Tag: Pentiment

Team Xbox should focus more on their fans and make more Xbox-exclusive games with the long-term in mind

Team Xbox should focus more on their fans and make more Xbox-exclusive games with the long-term in mind

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In recent times, Team Xbox and their studios officially confirmed that the Xbox-original (read: previously Xbox-exclusive) games Pentiment, Hi-Fi RUSH, Grounded and Sea of Thieves are heading to consoles of Sony and Nintendo. This is the result of what was discussed during the podcast (note: “the four games”) that had top Xbox officials updating people about their business plan and current direction. In case you missed that, watch the podcast right below…

To make things clear for the newcomers reading this, Team Xbox itself has already been publishing games on non-Xbox platforms for several years now. I’m talking about established titles like Minecraft and, in very recent times, the many games of Bethesda. By adding the newly acquired Activision-Blizzard into the Xbox family of companies, you can see Team Xbox’s publishing side has grown even bigger and the business impact should be felt over the next few years.

That being said, I should state that Phil Spencer and his Xbox team leaders should NOT neglect Xbox fans even as the business is moving towards multi-platform publishing and the “console-less” future in the 2030s.

In relation to what Spencer said during the podcast, the single-player games his team heavily invested in such as Starfield, Forza Motorsport (2023), Forza Horizon 5, Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II, Avowed, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle are still exclusive on Xbox consoles plus Windows PC and Xbox Game Pass (the popular subscription service itself will not be made available on non-Xbox platforms anytime soon).

There are also more Xbox-exclusive titles that have yet to be released such as Towerborne, South of Midnight, Clockwork Revolution, The Outer Worlds 2, the Fable reboot plus the very delayed ones such as Perfect Dark and Everwild.

While it is true that those are a lot of Xbox-exclusive games that fans and other gamers (who are seeking fun and unique games to play that are NOT available on PlayStation and Nintendo consoles) can look forward to over the next few years, I still say that Team Xbox should invest more to make even more exclusive games and become more aggressive.

In the previous Xbox console generations, there were these exclusive games that had “Only on Xbox” placed on the front covers of their respective boxes. Check out the games below…

The start of something great!
Way back in 2002, this was the exclusive adventure and platform game to enjoy on the original Xbox console! It was flawed but still had fun.
If you are a long-time Xbox fan, were you able to buy this for your Xbox 360 console?
This exclusive game on Xbox 360 is a classic shooter to enjoy!

And, yes, there was a time when Team Xbox invested a lot to make exclusive sports video games under their Xbox Sports Network (XSN) franchise. Even the Top Spin game series actually started on the original Xbox console under the XSN label.

During the weeks leading to the launch of the original Xbox console in late 2001, I played NFL Fever 2002 on an Xbox kiosk. This was Microsoft’s exclusive NFL video game.
An exclusive racing game on the original Xbox that is rarely talked about. This game received many positive reviews at the time of its release.
The exclusive NBA basketball of Team Xbox from 2002.
It is absolutely true that Top Spin started as an Xbox-exclusive tennis video game made to entertain gamers on the console while also serving as a suitable competitor against Sega’s Virtua Tennis and Nintendo’s Mario Tennis.

Indeed, “Only on Xbox” in the old days had a very strong meaning – something fun and unique (if not special) was prepared for gamers and the only platform to play was on the Xbox console!

Going to the present leadership of Team Xbox, they seriously need to refocus on the exclusive games and confirm their dedication to all Xbox fans as well as the gamers seeking something fun and special to play on Xbox consoles or on Windows PC. A lot of people spent so much money to buy an Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S or a new PC for their entertainment needs and having more exclusive games will add even more value into the ecosystem of Microsoft.

I really wish to see Phil Spencer and his team move aggressively to produce even more Xbox-exclusive games not just for this current console generation but also for the next generation and even further. Perhaps Team Xbox should explore making exclusive sports video games (note: challenging 2K and Visual Concepts’ dominance on NBA video games could do good for the gamers and the industry) or make games on genres they have been ignoring.

