Gaming News - Page 353

All the latest gaming news, with everything related to PlayStation releases (PS4 & PS5), Xbox, PC Games, Nintendo Switch & plenty more - Page 353.

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Xbox boss Phil Spencer is wary and skeptical of 'exploitative' NFTs

Derek Strickland | Nov 19, 2021 4:03 PM CST

Xbox gaming boss Phil Spencer is wary and skeptical of NFTs, sees new digital craze as experimental and potentially exploitative.

Xbox boss Phil Spencer is wary and skeptical of 'exploitative' NFTs

Gaming's biggets third-party publishers like Ubisoft, EA, Take-Two, SEGA, and Square Enix are interested in NFTs. None of that will matter if platform-holders don't agree. If Valve or Microsoft block NFTs, then publishers simply won't have a place to distribute or sell their NFT-monetized games. (Valve has already banned all NFT games from Steam).

The reality is NFTs are seen as a get rich quick scheme and regulations and rules haven't been established. No one really knows how to implement NFTs into their games yet. Until that part is figured out, platform-holders like Xbox will scrutinize NFTs; Microsoft's Phil Spencer isn't convinced yet.

Continue reading: Xbox boss Phil Spencer is wary and skeptical of 'exploitative' NFTs (full post)

Assassin's Creed Origins in 8K: You won't believe your eyes

Derek Strickland | Nov 19, 2021 3:31 PM CST

4 years later, Assassin's Creed Origins is still a looker. But 8K gaming pushes the game to an entirely new level.

Assassin's Creed Origins in 8K: You won't believe your eyes

AC Origins is one of the best-looking games in the franchise. The Ptolemaic Egyptian world is replete with brilliant colors and enchanting ancient pyramids, towering plinths and monoliths, and tons of Hellenistic statues. It's one of the best worlds Ubisoft has ever created and it looks absolutely insane in 8K.

YouTuber Digital Dreams is known for pushing games well past their limits on PC and that's exactly what's happened to AC Origins. A new video reveals what future-generation Assassin's Creed games could look like with 8K resolution and RT On. The spellbinding footage was captured on a PC outfitted with GeForce RTX 3090 pumping out crazy 8K resolution at the ultra graphics preset.

Continue reading: Assassin's Creed Origins in 8K: You won't believe your eyes (full post)

SEGA confirms deal with Microsoft won't lead to Xbox exclusives

Derek Strickland | Nov 19, 2021 2:29 PM CST

SEGA wants to use Microsoft's Azure servers to power its new games-as-a-service initiative. SEGA confirms these games won't be Xbox exclusives.

SEGA confirms deal with Microsoft won't lead to Xbox exclusives

A bit ago, SEGA confirmed it was negotiating a deal with Microsoft to use Azure to host, deploy, and even develop its most ambitious games. SEGA wants to create a whole new type of game called Super Games, which are huge sprawling live service titles similar to Phantasy Star Online. It wants to have multiple Super Games on the market by 2030; SEGA defines Super Games as large online titles that serve worldwide markets and make $800 million - $1 billion in lifetime revenue.

SEGA needs servers to make this happen. So naturally they teamed up with Microsoft. After all, Phantasy Star Online 2 is already powered by Azure and SEGA wants its future games to also use the potent cloud network. SEGA will spend up to $880 million on the development of its new Super Games.

Continue reading: SEGA confirms deal with Microsoft won't lead to Xbox exclusives (full post)

Rockstar apologizes with free classic GTA trilogy on PC

Derek Strickland | Nov 19, 2021 1:39 PM CST

Rockstar Games has officially apologized for the GTA Definitive Edition remasters and promises that a new update will fix many of the core issues. Definitive Edition owners on PC will also get free copies of the original games.

Rockstar apologizes with free classic GTA trilogy on PC

After 8 days of public ridicule, Rockstar Games has responded to the GTA remaster controversy. The developer admits the Definitive Edition was a faulty product and says they're working on multiple patches for the game to fix "technical issues". No specifics have been confirmed just yet...but let's hope things like atmospheric fog and rain are addressed, as well as the embarrassing character models and glitches.

"The updated versions of these classic games did not launch in a state that meets our own standards of quality, or the standards our fans have come to expect," Rockstar said.

Continue reading: Rockstar apologizes with free classic GTA trilogy on PC (full post)

1337 Activision employees want CEO Bobby Kotick kicked out

Derek Strickland | Nov 19, 2021 12:29 PM CST

Following two public walk out protests, Activision-Blizzard employees are now signing a petition asking for CEO Bobby Kotick's removal from the company.

1337 Activision employees want CEO Bobby Kotick kicked out

Activision's dirty laundry has been laid bare for everyone to see. Multiple lawsuits, insider reports, and public statements paint a sordid picture of Activision-Blizzard's billion-dollar empire, from harassment and pay discrimination to serious sexual abuse and rape claims. Now workers are sending a message to corporate.

Employees have formed the A Better ABK movement in an effort to rally workers together and call for change. A new petition has also been started that takes aim directly at Activision CEO Bobby Kotick, who, according to a Wall Street Journal expose, knew of specific abuse allegations and hid them from the board. 1,337 employees have signed their names publicly to the petition asking the company's board of directors to oust Kotick from a leadership position.

