I get the feeling there was a deep disagreement between Phil Spencer and Sarah Bond. And the fact that Phil Spencer will continue supporting Sharma for many more months seems to reinforce that idea.
Maybe one day we will learn what really happened. Sarah Bond was probably appointed by Phil Spencer as the Head of Xbox and apparently he trusted her to make the right decisions, which seems to have had a negative impact on Xbox. At one point it had to stop.
With Spencer’s retirement official, Microsoft is hitting the reset button on Bond’s Xbox strategy instead of embracing it further. Microsoft Gaming CEO Asha Sharma is now promising “the return of Xbox” in a clear message to employees that the strategy over the past few years has not been working. “I want to return to the renegade spirit that built Xbox in the first place,” says Sharma.
I wonder how is she aiming to achieve the "return of Xbox" , now that Xbox publishing started releasing their games on all platforms? Are they planning to walk back on the multi-platform release strategy (which would be terrible for players on other platforms). The console business can only work when the hardware is subsidized and there is some attractive unique selling point like exclusive games. With PC component prices exploding PC is also a very costly alternative.
24 hours after the news broke, it still feels hard to believe and there is definitely a strange uncertainty what it means for Xbox.
On the one hand: Asha Sharma has no history in gaming or console business. She has no connections to the publishers and development studios.Her Xbox profile was create in January this year. Her background is in commerce, building platforms and AI. She seems like the Jim Ryan of Xbox at first sight.
On the other hand: Xbox has lost it's USP (unique selling point). Those who already have an Xbox console might be satisfied, but Xbox hardly attracts anyone new via traditional console business. Compared to PlayStation 5, most will choose a PS5 over an Xbox Series console. If Phil Spencer and Sarah Bond couldn't find a new USP for Xbox, then maybe someone like Asha Sharma with a fresh perspective and experience in building platforms might be more successful.
The question is... What will it mean for players? I'm not sure if Microsoft's future Xbox plans include traditional console gamers.
@kmtrain83 I also find the timing suspicious, as I believe Phil and Sarah would have liked to be part of Xbox's 25th anniversary since they were the leads on Xbox for the last 10 years.
Edit: Last year, Phil Spencer made the decision to retire from the company.
I hope this quote holds true and that Spencer wasn't pushed/forced into retirement. Anyway, I think he'll be missed 😔.
It seemed like a matter of time until Phil leaves and I probably would have done the same in his position. Being in a position where all the negative decisions made a level above you are blamed on you, as you are rhe public figure head sucks. Phil was the scapegoat for every price hikes, canceled projects and studio closures.
"The next 25 years belong to the teams who dare to build something surprising, something no one else is willing to try, and have the patience to see it through."
Maybe Bluepoint could work on a new IP for Xbox called "Ichor of Endurance". A souls-like in a gothic victorian city where the player character is seeking for a cure for a cosmic virus. 🤔
Have you looked at the Evercade retro gaming platform? While it's focused on retro games (80s & 90s) it has been the best fun I had playing games in recent years. Good old fun games without the modern ***** (live-services & micro-transactions).
It probably could have been worse on PS5 Pro. Based on the visuals on other UE5 games, PSSR often has ugly jittery artifacts, especially with gras foliage. The developers could have implemented PSSR and then have Digital Foundry criticize the issue.
I also wonder if Sony funded themselves some of the better PS5 Pro enhancements, like in case of Stellar Blade, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth and Death Stranding 2, as they need those enhancements to promote the PS5 Pro as a product.
...there's even a story on push square about why people are happy next gen is going to be delayed and the author of the article is asking why?
I read the article and I have to agree with you. I don't get why the author doesn't understand why people are perfectly happy with the current generation and aren't in desperate need to feel the pressure of buying new hardware just to keep up with the Joneses.
Did you 2 check how high the engagement (number of comments) was on that article? 326 comments in 24 hours.
The PushSquare authors know what they are doing. They stir up some controversial opinion, not because the authors think like that, but because it divides opinions and will invite people to defend their beliefs. It's also the reason why whenever they have something about Xbox, it always has a negative, debatable tone, always questioning things and putting them into doubt. It's very effective.
On that topic: it's clear that many people are satisfied with the graphical fidelity seen on PS4 and Xbox One. Some of the most gorgeous games of the past 10 years ran on those consoles, like Red Dead Redemption 2, Forza Horizon 4, God of War 2018, Death Stranding, Horizon Zero Dawn, The Last of Us Part 2, Uncharted 4, Gears 5, Resident Evil 2 Remake, Battlefield 1, Sea of Thieves, Ryse: Son of Rome. If this generation is struggling to provide meaningfully better visuals then "next gen" will struggle even more.
But like I've said it's years away from now I love my series x I still think it performs amazingly and I wouldn't want to upgrade anytime soon myself!
I guess most players on Xbox Series consoles are satisfied with the consoles, apart from missing out on certain titles which are exclusive to other consoles.
But Microsoft fails to bring new players to the Xbox consoles (we don't need to list the reasons, many of them are Microsoft's fault), so I think for them, the transition to "Xbox on PC" needs to happen soon.
@Daffy-Duck So let's say the entire Xbox playerbase decides to just buy off Steam how exactly does MS make money? Oh they cut a deal with Valve? The same Valve known for not wanting to play nice with others? Why would Valve cut a deal where they have to give MS a bit of the % when Valve will have a competing "console"? Either MS or Valve is going to suffer with this next Xbox so i would be shocked if Steam will be on it, Valve DOES NOT NEED MS
Valve does not need Microsoft, but Microsoft needs Valve. And PlayStation. And Nintendo.
Microsoft's gaming division has grown too large and game development is too expensive to limit their output to the Xbox store. And many Xbox players will wait for a discount especially if they can play those games day 1 on GamePass. Selling an $ 80 game to a larger playerbase on Steam at $ 56 - 64 (after Valve gets their 20-30% cut) or on PlayStation is more profitable than selling it to a smaller playerbase on Xbox who might buy the game discounted at $ 30.
It seems like console players will now choose a PlayStation over an Xbox, so for Microsoft apparently the traditional console business isn't working. Some have a PS5 as their main console where they buy all their games and an Xbox for GamePass to try out new games. That's why Microsoft and Xbox are likely moving their gaming business - the Xbox ecosystem - to the open PC platform.
Of course this hasn't been fully confirmed by Microsoft, but based on their recent efforts on Windows as a gaming platform, the messaging around the ROG Xbox Ally and the next generation Xbox hardware, are good pointers that Xbox is moving to PC, an open ecosystem where Steam, Epiic Games, GOG and other stores are present. If Microsoft doesn't allow those 3rd party stores on their next hardware, then there is no point in producing that hardware.
@fatpunkslim I remember reading a developer interview, where it was explained that the difficulty is a result of the game not being playtested by during development. I think Rayman is considered to be one of the hardest games of it's time.
There are some really frustrating levels. Checkpoints are far apart, Rayman has a weird momentum and an unintuitive hitbox, some platforms appear via secret triggers and often you cannot tell if there's anything dangerous below the platform you are standing on.
I still have my physical cart for the Gameboy Advance which I finished a few years ago.
While Rayman is a gorgeous game for it's time, the difficulty is all over the place. If I remember correctly you need to find and free all lums to unlock the ending.
I think Microsoft is in a tricky situation. They need to get their new Xbox on PC experience out as soon as possible to make Windows PC a viable option for Xbox console users to move to.
It would have a bigger Impact of course if they could release that with a set of new hardware, but the rising prices of PC components definitely is a problem. I'm wondering how it would go down with players, if Microsoft releases their "Xbox on PC" update to every Windows 11 PC, without new hardware?
I also find this mentality from Insomniac a bit disappointing. They would have everything to gain by having as many players as possible play their games…
I don't think the statement reflects the mentality of Insomniac Games. It's a message mandated from the parent company. They would probably like to have the game on as many platforms as possible, just like Xbox studios are excited to release games on PlayStation, but Sony doesn't allow it.
It's a shame that Spider-Man, one of the most popular and iconic comic superheroes, with fans of all ages and in all parts of the world, is not available for everyone to play on all platforms.
@TrollOfWar I think the opposite. i think they're going back to high budget single player games. The 15 games they canned a year or two ago they had in development were predominantly live service multiplayer titles. And these got canned after Concords failure.
PlayStation still has several ongoing and future live services: MLB The Show, Gran Turismo, Helldivers 2, Marathon, Destiny 2 (and maybe 3), 2 Horizon multiplayer games, Marvel Tokon and of course Fairgames. While they cancel multiple projects, don't see them slowing down all that much regarding live-service games.