Whether Team Xbox utilizes its own game studios or make deals with independent studios through their Xbox Game Studios Publishing, making more exclusive games is crucial and when it is well executed, Xbox fans and other gamers will benefit. Seriously, the shift to releasing Xbox-original games to PlayStation and Nintendo consoles should not be the main goal because it clearly does NOT justify betraying Xbox fans around the world.

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Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below, share this article to others and also please consider making a donation to support my publishing. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at  @HavenorFantasy as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/ and on Instagram athttps://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco

Xbox App now available on Samsung 2022 Smart TVs

Xbox App now available on Samsung 2022 Smart TVs

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In what is clearly an ambitious effort to make video gaming more available to users who don’t have game consoles, Team Xbox announced that its Xbox app is officially available on Samsung 2022 Smart TVs and with the power of the cloud, users will be able to play hundreds of games through Xbox Game Pass!

To begin with, watch this video below…

To put things into perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the official announcement on Xbox.com. Some parts in boldface…

Starting today in 27 countries, you can turn on your Samsung 2022 Smart TV, navigate to the Xbox App in the new Samsung Gaming Hub or Media Hub, connect your Bluetooth controller, and play. It’s as simple as using any other streaming app on your TV.

Here’s what you need to know to get started:

Getting Ready – Playing Xbox games on 2022 Samsung Smart TVs is a seamless experience. To make sure you’re ready to game, here’s what you’ll need:

  • To access the Xbox app, you’ll need one of Samsung’s 2022 Smart TVs.
  • To play the hundreds of cloud-enabled games in the Game Pass library, you’ll need an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate membership.
  • If you don’t have a membership and want to try the experience for yourself before you sign up, you can play Fortnite for free without an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate membership.
  • Almost any Bluetooth-enabled controller will work with the Xbox app, like the Xbox Wireless Controller, Xbox Adaptive Controller, Elite Series 2 Controller, or the DualSense controller.

How to Access the Xbox App – There are two ways you can access the Xbox app on a 2022 Samsung Smart TV depending on where you’re located.

  • In some countries you can access the Xbox app through Samsung’s new Gaming Hub. Simply navigate to the Gaming Hub via the user interface, launch the Xbox app, and you’re ready to go!
  • Otherwise you can navigate to the Samsung App store from the Samsung Media Hub, search for “Xbox” to download the app onto your TV, and launch it to begin playing.

As we shared earlier this month, we’re excited to take this first step with Samsung and look forward to keeping you up to date during this next evolution in our vision. With Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and a controller, you can easily jump into the world of gaming and connect with your friends and communities on Xbox.

Xbox app on Samsung 2022 Smart TV emphasized.

As I mentioned earlier, this team-up between Team Xbox and Samsung can impact people’s accessibility to playing video games at home and free them from the financial burden of acquiring a standalone gaming hardware (the video game console) which is crucial because even until now, modern game consoles like the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S are still challenging to acquire due to tight supplies. Also there are households who are already struggling with inflation and this makes buying a game console not so attractive financially.

The beauty about Xbox app on Samsung Smart TV with cloud power and Xbox Game Pass (XGP) is that the users can play established blockbuster games like Halo Infinite, Forza Horizon 5 and Flight Simulator without an Xbox console. Users also have lots of very promising games to play in the near future via XGP such as Starfield, Senua’s Sage: Hellblade II, Forza Motorsport (2023), Redfall, Pentiment, As Dusk Falls, Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes and more! Once the Xbox acquisition of Activision-Blizzard gets completed, even more games will be added into XGP!

Once this move by Team Xbox and Samsung succeeds, it will mean more new users coming into the Xbox ecosystem which will benefit game publishers eventually. To put it clearly, the old strategy of selling game consoles to connect with TVs in households is no longer the only way to enjoy video games in the comfort of home. This is something that Sony and Nintendo have not embraced because it goes against their old console-focused business nature.

