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[Xbox] Starcraft, Metal Slug Tactics, Stalker 2 and Flight Simulator 2024 next on GP!

SynthesisSynthesis Honda Today!Registered User regular
edited November 5 in Games and Technology
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In the wake of the very good release of Skyrim in Space™, it's the Xbox on console, PC, and streaming thread for 2024! Here where we talk about backwards compatibility, high-stakes corporate warfare in the arena of billion-dollar acquisitions, Game Pass still not being on the Switch, how successful games aren't really successful, how long an exclusive actually is exclusive, and the all-digital future as was foretold in the Book of Gabrielle, blessed be He. We fly our ornithopters in thy name.

Xbox Game Pass: Still a Big Deal Seven Years Later

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=06Zz0Og6UuA

As was long predicted by many, Xbox Live Gold has been folded into the multiple tiers of Game Pass subscription, consumed one might say into "The Best Value in Gaming™" ("not really a trademark™") making an already complicated service...even more complicated. Xbox Game Pass is Microsoft's own subscription gaming catalog service ("Netflix for video games") with hundreds of periodically rotating first and third-party titles across four generations of console hardware, making it attractive for people who want to try first party new exclusives (which will make the rounds on the service at the time of their launch) or a few hundred titles from other publishers. Thirty-four million paying users can't be wrong, that's the population of Peru!

Game Pass now has four distinct tiers, all offering at least part of the library (unlike Xbox Live Gold, which did not) alongside discounted prices for library purchases, and the final of which offers the combined benefits of the three previous tiers:
  • Game Pass Core, replacing Xbox Live Gold, enables Xbox console multiplayer for games that are not otherwise free (e.g. Fortnite), and includes a limited catalogue of console-only games.
  • (Console) Xbox Game Pass, which offers full access to the console catalogue (including new first-party release on console) and console multiplayer.
  • (Windows) PC Game Pass, which offers full access to the catalogue for Windows 10 and 11 PCs (Microsoft does not charge for multiplayer on Windows PCs).
  • Game Pass Ultimate, the most expensive subscription plan, which offers access to the full Windows and console catalogues, console multiplayer, game streaming via the cloud (more below) and an EA Play Membership, truly making the Cadillac of Netflix for Games. Very, very preem.
Keep in mind, additions of (now outdated) Xbox Live Gold subscription time (via redeemed codes) to an account with Game Pass Ultimate will automatically convert to the later, more-Cadillac experience at a ratio of (approximately) 3:1 (12 months of Xbox Live Gold equal 4 months of Game Pass Ultimate, but 6 months of Xbox Live Gold equals 79 days of Game Pass Ultimate, because Phil Spencer works in mysterious ways).

In all four options, there is no limit on how many games you can download and install from the catalogue available to you, and access is for as long as the subscription holds--permanent purchases made from the catalog are typically discounted 20%, and DLC by 10%, and do not require any further subscription. Now with a Family Plan option (currently only available in Colombia, Chile, Hungary, Ireland, Israel, New Zealand, South Africa, Sweden, and the western hemisphere of Mars). Consult your doctor the website if Game Pass is available in your country.

Xbox Cloud Gaming

https://youtu.be/J4FF_mHhwqw

Like Nvidia, Sony's Playstation Plus premium tier, certain Nintendo Switch games and Google in the earlier era of Stadia, Xbox Game Streaming (formerly "Project Xcloud") replaces your grandparents' Xbox game from the ancient era of streaming a console over your home network to the sexy future of piping your game in from The Cloud onto not just your smart phones, but Xbox One and Xbox Series consoles, Windows PCs, certain iPhones depending on Apple's mood that day and the latest of Samsung television and PC monitors! No longer in free beta, it is now available as a benefit from the Game Pass Ultimate, and has migrated to an Xbox Series X experience from the original Xbox One streaming infrastructure (fortunately). Play console-quality games on decidedly un-console mobile phones! Take advantage of all the normal Xbox Live services! Drain your device battery before you know it! Still not coming to your favorite non-Xbox console no matter how hard you ask, consult your doctor before hacking your Switch!

An updated list of current Xbox Game Streaming titles is available courtesy of Windows Central, alongside a full list of touch-compatible titles which are playable without the prerequisite compatible controller.

