Thanks for the roundup. I'll play it on Series X (using Game Pass Ultimate) and looking forward to it! It seems a very solid one even though like any other video game (including games rated 10/10), it won't appeal to everyone.
If I don't start Indiana Jones next week is because I'm still busy with Ghostwire Tokyo, a game I'm loving and that was rated 6/10 on Push Square, by coincidence the same score given to Indiana Jones by Pure Xbox. The Xbox version is rated 82/100 on Metacritic (20 reviews). Indiana Jones is rated 86/100 (47 reviews).
@FraserG Just to clarify, I didn't say that the game was reviewed negatively to get more clicks, not on this thread nor on Stalker 2's. I made a joke because, obviously, controversial reviews like this get more clicks, but I believe that in this case it's a consequence and not the reason. I know that many people have discussed that topic here and elsewhere many times and you're speaking generally, but since I was the one that was targeted here, just to make it clear. However, even if that was the case, it wouldn't justify being insulted by another reviewer (PJ), because even if I thought that it was written with that purpose, it would be just my opinion and the community rules concerning behaviour should apply to everyone. I don't want to offend Ben even if I disagree with him because unlike PJ, Ben is always respectful. I don't think that he reviewed the game negatively on purpose. I don't think that the game is bad either. I think that he wrote a review reflecting more his personal preferences than the game itself. I don't like that because reviews are submitted and affect sales, but of course I have no choice but to accept it. Disagreements are natural. Respect is sacred.
@Jaxx420 Thank you. It's been many years and I have realised that both us are honest and respectful in spite of our different preferences. I appreciate you say that publicly.
@blockfight I partially agree. That tendency is not positive but like the other user said, in this case they didn't just post the negative Xbox news but the roundup, which is more than fair.
@Jaxx420 It wasn't reviewed by him, although weirdly enough he was more active on this thread than on his Stalker 2's review. I agree with you, but the same reasoning means that readers have their right to write their comments, opinions and conclusions. Nothing wrong with that. I don't think people are using those sites as the best reference, what they are saying is that literally all but this website reviewed Indiana Jones and the Great Circle favourably.
@blockfight Then, why not make one of those
"Here's What The Reviews Are Saying About" articles like the three sites usually do? I have noticed their tendency to only cover negative news about Xbox over the years. I mean, of course they can do whatever they want, but it's not innocent coverage as you're telling @trev666, especially since the game is not even available on PS5 and won't be until Q1-Q2 2025. It's literally a way to get more clicks from Push Square and give more visibility to the negative review given by their sister site to a game that can't be played on PS5. Not judging that nor judging anyone's business, just saying what it is.
The problem is that not all the games are reviewed the same way these days, so most reviews are unpredictable and not necessarily reliable. When you review games professionally, you should try to focus more on the game and less on your personal preferences. There are reviews that praise games irrationally and others that punish games because the reviewer doesn't seem to like what others find enjoyable.
Sometimes, being more of the same results in a lower score and sometimes more of the same equals 10 out of 10. If you think that you may like something, you read a bad review and you don't try it, you don't know what reviews are, because a good game may get a negative review and vice versa. Now more than ever before.
@Rangers420 No man, as I have explained several times and as I actually wrote in my first comment, it's either the reason or the consequence. Knowing Ben, I think it's the latter. The review gets extra clicks because of his opinion, but he didn't change his opinion to get more clicks. In any case, I'm not that worried about scores. If you have read my comments before, you'll see that I prefer user reviews. My only concern about these reviews is that they're submitted to Metacritic and affect the commercial performance of games, but I'm not a publisher nor a developer so it's just solidarity and not personal interests.
@oopsiezz I would agree with that if had said that, but if you read my comments you'll see I haven't said anything like that. Obviously, they can rate games however they want and then people will have their opinion about those reviews.
@PJOReilly No, I just see you didn't even understand what I wrote in my first comment nor the explanation I just posted. Besides, if you didn't insult me, I wouldn't need to reply.
@PJOReilly What a self-contradictory comment (grow up?). That's just one of your prejudices that have nothing to do with me. I didn't say if it's the reason or the consequence, but it's one or the other. I'm not the only one thinking so and I have the right to respectfully share my thoughts even if you don't like them, same as you share your reviews that not everyone likes. Learn to respect your customers.
Pure Xbox once again submitting the lowest score, but in spite of that the average is 87. Great game for most and that's positive and good news for all. This will get extra clicks like Stalker 2's, though. 😂
#1 Persona 3 Reload (like @Foxx_64740)
#2 Octopath Traveller II
#3 The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition
#4 Final Fantasy XIII
#5 Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess (don't ignore this title!)
