I like how we're still having these same conversations five years later. It's the same with Game Pass. At what point can people move on and stop being so fixated at blaming the entire world's problems on Xbox? And man you can really tell the bias (or rage baiting) when articles quote it as "devs struggled to make BF6 work for the series S."It really is as simple as this: The Series S requires more optimization; it is more difficult to develop for, but all platforms benefit from the work that is put in optimizing for it. Developers are always going to have a harder time with it, but that doesn't make game development suffer. Just like it never has when developing for different hardware on PC.
I'll always go out to bat for the Series S. I don't doubt that it's harder for devs, but at time where games are optimized less often than ever all while prices are soaring, well I'm at least glad the Series S exists. I think it's kept devs grounded this gen and gamers (consumers) have really benefited from it. If I'm a consumer on Xbox, Playstation, PC, or Switch, I don't give a rat if developers had a hard time optimizing a game they (or more accurately their publisher) want to charge $70 for. More if you consider all the dlc and extra editions these days. What matters to me is that they deliver a stable gameplay experience that makes the most out of the hardware that I bought to play their game which I'd also have to buy; a lot - far too many - games this generation have skimped on that. And it's just frustrating how media and some gamers want to enable that behavior just to take a stab at Xbox or to rage bait and get clicks or over some sense of solidarity for another platform.
@GeeEssEff I mean, not really my point. My comment was mostly just a salty joke taking aim at what Nintendo is doing right now. Plus the fact that anyone could call the game a clone of anything points out the insanity of what Nintendo is doing right now trying to patent an entire genre. It's gotten to the point where they filed a patent for summoning a creature and having it fight for you. Game development is an art form that is consciously and subconsciously built up and inspired by the games that came before to create an ever evolving landscape of new experiences. Trying to patent gaming concepts is insane and an affront to the entire industry. Again Nintendo taking inspiration from Minecraft or even Animal Crossing (even if they own it) while trying to lockdown an entire game genre and patent related generic gameplay mechanics, then that is "some dark humor from Nintendo".
@somnambulance I just want to point out that people are saying the exact same thing about Silksong (it being overrated), and I just find that hilarious. I think they're all great and it's even more great that all these indie games have seen such success this year, all being incredibly different from each other too! But man, we're never going to recover from the inevitable fallout from whichever game wins TGA. This is where TGA shines really. They're incredibly biased and don't have the best judging system, but boy do they get coverage and that coverage generates buzz for every game regardless of what got picked. Because no matter who wins people WILL be salty. That's happened in years where there wasn't even much competition. Boy can you imagine this year? Break out the popcorn and get to lurking on socials.
I mean it's gotta be one of these four right: Expedition 33, Silksong, Split fiction, and Hades 2? All three launching in the same year will spark endless debate about who got snubbed. Especially with them all being indie games and not from any hated AAA publishers (even Split Fiction gets a pass considering EA has minimal involvement).
@Nighto4 Yeah this is currently the exaxt same as it was for Hades. Early access on PC & full release on PC and Switch only (even the cross save feature returned). Then PS and Xbox several months later. Would've be great if following the success of Hades 1, we got a simultaneous multiplatform release for 2, but oh well. Maybe if history is repeating itself we'll get a GP launch when it comes to Xbox. Almost definitely an Xbox Play Anywhere again.
Weird because auto-redeem isn't even a good deal. It's basically just a way to trick you into wasting reward points without thinking about it. I remember when it released and everyone hated it. Back then I frequented the Ms Rewards subreddit and it was just called out as a scam there. The move itself is probably more concerning than the actual loss of auto redeem. Man, this really just reminds me that one time I missed out on a big game pass ultimate rewards point discount like a year or two ago. Darn you "being-in-another-region".
I've been playing it since early access on Steam, so I'm not concerned, but it is unfortunate because this game is fantastic. I've already lost more hours in it than the first game. Hopefully everyone can play it before long. Heck, hopefully this is a GP game again when it comes to Xbox or at least XPA with cloud gaming available. Oh and they threw "Olympus Aflame" in the trailer, LET'S GOOOOO!!! That's been my favorite track since the Olympus update.
We still need Battle Network on Xbox, and I still wish Capcom would embrace Xbox Play Anywhere for these collections. If I were Microsoft, I'd be pushing for it with the ROG Xbox Ally coming: these types of retro remastered games would literally be perfect for the device.
@Decimateh older Japanese games have been ported to Xbox. Also Digimon Survive launched day one on Xbox consoles. Or was that a series? Anyway, yeah not likely. But also not impossible 😏
It's pretty much what people are saying: there's no point in Xbox doing all these cloud gaming collabs if they don't expand and improve XCloud. I really think "next Gen" is going to happen on more of an ecosystem level for Xbox and encompass everything, and I think we'll see a full release of Xbox Cloud Gaming in the next year.
@Decimateh Hey, there's a non zero chance of Bandai announcing Digimon Story complete edition for Xbox with XPA support as a shadow drop on game pass. It'd be PERFECT for getting Xbox fans hyped for the upcoming Digimon Story Time Stranger (first Digimon Story on Xbox).
Tokyo Game Show has been FANTASTIC for Xbox these past few years. There's a lot of growth to be had by Xbox in Asia and that's usually where we'll see it. And it's honestly pretty easy to please Xbox fans at TGS. Just give us some ports (there's still a ton to be made), some more gameplay on upcoming games, and at least a couple of new games. Ninja Gaiden 4 already makes this a great show.
@Techno92LFC You'll have to speak for yourself there bud. As a kid I tried to jerry-rig ways to play my Xbox console in the car. Usually just settled on my DS 😅.
Xbox Cloud Gaming is great for these side quests. They can put it on anything with a slight internet connection and do all these collabs, and all of a sudden people who would never have bought a console, have XBOX on their devices home screens. And for gamers it generates a lot of buzz (through positive and negative chatter).
@Ricky-Spanish I'd agree with the drivers seat, but this isn't remotely new in the backseat. As a kid (over a decade ago now), we had tons of stuff to distract us in the backseat. That's literally what handheld gaming is. But I remember my aunts car having a TV and DVD player that came down. I remember my mom buying a specific car strap for my iPad to put it on the back of the front seat for me to play games or watch stuff. Car trips can get long and children have very short attention spans and depending on how many adults are in the car, there may not be anyone to really watch them. Everyone's different (every kid is different), but I'd rather them distracted playing a game then causing disruptions that could distract the driver because cars just aren't a good environment for kids to be stuck in for long periods of time. Not a great all around solution regardless. But I think it's fine enough to leave up to parents. Really this reality can and has already been achieved. And it's not going to stop happening. Parents will distract kids by whatever methods they can.
@VeganH I mean the PC handheld market is definitely still for early adopters and the full screen experience software is also still new software. Microsoft is Microsoft. It's better for everyone involved that they're getting in early and will have things out in the wild to force them to make improvements as feedback (really complaints) roll in. The software will only get better. But neither ASUS nor Microsoft are solving all the problems of handheld gaming overnight. I think generally speaking if you're looking for a perfect or even really solid gaming experience, then it'll be best to wait. Let things learn and improve.
@Ricky-Spanish It's crazy to me because it's like twice as much as the first Legion Go and the performance boost isn't umm, well it's not "twice as much" 😅
@Godot25 The ROG Ally is super confirmed. Previously they were the only other handhelds mentioned to be getting it nest year. Microsoft has already commented that all handhelds will get it eventually, and they said the rollout would start with the ASUS ROG Ally products (or they'd at least be early on, I imagine due to the partnership).
