Baldur’s Gate 3 won’t come to Xbox before 2024, Larian suggests

[FatKaz]

Baldur’s Gate 3 won’t come to Xbox before 2024, Larian suggests | VGC

The upcoming RPG Baldur’s Gate 3 may not release on Xbox until 2024, it’s been suggested.

www.videogameschronicle.com

Writing on Twitter, Larian’s director of publishing Michael Douse seemed to imply that the issues relating to launching the game on Microsoft‘s platform may not be resolved until next year.

“We have quite a few engineers working very hard to do what no other RPG of this scale has achieved: seamless drop-in, drop-out co-op on Series S,” Douse wrote. “We hope to have an update by the end of the year.”

In June, speaking to IGN, founder and creative director Swen Vincke was asked why the game is coming to PC in August and PS5 in September, but still doesn’t have a date on Xbox Series X/S.

According to Vincke, the issue lies with a Microsoft policy that requires games to have the same gameplay features on both Xbox Series X and Series S.

While Series S games often have a lower resolution, frame rate or level of detail, this is considered acceptable by Microsoft given that it’s less powerful than the Series X. What isn’t considered acceptable, however, is the removal of modes or other features.

The issue, then, as confirmed by the studio in February, is that the split-screen co-op mode runs perfectly well on Xbox Series X but is struggling to run to an acceptable level on Xbox Series S.

The team is reportedly hesitant to remove split-screen co-op altogether (thereby making the Series X version less feature-rich than the PS5 one), but Microsoft’s policy also means it can’t just remove it from the Series S version and keep it in the Series X version.

Explaining the complexity of the co-op mode, Vincke explained: “You’re very free in what you do, more free than people expect. That means you can run into a really big city that’s much more dense than people expect.

“You can do all kinds of craziness, so it requires a lot of optimisation. On certain platforms we’re just faster than on other platforms. It just takes us time. That’s the reality of development.

“It’s not that we planned this. Our plan was that we wanted to have a simultaneous release. But we’ve been on this game for a long time. It’s a really big game. The amount of things you can do in it is insane. I think people will be surprised when they see everything.

“There’s constraints we have to overcome, so we just work on them. Some take more time.”

Vincke also conceded that there ultimately may have to be some “compromises” made to release the Xbox version, but chose not to go into further detail.

 

[Nhomnhom]

Series S doing all it can to kill Xbox. Not the console they want, but the console they deserve.

 

[FatKaz]

Phil the mastermind.

Making the series s weak so playstation can get more exclusives and then he can cry to the regulators.

 

[ethomaz]

Neither MS engeeneers can fix the the monster they created.

 

[Sloane_Ranger]

Series S requirement is surely doing some serious damage.

However, I have a funnny feeling that there is more to the story - I wonder if MS put pressure on them to withold or slow down BG3 launch until after Starfield due to MSs need to do as well with Starfied as possible, and to have as many of their "influencers" PR focused on that title versus spread between two titles? MS saw how deep the gameplay was and realized that it may be a bigger hit then past sales woud indicate. I know - a little tin hat, but still ...

 

[flaccidsnake]

Series S requirement is surely doing some serious damage.

However, I have a funnny feeling that there is more to the story - I wonder if MS put pressure on them to withold or slow down BG3 launch until after Starfield due to MSs need to do as well with Starfied as possible, and to have as many of their "influencers" PR focused on that title versus spread between two titles? MS saw how deep the gameplay was and realized that it may be a bigger hit then past sales woud indicate. I know - a little tin hat, but still ...

i find this implausible

 

[laynelane]

According to Vincke, the issue lies with a Microsoft policy that requires games to have the same gameplay features on both Xbox Series X and Series S.

This is the problem, even more so than the Series S itself. As usual, MS made a bad decision and is refusing to walk it back or compromise. The ones who are impacted by this are their own customers too - who now have to wait to play this game longer than others. Nice "pro-consumer" approach.

This is going to be more of a headache for developers as time goes on - more manpower, money, etc. I wouldn't be surprised if some titles just begin to skip XBox altogether.

 

[ethomaz]

This is the problem, even more so than the Series S itself. As usual, MS made a bad decision and is refusing to walk it back or compromise. The ones who are impacted by this are their own customers too - who now have to wait to play this game longer than others. Nice "pro-consumer" approach.

This is going to be more of a headache for developers as time goes on - more manpower, money, etc. I wouldn't be surprised if some titles just begin to skip XBox altogether.

It is easy for the developer.
Just focus in make what is possible on Series S and delivery to both Series.

Series S is a big holder in next-gen development so just make the Series versions without the features that can't be done on S.

