@swedetrap That reminds me of the leaked Xbox Sebile controller that I think it's being reworked for the next generation. It should finally have hall effect technology. It's not expensive, so I wonder what reasons did Microsoft have to not use it in the expensive Elite controllers.
@Feffster Uncharted 4 is well presented, well scripted and has excellent voice acting, but the gameplay is extremely flat and linear and the shooting sections are terrible. I don't think that Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is following Sony's PS4/PS5 template of cinematic experiences, in spite of being based on a cinematographic IP, but rather a big adventure with much deeper gameplay. We'll see.
@MeanBeanEgg The topic is literally what score would you give to the game, so you should expect people disagreeing with the review, when most reviewers and users' ratings are higher. Exactly the same thing would happen with any other game if people disagreed with the review. You say that the game is "broken" and are more worried about an Xbox/Game Pass game being well received than about what others are saying about it, when it's usually the opposite, Xbox games tend to be rated more harshly, so don't worry. In any case, if people enjoy the game, don't consider it broken and give a higher score, let them be. By the way, this review is the only negative review on Metacritic.
Looking great, they seemed to have cooked something really special. Funny that Indiana Jones inspired Tomb Raider, Tomb Raider inspired Uncharted and now we are back to Indiana Jones. 😂
@MeanBeanEgg "Or maybe the game is just not that good. Your point is? I think it's perfectly rated."
Nobody here is disrespecting your opinion (because that is an opinion), but you can't reprimand and expect me and the others you tagged to agree with you and your rating. For most reviewers and players it is a good game. If you don't like it, don't play it and problem solved.
@Ilyn I rarely agree with you, but you make a good point. I always say that I want the technical details to be acknowledged in the reviews. I also say that it would be convenient if reviews were updated. Sea of Thieves and State of Decay 2 have nothing to do with what they were, or like @Neither_scene said, Cyberpunk and No Man’s Sky.
The problem is the lack of consistence in the industry and even by the same reviewers when tackling different games. Generally, video games tend to be overrated compared to films for instance, so a 4 almost equals a 1. A 4/10 game is supposed to be a complete mess, almost at the level of Superman (N64) and E.T. (Atari), considering how video games are rated these days.
There are also reviewers that give Tears of the Kingdom and Spider-Man 2 10s, forgiving the recycled content and gameplay, awkward controls, lack of innovation, performance or whatever reasons that are employed and that in other occasions are considered fatal, punishing other games harshly for exactly the same flaws. So, although I consider all reviews to be inevitably subjective, there is lack of consistence at best, professionalism and ethics at worst, not only regarding technical performance or glitches.
@CallMeDuraSouka I usually beat the games I start, but I didn't finished Anthem, The Outer Worlds and Deathloop because I was not enjoying them. I almost didn't try Redfall in spite of being subscribed to Game Pass, but I'm also having a blast.
Some reviewers don't like the genre, pace or style that they're reviewing and that doesn't make sense because reviews are meant for gamers that like that genre, pace or style. Although some reviews are meant to be controversial and get more clicks, I believe that in this case is the former.
@Arcticpandapopz Xbox One also had that feature in some games like Forza Horizon 3 using Groove Music that allowed you to play your own collection on the cloud for free, but it was shut down. Unfortunately, if you play a CD on Xbox, the only console that is able to do that in 2024, and you open a game, the CD is paused. It would be cool if it kept playing.
What's a good or bad game, though? That's completely subjective, like reviews are, unless we are talking about E.T. (Atari) or Superman (N64). There are many critically acclaimed games that I don't like, but I don't consider that they are objectively bad because of that. I write about them, but I'm aware that I'm writing my opinion. If the game is niche or the studio endangered, I try to be more careful with my words and score. We gamers have an acquired taste and we all process stimuli differently.
That aside, some reviewers don't like the genre, pace or style that they're reviewing and that doesn't make sense because reviews are meant for gamers that like that genre, pace or style. Although some reviews are meant to be controversial and get more clicks, I believe that in this case is the former.
@nomither6 Miis don't have arms on Wii, at least in the games I have played, e.g. Wii Sports and Wii Sports Resort. I didn't say that the Switch doesn't have Miis, but that Nintendo abandoned them. They are no longer mandatory. Many Wii games force you to choose a default Mii if you don't have any. I don't have any of the Mii games for Switch, but I guess that they are mandatory in Nintendo Switch Sports. They are a rare thing on Switch.
@WildConcept6 Absolutely. Microsoft needs to make a gaming mode for Windows
(not that boost mode but a console mode) and Phil Spencer admitted that when discussing their future handheld and how Windows works on the handheld PCs. It would be on computers too, bringing the Xbox experience to the other devices. They already have studios, Play Anywhere with third parties included, cloud saves and the OS, something nobody else has.
