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Phil Spencer acknowledges ‘it’s been too long’ since Xbox’s last big first-party game

HeisenbergFX4

Gold Member
Snoop Dogg Reaction GIF




Starfield's gonna be a juggernaut.
As a massive Xbox fan the last few years I am tired of the next year is gonna be big talk

My entire gaming life I was a tried and true "Sony Pony" and I always owned Xbox but it never really got a lot of my love.

Then once I started gaming nightly with Ybarra and even Spencer on several occasions hearing them talk about the future (off the record stuff) man did I feel that energy and felt like Xbox was going to rule this gaming universe so I started hyping Xbox before this current gen launched

Then Ybarra left Xbox and while I still gamed with him occasionally it was always on World of Warcraft for obvious reasons but my hype for Xbox has slowly fizzled

I hope they have great things in store but I do not have a lot of faith that Starfield will run well on consoles and its by far the game I am most looking forward to
 
Hoping 2023 and on is a change for them in this regard
This is the issue with Xbox.

Every time people mention the lack of game releases someone goes “next year will be better” and that never happens. 2022 was suppose to be “that year” for them.

Nothing even has a release date for next year. But at least they are aware of these issues.
 
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ZehDon

Gold Member
It comes down to Spencer and co's (in)ability to manage their studios at a platform level. Going an entire year without a major release for your platform is a tall ask, doubly so when we're yet to see a single true system seller from Xbox. Halo Infinite cratering, Starfield being delayed, no other studio ready to step up; it simply piles on the pressure to deliver when the games do eventually start landing. Sony made sure that players had reasons to invest and ensured a stream of next-gen exclusives - albeit of varying levels of quality. But, that hit-or-miss is easier to swallow when it's not two years between releases. At some point, Xbox has to justify its 36 first party studios; titles like Halo Infinite and Redfall simply aren't going to cut it. Here's hoping Starfield was worth the delay - it's literally the only thing they've given a date.
 
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Punished Miku

Gold Member
Blah Blah Blah Talk GIF by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service


I’m sure he’s said the same in the past?

There’s only so much learning you can do Phil.

Surely at this point you know that 0 FP games in a year is unacceptable?

Sony and Nintendo had to deal with covid, and the worst year from either of them was Sony last year (who *only* released Returnal and Ratchet).

In b4 ‘but it takes tiiimmmmee’.
As Dusk Falls was this year and Pentiment is in 2 weeks. I get that's not for everyone, but it's not zero.
 

Punished Miku

Gold Member
Pentiment is niche as fuck. I can't see anyone subscribing to gamepass to play it. As Dusk falls has already been forgotten.
"Niche as fuck" is why I find it exciting and interesting, and have been looking forward to it for months. I actually hope they keep doing small, niche, unusual projects and don't just copy Sony's output.

The As Dusk Falls thread on here was nearly unanimous praise from everyone who played it, and most asked for the series to continue.

I conceded up front that they're not major releases so I don't know what else you expect to get from this. They still count even if you don't like them.
 
Given how much they've spent, it makes them look even worse. Well, they have a chance to start redeeming themselves next year.

GP might be the best thing ever (even though I'm not a sub), you still need to regularly release big titles to attract people's interest.
 

OmegaSupreme

advanced basic bitch
"Niche as fuck" is why I find it exciting and interesting, and have been looking forward to it for months. I actually hope they keep doing small, niche, unusual projects and don't just copy Sony's output.

The As Dusk Falls thread on here was nearly unanimous praise from everyone who played it, and most asked for the series to continue.

I conceded up front that they're not major releases so I don't know what else you expect to get from this. They still count even if you don't like them.
Sure. They are games that exist. I fail to see how this is acceptable output from the richest gaming company in the world. Especially since they've spent 100 billion dollars in the last 18 months on acquiring studios and publishers.
 
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gvWT8n3.png



ZFNIQFB.png





Every publisher has suffered delayed, but you can expect the same 2, 3 user names to come into these threads and say how only MS uses it as an excuse.

smh

I’m a Xbox guy, close to 200k gamerscore, I simply want them to do better and have had enough of this guys talk. If there is agenda it’s for them to do better. I’m not some Sony troll or zealot, to be clear.
 
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Chukhopops

Member
The fact that you don't see the glaring irony of this post is both hilarious and troubling at the same time.
Those games have actually shipped though and are generating profit.

