I’m aiming to beat Death Stranding 2 before Silksong comes out, though I won’t be home for most of the weekend, so… yes… I did bring my Switch 2 along with me though and so I’ll likely fire up UFO 50 and Chibi Robo in the meantime.
@Millionski Yeah, I basically agree with you. I can’t honestly say anything I’m excited for that’s exclusive to either platform in 2026.
But I do want the gimmicks, which is probably why Nintendo has been drawing me in. Drag X Drive and Welcome Tour aren’t classic games, but, man, do I appreciate when games feel unique and like authentically new experiences.
Will it come with a Samus costume like Skyrim had Link? I could see Starfield finding more success on Switch 2. I mean, Skyrim was practically on a second wave in the early Switch 1 era.
Honestly, the price is better than I would’ve expected. It’s still expensive to me and I’m not getting one, but I expected a far more ludicrous price. That said though, I’m not sure if it’ll be able shift people from other handhelds in this economy. I see this being an enthusiast’s device, same as the existing Ally rather than breaking through like a Steamdeck (which, let’s be real, is also mostly an enthusiast’s device still currently) or Switch 2.
@Millionski I’ve been buying multiple platforms for like four generations now. Right now, I can’t honestly say why I’d buy another Xbox or PlayStation in the future. I always liked Xbox AND PlayStation. It’s just that right now neither of them are prioritizing quality games, it seems.
@Millionski Which basically means that neither platform will be as exciting in the future, unfortunately. I’ve never felt more distant from both Sony and Microsoft, personally, than I have over the course of this generation.
@Coletrain Death Stranding is easy to explain without talking about the characters! It’s a game where you play as a delivery man who is connecting the world with each stop he makes! My son got that! Lol.
But yeah I totally understand that. Until the second half of the Xbox One generation when I got the Switch and PS4, I was basically the same with my habits, but then Xbox just… didn’t really do much for a while with making exclusives, so I started playing other consoles, and with this generation, it just never felt like Xbox got back to what worked for me most. Ironically enough when I talk about a good first party and indie line-up, that’s what Xbox used to have in the 360 days and some of the Xbox One days.
@DonnieTACO Interesting perspective to me considering that Donkey Kong Bananza and Mario Kart World were both top shelf. I’d even go so far as say that DKB may be a 10/10 for me. Of the big three, I’d say Nintendo’s current line-up for the rest of the year is my favorite of the three. Death Stranding 2 is certainly going to be my GotY, but Switch 2 has woken up a bit of my interest in gaming again, just like the Switch 1 did years ago. It feels like first party and indies will be strong on the console.
I would hazard to guess Madden is on the front page since the franchise has been absent from Nintendo consoles for a full generation and it’s a selling point for people to return if they’ve been absent from the ecosystem. It’s not for me, but it would make sense why someone out there would find excitement from it.
@Coletrain it really took a lot of thinking time, and honestly this was the perfect year to make a decision like that. The first half of the year was almost certainly Gamepass-centric, but then it’s gotten sparse for a little while. Since getting the Switch 2 though, I’ve found that I can play more in portable mode right now and that the games I play are ok for my kids to watch. Only non-Switch game I’m playing is Death Stranding 2 and my son asked me one time, “Is this one even fun to play? I’m not sure if it is.” I said, “Absolutely, it is,” but it did give me some perspective too. Lol.
@Coletrain That’s my concern is missing games, but I just have more fun with their first party games and am frankly getting to a time in my life where I don’t have as much gaming time, so I’m going to have to be aware I can’t play everything I would want to.
On the case of GTA6, I’m honestly not even sure that’s one I’ll pick up at the moment. Given its nature (and how I can’t play it around the kids), the rumors of increased pricing, and my limited gaming time, I might skip it. It feels weird to say that, but I may have to admit it doesn’t fit what I can play right now.
For two generations, I’d have called Xbox my primary console, but so much damage has been done this generation that I’m not sure I’ll ever feel that way again. Granted, I never thought I’d be Nintendo first again, but the difference there is that Nintendo has the exclusivity of their IPs. I can’t honestly say that I have any interest in purchasing the next Xbox and I feel that they’re wrapping up this generation of consoles just when it feels they’ve finally started the generation within the last 2-ish years.
Death Stranding 2 and UFO 50. I get the feeling I’ll be saying that every weekend until I beat Death Stranding 2. Unless we get a shadow drop of something truly exciting at Gamescom, I think this might be a lock til sometime in September.