I use them and friends of mine do, but it's exactly what another user said above, buried and never highlighted. I will take a photo, then. They are actually really cool and made by Rare. Nintendo would have put them on your face like on Wii, 3DS and Wii U, but after that they abandoned the Miis, that were ugly and had no arms. Well, they use a new version now for The Legend of Zelda characters.
Hey! I started Redfall days before Stalker 2 launched. I know Redfall was panned, but looks like a story mode of Fortnite with State of Decay on top, which is not bad at all. Performance is perfect 60fps on Series X (performance mode). The world, story, weapons and UI are all fine. Maybe it gets repetitive, we'll see, but I'm liking it so far. On the other hand, I didn't like Deathloop (10/10 according to PJ).
The evolution of this project since it was revealed has been amazing. A AAA budget is what Obsidian needed and it looks like they're learning a lot of things about game development along the way. It should be their best game yet.
Like every game, of course it won't appeal to everyone. There will be negative previews and reviews, amongst other things because it's not published by Sony or Nintendo, but the third-person camera is a neat addition and the visual evolution of this project is amazing. As always, my "demand" would be a 60fps video mode on Series X.
Topic update: Kadokawa just posted that Sony has issued a letter of intent to acquire the company's shares, but no decision has been made at the time of writing. Thus, it's now confirmed that Sony wants to acquire Kadokawa.
@theduckofdeath The weirdest thing about it is that they pay for the third-party game and even for the whole studio to get those exclusives on PS5, but then they port their own games and even remaster and port them again. "Psychopaths about exclusivity" is the best definition about it that I have read so far. 😂 Like you said, there are games and studios that they don't redeem, it's all about building an audience around the IPs they think will sell best (Horizon, Spider-Man...). If this rumour is true, I guess that the newest and shining Elden Ring is the reason.
Well, the good news is that the title surpassed their expectations. I guess it's being more popular than the previous one. I assume that they're already fixing this.
@Weebleman As "the other chap" you referred to, I will clarify the three things I said. Firstly, I was referring to Square Enix as the main third party doing PS exclusives until very recently, that reported that sales weren't good on PS5. So, it's not a guess of mine. Secondly, I mentioned that only 6.8% of the PS5 sales in the last quarter were first-party, which is telling since Sony fans believe that PS exclusives are what sells PS5s. The third thing I mentioned is that they have closed studios recently which, again, it's no secret.
I don't know what's "wild" and "insane" about it because I just mentioned three facts that were news everywhere (including Push Square) and the three facts all tell the same story. I hadn't even said my opinion, just answering someone that referred to Sony's struggles this generation and why they are reluctantly becoming multiplatform. They are shipping lots of PS5s (no one is denying that), but that's no longer enough, especially considering their massive debt and, before someone says that many companies have massive debts, Sony's increases yearly and PS is not enough to fix that, which is why they tried the service games business, the mobile business and the PC business. Sony's net debt is $239.40B, 11.34% increase year-over-year, twice as much net debt as company value (106.90B).
The problem with Sony is not as simple as that their exclusives are expensive to make, which is a problem for every big publisher except Nintendo, but that they don't sell enough. 6.8% of the PS5 software sales last quarter is a very low figure, considering the marketing, the amount of shipped PS5s and that Sony's games are pure exclusives until they are ported to PC.
@Markatron84 You are right about the big picture, though. Sony's sales haven't been great on PS5. Third-party exclusives (e.g., Square Enix) don't sell well on PS5 and only 6.8% of the PS5 sales in the last quarter were first-party. They have also closed five studios lately.
@OldGamer999 Besides, a lower native resolution is better than AI upscaling. We have seen how Sony's pretentious PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution (machine learning) is mediocre at best. It's a shame because PS5 Pro has the same CPU, a GPU upgrade and was marketed upon improving existing games, therefore becoming the most overpriced and unnecessary console upgrade ever.
It's great that FPS Boost keeps delivering. That and Quick Resume are the best things of this whole generation. Besides, now all Assassin's Creed games run at 60fps on Series X except Black Flag, but I think that they're remaking it.
@Fenbops I understand what you mean, but selling less hardware doesn't mean than it's not viable. It's not Dreamcast. They earn billions yearly via software and subscriptions sold on Xbox consoles. The OS of Xbox is the same as the OS on all PCs around the world. Moreover, Microsoft makes hardware besides consoles: laptops, tablets, desktop computers and even smartphones. There is zero reason for them to drop hardware. Consoles might evolve into something different, but it will be the same scenario for Sony and Nintendo, because the market will be shaped by the habits of the consumers. If anything, Microsoft is in a better position, because they share the OS and sales between consoles and PCs and already have the publishers and infrastructure.
