Xbox X018 Left Me With More Questions Than Answers - The Koalition

Richard Bailey Jr. of The Koalition writes: Yesterday afternoon, Microsoft conducted their year-end global celebration of Xbox with a special X018 edition of Inside Xbox live from Mexico City, Mexico. While Xbox X018 did reveal a few cool announcements like a confirmed February 15th, 2019 release date for Crackdown 3 and early details on the upcoming first expansion for Forza Horizon 4, the overall show was disappointing and a missed opportunity for Microsoft to announce some bigger news.

[rbailey]

X018 was an overall disappointing show but I’m very curious to see where Microsoft will be as a company next gen. The 13 studios will definitely play a role but the question of whether or not all of these studios will put out quality games is the question that must be answered. Playground, The Coalition, and Ninja Theory will deliver. We shall see what happens with the others.

[CaptainOmega]

Is the success of all of the new studios an indication of the success of Xbox/Microsoft next gen? Which studio’s poor performance will make the biggest impact if it occurs?

Xbox has been hanging on by a thread known as Forza Horizon this generation. A few A-AA studios making weak games won’t matter if the big studios are making good/great games bc there will always be that niche of people who will play the weaker games by the newer studios, just because they feel obligated.

[chiefJohn117]

If hanging by a thread= 4.5 billion income in just a few quarters then damn someone plz come hang me by a thread lol

[conanlifts]

What games by Obsidian have ever failed to deliver. They are a solid developer.

[CaptainOmega]

Alpha Protocol and Dungeon Siege 3 were poorly receieved.
I don’t think Skyforge was that good. It had a pay to win scheme that resulted in many of the players quitting.
Some OK games have been Amored Warfare, Wastelands 2 (also made by inXile).
Stormlands never came to fruition (literally failed to deliver the game).

Good games: KOTOR2, Fallout New Vegas, and South Park: SoT.
Pillars of Eternity(?) Tyranny(?) NeverWinter Nights 2(?)

It’s really a mixed bag. The studio does well when it has material to work from. when it’s a new IP it’s seriously a mixed bag. Hopefully it’s new IP will be big enough to get it out of its AA studio status.

[gravedigger]

Show was basically a Gamepass commercial.

[rainslacker]

I'm sure out of 13 studios, some of them will be putting out quality games. Most of their studios now do make quality games.

Question is, what will be that level of quality. MS has said they want more focused games, and more games that are conducive to a subscription service...meaning Game Pass. They've also been beating the GaaS drum for a couple years now. So, what kinds of games they put out may not be what people are hoping for if their intent is to pursue distribution avenues which aren't within the traditional model.

I'm sure they'll still have their AAA exclusives though, but if they'll have more of them is really unknown. however, it stands to reason that with this many studios, some of which are AAA studios, they'll have more than their staple output.

[mcstorm]

Tbh I love how Microsoft are offering us a choice with game pass.

You can buy gamepass and get access to all there exclusive games on xbox and pc (when it openes up fully) or if you don't want to pay monthly you can buy the game digital or phisical.

It ticks alot if boxes for a lot of people.

I also think microsoft are on to something with gamepass. If microsoft carry on with xbox one and back games working on all future consoles then people who move across to xbox from another platform already have access to over 100 games for as little as 10 a month who else offers this?

I see a lot of developers moving to agame pass service along the way but I don't see game pass ever removing buying a copy of the game to as some peole only buy one or 2 games a year like fifa or cod but for people who like different gore's this subscription is a great way to go.

[rainslacker]

Game Pass probably is the best deal in gaming right now. It'll be interesting to see what they keep doing with it in the future. I know I"ve made a lot of speculative arguments about it, both for and against, but I can't deny it's value.

[Xavi4K]

it is disappointing show indeed in the eyes of sony fans...its not major conference what you expected?? and at least it was better than PAX

[SwiffEpics]

I was disappointed in this event. I expected much more.

[Clark88]

I concur. When next gen starts I see Sony winning the console War again because of their first party developers.

[Thundercat77]

Xbox has never won a gaming generation anyway.

[sagesurge]

The show was a letdown, I'm happy for what was announced but I was just wanting more...a lot more.

[CaptainOmega]

I mean, you’ll probably see the new studio projects in 2019-2020.

[Parasyte]

Exactly! They will save the major announcements for E3

[Jinger]

Well it's already announced we will see Ninja Theories game next year. I'd assume we will see playgrounds other game as well.

[Atom666]

We always want more!

People over hyped it leading into it like they did in prior years for PSX. For what it was, it was decent enough. I hope Battletoads is shown at the VGAs since it was a no-show last night.

[LeeFender]

2 studios acquisitions is small news? Lol wut.

[monkey602]

No but a tweet would have sufficed. Creating a public event wasted everybodies time and patience

[aconnellan]

Would it? MS’ biggest problem at the moment is their first party lineup, so they should be shouting these acquisitons from the rooftops (which they are)

If they weren’t having that problem then I might agree, but I don’t think a simple Tweet would suffice given the circumstances

[Atom666]

That cynicism tho...