Well God of War very shortly.

Plus demons souls, ratchet, Last of Us Part 1, returnal. Will I go on?
Argument: « only MS seems to be affected by COVID »
Rebuttal: examples of other games being delayed because of COVID

Seems like you’re trying to change the argument initially made but my point remains correct.
 

adamsapple

Or is it just one of Phil's balls in my throat?
Pretty sure the point was they still got released before 2023.

That's why I said...effected the most....and you actually bolded that in my post....

That wasn't your point, don't backpedal now lol.

That's like if I say "Pretty sure Starfield released before 2025".

The examples above are games which had up to 1 year long delays because of covid. Starfield, Redfall were 2022 games which are releasing in 2023 now.

It's the same lengths of delays.


Argument: « only MS seems to be affected by COVID »
Rebuttal: examples of other games being delayed because of COVID

Seems like you’re trying to change the argument initially made but my point remains correct.

In real time:

moving-goalpost.gif
 
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Punished Miku

Gold Member
Sure. They are games that exist. I fail to see how this is acceptable output from the richest gaming company in the world. Especially since they've spent 100 billion dollars in the last 18 months on accusations.
I was just responding to the post that said there's zero first party, which is not true.

I can answer your question though on why it's "acceptable output." Gamepass. Without GP Xbox gamers would be revolting. Some are still not pleased I'm sure. But I'd say most GP subscribers are tolerating the slower first party output for now because the GP output is so heavy that it's hard to play everything already. You can say that's a dodge, but that's just a description of what it's like when I turn on my Xbox all of 2022. Kind of a desperate scramble to play things before they leave GP, and barely accomplishing that. That goes a long way on buying them time. Trying to beat Forgotten City today, before getting to Nobody Saves the World, Signalis, and Plague Tale 2 soon. Pentiment next month. Tons of other GP games in the backlog I want to play. Haven't really gotten into Scorn yet. High on Life next month. Wo Long next year.

I don't think anyone is saying their FP output it amazing right now. It's mostly just a big group of people that agree it's been ridiculously slow.

But as I've said for a while now, it's objectively a fact that FP games are coming at some point. It's just undeniable. Too many studios. So if you've accepted the fact that it's going to work out eventually, and you're fine with the current line-up on GP as is, then it's not that hard to see why some people are landing on "acceptable," and waiting for them to get their major games out.
 
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jroc74

Phone reception is more important to me than human rights
Argument: « only MS seems to be affected by COVID »
Rebuttal: examples of other games being delayed because of COVID

Seems like you’re trying to change the argument initially made but my point remains correct.
But you bolded where I said....effected the most...and are now conveniently leaving that out.

You seem to be missing the point.

And God of War wasn't just because of Covid. Devs and VA tweeted about waiting for VA to recover from surgery.
 
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Microsoft’s problem was that pre-acquisitions, their studio library was tiny. Then they bought a slew of studios, but most of them were already deep in development of games. And most of these studios were small and struggling, hence the reason they were open to being bought/actively seeking acquisition. Most of them aren’t really equipped to do what Obsidian has done and work on multiple real titles at once.

Then you throw COVID on top of it, and also they had bad public perception because all of these studios they bought would finally release games and they were almost all multiplat or even PlayStation exclusive.

We all know it’ll only be a matter of time before all of these studios are firing on all cylinders. In the meantime they should be eternally grateful that they’ve had GamePass because it’s really saved them. Even with literally zero Microsoft games this year save Grounded (I may be forgetting something) my backlog is huge.
 
“One thing we’ve definitely heard loud and clear is it’s been too long since we’ve shipped what people would say is a big first-party game,” Phil Spencer said on the Same Brain videocast.

“And as an industry we have fewer games this holiday than we’ve had in a while, when you just think about the launches. Call of Duty is coming, God of War is coming – which is great – Nintendo’s had a good year. But in general I would say we’ve been a little light"

“We can have our excuses with Covid and other things, but in the end I know people invest in our platform and they want to have great games.”

Esports L GIF by Tribe Gaming

Hold this L, GAF.

You people were willing to crucify me in sept for pointing this out. Microsoft's Unorthodox "Inclusive unexclusive" Strategy in Gaming Jeopardizes Exclusive Games.
 