@Fenbops It's a transition to a multiplatform strategy. Sony is doing it reluctantly. If Switch was another Wii U in financial terms, Nintendo would have started it. For the reasons I posted, I believe that Xbox hardware is safe. Phil just confirmed it, once again.
"We’ll definitely do more consoles in the future, and other devices."
Regarding exclusives, Indiana Jones is being advertised on TV as an Xbox/PC release and that's cool to see and a big Game Pass seller, but I think that we have reached a point where console exclusives only make sense if they're cheap to make and sell millions, like Nintendo's. Microsoft, Square Enix and Sony have admitted that.
Xbox still has a ton of exclusives and Game Pass is an exclusive itself, since it's not available on PS and Nintendo. It's interesting how handheld PCs have blurred the lines. Consoles may become "devices", but isn't Xbox One a Windows device? At the end of the day, Xbox is doing better than ever, it's just that this transition leaves some players confused and nostalgic. Let me tell them, I don't believe for a second that the future of Xbox is Candy Crush and Cloud gaming, that's just part of the equation.
Tomb Raider Definitive Survivor Trilogy (70%)
Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection (67%)
Doom + Doom II (60%)
Sonic Superstars (70%)
Quake II (60%)
Hogwarts Legacy + Quidditch Champions Deluxe bundle (60%)
Immortals Fenyx Rising (80%)
Devil May Cry 5 Special Edition (this is the Series X|S version, 60%)
Trials of Mana (remake, 60%)
Death Stranding Director's Cut (50%, 7 days left)
@Coletrain Even Phil Spencer admitted the existence of the Xbox tax and that it's pointless to fight it. It's even worse because the opposite also happens. How many Sony and Nintendo games are "the best videogame ever made"? That sentence has lost its meaning completely. 🤣
It's not that they are focusing on mobile games. What mobile games? They own Candy Crush, but that doesn't mean that they're focusing on mobile games now. They are focusing on the multiplatform approach, but that doesn't mean the end of consoles, because that would kill a huge amount of their business and subscriptions, not to mention alienate their fans and set all the flammable posters worldwide on fire. I don't know why some people are so obsessed with Microsoft dropping hardware. It won't happen unless the console market cease to exist and that includes Sony and Nintendo. Then, we'll see what's next.
Consoles are just part of Xbox since Xbox One. Now it's getting much bigger, but it's good news for Microsoft and for us. Sony is reluctantly going this way, too.
@Coletrain Ha ha, yes, some articles attract that kind of users and end up having 300 comments, most of them by Xbox haters. Right, PC is the most flexible. I only have the PS4 as a Sony machine, but I realised that what I liked the most was available elsewhere.
Just 6.8% of PS5 sales are first-party. PS is the popular, casual console, except in Japan, funny enough, where it's becoming as popular as Xbox. Uncharted is fine, better as film than as game though and the only thing I remember now is the good voice acting and a few frustrating and poorly designed sections. I never liked The Last of Us in spite of liking horror, awful stealth sections and the most overrated Sony IP in my opinion, Horizon Zero Dawn is as beautiful as boring, Spider-Man is a cinematic one-time experience, God of War is fine if you like linear action...
On Xbox, there are many more first-party games I'm interested in and the flexibility, controller and ecosystem makes it the best place for the third-party library, so I naturally built up a huge collection after only being interested in Rare's games. It's the most consumer-friendly and the most flexible of the three. 😊
@Coletrain I also got the Pixel Remaster Collection on Xbox at launch! I pre-order digital games that I want to support specially. I have hundreds of games on Xbox and not that I expected that at first. According to Microsoft, the attach rate and activity are high on Xbox and I think it's because it's a great ecosystem with the best of console and the best of PC, including cross-play, cross-buy and free cross-save. Not as many consoles sold but dedicated players buying games and playing on Game Pass. That's better for the business than selling twice as many consoles and most people only buying two or three third-party games.
Regarding the Game Pass topic, even huge games like Persona 5 Royal, I did not have to rush them. Most third-party games stay on the service for one year and even if I spent a few months just playing one of them, it would still be much cheaper than buying them at launch, e.g., Persona 3 Reload + DLC (£$€100). But still, I buy Game Pass games. The only difference is that I don't have to.
I have played and bought games that I thought that I wouldn't like thanks to Game Pass. I believe Xbox when they say that Game Pass is beneficial to their whole business, because it boost the popularity and visibility of games. For instance, 52% of active Xbox players and 34% of active PS5 players in USA played Call of Duty Black Ops 6 at launch. Both were all-time highs for Call of Duty, but it's also breaking records on PC. Many users are playing it on Game Pass, but also bought the Vault Edition Upgrade. Many of them subscribed to Game Pass just to play the game and while perhaps not all of them will stay subscribed, some will buy the game and DLC if they unsubscribe. Game Pass and Play Anywhere is a win-win for players and for Xbox.
