The Video Game Thread

[Simmsy]

1. I'm really upset that I can't play anything Death Stranding, I'm not sure why its a PS exclusive, doesn't seem like the kind of game that would thrive as a PS exclusive. Out of all of the exclusives, this is probably the only one of Sony's that I've had any interest in and my interest to play this game is high. I'm still playing MGS5 and I absolutely love it! Thats my kind of game play, maybe I'll get to play it one day.

 

2. I fee like I'm stuck in a gaming rut, so I'm trying something new...a 4x strategy game on Gamepass called "Humankind". Basically, if you're familiar, its a Civilization knockoff. I've heard good things about it, seems very deep and complicated and I'm willing to immerse myself into something like this to learn how to play. At least thats what I'm telling myself, lets see how it goes once I'm drowning in menus (also, I'm playing on Xbox).

 

3. Palworld! We must talk about this game, the "Pokemon killer/thief"...this game is good! Pokemon is the same game I used to play over 25 years ago with graphical upgrades and minor gameplay tweaks. What makes Palworld so great is that it takes what makes Pokemon so much fun and builds EVERYTHING on top of that and puts it in a blender. You have open world exploration (comparable to Breath of the Wild), base building, crafting, etc. If you're able to, check this game out.

[ixcuincle]

 

[The Evil Genius]

Looks like Microsoft has waved the 🏳️‍.

 

 

 

[purbeast]

Damn we bout to see Halo on PS5 soon lol.

[PleaseBlitz]

I guess I should figure out if Starfield is any good then. 

[dfitzo53]

2 hours ago, PleaseBlitz said:

I guess I should figure out if Starfield is any good then. 

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1716740/Starfield/

 

It is hard to overstate how wild it is that a AAA title from a proven studio that was supposed to make a huge splash has "Mostly Negative" recent reviews on Steam. That's extremely rare. 

 

I know a couple people who are enjoying it, but their take is more "I dunno, it's decent I guess" than "Dude, you have to play this game!"

 

I say all that to say, if you are wondering whether you're missing anything by skipping Starfield, the answer is almost certainly no. If you really think you'd enjoy it then maybe go for it, but the odds don't look good. 

[The Evil Genius]

3 hours ago, purbeast said:

Damn we bout to see Halo on PS5 soon lol.

 

2 hours ago, PleaseBlitz said:

I guess I should figure out if Starfield is any good then. 

 

It will be AAA games after all the bugs are worked out too. Looks like Xbox peeps get to beta test their stuff for us Sony people. 

[Simmsy]

If this is true, then it would actually kill the Xbox. I don't see why SOME titles couldn't come to the PS5, but if they all do...then there is no point in owning an Xbox. You would literally be better off buying a Playstation, you guys don't really think Microsoft made all of these big moves just to cave, do you? Even so, if it isn't true at all, the damage has been done. Microsoft has yet to come out to either confirm or deny, so a lot of people are taking that as confirmation.

[purbeast]

Microsoft is still losing money on console sales.

 

They are planning on killing off physical media for Xbox this year.

 

It's clear as day they are trying to go gamepass and/or a streaming service only.   

 

I kind of don't think they CARE if the Xbox console is going to die of.  I think it's their long term plan.  I don't think they plan on making another console after the current Series ones.  It's basically just an underpowered PC at this point with every game being on PC as well.

[PleaseBlitz]

2 hours ago, dfitzo53 said:

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1716740/Starfield/

 

It is hard to overstate how wild it is that a AAA title from a proven studio that was supposed to make a huge splash has "Mostly Negative" recent reviews on Steam. That's extremely rare. 

 

I know a couple people who are enjoying it, but their take is more "I dunno, it's decent I guess" than "Dude, you have to play this game!"

 

I say all that to say, if you are wondering whether you're missing anything by skipping Starfield, the answer is almost certainly no. If you really think you'd enjoy it then maybe go for it, but the odds don't look good. 

 

Blah, that's too bad. 

[Simmsy]

2 hours ago, purbeast said:

Microsoft is still losing money on console sales.

 

They are planning on killing off physical media for Xbox this year.