Xbox Backwards Compatibility Library

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7oe1LUJyCCs

Say hello to the most extensive backwards compatibility library since Sony left the Playstation 3 unconscious in a bathtub full of ice! Since early in the Project Scarlett reveal, Xbox has committed to bringing the whole of the Xbox One software library forward to the Xbox Series consoles, alongside the existing Xbox One-era software backwards compatibility libraries on all previous Xbox consoles since 2001 excluding Kinect-hardware requiring titles on Xbox 360 and Xbox One. Yes, we are as shocked as you. After capping the 20th Anniversary Showcase with more than seventy additions from the original Xbox and Xbox 360, the powers that be have sadly turned the page on further additions from 2012 and earlier (at least for now), though all new Xbox One releases are playable. In the meantime, pour one out for those games who couldn't be here with us.

Curious if your favorite Xbox 360 or original Xbox game is playable? Check it out!

2024 Partner Preview Event (wherein partners are...previewed)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=591RFRnhNEY

Tokyo Game Show 2024 (moderately more relevant than TGS 2022...)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RKNhGrXYiHg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZDbtlOQH44

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4sjwL-8IV6Y

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hsYqYa6Nkrg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ifrzTna21O8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rOy0RsMDRs8

2024 Summer Showcase (boy that was long!)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZ6gafqCjsY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EC20gLfUHeA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Ck15l7DMY0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jx8WN9fY22M

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=drVOCrvXHhE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CpgAOAOMUnA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9RktmztDtwg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IDyqGZy78Ng

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J4UHyaaWXuw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VTVaEPHa9Bc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2FiBmVBaY0g

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ofUi9DR9sc4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cCTH8R6RD74

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ngvzOKaj8tY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qiCDmeW9eac

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N14JSXhgAeQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u7CGFPbfSCY

2024 Developer Direct

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELFSdlFmDNI

Other Upcoming Titles

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uqXace1fbfg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-K3N71WIog

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4RhVFeNIBi0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDFuhaYxeMU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_OAr4Z0aiVs

Xbox 20th Anniversary Showcase

This wasn't even that recent! Oh, god, we're all so old!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_a0ijMQex4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJYsA1jXf60

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yT_i6hXf9WU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yappZvmxcP8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CC65DNzxyxU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z2d6IMBS8oY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O1h--43R8Oo

Penny Arcade Forums' Game Clubs

Pax Arcadia
Arcade Squad (Gears of War series)
The Bees Knees (Halo series)

Additionally, you can find the forums Xbox Live gamertag list here, and the form to sign up here.

Synthesis on
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Posts

  • KoopahTroopahKoopahTroopah The koopas, the troopas. Philadelphia, PARegistered User regular
    I would maybe Spoiler the 2024 release videos since that's a huge scroll for an OP.

  • FiatilFiatil Registered User regular
    8bitdo Ultimate has arrived, works with my Steam Link (was slightly worried as I need that), and all is well.

    I feel slightly bad for not knowing who this Chongyun anime man is, because it came in a very fancy collectors edition pop up case and I have this keychain and a bunch of little widgets of his with nothing to do with them. He has great taste in controller designs though!

    steam_sig.png
  • SynthesisSynthesis Honda Today! Registered User regular
    I would maybe Spoiler the 2024 release videos since that's a huge scroll for an OP.

    You probably mean all the trailers (there used to be more), but that's not a bad idea either.

  • BRIAN BLESSEDBRIAN BLESSED Maybe you aren't SPEAKING LOUDLY ENOUGHHH Registered User regular
    In any case, Hi-Fi Rush got robbed again (this time at the DICE Awards), so this is another post asking anyone with a mild interest in character-action games/beat em ups to please go play the hell out of it

  • LBD_NytetraynLBD_Nytetrayn TorontoRegistered User regular
    edited February 18
    Oh, good. I was on the verge of making a new thread, but it was going to be much more... succinct, let's say... than this.

    I felt it deserved better, so wanted to give someone a chance to do more.

    LBD_Nytetrayn on
    qjWUWdm.gif1edr1cF.gifINPoYqL.png
    Like Mega Man Legends? Then check out my story, Legends of the Halcyon Era - An Adventure in the World of Mega Man Legends on TMMN and AO3!
  • urahonkyurahonky Cynical Old Man Registered User regular
    Aw man. So my friend finally gave me my Xbox One back. I decided that I'd play a little Banjo Kazooie since I loved the game and the N64 version is still very choppy. Well I couldn't seem to import my Xbox Live profile. It asked for my email address (even though the Xbox One was logged in as me) so I typed it in. And then it asked for the password... I typed in my password (which was 30 characters long) only for it to tell me that the password must be between 6 and 16 characters long lol.