PS: Another user just posted elsewhere: "I use Game Pass to try before I buy and if I like something on Game Pass there's a 99% chance I'll buy it. It's also been great for me to find obscure indie games that I would never have even thought of playing or buying. I currently own over 800 games for my Series X and a huge amount of those purchases are because I got to play them first."
@Coletrain @Fiendish-Beaver Agreed! Developers make billions on Xbox besides Game Pass deals, as confirmed by Microsoft's yearly reports. I don't understand this obsession with "nobody buys Xbox games", "developers don't sell anything on Xbox" and "Xbox players only play on Game Pass". Some lies are spread across the internet and some people end up believing them as if they were facts, like some things that were rumours and once they were officially denied, they are unable to acknowledge that part of the story and still repeat the first (fake) part ad nauseum.
Nobody expects all third-party games on Game Pass. The thing I do and I recommend is playing third-party games first on Game Pass if they are available, because third-party games always leave the service. I have prioritised the Persona games, for instance.
@Balaam_ I haven't seen any Xbox fan here saying that this is a Fedex simulator and now being excited about it because it's on Xbox. There is only one comment I read with "Fedex", and that person is... consistent (bighead), never changes his mind.
Comments 7,150
Re: Review: Stalker 2 (Xbox) - GSC Game World's Long-Awaited Sequel Is A Mess
@swedetrap That reminds me of the leaked Xbox Sebile controller that I think it's being reworked for the next generation. It should finally have hall effect technology. It's not expensive, so I wonder what reasons did Microsoft have to not use it in the expensive Elite controllers.
Re: Just One Game Is Confirmed For Xbox Game Pass In December 2024 So Far
@Feffster Yes, they are being compared but they are quite different in terms of gameplay. Not long until Indy's is released. 😊
Re: Just One Game Is Confirmed For Xbox Game Pass In December 2024 So Far
@Feffster Uncharted 4 is well presented, well scripted and has excellent voice acting, but the gameplay is extremely flat and linear and the shooting sections are terrible. I don't think that Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is following Sony's PS4/PS5 template of cinematic experiences, in spite of being based on a cinematographic IP, but rather a big adventure with much deeper gameplay. We'll see.
Re: Poll: What Do You Think Of Stalker 2 On Xbox Game Pass So Far?
@MeanBeanEgg The topic is literally what score would you give to the game, so you should expect people disagreeing with the review, when most reviewers and users' ratings are higher. Exactly the same thing would happen with any other game if people disagreed with the review. You say that the game is "broken" and are more worried about an Xbox/Game Pass game being well received than about what others are saying about it, when it's usually the opposite, Xbox games tend to be rated more harshly, so don't worry. In any case, if people enjoy the game, don't consider it broken and give a higher score, let them be. By the way, this review is the only negative review on Metacritic.
Re: Just One Game Is Confirmed For Xbox Game Pass In December 2024 So Far
Looking great, they seemed to have cooked something really special. Funny that Indiana Jones inspired Tomb Raider, Tomb Raider inspired Uncharted and now we are back to Indiana Jones. 😂
Re: Poll: What Do You Think Of Stalker 2 On Xbox Game Pass So Far?
@MeanBeanEgg "Or maybe the game is just not that good. Your point is? I think it's perfectly rated."
Nobody here is disrespecting your opinion (because that is an opinion), but you can't reprimand and expect me and the others you tagged to agree with you and your rating. For most reviewers and players it is a good game. If you don't like it, don't play it and problem solved.
Re: Review: Stalker 2 (Xbox) - GSC Game World's Long-Awaited Sequel Is A Mess
@Ilyn I rarely agree with you, but you make a good point. I always say that I want the technical details to be acknowledged in the reviews. I also say that it would be convenient if reviews were updated. Sea of Thieves and State of Decay 2 have nothing to do with what they were, or like @Neither_scene said, Cyberpunk and No Man’s Sky.
The problem is the lack of consistence in the industry and even by the same reviewers when tackling different games. Generally, video games tend to be overrated compared to films for instance, so a 4 almost equals a 1. A 4/10 game is supposed to be a complete mess, almost at the level of Superman (N64) and E.T. (Atari), considering how video games are rated these days.
There are also reviewers that give Tears of the Kingdom and Spider-Man 2 10s, forgiving the recycled content and gameplay, awkward controls, lack of innovation, performance or whatever reasons that are employed and that in other occasions are considered fatal, punishing other games harshly for exactly the same flaws. So, although I consider all reviews to be inevitably subjective, there is lack of consistence at best, professionalism and ethics at worst, not only regarding technical performance or glitches.
