XboxEra Community Hangout |OT12| The Dirty Dozen

[Julia]

@peter42O

I think Titan Quest was PC only back in the day but I may be wrong on that. No interest in Gothic Remake but it looks alright. 2025 at the earliest is my guess for both games.

Titan Quest is on Xbox and on sale right now. Barebones port.

[pg2g]

@Resist

Most likely they won’t really be able to be polish the game in 4-5 month to a degree that we the players will be able to notice and BG3 wasn’t polished at all despite being in EA for three years on release and still reviewed and sold well. So I’m not even sure polish matters overall.

I think any software developer would do cartwheels if given 4-5 more months with a feature complete product to do bug fixes and improvements.

[Zip]

@Sparda3g

https://x.com/xbox/status/1819495487155982486?s=46&t=O_AGT9SEnlptKOF_2SxtqQ

First time I see an official posting a delay with a reason.

Seems odd to me that Ara and Age of Mythology are the same month. They’re obviously different, but it seems like a bigger gap might have been useful there.

[Resist]

@pg2g

I think any software developer would do cartwheels if given 4-5 more months with a feature complete product to do bug fixes and improvements.

I’m sure they would, but I doubt it will have an affect on review scores or sales, is what I’m saying.

[Mort]

@Zip

Seems odd to me that Ara and Age of Mythology are the same month. They’re obviously different, but it seems like a bigger gap might have been useful there.

I don’t know, I won’t touch ARA until it hits console so no conflict for me.

[Zip]

@Resist

I’m sure they would, but I doubt it will have an affect on review scores or sales, is what I’m saying.

We’ll never be able to tell for sure, but getting it to a less packed slot might help sales and keep it from being forgotten, and time to spend smoothing out bugs and making things work a little better can’t hurt how people react to it when it’s available. I’m sure it’ll still get oddball low scores but it’ll probably mean a few points here and there.

@Mort

I don’t know, I won’t touch ARA until it hits console so no conflict for me.

Maybe, but in general they seem like they have similar target audiences. I’m definitely looking forward to Ara and will try to find time for it this year if possible.

[pg2g]

@Resist

I’m sure they would, but I doubt it will have an affect on review scores or sales, is what I’m saying.

Yeah, I think it just depends how it’s used. For some games, 4-5 months is the difference between launching with a 60fps mode and not.

[Staffy]

@Sparda3g

https://x.com/xbox/status/1819495487155982486?s=46&t=O_AGT9SEnlptKOF_2SxtqQ

First time I see an official posting a delay with a reason.

Good to have it official now, and February ain’t too bad. Now let’s hope Indiana Jones does drop this year. But surely it will, internally they must have known for when they have this planned to release and based on that decided to give Avowed some breathing room.

[nrXic]

@Resist

Most likely they won’t really be able to be polish the game in 4-5 month to a degree that we the players will be able to notice...

Players don’t notice polish in general.

But it’s something that will be reflected in review scores and the overall impression the game makes.

[Sparda3g]

Honestly glad that it’s delayed and really out of the choices, it’s the best one. If it’s to believe that all announced 2024 titles are coming, then it’s for the best since IJ is clearly the main event. Also, Avowed, while not really brand new IP (technically), can be lost in the shuffle. It could in fact get a Titanfall 2 result. No one wants that.

[Resist]

@nrXic

Players don’t notice polish in general.

But it’s something that will be reflected in review scores and the overall impression the game makes.

I’m not arguing that the game won’t be improved, but at some point, you gotta ship. And I think XGS (the people running them not Booty/Spencer/Bond) need to work together more so they aren’t all arent trying to release in Fall/Winter imo.

[pg2g]

@Resist

I’m not arguing that the game won’t be improved, but at some point, you gotta ship. And I think XGS (the people running them not Booty/Spencer/Bond) need to work together more so they aren’t all arent trying to release in Fall/Winter imo.

In my imagination, the games are done when the games are done and the only solution for spacing of games is to hold games that are ready to go (or forcing out incomplete games I suppose).

You can attempt to maintain a plan of games hitting in 3-6 month windows, but reality is nothing goes to plan. One or two games shifting messes up the whole plan. Some might come earlier than planned, some later but they are done when they are done short of crunching to try and meet an arbitrary goal of spacing.

[Resist]

@pg2g

In my imagination, the games are done when the games are done and the only solution for spacing of games is to hold games that are ready to go (or forcing out incomplete games I suppose).

You can attempt to maintain a plan of games hitting in 3-6 month windows, but reality is nothing goes to plan. One or two games shifting messes up the whole plan. Some might come earlier than planned, some later but they are done when they are done short of crunching to try and meet an arbitrary goal of spacing.

