Gaming - Page 244

Take-Two Interactive, the publisher behind the Grand Theft Auto franchise, is concentrating on over-delivering with the next installment in the series, Grand Theft Auto VI.

The CEO of the publisher, Strauss Zelnick, was asked during a recent earnings call about pricing for the publisher's catalog of games, particularly the Grand Theft Auto franchise. Zelnick responded by saying Take-Two aims at delivering "great value at any given time" and that its rubric for any new game it plans on releasing will provide more value to a gamer than the price tag on a game.

Zelnick said when Take-Two lands on a price for a new game, it makes sure it's "good news" for gamers, and the game's "experience vastly over-delivers". All of this alludes to the mystery surrounding the price tag for Grand Theft Auto VI, and unfortunately, Zelnick dodged direct questions regarding the highly anticipated title's price tag. However, we do know Take-Two is more than comfortable charging $70 for a new game, with Zelnick saying last year that players seem to be happy paying $70 for games.

It's one of the most highly anticipated video game releases of all time, with Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto VI set to launch sometime in Fall 2025 on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S - covering September, October, and November. Is there a chance the game's release will push beyond this window? Sure, nothing is set in stone this far out for a game - but Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick says the publisher is 'highly confident' GTA 6 will arrive on time.

In a new interview with CNBC, Zelnick said, "There is slippage in the industry, and we're not immune from that. However, we narrowed the timing because we are highly confident in that timing." Take-Two only recently put a release window on Grand Theft Auto 6, so it sounds like development is progressing as planned.

Still, he adds that instead of bugs (which it can plan for), Rockstar is seeking 'perfection' in GTA 6. And with that, "there are extraordinary expectations, [so] it's not really about bugs."

With the release and success of Baldur's Gate 3, developer Larian Studios is now one of the world's most esteemed RPG creators. Although we won't be getting an expansion, and Larian is officially moving on from the Baldur's Gate franchise (Hasbro is looking to pick up the pieces), the studio is hard at work on "two very ambitious RPGs."

With that, Larian Studios is expanding, with Larian Studios Warsaw opening in Poland to help work on its upcoming games. Larian calls Warsaw "one of the greatest RPG development hubs in the world," and it's no secret why - the city is home to CD Projekt Red, who created The Witcher series and Cyberpunk 2077.

Interestingly, this isn't the only news surrounding a high-profile developer opening a Polish-based studio. Activision announced that its new Elsewhere Entertainment studio in the region is being set up to create a new "narrative-based, genre-defining AAA franchise."

Microsoft will integrate Copilot AI into Xbox and PC games like Minecraft. The company showcased how it will work with the latter at its big Surface and AI event earlier today, and the results are pretty wild. In a demonstration, Microsoft showed how Copilot can act as a digital assistant that you can verbally interact with to provide in-game information, help, and tips.

In Minecraft, it could be as simple as asking for a crafting recipe. Copilot can then step you through the process and even assess your inventory to provide answers on what you might need and where to find it. The whole presentation included a scenario where Copilot acted as an interactive guide for a player looking to craft a sword. It's filled with rich, naturalistic conversational delivery and is impressive, to say the least - watch a short clip of it above.

It's reminiscent of some AI tutors and educational tools that OpenAI has demonstrated - except this time, it's for gaming. This feature will undoubtedly make its way to Xbox consoles and hardware, but as it will require NPU hardware to run, it probably won't arrive for televisions until Microsoft launches its next-gen Xbox console.

Ubisoft has just unveiled its next instalment in the Assassin's Creed franchise in a new cinematic trailer, which appears to have caused quite a stir in the gaming community.

The new Assassin's Creed game is called Assassin's Creed Shadows and it takes place in 16th century feudal Japan, where players will take control of two main characters in an open-world setting that is similar in scope to previous Assassin's Creed titles Valhalla and Odyssey.

