Embracer Group canceled A Deus Ex video game after 2 years of development
Embracer Group has reportedly canceled a new Deus Ex video game that was in development for two years and is laying off more employees. This comes from Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier who says Eidos-Montréal will be pivoting to an original franchise. The canceled Deus Ex game was not revealed publicly yet, but it was apparently slated to enter production this year. In 2022, Embracer Group acquired Eidos-Montréal as part of the deal that also brought Crystal Dynamics and Square Enix Montreal to the company. Most recently in November, Embracer Group layoffs included the Timesplitters development team, Free Radical Design. It shouldn’t come as a surprise anymore that this company cancels yet another project while also closing various studios as it’s part of their “Cutting Cost Plan”. Eidos-Montréal announced the same day on X, they let go 97 people from development teams, administration, and support services. Source: Bloomberg
Johanna Faries is the new president of Blizzard Entertainment
Recently, Blizzard Entertainment and all of Microsoft saw a lot of changes with 1,900 employees being laid off and former President of Blizzard, Mike Ybarra stepping away. Today, the company named Johanna Faries as the new President of Blizzard Entertainment. In an email sent to all employees, Faries confirmed her first official day won’t be until February 5, 2024, and is excited for what’s to come. Previously, Johanna Faries was the General Manager of Call of Duty at Activision and was a former executive at the NFL. “Though my official first day with you all is February 5, I want to let you know immediately that it is an honor to join you next week in this new capacity. I do so humbly and in awe of all that Blizzard has stood for and delivered to the world for over thirty years. Today also brings some mixed emotions. The loss of talented teammates in recent days is hard to hold side-by-side with the immense excitement I feel about joining Blizzard – and building on the momentum you’ve created for Blizzard’s next chapter.” On top of this move, Matt Cox is named the new General Manager of Call of Duty and Tyler Bahl is the new SVP of Activision Marketing. Natasha Tatarchuk is the new Chief Technology Officer at Activision. (Thanks Charlieintel) What do you think of these major moves at Activision and Blizzard Entertainment? Source: Blizzard
Metro Awakening to be announced soon and it’ll be on VR
Fans of the Metro series have been patiently waiting for a new game and it’s claimed the new entry in the series will be titled ‘Metro Awakening’. It wasn’t too long ago when 4A Games was reportedly attending Gamescom 2023 but nothing came of that. According to Kurakasis on X (formerly Twitter), Metro Awakening is going to be announced very soon and he can confirm it will be on VR. He clearly states that he doesn’t know it’s a VR-only game or if it’s singleplayer only. I can reveal that a new Metro game, which is going to be announced very soon, is a VR game titled METRO AWAKENING#metro #metrogame #metroawakening pic.twitter.com/xFwpJE0vV5 — Kurakasis (@Kurakasis) January 29, 2024 With the PlayStation State of Play presentation planned for January 31, 2024, it could be possible we see Metro Awakening at the show. Sony did say there would be PS VR2 games featured as well. A console or PC version is still unknown.
Sony announces first State of Play of 2024, will feature Stellar Blade and Rise of the Ronin
The start of 2024 is off to a hot one with Microsoft hosting their first Direct of the year earlier in the month featuring Indiana Jones And The Great Circle. Today, Sony finally announced their first State of Play presentation will go down on Wednesday, January 31, 2024, at 5:00 PM ET. The State of Play broadcast will be over 40 minutes long and is going to feature Stellar Blade and Rise of the Ronin, two games coming to PS5 this year. They’ve also confirmed there will be other titles showcased for PlayStation 5 and PS VR2 releasing this year and beyond. You can watch the livestream on Twitch, YouTube, and TikTok on January 31 at 2 PM PT /5 PM ET/ 10 PM GMT. Are you looking forward to what Sony will bring this year? Source: PlayStation
Fortnite To Make Its Return To iOS Later In 2024, At Least In Europe For Now
Fortnite, one of if not the largest ongoing experiences globally, is still barred from proper support on iOS. For years, the title has been booted from the platform after Epic Games stood up to the brutish practices the platform engages towards software through the App Store. In response, Apple delisted Fortnite from the platform entirely. Since then, we’ve seen the likes of game streaming platforms enable access to Fortnite instead of a native app. Previously, we witnessed this with the access of Xbox Cloud Gaming in May 2022. It was not for a few weeks until NVIDIA GeForce Now also gave the green light for Fortnite to be available through its cloud platform as well. Recently, Epic Games revealed that Fortnite is to make its comeback on iOS later this year. However, it should be noted that this is only in Europe where the European Union reaches. In a thread on X, Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney writes: ”Apple’s plan to thwart Europe’s new Digital Markets Act law is a devious new instance of Malicious Compliance. They are forcing developers to choose between App Store exclusivity and the store terms, which will be illegal under DMA, or accept a new also-illegal anticompetitive scheme rife with new Junk Fees on downloads and new Apple taxes on payments they don’t process. “Apple proposes that it can choose which stores are allowed to compete with their App Store. They could block Epic from launching the Epic Games Store and distributing Fortnite through it, for example, or block Microsoft, Valve, Good Old Games, or new entrants.” He argues that while the DMA is a good start, Apple should not have the final say on how to dictate the market. Are you interested in the return of Fortnite to iOS?
