The Old XBOX Megathread

[Gazz]

Trying out Sea of Thieves on Gamepass. Not sure yet, I feel like there is a very in-depth game there where you can have a blast eventually, but I'm not sure if the sheer amount of time I think it would take to get to that stage would be worth it.

[Kaney]

Maxx, Ellis and me had a blast playing it that one time, years ago. It doesn't do a great job explaining how to actually do anything.

[Gazz]

Yeah, bit of an odd design choice. I get why they did it but it just means the average player is probably going to take 12 hours to get into the meat of the game, rather than 3 and I can imagine that delay culled a lot of the potential playerbase.

[DFF]

I started playing it recently. Doesn't seem the deeoest of games and yeah, the lack of hand holding om how things work is... odd. However, playing with a mate who has logged dozens of hours and it has been a relative breeze. Tbh, its fun jist to sail around the ocean chatting with mates.

[Bobfoc]

Microsoft's Bethesda acquisition has been officially completed. It's been confirmed that "some" upcoming Bethesda games will only come to Xbox and PC, while some more games from the Bethesda library will be joining Game Pass this week.

[DavidMarrio]

As long as the bigger name franchises stay on all platforms then I'm happy. I'm not going to buy an Xbox and when I get round to a new gaming laptop it won't be super high spec so as long as I can play the likes of any new Doom/Wolfenstein/Elder Scrolls then I'll be grand. 

[LL!]

As long as I can still have my broken Fallout games. 

[Bobfoc]

It seems as though Microsoft isn't ready to commit to a fully specific approach. Starfield is supposed to be quite far into its development process, which has presumably included a lot of work on a Playstation version, so it might not make sense to make that an exclusive games. Projects in their earlier stages might be a different matter, but I imagine it will depend significantly on how the landscape of the so-called console wars looks over the next few years.

[DavidMarrio]

1 hour ago, Bobfoc said:

It seems as though Microsoft isn't ready to commit to a fully specific approach. Starfield is supposed to be quite far into its development process, which has presumably included a lot of work on a Playstation version, so it might not make sense to make that an exclusive games. Projects in their earlier stages might be a different matter, but I imagine it will depend significantly on how the landscape of the so-called console wars looks over the next few years.

I think for me there's a potential lost revenue in certain franchises like Elder Scrolls etc if they just made them Microsoft Exclusive whereas the benefit of "oh you get them on gamepass for free but you have to pay on Playstation makes more sense"

Then have a some IPs as Microsoft Exclusive. 

[Bobfoc]

You could say that about a fair few franchises really. Final Fantasy XVI is only going to be on PS5 and PC, and Final Fantasy VII Remake is still a Playstation exclusive. They'd obviously sell more copies if they brought those games to Xbox as well, but Sony presumably handed over enough cash to make it worth Square Enix's while. If you're looking at first-party games, Sony would make more money on game sales if they made the next God of War multi-platform, but exclusivity is also a big part of their marketing strategy.

At this point, I genuinely think that Microsoft hasn't made any firm decisions. With Starfield being Bethesda Softworks' main focus right now, the next Elder Scrolls and Fallout games are probably a few years away at least, and there are games coming in the near future, such as Arkane's Deathloop, which will remain a PS5 timed exclusive as part of a previous agreement. We don't know for certain what the other studios are working on and how close they are to completion.

Personally, I'm all for games being available to as many people as possible. Give me Ratchet and Clank on PC day and date and likewise for Halo Infinite on the PS5. Exclusivity is ultimately anti-consumer, but it's an understandable part of claiming market share.

 

[Bobfoc]

Phil Spencer has confirmed that Microsoft will fulfil its contractual obligations to other platforms regarding Bethesda games, but moving forward, they're likely to be exclusive to Game pass platforms i.e. Xbox and PC.

[Bobfoc]

Also, twenty Bethesda games are coming to Game Pass tomorrow.

[Ruki]

That's the smart move. I wonder if this eventually gets Gamepass on Switch or Playstation. 

[LL!]

1 hour ago, Ruki Returns said:

That's the smart move. I wonder if this eventually gets Gamepass on Switch or Playstation. 

[Ruki]

Outriders coming to gamepass day 1.

[Bobfoc]

That's quite a big announcement. The demo was downloaded and played by a lot of people. I wasn't really interested in it, but there's no reason for me not to try it out now.

[Bobfoc]

Undertale is also coming to Game Pass on consoles tomorrow.

Meanwhile, five of the newly added Bethesda games (Dishonored: Definitive Edition, Skyrim, Fallout 4, Fallout 76 and Prey) will be patched to run at 60fps on Series X and S today.

[DavidMarrio]

4 hours ago, Bobfoc said:

That's quite a big announcement. The demo was downloaded and played by a lot of people. I wasn't really interested in it, but there's no reason for me not to try it out now.

I think the fact it's going available is a smart move from them. There's nothing from it that screams must play or buy for me as there's a lot better games for the similar genres that it seems to be i.e The Division/Destiny etc  but if you have an Xbox it's definetly worth trying with it being free. 

The fact the demo is played by a lot of people is probably a damning indication that you never get demos these days. I tried it because oh it's a demo I might be interested. 

[apsham]

Quote

Hot on the heels of officially welcoming Bethesda’s world-renowned studios to the Xbox family, we’re excited to announce that five of the biggest titles from their vast catalog of games – Dishonored: Definitive Edition, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition, Fallout 4, Fallout 76, and Prey – will all be updated today to enable FPS Boost on Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S. And it’s not just owners of these titles that get to take advantage of FPS Boost; all these titles are available with FPS Boost for Xbox Game Pass members too.

As a reminder, FPS Boost employs a variety of new methods for nearly doubling the original framerate on select titles. Higher, steadier framerates make games visually smoother, resulting in more immersive gameplay. We partnered closely with developers to enhance the experience while maintaining the game’s original intent. And while not applicable to all games, these new techniques can push game engines to render more quickly for a buttery smooth experience beyond what the original game might have delivered due to the capabilities of the hardware at the time. For the five titles we’ve shared today, gamers can expect to see an increase from 30 fps to nearly 60 fps while enabling FPS Boost.

That is so cool.

[Ruki]

5 hours ago, Bobfoc said:

Undertale is also coming to Game Pass on consoles tomorrow.

Meanwhile, five of the newly added Bethesda games (Dishonored: Definitive Edition, Skyrim, Fallout 4, Fallout 76 and Prey) will be patched to run at 60fps on Series X and S today.

Time to bust out another playthrough!