@PennywiZe666 Man, @Fiendish-Beaver is one of the most dedicated Xbox fans on here. I’d argue he may be a candidate for “most actively engaged PureXbox user.” Weird person to call out for “slow day on Pushsquare.” Lol.
On topic, I do not care, but I think it’s a rough precedent that bucks the Day 1 on Gamepass trend and I feel like they need consistent messaging on this. Xbox has been wishy washy for years and I hope Asha’s era starts clear and transparent communication.
@HelloCraigo Glad to see you writing for PureXbox again!
Man, I can’t wait for this one. I hope we start the year with Resident Evil kicking down the door again. I’m still thinking about how great Requiem was several months later. If September/October wasn’t so packed, I’d be thinking about replaying it for Halloween.
@Fiendish-Beaver I too think it’s odd that Gears is leading the charge as an exclusive. Given all the news we’ve learned recently, certainly I don’t believe the Coalition would be on the chopping block, but who knows?
Halo makes the most sense to be an exclusive since it’s the Xbox brand and identity. It’s been with Xbox since Day 1. Also, as big of a deal as another remake is, it’s probably the cheaper game to produce. Gears is certainly a part of the identity and a huge success too, but not quite as much. To toss a $400 million dollar investment as a u-turn suggests either a tremendous amount of faith in the game or that there’s something else calculated here. I suspect we’ll understand more either on June 30th when Operation Bloodbath is in full cycle or within the 100 days of Asha’s restructuring plan, but something’s going on that we don’t know yet.
It’s been a long time since we’ve seen a genuinely risky move from Xbox though. I suppose it could be just that. If that’s the case, watch Xbox make CoD a timed exclusive next year.
Sort of think Xbox should go full on with the exclusives and make them exclusive to the console as well. Give PC players a reason to buy an Xbox too. If they want to make Xbox its own platform, it has to fully commit to the exclusivity plan.
That said, @Fiendish-Beaver and I were discussing the other day that this whole exclusive thing may be a conspiracy to prove to the fanbase it either works or doesn’t based on a few games early on. Even with this, I still think that.
@themightyant This is exactly what makes me concerned about Xbox longterm. I saw them have success, start making more of the games I wanted in the 360 era only to reverse in the Xbox One era to start making more things I’m interested in again to start going backwards again.
Personally, I’m a casual with Forza. I could take it or leave it. I don’t like Gears at all. I don’t particularly like Activision in the modern era. I DO love Halo, but we’re years removed from the golden era with the Chief. 5 was a clear nadir as a campaign, but Infinite’s multiplayer was the worst the series has ever been, even if I liked the uneven, unfinished single player campaign far more than 5. I love Fable, but is it really a pillar if it’s been almost two generations now since we’ve seen the last game? Elder Scrolls and Fallout are two of my favorite series, but, to date, are they really Xbox pillars either, given that they’ve been multiplatform games for over 15 years now and neither series has been present in ages. And, no, I don’t consider Fallout 76 what I’m talking about when I talk about Fallout.
I get concerned with Xbox sticking to their core games, especially when that core is really loose. If anything, that could mean that, like Rare with Sea of Thieves, that Obsidian becomes the Grounded studio. Fallout 76, ESO… I mean, these games got time at the showcase and I thought it was strange to highlight them. For all we know, Asha may just see the steady stream of income and see this as the future of Xbox, which I’d be out if that were the case. Realistically, if you cut a lot of the experiences we all like and focus on what sells instead, Xbox could be radically different in a very concerning way. They’d look like EA.
Uncertainty is the big thing. Will Xbox corporatize into a bigger EA or attempt to be a bigger Nintendo that knows its fanbase and largely caters to them directly? What concerns me most is that I don’t this is over and I think GTA may nuke half the industry when it launches.
At any rate, at least Capcom exists and shows that we can have good things. 😂
@themightyant for me, Fable is probably the only must play on the radar from either Sony or MS. I agree with you that Xbox of today probably would not’ve greenlit it, but we also don’t know who that Xbox is yet either. The truth of the matter is that we haven’t seen a single game greenlit under Asha. It’s impossible to know where she’s going with the brand right now. The next maybe 3 or 4 years, we’ll be seeing what Phil approved while being managed by Asha. It’s a pivotal time for the brand in anticipation for the next generation.
I think it needs to be noted too that gaming was once an industry forged by creatives and ran by creatives and many of us are old enough to have witnessed the corporatization of the industry. I think there’s a legitimate fear right now that games are being made for shareholders more than they are for their audience and we all have a right to be concerned for the industry we enjoy so much
@Gabrie I think the reason for this is because people are concerned about the long term future of Xbox moreso than Sony and they’re concerned with the direction Xbox is taking. That said, I think there’s also far more of that going on with Sony than you may realize as well. I think a lot of dedicated gamers feel that the industry is trying to take advantage of them and that’s where the problem lies. I mean, Sony basically said within the year that it was planning to monetize its existing base rather than expand its audience. This kind of business decision is applicable to us. The last couple of days of studio closures is certainly applicable to us too, especially when we like a studio’s output.
For me, Hi-Fi Rush and Psychonauts 2 were my favorite XGS games this generation, so after Tango being shuttered, hearing that Double Fine may be next makes me really concerned that I’ll even care about the direction Xbox takes. I can honestly say the business decisions Xbox has taken this generation has made it where I went from rushing to get a Series S while playing Halo Infinite that first time to not having used my console for gaming in over a year outside of playing old 360 games. Obviously, that’s not an ideal situation. I haven’t sold my Xbox because I’m basically waiting to see if OD is an actual exclusive or not. That’s sort of a goofy situation to be in for a platform.
And I think Xbox has had even more focus because a lot of people were starting to feel optimistic about the direction things were going, especially in a time where many Sony fans have been disillusioned by their output and saw that maybe Xbox was pivoting the right way rather than the live service route that is shedding interest away from Sony, but now that may not be the case.
I really hope there’s a renaissance for gaming where Xbox and PlayStation seem to be a better place, but it feels like this generation has been a waiting game for that.
@jesse_dylan I’d argue those genres are overdone too! The genre’s just lost novelty for me personally and it feels like Square is ramping up to two of these a year now. Octopath felt special for its art style when it released but now it’s a full on genre. It’s probably just a me thing.
@CaptainCluck maybe check out Double Fine’s production history before making claims like that. Their release cadence is quicker than industry standard. Up through 2019, they released a game every 1-2 years. There was a gap after Psychonauts 2, but that was industry standard due to COVID. Keeper and Kiln were released in relatively quick succession. This is a studio that makes unique experiences and has been a champion for the indie community for decades, far before Xbox acquired them. You’re likely confusing Double Fine with Compulsion, though South of Midnight really wasn’t much an activist game as it was a game that represented Southern gothic magic realism, which realistically is an untapped genre in gaming.
Realistically, it’s been ages since Microsoft has invested in the uniqueness of the first party catalog they’ve created, and this is a problem with the industry at large. Rather than seek to expand the gaming audience with new styles of experiences, they advertise strictly to the established gaming audience and hope things stick. Imagine if movies advertised only to people that watch a lot of movies. That doesn’t work. Of course niche games are going to fail if you advertise them strictly to a crowd that wants Halo and Gears and CoD. However, the industry will shrink if it only caters to one specific style of audience. The industry forgets it grew so much in the PS3/360/Wii era precisely because it advertised to everyone.
