Gaming - Page 560

Halo campaigns used to be linear and straightforward experiences. All that's changed with Halo: Infinite, which effectively turns the Halo franchise into a FPS-RPG hybrid with emphasis on replayability. This is actually a tactical decision that folds perfectly with Microsoft's service-based business model for Xbox.

Back in March 2019, I asked a question: What if Halo: Infinite wasn't just a game, but a kind of platform built around engagement? I predicted Infinite could have a wide, sweeping campaign that just keeps on delivering content with a new evolved scope. My predictions were based around Microsoft's business model for Xbox, which prioritizes engagement and services, and subscription retention via content delivery. This content is specifically built to feed the business model. Halo: Infinite is one such game.

Today 343i made one thing clear above all others: Halo is no longer just a shooter. It's now an RPG, too. The question I asked over a year ago finally has an answer, and it has changed Halo forever.

Halo: Infinite has lots of new toys to play with, including an awesome new tactical rifle that's one part AR and one part DMR. We take a look at all the new guns, weapons, and equipment shown off during today's campaign reveal (the battle rifle is back!

Today we finally got to see Halo: Infinite gameplay in action, and the results were pretty surprising. As we predicted, Halo: Infinite is a huge open-ended and sprawling experience, not a linear and segmented game. You'll be exploring a huge open-world full of objectives and stuff to do. Halo: Infinite is basically and RPG now, but we'll have more on that later.

The real meat and potatoes of Halo is combat. And you can't have good combat without new weapon innovations. Overall the gameplay reminded me of Halo 5 with one big exception: The grappling hook. Yes, Halo 6, aka Halo: Infinite has a grappling hook and it changes the game forever.

Halo: Infinite's campaign mode is a lot like we predicted, featuring open-world style exploration with a huge map and lots of battles.

Halo: Infinite isn't like other Halo games. Instead, it takes place on the biggest map in the franchise that reminds me a lot like an Ubisoft game. Halo also now has cooldowns for its equipment, a mechanic that's lifted straight out of an MMO. And yes, Master Chief now has a grappling hook to use in campaign.

Overall these Halo: Infinite features resemble something like Bethesda's RAGE 2, which used live service-style engagement tactics without actually adding in any monetization. The idea here is to create an environment of near-infinite replayability, especially in the bounds for online co-op.

Thanks to COVID-19 lockdowns helping spark game sales, Microsoft is closing the Xbox One console generation with a bang.

Today Microsoft reported its Q4'20 earnings, revealing tremendous revenue spikes in gaming software, services, and hardware. The entire Xbox gaming division's earnings rose 64% YoY by $1.3 billion. Services and software, which includes subscriptions like Xbox LIVE Gold, Game Pass, game sales and monetization, skyrocketed by 65% YoY, representing a $1.2 billion increase. Hardware likewise jumped by 49% year-over-year.

As Microsoft doesn't provide specifics on its gaming branch any more, these numbers lack context. However, Twitter data sleuths like DomsPlaying note this puts Xbox's total yearly revenues at around $11 billion, which is higher than the $10 billion it typically earns every year. For reference, Xbox gaming would've earned roughly 7% of Microsoft's total colossal $145 billion in yearly revenues.

Microsoft is gearing up to begin cranking its hype machine for the next generation Xbox Series X launch, with Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella firing out some warning shots to Sony.

In a recent earnings call with investors, Nadella said: "In content, we are delivering differentiated, first and third-party content to attract and retain gamers. Xbox Series X will launch this fall with the largest launch lineup for any console ever".

As for the launch, Bloomberg reporter Dina Bass tweeted that Microsoft CFO Amy Hood said the Xbox Series X was "still on track for the November holidays launch". I reported news back in December 2019, that Microsoft would be launching the Xbox Series X on November 22 for a rumored price of $499.

If you wanted to be the coolest kid at school, then you should get your parents -- or if you are the parent, you should go and check out these new PlayStation sneakers.

Firstly, I'll refer to them just once by their official name -- PLAYSTATION SONY INTERACTIVE ENTERTAINMENT SNEAKERS, which I will refer to as 'PlayStation sneakers' from now on. The new PlayStation sneakers are exclusive to Zara and cost $50.

There's nothing really special here, with the Zara website explaining: "Sneakers with sock-style construction with PlayStation print and details. Front and back pull tabs for ease. Elastic strap ay front to ensure fit. Fabric interior lining and memory foam insole. Lightweight soles with decorative air chamber".

Final Fantasy XIV's ambitious new Reflections in Crystal Patch 5.3 update brings the Shadowbringers expansion story arc to a close, while also expanding the game dramatically for existing and new players.