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mxbison

Member
They better put some third party bangers on GamePass, first party lineup doesn't look like it's gonna do it right now.
 

Chukhopops

Member
But you bolded where I said....effected the most...and are now conveniently leaving that out.

You seem to be missing the point.
I don’t know how you can measure « effected the most » especially since the only game to have a release date announced initially is Starfield, others had no date announced.

Starfield was announced initially for December 22 so of course a delay would push it to 2023. God of War was announced for 2021 and comes out in November so that’s at least 11 months delay.

Again my point is: everything got impacted and delayed by COVID.
 

Skifi28

Member
It's OK, if things look bad next year you can always try and take a few more games away from your main competitor.

I mean Google, what did you think?
 

jroc74

Phone reception is more important to me than human rights
I don’t know how you can measure « effected the most » especially since the only game to have a release date announced initially is Starfield, others had no date announced.

Starfield was announced initially for December 22 so of course a delay would push it to 2023. God of War was announced for 2021 and comes out in November so that’s at least 11 months delay.

Again my point is: everything got impacted and delayed by COVID.
How long has Starfield been in development...

Sony had delays and still released games in:

2020
2021
2022

That's why I said effected...the most...

And again, God of War wasn't delayed only because of Covid.

Its like you are choosing to ignore what I posted..
 
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Kenneth Haight

Gold Member
Argument: « only MS seems to be affected by COVID »
Rebuttal: examples of other games being delayed because of COVID

Seems like you’re trying to change the argument initially made but my point remains correct.
I’m sorry, I’m not trying to change the argument.

Those are all examples of games that were delayed but have subsequently released. As others have said if Sony first party went a calendar year without releasing a first party title I would be thirsty.
 

adamsapple

Or is it just one of Phil's balls in my throat?
Sony had delays and still released games in:

2020
2021
2022

That's why I said effected...the most...

2020
Wasteland Remastered
Ori and Will of Wisps
Bleeding Edge
Gears Tactics
Minecraft Dungeons
Flight Sim
Battletoads
Tell Me Why
AOE3: Definitive Edition

2021
Psychonauts 2
Age of Empires IV
Forza Horizon 5
Halo: Infinite

2022
Grounded
Pentiment
As Dusk Falls

Add Deathloop and Ghostwire as MS studios published games as well if needed.

You can see when they started to feel the covid related delays in late 2021/2022 based on this list of published games last 3 years.

Regardless, this "they are the only ones who didn't release games" meme is pretty hollow.
 
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jorgejjvr

Member
This is the issue with Xbox.

Every time people mention the lack of game releases someone goes “next year will be better” and that never happens. 2022 was suppose to be “that year” for them.

Nothing even has a release date for next year. But at least they are aware of these issues.
I said hoping, I don't know if next year will be better. But I hope so. If not, still plenty to play everywhere else, including 3rd party games on game pass
 
Years and years and years and years and even *more* years to come of Phil Spencer over-promising, not really delivering at all and downright lying through his teeth but the Xbox Defense Patrol still riding *hard* for the man, that's some next-level brainwashing, give Phil credit where it's due 👍.

Uv7e8fa.jpg
 

Chukhopops

Member
I’m sorry, I’m not trying to change the argument.

Those are all examples of games that were delayed but have subsequently released. As others have said if Sony first party went a calendar year without releasing a first party title I would be thirsty.
Good thing it didn’t happen for MS either then? Even if you don’t want to count Deathloop there’s still Grounded which released a month ago or so.

And again, if a game planned for 2020 is delayed by a year it releases in 2021. If a game planned for 2022 is delayed by a year it releases in 2023. But both games have had the exact same delay…
 

Haggard

Banned
MS has been promising a steady flow of AAA first party offerings since ~2014. Fast forward 8 years later and we still mostly see news about more studio acquisitions instead of game releases....
Even MS seems to have realized that they are too incompetent to do this on their own and decided to simply throw money at it and bring 3rd party IPs unter the MS umbrella instead of building their own.
 

jroc74

Phone reception is more important to me than human rights
Not sure what your point is at this stage, MS has also released first party games during those years?

6 in 2020
5 in 2021
3 in 2022

You keep changing your argument but it’s not getting any better overall.
I'm not changing anything, you are just choosing to ignore...effected the most...

But hey, Phil acknowledges the problem, that's all that matters.
 
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