VideoGame_Discussion

Agreed. Everyone is looking to get in on the subscription model. It is pretty scummy, especially considering EA Play is free. If Ubisoft Plus does well, EA is going to be looking for their extra taste soon.

It's going to domino across the industry. Already I'm not able to digitally play my already purchased physical library- for some reason we're ok with that... movies eventually made a compromise but just cashed in tbh.

EA has seen a lot of profitability from their games I think from having their Play on GPU though. It's a great promotion and Microsoft is paying EA some dividends to have their games on GPU. Their pockets run deep. I'm sure if they wanted to they could easily finance Ubi+ on GPU. I think in time they will. Monopoly is just a game. They're trying to dominate the fudging Netflix of gaming world.

EA was kinda in a situation where they got figured out- same series every year, became a niche competition based group of games and needed sales. FPS series are headed same way. Casuals aren't liking it anymore so they need to get it out there. In a way the competitive gaming sphere is making lots of crap casual experiences that we just won't buy.

Yeah true. Ubi I think is headed there too soon since they're pivoting more towards these live service "self sustaining" Samey annual games or add on DLC like AC with tons of nonsense grindy busy work. I know I won't be paying extra for this Ubi+ service. I'm happy with my GPU sub which is killing it monthly for me. I give it about 6 months before MS says to Ubi here's a blank check. Write down any amount on there and we will pay it to have Ubi+ on GPU.

I'm hoping for a redeem your physical to play a game type thing. Then I'm zen.

Agree with @TalonJedi87 that GPU is awesome for me. I comprised a list this morning of how many GP titles I've beat in the past 2+ years and it's a lot, nearing 30 I think. I had considered letting it lapse but I'm really thinking I want to retry the 3 year dollar deal after I expire next month.
Beating that many is great, but I also know I got to try out a good dozen or more as well that I either didn't like and trying via GP saved me from possibly buying it. Or I wasn't crazy about it and then got the game for free on some other platform like the Epic store so I can try to play it later. It's been a solid service for me. EAplay is a nice addition but I think I've only beat like 3 titles and played a few others as well.

I can't stop playing slay the spire, and I hardly ever win.....

Slickriven wrote:

It's actually 43... with 2 of them being EAplay titles.
And my dozen tried estimate is laughably low, it's got to be 3x that many, or more.

On their Insta, XBOX confirmed Rainbow Six: Extraction is coming to Gamepass on console and PC day one.

I finally completed my first run of Hades last night. It took about 40 tries, but I finally beat that bastard last night with the Shield of Aegis.

SilverOwl wrote:

In general I think that's right. But for more recent games, if it'll fit I think they are sometimes including both the X1 and XSX bundles on the disc. I forget the game but it didn't have an update and from the disc we installed it on both our X1X and XSX.

If the case only shows XSX and doesn't also say X1, then that's a current-gen game only (like The Medium) and won't run on older systems.

So I realized something about my Xbox One. I never once used the disk drive in the years I've owned it. When Gamestop offered $220 in trade-in value for the Xbox One S recently, I went ahead and traded it in and upgraded to the $299 Xbox Series S. I'll probably trade that in in a year or so when the Series X is easier to find and there's a trade-in deal again.

I was always more of a Playstation fan than an Xbox fan, but I'm getting tired of rebuying digital games from Sony. I like how MSN doesn't make you rebuy old games. Sony needs to get with the program, as does Nintendo. I buy a lot of Nintendo games in digital form because I have a Switch and my daughter has two (one at my house and one at her Mom's house). I bought so much digital content on the Wii and Wii U...would be nice if Nintendo ported that stuff to their new systems.

Agreed. There is no valid excuse for the digital games owned on a previous system to not be available on the next system as long as the new system can run the old hardware.

I had a question regarding Game Pass that I was hoping someone on here might know. If you have Game Pass and attack on moor months of Game Pass Ultimate, does the regular Game Pass upgrade? I know if you have Gold, the remaining time will convert to Ultimate. I have 2 more months of regular Game Pass, but I am going to get Ultimate in the future to have access to EA Play and Gold. If I upgrade now, will I get the extra features?

PS5 can run PS4 games

While I'm glad when a system offers backwards compatibility, I know how challenging it is to make new hardware that uses different architecture emulate old architecture. Microsoft has had DirectX as the main API for every generation, which just makes things simpler for them.

Sony built the PS2 with special CPU (Emotion Engine), which they added in early PS3s to provide back compatibility, but they ultimately removed it. The PS3 had a custom Cell processor, which Sony basically had to create a farm of PS3s to make PS3 games availability on PSNow.

Nintendo's greatest console for back compatability was the Wii U, with support for Gamecube, Wii, and Wii U games along with a somewhat decent emulator for virtual console games. But Nintendo knows people will keep buying the same game over and over, so they have no reason to focus on backwards compatability. The NSO and expansion pass are basically a way to get people to keep paying for games they bought in the past.

Really need to help digital only system owners use their compatible collection without paying again. This seems like a no brainer.

bonham2 wrote:

I haven't done GP to GPU but when you apply the GPU code it'll move you to that tier immediately. What normally happens is your existing subscription(s) will convert to GPU. So if you have 2 months of GP that might covert down to 5-6 weeks of GPU.

