June 16th 2023.
The Xbox Games Showcase was an exciting event that had people talking about games they had been waiting for years to see. Starfield was the biggest hit of the year and it looks like it could take the Game of the Year award over Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom. One reader explains how to get the cheapest deal on Game Pass Ultimate, which is a great way to get access to a bunch of great Xbox games.
People are already split between Sony and Microsoft consoles and it's unlikely that Microsoft will be able to get people to switch over, unless they make Call Of Duty exclusive. The Xbox has made good progress in getting away from the ShooterBox label, but it is still too reliant on North American and UK developers.
Another issue is the way Microsoft delists Forza titles, often putting out statements that a title has reached end of life status. This has already happened to Forza Motorsport 7, and the concern is that the same thing could happen to the reboot. This means that the servers could be turned off and the game essentially ceases to exist, which is not ideal for those who like to revisit their games over time.
Another point to note is that CDKeys are offering three months of Xbox Live Gold for £6.99 and six months for £14.99. It is actually better to purchase seven three month codes for £6.99 each, as this will give you 350 days of Game Pass Ultimate for a total of £48.93. Alternatively, you could wait for your Game Pass Ultimate to expire and then do the conversion trick again.
Finally, Planet Of Lana is a great little game that is worth checking out if you have a spare five hours. It has a decent story arc and beautiful visuals and soundtrack. It is certainly worth playing if you are into puzzle platformers.
Starfield and Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom were the two most talked about games after the recent gaming showcases. While many people were excited to see what the latest Xbox and PlayStation games had to offer, it's Starfield that looks like it could be the big hit of the year that will take the coveted Game of the Year title.
Unfortunately, it looks like most of the games won't be released until next year, which was a bit of a downer. Another downside was that most of the games shown were from North American and UK developers - not exactly a diverse selection.
In the end, Microsoft may have done enough to persuade Xbox One owners to upgrade, but I don't think they'll be able to steal gamers away from other platforms unless they make Call Of Duty exclusive. Phil Spencer said that the last generation was the most important one for this very reason, and he may have been right.
On the flip side, Forza Motorsport fans may be disappointed to learn that the new game requires an online connection, even if you don't plan to venture online for a race. What's more concerning is that Microsoft delists games, reaching end of life status, meaning that the game essentially ceases to exist. Not ideal for those of us who like to revisit our games over time.
For those who already have Game Pass Ultimate, there's a great way to top up. CDKeys are selling three months of Xbox Live Gold for £6.99 and six months for £14.99, but it's better to grab the three month ones as opposed to the six month ones. That means that for almost a year of Game Pass Ultimate you'd need to purchase seven three month codes for £6.99 each - a total of £48.93, or just over £4 a month.
Finally, some people have become too obsessed with the notion that all games must run at 60fps on console. While many games do play better at 60fps, there are some cases where it isn't possible or practical. For those people, it might be best to take a step back and remember that 30fps can be perfectly acceptable too.
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