Xbox Game Studios Stupidity Hate Thread Game Pass Edition

[Mr.Miyagi]

I wonder what's worse, publishers who make ridiculous demands on development studios, or publishers who don't give a rat's ass about the game and let it sink in the name of "creative aspirations." I think the lion's share of the blame rests on the leads who couldn't find any footing for the game, and chose designs that worked directly against the skillset of their development team.

At the time, Harvey Smith tried to calm down the developers, ensuring that the game would get “exponentially better” thanks to the “Arkane magic” (probably akin to the infamous “BioWare magic”).

The Icarian folly of believing your own hype, built by years of video game critics sucking you off for exclusive previews.

 

[xXx: State of the Union]

I can understand Xbox not wanting to just go in and start reorganizing everything Zenimax was doing.

But it certainly sounds like they're the ones that pushed Redfall as one of their tentpole games.

Like...what the fuck is the state of Xbox if they felt that Redfall was a game to push as a tentpole? Were they afraid of canceling it after the shit they got for Scalebound? Do they just have absolutely fucking NOTHING on "their" end other than Forza?

The three big games this year are Redfall, Starfield and Forza, right? They have absolutely nothing to show for Perfect Dark or Fable?

I've speculated for a while now that after this year Sony is going to have a drought of games for the PS5, but it seems like it's going to be the case for Xbox too unless they're actively holding promoting ANYTHING until it's ready for release.

The consequences of AAA+ gaming are disasterous.

 

[Raging Capybara]

They also have Avowed for this year, but that's another game in dev hell that will be a guaranteed flop.

 

[The Demon Pimp of Razgriz]

You would expect with this and Crackdown 3 they would have learned their lesson by now, but then you remember Perfect Dark is a thing and the amount of directionless crap keeps piling up.

I wonder what's worse, publishers who make ridiculous demands on development studios, or publishers who don't give a rat's ass about the game and let it sink in the name of "creative aspirations."

A lot this seems to be a purposeful response by Phil Spencer. Pre-Spencer, Microsoft had a reputation for micromanaging their teams to death, trying to destroy their unique studio cultures to force them to adopt Microsoft's corporate culture, and overall just being controlling dictators. This was one of the main criticisms staff at Bungie had and was one of the main reasons Bungie broke away from Microsoft, and this was also something said by former staff at Rare, that Microsoft were basically "my way or the highway" while Nintendo would merely "recommend" that you do things a certain way..."strongly recommend".

What's going on now seems to be an active overcorrection by Phil Spencer, by essentially letting the studios do anything they want and not actively interfering in their operations.

 

[Sparky Lurker]

In homage to the pride month I will have to complain about the Xbox pride logo that gets worse and more schizophrenic each year that passes:
View attachment 3342547View attachment 3342549View attachment 3342551View attachment 3342553
Bethesda one looks like an anus, so congrats:
View attachment 3342554

Biblically Accurate Gayngel:

 

[xXx: State of the Union]

The Xbox Paradox

Arkane is allowed to do whatever the fuck they want because Xbox is hands off but also can't cancel a game they unable to develop because Xbox is hands off.

 

[Fools Idol]

Be honest, would you really pay full price for Sea of Thieves? That cartoon pirate MMO? NGL, I was considering it.

I mean there's the used market, it's not as cheap but at least you own the game and could take it back. Saying that, I don't know how used games work on current day Xbox. I think that's what annoys me the most about Games pass, it's a "solution" to the problem of expensive games that kills the arguably better solution of the used market or just good old piracy.

 

[xXx: State of the Union]

I mean there's the used market, it's not as cheap but at least you own the game and could take it back. Saying that, I don't know how used games work on current day Xbox. I think that's what annoys me the most about Games pass, it's a "solution" to the problem of expensive games that kills the arguably better solution of the used market or just good old piracy.

Renting

I get I'm old, but did nobody ever rent games?

 

[whatever I feel like]

Biblically Accurate Gayngel:
View attachment 5146510

Lol, is that a cheeky Belge sneaking his flag in?

 

[ZMOT]

Renting

I get I'm old, but did nobody ever rent games?

depending where you live renting is even more annoying than physical since you gotta take it back. people are lazy and will pay for comfort, so they're more inclined to just buy shit for more than renting (if you even find a place who does that anymore) just so they don't have to get off the couch.

What's going on now seems to be an active overcorrection by Phil Spencer, by essentially letting the studios do anything they want and not actively interfering in their operations.

which is still hilarious to me, when EA does it so bioware and dice can tie their own rope to neck themselves with they're the worst publisher ever, but with 343 and all the other shit it's never the fault of microsoft...

 

[Whoopsie Daisy]

Does redfall run at 4k yet? or 60fps? Does Halo have co-op or forge? Does it run at 4k at 120fps like we were promised? Crackdown 3's destructive environments, they're a thing, right?

Does Project Scorpio, aka Xbox One X have that VR headset Spencer promised us? How about the XSX being built with VR in mind, for a headset that was never announced, let alone launched, what's happening with that?

Until the media stop sucking microsoft cock and until gaming forums ban microsoft shill accounts with extreme prejudice, MS will keep lying and keep getting away with it, all while circling the drain of quality. I don't hate MS, I hate current year MS; the MS who decided that hardcore gamers were their worst customer and not the fanbase they wanted.

I hope Spencer gets fucked to death by tranny dick.

