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[Jez Corden] Hotly anticipated 'Black Myth: Wukong' is delayed on Xbox for 'optimizations' — and now, Microsoft has responded

DenchDeckard

Moderated wildly
Hard for me to feel sorry for Microsoft here either way when they’ve done third party deals in the past (and currently) with actual established third party franchises.

What third party deals have happened when a game is announced for Playstation and then MS strike a deal to stop it coming out on that platform?

I am not saying that is whats happened here as we don't know, but if it is then its shady as fuck.
 

Loomy

Thinks Microaggressions are Real
Let me see if I get this straight.
  • Ryan McCaffrey puts out a since deleted tweet accusing Sony or "money-hatting" Black Myth: Wukong - starting a rumour that Sony made an exclusivity deal.
  • Jez then picks up the ball, carries it further in a full article where he reaches out to Microsoft asking if the delay was for optimization or because of an exclusive deal
  • Microsoft responds with a statement that addresses the rumours of a deal, but does so in a way that makes it sound like there is a deal
  • All this while Game Science has said it's planning on bringing the game to Xbox, but has delayed it to bring it up to their standards
  • Jez dedicates half the article to the possibility of a deal?
Every timed exclusivity deal that Sony has made the last 2 generations have had a time frame associated with it. Doesn't mean the Xbox/PC version would be out right at the end, but they at least said how long the deal was for. If there was indeed an exclusivity deal here, why would Game Science even bother mentioning an Xbox version they're optimizing?
 

Stafford

Member
I saw some folks on twitter saying Sony wouldn't scream it off the rooftops, since the game had been confirmed as multiplatform and this would be a bad look. Sure. But I have my doubts about that.

This shit is tiresome and I just hope we get some actual clarity soon. And whatever tf the reason is, I hope as a Xbox player I won't have to wait for much longer than February, tops. As that "insider" claimed.
 

Dick Jones

Gold Member
Calling out one of the few developers wanting to release on your platform is a "career moment" that I can't see backfiring.

With timed exclusives, you tend not to hear about other versions. Here the devs stated they have issues with the Series S and can't make it for release. It's the same boat as Baldur's Gate 3.
 

Gaelyon

Member
Wukong has been announced for both Xbox and PS as well as PC. Then Xbox version has been postponed.
Now MS is using a rumor of a Sony deal to justify the Xbox delay.
It's PR BS as usual. Delay is Xbox serie S low spec problem all again. They can't release Xbox series X without series S because parity, so, again, while they optimize their game for the low spec console there's a delay.
No secret deal that poor MS must endure, just their stupid bet on a low spec console this gen causing issue.
 
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Stafford

Member
Pretty much. I'm not even suggesting that no deal exists. Very well could. But they are calling out one of their "partners" for lying here as this doesn't jive with what Game Science said at all.

End of the day they are all guilty of it. No matter who does it I will always see it as annoying as fuck and yeah, sadly it's also just business.

The person that gave info about the game and also a demo, seemingly a "insider" said that the Xbox version is planned between end of this year-February next year. That would be doable for me, since so much other promising stuff is coming.


One thing though, Sony has been marketing Wukong quite significantly since SGF. So, who knows.
 
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Topher

Identifies as young
Calling out one of the few developers wanting to release on your platform is a "career moment" that I can't see backfiring.

With timed exclusives, you tend not to hear about other versions. Here the devs stated they have issues with the Series S and can't make it for release. It's the same boat as Baldur's Gate 3.

The devs just said the Xbox version needed optimization. They didn't reference Series S.

iZ8EMBF.png
 
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I refuse to believe that’s an official statement from Microsoft PR meant for the public. Jez has already admitted that he's a shitty journalist and that totally reads as an off the record remark about the situation.
 
So either better support from Sony or Series S as a problem? Pick your poison. I don't think that Sony moneyhatted the game, because they would have told us so if they did. But maybe that like Callisto protocol they decided to help them?
 

MarkMe2525

Gold Member
It could be both. These things are not mutually exclusive. A deal can delay a release and that extra time can be used for further optimizations. History would suggest that much of the developers investment has been towards the dominant platform and now they are scrambling to polish up the Series versions, but that is just my speculation. We really have no way of knowing what's going on, so it would be silly to point fingers.

Edit: looking through the comments, I forgot how "silly" gaf can be 😁
 
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Jaybe

Member
Last year, Xbox missed out on the GOTY Baldur’s Gate 3’s console launch, and this year same story with Wukong, which will probably be a top 10 selling game globally, all due to the Series S.
 
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Black Myth: Wukong for Xbox Series X|S seems to be a myth of its own, at least for now.






Microsoft's statement....

DHg8S5S.png




So somebody is lying. Is the game not coming to XS at launch due to "optimization" or due to a deal with "other platform holders"?

Peter Defazio GIF by GIPHY News

Actually if you read it carefully no one could be lying. MS is just saying they can't comment on deals made by their partners. They aren't saying there is one simply that they can't comment on deals with their partners.
 
Didn't we go through the same thing with Baldur's gate 3 at first? It's always easier to blame someone else rather than admit it's a problem of your own.

Yea MS threw Larian under the bus and blamed them for improperly managing their time. Phil also said they wont be dropping the parity clause. The next day parity clause was dropped and the game got a release date.
 
