived instead then safe options like Quake here even if they are quality.
Quake Champions has it's place and sure Quake 3 does but Quake 4 would be more appealing if I had to go with the limited options listed. But I'd still like to see other games really. There is a reason I am buying up PS2/Xbox/PS3/360/Wii shooters. I like many of the ideas in them, and no one wants to remaster them, so might as well buy them if no one will do anything about them on modern platforms.
I don't want to replay or see appear games I haven't and the same safe IPs or only the biggest games, or else I might as well give my money to second hand stores instead for the B grades/AAs and more of the past instead, source code access many have sure is a challenge or licensing, but otherwise, why should I bother, the others are everywhere, and the ones I want to are not, so why would I give console makers or Nightdive money, why bother.
Re: Obsidian Reveals How Halo Studios Helped With The Outer Worlds 2
Yeah and Monolith that makes Xenoblade helped make Breaeth of the Wild and you can tell, what greatness did Halo Studios/343 offer here that Obisidan couldn't do due to their size/talent/prior budgets. They can 'assist' but I hardly doubt they did that much to contribute (harsh I know but you can really tell sometimes with how much a studio effects others in certain ways).
I mean Outer Worlds 2 to me is a step up like Alpha Protocol had it's conversation system as still amazing to this day despite how rough it is. So is the game ambitious in many ways yes, they really want to do a lot with this game and I can tell so assisting is totally fine, many can do that in-between other projects other staff are working on their projects. But I don't get the same wow from this as I did my example above because with Monolith I can tell their quality and I haven't played all their games, with Halo Studios I don't really see much here.
Re: Forza Motorsport Studio Said To Be 'Bracing' For Job Cuts At Xbox
@Kaloudz To me other then a few decent event types/modes (first for the series not competition wise of games that already did them years ago, like Sprint aka 1 Lap Magic from GT4 or any other GT series driving missions or 3rd party racing games mechanics or aesthetics over the years), it felt like it remixed ideas well enough to be appealing but otherwise yeah they haven't done anything particular well in years.
The fact Project Car Racing (or whatever it's called) with it's recent career mode trailer/showcase or Ride 4 have used region systems Forza Motorsport 1 and 2 had but expanded upon them in interesting ways and Turn 10 haven't a single decent idea says a lot of how incompetent Turn 10 are.
Or better showcased cars, tracks, sponsors, progression and more. Let alone better marketing.
Ride has always tried to be Forza Motorsport but bikes even 2 has a cutscene similar to Forza Motorsport 6, let alone menus. Milestone don't even have the budget (and their European jank does appear but I still find them appealing) did way better ideas back in the OG Xbox era but still doing well to mix things up besides their budget or other IPs they balance.
Re: Forza Motorsport Studio Said To Be 'Bracing' For Job Cuts At Xbox
So bad staff, bad use of resources to 'save money/reuse assets' but not in a good way and yet they don't know how to make a racing game? As particular as people are about Forza Horizon, at least many from that studio know how to make one.
Turn 10 aren't even close to their best or their middle but still decent games times.
Goodbye Turn 10 you won't be missed, Xbox/Microsoft/the current staff have done it themselves, they have ruined their reputation and many people have bad leadership, seem to be very 'we connect well but can't make a decent product' so why even have useless staff then, business at Xbox related studios seems to be about pleasing people with dumb conversations, rather than making good products, that's pointless.
If Xbox can have a decent team make a better than we got racing game sure, but if they can't turn Turn 10 around what's the point. I'd like them and Forza Motorsport to continue but the current efforts are so bad I have no respect for them, they did this to themselves. They need a game like this in the space, but they treated it badly and that's just sad and disgusting.
Re: Imminent Xbox Layoffs Could Include Entire Studios, Warns Industry Veteran
Part 2:
Not everything can be big budget and successful, sometimes you need niche games to get for example people like me to be interested in your console or games. I am very much a Nintendo niche gamer at this point because PS/Xbox haven't bothered. Switch just happened to have Vita IPs I want ported as well as their niche IPs. The gimmicks didn't appeal to me as much as prior Nintendo, PS or Xbox consoles, the library did.
But no you want big budgets, have a loyal audience that is into a mix of different games (which is great if they offer the right ones to appeal/execute it) but not likely as much as others into the Halo, COD and others that are 1 IP type players.
That and they can put on every platform or any device but they can't expect more to be out of no where no matter how far they widen things.
