WEBVTT 00:00:00.540 --> 00:00:01.484 Welcome to Prankers. 00:00:01.484 --> 00:00:05.606 Today I'm gonna prank my dad into funding a God of War Game-as-a-Service. 00:00:11.122 --> 00:00:14.344 KYLE: This week, we were graced and inconvenienced 00:00:14.344 --> 00:00:17.901 by a brand-new Xbox Developer Direct. 00:00:17.901 --> 00:00:19.804 Last year I thought it was funny 00:00:19.804 --> 00:00:23.470 that they used the exact same opening song 2 years in a row. 00:00:23.470 --> 00:00:25.355 [bright music] 00:00:25.355 --> 00:00:29.238 Now, this year it would be silly to assume they'd try anything new. 00:00:29.238 --> 00:00:30.858 It's copy and paste at this point. 00:00:30.858 --> 00:00:37.763 [same bright music] 00:00:37.763 --> 00:00:44.650 Why that's weird is that Xbox's whole business has changed dramatically since January of 2023 00:00:44.650 --> 00:00:46.061 and so has its marketing. 00:00:46.061 --> 00:00:50.627 But for some reason, the Developer Direct remains unchanged. 00:00:50.627 --> 00:00:54.292 Someone at Microsoft likes these exactly the way they are. 00:00:54.292 --> 00:00:55.078 But you know what? 00:00:55.078 --> 00:00:58.694 That makes the small ways in which they are different stand out even more. 00:00:58.694 --> 00:00:59.670 Here are: 00:01:03.009 --> 00:01:03.594 Firstly: 00:01:05.865 --> 00:01:08.953 For some reason, there was a brand-new warning 00:01:08.953 --> 00:01:11.367 at the beginning of this year's presentation. 00:01:16.418 --> 00:01:18.313 I'm not sure that would stand out to anyone, right? 00:01:18.313 --> 00:01:22.830 That doesn't seem unusual. But Xbox has never done that before. 00:01:22.830 --> 00:01:24.757 Even looking at their most recent game showcase, 00:01:24.757 --> 00:01:27.398 all they had was this Mature Content warning. 00:01:27.398 --> 00:01:30.386 But the Developer Direct warning doesn't stop there. 00:01:30.386 --> 00:01:33.442 Turns out, it's not really a warning. 00:01:33.442 --> 00:01:33.876 It says: 00:01:37.090 --> 00:01:40.304 Oh, got it! So this is just commercial time. 00:01:40.304 --> 00:01:45.297 Back when Xbox deleted day-one benefits from the regular Game Pass tier, 00:01:45.297 --> 00:01:48.727 I was making light of the fact they couldn't say their favorite phrase anymore, 00:01:48.727 --> 00:01:50.825 "Day 1 with Game Pass." 00:01:50.825 --> 00:01:54.197 Look, Game Pass Ultimate is the one that has Day 1 games. 00:01:54.197 --> 00:01:56.518 Core and Standard do not. 00:01:56.518 --> 00:02:00.617 How silly of you to think Standard Game Pass would have Day 1. 00:02:00.617 --> 00:02:04.207 But they just keep saying it. Nothing's actually changed. 00:02:04.207 --> 00:02:07.940 You gotta read between the lines. PC and Ultimate is implied here. 00:02:07.940 --> 00:02:09.049 [HONK] You know what, 00:02:09.049 --> 00:02:10.328 you'll figure it out when you get to the website. 00:02:10.328 --> 00:02:12.364 The good news warning continues: 00:02:23.359 --> 00:02:26.491 It sits in the same portion of a presentation 00:02:26.491 --> 00:02:29.780 where you would typically have some sort of disclaimer. 00:02:29.780 --> 00:02:33.505 However, at this point, it is purely commercial speech. 00:02:33.505 --> 00:02:37.702 And this, to me, IS Xbox right now. 00:02:37.702 --> 00:02:41.835 This is the current mission statement of the Xbox brand. 00:02:41.835 --> 00:02:43.230 Finally: 00:02:44.815 --> 00:02:45.568 appears and then a silly little animation for it. 00:02:45.568 --> 00:02:51.312 And that's really what they give you. They give you a little show. 00:02:51.312 --> 00:02:55.968 Less than ever, this feels like developers directly talking to you 00:02:55.968 --> 00:02:59.762 and more like they're just putting on a little play for us 00:02:59.762 --> 00:03:03.818 that was written by their PR managers who are grinding their teeth backstage. 