@Ricky-Spanish I doubt they’d cancel it at this point. I do know it’s been in development for ages though. If I remember correctly, it’s been in development since at least 2018, so jeez you’d hope 8 years would be enough. If we weren’t told that Everwild and Perfect Dark were progressing nicely 6 months before they were both cancelled, I’d feel more at ease. 😂
Hopefully they’re just holding back on the game to allow it to release outside of the GTA6 release window? Hopefully that’s the issue.
@FarmDog08 Didn’t Team Cherry sort of deny that in saying that Xbox may have misspoken about it releasing with the Xbox Ally? I could be wrong, of course.
@Ricky-Spanish I felt the same about Fable not being on there. I’m sort of wondering if Fable’s in a rougher spot than we all realize. I mean, some games that we thought were in good shape were just cancelled recently, you know? But then again, Gamescom isn’t a Summer Games Fest/E3 or The Game Awards either, where trailers are more emphasized than actual hands-on gameplay, so Xbox could be saving the big guns for a more prominent venue.
Going to be totally honest about this list… I’m skipping this year’s showcase for sure. A bunch of old games on other platforms, live service titles, etc. I think Keeper and Silent Hill F might be the only games I’m interested in on the list… that I haven’t played in some capacity.
I just want Silksong’s release date from Xbox right now at this point. If Fable and Halo arrive, I’d like that, but I don’t expect it.
Not really expecting much from Gamescom. It’s a decent showcase, but it’s rare that we get something totally unexpected from the showcase. I’m more hopeful to see the rest of Nintendo’s first party line-up this year get release dates? Metroid Prime 4 is a bigger deal to me than GTA6.
I played it at launch on my PS5. I had surgery around the time when it came out, so I blasted through it, and honestly enjoyed it a lot. It was a good distraction from some of the real life stuff I was dealing with at the time. The story is a little bland, but the gameplay’s solid. I’d say it might be my favorite modern AC game, even if I’m overrating it completely due to the circumstances in which I played it. Shadows is better looking, Valhalla’s more memorable, the story’s better in Origins, and there’s significantly more to do in Odyssey, but Mirage doesn’t overstay its welcome and it goes back to what made the series interesting in the first place.
Jeez, everyone, calm down! This doesn’t mean there will be no more support. No, it means their marketing guy was part of the 50% laid off and Microsoft just forgot to turn the social media bot on.
Rare’s anniversary is celebrated just a few weeks after the team suffered layoffs and had their big project cancelled. Feels a little hollow seeing this. Hopefully the art wasn’t AI generated!
Maybe I’ll get back to Death Stranding 2 after putting it on hiatus for Donkey Kong Bananza. Realistically, I’m in no rush to play through it though, as I gotta be honest… that release slate in August and September isn’t calling my name right now.
Outside that, it’ll be Ninja Gaiden Ragebound and Time Flies, which I started both yesterday and it doesn’t seem it’ll take long to beat either of them.
@BattleMonkey Blue Prince was fantastic. It’s been a solid year for GP overall. I’ve enjoyed a lot of games on the service this year. My top 10 this year was almost entirely GP games until the Switch 2 launched. I just wish GP was still cheaper. It was a better value a few years ago. Hoping for some surprisingly solid indies to drop in the fall perhaps since that tends to happen.
@Millionski DK is absolutely insane as a game, isn’t it? I just finished it the other day and it made me happy in a way so few games have. I’ve decided to get all third party games on Switch 2 as possible for the time being. I love the machine, but I wish there were more games for it. To be fair to Xbox, I’ve not been playing as much PlayStation as in previous years either. This is the first year since 2017 where I’ve played more Xbox than PlayStation, but I suspect DS2 and Ghost may level that out.
@BattleMonkey Depends on the games, honestly. Since the Switch 2 came out, I’ve been mostly playing that. I’ve also been playing my PS5 a little bit too for Death Stranding 2. I haven’t used my Xbox since my GP sub ran out about a week or two ago. I sub to GP whenever there’s something I want to play on it that’s cheaper than buying the game, but otherwise I don’t tend to stay subbed full time. Xbox was my primary platform for about a decade, but I stopped doing so following the Switch 1 launch. I’ve drifted further from Xbox over the last decade or so due to their lack of focus on exclusives and first party games. I’ll definitely resub to GP at some point, but that’s certainly to be determined at this point. I wouldn’t say there’s anything else this year that’s calling to me right now, outside Silksong and Witchbrook, which I’ll buy both… physically if possible for Switch 2. Feels like I’m waiting for Halo and Fable for Xbox right now.
@Questionable_Duck If any game could pull off the price hike, it’s CoD. Basically CoD, Mario Kart, and GTA may be the only games I could see people getting stuck with the hikes… but suck it up all the same.
