Gaming - Page 181

EA's Dragon Age: The Veilguard will be available to claim from March 4 for PlayStation Plus subscribers, according to a new post on the PlayStation Blog.

Dragon Age: The Veilguard was released less than four months ago, and according to EA, the title's launch was "high-quality," and the game was "well-reviewed by critics and those who played," however, it "did not resonate with a broad enough audience in this highly competitive market." EA's chief financial officer, Stuart Canfield, also stated the game "underperformed."

Looking at the SteamDB charts, we can see that "underperformed" may be a slight understatement, as Dragon Age: The Veilguard's all-time peak was 89,418 players on November 3, 2024. Now, the title's 24-hour peak has just 2,381 players.

NVIDIA has officially released developer plugins for DLSS 4, now compatible with Unreal Engine 5 versions 5.2, 5.3, 5.4, and 5.5.

Listed on NVIDIA's developer page, the plugin grants access to Multi Frame Generation, Frame Generation, Ray Reconstruction, Super Resolution, DLAA, Reflex Low Latency, and NVIDIA Image Scaling. This expanded support follows the recent launch of DLSS 4 in Marvel Rivals and now enables more Unreal Engine developers to integrate NVIDIA's AI-driven upscaling and frame generation technology into their games.

Unreal Engine continues to be a key focus for NVIDIA, given its growing role in modern game development. Recent reports show that 28% of Steam games released in 2024 were built in Unreal Engine, while Unity still leads with 51%. However, revenue figures tell a different story - Unreal Engine titles accounted for 31% of total 2024 Steam revenue, while Unity-based games generated just 26%. Despite Unity's dominance in sheer game volume, its lower revenue share reflects its heavier presence in indie and mobile markets, whereas Unreal Engine is the go-to for large-scale projects.

Ahead of the official deep dive into the highly anticipated Nintendo Switch 2, a known leaker has released new images of the dock showcasing the differences between the new dock and the original.

The new pictures were shared on the Famiboards forums by the same Xiahongshu forums user who leaked the CAD model of the Nintendo Switch 2 last year, which gave us the very first now proven to be an accurate look at Nintendo's successor to the Switch. The user has now shared more images of the Switch 2 dock, showcasing some changes over the original model, such as the inclusion of a grid pattern on the base of the dock that may be a result of changes to the cooling system, such as air intake holes.

The CAD renders also show the aesthetics have been switched to a more rounded design with smoother edges, which was briefly showcased in the official First-look trailer for the Nintendo Switch 2. The CAD renders also showcase some slits in the back of the console, presumably for airflow, along with what appears to be a USB hub on the left-hand side of the console if you were looking at it face-on. Judging by the renders, when the Nintendo Switch 2 is docked, it appears to need quite a lot of cooling, especially compared to the original Switch.

The handheld PC market could hit cumulative shipments of nearly 8 million by the end of the year, analyst firm IDC predicts.

The nascent handheld gaming PC segment has grown considerably over the years; led technically by the Switch's mega success, Valve rolled out the pioneering Steam Deck, prompting other OEMs to also try their hands at handhelds. Now the market is filled with contenders like the MSI Claw, the Lenovo Legion Go, and the ROG Ally. Sony also got into the mix, albeit in a very limited streaming-only device (just don't expect it to be a new wave PS Vita).

It's hard to put exact numbers on it, but The Verge has acquired some interesting figures. While Valve had said that the Steam Deck has sold "multiple millions" of units as of the end of 2023, analysts have a more comprehensive estimate for the entire handheld PC market.

The open beta for Mecha Break has launched on Steam, and hundreds of thousands of players have flocked to try it out, pushing the demo to the top of the most-played Steam charts despite the title's average user review being "Mostly Negative".

Looking at the SteamDB charts, the Mecha Break demo is currently sitting in the 5th position with a 24-hour peak of 256,000 players, putting it behind Marvel Rivals' 315,000 players, Dota 2's 597,000 players, PUBG: Battlegrounds' 781,000 players, and the long-time reigning king, Counter-Strike 2 with its 1.6 million players. Despite the thousands of negative reviews for the Mecha Break demo, players still seem to be rushing to try out the snippet of the new title.

