Game Infliction, Author at Game Infliction

SteamWorld makers announce 100 layoffs, cancel projects, and say they’ll publish more games by other studios – but fewer of their own

Thunderful Games, the developers and publishers that make the colourful SteamWorld series of games, have announced a hefty number of layoffs at the company, with anywhere between 80-100 people losing their jobs. It’s part of a “restructuring” that’ll also see an unspecified number of game projects cancelled, said the company in a press release yesterday. As if this is not dispiriting enough, they also say it’s an intentional move that’ll see them making fewer games of their own and instead publishing more work by other developers.

Phil Spencer Responds to Microsoft’s ‘This Is an Xbox’ Ad Campaign, Which Is Already a Meme

Microsoft gaming boss Phil Spencer has responded to the launch of the company’s ‘This Is An Xbox’ ad campaign, which is already a meme online.

This week, Microsoft launched a new advertising campaign designed to hammer home the fact that you can play Xbox pretty much on any device and anywhere, sparking yet more backlash at the company’s console strategy.

The ‘This is an Xbox’ campaign includes images of cats and a bento box among other devices that play video games. The idea Microsoft is trying to get across, which is in keeping with its previous messaging, is that Xbox is less about consoles these days and more about being able to play on any device capable of playing a video game. So, in this sense, a TV is an Xbox, a phone is an Xbox, etc.

That hasn’t gone down well with core Xbox fans already dissatisfied with Microsoft’s gaming strategy in recent years. Not only have they seen the Xbox console fade from importance as sales of the Xbox Series X and S collapse, but the Xbox console exclusive become extinct.

In a new interview with Rolling Stone, Xbox CEO Phil Spencer discussed the future of the Xbox brand as well as the advertising campaign. “It’s an interesting topic because as we look at the brand, as we’re changing the brand, [it] means something different,” Spencer said. “It literally was a box when it first launched. It was the Direct X box. What it’s grown into now is more accessibility. Xbox isn’t just one device, Xbox is on your smart TV, Xbox is on your PC, Xbox is on your phone, and we’re in the middle of that transition.”

According to Rolling Stone, Spencer acknowledged that some fans would be turned off by the campaign. Some people “long for the simplicity of a single box, single platform, single game,” he said, before insisting “today’s largest games are bigger than any of the individual platforms.”

That’s a nod to the likes of Fortnite and Roblox, which have become enormous platforms with monthly player counts comparable to the likes of Xbox, PlayStation, and Nintendo consoles. For Spencer, then, the focus is on the games.

“I think the thing that should really have longevity are the games, characters and world — and the platforms should enable us to experience those games where we want to play,” he said. “That’s how we think about Xbox today.”

Image credit: Microsoft.

Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

Brilliant autobattler Mechabellum has a new unit in stealth aircraft Phantom Ray

Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in. This is a lie, of course. I haven’t been ‘out’ of strategy autobattler Mechabellum since I started playing around the 1.0 launch back in September. There I was, just starting to get to grips with the card-house-careful balance between each of its units when, bam, makers Game River dropped a Jenga block on top of it. It’s a stealth block, too. Didn’t even see it coming.

Update 1.1’s new unit is the Phantom Ray, which Game River describe as “a medium-sized aircraft with high HP that excels at striking enemies at close range with high-damage missiles”. It’s a mid-tier flier, costing 50 to unlock and 200 to field, and for that you get three of them per unit. As for default tech, you’ve got some range and fire rate unlocks, alongside an oil drop. The headliner here is the stealth buff, which cloaks the Phantom Ray by default until it attacks. When it does, it all gets a nice 40% bonus to damage.

GTA Trilogy Update Removes Dev From Splash Screen, CEO Responds

But it’s still in the “final credits”.

Earlier this week, Rockstar Games rolled out a surprise update for the Grand Theft Auto Trilogy on Switch and other platforms.

Fans quickly noticed how the port team ‘Grove Street Games’ had been dropped from the trilogy’s splash screen and now the developer’s CEO Thomas Williamson has responded on social media.

Read the full article on nintendolife.com

Japan’s Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake Switch Box Art Features Classic Artwork

Japan always gets the cool version.

Square Enix’s long-awaited release Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake is out this week on the Switch and if you’re planning on picking up a physical copy, you might want to read on…

It seems there are some notable differences with the box art and game cartridge. Once again, Japan gets the cool version – with a double-sided cover. The inside sleeve features some retro-style artwork of Dragon Quest III, while the US and European version appears to just be a white page loaded with legal text.

Read the full article on nintendolife.com

The Xbox Wireless Controller Drops to as Low as $34.99 Ahead of Black Friday

Lenovo is pushing Black Friday pricing on Xbox controllers earlier than we expected. Starting today, you can pick up an official Microsoft Xbox Series X|S wireless controller for as low as $34.99 after you apply coupon code “PLAYXBOX“. Seven different color schemes are on sale right now. Most of them are $39.99, however the Velocity Green controller is $5 cheaper than the rest at $34.99. These controllers are compatible with Xbox Series X and S consoles as well as your PC.

Xbox Controllers for $34.99-$39.99

Aesthetics aside, these Xbox wireless controllers are identical to the one that’s bundled with the Xbox Series X and S console. Standard features include textured grips, hybrid D-pad, button mapping with the Xbox app, a 3.5mm audio jack that works with any wired headset, and a Share button to upload screenshots and video.

The controller supports both Xbox wireless and Bluetooth connectivity. That means you can use it for your PC or mobile device. In fact, we think this is the the best PC controller you can get. If your PC doesn’t have Bluetooth, you can still use it in wired mode with a USB Type-C cable or go out and buy a Bluetooth or Xbox wireless adapter.

