• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

LEGO Horizon Zero Dawn Devs on Xbox Verison: "Nothing to announce about Xbox right now.

vivftp

Member
The Switch is a 8 year old Nvidia tablet.

Doesn't matter. They had a specific reason for the game to be on Switch so they purposefully co-developed the Switch version alongside the PS5 version so the definitive PS5 version would not be held back. The Switch version will be competent from what we have seen, but the PS5 will still be the definitive experience.
 

Topher

Gold Member
Doesn't matter. They had a specific reason for the game to be on Switch so they purposefully co-developed the Switch version alongside the PS5 version so the definitive PS5 version would not be held back. The Switch version will be competent from what we have seen, but the PS5 will still be the definitive experience.

Which is the "definitive" version remains to be seen considering the game is also coming to PC.
 
Which is the "definitive" version remains to be seen considering the game is also coming to PC.

There's no need to go with assumptions/interpretations when undeniable objectivity is at hand.

PC > PS5 > Switch.

That's the order of performance hierarchy it SHOULD be out with, like all other 3rd party games in existence and even all other PlayStation games on PC so far and in the future as well.

No need to beat around the bush on this basic fact.
 

Topher

Gold Member
There's no need to go with assumptions/interpretations when undeniable objectivity is at hand.

PC > PS5 > Switch.

That's the order of performance hierarchy it SHOULD be out with, like all other 3rd party games in existence and even all other PlayStation games on PC so far and in the future as well.

No need to beat around the bush on this basic fact.

I'm not going to declare any version of a game to be "definitive" when there hasn't been any version seen by anyone.

But you do you.
 
Last edited:

SirTerry-T

Gold Member
It's a Lego game. They can trace all the rays and alias all the aliasing and it will still be a fucking Lego game.

I'll put the money towards that awesome looking Jaws set.
 
Last edited:

Mobilemofo

Member
We know what's gonna happen with the switch version. 720p docked. 498p undocked. Foliage cutback, shit shadows, very low res textures generally. Why bother? 😅
 
dj-khaled-another-one.gif
 

nial

Member
Traveller's Tales Lego games are quite interesting technically speaking, pushing a lot of things, and they also have a pretty impressive multiplatform experience. I understand this is being developed by another developer though.
Yes, it isn't developed by Traveller's Tales, but rather Studio Gobo, which is why it actually looks fun to play (and it's graphically gorgeous, of course).
 
Last edited:
It doesn't, 'no plans at the moment' is like the most common PR response ever.

I wouldn't put it past them, so we'll see how it plays out. Either way it's a borked strategy on Sony's part when it comes to Xbox support. It's either:

1: Xbox is irrelevant as a competitor, so why not bring more games to the platform if it's irrelevant as a competitor, but relevant enough to still get *some* sales?, or

2: Xbox is a competitor, in which case why let them make money off your customers and build their brand by porting their games to your system?

It can't really be both things simultaneously; one or the other has to be the dominant stance.

Sony has stopped with ps4 ports of their own games. They want people to move to ps5.

Porting most of their current-gen games to PC isn't necessarily bolstering that initiative to its maximum, I must admit.
 
Last edited:

nial

Member
I wouldn't put it past them, so we'll see how it plays out. Either way it's a borked strategy on Sony's part when it comes to Xbox support. It's either:

1: Xbox is irrelevant as a competitor, so why not bring more games to the platform if it's irrelevant as a competitor, but relevant enough to still get *some* sales?, or

2: Xbox is a competitor, in which case why let them make money off your customers and build their brand by porting their games to your system?

It can't really be both things simultaneously; one or the other has to be the dominant stance.
I have no idea as to why Sony would make a late Xbox port of a game releasing day one on Switch.
 

Three

Member
I wouldn't put it past them, so we'll see how it plays out. Either way it's a borked strategy on Sony's part when it comes to Xbox support. It's either:

1: Xbox is irrelevant as a competitor, so why not bring more games to the platform if it's irrelevant as a competitor, but relevant enough to still get *some* sales?, or

2: Xbox is a competitor, in which case why let them make money off your customers and build their brand by porting their games to your system?

It can't really be both things simultaneously; one or the other has to be the dominant stance.



Porting most of their current-gen games to PC isn't necessarily bolstering that initiative to its maximum, I must admit.
Xbox is a competitor but xbox wouldn't have much sales for the lego game either making skipping it a much easier decision than a lego game on switch. Now if MS paid for the port on a service then they might but I don't see that happening.
 

adamsapple

Or is it just one of Phil's balls in my throat?
Xbox is a competitor but xbox wouldn't have much sales for the lego game either making skipping it a much easier decision than a lego game on switch. Now if MS paid for the port on a service then they might but I don't see that happening.

