@MinervaX The price differences are due to the laws (tariffs, company taxes etc.) in each country and the lack of competition. The PS outsells the Xbox by roughly 33% in the United States but 500% in Europe. Sony doesn't have to eat as much of the production cost outside of the United States because there is very little chance consumers will switch to a competitor.
Agreed. Games use to get sequels 2-3 years after release. Now it's close to 6 years. If Halo had the kind of development cycle as it does now, then Halo 3 would have come out in 2019 and ODST wouldn't have been released until 2025.
Games don't have to shoot for the moon every time they come out. A 20-hour story use to be more than acceptable for a release. People also paid full price for them (i.e. Mass Effect). Now it seems everything has to have a 10-year plan.
My initial reaction is the gameplay reveal was extremely disappointing. The way they are pushing the changing civilizations for each age just screams Humankind and not in a good way. There's still a lot of time between now and February to show more of the game but if their initial selling point is "Humankind 2.0" then count me out.
This is why the GamePass price increase is so frustrating. The quality and quantity of content isn't there to justify it. In the normal business model delaying a game isn't a big deal. Company gets the money when the product is released. With subscription it's the other way around. They expect me to continue to pay for that month but without the content. No thanks.
@themightyant The comparison between Sony and Microsoft's revenue wasn't meant to knock Sony, only to show that they are indeed apples verse oranges. Comparing consoles means very little anymore as Microsoft is most likely pulling a large portion of their gaming revenue for other sources. Doesn't matter if Sony outsells Microsoft on consoles 2 to 1 or 20 to 1, if they both are pulling in the same revenue and profits, they both are doing equally well.
I know I've been upset with Microsoft's decisions lately but it doesn't change how the company is doing. VGChartz estimates Sony has sold roughly 58 million (the company just announced they're over 59 million so it's close) and Microsoft is at 28 million. It's a little over 2:1.
The thing that matters is revenue and profits. Companies don't disclose profits for individual departments but for revenue Sony did $7 billion last quarter to Microsoft's $7.11 billion. Even if you take away AB's $2 billion in revenue Microsoft made 72% of Sony's revenue with 48% of their boxes.
@Fiendish-Beaver He is not a line worker or middle management. He is the CEO of their gaming division. It's his job to explain to his bosses how the gaming industry works and how closing these studios in such a way would have serious financial consequences.
There was no possible outcome of closing Tango Studios that wouldn't destroy trust in the community, and we've seen time and again the gaming community is very loyal to who they trust. Spencer should have done everything in his power to explain to the board how this would push customers away. If that didn't work he should have pushed to get ahead of the fall out and released a statement that would try to appeal to their community and not just a PR word salad. If Spencer can't convince the board to do either than he's not fit to be their CEO.
It really doesn't matter if it was his decision, his actions before and after are equally inexcusable. Don't tell studios to do what they want if your bosses aren't on board with it and own up to it once you make a mistake.
Spencer has created a situation where neither the community nor his employees trust what he says. That's on him and nothing he does now at that company will fix it.
@NEStalgia @cragis0001 I have no doubt Nadella has put pressure on Spencer and forced layoffs. There is no way though he pushed Spencer to say he fully supports Tango to do games they want to do.
Spencer needed to do his job and explain to Nadella and Co. that the road they're going down isn't going to pay off. If the head of gaming can't convince the CEO that he's making choices that will possibly ruin the gaming division then he shouldn't be the head of gaming.
Yeah today was a baffling decision for the company and it lies with leadership. The company clearly has no idea how the gaming market works and that gamers are very attached to developers. Spencer is either a part of the problem or not doing enough to fix it.
He's got to go. Today they have ruined what little goodwill the community has for xbox. If they want to stay relevant they need to change course and Spencer has to be removed if anyone is to believe they're trying.
@Tharsman i think @PsBoxSwitchOwner is probably right. My guess is AB thought the deal would have been done far earlier than it was. That means they would have paid for development and Microsoft would have received the revenue. Once it started to look like the deal wasn't going to go smoothly they decided to go all in since all the preorder sales before the closing of the deal would go to AB.
So their answer to laying off longterm members of their team in a way that minimizes how much they had to pay in benefits is to make an "unforgettable Destiny experience."
@BrilliantBill unfortunately I don't think you can get a straight answer as there are a couple ways companies can pay. I'll try to keep it simple.
It's an acquisition not a merger so Microsoft is paying to buy all the shares of AB. They could do this by giving MS stock but they have stated it will be just with cash.
How they get the cash to buy the AB stocks is unknown. They could pay out of pocket but that goes against business 101. Most likely they will take a debt (think loan). They would put that $69B on their expense report and pay it off over time.
I would love a 4-player coop mode in the same way as darktide or destiny. Spartan Ops was close but unlimited lives removed the need for teamwork and repetitive maps weren't engaging.
