Xbox 'Fails To Qualify' As Metacritic Reveals 2023 Game Publisher Rankings

@Widey85 The 4th I'd expect to be Ghostwire: Tokyo but that obviously didn't come to Xbox in 2022.

Deathloop was 'counted' in the 2021 list of MS games that 'helped' MS claim the top spot in metacritics ranking...

Well we've all had our say on the drought of titles last year.
This year looks a lot more promising and has started well, so the only way is up!

Well it was what it was as we all know.
At least 2023 looking a lot better for xbox studios which if they manage well should lead to a fantastic 2024.

What do you mean, they're the third one on the list?! 😉

@Moonglow
Diablo4 cant join Xbox stats since they havent made that game.

The Games were decent for sure but as you need to release 5 or more to be considered, they didn't release enough to chart.

Overall, 4 games is still 1 a 'quarter' on average but I do know that 'some' expect at least 4 AAA 'exclusive' games with 'ultra' realistic graphics they can play specifically on Xbox consoles to 'count'. Most won't count Ghostwire or AoE4 because those released before 2023 on 'other' platforms despite being the 'first' opportunity they had on their Xbox Console to play.

Its a 'flawed' system as someone could release 4 '10/10' games in a calendar year and still not be 'top' as someone releases '5' games with an average of 90 and be considered the 'top' Publisher. But it does give Sony something to brag about at the moment...

Nice to see Focus Entertainment up there, they are slowly becoming one of my favourite smaller publishers, had a blast with Plague Tail and Blacktail last year, and really looking forward to Atlas Fallen in a few months.

Where is Nintendo?

2022 for Xbox studios was barren. I’m not surprised by this. Should have done better.

Last year was a disappointing year for games from Microsoft. There is no way to sugar coat it. There was a huge lack of new AAA games. MS provided great support for existing games but that was not an excuse for new game content.

But HiFi Rush started the year strong and it looks like Redfall, Forza Motorsport, and Starfield will hopefully put MS on better footing this year.

Not sure how they didn't scrape together the 5 games. According to Metacritic, Xbox Game Studios had As Dusk Falls, Grounded, Pentiment and Somerville. Also listed Ghostwire:Tokyo (PC) and Deathloop for XSX by Bethesda.

They counted the PC Port of God of War for Sony, so I guess they should include those Bethesda Games?

Redfall, Starfield, Forza Motorsport…2023 is gonna be so much better!

Fair is fair and this is rightfully fair.
22 was bad for Xbox but at least we got Pentiment out of it which is an amazing gem.

To absolutely nobody's surprise.

Microsoft put out a banger of a console with the Series X. Then just kinds forgot about it.

Same thing they did with Windows Phone, and WinMo, and Skype....the list goes on and on.

I mean, we just recently got a function that had been request for the better part of a decade added.

@Sebatrox Sony's interactive films are massively overrated. It doesn't surprise me.

@Banjo- Agreed with you, my man.

@Sebatrox "God of Boredness", lol.

I thought I was one of the few with that sentiment.

Played the 2018 one, and I have no desire to play the new one. At least, not at the moment.

@Neverwild by this time next year, Activision will be just part of Microsoft so yes, Diablo 4 should be under that umbrella.

@Sebatrox Evidently not.

@themightyant Yeah, I was sure they had grouped Xbox and Bethesda together last year - the graphic on the Pure Xbox article last year had Deathloop on it as well as the other Xbox titles - but apparently not as they had Bethesda as #5 last year.

@Sebatrox Even the highest rated games out there will have people that don't like them or find them boring, and that's okay. Everyone has different opinions and likes different things. If we all liked the same things then the world would be a boring place. For example I've tried many times to get in to Skyrim but I just can't and find it boring but I would never come on an online forum and sit and criticise it and call it names because I can appreciate that it is a really good game that many people do like, it just isn't for me like god of war isn't for you.

@Tharsman
No since they havent made it.

@Neverwild Yes, since they own it.

@themightyant the way I see it, if they don’t group the sun-publishers, that will just result in a potential scenario were Microsoft is #1, #2 and #3 all in the same year, and that would be very weird.

