Xbox One X & S sold 21 million units combined
Ever since the Xbox One launched, Microsoft stopped reporting on official console sales as they were more focused on active users within the Xbox ecosystem. The company has never officially said the total amount of sales for the last generation, but a former employee might’ve revealed the numbers for Xbox One S and Xbox One X. The Xbox One X and Xbox One S has sold a combined 21 million units. That is just for these versions of the Xbox One which released later that generation. This information comes from Mandy Woo’s LinkedIn profile who shared in her position as a Program Manager at Microsoft that a notable launch was for these consoles. We might never know the total sales of the entire Xbox One generation, but for the last half of it, 21 million is underwhelming compared to Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4 sales. Of course, sales for the Xbox Series X|S are unknown as well and we can only assume where it’s currently at. Game Pass has been a service that Microsoft has been pushing and recently they increased the prices for it. Other reports also indicate the company will stop pushing for console sales and focus on Game Pass on PC & Xbox, Cloud Gaming, and Xbox Controllers. Thanks to @bogorad22 on X (Twitter) for sharing this news first.
Microsoft might stop promoting Xbox Consoles in Europe, Middle East, and Africa
Microsoft has always been about allowing players to play anywhere no matter if it’s not on an Xbox console. According to Tom Warren from The Verge, Microsoft might be changing its strategy for promoting Xbox consoles in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. This is according to one of Tom’s sources that indicates Microsoft will be focusing solely on Xbox Game Pass, Cloud Gaming, PC, and Xbox controllers. “Microsoft has been struggling to sell Xbox Series S / X consoles in many countries across EMEA, and the tipster believes Microsoft will now allocate less console stock to Europe as a result”, Tom says in his “The Notepad” newsletter. (Thanks, Insider Gaming for sharing the quote) This doesn’t mean Xbox consoles will stop being sold in these markets. It’s just less investments will be made toward the marketing of them. It wouldn’t be too much of a surprise if this is the direction the company goes for pushing Xbox Series X|S sales in certain markets. Just recently, it was announced that Xbox games can be streamed from Game Pass to Amazon Fire TV sticks, meaning you wouldn’t need to own an Xbox Series console. It is also worth noting that Xbox console sales have not been great ever since the Xbox One was released. There also seems to be a new direction for Xbox Game Pass as Microsoft announced price increases for its subscription services.
Sonic Studio Head Sheds Interest On Sonic The Hedgehog RPG Before He Retires
Over the three decades that Sonic the Hedgehog has been around, there are multiple fronts & mediums that the Sega mascot has sped across. One of its most glowing examples is the live-action films. The third installment in a trilogy is prepared to arrive this December to theaters. Additionally, there is more on the horizon in terms of games as well. Of course, that is Sonic x Shadow Generations. Prepared to ship in October, it remasters the classic 2010 release and features a new chapter focusing solely on the ‘Ultimate Lifeform’. Speaking to Video Game Chronicle, it even disclosed that the team is considering returning Chao Garden in some form in the future after hearing the longing outcry for more in the vein. In a separate interview recently, studio head Takashi Iizuka shares that one of his desires before exiting Sonic Team is to lead development on a role-playing game. Iizuka says this in an interview with Good Vibes Gaming. You can watch the segment of the interview in the video below: “Personally, I really like role-playing games. The RPG game format is a lot of fun, and I’ve even thought to myself, ‘You know, for the past 30 years, we haven’t done a Sonic RPG.’ And I’m questioning myself. ‘Why haven’t we done a Sonic RPG in all this time? How have we gotten to 30 years with no RPGs?!’” “And I’m questioning myself. ‘Why haven’t we done a Sonic RPG in all this time? How have we gotten 30 years with no RPGS?’ So I’d like to hopefully work on a Sonic RPG at some point before I retire from Sega,” Iizuka added. Note, there is technically an RPG already – Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood – however, it was developed by BioWare and not Sonic Team. As for current games on the horizon, it is understood the sequel to Sonic Frontiers is underway. Previously, game director Morio Kishimoto pressed the feedback given for the 2022 title will play a large factor into the development for the next title. You can read the full report by heading here. Are you hoping a Sonic RPG does manifest?
Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown Deluxe Edition is now available for Nintendo Switch
Bandai Namco announced it has officially released the flight shooting game, Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown Deluxe Edition is now available on Nintendo Switch. Leveraging the opportunity of portability for players to feel the exhilaration of fierce dogfights and flying freely in 360 degrees in their favorite planes from wherever they are. The ACE COMBAT series is famously known for its intense aerial battles, agile and futuristic aircrafts, and meticulously rendered landscapes and visuals. The debut of Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown comes with six DLCs and various special bonus items. ACE COMBAT™7: SKIES UNKNOWN” Original Story “Three original aircraft sets” + “Three SP missions” Part1 “ACE COMBAT 7: SKIES UNKNOWN – ADF-11F Raven Set” Part2 “ACE COMBAT 7: SKIES UNKNOWN – ADF-01 FALKEN Set” Part3 “ACE COMBAT 7: SKIES UNKNOWN – ADFX-01 Morgan Set” Part4 “ACE COMBAT 7: SKIES UNKNOWN – Unexpected Visitor” Part5 “ACE COMBAT 7: SKIES UNKNOWN – Anchorhead Raid” Part6 “ACE COMBAT 7: SKIES UNKNOWN – Ten Million Relief Plan” Bonus “Music Player Mode” Playable Aircraft F-104C -Avril- Playable Aircraft F-4E Phantom II Three popular aircraft skins from the past series 8x popular emblems of the past series There are also other DLCs for Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown that are available for purchase separately. ACE COMBAT 7: SKIES UNKNOWN 25th Anniversary DLC – Original Aircraft Series – Set ACE COMBAT 7: SKIES UNKNOWN 25th Anniversary DLC – Experimental Aircraft Series – Set ACE COMBAT 7: SKIES UNKNOWN 25th Anniversary DLC – Cutting-edge Aircraft Series – Set ACE COMBAT 7: SKIES UNKNOWN – TOP GUN: Maverick Aircraft -Set Ace Combat 7 has been available for PC, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4 and sold over 5 million copies worldwide. With the addition of Nintendo Switch the game could see a nice jump in sales. In our review, we scored the game an 8 out of 10 giving it praise for it being another solid entry in the classic dog fighting franchise.
Prime Gaming is giving away 3 titles for PC including Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League
Amazon is getting ready for its big Prime Day event and those who are Prime members will have the ability to download three PC games for free starting July 16 at 3 AM ET / 12 AM PT. The three games that will be available for free are Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, Chivalry 2, and Rise of the Tomb Raider. This Prime Gaming promotion will only be available for 48 hours and it will conclude on Wednesday, July 17. Below are details for each of the games that become free for Prime members: July 16 @ 3am ET Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League [Epic Games Store]— From the creators of Batman: Arkham, Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League is a genre-defying third-person action shooter where the ultimate band of misfits must do the impossible: Kill the Justice League. July 16 @ 3am ET Chivalry 2 [Epic Games Store]— Players are thrust into the action of every iconic moment of the era — from clashing swords, to storms of flaming arrows, to sprawling castle sieges and more in this multiplayer first person slasher inspired by epic medieval movie battles. July 16 @ 3am ET Rise of the Tomb Raider: 20 Year Celebration [Epic Games Store]— Embark on an adventure into Siberia as Lara Croft in search for the legendary city of Kitezh while battling the paramilitary organization Trinity, which intends to uncover the city’s promise of immortality. Rise of the Tomb Raider: 20 Year Celebration includes the base game and Season Pass content. Explore Croft Manor in the “Blood Ties” story, then defend it against a zombie invasion in “Lara’s Nightmare”. A promotion like this should help Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League’s player count since the game has been underwhelming from the moment it was released. At one point within its first month of release, the all-time peak for the game was just above 12,000 users. Source: Prime Gaming Blog