#6 Assassin's Creed: The Ezio Collection
#7 Persona 5 Tactica
#8 Final Fantasy XIII-2
#9 Trials of Mana
#10 Assassin's Creed III Remastered
#11 Halo Infinite
#12 Call of Duty
#13 Sea of Stars
#14 Resident Evil 5 (co-op playthrough)
#15 Immortals of Aveum
#16 Ghostwire: Tokyo (currently playing this)
#17 Tomb Raider Underworld
#18 Redfall
Time played: top 2%
Gamerscore: top 1%
Achievements unlocked: top 1%
Games played: 119
Games played on Game Pass: 76
I had a lot of fun on Xbox this year!
It seems that I took a break from Fortnite and Sea of Thieves that have been on top previously.
Multi-account users that have their comments removed because of trolling and harassment is certainly not your case as far as I know, even when you are pessimistic or negative.
@OldGamer999 Yes, the plans until last year were those, but like I said plans may change and there is no definitive date yet. However, Xbox is doing better than ever in terms of revenue and the engagement and the amount of subscribers on console is very high. I don't think that Microsoft needs to rush their hardware plans. There are twice as many PS5 than Series X|S, but only 6.8% of the digital sales on PS5 were first-party in the last quarter. That is a very small amount. PS is still a "casual" console for Call of Duty, as we have seen this month. Nobody cares about PS exclusives except the die-hard fans, the rest is playing Call of Duty, Minecraft and Fortnite. Same on Xbox, but Microsoft owns Call of Duty and Minecraft now.
In any case, even if it's for selling third-party games, subscriptions and DLC, the two consoles are lucrative even though the market is more limited than the mobile and PC markets. Microsoft and Sony earn money via consoles and they won't stop doing so, but it's likely that consoles become a different thing soon.
Like it was leaked and I posted above, the plans are a hybrid platform that uses the power of the client (console) and the cloud, with a possible handheld for cloud gaming. Nintendo has also evolved. They used to have a home and a handheld console at the same time, now they have a hybrid console.
Nintendo is fascinating. They went in the same generation from their biggest failure besides Virtual Boy that I ignore because it wasn't released here to one of the most successful consoles ever. Who knows what's next, but one thing is certain, Switch found a hybrid console gaming niche that is now much busier than in 2017.
@Fiendish-Beaver No, the plans are describing the next generation, "a next generation hybrid game platform" with "the first dev kits to arrive in 2027." It's not a mid-gen upgrade. They revealed that they knew about PS5 Pro and that they had no mid-gen plans. This is how it has been reported everywhere because it's what the court documents say.
@Fiendish-Beaver Your comment was funny because you said several times that 2028 was never mentioned, like you were completely sure 😁. There are things that I don't know, but you'll always see me saying something like, "I think..." , "I don't know..." but I forgive you because of your excuse 😜.
For instance, now I'm going to tell you that I don't know when the next generation will begin, excluding off-gen Nintendo in 2025. Honestly, I can wait. I think that there's a lot of value in this generation, not just the power but the quality of life features like Quick Resume and, as long as there is a 60fps mode, I'm satisfied. It's not like Xbox One X that although excellent hardware, was still struggling because of the CPU.
However, I'm sorry to tell you that you're wrong again about them referring to PS exclusively. There is very interesting information about the next Xbox in the court documents that describe Microsoft's next hardware as a hybrid platform using the power of the client and the cloud, with potential handheld devices for cloud gaming. Furthermore, they show the roadmap for the first dev kits to arrive in 2027.
details about the hardware design revealing plans to begin in 2024, the first dev kits to arrive in 2027
Of course, plans change, but in the same documents it is revealed that Microsoft knew that Sony was releasing a PS5 Pro in 2024, so that wouldn't be the reason for the plans to change.
@datamonkey Yes, it's very likely that the Xbox and PS handhelds are not dedicated handhelds when even the king of handhelds Nintendo has dropped the dual development. The advantage that Xbox has is that PCs and Xbox run Windows and they are learning from the handheld PCs as confirmed by Phil Spencer, not to mention the existence of Play Anywhere and free cross-platform cloud saves. Xbox is an open ecosystem already. PS has their own OS and the games (and even the save files) are not designed for a variety of hardware configurations. Even for the same-gen PS5 Pro, the PS5 games have to be patched with different levels of success, so it's much trickier.
@Fiendish-Beaver "When did Microsoft say 2028? Microsoft have said nothing with regards to a year of release for their new console. No date has ever been mentioned in any capacity."
I haven't said that Microsoft has revealed the year of release for their new console, but a date has been mentioned. What I said is, "Last year they revealed that the next generation is expected to begin in 2028."
That reveal comes from an statement that they made during the acquisition of ABK (2023). It's not the official release date like you're implying in your understanding and reply.
"I've been following this issue closely, and I've never seen mention of 2028, but if you can point me in a different direction then that'll be cool."