    So I guess I can't actually play this game?

  • shoeboxjeddyshoeboxjeddy Registered User regular
    urahonky wrote: »
    Aw man. So my friend finally gave me my Xbox One back. I decided that I'd play a little Banjo Kazooie since I loved the game and the N64 version is still very choppy. Well I couldn't seem to import my Xbox Live profile. It asked for my email address (even though the Xbox One was logged in as me) so I typed it in. And then it asked for the password... I typed in my password (which was 30 characters long) only for it to tell me that the password must be between 6 and 16 characters long lol.

    So I guess I can't actually play this game?

    If you have access to the account on desktop, go reset the password. You can't do any account maintenance on an Xbox itself, that's just asking for pain.

  • urahonkyurahonky Cynical Old Man Registered User regular
    urahonky wrote: »
    Aw man. So my friend finally gave me my Xbox One back. I decided that I'd play a little Banjo Kazooie since I loved the game and the N64 version is still very choppy. Well I couldn't seem to import my Xbox Live profile. It asked for my email address (even though the Xbox One was logged in as me) so I typed it in. And then it asked for the password... I typed in my password (which was 30 characters long) only for it to tell me that the password must be between 6 and 16 characters long lol.

    So I guess I can't actually play this game?

    If you have access to the account on desktop, go reset the password. You can't do any account maintenance on an Xbox itself, that's just asking for pain.

    Aw man is it worth having to relog back into everything just to play Banjo Kazooie? That's the main question lol I use that account for PC game pass and my Microsoft Account.

  • CarpyCarpy Registered User regular
    Try just the first 16 characters?

    We just recently replayed BK and it was fun but holy crap is the camera frustrating, and there's a bunch of puzzles designed to screw you with the crappy camera.

  • urahonkyurahonky Cynical Old Man Registered User regular
    I guess I assume that my Xbox 360 username and password is the same as my Xbox One and PC Game Pass one? I might try the first 16 and see if it works. I assume the passwords are hashed though.

  • tastydonutstastydonuts Registered User regular
    You will probably also need two-factor auth for your console. The Xbox 360 doesn't use your password directly, that stopped a while ago

    “I used to draw, hard to admit that I used to draw...”
  • CarpyCarpy Registered User regular
    Bluey and Boltgun coming to Gamepass 2/22 and 3/5, I think those are both new announcements

  • dporowskidporowski Registered User regular
    I choose to believe that is a single game titled "Bluey and Boltgun".

  • CarpyCarpy Registered User regular
    A Space Marine learning the joy of imagination on rug island

  • bloodatonementbloodatonement Registered User regular
    Well I guess I know what's gonna be taking over my house
    it's bluey

    Zdy0pmg.jpg
    Steam ID: Good Life
  • dporowskidporowski Registered User regular
    Carpy wrote: »
    A Space Marine learning the joy of imagination on rug island

    Small dog child with heavy weaponry, learning the joy of dispensing the Emperor's Justice to the heretic.

  • bloodatonementbloodatonement Registered User regular
    aqajp0gxrlpa.png

    Zdy0pmg.jpg
    Steam ID: Good Life
  • CarpyCarpy Registered User regular
    I appreciate the extra effort to make sure she has the laurels

  • bloodatonementbloodatonement Registered User regular
    5 minute slap together turned into 40 minute detail work

    Zdy0pmg.jpg
    Steam ID: Good Life
  • Santa ClaustrophobiaSanta Claustrophobia Ho Ho Ho Disconnecting from Xbox LIVERegistered User regular
    Now do Voltron Boltgun!

    You're muckin' with a G!

    Do not engage the Watermelons.
  • AegeriAegeri Tiny wee bacteriums Plateau of LengRegistered User regular
    aqajp0gxrlpa.png

    One of the greatest things ever created on this forum.

  • LostNinjaLostNinja Registered User regular
    Been playing Plate Up! Since it’s on game pass and that game has no right being that fun!

    The new-ish Rewards set up has had me playing a lot more of the short pick up game pass stuff lately and it’s probably resulted in the most enjoyment I’ve had gaming in a long time. Also been playing Ace Attorney which I had never played before despite being well aware of it.

