Xbox Series X | S

[Oh Danny Boy]

6 minutes ago, Yiggy said:

 

It probably doesn't need pointing out but this wont magically placate all PS5 owners. A proportion of (very loud) supporters will still complain that they can't play it on the console they play all their other games on. For many, your console choice is a lifestyle and one that you will die for. Making it easy to play on TV's without a console will help but it will need to be coupled with a really good marketing push to keep those people on side. 

Then they won’t be able to play it. It’s not like console exclusives don’t exist, I’ve always wanted to play Shenmue 3 as I’m a massive Shenmue fan, but never have, as I own a Switch/Xbox. That’s how it is. 
 

If you’re gaming exclusively on the PS5 then you’re not going to be playing Bethesda’s latest games. It’s been like that since the dawn of consoles, hardly a shocking revelation.

[Mr. Gerbik]

9 minutes ago, Yiggy said:

 

It probably doesn't need pointing out but this wont magically placate all PS5 owners. A proportion of (very loud) supporters will still complain that they can't play it on the console they play all their other games on. For many, your console choice is a lifestyle and one that you will die for. Making it easy to play on TV's without a console will help but it will need to be coupled with a really good marketing push to keep those people on side. 

Oh but those particular gamers would complain anyway. That's exactly who I meant in my post at the top of this page. There's no sense whatsoever in trying to appease them, that's a lose lose situation.

[Stanley]

1 minute ago, therearerules said:

I'm not sure people who have made the lifestyle choice of a sony console are onside to begin with though!

 

I just bought a sony console for the exclusives, I signed up to D+ for the exclusives. The difference is, even if this is playable on every set-top box and media player, I can't see gamepass on a Playstation.

Then again if the aim is to have Xcloud running via a browser on Apple devices, I don’t see why it couldn’t work on PlayStation- assuming it still has an internet browser (I honestly don’t know).

[LaveDisco]

I think Mojang, Minecraft (and Minecraft Dungeons), and Ori, are enough to add ambiguity to what they are doing. I think the European Monopolies stuff they are going through now, might be smoothed by them promising multiplatform releases for some period of time. I can imagine them doing that in the short term. But of course they are going to use this to push the value of Game Pass.

 

But I admit, a MS Game Pass future worries me.  I don't think we value enough how radical and important it was when Netflix normalised no advertisements in paid for streaming.

 

Time and time again when it comes to gaming, when MS has the upper hand it acts straight against consumer interests. 360 did well, so that Xbox One launch mess up, then again with adverts in games, then again with MTX, then again with the gold price increase. 

 

If MS was to dominate the future space with Game Pass, you know all the 'free game pass games' will be mediums to shove adverts and MTX down our throats. If they are kept in check by Sony and Nintendo, then they'll keep backing down, and gamepass will stay incredible.

[Transient Curse]

5 minutes ago, LaveDisco said:

Time and time again when it comes to gaming, when MS has the upper hand it acts straight against consumer interests. 360 did well, so that Xbox One launch mess up, then again with adverts in games, then again with MTX, then again with the gold price increase. 

 

If MS was to dominate the future space with Game Pass, you know all the 'free game pass games' will be mediums to shove adverts and MTX down our throats. If they are kept in check by Sony and Nintendo, then they'll keep backing down, and gamepass will stay incredible.

Every time a company reaches dominance if they do stuff people don't like, they go elsewhere. 

 

Get a second job, etc. etc. 

 

I can't imagine Gamepass encompassing all software - there'll be places to play games without getting onboad with Gamepass. Nintendo aren't going anywhere for a start. 

[Uncle Mike]

I don't think there's much to fear from Game Pass. Either it'll pick up Sony-worrying levels of traction and you'll see them do similar, or it'll do well but not enough to freak them out and they'll carry on selling games for money. It would be more of a concern if they were buying every publisher/developer up, but even with Bethesda under their wing I don't think that's a reasonable statement. And then whatever happens, Nintendo will sit slightly to one side and continue to show us different things.

[Plissken]

The idea that exclusives still matter to the buying public is so old hat.  It costs so much time and money to develop a game these days of the level that could be considered a AAA system seller that it makes absolutely zero business sense to make it exclusive to a single console.

