Comments 1,207

Re: Phil Spencer Explains Why 'This Is An Xbox' Will Be Beneficial To Console Owners

abe_hikura

1. This push means nothing whilst you can only use an non-console Xbox as an Xbox with the premium Ultimate Sub.

2. Was that supposed to be reassuring?

Concern: addressing the lack of growth in Xbox sales by removing the reasons to buy an Xbox is a death spiral for the consoles, a spiral that threatens the digital libraries we built across three generations of consoles (remember the big deal they made off forward compatibility.)

Spencer: but we can make money.

(Yes, they keep saying they plan on more consoles but they change plan every 6 months.)

Re: Reaction: Like It Or Not, Xbox Has Gone Full Throttle On Multiplatform

abe_hikura

@Jenkinss Baring some major twist, I'm gonna be PC+Nintendo going forward. No point in investing in my Xbox console Libary anymore.

@pepsilover2008 That's pretty much my fear. We've already gotten a taste of Sony "not needing to compete" with the Pro pricing, and if Xbox as a console keeps fizzingly away it won't be long before they're back to trying to gouge devs and gamers again. We gamers NEED the competition.

Re: Xbox Boss Says Everything Is On The Table When It Comes To PS5 Ports

abe_hikura

@B_Lindz True, though I'd probably go for one of the open handhelds, seems like a lateral move to go from being limited to one library (Xbox) to another (SteamDeck Certified). So if I got the Ally or Go (much more expensive granted) I'd get access to part of my XB library, GP if I want it, my GoG titles, along with all the freebies I've gotten from Prime and Epic, and Steam.

Re: Warner Bros CFO Admits MultiVersus Is A Big Underperformer Right Now

abe_hikura

Just let me buy the thing.

I like the game but the f2p nature bothers me so much I wont play it. Let me pay for the game with a fair roster and then I'll buy a character pass, and maybe even costume DLC.

Right now this game is getting £0.00 off me, give it a paid release and I'd pay £40-70 off me (depending on the included content).

Re: Talking Point: What Do You Think Of Dragon Age: The Veilguard So Far?

abe_hikura

I'm 19 hours in and loving it so far. I'm impressed with the level design. I was worried the more linear approach would mean there would be less to do but so far, so good. (also with how amazing the other nations look, they make Ferelden look like the backwater it's supposed to be)

I'm enjoying all the companions and their stories so far, which makes me miss having the four-person party even more.

I love that I was able to further define my character beyond the creation options, like how my character feels about his tattoos or how he feels about his backstory. Many RPGs don't do that even if they let you pick a backstory/origin.

I do miss having control of my party (and the stuff that comes with that like inventory and equipment management) but I do like the actual moment-to-moment combat that's on offer (It'd be cool to have both the tactical party control AND having the gameplay actually feel good).

Re: Xbox's Rod Fergusson Explains The Team's Original Plan For Gears 6

abe_hikura

Leaving the planet could give them the freedom to do more.

I'm looking forward to E-Day but it would have been better to wrap up the current arc before doing something else.

E-Day feels like the sort of project that could have existed along side Gears 6. One of those "we took the last game and used it as a base" things. I think with ballooning budgets and extended dev time that sort of thing could help the wait between main entries.

Re: Crimson Desert's Xbox Launch Was Reportedly Almost Delayed By Sony Exclusivity Deal

abe_hikura

Been waiting for this, can't wait. I think when we got the very first trailer I said something along the lines of "probably the closest thing to dogma 2".

@Titntin not saying its true but I can see the logic of not promoting it. It pushes an useful narrative that even without a deal Xbox struggles with third parties because of weaker hardware, and look at that Sony have even more powerful hardware coming.

@PsBoxSwitchOwner I don't think it's actually linked to their other game, it "just so happens" to have a similar naming convention lol

Re: Dragon Age: The Veilguard Will Have A Performance Mode On Xbox Series S

abe_hikura

Traditional comment about "I have a 1440 screen, can I drop the resolution and keeps some graphical nice ness at 60fps" aside

@JoyfulFire @themightyant There is a weird effort to paint this game as terrible. I've come across people trying to turn the fact it doesn't have spiders into some sort of outrage. I'm a huge fan of the series and I probably wouldn't have noticed there weren't any spider enemies until someone pointed it out.

Re: Talking Point: How Do You Feel About Xbox's ActiBlizz Deal One Year On?

abe_hikura

So far, bad. Really bad

We have barely seen anything added to Gamepass, we haven't seen any of the "course corrections" we were hoping for (saving talented studios from the CoD mines), Xbox first-party releases haven't increased and in exchange, the act of buying Activision seems to have broken Xbox.

-They spent a year+ in courts talking about how bad Xbox is and how it can only ever compete by absorbing a large publisher. Demolishing consumer confidence and tanking sales

  • They overextended on staff and then laid off developers and shuttering studios. I'd much rather keep the two lost Bethesda studios than what we've gotten so far from Activision.
    Corporate daddy Microsoft wants that 79 billion+ back and now Xbox is doing silly things like abandoning exclusives... the whole point of buying Bethesda and Activision in the first place.

The whole point was to sure up Xbox against Sony and it's done the opposite. We went from "you need Xbox or Gamepass to play this games" to "eh you can get 'em on the PS5 you already have"

Re: Report: Xbox Will 'Refresh' Its Official Wireless Headset Later This Month

abe_hikura

Its a great headset that competes well with other more expensive options...

That said didn't think I'd miss the days they would use a design change (even a colour) in the refresh to hide a price rise.

It's wild to me that at a time when Xbox consumers are demoralised they are apprently just changing the box of an accessory to ask for more money.

Obivously if it ends up doing anything different, disrguard the tangent

Re: Talking Point: Does Xbox's 'New Dawn' For Halo Mean The Series Will Come To PS5?

abe_hikura

I think Halo on PS5/6 (without gamepass) would

1) be very profitable for Microsoft.
2) The end of Xbox as a console, even if MS claimed otherwise.

It doesn't matter if they only plan on releasing it to "prime" Sony users for the next main entry which will be exclusive it will se the precedent that all the games will come.

It the exact same thing that makes steam gamers go "I'll pick it up on sale" and Xbox users go "I'll wait for gamepass". Doesn't matter if it's explicitly not going g to be onsale/gamepass, they will wait.

(Related, it also Didn't work for Sony whey they thought releasing games late on PC would make them flood to Playstation).