James Sawyer Ford
Gold Member
Halo Infinite, Redfall, Starfield. These were hyped to be the biggest games for Xbox the last few years and they've either been outright abysmal failures or well below modern expectations.
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Microsoft has Closed the Activision Blizzard King Deal
- Thread starter ManaByte
- Start date
Halo Infinite, Redfall, Starfield. These were hyped to be the biggest games for Xbox the last few years and they've either been outright abysmal failures or well below modern expectations.
SenkiDala
Member
How Halo and Starfrield are failures ? That's a bit hyperbolic. Halo Infinite is 87 on MC, Starfield is 83 which is a "normal" score for most of Bethesda games (Fallout NV was 84 if I remember). Spider-Man the greatest success on PS4 and also a critic success is 87 so is it a failure too ? Or you mean the games are failures if they are Xbox games ?
James Sawyer Ford
Gold Member
Microsoft doesn't have the 90+ AAA metacritic games.
Skyrim had a 96 metacritic. You are right, Bethesda has gotten so poor lately that their most ambitious game ever is now sitting at an 83, because it's not actually very good relative to the expectations. Look at the review poll thread - hardly anyone pegged this lower than a 90.
Halo Infinite is a mixed bag - adequate for a one and done romp and fun mechanically, but not adequate for the GaaS title its legacy is based on. People quickly forgot about it due to poor update structure and content. Halo 3 has a 94+ metacritic and used to take the industry by storm. Not anymore.
SenkiDala
Member
Ok but I wouldn't call that "failure".
Yes they can't have 90+ games since more than a decade... I really hope for them that the GP will succeed, they're expecting 100M subs in 2030 and I don't see them succeeding, especially because they're counting on cloud gaming for at least 50M and seeing the low quality of their cloud (the PS cloud is better and I heard that Nvidia is also WAY better) I highly doubt it.
adamsapple
Or is it just one of Phil's balls in my throat?
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Please stop moving goalposts. It’s exasperating. How you’ve jumped from “these developers and studios are mediocre” to “their games won’t turn the tide in the console war” is perplexing.
What does ‘turning the tide in the console war’ have to do with me as a consumer?
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Aguero9320
Member
The narrative that Xbox games are mediocre is bordering on seeming desperate… The spin is dizzying though. Sony are having a pretty shit year IMO so the concern should maybe be a little closer to home for some. I don’t see a list of future titles that are even close to competing with Microsoft’s in development list…
I know the line is that they are all secretly in development at Sony, but that seems like a reach. And the even bigger reach is that all of Microsoft’s slate will be shit because they can’t manage studios…
I’d like all three companies to do well, and Sony have definitely bested Microsoft more years than not recently, but it’s a little deluded to be so confident that’s going to continue, just based on what we know IMO.
I know the line is that they are all secretly in development at Sony, but that seems like a reach. And the even bigger reach is that all of Microsoft’s slate will be shit because they can’t manage studios…
I’d like all three companies to do well, and Sony have definitely bested Microsoft more years than not recently, but it’s a little deluded to be so confident that’s going to continue, just based on what we know IMO.
James Sawyer Ford
Gold Member
That's not true though.
Ahh yisss, car games and flight simulators. just what everyone wants from their 90+ meta games
No moving goal posts.
The developers are pretty average (which isn't a bad thing, their games aren't necessarily bad), but it also doesn't lead to more excitement around the platform. They could, and should, do better. Don't keep the bar so low. That's why the platform is currently uncompetitive.
Jboemios
Banned
Dont worry, those Playstation games will be announced in the surprise extra Showcase this year.
This was funny
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James Sawyer Ford
Gold Member
it's funnier that whenever people ask for Halo to be a 95 metacritic type game, we get "But look at Flight Simulator" instead.
HeisenbergFX4
Member
Ori and the Will of the Whispers should be up near there and for me it was not only visually stunning but a great gameThat's not true though.
James Sawyer Ford
Gold Member
Probably the best xbox exclusive I played. Now, recapture that magic with their big mainline studios they have amassed and you'll have me impressed. But after Starfield, my faith in their process is gone.
HeisenbergFX4
Member
Starfield still hurts, such a letdown for me
James Sawyer Ford
Gold Member
I think your initial reports were right about it coming in hot. The game has so many poorly cobbled together elements to it.
Sure, the amount of bugs weren't game breaking....and the graphics were adequate...but everything else just really missed the mark to me. I don't have faith they can reclaim it like Cyberpunk did. Best to just move on to ES6 and try and make that the best they can.
S0ULZB0URNE
Member
Always.
Thirty7ven
Banned
Starfield just another victim of nonsensical expectations by the Xbox fans. It’s a death row of who’s who, and going on for a decade +.
The expectation for Starfield was at least that it would reach this Breath of the Wild status/TOTK in the conversation.
Doesn’t help Sara Bond walked on stage and dropped the line “most important rpg ever”. So clearly what we have is a company run by people that want to create a hype feedback loop with the fans, but apparently don’t have the ability to discern the actual quality of a game. The only thing that matters is engagement and that starts before the game releases.
The expectation for Starfield was at least that it would reach this Breath of the Wild status/TOTK in the conversation.
Doesn’t help Sara Bond walked on stage and dropped the line “most important rpg ever”. So clearly what we have is a company run by people that want to create a hype feedback loop with the fans, but apparently don’t have the ability to discern the actual quality of a game. The only thing that matters is engagement and that starts before the game releases.
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HeisenbergFX4
Member
Whats kind of funny about Flight Sim is I will fly around awhile and kind of enjoy the visuals but get bored rather easy unless I am doing the challenges
Now when a couple of my nephews come over we used to play Fortnite a lot but recently its always been about taking turn doing the super hard landings and laughing at each others failures
That's when I really enjoy that game
ArtHands
Thinks buying more servers can fix a bad patch
Hey, Metro ... u ok ?
Some folks really think this is some playground shits
Its just a simple acquisition that’s entirely legal
HeisenbergFX4
Member
I also think people put too much stock into MC scores because honestly I hated GOW Ragnarok and pretty sure thats way up there and I love Hell Let Loose on the PS5 and thats in the 60s last I looked
Monad
Member
Just look at this thread and GAF's small dick energy in general against all things Microsoft.
As someone who likes games and you know, PLAYING them, I couldn't care less what direction a multinational takes and if as of today Game Pass is what gives me the most benefit (by virtue of capturing users), I'll be there, because I live in the present. That tomorrow Microsoft or Sony disappears? Who cares, as long as the talent that makes the games doesn't disappear, I don't care if the same dog changes its collar, there's no "monopoly" that will change that.
But hey, people are tribalistic by nature and need a sense of belonging to a logo or a shittty plastic box.
Goalus
Member
It's a well-established fact.
adamsapple
Or is it just one of Phil's balls in my throat?
True. I've had tons of more fun playing the 68 aggregate Deadly Premonition than many 80+ games released in the last decade.
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It’s the last thing left for some people to grasp on to. Anything below 90 and they try to convince themselves that the game is a failure and didn’t “turn the tide”….
saintjules
Gold Member
Anyone think that a barrage of these games will start to trickle in on Gamepass by the holidays?
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HeisenbergFX4
Member
Musashipan
Member
R.I.P Blizzard
James Sawyer Ford
Gold Member
Regardless of what you individually think of it, it sold well, had a high metacritic, and was well perceived by consumers as an epic AAA experience that drove system sales
I wish we’d get more games like that from Microsoft. Who knows, maybe Hellblade will be like that but I fear it’s going to suffer from pacing AND gameplay issues.
Fess
Member
Surprising, you actually like some games I like too, then I don’t quite understand why you’re so down on everything in most of your posts. You should post more about what you’re playing and enjoying to not come off as Mr Cranky all the time.
