HI-Fi Rush might be the biggest surprise of 2023 so far, with the Xbox console exclusive game getting announced and released on the same day to great fanfare thanks to its unique gameplay mechanics and punchy art style. A little over 1 month after its release the game has reached …
Read More »FTC judge rules Sony must give Microsoft access to PlayStation business documents
Unless you've been living under a rock, you've probably heard that the FTC is suing to block Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard. As part of the preparation for trial, Microsoft issued a subpoena to Sony, requesting a number of business-related documents. As expected, Sony fought back on this, but a …
Read More »Sifu is finally heading to Steam and Xbox
Sifu was without a doubt one of the best indie games of 2022, but due to platform exclusivity deals, there are still millions of gamers who have yet to try the game. That may finally change soon, as Sifu is set to finally hit Xbox consoles and Steam on PC. …
Read More »IO Interactive unveils upcoming fantasy game
IO Interactive has been independent for a few years now and is rapidly expanding to take on additional projects. We know that a James Bond game is in the works, but IO also has a new studio set up in Barcelona working on a secret project – a new fantasy …
Read More »Paradox teams up with Xbox for new game showcase
Out of nowhere, Paradox Interactive has announced its next game showcase and interestingly, the publisher is teaming up with Xbox for the occasion. This likely indicates a bigger partnership at play, likely to bring more Paradox titles to Xbox Game Pass. In the event, Colossal Order (Cities: Skylines), Harebrained Schemes …
Read More »Starfield showcase announcement ‘imminent’
The last we heard, Starfield is still heading out in the first half of this year, but Bethesda has yet to put an official date on it. Sources claimed a few weeks ago that the game is now ‘fully playable' from start to finish, with the team primarily focusing on …
Read More »Baldur’s Gate 3 is in development for Xbox but ‘technical issues’ are getting in the way
Last week, Larian Studios found itself in a spot of controversy after announcing Baldur's Gate 3 for PS5 and skipping over other platforms. Pretty quickly, Larian co-founder, Swen Vincke, stated that there was no exclusivity deal in place, and now, the studio has explained its position further. Baldur's Gate 3 …
Read More »Larian founder hints that Baldur’s Gate 3 will release on Xbox too
Last night during Sony's State of Play stream, Larian Studios made a surprise appearance with a new trailer for Baldur's Gate 3, confirming that the game will release on PlayStation later this year. While no Xbox version has been confirmed yet, Larian founder, Swen Vincke, seems to be hinting that …
Read More »Atomic Heart and Blood Bowl 3 headline new GeForce Now library update
This week has already been pretty big for GeForce Now, with Nvidia and Microsoft entering an agreement to bring all Xbox PC games over to the service. It'll be a while before the Xbox library migrates over, but for now, there are six new games joining the service, including the …
Read More »Xbox Game Pass Friends and Family plan is now available in six more countries
The Xbox Game Pass Friends and Family plan is slowly rolling out to additional countries. Up to recently, the plan was only available in Ireland and Colombia, limiting its benefits to a small population of users. Fortunately, things are changing, as Microsoft has expanded availability to six more countries. From …
Read More »Microsoft says PlayStation holds 80% market share in Europe
Microsoft sat down with the European Commission once again this week to further argue its case for the Activision Blizzard acquisition. In a press briefing after the meeting, Microsoft laid out its case, revealing Sony's dominant position in the European console market. At the briefing, Microsoft President, Brad Smith, produced …
Read More »Microsoft isn’t interested in acquiring Activision without Call of Duty
Yesterday, Microsoft had a meeting with the European Commission to further discuss the Activision Blizzard acquisition. Shortly after, Microsoft held its own press briefing to answer a few questions about the deal and the ongoing process. During this, Microsoft President, Brad Smith, was asked if the company would be open …
Read More »Microsoft teams up with Nvidia to bring Xbox games to GeForce Now
While Call of Duty has been a big part of the discussion around Microsoft's planned acquisition of Activision Blizzard, regulators have also expressed concern regarding the cloud market. To help with that, Microsoft has now entered an agreement with Nvidia to bring all of its Xbox PC games to GeForce Now.
Read More »Forza Horizon 5 passes 28 million players
The Forza Horizon sub-franchise has been going from strength to strength – with the spin-off series in many ways surpassing the mainline Forza entries. In a little over one year since its launch, Forza Horizon 5 has now amassed over 28 million players. As reported by the Xbox-focused Twitter page …
Read More »Atomic Heart, Soul Hackers 2 and Wo Long headline new Xbox Game Pass update
The next batch of titles for Xbox Game Pass has now been revealed. As previous rumours indicated, Atlus RPG, Soul Hackers 2, will be joining the library, following on from the addition of several Persona games in recent months. Soul Hackers 2 launched in August last year to decent reviews, …
Read More »Microsoft enters 10-year deal to bring Call of Duty to Nintendo consoles
As Call of Duty has become the focal point for regulators scrutinising Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard, the company decided to put all of its cards on the table, promising to keep the series multi-platform and even sending out 10-year agreements to Sony, Nintendo and even Valve to ensure the …
Read More »Valheim is coming to Xbox next month
Valheim launched in Early Access on the 2nd of February 2021 to almost immediate success, selling 2 million copies in under two weeks and going on to surpass 10 million copies by July of last year. Following its success on PC, the sandbox survival game is soon set to come …
Read More »Publisher ‘No More Robots’ will bring all future titles to Xbox Game Pass
The current generation of gaming has seen Microsoft shift its strategy to focusing on Xbox Game Pass – the console manufacturer’s game subscription service. The service itself has had its diehard supporters, while others have criticised its effects on the industry. In the wake of this small controversy, one publisher …
Read More »Microsoft to make ‘last-ditch’ effort to gain EU approval of Activision Blizzard deal
It is no secret that Microsoft's planned acquisition of Activision Blizzard is on shaky ground, with regulators seemingly wholeheartedly buying into Sony's objections to the deal, while also having concerns about the future of the cloud gaming market. According to a report this week, Microsoft is now preparing its ‘last-ditch' …
Read More »New Xbox update includes ‘carbon aware’ game downloads
In late 2022, Microsoft began working on a new power saving mode for Xbox consoles, allowing for “carbon aware” game downloads and updates. The new power saving mode has been tested in the Xbox Insider program for a while and today, it is rolling out to all users. This month's …
Read More »Microsoft clarifies Game Pass business model following recent reports
Documents from the CMA's investigation into the Microsoft-Activision merger have been made public for a while and plenty have found interesting details within them. Most recently, a line in one of the documents shows Microsoft confirming that titles on Game Pass do lose a non-disclosed percentage of sales while on …
Read More »Microsoft confirms that Xbox Game Pass negatively affects sales
When Xbox Game Pass was first introduced, many interested parties showed concern for the health of the video games industry, fearing that offering such a subscription service would cannibalise sales. At the time, the company claimed the opposite – though we now know that titles coming to Game Pass statistically …
Read More »ATLUS RPG Soul Hackers 2 reportedly coming to Xbox Game Pass
ATLUS has had a strong relationship with Microsoft in recent years, with the Xbox console seeing some of the developer’s biggest titles (i.e. Persona) brought to it. Likewise, many ATLUS games have found their way onto Xbox Game Pass – the console manufacturer’s game subscription service. Following the inclusion of …
Read More »Kotick will ‘absolutely remain’ CEO if Microsoft-Activision merger fails
Activision Blizzard found itself in a pit of controversy two years ago, with anger against leadership and CEO, Bobby Kotick, leading to lawsuits and employee walkouts. Many who support Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard are hoping to see new leadership at the publisher, but if the acquisition fails, it looks …
Read More »23-hour long documentary on the development of Psychonauts 2 released
In recent years we have seen a greater effort by both studios and publishers to document the development process for a wide variety of games. One studio familiar with such documentaries is Double Fine Productions – having now released a massive 32-part documentary on the development for Psychonauts 2. Back …
Read More »Team Ninja reveals Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty PC system requirements and console modes
Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty made a big impression with its reveal in 2021. Now, Team Ninja's latest action RPG is nearing launch and the game's PC system requirements have been revealed, alongside performance modes for consoles. Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty is launching for Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5 …
Read More »The UK CMA opposes Microsoft’s ActiBlizz acquisition, proposes remedies
As anticipated, the UK's Competition & Markets Authority (CMA) has confirmed that it believes Microsoft's proposed acquisition of Activision Blizzard would harm the UK market. The CMA confirmed its concerns in documents released today, but it has also sent a list of potential remedies to Microsoft. The CMA has concluded …
Read More »Atomic Heart headlines February Xbox Game Pass update
The next wave of titles for Xbox Game Pass have been announced. Over the next couple of weeks, a number of key titles will join the library, including the likes of Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord, Atomic Heart and Shadow Warrior 3. EA Play, which is available as part of …
Read More »CrossfireX is shutting down for good
Last week, it was revealed that Xbox console-exclusive shooter, CrossfireX, would be leaving Game Pass this month. At the time we thought that perhaps the exclusivity deal had run its course and that the game may now head to other platforms. However, as it turns out, publisher Smilegate is pulling …
Read More »Xbox API updates hint at imminent launch for Ubisoft+ on console
At some point last year, Ubisoft began working towards bringing its Ubisoft+ subscription service over to consoles. In the meantime, Ubisoft has been bringing a bunch of games over to PS+ and Xbox Game Pass alike, but soon, the full service should be available on Xbox consoles. As spotted by …
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