With home network testing Xbox Project xCloud on IOS is looking great streaming the games to your device without the need for a console. Only Halo: The Master Chief Collection is currently available however.
Free games? In THIS economy? Well, in exchange for your eyeballs at least. (Figuratively, not literally... although don't give them ideas.)
What you need to know
• Microsoft Gaming CFO Tim Stuart recently described how in the future, you may be able to view ads to gain access to Xbox Game Pass.
•Recent Xbox Series X|S code strings we've seen seem to corroborate this, with the ability to earn 15 minute blocks of Xbox Game Pass access in exchange for watching ads.
•Game Pass across PC, Xbox, and Cloud features hundreds of games in exchange for a low monthly fee.
Hmm..... I used to earn GP by way of searching with Bing but I hear the rewards program is being revamped. I still earn points but it seems they did change the amount you get per search. I dont know how i feel about this. It sounds like they are going the Youtube route where right in the middle of something you are enjoying, an ad pops up and you have to sit through it (if it does not have a skip option after 5 seconds).
I pay for my GP access, so this wouldnt really bother me but I can see it affecting plenty of others. It reminds me of the rumor about how some game companies (EA, Ubisoft) were toying with the idea of running ads before you ever get into the game. Like the old days of renting movies from Blockbuster and not being able to skip the previews (yes, some DVD had a non skip option for previews). I pay for stuff so i wouldnt have to deal with ads, but even now they are encroaching the very things i pay a premium for.
This whole thing is just..... a bad idea.
@babadivad
Yup. You'd have to pop in the DVD before going to the bathroom, grabbing a snack, etc
Such a shame cause even if you don't think this is a big deal what's next they put ads on ultimate gamepass and the free one gets more. This is disgusting. Yes even if Sony goes this route I'll feel the same. We got enough ads in this world ffs
“even if Sony goes this route I'll feel the same”
This isn’t a “both sides” issue. Sony has never had ads on the PlayStation Home Screen but Microsoft has laden Xbox’s Home Screen with ads since the Xbox 360. Microsoft has put ads on Windows 11 OS! Microsoft is basically the bad guy from “Ready Player One”.
I know that hence the key word If. Sonys never given an indication of this where as ms definitely has.
I mean, it's not never, but it's not like Xbox. Sony has promoted things with icons on the XMB, it's just really rare.
They could do GP free with ads, GP £20 per month without ads, which one would the casual/hardcore choose ?
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We're just having our eyelids forced open more and more every day it feels like.
You don't say?/S
You mean the company that puts ads on the dashboard, tried to force a camera on Xbox One to push ads is experimenting with ads for game pass access? No. You must be joshing. Lol
Wouldn't put it past them.
Getting people locked into subs and advertising to them is what passes as innovation at Microsoft.
At least they're keeping Sony on their toes with the threat of competition
The newest From Software game is just around the corner. These are five excellent games to play while waiting for Armored Core 6.
With the release date being just a little over a week away, it may not be a good idea to burn yourself out on mech games until then.
Surprised that the article didn’t mention Mechwarrior 5: Mercenaries if we’re talking about mech-related games.
It was an odd article imo. Like why are games that feature a handful of mech themed levels in there. When I think of mech games I don't think Halo and Wolfenstein no matter how fun those levels were.
These are some of the best and most popular video game franchises now owned by Xbox Game Studios and Microsoft.
Microsoft was involved with Halo, Gears, Forza, Ori, Flight Simulator and Fable from early development, I will give them credit for those franchises. Fallout, Elder Scrolls and Doom were established franchise before being acquired by MS.
Exactly. They had nothing to do with their most popular franchises now.
Their old franchises are dwindling and pretty much non-existent.
They've had perfect dark in the chamber this whole time and haven't done squat...that tells you the kind of company they are. Fable is another franchise that's been destroyed and ignored...let's see how the new game turns out.
Yeah perfect dark, banjo conquer ms seems to kill more franchises then they like to admit while pretending to care about others like hexen
Given the article specifically says "now owned", what made you feel the need to do a break down?
Sit-down,
Because it's N4G and any opportunity to shit on MS is never missed.
Ah yes, feels like forever ago since Microsoft created Skyrim. So much so, I had actually forgotten they had created it and the other Elder Scrolls games! 🤔
*They really shaped my preteen years w the original Doom too!