In ending this piece, posted below are some Xbox-related videos for your enjoyment…

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Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below and also please consider sharing this article to others. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at  @HavenorFantasy as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/ and on Instagram athttps://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco/

Pentiment is coming to Xbox platforms and Windows PC plus Xbox Game Pass (XGP) and PC Game Pass this November

Pentiment is coming to Xbox platforms and Windows PC plus Xbox Game Pass (XGP) and PC Game Pass this November

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In my pre-event article of the Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase, I mentioned RPG specialist Obsidian Entertainment (an Xbox game studio) and their two upcoming games that I hoped would be showcases somehow in the June 12, 2022 event – the fantasy role-playing game (RPG) Avowed and The Outer Worlds 2.

While those two mentioned games did not appear in the showcase, Obsidian announced two new games that will be hitting the Xbox ecosystem this year – the full version of Grounded (already a hit in its pre-release form) and the brand-new game Pentiment (a narrative adventure).

In this post, we will take a close look at Pentiment which I must admit I was surprised as I did not anticipate to see another project from Obsidian whose works in The Outer Worlds and Fallout: New Vegas I enjoyed. To begin with, watch this official announcement video of Pentiment.

To learn more about this newest upcoming game from Obsidian, posted below is an excerpt from the official article published at Xbox.com. Some parts in boldface…

Today, we have the pleasure of introducing the world to Pentiment, a 16th-century narrative adventure game directed by Studio Design Director Josh Sawyer. As you will see, this game is brought to life by a talented team who were inspired by illuminated manuscripts, woodcut prints, and history itself.

In Pentiment, you play Andreas Maler, a journeyman artist working in the bygone scriptorium of Kiersau Abbey during a time of great social unrest. While finishing his masterpiece, Andreas inadvertently becomes entangled in a series of murders that take place over 25 years. Peasants, thieves, craftsmen, monks, nuns, nobles, and even saints must be investigated and interrogated to expose the truth.

You get to shape Andreas’ background and characteristics which should affect the narrative.

It will be up to players to decide Andreas’ choices, from his educational background and lifestyle to how he investigates the murders. One day he may be digging up a dead monk in the abbey cemetery, the next might be spent eavesdropping on peasant gossip at the ladies’ spinning bee. Every decision and accusation he makes carries consequences that will impact the tightly-knit Alpine community for generations to come.

We are very excited to share this unique interpretation of life in 16th-century Germany, and we can’t wait to release more information with you about Pentiment leading up to its launch this November.

The above article ended stating that Pentiment, which is an Xbox-exclusive game, will be released specifically for Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Windows PC and also through Xbox Game Pass (XGP), Steam and PC Game Pass sometime on November 2022 with a declared price of $19.99. Team Xbox and Obsidian have yet to announce a final release date as of this writing.

A scene from Pentiment.

Having seen the video during the recent Xbox-Bethesda Games Showcase, Pentiment looks really inspired and the artistic style looks nice. I find the player decision mechanism very appealing as it reminds me of my experience reading Choose Your Own Adventure pocket books in which readers must make decisions to move the narrative forward and also impact somewhat key aspects of the protagonist.

Pentiment clearly looks back at a certain part of history and has religious and cultural visual elements included. I don’t know what Josh Sawyer and his team think about religion nor European culture, but if you have read my past faith articles, you should be aware that religion and faith are not one and certainly not the same. I should also state that culture itself is a hindrance for any person who desires to establish faith in the Lord and have a personal relationship with Him.

Going back to the game, the November 2022 release of Pentiment and the September 2022 release of the full version of Grounded somewhat soften the lack of high-profile Xbox-exclusive games in the final four months of 2022. I was hoping to play Starfield and Forza Motorsport (2023) on my Xbox Series X console via Xbox Game Pass before the year ends but those games will be released sometime next year. That being said, Obsidian Entertainment has Xbox-exclusives set for release a few months from now.

If you are an avid Xbox gamer who seeks new exclusive games this year or if you are the type of gamer who wants to play something new and fun, pay close attention to Pentiment and the other Obsidian game.

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Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below and also please consider sharing this article to others. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at  @HavenorFantasy as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/and on Instagram athttps://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco/