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@GamingFan4Lyf Lets be honest, If the situation was reversed then Microsoft would do the same and do everything in their power to strangle PS out of the market. The only reason they are starting to walk it back is because they are in a much weaker position at present so multiplatform whilst focussing on being a publisher makes sense. If they had the market lead then they would be doing PC / Xbox only and holding everything back.

@PsBoxSwitchOwner Yeah I would also hope FS stay multiplat as the games deserve to be played by all regardless of the long history they have with Sony machines.

@dskatter or if you are willing to use their launcher. My PC is a PC, its no more an Xbox than it is a Playstation just because I can play GoW on it.

The whole "This is an Xbox" marketting push won't do great imo

This was always going to happen more once MS was greenlit for the biggest aquisition in history. Anyone who was cheerleading for one side was naive if they didn't think it would push others to follow suit.

@PsBoxSwitchOwner I may be remembering wrong but don't Sony also own or have a big interest in Crunchyroll? Which would make sense if they can take more of the anime market.

@OldGamer999 The PC specs for it are pretty wild also, you are talking a 4070 for recommended settings so it will be interesting to see how it translates to console.

@OldGamer999 rumours online are saying the review embargo is 2 hours before release.

@GamingFan4Lyf I don't currently have a GP sub, I did have one but cancelled as they had very few game I wanted to play. But if they did a something like a combined GP PC / GP WoW sub for a discounted £16 then I would likely be interested.

And I imagine it would give WoW a substansial boost in players.

@GeeForce Yeah the One was doing well so they did a mid gen upgrade to trade on its success, the Series is not selling as well so they will skip.

The not needed arguement is a silly one as its entirely subjective based on individual choice. You could say the Series X is not needed as the S exists. The 4090 is not needed as a 4080 / 4070 exists. The Pro Max 16 is not needed as the 16 exists.

The only question is if someone personally finds value in something.

@carlos82 Its not about it being a cash grab, Its the size of the user base this generation. The serie console sales are low so less potetial for sales of a new model. Basically its not worth the R&D or production costs. EDIT: Tagged the wrong people the worng way round

@GamingFan4Lyf Indeed, The simple fact that its appeared on the Battlenet account and you can still use your GP for some games on that launcher / store makes me think its even more likely that in future we will see some form of GP WoW to roll all the subscribers into the GP family to boost the numbers as traditional subs are staying level now.

@Wisegamer Battlenet is also 1000 times better than the Xbox launcher which is stil hot garbage at best. I think it stems from the fact that the ship it as standard with windows so put zero effort into making it a quality platform.

@GamingFan4Lyf When you say about MS getting 100% of the revenue it brings up and interesting facet of it being on Battlenet. At the Auction House in WoW you can buy the Wow token for in game gold and convert it to battlenet balance which you can then use to buy games on the store. I was raiding last night and there where already people interested because the game is going to be free for them due to how easy it is to get gold in WoW.

@Coletrain Thats the biggest issue with streaming imo, I am also UK based and our internet is just not there in a lot of areas and even if you can get amazing speeds the costs are so high that its not really worth it.

I get companies feel streaming is the future, but as long as consoles exist I reckon they will be dominant for a long time compared to cloud stuff.

Seems a very bad way of doing it because it assumes that every subscriber is interested in checking out every title regardless of genre. Obviously this is better for the shareholders as it keeps subs up via engagement, but as a gamer I think they should drop when ready which would be better for the players.

All this confirms is Phil can't say anything, which means its far more likely an announcement is due at the game awards or similar. Its a standard press response to say nothing in any media industry, even when its clear something is happening. You always wait for the official announcement and act coy about the whole thing.

@Balaam_ I think Doom on a sex toy is still the peak of innovation. More enjoyable haptics than anything else out there.

@Titntin "a TV friendly PC with a bespoke games OS"

Even that is basically a steam box using Steam OS or the much older big picture mode they originally had. I think you would have to narrow the category further for it to be more revellant.

