Grumblevolcano

@IOI With Microsoft only deconfirming 360 marketplace shutdown for May (not deconfirming the "over the next year" part), it looks like sometime over the next year the 360 versions of the Gears games will be gone unless you already own them which I don't really see happening without remasters for the newer systems. The Halo 360 games were shutdown after they arrived on PC via MCC.

Leaning towards 2024. I think Microsoft will cap off 2023 with Forza Motorsport (September), Gears collection (October) and Starfield (November).

@shoeses Looking at the big 360 XGS backwards compatible games on XB1/Series X|S that have online multiplayer but don't have a XB1 or Series X|S specific port/remaster, it looks like Microsoft's probably going to reveal/release the rumoured Gears collection and then shut down the 360 afterwards.

This is really bad, even more so given Xbox's preservation stance since 2015's addition of the backwards compatibility program to XB1. Hopefully the backlash at Microsoft is at least as big as it was towards Sony back in 2021 regarding the attempted shutdown of the PS3/Vita stores. Jim Ryan should also make a statement re-committing to keeping PS3/Vita stores open.

@Fenbops I think it would be interesting if they pulled a Mass Effect and had your decision from Gears 5 influence the story of Gears 6.

@NEStalgia The Bethesda account requirement happened with DOOM Eternal as well.

@shoeses

• Blood of the Werewolf
• Counter-Strike: GO
• DAYTONA USA
• Defense Grid
• Final Fight: DBImpact (360 version is only purchasable on 360 though it's available in the Capcom Beat 'Em Up Bundle for XB1/Series X|S)
• Iron Brigade
• Jeremy McGrath's Offroad
• Jet Set Radio
• Left 4 Dead
• Left 4 Dead 2
• Mutant Blobs Attack
• Prince of Persia
• R.U.S.E.
• SEGA Vintage Collection: Alex Kidd & Co.
• Skate 2
• Spelunky
• The Orange Box

That's more like it. So it seems they waited to announce the batch because Hi-Fi Rush was a shadow drop in the Direct.

@BBB The previous release window (Spring 2023) covers most of June so it no longer saying Spring suggests a delay beyond the 12 month window.

I'd give it a C, the structure was well done and Hi-Fi Rush was an interesting surprise though no release date for Forza Motorsport and the upcoming Game Pass lineup is still very unknown.

@Jark The types of Nintendo Direct:

• Nintendo Direct - The big showcase which usually happens 3 times a year (last time was September 2022)
• Nintendo Direct Mini - Smaller showcase where there’s fewer 1st party announcements (last time happened in March 2020)
• Nintendo Direct Mini Partner Showcase - 3rd party games only but can include games using Nintendo IP that are developed by 3rd parties like Mario + Rabbids (last time was June 2022)
• Indie World - Indie games only, can include indie games featuring Nintendo IP and indie games published by big 3rd parties like Ori (last time was November 2022)
• [insert product] Direct - Focused on a specific thing. Game specific like Splatoon 3, franchise specific like Mario or specifically on something outside gaming like Super Nintendo World/Mario movie (last time was a Direct for the Mario movie in December 2022)

Treehouse Live is about live extended gameplay demonstrations, each segment being shown is for around 30 minutes and its main use was after the E3 Nintendo Directs. The closest Xbox has to that is Xbox Game Showcase Extended.

Sounds like this event isn’t the reason the Game Pass announcements have been very odd since early December.

I think modern gaming would be better for the most part if live service in general was scrapped and we went back to the 360 era approach (with Halo that was base game being campaign + multiplayer with post launch support being DLC map packs). Studios trying to chase Fortnite riches by going all in on live service mostly results in damaged reputations.

Not interested in ESO or Redfall. Minecraft Legends looks interesting but probably releases too close to Pikmin 4 which looks a lot more interesting. So I picked Forza Motorsport in the poll.

@Grippie It would be surprising for them to be very close together given while Forza Motorsport and Forza Horizon 5 are different, wouldn't it make most sense to give FH5 Expansion 2 some space?

Probably a long way off as I think if it's real, they'll release it a year before Gears 6 releases. MCC (2014) -> Halo 5 (2015), GoW Ultimate Edition (2015) -> GoW4 (2016), etc.

With games taking longer to make with each more powerful console, I'd guess Gears 6 would be a 2026/2027 release.

@eduscxbox If Forza Motorsport does stay on track for Spring 2023 this'll be the shortest gap ever between a Forza Horizon expansion and a Forza Motorsport given FH5 Expansion 2 hasn't even been revealed yet.

@ParsnipHero "When is the next Xbox Direct?"

@Dezzy70 I think 2023 will look like:
1. Switch 2
2. PS5
3. Series X|S
4. Switch

Where 2-4 move up a place if Switch 2 doesn't release in 2023 but is announced in 2023.

