Would be interesting to see what percentage of that is from China, my early guess would be roughly 90%. The largest gaming community playing a game developed in country, based on one of the greatest novels in the countries history. Sounds like a recipe for $$$!
The volumetrics on PC during the first battle in the clouds is truly impressive.
Yeah less powerful specs for the series s was a bad call, and it's only going to get worse once Microsoft and PlayStation release their pro versions in the next year or so
Yeah less powerful specs for the series s was a bad call, and it's only going to get worse once Microsoft and PlayStation release their pro versions in the next year or so
Xbox won't be releasing a mid gen pro version from everything the company has said. What they need to do is just drop the required release of all games on the Series S and X.
In games that require robust machines, allow for porting to the more capable console. It's definitely been a big issue for dinner developers and I get it. Xbox needs to take the L here and look at what needs to be done to get these types of games on the series X console.
Xbox won't be releasing a mid gen pro version from everything the company has said. What they need to do is just drop the required release of all games on the Series S and X.
In games that require robust machines, allow for porting to the more capable console. It's definitely been a big issue for dinner developers and I get it. Xbox needs to take the L here and look at what needs to be done to get these types of games on the series X console.
I imagine what we'll see is while Sony pushes out the PS5 Pro this year, Microsoft will leap the Pro release and go straight to the next step in their line-up and we'll end up with a power dynamic of:
Series S (No longer supported on all new games) --> Series X / PS5 --> PS5 Pro --> Super Xbox
Sony will then release a PS6, at which point it'll end up in front of "Super Xbox"
The big change that I'm interested to see is what Microsoft does (do they allow Steam/Epic game store on consoles?), and what Microsoft and Sony both do with their rumoured handhelds.
I don't imagine Microsoft is going to release any more gaming hardware. They've lost so thoroughly to Sony that they need to bring first party games to that platform now to be profitable, and competing with Nintendo in the handheld space has been a losing prospect for 30 years. Even if they're looking at the 'premium' handheld space, there's already entrenched competitors that people wouldn't be eager to move on from today, let alone 'X' # of years in the future when they'd finally get something to market. Everything they've done in 2024 has so far indicated they're (slowly) transitioning to being a third party publisher, a space where they could be the biggest and make a ton of money.
The focus was always shifting to getting Gamepass into as many homes as possible, so don't think that changes.
Also think they will still release some hardware - it just won't be as big of a focus and they won't subsidize it to sell at a loss.
I think they probably open up Gamepass to multiplatform...try to create something to compete with Steam Deck potentially, and also still have a console which gets them into more homes than just relying on PC/Sony/3rd party hardware.
The focus was always shifting to getting Gamepass into as many homes as possible, so don't think that changes.
Also think they will still release some hardware - it just won't be as big of a focus and they won't subsidize it to sell at a loss.
I think they probably open up Gamepass to multiplatform...try to create something to compete with Steam Deck potentially, and also still have a console which gets them into more homes than just relying on PC/Sony/3rd party hardware.
I think the bolded here is true, The next bit of hardware XBOX sells will be "biggest generational" leap hardware they talked about at along with a handheld. Both being sold to make Microsoft money.
This generation they got their Gamepass subscribers.
Most of the way done with Chapter 3, Wukong gets much better as you progress. The ability to change your build anytime is nice. So far I only encountered one missable spirit but that’s fine I’m pretty locked in on the only one I use (earth wolf 4 life)
Anyone try Little Kitty Big City? I'm hopeful it will run on my old ass PC, and really like the idea of a game that is just laid back single player fun without the story being completely dark or disturbing.
So, I did pick this up a couple months back and just finished this game tonight.
It's very easy to pick up and put down and play some other stuff and come back to. I have about 7 hours into the game, and have done just about everything you can do. I have a couple of achievements that are "Do a lot of this thing" that I haven't done yet, but I've done everything else.
This is a very light, 'fluffy' sort of game. There's no urgency, and it's just fun all around. It's much more 'cat simulator' than Stray is. The quests, such as there are, are short and easy to figure out.
The game is meant to be played with a controller, so it was a touch janky on the controls with keyboard/mouse, but nothing too crazy or game play affecting.
This game was a lot of fun.
Last edited by WhiteTiger; 08-27-2024 at 10:18 PM.
