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GameIndustry.biz: Xbox is the game publisher of 2021

Nikana

Go Go Neo Rangers!
green rats rejoice!!!

gw39F1J.jpg
If i had the time I would make a cover of Aladins Street Rat song thing and change it to Green rats.

Somebody do it!
 

kingfey

Banned
Yes lets bank everything on corporate sponsored 'GOTY Awards'. Forza Horizon 5 is the highest rated game of this year by the way, and would def be many people GOTY on this very forum.
People think goty games means something.

Most SP games is one time done. Nobody bothers with them, except for 🏆 and achievement.

People play MP games, which has more users than goty games.
 

Nikana

Go Go Neo Rangers!
Id have to probably give it to Enix this year. I enjoyed Outriders, LIfe is Strange and Guardians of the Galaxy. Microsoft would be a close second with Psychonauts 2 and Forza for me.
 

johnjohn

Member
TBF it's going to be hard to beat MS as publisher of the year going forward. They've built up an industry leading first party org that will be hard to match.
 
Are mods gonna close down this thread too....
Yesterday's thread was unbearable for alot of people for some reason.
 
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Robb

Gold Member
Well deserved imo. First half of the year was kinda slow, but they’ve been delivering hit after hit the past couple of months. Psychonauts 2 is probably my game of the year.
 
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DeepEnigma

Gold Member
Apart from amazing art style and the old English village setting... the games are less than 5 out of 10. They are beyond garbage. I finished both Fable 1 and 2 and could not stand 3.

I have high hopes from PG....
I agree. When I heard the hype from gamers back then, I decided to pick it up on the PC at the time (the first game), and it felt like a Fisher-Price "My First RPG" experience. I was coming from all the more in depth systems of RPGs on the PC, mind you. The entire game felt like a starter area in an MMO to me. I was not impressed, at all.

I do have higher hopes for PGs Fable though, and that they will deliver a more mature (gameplay and systems) environment compared to actual top RPGs of today. At least I hope.
 

PuffyCan

Member
They didn't publish Hades, Supergiant Games did.
Wasn't Hades released on PC and Switch in 2020? Not exactly a 2021 game

For the record I was looking at that list:
 
I agree. When I heard the hype from gamers back then, I decided to pick it up on the PC at the time (the first game), and it felt like a Fisher-Price "My First RPG" experience. I was coming from all the more in depth systems of RPGs on the PC, mind you. The entire game felt like a starter area in an MMO to me. I was not impressed, at all.

I do have higher hopes for PGs Fable though, and that they will deliver a more mature (gameplay and systems) environment compared to actual top RPGs of today. At least I hope.
You don't understand the hype Molyneux generated in all those pre-release interviews though. Before Fable 1 came out, it was one of the best RPGs ever made. The only real issue was that in reality the games weren't that good, and the director was one of the most prolific liars in the history of game development.
 
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twilo99

Member
Still can’t decide if Xbox or PC is the platform of the year though.

I have gpass ultimate for PC and it absolutely feels like I am part of the xbox ecosystem. Ever since I got it, I haven't bought a single game on steam, but you obviously have the option to do so.

PC is xbox + more.
 
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8BiTw0LF

Banned
Good on Microsoft. This was what they needed for the past 8 years and now they finally broke the curse.

Next year it's Sonys turn again, but 2023 could be Microsofts year.
 

DeepEnigma

Gold Member
You don't understand the hype Molyneux generated in all those pre-release interviews though. Before Fable 1 came out, it was one of the best RPGs ever made. The only real issue was the in reality the game weren't that good, and the director was one of the most prolific liars in the history of game development.
Oh I remember. Memes made for him. It was the fanbase that peddled the same lies, even when the tripe was right in front of them. Almost as if they never played an RPG before and/or that is all they could handle.

If you honestly told me, and I am not joking, that the same institutions that designed Barney, Sesame Street, Reading Rainbow, Picture Pages, Teletubbies, and any other child development programming got together and designed an RPG, and henceforth born was 'Fable'.

I'd believe it.

I think PG will do a far better job.
 

StreetsofBeige

Gold Member
So you're saying that a publisher deserves rewarding for missing launch dates following disastrous reveals? Especially on the latest iteration of a 20 year long flagship franchise!

This isn't about bashing Xbox. Its about performance as a publisher, and the plain fact is they've not done a great job. Even Phil cops to the fact that mistakes were made in that article.
Horizon Forbidden West and GT7 are delayed from 2021 to 2022. So that means they shouldnt be considered eligible for Sony for 2022 consideration since both crossed over into 2022 territory right?

Or since you love Sony it's ok for them for 2022?

This is the first time in history I have ever heard someone say a game cant be eligible since it came out in a different year than originally marketed.


 
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CamHostage

Member
Yeah MS had a terrible last year and start of this year so second half of this year became awesome instead when the floodgates finally opened.

Sony had great last year and also a good first half of this year but a less exciting second half, their floodgates will open early next year with GT7 and HFW instead while MS will slumber until Starfield from what we know so far.

Yep, they split the year IMO; Sony a great first-half but sadly a lot of delays left little in the back half, and MS was frustratingly dry for a long time but really made the last couple months their own with three all-timers. Would have been awesome to have had both running at full speed without any of the delays and a big end-of-year showdown (although the final games are ultimately better for it,) but between the two, it's been a good time to be playing.

(...And meanwhile, Nintendo killed it in every other way, but in terms of big releases, they came up short, unless Metroid is your GOTY, which may be and it's been a long time for Metroid to be that again so good to not forget it.)
 
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Clear

CliffyB's Cock Holster
Horizon Forbidden West and GT7 are delayed from 2021 to 2022. So that means they shouldnt be considered eligible for Sony for 2022 consideration since both crossed over into 2022 territory right?

