Elden Ring cost about $200 million to make and made $9bn. That's as triple A as it gets. It was huge, it had a massive marketing campaign, it was eagerly anticipated.
Gaming Xbox Series X|S
- Thread starter Bojan11
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Seriously, you can't call From Soft anything less than a AAA studio these days. They might not have been when they released Demon's Souls and Dark Souls, but they're a 350 strong studio these days, and they've delivered an enormous, industry-leading open-world title just last year.
Compare that to, say, Ember Lab, the studio behind the gorgeous Kena. Now, some might call this indie, but in my opinion Kena's production values are far beyond what could be considered indie, as it rivals (and indeed surpasses) many undisputed AAA titles in that area. Ember Lab had a team of 15 during that development, less than 5% the size of From Soft's work force. Just to put it into context.
Christ, $9bn? That’s insane. The video game industry dwarfs the movie industry now!
No, sorry, that's not true. It's probably closer to 'only' 1bn, I just got mixed up with other numbers.
I see Redfall is getting pretty dreadful reviews. Has anyone downloaded it yet? I'm no expert, but wasn't it pretty obvious that this game was going to be rubbish from the moment it was previewed? I'm not sure if it's desperation for titles, but probably better to kill these games earlier.
No I haven't played it but I did look at a couple of metacritic reviews, which is the same thing right?
No, that's not what I asked.
You're right. I thought it looked crap when they previewed it but I don't like Arkane so it was never on my radar.
It certainly looked cheap and nasty at the Xbox and Bethesda Showcase last year, it doesn't look any different now. I know graphics aren't everything, but doesn't sound like the gameplay is anything either. Think I'll not bother wasting the HD space.
Graphically Redfall looked bland and hollow and gameplay wise looked like your typical generic shooter.
I have found the review videos funny though. The game looks like a complete disaster.
I have found the review videos funny though. The game looks like a complete disaster.
They've found no balance at all in studio management. In the past they were clearly too hands on and interfering, but now they seem to have gone too far with a hands off approach.
Redfall was always going to be a tough sell. The studio skillset and experience just didn't match well with the ambition. And the ambition itself was for a genre that has fallen off a cliff in recent years.
But there's really no excuse for MS letting it release in the state its in. I presume they just wanted to get it over and done with and take a hit, hoping it'll be largely forgotten if Starfield, Forza and maybe something like Hellblade can land well in the near future.
Afro talking about metacritic but Xbox issue has been quantity more than quality for the most part. Hifi Rush, Grounded, Forza Horizon, Flight Sim, Wasteland 3, Psychonauts, Halo Infinite, AoE, Gears Tactics, Pentiment were all received well. Deathloop too even though it was PS5 timed exclusive.
I still think Activision will get done but I don't think it's bad for Xbox if it doesn't. They have enough studios to have great first party output but need to do better. Acti seems to be a distraction.
Redfall was always going to be a tough sell. The studio skillset and experience just didn't match well with the ambition. And the ambition itself was for a genre that has fallen off a cliff in recent years.
But there's really no excuse for MS letting it release in the state its in. I presume they just wanted to get it over and done with and take a hit, hoping it'll be largely forgotten if Starfield, Forza and maybe something like Hellblade can land well in the near future.
Afro talking about metacritic but Xbox issue has been quantity more than quality for the most part. Hifi Rush, Grounded, Forza Horizon, Flight Sim, Wasteland 3, Psychonauts, Halo Infinite, AoE, Gears Tactics, Pentiment were all received well. Deathloop too even though it was PS5 timed exclusive.
I still think Activision will get done but I don't think it's bad for Xbox if it doesn't. They have enough studios to have great first party output but need to do better. Acti seems to be a distraction.
It's almost as if someone has been telling you for over 10 years now that MS just don't seem to understand how to manage video game development teams well and next year isn't the year they get it right...'la.
As for the Activision deal, I'm highly amused at brushing off the biggest deal ever for MS and in gaming as a "distraction" just in case it doesn't go ahead
As for the Activision deal, I'm highly amused at brushing off the biggest deal ever for MS and in gaming as a "distraction" just in case it doesn't go ahead
It’s ok, was funny dude.
Just watching this.
He looks like he's put on 20 years ffs
It's the new IP that he's talking about. Yes they are trying to jump on the back of a trend which I hate, but we get it in TV, Movies and in games where we get 20 Superman films, 18 Batman films, we've got to be going on to the 12th Star Wars movie as well as a bunch of tv shows.
Nobody seems to be willing to take the chance on a new IP whatever the media, and this is to the determent of not only the creative industries but to everybody forced to watch or play them.
Rare situation where an exec is actually open and honest, and apologises for something - Sonycafe: insults appearance and calls him a clown. About sums it up
I remember seeing that Redfall game first time in a reveal trailer and thinking ‘yeah that’s flopping’. It looks like a rushed project and the game looks much worse than I thought it would.
