Comments 3,170

Re: Microsoft Provides More Detail On Its New Xbox Game Pass Standard Tier

InterceptorAlpha

I see myself, unless something huge changes, unsubscribing from Gamepass all together when mine is set to renew in November of 2025.

@Ooccoo_Jr Calling their third generation console "One"

Releasing a One S and One X.

Then following that up with a Series S and Series X.

Confusion is the name of the game. I feel like that was their intention ever since the One.

I can't tell your how many people I see call the Xbox One the "original Xbox". Or having issues with a game like say, Palworld, and when asking their console type they say "The newest one, the Xbox S!" ask then to send a picture. And it is a freaking One S.

@WhiteRabbit
To be fair, gotta be pumping out some serious first party games for that to matter. And while I adored Starfield and have 200 hours in it, I understand it isn't everyone's cup of tea.

But everything else first party on there I want? I pretty much bought before Gamepass existed. And that itself is telling on how long it has been since they've had a catalog that commanded any attention.

Re: Talking Point: Have You Ever Bought Any Official Xbox Merchandise?

InterceptorAlpha

I actually have. And have been gifted some too.

I have the 20th Anniversary hoodie as well as the Halo ornament and playing cards for the same anniversary. Also have a few glasses and mugs.

Aside from the stitching on the hood of the hoodie being a little janky and off center, no doubt the child making it was on their 3rd 24 hour shift, everything has been nice so far.

Thinking about picking up the bomber jacket they have right now.

Re: Soapbox: I Miss The Type Of Pick-Up-And-Play Games We Got On Original Xbox

InterceptorAlpha

I played an absolutely obscene amount of Blood Wake. Was such a blast. I might actually still have my copy.

@Tasuki Playing off your point: Games now a days are still throwing tutorials at you 10+ hours into the game. And if you ever take a break, good luck remembering all the controls.

Back then your 10 minute control test was the tutorial and you knew everything you needed for the entire game.

Take a break and forget how to play? Look at the back of the instruction book and you've got the control scheme and what every power up does in 2 minutes.

Re: Talking Point: Xbox Fans, How Are You Getting On With Microsoft Rewards In 2024?

InterceptorAlpha

You get better rewards from using a credit card TBH. They turned rewards into a chore. Used to would be able to rack up points naturally just from doing things I would normally do.

Now they've made the requirements so pointed, it is cheaper to just pay for things instead of earning up points.

Which was clearly the intention.

@ImperialOwl215
Time is not free. And in the time it takes to do the rewards. I make orders more at my job in the same time frame so going out of my way to do rewards is actually reducing my average pay because of how poor the compensation is for the time put in. Ultimately it costs money to pursue the rewards. And I'm sure of most actually did the math, that would indeed be the same case for them as well.

Re: Xbox Series X|S Appears To Have Passed 600K Sales In Japan

InterceptorAlpha

@themightyant Then you'd also know, if you were using more than half the data, that the majority of games that release that are within those specs are indie developers with smaller budgets. And that, because of the obscene number of PC users, even the minority is a larger install base than any one console. Which is pretty easy when your install base in general is nearly all three consoles put together.

You also see a significant number of those are from countries developers don't typically target to begin with. So them getting to play is just a bonus if their hardware is up to snuff. But if not, it is of no consequence.

Developers do and will ignore larger portion of PC gamers because they don't need to cater to them for the sales. That's why you see pretty much every AA and AAA require higher specs than the average. Hope this helps!

Re: Xbox Series X|S Appears To Have Passed 600K Sales In Japan

InterceptorAlpha

@themightyant You're very confused if you think the Steam Deck, or anything in the PC space, is holding anything back.

Unlike Microsoft's idiotic parity clause for the X and S, Valve has no such thing.

Games aren't obligated to work on the Steam deck. Nor are they generally built for it. They're made for PC. If they happen to work on Steam deck then you can play it there.

You saying the Steam Deck is holding anything back is like saying someone using a GT710 is holding things back. When in reality, no. Nothing is made with that card in mind, and if something happens to work, yay, otherwise you're SOL.

Re: LEGO Horizon Adventures Dev Gives Non-Answer For Lack Of Xbox Version

InterceptorAlpha

Install base is the reason.

PC has the largest. Followed by Switch. Followed by Playstation. Which itself then outsells Xbox roughly 2:1.

And then to deploy on Xbox they have to develop for two SKUs which is more dev time for the smallest install base.

