Sony Interactive Entertainment acquires Audeze

Sony Interactive Entertainment announced today they’ve acquired leader in audio technology and developer of gaming headphones, Audeze. This acquisition will strengthen the audio experience when it comes to PlayStation games and potentially Sony’s gaming headsets in the future. Despite being acquired Audeze will continue to operate independently and will continue to create multi-platform products. Recently Sony announced the Pulse 3D wireless headset and Senior Vice President of Platform Experience at Sony Interactive Entertainment, Hideaki Nishino said this acquisition will help improve this area within the company. “We’re excited to bring Audeze’s expertise into the PlayStation ecosystem, building on the great strides we’ve made with PlayStation 5’s Tempest 3D AudioTech and the Pulse 3D wireless headset.” The exact cost of this acquisition or other details were not released. Were you surprised by this acquisition from Sony? Source: BusniessWire
Phil Spencer Explains Activision Blizzard Games Won’t Be An Immediate Addition To Xbox Game Pass Post-Deal

Although Microsoft has remained the wildcard platform holder with Xbox for more than two decades pioneering many elements that is embraced by its competitors – online multiplayer & game subscriptions – the firm is now pressing onward to bring a new success to Xbox: mobile gaming. Previously, the Xbox firm shared its effort for the Activision Blizzard deal aims to capitalize on the established mobile & PC markets from the conglomerate. Additionally, Microsoft also presses on how much of an impact the acquisition will make for Xbox. And the be blunt, it is admitted that console will not fully benefit from the purchase. Even more, Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer explained at Gamescom this week that mobile is a required space for Microsoft to truly succeed within the market when opposed to Nintendo & PlayStation. In an interview with IGN, Spencer goes on to elaborate that the fruits of the deal will not be a direct response to the acquisition passing. He explains Activision Blizzard games will not automatically be on Xbox Game Pass the day of processing and will need some time beforehand. I want to make sure people know there’s work to actually move games to Game Pass. So for people to think like the deal is going to close, then everything’s available – that’s not true. Right so, and it hasn’t been true in other acquisitions that we’ve done – like there’s work for us to go do just mechanical work just for us to go do. So it will take us some time definitely to get the games portfolio, but this has nothing to do with making native games available in Game Pass; this is all about- the Ubisoft relationship is all about the cloud streaming rights for ABK games. Spencer remarks on prior deals and illustrates the same wait for Xbox Game Pass is present for Activision Blizzard is there too. With Bethesda, it was not until months after the deal was originally announced that the arrangement permitted additions to Xbox Game Pass. Spencer went on to iterate the partnership with Ubisoft does not include its in-house process to Xbox Game Pass being affected. Previously, it was confirmed that the arrangement with Sony Interactive Entertainment only includes 10 years for Call of Duty. So alongside legacy titles coming to Xbox Game Pass – whenever that comes – it also includes other properties as well in the future that will be for Xbox. You can read the full report by heading here. How surprised are you by Spencer’s statement on Activision Blizzard games for Xbox Game Pass?
Xbox Series S Won’t Miss Out On New Releases Amid Hardware Integrity Brought Into Question, Phil Spencer Says

While most of the talking points to purchase a next-generation console is on the topic of power, prowess, and offering experiences alien to older hardware, Xbox is shaking the cage with Xbox Series X|S. In that, there are two SKUs: the power-backed Xbox Series X & the entry-friendly Xbox Series S. One is intended for the hardened consumer whilst the latter appeals to casual users for Xbox Game Pass and digital entertainment. But as a whole, the approach does bring concerns as to whether it is in the betterment of games for something like the Xbox Series S. Yes, it is the more popular of the two – selling more in ‘key markets’ as reported previously. But, many are concerned the hardware is limiting game studios. At launch, Remedy Entertainment became vocal on the restrictions working on such a machine does for games. And currently, the same is now said for new releases on the way. In that, Larian Studios’ Baldur’s Gate 3 has pushed its Xbox release due to split-screen troubles. The team & Microsoft agreed to sever the feature on Xbox Series S ultimately. As for other concerns, Forza Motorsport – a first-party release – is also skipping on split-screen, a hallmark feature for the series. When speaking to Eurogamer, Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer explained that the Xbox Series S is to stay and does not plan to handicap one-half of its hardware to include certain features. Instead, it is understood the hardware consumers purchase is to have limitations compared to other models. On S, specifically, we designed the box with similarities to X, and clear places where we’re targeting a different performance. And we’re taking feedback from devs including Larian, I met with them today to talk about it and I’m confident we’re going to find a good solution and we’re going to learn. I don’t see a world where we drop S. In terms of parity, I don’t think you’ve heard from us or Larian, that this was about parity. I think that’s more that the community is talking about it. There are features that ship on X today that do not ship on S, even from our own games, like ray-tracing that works on X, it’s not on S in certain games. So for an S customer, they spent roughly half what the X customer bought, they understand that it’s not going to run the same way. “Those two things aren’t really related. Forza Motorsport was never going to have splitscreen. That’s just a decision the team made based on usage. We see how many people play in splitscreen and just decided to put our dev effort where people are actually playing,” Spencer elaborated when pressed on the missing content. “I want to make sure games are available on both, that’s our job as a platform holder and we’re committed to that with our partners. And I think we’re gonna get there with Larian. So I’m not overly worried about that, but we’ve learned some stuff through it. Having an entry level price point for console, sub-$300, is a good thing for the industry. I think it’s important, the Switch has been able to do that, in terms of kind of the traditional plug-into-my-television consoles. I think it’s important. So we’re committed.” Atop of the current concerns brought into question, Microsoft also confirms that Xbox Series X|S hardware will not see a mid-generation refresh. Spencer elsewhere at Gamescom explained that the new Carbon Black Xbox Series S is the focus securing 1 TB drives for the system. You can read the full report by heading here. What is your response to Spencer’s commitment to Xbox Series S? Source: Eurogamer
No Man’s Sky Echoes Update Includes Fresh Story, Freighter Battles, New Pirate Faction, And More

Over the years following the release of No Man’s Sky, it remains to surprise many players the state the game is compared to its initial release. For 2023 alone, the game has continued to meet and exceed expectations of its users. In February, PlayStation VR 2 launched with official support for No Man’s Sky. Included as part of the ‘Fractal Update’ which launched then, the client included enhancements for the new peripheral alongside Nintendo Switch gyro controls & left hand mode as well. Entering into the spring also featured the ‘Interceptor Update’ which included new enemy types, improved combat as well as missions to expand the universe’s plot as well. This week, the new ‘Echoes Update’ has gone live and features a bevy of improvements alike prior clients before. You can watch the trailer in the video below: “Uncover the Autophage, a long-hidden civilisation of robotic beings. With bodies cobbled together from scrap metal and salvaged technology, these wandering constructs appear in a huge variety of styles – from slender pipe-wrought robots to hefty cloth-draped machines” One of the biggest focal points in the new trailer is the addition of robots fully embraced in the new trailer. “Join minds with Priest Entity Nada to investigate, meet, and perhaps befriend the mysterious robotic Autophage. A guided mission chain brings many hours of narrative and adventure, exploring the origin of these secretive constructs and what it means for the universe as a whole,” the website expands on the group. Even more is the immersion with the new destructible freighters that bring scale to a new level in No Man’s Sky. “Realise your raiding ambitions with explosive space combat. All capital ships – from outlaw dreadnoughts to merchant freighters – can now be reduced to stardust, allowing piratical pilots to earn additional scrap after looting each and every cargo pod. A brand-new combat HUD tracks the hull integrity of large vessels, allowing starship pilots to plan their attacks with precision.” What has you most excited for No Man’s Sky ‘Echoes’ update? No Man’s Sky is out now for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation VR, and PlayStation VR 2. Source: Hello Games
Review: Penny Larceny: Gig Economy Supervillain

Developer – Fiction Factory Games Publisher – Fiction Factory Games Platforms – PC (reviewed) Review copy given by publisher When you think of supervillains, you often imagine nefarious individuals who enjoy a life of crime. But when you step into Penny Larceny’s shoes, it’s hard to imagine supervillains as terrible people. Thanks to the narrative and exposition, you can actually relate to the characters and their struggles. Not every good person wears capes, and not every villain needs masks to be evil. The titular character begins as an aspiring supervillain who is just trying to make ends meet. Their latest caper allows her to hack into the latest supervillain matching app. It’s a great way to build her relationships or pursue her own goals. Penny isn’t bound to anyone and it’s possible to stick with a supervilllain or choose the path of solo work. The story has several paths and narratives depending on the supervillains you network with. Choosing to stick with a supervillain all the way lets you learn more about them and their struggles. Deciding to do what’s best for Penny helps develop their professional. Perhaps you decide to have the best of both worlds and work with a few supervillains. There’s no single “best” path even if you have a few that you prefer. It’s also worth playing through all of the paths even if you aren’t interested in the true ending. Going through each path fleshes out the characters and lets you learn more about them. One of the game’s greatest strengths is its refusal to pull its punches. It’s a raw look at people who are struggling with various issues. Penny isn’t some evil supervillain who’s bent on world domination. She’s a girl who’s been dealt a bad hand and is trying to make the most of it. The characters you meet are also equally complex which makes them relatable. It’s hard not to empathize with them and make decisions you believe in. Even the humorous moments are relatable, with the actions and words conveyed through the visual novel format. You aren’t left wanting to see the hijinks and it’s funny to hear Penny be self-aware. Your interactions with Penny also break the fourth wall in some ways, making you feel like you are there. It helps immerse you in the story and invest yourself in Penny’s development. As a crime visual novel, Penny will participate in various heists. They appear deceptively simple but end up being complicated. The crime’s success will depend on the answers and actions you choose, some of which aren’t obvious. It’s fun to try new options and see whether a crime goes better than expected. While Penny’s success is mandatory for the story to continue, it does give you some control over the criminal operation. The mandatory success does lower the tension because you aren’t at risk of failing. It helps prevent you from feeling that you can make things worse. You are also rewarded for making the optimal choice which isn’t hard to find. But it does mean the stakes aren’t high and everything will get better for Penny Larceny. That takes some of the stakes away and makes the story somewhat predictable. There are multiple story paths based on who you interact with. Each path has its own ending, but you must play through all of them to get the true ending. Viewing all the paths can take a while, and it’s best to space out your playthroughs to avoid getting fatigued. But it’s worth finding out how everything ties together even if it takes a while. The animation makes you feel like you are reading a comic book. Everything takes place in still frames but it helps you picture the action in your head. It also helps for the more poignant scenes where sensitive matter is being covered. The emotion is properly conveyed and it lets the words sit in your mind. While it would be nice to see some animation, the characters’ expressions and words provide enough information. It works to the game’s advantage since you can imagine everything yourself. The game doesn’t shy away from more mature topics, but those are purely left to the imagination. But from the way characters talk, you can still feel the emotions and relationships between them. Penny Larceny is a great visual novel about being a supervillain just trying to get by. There’s lots of replay value with the stories and branching paths, letting you view different perspectives. The animation and writing is also excellent, helping you gauge the characters’ emotions and relate to them. While the lack of failure lowers the stakes of each adventure, it’s still a great visual novel that makes you think.
Microsoft Presses Search For Solutions To Restore Legacy Games Affected By Xbox 360 Store Next Year Are Being Considered

With generations continuing for the console market, legacy hardware continues to rise in numbers with the next big system on the way. At Xbox, the firm happens to be the one with the most resources in preserving older games. From the original Xbox, Xbox 360, and majority of Xbox One, users can play most of the unique library for the Xbox platform. However, the Xbox 360 store is set to shutter next summer. In the past, Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer did express interest in further support of the absent games on current hardware. Previously, November 2021 met the cut off of continued backwards compatibility support. However, Spencer did tell if there is a legal approach for full-on preservation through emulating, Xbox will consider it. In total, Video Game Chronicle counts 220+ games that will be gone forever after the axe falls in 2024. When speaking to Eurogamer, Spencer presses on the topic. He elaborates on the stance Microsoft has, how much Xbox has expanded to appease legacy players, and the lengths that backwards compatibility has offered the platform. Game reservation is critical to us at Team Xbox. One of the things we do is ship all of our games on PC, because I actually think PC is the best ecosystem for game preservation because it’s not tied to one piece of hardware. So at the meta level, if we think about video games as pieces of software, the more that software isn’t dependent on a physical device, the more preserved it can be in the long run. On the 360, I love our back compat and the work that we’ve done. And maybe it’s a little bit of grandiose to say, but I think it’s world class, what the team has done around back compat, even on Gen 9. Not only does it run, but the best place to go play those games is through the back compat layer on a Series S or X. I love it, I think it’s awesome. “The work on the 360 storefront was really just about the hardware and the lifespan of the hardware. We know how many people are playing 360 games on the 360. It’s a pretty small community,” Spencer continues on the matter. “The community of buyers is very, very small. So as the back end – which is tied to that hardware, roughly – starts to kind of bring down just from a sustainability [point], and almost all the players have moved on, we’re like, ‘okay, we can focus our effort on where the players are and where they can buy’. So you can still go buy all the back compat games, all the multiplayer stuff all works. I think that’s pretty cool.” There’s a list of, what 220 games that are not back compat, and I have that list and I’ve got it stapled on my forehead, and like, how can we make sure [you can play them still?] How many of those are on PC? That’s one thing, because it doesn’t necessarily mean you need to be able to play it on the existing hardware that you bought 15 years ago, but preservation is front and centre when all these decisions are made. I will say for us that preservation that’s linked to only one piece of hardware is a challenge. Because there can be hardware love as well – people who love and want this device to do this forever – but mechanical things will break over time. But that’s why we gave people with this decision a year. Let’s say ‘hey, if you want to go buy things in the 360 store, we’re going to give you a year headstart, and you can go get those things’. And just know that the list of the 220 games is something that we see, and we would love to find solutions for those games to continue to play. As noted, emulation is the forefront for this approach with Microsoft supporting the feature to run legacy games – that including the physical disc which users can insert into their console. However, proper legal emulating these games is the hurdle. In the past, support for certain apps that stray from the legal boundaries were removed to tackle this issue. But, Microsoft sees the importance of this tool. In fact, the platform did generate some revenue from backwards compatibility, it’s reported. During the height of legacy Call of Duty titles restoring its online lobbies, Amazon was met with a wave of Xbox Series X|S purchases in the surge to relive nostalgia. You can read the full report by heading here. What is your hope for further legacy support on Xbox? Source: Eurogamer
Zack Snyder Says He’d Want To Adapt Gears Of War Into A Movie, Even Pokes At Working On Halo

In recent months, director Zack Snyder has been regarded for his current work on the upcoming Netflix release, Rebel Moon. After this work at Warner Bros. and DC Comics, Snyder proceeded towards Netflix and delivered Army of the Dead. Not only that, but Rebel Moon is also on the way. Previously, Snyder shared a Rebel Moon RPG is in development set within the shared universe of his upcoming films. Additionally, Snyder went on to share at Gamescom that Rebel Moon is to expand its universe within the new game. Confirming that Super Evil Megacorp is behind development of the new game, the title is to also be set after the events of both Part 1: A Child of Fire & Part 2: Scargiver. Snyder has expressed his interest in the video game industry before and is now more involved thanks to his work for Netflix. Elsewhere when speaking to IGN at Gamescom, Snyder during an interview revealed that he does share interest to work on a Gears of War film. Snyder even discloses a desire to take on Halo too – which is already out on Paramount+. I mean, you know Gears is always come up y’know sort of in our circle. And I was a fan of the game, so- I mean off the top of my head, that one. I’ve always interested in Halo franchise so that was always something that I’d always- I mean, they’ve of course kinda made that, but it’s something I always thought would be incredible. Snyder also in the interview does expand further on the Rebel Moon game. “Well one thing I can say about it is the guys over there have been incredibly reverent and faithful to the source material and they’ve been incredibly inclusive and really want to talk with me constantly about mythology and about the canon and about the world so I would say that- as a game it will really expand the mythology of the universe; even though its definitely- sort of add on to the universe i sort of didn’t expect, it was a cool place where we thought to explore other things that are happening in the Rebel Moon universe.” Entertaining how plausible it is for Snyder to take on a Gears of War movie is certainly hypothetical, but, it there is potential to suspicions after this encounter. Currently, the Gears of War movie that is underway is through Netflix – like Rebel Moon already. So far, there is no director attached. To add to the chances, the most interested actor to portray Marcus Fenix is Dave Bautista – who worked on Army of the Dead with Snyder at Netflix. You can read the full report by heading here. Do you think Snyder would work well directing a Gears of War movie? Source: IGN
Saints Row is now available on Steam

