Xbox Official Xbox thread

[Madmick]

This is huge. I've been waiting for this. They promised it over a year ago. I've jumped in and tested the beta a dozen or so times on PC.

While lag is already more tolerable on a PC than an Android phone right now, the step down in graphical quality is noticeable when you compare it to NVIDIA's GeForce Now-- when properly calibrated. It's more laggy, too, but the graphics are the big separator, though that probably isn't all about the server's processing power. The difference between a 1.404 TFLOPS (GCN 1.0) and 11.76 TFLOPS (Pascal) server is night and day even after compression. I've used Control as a testing title which might be a bit unfair because it's NVIDIA-optimized, but it was also optimized for the XSX/XSS, so the new servers should balance that out.

The top tweet there is why Microsoft is going to eat Stadia's lunch. Google has been crawling on this when they needed to sprint since they have no other wedge into gaming.

I forecast this as the key cornerstone strategy for the future of any cloud gaming service roughly a year ago:

As I wrote in the other thread all of these companies are attempting to rope consumers into helping finance the R&D for a future technology rather than financing it themselves.

As I see it the ultimate stage of development will be when this service comes installed in TVs like Smart TVs that already carry HTPC capability out of the box. It doesn't require powerful hardware; the most demanding aspect, really, is the networking card built into the chipset. All it needs is this chipset + the software. Then you subscribe to whatever service is offered on that particular TV.

At that point every TV sold will be a gaming console ready to go.

 

[jerzey devil]

Possibly more acquisitions?

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.ga...nouncing-3-developer-acquisitions-at-e3-2021/

More Xbox acquisitions could be on the way, according to Jeff Grubb, who said on his podcast that he's heard rumors of at least three new studios that have been brought into the Microsoft ecosystem. While there's no indication that these could be revealed at E3, Grubb does specify that the studios he's heard mentioned are Hitman developer IO interactive, Crytek, and Avalanche Studios, the team behind the Just Cause games.

Yesterday, it was revealed that Xbox is actively pursuing more developer acquisitions after it purchased Bethesda parent company ZeniMax Media last year. With the Xbox and Bethesda Games Showcase taking place on June 13, it's certainly the perfect time to reveal an acquisition and capitalize on that E3 2021 hype.

The studios that are rumored are certainly interesting. IO Interactive has only recently released Hitman 3and is has since announced that it's currently working on a new James Bond-themed Project 007 as well as an unannounced title. Avalanche is a studio well-known for its open-world games such as Rage 2 and Just Cause 4 that have made use of the Apex game engine to introduce devastating weather effects. The studio teased a new project last year.

As for Crytek, the studio was behind the original Far Cry title and the Crysis titles. The Crysis Remastered Trilogy is already on the way this year for PC and consoles, but the studio is also known to be working on a new AAA project that is said to be an open-world game.

 

[jerzey devil]

https://www.google.com/amp/s/gamerant.com/xbox-acquisition-five-studios-e3/amp/

What's led the rumors to grow, however, is additional commentary from GamesBeat reporter Jeff Grubb on the GamesBeat Decides podcast. When asked about the initial rumor of three possible Xbox acquisitions, Grubb offered up three names. Those names are Avalanche, IO Interactive, and Crytek. Today, Grubb was asked once again, since the number had increased. Grubb added two more names, NetherRealm and Rocksteady. Needless to say, these are some very big possible acquisitions.

 

[rikwebb]

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.ga...nouncing-3-developer-acquisitions-at-e3-2021/

More Xbox acquisitions could be on the way, according to Jeff Grubb, who said on his podcast that he's heard rumors of at least three new studios that have been brought into the Microsoft ecosystem. While there's no indication that these could be revealed at E3, Grubb does specify that the studios he's heard mentioned are Hitman developer IO interactive, Crytek, and Avalanche Studios, the team behind the Just Cause games.

Yesterday, it was revealed that Xbox is actively pursuing more developer acquisitions after it purchased Bethesda parent company ZeniMax Media last year. With the Xbox and Bethesda Games Showcase taking place on June 13, it's certainly the perfect time to reveal an acquisition and capitalize on that E3 2021 hype.

The studios that are rumored are certainly interesting. IO Interactive has only recently released Hitman 3and is has since announced that it's currently working on a new James Bond-themed Project 007 as well as an unannounced title. Avalanche is a studio well-known for its open-world games such as Rage 2 and Just Cause 4 that have made use of the Apex game engine to introduce devastating weather effects. The studio teased a new project last year.

As for Crytek, the studio was behind the original Far Cry title and the Crysis titles. The Crysis Remastered Trilogy is already on the way this year for PC and consoles, but the studio is also known to be working on a new AAA project that is said to be an open-world game.

IO Interactive is an interesting case, it's only been 4 years or so that they became independent again after being owned by Square for 13 years.

Plus having Crytek and their game engine will be a great addition to stuff like Id Tech. Guessing Crytek managed to sort themselves out after the troubles they had a few years ago.

