I have an oculus quest 2 that collects an amazing amount of dust, right next to my old PSVR. Turns out it wasn’t wires that bugged me, it was general indifference to the 90% Shovelware quality VR game ecosystem.
The great FM7 delisting has me paranoid that other Game Pass 1st party games might someday disappear, so I bought Gears 5, Gears Tactics, State of Decay 2, Sea of Thieves, etc.
With all of my saved Rewards points I spent nothing. win/win
I played this one yesterday for about an hour. I thought I didn't much like it but found myself thinking about it a bit last night and then again this morning. Looks like I'll be continuing to play it.
Tough call. 360 was so far ahead of its time in terms of its interface, early social features (UNO!) and games. I have so many amazing memories of playing it all night long and marveling at how far MS had come in such a short time. That said, I've gotta go with the Series X (or S) because it plays nearly everything I care about across 4 generations. No other console has ever done such thing and it makes Xbox such a PC-but-friendly experience.
While I'm no fan of Mattrick's, there's no denying that he was ahead of his time, like it or not. We live in a future without physical media and we're always connected - it's really that simple. Steam is to blame for the former, progress for the latter. All of that said, the messaging behind the Xbox One was abysmal. I didn't even want one at all until I saw a Killer Instinct playable demo at a Microsoft Store in San Francisco. I knew then that I still wanted one.
Having said all of that, I really liked Skype, Kinect, OneGuide, etc. - I watched all of my TV through an Xbox One until they shut those features off. By then, most smart TV software had at least caught up a little bit.
That messaging though? Still makes me cringe. Who shows up to show some new games on a new games console and then doesn't bring games? Don Mattrick. Sap.
@NEStalgia Absolutely. Infamous SS was my favorite PS4 game behind Days Gone. I felt both were very underrated. I tried to play the first two Infamous games via PS Now (my PS3 died a long time ago) but the streaming latency made it nearly impossible, even on my fiber connection.
@NEStalgia Couldn't agree more about Spider-Man. People LOVE that game. For me, once the traversal mechanics wore off about two hours in, I found it tedious to get around in. What would have been a 10/10 solid 8-10 hour experience for me ended up being a 6 or 7/10 slog. I get that they want people to feel good about spending their $60 but there's a fine line there. I'm down for 8-10 hour campaign that I can come back to and play again at my option to 100%. Despite how many people rag on Far Cry, that's exactly how I play those games. They're really not that long if you just focus on the story missions, and they're a blast to plow through again later for the extras.
Seeing as how it isn't a small-budget indie title available only on PC and Switch that deals with issues of great societal importance, I'm going to go ahead and guess that the gaming press will score it somewhere in the 30-40 region.
Are people still playing Destiny? All of my friends that played it seem to think Bungie has committed some sort of awful and unforgivable sin in recent months and refuse to go back to it. I stopped playing it well over a year ago. I didn't realize it was on Game Pass until reading this.
I've been playing Halo Infinite to death but I bought a whole bunch of OG Xbox/360 games that just showed up on back compat, and I don't think a single one was on sale for Black Friday.
Whatever. At least now I've got all the Max Paynes. Together at last.
A fresh coat of paint really doesn't cover up how absolutely archaic GTA:SA looks and feels. I'm a huge fan, but some things are best left to fond memories.
Was this delayed outside the US? I’ve had mine for months. Didn’t realize it hadn’t rolled out elsewhere yet. Definitely well worth the money either way.
Wasn't Skatebird a Nintendo Indie showcase title a while back? There have been so many "OMG WE HAVE INDIES!" presentations lately that I've lost track along with most of my ability to care. That said, The Artful Escape is a beautiful not-really-a-game game on Game Pass. Satisfied my "small devs make good stuff" urges for the month already.
Had this come out more toward the beginning of the Non-Stop Remasterathon a few years ago I would probably be excited. Now, after Mass Effect, et al I'm rather bored with playing previous gen games with a fresh coat of paint. Go ahead and have an exclusive, Sony. As much as I love KOTOR I won't be buying for PS5 or Xbox because meh.
