Gaming - Page 167

Skating fans will be glad to know there is another Tony Hawk's Pro Skater remaster currently in the works, according to professional skateboarder Tyshawn Jones, who recently teased the existence of the remaster during an interview on The Breakfast Club.

Notably, Activision hasn't confirmed anything regarding a new Tony Hawk remaster, but 2020's Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2 was a commercial success, selling millions of copies. Vicarious, the development team behind the remaster of the first two Pro Skater games, was praised for their efforts with 1 + 2, but on January 22, 2021, the team was merged with Blizzard Entertainment. Activision then went to look for a new studio to handle the remasters of Pro Skater 3 and 4, but, unfortunately, found no one that was as skilled as the Vicarious team, and as a result the remasters were dropped.

But that doesn't seem to be the case, or at least according to Tyshawn Jones, who appeared to let slip the news about a new "remaster" he is featured in. "I'm in a Tony Hawk coming out so that's cool," he said. "They got a new one they remastering so that's about to come out. I was in the last one." Adding more credence to more Tony Hawk games being released was Tony Hawk himself, who said in September 2024, "I wish I could tell you more. But I can tell you that I've been talking to Activision again which is insanely exciting. We're working on something."

Microsoft hopes to use its new AI technology to preserve older games, potentially future-proofing backwards compatibility.

Microsoft is all-in on artificial intelligence, and Xbox has briefly discussed its AI plans. First, Xbox signed a multi-year deal with Inworld to use its generative AI for narrative/quest design in games. Now, Microsoft has announced Muse, its own tech that is able to generate gameplay sequences. Muse was trained using real-world inputs from players in Ninja Theory's Bleeding Edge game.

The implications for Muse are unclear, and Microsoft tells developers they don't have to use generative AI for their games (Ninja Theory has already opted out, for instance). The announcement page, blog post, and accompanying YouTube video with Phil Spencer only go so far. What can we expect Muse to be used for?

Microsoft's new generative AI toolset, Muse, was trained using real-world player inputs from an Xbox game, the company today announced.

Remember when Xbox announced its generative AI plans? These strategies had been nebulous for some time, but the mystery has been lifted with a research update that gives a better idea of what Microsoft is up to. At the time, Xbox president Sarah Bond said that gaming AI would be focused on three areas:

Xbox's AI tech is called Muse, and it was actually trained using data from Ninja Theory's failed live game Bleeding Edge. Microsoft Research supplied the AI team with key player data. According to Nature, Microsoft used anonymized captures from 500,000 play sesssions.

Following heavy layoffs in the games industry, including its own video games division, Microsoft today made a bunch of announcements regarding its generative AI technology that will be used for games development.

Today Microsoft revealed Muse, its new generative AI tech, and talked more about its plans for AI in games. The company is going full steam ahead on a "real-time playable AI model trained on other first-party games," and its experimental Muse technology is able to create generated instances of gameplay at low-level resolution.

Using AI poses a potential ethical dilemma in the creative space, especially with so many fellow developers having been laid off. In a blog post, Microsoft says that first-party devs won't be made to use AI tech.

NVIDIA's RTX 50 series has officially dropped support for 32-bit CUDA applications, including 32-bit PhysX. As a result, older games like Batman: Arkham Asylum, Borderlands 2, and Assassin's Creed: Black Flag - which relied on GPU-accelerated PhysX - will now shift physics calculations to the CPU, leading to significant performance drops on RTX 5000 series GPUs.

The issues were first reported by users on the NVIDIA forums, who highlighted issues with enabling PhysX in Borderlands 2. NVIDIA support responded by stating:

Spider-Man 2 for PC launched roughly three weeks ago to mixed reviews from fans due to its performance issues. However, one of the new title's saving graces is mod support, and the community has been quick to implement its own string of fixes, features, and reworks.

Aside from the required mod manager, the most downloaded mod on the Spider-Man 2 Nexus is 'Reworked MJ's Face'. The mod does exactly what you'd expect - it changes Mary Jane's face model in-game. A common complaint during the game's PS5 launch was that MJ looked older, and just different from the original game's appearance. While many liked the new look, others weren't a fan of the change - a preference that's clearly echoed from the download figures for the PC version's mods.

