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[Markio128]

Around the corner?

Yeah. If the corner is 300 miles away from you I suppose.

 

[analog_future]

Avowed, Fable, Perfect Dark, Hellblade II, State of Decay 3, Outer Worlds 2, Kojima's game, etc..

^ those are the games you listed. Not around the corner in the slightest. 2024 at best, 2025 and beyond at worst.

Sure, I should've clarified that not all of the games are coming out in the next 12 months. I just mean that more games are coming, some of which sooner and some later. But the investment is there, the games are actively in development... they're coming. This isn't like past years where there was a vague hope for future games with nothing actually being announced or in development.

 

[Eddie-Griffin]

Around the corner?

Yeah. If the corner is 300 miles away from you I suppose.

Sometimes there's a door that you need to go through to get around the corner.

Unless you are a ghost, you won't get anywhere around that corner, without opening the door first.

These are basic fundamentals some people forget about, especially in gaming circles. Sometimes the door may have a lock, and you'll need to enter your password to open the lock to use the key to open the door.

Knowledge allows you to open any door you are authorized to open.

 

[FBeeEye]

There's nothing more you can say. Hopefully for Xbox owners the hits start coming in 2023 and doesn't stop. Microsoft basically has most of their teams building stuff from scratch and that takes time. Sony's teams are essentially iterating off of last gen engines and assets and porting to PS5. No comparison.

The last thing they want to do is rush games out the door.

However, this is a critical point for Microsoft. We need to see alot of the stuff that was announced 3 years ago have some dates associated with them and a good amount of that has to be 2023. Stuff like Perfect Dark and Fable need to start showing some gameplay. No more of this blue balls crap.

 

[Interfectum]

Sometimes there's a door that you need to go through to get around the corner.

Unless you are a ghost, you won't get anywhere around that corner, without opening the door first.

These are basic fundamentals some people forget about, especially in gaming circles. Sometimes the door may have a lock, and you'll need to enter your password to open the lock to use the key to open the door.

Knowledge allows you to open any door you are authorized to open.

 

[GHG]

Something about lemons.

 

[Markio128]

Sometimes there's a door that you need to go through to get around the corner.

Unless you are a ghost, you won't get anywhere around that corner, without opening the door first.

These are basic fundamentals some people forget about, especially in gaming circles. Sometimes the door may have a lock, and you'll need to enter your password to open the lock to use the key to open the door.

Knowledge allows you to open any door you are authorized to open.

 

[Banjo64]

Sometimes there's a door that you need to go through to get around the corner.

Unless you are a ghost, you won't get anywhere around that corner, without opening the door first.

These are basic fundamentals some people forget about, especially in gaming circles. Sometimes the door may have a lock, and you'll need to enter your password to open the lock to use the key to open the door.

Knowledge allows you to open any door you are authorized to open.

 

[Eddie-Griffin]

microsoft needs to try and do some R&D to get their studios up to the speed of insomniac then. Take Two produces games so big in scope and so popular that they can afford to take long as they want (although the wait for GTAVI is excruciating.....) Microsoft does not.

I like how you skipped Naughtydog in this post.

 

[skit_data]

Paul Tassi has to be the best paid troll in this industry

 

[Razvedka]

Yeah, we need more articles like this. Going an entire generation without any GOTY contenders is one thing, but to start off so poorly is simply unacceptable.

GOW came out in April 2018 when they went out and acquired Ninja Theory, Obsidian, Playground Games, and that State of Decay studio. They had also started initiative around that time. Sony managed to produce a GOTY caliber sequel in 4.5 years since while those Xbox studios are sitting there twiddling their thumbs. PG inexplicably made another Forza Horizon game in the meantime.

The NY Yankees just got swept like bitches in the ALCS. Their owner threw his full support behind the manager and GM almost immediately. Basically absolving them of any blame, and telling the fanbase they are not changing anything. Microsoft has done the same thing over the last 9 years keeping the same management that has consistently failed to deliver. Doing the same thing over and over again expecting things to change is the definition of insanity.

Have they really kept the same management in all that time? I thought there have been plenty of shuffles. I mean Ross is finally gone from 343i so you're right- she lingered for years and is finally punted. But I thought there's been plenty of churn in the top brass of the Xbox division?

I think Microsoft sees lots of 'potential' and 'value' in the Xbox brand as a companion piece to their other services/software or goals. Which is why despite conventional failure(s) Microsoft keeps releasing new ones. The thing is though, is I've seen their 'vision' behind just what they see the Xbox being change frequently. With Xbox One you had Kinect and that weird DVR/cable thing at launch. The 360 and tail end of the OG xbox was definitely about establishing a beach head in the living room + implementing subscription mechanics in console gaming. Now with the XSX/SX, we see a push to make gaming altogether a 'service' and be plastic box agnostic.