Let alone a better console OS/gimmicks that isn't terrible and not 360 getting an advertising update made by idiots.
Re: Imminent Xbox Layoffs Could Include Entire Studios, Warns Industry Veteran
So playing the Google card of 'we don't understand gaming but want money'. Xbox sure but Microsoft seems to act like it's their first time entering gaming with decisions like this. The lacking leadership, the mutual 'we have this under control attitude' is just so hilarious. Some studios do it excellently and you can tell, others don't in the slightest and others get awards for the worst leadership, why? Of they were good or acted good in the company yet the games were garbage but they still got a leadership award. Sure.....
If Xbox removes Compulsion, Double Fine, Ninja Theory and more then is it their budgets or is it their niche audience games or publishers thinking they are bigger deals then they actually are and not having the context players have (of course that's the case).
If so, Microsoft won't have much left for other audiences they may want to appeal to yet won't because they cut them out and people not into big games (or of the types released, let alone taking too long to make as well so cut the rest and still waste money on dev time/changes/other factors which isn't ideal) that's not a lot but it still eats into things. Maybe the big ones didn't appeal to people as much, what a waste of time, money and 'appeal' that doesn't land, why waste it on big projects, they aren't always a good strategy.
If it's Turn 10 it's their own fault the game sucks, car/track/music licenses are expensive sure but HOW THEY USE THEM should be important but this staff wouldn't know in the slightest and it shows, plenty of other 3rd parties or GT games show it, I don't like GT series direction or many 3rd parties but you can see why they go for what they do in their design.
The current staff swap out is just atrocious and while 5 to 7 I wasn't big on they were still decent, had a lot of variety and fair remixes to them. 8 or 2023 is just bland and no updates will change my mind on the garbage marketing (I don't take marketing as a factor but it was still really bad) and bad design it has. I would have given Xbox my money for it but nope they made it a terrible release and I refuse to support it. Your own fault Turn 10 staff that aren't the same as they used to be.
If it's particular other services/studios sure but if it's major ones, monitor your studios with better leadership, better staff, better design goals, actually make games that appeal to audiences, but they won't they will copy paste what their competitors do and make third party style garbage and wonder why. Their competition is pretty weak.
They are proud of their particular reputation and think like every other company that they are special and to me it's quality that only sometimes shows, I haven't really seen much in them at all, there are some I respect or would play/buy, but most from any 1st/3rd parties seem very 'we push the value we think we see in these' yet audiences say otherwise and it shows, their reputation is a joke to me at this point.
Re: Xbox 360 Dashboard Gets Significant Update For First Time In Ages
I'd have preferred Bing search bar to come back or a 2026+ clock update, as someone tested that the 2026+ does work it's just not visible. Or some other minor things that need minor tweaks. Then it will be fine to end off the console updates and I'd be happy, but no they do the stupid thing instead.
It's like with the Series S/X OS dashboard update last time, oh players cut the advertising, with customisation, time to put the advertisng back in and annoy them even more. Same here, advertising. Is that all Xbox is good in visual design? Do they want us to laugh at them. Is ads all Microsoft understands? Seriously. Who are these idiots.
I'd rather they fix that then some visual changes like this to the dashboard advertising the Series consoles. Microsoft/Xbox are so marketing/advertising first and useless I swear. Visual changes, and advertising, that's the best they can do. Seriously. XD I get not supporting the platform, but visuals and not other quality of life fixes, I don't expect a grand update, but come on, how useless can they be. This is disgusting.
No wonder the OS is broken and ugly/the worst I've ever navigated on a piece of technology. It wouldn't be in my top 100 let alone 1000 or million devices on this planet.
Re: Halo Fan Game To Release On Xbox After Microsoft & Halo Studios Give Approval
It's fair but compared to Halo 2600 homebrew, live service ones Nintendo has for Tetris, Mario, F Zero 99 and such ones to recontextualise those games.
Or even some like Cadance of Hyrule that were more a partnership type, I don't see this fan game as that great.
I mean this gives off Capcom Megaman Street Fighter crossover fan game vibes. Cool but something to get out rather then others that have more to them.
Also a Halo Vampire Survivors fan game.... I mean if people want a modern game and something different but there is a reason i respect Halo Wars more for different genre use of Halo then this.
Re: Two 'Exciting New Features' Are Coming To The Precinct On Xbox This Week
Heard about this game recently, seems fine, fair updates to it.