Btw did you try any building in Starfield during your 20 hours?
That’s where I put most of my hours in my current second playthrough, 5 hours just yesterday. I love it tbh. It’s pretty much No Man’s Sky now, I explore and do raids and search for resources and do research and build my base and place out furniture and stuff like that. Lots of work but I like it.
And I constantly tweak my ships. It’s fun!
Main quest on this playthrough has been ignored almost completely, only finished One small step. And I still never feel like I don’t have anything to do, and the game never start yapping about going forward with the main quest either. There is so much content and gameplay loops besides following the story and the game let me spend my time however I want. For me that’s refreshing.
Fixed that for you. Let's be real, no matter how Hellblade turns out you're going to spin it negatively.
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clarky
Gold Member
Bit late there arn't ya? If anything the only way is up.
James Sawyer Ford
Gold Member
I do post in the OTs of those games I’m playing through. More so if I like a game, I posted in the Starfield thread as well but since I didn’t enjoy it, not very much,
I didn’t try building at all and it wouldn’t have mattered, the UI and systems are just not worth it and I’m mostly here for the story, world, and combat and all of it felt honestly terrible to me. Unlike CP, I don’t think the issues can be fixed with a patch either
James Sawyer Ford
Gold Member
No, I wouldn’t. I enjoyed Ori and HFR. I was mostly positive for Halo as well, it’s not the game I wanted from them but it’s still a joy to play. I just can’t think of much positives for Starfield in particular
I just have very high expectations from titles and when they miss the mark so much like Redfall and Starfield they deserve the criticism so that it hopefully incentivized the teams to do way better next time
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Fess
Member
No kidding. Critics reviews are mostly there for publishers to help sell the game and for media to earn clicks and ad money.
If they were for consumers they would change after patches, even just the day 1 patch, instead of staying static for years on games that has evolved a lot after the release.
It’s kinda funny tbh. Almost all games gets patched after release and almost no reviews are updated after release. I won’t say they don’t matter at all since a low score can get a dev to stay to update a game, but they surely can’t be used as they’re often used by fanboys who pull up Metacritic scores years later to show some kind of truth about how a game is.
Plus, it’s all subjective. The reality is that a metacritic score is based on roughly 50-150 regular gamers like us here, with their own specific taste in games and their own expectations, who just happen to have a job where write about them playing, who’re often rushing through and sometimes not even finishing an unpatched pre-release version, and their motive can sometimes be to get more money to their outlet from clicks.
Musashipan
Member
I know I know
Last "decent" game I've played from Blizzard was perhaps Diablo 3
duck_sauce
Gold Member
You still realise why this was funny though , do you?
Im not so sure anymore.
ThaMonkeyClaw
Member
I heard about that too, it is apparently because people were playing on PS4 dev kits from what I read?! I didn't think that many would have those, but apparently there are more of those out in the wild than I would have thought.
HeisenbergFX4
Member
I played awhile last night and it was the worst I had seen and their icons were PC
Some of them had glitched their way to higher levels and straight up cheating, it was bad last night
adamsapple
Or is it just one of Phil's balls in my throat?
They usually announce new game pass drops on the first Tuesday of the month and first Tuesday in the 2nd half of a month.
So, we might get something tomorrow, if not next then next month.
ThaMonkeyClaw
Member
I might have been a little extreme by calling all the game garbage, but they really haven't had many breathtakingly amazing games for quite a while. If I knew they were more capable of managing their studios then yes I would be more open to the Activision deal, but still not "grassy knolls and lollipops" about it, and I would have felt the same had had Sony made that deal, I don't think either one of them should be buying studios that large, especially ones that are cross platform already because the ones people that lose in a situation like that are the gamers. I know eventually when that 10 year deal runs out it will be no more Call Of Duty except on Xbox and it were flip flopped it would have be the same if Sony had bought them, you going to lose a huge chunk of players doing that and it is just going to kill the franchise. Believe me, I hope Microsoft does the right things and keeps it on other platforms and maybe they will fix all the B.S. micro transactions and kill of that stupid Black Cell Battle Pass and if they do then great, but I am just saying they haven't had the best track record for the past 10 years...