@Banjo- Your comment is a fine example of telling me you've never played any of those games without telling me you've never played a Sony game.

@Sebatrox First of all they are a select few peoples opinions, there's people that also found halo infinite boring too but was still highly rated. Secondly both those articles are about the 2018 God of war and not Ragnarok.

There's a reason both games have sold a combined 30-40 million so far, and both nominated for game of the year by many publications.

@Serpentes420 Actually, I bought a PS before my first Xbox, believe it or not! I started playing Sony's exclusives before Xbox exclusives, not long ago because you can consider me a Nintendo "fanboy" (at least until I grew up) so you are the typical blind Sony pony full of prejudices that can't understand that some people don't like automatic games/interactive films with mediocre gameplay and extreme plots.

@Sebatrox Nintendo publishes a lot of games every year of various quality and belonging to various genres. None of them being the sort of pick me, cinematic TGA-bait that has come to almost exclusivity define Sony's output.

Metroid Prime Remastered scored extremely well. TotK almost certainly will as well. That'll help balance out stuff like Kirby and Fire Emblem that hasn't scored as well this year.

M$ is gonna win this year

Diablo 4
Starfield
Call of Duty
Redfield
Forza
HiFi Rush

Theres bound to be another big hit all from M$

It's almost like you have to publish games to qualify for the top publishers list.

@Serpentes420

Your comment is a fine example of telling me you've never played any of those games without telling me you've never played a Sony game.

And this comment tells me you don't understand not everyone has the same taste as you. There are plenty of people that don't care about the story heavy cinematic adventures Sony is most known for.

My partner for one, will hit skip on every single cutscene they ever encounter, all they care is about game, not story. Think the only Sony game they gotten through in full was Horizon Zero Down.

@Sebatrox IDK how Nintendo charted lower, really. I think both Nintendo and Sony get the media automatic stamp of approval and magic 10/10 scores on name alone. I think this year's results are badly skewed because if you look at how many games were in Sony's ranking they had to have included all the PC ports released, so Sony's high score is an aggregation of basically the best-of-showcase of most of the PS4 generation all consolidated into one year's score, while Nintendos was just what they released this year. That's Metacritic's fault. Why are PC ports of 6 year old games competing for 2022's publishing score? If the scores were based only on HFW, GT7, GoWR, and TLoU Reremakestered, they'd still score high, but closer to Nintendo.

Also, agreed, I also think the original GoW trilogy was a far better set of video games than at least 2018. Haven't played R yet. Haven't even finished 2018 yet, it just kind of bored me and I never pick it up again. Someday I will, but I will never understand the hype that game gets. If it weren't a great movie, and were just about the gameplay I can't imagine it would be more than a "7/10 pretty good" game. I don't think it's the best game out of Sony's own games. Neither is TLoU. But they get all the attention.

@jrt87 I honestly think both company's exclusives are overblown. I'm a Horizon superfan, but that's the only current Sony first party series that does much for me, really, they killed most of the ones I loved other than that. I'm an Elder Scrolls ultrafan, and I'm loving some of the weird smaller first party things MS has been making, but otherwise barely care about MS's first party outside Bethesda either. MS gets me for the majority of multiplat games because of their controller and digital ecosystem. Sony gets me for Japanese games that don't come to MS, and VR. First party is such a tiny fraction of what I play on either box but it's all anyone ever talks about!

Nintendo OTOH.....pretty much a first party only box now. I loooved Switch when it launched, but cloud/remote play has started really making it redundant and worse.

Sigh, another article praising Sony and downing Microsoft.

Damn, its salty on here today. 😂

@Sebatrox I honestly don't know what you think linking those threads is achieving. Just because you found a post where someone is bashing a game saying it's terrible and then a mix of comments agreeing and disagreeing doesn't in the slightest bit mean it's a bad game. For a start there's no context to that post and it could easily be a fanboy that's never even played the game trashing it. I'm pretty sure I could find a post with just as many comments, or more, praising it as a great game but you wouldn't suddenly turn around and say it's a great game either based off some random guy on the internet saying it is so I'm not sure why you think random guy on the internet bashing game is a valid argument. I'm also not sure what Minecraft has to do with anything, it's available on practically every device going and those sales are probably largely made up of people double or triple dipping on different devices.