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adamsapple

Or is it just one of Phil's balls in my throat?
You could have looked at Baldur's Gate 3 and said the same thing.

You're not a developer though so you have no idea about what does and doesn't become an issue when creating a piece of software for multiple configurations.

Well, yes, because it's nothing in the games content itself that was the problem there. The problem was the split-screen co-op, and once they removed that mandatory requirement, the game worked fine with the usual cut-backs you'd expect from a Series S Sku.

Digital Foundry called the Series S version a "Qualified Success", even.

If the problem is the game having things like Lumen in the UE5 pipeline that will be a bigger issue, we've seen examples of smaller games like Talos Principle where the Series S version removes the Lumen lighting and the game works fine there.
 
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Topher

Identifies as young
Actually if you read it carefully no one could be lying. MS is just saying they can't comment on deals made by their partners. They aren't saying there is one simply that they can't comment on deals with their partners.

Nah....MS knew what they were doing. They could have easily said "we are not going to comment on rumors", but instead they highlighted this particular rumor in such as way that suggests a deal exists. This statement is blowing up on twitter and other news outlets right now.
 

ProtoByte

Weeb Underling
Didn't we do this exact dance with Baldur's Gate 3?

It's the S people. Get over it. Had Sony signed any type of exclusivity deal, they'd have marketed the game (it has yet to show up at a single SoP or Showcase) and the Xbox version wouldn't even be announced.

This game doesn't even look or sound good enough to inspire this salt.
 
Nah....MS knew what they were doing. They could have easily said "we are not going to comment on rumors", but instead they highlighted this particular rumor in such as way that suggests a deal exists. This statement is blowing up on twitter and other news outlets right now.

Oh MS 100% knows what they are doing. They said that to mislead people because they will never ever blame the series S. They refuse to let that be a talking point and will blame anyone and everyone else before they do that. I was shocked when they threw Larian under the bus the way they did. I would have been irate if I was Larian.
 

Stafford

Member
The devs just said the Xbox version needed optimization. They didn't reference Series S.

iZ8EMBF.png

I don't know how game development works, but it could indeed very well be that the Xbox version just isn't ready. Folks love to blame S, but what if that's not the case and it's just both? Plus the fact is, not a ton of people will buy it for Xbox and I think the studio knows this too. PS5 and PC being priority.
 

Topher

Identifies as young
I don't know how game development works, but it could indeed very well be that the Xbox version just isn't ready. Folks love to blame S, but what if that's not the case and it's just both? Plus the fact is, not a ton of people will buy it for Xbox and I think the studio knows this too. PS5 and PC being priority.

It is obviously speculation, but I don't think it is that far-fetched to suggest XSS is the problem child again. Since the beginning of the generation, developers have been highlighting the split memory problems that exist in XSS. Very well could be that as games are advancing into the gen, this is becoming more of a problem. However, there is really no way to know that unless the dev comes out and specfically says so. I have a hard time believing Xbox Series X is presenting any challenges.
 
I highly doubt there’s a deal (could be wrong). I feel like there is no reason for a deal with Sony, this “independent Chinese” developer would want their game every where, to get the recognition they would deserve if this game takes off.

If there is a deal… China must have some kind of Stockholm Syndrome going on then lol
I kid ….. but really
 
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Let me see if I get this straight.
  • Ryan McCaffrey puts out a since deleted tweet accusing Sony or "money-hatting" Black Myth: Wukong - starting a rumour that Sony made an exclusivity deal.
  • Jez then picks up the ball, carries it further in a full article where he reaches out to Microsoft asking if the delay was for optimization or because of an exclusive deal
  • Microsoft responds with a statement that addresses the rumours of a deal, but does so in a way that makes it sound like there is a deal
  • All this while Game Science has said it's planning on bringing the game to Xbox, but has delayed it to bring it up to their standards
  • Jez dedicates half the article to the possibility of a deal?
Every timed exclusivity deal that Sony has made the last 2 generations have had a time frame associated with it. Doesn't mean the Xbox/PC version would be out right at the end, but they at least said how long the deal was for. If there was indeed an exclusivity deal here, why would Game Science even bother mentioning an Xbox version they're optimizing?
there is a point before:

Phil Spencer saying "Slimy Platform things". It´s like they are executing a script or something.
 

onQ123

Member
I think you've misread it.

The "we cannot comment on it" is just a response to the twitter FUD from some accounts that the game was moneyhatted as a Sony exclusive, as in we don't comment on rumors and innuendos.

At least that's what it reads like to me.
That's how I read it . ( But that's also a problem with Xbox interacting with people they shouldn't even acknowledge)
 
I highly doubt there’s a deal (could be wrong). I feel like there is no reason for a deal with Sony, this “independent Chinese” developer would want their game every where, to get the recognition they would deserve if this game takes off.

If there is a deal… China must Stockholm Syndrome going on then lol
I kid ….. but really
the only "deal" i can see is for the physical version
 

fallingdove

Member
Series S is the top developer of PlayStation exclusives 2 years running. 🙂

I don’t know how Sony got so lucky with the 3rd party gap fillers that have had recently. I really hope they have something to show at the PS5 Pro reveal.
 
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