I was looking forward to no other game more than this one and then watched this trailer. What a turd. 100% interested to 0% interested in only 3 minutes. Great job.
I've already owned both of these for a long time now but what I'm really hoping is that enough people play Crimson Skies to where it gets some kind of reboot.
Everyone is so obsessed with being able to play Keith Courage on their TurboGrafx/PC-Engine in the year 2067. I support this, really I do, but I fail to see why the industry needs to cripple itself with outdated technologies to satisfy the collectathon needs of a segment of users. Why can't it be both? Personally, I'd rather more users had more access to more artistic works than a scant few obsessives being able to play Mad Dog McCree on the Sega CD.
(I say the above with peace and love as a recovered game collector that sold off my entire collection of physical games last year, including every known US Vita release, etc.)
Also, why isn't everyone down on Steam for the same things? What's different about Microsoft in this case? I get that Sony and Nintendo have been flat out stupid about back-compat and legacy gaming, but Microsoft feels like the only console manufacturer to care at all. So it's a work in progress - give em some time.
@Magabro Couldn't agree more. Once I cleared about half the PS4 exclusives I had (I play all multiplatform games on Xbox and have for about a decade) I realized I was playing mostly the same game over and over with a different (albeit mostly great) story. Once I got tired of it, I haven't connected my PS since.
Definitely giving A Plague Tale another go. I got about two hours into it at a bad time for spare time due to my work schedule. Happy to see it come to Game Pass in all its enhanced glory.
Every few months Digital Foundry has to drag out an old CRT for a shamelessly smug episode because slow news day in the land of gaming graphics. Zzzzzz
The one-off stuff like the Halo Experience only work because they're one-offs. They're delightful little surprises in an otherwise incredibly deep and satisfying, albeit extremely arcade-like racing game. While I love the Hot Wheels expansion I hated the LEGO one because most of us come for the cars and all of the ridiculous things the game allows us to do with them that we couldn't do in real life (not to mention in most other games). The absurdity dial has generally always been set to `perfect` in my opinion. Setting it higher risks alienating the superfans, those of us that never stop playing, and we are very very many in number.
Exclusivity sucks either way. I'm just happy MS has made themselves a nice path backward and forward so I can play these things well into the future and still go back and play Panzer Dragoon Orta every now and again. Where exclusivity really burns are those PS3 games i never got around to playing before my console died and now my only choice is to use the godawful PS Now service.
I finally have enough bandwidth to make this worthwhile and have been hoping for this for years. My Steam library makes me realize that "ownership" of physical things is kind of stupid when I can take my library from PC to PC. Being able to simply stream to a low-cost laptop of MS Surface is the dream there. Something similar for my Xbox game library and Game Pass would be amazing. I don't need a big stupid box next to my TV to feel happy. I just need good bandwidth, low latency, and all my games. Consoles are over within 10 years.
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Re: Talking Point: What Xbox Game Are You Most Excited For In 2022?
Starfield, STALKER 2, and Dying Light 2. No question. And the new Forza, where's that?
Re: Talking Point: With PSVR 2 On The Way, Do You Wish Xbox Also Had A VR Headset?
I have an oculus quest 2 that collects an amazing amount of dust, right next to my old PSVR. Turns out it wasn’t wires that bugged me, it was general indifference to the 90% Shovelware quality VR game ecosystem.
Re: Talking Point: What Have You Bought In The Xbox Countdown Sale 2021?
@Bobarino I liked Chorus much better than SW Squadron FWIW
Re: Talking Point: What Have You Bought In The Xbox Countdown Sale 2021?
The great FM7 delisting has me paranoid that other Game Pass 1st party games might someday disappear, so I bought Gears 5, Gears Tactics, State of Decay 2, Sea of Thieves, etc.
With all of my saved Rewards points I spent nothing. win/win
Re: The Relaxing 'Lake' Is Getting A Lot Of Attention On Xbox Game Pass
I played this one yesterday for about an hour. I thought I didn't much like it but found myself thinking about it a bit last night and then again this morning. Looks like I'll be continuing to play it.
