Xbox Series S/X: Thread 02

[endo]

Fanboy jokes aside I like the design of the XSX much more than the PS5 flared shape. The fact it's a monolith appeals to me ... And as we've seen plenty of the console design and build already I know what to expect.

It must be appealing to your inner caveman. There's uncontacted tribes who'd fall to their knees and worship this ****ing thing if you turned up in the middle of the Amazon with one.

[dataDave]

They could delay the console?

What are they actually planning on selling it with other than "Game Pass Game Pass Game Pass"?

I like the design of it, actually. I guess it won't be so easy taking the housing off of the vent for some compressed air action once every few months, will it?

[Junko]

Why bother even releasing it without Halo in 2020 , just delay and try save face

[dataDave]

As for the development team they were probably glad that development hell was going to end for them in time for Christmas... Now it's likely to last over Christmas and all through 2021.

[nonny]

It must be appealing to your inner caveman. There's uncontacted tribes who'd fall to their knees and worship this ****ing thing if you turned up in the middle of the Amazon with one.

Lol... I just like black tech that blends in and doesn't attract my kids like moths to the flame.

It might be a big black monolith but at least it can go largely ignored...

There's no point delaying the console. They're not selling it with exclusives. They're not doing a conventional console launch here... There's going to be 3rd party stuff like Dirt 5, AC Valhalla and games like Doom Eternal and Control will be getting some major upgrade treatments.

They're also launching xCloud officially in September and have Game Pass plans. It sounds simple to say just delay the console but I don't think it's that simple and I also don't think that would solve anything.

Halo absent at launch is disappointing but it's not necessary for launch.

[Cassius_Smoke]

The SeriesX reddit page is alive. Quite a few people saying they'll wait until 2021 now. Am I right in thinking this console will now launch with no first party games? Has that ever happened before?

[Neon Ignition]

Let's be honest. Halo: Infinite being delayed likely is the right move for the game, given MS's aims and ambitions for it that stretch all generation long it's critical that it hits the right note from release as otherwise it's not going to get too far.

But let's be honest about something else as well, this is also absolutely devastating for Xbox Series S/X's launch. It was already wonky after the Infinite showing but it's genuinely now a next-generation launch title without any noteworthy launch title or even one remotely on the horizon of the launch window. Third party titles, xCloud and Game Pass are absolutely not going to shift hardly any Series X units this Christmas. MS now finds itself trying to pitch the equivalent of the Xbox One X2 to people who mostly already passed on that offering last time.

Genuinely, it's the definition of Microsoft having to decide whether software or hardware is more important to their future plans and they've chosen software which - credit to them - is a balls out move. They need to come up with a strong push on that angle for whenever Infinite resurfaces and use it to really spearhead that drive because man, hardware wise they aren't coming back from this.

[MartyG]

Wasn't the opinion a couple of weeks ago that nobody was going to buy Halo Infinite anyway as it looked like an Xbox 360 game? So it's not going to make any difference to sales if it's delayed.

CrossfireX has a 2020 release date - maybe that'll make launch. If they crunch hard enough.

[dataDave]

Maybe this is all some kind of zany experiment by the Xbox division to see just how far they can push the patience of the Microsoft board. Just how many millions can they hemorrhage on losing chunks of market share before someone finally snaps and says "ENOUGH!! FFS!!".

It's as if they're purposely selecting all the worst parts of every console launch and Frankensteining them all together. The result wasn't looking quite disastrous enough, so they're now in a position where they need to delay their tent-pole game until whenever they can think of a date for it - a console launch first.

They should probably delay the console as well until they at least have some software ready for it. Be patient. Let Sony go first.

I was looking at the XboxOne sales figures for Japan. 120,000 lifetime. Will they even bother contacting retailers for shelf space this round?

[Neon Ignition]

Thinking about it, back when they announced the Series X last year would MS have simply been better off making a smaller announcement that they were simply going to drop the word One from the Xbox branding?

That way they could have launched Series X whenever they want, without any software showcase, as a next step replacement the One X. It wouldn't make a splash but if they had then Infinite's delay would carry less weight and MS would be carrying out the same plan but having never actively engaged Sony in a full on 'next gen launch'. It would have sent a clear message that they weren't doing a traditional console model generation race anymore rather than the fake messaging they've done of 'we're not competing with Sony - we're just matching their movements, timing, marketing approach, sales tactics and pursuing their audience by coincidence' that has led to this. Basically, MS's messaging sucks again.

[Neon Ignition]

More launch date hints?

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[nonny]

Let's be honest. Halo: Infinite being delayed likely is the right move for the game, given MS's aims and ambitions for it that stretch all generation long it's critical that it hits the right note from release as otherwise it's not going to get too far.

But let's be honest about something else as well, this is also absolutely devastating for Xbox Series S/X's launch. It was already wonky after the Infinite showing but it's genuinely now a next-generation launch title without any noteworthy launch title or even one remotely on the horizon of the launch window. Third party titles, xCloud and Game Pass are absolutely not going to shift hardly any Series X units this Christmas. MS now finds itself trying to pitch the equivalent of the Xbox One X2 to people who mostly already passed on that offering last time.

Genuinely, it's the definition of Microsoft having to decide whether software or hardware is more important to their future plans and they've chosen software which - credit to them - is a balls out move. They need to come up with a strong push on that angle for whenever Infinite resurfaces and use it to really spearhead that drive because man, hardware wise they aren't coming back from this.

I don't think it's even as complex as that. The hardware is ready and has been for a while given how long ago they let people get their hands on it to try it out...

Software obviously trails that and has been hit by delays, in Halos case they're saying COVID but I am sure there's more to it than that.. crunch, for sure and equally decisions made post trailer to hold it back and revise based on feedback...

It's a shame but I don't think the entire launch hinges on Halo. It's a tentpole game for sure, and you'd want it day and date if it was able... But delaying it a few months... I get it.

What else big has been delayed this year? Doom Eternal, Cyberpunk... I know it's different when you want a game to sell a system but equally the system isn't the only thing MS is selling here. It's part of a package.

[Cassius_Smoke]

With the pandemic its amazing anything is getting launched this year. I can't imagine the monumental effort being put in by developers in this difficult time. Also, Sony are not out of the woods, they could easily announce a delay for one of their games too.
Trouble with MS is that they were the first to announce a new console almost a year ago and they will be coming out of the gates like a wet fart. It's embarrassing.

[Team Andromeda]

Exactly. Apple gear is desirable. Microsoft gear isn't. At least, to nowhere near the same extent. Even my nan has an iPad for FaceTiming with the kids. She ain't getting an Xbox.

The 360 is probably my most-played console ever. Absolutely loved it and have some great memories of some truly great games on it. Conversely,

Facetime LOL. Tell nan to get with the times and use ZOOM. In saying that .. Skype was pretty awesome on Kinect too

Yeah, the 360 was a good system and a lot of that was down to its better components (like a better GPU) and 3rd parties games. It wasn' like even then MS had the In-House teams to beat what SONY or Nintendo could offer and even with the 360 it took a while for the good games to come through, with its launch software being pretty average to say the least and other than PGR 3 most could have been done on the OG XBox.

[CMcK]

Facetime LOL. Tell nan to get with the times and use ZOOM.

At least Facetime is encrypted end to end. Zoom is too iffy for a lot of companies to use.