Indiana Jones and the Great Circle picks up a year after Raiders of the Lost Ark as Dr. Jones is roused from his slumber by the sounds of a break-in at Marshall College. Though he catches the bandit red-handed, he’s no match physically and awakens shortly after to piece together the mystery of what was taken and why. All signs point to the Vatican and so, to satiate a need for adventure, Indiana sets off on another globetrotting journey, leaving his problems in his rear view. 

Considering the game’s place in the series canon, I feel The Great Circle does well to bob and weave throughout established story and character arcs to find an earned, snug place it belongs. Even in between dalliances with Marion Ravenwood, the love of Indy’s life, Gina Lombardi is a graceful addition to the lineage of “Jones girls” although it’s her self-reliance and grace through the game’s narrative that makes her such a wonderful character. As with all great adventure films, Indy travels to the far reaches of the world and back again, uncovering The Great Circle. Across the main story’s ten hours, we’re whisked away to Egypt, Siam and the Himalayas in search of truth while finding mostly danger. It’s exciting, full of thrills, and has enough spectacular set pieces to make Nathan Drake at least sit up and take notice. 

The true measure of a story’s hero is its villain, of course, and Indiana Jones has often painted its German opposing forces as equal parts menacing and comical. Emmerich Voss is single-minded and doggedly determined to beat Indy to the punch at all legs of this journey, and he’s a tremendous foil for Dr. Jones’ brain even if he isn’t the most threatening in the brawn department. Just as Baron Zemo relies on guile and cunning to sow unrest within the Avengers, Voss exudes a similar brand of quiet confidence in his calculated plan. 

Adventure is truly the essence of Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, and I do feel freedom to explore and unravel puzzles, ancient and new, is the game’s clear strength. Each of the game’s open zones is littered with a heap of fieldwork and investigative work Indy can complete as he skirts around the periphery of the primary goal—sourcing and keeping the stones that seem to prove the veracity of the titular hypothesis out of Nazi control. I didn’t find too many of the riddles put forth by the game to be too tricky, most solutions are often found in the same room or chamber as the puzzle itself. However, a couple included ciphers and keys that forced me to resort to the old pen and paper, which felt appropriate given Indy’s penchant for antiquities. 

I particularly enjoyed that each open zone’s main adventure is linked intrinsically with a key item that, once bought from the area’s vendor, will have a lasting importance as you continue on your way, chasing fortune and glory around the world. The camera you receive in the Vatican proves useful in snapping curios and people of interest to fill out Indy’s journal and earn “adventure points”, while the lighter and breathing apparatus from subsequent levels are integral for illuminating pitch black tombs and spending long periods underwater respectively. 

There are books throughout the game that, once found, serve as your many skills and buffs. Without a traditional upgrade path or skill tree, your aforementioned adventure points can be used to activate things like Lucky Hat, which is a second wind ability that grants a brief moment in time after being downed to collect your fedora, dust yourself off, and carry on with that trademark Harrison Ford smirk. There are others which prove more useful in the moment-to-moment, such as improved melee power or one that makes whip attacks on unsuspecting Nazis lethal. I do miss Wolfenstein’s approach which had the player meet a predetermined goal, like five stealth kills, for example, to earn the boost. That said, having to earn points through absorbing things of cultural significance is reward enough. 

Aside from the main adventure itself, each of the game’s zones does have a bevy of side content to churn through. Fortunately, if you’re like me and you storm the critical path first, you’re able to return post-credits to mop up all of the quests you missed. These range from broader Fieldwork, which I’d equate to what you’d expect from a side quest with cutscenes and the whole shabang, to Mysteries, which feel more emergent and truncated while serving to scratch that natural itch—not unlike the all-alluring map markers in other open-world titles. 

Where the experience does falter is with the combat itself and the balance the game attempts to strike between snotting Nazis in the nose or hiding from them. 

Stealth, save for a few exceptions, is a completely viable way to navigate The Great Circle, and it works due to easily dupable enemy A.I. Being able to collect so many random items within the map, from bottles right through to stone busts, and either brandish them as a weapon or throw them in an effort to distract guards, makes for a fun, emergent brand of gameplay. Relying on good old-fashioned slap stick pugilism and your whip, which can be used to disarm or trip enemies in combat scenarios, harkens back to the team’s pedigree in both Chronicles of Riddick and The Darkness. The only issue I took is with the bevy of holdable items in the game is that you’re forced to drop them whenever unlocking a door or climbing a rope, and are ultimately forced to leave it behind. This is softened by the fact that things things everywhere, however it’s still a baffling choice. 

THE CHEAPEST PRICE: $109 WITH FREE SHIPPING FROM AMAZON

Fist fights are an up close and personal mix of stamina management, creating space with a well-timed dash, and landing a left-right goodnight to leave your enemy laid out in the Egyptian sands. For how slow combat looked in trailers, it feels pretty good on the sticks—except for when guns are involved. Wolfenstein is one of the better shooters in modern history, and the talent at MachineGames is undeniable. For them to have to put guns aside, for the most part, for thematic reasons is a shame. Still, there’s practically no circumstance in Indiana Jones and the Great Circle where I’d recommend scooping up a fallen submachine gun off of the ground and rattling lead toward the enemy, which is a shame given that the gunplay is tight. 

It’s just that it serves as a warning bell for every enemy within a one kilometre radius, and it’s often never worth it to invite that kind of attention to yourself—especially when, as I say, the A.I. is a little thick and the hand-to-hand works as well as it does. 

From a performance standpoint, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle does run rather well on console. I never noticed any significant dips in the frame rate, and unlike many other blockbuster titles of late, I noted no crashes. The team’s decision to develop the game in first-person, I feel, is justified immediately through the world’s fidelity and how hands-on you’re able to be. Of course, pulling back to see Indy in context-sensitive actions, such as swinging on or climbing with the whip, or in cutscenes is always a joy. It’s like a time machine seeing Harrison Ford looking so young without the aid of Disney’s de-aging sorcery. Having already touched on both the performances of Alessandra Mastronardi and Mario Gavrilis as the story’s co-lead and villain respectively, I must absolutely give Troy Baker his flowers. 

Having been witness to several Troy Baker performances, it’s hard not to hear when a little dash of Troy himself bleeds through. I feel like even for the most established voice actors, it’s hard to hide the self entirely. Troy Baker simply disappears into this role. What’s stunning is that he isn’t just playing as Indiana Jones, he’s playing as Harrison Ford playing as Indy and it’s a performance so nuanced and so studied, it’s going to fool so many who’ll have simply assumed they’d dredged poor Harrison up again. It’s a remarkable individual acting display from Baker, and with awards season cut-offs and the dreaded recency bias working against him, I pray voters remember this one next year. 

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is a sumptuous adventure that hits on so many of the high notes we’ve long hoped for from an Xbox first-party game, especially in terms of narrative and performance. I expect the game’s combat will divide critics, however its excellent crafting of its world, and its many puzzles, should shoulder the burden and deliver fortune and glory for a game that’s made for Indy fans by Indy fans. 

The post Indiana Jones And The Great Circle Review – Uncharted Territory appeared first on Press Start.

Xbox has once again launched its year in review for 2024, and it comes with an entirely new look, a bunch more stats and will tell you all about your year on gaming across PC, Console and Cloud.

The round-up will show you how much time you spent gaming, your most-played games, how high-up the list you were for your gaming stats and also a bunch of relevant stats for the games played as well.

Here’s what is new this year:

• A customized look based on your most-played game.
• A personalized gamer profile just for you, based on the games you love to play! If you’re into epic quests with a sprinkle of magic, you’re a “Knight Owl.” More of a sports champ? You’re a “Real MVP,” always leading the pack.
• Multiplayer fans can see the friends they played with most.
• Dedicated recap sections for Game Pass and Rewards.

How to access your 2024 Xbox Year In Review

You can access the website HERE and then just login with your account details, and then you can choose to either share them online or keep them to yourself.

The post The 2024 Xbox Year In Review Has Arrived To Show You How Many Hours You Spent Gaming appeared first on Press Start.

8BitDo has announced the latest mechanical keyboard in its classics range following the release of the Famicon and Genesis models, and this time, the OG Xbox gets the keyboard/mouse treatment.

Both the keyboard and mouse have that translucent green goodness, and for the first time, they have RGB backlighting to shine through the clear keys. Just like the other models, it also comes with two super buttons (no software needed) which allow you to set hotkeys easily.

There’s also a dedicated integrated Xbox button that not only lights up, but allows you to quickly activate Windows Game Bar and coloured arrow buttons to match the original Xbox controller.

As far as the mouse goes, it has a charging dock so that you can keep it charged at all times, customiseable side buttons which are inspired by the original Xbox controller, compatibility for left/right hand and three connection modes (wired, bluetooth, dongle).

Both of these products will launch at the start of January for $119.99 USD (~$184 AUD) for the keyboard and $59.99 USD (~$94 AUD) for the mouse. We’ll keep you posted on Australian information once we have it.

The post 8BitDo’s OG Xbox Inspired Keyboard And Mouse Are Absolutely Stunning appeared first on Press Start.

I’ve been banging on about how good Xbox’s ecosystem is for the last few years now, with the fact that not only saves go across both Xbox and PC seamlessly, but also the fact that you can play Xbox games on the likes of Samsung TVs/Monitors and Amazon Fire Sticks with nothing but a controller is fantastic.

Clearly Xbox agrees, because it has just launched a new marketing campaign really highlighting all the platforms that can be considered an Xbox now, outside of the obvious Xbox Series XS|. This includes the likes of mobile phones, laptops, the ASUS ROG Ally, the Fire TV Stick and Samsung TVs.

The campaign does get a little bit naff as it goes on to compare other boxes like a Kitty Litter and a Bento Box by saying these things aren’t an Xbox, but I am happy to see Xbox really singing the praises of the ecosystem it has built out over the last few years, as I think it works really well and opens up gaming to more people.

The post Xbox Is Rightfully Making A Big Deal Of All The Places You Can Play Xbox Games appeared first on Press Start.

There’s a lot working against Indiana Jones and the Great Circle as the game approaches its release to the world in just six weeks. Despite their exhaustive list of studios, there’s a seeming lack of goodwill around Xbox’s first-party portfolio, and there’s a portion of the audience who’d turn their nose up at the idea of a first-person action-adventure Indiana Jones game. 

However, in a world where Nathan Drake has lived his life of adventure, dominating that third-person space, I think it was the only choice. And thanks to the pedigree at MachineGames, which includes staff who worked on both Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay and The Darkness, I’d say they’ve got top men (and women, of course) hard at work. Better still, the game’s elevator pitch all along was to put players in both the shoes and fedora of Indy as he goes on one of his signature, globetrotting adventures. 

Based on the time I’ve spent with Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, I have to believe fortune and glory await those helming this authentic, charming adventure. 

Slotting tidily in between the stories of Raiders of the Lost Ark and The Last Crusade, this original story picks up with the theft of an artefact from Marshall College’s campus drives Indiana, still licking his wounds after separating from his fiancée Marion, towards the danger of a new campaign that sees the doctor, as always, making it up as he goes. His investigation leads him to key historical sites around the globe, our demonstration alone took us from Rome to Egypt, as he stumbles across the fact all of these places are aligned around the globe by a perfect circle—a great circle, if you will. 

The Great Circle, straight from the jump, has the special sauce that makes it feel cinematic and, more importantly, totally consistent with the films. It’s clear that the people involved have a care and love for the source material. Troy Baker might be everywhere, but his performance, which sees him emulating Harrison Ford’s own, wry cadence, feels studious and selfless. I’m sure there was part of Baker who’d have loved to make this Indy his own, however, his willingness to put that aside to pay homage and find the fire Ford himself no longer has in his belly, is admirable. 

The first portion of our hands-on saw us acting as the unfortunate first responder to the Marshall College break-in, which pits Indiana Jones against a towering giant, modelled after the great Tony Todd as he attempts to defend the artefacts. Ultimately, he’s outmuscled and wakes hours later to piece together the motivations behind the theft. Being early on, it’s a pretty simple matching game that begets a revelation that points the way to Rome. That said, watching it unfold through Indiana’s naturally inquisitive lens, it stands as proof that piecing together this conspiracy and toppling the burgeoning Axis forces, is going to take much more than just brawn, it’ll take the professor’s brain too.  

I’d not thought much of how gameplay looked during the short previews we’d seen prior to getting a hold of the sticks. Thankfully, having gone hands-on, it has all become a bit clearer. Indiana Jones might be brave in the face of danger, but he’s ultimately a guy. He’s armed with a whip, a leather jacket with a matching journal, and a thirst for knowledge. He can trade blows when required, but no one would describe Indy as a marksman. While it almost stands opposed to everything MachineGames achieved with Wolfenstein, a game where you shoot a lot of shit, I do believe they do an unbelievable job at making you feel like you’re Indiana Jones.

So much of the team’s pedigree bleeds through in the hand-to-hand combat alone. It’s slow, deliberate, and calls to mind Escape from Butcher Bay, which gave heft to the prison fights you’d get into. As a scrappy pugilist, Indy can also pick up most anything not bolted down and brandish it against the Nazis in your path. As I neared the Vatican, I trashed more guitars than Pete Townsend. The enemies you snot drop guns both big and small, however, they’re very much a means of last resort as the rat-a-tat-tat of machine gun fire is nothing more than an invitation for opposing forces to swarm in greater numbers than you can handle. Despite being one of the best in the business at developing run-and-gun, Indiana Jones flips the script and feels more like a gun-then-run setup. 

So it’s always a good idea to keep a low profile, which you can do by finding disguises that’ll help you blend in with the locals. After the disappointment with how Star Wars Outlaws handled stealth and all of its fail states, I was glad that Indiana Jones is simply allowed to comedically bungle his attempt at subterfuge because, as we all know, to err is human. So if you cock up and miss wrapping a shovel around a Nazi’s head or a captain sees right through your get-up, going loud is a more than viable last-ditch effort. 

Much like his famous fedora, Indy’s whip is very much function over fashion. It’s the player’s multi-tool in this big, scoped-out romp around the globe. It’s the great equaliser in combat whether you’re disarming enemies or seating them on their rear, it helps you swing across insurmountable gaps, and even rappel into crypts to do a bit of old-fashioned treasure hunting. And although it thankfully can’t be used to harm animals directly, a well-placed whip crack can even be used to scare off patrolling Nazi attack dogs. 

In terms of how each location is handled, Indiana Jones appears to deliver open zone exploration rather than curated, linear stages. Both Vatican and Gizeh, home of the Great Pyramids, both felt broad in scope, though it was the latter that felt like it benefited most from multiple pathing options through its map as you plumb the depths of the Nazi’s excavation of the Sphinx. Of course, it’s the main adventure and its story that brings you to these places, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t a wealth of things to do and see. Each area has a heap of side quests, referred to in-world as “fieldwork”, and Indy’s curiosity will naturally lead him to more than a few age-old mysteries to unravel. 

You’re able to document key points of your investigation, as well as general curios like your local contact’s pet snake Osiris, using Indy’s camera. Most everything you capture rewards you with ‘adventure points’ which, unsurprisingly, tie into the game’s upgrade systems. Similar to The Last of Us, and in an effort to avoid messy skill trees, Indiana Jones tucks its titular hero’s upgrades behind the discovery of books scattered in the world. One such upgrade I found was called Lucky Hat, it lets the downed player crawl about in an attempt to collect and dust off his fedora, deliver a trademark smirk and use a bit of that plucky resilience Indy is known for. 

Locking down the use of Harrison Ford’s likeness aside, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle manages to nail the iconic Indy presentation. The game is truly beautiful, and the team pored over every small detail in each of the locations. Marshall College’s walls are adorned with certificates, its cabinets full of priceless wares, and its shelves bowing with textbooks, and where you’d expect a generic placeholder asset to litter the shelves, several unique, titled books sit, beckoning as though their spines were ripe for cracking. The team has also done magnificent work with lighting and shadow, especially when Indy’s lighter sparks to life in a spider-infested Egyptian tomb, and manages to dimly light the thought-lost features of the treasure trove you’re exhuming. Not only are the visuals up there, but each moment is made better for every small, nostalgic swell of John Williams’ legendary score. 

After a couple of hours going hands-on with Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, I’ve not only gone back to revisit the films thanks to a revitalised want for adventure, I’ve come away unexpectedly high on the project after spending so long unconvinced. Not only was I unequivocally wrong to doubt MachineGames, as their care for this IP seems second to none, but they’re set to deliver the Uncharted that team Xbox has needed, albeit through a much different lens. 

Indy once professed that “X never, ever marks the spot.” 

This summer, for a short time at least given the limited exclusivity, Xbox does mark the spot for what will be one of the year’s hottest action-adventure games. 

The post Indiana Jones And The Great Circle Hands-On Preview – Calling Dr. Jones appeared first on Press Start.

During our hands-on session with the upcoming MachineGames title, and Xbox exclusive, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, we were fortunate enough to get a few minutes to chat with the game’s lead designer, Zeke Virant.

Formerly of Avalanche Studios Group, Virant has been with MachineGames since 2020. We chatted about what went into making an authentic Indiana Jones experience, how that differs from Wolfenstein, and how the PlayStation port came to be.

How important to Machine Games was nailing the tone of the Indy films through strong audiovisual presentation? It feels like it could literally slot into place between films.

Nailing that tone, character, sound, visuals, I mean we have the blueprints from, of course, all the movies. It’s just something that inspired us. You listen to it, and it sounds so good, John Williams’ score sounds so good, you hear the sound effects, you see the way they do lighting and colour arrangements, it’s a beautiful movie and it’s masterfully done. 

So nailing that was always the ambition, I feel like it’s been quite straight forward in terms of achieving this. Once we had the audio, the visual, and the gameplay to where it was, we knew we had to add some humour to the combat for it to actually feel like Indiana Jones. If he’s having a conversation, it’s not just a back and forth, there needs to be an argument, he needs to be stubborn or grumpy. 

I think we know the movies so well, we know the characters so well, I think it’s been pretty easy and natural to get into that zone and we’ve been there for a couple of years now. 

How has the collaboration with Disney or LucasFilm been?

So we’ve been closely collaborating with LucasFilm Games throughout the whole development process, and they’ve been invaluable in terms of getting us footage, resources, and all sorts of archival stuff to work with to help make the game much more authentic. 

Did you ever toy with the idea of making the game third-person outright?

Always first-person. I mean, MachineGames make first-person games, it’s in our DNA, it’s what we do and it’s what we know how to do. 

The idea is not an Indiana Jones game, you are Indiana Jones. And with first-person it gives us so much more hands-on to be able to pick up everything and to be able to solve puzzles and if I hit some guy in the face, I can see him go slackjaw and all over. 

It’s a much more intimate experience and we never had any doubts that this was the right way to go.  

There have been plenty of other games inspired by Indy that have come and gone, Uncharted and Tomb Raider to name a couple. Was there any pressure to differentiate yourself from those?

No, I think as soon as we started working on it we were very confident as a developer. I mean, obviously with the Wolfenstein games and with the pedigree of a lot of the staff being from Riddick and The Darkness, we make very unique games in the first-person style.

Us doing a MachineGames adventure game did not make us feel any pressure, nor was there a need to compete with them. This is very much our own thing.

I feel the game finds the right balance of adventure and action. Coming from something action-oriented like Wolfenstein, was it hard to strike a balance with some quieter tomb raiding?

So, when we started developing Indiana Jones, starting from the beginning, there were a lot of new things that we needed to try and develop. 

Having these new systems, working with puzzles, and things like disguises, having more of a narrative built in to create a larger cinematic experience overall as a starting point and starting, from the get-go, creating these systems made us realise: “Okay, we’re creating something different.”

Of course, there is the idea that we’d be “stuck” in Wolfenstein with too many guns, but we were so focused on these other systems, and getting the hand-to-hand right—melee was not something you’ve seen in Wolfenstein really—required a bit more time than the guns. We’ve already proven we’re good at guns. 

We mostly focused on the “non-Wolfenstein” parts. 

We’ve obviously been able to see Fieldwork and other Mysteries during our hands-on, what other things in terms of side content can we expect to lure us from the critical path?

As you say, the Fieldwork and Mysteries are one aspect, but there are all sorts of traversal puzzles as well. There are little places you can crawl into and I think, just in general, we designed the levels so there are multiple paths and there are keys you can find and in those secret areas you might find a book. 

There are also relics you can find in each of our sandboxes there are a number of ancient relics you can collect, and comic books you can look for. Generally, there are a lot of collectibles so every area is chock-full of stuff to look out for. 

It seems there’ll be plenty of opportunities to stealth through sections and keep out of view, are there any instant-fail missions or does the game give you the opportunity to go loud if you can’t remain concealed?

We really try to give the player a lot of choice in combat, so instant fail in stealth is not something we’d ever want to do. 

Guns blazing is not always the best tactical thing, but it can be a good last resort. If you’re up against the wall and you need to make an escape, I’ve been saying we’re not so much “run and gun” but “gun and run away”. That’s how we’ve been approaching a lot of it.

I like that you can screw up stealth and be really scrappy. You can pick up weapons, fight, and then run away, use your whip, you have a lot of tools at your disposal so you can save yourself from getting beat up. 

Has a PlayStation 5 SKU always existed for the game or did that come about late in the piece?

So Microsoft came to us. We started to have the discussion about bringing this to other platforms, we were super-duper excited to take that on. So that was something that came a bit later on, but we’re excited to get to as many players as possible. 

As it has been a source of conversation for other Xbox first-party releases, what frame rate are you targeting for the Xbox Series consoles? 

We’re targeting 60fps for launch. 

The post We Spoke To MachineGames About Crafting An Authentic Indiana Jones Video Game appeared first on Press Start.

Xbox has revealed an updated version of its wireless headset that released in 2021 (review here). It’s available now from the Microsoft Store and will cost $159.95 (a $10 increase).

• Xbox Wireless Headset – $159.95 AUD

The new wireless headset has a 20 hour battery life (up from 15 hours), the microphone has been upgraded with auto-mute and voice isolation, and it now has Bluetooth 5.3 as well for PC connectivity. It also can utilise the Dolby Atmos codec at no additional cost as well.

As far as the design goes, it looks fairly similar, but it has dropped the green on the sides, which makes it look more premium. It’s also retained the volume dials on both cups which I absolutely loved on the original set.

At $160, you’ll struggle to find a better wireless headset. In my review of the original, I said: “For $150, The Xbox Wireless Headset is a great headset that I’d easily recommend to any Xbox owner. The design is premium, the sound pops and features such a dual connectivity, the easy to access volume wheels and auto mute take it to the next level at this price point. I really wish I could use this headset on my other consoles, because it’s that good.”

The post A New Official Xbox Wireless Headset Has Been Revealed appeared first on Press Start.

This morning, Xbox held another Partner Preview, which is geared generally at showcasing Xbox’s third-party partnerships by providing updates on things we already knew about as well as a few surprises.

For those who didn’t want to get up around the 4AM AEDT mark, here’s a round up of everything that was shown.

FBC: Firebreak Is The Multiplayer Game Set In The Control Universe

Coming out sometime next year, FBC: Firebreak was announced and is the long-awaited multiplayer game set in the shared universe occupied by Control and Alan Wake.

It’s set to serve up a three-player co-op experience and, even better, it’s coming to Game Pass.

Chronos: The New Dawn Is A New Horror Game From Bloober Team

Silent Hill proved to be quite the redemption arc for Bloober Team, who’d had middling releases up until it reassured the world they’ve got the goods.

Their next game, Chronos: The New Dawn, delves is a haunting sci-fi world and promises a little time travel flavour, which I love.

Subnautica 2 Is Getting An Early Access Release Next Year

I didn’t sea this one coming. After finding plenty of success with the original, it was perhaps always a given we’d see a sequel to Subnautica.

The game is coming to early access next year for Xbox Series X/S, PC as well as launching on Game Pass.

We Got A Great New Look At Wuchang: Fallen Feathers

There’s more of these kinds of games now than I can count, and their names are so similar I’m just kind of befuddled.

But alas, it’s another action-RPG soulslike that has staggeringly nice art direction, titanic bosses, and a delicious looking stagger mechanic that should help it shine amidst a lot of company. It’s set to launch next year and is a day one Game Pass release.

Like A Dragon: Pirate Yakuza In Hawaii Is More Skull & Bones Than Skull & Bones Ever Was

During this morning’s Xbox Partner Preview, we got a pretty good look at the new Like a Dragon game’s naval combat that’ll make you feel like Captain Jack on the high seas.

Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii launches February 21, 2025.

Visit The Lake House Next Week With New Alan Wake II DLC

Just in time for Halloween, this Alan Wake II DLC certainly appears to be darker than the Night Springs content we got back in June.

Phasmophobia Is Set To Spook Up Your Halloween

After being an online co-op fixture throughout the pandemic years, Phasmophobia is set to launch October 29th for Xbox consoles and spook your All Hallow’s Eve right up.

Wheel World Looks Wheelie Good

If this game doesn’t make you want to just hit the open fields on a mountain bike, I don’t know what will. Along with its distinct animation style, Wheel World is set to feature plenty of bike customisation as you set off to save the world.

Get set to pedal early 2025.

Mistfall Hunter Is A PvPvE Extraction RPG, Can That Be Right?

With a melding of genres that is surely the first of its kind, Mistfall Hunter is set to have all of the Nordic-inspired creatures, loot, and third-person action you can handle when it launches next year.

Eternal Strands Looks Like The Spiritual Successor To Immortals We Didn’t Know We Wanted

With towering foes to topple and elemental magic buzzing at your fingertips, Eternal Strands looks like a fantasy action game to watch. Despite its name, it does not belong in the strand sub-genre of games popularised(?) by Kojima.

It is, however, coming to Game Pass at launch early next year.

Edens Zero Is A New Manga-Inspired Action Adventure

Look, this is a blind spot for me, however the streets are saying this has been a long time coming and vibes are, generally, pretty good.

Mouse: P.I. For Hire Looks Like The Cat’s Meow

With its old-timey Disney, but strictly not Disney, look, Mouse: P.I. For Hire is right up there on lists of games I can’t wait to get my hands on next year. It’s supremely stylish and moves to the beat of jazz.

Blindfire Seems Like A Shot In The Dark

Out in game preview today, Blindfire is actually a pretty novel concept. By competing with others in poorly lit arenas, you’re expected to keep an ear to the ground in an attempt to survive.

Animal Well Is Out Now On Xbox

The little indie that could, and a personal contender for Game of the Year, Animal Well is out today for Xbox consoles.

The post Everything Announced At The October 2024 Xbox Partner Preview appeared first on Press Start.

Xbox has announced its next Xbox Partner Preview and it’s happening on Friday morning at an early time for Aussies.

The stream will give us a look at new and upcoming games from Remedy, Sega, 505 and more lasting about 25 minutes. It’ll bring new gameplay footage for Like A Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii, Alan Wake II: The Lake House as well as Wuchang Fallen Feathers.

ALL THE AUSTRALIAN TIMES FOR THE XBOX PARTNER SHOWCASE

The Xbox stream is happening early on Friday, October 18th at the below times:

• 04:00 AM AEDT (Melbourne/Sydney/Hobart/Canberra)
• 03:30 AM ACDT (Adelaide)
• 03:00 AM AEST (Brisbane)
• 02:30 AM ACST (Darwin)
• 01:00 AM AWST (Perth)

WHERE TO WATCH THE OCTOBER XBOX PARTNER SHOWCASE

You can watch on YouTube HERE or at the below embed.

We’ll have all the new announcements on Friday morning as the showcase happens.

The post The Xbox Partner Preview Stream Is Happening Early Tomorrow Morning And Here’s All The Aussie Times appeared first on Press Start.

Xbox has announced official accessories for the upcoming Call Of Duty: Black Ops 6 including two controllers and an Xbox Series X console wrap.

All three items in the collection are clearly heavily inspired by Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 with the layered pattern of redacted documents, hidden coordinators and Black Ops symbols.

When it comes to the Xbox Series X|S controller and the Xbox Series X|S Elite controller, these will be available on Xbox Design Lab where you’ll be able to customise your controller.

• Call Of Duty: Black Ops 6 Xbox Series X|S Controller – Starting at $139.75 AUD 
• Call Of Duty: Black Ops 6 Xbox Series X|S Elite Controller – Starting at $239.90 AUD 

The console wrap is available exclusively on the Microsoft Store and includes a 1 hour 2XP token for Black Ops 6 as well. It’s available for $79.95 HERE.  

• Call Of Duty: Black Ops 6 Xbox Series X Console Wrap – $79.95

These will launch on October 23rd for the wrap and you can order the controllers now. Call Of Duty: Black Ops 6 launches on all platforms on October 25th. Amazon has the cheapest price at $88 with free shipping HERE. 

The post Call Of Duty: Black Ops 6 Xbox Controllers And A Console Wrap Have Been Revealed appeared first on Press Start.

Xbox released two new Xbox Series X consoles in the discless model and the Galaxy Black model (better look at that from us here), and whilst I wasn’t game enough to do any teardowns, thankfully, YouTuber Austin Evans has and there’s some significant differences.

The chip has a new 6nm design down from 7nm, and the motherboard and cooling system for the console has been totally redesigned. Many of the components on the motherboard have been moved around, and there’s no longer a vapor chamber cooling system, with it featuring a more traditional copper heat pipe design instead.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Shannon Grixti (@shannongrixti)

Whilst the heat and noise hasn’t changed a heap, Evans found that both Xbox Series X models use less power both when idling and also whilst gaming in comparison to the original model. This might not mean a lot for the average gamer, but it’ll mean a bunch for Xbox’s cloud servers as they use actual Xbox Series X hardware to run these servers.

You can read more about the Xbox Series X Galaxy Black edition over at our review HERE or watch the unboxing video below:

The new Limited Edition Galaxy Black Xbox Series X which includes at 2TB SSD and a custom console and controller design. It will cost $999 AUD and it’s available HERE.

There’s also the first all-digital Xbox Series X and that comes in White with a 1TB SSD and will cost $699 AUD and that can be purchased HERE. 

Lastly, the Xbox Series S now comes in a 1TB white model to join the previously released black model. This costs $549 AUD and it’s available HERE.

The post The New Xbox Series X Consoles Have An Improved Internal Design With Less Power Usage appeared first on Press Start.

The Xbox Series X design was unlike anything else that we’ve seen with its super understated design, all-black nature, and it’s been left up to special editions to add that extra bit of something to the console, but most of these have been not up for purchase and only able to be won in competitions.

In comes the Galaxy Black Xbox Series X which is one of the first limited edition consoles to release so far, and it builds on that same sleek and stylish design, adding a few small design highlights to make it extra special.

It also has a larger 2TB SSD which is why it’s a bit more expensive than the standard Xbox Series X, so it’s obviously going to be for a more hardcore gamer or a collector that likes everything.

@shannongrixti

The Limited Edition Galaxy Black Xbox Series X has a 2TB SSD and is absolutely stunning with its green/white specks and bright green details #XboxSeriesX #Xbox #XboxSeriesXGalaxyBLack #GalaxyBlackXboxSeriesX #Tech #Gaming

? original sound – Shannon Grixti | Gaming & Tech

As far as the design goes, it’s the same black console but there’s green and grey specks all over the console which on paper sounds like it could be a mess, but it still looks high-end and classy, adding an extra bit of something to the design.

THE CHEAPEST PRICE: $999 FROM THE MICROSOFT STORE

The only other major difference is that the base is a bright Xbox green which again, doesn’t take away from the original design of the console but adds a bit of extra pop.