I fully expect all these popular franchises to be killed off by Microsoft. Just a matter of time.
Unless they take a huge distance approach which pretty much means they don't ba e anything to do with the games being made ...in that case the franchises should be fine. But then...they shouldn't really get credit.
"I fully expect all these popular franchises to be killed off by Microsoft. Just a matter of time."
Based on what?? Microsoft usually gets stick for releasing too MANY games in their franchises, to the point where it's quite a long-running joke - one I'm sure you've partaken in before.
Pretty much all of their major IP has had releases in the last five years or have upcoming releases scheduled so I see no evidence whatsoever for this claim.
"Unless they take a huge distance approach which pretty much means they don't ba e anything to do with the games being made"
But.. They HAVE been very hands-off for a long time and have drawn lots of criticism for it?
I really wouldn't say that MS have let Rare franchises die. They've just had the freedom to create new IP in Sea of Thieves and Everwild. MS are currently developing a Perfect Dark game, licensed Killer Instinct out, Rare themselves released several compilations and several Banjo games as well as PDZ in the past.
I'm not sure what else you could want. They can only make one game at a time. You can't say MS let all their franchises die but also be annoyed that they allow their studios to make new IP.
If that's the case where my banjo or conquer sequel why didn't I get sunset overdrive 2 oh yeah not enough bro in those games
EA is a good example of what can happen to a franchise when a larger corporation buys up studios from a smaller corporation. Quarterly earnings should never matter more than quality.
@Crows that is the case , Zenimax is operating independently of MS and have full creative freedom to do what they want. Zenimax games aren’t being published under XGS ,
Soon Microsoft will be known for making Crash Bandicoot, Spyro, Candy Crush, Call of Duty etc. Lmao they know what they're doing. Especially with the archiving issue the gaming industry has.
Microsoft built the game industry. Microsoft invented games. Didn't you know? ;)
**What a bizzaro world we live in where the losers can become the winners overnight.
@ravens52
What are those franchises you're talking about?
Activision/Blizzard only makes Call of Duty and Bethesda has Elder Scrolls and Starfield only, stop making it seen that is much more anti competitive/consumer than it actually is.......
Zero creative vision and the ability to bankroll it by purchasing everything that everyone else had success with even Halo wasn't technically theirs Bungie had to sell it to them to become independent
You mean any studio Microsoft could acquire to flog last gen games on game pass ... What happened to HD-DVD that Microsoft pushed so hard ...
Finally tried it on IOS. Image quality was ok but the lag was definitely there. That was on my WiFi with a 500mbps fiber connection. Cellular was a different story, Image quality was dropping quite often and lag was even worse. My cellular connection is around 100mbps and the tower is right down the road. Wasn’t the best experience.
Now that I’ve tried all major cloud gaming services except GeForce Now. I can say all are about the same. I can’t really choose one over the other. I just can’t deal with the lag currently associated with cloud gaming so I’ll keep my local experience.
He’s a brief video of me playing Horizon: Zero Dawn on PS Now. Its pretty impressive. Image quality is good and there’s little lag. It still doesn’t match a local experience though.
https://youtu.be/pYUUUNrv_U...
"This is a really great start, it’s looking fantastic and playing well. The pixelization is more noticeable, but that’s something I’m sure will get ironed out as this testing did just start."
I saw the pixelization at times as well especially over cellular. It wasn't horrible. Overall, it is just ok. I could see myself using this in a hotel room or an airport, but like most have said, including MS, local gaming will always be superior.
Read some comments, I'm here to say that I never experienced any lag playing Forza, Madden, or Hellblade from a solid wifi connection 50mbps.
I have experienced lag and downgraded graphics on 4G in my basement though. More interestingly is when I connect a TV adaptor to my phone or cast, the lag is severe.
The biggest gripe is owning 2 controllers and not being able to play two player games. Project Xcloud is the best streaming service out there. If they can add two player support and TV support (without having to mess with app settings) then this is my streaming service.
Meh Stadia is better they might have fewer games at the moment but atleast they are newer and good games. Besides Madden 20 and DMC5, Xcloud games are old
The iOS beta is impressive so far. I’ve had some lag using the AR, but the image quality has been flawless so far. Excited to get new games on there and play during work downtime