@XxEvilAshxX I have no idea how many (or how few!) people played the Goldeneye port, but I'm sure the 30fps cap* and wobbly rendering** didn't help matters. Even with the 360 remake/remaster being off the table, it would have been nice to see Rare Replay receive a definitive version of the 1997 classic. I would've even purchased the digital edition of RR on sale, despite owning the physical one already!
*not present on N64 and NSO **barely noticeable on N64, not present in NSO, as far as I'm aware.
Surprised that Silent Hill 4 is so high on the list, as you can at least get the PC version for like $10 on GOG. But it's a shame that many of those other ones are still stranded in the past.
I assume the music licensing is prohibitively expensive or complicated in the case of JSRF and especially Burnout 3, but what about Silent Hill 2 and Sonic Heroes? Those ones even have PC ports already!
This is really surprising: the X-Men arcade game is one thing, but I wouldn't have ever expected to see the likes of Maximum Carnage and Arcade's Revenge make a return. The latter, speaking of which, is the only one of these that I have, and its soundtrack is amazing on the SNES. It's by the Follin brothers, so that tells you all you need to know.
Get Rare working on at least one of their classic IPs. If they're not capable, find someone who is.
Similarly, let the other underutilized studios do what they're good at. Start with smaller projects in the short term, if need be.
Reopen the back compat program to allow for more games and maybe more FPS Boost enhancements, especially for the original Xbox. Drop 10+ new additions on the store in time for the 25th anniversary.
Lay off the ads on the Xbox dashboard.
Either commit to continuing with hardware, or retire it permanently, based on inside knowledge that I don't have in reality (but that I would have in this situation). But get out of this weird uncertain no-man's-land as soon as it's feasible.
What's that? We need to scrap all these initiatives, because they focus too much on games and good will instead of AI, and they don't provide Infinite Growth? Yes, Mr. Nadella. Right away, Mr. Nadella!
@EVIL-C Ghost Babel usually gets overlooked, due to being a portable game (being stuck on a ~30-year-old handheld can't help), but it's supposed to be a really strong entry, isn't it?
I actually felt that MG1&2 on the MSX played better than the MGS series (despite obviously being less cinematic), so if Ghost Babel delivers more of the same, plus 60fps and some more "modern" late-'90s game design standards, then it sounds like a winner!
@Romans12 But there are already easy ways to play Gears of War, and with good graphics and performance at that.
MGS4 has been stranded for 18 years on an old console that many people don't own, and even for those who do have a PS3... well, have you seen how this game runs in the busier scenes?
I can confidently say that Goldeneye and Perfect Dark are great games on their own merits, and this has nothing to do with nostalgia, as I got into them a decade after release!
I never bothered with the Xbox port, though, largely due to the unnecessary 30fps cap. The original N64 version was uncapped, making a locked 60fps possible on some emulators. Combine that with the native widescreen that the original already supported, plus the high-precision geometry rendering of almost any emulator, and emulation is just a better experience overall.
Still need to try the cancelled remake, but that one looks incredible!
@Romans12 The default controls make it very difficult to aim up and down, though you rarely need to actually aim on lower difficulties.
I prefer to play with the second control scheme (1.2 Solitaire), as it basically functions like modern dual-stick controls... except it's stuck in southpaw mode, but that feels natural to me on an N64 controller. The left and right hands can even be reversed on emulators (including NSO), resulting in a setup that strongly resembles modern shooters like CoD!
@M20B25 Great choices to start with... though I may be biased, as I started with the same games!
I didn't have an OG Xbox until well after its time, but there was one set up in the lounge at my workplace, so when I found that JSRF/Sega GT '02 combo for just a few bucks, I had to get it. That same day, I also discovered Shenmue II- until that point, I'd only known of the Dreamcast version, so I was shocked to see a North American Xbox version! That kicked off my Shenmue journey, and started the painfully long wait to (hopefully) see the conclusion of Ryo's story.
PS: I'm guessing you jumped on Panzer Dragoon Orta as soon as it came along?
@themightyant Do you mean halfway through the first game, or did you give all three a try? I felt similarly about Crash 1 when I first played it, but gave 2 a try anyway, and that was where it really "clicked". 2 was a lot more refined than 1, and it really nailed the platforming "rhythm", you could say.
...though I still think all of Naughty Dog's games are a little overrated (more technically impressive than anything else)!
@Markatron84 IIRC, it's specifically the 60fps option that breaks that section with the sliding platforms, and all higher and lower rates are perfectly fine. You can even run the game without issues at 60 if you uncap it in the game and then cap it using external tools. Or, if you're lazy, just switch to 50 or 30 in that one level.
@EdgarTheBug As I like to say, "It just works... until it doesn't."
I don't know what went wrong with this, though. Old 3 teraflop cards were able to handle Skyrim (in this heavier remastered form) at 60fps with the settings cranked up. This shouldn't even require any careful tweaking or optimization to run well on a docked Switch 2.
Halo 3 is 18 years old, meaning it's in its 19th year. Did it not win the GotY title in 2007, or did they make the all-too-common mistake of forgetting to count the first year?
@BAMozzy Oh, I have no doubt that there are technical challenges involved! IIRC, the Xbone (and possibly Series) has some features that specifically help it with Xbox 360 emulation (handling texture formats or something), which few/no PCs would have. If it is possible to bring BC Xbox games directly to PC, it's likely because any semi-modern PC has enough muscle to brute force the solution, by relying more heavily on software emulation in those areas (with less offloading to hardware).
Much of my previous comment was regarding the licensing side, rather than the technical aspect. I don't know exactly what these companies did, or whether the language in the agreements is broad enough to allow for PC ports, but looking at the results, it's clear that their agreements in the previous gen allowed for the games to be brought over to future hardware with no publisher intervention.
But all that aside, this is still something that I, as a customer, want to see, regardless of whether it can be done!
I hope they eventually do pull this off, and start expanding the BC library again as well.
It's not just about being able to play our old games on new devices, but also about making old classics (and not-so-classics) available for purchase, for those of us who missed them the first time.
There's also the matter of FPS Boost and other enhancements, which make the Series X (and potentially PC) the best way to buy and play games which were previously locked to consoles that could barely run them.
@Gryzor Yeah, it's hard to go back to 30fps. I hear it's even worse if you use an OLED screen.
I picked up Madness Returns anyway, as unlike the Steam version, it comes with American McGee's Alice (the previous game), and that one does run at 60fps!
@BAMozzy I imagine that rights/licensing are the main reason for pretty much any high-profile game that didn't make it onto the Xbox One BC list in the first place.
On the other hand, virtually all XBone titles- including the hundreds of Xbox and X360 BC games- came straight over to the Xbox Series without a hitch, so it would seem that MS negotiated much more open-ended agreements this time around.
See also: PS4 carrying over to PS5, and Switch carrying over to Switch 2, with nearly 100% of their respective libraries being included. Previous gens weren't set up with this in mind, but it seems that companies eventually adapted and set up more forward-thinking or "future-proof" solutions.
While I can't say I'm rushing out to buy the likes of JoJo Siwa: Worldwide Party, I do appreciate the advance notice on the delistings, both from the companies and from Pure Xbox, so thanks!
@swedetrap With all of the buzz about how huge GTA6 is, and whether it's worth buying a PS6 for, and whether it'll cost $100 USD, I have to wonder if there's a bit of astroturfing going on. Is R* (or a company associated with them) trying to hype up their game, and maybe ease us into accepting an inflated price tag?
Obviously, GTA6 is a big deal, and there are lots of real people talking about these things, but something feels a little off, like someone intentionally planted the seeds to get the discourse going. Or maybe I'm just paranoid! Either way, I agree that it feels a little excessive.
@h3s Why not just connect to the Xbox directly using that proprietary standard, then?
EDIT: Did a bit of searching, and this standard is called "Xbox Wireless". MS incorporating the standard into XBone and Series consoles, as well as specific PC models. In general, PCs would presumably be able to connect this controller using Bluetooth (like any other Xbox controller), but would need the adapter to take advantage of Xbox Wireless mode.
Xboxes shouldn't need an adapter, though, so I don't know if there's a mistake somewhere, or just a strange design decision.
Something I don't understand about connectivity: why is a 2.4 GHz dongle needed, unless you're specifically connecting to a PC with no Bluetooth built in?
Don't XBone and Series systems already use Bluetooth for their wireless controllers- and shouldn't this controller be able to connect to an Xbox using that?
All the time! After a decade or two, I tend to forget a lot of the puzzles, story elements, etc., and replaying an old game can almost feel like playing a whole new game! (Just with a nice touch of familiarity.)
I used to replay old favourites like the Marios, Sonics, Zeldas, and Donkey Kongs over and over when I was younger, but not so much these days, as the flow of time has sped up: if I played a game within the last few years, it often feels too recent to bother going back, especially if it's a game I played to death already. And as time goes on, I take longer and longer between play-throughs.
@Kieduss Agreed! If clearing your backlog isn't fun, then why bother? And if replaying an old game is just as fun as playing a new one, then why not? (I like to do both, for what it's worth- at least 60/40 in favour of new games- as I personally find that this is more enjoyable than forcing myself to only pick from the backlog.)
PS: Just recently started to get decent at REmake. Great game, and I already want to play through it more in the future! Could definitely see myself playing it every few years, at least.
@BAMozzy @MrStark Yeah, that's annoying (though manageable to work around), and I'm sure it's part of MS's efforts to burn as many of your Rewards points as possible without giving anything in return!
Until recently, they had an auto-redeem that would automatically get you a $5 card every month at a discount- obviously not a good choice if you're saving up. And I was also getting bombarded with notifications about entering a draw to win a Series X or whatever- at 200 (or was it 500?) points per entry, of course.