The sad part is that probably others multiplatform games were being hold by Series S and we PlayStation 5 are affected by these bad decisions without even know about it.

 

[voke]

Starfield confirmed last gen game

 

[laynelane]

It is easy for the developer.
Just focus in make what is possible on Series S and delivery to both Series.

Sereis is a big holder in next-gen development so just make the Series versions without the features that can't be done on S.

Then XBox gamers get less of a game than other platforms. It's doubtful MS would accept that especially since their attitude is developers should plan better to get games running on the S.

 

[ethomaz]

Then XBox gamers get less of a game than other platforms. It's doubtful MS would accept that especially since their attitude is developers should plan better to get games running on the S.

Well they will have to accept their own issues... that won't be the first game... probably more you get in the generation more developers will have issues with Series S.
Unless they drop the Series S requiriment.

What can be worst to Xbox gamers?
A less of game than others platforms or no game at all in like 79% of Series base.

 

[laynelane]

Well they will have to accept their own issues... that won't be the first game... probably more you get in the generation more developers will have issues with Series S.

Many developers have already complained about the S. MS' response is to stonewall them or tell them to plan better. That's why I think it's going to come down to games simply skipping XBox due to this issue. There seems to be no reasoning with MS on this poorly thought-out console and policy.

Agreed that the problem will get worse over time. There's no doubt about that.

 

[Papacheeks]

Then XBox gamers get less of a game than other platforms. It's doubtful MS would accept that especially since their attitude is developers should plan better to get games running on the S.

But thats a Microsoft problem in not talking to developers when they actually started planning their hardware. Thats what changed for Sony in PS4 era and into PS5. They asked developers, engine makers what they need, and what makes their job harder.

So they added more memory in PS4 that the developers were able to almost get most of the 8gb's, since there was built in memory for just OS. Also they made their OS/API low level almost Bare metal API so that there's no operating imprint for instructions.

Which is why there are more developers talking about PS5, and some skipping xbox. Development ease is more streamlined tools wise on Playstation. Xbox One to Series X/s there were mulitple tool re-writes that had to happen. ANd was the reason features like Raytracing were absent on launch and not patched until recently for specific titles like Halo.

 

[laynelane]

But thats a Microsoft problem in not talking to developers when they actually starting planning their hardware. Thats what changed for Sony in PS4 era an dinto PS5. They asked developers, engine makers what they need, and what makes their job harder.

So they added more memory in PS4 that the developers were able to almost get most of the 8gb's, since there was built in memory for just OS. Also they made their OS/API low level almost Bare metal API so that there's no operating imprint for instructions.

Which is why there are more developers talking about PS5, and some skipping xbox. Development ease is more streamlined tools wise on Playstation. Xbox One to Series X/s there were mulitple tool re-writes that had to happen. ANd was the reason features like Raytracing were absent on launch and not patched until recently for specific titles like Halo.

It absolutely is a MS problem and they have shown repeatedly that they're not willing to listen to developers or compromise on this very obvious problem. And, as you point out, not talking to developers before rolling out their cheaper console. The result is delayed games like the one in the OP and, in future, that's only going to get worse. They're putting developers in a situation with their parity clause where some may have to choose not to release on XBox at all in the future.

 

[Box]

Once again Jim Ryan was right

 

[ethomaz]

View attachment 1960

Once again Jim Ryan was right

Sony made a lot of research in that point... that is very clear in their interview.

Actually a $100 cheaper version without disc identical to the expensive version turned out way better strategy.
Even for these looking for a cheaper option who will buy a $300 underpowered device if you have a $400 option basically whitout limitation (except the disc drive).

 

[laynelane]

The sad part is that probably others multiplatform games were being hold by Series S and we PlayStation 5 are affected by these bad decisions without even know about it.

That's my worry too. Games will be lessened in scope and features because they have to run on the S - and that it will affect all platforms.

 

[flaccidsnake]

View attachment 1960

Once again Jim Ryan was right

I can't think of a time when there was a Series S. There's just been cross-gen overlap. The Pro models last gen were unprecedented afaik. Unless you want to count like the 32x or N64 ram pack.

 

[ethomaz]

I can't think of a time when there was a Series S. There's just been cross-gen overlap. The Pro models last gen were unprecedented afaik. Unless you want to count like the 32x or N64 ram pack.

Sony considered, made market research, asked developers, made internal test prototype, etc. And found out it was too problematic (well anybody with a bit of sense knew it was a issue for the generation).

But if you look just what they released the Vita TV was a failure… it was underpowered and not all games could run on it.

 

[Frozone]

I'm very surprised that Larian made BG3 split-screen. That's really not a thing like it used to be.