Tag Archives: Industry

Breaking, Games, Gaming, News, Playstation, Xbox

Two Myths About Black Myth: Wukong Debunked

I guess that timing is something to be decided internally despite the convenience of it and final Game Science, the developer behind the popular action RPG Black Myth: Wukong, has recently clarified the reasons behind the game’s delayed release on Xbox platforms.

The game, which has been a massive success on PC and PlayStation 5, has not yet launched on Xbox and it was finally confirmed by its developer that is due to technical challenges with the Xbox Series S, which in retrospective is not a good narrative for Microsoft and its quest of Xbox Series S to be taken as important as Series X.

The main issue stems from the Xbox Series S’s limited memory. The console has 10GB of shared memory, which is lower than the Xbox Series X’s 16GB. This has caused significant optimization challenges for Game Science, leading to memory leaks and performance issues

Initially and at the same situation when Baldur Gate 3’s Xbox version, Microsoft suggested that the delay was due to internal quality concerns and denied any inherent limitations of the Xbox platform.

However, Game Science’s director, Feng Ji, recently contradicted this by explicitly blaming the Series S’s memory limitations

Despite the delays, Game Science is committed to ensuring that the game meets their quality standards before releasing it on Xbox. They are working on optimizing the game to provide a smooth and enjoyable experience on all Xbox models.

There was speculation that the delay might be due to an exclusivity deal with PlayStation, but Feng Ji’s recent statement has put those rumors to rest. The primary issue remains the technical limitations of the Series S.

Indeed, Xbox fans have expressed disappointment over the delay, as they have been eagerly awaiting the game’s release on their platform. The situation highlights the ongoing challenges developers face when creating graphically intensive games for different console hardware.

Business, Games, Gaming, News

Hideo Kojima confirm setback due the SAG-AFTRA Strikes

Saying good-bye to 2024, Hideo Kojima revealed that the development of his highly anticipated games, OD and Physint, has been internally delayed due to the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strikes. Of course, this development is going to left fans eagerly awaiting updates on these more or less mysterious projects and probably the wait could be longer than expected.

For a reminder and starting with OD, short for “Overdose,” is an upcoming horror game developed by Kojima Productions in collaboration with filmmaker Jordan Peele.

The game aims to explore the concept of testing one’s fear threshold and what it means to “OD” on fear.

The project was first announced during an Xbox event and is expected to be an Xbox exclusive. The game stars notable actors like Sophia Lillis, Hunter Schafer, and Udo Kier, but unfortunately, the SAG-AFTRA strike has halted the scanning and filming processes, causing delays in the game’s development.

As for Physint, or a play of the words “physical intelligence,” is an upcoming stealth action game being developed by Kojima Productions and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment.

This game marks Kojima’s return to the action espionage genre since his acclaimed Metal Gear series.

The project is described as a “next-generation action espionage game” and aims to blur the lines between cinema and video gaming. The collaboration with Sony hints at a deep integration of resources, including Columbia Pictures.

However, the SAG-AFTRA strike has also impacted the casting process for Physint, leading to further delays.

Despite these setbacks, Kojima remains optimistic about resuming work on both games in 2025. Fans of Kojima’s innovative storytelling and unique game design can look forward to more updates as the situation progresses.

The SAG-AFTRA strikes have had a significant impact on the gaming industry. The strike, which began on July 26, 2024, was called after more than 18 months of unsuccessful negotiations with some of the largest video game companies.

The main issues at stake include consent, compensation, and transparency around the use of AI in video games.

Games, Gaming, News, Playstation

Sony knew Astro Bot long-term Playstation benefit

Evidently, despite claiming not to have a major launch for 2024, Sony and PlayStation Studios achieved unexpected success with the surprise announcement and release of Astro Bot. This established a new IP star, the first original PlayStation IP since LittleBigPlanet and its success, including winning The Game Awards’ Game of the Year title. This success suggests that PlayStation’s dormant IPs might receive a renewed focus and potentially benefit from a similar long-term strategy.

In a detailed interview with Famitsu, PlayStation co-CEO Hermen Hulst discussed Sony’s openness to reviving its classic game franchises.

Hulst emphasized that PlayStation aims to offer a broad range of experiences by leveraging both its first-party studios and external developers. He highlighted the importance of PlayStation’s extensive IP portfolio and the company’s goal to publish games by the world’s best creators.

Of course, Hulst took the opportunity to praise the success of Astro Bot, which has sold 1.5 million copies in its first nine weeks. He noted that nearly 40% of those sales came from players who were either purchasing a PlayStation game for the first time or for the first time in two years.

This success has contributed significantly to the expansion of the PlayStation community, attracting younger players and families.