It'll eventually be on everything and as it keeps rolling out, it'll be interesting to see the effect it has. SteamOS is great but Linux isn't windows. Even Valve reports like 95% of all steam gamers on windows, so a boost to windows gaming is a big deal and that boost being Xbox branded is an interesting watch.
Not really an issue for me. This is software and only going to improve. The ROG Xbox Ally is an early adopter product for this software. I was only ever going to get it when they start rolling out the Xbox Full Screen experience to more windows handhelds and eventually more windows devices.
@somnambulance Yeah, thats exactly what it is. I think for Microsoft (Xbox) what matters here is getting the software out there. I see it like their copilot+ push or what they always do with new iterations for windows. They partner with OEMs to get it out there on shiny new dedicated optimized hardware (windows has to support so many different platforms and there's ALWAYS a ton of bugs). So hardware sales probably matter more to the hardware manufacture and Microsoft just wants to get the world taking about the full screen Xbox mode.
@GameOverScreen It's mostly just the accumulation of hype. Hollow Knight was massively acclaimed in its genre, and people were looking forward to the sequel. But with Silksong disappearing hype just kept building and buzz kept being generated and the fanbase anticipation kinda permeated in pop-culture. There's probably a bunch of people who are like "I don't get it." But all that really matters is that there are masses more who have "heard of" the game and are hyped to at least check it out. I wouldn't be surprised if some people buying it didn't even know what they were actually buying. But it's only $20 (or free on GP) and according pop culture this is like one of the most anticipated games ever.
What a great get for Xbox Play Anywhere and Game Pass. The team at ID@Xbox (or whomever) is probably fist pumping that they inked out this deal ages ago. Also, hopefully these stores have learned some lessons ahead of GTA VI's launch.
@armondo36 I had the opposite takeaway from this. The devs said that Game Pass encouraged them to make sure they had a great onboarding experience and were prepared for people that would be entirely new to the game genre. I don't see those as negatives and making all games only available for 90 days (including first party) would just add a time limit stressor to every game in the catalog or that gets added. And if it's every game then it wouldn't encourage any one game to be played more than any other game doing that.
Plus games becoming more accessible is just generally better for everyone. I'd say devs thinking about how to retain more gamers is always good.
@Kilamanjaro and that's a very fair assessment. It was first announced e3 2016. Xbox needs to do a better job of pushing it. Thankfully we have seen a LOT of growth for the program in the past few years, but it's still too infrequent. Like I said I'm hopeful that the bigger titles coming (from first and third party) raise consumer interest (thus publisher) and the overall unification of the Xbox ecosystem helps bring games to the Xbox PC store and thus increases the number of games that want to do Xbox Play Anywhere. And with next gen looking more like a vision than a single console, with that AMD announcement, Microsoft could very well make it a requirement.
Same on your library, very fair. Game consoles are frustrating in that way with your library just kinda stuck. Back when Xbox was still selling movies & TV there wasn't even a question of every movie you bought also being on Windows. You know, you wonder if Microsoft did Xbox Play Anywhere at the start of the Xbox One generation would everyone have bought into it and their DRM push (which is now just everything)? Oh what ifs. All we can really hope for is that it steadily grows. And I'm curious if any video game console ever has a solution for what's become of our libraries with consoles being so walled. Or if we'll just have to keep waiting for the inevitable (either another xbox one/PS4 transition where compatibility is just lost or consoles themselves inevitably eventually dying out). It's a weird state tbh. Like how bad would movies & TV be if every DVD player manufacture had different versions of each DVD that you could only sometimes* use with their DVD players? Even digital stores let you use movie purchases across any device as long as the storefront is available. And then there's services like Movies Anywhere connecting storefronts. Meanwhile in gaming 😅...
@Banjo- I don't think Microsoft would avoid selling it if they didn't have any plans for it or think it was worth money. And I love the idea of Rare working on these projects with other studios (be they first party or second party).
You know, I'm going to be optimistic. The mass cancelation COULD be good for future game projects IF Xbox genuinely learns from what went wrong here. A lot of resources were freed up (and unfortunately a lot lost, but staying optimistic) and if any work was done there's even assets and design ideas to use. There were less actual studio closures than in the prior big layoffs (well literally just one first party studio). And there is still clearly keen interest in gaming and Microsoft consistently doing really well as a publisher if nothing else. There's a lot of worrisomes to be had, but being optimistic I do think this could even be a good moment for Xbox. It all depends on how they grow from here (if at all).
I feel like an OG modern warfare movie would go hard. But really I feel like COD is like Minecraft in the sense that it doesn't actually matter what they do. It would be pretty hard to "screw up" a COD movie. Like critics might dislike it, but the general audience would just want an action movie. It was like this with the live action Transformers movie. All the general audience cared about was a dumb summer action flick that entertained them long enough to be worth it.
Oh wait. I just realized this is Paramount. Why'd they even buy COD rights? Is Hasbro mad at them or something? Just do another G.I. Joe movie (but hey, if we're getting an USA military industrial complex movie verse that leads to crossover with G.I.Joe and COD well I'd watch that, and then I'd... watch other people use the Duke skin (I don't play COD)).
@Sol4ris The problem is that Machine Games is busy with their own projects. Its what you get into with pulling from the IP treasure box. Studios have to be both free and WANT to work on that IP.
@abe_hikura Lol. Tell that to the same Paramount that bought the rights to do a Halo TV show only to do a generic Sci fi show with some Halo set pieces...
@Kaloudz I mean that's 100% gotta be how it works. Phil constantly says they have to run a profitable business and Microsoft IS a big penny pusher. We also know that they've chosen to focus investments on "AI" (unfortunately) like the rest of big (speculation) tech, which is what sparked the blanket cuts across Microsoft.
And this is what we saw. What was canceled were projects that were being funded but not going anywhere after 4 or 5 or more years. And the only studio closed was one that failed to put out ANY game in 7 years and it was looking like that'd be 8 if not 9 years. But that's also why I'm not as worried about Rare as I am Turn 10. Even after the Everwild cancelation SOT is still massive and it just got bigger due to the PS port. It's only continuing to grow. I think Rare needs something else (new) before too long, but I also think they have the time to make that something else. The big issue though is just the question of, "Why did Everwild not pan out?" because if it was due to issues at the studio then those need to be hammered out before the next game development projection. That said Turn 10 should also be fine at the size they are currently. They can support the latest Motorsport which is meant to be a forever game AND help other studios (a big reason why Xbox wants everyone on Unreal) until it's time for the next big Motorsport game.
It is a scary time in general in the world economy and especially the USA economy. The job market is god awful right now, prices are terrible, and yet we just keep seeing AI stocks surge which has a very "roaring 20s" feeling for people. That's not even getting into the other big issue affecting the economy (which I don't know if it's taboo to mention here, and I kinda hate that I even feel like it could be). It feels volatile right now. It IS volatile right now. And this is falling COVID-19 and the gaming industry over expanding and now needing to pull back, general tech industry woes, massive saturation in the gaming industry (too many games), skyrocketing costs for development, and stagnating markets due to fights for the attention economy. It's tough right now and it's scary. I am concerned for everyone employeed in the industry. Sony isn't even chasing AI and they've canned a similar percentage of developers and closed so many studios due to bad investments and increasing costs. We've seen console hardware prices RISE this generation (now even the OG switch) from all manufacturers. Publishers continue to lay off workers and shutter studios each year. And it really sucks, and feels really scary, because companies like Microsoft AND Sony and a lot of publishers actually are reporting massive numbers for revenue that's still higher than ever. Where is all that money going and how bad are profit margins? It's crazy times right now. I just hope there's a light at the end of the tunnel and I worry it'll be a really long tunnel.
