Anyway, I'm likely going to dip for a few days while people let off steam if you want to, simply because this stuff doesn't really bother me but I know I'll be dragged into debates about it or sit watching the reactions from the side instead of actually playing games (I've already wasted 3 hours instead of playing Like a Dragon Gaiden, Lol). It's a bad habit of mine, I get too easily drawn into debates and business talk instead of enjoying what matters to me which is the games. I want to do less of that in 2024. It was freeing when I stopped caring as much about the business because that is Xbox's shit to worry about and just enjoyed the games I was getting. I was a lot happier as a gamer in my teenage years when I wasn't following gaming news this closely and conversations about the industry and whatnot and just enjoying the games, Lol.
I'll say my final piece and dip, a late port of Hi-Fi Rush doesn't take anything away from me, it will earn Tango more financial security and increase potential for a sequel, Hi-Fi Rush did okay but it wasn't a major success in sales or engagement, it has likely exhausted its value as an exclusive in terms of pushing consoles. It'd be a different conversation for me if it was a major AAA title but Hi-Fi Rush is a niche title that most consumers likely don't even know about. If it's a Switch 2 launch title then it could be a huge boon for the IP and if that's a thing which gets me a sequel then I'll gladly accept it because I care more about the IP than Xbox having an exclusive but the IP dying on the Xbox platform.
There's also the whole aspect of Tango being a Japanese studio which may be at play here, I feel like Japanese developers are more patriotic than any other developers around the world and actually want their titles to be enjoyed by a Japanese audience which they won't get with Xbox. I do truly believe that a Switch port is less of an issue than a PS port even if you cared about that stuff, I don't believe Xbox thinks Switch is a direct competitor to Xbox and more like another handheld device of the dozens which they already support (Windows/Steam) and a device which sits alongside high-end computing devices like Xbox/PS rather than instead of, as it does for me. I do believe the majority of console gamers would still opt to play demanding AAA titles on Xbox/PS/PC over Switch, as would I. But I've even said in the past before that I don't mind Xbox supporting Switch a little more, Lol.
I also think with them already doing day/date with PC that it's a bit of an "eh, the line has already been crossed" anyway, PC is becoming more accessible and will become a bigger thing in the future, then they'll also go into Mobile day/date which is where a lot of todays youth plays, anecdotal but my nieces/nephews and their friends hardly bother with consoles anymore and are all about mobile gaming. Where Xbox is in the console market is irrelevant to me, as long as they keep making consoles, I just want the games and they have a ton of games incoming. If this ultimately hurts Xbox business then that's their issue to deal with and be concerned about but in the meantime I'll have fun with dozens of games they throw my way. And they still have dozens of major upcoming exclusives so 2-3 niche titles in the grand scheme of things won't mean much (As Dusk Falls, Ori and Hi-Fi Rush in the span of 5 years). Valve gives Xbox nothing either but they still release on Steam, the line has already been crossed, sometimes it's not about what obvious thing we get in return but about Xbox maintaining relationships with developers and/or the survival of a particular IP.
The vast majority of games are exclusive, will stay exclusive and have stayed exclusive. The ones that have gone to other platforms have been smaller A-AA titles which are both niche, not selling great and not moving consoles (As Dusk Falls, Hi-Fi Rush). There was Ori but IIRC that was Moon Studios asking for it to happen, Microsoft doesn't own Lucky's Tale or Cuphead. So the only non-Minecraft internally developed game which has gone to other platforms is Hi-Fi Rush. It's still not a trend, it's still a case by case and I wouldn't get so worked up about it personally. If I have the choice of Hi-Fi Rush exclusive to Xbox but no sequel and Hi-Fi Rush on Xbox/Switch and a sequel then I'm taking the 2nd option without a moment thought.
No it doesn't mean Xbox is going 3rd party, we know for a fact another Xbox console is coming so that's another generation of support and the leaker himself tried to downplay this and says it's another "case by case" scenario. I do believe however as time goes on, consoles will become less relevant for both Xbox and PS and there will be larger pushes to focus on PC/Mobile as they are bigger than Console and where the growth is, with budgets ballooning as well and the console market remaining relatively stagnant in its ceiling overall, but the console market is still a large market, it may not be a core focus but it's part of the ecosystem and to remove it will damage that ecosystem, and a large chunk of their revenue/profits so I do believe it will remain an option for at least another 2-3 generations but beyond that, I don't know. When that day ever comes, I'll simply swap to PC, Lol.
It could blow up in their face but that's their risk to take and their business to deal with. We ultimately have no idea as well why it is being done, I think the larger issue at play here is Xbox's lack of messaging and context on the matter, if they give no info on what makes HFR different than others then it would be understandable if they receive some PR backlash and mocking at mixed messaging but as it stands right now, all we have is a leaker who hasn't revealed all their information which drives rampant speculation on the who/what/why and it's hard to blame Microsoft for that right now because it's generally not a good idea to comment on rumours and nothing is even announced yet.
Last edited by Ryuu96 - on 06 January 2024