What is causing the wave of negative reviews? Players who are writing negative reviews for the demo are citing excessive and potentially predatory monetization techniques surrounding the mechas, along with the time it will take to unlock new mechs. Furthermore, some negative reviews have complained about a lengthy, unskippable tutorial, several server issues, performance problems, and kernel-level anti-cheat being a requirement.

BioWare co-founder Greg Zeschuk recently revealed during a podcast he was going to attempt to take over Electronic Arts (EA) from within if the success of Star Wars the Old Republic was monumental.

Zeschuk appeared on Simon Parkin's podcast My Perfect Console and gave some back story on the founding of BioWare and how the developer's success led to it eventually being acquired by EA, which purchased VG Holding Corp in 2007, which at the time owned BioWare Corp and Pandemic Studios. Many fans of the old BioWare attribute the developer's "downfall" to EA bringing the developer under its umbrella, but according to Zeschuk, that isn't the case, as right after EA acquired BioWare, the developer proceeded to hit home runs in terms of releases with the debuting of Mass Effect and promptly after Mass Effect 2.

Despite BioWare's success, Zeschuk recognized that working under the umbrella of a massive publisher wasn't a great environment for him, with the co-founder of the studio citing a lack of "entrepreneurial-ship". These concerns led to Zeschuk announcing his retirement from BioWare in 2012. Zeschuk went on to explain that when working under a massive company such as EA, developers need to learn to work within a set structure.

In a recent interview on the Kiwi Talkz podcast, former Bethesda artist Dennis Mejillones sat down to discuss his time at the studio and his relationship with Todd Howard. Over the years, Howard has become one of the most recognizable figures in the gaming industry, but according to Mejillones, his role has changed significantly as Bethesda has grown.

Mejillones expressed deep admiration for Howard, crediting him as a mentor and a major influence in his life. "Honestly, I love Todd. He's helped change my family, helped guide me... He's been like a mentor, patient with me, which is something I really needed." Mejillones also emphasized Howard's ability to recognize what makes a game fun and accessible. "He's really good at finding fun... making the game accessible to as many people as possible."

At the same time, he acknowledged that Howard's position and level of success within Bethesda came with its own challenges.

Following Warner Bros. Games closing Monolith Productions, WB San Diego, and Player First Games and canceling a Wonder Woman game, DC Studios head James Gunn and Peter Safran have confirmed plans to create a more interconnected universe that spans across various DC-focussed media such as TV shows, movies, and games.

It appears DC is finally getting it together, and I mean that in the most literal sense, as reports indicate that talks are currently underway with Rocksteady and NetherRealm to connect titles such as the Batman: Arkham series and the Injustice Games to the wider DC cinematic universe. These changes are being headed by Gunn and Safran, who are working toward future DC games no longer being isolated products and instead will be connected to a wider universe.

Gunn intends to take a hands-on approach with the development of future DC video games and will push developers to take characters in certain directors so they complement the wider universal narrative. The approach is certainly a bold one and, if pulled off correctly, could result in a massive rise in DC comic book hero popularity, perhaps even to the point of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), which nailed the movie side of media, fell somewhat flat on the TV show side, and is nonexistent in the video game space (in terms of connecting each form of media into a cohesive universe).

In a market dominated by fantasy and sci-fi action, contemporary titles like Life is Strange, Firewatch and Gone Home are somewhat of a niche in modern gaming. However, Don't Nod, the original creators of Life is Strange, are back with their latest entry Lost Records: Bloom & Rage. The title, mixing Stephen King's IT with coming-of-age style fiction, takes players back to a unique setting between 1995 Michigan and the 2022 pandemic era in a mystery narrative adventure.

Tape 1, the first of two parts, was released last Tuesday. Similar to its predecessors, its gameplay loop leans heavily into emotional storytelling. Dialogue, exploration and atmosphere take center stage, and rather than equipping the player with weapons or mysterious powers, the playable character, Swann, is armed with a flashlight and a 90's camcorder.

The nostalgic touches - bulky TV sets, tangled AV cables, Tamagotchis, and troll dolls - make it a fascinating exploration as you jump between the mid-90s and modern-day settings. Similarly, you'll find the VHS-overlayed camera swapped for smartphones and the ever-beloved disposable masks when you revisit the modern day as a 43-year-old Swann.