Microsoft is expecting the next generation — meaning the PlayStation 6 and Xbox Series X|S successor — to begin in 2028.
Well deserved! It's one of the best shooter campaigns I have ever played and I have played plenty. Multiplayer is also excellent. Not rushing the development paid off.
@kuu_nousee @Gkobz It depends on how the game is built. For instance, Sea of Thieves (huge UE4 game) used to download the whole game for a "patch" or seasonal expansion, but they replaced it with a new version that doesn't.
They already have a solid lineup, so I'd ask for more IP revivals, more FPS Boost, more backwards compatibility if licences allow it and more third-party Play Anywhere support. I'm really curious about the next hardware, but last year they revealed that the next generation is expected to begin in 2028... They also knew that Sony would be releasing a Pro model and that they were not doing that, so I guess that plans haven't changed.
@GamingFan4Lyf What more proof do you need than a sworn declaration and games being released for PC but not Xbox? Nintendo was not part of the questions and answers because Sony and Microsoft didn't consider Nintendo as competition in the high-end market. Anyway, I'm not here to convince anybody. Each one can believe whatever they want to believe.
Japanese giant Sony often paid developers for inferior treatment of the Xbox. The companies were supposed to deliberately skip or delay the release of games for Microsoft's consoles (this officially confirms previous speculation and rumors);
Final Fantasy XVI was cited as examples, which made its market debut on June 22. Judge points out that previous installments of the series were coming to the Redmond giant's devices, and now Sony has paid Square Enix to skip the Xbox in its plans and make the game a PlayStation 5 exclusive;
ZeniMax has also been paid by Sony to skip the release of Deathloop and Ghostwire on the Xbox, but since Microsoft took over the company in 2020 for more than $7 billion, the plans were not realized.
The document also included the well-known fact that Microsoft was concerned about Sony's intentions to sign a deal with ZeniMax for the exclusivity of Starfield. This was one of the main reasons why the Xbox manufacturer decided to take over ZeniMax.
@themightyant I didn't know that PS5 supported Dolby Atmos. Since when? Regarding the Xbox and PS handhelds, they both face the same technical obstacles and I agree with that. The only advantage that Xbox has when facing those limitations is that it would benefit from the open Xbox/PC/Windows ecosystem where games are more easily scaled down, while PS is a closed ecosystem with its own OS.
I notice the Bluetooth lag for controllers. I don't use Bluetooth earbuds often, but a wired headset for online gaming and not always. I used Bluetooth earbuds once for Switch and it wasn't great.
Last year, Sony released just three PSVR 2 games and has yet to officially announce even one first-party game coming out for the system in 2024, let alone in 2025. Of those three games, Firewall Ultra developer First Contact Entertainment has since shut down. To add insult to injury, Sony then closed down London Studio in February—a team responsible for another of the PSVR's highest-rated games, Blood & Truth, as well as the PlayStation VR Worlds demo disc.
Bloomberg reports that Sony has stopped producing new PSVR2 units as it tries to clear out a growing backlog of unsold inventory.
@MeanBeanEgg I was referring to the Xbox exclusion deals that were leaked during the ABK acquisition that specifically excluded Xbox and that motivated Microsoft to acquire other publishers. I've never approved any deal that means paying another company to prevent another platform from getting their games. That's just on your imagination.
I knew that the other Square Enix titles would be ported to Xbox before Square Enix "rebooted" their business strategy, stopped signing Xbox exclusion deals and became multiplatform. Now, I'm guessing that Xbox is getting FF XVI first and then the VII remakes, but they said they are prioritising the development of the third part, so it's likely that Xbox will get the trilogy after that.
@Ilyn I was thinking of things like Vita's memory cards, Portal not supporting third-party earbuds and being very limited overall, restrictive digital sales, upgrade fees, no free cloud saves, Sony using proprietary video and audio systems and not supporting Dolby Vision nor Dolby Atmos, etc. [EDIT: PS5 added Dolby Atmos support for games recently]
Regarding software, do you see third parties and Sony patching the whole PS4-PS5 library (for free), so it can run on a new device? If it supports PS5 software natively, no problem, but is it feasible? If it has downgraded versions of PS5 games, it would be extra work. It wouldn't be as straightforward as third-party handheld PCs and even Xbox that run Windows OS because Windows (PC and Xbox) games are more easily scaled down and they are designed for different hardware configurations. Sony could use the PC ports of its exclusives for this handheld, but then Sony's handheld would be running Windows and that's almost impossible.
I'm sure that next generation there will be a home Xbox and a handheld Xbox, but it could also be a hybrid that gets more powerful docked. The only problem with a new Sony handheld is that it will be completely restrictive like Vita and Portal and could be abandoned by its creator, like Vita or PSVR, if it doesn't meet Sony's expectations.
