The big games are all pretty obvious and will get a lot of votes but I’d like to highlight 3 smaller games that perhaps won’t get as much love
Botany Manor is a charming puzzle game with a lovely story on the side, probably my biggest surprise on Game Pass of 2024.
Still wakes the deep. I still think the writing and acting in this game is better than anything else I played this year. It feels like real conversations of real people and not some script. It’s worth playing, even just a bit, for that alone.
Chants of Senaar another clever puzzler where you translate languages and build a picture of a bizarre world. Engaging
@GamingFan4Lyf I agree about developers being given time. Also being tested with hardware constraint challenges helps. E.g. Ori and the Will of the Wisps didn’t run well on Xbox One originally but while they fixed the worst lockups (it could freeze for a few seconds opening the map, at launch) it wasn’t until they made a Switch version that they were forced to REALLY refactor and optimise the game. Some of these learnings were then backported to Xbox One and performance finally became great.
The reality with ALL games is they could be better optimised, but it’s often a tough sell for publishers, do you delay the game and keep some key staff on the project for several months, often some of your brightest talents, or get them working on new things. What if the game doesn’t sell as well as hoped, is that additional time and cost ‘wasted’? I think this is SOME of the reason we see so many patches post launch, they want to check the game is actually selling before throwing more money at it. For me it’s just a good reason to wait on most games.
@Banjo- Microsoft already offer play anywhere on PC and Xbox for their own games. But while it sounds good on paper for ALL games it might be tricky doing that with third party games without giving a larger cut to publishers/studios. Why should they offer their game on both console and PC for no additional benefit?
Additionally what happens to all our existing purchases? A console license won’t carry across to other platforms. Not saying it’s impossible but seems there’s some pretty large problems to solve. Would love to see it though, would be a big USP for Xbox.
This analysis looks and feels like it was done as part of a school project. Here are some problems with it
They say more than 80 million Swtich 2's sold by 2028 but chart only shows 60 million. Which is it?
Chart should be launch month aligned to make the comparison fair. Of course the Switch 2 (2025?) is likely to be well ahead of PS6 and NextBox (2027-2028?) if it has a 2-3+ year head start.
Assuming PS6 and Nextbox launch late in the year like usual their launch year numbers are way off. PS5 sold 4.5m in the last 3 months of 2020 yet their chart has around 15m in 2027. Sony had only sold around 17.5m PS5s by the end of 2021, yet their chart has 30m in the same timeframe by the end of 2028. And yet they say they will struggle…
The things I do agree on are:
Nintendo will a clear winner... at least initially. The next console's early success is often more to do with the last console's former momentum not their actual quality and longer term direction (See XB1 sales faster than X360), but they won't top the Switch
I think Xbox (although they don't label it) will lose some ground in console hardware sales, due to their always changing and multi-platform policies.
I really like the developer direct format. Looking forward to that.
But i'm intentionally not getting too excited for Xbox in 2025, we do this every year, saying "next year will be the year" and each year they do OK but also don't quite deliver. So i'm keeping expectations low.
@Banjo- It's not clearly written at all and I can understand how it can easily be misread. But it makes no sense the other way as I explained, it only makes sense if it's 10% of 15% or 1.5% total steam session using stead deck controls.
Re: links [ url ]TEXT TO LINK[ /url ] remove all spaces from tags. But you have to be careful they sometimes end up in moderation. Often I will post the comment without the links so it posts and then add the link in an edit which I think (i'm not sure) means only the edit with the link might get stuck. Basically be careful what you link to and how many links you put in.
@Banjo- I think you have misinterpreted the data. I linked to the Steam Input report that said it. That 10% is not of ALL sessions, it's 10% of all sessions using a controller which is only 15%. so it;s 10% of 15% which is 1.5%.
It's a little confusing stated but "During that time..." is doing the heavy lifting here. Else 59% of ALL steam sessions would be using an Xbox Controller. 26% PS and 10% Steam deck. Which would only leave 5% using Keyboard and mouse.
@Coletrain The Steam inputs data was 10% of players playing on Steam using a controller were on Steam Deck... but only 15% were using a controller at all. So it was 10% of 15% or 1.5% of total steam players. I mentioned this above and linked to it.
Re: sales. I have seen 5-7 million from so many different informed sources, analysts, etc. that I suspect it is in this window. But we just don't know.
To be clear that is a great sales number, it isn't trying to compete with Switch or PlayStation, but it is a proof of concept that will grow. I love my OLED Deck, it's a brilliant bit of hardware.
@Banjo- where is that 13.2 million Steam Deck sales number from? I keep a close eye on these things and have never seen it. I know Valve has not released any official data. It also seems considerably higher than the usual figures quoted from analysts which are usually more conservative in the 5+ million range.
You also said 10% of Steam Users playing on Steam Deck. Like @Coletrain I find this highly dubious. You said it’s from “real statistics”. What are they? It just doesn’t seem at all likely. Happy to be wrong if you have good data I have missed, always willing to learn and keep an open mind. Both both seem unlikely.
For reference to some official data we DO have, while not precise and there are many caveats it might be a reasonable guide:
In June this year Steam released a lot of internal data about controller usage. Two relevant, interesting take aways were that just 15% of Steam sessions use a controller and of that 15% just 10% used steam deck controller. So in total only around 1.5% of Steam sessions were using Steam Deck as a controller. Though note that is sessions not users. What user data do we have?
Steam’s hardware survey (which is only a sample, not everyone) shows just 2.03% of steam users use Linux and just 36.63% of Linux users use Steam OS. So around 0.75% of Steam users are using Steam OS.
Additionally it shows only 0.35% users play at Steam Deck’s resolution of 1280 x 800 but several other devices have this resolution too. (Note: another 0.48% play at 800 x 1280 which is its docked vertical mode resolution, but again it’s not the only device at that res).
All in all I suspect your 10% is less than 1%, give or take, and sales are likely around half that 13.2 million.
@HelloCraigo appreciate the effort that goes into making a video but like others for content like this I just want a list I can quickly scan and comment on. If there’s anything of interest to me I can go to that part of the video. Not enough time to be watching a 15 minute video on this… (goes and watches a half hour Mark Cerny ASMR presentation on PS5 Pro) 👀
@Scirius LEGEND!