If the recent teasers of Tony Hawk Pro Skater 3 + 4 wasn't enough to convince you a remaster was just around the corner, the unannounced title has now received an official rating by a statutory board.

Tony Hawk Pro Skater 3 + 4 is all but confirmed by Activision, with the publisher last week putting a mysterious countdown up on the official Tony Hawk game website with the date March 4, 2025. The potential remaster of the iconic franchise was first teased by professional skateboarder Tyshawn Jones, who said during an interview on the Breakfast Club that he was in a new Tony Hawk game that's "coming out" and that this game was a remaster. Presumably fans speculated it was Tony Hawk Pro Skater 3 + 4.

It was only a few days later that Black Ops 6 players discovered a mysterious date on the wall in the Grind map. The date was written the Pro Skater font and featured the Tony Hawk logo, and it was only a day after that countdown was discovered on the Tony Hawk game website. Now, the Infocomm Media Development Authority of Singapore, a body that gives official ratings to games has rated an unannounced "Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 + 4" for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PC and Nintendo Switch.

WB Games is shutting down studios and cancelling games restructuring plan. The games lineup has been cut down to reflect a "less is more" approach that underlines WB's powerful IPs.

Today it was revealed that WB Games shuttered Monolith Productions, WB San Diego, and Player First Games while cancelling a big-budget Wonder Woman game in the process. The goal is simple: WB Discovery is tired of losing money on bad bets. The combined bad performance of Suicide Squad Kill the Justice League and Multiversus led to a $335 million impairment charge for the games division.

The restructuring has also led to big changes in how money is being spent on new projects. In an internal memo acquired by Bloomberg, WB Games management says that teams will now focus on a handful of franchises and IPs, which are predictable: Harry Potter, Mortal Kombat, DC Comics (with an emphasis on Batman), and Game of Thrones.

Xbox Game Studios' new boss shares his perspective on Microsoft's multi-platform games strategy, ultimately saying that the plan is good for creatives and consumers alike.

Microsoft no longer believes in exclusive games and is now selling its first-party games on PlayStation and Nintendo to maximize revenues. It's part of a strategy that uses terms like "broad reach" to emphasize just how much opportunity there is on rival hardware. The move has been polarizing, with many feeling that having no exclusive content will jeopardize Xbox hardware from the inside out.

Whatever the case may be, for the near- and mid-term, Microsoft is getting a revenue boost from multi-platform releases. The unpopular decision appears to be good for business, at least for now. We've heard executives like Phil Spencer, Sarah Bond, and Matt Booty comment on this decision, but what about the people that're closer to the creatives?

AMD has announced a new Monster Hunter Wilds game bundle with its RX 7000 GPUs and Ryzen 9000 and 7000 processors.

The new bundle gives gamers a free copy of Monster Hunter Wilds (value: $70) with selected pieces of hardware in the usual manner.

The following AMD CPUs will qualify you for the freebie (but do note that as ever, you need to purchase from an eligible retailer that AMD has drafted into the scheme):

Fable has been delayed to 2026, but Microsoft softens the blow by revealing new pre-alpha gameplay footage for the anticipated RPG.

The next Fable game will have an extra year for development, Xbox has announced, and developer Playground Games is reportedly making big strides with the game's progress. Aided with Eidos Montreal, Playground's new vision for Fable is touted as the "most beautiful" in the history of the series.

Alongside the game's delay announcement, Xbox Game Studios head Craig Duncan also teased new details about Fable, complete with pre-alpha gameplay footage. The sequences even included some bits of combat and apparently showcased Fable's seamless transitions between dialog and combat.

Warner Bros Games is shutting down Monolith Productions, the developers behind the popular Middle-earth series of games, and the new Wonder Woman game has been cancelled.

WB Games is making big changes to its games portfolio and talent roster. Sources have told Bloomberg'sJason Schreier that Warner Bros.' games division will close Monolith Productions, the high-profile studio responsible for big hits like the Middle-earth action-adventure duo, which introduced the iconic Nemesis system. The studio also made the popular FEAR first-person shooter series that blended action with horror. Monolith had originally been established in the 90s before being acquired by WB in 2004. The studio's website now redirects to the WB Games website.

Warner Bros. is also axing Monolith's turbulent Wonder Woman game, which had been in development for years and had reportedly been rebooted. Earlier reports paint a dismal picture for WB Games with big holes in the slate. Management had originally expected to achieve $3 billion from gaming, but this target remains in question as former WB Games president David Haddad prepares to leave the company.