I don't think Xbox wanted to or should part with the IP, so this makes sense. It's very different from Tango where the entire studio was purchased and ONLY a new IP sold. Microsoft still hasn't given them the rights to Evil Within.
The problem isn't Perfect Dark, it was the studio and entire game development. When developers are publicly saying they were still making design decisions like five years after announcement (6/7 years after the studio was formed with this being the studio's ONLY project since Xbox established it) then the only thing you can do is cancel it. Xbox would 100% LOVE if another studio and publisher said they'd make the game AND pay for everything, but they aren't willing to give up such an iconic IP over one failed game de cycle.
I feel like there's going to be the "well if Xbox isn't doing anything with Perfect Dark" general responses to this online, but I'll say I'm glad that Take-Two didn't take over the franchise. I don't need it to be THAT Microtransaction heavy. And I don't want Perfect Dark to part from Xbox (rare) no more than I want Halo to part from it. It's just incredibly unfortunate that game development for the now canned reboot went so bad. I'll keep saying it, but what I hope is that Xbox learns they CAN'T just be hands off and supportive. Not every studio is Obsidian. A firm hand is needed (really a whip is needed) at times.
@Kaloudz I'd be surprised considering how big Sea of Thieves is. Turn 10 got downsized because Forza Motorsport was largely a failure and they don't need that many people for just small and periodic updates.
Rare definitely needs SOMETHING before long, but they should have plenty of time to get it. Maybe even like a return to AA sized games and doing that in tandem with Sea of Thieves. SOT as of now is like one of the biggest games Xbox is putting out and it just got a huge boon through PS. They have time. It just depends on what the studio is capable of doing with it. Like that they haven't really been able to put out Everwild or even show a gameplay trailer (like confident issue to show gameplay for it) in all that time since reveal is bad. But it's not an impossible place to come back from. Though I do wish that'd been canceled sooner if it just wasn't working.
Any significance with a former Rare guy also being the head of XGS? Also, with Everwild I'm disappointed that we never saw any actual gameplay of it. Disappointed and concerned. Though Chief of Staff is a very different job than heading up a game and I'm sure there were issues outside the purview of "executive director". Hopefully she has a great career at XGS and XGS has a great time going forward.
I had a lot of fun. I hadn't really, like really, played a Kart racer since MK 8 deluxe. I also had no idea that the game included, at least visually, sonic rider boards. I exclusively played as Jet. I'm actually looking forward to the release, and I might buy it at launch just to stick it to Nintendo and their egregious (arrogant really) pricing for MK World. Probably not actually. I'll still buy on sale 😂.
@smoreon This is entirely my position. I don't think the issue lies with UE5 alone, but I also don't think the engine is blameless. I just wish they'd take responsibility where they need to, work to address the problems they see, and move on. But I also wish developers and publishers overall would do this. I don't want them scapegoating UE5 either. I just want every end point to start acknowledging and addressing the issues. Heck, I partially put gamers in on that. It's up to us to hold games accountable, but it's also up to us to have reasonable expectations. It's gotten out of hand this generation with every AAA game thinking it needs to deliver a bazillion different things just to succeed. And that probably brings us to oversaturation issues that's not really anyone's fault but a reality of the industry we've built. And it goes on and on. I'm sure there's lots of different people to blame, but I'm even more sure that nothing ever got improved by pointing fingers.
@Kilamanjaro what I've really noticed is that the big issue is with western publishers, specifically EA and Ubisoft and the likes, who want to push everyone to their own launcher (for data collection reasons and to make more money from sales). The types that wouldn't support steam if it wasn't so big. But it's been fantastic for me with indies and JRPGs. I have a legion go and it's been perfect for Metaphor, Persona, Yakuza, Octopath Traveler, Sea of Stars, and the likes. Those are also some of my favorite games so it works out fantastically.
Only mentioned GTA because I genuinely think that most non-GTAs can benefit from it, but it's a matter of making it known to gamers who then push for it. I'm hoping that the Xbox Full Screen mode does that. But I'm also hoping that the more prestigious titles in the program does that. Xbox now has secured both Hollow Knight Silksong and COD for XPA. First party in general now has a blockbuster output of guaranteed XPA games which also includes Bethesda and ABK.
@smoreon I find the implication that "complexity" is the issue interesting when the games with some of the worst performance have been remasters and remakes that didn't change anything design wise. Developers aren't without fault and I'm not some "game engine critique guru" but if nothing else the issue isn't that simple. Like we can probably say on a pretty basic level that game development has always been difficult and developers have always had to struggle with multiple hardware SKUs. These aren't new problems and UE5 always should've been designed with these upcoming updates to help ease these issues. We could also say the current problems with UE5 games go beyond the engine and speak more to the game development process in today's landscape (rushed with a focus on trying to deliver every feature known to man and having ultra realistic graphics) causes more issues that just UE5. We could say it's a combination of things and so on. It just rubs me the wrong way massively that Sweeney would even choose to blame a couple of specific things and drive the conversation away from their engine entirely.
Optimization is an issue and developers and publishers need to come down to earth. There's a LOT of issues with game development right now. But Epic cannot, CANNOT, pass the blame. I'm tired of all this scapegoating from everyone in the industry. Pull up your britches, take some responsibility, and make the necessary improvements.
If that's what they're doing then great. Hopefully these changes amount to something. But they still shouldn't be trying to pass the blame or put on a "holier than thou" routine.
@Kilamanjaro Lots of reasons 1) Not every game is GTA. Most people don't buy most games twice for full price. In this case realistically not much money is being lost. 2) Xbox is reporting, and people will comment and say, that gamers on Xbox are buying XPA games at a higher rate than non-XPA games. So going back to point one, if you're game isn't GTA and people aren't going to buy it twice, it's just purely profitable to utilize a program that leads to increased sales. 3) Most games, especially those like GTA, make the majority of their money through Microtransactions these days. Regardless of if you buy multiple copies of a game, you're only realistically going to play on one version at any given time and likely to only buy Microtransactions on that version. Xbox also reports higher player engagement & retention on Xbox Play Anywhere titles and for live service and Microtransactions heavy games those are both the two most important metrics. People playing your game more increases the spending they do in-game. 4) XPA isn't that difficult to develop for (Microsoft does a lot to make it really easy) and developers are already developing for many different types of hardware just on account of building games for PC. Plus as a benefit games get cross save features which just add value and means they don't have to set them up themselves (it seems like a small thing, but it isn't and not everyone wants to put in the money to maintain it like Ubisoft). 5) Larger communities (and again engagement is huge for games these days)
You know, Xbox Play Anywhere isn't even that big of a deal. It's no different from say buying a book and taking that book and reading it anywhere. Or like for gaming it's the same as buying a game on literally any PC storefront. In which case you can then access that game on no matter what PC hardware you use. It's even more similar with handheld PCs and the Steam Deck existing. We've just let console gaming create these walled gardens around every game we "own" and now we're used to that.
1) Games like Eden's Zero that launch XPA with Cloud Gaming Support (stream your own library) is literally my holy grail. That's all I ever wanted. This needs to be every game.
2) Unfortunately, a lot of publishers, especially western publishers, want gamers to use their proprietary storefronts. They wouldn't support Steam if they didn't have to for sales. So there's the answer btw. Xbox Play Anywhere won't really hit mainstream until gamers show that it's worth it (that we buy more XPA games and spend more money in them). Which granted Xbox is pushing that narrative now and it does seem to be working with more XPA games than before. But it's still an issue.
3) All that said, it's actually massive that Hollow Knight Silksong (indie GTA according to other indie devs) and COD are both launching XPA. COD being first party and XPA is probably the best get for Xbox to train and market that program more.