Or since you love Sony it's ok for them for 2022?

This is the first time in history I have ever heard someone say a game cant be eligible since it came out in a different year than originally marketed.



Stop turning it into console wars. That was not my point as I've explained in detail more than once in my later posts. Its not about "eligibility", its about judging the performance of a publisher, and not a platform, holistically. If you can't make the distinction between the two, that's on you because they are undeniably not the same thing at all.

I'm not getting into an argument over this, you either accept my rationale or you don't. I couldn't give a toss either way, because I know I'm right.
 
From Microsoft Flight Simulator to Psychonauts 2 to Age of Empires 4 to Forza Horizon 5 to Halo: Infinite, Xbox has finished 2021 as the year's top games publisher
It feels like only two of these titles had any significant amount of hype and the rest are either niche or meh. Flight Simulator doesn’t even fit in the meme worthy simulators like PC Building Simulator or Goat Simulator. :confused:
 
It feels like only two of these titles had any significant amount of hype and the rest are either niche or meh. Flight Simulator doesn’t even fit in the meme worthy simulators like PC Building Simulator or Goat Simulator. :confused:
A large portion of players weren't hyped for these games because they only owned a PS4 or PS5 and knew they had no way to play the games.
 
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Godot25

Banned
Bullshit, and I say this with a brand new Series S sat waiting to get plugged in.

Flight Sim was 2020, Halo should've been 2020 but they failed to hit the date, Psychonauts and Deathloop were started pre-acquisition, which basically leaves this years iteration of Forza Horizon as their sole major first-party release.
I wonder if you will say the same when similar article will hit next year "Sony is publisher of 2022" when God of War, Horizon and GT7 was supposed to release in 2021.

Also, did you consider fact that Deathloop, Halo Infinite and Psychonauts 2 are great because Microsoft allowed their delays so they could polish and finish those games properly? So please don't discredit Microsoft.
 

kingfey

Banned
Stop turning it into console wars. That was not my point as I've explained in detail more than once in my later posts. Its not about "eligibility", its about judging the performance of a publisher, and not a platform, holistically. If you can't make the distinction between the two, that's on you because they are undeniably not the same thing at all.

I'm not getting into an argument over this, you either accept my rationale or you don't. I couldn't give a toss either way, because I know I'm right.
You are accusing MS for delaying games. No one here is making console wars.
 

DonkeyPunchJr

World’s Biggest Weeb
Okay guys I just emailed them and explained that any game that was delayed past its original launch year should not be factored into their consideration. Likewise any development studio that was acquired doesn’t really count.

I’ll let you know their response. Presumably they are updating the article right now.
 

StreetsofBeige

Gold Member
Stop turning it into console wars. That was not my point as I've explained in detail more than once in my later posts. Its not about "eligibility", its about judging the performance of a publisher, and not a platform, holistically. If you can't make the distinction between the two, that's on you because they are undeniably not the same thing at all.

I'm not getting into an argument over this, you either accept my rationale or you don't. I couldn't give a toss either way, because I know I'm right.
Gimme a break. I doubt many will agree with your methodology. Game sites doing company of the year awards obviously dont.

And it's obvious you didnt answer my question because going by your methodology it would make those two Sony games ineligible for 2022.

Nobody goes around trying to evaluate a company's yearly performance based on publisher/delay issues/pre-post acquisition game count vs. what games actually came out that year under their name (and seeing if they are good or not).

Flight Sim was 2020, Halo should've been 2020 but they failed to hit the date, Psychonauts and Deathloop were started pre-acquisition, which basically leaves this years iteration of Forza Horizon as their sole major first-party release.

Youre just trying to pick apart MS games trying to get their list of 2021 games (based on your methodology) as small as possible.
 
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Honestly, best publisher kind of confuses me based on the last year offerings. I know Halo and Forza just came out, but imo there didn’t seem to be too much available from Microsoft before those games released. No first party games at launch or near it was inexcusable imo. Unless people are counting Flight Simulator and Age of Empires 4 which I don’t even know if most XBOX gamers truly appreciate or are playing.
 
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Stuart360

Member
Honestly, best publisher kind of confuses me based on the last year offerings. I know Halo and Forza just came out, but imo there didn’t seem to be too much available from Microsoft before those games released. No first party games at launch or near it was inexcusable imo. Unless people are counting Flight Simulator and Age of Empires 4 or something.
And they shouldnt be counted because of 'reasons'?
 
Yeah, it's not like they released the highest rated game of 2021

The funniest part about them saying none of them are GOTY is who the fuck decides what is game of the year? Geoff Keighley? The "industry?" I decide what the hell my game of the year is. And I already know in advance that game is going to be Halo Infinite. It's my most anticipated game of the year, and everybody I respect tells me the game is incredible. They can't stop gushing over how good the game is apparently, and how good the story is, how good Master Chief's portrayal is, how much emotion and character development and heart it puts into the series, and just how excited it makes them for the future of Halo.
 

PuffyCan

Member
The funniest part about them saying none of them are GOTY is who the fuck decides what is game of the year? Geoff Keighley? The "industry?" I decide what the hell my game of the year is. And I already know in advance that game is going to be Halo Infinite. It's my most anticipated game of the year, and everybody I respect tells me the game is incredible. They can't stop gushing over how good the game is apparently, and how good the story is, how good Master Chief's portrayal is, how much emotion and character development and heart it puts into the series, and just how excited it makes them for the future of Halo.
Really hope you're right about Halo Infinite... I'm really looking forward to some good old halo with a bigger sandbox, but not sure it can beat FH5 as my GOTY.
 
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