The new trailer hasn't been well received by viewers as at the time of writing it has 250,000 likes and 600,000 dislikes, along with countless negative comments. Why is this happening you ask? Without mentioning the character choices and the setting of the game, which many gamers seem to be upset with, I believe the main issues for Shadows are Ubisoft's decisions when it comes to pricing.

Creative Assembly, the developer and studio behind the Total War series of PC strategy games, is rumored to be working on multiple new entries in the franchise - including one set in the Star Wars universe.

According to the publication DualShockers, citing sources within the studio, three new Total War games are in development - although it's uncertain how far along the Star Wars-themed entry is.

If true, development would have commenced after a deal with Lucasfilm Games was struck. Although there's no word on a potential setting, timeline, characters, or storyline, all of that has probably already been decided. The odds are it will feature Stormtroopers with blasters and Jedi with lightsabers.

Barring the big Helldivers 2 controversy, PlayStation is having a massive year on PC, with the release of Ghost of Tsushima: Director's Cut already cementing itself as Sony's most successful single-player PC game on Steam.

Regarding peak concurrent player counts, Ghost of Tsushima: Director's Cut's 77,154 figure is higher than those of God of War, Horizon Zero Dawn, The Last of Us Part I, and Marvel's Spider-Man. All of these are considered successful PC ports and are used as examples of why Sony is going all-in on and moving toward a multi-platform future for PlayStation.

As far as popular PlayStation PC games go, it is second only to the juggernaut, Helldivers II, one of the most talked-about co-op shooters in years and a game on track for a few Game of the Year awards. Ghost of Tsushima: Director's Cut is currently the best-selling game on Steam, with the enhanced PC version supporting features like advanced graphics settings, uncapped frame rates, ultrawide support, and tech like NVIDIA DLSS 3, AMD FSR 3, and Intel XeSS.

Game Science, the developers behind Black Myth: WuKong have released a new trailer for the highly anticipated title, showcasing some incredible graphics and gameplay all powered by Unreal Engine 5.

The new official trailer was revealed at the WeGame Event, and showcases the iconic Chinese legend about the Monkey King, otherwise known as WuKong. The trailer shows incredible visuals, some cutscenes and gameplay of the title, all of which has been developed entirely in Epic Games' Unreal Engine 5.

As for the game itself, Black Myth: WuKong is a third-person game that is based on Journey to the West, a Chinese novel published in the 16th century during the Ming dynasty that follows the travels of the Tang dynasty Buddist monk Xuanzang, who travelled to "Western Regions" (Central Asia and India) to gather sacred texts.

As part of its AYANEO REMAKE product lineup, the company has announced a pair of new portable gaming handhelds inspired by classic Game Boy hardware - albeit far more powerful. The AYANEO Pocket DMG is a new vertical handheld modeled after the iconic Game Boy Pocket or Game Boy Advance SP and powered by the Snapdragon G3x Gen 3 Gaming Platform.

The sleek and minimal design is optimized for vertical gaming, and the 3.92-inch OLED display sports an impressive resolution of 1240x1080 and a pixel density of 419 PPI. As a handheld geared toward sprite-based retro gaming and emulation, having an OLED display is a definite selling point - it will make many games look better than ever, thanks to the brilliant contrast and color accuracy.

AYANEO's second retro-inspired handheld that got revealed is the new AYANEO Pocket MICRO - which is reminiscent of the pocket or keyring-sized Game Boy Micro that played Game Boy Advance cartridges on a tiny 240×160 pixel 2-inch screen.

This year's Call of Duty game, which is expected to be Black Ops 6 and take place during the Gulf War, will launch on Xbox Game Pass, sources tell The Wall Street Journal. Publication Reuters has also corroborated the reports.

The upper limits of Xbox Game Pass will soon be tested as Microsoft plans to roll out Call of Duty, one of the world's most popular video game franchises, onto the subscription service. Inside sources have told two major news outlets that this year's new Call of Duty title will be released onto Game Pass on day one.