@Millionski They would have to be MAGICIANS to pull that off with the next Xbox console coming in 1 to 2 years. They've already promised full backwards compatibility and that isn't currently possible with the Xbox PC App. Even if they could pull it off on a technical level, there's still the massive licensing issues.
I think we've already been shown reality with the premature "this is an Xbox" campaign. Xbox's biggest competitive advantage is its larger ecosystem. They clearly want that to be a big selling point for the Xbox brand and get gamers at any possible entry point. On PC they're taking windows gaming, the largest gaming platform like period, and unifying the user experience under an Xbox language. They're also continuing to do this on the cloud. On all platforms (Cloud, Console, and PC) the UX design is kept consistent. They want it to be easy to reach any gamer in any market and fold them into the same Xbox ecosystem. They also want to make that their value proposition and continue pushing with stuff like Xbox Play Anywhere.
I think the Next Xbox console will still feel like a traditional console, but there will be a much greater focus under the hood for bringing everything (cloud, console, and PC) in line and feeling like a ubiquitous ecosystem. XPA will probably continue to be pushed hard and the AMD partnership will probably lead to it being easier than ever to develop for Xbox Play Anywhere (if not near automatic). We'll also probably see more Xbox PCs and Microsoft will start rolling the software out to all windows devices that want to use it. They want to build a gaming empire for Xbox. Right now there's no reason to nuke the console territory because console gamers are still paying oogles of money and consoles are still profitable. The issue is growth and increasing profits, and that's where a wider ecosystem that reaches more gamers on all platforms comes in.
I don't think it's controversial anymore to say that generations are dead and that the console market has hit maturity. Console gamers are still incredibly profitable (in fact they are spending more on Xbox & PS), but they aren't growing in number. As a result, I just think "Next Gen" is more of a vision of an evolution of the entire ecosystem for Xbox, and not a single major hardware boost. I don't expect them to overhaul everything just yet because I don't think they have the capabilities to do so AND hold on to the consumer base they've built that gives them a lot of money.
Like for right now, I see this Xbox OEM as two things 1) Microsoft unifying all gaming efforts on all platforms under "Xbox" branding 2) Microsoft finally improving gaming on windows after being asked too for longer than Xbox has existed (probably due in part to Valve selling SteamOS licenses). In other words, Microsoft is using its competitive advantages in multiple gaming markets to build an ecosystem that crosses both and benefits them more through starting to unify efforts. Windows as a gaming platform will 100% outlive Xbox (it'll outlive PS and Nintendo too), but I don't think we're there yet. Maybe the box after the next box
I just want to see Xbox present in Japan connecting with gamers. I went to TGS last year and Xbox had games there (Indiana Jones had a MASSIVE presence) and branding beats with like Mechabreak, but Xbox still wasn't there itself. Not like Sony. And they didn't have the built-up nostalgia in Japan like Nintendo. Xbox is virtually unknown by gamers in Japan and nonexistent as a result. We'll really start to see more Japanese publisher and dev support come naturally and consistently with every game, when Xbox is a well known platform that has at least a modest userbase in Japan.
@Kaloudz "not optimistic" is being kind. I'm quite certain the issue will only get worse. Publishers have been pushing the envelope ever since they figured out they could update games post release.
@Vaako007 1) My first comment is precisely about how Sony will have to decide whether its worth it to limit their IPs value & game success over potentially losing Playstation Users. What's important there is if gamers are switching over losing exclusives. But the IP will only ever make more money and be better manged on more platforms.
2) Nintendo doesn't belong in this conversation because of investors. Nintendo is a smaller company whose investors are fine with smaller numbers in raw financials.
3) Though speaking of Nintendo Pokémon is an excellent example. The IP is only as big as it is due to a multimedia approach which involves everything entertainment related and even beyond. That's what better managing IP means. And sure, if Sony can monetize any IP half as much as Nintendo managed with Pokemon then exclusives wouldn't be going away.
4) So this means Sony will probably port Spider-Man next and Wolverine excatly? As those Spider-Man 2 margins were dummy thin and those are all IP that Sony doesn't.
What are we really doing? I mean I'm pretty confused by the comment. Is the suggestion that Sony doesn't have investors? Do Sony's investors not want more money? Are we saying that making IP bigger is making it less valuable? Because the very idea of exclusives is limiting the audience of your game in hopes of increasing the audience of your platform. The console is very important to Sony, but that's why the reason why this is an incredibly important time for them. Its why they've already done PC ports and why they've spent so much trying to shift into live service. Sony is in a lot of danger beause they built up everything around a market that's just not seeing as many new users. And PlayStation specifically put a lot of money into investing in their cinematic narrative video games which have increasingly small profit margins. A solution is more releases all at once. That is a solution and all I'm saying is its clearly one that's being discussed at Sony.
@Kaloudz Early access too just feels like a bit of a graveyard. It's like a stealth way for a AAA publisher especially to say they aren't confident in a game and can shut it down and give up at anyone moment.
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Re: Battlefield 6 Dev Says Working On Xbox Series S Improved The Entire Game
I like how we're still having these same conversations five years later. It's the same with Game Pass. At what point can people move on and stop being so fixated at blaming the entire world's problems on Xbox? And man you can really tell the bias (or rage baiting) when articles quote it as "devs struggled to make BF6 work for the series S."It really is as simple as this: The Series S requires more optimization; it is more difficult to develop for, but all platforms benefit from the work that is put in optimizing for it. Developers are always going to have a harder time with it, but that doesn't make game development suffer. Just like it never has when developing for different hardware on PC.
I'll always go out to bat for the Series S. I don't doubt that it's harder for devs, but at time where games are optimized less often than ever all while prices are soaring, well I'm at least glad the Series S exists. I think it's kept devs grounded this gen and gamers (consumers) have really benefited from it. If I'm a consumer on Xbox, Playstation, PC, or Switch, I don't give a rat if developers had a hard time optimizing a game they (or more accurately their publisher) want to charge $70 for. More if you consider all the dlc and extra editions these days. What matters to me is that they deliver a stable gameplay experience that makes the most out of the hardware that I bought to play their game which I'd also have to buy; a lot - far too many - games this generation have skimped on that. And it's just frustrating how media and some gamers want to enable that behavior just to take a stab at Xbox or to rage bait and get clicks or over some sense of solidarity for another platform.
Re: Multiple Games Get New Xbox Reveals Following September 2025's Nintendo Direct
@GeeEssEff I mean, not really my point. My comment was mostly just a salty joke taking aim at what Nintendo is doing right now. Plus the fact that anyone could call the game a clone of anything points out the insanity of what Nintendo is doing right now trying to patent an entire genre. It's gotten to the point where they filed a patent for summoning a creature and having it fight for you. Game development is an art form that is consciously and subconsciously built up and inspired by the games that came before to create an ever evolving landscape of new experiences. Trying to patent gaming concepts is insane and an affront to the entire industry. Again Nintendo taking inspiration from Minecraft or even Animal Crossing (even if they own it) while trying to lockdown an entire game genre and patent related generic gameplay mechanics, then that is "some dark humor from Nintendo".
Re: After Silksong, These Are The Top 10 Highest-Rated Games Of 2025 So Far
@somnambulance I just want to point out that people are saying the exact same thing about Silksong (it being overrated), and I just find that hilarious. I think they're all great and it's even more great that all these indie games have seen such success this year, all being incredibly different from each other too! But man, we're never going to recover from the inevitable fallout from whichever game wins TGA. This is where TGA shines really. They're incredibly biased and don't have the best judging system, but boy do they get coverage and that coverage generates buzz for every game regardless of what got picked. Because no matter who wins people WILL be salty. That's happened in years where there wasn't even much competition. Boy can you imagine this year? Break out the popcorn and get to lurking on socials.
