Microsoft ~*Xbox In Crisis: The Official Thread*~ - update: "New Platforms, New Players: Four Fan-Favorite Xbox Games Coming to Nintendo Switch and Sony Platforms"

[Spawn_of_Apathy]

1 hour ago, Spork3245 said:

One thing I’ll never understand is the Phil Spencer hate. His predecessor, Mattrick, absolutely.

I think there are many things Phil is good about. His consumer forward approach is nice to see from a person in a position that usually only sets policy to squeeze every penny possible out of customers. 
 

that being said I am still critical of the massive downgrade in first party quality. Leadership at those devs studios have been horrible and they all answer to him. I get he wants to take a hands off approach to give them the freedom to create, but the leadership in those studios is making shit after shit after shit decisions. Throwing away any legacy the franchises once had. The result is the service Xbox has is more front and center than any game or franchise. 
 

if there’s one thing to be fair towards him it’s that it has kind of been an industry wide issue. Many devs have “fallen from grace” and seem like a shell of the studio they were in the PS360 era. But it just feels like there is no ambition from Xbox leadership to right the ship in regards to their own studios. 
 

Since the XB1 launch I have felt like I was staying in the Xbox echo system only because that’s where my friends were. Not even partly because of the exclusives. 

[Spawn_of_Apathy]

34 minutes ago, DarkStar189 said:

I feel like from the start, MS would know how many gamers they would be losing by making all these games exclusive to one console. The generation already started. Millions of people were already in the PlayStation ecosystem. Maybe this was the plan from the start.  Get a years worth of news headlines saying all these games are exclusive to Xbox. Then transition people to the idea that they are timed exclusives. Capitalize on all of the gamers and YouTube/Twitch streamers that want to have the games day one exclusive on Xbox.  Fear of missing out and such. Then when the game is old and forgotten about months later, you get the PS release to boost sales numbers and get everybody talking about the game again. Marketing wise the game gets to have 2 releases to pop up in the news. Could be worth their billions that they spent.

not unlike Sony’s approach with releasing on PC. I still think Sony waits too long to port to PC. 

[crispy4000]

36 minutes ago, Spawn_of_Apathy said:

not unlike Sony’s approach with releasing on PC. I still think Sony waits too long to port to PC. 

 

No reason to change it when it’s working, and apparently not hurting PS5 sales as is.

 

… Well, maybe not in TLoU1’s case.  That one could have been delayed further.

 

[Spork3245]

2 hours ago, Keyser_Soze said:

 

If you're talking about Superspreader he just wants to hate everything about Microsoft no matter what.

It’s not just him

[Spork3245]

54 minutes ago, Spawn_of_Apathy said:

that being said I am still critical of the massive downgrade in first party quality.

 

It was generally worse under Mattrick (Fable Legends, Zoo Tycoon, Scalebound, the entire BS of Kinect, Xbone initially being online-only and can't play used game discs, etc). The first party games being lower quality seems to have really started in the past couple of years, I don't know if it's a weird thing left over from development cycles during COVID or what, though.

[crispy4000]

54 minutes ago, Spork3245 said:

 

It was generally worse under Mattrick (Fable Legends, Zoo Tycoon, Scalebound, the entire BS of Kinect, Xbone initially being online-only and can't play used game discs, etc). The first party games being lower quality seems to have really started in the past couple of years, I don't know if it's a weird thing left over from development cycles during COVID or what, though.

Scalebound was mostly under Phil’s tenure.

 

I don’t blame him for its cancellation.  Though it might have been best to delay it to more powerful hardware, like The Last Guardian.  It could have made it to the Series X launch as a legitimate next gen exclusive.

 

But that would go against his cross-gen philosophy at the time.  I think that’s part of the problem with him: his vision often doesn’t align with promoting his consoles well, and making those invested in them feel special. All leads to what we’re hearing today, and the crazy reactions to it elsewhere.

[AbsolutSurgen]

15 minutes ago, Spork3245 said:

 

It was generally worse under Mattrick (Fable Legends, Zoo Tycoon, Scalebound, the entire BS of Kinect, Xbone initially being online-only and can't play used game discs, etc). The first party games being lower quality seems to have really started in the past couple of years, I don't know if it's a weird thing left over from development cycles during COVID or what, though.

The last good year of Xbox studio releases was probably 2015 or 2016.