The move has caused speculation and doubt among gamers who question the financial viability of the service, despite multiple clarifications from Xbox management that Game Pass is not only profitable, but sustainable. Our own calculations indicate that Game Pass made as much as $1.887 billion in revenues throughout calendar year 2021, and up to $1.796 billion in 2022.

Take-Two Interactive, the publisher for the highly anticipated Grand Theft Auto VI, recently held its earnings call where the publisher's CEO Strauss Zelnick commented on the release date for GTA 6.

It was only earlier in the week that we heard from Take-Two Interactive a more specific release date for GTA 6, and while it wasn't an exact date, it was more specific than sometime in 2025. The Take-Two earnings call revealed the publisher is planning on dropping GTA 6, saying it will be arriving in the Fall 2025 season. Despite this more accurate release date, Zelnick said that it doesn't really matter when GTA 6 releases as excitement for the next installment in the billion-dollar franchise has already reached "fever pitch".

Zelnick was asked if there is any benefit to releasing GTA 6 during the holiday period, a strategy many game publishers decide to take as game sales typically spike during the holidays. Zelnick replied to the question by saying GTA 6 will likely be a massive success whenever it releases simply due to the hype surrounding the title. However, Zelnick did say the holiday release window is preferable for all developers and publishers.

Valve appears to be working on its next game and it fans of the company and it's title may be glad to know it's going to be an Overwatch-style shooter.

The new Valve title was made available to a select group of competitive gaming YouTubers who would have undoubtedly had to agree to a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) to gain early access to the title. Under this agreement, which I can personally verify as someone who has signed many of them, it's typically stipulated that you are unable to share any images, video, or even descriptions of the product you agree to see under embargo. Simply, it's in the name of the agreement "Non-Disclosure".

According to the leaks, the new Valve title will be called Deadlock, and it appears to be an amalgamation of "Valorant, Overwatch, Dota 2, and Team Fortress 2," according to Valve reporter Tyler McVicker. As for what was specifically leaked, the above images show third-person gameplay and a character called "Grey Talon," who is armed with a bow and can lay traps for enemy players.

Ghost of Tsushima: Director's Cut is out now for PC. It's one of the latest releases to support DLSS 2 Super Resolution for all GeForce RTX GPUs and DLSS 3 Frame Generation for the latest GeForce RTX 40 Series. With that, NVIDIA has presented benchmark results for what to expect at 1080p, 1440p, and 4K with max settings and DLSS 3 enabled.

The video above shows that the flagship GeForce RTX 4090 delivers a smooth 200 FPS experience at 4K. Digging into the full benchmark results (which you can see after the jump), the mid-range GeForce RTX 4070 can also hit an average of 108.7 FPS at 4K with DLSS 3. From the RTX 4070 to the RTX 4090, DLSS 3 delivers a 2.6X increase in performance at 4K.

Interestingly, since the game supports DLSS 3, FSR 3, and XeSS, GeForce RTX 30 Series owners can enable FSR 3 frame generation with DLSS 2 upscaling to boost performance. X user @BlooHook (via Videocardz) posted a screenshot showcasing the GeForce RTX 3090 hitting an impressive 170 FPS using a combination of DLSS and FSR.

NVIDIA's RTX Remix (available now) tool for modders is a powerful tool that has opened the door to a new type of remaster. Ray-tracing, AI-enhanced textures, and direct control over a game's visuals, effects, models, and more are already delivering stunning results. The best part is that it takes older DirectX games and gives them a modern makeover.

EA's Need For Speed: Underground from 2003 is a great example, primarily because the Need For Speed: Underground RTX mod (via modDB) is the work of a single person - alessandro893. With RTX Remix, the game's lighting is now fully ray-traced, including over 1,000 additional lights to the world to help improve immersion. Several in-game textures have also been enhanced.

It's still a work in progress, with some sections looking better than others, and elements like car headlights still need the RTX and ray-tracing treatment, but it's showing great promise. Need For Speed: Underground is one of the most beloved entries in the series, and it's fantastic to see it with full ray-tracing and updated visuals.