Re: After Silksong, These Are The Top 10 Highest-Rated Games Of 2025 So Far
I mean it's gotta be one of these four right: Expedition 33, Silksong, Split fiction, and Hades 2? All three launching in the same year will spark endless debate about who got snubbed. Especially with them all being indie games and not from any hated AAA publishers (even Split Fiction gets a pass considering EA has minimal involvement).
Re: Multiple Games Get New Xbox Reveals Following September 2025's Nintendo Direct
@GeeEssEff Pokémon Minecraft Clone Game is some dark humor from Nintendo with them trying to patent an entire gameplay genre. 🤦🏿♂️
Re: Multiple Games Get New Xbox Reveals Following September 2025's Nintendo Direct
@Nighto4 Yeah this is currently the exaxt same as it was for Hades. Early access on PC & full release on PC and Switch only (even the cross save feature returned). Then PS and Xbox several months later. Would've be great if following the success of Hades 1, we got a simultaneous multiplatform release for 2, but oh well. Maybe if history is repeating itself we'll get a GP launch when it comes to Xbox. Almost definitely an Xbox Play Anywhere again.
Re: Xbox Adds More 'Stream Your Own Game' Titles, Including The Brand-New Borderlands 4
One step closer toward every new game being on Xbox, cloud gaming, and XPA (PC).
Re: Microsoft Rewards Might Be Ditching The 'Auto-Redeem' Offer For Xbox Game Pass
Weird because auto-redeem isn't even a good deal. It's basically just a way to trick you into wasting reward points without thinking about it. I remember when it released and everyone hated it. Back then I frequented the Ms Rewards subreddit and it was just called out as a scam there. The move itself is probably more concerning than the actual loss of auto redeem. Man, this really just reminds me that one time I missed out on a big game pass ultimate rewards point discount like a year or two ago. Darn you "being-in-another-region".
Re: Hades 2 Doesn't Have An Xbox Release Date Yet, But It Does For Nintendo Switch
I've been playing it since early access on Steam, so I'm not concerned, but it is unfortunate because this game is fantastic. I've already lost more hours in it than the first game. Hopefully everyone can play it before long. Heck, hopefully this is a GP game again when it comes to Xbox or at least XPA with cloud gaming available. Oh and they threw "Olympus Aflame" in the trailer, LET'S GOOOOO!!! That's been my favorite track since the Olympus update.
Re: Seven Mega Man Games Are Heading To Xbox In The New 'Star Force Legacy Collection'
We still need Battle Network on Xbox, and I still wish Capcom would embrace Xbox Play Anywhere for these collections. If I were Microsoft, I'd be pushing for it with the ROG Xbox Ally coming: these types of retro remastered games would literally be perfect for the device.
Re: You Don't Want To Miss Xbox's Next Showcase, Says Executive Producer
@Decimateh older Japanese games have been ported to Xbox. Also Digimon Survive launched day one on Xbox consoles. Or was that a series? Anyway, yeah not likely. But also not impossible 😏
Re: 15 Xbox Indie Games That Should Be On Your Radar In September 2025
Really helpful writeup for shifting through the upcoming games. Quick question, is Towa indie? I thought they were a Bandai game?
Re: Three New Resolutions May Soon Be Added To Xbox Cloud Gaming
It's pretty much what people are saying: there's no point in Xbox doing all these cloud gaming collabs if they don't expand and improve XCloud. I really think "next Gen" is going to happen on more of an ecosystem level for Xbox and encompass everything, and I think we'll see a full release of Xbox Cloud Gaming in the next year.
Re: You Don't Want To Miss Xbox's Next Showcase, Says Executive Producer
@Decimateh Hey, there's a non zero chance of Bandai announcing Digimon Story complete edition for Xbox with XPA support as a shadow drop on game pass. It'd be PERFECT for getting Xbox fans hyped for the upcoming Digimon Story Time Stranger (first Digimon Story on Xbox).
Re: You Don't Want To Miss Xbox's Next Showcase, Says Executive Producer
Tokyo Game Show has been FANTASTIC for Xbox these past few years. There's a lot of growth to be had by Xbox in Asia and that's usually where we'll see it. And it's honestly pretty easy to please Xbox fans at TGS. Just give us some ports (there's still a ton to be made), some more gameplay on upcoming games, and at least a couple of new games. Ninja Gaiden 4 already makes this a great show.
Re: Start Your Engines! Xbox Cloud Gaming Is Coming To A Car Near You
@Ricky-Spanish yowzers. Sounds like something right out of a sitcom
Re: Xbox's New Handheld UI Has Officially Been Announced For The Lenovo Legion Go 2
@Ricky-Spanish Nope. Not even. This one is getting Xbox Full Screen App software support POST LAUNCH. That massive price tag is all lenovo.
Re: Start Your Engines! Xbox Cloud Gaming Is Coming To A Car Near You
@Techno92LFC You'll have to speak for yourself there bud. As a kid I tried to jerry-rig ways to play my Xbox console in the car. Usually just settled on my DS 😅.
Re: Start Your Engines! Xbox Cloud Gaming Is Coming To A Car Near You
Xbox Cloud Gaming is great for these side quests. They can put it on anything with a slight internet connection and do all these collabs, and all of a sudden people who would never have bought a console, have XBOX on their devices home screens. And for gamers it generates a lot of buzz (through positive and negative chatter).
@Ricky-Spanish I'd agree with the drivers seat, but this isn't remotely new in the backseat. As a kid (over a decade ago now), we had tons of stuff to distract us in the backseat. That's literally what handheld gaming is. But I remember my aunts car having a TV and DVD player that came down. I remember my mom buying a specific car strap for my iPad to put it on the back of the front seat for me to play games or watch stuff. Car trips can get long and children have very short attention spans and depending on how many adults are in the car, there may not be anyone to really watch them. Everyone's different (every kid is different), but I'd rather them distracted playing a game then causing disruptions that could distract the driver because cars just aren't a good environment for kids to be stuck in for long periods of time. Not a great all around solution regardless. But I think it's fine enough to leave up to parents. Really this reality can and has already been achieved. And it's not going to stop happening. Parents will distract kids by whatever methods they can.
Re: ROG Xbox Ally X Can Reach 'Insane' FPS In DOOM: The Dark Ages, Says Analysis
@VeganH I mean the PC handheld market is definitely still for early adopters and the full screen experience software is also still new software. Microsoft is Microsoft. It's better for everyone involved that they're getting in early and will have things out in the wild to force them to make improvements as feedback (really complaints) roll in. The software will only get better. But neither ASUS nor Microsoft are solving all the problems of handheld gaming overnight. I think generally speaking if you're looking for a perfect or even really solid gaming experience, then it'll be best to wait. Let things learn and improve.
Re: Xbox's New Handheld UI Has Officially Been Announced For The Lenovo Legion Go 2
@Ricky-Spanish It's crazy to me because it's like twice as much as the first Legion Go and the performance boost isn't umm, well it's not "twice as much" 😅
Re: Xbox's New Handheld UI Has Officially Been Announced For The Lenovo Legion Go 2
@Godot25 The ROG Ally is super confirmed. Previously they were the only other handhelds mentioned to be getting it nest year. Microsoft has already commented that all handhelds will get it eventually, and they said the rollout would start with the ASUS ROG Ally products (or they'd at least be early on, I imagine due to the partnership).
Re: Xbox's New Handheld UI Has Officially Been Announced For The Lenovo Legion Go 2
It'll eventually be on everything and as it keeps rolling out, it'll be interesting to see the effect it has. SteamOS is great but Linux isn't windows. Even Valve reports like 95% of all steam gamers on windows, so a boost to windows gaming is a big deal and that boost being Xbox branded is an interesting watch.
