Magical first-person shooter Immortals Of Aveum launched last August and by the following month half its development team had been laid off due to poor sales.
In a new report by IGN on widespread industry layoffs, developers who worked on Aveum say it cost around $125 million to make and “no one bought it.”
The 27th D.I.C.E. Awards are nearly here and are set to celebrate the best of the best in the world of video games. The show kicks off later this week in Las Vegas and will once again be hosted by IGN’s Stella Chung and Kinda Funny CEO and IGN’s Greg Miller.
IGN is also the official media partner of the show and this guide will let you know everything you need to know about this year’s D.I.C.E. Awards, including how you can watch it with us, what you can expect, and more.
The D.I.C.E. Awards 2024 will take place on Thursday, February 15, 2024, at 8pm PT/11pm ET. If you live in the GMT or AEST timzones, that translates to Friday, February 16, at 4am GMT/2pm AEST.
If you’re interested in watching the D.I.C.E. Awards, we’ll be hosting it, as the official media sponsor, 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:
The 27th D.I.C.E. Awards is once again being put on by the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences (AIAS) and will take place at the Aria Resort in Las Vegas. IGN’s Stella Chung and Kinda Funny CEO and IGN alum Greg Miller will be the hosts and will help celebrate the best games of 2024.
Unlike other awards shows, the D.I.C.E. Awards are voted on strictly by a panel of game developers, so in a sense it is an awards show that honors the games by those who make them. This year, there were 56 games nominated and Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 led the way with nine nominations. Alan Wake 2 followed right behind with eight noms, Baldur’s Gate 3 earned seven, and Cocoon nabbed six.
As for Game of the Year, the games set to compete for the top honor are Alan Wake 2, Baldur’s Gate 3, Cocoon, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kindgom. You can check out the full list of nominees below.
There usually aren’t many annoucements at the D.I.C.E. Awards as it puts a heavy focus on the incredible creators behind our favorite experiences from the past year. However, never say never!
Lastly, the D.I.C.E. Awards will be honoring legendary Nintendo composer and sound director Koji Kondo by inducting him into the D.I.C.E. Hall of Fame. While you may not know his name, Kondo is responsible for some of the most iconic songs in entertainment from games like the original Super Mario Bros., the original The Legend of Zelda, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Super Mario Sunshine, Super Mario Galaxy, Super Mario Bros. Wonder, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, and much, much more.
Outstanding Achievement in Animation
Outstanding Achievement in Art Direction
Outstanding Achievement in Character
Outstanding Achievement in Original Music Composition
Outstanding Achievement in Audio Design
Outstanding Achievement in Story
Outstanding Technical Achievement
Action Game of the Year
Adventure Game of the Year
Family Game of the Year
Fighting Game of the Year
Racing Game of the Year
Role-Playing Game of the Year
Sports Game of the Year
Strategy/Simulation Game of the Year
Immersive Reality Technical Achievement
Immersive Reality Game of the Year
Outstanding Achievement for an Independent Game
Mobile Game of the Year
Online Game of the Year
Outstanding Achievement in Game Design
Outstanding Achievement in Game Direction
Game of the Year
Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.
Let’s kick shell.
If you’re a gamer over the age of 30 with a decent amount of disposable income, then you’ve almost certainly heard of the Quarter Arcades range. As the name suggests, these are 1/4-scale reproductions of famous coin-ops, and the company has collaborated with some of the biggest names in the business to expand its lineup over the past few years – including Namco, Taito, and Konami.
With the likes of Space Invaders, Pac-Man, and Bubble Bobble in its ranks, the Quarter Arcades family can already lay claim to possessing some serious big-hitters – but the arrival of Konami’s 1989 coin-op Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles will arguably take things to an entirely new level for players of a certain age.
Read the full article on nintendolife.com
It seems like just yesterday that we were reporting that the Asus ROG Ally had dropped to £539 in the UK, and now we have a similarly good deal for the US market: the same Z1 Extreme 512GB model for just $599 following a $100 discount at Best Buy.
Hello Gamers and Goblin Enthusiasts,
I’m Badru, Tenderfoot Tactics‘ director, and I’m writing this post to introduce you to the game which we just announced as coming to Xbox platforms and is available to preorder today ahead of its full release on February 21st.
Tenderfoot Tactics takes advantage of both Play Anywhere and Smart Delivery so you’ll be able to carry your squad of goblins across a variety of platforms, such as the Xbox Series S|X where you’ll be exploring the archipelago at 60fps with a native 1440p and 4k resolution (respectively).
I’ve been playing it again on my Series S and it’s such a joy to be reminded what a curious, distinctive, and gripping game it is. So, what is it?
Before everything else, Tenderfoot Tactics is a game about strategic thinking in small scale grid-and-turn-based combats. The battles are fast, tricky, and wild. One mistake can spiral out into a huge number of consequences, but clever play can recover a seemingly impossible battle and turn it into a win. In line with its goblin-brained ethos, it encourages risky, aggressive tactics.
Unlike most games of this type, in Tenderfoot Tactics, skills always do exactly what they say: there are no damage ranges or hit chances. You’ll never have to restart a combat because of a random number generator. Nevertheless, the battles are anything but predictable.
Water flows downhill, pools in valleys, and soaks into soil.
Plants propagate and draw moisture out of the soil.
Fire spreads through dry plants (and goblins).
Like in the real world, Tenderfoot Tactics’ natural systems are deterministic, but so richly interdependent that the results of an action are impossible to really know, and beautiful to watch unfold.
At the start of the game, your goblins will be relative outsiders to magic, but as you grow in power you’ll be able to evolve them into advanced breeds: Wizards and Woods Witches, Liches, Elementalists, and other strange creatures. Before long you’ll be calling down meteors, raising mountains, electrifying lakes, opening volcanic chasms, and much, much more.