Re: Rare's Everwild Is Reportedly 'A Real Mess', Still Being Figured Out
@eduscxbox Your point about HZD is a good one.
Re: Pick One: Which Is Your Favourite Xbox Console To Date?
Tough call. 360 was so far ahead of its time in terms of its interface, early social features (UNO!) and games. I have so many amazing memories of playing it all night long and marveling at how far MS had come in such a short time. That said, I've gotta go with the Series X (or S) because it plays nearly everything I care about across 4 generations. No other console has ever done such thing and it makes Xbox such a PC-but-friendly experience.
Re: Cat Ears Have Some Players Worried About The Future Of Halo Infinite
How dare these video games be fun!
Re: Don Mattrick Discusses The Failures Of The 2013 Xbox One Launch
While I'm no fan of Mattrick's, there's no denying that he was ahead of his time, like it or not. We live in a future without physical media and we're always connected - it's really that simple. Steam is to blame for the former, progress for the latter. All of that said, the messaging behind the Xbox One was abysmal. I didn't even want one at all until I saw a Killer Instinct playable demo at a Microsoft Store in San Francisco. I knew then that I still wanted one.
Having said all of that, I really liked Skype, Kinect, OneGuide, etc. - I watched all of my TV through an Xbox One until they shut those features off. By then, most smart TV software had at least caught up a little bit.
That messaging though? Still makes me cringe. Who shows up to show some new games on a new games console and then doesn't bring games? Don Mattrick. Sap.
Re: Digital Foundry Breaks Down Halo Infinite's Performance On Every Xbox Console
I have a life so these Digital Foundry viewpoints on games are pretty much useless.
"OMG! It dropped two frames at the 14m34s mark! What were they thinking releasing this!"
So stupid.
Re: Poll: How Are You Finding Halo Infinite's Campaign So Far?
Brilliant. I've played it once. I'm already back for more.
Re: Halo Infinite: How Long To Beat (And 100% Complete) The Campaign
@NEStalgia Absolutely. Infamous SS was my favorite PS4 game behind Days Gone. I felt both were very underrated. I tried to play the first two Infamous games via PS Now (my PS3 died a long time ago) but the streaming latency made it nearly impossible, even on my fiber connection.
Re: Halo Infinite: How Long To Beat (And 100% Complete) The Campaign
@NEStalgia Couldn't agree more about Spider-Man. People LOVE that game. For me, once the traversal mechanics wore off about two hours in, I found it tedious to get around in. What would have been a 10/10 solid 8-10 hour experience for me ended up being a 6 or 7/10 slog. I get that they want people to feel good about spending their $60 but there's a fine line there. I'm down for 8-10 hour campaign that I can come back to and play again at my option to 100%. Despite how many people rag on Far Cry, that's exactly how I play those games. They're really not that long if you just focus on the story missions, and they're a blast to plow through again later for the extras.
Re: Phil Spencer Thinks The Xbox Of Today Could Have Held On To Bungie
Bungee lost me with Destiny 2. It started strong but i don’t have enough hours to dedicate to a game that erases its own paid DLC.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (December 4-5)
Halo Infinite, FH5 and Chorvs… though I hate spelling it like that
Re: Poll: What Do You Think Halo Infinite's Metacritic Score Will Be?
Seeing as how it isn't a small-budget indie title available only on PC and Switch that deals with issues of great societal importance, I'm going to go ahead and guess that the gaming press will score it somewhere in the 30-40 region.
Re: Some Forza Fans Say They're Getting 'Bored' With Horizon 5 Already
"I played it for 45 hours and now I'm bored!" - maybe mix it up a little bit?
Re: Xbox Game Pass: All Games Coming Soon In December 2021
Are people still playing Destiny? All of my friends that played it seem to think Bungie has committed some sort of awful and unforgivable sin in recent months and refuse to go back to it. I stopped playing it well over a year ago. I didn't realize it was on Game Pass until reading this.
Re: Talking Point: What Have You Bought In The Xbox Black Friday Sale 2021?
I've been playing Halo Infinite to death but I bought a whole bunch of OG Xbox/360 games that just showed up on back compat, and I don't think a single one was on sale for Black Friday.