Can thoroughly recommend almost all the games on this brilliant list. Though except for Neva I’ve played all the ones I want to. 😿
It's an interesting video in the end. I was initially pretty cynical at the start as he makes some very obvious statements that don't take "6 years working in advertising" to know. But to be fair he goes on to explain brand power (which we mentioned yesterday @Banjo- ) and other advertising techniques that are important in building brand mindshare and establishing your brand with different demographics who might need the Xbox proposition reframed to suit them.
@OldGamer999 I also like that he stressed "Console hardware isn't under threat it just not the only method of play Microsoft is interested in. It doesn't mean console isn't important any more." Good video.
The game is built around first person, e.g. to easily find hidden routes and documents etc. you need to be closer to the action than third person. BUT choice is good and some people can't play it in first person due to motion sickness, so i'd love to see a 3rd person accessibility option.
@BIG3 also thought it was fantastic overall, finished and was a 9/10 for me. Though there are some very obvious glaring flaws like the stealth which is comically bad. The shortest and narrowest enemy vision cones I’ve seen in years, with imbecilic enemy AI. You kinda have to just ignore all that, because if you can’t it’s likely a deal breaker and you won’t enjoy the game much.
It’s also much more slower paced than some people like, and involves a lot of backtracking. I personally liked that aspect but others won’t. And I seemed to be holding the map up to my face running round the Vatican like a tourist, lost and going in circles. Lol. Lastly some achievements are bugged for some people.
None of that ruined MY experience but I can see how others could mark it down considerably for all these flaws, it’s far from perfect.
@Millionski good pint about Obsidian, thanks for the correction.
Yeah there isn’t much rhyme or reason to which titles are exclusive, which are timed-exclusives and which are multiplatform day 1. I suspect Microsoft would look at their books and decide on a case by case basis.
@Banjo- Microsoft will be looking VERY carefully at games like Outer Worlds 2, Doom and comparing them to timed exclusives like Indiana Jones. It's likely they will take a significant hit on the PlayStation sales on any delayed title. Not least it's no longer part of the main hype cycle, and they might even have to advertise it again, which will cost more.
Obviously they will have to weight that up against Xbox Sales, Game pass churn, other metrics and that much harder to quantity 'brand power'.
If it was me I would in theory want 6-12 months exclusivity but I don't know what the numbers will say and how they think it will impact the Xbox brand. I have no idea what will happen, fascinated to see what they decide.
@Millionski Likely comes down to money. They make FAR more releasing games like Doom, The Outer Worlds 2 day 1 on PS5 than they do signing small indies to exclusivity deals. But we also don't know if this will change. These deals are often agreed long in advance, perhaps they won't going forward.
Also an important aspect is development on games like Doom and The Outer Worlds 2 were started before the ABK takeover, that means all their finances were planned as multi-platform releases. If you suddenly make all those games exclusives then divisions like Activision and Bethesda will struggle to make profits as you aren't going to reach those original sales goals on one console platform.
Lastly ABK and Bethesda cost what they cost in part BECAUSE those games make so much money by releasing on every platform, you would devalue your purchase somewhat by making them exclusive. Obviously you would increase the value in other areas, but probably not enough.
All in all a lot of factors going on in deciding which games to make exclusive and which not.
@Millionski All true but this works both ways. PlayStation had to wait over a year for GOTY nominee Immortality which was an Xbox console exclusive. Scorn, Planet of Lana, Somerville, 40K Darktide were also around a year. High on Life was 6+ months. Stalker 2 is an Xbox console exclusive with no PS5 date. Plenty of other Game Pass titles are similar.
Granted it seems like there are more on the PlayStation side, and often higher profile, but it's happening everywhere.
@Banjo- Totally agree that ABK has boosted their multiplatform strategy... but you'd bloody well hope so for $69billion!!
It is a fascinating time with so much upheaval and changing of the status quo. Microsoft in particular is interesting, with an entirely new business model in Game Pass, and also because we know so little. As you said they are a mystery. Even their annual reports basically only give a few numbers they want us to see for all Xbox and even then it's tied together with Surface laptops etc. It's often not the same figures quarter to quarter or year to year making it even harder to accurate assess anything. They are mostly a closed book.
Nintendo usually give a bit more than MS in their investor portal and it's usually the same data so it can be compared, but it's still so little. The reality is we have so little detail in the numbers to go on for either, except to say their businesses are in a good position overall. There's little else to glean as they give so little.
Sony is a LOT more of an open book, their quarterly supplemental reports go into great detail on how much is made breaking it down into digital, physical, add-ons, first party etc. etc.
As you said first party is usually only a small portion of their business (around 11% on average over the last 6 years), but that's to be expected with hundreds of third party games releasing for every first party title. Around a third of their income comes from add-ons they get 30% on every third party MTX, DLC which is why they wanted to push to live service. Financially it's a good idea on paper, to get 100% of their biggest segment but it's proven much harder to do that they thought. But we know in this space you only need a couple of successes to make several failures worthwhile. As a creative I don't like that, but it's the business of it.
Add to that the Insomniac leak and we know they still turn a healthy profit on high budget titles like Spider-man 2 on PS5 alone even after Marvel's cut, which we also know the details of. For now Sony CAN keep making high budget games and making a profit. But they need to sell well, around 5.5m units for Spider-man 2 & Wolverine and less for first party with no IP fee. Which they currently comfortably do for most titles. Obviously this is all dependant on budget and other factors, but it will be interesting to see how long they can make this last with rising costs. All very interesting.
Hopefully this will fix some of the achievement glitches, especially with Gina, though the issue I have doesn't seem to be listed, will give it a try. Currently locked out of 1000GS.
@Banjo- MS's annual reports are out of sync with most others who do Q3 as xmas. So like most companies Sony's FY24 annuals won't be out till around May.