I agree, but all these Xbox games were targeting the same period (this fall) for since at least late last year (internally if not externally) so I think the decision should have been made way earlier to better assuage player expectations instead of 8 months into 2024. As Xbox is going out of there way to say this delay is because of scheduling and not polish.

[peter42O]

@nrXic

Not to discount your point here, but I personally think the game could use more time to hit its maximum potential. I am sure pretty much everyone will disagree with me on this (because there’s no evidence for my stance) but every time I saw the game I saw indications that it’s the sort of game that had all the systems in place and nailed the gameplay but needed a level of polish that the 4-5 months they had left wouldn’t cover completely.

I agree with you and have wanted Avowed to get delayed to 2025 for at least the last few months. Fall is too stacked and sending Avowed out to die against Dragon Age and Assassin’s Creed would have made no sense plus as you said, gives Obsidian more time for polishing the game.

Best of all, my first game of 2025 is now dated and Microsoft finally has a first party game releasing in the first quarter of the year and should hopefully lead to them spreading out their releases.

Because of this delay to February, I just extended my Game Pass Ultimate subscription for six more months through July 13th, 2025. Spent a total of $180 ($15 a month via a digital three month code on Amazon) in which I completed Flintlock ($40) already and have COD BO 6 and Stalker 2 which will total $140 if I actually bought them. These three games alone have already paid off an entire year of Game Pass Ultimate.

Plus, Doom The Dark Ages is most likely Spring and I can see South of Midnight being in the first half of 2025. Let’s go baby!!!

@Resist

I’m not arguing that the game won’t be improved, but at some point, you gotta ship. And I think XGS (the people running them not Booty/Spencer/Bond) need to work together more so they aren’t all arent trying to release in Fall/Winter imo.

They’ve already heard you since Avowed is February 18th, 2025. Hehehe. I can easily see Doom The Dark Ages and South of Midnight releasing in the first half of 2025 which will surpass the one game per quarter target that they want to hit.

@pg2g

In my imagination, the games are done when the games are done and the only solution for spacing of games is to hold games that are ready to go (or forcing out incomplete games I suppose).

You can attempt to maintain a plan of games hitting in 3-6 month windows, but reality is nothing goes to plan. One or two games shifting messes up the whole plan. Some might come earlier than planned, some later but they are done when they are done short of crunching to try and meet an arbitrary goal of spacing.

Agreed. All I care about are the games that Microsoft is releasing end up being great or better, especially the games that are on my list. I will forever be on #teamdelay. Game needs more time or too much already, push the game out. Nintendo is famous for holding onto games for months if not years and it’s always worked out because you only get one launch to make an impression.

[pg2g]

@Resist

I agree, but all these Xbox games were targeting the same period (this fall) for since at least late last year (internally if not externally) so I think the decision should have been made way earlier to better assuage player expectations instead of 8 months into 2024. As Xbox is going out of there way to say this delay is because of scheduling and not polish.

Scheduling also includes third party games as well as Game Pass deals, like the delay of Stalker and the (presumed) release of competing games like Dragon Age.

They also likely didn’t know with 100% certainty that everything would be ready, so if you decide to give Avowed more time 12 months in advance and then Indiana Jones doesn’t hit then we’re having a different (and much worse) discussion.

That said, i get the disappointment and I personally never thought they’d do this sort of thing but it probably is the right move.

[Resist]

@pg2g

th 100% certainty that everything would be ready, so if you decide to give Avowed more time 12 months in advance and then Indiana Jones doesn’t hit then we’re having a di

the leadership at these studios as well as Xbox in general have a pretty good idea of when third party games are releasing especially big ones.

[Sparda3g]

I guess this move is basically suffering from success kind.

[jasheeldz]

@Zip

Seems odd to me that Ara and Age of Mythology are the same month

I don’t know - RTS based on mythology and a PC only 4X game based on the mould of Civ are quite different.

There will be bleed over but not as much as you might think

[Zip]

@jasheeldz

I don’t know - RTS based on mythology and a PC only 4X game based on the mould of Civ are quite different.

There will be bleed over but not as much as you might think

My point is there’s more cross over than between say… Ara and Indiana Jones. I’m aware they’re very different, but I still think it’s too bad they aren’t spaced out more. Whatever though, it’s just my opinion.

[euV2]

@Resist

Most likely they won’t really be able to be polish the game in 4-5 month to a degree that we the players will be able to notice and BG3 wasn’t polished at all despite being in EA for three years on release and still reviewed and sold well. So I’m not even sure polish matters overall.

If the game is great players and reviewers will tend to overlook bugginess/performance, but if you continuously do it for your games, it only takes 1 mid/bad game for the whole thing to blow up in your face.

There’s a limit to these things and studios have to be careful not to burn up their goodwill. So, it’s better to play it safe if possible.