Xbox boss Phil Spencer has admitted he’s perhaps not the best judge of what games will be successful, saying he passed over the chance to publish both Destiny and Guitar Hero in the past.

Eurogamer spotted an interview with Spencer at video game convention PAX West in which he said he initially got the wrong impression of Destiny despite Microsoft having such close connections to its developer Bungle, creator of the flagship Xbox franchise Halo.

“I have to be honest, when Destiny 1 came out, and I might have played some of the preview builds that we were doing on Xbox, it didn’t really click with me,” Spencer said. “I’m not a big PvP player. You can see my player history; it’s not a lot of what I do. And I was a little worried I was going to get thrown into a PvP world, and it turns out that’s not what it was at all.”

Destiny arrived in 2014 from publisher Activision (which ironically is now owned by Microsoft but no longer the publisher of Destiny) and became a huge hit, selling more than six million copies in a month and spawning multiple expansions.

Destiny 2 arrived in 2017 and is still being supported today (though not without complications), now under the PlayStation umbrella after Sony bought Bungie in 2022.

“The thing about Destiny that I start with is just my history with Bungie, and their evolution of working on games,” Spencer continued. “I do love that it’s a local team. I have a lot of friends over there still and yes they’re owned by the other guy now but it’s a game that I’ll always love and a team that I’ll always have a ton of affinity for.”

When asked if it wasn’t at all frustrating that he passed on Bungie, Spencer said it wasn’t even the only time something of this scale had happened.

“I’ve got so many of those,” he said. “I’ve passed on some of the… I’ve made some of the worst game choice decisions.

“An interesting one: When this team came down to Redmond, [former Harmonix CEO] Alex Rigopulos who’s great, love Alex, and he pitches a game where they’re actually going to make plastic guitars and they’re going to plug into consoles and then they’re going to sell tracks,” Spencer continued, explaining how he passed on Guitar Hero.

“I’m like: ‘Really? Do we really think that’s going to work?’ A few people played Guitar Hero. I hear that turned into a pretty good game.

“I’m not a regrets type person, maybe that’s a fault of mine, but I passed on so many games that I could look back and…” he shook his fist. “But no I try to look forward and be positive about the things that we are doing. And so with Destiny I just like to celebrate what the team has done.”

Both Destiny games and the collection of Guitar Hero titles all came to multiple platforms, so Xbox was at least able to revel in their success somewhat, but in a complete turnaround, Spencer is now allowing what could be Xbox exclusives to come to rival platforms.

This began earlier in 2024 when Xbox announced Pentiment and Grounded were coming to Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 5, and the latter later gained former exclusives Hi-Fi Rush and Sea of Thieves. Making clear this practice could also apply to major new releases, Xbox recently announced Indiana Jones and the Great Circle would come to PS5 after its launch on Xbox.

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Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelance reporter. He’ll talk about The Witcher all day.

Jyamma Games has indefinitely delayed the release of its Soulslike Enotria: The Last Song on Xbox because Microsoft “decided to ignore” it.

As reported by Windows Central, Jyamma Games announced the delay just two weeks ahead of Enotria’s September 19, 2024 release date, and PlayStation 5 and PC versions will go ahead. The harshest words came in Discord posts following the reveal, with Jyamma CEO Jacky Greco saying “obviously they don’t care about Enotria and they don’t care about you.”

Greco said Jyamma has Xbox Series X and S versions of the game ready to go but hasn’t received support to actually release them on the platforms for two months. IGN has asked Microsoft for comment.

“Despite our best efforts and the hard work of our dedicated team, we’ve encountered challenges that have delayed our release on the Xbox platform,” Jyamma said in the delay announcement.

“We apologize for any disappointment this may cause and sincerely thank you for your understanding and patience. As a self-published indie studio, your support means everything to us, and we are dedicated to bringing Enotria to as many players as possible.”

It didn’t explicitly blame Microsoft until fans started asking questions on the official Discord, at which point Greco didn’t hold back.

“You can ask Xbox why they haven’t answered us for two months,” they said in response to one fan complaint. “Obviously they don’t care about Enotria and they don’t care about you.”

Another asked for context on this, to which Greco replied: “The context is, open a store page and submission. We’ve Xbox Series X and S versions ready but we can’t proceed with submission and release. I spent a lot of money for porting and they decided to ignore us.”

Development on Enotria seems to have otherwise gone relatively smoothly, though a short delay did push it from August 21 to the September 19 release date. This announcement was accompanied by the release of an eight hour demo, however, available to all PS5 and PC players.

“Enotria: The Last Song is a Soulslike set in a beautiful sun-lit world inspired by Italian folklore where the brightest sun casts the darkest shadow,” reads the official synopsis. “Wear unique role-altering masks, face formidable foes, and alter reality with the power of Ardore to unravel the secrets of Enotria.”

Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelance reporter. He’ll talk about The Witcher all day.

Nintendo games can be pricey, but Switch fans can still find fantastic deals. Throughout the year, there are numerous sales on games, Switch consoles, and accessories that are worth exploring. We’ve gathered the top deals currently available below, including a fantastic limited time deal on a Lexar 1TB PLAY microSDXC memory card for $66.49, some Switch games with great discounts at Woot (like Super Mario RPG for just $31.99), and more.

Check out our favorite deals at the moment below, and for more updates on the latest discounts, follow @IGNDeals on Twitter or Threads.