I think a narrative for the spartan 4 is a necessity at this point. The multiplayer cinematics were downright awful and I'd like a reason for my spartan to exist beyond killing other spartans.
The problem I had with the game wasn't that it had pvp, it was that it was 100% pvp. Most pvp games have safe places. This game is unwelcoming when you get attacked right after logging on or if you're just talking to NPCs at the outpost.
My sister and her husband play the second one regularly. The story got weird for me. I really enjoyed the tone and loneliness of the first one. Really felt like a post-apocalyptic New York. I'm hoping they can capture that feeling again in the third one.
@EvenStephen7 Oh I completely agree about Spencer. His promotion in Xbox was based solely on the Ballmer and Mattrick years at Microsoft. They wanted to push a narrative away from the business suits on the 2000s to more modern software of Nadella and Spencer. It's why you'll almost never see these two in the conventional business attire at events. They know their audience. These guys might be more in touch with what their consumers want but they are still there to make Microsoft profitable.
@EvenStephen7 I get where you're coming from but I think the "long game" ended when California filed their sexual harassment lawsuit against AB in 2021. It changed the gaming industry and opened up AB for an acquisition that wasn't on the table in 2020.
The same reason why Microsoft can drop almost $70 billion on AB is the reason they won't go for another big publisher for awhile. It's their diversified portfolio. Microsoft makes their money mainly through software and cloud storage. They aren't going to burn all their profits on one side division and completely ignore their main ones.
This document is almost four years old and doesn't tell us anything we didn't already know. Spencer wanted Nintendo but it didn't work out so they moved on to Activision Blizzard. This email doesn't even mention AB because it's so old that it wasn't on his radar. People are acting like it's proof Xbox is still trying to buy them.
I'm glad they improved this series but I feel like I've wasted too much money on the past Crew games that I can't justify paying full price for a third. Especially if they haven't improved flying.
I couldn't get into the flying in the second Crew game and it's unfortunate that it looks like this continues. It yanked you out of the driving experience and ruined the game's pacing. It didn't help that its flight controls weren't as good as Flight Sim and racing didn't feel as good as Forza.
That would be the right call. ME2 is known as one of the greatest sci-fi games not because of how massive it is, but because its story is flawless.
I just replayed all four games this summer. ME2 and ME3 took around 30 hours to fully complete. That's with DLC included. MEA took around 60. Adding fluff isn't what players want.
I would rather see them make a 20 hour game every 3-4 years than a 60 hour every 7-8.
I'm struggling to enjoy it so far. About 8 hours in and you can tell a lot of love went into the game but it seems like everything they tried to do has been done better somewhere else. Performance is fine though the graphics drop off a cliff when you're where you shouldn't. I'll hold further judgment and explanation for later.
It always sucks when people lose their jobs but Volition has been struggling for over a decade. Their last slightly successful game came out on the 360 and Saints Row reboot lost any chance people would support them in the future. Hopefully those laid off can find work at more successful companies.
@FenIsMightier The issue is that if you are going to use a global communication tool the standards are going to be global. Using an excuse of "it's not offensive where I'm from" doesn't work. Microsoft has a terms of service that explains what you can and can't say.
When I was stationed in the Republic of Korea, Qatar, and United Arab Emirates I had to conform to their standards. Things that aren't offensive where I'm from can be unacceptable there. It was my job to know the culture I was dealing with. Same goes online. I wouldn't be surprised if people start getting strikes for using language offensive to non-Americans.
Overall though, you are correct. Microsoft is a US company and roughly 60% of Xbox users are US customers. They're going to favor that culture over others, but that's why this is a strike system. No one is getting banned right off the bat.
Still disappointed we haven't received a release date for Space Marine. If it's really coming out "winter 2023" and they are already trying to sell collector editions I would have hoped to see some sort of narrowed timeframe. As it stands, I wouldn't be surprised if this slips its window.
The problem is xbox live has been known for toxic and vulgar comments for almost its entire existence. To fix it they need to draw a line and eliminating all profanity (or implied profanity) is a start.
People are of course going to have issues in the beginning but those standards are the same you see at work, school and public events. If you don't know the people personally then keep it civil.
@BRT15 @Bleachedsmiles It's a little bare bones. I have a level 30 sharpshooter and the other 3 I think are still in the 20s. If you have friends to play with then I think it's enjoyable. By yourself the gameplay can get stale and equipment leveling isn't really important.
Playing with a random group isn't bad but expect to pull ever daemonhost under the sun. Even at higher difficulties people struggle with that mechanic. All in all I would recommend giving it a go.
@Cashews Glad to know the tech industry has caught up. Someone must have looked at the gaming industry and said "yeah, let's get in on that."
