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Phil Spencer acknowledges ‘it’s been too long’ since Xbox’s last big first-party game

SlimySnake

Flashless at the Golden Globes
The only thing i want from phil is to give big budgets to his teams, starfield still looks like your average bethesda game and redfall still looks like your average arkane game.

I was expecting for these team to do a sony jump in production values but it doesn't look like that.

It was the main reason why i was happy that M bought all these studios, to give them a big ass budget.
Redfall makes Starfield look like citizen fucking kane.

And yes, they need to bring up Arkhane up to standards set by Playground Games and Coalition Games. Id be ok with Coalition Games working as a liason between these technically challenged Bethesda Gameworks studios and UE5.
 

Ozriel

M$FT
I feel your post is sarcastic...but since a lot of people truly believe this, buying more stuff isn't the answer. They need to have a more streamlined production. They are not organized, and the more teams Xbox has to lead, the worst it gets.

Sony and Nintendo only acquire companies close to them for that reason. I remember even after the Bungie acquisition Jim saying he would spend the next few months supporting them on that acquisition.

Let's look at this this way...Xbox probably had more exclusive titles during the beginning of the Xbox One gen then even this one with a lot less studios. This was during the previous CEO's years. How did this happen?

It's been a year since their last AAA title...and it's still going to take like 6 months for the next one to come out. I've never seen such a drought of games from Xbox. Has this ever happened before? The fact Gamepass is failing every expectation to MS says it all. They really thought it would be enough to throw billions at 3rd party games to have the service running for this drought...and it's backfiring.

People can scream Phil is great all they want and Gamepass IS good value and he IS doing good things...but it takes a lot more than creating a service that any trillion dollar company could...it's amusing to me that the central thing about this business is what Xbox is failing to deliver: videogames. It will always be about videogames.

Most of this is just made up, bad faith conjecture.

They had AAA games lined up for this year. Those slipped their original planned release windows, just like a massive amount of AAA games in the past few years, including much of Sony’s output.

Playstation and Nintendo already got this decades ago...

None of the console makers you cite have been immune to COVID related delays
 
Most of this is just made up, bad faith conjecture.

They had AAA games lined up for this year. Those slipped their original planned release windows, just like a massive amount of AAA games in the past few years, including much of Sony’s output.



None of the console makers you cite have been immune to COVID related delays

Man, I admire your tenacity to respond to such posts.
 

Ozriel

M$FT
Gran Turismo has been around since the 90’s (almost a decade before Forza) and the first mario kart came out in 92, the fact that both those franchises have the same amount of games as just the mainline Forza Motorosport series proves my point.

Does it really prove your point, when these games still come out to stellar critical and commercial success?
 
Does it really prove your point, when these games still come out to stellar critical and commercial success?

My original point was that xbox has been leaning heavily on 3 franchises, and having another Forza again next year without the Bethesdas games would have been less than an exciting 2023 for xbox.

Their Xbox Studio Game line up has been an absolute mess.
 
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Phil has been apologizing for lack of meaningful first party content for like a decade it seems.

It’s going to be an embarrassment if he doesn’t deliver in 2023.

Starfield needs to be in a state that’s of exceptional quality - not full of bugs or jank. It needs to be a standout title for MS first party

And they need to start SHOWING their pipeline. Fable, Everwild, Avowed, Hellblade, Perfect Dark - show your fans something tangible to get excited for even if these games don’t ship in 2023

Redfall isn’t going to cut it, the game is not AAA quality we expect.
 
Redfall isn’t going to cut it, the game is not AAA quality we expect.

giphy.gif
 

Turk1993

GAFs #1 source for car graphic comparisons
Gran Turismo has been around since the 90’s and the first mario kart came out in 92, the fact that both those franchises have the same amount of games as just the mainline Forza Motorosport series proves my point.
It doesn't prove shit, it just proves that you are flip flopping. Also the reason why they couldn't get more games out is that PD studio is smaller compared to T10 and T10 can make games faster on time, simple as that.
My original point was that xbox has been leaning heavily on 3 franchises, and having another Forza again next year without the Bethesdas games would have been less than an exciting 2023 for xbox.

Their Xbox Studio Game line up has been an absolute mess.
And again the gap between the last Motorsport and the new one is bigger or as big as the biggest gap in GT series releases. And thats between GT4 and GT5 which was 6 years, and thats without counting GT5P.
 

Chukhopops

Member
Most of this is just made up, bad faith conjecture.

