Xbox Hellblade 2

[XtremelyBaneful]

Indeed. I do believe we are in the middle to late stages of watching the Xbox brand collapse.

do you really think this is the end? but they already confirmed that there will be a hardware successor to the Xbox Series consoles

 

[Joe Von Zombie]

do you really think this is the end? but they already confirmed that there will be a hardware successor to the Xbox Series consoles

100%. They're in a lose lose situation. In an era where pc gaming is more affordable and user-friendly than its ever been, an Xbox successor without true exclusives is a waste of time and money and if they start making their games hardware exclusive again, there will be backlash against that. The Microsoft higher-ups care more about you playing on Windows anyway. I'd bet money that if the next Xbox successor sees the light of day, it'll be their last console.

 

[XtremelyBaneful]

100%. They're in a lose lose situation. In an era where pc gaming is more affordable and user-friendly than its ever been, an Xbox successor without true exclusives is a waste of time and money and if they start making their games hardware exclusive again, they'll be backlash against that. The Microsoft higher-ups care more about you playing on Windows anyway. I'd bet money that if the next Xbox successor sees the light of day, it'll be their last console.

wow. that sounds really bad. people already called the current Xbox Series consoles a waste of time and money since all of the games are already available day and date on PC. now that they started making their games multiplatform, I don't think they can go back on it because they've already opened up Pandora's box. why would the higher-ups only care about games being played on Windows and not on their own original hardware? why would they keep on making hardware?

 

[Iceman]

They should be marketing this like crazy to the casual audience. Core gamers have seen enough from all the features at showcases. I’m really hoping it lives up to all my hype from the last few years. Not expecting a long game but hopefully it is very high quality for the time it lasts.

 

[psylockolussus]

100%. They're in a lose lose situation. In an era where pc gaming is more affordable and user-friendly than its ever been, an Xbox successor without true exclusives is a waste of time and money and if they start making their games hardware exclusive again, there will be backlash against that. The Microsoft higher-ups care more about you playing on Windows anyway. I'd bet money that if the next Xbox successor sees the light of day, it'll be their last console.

Honestly it will be an interesting period when Sony announces PlayStation 6 and Microsoft announces X-Box: The Last Stand. The one will have so much excitement and the other, would be met with "why even bother?".

 

[Joe Von Zombie]

wow. that sounds really bad. people already called the current Xbox Series consoles a waste of time and money since all of the games are already available day and date on PC. now that they started making their games multiplatform, I don't think they can go back on it because they've already opened up Pandora's box. why would the higher-ups only care about games being played on Windows and not on their own original hardware? why would they keep on making hardware?

Because they've wanted out of fist party hardware business since the Xbones disastrous launch. You have to remember that almost every console is sold at a loss when they launch. Nintendo is the only console manufacturer that doesn't do this anymore because they're not chasing graphical fidelity. The tech behind the switch was ancient when it launched. Windows is still Microsft's primary money maker.

 

[XtremelyBaneful]

Because they've wanted out of fist party hardware business since the Xbones disastrous launch. You have to remember that almost every console is sold at a loss when they launch. Nintendo is the only console manufacturer that doesn't do this anymore because they're not chasing graphical fidelity. The tech behind the switch was ancient when it launched. Windows is still Microsft's primary money maker.

it's funny you say that because many years ago I remember arguing with a user on this forum when I was saying that that the Wii U at the time was running on outdated hardware, hardware similar to consoles from the generation before it and the person who I was arguing with who shall remain nameless was arguing that it wasn't outdated.

so at this point, even though Microsoft confirmed there will be an Xbox 5, do you think they'll just stop after this generation?

 

[Joe Von Zombie]

it's funny you say that because many years ago I remember arguing with a user on this forum when I was saying that that the Wii U at the time was running on outdated hardware, hardware similar to consoles from the generation before it and the person who I was arguing with who shall remain nameless was arguing that it wasn't outdated.

so at this point, even though Microsoft confirmed there will be an Xbox 5, do you think they'll just stop after this generation?

They'll likely rebrand to something like Microsoft Gaming and make the pivot to to fully focusing on PC midway through the consoles life cycle If they don't cancel it outright. They've got plenty of time to pull the plug. I also wouldn't be surprised if they offered a stadia like sku and focused on cloud gaming.

 

[psylockolussus]

I think 6G Internet could work wonders for a Xbox Streaming Service. I think they could keep the Xbox brand even if they aren't manufacturing consoles anymore.

 

[XtremelyBaneful]

They'll likely rebrand to something like Microsoft Gaming and make the pivot to to fully focusing on PC midway through the consoles life cycle If they don't cancel it outright. They've got plenty of time to pull the plug. I also wouldn't be surprised if they offered a stadia like sku and focused on cloud gaming.

they have halfway already rebranded to Microsoft Gaming, I think. I think there was an official quote or a leaked quote, where someone at Microsoft actually said "it's not Xbox gaming anymore, now it is Microsoft gaming"

it's too bad Stadia failed but I guess because of the experience Microsoft has, they'll do a better job at doing what Google conceptualized (but failed in).

 

[Iceman]

The review embargo is an hour before the game launches. I hope that isn’t a bad sign. I really wanted this to be great. Looking forward to being able to play it either way.

 

[Joe Von Zombie]

they have halfway already rebranded to Microsoft Gaming, I think. I think there was an official quote or a leaked quote, where someone at Microsoft actually said "it's not Xbox gaming anymore, now it is Microsoft gaming"

it's too bad Stadia failed but I guess because of the experience Microsoft has, they'll do a better job at doing what Google conceptualized (but failed in).