They need to get their studios in line with however Sucker Punch manage to do things. Both Tsushima and Yotei had a similar budget of around 70-80 mil and absolutely killed it in sales and profit. I don't understand why other studios need to have this ridiculous £200mil plus budget. Excluding the superhero games which will have licensing costs, I just cant fathom how the other AAA games are costing the same.
Not sure if Sucker Punch should be a template to follow: Ghost of Tushima and Yotei are fairly similar games in mechanics and visual presentation, making a sequel in that template relatively easy. But not every studio can work on that budget, especially if they try and prototype several different games and types of games.
A lot of budget is spent on expensive motion captures and voice recording, on prototyping and playtesting. Especially with games, where the team doesn't have a clear idea or vision from the beginning (like for example Anthem) a lot of time and money is spent on building prototypes and trying to find a fun gameplay loop.
@moodmatcha Actually Peter Molyneux left the Fable franchise in 2012 when he decided to leave Lionhead Studios & Microsoft after the completion of Fable: The Journey and join 22cans.
Lionhead Studios went on to develop Fable Legends without him, a coop multiplayer live-services game, which got cancelled in 2016 before it's release.
@GamingGod PlayStation still continues to develop high-budget single player games, like Saros, Wolverine and Interstellar: The Heretic Prophet. It's less than during the PS4 generation as now they have mix of single and multiplayer games, but they can hopefully satisfy all types of gamers with a more divers genre offering.
...but not 4Loop. That’s surprising. Looked awful and I doubt any Xbox player is missing anything here, ...
There was an analysis a while ago that multiplayer shooters are quite popular on Xbox with Helldivers 2 and Battlefield 6 sales proving that. 4 Loop could be pretty popular with the Xbox audience.
Perhaps this is a blessing in disguise, in that it’ll tank faster and they’ll go back to making the single player epics everyone actually wants from them.
I doubt PlayStation will go back to focusing exclusively on high-budget single player games. Helldivers 2 is a phenomenal success and they are definitely not blind to the successes of other live-service multiplayer games like Minecraft, Roblox, Arc Raider and Marvel Rivals.
Hopefully some of those games will be released on Xbox as well. Silent Hill and Kena are already available on Xbox, so it would make sense to release new games in those series.
@Kezelpaso I think they misunderstood the fans when they asked for "enhanced steering wheel integration" for racing wheels, not "enhanced steering wheel animations". 😆
@FraserG I got a Super Pocket (Capcom Edition) last year as I wanted to play Tomb Raider on the go. Then I discovered a whole platform. It's like all my nostalgic gaming childhood memories are bundled on that devices. There are arcade games on Evercade which I played 30 years ago where I never knew the name. And it's all plug-and-play like it used to be on other consoles in the past.
Last year for me felt like getting a new gaming device as a kid with the excitement of figuring out what else there is to play and what are the next releases. Now I have another Super Pocket (Neo Geo), the original legacy Evercade Handheld and 23 cartridges. And somehow I feel more excited about the future of Evercade than the future of current gen home consoles. 😄
Playing Fable on the original Xbox during the winter season was such a great childhood experience. Really one of the best games of it's time.
Some might say the combat and gameplay mechanics are too simple or the world is too small with connected corridors, bur that's what I love about them. I tried Morrowind on Xbox but I didn't connect with it's huge scope and freedom. Fable felt like a cozy, more focused experience.
The next gen Xbox PC cannot release soon enough, because otherwise the new Steam Machine will have a head start for mainstream living room PCs under the TV. On the other hand at least releasing games on PlayStation and Nintendo removes some of that pressure.
@johnK I usually try to focus on 1-2 games per platform as I want to finish games which I start. On Xbox I created a library group called "Planning to Play" where I prioritize games which I want to play next. I also have a group called "Replay" for old games which I finished before and want to revisit.
Of course this means that I am not playing the newest games released.
The big Call of Duty Black Ops 7 juggernaut underperforming. It's generally a rather poor Call of Duty game, but the strong releases of Battlefield 6 and Arc Raiders around the same time amplified the negative impact on Black Ops 7. Since it's not a good Call of Duty people probably also didn't see the point of paying a higher monthly fee for GamePass.
I think the percentage of people buying consoles with disc drives is actually higher than the percentage of people fully taking advantage of those disc drives for games. It's the same effect as people buying an SUV despite living in a city and not planning to do any off-roading. They like "having the option". They might occasionally use it, but could live without one. Personally I only use the disc drive for watching old movies and TV shows.
