Is Xbox equipped with the necessary popular games to succeed as a third-party publisher? As a reader, I wonder if Xbox has the right franchises to achieve its goal of becoming a multi-platform contender. If it was any other company besides Microsoft, I would feel hesitant to criticize Xbox. However, given the current state of things, I have no problem admitting that the organization is disorganized and has a negative impact on the gaming industry. Although they were influential during the Xbox 360 era, their decisions since then have dragged everyone else down. It's frustrating to see such a powerhouse consistently make foolish choices that any other person would have avoided.
But enough about that, it's been discussed to death. What prompted me to write this was the news that both The Outer Worlds 2 and Avowed were considered failures for Xbox and Obsidian last year. I'm not surprised, as I wasn't impressed with either of them. It made me realize how few big-selling games Xbox has to show for itself after being in the business for 25 years. The only major success they have currently is Forza Horizon, which is disheartening considering they also have Halo and Gears of War games coming out this year. However, I can already predict that they won't sell well. As for Fable and the others, I don't see much potential for success either. This poses a problem for Xbox, especially since they are essentially out of the console business now.
From my understanding, Halo: Campaign Evolved is set to release this summer, followed by Fable and Gears of War: E-Day in the fall. While Halo may do relatively well due to the curiosity of PlayStation owners, I doubt they will be impressed by such an old game. The novelty will likely wear off quickly. Xbox has run the Halo franchise into the ground, and this single-player remake seems like a prelude to another free multiplayer game. This wouldn't have been necessary if they didn't mess up the one in Halo Infinite, which wasn't too long ago.
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Gears of War has already gone multi-platform with last year's remaster, but it went largely ignored by everyone, including PlayStation owners. As a prequel, E-Day is banking on nostalgia, but only Xbox owners have any fondness for these games. Even then, it's evident that interest has dwindled, especially since the last game ended on a cliffhanger that will never receive a sequel.
Next, there's Fable, which PlayStation owners are even less familiar with. I was intrigued by this game, especially since it's from the developers of Forza Horizon, but the last trailer was underwhelming. It looks like a generic action role-playing game without any unique selling point. Even the English comedians featured in the game failed to deliver any funny lines.
Maybe I'm being pessimistic, but as an old-school Xbox owner, I can play all these games on Game Pass. However, I doubt I'll renew my subscription when it runs out. I'm done with the console. If I switch to a PlayStation 5, I can always purchase Forza Horizon or any other good game without feeling like I'm missing out. So, while Microsoft may make some money from players like me, it's not enough to justify everything.
Looking at the rest of their announced games, I can't even remember what Clockwork Revolution is, and I have no interest in State of Decay 3. It'll probably be another buggy mess like the previous two. It's clear that Xbox doesn't know how to support and nurture developers like Sony and Nintendo do. Any success they have seems to be in spite of them, not because of them.
Maybe I sound bitter, but I don't think Xbox can survive without a successful console business. Unfortunately, they'll have to continue without me, and I'm sure I'm not the only one.
By reader Crusten
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