Weebleman

It could be said that the size of the ABK deal was an element that led them to publishing multi platform games. I'm not sure buying up more studios is the thing to want as it's just bring the move to being a publisher closer.

@TheEstablishment so why waste money investing in new hardware when they will still print money off all those things on other machines. That's the point folks are trying to make. Out of everything you highlighted, the consoles make the least but they still make that money on everything else.

@Ricky-Spanish 100% this in a nutshell. Once people switched in that gen, when people started to build digital libraries, it just got harder to ask them to walk away from their purchases.

@KvallyX literally confirmed on this very website that the game runs the best on the base PS5. Resolutions are a match, no issues with textures. I suggest you have a look.

Edit: by no issues, I mean on one machine over the other.

@MjJmediablogger sad but likely true. Nintendo will always be Nintendo, and it works for them.

@MjJmediablogger yeah it's a weird time. We need both companies at full steam to give us consumers the best deal. It's all well and good making money off every sale, but if the bigger sales are coming from elsewhere, why waste money on more hardware. I hope they get some traction out of al this as the console space is better on both sides with them in it.

Digital sales data coming out doesn't seem positive as sales on PS have increased 30%. MS shrinking dramatically due to being on GP. Really hope they give some GP info regarding sign ups as while yes, MS get cash either way, it's hardly incentive for them to keep pushing consoles if the sign ups/sales aren't there.

And we all know that an unchallenged Sony isn't a good thing.

@KvallyX this comment aged well considering it's now been proven false.

Gave it a try and while there is a decent game in there, oh boy does it run badly. Seems to be the same on PS as well so hopefully it gets patched up before release.

@Major_Player wishes they had a third of gampass numbers? They had 47.4 million subscribers in March 2023, which is just over 13 million more than the gamepass numbers reported in February this year.

One time sales come on top of that.

Are they streaming series x versions now? They previously streamed the series s versions, which makes sense from a server point of view, but folks are gonna want those bells and whistles.

@PhileasFragg in a nutshell, yes, exactly that.

@Major_Player well, the numbers are the whole point of buying these companies so no, don't forget the numbers. None of this means xbox is growing. For all we know the record number of gamepass sign ups on the day a game launched could be 1. That means if 2 people signed up the day COD launched, new record!!

Record users on launch day doesn't give a split of where those users are. If the lowest amount is xbox or gamepass users, that's not good for xbox either as while they get the sale, they really want those subscription sign ups.

Like I say, we need numbers not odd statements. The fact they say there gaming is up 43% and 43 points of that is from ABK is not the good business you think it is. Buying ABK should have put everything up across the board. Subs, hardware, etc... and it isn't. Hardware is actually down again.

None of that is good.

That all feels like very carefully worded statements. Record subscriber adds on launch day? Record users on day one? These are oddly unspecific comments, just give us some numbers.

@Titntin from an xbox perspective, the concerning part is that sales (physical, as we don't know digital yet) on other formats are a match for previous years. Which means people are still playing in the same place they usually play rather then switching. Will be really interesting to see if/how much this landing on GP has moved the needle.

COD isn't for me either but it's always good to see a developer firing on all cylinders as they seem to be here.

@KvallyX will all be patched. Same way when xbox games don't run the same as PS5, or run at a lower level. They all get patched. Nothing to do with plastic boxes this one, just optimisation. Which again, was likely impacted by their place of work nigh on burning down.

Edit: not sure if you are on about phasmophobia or blops 6 there actually. I haven't seen anything saying it's blurry. Not saying it isn't, just no evidence that I've seen. Be happy to read a source if you have one.

@HonestHick The biggest obstacle MS have to overcome to gain traction is convincing folks to leave their library behind, and vice versa. Last gen was the one we're folks really adopted digital purchases over physical, and Sony had a large portion of the market adopt their ecosystem. Back compatibility means whatever console comes next, folks are unlikely to drop that and shift over. Same with Xbox. Yes, games may come to PS but folks with a huge library likely won't just walk away.