Considering next gen, a disc drive will be a less viable option for consoles. High- fidelity AAA games like Call of Duty, GTA, etc. will probably demand more storage space the larger the assets grow. Live service games will demand more storage with each new update. Next gen games might not fit on a single double-layer blu ray disc and 2+ discs raise the production costs too much. Indie developers with budget constraints already adopted the practice of releasing games exclusively digital.
That $70-120 of a blu-ray disc drive could be used by hardware manufacturers to offer a larger SSD storage and design a smaller console, which might also impact the design of the system cooling solutions.
I managed to finish Death Stranding Director's Cut last year.
It’s beautiful, weird, and exciting. It dares to be different from mainstream games. The open world doesn’t follow the typical Ubisoft-style checklist formula; instead, it makes traversal meaningful. The gameplay is about connecting people, not killing them. The story is complex and often thought-provoking.
But despite all the good things, the game has its flaws. Kojima’s imagination and world-building are brilliant, but his writing can be awkward. The gameplay, which shines in its exploration and atmosphere, eventually shifts toward optimizing delivery routes and hauling cargo with trucks—less exciting and more repetitive.
People have different tastes. Some will see Death Stranding as a masterpiece; others will find it boring. Both perspectives are valid. For me, it’s a game I’m genuinely glad to have experienced.
@Markatron84 People go to where they see an opportunity to make money with the skills they have. Maybe Larry Hryb thought he can have an impact and make some significant changes, but mostly met obstacles and dead ends.
Shawn Layden also joined the Tencent Games as a strategic adivsor in 2022, after he left PlayStation/SIE, and already left Tencent 2 years later.
While "Major Nelson" definitely contributed a lot to Xbox's public success, I wonder if he would fit into the current "Xbox" organization, where Microsoft heavily reduced marketing budget.
I had a promotional Xbox DVD with trailers for games like Ninja Gaiden, Splinter Cell, Fable, Quantum Shift and Mech Assault, which I kept rewatching over and over.
Also, there was a gaming store called Virtua World in my town where you could choose to play Xbox games on a promo Xbox stand with a TV, where I spent lunch breaks during school time playing Halo and Dead or Alive 3. Good memories.
I'm not sure if players want more "Hellblade". Hellblade 2 isn't bad, it's actually technically very impressive, but most people were expecting something closer to the recent God of War games.
Comments 350
Re: Xbox's 'Pivot Away From Console' Had Been Failing And Questioned At Microsoft, Claims Report
@fatpunkslim
Maybe one day we will learn what really happened. Sarah Bond was probably appointed by Phil Spencer as the Head of Xbox and apparently he trusted her to make the right decisions, which seems to have had a negative impact on Xbox. At one point it had to stop.
Re: Xbox's 'Pivot Away From Console' Had Been Failing And Questioned At Microsoft, Claims Report
The whole article is definitely worth a read.
I wonder how is she aiming to achieve the "return of Xbox" , now that Xbox publishing started releasing their games on all platforms? Are they planning to walk back on the multi-platform release strategy (which would be terrible for players on other platforms). The console business can only work when the hardware is subsidized and there is some attractive unique selling point like exclusive games. With PC component prices exploding PC is also a very costly alternative.
Re: Who Is Asha Sharma? A Look Back At The Career Of The New Xbox Boss
@Gemini53 Good point, Peter Moore also was at Reebok, before starting at Sega and later joining Microsoft.
Re: Who Is Asha Sharma? A Look Back At The Career Of The New Xbox Boss
24 hours after the news broke, it still feels hard to believe and there is definitely a strange uncertainty what it means for Xbox.
On the one hand: Asha Sharma has no history in gaming or console business. She has no connections to the publishers and development studios.Her Xbox profile was create in January this year. Her background is in commerce, building platforms and AI. She seems like the Jim Ryan of Xbox at first sight.
On the other hand: Xbox has lost it's USP (unique selling point). Those who already have an Xbox console might be satisfied, but Xbox hardly attracts anyone new via traditional console business. Compared to PlayStation 5, most will choose a PS5 over an Xbox Series console. If Phil Spencer and Sarah Bond couldn't find a new USP for Xbox, then maybe someone like Asha Sharma with a fresh perspective and experience in building platforms might be more successful.
The question is... What will it mean for players? I'm not sure if Microsoft's future Xbox plans include traditional console gamers.
