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spam musubi

Member
Oct 25, 2017
9,380
Tried to paraphrase for the title, and searched for other threads saying this, but couldn't find any.


It would be easy to think that Microsoft's veritable army of developers would be targeting the Series X's launch day. But Booty agrees with us when we propose that this will be a very different kind of console launch, with first-party games being compatible across all Microsoft's hardware, existing and new, ending the usual platform reset we've seen in the past with such launches.

"As our content comes out over the next year, two years, all of our games, sort of like PC, will play up and down that family of devices," Booty explains. "We want to make sure that if someone invests in Xbox between now and [Series X] that they feel that they made a good investment and that we're committed to them with content."

And that means it's also unlikely that there will be much pressure, from Microsoft at least, on third-party publishers to turn out hardware-exclusive titles for the relatively small day-one audience of Xbox Series X owners. In short, Microsoft is rewriting the rules of the console launch.

Interesting strategy. Makes sense from an install base perspective, but one can't help but think that games will be limited by the baseline of lower hardware.
 

Remark

Member
Oct 27, 2017
3,542
Thats nothing new. MS did the same thing this gen.

EDIT: Stop fucking quoting me smh
 
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DontHateTheBacon

Unshakable Resolve
Member
Oct 27, 2017
10,296
That's an interesting idea. Maybe the next-gen hardware can do enough to satisfy the early upgraders while the huge install base of the last gen can still get access to these new, big games.

Microsoft is really doing their best this time around to not leave anyone behind...I'm happy to see that, after the way it went for them last time.
 

Delusibeta

Prophet of Truth
Banned
Oct 26, 2017
5,648
In their defense, they did this for a fair few of their exclusives last time round. Pledging zero new gen exclusives is very weird, though.
 

pswii60

Member
Oct 27, 2017
26,654
The Milky Way
Their focus is definitely Game Pass now, so it makes sense to support the platforms where the majority of subscribers are.

Will be an interesting strategy though to say the least. At least they're doing something a bit different this time around.

I'd imagine Halo Infinite will still be a tech showcase for XSX regardless.
In their defense, they did this for a fair few of their exclusives last time round. Pledging zero new gen exclusives is very weird, though.
Indeed. Although the 360 port of Ori never materialised in the end.

I'd also say that it's not like Knack, KillZone ShadowFall or Ryse were doing anything that PS3/360 couldn't have done (albeit with a significant graphical downgrade). Indeed it's often a couple of years in to the generation before we see games launching that take full advantage of the hardware. But having to cater to the Jaguar CPU does seem a bit limiting, compared to the blank canvas of new hardware.
 

amardilo

Member
Oct 30, 2017
238
UK
Sounds good to me. Hope they allow for cross play as that means I can still play with my friends and family if I upgrade and others don't.
 

WhtR88t

Member
May 14, 2018
4,578
Definitely makes me a bit less excited for any upcoming Xbox exclusives. Especially if they're going to be hampered by the One S hardware.

Wonder how that Hellblade 2 trailer runs on a One S? Or is that game more than 2 years out?
 
Oct 26, 2017
9,859
I think in 2021 some "Xbox One" ports will be canned for sure.

I don't expect Fable 4 or The Initiative new title to be on Xbox One at all.
EverWild probably yes.
 

dynamitejim

Member
Oct 25, 2017
883
So that Hellblade 2 trailer is gonna run on the original Xbox One? Or is it a 2022 game?

Edit: Beaten. lol
 

Gnorman

Banned
Jan 14, 2018
2,945
I can understand their thinking but doesn't that mean that their first party games will only look better on the. Series X? The won't be able to take full advantage for things like AI, destructability, level size etc.
 

Voodoopeople

Member
Oct 29, 2017
3,846
Wait, not a single next gen exclusive?

They have been clear about not abandoning current gen since they started discussing next gen. If you don't want to buy a new box for the next few years, that's fine. They want Gamepass customers much more than console sales.

X-Series is only for those who want the best console.
 

ABrokenToy

Member
Nov 19, 2017
87
How is this NOT a good thing? The games will scale just fine and you're not excluding people that can't afford the jump to next gen right away. To think that the new games won't take advantage of the new hardware is just silly.
 

elenarie

Game Developer
Verified
Jun 10, 2018
9,794
It will be similar for third party too. Most devs / pubs won't throw away a 150 million install base. It will take a year or two for that to happen to the most demanding AAA, let alone smaller scope games.
 