If you enter EA Play or Gold codes, they all convert into GPU and it's not 1:1.

Feeb wrote:

Nobody is forcing you to get rid of your old systems. Since every Xbox 360 games isn't backwards compatible on the X1|S|X or XSX/S, there is most likely a reason. Could be technical, could be financial, could be legal. Whatever it is nobody promised you your digital game would work on hardware that didn't exist at the time you purchased it. The way I see it, the only "no brainer" here is that you need to read the Terms and Conditions of these digital shops and prepare accordingly. Anything these companies do to bring your catalog over to newer hardware is just them trying to get you to switch over.

As for MS, it's clear that their vision is cloud gaming. It will be much cheaper for them to support than dealing with new hardware revisions, it will make new games more accessible to more people, and it will make revenue predictions much easier. Microsoft making older titles available on current hardware is just a way for them to pad their library seeing as they have the fewest amount of exclusives of the big three.

Yeah I have a closet full of old systems. I mean specifically if I own a PHYSICAL disc that is COMPATIBLE with current gen digital systems there should be a way to play it without paying again. Yes it is something a brainless slug would expect imho. Even dvd / Blu-ray physical has accepted that this is a problem but their answer was to cash in. You play stupid games ....

I'm aiming this idea at any company that has a box that does not have a physical drive. Not really caring what their MO or vision of the future is.

Welp, PS5 and XS both have disc versions, so there you go, they gave you a way.

SwiftJAB wrote:

Bluntly- this is why we get crap like this. We pay for it and lineup behind it like it's perfectly ok. Heaping praise on fully digital rental boxes and paid services like peons- we win stupid prizes.

For the last 12 months anyway to play current gen systems has been a problem- except series S. Physically- difficult. They gave us a way to buy their service. And we ate it up. 🤷🏻‍♂️

To be clear- I'm not angry or trying to be an ass- I just vehemently oppose where consumers are pushing the industry. I'm old and crusty.

I also feel like todays gamers are ok with stuff like this because- let's be honest here- they play a handful of games constantly for years. Destiny, mmos, Fortnite, etc etc. The industry is currently driven by games that are designed to be obsessively played- not by diversity and owning a library. It's becoming more and more clear by sales that this is true. In China- mobile gaming- almost addiction like crap- drives the industry. We're being pushed into this I fear.

On the contrary...in also an older gamer they plays lots of different games, and I have a huge library of old games they mostly sit on my shelf and collect dust. With Game Pass, I have really gotten my money's worth. I get to try out tons of games that I otherwise probably wouldn't have, and I can skip back and forth playing tons of games without having to get up off my ass. If I'm not having fun...no big deal, just move onto another game. I was hesitant to buy Hades because $25 for a digital game is a big pill to swallow if I'm not sure if I'm going to like it (and I don't really like rogue-lites). Thanks to Game Pass, I was able to check it out, and now I'm hooked.

I normally wouldn't have bought Mortal Kombat 11 or Forza Horizon 5 or Dirt, but I'm really enjoying them. Throw Halo Infinite into the mix, and there are dozens of games that I still want to try. I'll still buy the games I want on Switch and PS, but I'm fine with an all digital option for Xbox.

@Feeb you talk like you represent the masses and have some type of entitlement to direct what companies should make and how they should price things, so I wouldn't call your opinion humble. You can argue all you want, but it actually is "perfectly ok". The Series S was made for one purpose, to make an affordable device that will sway people into the Xbox ecosystem. It's a brilliant move. It's not being marketed as a replacement for your previous Xbox consoles with disc drives. Sony did something similar, but they decided to keep the specs the same and charge a bit more.

As for "today's gamers", I'm not sure who you are referring to. There are billions of people playing video games today in all kinds of ways. Just because you hold on to a library of physical titles from previous gen systems doesn't mean you are better than anyone else out there that plays games or that you even represent any significant portion of the population. I've been playing games for 35 years, owned dozens of consoles/handhelds/pcs, and know a ton of people that play games in all different kinds of ways. All the games you listed as examples are social based games, allowing people to connect online through gaming. It's only fitting for these games to stay relevant for much longer than say a long single-player linear game that doesn't offer more to do once the game is finished.

The way I see it, people that want to play games today have so many great options out there and that there is something for everyone. I don't fault any of the big companies for developing hardware or games to ensure that they have a healthy revenue stream. They're a business employing thousands of people, not some altruistic non-profit out there to make sure you feel good about everything in the world. If you don't like it, don't buy it. If you want something to change, stop harping on an internet forum and go and start a company where you can control the ideals and build your dream system out there that you'll make sure that in 30 years, someone will be able to play a game that was made today because they have a physical disc that may still be in decent enough condition that it can be read in an optical drive (that is if optical drives are still being manufactured 30 years from now).

SwiftJAB wrote:

I mostly agree except for the part about if you don't like it go start a business and change the gaming ecosystem thing.