Re: Microsoft CEO Shares His Thoughts On The Major Leadership Changes At Xbox
@kmtrain83 I also find the timing suspicious, as I believe Phil and Sarah would have liked to be part of Xbox's 25th anniversary since they were the leads on Xbox for the last 10 years.
Re: Microsoft CEO Shares His Thoughts On The Major Leadership Changes At Xbox
@Sol4ris
It seemed like a matter of time until Phil leaves and I probably would have done the same in his position. Being in a position where all the negative decisions made a level above you are blamed on you, as you are rhe public figure head sucks. Phil was the scapegoat for every price hikes, canceled projects and studio closures.
He will definitely be missed.
Re: New Xbox Boss Makes Official Statement As She Takes Over From Phil Spencer
Sounds risky, who is going to greenlight that? 🤔
Re: Talking Point: What Are The Best 'Hidden Gem' Xbox Games You've Played In Recent Years?
So many indie games...
Re: God Of War Creator Suggests Xbox Should Get Involved In Bluepoint Games Situation
Maybe Bluepoint could work on a new IP for Xbox called "Ichor of Endurance". A souls-like in a gothic victorian city where the player character is seeking for a cure for a cosmic virus. 🤔
Re: Sony's Bluepoint Games Might Be Gone, But We'll Never Forget Their 'Impossible Port' For Xbox 360
@Savex
Have you looked at the Evercade retro gaming platform? While it's focused on retro games (80s & 90s) it has been the best fun I had playing games in recent years. Good old fun games without the modern ***** (live-services & micro-transactions).
Re: Digital Foundry Delivers Its Verdict On Avowed For PS5, And How It Compares To Xbox Series X|S
It probably could have been worse on PS5 Pro. Based on the visuals on other UE5 games, PSSR often has ugly jittery artifacts, especially with gras foliage. The developers could have implemented PSSR and then have Digital Foundry criticize the issue.
I also wonder if Sony funded themselves some of the better PS5 Pro enhancements, like in case of Stellar Blade, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth and Death Stranding 2, as they need those enhancements to promote the PS5 Pro as a product.
Re: Insomniac Shares Cold-Hearted Response To The Chances Of Spider-Man 2 Coming To Xbox
@Gemini53 @Daffy-Duck
Did you 2 check how high the engagement (number of comments) was on that article? 326 comments in 24 hours.
The PushSquare authors know what they are doing. They stir up some controversial opinion, not because the authors think like that, but because it divides opinions and will invite people to defend their beliefs. It's also the reason why whenever they have something about Xbox, it always has a negative, debatable tone, always questioning things and putting them into doubt. It's very effective.
On that topic: it's clear that many people are satisfied with the graphical fidelity seen on PS4 and Xbox One. Some of the most gorgeous games of the past 10 years ran on those consoles, like Red Dead Redemption 2, Forza Horizon 4, God of War 2018, Death Stranding, Horizon Zero Dawn, The Last of Us Part 2, Uncharted 4, Gears 5, Resident Evil 2 Remake, Battlefield 1, Sea of Thieves, Ryse: Son of Rome. If this generation is struggling to provide meaningfully better visuals then "next gen" will struggle even more.
Re: Insomniac Shares Cold-Hearted Response To The Chances Of Spider-Man 2 Coming To Xbox
@Daffy-Duck
I guess most players on Xbox Series consoles are satisfied with the consoles, apart from missing out on certain titles which are exclusive to other consoles.
But Microsoft fails to bring new players to the Xbox consoles (we don't need to list the reasons, many of them are Microsoft's fault), so I think for them, the transition to "Xbox on PC" needs to happen soon.
Re: Insomniac Shares Cold-Hearted Response To The Chances Of Spider-Man 2 Coming To Xbox
@DennisReynolds
Valve does not need Microsoft, but Microsoft needs Valve. And PlayStation. And Nintendo.
Microsoft's gaming division has grown too large and game development is too expensive to limit their output to the Xbox store. And many Xbox players will wait for a discount especially if they can play those games day 1 on GamePass. Selling an $ 80 game to a larger playerbase on Steam at $ 56 - 64 (after Valve gets their 20-30% cut) or on PlayStation is more profitable than selling it to a smaller playerbase on Xbox who might buy the game discounted at $ 30.
It seems like console players will now choose a PlayStation over an Xbox, so for Microsoft apparently the traditional console business isn't working. Some have a PS5 as their main console where they buy all their games and an Xbox for GamePass to try out new games. That's why Microsoft and Xbox are likely moving their gaming business - the Xbox ecosystem - to the open PC platform.
