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Gotta wonder if they'll transition Wasteland into 3rd&1st person RPG like how Fallout did when Bethesda got ahold of the IP. I remember some of their job listings a while back mentioned 3rd person.
While it would be cool I think it could alienate the fans they have now.
While it would be cool I think it could alienate the fans they have now.
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Well. There you go. I too hope someone makes use of the Shadowrun IP again.
I don't think that's quite true. The narrative will change when they release one 90(+) AAA action adventure game. Not saying I think it should or shouldn't be that way...I just think that will change perceptions.
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I think people are just mixing up stuff in this case.
The first-person stuff is likely for Wasteland: Frostpoint, which was a first-person-shooter in VR at one point. Who knows what that project is today.
Most of the other open positions were for an "ambitious" next-generation RPG in UE4 with no info on camera perspective or anything like that.
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The thing is that it doesn't really matter. If MS can execute well on their strengths and pedigree, they will have millions of people playing Forza, millions of people playing Rare's shared world adventure titles, millions of people playing Age of Empires, Flight Sim, Obsidian's RPGs and so on. Your typical Sony warrior on Era might bemoan the lack of sad dad games on Xbox, but will it matter?
Why does it need to be an action adventure game? Why not a racing game? Why not RPG? Why not a platformer? Or strategy?
This is skewed reasoning because people want to extend a certain narrative that some games are more equal than others.
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I agree with you. Though not to discount the massive success those games have been for Sony - selling over 10 million for several of them (some of which didn't have any sad dads lol).
For sure. Diversity is great. It just so happens though that the action adventure genre is hugely popular. So it'll be nice to have a super acclaimed game there too.
My family is from Nola Italy. But I am born and raised in Brooklyn, NY.
I think that this is the biggest misconception that is spread on the internet i.e. you must have a 90% rated action adventure or else you are not doing it right. Microsoft does need some quality action adventure titles (something that they have lacked this generation), and it is my hope that they can deliver on that going forward. However, dying on the altar of a 90% plus metacritic/opencritic rated action adventure is on weird take from the gaming world; that this is what is needed to be a great publisher.
I believe people outside (Playstation and Nintendo) and even on the inside who love Xbox just want impacting, generation defining games like those "sad dad" ones. Maybe that term is how you interpret it, but MS does need some "sad dad" games from XGS to win over the audiences who NEED to be floored by the action and visuals, while being emotionally touched by the writing and scenes.
If Xbox released a game with standout visuals, gameplay, writing, and had topnotch production values then no one could say a thing about their output. Gaming has evolved into entertainment and the mass audience needs deeper experiences that allow them to connect on multiple levels.
Going by what Benji Sales said it seems MS has a lot in store for us when it comes to XGS content. That really makes me wonder what, because aren't most of those projects only just beginning? By the new studios I mean.
As for their "old" studios I doubt we're gonna see what TC is working on, FM is a safe bet, FH maybe too? (although both Forza franchises in one show....nah,wont happen) 343 undoubtedly. I don't need to mention all the studios but I am goddamned curious what all the studios have going on and what they can show.
I am gonna go in not expecting gameplay footage of every single game though, just to be safe.
As for their "old" studios I doubt we're gonna see what TC is working on, FM is a safe bet, FH maybe too? (although both Forza franchises in one show....nah,wont happen) 343 undoubtedly. I don't need to mention all the studios but I am goddamned curious what all the studios have going on and what they can show.
I am gonna go in not expecting gameplay footage of every single game though, just to be safe.
they are releasing more than 10 games this year alone, and have already announced 2 more titles for the future and we havent even gotten to the Xbox shows :)
For now. Tastes change quickly and inexplicably. I think we might well hit 3rd-person-cinematic-deep-story fatigue somewhere in early next gen (or maybe already have). We'll moan that big AAA games just aren't fun to play anymore. We'll look for variety and whatever - praying that indies and auteurs will save us. I think Xbox being diverse is a really good strategy that pairs well with Game Pass.
