Gaming - Page 64

Microsoft and unionized Blizzard QA testers have reached an agreement, ratifying a new 3-year union contract.

The efforts of the video game industry's slow move towards unionization are starting to pay off, with unionized developers being able to secure actionable changes in the workplace. The CWA today reports that Blizzard's unionized QA developers have reached an agreement with Microsoft, securing and ratifying a 3-year union contract with Microsoft.

As part of the contract, workers receive protections against AI and crunch, a guarantee track for gainful wage increases, and making sure the developers names show in the games that they help test at Blizzard--among others.

A new Sony patent (PDF) spotted by Insider Gaming shows the company is working on a PlayStation controller without traditional buttons. The design, which could be a game-changer, includes various touch, optical, heat, and pressure sensors. The best way to describe it is like a blank canvas, allowing users to customize and configure a layout that best suits their playstyle or the game they're playing.

As part of Sony's patent, the document notes that a major drawback of existing controllers with physical buttons, sticks, and triggers is their fixed layout and configuration. Different players have different needs, and a single controller design might be too big, too small, or simply uncomfortable for some to use.

This new controller, PlayStation design from Sony, is a bold departure even from the impressive DualSense controller for the PlayStation 5, as it allows users to configure not only where buttons, directional pads, and even virtual analog sticks are placed, but also the number of buttons and how they respond to input.

In a new batch of Jeffrey Epstein files that were released by the US Department of Justice, it has been revealed that Epstein was banned from Xbox LIVE services in 2013.

According to the now-released email chain, Epstein was removed from the Xbox LIVE service due to being a registered sex offender, with the email from Xbox LIVE stating that Epstein's account has been "permanently suspended due to harassment, threats, and/or abuse of other players." Additionally, the email states, "This conduct has been determined to be severe, repeated, and/or excessive."

In another email, it reads that the action taken against Epstein's account was based on the New York Attorney General's partnership with Microsoft and other online gaming companies to remove registered sex offenders from online gaming services, such as Xbox LIVE. The rule to remove registered sex offenders from online gaming services is to preserve and protect the service from the potential risks registered sex offenders pose to others, particularly children.

Sony is reportedly cooking up a refreshed PlayStation Portal gaming handheld for 2026. It is rumored to debut with an improved OLED panel, replacing the LCD used in the current handheld.

In some new posts on the NeoGAF forums, leaker "KeplerL2" explained that Sony is working on an updated PlayStation Portal that would be released this year. He explained: "unfortunately, the recent AMD leaks confirm that AMD intends to keep RDNA 3.5 until 2029 and even then in when they release the RDNA 5 APUs they are going to exclusively reserve them towards their "Premium APUs" so those chips are going to go towards Handheld PCs that will cost $1200+ on release".

Kepler added: "this is probably why Sony came up with their own Dynamic Technology because that PlayStation Handheld that's coming out in 2027 is still going to be RDNA 3.5".

A new mysterious Dragon Ball game is in the works, and fans think it could be related to the franchise's MMORPG from 2010.

Bandai Namco has revealed a new Dragon Ball game as part of the franchise's big 40th anniversary, and it seemingly takes place some 680 years after the events of Dragon Ball Z.

The project is codenamed Age 1000, and not much is known about the game, but fans speculate that it could be related to the old Dragon Ball Online MMORPG that was released in 2010 because the both take place in the same age.

More than half of all Xbox consoles sold in the US in 2025 were digital-only devices, new data from Circana reveals.

The days of physical media seem to be numbered as more and more consumers are choosing to buy cheaper, disc-less video game consoles. According to Circana analyst Mat Piscatella, 66% of Xbox Series consoles that were sold in the United States throughout 2025 didn't have a physical media drive.

Interestingly enough, PlayStation gamers are also moving towards digital as well: 49% of PS5 sales in the US were also digital-only, and this includes the PS5 Pro model, which is digital-only by default. All new PS5 models are also digital-only by default, showing a clear funneling of consumers to Sony's more lucrative and profitable sector, software and services.

Konami's plans to revive dormant franchises expands even further as the publisher promises yet another Silent Hill game for long-time horror fans.

Konami has seemingly confirmed that a new Silent Hill game is in the works, and it could be separate from the previously announced games. A bit ago, Konami confirmed that a Silent Hill 1 remake was in the works with Bloober Team, and there's also the upcoming Silent Hill Townfall game that's expected to launch in March 2026.

Konami's latest Q3'26 earnings results give an update on what's to come from the franchise, with the company saying a "brand-new title" is on the way.

Xbox's operating margins were downwardly affected by an impairment charge, which could reflect lower-than-expected performance from one or multiple games.

According to management, Xbox's holiday 2025 content and services results were "well below expectations." Earnings-wise, Xbox delivered around $5.96 billion in revenue, down over $600 million from last year. Xbox splits its revenue in two, with hardware on one side and digital content on the other, and half of this yearly loss, or $300 million, was from the digital side.