[Xbob42]

I mean, as far as I'm concerned the PS5 exclusive has barely been better than the Xbox lineup. Partly due to the fact that a lot of these PS5 exclusives don't appeal to me, but also partly because they're boring and lack ambition. Getting rid of Japan Studio was insane, and no Sony generation has ever come close to the fucking insane quality of exclusive (including third-party exclusive) games that the PS2 had. Even the PS3 had a lot more weird shit. Feels like since PS4/XB1, the big exclusive side of things has gotten really dire and lame outside of Nintendo, who genuinely seem more ambitious with their games a lot of the time, even when they're playing it safe.

[Spork3245]

8 minutes ago, AbsolutSurgen said:

The last good year of Xbox studio releases was probably 2015 or 2016.

 

Strong disagree, 2020 + 2021 were quite good. Psychonauts 2, MS Flight Sim, Forza Horizon 4, Gears 5, Gears Tactics, Ori 2, Age of Empires IV, Halo Infinite was the best Halo game since 3 and/or Reach, Forza Horizon 5, etc.
Either way, Spencer took over in 2014

[crispy4000]

4 minutes ago, Spork3245 said:

 

Strong disagree, 2020 + 2021 were quite good. Psychonauts 2, MS Flight Sim, Forza Horizon 4, Gears 5, Gears Tactics, Ori 2, Age of Empires IV, Halo Infinite was the best Halo game since 3 and/or Reach, Forza Horizon 5, etc.
Either way, Spencer took over in 2014

Good games, but why are you adding years together?  For a 12-month stretch?

[AbsolutSurgen]

8 minutes ago, Spork3245 said:

 

Strong disagree, 2020 + 2021 were quite good. Psychonauts 2, MS Flight Sim, Forza Horizon 4, Gears 5, Gears Tactics, Ori 2, Age of Empires IV, Halo Infinite was the best Halo game since 3 and/or Reach, Forza Horizon 5, etc.
Either way, Spencer took over in 2014

In terms of Xbox games, you've got releases in that list stretching from 2019 (Gears) to 2023 (Age of Empires).

While I personally love the Forza Horizon series, racing games and sports games are mostly ignored by "core gamers".

Sony regularly puts out games that are considered "GOTY" contenders, and top the sales charts.  MS doesn't.

[SaysWho?]

MS kind of just stumbled into a good year in 2021 because some third party developers they had bought prior had finally finished those multi-plat games (I'm talking Deathloop and Psychonauts 2, the irony being Deathloop was PS5/PC at its release). Spencer had plenty to do with the dearth of first party games in the 2010s since he was making decisions prior to his role in 2014 that affected MS First Party.

 

2014 E3 (maybe it was 2013 as well) are infamous for MS in how much didn't release as expected. Fable Legends? Cancelled. Scalebound? Cancelled. Phantom Dust reboot (Spencer really liked this IP)? It was just a port. Crackdown 3's fully destructible environments? Only in multiplayer. And stuff getting cancelled in itself isn't terrible and happens more frequently than we know, but it usually happens for things that haven't been announced. Announcing these games and then cancelling them? Something was off.

 

People praising Spencer for "fixing" the problem are making a weird argument. Like... yeah, if Nintendo decided that Capcom and Sega were now theirs, there'd be an "improvement," but how do you not "improve" by buying out huge third party publishers and simply keeping games that were originally coming to Xbox off other platforms? He never showed before 2014 or since that he can foster and grow first party developers and make them into something bigger than they are (Naughty Dog, Santa Monica, Guerrilla, Polyphony, etc.). I actually thought them stocking up on those smaller devs -- Ninja Theory, Double Fine -- was going to create some of that. 

 

Sony and Nintendo have been on another level for ages with their first party lineups. 

 

We still have a bit to go for official word, but regardless as to what they do, I think part of the issue is summed up by something I read on Reset, which I think makes a lot of sense:

 

Xbox was never good enough for Microsoft.

Playstation is everything to Sony.

 

Ditto for Nintendo's consoles. MS would be fine if Xbox sunk; I don't think leaving the console business would be anything but terrible for Sony and Nintendo. They've proven their video game IPs have strength elsewhere, but they're huge because of their popularity on Playstation/Nintendo consoles. I don't think MS has viewed Xbox as important to the company as a whole compared to the actual devs in MS.

[Spork3245]

1 hour ago, crispy4000 said:

Good games, but why are you adding years together?  For a 12-month stretch?

 

I was responding to a two year period so I used a two year period...?

