Titntin

You could see that coming for ages. Current technology to run xbox native titles on a portable for any more than 5 minutes is just not there. By the time it is starting to be a possibility, those games will be last gen only. I dont ever use handhelds so Im not mourning its loss at all.
What it does show is just how quickly MS can change its mind despite people clinging to the idea ' but they said they would'.
Badged or not, I want a pc under the telly with bestoke OS like a console, and if MS deliver on that Ill be happy to be onboard. But we all know they could drop it on a whim. They are a software company and always have been, and if they have the outlets to capatalise on thier dev houses, eventually they will ask why they are building hardware at all...

With my wife, its always fun for us to see whats coming. 👍
We will watch with pure of course 😀

@AverageGamer I have no issue with anyone hiring her on the basis of needing someone with a fine understanding and insight of afro culture.
I'm just saying that when one of your games has already been attacked for ' wokeness' to the point where it was a commercial failure, that hiring a self confessed racist, formally of sweet baby inc, to write your script is weird move.
I despise those who attack inclusivity myself, and I loved dragon age veilguard, but EA are chasing money, not a moral high ground, so I find her appointment very strange and not a choice I would have made myself given the current climate of the industry. However, my two decades in the biz were developing technical art pipelines and I rarely made hiring decisions, so maybe there are valid reasons and chief among them may be the lack of narritive designers with insight to Afro culture as you suggested.

Edit. Ive just found an article that expresses pretty much what Ive speculated above. Ill post the link here for info:
https://thatparkplace.com/black-panther-game-canceled-by-ea-team-included-former-sweet-baby-inc-dev-who-bragged-about-not-hiring-white-people/

@AverageGamer Thanks for the extra info, i should know better than to trust comments on n4g and a video from Asmond to inform me.
Following your post I can now see she was 'Associate Narrative Designer' for Cliffhanger, who actually consist of 74 people and not the hundreds you stated.
Given she's not top of the chain though, you're right to suggest that others dont deserve her karma for her blatent racist comments in 2021, though I wonder at the sanity of those that decided she was the correct hire for that post.
I hope the others are ok. In the short term, many are likely to be folded into other teams within EA, as IGN are reporting this is current practice at EA. Having worked at EA myself for many years, I would hope they get new positions quickly as EA stifle creativity in their internal teams.

Sorry for posting incomplete information, its the dangers of the net, you check a couple of sources and think you have the crux of the matter..

Im delighted this has happened, and I dont say that lightly.
This dev openly admitted to not hiring white people as a policy. I despise racists of all colours and creeds, no time for them and Im glad karma bites.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fmEBz1Y6Nfs

Edit: Please see #12 for better and more correct info.

@Kaloudz lol mate. There are some who attach great import to his speculation. Im glad Im not the only one who takes what he has to say with a pinch of salt (do people still use that expression?)!!!

Metaphor is a great addition. When I have the time to play it I'll likely pick it up in a sale. My GPU sub is up in 7 days so not much point in me trying it on GP!

It would be nice to hear anything about a title thats been cooking for so long. Im hopeful it will be something I like, but its all guesswork at the moment! 😀

This release drops everything I liked about the ' explore and level at your own pace' gameplay I loved about Elden Ring. In doing so, it has absolutely zero interest to me. I only gave it a 1 as there was no 0 option..

Good ad, they should reach out to more people.
That being said, Doom was the last title I wanted to play on the service, having bought Expedition 33 and Oblivion remaster. So I actually cancelled my sub yesterday.
As theres no option except monthly, I can simply drop it till theres new games on the service I want to try but not buy.
Still the best deal in gaming if you dont buy lots of games and want to try everything...