I think in time you might be right about multiplatform, I believe it is the way the industry is heading, and broadly good for gamers. But I also believe most at Xbox wouldn't want to go multiplatform YET if they had a choice. But Xbox's market position combined with buying ABK and Zenimax have forced their hand somewhat. That doesn't mean it's a bad thing, just that they had less choices, it's hard to support that many studios on 30 million Xbox's + PC and expect to turn a profit. But I still think it will be a case-by-case basis for a while and I think it will end up being a sensible decision in the end. I think Sony will have to be dragged over coals to do it, and that could be their biggest error in time.
I am fascinated to see both how Switch 2 hardware is as a system ("Yesterday's technology tomorrow") and how it does against increased handheld competition. But Nintendo has built up so much good will over the decades and the next system usually sells well off the popularity and momentum of the last (like XB1 selling faster than X360) that I think they will be fine this gen, but it's unlikely to hit Switch like levels. Their relatively low pricing is also key.
@Banjo- I'm with you, I don't think Xbox consoles are going anywhere. But I can understand their concerns and I do think it's a higher risk / reward strategy with an increased chance of failure for Xbox consoles.
Personally I like that all 3 platform holders are doing something a bit different and finding their own success, it doesn't have to be one over another, there is room for all to thrive, and it makes having all 3 far more worthwhile.
Did you see Sony's most recent Q2 financial results? They were very strong, especially G&NS (PlayStation). Including record profits for ANY quarter, despite Q3 (xmas) usually being their biggest not Q2. They fixed their profit margin issue up to a healthy 13%. Continued record revenues for 9 straight quarters. Their current finances are better that many think, despite some live service and mobile failures, hence discussions with Kadokawa.
@Banjo- I partly agree. But I think there is a big difference between Microsoft Gaming and (what we know as) Xbox, whatever their "This is an Xbox" campaign might say.
Microsoft Gaming can go from strength to strength as a publisher and comfortably be #1, but at the same time Xbox as a console could fail. The two aren't mutually exclusive. While I don't think it will, whether it does has little to do with Microsoft's net worth as a company or how much money they make from publishing games.
Going multiplatform is a bold but risky strategy for Microsoft, one that could backfire. If too many of the doom and gloom gamers above switch platform next gen because they go where they think all the games are, then more third party developers will move on, followed by even more gamers. If they don't sell enough units it can becomes a rolling stone you can't stop like Wii U.
This makes a lot of sense. But remember your learnings / failings from Metro UI where you tried to give everything the same bland design whether you were on PC (with a highly precise mouse), Console (with a precise controller), Mobile (with less precise fingers) and Kinect (with very imprecise hand gestures)
Different platforms, different screen sizes v distance from screen, and different input methods require a different user interface to excel. Jack of all trades won't cut it.
@Banjo- But surely you can see that comparing total company revenue is a bizarre and useless comparison for gaming when most revenue comes from other arms of their businesses not gaming.
By that rationale if we are only sorting companies that publish games and by total company revenue that would likely put Amazon at #1, Apple at #2, Alphabet/Google at #3 , Microsoft at #4, Samsung at #5, Meta at #6 etc. which is neither very useful or representative of the gaming landscape at all.
I can understand wanting to shut up the "Xbox is doomed" posters, it's annoying, but I think you know this is a silly way to do that as those numbers don't say anything about how Xbox is ACTUALLY doing. Microsoft can be doing well but their gaming division COULD be failing. It isn't, Xbox is doing very well financially, but the numbers you quoted don't demonstrate ANY of that. You're a smart guy and i'm sure you know this.
I mean free is free, and I will claim it like Epic Games every week. But it's one of the worst Battlefield campaigns and the chances I will play it again are next to zero.
Xmas gift perhaps? I still think it was odd (or perhaps calculated) to release Black Ops 6 onto Game Pass without the earlier Black Ops games. But we'll get there eventually, even if they drip feed them.
What I really want is a Modern Warfare 3 (2011) Remastered as they remastered 1 & 2 and left us hanging. I could go back and play the X360 version but i'd prefer a proper remaster to bring them all in line.
Oh and give Dishonored 2 a 60fps patch while you are at it, it's the only Dishonored game you can't play at higher frame rates on XSX.
Microsoft is the second largest video game publisher after Tencent, ranked by revenue in 2024 with $236,580,000,000, way ahead of Sony with $88,880,000,000
This doesn’t sound right at all. I assume you are including ALL Microsoft revenue in that, not ONLY gaming revenue, because in the last 3 months (up to Sept 30 2024) they ‘only’ made $13.2 billion in revenue from “Personal Computing (incl. Xbox)”. They didn’t make $236 billion from gaming across the year. You are comparing Apples to Oranges. But I agree Microsoft gaming is doing well financially.
I wish they would just come out and tell us with a 100% assurance if they are making a next generation Xbox console under the tv powerful home console
I can understand a bit of pessimism considering some of their unclear messaging but Xbox has confirmed that twice this year. In January when they held the “business update” to confirm their business approach was changing Sarah Bond said.
”We’re also invested in the next generation roadmap and what we’re really focused on there is delivering the largest technical leap you’ve ever seen in a hardware generation”
And then just a month ago Phil Spencer reconfirmed this saying
”We’ll definitely do more consoles in the future, and other devices”.
“Our biggest growth in Xbox players is on PC and cloud… The console space all up isn’t growing, across all of them. We love those customers, but in terms of continuing to expand and grow Xbox, it’s about PC, it’s about cloud, and it’s about making our games more available in more places.”
You aren’t going to get clearer than that for a device seemingly 2-4 years away. Hell Nintendo are reportedly launching a new console in a few months and we know almost nothing about it, they only confirmed something was coming earlier this year, since then tumbleweeds.
@Titntin Role reversal! I was sick while playing it, hence why I finished so quickly, I just bunkered in all weekend.
But I saw there are a few settings that might help with that. There's an anti-bob / camera movement setting. Additionally turn camera shake off and potentially try motion blur or even the black bars/widescreen on/off might help.
@Balaam_ No worries. Indy's still a brilliant game despite the bugs but it is a bit annoying to get to the end, do all the side quests and then get locked out due to some glitches.
I didn't see this mentioned anywhere so I thought this was worth noting, especially as it seems quite widespread considering the number of people complaining on various achievements websites and forums which I only discovered after looking for a fix.