MS making games more accessible without a console is a cheaper 'buy in' route and makes sense, they just need streaming tech to catch up with them as it's not there yet (personal opinion there as I struggle with it). I suppose it then comes down to the casual market. MS really need to get out there and sell that you don't need a console. I can't remember a single advert telling people - away from gaming sites - that you can do it. Most casual folk will just grab the next box in line with what they already own. If they don't know they can pick up something else as well for far cheaper to give access to other games, they won't.

@OldGamer999 yeah, like you, I have both and being honest, I don't get as much time as I used to have to play on either of them.

My series X now lives in my kids room and I tend to dip in and out of GP when something I want to play pops on. My kids play minecraft (literally all they play) so it is cheaper to just buy minecraft than keep a subscription going for it.

The PS5 sits under the TV in the living room and does get more use because I do enjoy games with a story more than endless hours of content, purely due to my limited time for playing.

I still think Xbox consoles will be around for a good while yet though, but I also think that more games will go cross platform. Simply because there's money to be had there. MS get a cut of each sale, Sony get to take a cut of a game that cost zero for them to develop. Win win situation. It's likely Sony will follow suit with some titles eventually (My moneys on Helldivers).

Either way, Black Ops will rake money in. It likely won't shift GP or console numbers for MS in massive amounts, but they get money off it regardless. So it doesn't really matter either way.

@freddones the varying grades would be because a review is one person's opinion, and people have varying opinions.

@OldGamer999 I'm with you here. I imagine a few people who already own the console and dont subscribe may dip into GP to play it, it just depends if they remain on the tier going forward or will it be a temporary boost.

Console sales is a different beast. It's very unlikely anyone who solely own a PS already would pick up a new console and gamepass to play it, as £70 (dollars, euros, etc...) is far cheaper than the cost of a console and subscription. Folks who own both may sway to GP but I imagine the majority of people who game enough to buy both already have it.

Will be interesting to keep an eye on. My feeling it will be a small boost overall.

@Millionski the devs who care? Black ops 6 runs at 120 fps on PS5 and, according to head to heads, it holds it more often than the SX. And they own the dev.

My guess is this is down to time, the fire they had which caused a huge delay and prioritising that the PSVR2 version worked properly.

Edit: for reference https://youtu.be/eS5rW89SWcA?si=bqRmlognLRuwsbPd

20 quid says this gets patched in at a later date.

Standing on the shoulders of giants sums it up really

Sadly, this is how the big machine works and likely always will. One person earned more than entire divisions that got shuttered did as a whole. Just wrong on every level.

@Major_Player probably the same reason they are porting more titles. All about that money.

@Major_Player I mean, if you only own one platform then that full price new game is cheaper than a full price new console and game pass. Just a thought.

Not a COD fan but may give this a tickle while it's on game pass. Glad to hear it's a good one for those that play it though.

@OldGamer999 they all initially take a financial hit on hardware and rely on software/ subs to make up the difference. As the tech in the machines become cheaper they eventually turn a profit on them. Hence why you eventually see sales on prices as the wholesale cost reduces. Although the caveat this time is the worlds a mess so parts go up and we see console prices increasing.

The main issue with the pro's price is that historically it's only hardcore gamers that invest, so it's not being sold at a loss on release as they won't make it back. It will follow the same pattern though as parts cheapen.

Random question, my series x is blowing a storm out of that vent. Used to be silent but now it sounds like Henry the hoover. Have any of you folks cleaned one? I've cleaned my PS5 out before but, before I dive into this one, is it something that helps or is it some other known issue.

Apologies for off topic, but appreciate any input.

They should do an update that makes it a good game

Good to see this reviewing strongly. I had my concerns about bloober but it seems they pulled it off.

As Phil said, the problem is last gen PS4 was the main console of choice and it was the generation folks really bought into digital. They did exactly what you'd expect and stayed where their games library was still available.

If folks friends play on PS, it's likely they will also buy a PS to play with them. Then this expands.

Series consoles do a lot of things really well and give good value. But getting people to walk away from what they own to start again just isn't that easy. And the longer it goes on, the harder and less likely it will be.

@Pabpictu bit dramatic pal. It's a website, not an airport. You don't need to announce your departure.

