480°

Forza Motorsport peaks at less than 5,000 players on Steam, with only 44% positive reviews

Forza Motorsport is the latest first-party release from Microsoft and Xbox Game Studios. However, the game’s launch was far from a massive success.

Read Full Story >>
gameworldobserver.com
Sonic1881578d ago (Edited 578d ago )

What happen to Forza? Gamepass? Quantity over Quality? There's technical issues with the PC version. I can't speak on the Xbox version

Jin_Sakai577d ago (Edited 577d ago )

Microsoft has managed to ruin all their top franchises. Talk about an accomplishment.

Cacabunga577d ago

Yes!
For those who still believe GP model is doing any good to gaming 👍🏽

Terry_B577d ago

Were there more than two?

MrNinosan577d ago

@Terry_B
I'd say the "big" 3 was Halo, Gears and Forza and those are the games that kept Xbox floating.

But also Fable was once upon a time a good franchise.

bloop577d ago

All those Actiblizz franchises will suffer the same fate eventually too.

notachance577d ago

@bloop I’d argue the actiblizz franchise have mostly decline too, like diablo and overwatch

MS buying ABK is like a finance team buying studios hoping to get a bunch of nerdy gamer guys to make awesome game for them, only to find out they too are a bunch of finance team and the actual veteran devs already bailed/kicked out since long ago.

FinalFantasyFanatic576d ago (Edited 576d ago )

@MrNinosan,

When you think about it, they had a few great franchises, it's sad to see what's come of them compared to their heyday in the 360 days, the worst thing, people were already making fun of Halo in the One X days.

@Notachance,

Yeah, Microsoft is not saving Activision/Blizzard, they can't manage the studios they already have, let alone new ones, plus, we could already hear the death rattle coming for Activision/Blizzard for a long while now, I don't expect anything good from them. Microsoft is their retirement home.

+ Show (3) more repliesLast reply 576d ago
ravens52577d ago

What about all those 10/10s. Curious

Barlos577d ago

Same as the 10s for Starfield. Can we say dubious?

Class_Viceroy577d ago

Reviewers totally ignore most technical issues and bugs nowadays especially if it's a big title. Unless the game releases in a Cyberpunk manner.

Baldur's Gate 3 had a lot of flaws that were overlooked.

zeuanimals577d ago

@Class_Viceroy

BG3 has way more going for it than it has going against it. The same can't be said for every game that gets 10s.

FinalFantasyFanatic576d ago

@Class_Viceroy,
As long as the game is still fun and very playable, it's hard to tolerate the bugs in Cyberpunk, and Pokemon Violet/Scarlet was bad at launch. I've played Violet for 20+ hours and I've only seen one bug where I mistook a wild handbag walking itself for a Pokemon, hilarious, but by no means game breaking.

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 576d ago
darthv72577d ago

The xbox version runs great. Even better now with the first patch. though it shouldnt take a patch to fix something that should have been addressed in beta. Sucks for PC players, but they are working on it.

Class_Viceroy577d ago

I really don't see the point of Motorsport. I'm not a big racing person but I play I started playing Forza because it's on GP and figured why not. After playing the last 2 Horizon's Motorsport feels a little underwhelming. I thought it was really weird how Motorsport had like an RPG element with leveling stuff up. It took a lot of the immersion out of the game for me for being a realistic simulator. If you're going to have elements like that I would rather just play Horizon and not be as immersed.

Profchaos577d ago

Ofcourse why bother crafting evergreen titles when you put them on a buffet.

Pretty much every all you can eat buffet is a guarantee of one thing the quality won't be there

+ Show (3) more repliesLast reply 576d ago
Vits578d ago

The PC Version apparently has a good number of technical issues. Textures not loading, geometry glitches, save files just not saving, etc.

Going by the reviews. It's probably the worst game performance-wise that Microsoft has put out on the PC in the last decade if not ever. This is a shame as Microsoft normally puts out really solid PC versions.

dumahim577d ago

Sounds like PC just doesn't run well, on top of all the other issues that are shared with the Xbox version. They might be worse on PC, but Xbox has most of the same issues as well.

banger88578d ago

Next time give us a f******* offline mode for single player!!

blacktiger577d ago

Why does internet matter when it comes to single player?

Barlos577d ago (Edited 577d ago )

What if their Internet or the servers go down? It doesn't happen often, but it happens which is why you should never have to be tied to Internet connection to play a game. Look at GT7, when that had issues after an update not long after launch it made the game largely unplayable.

Crows90577d ago

Don you guys have phones? Lol

neutralgamer1992577d ago

Everton

It’s not about that man single player should be playable offline. Try playing driver San Francisco now since servers went down and UBI never had offline play

Offline modes shouldn’t require internet. I feel like gaming is going backwards. And instead of ask do we have internet you should be demanding better from these corporations. Never seen so many gamers defending these companies and their bad decisions

Gamingsince1981577d ago

I think Everton was doing a parody of blizz when they announced diablo immortal with the "don't you guys have phones" moment, I dont think they were serious.