But, video games - like movies and music - are a hits-based industry. Grabbing the zeitgeist is an imperfect science, but it tends to build on success (until, for whatever reason, you go bust). That's all down to narrative. And unfortunately, narrative is often decided LONG before the game is ever playable. Metacritic doesn't define the narrative. Who thinks the narrative around Gears 5 would have been different if it had been a 90+? Nope. People (many of whom had never played the game) insisted that the game was just the same tired game. Whether justified or not, THAT was the prevailing perception decided long before even before the first review went out. Only one person on Giant Bomb even TRIED the game. That's the power of narrative - utterly divorced from actual quality.
Therefore, controversial take: Changing the narrative around Xbox is actually NOT about putting out great games. One of the biggest lies in gaming right now is "Xbox would be doing better if they had better games." No, Xbox would be doing better if people assumed that their games were good. That's about faith and perception, NOT quality. Why do people assume GOT is a masterpiece because we've seen so little, while they assume H:I is a disaster for the same reason? Who knows what the Metacritic for Minecraft is? Fortnite? Apex? Modern Warfare? Maybe some of you - but WHO CARES? *Perception is not quantifiable*
Therefore, controversial solution: What does Xbox need to turn perception around?
1) Marketing that captures the imagination of even people who will NEVER touch the games being sold. IE: via really good cinematic trailers. Utterly worthless for people who intend to play the game for its gameplay value. But tremendously valuable for building anticipation and hype for the game broadly. Which means more attention paid, more time spent covering it, more people discussing it. Again, this has little to do with quality of the game.
And/or
2) A core group of influential people (influencers, let's call them) to champion the games. They need to casually mention how they're looking forward to them. They'll need hype reaction videos. They'll occasionally follow the news at least SOMEWHAT closely. (This implies a marketing strategy that keeps these people fed). You may not even need but a small level of mainstream legitimacy. Maybe a couple of decent game press preview events. But really... who cares?! Days gone reviewed fairly poorly, but some people EXPECTED the game to be good - so they just found the influencers who agreed with them!
If you've done these things: The people who have been anticipating this game (or hoping for it to fail) will say "I told you so, the narrative that we've built up for the last x number of months - I was right!". People's cognitive biases will fill in the blanks. Then, if the core group of excited people have an even mildly interested audience, then other influencers will start to say it, too. And now you've changed the "truth" of this game, and the game didn't even need to be a masterpiece! Just good enough.
Please note that this is just one path, but there are myriad other ways that narrative is divorced from quality. That said, hey, I'd rather have good games than not good games. I just chose two things that people on this forum usually dislike to show how even we are sucked in by these same factors as everyone else. Hardcore gamers are likely the MOST susceptible to hype and narrative over actual "quality". Thanks for attending my TED talk. Please burn this unnecessary, self-indulgent post now.
Therefore, controversial solution: What does Xbox need to turn perception around?
1) Marketing that captures the imagination of even people who will NEVER touch the games being sold. IE: via really good cinematic trailers. Utterly worthless for people who intend to play the game for its gameplay value. But tremendously valuable for building anticipation and hype for the game broadly. Which means more attention paid, more time spent covering it, more people discussing it. Again, this has little to do with quality of the game.
And/or
2) A core group of influential people (influencers, let's call them) to champion the games. They need to casually mention how they're looking forward to them. They'll need hype reaction videos. They'll occasionally follow the news at least SOMEWHAT closely. (This implies a marketing strategy that keeps these people fed). You may not even need but a small level of mainstream legitimacy. Maybe a couple of decent game press preview events. But really... who cares?! Days gone reviewed fairly poorly, but some people EXPECTED the game to be good - so they just found the influencers who agreed with them!
If you've done these things: The people who have been anticipating this game (or hoping for it to fail) will say "I told you so, the narrative that we've built up for the last x number of months - I was right!". People's cognitive biases will fill in the blanks. Then, if the core group of excited people have an even mildly interested audience, then other influencers will start to say it, too. And now you've changed the "truth" of this game, and the game didn't even need to be a masterpiece! Just good enough.