Re: Volcano Princess Arrives On Xbox Game Pass To 'Overwhelmingly Positive' Reviews
Seen something like this of princess manager type games. Seems fair. Cool to see on Xbox as usually wouldn't think they would release on Xbox. More so PC, maybe other consoles if that.
Re: Microsoft Planning To 'Restructure' Xbox Distribution In Central Europe, Says Report
It should be better in EU or Japan/Asia, but nope. Those that know, know, those that don't don't with an Xbox existing, how they market things and so on.
Xbox's reach is 'something' but Sony has the largest reach of consoles or their other departments devices. So they will always do better then Microsoft that does so more for Windows then they do Xbox or any other types of products/services.
I think the many ads I've seen for Aussies is pretty hmm besides all the other ones on their YouTube channel or Summer of Gaming period ads/trailers were underwhelming. Of Gamepass to in general other stuff.
Like sure I see the Shapes biscuits win a Series console ones or the Aldis Forza Motorsport 8/23 car ones with Gamepass on it but otherwise if I didn't go online with articles or was that into gaming, I'd barely see anything of Xbox other then going to stores with technology/gaming that have them in stores or advertising but if they weren't my regular route then probably non existent.
Re: 'Xbox Edition' Meta Quest VR Headset Leaks Ahead Of Rumoured Release Next Week
I mean sure... But what about Mixed Reality headsets? What happened to those? Also why not just get a Heads Up Display instead. I've seen Sony ones from the 2000s even. Could just do that instead, it would maybe be cheaper too.
It's fine to do but eh. Branding, use with a console or still with PC and branding. Who cares. Price point has been clear to people. Is it more an option, sure. Like the ROG Xbox Ally, it's fair to have but is the price, branding and game support worth it? I just don't see much point.
VR games aren't appealing to people unless certain ways anyway so will it change much?
That's been clear for years now. I have more an open mind to VR and have potential hope for it but even I barely use it because of how devs treat it, they refuse to learn how to make games in it appropriately of motion or controller use, their mentality is just sad.
Gamers expectations are set in stone like many adults do besides those with more open eyes ideas that are like a few percent maybe 1%, so is much going to happen? I don't know.
Re: Talking Point: Have This Month's Announcements Made You Excited About Xbox Again?
Part 2:
I haven't liked the way consoles are going since 2013, maybe 2015, more so 2017+ when I started collecting and researching niche, popular, failed, successful, peripherals, consoles, games, anything to see what ideas and approaches have been done.
When I can see better use of trends ideas in the past and hate modern it's because of quality/effort, not nostalgia.
That's 10 years of disappointment and lack of interest in game design or console features being boring, bland and just a PC with less interesting gimmicks then prior years and games so grounded and bland I wonder why anyone would even bother the worlds are done to death and boring.
I don't see the appeal they haven't done anything exciting with those worlds mechanically or thematically at all, so besides non pathetic Indies (many bad ones that are just as unoriginal slop with lacking potential) and retro games or odd AAs that aren't the ones people bring up.
Re: Talking Point: Have This Month's Announcements Made You Excited About Xbox Again?
Back compat is consistent, I don't expect them to jump to another architecture. That's a good thing, we don't need more messing around. So to me that's not exciting, it's good so it's not boring in a bad way, it's good to see them keep it going. Competition is nice to see but it's also boring competition too so I hardly care. Consistency good, competition is boring.
Microsoft has 'variety' but unlike PS1 to 3/PSP/VIta Sony that had variety it had more creativity. Xbox hasn't had OG Xbox/360 level design game design in years so why would i be excited?
But it's also not new licenses like Nintendo/Sony are offering it's just enhancing or consistency. That's on third parties more so then Microsoft but even still. It's boring but it's good boring is how I'd put it.
But the rest, I haven't cared about this whole generation on PS5/Series S and X, Switch 1/2 at all.
The handheld is branding, it's something but besides how well it runs and an OS side of things or Impulse Triggers keep going yay, it's pretty who cares. It's like Portal, a safe 'experiment' and a very boring one. I get why.
But eh I can go without them. It has it's place no doubt, but it's not good or bad boring it's just neutral, it's 'there'. I don't care.
Even if there was a Xbox/PS handheld I don't like the game design direction these days to care at all to buy them. The console gimmicks will be boring as well, so why bother.
