MS: 1st party Xbox games will be cross-gen for "next year, two years"

[sales2099]

goopy20 said:

trasharmdsister12 said:

1. With how game development works they would have to make 2 versions at worst (1 for X1 and X1X and 1 for Lockhart and XSX), 1 in the best case (for everything).

2. What does that mean to you? It can mean 1 of 2 things (or a combination of them). It either means that we're at a point that targeting higher spec hardware doesn't make a huge difference outside of graphical bells and whistle options being provided on PC or that there isn't a business case to do so, in that the return from targeting a higher spec PC version that can't be done on X1/PS4 consoles isn't viable financially. Leaning too far in one direction in what you read into this says more about your stance than what a company is actually thinking. The truth will always be somewhere in the middle. And when it comes to next gen consoles, there is a business case for companies like MS (who run the entire platform) to target a higher spec. They want to impress, they want to drum up excitement, they want to get people to play in their playground; that's the motive behind all the choice they're providing. And given that there's a business case, it's on them to do it or not. And nothing they've said precludes them from going forward with that business case to make the next-gen versions of their cross-gen games different enough from the current gen versions. We frankly don't have enough info to keep bashing our heads claiming one side or the other. We have to wait and see. Stating why you have your hopes/don't have your hopes up for it to happen only needs to happen 1 time, otherwise it comes off with negative motives that potentially break forum rules like it's coming off in this thread. So I, again, recommend we leave this conversation where it lays. 

3. In order to definitively say that we need to list each and every cross-gen game on those platforms and come to a definitive conclusion for each one whether it was or wasn't a huge leap. Neither of us have done that so this is a factoid at best. I personally thought a number of cross-gen games did an awesome job of standing out from a technical point of view given that they were launch titles with not much of a business case for the company to push a next gen version. Many of them did a good job with texture quality, object density, draw distance, and improved geometry. It's just that pesky law of diminishing returns that makes these things harder to spot but if you want to go see, go check out Cycu1's Youtube channel on the games listed below. Sadly DF didn't do much cross-gen comparison work on these titles. Those are all things you have to consider. MS has a reason to push the next gen version while a lot of these companies didn't. In the case of DICE, their games partially sell on their wow factor (not to mention there was probably some internal motive at EA to really wow so their engine would get widespread adoption through the studios early in the gen). I could go through and write a few paragraphs regarding the business case for EACH game below but this conversation is pretty much done so I'll let you do your own research.

• Titanfall
• Destiny
• Watch Dogs
• Battlefield 4
• Call of Duty: Ghosts
• AC4: Black Flag
• Dragon Age: Inquisition
• Dying Light
• The Evil Within
• Wolfenstein: The New Order
• MGS5: Phantom Pain
• Thief
• LOTR: Shadow of Mordor

You have to admit that a lot of the things MS are doing don't sound viable if they plan on selling as many Series X boxes as possible. Traditionally platform holders use their 1st party exclusives to push console sales and that kinda works. Console generations aren't a new concept and no ps4 owner will be upset or disappointed if the exclusives on ps4 start drying out. The masses desperately want to upgrade to a new console with the promise of new games that are a radical departure of what's possible on their old console, as long as it's not more than $499.

With MS they aren't doing that. Instead they are making all their exclusives cross-gen so there's no real need to upgrade. The console itself looks like a mini pc that no single person on earth will be able to stick under the tv. And, probably the weirdest thing, they aren't just releasing their flagship exclusives on pc, they are practically giving them away for free through their $1 GP promotion. All in all it sounds like a terrible plan to launch a mass market console, but I guess we'll have to wait till MS reveals a price before it all starts to make sense. 

You keep singling out Series X like it isn’t part of the Xbox family. It isn’t 1vs 1. 

People who want an investment in power, whether they get it at launch or for the majority of the gen, want a Series X. Remember 3rd party games are the majority of game sales?

MS wants you in the family. You listed all these low barrier entry ways....that’s the point. Games are where the money is, bringing in players is, never the console. But Series X will appeal to those that want it.