I don't expect any Sony owed IPs like this or Helldivers to ever hit Xbox for that very reason.

And before someone says "But Xbox is putting their stuff on Playstation". Yes, because they need to. Because of the aforementioned install bases.

Re: Talking Point: Has Your Gaming Slowed Down As You've Got Older?

InterceptorAlpha

Yes.
But not because I have gotten older. But rather the state of the industry.

I've got money to spend now unlike when I was a kid.
However, everyone and their mom wants to make a live service game. And on that very fact alone the number of games I've bough has dropped.

For example there was a time I bought every Ubisoft game the day it came out. And now Ubisoft is a gross word to me. I remember always getting the newest Splinter Cell, Rainbow Six, Ghost Recon, Assassin's Creed, etc.

Now you'd have to pay me to bother playing 90% of their games.

And you have other ex-giants like Bungie that just give you the middle finger and lock content, that you paid for, up.

Re: Digital Foundry Analyses Starfield's New 'Performance' Mods For Xbox Series S

InterceptorAlpha

@OldGamer999 I can't say I've ever just been a one console person. They've pretty much always had their ups and downs.

But I definitely agree from my perspective as well. Previously, particular PS3/360, both had banger after banger and it was hard to keep up. So you could just have one and always have some new, amazing, first party, AAA, thing.

This gen though, I feel like owning them all was just kind of a waste. I was all into it at the beginning, but now it just feels like I should have just stuck to one+switch and get everything else on PC. Most things are just kinda commercially ruined and devoid of heart resulting in bland games.

They're just not even trying to hide it anymore. Turning everything into mobile games with pretty paint and tons of microtransactions.

This has been the least exciting generation overall by a mile. 😢 I'm honestly feeling like VR is starting to beat out regular gaming for me. Especially now that I have got one of them new fangled VR treadmills.

Re: Jet Set Radio Remake Leaks Reportedly Surface Online

InterceptorAlpha

@BBB May I direct you to Bombrush Cyberfunk? FutureGrind? Sunset Overdrive? Butterflies? Hover?

New IPs in this type of genre tend to be flops. Better to use an established IP or sequel to try to move some copies.

At least with a remake, a proper one at least, it sticks very closely to the original. So people like myself, who have been wanting a Jet Set Radio Future remake, unlike the Jet Grind Radio remake we got, would be all over it.

Re: Every Xbox Game We Played At Summer Game Fest 2024

InterceptorAlpha

@RIghteousNixon If we're being Distinct 9 in to it, a good portion of those props were redesigns of the ones they made for Halo 3's Believe ad campaign and the Halo movie they were working on before it was canned.

You can even go so far as to see some of them reourposed further for James Cameron's Avatar.

Re: Elden Ring's DLC Takes #1 Spot In Highest-Rated Xbox Games Of 2024

InterceptorAlpha

@OldGamer999 I still remember being absolutely floored by the level of environmental destruction that game had. And the day I bead that final boss was one of my happiest when it comes to gaming.

Also had me learn an unnecessary amount about Minamoto Raikou. Got in trouble at school once looking up information on a computer about him. 😂

Re: Xbox Is Getting An Officially Licensed Elden Ring Shadow Of The Erdtree Controller

InterceptorAlpha

Dang. Was excited for a minute then saw it was wired. Between kids, animals, and being a decent distance from the TV, wired controllers just don't cut it any more.

Been holding out on plunking down on a new controller until the official refresh that is supposed to have a gyro. How is it 2024 and literally everything, including my TV, has a gyro but not the Xbox controller?

Though that Turtle Beach Stealth is kinda appealing since it is wireless.

Re: Capcom's Old Game Engine Seemingly To Blame For Certain Releases Skipping Xbox

InterceptorAlpha

@ValentineMeikin In house engine or not doesn't matter. If you say, told iD to make an Elder Doom game on 343's Splitstream engine, they'd still have to completely learn it. And the entire time learning it, figuring out how to optimize, etc, is time and money taken away from development time.

Just because one team uses an engine doesn't mean every team uses the same one, or even knows how to.

Re: Capcom's Old Game Engine Seemingly To Blame For Certain Releases Skipping Xbox

InterceptorAlpha

@GamingFan4Lyf Same reason games still release on UE3 and UE4. Cost of development.

You can bet that any game that was developed on MT during this time was deemed to not be something that would sell well on Xbox. So they used an established engine people were already familiar and/or developing on to save costs since poor sells and the dev time for an Xbox version would actually reduce profits.