It’s the controller that really steals the show here, and it absolutely would have sold well if it was released separately. It’s the same black controller, with again some minor differences to elevate the design.

The d-pad has that same speckled design pulling over from the console, the buttons are blacked out and the whole back of the controller pulls over that same bright Xbox green from the base of the console.

Whilst most people probably won’t run out to upgrade their original Xbox Series X to the Galaxy Black, I personally love seeing these limited edition releases and hope we see more from Xbox.

The post The 2TB Galaxy Black Xbox Series X Adds Some Sparkle To The Understated OG Design appeared first on Press Start.

Xbox has announced that it has created an incredible looking gold Xbox Series X|S that comes complete with a leather look controller and it can be won in a really unique way.

Between November 12th and January 6th, those in Sydney (as well as London and New York) can visit their local Microsoft Experience Centres to try and solve a puzzle with the Xbox encased in a puzzle box that needs to be solved before you can enter the competition.

For those not in these locations, Bethesda will also be giving away a console on its social channels in due time. You can find more information about both giveaways HERE.

I have to say, the controller is super nice as well, and I do wish we saw more of these awesome Xbox controllers/consoles sold to the public as they look phenomenal, but understand they’re probably a bit more bespoke than the usual custom controller.

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is launching on December 9th on Xbox Series X|S and PC and will also come to PS5 in 2025.

The post This Gold Indiana Jones Xbox Series X Is Absolutely Gorgeous And Aussies Can Win It appeared first on Press Start.

Although the common outcry from gamers suggests it’s often best to separate video games and real-world politics, sometimes outside forces cause the two to collide with such spectacular ferocity that it’s unavoidable. The conflict between Russia and Ukraine brought war to the doorstep of GSC World, developer of the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. franchise, including its upcoming sequel Heart of Chornobyl. The conflict birthed undoubtedly the most difficult chapter in the game’s development.

War Game: The Making of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 is a sobering documentary in that it practically places the game’s development aside to focus unflinchingly on the price paid by these men and women to simply do their jobs. It spotlights the dogged determination to survive, whether that meant escaping missile fire and finding relative safety near the western border of Ukraine or remaining behind to don fatigues and bear arms to defend the homeland. It’s utterly staggering to get a sense of the sacrifices made.

There are so many heartbreaking revelations within this feature. I’m unlikely to forget images of people huddling together for warmth after Russia targeted their power plants and grids, the pictures of all of the displaced children, or the everyday people of Ukraine answering the call to fight—which sometimes meant gathering en masse, as signed off by the ministry, to craft molotov cocktails, which might be the most video game ass thing in this doco. But as distressing as all of it is, it all comes back to unity and how these atrocities galvanised this team rather than breaking them.

To uproot and move on is a tough thing, particularly for a people so intrinsically tied to their home and culture. To shift an entire studio from Kyiv, with bodies numbering in the hundreds once families were accounted for, then having to “rebuild” in Prague to get on with work is a Herculean task. But it’s clearly one husband-and-wife team Ievgen and Maria Grygorovych, the studio’s CEO and the game’s creative director respectfully, were up to. In fact, it was their intuitive preparedness around the looming conflict that saw charter buses parked out the front of their studio all day and night awaiting the inevitable.

Andrew Stephan’s ability to focus on the issues that matter and not anchor this feature down with video game minutia obviously is in service of the human story here, and with Power On: The Story of Xbox under his belt, I do feel as though Microsoft believe they’ve unearthed a capable director in Stephan. The one thing I can’t help but draw attention to might be the apparent use of AI-generated art to aid parts of the narrative where cameras might not have been rolling, for obvious reasons. I compartmentalised it to not allow it to detract from the narrative at hand, but it felt an off choice.

What I learned watching War Game is that whether S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 meets its expected launch in November or not, the fact that this team has pressed on and displayed such unwavering strength and resilience is achievement enough. While I’ve no doubt critics, and series fans, will have their say once their hands are on the sticks, the fact this game exists at all is a miracle.

It’s so uplifting to watch this team share their experience speaking into a camera lens through tired, glassy eyes, and each of their stories prove inspiring and critical to their studio’s survival, whether through staunch leadership or lionhearted service. War Game is essential viewing because although it does touch on the trials of game development, its primary goal is to give flowers to a team who have fought like hell and covered themselves in valour in the pursuit of their art, as well as our entertainment.

And they deserve the whole bloody garden.

With the war effort in Ukraine still ongoing, donations can be made to the official charity fund set up by Ukraine’s President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

War Game: The Making of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 was produced in partnership with Xbox, the documentary can be found on either the Xbox or GSC Game World YouTube channels.

The post War Game: The Making Of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 Is Essential Viewing appeared first on Press Start.

The day after PlayStation Network went down for almost 8 hours, it’s now Xbox’s turn with Xbox Live being down for most users.

Xbox tweeted out that it is aware of users experiencing issues with sign-in, launching games and joining parties and that technicians are looking into it.

We are aware users are experiencing issues with sign-in, launching games, and joining parties. Support teams currently are looking into this, and we will provide an update here and on our status page. https://t.co/PzAdjUXo7T

— Xbox Support (@XboxSupport) October 2, 2024

“We are aware users are experiencing issues with sign-in, launching games, and joining parties. Support teams currently are looking into this, and we will provide an update here and on our status page.” said Xbox in a Tweet.

The Xbox Status page shows red (major outage) for account and profile, friends and social activity, cloud gaming and remote play, and yellow (limited) for games and gaming.

Down Detector, one of the main websites for tracking website outages in Australia, had its first report at about 8:49pm with 1500+ people reporting an outage in the next hour or so.

The post Xbox Live Is Currently Down appeared first on Press Start.

Xbox has revealed the first games for Xbox Game Pass in October, including a few games that are making their way over to the new, lower standard tier in October as well.

This month is headlined by the likes of SIfu and Inscryption which are both fantastic games that everyone should be playing.

OCTOBER 2024 NEW XBOX GAME PASS GAMES

• Sifu (Cloud/Console/PC) – October 2nd
• Mad Streets (Cloud/Console/PC) – October 7th
• Inscryption (Cloud/Console/PC) – October 10th
• Legend Of Mana (Cloud/Console/PC) – Out Now
• Trials of Mana (Cloud/Console/PC) – Out Now
• We Love Katamari ReRoll+ (Cloud/Console/PC) – Out Now

OCTOBER 2024 NEW XBOX GAME PASS STANDARD GAMES

• MLB The Show (Console) –  Now On Standard Tier – October 2nd
• Open Roads (Console) – Now On Standard Tier – October 2nd

GAMES LEAVING XBOX GAME PASS ON OCTOBER 15TH

• Dyson Sphere Program (PC)
• Everspace 2 (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• From Space (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• F1 Manager 2023 (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• Scorn (Cloud, Console, and PC)

The post October’s Xbox Game Pass Games Have Been Revealed appeared first on Press Start.

Over the course of Xbox’s Tokyo Game Show presentation, a bunch of new games were confirmed at coming to their Game Pass services for both PC and console.

Here’s a list of all of the new Game Pass titles coming and when to expect them.

All You Need Is Help

This game looks very cute, and it’s coming today to Game Pass on both PC and console.

Overwatch 2 x My Hero Academia

Overwatch is becoming well known for its crossover content, and this one is no doubt exciting for My Hero Academia fans.

This is coming to Game Pass on October 17.

StarCraft: Remastered and StarCraft II

In what was undoubtedly one of the coolest announcements of Xbox’s Tokyo Game Show presentation, both StarCraft campaigns are coming to PC Game Pass in just a couple of months.

If you’re a real-time strategy nerd and you’ve slept on StarCraft, be sure to check these out November 5.

We Love Katamari: Reroll+ Royal Reverie

Another absolutely adorable title and a delight to boot. We Love Katamari is coming to Xbox Game Pass today.

To close out the event, Sarah Bond announced a slate of Square Enix games coming to the service.

And although hopes were high that we might see either Final Fantasy XVI or Final Fantasy VII Remake, what we got was still exciting, albeit a bit more classic.

Plus, Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster was confirmed to be coming to Xbox, although it’s not on Game Pass.

Trials of Mana

First up was Trials of Mana, which is available today.

Legend of Mana

Next up was Legend of Mana, which is also out today.

The post A Heap Of New Xbox Game Pass Titles Were Revealed At Tokyo Game Show appeared first on Press Start.

During Xbox’s Tokyo Game Show presentation, CEO of Microsoft Gaming Phil Spencer opened the showing with a recap of the year the team are having, as well, as the one to come.

At the end of his brief, as a bit of a surprise, Spencer announced that both StarCraft Remastered and StarCraft II are making their long-awaited return on November 5.

Although the multiplayer suites for both games are free-to-play, StarCraft Remastered and StarCraft II: Campaign Collection will be made available to any PC Game Pass or Game Pass Ultimate subscriber.

Originally releasing in 1998 and 2010 respectively, the StarCraft titles have made an undeniable impact on the real-time strategy genre and we’ve no doubt this news will be more than welcome to series fans.

The post StarCraft Remastered And StarCraft II Are Both Coming To PC Game Pass appeared first on Press Start.

Xbox has announced that it will be doing another TGS broadcast this year focusing on content from Xbox Game Studios, Activision, Blizzard And Bethesda.

ALL THE AUSSIE TIMES FOR THE XBOX TGS STREAM

• AEST (Melbourne / Sydney / Brisbane / Canberra) – 08:00pm Thursday, September 26th
• ACST (Adelaide / Darwin) – 07:30pm Thursday, September 26th
• AWST (Perth) – 06:00pm Thursday, September 26th

WHERE TO WATCH THE XBOX TGS STREAM

You can watch the Xbox TGS stream over on YouTube HERE or on the below embed.

WHAT TO EXPECT FROM THE TGS XBOX STREAM

It’s always hard to know what to expect from TGS streams as they typically appeal to a Japanese audience which doesn’t always translate to other parts of the world in terms of the games shown, but there’s been some pretty big rumours circulating about what we could expect to see with Final Fantasy XVI being the main one that we’re expecting to see on Xbox.

There’s been rumours floating around about an Xbox handheld, which would go over quite well in Japan, but I’m not quite sure if this is the right event to see it, but that’s always a possibility.

The post Xbox’s TGS Stream Is Happening Tonight And Here’s All The Aussie Times appeared first on Press Start.

In addition to the Xbox Game Pass games that have already dropped in September, Xbox has dropped a handful more that will be coming over the next few weeks.

SEPTEMBER XBOX GAME PASS GAMES

• Wargroove 2 (Cloud/Console/PC) – September 19th
• Frostpunk 2 (PC) – September 20th
• Ara: History Untold (PC) – September 24th

A bunch more games are leaving as well and you can find that list below:

• Gotham Knights (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• Let’s Build a Zoo (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• Loop Hero (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• My Time At Portia (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• PAW Patrol Grand Prix (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• Pheonix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• The Walking Dead: The Complete First Season (PC)
• The Walking Dead: Season Two (PC)
• Valheim (Cloud, Console, and PC)

The post The Next Batch Of Xbox Game Pass Games For September Has Been Revealed appeared first on Press Start.

Very few crowdfunding campaigns gain my attention and even fewer see me reach into my pocket. Stoic, as it happens, is one of the few developers I’ve been happy to dig deep for. It’s a team I truly admire, they’re artists and I revere The Banner Saga in such a way, I was always going to be eager to see what came next for them. Their partnership with Xbox, a match made in heaven for me, has yielded Towerborne, a project about as far removed from what I’d expect from Stoic as it gets.

It’s as if after The Walking Dead Telltale went on to make a third-person shooter, it’s surprising. Though it’s absolutely playable solo, the game is designed as a four-player beat ‘em up not unlike Castle Crashers. And although I cherish the impenetrable long-game of The Banner Saga’s Chess-like combat, the offering in Towerborne is so easy to pick up and mindlessly slog through that it means anybody can play it.

With that said, there’s also a surprising depth to its combat classes and systems that grew on me the more I dove in. I neared a point of writing it off as mundane and one-note before something clicked and I began to unravel combos, positioning and strategy through its gear and Umbra mechanics, opening up doors once closed to me. There’s a lot that Towerborne does to keep its combat from growing stale, and much of that comes down to each of the four classes feeling rather distinct—I ultimately fell in love with Pyroclast, however it’s rewarding and recommended that you chop and change considering certain class-specific weapons boast special attacks that are super fun to toy around with and can change the flow of battle.

There’s one tiny thing that Towerborne does that’s such a small quality of life thing, it almost feels silly to note it—but I can’t help it, I love it. If an enemy slips past and threatens to flank your unprotected rear but they get clipped by your attack on their way through, they’ll rubber band back in front of you, open to receive the barrage that’s coming. Being an online game, one that could, theoretically, be scuppered by latency issues, I see this as a micro effort to remove the potential for lag-related deaths.

I must emphasise that this game is designed with co-op in mind and my experience has, so far, been entirely solo. I’m happy to report that one-out is a completely viable way to storm the grasslands at the foot of The Belfry, as the game scales based on a number of other factors like player count and level. The combat itself quickly falls into a rhythm of bearing left or right, delivering punishing combos, and carefully dodging the precise attacks of the Gobo legion. Much like there are multiple classes of Ace, the Gobo army runs deep and there’s a lot of variety that can, at times, force some consideration just as the game’s rather standard hack and slash fare is starting to wane.

It was at a certain point that I realised that I did find Towerborne repetitive, however the brawling itself wasn’t the offender at all. I’d grown bored of the core loop and of its mission structure. The game’s map, which is set up kind of like Catan’s honeycomb grid, has so many stages to trudge through, it’s disappointing a vast majority of the missions are what Stoic call “discovery” tiles, which are simple end-to-end brawls with a loot chest at the end.

The other main events they have are ventures, which are treated more like mini-raids and include matchmaking where the others do not. They’re often capped by boss fights which do look cool without prompting much of a change in approach. As your legend grows around the Belfry, you can qualify for higher ratings of Danger Level, which both broadens your literal horizons and unlocks more of the map, while letting you replay prior “ventures” at a higher difficulty, leading to a different pre-mix of settings, events, and enemies. It sounds great in theory, but it doesn’t quite achieve the replayability I’d hoped for.

All of the player “progression” occurs loot-side, there’s no role-playing elements to speak of, which keeps it clean and simple. The chase of grinding levels and having bigger and bigger numbers against your equipped items is about as exciting as things within Towerborne’s menus get—which is unfortunate, as you spend plenty of time in them. Although any agency over back story or name is snuffed out right away, there’s enough depth in character creation to inject a shred of identity into your avatar.

The Belfry itself functions as any other service game hub world. It’s the point of retreat in between missions and is a key scene in much of the game’s onboarding, of which there is plenty. It’s an enormous space, and while there are many world maps installed about the place, you’ll still do plenty of trotting back and forth to talk to everyone. Though I couldn’t see anywhere to buy weapons, you’re certainly able to upgrade them at the Belfry’s blacksmith, and there’s a personified mirror who can grant you the gift of transmogrification in the event you grow bored of your Ace’s look. Bounties give you something to work towards in combat, although they’re a rather average assortment of tasks thus far, however the coin you receive in exchange can be used in Towerborne’s item shop which teeters at the cliff face of egregious microtransaction nonsense, but we’ll likely have to wait until the game is properly live to see how bad it is in practice.

Towerborne feels like such an enormous departure from The Banner Saga both in style and tone, it’s hard to reconcile they’re from the same studio. They’re both gorgeously hand-drawn, though Towerborne feels more vibrant and family-appropriate, which feels like a cool breeze on the face after the depressing caravan-led death march the team cut their teeth on. It’s more stoic, hopeful, and triumphant and this bleeds through in both the game’s bold, colourful biomes and its original score, from frequent collaborator Austin Wintory.

Though it might lack the polish of something like Hades II, whose only similarity here is that they’re early access contemporaries, Towerborne shows just enough promise and holds just enough aces that I feel it could make something of this rather shaky, inconsistent start.

After crafting one of the most arresting tactics trilogies of all-time in The Banner Saga, which had a recognisable identity in its own right, I do applaud Stoic for venturing beyond the relative safety of their pedigree in trying something new. It doesn’t offer the same emotional resonance, however Towerborne’s seeming goal of “Castle Crashers except pretty” delivers on what is a mindless, yet moreish, brawler.

Towerborne releases on Steam in early access September 10, 2024. Find more information here.

The post Towerborne Early Access Review – A Promising Venture appeared first on Press Start.

Xbox has revealed the first games coming to Xbox Game Pass in September 2024. This is headlined by Age of Mythology: Retold and Rider’s Republic, but the full list of games is below.

XBOX GAME PASS GAMES SEPTEMBER 2024

• Star Trucker (Cloud/Console/PC) – Today
• Age of Mythology: Retold (Cloud/Console/PC) – September 4th
• Expeditions: A MudRunner Game (Cloud/Console/PC) – September 5th
• Riders Republic (Cloud/Console/PC) – September 11th
• Train Sim World 5 (Cloud/Console/PC) – September 17th

XBOX GAME PASS GAMES LEAVING ON SEPTEMBER 15TH 2024

• Ashes of Singularity: Escalation (PC)
• FIFA 23 (Cloud, Console, and PC) EA Play
• Payday 3 (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• Slime Rancher 2 (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• SpiderHeck (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• You Suck At Parking (Cloud, Console, and PC)

It’s an interesting month, so it’ll be interesting to see what else comes to the service later in the month.

The post September’s Xbox Game Pass Games Have Been Revealed appeared first on Press Start.

To go with the release date announcement for Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, a collector’s edition has also been revealed

It includes an 11-inch globe that comes with a plane magnet that attaches to locations on the globe, as well as a hidden storage compartment.

There’s also a New Adventure journal, an Allmaker relic replica and a jumbo Steelbook. Also included is 3 days early access, as well as access to The Order of the Giants DLC as well as a digital art book and some iconic Indy looks.

It’s available for pre-order exclusively at JB Hi-Fi for $329 and you can grab it HERE.

INDIANA JONES AND THE GREAT CIRCLE COLLECTOR’S EDITION CONTENTS:

• Allmaker Relic Replica with Game Code (Digital Premium Edition)
• The Great Circle 11” Globe with Hidden Storage
• New Adventure Journal
• Jumbo SteelBook® Case
• Up to 3-Day Early Access**
• Indiana Jones and the Great Circle: The Order of Giants Story DLC†
• Digital Artbook
• Temple of Doom Outfit

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is releasing on Xbox Series X|S and PC on December 7th and will release next year for PS5.

The post An Indiana Jones And The Great Circle Collector’s Edition Has Been Revealed And Includes An 11-Inch Globe appeared first on Press Start.

Xbox has revealed the prices and release dates for the previously revealed new Xbox Series X console iterations.

Both consoles will release on October 15th with the 1TB Robot White all-digital Xbox Series X costing $699 AUD and the 2TB Galaxy Black costing $999 AUD. The 1TB White Xbox Series S will cost $549 AUD (same as the black version).

• White All-Digital 1TB Xbox Series X – $699 AUD
• Galaxy Black 2TB Xbox Series X – $999 AUD
• White 1TB Xbox Series S – $549 AUD

This means that you’re essentially saving $100 for buying a console without a disc drive, or paying $200 more for an extra TB and the special edition consoles.

Both consoles are available to pre-order HERE. 

The post The Discless And 2TB Galaxy Black Xbox Series X Prices And Release Dates Have Been Revealed appeared first on Press Start.

Update: Adding more confusion to these ongoing rumours, Windows Central’s Jez Corden has now claimed this mystery Xbox Studios-to-PlayStation port is not Forza Horizon 5, though he also admits he’s unsure what the game could be:

RE: rumor of another Xbox to PlayStation port, I could see it happening some day, but this time round it ain't Forza being announced next week at least.

(idk what it is though rn, investigating)

— Jez (@JezCorden) August 15, 2024

Again, all of this is heavily steeped in speculation and unconfirmed rumour, so we’ll need to wait see what happens next week.

A number of notable leakers look to be teasing the next major Xbox exclusive to get a PlayStation port, and it could happen as soon as next week during Gamescom 2024.

Over on Resetera, at least two users known for being fairly good with early information – shinobi602 and NateDrake – have speculated we’ll be hearing news of another new PlayStation port of an Xbox title next week or in the very near future.

Most interestingly though, eXtas1s, who has previously accurately reported Xbox news including the drops of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 and Crash Bandicoot N.Sane Trilogy on Game Pass, has seemingly suggested that this game won’t be something like Starfield or Halo Infinite but will in fact be Forza Horizon 5. They didn’t explicitly name the title, but the below is a pretty big hint:

https://t.co/jMXPlgSGSb pic.twitter.com/gMjsZpusl0

— eXtas1s ? Noticias & Rumores (@eXtas1stv) August 14, 2024

If accurate, and obviously we won’t know until Xbox has something official to say, Forza Horizon 5 launching on PlayStation consoles could have a pretty significant impact – especially if Sea of Thieves’ port becoming one of the best-selling PS5/PS4 games after it launched in April is any indication. Given the lack of cut-through for Xbox in some markets where a game like FH5 would really take off, it makes a lot of sense.

The previous round of Xbox Studios titles that came to PlayStation include Hi-Fi RUSH, Sea of Thieves, Grounded and Pentiment, and if they were representative of the company dipping its toes in the multiplatform waters, it’s pretty safe to say there’ll be much more to come.

Forza Horizon 5 originally launched on Xbox and PC back in 2021, and we scored it a huge 9.5/10 with Brodie saying, “Though it’s iterative in a lot of ways, Forza Horizon 5 is a near-faultless open-world racing experience that’s so sure of itself and its offerings that it goes the extra mile to sprinkle in the kinds of fan service that people go wild for. As a game it’s tremendous, but it’s also a brilliant, interactive postcard for a culture that is passionate about few things more than their country and their cars.”

The post Forza Horizon 5 Could Be Coming To PlayStation According To Known Leakers [UPDATED] appeared first on Press Start.

Xbox has revealed the first bundle of games headed to Game Pass/Game Pass Ultimate subscribers for the start of August 2024, and thanks to early leaks and official confirmations there are sadly few surprises here. It’s also an unusually small list with just three titles – a day one launch in Creatures of Ava, a new Activision joint in Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy and the very decent Mafia: Definitive Edition.

There are actually more games leaving than arriving in this batch, but take a look in more detail below:

XBOX GAME PASS AUGUST 2024

Creatures of Ava (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X|S) – August 7
Let your empathy guide you as you play an exciting action-adventure, creature-saver game. Understand and tame the creatures of Ava and let them lead you through a variety of ecosystems – all in the hopes of saving the planet from a life-consuming infection.

Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy (Cloud, Console, and PC) – August 8

Your favorite marsupial, Crash Bandicoot, is coming to Game Pass! He’s enhanced, entranced and ready-to-dance with the N. Sane Trilogy collection. Spin, jump, wump and repeat as you take on the epic challenges and adventures through the three games that started it all, Crash Bandicoot, Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back and Crash Bandicoot 3: Warped. Relive all your favorite Crash moments in their fully remastered graphical glory and get ready to put some umph in your wump!

Mafia: Definitive Edition (Cloud, Console, and PC) – August 13

Mafia: Definitive Edition is a cinematic third-person shooter that tells the story of Tommy Angelo, a hardworking cab driver who becomes embedded in the brutal world of organized crime in 1930s America.

Leaving Game Pass On August 15

•  Airborne Kingdoms (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• Offworld Trading Company (PC)
• Shadow Warrior 3 (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (Cloud, Console, and PC)

The post The First Batch Of Xbox Game Pass Games For August Has Been Revealed appeared first on Press Start.

Update: After early rumblings from The Verge’s Tom Warren, Xbox has officially acknowledged a delay of Obsidian’s Avowed while also firming up its release date, pushing the game back from its tentative 2024 release window to a precise launch of February 18th, 2025.

“So many games coming! As such, we’re moving Avowed to February 18th, 2025 to give players’ backlogs some breathing room,” the company wrote in a tweet.

“Stay tuned for more from our games across Activision, Blizzard, Bethesda and Xbox Game Studios at gamescom, including our August 23rd livestream for a look at Avowed.”

So many games coming! As such, we're moving Avowed to Feb 18, 2025 to give players’ backlogs some breathing room.

Stay tuned for more from our games across Activision, Blizzard, Bethesda & Xbox Game Studios at gamescom, including our Aug 23 livestream for a look at Avowed:… pic.twitter.com/3RnyVwlHRa

— Xbox (@Xbox) August 2, 2024

The news means that the only remaining Xbox console exclusive games planned for the end of 2024 are Age of Mythology Retold (which is out on September 4), Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 (November 19), Towerborne (2024 TBC) and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle (2024 TBC).

It sounds like Obsidian’s anticipated, upcoming Microsoft-exclusive RPG, Avowed, may be delayed out of its originally-planned 2024 release into a 2025 date. That’s according to The Verge’s Tom Warren, who wrote in a (paywalled) piece that development is going just fine, but shuffling release dates of other titles in a stacked back quarter of the year could see Microsoft push the game’s launch out a little.

“I’m hearing that Obsidian is about to announce an Avowed delay to early 2025,” Warren writes. “Obsidian accidentally revealed earlier this year that it was targeting a November launch, but with Xbox exclusive S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 delayed to November, things are getting stacked for Xbox games in the all-important holiday season. I understand Avowed is in good shape, this is more a matter of wanting to give the game breathing room outside of a very busy period for Xbox Game Pass.”

Extending out to also include content coming to other platforms, Xbox does have a busy few months ahead beginning with Age of Mythology Retold and Ara: History Untold, and then Diablo IV: Vessel of Hatred, Call of Duty Black Ops 6, Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl, and somewhere amongst it all Indiana Jones and the Great Circle and Starfield: Shattered Space, among others. It’s a lot to promote and for Game Pass subscribers to consume, and so giving Avowed some breathing room in the early part of next year might be the right move.

Avowed’s Art Director, Matt Hansen, recently described to us the advantages of having not just a bigger potential audience for the game on Game Pass but also a broader pool of players, saying, “We see the reaction from a much wider swathe of perspectives and people than we normally would and we can respond to for the future and grow that much faster as a result…”

“…We can pick and choose what of those things we want to experiment with, but it’s a really wonderful opportunity and I think it’s unlike anything this industry has had the chance to work within before—that broad of an audience. So it’s been very satisfying. Scary, but satisfying.”

The post Avowed Has Officially Been Delayed Into February 2025 appeared first on Press Start.

Xbox has revealed its plans for gamescom 2024 show floor, where fans in attendance at the event in Cologne, Germany from August 21st to 25th will be able to check out its “biggest booth yet.”

There’ll be over 50 games available for fans to try at the Xbox booth, along with photo ops, theatres, experiences and more. First-party games that will be playable at the show include Age of Mythology: Retold, Towerborne, The Elder Scrolls Online: Gold Road, Ara: History Untold and more, while third-party titles include Star Wars Outlaws, Space Marine 2, Atomfall and S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl.

Attendees will also have the opportunity to check out exclusive theatre presentations of Avowed, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle and Starfield: Shattered Space.

And in the event that you can’t make it out to gamescom this year (I get it, us either), Xbox is going to be running livestreams throughout three show days where it’ll spotlight different games each day, along with dedicated Bethesda streams following.

The countdown to @gamescom begins!

? 50+ Games
? Theatre Presentations for Avowed, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle & Starfield: Shattered Space
? 3 days of live broadcasts
? FanFest

And more! Aug 21-25. Get the rundown: https://t.co/Us3C6WRCDH | #xboxgamescom pic.twitter.com/WmkcZ3qc92

— Xbox (@Xbox) August 1, 2024

Here’s when you’ll be able to catch each one and what will be on show:

Wednesday August 21 

• Xbox @ gamescom 2024
  • Start: 11PM AEST / 10.30PM ACST / 9PM AWST
  • Featuring S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl, Atomfall, Age of Mythology, plus others

• Bethesda MainStream 
  • Start: 10PM AEST / 9.30PM ACST / 8PM AWST

Thursday August 22 

• Xbox @ gamescom 2024 
  • Start: 11PM AEST / 10.30PM ACST / 9PM AWST
  • Featuring Star Wars Outlaws, World of Warcraft: The War Within, Towerborne plus others
• Bethesda MainStream 
  • Start: 10PM AEST / 9.30PM ACST / 8PM AWST

Friday August 23 

• Xbox @ gamescom 2024
  • Start: 11PM AEST / 10.30PM ACST / 9PM AWST
  • Featuring Avowed, Ara: History Untold, plus others

• Bethesda MainStream 
  • Start: 10PM AEST / 9.30PM ACST / 8PM AWST

The post Xbox Has Revealed Its Gamescom 2024 Plans With Over 50 Playable Games appeared first on Press Start.

Look, I’m usually quick to roll my eyes at yet another special edition Xbox Wireless Controller design (recent butt-trollers excluded), but every so often the folks running their accessories department just nail it. The last example I can think of is the Remix Special Edition, which was an instant-buy and is my regular controller for anything Game Pass-related.

But damn it, it’s happened again. Although I still can’t fathom why we don’t see more companies cashing in on millennial nostalgia for transparent tech, Xbox has gone and done just that, revealing the Xbox Wireless Controller – Sky Cipher Special Edition.

This all-blue, mostly-see-through number is honestly a looker, combining an transparent outer face and handles with the metallic interior features including visible rumble packs in the handles to really great effect. The top and rear are a darker blue plastic, while the triggers are a metallic blue and the thumbsticks a two-tone vibe. Finally, the rubberised grips under the handles are a lighter blue. It all comes together real nicely.

The Sky Cipher controller also sees the debut of a new packaging design for Xbox controllers does away with single-use plastics and a paper manual (which has been replaced with a QR code linking to a digital quick start guide). The packaging is also now 22% smaller and 21% lighter than before, making for an overall reduction in materials used.

The Xbox Wireless Controller – Sky Cipher Special Edition is available for pre-order right now for an RRP of $99.95, and will launch on August 30th, 2024. You can find pre-order links for local retailers below:

• Xbox Store – $99.95
• JB Hi-Fi –$99
• EB Games – $99.95 ($29 when trading in two selected PS5, Xbox Series X or Switch games)

The post Okay Xbox, You Got Me With The Transparent Special Edition Controller appeared first on Press Start.

Microsoft has revealed a couple of small updates to Discord integration on Xbox, as the hugely-popular social platform continues to be deeper embedded into modern consoles.

These new features, which are currently exclusive to Insider users but should eventually be rolled out widely, allow players to see their Discord friends and channels directly from the console interface and jump into chat, as well as stream their gameplay or watch others’ streams through Discord directly from the Xbox console.

The announcement didn’t provide any indication of when these updates might be rolled out to the general public, but if you’re interested you can find out more about the Insider programme here. Below you’ll find the full descriptions of these additions as per the Xbox Wire blog:

Xbox Insiders – It’s Easier than Ever to Watch, Chat, and Play with Your Friends on Xbox and Discord

See your Discord friends and channels from your Xbox

It’s now easier to see when one of your Discord friends is playing, chatting, or streaming, and you can jump into voice chat with them or watch their stream – all on your Xbox console, without having to use the Discord app on PC or mobile. If your Xbox and Discord accounts are linked, you can opt-in to have your Discord friends included in your Friends list on the Xbox guide by re-linking your accounts. Once you relink your Xbox and Discord accounts, head to the Friends list of the Xbox guide. Your Discord friends will show up on the right side under “Happening now” whenever they are playing a game or chatting in Discord voice.