It’s interesting to see people celebrate this when… honestly, this is The Outer Worlds 2. It’s still not really a massive release. I could be wrong, but $70 might still be a big ask. I’d imagine the preorders have been Concordian, which caused the price decrease, not “the public won” spin that they’re going to pull. But, even still, going down $10, I don’t think they’re going to be that much better.
Last game I bought on Xbox was the Midway Arcade Collection about 2 years ago. Before that, it was Dragon Ball FighterZ at launch. I basically only use my Xbox when and if I’m subbed to Gamepass at this point. I’m currently not, so it’s just sort of a Minecraft box for my kids at the moment.
Donkey Kong Bananza for sure. Playing the Switch again just makes gaming so much more convenient, as I’d gone back to playing Switch more heavily while my PS5 was in the shop and I sort of noticed I was gaming more, but bugging my wife less about it because it felt like I was gaming less due to shorter sessions. DK is absolutely fantastic, by the way.
I’d like to play more Death Stranding 2 though.
Honestly, both games are so good, it’s insane. It’s crazy how these two games are just so beyond anything else that’s released this year. Haven’t enjoyed two games in tandem so much since the crowded second half of 2019.
Keeper by a wide mile for me. Not sure how I feel about Outer Worlds 2, no interest at all in CoD, and I’ll take a 2D Ninja Gaiden in Ragebound asap, but never particularly liked the 3D entries.
@BAMozzy Oh, I definitely agree that Microsoft will survive regardless of anything to do with Xbox. Xbox is small fry in comparison to everything else Microsoft does. I figure most people, even in trying to avoid Microsoft, may pour money into the company without being aware of it in the slightest.
@BAMozzy so in other words, it’s easier to let go of wages bought than inflated salaries that continue to cause problems? To me, it feels like Phil and co are slowly deflating the Xbox bubble. There’s literally executives that get hired industry to industry to allow businesses to burn down to be replaced by new businesses that are the same in all but name, and to me, the leadership at Xbox seems to be doing some similar strategies. My Dad worked for a big box that closed down shop last year and no one knew they were losing their jobs until maybe five weeks before it happened… and it was originally a two weeks notice, but stores were selling better than anticipated. Xbox’s current status reminds me of that, and I think that’s to rebrand the business to Microsoft gaming. Sierra Mist becomes Starry, you know?
@theduckofdeath The layoffs and investment into AI certainly affects the entertainment value of the product long term. If you’re expecting Xbox to continuously deliver strong titles, but you’re concerned that the titles they’ve announced may be cancelled in favor of something else, obviously that veers into bait and switch tactics. As @Millionski said, if a product isn’t supported or it doesn’t have a unique value to it, what’s the point? Xbox as a console platform just isn’t providing that value, or else the spin on Xbox across the media may be more positive.
@BAMozzy What you’ve said is true, but I would argue that the consistency in Xbox’s message is that they’ve continuously said something, done the opposite, and been on a trend to be less communicative. I almost miss the days of Redfall when Phil had a candid discussion about what went wrong there. I remember when Sega was losing steam as a console platform and I don’t remember people turning like this. It feels like the more they expand the thinner the fanbase is.
And you’re totally right that EA, WB, Sony, and Ubisoft are doing the same thing as Xbox. And I think people are frustrated with all of them as well right now. I know I am.
@Fiendish-Beaver The Xbox strategy this generation has been baffling to say the least. Announce a console with huge fanfare while announcing a series of games that were 2-6 years out, basically change directions every 3 months, acquire developers and studios only to lay off significant amounts of staff, etc. The list goes on. It just feels like bad business. At the beginning of the generation, I’d say about 2/3rds of my friends had a Series console and were buying third party games on Xbox just to try to support Xbox. My friend group was more pro-Xbox than PlayStation or Nintendo five years ago. It’s weird to watch that slowly change over the last five years to the point where some of the same friends won’t even buy anything new that has Microsoft’s name attached to it. I’ve never seen a bigger shift away from a brand in realtime.
They’d be insane to go over $500/$800 in this climate.
That said, not sure how many people are going to want to buy one either. After announcing the layoffs and then that $80bn investment in AI, I can’t say I know anyone that wants to support Microsoft in the slightest right now. I did know people that were going to buy this, but at a certain point you erode too much trust, you know? I gotta wonder if Xbox has some plans for a positive curveball before this to get people supportive of them again.
@Titntin I’ll admit, I felt quite silly for rushing through the GP games earlier in the year in anticipation for DS2. Felt like I had nothing to play while my PS5 was in the shop. A reminder perhaps to take more time and smell the roses?