@InheritNegative Haha, I was just thinking that the last screenshot looks like a cross between Perfect Dark Zero and Condemned! It's a bit over-the-top, but I actually like that glossy, bump/normal mapped style.
However, the comparison shot with Denton has that slightly washed-out look: why is it that old games from 2000 and earlier have higher contrast, and then modern remasters always have to make everything a bit flatter and brighter?
Not that this is an especially egregious example, but it's a trend I've noticed, and I don't care for it.
@Markatron84 The Game Boy ones were sort of remixes of the NES ones. I have MM3 for Game Boy, and it's like a mix of 3 and 4 on the NES, but with a few elements of its own, IIRC.
There was supposed to be a collection of colourized GB games back on the GBA (to coincide with the release of Mega Man Anniversary Collection on consoles circa 2004), but that was cancelled.
@Deformedpye Series S arguably does, in the sense that it stops developers from making games that run at 720p 30fps (or less) on flagship consoles and mid-range PCs: if a game runs that poorly on them, then it probably won't run on Series S at all!
(Conversely, if a game has to hit at least 720p30 on Series S, then it should automatically look and run decently on better hardware.)
But is that really holding this generation back, or just keeping things in check? Modern consoles aren't limited like the N64, where you could do insane things with game mechanics and level designs, but only at 20fps or lower.
@Jenkinss Gonna have to disagree there- the campaign was brilliant, bringing some added depth and variety in its mission structures. Not quite System Shock or Deus Ex, but more in that direction than the straightforward action formula of Quake and similar games. And I found the second control scheme (where you aim with the stick and walk with the C buttons) to be very versatile and responsive, almost on par with the dual-stick layout of Halo (etc.), once you get used to it.
But I can understand how the deathmatch mode in particular would seem lame from a PC gamer's perspective at the time, especially with GE making you squint at a 160x120 resolution window updating at an average of 20fps!
@Jenkinss Did you just skim my post, or do you really consider BK and Goldeneye to be "sins"? That was just a list of games which I'm aware had major issues/shake-ups in development- and most of them eventually turned out to be quite good!
If I wanted to list Rare's sins/mismanagement, then yeah, it'd include spending a decade on Kinect and avatars (old and new), followed by a decade working on a single live service game.
Everwild isn't just an isolated incident. Rare has a 30-year history of long, tumultuous development cycles: Goldeneye 007, Banjo-Kazooie, Perfect Dark, Star Fox Adventures, Grabbed by the Ghoulies, Kameo, and Perfect Dark Zero (I'm probably forgetting some) all had at least one major shake-up: switching to a different console, stalling development before rebuilding the team, and/or turning into a completely different game!
Unfortunately, this is more expensive now than it used to be, and the higher-ups these days may not have the same patience.
I hope O'Connor gets to guide and support- maybe even advocate for- the game studios, as opposed to sitting helplessly while higher-level execs shut everything down.
@WildConcept6 That's a great point about remakes, especially with MGS3 being in all the headlines lately. It's literally a PS2 game with better graphics on top. The systems are (supposedly) simpler than modern games, and it's all made up of bite-size corridors, which should make it lighter on resources. Even if games did get more complex in the past decade (which they didn't, as far as I'm aware), how is a 21-year-old game struggling so much?
Now, being charitable to Sweeney and UE5, we could consider the possibility that the engine is perfectly fine when devs use what used to be common optimization practices, and Sweeney is aware of/confident in this. Could it be that these game companies all saw opportunities to push graphical fidelity higher while optimizing far less than before, and are now failing on two fronts (worse graphics and slower performance) as a result?
I just wonder, because: 1. Tons of games today are poorly optimized, including those on RE Engine, Unity, and whatever Game Freak is using. 2. What he says about optimizing early on has proven itself true, time and time again. You can't just aim for the moon when building your game/graphics, and then try to double/triple your performance in the 11th hour.
To be clear, I'm not saying UE5 is blameless- it likely is a key part of the issue. But I don't actually know how well it runs compared to, say, UE4, when all else is the same. If devs stuck with the same graphical standards and optimization practices as CD Projekt Red with The Witcher III (just to give a well-regarded example), would UE5 mess it up, or would it be perfectly fine, since they're forgoing Nanite and RT in favour of manually crafting everything to look and run well on last-gen tech?
@AverageJoseph Disappointed to hear that, as Galaxy had potential to be the one launcher to rule them all. Its performance was a little iffy when I used it a few years ago, but what really annoyed me was how buggy its integrations were. It would lose its connection to my other accounts all the time, causing various weird effects. (I think Steam is partially to blame, as they've done some stuff with their account system, but that's not the whole story.)
At least GOG Galaxy is completely optional, and we can just download all of the offline game installers. If you don't like the Ubisoft or Epic launchers, then tough luck!
"there's been a suggestion that it struggles to run on certain platforms and types of PCs"
Yeah... that's a teensy, tiny understatement there, Fraser!