Watch Discord streams on your Xbox console

You can now watch anyone who is streaming directly on your Xbox console when you’re connected to a Discord call or in a voice channel! Are you having an epic moment you want to share? You can stream your own gameplay to your Discord friends too.

The post Xbox Is Improving Its Discord Integration On Console Including Streaming Support appeared first on Press Start.

Xbox has officially lifted the lid on at least one of the games coming to Xbox Game Pass next month, stopping short of announcing its usually first full batch but pretty much solidifying early leaks of August’s initial line-up.

The confirmed game is Mafia: Definitive Edition, the 2020 remake of the iconic 2002 original, helmed by Hangar 13 and 2K. Mafia: Definitive Edition is going to arrive for subscribers on August 13th.

a re-made classic is on its way@mafiagame Definitive Edition is coming August 13! pic.twitter.com/SubPnun6Kp

— Xbox Game Pass (@XboxGamePass) July 30, 2024

Probably more interesting, is this lends a ton of weight to a series of leaks of potential Game Pass games for August, which included this game along with the Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy and a handful of others. Here’s what those games are believed to be (via Reddit).

• Sopa: Tale of the Stolen Potato – August 6th
• Creatures of Ava – August 7th
• Crash N Sane Trilogy – August 8th
• Mafia: Definitive Edition – August 13th
• Wargroove 2 – August 15th
• Atlas Fallen – August 22nd
• Core Keeper – August 27th

No doubt we’ll have confirmation soon enough of the full, official first batch of Game Pass games for August, and we’ll update when we do!

We gave Mafia: Definitive Edition a healthy 8/10 in our review back at launch, with Toby saying, “Hangar 13’s remake of Mafia is great. The story is as interesting as ever, and only minor technical issues take away from what is otherwise a welcome reintroduction to Tommy Angelo and the Salieri crew. “

The post The First Xbox Game Pass Game For August Has Been Revealed appeared first on Press Start.

Following on today’s launch of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 into the Game Pass library (and the first of what will undoubtedly be many Call of Duty titles), it seems that another title from the stable of Microsoft’s recently-acquired publisher could be headed to the service very shortly.

That’s according to leaker “eXtas1s,” who previously and correctly reported that COD:MW3 was headed to Game Pass, and who at the same time was also predicting that subscribers would soon get the Crash Bandicoot N.Sane Trilogy. Now, they’ve doubled down on that prediction, going as far as claiming an August 8th release date for the 2017 trio of top-down remasters of Crash Bandicoot classics.

While this is obviously still not confirmed and as such is firmly in rumour territory for now, given that this same leaker correctly predicted the arrival of Modern Warfare 3 it’s probably a safe bet to expect to see this happen. Hopefully, Game Pass members will continue to see the fruits of Xbox’s $69 billion USD acquisition of Activision Blizzard with the continued addition of legacy and future titles, especially in the face of recent subscription price hikes, which the FTC is already zeroing in on.

?? 100% CONFIRMADO ?

? Crash Bandicoot n sane trilogy estará disponible en Gamepass el 8 de Agosto de 2024.

Paso a recordarlo porque no puse tweet individual de ello y quizás algunos no han visto el video donde lo mencioné, me doy el lujazo de confirmarlo también. pic.twitter.com/gme4ilOqnX

— eXtas1s ? Noticias & Rumores (@eXtas1stv) July 23, 2024

We gave the Crash Bandicoot N.Sane Trilogy a huge 9/10 all the way back in 2017, with Shannong saying, “The Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy has exceeded my expectations as an overall package. Vicarious Visions have done a really good job at improving the overall presentation of all three games as well as fine-tuning things such as the save system and added time trials. Above all, they’ve accomplished this whilst maintaining the core platforming aspects that made Crash so memorable to begin with. I was worried that these games wouldn’t hold up and would ruin some great memories, but they’ve just reminded me why I’m so passionate about games in the first place.”

The post The Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy Looks To Be Headed To Xbox Game Pass appeared first on Press Start.

Taking the whole “Xbox releases more controllers than games” thing even further than ever, Xbox has revealed it’s releasing a Wolverine controller before PlayStation and Insomniac have released their Wolverine game.

Yep, not to be outdone by his co-lead in the upcoming Deadpool & Wolverine film, Hugh Jackman’s portrayal of the iconic character is also getting a super limited edition arse controller courtesy of Xbox and a global sweepstakes giveaway.

The details on how to enter and secure an Xbox Wireless Controller modelled on Wolverine’s sweet can are yet to be fully detailed, but you’ll apparently need to be keeping an eye on the @Microsoft Instagram account and #MicrosoftCheekySweepstakes to stand a chance at owning this affront to all sensibilities.

You’ll no doubt be able to find all of the usual info, terms and conditions and anything else at the official Xbox Wire blog, but for now we just have this teaser post complete with the reveal of a whole billboard advertising the Wolverine controller erected in Alberta, Canada.

And in case you missed Deadpool’s caked-up moment in the Xbox Wireless Controller spotlight, it’s all to promote the upcoming launch of the new Deadpool & Wolverine film, which hits theatres next week on July 25th, and Xbox has gone ahead and crafted another of its super-limited console and controller dealios to give away to one lucky winner in a sweepstakes.

The console itself looks exciting enough for anyone with a strong enough passion for Deadpool to have it out on display, with a wrap themed on the antihero’s suit and a pair of katana strapped to its back, and of course it comes with that controller.

You can see the controller in more detail in the video below:

The post Of Course There’s Also A Wolverine Version Of The Xbox Arse Controller appeared first on Press Start.

More new Xbox Game Pass subscription tiers may be on the way, including a cloud-only tier and a much-request “family” pass, according to Windows Central’s Jez Corden.

Citing unnamed sources, Corden suggests that Microsoft is working on introducing a cloud-only version of Game Pass that would be cheaper than Game Pass Ultimate and allow players to access Xbox Cloud Streaming from relevant devices. Given the recent debut of its cloud gaming services on Amazon’s Fire TV devices, which significantly lowers the barrier to entry for those wanting to play on a telly, it would make sense that the company would look to offer a cheaper cloud-only subscription to match.

Interestingly, Corden also claims that users on this tier would be able to purchase games outright and play them via the cloud – a feature that is poised to launch later this year – perhaps the two will coincide.

So, what's next for Xbox Game Pass?

After making fundamental changes to the service, @JezCorden offers some insights on what Microsoft is exploring next.

READ: https://t.co/xY5QM22DvR#Xbox #XboxGamePass

— Windows Central (@WindowsCentral) July 22, 2024

Finally, the report on Windows Central points to (admittedly tenuous) rumours that the company is still considering a “Family” style plan for Game Pass. This is something that Xbox has looked into before, running some early tests in years past where users in a very select few regions could sign up a Game Pass Ultimate plan for up to five users for just $24.99 USD. Given the cost increases since, it’s safe to say a newly-introduced family plan wouldn’t be quite that cheap, but it would certainly be a very welcome move for multi-user households and those hoping to divvy up the costs of a subscription.

It remains to be seen what portion of these reported changes to the Game Pass service winds up coming to fruition, if any, but it’s clear that Microsoft is continuing to experiment with and reshape its offering to attempt to get as many eyeballs and hands on Game Pass as it can while it struggles to add new players to its traditional console user base.

The post Xbox Is Reportedly Considering More New Game Pass Tiers Including Cloud-Only appeared first on Press Start.

Following Microsoft’s much-derided recent decision to once again revisit its Xbox/Game Pass subscription model and introduce a new mid-tier membership option while scrapping Game Pass for Console and hiking the price of Game Pass Ultimate to accommodate the addition of day one Call of Duty releases, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has once again jumped back into the conversation with a big ol’ “We told you so!”

The agency, which is still in the midst of appealing the court’s decision last year to allow Microsoft’s $69 billion USD acquisition of Activision Blizzard, wrote in a letter to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, that these changes to Xbox Game Pass represent product degradation and are “exactly the sort of consumer harm” that it had warned about in its case against the merger.

“Product degradation—removing the most valuable games from Microsoft’s new service—combined with price increases for existing users, is exactly the sort of consumer harm from the merger the FTC has alleged,” the letter reads.

“Microsoft’s price increases and product degradation—combined with Microsoft’s reduced investments in output and product quality via employee layoffs, are the hallmarks of a firm exercising market power post-merger.”

“Importantly, Microsoft’s actions are inconsistent with Microsoft’s representations below,” it goes on to add. “Microsoft promised that ‘the acquisition would benefit consumers by making [CoD] available on Microsoft’s Game Pass on the day it is released on console (with no price increase for the service based on the acquisition).’”

the FTC is calling Microsoft's new Xbox Game Pass Standard tier a "degraded product" in a filing with the US Court of Appeals for the 9th circuit. The FTC claims Microsoft is "exercising market power post-merger" of Activision Blizzard pic.twitter.com/Q5tYMAKoN2

— Tom Warren (@tomwarren) July 18, 2024

In a statement, shared here by Verge’s Tom Warren, Microsoft has hit back at the FTC’s comments, saying that it’s wrong to call Game Pass Standard a “degraded” version of the now-discontinued Game Pass for Console subscription. The company argues that despite the lack of day one releases, having multiplayer rolled into the Standard tier still represents a saving and better overall value compared to subscribing to both Game Pass for Console and Game Pass Core/Xbox Live Gold – though I’m not convinced anyone was doing that.

Microsoft also argues that the FTC is only now focusing on subscription, and that its original case was based around the idea that the company would withhold Call of Duty from its competitors. It takes some time out for a bit of thinly-veiled shade as well, saying that “Sony’s subscription service continues to thrive, even as they put few new games into their subscription day-and-date, unlike Microsoft.”

Microsoft has responded to the FTC’s filing about Xbox Game Pass price increases. It calls the FTC’s letter a “misleading, extra-record account of the facts” and says the FTC is wrong to call Game Pass Standard a “degraded” version because it includes multiplayer https://t.co/ocS9yfwSix pic.twitter.com/QXUoViUpoL

— Tom Warren (@tomwarren) July 19, 2024

The post The FTC Has Hit Out At Microsoft Over Xbox Game Pass Price Hikes appeared first on Press Start.

Bethesda Game Studios has revealed a major breakthrough for its workers, announcing that it’s become the first “wall-to-wall” union under the Microsoft Game Studios umbrella with 241 staff across developers, artists, engineers and more joining the Communication Workers of America (CWA) Union.

The news comes as a welcome story of solidarity in the face of an increasingly-unkind industry, especially within Microsoft which has been responsible for some of the largest and highest-profile layoffs in recent months and years. According to reporting from Jason Schreier, Microsoft has recognised the union, and hopefully BSG is the first of many studios to win better protections for its developers.

The union’s full statement on social media reads:

“We, a majority of developers at Bethesda Game Studios Dallas, Rockville, and Austin, are ecstatic to announce the formation of our union with CWA Union. Together as OneBGS USA, we advocate for the betterment of every developer at BGS, setting the new standard for our industry.

“As a democratic organisation, we seek to empower the collective wishes of our studios’ workers; having a safe, sustainable, and equitable work environment for all. Having a proper seat at the discussion table allows us to turn those wishes into reality.

“Joining in solidarity with our fellow members at ZeniMax Workers, OneBGS MTL, and all of CWA Union, we push for increased job security, compensation transparency, and flexibility to continue creating the games we love.

“As we work towards our first contract with Microsoft, we hope you’ll join us in voicing your support as we serve as an example for all, into the next era of game development.”

241 workers at Bethesda Game Studios, the maker of Starfield and Fallout, are unionizing. We’ll likely see many more announcements like this in the coming months and years. Labor in the video game industry has reached a tipping point: pic.twitter.com/gLxzbtHYmX

— Jason Schreier (@jasonschreier) July 19, 2024

Header image: Bethesda

The post Bethesda Game Studios Is Now The First Fully Unionised Microsoft Game Studio appeared first on Press Start.

It’s become a bit of a joke by this point, the whole Xbox releasing dozens of new special edition controllers before it releases a new game thing, but it seems that whoever’s in charge of designing these bits of kit at least knows a golden opportunity when they sit on it.

To promote the upcoming launch of the new Deadpool & Wolverine film, which hits theatres next week on July 25th, Xbox has crafted another of its super-limited console and controller dealios to give away to one lucky winner in a sweepstakes. The console itself looks exciting enough for anyone with a strong enough passion for Deadpool to have it out on display, with a wrap themed on the antihero’s suit and a pair of katana strapped to its back, but it’s the controller that’s really caught folks attention.

In an effort that would make Sir Mix-A-Lot blush, this one-of-a-king Xbox Wireless Controller is putting its best asset… behind. Baby might not have back buttons, but it’s certainly got back. If an Xbox Wireless Controller wore jeans, how would it get all of that in them?

It’s got a big butt, is where I’m going with this.

The appropriately-named Cheeky Controller (I would’ve called it the Bumtroller but that’s just me) along with the limited edition Deadpool & Wolverine Xbox Series X can be won in the usual fashion, by following Xbox on social media and reposting this post. Aussie fans are eligible to enter, although the competition is restricted to folks 18 and older.

You can find all of the usual info, terms and conditions and anything else at the official Xbox Wire post here, and see the controller in more detail in the video below:

The post Xbox’s Latest Limited Edition Controller Is Truly Caked Up appeared first on Press Start.

Remember the Xbox 360? Good time, that. I’m reminded of some of my favourite titles like Viva Pinata, Lost Odyssey and Gears of War 2 whenever I catch a glimpse of the iconic “Blades” that made the console’s early system UI so memorable (and usable!).

Now, with the closure of the Xbox 360’s digital store looming on July 29th, Xbox has brought back the Blades one last time with a new dynamic background for the Xbox Series X|S consoles’ main menu. It’s got that familiar green-and-grey look with the curved tabs peeking out at the sides, suggesting more fun just a slide-transition away, although the background’s “dynamic” nature sadly doesn’t take these into account and simply offers up some faint and mildly-animated circles to embellish the vacant middle lot.

Still, it’s a bit of free nostalgia for those that want it. More importantly, perhaps, it coincides with a final run of discounted digital Xbox 360 games for fans to snap up before the ability to purchase them is taken away entirely. You can find the full list of those right here.

Takes you back, doesn’t it?

Enjoy some sweet nostalgia with the new Xbox 360 Blades dynamic background, available today. pic.twitter.com/AYElkktM9K

— Xbox (@Xbox) July 16, 2024

To get the Xbox 360 Blades background, follow these simple steps:

• Press the Xbox button on your controller to open the guide.
• Navigate to Profile & system > Settings > General > Personalization > My background > Dynamic backgrounds.
• Choose Xbox 360 Blades under Featured or Xbox dynamic backgrounds
• Select the background art you want using the A button.

The post You Can Get The Xbox 360’s Iconic Blades As A Dynamic Background On Series X|S appeared first on Press Start.

Xbox has now revealed the second batch of games headed to Game Pass/Game Pass Ultimate subscribers for the month of July 2024, and it’s one of the smallest and least surprising updates we’ve had – though that’s far from a bad thing. Although it’s not new information, the three new games in the line-up are all day one launches of titles that are unique and compelling in their own way and emblematic of the kinds of experiences that thrive on Game Pass.

Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn is a new action RPG from New Zealand’s own A44 Games, Dungeons of Hinterberg splices Zelda with Persona and the Austrian Alps, and James wrote that Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess “succesfully brings together elements of the tried-and-true strategy and action genres to offer up something truly unique,” in his review.

Take a look at everything coming and going (please play Venba and A Short Hike while you can!) this month:

XBOX GAME PASS JULY 2024

Journey to the Savage Planet (Cloud, Console, and PC) – Available Now
Making a return to the Game Pass library! As an employee of Kindred Aerospace, the 4th best interstellar exploration company, explorers are dropped onto an uncharted, far-off rock filled with danger, mystery and many smelly alien creatures. You’ll have to explore, fight, jump, scavenge, craft and explode your way across an uncharted world to determine if this strange planet is fit for human habitation.

Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 (Cloud, Console, and PC) – Available Now
Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 lets you duke it out with the biggest and best fighting character roster yet! Choose your favorite brawlers, master their unique move sets, and use all-new powerful Supers to land the finishing blow with friends or across a unique, roguelike player campaign!

Cricket 24 (Cloud, Console, and PC) – Available Now
Cricket 24 is the culmination of a decade of Cricket video game development and includes teams from every corner of the globe. Players will be able to take on major cricket nations including Australia and England in the official courses at Ashes, West Indies, New Zealand, Ireland and more, plus for the first time ever, professional Indian T20 teams, all set in over 50 detailed official stadiums.

The Case of the Golden Idol (Cloud, Console, and PC) – Available Now
Mayhem, magic, and murder most foul! Examine clues and use your powers of deduction to solve the twisted mystery of a family’s cursed inheritance and a series of grisly deaths in this point-and-click detective adventure game.

Neon White (Cloud, Console, and PC) – Available Now
A lightning fast first-person action game about exterminating demons in Heaven. You are White, an assassin handpicked from Hell to compete with other demon slayers for a chance to live permanently in Heaven. The other assassins seem familiar, though… did you know them in a past life?

Tchia (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X|S) – Available Now
Climb, glide, swim, and sail your boat around a beautiful archipelago as you explore a physics-driven sandbox. The Xbox version includes the game’s latest update which includes eight new soul melodies, new outfits, and additional perks for wearing matching cosmetic items.

Magical Delicacy (Cloud, Console, and PC) – Available Now
A wholesome pixel art platformer. Cook magical delicacies from a vast collection of ingredients in your own shop. Explore an unfamiliar town and deliver tasty treats to the townsfolk. Learn new ways to traverse, discover secrets, and experience a unique witchy world.

Flock (Cloud, Console, and PC) – Available Now
Flock is a multiplayer co-op game about the joy of flight and collecting adorable flying creatures with your friends. Soar through beautiful landscapes, seeking out rare and elusive creatures to add to your flock.

Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X|S) – July 18
Kill all gods in the upcoming action-RPG from the developers of Ashen! Step into the boots of Nor Vanek, an elite member of the Coalition army, joined by Enki, a fox-like companion, in their quest for vengeance against the Gods. Weave in melee, gunpowder, and magic in rhythmic battles where combos chain together to create a deadly dance.

Dungeons of Hinterberg (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X|S) – July 18
Welcome to Hinterberg, a new tourist hotspot in the idyllic Austrian Alps! There are plenty of dungeons to find and adventures to be had in Hinterberg – will you be sent packing on your first day, or remain to become a Master Slayer? Master magic, solve puzzles, slay monsters; all this and more await you in Hinterberg!

Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess (Cloud, Console, and PC) – July 19
A unique Japanese-inspired, single player Kagura Action Strategy game. The game takes place on a mountain covered by defilement. During the day, purify the villages and prepare yourself for sundown. During the night, protect the Maiden against the hordes of the Seethe. Repeat the day and night cycle until you cleanse the mountain of defilement and return peace to the land.

Leaving Game Pass On July 31

• A Short Hike (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• Train Sim World 4 (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• Venba (Cloud, Console, and PC)

The post The Next Batch Of Xbox Game Pass Games For July Has Been Revealed appeared first on Press Start.

Xbox Game Pass is changing. Prices are going up and the tiers switched up. We dissect the possible reasons behind the change and what it means for the future of Xbox. We also talk about PlayStation’s return to the Tokyo Game Show, The Final Descendant copying Destiny and Palworld’s developers teaming up with Sony.

• Listen on LiSTNR
• Listen on Apple Podcasts
• Listen on Spotify

You can also watch the video version of the podcast below:

00:00 – Intro
00:31 – Shannon’s Banana Pie
01:55 – Apple Vision Pro Impressions
04:11 – Kunitso-Gami: Path Of The Goddess Demo Impressions
07:54 – Xbox Game Pass Changes Explained
20:20 – PlayStation’s Return To TGS
25:21 – Pocket Pal Teams Up With Sony
30:17 – Did The Final Descendant Copy Destiny?
37:31 – Horizon Zero Dawn Netflix Adaptation In Limbo
40:36 – What Sport Do You Want Added To Nintendo Switch Sports?
42:03 – What The Wiki?!
48:18 – Outro

The post What’s Up With The Xbox Game Pass Price Increase? – The Press Start Podcast appeared first on Press Start.

Xbox Game Pass is about to undergo even more changes to its subscription models and prices, only a year or so after Microsoft dropped Xbox Live Gold and introduced the Game Pass Core tier, and just weeks after confirming that the service would be getting a massive shot in the arm with the next Call of Duty title launching into the service on day one.

Now, the company is axing the Game Pass for Console tier as of today, and rolling out a new Xbox Game Pass “Standard” soon which includes back catalogue titles and online multiplayer but doesn’t cover day one releases like the current Console/PC and Ultimate tiers do. On top of this, a number of tiers are getting price increases.

The reporting on changes first came from Windows Central and has been since been verified by Microsoft, with support pages now reflecting the new pricing structure for each region. Here’s what’s changing as of today, July 10th:

• Xbox Game Pass for Console is being removed. Existing users still subscribed will get to keep their subscription but no new sign-ups will happen.
• Instead, the mid-range option will now be Xbox Game Pass Standard which includes “back catalogue” Game Pass content with no Day One releases, and no Xbox Cloud Gaming, but does include Xbox Live multiplayer. It’ll cost $14.99 USD per month (Aussie pricing TBD) and be introduced “in the coming months.”
• Xbox Game Pass Ultimate is getting a price increase to $22.95 per month, up from $18.95.
• PC Game Pass is increasing to $13.95 per month, up from $10.95
• Xbox Game Pass Core is getting an annual price increase to $89.95 per year, up from $79.95.
• It will no longer be possible to stack Game Pass subscriptions for longer than 13 months. If you currently have more time stacked it will remain that way.

While the price increases will occur for new subscriptions starting today, existing members will see their rates update on September 12th provided their membership is still current.

We’ll continue to update this story as we hear more, but one quick and easy recommendation for current Game Pass enjoyers is to take advantage of the current pricing and stack up time while you can. You can get pre-paid cards for Game Pass Ultimate from Amazon with instant digital delivery below:

• Xbox Game Pass Ultimate 1 Month Subscription – $18.95 (will soon be $22.95)
• Xbox Game Pass Ultimate 3 Month Subscription – $56.95
• Xbox Game Pass Core 12 Month – $79.95 (will soon be $89.95)

The post Xbox Game Pass Is Getting Price Increases Along With A New “Standard” Tier appeared first on Press Start.

After announcing the feature late last month, Xbox has launched its app for Amazon’s range of Fire TV sticks, enabling an incredibly affordable entry point to Xbox Cloud Gaming on any HDMI-capable device for Game Pass Ultimate subscribers.

Both the Fire TV Stick 4K and the Fire TV Stick 4K Max have access to the Xbox app , allowing Xbox Game Pass Ultimate members in over 25 supported regions to access the library of available games from just about any TV or monitor. It is, essentially, what Xbox’s scrapped “Keystone” streaming device (early concept images of which just started circulating online) would have done only it’s ready for a device that’s affordable and that millions of people already have.

The app can be downloaded now and will work a number of different Bluetooth-enabled wireless controllers aside from an official Xbox Wireless Controller, including the PS5’s DualSense or the PS4’s DualShock 4. It’s clear that Xbox is intent on breaking down as many barriers as possible to get Game Pass and cloud gaming onto every screen imaginable, and this is definitely looking like the most attainable version of that yet.

Here’s everything you’ll need to get going and instructions on how to get started:

How To Get Xbox Cloud Gaming/Game Pass On Amazon Fire TV Devices

To start playing the huge library of Xbox games available on the Xbox app for select Amazon Fire TV devices, you’ll need the following:

A compatible Amazon Fire TV device:

• Fire TV Stick 4K (available here for $79)
• or the Fire TV Stick 4K Max (available here for $119)

A compatible, Bluetooth-enabled wireless controller:

• Xbox Wireless Controller (available here from $75)
• Xbox Adaptive Controller (available here for $129.99)
• PS5 DualSense Wireless Controller (available here from $89)
• PS4 DualShock 4 Wireless Controller (available here from $72)

Xbox Game Pass Ultimate Subscription (available here for $18.95)

Once you’ve got these, simply do the following:

• Set up the Fire TV device (if not already)
• Install and launch the Xbox app from your Fire TV
• Sign in with your Microsoft account to play (or create one if you haven’t) and ensure you’ve subscribed/redeemed a subscription to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate
• Connect a compatible wireless controller, including but not limited to Xbox Wireless Controller, Xbox Adaptive Controller, PlayStation DualSense, or DualShock 4 controller
• Get playing!

The post Xbox Cloud Gaming Is Now Available On Amazon Fire TV Sticks appeared first on Press Start.

Update 10:49: Microsoft has confirmed that Xbox Live services and sign-in should now be up and running as usual, following an outage that lasted more than six hours. At the time of writing, the Xbox status page still shows a major outage in progress, so some things may still be wonky, but it seems that for the most part everything is back to normal!

Users should no longer be encountering issues signing in to Xbox Live and services. Thank you for your patience, game on! https://t.co/jw7EOmyyoL

— Xbox Support (@XboxSupport) July 3, 2024

You’re not alone if you’ve tried to log onto your Xbox console, Xbox Cloud Gaming or the Xbox App for PC and been met with errors and blank pages. The service is currently suffering a major outage and Microsoft is continuing to investigate.

According to Down Detector and Xbox’s own status page, the issues have been going since about 4AM and the most recent update from Microsoft simply states that a fix is “taking longer than expected.”

The issue looks to be with Xbox’s user sign-in service, which is naturally critical to performing most functions. The status page message reads, “You may not be able to sign-in to your Xbox profile, may be disconnected while signed in, or have other related problems. Features that require sign-in like most games, apps and social activity won’t be available.”

We are aware that some users have been disconnected from Xbox Live. We're investigating! Please follow here and on our status page for updates. https://t.co/kQKp1MgssY

— Xbox Support (@XboxSupport) July 2, 2024

We’ll endeavour to give you an update when things return to normal.

The post [UPDATED] Xbox Live Is Currently Down appeared first on Press Start.

Xbox has just announced a brand-new way to access Xbox gaming without a console, and it’s also one of the simplest and most attainable solutions yet – Amazon’s range of Fire TV sticks.

Both the Fire TV Stick 4K and the Fire TV Stick 4K Max will get access to the Xbox app , allowing Xbox Game Pass Ultimate members in over 25 supported regions to access the library of available games from just about any TV or monitor. It is, essentially, what Xbox’s scrapped “Keystone” streaming device (early concept images of which just started circulating online) would have done only it’s ready for a device that’s affordable and that millions of people already have.

The app will be available for the two Fire TV sticks “soon,” and will work a number of different Bluetooth-enabled wireless controllers aside from an official Xbox Wireless Controller, including the PS5’s DualSense or the PS4’s DualShock 4. It’s clear that Xbox is intent on breaking down as many barriers as possible to get Game Pass and cloud gaming onto every screen imagineable, and this is definitely looking like the most attainable version of that yet.

Here’s everything you’ll need to get going and instructions on how to get started once the app is available:

How To Get Xbox Cloud Gaming/Game Pass On Amazon Fire TV Devices

To start playing the huge library of Xbox games available on the Xbox app for select Amazon Fire TV devices (once available), you’ll need the following:

A compatible Amazon Fire TV device:

• Fire TV Stick 4K (available here for $79)
• or the Fire TV Stick 4K Max (available here for $119)

A compatible, Bluetooth-enabled wireless controller:

• Xbox Wireless Controller (available here for $69)
• Xbox Adaptive Controller (available here for $129.99)
• PS5 DualSense Wireless Controller (available here for $79)
• PS4 DualShock 4 Wireless Controller (available here for $78)

Xbox Game Pass Ultimate Subscription (available here for $18.95)

Once you’ve got these, simply do the following:

• Set up the Fire TV device (if not already)
• Install and launch the Xbox app from your Fire TV
• Sign in with your Microsoft account to play (or create one if you haven’t) and ensure you’ve subscribed/redeemed a subscription to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate
• Connect a compatible wireless controller, including but not limited to Xbox Wireless Controller, Xbox Adaptive Controller, PlayStation DualSense, or DualShock 4 controller
• Get playing!

The post Xbox Cloud Gaming Is Coming To Amazon Fire TV Devices appeared first on Press Start.

Xbox’s scrapped cloud streaming device, which would have allowed users to access Xbox Cloud Gaming/Game Pass via any display with a HDMI port, has resurfaced after a filed patent with early concept images was found and shared by Windows Central.

Known under the prototype name of “Keystone,” it was essentially a streaming box for Xbox games that would’ve made Game Pass accessible to players without the need for a console or PC (or compatible device like Samsung TVs and Meta Quest headsets). Phil Spencer confirmed that the company had ultimately shelved the idea after it realised a price point of around $99-129 USD wasn’t achievable.

Now thanks to the the patent, which was filed back in 2022, we can get a better idea of what the Keystone would’ve actually looked like. The sketches show something that essentially looks like someone sliced a bottom portion off of an Xbox Series X console and then skinned it to match the Series S. We even have a good indication that it would’ve come in the same white colour as the Series S thanks to Spencer’s shelf-loving leaks previously giving us a look at the unit in the real world.

Image: United States Patent and Trademark Office

We can see via the images that the Keystone would’ve featured a simple layout with the Xbox logo/power button and a USB-A port on the front, a power connector, HDMI port and ethernet jack on the back, and a wireless controller sync button on one side.

The patent doesn’t divulge any info around the device’s internal hardware, operating system or capabilities, but it’s easy to assume that it might have been a basic Android device configured to only run a custom Xbox interface giving access to cloud gaming services, similar to something like the PlayStation Portal.

The company has stated multiple times that its vision is to turn every screen into an Xbox, so it’s doubtful this is the last we’ll see of this idea.

The post Patent Images Of Xbox’s Scrapped Game Streaming Box Have Surfaced Online appeared first on Press Start.

Xbox, along with one of its high-profiled owned studios, Blizzard, has confirmed it’ll be in attendance at Gamescom 2024, following the news that neither Nintendo or PlayStation will be at the show.

The company revealed the news via a post on X (formerly Twitter), confirming that it’ll be bringing its “biggest booth yet” to this year’s event, which runs from August 21st to August 25th.

Attendees can expect to see Age of Mythology: Retold, Avowed, Ara: History Untold, Diablo IV: Vessel of Hatred, Diablo Immortal, The Elder Scrolls Online, Fallout 76, Towerborne and World of Warcraft: The War Within, though more titles are reportedly to come.

But you want to know about the games, huh?

Just a few you can expect to see: Age of Mythology: Retold, Avowed, Ara: History Untold, Diablo IV: Vessel of Hatred, Diablo Immortal, The Elder Scrolls Online, Fallout 76, Towerborne & World of Warcraft: The War Within. More to come!

— Xbox (@Xbox) June 20, 2024

Blizzard Entertainment says it will have “a robust footprint” alongside other Xbox studios in the Xbox booth.

“We are incredibly excited to bring Warcraft, Diablo, and Overwatch to our European community at gamescom,” said Johanna Faries, President of Blizzard Entertainment, in a statement.

“It’s wonderful to be able to travel to Cologne alongside some of our talented developers so that we can gather with players and celebrate the special connections that continue to be forged within our universes together.”

German website “Games Wirtschaft” reported a statement recently from Sony Interactive Entertainment confirming that it has no plans to exhibit at this year’s event, effectively ruling PlayStation out of the picture unless it decides to take part in some other way (a sponsorship or some other marketing activity around the event). The company simply said, “Sony Interactive currently has no plans to exhibit at Gamescom 2024.”