In the report, Microsoft's CFO Amy Hood reveals that Xbox had an impairment charge during the period. This usually happens when a game is performing badly and a company lowers the internal value that it has assigned to the project. Every game has what's called a lifetime value attached to it, and this is monetary. If a game does badly, a company will write it down, or write it off entirely. It's also possible that this impairment charge is related to cancelled games and the studio that Microsoft shut down in mid-2025, during the Q1'26 period.

Following a not-inconsiderable price hike, Microsoft is apparently having a hard time convincing gamers to buy its Xbox Series consoles.

Microsoft's games division didn't have the best results in Holiday 2025. Xbox generated ~$5.96 billion over the season, down some $600 million over last year, driven by lower-than-expected results from game sales, microtransactions, and subscriptions.

The hardware segment was more bad news, at least on a year-to-year comparative basis: Microsoft made a new 12-year revenue low for Xbox console sales throughout Q2'26, which is the Holiday 2025 period. According to data estimates, Microsoft made just $688 million from Xbox Series console sales in the critical three-month holiday window, down -32% year-over-year and representing the lowest results from FY15-FY26.

Microsoft's latest Q2'26 results show that Xbox had a significant downward slide in holiday revenues.

New data shows that Xbox didn't do great over the holidays, at least compared to a year ago when it launched Black Ops 6, a game hailed as the "biggest Call of Duty release ever." Microsoft recently published its Q2'26 results for the Oct - Dec 2025 period, showing a clear decline in Xbox earnings.

Based on calculations from Install Base number-cruncher John Welfare, who does an excellent job cataloging Microsoft's gaming earnings, and Microsoft's own year-to-year calculations, the Xbox brand delivered an estimated $5.96 billion in the holiday 2025 period. These results represent a -9% decline from last year; in Q2'25, the prior year, Xbox generated $6.58 billion through holiday 2024. That's a sizable difference of ~$620 million in year-to-year earnings.

Duke Nukem 3D has just celebrated its 30th birthday, with former webmaster at Apogee and 3D Realms, Joe Siegler, uploading the shareware version of Duke Nukem 3D v1.0 to Apogee's BBS Software Creations on January 29, 1996.

This specific version of Duke Nukem 3D featured the first episode -- "LA Meltdown" -- providing gamers with an early tease of the game, after its legendary hype and feedback. A few months later, the full version of Duke Nukem 3D was released and I remember being absolutely in love with it, and pumping many, many hours into playing it with friends and family over LAN for a large period of time.

Duke Nukem launched in its original form in 1991 as a title for MS-DOS, later releasing for Windows and moving into "3D", even though it wasn't quite 3D like Quake was in 1996. Duke Nukem 3D was met with major criticism at the time for its sexual and mature themes, and I remember here in Australia, the version was edited to remove enemy blood splatters, adult magazines, and more... but there were always ways around that.

Announced earlier this year, NVIDIA has just released a native GeForce NOW app for Linux PCs (Ubuntu 24.04 and later). Available now in beta, the app provides full access to NVIDIA's impressive streaming platform, delivering up to 5K 120 FPS cloud gaming performance powered by the GeForce RTX 5080. GeForce NOW also supports DLSS 4, Reflex, and even G-Sync over the cloud, making it the most impressive cloud gaming platform in 2026.

NVIDIA says the app "transforms compatible Linux systems into high-performance GeForce RTX-powered rigs." It's also different from the native app released for Valve's Steam Deck, which is powered by the Linux-based SteamOS, as that targeted the handheld's 1200p (super-sampling for the 800p display) and 90 Hz refresh rate. NVIDIA confirms that the new native Linux app works on desktop PCs and notebooks and offers functionality similar to the GeForce NOW apps on Windows and macOS.

In addition to the Linux app, GeForce NOW is expanding its library with 10 new titles, including the new releases The Midnight Walkers and Cairn, both listed as GeForce RTX 5080-ready. Here's the full list.

The ARPG specialists at Moonbeast Productions have finally revealed Darkhaven, a new Diablo-like isometric click-and-loot game with a new interesting feature.

Diablo fans, keep this one on your radar: Three of the OG Blizzard North creators behind Diablo 2 are making a new action RPG that utilizes everything they've learned about making games in the past. It's called Darkhaven, and based on the newly-revealed footage, it has a very Path of Exile-style world design with destructible environments for deeper exploration, combined with some very Diablo 4-like UI design.

What makes Darkhaven unique, though, is the kind of world that Moonbeast promises to deliver; the game will have a "dynamic and destructible world" to explore, which sees players breaking out of the map confines of other ARPGs. Moonbeast will bring Darkhaven to early access via a Kickstarter campaign, but that hasn't launched just yet, however the Steam page is currently up.

A new version of the RPG classic Final Fantasy 7 will soon be available on Steam, and the current version will be delisted and discontinued, Square Enix today announced.

Square Enix plans to re-release Final Fantasy 7 on PC with a bunch of new improvements, but ahead of the launch, the publisher prepares users on what to expect. When the new version is released, the current version of FF7 will be delisted from Steam, however owners of the original 2013 version of FF7 can still access and play the game.

