HAVING THOUGHT ABOUT IT... XBOX ONE X IS A STUPID IDEA - BY MR BIFFO

HAVING THOUGHT ABOUT IT... XBOX ONE X IS A STUPID IDEA - by Mr Biffo

20/6/2017

Xbox One X. It's not a bad name, in the context that we already have an Xbox One S. It feels like it's part of the Xbox family. I'm not buying one of them, obviously. I mean, I remain happy with my bog-standard Xbox One, which gets switched on about once a year for the rare platform exclusive that I actually want to play.

I thought Microsoft had a pretty good E3, speaking broadly. The company's presentation - once you could tear your eyes away from Phil Spencer's pleather jacket and legs-akimbo stance - indicated unquestionably that there are plenty of good games coming to Xbox.

Certain commentators have drawn attention to the lack of VR from Microsoft as being a bad thing - in part because there was a general consensus (despite any concrete evidence to suggest as such) that Project Scorpio/Xbox One X was designed to offer some sort of VR option.

Personally, if I was in Microsoft's position, I wouldn't be pursuing VR either. The Xbox One has a much smaller installed user base than the PlayStation 4, and while PSVR has sold around a million units... those sales are, reportedly, slower than Sony would've liked. It would be too much of a risk.

Microsoft is also stating that it expects most new Xbox One owners to join the family via the cheaper Xbox One S, rather than the premium-priced X model. In short: they're trying to keep everybody happy, and offer Xboxes for both those who want top-end 4K graphics, and those working with a smaller budget.

Except... I think that's a mistake, because - man alive! - Microsoft's messaging is all over the place here.

THE THING
See... here's the thing... If you're someone who wants to buy a new games console, these are your choices:

Nintendo Switch (relatively low-powered, has Zelda, Mario on the way, portable, £279)
PlayStation 4 (market leader, been around a bit, still lots of power, tons of games, £220-ish, can do VR if you want it)
PlayStation 4 Pro (tons of power, tons of games, can do VR if you want it, £340-ish, plays nice on 4K tellies)
Xbox One S (plenty of games, powerful enough, plays old Xbox games, around £200).
Xbox One X (the most powerful games console ever if you've got a 4K TV, plays old Xbox games, £450)

Switch is doing its own dance. You either want a Switch or you don't - it isn't competing with the PlayStation or Xbox brand. You can have a Switch AND one of the other consoles, because - and here's a phrase we'll come back to - they're demonstrably different.

So it comes down to whether you want a PlayStation or an Xbox. The slightly rotten reality of this for Microsoft is that - if it was me - I'd pick a PlayStation. I certainly wouldn't fork out more than twice as much for an Xbox One X. I'm not sure how many other people would either, unless they're the hardest of the hardcore Xbox fanboys. Or because they can't quite afford a PC. Or because they need a reason to justify that 4K telly they just bought.

There are a handful of upcoming Xbox One exclusives that look pretty good - Cuphead and Sea of Thieves to name the two that I can remember - but they wouldn't be enough for me to take a punt on a system that has sold half as much as its rival machine. Certainly not as I'm already an Xbox One owner, and the machine is fundamentally fine.

Microsoft is saying that they now have an Xbox for everyone - but for those who value really high-end visuals over and above everything else... well... most of them already own a PC. Which, of course, will be getting all the same games that'll be available on the Xbox One.

IT'S HOT
Ultimately, there's this: it's hot, and I don't care what Microsoft wants to do.

At this point, I don't even care if the Xbox brand disappeared altogether. That's a massive shame, because I loved my Xbox 360. It remains in my top three consoles of all time.

The Xbox One went wrong from the off, and now we're in a position where it's virtually interchangeable with the PlayStation 4... except that the PlayStation 4 has more games and PSVR. Fact is, Xbox One - whatever letter you apply to the end of its name - is kind of irrelevant.

And here's the biggest problem with Xbox One X; all Xbox One games will run on all Xbox Ones. Some games on the X will have graphical enhancements - but not to the point that they risk affecting the gameplay or experience on the cheaper, older models, because Microsoft has insisted that's the way it must be. There will be no Xbox One X exclusives..

This means that Microsoft is constraining "the most powerful games console of all time" right out of the gate. Its wings have been clipped. Furthermore, by tying it so closely with the Xbox One brand, the message isn't that this is a bold new epoch of gaming, but... uh... well... who knows?

If I'd been Microsoft I'd have branded this as something entirely new. I wouldn't have handcuffed developers into making all Xbox One games run on all Xbox Ones. I'd have given developers permission to explore what they can really do with such apparently powerful hardware - and indicated to the world that the PlayStation 4 is the past.

That would of course be a risky strategy, given that it would potentially indicate to an estimated 26 million Xbox One owners (Microsoft no longer shares its sales figures) that their machine was also obsolete - even if Microsoft insisted otherwise.

Then there's this: find some other way to distinguish the Xbox One brand from the PlayStation 4. Because at the moment, to most people, the Xbox One - even the Xbox One X - is just PlayStation 4 without the VR and momentum.