Of course this hasn't been fully confirmed by Microsoft, but based on their recent efforts on Windows as a gaming platform, the messaging around the ROG Xbox Ally and the next generation Xbox hardware, are good pointers that Xbox is moving to PC, an open ecosystem where Steam, Epiic Games, GOG and other stores are present. If Microsoft doesn't allow those 3rd party stores on their next hardware, then there is no point in producing that hardware.
Re: Ubisoft Says Rayman 30th Anniversary Edition Support Is Planned, Physical Version Skips Xbox
@fatpunkslim I remember reading a developer interview, where it was explained that the difficulty is a result of the game not being playtested by during development. I think Rayman is considered to be one of the hardest games of it's time.
There are some really frustrating levels. Checkpoints are far apart, Rayman has a weird momentum and an unintuitive hitbox, some platforms appear via secret triggers and often you cannot tell if there's anything dangerous below the platform you are standing on.
Re: Ubisoft Says Rayman 30th Anniversary Edition Support Is Planned, Physical Version Skips Xbox
I still have my physical cart for the Gameboy Advance which I finished a few years ago.
While Rayman is a gorgeous game for it's time, the difficulty is all over the place. If I remember correctly you need to find and free all lums to unlock the ending.
Re: New Report On PS6 Delay Throws Next-Gen Timing Into Doubt
I think Microsoft is in a tricky situation. They need to get their new Xbox on PC experience out as soon as possible to make Windows PC a viable option for Xbox console users to move to.
It would have a bigger Impact of course if they could release that with a set of new hardware, but the rising prices of PC components definitely is a problem. I'm wondering how it would go down with players, if Microsoft releases their "Xbox on PC" update to every Windows 11 PC, without new hardware?
Re: Insomniac Shares Cold-Hearted Response To The Chances Of Spider-Man 2 Coming To Xbox
@fatpunkslim
I don't think the statement reflects the mentality of Insomniac Games. It's a message mandated from the parent company. They would probably like to have the game on as many platforms as possible, just like Xbox studios are excited to release games on PlayStation, but Sony doesn't allow it.
Re: Insomniac Shares Cold-Hearted Response To The Chances Of Spider-Man 2 Coming To Xbox
It's a shame that Spider-Man, one of the most popular and iconic comic superheroes, with fans of all ages and in all parts of the world, is not available for everyone to play on all platforms.
Re: Silent Hill: Townfall Not Coming To Xbox At Launch, Along With A Few Other State Of Play Titles
@TDHorizon
PlayStation still has several ongoing and future live services: MLB The Show, Gran Turismo, Helldivers 2, Marathon, Destiny 2 (and maybe 3), 2 Horizon multiplayer games, Marvel Tokon and of course Fairgames. While they cancel multiple projects, don't see them slowing down all that much regarding live-service games.
Not sure if Sucker Punch should be a template to follow: Ghost of Tushima and Yotei are fairly similar games in mechanics and visual presentation, making a sequel in that template relatively easy. But not every studio can work on that budget, especially if they try and prototype several different games and types of games.
A lot of budget is spent on expensive motion captures and voice recording, on prototyping and playtesting. Especially with games, where the team doesn't have a clear idea or vision from the beginning (like for example Anthem) a lot of time and money is spent on building prototypes and trying to find a fun gameplay loop.
Re: 'I Felt Incredibly Emotional' - Peter Molyneux Shares His Reaction To Xbox's Fable Reveal
@moodmatcha Actually Peter Molyneux left the Fable franchise in 2012 when he decided to leave Lionhead Studios & Microsoft after the completion of Fable: The Journey and join 22cans.
Lionhead Studios went on to develop Fable Legends without him, a coop multiplayer live-services game, which got cancelled in 2016 before it's release.
Re: Xbox Announces Social Clubs Will Be Removed From Consoles In April 2026
@Master_Cthulhu70 The Awesome Screenshot Club?
Re: Silent Hill: Townfall Not Coming To Xbox At Launch, Along With A Few Other State Of Play Titles
@GamingGod PlayStation still continues to develop high-budget single player games, like Saros, Wolverine and Interstellar: The Heretic Prophet. It's less than during the PS4 generation as now they have mix of single and multiplayer games, but they can hopefully satisfy all types of gamers with a more divers genre offering.