Re: Review: Stalker 2 (Xbox) - GSC Game World's Long-Awaited Sequel Is A Mess
@CallMeDuraSouka I usually beat the games I start, but I didn't finished Anthem, The Outer Worlds and Deathloop because I was not enjoying them. I almost didn't try Redfall in spite of being subscribed to Game Pass, but I'm also having a blast.
Re: Poll: What Do You Think Of Stalker 2 On Xbox Game Pass So Far?
@abe_hikura You should work as a tester. 😜
Re: Poll: What Do You Think Of Stalker 2 On Xbox Game Pass So Far?
Some reviewers don't like the genre, pace or style that they're reviewing and that doesn't make sense because reviews are meant for gamers that like that genre, pace or style. Although some reviews are meant to be controversial and get more clicks, I believe that in this case is the former.
Re: Xbox Is Making Big Changes To Avatars In January 2025
@nomither6 I couldn't agree more.
Re: Xbox Is Making Big Changes To Avatars In January 2025
@nomither6 Do you remember we were able to download them on Wii? Some were good, like certain Wario Mii. 😁 Today's Nintendo is much more restrictive.
Re: Xbox Is Making Big Changes To Avatars In January 2025
@nomither6 Conclusion: Miis were born with arms and Nintendo mutilated them. 🤣
Re: Xbox Is Making Big Changes To Avatars In January 2025
@Arcticpandapopz Xbox One also had that feature in some games like Forza Horizon 3 using Groove Music that allowed you to play your own collection on the cloud for free, but it was shut down. Unfortunately, if you play a CD on Xbox, the only console that is able to do that in 2024, and you open a game, the CD is paused. It would be cool if it kept playing.
Re: Review: Stalker 2 (Xbox) - GSC Game World's Long-Awaited Sequel Is A Mess
What's a good or bad game, though? That's completely subjective, like reviews are, unless we are talking about E.T. (Atari) or Superman (N64). There are many critically acclaimed games that I don't like, but I don't consider that they are objectively bad because of that. I write about them, but I'm aware that I'm writing my opinion. If the game is niche or the studio endangered, I try to be more careful with my words and score. We gamers have an acquired taste and we all process stimuli differently.
That aside, some reviewers don't like the genre, pace or style that they're reviewing and that doesn't make sense because reviews are meant for gamers that like that genre, pace or style. Although some reviews are meant to be controversial and get more clicks, I believe that in this case is the former.
Re: Xbox Is Making Big Changes To Avatars In January 2025
@nomither6 Miis don't have arms on Wii, at least in the games I have played, e.g. Wii Sports and Wii Sports Resort. I didn't say that the Switch doesn't have Miis, but that Nintendo abandoned them. They are no longer mandatory. Many Wii games force you to choose a default Mii if you don't have any. I don't have any of the Mii games for Switch, but I guess that they are mandatory in Nintendo Switch Sports. They are a rare thing on Switch.
Re: Xbox Fans Create Master List Of 1100+ Games With 'Play Anywhere' Support
@WildConcept6 Absolutely. Microsoft needs to make a gaming mode for Windows
(not that boost mode but a console mode) and Phil Spencer admitted that when discussing their future handheld and how Windows works on the handheld PCs. It would be on computers too, bringing the Xbox experience to the other devices. They already have studios, Play Anywhere with third parties included, cloud saves and the OS, something nobody else has.
Re: Xbox Is Making Big Changes To Avatars In January 2025
I use them and friends of mine do, but it's exactly what another user said above, buried and never highlighted. I will take a photo, then. They are actually really cool and made by Rare. Nintendo would have put them on your face like on Wii, 3DS and Wii U, but after that they abandoned the Miis, that were ugly and had no arms. Well, they use a new version now for The Legend of Zelda characters.
Re: Review: Stalker 2 (Xbox) - GSC Game World's Long-Awaited Sequel Is A Mess
@AlwaysPlaying "I still have not played Redfall."
Hey! I started Redfall days before Stalker 2 launched. I know Redfall was panned, but looks like a story mode of Fortnite with State of Decay on top, which is not bad at all. Performance is perfect 60fps on Series X (performance mode). The world, story, weapons and UI are all fine. Maybe it gets repetitive, we'll see, but I'm liking it so far. On the other hand, I didn't like Deathloop (10/10 according to PJ).
Re: Xbox Fans Create Master List Of 1100+ Games With 'Play Anywhere' Support
I didn't know that there were so many! That and free cloud saves are what makes Xbox hassle-free and versatile.