FRANK SPENCER
Phil Spencer is pragmatic, saying that he expects Xbox One S to sell more than X, which is positioned as a "premium" product. Still, how is he going to woo people to Xbox One X? You don't release something without wanting people to buy it. You've got to recoup development costs at the bare minimum.

Speaking to Business Insider he says of the potential Xbox One X customer: "You ask who is that person today? I'm gonna bet a large percentage of those people have a current-generation console already. So in that world, I have to show them an experience that's demonstrably better."

Thing is, I'm not sure that Microsoft has shown an experience that's demonstrably better, because how can it be demonstrably better when the games are going to be more or less the same on all Xbox One consoles? Most of us - most regular people - won't be able to tell the difference.

I've written about video games for 25 years, and I'm confused by Microsoft's messaging. I don't really understand the difference between Xbox One X and Xbox One S - because Microsoft never ran two versions of the same game side-by-side (surely the best comparison?).

They just bombarded us with technical specifications, then said that some of the games demoed were running on the Xbox One X. I couldn't really notice a massive upscale in graphics from what we've generally seen already from the current generation.

If you ask me, Microsoft is running scared of demonstrating that demonstrable difference, because they don't want to piss off their existing customer base. They're soft-pedalling on what Xbox One X is, because they want to have their cake and eat it. It's the console hardware equivalent of slowly pulling a sticking plaster off a hairy forearm, rather than ripping it off in one swift motion.

They've quite literally - ha ha - Xboxed themselves into a corner.

FROM THE ARCHIVE:
WHOOP-WHOOP! MICROSOFT AT E3 - BY MR BIFFO
SONY UNDERWHELMS? MY TAKE ON THE E3 2017 PLAYSTATION PRESENTATION - BY MR BIFFO
E3 2017: THE BEST OF THE REST - BY MR BIFFO

65 Comments

Paul

20/6/2017 09:53:22 am

Funny how both Microsoft and Sony have come out with a .5 version of the latest console. Yeah, both are "premium" versions of the current generation, but at about half the expected life of a console, they bump the specs a bit. Will this extend the life of those machines, with the current "base" models being sold off with Happy Meals, or just quietly dropped?

Both these consoles confuse me as consoles have always been appliances that have fixed specs for the lifespan of the product, and we knew that a game bought for a PlayStation 2 would alleys work on a PlayStation 2 whatever the form-factor.

Now we are in a potentially fragmentary world where could see PS4 Pro or XBoxX only titles emerging in the future. It's starting to look more like PC gaming than ever before.

Dr. Budd Buttocks, MD

20/6/2017 10:19:40 am

Microsoft's "premium" strategy reeks of Apple. In a way I don't blame them at all, it's worked out very well for Apple.

I commented before on a similar article about how the console market is basically following the mobile phone market now. The software and hardware has reached a point where it can be iterated and improved every year without breaking compatibility. Even Nintendo's done it by rebadging an off-the shelf platform from Nvidia. I guarantee you there will be a refreshed Switch model in a year or two.

I wouldn't worry about fragmentation just yet. Games will always need to be targeted for the base model, with the main difference for the pro/X models being a big bump in resolution. They don't really have fast enough CPUs to deliver a big boost in frame rate or game-changing logic like AI or physics.

Sony apparently still favour discrete generations too, so at some point in the next 2-3 years there will probably be a PS5 that will probably feature similar PC-derived hardware, but breaks direct compatibility with the PS4.

I think with the way things are these days, with hardware so generalised and software being very portable, it's a very arbitrary decision to draw that line. It made more sense in the past, when we were seeing genuinely groundbreaking new technology every few years.

We're kind of reaching a plateau now, everything else seems to be pointing towards smaller, more regular incremental changes and maintaining compatibility. We'd be waiting a long time to see the sort of advances that we saw between previous generations.

Virtual William

20/6/2017 11:12:17 am

but VR!!!!!

"There are too many exclamation points in your comment. Please remove some exclamation points and try again."

Harry Steele

20/6/2017 10:26:58 am

You see, it's all these .5 versions release by Microsoft, Sony and even Nintendo (how many 3/2DS' have there been?!) that has stopped me getting any current gen consoles.

Also money. I have no money.

Biscuits

20/6/2017 10:47:01 am

There was such a furor about '60 fps' at the start of the gen that I believe they went into planning before the original consoles were released

20/6/2017 03:05:24 pm

The push seems to be the need to move the graphics more and more to photo reality. High frame rates, HDR, higher resolution textures. It's all wonderful, of course, and I'm sure the illusion of the reality of the Call of Duty franchise will be much improved by it.

But, I do wonder where this will end. It seems that the limitations of the Switch could well force more creativity in the presentation of games, and I'm all for that.

20/6/2017 12:56:42 pm

Talking of VR, I think this is actually what is driving innovation right now in a number of areas.

Because of the need for very high resolutions and very high frame rates, we're seeing big strides in rendering optimisation, display pixel density, power efficiency and so on.

The method (and limits) of interaction is pushing developers to think of new experiences and how we control and move in them.

It's merely refinements of what has come before, but we're not having to wait 5 years to get it.

Someone said recently that VR is in its "iPod era" and that pretty much sums it up. But traditional gaming directly benefits from all the advances made in VR too. We'll soon have games running on portable devices with all day battery life, pin-sharp screens and uncannily fluid frame rates, which we won't have to strap onto our faces if we don't want to.