@Titntin I’m pretty far removed from the warranty at this point. It wasn’t terrible to repair. It cost more than a new controller, but less than a new console. I’ll be keeping an eye on the console a bit more now that I know that it can do… that…. Apparently it’s not uncommon for early models of the PS5 to burn out the liquid metal that cools down the console. I was told that it may dry out again, but now I’ve got a year warranty, so I’ll be able to crank through Death Stranding, Yotei, Resi9, and Pragmata (and perhaps more) as blissfully as I want with a help card if I need it!
@ScalenePowers Enjoy Mirror’s Edge! Man, I remember buying the game ages ago when it was maybe two years old or so, and the game utterly blew me away. The level design and art direction are immaculate and the gameplay still feels like a revelation to this day. It’s a shame they tried to go with a darker, grittier sequel, misunderstanding that the absence of dark and grit is what makes the original so surreal and unique and a timeless classic. One of the best games of the 360 era for sure.
It’s the least of Bethesda’s RPGs to me and I’m honestly sort of shocked they didn’t try to pull a Cyberpunk narrative with it to try to shift public perception on the game. It may be in the top 10 biggest disappointments for me this generation. It’s not that it’s a bad game, no… It’s that it’s just ok. When you made some of the definitive RPGs in gaming and they’re fewer and far between, the expectation only increases, unfortunately, and Starfield just doesn’t come close to what Skyrim or Fallout 3 or Morrowind did ages ago now.
Paywalling two characters is sort of a junk move, but I expect this one will be a good way to sail out the last nine days of my Gamepass sub. It’s a pro that the whole game is on disk, as well. As safe as the game sounds to be, I wouldn’t be surprised if this is the most overall solid Xbox Games Studios game of the year.
Comments 2,264
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (August 23-24)
I’m aiming to beat Death Stranding 2 before Silksong comes out, though I won’t be home for most of the weekend, so… yes…
I did bring my Switch 2 along with me though and so I’ll likely fire up UFO 50 and Chibi Robo in the meantime.
Re: Microsoft 'Wraps Up' Xbox Series X|S Era As Hardware Chief Teases What's Next
@Millionski Yeah, I basically agree with you. I can’t honestly say anything I’m excited for that’s exclusive to either platform in 2026.
But I do want the gimmicks, which is probably why Nintendo has been drawing me in. Drag X Drive and Welcome Tour aren’t classic games, but, man, do I appreciate when games feel unique and like authentically new experiences.
Re: Rumour: Bethesda Is Bringing Another Xbox Game To Switch 2 In 2026
Will it come with a Samus costume like Skyrim had Link? I could see Starfield finding more success on Switch 2. I mean, Skyrim was practically on a second wave in the early Switch 1 era.
Re: Leaker Reveals 'Final Prices' For ROG Xbox Ally Handheld In The US
Honestly, the price is better than I would’ve expected. It’s still expensive to me and I’m not getting one, but I expected a far more ludicrous price. That said though, I’m not sure if it’ll be able shift people from other handhelds in this economy. I see this being an enthusiast’s device, same as the existing Ally rather than breaking through like a Steamdeck (which, let’s be real, is also mostly an enthusiast’s device still currently) or Switch 2.
Re: Microsoft 'Wraps Up' Xbox Series X|S Era As Hardware Chief Teases What's Next
@Millionski I’ve been buying multiple platforms for like four generations now. Right now, I can’t honestly say why I’d buy another Xbox or PlayStation in the future. I always liked Xbox AND PlayStation. It’s just that right now neither of them are prioritizing quality games, it seems.
Re: Roundup: All The Xbox Reveals From Gamescom Opening Night Live 2025
Capcom is basically carrying the industry at this point, aren’t they?
Unbeatable was a real highlight for me. Outside Resident Evil, I think that’s the only game showcased today I’d like to buy at launch.
When I’d put Bubsy in my top 5 announcements today though, that says a lot about the current state of gaming, doesn’t it?
Re: Microsoft 'Wraps Up' Xbox Series X|S Era As Hardware Chief Teases What's Next
@Millionski Which basically means that neither platform will be as exciting in the future, unfortunately. I’ve never felt more distant from both Sony and Microsoft, personally, than I have over the course of this generation.
Re: Microsoft 'Wraps Up' Xbox Series X|S Era As Hardware Chief Teases What's Next
@Coletrain Death Stranding is easy to explain without talking about the characters! It’s a game where you play as a delivery man who is connecting the world with each stop he makes! My son got that! Lol.