At least people aren't bragging about it. That's what frustrates me about the gaming industry. Tech industry is going to do shady stuff for more money; it is what it is. It's the fact that people brag that they chose a specific company that is milking them for all they're worth is crazy. Image if you had to listen to someone brag that their TV works with Google Play while yours doesn't. It's silly.
Image if buying an LG tv meant you could never watch Disney shows or the only tv to watch Netflix on was a Sampsung.
That's how ridiculous exclusives are.
Hardware shouldn't dictate software. These exclusive games can run on anyone of the gaming platforms. It's a choice not to. Even worse is we're in a world where the consumers are excited by these exclusions. Baffling.
I understand the increase for the console since production costs can shift too but the Game Pass increase is frustrating. First, Xbox just had an abysmal 2022 as far as content goes and 2023 has had a rocky start. We are only a little over a month removed from Redfall and I doubt anyone can argue Xbox deserves a bump in revenue for that.
Second, even if the increase has nothing to do with Activision Blizzard is still looks terrible that the company has decided to put $69 Billion towards a purchase but says they need to increase prices for their streaming services to remain competitive. If there are 30 million Game Pass subscribers and all of them stick around and pay the $2 more a month, it would take 96 years to pay off the Activision deal. Microsoft isn't going to get anywhere near the revenue from this increase than they would be allocating the Activision money somewhere else.
Overall, the increase is unnecessary. Xbox should still be pushing for more people to join the service rather than milking those who are already supporting it.
Forza and Flight Sim are two games that would convince me to go VR. I would love it if Microsoft partnered with an existing VR but I think it would be financially silly for them to make their own. There are more important areas that Xbox needs to work on.
This just shows how much disconnect 343i has with the halo fanbase. Taking 6 years to continue the master chief storyline while preparing a game that is supposed to last 10 more years means a 16 year gap with one halo campaign. Halo is never going to be the top multiplayer game again. That ship has sailed. It needs to have both a strong multiplayer and a continuous campaign story if they want it to remain relevant.
@NEStalgia @ValentineMeikin I think the American public would have a field day if their government blocks an American company from buying another American company so that two foreign ones can buy pieces of it. The politicians from both California and Washington would start flipping tables and whatnot.
@NEStalgia I agree that if the deal doesn't go through or it stays in limbo Activision-Blizzard will take it out on Sony. They want it just as bad as Microsoft and I could even see them threatening to remove marketing or delay releases for Sony if they don't get their way. Microsoft on the other hand will still play nice. They still have plans for acquisitions later down the line and won't want to make new deals impossible to pass.
I mentioned this on Pushsquare but I think it's important to let those not in the United States know that this is nothing more than politics. The 3 who voted for the lawsuit are Democrats assigned by presidents who have pushed for higher scrutiny on tech firms. The one who didn't is a Republican. All this does is send it to the courts which are heavily conservative right now and have a precedence of approving deals like these. No matter if you want it to succeed or fail all this is doing is trying to win back points for a President who just denied union members to go on strike.
I've enjoyed it but it suffers from the same connection issues that plagued Vermintide. Nothing like getting to the extraction point and having the game crash.
They also need to rethink their mtx shop. I'm cool with the $10 pricetag for cosmetics but if you only sell bundles of $8 or $17 that's ridiculous. I'm not spending an extra 7-8 dollars because you didn't match the in game currency prices with the cosmetic prices.
I would bet a pretty penny Microsoft was willing to offer this from the moment they decided to buy Activision. It's negotiating 101. Low-ball the first offer and give in to an acceptable offer later on. The EU was going to demand some sort of agreement and Microsoft looks good giving in to something they were willing to do all along.
Overall it's not too bad. I think it's clear to Microsoft that steady consistancy is going to be key moving forward. They can't just dump 4 games September to December and not release anything major for a year when they have a subscription service. I think even a single digit growth is welcome for 2022.
@Would_you_kindly I am and I think most long term investors should be pleased.
Before Covid I worked at a tech company similar to Microsoft. 6 months of my training was shadowing other sections of my department learning about how it all fits together. It didn't take long to realize there are a lot of redundant or unnecessary jobs in these massive companies. People spending 8 hours a day going through data where a program no better than excel can do in less than a minute. It's not a pleasant thing but companies like Microsoft have to go through periodically and reevaluate where they are wasting resources.
Energy saver is a no brainer to me. With quick resume and a fast boot up screen it doesn't make sense to burn 26x as much energy for a couple extra seconds of time saved.
@Dezzy70 Kinda a little off topic but I'll bite. The reason why there are no games scheduled to release after June 2023 is because Phil requested that all the games they showed during their showcase would be for the next 12 months. Doesn't mean there aren't any games coming out after that, just that if there are they will probably be shown in next year's showcase.
@Sol4ris Agreed. Changes are usually terrible for market leaders and great for consumers. This situation reminds me a lot of Blockbuster and their refusal to adapt to changes. I highly doubt Sony will end up like that but it's common to see market leaders refusing to adapt.