  • LBD_NytetraynLBD_Nytetrayn TorontoRegistered User regular
    Aegeri wrote: »
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    One of the greatest things ever created on this forum.

    Just needs Dan Larson from Secret Galaxy next to it, asking "Can you imagine...?"

    qjWUWdm.gif1edr1cF.gifINPoYqL.png
    Like Mega Man Legends? Then check out my story, Legends of the Halcyon Era - An Adventure in the World of Mega Man Legends on TMMN and AO3!
  • ArteenArteen Adept ValeRegistered User regular
    A couple old Rare titles were added to Nintendo's online services per the latest Nintendo Direct. Battletoads for SNES, Killer Instinct for SNES, RC Pro-Am for NES, Blast Corps for N64, Snake Rattle n Roll for NES.

    Makes me curious what kind of agreements go on between Microsoft and Nintendo behind the scenes.

  • JazzJazz Registered User regular
    Considering that they (mostly) resolved their differences with Goldeneye of all things, after so many years... all sorts of agreements. I'd love to be a fly on the wall for some of this stuff.

  • rahkeesh2000rahkeesh2000 Registered User regular
    edited February 21
    Arteen wrote: »
    A couple old Rare titles were added to Nintendo's online services per the latest Nintendo Direct. Battletoads for SNES, Killer Instinct for SNES, RC Pro-Am for NES, Blast Corps for N64, Snake Rattle n Roll for NES.

    Well more than four Microsoft games there. We see how it is, Phil.

    But more seriously, Pentiment showed up, so there's one. Looks like Hi-Fi rush maybe isn't on the Switch menu though, which is a shame, it won't have the same impact on playstation.

    rahkeesh2000 on
  • urahonkyurahonky Cynical Old Man Registered User regular
    Arteen wrote: »
    A couple old Rare titles were added to Nintendo's online services per the latest Nintendo Direct. Battletoads for SNES, Killer Instinct for SNES, RC Pro-Am for NES, Blast Corps for N64, Snake Rattle n Roll for NES.

    Well more than four Microsoft games there. We see how it is, Phil.

    But more seriously, Pentiment showed up, so there's one. Looks like Hi-Fi rush maybe isn't on the Switch menu though, which is a shame, it won't have the same impact on playstation.

    Pentiment and Grounded are both on there so there's at least two. It IS interesting that Hi-Fi Rush wasn't announced even though all signs are pointing to it being ported. Not sure if they just didn't have a good reel ready to go or not.

  • Undead ScottsmanUndead Scottsman Cybertronian Paranormal Eliminator Registered User regular
    They said four games were coming but I don't think they ever said they were all coming on the same day.

  • urahonkyurahonky Cynical Old Man Registered User regular
    Well the Nintendo Direct this morning was for games in 2024 AFAIK so I figured we'd get them at least. Obviously that doesn't mean it WON'T come out but it was a little strange to have all those pieces of a puzzle but nothing to show for it.

  • rahkeesh2000rahkeesh2000 Registered User regular
    Official Xbox announcement on the four titles going multiplatform, which are indeed the leaked ones.
    Today we are announcing that four fan-favorite Xbox games will be coming to Nintendo Switch and Sony platforms this spring. The studios that built these celebrated games have drawn on their multi-platform experience to open the worlds they created to even more players and communities.
    • Pentiment from Obsidian Entertainment, a truly unique, critically acclaimed, and award-winning narrative adventure game with a striking visual style inspired by history itself will be coming to PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch on February 22.
    • Hi-Fi RUSH, the award-winning and beloved rhythm-based action game where the world syncs to the music from Tango Gameworks/Bethesda Softworks will be coming to PlayStation 5 on March 19 at midnight UTC, with pre-purchase available on PlayStation 5 digital storefronts on February 21.
    • Grounded – also from Obsidian Entertainment – a co-op survival adventure phenomenon that has welcomed 20 million players into the backyard, will be coming to PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch on April 16. Cross play will be supported across Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch and PC.
    • Sea of Thieves, the shared world adventure game from Rare, will be coming to PlayStation 5 on April 30 – and will be available to wishlist by PlayStation 5 players starting tomorrow, February 22. Having built a passionate community of more than 35 million players from around the world, the support of cross play for Xbox, PlayStation and PC will allow players to experience epic pirate adventures with friends on more platforms.

  • urahonkyurahonky Cynical Old Man Registered User regular
    Oh okay that would explain why! Haha. Weird that they had the shirt color or whatever that matched the Nintendo colors. Maybe it'll be on the next Switch.