But yeah I totally understand that. Until the second half of the Xbox One generation when I got the Switch and PS4, I was basically the same with my habits, but then Xbox just… didn’t really do much for a while with making exclusives, so I started playing other consoles, and with this generation, it just never felt like Xbox got back to what worked for me most. Ironically enough when I talk about a good first party and indie line-up, that’s what Xbox used to have in the 360 days and some of the Xbox One days.
Re: Microsoft 'Wraps Up' Xbox Series X|S Era As Hardware Chief Teases What's Next
@DonnieTACO Interesting perspective to me considering that Donkey Kong Bananza and Mario Kart World were both top shelf. I’d even go so far as say that DKB may be a 10/10 for me. Of the big three, I’d say Nintendo’s current line-up for the rest of the year is my favorite of the three. Death Stranding 2 is certainly going to be my GotY, but Switch 2 has woken up a bit of my interest in gaming again, just like the Switch 1 did years ago. It feels like first party and indies will be strong on the console.
I would hazard to guess Madden is on the front page since the franchise has been absent from Nintendo consoles for a full generation and it’s a selling point for people to return if they’ve been absent from the ecosystem. It’s not for me, but it would make sense why someone out there would find excitement from it.
Re: Microsoft 'Wraps Up' Xbox Series X|S Era As Hardware Chief Teases What's Next
@Coletrain it really took a lot of thinking time, and honestly this was the perfect year to make a decision like that. The first half of the year was almost certainly Gamepass-centric, but then it’s gotten sparse for a little while. Since getting the Switch 2 though, I’ve found that I can play more in portable mode right now and that the games I play are ok for my kids to watch. Only non-Switch game I’m playing is Death Stranding 2 and my son asked me one time, “Is this one even fun to play? I’m not sure if it is.” I said, “Absolutely, it is,” but it did give me some perspective too. Lol.
Re: Microsoft 'Wraps Up' Xbox Series X|S Era As Hardware Chief Teases What's Next
@Coletrain That’s my concern is missing games, but I just have more fun with their first party games and am frankly getting to a time in my life where I don’t have as much gaming time, so I’m going to have to be aware I can’t play everything I would want to.
On the case of GTA6, I’m honestly not even sure that’s one I’ll pick up at the moment. Given its nature (and how I can’t play it around the kids), the rumors of increased pricing, and my limited gaming time, I might skip it. It feels weird to say that, but I may have to admit it doesn’t fit what I can play right now.
Re: Microsoft 'Wraps Up' Xbox Series X|S Era As Hardware Chief Teases What's Next
For two generations, I’d have called Xbox my primary console, but so much damage has been done this generation that I’m not sure I’ll ever feel that way again. Granted, I never thought I’d be Nintendo first again, but the difference there is that Nintendo has the exclusivity of their IPs. I can’t honestly say that I have any interest in purchasing the next Xbox and I feel that they’re wrapping up this generation of consoles just when it feels they’ve finally started the generation within the last 2-ish years.
Re: Talking Point: What Are Your Plans For Gamescom 2025?
Reading recaps while I’m at work, of course.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (August 16-17)
Death Stranding 2 and UFO 50. I get the feeling I’ll be saying that every weekend until I beat Death Stranding 2. Unless we get a shadow drop of something truly exciting at Gamescom, I think this might be a lock til sometime in September.
Re: Xbox Announces Big List Of Games For Its Two Gamescom Broadcasts Next Week
@Ricky-Spanish I doubt they’d cancel it at this point. I do know it’s been in development for ages though. If I remember correctly, it’s been in development since at least 2018, so jeez you’d hope 8 years would be enough. If we weren’t told that Everwild and Perfect Dark were progressing nicely 6 months before they were both cancelled, I’d feel more at ease. 😂
Hopefully they’re just holding back on the game to allow it to release outside of the GTA6 release window? Hopefully that’s the issue.
Re: Xbox Announces Big List Of Games For Its Two Gamescom Broadcasts Next Week
@FarmDog08 Didn’t Team Cherry sort of deny that in saying that Xbox may have misspoken about it releasing with the Xbox Ally? I could be wrong, of course.
@Ricky-Spanish I felt the same about Fable not being on there. I’m sort of wondering if Fable’s in a rougher spot than we all realize. I mean, some games that we thought were in good shape were just cancelled recently, you know? But then again, Gamescom isn’t a Summer Games Fest/E3 or The Game Awards either, where trailers are more emphasized than actual hands-on gameplay, so Xbox could be saving the big guns for a more prominent venue.
Re: Xbox Announces Big List Of Games For Its Two Gamescom Broadcasts Next Week
No Silksong…. huh….
