I don't disagree that Microsoft releases some mediocre games on Xbox One. I also agree that Sunset Overdrive was a great game. However, saying it sold poorly because Xbox One owners just aren't into the game is disingenuous at best.
What was the quality of Sunset Overdrive that Xbox gamers supposedly isn't interested in? Color and humor? Ori and the Blind Forest & Cuphead also got the "wrong platform" criticism. Yet they both crush Sunset Overdrive in terms of sales on Xbox One. Ori even share the same E3 stage with Sunset Overdrive in 2014. So, no. I don't think it's the problem of the audience. The fact that so many fans needed to explain to fellow Xbox Redditor what the game was like at the time was a strong indicator that people don't even know what the game was about. It was promoted as a shooter yet the shooting mechanic was not even the point of the game. It had Deadpool humor yet was promoted as a kids friendly game. And Microsoft weren't even wholeheartedly promoting the game because they would rather focus on advertising Rise of the Tomb Raider and Forza Horizon 2. IMO, these are the true reason why the game failed. Don't blame the audience if they don't even know what your product was.
Ori and Cuphead are $20 digital download games compared to a $60 disc based game in Sunset. Huge difference between those two and Sunset. Sunset is also a weird quirky Japanese type game at times which isn't going to appeal to the Xbox user base. If you're an outsider such as myself and you look at what Xbox is and has been since 2001, you simply see it from a far. An Xbox gamer is very different from a PlayStation gamer. Xbox gamers look for shooters and online. PlayStation depending on how far back the user goes looks for single player cinematic story driven games, JRPG's and Japanese games in general. A game like Sunset Overdrive simply isn't going to sell on Xbox One especially with the low user install base the console had at the time the game released. It's awesome that Microsoft funded it but it was simply never going to sell on their platform. I do think that the game would have sold better on PlayStation 4 for three reasons - first and foremost, the weird quirky Japanese at times style would fit in better with the PlayStation 4 user base. Second, Insomniac has simply done better when working with Sony as opposed to anyone else and third, when you look back at it, on Xbox One, everyone was waiting for Halo MCC. You weren't buying a Sunset Overdrive. You simply weren't. On PlayStation 4, there was nothing there except Drive Club so a Sunset Overdrive in September 2014 definitely would have sold better than it did on Xbox One.
Nah, Sunset Overdrive would have flopped on any platform. It's a good game but even at its reveal I knew that art style would give it limited appeal.
Given the variety of games we see selling well on XBO from Battlefield to Ori to Crash to NieR to MHW, the sweeping generalisations about the XBO user base are ridiculous and unfounded.
As I said above, I do believe that it would have sold better on PlayStation 4. Some games just aren't meant to be exclusive for a particular platform. It's that simple. In the case of Sunset, the Xbox One user base simply shrugged off the game.
The generalization about the Xbox One user base is founded and not ridiculous because look at Xbox 360. JRPG's and Japanese games in general flopped on the console despite 80M+ install base. Since the original Xbox, it's been sold as the shooter and online console. That's simply what it's been because that's how Microsoft has marketed and showcased it since 2001. It hasn't changed. Until the franchises change and there's new IP's and the big three are no more, it will never change. The lone exception is Final Fantasy but this is a 30 year franchise so it's more the exception than the rule.
You may see it differently because you like Xbox but if you're an outside like me, you can see what Xbox has been since 2001 from a far. I never ever think Xbox in connection with a JRPG or other Japanese quirky games. I simply don't and never will. Neither will the majority. Until Microsoft/Spencer changes their direction and ends the franchises that have been around for way too long, the perception simply won't change from the majority of those who are outsiders such as myself because Microsoft/Spencer hasn't changed that perception. Until it's no longer Halo, Gears and Forza, it's simply going to stay that way regardless of what else they do or don't do.
Lol. In The Order 1886, everything was bad. The gameplay was bad, but the story was even worse.
In Quantum Break, gameplay is correct (yes, It's not the perfect game for that), but it's one of the better time travel story ever made, all media combined. The TV Show fits well with that story.
If you're only interested by the gameplay, I can understand why you give Quantum Break only a 7/10 and why you don't like the TV Show, but the game is just not for you. The story of Zelda : Breath of the wild is at best bad, but I didn't see anyone say it deserves a 7/10 for this reason.
While The Order 1886 for me was also a 7.0/10, I easily preferred it over Quantum Break. I also preferred another 7.0/10 game in Ryse over Quantum Break as well. For The Order, the story and characters were excellent. The cover system, gunplay and shooting mechanics were great. I said this back then and I'll say it now. It was the design decisions that Ready At Dawn decided on that hurt the game. If you take away the QTE garbage and make the boss fights actual gameplay, it becomes better. If you remove that horrible stealth section and turn it into a shootout once detected instead of an instant fail and do over, it becomes better. The core has always been there but RAD made stupid decisions that simply affected the entire game overall.
The story in Quantum Break was good but the ending wasn't and the final boss fight sucked. Such a disappointment. The gunplay was good but also typical Remedy and nothing special. Expecting the gunplay in Control to basically be more or the less the same but with different abilities to fit the story. My main problem with Quantum Break was that it was boring. The few good action sequences were all spoiled by Microsoft in every trailer. They literally showed all the best parts which still baffles me. You show two at most but they showed them all.
I'm into story, characters, narrative, gameplay, etc. Pretty much everything overall. Look at my avatar. I'm into more than just gameplay. I want an excellent story and characters. It's just that most games fail in this aspect. For Quantum Break, the story and characters weren't the problem. It was nearly everything else. Being forced to watch a TV show in order to get more out of the game I already a negative in my eyes. One has nothing to do with the other and should not be connected. Don't know if it was Microsoft's or Remedy's decision but it was a bad one either way. Me and my friend both bought the game at launch. He watched the show. I didn't. The sad part is that he said the TV show was more entertaining than playing through the game. From my viewpoint, I simply believe that the TV show hurt the game itself because the focal point is no longer on the game. It's now about the TV show and the game being connected to the TV show as opposed to the other way around.
As for BOTW, on my rating scale since I go by categories, it would actually be a 6 or a 7 at best because it's lacking in way too many areas for me. I gave Quantum Break straight seven's across four categories. Graphics, audio, gameplay and story/characters. All good. Not bad but not great either. Expected more to be honest and being connected to a TV show turned me off from the beginning.
Halo Wars 2 has a MC of 79%. In which universe is this considered "bad"?
My mistake. Based on what I read when the game launched, I thought it was in the 60's. Sorry.