Nintendo had also already confirmed it won’t be at the event for 2024, despite having just shown off a pretty exciting slate of games for the coming months. Xbox hasn’t made any confirmations yet, but the company usually has a pretty big presence at Gamescom so it would make sense for that to continue.

Last year’s Opening Night Live showcase wasn’t a huge show for brand-new-announcements but did bring some pretty exciting looks at then-upcoming titles like Starfield, Alan Wake 2, Assassin’s Creed Mirage, Tekken 8 and Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty to name a few.

The post Xbox And Blizzard Have Confirmed Their Gamescom 2024 Attendance appeared first on Press Start.

Another night, another showcase. Following some pretty packed but relatively quiet presentations from both Sony and Geoff Keighley earlier this week, it was up to Xbox to start this week off right.

Did they deliver? I’m not sure yet, I’m writing this before everything begins, but let’s see where we end up by the end of this.

Hopefully Perfect Dark shows up. Wouldn’t that be nice? Or even Banjo. Please. It’s 1AM. Give a man some joy in his life.

Anyway, here’s all the announcements from Xbox’s showcase.

ALL OF THE XBOX GAMES SHOWCASE 2024 ANNOUNCEMENTS

We FINALLY Saw Some Decent Footage Of The Metal Gear Solid 3 Remake

While it’s still lacking that hazy look of the original, this is looking much MUCH better than previously. This is one of the best games ever, so you all owe yourselves to play it. Especially you, Ewan. Unfortunately, no release date was announced. So it’s probably 2025.

The First Footage Of Perfect Dark Was Shown And It’s Looking Better Than I Expected

The game is looking mighty fine and sees Joanna trying to rescue Carrington in a village. There’s lots of tech and all the great things you’d expect to see in a great spy-fi setting. It hasn’t been dated yet, but let’s hope it’s coming in 2025. (It’s probably not).

We Got A Proper And Longer Look At The New Fable And It’s Looking Authentic

The game looks to be capturing the essence of the original games, which is a bit of a relief. It’s releasing in 2025 and will be available on Game Pass at launch.

A Brand New DOOM Game Was Announced And It’s Going Medieval

I’m genuinely not sure how they’re going to top the sheer amount of variety in the encounters of Doom Eternal, but it’s looking like a might fine romp through the medieval ages. Doomguy even gets a snazzy new shield and a mace. What more could you want? It’s called DOOM: The Dark Ages and it’s releasing in 2025. Platforms weren’t confirmed, but it is coming to Game Pass on release.

The Show Opened With A Trailer And Release Date For The New Call Of Duty Campaign

The trailer featured Bill Clinton and The Prodigy—not two things I thought I’d ever see together. I’m not sure why they opened with this when they had a separate presentation for it soon after, but oh well. It’s looking very dynamic, as always. It’s due out on October 25th and, as previously revealed, will be available on Game Pass on the first day.

We Finally Got A Proper Look At State Of Decay 3 And It’s Very Different To The Other Games

The game looks to have received an upgrade in both scope and scale when compared o the first two State of Decay games and will continue to focus on the human experience and survivorship of those left behind during an apocalypse. Hopefully it moves the series forward. It also wasn’t dated, but it’s coming to Game Pass on release.

EA Teased Our First Look At The Companions You’ll Get To Travel With In The New Dragon Age

It’s looking much better than I expected, if a bit more stylised than the previous Dragon Age games. The game was recently renamed from Dreadwolf to Veilguard and we are still due for a gameplay reveal later this week. It’s out in the third quarter of 2024.

The First Starfield Expansion Already Looks Infinitely More Interesting Than The Game Itself

That art direction is something else and actually feels like an alien world. If you’d forgotten, it’s called Shattered Space, and it’s coming later this year. There’s also new content hitting the game tonight, if that’s your thing.

Yet Another Fallout 76 Update Is Coming If You’re Still Playing It

The new map is a brand new region of Appalachia. You’ll be able to play as a Ghoul soon too. As I’ve always wanted to. It’s out on June 12th.

A Really Unique Looking Fantasy RPG Was Shown From A Brand New Team

The game features a unique battle system that looks to blur the line between real-time and turn-based. And it’s gorey. Love that! It’s called Expedition 33 and it’s out in 2025. It’s also coming to Game Pass on release.

Compulsion Games Rocked Up To Show Us The First Gameplay Of South Of Midnight

The game uses a hyper-stylised, stop-motion look and sees our protagonist Hazel talking to a giant talking catfish in a bayou in a Southern Gothic world. It’s got an immense amount of style, but hopefully, it plays a bit better than Compulsion’s previous game >_>. It’s out in 2025. As expected, it’s on Game Pass too.

Blizzard Showed Us A Flashy CG Trailer For The Next World Of Warcraft Expansion

Elves and shit are cool I think. 26th August 2024. PC only, still.

The Next Content Drop For Sea Of Thieves Was Detailed And Now You Can Be A Meanie To Other Pirates

It’s a good day if you like skeletons with glowing eyes. The new update allows you to officially become a villain and not just do it on the sly anymore. It’s hitting on July 25th.

We Got A Better Look At Flintlock And A Release Date Announcement

The game was previously shown at the 2022 Xbox Showcase and is described as a “souls-lite”, which means….well…I don’t know. It’s out on the 18th of July and while it’s coming to all platforms, it’s launching on Game Pass.

Age Of Mythologies Is Getting A Redux And It’s Looking Fine

It’s a remake of Age Of Mythologies. It’s coming to Game Pass for PC on September 4th.

An Intro Cinematic From The Diablo IV Expansion Was Shown Off

I’m happy for you if you’re a Diablo fan. It’s out on October 8th.

Yet Another 5v5 Shooter Is On The Way If That’s Your Thing

This one is called Fragpunk. Maybe soon there will be enough 5v5 shooters that we can eventually make a game where each of the games can fight against each other in a 5v5 match. It’s out in 2025.

A Cosy Game With A Rat Is Also Coming If That Is Also Your Thing

The music and the art style is super cute. It’s not for me, as you’ve probably guessed, but I like the vibe. Squeak squeak. It’s called Winter Burrow and it’s out in early 2025. And on Game Pass.

A Hipster Bait Game Called Mixtape Was Shown

It’s honestly got the perfect sense of ~~vibes~~ and I think it’ll be fun honestly. It’s out in 2025 and is coming to Game Pass.

A New Flight Simulator Expansion Is Coming If You Want To Escape From The Horrors Of The Real World Again

You can see the aurora borealis. And other stuff too. It’s called the 2024 update, imaginatively. And it’s out on November 19th.

A New Flight Simulator Expansion Is Coming If You Want To Escape From The Horrors Of The Real World Again

You can see the aurora borealis. And other stuff too. It’s called the 2024 update, imaginatively. And it’s out on November 19th.

Elder Scrolls Online Has Been Around For A While Now So You Can Celebrate That If You Want

A majority of the DLC will be free for a bit too. Wow. 10 years. That’s a long time. And lots of expansions. Well done.

Max Caulfield Is Making A Return In An Unexpected Way In A New Life Is Strange Game

It’s a continuation of Max’s story from the original Life Is Strange. She’s solving murders now? Very dynamic and unexpected. It’s out on October 29th 2024 but it will be episodic.

We Got An Even Longer Look At The New Indiana Jones Game With The Simple Name

The game features Troy Baker imitating Harrison Ford as they go on a jetsetting adventure around the world. We also got to see some snowy gameplay, which is cool. Literally. lol.  It’s out this year. And on Game Pass.

Some Intense As All Hell Mech Battle Game Got A Look In

You can play as mechs you can customise which also turn into like harrier jets and stuff. This is the type of things you’d say “hell yeah” at, or however that meme goes. It’s not for me but it does look pretty fricking intense so maybe I’ll give it a shot. See how I’ve come around to it already? It’s called Mecha Break and it’s out in 2025, but there is a beta running in August 2024.

Yet Another Action RPG With A Girl Fighting Grotesque Demonic Enemies Was Shown

I’m not sure about this one, but the enemy designs seem cool. It’s called Wuchang Fallen Feathers and it’s out in 2025. It’s also on Game Pass.

Avowed Got A Gameplay Trailer But Still No Release Date Which Personally Perturbs Me

It’s looking better and better with every showing, but I can’t help but feel we should have a date by now. It’s still on track for 2024 and it’s out on Game Pass too.

Rebellion Is Turning The Horrors Of Being British Into A Videogame, Kind Of

It’s a survival game set in a post-apocalyptic Britain from the team who brought us Strange Brigade and all those Zombie Army Trilogy games. It’s called Atomfall. It’s out in 2025.

Ubisoft Teased Us With A Little Bit Of Assassin’s Creed Shadows Gameplay

It’s looking great and is certainly carving out it’s own niche amongst all of these Asia-inspired action RPGs. Those black and white takedowns look amazing too. It’s still due in November later this year. You’ll probably be able to see more of it at the Ubisoft Forward tomorrow.

A Nice Chunk Of STALKER 2 Gameplay Was Shown Off And A Release Date Was Finally Revealed

This is really one of those games you need to live in and lose yourself in, but it’s looking mighty fine at this point. It’s out on September 5th and it’s also on Game Pass.

A Whole Bunch Of New Xbox Series X and S Consoles Were Revealed

The console manufacturer revealed a digital 1TB Xbox Series X, a special edition 2TB Galaxy Patterned Series X and a 1TB white Series S.

The Show Was Closed With A Sneak Peek At A Brand New Gears Of War (But It’s A Prequel)

Gears 5 was genuinely good, even if I’ve checked out of the story at this point. But the new game looks to be taking things to a more urban setting. It’s called Gears of War E-Day, but it wasn’t dated just yet.

The post All Of The Xbox Games Showcase 2024 Announcements appeared first on Press Start.

Xbox has now revealed the first bundle of games headed to Game Pass/Game Pass Ultimate subscribers for the start of June 2024, and it’s a relatively slim start to the month almost as many games leaving as arriving. Still, the day one release of Still Wakes the Deep should be exciting for horror/walking sim fans and the surprise drops of both Octopath Traveler and the newly-minted Xbox version of its sequel are nice to have.

It’s a shame though to see High on Life, a game that is emblematic of the value of Game Pass, is leaving on the 15th.

Take a look at everything coming and going so far this month:

XBOX GAME PASS JUNE 2024

Octopath Traveler (Cloud, Console, and PC) – Available Now
Making a return to the Game Pass library today! Embark on an epic journey across the vast and wondrous world of Orsterra and discover the captivating stories of each of the eight travelers. Use each character’s distinctive abilities in and out of battle and make decisions to shape your path.

Octopath Traveler II (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X|S) – Available Now
In this critically acclaimed second title in the Octopath Traveler series, eight new travelers venture forth into an exciting new era in the land of Solistia. Step into their shoes and explore the land as you see fit, using their unique talents to aid you along your journey in this role-playing adventure.

Depersonalization (PC) – June 12
A tabletop role-playing game inspired by Call of Cthulhu with rich branching narratives. Depersonalization consists of multiple story modes, each of which has multiple endings and branching routes, striving to build a diverse, themed world.

Isonzo (Cloud, Console, and PC) – June 13
Ferocious Alpine warfare will test your tactical skills in this authentic WWI first-person shooter. Fight high-altitude battles among the scenic peaks, rugged valleys and idyllic towns of Northern Italy. The Great War on the Italian Front is brought to life and elevated to unexpected heights!

The Callisto Protocol (Cloud, Console, and PC) – June 13
Survive to escape the horrors of Callisto. Use a unique blend of shooting and brutal close-quarters melee combat to fight your way through the maximum-security Black Iron Prison. Battle evolving inhuman creatures, scavenge for new weapons and uncover the conspiracy lurking on Jupiter’s Dead Moon.

Still Wakes the Deep (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X|S) – June 18
From the award-winning developers at The Chinese Room comes a terrifying tale of isolation. You are trapped on an oil rig in the North Sea, running from an unknowable horror that has come aboard. With no escape and no way to fight back, all you can do is survive.

Leaving Game Pass On June 15

• Bramble: The Mountain King (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• High on Life (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• Rune Factory 4 Special (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• Spacelines from the Far Out (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• The Bookwalker (Cloud, Console, and PC)

The post The First Batch Of Xbox Game Pass Games For June Has Been Revealed appeared first on Press Start.

After early ratings somewhat broke the news early, Ember Lab, developer of the gorgeous little action adventure, Kena: Bridge of Spirits, has finally revealed that the game is finally making its way to Xbox consoles.

Kena will launch for Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One on August 15th, after being a PlayStation and PC exclusive since it first debuted in 2021.

Those who pick up the game for Xbox consoles will be able to access some exclusive in-game content including pirate-themed Rot hats, as well as a unique staff for Kena and a Golden Rot skin. A physical edition is also coming, which will feature the game, a digital soundtrack, and a sticker sheet. The game will also come with the Anniversary DLC update, which adds a New Game Plus mode among other handy new features and improvements.

“We’re thrilled to bring the story of Kena to a new audience on Xbox platforms,” writes Ember Lab’s CFO, Josh Grier, in an accompanying press release. “As our debut game, Kena means a great deal to everyone at the studio and the team is excited to share Kena’s journey with more players—we really hope everyone enjoys meeting Kena and her Rot friends!”

I gave Kena: Bridge of Spirits a solid 8/10 in my review when it first dropped on PS5 and PC, saying, “As an indie effort and a debut game, Kena: Bridge of Spirits makes a good impression. It balances simplicity and challenge while weaving a neatly-paced story into something that can be played over a chill couple of days. Despite fantastic production values it’s still far from a AAA title – so it’s important to keep expectations in check, but anyone looking to lose themselves in a charming, gorgeous world ripe for exploration should look no further. It’s exactly what I needed right now – perfect cozy weekend entertainment.”

The post Kena: Bridge Of Spirits Is Finally Coming To Xbox appeared first on Press Start.

UPDATE: Xbox has sent out a pre-mature push notification via the Xbox Game Pass app that Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 will indeed be coming to Xbox Game Pass day one. This is apparently going to be officially confirmed on the Xbox Wire later tonight.

Breaking: Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 will be on Xbox Game Pass on Day One

Xbox app has sent a notification earlier than expected this morning to some users. Official announcement expected in a few hours pic.twitter.com/6q5nDGv0JN

— CharlieIntel (@charlieINTEL) May 28, 2024

ORIGINAL STORY: One of the biggest questions surrounding Microsoft’s embattled $69 billion USD takeover of Activision Blizzard has been the fate of the Call of Duty franchise, and specifically whether the company would make the bold move to include the games in its Game Pass subscription as they launched.

That question, if a recent report from The Verge is to be believed, had still been a big one within Microsoft until quite recently, with the outlet claiming that it was still being decided as to how it might safely integrate Call of Duty – a series that typically sells millions upon millions of copies at full whack – into something like Game Pass. One idea was supposedly to raise the price of the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate tier again, and include it there.

Outside of what The Verge has said though, a new report from The Wall Street Journal says (according to sources familiar with the matter) that Microsoft has indeed made a call, and will be announcing during its upcoming Xbox and Call of Duty Redacted Showcase that the next major title in the series, believed to be a new Black Ops game, will most certainly be included in at least one Xbox Game Pass tier.

Microsoft plans a major shakeup of its videogame sales strategy by releasing the coming installment of Call of Duty to its subscription service instead of the longtime, lucrative approach of only selling it a la carte https://t.co/TkrlhvY0z5 https://t.co/TkrlhvY0z5

— The Wall Street Journal (@WSJ) May 17, 2024

If true, it’ll certainly be a big deal for both Xbox and Call of Duty, and after last year’s rather disastrous Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III it might actually be just the ticket to get fans back on board without committing to a full purchase. Though Microsoft has naturally not commented on anything and likely won’t until next month’s event, you can read WSJ’s report (behind a paywall) here.

If you’re keen to find out one way or the other as soon as it’s announced, you can find all of the details and local times to watch the Xbox Games Showcase 2024 in our guide to all of June’s big gaming showcases right here.

The post Xbox Just Sent Out A Push Notification Confirming Call Of Duty Blacks Op 6 Is Coming To Game Pass appeared first on Press Start.

Frequent Xbox/Microsoft leaker Jez Corden (a “Tier 2 – Generally Reliable Source” according to Reddit’s tracking of prominent leakers) has made some fairly bold claims over the weekend, taking to social media to say that the future of Xbox console hardware could, in fact, come from more places than just Microsoft.

Corden says that the next iteration of official Xbox hardware, which Microsoft has gone on record as calling the “biggest technological leap ever in a generation,” will lean more into the Windows ecosystem than ever and that it will serve as a “reference” device for third party manufacturers to make their own devices. As pointed out by wccftech, this ties nicely into earlier rumours that development of the next Xbox device was being led by the Microsoft Surface team, which has experience in pioneering new Windows tech in first-party “reference” devices.

That also potentially links back to those much earlier Xbox leaks from the company’s FTC case, which alluded to the company exploring ARM processors for a new console – something that the newly-announced Surface range has and could drastically change the approach to hardware form factor including handhelds.

The comments from Corden come in response to a larger thread concerning earlier leaks of Xbox’s plans, some of which have also turned out to be correct over the course of recent weeks and months. His reply to the question of whether one of the supposed bits of leaked info, which claims that Xbox was in talks with other manufacturers to design and sell their own “Xbox” consoles, reads:

“The next Xbox has a heavy Windows slant and will be a reference device for manufacturers making devices like the ASUS ROG Ally most likely. Like Surface Pro 11 is a reference device for AI PCs.”

https://twitter.com/JezCorden/status/1794219028598153613

Of course, without knowing more and with no comment from Microsoft it’s hard to say whether Corden’s comments are accurate and if they are, what they might mean in real terms, but while the idea of third-party versions of an Xbox home console might seem like a stretch, the real benefit would be the opening of doors for manufacturers like ASUS ROG or MSI to make their own “Xbox” handhelds that might even natively play your Xbox library.

The post The Next Xbox Will Be A “Reference” For Devices From Other Manufacturers According To A Reliable Leaker appeared first on Press Start.

Toys For Bob has updated its website simply showing off a purple Tiki that is reminiscent of Aku Aku from Crash Bandicoot series prompting people to believe that an announcement for a new Crash Bandicoot game is on the way.

Pulling out the image link does indeed confirm that it is a Tiki mask as well – “TFB_LogoVector_TikiMask-purple”.

It’s a cheeky tease though, as obviously the purple is Tiki which ties into the other new game that they could be working on in Spyro The Drago, so it’ll be interesting to see if it’s maybe a crossover game, or something to throw us off all together.

Toys for Bob has updated their website to a simple purple Tiki mask.

New Crash Bandicoot on the way? ?https://t.co/OMR8u4avzX pic.twitter.com/yKKJjwzGpT

— KAMI (@Okami13_) May 15, 2024

Interestingly enough, Toys for Bob recently announced that it is going independent but it’s been reported that their first game as an independent studio is being developed for Xbox to produce “something along the lines of what the company has produced in the past”.

Toys For Bob has recently been behind Crash Bandicoot 4, the Spyro remasters as well as Skylanders, so this definitely fits the mould of the tease on the website.

If this is to be true, it’s expected that it’ll be revealed at the Xbox Games Showcase in the second week of June, and it’s more than likely that the next Crash and/or Spyro games could indeed be exclusive to the Xbox.

The post A New Crash Bandicoot Game Looks To Be Being Teased appeared first on Press Start.

Xbox Game Pass had already delivered some banger games in May including the likes of Little Kitty, Big City but the company has just announced a heap more that are on the way. These include the likes of Hellblade II (which we already knew about oobviously) as well as Immortals of Aveum and The Lords of the Fallen.

XBOX GAME PASS GAMES FOR REST OF MAY

• Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• Chants of Sennaar (Cloud, Console, and PC) – May 15
• EA Sports NHL 24 (Cloud) EA Play – May 16
• Immortals of Aveum (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X|S) EA Play – May 16
• Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X|S) – May 21
• Galacticare (Cloud, PC, Xbox Series X|S) – May 23
• Hauntii (Cloud, Console, and PC) – May 23
• Moving Out 2 (Cloud, Console, and PC) – May 28
• Humanity (Cloud, Console, and PC) – May 30
• Lords of the Fallen (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X|S) – May 30
• Firework (PC) – June 4
• Rolling Hills (Cloud, Console, and PC) – June 4

GAMES LEAVING XBOX GAME PASS ON MAY 31ST

• Chicory: A Colorful Tale (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• Farworld Pioneers (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: All-Star Battle (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• Pac-man Museum Plus (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• Little Witch in the Woods (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• Railway Empire II (Cloud, Console, and PC)

The post A Bunch More Xbox Game Pass Games Have Been Confirmed For May appeared first on Press Start.

Although it had already flagged its intentions to wedge its way into the duopoly of mobile gaming storefronts currently led by Apple and Google in the past, Microsoft has now revealed its intent to launch its own mobile game store ecosystem as soon as July this year.

As Bloomberg reports, Xbox president Sarah Bond announced the first details of the store rollout during this week’s Bloomberg Technology Summit in San Francisco, where it was revealed that the store will launch with Microsoft’s own (and recently-acquired) titles like Candy Crush Saga, where users will get discounts on in-game items as an incentive to buy into its own service. The store will then be opened up to other publishers at a later date.

It’ll also debut on web first, rather than a native app, which Bond says is being done to ensure it’s “accessible across all devices, all countries, no matter what, independent of the policies of closed ecosystem stores.”

Currently, the giants of Apple and Google notoriously charge fees up to around 30% for all transactions made via their platforms, and Apple in particular hasn’t exactly been willing to let others compete on its devices. That idea is beginning to shift with things like the European Union’s Digital Markets Act, which has made it possible for other companies to launch competing storefronts in the regions where the Act applies. The idea of something like a Microsoft-run store would be to reduce the costs associated with selling on App Store or Google Play Store and entice customers to its own store with lower prices or added benefits.

It’s also a key piece of the company’s long battle to acquire Activision Blizzard King, which was finalised last year and means it already has ownership of a stable of mobile games like Candy Crush and Call of Duty Mobile. Minecraft was also flagged by Bond as a potential addition.

Of course, this news comes in the midst of a media shitstorm after Xbox closed a handful of its studios, including beloved teams like Arkane Austin and Tango Gameworks. The move has been widely criticised, especially in the case of Tango with its most recent title, Hi-Fi RUSH, being a critical darling, award-winner and – by Xbox’s own accounts – a measured success.

A further comment from head of Xbox Game Studios, Matt Booty, to employees at ZeniMax that cited a desire for “smaller games that give us prestige and awards,” added insult to injury in the wake of the closure of a studio that had just delivered that exact thing. When asked about the closure of Tango in the face of its public success during the Bloomberg Live discussion, Bond looked visibly unprepared for the line of questioning and offered up nearly 60 seconds of a non-answer. You can see that moment and the rest of the discussion in the video below:

The post Xbox Is Launching Its Own Mobile Game Store In July To Compete With Apple And Google appeared first on Press Start.

Xbox is still fielding one of its biggest public image nightmares in recent memory after it was revealed that it made the decision to close a number of Bethesda’s studios, including Prey and Redfall developer Arkane Austin as well as Tango Gameworks, which produced last year’s incredible Hi-Fi RUSH among the likes of Ghostwire: Tokyo and The Evil Within.

Now, Ash Parrish at The Verge has reported on a particularly frustrating detail with the head of Xbox Game Studios, Matt Booty, allegedly highlighting a need for smaller, award-winning games in a town hall held with ZeniMax/Bethesda staff the very next day to discuss the future of Xbox.

“We need smaller games that give us prestige and awards,” employees were reportedly told according to information shared with the outlet. A noble goal, sure, but one that flies pretty swiftly in the face of the news that Tango, which had produced a small, prestigious and award-winning game just last year, was put on the chopping block.

It’s another very curious insight into the situation at Tango Gameworks, with the company publicly praising Hi-Fi RUSH on multiple occasions, very recently porting it to PlayStation and even responding to doubts about its commercial success with VP of Xbox Games Marketing, Aaron Greenberg, having previously said, “Hi-Fi RUSH was a break out hit for us and our players in all key measurements and expectations. We couldn’t be happier with what the team at Tango Gameworks delivered with this surprise release.”

Microsoft says it needs games like Hi-Fi Rush the day after killing its studio https://t.co/HmUcANeBgg

— The Verge (@verge) May 8, 2024

Bloomberg has also reported more details around this town hall with ZeniMax staff, saying that Booty praised Hi-Fi Rush but wasn’t able or willing to specify why the company had chosen Tango as a candidate for closure. Booty had apparently said that the division was spread too thin, and that the cuts were made to free up resources and lessen the load on leadership.

Jill Braff, head of ZeniMax studios, has been recorded (as heard by Bloomberg) as saying in the town hall, “It’s hard to support nine studios all across the world with a lean central team with an ever-growing plate of things to do,” adding, “I think we were about to topple over.”

The post Xbox Has Reportedly Said It Wants Smaller, Award-Winning Games The Day After Closing Tango Gameworks appeared first on Press Start.

Redfall, Arkane Austin’s original vampire-hunting multiplayer effort from last year, didn’t exactly have the best launch with poor critical reviews and a flat reception from players. But while it might not have caught on like the studio and Xbox had hoped, it was still being worked on in the background and a full roadmap of content was planned that many players had already paid for.

Now, those content plans have been scrapped along with the recently-revealed closure of Arkane Austin (as well as Tango Gameworks and others). This means that Redfall will receive no further content or non-critical updates, and its planned roadmap will not go ahead. The game will remain online, however, and is still available for purchase on Xbox and PC or download via Game Pass.

For those that have already spent money on the game’s Bite Back Edition or various upgrades to get the Hero Pass, publisher Bethesda is offering a credit to the value of the added content. The process is seemingly still being finalised but anyone wanting to claim that can find all of the details as they arrive here.

Signup here https://t.co/1Pr9vfnn4K to receive details on how eligible players can receive this credit. pic.twitter.com/FFXiYEXgrM

— Redfall (@playRedfall) May 7, 2024

Along with the news of closures and scrapped plans, IGN has reported that the team was incredibly close to launching a major update to the game, which would have released this month. The Hero Pass content was also reportedly marked to drop around Halloween, and the closure of the studio came as a complete surprise to staff at Arkane Austin.

Brodie gave Redfall a 6.5/10 in his review last year, saying, “Redfall is a gold dust-rare miss for what has been a very consistent deliverer of quality video games. If you are able to look beyond the game’s several questionable design choices, Redfall can serve up just a small bite of mindless fun beneath the island’s black hole sun.”

The post Redfall’s Content Roadmap And Offline Mode Have Been Cancelled With Developer Arkane Austin Shut Down appeared first on Press Start.

• Prey
• Redfall
• Dishonored
• Mighty DOOM
• The Evil Within
• GhostWire: Tokyo
• Hi-Fi RUSH

These are just some of the games, many with long lists of award nominations and wins, created by or worked on by the immensely talented creative teams under Bethesda that are now being shuttered for good.

In yet another massive blow to talented and hardworking folks in the games industry, Xbox is closing the doors on Arkane Austin, Tango Gameworks and Alpha Dog Games, as well as absorbing Roundhouse Studios into ZeniMax Online Studios. This comes just a few months after the company announced it was laying off 1,900 staff across Xbox, Bethesda and Activision Blizzard – though it hasn’t confirmed whether or not this latest change is a part of that action.

According to an internal email from head of Xbox Games Studios, Matt Booty, which was shared by IGN, it was a decision made based on a “reprioritisation” of its development resources and a focus on “high-impact titles.”

Looking at that list above you’ll see evidence of studios more than capable of creating what I would describe as high impact titles, and have done so on multiple occasions, but here we are. According to the memo, some staff affected will be repositioned on other projects within other teams, but there will be layoffs involved as well, including within Bethesda’s wider publishing and corporate teams.

“These changes are not a reflection of the creativity and skill of the talented individuals at these teams or the risks they took to try new things,” the internal message reads.

pic.twitter.com/KhhqgR902g

— Tango Gameworks (EN) (@TangoGameworks) May 7, 2024

“I acknowledge that these changes are also disruptive to the various support teams across ZeniMax and Bethesda that bring our games to market. We are making these tough decisions to create capacity to increase investment in other parts of our portfolio and focus on our priority games.”

Signup here https://t.co/wb1R4m4emj to receive details on how eligible players can receive this credit. pic.twitter.com/69Os17kpQ8

— Arkane Studios (@ArkaneStudios) May 7, 2024

“Bethesda remains one of the key pillars of Xbox with a strong portfolio of amazing games and thriving communities.”

Players interested in requesting a refund for purchased in-game currency can sign up here https://t.co/R7rL4LKsjk to receive details. pic.twitter.com/9g3kBoRGVw

— Alpha Dog Games (@AlphaDogGames) May 7, 2024

Booty also adds that the remaining teams at Arkane Lyon, Bethesda Game Studios, id Software, MachineGames and ZeniMax Online Studios as well as (what’s left of) the Bethesda publishing and corporate teams will be “well-positioned to build new IP, explore new game concepts, and expand on our existing franchises,” much like what the shuttered studios had been doing successfully up until this point.

As for how this affects the titles from these studios, games like Hi-Fi RUSH will remain available as they are now and on the platforms that they are now, including Game Pass, however with the closure of Arkane Austin comes some pretty significant changes to Redfall and similarly with Mighty DOOM.

Redfall will no longer be receiving updates or any of the content promised in its Hero Pass, though online servers will remain. Players have been given an avenue to claim a credit for the value of the upgrades and special editions in which the Hero Pass was purchased. Mighty DOOM’s servers will be shutting down on August 7th, and Alpha Dog Games has removed the ability to purchase in-game currency as a result.

Despite the studio remaining open, Arkane Lyon’s studio/creative director, Dinga Bakaba, hasn’t held back on social media, writing, “This is absolutely terrible. Permission to be human : to any executive reading this, friendly reminder that video games are an entertainment/cultural industry, and your business as a corporation is to take care of your artists/entertainers and help them create value for you.”

“…great teams are sunsetting before our eyes again, and it’s a fucking gut stab.”

The post Xbox Is Closing Multiple Studios Including Arkane Austin And Tango Gameworks appeared first on Press Start.

Xbox has now revealed the first bundle of games headed to Game Pass/Game Pass Ultimate subscribers for the start of May 2024, and it’s a relatively slim start to the month with more games leaving than arriving. Still, the day one release of Little Kitty, Big City should be something for fans of adorable adventures to get excited about. Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons is also coming back to the service, though in its original form and not the recent remake.

Take a look at everything coming so far this month:

XBOX GAME PASS APRIL 2024

Have A Nice Death (Cloud, Console, and PC) – Available Now
In this darkly charming 2D action roguelike, play as an overworked Death, whose employees have run rampant, completely throwing off the balance of souls – and his vacation plans. Grab your trusty scythe and show your employees who’s boss.

Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition (Cloud, Console, and PC) – May 2
The Definitive Edition of the critically acclaimed action-adventure is returning to Game Pass! Endure high-octane combat, customize weapons and gear, and overcome grueling environments to survive Lara Croft’s first adventure and uncover the island’s deadly secret.

Kona II: Brume (Cloud, Console, and PC) – May 7
Continuing the interactive tale of Kona, this title offers players an immersive first-person narrative experience with a unique storytelling mechanic. Explore the rustic setting of a rural mining village of Northern Canada in 1970 and uncover the mystery of the bizarre mist – the brume – that has engulfed the region.