00:03:03.818 --> 00:03:05.029 Consider this moment here. 00:03:05.029 --> 00:03:07.475 MARTY STRATTON: --at our most ambitious game yet. 00:03:07.475 --> 00:03:10.657 This is Doom: The Dark Ages. 00:03:10.657 --> 00:03:12.360 HUGO MARTIN: That was so stupid I mouthed the words. 00:03:12.360 --> 00:03:15.424 [everyone laughs] 00:03:15.424 --> 00:03:19.589 KYLE: I think that's a fun, honest, humorous moment. 00:03:19.589 --> 00:03:23.189 However, it is only funny, it can only exist, 00:03:23.189 --> 00:03:27.279 'cause everything up to that point WAS rehearsed, WAS scripted. 00:03:27.279 --> 00:03:30.251 It's funny because of how weird everything else feels. 00:03:30.251 --> 00:03:31.429 This could be filled with developers 00:03:31.429 --> 00:03:34.368 genuinely talking off-the-cuff about what they've been working on, 00:03:34.368 --> 00:03:37.431 but for the most part, it's fluffy, meaningless mission statements. 00:03:37.431 --> 00:03:41.346 JASMIN ROY: At Compulsion Games, we love to craft around central themes. 00:03:41.346 --> 00:03:46.640 Another big difference between Developer Directs in previous years is: 00:03:48.367 --> 00:03:56.251 The very indignity of seeing PS5 advertised in an Xbox showcase. 00:03:56.251 --> 00:03:59.948 Now, one might think, "Obviously in previous years 00:03:59.948 --> 00:04:02.796 they were all Xbox exclusives. There was no opportunity to put PS5 in here." 00:04:02.796 --> 00:04:05.893 But no, look at Visions of Mana and Minecraft Legends here, 00:04:05.893 --> 00:04:08.707 free from the blight of PlayStation references. 00:04:08.707 --> 00:04:12.097 By the way, they only did these funny doodles Year 1. 00:04:12.097 --> 00:04:14.608 They stopped that immediately. 00:04:14.608 --> 00:04:17.715 But yeah, even as recently as last year's Xbox Showcase, 00:04:17.715 --> 00:04:19.693 they didn't mention the PS5. 00:04:19.693 --> 00:04:21.580 But why would you? You don't do that kind of thing. 00:04:21.580 --> 00:04:23.976 Nintendo doesn't do that. Sony doesn't do that. 00:04:23.976 --> 00:04:27.239 You don't talk about-- You don't advertise other people's consoles. 00:04:27.239 --> 00:04:28.751 That's ridiculous. 00:04:28.751 --> 00:04:31.115 [drawl] Well, lookee here. 00:04:31.115 --> 00:04:33.769 While this may not seem like a big deal at first glance, 00:04:33.769 --> 00:04:37.643 it is the indubitable flag representing the pivot. 00:04:37.643 --> 00:04:42.803 "From this day forth," says Xbox, "We do not fear the PS5. 00:04:42.803 --> 00:04:43.496 'Cause remember: 00:04:44.389 --> 00:04:54.167 So really, if you buy this on PS5, you're only hurting yourself. 00:04:54.167 --> 00:04:57.187 Really, it's kinda stupid if you don't give us $20 a month. 00:04:57.187 --> 00:04:59.777 Kinda just wasting your income. 00:04:59.777 --> 00:05:01.697 Kinda think you're bad at economics." 00:05:01.697 --> 00:05:04.018 Last big change, for the first time in one of these: 00:05:06.899 --> 00:05:09.443 Remember, the beauty of a Developer Direct 00:05:09.443 --> 00:05:13.852 is that there are no manipulative, hotshot trailers, 00:05:13.852 --> 00:05:16.357 no fancy editing. Give me sloppy editing. 00:05:16.357 --> 00:05:17.392 HAZEL'S MOM: As long as you didn't forget the-- 00:05:17.392 --> 00:05:19.195 HAZEL: --flashlights and batteries. 00:05:19.195 --> 00:05:21.133 HAZEL'S MOM: Oh shoot, we've got 5 minutes. 00:05:21.133 --> 00:05:23.202 KYLE: Yeah, that hits the spot. And you know what else? 00:05:23.202 --> 00:05:25.599 I like it when developers are talking, 00:05:25.599 --> 00:05:27.962 not reading off of some teleprompter somewhere. 00:05:27.962 --> 00:05:32.063 STRATTON: A lot has changed since then but our team is as passionate as ever. 00:05:32.063 --> 00:05:35.669 KYLE: That's what I'm talkin' about. Trailers are for other shows. 00:05:35.669 --> 00:05:39.032 Developer Directs, 50 minutes of authenticity. 