We’ve finally hit my personal favourite part of the ‘hammer Xbox’ cycle….namely…’gamepass is great y’all but ermmm does anyone think there are just too many games? Think I prefer buying my games one by one’.
Classic.
We are about to enter the final cycle of ‘jeez Xbox just can’t win game of the year ever can it?.
Following that we will cycle back to concerns about what Xbox has coming in 2024….we’ve simply not seen gameplay of these games,…I’m really concerned and then rinse and repeat….
Too many games? That’s rich.
Yeah, you see the Premium Console™ only release one game this year. Anything more than that is therefore deemed “too many”.
“It doesn’t feel like real art if I’m not paying a premium price for it”
They can have a victory lap about their “premium” GOTY bait games but in reality, these games are expensive to make and are money holes, don’t have the longevity as a well made RPG. It might help with their platform desirability, but the question now is “is it profitable”. One thing is for sure, Microsoft, now with ABK, are laughing at Sony’s profitability compared to theirs now. As for “premium” games for Microsoft, it will come with time, as it has talented studios. 90+ metacritic games can happen randomly and who knows, maybe Avowed can be the First Person version of Baldurs Gate 3 or maybe Fable will set the world on fire, anything can happen.
Agreed.
A site like GameFAQs was always a pretty toxic gaming forum but reached new levels now.
Maybe I am being cynical but I feel like MS chances of ever hitting a “90+ meta” is dead and Xbox owners should stop caring about such things ( along with GOTY for that matter) and just enjoy all the great games coming down the pike. Forza and Starfield have shown that their will always be outliers with agendas to knock the score down. Especially now after the ABK deal and gaming media showing their asses over it.
Already seen variations of all these arguments too mostly from shitty Youtubers. My favorite being them comparing Sony games to gourmet restaurant while Gamepass is the “cheap buffet”. The Quality over Quantity argument is funny seeing as how Gamepass has both but far be it for me to expect these people to actually know what’s available on the platform they want to dunk on.
Also the “Xbox Youtuber” who points out how xbox needs to start releasing bangers on the level of Spider Man" which is funny for a couple of reasons , but yeah it’s eye rolling to say the least. The goalposts will always change and no matter what Xbox does this will be the case. It is what it is…
While I agree with you completely, I can see Forza Horizon 6 and Flight Simulator 2024 hitting a 90+ but otherwise, I don’t see any Microsoft first party game getting a 90 on MC/OC.
I think you guys are being a bit cynical here. I can definitely see plenty of Xbox games cracking 90+ on MC. IMO considering all the bugs/performance issues, poor communication prior to launch, and some questionable design choices, I’m not surprised neither Starfield or Forza broke 90. Both came up rather short on the PC side on multiple fronts and missed the mark on some expectations that the marketing leading up to launch built. Doesn’t mean they aren’t great games though, same for any other game that sits somewhere in the 80s. I just think their games need to make sure they provide a polished and memorable experience to hit those heights and while they may be hitting one of those metrics, I don’t think they are hitting both quite yet.
I think Hellblade 2, Flight Sim, Fable, Forza Horizon 6, and others have a good chance to hit those scores. Heck, the first Hellblade got a 88 on Xbox and that game was made with a fraction of the budget Hellblade 2 has. MS still hasn’t ironed out all the issues with their content pipeline but they are getting there and are clearly learning from each release. Outside of Redfall, 2023 has been a great year for them and I wouldn’t be surprised if 2024 was even better. I’m usually rather cynical and critical myself, usually in favor of the consumer over any corporate interests, but I think we’ll see the output (and reception) surrounding Xbox games continue to improve as time goes on and the company continues to prove itself.
Edit:
I think it’s also worth noting that many of these games are basically version 1 with future iterations surely being better. Turn 10 reset the franchise with their recent release, Bethesda created their first space game, Arkane put out their first co-op shooter, and so on. So it’s more likely that they aren’t going to hit every mark on their first attempt. Look at how much was learned and how much better Skyrim was compared to Oblivion for example. Halo Infinite now is a ton better than it was at launch and I’m sure we’ll say the same about Forza in a year or two. Building the foundation now for better later is different than already having that foundation years ago and being able to build on it for this generation.
