Titntin

@TrevorP86
""If you can't beat them, copy them" - Sony on subscription services"

Except PS now launched before game pass by quite a big margin.
One thing I wish they hadnt copied was charging for online multiplayer, it was a horrible cash grab and still is.

Thats great! I love these specials and this is a particularly good one.

I wasnt convinced by the gameplay, but this was a fantastic tech demo!
I admit I'd like to see it running on a pro, but I wont buy in for such a short game with limited gameplay, no matter how good it looks...

Im delighted they aren't charging 50% more than premium to match gamepass. It means for a modest outlay I get access to many hundreds of the types of titles I go to a rental service for.
I still try and buy the biggest games I want to play, and have done this even when they are on GP and Im subbed. Having been a dev for a long time and relying on people buying games for my living has probably shaped my feelings here.
Theres value in both services, psn is good value for what it offers (I notice Diablo 4 is a psn game to keep this month), but nothing matches game pass for value when its firing on all cylinders 😀

I loved the first one and Im going to enjoy this one. I hope it comes to xbox quickly so everyone who wants to can enjoy this.

I already have a decent PC. Xbox simply becoming windows gaming was not what I wanted at all and badged hardware is not inventive.
Happy for those this appeals to, I dont want to rain on anyones parade, but this just means xbox is a publisher only to me once this gen is done, and Ill take that as long as the games keep releasing.

Fantasy Life i still, so much content It might take a while to finish!
I fancy some arcade stick schumup goodness, so Im goiing to play Cygni which I picked up in the sale recently.
Im still replaying Forza Horizon 5 too, I never tire of these titles.

Whatever you are playing this weekend, I hope you have fun!

This is what I feared would happen. This is literally an existing product with an xbox badge, No invention no newly added features, just another badged pc product.
Xbox have previously been about adding new offerings to the market, offering inventive features such as quick resume etc - not just badging existing tech. I hope this is not a sign of things to come.

As for VR, Id love go be into it, but the toll it takes on me via motion sickness and vertigo is very severe and can last weeks.
Ive learnt that, regrettably, I cant enjoy VR fun, but I envy those that can.

No idea if the game is any good, but with a soundtrack I grew up with Im gonna be playing for sure!

Back on subject, I suspect late 2027, but that may stretch into 2028.
I think they may need to wait till then for chip/component prices to drop to the point where they offer a performent unit for price people can swallow.
Mind you, the worlds gone crazy, so its tough to predict what will happen in these markets...

I'm still running a 3090 gpu on my pc, but im not likely to upgrade it till I see the options that will come with the new MS machine. If I play games on a neXt box, I can not bother with a gpu upgrade as mmy pc will be fine for the rest of its tasks for years.

@NishimuraX
You can reply that this is not your experience, but its clearly not an outright lie as so many long term PC owners will attest. Your tolerance for experimenting with settings and dealing with windows drivers may be far higher than many, but as someone who has had a top notch pc since before seperate gpus were released, I also share the experience that playing on a pc is seldom install, run, play. Its one of the reasons so many people still prefer to play on console despite many of pcs obvious advantages.
If you genuinely believe your kind of insulting post is adding to a reasoned debate Im here to tell you it most definitely is not and yet Im sure you might actually have some insight that might help inform an adult conversation. Why not share your experiences instead of pathetic fanboy insults?

Personaly Im hoping that the OS update and overlays that Microsoft are working hard on right now, will remove the issues of finding correct settings at least and maybe help to maintain drivers and windows with little to no user input, so that the experience is much more console like. Its clear, at least to most people, and to Microsoft themselves, that this is whats needed to move PC gaming into the console domain and steam OS has been leading the way. Good luck to them, Im very hopeful they succeed.

Dreadful imo. Happy Im cancelled for now.

There was no hint of hybrid, they simply doubled down on their 'everything is an xbox message' and mentioned that will include their handhelds such as the imminent ROG.
Much as I want a tv friendly pc unit, I hate windows, so Im actually rooting for steam to get a steam box launched as an alternative.
Seeing a windows logo on the telly as I switch my console on is not something Im rooting for, even though Id buy it without another option! Maybe the new interface will be so slick I'll never notice its windows, I can hope for that!😀👍

Whats most important about this message is a doubling down of promising backwards compatibility, as the transition to windows makes this particularly difficult for 3rd party games. I can only assume they are looking to emmulate the series machines on PC hardware, or they are including bespoke chips, but that adds to expense. However they achieve it, god speed, as people deserve to access all there games and not just a few which have PC versions.
To me, this also confirms that the transition to windows pc hardware is confirmed, which confirms the death of a bespoke hardware platform for future consoles.
As I want a TV friendly pc box, this is good news, but part of me mourns the seemingly confirmed death of the xbox console as we've always known it.
New hardware is always exciting though, bring it on!