Biscuits the character

20/6/2017 09:59:57 am

I honestly wasn't even aware of the S...is that a slim version? I guess if nobody is buying your product, make it more expensive and inaccessible.

Crowing aside, is Sea of Thieves that Pirate-em-up from E3? It looked so good, I'm actually jealous. Same with Cuphead (though hopefully my PC will be able to handle that).

I'm genuinely going to have to see how much they want for an 'S' when SoT is released...they got me...

Mr Biffo

20/6/2017 10:03:59 am

And there you go...! Sea of Thieves looks fantastic - but it certainly doesn't suggest you're going to have a dramatically different experience on the Xbox One X version!

20/6/2017 11:17:45 am

I don't think I'm the target market anyway, I don't have a 4k telly, actively prefer stable 30 fps to 60 and I saw Horizon running on a PS4 Pro next to a PS4 and couldn't notice any difference. I won't bite the bullet on anything high end unless I decide I want VR very badly at some point, but right now the funnest VR game I've played is one where you virtually sit around and play a game of werewolf/mafia, which I can't help but feel is not really pushing the technology

John Veness

20/6/2017 10:06:59 am

Yes the "S" was the model that was smaller than the original Xbox One. Confusingly, the "X" is even smaller!

Ashgrave

20/6/2017 09:28:06 pm

Xbox One S is dope as hell. It's $200 and streams 4k. I'd highly recommend grabbing one. Microsoft has been pretty desperate to get more market share, so you get 4 free games a month, one of which is usually a AAA game that is a couple years old.

21/6/2017 09:32:39 am

Yeah that was the advantage os PS3, they were giving away amazing games every month. It wasn't mandatory paid-online then but I still paid for it because the games were so good. This is no longer the case (though this month is good)

Kieren

20/6/2017 10:07:38 am

The backwards compatibility was enough to make me choose the Xbox One over the PS4. But then I also think it has the best exclusives, I can't imagine life without Forza or Dead Rising, and by far the better controller.

Bookmark

20/6/2017 10:30:12 am

Ah, the old controller debate wearily raises is bedraggled head once more.

Dualshock>Xbox madcats monstrosities

Now you say something about it's been proven that unaligned thumbsticks are better for your hands

Then I say I've never found it to be the case and every good gamer 'claws' anyway, impossible on xbox pads

Then you say you never found the need to 'claw' so who cares

Then I say the raised buttons are slippery and the triggers an effort to push

Then you say the touchpad thing is useless and compromises space on an already crowded pad

Then I say Dualshock has by far the better d-pad

Then you say Xbox has by far the better d-pad (in a post 360 world)

Then we both go home and weep at the futility of our tenuous existences

Col. Asdasd

20/6/2017 10:52:48 am

As usual A BLOO HOO BLOO Sony droid, I'm BLOO HOO BLOO HOO already nine steps A BLOO HOO HOO ahead of you

Spiney O'Sullivan

20/6/2017 11:34:56 am

In all honesty, I hate the PS4 Dual Shock compared to the old model. It doesn't sit as nicely in my hands compared to the old model, which sort of cradled itself in your fingers.

I am partly blaming my recently-acquired RSI on it and Assassin's Creed.

20/6/2017 11:52:42 am

Man I LOVE the DS4, after hard-cussing the heavy-yet-hollow DS3. It feels so solid and smooth, and does all that funky stuff. The thumbsticks are too fiddly but I've used thumbstick covers for years so it doesn't make any difference to me like

DEAN

20/6/2017 04:01:42 pm

Yep, the PS4 pad is a winner with me.

The XBOX ONE pad is not as nice because it feels cheaper (plasticy button presses and uneven seams) and shares a common DNA flaw with it's predecessor - wrist angles. When held for play, your wrists want to touch... like a lady nonchalantly sampling perfumes at the duty free or a perp with pull tie handcuffs on. This is nauseating because it makes you feel submissive and emasculated not to mention down right uncomfortable. Remember the hype about how much money they had invested in tweaking the pad?

You know what the problem is? It's just hit me and I'm sure I'm onto something - the Xbox project lacks vision. More specifically, they lack a leader, a visionary with some real clout and focus. Andrew House is a big reason why PS4 has been so successful.... Come back Seamus Blackley - you had vision and balls....

Back to the pad...
I have large hands, so maybe this is not the commonly held view, but for the less Trumpian among us, I don't think the PS4 pad can presently be beat.

David W

20/6/2017 11:46:32 am

Backwards compatibility was one of the small things that made me choose an Xbox One S over a PS4 Slim. It was also cheaper, even with a game included, and it looks nice.

I am the wrong audience for the Xbox One X.

David Heslop

20/6/2017 10:25:44 am

I'm a pretty dyed-in-the-wool Xbox fan; I've never owned a PlayStation, and I tend to prefer the Xbox Xclusives (Halo, Gears, Forza, Fable) over the Sony equivalents. That being said, no one can deny they dropped the ball this generation and nothing they can do can really help them overcome PS4. All they can hope for is by the time the next "proper" generation rolls round in 2019/2020 they're still a solid number two (teehee) and not lagging in turd (third) behind the Switch.