Hulst also reflected on the legacy of PlayStation’s classic IPs, mentioning titles like Uncharted 2: Among Thieves and God of War as major inspirations for the company’s future direction. He acknowledged the challenges of the live-service model, referencing the infamous launch and quick shutdown of Concord this year.

Overall, Hulst’s vision for PlayStation involves a balance of honoring its rich history while continuing to innovate and collaborate with top developers to create new and exciting gaming experiences.

Games, Gaming, News, Xbox

26 years of Halo gems went unhidden

Christmas Day brought an unexpected surprise to the Halo community: a massive data leak revealing a treasure trove of unreleased content, development builds, and internal documents spanning nearly three decades of the franchise’s history.

The leak, believed to stem from a collaboration between Halo Studios and the Digsite modding team, has sent shockwaves through the community. Digsite, renowned for their work in recovering lost or discarded content from Halo games, appears to have gained access to a wealth of previously unseen materials.

Early reports suggest the leaked data includes:

  • Unfinished game builds: Offering a glimpse into the evolution of classic Halo games, showcasing features that were cut or altered before release.
  • A long-lost third-person demo: A fascinating artifact that sheds light on an early, unexplored direction for the franchise.
  • Internal documents and concept art: Providing unprecedented insight into the creative process behind the Halo universe, from initial brainstorming to final implementation.

The impact of this leak is still unfolding. For hardcore fans, it’s an unparalleled opportunity to delve deeper into the history of their favorite franchise, uncovering hidden gems and gaining a newfound appreciation for the development process. However, the leak also raises concerns about data security and the potential misuse of unreleased materials.

Halo Studios has yet to officially comment on the situation. As the community continues to sift through the leaked data, one thing is certain: this event will have a lasting impact on the Halo universe, forever changing the way fans interact with and understand the iconic franchise.

Business, Games, Gaming, Hardware/Console, News

Sega is looking to its future but not everything you expect will end to be

In a recent interview with The Guardian, Sega’s CEO, Shuji Utsumi, emphasized that the company is not a retro company and wants to focus on modern gaming experiences. While Sega values its legacy, they believe that continuing to produce mini consoles would not align with their goal of staying relevant and innovative.

In other words, Sega has announced that they are not planning to release any more mini consoles. This includes consoles like the Sega Saturn or Dreamcast, which many fans were hoping to see as mini versions.

A few years ago, Sega admitted that there were researching on how to make both a Sega Saturn and Dreamcast mini with the scale of a minimized hardware, but as powerful or more than their predecessors, but as evident, this will remain in just like that a research concept.

Instead of focusing on retro hardware, Sega is considering launching a Netflix-like subscription service. This service would provide access to both retro and modern Sega titles, allowing players to enjoy a wide range of games in one place. This move is part of Sega’s strategy to attract today’s gamers and create new experiences that still capture the essence of their classic games.

Despite the shift away from mini consoles, Sega has been active in releasing new games and content. They have announced new entries in popular series like Jet Set Radio, Streets of Rage, Golden Axe, Shinobi, and Crazy Taxi. Additionally, Sega is working on a new Virtua Fighter game and has seen success with recent titles like Metaphor: ReFantazio and Super Monkey Ball Banana Rumble.

Yes, Sega’s decision to move away from mini consoles is a disappointment for us fans of retro gaming, mainly their massive gaming catalog, but it reflects their commitment to innovation and staying relevant in the fast-changing gaming world. By focusing on new projects and exploring a subscription service, Sega aims to continue its legacy while appealing to modern gamers.

Gaming, News, Playstation

Sony became a big shareholder of Kadokawa

Sony Group Corporation and Kadokawa Corporation have announced a strategic capital and business alliance, which will see Sony acquiring 12,054,100 new shares of Kadokawa for approximately 50 billion yen (around $318 million).

This deal, set to be finalized on January 7, 2025, will make Sony the largest shareholder in Kadokawa, holding approximately 10% of its shares.

This alliance aims to maximize the value of both companies’ intellectual properties (IPs) globally. Sony and Kadokawa have a history of collaboration, and this new partnership will further strengthen their cooperation. The two companies plan to work together on various initiatives, including:

  • Adapting Kadokawa’s IPs into live-action films and TV dramas globally.
  • Co-producing anime works.
  • Expanding the global distribution of Kadokawa’s anime works through Sony’s extensive network.
  • Further expanding the publishing of Kadokawa’s games.
  • Developing human resources to promote and expand virtual production.

Takeshi Natsuno, CEO of Kadokawa, expressed his enthusiasm for the alliance, stating that it will strengthen Kadokawa’s IP creation capabilities and increase their IP media mix options with Sony’s support for global expansion. He believes this will greatly contribute to maximizing the value of their IP and increasing their corporate value in the mid- to long-term.