My Series X will not remain connected to controllers wirelessly with any consistency anyway. As soon as you switch on 120hz output the controllers immediately disconnect. At 60 hz connection is intermittent. Research suggests this happens to a lot of people with no fix.
So I can take the wired one, as wireless and xbox just doesn't work for me anyway. Looks like a good option with some decent tech for the money!

A new Horizon game would be great, but they have to drop this 'Superstar' character and work on a compelling story that allows the player to feel some sense of progression and not be lost and swamped in a game world which gives you everything for nothing and offers so much you don't know what to do next.
FH4 was the sweet spot in terms of progression, it still felt like there was a reason to win races.
They need proper script writers, voice actors and a better back story than the travelling festival. What they have was OK 20 years ago but its actually embarrassingly bad now and needs new direction.
But the gameplay is fantastic and there's a lot of variety, another setting with reasons to race would be a winner.

@themightyant If you liked dmc combat, then you might like it - I certainly did and enjoyed playing to its conclusion. Cid is a strong character. I buy at least 40 games a year ( and probably more) on the other platform, but series X is gamepass only, and even then I buy many titles that are on GP, just not on this platform.

It's a shame as several publishers are already looking to see if it's worth publishing on this platform and this news won't help the xbox cause...

Very easy to have a reasonable impression of a game if you are not paying for it. Some people have been hoodwinked into paying proper money for this completely unfinished mess, and that should never be OK.

I've bought just one title on Series X since launch, and I know I'm not alone. Of course this game won't shift big numbers and squenix will soon see launching games on this platform will not make a big difference to units sold. Sad but true.

I've always believed GP canablises sales and it's one of the reasons I try and stay unsubbed.
If you're just looking after no1, there's no question its great value for the consumer, and much as I'd prefer it if I didn't have to use it, sometimes it's too good value to pass up.
But it's game devs that ultimately lose money and refreshing to hear one of them have the balls to say so.

Wuchung could be a good one. I've unsubbed for a while so I'll probably try it if/when I resub!
Not interested in the others, I tend not to enjoy survival games, so I didn't get on with Grounded, but I did try for a few hours, but no 2 is bound to appeal to many.

Fantasy Life i still.... I'm also really keen on starting Sandland and continuing with SpaceMarine 2.

Whatever you are playing, I hope you have fun!

@FarmDog08 @Fiendish-Beaver.
I'll be 61 this August too. They will have to pry a controller out of my dead hands as I'll always play games 😊👍

I've already cancelled GP. I bought many of the bigger games offered in the last few months so the value proposition is not so good for my needs, there's precious little coming in the next few months that appeals to me which I won't buy rather than rent, so it's a easy choice that gets much easier if they increase sub costs.

It could be excellent, but it is too far off to call right now. But design aesthetics and characters seem on point, so hopefully this realises its potential.

@Cakefish Whatever they do, they can't do it with code they don't own. Your 3rd party titles will remain mostly locked to the platform you bought on. I can't see any statagey that will change that, but I'm happy to be wrong if someone would like to offer a solution?

@Dan1283 LOL, meanwhile I've cancelled gpu but kept psplus.
Gpu is 50% more expensive than plus and there are many months when you can see why! But this is not one of them months to me and as they only let you pay monthly now, I've no issue dropping gpu when it doesn't provide what I want. But I've a boatload of titles I'm still playing on plus.

@Cakefish Much as I wish for that seemless transition for you, it won't happen.
Most people reporting less than 10% of their owned games are play anywhere. Not even all Microsofts own titles all conform, it will never be the case for all games.
Transitioning means losing access to the majority of your games, but I fear there will be little choice in the matter, have some or have none.

Sony have no need to pivot away from a successful business model and were never going to provide any other answer.

Microsoft are making dramatic changes because their original vision failed and they are making themselves irrelevant in the console space. They have the teams to work very well as a 3rd party publisher, and this aligns well with main corporate stratagey, so I'm sure their prosporous future is assured. It just won't be based on their own platform anymore.
I'd prefer it if there would xboxes in the future, but that's gone. Countary to the usual sentiments expressed here I love the ps5 generation and Ive see every single generation since the business started. Never had such a huge backlog of quality games to play in any prior gen and I actively choose to play in that eco system unless there's a reason to do otherwise, and that reason has always been gamepass.

Now this makes more sense. A handheld xbox (as opposed to pc) is dead in the water.
Maybe this means they can concentrate on the next 'console', but I've long been of the opinion that Ms will not make further hardware except badged boxes, and just concentrate on their pc frontend and store software.
Anyone saying "but they said" need to think how often what they said has not been what they do.
I think higher up in the company this trajectory has been set, and their difficulty is trying to transition to this future without completely alienating customer good will.

For an old guy like me, Gradius Origins is a must buy, been on my wish list for a while!

