I have a friend who's really excited about this.

Imagine if GameFreak wasnt so cheap (or Nintendo - or is it The Pokemon Company) wasnt so stingy with budget.

Instead we're getting a clone who looks better and will have better performance but probably be worse, gameplay wise lol.

Yeah sure, like Microsoft has never been wrong with strategy. They seem to be the ones disconnected with their fanbase. It is also not as if I am the only one having these doubts. Xbox brand itself is already completely dead in Europe. Which they have themselves to blame for.

Idk man, it surely isn't a budget issue considering how much it sells, I feel sometimes like GameFreak just feels like they don't have to push themselves because everyone will buy it anyway, their tech and graphics feel a generation behind other Nintendo developers, Lol.

Its funny you say MS is disconnected with their fanbase because going around the web, a lot of Xbox fans I noticed to not see Hi Fi Rush and SOT going Multiplat a big deal.  Its only people who seem to believe that a console needs to keep everything exclusive that have this mindset.

Who said MS strategy is right or wrong, I said that is their strategy since Phil took over.  Every move Phil has done since he has taken over has been to make MS gaming hardware agnostic.  From GP, to putting all first and second party games on PC and Xbox at the same time.  To purchasing both Bethesda and ABK/Blizz.  Its not like Phil has not shone you his strategy since he took over and nothing has changed since.  Even MS stating going heavy into Mobile is another big tell that MS is looking to be hardware agnostic.  What ties everything together is GP.  GP can be on anything and it will be on everything MS can put it on.  

MS is not concerned about the Xbox being the only hardware to play MS games, MS want everyone to have the ability to play MS games no matter what your main console is.  The Xbox brand is only important to how you view the market but its not how MS view the market.  GP is the brand now and Xbox is just another device that gains you access to GP.

Whether the strategy is right or wrong, we will see but MS has conmitted everything to it which is the right course of action in my book.  You either go full tilt or go home.  Half way measures only give you half way results.

Xbox to Present Developer_Direct, Returning on January 18

You’re about to get an exciting look at some of the incredible games ahead with Xbox, as we present a new edition of Developer_Direct. On Thursday, January 18 at 12pm PT / 3pm ET / 8pm UK, fans will get an inside look at a selection of highly anticipated games coming to Xbox Series X|S, PC, and Game Pass. Shortly after, ZeniMax Online Studios will host The Elder Scrolls Online 2024 Global Reveal at 1pm PT / 4pm ET / 9pm UK to preview 2024’s biggest update.

Presented by the game creators themselves, Developer_Direct offers an in-depth look at upcoming titles, how they’re being created, and who’s creating them. We’ll visit MachineGames in Sweden to check in on their Indiana Jones game, swing by Obsidian’s Irvine offices to see more from Avowed, head to Oxide Games’ Maryland home to learn about Ara: History Untold, and take a trip to Cambridge, England to see Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II from Ninja Theory. Please note that while this show won’t have updates on games from Activision Blizzard, you can look forward to news from those teams later this year.

The show will be a celebration of just a selection of our slate of upcoming games from Xbox. It’s also another part of our commitment to consistently bringing Xbox players can’t-miss experiences. 2024 kicked off with a bang for Game Pass members, and you can expect that line-up to include more incredible games from Xbox and our partners as the year goes on.

Fans should tune in on Xbox channels at 12pm PT / 3pm ET / 8pm UK, January 18 to see all the latest on: 

• Indiana Jones game: MachineGames, the award-winning studio behind the recent Wolfenstein series, will reveal their upcoming Indiana Jones game, an action-adventure that puts players in the leather jacket of the legendary archaeologist. Developer_Direct will showcase more than 10 minutes of game and developer insights, including details about the game’s setting and story, how fans will actually play as Indy, additional details from his next globe-trotting adventure, and the premiere of the first gameplay trailer.

• Avowed: The team at Obsidian will share the first deep dive into the gameplay experience fans can expect in Avowed, their upcoming fantasy action RPG, set in the fantastical, vibrant Living Lands. Learn more about how Obsidian’s expertise in building worlds with deep themes, dynamic gameplay, and thoughtful reactivity come to life in Avowed where players will have agency to make choices to shape every step of their adventure.

• Ara: History Untold: Hear from the leads at Oxide Games – a studio founded by veterans of the strategy genre and the creators behind classic strategy titles including Civilization V – as they unveil exclusive new gameplay and share more details about the inspiration, key features, and road ahead for their upcoming historical grand strategy game.

• Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II: Ninja Theory take us behind the scenes at their studio in Cambridge to give us some insight on how they are crafting Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II. The team will speak to the ambition and meticulous care involved in creating Senua’s journey of survival.

Shortly after Developer_Direct has concluded, ZeniMax Online Studios will host The Elder Scrolls Online 2024 Global Reveal at 1pm PT / 4pm ET / 9pm UK, a standalone presentation where the development team will unveil the game’s next major Chapter, including the new zone, storyline, and other major features coming in the game’s biggest update this year.

Stay tuned to Xbox and Bethesda’s official social channels for more on Developer_Direct, coming on Thursday, January 18 at 12pm PT / 3pm ET / 8pm UK.

Xbox to Present Developer_Direct, Returning on January 18 - Xbox Wire

If I remember right, the steam versions of the games requires you to use your Microsoft/xbox account - so if you have achievements from the Xbox versions, they will automatically unlock on Steam.

Do these developer directs have any surprise games announced?

For Xbox single player games like Pentiment or Psychonauts 2, it's optional. You go to the settings and you can choose to login to your Xbox account to unlock those achievements. Obviously for Halo Infinite or Grounded, you have to login lol