If only there were a way to predict!
We’re now deep into January and if you’re a Nintendo fan on the internet, you’ll likely have seen dozens of rumours regarding the next Nintendo Direct. Scrolling through your preferred gaming feed, you’ll find ‘insiders’ — some legit, most not-a-bit — leaking hot info from ‘sources’ — some real, most imagined — concerning when Nintendo is planning on serving up its customary platter of upcoming treats. De-lish!
Read the full article on nintendolife.com
For the first time since January 2023, Xbox is bringing back its Developer_Direct show that promises to give fans a glimpse at such upcoming titles as MachineGames’ Indiana Jones, Obsidian’s Avowed, Oxide Games’ Ara: History Untold, and Ninja Theory’s Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II.
The Developer_Direct will kick off on January 18 and this watch guide will provide you with everything you need to know to watch the show, including start times, a list of places you can watch it with us, and what you can expect from the event.
January 2024’s Xbox Developer_Direct will take place on Thursday, January 18 at 12pm PT/3pm ET/8pm GMT.
As if that wasn’t enough, ZeniMax Online Studios will be hosting The Elder Scrolls Online 2024 Global Reveal at 1pm PT/4pm ET/9pm GMT to “preview 2024’s biggest update” for the MMO.
After the show, be sure to stay tuned to IGN’s channels as a special episode of Podcast Unlocked will take place that will serve as a post-show to the Developer_Direct. We will break down all the big announcements and share our thoughts on what was shown!
If you’re interested in watching the Xbox Developer_Direct, we’ll be hosting it here and across our many channels on platforms, including YouTube, Twitch, Twitter, Facebook, and more. Here’s the full list of places you can watch the show with us:
As previously mentioned, this upcoming Developer Direct will feature an in-depth look at upcoming Xbox games, including MachineGames’ Indiana Jones, Obsidian’s Avowed, Oxide Games’ Ara: History Untold, and Ninja Theory’s Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II. The show will be presented by the developers themselves, and it looks to give fans a glimpse into the creation of these exciting titles.
Xbox actually provided a pretty detailed description of what fans can expect from the show, and we’re including it below:
While these four games are being highlighted prior to the show, there’s always a chance Xbox has a surprise or two in store for us. In January 2023’s Developer_Direct, Tango Gameworks’ Hi-Fi Rush was announced and released that day with no prior warning.
What most surely won’t be there, however, is updates on games from Activision Blizzard as Xbox said “you can look forward to news from those teams later this year.”
As for The Elder Scrolls Online 2024 Global Reveal, this standalone presentation will “unveil the game’s next major Chapter, including the new zone, storyline, and other major features coming in the game’s biggest update this year.”
For more, check out what we expect from Xbox in 2024 and the news that fans think they’ve discovered the full name of MachineGames’ Indiana Jones game.
Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.
Valve’s Steam platform had the most new releases overall.
Nintendo’s Switch was recognised for all sorts of achievements and feats last year,and one other interesting fact about the hybrid system in 2023 was that it had the most game releases of any “console” hardware in the US, placing it ahead of PlayStation and Xbox.
As highlighted by Circana analyst Anthony Silva (via Mat Piscatella), the Switch had a whopping 2,360 games released on it. With an install base of more than 132 million Switch users worldwide as of 30th September 2023, it’s no surprise so many developers want a piece of the pie. As impressive as this figure is, Valve’s digital platform Steam (and we guess the Steam Deck by default) technically blows it out of the water, launching more than 14,000 titles in 2023.
Read the full article on nintendolife.com
Apparently “10 Sega classics” have been greenlit already.
Last year at The Game Awards, Sega dropped one of the most exciting announcements of the show, revealing new games were in development for select classic franchises. In the same announcement, it teased there was even “more” to come.
Read the full article on nintendolife.com
Apparently “10 Sega classics” have been greenlit already.
Last year at The Game Awards, Sega dropped one of the most exciting announcements of the show, revealing new games were in development for select classic franchises. In the same announcement, it teased there was even “more” to come.
Read the full article on nintendolife.com
It’s just “not sure” if it could get it running well on Switch.
A sequel to SMITE has just been announced and if you’re wondering about the chances of a Nintendo Switch release, it’s not looking good.
When asked if the MOBA sequel was getting a Switch release by TechRadar Gaming, Titan Forge Games raised concerns about the “power level” of Nintendo’s current hybrid system and minimal technical specs. Fortunately, the team is still “open” to future platforms if anything is announced by Nintendo (like the rumoured successor system).
Read the full article on nintendolife.com
Faheem Rashad Najm, better-known as singer-songrwriter T-Pain, is living the dream: he gets to work on Grand Theft Auto VI alongside Rockstar Games. However, it seems like T-Pain’s new job is having unintended consequences.
In a livestream clip circulated on social media, T-Pain confirmed that he’s contributing to Rockstar’s anticipated sequel, which was finally revealed in 2023. In the course of bringing T-Pain aboard, though, it seems that Rockstar requested that he stop role-playing on NoPixel — a popular GTA 5 role-play server that runs on third-party servers.
At least one fan noticed that T-Pain was no longer on the server and asked what happened.
“I used to be on NoPixel, then I started working on GTA VI, and they told me I couldn’t do RP anymore because it kind of goes against… they had this whole speech, like, ‘What if somebody took your album and re-recorded it, and more people were listening to that,’ and I’m like, ‘Okay, I kind of get that, but I was having a good time. Alright that’s fine,'” T-Pain said.
Amusingly, Rockstar went on to hire the modding team behind role-play servers including FiveM and RedM, which was an irony that wasn’t lost on T-Pain.