@Ilyn I agree about the The Legend of Zelda, too! BotW and TotK disappointed me and have nothing to do with the masterpieces I grew up with.
Another very important thing regarding reviews, it's exactly what we are saying. On Metacritic's main page, Gladiator II film appears with a green "Generally favorable" tag, with 63/100 points, next to Stalker 2, that has the yellow tag "Mixed or average" with 74/100. That's the PC version, you have to click on it and choose the Xbox version to see the green tag and 78/100, in spite of PJ's review, that is the only negative review.
What does it mean? That the entertainment industry is encouraging different metrics for video games. A film gets the "generally favorable" green tag with just 63 points, but a video game gets the yellow tag with 74 points, a yellow warning saying that 74 is not good enough for a video game.
@Coletrain Indeed. About Hellblade II, the first part of the game near the ocean and the key fights were presented in a way I had never seen in a video game. The way the sword is swung, even. The graphical fidelity... The torches!
@Coletrain Right, I really enjoyed the Uncharted games as "films", Nathan Drake is likeable, but as games they are terrible. In that sense, the Tomb Raider games are much better, although modern Lara Croft is not coherent. What I remember about them is what you remember about them.
I didn't like anything about The Last of Us and I was more excited about playing those than Uncharted because horror is one of my favourite genres. Critics love this kind of games with solid and intense storytelling even when gameplay is mediocre, and they became Sony's identity during the PS4 era, at the expense of Sony's more gamey IPs.
Judging by the trailers, Indiana Jones will be a combination of adventure, exploration, stealth and close-range combat and looks great. More similar to Tomb Raider than Uncharted, I think. Microsoft's Sony template game has been released already, Hellblade II. 😉
Comments 7,150
Re: Indiana Jones And The Great Circle Review Roundup: Here's What The Critics Think So Far
@oopsiezz "@jesse_dylan I never said..."
I never said what you said I said on the other thread either. We all should try to read before reacting. 😉
Re: Indiana Jones And The Great Circle Review Roundup: Here's What The Critics Think So Far
Thanks for the roundup. I'll play it on Series X (using Game Pass Ultimate) and looking forward to it! It seems a very solid one even though like any other video game (including games rated 10/10), it won't appeal to everyone.
If I don't start Indiana Jones next week is because I'm still busy with Ghostwire Tokyo, a game I'm loving and that was rated 6/10 on Push Square, by coincidence the same score given to Indiana Jones by Pure Xbox. The Xbox version is rated 82/100 on Metacritic (20 reviews). Indiana Jones is rated 86/100 (47 reviews).
Re: Review: Indiana Jones And The Great Circle (Xbox) - A MachineGames Misfire
@Markatron84 Exactly and thank you.
@FraserG Thank you and back at you. Enjoy your time off, you deserve it!
Re: Review: Indiana Jones And The Great Circle (Xbox) - A MachineGames Misfire
@FraserG Just to clarify, I didn't say that the game was reviewed negatively to get more clicks, not on this thread nor on Stalker 2's. I made a joke because, obviously, controversial reviews like this get more clicks, but I believe that in this case it's a consequence and not the reason. I know that many people have discussed that topic here and elsewhere many times and you're speaking generally, but since I was the one that was targeted here, just to make it clear. However, even if that was the case, it wouldn't justify being insulted by another reviewer (PJ), because even if I thought that it was written with that purpose, it would be just my opinion and the community rules concerning behaviour should apply to everyone. I don't want to offend Ben even if I disagree with him because unlike PJ, Ben is always respectful. I don't think that he reviewed the game negatively on purpose. I don't think that the game is bad either. I think that he wrote a review reflecting more his personal preferences than the game itself. I don't like that because reviews are submitted and affect sales, but of course I have no choice but to accept it. Disagreements are natural. Respect is sacred.
Re: Review: Indiana Jones And The Great Circle (Xbox) - A MachineGames Misfire
@Jaxx420 Thank you. It's been many years and I have realised that both us are honest and respectful in spite of our different preferences. I appreciate you say that publicly.
Re: Review: Indiana Jones And The Great Circle (Xbox) - A MachineGames Misfire
@blockfight I partially agree. That tendency is not positive but like the other user said, in this case they didn't just post the negative Xbox news but the roundup, which is more than fair.
Re: Review: Indiana Jones And The Great Circle (Xbox) - A MachineGames Misfire
@Feffster Thank you and back at you!
Re: Review: Indiana Jones And The Great Circle (Xbox) - A MachineGames Misfire
@Jaxx420 It wasn't reviewed by him, although weirdly enough he was more active on this thread than on his Stalker 2's review. I agree with you, but the same reasoning means that readers have their right to write their comments, opinions and conclusions. Nothing wrong with that. I don't think people are using those sites as the best reference, what they are saying is that literally all but this website reviewed Indiana Jones and the Great Circle favourably.