Continue reading: 1337 Activision employees want CEO Bobby Kotick kicked out (full post)

Outriders player count explodes by 400% after New Horizons update

Derek Strickland | Nov 19, 2021 12:25 PM CST

The latest New Horizons update has totally ignited Outriders' stagnant playerbase with a huge 400%+ increase in players on Steam.

Outriders player count explodes by 400% after New Horizons update

Gamers have moved on from Outriders...until now. The shooter-RPG mashup is back in the spotlight in a big way. The game's New Horizon update sees tons of players returning to try out the new content, and for good reason: the update is literally fulfilling a big wish list made by the community.

Players have responded in a big way. Outriders' active players have skyrocketed after New Horizon's release, jumping 464% one day after the update's launch. Outriders' playerbase on Steam went from 1,293 peak daily players to 6,617 daily players. That's a pretty huge jump and while it remains to be seen whether or not People Can Fly can retain these players...but for now the community is rallying behind the update.

Continue reading: Outriders player count explodes by 400% after New Horizons update (full post)

PlayStation boss calls Activision out amid disastrous PR nightmare

Derek Strickland | Nov 19, 2021 11:34 AM CST

PlayStation boss Jim Ryan has put Activision in the hot seat and is directly asking Activision how they plan to change.

PlayStation boss calls Activision out amid disastrous PR nightmare

Billion-dollar games titan Activision-Blizzard is getting raked over the coals right now due to ongoing discrimination, harassment, and sexual abuse controversies. The company is under multiple investigations including securities fraud and a damning lawsuit from the Department of Fair Employment and Housing that alleges instances of rape, abuse, coercion, and heavy drinking within the publisher. A new report from the Wall Street Journal uncovers that CEO Bobby Kotick knew about multiple rape allegations and hid them from the board of directors.

The media (including TweakTown) have been covering this story for months, but now Activision's partners are starting to comment. Sony's Jim Ryan has sent internal emails (via Bloomberg) saying that he is "disheartened and frankly stunned" to hear about the publisher's conduct.

Continue reading: PlayStation boss calls Activision out amid disastrous PR nightmare (full post)

Embracer Group will release 25 new AAA games by 2026

Derek Strickland | Nov 19, 2021 10:21 AM CST

Embracer Group's 80 studios are going to be very busy over the next 5 years with a huge slate of upcoming AAA releases.

Embracer Group will release 25 new AAA games by 2026

Embracer Group (formerly THQ Nordic) just posted up its Q2'21 results, confirming strong sales driven by digital earnings and a look at the company's ambitious release pipeline.

The company plans to release 25 AAA games by March 2026, which is more than most companies release in 10 years. This makes sense considering Embracer has an immense arsenal of 80 studios with a total of 9,000 employees.

Continue reading: Embracer Group will release 25 new AAA games by 2026 (full post)

NVIDIA's new GeForce 496.76 drivers are ready for Battlefield 2042

Anthony Garreffa | Nov 17, 2021 7:06 PM CST

NVIDIA has released its new GeForce Game Ready 496.76 WHQL drivers, which are optimized and tuned for Battlefield 2042, and more.

NVIDIA's new GeForce 496.76 drivers are ready for Battlefield 2042

Battlefield 2042 officially launches in a few days but if you pre-ordered the game, or you are an Xbox Game Pass or EA Play Ultimate subscriber you get into the Early Access of Battlefield 2042 and can play it now. NVIDIA's new GeForce 496.76 drivers don't just offer Game Ready support for Battlefield 2042, but new games with DLSS.

Assetto Corsa Competizione, Bright Memory: Infinite, Farming Simulator 22, Hot Wheels Unleashed, and Myth of Empires are all powered with NVIDIA DLSS technology, with the new GeForce 496.76 drivers ready to go. There are the usual issues fixed, there are still known issues, while the biggest thing here apart from games being NVIDIA's new Image Scaling feature, which you can read more about here.

Continue reading: NVIDIA's new GeForce 496.76 drivers are ready for Battlefield 2042 (full post)

Secretlab TITAN XXS: a gaming chair for kids, and even your pets

Anthony Garreffa | Nov 17, 2021 6:34 PM CST

In what started out as an April Fools Day joke has turned into a reality, with gaming chair leader Secretlab unveiling their new teeny-tiny TITAN XXS. Yes, they really made the gaming chair for kids and pets, and are now selling it.

Secretlab TITAN XXS: a gaming chair for kids, and even your pets

The new Secretlab TITAN XXS was created with the same industry-leading quality and materials as the higher-end TITAN 2022 range, with height-adjustable armrests, child-locking casters, and more. The TITAN XXS supports up to 70kg (154lbs or so) and will only be made in "limited quantities".

Secretlab's new TITAN XXS is made in a 1:2 scale so they look really awesome next to the proper TITAN gaming chair, with the company making them available in the black hybrid leatherette version for $299, while the Plush Pink or Frost Blue will cost $319. Secretlab explains its new TITAN XXS: "Meet the smallest member of the Secretlab family. The Secretlab TITAN Extra Extra Small (XXS) is a 1:2 collectible designed for true fans - the ones who demand world-class seating as a cornerstone of their living space".

Continue reading: Secretlab TITAN XXS: a gaming chair for kids, and even your pets (full post)