[Uncle Mike]

I am not sure I agree with that assertion. Sony don't do well because they're the most customer-friendly, best services, friendliest console. They do well because people see games there that they can't get elsewhere. If exclusives didn't help sell consoles, people wouldn't make them.

[Harsin]

It's not really borne out by reality when the two manufacturers way out in front rely on the quality of their exclusives as a heavy part of their strategy.

[Transient Curse]

10 minutes ago, Plissken said:

The idea that exclusives still matter to the buying public is so old hat.  It costs so much time and money to develop a game these days of the level that could be considered a AAA system seller that it makes absolutely zero business sense to make it exclusive to a single console.

I think it's more nuanced than that, certainly the sales of Sony's first party exclusives aren't the biggest sellers on the platform, but they do drive the most engaged parts of the audience which feeds to the more casual parts of the market. As Don Mattrick said (IIRC) "first to a million installed consoles, wins" (or similar). 

[carlospie]

I wish they did a gamepass+ where you could play the whole catalogue of Xbox and 360 games. There's some bangers in there but buying them off eBay is a pain in the arse. For example id like to player conker live and reloaded but its not worth a tenner to buy off the store, or the last story. Or blue dragon. Or jade empire etc

[deerokus]

3 minutes ago, carlospie said:

I wish they did a gamepass+ where you could play the whole catalogue of Xbox and 360 games. There's some bangers in there but buying them off eBay is a pain in the arse. For example id like to player conker live and reloaded but its not worth a tenner to buy off the store, or the last story. Or blue dragon. Or jade empire etc

Blue Dragon was cheap in the sale the other day. 

[Ry]

12 minutes ago, carlospie said:

I wish they did a gamepass+ where you could play the whole catalogue of Xbox and 360 games. There's some bangers in there but buying them off eBay is a pain in the arse. For example id like to player conker live and reloaded but its not worth a tenner to buy off the store, or the last story. Or blue dragon. Or jade empire etc

 

Conker is on Rare Replay isn't it? 

[Jg15]

I can see Gamepass perhaps hitting Switch in the future, featuring a curated list of Xbox titles (first and third party) not available on the Nintendo platform.

 

Sony would never allow it on their platform though.

[Stanley]

13 minutes ago, Jg15 said:

I can see Gamepass perhaps hitting Switch in the future, featuring a curated list of Xbox titles (first and third party) not available on the Nintendo platform.

 

Sony would never allow it on their platform though.

Why would Nintendo? Worth bearing in mind they don’t even have Netflix at present. 

[Kevvy Metal]

28 minutes ago, Ry said:

 

Conker is on Rare Replay isn't it? 

 

That's the N64 version rather than the Xbox remake, if I'm not mistaken.

[auntyclimax]

6 minutes ago, Stanley said:

Why would Nintendo? Worth bearing in mind they don’t even have Netflix at present. 

 

What's the reason? I expect it's around demand. Or perhaps that it enables adult content?

[Stanley]

Just now, auntyclimax said:

 

What's the reason? I expect it's around demand. Or perhaps that it enables adult content?

No idea, they have age restricted games too so it won’t be that. 

[Kevvy Metal]

2 hours ago, mdn2 said:

There's a massive shortage of consoles, which is obviously causing issues because there is pent up demand for them, but PS5 software sales have been abysmal, which indicates people are buying consoles either as an improved PS4 or the consoles are being bought and shipped overseas. But PlayStation has been on the decline for the last decade there or so (PS2 sold about 21 million units, PS3 about 10 million and PS4 about 9 million). There's interest, but it's true when they say Japan is Nintendo land. The Switch is at 18 million units sold and counting there.

 

The Vita did best in Japan too. It's my understanding that Handheld is king in Japan. 

[Yiggy]

2 hours ago, therearerules said:

I can't see gamepass on a Playstation.

 

Indeed. Thats never going to happen. 