Re: Review: Indiana Jones And The Great Circle (Xbox) - A MachineGames Misfire
@Titntin Thanks because I had missed that.
Re: Review: Indiana Jones And The Great Circle (Xbox) - A MachineGames Misfire
@blockfight Then, why not make one of those
"Here's What The Reviews Are Saying About" articles like the three sites usually do? I have noticed their tendency to only cover negative news about Xbox over the years. I mean, of course they can do whatever they want, but it's not innocent coverage as you're telling @trev666, especially since the game is not even available on PS5 and won't be until Q1-Q2 2025. It's literally a way to get more clicks from Push Square and give more visibility to the negative review given by their sister site to a game that can't be played on PS5. Not judging that nor judging anyone's business, just saying what it is.
Re: Review: Indiana Jones And The Great Circle (Xbox) - A MachineGames Misfire
The problem is that not all the games are reviewed the same way these days, so most reviews are unpredictable and not necessarily reliable. When you review games professionally, you should try to focus more on the game and less on your personal preferences. There are reviews that praise games irrationally and others that punish games because the reviewer doesn't seem to like what others find enjoyable.
Sometimes, being more of the same results in a lower score and sometimes more of the same equals 10 out of 10. If you think that you may like something, you read a bad review and you don't try it, you don't know what reviews are, because a good game may get a negative review and vice versa. Now more than ever before.
Re: Review: Indiana Jones And The Great Circle (Xbox) - A MachineGames Misfire
@Sol4ris Thanks! That level of honesty and courage is almost extinct.
Re: Review: Indiana Jones And The Great Circle (Xbox) - A MachineGames Misfire
@bowzoid Kazooie would have said much nastiest things. 🤣
Re: Review: Indiana Jones And The Great Circle (Xbox) - A MachineGames Misfire
@Rangers420 No man, as I have explained several times and as I actually wrote in my first comment, it's either the reason or the consequence. Knowing Ben, I think it's the latter. The review gets extra clicks because of his opinion, but he didn't change his opinion to get more clicks. In any case, I'm not that worried about scores. If you have read my comments before, you'll see that I prefer user reviews. My only concern about these reviews is that they're submitted to Metacritic and affect the commercial performance of games, but I'm not a publisher nor a developer so it's just solidarity and not personal interests.
Re: Review: Indiana Jones And The Great Circle (Xbox) - A MachineGames Misfire
@oopsiezz I would agree with that if had said that, but if you read my comments you'll see I haven't said anything like that. Obviously, they can rate games however they want and then people will have their opinion about those reviews.
Re: Review: Indiana Jones And The Great Circle (Xbox) - A MachineGames Misfire
@PJOReilly No, I just see you didn't even understand what I wrote in my first comment nor the explanation I just posted. Besides, if you didn't insult me, I wouldn't need to reply.
Re: Review: Indiana Jones And The Great Circle (Xbox) - A MachineGames Misfire
@Rangers420 I have never said that PJ (or Ben) is lying for clicks. Some people said it (about PJ), but not me.
Re: Review: Indiana Jones And The Great Circle (Xbox) - A MachineGames Misfire
@PJOReilly "Are you ok?" Another self-contradictory comment.
Re: Review: Indiana Jones And The Great Circle (Xbox) - A MachineGames Misfire
@Medic_alert Read my comment again because that's not what I said. Do you doubt that it will get more clicks even if it's just a consequence?
Re: Review: Indiana Jones And The Great Circle (Xbox) - A MachineGames Misfire
@PJOReilly What a self-contradictory comment (grow up?). That's just one of your prejudices that have nothing to do with me. I didn't say if it's the reason or the consequence, but it's one or the other. I'm not the only one thinking so and I have the right to respectfully share my thoughts even if you don't like them, same as you share your reviews that not everyone likes. Learn to respect your customers.
Re: Review: Indiana Jones And The Great Circle (Xbox) - A MachineGames Misfire
Pure Xbox once again submitting the lowest score, but in spite of that the average is 87. Great game for most and that's positive and good news for all. This will get extra clicks like Stalker 2's, though. 😂
Re: It's That Time Again! Your Xbox 'Year In Review' 2024 Is Now Available
Great way to know fellows.
#1 Persona 3 Reload (like @Foxx_64740)
#2 Octopath Traveller II
#3 The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition
#4 Final Fantasy XIII
#5 Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess (don't ignore this title!)