I agree for the most part, but Microsoft will be a significant part of the industry wether they want it or not. Sony and Nintendo gets scored higher than usual in review scores partly due to their market and mindshare dominance(especially nostalgia). However, the gaming media follow where the money is, and it would be a good Idea to get to Microsoft’s good side eventually especially as Microsoft will have significant sway in the industry especially considering the future of gaming.
Yep, we’re entering a new era of “doesn’t count”. 
Perhaps they should launch XBOX only and convert later, that would be a WILD ride. Frankly I take my hat off to the devs who have to deliver more skus, kudos.
While I don’t necessarily disagree, they can’t really go back on that now. They really need to give the devs enough time, resources, and support to fulfill those goals. Unfortunately none of that would change the questionable design choices that I think are really holding some of these games back. Some of the core strengths of previous Bethesda games are sorely lacking in Starfield, for example. In Skyrim, it was very rewarding to just travel the land and naturally discover new locations, caves, and dungeons. I don’t think the same can be said for Starfield where the scope and size of the game limited how rewarding general exploration can be. I’ve landed on a number of random planets and it was always some random outpost, research station, or cave that just required me to clear the area out and provided a few crates of lackluster loot. The best moments for me were when I stopped wondering around looking for fun and focusing on the missions, which were generally well designed.
I look at it this way -
Regardless of any issues with Starfield, we all know that up to this point and most likely for years to come, it was “the game” that is seen by many including myself as what truly kicks off this generation for Microsoft and Xbox. In my mind, reviewers knew this and there was no way that they were going to let Starfield hit a 90+.
If Starfield was a PlayStation 5 exclusive, it would have been an easy 90+ guaranteed. When I see gaming media with all of their bullshit articles on a daily basis, reposting the same shit like IGN with The Elder Scrolls VI (like, no shit sherlock) will be an Xbox exclusive or third party preview trailers that amazingly leave out the Xbox logo despite them being released on Xbox and this was done more than once to the fact that gaming media has been 100% against Microsoft and Xbox for the last decade and even more so since 2020 when they announced that they were acquiring Bethesda, it’s pretty obvious that the only games that will score 90+ are let’s be honest, the games that will never be seen as “the game” for Xbox or that they’re just another simulator or racing/sports game.
I’m NOT expecting any first party title from Microsoft to hit a 90+ outside of the two I previously mentioned. And when I say this, I mean including Bethesda and ABK in addition to Xbox Game Studios and Global Publishing titles. I just don’t have any confidence, faith or trust when it comes to gaming media reviewing Xbox games. There’s always some bullshit fucking agenda or narrative or this shit or that shit.
But we’ll see.
Side Note: If it was up to me, starting in 2024, I wouldn’t give anyone review codes at all unless they’re an objective Xbox fan like Jez, Rand, Matty, etc. because they’ve been critical of Microsoft and Xbox plenty of times so I would trust their opinion but outside of them and perhaps a few others, nah, just no way because everyone else is always negative against Xbox on a daily freaking basis.
And I would tell gaming sites like IGN, etc. that if they want to review the game, they can do so by signing up to Game Pass and play it that way or since they seem to care so much about sales, they can give Microsoft the $70 for the game and hell, they can give it a low score for all I care because at point, I could just look at it to where they’re all pissed off that they’re not getting free review codes.
I also wouldn’t do preview events or anything with these sites. I would simply do the same as reviews. Let the few people I select to preview the games and that’s it. The main reason why I would do this isn’t even because I don’t trust gaming media, it would be first and foremost to get people to just play the game on Game Pass for themselves instead of being dependent or reliant on reviews which is nothing more than someone else’s opinion.
Of course, this is just what I would do. I know Microsoft won’t do this even though I believe that they should.
I was being facetious (or tongue in cheek? can’t english) I like the fact Xbox as a brand is rather agnostic and go for studios who are both PC and Console centric. Its a weakness for reviews, but a strength in almost every other metric. I don’t believe in the convert later model frankly, the steam numbers (outside of GOW) speak for themselves on that front.
So although you will have a lower ‘rated game’, you are reaching much further, which is something that has been lacking with PS PC converts lately (Spiderman should NOT peak at 13,000 players)
I see it the opposite way. I think the amount of hype, build up, and boasting leading up to the game built up expectations to a degree the team was never going to match with their first attempt at a new IP. I don’t think it had anything to do with it being an Xbox game and instead it not living up to all the hype built up for it. They sold it as a space exploration game where the space exploration was one of the weaker parts. No one forced Xbox to proclaim Starfield was “one of the most important RPGs ever made” or it was the biggest game of the year. They should et the reviewers and gamers express those quotes, not try to beat people over the head with such lofty claims, only further building up unrealistic expectations.