Re: ROG Xbox Ally Hardware Impresses In New Preview, But Serious Software Concerns Remain
Not really an issue for me. This is software and only going to improve. The ROG Xbox Ally is an early adopter product for this software. I was only ever going to get it when they start rolling out the Xbox Full Screen experience to more windows handhelds and eventually more windows devices.
Re: ROG Xbox Ally Hardware Impresses In New Preview, But Serious Software Concerns Remain
@somnambulance Yeah, thats exactly what it is. I think for Microsoft (Xbox) what matters here is getting the software out there. I see it like their copilot+ push or what they always do with new iterations for windows. They partner with OEMs to get it out there on shiny new dedicated optimized hardware (windows has to support so many different platforms and there's ALWAYS a ton of bugs). So hardware sales probably matter more to the hardware manufacture and Microsoft just wants to get the world taking about the full screen Xbox mode.
Re: Hollow Knight: Silksong Is Crashing The Xbox Store, Here's How To Install It
@GameOverScreen It's mostly just the accumulation of hype. Hollow Knight was massively acclaimed in its genre, and people were looking forward to the sequel. But with Silksong disappearing hype just kept building and buzz kept being generated and the fanbase anticipation kinda permeated in pop-culture. There's probably a bunch of people who are like "I don't get it." But all that really matters is that there are masses more who have "heard of" the game and are hyped to at least check it out. I wouldn't be surprised if some people buying it didn't even know what they were actually buying. But it's only $20 (or free on GP) and according pop culture this is like one of the most anticipated games ever.
Re: Hollow Knight: Silksong Is Crashing The Xbox Store, Here's How To Install It
What a great get for Xbox Play Anywhere and Game Pass. The team at ID@Xbox (or whomever) is probably fist pumping that they inked out this deal ages ago. Also, hopefully these stores have learned some lessons ahead of GTA VI's launch.
Re: Indiana Jones Dev: Xbox Game Pass Was A 'Hard Balance' Because Players Quickly Drop Out
@armondo36 I had the opposite takeaway from this. The devs said that Game Pass encouraged them to make sure they had a great onboarding experience and were prepared for people that would be entirely new to the game genre. I don't see those as negatives and making all games only available for 90 days (including first party) would just add a time limit stressor to every game in the catalog or that gets added. And if it's every game then it wouldn't encourage any one game to be played more than any other game doing that.
Plus games becoming more accessible is just generally better for everyone. I'd say devs thinking about how to retain more gamers is always good.
Re: 23 New Xbox Play Anywhere Games Highlighted In Latest Monthly Roundup
@Kilamanjaro and that's a very fair assessment. It was first announced e3 2016. Xbox needs to do a better job of pushing it. Thankfully we have seen a LOT of growth for the program in the past few years, but it's still too infrequent. Like I said I'm hopeful that the bigger titles coming (from first and third party) raise consumer interest (thus publisher) and the overall unification of the Xbox ecosystem helps bring games to the Xbox PC store and thus increases the number of games that want to do Xbox Play Anywhere. And with next gen looking more like a vision than a single console, with that AMD announcement, Microsoft could very well make it a requirement.
Same on your library, very fair. Game consoles are frustrating in that way with your library just kinda stuck. Back when Xbox was still selling movies & TV there wasn't even a question of every movie you bought also being on Windows. You know, you wonder if Microsoft did Xbox Play Anywhere at the start of the Xbox One generation would everyone have bought into it and their DRM push (which is now just everything)? Oh what ifs. All we can really hope for is that it steadily grows. And I'm curious if any video game console ever has a solution for what's become of our libraries with consoles being so walled. Or if we'll just have to keep waiting for the inevitable (either another xbox one/PS4 transition where compatibility is just lost or consoles themselves inevitably eventually dying out). It's a weird state tbh. Like how bad would movies & TV be if every DVD player manufacture had different versions of each DVD that you could only sometimes* use with their DVD players? Even digital stores let you use movie purchases across any device as long as the storefront is available. And then there's services like Movies Anywhere connecting storefronts. Meanwhile in gaming 😅...
Re: Report: Take-Two Tried To Purchase Xbox's Cancelled Perfect Dark Reboot
@Banjo- I don't think Microsoft would avoid selling it if they didn't have any plans for it or think it was worth money. And I love the idea of Rare working on these projects with other studios (be they first party or second party).
You know, I'm going to be optimistic. The mass cancelation COULD be good for future game projects IF Xbox genuinely learns from what went wrong here. A lot of resources were freed up (and unfortunately a lot lost, but staying optimistic) and if any work was done there's even assets and design ideas to use. There were less actual studio closures than in the prior big layoffs (well literally just one first party studio). And there is still clearly keen interest in gaming and Microsoft consistently doing really well as a publisher if nothing else. There's a lot of worrisomes to be had, but being optimistic I do think this could even be a good moment for Xbox. It all depends on how they grow from here (if at all).
Re: Call Of Duty To Receive The Movie Treatment As Paramount Inks Deal With Microsoft
I feel like an OG modern warfare movie would go hard. But really I feel like COD is like Minecraft in the sense that it doesn't actually matter what they do. It would be pretty hard to "screw up" a COD movie. Like critics might dislike it, but the general audience would just want an action movie. It was like this with the live action Transformers movie. All the general audience cared about was a dumb summer action flick that entertained them long enough to be worth it.
Oh wait. I just realized this is Paramount. Why'd they even buy COD rights? Is Hasbro mad at them or something? Just do another G.I. Joe movie (but hey, if we're getting an USA military industrial complex movie verse that leads to crossover with G.I.Joe and COD well I'd watch that, and then I'd... watch other people use the Duke skin (I don't play COD)).
Re: Report: Take-Two Tried To Purchase Xbox's Cancelled Perfect Dark Reboot
@Sol4ris The problem is that Machine Games is busy with their own projects. Its what you get into with pulling from the IP treasure box. Studios have to be both free and WANT to work on that IP.
Re: Call Of Duty To Receive The Movie Treatment As Paramount Inks Deal With Microsoft
@abe_hikura Lol. Tell that to the same Paramount that bought the rights to do a Halo TV show only to do a generic Sci fi show with some Halo set pieces...
Re: Despite Cancelling Everwild, Xbox Has Just Hired Its Executive Producer For A Major Role
@Kaloudz I mean that's 100% gotta be how it works. Phil constantly says they have to run a profitable business and Microsoft IS a big penny pusher. We also know that they've chosen to focus investments on "AI" (unfortunately) like the rest of big (speculation) tech, which is what sparked the blanket cuts across Microsoft.
And this is what we saw. What was canceled were projects that were being funded but not going anywhere after 4 or 5 or more years. And the only studio closed was one that failed to put out ANY game in 7 years and it was looking like that'd be 8 if not 9 years. But that's also why I'm not as worried about Rare as I am Turn 10. Even after the Everwild cancelation SOT is still massive and it just got bigger due to the PS port. It's only continuing to grow. I think Rare needs something else (new) before too long, but I also think they have the time to make that something else. The big issue though is just the question of, "Why did Everwild not pan out?" because if it was due to issues at the studio then those need to be hammered out before the next game development projection. That said Turn 10 should also be fine at the size they are currently. They can support the latest Motorsport which is meant to be a forever game AND help other studios (a big reason why Xbox wants everyone on Unreal) until it's time for the next big Motorsport game.