"Compared to a decade ago, the complexity of games themselves has significantly increased"
Did Sweeney forget what year it is, or have games actually become significantly more complex since the days of The Witcher III, Assassin's Creed: Origins, or Crysis 3 and its half-hour credits scroll?
@TrollOfWar Oh, yeah, many of those 7th-gen games still look and play great on PC, thanks to those same enhancements!
The last truly exciting generation leap for me was the one before that, actually. Now that game design and even graphics have plateaued, the only reason I'd be in a hurry to see the next gen is if the current gen is too technically constrained to deliver a good experience- which it isn't, as the Series X can easily handle full-blown open worlds with beautiful graphics at upwards of 1080p and 60fps. The only issues we keep running into are a premature push into RT, and a lack of optimization.
I wouldn't have been all that surprised to see Bible Adventures pop up on Piko's store or something, but its inclusion in High on Life was not on the Bingo card!
@DJKingaling That's part of it, though Shenmue III is unique in its unnecessarily high barriers to progression (money and EXP), and as you've probably heard, the story doesn't move along much at all.
It does do a lot of the Shenmuey stuff we love, though, and even improves on the originals in some ways. I think you'll enjoy this enhanced version with the worst bits sanded off!
I see that the bit about "enhanced resolutions and frame rates" comes from the store page, but what is the basis for that? All of these seem to be straight emulations, with all the same resolutions, plus the PS1 game still being stuck at 30fps.
Is this some kind of 10% truth, like the Metal Gear Solid collection being "1080p"? This kind of thing really bugs me, seeing as: 1. It's a missed opportunity to improve the games (and potentially get existing owners to double-dip). 2. It's a lie, for all intents and purposes! 3. It muddies the water, and now people are now going to quote the false figures all over the internet, as usual.
On a tangent: that list of capabilities reminds me that the "60fps+" tag is a great idea, but it was never fully fleshed out. For one, so many games that support 60fps aren't actually tagged as such. There's also no way to see which systems support it: as far as I know, most "60fps+" games require an Xbox Series console, though many other games without the tag are 60fps on Xbox One.
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Re: The 10 Most Wanted Backwards Compatibility Games According To 'Xbox Game Preservation'
@XxEvilAshxX I have no idea how many (or how few!) people played the Goldeneye port, but I'm sure the 30fps cap* and wobbly rendering** didn't help matters. Even with the 360 remake/remaster being off the table, it would have been nice to see Rare Replay receive a definitive version of the 1997 classic. I would've even purchased the digital edition of RR on sale, despite owning the physical one already!
*not present on N64 and NSO
**barely noticeable on N64, not present in NSO, as far as I'm aware.
Re: The 10 Most Wanted Backwards Compatibility Games According To 'Xbox Game Preservation'
Surprised that Silent Hill 4 is so high on the list, as you can at least get the PC version for like $10 on GOG. But it's a shame that many of those other ones are still stranded in the past.
I assume the music licensing is prohibitively expensive or complicated in the case of JSRF and especially Burnout 3, but what about Silent Hill 2 and Sonic Heroes? Those ones even have PC ports already!
Re: SSX 3 Is Incredible On Xbox, Here Are Five Reasons You Should Try It In 2026
This reminds me that I picked up the PS2 version years ago for next to nothing, but have barely even played it. (SHAME!!!)
Would definitely pick up the XB version if it goes on sale, but PCSX2 probably offers an equally great experience...
Re: Six Classic Games To Feature In 'Marvel MaXimum Collection' On Xbox Series X|S
This is really surprising: the X-Men arcade game is one thing, but I wouldn't have ever expected to see the likes of Maximum Carnage and Arcade's Revenge make a return. The latter, speaking of which, is the only one of these that I have, and its soundtrack is amazing on the SNES. It's by the Follin brothers, so that tells you all you need to know.
Re: Talking Point: You're The New Head Of Xbox, What Do You Do Now?
What's that? We need to scrap all these initiatives, because they focus too much on games and good will instead of AI, and they don't provide Infinite Growth? Yes, Mr. Nadella. Right away, Mr. Nadella!
@FraserG Great choice of topic, by the way!
Re: MGS4 To Make Its Xbox Debut In Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 2 This August
@EVIL-C Ghost Babel usually gets overlooked, due to being a portable game (being stuck on a ~30-year-old handheld can't help), but it's supposed to be a really strong entry, isn't it?
I actually felt that MG1&2 on the MSX played better than the MGS series (despite obviously being less cinematic), so if Ghost Babel delivers more of the same, plus 60fps and some more "modern" late-'90s game design standards, then it sounds like a winner!
Re: MGS4 To Make Its Xbox Debut In Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 2 This August
@Romans12 But there are already easy ways to play Gears of War, and with good graphics and performance at that.
MGS4 has been stranded for 18 years on an old console that many people don't own, and even for those who do have a PS3... well, have you seen how this game runs in the busier scenes?