Portability is not a selling point, nor trophies. Gimmicks are to me. Because without those and boring game design why would i bother. Games in the past being experimental I didn't mind gimmicks or not, with no experimentation just 'you start the trend or else we follow' design of gaming. What is there to get excited for.
Nice to have, can go without. Switch to me it's gimmicks were boring but it had old games or decent Nintendo niche games. Otherwise to me I couldn't care less for it, it continues what other consoles previously did, a few other ideas sure but eh splitting joycons is good, but HD Rumble sucks, IR is underused when they can backwards use them for Wii or other uses, cool, nice to have, hardly exciting. Switch 2 is also boring, library will build, but boring device.
Games are gameplay boring with too much focus on story, graphics or being as copy paste repetitive and accessible worlds/ground with no imagination needed to play, so yeah I haven't been excited in the slightest.
I played 3 PS5 games, hated them all. Ratchet/GT7 were the worst of those series execution yet and Space Marine 2 was a 1.5, good but not exciting.
Xbox, not touched once, I touched the Xbox One on 'occasion' was still boring but had it's use. Series S/X have their benefits but the same bland OS I hate on Xbox One over it's Series time span and besides it's eh prior Xbox One OS revisions that some were good, some were bad, Series era, some were good, some were bad/still in the bad one.
I used my PS3 more then PS4 during it's early period, I haven't touched current gen more than 1%. Because there is no need for me to. It's not that third parties are all I care for or they go to PS4/Xbox One it's that the game design sucks for both 1st/3rd party so most games aren't even worth a look at.
The gimmicks are eh. Quick resume is ok but even if digital only and I don't do digital on Xbox it's still a fair idea, it's no dual screen/multi app/games use more flexibly like a phone/PC but it's something. Impulse trigger still here yay.
Re: Xbox & AMD Are 'Delivering On A Promise' By Making Existing Libraries Work On Next-Gen
It's fair. I don't care that much as it's expected then pulling away and wasting more time/money on things. Keeping existing, get enough new while not sacrificing too much is completely fair and less hassle on the hardware side. It makes total sense to do so for both companies if they keep that consistent.
So the consistency, enhancements and more are appreciated but to me I can stick to an Xbox One or Series and still not care about the benefits of the next one besides the consistency (I already don't care about resolution, HDR, etc. stuff, frame rates sure but otherwise most new benefits consoles offer have been uninteresting, how they are used, what they actually do, I just don't care, I keep up to date on them and cues, as much as I can understand, still don't care about them, to be informed, see how they are used, but also see what garbage design trends we see of visuals, frame rates and other nonsense TV/other makers want to put that is just going to be eh, let alone I already don't care about reality or eh artstyles, and gameplay sucks so what else is there to do other then go retro).
Let alone I'd rather just play a game that's exciting then boring modern games, fair list of old games and no new licenses but those on PS/Nintendo because third parties are too lazy or source code access, reverse engineering time/money or other factors.
I'd rather play OG Xbox games on a 360 or any other platform that has certain games or 'other means'. Licensing is a pain and always will be. I don't care how they perform and how bad, if they were good enough still they are good enough, enhancements are nice but I don't need them, not really.
Re: Reaction: Xbox's Next-Gen News Is Exciting, But It Also Leaves More Questions Than Answers
I have no questions, to me it will be more power, existing games (understandable to work with and improve those, no other licenses want to be offered to Xbox for back compat only Sony or Nintendo which is sad but it is what it is), and more new ones for Series/next console.
I doubt much for controller gimmicks or software till we see more. If we see another social feature like the share button (was fair to add but the only thing besides quick resume, eh). IF we see nothing even more this console is going to be boring.
Store front we will see. What happens, what games are part of a whitelist and blacklist. So who knows what comes about let alone compatibility layers or no need at all even. Whatever the agreements, money and more to focus on.
I really don't care for Steam support, no matter what. Game design already doesn't appeal to me so no matter the old games on Steam or current ones PC only to expand on possibilities and less compatibility restrictions and so on.
It's fine to offer but if game design already sucks on all platforms by many developers AAA to Indies, no amount of combining is going to change my mind. Is it cool yes, it is worth it maybe, will game design change and all were getting is compatibility focus. Eh.
Benefits for devs/pubs is fine, for the customer only so much, and what they seek out of this.