@MaseSco Have you seen the state of Test Drive and what they did to it? That is supposed to be their magnum opus.
For what it's worth though, I enjoyed the hot wheels game, though thought WRC was a bit 'meh', played it a little but never went back to it. But having read a lot of deep dives and pieces about what's gone wrong with Test Drive and the developers response to it, I have very little faith in them.
If I read glowing reviews of incoming WRC games, then I'll have a reason to check it out of course, but from everything I've seen with regards to Test Drive, I have no faith. In this case though, I'd be happy to be proved wrong 👍

It's a shame that this valued licence has gone to such rubbish devs.
Another franchise to scrub off my 'interested' list unless it ever goes elsewhere...

I'd almost forgotten about this little gem.
I wish we had more titles of its type these days, this and PGR are well missed.

I've only just started Space Marine 2 - it will be good to see the original game!

Lots of games I've yet to finish, but Im going to play Fantasy Life i after the F1 today. I cant resist a new level 5 rpg! Also bought Spacemarine 2 in the sale.
Quite how I can put down Expedition 33 to play Fantasy Life, and shelve Doom to play Space Marine 2 will be a quandary to many I'm sure, but I can't help my own tastes and just want to have fun.

No matter what you are playing this weekend, I hope you have fun!

@demian The fact it uses a lot of direct x libraries and has some common code simply makes the job of conversion and recompiling easier, but doesnt stop it needing recompiling for a new target machine.
I too hope they are finding a good solution, but the issue is uncontestabley present. Current xbox code will not run directly on PC.

It is quite clear that with xbox transitioning to being a PC, that a lot of games currently backwards compatible, and with no PC release, will simply not work.
Suggesting that being able to stream these is ' backwards compatibility ' is a serious reach I dont buy at all, but it will allow MS to save some face when they switch systems and the majority of peoples back catalogue no longer work.
I read an article on windows central from Jez Coldren just three days ago raising this fear...
Whilst streaming something is better than nothing, its not backwards compatibility at all and will offer a much poorer way to access your old titles, and I cant see them keeping all titles available either.
Im genuinely not up for acessing games via streaming unless its to test the title prior to download. The ecological consequences of dilivering games this way is not insignificant and running them locally is not only technically much better, but also ecologically better to.

@GeeEssEff I didnt get to play the first, its one that past me by.
I dont intend to make that mistake with no 2!

@Millionski Yes Im getting used to it. Its easier for me as my investments are in Steam and PS anyway and we have two ps5 pros.
I just had a lot of time for xbox and enjoyed the time I spent working with them. Those I worked with had a passion for gaming and an attitude that didnt rate profit margin above all, and while it might have been inevitable that this would change, you cant help hoping it wouldnt.
Whilst Sony may feel the pressure to follow suit one day, their business is currently very different. With less than half the dev studios of Microsoft, it's being a platform holder that generates the bulk of their revenue and profits and they typically start making money from the hardware much quicker.
Ive watched this buisness, from within and out, for many decades now and I guess the one thing thats consistent is that the twists and turns of how it works out always suprise me! Its been fun trying to guess though....

This looks like a really good match, I might have to give this a look. Its probably more than my poor brain can take, but I really like the idea and I hope it does well..

I guess anything that helps you see the background better is good, but it shows the advert real estate off more doing this.

I like the PS welcome hub screen you land on on a PS5, with its customisable widgets - and no adverts. A simply glance gives me the info I need regularly, like controller charge state, online friends status, current storage availablity, wishlist games on sale etc.
Can we not get something similar on Xbox? I appreciate you don't need to look or scroll too far to get this stuff on the Xbox dash, but seeing it all in a glance as soon as you boot up is more useful than I thought it would be...

It's a sweet design, I can see why they are popular!
The MS store should do more to ensure they go to fans rather than scalpers...

Really enjoyed the games back in the day, but I'm not up for a remaster, I wouldn't consider getting that.
Hopefully this refers to more than another remaster....

It's good that farce has finished.
But its bad that the deal happened imo.

Xbox itself is in a worse place now in my estimation with no reason to buy into the eco system and the next hardware being a PC.
I guess MS can make a mint. If you are a shareholder there's reasons to be very happy. But if like me you liked the autonomous Xbox division and wanted a console with distinguishing features and software that would help define it, that's all going fast..

