Xbox hardware revenue declined 42%, financial results share

Microsoft has released its latest financial results for the most recent quarter from April 1 to June 30, 2024. It revealed that Microsoft Gaming revenue is up 44%, Xbox content and services jumped up to 61%, but the more concerning number is the hardware sales for Xbox. Activision Blizzard’s revenues have been the main contributor to gaming, content, and services being up so high. According to The Verge, without Activision Blizzard, Xbox content and services revenue would have only been up by 3% year over year. According to the latest financial results from Microsoft, Xbox hardware sales are down 42% compared to last year. It has been years since Microsoft shared the sale numbers for Xbox consoles and we’ll never truly know how many Series X or Series S consoles they’ve sold. It’s pretty clear that it truly isn’t about selling consoles for Microsoft as they are focused on providing gaming content anywhere they can. Earlier this year, four console-exclusive Xbox games were released on PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch with more likely to come. In July, Microsoft announced you can stream Xbox games on the Amazon Fire Stick and have a bundle available for sale on Amazon that includes a controller, membership, and the Fire Stick.
Resident Evil 4 Remake has now sold 7.6 million copies

Capcom has released its latest financial results as of June 30, 2024, revealing total sales for its games including Resident Evil. The company announced that the Resident Evil franchise overall has sold 160 million units worldwide. The results revealed the Resident Evil 4 Remake has now sold 7.6 million units and continues to be the fastest-selling game in the series. From April 1, 2024, to June 30, 2024, it has sold 483,000 units. In January it was announced Resident Evil 4 Remake sold over 6 million units and became the fastest selling title for the franchise. In other news, Resident Evil Village which launched in 2021 has now sold a total of 10 million units worldwide. The Resident Evil 4 Remake is available to play on Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, PC, and mobile via iOS. Source: @kathyanhy
Mafia Definitive Edition comes to Xbox Game Pass on August 13

It was rumored only a few days ago that Mafia Definitive Edition will be coming to Xbox Game Pass in August. Today, Microsoft announced that this is true and the remade Mafia title will be coming to the best deal in gaming on August 13, 2024. a re-made classic is on its way@mafiagame Definitive Edition is coming August 13! pic.twitter.com/SubPnun6Kp — Xbox Game Pass (@XboxGamePass) July 30, 2024 Mafia Definitive Edition will also be available through PC Game Pass on top of it being on Xbox Game Pass. This is the first time Mafia will be making an appearance through the service and there has not been any indication yet of the other titles in the series coming to it. The Mafia remaster was first released in 2020 on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. There should be more Game Pass additions coming soon with Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy being one of the Activision games expected to arrive on the service. Other games include Tony Hawk Pro Skater 1+2 Remastered and more.
The first Sonic 3 trailer is rumored to drop in August

Fans have been patiently waiting for the first trailer of the Sonic the Hedgehog 3 film that has been teased by Paramount Pictures and Sega. Based on images and short video teases through social media, we do know that Jim Carrey will be returning as Doctor Eggman, and Shadow the Hedgehog will be featured in the movie. Sonic 3 is still set to come to theaters on December 20, 2024, but there has been a lot of silence regarding the first trailer. It has been reported by known insider, DanielRPK that the first Sonic 3 trailer is dropping in August. The first ‘SONIC 3’ trailer will be releasing in August. (Via: @DanielRPK) pic.twitter.com/aY3goyhoUY — The Hollywood Handle (@HollywoodHandle) July 30, 2024 While it seems obvious the Sonic 3 trailer would have to drop in August, Sega and Paramount could decide to push it to September. However, with rumors like these, we have to take it with a grain of salt. In August, Gamescom 2024 will take place and we may see a trailer during Gamescom Opening Night Live. Sega did confirm they will have a booth at Gamescom but did not say what will be there. According to All Movie, the Sonic 3 movie will be rated PG-13 which is new for the movie series as the first two were only PG.
Gran Turismo 7 is on sale for $20

Polyphony Digital and PlayStation Game Studios released Gran Turismo 7 on March 4, 2022, and it was a critically acclaimed racing game for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5. In our review of the game, we scored it a 9.5 out of 10 and highly suggest playing the game. Currently, Amazon has a sale for Gran Turismo 7 – Standard Edition for PlayStation 4 giving the game a 67% discount making it $20.00 for a limited time. Gran Turismo 7 features the best of the series. It features a Dream garage where you can collect, tune, race, and customize hundreds of cars and create your own dream collection. You will have the ability to connect and compete against other racers within Gran Turismo If you purchase the PS4 version of the game and own a PS5, you’ll still be able to play it, buy it won’t have the ability to use the PS5 hardware benefits.
Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn has reached over 500K players

A44 Games and Kepler Interactive have announced that Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn has reached over 500,000 players already. The action role-playing video game was released on July 18, 2024, for Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and PC (Steam and Epic Games Store), Xbox Game Pass, and PC Game Pass. Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn being available on Game Pass has for sure helped the game’s early success. It currently stands on the Most Popular List for both Xbox Game Pass and PC Game Pass in multiple regions. The Door to the Great Below has been opened unleashing the Gods and their armies of the Dead. The lands of Kian are besieged, the city of Dawn is on the brink of destruction. It’s time for the Coalition army to fight back. Embrace vengeance, gunpowder and magic as you embark on an epic journey to defeat the Gods, close the door and retake the world. Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn has received mixed reviews on OpenCritic receiving an average score of 70 with only 33% recommending the game. Have you played the latest game from A44 Games?
Goat Simulator Remastered has been rated for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC in Taiwan