But otherwise it will be the typical product selling mindset of power/new games and no new back compat just existing back compat. Who knows gimmicks/benefits besides a typical product experience with a few expanded elements more then usual so what. I don't go to PC for it's storefronts and games because I don't care to regardless of my lacking hardware of a PC. The games still don't appeal.
If other things happen sure but otherwise I have no questions, none I want answers to because I am not excited at all. For a boring box, boring handheld/console/any device (apps or games utilising things/ideas/money and thought put into it) or a boring station, by what 1st party and 3rd parties offer that's not appealing at all and just formulaic, inspired, trend following badly or nostalgic slop then genuine potential not achieved by brain dead developers making uncreative wastes of time.
Re: Xbox Announces Next-Gen Console Strategy, Promises 'Deeper Visuals' & Backwards Compatibility
So visuals, don't care, back compat for all existing games part of it.... sure, why not. But to me no matter the 4K, HDR, RT, etc. for back compat to apply to or modern games, I don't care.
Steam can be offered. I still don't care. It's nice but who cares if the games still suck.
When console competition/offering Xbox as an option is the only thing I care about with an Xbox then what it can actually can do because it's so bad. There is a reason I barely care about the Xbox or PlayStation at all. Yet years ago would gladly support them.
They can make it a PC like or another Xbox. For competition I'm all for it. For everything Xbox has done I've touched none of it's so boring, nothing will change for me. I'll ignore it like I already have this gen, same as PS5, boring consoles, boring games, eh OS design and average to boring peripherals/gimmicks that do a decent job.
When can we get to actual 'games' not visual/story telling garbage we have been getting for years now ever since PS3/360 when we had enough decent ideas in some trends to now just graphics card/story telling priorities I never want to play. The wrong mentality and continuing with it. Devs/console makers/publishers are just so boring.
I'm just going to mechanically compelling older games more and more, laughing at wrong potential using Indies and just ignoring AA/AAA mentality garbage, because the industry and audiences just want more and more of it. Refinements or stagnation, pass.
They can rework the OS layers, sure, if it's just for the bare minimum don't care. I want the 2013-2017 TV TV TV stuff as in not THAT per say but the feature for any apps/games. What quick resume kind of fills the space of now I guess.
Pass on the 100th boring way to offer social features/other stuff we didn't need but got priority over.
Or any other console gimmicks I'd like to see. Or even something else besides Impulse Triggers being the highlight to me on the Xbox One controller as awesome (even better then HD Rumble) to a share button on Series S/X controllers/grip feel. Well that sucked.
The game design still sucks, the visuals don't impress and I want other controller/console gimmicks. The consoles and games are bad, boring, unoriginal and trend boring. Devs/console makers mentalities are just a waste it's so disappointing.
We won't see better game design ideas, we have to see boring visuals/story telling I don't even want to buy/Gamepass try out ever. Great.
I have no interest in this at all. I'll keep playing my back log or my OG Xbox/360 games that aren't back compat or are OG Xbox only on 360 back compat. Let alone the other platforms I'd rather play on as well older games or odd modern games I barely play.
Re: Talking Point: Would You Like To See A New Type Of Forza Game In 2026?
I'd like a Stuntman or PGR or others type approach.
A stunt based Forza would be interesting, more so then boring festivals.
But unique games like it don't exist no more sigh.
Not odd missions and worlds/tracks.
Just give me fun situations.
Re: Talking Point: Would You Like To See A New Type Of Forza Game In 2026?
Part 2:
Many older racing games have more modes/track/progression/car use case substance with their low car counts. You can have many characters, but it's meaningless if no body uses them or WANTS to use them, racing, platformer, shooter, action adventure, RPG, whatever. Imagine that. Due to their movesets, their benefits as a character and more.
Inertial Drift or Distance, maybe Art of Rally but most Indies I find boring, unlicensed (fine) but unoriginal and too inspired/referential then putting their own ideas into things. I don't want racing to be a nostalgia genre, even platformers are nostalgia and weak design not showing it's potential. It's just sad.
I'll play any B grade to AA/AAA old racing games with better ideas over cutting corners modern day slop for 20 hours that's for sure. I want ideas to be put in not offer the bare minimum and hide it with bad progression and car incentives.