I think this is very unlikely to sell much. There's so little actual game it's difficult to see why people would want to spend cash to buy it... but I guess any extra funds are better than none.
Xbox loses nothing by porting this imo - there no one looking at this and considering buying a series machine to play it.
Good tech demo though - if it gets patched to play @60hz.

Well it's all very interesting and as per usual we are left guessing.

If the next Xbox will be a PC though, then what about your current Xbox libraries? Xbox games are not all likely to run on a PC.
Indeed Jez Corden himself has pointed out this potential hiccup in an article two days ago:-
"For example, Microsoft has been hiring to beef up its forwards compatibility tech for Xbox consoles only recently. On paper sounds like a good thing, but if you extrapolate a little further, it could be that they haven't solved full compatibility with previous Xbox games on the new systems out of the gate.

Given that Microsoft was at the forefront of cross-generational compatibility, the idea that Microsoft may sacrifice full compatibility with libraries millions of existing Xbox users to chase a potentially imaginary casual PC living room audience isn't fun to think about."

I don't have much of a stake in that as my libraries are Steam and PS, but I'd be gutted if they screwed over those with large Xbox libraries..

Does anyone have any further insight into Xbox games running on windows?

Im not sure there is any title I'd pay that for, I'll either wait for a sale or not get the game.
I suppose never say never, but its hard to think of a game Id pay that for.....

@themightyant
I wholeheartedly agree! I think it's great that they came up with this tie in, but streaming old games like this is huge waste of energy and resources and the games should be downloaded and run locally.

@RiverGenie I hear you mate. I'm probably older (60) and just as tired.
I guess those of us that appreciate ID and the games they make want to see solid engagement and sales numbers because they are part of an organisation that tends to take action if they don't generate the money or funds that cover the investment plus a good return. As an ex dev, I am interested in the business of games as well as the playing of them, as my living depended on them doing well for so long.
I do get that it's often used as a tool to try and bash others too. It's been going on since PS1 vs Saturn days and likely beyond that. Its stupid and tiresome and unfortunately a reflection of human nature, we will never see the back of it.
Have a good day mate and I hope you are enjoying the game, it's a good one 👍

Well that's encouraging news for a game I've been enjoying on GP.

@RiverGenie Whilst I have some sympathy with your viewpoint, this entire article is precisely about how well the game has done and celebrating a metric you don't care for. Why read the article and respond if you have no interest in what the article is about?

Good luck to her. 11 years in one studio is putting down roots in this industry. She's young enough she will relish new challenges and I hope it works out.

Classic on the N64 - but that was a long time ago. Wasn't so keen on the follow up.
Not so sure the 'franchise' carries a lot of weight with modern gaming audiences, but a good reboot might change all that!

@HonestHick I definitely agree with you that a hole has been dug and making a PC for under the telly with Steam would be a very compelling offering I would love to see.
I still don't know how that would work for them financially, and expressed that several times in the hope someone else understood and would let me know. But there's tons I don't understand - doesn't mean it won't happen!
Once this gets some kind of confirmation, I'll be cheering along with everyone else👍

@cragis0001 Thanks for looking it up - I was too busy following bread crumbs on the steam rumour!
They are quite right, allowing CD keys to be sold help consumers a bit. I don't remember seeing such sales a few years back, but they are clearly allowed now. Here's CD keys for instance and there's loads more sites:
https://www.cdkeys.com/playstation-network-psn/psn-games

Like you, I'm wondering if they relaxed their stance on this due to the potential outcome of an investigation, which would show that the laws work, eventually! As someone who buys a lot from PSN store, anything that helps make it more competitive is very welcome!

I loved this game, what a joy to have a reason to go back!