 

It's clear as day they are trying to go gamepass and/or a streaming service only.   

 

I kind of don't think they CARE if the Xbox console is going to die of.  I think it's their long term plan.  I don't think they plan on making another console after the current Series ones.  It's basically just an underpowered PC at this point with every game being on PC as well.

 

Over 80% of Gamepass goes thru the Xbox console, to kill it now would kill Gamepass. If this is/was the plan, it wasn't the plan for a long time, they have to denounce this because there will be no reason to support the Xbox afterwards. MS has tried to put Gamepass on other platforms and it didn't work out, Gamepass can't survive on it's own yet. Once again, what would be the point of owning an Xbox? What would be the point of owning Gamepass? The rumored business model doesn't work out, MS has ton of money to throw at this, much more than Sony. I don't know why people would think they would just give up now.

 

Also, I saw the rumor sprout last night, it started as just Starfield coming to PS5, then it evolved to the new Indy game, then all all Xbox games, then no more consoles ever. I think we all need to chill until MS comes out and says something this evening, then we can panic.

[purbeast]

6 minutes ago, Simmsy said:

 

Over 80% of Gamepass goes thru the Xbox console, to kill it now would kill Gamepass. If this is/was the plan, it wasn't the plan for a long time, they have to denounce this because there will be no reason to support the Xbox afterwards. MS has tried to put Gamepass on other platforms and it didn't work out, Gamepass can't survive on it's own yet. Once again, what would be the point of owning an Xbox? What would be the point of owning Gamepass? The rumored business model doesn't work out, MS has ton of money to throw at this, much more than Sony. I don't know why people would think they would just give up now.

 

Also, I saw the rumor sprout last night, it started as just Starfield coming to PS5, then it evolved to the new Indy game, then all all Xbox games, then no more consoles ever. I think we all need to chill until MS comes out and says something this evening, then we can panic.

I never said kill the current Xbox console.  I said I don't think there will be one after the current series versions.  We're like 2-3 years into the current gen and they last like 7-8 years.  4-5 more years is a long time.  I think their end goal is to basically sell a controller or thin client that plugs into your TV or connects to your phone/tablet and lets you stream games, via a service like xcloud or gamepass.

 

And now the word is MS is considering bring Gears of War to PS.

 

 

Edited February 5 by purbeast

[Simmsy]

3 minutes ago, purbeast said:

I never said kill the current Xbox console.  I said I don't think there will be one after the current series versions.  We're like 2-3 years into the current gen and they last like 7-8 years.  4-5 more years is a long time.  I think their end goal is to basically sell a controller or thin client that plugs into your TV or connects to your phone/tablet and lets you stream games, via a service like xcloud or gamepass.

 

And now the word is MS is considering bring Gears of War to PS.

 

 

 

I'm the one saying that it would kill the Xbox brand. I've tried the streaming platform, trust me when I say its not ready. They're a long way off from reliable streaming and some of these games are over 100gbs. As it is right now, you'll need a console (or some system) to game on.

 

Maybe their plan is to port everything to the PS5, but that would be a death sentence. Most see Gamepass as an accessory to the Xbox, not a reason to own it and definitely not a reason to buy one. I'm just saying, all of this stemmed from one leak of Starfield coming to the PS5 and was reported in one article. Now, apparently Xbox is leaving the console business. Out of all of the genres of journalism, videogame journalism is pretty pathetic. The integrity is pretty low, not saying its not true, but I wouldn't be shocked if this has been exaggerated.

[purbeast]

2 minutes ago, Simmsy said:

 

I'm the one saying that it would kill the Xbox brand. I've tried the streaming platform, trust me when I say its not ready. They're a long way off from reliable streaming and some of these games are over 100gbs. As it is right now, you'll need a console (or some system) to game on.

 

Maybe their plan is to port everything to the PS5, but that would be a death sentence. Most see Gamepass as an accessory to the Xbox, not a reason to own it and definitely not a reason to buy one. I'm just saying, all of this stemmed from one leak of Starfield coming to the PS5 and was reported in one article. Now, apparently Xbox is leaving the console business. Out of all of the genres of journalism, videogame journalism is pretty pathetic. The integrity is pretty low, not saying its not true, but I wouldn't be shocked if this has been exaggerated.

