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Xbox Series X/S Discussion *xbs*
20-Jun-23 12:47pm
#1
Anxiouz
950 Trade Quintuple Gold Good Trader

This topic had many older posts which were moved here:

https://gametz.com/V...


I was wondering why Xbox chatter got quiet but I see the old thread got closed (due to lack of activity I presume?). Spinning this back up.

I'm excited about some of the Xbox stuff coming later this year (can't wait for Forza to finally get here!) but for my gaming tastes GP has been pretty terrible most of this year. My son is getting a lot of mileage out of it but he and his friends jump games a lot so it works out great and makes for a nice deal.
8-Feb-24 12:45pm
#81
Feeb
GameTZ Subscriber Triple Gold Good Trader Global Trader - willing to trade internationally

The Xbox name is unfortunately tied to the toxic club culture they built it on. They’re probably hoping Microsoft is a bit less polarizing- and they may be moving towards no box, so no Xbox.

Sounds silly but lots of gamers want nothing to do with Xbox.
8-Feb-24 12:55pm
#82
Slickriven
GameTZ Subscriber Double Gold Good Trader Has Written 1 Review

Food for thought but MS just became the first company to hit 3 trillion market cap and passed long time rival Apple for the first time in over a decade. They got there largely thanks to their AI focus, plus shaving costs by reducing staff generally boosts the bottom line. Thus gaming likely isn't as important right now to the bean counters, especially when Sony still flatly outsells them and has better exclusives.

It's sort of funny to me that so many folks were all upset that MS was buying ABK because they feared that would mean CoD (and more) would go Xbox exclusive, only to now moan that MS could go basically non-exclusive for all games. It's like, wait didn't you just want them to do this? I do suspect that the groups that complained in these two cases don't have a lot of crossover, but it's still amusing to me.

Talk about pushing Gears, Halo and even Starfield and Hi-Fi Rush over to the PS5 doesn't bother me, since the first 2 are many years old now, and the latter 2 can only fetch so much revenue from GP. Going timed exclusive, especially with GP titles makes sense to me, but none of us know the financial details of any of these games, decisions, nor how GP funds factor in.

8-Feb-24 1:04pm
#83
SMY36738
Triple Gold Good Trader

As someone who finally got an Xbox Series X in December... and have been catching up on many Xbox exclusives I missed since 2019 or so, I am concerned about all of the recent multiplatform rumors. I hope only Bethesda and Activation games are on other platforms and not exclusives such as Halo and Gears.

Question: I have Starfield downloaded but am hesitant to start due to the upcoming city maps patch. Is it worth waiting for? Also, does anyone think the XSX version will ever get 60FPS while the XSS stays at 30? Is that unlikely? I may wait if an FPS patch seems likely...

Side note: Redfall, which I am currently playing, is not a great game, but it is not a horrible one either. They patched it to decency and I have having fun with the fast gunplay.
8-Feb-24 1:18pm
#84
Finn
GameTZ Subscriber Quadruple Gold Good Trader Global Trader - willing to trade internationally Canada

I don't know if the people complaining about MS getting COD are the ones complaining about them going multi platform. I have not herd that. What I have herd is the legion of Xbox die hards lashing out and selling Xbox's. The Xbox influencers are all pretty damn pissed right now.
8-Feb-24 2:20pm
#85
Feeb
GameTZ Subscriber Triple Gold Good Trader Global Trader - willing to trade internationally

It would be cheaper for me to get a used box and the games I want than to consider long term subs. The digital push will end this idea going forward or at least force an MS account. Consumers tend to spend for convenience- not value.
8-Feb-24 2:35pm
#86
TalonJedi87
GameTZ Subscriber Triple Gold Good Trader Has Written 4 Reviews

I typically favored my 360 over PS3 back in the day but now I think I would I like Xbox but more as a service like Game Pass. I would have 0 issues if Microsoft announced in the years to come they would be halting producing and new consoles and focused solely on software, similar to what Sega did back in the Dreamcast days of olde. And look how good they’re doing now. Imagine what MS could do without focusing on making hardware and hitting hardware sales numbers and focused only on making good quality games now that they have bought a good chunk of the industry?
8-Feb-24 3:02pm
#87
benstylus
GameTZ Gold Subscriber GameTZ Full Moderator 550 Trade Quintuple Gold Good Trader Gold Global Trader (9) Has Written 26 Reviews

TalonJedi87 wrote:
And look how good they’re doing now.
How good are they doing now? They never separate out their gaming division from other divisions in their annual reports, so only Microsoft knows whether the gaming division is really turning much (if any) profit.


8-Feb-24 3:31pm
#88
Finn
GameTZ Subscriber Quadruple Gold Good Trader Global Trader - willing to trade internationally Canada

MS faces so many hurdles. Sega at least was able to make a clean break. MS can't do this. It's to bad they did not exit before people were super invested in there ecosystem and built up large digital libraries. It's going to be interesting to see how MS handles this.

My plan going forward:
- Set a long term roadmap on how existing software will be supported.