Here is an article about how the rumour and speculation of MS buying valve came about, with links for varification of tweets etc.

https://80.lv/articles/no-microsoft-is-not-buying-valve-for-usd16-billion

As the Verges editor states: To set the record straight, Tom Warren, an industry insider and Senior Editor at The Verge, has taken to Twitter to dispel the rumors and confirm that there is no such deal in the works, nor does Microsoft have any plans to acquire Valve in the near future.23 May

@cragis0001 Ive bought PS5 games from digtal retailers at a discount? I always buy my psn store credit for a minimum of %15 off.
It wouldnt take long to show regulators that those deals are available, but I assume they are looking at something slightly different..

@HonestHick Id be gratefull if you have a source on the 16 billion offer for valve, as your quite right, Ive not seen that.
It strikes me as a pitiful offer tbh, given the size of the market valve controls, but doesnt mean it didnt happen and Id like to read more.
I do spend every day reading game biz sites and developer websites in addition to the normal news outlets, so I do try and approach tthese conversations with some knowledge. Im at least not willfully ignorant 😊

@AverageGamer I'll state catagoricaly that this is definitely not their plan.
They are never entering a software selling market hoping to nickel and dime a profit from hardware. No way on earth thats a Microsoft position.

@HonestHick Thats because you are telling people something you dont know.
This is surely a place where people can discuss their thoughts and ideas as adults. Theres no need to think people who have different thoughts are giving you backlash, I dont understand your frustration.
I hope you are correct, but I fear you are wrong. Surely thats not unreasonable to state in a comments section under a rumour story?

@themightyant
Maybe, but I dont see that. Their stated aim has been to grow their own storefront on pc and mobile. Giving steam on your hardware ensures very few would use it imo.
Plus they would be giving away 70%..they only get 30% of what another store would sell.

@cragis0001 Unless the EU want to chase Sony and Nintendo for the same situation, then a point made in an old investigation is not likely to put Microsoft off, is it? They sold the bulk of this gen as digital, with no options of where to buy and I dont see any regulators calling foul?

I still dont see why they would do this as no one would buy from them.
Dont get me wrong, as a long time steam user it would make me more interested in the machine, but Id still take a bet it wont happen.

@PJOReilly 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

My fave was avowed and Id rate that an 8 myself.
Indy was a good game but gave me motion sickness so had to be played in small doses.
Doom seems excellent and might be my highest rated, but Im early in the game, so I cant rate it yet.
These are all good games though, none are a huge flop.

Always happy to see whats coming, whats not to like?

Keeping my expectations in check mind you, Ive never felt they were the amazing 10s that many people have in the past, but MS shows have been good and Im hoping that continues.

Ive had a visitor overnight, so Ive not been able to play much apart from a few Forza Horizon 5 races. Been watching F1 today, but now thats finished maybe some Doom, if not its Expedition 33.

Hope you're all having a great one!

Really enjoying it. No platforming, double jumps and all the stuff I disliked in the last title. I can play this without having a spinning head and it feels meaty and more reminiscent of the the og doom games I loved so much.
Im early in my playthrough, but it feels like a good 8/10 title to me and Im happy to be playing it..

@HonestHick Thanks for that! I hadnt heard those rumours, so its been interesting to hear.
Im not so sure I believe them mind, I dont think steam is likely to be for sale or be valued that low, but never say never, crazy stuff happens. I didn't didnt think theyd buy ABK only to publish everywhere either, but here we are.
Completely agree that Store Fronts are where its at, which is why I didnt think they would side load steam on new machines. Irrespective of how I feel as a consumer, its interesting to watch all these positions emerge and be discussed.

Oh, and yes Id heard something about a potential new Sony handheld too. As you rightly suggest, Id skip that one too 😊

@PJOReilly I still havent played the dlc! Im not sure I understand why 🤷

This isn't my favourite genre as my reactions are getting shot, but this is a great list, and the ones Ive tried are clearly good games even if they are beyond me 😀
Mind you, Elden Ring is an all timer for me and I platinumed that so Im not immune to the charms of the genre!