Stadia failed because of Google. It launched earlier than it should have then when it wasn't an instant hit, Google abandoned it essentially. They were giving Stadia away a year before it closed down which is never a good sign. The writing was on the wall earlier than that though. Google acquired studios for first party titles then shut them down when Stadia launched. It kills me that these companies fail at the basics. If you don't have exclusive software, there's no reason to buy into the platform. Nintendo is able to sell us ancient tegra tablets solely based on their exclusive software library with their only real black eye being the Wii U.

 

[XtremelyBaneful]

Stadia failed because of Google. It launched earlier than it should have then when it wasn't an instant hit, Google abandoned it essentially. They were giving Stadia away a year before it closed down which is never a good sign. The writing was on the wall earlier than that though. Google acquired studios for first party titles then shut them down when Stadia launched. It kills me that these companies fail at the basics. If you don't have exclusive software, there's no reason to buy into the platform. Nintendo is able to sell us ancient tegra tablets solely based on their exclusive software library with their only real black eye being the Wii U.

you don't get enough credit for being a funny poster

the thing is, Google is in the ballpark of Microsoft in terms of net worth; in the trillions. Why did they give up their attempt at the gaming industry so quickly? was it just because they decided that it wasn't even worth trying to break into the market? because, they could have tried doing what Microsoft has been doing for a little while which was just to financially bleed while still gaining monthly active users. the difference here of course is that Microsoft has been in gaming for over 20 years.

The review embargo is an hour before the game launches. I hope that isn’t a bad sign. I really wanted this to be great. Looking forward to being able to play it either way.

why would you think it could be a bad sign?

 

[Joe Von Zombie]

you don't get enough credit for being a funny poster

the thing is, Google is in the ballpark of Microsoft in terms of net worth; in the trillions. Why did they give up their attempt at the gaming industry so quickly? was it just because they decided that it wasn't even worth trying to break into the market? because, they could have tried doing what Microsoft has been doing for a little while which was just to financially bleed while still gaining monthly active users. the difference here of course is that Microsoft has been in gaming for over 20 years.


why would you think it could be a bad sign?

That's just how Google operates. If its not an instant success, they immediately lose interest. Check out the Google graveyard. They do stuff like this so often, it's basically a meme.

Also strict review embargos typically signal that there's a problem and the publisher wants to mitigate some of the damage from day one sales. Doom 2016s multiplayer beta hurt that game's release hype so bad, Zenimax didn't even give out review codes. Luckily, in Dooms case, the multiplayer was the issue.

 

[Iceman]

why would you think it could be a bad sign?

It's not necessarily a bad sign but if they wanted to bury it and were worried about reviews this is what they would do. Could be other reasons as with some prior titles that ended up being fine but who knows. I just wanted it to be really good.

 

[XtremelyBaneful]

That's just how Google operates. If its not an instant success, they immediately lose interest. Check out the Google graveyard. They do stuff like this so often, it's basically a meme.

Also strict review embargos typically signal that there's a problem and the publisher wants to mitigate some of the damage from day one sales. Doom 2016s multiplayer beta hurt that game's release hype so bad, Zenimax didn't even give out review codes. Luckily, in Dooms case, the multiplayer was the issue.

for certain products, they do keep on pushing if it isn't an instant success. the Pixel smartphone series, for example. or maybe this example is their exception.

Google has also tried many times to come up with a competitor to iMessage. RCS kinda is their answer to it, but it's still a universal platform - not something Google themselves came up with.

 

[DarthSkywalker]

I would think then eventually Halo will be on the table too.

Played the first game for the first time this year. Loved it. The sequel looks even better. Hope to be able to play it soonish on PS5.

 

[Enriquespy]

Sorry, Did I miss when this game came out or something??? Like 2 years ago??

 

[Gee]

On par with the first. If you liked the first one you should like this too.

Senua's Saga: Hellblade II Reviews

Senua's Saga: Hellblade II is rated 'Strong' after being reviewed by 72 critics, with an overall average score of 83. It's ranked in the top 9% of games and recommended by 84% of critics.

opencritic.com

Senua's Saga: Hellblade II

The sequel to the award winning Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice, Senua returns in a brutal journey of survival through the myth and torment of Viking Iceland. Intent on saving those who have fallen victim to the horrors of tyranny, Senua faces a battle of overcoming the darkness within and without...

www.metacritic.com

Sorry, Did I miss when this game came out or something??? Like 2 years ago??

It came out in 2017. It's an indie game with AAA production values that was positively received by critics and by how well they tackled psychosis.

 

[Joe Von Zombie]

Not to bethat guy, but there isn't enough here to justify the 20 dollar price hike. Thank the gods for gamepass.

 

[Iceman]

Oh it’s out today! Will start the download/install.

 

[DarthSkywalker]

Not to bethat guy, but there isn't enough here to justify the 20 dollar price hike. Thank the gods for gamepass.

Which is exactly why it's 50 bucks. To get people onto gamepass. This is not sustainable for the Xbox.

 

[Sithborg]

Yeah, Microsoft bet big on game streaming. Which, surprise, faced the same post pandemic cut backs as all the other streaming services.

As for using gamepass vs buying, well, just remember Tango.

 

[Gee]

GP isn't 100% streaming, though. When MS used to do their "3 months for $1" promotions back then, all the games I tried/played were all downloaded to my SSD.

I do wonder how many GP subscribers actually use the service to stream games.

 

[Joe Von Zombie]

Which is exactly why it's 50 bucks. To get people onto gamepass. This is not sustainable for the Xbox.

Oh I'm more than aware. Gamepass is supposed to be their back door out of the console market but it's currently blowing up in their faces.

This isn't even just Microsoft problem. Subscription services have made entertainment more disposable than its arguably ever been. I think we're about to see a renaissance in mid budget entertainment across the board which is personally fine by me from a creative standpoint but the reality of that means a lot people will be out of work.