Little Kitty, Big City (Cloud, Console, and PC) – May 9
In this open-world playground, you’re a curious little kitty with a big personality on an adventure to find your way back home. Explore the city, make new friends with stray animals, wear delightful hats, and leave more than a little chaos in your wake. After all, isn’t that what cats do best?

Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons (Cloud, Console, and PC) – May 14
The critically acclaimed and award-winning classic is returning to the Game Pass library! Guide two brothers on an epic fairy tale journey from visionary Swedish film director Josef Fares and developer Starbreeze Studios. Solve puzzles, explore the varied locations, and fight boss battles, controlling one brother with each thumb stick.

LEAVING XBOX GAME PASS ON APRIL 15

• Eastern Exorcist (Cloud, Console, PC)
• Eiyuden Chronicle Rising (Cloud, Console, PC)
• Fuga: Melodies of Steel 2 (Cloud, Console, PC)
• Ghostlore (Cloud, Console, PC)
• Just Cause 4 Reloaded (Cloud, Console, PC)
• Norco (Cloud, Console, PC)
• SD Gundam Battle Alliance (Cloud, Console, PC)
• Supraland Six Inches Under (Cloud, Console, PC)

The post The First Batch Of Xbox Game Pass Games For May Has Been Revealed appeared first on Press Start.

In a new interview with Greg Miller on the Kinda Funny Gamescast, Bethesda’s Todd Howard has revealed that Shattered Space, the promised first big story expansion for last year’s sci-fi RPG epic, Starfield, will launch at some point this “Fall” or, in our hemisphere, Spring.

Speaking about some of the things that Starfield players have and haven’t enjoyed about the game so far, Howard revealed that a new update is also set to be revealed over the coming days and enter Steam Beta. He didn’t delve much further into it than that, but it seems like it’ll touch on ship building as well as oft-requested map improvements in cities.

“Shattered Space is in the Fall,” he told Miller. “But we have a big update that’s coming really soon and does a lot of stuff, mostly because you kept mentioning it in particular, we redid the map stuff, so we have some city map stuff.”

In the same interview, it was also revealed that work on releasing Starfield’s Creation Kit is already underway with some creators already in possession and more news on the horizon.

The whole episode is well worth a listen/watch, with Miller and Howard talking about the Fallout TV show, Bethesda’s plans for that franchise and the potential for collaborations with other studios and creatives, what the studio has learned from Starfield, other games and advancements in the industry and a heap more over a stacked hour. You can check it out below:

We gave Starfield a 9/10 in our review when it launched last year, with Brodie writing, “If what you’re hoping for is The Elder Scrolls or Fallout in space, then Starfield is that. Not only does it have countless stories begging to be sought out against a vast and beckoning star chart, it’s also the most polished Bethesda Game Studios title we’ve ever had.”

The post Starfield’s Shattered Space Expansion Is Coming This Spring With A New Update Out Very Soon appeared first on Press Start.

The ID@Xbox Digital Showcase has wrapped for its second year, giving us a lengthy presentation full of looks at new and upcoming indie games. While the event happened in the early, early hours of the morning for us, thanks to the magic of recaps and YouTube we can still check out everything that was shown off.

You can watch the full showcase back right here, or, keep reading to get a brief summary of each game (as provided by Xbox) and some new trailers, too:

ID@Xbox Digital Showcase 2024 Announcements

33 Immortals

Coming to Game Pass

33 Immortals is a co-op action-roguelike for 33 players. Play a damned soul, and rebel against God’s final judgment. Dive straight into epic 33-player co-op battles with instant “pick-up and raid” matchmaking. Cooperate with your allies to survive against hordes of monsters and massive, challenging bosses. Expand your arsenal and equip powerful new relics to permanently upgrade your soul. Face the wrath of God in a fight for your eternal life.

All You Need Is Help

Coming to Game Pass

While bumping around and supporting each other, turn your friendships into friend-shapes! This innovative cooperative multiplayer game introduces a fresh gaming experience.

Dive into a quirky multiplayer co-op puzzle game where adorable, fluffy cube-shaped creatures collaborate to reach their goals. These creatures, each oddly shaped, jostle against each other to help solve puzzles. When in trouble, shout “HELP!” and friends will surely come to your aid!

Astor: Blade of the Monolith

Rip through hordes of enemies with fury and style in this fast-paced action-RPG. Play as Astor, a young warrior determined to unveil the secrets behind his creators’ unforeseen demise. Learn new attacks, abilities and combos, unlock magical powers, and collect legendary weapons as you crush hordes of enemies. Find your way towards the Monolith, an ancient structure holding immense power, and confront the source of the planet’s haunting evil. Will you join Astor on his journey to become the planet’s savior?

Centum

Centum is an unreliable narrative-driven adventure game. At first, it appears to be a point-and-click adventure. You’re a prisoner in a cell. You have 100 days to escape. But is that really the goal? Centum plays with your mind and tricks you into thinking you’re playing a different game. But through surprising interactions, surrealist storytelling, and striking, large-scale animated pixel art, this unexpected experience takes players on a mind-bending, emotionally fraught journey through the looking glass to show them a different side to their familiar reality.

Commandos: Origins

Coming to Game Pass

A reboot of the iconic ‘Commandos’ franchise, revisit the frontlines of WW2 and experience the story of how the elite unit from the original games was formed. From the blazing deserts of Africa to frozen Scandinavian fjords, meet the 6 members of your squad and use their unique skills to overcome the most demanding of missions.

Watch the humble beginnings of the Commandos unit as it first begins to form and experience the stealth-based tactical gameplay which made the series so beloved.

Dungeons of Hinterberg

Coming to Game Pass

Welcome to Hinterberg, a new tourist hotspot in the idyllic Austrian Alps! As Luisa, you’ll snowboard down glaciers, zipline through the forest, climb a mighty mountain, or have a coffee by the lake while you’re out looking for your next dungeon.

Braving dungeons requires more than just cutting-edge sports gear and a good sword arm. Hinterberg’s dungeons are full of puzzles that will surprise and challenge you. Use your head, your magic skills, and every trick in the book to become a Master Slayer!

Fera: The Sundered Tribes

Fera: The Sundered Tribes is an open world co-op survival crafting RPG that blends monster hunting and colony sim mechanics with fun aerial traversal and exploration.

In a unique post-apocalyptic world of untamed magic and ancient secrets, you are the only hunter to have taken down one of the invasive behemoths terrorizing your land. Your tribe elected you as their leader, so follow your destiny to reclaim this magic-ravaged land you call home.

The Rewinder

Using pixel art to evoke ancient Chinese painting styles, this 2D puzzle adventure game sees you take on the role of Yun, a “rewinder” who has the ability to enter people’s memories and influence their actions. Travelling to a village, you’ll be able to unravel the mysteries of what occurred there, and uncover a story inspired by Chinese mythology.

Firework

Firework is a horror puzzle game. An accidental fire at a funeral forces the police to re-investigate a horrifying closed case. You play as a rookie police officer who joins the case by chance, and discovers that this crime is more bewildering than they could have expected.

Depersonalization

Depersonalization is a branching RPG with multiple endings, which allows you to shape the world of the game around you. Players can create a variety of characters, each with their own personalities, offering exploration, investigation, and deductive reasoning as means to reach the end of the story you help create.

Keplerth

A 2D sandbox RPG, Keplerth lets you take on the threats of a dangerous alien planet wither alone or with friends. Offering an open world with near-infinite variation on every run, you’ll be able to fight, farm, craft, and even edit your own characters’ genes to survive.

Volcano Princess

In this fantasy parenting simulator, you’ll be tasked with raising a daughter – not only affecting her future, but the future of an entire kingdom. With multiple choices and endings, you’ll be able to help your daughter to learn, train, and befriend others, ultimately affecting how the story plays out as a result of your decisions.

Hangry

Explore the galaxy. Discover new life. Eat it. Play as Hangry, a beastly mercenary with an insatiable hunger hunting down fearsome monsters in a snack n’ slash RPG. Traverse through barbequed woodlands and candy-coated caverns to find ingredients for Goutra, the chief chef of an alien underworld diner.

Your goal is to find the finest cuts for Goutra and climb the ladder of the city’s underbelly to become the planet’s best hunter. But beware, you must resist the temptation to eat the merchandise.

Humanity

Coming to Game Pass

A unique blend of puzzle-solving and action-platforming, Humanity puts the fate of all mankind in your hands. Er, paws. Did we mention you’re a dog?

Become a Shiba Inu and help reconstruct humankind in this acclaimed action-puzzle game. Drop commands to guide a mindless human horde to the goal through 90 increasingly challenging handcrafted story mode stages. Then, choose from thousands of user-made puzzles expanding on the breadth of mechanics, or design your own and share it with the community.

Jackbox Naughty Pack

Jackbox Naughty Pack is an intimate pack of three games that are sure to have you laughing, and maybe even sweating just a little! This title is coming to Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S later this year, with individual games to be revealed later this summer. This will be Jackbox’s first M (Mature 17+) rated game, full of spicy surprises and maybe even some familiar faces!

Keylocker

Keylocker is a bizarre and colorful turn-based rhythm JRPG. Play as the singer and songwriter, BOBO, and take down a despotic regime that has outlawed all sound. Fuel your moves with the electric power of music by using real-time execution of moves in rhythm game style! Battle the authorities, unlock the secrets of Saturn, play in your own band’s concerts, and hack into the network to bring an end to this corrupt system, for better or worse. Inspired by the charm and physical comedy of the Mario & Luigi RPG series, with the mechanics and storytelling depth of Chrono Trigger.

Lost Records: Bloom & Rage

Lost Records: Bloom & Rage is a narrative adventure game set in the fictional town of Velvet Cove in the summer of 1995. Four high school friends – Swann, Nora, Autumn, and Kat – spend the summer together hanging out, playing music, and becoming best friends… until something changes the trajectory of all of their lives. After 27 years of silence between them, they reunite to confront the dark secrets that made them promise to never speak again.

Palworld

You’ll be meeting some new Pals this summer! Attention please, Pal Tamers! New species of Pals have been discovered on the Palpagos Islands. Track them down and discover how these new Pals can help you in your adventures. Palworld’s first major update is heading your way this June. Stay tuned!

Promise Mascot Agency

Explore the cursed town of Kaso-Machi! Recruit and train a variety of mascot friends! Help them out when jobs are inevitably met with disaster! Solve the mystery of your exile from the yakuza! Help Pinky work through her many, many anger issues! Upgrade your cute kei truck with turbo and wings! Shoot Pinky like a freakin’ missile! Turn Promise Mascot Agency into the number one agency in Japan! Go go, Michi and Pinky!

Stampede: Racing Royale

Stampede: Racing Royale is a wild, thrilling 60-player online karting battle royale game. Take on the world in races, battles and more to avoid elimination. Take the crown, and earn incredible rewards. Discover incredible maps, over 400 customization items and so much more!

Don’t miss your chance to head straight into pole position, when Stampede: Racing Royale speeds into Game Preview on Xbox Series X|S this summer. Do you have what it takes to get to the front of the herd?

Sulfur

Sulfur combines first-person shooter mechanics with role-playing and roguelite elements. It’s a single-player ‘hardcore’ roguelike extraction shooter with modifiable and enchantable guns. Welcome to a modern old-school action-adventure: Outsmart enemies, find treasure, improve weapons, harness powers. Delve deeper, find answers, make it end.

Tails of Iron 2: Whiskers of Winter

Embark upon a vast, snow-ravaged kingdom in Tails of Iron 2: Whiskers of Winter, sequel to the critically acclaimed action-RPG. An old and unspeakable evil has stirred in the North; wings black as death; fangs sharp as steel; and a thirst for blood rivalled only by their hunger for vengeance.

As Arlo, heir to the Warden of the Wastes, journey through the vast, snow-ravaged lands of the North in an epic quest to overcome the Dark Wings once and for all. Hunt down giant beasts, unite disparate clans, upgrade your settlement, and discover a terrible secret of blood & crown…

Times & Galaxy

Meet over 100 alien weirdos in Times & Galaxy, a space journalism adventure coming to Xbox in June 2024! Times & Galaxy is a funny, heartfelt game about space aliens and the richness of the stories that make up their everyday lives. Set in a solar system full of strange beings, from space lizards to goo people, you will step into the shoes of a shiny new Robo intern for the system’s most trusted holopaper, the Times & Galaxy.

Your goal? Prove that Robos can report, get to know a whole bunch of aliens, and maybe keep your job at the end of it all. Good luck, intern!

Vampire Survivors

Vampire Survivors’ new Laborratory update will challenge your survival skills with two new characters, two new stages, two new weapons, one new evolution, and 1 new passive. Most importantly, there will be 6 new achievements!

The post Here Are All Of The Games From The ID@Xbox Digital Showcase 2024 appeared first on Press Start.

Xbox has continued its trend of designing some very out-there limited edition Xbox consoles, this time promoting the new animated X-Men ’97 series streaming on Disney+ with a Series X console wrapped in an original, two-page X-Men ’97 comic written by Marvel writer Rich Douek and Marvel artist Paco Diaz, complete with its own cover page.

And if that isn’t cool enough, the consoles also come with an Xbox Design Lab-created controller that’s based on one of the show’s iconic characters and packaged inside an old-school blister pack.

And, like always, you’ve got the opportunity to win one of these bad boys with a giveaway over on Xbox’s official X account. You can enter by following Xbox on X and retweeting the official giveaway tweet (seen below) between now and May 20th at 1AM AEST. Aussies are eligible, and all of the relevant terms and conditions can be found here.

An Xbox with an X-Gene?!

Follow & RT with #Xbox97Sweepstakes for a chance to win a custom Xbox Series X console & controller combo, plus an extra controller, inspired by Marvel Animation’s #XMen97, now streaming on @DisneyPlus.

18+. Ends 5/20/24. Rules: https://t.co/8CYN8Hg2lG pic.twitter.com/4k1FXahoUN

— Xbox (@Xbox) April 23, 2024

About Marvel Animation’s “X-Men ‘97”

Marvel Animation’s “X-Men ’97” revisits the iconic era of the 1990s as The X-Men, a band of mutants who use their uncanny gifts to protect a world that hates and fears them, are challenged like never before, forced to face a dangerous and unexpected new future.

The all-new series features 10 episodes. The voice cast includes Ray Chase as Cyclops, Jennifer Hale as Jean Grey, Alison Sealy-Smith as Storm, Cal Dodd as Wolverine, JP Karliak as Morph, Lenore Zann as Rogue, George Buza as Beast, AJ LoCascio as Gambit, Holly Chou as Jubilee, Isaac Robinson-Smith as Bishop, Matthew Waterson as Magneto, and Adrian Hough as Nightcrawler. Beau DeMayo served as head writer; episodes are directed by Jake Castorena, Chase Conley and Emi-Emmett Yonemura, and the series is executive produced by Brad Winderbaum, Kevin Feige, Louis D’Esposito, Victoria Alonso and DeMayo. Featuring music by the Newton Brothers, Marvel Animation’s “X-Men ’97” is now streaming on Disney+

The post This X-Men ’97 Edition Xbox Series X Console Is A Nostalgic Treat And You Can Win One appeared first on Press Start.

Meta has announced that it’s working to bring its Quest operating system to a range of third-party devices in a new initiative to expand its ecosystem and open computing platform.

Meta revealed it’s releasing its “Meta Horizon OS” to new, non-Quest devices including some from the likes of ASUS ROG, Lenovo and Xbox, so that they can take advantage of the decade of advances made toward the platform that currently powers headsets like the excellent Quest 3. What it means is that consumers will now have more freedom to choose hardware that fits their needs and lifestyle, and get a connected and seamless experience across a common platform with the same accounts, avatars, friends and digital libraries – the Meta Quest mobile app will also be integrated and renamed to the Meta Horizon App.

Meta’s also opening up its app ecosystem more to developers to make it easier to ship software for Meta Horizon OS, and offering new tools for mobile developers to bring their apps across to the platform.

The devices “revealed” so far, though we still don’t know a ton about them, are a new performance gaming headset from ASUS’ Republic of Gamers brand, mixed-reality devices from Lenovo with a focus on productivity, learning and entertainment, and a special Xbox-themed limited edition Meta Quest headset.

Alongside the announcement on Meta’s blog, old mate Mark Zuckerberg also dropped an explainer video where he went over some of the possibilities that could come out of this new endeavour. This included the mention of a headset that “comes out of the box with Xbox Controllers and Game Pass,” suggesting that might be where this new Xbox-partnered headset is going – though there’s still room for the possibility of bespoke hardware or features in this Xbox headset that could be revealed at a later date.

You can watch it below:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Mark Zuckerberg (@zuck)

The post Meta Is Expanding Its Mixed-Reality OS To Third-Party Hardware Including An Xbox-Themed Quest Headset appeared first on Press Start.

Update: Xbox and Arnott’s have finally confirmed that the Xbox Wireless Controller-themed Barbecue Shapes are headed exclusively to Coles stores this week at $4 a box, saying:

“Attention player one and player two; Xbox Controller Barbecue Shapes have dropped!!

“Sound familiar? That’s right, we teased this product back in 2023 with a very limited batch. Now, we’re making gamers’ dreams a reality.

“Available exclusively in  Coles supermarkets nationwide later this week, until sold out.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Shapes (@arnottsshapesau)

Krishma Sood, Shapes Marketing Manager at Arnott’s, added in a press release: “After seeing the response to our very limited-edition batch last year, we knew we had to make Xbox Controller Barbecue Shapes available for every Aussie. Merging the iconic shape of an Xbox controller with the iconic flavour of Barbecue Shapes was the perfect way to build our partnership, creating a more immersive experience for our fans every time they game and snack.”

Original Story: You might recall that just over a year ago, Xbox and iconic ANZ snack, Shapes, kicked off a lasting romance by dropping a very special Xbox Wireless Controller-themed Barbecue Shapes variety.

While, at the time, these were only made available via a sweepstakes as well as a few handouts to local Xbox fans, it seems they’re now poised to hit actual stores for everyone to buy and chow down on (thanks Always-On!). Like before, these look to only be available in the Barbecue variety (Xbox did just create a number of custom Barbecue Shapes Xbox Series X consoles, after all), and while there’s currently a listing for them on the Coles website there’s no indication of when they’ll be available or whether that availability will extend to other shops.

These boxes are naturally also still eligible for entry into the current sweepstakes to win Xbox Series X consoles as well as instant 1 month Xbox Game Pass subscriptions, with one entry for each box of Shapes that’s bought and registered on the competition page here. The giveaway is on right now and runs until May 12th, so there’s still plenty of time.

Located at the Microsoft Experience Centre in Westfield Sydney, the two brands have also just launched a new Shapes and Xbox inspired, custom-built lounge room experience where punters can chow down on their favourite Shapes flavours as well as check out that limited-edition Barbecue Shapes Xbox Series X Console in person.

The perfect gaming set up doesn't exis-

We've teamed up with Arnott’s Shapes to create this one-of-a-kind immersive living room experience inspired by love of gaming, and our fave snack ?

Head down to the Microsoft Experience Centre, Sydney until May 8th and game with us in… pic.twitter.com/UbuwWrDi0N

— Xbox ANZ (@XboxANZ) April 4, 2024

Fans will be able to see an “eye-popping” bookshelf carved out with the various Shapes shapes, a Chicken Crimpy coffee table, a Barbecue Shapes lounge and more. Of course, you’ll be able to simply kick back in The Lounge Room That Shapes Built (For Xbox) with a themed controller in hand and check out some games while eating Shapes and going for instant prizes in a special Shapes Xbox Vending Machine, from Xbox Game Pass codes to Xbox Controllers.

This pop-up is open now and runs until May 8th, so make sure you go and check it all out if you’re in Sydney in that time.

The post Those Xbox Controller Barbecue Shapes Are Coming To Stores This Week appeared first on Press Start.

Xbox has announced that it’s hosting a new digital showcase next week, and it’s set to be the second-ever “IGN x ID@Xbox Digital Showcase” after a stacked debut presentation last year which included the likes of Sea of Stars, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, Vampire Survivors and Axiom Verge 2.

This year’s edition of the IGN x ID@Xbox Digital Showcase will feature updates on games such as Dungeons of Hinterberg, 33 Immortals, Lost Records Bloom & Rage and Vampire Survivors (again!) among others, so it’s sure to be worth catching when it premieres on April 30th at the ripe time of 3AM AEST.

Here’s how that time shakes out across the nation:

IGN x ID@Xbox Digital Showcase 2024 Australian Times – April 30th

• 3.00 AM AEST (Melbourne/Sydney/Hobart/Canberra/Brisbane)
• 2.30 AM ACST (Adelaide, Darwin)
• 1.00 AM AWST (Perth)
• 5.00 AM NZST (Wellington)

This announcement is brought to you by great indie games ?

Tune in to the ID@Xbox x IGN Showcase on April 29 at 10am PT: https://t.co/ODYWGtHqzB pic.twitter.com/KdkACE03Ri

— Xbox (@Xbox) April 22, 2024

You’ll be able to watch the presentation live at any of the below links:

• Facebook
• Twitter
• Twitch
• YouTube

The post A New ID@Xbox Digital Showcase Is Happening Next Week appeared first on Press Start.

Xbox has now revealed the second wave of games headed to Game Pass subscribers for the month of April 2024, with adding on to an already-great month for day one launches which includes the likes of Botany Manor and Harold Halibut, with three more in Eiyuden Chronicles: Hundred Heroes, Another Crab’s Treasure and Manor Lords.

Xbox has also added three new titles to the Game Pass Core library, which is a nice bonus.

Take a look at everything else coming this month:

XBOX GAME PASS APRIL 2024

Superhot: Mind Control Delete (Cloud, Console, and PC) – Available Now
Returning to the Game Pass library today, Superhot: Mind Control Delete gives you more insight into the signature power fantasy world of Superhot with more story, more signature gameplay, more action, more guns. Keep dancing the slow-motion ballet of destruction for much longer than ever before.

LEGO 2K Drive (Cloud and Console) – Available Now
Welcome to Bricklandia, home of a massive open-world LEGO driving adventure. Race anywhere, play with anyone, build your dream rides, and defeat a cast of wild racing rivals for the coveted Sky Trophy!

Lil Gator Game (Cloud, Console, and PC) – Available Now
Who wouldn’t want to be an adorable Lil Gator? Embark on a cute “lil” quest, discovering new friends, and uncovering everything its island has to offer. Climb, swim, glide, and slide your way into the hearts of the many different characters you meet along the way in this adorable open-world adventure!

EA Sports PGA Tour (Cloud, PC, Xbox Series X|S) – Available Now
EA Sports PGA Tour is coming to The Play List with PC Game Pass and Ultimate via EA Play. Become a Major champion, tee off on the Par 3 Course at Augusta National, along with three new 2024 Major host courses.

Kona (Cloud and Console) – Available Now
Another game is making a return to the Game Pass library! A strange blizzard ravages Atamipek Lake. Step into the shoes of a detective to explore the eerie village, investigate surreal events, and battle the elements to survive in this chilly, interactive tale you won’t soon forget.

Botany Manor (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X|S) – Available Now
Explore the historic manor home of retired botanist Arabella Greene, who has amassed a collection of rare, long-forgotten flora that require special conditions to help them bloom. Unlock new seeds, look for clues in the items scattered around the residence, and solve each gardening puzzle to revive these plants.

Shadow of the Tomb Raider Definitive Edition (Cloud, Console, and PC) – Available Now
Experience the final chapter of Lara’s origin as she is forged into the Tomb Raider she is destined to be. Combining the base game, all seven DLC challenge tombs, as well as all downloadable weapons, outfits, and skills, Shadow of the Tomb Raider Definitive Edition is the ultimate way to experience Lara’s defining moment.

Harold Halibut (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X|S) – Available Now
Harold Halibut is a handmade narrative game about friendship and life on a city-sized spaceship submerged in an alien ocean. Join Harold as he explores a vibrant retro-future world in his quest to find the true meaning of ‘home’.

Orcs Must Die! 3 (Cloud, Console, and PC) – April 17
Orcs Must Die! 3 ushers orc-slaying mayhem to a previously unimaginable scale. Solo, or 2-player co-op, arm yourself with a massive arsenal of traps and weapons. Slice, burn, toss, and zap hordes of repugnant orcs in this long-awaited successor to the award-winning tower defense series.

EA Sports NHL 24 (Console) EA Play – April 18
Just in time for the Stanley Cup Playoffs, NHL 24 is coming to Game Pass Ultimate via EA Play! Members can experience authentic on-ice action and give their Ultimate Team a boost with the EA Play Mega Players Pack until May 9, containing 30 items, all Gold Players, with at least five 80+ OVR Players for Ultimate Team mode in the game.

Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes (Cloud, Console, and PC) – April 23
Available on day one with Game Pass! Gather your allies for Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes, the grand JRPG adventure. Assemble your 6-party team from a cast of over a hundred heroes and shape your destiny in this lush, hand-crafted 2.5D world brimming with war, intrigue, and magic. Manage your town of vibrant characters, play delightful mini-games, and prepare for an unforgettable narrative of boundless charm.

Another Crab’s Treasure (Cloud, Console, and PC) – April 25
Available on day one with Game Pass! A soulslike adventure set in a crumbling underwater world. As Kril the hermit crab, you’ll need to wear the trash around you as shells to withstand attacks from enemies many times your size. Embark on an epic treasure hunt to buy back your repossessed shell and discover the dark secrets behind the polluted ocean.

Manor Lords (Game Preview) (PC) – April 26
Available on day one with Game Pass! Manor Lords is a medieval strategy game featuring in-depth city building, large-scale tactical battles and complex economic and social simulations. Rule your lands as a medieval lord — the seasons pass, the weather changes and cities rise and fall.

Have A Nice Death (Cloud, Console, and PC) – April 30
In this darkly charming 2D action roguelike, play as an overworked Death, whose employees have run rampant, completely throwing off the balance of souls – and his vacation plans. Grab your trusty scythe and show your employees who’s boss.

COMING TO XBOX GAME PASS CORE ON APRIL 23

• Deep Rock Galactic
• Superhot: Mind Control Delete
• Wreckfest

LEAVING XBOX GAME PASS ON APRIL 15

• 7 Days to Die (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• Besiege (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• EA Sports NHL 22 (Console)
• Loot River (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• Pikuniku (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• Ravenlok (Cloud, Console, and PC)

The post The Next Batch Of Xbox Game Pass Games For April Has Been Revealed appeared first on Press Start.

Xbox has begun to roll out its April updates across Xbox consoles and PC, with this month’s changes focused mainly on the latter.

PC players will now have access to game hubs in the Xbox app on PC, after the feature had been in testing for a couple of months. Game hubs are a way for players to see access everything they need for a specific game right from that game’s dedicated page, including new content, progress tracking, connection with other players, news and the return of game captures.

Over on Xbox consoles the updates are more slim, tweaking some features for Discord chat and game capture as well as adding a “guest PIN” feature to control different accounts on a console being able to install or uninstall games and apps.

Here’s what the Xbox Wire blog has to say about the April feature update for Xbox and PC:

Xbox app on PC experience updates

Game hubs are now available for all PC players

Back in February, we announced that our team had started rolling out game hubs for our PC players to connect even more with their favorite games.

Today, we’re excited to share that all PC players can now enjoy game hubs inside the Xbox app on PC. Navigate to any game in your library or in the sidebar to track your progress, discover the latest content and add-ons, connect and compete with your friends, and get the latest news from developers.

With this official rollout of game hubs to all players on the Xbox app, we’re also bringing back a fan-favorite feature: game captures. Any game clip or screenshots you’ve captured through Game Bar for a specific game will now be displayed in its respective game hub and locally stored on your PC. You can browse your captures in the app, copy them to the clipboard for easy sharing, or quickly jump to the file location. You can learn more about game captures here.

We’re just getting started with game hubs and can’t wait to share new improvements with future updates.

New sub-navigation menu options for the Xbox app on PC are starting to roll out

We have started previewing a new sub-navigation experience under the “What’s Happening” section of the Game Pass tab in the Xbox app on PC with a subset of players and with all Xbox Insiders. To learn more about the changes you may see when you access the Xbox app on PC, click here.

Xbox console experience updates

The Xbox April console update is starting to roll out

Starting today, the Xbox April update will be rolling out to all consoles.

If you’re using Discord Voice on your console, you’ll now be able to hear soundboard audio from others in the channel or call. If you don’t want to hear these sounds, a mute button for soundboard audio can be found in the Discord Voice options: Open the guide and go to Options > Mute soundboard.

Do you save your favorite gaming moments as game captures? If you’re using OneDrive to back up your game captures and clips, now, when you upload a game capture, you’ll get a notification on your console letting you know if you’re running low on space.

Also, we’ve added a new control on your consoles so you can block whether users on your device can install or uninstall games and apps.  You can enable access restrictions with a “guest pin” and disable these new controls when a game or app install or uninstall happens. Your guest will be prompted for the “guest pin” to complete the activity. To view and adjust the new options, navigate to Settings > System > Access restrictions. 

The post April’s Xbox Update Is Rolling Out Now And Includes Game Hubs For PC Players appeared first on Press Start.

After not-so-subtly revealing that it was working on a new generation of Xbox hardware with “the largest technical leap you will have ever seen in a hardware generation,” Xbox has confirmed that it’s put together a brand-new division with the key goal of ensuring game preservation across its library and the carrying-forward of existing Xbox games to “future generations of players.”

“We have formed a new team dedicated to game preservation, important to all of us at Xbox and the industry itself,” Xbox President Sarah Bond wrote in an internal memo that was shared and verified by Windows Central. “We are building on our strong history of delivering backwards compatibility to our players, and we remain committed to bringing forward the amazing library of Xbox games for future generations of players to enjoy.”

EXCLUSIVE: In a recent team briefing, Xbox President Sarah Bond emphasized Microsoft's commitment to developing Xbox hardware. This initiative aims to achieve "the most significant technical advancement in a generation."

DETAILS: https://t.co/gpwZQp436q #Xbox #Microsoft #Gaming

— Windows Central (@WindowsCentral) April 6, 2024

Bond also reiterated that sentiment around its work on a next-generation Xbox and the leap in technology that’s set to come with it, adding in the memo, “It’s been nearly six months since we came together as an organisation. Our collective achievements in that timeframe are tremendous. Everyone should feel incredibly proud of what we’ve achieved and excited about the opportunities ahead. We are moving full speed ahead on our next generation hardware, focused on delivering the biggest technological leap ever in a generation.”

The Verge also recently reported that, according to inside sources, Microsoft is planning a big new June showcase event where it will reveal a brand-new Gears of War game along with the next Call of Duty, as well as release dates for some upcoming key titles like Indiana Jones and Avowed. It’s probably too early to expect a full announcement of new hardware at a mid-year event but given how vocal the Xbox team is about its plans right now it wouldn’t be surprising to get at least a tease, and perhaps the reveal of that rumoured cheaper, all-digital Xbox Series X.

The post Xbox Has Confirmed It’s Committed To Backwards Compatibility For Future Generations appeared first on Press Start.

The Verge’s Tom Warren, a fairly consistent source of leaks and inside sources, has reported that Microsoft is currently gearing up for a big June showcase to take place just after Geoff Keighley’s Summer Game Fest, and that the event will see the announcement of a brand-new Gears of War title.

