Tag Archives: Xbox

Games, Gaming, News, Nintendo, PC, Playstation, Xbox

LUNAR Remastered Collection for nostalgia & new fans

GungHo Online Entertainment America has just announced the release of the LUNAR Remastered Collection, bringing two beloved JRPG classics back to life for a new generation of gamers. The collection, featuring LUNAR: Silver Star Story Complete and LUNAR 2: Eternal Blue Complete, will be available both physically and digitally on April 18, 2025.

Originally developed by GAME ARTS for the original Playstation, these games have captivated fans with their romantic storytelling and breathtaking soundtrack. The remastered edition not only preserves the heart of the original games but also introduces modern enhancements such as wide-screen support, high-definition pixel and animated art, and quality-of-life updates like customizable battle and strategy setting.

The collection will be available on PlayStation 4 (compatible with PlayStation 5), Xbox One (compatible with Xbox Series X|S), Nintendo Switch, and Steam. Digital editions are priced at $49.99 USD / €49.99 EUR, while physical editions will be available for $54.99 USD in North America and €54.99 EUR in Europe. The physical editions will feature reversible covers with new key arts illustrated by Toshiyuki Kubooka.

Whether you’re a long-time fan or a newcomer to the LUNAR saga, this remastered collection promises to captivate you with its timeless charm and enhanced features. Dive back into the enchanting worlds of LUNAR and experience the magic all over again!

Games, Gaming, News, Xbox

Xbox Game Pass January 2025 Lineup: New Additions & Departures

Xbox has just announced its latest wave of games coming to Game Pass for January 2025, and it’s an exciting mix of new titles and returning favorites. Here’s the full list of what’s coming and going:

New Additions:

  1. Diablo (PC) – January 14
    • The classic action-RPG that defined the genre returns to Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass.
  2. EA Sports UFC 5 (Cloud and Xbox Series X|S) – January 14
    • Available through EA Play, this game brings the thrill of mixed martial arts to Game Pass Ultimate.
  3. Road 96 (Cloud, Console, and PC) – January 7
    • A beautiful road-trip adventure where your choices shape the story.
  4. Lightyear Frontier (Game Preview) (Xbox Series X|S) – January 8
    • Start your interstellar homestead in this peaceful open-world farming adventure.
  5. My Time at Sandrock (Console) – January 8
    • A wholesome post-apocalyptic world where you gather resources and defend the town.
  6. Robin Hood – Sherwood Builders (Xbox Series X|S) – January 8
    • Join Robin Hood and his band of outlaws in 12th-century England.
  7. Rolling Hills (Console) – January 8
    • Serve sushi as a robot chef in this cozy village life sim.

Unfortunately, nothing last forever or at least if we can say a temporary “good-bye” there will be a selection of games that will leave the service while of course, there is hope of them returning later this year or a little more.

Games Leaving:

  1. Common’hood
  2. Escape Academy
  3. Exoprimal
  4. Figment: Journey in the Mind
  5. Insurgency: Sandstorm
  6. Those Who Remain

These changes will take effect on January 15, 2025. If you want to keep playing any of the departing titles, consider purchasing them at a discount while they’re still available on Game Pass.

Xbox Game Pass Ultimate continues to offer an outstanding value proposition with over 100 game titles available for a single subscription. Whether you’re a fan of action-RPGs, fighting games, or life sims, there’s something for everyone in this latest lineup.

CES 2025, Events, Gaming, Hardware/Console, News, Technology, Xbox

LG has become the latest Xbox Game Pass ally

In more CES 2025 gaming related news, Microsoft and LG have announced that they have entered into a partnership to bring Xbox Game Pass with the Game Pass Cloud Gaming capacities to LG Smart TVs later this year. This collaboration marks a significant step in making gaming more accessible to a broader audience.

Game Pass Ultimate members will be able to play games directly from the Xbox app on supported LG Smart TVs. This means no additional hardware is required—just the TV and a compatible controller and with this, players will have access to a diverse selection of games from the Game Pass Ultimate catalog. Popular titles like Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 and upcoming releases such as Avowed will be available for streaming.