I mean, take my wife for example. Before me, she didn’t really like video games much outside the odd party game. She didn’t know what was out there for her. I’m rather knowledgeable, however, so she changed her mind on games because I knew games she’d like and we’d eventually be looking forward to new games together. I mean, her favorites are probably The Forgotten City, Firewatch, Life is Strange, etc. The industry makes those games, but they don’t advertise to her or anyone else. They only advertise to us. And that’s a huge disconnect. Is it really a surprise that gaming is becoming more insular and stagnating as an industry? I hated it at the time, but looking back I wish the industry still cared to grow in audience rather than in monetizing its base.
@FraserG i hope Asha’s version of Xbox PR is more active than Phil’s and they give us answers soon. They’ve squandered all the goodwill Asha’s generated in giving the company a soft reboot less than two weeks after a high point of the Xbox Showcase. In my opinion, this moment feels more tenuous than the removal of Xbox exclusives.
No matter how you spin this, this is Xbox abandoning that “rebellious spirit from Xbox of old” Asha praised just a few weeks ago. Honestly, depending on how this plays out, it could burn the bridge for my enthusiasm for Helix turning things around in any capacity. What doesn’t make sense to me is why do this now? They could’ve painted Phil as the fall guy. Asha’s been rebuilding things in a positive way in the media, but this will hurt that momentum big time. Do they not think ahead? This feels like the biggest disaster yet for Xbox as a brand that wants “everyone to play.”
@FraserG Do you suspect State of Decay may be multiplatform for the same reason?
@Tasuki You’ve encouraged me to research. Man, my interest in Resonance sort of plummeted just now. I’ll see how Elliot reviews. I really liked it, but… Star Fox is coming, so I’m not in a rush.
Satya could fund Compulsion making another game by donating a month of his salary. If we want to talk about layoffs that would really save these companies money…
Loved the demo, but the announcement of Final Fantasy Resonance has had me pause on which HD-3D game I’ll get. Truth be told, I was an early supporter of the style, but I sort of feel like it’s being overdone. Looking forward to see more reviews.
@Friendly Absolutely. Why must we keep watching hundreds laid off while people like Satya get millions of dollars in bonuses a year for their bad decisions?
@Fiendish-Beaver I can’t believe Xbox has allowed the nonsense with Elder Scrolls 6, honestly. They announced the game several years before starting it. You’d think Phil would’ve lit some fire under Todd. Use Activision to make Fallout if Bethesda can only manage make a new single player game every 8 years or so, or better yet, have them stop producing reviled content like Elder Scrolls Blades, so they can make more content people actually want to play. Reign in Obsidian too, as they are talented with making RPGs and writing, but their concepts come across as derivative of existing properties. Avowed comes across as an attempt of Elder Scrolls and Outer Worlds as an attempt of Fallout. I mean, these two studios should be working together because their blind spots align perfectly.
But Double Fine has its own problems in that the studio’s been allowed to make totally strange business decisions. While Keeper was a solid game, it’s extremely niche. Outside maybe Pentiment, it’s perhaps the most deliberately niche first party game Xbox has made. I’m not surprised it didn’t sell much and perhaps wasn’t a sound business decision. And I totally understand making art games. I like the art games, but seriously when you make something like that, at least put some fanfare and marketing behind it, so it can have a chance at awards. The game got all the press of a mid tier indie game. And Kiln? Seriously, I’ve never seen a first party game meet such a nothing response. The game didn’t receive praise or distaste, it just came out without a single sound. No one cared. I’m not sure what Xbox was thinking with that one at all. Psychonauts didn’t receive the press it should have, but it was universally praised. All they need to do to rollout interest in the IP is to put it on Switch and make it seem like a big deal. It doesn’t require a new game yet if interest is an issue, but I’d bet that some good PR could help the IP to gain some foothold.
Realistically, I think Xbox needs to have some pride in their IP beyond Halo, Gears, Forza, and Fable. And let’s be real: Fable was ignored for ages. Xbox even seems to minimize that CoD is an Xbox property. It’s odd. Xbox has so many IP now. They should use them! Take a page out of the Nintendo book and keep the fans engaged and Xbox will be in a special place.
Satya saying this is rather rich, considering the fact that Microsoft and Xbox had the “buy success” mentality for quite a long time under his leadership. It wouldn’t be Microsoft without saying one thing after saying the exact opposite before.
@Fiendish-Beaver Hey now, stuff like Psychonauts could be bigger if it was treated as something bigger. I do believe that Xbox doesn’t always know how to use their IP. I mean, look at how Cuphead has grown by becoming a multimedia IP. Getting the kids invested in your platformers shouldn’t be unique to Nintendo. Psychonauts would make a solid cartoon too. Microsoft (and Sony) really aren’t making a framework for future generations. Banjo, Spyro, Crash, Psychonauts… use these IP to get the kids to buy in. That said, unless Double Fine has something of value in production, I think you may be right they may be in trouble because Xbox hasn’t properly managed them. They’ve proven they can develop games quickly, but Keeper and Kiln were such niche titles that I’m not sure what Xbox wanted out of them.
@rockodoodle it’s not just gaming, it’s the entire economy that’s crashing slowly
I finished Mixtap last night and I’m genuinely surprised by how many people got upset that the game reviewed relatively well. The first maybe third of the game was sort of slow, but that’s sort of emulating how being a teenager is. The game gets better the further you get in. It’s not about failsafes or gameplay so much as it’s much as it’s about the characters. They seem unlikeable and self-absorbed at first, but, again, that’s teenagers, isn’t it? It develops into something more bittersweet than I expected it to be from the early portion of the game.
Outside that, I’m honestly sort of burnt out of Crimson Desert, so I’m having a hard time going back to it after taking a break to focus on Mina the Hollower. So I dunno what I’m playing. Lol. There’s some games coming out in the next couple weeks that I want to play, so I might just keep things easy right now and not commit to any big games.
@Weebleman Better to wash their hands of it than to shut it down though. Under the corporate umbrella, a shut down is more likely whereas being spun off, it’d just need to restructure into a business that actually makes sense rather than be a money sink for Microsoft. A lot of Xbox’s mistakes and successes have been because Xbox can try to use money to solve its problems rather than quality and ingenuity.
@oopsiezz I get what you mean. This happened in every era of gaming, but you didn’t hear about it. It was just a dream of games improving over time continually. Now we know so much more and knowing shatters the illusion.
For what it’s worth, this news is old news. We’ve heard this rumor a few times in the history of Xbox, even decades ago now,
I don’t quite see why this is a problem. LinkedIn is doing quite well for itself and it doesn’t have the same corporate baggage as Xbox does by reporting to the Microsoft suits. I don’t think Xbox has yet gotten successful enough to become its own venture. If Xbox spun off, that’d be a sign of success rather than failure.
@Banjo- Personally, I think they targeted the wrong platform with PlayStation to be where they’re releasing games. I know it’s easier, but a lot of PS fans have purposefully chosen PS over Xbox. A game like Hi Fi Rush or Psychonauts 2 or South of Midnight has far more potential of success on the Nintendo family of consoles. I’m shocked we haven’t seen more Nintendo ports. Maybe those leaked emails from the Activision purchase about Xbox buying Nintendo may have soured a relationship.