I think if Nintendo doesn't announce a different game for NSO Expansion Pack (e.g. Mario Party 3) for January before the Xbox Direct then Goldeneye is likely to appear.

Goldeneye and FH5 Expansion 2 release dates would be the biggest hopes. I doubt the games they mentioned are the only ones in the Direct given that AoE 2 is still not available for preorder in the Xbox store.

@IOI I think it's best to be skeptical of the comment at the moment and if the Direct delivers then you know it's not overhyping.

So it was true in the end, at least they set expectations before the event that Starfield wouldn't be present.

@MaxC Forza Motorsport 7 was the first though all Forza games prior to Forza Horizon 4 were removed from the Microsoft Store 4 years after their launch so its removal from Game Pass in 2021 was to be expected.

Nintendo has the right idea, have 3 main Directs (1 in February, 1 in June, 1 in September) and each one's main focus is on the next 6 months with a few games outside that window. Meanwhile have single game Directs about a month before launch where suitable.

@mousieone It's more about setting expectations. If Starfield is having its own event and the game's still on track for releasing by June, it would make sense to announce the Starfield event before or during the more general event.

@MattWithoutFear The current release timings for those in the 1st half of 2023 release window are:

• Age of Empires 2 - January 31st 2023
• Ghostwire Tokyo - Sometime after March 25th 2023 (PS exclusivity is 1 year)
• Minecraft Legends - Spring 2023
• Forza Motorsport - Spring 2023
• Redfall - 1st half of 2023
• Starfield - 1st half of 2023
• ARA History Unbound - 1st half of 2023

So if nothing gets delayed, almost all of the games would be bunched together in April - June unless they released Starfield in March which I don't see happening.

Honestly, I see delays as more likely. Something like this for 2023:

• January - AoE 2
• February - FH5 Expansion 2
• March - Ghostwire Tokyo
• April - Minecraft Legends
• May - Redfall
• June - ARA History Untold
• July - Goldeneye
• August - AoE 4
• September - Forza Motorsport
• October - Hellblade 2 or an unannounced game
• November - Starfield

@mousieone If this event does end up existing it does lean more towards the Game Awards absence being because of this showcase rather than the FTC. The event wouldn't explain the absence of a 2nd half of December and 1st half of January Game Pass batch though.

The event rumour looks fake, having a Xbox event but not featuring Starfield at all seems like a big red flag. Anyone who has paid attention to Directs and State of Play knows that if a Xbox event happened and Starfield was completely absent then the post-event discussion would be dominated by its absence.

I think Silksong has the best chance out of the stuff coming to Xbox.

@mousieone The radio silence started the day the FTC made their move. Since then was no Game Awards announcements, no 2nd half of December Game Pass batch and currently no 1st half of January Game Pass batch with Stranded Deep and Mortal Shell being one-off additions.

There's 6 Xbox Game Studios games releasing in the 1st half of 2023 so there's more than enough for something XGS to have been shown at the Game Awards but nothing came.

So if the FTC making their move is why the radio silence since then has been happening then Microsoft may not want to participate in E3 2023 for the same reason.

@NEStalgia With Microsoft and Sony's announcement silence over the Activision acquisition, I could see E3 being cancelled. Ubisoft likely don't have enough for a showcase so will share between Summer Game Fest and Nintendo Direct, Square Enix would have much more but do something similar, Bethesda is owned by Microsoft and EA will probably be in shambles given how the FIFA license is gone. I don't see E3 going ahead if only Nintendo want to participate.

I think because of the Activision acquisition, Microsoft won't have an event. The silence on the Xbox front since the FTC made their move (e.g. absence at the Game Awards, no 2nd half of December Game Pass batch, approaching no 1st half of January Game Pass batch) doesn't seem like a coincidence.

@Sam_TSM The trailer showed no release window but it was announced in the June 2022 showcase that everything present would release within the next 12 months. So if everything stays on track, it'll release by June 2023.

@K1LLEGAL It's all about timing, the perfect example of bad timing is Metroid Prime Federation Force. The massive backlash came from the fact it wasn't Metroid Prime 4 or a 2D Metroid (Other M was received poorly and then the franchise disappeared for 5 years).

Fortunately announcement and release strategy meant Gears Tactics got to be seen just as a fantastic game rather than be plagued with "where's Gears 5?". However, the XGS lineup since the Series X|S launch (especially 2022) means non-traditional announcements nowadays won't get that luxury.

@IOI @teknium_ @Widey85 It's probably about the Activision acquisition, the beginning of the major silence (which started with the Game Awards no show) lines up with when the FTC made their move.

@BAMozzy We already have a January release confirmed, Age of Empires 2 for console on January 31st.

I would've chosen Goldeneye if it was in the list but as it wasn't, I went for Age of Empires.