Whatever. At least now I've got all the Max Paynes. Together at last.
Re: These 20+ Games Are Coming To Xbox Next Week (November 15-19)
Sick to death of BF but oddly intrigued by Bloodrayne remasters. Maybe I ate too much Halloween candy.
Re: GTA Trilogy Dev 'Enjoying Scrutiny', Promises Updates Are On The Way
A fresh coat of paint really doesn't cover up how absolutely archaic GTA:SA looks and feels. I'm a huge fan, but some things are best left to fond memories.
Re: Xbox's Comments About 'Gatekeeping' Are Met With Heavy Criticism
The only bigger waste of time than reading gamer tweets is reading about and commenting on gamer tweets.
Re: Rumour: A New Killer Instinct Is In Active Development For Xbox
My favorite rumor so far this month.
Re: The Official New Xbox Stereo Headset Is Now Available
Was this delayed outside the US? I’ve had mine for months. Didn’t realize it hadn’t rolled out elsewhere yet. Definitely well worth the money either way.
Re: These Games Are Coming To Xbox Next Week (September 13-17)
Wasn't Skatebird a Nintendo Indie showcase title a while back? There have been so many "OMG WE HAVE INDIES!" presentations lately that I've lost track along with most of my ability to care. That said, The Artful Escape is a beautiful not-really-a-game game on Game Pass. Satisfied my "small devs make good stuff" urges for the month already.
Re: A Knights Of The Old Republic Remake Is Coming, But Not For Xbox... Yet
Had this come out more toward the beginning of the Non-Stop Remasterathon a few years ago I would probably be excited. Now, after Mass Effect, et al I'm rather bored with playing previous gen games with a fresh coat of paint. Go ahead and have an exclusive, Sony. As much as I love KOTOR I won't be buying for PS5 or Xbox because meh.
Re: The Next Saints Row Is Officially Heading To Xbox In February 2022
@Fenbops Couldn't possibly agree more.
Re: The Next Saints Row Is Officially Heading To Xbox In February 2022
I was looking forward to no other game more than this one and then watched this trailer. What a turd. 100% interested to 0% interested in only 3 minutes. Great job.
Re: Halo Infinite Has An Official Release Date, Launches This December
Eh. I'm not going to buy it either way. Because Game Pass.
Re: Random: Uh-Oh, Halo Infinite's Destructible Fruit Has Become A Bit Of A Talking Point
It’s PS4 Spider Man puddlegate all over again. Who cares? Move on.
Re: Random: Xbox Fans Are Loving Microsoft Flight Simulator, But Can't Seem To Stick The Landing
I can land, I just can't taxi without running into 8 other planes.
Re: Microsoft Flight Simulator Is Now Available For Xbox Series X, Series S
I just aimlessly flew around Tokyo for 45 minutes. This is the ultimate post-work, chill out and zen game. I couldn't be happier.
Re: Xbox Revenue Up 11% In FY21 Q4 Results, Driven By Series X|S Sales
I still have friends waiting to buy Series X consoles. Shame the component problem is still here all these months later.
Re: Halo Infinite Multiplayer Technical Preview Invites Have Been Sent Out
Just received mine - almost deleted it thinking it was yet another MCC multiplayer update. Stoked!
Re: Poll: Which Are You More Excited For This Week, Flight Sim Or The Ascent?
Already have MSFS on my PC but am excited to play it on my Series X anyway. Can I pick "both?" I pick both.
Re: Two More Games Are Now Available With Xbox Game Pass (July 26)
I've already owned both of these for a long time now but what I'm really hoping is that enough people play Crimson Skies to where it gets some kind of reboot.
Re: Here Are The Release Times For Microsoft Flight Simulator On Xbox Game Pass
@hbkay So, I hear you REALLY like Jedi Fallen Order.
Re: Not Everyone Is Happy With Xbox's Recent Comments About Preservation
Everyone is so obsessed with being able to play Keith Courage on their TurboGrafx/PC-Engine in the year 2067. I support this, really I do, but I fail to see why the industry needs to cripple itself with outdated technologies to satisfy the collectathon needs of a segment of users. Why can't it be both? Personally, I'd rather more users had more access to more artistic works than a scant few obsessives being able to play Mad Dog McCree on the Sega CD.