As a cynic, I see this as them constantly trying to find some kind of niche or relevancy. Something of value to the bigger mothership of MS- but I'm not certain they've ever nailed it. Their recent mega-acquisitions though definitely do signal that Microsoft is committed to their current 'vision', though. Be interesting to see how this plays out over the next 4 years.

 

[spons]

Edit: Nevermind, read that incorrectly.

 

[ComputerBlue]

Paul Tassi has to be the best paid troll in this industry

No, that’s Phil.

 

[64gigabyteram]

Sometimes there's a door that you need to go through to get around the corner.

Unless you are a ghost, you won't get anywhere around that corner, without opening the door first.

These are basic fundamentals some people forget about, especially in gaming circles. Sometimes the door may have a lock, and you'll need to enter your password to open the lock to use the key to open the door.

Knowledge allows you to open any door you are authorized to open.

ok

 

[Eddie-Griffin]

There's nothing more you can say. Hopefully for Xbox owners the hits start coming in 2023 and doesn't stop. Microsoft basically has most of their teams building stuff from scratch and that takes time. Sony's teams are essentially iterating off of last gen engines and assets and porting to PS5. No comparison.

The last thing they want to do is rush games out the door.

However, this is a critical point for Microsoft. We need to see alot of the stuff that was announced 3 years ago have some dates associated with them and a good amount of that has to be 2023. Stuff like Perfect Dark and Fable need to start showing some gameplay. No more of this blue balls crap.

Xbox has momentum with the everyday player with Xbox Series consoles still selling records for the brand and moving farther ahead of the previous two consoles. If they can get some stuff ready for 2023 (and good promos this holiday) then they can take advantage of their current position.

More delays would be trouble though.

 

[BbMajor7th]

Thing is, they have the studios and the talent, but there's clearly some structural or management issues that get in the way. Really, they need to stop talking about the issue and start taking action. Get someone in to do a full business audit with their studios and figure out where the pain points are and what they can do to remedy them. Chucking more money and more studios at the issue won't help, they need to figure out what's causing the blockages.

Start with Ninja Theory. Studio was bought four and a half years ago, they shipped their last game over five years ago, and they don't have even a release window for their next game. I know they're a smaller team, but if Housemarque can ship a brand new IP, in a brand-new style, on a brand-new engine and brand-new console, less than four years on from their last game, then...

 

[GHG]

When you put rice on a lemon, it'll sting, but you get extra flavor in the end as long as you don't let the lemon dry out.

The lemon:

They even allowed it to dry out.

 

[NorbertK]

Psychonauts 2 has nothing to do with Xbox. They just bought them and the development was done.

https://www.altchar.com/game-news/p...them-make-bigger-and-better-game-aC6kp0o3Zji5

Really?

 

[Markio128]

Sometimes you’ve got to open a window in the garden to really understand the sheriff’s moustache.

 

[Oof85]

SE itself mentioned their home industry is not enough to generate a profit.

That's quite a damning statement they have made.

We cannot go by one or two hits on charts, we need to see whole industry.

We need general public interested in getting system for some game, after that other 3rd party Dev's can fill out the niche. This cannot happen in Japan cause console gaming itself has become a niche.

See the thing is, you're not entitled to success.

WiiU taught us this. Gamecube. Vita. N64.

If you want success make compelling content.

Look at From Software. Irrelevant and then they changed their content and now they're beloved.

If they lose the pulse of what the market wants, then they'll fade into obscurity. Because content is king and you have to continually work to make compelling game software.

 

[64gigabyteram]

Thing is, they have the studios and the talent, but there's clearly some structural or management issues that get in the way. Really, they need to stop talking about the issue and start taking action. Get someone in to do a full business audit with their studios and figure out where the pain points are and what they can do to remedy them. Chucking more money and more studios at the issue won't help, they need to figure out what's causing the blockages.

Start with Ninja Theory. Studio was bought four and a half years ago, they shipped their last game over five years ago, and they don't have even a release window for their next game. I know they're a smaller team, but if Housemarque can ship a brand new IP, in a brand-new style, on a brand-new engine and brand-new console, less than four years on from their last game, then...

even if Hellblade 2 came out in 2023 that's clearly too much time they're taking to make this especially under microsoft's resources and wealth, there's clearly some development hell going on.

 

[solidus12]

https://www.altchar.com/game-news/p...them-make-bigger-and-better-game-aC6kp0o3Zji5

Really?

Typical PR talk.

 

[Eddie-Griffin]

Thing is, they have the studios and the talent, but there's clearly some structural or management issues that get in the way. Really, they need to stop talking about the issue and start taking action. Get someone in to do a full business audit with their studios and figure out where the pain points are and what they can do to remedy them. Chucking more money and more studios at the issue won't help, they need to figure out what's causing the blockages.