@IOI I was being cautious not to predict too many delays out of the already confirmed release windows (that list was already predicting that Starfield and Forza Motorsport would be delayed out of the 1st half of 2023).

2023's lineup pretty much comes down to what extent you believe Microsoft will achieve the "12 month" goal they set for the June 2022 showcase. Minecraft Legends, Redfall, Starfield, Forza Motorsport and ARA History Untold were all in that showcase.

@Romans12 My guess for the 2023 lineup is:

• January - AoE 2 (console)
• February - FH5 Expansion 2
• March - Ghostwire Tokyo
• April - Minecraft Legends
• May - Redfall
• June - ARA History Untold
• July - Goldeneye
• August - AoE 4 (console)
• September - Forza Motorsport
• October - Hellblade 2 or an unannounced game
• November - Starfield

@Would_you_kindly Online multiplayer free for all games is the best option of course though the last time we thought they'd do that they tried to almost double the price of Gold instead. Seems pretty clear they're either going to keep Gold or replace it with that rumoured ad Game Pass tier of which Gold is a lot better.

Only if the replacement to Gold isn't that horrible rumoured ad Game Pass tier. I'd rather stick with Gold than get Game Pass.

Given what happened with Silent Hill, probably a safe guess that the long awaited announcement will be a PS5 exclusive remake of MGS1.

Hardware = C - Impressed by how well backwards compatibility works though I wish they didn't stop last year. As for the rest of the console, the Series X sticking with the XB1 OS makes it very clunky and if you have enough installed the problems of the XB1 start to resurface in the Series X like "[insert game] took too long to start". Switch is much faster going into a game despite being a lot less powerful.

Subscriptions = Overall D (Game Pass C, Gold F) - Xbox Live Gold has been a joke these past few years for the most part. I'm not a Game Pass subscriber but looking at the lineup I feel Game Pass has been a mixed bag. 2022 could've done with more bigger games but on the other hand if you fill it with lots of big games then fewer people will check out the indies. Finding the right balance is difficult.

Events/Showcases = F - Too much announcing stuff way too far in advance meanwhile the 2022 June Showcase which focused only on June 2022 - June 2023 was very underwhelming. Microsoft doing multiple smaller events throughout the year instead of 1 big one in June would be better.

Games = Overall D (3rd party B, 1st party F) - Have to give Microsoft some credit for being able to get more JRPGs on Xbox more recently that would usually skip Xbox like Persona 3/4/5, Crisis Core and Octopath. Sony is clearly blocking stuff so there's only so much that Microsoft can do. There was a good selection of 3rd party games as a whole but the 1st party side of things was dire. Especially a shame that Microsoft forced Halo Infinite to be released before it was ready because of anniversary celebrations and the holiday season.

Overall = E

Given Microsoft had no announcement presence at the Game Awards and Sony had little announcement presence at the Game Awards, it looks like 2023 will be another year of the main news about either being them trying to convince regulators how bad their upcoming lineup is to sway the Activision acquisition outcome in their respective favours.

It seems there isn't a 2nd half of December Game Pass batch after all.

Something else seems off about this, not just that they brought up a Sony IP (Bloodborne). Wasn't it already confirmed that Silent Hill 2 Remake was launching same day PS5 and PC with 1 year timed exclusivity? This isn't your FFVII Remake type deal where timed exclusivity means coming to PC later.

So it seems like either Microsoft's trying to mislead regulators or a more powerful Switch is going to reveal that Sony has been literally only blocking Xbox. FFVII Remake for example wouldn't be able to run natively on the current Switch but a more powerful Switch would be able to.

@GunValkyrian @Sebatrox I wonder whether it's just Xbox or Nintendo as well. A more powerful Switch existing would be an eye opener for Sony's exclusivity plans in general. With Square Enix, nowadays the only games that don't come to Switch are the ones that wouldn't be able to run natively on the Switch anyway.

@themightyant https://www.purexbox.com/news/2022/04/damning-report-takes-aim-at-xboxs-state-of-decay-3-studio

@themightyant I think there also needs to be more assurances on the staff side of things, especially given the reports on Undead Labs (an Xbox Game Studio) earlier in the year. Union neutrality is a good start but Microsoft need to do more to fix the horrific state of Activision like getting rid of Kotick and getting rid of the annual new CoD cycle. The expectation for Activision under Microsoft should be a massively better experience than Activision on its own, not just a slightly better experience that's accepted because of how dire things actually are.

Reducing the frequency of CoD would be challenging given how Sony would likely see it as CoD being taken away from Playstation (decreasing the frequency gradually until it's gone completely) but allowing the devs to work on something else and with less pressure would naturally be a good thing.

5/10, the content is getting there but the game is a lot more unstable. I think Infinite should've been an ODST style release where the focus is the campaign and the box includes the full MCC/Halo 5 so those who want multiplayer have something.