Speaking of original face models, you can also download a mod that adds back the original Peter Parker face, which John Bubniak modeled for the 2017 release before it was updated in Spider-Man: Remastered (2022). You'll also find improved versions of the fan-favorite Raimi suits, and a more refined version of Andrew Garfield's suit from The Amazing Spiderman: 2. Among various gameplay tweaks, quality-of-life changes, and graphics improvements.

PlayStation 6 coming out in 2028 sounds about right, former Sony Computer Entertainment worldwide studios president Shuhei Yoshida reckons.

The current console generation is entering its fifth year amid a games industry bloodbath. The market is laying off thousands of workers in droves, and cost-cutting has forced yet another unprecedented era for the interactive entertainment industry. Current events could disrupt the status quo, including the pivotal point where Sony, Nintendo, and Microsoft release new refreshed hardware.

Despite what's going on in the world, Sony could deliver the PlayStation 6 sometime in 2028. At least that's the thought of Shuhei Yoshida, who led PlayStation's worldwide studios division for 11 years during the mega-popular PS4 gen.

My Nintendo Gold Points is being discontinued, Nintendo today announced.

Nintendo is shutting down its popular rewards program ahead of the Switch 2's launch. Nintendo will stop offering My Nintendo Gold Points starting March 24, 2025, and after this time, users will no longer earn Gold Points for digital and physical game purchases. All Gold Points that had been previously earned will still be available and redeemable for 12 months after they were issues, Nintendo promises.

Pre-orders made before the cutoff date will also net Gold Points: "Gold Points will be awarded if you place another pre-order by 9:30PM PDT on March 24, 2025. However, Gold Points will not be awarded if the new pre-order is placed after that." Nintendo's Platinum Points aren't going anywhere, though. These points are used for freebies like physical items and extras for Switch Online users. "Yes. You will still be able to earn Platinum Points, even after March 24, 2025."

Former Xbox VP Mike Ybarra publicly comments about Microsoft's current multi-platform gaming strategy, and the possibility of the company exiting the hardware market.

Trends indicate that the current Xbox hardware market is saturated. HW sales aren't growing--console and accessories revenue was down to its second holiday in the Xbox Series generation. Microsoft is breaking exclusivity on its games to grow laterally, and the general consensus is that this is the early stages of hardware being phased out over at Microsoft.

Whatever the case may be--we don't have access to Xbox's accounting data--Xbox management has confirmed another console is on the way. But these hypothetical situations about Microsoft dropping hardware have caught the attention of former key execs in the games industry, namely Mike Ybarra, who was VP of Xbox for a time and spent multiple years with the Xbox division.

UPDATE:Niko Partners analyst Daniel Ahmad, who tracks the Chinese games market, explained that the Marvel Rivals situation is a result of a re-evaluation of NetEase's core business.

NetEase, who makes billions of dollars from live service games every year, has laid off the developers of the popular new shooter Marvel Rivals.

From all accounts, the new Overwatch contender Marvel Rivals is a mega hit. The game has seen high playercounts on all platforms (10 million players in 72 hours), routinely hitting among the top-earning games on various storefronts. Rivals was so successful that it reportedly made over $130 million in its first month of availability. To put that into perspective, the entire Grand Theft Auto franchise made $175 million in 3 months.

Sony announced the Days Gone remaster, and while already taking some flack for its seemingly lackluster graphical improvements, players have now realized only some players will be able to upgrade for $10, while others will have to pay $49.99.

The new problem with Days Gone Remastered was spotted by fans and posted on the r/PlayStationPlus subreddit, where it states within the Days Gone Remastered's fine print that "Game redemptions via PlayStation Plus are not eligible for upgrade," meaning PlayStation Plus players will have to pay the full $49.99 for access to Days Gone Remastered at it's discounted price, compared to digital or disc copy owners that only have to pay $10.

It appears that the general sentiment in the subreddit, or at least on that post, is that many players would be happy to pay $10 for the remastered version of the game but won't pay the full $49.99 if the game is already sitting in their library thanks to PS Plus. Bend Studios, the developer of Days Gone Remastered, announced the remastered version of the game will be released on April 25, 2025, and that the new version has been built for PS5 and supports Tempest 3D Audio, VRR, DualSense's haptic feed, and adaptive triggers. The remaster comes with improved framerate and graphics, with the latter currently up for debate.