@UltimateOtaku91 if you provide a service for $10 a month with over 100 games where you get a fraction of that revenue and then release a $60 game, do you think as many of your customers will pay for your game? Nintendo would rather get 30% off all their products rather than lump sum to allow a competitor's app on their hardware. Gamepass changes the established gaming industry and ruins the status quo.
Reach has a great story and great mechanics. If someone new to the franchise wanted to start off with one, I'd recommend Reach hands down.
Personally I enjoyed ODST more than any of the MC story so far. The story for 4, 5, and Infinite is rough to say the least and the gameplay itself is extremely inconsistent. 1 and 2 two are great but I really wasn't impressed with 3. Thought of the story as more of a space opera than a military science fiction shooter.
@abe_hikura In all likelihood Microsoft would use its lobbying power if UK was the last holdout. They could go directly for UK politics but also increase global pressure. Remember that Activision is struggling right now but holds thousands of jobs in the US. If the deal goes through in the US I would expect then the US to "motivate" others to do the same. No legal action is done in a vacuum and I doubt the UK would put its foot down if there was a deal to be made.
@UltimateOtaku91 Yes and no. Since Microsoft and Activision-Blizzard are both US companies the UK can't legally stop the acquisition. Could they block the games? Yes but that only hurts the UK's economy. More likely they would impose sanctions on Microsoft or demand a different publisher for Activision in the UK market. Microsoft could say no but once again no sane organization is going to cut off revenue from an entire market.
All that said in reality these concerns will be affected by the US and EU's opinions. If both allow the acquisition to go through it would be very unlikely that the UK does much to stop it.
Glad to see Gamepass worked well for them. More people than normal got to experience the game leading to more potential loyal customers in the future and a higher than anticipated short term revenue increase. Seems like a clear win-win.
I've learned long ago that the risk of buying a poorly made game far outweighs the preorder benefits most games offer. It's the perks of digital items; I can watch or read any reviews I want and then decide to purchase a game instantly. The company-made urgency to buy the game before release is no longer a factor.
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Re: Reaction: PS5 Pro's Extortionate Price Justifies Xbox's Lack Of A New Console
@MinervaX The price differences are due to the laws (tariffs, company taxes etc.) in each country and the lack of competition. The PS outsells the Xbox by roughly 33% in the United States but 500% in Europe. Sony doesn't have to eat as much of the production cost outside of the United States because there is very little chance consumers will switch to a competitor.
Re: Xbox Legend Major Nelson Asks For 'More Varied Experiences' At Lower Price Points
Agreed. Games use to get sequels 2-3 years after release. Now it's close to 6 years. If Halo had the kind of development cycle as it does now, then Halo 3 would have come out in 2019 and ODST wouldn't have been released until 2025.
Games don't have to shoot for the moon every time they come out. A 20-hour story use to be more than acceptable for a release. People also paid full price for them (i.e. Mass Effect). Now it seems everything has to have a 10-year plan.
Re: Civilization VII Gets February 2025 Release Date For Xbox One & Series X|S
My initial reaction is the gameplay reveal was extremely disappointing. The way they are pushing the changing civilizations for each age just screams Humankind and not in a good way. There's still a lot of time between now and February to show more of the game but if their initial selling point is "Humankind 2.0" then count me out.
Re: Xbox Shares Updated Release Schedule For Major Upcoming Games
This is why the GamePass price increase is so frustrating. The quality and quantity of content isn't there to justify it. In the normal business model delaying a game isn't a big deal. Company gets the money when the product is released. With subscription it's the other way around. They expect me to continue to pay for that month but without the content. No thanks.
Re: Analyst Claims PS5 Outsold Xbox Series X|S Almost 5:1 Last Quarter
@themightyant The comparison between Sony and Microsoft's revenue wasn't meant to knock Sony, only to show that they are indeed apples verse oranges. Comparing consoles means very little anymore as Microsoft is most likely pulling a large portion of their gaming revenue for other sources. Doesn't matter if Sony outsells Microsoft on consoles 2 to 1 or 20 to 1, if they both are pulling in the same revenue and profits, they both are doing equally well.
Re: Analyst Claims PS5 Outsold Xbox Series X|S Almost 5:1 Last Quarter
I know I've been upset with Microsoft's decisions lately but it doesn't change how the company is doing. VGChartz estimates Sony has sold roughly 58 million (the company just announced they're over 59 million so it's close) and Microsoft is at 28 million. It's a little over 2:1.
The thing that matters is revenue and profits. Companies don't disclose profits for individual departments but for revenue Sony did $7 billion last quarter to Microsoft's $7.11 billion. Even if you take away AB's $2 billion in revenue Microsoft made 72% of Sony's revenue with 48% of their boxes.