Hiroki Totoki, President, COO, and CFO of Sony Group Corporation, also commented on the alliance, highlighting that it will allow Sony to become the largest shareholder of Kadokawa, which consistently creates a wide variety of IPs, including publications, books, games, and anime. He emphasized that by combining Kadokawa’s extensive IP and IP creation ecosystem with Sony’s strengths, they aim to realize Kadokawa’s ‘Global Media Mix’ strategy and Sony’s ‘Creative Entertainment Vision’.

It was heavily suggested that Kadokawa was not interested on selling portions of its assets and wanted a full buyout from Sony if a deal in that height would have been in the table, because apparently Sony was just interested on all anime entertainment portion and FromSoftware, but evidently, this wasn’t the case.

Games, Gaming, News, Xbox

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella Reaffirms Xbox’s Multiplatform Strategy

In a recent annual shareholder meeting, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella doubled down on the company’s multiplatform strategy for Xbox. This approach aims to make Xbox games accessible on a wide range of devices, not just Xbox consoles. The strategy is powered by Xbox Game Pass and Xbox Cloud Gaming, allowing players to enjoy Xbox games on PCs, mobile devices, handhelds, and even TVs.

Nadella emphasized that being an Xbox fan today means playing your favorite games anywhere, whether on an Xbox console or not. This shift is part of Microsoft’s broader vision to leverage AI, cloud, console, and PC innovations to build the best games for gamers everywhere.

The company’s “This is an Xbox” marketing campaign highlights this vision, showcasing how Xbox games can be played on a wide range of devices. Despite this shift, Microsoft remains committed to its console hardware business and plans to release future Xbox consoles.

Nadella’s comments came in response to questions about Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard and the company’s overall gaming strategy. He expressed confidence in the company’s position in the gaming market and highlighted the success of recent releases like Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle.

Nadella also mentioned that Microsoft’s strategy with Activision content is now in full force, and the company aims to bring the best of AI, cloud, console, and PC innovation to build the best games that can be enjoyed by gamers everywhere.

Gaming, News, PC, Technology

Intel found its unlikely hero with Arc

In a year where Intel faced numerous challenges, the launch of their new Arc B580 Battlemage GPU has turned out to be a surprising triumph. Released just in time for the holiday season, the Arc B580 has quickly captivated the gaming community, selling out at major retailers such as Amazon and Newegg within mere days of its release.

Priced at an affordable $249, the Arc B580 has managed to offer a competitive edge in a market typically dominated by Nvidia and AMD. This GPU packs a punch with its impressive specifications, featuring 12GB of GDDR6 VRAM, a 256-bit memory interface, and a boost clock of 2.3 GHz. These features enable it to deliver a robust performance in 1440p gaming, rivaling the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 and AMD Radeon RX 7600, but at a more budget-friendly price point.

Performance and Features

One of the standout features of the Arc B580 is its efficiency in balancing power consumption with performance. Intel’s Xe-HPG architecture, the backbone of the Battlemage series, has brought significant improvements in ray tracing and AI-based supersampling. Early benchmarks indicate that the Arc B580 performs exceptionally well in modern titles like Cyberpunk 2077, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II, and Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, maintaining a consistent frame rate even at high settings.

The gaming community’s reception to the Arc B580 has been overwhelmingly positive. Reviews praise its value for money, performance per watt, and the effective cooling solution that keeps the GPU running at optimal temperatures even under heavy load. Moreover, the GPU’s support for the latest DirectX 12 Ultimate and Vulkan APIs ensures that it remains future-proof for upcoming game releases.

This unexpected success couldn’t have come at a better time for Intel, which has faced significant hurdles in the CPU market and organizational changes, including the recent departure of CEO Pat Gelsinger. The Arc B580’s success has provided a much-needed morale boost and renewed confidence in Intel’s ability to innovate in the GPU space.

Intel has announced that they are ramping up production and working closely with partners to ensure steady inventory replenishments. This move aims to meet the high demand and prevent prolonged shortages that have often plagued new hardware launches.

Looking Ahead

As we approach CES 2025, the industry buzz is already building around Intel’s roadmap for their Battlemage GPUs. With Nvidia gearing up to launch their RTX 5000 series, it will be fascinating to see how Intel’s Battlemage series stands against the competition. Rumors suggest that Intel is also preparing to introduce even more powerful variants of the Battlemage GPU, which could further solidify their position in the market.

Intel’s Arc B580 Battlemage GPU has not only met but exceeded expectations, proving to be a formidable contender in the competitive GPU market. Its blend of performance, affordability, and advanced features make it a compelling choice for gamers and tech enthusiasts alike. This launch marks a significant milestone for Intel, signaling a potential shift in the landscape of the graphics card industry.