(I say the above with peace and love as a recovered game collector that sold off my entire collection of physical games last year, including every known US Vita release, etc.)
Also, why isn't everyone down on Steam for the same things? What's different about Microsoft in this case? I get that Sony and Nintendo have been flat out stupid about back-compat and legacy gaming, but Microsoft feels like the only console manufacturer to care at all. So it's a work in progress - give em some time.
Re: Phil Spencer: Xbox Is Building More Narrative-Driven Games Than Ever Before
@Magabro Couldn't agree more. Once I cleared about half the PS4 exclusives I had (I play all multiplatform games on Xbox and have for about a decade) I realized I was playing mostly the same game over and over with a different (albeit mostly great) story. Once I got tired of it, I haven't connected my PS since.
Re: Ubisoft Confirms Assassin's Creed Infinity, The Next Step For The Series
Yeah, it was fun (mostly) while it lasted but this sort of thing is an instant turn-off. I don't need more Fortnite, I need less. A lot less.
Re: Xbox Looks Set To Reveal More FPS Boost Titles Soon, Including Dark Souls 3
Sekiro and AC: Odyssey would make my month.
Re: The New Fable Will Remain 'Light-Hearted' And 'British', Suggests Xbox Boss
Not worried at all. In fact, I'd be surprised if this isn't the best Fable yet. Playground Games has been nothing short of excellent to date.
Re: These Games Are Coming To Xbox Next Week (July 6-9)
Definitely giving A Plague Tale another go. I got about two hours into it at a bad time for spare time due to my work schedule. Happy to see it come to Game Pass in all its enhanced glory.
Re: Another Five Games Will Leave Xbox Game Pass Soon (July 2021)
Wanted to like CrossCode. Didn’t. Not really the games fault so much as the fault of the gaming press for gushing over it so much.
Re: Xbox Series X Running On A Vintage Monitor Boasts 'Stunning' Results, Reveals Analysis
Every few months Digital Foundry has to drag out an old CRT for a shamelessly smug episode because slow news day in the land of gaming graphics. Zzzzzz
Re: Random: Xbox Head Phil Spencer Applauds Nintendo President's Mario Golf Skills
Gaming exec lovefest. Zzzzzzzzz.
Re: Soapbox: Forza Horizon 5 Is Going To Need To Lean Into The Series' Absurdity To Impress Me
The one-off stuff like the Halo Experience only work because they're one-offs. They're delightful little surprises in an otherwise incredibly deep and satisfying, albeit extremely arcade-like racing game. While I love the Hot Wheels expansion I hated the LEGO one because most of us come for the cars and all of the ridiculous things the game allows us to do with them that we couldn't do in real life (not to mention in most other games). The absurdity dial has generally always been set to `perfect` in my opinion. Setting it higher risks alienating the superfans, those of us that never stop playing, and we are very very many in number.
Re: Night Call Dev Expresses How Important Xbox Game Pass Was For The Game
Loved it. Bought it. Great game.
Re: Bethesda's Pete Hines Apologises To Fans Upset By Starfield Xbox Exclusivity
Exclusivity sucks either way. I'm just happy MS has made themselves a nice path backward and forward so I can play these things well into the future and still go back and play Panzer Dragoon Orta every now and again. Where exclusivity really burns are those PS3 games i never got around to playing before my console died and now my only choice is to use the godawful PS Now service.
Re: Xbox Announces Cloud Gaming Streaming Sticks, TV Integration
I finally have enough bandwidth to make this worthwhile and have been hoping for this for years. My Steam library makes me realize that "ownership" of physical things is kind of stupid when I can take my library from PC to PC. Being able to simply stream to a low-cost laptop of MS Surface is the dream there. Something similar for my Xbox game library and Game Pass would be amazing. I don't need a big stupid box next to my TV to feel happy. I just need good bandwidth, low latency, and all my games. Consoles are over within 10 years.