#6 Assassin's Creed: The Ezio Collection
#7 Persona 5 Tactica
#8 Final Fantasy XIII-2
#9 Trials of Mana
#10 Assassin's Creed III Remastered
#11 Halo Infinite
#12 Call of Duty
#13 Sea of Stars
#14 Resident Evil 5 (co-op playthrough)
#15 Immortals of Aveum
#16 Ghostwire: Tokyo (currently playing this)
#17 Tomb Raider Underworld
#18 Redfall
Time played: top 2%
Gamerscore: top 1%
Achievements unlocked: top 1%
Games played: 119
Games played on Game Pass: 76
I had a lot of fun on Xbox this year!
It seems that I took a break from Fortnite and Sea of Thieves that have been on top previously.
Re: Surprise! Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled Drifts Onto Xbox Game Pass This Week
I love this game, one of the best in the genre (the best is Diddy Kong Racing).
Re: Xbox Engineer Shows Off Console Dashboard With 'Comic Sans' Font
My first Xbox 👶
Re: Talking Point: When You're Low On Time, What Do You Play On Xbox?
Racing games. 😁
Re: Rare Boss Now Officially The New Head Of Xbox Game Studios
@Fiendish-Beaver The community rules are available here if you have doubts about what you can do:
https://www.purexbox.com/rules#:~:text=Please%20always%20remain%20constructive%20in%20your%20response.%201,be%20respectful%20in%20your%20response.%20...%20More%20items
Multi-account users that have their comments removed because of trolling and harassment is certainly not your case as far as I know, even when you are pessimistic or negative.
Re: Poll: Which Is Your Favourite Xbox Title From Bethesda Developer MachineGames?
The co-developed Youngblood is the only Xbox title by Machine Games that I disliked and didn't finish. I consider The New Colossus the best.
Re: Talking Point: What Do You Want To See From Xbox In 2025?
@OldGamer999 Yes, the plans until last year were those, but like I said plans may change and there is no definitive date yet. However, Xbox is doing better than ever in terms of revenue and the engagement and the amount of subscribers on console is very high. I don't think that Microsoft needs to rush their hardware plans. There are twice as many PS5 than Series X|S, but only 6.8% of the digital sales on PS5 were first-party in the last quarter. That is a very small amount. PS is still a "casual" console for Call of Duty, as we have seen this month. Nobody cares about PS exclusives except the die-hard fans, the rest is playing Call of Duty, Minecraft and Fortnite. Same on Xbox, but Microsoft owns Call of Duty and Minecraft now.
In any case, even if it's for selling third-party games, subscriptions and DLC, the two consoles are lucrative even though the market is more limited than the mobile and PC markets. Microsoft and Sony earn money via consoles and they won't stop doing so, but it's likely that consoles become a different thing soon.
Like it was leaked and I posted above, the plans are a hybrid platform that uses the power of the client (console) and the cloud, with a possible handheld for cloud gaming. Nintendo has also evolved. They used to have a home and a handheld console at the same time, now they have a hybrid console.
Nintendo is fascinating. They went in the same generation from their biggest failure besides Virtual Boy that I ignore because it wasn't released here to one of the most successful consoles ever. Who knows what's next, but one thing is certain, Switch found a hybrid console gaming niche that is now much busier than in 2017.
Re: Talking Point: What Other Xbox Games Do You Want Patched To 60FPS?
Spyro the Reignited Trilogy, Crash Team Racing, RDR2, Xbox 360 games when possible and every new release.
Re: Talking Point: What Do You Want To See From Xbox In 2025?
@Fiendish-Beaver No, the plans are describing the next generation, "a next generation hybrid game platform" with "the first dev kits to arrive in 2027." It's not a mid-gen upgrade. They revealed that they knew about PS5 Pro and that they had no mid-gen plans. This is how it has been reported everywhere because it's what the court documents say.
Re: Talking Point: What Do You Want To See From Xbox In 2025?
@Fiendish-Beaver Your comment was funny because you said several times that 2028 was never mentioned, like you were completely sure 😁. There are things that I don't know, but you'll always see me saying something like, "I think..." , "I don't know..." but I forgive you because of your excuse 😜.
For instance, now I'm going to tell you that I don't know when the next generation will begin, excluding off-gen Nintendo in 2025. Honestly, I can wait. I think that there's a lot of value in this generation, not just the power but the quality of life features like Quick Resume and, as long as there is a 60fps mode, I'm satisfied. It's not like Xbox One X that although excellent hardware, was still struggling because of the CPU.
However, I'm sorry to tell you that you're wrong again about them referring to PS exclusively. There is very interesting information about the next Xbox in the court documents that describe Microsoft's next hardware as a hybrid platform using the power of the client and the cloud, with potential handheld devices for cloud gaming. Furthermore, they show the roadmap for the first dev kits to arrive in 2027.
https://www.techradar.com/gaming/xbox/next-xbox-console-targeting-2028-release-according-to-microsoft-court-documents
Of course, plans change, but in the same documents it is revealed that Microsoft knew that Sony was releasing a PS5 Pro in 2024, so that wouldn't be the reason for the plans to change.