Re: Xbox Veteran Suggests Recent Decisions 'Probably Aren't Being Made By Phil Spencer'
@Fiendish-Beaver He is not a line worker or middle management. He is the CEO of their gaming division. It's his job to explain to his bosses how the gaming industry works and how closing these studios in such a way would have serious financial consequences.
There was no possible outcome of closing Tango Studios that wouldn't destroy trust in the community, and we've seen time and again the gaming community is very loyal to who they trust. Spencer should have done everything in his power to explain to the board how this would push customers away. If that didn't work he should have pushed to get ahead of the fall out and released a statement that would try to appeal to their community and not just a PR word salad. If Spencer can't convince the board to do either than he's not fit to be their CEO.
Re: Xbox Veteran Suggests Recent Decisions 'Probably Aren't Being Made By Phil Spencer'
It really doesn't matter if it was his decision, his actions before and after are equally inexcusable. Don't tell studios to do what they want if your bosses aren't on board with it and own up to it once you make a mistake.
Spencer has created a situation where neither the community nor his employees trust what he says. That's on him and nothing he does now at that company will fix it.
Re: Former Blizzard President Gives Support To Phil Spencer Amidst Xbox Negativity
@NEStalgia @cragis0001 I have no doubt Nadella has put pressure on Spencer and forced layoffs. There is no way though he pushed Spencer to say he fully supports Tango to do games they want to do.
Spencer needed to do his job and explain to Nadella and Co. that the road they're going down isn't going to pay off. If the head of gaming can't convince the CEO that he's making choices that will possibly ruin the gaming division then he shouldn't be the head of gaming.
Re: Former Blizzard President Gives Support To Phil Spencer Amidst Xbox Negativity
Yeah today was a baffling decision for the company and it lies with leadership. The company clearly has no idea how the gaming market works and that gamers are very attached to developers. Spencer is either a part of the problem or not doing enough to fix it.
He's got to go. Today they have ruined what little goodwill the community has for xbox. If they want to stay relevant they need to change course and Spencer has to be removed if anyone is to believe they're trying.
Re: Report: Modern Warfare 3's Campaign Had 'Shortest' Dev Time For A New Call Of Duty In Years
@Tharsman i think @PsBoxSwitchOwner is probably right. My guess is AB thought the deal would have been done far earlier than it was. That means they would have paid for development and Microsoft would have received the revenue. Once it started to look like the deal wasn't going to go smoothly they decided to go all in since all the preorder sales before the closing of the deal would go to AB.
Re: PlayStation Studio Bungie Knows It's 'Lost' A Lot Of The Destiny 2 Community's Trust
So their answer to laying off longterm members of their team in a way that minimizes how much they had to pay in benefits is to make an "unforgettable Destiny experience."
Yep. That'll fix it.
Re: Microsoft Plans To Appeal As IRS Requests $28.9 Billion In Back Taxes
@BrilliantBill unfortunately I don't think you can get a straight answer as there are a couple ways companies can pay. I'll try to keep it simple.
It's an acquisition not a merger so Microsoft is paying to buy all the shares of AB. They could do this by giving MS stock but they have stated it will be just with cash.
How they get the cash to buy the AB stocks is unknown. They could pay out of pocket but that goes against business 101. Most likely they will take a debt (think loan). They would put that $69B on their expense report and pay it off over time.
Re: Reaction: Halo Infinite Should Focus On More Co-Op Experiences After The Return Of Firefight
I would love a 4-player coop mode in the same way as darktide or destiny. Spartan Ops was close but unlimited lives removed the need for teamwork and repetitive maps weren't engaging.
I think a narrative for the spartan 4 is a necessity at this point. The multiplayer cinematics were downright awful and I'd like a reason for my spartan to exist beyond killing other spartans.
Re: Sea Of Thieves Is 'Not Just PvE Or PvP', According To Creative Director
The problem I had with the game wasn't that it had pvp, it was that it was 100% pvp. Most pvp games have safe places. This game is unwelcoming when you get attacked right after logging on or if you're just talking to NPCs at the outpost.
Re: Ubisoft Announces 'Tom Clancy's The Division 3' Is In The Works
My sister and her husband play the second one regularly. The story got weird for me. I really enjoyed the tone and loneliness of the first one. Really felt like a post-apocalyptic New York. I'm hoping they can capture that feeling again in the third one.
Re: Xbox's Phil Spencer Was Dead Serious About Wanting To Acquire Nintendo In 2020
@EvenStephen7 Oh I completely agree about Spencer. His promotion in Xbox was based solely on the Ballmer and Mattrick years at Microsoft. They wanted to push a narrative away from the business suits on the 2000s to more modern software of Nadella and Spencer. It's why you'll almost never see these two in the conventional business attire at events. They know their audience. These guys might be more in touch with what their consumers want but they are still there to make Microsoft profitable.