Nah, this is wrong.

We don't numbers all the time, but Lego Star Wars in Europe was extremely close on Xbox and Playstation and Switch's share was less than half of Xbox's.



Overall (so including physical retail), PlayStation was the biggest platform with 39% of sales, followed by Xbox (34%), then Switch (16%) and finally PC (11%).
 
Last edited:
I have no idea as to why Sony would make a late Xbox port of a game releasing day one on Switch.

Because it's more money, and like what people say about the PC ports, it'd be "free" money. Porting costs are probably in line with what they'd be on PC; certification might complicate things a bit though.

I mean they're bringing it to Switch to make more money right? Yeah Xbox wouldn't get them as much money as Switch, but it'd probably be comparable or not too far behind what a PC version releasing at the same time would do. Thing here though would be, the Xbox version'd release later so it wouldn't get a Day 1 boost like the PC and Switch versions will.

I mean most people still playing on PS4 are not moving to PC any time soon. If they upgrade it will be PS5. And so far their big studio games this generation like GoW and Horizon were released on PS4. Only Spiderman 2 wasn't which is not on PC yet.

Some PS4 owners, or even most of them, will upgrade to PS5 yes. But some will go to PC, some will go to Switch 2. In both cases, if not exclusively then as major parts of their gaming cycle. Time and money is finite, so that'd mean less for SIE/Sony from those players.

Xbox is a competitor but xbox wouldn't have much sales for the lego game either making skipping it a much easier decision than a lego game on switch. Now if MS paid for the port on a service then they might but I don't see that happening.

Well adamsapple adamsapple has that link with the UK sales of a LEGO game and they weren't that far off from PS, that's physical & digital combined. And LEGO Horizon isn't a Japanese RPG or anime-style action-adventure...we already know those types of games actually don't sell very well on Xbox.

I mean, Xbox probably still accounts for the lowest percentage of LEGO game sales when talking globally, but you'd think for a company like LEGO any money is good money. I guess SIE don't want the narrative to form that Xbox could see ports of games like mainline Horizon, which would almost certainly pop up if this game did get an Xbox version announced.

But, that doesn't 100% rule out an Xbox version in the future. I just think if SIE do so, they'd wait until they have something else (or two) that's 100% not Xbox-bound to drown out announcement of an Xbox version of the game.
 
Some PS4 owners, or even most of them, will upgrade to PS5 yes. But some will go to PC, some will go to Switch 2. In both cases, if not exclusively then as major parts of their gaming cycle. Time and money is finite, so that'd mean less for SIE/Sony from those players.
if any current ps4 players move to pc that would be a very very small amount. And most would have already done so. Not many people still playing on a $200 system are gonna move to pc. Same with switch 2. Most households will have a switch along with playstation, xbox, or pc for those Nintendo only games. The problem is all the online shooter and free to play games. Those are always the top games played and you can still play them on the old systems. So why bother upgrading. Also because of price.
 
That is the best he came up with? 🤣
The reason is the same as why Forbidden West don't have an Xbox version or Starfield didn't launch on PS5.

Although I can see this releasing eventually on Xbox, since Sony didn't own the Lego brand.
What do you mean "best they could come up with"? It's their IP, they don't owe anyone shit with it. Still sells bucketloads. Forbidden West will never have an xbox version because its a Sony first party title that has healthy sales. Starfield will have a PS5 version because it sold horribly and all they have to show for it is monthly users on a subscription.
 

nial

Member
Because it's more money, and like what people say about the PC ports, it'd be "free" money. Porting costs are probably in line with what they'd be on PC; certification might complicate things a bit though.

I mean they're bringing it to Switch to make more money right? Yeah Xbox wouldn't get them as much money as Switch, but it'd probably be comparable or not too far behind what a PC version releasing at the same time would do. Thing here though would be, the Xbox version'd release later so it wouldn't get a Day 1 boost like the PC and Switch versions will.
More money? Then release it there day 1, since late ports of games like these are generally known to not do that good, especially on Xbox Series.
If SIE believes that a day 1 release on Xbox Series for an already multiplat game isn't worth it, then a late port is pretty much discarded.
 
Fuck Microsoft, they'd literally be no point. They weren't going to spend money developing that version to barely sell any copies. That's not how Sony work. Too many people on XBOX would just wait for it to come to gamepass and that's not how Sony make money.
 
The game will not sell as much as the PS5/Switch version.

Once the game releases there will be very big noticeable differences between both versions.

They should be clearer but I guess doing that would be not beneficial for them.
 
The real reason for not putting it on Xbox is because they know it won't sell any meaningful units. They'd likely make a net loss on it.

Tiny install base + the demographic of Xbox players is the antithesis of Switch's.

Doesn't really make sense to put it on Xbox at this current time.
 

Varteras

Gold Member
More money? Then release it there day 1, since late ports of games like these are generally known to not do that good, especially on Xbox Series.
If SIE believes that a day 1 release on Xbox Series for an already multiplat game isn't worth it, then a late port is pretty much discarded.

The game will not sell as much as the PS5/Switch version.

Once the game releases there will be very big noticeable differences between both versions.

They should be clearer but I guess doing that would be not beneficial for them.

The real reason for not putting it on Xbox is because they know it won't sell any meaningful units. They'd likely make a net loss on it.

Tiny install base + the demographic of Xbox players is the antithesis of Switch's.

Doesn't really make sense to put it on Xbox at this current time.

This is where I'm at on this lack of Xbox versions. I just don't think Sony sees much value in putting games on a platform whose install base has already been grinding to a halt. Even of those already out there, games just sell less on them for the reasons we all know.

There is also a good possibility that Sony would still take this route, even if Xbox was selling better than it is now. Because I think Sony could just be trying to make sure they completely bury Xbox.

I still think there is the possibility that some of PlayStation's games, outside of Bungie and MLB, could go fully multiplat. At least the less impactful ones. But at the end of the day, Sony clearly made a conscious effort to include Switch and exclude Xbox. That raises a flag.

Looking forward to the excuses if this ever does come to xbox.

They'll have quite the playbook to pull from after Xbox fans melted down.

Wanna make a bet though? About PlayStation games going to Xbox? If I win, I get to sit on Banjo64 Banjo64 's face. If you win, you get to sit on Banjo64 Banjo64 's face.
 

DenchDeckard

Moderated wildly
This is where I'm at on this lack of Xbox versions. I just don't think Sony sees much value in putting games on a platform whose install base has already been grinding to a halt. Even of those already out there, games just sell less on them for the reasons we all know.

There is also a good possibility that Sony would still take this route, even if Xbox was selling better than it is now. Because I think Sony could just be trying to make sure they completely bury Xbox.

I still think there is the possibility that some of PlayStation's games, outside of Bungie and MLB, could go fully multiplat. At least the less impactful ones. But at the end of the day, Sony clearly made a conscious effort to include Switch and exclude Xbox. That raises a flag.



They'll have quite the playbook to pull from after Xbox fans melted down.

Wanna make a bet though? About PlayStation games going to Xbox? If I win, I get to sit on Banjo64 Banjo64 's face. If you win, you get to sit on Banjo64 Banjo64 's face.

I'll take the bet on this playstation game. It doesn't sound like anyone loses! ❤️
 
The dev doesn’t want to put it on a console where it wont sell like the others. Cant blame them for that. Most Xbox owners wait for games to come to Gamepass as opposed to buying them. That ruins any type of profit margin for a dev that puts in the hard work of making games in the first place.
 
if any current ps4 players move to pc that would be a very very small amount.

And what would this be based on, exactly? Those PS4 owners aren't the type fussed over having "high-end" graphics, so an average PC, laptop etc. for gaming on low or medium settings would probably be enough for them. Also, that's supposing the main reason they game would be for AAA games; if most current PS4 owners are into stuff like indies, casual titles, sports games etc. they are far more likely to just stick with a PS4 and pick up a Switch/Switch 2 as a complementary device, and/or a cheap PC/laptop for indies or mobile as complementary devices, than buy a PS5.

Especially with the lack of price reduction the PS5 has seen so far nearly halfway through its lifecycle.

And most would have already done so.

Doesn't this directly contradict what you just said?

Not many people still playing on a $200 system are gonna move to pc. Same with switch 2.

Most people still primarily on a PS4 won't be getting a PS5 anytime soon, either. Not until that system gets a $299 or $249 SKU option, which is many years away. So they'd probably do a mix of the following:

-PS4 for remaining cross-gen AAA/AA games and annual COD, annual sports games, Fortnite etc.​
-Switch/Switch 2 for some modern AAA/AA platformers & Nintendo games​
-PC (probably a low or mid-range laptop) for modern AAA, AA and indie games at "tolerable" fidelity settings​
-Mobile for some casual and F2P titles​

Most of those are already either platforms they own or platforms that'd serve a clear role in their gaming habits, and likely cost them less than a PS5 (as in the cost of the PS5 & PS+ & buying games for it over the remainder of the generation)

Most households will have a switch along with playstation, xbox, or pc for those Nintendo only games. The problem is all the online shooter and free to play games. Those are always the top games played and you can still play them on the old systems. So why bother upgrading. Also because of price.

We have some agreement here; the GAAS shooters, F2P games, and I'd also add the annual sports games, will seemingly still be available for systems like PS4 into the foreseeable future, some exceptions aside. The absolute biggest ones, anyway, aren't dropping PS4 support.

Which means for PS5 to draw in equivalent users and get similar or better install base it'd have to use titles besides that to pull in new audiences. IMO the mistake they're making is not really appreciating a lot of their "new audience" are existing audiences from increasingly similar platforms, especially more indirect competitors like PC. And, SIE's multiplatform policy with their own games to these other platforms is basically kneecapping their ability to maximize gaining these new audiences either as primary users in their console ecosystem, or users there whatsoever.

More money? Then release it there day 1, since late ports of games like these are generally known to not do that good, especially on Xbox Series.

Well now let's take that but apply it to PC. If what you're saying is true, then it's probably no coincidence SIE are prioritizing more Day 1 releases on PC, even if so far it's mostly been with GAAS titles. But LEGO Horizon feels like a test to start trying that with non-GAAS titles too, IMO (that and Until Dawn, but Until Dawn is a remake).

If SIE believes that a day 1 release on Xbox Series for an already multiplat game isn't worth it, then a late port is pretty much discarded.

So why do they think late ports of games on PC are worth it? They've been continuing with those despite several recent underperformers. It's arguable that if some of those games had Day 1 versions on Xbox they'd of sold better than the late ports did on PC. In large part because people know for a fact those games aren't going to go in Game Pass, so the only way to play them would be to buy them.

I just want to try understanding the idea that a late port to Xbox wouldn't be worth it to Sony when they seem to think late ports to PC are, and especially in the context that Sony would never make a Game Pass deal for those ports (that'd be optics suicide). I don't bring this up because I care or even want them to bring games to Xbox; I just want to explore the logical conclusion of the business strategy SIE themselves have now put out there when it comes to this multiplat strategy, especially in light of games like LEGO Horizon.
 

Roberts

Member
I can't see a single reason why Sony should bother releasing it on xbox. Lego games have always been attractive for their licenses and I'm pretty sure xbox-only gamers give just about zero fucks about Aloy and her horizons.
 

nial

Member
Well now let's take that but apply it to PC.
So why do they think late ports of games on PC are worth it?
You know it's like, a whole different situation?
PS5 exclusive > late PC port
PS5, Switch and PC day 1 > late Xbox port
Spider-Man 2 is a game heavily marketed around it being a PS5 exclusive for 2 years, which is when it's then ported to PC for some extra revenue.
LEGO Horizon Adventures is game releasing on non-PlayStation platforms day 1, with the exception of Xbox. It makes no fucking sense to have a planned late port for the platform, when it's already day 1 ON EVERYTHING ELSE.
 

laynelane

Member
This is where I'm at on this lack of Xbox versions. I just don't think Sony sees much value in putting games on a platform whose install base has already been grinding to a halt. Even of those already out there, games just sell less on them for the reasons we all know.

There is also a good possibility that Sony would still take this route, even if Xbox was selling better than it is now. Because I think Sony could just be trying to make sure they completely bury Xbox.

I still think there is the possibility that some of PlayStation's games, outside of Bungie and MLB, could go fully multiplat. At least the less impactful ones. But at the end of the day, Sony clearly made a conscious effort to include Switch and exclude Xbox. That raises a flag.



They'll have quite the playbook to pull from after Xbox fans melted down.

Wanna make a bet though? About PlayStation games going to Xbox? If I win, I get to sit on Banjo64 Banjo64 's face. If you win, you get to sit on Banjo64 Banjo64 's face.

I think you're right about Sony's attitude towards Xbox. There's no precedent for Sony releasing on XBox unless there's contractual stipulations in place - like MLB The Show and Bungie's retaining of their right to publish where they wish to. As well, I've seen expectations here and there that Sony will follow MS's footsteps into third-party publishing and publish on all platfforms. I don't that happening at all. It's probably a vaiety of reasons - low install base on Xbox, ever increasing movement towards not buying software, etc. But the biggest reason is that whether it's as a hardware maker or publisher, Xbox is direct competition to Sony. Consequently, they've never made an effort to put games on Xbox and I doubt that will change.
 
Last edited:

AmuroChan

Gold Member
This is my guess. Sony releases this on the announced platforms and exhaust all sales. Then they go to XBox and ask them if they want this on Gamepass and how much are they willing they pay for it. If they can agree on a deal, great, that's extra bonus revenue for Sony. If MS declines, then Sony moves on.
 
Top Bottom