I recently didn’t renew my gamepass ultimate sub. Some of the 1st party games being added to the service I would rather own. And I don’t like renting 100 games a month that I most likely won’t play.
Companies still expect people to buy their games. A first party AAA MS game selling 4 million units would generate 240 million. 15 million game pass users (paying $10 monthly) would generate 150 million revenue per month or 1.8 billion revenue per year. Hence gamepass subs are given discounts on titles to encourage them to purchase 3rd and 1st party games included with their subscription.
Microsoft has the characters for a hero shooter. However, a brawler-style Killer Instinct game could be viable also.
Crashed was rumoured as a character for the fighter pass 2.
Non-Nintendo characters and even the “too big” Ridley got added to Smash before Wailugi, poor guy, lol.
I might hold off on Crash Bandicoot 4 until after I acquire Series X and PS5. Waiting for the enhanced version of this game might be worthwhile.
The 550 million budget isn’t verified.
I don’t think the presented list is accurate. Video game budgets generally aren’t publicly disclosed. Red Dead Redemption 2 was estimated to cost over 200 million to produce, and it is not ranked in the presented article.
It does remind me of Prey (2017). Despite its dated visuals and some technical and gameplay shortcomings. I generally liked Prey(2017)’s gameplay. I was also fond of its art style.
There are different science fiction aesthetics, depending on how grounded in reality a science fiction universe is:
Retro Futuristic - The Outer Worlds
Steampunk- Bioshock
Retro Futuristic/Nuke punk - Fallout
Lo-Science Fiction - Aliens Isolation
Industrial- Killzone , Gears of War
Cyberpunk- Perfect Dark, Cyberpunk 2077
Starfield, looks like it will have lo-science fiction aesthetic, assuming the presented images are genuine.
It should be obvious Microsoft is acquiring more than games with there in-progress acquisition of Bethesda [and Zenimax Media]. Microsoft will acquire another game publishing branch, the id tech engine and notable studios (id, Bethesda Game Studios, Arkane, and Machine Games), plus 3 smaller studios that could function in development support. Microsoft's biggest acquirement besides the additional studios, is the Fallout, Elder Scrolls and id Universe (Doom, Wolfenstein and Quake) IPs .
I was actually thinking of Surface with the chip set of an Xbox Series S, albeit scaled back, in tablet form. It would be expensive, but it would offer greater performance than and Switch. Plus this hypothetical Xbox Surface would be able to play scaled back 9th gen games.
I some wonder if a Surface based Xbox Console would be viable. However, Nintendo has always dominated the handheld market.
I think Skyrim and Fallout are too big and profitable to made Xbox/Windows exclusive. I could see some smaller Bethesda titles getting 6 month to one year Xbox console exclusivity. However, I did think the Xbox versions and Windows versions of Bethesda titles, regardless of exclusivity, going forward may get extra perks (such as exclusive skins, gold and gamepass discounts, and other rewards).
Microsoft stated that deals established before the Bethesda purchase would honoured. However, Bethesda will function semi-independently from Xbox Studios. Therefore, games produced by Bethesda may-or-may not be exclusive to Xbox and Windows on a case-to-case basis.
I would think 🤔 Remedy and IO Interactive would be good purchases for Microsoft. I personally don’t want MS to buy out big publishers. I don’t want the gaming industry to focus heavily on bigger-and-bigger companies.
Warner Bros would not sell the rights to the DC IPs. And Warner Bros doesn’t actually own Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter etc.
I think they have the right characters for a hero shooter or a cross over MOBA.
Sony bought Guerilla Games, Naughty Dog, Insomniac and Sucker Punch.