I found something in PGR2's restrictions yet many wanted to drive a car that's high end immediately. Yet 3 did just that. I hate classes in modern game, generic skill trees and all that other modern era safeness/incentives garbage design. For arcade maybe, but a career mode it's boring as ever. I can have whatever strategy in old games, what is the point in strategic fun in modern games there isn't as much due to what cars, tracks and expectations for 'open ness or just generic events' with little effort put into them for game design/progression at all. Open isn't always better, restrictions but smartly designed and not too far is
If Forza Rally or Forza more creative modes, progression or anything else yes.
If Forza to be like the Behaviour studio concept art with the ships and other random locations or other stuff. Sure. That won't happen but I mean someone needs to be creative in the racing space.
More original tracks, more original ideas, more interesting progression, not just brands/licensed tracks, cars maybe, OST I never listen to anymore, etc. Bad staff that don't care about the IP or understand a direction for it.
The fact even though I hate how Milestone had handled MXGP (1 is balanced, 3 sucks), MotoGP (played older ones fine or SBK, later ones got worse) and Ride (1 to 3 was good) but Ride 4 (or 16, not played all I have more Namco's 3, 4, THQ's 06, Capcom's 8 and 9/10 or so, all over the place to see what I can acquire and see how they go about things besides challenges are more fun then season mode also management or physics of 9/10 I was fine with and 3 like 16 has more tracks/bikes I want to use not always the REAL WORLD STUFF) had a spin on Forza Motorsport 1 and 2's region system but more restrictive/innovating on it but hard AI, means I hate the game but was still impressed by it. None of the modern Forza team even comes close at all. Sure I prefer Milestone's older era innovative racing games no one played but at the same time they still impress me more then their Turn 10 as a inspiration to compete with ideas for. XD
Re: Talking Point: Would You Like To See A New Type Of Forza Game In 2026?
If Horizon 6, no. If Motorsport not garbage direction for the series.
Give me a Stuntman type game, or bowling, auto cross, interesting obstacle or vehicle based rules, other event or mode types.
Or other mechanics. Or track design.
Good split screen career modes or arcade modes.
I would take ANY interesting arcade racer or sim racer, I hate the racing genre by 3rd parties or 1st parties, boring classes, boring progression, forced reward cars I never need due to singleplayer progression not needing them, barely anything strategy to the cups/parts or tuning. Other then Forza Motorsport what 1 or 2 that's it. Sure difficulty settings of AI/physics but even still. They don't have to be GT like but even still. More interesting event types, they got duller and emptier and less modes with 8/2023 then even 5 to 7 tried a few different things.
I only care about what 5/6th gen arcade/sims did whether Milestone, Sega, Capcom, Konami, Activision, EA and many more because of their mechanics/ideas were better, not just style, OSTs and track originality that is way better then the non existent those are these days.
Racing is an embarrassing genre these days, and so far behind, many gave up on it and audiences/devs have shown with esports, game design and manufacturers.
Let alone Wreckest (besides being a Kickstarter or Wrecreation whenever that is, Wreckfest 2 seems generic and a physics update, how boring and low effort of mode ideas can anyone offer, it's like shooters, make 1 mode, get money what happened to the others? I don't want to just race, I want many rules/things to do with a car/character not be bored doing the same thing for 20 hours whether a shooter or a racing game, I find RPGs boring because their level designs are more dull then any other genre let alone 30-100+ hour counts of dialogue and boring design)
But being yes more a Flatout successor but no licenses of cars yet it is still bland and boring for 20 hours with 2 modes, barely much style they want to lean into of modes for obstacles or anything interesting besides races/derbies and a mix of vehicle types that really do nothing but 1 race event with them. Flatout had more personality, better tracks (some) and even the fling your driver events. Like we can't do that anymore as people will take things too seriously even though Jackass and others were a thing back then.
Even Gravel or others have better presentation of variety of modes, for how few it has, but fair track variety that still works with it's limited modes. V Rally 4 I think did it wrong, 2 point a to b (that are the same really). 2 circuit types and 1 time trial/score based. That and I didn't like it's use in-game currency to advance which was a hassle. I have played R Racing Evolution sure but it did it better to justify events and car access, V Rally 4 is just tedious and to me the lose of events or skill was 'understandable' but felt awkward to progress to higher tiers. It didn't flow well.
WRC3 I just got plenty of event types besides it's championship/time trial/others I never even touched because the career events was so good of a mode (RIP none of that on Vita version but PS3/360/PC it was good). Best annual racing game I've played in years, besides MotoGP16 (and it's bad MotoGP AI but good balanced dirt bike/rally car AI, go figure there).