 

[Strychnine]

Sorry if this isn't the place for this but Gears Of War Tactics is on sale now for $9.99

Gears Tactics Xbox One, Xbox Series X GFT-00001 - Best Buy

AmazonSmile: Gears Tactics - Xbox Series X & Xbox One: Video Games

 

[Deadwing88]

IO Interactive is an interesting case, it's only been 4 years or so that they became independent again after being owned by Square for 13 years.

Plus having Crytek and their game engine will be a great addition to stuff like Id Tech. Guessing Crytek managed to sort themselves out after the troubles they had a few years ago.

Considering a large bulk of their resources will be tied up in developing a exclusive RPG for Microsoft..

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.eu...per-reportedly-developing-fantasy-ip-for-xbox

The acquisition would make some degree of sense.

 

[rikwebb]

Considering a large bulk of their resources will be tied up in developing a exclusive RPG for Microsoft..

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.eu...per-reportedly-developing-fantasy-ip-for-xbox

The acquisition would make some degree of sense.

Good point, completely forgot about that game. I know they are also working on that 007 game too.

 

[GearSolidMetal]

 

[Deadwing88]

A clearer picture of upcoming gamepass titles.

 

[Deadwing88]

 

[Strychnine]

 

[Deadwing88]

Todd Howard interview on starfield.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/gaming/...-reveal-exclusive-todd-howard-spent-25-years/

"It's also a bit more hardcore of a role playing game than we've done. It's got some really great character systems – choosing your background, things like that. We’re going back to some things that we used to do in games long ago that we felt have really let players express the character they want to be. So I think when you see it being played, you would recognise it as something we made.”

 

[GearSolidMetal]

Ok, so in what other ways can they pump their playerbase for money?

 

[Deadwing88]

Nice. Did they say when they are going to start doing the 1 first party game per quarter?

I think we now have a better timescale of this..

2021 -
Psychonauts (optimised version exclusive to series X/PC ) - August 2021

Scorn - Fall 2021

The Gunk - Fall 2021

Age of Empire IV (PC) - October.

Forza Horizon 5 - November 9th.

Halo Infinite - Holiday 2021.

2022 -

Stalker 2 (timed exclusive) - April 2022.

Redfall (Summer 2022)

Starfield (November 2022).

Ghostwire Tokyo ( end of PS timed exclusivity).

Deathloop (end of PS timed exclusivity).

*Forza Motorsport (seemingly Jeff Grubb has confirmed this will release in 2022, either way I'm not a fan of the more sim based Forza lol).

I've left out third party Gamepass deals such as Back 4 Blood, and random exclusive indies such as Deaths Door, 12 Minutes and Replaced..

 

[SaiWa]

I think we now have a better timescale of this..

2021 -
Psychonauts (optimised version exclusive to series X/PC ) - August 2021

Scorn - Fall 2021

The Gunk - Fall 2021

Age of Empire IV - October.

Forza Horizon 5 - November 9th.

Halo Infinite - Holiday 2021.

2022 -

Stalker 2 (timed exclusive) - April 2022.

Redfall (Summer 2022)

Starfield (November 2022).

Ghostwire Tokyo ( end of PS timed exclusivity).

Deathloop (end of PS timed exclusivity).

*Forza Motorsport (seemingly Jeff Grubb has confirmed this will release in 2022, either way I'm not a fan of the more sim based Forza lol).

I've left out third party Gamepass deals such as Back 4 Blood, and random exclusive indies such as Deaths Door, 12 Minutes and Replaced..

Age of Empires IV is only for Gamepass PC. They never tried to make a console version for AoE III but it probably plays badly on console (at a guess).

 

[Madmick]

Age of Empires IV is only for Gamepass PC. They never tried to make a console version for AoE III but it probably plays badly on console (at a guess).

God-view RTS has always worked poorly with anything other than a KB+M (the inputs on which the genre was pioneered). I certainly wouldn't want to play it on anything else.

Strangely, though, at the showcase, it also carried the "Xbox Cloud Gaming" following its meaning it would be playable via the Cloud for Game Pass Ultimate subscribers. Cloud Gaming is still in beta on every compatible device, but you can play right now via:

• Android 6.0+ smartphones via Game Pass app (Android 8.0+ may be desirable if you don't want to deal with controller mapping issues for non-Xbox controllers)
• Windows PC via web browser
• iPhones & iPads via web browser

Support coming later this year:

• Windows PC via Xbox app directly
• Xbox One

 

[Deadwing88]

Age of Empires IV is only for Gamepass PC. They never tried to make a console version for AoE III but it probably plays badly on console (at a guess).

I'm aware.. but it is "first party" and @method115 who asked the question, uses gamepass on PC, anyway.

 

[TeTe]

I'm at the point where I'd buy a Series S. Not like I plan on getting a 4k tv any time soon.

 

[Madmick]

I'm at the point where I'd buy a Series S. Not like I plan on getting a 4k tv any time soon.

 

[Strychnine]

I'm at the point where I'd buy a Series S. Not like I plan on getting a 4k tv any time soon.

BRO! If you have Prime, just wait for prime day on the 21st and 22nd of this month. Amazon will practically be giving 4K tv's away. Let me tell you when the 4K update came out for The Division 2, I booted it up and was like...

The difference is just... Wow.