Kyuu said:
I mean when games skip Xbox, people will automatically assume it's purely down to Sony moneyhatting, so how will we be able to make a distinction? Silent Hill 2 Remake's PC minimum requirements are significantly higher than the Series S (disclaimer: this doesn't mean Series S absolutely "can't" run it). The Medium, which was also a current-gen exclusive (timed Xbox Series exclusive) from the same developer, had much lower system requirements. Mandating Xbox will make moneyhatting easier for Sony. As a matter of fact some developers who never intend to make a Series XS version of a hypothetical ambitious game (due to S limitations/challenges) will approach Sony for a deal, because it makes business sense, it's free money. If Series S sales don't drastically pick up, MS better stop mandating it, it's for their own good. The majority of games would still come to it regardless because the Switch 2 will future proof it. A portable Series S SKU also has potential imo, but idk if MS is going that way.
Consoles get "full" (or close to full) 3rd party support throughout a generation when they're adequately powerful and popular, Series S is neither of these. Some developers will not want to be stuck for 10-13 years to a system that is both weak and unpopular. So far it looks like PS5's specs/price is perfect for the current economics, so it (and comparable consoles/PC's) should be the new standard. Mandating Series S would lead to plenty of ambitious PS5/PC games skipping Xbox. MS should take a PC like approach (system requirements) at this point and officially make Xbox a full blown hybrid between console and PC. It would piss off some early adopters, but the pros outweigh the cons... I think. As far as I'm concerned Xbox's current relative success has nothing to do with the Series S. But again, by the end of 2023, a lot of opinions including some of my own will change. This year should be a lot more indicative than previous years as to where the market is heading. |
PC system requirements don't mean much for console optimization. I believe Silent Hill is a timed exclusive for a year so it will come to Xbox eventually. That's a lot of assumptions without really anything to back them up. A 3rd party dev who wants to release a game on multiple platforms will likely reach out for support from MS if it gets to that point, especially if it's a big publisher or independent studio, before dropping it entirely.
Why would they be stuck to the Series X|S hardware for 10-13 years? They will certainly drop support by then and move on to the next Xbox.
You don't think the Series S has anything to do with sales up to this point? While Sony and MS were having issues making enough PS5 and Series X consoles, MS was able to make more Series S's and push sales for Xbox for the last 2 years. Now Xbox needs to put more focus making Series X consoles, but it worked out great or them early on.
The Series S isn't going to be dropped until the gen is over. I'm not sure why this is even a talking point. There is a difference between what you think should happen and the reality of the situation.