Re: Xbox's Phil Spencer Was Dead Serious About Wanting To Acquire Nintendo In 2020
@EvenStephen7 I get where you're coming from but I think the "long game" ended when California filed their sexual harassment lawsuit against AB in 2021. It changed the gaming industry and opened up AB for an acquisition that wasn't on the table in 2020.
The same reason why Microsoft can drop almost $70 billion on AB is the reason they won't go for another big publisher for awhile. It's their diversified portfolio. Microsoft makes their money mainly through software and cloud storage. They aren't going to burn all their profits on one side division and completely ignore their main ones.
Re: Xbox's Phil Spencer Was Dead Serious About Wanting To Acquire Nintendo In 2020
This document is almost four years old and doesn't tell us anything we didn't already know. Spencer wanted Nintendo but it didn't work out so they moved on to Activision Blizzard. This email doesn't even mention AB because it's so old that it wasn't on his radar. People are acting like it's proof Xbox is still trying to buy them.
Re: Review: The Crew Motorfest - A True Forza Horizon Competitor Enters The Playground
I'm glad they improved this series but I feel like I've wasted too much money on the past Crew games that I can't justify paying full price for a third. Especially if they haven't improved flying.
I couldn't get into the flying in the second Crew game and it's unfortunate that it looks like this continues. It yanked you out of the driving experience and ruined the game's pacing. It didn't help that its flight controls weren't as good as Flight Sim and racing didn't feel as good as Forza.
Re: The Next Mass Effect Could Drop Andromeda's Open World Elements
That would be the right call. ME2 is known as one of the greatest sci-fi games not because of how massive it is, but because its story is flawless.
I just replayed all four games this summer. ME2 and ME3 took around 30 hours to fully complete. That's with DLC included. MEA took around 60. Adding fluff isn't what players want.
I would rather see them make a 20 hour game every 3-4 years than a 60 hour every 7-8.
Re: Early Access Players, What Are Your First Impressions Of Starfield?
I'm struggling to enjoy it so far. About 8 hours in and you can tell a lot of love went into the game but it seems like everything they tried to do has been done better somewhere else. Performance is fine though the graphics drop off a cliff when you're where you shouldn't. I'll hold further judgment and explanation for later.
Re: Saints Row Dev Volition Shut Down By Embracer Group
It always sucks when people lose their jobs but Volition has been struggling for over a decade. Their last slightly successful game came out on the 360 and Saints Row reboot lost any chance people would support them in the future. Hopefully those laid off can find work at more successful companies.
Re: Xbox Fan Sparks Huge Debate After Receiving First 'Strike' For Bad Language
@FenIsMightier The issue is that if you are going to use a global communication tool the standards are going to be global. Using an excuse of "it's not offensive where I'm from" doesn't work. Microsoft has a terms of service that explains what you can and can't say.
When I was stationed in the Republic of Korea, Qatar, and United Arab Emirates I had to conform to their standards. Things that aren't offensive where I'm from can be unacceptable there. It was my job to know the culture I was dealing with. Same goes online. I wouldn't be surprised if people start getting strikes for using language offensive to non-Americans.
Overall though, you are correct. Microsoft is a US company and roughly 60% of Xbox users are US customers. They're going to favor that culture over others, but that's why this is a strike system. No one is getting banned right off the bat.
Re: Here's What Was Revealed At August 2023's Focus Entertainment Showcase
Still disappointed we haven't received a release date for Space Marine. If it's really coming out "winter 2023" and they are already trying to sell collector editions I would have hoped to see some sort of narrowed timeframe. As it stands, I wouldn't be surprised if this slips its window.
Re: Xbox Fan Sparks Huge Debate After Receiving First 'Strike' For Bad Language
The problem is xbox live has been known for toxic and vulgar comments for almost its entire existence. To fix it they need to draw a line and eliminating all profanity (or implied profanity) is a start.
People are of course going to have issues in the beginning but those standards are the same you see at work, school and public events. If you don't know the people personally then keep it civil.
Re: Warhammer 40K: Darktide Finally Arrives On Xbox (Via Game Pass) This October
@BRT15 @Bleachedsmiles It's a little bare bones. I have a level 30 sharpshooter and the other 3 I think are still in the 20s. If you have friends to play with then I think it's enjoyable. By yourself the gameplay can get stale and equipment leveling isn't really important.
Playing with a random group isn't bad but expect to pull ever daemonhost under the sun. Even at higher difficulties people struggle with that mechanic. All in all I would recommend giving it a go.
Re: Starfield Debuts Epic Live Action Trailer & Musical Performance
Very cool trailer. Reminds me of the Bungie Halo live actions. Little close to release but I think it could be very useful to push excitement.