Keeper is the only one im interested in, looking forward to reviews on that soon 😀

I thouroughly enjoyed playing this game, whatever label you apply to it!

Clockwork
Beast
No Ghosts

Not really much else for me.

If you game on a handheld then its great to excited by new options, though Id buy a new steam deck than one of these myself, and I needed a handheld for games Id have a switch 2.
But I play on 65 inch telly at 4k. A handheld is of no use at all for me, especially one that plays pc games only. Its also going to cost a ton.

@NEStalgia No mate, enough is enough. Both Niintendo and Microsoft have simply done it because they think they can, they have offfered no justification. Sony have kept theres at £69.99 at present ( ghost of yotei for example), but if this pricepoint is used for several other releases from Nintenndo and Microsoft then I cant see Sony holding that fort for long and price rises simply because you can should not be tolerated or embraced.
Im all for devs making a good living, but Im not for suits walking off with sky high bonuses simmply because thhey are milking their customers!
Im annoyed because I do make the effort to buy new games and support devs - I bought Expedition 33 and oblivion remastered last month despite having them available on GPU. But at 80 I wont bother and simply rely on gp or psn plus...

Not a chance Id buy this and trying to normalise this price means I hope its a huge flop.

Its just windows games. Just another ROG ally with a custom game launcher.
Dissapointing its not more and that your console games are not available unless theres a PC version...
Not for me, but I have little use for handhelds, so I hope they appeal to a few....

I thought it was a good showcase, but it was not as good as I expected.
I enjoyed it and the Sony showcase about the same, with
Geoffs event going down a notch or two and Future show dropping a bit further.
All the shows had games shown I want to play, so its been a really good week!

Has to to be B, there was enough for most people I thought..

@Kaloudz I feel your excitement mate. Fingers crossed for a great show 👍

@Fiendish-Beaver

Ok, just watched future game shows 1h 40 minutes. Im sorry mate, we are so very different as maybe 30 minutes were worthwhile for me, the other 70 feeling like dross steam shovelware I wouldnt touch with a bargepole. My wife was so non plussed she got up and walked off and she never does that, but I stayed to the end .. though I wish I hadnt. Most of what was interesting was in the first 20 minutes for me.
Easilly the worst of the shows for me, though I thought the presenters were likable without too much cringe. E+?

I guess this just reafirms that everyone is different, im glad you enjoyed it so much, even if I cant figure out why.
Xbox show will be infinately better than that for sure. From my perspective its tough to see how they could do it worse....

@Fiendish-Beaver hi mate.
Yeah I would so far rate Sonys B, Summer game fest D+, and I missed the future game show, maybe I should check it now, especially as you ennjoyed it most!
Im also hoping for a good show tonight, though I have lots to look forward to in the next year already, Im always up for more!

Loved the first game.
I appreciated the way the 2nd was crafted, even though It completely lost the feeling of vulnerability that made the first special to me ( I mush have dispatched an entire army).

It will be really interesting to see how they get another story out of the franchise..

Fantasy Life i is all consuming. I keep telling myself Ill get back to other titles, but theres always just a little thing or quest I need to do first!

Whatever you are playing this weekend, I hope you have fun!

Lego voyagers looks excellent, I can myself playing that with the miisses.
Im also going to mention mix tape, not based on any gameplay, but simply because that list of bands craves attention!

Started off with almost everything looking exactly the same! It was a good dark fantasy theme but weird that they all looked so similar.
Things got more mixed up and theres at least 8 or 10 titles Id like to try, but it didnt hit me as well as the SOP did a couple of days before. Maybe it was the presentation, and Geoff kept the titles coming fairly quickly, but there still felt like there was too much filler..
Tons of games to look forward to over the two shows though, and still the Microsoft show to come, Im enjoying the week.

@OldGamer999
Nice to hear. Im sure Ill end picking one up when theres a few more ninty titles 😄

@OldGamer999 Its possible they fixed it of course, so maybe it works fine 😄
This is the first games machine launch in over 40 years where Ive not bought in and have absolutely zero fomo. Unless theres a game I must play it holds no appeal. Mario Kart will be good of course, but Im just not excited enough by a new one of them to want the invest.
Im sure many other people have a lot else they wish to play of course, not wishing to rain on anyones parade, im sure the extra Zelda stuff will be worth alone if you love them games!
I hope you are enjoying it!

Xbox still have some great ips to show, and now have a much bigger audience to sell them to, so Im expecting good things.
I really did enjoy the PS show the other day, so the bars high for me, but I think they have the IPs to match or exceed it for me, so Im pretty excited.
Hoping for a better look at Fable, and surely we get at least a Gears trailer?

Not one I want to revisit, but this will be great for any new fans on gp who havent played it. GP release maybe? Seems a good match for the remakes..