Business, Games, Gaming, News

Capcom Revives Classic IPs: Okami and Onimusha Lead the Charge

Capcom has officially announced plans to revive several of its dormant franchises, starting with the highly anticipated sequels to Okami and Onimusha. This exciting news was revealed during The Game Awards 2024, sending waves of nostalgia and excitement through the gaming community.

During The Game Awards 2024, Capcom unveiled teaser trailers for both Okami: Way of the Sword and Onimusha: Way of the Sword. These announcements mark the return of two beloved franchises that have been dormant for nearly two decades.

The trailers showcased stunning visuals and hinted at the return of iconic gameplay elements that fans have been eagerly waiting for.

In a press release, Capcom stated that it is focusing on re-activating dormant IPs that haven’t seen new titles in recent years. This initiative aims to leverage Capcom’s rich library of content to continuously produce highly efficient, high-quality titles. The company plans to bring back more classic IPs in the coming years, although specific properties have yet to be named.

The announcement has been met with overwhelming excitement from fans who have longed to see their favorite franchises return

Surveys conducted by Capcom earlier this year indicated high interest in reviving titles such as Dino Crisis, Mega Man, Darkstalkers, and Breath of Fire.

Fans are hopeful that Capcom will continue to bring back more beloved games from its extensive catalog.

The Future of Capcom’s Classic IPs

With the revival of Okami and Onimusha, Capcom has set a precedent for bringing back other dormant franchises. The company’s commitment to re-activating these IPs signals a bright future for fans of classic Capcom games. Whether it’s the return of the Blue Bomber in Mega Man or the survival horror thrills of Dino Crisis, the possibilities are endless.

Capcom’s decision to revive its dormant franchises is a win for gamers everywhere. The return of Okami and Onimusha is just the beginning, and fans can look forward to more nostalgic adventures in the years to come. With Capcom’s rich history of iconic games, the future looks promising for the revival of many beloved franchises.

Breaking, Business, Events, Featured, Games, Gaming, News

The Game Awards 2024: Celebrating Excellence in Gaming

The Game Awards 2024 was a night to remember, filled with mesmerizing performances, exciting announcements, and well-deserved accolades.

Here’s a detailed look at the winners and highlights from this year’s event.

Game of the Year: Astro Bot

The coveted Game of the Year award went to Astro Bot, developed by Team Asobi. This charming and innovative platformer captivated audiences with its engaging gameplay and stunning visuals. Astro Bot also took home awards for Best Game Direction, Best Action/Adventure Game, and Best Family Game, making it one of the biggest winners of the night.

Other Major Winners

  • Best Narrative: Metaphor: ReFantazio by Studio Zero/Atlus/Sega. This game impressed with its compelling story and rich character development.
  • Best Art Direction: Metaphor: ReFantazio. The game’s unique visual style and artistic creativity were recognized with this award.
  • Best Score and Music: Final Fantasy VII Rebirth. The game’s soundtrack, composed by Nobuo Uematsu, captivated players and added depth to the gaming experience.
  • Best Performance: Melina Juergens for her role in Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II. Her powerful portrayal of Senua resonated with both fans and critics.

Notable Announcements

The Game Awards 2024 also featured several exciting announcements and world premieres:

  • The Witcher IV: CD Projekt Red unveiled the first trailer for the next installment in the critically acclaimed RPG series. The trailer showcased Ciri as the protagonist, now a full-fledged Witcher, embarking on a new adventure.
  • Elden Ring: Nightreign: FromSoftware announced a standalone multiplayer spinoff of Elden Ring, set to launch in 2025.
  • Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet: Naughty Dog revealed their upcoming dystopian space adventure game, starring Tati Gabrielle.

Also, he event was marked by special live performances from artists like Snoop Dogg, Twenty One Pilots, and Royal & the Serpent. The Game Awards Orchestra, conducted by BAFTA and Emmy-nominated composer Lorne Balfe, performed scores from the year’s Game of the Year nominees.

The Game Awards 2024 not only celebrated the best in gaming but also highlighted the industry’s resilience and creativity. The event acknowledged the unprecedented layoffs in the gaming industry and awarded Amir Satvat the first-ever Game Changer Award for his commitment to helping laid-off developers find new work.

The Game Awards 2024 was a testament to the incredible talent and innovation within the gaming industry. From Astro Bot’s multiple wins to the exciting announcements of upcoming games, the event showcased the best of what gaming has to offer. As we look forward to the future, it’s clear that the gaming industry will continue to push boundaries and deliver unforgettable experiences.