They had AAA games lined up for this year. Those slipped their original planned release windows, just like a massive amount of AAA games in the past few years, including much of Sony’s output.



None of the console makers you cite have been immune to COVID related delays
Not to mention both Stalker 2 and Atomic Heart being delayed because of a fucking WAR.

In the end it’s interesting to see walls of… let’s call it « analysis » posted by Blue team members about how much needs to change, while no one else seems really upset by that and numbers keep going up for MS.
 

Turk1993

GAFs #1 source for car graphic comparisons
Phil needs to stop acting nice to those studios and start hitting his fist on the table. He gives them too much freedom and too much positive comments which makes them easily satisfied with what they have.
 

ADiTAR

ידע זה כוח
It's clear that MS has bad management for gaming companies. We saw it with Rare who barely produced anything close to grand since they were bought. Bungie left. etc. Yes, they have some studios that are capable but they aren't able to create that big IP and pull.

I don't know why that's happening, I think it's prob mostly because the American way of doing thing when you surround yourself with Yes-Men and people are afraid to voice out different opinions and "pick their battles". There's no leader with a true vision. It's clear that Sony has that as all their games have a similar feel, like they came from the same cinematic universe. It's clear Nintendo has that, as their games focus on gameplay innovation and differentiation. I don't know what MS vision for gaming besides a big foot at the door to their cloud services at one point, and that's really a corporate vision not a gaming one.

I doubt the new acquisitions will turn this around, as throwing money at a problem hasn't solved it so far.
 

Ozriel

M$FT
My original point was that xbox has been leaning heavily on 3 franchises, and having another Forza again next year without the Bethesdas games would have been less than an exciting 2023 for xbox.

Their Xbox Studio Game line up has been an absolute mess.

They had a small first party setup for much of the Xbox One generation. They’ve expanded. Where’s the logic in focusing on output from their 2016 era first party lineup?


Phil has been apologizing for lack of meaningful first party content for like a decade it seems.

It’s going to be an embarrassment if he doesn’t deliver in 2023.

Starfield needs to be in a state that’s of exceptional quality - not full of bugs or jank. It needs to be a standout title for MS first party

And they need to start SHOWING their pipeline. Fable, Everwild, Avowed, Hellblade, Perfect Dark - show your fans something tangible to get excited for even if these games don’t ship in 2023

Redfall isn’t going to cut it, the game is not AAA quality we expect.

Why don’t you let the actual fans worry about the xbox output and not…you?

As an Xbox owner with Gamepass ultimate, 2023 looks absolutely solid for AAA games, and that’s with H2 2023 stuff not yet revealed.

Arkane bills Redfall as their most ambitious game to date. That’s certainly cutting it for me. Happy to play this next year while you focus on scrutinizing the visuals via YouTube videos.
 

Ozriel

M$FT
Phil needs to stop acting nice to those studios and start hitting his fist on the table. He gives them too much freedom and too much positive comments which makes them easily satisfied with what they have.

Probably 80% of all announced AAA games suffered post-pandemic delays in the past few years, but suddenly it’s all a problem of overly nice leadership from Phil when Starfield and Redfall got delayed.
 
Why don’t you let the actual fans worry about the xbox output and not…you?

As an Xbox owner with Gamepass ultimate, 2023 looks absolutely solid for AAA games, and that’s with H2 2023 stuff not yet revealed.

Arkane bills Redfall as their most ambitious game to date. That’s certainly cutting it for me. Happy to play this next year while you focus on scrutinizing the visuals via YouTube videos.

I have an XSX and GP sub until 2025.

You can be a fan while still critical of their output and continual apologies. I’d like to use my Xbox more
 

adamsapple

Or is it just one of Phil's balls in my throat?
I don’t have access to anything, just what anyone with two eyes can see from the plentiful preview material.

It’s fine as a AA type game but it’s definitely not what I consider a heavy hitter first party showpiece

We've barely seen the game and outside of some weird comparisons to left 4 dead it looks like a very typical modern AAA shooter, perhaps that's the biggest difference the game has from previous Arkane games. But it will probably do real well owing to its availability on a service and optiona 4 player co-op for groups.
 

Turk1993

GAFs #1 source for car graphic comparisons
Probably 80% of all announced AAA games suffered post-pandemic delays in the past few years, but suddenly it’s all a problem of overly nice leadership from Phil when Starfield and Redfall got delayed.
Im not talking about those games actually, im just talking in general.
 