Re: Microsoft's CEO Isn't A Fan Of Console Exclusives, Blames Sony
@Cashews Glad to know the tech industry has caught up. Someone must have looked at the gaming industry and said "yeah, let's get in on that."
At least people aren't bragging about it. That's what frustrates me about the gaming industry. Tech industry is going to do shady stuff for more money; it is what it is. It's the fact that people brag that they chose a specific company that is milking them for all they're worth is crazy. Image if you had to listen to someone brag that their TV works with Google Play while yours doesn't. It's silly.
Re: Microsoft's CEO Isn't A Fan Of Console Exclusives, Blames Sony
Image if buying an LG tv meant you could never watch Disney shows or the only tv to watch Netflix on was a Sampsung.
That's how ridiculous exclusives are.
Hardware shouldn't dictate software. These exclusive games can run on anyone of the gaming platforms. It's a choice not to. Even worse is we're in a world where the consumers are excited by these exclusions. Baffling.
Re: Microsoft Announces Price Increases For Xbox Series X And Xbox Game Pass
I understand the increase for the console since production costs can shift too but the Game Pass increase is frustrating. First, Xbox just had an abysmal 2022 as far as content goes and 2023 has had a rocky start. We are only a little over a month removed from Redfall and I doubt anyone can argue Xbox deserves a bump in revenue for that.
Second, even if the increase has nothing to do with Activision Blizzard is still looks terrible that the company has decided to put $69 Billion towards a purchase but says they need to increase prices for their streaming services to remain competitive. If there are 30 million Game Pass subscribers and all of them stick around and pay the $2 more a month, it would take 96 years to pay off the Activision deal. Microsoft isn't going to get anywhere near the revenue from this increase than they would be allocating the Activision money somewhere else.
Overall, the increase is unnecessary. Xbox should still be pushing for more people to join the service rather than milking those who are already supporting it.
Re: Talking Point: Would You Like To See The New 'Forza Motorsport' In VR?
Forza and Flight Sim are two games that would convince me to go VR. I would love it if Microsoft partnered with an existing VR but I think it would be financially silly for them to make their own. There are more important areas that Xbox needs to work on.
Re: Halo Infinite Campaign DLC Reportedly 'Never Existed', Multiplayer Live Service The Focus
This just shows how much disconnect 343i has with the halo fanbase. Taking 6 years to continue the master chief storyline while preparing a game that is supposed to last 10 more years means a 16 year gap with one halo campaign. Halo is never going to be the top multiplayer game again. That ship has sailed. It needs to have both a strong multiplayer and a continuous campaign story if they want it to remain relevant.
Re: UK CMA Extends Deadline For Its Investigation Into Xbox Activision Blizzard Deal
@NEStalgia @ValentineMeikin I think the American public would have a field day if their government blocks an American company from buying another American company so that two foreign ones can buy pieces of it. The politicians from both California and Washington would start flipping tables and whatnot.
Re: FTC Files Lawsuit To Block Microsoft's Takeover Of Activision Blizzard
@NEStalgia I agree that if the deal doesn't go through or it stays in limbo Activision-Blizzard will take it out on Sony. They want it just as bad as Microsoft and I could even see them threatening to remove marketing or delay releases for Sony if they don't get their way. Microsoft on the other hand will still play nice. They still have plans for acquisitions later down the line and won't want to make new deals impossible to pass.
Re: FTC Files Lawsuit To Block Microsoft's Takeover Of Activision Blizzard
I mentioned this on Pushsquare but I think it's important to let those not in the United States know that this is nothing more than politics. The 3 who voted for the lawsuit are Democrats assigned by presidents who have pushed for higher scrutiny on tech firms. The one who didn't is a Republican. All this does is send it to the courts which are heavily conservative right now and have a precedence of approving deals like these. No matter if you want it to succeed or fail all this is doing is trying to win back points for a President who just denied union members to go on strike.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/ftc-moves-to-block-69-billion-microsoft-activision-deal/ar-AA153FeR?PC=EMM
Re: Here's What The Critics Are Saying About Warhammer 40K: Darktide On PC Game Pass
I've enjoyed it but it suffers from the same connection issues that plagued Vermintide. Nothing like getting to the extraction point and having the game crash.
They also need to rethink their mtx shop. I'm cool with the $10 pricetag for cosmetics but if you only sell bundles of $8 or $17 that's ridiculous. I'm not spending an extra 7-8 dollars because you didn't match the in game currency prices with the cosmetic prices.
Re: Microsoft 'Likely' To Offer Remedies Soon For Activision Blizzard Deal In Europe, Claims Report
I would bet a pretty penny Microsoft was willing to offer this from the moment they decided to buy Activision. It's negotiating 101. Low-ball the first offer and give in to an acceptable offer later on. The EU was going to demand some sort of agreement and Microsoft looks good giving in to something they were willing to do all along.