If I am right it should be quite easy for Machine Games to fix this (basically a character is stuck in the wrong place, and others aren't having collectibles picked up register correctly) so hopefully we'll get a patch soon. I'd still score it 9 out of 10.
Haven't played many on that list yet, but Indiana Jones immediately jumped into my Top 3 so far. Brilliant game that just feels like an extension of the original movies.
Though achievement hunters should beware, several achievement are bugged right now for a lot of players are locked out until a patch is released. Gina is bugged in my version I can't turn in the radio codes
@TheEstablishment You are right that consoles aren't the only way to make money, and branching out is a smart strategy to make MICROSOFT more money.
BUT if the Xbox console doesn't get enough players, because they go elsewhere all the games are, then more devs will stop making for Xbox and the stone starts to roll down the hill. Xbox is currently the place where Microsoft makes most money from Game Pass and gets 30% of everything sold on Xbox. Remove that and they basically just become a publisher with an app like Ubisoft or EA.
@HonestHick On the one hand I think you are right that it's great that more players get to play the games we love. Other art forms don't limit you to only watching movies, or listening to music on one specific, expensive device. We would find that outrageous if posited elsewhere, yet we happily accept it with games.
BUT on the other hand I feel console exclusives still have a place in selling the HARDWARE which NEEDS a certain critical mass of players else developers won't develop for it. If true this decision seems to undermine all that somewhat.
We already see some smaller devs not developing for Xbox, at what point do more join them and not make for Xbox too?
It's a tough problem to solve for Microsoft as especially since the ABK deal they need to make more money to support all those studios but aren't gaining market share as they hoped and Game Pass console subs have somewhat stagnated.
Game Pass still makes it worthwhile to have an Xbox for me, especially with the number of studios Microsoft now has. Though it's actually the risk free discoverability of curated third party titles that I love most about the service.
BUT... I am enthusiast, I played 40+ games on Xbox this year. For the more casual players this doesn't seem like a good way to keep them in the ecosystem and less users makes Game Pass less feasible.
I think we need to also split this discussion. I have no doubt that long term this will be more profitable for MICROSOFT, but as a predominantly console gamer who cares more about XBOX specifically, and keeping Sony in line, this seems like a blow.
Microsoft Gaming can thrive due to this, but Xbox (as we've known it) can suffer, they aren't mutually exclusive.
I am pro-physical media, but only within reason. When it's a niche of a niche like this, at some point you have to question what is the point if the market is so tiny. Without seeing hard numbers I suspect they made the right calls here.
Absolutely loved this map. I know Broadway (the Cotswold village where the game starts), Snowshill, Edinburgh and some of the other locations really well in real life so it was a hoot to visit these places in game.
Indiana Jones - Brilliant game. Though it is more adventure than action. More Dishonored, Hitman and Deus Ex inspired than Uncharted or Tomb Raider, some people won't like that as much and it will be a bit divisive.
I finished Immortality this week too. Brilliant art, but flawed as a game. I found every video of the 3 movies and dozens of the hidden ones but still had little idea what the secret story was. I watched a video online and realised how much I missed, despite searching for it and having every achievement except one. But it sticks with you. Flawed genius. I preferred Her Story which stuck the landing for me.
Indiana Jones has immediately jumped into my Top 3. Brilliant game, though it won't be for everyone, it's much slower paced, more adventure than action drawing inspiration from Dishonored, Deus Ex & Hitman more than Uncharted or Tomb Raider. It just FEELS like Raiders era Indiana Jones. Wonderful.
But shout outs to Animal Well, Botany Manor which were both wonderful and like Indiana Jones allowed you to use your brain. While I think it's a bit flawed as a game the voice acting and writing in Still Wakes the Deep is a high bar. Other devs need to study this game and learn how to write refreshing, authentic characters and dialogue.
@Millionski good points. I think Microsoft has so many studios now that SOME of their games can remain exclusive and they will still have a lot.
But it makes sense the outer worlds 2 and many of the other games from recently bought studios are multiplatform because they were planned and budgeted as such before Microsoft bought them. The budgets and scope would likely need to be smaller if they were Xbox console exclusives as it’s a much smaller market.
Comments 6,228
Re: Poll: What Were The Best Xbox Game Pass Additions In 2024?
The big games are all pretty obvious and will get a lot of votes but I’d like to highlight 3 smaller games that perhaps won’t get as much love
Re: These Are The Top-Selling Games In The Xbox Countdown Sale 2024
#1 Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League (Deluxe Edition) - $4.99
This reminds me of the old adage "there are no bad products, only bad prices" it's not quite true but does affect out expectations significantly.
Re: A New Terminator Game Has Been Rated For Xbox Series X|S And One
Putting 2D in the title is... a choice. I love 2D games but other than HD-2D I can't think of many games doing this in the last decade.
Re: Xbox Series X|S Architect Officially Named 'VP Of Next-Generation' At Microsoft
@GamingFan4Lyf I agree about developers being given time. Also being tested with hardware constraint challenges helps. E.g. Ori and the Will of the Wisps didn’t run well on Xbox One originally but while they fixed the worst lockups (it could freeze for a few seconds opening the map, at launch) it wasn’t until they made a Switch version that they were forced to REALLY refactor and optimise the game. Some of these learnings were then backported to Xbox One and performance finally became great.
The reality with ALL games is they could be better optimised, but it’s often a tough sell for publishers, do you delay the game and keep some key staff on the project for several months, often some of your brightest talents, or get them working on new things. What if the game doesn’t sell as well as hoped, is that additional time and cost ‘wasted’? I think this is SOME of the reason we see so many patches post launch, they want to check the game is actually selling before throwing more money at it. For me it’s just a good reason to wait on most games.
Re: Xbox & PlayStation Face 'Significant Risk' With Their Next Consoles, Predicts Research Firm
@Banjo- Microsoft already offer play anywhere on PC and Xbox for their own games. But while it sounds good on paper for ALL games it might be tricky doing that with third party games without giving a larger cut to publishers/studios. Why should they offer their game on both console and PC for no additional benefit?