After weeks of delays, Square Enix today revealed new details for Reflections in Crystal (aka Patch 5.3), a huge free update that concludes the Shadowbringers storyline. Patch 5.3 will add in a bunch of new content including new quests, a new NieR crossover alliance raid that Yoko Taro helped design, a new co-op dungeon, and a new Unreal Trials battle event that lets you take on suped-up versions of powerful monsters throughout Eorzea (kind of like Final Fantasy X's combat arena).

The new patch also massively expands the game for free and existing players who didn't buy Shadowbringers. The Heavensward expansion is now 100% free for all players regardless if you're a free user or an active subscriber. Trial users now have access to Heavensward's full suite of bonuses and upgrades, including flying mounts and other content. The trial level cap has been boosted to 60 and free players can now access the Au Ra character race and use the Dark Knight, Astrologian, and Machinist jobs.

In a bid to help change its scandalous company culture, Ubisoft has instated a new policy that rewards team leads and executives when their workers are happy.

Ubisoft is surrounded by controversy right now. Sexual misconduct is rife at the company, and several of its biggest executives have been outed with damning allegations, forcing multiple resignations and firings across all levels of the publisher. Now in today's earnings report company CEO Yves Guillemot outlines a new measure that ties team leads' bonuses to the workplaces they help create.

"It has been decided that a portion of team leads' bonuses will be tied to their ability to create a positive and inclusive workplace environment,"Yves Guillemot said during the call.

We've compiled the earnings reporting dates for gaming's top companies so you can track the numbers, announcements, and insights from executives.

Gaming's top earners are all ramping up for next-gen games. Third-party devs like Take-Two, Ubisoft, EA, Activision-Blizzard, Square Enix and Capcom are all working on their respective PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X titles, whereas Sony and Microsoft are gearing up their hardware platforms, ecosystems, and infrastructures for a whole new generation of gaming. So it's now more important than ever to pay close attention to earnings calls, reports, figures, and other data from these companies because they give critical feedback and insight on what's to come.

These reports are how I predicted Anthem would be an action game, not an RPG, for example, and how I made educated guesses that Battlefront II would be monetized with microtransactions. What these companies say in these calls and reports ultimately dictates their future, simply because they have to telegraph key info to investors, or the people that really power their companies.

SEGA's new Yakuza game is groundbreaking on a number of levels, including its new RPG combat system, but now SEGA confirms it'll be the series' first to feature full dubbed English dialog.

Today SEGA revealed a bunch of new details about Yakuza: Like a Dragon, like its November launch alongside Microsoft's new Xbox Series X. The most surprising news breaks the language barrier of the Yakuza series. The new Like a Dragon release will be dubbed in English, French, Italian, German, and Spanish, SEGA confirmed in a press release. Typically Yakuza games only have Japanese dialog complemented with English subtitles, which arguably adds more hilarity and personality to the experience.

Legendary Star Trek actor George Takei joins the English cast, and Kaiji Tang will play the game's main character Ichiban Kasuga. Takei voices pivotal crime boss Masumi Arakawa, and is taking his voice-over role very seriously.

Riot Games' new esports-ready FPS Valorant had the biggest free-to-play launch in PC gaming history, analyst firm SuperData reports.

Weeks after release, Valorant has stolen the spotlight away from Overwatch and other shooters. The game has raked in substantial players, buzz, and more importantly, in-game revenues via monetization (helped by a pricey $95 skin pack), and is actually beating past performances of juggernauts like Apex Legends on PC.

According to SuperData's latest findings, Valorant is pulling players away from CS:GO thanks in no small part to a fresh new enthusiast-driven FPS system, as well as influencers, streamers, and new pro esports leagues. Valorant actually broke into June's top 10 best-earning PC games shortly after launch, trailing behind billion-dollar titan Roblox.

EA is currently ramping up its studios for major next-gen projects on PS5 and Xbox Series X, including Battlefield 6, but its latest Star Wars dogfighter won't be one of them.

Star Wars Squadrons, the new first-person starfighter inspired by X-Wing vs Tie Fighter, has a lot of ambitious features. It'll have full platform parity across Xbox One, PS4, PC, and even full VR support on PSVR and PC-powered HMDs, as well as full online multiplayer cross-play. But there's one thing it won't have: Next-gen optimizations.

According to EA Motive creative director Ian Frazier, the developer currently has no plans to release a PlayStation 5 version of Star Wars Squadrons, nor does it plan to support Microsoft's Smart Delivery initiative for the game. That means the studio won't release next-gen optimizations for the title that makes it play and look better on the newer consoles.

Saber's zombie-slaying hit World War Z is getting expanded in a bunch of new ways, complete with full cross-play support on all platforms.

Today Saber announced its new Dronemaster update that adds a new playable Dronemaster class and unlocks one of the most important features for any live game: Full cross-play. The PVE game breaks the ecosystem barriers and PS4 owners can now join up with Xbox One and PC players for ultra-chaotic zombie survival. This marks a significant development for Saber, who's now fully owned by THQ Nordic, and the team will continue adding more content to WWZ in an effort to monetize engagement over time.