The article, which opens on an exploration of the ever-evolving situation within Microsoft’s gaming division including the departure of executive Kareem Choudhry and the shifting sentiment around platform exclusivity, claims that we’ll see a new Gears and a new Call of Duty announcement as well as release dates for a number of anticipated titles including Avowed and Indiana Jones.

“As the Xbox strategy continues to evolve inside Microsoft and Choudhry’s departure triggers more shake-ups, Microsoft is in the middle of planning for its big summer Xbox showcase,” Warren writes. “I understand this is set to take place on Sunday, June 9th, and Microsoft is currently planning to announce a new Gears of War game at the show. A Gears announcement won’t be the only new Xbox game at the show, which will also include release dates for upcoming Xbox games like Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024, Avowed, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, and of course, a new Call of Duty that’s set to debut later this year.”

Microsoft loses key Xbox executive amid continued gaming shake-up https://t.co/5PCluuelxR

— The Verge (@verge) April 5, 2024

The article also claims, via sources, that Microsoft is continuing to evaluate bringing more of its catalogue to PS5 and Switch consoles, and that Sea of Thieves’ upcoming April 30th launch in particular will be a “key test” for whether it brings more games across.

Summer Game Fest 2024 will once again be held in-person at the YouTube Theatre in Los Angeles as well as streamed live across multiple platforms when it kicks off on Saturday, June 8th, 2024 at 7AM AEDT.

Ubisoft has also confirmed that it’s once again going to have a special Ubisoft Forward showcase being presented live from Los Angeles (and beamed around the world, of course) on June 10th.

The post A New Gears Of War Will Supposedly Be Announced At An Upcoming Xbox Showcase appeared first on Press Start.

Another one!

Xbox has revealed another new controller design for fans to wrap their mitts around, this time dipping back into the Vapo(u)r series for the new Xbox Wireless Controller – Nocturnal Vapor Special Edition.

In case you wanted a controller with the same vibe as a trek through a hazy, tropical jungle under cover of night, Xbox has got you covered with this new pad featuring a swirl of dark and light greens accented by similar colours across its face buttons and other surrounding fixtures. Like the Stormcloud Vapor  and Dream Vapor  controllers, the patterns on each Nocturnal Vapor Wireless Controller are completely unique so no two are truly alike.

The Xbox Wireless Controller – Nocturnal Vapo(u)r Special Edition packs all the same features as the regular Xbox Wireless Controller including a huge 40-hour battery life and connectivity with Xbox, PC and most controller-friendly devices with Bluetooth. It launches very soon on April 26th with pre-orders starting now, at the below retailers:

Xbox Wireless Controller – Gold Shadow Special Edition Pre-Orders

• Microsoft Store – $99.95
• JB Hi-Fi – $99
• EB Games – $99.95
• Mightyape – $109

The post Xbox Has Revealed The New Nocturnal Vapor Special Edition Controller appeared first on Press Start.

Xbox has revealed the titles headed to Game Pass for the rest of the month, including some exciting day one releases like MLB The Show 24, Lightyear Frontier and Open Roads.

For miniature racing fans, Hot Wheels Unleashed is leaving the service this month but being replaced by its bigger and better sequel, for action fans the sorely underrated Evil West is making an appearance and of course for fans of having no free time, Diablo IV is finally landing on Game Pass.

Check out everything the rest of the month (and a little bit of April) has to offer:

Xbox Game Pass Games March 2024 (Round 2)

Lightyear Frontier (Game Preview) (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X|S) – Available Now

Start your interstellar homestead in this peaceful open-world farming adventure! Build your sustainable exofarm, grow alien crops, customize your mech, and explore a new world full of mystery with up to three friends!

MLB The Show 24 (Cloud and Console) – Available Now

Swing for the fences, experience game-deciding moments, become a legend and live out your baseball dreams in MLB The Show 24.

The Quarry (Cloud and Console) – March 20th

When the sun goes down on the last night of summer camp, nine teenage counselors are plunged into an unpredictable night of horror. The only thing worse than the blood-drenched locals and creatures hunting them are the unimaginable choices you must make to help them survive.

Evil West (Cloud, Console, and PC) – March 21st

A dark menace consumes the Old West. In solo or co-op, fight with style in visceral, explosive combat against bloodthirsty monstrosities. Eradicate the vampiric hordes with your lightning-fueled gauntlet and become a Wild West Superhero.

Terra Invicta (Game Preview) (PC) – March 26th

From the creators of Long War, an alien invasion has fractured humanity into seven ideological factions each with a unique vision for the future. Lead your chosen faction to take control of Earth’s nations, expand across the Solar System, and battle enemy fleets in tactical combat.

Diablo IV (Console and PC) – March 28th

The next-gen action RPG experience is coming to Game Pass with endless evil to slaughter, countless abilities to master, nightmarish dungeons, and legendary loot. Experience a gripping story or jump straight into Season of the Construct to unearth a new threat looming deep beneath the sands of Kehjistan.

Hot Wheels Unleashed 2 – Turbocharged (Cloud, Console, and PC) – March 28th

Get behind the wheel of the coolest cars and vehicles from the Hot Wheels universe, including the new ATVs and motorcycles. Explore 5 new stunning environments and race the way you want with new mechanics in exciting challenges and crazy game modes!

Open Roads (Cloud, Console, and PC) – March 28th

Long-lost family secrets. Hints of a hidden fortune. And miles to go before they sleep. Tess Devine’s relationship with her mom has never been easy, but they’re about to set out together on a journey into the past that they’ll never forget.

Ark: Survival Ascended (Cloud, PC, Xbox Series X|S) – April 1st

Respawn into a new dinosaur survival experience as Ark is reimagined from the ground-up into the next-generation with Unreal Engine 5! Are you ready to form a tribe, tame and breed hundreds of species of dinosaurs and other primeval creatures, explore, craft, build, and fight your way to the top of the food-chain? Your new world awaits!

F1 23 (Cloud) EA Play – April 2nd

EA Sports’ F1 23 will be available with Xbox Cloud Gaming via EA Play. Test your driving talents, create your dream team, and be the last to brake in the official video game of the 2023 FIA Formula One World Championship.

Superhot: Mind Control Delete (Cloud, Console, and PC) – April 2nd

Making a return to the Game Pass library! Time moves only when you move. Superhot: Mind Control Delete gives you more insight into the signature power fantasy world of Superhot with more story, more signature gameplay, more action, more guns. Keep dancing the slow-motion ballet of destruction for so much longer than ever before.

Leaving Game Pass On March 31st

• Hot Wheels Unleashed (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• Infinite Guitars (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• MLB The Show 23 (Cloud and Console)

The post The Next Batch Of Xbox Game Pass Games For March Has Been Revealed appeared first on Press Start.

Hot off of the back of growing claims around leaked PlayStation 5 Pro specs (which you can read about here), a new dev kit for an unnamed Xbox console has been certified in South Korea, as evidenced by the publicly-listed update from Korea’s National Radio Research Agency.

The certification was shared by X account “Xbox News for Koreans,” which points out that all electronic devices in Korea have to be certified by a national agency to meet radio wave standards.

Previous Xbox console releases have launched within months of their respective dev kits filings to Korea’s National Radio Research Agency, including the Xbox One X and the Xbox Series X|S, suggesting we may see new hardware land fairly soon.

Under the laws in Korea,
all electronic devices in Korea must be certified by the National Radio Research Agency that there is no risk of harming the radio wave environment.
Without getting certified, you can't use the device in Korea. https://t.co/0DewndXeW6

— Xbox News for Koreans ?? – ??? Xbox ?? ?? (@KoreaXboxnews) March 18, 2024

During an update from the Xbox leadership team back in February, a brief mention was given to Xbox hardware and the role it continues to play in Xbox’s business, with Sarah Bond stressing that it’s still key to the “flagship” experience for players. Bond also briefly mentioned during that update that new hardware announcements are on the way, saying “There’s some exciting stuff coming out in hardware that we’re going to share this holiday.”

Whether that means that we’ll be seeing those earlier, leaked revisions to the Xbox Series X console and Xbox Wireless Controller remains to be seen, but it definitely seems like Xbox has something cooking in that regard, which may or may not relate to this recent certification.

Bond also added that next-gen is very much still in the pipeline and that Xbox fans can expect big things, saying “We’re also invested in the next generation roadmap, and what we’re really focused on there is delivering the largest technical leap you will have ever seen in a hardware generation.”

The post A New Xbox Console Dev Kit Has Been Certified In South Korea appeared first on Press Start.

With the recent reveal and ongoing rollout of a select few previously-Xbox console exclusive games headed to PlayStation and Switch, along with the huge and saddening number of gaming studios suffering layoffs and closures on all sides of late, it’s a tumultuous time in the games industry and questions around development budgets, exclusivity and the viability of certain sectors of the market seem to be in question more than ever.

It’s a topic that Shawn Layden, previously the Sony Interactive Entertainment president and CEO before Jim Ryan, broached in an interview with GamesBeat’s Dean Takahashi, a conversation in which the former CEO called exclusivity an “Achilles’ heel” for games with development budgets in the 100s of millions.

“When your costs for a game exceed $200 million, exclusivity is your Achilles’ heel,” Layden told Takahashi when talking about how narrow availability can contribute to markets not growing. “It reduces your addressable market. Particularly when you’re in the world of live service gaming or free-to-play. Another platform is just another way of opening the funnel, getting more people in. In a free-to-play world, as we know, 95% percent of those people will never spend a nickel. The business is all about conversion. You have to improve your odds by cracking the funnel open. Helldivers 2 has shown that for PlayStation, coming out on PC at the same time. Again, you get that funnel wider. You get more people in.”

How former PlayStation boss views gaming's tumultuous time | Shawn Layden interview https://t.co/mP2w9dOIe9

— GamesBeat (@GamesBeat) March 8, 2024

It’s not just live service or free-to-play games that need to think about this, Layden reckons, with big-budget single player games needing to attract bigger audiences to remain viable, noting that the market for the leading names in AAA gaming like Call of Duty or GTA isn’t necessarily changing or growing in a way that lines up with ballooning costs.

“For single-player games it’s not the same exigency. But if you’re spending $250 million, you want to be able to sell it to as many people as possible, even if it’s just 10% more. The global installed base for consoles–if you go back to the PS1 and everything else stacked up there, wherever in time you look at it, the cumulative consoles out there never gets over 250 million. It just doesn’t. The dollars have gone up over time. But I look at that and see that we’re just taking more money from the same people. That happened during the pandemic, which made a lot of companies overinvest. Look at our numbers going up! We have to chase that rocket!”

“We’re not doing enough to get heretofore non-console people into console gaming. We’re not going to attract them by doing more of the shit we’re doing now,” Layden frankly puts it. “If 95% of the world doesn’t want to play Call of Duty, Fortnite, and Grand Theft Auto, is the industry just going to make more Call of Duty, Fortnite and Grand Theft Auto? That’s not going to get you anybody else.”

While those aren’t necessarily examples of “exclusive” games, the argument is the same – Layden thinks that simply selling the same games to the same audience probably isn’t enough to grow the market for them in line with increasing development budgets, at some point something’s got to give.

The post Ex-PlayStation CEO Shawn Layden Reckons Exclusivity Is A Problem For Big-Budget AAA Games appeared first on Press Start.

Xbox held its Partner Preview showcase in the wee hours of this morning, showing off a number of announcements and new looks at upcoming third-party games from a number of publishers and studios.

In case you were asleep at 5AM AEDT (and I hope you were), here’s what you missed:

Everything Announced At March 2024 The Xbox Partner Preview

Final Fantasy XIV Is Launching On Xbox In Full This Month

After an open beta period, Square Enix has revealed that Final Fantasy XIV’s full launch is happening on March 21st for Xbox Series X|S. A Starter Edition of the game will also be available via Xbox Game Pass Ultimate Perks from launch until April 19th.

Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess Is Coming To Game Pass

A new trailer for Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess, which looks excellent. It’ll be launching on day one with Game Pass for Xbox Series X|S and Windows when it arrives at some point later in the year. There’ll be more on this one at tomorrow’s Capcom Highlights showcase.

The Sinking City 2 Is Coming And It Looks Spooky As Heck

Frogwares revealed its sequel to The Sinking City with a slick, spooky new trailer. The studio is pivoting to full-on survival horror with this one, although it’ll still have optional detective elements.

Persona 3 Reload Is Getting An Expansion Pass

The Persona 3 Reload: Expansion Pass will offer up extended story content as well as new costumes, music and more, of course including Episode Aigis -The Answer-.

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Legends of the Zone Trilogy Is Out Now

Although its existence was revealed early by retailer listings yesterday, we now know that S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Legends of the Zone Trilogy is out today with the cult-classics Shadow of Chernobyl, Clear Sky, and Call of Pripyat all included!

Unknown 9: Awakening Is Back And It Starts Anya Chalotra

The video game component of Reflector Entertainment’s cross-media project has resurfaced with a first look at its third-person stealth action gameplay and the reveal that its lead character, Haroona, will be played by The Witcher’s Anya Chalotra.

Another Big Look At Tales of Kenzera: Zau

Surgent Studios and EA Originals are preparing to launch this one on April 23rd, as as it gets nearer we’re treated to a new gameplay showcase. Everything revolves around its gameplay-altering Sun and Moon masks and if the recent demo was any indication it’ll offer up some exciting level designs and gameplay moments.

Chucky Is Coming To Roblox

Griefville: Survive the Nightmare! is a chilling interactive experience coming to Roblox today. Not sure how the Chucky and Roblox crowds intersect but it’s neat anyway.

Creatures of Ava Sounds Like The Anti-Palworld

Inverge Studios’ newest title is described as a “creature saver” where you’ll work towards the conservation of the wildlife on an alien planet with an overarching goal to save the world from a life-consuming infection.

Monster Jam Showdown Sure Is A Monster Jam Game

Fang around in iconic monster trucks like Megaladon, El Toro Loco, and Grave Digger when this one launches at some point in 2024. It actually looks like fun, I don’t know.

I’m Pretty Into The Alters

This one’s described as having a “unique” blend of adventure, survival, and base-building elements, which doesn’t sound all that unique of a blend in the current landscape but I’m intrigued nonetheless. It looks like a cool, emotional sci-fi journey.

A Look At The First Berserker: Khazan’s Visceral Combat

This one looks brutal, combat-focused and stylish as hell. It’s a “hardcore” action RPG based on the Dungeon & Fighter franchise, but unfortunately no release window or even year as of yet.

Frostpunk 2 Is Coming To PC Game Pass

Another one from 11-Bit Studios, and a hugely-anticipated sequel. Frostpunk 2 is launching for PC on July 24th, 2024 and will be available on PC Game Pass.

Sleight of Hand Looks Magical

A slick-as-hell amazing cinematic trailer introduced this third-person “espionage action game” which features witches, cursed cards and stormy cities. Basically everything you could want.

The post Everything Announced At The March 2024 Xbox Partner Preview appeared first on Press Start.

With the Fallout TV series premiering in just over a month, Xbox has revealed that it’s added new Fallout-themed designs to Xbox Design Lab, where fans can customise their own controller with control over everything from the colour of the face buttons and sticks to the triggers, back panel, grips and the front face – now with added Vault Boy!

It’s a pretty striking design too, with a monochrome collage of Vault Boy’s different S.P.E.C.I.A.L. traits along with a pop of colour thanks to the Vault-Tec decal around the Xbox button and the bright blue-and-yellow Vault Boy tucked in on the right-hand prong.

Take a closer look at the new designs in the promo video below, or head along to Xbox Design Lab to start configuring your own right here.

The post A New Fallout Controller Design Has Landed On Xbox Design Lab appeared first on Press Start.

Xbox has now revealed the first bundle of games headed to Game Pass/Game Pass Ultimate subscribers for the start of March 2024, with some pretty decent new additions including the excellent Control: Ultimate Edition and the criminally-underplayed No More Heroes 3. This month will also see the debut of Lightyear Frontier in early access form, which looks like a good time, and of course the new MBL The Show is here too.

Take a look at everything coming so far this month:

XBOX GAME PASS MARCH 2024

Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun (Cloud, Console, and PC) – Available Now
Load up your Boltgun and unleash the awesome Space Marine arsenal to blast your way through an explosion of sprites, pixels and blood in a perfect blend of Warhammer 40,000, frenetic gameplay and the stylish visuals of ’90s retro shooters.

PAW Patrol World (Cloud, Console, and PC) – March 7
Explore the world of “PAW Patrol” like never before, in a 3D action adventure where anything is PAWsible. Play as your favorite pups, drive their vehicles, and save the day by taking on fun rescues and missions either in single-player or with your family in couch co-op. It’s the ultimate PAW Patrol playtime!

SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom – Rehydrated (Cloud, Console, and PC) – March 12
Are you ready, kids? SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom is coming to Game Pass! Play as SpongeBob, Patrick, and Sandy in this faithful remake and thwart Plankton’s evil plan to take over Bikini Bottom. Battle Plankton’s army of rogue robots – this time with friends in multiplayer mode! Meet all your favorite Bikini Bottomites, voiced by their original voice actors and show Plankton that crime pays even less than Mr. Krabs.

Control Ultimate Edition (Cloud, Console, and PC) – March 13
From developer Remedy Entertainment, this supernatural third- person action-adventure will challenge you to master the combination of supernatural abilities, modifiable loadouts and reactive environments while fighting through a deep and unpredictable world. Control Ultimate Edition contains the main game and all previously released expansions (The Foundation and AWE).

No More Heroes 3 (Cloud, Console, and PC) – March 14
No More Heroes 3 follows the otaku assassin Travis Touchdown as he takes up his trusty beam katana once more and slashes his way through 10 of the deadliest fighters in the galaxy. Rack up combos with Travis’ beam katana and experience hack-and-slash action like never before!

Lightyear Frontier (Game Preview) (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X|S) – March 19
Start your interstellar homestead in this peaceful open-world farming adventure! Build your sustainable exofarm, grow alien crops, customize your mech, and explore a new world full of mystery with up to three friends!

MLB The Show 24 (Cloud and Console) – March 19
Swing for the fences, experience game-deciding moments, become a legend and live out your baseball dreams in MLB The Show 24.

LEAVING XBOX GAME PASS ON MARCH 15

• Hardspace: Shipbreaker (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch Remastered (Cloud, Console, and PC)
• Shredders (Cloud, Console, and PC)

The post The First Batch Of Xbox Game Pass Games For March Has Been Revealed appeared first on Press Start.

Baldur’s Gate 3 is a very big game, no doubt, but the sheer size of it will have more of an impact than normal on those picking up the game’s physical Deluxe Edition copy on Xbox Series X thanks to a disc count of four for the Xbox release.

That’s right, Baldur’s Gate 3 is taking us back to the days of Final Fantasy VIII and Wing Commander III: Heart of the Tiger with enough discs to make a full set of drink coasters.

Larian’s director of publishing, Michael Douse, confirmed the news in a series of posts on X, revealing that the game was only 500MB too big to go on three discs (which are presumably dual-layer 50GB Blu-ray discs and not BDXL/UHD discs) but that cutting content down enough to get to three didn’t make sense to the team. The physical release’s intended ship date of March 25th likely won’t happen on Xbox as a result.

Douse’s tweets read “The Xbox retail version of Baldur’s Gate 3 will indeed have 4 discs, since we’re 500mb over the limit for 3. Only option would have been to cut some content out but that didn’t make sense, so confirming 4.”

“It’s probable the wave 1 March 25 date will slip to first week of April because of this, but we’ll start shipping each SKU in order of readiness. PC first. No discs makes life easy. 4 discs, hard!”

It’s probable the wave 1 March 25 date will slip to first week of April because of this, but we’ll start shipping each SKU in order of readiness. PC first. No discs makes life easy. 4 discs, hard!

— Very AFK (@Cromwelp) March 4, 2024

Here’s a reminder of what’s included in the game’s physical Deluxe Edition:

Baldur’s Gate 3 Physical Release:

Game Disc (PS5/Xbox Series X Only):
A retail copy of Baldur’s Gate 3 across 2 discs on PS5 and 3 4 discs on Xbox. Playable from the disc.

Poster:
Let your friends know the invasion is on with this big, beautiful, terrifying poster. (570 x 690 mm , 115g chalk paper)

Patches:
Flaming Fist or Mark of the Absolute. With both patches in the box, show your allegiance! (Size: 10cm)

Stickers:
32 x stickers

Map:
A double sided cloth map for your adventures. How else would you know where you are? (160 x 180mm, bookbinding cloth, 2 sides print).

Original Game Soundtrack:
3 CDs of adventuring anthems sure to get any party gathered, by our very own Bobby Slavov. )

Game Box:
Keep Baldur’s Gate 1 & 2 company with this collectable box created in the style of the original series. (200 x 240 x 55mm, golden framing, matte foil, 1.5mm, foam insertion).

The Deluxe Edition of Baldur’s Gate 3 is exclusively available via Larian’s own online store for approximately $154.54 AUD including shipping, but it does ship to Australia which is nice.

The post Baldur’s Gate 3’s Physical Release On Xbox Series X Will Span Four Discs appeared first on Press Start.

Hot on the heels of revealing that both Pentiment and Grounded are coming to the Nintendo Switch, Xbox has now revealed all four of its previously-exclusive titles coming to PlayStation, as promised in the recent update from Phil Spencer and crew.

As anyone could have reasonably predicted, the four games are Obsidian’s Pentiment (which is out today!) and Grounded as well as Bethesda’s Hi-Fi RUSH and Rare’s Sea of Thieves – the very first time the studio has released a game on PlayStation. Grounded and Sea of Thieves will both support cross-platform play, hopefully giving their communities a massive injection of new players.

Excitingly, Bethesda has also announced separately that Hi-Fi RUSH will be getting a physical release on both Xbox and PS5 at a later date in collaboration with Limited Run Games.

Here’s everything to know about these four releases, including release dates, in Microsoft’s own words via the Xbox Wire blog:

Pentiment 

From Obsidian Entertainment, a truly unique, critically acclaimed, and award-winning narrative adventure game with a striking visual style inspired by history itself will be coming to PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5 today.

Hi-Fi RUSH

The award-winning and beloved rhythm-based action game where the world syncs to the music from Tango Gameworks/Bethesda Softworks will be coming to PlayStation 5 on March 19th at 11AM AEDT, with pre-purchase available on PlayStation 5 digital storefronts today.

Grounded

Also from Obsidian Entertainment – a co-op survival adventure phenomenon that has welcomed 20 million players into the backyard, will be coming to PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 on April 16. Cross play will be supported across Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch and PC.

Sea of Thieves

The shared-world adventure game from Rare, will be coming to PlayStation 5 on April 30 – and will be available to wishlist by PlayStation 5 players starting today, February 22. Having built a passionate community of more than 35 million players from around the world, the support of cross play for Xbox, PlayStation and PC will allow players to experience epic pirate adventures with friends on more platforms.

The post Microsoft Has Announced All Four Xbox Games Coming Soon To PlayStation appeared first on Press Start.

Nintendo dropped a shiny new Nintendo Direct Partner Showcase this morning, giving us a look at some upcoming third-party games for the Switch, including some surprise (and surprise-ish) reveals.

One reveal that most would have seen coming a mile away but is still exciting, is the announcement that two previously-Microsoft exclusive Obsidian games are breaking from their bonds and landing on Nintendo Switch, in Grounded and Pentiment.

Grounded, the pint-sized multiplayer survival game, is headed to the Switch on April 16th and will feature cross-platform multiplayer with Xbox and PC players. Pentiment, Obsidian’s historical narrative-driven adventure made up of gorgeous illustration is coming to the Switch very soon in the next 24 hours. With these two, we now know of half of the promised four Xbox titles headed to other platforms, as officially announced during an episode of the Xbox Podcast last week.

You can see the reveals of both games in the full Nintendo Direct Partner Showcase below:

The post Xbox’s Grounded And Pentiment Are Both Coming To Nintendo Switch appeared first on Press Start.

Just as we’ve established what’s in the pipeline this year for PlayStation and Nintendo in terms of console-exclusive releases, both first and third party, we now arrive at Xbox’s green machine which, at times, has put out a software line-up most would describe as lean. 

I feel like a broken record in saying that, after Bethesda shouldered a bulk of last year, the dominoes finally seem to be set up for Microsoft themselves to deliver a pretty robust line-up of games this year and deliver on the quarterly releases they were aiming for. Which is obviously great, it’s nice to see the fruits of some of their acquisitions from way back. 

The wonderful thing is that subscribers of Xbox Game Pass, which is still arguably the best deal in video games, are expected to get every single one of these releases as part of their patronage. 

Of course, so many questions remain about Xbox’s slate. We’re still relatively fresh from the closure of Activision Blizzard’s takeover and don’t know the full extent of how that’ll play into things, and of course there’s the recent move to push some of its first-party titles across to PlayStation and Switch. There’s also still a host of games we know exist without knowing when to expect them, like Clockwork Revolution, South of Midnight, and Fable.

With all that said, here’s a list of the games coming exclusively (as far as we know it) to Xbox’s ecosystem in 2024. 

Towerborne 

Release Date: TBA 2024

Platforms: Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PC

The Belfry stands as a beacon of hope and safety amongst the ruins of humanity and the City of Numbers, with monsters lurking right outside the tower’s walls. You are an Ace, born anew from the spirit realm with the skills, the grit, and the determination to protect the people of the Belfry.

Avowed

Release Date: Q3/Q4 2024

Platforms: Xbox Series X/S, PC

Welcome to the Living Lands, a mysterious island filled with adventure and danger.

Set in the fictional world of Eora that was first introduced to players in the Pillars of Eternity franchise, Avowed is a first-person fantasy action RPG from the award-winning team at Obsidian Entertainment. 

You are the envoy of Aedyr, a distant land, sent to investigate rumours of a spreading plague throughout the Living Lands, an island full of mysteries and secrets, danger and adventure, and choices and consequences, and untamed wilderness. You discover a personal connection to the Living Lands and an ancient secret that threatens to destroy everything. 

Ara: History Untold

Release Date: TBA 2024

Platforms: PC

Build a nation and lead your people throughout history to the pinnacles of human achievement as you explore new lands, develop arts and culture, conduct diplomacy, and go head-to-head with your rivals to prove you are the greatest ruler ever known. It’s your world now. 

Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II

Release Date: May 21, 2024

Platforms: Xbox Series X/S, PC

Intent on saving those who have fallen victim to the horrors of tyranny, Senua faces a battle of overcoming the darkness within and without.

Sink deep into the next chapter of Senua’s story, a crafted experience told through cinematic immersion, beautifully realised visuals and encapsulating sound.

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle

Release Date: TBA 2024

Platforms: Xbox Series X/S, PC

Uncover one of history’s greatest mysteries in a first-person, single-player adventure. The year is 1937, sinister forces are scouring the globe for the secret to an ancient power connected to the Great Circle, and only one person can stop them.

Indiana Jones.

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024

Release Date: TBA 2024

Platforms: Xbox Series X/S, PC

Join the aviation adventure in a groundbreaking simulator developed for Xbox Series X|S and PC.

STALKER 2

Release Date: September 6, 2024

Platforms: Xbox Series X/S, PC

Discover the vast Chornobyl Exclusion Zone full of dangerous enemies, deadly anomalies and powerful artefacts. Unveil your own epic story as you make your way to the Heart of Chornobyl. 

Make your choices wisely, as they will determine your fate in the end.

33 Immortals

Release Date: TBA 2024

Platforms: Xbox Series X/S, PC

33 Immortals is a co-op action-roguelike for 33 players. Play a damned soul, and rebel against God’s final judgement. Pick-up and raid, cooperate to survive hordes of monsters, defeat massive bosses, and face the wrath of God in a fight for your eternal life.

Dungeons of Hinterburg 

Release Date: TBA 2024

Platforms: Xbox Series X/S, PC

Armed with a sword and a tourist guide, explore the beautiful alpine village of Hinterberg and uncover the magic hidden within its dungeons! Master magic, solve puzzles, slay monsters. 

All this and more await you in Hinterberg.

Replaced 

Release Date: TBA 2024

Platforms: Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PC

Replaced is a 2.5D sci-fi retro-futuristic action platformer set in an alternate 1980s America, with free-flow action combat and a deep, dystopian story.

You play as R.E.A.C.H. – an artificial intelligence trapped in a human body against its own will, striving to adjust to human life, in and around Phoenix-City.

Dead Static Drive

Release Date: Q3 2024

Platforms: Xbox One, PC

Grand Theft Cthulhu. 

Dead Static Drive is a horror survival adventure. You’re on the road. The world begins to fall apart in front of you. Your friendships will make every bit of difference as order collapses and the people you meet fight for their own survival.

Ark 2

Release Date: Q3/Q4 2024

Platforms: Xbox Series X/S, PC

Survive the past. Tame the future.

Suddenly awakened on a primal world filled with dinosaurs and humans struggling for dominance, you must team-up with legendary heroes to confront powerful dark forces. Saddle up, and join the definitive next-gen survival experience with Ark 2.

Routine

Release Date: TBA 2024

Platforms: Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PC, Mac

Curious exploration turns into a need for survival when a lunar base goes completely quiet. Searching for answers puts you face to face with an enemy who is certain the main threat is you. Discoveries lead to deeper unknowns and the only way to go is forward.

The post Xbox Exclusives To Look Forward To In 2024 appeared first on Press Start.

Xbox has now revealed the next bundle of games headed to Game Pass/Game Pass Ultimate subscribers for the remainder of February 2024 (and a tiny bit into March), with some pretty exciting new additions including the one and only Bluey: The Videogame and the excellent boomer shooter Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun.

Take a look at everything already available and coming this month:

XBOX GAME PASS FEBRUARY 2024

Anuchard (Cloud, Console, and PC) – Available Now
The kingdom of Anuchard has fallen. Generations after the collapse, its surviving descendants have chosen you to become The Bellwielder of the magical Audros Bell. Go forth, battle monsters, solve puzzles, and restore Anuchard to its former skyward glory!

Train Sim World 4 (Cloud, Console, and PC) – Available Now
Hit high speeds, roam free along the tracks and get creative with a host of new tools and features in Train Sim World 4. Design your own liveries, plan Scenarios and capture railfan shots with the new Photo Mode across three detailed routes in the UK, Austria and USA.

Madden NFL 24 (Console and PC) – Available Now

Get ready to light it up in Madden NFL 24 with EA Play. PC Game Pass or Ultimate members can start your season on February 8, 2024, when it joins The Play List, and from then until March 8, you’ll also score an Ultimate Team Supercharge Pack.

Resident Evil 3 (Cloud, Console, and PC) – Available Now

Jill Valentine is one of the last remaining people in Raccoon City to witness the atrocities Umbrella performed. To stop her, Umbrella unleashes their ultimate secret weapon; Nemesis! Playing as Jill, you must navigate through the chaotic, zombie infested streets of Raccoon City, stunningly re-built using Capcom’s proprietary RE Engine. Solve puzzles, encounter other gruesome creatures and try to escape the relentless Nemesis in this reimagining of the 1999 classic!

Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night (Cloud, Console, and PC) – Available Now
Returning to the Game Pass library, Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night is an exploration-focused, side-scroller action RPG packing all the best features you’ve come to know and love from the metroidvania genre into a single, content-packed game.

A Little To The Left (Cloud, Console, and PC) – Available Now
A cozy puzzle game where every day messes become pleasing puzzle arrangements. Stack documents, sort postcards, and solve all kinds of puzzles across over 100 levels. But watch out for a playful cat who might stop by to swipe away all your hard work!