21% Off Xbox Controller Ghost Cipher Edition

The Ghost Cipher Edition is an absolutely gorgeous controller, with a translucent clear top case, rubberized ash gray grips, metallic bronze triggers and D-pad, and a solid white back. The interior components are colored silver to match the overall theme.

Get the Sky Cipher Controller as Part of a Bundle Discount

A similar looking edition is the Sky Cipher controller, which features the same trasparent casing but in blue instead of clear. It’s available on Amazon as part of an Xbox Cloud Gaming Bundle, which includes the controller, an Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max, and one month of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, all for only $79.99. Better yet, this bundle will allow you to play Game Pass games without having to own an Xbox console.

3 Months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate for $29.19

Woot! (which is owned by Amazon) is offering the best deal on Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. For today only, you can get a 3 month code for only $29.19 after code “TWENTY“. Earlier this year, Microsoft raised the price of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate to $19.99 per month, so now you’re saving 40% off a 3 month membership. Note that you can purchase multiple codes and apply them to your account, up to a maximum of 36 months. If you’re an Xbox gamer, this is a great way to save a lot of money in the long run since you won’t have to buy new release games individually to play them.

Xbox Gift Cards Are on Sale at Amazon

Amazon Prime members can get 10% off Xbox gift cards and PlayStation Store gift cards. We only see this deal come around a few times a year and it’s usually only for smaller denominations. This time around you can get up to a $100 Xbox gift card or $250 PlayStation gift card and still get the discount.

When Is Black Friday 2024?

The actual date of Black Friday in 2024 falls on November 29 this year, but the deals season will begin a lot sooner than that. Leading up to the big event, retailers will begin to open deals online. This usually starts in the last week of October, just before Halloween. Each week leading up to the event will slowly roll out more deals, which ultimately leads to massive discounts on Black Friday. Retailers will not reveal their biggest Black Friday deals until the big day, but most general deals will be available well in advance.

Eric Song is the IGN commerce manager in charge of finding the best gaming and tech deals every day. When Eric isn’t hunting for deals for other people at work, he’s hunting for deals for himself during his free time.

Round Up: The Reviews Are In For LEGO Horizon Adventures

Here’s what the critics think.

A new LEGO game is out this week on the Nintendo Switch and this one is a bit different as it’s based on Sony’s PlayStation-exclusive Horizon series.

The reviews are now rolling in for LEGO Horizon Adventures and our review has already gone live here on Nintendo Life. We awarded it 6 out 10 – calling it a beautiful but basic build of Sony’s series.

Read the full article on nintendolife.com

Todd Howard Wondered if Starfield Should Have Delayed Buggies for Shattered Space

Shattered Space hasn’t fared terribly well among fans since releasing back in September, sitting at a Mostly Negative rating among fans on Steam. Most of the comments center around the quest’s story, though there’s plenty of broader criticism for Starfield itself. But Todd Howard seems to have his own theory on why Shattered Space might not have gone down as well as it should have.

In an interview with the Game File newsletter, Phil Spencer said “we’re always learning” when talking about how to approach expansions, and mentioned a conversation he had with Howard about the release cadence for content. Howard focused in on the buggy, which was surprise released during Gamescom Opening Night Live ahead of the expansion.

“Todd and I were talking about Shattered Space. Starfield is a game I put a ton of hours into and really love, but they’ve had this thing where they’ve added features throughout the year and then they had an expansion,” Spencer said. “I think some of the feedback on the expansion is: ‘We wanted more features.’ And he’s like, ‘Well, should we have waited to put buggies out?'”

He continued, “And so, I think you’re trying to tune both development effort and the impact of the expansion. And I think there will always be a balance to managing the game month to month. But not every game will do expansions.”

Ultimately, though, Shattered Space was criticized more for its lack of space content than its lack of ground content. We wrote in our review, “As far as I can tell there’s absolutely nothing added for spacefarers other than now you have a way to legitimately acquire Va’ruun ships instead of stealing them from Zealots who attack you in space. That’s fine, as an expansion doesn’t always have to meaningfully expand every aspect of a game – but I was surprised that there wasn’t at least a token feature thrown in for space jockeys in an expansion with ‘space’ in the title.”

As for Spencer, he shares various other thoughts about Xbox’s game lineup in the interview, including some of the biggest surprises (Blizzard and South of Midnight among them) and Avowed’s release timing. Xbox also launched a new marketing campaign today called “This is Xbox,” which highlighted various items that may or may not be an Xbox.

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 Runtime Of Sonic’s Third Movie Outing Has Seemingly Been Revealed

See how it compares to the previous films.

The blue blur (and the ultimate life form) are headed to cinemas next month and more information about this new big screen outing is starting to surface. Apart from the director Jeff Fowler teasing some new details, it seems we might also now have the runtime of Sonic the Hedgehog 3.

According to a listing by AMC Theatres (via Sonic Stadium), Sonic 3 will have a runtime of 1 hour and 49 minutes, when it launches on 20th December 2024. For anyone wondering, that’s apparently 13 minutes shorter than the second movie which surpassed the two-hour mark (2 hours and 2 minutes). The first movie was 1 hour and 39 minutes and was the shortest of the lot.

Read the full article on nintendolife.com

Xbox Wireless Controllers Drop to as Low as $34.99 Ahead of Black Friday

Seven different color schemes are on sale right now. Most of them are $39.99, however the Velocity Green controller is $5 cheaper than the rest at $34.99. These controllers are compatible with Xbox Series X and S consoles as well as your PC.