This year should be much better hopefully.

@Tharsman Thanks!

@Sebatrox I agree that is isn't a 10/10 game, but I have also seen 10/10s dished out to 'worse' games than GoW:R, and it also certainly isn't as bad a game as some of the comments on here are trying to make out. But if you were to say that a 10/10 game should be perfect and without faults then no game should really be awarded a 10/10 really. It's the problem with having a scale of 10 compared to 100, if you feel something is better than a 9/10 then there's no option but to give it a 10. If the scale is 100 then there is scope to place it in the 91-100 bracket so it's not necessarily getting a perfect score. Although reviews are basically just the opinion of one person, or a small group of people and as you say can easily be biased. Although everyone has their own opinion and someone may genuinely believe that a game is a 10/10 where others may not.

@WallyWest Nothing will ever be good enough in the media. We will have Redfall, Starfield and Forza this year - three games that will probably score very, very well. Starfield will most likely be a candidate for best video game ever (yes, I believe it's going to be Elden Ring level). And it still won't be enough. Sony's crappy Spider Man game will get every praise in the world, claiming it's the best thing that ever happened to humanity. Same crap, different year.

@Sebatrox There's articles on almost all games like that on YouTube especially from ones with less than a thousand subscribers like the one you posted. That means nothing about games being 10/10 or not. Elden Ring and Forza Horizon 5 are great games but still get people online bashing them, same with halo infinite.

https://youtu.be/GxCzlS-kAQ0

https://youtu.be/EPKg6L5G1fc

https://youtu.be/mHKgmr1p25Y

@Tharsman @Banjo- Xbox fanboys like to act like every Sony game is Quantic Dreams game while ignoring things like how Spider-Man has perhaps the best movement and action game mechanics ever. If you think R&C is an interactive movie and not loaded with fun gameplay you are clearly parroting a tired talking point. If you claim to like something like Mtal Gear Solid but can't recognize Last of Us' good stealth mechanics your fanboying.

But if you really hate Sony games get ready to be disappointed with much of Xbox's future output because your Uncle Phil agrees with the majority about the quality of Sony made games and wants that for Xbox desperately.

@Serpentes420 let's not forget games like Ghost of Tsushima and Horizon Forbidden West which are Rpg's with big open worlds and tonnes to do, yet people seem to think they are still interactive movies 😑

I know for a lot of people 2022 wasn’t a good year for Xbox; however, for me, it was stellar. We might not of had any powerhouse first party games, but most of my gaming time was spent with Xbox due to a handful of games such as: Sniper Elite 5, TMNT Shredder’s Revenge, Persona 5 Royal, A Plague Tale Requiem, Pentiment, Vampire Survivors, Chained Echoes, High on Life, Midnight Fight Express, Tunic and a lot more. And these were games that were solely on Game Pass day one. Personally, I considered it one of Xbox’s best years.

Interesting looking through the list at other publishers. Square-Enix all the way down at #26?

In some ways, I’d almost rather have four good games and not be on this list than have a bunch of games and be toward the bottom.

Oh this Sonys twoapple koalatee exclusives only on purastation))) jeeez god, i am waiting when Jimmyboy. gonna roll bank and PC port everithing he want's cuz sure he loves money, and this wasted resources don't even have a proper income and i am sure this will all be in a future and god have mercy on Sonyfanboys when it's starts)

Huh, well Metacritic is a joke of a website anyways. It hardly ever functions correctly, is full of fanboy/bandwagon reviews, and I just generally find it to be a poor source for genuine feedback.

@UltimateOtaku91 @Serpentes420 It is as accurate as pretending that all XBox has are multiplayer shooters and racing games.

I love myself Spiderman and many sony games, but if you want to pretend the games dont have over 6 hours of cut scenes... well maybe maybe its someone else that has not been actually playing the games.

