darylb24

81 MC is an 8/10 game overall, which is exactly what you should expect from a remake, really. I'm glad to hear that they took out the extra fluff. The target audience for this game no longer plays 1-2 games per year, so only exceptional games will warrant anything over the 70-hour mark.

I really enjoyed my time with it

This is a good beta test for when they implement it into their next home console PC and their gaming OEM.

The player reviews aren't looking so great lol. Over hyped at the awards show and looks to have underdelivered sadly.

Might not be too early for Midguard.

@OldGamer999 As it stands, Fable is the furthest along with Halo after, and it's Gears that is most likely to slip into early 2027 dependant on what GTA 6 does. Gear's got the PS5 dev kits last, so they might need a bit more time to drop both games at the same time.

@Fishmasterflex96 I personally have preferred MS's offerings Like Forza 5, Starfield, Avowed, The Outer Worlds 2, and MS Flight Sim/24, over most of what Sony has offered tbh. I guess it is personal taste, but since 2021, I have only really enjoyed GT7. Ghost of Yotei was okay, but kind of the same as Tushima, which I played on PS4. In the future, I am only looking forward to Wolverine, where as yet again I am looking forward to Forza 6, Fable, Gears of War E-Day, State of Decay, Clockwork Revolution, The Elder Scrolls 6, and Marvel's Blade. I am actually due to get a PS5 Pro later this week to play future Xbox games at their best. I don't need to own an Xbox anymore, but I will always appreciate the games they make on my PS5 and eventually handhelds/ PC. What I do prefer from Sony is the hardware side. They have a great knack for making premium products, and Mark Cerny has been a huge innovator in the console space.

@Gabrie There are plenty of Xbox consoles in the UK - not sure about the rest of Europe though.

Also, Spain, Germany, and France have a huge PC market, and a lot of Xbox console players have moved over to PC, so that might be a reason they don't sell many consoles there anymore.

@Fishmasterflex96 Neither has been glowing, but honestly, PS5 vs PS4 is way more of a downgrade than Xbox One to Series X/S.

Like you mentioned, way too many remakes and sequels for my liking.

I feel pretty confident with April. Halo will be the headline. E-Day might be there, too. I heard recently that Clockwork Revolution might be getting that Direct spot after the June showcase (for early 2027 launch).

It's great to see this franchise get the exposure it deserves. I will probably get this on the PS5 Pro myself.

I expect it will sell very well across the systems it is on.

@Fishmasterflex96 Agree, but come on now, Sony has hardly done much better the last 5 years.

@Fiendish-Beaver Yeah, with Forza 6, they really want it out before November, but it depends on the progress of PSSR 2.0. That has been one of the main reasons for the slight delay.

PG's ideal situation for PlayStation releases is October for Forza Horizon 6 and November for Fable, but I doubt they will get that time.

After The Outer Worlds 2's PS5 port internal feedback, they want more time to implement it correctly.

Another option floated is to launch the Xbox Series version in September, as it will be ready by then, and launch the PS5 version in early 2027, but I think that one is a no-go as of now.

Interestingly, Halo's current plans are to just drop it on the anniversary day in November, a mere few days before GTA 6. COD will be later in October.

Gears of War will be getting the Showcase slot in June, but as of yet, no date has been decided. Late August has been floated, but also early 2027, depending on whether Fable makes it. Again, the PSSR 2.0 situation is in play, and who gets the dates in June depends on who has made the best progress with the PS5 Pro port.

Lots of additional challenges to ponder for MS with the new porting strategy.

The likely release line -up:

A: (Best case)

August: Gears of War E-Day

September: Fable

October: COD/Wolverine

November: Halo

B:

September: Fable

October: COD/Wolverine

November: Halo

February-April - Gears of War E-Day

C:

September: Gears of War E-Day

October: COD/Wolverine

November: Halo

February-April - Fable

My heart says that Fable launches in September and GTA 6 launches in November. From what I have been told, Fable is good to go for September, but they really want that November launch date and are waiting on Take 2 and Sony.

My head says one or both will be delayed, and we will have Wolverine in October lol. Don't get me wrong, I am looking forward to Wolverine, but for most gamers, 2026 would be a big let-down without at least one of those 2 games making it.

I do feel like GTA 6 seems more likely to get delayed, but then again, Microsoft seems comfortable moving ready games like Avowed out of holiday windows into early year slots if the schedule gets too packed (Halo, COD, and Gears of War E-Day need dates) or if Take 2 makes a delay choice to late like in the August earnings call when Mircrosoft presumed like last time GTA 6 will hit a fall date and push thier game into early 2027.

@Fiendish-Beaver As someone who works in gaming from a retail planning perspective and who knows a few Microsoft gaming employees in the UK, you would be surprised how little the big studios actually communicate with each other. Microsoft will be looking at the Sony (Wolverine) Take 2 earnings calls just as eagerly as the gaming journalists.

Sony is waiting for Take 2 to give a date so it can commit one for Wolverine and Microsoft is waiting for Take 2 and Sony to give dates before they commit to a date for Fable. Whichever month Wolverine takes, Fable will take the other, as it will be on PS5.

From what I have heard, Fable is basically content complete and in the optimization stage for stuff like PS5 Pro(PSSR 2.0)/Series S, and trying to get a 60fps mode on the base consoles. The game is good to go for September, but GTA 6 is making business planning rather difficult for publishers right now. PG also wants Forza 6 out on PlayStation by October as well and is just waiting on the PSSR 2.0 updates to roll around.

SIE has earnings calls in May and August, and it's the same for Take 2. If GTA 6 gets delayed, it will likely be announced in the August earnings call, and that's when you will see Fable and Wolverine stick or twist on summer showcase dates.

Most developers are hoping Take 2 make a firm commitment for GTA 6 on the May earnings call so that they can announce dates at the summer showcases in June and August for the 2nd half of the year game launches.

Clockwork Revolution and State of Decay 100% lined up for 2027 for development and business cadence reasons.

It should be another great year for XGS.

@TDHorizon Well, as I mentioned, I can just find a new system or move all my Xbox games over to PC. I try not to form unhealthy levels of attachment to anything, as the only person who gets affected is me. I do feel for those who have become attached to the Xbox or any other console, as consoles won't be around forever, and they will need to find new ways to enjoy gaming into the future with software.

Seems pretty clear to me - if they have the right amount of resources, time, Switch 2/ PS5 dev kits, then they will launch those versions the same day. If they don't, they will launch it when they can.

I think it's also very clear that all Xbox games going forward will go multiplatform at some point, as their strategy has shown.

More platforms = more sales and more money. They do, however, have to consider more dev time = more money. Development is different per studio, so the outcomes will vary. Playground may only have x amount of PS5 dev kits and decided to give them to the Fable team first.

I like my Xbox, and I like the Ecosystem (Game Pass, Cloud, Xbox Play Anywhere), so exclusives mean nothing to me.

I have no need to own any console - but I like them for their own unique strengths. I maintain only a healthy level of brand loyalty to Billon/Trillion dollar shareholded companies.

Nearly everything I can't get on my Xbox I can get on my PC, but I do also own a Switch 2 and soon a PS5 Pro too, as I am trying to enjoy consoles while they are still here.

@TDHorizon, Xbox has been my favorite ecosystem and will continue to be. Much like those that love steam, I don't enjoy Xbox for the exclusive games, I enjoy Xbox features like Game Pass, Xbox Play Anywhere, Web based Cloud Streaming, Free cloud saves, and quick resume on console. There is also the ability to buy cheaper digital game keys and a wider variety of cheap to premium 3rd party supported controllers.

I like all the different platforms for different reasons, but none of them are due to exclusive games. I often don't like the majority of Sony's or Nintendo's platform-exclusive offerings, but I own those consoles, too.