FinalFantasyFanatic576d ago (Edited 576d ago )

I hate when they do this, why should it be mandatory for me to connect to the internet just to play single player? Multi-player is a no sh*t sherlock it needs internet, but if I'm playing through the story or grinding single player, there's no reason that I need the internet for it to function.

@neutralgamer1992

I miss couch mutli-player so much, I've skipped Need for Speed games because they tried to force online for just Single player.

EvertonFC576d ago

It's 2023 NOT 1980, you will get left behind in life, career jobs, banking, cloud and everything else.
If you don't have internet then wow, it's literally £10 a month for a cheap one.
I understand the games preservation argument but anything else I just laugh these days, it's not about just having internet for gaming but life ffs.

+ Show (4) more repliesLast reply 576d ago
Amplitude577d ago (Edited 577d ago )

Yep. That's why I didn't pick this or Gran Turismo up. Or any of the recent CoD games.

@EvertonFC: I have extremely fast and reliable internet. I just like to purchase games that I can play for the rest of my life rather than single player games that I rent for the duration of the server's existence before losing forever with no ability to ever play it again on anything.

EvertonFC576d ago

I understand the game preservation argument fella

578d ago
LordoftheCritics578d ago

MS should buy a few more studios.

That should solve everything.

Jin_Sakai577d ago

It’s almost guaranteed that everything gaming related Microsoft touch turns to sh*t.

solideagle577d ago (Edited 577d ago )

They should try to buy Polyphony from Sony :p I know it's Sony studio but couldn't help making the joke :p

On Topic: not sure what Turn 10 was thinking, all they need to do was more of the same and they were good to go

badz149577d ago

@LordoftheCritics

Studios? What is this? Amateur hour? 2017?

They need more publishers!

Show all comments (98)
110°

Capcom Cracks Down on Modders, Reveals Anti-Cheat Patent for Monster Hunter Wilds

MHHQ - Capcom has issued an anti-cheat patent aimed at detecting and stopping game data tampering during Monster Hunter Wilds multiplayer hunts.

Read Full Story >>
monsterhunterhq.com
100°

16 Ubisoft Titles Can Now Be Purchased on The Xbox PC Store

In a very intriguing and interesting move, 16 Ubisoft titles can now be purchased on the Xbox PC Store. Of course, this is a first as Ubisoft PC titles have never been purchasable on the Xbox PC Store previously.

Read Full Story >>
clouddosage.com
jznrpg3d ago

Servers are going to be bogged down by that 1 guy who will use this.

SimpleDad3d ago

Ahhh, the good old... Xbox PC store?
Who tf uses that?

Tacoboto3d ago

Kind of weird without them being updated to Xbox Play Anywhere purchases

MrDead2d ago

I uninstalled it as I was sick of the ads popping up on my login screen.

180°

Ubisoft Announces Weak Financial Results, Delays Games, but Assassin's Creed Shadows is Going Strong

Ubisoft announced its financial results for the fiscal year 2024-2025, and they're not good, but Assassin's Creed Shadows is doing well.

Read Full Story >>
simulationdaily.com
neutralgamer19923d ago

Three companies keep showing their true faces and telling us who they are but for some weird reason we refuse to believe them. Even when everything they show just makes their greediness even stands out more

Keep messing with the consumers and keep being greedy. Keep telling your consumers to get comfortable now owning your games and we will. You only have few IP's that gamers care about anyways so

"soon enough tencent will buy you out. They already own 49%. Keep deleting games from gamers libraries and getting sued over it instead of making offline play possible for the crew" it's sad that I believe in 10 cents more than UBI because atleast tencent knows how to run a proper business

These executives can taking millions and bonuses and stock options yet they fire those actually making the games without thinking twice. Gaming has become so greedy that their own greed will be their downfall. Companies like Capcom have realized making good quality games and treat gamers with respect

AC series started with a soul but now it's just a soulless empty option world with icons filling the game map. They make their own games so grindy so that they can see the XP boosters to even the odds. As a gamer in my 40's all I want to know is when did gaming just stop being about Fun and all about greed. Double XP weekends selling cosmetics and dances. I use to be a big sports game guy when I was in my 20's the other day I wanted to play NBA 2k and after doing some deep research I realized the best NBA game was 2k17 and NBA 2k25 at $9.79 I couldn't pull the trigger on that 2k25 for how egregious the micro transactions were. So much of the fun is behind a pay wall

dveio3d ago

True words, buddy.

Q: "So how many units did Shadows sell?"

Ubisoft: "Well, look, we ... it's been a busy week."

neutralgamer19923d ago

For over a decade, the price of video games remained steady. We paid $50, then $60 for full, content-rich experiences. Developers found creative ways to deliver incredible games without charging more. From the PS2 era through the PS4/Xbox One, pricing consistency gave players a sense of value and trust.