Start with Ninja Theory. Studio was bought four and a half years ago, they shipped their last game over five years ago, and they don't have even a release window for their next game. I know they're a smaller team, but if Housemarque can ship a brand new IP, in a brand-new style, on a brand-new engine and brand-new console, less than four years on from their last game, then...

They reformatted after the buyout, hired more staff, and are working with other studios on new engines taking advantage of the new consoles.

Don't forget that The Coalition is working with the Initiative too on similar things.

 

[Kagoshima_Luke]

PS gamers:

Xbox gamers:

"Paul Tassi?"

Finally:

 

[Eddie-Griffin]

even if Hellblade 2 came out in 2023 that's clearly too much time they're taking to make this especially under microsoft's resources and wealth, there's clearly some development hell going on.

Or maybe it's because of the resources and wealth it's taking them longer because they greatly expanded and improved the game from where it originally was?

Some of you guys are thinking this only in one direction.

 

[ungalo]

Psychonauts 2 has nothing to do with Xbox. They just bought them and the development was done.

They are not heavily involved in the developments, which is why i think they'll never catch up with Sony on the production front. But this is also why Psychonauts 2 could have happened under Microsoft.

Microsoft was the reason Double Fine could finish the game, re-implement things that had been cut off.

I don't like people mentioning 2021 like an amazing year for Xbox, still it shows the potential. They were unlucky Double Fine and Bethesda had already made some previous deals and the games were on other platforms.

Even if i get the "it's always for next year" argument, i think that at some point some really good "exclusives" are going to come out. I don't think it's unreal to bet on that. The real worry for me is the long term if Microsoft strategy is failing.

 

[spons]

Dude's premise seems to be based on 'exclusives', ignores several major titles, then boasts PlayStation > Xbox because of God of War.
His opinion piece is equally baffling as it is hilarious. This shit was called 'agitprop' back in the days here.

 

[BbMajor7th]

They reformatted after the buyout, hired more staff, and are working with other studios on new engines taking advantage of the new consoles.

Don't forget that The Coalition is working with the Initiative too on similar things.

All of which could be causing the aforementioned blockages.

 

[Eddie-Griffin]

Kinect wasn't even the problem. There were a handful of good Kinect games mixed in with the 99% crap Kinect games. All of the casuals wanted to wave their hands at their TV back then. It was that Microsoft became stupid and thought that people wanted to wave at and talk to their Xbox to record their their sportsball games more than they just wanted to play video games on it.

People did want to do that because that's what people were doing with Kinect in the tale end of the 360 Kinect fad as games sales on it dried up. Microsoft assumed that Kinect had a second life so if they FORCED it with the consoles it would be a major reason to buy the consoles.

it was, except only about 3 million people cared about Kinect 2 so they overestimated how many people would wait that long for a Kinect 2, and who would want to pay $500 on top of a new consoles to pay for it.

Really, MS should have released Kinect 2 as an option for the 360 and the Xbox One, as there's nothing about Kinect 2 that required Xbox One hardware to run other than a few games that had good graphics the 360 couldn't run, which they could have downscaled.

 

[Orta]

Microsoft seems content to let Sony walk all over them each gen. They bang on about their xbox, exclusives, etc but they've done jackshit for years now. I can't work them out.

 

[solidus12]

Dude's premise seems to be based on 'exclusives', ignores several major titles, then boasts PlayStation > Xbox because of God of War.
His opinion piece is equally baffling as it is hilarious. This shit was called 'agitprop' back in the days here.

What major titles? Halo infinite and Forza?
You have Phil Spencer and Matt Booty openly admitting they don't have great exclusives and are unable to compete with Sony on the first party front.

 

[rickybooby87]

I thought to myself, I know who AINT write this article... Paul Tassi.

Me finding out it was actually Paul Tassi:

 

[feynoob]

Dude's premise seems to be based on 'exclusives', ignores several major titles, then boasts PlayStation > Xbox because of God of War.
His opinion piece is equally baffling as it is hilarious. This shit was called 'agitprop' back in the days here.

If God of war didn't hit that 95 metacritic, he would have complained how the game is like 2018 one, and there is no improvement.

Guy is a weasel. An opportunistic one.

Check his Twitter.

 

[NorbertK]

Typical PR talk.

Sure, solidus12 knows more than the developers...

 

[TheGodfather07]

It's parent company is. With PC.

They have mentioned multiple times they are not interested in selling most amount of consoles. Which is fine.

Company isnt interested and doesn't want to sell more of their product? What world do you live in to come out with this nonsense? Seriously!