I agree with a lot of Mr B's points; all the best-looking (and by that I mean the games that look the best, not that look the best... oh, never mind) - stuff like Cuphead or Below or the controversial The Last Night, and even things like Minecraft and Sea of Thieves with their cartoony visuals - they probably won't REALLY benefit from a 4K upgrade. BUT, having read as much Digital Foundry as my English Literature brain can handle, I don't think the technology is really there yet to do a full-fledged generational refresh. All they can hope is a console that pushes contemporary games to prettier heights. Also, I think by dropping a definitive marker between Xbox One and Xbox One X - saying no, these games will not run on your poxy machine - they risked pissing off their already-pissed-off fanbase even more. Stuck between a rock and a third space.

The X looks good. I don't have a 4K TV and I don't even care about graphics that much at all (I'd rather have a game that looked like Halo 2 but offered far more freedom, dynamism, and intelligence). I think I might buy one, when the price drops and when I get a new telly. I hope it helps them close the gap a little with Sony, not because I want Xbox to "win" (I'm not a child), but because I like the controller, I like Xbox Live, and I like a lot of the exclusives and I don't want them to go away. But Xbox One X was always a tough sell, and I don't see it getting any easier for them at £450 a pop.

Jareth Smith

20/6/2017 10:46:18 am

I'm not paying £500 for a souped up Xbox One. If Microsoft had tried to innovate with its hardware I might have been tempted, but with Sony it's in a tedious specs war in the pointless push for marginal improvements in graphics. This infatuation with specs has led to a stale mainstream environment where most AAA games are instantly forgettable.

Conversely, you have the "underpowered" Switch which threatens to be the best thing on the market once more games roll out, but already has two killer titles.

The PS4 and Xbox One? You can count the number of classic games, between them, on one hand. It's time for them to realise the graphics have peaked and it's time to focus on making devs churn out games which offer gameplay, not movie-esque experiences.

Chinny reckon

20/6/2017 12:23:11 pm

NieR: Automata
Persona 5
Horizon
Yakuza 0
Nioh
Tekken 7
Resident Evil 7

All excellent games, and aside from Tekken and arguably Horizon (and that's a tough argument), they all offer experiences you can't find anywhere else, and they're all from this year alone, and it's only June. From past years: Bloodborne, Uncharted 4, MGS5, The Witness, Last Guardian, etc etc....this is all 'off the dome', I'm sure there's plenty more. I can't even name that many games for WiiU.

My litmus test when asking people to list classic WiiU games is whether or not they include Toad's Treasure Hunt...

Nick

20/6/2017 12:38:12 pm

They bloody well should list Toad's Treasure Hunt...

Your list of games there is, interestingly, Japanese heavy. I think the resurgence of the the Japanese game makers has been my favourite thing about this generation.

Jimmy reckon

20/6/2017 01:08:23 pm

Agree, they have been smashing it. This has been an uncommonly good year for games

20/6/2017 01:55:32 pm

I wouldn't class any of the games you listed as classics, except for possibly Nier, Bloodbrne, and Uncharted 4 - see what I mean about one hand?

Horizon Zero Dawn a classic? No. Tekken 7?! Using that slice of mediocrity to try and prove a point is laughable. This is indicative of the largely forgettable selection of mainstream titles which are released but receive an inordinate amount of praise from gamers simply as they don't know any better. The bar is already low if you deal with mediocrity and fillers.

Conversely, the indie scene is throwing up slices of genius constantly. As for the Wii U - maybe it's about time some people realise there's a gap between the Wii and U. Not difficult is it, dear?

Voodoo76

20/6/2017 02:20:48 pm

Average to good, but none are all time classics.

20/6/2017 03:02:43 pm

Now now Jareth, this is a comments board, nobody is trying to prove a point. Given what you say about 'the other hand' and your (presumably real) workmate dismissing a system without playing it, let's reel in those claims of the titles above garnering 'inordinate amount of praise from gamers simply as they don't know any better. The bar is already low if you deal with mediocrity and fillers.' - this insulting conjecture does not read as informed, in fact it reads like the result of an emotional response. Let's leave that nonsense for the less reputable sites out there.

It's too late to call 'all-time classics' obviously, but I'd be very, very surprised if NieR:A is not being discussed in the years to come. If you ask me Persona 5, Horizon and Nioh all deserve consideration too: all do what they do brilliantly and are like nothing else out there. Resident Evil 7 as well probably. Just because Last Guardian was hugely delayed doesn't stop it being a frequently beautiful, wholly unique experience too. In fact I would only take umbrage with Tekken 7 in the above list, and even that's a good game.

I'm not sure what the last sentence is meant to mean, the Wii had good entries in a few canons imo. Did you not like it?