For PS5, the only exclusive I will get is Wolverine, and for Switch 2, it will be Fire Emblem Fortunes Weave.

I wouldn't regard myself as the typical COD/FIFA Live service player either. I mainly play single-player games and buy around 20-30 games per year.

Microsoft gaming makes more money than it has ever done on software and services, so the ecosystem isn't going anywhere - just the dated console sales business model, which is not working for them anymore.

@awp69 Looks to be US only, which makes sense as it's the biggest market. Shame the UK hasn't got the offer though, as it's basically the 2nd biggest Xbox market.

I mean, all we have to do is wait 4 days and buy the game at the same price or get it on Game Pass at no extra cost.

If anything, the expensive DLC has helped me to decide, as a non-hardcore fan, to wait 4 days rather than pay the full game price.

As for the price of the DLC, until we actually know what these expansions and included DLC packs are, it's really too early to say if it's value for money or not.

Having the UK DLC price the same as the full game price isn't great optics, though. They would have been better off charging £69.99 for the game and £49.99 for the DLC, as we could assume with confidence that the DLC packs will not equate to the value of a whole AAA video game.

I expect the Premium editions to sell very well across Xbox/PC/PS5, though, as Forza Horizon games are a proven quality.

The game looks great, and it is objectively a good thing that the maximum number of people will get to play the game at the same time. Exculsives only benefit business, not players. Players should get to choose where they play their games.

Now I can decide if I want to get this for my Series X/PC with Game Pass or Xbox Play Anywhere, or maybe decide that the PS5 Pro version has enough of a performance lift for me to buy it there instead. I like options.

If Fable makes it in 2026, I will be very happy. The lack of a firm release date is slighly concering, but I will wait until the Summer showcase to reserve judgment.

B - only because Fable did not have a release date, and I worry it will slip into 2027 like Avowed did (2024 to 2025).

You missed one:

CH 6: Missmanagement House: Ensure to cancel and not make Rayman, Prince of Persia, Beyond Good & Evil from CH5.

Xbox Play Anywhere is a great feature and one of the big reasons I still buy a lot of my 3rd party games on Xbox.

I think it will launch next week, and the talk around it is actually a marketing tactic to generate interest and eyes on the game.

I don't think this will do much better than Double Exposure tbh.

Cloud has always been, and will always be, a paid service (GeForce Now, for example). Cloud servers/hardware cost money to run.

I think MS offering an ad-supported non-paid offering is very reasonable, and anyone who says otherwise is being unnecessarily hyperbolic or just has a grudge against Microsft themselves. NVIDIA does this, and barely anyone comments on it.

This marketing tactic fell flat because the marketing team did not conduct thorough research on the target audience.

On a site like Twitter, you will be judged on the optics of your product. Japanese Drift Racing is clearly a very average-looking game, so they are inviting the "your game is mid compared to Forza" crowd.

They would have been better served with - "While you wait for Forza 6, try this." on social media platforms where negativity can terraform a bad atmosphere in seconds.

Expect price rises for PC's, Portables, Xbox, PS5, and Switch 2 over the next 12 months. If you want something, now is the best time since yesterday.

If it has better difficulty scaling than E33, I might check it out.

Things that will happen for Xbox in 2026

1. Half of what we expect to launch in 2026 will be delayed to 2027

2. GTA 6 has a 50% chance of being delayed into 2027, but will win Indie Game of the year if it does make its date.

3. Fable and Clockwork Revolution have a 90% chance of launching in 2027.

4. Lots of games will be delayed

5. Xbox will sell fewer consoles than in 2025, but will make more money on Games and services overall.

6. Lots of proclamations of "Xbox is dead" and negative news articles, which will have zero impact on the increasing profits as more gamers move to PC, Mobile, and cloud gaming.

This post has gotten some people grumpy lol.

Forza 6 will be the first game from MS out in Spring 2026 (no date yet)

@themightyant @Shinato2024 I have a few "connections" due to the role I work in, and everything coming from those people is stating an early 2027 launch date at the moment. I don't think we will be seeing Fable in 2026 based on what I have heard (it won't be featured heavily at the dev direct in Jan).