PlateUp! (Cloud, Console, and PC) – Available Now

Classic cooking action with permanent roguelite progression. Cook and serve your dishes, design and decorate your restaurants, and expand your culinary kingdom with unlocks, abilities and dishes in procedurally-generated layouts. Take on the challenge solo or hire up to 3 friends.

Return to Grace (Cloud, Console, and PC) – Available Now
A daring space archaeologist has just unearthed the ancient resting place of a long lost A.I. god known as Grace. Adventure with various fractured A.I. personalities as you uncover the great mystery of why she was shut down all those years ago in this first-person narrative adventure set in a visually stunning ‘60s retro sci-fi world.

Tales of Arise (Cloud, Console, and PC)
As two worlds of conflict converge in Tales of Arise, two people from opposite walks of life join forces to challenge their fates and create a new future. Along the way, meet up with a unique cast of allies, all with their own reasons to fight. Featuring a real-time combat system, battles are energetic and enthralling with countless combinations of skills and abilities.

Bluey: The Videogame (Cloud, Console, and PC) – February 22
Join the fun with Bluey and her family in Bluey: The Videogame! Play a brand-new story set across 4 interactive adventures. For the first time ever, explore iconic locations such as the Heeler House, Playgrounds, Creek and a bonus beach location. Play your favorite games from the TV show, including Keepy Uppy, Chattermax Chase, and more!

Maneater (Cloud, Console, and PC) – February 27
Returning to the Game Pass library, Maneater is a single-player action-RPG, set in the Gulf Coast’s unforgiving waters. Fight to survive in the open ocean, swamps, and rivers with danger lurking at every depth. Your only tools are your wits, your jaws, and an uncanny ability to evolve as you feed.

Madden NFL 24 (Cloud) EA Play – February 27
Ultimate members can start their season with Xbox Cloud Gaming on February 27, 2024, courtesy of EA Play. Don’t forget that until March 8, you’ll also score an Ultimate Team Supercharge Pack with your membership.

Indivisible (Cloud, Console, and PC) – February 28
Making a return to the Game Pass library, immerse yourself in a fantastical world with dozens of playable characters, a rich storytelling experience, and gameplay that’s easy to learn but difficult to master. With a huge fantasy world to explore and a variety of characters to meet and fight alongside, help Ajna learn about herself and how to save her world.

Space Engineers (Cloud, Console, and PC) – February 29
A sandbox game about engineering, construction, exploration, and survival in space and on planets. Players build spaceships, wheeled vehicles, space stations, planetary outposts of various sizes and uses (civil and military), pilot ships, and travel through space to explore planets and gather resources to survive. Featuring both creative and survival modes, there is no limit to what can be built, utilized, and explored.

Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun (Cloud, Console, and PC) – March 5
Load up your Boltgun and unleash the awesome Space Marine arsenal to blast your way through an explosion of sprites, pixels and blood in a perfect blend of Warhammer 40,000, frenetic gameplay and the stylish visuals of ’90s retro shooters.

Leaving Xbox Game Pass On February 29

• Madden NFL 22 (Console and PC) EA Play
• Soul Hackers 2 (Cloud, Console, and PC)

The post The Next Batch Of Xbox Game Pass Games For February Has Been Announced appeared first on Press Start.

Although there’s already a huge selection of games playable via Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and Xbox Cloud Gaming on a number of devices, whether or not you own an Xbox console at all, one thing players have been asking for from day one is the ability to play their own library of Xbox games via the cloud – and it looks like we’re nearly there with Phil Spencer re-confirming that the feature is on track to debut this year.

Although it’s currently possible to play your library of games from an existing Xbox console, via remote play, this would enable folks without Xbox hardware to purchase and play games on any device – going a long way to fulfilling the company’s “every screen is an Xbox” dream.

This was revealed, funnily enough, through an exchange between Spencer and a random Xbox player, who messaged the executive through the Xbox’s chat feature and actually got a response (which has been verified as real by Windows Central). The user asked for an update on being able to play their owned games via Xbox Cloud Gaming and Spencer simply responded with, “Should be this year.”

Phil Spencer says Owned Games to be playable on Xcloud in 2024

replies through Xbox chat, via @jhe007 pic.twitter.com/xnz3WgPJwi

— HazzadorGamin, Dragon of Dojima (@HazzadorGamin) February 18, 2024

Xbox Cloud Gaming is quickly spreading to more devices than ever, including the recent expansion to Meta Quest VR headsets, so the ability to access your own library of digital games regardless of whether they feature in Xbox Game Pass Ultimate would be a massive win for the service. As someone in a one-Xbox household but with a Samsung Frame telly in the bedroom, being able to fire up my Lost Odyssey or Blue Dragon saves in bed sounds like a dream come true.

The post You’ll Be Able To Play Your Own Xbox Games Via Xbox Cloud Gaming This Year appeared first on Press Start.

The Press Start Podcast is proudly sponsored by SteelSeries, and the team exclusively uses SteelSeries Alias microphones. Find out more and buy yours here.

It’s business as usual at Xbox… Or is it? We unpack everything discussed during Xbox’s business update in the wake of numerous reports multiple Xbox games would be released on other platforms. James has also played Banished: Ghosts of New Eden and reviewed it more favourably than most. We find out why, and hear from Brodie on his review of the new metroidvania, Ultros.

Apologies for Ewan’s recording playing up initially!

• Listen on LiSTNR
• Listen on Apple Podcasts
• Listen on Spotify

You can also watch the video version of the podcast below:

00:40 – Xbox’s Business Update
32:24 – SteelSeries Alias Ad
33:48 – Banished: Ghosts of New Eden Review
42:57 – Ultros Review
49:55 – Are You Ready For Next-Gen?
50:34 – What The Wiki?!
55:12 – Outro

The post Our Xbox Business Update Reactions & Ultros Review – The Press Start Podcast appeared first on Press Start.

Today saw the arrival of Xbox’s big “business update,” which Microsoft revealed via a special episode of the Official Xbox Podcast featuring Phil Spencer, Sarah Bond and Matt Booty. The podcast came as something of a reaction to a sudden explosion of rumours of a new multiplatform strategy for Microsoft’s gaming business and has finally provided something in the way of answers.

Aside from talking about the obvious – a selection of Xbox first-party games coming to other platforms – Xbox also covered a few extra bits and pieces around its plans for the future.

One of those was a blink-your-ears-and-you’ll-miss-it nod from head of Xbox Game Studios Matt Booty, who revealed that the now-traditional June showcase for Xbox will most certainly be back for 2024.

“And this year, 2024, the year coming up, we’ve got more than 10 major releases coming up – great stuff. Hellblade II, we’ve got the Diablo expansion, we’ve got Avowed, Ara, the Indiana Jones game, and there’s more in development, which I think we’re going to be able to share more about at our June showcase coming up pretty soon.”

Booty stopped short of divulging anything further, like strict dates or what games we might see featured, but over on social media the official X account for Xbox did at least expand by name-dropping some of the already-announced titles we can probably expect to see appear.

“Xbox is keeping our promise to bring more games to more players around the world,” the post reads. “With an incredible year of major releases like Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, Avowed, Ara: History Untold, Towerborne and more — 2024 is going to be great for Xbox players around the world and we can’t wait to see you in June for the Xbox Showcase!”

Xbox is keeping our promise to bring more games to more players around the world.

With an incredible year of major releases like Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, Avowed, Ara: History Untold, Towerborne and more — 2024 is going to be great for Xbox…

— Xbox (@Xbox) February 15, 2024

You can see the full episode of the Official Xbox Podcast below:

The post The Xbox Games Showcase Is Coming Back In June 2024 appeared first on Press Start.

Today saw the arrival of Xbox’s big “business update,” which Microsoft revealed via a special episode of the Official Xbox Podcast featuring Phil Spencer, Sarah Bond and Matt Booty. The podcast came as something of a reaction to a sudden explosion of rumours of a new multiplatform strategy for Microsoft’s gaming business and has finally provided something in the way of answers.

As part of a companion piece for the announcements, Game File journalist Stephen Totilo also spoke to Spencer ahead of the podcast, adding some extra context around some of the conversation. One point brought up is in regards to platform exclusivity, the four mystery Xbox games going multiplatform, and whether Microsoft expects Sony or Nintendo to reciprocate bringing some of their titles across – which it doesn’t

“This is not for me, like, some kind of bartering system,” Spencer told the outlet. “We’re doing it for the better of Xbox’s business.”

Spencer also congratulated developer Arrowhead Game Studios on its launch of Helldivers 2, as well as publisher PlayStation, while questioning whether keeping the game locked to PS5 and PC was in service of anyone in the industry.

“I will say, when I look at a game like Helldivers 2—and it’s a great game, kudos to the team shipping on PC and PlayStation—I’m not exactly sure who it helps in the industry by not being on Xbox. If you try to twist yourself to say, like, somehow that benefited somebody somewhere.”

“But I get it. There’s a legacy in console gaming that we’re going to benefit by shipping games and not putting them on other places,” Spencer added, conceding that exclusives are the norm for all involved. “We do the same thing.”

“I will say shipping more games in more places and making them more accessible to more people is a good part of the gaming business.”

You can read the full piece here and watch the Official Xbox Podcast below:

The post Phil Spencer Reckons Helldivers 2 Not Being On Xbox Isn’t Helping Anyone appeared first on Press Start.

Today saw the arrival of Xbox’s big “business update,” which Microsoft revealed via a special episode of the Official Xbox Podcast featuring Phil Spencer, Sarah Bond and Matt Booty. The podcast came as something of a reaction to a sudden explosion of rumours of a new multiplatform strategy for Microsoft’s gaming business and has finally provided something in the way of answers.

The team came straight in with the big topic – exclusivity. Phil Spencer introduced the segment by stressing that the fundamental exclusive strategy for Xbox’s games business going forward isn’t changing, but that four games have been decided on to be brought across to new platforms.

Spencer wouldn’t name the titles or confirm which platforms they’d be targeting, but did confirm that they are not Starfield or Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. The four titles in this endeavour were apparently selected in the name of “the long-term health of Xbox,” with games that are over a year old and/or are community driven and have reached the limits of their cut-through on the current ecosystem of devices. Two of these are “community driven” games and two are smaller titles, with Spencer implying that these games weren’t necessarily designed for Xbox exclusivity from the beginning.

Based on prior rumours, and Phil’s hints, it definitely seems as though we’ll see at least Hi-Fi Rush and Sea of Thieves land on other platforms, and the other two could realistically be something like Pentiment and Grounded.

As far as the future goes, the team didn’t necessarily rule it out and instead glossed over the question somewhat, but it was stressed that Xbox first party games will still always come to Xbox, always come to Game Pass on day one and that Game Pass will always only be available on the Xbox platform, with Matt Booty saying the desire to bring more Xbox games to more players means that they’ll continue to look at other platforms in the future.

You can watch the full podcast below:

The post Four Xbox First Party Games Are Officially Coming To Other Platforms appeared first on Press Start.

After promising a “business update event” for this week in what seems like a direct response to ongoing rumours of a selection of Xbox exclusive games heading to the PlayStation and Switch, a date and time has now been locked in for a special edition of the Official Xbox Podcast.

The post announcing the podcast for Friday, February 16th at 7AM AEDT also further details that we’ll hear from CEO of Microsoft Gaming Phil Spencer, Xbox president Sarah Bond and president of Game Content and Studios Matt Booty, with updates on the future of the Xbox business.

If you’re keen to watch/listen along as it happens, you can do so on the official Xbox YouTube channel or most podcast services, and the Aussie times for when it goes live are below:

Official Xbox Podcast Business Update Edition Australian Times – Friday, February 16th

• 7.00 AM AEDT (Melbourne/Sydney/Hobart/Canberra)
• 6.30 AM ACDT (Adelaide)
• 6.00 AM AEST (Brisbane)
• 5.30 AM ACST (Darwin)
• 4.00 AM AWST (Perth)
• 9.00 AM NZDT (Wellington)

Please join us for a special edition of the Official Xbox Podcast.

Hear from Phil Spencer, Sarah Bond and Matt Booty as they share updates on the Xbox business. pic.twitter.com/TxwWJVUbgx

— Xbox (@Xbox) February 12, 2024

We still really don’t know exactly what Microsoft is planning to say during this podcast, but given the format it’s easy to assume that whatever it is was planned for a reveal at a later date and has been brought forward thanks to the widespread “leaks” and rumours around its new multiplatform strategy and titles like Starfield, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, HiFi Rush and many more potentially breaking free of the Microsoft ecosystem at some stage in the future.

In the last week or so, those claims have grown as more “insiders” share which games they believe are headed to more platforms than just Xbox and PC. Those titles include the above as well as games like Hellblade 2, Pentiment, Grounded, the Gears of War Series and more, though we obviously don’t know how accurate any of these actually are until Xbox makes the announcement itself.

A recent story from The Verge claims to have been given early word that Tango Gameworks’ HiFi Rush and Obsidian’s Pentiment (both bangers) are the first two titles coming to other platforms, with Rare’s Sea of Thieves to follow later this year.

As far as its hardware plans go, journalist Shannon Liao has made the claim that Spencer held an internal townhall last week where he assured employees that there are no plans to exit the console business and that Xbox consoles would continue to be a part of its multi-device strategy, so it remains to be seen if this opportunity is taken to give any insight into hardware plans or if those remain under wraps for a bit longer.

The post Xbox Will Be Revealing Its Future Plans This Friday And Here Are The Australian Times appeared first on Press Start.

The US’ Federal Trade Commission (FTC), which is still working on appealing the case it lost against Microsoft’s $69 billion USD acquisition of Activision Blizzard last year, has now filed a new complaint against the company over the recent mass layoffs that saw around 1,900 staff across Xbox, Activision Blizzard and Bethesda let go.

As reported by The Verge, the FTC has complained that these fresh layoffs contradict the company’s promise that the “status quo” pre-merger would be maintained after the fact, and that Activision Blizzard can’t be seen as operating independently as promised if Microsoft is eliminating positions that overlap with its own resources. It now wants the acquisition to be once again put on ice while it completes an antitrust evaluation

Microsoft has since given a statement to Game Developer, saying that the FTC is “ignoring the reality that the deal itself has substantially changed” and that the layoffs at Activision Blizzard specifically were already going to happen.

FTC files compaint against Microsoft for recent Xbox layoffshttps://t.co/nKHCualnxv pic.twitter.com/SjBRc7mtL6

— Game Developer (@gamedevdotcom) February 7, 2024

Yesterday we also learned of some of the Activision Blizzard studios affected by the layoffs, including 86 staff let go and an office closure at an address matching that of Toys For Bob, who are responsible for the Skylanders games as well as Crash Bandicoot 4 and the Spyro Reignited Trilogy, and another 76 staff being let go at Call of Duty developer Sledgehammer Games.

Head of Xbox Phil Spencer’s statement at the time that the mass layoffs at the company were announced read:

“It’s been a little over three months since the Activision, Blizzard, and King teams joined Microsoft. As we move forward in 2024, the leadership of Microsoft Gaming and Activision Blizzard is committed to aligning on a strategy and an execution plan with a sustainable cost structure that will support the whole of our growing business. Together, we’ve set priorities, identified areas of overlap, and ensured that we’re all aligned on the best opportunities for growth.

“As part of this process, we have made the painful decision to reduce the size of our gaming workforce by approximately 1,900 roles out of the 22,000 people on our team. The Gaming Leadership Team and I are committed to navigating this process as thoughtfully as possible. The people who are directly impacted by these reductions have all played an important part in the success of Activision Blizzard, ZeniMax and the Xbox teams, and they should be proud of everything they’ve accomplished here. We are grateful for all of the creativity, passion and dedication they have brought to our games, our players and our colleagues. We will provide our full support to those who are impacted during the transition, including severance benefits informed by local employment laws. Those whose roles will be impacted will be notified, and we ask that you please treat your departing colleagues with the respect and compassion that is consistent with our values.

“Looking ahead, we’ll continue to invest in areas that will grow our business and support our strategy of bringing more games to more players around the world. Although this is a difficult moment for our team, I’m as confident as ever in your ability to create and nurture the games, stories and worlds that bring players together.

“Phil”

The post The FTC Is Coming For Xbox Again After Its Mass Post-Acquisition Layoffs appeared first on Press Start.

Rumours that Microsoft is considering a pretty drastic change in its platform exclusivity strategy, potentially looking to launch the likes of Starfield, Indiana Jones, HiFi Rush, Sea of Thieves and more on rival platforms like PlayStation and Switch, are tearing through the community right now – and with expectedly mixed reception.

Whatever your thoughts on how Xbox’s first-party efforts no longer being strictly exclusive to its hardware, there’s no doubt that bringing more games to more players is always a good thing. With that in mind, my mind got to racing about what other recent or semi-recent Microsoft exclusive games could be a good fit to go multiplatform.

I tried to keep things within reasonable expectation, with only a little wishful thinking, so while I would love to see how the likes of Halo or Forza would fare on a PlayStation console, I doubt it’s something we’d see without Xbox abandoning its position in the console race entirely.

Here Are Some More Xbox Exclusives We’d Love To See On Other Platforms

Pentiment

Pentiment is one of those critically-acclaimed titles that I really want to get around but just haven’t because it’s a game that warrants a lot of focus and attention, and when I spend most of my gaming hours on other platforms I just know that won’t happen. Slap it on my PS5 dashboard though, or give me a native on-the-go option with the Switch, and that just might change. More eyes on this Obsidian joint can’t be anything but a good thing, and if Brodie’s gushing about the game is to be believed, the holdouts among us are missing out on a great time.

Grounded

Another Obsidian game, this time a completely different vibe. Being a game that thrives on cooperative play, Grounded would work wonderfully as a multiplatform release. Like Sea of Thieves, it’s a game that invites a community spirit and leveraging that across PC, Xbox, PlayStation and even Switch would be a pretty cool thing. The huge success of the survival/crafting genre (looking at you, Palworld) in recent times would obviously be a huge boost as well, and I’d love to see the team motivated to expand on the game even further.

Killer Instinct

Having just had something of a re-launch last year with an update for Xbox Series X|S, the switch to an all-encompassing Anniversary Edition and the free-to-play version’s release on Steam, there really isn’t a better time for Killer Instinct to expand to even more devices. More players can only be good for a competitive fighting game like this, and the game’s easily in its best shape yet.

Battletoads

Dlala Studios makes some good stuff, but unfortunately for owners of only one or a couple of platforms their games seem to wind up stuck on certain machines. For Disney Illusion Island it’s the Nintendo Switch, and for 2020’s excellent Battletoads reboot it’s Xbox and PC. Battletoads seems like it should be an easy and effective port to PlayStation and Switch, and bringing the once-Rare-developed franchise back to a Nintendo console just makes a lot of sense to me.

Rare Replay (Or At Least Some Of It)

Coming off of one Rare classic, there’s a whole wealth of the studio’s former bangers on Xbox under the Rare Replay banner. This one might be a trickier proposition given it contains a number of OG Xbox and Xbox 360 games, and most of the Nintendo 64 have already made their way to the Switch via the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack offering. Really, I just want the Viva Piñata games to get a new lease on life.

Quantum Break

After Alan Wake 2 launched, there were a lot of folks (myself included) who immediately went back to play, or replay, the Xbox-exclusive Quantum Break out of little more than desire to spend more time in Remedy’s little collection of worlds. Bringing Quantum Break to other platforms would hopefully close the case on whether it belongs in the “Connected Universe” as well as give the game the attention it rightfully deserved the first go-around.

Sunset Overdrive

Given how synonymous Insomniac has become (or re-become…?) with PlayStation after the Marvel’s Spider-Man games, bringing Sunset Overdrive home would be a welcome move. Opinions were maybe mixed on the game when it launched back in 2014, but I really enjoyed it and I can see it finding a new audience on more platforms. A PS5 “remaster” with enhanced visuals and new features would be neat, but there’s probably room for it on PS4 and even Switch since it’s nearly a decade old now.

Warhammer 40,000: Darktide

A bit more recent than the last couple of examples, Warhammer 40,000: Darktide made a lot of noise on Xbox and PC among fans of the franchise and enjoyed a relatively warm critical reception. With over a year of updates behind it, a PS5 release could land quite well, and provided the cross-play functionality carried over to Sony’s platform it could mean a nice injection of life into the community currently playing.

Lost Odyssey/Blue Dragon

While I tried to keep this list to somewhat modern titles on Xbox One or Xbox Series, the truth is that if I had only two choices among the entire Xbox exclusive back-catalogue to bring to other platforms, it’d be these two underappreciated bangers from Mistwalker. Make it happen.

The post Here Are Some More Xbox Exclusives We’d Love To See On Other Consoles appeared first on Press Start.

Microsoft is laying off around 1,900 staff (nearly 9% of the 22,000 total) across its gaming division inclusive of the Xbox, Activision Blizzard and the Zenimax (Bethesda) teams. The news comes from a letter sent to staff by Xbox head Phil Spencer, which was obtained and shared by IGN, in which Spencer essentially says that overlap in roles and shifting priorities among the businesses it’s acquired is the primary reason for these cuts.

Staff affected will be given “full support” and severance benefits according to local employment law.

The full letter reads:

“It’s been a little over three months since the Activision, Blizzard, and King teams joined Microsoft. As we move forward in 2024, the leadership of Microsoft Gaming and Activision Blizzard is committed to aligning on a strategy and an execution plan with a sustainable cost structure that will support the whole of our growing business. Together, we’ve set priorities, identified areas of overlap, and ensured that we’re all aligned on the best opportunities for growth.

“As part of this process, we have made the painful decision to reduce the size of our gaming workforce by approximately 1,900 roles out of the 22,000 people on our team. The Gaming Leadership Team and I are committed to navigating this process as thoughtfully as possible. The people who are directly impacted by these reductions have all played an important part in the success of Activision Blizzard, ZeniMax and the Xbox teams, and they should be proud of everything they’ve accomplished here. We are grateful for all of the creativity, passion and dedication they have brought to our games, our players and our colleagues. We will provide our full support to those who are impacted during the transition, including severance benefits informed by local employment laws. Those whose roles will be impacted will be notified, and we ask that you please treat your departing colleagues with the respect and compassion that is consistent with our values.

“Looking ahead, we’ll continue to invest in areas that will grow our business and support our strategy of bringing more games to more players around the world. Although this is a difficult moment for our team, I’m as confident as ever in your ability to create and nurture the games, stories and worlds that bring players together.

“Phil.”

In the hours since the announcement, many staff have already taken to social media to express their disappointment and frustration, especially where nearly entire teams have been let go.

I lost basically my entire team. I am at a loss for words right now

— mike (@rzn_mike) January 25, 2024

Just got laid off with basically my entire team. Can't really process it atm. After the rocky launch of OW 2 we finally built up a great team that was working on some awesome stuff. Then suddenly we all get laid off. Cant even go get stuff off my desk today.

— Jorge Murillo ? (@TheHornetsFury) January 25, 2024

Windows Central’s Jez Corden also reports that Activision Blizzard’s dedicated support team has been axed and will be outsourced, along with Microsoft’s departments responsible for physical Xbox games at retail.

Multiple sources tell me that Microsoft is laying off the entire internal customer support team(s) for ABK games, save a few.

MS will outsource the rest to external companies abroad.

ABK was one of the few games pubs with a high-quality internal customer support team.

— Jez (@JezCorden) January 25, 2024

Along with these changes, Blizzard Entertainment’s President Mike Ybarra has announced his is leaving the company, and Head of Microsoft Studios Matt Booty has informed staff via an internal memo that development on Blizzard’s previously-revealed survival game is being cancelled, saying, “As part of this focus, Blizzard is ending development on its survival game project and will be shifting some of the people working on it to one of several promising new projects Blizzard has in the early stages of development.”

I want to thank everyone who is impacted today for their meaningful contributions to their teams, to Blizzard, and to players’ lives. It’s an incredibly hard day and my energy and support will be focused on all those amazing individuals impacted – this is in no way a reflection…

— Mike Ybarra ? (@Qwik) January 25, 2024

This year has already been significant in terms of gaming industry layoffs, with some particularly big and seemingly infallible companies, like Riot, being affected in big ways.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON GAME WORKERS AUSTRALIA CLICK HERE.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON GAME WORKERS ALLIANCE CLICK HERE.

The post Microsoft Is Laying Off 1,900 Xbox, Activision Blizzard And Bethesda Staff appeared first on Press Start.

Xbox has just revealed – and launched – a brand new program dubbed “Indie Selects,” with the aim of improving visibility and discoverability for great indie games as well as give the developers of some of the best indies some well-deserved recognition.

Indie selects will expand the ID@Xbox team’s work in supporting independent games on the platform by providing a curated and dedicated collection within the Xbox Store that sits in a permanent hub and features games hand-picked by the team, as well as boosting on social media and other Xbox-operated channels.

There are multiple channels and rotating themes to help folks discover their next favourite game, and once at the end of every month a showcase of six titles will earn themselves the honour being the “Indie Selects” of the month. These games will be featured prominently on social channels as well as in dedicated Xbox Wire articles and will even get their own “digital award” featuring the Indie Selects logo.

So many indie games, but where to start? This might help@ID_Xbox's brand new Indie Selects program is here: https://t.co/oPS0ghFOwr pic.twitter.com/u6oVLwAALU

— Xbox ANZ (@XboxANZ) January 25, 2024

“So why are we doing this?” the Xbox Wire blog post announcing the program asks. “The short answer: we love games made by independent developers, and we want more people to discover them, buy them, and play them! We know there are a lot of games out there right now, and it can be difficult for unique titles to find an audience in crowded marketplaces. With a dedicated, permanent, curated collection in the  Xbox Store, we’ll be able to bring more attention to games that we feel are particularly special – everything from current favorites, to older gems, to games from new creators from around the world.”

If you’ve got an Xbox console, you can jump on there right now to see the beginnings of the Indie Select program, including a personal favourite categor in “Games to Play With Your Cat.”

The post Xbox’s New Indie Selects Program Is Here To Put Great Indies In The Spotlight appeared first on Press Start.

Almost exactly a year after the inaugural event, the Xbox and Bethesda Developer Direct is coming back for 2024 and it’s happening this week on January 19th.

This time, the showcase will give fans a look at four key games, giving fans an in-depth look via each titles’ development team including insights into their creation. The games are Indiana Jones (which we may have learned the title of early), Avowed, Ara: History Untold and Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II.

WHEN IS THE XBOX AND BETHESDA DEVELOPER DIRECT IN AUSTRALIA?

You’ll be able to watch the showcase on January 19th at the below local times:

• 7.00 AM AEDT (Melbourne/Sydney/Hobart/Canberra)
• 6.30 AM ACDT (Adelaide)
• 6.00 AM AEST (Brisbane)
• 5.30 AM ACST (Darwin)
• 4.00 AM AWST (Perth)
• 9.00 AM NZDT (Wellington)

HOW DO I WATCH THE XBOX AND BETHESDA DEVELOPER DIRECT?

The Xbox & Bethesda Developer Direct will be streamed live on the official Xbox and Bethesda channels below:

• YouTube.com/Xbox
• YouTube.com/Bethesda
• Twitch.tv/Xbox
• Twitch.tv/XboxASL
• Twitch.tv/Bethesda
• Facebook.com/Xbox

WILL THERE BE ANOTHER HI-FI RUSH STYLE SHADOW DROP?

It doesn’t seem likely this time around, sadly. In its blog post, Xbox said that “All the games in this year’s Developer_Direct will be arriving later, with more details to be shared in the program.” Still, there’s always hope!

Shortly after the Developer Direct has concluded, ZeniMax will also host The Elder Scrolls Online 2024 Global Reveal at 8AM AEDT with news on the game’s next major Chapter and updates.

Consider this your formal invitation to Developer_Direct??Join us January 19 for an inside look at highly-anticipated games straight from their developers: https://t.co/VX3GEURAVh | #DeveloperDirect pic.twitter.com/ZgWDw3Pvc6

— Xbox ANZ (@XboxANZ) January 9, 2024

Here’s a bit more about each of the games being featured via Xbox Wire:

• Indiana Jones game: MachineGames, the award-winning studio behind the recent Wolfenstein series, will reveal their upcoming Indiana Jones game, an action-adventure that puts players in the leather jacket of the legendary archaeologist. Developer_Direct will showcase more than 10 minutes of game and developer insights, including details about the game’s setting and story, how fans will actually play as Indy, additional details from his next globe-trotting adventure, and the premiere of the first gameplay trailer.

• Avowed: The team at Obsidian will share the first deep dive into the gameplay experience fans can expect in Avowed, their upcoming fantasy action RPG, set in the fantastical, vibrant Living Lands. Learn more about how Obsidian’s expertise in building worlds with deep themes, dynamic gameplay, and thoughtful reactivity come to life in Avowed where players will have agency to make choices to shape every step of their adventure.

• Ara: History Untold: Hear from the leads at Oxide Games – a studio founded by veterans of the strategy genre and the creators behind classic strategy titles including Civilization V – as they unveil exclusive new gameplay and share more details about the inspiration, key features, and road ahead for their upcoming historical grand strategy game.

• Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II: Ninja Theory take us behind the scenes at their studio in Cambridge to give us some insight on how they are crafting Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II. The team will speak to the ambition and meticulous care involved in creating Senua’s journey of survival.

The post Here’s When And How To Watch Tomorrow’s Xbox And Bethesda Developer Direct appeared first on Press Start.

Almost exactly a year after the inaugural event, the Xbox and Bethesda Developer Direct is coming back for 2024 and it’s happening this week on January 19th.

This time, the showcase will give fans a look at four key games, giving fans an in-depth look via each titles’ development team including insights into their creation. The games are Indiana Jones (which we may have learned the title of early), Avowed, Ara: History Untold and Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II.

Xbox And Bethesda Developer Direct 2024 Australian Times

You’ll be able to watch the showcase on January 19th at the below local times:

• 7.00 AM AEDT (Melbourne/Sydney/Hobart/Canberra)
• 6.30 AM ACDT (Adelaide)
• 6.00 AM AEST (Brisbane)
• 5.30 AM ACST (Darwin)
• 4.00 AM AWST (Perth)
• 9.00 AM NZDT (Wellington)

Shortly after the Developer Direct has concluded, ZeniMax will also host The Elder Scrolls Online 2024 Global Reveal at 8AM AEDT with news on the game’s next major Chapter and updates.

Consider this your formal invitation to Developer_Direct??Join us January 19 for an inside look at highly-anticipated games straight from their developers: https://t.co/VX3GEURAVh | #DeveloperDirect pic.twitter.com/ZgWDw3Pvc6

— Xbox ANZ (@XboxANZ) January 9, 2024

Here’s a bit more about each of the games being featured via Xbox Wire:

• Indiana Jones game: MachineGames, the award-winning studio behind the recent Wolfenstein series, will reveal their upcoming Indiana Jones game, an action-adventure that puts players in the leather jacket of the legendary archaeologist. Developer_Direct will showcase more than 10 minutes of game and developer insights, including details about the game’s setting and story, how fans will actually play as Indy, additional details from his next globe-trotting adventure, and the premiere of the first gameplay trailer.

• Avowed: The team at Obsidian will share the first deep dive into the gameplay experience fans can expect in Avowed, their upcoming fantasy action RPG, set in the fantastical, vibrant Living Lands. Learn more about how Obsidian’s expertise in building worlds with deep themes, dynamic gameplay, and thoughtful reactivity come to life in Avowed where players will have agency to make choices to shape every step of their adventure.