Quin

20/6/2017 10:49:30 am

Saw this coming years ago and wrote about it profusely. The console model where ‘power’ is the sole focus was always going to end up in this spot, particularly relative to a PC. The ‘powerful’ console model was shown even more obviously to be inadequate when they started released mid-generation ‘updates’ playing petty one-upmanship, which introduced a whole raft of problems, some of which are discussed above. Nintendo got it right a long time ago by focussing on something other than power and made it work. This is why the Wii was so popular. Unfortunately, their blunder with marketing of the Wii U from launch lost them one of their best hardware ideas that worked really well when used properly—not that many developers could be bothered. The retrograde Switch with no backwards compatibility nicely shows this, with people already complaining about the lack of second screen on games like Splatoon 2 which utilised the concept so well, as those who played it a lot know. Switch also has a whole host of other problems as a platform and isn’t one of Nintendo’s best ‘home consoles’. In fact the global sales data (rather than just the cherry-picked US subset data) shows it’s Nintendo’s least selling console for over a decade at this stage in its life—contrary to the US-centric headlines which most people don’t bother to fact-check and holistically contextualise. Even some of Nintendo’s biggest IPs are losing likeability; the newest Zelda has the greatest percentage of people ranking it mixed/negative than any other major 3D Zelda game on Metacritic (the best opinion dataset available) by a huge margin, again, despite the US-dominant press. The detail in the mixed reviews is very revealing. Even the upcoming Mario looks like it caught Simpson’s syndrome in some respects; when they run out of ideas, the original writers leave, and they’re left peddling familiar characters by putting them in totally different and absurd situations simply because they can’t think of anything else ‘new’. PlayStation (and others) are flogging a dead horse with VR which still shows all the predicted trends of flopping as a serious gaming concept, for the several key reasons discussed in detail elsewhere. And despite all this, the ‘worst-of’ middle ground Xbox/PS consoles are still raping the superior PC platform; software titles still primarily designed for the underpowered ‘powerful’ consoles being essentially directly ported over. Gone are the days where highly advanced games are designed for the PC and are then downgraded just to function on consoles (like Crysis 1 of old as one example). While there are still good things to be found out there, this is not the golden age of gaming alas.

20/6/2017 11:12:15 am

The Wii U is an enormously underrated games console, a shame so many gamers snubbed it. "It's crap" my colleague claimed, having never played on one - his view was formed as the graphics aren't quite as good as the other two consoles. All he plays is FIFA.

I wouldn't read much into the Breath of the Wild Metacritic situation. A horde of petulant imbeciles going on to hand it a 0/10 protest vote against "Nintendards" is more a damning indictment of the immaturity of gamers in general than proof Nintendo has lost more popularity. Quite the opposite - the Switch has been a big success, BOtW is a masterpiece, and there are fantastic titles on the way. With more third party support, it'll easily trounce the Wii U's 15+ million sales. Metacritic is not a good service to judge the quality of games on, when Joe Averae can go on to vent spleen about a game they've clearly never played and inform the world the aforementioned Nintendards should die of "brain cancer" - yes, I saw that written on multiple occasions.

20/6/2017 11:40:30 am

People make this claim a lot, and I'd like to believe it, but the only game I find to play on WiiU is Bayo 2...if I were to get one, it would be that and probably BotW (though I'd prefer to play it on Switch obviously), and that might be it. It can't be denied it had a lot of weak entries in existing series. Talk me into it though because I REALLY want to play BotW

20/6/2017 11:43:06 am

Despite having owned Nintendo consoles all my life, I'm a fairly disappointed Wii U owner. The number of games which actually used the Wii U's gimmick of being a bigger DS was woefully small, and frankly, in those games that do use it, having to actively look away from the main screen mid-game is annoying and immersion-breaking. Right now it functions purely as a Smash Bros machine.

20/6/2017 12:48:07 pm

I've loved my Wii U and would have recommended it to anyone.

Though, I suspect the combination of the Switch's success and, as Spiney said, the small number of games making meaningful use of the second screen will see most of the great games being ported over to the new console in the next couple 'o' years.

20/6/2017 02:01:40 pm

Biscuits - Bayonetta 2 is the most mainstream game on the system and the type of thing you find on the PS4 and Xbox One; I found it utterly unplayable. After two hours of play, having to sit through yet another godawful cutscene was just too tedious.

It'd be interesting to know what you think were the weak entries in Nintendo's franchises were, as other than Star Fox the company utterly smashed it: Mario Kart 8 is a masterpiece, Pikmin 3 is a masterpiece, DKC: Tropical Freeze is a masterpiece, Super Mario 3D World is a masterpiece, Super Mario Maker is a masterpiece etc.

Breath of the Wild is sensational and one of my favourite games, but that's up to you if you want to enjoy it! You'll be able to pick up a secondhand Wii U for super cheap, surely?

20/6/2017 03:40:46 pm

Yeah with Bayo you have to suffer the cutscenes, but the huge, huge depth in the gameplay makes it all worthwhile I reckon.

I've played a lot of Mario Kart 8 at the pub near me and the rubberbanding that has killed competitive play for that title since GC persists. Without competitive play, it isn't much of anything. SNES Mario Kart remains my fave!