Bethesda has taken to its social channels to share an exclusive opportunity with Elder Scrolls fans who wish to become immortalized in the upcoming Elder Scrolls 6.

Bethesda has partnered with the Make-A-Wish Foundation to hold a silent auction where the winning bidder will work with the Bethesda Game Studios development team to create a character that will appear as an NPC within The Elder Scrolls VI. The auction listing reads, "This once-in-a-lifetime opportunity allows you to immortalize yourself in one of the most highly anticipated video games of all time, The Elder Scrolls VI."

The auction is being held on the Make-A-Wish Mid-Atlantic website, and at the time of writing, the minimum bid is $10,450. For those who don't know, The Elder Scrolls 6 was initially announced at E3 2018 where a brief teaser for the highly anticipated sequel was displayed. Since then, there's hardly been any information regarding the game besides brief mentions of it, and Bethesda game director Todd Howard, stating that The Elder Scrolls 6 will be Bethesda's next release.

Rockstar is reportedly in talks with top Fortnite, Roblox and GTA creators about turning the next online mode for GTA into a creator platform.

The news comes from Digiday, which reports that Rockstar is talking to creators about developing a platform for custom experiences within the GTA 6. At the moment, it's unknown if the next online mode for GTA will be called GTA 6 Online or simply GTA Online and if the current online experience will be rebranded to a legacy moniker such as GTA V Online or GTA Online Legacy.

Regardless of the name change, Rockstar is seemingly preparing to make the next online experience customizable by players through FiveM, a popular game modification that enables players to host and join multiplayer servers where hundreds of users can play simultaneously. The information comes from three industry insiders with knowledge of the Rockstar meetings that required anonymity to protect business relationships.

According to a new report, Rockstar has been meeting with top Roblox, Fortnite, and GTA V creators to discuss the upcoming release of Grand Theft Auto VI or GTA 6. Citing multiple sources "with knowledge of these meetings," the report states that these talks are directly related to Rockstar, including enhanced modding tools to support user-generated content (UGC) in the game.

The report notes that these discussions have been open-ended. Still, it indicates that GTA 6's online functionality will build on the popular modding and RP (role-playing) scene of the current GTA Online sandbox, with expanded tools to create custom experiences in the game alongside potential revenue sharing and brand partnerships.

GTA V is still one of the most popular games on the streaming platform Twitch thanks to its robust online mode, so it makes sense that Rockstar and its parent company Take-Two would be looking at expanding or enhancing the community and user-driven side of the game - post-campaign and story.

Rainbow Six Siege players can finally put down their cups of speculation about a follow-up title to their beloved title, as Ubisoft has finally confirmed via a new teaser trailer Rainbow Six Siege X.

Ubisoft took to its social media platforms to share a quick teaser of the new title and described it as the "biggest transformation in the game's history." Unfortunately, not much else is known about Rainbow Six Siege X other than the title, as players are now speculating whether it's a completely new release in the franchise or an overhaul of the current game. The only other piece of information we have regarding the new title is that more will be revealed at R6 Siege X Showcase scheduled for March 13.

As for what is within the teaser trailer, Ubisoft has briefly showcased what appears to be, at the very least, a visual overhaul, along with some wall-running mechanics and several explosions that blow holes in walls. Ubisoft also teases in the description of the teaser trailer that Rainbow Six Siege X "introduces new ways to play, deepened tactical gameplay, and major upgrades all around!" Judging from those last three words in that aforementioned sentence, I'm leaning toward Rainbow Six Siege X being an "upgrade" of Rainbow Six Siege rather than a new release in the franchise.

Viktor Antonov, the Bulgarian artist who is known for his iconic work on Half-Life 2 and Dishonored has passed away at the age of 52.

Antonov's former colleagues have posted tributes online to the artist who began working in the video games industry with the title Redneck Rampage. Half-Life writer Marc Laidlaw broke the news on his Instagram Story, which has since expired. Laidlaw wrote, "I didn't want to say much till I felt it was confirmed, but I learned today that Viktor Antonov, our visionary art lead on HL2, has died."