00:05:39.032 --> 00:05:42.648 But really, the most exciting portion of this Developer Direct 00:05:42.648 --> 00:05:46.339 was not just the revelation that a pretty nice Ninja Gaiden 4 00:05:46.339 --> 00:05:49.753 is in development from Team Ninja and Platinum Games, 00:05:49.753 --> 00:05:55.212 but also that Ninja Gaiden 2 Black exists and it looks better than this new game. 00:05:55.212 --> 00:05:56.807 And you can: 00:06:01.533 --> 00:06:05.100 Kind of confusing sentence. I see now why they're typing out PS5. 00:06:05.100 --> 00:06:08.930 But what I mean to say is, after all this, I do wonder if 00:06:08.930 --> 00:06:15.318 the tried and true Nintendo Direct method of trailer, explanation, information 00:06:15.318 --> 00:06:18.073 is still the best way to do this kind of thing. 00:06:18.073 --> 00:06:21.204 Look at how they introduced Expedition 33. 00:06:21.204 --> 00:06:32.249 [somber piano plays] 00:06:32.249 --> 00:06:38.729 [French singing] 00:06:38.729 --> 00:06:39.856 GUILLAUME BROCHE: Bonjour, everyone. 00:06:39.856 --> 00:06:42.485 KYLE: Yeah, they were in no rush to show you that video game. 00:06:42.485 --> 00:06:44.847 First things first, look at these tall ceilings. 00:06:44.847 --> 00:06:46.810 To be clear, though, I do think Expedition 33 00:06:46.810 --> 00:06:49.422 brought the best presentation of the entire direct, 00:06:49.422 --> 00:06:54.021 demonstrating clearly how it's both similar and different to your expectations, 00:06:54.021 --> 00:06:58.031 unafraid to expose its pointlessly complicated passive effect system, 00:06:58.031 --> 00:07:01.428 and a true enthusiasm to introduce the world map. 00:07:01.428 --> 00:07:04.026 Okay, almost true enthusiasm. 00:07:04.026 --> 00:07:08.442 Try to tell me when this developer reiterates that there's a world map, 00:07:08.442 --> 00:07:10.546 that it comes off as unscripted. 00:07:10.546 --> 00:07:13.769 TOM GUILLERMAN: --a completely 3D and navigatable world map. 00:07:13.769 --> 00:07:15.187 Yes, we've got a world map. 00:07:15.187 --> 00:07:19.437 KYLE: To me, it's just incredibly off-putting how seemingly afraid they are 00:07:19.437 --> 00:07:25.156 to just let developers speak freely in a potentially sub-optimal manner. 00:07:25.156 --> 00:07:29.455 "What if it's not entertaining enough? We could lose viewers." 00:07:29.455 --> 00:07:33.121 But, in fairness, they never promised a documentary. 00:07:33.121 --> 00:07:37.104 In fact, I wonder if that WAS a warning. 00:07:37.104 --> 00:07:43.190 MENACING VOICE: Enjoy the show. 00:07:43.190 --> 00:07:45.795 KYLE: Despite that, despite the abundant artifice, 00:07:45.795 --> 00:07:53.323 I do think Developer Directs are one of the most interesting ways to present a showcase. 00:07:53.323 --> 00:07:57.016 That they really-- They spend a lot of time on the games themselves. 00:07:57.016 --> 00:07:59.637 50 minutes for 4 games is actually pretty crazy. 00:07:59.637 --> 00:08:03.111 And I really, really like that someone at Xbox recognizes 00:08:03.111 --> 00:08:07.460 that some of these mid-budget games are truly interesting 00:08:07.460 --> 00:08:09.649 and deserve the full spotlight. 00:08:09.649 --> 00:08:12.487 I don't think it was a better presentation than last year's 00:08:12.487 --> 00:08:15.141 but I'm going to give it a better grade 00:08:15.141 --> 00:08:19.164 because my expectations are just generally sinking across the board. 00:08:19.164 --> 00:08:20.183 Therefore: 00:08:21.270 --> 00:08:23.799 And that's Delayed Input. I'll be back next week. 00:08:23.799 --> 00:08:24.867 Thanks for watching. 00:08:34.911 --> 00:08:37.918 Alright, so one of the things that actually stands out to me the most 00:08:37.918 --> 00:08:39.203 from the entire presentation 00:08:39.203 --> 00:08:45.122 is how soft and silly the new Doom looks. 