The size of the game has nothing to do with how streaming works.  It's just streaming video.  The game is running on other hardware far away.

 

I agree we're not ready for it and I won't ever be ready for it personally because there is inherently going to be latency due to physics.

 

Again, I'm not talking about killing the Xbox brand.  I said I think they will be out of the console business after the series X/S.  They will still have the Xbox platform, it will just be on other devices IMO.  This is all just speculation of course I don't know anything, but Microsoft has been trending this way for a while now, and talks of them leaving the console hardware industry.  I believe within 10 years Xbox will be strictly software, aside from light weight thin clients that can use their platform.

 

Of the bolded, what journalist has said that?  If you are referring to me, I would have told you I believe this like a year+ ago.  This new news isn't the reason I believe that.  However it just makes me believe it more that if it's true then they are going the software route.  They also bought out all of these huge software companies the past couple of years.

[Simmsy]

9 minutes ago, purbeast said:

The size of the game has nothing to do with how streaming works.  It's just streaming video.  The game is running on other hardware far away.

 

I agree we're not ready for it and I won't ever be ready for it personally because there is inherently going to be latency due to physics.

 

Again, I'm not talking about killing the Xbox brand.  I said I think they will be out of the console business after the series X/S.  They will still have the Xbox platform, it will just be on other devices IMO.  This is all just speculation of course I don't know anything, but Microsoft has been trending this way for a while now, and talks of them leaving the console hardware industry.  I believe within 10 years Xbox will be strictly software, aside from light weight thin clients that can use their platform.

 

Of the bolded, what journalist has said that?  If you are referring to me, I would have told you I believe this like a year+ ago.  This new news isn't the reason I believe that.  However it just makes me believe it more that if it's true then they are going the software route.  They also bought out all of these huge software companies the past couple of years.

 

What I meant is that streaming isn't always reliable, so then you would have to go the alternative route and actually have the game installed. You're going to need a system/console for that and I doubt they'll be ready for full streaming by the end of the XSX. Our bandwidth is more than adequate, but streaming on Gamepass is not. Its ok when it works, but there are often wait times to play a game because too many people are playing and the game lags. Not to mention that a lot of people still don't have viable high speed internet.

 

You're going to need a system to run the game and storage to store it on. I don't see this going away for a while, if MS is going this route now, I think they're doing it way too soon and it would be a disaster at best.

 

Anyways, if MS does go this route, I won't be going along with them. I'll go back to PC gaming and stay there forever.

[purbeast]

39 minutes ago, Simmsy said:

 

What I meant is that streaming isn't always reliable, so then you would have to go the alternative route and actually have the game installed. You're going to need a system/console for that and I doubt they'll be ready for full streaming by the end of the XSX. Our bandwidth is more than adequate, but streaming on Gamepass is not. Its ok when it works, but there are often wait times to play a game because too many people are playing and the game lags. Not to mention that a lot of people still don't have viable high speed internet.

 

You're going to need a system to run the game and storage to store it on. I don't see this going away for a while, if MS is going this route now, I think they're doing it way too soon and it would be a disaster at best.

 

Anyways, if MS does go this route, I won't be going along with them. I'll go back to PC gaming and stay there forever.

Microsoft is ALREADY in this space of streaming games with the Xcloud, or whatever they have renamed it too, which looks like Xbox Cloud Gaming (beta).  It's in beta now and I could see it improving a bit in the 5 or so years left of this gen, unless it goes longer.

 

I am also with you in that if streaming games became mainstream then I'd be out on that platform.  I am already super sensitive to input lag and playing all my games with some sort of latency, even for single player games, just would be unacceptable to me personally.  But they are clearly going that direction based on their Xbox cloud gaming platform.  

 

They have just clearly been going this direction of "games as a service" for a while now and I believe that the Xbox Cloud Gaming thing is their end goal for the TV gaming at home.  I believe they will still have gamepass and Xbox platform that will run on PC even once they are out of the console hardware space.