• Ara: History Untold: Hear from the leads at Oxide Games – a studio founded by veterans of the strategy genre and the creators behind classic strategy titles including Civilization V – as they unveil exclusive new gameplay and share more details about the inspiration, key features, and road ahead for their upcoming historical grand strategy game.

• Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II: Ninja Theory take us behind the scenes at their studio in Cambridge to give us some insight on how they are crafting Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II. The team will speak to the ambition and meticulous care involved in creating Senua’s journey of survival.

The post The Next Xbox And Bethesda Developer Direct Is Happening This Week appeared first on Press Start.

The Press Start Podcast is proudly sponsored by SteelSeries, and the team exclusively uses SteelSeries Alias microphones. Find out more and buy yours here.

After years of speculation, we believe 2024 will finally be the year Xbox games come to PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch, especially if recent reports are to be believed. We discuss this, Kieron’s preview of Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth, Shannon’s PlayStation Portal impressions and our most anticipated games of 2024 in the first episode of The Press Start Podcast for the year!

• Listen on LiSTNR
• Listen on Apple Podcasts
• Listen on Spotify
• Listen on Omny

You can also watch the video version of the podcast below:

00:00 – Intro
00:47 – What We’ve Been Playing
08:51 – PlayStation Portal Impressions
15:09 – Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth Preview
18:21 – Which Xbox Games Are Coming To PlayStation and Switch?
35:57 – SteelSeries Alias Microphones
36:44 – Our Most Anticipated Games of 2024
49:05 – What Xbox Appliance Do You Want Made Next?
50:43 – What The Wiki?!
54:26 – Outro

The post Xbox Games Will Come To PlayStation In 2024 – The Press Start Podcast appeared first on Press Start.

Though the issue has been reported on over a few days now, Microsoft has officially weighed in on an ongoing discussion around Baldur’s Gate 3 players on Xbox who are finding themselves moderated or banned due to captured screenshots or footage of the game’s romance scenes being uploaded to the Xbox network.

The issue, which makes some sense if you consider folks publicly uploading some fairly mature content to the network, is being widely discussed because it’s happening to players who aren’t actually aware of their clips being shared – the default Xbox behaviour is to automatically upload capture to the Xbox Network and users have to opt out of the feature.

For its part, Microsoft has already been working alongside Larian to reverse these actions, but it’s also taken the opportunity to clear up any assumption that these actions are a result of auto-moderation, instead confirming that Xbox employees have been personally reviewing each clip and handing out the enforcements.

“To provide clarity on Baldur’s Gate 3 mature content enforcement actions, Xbox account suspensions are not automatic,” it said in a post on X. “Each clip is reviewed by a moderator and, if found in violation of our safety and content policies, actioned accordingly.

“Our team evaluates appeals and can reverse suspensions if action was taken in error. If this was a first offense, for example, we will remove the suspension and let players know why it happened and how to avoid future issues (e.g. how to turn off auto-upload when sensitive content is being captured).”

To provide clarity on Baldur's Gate 3 mature content enforcement actions, Xbox account suspensions are not automatic. Each clip is reviewed by a moderator and, if found in violation of our safety and content policies, actioned accordingly.

Our team evaluates appeals and can…

— Xbox Support (@XboxSupport) January 8, 2024

Xbox also provides a link for users to learn how to turn off auto-uploads of captured content, which can be found here. Realistically though, the policies in place here don’t make a lot of sense and there are hopefully considerations in the works to either disable automatic capture uploads by default or give players more warning when they’re about to upload content that might be in breach of guidelines.

The post Baldur’s Gate 3 Players On Xbox Are Being Banned For Automatically Uploaded Romance Clips appeared first on Press Start.

Move over Xbox Series X Fridge, there’s a new appliance in town. Clearly not satisfied with its current share in the home appliance market, Microsoft has added yet another console-shaped product to its line-up with the Xbox Series S Toaster.

The $40 USD toaster not only looks like an Xbox Series S console but will burn an actual Xbox logo into your morning toast, at least before you smother it in butter or bung on a fried egg. It’s also got a bunch of less Xbox-related, more toaster-related features like six levels of browning, removable crumb tray, auto eject and shut off and “extra long slots.”

Sadly, this one’s not available in Australia at the time of writing but given it actually popped up in French stores earlier last year before making its way to Walmart stores in the US for the holidays there’s always a small sliver of hope that we see it roll out to other regions. We’ll be sure to update with more if it happens.

The post Now There’s An Official Xbox Series S Toaster appeared first on Press Start.

It’s time for our annual countdown to award the very best games this year had to offer. Over the next ten days, we’ll count down our top ten games of 2023.

As always, the votes of each Press Start team member, weighted from #10 through to #1, were collated to compile our collective very best for the year that was. Games worthy of one’s top spot would be awarded the maximum of 10 points and the values would descend down to their tenth selection, which would receive a single point.

A round of rapid polls were utilised to settle dead heats and finalise the top ten.

As soon as word reached people’s desks that magical bear sex was to be a big part of Baldur’s Gate III, the world sat up and paid attention. After a long graft and a stint in early access, Larian Studios only went and put out one of the most comprehensive role-playing games of all-time. 

By adapting a Dungeons and Dragons campaign for video games, Baldur’s Gate feels like a tabletop night with friends come to life. It’s mechanically dense and has such amazing scale, it’s a game genre purists and Dungeons and Dragons veterans can find equal joy in for hundreds of hours. 

The very idea that there’s a whole other game inside of Baldur’s Gate III that most people won’t ever see is nuts, but the player agency granted through narrative branching profoundly impacts the plot and creates an experience that’ll likely be unique to you. 

In his review, Harry scored Baldur’s Gate III a 10 out of 10 saying:

“Baldur’s Gate III is a landmark achievement for CRPGs and gaming at large. The only thing more staggering than its immense scope and density of systems is the quality in which it’s all presented. Its unwavering flexibility and accommodation for player choice is intoxicating, and the replay value on offer here will no doubt cement Baldur’s Gate III as a timeless and regularly revisited masterpiece.

For a game as rich and complex as this, it also works surprisingly well on console.”

Toby said:

“Baldur’s Gate III is exceptional in so many ways. As someone who’s only dabbled in Dungeons and Dragons over the last year, I was initially hesitant to invest time in a game built so heavily on those foundations.

That said, Larian Studios has made the formula and format of D&D so bloody easy to approach and sink your teeth into in Baldur’s Gate III. It’s a game that’s packed with incredible stories, lore and content that’ll keep you going for hundreds of hours.”

Josh said:

“It’s hard to praise Baldur’s Gate III without taking note of the journey Larian took to this point, improving and expanding the RPG in early access for three years after gaining the rights to develop the sequel by blowing people away with their highly acclaimed Divinity: Original Sin series. The studio put all their knowledge and experience into Baldur’s Gate III, with no restraint on time or cost, with the result stunning in every way from visuals to systems to writing.

Not only does the story lead you on an enthralling quest across the Sword Coast but the companions you come across are right up there with the most compelling in the genre, especially with such high quality performances on display from start to finish. The game is a monumental achievement that is unlikely to be topped for a very long time.”

At the time of publishing, Baldur’s Gate III (for PC) stands at a 96 on Metacritic.

Press Start’s Game of the Year 2023

3. Baldur’s Gate III

4. Super Mario Bros. Wonder

5. Marvel’s Spider-Man 2

6. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

7. Dredge

8. Final Fantasy XVI

9. Star Wars Jedi: Survivor

10. Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon

The post Press Start’s GOTY 2023 #3 – Baldur’s Gate 3 appeared first on Press Start.

Xbox ANZ isn’t done with the giveaways just yet, and have now announced a partnership with some of Australia’s top streaming talent to give viewers the chance to see some of the great games that PC Game Pass has to offer being played by their favourite creators and dole out a huge $10K total prize pool’s worth of cool shit.

All throughout this week, you’ll be able to catch the likes of AlsoMij, AussieAntics, Bajo, Develique, Jenz, Luminumn, and Nicktacula getting in on the PC Game Pass action, offering up PC Game Pass codes to fans who tune in and win their respective giveaways. Viewers will also have the shot to win a collection of PC gaming peripherals to complement their new library of games, including a range of gaming keyboards, mice and headsets.

Take a look at the stream schedule below and make sure you’re checking them all out to have your chance at winning some prizes!

Xbox ANZ PC Game Pass Giveaway Stream Schedule

• Develique: Monday, December 18th, 7 PM AEDT
• Luminumn: Tuesday, December 19th, 4 PM AEDT
• AlsoMij: Tuesday, December 19th, 6 PM AEDT
• Jenz: Wednesday, December 20th, 5:30 PM AEDT
• Nicktacula: Wednesday, December 20th, 8:30 PM AEDT
• Bajo: Thursday, December 21st, 6 PM AEDT
• AussieAntics: Friday, December 22nd, 5 PM AEDT

The post Xbox ANZ Is Giving Away A Huge $10K In PC Game Pass And Peripheral Prizes This Week appeared first on Press Start.

Update 8/12: Larian Studios certainly did announce the release date for Baldur’s Gate 3 on Xbox Series X|S during The Game Awards today, and it’s available right now.

Check it out below:

• Baldur’s Gate 3 – Xbox Series X|S

Baldur’s Gate 3 also won the coveted Game of the Year award at this year’s show.

Update: After teasing news for this week, Larian Studios has clarified that it’s planning to reveal the Xbox release date for Baldur’s Gate 3 at next month’s The Game Awards, while also saying the game is on track to release in that month – suggesting we may see it drop right then and there. Time will only tell:

Xbox players, we hear you’re looking for more news on Baldur’s Gate 3. The game is on track for a December release.

We’ll see you at The Game Awards for the World Premiere of the exact release date.

— Larian Studios (@larianstudios) November 15, 2023

Original Story: Baldur’s Gate 3 fans who’ve been waiting patiently for the recently-confirmed Xbox release or a physical copy of the game to proudly display in their collections seemingly have a lot to look forward to this week as developer Larian Studios is teasing news on both to come this week.

Following its incredible eight nominations in the upcoming The Game Awards, Larian shared the news and managed to slide in a cheeky nod towards the impending announcements, saying, “Xbox fans, and fans of physical media, watch this space for a formal announcement. It’s going to be a busy week.”

Voting is now live for @thegameawards! Vote now: https://t.co/Ea35Su0dWx

We're extremely proud that @baldursgate3 has been nominated in the following categories;

?Game of the Year
?Best Game Direction
?Best Narrative
?Best Score And Music
?Best Performance (@NeilNewbon as… https://t.co/dutqlJZesp

— Larian Studios (@larianstudios) November 13, 2023

We gave the PC and PS5 version of the game a huge 10/10 in our review, saying “Baldur’s Gate 3 is a landmark achievement for CRPGs and gaming at large. The only thing more staggering than its immense scope and density of systems is the quality in which it’s all presented. Its unwavering flexibility and accommodation for player choice is intoxicating, and the replay value on offer here will no doubt cement Baldur’s Gate 3 as a timeless and regularly revisited masterpiece. For a game as rich and complex as this, it also works surprisingly well on console.”

The post Baldur’s Gate 3 Is Out Now On Xbox Series X|S appeared first on Press Start.

Today’s stacked The Game Awards event has brought with it plenty of accolades, updates, first looks and surprise reveals, awarding some of this year’s best and most exciting games and studios while setting up an exciting future to come.

Early on in the piece we got a gorgeous, Senua’s Sacrifice: Hellblade II-themed performance along with a brand-new trailer for the game and, excitingly, a new look at some small bits of gameplay. Still no solid release date, but the game is coming to Xbox and PC (including Game Pass) in 2024.

Check out the new trailer for Senua’s Sacrifice: Hellblade II below:

In-game cinematics and gameplay captured by Ninja Theory on Xbox Series X, with music by Heilung.

The sequel to the award winning Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice, sees Senua return in a brutal journey of survival through the myth and torment of Viking Iceland. Intent on saving those who have fallen victim to the horrors of tyranny, Senua faces a battle of overcoming the darkness within and without.

Trailer best experienced with headphones.

The post Senua’s Sacrifice: Hellblade II Has A New Trailer But Still No Release Date appeared first on Press Start.

Just when you thought Xbox’s continually-increasing stable of one-off custom Xbox Series X consoles couldn’t get any better, it’s only gone and done this. To celebrate the launch of Bluey: The Videogame, Xbox has crafted this very special Bluey-themed Xbox Series X console complete with matching controller featuring both Bluey and Bingo.

[presto_player id=150280]

Feel more with PS5. Beyond the everyday. Beyond extraordinary. Even beyond imagination. Feel it now.

To enter for a chance to win this, you’ll just need to follow Xbox on X, and repost the below before December 14th at 3PM AEDT.

All of the giveaway terms and conditions can be found right here.

The perfect way to play Bluey The Videogame: with a #Bluey Xbox!

Follow and RT with #BlueyXboxSweepstakes for a chance to win a custom @OfficialBlueyTV Xbox Series X & controller.

Ages 18+. Ends 12/13/23. Rules: https://t.co/o7jQCwIfzY pic.twitter.com/fNgd2iXjHe

— Xbox (@Xbox) November 17, 2023

Bluey: The Videogame is described as an “interactive sandbox adventure” that sees players explore faithfully-recreated, iconic locations from the Emmy and BAFTA Award-winning animated TV show, set out in an episodic format with fan-favourite moments from the show spun into engaging gameplay for young children and their parents alike. The game includes a completely new, four-part storyline, and features up to four-player cooperative play.

You can get Bluey: The Videogame on Xbox, PlayStation and Switch here for $59.

The post This Special Bluey Xbox Series X Console Is Incredible And You Can Win It appeared first on Press Start.

Xbox has just revealed its share of this month’s Black Friday sales activity and it’s going all-in with deals on Xbox Series X consoles and console bundles as well as accessories and games.

The Xbox Black Friday 2023 deals begin right now with discounts on hundreds of games, up to 50% off, on the Microsoft Store, with hardware and accessory bargains also rolling out including some incredibly sharp pricing on Xbox Series X consoles, especially at Amazon where you’ll not only get an Xbox Series X for just $649 but a bonus physical copy of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 as well. You can see the deals below:

[presto_player id=150280]

Feel more with PS5. Beyond the everyday. Beyond extraordinary. Even beyond imagination. Feel it now.

Xbox Series X Consoles And Bundles For Black Friday 2023

Amazon

• Xbox Series X Console – $649 with bonus copy of Call of Duty MW3 and free shipping
• Xbox Series X Diablo IV Bundle – $719 with bonus copy of Call of Duty MW3 and free shipping
• Xbox Series X Starfield Bundle – $728.95 with free shipping

Microsoft Store

• Coming Soon

EB Games

• Xbox Series X Console – $649
• Xbox Series X Diablo IV Bundle – $719

JB Hi-Fi

• Coming Soon

Big W

• Coming Soon

Xbox Accessory Deals For Black Friday 2023

Amazon

• Xbox Series X/S Wireless Controller – Electric Volt – $69.95
• Xbox Series X/S Wireless Controller – Pulse Red – $74
• Xbox Series X/S Wireless Controller – Robot White – $69
• Xbox Series X/S Wireless Controller – Shock Blue – $79
• Xbox Series X/S Wireless Controller – Velocity Green – $74
• Xbox Series X/S Wireless Controller – Astral Purple – $74
• Xbox Series X/S Wireless Controller – Carbon Black – $79

Microsoft Store

• Coming Soon

EB Games

• Xbox Series X/S Wireless Controller – Electric Volt – $74
• Xbox Series X/S Wireless Controller – Pulse Red – $74
• Xbox Series X/S Wireless Controller – Robot White – $69
• Xbox Series X/S Wireless Controller – Shock Blue – $79
• Xbox Series X/S Wireless Controller – Velocity Green – $74
• Xbox Series X/S Wireless Controller – Astral Purple – $74
• Xbox Series X/S Wireless Controller – Carbon Black – $69
• Xbox Series X/S Wireless Controller – Remix Special Edition – $89
• Xbox Series X/S Wireless Controller – Sunkissed Vibes OPI – $79
• Xbox Series X/S Wireless Controller – Carbon Black + USB-C Cable – $79
• Xbox Series X/S Wireless Controller – Carbon Black + Wireless Adapter – $89

JB Hi-Fi

• Coming Soon

Big W

• Coming Soon

The post Xbox’s Black Friday Deals Are On Now With Big Discounts On Xbox Series X Consoles And Bundles appeared first on Press Start.

Update #3: Windows Central has once again updates its report, saying that Microsoft has confirmed third-party accessories plugged into an Xbox console through the Adaptive Controller won’t be subject to these restrictions, hopefully putting to rest some concerns around the use of accessible devices.

Update #2: Microsoft has addressed this situation directly, confirming the decision to block unauthorised accessories being used with Xbox consoles. The statement reads:

“Microsoft and other licensed Xbox hardware partners’ accessories are designed and manufactured with quality standards for performance, security, and safety,” it said.

“Unauthorised accessories can compromise the gaming experience on Xbox consoles (Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S.) Gamers may receive a pop-up warning that their accessory is unauthorised. Eventually, the unauthorised accessory will be blocked from use to preserve the console gaming experience.”

Microsoft has also advised players to check the full list of accessories that are supported on Xbox consoles at this link.

Update: Windows Central has updated its report with claims from sources that Microsoft is planning to expand its programs to approve more third-party wireless controllers for use on Xbox consoles, which should help increase the options available to consumers in the face of the below crackdown on unapproved devices.

Xbox users who play with specialised or custom third-party accessories (or are recipients of those well-meaning but ill-advised holiday gifts of horrifically bad controllers) look to be in a rough spot right now with widespread reports that unauthorised or unlicenced devices are being blocked from use with Xbox consoles.

According to Windows Central, users have started seeing a new error message after recent Xbox firmware updates that warn users their devices will be blocked from use (if not already rendered inoperable) by November 12th, 2023. The message reads, “A connected accessory is not authorised. Using unauthorised accessories compromises your gaming experience. For this reason, the unauthorised accessory will be blocked from use on 12/11/2023.

“For help returning it, check with the store it came from or contact the manufacturer. To see authorized accessories, go to www.xbox.com/accessories. (0x82d60002).”

It’s not just back alley, super-custom or illicit accessories being affected either, with some more “major” players in third-party gear who don’t necessarily have the full Xbox seal of approval seeing some of their products subject to this blocking, like Brook Gaming:

https://twitter.com/brookgamingfans/status/1715337068401021284?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1715337068401021284%7Ctwgr%5E32f845013bae4c12baf253989997f3c10bb89942%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.windowscentral.com%2Fgaming%2Fxbox%2Fxboxs-new-policy-say-goodbye-to-unofficial-accessories-after-november

“Dear gamers, we extend our heartfelt appreciation for your unwavering support and interest in Brook. We find it necessary to share crucial information with you regarding our Xbox console-related products, which may encounter functional disruptions in the near future,” the statement from Brook reads before listing affected products.

“Recently, we have received player feedback concerning these products when used on Xbox consoles (the latest OS version 10.0.25398.2266, released on 10/16) during online gameplay. An error message may appear: “A connected accessory is not authorized.”

“We deeply regret any inconvenience this may cause you. The Brook engineering team is fully committed to developing a solution to maintain product quality and functionality.

“Please trust that we will spare no effort in identifying potential solutions. Once further updates become available, we will promptly notify you through our official community platforms.”

Xbox has yet to address this new messaging or clarify how many devices it’ll affect (including things like keyboard and mouse setups or accessible controllers), but we’ll be sure to update this story with more as it comes.

The post Xbox Is Going To Start Blocking Unauthorised Accessories From Being Used With Its Consoles [UPDATED] appeared first on Press Start.

Xbox held its first Partner Preview overnight with the offering being about in-line with what we expected. It provided updates on a lot of games coming to Xbox in the next six months and a first look at Metal Gear Solid 3 Remake gameplay as well.

Here’s every trailer shown in the showcase.

OUR FIRST LOOK AT METAL GEAR SOLID 3: SNAKE EATER REMAKE

We got our first in-engine look at the game.

THE SPOOKY ALAN WAKE 2 LAUNCH TRAILER WAS SHOWN

The wait is almost over.

ARK: SURVIVAL ASCENDED GOT ITS FIRST GAMEPLAY

It’s looking great on Unreal Engine 5.

ROBOCOP: ROGUE CITY GOT NEW GAMEPLAY

Ahead of its release next week, we got a new look at RoboCop.

LIKE A DRAGON: INFINITE WEALTH HAS A COOL NEW ISLAND MINIGAME

It’s coming on January 26th.

STILL WAKES THE DEEP GOT NEW GAMEPLAY TRAILER

We got our first proper look at the upcoming Still Wakes The Deep from the developer behind The Chinese Room (Amnesia/Dear Esther)

MANOR LORDS IS COMING TO PC GAME PASS

It’ll be releasing on April 26th, 2024.

IKARO: WILL NOT DIE IS A NEW ACTION ADVENTURE

It looks cool!

SPIRIT OF THE NORTH 2 WAS REVEALED

You’ll take control of a new fox.

WE GOT ANOTHER LOOK AT DUNGEONS OF HINTERBERG

It’s coming to Xbox Game Pass in 2024.

THE FINALS IS GETTING A CLOSED BETA

It’s starting on Xbox today.

The post Here’s Everything That Was Shown At The Xbox Partner Preview appeared first on Press Start.

Microsoft has published its sales results for its Q1 in FY24 (July 1st to September 30th, 2023) and it’s managed a record-breaking $3.9 billion USD revenue in its gaming sector, which it says is the highest Q1 result yet for the Xbox brand.

Broken down, it’s a 9% increase in gaming revenue and a 13% increase in Xbox content and services, both naturally driven by a very strong launch for Bethesda Softworks’ massive space-faring RPG, Starfield, which quickly became the studio’s biggest-ever new game launch,

Perhaps less exciting than the success of Starfield, the positive results in Xbox’s service revenue were also driven by price increases for Game Pass that took effect in August, combined with an increase in interest in the service thanks again to the likes of Starfield as well as the launch of Xbox Game Pass Core, the new entry-level tier replacing Xbox Live Gold.

On the hardware side, it’s a less positive story with Xbox hardware revenue down 7% for the quarter, potentially as a result of price increases on the Xbox Series X console and the huge leak of confidential information with saw 2024’s revised Xbox Series X console revealed far earlier than planned, though the latter didn’t occur until near the end of the quarter.

Microsoft FY 2024 Q1:

Gaming revenue up 9% in the quarter.
Above guidance.

Equates to ~ $3.9B in quarterly Xbox sales.
That's an all-time Q1 high.

Xbox Content & Services rose 13%.
That's also above forecast.
Due to 1st party (Starfield) & Game Pass.

Xbox Hardware dipped 7%. pic.twitter.com/nFmBu89eVe

— Dom (@DomsPlaying) October 24, 2023

Microsoft is forecasting its overall gaming revenue grow in excess of 40% and for Xbox content and services to up more than 50% in its Q2, FY2024, thanks to its recent acquisition of Activision Blizzard King.

It’s also debuting a new livestreamed showcase format tomorrow with the Xbox Partner Preview Showcase, where fans will get new looks at the likes of Alan Wake II, Ark: Survival Ascended, Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth and more – you can find out when and where to watch that right here.

The post Microsoft Had A Record Quarter For Gaming Revenue Thanks To Starfield appeared first on Press Start.

After Xbox set off a run of immeasurably-huge advertising on the Las Vegas Sphere with some iconic imagery and incredible views of its games and hardware last week, PlayStation seemingly followed suit the very next day.

The massive advertisement was displayed to celebrate the launch of Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 on Friday, showing off looks at the two Spideys along with the most enormous and terrifying depiction of Venom I think I’ve ever seen.

Now, it’s maybe a bit of an easy jab to suggest that PlayStation saw Xbox take over the Sphere and followed up out of spite, but given the huge amount of work it must be to produce and render out a video sequence of this shape and sheer size, coupled with the supposed $450,000 USD that the Sphere* charges to run a single-day ad spot, it’s probably more of a coincidence than anything that both companies had residencies lined up.

Take a look at what went on:

Two Spideys have taken over @SphereVegas.

Marvel’s #SpiderMan2PS5 is out now on PS5. #BeGreaterTogether pic.twitter.com/dIrcr9LK4R

— PlayStation (@PlayStation) October 21, 2023

We gave Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 a huge 9/10 in our review, saying “Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 cleverly pairs its added width and breadth with more depth and meaningful new gameplay and story opportunities. There’s rarely a moment here that doesn’t feel thrilling, enchanting, heartbreaking, awe-inspiring or some combination of it all. Beyond untangling the finer threads of its design or narrative ambitions though, it’s genuinely just the most fun, gorgeous open world superhero game out there.”

*I’m not suggesting that the Sphere itself is in possession of immense business savvy and communicating with cashed-up marketing teams across the globe by some kind of cosmic telepathy in order to close big advertising deals. But I’m not not saying that’s what’s happening, either.

The post PlayStation Also Took Over The Las Vegas Sphere With A Giant Spider-Man 2 Display appeared first on Press Start.

Xbox has gone all-out in launching its new “Power Your Dreams” campaign, taking over the Las Vegas Sphere with some iconic imagery and incredible views of its games and hardware at an absolutely enormous scale.

In case you’ve somehow missed it, the Las Vegas Sphere project was completed in September this year and opened as an entertainment venue with Irish band, U2, playing the first-ever shows. The sphere features a 16K resolution wraparound interior LED screen, speakers with beamforming and wave field synthesis technologies, and 4D physical effects on the inside, but also has 54,000 square metres of exterior LED displays that can be used for the kinds of astonishing, 3D showcases of art and marketing like the below:

Xbox has taken over The Sphere in Las Vegas and it looks amazing! ??? pic.twitter.com/YFdMIYCMud

— Michael Cavacini ??? (@MCavacini) October 20, 2023

VP of Xbox Games Marketing at Microsoft, Aaron Greenberg, also shared some looks of the display “from home,” which has really motivated me to somehow amass an obscene amount of money to pay the Sphere people to let me play video games on it from across the city.

Pretty rad watching @Xbox and our games taking over the @SphereVegas from home tonight! ??????? pic.twitter.com/ohM3ephPYh

— Aaron Greenberg ??????U (@aarongreenberg) October 20, 2023

It’s not quite “giant ball of marketing in Las Vegas” levels of cool, but the actual promo spot for the Power Your Dreams campaign is also worth a look, featuring some very cool live-action takes on legendary Xbox games. Check it out below:

The post Xbox Took Over The Las Vegas Sphere And Now I Want To Play Games On It appeared first on Press Start.

With the benefit of a few years of early access behind it, and being an entry-level reader of horror manga myself, World of Horror is undoubtedly the year’s most fascinating prospect. It takes the sharp, blood-curdling prose and art of someone like Junji Ito and throws it into a roguelike crockpot full of supernatural mysteries with a surprisingly deep mash-up of adventure and role-playing mechanics.

A looming apocalypse threatens the quaint Japanese coastal town of Shiokawa, while a cast of Old Gods of Eldritch lore wreaks havoc about the place. Your task is to scour different parts of the town in an attempt to find clues and unravel a series of horrific, macabre mysteries while fending off otherworldly horrors that lurk around every turn. To say it’s unsettling would be an understatement, World of Horror leans its whole damn self into the body horror, folklore, and urban legend that has made Japanese horror so prolific throughout the years. 

The systems at play in World of Horror are surprisingly in-depth, putting a scary, tactical spin on turn-based bludgeoning. Making each second count in conflict is the key to success and you can queue up a combination of offensive, defensive, or support actions on a timeline on a per-turn basis. There’s a frantic energy to combat in World of Horror, whether you’re scrambling for a weapon or having an ally run a distraction play, it all culminates in an increasingly tense play-by-play. This is once it all clicks into place, I will say that World of Horror can feel a bit overwhelming from the jump, given the sheer amount of information the game displays across its many screens. 

All of the traditional role-playing concepts like inventory, status effects, and even the ways in which your run’s Old God is plaguing the town are given their own tab to check in on. With so much to track, I’d argue that onboarding isn’t what it should be. There is a tutorial case about a scissor-wielding mad woman that helps get the basic premise across before plunging into the larger mystery, but it doesn’t cover everything. Some cases unfold entirely in one place, while others require exploration of the town to gather clues.

Both failure and death will darken your door repeatedly in World of Horror, whether your character is exhausted of their stamina and reason or whether your actions draw the ultimate ire of the Old God and serve as a catalyst for the end of days. Fortunately, the brevity of a run means there’s little risk in playing fast and loose, however haphazard play doesn’t come at the expense of the game’s rising tension and atmosphere. 

Tailored for short burst play, each “run” of World of Horror is meant to last, at most, an hour. Mileage will vary depending on how quickly the player meets their ultimate demise, though I was averaging runs of thirty minutes once I found my groove. Though you can dabble with the game’s prepopulated runs, there are plenty of means to customise a play through right down to difficulty, the Old God tormenting the town, and a starting character from a cast with varying starting stats, curses, and items. It’s this roguelike foundation that has made World of Horror a constant source of riveting, dreadful entertainment. 

With multiple endings available for each case, you’ll spend a lot of time sifting through for threads to tug on in hopes they’ll lead you to an alternate end. The same goes for the random events, and enemies, that you might happen upon. Filling out each codex and collecting everything fast becomes the chase as you continue to put to rest and close each absorbing case file. 

Similar to the cursed tape from Ringu, World of Horror feels like a forbidden relic of paranormal power. It feels evident from the classic boot-up screen that the game exists in a place out of time, preparing to prey on unsuspecting players. And it does. It’ll disturb you when you are playing and eat at you when you aren’t. It combines its grotesque one-bit art, which was dreamt up and brought to life using Microsoft Paint of all things, with a seriously unnerving soundscape. It’s eerie, and strange, and manifests an unease in the pit of your belly. 

World of Horror is a captivating choose-your-own adventure-like that time and time again disarms through sharp writing and hair-curling imagery that stands shoulder-to-shoulder with the works of Junji Ito. It’s a never-ending source of entertainment and its truncated cases, with their boundless replayability, are interactive short stories torn from the manga pages that clearly inspired them. 

The post World Of Horror Review – A Descent Into Madness appeared first on Press Start.

Xbox is back at it again with another incredible custom console, this time a Series X themed around Diablo IV, and it’s giving it away to a lucky fan.

Xbox, Activision and Takeoff Studios in the UK collaborated on the concept for the console, which blends Diablo lore with classic art to create something as beautifully dark as the world of the game. It’s inspired by the Gates of Hell bronze sculpture by Auguste Rodin and brings to life the Gates of Hell that players will know from Diablo IV (and the rest of the series).

The winner of this hellishly-cool custom Xbox will also receive another, regular Xbox Series X console so they can play without ruining their new masterpiece.

Better yet, Xbox is once again opening this competition up to “all Xbox-supported regions” which includes us here in Australia!

Instructions on how to enter are below:

1. Create a new account or use an existing account on X/Twitter
2. Follow @Xbox at https://twitter.com/Xbox, and @Diablo at https://twitter.com/Diablo
3. Retweet the promotional post and include the Sweepstakes hashtag #DiabloIVXboxSweepstakes. Retweets must be in the exact form as the original tweet to be eligible to receive an entry.

You’ve got until October 31st at 6PM to enter, so get around it. You can find the rest of the terms and conditions right here.

The post This Custom Diablo IV Xbox Series X Is A Masterpiece And You Can Enter To Win It appeared first on Press Start.