Vaako007

@PsBoxSwitchOwner people don’t understand that manufacturing has costs. And the people that work for these companies want more compensation just like you and I. Also add to the fact that semiconductor production is more expensive in China and Taiwan as they both have a monopoly on it (the fault of the west).

@TheGameThrifter and if they expect subsidized gamepass to grow still it won’t if there is no more exclusive xbox games.

Oh great. I get it that Microsoft is a software company. Moves like this done help Xbox hardware nor lure more people into the subsidized gamepass model. Otherwise Xbox Hardware would be coveted more outside the Anglo nations.

@Ricky-Spanish they changed the halo engine because the path of least resistance is to rent the Toyota Camry engine that is the unreal engine. Instead of continuing to develop an in-house engine specifically for halo. Which is a shame as Halo is a first party IP and should take advantage of the hardware. Oh well. This will be like PS3/X360 generation in which so many games used the unreal engine. Sucks that a company like Microsoft wouldn’t invest in its own engines and lease that out. Seeing as they are a software company.

@themightyant there is more pros to developing one’s own engine in house for the type of game that suits a studio. The unreal engine is the Toyota Camry of game engines. Not bad not great but works for many situations. Bespoke game engines are the better way to go just like bespoke vehicles for a specific purpose. But I get it, companies want to spend less money in-house and pass off the costs to rent cheap engines.

I wish the series x looked like this. Even the OG big Xbox One still looks good IMO.

@Medic_alert great point. I’d buy another physical copy of the MCC with all of the games with the latest patch. As you are right I bought that game at launch. I didn’t realize it has been this long to be honest.

@EVIL-C there are many factors that people don’t consider. Such as the fact that semiconductor production is more expensive. Also most of the chips come from China and Taiwan. Consumer electronics have seen a surge in demand too. So Sony, MS, and Nintendo have to compete for their orders too. Lastly I don’t think the console makers want to take such big losses on strong bespoke hardware from the onset anymore. If they did lower the price significantly throughout the generation they would lose money and have less R/D for the next generation. So it’s a balance and I haven’t even mentioned the demands of modern console gamers. Console gaming is the best deal in the entertainment industry for hours provided.

Of course it will run on the series s. The series s is current generation with the same CPU as the Xbox series X. I own a series x and ps5. But I really don’t like the narrative about the series s. As people don’t understand how development works.
Anyways if MS actually advertises. The series s will be the cheapest way for someone to play GTA 6. And throughout the years GTA is about the experience not graphics.

@GuyinPA75 just because the graphical fidelity is less doesn’t make the experience lesser. People will still have one and won’t feel bad because the XSX has more pixels.

I was really hyped for both consoles at launch but was never able to get one. I didn’t get them both until 3 years in. I really thought MS would keep up very good momentum. I hope the next four years the various first party studios launch great games. MS should have high output. I truly want Xbox to be competitive as a hardware just like the X360 days. They can do this even with subsidized gamepass. Advertise advertise advertise a consistent message more. The world is more than North America MS. Plenty of gamers in the world, especially within east asia.

@Fenbops yea man both Sony and MS have been a disappointment. The games I have liked the most this generation have been last generation games. This year is the first for me in which there has been good current generation third party game that interested me.

I agree with everything else you said.

@Ricky-Spanish I understand why many would want a handheld Xbox. But I agree I won’t ever see one as a successor to the Xbox series X. Personally I hope that Microsoft always makes a strong classic Xbox for those of us that want it. I just prefer to play my entire physical Xbox library this way.

I want Xbox to retain most of its exclusives new and old. People understand that games that were going to be multiplat before the buyouts are some of the first candidates to be released on PlayStation. But Microsoft still needs to retain some leverage to get people to use their services and use their hardware. Competition is good and I want Xbox to return to form like the Xbox 360 days. But they must be consistent about it.

@nomither6 that’s not how IP ownership works in the real world. I think Ferrari should share its V12s with lower tier brands but they won’t since they developed it and it’s a selling point.

@Fenbops agreed. This was one of the launch games I got with my one. Even though I was late to the Xbox one party. As a fan of Roman history I thought it was good. Had the Xbox one launched as a normal console, I think Xbox would be perceived much better today. And Microsoft would have much more leverage.

Just spend 50 more dollars to get a more practical Xbox, which is the black Series X. I'd get the 600$ Series X just to keep in the Box just in case its the last physical media Xbox plus its a special edition. But my regular series X is still performing strong.

@GuyinPA75 No not really. People complain about price all of the time. And when these six year old SOC designs were completed, SSDs were still expensive especially at that size. Console makers these days don't want to take a risk on making hardware with a lot of room to grow power wise and memory storage is always lower at the beginning. Its nothing new.

Not surprising considering the Series X is at least 6 years old. Console SOCs are approved well before a launch window. Anyways nothing special about a lesser digital Series X which limits one. One is just better off paying 50 more dollars to get a Series X with a disc drive.

I like the color but I have no problem with my Series X as it has more functionality.

Translation we don't want to spend the money to make a bespoke engine for the current generation and beyond for the type of game we want. So it is cheaper to lease the Toyota Camry engine aka UE[X] since it works today. Then make our game work in that common class engine. I appreciated teams in the past developing their own engines or using the tools of their corporation to make games. It was part of the charm for me when an exclusive was used. Now we will be back to the X360/PS3 age in which so many games were on unreal and they all looked similar. Microsoft should be developing engines among its own studios to push their hardware.

@endlessleep Unreal Engine [insert version] is always the most hyped because the company behind it does great advertising. Its popular because its cheap to lease or use the engine. Companies don't want to develop their own bespoke engines for their unique titles. With as many skilled developers and engineers that work at Microsoft, I'm surprised they wouldn't support their own ecosystem. But instead they have decided to go with the common class engine AKA unreal. Reminds me of the PS3/X360 days in which so many games ran on unreal.

Oh great another game moved to the Toyota Camry of game engines. Nothing special here and the engine gets the job done sure. Just like the ole reliable Camry for each generation. A bespoke purpose built game engine will always be better for a game it is built for. Just like a bespoke sports car will beat a sports car built on a common platform which has to accommodate all situations. I wish Microsoft supported its own engines and pushed that out to the world. Instead of copying everyone else and taking the cheapest path which is using a common class game engine for all.

If they go private. They need get rid of their DEI modernist culture within and only bring mates in based on merit. As it’s clear that most talented blokes have left due to them having to outsource development for such a large company. In fact many gaming studios need to do this in the realm. Go back to just making games desirable to their respective fans and not trying to interweave modernist ideals of the hour into established IPs. New IPs it’s okay but they always fail which shows there is no organic demand. Anyways I truly don’t feel sorry for Ubisoft as they mismanaged and insulted their paying customers.

@GotRedOnMe73 yea I still have my physical copy of this game. It was also one of my first games for my Xbox one.

@themightyant assuming Microsoft’s puts the money into building a console with a lot of head room early on, as sources said it will be the biggest console leap to date. There is no guarantee that Sony has an appetite to make a powerful SOC even two years later. So I hope whenever Microsoft releases the console it will be a power house. As Microsoft has the money for R/D to make a bespoke power house. I just want a good competition from team Xbox. In the meantime I hope that the series consoles can get good first party releases for the next few years to see the tone.

I like these types of strategy games. But I won't be playing this as apparently some leaders will be genderless due to DEI.

@abe_hikura PS5 Pro pricing has to do with manufacturing costs still being high since the cough era which saw Chinese and Taiwanese plants reduced for semiconductors. Also one must consider that the pro isn’t going to sell as much as the base. So it won’t be a very high volume production line. Also let us not forgot that there is a 600$ series x coming out. So the Pro is a good deal still especially considering there is millions more transistors on the board. All in all manufacturers aren’t seeing the cost reductions for this generation due to rampant inflation. People can complain about the pro price all they want but it’s a not needed item. Just like one doesn’t need the highest trim for a phone line or a car. The pro pricing is fine IMHO. The base is still available.