With regards to Redfall, the game was troubled, and various members of staff remarked how they didn’t like what they were making. Arkane needed Xbox’s guidance in this case. Even though the technical performance is better now, the game is a 6/10 at best and it’s not always at its best. Xbox should’ve known where this one was at far more than they did. For them to push it as one of the big bangs to start the generation, it’s clear how this generation would be challenge for Xbox.
@PsBoxSwitchOwner They expected it to have a meta score in the mid to high 80’s. It’s baffling. If they actually tried the games they released, how could they not see that Redfall was a huge miss? It brings into question Phil’s taste a little bit lol
@Fiendish-Beaver Loved your story of gaming. It reminds me a lot of my mom’s story with gaming, though she’s a tad bit older. My grandma was an early pioneer in purchasing gaming equipment, so they had that vintage pong machine, an Intellivision (though my mom calls it an Activision 😂), and several Ataris. I wish my grandpa would’ve saved the consoles for me, but he unfortunately disposed of them in the 90’s after my grandma passed.
Saying that though, my grandma had had a heart attack in ‘96 and eventually passed from having a stroke related to that. My family was in the process of actually moving from one end of the US to the other side with the intention of being closer to the grandparents at the time, so it was perhaps an odd twist of fate that she passed while helping us get ready to move. One of her last requests was to find and unpack the NES, and play Dr Mario. That moment is perhaps my most memorable moment with her.
The power of gaming to make our lives a little better in difficult situations is incredible.
I’m glad I get to share it with my kids now. My son wanted to stand in line to get a Switch 2 on launch day. I’m curious what games he’ll one day associate with life changing moments. My wife sometimes makes fun of me because I tie big life events with the games I was playing, but it’s all good fun.
@Fiendish-Beaver I think your conspiracy is accurate. I think they’re tossing Gears out on a limb after the success FH6 has had. Halo or Fable probably would’ve been stronger choices, but it was too late for that. To add to your conspiracy theory, I think Xbox might be ok with some losses on it too because I hate to say it, but Team Green may be also be trying to sucker people into staying in the ecosystem for Helix and exclusives are what the fanbase claims they want. That may be why Clockwork Revolution is exclusive too. It’s like making Outer Worlds an exclusive basically. It’s a mid-tier AAA title that likely wouldn’t sell massive numbers if it was on PS5 anyway, so why not use it as a risk when the fanbase has been responsive towards it? You don’t have that much to lose with it, but if the plan works, it validates exclusives. If it bombs, it’s an excuse (probably after Helix launches) to drop the exclusivity argument.
@Banjo- Yeah, his approach seemed really hands off. You can’t be hands on and be shocked about how something like Redfall turned out. As a “gamer CEO,” for him to have definitely tried the game and deemed it fit for release is really questionable. If they were just getting the game out there because it was now or never, I always thought he should’ve been more honest about it. So far, I do appreciate that Asha’s approach seems to be more hands on.
@themightyant Ninja Theory cancelled Project Mara recently too, so that may be another red flag that it’s them. But realistically we have no idea what the studios do internally beyond releasing their own games. Ninja Theory has a history of sharing tech and expertise, so I may be wrong.
I’m personally worried about Double Fine. Psychonauts 2 is probably my favorite Xbox Game Studios game this generation, but Keeper was such a niche title and Kiln, I can’t imagine that one was anywhere near being the success MS probably wanted it to be. Double Fine being closed though would cause fires in the fanbase.
I think Compulsion may be safe. The game received some awards and having an award winning studio is something you can build into profitable.
I said it elsewhere, but if I was Asha, I’d be asking why Elder Scrolls and Fallout are just sitting around in sluggish development cycles when Starfield wasn’t exactly the hit it could’ve been. Xbox owns some hugely recognizable franchises at this point, but the slow development cycles for popular IP is something Xbox has struggled with this generation.
@Fiendish-Beaver It’s truly a special medium and I’m glad we live in this era. I had broken my foot back in 2019 and jeez… what would I have done without having Read Dead 2 for two months to sink into? To think, 100 years ago, you’d just have to sit there and wait it out, listening to the radio. Maybe read some books, but even those weren’t as accessible as they are today. We’re quite fortunate to have something so wonderful in our unfortunate times. There’s far worse things that people do with their time, that’s for sure.
@themightyant It still may be Ninja Theory. Hellblade 2 seemed to flop for how highly it must’ve been budgeted. Senua might be the last scraps of whatever they’ve got left, and that’d explain why MS didn’t exclusivize that one.
Double Fine and Compulsion worry me, but they’re getting games out there. Obsidian may get the Rare treatment of becoming a live service transition for Grounded because that game did far better than their single player offerings and we’ve already seen Rare turn into a live service husk for Sea of Thieves.
Realistically, which Xbox Game Studio is actually safe is a harder answer than which one it could be, unfortunately. For all we know, Microsoft could fire Todd Howard because he’s taking too long on Elder Scrolls 6.
@Fiendish-Beaver I’m the same way. I totally took the most difficult route many times, but that’s because I wanted to face the challenge. I loved it. When I played the first game, I had experienced a death in my family and the game was honestly the best therapy I could’ve ask for with regards to it. The difficulty was meditative in a way I’d perhaps never experienced before.
Oddly enough, Death Stranding, Red Dead 2, and Cuphead are the three games that immediately stick out to me that have gotten me through hardships mentally. Man, I love and appreciate games.
@Fiendish-Beaver The second one was my personal GotY last year. I really hope you enjoy it. I still prefer the first game because of the story, but there’s some marked gameplay and pacing improvements that make DS2 a more deliberately enjoyable game. I have my suspicions DS1 had intentionally dull or unnecessarily challenging segments for artistic reasons and, as frustrating as that was at the time experiencing that, in retrospect, I really respect and love that.
Hopefully we see this one again at the Game Awards with a late 2027 release date. It’s entirely possible, depending on how much is actually completed at this point.
@Fiendish-Beaver Yeah, that’s the second trailer. We just got an update that they were filming again. The game was announced in 2022 with the cast and then a second trailer in 2025. If they’re doing more mo-cap right now, that could be a late 2027 game, judging by how fast DS2 came together. The nice thing with Kojima is that he’s done enough goofy things marketing wise where he’s sort of outlined more for a layman the process of game development for him than most developers have and he’s been able to stick to his deadlines if he’s had them. People say a lot about Kojima, but he runs his business effectively.
@Fiendish-Beaver we got a second trailer last year, so I’d think it’s progressing well by this point. Kojima developed Death Stranding 1 and 2 in about 4 years a piece, so I’d imagine OD may be a 2027 title. Kojima has said that 2026 is year of focus for him, staying grounded, and taking care of ramping up the scope of his studio. I could see that meaning that he’s past conceptual and into the nitty gritty of it all now. But he’s working on two games we know of, an anime, and at least one movie, so he may just be busy too.
Geoff had filler, but the megaton announcements were huge and mostly surprises.
Xbox had a few good surprises, but I don’t like Gears and after watching the Clockwork Revolution trailer a few more times, I can skip it. Realistically, it was mostly ok though. A few hits and a few surprises.
SoP had fewer surprises than Xbox, but it was a slideshow of release dates for games that I’ve been waiting for. Also, I don’t care for Wolverine or GoW.
The Direct re-announced a line-up that it announced on Nintendo Today. I like the first party line up more than Sony or Microsoft right now, but there were no surprises. And the third party stuff? It was really meh to me. I didn’t see a single game that I hadn’t seen before that I’m 100% ready to buy and that’s a big problem.