Going to be totally honest about this list… I’m skipping this year’s showcase for sure. A bunch of old games on other platforms, live service titles, etc. I think Keeper and Silent Hill F might be the only games I’m interested in on the list… that I haven’t played in some capacity.
Re: Talking Point: What Should Xbox Do To Celebrate Its 25th Anniversary Next Year?
I just want release dates for Fable and OD. I’d like to see Halo cross over to PlayStation and Switch too.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Hoping To See At Gamescom 2025?
I just want Silksong’s release date from Xbox right now at this point. If Fable and Halo arrive, I’d like that, but I don’t expect it.
Not really expecting much from Gamescom. It’s a decent showcase, but it’s rare that we get something totally unexpected from the showcase. I’m more hopeful to see the rest of Nintendo’s first party line-up this year get release dates? Metroid Prime 4 is a bigger deal to me than GTA6.
Re: Xbox President 'Delighted' To Join Board Of Directors At Tyson Foods
Chicken made with generative AI is officially on the menu.
Re: Talking Point: Are You Playing Assassin's Creed Mirage On Xbox Game Pass?
I played it at launch on my PS5. I had surgery around the time when it came out, so I blasted through it, and honestly enjoyed it a lot. It was a good distraction from some of the real life stuff I was dealing with at the time. The story is a little bland, but the gameplay’s solid. I’d say it might be my favorite modern AC game, even if I’m overrating it completely due to the circumstances in which I played it. Shadows is better looking, Valhalla’s more memorable, the story’s better in Origins, and there’s significantly more to do in Odyssey, but Mirage doesn’t overstay its welcome and it goes back to what made the series interesting in the first place.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (August 9-10)
Going to keep on keeping on with Death Stranding 2 and UFO 50 with a bit of Is This Seat Taken?
Oh maybe Drag X Drive’s beta too!
Re: Xbox Dev Turn 10 Goes Dark As Questions Remain Over The Future Of Forza Motorsport
Jeez, everyone, calm down! This doesn’t mean there will be no more support. No, it means their marketing guy was part of the 50% laid off and Microsoft just forgot to turn the social media bot on.
Re: Pick One: What Was Your Favourite Xbox Game Pass Addition In July 2025?
Tony Hawk was my last Gamepass game before my sub ran out, so that one!
Seriously though, that’s the only one I had passing interest in this month.
Re: Xbox Adds New Dynamic Background & Gamerpics For Rare's 40th Birthday
Rare’s anniversary is celebrated just a few weeks after the team suffered layoffs and had their big project cancelled. Feels a little hollow seeing this. Hopefully the art wasn’t AI generated!
Re: Report: BioShock Remake Cancelled As Upcoming Sequel Hits Development Troubles
That’s fine with me. Keep putting resources into a new experience!
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (August 2-3)
Maybe I’ll get back to Death Stranding 2 after putting it on hiatus for Donkey Kong Bananza. Realistically, I’m in no rush to play through it though, as I gotta be honest… that release slate in August and September isn’t calling my name right now.
Outside that, it’ll be Ninja Gaiden Ragebound and Time Flies, which I started both yesterday and it doesn’t seem it’ll take long to beat either of them.
Re: Xbox Will Apparently Announce More PS5 & Switch 2 Ports 'In The Coming Weeks'
@BattleMonkey Blue Prince was fantastic. It’s been a solid year for GP overall. I’ve enjoyed a lot of games on the service this year. My top 10 this year was almost entirely GP games until the Switch 2 launched. I just wish GP was still cheaper. It was a better value a few years ago. Hoping for some surprisingly solid indies to drop in the fall perhaps since that tends to happen.
@Millionski DK is absolutely insane as a game, isn’t it? I just finished it the other day and it made me happy in a way so few games have. I’ve decided to get all third party games on Switch 2 as possible for the time being. I love the machine, but I wish there were more games for it. To be fair to Xbox, I’ve not been playing as much PlayStation as in previous years either. This is the first year since 2017 where I’ve played more Xbox than PlayStation, but I suspect DS2 and Ghost may level that out.
Re: Xbox Will Apparently Announce More PS5 & Switch 2 Ports 'In The Coming Weeks'
@BattleMonkey Depends on the games, honestly. Since the Switch 2 came out, I’ve been mostly playing that. I’ve also been playing my PS5 a little bit too for Death Stranding 2. I haven’t used my Xbox since my GP sub ran out about a week or two ago. I sub to GP whenever there’s something I want to play on it that’s cheaper than buying the game, but otherwise I don’t tend to stay subbed full time. Xbox was my primary platform for about a decade, but I stopped doing so following the Switch 1 launch. I’ve drifted further from Xbox over the last decade or so due to their lack of focus on exclusives and first party games. I’ll definitely resub to GP at some point, but that’s certainly to be determined at this point. I wouldn’t say there’s anything else this year that’s calling to me right now, outside Silksong and Witchbrook, which I’ll buy both… physically if possible for Switch 2. Feels like I’m waiting for Halo and Fable for Xbox right now.