Re: Silent Hill: Townfall Not Coming To Xbox At Launch, Along With A Few Other State Of Play Titles
@Balaam_
There was an analysis a while ago that multiplayer shooters are quite popular on Xbox with Helldivers 2 and Battlefield 6 sales proving that. 4 Loop could be pretty popular with the Xbox audience.
I doubt PlayStation will go back to focusing exclusively on high-budget single player games. Helldivers 2 is a phenomenal success and they are definitely not blind to the successes of other live-service multiplayer games like Minecraft, Roblox, Arc Raider and Marvel Rivals.
Re: Silent Hill: Townfall Not Coming To Xbox At Launch, Along With A Few Other State Of Play Titles
Hopefully some of those games will be released on Xbox as well. Silent Hill and Kena are already available on Xbox, so it would make sense to release new games in those series.
Re: Xbox Announces Excellence Awards Winners, Including For 20 Best-Selling Games
@TuscanUK
In case of Black Ops 7 it's most likely for the number of ratings, not the average rating score. 😉
Re: Xbox & Playground Games Highlight '10 Incredible New Features' Coming To Forza Horizon 6
@Kezelpaso I think they misunderstood the fans when they asked for "enhanced steering wheel integration" for racing wheels, not "enhanced steering wheel animations". 😆
Re: I'm Playing Fable 1 For The First Time, And Here Are Five Things That Have Surprised Me
@FraserG I got a Super Pocket (Capcom Edition) last year as I wanted to play Tomb Raider on the go. Then I discovered a whole platform. It's like all my nostalgic gaming childhood memories are bundled on that devices. There are arcade games on Evercade which I played 30 years ago where I never knew the name. And it's all plug-and-play like it used to be on other consoles in the past.
Last year for me felt like getting a new gaming device as a kid with the excitement of figuring out what else there is to play and what are the next releases. Now I have another Super Pocket (Neo Geo), the original legacy Evercade Handheld and 23 cartridges. And somehow I feel more excited about the future of Evercade than the future of current gen home consoles. 😄
Re: I'm Playing Fable 1 For The First Time, And Here Are Five Things That Have Surprised Me
@nomither6 That's why I enjoy Evercade so much, as it offers those classic game experiences on a handheld for an affordable price.
Re: I'm Playing Fable 1 For The First Time, And Here Are Five Things That Have Surprised Me
Playing Fable on the original Xbox during the winter season was such a great childhood experience. Really one of the best games of it's time.
Some might say the combat and gameplay mechanics are too simple or the world is too small with connected corridors, bur that's what I love about them. I tried Morrowind on Xbox but I didn't connect with it's huge scope and freedom. Fable felt like a cozy, more focused experience.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (February 7-8)
Diablo 2 Resurrected,
Cathedral,
Citadel on Evercade
Re: Rumour: New Xbox Console Won't Release Until At Least Late 2027, Could Be Delayed Further
@Fiendish-Beaver A wise decision, there's nothing wrong in that. Choose to play on whichever platform suits your needs and requirements the best.
Re: Rumour: New Xbox Console Won't Release Until At Least Late 2027, Could Be Delayed Further
I think Microsoft is in a tricky situation:
The next gen Xbox PC cannot release soon enough, because otherwise the new Steam Machine will have a head start for mainstream living room PCs under the TV. On the other hand at least releasing games on PlayStation and Nintendo removes some of that pressure.
Re: Death Stranding Director's Cut Gets Huge Player Bump Thanks To Xbox Game Pass
@johnK I usually try to focus on 1-2 games per platform as I want to finish games which I start. On Xbox I created a library group called "Planning to Play" where I prioritize games which I want to play next. I also have a group called "Replay" for old games which I finished before and want to revisit.
Of course this means that I am not playing the newest games released.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (January 31 - February 1)
Sea of Thieves
Cathedral on Evercade
Re: Microsoft CFO Admits Xbox Revenue Was 'Below Expectations' In FY26 Q2
@kanedase7en
The big Call of Duty Black Ops 7 juggernaut underperforming. It's generally a rather poor Call of Duty game, but the strong releases of Battlefield 6 and Arc Raiders around the same time amplified the negative impact on Black Ops 7. Since it's not a good Call of Duty people probably also didn't see the point of paying a higher monthly fee for GamePass.