@Fiendish-Beaver I reckon you are right in that it will not be to dissimilar to the PS5 Pro, especially if its delivered in 2026. I wonder if the marketting BS speech is in part because the Pro and Base 5 sit in the same generation, so by not having a pro model MS can claim the biggest leap. Especially when coupled with the fact that they can arguably choose where the goalposts are placed.

@Banjo- You should enjoy DS then as it does have a very realistic feel despite being sci-fi. Things like strict weight limits, weight affecting speed and balance, and even how long it can take to build stuff all really elevate the game.

You are right its very divisive and not for everyone but its one of the best games I played this year and if you have a fancy TV it really does look stunning. For £20 it worth anyones time.

@Banjo- Its a very good game and you can tell its using some of the ideas from how MGSV played, but I would say it feels completely unique and unlike any other game. But providing you enjoyed the open nature of just wandering then it should land well.

@Utena-mobile One of the stand outs for me was Siren Blood Curse, It took me so long to get into the game as it was just so different to anything else. But once I got going it felt far more like the classic Silent Hill games where it was about constent tension rather than just scary moment or overwhelming moments.

So my guessing with regarding to the WC3 patch was slightly wrong, but along the right lines and we are getting the older games redone for the 30 anniversary

Not sure why they are doing 2 instead of 1 & 2, What is it with remasters being done out of order or straight up skipping games.

Imagine if PX could just ban every account who gave the game a 1. Since it does seem a pretty easy way to identify the terminally online troll chuds we would all be better off without.

DA has never been my go to franchise of choice as they changed style after Origins, but I may play the game at some point. Regardless the more choice and inclusivity the better as gaming should be for all, and not held back by weak people who are terrified of anything that challenges their world view.

@Utena-mobile I think the likeness is more in the style of monster, Its that unique japanese body / creature horror that If people find appealing they will enjoy, even if the gameplay is unique. It just hits differently to the western horror of jump scares and torture porn, and gunning everything down like your rambo on halloween.

@GeeEssEff Spot on, Sony will continue exactly as they are doing now where the odd indie drops day 1 with PS+ but they will continue to sell mainline titles. Both platforms subscriptions plateaued a while back and the only way for them to keeping move the shareholder line up is get more subscribers or raise prices, and we all know its always going to be the latter.

In all other industries we are seing sub services decline in quality, increase in price as the market bloats with more and more platforms all wanting a pieceof your wallet. Gaming subs are no different, despite how many want to hope theirs will win because they fanboi their favourite colour logo.

@JonBoyJ Just taken a glance at that and it is worrying that they read so differently. I do tend to find this site over eggs anything 1st party by 1 star (sometimes 2) on their reviews so it will be interesting to see where it falls.

@freddones Whilst I agree that reviews on sales platforms should only include people who have bought the game, them buying the game does not make a review more valid than a professional reviewer who received a free copy as part of their job. Sunk cost can impact review bias just as much as zero cost, both negatively and positively depending on the game and the reviewer.

Also it doesn''t adress the fact that Steam reviews are still poor as they simply come down to good game / bad game rather than the more nuanced levels of scoring out of 10 for example.

The amount of time you see reviews of Steam where its 300hrs played and bad game highlights the problem with binary scores. If a game is bad then no one would play it for 300hrs, so clearly it has some redeeming factors.

I will give it a better look when it releases but I am not sold on it being first person view and the screenshot above with the whip is doing nothing to convince me otherwise. If the game came with a VR mode then 1st person would be brilliant for combat and traversal, but for flatscreen It should really be over the shoulder imo.

@freddones Steam reviews are a terrible metric due to the binary Good or Bad system they use. Its about time they shelved it and went to a rating system which reflects the true score.

I have watched people play this normally and don't even want to imagine playing it in VR. That seems like a sure fire way to have a heart attack.

@TruestoryYep You may have missed what I meant. I was saying how the same people that create rules for wether 1st party / 3rd party exclusives count are usually the same people who claim PS games are not exclusive if they go to PC, but refuse to apply the same standard to XBox because MS is also windows. Its goal post shifting and nothing more just for the sake of fanboi wars.