Re: Xbox Game Pass Contributed To 'An All-Time High' For Subscription Spending Last Month (US)
The month my sub ran out, huh? Guess that sends a good message to the executives about all the layoffs being a good idea.
Re: Microsoft Reverts Price Increase For The Outer Worlds 2, Will Launch For $70 On Xbox
@Questionable_Duck If any game could pull off the price hike, it’s CoD. Basically CoD, Mario Kart, and GTA may be the only games I could see people getting stuck with the hikes… but suck it up all the same.
Re: Microsoft Reverts Price Increase For The Outer Worlds 2, Will Launch For $70 On Xbox
It’s interesting to see people celebrate this when… honestly, this is The Outer Worlds 2. It’s still not really a massive release. I could be wrong, but $70 might still be a big ask. I’d imagine the preorders have been Concordian, which caused the price decrease, not “the public won” spin that they’re going to pull. But, even still, going down $10, I don’t think they’re going to be that much better.
Re: No Rest For The Wicked May Skip Xbox 'For The Time Being' Due To 'Current Market Conditions'
I know a lot of people are upset on here, but I loved the Ori games and will gladly get this on Switch 2 day one.
Re: Talking Point: As A Game Pass Subscriber, Do You Still Spend Money In Xbox Sales?
Last game I bought on Xbox was the Midway Arcade Collection about 2 years ago. Before that, it was Dragon Ball FighterZ at launch. I basically only use my Xbox when and if I’m subbed to Gamepass at this point. I’m currently not, so it’s just sort of a Minecraft box for my kids at the moment.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (July 19-20)
Donkey Kong Bananza for sure. Playing the Switch again just makes gaming so much more convenient, as I’d gone back to playing Switch more heavily while my PS5 was in the shop and I sort of noticed I was gaming more, but bugging my wife less about it because it felt like I was gaming less due to shorter sessions. DK is absolutely fantastic, by the way.
I’d like to play more Death Stranding 2 though.
Honestly, both games are so good, it’s insane. It’s crazy how these two games are just so beyond anything else that’s released this year. Haven’t enjoyed two games in tandem so much since the crowded second half of 2019.
Re: Opinion: Xbox Series X Still Hasn't Been Fully Utilised Yet, But 2026 Could Be The Year
Always next year with Xbox…
Re: Poll: Which Of Xbox's Fall 2025 Games Are You Most Excited About?
Keeper by a wide mile for me. Not sure how I feel about Outer Worlds 2, no interest at all in CoD, and I’ll take a 2D Ninja Gaiden in Ragebound asap, but never particularly liked the 3D entries.
Re: ASUS Seems To Have Accidentally Leaked The ROG Xbox Ally Prices (In Europe)
@BAMozzy Oh, I definitely agree that Microsoft will survive regardless of anything to do with Xbox. Xbox is small fry in comparison to everything else Microsoft does. I figure most people, even in trying to avoid Microsoft, may pour money into the company without being aware of it in the slightest.
Re: ASUS Seems To Have Accidentally Leaked The ROG Xbox Ally Prices (In Europe)
@BAMozzy so in other words, it’s easier to let go of wages bought than inflated salaries that continue to cause problems? To me, it feels like Phil and co are slowly deflating the Xbox bubble. There’s literally executives that get hired industry to industry to allow businesses to burn down to be replaced by new businesses that are the same in all but name, and to me, the leadership at Xbox seems to be doing some similar strategies. My Dad worked for a big box that closed down shop last year and no one knew they were losing their jobs until maybe five weeks before it happened… and it was originally a two weeks notice, but stores were selling better than anticipated. Xbox’s current status reminds me of that, and I think that’s to rebrand the business to Microsoft gaming. Sierra Mist becomes Starry, you know?
Re: ASUS Seems To Have Accidentally Leaked The ROG Xbox Ally Prices (In Europe)
@theduckofdeath The layoffs and investment into AI certainly affects the entertainment value of the product long term. If you’re expecting Xbox to continuously deliver strong titles, but you’re concerned that the titles they’ve announced may be cancelled in favor of something else, obviously that veers into bait and switch tactics. As @Millionski said, if a product isn’t supported or it doesn’t have a unique value to it, what’s the point? Xbox as a console platform just isn’t providing that value, or else the spin on Xbox across the media may be more positive.