It is a scary time in general in the world economy and especially the USA economy. The job market is god awful right now, prices are terrible, and yet we just keep seeing AI stocks surge which has a very "roaring 20s" feeling for people. That's not even getting into the other big issue affecting the economy (which I don't know if it's taboo to mention here, and I kinda hate that I even feel like it could be). It feels volatile right now. It IS volatile right now. And this is falling COVID-19 and the gaming industry over expanding and now needing to pull back, general tech industry woes, massive saturation in the gaming industry (too many games), skyrocketing costs for development, and stagnating markets due to fights for the attention economy. It's tough right now and it's scary. I am concerned for everyone employeed in the industry. Sony isn't even chasing AI and they've canned a similar percentage of developers and closed so many studios due to bad investments and increasing costs. We've seen console hardware prices RISE this generation (now even the OG switch) from all manufacturers. Publishers continue to lay off workers and shutter studios each year. And it really sucks, and feels really scary, because companies like Microsoft AND Sony and a lot of publishers actually are reporting massive numbers for revenue that's still higher than ever. Where is all that money going and how bad are profit margins? It's crazy times right now. I just hope there's a light at the end of the tunnel and I worry it'll be a really long tunnel.
Re: Report: Take-Two Tried To Purchase Xbox's Cancelled Perfect Dark Reboot
I don't think Xbox wanted to or should part with the IP, so this makes sense. It's very different from Tango where the entire studio was purchased and ONLY a new IP sold. Microsoft still hasn't given them the rights to Evil Within.
The problem isn't Perfect Dark, it was the studio and entire game development. When developers are publicly saying they were still making design decisions like five years after announcement (6/7 years after the studio was formed with this being the studio's ONLY project since Xbox established it) then the only thing you can do is cancel it. Xbox would 100% LOVE if another studio and publisher said they'd make the game AND pay for everything, but they aren't willing to give up such an iconic IP over one failed game de cycle.
I feel like there's going to be the "well if Xbox isn't doing anything with Perfect Dark" general responses to this online, but I'll say I'm glad that Take-Two didn't take over the franchise. I don't need it to be THAT Microtransaction heavy. And I don't want Perfect Dark to part from Xbox (rare) no more than I want Halo to part from it. It's just incredibly unfortunate that game development for the now canned reboot went so bad. I'll keep saying it, but what I hope is that Xbox learns they CAN'T just be hands off and supportive. Not every studio is Obsidian. A firm hand is needed (really a whip is needed) at times.
Re: Digital Foundry 'Just Can't Recommend' Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater On Xbox Series S
It's just bonkers to me how this generation has gone. Like just thinking about what was promised vs reality.
Re: Despite Cancelling Everwild, Xbox Has Just Hired Its Executive Producer For A Major Role
@Kaloudz I'd be surprised considering how big Sea of Thieves is. Turn 10 got downsized because Forza Motorsport was largely a failure and they don't need that many people for just small and periodic updates.
Rare definitely needs SOMETHING before long, but they should have plenty of time to get it. Maybe even like a return to AA sized games and doing that in tandem with Sea of Thieves. SOT as of now is like one of the biggest games Xbox is putting out and it just got a huge boon through PS. They have time. It just depends on what the studio is capable of doing with it. Like that they haven't really been able to put out Everwild or even show a gameplay trailer (like confident issue to show gameplay for it) in all that time since reveal is bad. But it's not an impossible place to come back from. Though I do wish that'd been canceled sooner if it just wasn't working.
Re: Despite Cancelling Everwild, Xbox Has Just Hired Its Executive Producer For A Major Role
Any significance with a former Rare guy also being the head of XGS? Also, with Everwild I'm disappointed that we never saw any actual gameplay of it. Disappointed and concerned. Though Chief of Staff is a very different job than heading up a game and I'm sure there were issues outside the purview of "executive director". Hopefully she has a great career at XGS and XGS has a great time going forward.
Re: Talking Point: If You've Played It, What Do You Think Of The Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds Playtest?
I had a lot of fun. I hadn't really, like really, played a Kart racer since MK 8 deluxe. I also had no idea that the game included, at least visually, sonic rider boards. I exclusively played as Jet. I'm actually looking forward to the release, and I might buy it at launch just to stick it to Nintendo and their egregious (arrogant really) pricing for MK World. Probably not actually. I'll still buy on sale 😂.
Re: Epic CEO Suggests Unreal Engine 5 Issues Are Due To Developers Optimising Too Late
@smoreon This is entirely my position. I don't think the issue lies with UE5 alone, but I also don't think the engine is blameless. I just wish they'd take responsibility where they need to, work to address the problems they see, and move on. But I also wish developers and publishers overall would do this. I don't want them scapegoating UE5 either. I just want every end point to start acknowledging and addressing the issues. Heck, I partially put gamers in on that. It's up to us to hold games accountable, but it's also up to us to have reasonable expectations. It's gotten out of hand this generation with every AAA game thinking it needs to deliver a bazillion different things just to succeed. And that probably brings us to oversaturation issues that's not really anyone's fault but a reality of the industry we've built. And it goes on and on. I'm sure there's lots of different people to blame, but I'm even more sure that nothing ever got improved by pointing fingers.
Re: 23 New Xbox Play Anywhere Games Highlighted In Latest Monthly Roundup
@Kilamanjaro what I've really noticed is that the big issue is with western publishers, specifically EA and Ubisoft and the likes, who want to push everyone to their own launcher (for data collection reasons and to make more money from sales). The types that wouldn't support steam if it wasn't so big. But it's been fantastic for me with indies and JRPGs. I have a legion go and it's been perfect for Metaphor, Persona, Yakuza, Octopath Traveler, Sea of Stars, and the likes. Those are also some of my favorite games so it works out fantastically.
Only mentioned GTA because I genuinely think that most non-GTAs can benefit from it, but it's a matter of making it known to gamers who then push for it. I'm hoping that the Xbox Full Screen mode does that. But I'm also hoping that the more prestigious titles in the program does that. Xbox now has secured both Hollow Knight Silksong and COD for XPA. First party in general now has a blockbuster output of guaranteed XPA games which also includes Bethesda and ABK.
Re: Epic CEO Suggests Unreal Engine 5 Issues Are Due To Developers Optimising Too Late
@smoreon I find the implication that "complexity" is the issue interesting when the games with some of the worst performance have been remasters and remakes that didn't change anything design wise. Developers aren't without fault and I'm not some "game engine critique guru" but if nothing else the issue isn't that simple. Like we can probably say on a pretty basic level that game development has always been difficult and developers have always had to struggle with multiple hardware SKUs. These aren't new problems and UE5 always should've been designed with these upcoming updates to help ease these issues. We could also say the current problems with UE5 games go beyond the engine and speak more to the game development process in today's landscape (rushed with a focus on trying to deliver every feature known to man and having ultra realistic graphics) causes more issues that just UE5. We could say it's a combination of things and so on. It just rubs me the wrong way massively that Sweeney would even choose to blame a couple of specific things and drive the conversation away from their engine entirely.
Re: Epic CEO Suggests Unreal Engine 5 Issues Are Due To Developers Optimising Too Late
Optimization is an issue and developers and publishers need to come down to earth. There's a LOT of issues with game development right now. But Epic cannot, CANNOT, pass the blame. I'm tired of all this scapegoating from everyone in the industry. Pull up your britches, take some responsibility, and make the necessary improvements.
If that's what they're doing then great. Hopefully these changes amount to something. But they still shouldn't be trying to pass the blame or put on a "holier than thou" routine.
Re: 23 New Xbox Play Anywhere Games Highlighted In Latest Monthly Roundup
@Kilamanjaro Lots of reasons
1) Not every game is GTA. Most people don't buy most games twice for full price. In this case realistically not much money is being lost.