Please note that this is just one path, but there are myriad other ways that narrative is divorced from quality. That said, hey, I'd rather have good games than not good games. I just chose two things that people on this forum usually dislike to show how even we are sucked in by these same factors as everyone else. Hardcore gamers are likely the MOST susceptible to hype and narrative over actual "quality". Thanks for attending my TED talk. Please burn this unnecessary, self-indulgent post now.
I don't get why people here think inXile is working on a FPS game.
InXile's careers page says they want a tech artist with Bonus Qualification who has experience working on a FPS, and it's not necessary requirement.
And there're other full-time job descriptions say they need some artists who has experience working on a first and/or third-person game(Bonus Qualification).
It's yet premature to predict the genre.
https://inxile.bamboohr.com/jobs/view.php?id=26
https://inxile.bamboohr.com/jobs/view.php?id=31
InXile's careers page says they want a tech artist with Bonus Qualification who has experience working on a FPS, and it's not necessary requirement.
And there're other full-time job descriptions say they need some artists who has experience working on a first and/or third-person game(Bonus Qualification).
It's yet premature to predict the genre.
https://inxile.bamboohr.com/jobs/view.php?id=26
https://inxile.bamboohr.com/jobs/view.php?id=31
My point is that they need to go all out. Launch sales matter a lot, and you need to sway the public into buying your console.
From all the chatter, seems like they realize that and plan to come out swinging.
Jez is wrong. Those who the SAD model's lack of a disc drive didn't appeal to could get a disc model for not more than $50 above the small digital model.
Making a Lockhart without a disc drive would be a catastrophically stupid thing to do, since customers who want a drive would have to pony up to $200 (at least) difference to get a Series X.
It would also cut out BC for the owners whose collection was largely composed of physical discs.
Nintendo doesn't exactly have games with top notch production values and people are OK with it. There's no demand by message boards warriors for Nintendo to compete with Sony head on. MS doesn't need to compete with Sony head on either. If MS's next wave of RPGs is among the best in the genre, then they will find their audience. There's no need for MS to change Obsidian or inXile to be making Naughty Dog style titles. They just need to make sure their games are as good as possible within their category.
honestly the best thing to come out of all these Studio Acquisitions is that Xbox is going to be one hell of an RPG publisher.
gimme gimme
gimme gimme
It had to be discounted heavily though, no? Obviously that still pertains to price, but it's not as simple.
An MSRP of 299 and discounts of 50-100 will see that thing top amazon sales around Christmas and holiday seasons. The all digital didn't make sense at msrp because they had the one s model already discounted with bundles but this will be next gen @ 299. Whole different kettle of fish
Aside from the new map there's a nice new illumination and weapons/facilities from the DLC.
Depending on how long has been you'll find it performs better and has a lot less bugs too
Did you do the new Maiden Voyage? ( X in the menu screen I think)
Or you mean help knowing how voyages, reputation etc work?
Born and raised in Barcelona (Spain). Living in Marseille (France) for the last 6 years
Yep, price is key. But Microsoft knows that consoles will get discounted by retailers, so they can price them accordingly exactly as they did with SAG. And I believe that a disc-less next-gen 1080p console at $299 would be very inviting, especially because you'll start seeing it discounted at $249 by Spring and at $199 in one year, by the next holidays. I mean, how much did it take to Xbox One or PS4 to reach $199 discounted pricing? 4 years maybe? With the Series S, it could happen in one year. I frankly believe this is mindblowing and it could have a huge impact in sales, especially if PS5 won't have a cheaper SKU. One year in next gen, you could have the two top consoles at maybe $349-$399 discounted price, while the XSS would be $199. Crazy.
Ciao da Roma :) Lots of Italians around here.
Yup, narrative dominates. It's tiresome, because another part of it is, obviously, 'we like games, yay', but so many are more interested in zeitgeist than in playing shit for what it is, in ignoring shit for it not being 'what it should be'.
