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The next-gen/cross-gen games issue

keraj37

Member
Let me just say I wanted to avoid starting discussion about it, since I see it as first world problem drama, but after I lost some money due to this problem I said, I need to share it.

First time I was met with the issue was when Fifa 21 next-gen version for XSX|S and PS5 came out.
There were two versions available to buy, both saying they work on XSX|S/PS5 and XONE/PS4.
Naturally many thought, if the game says on the cover it is for next-gen consoles it will feature next-gen features.
Wrong!
You had to buy Fifa 21 Next Level edition, fortunately for me I bought this edition, but I heard from people loosing money and time dealing with the last-gen version.

Exactly the same happen with NBA 2k21 - I was lucky to get the next-gen version, but I was just lucky to do some more research.

Then I decided to play some tennis and I hear Tennis World Tour 2 is supporting next-gen consoles so I went for it buying a physical copy that says on the cover "Xbox One * Xbox Series X".
3QbnT6Q.png

I didn't think there is other edition, exclusive to XSX, because why would there be? Some games are featuring next-gen features via smart delivery, I thought since it has on the cover "XSX", it is the case here.
So I had to sell it with loss, and buy "Complete Edition" that finally had some RT, fast loading etc. Later I noticed it had "Playable on XSX" as if to communicate it is only BC on XSX, but I didn't look at it, and it is non intuitional to me.

And I am scared now since I ordered physical copy of Forza Horizon 5 that has the same sign on the cover "Xbox One * Xbox Series X" and I found an offer on the same auction site of the FH5 exclusive for XSX...
Since all this mess which I cannot find myself in, I ask to do some clean up here. I don't want to meditate on my purchase if the game I buy for XSX (that says it IS for XSX) is not last-gen game.

Maybe I am getting old and I need to learn new reality in gaming :D
wslr8.jpg


Whats your take on it?
 

ManaByte

Member
And I am scared now since I ordered physical copy of Forza Horizon 5 that has the same sign on the cover "Xbox One * Xbox Series X" and I found an offer on the same auction site of the FH5 exclusive for XSX...

Wait, are you seriously trying to say that MICROSOFT is going to try to sell you a Xbox One game in an XSX box just because fucking NACON did that?
 
Let me just say I wanted to avoid starting discussion about it, since I see it as first world problem drama, but after I lost some money due to this problem I said, I need to share it.

First time I was met with the issue was when Fifa 21 next-gen version for XSX|S and PS5 came out.
There were two versions available to buy, both saying they work on XSX|S/PS5 and XONE/PS4.
Naturally many thought, if the game says on the cover it is for next-gen consoles it will feature next-gen features.
Wrong!
You had to buy Fifa 21 Next Level edition, fortunately for me I bought this edition, but I heard from people loosing money and time dealing with the last-gen version.

Exactly the same happen with NBA 2k21 - I was lucky to get the next-gen version, but I was just lucky to do some more research.

Then I decided to play some tennis and I hear Tennis World Tour 2 is supporting next-gen consoles so I went for it buying a physical copy that says on the cover "Xbox One * Xbox Series X".
3QbnT6Q.png

I didn't think there is other edition, exclusive to XSX, because why would there be? Some games are featuring next-gen features via smart delivery, I thought since it has on the cover "XSX", it is the case here.
So I had to sell it with loss, and buy "Complete Edition" that finally had some RT, fast loading etc. Later I noticed it had "Playable on XSX" as if to communicate it is only BC on XSX, but I didn't look at it, and it is non intuitional to me.

And I am scared now since I ordered physical copy of Forza Horizon 5 that has the same sign on the cover "Xbox One * Xbox Series X" and I found an offer on the same auction site of the FH5 exclusive for XSX...
Since all this mess which I cannot find myself in, I ask to do some clean up here. I don't want to meditate on my purchase if the game I buy for XSX (that says it IS for XSX) is not last-gen game.

Maybe I am getting old and I need to learn new reality in gaming :D
wslr8.jpg


Whats your take on it?

In the case of that tennis game it literally says that it's an Xbox one game playable on series x? It sounds like you just didn't pay attention?
 

Trunx81

Member
The new consoles are out for over a year now. When did this cross gen thing stop when we transitioned from PS3 to PS4? I remember that Lord of the rings game being awful on PS3, so you knew that it was a generation leap. But this right now … this is ridiculous and getting out of hand.

Also: Sports Games can be fun. At least you have great replay value. And I would sell my grandmother for a HD Beach Spikers Remake.
 

keraj37

Member
The new consoles are out for over a year now. When did this cross gen thing stop when we transitioned from PS3 to PS4? I remember that Lord of the rings game being awful on PS3, so you knew that it was a generation leap. But this right now … this is ridiculous and getting out of hand.

Also: Sports Games can be fun. At least you have great replay value. And I would sell my grandmother for a HD Beach Spikers Remake.
giphy.gif
 

Sleepwalker

Gold Member
EA had both versions of FIFA 21 on the standard one last year, I bought standard for both consoles and had both versions on both, so you're wrong in that regard.


Only this year for FIFA 22 they changed it.
 

CamHostage

Member
The new consoles are out for over a year now. When did this cross gen thing stop when we transitioned from PS3 to PS4? I remember that Lord of the rings game being awful on PS3, so you knew that it was a generation leap. But this right now … this is ridiculous and getting out of hand.