The next Fable game has slipped into 2026, Microsoft has officially confirmed.

Playground Games will have some extra time to refine their new high-fantasy adventure. In today's Xbox Podcast, Xbox Game Studios head Craig Duncan announced that Fable will no longer release in 2025, and will instead launch in an undetermined period sometime next year.

Management did not give an exact reason for the delay, but it's possible that the daunting sales-hungry juggernaut that is Grand Theft Auto 6 could have something to do with the delay. GTA 6 is expected to sell in the tune of billions of dollars at launch, and is forecasted to uplift the entire games industry through boosted software, hardware, and services. Publishers are wary of this level of competition.

With the rise of artificial intelligence-generated content, gamers are calling for Valve to implement a new filter into Steam so they are able to filter out generative AI games.

A recent Steam forum suggestion thread has gained quite a bit of traction, suggesting Valve implement a new filter into the Steam store that filters out games that feature AI-generated content. Steam users have managed to keep the threat at the top of the page by using their Steam points to give it awards in hopes that Valve sees the thread and the support for the filter to be added. The filter wouldn't be unlike other filters Valve has added in the past, such as the option to hide NSFW games.

Many of the Steam users who are in favor of the new filter have taken issue with the AI models used to generate content and have likely acquired their training data illegally, which means other people who haven't consented to their data being taken. Valve has yet to respond to the popularity of the suggestion, but the company has already begun identifying games that contain AI-generated content on the Steam store listing for the game, which has set the precedent for other gaming storefronts to follow suit.

It seems Monster Hunter Wilds has performance issues even on Sony's latest hardware, with an early analysis indicating the game is struggling to maintain a consistent 30FPS.

According to French outlet GamerSyde, Monster Hunter Wilds on the PlayStation 5 Pro forces players to choose between different display modes, and when Resolution mode is selected, the game targets 30FPS and doesn't come with an option to disable raytracing, which, if disabled, would give more performance. Moreover, Resolution mode uses PSSR to upscale from a native resolution of 3072 x 1728p to 4K, and even with PSSR upscaling technology, Monster Hunter Wilds still isn't able to hit a consistent 30FPS on the PS5 Pro. GamerSyde speculates the inconsistent framerate or frequent drops in FPS are a result of incorrect frame pacing.

Moving to Balanced and Performance modes. Balanced mode hits an upscaled resolution of 2496 x 1404p and also doesn't have an option to disable raytracing. The report states the framerate in this mode is also quite inconsistent, with frequent spikes that can make the image lose quality. As for Performance mode, the early analysis found the PS5 Pro is capable of reaching 60FPs, but to achieve this framerate, the image quality has to be significantly reduced. The image quality hit can be attributed to PSSR struggling to upscale from the mode's native resolution of 1080p.

Before Ghost of Tsushima became one of PlayStation's biggest success stories, Sucker Punch Productions was just a small studio trying to keep up with the likes of Naughty Dog and Insomniac Games. In a recent creator-to-creator discussion, founder Brian Fleming admitted that the studio was so intimidated by its competition that they rarely even spoke to them.

During the PlayStation 2 era, Sucker Punch was still a young studio, having just landed its first major deal with Sony for Sly Cooper. Meanwhile, Insomniac and Naughty Dog had already established themselves as PlayStation powerhouses, releasing Ratchet & Clank and Jak and Daxter - games that defined the platforming genre at the time.

Despite feeling like the underdog, Sucker Punch steadily built its own identity. Fleming noted that PlayStation studios often learned from each other, shaping the ecosystem through shared creativity and respect.

Avowed game director Carrie Patel says that Obsidian wants to delve further into the Pillars of Eternity universe, potentially indicating at new content for Avowed or maybe even a follow-up.

Xbox's latest first-party Avowed game looks to be a hit among RPG fans, and Obsidian apparently still has a lot of stories to tell in their unique high fantasy universe. The game's branching paths and choice-driven narrative offers a very Dragon Age-level opportunity for Obsidian to preserve some sort of continuity in between expansions or games.j

In a recent interview with Bloomberg, Avowed game director Carrie Patel expressed interest in staying in the world for a bit: