There was still hyping after that.
I think those games could move the needle the problem is how those games launched.
I mean, hype kind of does mostly happen pre-release. Reality happens at release. Nobody was hyping Hi-Fi Rush as a game that would sell consoles. The conversation post-release was about being able to play it on PC, thus it not being able to move consoles.
Does it start with seeing something like Sea of Thieves on PS being shown at the State of Play today?
I don't know...Phil mentioned when they raised the price of the Series S in Brazil recently it was still the lowest margins in any region.
wccftech.com
I'm sorry, but reality is not "a snarky console war hot take", it is just... reality. People did say that those games were reason to buy consoles, if you don't believe it, that is your problem.
*Exclusively on PC as well
These games won't move the needle. Indiana Jones will get some love but the others will go largely unnoticed.
I don't know...Phil mentioned when they raised the price of the Series S in Brazil recently it was still the lowest margins in any region.
Microsoft's Gaming CEO Phil Spencer Backs "Huge" Xbox Series S Price Hike in Brazil
Microsoft's CEO Phil Spencer has backed the company's decision to Xbox price hike in Brazil claiming that it was necessary to uphold business.
"Upon being questioned further, the Microsoft Gaming CEO exclaimed that the increase in Xbox Series X|S pricing didn't have a huge impact on the company's profit margins and it is probably "the smallest margin in the world". However, Microsoft's primary aim with Brazilian markets is to be future-proof and in a position that actually prioritizes longevity over financial gains, said the executive."
I always bring this up lately because margins is such a hot topic these days.
See, this is my take as well, so I really don't know what is the next step here. No matter what tech bros tell you retail is still incredibly important for mindshare, and now Xbox just have it all up to the competition. If their goal is to increase GP subs they need to sell more consoles, but those are flat YoY.
Maybe not Hi-Fi Rush because it was a shadow drop and therefore no hype. But Starfield certainly was THE GAME for Xbox last year. And it didn't deliver what it had to to make an impact.
Not that I'm aware of, but again, it's all rumors until there's an official press release. The previous rumors said late February, but now some people claim it's happening this week. We're not talking about some games, but simply going full multiplatform.
Yes, that does seem to be the biggest issue. Whatever happened with Scalebound? I know that it was in development hell for the better part of a decade, and then it got scrapped. I could've sworn that I read rumors or actual news that they were going to pick it back up, but I don't think that one is ever going to happen.
So you believe that sales this year will be better than they were last year... you willing to put some skin in the game?
That's a fair concern and I share it. Nobody wants a cocky Sony again. It would be terrible for consumers.
Unfortunately, you're absolutely right on the money. MS is doing their best to kill off all of their fan-favorites, or at the very least, hamstringing them and making them something unrecognizable to their fans. They are currently not building up a whole lot of goodwill toward their fans, and it really feels like people are starting to lose hope that good games aren't in the pipeline.
Alan Wake
had to say about MS mismanaging their studios. They took a racing game studio with zero RPG experience and are having them build a beloved title from the ground up. Who knows. Maybe they will pull it off, but only time will tell.
I think Xbox has a chance to at the least stop the downward spiral and begin to turn things around, but ONLY IF they do it this year. They absolutely need to drop AAA Exclusive bangers (plural) in 2024 or this gen is a wash, as far as them being able to build positive momentum and begin to turn things around for the next 2-3 years (and into the next generation).
The gameplay we saw was likely pretty old. Spencer talked about this a while back. That they show something new doesn't mean it's fresh gameplay so to speak. They prepare these shows months and months in advance.
That's good to know. The gameplay that they showed just needed some polish, and I'm sure the game is still in pre-pre-alpha... getting the mechanics correct, gameplay balanced out, all that. I absolutely loved Wolfenstein: The New Order and thought that it kind of felt like a Tarantino-esque take on Indiana Jones, so I have pretty high hopes.