- GP on other platforms. IF you want GP on other platforms look into ways you can deliver the service without harming the platform your putting it on. 1st party games , fine but if you make 3rd party deals maybe add games that have already been available for 12 months so your not stealing sales.

- look into ways maybe in incorporating Xbox user accounts into PSN so users achievements can be taken with them. Let's face it some people have never owned a PS and only ever played an Xbox, it be worth looking the possibility of being able to transfer most if not all. It basically be with games that are available on both systems. Your not get all of it, but maybe it does not have to be such a gut punch.


- look into the possibility of scrapping the next console. What's the point in dragging out the transition? How many units could you possibly sell when many people feel like they are going to be abandoned... Why would they buy another console from you? Why would 3rd party support you?
8-Feb-24 3:48pm
#89
benstylus
GameTZ Gold Subscriber GameTZ Full Moderator 550 Trade Quintuple Gold Good Trader Gold Global Trader (9) Has Written 26 Reviews

Finn wrote:
- GP on other platforms. IF you want GP on other platforms look into ways you can deliver the service without harming the platform your putting it on. 1st party games , fine but if you make 3rd party deals maybe add games that have already been available for 12 months so your not stealing sales.
Any gamepass on competing platforms is going to have to not just "not harm" Sony or Nintendo, but strongly benefit them.

Sony and Nintendo have 100% final say over anything that is licensed for their hardware, so if it is perceived as anything but a positive, they can simply choose not to allow it on the system.

- look into the possibility of scrapping the next console. What's the point in dragging out the transition? How many units could you possibly sell when many people feel like they are going to be abandoned... Why would they buy another console from you?
If MS really pushes hard into the sub-only and eventually stream-only business they can still get a good number of console sales out of it. Or maybe they will lease those too like a modern cell phone plan.

Why would 3rd party support you?
The strategy seems to have been buy them all up and they aren't third parties anymore


8-Feb-24 4:09pm
#90
Finn
GameTZ Subscriber Quadruple Gold Good Trader Global Trader - willing to trade internationally Canada

MS faces so many hurdles. Sega at least was able to make a clean break. MS can't do this. It's to bad they did not exit before people were super invested in there ecosystem and built up large digital libraries. It's going to be interesting to see how MS handles this.

My plan going forward:
- Set a long term roadmap on how existing software will be supported.

- GP on other platforms. IF you want GP on other platforms look into ways you can deliver the service without harming the platform your putting it on. 1st party games , fine but if you make 3rd party deals maybe add games that have already been available for 12 months so your not stealing sales.

- look into ways maybe in incorporating Xbox user accounts into PSN so users achievements can be taken with them. Let's face it some people have never owned a PS and only ever played an Xbox, it be worth looking the possibility of being able to transfer most if not all. It basically be with games that are available on both systems. Your not get all of it, but maybe it does not have to be such a gut punch.


- look into the possibility of scrapping the next console. What's the point in dragging out the transition? How many units could you possibly sell when many people feel like they are going to be abandoned... Why would they buy another console from you? Why would 3rd party support you?


What happens next is going to be really interesting.
8-Feb-24 4:16pm
#91
Slickriven
GameTZ Subscriber Double Gold Good Trader Has Written 1 Review

I've been an Xbox first gamer since the 360 and thanks to programs like GwG and MS rewards points I have a very large digital library on the ecosystem. But this still just rumored shift away from exclusives doesn't bother me like it's doing to some. Sure it may change my approach for the next gen but I'm not sure I'll even go into the next gen too hard anyhow.
Clearly others are in different positions on gaming overall, but this is why I don't get diehards or fanboys. The 360 was a leader of sorts and they got me into that ecosystem from there but I didn't shun Sony and have a PS3 and PS4 and want a 5 eventually, but with the Sony exclusives coming to PC I'm actually thinking of going for those versions instead.

8-Feb-24 4:48pm
#92
TalonJedi87
GameTZ Subscriber Triple Gold Good Trader Has Written 4 Reviews

I’m now wondering if they will create some type of game pass service, where it doesn’t include their first party libraries from like Xbox game studios like the Halos, Forzas and Gears of War games of the worlds and then launch that service on Nintendo and Sony platforms. This way it retains some exclusivity to their Xbox consoles and gets some more folks to buy Xboxes. Perhaps call it Game Pass Lite or something.
8-Feb-24 5:41pm
#93
Finn
GameTZ Subscriber Quadruple Gold Good Trader Global Trader - willing to trade internationally Canada

There is no way Nintendo or Sony allows that unless it's heavily subsidized. A service like that would only poach sales. I think a service that is the reverse of that would make sense. But again if all this goes through and there are alot of signs suggesting it is I ask what is the point of releasing next gen hardware? Why invest the money when your releasing your games on everything... You can make more money by simply not spending it.