2) Xbox is reporting, and people will comment and say, that gamers on Xbox are buying XPA games at a higher rate than non-XPA games. So going back to point one, if you're game isn't GTA and people aren't going to buy it twice, it's just purely profitable to utilize a program that leads to increased sales.
3) Most games, especially those like GTA, make the majority of their money through Microtransactions these days. Regardless of if you buy multiple copies of a game, you're only realistically going to play on one version at any given time and likely to only buy Microtransactions on that version. Xbox also reports higher player engagement & retention on Xbox Play Anywhere titles and for live service and Microtransactions heavy games those are both the two most important metrics. People playing your game more increases the spending they do in-game.
4) XPA isn't that difficult to develop for (Microsoft does a lot to make it really easy) and developers are already developing for many different types of hardware just on account of building games for PC. Plus as a benefit games get cross save features which just add value and means they don't have to set them up themselves (it seems like a small thing, but it isn't and not everyone wants to put in the money to maintain it like Ubisoft).
5) Larger communities (and again engagement is huge for games these days)
You know, Xbox Play Anywhere isn't even that big of a deal. It's no different from say buying a book and taking that book and reading it anywhere. Or like for gaming it's the same as buying a game on literally any PC storefront. In which case you can then access that game on no matter what PC hardware you use. It's even more similar with handheld PCs and the Steam Deck existing. We've just let console gaming create these walled gardens around every game we "own" and now we're used to that.
Re: 23 New Xbox Play Anywhere Games Highlighted In Latest Monthly Roundup
1) Games like Eden's Zero that launch XPA with Cloud Gaming Support (stream your own library) is literally my holy grail. That's all I ever wanted. This needs to be every game.
2) Unfortunately, a lot of publishers, especially western publishers, want gamers to use their proprietary storefronts. They wouldn't support Steam if they didn't have to for sales. So there's the answer btw. Xbox Play Anywhere won't really hit mainstream until gamers show that it's worth it (that we buy more XPA games and spend more money in them). Which granted Xbox is pushing that narrative now and it does seem to be working with more XPA games than before. But it's still an issue.
3) All that said, it's actually massive that Hollow Knight Silksong (indie GTA according to other indie devs) and COD are both launching XPA. COD being first party and XPA is probably the best get for Xbox to train and market that program more.
Re: ASUS Shares Footage Of Loads Of Games Being Tested On ROG Xbox Ally
@Millionski They would have to be MAGICIANS to pull that off with the next Xbox console coming in 1 to 2 years. They've already promised full backwards compatibility and that isn't currently possible with the Xbox PC App. Even if they could pull it off on a technical level, there's still the massive licensing issues.
I think we've already been shown reality with the premature "this is an Xbox" campaign. Xbox's biggest competitive advantage is its larger ecosystem. They clearly want that to be a big selling point for the Xbox brand and get gamers at any possible entry point. On PC they're taking windows gaming, the largest gaming platform like period, and unifying the user experience under an Xbox language. They're also continuing to do this on the cloud. On all platforms (Cloud, Console, and PC) the UX design is kept consistent. They want it to be easy to reach any gamer in any market and fold them into the same Xbox ecosystem. They also want to make that their value proposition and continue pushing with stuff like Xbox Play Anywhere.
I think the Next Xbox console will still feel like a traditional console, but there will be a much greater focus under the hood for bringing everything (cloud, console, and PC) in line and feeling like a ubiquitous ecosystem. XPA will probably continue to be pushed hard and the AMD partnership will probably lead to it being easier than ever to develop for Xbox Play Anywhere (if not near automatic). We'll also probably see more Xbox PCs and Microsoft will start rolling the software out to all windows devices that want to use it. They want to build a gaming empire for Xbox. Right now there's no reason to nuke the console territory because console gamers are still paying oogles of money and consoles are still profitable. The issue is growth and increasing profits, and that's where a wider ecosystem that reaches more gamers on all platforms comes in.
I don't think it's controversial anymore to say that generations are dead and that the console market has hit maturity. Console gamers are still incredibly profitable (in fact they are spending more on Xbox & PS), but they aren't growing in number. As a result, I just think "Next Gen" is more of a vision of an evolution of the entire ecosystem for Xbox, and not a single major hardware boost. I don't expect them to overhaul everything just yet because I don't think they have the capabilities to do so AND hold on to the consumer base they've built that gives them a lot of money.
Like for right now, I see this Xbox OEM as two things 1) Microsoft unifying all gaming efforts on all platforms under "Xbox" branding 2) Microsoft finally improving gaming on windows after being asked too for longer than Xbox has existed (probably due in part to Valve selling SteamOS licenses). In other words, Microsoft is using its competitive advantages in multiple gaming markets to build an ecosystem that crosses both and benefits them more through starting to unify efforts. Windows as a gaming platform will 100% outlive Xbox (it'll outlive PS and Nintendo too), but I don't think we're there yet. Maybe the box after the next box
Re: Talking Point: What Do You Want To See From Xbox At Tokyo Game Show Next Month?
I just want to see Xbox present in Japan connecting with gamers. I went to TGS last year and Xbox had games there (Indiana Jones had a MASSIVE presence) and branding beats with like Mechabreak, but Xbox still wasn't there itself. Not like Sony. And they didn't have the built-up nostalgia in Japan like Nintendo. Xbox is virtually unknown by gamers in Japan and nonexistent as a result. We'll really start to see more Japanese publisher and dev support come naturally and consistently with every game, when Xbox is a well known platform that has at least a modest userbase in Japan.
Re: EA's Skate Reboot Is Officially Releasing For Free On Xbox This September
@Kaloudz "not optimistic" is being kind. I'm quite certain the issue will only get worse. Publishers have been pushing the envelope ever since they figured out they could update games post release.
Re: Helldivers 2's Player Count Spikes Massively Following Xbox Series X|S Release
@Vaako007 1) My first comment is precisely about how Sony will have to decide whether its worth it to limit their IPs value & game success over potentially losing Playstation Users. What's important there is if gamers are switching over losing exclusives. But the IP will only ever make more money and be better manged on more platforms.
2) Nintendo doesn't belong in this conversation because of investors. Nintendo is a smaller company whose investors are fine with smaller numbers in raw financials.
3) Though speaking of Nintendo Pokémon is an excellent example. The IP is only as big as it is due to a multimedia approach which involves everything entertainment related and even beyond. That's what better managing IP means. And sure, if Sony can monetize any IP half as much as Nintendo managed with Pokemon then exclusives wouldn't be going away.
4) So this means Sony will probably port Spider-Man next and Wolverine excatly? As those Spider-Man 2 margins were dummy thin and those are all IP that Sony doesn't.
What are we really doing? I mean I'm pretty confused by the comment. Is the suggestion that Sony doesn't have investors? Do Sony's investors not want more money? Are we saying that making IP bigger is making it less valuable? Because the very idea of exclusives is limiting the audience of your game in hopes of increasing the audience of your platform. The console is very important to Sony, but that's why the reason why this is an incredibly important time for them. Its why they've already done PC ports and why they've spent so much trying to shift into live service. Sony is in a lot of danger beause they built up everything around a market that's just not seeing as many new users. And PlayStation specifically put a lot of money into investing in their cinematic narrative video games which have increasingly small profit margins. A solution is more releases all at once. That is a solution and all I'm saying is its clearly one that's being discussed at Sony.
Re: EA's Skate Reboot Is Officially Releasing For Free On Xbox This September
@Kaloudz Early access too just feels like a bit of a graveyard. It's like a stealth way for a AAA publisher especially to say they aren't confident in a game and can shut it down and give up at anyone moment.