The exclusivity mess is very present here. If they wanted to go full exclusive with State of Decay and Senua, that’d be one thing, but it’s sort of clear there’s no distinct plan right now. FH6 sold some consoles, so the execs feel some confidence that maybe now Gears and Clockwork Revolution will too, but honestly the way they went about doing this made it look like Asha’s taking direct ideas from influencers and Twitter rather than being a good partner in business by pulling a game that was planned for Sony platforms. There was likely a contract that Xbox pulled out of, so it’s an interesting move. PlayStation owners should brace themselves for Xbox pulling CoD and dealing with whatever fines they receive because I can see that experiment coming with a delayed release.
I say this as someone that realistically only wants Halo and Fable out of the release slate from either Microsoft or Sony right now.
That said, I am really curious how many Xboxes Clockwork Revolution sells. My wife was scathing towards it and said it was the worst looking game of the showcase because it was memorably unlikable, sort of like Borderlands. I wonder how it’s perceived outside the dedicated fanbase.
As much as I haven’t used my Series S in over a year now, I’m saving it for OD or any exclusives that may get announced, just in case. No way I’m missing out on Elder Scrolls or Fallout, you know?
We’ve got enough Marvel games from Sony this year.
Besides, Blade was a cinematic trailer, so I’m sure that’s a maybe next year announcement. It was probably barely in development when it was announced.
Maybe a C or B. Spyro’s the big wow game for me. I’m really happy that’s coming. Outside that, Vivarium is not my typical genre, but it emulates an art style from an era I love. Glad to see vintage anime having a comeback after how prevalent the styles from the early 2000’s have been for so long. Crazy Taxi was a pleasant surprise too. Halo, Fable, Castlevania, and Clockwork Revolution look great too. Maybe half the showcase hit for me.
In the State of Play, the plug for Marathon felt unnecessary, but in this one, we got Sea of Thieves and Fallout 76, which surprised they qualify for showcase time. Also, really have zero interest in Gears or CoD, so there’s that. Personally, don’t think anyone’s going to flocking to Xbox for Clockwork Revolution, but I think Halo and Fable might’ve sold consoles as exclusives, so there’s that too. I’m not a Persona guy, but I’ll bet that’s going to be the biggest thing anyone takes away from this showcase.
After barreling through Mina the Hollower this past week and a half, I’d completed it around 20 hours or so. I’ll say that I really liked it, but also that it wasn’t quite as good as I thought it would be for me. But that’s a me thing since I found gameplay sections to get a little too frustrating at times. I know that’s a Souls inspired thing, and I’m not really a Souls guy. To contrast with another massive indie, I never quite felt that way with Silksong. It could be because I got frustrated by the platforming though. Loved the narrative and aesthetic.
I’m sort of feeling like I need to go back and actually finish Mixtape too and then outside that, Crimson Desert’s my only other game from this year to work through.
I gave it a B. It was a hour too long maybe for me, but it’s still Geoff’s best showcase yet. The front half of it was incredible. Resident Evil, Alien, Cuphead, Gen Atlas, Last Ronin, Gundam… I mean, it was a 10/10 showcase for a decent while. After that, things cooled down, but I was still largely entertained. Virtua Fighter looked interesting. And Final Fantasy VII Revelation is now my new most anticipated game now. Fantastic ending.
To complain, we didn’t need a Fortnite plug. If there’s one thing that really irked me though, it was the Sonic 35 trailer. Sega teased that it had big plans for Sonic this year… and they clearly don’t. That was the only genuinely underwhelming moment. There was some filler, but, I mean, it’s Geoff.
Honestly, I overall liked it more than the State of Play, even though there was more filler here and there. State of Play didn’t have the element of surprise this showcase had. But I’m also more biased towards Japanese style games. RE, Gen Atlus, and Revelation are exactly what I want from the industry. Let’s see what Xbox cooks up on Sunday and see if there’s any truth to that Nintendo Direct next week before I make a schedule for what I’m playing the rest of the year. Hopefully Castlevania shows up somewhere!
I wish we were getting another Ori game instead. I wish Moon Studios success, given how much I liked Ori, but No Rest for the Wicked isn’t for me no matter the console it’s on. Not the first time Series S was an issue for Xbox getting games out.
The Lost Wild looks better than most of the games in the SoP for me. Hope that one lives up to what I saw in that first trailer. Xbox is getting a lot of good stuff from the SoP though, so there’s plenty to eat coming.
Comments 2,577
Re: Poll: What Do You Think Of Call Of Duty's Delay To Xbox Game Pass?
@PennywiZe666 Man, @Fiendish-Beaver is one of the most dedicated Xbox fans on here. I’d argue he may be a candidate for “most actively engaged PureXbox user.” Weird person to call out for “slow day on Pushsquare.” Lol.
On topic, I do not care, but I think it’s a rough precedent that bucks the Day 1 on Gamepass trend and I feel like they need consistent messaging on this. Xbox has been wishy washy for years and I hope Asha’s era starts clear and transparent communication.
Re: Resident Evil Veronica Remake Makes Its First Appearance On The Xbox Store
@HelloCraigo Glad to see you writing for PureXbox again!
Man, I can’t wait for this one. I hope we start the year with Resident Evil kicking down the door again. I’m still thinking about how great Requiem was several months later. If September/October wasn’t so packed, I’d be thinking about replaying it for Halloween.
Re: Xbox Creates New 'Exclusive' Label For Eligible Games On Console
@Fiendish-Beaver I too think it’s odd that Gears is leading the charge as an exclusive. Given all the news we’ve learned recently, certainly I don’t believe the Coalition would be on the chopping block, but who knows?
Halo makes the most sense to be an exclusive since it’s the Xbox brand and identity. It’s been with Xbox since Day 1. Also, as big of a deal as another remake is, it’s probably the cheaper game to produce. Gears is certainly a part of the identity and a huge success too, but not quite as much. To toss a $400 million dollar investment as a u-turn suggests either a tremendous amount of faith in the game or that there’s something else calculated here. I suspect we’ll understand more either on June 30th when Operation Bloodbath is in full cycle or within the 100 days of Asha’s restructuring plan, but something’s going on that we don’t know yet.
It’s been a long time since we’ve seen a genuinely risky move from Xbox though. I suppose it could be just that. If that’s the case, watch Xbox make CoD a timed exclusive next year.
Re: Xbox Creates New 'Exclusive' Label For Eligible Games On Console
Sort of think Xbox should go full on with the exclusives and make them exclusive to the console as well. Give PC players a reason to buy an Xbox too. If they want to make Xbox its own platform, it has to fully commit to the exclusivity plan.
That said, @Fiendish-Beaver and I were discussing the other day that this whole exclusive thing may be a conspiracy to prove to the fanbase it either works or doesn’t based on a few games early on. Even with this, I still think that.
Re: Report: Xbox Already Planned To 'Sunset Or Split With' Ninja Theory Before Senua Reveal
@themightyant This is exactly what makes me concerned about Xbox longterm. I saw them have success, start making more of the games I wanted in the 360 era only to reverse in the Xbox One era to start making more things I’m interested in again to start going backwards again.
