The Xbox Series X, Holiday 2020 (1 Viewer)

[Morgan Jolley]

I've thought about the acquisition a bit more and I wonder if it will affect console sales much. So long as Call of Duty stays on the PS platform for the next few years (which everyone has already said will be the case), I don't think this whole thing will make a difference. Keep in mind that the deal doesn't close until summer 2023.

Blizzard's core business is primarily on PC, which likely won't be affected by the deal at all. Activision is not quite the developer they once were, so I don't think they have a lot of core franchises that people will miss if they end up exclusive to Xbox starting in 2023 or 2024. Call of Duty is the one MAJOR exception, but that's not happening any time soon.

Microsoft doesn't care about console sales, they care about Game Pass subscriptions. They currently can sell a Game Pass Ultimate subscription that works on mobile devices and PC, as well as XBox One consoles, so there's no real reason for them to push Series X/S sales. I can see MS being open to Game Pass on other platforms, but I don't see Sony or Nintendo being open to Game Pass coming to their platforms because they're dominating in their areas and have no incentive to share the wealth.

In the end, I really see this as "Call of Duty will be maybe exclusive to Xbox platforms in a few years" and not much more.

 

[Steve Y]

In the end, I really see this as "Call of Duty will be maybe exclusive to Xbox platforms in a few years" and not much more.

Morgan, I agree. This is a long-game move to bolster the appeal of Game Pass. The implications for Activision Blizzard (as a company) are a little more interesting and ambiguous. I hope it gives more freedom for these IP holders to work on more interesting projects that aren't tied to these yearly tentpole releases. Less ambiguous: Bobby K. and the board will see huge paydays and enjoy graceful exits next year.

 

[Morgan Jolley]

Microsoft had their not-E3 event yesterday. They certainly had a lot of announcements and the fact that so many are attached to GamePass is great, but it felt kind of disappointing. It seems like most of the games were 2D (which isn't a bad thing but it is underwhelming for a $500 next-gen console) and the big marquee games were Forza sequels, more Halo Infinite, Fallout 76 expansion and Starfield (which looks REALLY bland and uninteresting).

 

[Bryan^H]

I got invited to ("congratulations, you are invited to purchase an X Box Series X") purchase a Series X from Amazon, and then when I tried to buy it, wasn't available.

Spent an hour with chat support who assured me it was just a technical problem, and to try again in a few hours. I did, every hour until my "time limit" was up. Nothing.

"Congratulations" indeed.


2 years later and trying to purchase a console is still an uphill battle.
This generation of systems has been an undeniable shit show.

 

[Sam Posten]

I recommend setting alarms at nowinstock.net ezpz

 

[Carlo_M]

I got invited to ("congratulations, you are invited to purchase an X Box Series X") purchase a Series X from Amazon, and then when I tried to buy it, wasn't available.

Spent an hour with chat support who assured me it was just a technical problem, and to try again in a few hours. I did, every hour until my "time limit" was up. Nothing.

"Congratulations" indeed.


2 years later and trying to purchase a console is still an uphill battle.
This generation of systems has been an undeniable shit show.

It's been available direct from Microsoft for some time now. I just put it in my cart and got to checkout (but didn't pull the trigger obviously as I already own one). For my friends who'd been looking for one over the last half year or so, they've all gone direct to MS.

 

[Bryan^H]

It's been available direct from Microsoft for some time now. I just put it in my cart and got to checkout (but didn't pull the trigger obviously as I already own one). For my friends who'd been looking for one over the last half year or so, they've all gone direct to MS.

Thanks. I checked into it a couple weeks ago, but it was bundled with the top tier game pass. I'll check in again in a little bit.

A friend has moved across the country and started a new job. He is really lonely and wants to game online with me like we used to in the Xbox 360 days, and stay connected with me and a couple other friends we know.

I haven't played much COD in a while, but this Fall looks like I'm going to be playing a ton
.

 

[Morgan Jolley]

I got a Series X in January along with 3 years of Gold, converted to Ultimate for $1. It was pretty easy to just buy it even then.

I will say that I'm generally not a huge fan of the Xbox platform (the UI is terrible, I find the controller to be just okay, the exclusives are lacking) but GamePass Ultimate is a great deal.

 

[Bryan^H]

I ditched Gamepass. It may just be a really slow time for video games...specifically Microsoft games, but man it has gotten really stale with very few new titles offered. Or at least titles on my radar.