Re: Talking Point: Three Years Later, What Do You Think Of The GoldenEye 007 Port For Xbox?
I can confidently say that Goldeneye and Perfect Dark are great games on their own merits, and this has nothing to do with nostalgia, as I got into them a decade after release!
I never bothered with the Xbox port, though, largely due to the unnecessary 30fps cap. The original N64 version was uncapped, making a locked 60fps possible on some emulators. Combine that with the native widescreen that the original already supported, plus the high-precision geometry rendering of almost any emulator, and emulation is just a better experience overall.
Still need to try the cancelled remake, but that one looks incredible!
Re: Talking Point: Three Years Later, What Do You Think Of The GoldenEye 007 Port For Xbox?
@Romans12 The default controls make it very difficult to aim up and down, though you rarely need to actually aim on lower difficulties.
I prefer to play with the second control scheme (1.2 Solitaire), as it basically functions like modern dual-stick controls... except it's stuck in southpaw mode, but that feels natural to me on an N64 controller. The left and right hands can even be reversed on emulators (including NSO), resulting in a setup that strongly resembles modern shooters like CoD!
Re: Talking Point: As Xbox Celebrates 25 Years, What's Your First Ever Xbox Memory?
@GamingGod Would that be Spyhunter, by any chance?
Re: Talking Point: As Xbox Celebrates 25 Years, What's Your First Ever Xbox Memory?
@M20B25 Great choices to start with... though I may be biased, as I started with the same games!
I didn't have an OG Xbox until well after its time, but there was one set up in the lounge at my workplace, so when I found that JSRF/Sega GT '02 combo for just a few bucks, I had to get it. That same day, I also discovered Shenmue II- until that point, I'd only known of the Dreamcast version, so I was shocked to see a North American Xbox version! That kicked off my Shenmue journey, and started the painfully long wait to (hopefully) see the conclusion of Ryo's story.
PS: I'm guessing you jumped on Panzer Dragoon Orta as soon as it came along?
Re: YouTuber Thinks They've Found More Evidence Of Xbox Making A New Spyro Game
@themightyant Do you mean halfway through the first game, or did you give all three a try? I felt similarly about Crash 1 when I first played it, but gave 2 a try anyway, and that was where it really "clicked". 2 was a lot more refined than 1, and it really nailed the platforming "rhythm", you could say.
...though I still think all of Naughty Dog's games are a little overrated (more technically impressive than anything else)!
Re: YouTuber Thinks They've Found More Evidence Of Xbox Making A New Spyro Game
@Markatron84 IIRC, it's specifically the 60fps option that breaks that section with the sliding platforms, and all higher and lower rates are perfectly fine. You can even run the game without issues at 60 if you uncap it in the game and then cap it using external tools. Or, if you're lazy, just switch to 50 or 30 in that one level.
Re: Skyrim On Switch 2 Suffers 'Kinect-Level Input Lag', Says Digital Foundry
@EdgarTheBug As I like to say, "It just works... until it doesn't."
I don't know what went wrong with this, though. Old 3 teraflop cards were able to handle Skyrim (in this heavier remastered form) at 60fps with the settings cranked up. This shouldn't even require any careful tweaking or optimization to run well on a docked Switch 2.
Re: Halo 3 Wins 'Game Of The Year' As GameStop Reveals Its Full Set Of Awards For 2025
Halo 3 is 18 years old, meaning it's in its 19th year. Did it not win the GotY title in 2007, or did they make the all-too-common mistake of forgetting to count the first year?
Re: The Game Awards Trailer Prices Range From 'Free' To Over '1 Million' USD, Claims Report
@somnambulance Implying that he actually plays games?
Re: Rumour: Xbox 'Hopes' To Bring Backwards Compatibility Program To ROG Ally & Windows PC
@BAMozzy Oh, I have no doubt that there are technical challenges involved! IIRC, the Xbone (and possibly Series) has some features that specifically help it with Xbox 360 emulation (handling texture formats or something), which few/no PCs would have. If it is possible to bring BC Xbox games directly to PC, it's likely because any semi-modern PC has enough muscle to brute force the solution, by relying more heavily on software emulation in those areas (with less offloading to hardware).
Much of my previous comment was regarding the licensing side, rather than the technical aspect. I don't know exactly what these companies did, or whether the language in the agreements is broad enough to allow for PC ports, but looking at the results, it's clear that their agreements in the previous gen allowed for the games to be brought over to future hardware with no publisher intervention.
But all that aside, this is still something that I, as a customer, want to see, regardless of whether it can be done!
Re: Rumour: Xbox 'Hopes' To Bring Backwards Compatibility Program To ROG Ally & Windows PC
I hope they eventually do pull this off, and start expanding the BC library again as well.
It's not just about being able to play our old games on new devices, but also about making old classics (and not-so-classics) available for purchase, for those of us who missed them the first time.
There's also the matter of FPS Boost and other enhancements, which make the Series X (and potentially PC) the best way to buy and play games which were previously locked to consoles that could barely run them.