Personally, I’m a casual with Forza. I could take it or leave it. I don’t like Gears at all. I don’t particularly like Activision in the modern era. I DO love Halo, but we’re years removed from the golden era with the Chief. 5 was a clear nadir as a campaign, but Infinite’s multiplayer was the worst the series has ever been, even if I liked the uneven, unfinished single player campaign far more than 5. I love Fable, but is it really a pillar if it’s been almost two generations now since we’ve seen the last game? Elder Scrolls and Fallout are two of my favorite series, but, to date, are they really Xbox pillars either, given that they’ve been multiplatform games for over 15 years now and neither series has been present in ages. And, no, I don’t consider Fallout 76 what I’m talking about when I talk about Fallout.
I get concerned with Xbox sticking to their core games, especially when that core is really loose. If anything, that could mean that, like Rare with Sea of Thieves, that Obsidian becomes the Grounded studio. Fallout 76, ESO… I mean, these games got time at the showcase and I thought it was strange to highlight them. For all we know, Asha may just see the steady stream of income and see this as the future of Xbox, which I’d be out if that were the case. Realistically, if you cut a lot of the experiences we all like and focus on what sells instead, Xbox could be radically different in a very concerning way. They’d look like EA.
Uncertainty is the big thing. Will Xbox corporatize into a bigger EA or attempt to be a bigger Nintendo that knows its fanbase and largely caters to them directly? What concerns me most is that I don’t this is over and I think GTA may nuke half the industry when it launches.
At any rate, at least Capcom exists and shows that we can have good things. 😂
Re: Report: Xbox Already Planned To 'Sunset Or Split With' Ninja Theory Before Senua Reveal
@themightyant for me, Fable is probably the only must play on the radar from either Sony or MS. I agree with you that Xbox of today probably would not’ve greenlit it, but we also don’t know who that Xbox is yet either. The truth of the matter is that we haven’t seen a single game greenlit under Asha. It’s impossible to know where she’s going with the brand right now. The next maybe 3 or 4 years, we’ll be seeing what Phil approved while being managed by Asha. It’s a pivotal time for the brand in anticipation for the next generation.
I think it needs to be noted too that gaming was once an industry forged by creatives and ran by creatives and many of us are old enough to have witnessed the corporatization of the industry. I think there’s a legitimate fear right now that games are being made for shareholders more than they are for their audience and we all have a right to be concerned for the industry we enjoy so much
Re: Report: Xbox Already Planned To 'Sunset Or Split With' Ninja Theory Before Senua Reveal
@Gabrie I think the reason for this is because people are concerned about the long term future of Xbox moreso than Sony and they’re concerned with the direction Xbox is taking. That said, I think there’s also far more of that going on with Sony than you may realize as well. I think a lot of dedicated gamers feel that the industry is trying to take advantage of them and that’s where the problem lies. I mean, Sony basically said within the year that it was planning to monetize its existing base rather than expand its audience. This kind of business decision is applicable to us. The last couple of days of studio closures is certainly applicable to us too, especially when we like a studio’s output.
For me, Hi-Fi Rush and Psychonauts 2 were my favorite XGS games this generation, so after Tango being shuttered, hearing that Double Fine may be next makes me really concerned that I’ll even care about the direction Xbox takes. I can honestly say the business decisions Xbox has taken this generation has made it where I went from rushing to get a Series S while playing Halo Infinite that first time to not having used my console for gaming in over a year outside of playing old 360 games. Obviously, that’s not an ideal situation. I haven’t sold my Xbox because I’m basically waiting to see if OD is an actual exclusive or not. That’s sort of a goofy situation to be in for a platform.
And I think Xbox has had even more focus because a lot of people were starting to feel optimistic about the direction things were going, especially in a time where many Sony fans have been disillusioned by their output and saw that maybe Xbox was pivoting the right way rather than the live service route that is shedding interest away from Sony, but now that may not be the case.
I really hope there’s a renaissance for gaming where Xbox and PlayStation seem to be a better place, but it feels like this generation has been a waiting game for that.
Re: The First Review Is In For The Adventures Of Elliot: The Millennium Tales
@jesse_dylan I’d argue those genres are overdone too! The genre’s just lost novelty for me personally and it feels like Square is ramping up to two of these a year now. Octopath felt special for its art style when it released but now it’s a full on genre. It’s probably just a me thing.
Re: Double Fine Reacts To Xbox Closure Rumours With Single Emoji
@CaptainCluck maybe check out Double Fine’s production history before making claims like that. Their release cadence is quicker than industry standard. Up through 2019, they released a game every 1-2 years. There was a gap after Psychonauts 2, but that was industry standard due to COVID. Keeper and Kiln were released in relatively quick succession. This is a studio that makes unique experiences and has been a champion for the indie community for decades, far before Xbox acquired them. You’re likely confusing Double Fine with Compulsion, though South of Midnight really wasn’t much an activist game as it was a game that represented Southern gothic magic realism, which realistically is an untapped genre in gaming.
Realistically, it’s been ages since Microsoft has invested in the uniqueness of the first party catalog they’ve created, and this is a problem with the industry at large. Rather than seek to expand the gaming audience with new styles of experiences, they advertise strictly to the established gaming audience and hope things stick. Imagine if movies advertised only to people that watch a lot of movies. That doesn’t work. Of course niche games are going to fail if you advertise them strictly to a crowd that wants Halo and Gears and CoD. However, the industry will shrink if it only caters to one specific style of audience. The industry forgets it grew so much in the PS3/360/Wii era precisely because it advertised to everyone.
I mean, take my wife for example. Before me, she didn’t really like video games much outside the odd party game. She didn’t know what was out there for her. I’m rather knowledgeable, however, so she changed her mind on games because I knew games she’d like and we’d eventually be looking forward to new games together. I mean, her favorites are probably The Forgotten City, Firewatch, Life is Strange, etc. The industry makes those games, but they don’t advertise to her or anyone else. They only advertise to us. And that’s a huge disconnect. Is it really a surprise that gaming is becoming more insular and stagnating as an industry? I hated it at the time, but looking back I wish the industry still cared to grow in audience rather than in monetizing its base.
Re: Report: Multiple Xbox Studios In 'Active Negotiations' With Microsoft To Avoid Closure
@FraserG i hope Asha’s version of Xbox PR is more active than Phil’s and they give us answers soon. They’ve squandered all the goodwill Asha’s generated in giving the company a soft reboot less than two weeks after a high point of the Xbox Showcase. In my opinion, this moment feels more tenuous than the removal of Xbox exclusives.
Re: Report: Multiple Xbox Studios In 'Active Negotiations' With Microsoft To Avoid Closure
No matter how you spin this, this is Xbox abandoning that “rebellious spirit from Xbox of old” Asha praised just a few weeks ago. Honestly, depending on how this plays out, it could burn the bridge for my enthusiasm for Helix turning things around in any capacity. What doesn’t make sense to me is why do this now? They could’ve painted Phil as the fall guy. Asha’s been rebuilding things in a positive way in the media, but this will hurt that momentum big time. Do they not think ahead? This feels like the biggest disaster yet for Xbox as a brand that wants “everyone to play.”
@FraserG Do you suspect State of Decay may be multiplatform for the same reason?
Re: The First Review Is In For The Adventures Of Elliot: The Millennium Tales
@Tasuki You’ve encouraged me to research. Man, my interest in Resonance sort of plummeted just now. I’ll see how Elliot reviews. I really liked it, but… Star Fox is coming, so I’m not in a rush.
