Topic: Official Push Square Xbox Thread

@colonelkilgore Yeah man, pretty bummed out by it. Looks absolutely gorgeous but failed to hook me. It’s starting to do my head in, searching for an experience that couldn’t be enjoyed elsewhere.

@AgentCooper It does feel like Xbox developers don't care about pushing limits with their games now that they don't need their games to sell well. And as a result, I feel like Xbox gamers are setting a lower standard for Xbox games. I mean, I played Redfall and it's a very mediocre game. Go over to Pure Xbox and there will be a fair amount of people who think that it's a good game. It's not even close to being a good game, the developers have done the absolute bare minimum with this title.

Microsoft seriously needs to be more strict with their studios.

Regarding Jusant, I actually enjoyed it because of the fun climbing mechanics. It could get frustrating sometimes but it was overall a pretty fun game.

@LtSarge This is the feeling I’m getting. I’ve just finished Uncharted 4 and wanted to devote some time to Xbox but find myself fighting the idea of just carrying on with my Skyrim playthrough until Persona 3.

I’ve been really wiped out the last week or so, so that may be contributing to my lack of enthusiasm for Jusant because by all accounts everyone seems to love it. I hear it is short so I’m going to push on. I’ll be sure to update you @colonelkilgore if my feelings change 👍

@AgentCooper I honestly didn’t even know what’s on GamePass, but I did look it up and there’s some really enticing third party games there. Some from my wishlist are on there like Lies of P, Dead Space (in fact all of them are there), Wild Hearts, and Wo Long.

@Th3solution All good choices friend. I don’t think it is choice with gamepass that is the problem, although there isn’t much that screams at me first party wise, it’s more a of a me thing haha I’m just having a really hard time finding games that appeal or resonate with me at the moment. I’m very much looking forward to playing Persona 3 on gp and I dare say my experience with Jusant has improved somewhat drastically.

I briefly dabbled with Lies of P and think it might be worth pushing on while it is ‘free’ and Wo Long could be decent too, let me know how you get on if you try either.

@AgentCooper I have no immediate plans to jump into GamePass or the Xbox ecosystem, but I was impressed to see some of the inclusions on the service. And actually a lot of the games I find compelling are also on PS+, except for those I listed.

First party is the real question with GamePass. As someone who has a boat load of game already to play, I think the only way I dive into the console (which would not only require a big up-front investment in hardware but also the subscription cost) is if something first party knocks my socks off. 9-10/10 type of game, and preferably more than one. So that’s where Indiana Jones could that. I’ll assume Hellblade II is going to be a 9/10. But even if those two hit, I just don’t know.

The other third party games there like Lies of P and Wo Long are on my wishlist, but honestly are several games deep on the backlog, so I’m satisfied to wait until either a steeper price drop or a drop onto PS+. It’s what I did recently with A Plague Tale Requiem and my patience was rewarded and I’m loving the game and pleased that it came without any added cost.

But if and when, I’m certain to share thoughts on those two Souls-likes. But as I mentioned on the Souls thread, I plan to prioritize the From games I have left first.

As for Persona 3, I am really interested in your experience there, and P3 is a great get for GamePass. I’ll leave my thoughts on the series over on that thread. 🧵 😄

So I watched the Indy game clip. It looks fine whatever, nothing that exciting.

... But am I the only one who thinks he sounds nothing like Harrison Ford and it's just Troy Baker with a slight accent?

Admitedly it's been a while since I've watched one of the films or heard Harrison and I've seen people saying he sounds alike but I don't hear it at all

Feels good to be wrong, as I am about many things. Jusant turned out to be a beautiful and well crafted little gem. Once I relaxed a little I found the core gameplay to have a meditative quality, slowing making your way up one hand after another, slowing piecing together the narrative. It’ll stay with me for some time. Definitely recommended @colonelkilgore 👍

@AgentCooper good to hear mate… and kudos on Ole Munch, love that character!

@colonelkilgore Yes mate, love him.

Just watched the "Indiana Jones" trailer. Wrong, wrong, WRONG!!!! Indy's satchel strap goes UNDERNEATH the leather jacket. Who do I need to email at MachineGames to get this egregious balls-up sorted out?

So in the recent "rumours" of Xbox "games" coming to "PS', is there anything out of those 'half'-"baked" "exclusives" you want to play?
Me "personally" 'I''d play a Gears "of" War game but that"'s about it. "Nothing" else screams (or talks) "a" must play"."

@Matter I have a list of Xbox game I'd buy on PlayStation. It's not very long (and part of it is upcoming games) which is I never really considered buying the console.
It includes:

• Both Ori games
• Gears Of War (especially 2&3, I played 1 on PC back in the day and I hear the newer ones aren't as good)
• HiFi Rush
• Hellblade 2
• the Indiana Jones game

I think that's literally it

@Matter My thoughts are similar but to @Voltan — I don’t feel anything is a “must-play” from the Xbox library, but I would almost certainly buy Hellblade II because I loved the first one. Also am a fan of the movies, so would be interested in Indiana Jones.

Gears and Fable have always held my curiosity too. And Forza, mainly because it’s so highly rated, although I am not a racer aficionado and have been perfectly satisfied with playing the occasional Gran Turismo every few years. 😄

Fable is another one I could be interested in but I'd need to see more. I liked the 1st one (again, back in my PC gaming days) but I have literally no idea where the series went from there.

I might give them a go when they come to PS Plus.