We've barely seen the game and outside of some weird comparisons to left 4 dead it looks like a very typical modern AAA shooter, perhaps that's the biggest difference the game has from previous Arkane games. But it will probably do real well owing to its availability on a service and optiona 4 player co-op for groups.

Tbh it seems like a game that will quickly be forgotten about and not supported much, like many tried GaaS titles before it

We’ve seen quite a bit already. Nothing looks phenomenal about it, serviceable at best
 
Without that Bethesda acquisition, their future output was a bleak wasteland.

Hard to tell if Bethesda can maintain the kind of output they had from 2008-2020 (Doom, Fallout, Dishonored, Prey, Skyrim, Rage, etc.) or if they follow in the footsteps of other big acquisitions and slowly wither into a husk of their former selves (Rare, Bioware, Psygnosis, etc.)

I reckon MS will get at least 1 wave of quality titles from them before anything (if at all) starts to degrade.
Since 2015 and Fallout 4 (their last big game) what have Bethesda made? Fallout 76 and ...... thats 8 years between major single player games. Their acquisitions made some games (id and arkane) but Bethesda proper not so much.
Considering from 2006 to 2015 we had 2 elder scrolls, and 3 fallout games (if you count obsidian's new vegas). And they were all highly rated and fun. We haven't gotten an Elder scrolls since gen 7 with the PS3/360. Skyrim just gets re-released. Same with GTA, no new game during the ps4/xbone gen.
 

-Zelda-

Banned
I do not have any Xbox consoles, but I did have an original and a 360 a long time ago. I miss them because there were several exclusive JRPGS on the platform that were fun for what they were. on the OG it was Jade Empire and both Kotors. The Kotors were finally ported, but still nothing about Jade Empire.

I also really liked the Fable games and of course Skyrim being better on that platform than on Sony's if only because of better mod support.
Blue Dragon, Infinite Undiscovery, The 360 version of Phatasy Star Universe ran and looked better than it's PS2 version, Lost Odyssey (did they ever port this? Can't remember atm."

Also, the Witcher 2, which sadly cannot be played on Ps4/5. I also enjoyed Venetica, Magna Carta 2, and Bullet Witch.

If I could have the first two Xboxes again, these are teh games I would want back.
 
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Still has its place. For me PS exclusives aren’t as good now as they were during the PS3 era. I’ve got all 3 but would probably be more than happy with my Xbox+Switch combo and then just pick up a cheap PS5 at the end of the gen when all of their first party only cost £10.
Why though, get a pc and/or steam deck and you have all the xbox games right there. What I do. Then have a switch and ps5. That is the trifecta of all 3. Before my ps5 was purchased I was using the steam link to play Elden Ring on my living room TV. Wasn't as good as native but worked for my needs at the time.

Steamdeck is great though, playing old and new games on a handheld. That will include starfield and others (as long as they aren't 200gb like cod is now...grr on file sizes) .
 

Oof85

Member
Yeah it's definitely light in 2022 and appears it might be in 2023 aside from three biggies but.....

When the machine is running well and pumping out games on a monthly basis, it's gonna be really something to see.

Just looking at the studios under their arm, when all are up and going they'll be able to drop two a month easily.
 

ungalo

Member
I think it's Matt Booty that said a few months ago they had "too many games to launch" lol, so they had to adjust their schedule.

It's funny but still possible the games will be ready all at once after all. I hope they don't delay games further too much if they are ready, just to space out releases.
 

StreetsofBeige

Gold Member
Forza/Forza Horizon are a good 1-2 punch. But for their other big franchises in particular Gears and Halo, they got to change it up to something else for the future. Making them another shooter not really any different than the 360 days except better graphics is failure. These franchises have been in decline since when back then they were big sales and online user base.
 

Fredrik

Member
It's probably gonna be the best written game of the year.



As Dusk falls, Pentiment, Hot Wheels Forza. Unfortunately a bunch of stuff that should have been out by now, or coming very soon i-e Starfield got pushed to next year.
Pentiment isn’t out yet and is really small, As Dusk Falls is small too and isn’t made by a 1st party studio, and Hot Wheels is DLC.

The big Gamepass releases are A Plague Tale and Scorn, but I’m playing both on PC so for me it’s been a really lowkey Xbox year.

I always thought Hot Wheels could’ve been a full release though, it’s my most played Xbox content this year.
 