I played through half of Super Mario 3D World with my friend and we both found it pointlessly easy and unexciting to play and so sterile to look at that we didn't bother finishing it. I thought the initial screens were very exciting, and they were going for a restrained, wry, 'cool'er look to the series, but it was so punishingly dull to play. The wanton, relentless creativity that made the Galaxy games some of the best Nintendo games ever was gone, cleaned up along with the visuals. To a greater extent gameplay-wise, I felt the same about the unremarkable Tearaway (though I didn't play on Vita), but at least the colours and design were rich and exciting

I don't doubt I'd enjoy DKC:TF, I liked the first one well enough, but I imagine I'd feel the same way about it as I did the first: a fun, difficult time passer, but perhaps somewhat forgettable in the long run. Certainly the idea of it evoking a profound response seems unlikely (I preferred Rayman Origins/Legends to the original anyway)

If Pikmin 3 is as good as the first 2 I imagine I will be into it, but masterpiece? I haven't heard much buzz around it, even from ardent Nintendo fans. What does it do better than the others? What elevates it to 'masterpiece' status?

Mario Maker is, I'm afraid, woefully insufficient, my biggest letdown of last gen. The very first ROM hack I used had way more options and freedom. It was to be the game that made me break down and get a WiiU (that and sharing drawings). I wont mention Amiibos or
the violent, callous besmirching of my beloved Animal Crossing series

All this talk of 'mainstream' and 'like the kind of thing you'd find on (other consoles)' does suggest something less than an impartial mindset....

MrDrinks

20/6/2017 09:04:53 pm

You don't actually have to watch the cutscenes in either of the Bayonetta games, the option to skip them is there from the beginning. There is even a button shortcut to save you having to go into the menus to select Skip.

20/6/2017 11:36:02 am

Just backing up Jareth - Metacritic is an absolute joke, especially when it comes to video games. Read the actual reviews and realize this is the case. I would estimate the vast majority are left by people under 15, certainly I would assume under 20

20/6/2017 12:53:08 pm

Metacritic shows skyward sword and breath of the wild having the proportionally greatest number of mixed/negative reviews of the total. This is in contrast to the game released in between them (link between worlds) which has proportionally the lowest number of mixed/negative of the total and seemingly much loved on par with previous 3D Zelda games before the formula shakeup. I don't think anyone can dismiss the data for some games and not others and conclude metacritic is useless. That's the definition of cherry-picking when things don't necessarily suit. It's either all right or all wrong; can't have it both ways. Seems to me to be fairly representative across the board with common opinion when chatting with a wide range of people.

I've always found from lots of discussions with people that those who didn't like the Wii U were those who either didn't have many of the games, didn't play the games to the end, or didn't have hordes of friends to play the multiplayer games with a lot. In other words, those who didn't/couldn't experience it as designed tended not to like it. Which makes sense. Of the people who had both Wii and Wii U who filled the above criteria I've spoken with, most tend to prefer the Wii U of the two consoles. And strangely, I've met hardly any gamers who have either an xbox one or talk about getting the new one. Some have 360s though.

20/6/2017 03:45:13 pm

Whether or not we agree or it matches our experience has nothing to do with it though... nobody is dismissing data for some games and not others - I'm dismissing the user side of metacritic entirely. I'm not sure what made you think otherwise though so I may not be making myself clear

SwordySal

To use an example of downgrading, The Witcher 3 looked stupendous in it's original shots, then the console downgrade affected the graphics terribly. But it's the same mediocre, broken game underneath.

20/6/2017 11:36:52 am

I largely agree that the X is a bit of a misstep, but doesn't the PS4 pro have the same problems?

Another cost of the mid generation upgrade is that it robs a huge amount of 'wow' from the next upgrade. If the PS5 is four times as good as the PS4 but only twice as good as the Pro, it'll feel like another half step upgrade.

I think perhaps the next upgrade (to PS5) will make the Pro the base model for developers, the PS5 will be the new luxury model and the PS4 will be optional. I think backward compatibility will be a given from now on, but that any new console will always be hamstrung by the last.

(I use Playstation as an example as their naming policy makes sense)

I guess it's always been a bit that way - PCs are always held back by designing with lower spec in mind - and with consoles in mind. Early on in a new generation games are made for both old and new.

Steve

20/6/2017 12:25:16 pm

I think the PS4 Pro has worse problems to be honest. Can't call itself the most powerful console any more, doesn't play 4k discs - who is it for? I guess it's good for VR, but that market is already approaching saturation

20/6/2017 11:40:23 am

I to and fro about this X thing.

If you play the blockbusters and you have the kind of disposable income that permits a (decent) 4K TV, then yeah, why not play FIFA, Need for Speed, COD, Destiny.... all those strapping lads, but safe in the knowledge that your £50 (the same £50 as an S, PS4 or PS4 PRO) was money better spent - you have the superior experience. There's a sense of good sense to that. Yeah?

But then that's pretty limited in scope.... But it's a start and then I feel that the Xbox should rightfully be the most powerful. Here's why:

The Xbox brand is the most joyless and unsexy of the big three. It's proper dull as dishwater but its saving grace has always been in American Muscle. When it lost that & Project Gotham, Fable... Rare..... Halo's lustre fading like heat rash in the Arctic.... What the fuck was left? A 2nd rate nerd box whopped over by executive douchebags. The team that tried to strip your freedom and rights faster than your North Korean uncle and hawked you a must have camera that, turns out.... you know the story...
If they don't have the teraflops then they don't have shit. That's what this X is all about. You don't even need to have an X in order to feel better about your gaming self; you can kick off your dogs and chill, basking in the halo effect glory of parasol brand technical superiority.