It’s usually better to set expectations lower just to come out swinging, catching people off guard beating expectations. Unfortunately it doesn’t seem like Xbox has learned this yet.
There’s no way anyone can give any guarantee on what Starfield would score if it were on another platform, absolutely no way. Is there a bias against Xbox by some in the media? Sure, everyone has a bias to some extent. However there are also others have a bias towards Xbox. I just can’t fall in line of thinking where the few that have an agenda speaks for an entire industry, regardless if that agenda is for or against the platform I prefer. I still remember the plethora of positive Xbox articles in 2021,including multiple ones of people writing specifically to say they were switching from PS to Xbox, just for MS to squander the good will with the bone dry 2022 year while dropping the ball on their handling of Halo Infinite.
As an Xbox fan, with an Xbox bias, I don’t think these games deserved a 90+ MC average. So I don’t see them missing that mark as some sort of proof of some underlining agenda that’s infested the entire industry. It’s Xbox’s responsibility to change their image, mindshare, and output. They are working on that but that change isn’t going to happen overnight or even in a few years.
I see nothing good by giving preferential treatment to those with a clear Xbox bias and silencing everyone else that doesn’t cheerlead for the platform I like. If anything, that would only hurt mindshare, build animosity towards the brand, and really drive home the narrative that Xbox doesn’t have what it takes to compete.
I’d rather Xbox actually market the games around the core strengths of each title, marketing them in a more realistic way that better represents the final product, and at the end of the day, do less talking while letting the games speak for themselves. They just don’t do this and it continues to negatively impact them in the end. Think about it, what was the best received Xbox game this year? The one they shadow dropped and the one MS didn’t have the opportunity to insert their foot in their mouth.
Edit:
Oh sorry! Clearly went over my head lol. Sadly there is some truth to that though in that it can make it more difficult for the teams to produce titles as polished in the end. Not impossible but certainly adds some additional challenges.
I was lurking in Eurogamer’s forums and coments in news to see if users there have the same “pedigree” as the people who work there in reviews, articles…etc and…holy shit!! If you told me I was actually in neogaf I would believe it!
You cant say anything good about Xbox or you will get downvoted to hell or ratioed by other users telling you why thats not true or just trolling or arguing in bad fate…etc.
The worst thing is the moderation teams allow this and sometimes joins that circus and its the same in forums.
It seems eueogamer’s reviewers and its community are the totally opposite. Horrible experience.
You have to agree though that there are certain outlets waiting excitedly to dunk on anything from or attached to MS. We can name them. They mean that any Xbox meta score is probably a few points lower than the exact same game would be were it published elsewhere and on other systems too……
Starfield and FM don’t have a 9+ MC score because they don’t deserve, T10’s game could be up there if the Career mode had more work, same for the IA and if the game didn’t have these bugs/crashes, so, basically, if it released in 6-12 months, because the Online mode and the gameplay was simply nailed.
As for Starfield, as someone pointed out, Bethesda always shined for the exploration on their games, they were the best there, eventually Rockstar, Nintendo or From Software got up there too, but in 2007-2011, nobody could fight with Bethesda, reviewers didn’t care so much about other not so great parts of their games like the gameplay, AI, or some not that epic sidequests.
Starfield’s problem isn’t that the exploration isn’t as great as the games i mention, it’s just that there’s simply no exploration, or even that the game punishes you for explorating, finding the same exact cave, with the same loot and the same routes is a very weak design choice.
The game also didn’t greatly improve on the sections Bethesda wasn’t great at, so, yes, it’s hard to find it to be as great as Skyrim or Oblivion were.
Back in January i thought this would be the year of the Xbox first party with Redfall and FM being at 85-90 and Starfield going 90+, even maybe at 95ish. Turns out only FM reached 85 AFAIK, and this year was still the best one gaming wise in a long time, Gamepass delivered more than ever, so many good games, and nobody stops me from buying a masterpiece like BG3 when it releases.
Starfield is IMO the best game this gen. The point is people have different opinions. There is no singular truth!