“Then I started working on the game with them and then they teamed up with the people that make the RP sh*t, and I’m like, ‘Wait a minute, what? What the f**ck?…Y’all tell me I can’t do this sh*t and then you team up with the people that enable the RP?” T-Pain said, laughing.
T-Pain didn’t elaborate on how exactly he’s contributing to GTA VI. IGN has reached out to Rockstar Games for comment.
T-Pain had been role-playing on NoPixel since at least 2021, when fans noticed that he had been whitelisted. According the server’s wiki, the idea behind NoPixel is to “talk, act, and proceed as the character you are playing.” The idea is to “create an immersive experience where players and viewers alike can experience stories and situations, in what is essentially another world.” GTA RP has been described as “essentially a gigantic long-running improv show,” making it a popular way to play among certain fans.
Elsewhere, not much is known about GTA VI right now, but it seems as if RP might have a significant (ahem) role to play in the upcoming sequel. For now, though, Rockstar Games is choosing to focus on the single-player story, which it showcased in its first trailer.
We’re sure to learn plenty more ahead of GTA VI’s 2025 release date. But in the meantime, plenty of fans are still playing on GTA V’s role-playing servers, just not T-Pain. For more, check out GTFM, our show in which we share theories about GTA VI and talk to former Rockstar developers about what to expect, as well as our ranking of every GTA to date.
Photo by Prince Williams/WireImage
Kat Bailey is IGN’s News Director as well as co-host of Nintendo Voice Chat. Have a tip? Send her a DM at @the_katbot.
The top 10 in 2023 were all on Switch.
Nintendo has been a huge part of Japanese video game culture over the years and with this in mind, it’s now topped the sales charts for the 19th consecutive year in its homeland.
This information comes from Famitsu’s 2023 sales report, which also happens to reveal all top 10 video game software sales in 2023 were on the Switch. Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom led the charge and was followed by Mario Wonder and Pikmin 4 in second and third place. Here’s a look (via Nintendo Wire):
Read the full article on nintendolife.com
Hey Xbox Insiders! We have a new Xbox Update Preview releasing to the Alpha ring today.
It’s important we note that some updates made in these preview OS builds include background improvements that ensure a quality and stable build for Xbox consoles. We will continue to post these release notes, even when the noticeable changes to the UI are minimal or behind the scenes, so you’re aware when updates are coming to your device.
Details can be found below!
Thanks to all the great feedback Xbox Insiders provide and the hard work of Xbox engineers, we are happy to announce the following fixes have been implemented with this build:
Games
System
While known issues may have been listed in previous Xbox Insider Release Notes, they are not being ignored! However, it may take Xbox engineers more time to find a solution. If you experience any of these issues, we ask that you please follow any guidance provided and file feedback with Report a Problem.
Audio
Networking
As always, be sure to use Report a problem to keep us informed of any issues you encounter. We may not be able to respond to everyone, but the data we’ll gather is crucial to finding a resolution.
If you’re an Xbox Insider looking for support, please visit the community subreddit. Official Xbox staff, moderators, and fellow Xbox Insiders are there to help with your concerns.
When posting to the subreddit, please look through the most recent posts to see if your issue has already been posted or addressed. We always recommend adding to existing threads with the same issue before posting a new one. This helps us support you the best we can! Also, don’t forget to use “Report a Problem” before posting – the information shared in both places helps us understand your issue better.
Thank you to every Xbox Insider in the subreddit today and welcome to the community if you’re just joining us! We love that it has become such a friendly and community-driven hub of conversation and support.
For more information regarding the Xbox Insider Program follow us on Twitter. Keep an eye on future Xbox Insider Release Notes for more information regarding your Xbox Update Preview ring!
The post Xbox Insider Release Notes – Alpha (2402.240111-2200) appeared first on Xbox Wire.
Activision and Raven Software are altering their plans to include the new Covert Exfil feature in Call of Duty: Warzone Season 1 Reloaded.
Raven made the announcement on X (formerly Twitter), promising to rework the Warzone gameplay tweak after announcing it only a few days ago. The team says the decision arrived after seeing fan feedback about Covert Exfil’s inclusion.
However, Raven still feels strongly about the potential the addition could add and isn’t ready to give up on it yet.
“We believe that Covert Exfil and the gameplay loop it provides, paired with the Weapons Case, will make for an exciting addition to #Warzone,” the post explains. “That said, we’ll instead launch both of these features in an upcoming dedicated mode.”
Information on how Covert Exfil will be reintroduced is being kept under wraps for now. Raven adds, “We’re looking forward to the new challenges that these features will provide and to your continued feedback once the mode is available.”
Covert Exfil was revealed as a feature that essentially allows players to leave a Warzone game early by purchasing one of only a few available exfil opportunities available to players each match. In other words, if you pool your money quickly enough and make it to a Buy Station, you can have a successful game without being the last team standing.
With the added possibility of exfiling with a Weapons Case full of goodies, many players worried that Warzone was becoming less of a Battle Royale and more like Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2’s DMZ mode. Players are relieved to see Covert Exfil plans reversed, but they might be even happier to see that Raven is listening to its fans.
“This reactivity is amazing!” Warzone Loadout said on X. “Good compromise to first test it in a dedicated mode.”
“This is why I love Raven Software,” CPreds said. “Community feedback is welcomed and listened to. Keep up the great work!”
W comms
— ModernWarzone (@ModernWarzone) January 12, 2024
Warzone is meant to be an ever-evolving mode, so time will tell if and when Covert Exfil will make a comeback. Until then, Modern Warfare 3 and Warzone Season 1 Reloaded is set to launch on January 17.
Michael Cripe is a freelance contributor with IGN. He started writing in the industry in 2017 and is best known for his work at outlets such as The Pitch, The Escapist, OnlySP, and Gameranx.
Be sure to give him a follow on Twitter @MikeCripe.