Just go play L4D2 on PC, install some in-game mods to change it up and laugh at the suckers who paid full price for this and games like Back 4 Blood and Evolve
Just go play L4D2 on PC, install some in-game mods to change it up and laugh at the suckers who paid full price for this and games like Back 4 Blood and Evolve
So what's he saying? We can't compete on that front so we won't?
What’s alarming about Redfall isn’t that the game is buggy as hell. It’s that by all accounts, there isn’t actually a salvageable game of any particular note there. From everything I’ve read it has weak gameplay, bland writing / story and one note mission design.
Personally I do think Arcane are a bit overhyped and I never thought the Dishonoured series was as good as made out to be but Prey was really really good - with the first two thirds being superb - and Desthloop got great scores, so I’m surprised that they strayed from what they do well this much. If MS needed a winning exclusive, I would have just gotten them to recreate the magic of Prey in next gen form.
Personally I do think Arcane are a bit overhyped and I never thought the Dishonoured series was as good as made out to be but Prey was really really good - with the first two thirds being superb - and Desthloop got great scores, so I’m surprised that they strayed from what they do well this much. If MS needed a winning exclusive, I would have just gotten them to recreate the magic of Prey in next gen form.
Microsoft didn't put Arkane on this path. They were already developing this game before the acquisition.
Otherwise agree with you. Game could have had another 6 months fixing the technical issues and release at 60fps and it'd still be a poor game.
Surely this man won't be in the job for that much longer? There's brutal honesty here, but that is not a good look for Xbox.
Nope, Chelsea have just signed him.
Meh, not the first time we've heard shite like this from the Xbox division, won't be the last. It's all a smokescreen to cover for the shocking management once again.
He's done a Moyes!
Is the Xbox thread safe to go into yet?
He is wrong when he says great games won’t change things
if Starfield, Hellblade, Fable and another could of games all come out to top reviews and win game of the year awards people will take notice.
if Starfield, Hellblade, Fable and another could of games all come out to top reviews and win game of the year awards people will take notice.
I was thinking the same. I just don't get that comment at all and I can't believe he really thinks that.
Some people will argue they have had a couple of good games this generation but there's such massive holes in the genres that there's no incentive to pick Xbox for a pretty big proportion of gamers. If the games you've mentioned are great games there'll definitely be a lot of people who buy in.
He's right. And it is the first time he's said it, in the past he's been more ambitious in wanting to be the number 1 leading console but they haven't a chance (and I've said that here loads though Lambs will no doubt pretend this is new).
Brand loyalty to Playstation is way too strong to overcome without a disaster from Sony. The PS3 caught upto the Xbox 360 despite Xbox having a huge head start, way more availability, being a lot cheaper, leading on exclusives at least for the first half of the gen etc.etc. and he's clearly right that people are increasingly locked into ecosystems that they are investing in either digital purchases.
That doesn't mean they can't grow 2nd console sales though and have bigger mindshare in the US.
If Xbox this gen had dualsense, God of War 2, Horizon 2, R&C, Demon Souls whilst PS had gamepass and Halo; PS5 would still be the leading console by some distance.
Brand loyalty to Playstation is way too strong to overcome without a disaster from Sony. The PS3 caught upto the Xbox 360 despite Xbox having a huge head start, way more availability, being a lot cheaper, leading on exclusives at least for the first half of the gen etc.etc. and he's clearly right that people are increasingly locked into ecosystems that they are investing in either digital purchases.
That doesn't mean they can't grow 2nd console sales though and have bigger mindshare in the US.
If Xbox this gen had dualsense, God of War 2, Horizon 2, R&C, Demon Souls whilst PS had gamepass and Halo; PS5 would still be the leading console by some distance.
When everything is purely an app and is available ubiquitously on all devices then it'll have some chance at clawing some market back in UK/US with the right entry level option (free with ads) and exclusive content.
Being 1st in console sales really isn't
the be all and end all to MS and there's enough money to be made even if you are the 3rd biggest player.
Being 1st in console sales really isn't
the be all and end all to MS and there's enough money to be made even if you are the 3rd biggest player.
Curious why you think it's better? The quality sure if you have a good rig but I was under the impression there's less games in terms of sheer volume
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How about games? What about some new really great games? Wouldn't that be great? The guy seems to be saying that they won't compete with Sony on that front and it seems to just be accepted on here... Hence my post in the other thread about expectations.
When did he say that?
What do you get from what he's saying? He sounds defeated and he states great games will not push the needle, do you agree? (I don't)
To me, if I had an XBox and I was still waiting on those games, I'd just give up after hearing that and sell it or just accept it as a gamepass machine. Is this where you are with it?
I’d be an Xboxer if that was the case. Games rule all.
I doubt it. At best you'd have both.
I'm not saying it wouldn't sway some people but it wouldn't sway enough. Xbox wouldn't suddenly become the market leader.