@j0hntitor Welcome!
Re: Review: Stalker 2 (Xbox) - GSC Game World's Long-Awaited Sequel Is A Mess
Always take P's reviews with a pinch of salt. Average score of the game is 80/100, twice as much the score he granted.
Re: Roundup: Avowed's Latest Previews Are In, And It's Already Being Touted As 'One Of 2025's Best Games'
The evolution of this project since it was revealed has been amazing. A AAA budget is what Obsidian needed and it looks like they're learning a lot of things about game development along the way. It should be their best game yet.
Re: Avowed Third-Person Mode Looks Super Slick In New Xbox Preview Footage
Like every game, of course it won't appeal to everyone. There will be negative previews and reviews, amongst other things because it's not published by Sony or Nintendo, but the third-person camera is a neat addition and the visual evolution of this project is amazing. As always, my "demand" would be a 60fps video mode on Series X.
Re: Xbox Introduces 'Stream Your Own Game' Feature With 50 Titles Supported At Launch
@NEStalgia This is what you have been waiting for. More games should be added regularly. 😁
Re: Sony's Next Acquisition Could Have A Big Impact On Future Xbox Releases
Topic update: Kadokawa just posted that Sony has issued a letter of intent to acquire the company's shares, but no decision has been made at the time of writing. Thus, it's now confirmed that Sony wants to acquire Kadokawa.
Re: Sony's Next Acquisition Could Have A Big Impact On Future Xbox Releases
@Ilyn "The problem with your arguement is that you are focussing on..."
The problem with your reply is that you have not read everything else I posted describing the big picture. I'm not focusing on one single fact.
Re: Sony's Next Acquisition Could Have A Big Impact On Future Xbox Releases
@theduckofdeath The weirdest thing about it is that they pay for the third-party game and even for the whole studio to get those exclusives on PS5, but then they port their own games and even remaster and port them again. "Psychopaths about exclusivity" is the best definition about it that I have read so far. 😂 Like you said, there are games and studios that they don't redeem, it's all about building an audience around the IPs they think will sell best (Horizon, Spider-Man...). If this rumour is true, I guess that the newest and shining Elden Ring is the reason.
Re: Flight Simulator 2024 Struggles To Take Off As Servers Buckle On Launch Day
Well, the good news is that the title surpassed their expectations. I guess it's being more popular than the previous one. I assume that they're already fixing this.
Re: Sony's Next Acquisition Could Have A Big Impact On Future Xbox Releases
@Weebleman As "the other chap" you referred to, I will clarify the three things I said. Firstly, I was referring to Square Enix as the main third party doing PS exclusives until very recently, that reported that sales weren't good on PS5. So, it's not a guess of mine. Secondly, I mentioned that only 6.8% of the PS5 sales in the last quarter were first-party, which is telling since Sony fans believe that PS exclusives are what sells PS5s. The third thing I mentioned is that they have closed studios recently which, again, it's no secret.
I don't know what's "wild" and "insane" about it because I just mentioned three facts that were news everywhere (including Push Square) and the three facts all tell the same story. I hadn't even said my opinion, just answering someone that referred to Sony's struggles this generation and why they are reluctantly becoming multiplatform. They are shipping lots of PS5s (no one is denying that), but that's no longer enough, especially considering their massive debt and, before someone says that many companies have massive debts, Sony's increases yearly and PS is not enough to fix that, which is why they tried the service games business, the mobile business and the PC business. Sony's net debt is $239.40B, 11.34% increase year-over-year, twice as much net debt as company value (106.90B).
The problem with Sony is not as simple as that their exclusives are expensive to make, which is a problem for every big publisher except Nintendo, but that they don't sell enough. 6.8% of the PS5 software sales last quarter is a very low figure, considering the marketing, the amount of shipped PS5s and that Sony's games are pure exclusives until they are ported to PC.
Re: Sony's Next Acquisition Could Have A Big Impact On Future Xbox Releases
@Markatron84 You are right about the big picture, though. Sony's sales haven't been great on PS5. Third-party exclusives (e.g., Square Enix) don't sell well on PS5 and only 6.8% of the PS5 sales in the last quarter were first-party. They have also closed five studios lately.
Re: Finally, Assassin's Creed Syndicate Is Getting An FPS Boost On Xbox
@OldGamer999 Besides, a lower native resolution is better than AI upscaling. We have seen how Sony's pretentious PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution (machine learning) is mediocre at best. It's a shame because PS5 Pro has the same CPU, a GPU upgrade and was marketed upon improving existing games, therefore becoming the most overpriced and unnecessary console upgrade ever.
https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/ps5-pro-owners-complain-that-some-pro-enhanced-games-look-worse/
Re: Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 Is Available Today With Xbox Game Pass (November 19)
I'm more interested in the gameplay additions that they have been showing than in the file size.
Re: Sony's Next Acquisition Could Have A Big Impact On Future Xbox Releases
So from online services and mobile games back to one-player games makers?
Re: Xbox Series S Will Be Discounted For Black Friday, Confirms Microsoft
@RetroMan71 I guess he was thinking of Switch and not Series S.
Re: Finally, Assassin's Creed Syndicate Is Getting An FPS Boost On Xbox
It's great that FPS Boost keeps delivering. That and Quick Resume are the best things of this whole generation. Besides, now all Assassin's Creed games run at 60fps on Series X except Black Flag, but I think that they're remaking it.
Re: Reaction: Like It Or Not, Xbox Has Gone Full Throttle On Multiplatform
@nomither6 They are very good, often compared to Apple's best in tech reviews.
Re: Reaction: Like It Or Not, Xbox Has Gone Full Throttle On Multiplatform
@Fenbops I understand what you mean, but selling less hardware doesn't mean than it's not viable. It's not Dreamcast. They earn billions yearly via software and subscriptions sold on Xbox consoles. The OS of Xbox is the same as the OS on all PCs around the world. Moreover, Microsoft makes hardware besides consoles: laptops, tablets, desktop computers and even smartphones. There is zero reason for them to drop hardware. Consoles might evolve into something different, but it will be the same scenario for Sony and Nintendo, because the market will be shaped by the habits of the consumers. If anything, Microsoft is in a better position, because they share the OS and sales between consoles and PCs and already have the publishers and infrastructure.
Re: Reaction: Like It Or Not, Xbox Has Gone Full Throttle On Multiplatform
@Fenbops It's a transition to a multiplatform strategy. Sony is doing it reluctantly. If Switch was another Wii U in financial terms, Nintendo would have started it. For the reasons I posted, I believe that Xbox hardware is safe. Phil just confirmed it, once again.
"We’ll definitely do more consoles in the future, and other devices."
Regarding exclusives, Indiana Jones is being advertised on TV as an Xbox/PC release and that's cool to see and a big Game Pass seller, but I think that we have reached a point where console exclusives only make sense if they're cheap to make and sell millions, like Nintendo's. Microsoft, Square Enix and Sony have admitted that.
Xbox still has a ton of exclusives and Game Pass is an exclusive itself, since it's not available on PS and Nintendo. It's interesting how handheld PCs have blurred the lines. Consoles may become "devices", but isn't Xbox One a Windows device? At the end of the day, Xbox is doing better than ever, it's just that this transition leaves some players confused and nostalgic. Let me tell them, I don't believe for a second that the future of Xbox is Candy Crush and Cloud gaming, that's just part of the equation.
Re: Deals: Xbox Black Friday Sale 2024 Now Live, 800+ Games Discounted
Some more highlights:
Tomb Raider Definitive Survivor Trilogy (70%)
Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection (67%)
Doom + Doom II (60%)
Sonic Superstars (70%)
Quake II (60%)
Hogwarts Legacy + Quidditch Champions Deluxe bundle (60%)
Immortals Fenyx Rising (80%)
Devil May Cry 5 Special Edition (this is the Series X|S version, 60%)
Trials of Mana (remake, 60%)
Death Stranding Director's Cut (50%, 7 days left)
Re: Reaction: Like It Or Not, Xbox Has Gone Full Throttle On Multiplatform
@Coletrain Even Phil Spencer admitted the existence of the Xbox tax and that it's pointless to fight it. It's even worse because the opposite also happens. How many Sony and Nintendo games are "the best videogame ever made"? That sentence has lost its meaning completely. 🤣
Re: Reaction: Like It Or Not, Xbox Has Gone Full Throttle On Multiplatform
@Coletrain The problem with scores is that at least 30% of the score depends on the publisher's name and not on the game itself.
Re: Reaction: Like It Or Not, Xbox Has Gone Full Throttle On Multiplatform
It's not that they are focusing on mobile games. What mobile games? They own Candy Crush, but that doesn't mean that they're focusing on mobile games now. They are focusing on the multiplatform approach, but that doesn't mean the end of consoles, because that would kill a huge amount of their business and subscriptions, not to mention alienate their fans and set all the flammable posters worldwide on fire. I don't know why some people are so obsessed with Microsoft dropping hardware. It won't happen unless the console market cease to exist and that includes Sony and Nintendo. Then, we'll see what's next.
Re: Reaction: Like It Or Not, Xbox Has Gone Full Throttle On Multiplatform
Consoles are just part of Xbox since Xbox One. Now it's getting much bigger, but it's good news for Microsoft and for us. Sony is reluctantly going this way, too.