Apart from crossplay, the update adds the eponymous D"It's been over a year since we first launched World War Z and we're still working towards our commitment with free content updates. Today I'll talk about the Dronemaster update.

Jet Set Radio isn't dead after all. It's just changed it's name a little bit.

Today Team Reptile announced Bomb Rush Cyberfunk, a new cel-shaded neo-funk spiritual successor to SEGA's rollerblading Jet Set series. The game has all the hallmarks of the classic series: the crazy rebellious style and cel-shaded art, the skating and breakdancing, the futuristic world, and an authentic series of musical tracks straight from original Jet Set Radio composer Hideki Naganuma.

The game is up on Steam right now, but you can't buy it just yet. Team Reptile hasn't listed a release date just yet. Check below for more info:

All Halo games come with new gadgets and tricks, and Halo: Infinite's could be the most ambitious yet.

It sure looks like Master Chief is wearing a grappling hook in Halo: Infinite's new box art. The cover art clearly shows some new piece of equipment attached to John-117's wrist, and cursory inspection reveals a very Spartan Hook-esque design. There were initial rumors about a grappling hook being a huge part of Halo 6, and now it looks like those rumors were right.

ResetERA user Klobrille, who typically has inside behind-the-scenes knowledge of the games industry, recently said grappling hooks are still in the game. "Grappling hook is in as to my limited knowledge, but it's more like an equipment pick-up similar to Halo 3."

The NPD Group reveals some interesting tidbits about U.S. gaming habits, revealing that roughly 14% of the country's population are heavy gamers.

According to The NPD Group's Mat Piscatella, the gaming habits of U.S. consumers are on the rise. The analyst notes that 3/4ths of the United States population are gamers that spend time and/or money on interactive entertainment, or roughly 244 million people. Out of these, 20% of them, or 48 million people, are considered heavy users that spend over 15 hours a week playing video games.

The analyst firm also notes that gamers are playing on more devices than ever. In 2020, 65% of surveyed users said they are playing titles across multiple platforms, including consoles, PCs, and mobile phones, up from 59% in 2018. This uptick will help pave the way to more innovative gaming access points like Stadia and Xbox cloud game streaming to mobile devices via Project xCloud.

343 Industries has revealed Halo: Infinite's box art ahead of tomorrow's huge campaign gameplay reveal, clearly highlighting the main themes and focus for the ambitious sequel.

Box art says a lot about a game and is still a big factor in whether or a not a consumer buys a product. Halo: Infinite's cover art is decidedly epic and gives us a big idea on what the game is all about.

Back in 2018, 343i's Dan Chosich said Infinite is returning to its roots to embrace Combat Evolve's main tenants: Sci-fi wonder, hope against desperation and loss, and a true sense of emboldened heroism.

Fortnite players have been waiting on what we all thought would be cars introduced to the massively popular Battle Royale game from Epic Games, but they're not here even with the just-released v13.30 update.

But, with the new update we've been teased with gas stations and petrol mechanics -- but more excitedly, a crashed spaceship that was flown by the "Ancient Astronaut". We should expect the spaceship to come with some new challenges, where you'll have to find the spaceship, find a missing part, install the part, and then launch the ship.

FortniteIntel goes into some great depth on what they think is coming with the spaceship-related update, where they write: "Our first thought upon seeing this ship takes us back to The Visitor. The ship might be different, but the objective of the Ancient Alien could have been the same. This Astronaut could even be one of The Seven - trying to break the loop from inside of the Apollo universe (coincidence that the new map is named Apollo?)"

A social media post had gamers excited that Sony was surprisingly rolling out PlayStation 5 demo stations starting in the UK, but it doesn't appear to be the case.

It started with a post on Twitter by IronCoreGames, and quickly squashed: no PS5 demo stations just yet. Some sites were contacted by Currys PC World, saying that these kiosks have been in their stores for "maybe about a year now".

Sony is going to have a hard time getting people to see their PlayStation 5 demo stations when they do eventually roll out globally, an unfortunate circumstance pushed on the company because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Crytek may have pushed out the release of Crysis Remastered on the PC and other consoles, but the Nintendo Switch version of the game is still going for a Maximum Launch on July 23, 2020.

In a recent developer livestream we found out some more details on the rendering resolution of Crysis Remastered on the Nintendo Switch. We previously heard reports that suggested it would be running at 720p 30FPS -- but now we know the rendering resolutions in both docked, and handheld modes.

Crysis Remastered will be running somewhere between 720p and 900p when in docked mode, while on-the-go the resolution takes a sharp hit dropping down to somewhere between 540p and 720p.