Re: Fable Likely To Be A Huge Hit On PS5 As Sony-Hosted Trailer Hits 1 Million Views
Who cares on which system your going to play it? The most important thing is that you are having a good time. 😉
Re: In The US, 66% Of Xbox Series X|S Sales Were Digital-Only In 2025
I think the percentage of people buying consoles with disc drives is actually higher than the percentage of people fully taking advantage of those disc drives for games. It's the same effect as people buying an SUV despite living in a city and not planning to do any off-roading. They like "having the option". They might occasionally use it, but could live without one. Personally I only use the disc drive for watching old movies and TV shows.
Considering next gen, a disc drive will be a less viable option for consoles. High- fidelity AAA games like Call of Duty, GTA, etc. will probably demand more storage space the larger the assets grow. Live service games will demand more storage with each new update. Next gen games might not fit on a single double-layer blu ray disc and 2+ discs raise the production costs too much. Indie developers with budget constraints already adopted the practice of releasing games exclusively digital.
That $70-120 of a blu-ray disc drive could be used by hardware manufacturers to offer a larger SSD storage and design a smaller console, which might also impact the design of the system cooling solutions.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (January 24-25)
Diablo 2 Resurrected and maybe Cathedral on Evercade.
Re: Three Games Are Available Today With Xbox Game Pass (January 21)
I managed to finish Death Stranding Director's Cut last year.
It’s beautiful, weird, and exciting. It dares to be different from mainstream games. The open world doesn’t follow the typical Ubisoft-style checklist formula; instead, it makes traversal meaningful. The gameplay is about connecting people, not killing them. The story is complex and often thought-provoking.
But despite all the good things, the game has its flaws. Kojima’s imagination and world-building are brilliant, but his writing can be awkward. The gameplay, which shines in its exploration and atmosphere, eventually shifts toward optimizing delivery routes and hauling cargo with trucks—less exciting and more repetitive.
People have different tastes. Some will see Death Stranding as a masterpiece; others will find it boring. Both perspectives are valid. For me, it’s a game I’m genuinely glad to have experienced.
Re: Five Things I've Learned After Using The ROG Xbox Ally X For Eight Hours Per-Day
@FraserG Tahbks for the update on your review.
Question: Did the Windows experience improve or is it still an issue compared to consoles?
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (January 17-18)
Alwa's Awakening
Cathedral
Diablo 2: Resurrected
Re: Poll: Ahead Of Developer Direct 2026, Which Is Your Favourite Fable Game On Xbox?
@Kezelpaso No "Fable Legends" option?
I played the beta, it wasn't that bad. It wasn't that good either... But it had some potential.
Re: Talking Point: How Do You Feel About Xbox Game Pass In 2026?
Finally back to Essential from Game Pass Ultimate. Now I can work on my backlog. 😆
Re: These Are The 10 Highest-Rated Original Xbox Games Of All Time, But Do You Agree?
Surprised to see all Splinter Cell games on the list. I like thwm but I didn't expect them all to be so highly rated.
Re: Xbox Legend Major Nelson Announces He's Been Laid Off From Unity
@Markatron84 People go to where they see an opportunity to make money with the skills they have. Maybe Larry Hryb thought he can have an impact and make some significant changes, but mostly met obstacles and dead ends.
Shawn Layden also joined the Tencent Games as a strategic adivsor in 2022, after he left PlayStation/SIE, and already left Tencent 2 years later.
While "Major Nelson" definitely contributed a lot to Xbox's public success, I wonder if he would fit into the current "Xbox" organization, where Microsoft heavily reduced marketing budget.
Re: Talking Point: As Xbox Celebrates 25 Years, What's Your First Ever Xbox Memory?
I had a promotional Xbox DVD with trailers for games like Ninja Gaiden, Splinter Cell, Fable, Quantum Shift and Mech Assault, which I kept rewatching over and over.
Also, there was a gaming store called Virtua World in my town where you could choose to play Xbox games on a promo Xbox stand with a TV, where I spent lunch breaks during school time playing Halo and Dead or Alive 3. Good memories.
Re: Rumour: Ninja Theory's 'Project: Mara' Was Just A Concept, Hellblade 3 Could Be Their Next Game
I'm not sure if players want more "Hellblade". Hellblade 2 isn't bad, it's actually technically very impressive, but most people were expecting something closer to the recent God of War games.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (January 10-11)
Sea of Thieves, Meowsterpiece Museum and Alwa's Awakening.
Re: Industry Insider Teases 'Secret' Fourth Game For The Xbox Developer Direct Showcase
Stellar Blade maybe? 😅