Re: Review: Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake (Xbox) - Square Enix's Beloved Classic Gets A Makeover
I'm really happy about all Square Enix games coming to Xbox and I'm buying them all.
Re: Kojima Productions Now Owns Death Stranding IP Following Xbox Release
@Coletrain Ha ha, yes, some articles attract that kind of users and end up having 300 comments, most of them by Xbox haters. Right, PC is the most flexible. I only have the PS4 as a Sony machine, but I realised that what I liked the most was available elsewhere.
Just 6.8% of PS5 sales are first-party. PS is the popular, casual console, except in Japan, funny enough, where it's becoming as popular as Xbox. Uncharted is fine, better as film than as game though and the only thing I remember now is the good voice acting and a few frustrating and poorly designed sections. I never liked The Last of Us in spite of liking horror, awful stealth sections and the most overrated Sony IP in my opinion, Horizon Zero Dawn is as beautiful as boring, Spider-Man is a cinematic one-time experience, God of War is fine if you like linear action...
On Xbox, there are many more first-party games I'm interested in and the flexibility, controller and ecosystem makes it the best place for the third-party library, so I naturally built up a huge collection after only being interested in Rare's games. It's the most consumer-friendly and the most flexible of the three. 😊
Re: Monster Hunter Wilds Xbox Beta: A Promising Start, But Performance Needs Some Work
I just hope that there is a smooth 60fps mode on Series X (and S).
Re: Talking Point: Where Are All The ActiBlizz Titles On Xbox Game Pass?
Crash or Spyro may be a Christmas present. Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fuelled has a Christmas circuit.
Re: Lots Of Games Are Discounted By 90% On Xbox This Week (November 5-11)
I can confirm that the brute power of Series X is enough to smooth the performance of Panzer Dragoon Remake wonderfully.
Re: Kojima Productions Now Owns Death Stranding IP Following Xbox Release
@Coletrain I also got the Pixel Remaster Collection on Xbox at launch! I pre-order digital games that I want to support specially. I have hundreds of games on Xbox and not that I expected that at first. According to Microsoft, the attach rate and activity are high on Xbox and I think it's because it's a great ecosystem with the best of console and the best of PC, including cross-play, cross-buy and free cross-save. Not as many consoles sold but dedicated players buying games and playing on Game Pass. That's better for the business than selling twice as many consoles and most people only buying two or three third-party games.
Regarding the Game Pass topic, even huge games like Persona 5 Royal, I did not have to rush them. Most third-party games stay on the service for one year and even if I spent a few months just playing one of them, it would still be much cheaper than buying them at launch, e.g., Persona 3 Reload + DLC (£$€100). But still, I buy Game Pass games. The only difference is that I don't have to.
I have played and bought games that I thought that I wouldn't like thanks to Game Pass. I believe Xbox when they say that Game Pass is beneficial to their whole business, because it boost the popularity and visibility of games. For instance, 52% of active Xbox players and 34% of active PS5 players in USA played Call of Duty Black Ops 6 at launch. Both were all-time highs for Call of Duty, but it's also breaking records on PC. Many users are playing it on Game Pass, but also bought the Vault Edition Upgrade. Many of them subscribed to Game Pass just to play the game and while perhaps not all of them will stay subscribed, some will buy the game and DLC if they unsubscribe. Game Pass and Play Anywhere is a win-win for players and for Xbox.
PS: Another user just posted elsewhere: "I use Game Pass to try before I buy and if I like something on Game Pass there's a 99% chance I'll buy it. It's also been great for me to find obscure indie games that I would never have even thought of playing or buying. I currently own over 800 games for my Series X and a huge amount of those purchases are because I got to play them first."
Re: Kojima Productions Now Owns Death Stranding IP Following Xbox Release
@Coletrain @Fiendish-Beaver Agreed! Developers make billions on Xbox besides Game Pass deals, as confirmed by Microsoft's yearly reports. I don't understand this obsession with "nobody buys Xbox games", "developers don't sell anything on Xbox" and "Xbox players only play on Game Pass". Some lies are spread across the internet and some people end up believing them as if they were facts, like some things that were rumours and once they were officially denied, they are unable to acknowledge that part of the story and still repeat the first (fake) part ad nauseum.
Nobody expects all third-party games on Game Pass. The thing I do and I recommend is playing third-party games first on Game Pass if they are available, because third-party games always leave the service. I have prioritised the Persona games, for instance.
@Balaam_ I haven't seen any Xbox fan here saying that this is a Fedex simulator and now being excited about it because it's on Xbox. There is only one comment I read with "Fedex", and that person is... consistent (bighead), never changes his mind.