Xbox Mobile App To Feature Blanket Touch Screen Controls For Android & iOS
For years, the slow burn integration of touch screen controls on Project xCloud as it evolved into Xbox Cloud Gaming has become more and more apparent as the platform truly embraced the feature. While being pieced together by The Coalition internally at first, we’ve seen support extend beyond more than 100 titles as of October 2021 previously. Upon its initial arrival for Minecraft Dungeons, it was reported that nearly 40 percent of users initiated touch screen controls almost exclusively. And in a newer development predating to December 2021, about 20 percent of all Xbox Cloud Gaming users only use the touch screen controls available. And this is expected to exceed the gaming service moving forward. According to a new report from The Verge, it is revealed that the Xbox app is to integrate the same touch screen controls for the companion app. Soon users will have the opportunity to use the same peripheral when using remote play and will not require a Bluetooth controller. From Tom Warren, he shares the update for Xbox App beta is nearly identical to the controls on Xbox Cloud Gaming already. Moving forward, Microsoft is continuing to develop more options for players to engage in Xbox Cloud Gaming. According to a report in December, it was suggested Microsoft is exploring options for an ad-tier version of Xbox Cloud Gaming. Of course, this would be a cheaper tier for players to play on supported devices on the fly. Elsewhere most recently it was revealed by Apple that native game streaming apps are now permitted on the App Store. Prior Apple walled these platforms from engaging with users due to its strict guidelines, but that has been readjusted now enabling these companies to bring its services to iOS. You can read the full report by heading here. Are you interested in touch screen controls on the Xbox app? Source: The Verge
Apple Opens The Floodgates To Game Streaming Apps In Its Latest App Store Update
For quite a few years now, Apple has continued to rule with an iron fist when it comes to game streaming on its platform. And while apps like then-Stadia & Xbox Cloud Gaming were able to find a workaround to reach users on iOS, it was through unorthodox approaches and browser-based domains to make it possible. However, that is to change for the better come the latest App Store update that went live recently. “Apple is introducing new options for how apps globally can deliver in-app experiences to users, including streaming games and mini-programs. Developers can now submit a single app with the capability to stream all of the games offered in their catalog,” it writes in the post. “Apps will also be able to provide enhanced discovery opportunities for streaming games, mini-apps, mini-games, chatbots, and plug-ins that are found within their apps.” Previously, we saw this obstacle become a big concern for companies like Microsoft. “Apple stands alone as the only general purpose platform to deny consumers from cloud gaming and game subscription services like Xbox Game Pass. And it consistently treats gaming apps differently,” it said then. But now this viewpoint can be done away thanks to the change of perspective by Apple most recently. Of course, with Apple’s broad approach to gaming since the launch of the iPhone 15 it is understandable for the firm to bring open hands to developers & publishers moving forward. Although the newest line of devices can support playing games natively, the same cannot be said for the catalog of titles that are available through these services. Around the same time, it was revealed that Death Stranding: Director’s Cut is planned to hit iOS come January 30th this Tuesday. You can read the full report by heading here. What has you most excited for this new change of perspective by Apple? Source: Apple