I really hope I am proven wrong, but I was told 2026 would shape out as follows:

Forza 6 (Spring) (2026 Dev Direct Showcase) (PS5 in Fall 2026)

Gears of War E-Day (Autumn/Fall) (2026 Dev Direct Showcase) (PS5 Day/Date)

Halo Reboot (Winter, but avoiding GTA 6 if the date holds) (2026 Dev Direct Showcase) (PS5 Day/Date)

Fable (Early 2027) (XGS Summer Showcase 2026) (PS5 Day/Date)

Clockwork Revolution (Later in 2027) (Dev Direct Showcase Jan 2027) (PS5 Day/Date)

Also working on Switch 2 versions of Starfield and Forza 5, plus a PS5 version of Starfield.

@rhydderch I think you might need to get your console checked if the crashes are that bad. I've never had my console shut off from a crash before. I never had a single crash on Veilgaurd either and that was close to launch.

Game Pass has had some great games this year.

Nobody realised that AI has been in gaming for over 20 years, haha. A bit too late to keep it out now. As for helpful features, as long as they are optional, I don't see an issue tbh.

I love gamepass and the fact we get day one launch of goty games tbh.

I picked up the wired version a few months ago, and it has been great for Xbox and PC gaming.

MS doesn't care about making the Xbox Series Console anymore; they have made that very clear. Buying up RAM would be a waste of money for them.

I think for older gamers stuck on console, it is not important, but for the ever-increasing cohort of younger gamers who play across console, mobile, PC, Cloud, and handheld, it is great to only have to buy one version of the game. I really hope Sony implements something similar in the future if it ever does a PC launcher.

I love the idea that all these games can come with me to a PC or Windows-based handheld, depending on where I want to play.

Consoles now have Black Friday discounts in the UK.

These days, it's Nintendo that is giving Sony executives a headache.

Changes that are resulting in growth for the Xbox brand and appeal to younger generations are, of course, going to annoy and upset the hardcore console gamer fanbase of Millennials and Gen X players.

It may be a wise move from a business perspective right now, but the older generations of gamers who grew up with consoles will almost never like it.

The youth of the future are far more focused on live service, mobile, portable, and PC gaming, and MS is very much leaning this way while PlayStation and Nintendo are holding onto the shrinking console market. I can't see any more than 1-2 console generations for them as younger players with their new habits have increased purchasing power and moved to cheaper and more flexible gaming formats.

MS will be there in the future with the infrastructure to take their money, regardless of what we like or don't like.

It might come in handy for the large amount of AAA Game Pass games due out next year, although I typically delete a game once I'm done with it, so I usually have a bit of space. The next generation is still a couple of years away, so this price is decent.

In the UK, market prices have been between £50-£70 for quite a number of years now - people are buying fewer AAA and AA games in this price range because the quality is not there, and they are unfinished.

Most of us hardcore buyers have caught on that you can get the game at 25-50% off, fully patched in about 3 months.

I feel sorry for those who are obsessed with brands "winning" and "losing". The only people who should be concerned with that are those who are shareholders or executives for said brands.

I just enjoy playing games on all platforms. The more platforms, the better for me.

@JayJ Well, Millennials were in high school in the early 2000's so I guess so.

Well, to be honest, all the games that have come out of the western arm of the studio haven't done well at all, so this should come as no surprise.

I think Sony will be more concerned with console sales than Microsoft will.

Sony wants to hit the 120 million+ sales that PS4 did across its 7 years, while Microsoft is less interested in hitting any console sales targets and keen to move across to the PC gaming space.

They may both delay into 2028, but it would be for different reasons.

For MS, it would be waiting for the GTA 6 PC port to come over so they can put it on their new machine day one.

For Sony, it would be so they can milk additional console sales for the PS5.

@SodaPop6548 Oh if that's the case I imagine this will cost a fair bit more than £500