00:08:45.122 --> 00:08:49.614 That's right, I'm officially putting Doom: The Dark Ages 00:08:49.614 --> 00:08:50.675 on Dum-Dum Watch. 00:08:51.750 --> 00:08:56.752 Doom is dangerously close to transitioning from 00:08:56.752 --> 00:09:02.354 this absolutely unassailable, cool guy franchise to 00:09:02.354 --> 00:09:07.223 an absolute dorkfest, at least how it's presented. 00:09:07.223 --> 00:09:11.337 Doom somehow became some sort of Do What the Circle Tells You To Do game. 00:09:11.337 --> 00:09:15.353 Hit an enemy until a purple circle appears and then walk over and kill it. 00:09:15.353 --> 00:09:18.711 It's made clear, just looking at it, that the Doom team 00:09:18.711 --> 00:09:25.789 is trying to take this franchise in a more wide market direction. 00:09:25.789 --> 00:09:27.259 And they'll even tell you that. 00:09:27.259 --> 00:09:29.639 STRATTON: So in 2016, we asked you to run and gun. 00:09:29.639 --> 00:09:32.052 In Doom Eternal it was jump and shoot. 00:09:32.052 --> 00:09:36.470 And in Doom: The Dark Ages you're gonna stand and fight. 00:09:36.470 --> 00:09:38.772 KYLE: And remember, that's the pre-approved PR. 00:09:38.772 --> 00:09:40.876 They're proud of that. And what's-- 00:09:40.876 --> 00:09:44.175 What's so funny about it, to me, is that "stand and fight" 00:09:44.175 --> 00:09:47.389 is the least interesting option of those 3 things. 00:09:47.389 --> 00:09:50.301 And it's not like we weren't fighting before. 00:09:50.301 --> 00:09:54.710 And the accompanying clip that demonstrates this is indeed boring. 00:09:54.710 --> 00:09:56.823 Looks like the player's just pressing the buttons 00:09:56.823 --> 00:09:59.920 that game is explicitly asking them to press. 00:09:59.920 --> 00:10:01.698 I'm not even sure you have to aim. 00:10:01.698 --> 00:10:05.290 Look at this example of one of their big, new, expansive levels. 00:10:05.290 --> 00:10:09.194 It's so weird to me. It's so weird that the demons are just organized. 00:10:09.194 --> 00:10:12.075 They're just lined up waiting for you to come kill them. 00:10:12.075 --> 00:10:13.845 Look at these 5 shield guys. 00:10:13.845 --> 00:10:17.343 I guess that should be an intimidating obstacle. 00:10:17.343 --> 00:10:20.584 Ideally, you'd look at 5 shield guys and you think, 00:10:20.584 --> 00:10:23.508 "Oh, okay. How am I gonna flank them? 00:10:23.508 --> 00:10:26.159 I gotta figure out what angle to hit this from." 00:10:26.159 --> 00:10:30.060 When, no, we all know you're gonna hit 'em with the shield and they all die in one hit. 00:10:30.060 --> 00:10:31.954 I don't care how much you jack up the speed. 00:10:31.954 --> 00:10:34.101 It's gonna look stupid at any difficulty. 00:10:34.101 --> 00:10:38.935 And again, stupid is not necessarily bad. I've been known to enjoy some stupid games. 00:10:38.935 --> 00:10:42.082 But Doom presents itself as cool. 00:10:42.082 --> 00:10:44.403 Let me ask you something: Do you buy this? 00:10:44.403 --> 00:10:46.865 Do you believe those buildings have occupants in them? 00:10:46.865 --> 00:10:50.656 Do you feel huge? You feel like you're a big robot? 00:10:50.656 --> 00:10:54.078 'Cause to me, it looks airy. It looks weightless. 00:10:54.078 --> 00:10:59.832 Epic on paper, cartoonish in practice. "Oh good, another purple circle." 00:10:59.832 --> 00:11:04.015 And look, I know I'm just basing this off of the presentation I watched today, 00:11:04.015 --> 00:11:05.842 which was made for a mass market. 00:11:05.842 --> 00:11:12.331 I'm not saying for certain the game will be dumb and silly and Disney XD-level drama. 00:11:12.331 --> 00:11:13.340 But 00:11:13.340 --> 00:11:15.946 it is officially on Dum-Dum Watch. 00:11:18.066 --> 00:11:20.311 STRATTON: And if that wasn't enough, we also have for you 00:11:20.311 --> 00:11:24.378 your very own fire-breathing, gatling gun-toting cybernetic dragon.