  • The WolfmanThe Wolfman Registered User regular
    Sometimes a shirt colour is just a shirt colour.

    "The sausage of Green Earth explodes with flavor like the cannon of culinary delight."
  • urahonkyurahonky Cynical Old Man Registered User regular
    Sometimes a shirt colour is just a shirt colour.

    Maybe? I don't remember what the fuck it actually was though. My brain is just fucking mush at this point. All I know is that the colors matched the Switch and it also referenced the Switch in the text. Same thing with Sony. Just seemed a little too close.

  • OwenashiOwenashi Registered User regular
    Sometimes a shirt colour is just a shirt colour.

    You mean Power Rangers has been lying to me all these years?!

  • The WolfmanThe Wolfman Registered User regular
    edited February 21
    urahonky wrote: »
    Sometimes a shirt colour is just a shirt colour.

    Maybe? I don't remember what the fuck it actually was though. My brain is just fucking mush at this point. All I know is that the colors matched the Switch and it also referenced the Switch in the text. Same thing with Sony. Just seemed a little too close.

    Lord knows it's not the first time people have assumed and read too much into something, and lord knows it will never be the last. My brain is also mush and I can't remember a lot of the examples.

    No wait, I remember one. I think it was Blizzard? Either way somebody made a tweet of them flicking a light switch on and off. And this was interpreted as being obviously an announcement for a Switch port of something. It's a light switch. Switch. It's fucking obvious!!! And then they came out and said "Oh... no we were just doing a stupid thing with a light switch, there's no Switch game coming".

    Sometimes the internet can be too smart for its own good. Then again I won't necessarily blame somebody for overthinking, because a lot of shit has trained you to do exactly that. See: Anything by Hideo Kojima.

    The Wolfman on
    "The sausage of Green Earth explodes with flavor like the cannon of culinary delight."
  • rahkeesh2000rahkeesh2000 Registered User regular
    Hi-Fi Rush Physical releases for PS5 and Series X coming via Limited Run Games, not Microsoft!

  • TexiKenTexiKen Dammit! That fish really got me!Registered User regular
    good, that's a game worth having a physical copy of. Don't need the trinkets, just a nice steelbox with disc and I'm UwU.

  • Crippl3Crippl3 oh noRegistered User regular
    edited February 21
    so the Hi-Fi Rush shirts all have color schemes and jokes matching Xbox, Steam, Epic, PlayStation, and Switch, and they're all together in the files, which made people assume that's what it was.
    Since it's coming to PS, I'd have to assume the Switch port has gotten canceled or delayed. Leaker/podcaster NateTheHate, who had been talking about this since the story began, said a day or two ago it may have been canned and moved to Switch 2 (or whatever it will be called) due to performance issues, which makes sense as a rhythm-based game absolutely mandates a stable and high frame rate. They didn't even release it on Xbox One, unlike Grounded and Pentiment, which is more powerful than the Switch.
    For reference, the shirts in the files:

    GFRhIs0aAAAhKUY.jpg

    Xbox: Green and white, shadowdrop release
    Steam: Black and blue, Overwhelmingly Positive user reviews
    Epic Games Store: White and black, Unreal/Epic
    Switch: Red and white, "Anywhere" as in portable
    PS: Blue and white, it's a game people had been wanting on PlayStation and had been comparing to older PS2/PS3 games

    Crippl3 on
  • JazzJazz Registered User regular
    As Hi-Fi Rush was an Xbox Series only game and skipped Xbox One, I'm not entirely surprised if it doesn't hit Switch. It's possible it'd struggle too much on that hardware.

    The games that are hitting Switch are also hitting PS4 and already exist on Xbox One, which is a dead giveaway.

  • Crippl3Crippl3 oh noRegistered User regular
    Oh also, Pentiment and Hi-Fi Rush are getting physical versions from Limited Run:

    We've heard the crowd, and we're collaborating with Limited Run Games on PHYSICAL EDITIONS of Hi-Fi RUSH for Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5!

    Stay tuned to @LimitedRunGames for preorder details!
    Step into an illustrated world where Europe is at a crossroads of great religious and political change...

    Limited Run is proud to announce that the physical edition of Pentiment will be available to pre-order tomorrow on Xbox, Switch & PS5. Wishlist now: https://bit.ly/3SLyrLe

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