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Most of the way done with Chapter 3, Wukong gets much better as you progress. The ability to change your build anytime is nice. So far I only encountered one missable spirit but that’s fine I’m pretty locked in on the only one I use (earth wolf 4 life)
I had some money on my PSN account so decided to give it a go, I haven't played too much yet just the first boss but I agree 100% the ability to change your sparks and respec anytime is awesome. Makes the game much more accessible to everyone. I swapped points around on the first boss a few times until I found a style that felt good to me instead of just farming levels to overlevel the encounter. Although I have very little time into this game and its a great game so far I still think its far from a game of the year, but I also thought Hogwarts Legacy was game of the year last year and it didn't even get nominated.
^ Hogwarts legacy would have been good except the NPCs never wore hats/scarves/glasses. Everyone else is looking normal and I am the only one running around looking like a tweaked out Grateful Dead fan.
Well that and that there was no consequence of running around Avada Kedavra-ing everything. If there was ever a game that screamed for a meaningful reputation system...
I should have had hundreds of horcruxes.
__________________ Uncertainty is an uncomfortable position.
But certainty is an absurd one.
I had some money on my PSN account so decided to give it a go, I haven't played too much yet just the first boss but I agree 100% the ability to change your sparks and respec anytime is awesome. Makes the game much more accessible to everyone. I swapped points around on the first boss a few times until I found a style that felt good to me instead of just farming levels to overlevel the encounter. Although I have very little time into this game and its a great game so far I still think its far from a game of the year, but I also thought Hogwarts Legacy was game of the year last year and it didn't even get nominated.
Many mainstream outlets were boycotting coverage of it due to JK Rowling's controversial stances.
Didn't really make a difference or anything though, it was the best selling game of the year last year.
If you haven't played the amazing DS-vania trilogy, or didn't want to pay the eye watering prices for Order of Ecclesia, now's your chance to give them a shot!
EDIT: It's available on all platforms, not just Switch.
Last edited by Mazrim; 08-27-2024 at 01:45 PM.
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I don't imagine Microsoft is going to release any more gaming hardware. They've lost so thoroughly to Sony that they need to bring first party games to that platform now to be profitable, and competing with Nintendo in the handheld space has been a losing prospect for 30 years. Even if they're looking at the 'premium' handheld space, there's already entrenched competitors that people wouldn't be eager to move on from today, let alone 'X' # of years in the future when they'd finally get something to market. Everything they've done in 2024 has so far indicated they're (slowly) transitioning to being a third party publisher, a space where they could be the biggest and make a ton of money.
That doesn't strike me as particularly likely. They've claimed they have more console users at present than ever in their history, and console remains a fairly crucial conduit into Microsoft's all-important subscription universe. I do think that the Series S was a mistake on balance, but people get way too myopically focused on the fact that Sony's sold more hardware than Microsoft. When you zoom out and look at the two businesses, MS is a giant in the industry now and will I'm sure be happy to continue providing their own hardware as a means to access their software and services, at least for the foreseeable future.
That doesn't strike me as particularly likely. They've claimed they have more console users at present than ever in their history, and console remains a fairly crucial conduit into Microsoft's all-important subscription universe. I do think that the Series S was a mistake on balance, but people get way too myopically focused on the fact that Sony's sold more hardware than Microsoft. When you zoom out and look at the two businesses, MS is a giant in the industry now and will I'm sure be happy to continue providing their own hardware as a means to access their software and services, at least for the foreseeable future.
Microsoft also didn't just lose $200M on Concord, instead they own the incumbent in that space with Overwatch. Microsoft openly admitted, or at least Spencer did back in the talk leading up to Starfield that there was never going to be a world where Starfield was so good that Microsoft suddenly started selling more consoles than Sony. That just isn't a battle Microsoft is going to win at this point, and their actions show that they understand that. They're focusing on everything that surrounds the hardware sales, and in my opinion they're crushing that.
Will that lead to immediate growth in their hardware business? Not likely, or at least not in any meaningful way in the short term...but as time progresses? Who knows - but like with most things when it comes to Microsoft, they're not a very sheepish company. Whether the hardware 'play' becomes much more aggressive in 2 years, 5 years, or 10 years - if there's business to be had and money to make, Microsoft will be there, and aggressively so.