Re: The First Review Is In For The Adventures Of Elliot: The Millennium Tales
@Tasuki I could’ve sworn I saw Square confirm it was NOT that, but rather an entirely, from the ground up, new game.
Re: Compulsion Games Might Be Getting Shut Down By Xbox, Says Report
@Friendly No, no I do not. 😂
Satya could fund Compulsion making another game by donating a month of his salary. If we want to talk about layoffs that would really save these companies money…
Re: The First Review Is In For The Adventures Of Elliot: The Millennium Tales
Loved the demo, but the announcement of Final Fantasy Resonance has had me pause on which HD-3D game I’ll get. Truth be told, I was an early supporter of the style, but I sort of feel like it’s being overdone. Looking forward to see more reviews.
Re: Compulsion Games Might Be Getting Shut Down By Xbox, Says Report
@Friendly Absolutely. Why must we keep watching hundreds laid off while people like Satya get millions of dollars in bonuses a year for their bad decisions?
Re: Rumour: Journalist Suggests Two Xbox Studios Are 'At Risk Of Being Closed' In 2026
For the moment, I breathe a sigh of relief for Double Fine. Did not expect the violence so soon.
Re: Two Key Members Of Xbox Game Studios Are Stepping Down
Well, here’s an appetizer for what will likely be huger news very soon. Brace for impact, unfortunately…
Re: 'We Have To Turn This Into A Sustainable Business' - Microsoft CEO Discusses Future Of Xbox
@Fiendish-Beaver I can’t believe Xbox has allowed the nonsense with Elder Scrolls 6, honestly. They announced the game several years before starting it. You’d think Phil would’ve lit some fire under Todd. Use Activision to make Fallout if Bethesda can only manage make a new single player game every 8 years or so, or better yet, have them stop producing reviled content like Elder Scrolls Blades, so they can make more content people actually want to play. Reign in Obsidian too, as they are talented with making RPGs and writing, but their concepts come across as derivative of existing properties. Avowed comes across as an attempt of Elder Scrolls and Outer Worlds as an attempt of Fallout. I mean, these two studios should be working together because their blind spots align perfectly.
But Double Fine has its own problems in that the studio’s been allowed to make totally strange business decisions. While Keeper was a solid game, it’s extremely niche. Outside maybe Pentiment, it’s perhaps the most deliberately niche first party game Xbox has made. I’m not surprised it didn’t sell much and perhaps wasn’t a sound business decision. And I totally understand making art games. I like the art games, but seriously when you make something like that, at least put some fanfare and marketing behind it, so it can have a chance at awards. The game got all the press of a mid tier indie game. And Kiln? Seriously, I’ve never seen a first party game meet such a nothing response. The game didn’t receive praise or distaste, it just came out without a single sound. No one cared. I’m not sure what Xbox was thinking with that one at all. Psychonauts didn’t receive the press it should have, but it was universally praised. All they need to do to rollout interest in the IP is to put it on Switch and make it seem like a big deal. It doesn’t require a new game yet if interest is an issue, but I’d bet that some good PR could help the IP to gain some foothold.
Realistically, I think Xbox needs to have some pride in their IP beyond Halo, Gears, Forza, and Fable. And let’s be real: Fable was ignored for ages. Xbox even seems to minimize that CoD is an Xbox property. It’s odd. Xbox has so many IP now. They should use them! Take a page out of the Nintendo book and keep the fans engaged and Xbox will be in a special place.
Re: 'We Have To Turn This Into A Sustainable Business' - Microsoft CEO Discusses Future Of Xbox
Satya saying this is rather rich, considering the fact that Microsoft and Xbox had the “buy success” mentality for quite a long time under his leadership. It wouldn’t be Microsoft without saying one thing after saying the exact opposite before.
@Fiendish-Beaver Hey now, stuff like Psychonauts could be bigger if it was treated as something bigger. I do believe that Xbox doesn’t always know how to use their IP. I mean, look at how Cuphead has grown by becoming a multimedia IP. Getting the kids invested in your platformers shouldn’t be unique to Nintendo. Psychonauts would make a solid cartoon too. Microsoft (and Sony) really aren’t making a framework for future generations. Banjo, Spyro, Crash, Psychonauts… use these IP to get the kids to buy in. That said, unless Double Fine has something of value in production, I think you may be right they may be in trouble because Xbox hasn’t properly managed them. They’ve proven they can develop games quickly, but Keeper and Kiln were such niche titles that I’m not sure what Xbox wanted out of them.
@rockodoodle it’s not just gaming, it’s the entire economy that’s crashing slowly
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (June 13-14)
I finished Mixtap last night and I’m genuinely surprised by how many people got upset that the game reviewed relatively well. The first maybe third of the game was sort of slow, but that’s sort of emulating how being a teenager is. The game gets better the further you get in. It’s not about failsafes or gameplay so much as it’s much as it’s about the characters. They seem unlikeable and self-absorbed at first, but, again, that’s teenagers, isn’t it? It develops into something more bittersweet than I expected it to be from the early portion of the game.
Outside that, I’m honestly sort of burnt out of Crimson Desert, so I’m having a hard time going back to it after taking a break to focus on Mina the Hollower. So I dunno what I’m playing. Lol. There’s some games coming out in the next couple weeks that I want to play, so I might just keep things easy right now and not commit to any big games.
Re: Microsoft Has Considered 'Spinning Out Or Restructuring' Xbox, Claims Report
@Weebleman Better to wash their hands of it than to shut it down though. Under the corporate umbrella, a shut down is more likely whereas being spun off, it’d just need to restructure into a business that actually makes sense rather than be a money sink for Microsoft. A lot of Xbox’s mistakes and successes have been because Xbox can try to use money to solve its problems rather than quality and ingenuity.
Re: Microsoft Has Considered 'Spinning Out Or Restructuring' Xbox, Claims Report
@oopsiezz I get what you mean. This happened in every era of gaming, but you didn’t hear about it. It was just a dream of games improving over time continually. Now we know so much more and knowing shatters the illusion.
For what it’s worth, this news is old news. We’ve heard this rumor a few times in the history of Xbox, even decades ago now,
I don’t quite see why this is a problem. LinkedIn is doing quite well for itself and it doesn’t have the same corporate baggage as Xbox does by reporting to the Microsoft suits. I don’t think Xbox has yet gotten successful enough to become its own venture. If Xbox spun off, that’d be a sign of success rather than failure.
Re: Report: Xbox Set For Major Job Cuts, Studio Closure Or 'Lineup Changes' Could Be Involved
@Banjo- Personally, I think they targeted the wrong platform with PlayStation to be where they’re releasing games. I know it’s easier, but a lot of PS fans have purposefully chosen PS over Xbox. A game like Hi Fi Rush or Psychonauts 2 or South of Midnight has far more potential of success on the Nintendo family of consoles. I’m shocked we haven’t seen more Nintendo ports. Maybe those leaked emails from the Activision purchase about Xbox buying Nintendo may have soured a relationship.
With regards to Redfall, the game was troubled, and various members of staff remarked how they didn’t like what they were making. Arkane needed Xbox’s guidance in this case. Even though the technical performance is better now, the game is a 6/10 at best and it’s not always at its best. Xbox should’ve known where this one was at far more than they did. For them to push it as one of the big bangs to start the generation, it’s clear how this generation would be challenge for Xbox.