No-one wants to hear of Studio closures, job losses etc and whilst I am disappointed to hear about Tango & Arkane Austin, to a certain degree, I can understand that despite some of the comments made by MS in the past now being used against them.

Buying Zenimax isn't the same as Acquiring Ninja Theory or Obsidian. Buying an independent Studio is buying that 'studio' for the Creative Talent that Studio has - whether it has its 'own' IP's or not. Sony buying Insomniac is a another example of buying the Talent behind games like R&C, Spider-Man, Sunset-Overdrive etc.

Buying a Publisher is much more like buying a Bundle, Buying a Storage Locker full of stuff - some Treasures, but also some 'Trash'. You may want the Publishing Rights to the entire back catalogue of games, the vast majority of IP's, Most of the Studio's/Talent behind those IP's, the Tech (id tech/creation engine) etc but can't just acquire the bits they wanted without buying everything. They may not want 'dead' IP's and have no plan to bring back games like Prey or Rage but had to acquire them to get Fallout, Doom, Elder Scrolls etc.

Point is, MS may not have really wanted Tango, Arkane Austin, Alpha Dog and Roundhouse - they wanted Bethesda, MachineGames, id software etc, wanted Fallout, Elder Scrolls, Doom, Wolfenstein etc, wanted Publishing rights etc but to get those, had to take 'everything' as a Job Lot.

Arkane Austin may well have been a shell of what it was. Reports came out of mass staff departures as Zenimax was forcing them to make a 'Live Service' game they had no experience or desire to make. It may have been too 'costly' to restaff and build-up again to wait 5 or 6yrs for a 'Game' to release - that 'money' maybe better invested in a new Fallout or getting the 'many' games in development out in a polished state in more reasonable time frames. Tango too is missing its OG creator - the mind behind RE and Evil Within.

As I said, no-one wants to hear about closures and job losses and I am disappointed these Studios are closing. In my opinion, I'd rather have seen 343i close than Tango as they have consistently failed with Halo and now that MS has some of the 'best' FPS Studios, the talent and tech behind CoD, Doom etc, they could 'reboot' Halo on the id Tech engine and drop 343i keeping a foothold in Japan with Tango - although I don't expect its as easy/simple as that.

However, as I've had time to think about this, I've bought numerous bundles myself with stuff I'm paying for, but certainly never wanted and never used - I still have some 'unopened/unused' games from Bundles because I never wanted to play them, but had to take them to get the Console. MS may not have really wanted 'every' Studio or IP they acquired but had to take everything as a Job lot.

Another aspect is the ABK deal. We know that was 'expensive' but how much 'extra' did it cost with all the problems they had to over-come. Taking out Adverts they didn't expect, giving up Cloud Licensing to Ubisoft, not completing when (or before) expected so even 'longer' before the money can start coming back, longer to get games on their Service so not getting the 'growth' they expected. All the while, the Games industry has continued to decline/stagnate since the world has gone from Crisis to crisis, becoming a 'smaller' market as hostility increases, less 'free' cash to spend with rising costs.

In other words, they may have planned to 'keep' those Studio's, build them up in 2021 when they acquired them, but because Global Circumstances since then have deteriorated, they had to change their plans too...

Again, as a Gamer, I don't WANT to see Studio Closures, Job Losses etc - I'm just trying to see things from a different perspective to try and Rationalise and understand why a Company that 'needs' Games, so needs Studio's would close those.

@BAMozzy Surely, that might be the rationale from Microsoft's point of view. And that kind of corporate thinking is exactly why I was opposed to Microsoft buying them. And it's why I'm opposed to Microsoft buying anything really.

"Why did you secretly cheat on your wife?"
"Well, I wanted to kiss hot young women without losing my marriage."

Sure, it's a rationale, but if that's someone's way of thinking I wouldn't want to be in a relationship with them.

I also think companies have a repsonsibility to their employees. And I think you can't comparre employees, their creative vision and their livelihoods to unplayed bundle games.

I think it's important to condemn this kind of practices and not try too hard to find justification for it. Would have been horrible if it was Sony doing it too.

And yet they have all closed Studios they have acquired - inc Sony. Whichever Publisher of games you consider, they are ALL guilty of it. Sony has closed numerous Studios over the past few years - Sony Manchester, Sony London, Pixel Opus and their Japan Studio with Job Losses at Firesprite and Insomniac. Sony bought Psygnosis, which became Sony Liverpool owhat about Evolution Studios - both were closed by Sony too.

Its not just Sony, Embracer (THQ) has done it, EA has done it, ABK had done it before being sold, Square Enix has done it. Embracer bought Eidos Montreal from Square Enix and then shut that Studio down soon after.

Business is Business - not saying its 'right', but that's the reality. To get Tomb Raider and Crystal Dynamics, Embracer had to take Eidos Montreal whether they wanted them or 'not' and then closed them down soon after. They still have the IP's and Studio's 'they' wanted.

The difference between an 'unwanted' game in a bundle and an unwanted Studio is that the unwanted Game isn't a continuous drain on your finances like a Studio is, doesn't require a LOT of Time and Money to get a product from them to recuperate those costs, let alone the cost of buying everything they wanted as well. They may have to spend another 100m+ over the next 5yrs before they even get a 'game' to sell when that 100m could be invested in another Fallout from Bethesda instead of some 'niche' game that few buy despite critical praise - its not as if those Critics 'buy' games...