Re: Opinion: Backwards Compatibility Still Adds So Much Value To Xbox Series X|S In 2025
@Gryzor Yeah, it's hard to go back to 30fps. I hear it's even worse if you use an OLED screen.
I picked up Madness Returns anyway, as unlike the Steam version, it comes with American McGee's Alice (the previous game), and that one does run at 60fps!
Re: Rumour: Xbox 'Hopes' To Bring Backwards Compatibility Program To ROG Ally & Windows PC
@BAMozzy I imagine that rights/licensing are the main reason for pretty much any high-profile game that didn't make it onto the Xbox One BC list in the first place.
On the other hand, virtually all XBone titles- including the hundreds of Xbox and X360 BC games- came straight over to the Xbox Series without a hitch, so it would seem that MS negotiated much more open-ended agreements this time around.
See also: PS4 carrying over to PS5, and Switch carrying over to Switch 2, with nearly 100% of their respective libraries being included. Previous gens weren't set up with this in mind, but it seems that companies eventually adapted and set up more forward-thinking or "future-proof" solutions.
Re: Six More Games Set To Be Delisted On Xbox In December 2025
While I can't say I'm rushing out to buy the likes of JoJo Siwa: Worldwide Party, I do appreciate the advance notice on the delistings, both from the companies and from Pure Xbox, so thanks!
Re: It's Official! The Xbox 360 Is 20 Years Old Today
@Romans12 In that case, happy 50th!
Re: Opinion: This Xbox 360 Launch Game Is Still One Of The Best Console Racers Ever
@themightyant
Were you wrong, though?
Re: Talking Point: Xbox Is 24 Years Old Today, What Do You Expect From Next Year's 25th Birthday?
@Gabrie What would you want them to change/add/improve with the achievement system?
Re: The Timing Of Xbox's 25th Anniversary Just Got A Lot More Awkward
@swedetrap With all of the buzz about how huge GTA6 is, and whether it's worth buying a PS6 for, and whether it'll cost $100 USD, I have to wonder if there's a bit of astroturfing going on.
Is R* (or a company associated with them) trying to hype up their game, and maybe ease us into accepting an inflated price tag?
Obviously, GTA6 is a big deal, and there are lots of real people talking about these things, but something feels a little off, like someone intentionally planted the seeds to get the discourse going.
Or maybe I'm just paranoid! Either way, I agree that it feels a little excessive.
Re: The Timing Of Xbox's 25th Anniversary Just Got A Lot More Awkward
@FraserG Didn't you say the 360 is launching a few weeks from now:
I, for one, can't wait to experience what this upcoming 7th gen has to offer!
Re: Review: 8BitDo Ultimate 3-Mode Controller For Xbox - Rare 40th Anniversary Edition - A New Gold Standard
@h3s Why not just connect to the Xbox directly using that proprietary standard, then?
EDIT: Did a bit of searching, and this standard is called "Xbox Wireless". MS incorporating the standard into XBone and Series consoles, as well as specific PC models. In general, PCs would presumably be able to connect this controller using Bluetooth (like any other Xbox controller), but would need the adapter to take advantage of Xbox Wireless mode.
Xboxes shouldn't need an adapter, though, so I don't know if there's a mistake somewhere, or just a strange design decision.
Re: Review: 8BitDo Ultimate 3-Mode Controller For Xbox - Rare 40th Anniversary Edition - A New Gold Standard
Something I don't understand about connectivity: why is a 2.4 GHz dongle needed, unless you're specifically connecting to a PC with no Bluetooth built in?
Don't XBone and Series systems already use Bluetooth for their wireless controllers- and shouldn't this controller be able to connect to an Xbox using that?
Re: Talking Point: How Often Do You Replay Games?
All the time! After a decade or two, I tend to forget a lot of the puzzles, story elements, etc., and replaying an old game can almost feel like playing a whole new game! (Just with a nice touch of familiarity.)
I used to replay old favourites like the Marios, Sonics, Zeldas, and Donkey Kongs over and over when I was younger, but not so much these days, as the flow of time has sped up: if I played a game within the last few years, it often feels too recent to bother going back, especially if it's a game I played to death already. And as time goes on, I take longer and longer between play-throughs.
Re: Talking Point: How Often Do You Replay Games?
@Kieduss Agreed! If clearing your backlog isn't fun, then why bother? And if replaying an old game is just as fun as playing a new one, then why not?
(I like to do both, for what it's worth- at least 60/40 in favour of new games- as I personally find that this is more enjoyable than forcing myself to only pick from the backlog.)
PS: Just recently started to get decent at REmake. Great game, and I already want to play through it more in the future! Could definitely see myself playing it every few years, at least.
Re: Microsoft Rewards October Gift Card Sale Begins, Includes Discount On Xbox Credit
@BAMozzy @MrStark Yeah, that's annoying (though manageable to work around), and I'm sure it's part of MS's efforts to burn as many of your Rewards points as possible without giving anything in return!