We’re focused on bringing more games to more people around the world, on the devices you choose to play with. Millions of Game Pass Ultimate members are already using Xbox Cloud Gaming (Beta) to play great games from the Game Pass catalog on various devices.

Today, we’re excited to announce our collaboration with LG Electronics to bring the Xbox app to their new LG Smart TVs later this year. This means Game Pass Ultimate members will be able to play their games directly from the Xbox app on supported LG Smart TVs via Xbox Cloud Gaming. This gives players even more choice in how they enjoy their favorite games.

Soon, players with LG Smart TVs will be able to explore the Gaming Portal for direct access to hundreds of games in the Game Pass Ultimate catalog, including popular titles such as Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, and upcoming releases like Avowed (launching February 18, 2025).

In addition to Game Pass titles and previously announced, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate members will also be able to stream select games they already own, including hits like NBA 2K25 and Hogwarts Legacy.

With this, Microsoft and Xbox will be diving in more details in the upcoming months.

As for the LG Smart TVs ready with Xbox Game Pass availability, LG said that the 2025 models will be release later this year. However, specific release dates and the exact models of LG Smart TVs that will support this feature have not yet been announced.

CES 2025, Events, Gaming, Hardware/Console, News, Technology, Xbox

Hyperkin wants you to play Xbox with a DualSense feel

Imagine holding your PS5 DualSense and you are turning your console on to began playing, but instead of a Playstation 5 and seeing the PS logo on your screen, you are powering on your Xbox console and yet, you can play your favorite Xbox game.

Well, this is the concept that Hyperkin has previewed at CES 2025 with a new Competitor Xbox controller that has the physics of the Playstation 5’s DualSense.

Evidently, Hyperkin took some liberties at the design to match most of the aesthetic of Sony’s PS5 DualSense, which makes me wonder if Sony actually will just leave it as it is (with an eyebrow raise) or we might be seeing legal movements during the year.

Competitor appears to feature offset control sticks, a hybrid D-pad, and face buttons, along with the analog sticks located next to each other on the bottom part of the controller, while the D-pad has moved to the upper-left side of the controller, and each direction is an individual button.

Keep in mind if it is now under your radar, that the controller is expected to be a wired-only gamepad and will be available sometime in the second quarter of 2025 with no mentioning of price.

Hyperkin is an American video game peripheral manufacturer and distributor founded in 2006. The company is based in Los Angeles, California, and distributes accessories for major gaming consoles, in addition to creating clone consoles that play retro games with modern resolutions and on modern devices.

Hyperkin’s most notable products include the RetroN series of clone consoles, which allow users to play games from classic consoles such as the Nintendo Entertainment System, Super Nintendo Entertainment System, and Sega Genesis. The company has also released a number of other retro-themed products, such as the Supaboy series of handheld consoles and the Retron 5, an Android-based console that can play games from a variety of platforms.

In recent years, Hyperkin has also begun to produce its own original gaming peripherals, such as the Hyperkin Duke, a modern take on the classic Nintendo 64 controller. The company has also released a number of licensed controllers for popular games, such as the Hyperkin Cthulhu Controller for the Nintendo Switch.

Entertainment, Gaming, News, TV Series

A crossover between Halo and Doom was planned

In a surprising revelation, it has come to light that Xbox turned down a pitch for a major franchise crossover in the new animated series Secret Level. The creators of the show had envisioned an episode featuring a crossover between Halo’s Master Chief and Doom’s Doomslayer, two of Microsoft’s biggest first-person shooter franchises. However, the pitch was rejected by the license holders.

According to Tim Miller in a inteview with Collider, one of the creators of Secret Level, the idea was to create an episode where Master Chief and Doom Slayer would team up in a unique narrative that isn’t available in the games. Miller and his team spent considerable time crafting an impassioned pitch, hoping to bring this exciting crossover to life.

Despite their efforts and the support from friends at id Software and Microsoft, the pitch was ultimately turned down. Miller expressed frustration over the rejection, especially when fans questioned why they chose smaller franchises over well-known ones like Halo

Needless to say that for fans of both Halo and Doom, this news is undoubtedly disappointing.

The idea of seeing these iconic characters team up in an animated format would have been a thrilling experience. However, there is still hope that Microsoft might reconsider for Season 2 of Secret Level, given the positive reception of the show.

While the Master Chief and Doom Slayer crossover didn’t come to fruition this time, the success of Secret Level and its upcoming second season means there could be more opportunities for exciting crossovers in the future. Fans will be eagerly watching to see what other surprises the show has in store.

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.

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.

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.

Breaking, Featured, Games, Gaming, News, PC, Xbox

Anima Flux now available at GOG & Xbox

Anima Flux, a highly anticipated couch co-op Metroidvania game, has made its welcomed arrival at both GOG and Xbox as respectively the second and third gaming storefronts after its early release via Steam this year. Developed by a dedicated team from Eastern Europe, the game has been in the making since January 2017 and was developed by a dedicated team of 12 people from Eastern Europe and has been on a grind for all gaming fans looking for the next original video game.

Game Overview

Anima Flux is set in a dystopian, post-apocalyptic world where players control two genetically enhanced soldiers. These elite agents must navigate through a desolate space city, fighting off swarms of mutants to save humanity’s last stronghold. The game features stunning hand-drawn cutscenes and sharp, ironic dialogue that immerses players in its rich narrative.

Development Journey

The development team’s journey began with a desire to create an interactive retro sci-fi comic inspired by the 80s and 90s. Over time, the project evolved into a Metroidvania game, blending nostalgic elements with modern gameplay mechanics. The team’s passion for retro games and their love for the genre drove them to create a unique and engaging experience.

Key Features

  • Couch Co-Op: Players can team up with a friend for local co-op gameplay or play solo with an AI-controlled partner.
  • Dynamic World: The game features a procedurally generated world with diverse biomes and interactive systems.
  • Character Progression: Each character develops differently as the game progresses, encouraging collaboration and strategy.
  • Retro Aesthetic: Inspired by classic games like The Lost Vikings and Contra, Anima Flux delivers a visually stunning 2D art style.
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Anima Flux
Developer: Avantaj Prim
Price: $ 19.99
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Anima Flux
Developer: Unknown
Price: 19.99
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Anima Flux
Developer: JollyCo
Price: Free
Games, Gaming, News, PC, Xbox

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle: PC Specs Revealed

Bethesda and MachineGames have unveiled the PC specifications required to run the highly anticipated game, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. Set to release on December 8, 2024, the game promises to take players on an exciting adventure with the iconic archaeologist, Indiana Jones.

To run Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, your PC will need to meet the following minimum requirements:

  • Operating System: Windows 10 (64-bit)
  • Processor: Intel Core i7 @ 3.3GHz or better, AMD Ryzen 5 @ 3.1GHz or better
  • Memory: 16 GB RAM
  • Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER 8 GB, AMD Radeon RX 6600 8 GB, or Intel Arc A580
  • Storage: 120 GB

These specs indicate that the game is designed to be accessible to a wide range of players, without requiring top-tier hardware. The inclusion of mid-range GPUs like the RTX 2060 SUPER and RX 6600 means that many gamers will be able to enjoy the game without needing to invest in the latest high-end graphics cards.

In addition to the standard requirements, the game will support DLSS 3.5 for NVIDIA GeForce RTX 40 series GPUs, offering enhanced visuals and performance through ray reconstruction. AMD users can look forward to FSR 3.0 support, although specific details on its implementation have yet to be confirmed.

For those whose PCs may not meet the requirements, Xbox Cloud Gaming and NVIDIA GeForce NOW will provide alternative ways to play the game without needing to upgrade hardware.