Xbox Series S/X: Thread 03

[nonny]

They're definitely in a difficult position, as things stand it's almost solely Game Pass they're selling and if it's isn't going to be explosively popular then their tank is otherwise empty. Appearing in 2022 at best with a line up that tips into 2023 is far too late so to swing this around to the pre-E3 chatter, I'd say they dropped the ball again this time and are now playing to retain the XBO's 40m userbase.

We've known all along its GP they're selling. They've literally sent that message clear as day... They want GP to be everywhere, for everyone via devices they own and don't.

I don't really get why this is a revelation. They'll persist to push it on to iOS, TV etc... And they'll continue to acquire new studios and make more day one deals with 3rd parties.

I totally agree with your opinion that 2023 is now the tipping point for the in-house studios. I don't think this is the disaster situation you describe though given their strategy.

I mean it's clear already they are never, ever going to sell more consoles than Sony this generation.

[Neon Ignition]

It's because the bottom line is Game Pass is effectively just a re-price pointed version of Xbox. If Xbox is fundamentally unappealing and its games line up also then Game Pass isn't going to get anywhere fast. There's absolutely nothing about the brand or content that currently suggests a drive to either properly cater for the audience they have or attract a new one let alone try to engage with people who aren't already involved in gaming. Their Game Pass strategy will only work if they have consistent strong content and mass appeal and that they don't taint the Xbox brand along the way. The way things stand they're likely at least another decade out from getting there (because there's absolutely no way that in 3-4 years all these company acquisitions suddenly launch a gold run for MS). Game Pass is at risk of being like 60fps or VR or backwards compatibility any number of other things forums talk about - nice but the vast majority of people just won't care. If someone looks at Game Pass as it stands now and thinks they'd get tons of use that's great but outside of that there's no real reason to recommend it or Xbox to anyone this side of their next hardware release. Bearing in mind the last one was just 8 months ago, that's shameful.

[Cassius_Smoke]

Starfield Teaser Trailer
Didnt show enough for me to care

Stalker 2: Heart of Chernobyl - Gameplay Trailer
Looks fun but pretty generic

Back 4 Blood E3 Trailer
Completely passed me by

Sea of Thieves: A Pirate's Life - Announcement Trailer
Don't care

Contraband – Official Announce Trailer
Showed nothing

Yakuza: Like A Dragon on Game Pass
OK...

Battlefield 2042 Gameplay Trailer
OK...

Twelve Minutes Trailer
Didnt show enough for me to care

Psychonauts 2 Trailer
Looks like a previous gen launch game

Fallout 76: Steel Reign Reveal
Who gives a ****?

Fallout 76: Expeditions - The Pitt Trailer
Who gives a ****?

Elder Scrolls Online Enhanced Launch Trailer
Who gives a ****?

Party Animals - Official Console Announce Trailer
Terrible...

Hades Coming to XBOX Game Pass
OK...

Somerville E3 2021 Trailer
Completely passed me by

Halo Infinite: Multiplayer Reveal
Looks generic and fades in with all the other multiplayer FPS on xbox

Diablo ® II Resurrected ™ Street Date Trailer
OK...

A Plague Tale: Requiem Trailer
Hmm, might get this in ps5

Slime Rancher 2 Trailer
Completely passed me by

Far Cry 6 Gameplay Trailer
I'll buy it on sale

Atomic Heart Trailer
Completely passed me by

REPLACED | Announce Trailer
Hmm, might see how this reviews

Grounded - The Shroom & Doom Update
Who gives a ****

Among Us 15 Player Lobbies
OK...

The Ascent Trailer
Hmm, might see how this reviews

Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes Announcement Trailer
2023?!

Age of Empires IV Gameplay Trailer
Ok...

The Outer Worlds 2 Announcement
OK...

Flight Simulator Trailer
Meh

Forza Horizon 5 Official Announce Trailer
Best looking so far

Redfall
Another shooter??

[MartyG]

There was a good number of games shown, 2022 is going to have decent games to play on Xbox (especially if you have Game Pass) - it's just a long time to wait.

Elder Scrolls Online has about 18 million subscribers, so quite a few people do give a **** about it.

And if anyone missed it Yakuza Like a Dragon lands on Game Pass today.

[Cassius_Smoke]

I must have watched a different show...

[MartyG]

Or you'e just a negative ninny toward Xbox.

Starfield
Stalker 2: Heart of Chernobyl
Back 4 Blood
Contraband
Battlefield 2042
Twelve Minutes
Psychonauts 2
Halo Infinite
A Plague Tale: Requiem
Far Cry 6
Atomic Heart
REPLACED
The Ascent Trailer
Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes
Age of Empires IV
The Outer Worlds 2
Flight Simulator
Forza Horizon 5
Redfall

Are all of interest to me and the majority of them are play day 1 on Game Pass.

[nonny]

I must have watched a different show...

Clearly the show has gone down like Marmite depending where you sit in terms of what value game pass offers you as an individual.

For me they offered enough for this year after already providing plenty of value to date. I do wish we had one more major AAA title dropping before the end of 2021 given Halo, Forza Horizon and Flight Simulator were all known or leaked prior to the show.

That's 3 major titles in the next 6 months amongst a decent amount of 3rd party game pass titles coming day one. That's a steady stream of content for the service and consoles. Whether you think it's value for you is down to personal taste. I notice here they haven't shown The Gunk or Scorn this time round but they are there in the 2021 roadmap graphic for Game Pass... so there's two more that were missed.