Until recently, they had an auto-redeem that would automatically get you a $5 card every month at a discount- obviously not a good choice if you're saving up. And I was also getting bombarded with notifications about entering a draw to win a Series X or whatever- at 200 (or was it 500?) points per entry, of course.
Re: Deus Ex Remastered Is Making Its Way To Xbox In February 2026
@InheritNegative Haha, I was just thinking that the last screenshot looks like a cross between Perfect Dark Zero and Condemned! It's a bit over-the-top, but I actually like that glossy, bump/normal mapped style.
However, the comparison shot with Denton has that slightly washed-out look: why is it that old games from 2000 and earlier have higher contrast, and then modern remasters always have to make everything a bit flatter and brighter?
Not that this is an especially egregious example, but it's a trend I've noticed, and I don't care for it.
Re: Seven Mega Man Games Are Heading To Xbox In The New 'Star Force Legacy Collection'
@ScalenePowers I've heard great things about these games, but missed out on them.
What are the chances of the Legends series (inc. Tron Bonne) getting proper NightDive-esque remasters, with HD rendering and 60+ fps?
...eh, maybe I should just buy the bare-bones emulated versions on PS3 while I still can.
Re: Seven Mega Man Games Are Heading To Xbox In The New 'Star Force Legacy Collection'
@Markatron84 The Game Boy ones were sort of remixes of the NES ones. I have MM3 for Game Boy, and it's like a mix of 3 and 4 on the NES, but with a few elements of its own, IIRC.
There was supposed to be a collection of colourized GB games back on the GBA (to coincide with the release of Mega Man Anniversary Collection on consoles circa 2004), but that was cancelled.
Re: Cronos: The New Dawn Has Cutbacks On Xbox Series S, But Performance Is 'Flawless'
@Deformedpye Series S arguably does, in the sense that it stops developers from making games that run at 720p 30fps (or less) on flagship consoles and mid-range PCs: if a game runs that poorly on them, then it probably won't run on Series S at all!
(Conversely, if a game has to hit at least 720p30 on Series S, then it should automatically look and run decently on better hardware.)
But is that really holding this generation back, or just keeping things in check? Modern consoles aren't limited like the N64, where you could do insane things with game mechanics and level designs, but only at 20fps or lower.
Re: Digital Foundry 'Astounded' By Silent Hill F Ahead Of Its September Xbox Launch
DF gave this the highest praise you can give a UE5 game: "it doesn't look like a UE5 game"!
Re: Despite Cancelling Everwild, Xbox Has Just Hired Its Executive Producer For A Major Role
@Jenkinss Gonna have to disagree there- the campaign was brilliant, bringing some added depth and variety in its mission structures. Not quite System Shock or Deus Ex, but more in that direction than the straightforward action formula of Quake and similar games. And I found the second control scheme (where you aim with the stick and walk with the C buttons) to be very versatile and responsive, almost on par with the dual-stick layout of Halo (etc.), once you get used to it.
But I can understand how the deathmatch mode in particular would seem lame from a PC gamer's perspective at the time, especially with GE making you squint at a 160x120 resolution window updating at an average of 20fps!
Re: Despite Cancelling Everwild, Xbox Has Just Hired Its Executive Producer For A Major Role
@Jenkinss Did you just skim my post, or do you really consider BK and Goldeneye to be "sins"? That was just a list of games which I'm aware had major issues/shake-ups in development- and most of them eventually turned out to be quite good!
If I wanted to list Rare's sins/mismanagement, then yeah, it'd include spending a decade on Kinect and avatars (old and new), followed by a decade working on a single live service game.
Re: Despite Cancelling Everwild, Xbox Has Just Hired Its Executive Producer For A Major Role
Everwild isn't just an isolated incident.
Rare has a 30-year history of long, tumultuous development cycles: Goldeneye 007, Banjo-Kazooie, Perfect Dark, Star Fox Adventures, Grabbed by the Ghoulies, Kameo, and Perfect Dark Zero (I'm probably forgetting some) all had at least one major shake-up: switching to a different console, stalling development before rebuilding the team, and/or turning into a completely different game!
Unfortunately, this is more expensive now than it used to be, and the higher-ups these days may not have the same patience.
I hope O'Connor gets to guide and support- maybe even advocate for- the game studios, as opposed to sitting helplessly while higher-level execs shut everything down.
Re: Despite Cancelling Everwild, Xbox Has Just Hired Its Executive Producer For A Major Role
@TheGameThrifter Hey, didn't you know? Not making games is a big part of their strategy now!
Re: Digital Foundry 'Just Can't Recommend' Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater On Xbox Series S
Ouch, 540p30? That's barely different from the PS2 original.
Even worse, it was 720p60 in the HD remaster, two generations ago!