It's clear Sony have had great, deserved success. It's also not clear that every single game they have released has actually been earth shakingly good by the narrative's own standards (e.g. metacritic scores; this is not to say those games, e.g. Until Dawn, the zombie game I somehow have forgotten the name of, The Order, Detroit, etc, aren't worth playing, of course they are, but the narrative fixation on MC scores and the like would suggest they wouldn't be IF Sony hadn't also released God of War, as we see from the Xbox example). So you see the inverse of the MS situation: a rising tide lifts all boats. For MS a waning tide lowers all boats, and they hope their tide is changing, so there is more positivity (and sales, ofc).
How many fucking times do I need to read the same assessments of the generation, of people writing off games they have never played? 'MS needs games like Horizon, God of War'. In a sense, yes, it does. But that's not the only game in town, and it's all some people seem to be able to talk about. Can't I read instead about how people enjoyed X or Y because it was a fun game?
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It doesnt have to be stupid at all. If they market Lockhart as a next gen console with immediate access to 100 games as well as all the first party launch titles with a 2 month Gamepass code for only 299, then it will be seriously competitive.
Sure, cutting out BC for those with physical collections sucks but MS probably sees them as more hardcore gamers and that the XSX is the right console for them.
Microsoft is doing their own thing. They already know that they have pretty slim change to beat Sony on console sales so instead of copying Sony, they are doing their own thing and spreading their gaming more to PC and mobile with xcloud and gamepass.
And instead of chasing massive gamesales like Sony, they want and need lots of games and different genres for gamepass and gamepass is going to be their money maker next gen.
And instead of chasing massive gamesales like Sony, they want and need lots of games and different genres for gamepass and gamepass is going to be their money maker next gen.
Was this posted? Theorry
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Since March, Xbox Game Pass members have added over 23 million friends on Xbox Live, which is a 70% growth in friendship rate. Game Pass members are also playing twice as much and engaging in more multiplayer gaming, which has increased by 130%.
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etc etc.
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nice :)
Why would a console more powerful than Xbox One X, with an SSD too, be cheaper than the Xbox One X?
Exactly. And they aren't chasing unit sales, too. They obviously want the console(s) to be big hitters as they'll be the entry points to their ecosystem, but they don''t see it as a race with Sony. If PS5 will sell more I'm sure it's perfectly fine for MS, as long as subscriber numbers will keep on skyrocketing.
I'm not saying its not worth it just that those prices were part of the leak years ago that got so much right. If ps5 was somehow $399 (unlikely I know) I think it could still be a huge sucess at that price ($249)
Announcing a bunch of stuff early and emptying the cupboards won't help - it'll just lead to them having less to talk about in the future. The idea is to constantly have a steady cadence of new announcements.
But ultimately I think the "Xbox has no games" narrative is a dumb offshoot of the real problem, which is simply that Microsoft's first-party games haven't really been consistently critically acclaimed this generation - particularly when it comes to their big tentpole games. And there simply wasn't enough of THOSE games this gen.
I expect Fable to at least be officially announced with a teaser trailer, if not gameplay. I think there's a chance Perfect Dark simply gets announced. There's obviously a decent chance of new Forza too. Beyond that, unless there's some wild cards closer to being done than we realize, I expect that'll be it for new heavy hitters.
It'll be at least $299. You're not getting a more powerful next-gen console for less than the One X costs now. Assuming Lockhart is what we think it is, I'd bet it's either $299 or $349, with the PS5 and XSX being $499.
$349 for a console that simply plays next-gen games at 1080p or something, would still be ridiculous value.
I mean, the reality is that they didn't know the price years ago. My guess is that they're still not 100% committed to price yet, either. Or at least how to present it. It would obviously be a huge success at $249. But, still $299 for a next gen console would be INSANE already. We'll see. I imagine we won't be seeing Lockhart until we know more or are about to hear more about all the other aspects of next gen pricing.
I think they have a good chance at taking territories they've historically been strong in, US/UK with Gamepass + the 2 consoles. Definitely better then X1 in western EU markets too if their first party games deliver.
We probably get Lockhart news when the Series X price is announced. They wont talk alot of specs for Lockhart as the price is the big thing about it next to the series x.
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