Antonov also consulted on titles such as DOOM (2016) and Fallout 4. Moreover, Antonov was featured in the recent documentary celebrating the 20th anniversary of Half-Life 2 that was released this past November. As for what Antonov is mostly recognized for, the Bulgarian artist is credited with creating Combine and City 17's now iconic visual identities. Additionally, the artist is credited with the visual identity of Dishonored's Dunwall.

Take-Two Interactive, the publisher of the Grand Theft Auto franchise, confirmed the launch for the title will be sometime in the Fall of 2025. The highly anticipated title will be heading to consoles first, but when is the PC release?

Rockstar Games has traditionally released its new titles on console first before eventually releasing a PC version approximately a year later. Rockstar is yet to announce anything regarding a PC version of GTA 6, but the platform was briefly mentioned by Take-Two Interactive CEO Strauss Zelnick who said during a recent earnings call that PC gaming is becoming a "much more important part of what used to be a console business," which has led to speculation of a simultaneous platform release.

Unfortunately, that won't happen, as it was confirmed by Zelnick that Rockstar is sticking to its traditional strategy of console first and then PC. But how long will it be before we see GTA 6 on PC? According to Corsair Gaming's financial VP, Ronald van Veen, who said during the company's latest financial results, GTA 6 will be released on PC sometime in early 2026.

Xbox Gaming CEO Phil Spencer said during a recent interview that he's no longer trying to get all gamers over to the Xbox platform.

Spencer recently appeared on the XboxEra podcast, where he discussed the recent industry-shifting moves of Xbox and how the company is now releasing its products on competing platforms. Spencer was asked about his thoughts about the split Xbox has when one of its games is purchased on a competing storefront, such as Steam or now PlayStation. Spencer was asked to talk about people suggesting that Sony is using the 30% they acquire when an Xbox game is purchased on its storefront to reduce Xbox's standing in the market.

The Microsoft Gaming CEO echoed similar statements he had made in the past, saying that game titles and franchises are what Xbox wants to deliver to gamers, regardless of the platform. "I would love to make all of the money for all of the games that we ship right, like obviously we make more on our own platform. It's one of the reasons that investing in our own platform is important." Adding, "But there are people, whether it's their libraries on a PlayStation or Nintendo, whether it's they like the controller better, they just like the games that are there."

Epic just released its Epic Games Store's '2024 Year in Review,' and there's a lot of data in there - including a new impressive milestone for the PC gaming platform. According to Epic, the storefront and PC gaming platform achieved 295 million users in 2024, which lines up with its user base increasing by 25 million year over year.

In addition, December 2024 saw the Epic Games Store on PC achieve a monthly active user figure of 74 million. However, digging deeper, it seems that first-party Epic Games like Fortnite and Rocket League are driving engagement and revenue with the Steam alternative.

The $1.09 billion spent by PC gamers on the platform throughout 2024 was 15% higher than in 2023. However, only $255 million was spent on third-party games - with the biggest third-party titles (regarding Epic Games Store revenue and engagement) being Grand Theft Auto 5, Honkai: Star Rail, FC24, Destiny 2, and Alan Wake II.

Valve has sent out an email to gamers that recently launched a newly released, as the company believes the title contains "malicious files".

The free-to-play game was called PirateFi and was released last Thursday, and in the days following the release Valve began sending out messages to affected users warning them about a potential threat to their machines. The message states the Steam account of the developer for this game "uploaded builds to Steam that contained suspected malware". Valve sent out an email to users that launched PirateFi and warned in the email that since the game contained malicious files, "it is likely these malicious files launched on your computer."

Valve adds the suspected malware has since been removed from Steam, and strongly recommends any users that launched the game to run a full-system scan using an anti-virus product. Additionally, Valve recommends users to inspect their system for any newly installed software, as this software could be fraudulent and part of the initial malicious files within PirateFi. Reports indicate the malicious file was "Trojan.Win32.Lazzzy.gen" and was linked to the theft of browser cookies, which enables the bad actor to gain access to various online accounts.