Okay, so we can all agree that Halo Infinite is a bit of a shit-show at the current moment. Lukewarm reveal reception, an indefinite delay into 2021, HUGE problems at 343i (likely down to upper management sucking ass), and cross-gen with XBO apparently actually holding back next-gen development after all, all being factors into it. We can all agree to this.
With that said...
...videos like this...are unacceptable.
So what's wrong with this video? Well for starters, his entire argument hinges on the idea that the biggest factor why Halo Infinite looked the way it did is because of...the SSD? One thing I ask of tech analysts is to do some research; apparently Halo Infinite was running on a mid-tier PC made for dev tools. That of course doesn't excuse the poor showing, but anyone doing that research (it doesn't take a lot of time to even find the quote) and sees that quote would assume that such a PC probably doesn't have the full (perhaps even partial) XvA implementation the Series X will have.
Another issue with this video is the creator continues saying that MS have not gone as in-depth on their SSD I/O as Sony, which is true...but again, you're a tech analyst, and you're making a public video that you know will be taken as fact by most who watch so....why not put in a bit of effort to see that they have a Hot Chips presentation just 3 days away where they will most likely delve into that very thing (among other hardware features)? Yes we can extrapolate from what we know about the setup so far if hypothetical examples like R&C could run on the hardware, but I'm just wondering....why would you use the shit show of Halo Infinite's current situation as a jumping-off point to ask this question in the first place?
Since people were already asking such a question after the game's showing in June, it kind of stands to reason the only reason this creator is asking it again is to do confirmation bias. To use Halo Infinite as an example that the Series X, in fact, cannot run a game like R&C due to the SSD. But as he literally says earlier in the video, we have not much concrete info on XvA's performance, and due to this we can't give a definitive answer. Now if his answer hinged more on the idea of team talent/management, i.e Insomniac having a better work culture and better management at the top level whereas 343i does not, then that would be fair game because 343i have embarrassed themselves yet again in that department. But seeing that this guy's a game tech analyst, that's obviously not the angle they would be focusing the question on now is it?
So why am I focusing on Innocenceii in particular? Because he's already done disingenuous next-gen tech "analysis" in several prior videos, and has used questionable visual deception in his presentations and omission of key information that they could not be bothered to re-edit in the video proper. They do the same things in this video I've linked, in fact. When I go to see a tech analysis, especially from someone who professes to be knowledgeable in a given field (I believe this guy's claim is that he's a game engine dev?), I expect them to, A) Do their research (official information, patent diving, research on various technological implementations etc.), and B) Present their information as neutrally as possible. I also expect them to base their argument/point of discussion on valid grounds that at least make some sense.
Innocenceii has failed on all of these points, for a good period of time, so it's a bit worrying when many people who want an actual tech perspective on these systems are going to such a compromised source. Granted, he's not the only such person in this regard and this kind of thing also happens with some Xbox names as well (DealerGaming, Dee Batch, MadZ etc.), but most of them don't profess to being technical experts in the field of game development to begin with. They're moreso enthusiasts, like many of us here on this forum. I get the feeling some of the people who do these types of video analysis hide under the guise of a label that carries some sort of authority which in turn intimidates people from questioning them, but that of course also allows them to get away with false narratives and disingenuous information that is rarely challenged.
These sort of people should be held responsible for this type of behavior, because there's very few neutral sources in gaming that discuss gaming tech honestly. My best sources for that have been either here on this forum, maybe a handful of people on Reeee, most of the Beyond 3D forums and that's...just about it. Of course there's also the official tech videos companies like Microsoft and Sony post on various channels that detail aspects of their technologies, but you will never get direct comparisons to competitor offerings in those, that leaves the homework on the viewer to link things together (and most don't bother to do that).
Anyway, that's about it, this was more an "ethics of game tech discussion" kind of thing more than anything else. But has anyone else felt similar watching some of these tech analysis vids from various channels of otherwise very technically knowledgeable people? Doesn't matter if they sway PlayStation, Xbox, PC or even Nintendo; like I said all camps have some fellows who do this kind of thing. But I focus moreso on the ones who very clearly state their positions of authority as engineers, game devs etc. (take Cherno for example; tbh I actually kinda like their content and haven't seen them do the sort of things I notice guys like Innocenceii doing), because again I feel those who carry those sort of badges also carry a position of assumed authority that cuts away at open and honest critique of their analysis and opinion.