Xbox is in danger. Will Microsoft fix it or kill it? [opinion post]

Microsoft's Xbox division faces significant leadership changes with the retirement of Phil Spencer and the departure of Sarah Bond, signaling a major shift in strategy. Asha Sharma, an AI executive with no gaming background, has been appointed as the new head of Microsoft Gaming. The changes come as Xbox struggles to keep pace with competitors like Sony and Nintendo, despite significant investments in acquisitions and cloud gaming. The division's focus on mobile and cloud gaming has faced regulatory hurdles and has not yielded the expected growth. The future direction under Sharma remains uncertain, but there are indications of a potential shift towards prioritizing the console and improving execution of existing strategies.

Highguard Took Aim But Missed Its Big Chance

Highguard, a game showcased at The Game Awards, launched with subpar reviews and player numbers, leading to its potential status as the year's biggest flop. Despite a peak of 15,147 concurrent players on Steam, it now averages less than 1,000. The game's poor reception could be attributed to review-bombing and a lack of effective marketing post-trailer. Wildlight Entertainment failed to capitalize on the initial hype, squandering a significant opportunity.

Don't Panic: Those Weird Xbox Dummy Messages Aren't a Hack—But They Are a Major 'Test to Prod' Fail | IBTimes UK

A harmless technical blunder caused a surge of unexpected notifications for Xbox users

Riot Games Issues Second Set Of Layoffs This Month

Riot Games has announced a second round of layoffs this month, affecting around 100 employees in total. The first round saw the dismissal of approximately 80 staff members working on the League of Legends-themed fighting game 2XKO, due to insufficient player momentum. The second round, affecting 12 individuals across three publishing teams, was confirmed by a company spokesperson. While not the largest number of layoffs seen in the industry, it is significant for Riot Games, as it represents about half of the development team for 2XKO.

Neverness to Everness launches April 23 in China, April 29 worldwide

Free-to-play supernatural urban open-world action RPG Neverness to Everness will launch for PlayStation 5, PC, iOS, and Android on April 23 in China and April 29 worldwide. The game offers full cross-platform support and features unique characters, urban mysteries, and the ability to build your own empire in a vibrant city.

HITMAN World of Assassination - Patient Zero Requiem (ft. Milla Jovovich) Elusive Target

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New York's AG sues Valve over its use of loot boxes, accusing the game developer of violating state gambling laws and threatening to addict children to gambling

Xbox 1440p streaming support expands across console lineup

You can now stream Xbox games in 1440p, which means you can play games with better graphics on your console. With this new Xbox 1440p streaming feature, Game Pass Ultimate subscribers can now play their favorite games with better graphics without having to download large files. M

Nobody Dares Leak GTA 6 Anymore!

Rockstar is giving each GTA 6 developer different fake details so if anything leaks, they know exactly who talked. It's a CIA trick called a "canary trap." Even the biggest leakers in gaming say they won't touch it.

New York sues video game developer Valve, says its 'loot boxes' are gambling

Nintendo and Pokémon owe everything to each other

Pokémon might be the gaming giant's most valuable property, but it has never fully controlled it—and they're both better for it.

Former Assassin's Creed and Far Cry director says Ubisoft 'became very allergic' to new games, which contributed to a 'talent drain' | PC Gamer

Former Assassin's Creed and Far Cry director Alex Hutchinson criticizes Ubisoft for becoming 'allergic' to new games, which he believes contributed to a talent drain. Hutchinson, who left Ubisoft in 2017, notes that the company's size and remote work policies during the pandemic hindered management and learning. He also highlights Ubisoft's failure to capitalize on digital platforms and its cancellation of innovative projects like Pioneer.

Talking to new Xbox CEO Asha Sharma and CCO Matt Booty — "This team has brought it back before, and I'm here to help us do it again."

This article from Windows Central features an exclusive interview with incoming Xbox CEO Asha Sharma and newly promoted CCO Matt Booty, discussing the future direction of Microsoft's gaming operation. Sharma emphasizes a 'return to Xbox' by focusing on the console platform and the core Xbox spirit, while Booty highlights the importance of maintaining a diverse portfolio of games. Both leaders address the integration of artificial intelligence and the commitment to first-party development.

I strongly recommend: Resident Evil Requiem (Review) - SkillUp

Resident Evil Requiem is a celebration of the franchise's 30-year history, offering a brilliant survival horror/action adventure that feels like a victory lap for both Capcom and fans.

Tomb Raider Catalyst actress Alix Wilton Regan promises "no Laras left behind" as she steps into her new role

Alix Wilton Regan, the new actress for Lara Croft, promises to honor all previous portrayals of the character in Tomb Raider: Catalyst and Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis. She aims to blend the traits of past Laras into her own unique take, ensuring fans of all iterations will enjoy the new games.

Warning: This is not a AAAA game...

Windrose Demo on Steam is a survival adventure set in an alternative Age of Piracy. Players can build, craft, and explore a vast open world, fight on land and sea, and take on challenging bosses. The demo offers 4–6 hours of gameplay, featuring the first three islands, early quests, and naval combat. Co-op is available, but progress does not carry over to the full game.

skate.’s Next Chapter - An Update from Full Circle

EA Studios' Full Circle is restructuring to better support the long-term future of the skate. video game, impacting some team roles. The studio thanks the departing teammates for their contributions and reassures the community of their commitment to delivering quality experiences.

Twitch is overhauling its suspensions policy | TechCrunch

Twitch is revamping its suspension policy to introduce targeted enforcement with streaming and chatting suspensions. The new system aims to match the restrictions with the specific offense committed, allowing users to still watch streams and access their dashboards during suspensions. Severe violations will result in simultaneous streaming and chatting suspensions, while the most serious offenses will lead to an indefinite suspension. The length of temporary suspensions will remain the same, ranging from 24 hours to 30 days, with increasing durations for each new violation.

The Short History of Cuddles the BattleTanx "mascot" | n64 | Digg

In 1998, 3DO launched their BattleTanx commercial campaign that was pulled shortly after it started airing. The ad showed a small teddy bear named Cuddles being chased by a tank, set a blaze, crushed under the tank treads, and coughing up his cotton stuffing. The bear was hand

Resident Evil Requiem | IGN Review

Spoiler: 9/10 (Amazing)

PlayStation Plus Monthly Games for March: PGA Tour 2K25, Monster Hunter Rise, Slime Rancher 2, The Elder Scrolls Online Collection: Gold Road

PlayStation Plus members can look forward to four new games in March: PGA Tour 2K25, Monster Hunter Rise, Slime Rancher 2, and The Elder Scrolls Online Collection: Gold Road. All titles will be available from March 3 until April 6. PGA Tour 2K25 offers competitive golf gameplay, Monster Hunter Rise features new gameplay mechanics and monsters, Slime Rancher 2 continues Beatrix LeBeau’s adventures, and The Elder Scrolls Online Collection: Gold Road allows players to explore Tamriel's past.

Inside the quixotic team trying to build an entire world in a 20-year-old game

This article from Ars Technica explores the story and lessons learned from the large-scale community modding project that aims to build an entire world in the 20-year-old game, The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind. The project, which includes Tamriel Rebuilt and Project Tamriel, has seen thousands of volunteers collaborate over two decades to create a space comparable in size to a small country. The modders have faced challenges and setbacks, but have also implemented better planning, management, and training practices to improve the quality and coherence of their work. The article highlights the dedication and passion of the developers, who are motivated by the desire to contribute to a larger community and create something meaningful.