Skyrim set standards many years ago. Many good RPGs have came out since then. So the team has it’s work cut out for them to set the standard again.

@PsBoxSwitchOwner price increases have nothing to do with being stagnant. It’s more of an inflation thing. Remember the cough era? Almost all semi conductors are made in china and Taiwan. Plants were reduced in both countries, all while demand soared for semiconductors for all industries. This demand is still there. It’s why this generation of consoles hasn’t seen price cuts because it’s still expensive to make them. Not because their SOCs are impressive or hard to make. Sony, Nintendo, and Microsoft have expenses too as everything has gone up. And it doesn’t help that governments keep adding austerity measures to prop up the economy. In regard to PS, Sony’s hardware continues to sell well worldwide. Microsoft does virtually no marketing outside North America for Xbox.

Compare the 700$ PS5 Pro to the 600$ Xbox series X which people have forgotten about. Who is that series x for? Seems to me that paying 100$ is a better deal even without a disc drive.

@DdG1408 they aren’t losing players mate, maybe for PS+. Normal people and families are still buying the PS5 where I’m at. You do realize that Microsoft is worth more than Sony because it’s a software company? And it got its edge as being the premier operating system for home PCs and business PCs. Plus software companies have much lower overhead than a manufacturing company. If Xbox was the IP of a non software company it would be ran differently. And subsidizes gamepass would not exist as it does today. Nintendo is valuable because they have to manage their IPs well otherwise they are done. They cannot rely on third party to prop up their niche brand. Lastly around the world PlayStation as a brand resonates more with the casual gamers.

@LogicStrikesAgain that series x has a disc drive and is a special edition so not many will be made most likely. This article is just rationalizing why Microsoft won’t make a pro. If Xbox were the market leader for hardware I’m sure they would have already. Plus apparently the take rate is higher for the series s as more casual people like it for its price point. I’m not knocking the series s by any means. I don’t see the problem with their strategy here. Rumors are that the next Xbox will be a significant leap and they will launch it relatively soon. But until then they will have to accept all big third party games running the best on the pro. Even if the take rate is low for the PS5 pro. It gives Sony bragging rights about the best place to play. Which doesn’t help the marketing overall.

@user0 lol the launch prices weren’t insanity for both consoles. Consoles are incredible value and haven’t kept up with inflation. Sony and Microsoft have done a decent job of making cheaper less bespoke consoles that can at least keep up with mid PCs. As if they really made a strong console at launch the price would have to be higher. Gaming is a hobby and the consoles provide tremendous value for hours used compared to other entrainment mediums. Not to mention this current crop of consoles doesn’t break so much.

Square isn’t missing out on a big audience on the Xbox sphere. Whatever high expectations they have for sells on PlayStation, Xbox can merely just supplement the PS targets. As we all know square always has ambitious sells targets. The reality is that JRPGs are more popular on the Asian consoles. Which is fine IMO.

@Dimey project Gotham racing was a classic. I enjoyed it so much on Xbox 360. I really liked the online modes. Especially the cat and mouse or tag where everyone runs away from who is “it.” Yes no one made a game like that. Remember walking into the showrooms? Thought that was so cool.

The problem with the series s IMHO is the marketing. Outside of launch MS really hasn’t advertised the series consoles. Developers are just being lazy not wanting to develop for the series s. 60 fps is possible for the series s like the x but of course with reduced graphical fidelity. Of course it will take time to figure out the right balance but it’s possible. If the series consoles were the lead platforms we wouldn’t hear so many negative articles. The consoles that have held this generation back are the Xbox one and PS4.

@NostromoXP which is why I get so tired of seeing all of the series s articles about how it holds everyone back. Nope, it’s developers. What’s also funny to me is FPS foundry was also praising the PS5 and alluded to that fact that the series x extra power doesn’t really matter. As the PS5 is easier to developer for. Which is odd to me considering how last generation, they along with many made it known the Xbox one’s power disadvantage compared to the PS4 which was the lead platform.