Additionally what happens to all our existing purchases? A console license won’t carry across to other platforms. Not saying it’s impossible but seems there’s some pretty large problems to solve. Would love to see it though, would be a big USP for Xbox.
Re: Xbox & PlayStation Face 'Significant Risk' With Their Next Consoles, Predicts Research Firm
This analysis looks and feels like it was done as part of a school project. Here are some problems with it
The things I do agree on are:
Re: Talking Point: If Developer Direct Returns, Xbox Could Have A Killer 2025 Lineup
I really like the developer direct format. Looking forward to that.
But i'm intentionally not getting too excited for Xbox in 2025, we do this every year, saying "next year will be the year" and each year they do OK but also don't quite deliver. So i'm keeping expectations low.
Re: YouTuber Breaks Down Xbox's 'Almost Perfect' New Ad Campaign
@Banjo- Ah I see [ url=https://purexbox.com ]TEXT TO LINK[ /url ]
Re: YouTuber Breaks Down Xbox's 'Almost Perfect' New Ad Campaign
@Banjo- It's not clearly written at all and I can understand how it can easily be misread. But it makes no sense the other way as I explained, it only makes sense if it's 10% of 15% or 1.5% total steam session using stead deck controls.
Re: links [ url ]TEXT TO LINK[ /url ] remove all spaces from tags. But you have to be careful they sometimes end up in moderation. Often I will post the comment without the links so it posts and then add the link in an edit which I think (i'm not sure) means only the edit with the link might get stuck. Basically be careful what you link to and how many links you put in.
Re: YouTuber Breaks Down Xbox's 'Almost Perfect' New Ad Campaign
@Banjo- I think you have misinterpreted the data. I linked to the Steam Input report that said it. That 10% is not of ALL sessions, it's 10% of all sessions using a controller which is only 15%. so it;s 10% of 15% which is 1.5%.
It's a little confusing stated but "During that time..." is doing the heavy lifting here. Else 59% of ALL steam sessions would be using an Xbox Controller. 26% PS and 10% Steam deck. Which would only leave 5% using Keyboard and mouse.
Re: Sony's New $320M 'Alliance' Has Left Xbox Fans Breathing A Sigh Of Relief
As someone against mass consolidation, as I was for ABK, I am happy.
Re: New Elder Scrolls 'Remake' Announcement Rumour Surfaces Online
This has been rumoured for a while (along with Fallout) would love to see it. Anniversary is coming up...
Re: YouTuber Breaks Down Xbox's 'Almost Perfect' New Ad Campaign
@Coletrain The Steam inputs data was 10% of players playing on Steam using a controller were on Steam Deck... but only 15% were using a controller at all. So it was 10% of 15% or 1.5% of total steam players. I mentioned this above and linked to it.
Re: sales. I have seen 5-7 million from so many different informed sources, analysts, etc. that I suspect it is in this window. But we just don't know.
To be clear that is a great sales number, it isn't trying to compete with Switch or PlayStation, but it is a proof of concept that will grow. I love my OLED Deck, it's a brilliant bit of hardware.
Re: YouTuber Breaks Down Xbox's 'Almost Perfect' New Ad Campaign
@Banjo- where is that 13.2 million Steam Deck sales number from? I keep a close eye on these things and have never seen it. I know Valve has not released any official data. It also seems considerably higher than the usual figures quoted from analysts which are usually more conservative in the 5+ million range.
You also said 10% of Steam Users playing on Steam Deck. Like @Coletrain I find this highly dubious. You said it’s from “real statistics”. What are they? It just doesn’t seem at all likely. Happy to be wrong if you have good data I have missed, always willing to learn and keep an open mind. Both both seem unlikely.
For reference to some official data we DO have, while not precise and there are many caveats it might be a reasonable guide:
In June this year Steam released a lot of internal data about controller usage. Two relevant, interesting take aways were that just 15% of Steam sessions use a controller and of that 15% just 10% used steam deck controller. So in total only around 1.5% of Steam sessions were using Steam Deck as a controller. Though note that is sessions not users. What user data do we have?
Steam’s hardware survey (which is only a sample, not everyone) shows just 2.03% of steam users use Linux and just 36.63% of Linux users use Steam OS. So around 0.75% of Steam users are using Steam OS.
Additionally it shows only 0.35% users play at Steam Deck’s resolution of 1280 x 800 but several other devices have this resolution too. (Note: another 0.48% play at 800 x 1280 which is its docked vertical mode resolution, but again it’s not the only device at that res).
All in all I suspect your 10% is less than 1%, give or take, and sales are likely around half that 13.2 million.
Re: Video: 30 Must-Play Xbox Games For Under $30 This Holiday Season
@HelloCraigo appreciate the effort that goes into making a video but like others for content like this I just want a list I can quickly scan and comment on. If there’s anything of interest to me I can go to that part of the video. Not enough time to be watching a 15 minute video on this… (goes and watches a half hour Mark Cerny ASMR presentation on PS5 Pro) 👀
@Scirius LEGEND!
Can thoroughly recommend almost all the games on this brilliant list. Though except for Neva I’ve played all the ones I want to. 😿
Re: Ex-Bethesda Dev 'Surprised' At The Amount Of Load Screens In Starfield
@user0 That got a hearty guffaw. You win my internet prize today 🎂
Re: YouTuber Breaks Down Xbox's 'Almost Perfect' New Ad Campaign
It's an interesting video in the end. I was initially pretty cynical at the start as he makes some very obvious statements that don't take "6 years working in advertising" to know. But to be fair he goes on to explain brand power (which we mentioned yesterday @Banjo- ) and other advertising techniques that are important in building brand mindshare and establishing your brand with different demographics who might need the Xbox proposition reframed to suit them.
@OldGamer999 I also like that he stressed "Console hardware isn't under threat it just not the only method of play Microsoft is interested in. It doesn't mean console isn't important any more." Good video.
Re: Indiana Jones And The Great Circle 'Glitch' Shows How The Game Would Look In Third-Person
The game is built around first person, e.g. to easily find hidden routes and documents etc. you need to be closer to the action than third person. BUT choice is good and some people can't play it in first person due to motion sickness, so i'd love to see a 3rd person accessibility option.
Re: Indiana Jones Update 2 Now Live On Xbox, Here Are The Full Patch Notes
@BIG3 also thought it was fantastic overall, finished and was a 9/10 for me. Though there are some very obvious glaring flaws like the stealth which is comically bad. The shortest and narrowest enemy vision cones I’ve seen in years, with imbecilic enemy AI. You kinda have to just ignore all that, because if you can’t it’s likely a deal breaker and you won’t enjoy the game much.
It’s also much more slower paced than some people like, and involves a lot of backtracking. I personally liked that aspect but others won’t. And I seemed to be holding the map up to my face running round the Vatican like a tourist, lost and going in circles. Lol. Lastly some achievements are bugged for some people.
None of that ruined MY experience but I can see how others could mark it down considerably for all these flaws, it’s far from perfect.
Re: Xbox Appears To Be Getting More Ex-PlayStation Exclusives In 2025
@Millionski good pint about Obsidian, thanks for the correction.
Yeah there isn’t much rhyme or reason to which titles are exclusive, which are timed-exclusives and which are multiplatform day 1. I suspect Microsoft would look at their books and decide on a case by case basis.
Re: Xbox Reporter Says That Microsoft 'Won't Have Exclusives Going Forward'
@Banjo- Microsoft will be looking VERY carefully at games like Outer Worlds 2, Doom and comparing them to timed exclusives like Indiana Jones. It's likely they will take a significant hit on the PlayStation sales on any delayed title. Not least it's no longer part of the main hype cycle, and they might even have to advertise it again, which will cost more.
Obviously they will have to weight that up against Xbox Sales, Game pass churn, other metrics and that much harder to quantity 'brand power'.
If it was me I would in theory want 6-12 months exclusivity but I don't know what the numbers will say and how they think it will impact the Xbox brand. I have no idea what will happen, fascinated to see what they decide.
Re: Xbox Appears To Be Getting More Ex-PlayStation Exclusives In 2025
@Millionski Likely comes down to money. They make FAR more releasing games like Doom, The Outer Worlds 2 day 1 on PS5 than they do signing small indies to exclusivity deals. But we also don't know if this will change. These deals are often agreed long in advance, perhaps they won't going forward.
Also an important aspect is development on games like Doom and The Outer Worlds 2 were started before the ABK takeover, that means all their finances were planned as multi-platform releases. If you suddenly make all those games exclusives then divisions like Activision and Bethesda will struggle to make profits as you aren't going to reach those original sales goals on one console platform.
Lastly ABK and Bethesda cost what they cost in part BECAUSE those games make so much money by releasing on every platform, you would devalue your purchase somewhat by making them exclusive. Obviously you would increase the value in other areas, but probably not enough.
All in all a lot of factors going on in deciding which games to make exclusive and which not.
Re: Xbox Appears To Be Getting More Ex-PlayStation Exclusives In 2025
@Millionski All true but this works both ways. PlayStation had to wait over a year for GOTY nominee Immortality which was an Xbox console exclusive. Scorn, Planet of Lana, Somerville, 40K Darktide were also around a year. High on Life was 6+ months. Stalker 2 is an Xbox console exclusive with no PS5 date. Plenty of other Game Pass titles are similar.
Granted it seems like there are more on the PlayStation side, and often higher profile, but it's happening everywhere.
Re: Xbox Reporter Says That Microsoft 'Won't Have Exclusives Going Forward'
@Banjo- Totally agree that ABK has boosted their multiplatform strategy... but you'd bloody well hope so for $69billion!!
It is a fascinating time with so much upheaval and changing of the status quo. Microsoft in particular is interesting, with an entirely new business model in Game Pass, and also because we know so little. As you said they are a mystery. Even their annual reports basically only give a few numbers they want us to see for all Xbox and even then it's tied together with Surface laptops etc. It's often not the same figures quarter to quarter or year to year making it even harder to accurate assess anything. They are mostly a closed book.
Nintendo usually give a bit more than MS in their investor portal and it's usually the same data so it can be compared, but it's still so little. The reality is we have so little detail in the numbers to go on for either, except to say their businesses are in a good position overall. There's little else to glean as they give so little.
Sony is a LOT more of an open book, their quarterly supplemental reports go into great detail on how much is made breaking it down into digital, physical, add-ons, first party etc. etc.
As you said first party is usually only a small portion of their business (around 11% on average over the last 6 years), but that's to be expected with hundreds of third party games releasing for every first party title. Around a third of their income comes from add-ons they get 30% on every third party MTX, DLC which is why they wanted to push to live service. Financially it's a good idea on paper, to get 100% of their biggest segment but it's proven much harder to do that they thought. But we know in this space you only need a couple of successes to make several failures worthwhile. As a creative I don't like that, but it's the business of it.
Add to that the Insomniac leak and we know they still turn a healthy profit on high budget titles like Spider-man 2 on PS5 alone even after Marvel's cut, which we also know the details of. For now Sony CAN keep making high budget games and making a profit. But they need to sell well, around 5.5m units for Spider-man 2 & Wolverine and less for first party with no IP fee. Which they currently comfortably do for most titles. Obviously this is all dependant on budget and other factors, but it will be interesting to see how long they can make this last with rising costs. All very interesting.
Re: Indiana Jones Update 2 Now Live On Xbox, Here Are The Full Patch Notes
Hopefully this will fix some of the achievement glitches, especially with Gina, though the issue I have doesn't seem to be listed, will give it a try. Currently locked out of 1000GS.
UPDATE: Sadly it does not, still stuck on 890GS.
Re: Xbox Reporter Says That Microsoft 'Won't Have Exclusives Going Forward'
@Banjo- MS's annual reports are out of sync with most others who do Q3 as xmas. So like most companies Sony's FY24 annuals won't be out till around May.
I think in time you might be right about multiplatform, I believe it is the way the industry is heading, and broadly good for gamers. But I also believe most at Xbox wouldn't want to go multiplatform YET if they had a choice. But Xbox's market position combined with buying ABK and Zenimax have forced their hand somewhat. That doesn't mean it's a bad thing, just that they had less choices, it's hard to support that many studios on 30 million Xbox's + PC and expect to turn a profit. But I still think it will be a case-by-case basis for a while and I think it will end up being a sensible decision in the end. I think Sony will have to be dragged over coals to do it, and that could be their biggest error in time.
I am fascinated to see both how Switch 2 hardware is as a system ("Yesterday's technology tomorrow") and how it does against increased handheld competition. But Nintendo has built up so much good will over the decades and the next system usually sells well off the popularity and momentum of the last (like XB1 selling faster than X360) that I think they will be fine this gen, but it's unlikely to hit Switch like levels. Their relatively low pricing is also key.
Re: Xbox Reporter Says That Microsoft 'Won't Have Exclusives Going Forward'
@Banjo- I'm with you, I don't think Xbox consoles are going anywhere. But I can understand their concerns and I do think it's a higher risk / reward strategy with an increased chance of failure for Xbox consoles.
Personally I like that all 3 platform holders are doing something a bit different and finding their own success, it doesn't have to be one over another, there is room for all to thrive, and it makes having all 3 far more worthwhile.
Did you see Sony's most recent Q2 financial results? They were very strong, especially G&NS (PlayStation). Including record profits for ANY quarter, despite Q3 (xmas) usually being their biggest not Q2. They fixed their profit margin issue up to a healthy 13%. Continued record revenues for 9 straight quarters. Their current finances are better that many think, despite some live service and mobile failures, hence discussions with Kadokawa.
Re: Xbox Reporter Says That Microsoft 'Won't Have Exclusives Going Forward'
@Banjo- I partly agree. But I think there is a big difference between Microsoft Gaming and (what we know as) Xbox, whatever their "This is an Xbox" campaign might say.
Microsoft Gaming can go from strength to strength as a publisher and comfortably be #1, but at the same time Xbox as a console could fail. The two aren't mutually exclusive. While I don't think it will, whether it does has little to do with Microsoft's net worth as a company or how much money they make from publishing games.
Going multiplatform is a bold but risky strategy for Microsoft, one that could backfire. If too many of the doom and gloom gamers above switch platform next gen because they go where they think all the games are, then more third party developers will move on, followed by even more gamers. If they don't sell enough units it can becomes a rolling stone you can't stop like Wii U.
Re: Xbox Is Reportedly Working On A 'Cross-Platform Interface' Called Project Rainway
This makes a lot of sense. But remember your learnings / failings from Metro UI where you tried to give everything the same bland design whether you were on PC (with a highly precise mouse), Console (with a precise controller), Mobile (with less precise fingers) and Kinect (with very imprecise hand gestures)
Different platforms, different screen sizes v distance from screen, and different input methods require a different user interface to excel. Jack of all trades won't cut it.
Re: New Report Details Two Far Cry Projects In Development At Ubisoft
Please just give us something a little bit fresh and not Far Cry 3 #7
They are good games, but boy are they in need of some new ideas
Re: Xbox Reporter Says That Microsoft 'Won't Have Exclusives Going Forward'
@Banjo- But surely you can see that comparing total company revenue is a bizarre and useless comparison for gaming when most revenue comes from other arms of their businesses not gaming.
By that rationale if we are only sorting companies that publish games and by total company revenue that would likely put Amazon at #1, Apple at #2, Alphabet/Google at #3 , Microsoft at #4, Samsung at #5, Meta at #6 etc. which is neither very useful or representative of the gaming landscape at all.
I can understand wanting to shut up the "Xbox is doomed" posters, it's annoying, but I think you know this is a silly way to do that as those numbers don't say anything about how Xbox is ACTUALLY doing. Microsoft can be doing well but their gaming division COULD be failing. It isn't, Xbox is doing very well financially, but the numbers you quoted don't demonstrate ANY of that. You're a smart guy and i'm sure you know this.
Re: Battlefield 1 Gets Reduced By 100% On Xbox, And More Games Could Follow Very Soon
I mean free is free, and I will claim it like Epic Games every week. But it's one of the worst Battlefield campaigns and the chances I will play it again are next to zero.
Re: Four More Call Of Duty Titles Seemingly Being Prepared For Xbox Game Pass
Xmas gift perhaps? I still think it was odd (or perhaps calculated) to release Black Ops 6 onto Game Pass without the earlier Black Ops games. But we'll get there eventually, even if they drip feed them.
What I really want is a Modern Warfare 3 (2011) Remastered as they remastered 1 & 2 and left us hanging. I could go back and play the X360 version but i'd prefer a proper remaster to bring them all in line.
Oh and give Dishonored 2 a 60fps patch while you are at it, it's the only Dishonored game you can't play at higher frame rates on XSX.
Re: Xbox Reporter Says That Microsoft 'Won't Have Exclusives Going Forward'
Banjo- wrote:
This doesn’t sound right at all. I assume you are including ALL Microsoft revenue in that, not ONLY gaming revenue, because in the last 3 months (up to Sept 30 2024) they ‘only’ made $13.2 billion in revenue from “Personal Computing (incl. Xbox)”. They didn’t make $236 billion from gaming across the year. You are comparing Apples to Oranges. But I agree Microsoft gaming is doing well financially.
Re: Microsoft CEO: 'We Are Redefining What It Means To Be An Xbox Fan'
OldGamer999 wrote:
I can understand a bit of pessimism considering some of their unclear messaging but Xbox has confirmed that twice this year. In January when they held the “business update” to confirm their business approach was changing Sarah Bond said.
And then just a month ago Phil Spencer reconfirmed this saying
You aren’t going to get clearer than that for a device seemingly 2-4 years away. Hell Nintendo are reportedly launching a new console in a few months and we know almost nothing about it, they only confirmed something was coming earlier this year, since then tumbleweeds.
Re: Here Are The Top 10 Xbox Games Of 2024 According To Metacritic
@Titntin That sucks. I've only ever had that with VR. Yes probably best not to risk it if that's the fallout. Plenty of good games out there.
Re: Xbox Has Reportedly Delayed 'A Big Game' Into 2026
While I like to get games asap, if it makes it a better game, which it should, delaying is the right option.