Re: Xbox Set To Be Joined By PlayStation In Creating New Handheld Console
@datamonkey Yes, it's very likely that the Xbox and PS handhelds are not dedicated handhelds when even the king of handhelds Nintendo has dropped the dual development. The advantage that Xbox has is that PCs and Xbox run Windows and they are learning from the handheld PCs as confirmed by Phil Spencer, not to mention the existence of Play Anywhere and free cross-platform cloud saves. Xbox is an open ecosystem already. PS has their own OS and the games (and even the save files) are not designed for a variety of hardware configurations. Even for the same-gen PS5 Pro, the PS5 games have to be patched with different levels of success, so it's much trickier.
Re: Talking Point: What Do You Want To See From Xbox In 2025?
@Fiendish-Beaver "When did Microsoft say 2028? Microsoft have said nothing with regards to a year of release for their new console. No date has ever been mentioned in any capacity."
I haven't said that Microsoft has revealed the year of release for their new console, but a date has been mentioned. What I said is, "Last year they revealed that the next generation is expected to begin in 2028."
That reveal comes from an statement that they made during the acquisition of ABK (2023). It's not the official release date like you're implying in your understanding and reply.
"I've been following this issue closely, and I've never seen mention of 2028, but if you can point me in a different direction then that'll be cool."
https://www.ign.com/articles/12-surprising-reveals-from-the-xbox-ftc-trial
Re: Black Ops 6 Biggest Ever Call Of Duty Launch Month, According To Activision
Well deserved! It's one of the best shooter campaigns I have ever played and I have played plenty. Multiplayer is also excellent. Not rushing the development paid off.
Re: Talking Point: What Do You Want To See From Xbox In 2025?
@kuu_nousee @Gkobz It depends on how the game is built. For instance, Sea of Thieves (huge UE4 game) used to download the whole game for a "patch" or seasonal expansion, but they replaced it with a new version that doesn't.
Re: Talking Point: What Do You Want To See From Xbox In 2025?
They already have a solid lineup, so I'd ask for more IP revivals, more FPS Boost, more backwards compatibility if licences allow it and more third-party Play Anywhere support. I'm really curious about the next hardware, but last year they revealed that the next generation is expected to begin in 2028... They also knew that Sony would be releasing a Pro model and that they were not doing that, so I guess that plans haven't changed.
Re: Xbox Set To Be Joined By PlayStation In Creating New Handheld Console
@BleedingDreamer Thanks for that, I knew that PS5 didn't support Dolby Atmos for games, but I didn't know that it does now.
Re: Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth Isn't On Xbox Yet, But The Director Clearly Wants To See It Happen
@GamingFan4Lyf What more proof do you need than a sworn declaration and games being released for PC but not Xbox? Nintendo was not part of the questions and answers because Sony and Microsoft didn't consider Nintendo as competition in the high-end market. Anyway, I'm not here to convince anybody. Each one can believe whatever they want to believe.
Re: Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth Isn't On Xbox Yet, But The Director Clearly Wants To See It Happen
@GamingFan4Lyf
Sony Paid Studios to Discriminate Xbox - Official Confirmation
https://www.gamepressure.com/newsroom/sony-paid-studios-to-discriminate-xbox-official-confirmation/z35b75
Phil Spencer Revealed Sony Paid to Ensure Final Fantasy 16 Skips Xbox Consoles
https://www.essentiallysports.com/esports-news-phil-spencer-revealed-sony-paid-to-ensure-final-fantasy-16-skips-xbox-consoles/
Re: Xbox Set To Be Joined By PlayStation In Creating New Handheld Console
@Gkobz Also a Sony Bravia lineup that supported PS cloud gaming and PS4 controllers, soon after they also stopped supporting that.
Re: Xbox Set To Be Joined By PlayStation In Creating New Handheld Console
@themightyant I didn't know that PS5 supported Dolby Atmos. Since when? Regarding the Xbox and PS handhelds, they both face the same technical obstacles and I agree with that. The only advantage that Xbox has when facing those limitations is that it would benefit from the open Xbox/PC/Windows ecosystem where games are more easily scaled down, while PS is a closed ecosystem with its own OS.
I notice the Bluetooth lag for controllers. I don't use Bluetooth earbuds often, but a wired headset for online gaming and not always. I used Bluetooth earbuds once for Switch and it wasn't great.