Deep Silver and Volition announced Saints Row is available on Steam starting today after one year of the game releasing on Epic Games Store and consoles. Since Saints Row came out, hundreds of fan-requested quality of life improvements, an overhaul of combat, two new districts and a range of new features like Cheats Mode and Selfie Mode were added to the game. To celebrate the launch, Volition put out a special event for players to discover. Saints Row on Steam will cost $19.99 USD. Here is about everything that’s changed since release: The world map now has two new districts for all players A brand new event for players to discover Cheats Mode Selfie Mode Emote wheel Combat revamp Thousands more enhancements over 4 major updates 1 brand new single player mode (included in Expansion Pass) 2 exciting Story Expansions, with new baddies, new cut scenes (Included in Expansion Pass) Free additional cosmetics The release of Saints Row joining Steam happens to come after The Expansion Pass that came out this Summer that includes A Song of Ice And Dust, The Heist and the Hazardous and Doc Ketchum’s Murder Circus. You can purchase the Saints Row DLC separately. Saints Row released August 23, 2022 for PC, Xbox and PlayStation consoles.
Baldur’s Gate 3 will come to Xbox Series XlS this year

Baldur’s Gate 3 from Larian Studios has been off to a hot start this year since its release on PC with a PlayStation 5 launch coming on September 6. It has been shared before that Larian Studios had difficulty getting split-screen to work for Baldur’s Gate 3 on Xbox Series S which resulted in a delay for the Xbox version. Today, Swen Vincke shared on Twitter that he met with Xbox Chief, Phil Spencer during Gamescom and found a solution to bring Baldur’s Gate 3 to the Xbox platform this year. When Baldur’s Gate 3 comes to Xbox Series X this year it’ll feature split-screen co-op while Series S will not support split-screen co-op. Swen also mentions there will be cross-save progression between Steam and Xbox Series XlS. You can see the post below: Super happy to confirm that after meeting @XboxP3 yesterday, we’ve found a solution that allows us to bring Baldur’s Gate 3 to Xbox players this year still, something we’ve been working towards for quite some time. — Swen Vincke @where? (@LarAtLarian) August 24, 2023 We weren’t sure if Baldur’s Gate 3 would come to Xbox this year, but thanks to this solution players on Xbox Series XlS can expect to play the potential Game of The Year nominee. While Baldur’s Gate 3 is having great success on PC – it’s one of the top pre-orders on the PlayStation Store. Will you get Baldur’s Gate 3 on Xbox?
Phil Spencer Explains Xbox Is Evaluating Response To Its Game Launches Moving Forward

Upon considering what Microsoft has released for Xbox, the latter time in the 20 years the platform has stood is questionable about the state of the brand. And while Microsoft is committed to stay with the upcoming Activision Blizzard deal considered to process fully, recent entries from the firm is brought to attention. Whilst the story is regarded as one of Halo’s strongest ever, Halo Infinite did bring a lot of negative response to its live-service approach. It even required a statement from 343 Industries to confirm the IP is not going anywhere. Additionally, the same can also be clearly said for Arkane Studios’ Redfall. While an ambitious direction the game was heading for the single-player team exploring online fully, the game shipped in a very poor state. Reports revealed that the team during development favored the project being canceled. Even more, Microsoft went ahead to denounce claims of the team’s closure after misfire from the developer then too. At Gamescom, Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer explained that the response of Redfall has been crucial for Xbox and is now led to Microsoft evaluating all of its releases to direct resources from making the same mistakes again. Well we’re always learning in everything we do – no doubt about that. I would say that – and I’ve shared some of this, but with Redfall it was more of us not using our internal processes that were in place already just because of when integration happened, I’m not using COVID as an excuse, but you know we did close the Zenimax acquisition and then everybody got sent home and it was just not as easy as some earlier companies- studios that we’d acquire in terms of integrating in our process, but that’s all on us. So I’m not trying to deflect any of the criticism, but absolutely. Anytime we launch anything and we’re going to learn from the launch of Starfield, we’re going to learn from the launch of Forza, and we re-evaluate our process because we want to make sure we’re exceeding customers expectations with everything we do. And that is potentially already made a large impact on Xbox Game Studios. At least in terms of the sheer scale of releases that is on the way, Starfield could be the catalyst Microsoft needs. This week, it was told by the Xbox firm that Starfield stands as the “starting gun” for what Xbox Game Studios will use when offering a mass lineup of games in its portfolio. Even more, Spencer during the same interview expressed that the desire to meet the demand of its consumers is manifesting. And rather than annual launches for select titles, the aspiration now we can talk about it as our plan,” he says. You can read the full report by heading here. What is your thoughts on Spencer’s process moving forward on the state of releases?