I didn't say BMW and SH2 where exclusive, I simply said they are out on PS so it make no sense to say its been a bad year, given that both are potential GOTY shouts. If you can play 90% of the likely GOTY choice on a platform, that platform has clearly not has a year of no games or poor games.

BMW has been confirmed that its coming to Xbox and that was never in question from its original inception. SH2 on the other hand is a time limited console exclusive but they have not confirmed that it will go to other platforms at this point, just that it could. Its pretty much like FF7R in that regard, no longer exclusive does not equal confirmed game.

@Sifi They will never change their view on 1st party because its the only arguement they have to limit exclusives. 3rd party or 1st Party, if you can only play it on one machine, then it makes no difference. Its on the same level of nonsense as PS exclusives don't count if the game is also on PC, but Xbox do as "Xbox is PC"

I would not be surprised to see Silent Hill 2 as a nominee in GOTY and possibly even BMW as an outlier. So there is no universe in which people can say PS has had a poor selection of games available this year. There is likely only 1 GOTY nominee that was not available on PS5.

Personally I think Astrobot will take the crown and it would be very well deserved for Asobi and nice to just see an old school good fun platformer take the spotlight.

@Fiendish-Beaver "All I think this rumour actually means is that Microsoft will not be making the same mistake again"

I am with you on this, the PS announcement at the end of the Indy trailer was a comically large blunder. Hey guys be excited for this game coming to Xbox...or play it on our competitiors better selling machine 3 months later.

In future they will just announce them going over as a side event a few months later so the games follow 6-12 moths later with less pomp. I would imagine 12m for games like Starfield, Forza and 6 months for less As you say I would put bets on Blade going to PS because its a Marvel IP which will sell well on PS, and the bean counters at MS care move about what the shareholders get in the near future and not the long term.

@LogicStrikesAgain "Also Playstation might have helped them with development, leading to them being able to release that version earlier."

Thats always been my take on the matter. I suspect the game was having trouble and it was looking like the date would be pushed back on both consoles. This seems likely as neither the PS or the PC version are particularly well optimised. Sony then stepped in with money and resources on the proviso that they had all hands on deck causing the XB version to wait and run behind a few months.

Its the situation that balances all the statements, including the numerous "its not a traditional exclusivity deal as we know it". Its also fine imo, If a company steps in to assist then they are going to want to see a return on that.

@themightyant I think Christmas 2027 would be about right. You could even push that to 2028 if we are not getting massive upgrades. That said I do reckon Xbox will shoot early and that it will be a huge mistake. It won't draw the players over and as you say would be eclipsed in about 18months.

If they do go for 2026 then it will be intersting watching all the Pro is pontless crowd suddenly change their mind for what would be a very similar level of power machine.

@PsBoxSwitchOwner You are right, GP subs are predominantly console based which is why they need to console to do well. As much as people tout GP-PC as a reason why consoles dont matter, the simple reality is its barely made a dent in what is a much larger market.

@Romans12 And a total number of subs over 47m. Or do we just not mention the bits that upset peoples feelings?

Bethesda have been on a slow decline since Morrowind. They peaked by creating a hugh world rpg which forced you to get invested in the game if you wanted to play it well. The issue is that they would not get away with tha style of game now, obtuse travel, levelling which could ruin your character etc. Shivering Isles for Oblivion was excellent but I found the base game to be a bit dull and KotN was also kinda boring.

As for the games not meeting expectations they can pin that blame squarely on Todd as he is unable to keep his mouth shut. If they want to set peoples expectations then stop saying dumb stuff like "it just works" when it really means "It will work 18 months after release"

@Fiendish-Beaver I loved Darksiders 1 but found number 2 to be a real slog due to the gaming rule of three applying to every aspect of the game. Also I don't think the loot system really added anything that the original was missing. And the less said about 3 the better.

Really hope 4 is worth the wait

@OldGamer999 It should be around £640 as £534 is pre Vat and Sony have no control over that, nor do they get any of it. It just looks worse as UK pricing shows tax and US doesn't. That doesn't address the £59 difference as no way is shipping that much in bulk. I reckon £649 should have been the price point for balance.

@MinervaX good work showing the price fluctuations in $. I know there are other factors in play but the UK price being $264 more is ridiculous. Is is due to something like sales tax not being shown in the US but part of the final price in the UK?

Not sure how it works in america compared to the UK / EU

@Sol4ris There is no doubt its expensive, but in fairness I honestly don't think competition will have any impact on prices going forward. I would not be surprised to see the next Xbox / PS6 also sitting around the £700 price as standard. If gamers want everything running at 4k @ 60fps then the prices have to increase or you get another generation thats out of date before it even launches.Even the switch 2 is sounding like its going to be £500 for a device thats closer to last gen than current gen.

@awp69 I was referring to the DF direct on youtube from a day ago (its on the link you sent) when they did not confirm it being exclusive at all. And I would say it matters greatly because in the editorial Rich says journalists have said there is a deal and they have heard the same from good sources, yet in the video says there are reports of a rumour but stops short of saying they have heard it also and doesn't challenge when the other commentator says they don't believe the deal rumour.

So which is it? since they are not even sticking to the same version themselves it brings credibility into question.

@awp69 Funny how they do not mention this secret deal they have confirmed once in the recent DF direct. They do however mention lots of other potential issues but not once do they say there is an exclusivity deal.

@Widey85 and worth noting that if this the case then MS could have likely done the same. I recall when BG3 was having issues they also said they had to really hound MS for assistance. So if thats the case they can hardly complain for choosing to do nothing.

@NEStalgia ahh NWN2 I remember when that released I upgraded my GPU and the box was advertising NWN2 as the new shiny game and that this card was powerful enough to run it well... It still ran like a bag of spanners until I upgraded again a few years later. Great game but such a horrendous mess.

@Mustoe I would lean toward utter nonsense for timed exclusivity but with maybe a kernal of truth that is being wildly thrown out of context. I Imagine its probably something like Gamescience where struggling with optimising the game in general and Sony threw some cash / expertise their way to make sure the game was able to go on time.

Something along those lines would ring more accurate to me as by all accounts the game is not even well optimised on PC and is relying on much more powerful setups to brute force performance.

@Ralizah "Final Fantasy just isn't THAT big of a brand anymore, and S-E's lacking support isn't going to tank a major console line."

As much as I love FF and have played pretty much every game in the series, plus the sequels and the spin offs I would have to agree with you here. The series is nowhere near as popular as it used to be and attempts to reinvent the series in 15 and 16 seem to lose as many, or more fans than they gains. For every new fan who like action conbat gain they seem to lose an old fan who just wants turn based atb.

I also reckon the statement from SE is likely very misleading and will still be entirely dependant on the level of work required from them. I can't see them porting remake / rebirth or FF16 as it would be a lot of work, but would not be surprised if they port stuff like the pixel remaster collection as its probably much simpler and would sell.

@PhileasFragg Its also just happened yesterday on the new expansion for WoW. They have never done it before and decided to do it for this expansion. Can't help but think they were following suit of the new owners as they decided it before the buyout was complete but after it had been announced.

Its just very scummy behavouir to cash in on fomo

@PhileasFragg welcome to horse armour 2.0

@Banjo- It was heavily reported due to leaks in 2022 that the split was around 75% SS and 25% SX. Since then its been reported that sales on consoles since 2022 are closer but its still like 60% SS and 40% SX. Its worth noting that sales since 2022 are slower in general, so yes we do basically know the SS has outsold the SX by a substanial amount even if we don't have the exact figures. That said if you take the numbers on VGchartz as rough figues then the SS is about 69% of total Xbox sales.

"Anyway, the next Xbox has been confirmed to be the biggest technological leap ever, so no point in discussing this."

But if you really want to play the we don't know game then we absolutely don't know that the next xbox will be the biggest technological leap ever as no specs have been announced outside of hype talk.