[Simmsy]

58 minutes ago, purbeast said:

Microsoft is ALREADY in this space of streaming games with the Xcloud, or whatever they have renamed it too, which looks like Xbox Cloud Gaming (beta).  It's in beta now and I could see it improving a bit in the 5 or so years left of this gen, unless it goes longer.

 

I am also with you in that if streaming games became mainstream then I'd be out on that platform.  I am already super sensitive to input lag and playing all my games with some sort of latency, even for single player games, just would be unacceptable to me personally.  But they are clearly going that direction based on their Xbox cloud gaming platform.  

 

They have just clearly been going this direction of "games as a service" for a while now and I believe that the Xbox Cloud Gaming thing is their end goal for the TV gaming at home.  I believe they will still have gamepass and Xbox platform that will run on PC even once they are out of the console hardware space.

 

I use cloud gaming, brats are downstairs using it as I type this. it is the future of gaming, but not for a long time, I would say that even a decade is being generous. It limits too much of what you can play, when and where. Also, if there is no console, what happens to all of the games I bought digitally? I won't be able to stream those (its only Gamepass) and if there is no console, how can I download them to play them? Gamepass makes MS a lot of money, but not enough to make this kind of turn this quickly.

 

I'm hearing Phil Spencer will speak on this in detail sometime this week or the next, why MS has not put out an official statement is confusing. Basically, at this point, I need to know if I should even bother buying games on a console that may not exist and with no way to access my games. 

[purbeast]

3 minutes ago, Simmsy said:

 

I use cloud gaming, brats are downstairs using it as I type this. it is the future of gaming, but not for a long time, I would say that even a decade is being generous. It limits too much of what you can play, when and where. Also, if there is no console, what happens to all of the games I bought digitally? I won't be able to stream those (its only Gamepass) and if there is no console, how can I download them to play them? Gamepass makes MS a lot of money, but not enough to make this kind of turn this quickly.

 

I'm hearing Phil Spencer will speak on this in detail sometime this week or the next, why MS has not put out an official statement is confusing. Basically, at this point, I need to know if I should even bother buying games on a console that may not exist and with no way to access my games. 

The games you bought will always work on the console you bought them for.  My SNES games still work on my SNES.  The games you purchased digitally will always work on the Xbox you purchased them on.  You shouldn't have any expectation that the games you bought today will work on the next gen console. 

 

However you may not be able to download them again in the future if you delete them.  That has already happened for games on older consoles.  That is also why I always buy physical if it's an option.

[Simmsy]

1 hour ago, purbeast said:

The games you bought will always work on the console you bought them for.  My SNES games still work on my SNES.  The games you purchased digitally will always work on the Xbox you purchased them on.  You shouldn't have any expectation that the games you bought today will work on the next gen console. 

 

However you may not be able to download them again in the future if you delete them.  That has already happened for games on older consoles.  That is also why I always buy physical if it's an option.

 

I do expect them to work, at least from an Xbox prospective, they've always done that. They haven't been like Nintendo or Sony where they shut a network down when a system becomes outdated or fails. Microsoft only has the Xbox store, if that goes, everything goes. I understand what you're trying to say, but it isn't quite the same.

 

Besides, that isn't really the important part, I don't get why everyone thinks Microsoft is hurting financially and has to take this action. They do not. Thats why I can't see them giving all or even most of their big "exclusives" to Sony, it will kill the Xbox brand and the console. No one is going to fully support a console that company making it doesn't even have faith in. I like my Xbox, but I'm not a fanboy. I'll cash out and go the PC route, I actually miss being able to test out a game before I buy it anyways.

[purbeast]

33 minutes ago, Simmsy said:

 

I do expect them to work, at least from an Xbox prospective, they've always done that. They haven't been like Nintendo or Sony where they shut a network down when a system becomes outdated or fails. Microsoft only has the Xbox store, if that goes, everything goes. I understand what you're trying to say, but it isn't quite the same.