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ungalo

Member
Forza/Forza Horizon are a good 1-2 punch. But for their other big franchises in particular Gears and Halo, they got to change it up to something else for the future. Making them another shooter not really any different than the 360 days except better graphics is failure. These franchises have been in decline since when back then they were big sales and online user base.
I honestly don't think so. The last games are just not good that's all. They don't have any good idea that make them special, but i don't think the issue is that they didn't become something else.

Open world Halo had a great potential in my opinion, it would have been new but retain the classic Halo feeling. But it ended up being a game that, in its content was less interesting than a Ubisoft open world game...from 2007.

What i like about Microsoft is that their games still function with very traditional bases, they aim at classical genre unlike Sony. But they don't seem very confident in what they're doing, very unsure of where to go, how to expand on what's already there. Maybe because it's not their franchises to begin with but the fact it's still a problem after so many years is incredible.
 

SlimySnake

Flashless at the Golden Globes
Hype is starting to build for starfield so hoping it doesn't slip to the 2nd half. Been too long since we've had a real good open world RPG.

Redfall still looks trash
Starfield looks amazing.

Redfall on the other hand, good god. I am convinced it is going to be the next Deathloop. MS will try to pull a Sony and shove this game down our throat but at the end of the day it will be forgotten like deathloop which didnt even hit top 20 on NPD last year despite all those State of Plays.

Arkhane needs to become a support studio. I dont know who these games are for, but clearly no one cares. And by no one, i mean niche. I am sure there are a few hundred thousand prey and dishonored fans out there. Just do support work for real studios like ID Software, Bethesda and Avalanche. If Bethesda is too busy with Starfield, get some directors to go to Arkhane and have them make Fallout 5 or Elder Scrolls. Stop making these B games no one wants to play.
 
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ungalo

Member
Starfield looks amazing.

Redfall on the other hand, good god. I am convinced it is going to be the next Deathloop. MS will try to pull a Sony and shove this game down our throat but at the end of the day it will be forgotten like deathloop which didnt even hit top 20 on NPD last year despite all those State of Plays.

Arkhane needs to become a support studio. I dont know who these games are for, but clearly no one cares. And by one, i mean niche. I am sure there are a few hundred thousand prey and dishonored fans out there. Just do support work for real studios like ID Software, Bethesda and Avalanche. If Bethesda is too busy with Starfield, get some directors to go to Arkhane and have them make Fallout 5 or Elder Scrolls. Stop making these B games no one wants to play.
the fuck are you talking about ? I don't know what make less sense, Arkane doing support for Avalanche or Arkane making Fallout 5...
 
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There’s a large difference between being light on first party output and first party output being literally non existent - are they counting grounded and pentiment or something?
 

cormack12

Gold Member
Things I think:

1. FH5 is a massive franchise. But it needs some refinement. It's like pier entertainment. I think it needs to be smaller but deeper.
2. You can't release your flagship IP like Halo with a 'what could have been' tail...and I say that as someone who doesn't mind infinite personally
3. Asobo, Ninja Theory and The Coalition all have the chops to step up and offer the type of cinematic games that Sony's 1st Parties are famed for. I don't think the IPs they have are strong enough though. With the possible exception of gears (but even that needs a reboot).
4. Games like State of Decay 3 and Redfall need investing in heavily.
5. There is so much riding on Forza Motorsport next year.

They need to be able to clearly identify which of their IPs are flagship. Otherwise they will get lost and the quality will suffer.
 
I don’t know how you can measure « effected the most » especially since the only game to have a release date announced initially is Starfield, others had no date announced.

Starfield was announced initially for December 22 so of course a delay would push it to 2023. God of War was announced for 2021 and comes out in November so that’s at least 11 months delay.

Again my point is: everything got impacted and delayed by COVID.
Difference is Sony has thier shit together when it comes to game releases and MS does not. The Covid effect on Sony was a few minor delays but still a steady folw of AAA first party games bolstered by 3rd party deals and content. The Covid effect on MS was a barren generation thus far.
 

phil_t98

#SonyToo
Blah Blah Blah Talk GIF by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service


I’m sure he’s said the same in the past?

There’s only so much learning you can do Phil.

Surely at this point you know that 0 FP games in a year is unacceptable?

Sony and Nintendo had to deal with covid, and the worst year from either of them was Sony last year (who *only* released Returnal and Ratchet).

In b4 ‘but it takes tiiimmmmee’.


so because it effect Sony and Nintendo last year it must effect Microsoft in the same year?
 
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