Contrary to what you might've read, Ubisoft's new Assassin's Creed Shadows game can be played entirely offline.

Assassin's Creed fans rejoice: Ubisoft is finally making a game set in feudal Japan. It's called Assassin's Creed Shadows, and it'll take place in 16th century Japan during Oda Nobunaga's bloody quest to unify the country by force. Shadows also features two protagonists--a samurai and a ninja--and you'll be able to switch between them as you play.

Since the reveal, there's been two somewhat new tidbits of info to come out. The first is that AC Shadows won't be on Steam, and will instead be on the Epic Games Store and Ubisoft Store on PC. That's despite the fact that all 3 of the most recent mainline Assassin's Creed games are on Steam, including AC Origins, Odyssey, and Valhalla.

Xbox is reportedly under pressure to increase margins, and breaking exclusivity on more first-party games might be the solution.

Like most games companies right now, Xbox has a problem. The industry just isn't growing despite Microsoft's best efforts. Game Pass subscribers have stalled, and Xbox hardware sales are down significantly. Excluding Activision's contribution, Xbox games division revenues are flat year-over-year.

Despite all of these burdens, Xbox is still expected to deliver not only profit, but some measure of growth. The current games industry debacle comes shortly after Microsoft bought Activision for $72 billion. After the buyout, Xbox is on the hook for the merger and Microsoft's executives and board of directors expect returns. This extra pressure, combined with Xbox's general flagging presence in the hardware market and sluggish topline growth, see the games-maker encumbered by the heavy weight of financial pressures.

Grand Theft Auto VI is now expected to launch in Fall 2025, surprising no one.

Today, Take-Two Interactive gave an update on its upcoming release slate, including GTA 6. The billion-dollar games giant is planning to launch GTA VI in the Fall 2025 season, which is typically from September - November. The game is so highly anticipated that it is expected to significantly uplift the entire video games industry through massive game sales, monetization, and engagement across all platforms.

This release would put GTA 6 in Take-Two's FY26 period. The company expects to make up to $5.65 billion in net bookings this year, in the FY25 period, and FY26 is forecasted to sequentially one-up and outperform FY25's numbers.

Activision today announced the formation of Elsewhere, a new studio focused on making a fresh franchise for Microsoft.

A bit ago, Bethesda and Xbox executives made the decision to shut down three studios, including Arkane Austin (Prey), Tango Gameworks (The Evil Within, Hi-Fi Rush), and Alpha Dog (Mighty Doom). Now another one of Microsoft's divisions, Activision, is opening up a new studio.

The new group is called Elsewhere Entertainment, and the studio is made up of "storytelling experts" that worked on some of the highest-profile games on the market including The Last of Us, Uncharted, The Witcher, Cyberpunk, Destiny, The Division, and Far Cry.

Ubisoft has revealed Assassin's Creed Shadows, a new journey into 16th century feudal Japan.

Ubisoft has unwrapped its latest Assassin's Creed game, and it takes place during Oda Nobunaga's unification war during the latter Sengoku period. Gamers will be able to play as two protagonists: a samurai named Yasuke, and a ninja named Naoe. Each are complete with individual backstories and gear types, and players will be able to switch between either characters on-the-fly similar to GTA V.

The characters also have their own unique trade-offs and traits: Yasuke is more bulky and armored, adept in chaotic combat and is more powerful, whereas Naoe is faster, more agile, and even has a grappling hook.

Microsoft's Xbox division plans to use artificial intelligence (AI) in gaming, but how exactly will this work?

AI is all the buzz right now in the tech sector, and gaming is no different. Publishers like EA have touted what AI can do to help the games industry, and we've also seen Xbox make strategic partnerships as its parent drastically accelerates AI development through various initiatives.

Last November, Xbox signed a multi-year deal to use Inworld's generative AI tech to help power games development. Inworld AI would be used to help automate specific things like quest creation, game stories, and character dialog.