Re: Epic CEO Suggests Unreal Engine 5 Issues Are Due To Developers Optimising Too Late
@WildConcept6 That's a great point about remakes, especially with MGS3 being in all the headlines lately. It's literally a PS2 game with better graphics on top. The systems are (supposedly) simpler than modern games, and it's all made up of bite-size corridors, which should make it lighter on resources. Even if games did get more complex in the past decade (which they didn't, as far as I'm aware), how is a 21-year-old game struggling so much?
Now, being charitable to Sweeney and UE5, we could consider the possibility that the engine is perfectly fine when devs use what used to be common optimization practices, and Sweeney is aware of/confident in this. Could it be that these game companies all saw opportunities to push graphical fidelity higher while optimizing far less than before, and are now failing on two fronts (worse graphics and slower performance) as a result?
I just wonder, because:
1. Tons of games today are poorly optimized, including those on RE Engine, Unity, and whatever Game Freak is using.
2. What he says about optimizing early on has proven itself true, time and time again. You can't just aim for the moon when building your game/graphics, and then try to double/triple your performance in the 11th hour.
To be clear, I'm not saying UE5 is blameless- it likely is a key part of the issue. But I don't actually know how well it runs compared to, say, UE4, when all else is the same. If devs stuck with the same graphical standards and optimization practices as CD Projekt Red with The Witcher III (just to give a well-regarded example), would UE5 mess it up, or would it be perfectly fine, since they're forgoing Nanite and RT in favour of manually crafting everything to look and run well on last-gen tech?
Re: GOG Adds New Xbox Login Feature Ahead Of ROG Xbox Ally Launch
@AverageJoseph Disappointed to hear that, as Galaxy had potential to be the one launcher to rule them all. Its performance was a little iffy when I used it a few years ago, but what really annoyed me was how buggy its integrations were. It would lose its connection to my other accounts all the time, causing various weird effects. (I think Steam is partially to blame, as they've done some stuff with their account system, but that's not the whole story.)
At least GOG Galaxy is completely optional, and we can just download all of the offline game installers.
If you don't like the Ubisoft or Epic launchers, then tough luck!
Re: Epic CEO Suggests Unreal Engine 5 Issues Are Due To Developers Optimising Too Late
Yeah... that's a teensy, tiny understatement there, Fraser!
Did Sweeney forget what year it is, or have games actually become significantly more complex since the days of The Witcher III, Assassin's Creed: Origins, or Crysis 3 and its half-hour credits scroll?
Re: Final Fantasy Boss Says 'There's No Real Need' For Next-Gen Consoles Like A Series X Successor
@TrollOfWar Oh, yeah, many of those 7th-gen games still look and play great on PC, thanks to those same enhancements!
The last truly exciting generation leap for me was the one before that, actually. Now that game design and even graphics have plateaued, the only reason I'd be in a hurry to see the next gen is if the current gen is too technically constrained to deliver a good experience- which it isn't, as the Series X can easily handle full-blown open worlds with beautiful graphics at upwards of 1080p and 60fps. The only issues we keep running into are a premature push into RT, and a lack of optimization.
Re: High On Life 2's Xbox Game Pass Launch Will Include 'More Than Five' Extra Games
I wouldn't have been all that surprised to see Bible Adventures pop up on Piko's store or something, but its inclusion in High on Life was not on the Bingo card!
Re: Shemnue 3 To Make Xbox Debut With 'Enhanced' Version For Series X|S
@DJKingaling That's part of it, though Shenmue III is unique in its unnecessarily high barriers to progression (money and EXP), and as you've probably heard, the story doesn't move along much at all.
It does do a lot of the Shenmuey stuff we love, though, and even improves on the originals in some ways. I think you'll enjoy this enhanced version with the worst bits sanded off!
Re: Shemnue 3 To Make Xbox Debut With 'Enhanced' Version For Series X|S
@Ricky-Spanish Does the supervisor make you come in early to do forklift races at the start of each day?
Re: One Of The 'Worst Games Ever' Is Getting Remastered In A Beautiful Collection For Xbox
I see that the bit about "enhanced resolutions and frame rates" comes from the store page, but what is the basis for that? All of these seem to be straight emulations, with all the same resolutions, plus the PS1 game still being stuck at 30fps.
Is this some kind of 10% truth, like the Metal Gear Solid collection being "1080p"? This kind of thing really bugs me, seeing as:
1. It's a missed opportunity to improve the games (and potentially get existing owners to double-dip).
2. It's a lie, for all intents and purposes!
3. It muddies the water, and now people are now going to quote the false figures all over the internet, as usual.
Re: Xbox Is Making It Easier To Find 'Play Anywhere' Titles In Your Library
This is a welcome- if overdue addition!
On a tangent: that list of capabilities reminds me that the "60fps+" tag is a great idea, but it was never fully fleshed out. For one, so many games that support 60fps aren't actually tagged as such. There's also no way to see which systems support it: as far as I know, most "60fps+" games require an Xbox Series console, though many other games without the tag are 60fps on Xbox One.