The price is not really too much of an issue... for shareholders and pundits it clearly is but in reality the people that want it will pay the price. No real sense in selling this one at a loss, it's not about that. It IS about the arms race, brand identity and hitting a market that will spend like fuck on games. It makes sense, it really does, but that's not to say that it will change the landscape... it doesn't need to this time around because *perhaps* MS have seen beyond their own myopic idiocy and what this new hardware represents is MS demonstrably showcasing that they are indeed not a joke.

If you're an Xbox fan then, interested in the X or not, it's a very positive thing. The boys are back in town.... but fuck them and the horse they rode in on, if you ask me.

20/6/2017 12:10:18 pm

The X seems like the next logical step in the wanton corporate hubris that led to the risible 'Elite Controller' - but that thing sold like hot cakes.

Time to sound like a conceited pretentious prick, but I think if your tastes have never strayed from FIFA, Need for Speed, COD, Destiny etc, then you probably are genuinely impressed by whooping executive douchebags. I think the proposed market for the X is people that are blindly sated by a large price tag - 'DINK's that earn around 80-100k a year and take comfort in the security promised by corporate bluster. Then they order the most expensive steak at Planet Hollywood..

20/6/2017 12:42:40 pm

Do you only get one Xbox One X in an Xbox One X box?

20/6/2017 02:29:15 pm

Yes and there's also room for X amount of eggs in said Xbox One X box.

20/6/2017 02:43:35 pm

My Xbox One will be my ex-Xbox One when I get an Xbox One X with X amount of eggs in the Xbox One X box.

eggs ackley

20/6/2017 04:09:38 pm

What about the xbox one x that belonged to your girlfriend, before you broke up with her?

20/6/2017 04:50:02 pm

She can keep it, lest it lead to a convoluted forum post. :)

ScuBiDou

20/6/2017 03:45:30 pm

A few things.

I can understand not wanting an Xbox One X (X1X) or not liking Xbox this generation (or ever), but this article was rather inconsistent (but is generally in good company in this regard).

- The author doesn't appear to have the same issue with PS4 Pro (Pro) that he has with the X1X, which is weird, because they are both suped up (and more expensive) versions of their base models, both of which play an identical game library as their base models.

- The author also doesn't seem to think that enthusiast console owners exist. While sure it is more niche than the base model, the Pro is, according to Sony, 1 out of every 5 PS4's sold right now, so 20%. Microsoft could expect a similar, but likely smaller, rate of X1X (my guess is 15-20%).

- Lastly, and most hilarious (yet sad) is that he thinks Microsoft is "irrelevant" to gaming and doesn't think it would matter if they disappeared from the industry. Hopefully this is just a gross exaggeration, but competition is a good thing for consumers, it drives innovation. MS is really Sony's only true competition here. Without that competition, the industry would be a MUCH more boring place.

John

20/6/2017 06:13:05 pm

I think the author was hot when he authored this. Perhaps Sony should be congratulated for not launching the Pro during a brief peak in UK weather.

20/6/2017 06:56:49 pm

Oh John, that made my day!

"I use public toilets and I piss on the seat. I walk around in summertime saying how about this heat....."

Charles Clarke

20/6/2017 04:36:14 pm

PS4 has never been as good as Xbox One. Period. It is however the Nintendo Wii of this generation. Xbox One has the options that are premium. That's their staple and that's why, frankly, they are winning. Sony has a death nail. Selling off everything they can to stay alive. They are shit and articles like this ARE JUST FUCKING NONSENSE.

PeskyFletch

20/6/2017 05:13:31 pm

I don't overly care but i thought that the PS4 had significantly outsold the X box? i personally prefer the SNES, as people who own megadrivez are genetically and morally inferior.

Computer Boy

20/6/2017 09:07:59 pm

WaReZ RuLeZ!

ThatsNoMoon

21/6/2017 02:49:06 am

I think the problem they are all going to be bumping up against for the next few years is the uncanny valley. The thirst for photo-realism will end up making everything look a bit weird. If not just shit.

In that regard Nintendo have the right idea (consciously or not). Why bother chasing after gritty realism when it is inevitably going to lead to diminishing returns. Look at BOTW, Wind Waker, Pikmin or any of the other "tent-pole" properties. They have an art style that will endure for years.

Not saying the Switch is great but probably best to let the e-peen warriors fight it out amongst themselves and laugh from the sidelines.

21/6/2017 09:29:13 am

Interesting that you mention the uncanny valley because I was thinking about that only recently with regard to Horizon.

In terms of graphics, Horizon is as gorgeous as the fiery redhead that you play. Do you think we're heading deeper into the valley or do you think that we've bridged it or built a ring road around it? I ask this because, from where I'm sitting, I think we're nowhere near it and not because we have the tech to surpass it but because video game graphics are nothing like human replicas and crucially that Mori's theory doesn't apply. Possibly because we don't experience these abominations in the physical universe... dunno. But consider how advanced the graphics appear in certain cutscenes or even go so far as to look to the future and behold the digitised actors in Star Wars Rogue One. To my eyes, they looked astounding but I'm not sure how I would have felt if I was in a room with them... creeped out, more than likely. Do you see my point?