 

[tommib]

Sometimes there's a door that you need to go through to get around the corner.

Unless you are a ghost, you won't get anywhere around that corner, without opening the door first.

These are basic fundamentals some people forget about, especially in gaming circles. Sometimes the door may have a lock, and you'll need to enter your password to open the lock to use the key to open the door.

Knowledge allows you to open any door you are authorized to open.

 

[Tiago Rodrigues]

Almost all those games were in parallel development, or in development before the dates you listed.

Important context is missing here. Naughty Dog released TLOU in 2013, Tlou 2 came out in 2020 7 years later, and only one new game was released between those two, Uncharted 4, which was already in development as of tlou 1's release.

What? You're right...context is definitely missing here:

The Last of Us (PS3) - June 2013
Left Behind (PS3) - February 2014
The Last of Us Remastered (PS4) - July 2014
Uncharted 4 (PS4) - May 2016
Uncharted: The Lost Legacy (PS4) - August 2017
The Last of Us Part 2 (PS4) - June 2020

Naughty Dog wasn't a developer with multiple teams working on multiple games full time like that back then. They had smaller support teams that would get some work done...but clearly most of each project would happen after the previous one was complete.

Doing what they did between both TLOU main games was no simple task, specially The Lost Legacy, a game that was almost as big as the first Uncharted game...and they did that in a year and half, almost the entire team was on it and they crunched like hell. By the time they were working full time on TLOU2 around 3 or 4 years had gone by since the first one released, 1 original game (which just happened to be the biggest and most ambitious Uncharted game ever), one DLC, one remaster and one smaller title (Lost Legacy). Let's also not forget that when they started TLOU2 they were already "distracted" working on Factions as well, which they then stopped to focus on the single player experience alone.

About Uncharted 4 being in development when TLOU released...the game was basically rebooted, the game director left, and a lot changed. The game suffered production delays because of this. It's a miracle it came out as soon as it did when you think about it.

 

[ReBurn]

Not to mention forcing it into the box and charging $100 more than the competition.

Yeah Xbox crapped the bed under his leadership and a decade later still hasn't recovered. That's one of the reasons it's so important for Phil to get games done and done right. They should have pulled out all the stops to make Halo Infinite a home run but instead they let 343i leadership run it into the ground. Firing them all after they screwed it up sends a message that they now take it seriously, but they should have turned over the leadership a year ago.

 

[Swift_Star]

MS will, one day, learn that you can't buy your way into first place.
They'll also learn that money =/= Talent and good games.
Also that IP number =/= sales and revenue.
MS have a lot to learn.

 

[Topher]

Or maybe it's because of the resources and wealth it's taking them longer because they greatly expanded and improved the game from where it originally was?

Some of you guys are thinking this only in one direction.

Resources and wealth are excuses now.

 

[MasterCornholio]

Huh I saw that somewhere.

 

[tommib]

Huh I saw that somewhere.

Big fan of Roger Rabbit.

 

[64gigabyteram]

Or maybe it's because of the resources and wealth it's taking them longer because they greatly expanded and improved the game from where it originally was?

dude they were acquired in june 2018. assuming they started right after hellblade 1 they still shouldn't be taking 4 years to make 1 game.

 

[vaibhavpisal]

Company isnt interested and doesn't want to sell more of their product? What world do you live in to come out with this nonsense? Seriously!

They allow Steam to flourish on their platform, just like the allow PS to flourish in console space.

Can be for any reason. They are being allowed to purchase Acti-Blizz for one.

 

[Punished Miku]

Psychonauts 2 has nothing to do with Xbox. They just bought them and the development was done.

Always a reason why it doesn't count.

Prepare yourselves for Pentiment not counting soon. Not a real game.

 

[MasterCornholio]

Big fan of Roger Rabbit.

Same

 

[ChorizoPicozo]

MS will, one day, learn that you can't buy your way into first place.
They'll also learn that money =/= Talent and good games.
Also that IP number =/= sales and revenue.
MS has a lot to learn.

I remember an interview with Phill Spencer in which he was asked what was the hardest thing about running Xbox studios (after some acquisitions)

He answered: Travel. He seemed quite surprised about traveling to the studios.

I was like....what? That should be the easiest thing about it.

 

[Swift_Star]

I mean, he's right. Gamepass, pro consumer tactics, cheapest current gen console, 23 studios, trillions of dollars and they still can't catch up to Playstation.

If any of that mattered, Nintendo would have been broken at this point.
The content is the most important thing here and MS still doesn't understand that.

 

[hemo memo]

“Contributor” of course.

 

[ergem]

Uncle Phil is more interested in playing the game of public perception by his PR statements than managing his studios properly.

I wonder why they couldn’t find a better person for his job.