They better up their game or they are going to lose a lot more subs.

 

[Morgan Jolley]

GamePass Ultimate has a ton of value because there are just so many games on it, but realistically I have very little interest in most of them. For the $180ish that I paid for 3 years upfront, it's totally worth it. But they got rid of the $1 conversion deal and it is absolutely not worth $15/month to me going forward. (My sub is still good for another year and a half.)

Also, the family plan is rumored to be priced at $25/month. That would be a great deal for a bunch of people to go in on together.

 

[Bryan^H]

Redfall is getting savage reviews.
With the recent denial of the Activision acquisition as well, things aren't looking great for Microsoft's system.

 

[Morgan Jolley]

I thought Redfall looked bad from the start and I had no idea why people got excited. Not surprised with the reviews. That said, it was made by Arkane Austin which has only made Prey so far. Dishonored 1/2 and Deathloop were made by Arkane Nice in France. We'll see if that matters in the long run.

I think this might be the first non-racing game that Microsoft has actually published at full price since Halo Infinite. That's REALLY bad. In that timeframe, Sony has released a new Horizon, God of War, and a VR headset.

 

[Edwin-S]

Redfall is getting savage reviews.
With the recent denial of the Activision acquisition as well, things aren't looking great for Microsoft's system.

How many of those are review bombs because some PS owners are angry that MS made REDFALL an XBOX exclusive?

 

[Bryan^H]

How many of those are review bombs because some PS owners are angry that MS made REDFALL an XBOX exclusive?

It is legit bad. The reviews are accurate. Microsoft has nearly nothing on the horizon, Gamepass is starting to tank. Xbox One was a disappointment, the Series X as far as I can see is following in it's footsteps, possibly worse. A shame as the features on the series X destroy the PS5.

 

[Edwin-S]

It is legit bad. The reviews are accurate. Microsoft has nearly nothing on the horizon, Gamepass is starting to tank. Xbox One was a disappointment, the Series X as far as I can see is following in it's footsteps, possibly worse. A shame as the features on the series X destroy the PS5.

Looks like I didn't miss anything then. I've skipped the XBOX Series X this round because I found u was using the XBOX1 that I bought very little. In fact, it is literally brand new with the amount I have used it.

As far as the PS5 goes, the only thing I miss is that SONY is too stupid to put 3D blu-ray support on the machine for the PSVR2. Having that on the machine would have been a killer app for me.

 

[Morgan Jolley]

When I refer to "reviews" I don't consider user reviews primarily because of review bombing. The Metacritic and Opencritic averages for Redfall are abysmal. GameSpot gave it a 4/10.

Bryan - what featured do you think the Series X has that put it above the PS5? Just asking because I have both and I find the PS5 is a superior gaming machine by design.

 

[Jeff Cooper]

How many of those are review bombs because some PS owners are angry that MS made REDFALL an XBOX exclusive?

Probably not very many.

 

[Bryan^H]

When I refer to "reviews" I don't consider user reviews primarily because of review bombing. The Metacritic and Opencritic averages for Redfall are abysmal. GameSpot gave it a 4/10.

Bryan - what featured do you think the Series X has that put it above the PS5? Just asking because I have both and I find the PS5 is a superior gaming machine by design.

"Quick Resume" which as far as I know the PS5 does not have. Dolby Vision/Atmos, and CD playback (I still use them quite frequently). I won't argue the fact that Sony has better games, because they do.

 

[Edwin-S]

I'm definitely not missing much. This is the same studio that made "Dishonoured": a title that I found exceedingly boring.

Of course, the Witcher III is considered to be a great title too and I find that game hard to get into too.

This Redfall debacle just shows that British board was right in blocking MS's purchase of Activision Blizzard and Bobby Kotick's payday.

 

[Morgan Jolley]

Bryan - yeah I'm still disappointed PS5 doesn't have a quick resume feature, but it also loads games so fast and has the activity cards that load to whatever you're up to in a game that it's less painful to lose. The other stuff is non-gaming functions and I feel like anyone who cares about those has a good blu-ray player, anyway. But I also think the Xbox controller is lacking compared to PS5 and the better rumble/audio are significant benefits. That's why I was curious how you thought Series X was better.

Edwin - I also found Dishonored boring, but Prey was absolutely fantastic and I really enjoyed Deathloop right up until the ending.