Preorder the Nintendo Switch Lite Hyrule Edition Console

Announced alongside The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom during June’s Nintendo Direct, the Nintendo Switch Lite: Hyrule Edition handheld console is officially up for preorder. Best Buy is offering preorders for $209.99 with orders shipping out on September 26. That’s $10 more than a stock Switch Lite, but that’s more than justified by the fact that this edition includes a 12 month Switch Online + Expansion Pack membership.

More Nintendo Switch Game Deals

There are quite a few Nintendo Switch games on sale right now that are worth picking up for your collection. Currently, some of our favorites are at Woot. They’re holding a sale with a variety of games on offer, including some excellent Switch titles like Super Mario RPG for $31.99 (with code MARIO), Super Mario Odyssey for $39.99, and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild for $39.99. You can see those deals and more at the links above and below.

More Switch Video Game Deals

• Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury for $44.99
• Super Smash Bros. Ultimate for $44.99
• Super Mario Bros. Wonder for $54.29
• Sonic Frontiers for $24.99
• Nintendo Switch Sports for $39.99
• Super Mario Maker 2 for $39.99
• Metroid Dread (Preowned) for $44.99

Best Switch Micro SD Card Deals

The best Switch SD card should be fast, reliable, and as future-proof as possible. That last one is important, especially with the Switch successor on the horizon. Therefore, you’re going to want to opt for the latest in SD card tech, which is a micro SDXC UHS-I U3 A2 V30 memory card. That’s a lot of random letters, so to save you a bit of time we’ve left our top suggestions and deals just above and below for your convenience (like this excellent deal on a Lexar 1TB PLAY microSDXC Memory Card for $66.49). To see even more SD card deals, make sure to check out our roundup of the best SD card deals.

More Switch Micro SD Card Deals

Best Switch Power Bank Deals

Looking for a new power bank? This incredible deal on the Poweradd Pro is absolutely worth checking out. Featuring a spacious 27,000mAh capacity and a hefty 140W charging output, it’s a fantastic pick for your Nintendo Switch. By clipping the 30% off coupon on Amazon’s store page, you can drop its price down to $55.99. Considering the cost of some Anker products with the same specs, this is a price worth taking advantage of while it’s available.

Best Nintendo Switch Accessory Deals

Whether you’re looking for a new controller or a carrying case for your Switch, there are quite a few different accessory deals that are worth checking out. Here, we’ve listed just a few of our favorite discounts at the moment, including a limited time deal on an Orzly carrying case and a deal on a Legend of Zelda PowerA controller.

More Accessory Deals:

• PowerA Protection Case – Archaic Link​ for $9.99
• HORI Split Pad Compact Attachment Set for Nintendo Switch for $44.99

When Should You Buy a Nintendo Switch?

The short answer is that you should buy a Nintendo Switch whenever there’s any kind of sale, regardless of the time of year. Amazon will likely offer the same console bundles on any other sale as it will on Black Friday or Amazon Prime Day, so there’s no real reason to wait if you’re in need of a Nintendo Switch.

That being said, there are sometimes some unique bundles and promotions during Black Friday that you won’t find any other time of the year. They usually includes additional games (like the infamous Mario Kart 8 bundle) or Switch accessories for free, but quantities tend to be limited. As always, do your research into the seller before you make a purchase and keep in mind that the Nintendo Switch 2 is coming out next year.

Where to Buy a Nintendo Switch in 2024

• Nintendo Switch Console for $299.00
• Nintendo Switch Lite Console for $199.00

With how expensive gaming is getting in 2024, we’re trying to save you as much money as possible on the games and other tech you actually want to buy. We’ve got great deal roundups available for all major platforms such as PlayStation and Xbox, and keep these updated daily with brand-new offers. If you’re trying to keep costs down while maintaining your favorite hobby, stay tuned for more incredible discounts.

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Robert Anderson is a deals expert and Commerce Editor for IGN. You can follow him @robertliam21 on Twitter.

Super Mario is one of the biggest gaming properties ever created, with hundreds of games since the Nintendo Entertainment System. 20 different Mario games have released for Nintendo Switch, with more on the way later this year. As part of Walmart’s Labor Day sale, you can save on some of the biggest Mario titles available on Nintendo Switch.

While Labor Day isn’t considered one of the best times to buy video games, there are still some great deals here that are worth looking at. If you’ve yet to complete your Mario collection on Switch, don’t miss out on these deals, which are set to end today.

Save on Super Mario Bros. Wonder, Super Mario Odyssey, Super Mario RPG, and More This Labor Day

First, you can save $20 off Super Mario RPG, the Nintendo Switch remake of the SNES title. The beloved game returns with a fresh coat of paint and the combat we all love, with even Yoko Shimomura returning to compose a remade soundtrack! Super Mario RPG is incredibly beginner-friendly, so you don’t need to have any RPG experience to dive right in and enjoy this classic.

Another great title on sale is Super Mario Bros. Wonder, which is 20% off this weekend. Wonder introduced loads of wonderful new ideas to 2D Mario, including three new power ups, the Wonder Flower, and much more. While this game released just last year, this is the first new 2D Mario that Switch received, as previously only New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe was available.

Additionally, you can save on Mario Party Superstars, the latest Mario Party title. Released in 2021, this game acted as a return to form for the Mario Party series, with multiple boards returning from previous entries. If you’re looking to refresh yourself before Super Mario Party Jamboree, now is a great time to pick up Mario Party Superstars.

Below, you can take a look at more Mario Nintendo Switch deals available at Walmart for Labor Day. Even new titles like Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD are available on sale for a limited time!

Looking for more deals? Check out our guide to the very best Labor Day sales of 2024 so far.