Re: Report: Xbox Set For Major Job Cuts, Studio Closure Or 'Lineup Changes' Could Be Involved
@PsBoxSwitchOwner They expected it to have a meta score in the mid to high 80’s. It’s baffling. If they actually tried the games they released, how could they not see that Redfall was a huge miss? It brings into question Phil’s taste a little bit lol
Re: Here's A Look At The Updated Xbox Game Studios Roadmap From June 2026
@Fiendish-Beaver Loved your story of gaming. It reminds me a lot of my mom’s story with gaming, though she’s a tad bit older. My grandma was an early pioneer in purchasing gaming equipment, so they had that vintage pong machine, an Intellivision (though my mom calls it an Activision 😂), and several Ataris. I wish my grandpa would’ve saved the consoles for me, but he unfortunately disposed of them in the 90’s after my grandma passed.
Saying that though, my grandma had had a heart attack in ‘96 and eventually passed from having a stroke related to that. My family was in the process of actually moving from one end of the US to the other side with the intention of being closer to the grandparents at the time, so it was perhaps an odd twist of fate that she passed while helping us get ready to move. One of her last requests was to find and unpack the NES, and play Dr Mario. That moment is perhaps my most memorable moment with her.
The power of gaming to make our lives a little better in difficult situations is incredible.
I’m glad I get to share it with my kids now. My son wanted to stand in line to get a Switch 2 on launch day. I’m curious what games he’ll one day associate with life changing moments. My wife sometimes makes fun of me because I tie big life events with the games I was playing, but it’s all good fun.
Re: Report: Xbox Set For Major Job Cuts, Studio Closure Or 'Lineup Changes' Could Be Involved
@Fiendish-Beaver I think your conspiracy is accurate. I think they’re tossing Gears out on a limb after the success FH6 has had. Halo or Fable probably would’ve been stronger choices, but it was too late for that. To add to your conspiracy theory, I think Xbox might be ok with some losses on it too because I hate to say it, but Team Green may be also be trying to sucker people into staying in the ecosystem for Helix and exclusives are what the fanbase claims they want. That may be why Clockwork Revolution is exclusive too. It’s like making Outer Worlds an exclusive basically. It’s a mid-tier AAA title that likely wouldn’t sell massive numbers if it was on PS5 anyway, so why not use it as a risk when the fanbase has been responsive towards it? You don’t have that much to lose with it, but if the plan works, it validates exclusives. If it bombs, it’s an excuse (probably after Helix launches) to drop the exclusivity argument.
@Banjo- Yeah, his approach seemed really hands off. You can’t be hands on and be shocked about how something like Redfall turned out. As a “gamer CEO,” for him to have definitely tried the game and deemed it fit for release is really questionable. If they were just getting the game out there because it was now or never, I always thought he should’ve been more honest about it. So far, I do appreciate that Asha’s approach seems to be more hands on.
Re: Report: Xbox Set For Major Job Cuts, Studio Closure Or 'Lineup Changes' Could Be Involved
@themightyant Ninja Theory cancelled Project Mara recently too, so that may be another red flag that it’s them. But realistically we have no idea what the studios do internally beyond releasing their own games. Ninja Theory has a history of sharing tech and expertise, so I may be wrong.
I’m personally worried about Double Fine. Psychonauts 2 is probably my favorite Xbox Game Studios game this generation, but Keeper was such a niche title and Kiln, I can’t imagine that one was anywhere near being the success MS probably wanted it to be. Double Fine being closed though would cause fires in the fanbase.
I think Compulsion may be safe. The game received some awards and having an award winning studio is something you can build into profitable.
I said it elsewhere, but if I was Asha, I’d be asking why Elder Scrolls and Fallout are just sitting around in sluggish development cycles when Starfield wasn’t exactly the hit it could’ve been. Xbox owns some hugely recognizable franchises at this point, but the slow development cycles for popular IP is something Xbox has struggled with this generation.
Re: Here's A Look At The Updated Xbox Game Studios Roadmap From June 2026
@Fiendish-Beaver It’s truly a special medium and I’m glad we live in this era. I had broken my foot back in 2019 and jeez… what would I have done without having Read Dead 2 for two months to sink into? To think, 100 years ago, you’d just have to sit there and wait it out, listening to the radio. Maybe read some books, but even those weren’t as accessible as they are today. We’re quite fortunate to have something so wonderful in our unfortunate times. There’s far worse things that people do with their time, that’s for sure.
Re: Report: Xbox Set For Major Job Cuts, Studio Closure Or 'Lineup Changes' Could Be Involved
@themightyant It still may be Ninja Theory. Hellblade 2 seemed to flop for how highly it must’ve been budgeted. Senua might be the last scraps of whatever they’ve got left, and that’d explain why MS didn’t exclusivize that one.
Double Fine and Compulsion worry me, but they’re getting games out there. Obsidian may get the Rare treatment of becoming a live service transition for Grounded because that game did far better than their single player offerings and we’ve already seen Rare turn into a live service husk for Sea of Thieves.
Realistically, which Xbox Game Studio is actually safe is a harder answer than which one it could be, unfortunately. For all we know, Microsoft could fire Todd Howard because he’s taking too long on Elder Scrolls 6.
Re: Here's A Look At The Updated Xbox Game Studios Roadmap From June 2026
@Fiendish-Beaver I’m the same way. I totally took the most difficult route many times, but that’s because I wanted to face the challenge. I loved it. When I played the first game, I had experienced a death in my family and the game was honestly the best therapy I could’ve ask for with regards to it. The difficulty was meditative in a way I’d perhaps never experienced before.
Oddly enough, Death Stranding, Red Dead 2, and Cuphead are the three games that immediately stick out to me that have gotten me through hardships mentally. Man, I love and appreciate games.
Re: Here's A Look At The Updated Xbox Game Studios Roadmap From June 2026
@Fiendish-Beaver The second one was my personal GotY last year. I really hope you enjoy it. I still prefer the first game because of the story, but there’s some marked gameplay and pacing improvements that make DS2 a more deliberately enjoyable game. I have my suspicions DS1 had intentionally dull or unnecessarily challenging segments for artistic reasons and, as frustrating as that was at the time experiencing that, in retrospect, I really respect and love that.
Re: Hideo Kojima Teases Filming For His New Xbox First-Party Game, OD
Hopefully we see this one again at the Game Awards with a late 2027 release date. It’s entirely possible, depending on how much is actually completed at this point.
Re: Here's A Look At The Updated Xbox Game Studios Roadmap From June 2026
@Fiendish-Beaver Yeah, that’s the second trailer. We just got an update that they were filming again. The game was announced in 2022 with the cast and then a second trailer in 2025. If they’re doing more mo-cap right now, that could be a late 2027 game, judging by how fast DS2 came together. The nice thing with Kojima is that he’s done enough goofy things marketing wise where he’s sort of outlined more for a layman the process of game development for him than most developers have and he’s been able to stick to his deadlines if he’s had them. People say a lot about Kojima, but he runs his business effectively.
Re: Here's A Look At The Updated Xbox Game Studios Roadmap From June 2026
@Fiendish-Beaver we got a second trailer last year, so I’d think it’s progressing well by this point. Kojima developed Death Stranding 1 and 2 in about 4 years a piece, so I’d imagine OD may be a 2027 title. Kojima has said that 2026 is year of focus for him, staying grounded, and taking care of ramping up the scope of his studio. I could see that meaning that he’s past conceptual and into the nitty gritty of it all now. But he’s working on two games we know of, an anime, and at least one movie, so he may just be busy too.