Unfortunately, saves aren't compatible between the two versions. That means your epic 1,000 hour playthrough with all the ultimate weapons on the 2013 version is, well, stuck to that version and can't cross over to the new updated release. There's no info on what the new release actually does, or what changes that it makes over the previous one.

Geoff Keighley hyped up the release of Highguard at The Game Awards 2025 (TGS) in December, saying sixty-one developers who previously worked on Apex Legends and Titanfall are behind the release, and that the debut is right around the corner. Well, the launch has happened, and the results aren't looking good for developer Wildlight Entertainment.

Highguard was released on Steam for free on January 26, 2026, and shortly after its debut, it almost reached 100,000 concurrent players. However, less than two days after its launch, Highguard has lost nearly 90% of its player base, despite there being no price tag attached to the title. Currently, the user review rating on Steam is sitting at "Mostly Negative" with a 36.67% rating.

In a recent interview with Wildlight Entertainment co-founder Chad Grenier, it was revealed that the developers intended Highguard's "surprise release" until Geoff Keighley wanted to put the title into The Game Awards 2025 showcase. The co-founder explained that Wildlight Entertainment was going to do a "shadowdrop," and that was the plan since the first days of developing the title, as it "worked well" with Apex Legends.

GOG has posted a job advert for an engineer to join the team working on its Galaxy client in which it makes a clear statement about the importance of Linux gaming.

The ad for a senior software engineer was highlighted on X by The Lunduke Journal, as noticed by VideoCardz.

The key part of the job description blurb regarding Linux runs as follows: "GOG Galaxy is our desktop client and ecosystem hub - the place where players manage their libraries, connect with the community, and access features that go far beyond a store. Today, it delivers experience on Windows and macOS, but Linux is the next major frontier."

A modder has built their own handheld PlayStation 4 and showcased the impressive results on Reddit for all to see.

Tom's Hardware spotted the project from Redditor 'wewillmakeitnow' who posted the portable creation - built from a PS4 Slim - across various subreddits, including r/handheld.

How do you fit a PS4 inside a 3D-printed handheld shell? Well, it isn't easy, and as you might guess, there's some shrinking required, primarily with the motherboard which was cut back to make it more compact, but obviously without removing anything critical to its functionality.

PlayStation appears to be directly sending reminders to PS4 owners to upgrade to the PlayStation 5 in order not miss out on the latest game offerings

The images began appearing on social media earlier today, with one showcasing the entire message that appears to be sent directly from PlayStation. The message says whether the user wants to catch up on big hits of 2025, such as Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, ARC Raiders, and Ghost of Yotei, or prepare for the most anticipated games of 2026. "Now is a perfect time to upgrade to a PS5 console." The message then directs the user to a QR code to view the latest deals on PS5 consoles.

Notably, PlayStation 5 equalled the PS4 user base in 2024, and the PS4 was released in 2013. That statistic just shows how long some users stay on a platform, and given that Sony is now preparing to release the PS6, with the current dominating rumors and speculation pointing to a debut at the earliest end of 2027.

The initiative "Stop Killing Videogames" was a massive success, attracting nearly 1.3 million signatures by its conclusion, surpassing the 1 million threshold set by the European Commission. With more than 1 million validated signatures, the "Stop Killing Videogames" initiative will be reviewed by the European Commission.

In a nutshell, the organizers of the Stop Killing Videogames initiative want regulations in place that require videogame publishers to leave their games in a functional state if they decide to no longer support them. For those unaware, the initiative was kicked into motion following Ubisoft's announcement of the shutdown of The Crew, and then EA did the same with Anthem.

The response for The Crew shutdown even spawned a lawsuit against Ubisoft, where it was alleged that Ubisoft was "duping consumers" into purchasing The Crew without informing buyers the game's servers would be shut down. If the EU deems the initiative worthwhile and decides to implement new laws, it would mean game developers/publishers would be required to leave their game in a functional state in perpetuity, or at the very least enable buyers of the game to access its files to still play privately, locally, or online, even if it isn't official servers.

Bethesda has been tight-lipped about the details of The Elder Scrolls 6, with its head, Todd Howard, recently saying that development is underway and that the highly anticipated title is currently an "everyday thing."

The Elder Scrolls 6 was first teased by Bethesda in 2018, and since then, the details about the title have been scarce, with many fans of the franchise attempting to piece together what has leaked out and combine that with intoxicating speculation. Officially speaking, Bethesda hasn't revealed the location of the new game within the map of Tamriel, but according to Kurt Kuhlmann, the former co-lead designer on Skyrim, Bethesda agreed on the location for the sixth game during Fallout 4 development.

However, Kuhlmann said during a recent interview, the location wasn't locked in, but it was the general consensus that the suggested location was the location of choice for the next game, as everyone agreed. At the time, there was no story for this location, and according to the former Skyrim developer the studio didn't even begin to form a story, or get stuck into working on The Elder Scrolls 6 until around the release of the teaser trailer in 2018, as the studio released Fallout 4, Fallout 76, and then Starfield.