I purchased an Xbox for its games. Games that are still not on a Playstation. I have never used Gamepass, I purchase the games I want. I would get a PS5 if they had some games that interested me, but their 1st party RPG/JRPG is abysmal. Nintendo is the way to go for those.

Other factors that had me pick the Xbox first this generation are: Xbox had the better controller, without the gimmicks. Xbox had a better looking console rather than being a giant monstrosity. Quick resume. Easily swap out rechargeable batteries on the fly. Storage options without having to disassemble my console. Better VRR performance.

If I wanted to wait 5 years to play Forza Horizon 5, 7 plus years to play Gears or Halo, or port beg for the years to come for everything Xbox to come to Playstation, then I would have purchased a PS5. The game that had me interested in getting a PS5 was Demon Souls, but I wasn't in a hurry to get it, I already have the PS3 version. Final Fantasy 7 remakes were other ones, but all I have to do is wait for them to come to Xbox. Other than that, Playstation hasn't served up anything else worth checking out for me.

I purchased an Xbox Series X at launch, before the state of gaming where it's at now. If I could go back in time, I would still do it again because I would still get to play games that aren't available on other consoles.

I have spent less money this generation than I have any other generation, and it wasn't a brand issue. Just not much out there, outside of the games coming to Xbox, that have my attention.

Just because someone says Starfield, Halo, Forza, and Avowed were failures, doesn't take away from the joy I'm having with the games, nor does it make their statements true. And those same someones will happily purchase it on Playstation, if and when they ever come out. And they will have no memory of ever badmouthing those games.

As for next generation, I will take a more patient route and see what is being offered before jumping in. I may skip both Xbox and Playstation next time. If digital releases are going to be the thing, with no physical releases, then I would never purchase another Xbox or Playstation again. Might as well just go PC, but even that doesn't sound very appealing.

As long as Nintendo continues to support physical media, they will always have me as a customer.

I'm mostly catching up to older Xbox and Xbox 360 games but have slowly been buying up games for XBO and Series (mostly first party titles).

Gonna play them on Xbox so when I do play them in the future on Steam, I can link my Xbox account to unlock the achievements.

I dont mind playing the Xbox first party titles first on Xbox because I swap platforms (PC -> PS5 -> Switch -> Xbox -> repeat) when I beat a game with a few exceptions like if I'm traveling (in that case it would be my Switch I would play mostly).

I'm planning to buy future Xbox systems as long as b/c is available cause thats my main reason why I got into Xbox.

You're clearly not able to understand my point.

Your data is absolutely useless for Xbox users. Keep living in your Steam bubble. No one here cares. It's not the same userbase and they don't have the same gaming preferences. THEY ARE NOT COMPARABLE.

My data is from January/February 2025 where I was about to buy Balatro but alas I didn't make a screenshot because a) I couldn't know Balatro was joining Game Pass b) I had no idea I would have this conversation and c) I didn't think someone would be silly enough to use Steam data for a non Steam version of a game.

There is proof or at least a very high likelihood that Stray outsold Balatro on Xbox by quite a bit. (Btw. this also suggests that Stray did even better on PS as it was a console timed exclusive there).

And besides, being on rank 93 out of the top 100 selling games is hardly an accomplishment. The lower you get the smaller the difference between other places will be. The difference between place 5 and 93 can easily be 100k and more while the difference between place 93 and 1000 might only be a few k.

Not sure what's the point about it being played more than Stray. I mean d'uh it's a much more recent release so no shit sherlock. On the other hand, if Stray was on Game Pass it would kick Balatro's ass on player count for at least a few weeks so what's your point again? Comparing a story experience that you probably only play once to a rogue like that is designed to be played multiple times? Really? Unique players would be a much better metric.

It wasn't about it sounding positive or negative, it was simply how it was framed, as I said it came across like you was enforcing your opinion as the only true opinion and then you stretched it to "doom" other Xbox releases, it came across like "Avowed sucks, Xbox never learns, their future RPGs are doomed" Lol.

What you said just now was framed better, although I still very much disagree that Avowed isn't an RPG, it is as much of an RPG as The Outer Worlds, The Elder Scrolls, Dragon Age, Mass Effect, etc. I also disagree that they didn't address expectations, they repeatedly said this wasn't The Elder Scrolls and was more in line with The Outer Worlds, that it wasn't a massive RPG.

You believed Avowed wouldn't do well and the sentiment would be poor based on a few days worth of data, which told us nothing about sales/players and was far from poor with overall player reception in those few days, it was a shaky declaration of fact to make with such little data and so early its life. I do believe Avowed will/is a success but I can't state that as a fact with such little data, though Obsidian straight up said they're happy with the performance thus far and that's all we really have to go on, you may say "of course they'll say that" but it also performed in line with The Outer Worlds on Steam which was another success, it is charting well in TA and Circana and RPGs tend to have nice legs.

The Final Fantasy rumours I'm speaking about come from Nate who has an incredible track record and straight up said FF16 is releasing this year on Xbox and FF7R will follow (I forgot if he said this year or next year for FF7R) so it's simply a case of being patient. Then after these come, it's very likely that future FF's will also release day one on Xbox, just like the next Silent Hill will.

Lets just agree that Balatro and Stray are both huge indies, Lol.

Coming to Xbox Game Pass section looking mighty fine right now.

[image or embed]

— Klobrille (@klobrille.bsky.social) 5 March 2025 at 18:01

"being on rank 93 out of the top 100 selling games is hardly an accomplishment"

And yet, Stray is not there..

"Not sure what's the point about it being played more than Stray. I mean d'uh it's a much more recent release so no shit sherlock"

I just want to point out that you are basing your whole conclusion on the fact that you checked TA on February.. when Stray already had a SIX months lead on Balatro, just saying..

"Comparing a story experience that you probably only play once to a rogue like that is designed to be played multiple times? Really?"

I mean, if you were in charge of a Subscription service, would you pick a game that people "probably only play once" over a game that "is designed to be played multiple times"?

I'll briefly translate/summarise what you're saying:

-Fable is totally fine. It's just my forced opinion that we should be worried about it.
-Avowed is actually doing quite well. Both Obsidian and the franchise should have a stable future.
-Final Fantasy games will all be making their way within the next year or so.

Alright then. I may see things differently but it's not because I want these games or the Xbox brand to fail, so I sincerely hope you're right on every account. As far as leaks I don't really follow them so I'll take your word on that.

Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is just making me want a fully single-player, action-adventure with RPG elements, pirate game again and making me once again disappointed Ubisoft never did anything like that, Lol. Some alternate history thing, I don't want it to be based on historical events but it could still have those historical characters like Blackbeard, Calico Jack, Anne Bonny, Mary Read, Charles Vane, etc. Starting as a nobody with a tiny ship and crew, then like Yakuza having dozens of unique characters to recruit across the world, then I thought to myself, how cool it would be to have a sort of Nemesis System in it which applies to both the pirate themselves and their ships.