 

Besides, that isn't really the important part, I don't get why everyone thinks Microsoft is hurting financially and has to take this action. They do not. Thats why I can't see them giving all or even most of their big "exclusives" to Sony, it will kill the Xbox brand and the console. No one is going to fully support a console that company making it doesn't even have faith in. I like my Xbox, but I'm not a fanboy. I'll cash out and go the PC route, I actually miss being able to test out a game before I buy it anyways.

Actually Xbox has not always done that.  It's new this gen.

 

Xbox 360 did not play Xbox games.

 

Xbox One did not play 360 games at launch either, and they had to work on each game individually to get them to work on the One.  It was a long drawn out process and I wouldn't be surprised if not every game ended up making the cut.

 

The only "real" backwards compatible one is the latest one.

[Warhead36]

So I dove more into Starfield this past weekend and actually am starting to enjoy it. Its still not at that Fallout/Elder Scrolls level but it does some things well. I admit I suck at ship combat though. Is it just about upgrading to a better one? I get my rear end kicked almost everytime in space combat.

[Simmsy]

On 2/5/2024 at 7:37 PM, purbeast said:

Actually Xbox has not always done that.  It's new this gen.

 

Xbox 360 did not play Xbox games.

 

Xbox One did not play 360 games at launch either, and they had to work on each game individually to get them to work on the One.  It was a long drawn out process and I wouldn't be surprised if not every game ended up making the cut.

 

The only "real" backwards compatible one is the latest one.

 

I'll take your word for it, I've never had an Xbox at launch...I don't think I've ever had any system at launch.

 

11 hours ago, Warhead36 said:

So I dove more into Starfield this past weekend and actually am starting to enjoy it. Its still not at that Fallout/Elder Scrolls level but it does some things well. I admit I suck at ship combat though. Is it just about upgrading to a better one? I get my rear end kicked almost everytime in space combat.

 

I love Starfield, one of my favorite pick up and play games of this generation. My advice, just play the game how you want, don't feel the need to do any quests or go in a certain direction. I've put well over 100 hours into it and I I haven't even visited two of the bigger areas that I know about. As for ship combat, I got my ass kicked too. Put some skill points into ship combat and upgrade your ship at port. Also, treat your ships like hermit shell crabs, always look for a better one. Whether you steal it, "find it" or buy it.

[purbeast]

Well, something is definitely going on.

 

Note it is called "Microsoft Game Pass" there...

 

 

 

Edited February 7 by purbeast

[NickyJ]

On 2/6/2024 at 10:49 AM, Warhead36 said:

So I dove more into Starfield this past weekend and actually am starting to enjoy it. Its still not at that Fallout/Elder Scrolls level but it does some things well. I admit I suck at ship combat though. Is it just about upgrading to a better one? I get my rear end kicked almost everytime in space combat.

Have you played Outer Worlds? I like Skyrim and still dabble in it from time to time, but Outer Worlds and Fallout just hasn't grabbed me in the same way. I'm interested in Starfield, but not sure whether my hangups are on open world modern shooters or if it's the tongue-in-cheek capitalist "utopia" worlds that they're set in, and how that would translate to Starfield's world.

Edited February 7 by NickyJ

[Simmsy]

3 hours ago, NickyJ said:

Have you played Outer Worlds? I like Skyrim and still dabble in it from time to time, but Outer Worlds and Fallout just hasn't grabbed me in the same way. I'm interested in Starfield, but not sure whether my hangups are on open world modern shooters or if it's the tongue-in-cheek capitalist "utopia" worlds that they're set in, and how that would translate to Starfield's world.

 

I liked the Outer Worlds too, but the game didn't hold my attention for very long. I played the game on hard, got my ass kicked on the very first shootout. I changed the difficulty back to normal, got past that one part and then permanently turned the difficulty back to hard. The was the ONLY difficulty I had with the game, its stupidly easy. Once you add in you perks, modded weapons and companions and the game is a breeze. It also doesn't help that the game isn't deep at all, in any category. My biggest gripe wit the game were the long load times and the quests that made you hop around and deal with those load times. Sounds like I hated the game, but I actually enjoyed my time with it.