Back then, they were different games, in different packages. Now, developers for the most part can use scaling approaches to release the same game on different platforms, with replacements for assets and effects but overall the same product, sometimes with the help of an outside team working to optimize it up or down for different hardware. Especially for multiplayer games with cross-play, a game would have to be the same under the hood in order to play with other types of consoles.

Ideally, the split between cross-gen and split-gen (releasing two different versions of a game under the same name, past- and current-gen) be happening a bit more going into the second year, now that next-gen is in full swing (albeit the COVID delays and shortages have pushed things back a lot.) Developers conceivably could be using the hardware in new ways that past-gen just couldn't keep up with. However, scaling is incredibly powerful with the right engine and development team, and meanwhile the "true next-gen" ideas of big physics and powerful ML implementation and new rendering approaches, those still are in experimental stages even though the hardware is out. (A cynic might argue that they're holding back because there's money to save in cross-gen, but if they needed to split the versions and deliver a compromised last-gen release in order to do something amazing on current-gen, they could do that, and if they really had a next-gen-only idea, either platform holder has in select cases demonstrated willingness to ship the proper product.) Unlike in the PS3-to-PS4 days, the PS4/One still have a good amount of power to keep up with most of what developers are doing, and the engine has the latitude to scale down (especially since resolution and framerate are variables developers are toying with in new ways this gen,) so the end result isn't always pretty down the line, but it's usually the same game at heart.

...Which makes it even more bizarre when a game comes out and doesn't follow that approach, and has major differences at the core or cut content.

...It's also doubly-frustrating how bad publishers are at telling you what's in what box (or download) and how many options there are to get what you want to play.

So far, it's been pretty much sports games that have broken the gen lines, but if Forza Horizon has a totally custom downport for the One (which I don't see any evidence of that happening? we talked about that in a different thread,) that would be an extreme case because they're not saying that and not listing any differences this near to launch. Doubt it (whoever in auction told keraj37 keraj37 that they had a Series X-exclusive package seems to not know what's actually coming to stores?), but past-gen always gets swept under the rug, so can never say for sure until somebody plays it.
 
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The new consoles are out for over a year now. When did this cross gen thing stop when we transitioned from PS3 to PS4? I remember that Lord of the rings game being awful on PS3, so you knew that it was a generation leap. But this right now … this is ridiculous and getting out of hand.

Also: Sports Games can be fun. At least you have great replay value. And I would sell my grandmother for a HD Beach Spikers Remake.
A year after launch last gen, you could walk into a store and pick up a PS4 or Xbox One though.
 

keraj37

Member
EA had both versions of FIFA 21 on the standard one last year, I bought standard for both consoles and had both versions on both, so you're wrong in that regard.


Only this year for FIFA 22 they changed it.
Honestly I am not sure what you are saying, but what I meant was that EA didn't communicate well enough that Fifa 21 Nxt Lvl edition...
17736934_roar-gamestore-20210303-12_1080x1080.jpg


... is the only version with next-gen content in contrast to...
5f7c31ca7e696c62d23c0812


... standard edition.

EDIT
Actually I think I know what you mean - EA changed the policy and since a year when you buy Fifa 21 on PS5/XSX|S you buy both edition.
Okay, but that wasn't the case in the beginning and many people were very confused.
 
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Microsoft was expecting publishers to go along with their smart delivery plans so they didn’t bother distinguishing much between XB1 and XSX cover art. Of course, their plans were spoiled by trash level publishers. I think they have designed new cover art for XSX going forward though.
 

RafterXL

Member
EA and 2k did the same - I just start to be paranoid... it is all counter intuitive to me.
If you buy a Microsoft game you're fine. You're also fine with companies like Ubisoft. If you buy shit from the EA's and Activision's of the world you need to pay more attention.
 

MikeM

Member
Microsoft was expecting publishers to go along with their smart delivery plans so they didn’t bother distinguishing much between XB1 and XSX cover art. Of course, their plans were spoiled by trash level publishers. I think they have designed new cover art for XSX going forward though.
Good point. A lot of people seems to think on Xbox that you get the version that applies to your console. Its not always the case and still depends on the publisher. Control is an example of this.
 

Kagey K

Banned
Good point. A lot of people seems to think on Xbox that you get the version that applies to your console. Its not always the case and still depends on the publisher. Control is an example of this.
Thankfully those games and publishers are few and far between. It makes it easy to avoid the ones trying to nickel and dime users with that shit.
 

oxman2k

Member
Just bought ride 4 ps5 ps4 special edition from ps store,clearly labeled ps4 ps5 thought it would include both the ps5 and ps4 version of game. No just the ps5 version if i want the ps4 version have to pay again, only bought this version because i thought it gave me both versions and wanted the ps4 version because the lack of online players with the ps5 version. https://store.playstation.com/en-gb/product/EP4356-PPSA01599_00-RIDE4SPECEDITION/
 

oxman2k

Member
Still waiting for sony to sort this out for me,downloaded the ps5 version fine but when i look in library ps4 version is there but locked so can't download.Have tried restore license,make prime console etc nothing works.Also noticed digital games where i upgraded to ps5 eg wreckfest can no longer download or play ps4 version only ps5 version .Shouldn't you be able to play both the ps5 and ps4 version of a digital game if it is advertised as ps4,ps5 as the link shows.https://store.playstation.com/en-gb/product/EP4356-PPSA01599_00-RIDE4SPECEDITION/
 
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