Perhaps but Xbox IS the best it's ever been. More games, more features, more services, better tech, best third party support ever, best first party in their history, etc. I mean come on. People have a such a hatred for Microsoft/Xbox that they completely ignore what's actually factual. I don't get it. I have owned every Xbox console and Series X is by far the best generation. For two generations, all anyone ever said was it's only Halo/Gears/Forza and while they still exist, out of the 22 games Microsoft will have published through 2024, only 4 consist of those three franchises and one of them (Gears Tactics) is a sin off.
Xbox 360 was great but it's also overrated just like Xbox Series is underrated. Microsoft had nothing back then. The vast majority of their published games were deals as opposed to what it is now where the vast majority is internally owned. I loved the original Gears of War trilogy, Gears 4/5 were great too but not better than the original three, Forza Motorsport is debatable but Forza Horizon 5 is far better than all their previous games. The biggest improvement outside of finally acquiring and having studios is the massive variety that they now have. Sports/racing, RPG's, first/third person shooters, strategy games, first/third person action adventure games, simulation, etc.
Seriously, no one is more happy with Microsoft and what they offer than I am because they literally blow away all three previous generations combined. People I believe look back at previous generations and this happens in general with rose tinted glasses. Halo for example, Infinite is the best fucking campaign because it plays the fucking best, I played through all the older games this past summer and Reach/Halo 4 are #2/#3 for me. How people liked the older games where you can't aim down sights or sprint/run is fucking beyond me. UGH.
Even going back this past summer to play the Halo games, through Xbox One, I literally only completed 18 games and if I didn't go back to play all the previous Halo games, the total would be 11 games in three generations from Microsoft. Where as with this generation, I will be at 10 games through 2024. So in four years compared to 19 total years, im already past the halfway mark of what I had back then. Add in the 13 future games I have out of their 17 game road map from 2025 and beyond, and it becomes a slaughter because while the total count will only be 23-18, it's basically a span of 6-8 years for the 23 games where as the 18 games was a span of over 19 years. There's no comparison to be had.
To each their own but im way more happy and satisfied with Microsoft and Xbox this generation than in their entire history. Microsoft can literally publish every game on Sony/Nintendo platforms and I will gladly accept that trade because what's the alternative? 5 or so studios and giving me only 5 games like I had with Xbox One in 7 years? UGH. That shit can fuck off.
I agree with four of the nominations but an expansion to a base game that already had it's time shouldn't be in GOTY. It should have it's own category. The Game Awards are, have been and always will be a fucking joke because it's NOT an actual awards show. IT IS an advertising/marketing show. A REAL awards show would be in February and actually include the ENTIRE calendar year but Keighley doesn't do that because first, he doesn't give two shits about the actual awards or the meaning behind them all or anything. He just wants to prop up the shit that HE heavily favors. He includes DLC/expansions, remakes/remasters AND even SEASONAL content to be eligible for GOTY. Are you fucking kidding me? What's next? Cosmetics? LMAO
Black Myth Wukong is great and even if it was already on Xbox, I would still say that it shouldn't be nominated because two games in Tekken 8 and Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth should be there instead of BMW and Erdtree. It's a fucking joke that a superb fighting game gets excluded and an amazing JRPG gets excluded as well. And I don't care about either game but they're far better games than BMW is and are actually new releases as opposed to an expansion for a game that already had it's time and expansions should NEVER EVER be nominated for GOTY because without the base game (which again, already had it's time) the expansion doesn't fucking exist.
Then I look at ongoing game. What a fucking joke. The same fucking games get nominated every year. Fortnite/Destiny 2/FF XIV online. They included Diablo IV but this shouldn't be here either. Fallout 76, The Elder Scrolls Online, Sea of Thieves have been far better live service games because they're actually consistent and have been for 5+ years. No Man's Sky is the only game that should be on that list because Murray and Hello Games have done an amazing fucking job after Sony fucked them over big time.
Even if/when Sony acquires Kadowawa, Elden Ring isn't being removed from any platform and their future games will be 100% multi-platform just like Bungie because if not, all the revenue and profit that Sony would inherit would be gone overnight which in turn defeats the point and purpose of even acquiring them in the first place. A From Software game that's exclusive to PlayStation isn't going to do anything at all for Sony or the platform because their fans are already there and second, the most success they've had is from Elden Ring being cross-gen and multi-platform.
Also, Keighley is a massive PONY. Period. Even when a game like Flight Simulator in 2021 gets a 92 along with Forza Horizon 5 get passed over for low rated trash, it tells you everything you need to know. Keighley goes out of his way to shit on Microsoft and Xbox every chance he gets. Tango/Arkane Austin were shut down and Keighley tweeted that Microsoft/Xbox shut them down but when Sony shut down Concord/Firewalk, he NEVER mentioned Sony or PlayStation. If that's NOT a mother fucking clear as fucking day bias against Microsoft/Xbox than I don't know what is.
In closing, im sure you and others will think that im sad or whatever because Microsoft has no nominations or anything yet I don't give a fuck if they win/lose and to be honest, Keighley can ignore their games for life and I still wouldn't give a shit because I will never ever see his awards show as being legitimate and nothing more than a sales and marketing show. And for the record, despite being the Xbox guy, I 100% want Astro Bot to win for one simple reason - the game is excellent and all that but it needs the praise and recognition way more than any and all of those other games combined. Plus, I want a sequel so it winning increases the chances of that happening which granted, should happen regardless but you never know.