LewieP

Member
Oct 26, 2017
18,093
On the one hand I kind of thing that launching without a single next gen exclusive would be a mistake.

But on the other hand, I think early adopters will be upgrading anyway, and it's after the hype of a new machine has started to die down that they'll need next gen exclusives.

If Microsoft are thinking like this, you can bet third parties are.

I'm guessing Game Pass for Xbox will straddle both Xbox One and Xbox Series X, rather than being a separate platform like PC is. By keeping releasing new stuff for Xbox One, they'll retain more subscribers than they would if they dropped support for Xbox One, and given time more of those people will be likely to upgrade to Xbox Series X.

It will be similar for third party too. Most devs / pubs won't throw away a 150 million install base. It will take a year or two for that to happen to the most demanding AAA, let alone smaller scope games.

Yeah, biggest exception will be stuff that is funded by the platform holders. Certainly Sony and probably MS too will likely pursue exclusivity for some games, and they'll maybe go next gen exclusive too. Godfall is one example, but they will have other games like that too, probably quite a few smaller ones.
 

Ricky_R

The Fallen
Oct 27, 2017
3,997
MS should let third party devs do that and move on with their first party stuff. If they're planning to release such a beast of a console they should take full advantage of it from day one.
 

FelipeMGM

#Skate4
Moderator
Oct 25, 2017
3,012
this works for me since I dont plan on buying any next-gen systems for at least a year anyway, this way I'll keep playing Xbox Games Studios titles and subbed to Game Pass
Thats nothing new. MS did the same thing this gen.

It didnt tho, Ryse, Dead Rising 3, Sunset Overdrive, Forza 5, Killer Instinct and other first year games published by Microsoft were XB1 only
 

darthkarki

Banned
Feb 28, 2019
129
I feel like it's going to be tough to demonstrate a real "wow" factor with purely cross-gen games, while your competition will be showing off next-gen-only games.
 

JediMPG

Avenger
Jan 6, 2019
890
Interesting choice to say the least. Personally it kills any interest in an Xbox Series X I might have for a year.

I know we expect some Cross-Gen games from both 1st and 3rd party from Sony and MS, however to go upto as late as 2021 without any real exclusives for your next-gen console doesn't seem like a good look to get people to try and jump in right away.

Especially if PS5 launches with whatever bluepoint is working on.
 

Kemono

▲ Legend ▲
Banned
Oct 27, 2017
7,669
Weird that MS hands Sony such an easy PR-Win.

"Real next-gen exclusive games only on Playstation 5."
 

dude

Member
Oct 25, 2017
4,634
Tel Aviv
Makes sense. You're much more likely to sell games and you don't hold your new games hostage on new hardware your consumer might not be able to purchase yet.

Weird that MS hands Sony such an easy PR-Win.

"Real next-gen exclusive games only on Playstation 5."
How is it a PR win? A game being "next-gen exclusive" at the beginning of a console life cycle usually doesn't mean much.
 

modiz

Member
Oct 8, 2018
17,826
Yes.

I don't think all exclusives are going to be cross-gen at all in the first 1-2 years.
MS has Xbox One exclusive in 2013 and in 2014 they had "Xbox 360" ports such as Titanfall and FH2.
i think they will be, because there is an explanation behind this move.

they want game pass users to migrate to the new platform rather than risk losing them forever and they want to replace xcloud with lockhart servers.
 

gundamkyoukai

Member
Oct 25, 2017
21,085
Going to be interesting to see how this effect sales compare to Sony who might go the opposite way .
Still there goal is to sell GP and keep the people there happy and this is the best way .
 

Polyh3dron

Prophet of Regret
Banned
Oct 25, 2017
9,860
Yeah this isn't anywhere near a traditional console generation launch for Xbox. Their priorities are in Game pass and that's it.
 

Voodoopeople

Member
Oct 29, 2017
3,846
Bad news imo. Very bad.

Why? PlayStation won't be developing any games that can;t be run on PS4, at least for a few years.

If they launch PS5 with "PS5 exclusive games" and say they can only be powered by PS5, they are lying to you.

launch games are exclusives to FORCE you to buy the box. Not because the old box can't run the game.