That's a bad argument, because you know as well as I do that even if feeb is a savvy businessman, an excellent game designer, programmer, and artist, the odds that his company would get big enough to make a significant industry-wide impact are close to zero at this stage.

@benstylus totally, but he might be able to carve out a niche thing for the type of gamer he is. If he feels like there are enough people out there that think the same way, I'm sure his Kickstarter campaign would get funded quickly. Or he can take the lame change.org approach and start a petition.

ME Legendary edition just hit EA Play and GP. For those who were waiting and not wanting to buy it/pay for it.

SwiftJAB wrote:

All your points are 100 % valid and correct. As I tried to make clear- this is a business and they're making business decisions that I don't agree with. So correct, I cannot speak for the industry or masses. What I was trying to construe Is that I ( mostly being our generation) am NOT the industry anymore. Mostly I hate the road it is going down, addictive games with in game transactions etc- this is not my opinion it is a fact. Look at the Chinese game market - companies have found that those cheap to develop types of games ARE the driving force. If they do as you're suggesting, as a business and follow the money- as I think we all expect- that's the future of the industry. I've no problem with the sub services, I don't use them if possible and I share my thoughts on full digital already- but this is how things change/ incrementally- get offered something that could be much better and be ok with it. People like me starting a new company isn't the answer- the answer is all of us demanding obvious things like BC , disc to digital, a real choice by actually supplying disc based systems over a year into the cycle etc and not pretending like what we have is perfectly fine.

I'm not going to be a big douche and suggest that you get a new career as an industry shill over this. I can be passionate and not be mad🤷🏻‍♂️

Also I have a sneaking suspicion that admitting I'm way more pissed off about owning a ps5 digital than an S- which I don't own anymore- will take some of the ire out of this discussion. Yep, that's my fault. I bought it. Dumb robot minded consumerism and buyer's remorse. I have a disc in one room and digital in another- same box, no drive and hundreds of physical games I own that are limited to one of them. Contribute to my go fund me to replace my collection in digital. I promise I'll be a happier voice for the grumpy old men in man caves.

Anyone remember those old rumors about how Microsoft was considering letting people take physical discs to any Microsoft Store and they would add the digital versions of those disc to ur account. Don't remember if it was only rumors or not.

I could see them doing something like this. A way to get rid of A ton of used game sales. And it wouldn't cost them anything to add digital versions.

Kommie wrote:

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I'm legitimately looking forward to them trying to survive printing $30-60 Worms/Star Wars GB carts. Fudging bye!

Wasn't the cleanest, but got my first Killtacular

https://www.xbox.com/play/media/VKMY9QQ7

Finally playing Alan Wake (remastered), and I'm not overly impressed. The story is kinda confusing, the game play is rough, the combat is pretty generic and boring, the acting is awful, the atmosphere is cool, but also blan and repetitive at times.

I think it's more the story and over the top reactions that are just annoying. Alan is kind of a dick with oddly harsh and reactive comments. The FBI agent just randomly shoots without any real dialogue, while Alan taps into the Matrix and uses bullet time to avoid Agent Smiths amazing shooting abilities. The wife being kidnapped sure doesn't seem like she's worried.

The story at its core is awesome but the execution is just odd and feels off. I do want to know how this unfolds and ends but so many annoyance. Tiny ass town has a helicopter and this many cops? How did these cop cars drive so far off trail? How many times can you lose your gear and conviniently refind at the most appropriate times? Random generators everywhere that still work. Also why is some of the voice acting volume so crapty? No consistency. Without subtitles I'd miss a bunch of what they've said.

This needed more than a graphics update. It was definitely better in its time, but it wasn't that long ago. Overall it's just ok at best. I find myself not overly engaged and wanting to finish. Give it another chapter or so... We'll see.

I got my Series S on Friday (thanks @MrDeets ). I have already downloaded and played a ton. Quick Resume is the greatest feature ever for someone like me that switches between Game Pass games like crazy. I'm going through my Hades run but get bored and decide to switch over to Psychonauts 2. Then I do a Mortal Kombat 11 fight, and then do a few battles in Bug Fable, and then play a screen or two of The Pedestrian. Through in a bit of Halo, and I'm a happy boy.

MrBean wrote:

Agreed mostly. I tried it for about an hour and was not pulled in enough. Moved on pretty quickly and likely won't go back.

bonham2 wrote:

This was one of the key features I was excited about and love in practice as well. My wife like to play a goofy match-3 style game dating back to my X1 and with Quick Resume neither of us have to deal with longer boot ups as often anymore. I also really like being able to go back to games like Horizon 5 (used to be 4), or some fighting games and mess around for a short while if I don't have a bunch of time to play longer, great feature.

If you want a Series X Gamestop has some bundles up right now. Not Retail price like one is $703 for MSRP $772 etc you get the current sale price etc.

Anybody have any good recommendations for short(ish) games on GamePass?

I liked The Gunk. It's a story driven 3D Action/Adventure with a cool environment. Easy game with some light puzzle solving. Not great, but I enjoyed the 5-10 hours I put into it.

Yeah the Gunk was pretty good. Def a game pass game tho. I couldn't see spending full price on it.