Re: Here's A Look At The Updated Xbox Game Studios Roadmap From June 2026
Halo, Spyro, and Fable for me, but seriously I’m mostly waiting for OD and ES6.
Re: Poll: Which Was Your Favourite Gaming Event Of The Past Week?
Geoff > Xbox = SoP > Direct
Geoff had filler, but the megaton announcements were huge and mostly surprises.
Xbox had a few good surprises, but I don’t like Gears and after watching the Clockwork Revolution trailer a few more times, I can skip it. Realistically, it was mostly ok though. A few hits and a few surprises.
SoP had fewer surprises than Xbox, but it was a slideshow of release dates for games that I’ve been waiting for. Also, I don’t care for Wolverine or GoW.
The Direct re-announced a line-up that it announced on Nintendo Today. I like the first party line up more than Sony or Microsoft right now, but there were no surprises. And the third party stuff? It was really meh to me. I didn’t see a single game that I hadn’t seen before that I’m 100% ready to buy and that’s a big problem.
Re: Three Questions We Still Have After The Incredible Xbox Games Showcase 2026
Multiplayer games are multiplatform. State of Decay is multiplayer. Maybe there’s a multiplayer element to Senua? Maybe it’s a strand game.
I don’t know. I’m still baffled that Hellblade is a franchise now.
Re: Xbox Employee Responds To New Trailer Showing PS5 Logo For Gears Of War E-Day
The exclusivity mess is very present here. If they wanted to go full exclusive with State of Decay and Senua, that’d be one thing, but it’s sort of clear there’s no distinct plan right now. FH6 sold some consoles, so the execs feel some confidence that maybe now Gears and Clockwork Revolution will too, but honestly the way they went about doing this made it look like Asha’s taking direct ideas from influencers and Twitter rather than being a good partner in business by pulling a game that was planned for Sony platforms. There was likely a contract that Xbox pulled out of, so it’s an interesting move. PlayStation owners should brace themselves for Xbox pulling CoD and dealing with whatever fines they receive because I can see that experiment coming with a delayed release.
I say this as someone that realistically only wants Halo and Fable out of the release slate from either Microsoft or Sony right now.
That said, I am really curious how many Xboxes Clockwork Revolution sells. My wife was scathing towards it and said it was the worst looking game of the showcase because it was memorably unlikable, sort of like Borderlands. I wonder how it’s perceived outside the dedicated fanbase.
Re: Roundup: 10 Of The Best Xbox Announcements We Saw At IGN Live 2026
I’m down for the Godzilla game
Re: 'It Doesn't End With Gears & Clockwork' - Xbox Reporter Teases More Console Exclusives
As much as I haven’t used my Series S in over a year now, I’m saving it for OD or any exclusives that may get announced, just in case. No way I’m missing out on Elder Scrolls or Fallout, you know?
Re: Xbox Studio Ninja Theory Confirms 'Project: Mara' Has Been Cancelled
That’s a bummer. Mara looked like something I wanted to try. It looked new.
Hellblade had novelty in one game, but it’s an odd game to have become a franchise to me.
Re: Xbox Fans Question Marvel's Blade Absence From XGS 2026
We’ve got enough Marvel games from Sony this year.
Besides, Blade was a cinematic trailer, so I’m sure that’s a maybe next year announcement. It was probably barely in development when it was announced.
Re: Poll: How Would You Grade The Xbox Games Showcase 2026?
Maybe a C or B. Spyro’s the big wow game for me. I’m really happy that’s coming. Outside that, Vivarium is not my typical genre, but it emulates an art style from an era I love. Glad to see vintage anime having a comeback after how prevalent the styles from the early 2000’s have been for so long. Crazy Taxi was a pleasant surprise too. Halo, Fable, Castlevania, and Clockwork Revolution look great too. Maybe half the showcase hit for me.
In the State of Play, the plug for Marathon felt unnecessary, but in this one, we got Sea of Thieves and Fallout 76, which surprised they qualify for showcase time. Also, really have zero interest in Gears or CoD, so there’s that. Personally, don’t think anyone’s going to flocking to Xbox for Clockwork Revolution, but I think Halo and Fable might’ve sold consoles as exclusives, so there’s that too. I’m not a Persona guy, but I’ll bet that’s going to be the biggest thing anyone takes away from this showcase.
I’m starting to wonder where Witchbrook is.
Re: Roundup: All The Xbox Reveals From Day Of The Devs 2026
Surprised Yooka Laylee Kart didn’t get SGF coverage at the main stage and was instead a Day of the Devs game.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (June 6-7)
After barreling through Mina the Hollower this past week and a half, I’d completed it around 20 hours or so. I’ll say that I really liked it, but also that it wasn’t quite as good as I thought it would be for me. But that’s a me thing since I found gameplay sections to get a little too frustrating at times. I know that’s a Souls inspired thing, and I’m not really a Souls guy. To contrast with another massive indie, I never quite felt that way with Silksong. It could be because I got frustrated by the platforming though. Loved the narrative and aesthetic.
I’m sort of feeling like I need to go back and actually finish Mixtape too and then outside that, Crimson Desert’s my only other game from this year to work through.
Re: Poll: How Would You Grade The Summer Game Fest 2026 Showcase?
I gave it a B. It was a hour too long maybe for me, but it’s still Geoff’s best showcase yet. The front half of it was incredible. Resident Evil, Alien, Cuphead, Gen Atlas, Last Ronin, Gundam… I mean, it was a 10/10 showcase for a decent while. After that, things cooled down, but I was still largely entertained. Virtua Fighter looked interesting. And Final Fantasy VII Revelation is now my new most anticipated game now. Fantastic ending.
To complain, we didn’t need a Fortnite plug. If there’s one thing that really irked me though, it was the Sonic 35 trailer. Sega teased that it had big plans for Sonic this year… and they clearly don’t. That was the only genuinely underwhelming moment. There was some filler, but, I mean, it’s Geoff.
Honestly, I overall liked it more than the State of Play, even though there was more filler here and there. State of Play didn’t have the element of surprise this showcase had. But I’m also more biased towards Japanese style games. RE, Gen Atlus, and Revelation are exactly what I want from the industry. Let’s see what Xbox cooks up on Sunday and see if there’s any truth to that Nintendo Direct next week before I make a schedule for what I’m playing the rest of the year. Hopefully Castlevania shows up somewhere!
Re: 'Series S Is Making That Rough' - No Rest For The Wicked Dev Shares Update On Xbox Version
I wish we were getting another Ori game instead. I wish Moon Studios success, given how much I liked Ori, but No Rest for the Wicked isn’t for me no matter the console it’s on. Not the first time Series S was an issue for Xbox getting games out.
Re: Roundup: All The Xbox Games From The Shacknews E4 Indie Showcase 2026
Can’t believe Toxic Crusaders still isn’t out. The game’s been delayed so many times now that I keep forgetting about it.
Re: The Lost Wild Not Coming To Xbox At Launch, Along With A Few Other State Of Play Titles
The Lost Wild looks better than most of the games in the SoP for me. Hope that one lives up to what I saw in that first trailer. Xbox is getting a lot of good stuff from the SoP though, so there’s plenty to eat coming.