ThaMonkeyClaw
Member
I can across a few of those last night as well, I was out of town most of the weekend, but fired up the game last night and was like WTF?!
adamsapple
Or is it just one of Phil's balls in my throat?
Wonder who else 'interviewed' for the spot Ubisoft got.
Tom says some of the entrants were very surprising.
Topher
Identifies as young
Eh.......so Tom Warren is saying CMA has been lying this whole time? Hmm, ok. Only one problem with that. It's Tom Warren.
Gavon West
Spread's Cheeks for Intrusive Ads
This is all your opinion though - not facts. Because you don't vibe with some of their titles its perfectly cool but, that doesnt speak for everyone. They've had some absolute bangers in the last ten years. Many of them just recently - meaning like a month ago.
And to your bit about " NO COMPANY SHOULD BE BUYING PUBLISHERS THAT BIG," you have to keep in mind that Activision sought out to be bought. They WANTED to be purchased. They pitched to a few companies including Facebook. Microsoft had the cash and did the deed. Simple. The size of the purchase doesn't matter. What matters is who has the cash flow to make that kind of purchase. Out of the Big 3, Microsoft is the ONLY player who could have made the purchase. The rest is for the history books.
If Sony had that kind of cash on hand, they wouldve done the same eras ago. Fact is, they didn't. Now, Microsoft gets to do with Activision as they please. That's just one of the perks for paying $70 billion dollars. It aint personal, its vidja games and its big business.
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ThaMonkeyClaw
Member
And these 'bangers' you speak of are your opinions, I haven't seen anything come out of their studios that made me want to throw down and buy a Xbox just to play it, I am not saying some of them aren't decent games, but they haven't had anything (that I see personally) as anything overly impressive, I have seen a lot of hype and promises, but nothing the I can see that just knocks it out of the park. I get they sought out to be bought, don't mean it should have been approved by the regulators. I wouldn't wanting Sony buying them either even if they did have the money, but the franchise and the gamers suffer in the end and the size of the purchase does matter, they are just heading down the same monopolistic road that they did with Windows back in the day, but now it is in the gaming arena, their only game plan is to throw money at stuff until there is nothing left but them.
EDIT:
Please don't think I am trying to console war, etc. This isn't about Sony vs Microsoft, I just don't want to see this whole industry turn into what Hollywood is now, full of garbage and when they just start buying up company after company it is slowly turning into what Hollywood is today except in the gaming environment, do you really want that? I just think they should have taken those billions they spent on Activision and pumped that money into all the studios they already own and create some amazing game from them, but the way things are going Microsoft is turning into the Disney of gaming and just buying up everything.
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splattered
Member
You don't believe what he is saying?
Nothing about what he said seems unbelievable to me.
As old as you are i'm more surprised that you trust government/process haha
Topher
Identifies as young
fucker
No, I'm saying I would believe it a hell of a lot more if it was someone else saying it. Got no faith that Tom Warren knows what he is talking about here. Could CMA have been lying since July and they were aware of Microsoft's proposal all along? Yep. Which means they just bulldozed their own transparency to get this deal approved. Microsoft's $1 billion dollar lobbying machine did it's magic, if true.
HeisenbergFX4
Member
Feels like this acquisition is happening
Remember me making that statement in the acquisition thread and notice the date?
Rubber stamped is a great way to put it at least that was the feeling in certain circles
Gambit2483
Member
If they put all their eggs into Gamepass and Gamepass subs either drop or stagnate for 4 years you think they will still be here?
Even after it was made known Xbox already came close to the chopping block?
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Orbital2060
Member
It would be great to read an oral history of the whole process one day. So many twists and turns.
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