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[kretos]

Did Microsoft convince you that you wouldn’t need next-gen hardware to play Xbox Series X games? Think again: fully half of the next-gen games that Microsoft showcased at its Xbox Series X showcase today, including Forza, probably aren’t coming to Xbox One.

Which suggests either some of those games aren’t actually coming out for a long time — or Microsoft has already broken a big promise it made just last week.

For years now, Microsoft has been working toward a future where you don’t need to buy the latest console to play the newest games — many now run on a spectrum of hardware including Xbox One, Xbox One S, Xbox One X, and Windows PCs — and the upcoming Xbox Series X was touted as the culmination of that vision. It will play almost every Xbox One game, as well as Xbox 360 and some original Xbox titles, and Microsoft has repeatedly telegraphed that many next-gen Xbox Series X games will run on 2013’s Xbox One, too.

In fact, the company explicitly promised that its own in-house, first-party games won’t require you to buy the new Series X console for two years. Here’s Xbox boss Phil Spencer just last week:

You won’t be forced into the next generation. We want every Xbox player to play all the new games from Xbox Game Studios. That’s why Xbox Game Studios titles we release in the next couple of years—like Halo Infinite—will be available and play great on Xbox Series X and Xbox One. We won’t force you to upgrade to Xbox Series X at launch to play Xbox exclusives.”

But during today’s Xbox Games Showcase, first-party titles Forza Motorsport, Fable, Avowed, As Dusk Falls, Everwild and State of Decay 3 were all listed as coming to Xbox Series X and Windows PC specifically — with no Xbox One support and no Smart Delivery feature. Again, these are all games published by Microsoft’s Xbox Game Studios, and almost all created by developers that Microsoft owns.

To my mind, that only leaves three possibilities: 1) Microsoft broke a huge promise in record time, 2) Six out of the nine next-gen exclusives Microsoft showcased today won’t arrive until two years after launch, or 3) someone screwed up when making the presentation title cards for each game.

Neither of outcomes number one or number two are particularly promising — but everything we’ve heard from Microsoft today suggests it’s actually door number one.

Initially, Microsoft sent us this dodgy reply:
“Our future Xbox Game Studios titles are being developed natively for Xbox Series X. We will continue to invest in tools for devs to scale across consoles. Which consoles each Studio/game can support will be based on what’s best for their game and their community at launch,” reads Microsoft’s statement to The Verge.

It looks like Microsoft is already breaking a big promise with Xbox Series X

Your existing Xbox won’t play the new Forza or Fable

www.theverge.com

 

[hard_boiled]

This is the end for the Series X its ten millionth death

 

[oagboghi2]

I thought it was obvious those six games were far away from releasing

 

[01011001]

uhm... did anyone say these games come out within the first year or so?

 

[turtlepowa]

I'm pretty sure we already had that in one the other 75 "Microsoft is utter crap" threads since Thursday.

 

[Astral Dog]

Its ok, Xbox ONE is dated hardware even when it came out, its better for everyone if their games aren't hold back by it specially when they have such a powerful and well designed console coming out.

In fact HALO would have looked much better if it wasn't cross gen, thats the result of catering to all devices

 

[killatopak]

Probably just means won’t release in the next two years.

 

[Romulus]

Across all Xbox "family" of platforms. Biggest mistake ever.

 

[hououinkyouma00]

uhm... did anyone say these games come out within the first year or so?

Probably just means won’t release in the next two years.

I can’t see them launching a console without Forza.

 

[sainraja]

uhm... did anyone say these games come out within the first year or so?

Well, Microsoft was the one who decided to show games that won't be releasing within the first year or so when they were also the ones who were talking loudly about cross-gen play. Microsoft's mistake here was to advertise what they should have done naturally as a 'special' feature. Sony's always supported their previous consoles alongside the new one (for a year or so.) Microsoft has always been the ones to drop support immediately when they release a new one.

I can somewhat understand why they would like to message that and make it absolutely clear that they won't be dropping support but now they've muddied up the waters a little bit.

 

[AmuroChan]

Isn't there usually a Forza game very year (either Motorsport or Horizon)? Even if they skip this year, surely there must be a Forza game in 2021.