To be honest last year was a shocking year for xbox nobody can deny that if they do they are lying but this year should be a banger with redfall starfield and forza I can't wait 😊

@Sebatrox There was a lot of review sites that gave Forza Horizon 5 a 10/10, even big ones like IGN. Same with Halo infinite, Windows central gave it a score of 100.

@Tharsman 6 hours is a bit of a stretch. For games like TLOU, Death stranding and Uncharted I fully agree with you that they are classed as interactive movies and are the games i don't look forward to. But playstations other games don't have that length of story cutscenes, HFW and Ghost of Tsushima has more exploration and combat than anything.

@UltimateOtaku91
HFW, all cutscenes, 6 hours and 9, beatable i about 20 hours.
Ghost of Tsushima, 4 hours, it can be beat in 17 hours.

So I will give you that Ghost is "lite" on cut scenes for a Sony game.

Yes you can spend more time exploring to pad that ratio, I do it all the time on every open world game, Spider-Man included, but I do like me both, Ubisoft formula open world games and cinematic games. Not everyone does, though, and its perfectly valid when they express so.

@Romans12 Starfield will be fantastic and up there with the best this year but it won't be getting Elden Ring levels of praise with the only game this year standing a chance of that type of acclaim being Zelda, Starfield end of the day is still a Creation Engine game. As for Spider-Man 2 well if its as good as the last two entries its going to be one of the highlights of this year and Gen, if the rumored Sep release is true then Sep is one hell of a month for gamers. Honestly PS, Xbox and Switch players are all eating well this year.

@Sebatrox That's your opinion just like many others and as well as mine think Ragnarok was GOTY worthy.

@Sebatrox It's almost like review scores are kinda pointless these days lol. Honestly, in a time when anyone can just go to Youtube or Twitch and watch someone play an entire game, reviews have become more opinionated than ever. I think most people who care about critic scores only care so they can have some numbers to brag about on the internet regarding their favorite whatever.

As much as I like Xbox it's fair play here, 2022 was a write off for them. I love Pentiment, but in balance other companies most definitely deserve the higher slots ahead of them.
2023.... I think MS will be in a top 3 position however

@UltimateOtaku91 I use the term "interactive movie" a lot. When I use it, it's not a slur on the game itself. With Sony in particular, it's because the story is often the main focus of the "game". It's not that the interactivity is poor, far from it, but that the "gameplay" only ever is in service of the "story" and that's why I personally use the term. Last of us has very good gameplay, not bad at all, but it always feels like the gameplay is just a means to connect the story and hence in my eyes it's an "interactive movie". It's certainly very very interactive but a movie nevertheless

Is this a joke? How can you even compare Metal Gear Solid V gameplay and stealth mechanics with The Last of Us? The Last of Us is so clunky and has so badly designed stealth sections that it's not either satisfying nor rewarding. Metal Gear Solid V has a Kojima-written crazy story but has extremely polished gameplay and it almost feels real. It's difficult but all mistakes seem the player's fault. And don't get my started talking about Uncharted shooting sections. Many Sony games just suck and no reviewer can convince me of the opposite once I have played them and that is exactly why I played them in the first place, because I thought that they were as good as reviewers say.

@Sebatrox @Tharsman @pip_muzz Actually, I'm not against story-heavy games. I just don't enjoy poor gameplay combined with glorified stories like The Last of Us. But it's as @NEStalgia said, Sony and Nintendo names get an almost guaranteed thumbs-up from the media.

This is utterly ambiguous. Are you saying that he is salty or that we are salty?

@Sebatrox Sony plans on publishing a bunch of live service games because the goal of any corporation is to make money. Sadly, one massive live service game thats a hit can make more money than several high quality, well rated single player games. A fool and their microtransaction money are easily parted.

Sonys cinematic 3rd person action adventure factory is beyond tired at this point, but lmfao at nintendo fans swooping in here claiming shovelware weeb trash bayonetta with gamecube era graphics was some goty contender.