 

However what MS will say is that PS5 owners can play Elder Scrolls by playing it on any number of other devices they already own or can buy cheaply. Without actually buying the box of the enemy. What I'm saying is MS can still expect to get flack from Sony Fans because they will still see it as taking away beloved games from their console. Even if their point is moot. 

[bear]

After listening to that Gamesbeat podcast I wouldn't expect much in terms of new games from any March event. Grubb didn't big it up a huge amount, I think we'll get some clarification about what will and won't be Xbox exclusive going forward but I doubt they'll drop a Starfield trailer and say its out this winter. I don't think Microsoft need any more Perfect Dark, Avowed or Fable type announcements where its a CG clip and not even a year for when we should expect the game. They have enough of those, what they need is to show off actual game footage. 

 

 

 

[Mr. Gerbik]

5 minutes ago, bear said:

After listening to that Gamesbeat podcast I wouldn't expect much in terms of new games from any March event. Grubb didn't big it up a huge amount, I think we'll get some clarification about what will and won't be Xbox exclusive going forward but I doubt they'll drop a Starfield trailer and say its out this winter. I don't think Microsoft need any more Perfect Dark, Avowed or Fable type announcements where its a CG clip and not even a year for when we should expect the game. They have enough of those, what they need is to show off actual game footage. 

 

 

 

It's been heavily rumoured that Starfield is very far along. Which would fit with Bethesda's recent strategy of a proper gameplay reveal six or so months before the actual release. But even then I think you're right because I think it's more likely Microsoft will save that for whatever happens around E3 this year or a big proper Xbox showcase in June/July

[auntyclimax]

51 minutes ago, Stanley said:

No idea, they have age restricted games too so it won’t be that. 

 

They don't allow games with nudity though, do they?

[Stanley]

1 minute ago, auntyclimax said:

 

They don't allow games with nudity though, do they?

I’m not sure, Witcher 3 is on there and I’m sure that has sex and nudity, I played Outlast II which does also, and is fucking horrible 

[Jg15]

1 hour ago, Stanley said:

Why would Nintendo? Worth bearing in mind they don’t even have Netflix at present. 

It's probably more me thinking it would be more realistic for Nintendo to agree to Gamepass than standalone Sony. There have been rumors around it before, specifically after the Ori deal and MS and Nintendo getting a bit more pally. 

 

Also, like I said, a curated list of titles not available on Switch would be a great compliment and wouldn't harm Nintendo, if anything add further value to it.

[Stanley]

16 minutes ago, Jg15 said:

It's probably more me thinking it would be more realistic for Nintendo to agree to Gamepass than standalone Sony. There have been rumors around it before, specifically after the Ori deal and MS and Nintendo getting a bit more pally. 

 

Also, like I said, a curated list of titles not available on Switch would be a great compliment and wouldn't harm Nintendo, if anything add further value to it.

It might add value but from Nintendo’s POV it might eat into their revenue as their customers play Xbox games instead of buying their own full price re-releases 

[scoobysi]

9 minutes ago, Jg15 said:

Also, like I said, a curated list of titles not available on Switch would be a great compliment and wouldn't harm Nintendo, if anything add further value to it.

Apart from damaging sales of other games, both Nintendo and their partners. I think while console hardware exists you won’t see many cross-platform GP deals. But if MS throw enough money around anything’s possible I suppose.

[TehStu]

There just doesn't seem much point. Everyone who has a Switch and pays for GP almost certainly has a phone with similar size screen to the Switch. Not to mention the Switch triggers aren't a good match. 

[rgraves]

1 hour ago, auntyclimax said:

 

What's the reason? I expect it's around demand. Or perhaps that it enables adult content?

 

The strongly rumored reason was that Nintendo pulled out of a deal with Netflix over some leaked projects there were working on years ago, and Netflix have had the hump ever since:

 

https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2021/02/nintendo_cancelled_star_fox_tv_show_after_netflix_leaked_legend_of_zelda_plans

[Stanley]

15 minutes ago, TehStu said:

There just doesn't seem much point. Everyone who has a Switch and pays for GP almost certainly has a phone with similar size screen to the Switch. Not to mention the Switch triggers aren't a good match. 

Better than just a phone screen, also how big is your phone?!