I honestly love this, yes this all digital thing blows and I wish it would just disappear but MS going third party is music to my ears.
8-Feb-24 5:46pm
#94
TalonJedi87
GameTZ Subscriber Triple Gold Good Trader Has Written 4 Reviews

Same. I’d love a MS going third party only and I think after the next console generation maybe by 2030, it may just be an all digital future sadly. That I’m not really a fan of but it’s looking like the grim future becoming a reality.
8-Feb-24 6:53pm
#95
benstylus
GameTZ Gold Subscriber GameTZ Full Moderator 550 Trade Quintuple Gold Good Trader Gold Global Trader (9) Has Written 26 Reviews

Finn wrote:
thua all digital thing blows and I wish it would just disappear
Let your gamepass sub lapse and it doesgrin


8-Feb-24 6:59pm
#96
Feeb
GameTZ Subscriber Triple Gold Good Trader Global Trader - willing to trade internationally

When I had gamepass I’m pretty sure I paid 9.99 for the Witcher 2 and then let it lapse. The game that lured me -deaths door- wasn’t even on GP then.
9-Feb-24 12:11am
#97
ryanflucas
1000 Trade Quintuple Gold Good Trader

Maybe I'm not fully understanding all of this but....

Layoffs aside, who cares? This was already heading to digital only regardless, it's just happening sooner than expected. I doubt the gaming division is going away entirely. I'm a GP subscriber and also have physical games. Everything continues to work as it should. They don't need to call it Xbox GamePass if it ends up working on any platform. It's literally just running as a resource in the cloud on any device with an internet connection. If you have an actual Xbox Series X, maybe it runs better. If you don't, it runs a little slower since there's no dedicated proprietary hardware powering it. Why wouldn't Sony do the same thing with their hardware?

This is essentially digital media being consumed on any platform. If you absolutely must stick to physical games due to principle or preference, you should probably stick to retro consoles or anything Nintendo.
9-Feb-24 6:18am
#98
benstylus
GameTZ Gold Subscriber GameTZ Full Moderator 550 Trade Quintuple Gold Good Trader Gold Global Trader (9) Has Written 26 Reviews

I think the thing most people are shocked about is that it's happening this soon after the Activision deal.

They are thinking MS spent all this money to buy the company (plus millions more on litigation to get it approved) so they could finally have some compelling exclusives on their system, and now it seems like not only are they not going to be exclusives but they may not even be planning to continue on with the Xbox brand at all?

Then what was the point?

And apparently the point has been the push to the subscription model all along. The more studios they own, the better chance they have to be the dominant player in that market.

No one expected Netflix was going to one day to destroy the video rental industry (and severely cripple the home video physical industry) with streaming. Yet internet speeds and technology caught up.

Look at the music market: it went from all physical sales to mostly digital sales to no one is buying anything just subscribing to Spotify.

Now here we all are in the video game world seeing the push to digital more and more. MS is thinking beyond digital sales and trying to position itself appropriately for the next two phases after that: subscription and streaming.

You could say it's a bold move but it's the only move that makes sense for them. PS4 sold double the number of Xbox One systems. PS5's ratio over the Xbox Series console is even higher, with about a 2.5 to 1 lead overall since launch, with Sony growing that lead (2023 sales were 3 to 1 in favor of PS5).

9-Feb-24 2:58pm
#99
SMY36738
Triple Gold Good Trader

If any of this is true, my guess is that Game Pass will drop all third-party and indie games... and stack it with all Activision, Bethesda, first-party studio games... and offer it on rival platforms... but that is the only way to play CoD and other formerly third party games on the rival platform. With better subscription pricing for those on Xbox Series X|S, as well as third-party and indie games on Xbox Series X|S.
9-Feb-24 5:21pm
#100
benstylus
GameTZ Gold Subscriber GameTZ Full Moderator 550 Trade Quintuple Gold Good Trader Gold Global Trader (9) Has Written 26 Reviews

SMY36738 wrote:
If any of this is true, my guess is that Game Pass will drop all third-party and indie games... and stack it with all Activision, Bethesda, first-party studio games... and offer it on rival platforms... but that is the only way to play CoD and other formerly third party games on the rival platform. With better subscription pricing for those on Xbox Series X|S, as well as third-party and indie games on Xbox Series X|S.
Not enough benefit there for Sony/Nintendo. If MS conditions availability of COD on allowing gamepass, Sony could revive Killzone or Socom or something. If there's no more Xbox to play it on, and it's not on Playstation, people in the Sony verse will move to other similar games. Heck maybe this is EA's chance to bring back Medal of Honor or make Battlefield relevant again. Or Ubi could create its 40th Tom Clancy spinoff series.

Nintendo has proven they can get along just fine without COD so they wouldn't take any subscription services that would eat into their own sales.

9-Feb-24 5:32pm
#101
TalonJedi87
GameTZ Subscriber Triple Gold Good Trader Has Written 4 Reviews

I kinda secretly wish MS would make COD a Game Pass exclusive, although unlikely since they did say several months ago that their goal was to have COD still on PlayStation, solely for that fact you just mentioned. Give us back the other war games of olde. Socom. Medal of Honor. Brothers in Arms. My body is ready. Enough with the obligatory COD nonsense. Variety is the spice of life!

Xbox Series X/S Discussion *xbs*