After Two Recent Shaky Launches, Is the Xbox in Trouble?

It’s a song gamers sing whenever any turbulence emerges for a big-time publisher. “Is the Xbox doomed now?” So, let’s run up the score on two recent Xbox releases. First, STALKER 2. For what it’s worth? Waypoint loved it! However, Shaun’s pumped-up experience unfortunately didn’t translate to what would end up being the critical consensus. Ultimately, the overall STALKER 2 experience transcended any bugs or glitches he experienced. For other reviewers? It was wholly unacceptable.

As of this writing, Xbox’s STALKER 2 has a 77% aggregate score on OpenCritic (though that could shift as more reviews roll in). Admittedly, that’s not a terrible score at all! However, for all the anticipation and build-up? Some players believe anything below 85% is garbage. All in all, STALKER 2 is doing much better than the other flight-based elephant in the room.

The Xbox’s Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 released a day before STALKER 2. To say that its launch has been “rough” would be… generous. Perhaps mercifully, not enough publications reviewed the game for it to be tracked on either Metacritic or OpenCritic. The same can’t be said for Steam, though. As of this writing? Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024, with over 3,000 user reviews, has an Overwhelmingly Negative review consensus. Simply put? That ain’t good.

the xbox will be just fine, y’all

“I enjoyed the short movie about a man an a plane. However, it seemed quite expensive for its length – around one minute. I would wait until the loading screen is on sale before purchase because it does get quite samey after the 70th loop,” Steam user Pup said of his time with the game.

“Update: They have improved the initial movie with a power point presentation consisting of two slides. One is about a lot of people trying to see the movie and the other one is about not be allowed to watch the movie.”

The goofs and gaffes are flowing, clearly! However, for those who think that this spells certain death for the Xbox, get real. Perhaps it’s less-than-ideal for Microsoft, sure! But, long-term? They’ve got their eyes on “everything being Xbox.” “Exclusives”? Pfft. Why focus on that when we can keep boosting Game Pass? Admittedly, with many viewing the Xbox as being definitively in third place behind the PlayStation and Switch, maybe these setbacks do nothing but affirm the Xbox’s third-party future. Perhaps Anthony was right when he posited that Xbox should pull a Sega and focus on being a publishing phenom.