Re: Xbox Gaming Revenue Up 4% YoY In Latest Earnings Report
Overall it's not too bad. I think it's clear to Microsoft that steady consistancy is going to be key moving forward. They can't just dump 4 games September to December and not release anything major for a year when they have a subscription service. I think even a single digit growth is welcome for 2022.
@Would_you_kindly I am and I think most long term investors should be pleased.
Re: Microsoft Layoffs Are Reportedly Affecting Team Xbox
Before Covid I worked at a tech company similar to Microsoft. 6 months of my training was shadowing other sections of my department learning about how it all fits together. It didn't take long to realize there are a lot of redundant or unnecessary jobs in these massive companies. People spending 8 hours a day going through data where a program no better than excel can do in less than a minute. It's not a pleasant thing but companies like Microsoft have to go through periodically and reevaluate where they are wasting resources.
Re: Microsoft Is Adding A New Energy Usage Menu For Your Xbox
Energy saver is a no brainer to me. With quick resume and a fast boot up screen it doesn't make sense to burn 26x as much energy for a couple extra seconds of time saved.
Re: Turn 10 Wants To Know What Features You'd Like To See In Forza Motorsport 2023
@Dezzy70 Kinda a little off topic but I'll bite. The reason why there are no games scheduled to release after June 2023 is because Phil requested that all the games they showed during their showcase would be for the next 12 months. Doesn't mean there aren't any games coming out after that, just that if there are they will probably be shown in next year's showcase.
https://www.purexbox.com/news/2022/06/rumour-xboxs-phil-spencer-got-really-frustrated-last-year-over-use-of-cg-trailers
Re: Humankind's Xbox Version Suffers Setback, No Longer Hitting Game Pass In November
I struggled with this game on the pc. It didn't seem like it would be very console friendly but I hope they get it all worked out.
Re: Microsoft Intended To Release Xbox Game Pass On PlayStation, Sony 'Blocked' It
@Sol4ris Agreed. Changes are usually terrible for market leaders and great for consumers. This situation reminds me a lot of Blockbuster and their refusal to adapt to changes. I highly doubt Sony will end up like that but it's common to see market leaders refusing to adapt.
Re: Microsoft Intended To Release Xbox Game Pass On PlayStation, Sony 'Blocked' It
@UltimateOtaku91 if you provide a service for $10 a month with over 100 games where you get a fraction of that revenue and then release a $60 game, do you think as many of your customers will pay for your game? Nintendo would rather get 30% off all their products rather than lump sum to allow a competitor's app on their hardware. Gamepass changes the established gaming industry and ruins the status quo.
Re: Talking Point: Is Halo 3 The Pinnacle Of The Franchise So Far?
Reach has a great story and great mechanics. If someone new to the franchise wanted to start off with one, I'd recommend Reach hands down.
Personally I enjoyed ODST more than any of the MC story so far. The story for 4, 5, and Infinite is rough to say the least and the gameplay itself is extremely inconsistent. 1 and 2 two are great but I really wasn't impressed with 3. Thought of the story as more of a space opera than a military science fiction shooter.
Re: Xbox's Phil Spencer Responds To 'Concerns' Over Activision Blizzard Deal
@abe_hikura In all likelihood Microsoft would use its lobbying power if UK was the last holdout. They could go directly for UK politics but also increase global pressure. Remember that Activision is struggling right now but holds thousands of jobs in the US. If the deal goes through in the US I would expect then the US to "motivate" others to do the same. No legal action is done in a vacuum and I doubt the UK would put its foot down if there was a deal to be made.
Re: UK Authority Reveals 'Concerns' Over Xbox's Acquisition Of Activision Blizzard
@UltimateOtaku91 Yes and no. Since Microsoft and Activision-Blizzard are both US companies the UK can't legally stop the acquisition. Could they block the games? Yes but that only hurts the UK's economy. More likely they would impose sanctions on Microsoft or demand a different publisher for Activision in the UK market. Microsoft could say no but once again no sane organization is going to cut off revenue from an entire market.
All that said in reality these concerns will be affected by the US and EU's opinions. If both allow the acquisition to go through it would be very unlikely that the UK does much to stop it.
Re: Xbox Game Pass Leads To 'Higher Than Expected' Revenue For Hitman 3 Dev
Glad to see Gamepass worked well for them. More people than normal got to experience the game leading to more potential loyal customers in the future and a higher than anticipated short term revenue increase. Seems like a clear win-win.
Re: Talking Point: How Often Do You Pre-Order Games For Xbox?
I've learned long ago that the risk of buying a poorly made game far outweighs the preorder benefits most games offer. It's the perks of digital items; I can watch or read any reviews I want and then decide to purchase a game instantly. The company-made urgency to buy the game before release is no longer a factor.