 

[Slings and Arrows]

 

[Skyr]

That’s great news tho.

 

[Vawn]

They said 2 years. Most of the games they "showed" didn't look they'd be releasing in that time frame.

 

[Vawn]

Isn't there usually a Forza game very year (either Motorsport or Horizon)? Even if they skip this year, surely there must be a Forza game in 2021.

Forza Motorsport 7 released in 2017.

I don't think the old rules apply. With GamePass, big AAA MS games are basically all looking to become Games as a Service.

According to Microsoft, Halo Infinite will be the only Halo for the next ten years. Expect it to be treated like a Destiny or Sea of Thieves. Seeing as Forza Motorsport dropped the number, I assume it will be the same and may he the only entry on the Series X but will be supported with paid DLC and GamePass subscriptions. It could be the same for the new Fable, which is simply called "Fable".

 

[Agent X]

They shouldn't have made that type of "pledge" to begin with.

We're at the point now where we can't even trust that what is presented as "Xbox Series X gameplay footage" is coming from an actual Xbox Series X, or if it's running off of a PC or Xbox One.

The irony is that one of the criticisms (that games would be constrained), which was originally denied by Microsoft and some of their hardcore fans, is now being embraced as some kind of justification for games that don't impress. If a game's performance is criticized, they'll just explain it away by saying "well, you know, it must be an old build running on a cheap PC...we haven't begun showing the true power of the Xbox Series X yet!" Constrained performance has now become a ready-made excuse for these folks.

It would be nice if they would just put out a set of videos, declare up front and in plain sight which hardware is being used to play the game, and let the chips fall where they may. If the visuals don't look so hot, then take the criticisms to heart, and use whatever time you have left to polish it up to a higher standard. Don't try to handwave it away with some cockamamie excuse that it's not the "real" game on the "real" system.

 

[01011001]

I can’t see them launching a console without Forza.

they literally said that the new Forza is "early in development"

 

[hououinkyouma00]

they literally said that the new Forza is "early in development"

Oh. I must have missed that. My B.

That seems like a weird decision. Like I get you are doing GAAS but to not have a flagship racing game on launch seems weird.

 

[REE Machine]

X GON GIVE IT TO YEA

 

[thelastword]

Probably just means won’t release in the next two years.

There is no way Forza is not releasing in the next two years.......

 

[jakinov]

There is no way Forza is not releasing in the next two years.......

It's probably not coming in the first year since they have no gameplay. They could have wanted more time to rebuild their engine or something. Releasing every other year can be inefficient or block you from doing more as you more frequently go in to the development stages where you aren't really adding features/value to the product and it limits you from doing big initiatives that take a lot of the development effort within a cycle. They probably want to do more for next-gen.

 

[01011001]

There is no way Forza is not releasing in the next two years.......

I already posted this but, they literally said in the presentation that it is early in development

 

[xrnzaaas]

Isn't there usually a Forza game very year (either Motorsport or Horizon)? Even if they skip this year, surely there must be a Forza game in 2021.

This is going to be a much longer break for the series. The last Forza game came out in 2018 and if we're lucky Forza Motorsport 8 will release in 2021. Forza Horizon 5 is probably 2022 at the earliest. So that's at least a three year wait and a start of a new generation of consoles without any new Forza game backing it up.

 

[Jon Neu]

I can’t see them launching a console without Forza.

Forza Horizon 4 - Optimized for Xbox Series X/S

There’s never been a better time to play Playground Games’ Forza Horizon 4. Now optimized for the Xbox Series X/S, players will experience higher fidelity graphics and faster performance as they ex...

support.forzamotorsport.net

 

[Insane Metal]

X GON GIVE IT TO YEA (in a few years. Hopefully.)

FIFY

 

[Max_Po]

Forza Horizon 4 - Optimized for Xbox Series X/S

There’s never been a better time to play Playground Games’ Forza Horizon 4. Now optimized for the Xbox Series X/S, players will experience higher fidelity graphics and faster performance as they ex...

support.forzamotorsport.net

Ding Ding Ding....

You heard it here people, a Patch to a 2 year old games makes it a new game ...

 

[MasterCornholio]

Ding Ding Ding....

You heard it here people, a Patch to a 2 year old games makes it a new game ...

Isn't that a free remaster then?

 

[EverydayBeast]

Xbox will need some time, presentations aren't helping them, people notice the games not paragraphs about getting caught up in gamepass, or getting an xcloud.

 

[quest]

Ding Ding Ding....

You heard it here people, a Patch to a 2 year old games makes it a new game ...

You mean like a remaster of a ps3 game or dlc of a ps4 game lol. This generation is like the last 2 and won't pick up until 2 years in. Until then a lot of patches, dlc and remasters.

 

[Azurro]

I don't think MS broke a promise, The Verge is just looking for an angle to exploit the bad reaction to the presentation from MS. Microsoft simply doesn't have Xbox Series X games for the next two years, almost all the games on that list are just CG logos.

 

[hououinkyouma00]

Forza Horizon 4 - Optimized for Xbox Series X/S

There’s never been a better time to play Playground Games’ Forza Horizon 4. Now optimized for the Xbox Series X/S, players will experience higher fidelity graphics and faster performance as they ex...

support.forzamotorsport.net

That’s not a new Forza game. That game will be what? 3 years old? That’s not launching with a flagship racing game. That porting a old game that the majority of people have already played if they would have been interested in the first place.

 

[Jon Neu]

That’s not a new Forza game. That game will be what? 3 years old? That’s not launching with a flagship racing game. That porting a old game that the majority of people have already played if they would have been interested in the first place.

That's the Forza game you're going to get at launch.

And it's a damn good game that is going to be even better with the remaster treatment style.

 

[Deputy Moonman]

Across all Xbox "family" of platforms. Biggest mistake ever.

Only to the most extreme fans. In all honesty saying across all platforms has probably helped xbox more than it has hurt it. Most people buying an Xbox one weren't buying it because it was a power house and the ones that want the best graphics aren't going to continue playing games on an 8 year old console anyway.

 

[Krappadizzle]

 

[Lone Wolf]

Why bump this old thread?

 

[ManaByte]

 

[Drewpee]

It looks like Microsoft is already breaking a big promise with Xbox Series X

Your existing Xbox won’t play the new Forza or Fable

www.theverge.com

This article reads as "everything Xbox does is wrong." They literally say there are two options and neither are good lol I honestly wonder what people at Xbox think when they see goofy stuff like this.

BTW, I dont care either way. I hope they figure out a way to let people on older consoles play but it needs to be done in a way that doesn't handicap newer consoles.

 

[DarkMage619]

This article reads as "everything Xbox does is wrong." They literally say there are two options and neither are good lol I honestly wonder what people at Xbox think when they see goofy stuff like this.

BTW, I dont care either way. I hope they figure out a way to let people on older consoles play but it needs to be done in a way that doesn't handicap newer consoles.

I'm glad this was thread was bumped because there has been a narrative that the media is in MS's pocket and they are all shills. How does article fit in with that theme?

 

[ABnormal]

The second point is the most likely, but even if it would be the first one, it would be the time the broken promise would actually be for good. Just let previous gen die, please.

 

[MonarchJT]

who thought that the cross gen would last forever was a fool or a stupid or intentionally did it so it does have something to say against Microsoft later on.It does not happen on PCs and it will never happen on consoles ..... Microsoft unlike all the competition, however, has finally revolutionized everything with a noteworthy BC .... backward compatibility that others are now forced to follow. their talk about "you don't need to change hardware" was very focused on the idea of Xcloud, and honestly thinking about a future where 5g is worldwide used or even better 6g... they are right

 

[Deputy Moonman]

"It will play almost every Xbox One game, as well as Xbox 360 and some original Xbox titles, and Microsoft has repeatedly telegraphed that many next-gen Xbox Series X games will run on 2013’s Xbox One, too.

In fact, the company explicitly promised that its own in-house, first-party games won’t require you to buy the new Series X console for two years."

Sounds like a reasonable statement. Where is the lie? A lot of the big hitters wont be out until next year, so that's 2 years where people wont be "forced" into next gen.

 

[GHG]

When the urge to shill is so much that you need to bump a 10 month old thread.

Good grief.