But then came the jump to $70 during the PS5 and Xbox Series X launches—justified by "rising development costs." And now, barely four years later, we’re seeing $80 price tags becoming more common for standard editions. At this pace, by the time the next generation of consoles launches around 2027, $90 games could be the norm. And with a behemoth like GTA 6 on the horizon, a $99.99 base price wouldn’t be shocking at all.

Yet we’ve also seen proof that this kind of pricing isn’t necessary for success. Look at the recent launches of Expedition 33 and The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered. Both released at $49.99 and have been met with strong sales and positive reception. These games show that there’s still plenty of room for high-quality, mid-budget (AA) titles that offer great value—and gamers are more than willing to support them at fair prices.

But here’s the problem: the big publishers don’t care. If we as consumers keep paying for deluxe editions, early access, and overpriced base games, they’ll keep pushing the limits. They’re not going to back down unless we speak with our wallets—because that’s the only language they listen to. If they see record sales, they’ll take it as validation.

It’s frustrating when these same companies report record-breaking revenue and profits—yet still complain about tariffs, still find excuses to raise prices, and still hand out bigger bonuses to their CEOs. If they’re doing so well financially, why are they passing more of the burden onto players?

It’s because gaming has become the second biggest entertainment market in the world. And with that comes attention from hedge funds, investors, and boardrooms focused on short-term profit, not long-term player trust. To them, your passion is just a revenue stream. They care about quarterly numbers, not the health of the industry or the joy of the experience.

And unless we—as players—take a stand, the greed won’t stop. The monetization will grow, the price hikes will continue, and the soul of gaming will keep slipping away. The choice is ours. We can either keep paying more for less, or we can push back. One purchase—or one refusal to purchase—at a time

dveio3d ago

"And unless we—as players—take a stand, the greed won’t stop."

And that's the tough part about it.

Look at those annual figures showing billions and billions of money being spent on the most ridiculous add-ons, DLCs, pre-release accesses, even pre-orders, digital deluxe crap, etc.

I mean - we've stood together at times. I don't say it didn't happen before.

But within all of our communities there's so much passive aggressive defensiveness.

Look at the debates regarding physical vs digital.

Publishers can't keep a straight face reading our discussions in which many people abandon physical.

Playing straight into the cards of publishers out there.

neutralgamer19922d ago (Edited 2d ago )

Like I said gamers are the biggest issue with gaming. We may united on a issue but as soon as our favorite gaming franchise gets a release we will support it. If there any doubt Mario kart will be one of the best selling games on switch 2?

Things we use to unlock by simply playing a game has not be sold to us as extra content

Rainbowcookie2d ago

I think people arebgetting tired of the formula. We see it in sales. People just want fun again.

neutralgamer19922d ago

I just want games to be fun and not geindy and full of micro transactions

anast2d ago

Even the $130 ultimate editions of UBI games are only a bit less grindy and they still beg people to buy helix coins throughout the whole experience.

It's a travesty what 2K did to NBA 2K.

neutralgamer19922d ago

It really is because NBA 2K is simply unplayable without spending money and you can't even respec for a new my player you are required to spend again

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 2d ago
SimpleDad3d ago

When you don't disclose units sold... and your stock goes down... how is this doing well?

CantThinkOfAUsername2d ago

"According to the company, Assassin’s Creed Shadows achieved the second-highest Day 1 sales revenue in franchise history, following Assassin’s Creed Valhalla. It actually had the best Day 1 performance of Ubisoft’s history on the PlayStation Store."

S2Killinit2d ago

AC Shadows is doing good yes.

Chocoburger2d ago

Ubishit burned so many bridges with fans, releasing filler dreck that was purposefully designed to push you towards micro-trash-actions. It didn't have to be this way, they could have respected us players more, instead of making players waste countless hours of their life just to see stupid "experience points and resources numbers go up" and attempt to profit off us in such a disrespectful way. I stopped supporting them a long time ago. Keep burning bridges, and keep burning your company from within.

S2Killinit2d ago

Which UBI games did that? Im legit asking.

Chocoburger1d 15h ago (Edited 1d 15h ago )

Any game (be it Ubisoft or any other company) with an unnecessary shoe-horned in experience points system, endless resources collection, and a micro-trash-action store that sells you boosters that alleviate the grind.

They do it on purpose to nudge players towards spending more money, and its something I refuse to support. Nearly all modern Ubisoft games have experience points and skill trees these days, not because it makes the games better, but because it can potentially make them more money by exhausting people into giving in and buying boosters.

Assassin's Creed, Ghost Recon and more series are offenders of this game design blight.

S2Killinit1d 12h ago

I see. And I agree. I dont like these trends either. Although I dont remember AC having paid upgrades (given that my last one was black flag)

Show all comments (19)