 

[Fools Idol]

A lot this seems to be a purposeful response by Phil Spencer. Pre-Spencer, Microsoft had a reputation for micromanaging their teams to death, trying to destroy their unique studio cultures to force them to adopt Microsoft's corporate culture, and overall just being controlling dictators. This was one of the main criticisms staff at Bungie had and was one of the main reasons Bungie broke away from Microsoft, and this was also something said by former staff at Rare, that Microsoft were basically "my way or the highway" while Nintendo would merely "recommend" that you do things a certain way..."strongly recommend".

What's going on now seems to be an active overcorrection by Phil Spencer, by essentially letting the studios do anything they want and not actively interfering in their operations.

The cold hard truth is that the people at Xbox studios just suck at making games. A hands off approach has worked for other big publishers (same for the opposite) just fine for the most part but not for Xbox. I think it very telling that no matter what they do the games are shit. It doesn't help that Xbox is buying studios that are sufferings from all of the same problems (and some new ones) as they are.

Xbox doesn't have a cohesive vision of what Xbox is or should be. The OG Xbox was the new comer, it got a few notable games but was mostly just for better ports thanks to the hardware and online play in the console space. The 360 really expanded on the online aspects massively and built a rep on having the best versions of the big popular games.

Nowadays Xbox has no identity outside of Games pass. Wanting to be "Netflix but for video games" is about the most corporate idea I've ever heard and has fuck all to do with quality. It's just a store front for selling a subscription service, the fact that so many are on their knees sucking Microsoft's dick for the privilege of giving MS money and giving up control is exactly why gaming deserves disasters like Red Fall.

 

[The Demon Pimp of Razgriz]

The cold hard truth is that the people at Xbox studios just suck at making games. A hands off approach has worked for other big publishers (same for the opposite) just fine for the most part but not for Xbox. I think it very telling that no matter what they do the games are shit. It doesn't help that Xbox is buying studios that are sufferings from all of the same problems (and some new ones) as they are.

I think the real issue is a lack of proper studio structure. Xbox Game Studio expanded quickly, but didn't build up the proper infrastructure to be able to handle it. After Zenimax Media was acquired, Microsoft did the exact opposite of what most companies would have done; instead of merging it into their existing Xbox Game Studios structure, they continued to maintain Zenimax as a separate entity subordinate to Xbox Game Studios; other than getting rid of the board of directors, the existing company was maintained with no real changes. In the case of Activision Blizzard, the current plan is, once again, to maintain AB as separate subsidiary rather than dissolving the company and making the subsidiaries part of Xbox Game Studios. The only reason this makes sense for Microsoft is because they lack the internal infrastructure themselves to control all these studios, leading to poor studio management.

 

[xXx: State of the Union]

depending where you live renting is even more annoying than physical since you gotta take it back.

The argument is that Game Pass sucks because you can't go and just buy used games that you could return if they were bad, but also renting sucked because you had to get up and return it?

I still don't get why games just can't have demos tho.

 

[ZMOT]

The argument is that Game Pass sucks because you can't go and just buy used games that you could return if they were bad, but also renting sucked because you had to get up and return it?

I still don't get why games just can't have demos tho.

almost like one is digital and one is physical, but who's gonna argue about details....

hard to explain why AAA goyslop doesn't give people a chance to see beforehand how broken and shit it is and how that will affect purchases. ironically indies and smaller games have that problem much less to the point steam runs a demo event every four months.

 

[Sparky Lurker]

Biblically Accurate Gayngel:
View attachment 5146510

LMAO

 

[whatever I feel like]

I think the real issue is a lack of proper studio structure. Xbox Game Studio expanded quickly, but didn't build up the proper infrastructure to be able to handle it. After Zenimax Media was acquired, Microsoft did the exact opposite of what most companies would have done; instead of merging it into their existing Xbox Game Studios structure, they continued to maintain Zenimax as a separate entity subordinate to Xbox Game Studios; other than getting rid of the board of directors, the existing company was maintained with no real changes. In the case of Activision Blizzard, the current plan is, once again, to maintain AB as separate subsidiary rather than dissolving the company and making the subsidiaries part of Xbox Game Studios. The only reason this makes sense for Microsoft is because they lack the internal infrastructure themselves to control all these studios, leading to poor studio management.

What they actually should have done was incorporate the MS studios under the bastardly but very effective Zenimax team instead of the other way around. Same for the marketing department.

 

[The Demon Pimp of Razgriz]

What they actually should have done was incorporate the MS studios under the bastardly but very effective Zenimax team instead of the other way around. Same for the marketing department.

That might have worked, though there was no way that Microsoft were going to abandon the Xbox branding in favor of Zenimax.

 

[Cpl. Long Dong Silver]

I liked the Ascent on Gamepass. Then again I'm a sucker for cyberpunk

 

[Tom Nook's Gloryhole]

The Xbox Paradox

Arkane is allowed to do whatever the fuck they want because Xbox is hands off but also can't cancel a game they unable to develop because Xbox is hands off.

I mean if the game is finished but bad then there's really no reason to not just start selling it anyway instead of throwing a completed game into the scrapheap. This shit used to happen all the time with games that were 70% done just passed to another team to rush out an ending to get the game to the shelves because they know 80% of people wouldn't get past level 3 anyway so who cares if the final level is rushed and dogshit.