@jesse_dylan fair points to folks like you and I, but we aren't the main market for these consoles. The bulk of people that own them will literally take what it says as true.

Flip side, the majority of them won't be looking at fps or resolution when they play them and likely won't care.

The main cause of this in my opinion is they fell behind in the generation where the casual market really bought into digital purchases.

Once they have a library of games built up on ps4, getting them to drop it and swap consoles is going to be a huge challenge.

I'm lucky enough to be in a position to have both boxes, but the majority of sales will come from casual folks who just pick one. They either go where their pals are playing or where all their games are.

@HeavyHoggJP literally two different games mate.

It just did nothing for me. I really wanted to enjoy it but the more i stuck with it the more it made me dislike it. Now I can't bring myself to play it. Admittedly, this is partly my own fault for forcing myself to plug away when I probably should have stopped. It just feel like they went for size over enjoyment. A 1000 planets is great but when I have to sit through relentless loading screens to then explore emptiness, it all feels pointless.

I may pick up the expansion on the cheap one day but it won't be any time soon.

I'd be curious as to the question that was posed to MS here. If it was 'Can you comment on Black Myth Wukong being delayed due to system issues on xbox or an exclusivity deal with Sony?' Then the answer given is in a whole new light.

Not due to issues raised with them. This could mean it's due to an issue not raised with them yet.

Can't comment on deals.... could simply be a response to the question 'cam you comment...'

Either way, it's a muddy water response that gives nothing away.

The guy who started it is now saying there isn't a deal. Would be nice to see the article updated instead of baiting silly console wars.

I suppose the funniest thing about all of this 30fps uproar is it's all irrelevant. It's not gonna affect sales of the game because everyone will keep paying that subscription fee regardless. They could release a 5fps, 3 minute long game of a dog licking it's ass and they already know its gonna make money because they have sub fees. It's that simple.

The kicker is, no matter how outraged folks get, they won't cancel. Because if they do, poof, their recent games collection just disappeared.

The more I see the more it's not for me. I hope it's good for those looking forward to it though.

@Fiendish-Beaver 45 here sir. I offer a pint of the finest stout in honour 😂

@Fiendish-Beaver Atari 2600 was mine. A joystick with one button, a pair of paddles for pong and the start of a gaming passion.

'You've got to think that this is the first wave of games that are being properly built with Xbox Series X and S as the primary consoles'

That really hits home the more i think about it. And they are already talking about the next gen.

@Fiendish-Beaver I get you pal. Different strokes for different folks. Similair to you, my first console had actual wood on it 😂.

I don't see the issue with 30fps. Especially when people class them as unplayable. Utter nonsense

@Fiendish-Beaver preferences vary for everyone, of course. But to say none run at a smooth 60fps when there is clear evidence they do is disingenuous.

Myself, I find that 40fps is the sweet spot for me, but i have zero issue with games being 30fps if I'm honest. I played games with far less than that growing up and still enjoyed them. Sadly, I'm old 😂.

@Fiendish-Beaver I mean, you can check out digital foundry reviews of them which show they pretty much all run smoothly. From spidey 2 to ragnarock and everything between.

@Aniscape so you're saying pay the 34.99 to play early, pay the monthly sub costs and, when you cancel, buy the game as well.

And this saves you Money how?

@Swirly sadly I think we both know the answer.

Id rather whack 70 quid on it physical (on either console, to be clear) and trade it when done. At least I get some of my money back.

I suppose this all boils down to 'we can't catch our competitor, we can't get folks to leave their ecosystem so, hey, we're gonna sell games on their platform because that's how we can make more money'.

Regardless of how good the next xbox is (if indeed we get one in the traditional sense), folks are building digital libraries on another system and they won't simply walk away from. The majority of console sales aren't to folks who read websites like this. They are folks who will see the next playstation lets you keep playing what you bought already, and that's job done. Just as it was with the PS4.

Sony don't need to put games on xbox, it's that simple as they continue to grow their market share. Now MS are giving their games, sure they take a chunk of the sale price, but it cost Sony zero to develop so it's easy money in their pocket as well.

It's just a logical business step by MS to continue turning a profit. Now as the chap above said, let's just enjoy some games.