22/6/2017 12:36:20 am

It's a tough one. The digi-actors in Rogue One looked weird to me at first and were a big disappointment. I couldn't understand why they insisted on placing them front and centre when a more subtle effect could have advanced the story just as well. But then on repeated viewing my expectations were lower and so it did not affect my enjoyment.

Another example is some of the stuff Naughty Dog have done which has been very close to photo-realism. Maybe it is a matter of context; watching a cut-scene in a game naturally lowers expectations while inserting digital into an otherwise physical set can be quite jarring.

I suppose what concerns me is the headlong rush to better and better resolutions. When 4K (or more) is the norm there is a real possibility that some assets will be near perfect, throwing the rest of the production into stark contrast.

Imagine a world like Pandora, in 4K 3D VR with HDR and whatever else they come up with. Now throw in ME:Andromeda characters. Unless every piece of the puzzle fits perfectly, the whole will end up looking weird at best.

22/6/2017 10:00:22 am

Sure, I see your point; I've played games where certain textures have been skimped and it's pretty distracting... in fact, it's worse than that, it can actually kill the immersion.
4K gaming is not something I've ever seen but I'd really like to. It's just such a considerable outlay and part of me thinks that it's a wee bit comparable to watching films in full HD compared to HD - once you're 'in' you don't pay any attention to it. I only ever truly appreciate graphics when I'm spectating and reckon we're probably all a bit like that. Providing, as you rightly said, that nothing jars.

jawa

21/6/2017 09:13:41 am

"At this point, I don't even care if the Xbox brand disappeared altogether. That's a massive shame, because I loved my Xbox 360. It remains in my top three consoles of all time."

Oh, Biffo! Do you really want Xbox to disappear... even though last gen it delivered one of your favourite-ever consoles? One weaker machine and you're talking of throwing in the towel? Even as a PS4 gamer I want Xbox to do well; it's critical that these companies have competition to keep them in check. Your thinking has red-ringed in the heat!

21/6/2017 10:05:43 am

I think your concern is unfounded.

First off, MS aren't going to go away just like that. 2ndly If they did (but they're not going to, remember) then you think that Sony and Nintendo are going to have it all to themselves? Let's take another leap and assume that they did have - could be a great thing - all manner of possibilities spring to mind but remember that Sony and Nintendo are in the software business too - that's where they make the big bucks and that market is as broad and diverse as you'd like - plenty to keep them on their toes. Think of them more as Blu-Ray player manufacturers or whathaveyou.

And ask yourself this - do MS deserve a loyal fanbase? I can't think of any reason why they do. Do they deserve a 2nd chance? Why? It's business and they've fucked up. A company with real vision and tempered cynicism deserves a chance. Our money should reward those that deserve it and not encourage those that don't. Imagine if MS hadn't faced the backlash that they had, we'd all have been worse off for that.
I can't think of any other games company that's treated its customers worse.

It's business as usual and MS have just bought in for another round. I think the key is that they're only still in the game because they've just ponied up for another pile of chips, not because of a game well played.
For my money, they've gone all in on a bluff too many times to be taken seriously.

21/6/2017 11:21:13 am

Well... I wasn't really suggesting that businesses should have "chances", more that no-one gets everything right for all of the time. Sony fell over with the PS3 (initially) and Nintendo slipped with the Wii U... but both bounced back. Would there have been any value in saying that they should have retired their gaming brands at that time? No - they just have to work hard and (ahem) get back in the game. The so-called demise of the Xbox brand at this time of the One is merely a battle in a bigger, longer war. And it'll be great for gamers if all three manufacturers are battling for many years to come!

21/6/2017 12:24:40 pm

I don't know, Jawa. Call me a cynic but when MS let their mask slip they showed their... true hand. I think we're better off without them and fail to see any gain in propping up a tyrant!

I've stated my case but why do you think gaming needs Xbox? I disagree with the belief that Sony will be left with a monopoly. Business, just like nature, abhors a vacuum.

21/6/2017 02:03:32 pm

Also - the name is unquestionably stupid

http://imgur.com/gzA3sog

Alex link

28/6/2017 11:02:53 am

The Xbox One S is the console MS should have launched alongside the PS4. It's a shame they didn't/couldn't because there are a few things MS do much better than Sony: backwards compatibility- my 360 (also in my top 3 machines of all time) is now up in the loft as most of the stuff I want to play on it, I can play via backwards compatibility on the One S. Parental controls are so much better than Sony's bodged implementation. They're not perfect but better than Sony have managed.

I have a PS4 Pro (recent acquisition when I broke the HDMI port on my launch model) and consequently find myself buting multi platform games on the PS4 over the XB1 at the moment. Will the change when the Xbox One X comes out? Maybe. I'll pass the One S down to my kids and have the X for myself- digital purchasing means I can share my library over the two machines anyway...

HAVING THOUGHT ABOUT IT... XBOX ONE X IS A STUPID IDEA - by Mr Biffo

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