The public event has been happening for some time, they just made it a bit more extensive to boost their marketing before the holidays.

I enjoy events like this and PSX. Plus, it's great that companies do these cons and "fanfests." You could have not wasted your own time watching it by just checking out twitter afterwards.

[Goldby]

And money

[monkey602]

I wish I hadn't wasted my time. That's the point. I do like small events like this. I didn't expect much but still looked forward to watching it. Even Nintendo directs get me excited. However throwing money at a studio or two but not having anything to show for it and announcing a load of old games available on a subscription service is not worth holding an event and generating a buzz for

[rainslacker]

I think they kind of have to make a big deal about it given the criticism they've received this gen over their studio output, and seeming lack of caring about delivering more.

But, more games is probably more appreciated by most. Prospects for the future are easier to take in when there is a tangible product to get excited about. An abstract, "we might see something better in the future", is not always easy to get behind, and MS has a lot of times this gen where one has to use faith over evidence to give them the benefit of the doubt.

[King_Noctis]

Acquiring Obsidian is a huge deal. A simple “tweet” is not enough.

“Creating a public event wasted everybodies time and patience”

The thing with people like you is, they did not put a gun to your head and force you to watch it. If you watched it from the beginning till the end, then that is your decision. Stop blaming others for what you decide to do for yourself.

[monkey602]

"The thing with people like you"

Oh people like me who... enjoy celebrating their hobby by watching fun live events?

Who were disappointed in a lacklustre showing on a Saturday evening?

Who like pineapple on their pizza?

You don't know me pal so don't pretend to. And in regards not being forced to watch it. Stupid statement! I watched an hour of it before giving up.

If you ever get hit by a car while walking on a footpath don't get upset with the driver okay, nobody put a gun to your head and forced you to walk down that street

[King_Noctis]

“If you ever get hit by a car while walking on a footpath don't get upset with the driver okay, nobody put a gun to your head and forced you to walk down that street”

I’m sorry, but what a stupid analogy you brought up.

[monkey602]

Really?! It's an extreme scenario but you get my point.

I hope you never said that a movie or tv show was disappointing or a waste of time to watch. Nobody forced you to do so.

I'm just sorry I got so stubborn and engaged with yourself and Atom instead of Aconnellan and Rainslacker who seemed to actually want a conversation

[CarlDechance]

"I’m sorry, but what a stupid analogy you brought up. "

Not as stupid as saying someone should not have watched a show as if they knew beforehand what was going to be in the show. That's all you. I watch a movie and say I didn't like it and your response would be "well, its your fault for watching it then"? lol....are you serious?

[zeuanimals]

Yeah, when has anybody other than Microsoft announced a studio acquisition without also announcing the games said studios are working on? It's weird as hell and only gives the impression the game's a long way off when they can't even show what games are being made.

[thatguyhayat]

I had low expectations, got exactly that

[PlayableGamez-]

I would have rather watch paint dry than to watch X018 again.

[DarkVoyager]

@PlayableGamez-

“I would have rather watch paint dry than to watch X018 again.”

The crowd was either paid or obsessed Xbox fans. Phil could’ve said they give up on console gaming and the crowd would’ve jumped up and down with joy. Probably the most cringeworthy show I’ve ever seen..

[ApocalypseShadow]

My take: looked like one big advertisement for Game Pass hyped by staged or orchestrated reactions than true responses. It showed more multiplatform games and again, no new 1st party IPs to even support the event. Backed by tons of commercials. But Terry's was funny. I'll give it that.

And the announcements of throwing money at more developers still resulted in nothing shown for this Gen. And Crackdown? People had artificial rage for Spider-Man puddles. The huge downgrade for this game should prove interesting in future articles. Looked nothing like the reveal. Not even close. How about showing gameplay of the single player campaign or story. The game comes out soon. Even Rockstar showed RDR2 beforehand. Instead of quick clips and disappearing destruction.

Sony was wise. When you have nothing to show, or will just be showing the same stuff from earlier shows, you cancel and back out. We know Sony has more. But it would overshadow other games that haven't released yet. Microsoft should have just copied Nintendo and did a Direct. And tossed out some tweets.

[CaptainOmega]

Yeah. They are really pushing gamepass. They are claiming that Gamepass is increasing game sales.. (is it really?). They might really be moving towards a streaming platform of digital games.

[rainslacker]

I've been told I should watch the show, because I was only able to take in the announcements through here. Was planning on doing it after dinner since my wife will be catching up on work. But then I see so many people saying it wasn't all that interesting, and I wonder if its worth my time....particularly since I want to get back to playing Spider-Man.

From this article, about the only thing I want to see is the FH4 expansion, since I did buy that game this weekend. Kind of surprised it hasn't shown up in the N4G lists yet.