@BAMozzy What you’ve said is true, but I would argue that the consistency in Xbox’s message is that they’ve continuously said something, done the opposite, and been on a trend to be less communicative. I almost miss the days of Redfall when Phil had a candid discussion about what went wrong there. I remember when Sega was losing steam as a console platform and I don’t remember people turning like this. It feels like the more they expand the thinner the fanbase is.
And you’re totally right that EA, WB, Sony, and Ubisoft are doing the same thing as Xbox. And I think people are frustrated with all of them as well right now. I know I am.
Re: Xbox Is Using The Most Ridiculous AI Image To Advertise New Jobs
Hey guys, they’re clearly hiring for a reason.
Re: ASUS Seems To Have Accidentally Leaked The ROG Xbox Ally Prices (In Europe)
@Fiendish-Beaver The Xbox strategy this generation has been baffling to say the least. Announce a console with huge fanfare while announcing a series of games that were 2-6 years out, basically change directions every 3 months, acquire developers and studios only to lay off significant amounts of staff, etc. The list goes on. It just feels like bad business. At the beginning of the generation, I’d say about 2/3rds of my friends had a Series console and were buying third party games on Xbox just to try to support Xbox. My friend group was more pro-Xbox than PlayStation or Nintendo five years ago. It’s weird to watch that slowly change over the last five years to the point where some of the same friends won’t even buy anything new that has Microsoft’s name attached to it. I’ve never seen a bigger shift away from a brand in realtime.
Re: ASUS Seems To Have Accidentally Leaked The ROG Xbox Ally Prices (In Europe)
They’d be insane to go over $500/$800 in this climate.
That said, not sure how many people are going to want to buy one either. After announcing the layoffs and then that $80bn investment in AI, I can’t say I know anyone that wants to support Microsoft in the slightest right now. I did know people that were going to buy this, but at a certain point you erode too much trust, you know? I gotta wonder if Xbox has some plans for a positive curveball before this to get people supportive of them again.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (July 12-13)
@Titntin I’ll admit, I felt quite silly for rushing through the GP games earlier in the year in anticipation for DS2. Felt like I had nothing to play while my PS5 was in the shop. A reminder perhaps to take more time and smell the roses?
Re: Talking Point: Are You Excited For Double Fine's Follow-Up To Psychonauts 2?
It’s Double Fine, so of course it’s worth looking into. No idea what they’ll do with this one and that’s a wonderful thing
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (July 12-13)
@Titntin I’m pretty far removed from the warranty at this point. It wasn’t terrible to repair. It cost more than a new controller, but less than a new console. I’ll be keeping an eye on the console a bit more now that I know that it can do… that…. Apparently it’s not uncommon for early models of the PS5 to burn out the liquid metal that cools down the console. I was told that it may dry out again, but now I’ve got a year warranty, so I’ll be able to crank through Death Stranding, Yotei, Resi9, and Pragmata (and perhaps more) as blissfully as I want with a help card if I need it!
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (July 12-13)
@ScalenePowers Enjoy Mirror’s Edge! Man, I remember buying the game ages ago when it was maybe two years old or so, and the game utterly blew me away. The level design and art direction are immaculate and the gameplay still feels like a revelation to this day. It’s a shame they tried to go with a darker, grittier sequel, misunderstanding that the absence of dark and grit is what makes the original so surreal and unique and a timeless classic. One of the best games of the 360 era for sure.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (July 12-13)
Finally Death Stranding 2 for me! After two weeks at the shop, my PS5 seems to be a-ok!
Re: Talking Point: After Almost Two Years, How Do You Feel About Xbox's Starfield In 2025?
It’s the least of Bethesda’s RPGs to me and I’m honestly sort of shocked they didn’t try to pull a Cyberpunk narrative with it to try to shift public perception on the game. It may be in the top 10 biggest disappointments for me this generation. It’s not that it’s a bad game, no… It’s that it’s just ok. When you made some of the definitive RPGs in gaming and they’re fewer and far between, the expectation only increases, unfortunately, and Starfield just doesn’t come close to what Skyrim or Fallout 3 or Morrowind did ages ago now.
Re: Review: Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3+4 (Xbox) - Another Great THPS Game, Despite The Odd Bail
Paywalling two characters is sort of a junk move, but I expect this one will be a good way to sail out the last nine days of my Gamepass sub. It’s a pro that the whole game is on disk, as well. As safe as the game sounds to be, I wouldn’t be surprised if this is the most overall solid Xbox Games Studios game of the year.