@Balaam_ yes I really enjoyed on the MCC how the modes could be switched for the older halos.

@Fenbops I have been enjoying it as well! I’m not a part of the “modern audience” so it never appealed to me as soon as I saw it. I like both PS and Xbox. So I’d roast it even if it was an Xbox exclusive. They did a horrible job with reading the room. I’m so happy that normal people have woken up and are voting with their wallets.

Microsoft really needs to get their studios together. There is no reason why the series a couldn’t do 60 fps for all titles with very reduced graphics and resolution. Developers just need to test different configurations on the series s to achieve this. Then of course go up in graphical fidelity for the series x. I know this would take more time but come on! I want to see the series consoles shine. Especially my XSX! I’m just very disappointed as I felt that we haven’t seen anyone really push the series x. With the PS5 pro coming out, I think the XSX will be over shadowed.

@avoidercat black and white 2 was awesome. Nothing really like it at the time if I recall.

@Bobobiwan on the Microsoft US online store for Xbox. They show all three series X consoles next to each other. So it seems they will still produce the OG series X? As why bother to make an updated graphic on the store front. Even so if they made another Xbox I’m not convinced it would have a drive. And for me it would be a no sell.

@Moby consoles aren’t dying. So many young lads beg their parents for a PlayStation. Even if just to play fortnite. The sells of the PS5 today and switch beg to differ. Considering the cough era plant closures.

@BacklogBrad Sony is a hardware company. They need consumers to buy their hardware. Sony would not share its software for its TVs and other electronics. As Sony needs people to buy its hardware. Microsoft is a rich software company with much larger profit margins since it’s easier to be a software company in which almost all computers at all echelons use their product. So Microsoft can be more liberal with how Xbox is ran. Now Sony would have short term gains to their profits but long term their console business may not be as strong. East Asians tend to be longer term thinkers, so I don’t expect the Japanese to make quick rash decisions.

@Pabpictu I don’t think it’s hard to imagine. The Japanese brands will try to get people to buy into their respective hardware. Through games and other deals. The PC realm will still carry on. Maybe a mega Chinese corporation will buy the Xbox brand and run it well to give the Japanese a run for their money.

No surprise. It’s one of the better more fun online games to play with friends. News flash HALO online would be popular on PlayStation as well. That doesn’t mean an exclusive IP should be sent over. The last of us would be popular on Xbox as well so would uncharted. Doesn’t mean Sony would ever port it over. As they NEED people to buy into their hardware business. I hope Microsoft keeps upcoming and new IPs on Xbox. I truly don’t want everything to be sent over. As if that’s the case my series X will just be for emulation duties hence forth. Would be unfortunate as it’s the more powerful current generation console.

@Fiendish-Beaver I have bought both "hardcore" consoles since I was old enough to have a job. I just don't know what microsofts plan is next generation. As all generations up until now, I enjoyed the competition between Xbox and PlayStation. I liked the exclusives that both had. Next generation might be a PlayStation only affair for me and maybe a Nintendo console instead of Xbox. Which would be a first for me.

It would have went to PlayStation anyways before the massive buyout so not that big of a deal. I still think it should only be on Xbox. So Xbox can have more leverage. But rich Microsoft’s suit types just want more coin and more coin. Even if DEIsney was behind the push Microsoft should have gave them more coin.

@NEStalgia PlayStation isn’t ditching exclusivity. PC gamers aren’t a competitor to console gamers directly. The average gamer in the world isn’t tracking PC’s. Most families get consoles or other mobile devices to game. PC is still a niche market. With so many games that will never make it to consoles as they wouldn’t sell and would be inconvenient to play. So PC doesn’t hurt PlayStation nor Xbox. People keep saying exclusives don’t matter. Yet Sony and Nintendo manage their IPs more carefully as they need people to buy their hardware. Microsoft is a software company and has a different mindset/approach. To their suits, they only care about more coin. Just because Microsoft is liberal now with its IPs like a third party publisher doesn’t mean the Asian brands will be. No one is entitled to another firms IP. Of course Microsoft can do as they please.