2022 is looking like Starfield is their major holiday banger with Redfall and Forza Motorsport most likely rounding out the big titles. I would presume we would also see a Deathloop special edition dropping the second time exclusivity ends on that one and it would get dropped straight into Game Pass as standard. So much the same cadence as this year but probably with a few 3rd party exclusives getting added to round out of the offerings.

Really as NI says its 2023 that looks to be where the first party titles begin to drop bigger titles. We know Hellblade 2 should be there, Everwild and Avowed are probably the most likely to arrive around then as well. Plus I guess further out you've got Perfect Dark, Indiana Jones etc...

I would think the Outer Worlds 2 is possibly a title we would see sooner rather than later. Given the last outing was fairly short for an RPG (20-25 hours) it isn't unfeasible to think they'd get a next gen second outing out in maybe 2 years.

In terms of overall information about what is coming and when now I am more than happy to be a Series X owner as my main console. I can see the momentum is going to increase in terms of output and I have more than enough to be playing in the meantime. I can see that the stuff on offer isn't that diverse as it is heavily RPG, FPS, Co-op based but for me I love FPS titles so it suits my tastes... RPG less so but it depends on the title.

I guess where Sony is 3rd person story driven heavy Xbox is now the RPG/FPS platform. Both could do with spreading the diversity a little...

All up I think it was a solid showcase but again... Marmite.

[fishbowlhead]

All good if you have gamepass, your guna get new games day and date to play. Nothing there that would sell a console to someone though.

Halo Infinite looked, ok, I guess. Just can’t get excited about it.

[nonny]

All good if you have gamepass, your guna get new games day and date to play. Nothing there that would sell a console to someone though.

Halo Infinite looked, ok, I guess. Just can’t get excited about it.

Halo Infinite I didn't like the coverage of the story. I felt they should have shown more, maybe even show the same set pieces from last year and how it's improved.

Multiplayer looked decent when I watched it on my phone last night but it's only going back and watching it in 4K on TV that it looks great. If they can get that running at 120fps I'm going to be totally hooked on it all over again.

The grapple hook and anti vehicle mechanics looked really cool as well. All up I think it's looking great and is exactly what I wanted out of the multiplayer.

[Cassius_Smoke]

Or you'e just a negative ninny toward Xbox.

Not at all. As a PS5 owner I sat in anticipation thinking 'come on Xbox, make me buy a seriesX!'
This was the first E3 since the launch of their new console, I, and many others, needed to be wowed. I wanted to see Perfect Dark, Fable, maybe something cool that's been in the works.
They've owned Rare for ages, why the hell hasn't there been a perfect dark at launch?? I ask again, what the hell have MS been doing for the run up of a new console?
I know Sony haven't exactly shot out the gate either but at least it feels like they began making games THEN launched the console.
MS have launched a console THEN started making games. By 2023 Sony will have pulled away again.

[wakka]

I think to call it a disaster would be overstating it. I thought all of the main stuff looked very solid, but it's a real shame there were no big surprises. It would have been great to have a 'Holy ****' moment.

I'm just really, really, really hoping Starfield is good. Can't glean much from a brief cinematic, but I'm glad to see it looks like they're taking a hard sci fi approach rather than a space opera one.

[MartyG]

Rare haven't produce anything of note in a decade, they're too entrenched on Sea of Theives.

Both the PS5 and Xbox Series consoles have launched well before they have the software to back them up - but there are still titles for both systems I'm interested in.

Given it's all but impossible to by either of them currently (and likely to continue until the tail end of the year), a lack of 2021 software is extremely unlikely to make any difference to console sales.

[Lebowski]

Atomic Heart looks very bioshock meats fallout, could be a really good narrative shooter not super sold on some of the weird costumes and art on show but if it plays well it could be something really interesting. Likewise Stalker 2 looks like it could be lots of fun love the setting and the lore so will be picking this up.

It starts to go really downhill from here though most of what we have seen of new IP is CGI trailers, i still don't know what sort of game Starfield is Sim like elite or more arcadey like No mans sky can i explore planet is it purely space? theirs a few interesting indies and then things like Scorn that wholesale rips off H.R. Giger's work and looks flat and boring from the gameplay we saw. Redfalls cgi looked generic replacing vampires for zombies dosent make a good game. what sucks is Psychonauts 2 just look so Brown and last gen, in a world where Sony and Nintendo are giving massive amounts of love to 3d platform games with things like Mario Odyssey and Ratchet and Clank you need to bring more than nostalgia, sadly it looks more Balan Wonderworld than the former.

As for the tent poll stuff Horizon 5 looks like it plays identically to the excellent 4 but in a worse setting and I'm yet to see 404 Industries produce a really amazing Halo so id like to be proved wrong. Age of Empires IV is PC only too in a weird twist maybe it just that it needs a pc and mouse and plays poorly on the big screen when your sat away from the action.

[Tobal]

Atomic Heart reminded me of that long forgotten OG xbox, Breakdown.

There was more than enough shown for me to want to get an xbox later this year or next when i don't have follow alerts to pick one up, gamepass seems to good to not be on.

[fishbowlhead]

Id put money on Halo Infinite campaign being delayed till next year again, hence why the multiplayer is now a separate package, they’ll roll that out until they figure out what the campaign is supposed to be.

No gameplay still is not a good sign, should be in final polishing stages now not just being slapped together.