I really have no interest in watching a 2 hour game pass commercial though. It isn't how I consume games, and while I think its a good value, I have no real interest in a subscription for the time being, and if a game comes out I want to support, I'll buy it over playing it for a pittance of the price through a sub. I did notice the few trailers that have come out from the conference did have the game pass logo plastered at the front. I guess its catchier and more appealing than saying, "Exclusive" in many different ways before each trailer.

[UCForce]

MS is always overhyped with their PR market than others competitors. MS have no discipline whatsoever. And they will keep continue doing so. “Sigh”

[MrSec84]

No new games were announced, the only new gameplay was for Crackdown 3 (which looked better IMO, but destruction doesn't look any better than Red Dead or Just Cause 3/4).

This was a terrible conference, clearly made for Gamepass, Black Friday announcements and to reveal the 2 new studio acquisitions.

Clearly this generation is done for Microsoft.

[King_Noctis]

Uhh, in case you haven’t heard, this was not a conference. The stage isn’t even made to look like one.

[MrSec84]

The definition of a Conference is "A formal meeting of people with a shared interest".

This was a conference.

[Elda]

This was definitely a conference,a conference can be one on one or one talking to hundreds or thousands.

[THC CELL]

Wake me up when Ms buys naughty dog

The studios bought was going under.

Wont be long before sony plays ms at own game.

[King_Noctis]

I doubt Sony is gonna purchase any more studios.

[CaptainOmega]

They have an an unannoucned studio in San Diego.

Layden has said he doesn’t want to play a ‘numbers game’. He cares more about the content that is being put out than the number of studios in a tent.

[Elda]

You work for Sony & know this as a fact?

[King_Noctis]

@elda

“For Worldwide Studios, our road to success is not necessarily measured by how many studios or how many people I have.”

http://www.pushsquare.com/n...

I don’t work for Sony, but I actually read gaming news, something that I think you should actually do once in a while.

[UCForce]

And how is that exactly ? Sony build their own studio more than MS did. I’m sure Sony will buy studio but they have no rush to do it. MS is becoming like Disney.

[King_Noctis]

@UC

And how is building a studio different from acquiring them? At the end of the day both of them produce games right?

Or is it a cool new thing to do and gloat here on N4G regarding which company build more devs?

Since MS is acquiring more studios we have people like you label them like “Disney”. Back before MS did this, people here screamed at them with a pitchfork to acquire more studio and make more games. It seem MS just can’t win with all these people.

[UCForce]

Really ? I know Shawn said that, but doesn’t mean Sony stop buying them. Instead, Sony is building their studio more than MS did. Like I said, Sony will buy studio in the future but they are in no rush to do so. The reason I said MS becoming Disney because they are more gambling this time around which is 50-50 win or lose situation to them. MS going keep hyping people up every times.

[Retroman]

Question: why did MS present this presentation in Mexico instead of Key Arena right here in Seattle? Key Arena able to hold 18 thousand people.

[CaptainOmega]

Appealing to a market that isn’t America.. (My guess).

[SkippyPaccino]

It's fairly simple... Two birds one stone. Make the show in a tropical climate & vacation on your down time. Didn't you notice how tan Mat Booty looked?

[Retroman]

No did not see Mat Booty. Why should I?? you GAY??
My main point is Key Arena able to handle the crowd.

[SkippyPaccino]

@retroman

I'm hopping you're joking? Calling someone Gay as an insult in 2018 is pretty lame...

Yes what I wrote sounded funny, but Matt Booty is head of games for Microsoft and when he came on stage to announce the 2 new studios, the dude looked Tanned as hell. Lol! You know he was sipping booze by the beach.

There's plenty of great venues around Redman which they could've chose, but sometimes a nice work trip is exactly what the doctor ordered.

[paintedgamer1984]

As always... Damn near should be MS's mantra

[CaptainOmega]

MS is still the same in terms of Software. Nothing is ‘good’ yet. Just alot of hopes and dreams.

[Elda]

Still no showing of new exclusives just the same lame stuff.

[NXFather]

https://www.windowscentral....

The good news is you don't need any super duper internet speed package in order for this to work, nor does it sport any data requirements beyond an average multiplayer title. Crackdown 3 works exactly the same way as any other multiplayer game you're used to.

The technical accolade Microsoft has achieved in Crackdown 3 cannot be overstated. To be able to render hundreds, maybe thousands of building chunks in real time, synchronized for every player in the game, is not only awesome, but makes for some truly epic gameplay mechanics.

[inxine]

is anyone else abit worried about them bying all them studios?

[salmonade]

I didn't even watch it. That's how little I care about Xbox and whatever they're doing. Most people don't care. That's why this article is only 360 degrees popular and 22hours old. Hardly anyone cares. Yes, I cared enough to comment. So there's that I guess. Hope things turn out great for you xbox gamepassers. Peace