Xbox in particular has put out too many unfinished or buggy / unpolished releases in the last few years, i'd much rather they released when done.
Re: Here Are The Top 10 Xbox Games Of 2024 According To Metacritic
@Titntin Role reversal! I was sick while playing it, hence why I finished so quickly, I just bunkered in all weekend.
But I saw there are a few settings that might help with that. There's an anti-bob / camera movement setting. Additionally turn camera shake off and potentially try motion blur or even the black bars/widescreen on/off might help.
Good luck mate
Re: Here Are The Top 10 Xbox Games Of 2024 According To Metacritic
@Balaam_ No worries. Indy's still a brilliant game despite the bugs but it is a bit annoying to get to the end, do all the side quests and then get locked out due to some glitches.
I didn't see this mentioned anywhere so I thought this was worth noting, especially as it seems quite widespread considering the number of people complaining on various achievements websites and forums which I only discovered after looking for a fix.
If I am right it should be quite easy for Machine Games to fix this (basically a character is stuck in the wrong place, and others aren't having collectibles picked up register correctly) so hopefully we'll get a patch soon. I'd still score it 9 out of 10.
Re: Here Are The Top 10 Xbox Games Of 2024 According To Metacritic
Haven't played many on that list yet, but Indiana Jones immediately jumped into my Top 3 so far. Brilliant game that just feels like an extension of the original movies.
Though achievement hunters should beware, several achievement are bugged right now for a lot of players are locked out until a patch is released. Gina is bugged in my version I can't turn in the radio codes
Re: Xbox Reporter Says That Microsoft 'Won't Have Exclusives Going Forward'
@TheEstablishment You are right that consoles aren't the only way to make money, and branching out is a smart strategy to make MICROSOFT more money.
BUT if the Xbox console doesn't get enough players, because they go elsewhere all the games are, then more devs will stop making for Xbox and the stone starts to roll down the hill. Xbox is currently the place where Microsoft makes most money from Game Pass and gets 30% of everything sold on Xbox. Remove that and they basically just become a publisher with an app like Ubisoft or EA.
Re: Xbox Reporter Says That Microsoft 'Won't Have Exclusives Going Forward'
@HonestHick On the one hand I think you are right that it's great that more players get to play the games we love. Other art forms don't limit you to only watching movies, or listening to music on one specific, expensive device. We would find that outrageous if posited elsewhere, yet we happily accept it with games.
BUT on the other hand I feel console exclusives still have a place in selling the HARDWARE which NEEDS a certain critical mass of players else developers won't develop for it. If true this decision seems to undermine all that somewhat.
We already see some smaller devs not developing for Xbox, at what point do more join them and not make for Xbox too?
It's a tough problem to solve for Microsoft as especially since the ABK deal they need to make more money to support all those studios but aren't gaining market share as they hoped and Game Pass console subs have somewhat stagnated.
Re: Xbox Reporter Says That Microsoft 'Won't Have Exclusives Going Forward'
Game Pass still makes it worthwhile to have an Xbox for me, especially with the number of studios Microsoft now has. Though it's actually the risk free discoverability of curated third party titles that I love most about the service.
BUT... I am enthusiast, I played 40+ games on Xbox this year. For the more casual players this doesn't seem like a good way to keep them in the ecosystem and less users makes Game Pass less feasible.
I think we need to also split this discussion. I have no doubt that long term this will be more profitable for MICROSOFT, but as a predominantly console gamer who cares more about XBOX specifically, and keeping Sony in line, this seems like a blow.
Microsoft Gaming can thrive due to this, but Xbox (as we've known it) can suffer, they aren't mutually exclusive.
Re: Croc Developer Insists There's 'Almost No Demand' For A Physical Xbox Version
I am pro-physical media, but only within reason. When it's a niche of a niche like this, at some point you have to question what is the point if the market is so tiny. Without seeing hard numbers I suspect they made the right calls here.
Re: Rumour: Sony's LEGO Horizon Adventures Could Be Coming To Xbox
More games is always a good thing, even if it's not the ones we personally want. Choice is good.
Re: Soapbox: Paying Tribute To The Best Map In Forza Horizon History
Absolutely loved this map. I know Broadway (the Cotswold village where the game starts), Snowshill, Edinburgh and some of the other locations really well in real life so it was a hoot to visit these places in game.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (December 14-15)
@16BitHero @PeaceSalad Indy really is brilliant, enjoy!
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (December 14-15)
Indiana Jones - Brilliant game. Though it is more adventure than action. More Dishonored, Hitman and Deus Ex inspired than Uncharted or Tomb Raider, some people won't like that as much and it will be a bit divisive.
I finished Immortality this week too. Brilliant art, but flawed as a game. I found every video of the 3 movies and dozens of the hidden ones but still had little idea what the secret story was. I watched a video online and realised how much I missed, despite searching for it and having every achievement except one. But it sticks with you. Flawed genius. I preferred Her Story which stuck the landing for me.
Re: Poll: What Is Your Xbox Game Of The Year For 2024?
Indiana Jones has immediately jumped into my Top 3. Brilliant game, though it won't be for everyone, it's much slower paced, more adventure than action drawing inspiration from Dishonored, Deus Ex & Hitman more than Uncharted or Tomb Raider. It just FEELS like Raiders era Indiana Jones. Wonderful.
But shout outs to Animal Well, Botany Manor which were both wonderful and like Indiana Jones allowed you to use your brain. While I think it's a bit flawed as a game the voice acting and writing in Still Wakes the Deep is a high bar. Other devs need to study this game and learn how to write refreshing, authentic characters and dialogue.
Re: Yes, The Outer Worlds 2 Is Another Xbox-Developed Game Heading To PS5
@Millionski good points. I think Microsoft has so many studios now that SOME of their games can remain exclusive and they will still have a lot.
But it makes sense the outer worlds 2 and many of the other games from recently bought studios are multiplatform because they were planned and budgeted as such before Microsoft bought them. The budgets and scope would likely need to be smaller if they were Xbox console exclusives as it’s a much smaller market.