Mad Dog Games might be releasing a remaster of the original Goat Simulator title that was launched in 2014 for PS4, Xbox One, and PC. It was first spotted by Gematsu that Goat Simulator Remastered has been rated for PlayStation 5, PC, and Xbox Series X|S in Taiwan. Below is the rating image shared by Gematsu via X (Twitter): Mad Dog Games has not made any official announcement regarding Goat Simulator Remastered. We’d expect this to be announced eventually, but as always even with ratings take it with a grain of salt until it’s official. Goat Simulator 3 is the latest game in the series that was released in 2022 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam. Technically, Goat Simulator Remastered would be the third game in the series, but if you know anything about Goat Simulator it will make more sense as to why they skipped Goat Simulator 2.
Mario & Sonic Olympics Series Claimed To Be Completely Finished

Legacy rivals going back for nearly four decades now, Mario & Sonic have faced off since the original console wars predating the current millennium. While players fought for which is better, both firms arranged for a string of competitions between both characters and their supporting ensemble in the Olympics. With over a handful of games which kicked off back on the Nintendo Wii, Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games remained a staple party game that bridged both franchises periodically and best featured the two platform mascots. The last installment arrived back in 2019 with Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 for Nintendo Switch. In a new report, it is claimed that the Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games series has officially ended. Of course, the 2024 Olympic Games being held currently in Paris, France is taking place and there is no sign of a new game. And one developer answers for why that is: simply put, the series is not moving forward for future installments. Lee Crocker who worked on all installments in a post via X says the series is finished. Working for ISM LTD as an executive producer, Crocker’s resume website reveals his position for Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games. “I was tasked with managing projects for SEGA, Nintendo, and the International Olympic Committee, specifically focusing on the development of Olympic Video Games.” It goes without saying that since Crocker was involved in each installment in the series that it is likely gone for good. Amid the report, neither Nintendo nor Sega has made a statement about the development. While left opaque on the future for the series, perhaps there could be a new effort underway for both franchises to cross paths once again sometime in the future. Are you saddened the Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games series is over?
New Xbox One Update Issue Draws Concerns For The Future Of Game Preservation

One of the biggest pushes from Microsoft for the past span of consoles was backwards compatibility. With now three generations of legacy titles supported on the latest Xbox Series machines, users can revisit classic games from prior eras – both digitally or physically. However, the program was cut off since the platform’s 20th anniversary in 2021. Despite that, leaders did tout more support could be on the horizon. One of the biggest drawbacks to the backwards compatibility effort is the always-online DRM. Although the firm did resolve this issue when it comes to Xbox One & Xbox Series X|S, legacy hardware like the original Xbox & Xbox 360 software do still require being plugged into the internet. And this does draw concern for content being further preserved. Especially now with the Xbox 360 Marketplace officially shutdown this week, it only fuels hesitation for the direction of gaming. Recently, reports have gone out that the initial Xbox One ‘Durango’ units that launched the platform are now facing issues which make the systems lack functionality without a proper software update. “When going thru the initial setup process it would try to start the day one update but then would error out everytime. It would say it needed the update but could not continue. […] As I looked into it and found there are many other people who encountered this as well. Some of them factory reset the systems and then couldn’t get the initial update again,” one report from NeoGAF shares that put the spotlight on the issue. According to Digital Foundry via Eurogamer, it did notify Microsoft on the issue. Digital Foundry technology editor Richard Leadbetter did indicate that this issue will likely be resolved by Microsoft once identifying the issue at hand. However, this does draw questions about the longevity for support on platforms as they further intangle with online-only infrastructure moving forward. What are your thoughts on this new development for Xbox One?
Xbox Mobile Store Nearing Arrival With Webpage Now Up

While mobile gaming remained an aspect Microsoft entertained the idea with when Xbox Cloud Gaming initially released, it was not fully brought to fruition its intentions until after announcing its acquisition for the Call of Duty & World of Warcraft firm. Part of its intentions for the purchase was to platform its PC/mobile efforts, Phil Spencer elaborated back in 2022. What’s more, a mobile store was in the cards from Xbox too. A filing for the CMA revealed this new pursuit to compete against the likes of Google Play & App Store. By 2023, Spencer did share that the project for a mobile store is “not multiple years away” from being realized. Additionally, a new report that surfaced earlier in 2024 indicated that the plan could go live as early as July 2024. And this week, the first sign of life has surfaced online. Thanks to @Klobrille, it was revealed that Microsoft has officially launched the webpage for the Xbox mobile store. Accessing the domain only reveals a static image for something ‘on the other side’ issuing visitors something is “coming soon” for the webpage. “Thank you for participating in the Xbox Insiders program,” the description on the page reads. “As part of our testing process, you have been placed in a holdback group and currently do not have access to this feature. Your support is invaluable to us, and we ask for your patience as we prepare for the public release. Stay connected with Xbox for further updates.” Along with tying Xbox Game Pass into its ongoing pursuit for presence in mobile gaming, the service is expected to skyrocket in gross revenue by next year. Ampere Analysis indicates that the subscription is anticipated to break over $5.5 billion in 2025. You can read the full report by heading here. Are you interested in this chase for mobile gaming at Xbox?