Re: Xbox Set To Be Joined By PlayStation In Creating New Handheld Console
@GeeEssEff From Android Central and Bloomberg:
Last year, Sony released just three PSVR 2 games and has yet to officially announce even one first-party game coming out for the system in 2024, let alone in 2025. Of those three games, Firewall Ultra developer First Contact Entertainment has since shut down. To add insult to injury, Sony then closed down London Studio in February—a team responsible for another of the PSVR's highest-rated games, Blood & Truth, as well as the PlayStation VR Worlds demo disc.
Bloomberg reports that Sony has stopped producing new PSVR2 units as it tries to clear out a growing backlog of unsold inventory.
Re: Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth Isn't On Xbox Yet, But The Director Clearly Wants To See It Happen
@MeanBeanEgg "But since you think that, I bet you don't like Stalker 2 having that too. "
I haven't said anything about the exclusivity of Stalker 2, you are the one bringing it up.
Re: Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth Isn't On Xbox Yet, But The Director Clearly Wants To See It Happen
@MeanBeanEgg I was referring to the Xbox exclusion deals that were leaked during the ABK acquisition that specifically excluded Xbox and that motivated Microsoft to acquire other publishers. I've never approved any deal that means paying another company to prevent another platform from getting their games. That's just on your imagination.
Re: Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth Isn't On Xbox Yet, But The Director Clearly Wants To See It Happen
I knew that the other Square Enix titles would be ported to Xbox before Square Enix "rebooted" their business strategy, stopped signing Xbox exclusion deals and became multiplatform. Now, I'm guessing that Xbox is getting FF XVI first and then the VII remakes, but they said they are prioritising the development of the third part, so it's likely that Xbox will get the trilogy after that.
Re: Xbox Set To Be Joined By PlayStation In Creating New Handheld Console
@Ilyn I was thinking of things like Vita's memory cards, Portal not supporting third-party earbuds and being very limited overall, restrictive digital sales, upgrade fees, no free cloud saves, Sony using proprietary video and audio systems and not supporting Dolby Vision nor Dolby Atmos, etc. [EDIT: PS5 added Dolby Atmos support for games recently]
Regarding software, do you see third parties and Sony patching the whole PS4-PS5 library (for free), so it can run on a new device? If it supports PS5 software natively, no problem, but is it feasible? If it has downgraded versions of PS5 games, it would be extra work. It wouldn't be as straightforward as third-party handheld PCs and even Xbox that run Windows OS because Windows (PC and Xbox) games are more easily scaled down and they are designed for different hardware configurations. Sony could use the PC ports of its exclusives for this handheld, but then Sony's handheld would be running Windows and that's almost impossible.
Re: Xbox Set To Be Joined By PlayStation In Creating New Handheld Console
I'm sure that next generation there will be a home Xbox and a handheld Xbox, but it could also be a hybrid that gets more powerful docked. The only problem with a new Sony handheld is that it will be completely restrictive like Vita and Portal and could be abandoned by its creator, like Vita or PSVR, if it doesn't meet Sony's expectations.
Re: Review: Stalker 2 (Xbox) - GSC Game World's Long-Awaited Sequel Is A Mess
@Ilyn I agree about the The Legend of Zelda, too! BotW and TotK disappointed me and have nothing to do with the masterpieces I grew up with.
Another very important thing regarding reviews, it's exactly what we are saying. On Metacritic's main page, Gladiator II film appears with a green "Generally favorable" tag, with 63/100 points, next to Stalker 2, that has the yellow tag "Mixed or average" with 74/100. That's the PC version, you have to click on it and choose the Xbox version to see the green tag and 78/100, in spite of PJ's review, that is the only negative review.
What does it mean? That the entertainment industry is encouraging different metrics for video games. A film gets the "generally favorable" green tag with just 63 points, but a video game gets the yellow tag with 74 points, a yellow warning saying that 74 is not good enough for a video game.
Re: Just One Game Is Confirmed For Xbox Game Pass In December 2024 So Far
@Coletrain Indeed. About Hellblade II, the first part of the game near the ocean and the key fights were presented in a way I had never seen in a video game. The way the sword is swung, even. The graphical fidelity... The torches!
Re: Just One Game Is Confirmed For Xbox Game Pass In December 2024 So Far
@Coletrain Right, I really enjoyed the Uncharted games as "films", Nathan Drake is likeable, but as games they are terrible. In that sense, the Tomb Raider games are much better, although modern Lara Croft is not coherent. What I remember about them is what you remember about them.
I didn't like anything about The Last of Us and I was more excited about playing those than Uncharted because horror is one of my favourite genres. Critics love this kind of games with solid and intense storytelling even when gameplay is mediocre, and they became Sony's identity during the PS4 era, at the expense of Sony's more gamey IPs.
Judging by the trailers, Indiana Jones will be a combination of adventure, exploration, stealth and close-range combat and looks great. More similar to Tomb Raider than Uncharted, I think. Microsoft's Sony template game has been released already, Hellblade II. 😉