 

51 minutes ago, AbsolutSurgen said:

In terms of Xbox games, you've got releases in that list stretching from 2019 (Gears) to 2023 (Age of Empires).

 

Sorry, mixed up a couple of releases by a few months, but that really doesn't detract from the good stretch of games.

 

51 minutes ago, AbsolutSurgen said:

While I personally love the Forza Horizon series, racing games and sports games are mostly ignored by "core gamers".

Sony regularly puts out games that are considered "GOTY" contenders, and top the sales charts.  MS doesn't.

 

Games don't need to be GOTY candidates to be good or for it to be considered a "good stretch of games" when we're talking the current quality drop . Plus, my reply was due to "the last good year" being 2015 + 2016 comment, which is just really incorrect. 

[AbsolutSurgen]

18 minutes ago, Spork3245 said:

 

I was responding to a two year period so I used a two year period...?

 

 

Sorry, mixed up a couple of releases by a few months, but that really doesn't detract from the good stretch of games.

 

 

Games don't need to be GOTY candidates to be good or for it to be considered a "good stretch of games" when we're talking the current quality drop . Plus, my reply was due to "the last good year" being 2015 + 2016 comment, which is just really incorrect. 

Your definition of a good year is obviously different than mine. 

[Biggie]

27 minutes ago, Spork3245 said:

 

I was responding to a two year period so I used a two year period...?

 

 

Sorry, mixed up a couple of releases by a few months, but that really doesn't detract from the good stretch of games.

 

 

Games don't need to be GOTY candidates to be good or for it to be considered a "good stretch of games" when we're talking the current quality drop . Plus, my reply was due to "the last good year" being 2015 + 2016 comment, which is just really incorrect. 

Okay this post is nearing @Greatoneshere type of drivel. 

[Biggie]

32 minutes ago, SaysWho? said:

MS kind of just stumbled into a good year in 2021 because some third party developers they had bought prior had finally finished those multi-plat games (I'm talking Deathloop and Psychonauts 2, the irony being Deathloop was PS5/PC at its release). Spencer had plenty to do with the dearth of first party games in the 2010s since he was making decisions prior to his role in 2014 that affected MS First Party.

 

2014 E3 (maybe it was 2013 as well) are infamous for MS in how much didn't release as expected. Fable Legends? Cancelled. Scalebound? Cancelled. Phantom Dust reboot (Spencer really liked this IP)? It was just a port. Crackdown 3's fully destructible environments? Only in multiplayer. And stuff getting cancelled in itself isn't terrible and happens more frequently than we know, but it usually happens for things that haven't been announced. Announcing these games and then cancelling them? Something was off.

 

People praising Spencer for "fixing" the problem are making a weird argument. Like... yeah, if Nintendo decided that Capcom and Sega were now theirs, there'd be an "improvement," but how do you not "improve" by buying out huge third party publishers and simply keeping games that were originally coming to Xbox off other platforms? He never showed before 2014 or since that he can foster and grow first party developers and make them into something bigger than they are (Naughty Dog, Santa Monica, Guerrilla, Polyphony, etc.). I actually thought them stocking up on those smaller devs -- Ninja Theory, Double Fine -- was going to create some of that. 

 

Sony and Nintendo have been on another level for ages with their first party lineups. 

 

We still have a bit to go for official word, but regardless as to what they do, I think part of the issue is summed up by something I read on Reset, which I think makes a lot of sense:

 

Xbox was never good enough for Microsoft.

Playstation is everything to Sony.

 

Ditto for Nintendo's consoles. MS would be fine if Xbox sunk; I don't think leaving the console business would be anything but terrible for Sony and Nintendo. They've proven their video game IPs have strength elsewhere, but they're huge because of their popularity on Playstation/Nintendo consoles. I don't think MS has viewed Xbox as important to the company as a whole compared to the actual devs in MS.

Alphabet called, they are running out of letters. 

[SaysWho?]

I’m imagining Biggie in line to get a book signed and telling the author a 5 page novel would have been fine.

[Biggie]

4 minutes ago, SaysWho? said:

I’m imagining Biggie in line to get a book signed and telling the author a 5 page novel would have been fine.

Imagine me reading a book let alone waiting in line to get it signed by some word poem boy. 

[SaysWho?]

2 minutes ago, Biggie said:

Imagine me reading a book let alone waiting in line to get it signed by some word poem boy. 

You bring up a good point.

[Keyser_Soze]

Imagine waiting in line.

[best3444]

Biggie is the best 😆 

[Biggie]

6 minutes ago, best3444 said:

Biggie is the best 😆 

Right?

[SaysWho?]

12 minutes ago, best3444 said:

Biggie is the best 😆 

is he the best or are you and he the same person? 🤔

[Biggie]

1 minute ago, SaysWho? said:

is he the best or are you and he the same person? 🤔

we do think alike on a lot of things. Him and @stepee are my best buddy boi’s on D1P. 

[best3444]

6 minutes ago, SaysWho? said:

is he the best or are you and he the same person? 🤔

 

Definitely two different people. I just like how he calls it like he sees it. Nothing against you my friend. 

[Biggie]

Back on topic. I love my Series X. I hope Microsoft consoles don’t go away. Especially the controller. Gamepass is also great. 

[Biggie]

14 minutes ago, Biggie said:

we do think alike on a lot of things. Him and @stepee are my best buddy boi’s on D1P. 

@Brian you are up there too.  

[Spork3245]

1 hour ago, AbsolutSurgen said:

Your definition of a good year is obviously different than mine. 

You think those were bad years and bad games? 

[Keyser_Soze]

18 minutes ago, best3444 said:

Definitely two different people. I just like how he calls it like he sees it. Nothing against you my friend. 

 

I think this was a joke that went over both of your heads or you ignored it or are both the same people.

 

"Biggie is the Best" see it now? 🤔

[ShreddieMercury]

I think the issue here is that we'll have no real idea of Xbox's plans until they formally announce whatever they are going to next week.  The media frenzy around this is likely blown significantly out of proportion, and nuance and forward-thinking are not exactly strong in the gamer community. 

 

It does make sense that Xbox will eventually release some but not all of their games on competing platforms, and they promised as much to regulators.  But I think this is also very likely the way the entire industry will go eventually.  Playstation releases games on PC as well, so you have a (for now) limited but relatively holistic games ecosystem already in place, and Steam Deck makes it portable.  The lines are very, very blurred already.  This announcement is probably a long time coming, and Xbox is jumping the gun compared to its competitors, but I think their bet on the future is less radical than it might seem right now.

[best3444]

Just now, Keyser_Soze said:

 

I think this was a joke that went over both of your heads or you ignored it or are both the same people.

 

"Biggie is the Best" see it now? 🤔

 

I'm Biggie and Biggie is me. 

[Brian]

Phil Spencer “fixed” the focus of Xbox and Microsoft back to the hardware and games. Besides that, I don’t think Xbox has been performing that well under his stewardship. Internal studios like 343, Rare, and the Coalition have mixed success.  The Initiative have yet to do anything since being established in 2018.  Big IP like Halo and GoW have sort of waned in popularity to the point Forza is bigger than both which is crazy. Releasing the Series S is a head scratcher. 
 

I personally think Spencer filled his role of pulling the Xbox brand out of the dumpster fire that was Xbone, but at this point, it feels like new leadership is needed. The amount of leaks happening is crazy. How many insiders had some level of information on this? And each one had something slightly different. Feels like there is a lot of unrest and jockeying going on over there. 

[best3444]

4 minutes ago, Brian said:

Phil Spencer “fixed” the focus of Xbox and Microsoft back to the hardware and games. Besides that, I don’t think Xbox has been performing that well under his stewardship. Internal studios like 343, Rare, and the Coalition have mixed success.  The Initiative have yet to do anything since being established in 2018.  Big IP like Halo and GoW have sort of waned in popularity to the point Forza is bigger than both which is crazy. Releasing the Series S is a head scratcher. 
 

I personally think Spencer filled his role of pulling the Xbox brand out of the dumpster fire that was Xbone, but at this point, it feels like new leadership is needed. The amount of leaks happening is crazy. How many insiders had some level of information on this? And each one had something slightly different. Feels like there is a lot of unrest and jockeying going on over there. 

 

Now this is a good post. 

[SaysWho?]

51 minutes ago, best3444 said:

 

Definitely two different people. I just like how he calls it like he sees it. Nothing against you my friend. 

I was just making a joke about your username and you saying he’s the best  

[SaysWho?]

34 minutes ago, Keyser_Soze said:

 

I think this was a joke that went over both of your heads or you ignored it or are both the same people.

 

"Biggie is the Best" see it now? 🤔

My man.