Again unlike most games of this type, Tenderfoot Tactics takes place in a tremendously large world, and has a lightweight, exploratory, nonlinear story.
Very early in the game, you’ll find yourself with an objective that is both distant and vague, and you’ll have to set your own route towards it. Don’t worry if you feel lost. Take some time to sail around, looking for landmarks or interesting features. Gather birds and use them to soar higher and further afield.
As you roam, your goblins will express their impulsive desires: to follow their nose to a nearby herb, or maybe to visit that town on the horizon. Take whatever cues seem interesting to you. There’s no wrong way to spend your time in the archipelago.
The tutorials are all available in your pause menu at any time. Don’t be nervous about skipping them if they’re too much to read at first, but do go read them eventually! The game is much more enjoyable with a full understanding of its systems, which are fairly simple.
You can change your goblins’ skills at any time out of combat, and for the starting breed, the base ‘goblin’, doing so is completely free.
The game features dynamic difficulty adjustment, and very few consequences for fleeing a battle, so if a fight is too hard for you, just run!
Okay thanks! Have fun with Tenderfoot Tactics! I think it looks, sounds, and plays beautifully on my Xbox Series S. It’s a strange game, and one I’m very proud of. I hope it gets its nasty little hooks in your brain like it does mine.
Ice Water Games
Manipulate the elements to turn the battlefield to your advantage, but beware the consequences, as nature is complex and fickle. Open chasms, raise mountains, boil lakes, drain rivers. Start fires you later regret.
VAST OPEN-WORLD EXPLORATION
Unearth ancient ruins, discover strange artefacts, and meet new friends, in a lush, painterly world. Explore the reaches of the archipelago by boat. Take to the skies as a bird to survey the landscape and plan the best route forward.
For a generation, the terrible Fog – one vast, voiceless, and cruel spirit – has been eating the once-thick forests of the mainland. Now, with nowhere left to call home, and granted magic by the friendly spirits of the archipelago, one small party of would-be adventurers sets out. Find a way to save the many goblin towns of the rocky coast, discover the truth of the Fog, and, if possible, put an end to it.
The post Go Goblin Mode in Tenderfoot Tactics on Xbox appeared first on Xbox Wire.
This popular Black Friday deal is back. For a limited time, Dell is offering the Xbox Series S 512GB Gaming Console for the same price we saw during the 2023 holiday season. Right now you can get it for only $229.99 shipped, a 24% price drop from its original $300 MSRP. Check out the best Xbox deals for more discounts on games, controllers, and accessories.
At the current price point, the Xbox Series S costs 54% less than an Xbox Series X. The Xbox Series S does not have quite the processing power as the Series X; in order to maintain a consistent 60-120fps in most games, the default resolution has been bumped down from 4K to 1440p or 1080p, unlike the Xbox Series X, which can play games at a full 4K. The Xbox Series S comes with 512GB of storage, half of the Xbox Series X. The Xbox Series S also does not have a physical disc drive. However, the Xbox Series S can play all of the same games as the Xbox Series X. It’s also backwards compatible with Xbox One games, and there’s no doubt that the Xbox Series S is more than capable of handling any previous gen games. If you don’t have a 4K TV, or you’re satisfied with the fact that you’ll be able to play any new Xbox game, or you feel that the extra $280 you saved could be better spent elsewhere, then the Xbox Series S might be a smarter purchase.
Amazon has discounted the Samsung EVO Select 512GB Micro SDXC Card down to $24.99, a 30% price drop from its original $35 MSRP. This is an excellent price for a 512GB Micro SDXC card from a well-known and respected brand. I’s fully compatible with the Nintendo Switch, Steam Deck, and ASUS ROG Ally portable handhelds. It also comes with a SD adapter for devices that only take full-sized SD cards. Check out all of the best Nintendo Switch deals for sales on other games and accessories.
If you’ve started compiling a collection of digital games, you probably already know just how limited the Switch’s base storage capacity. The Switch and Switch OLED consoles have 32GB and 64GB of internal storage, respectively, with some of it reserved for the OS. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom uses up 16GB and Breath of the Wild about 13.5GB. If bought digitally, those two games alone would take up all of your internal storage on the OG Switch console. There’s only one expansion slot in the Switch console so you want to make sure you get the biggest card you can afford.
The Samsung EVO Select Micro SDXC card is compatible with virtually any device that accepts the Micro SDXC card standard. That includes the Nintendo Switch, Steam Deck, ASUS ROG Ally, any recently released smartphone that supports expandable memory, GoPros, cameras and much more. Despite its low price, the Samsung EVO Select is faster than your average Micro SDXC card. It has a U3 A2 rating and boasts transfer speeds of up to 130MB/s.
If you’d been gazing at the present glut of new survival games and bellowing for more, as though engaged in a drinking competition with some kind of cartoon Viking, then rest easy. Gord developers Covenant.dev have announced To The Star, a “whimsical” survival adventure that takes heavy inspiration from Alice In Wonderland, and features a cooking system that lets you blend monster parts with “suppressed emotions”, so as to produce both consumable foodstuffs and weapons.
When old becomes new.
Not many game franchises manage to ascend to the status of ‘iconic’, but Tomb Raider is undoubtedly one of them. Despite the original trilogy being released for multiple platforms, Lara Croft quickly became synonymous with the PS1, standing toe-to-toe with Crash Bandicoot as one of the console’s mascots. Since then, of course, Lara has been practically everywhere, yet 2024 marks the first occasion the original trilogy has been fully revamped for modern audiences via Tomb Raider I-III Remastered.
We say ‘revamped’, but these are the same games you know and love from the late ‘90s, albeit with the additional expansions included for the first time on console. What developer Aspyr has done here, however, is give all three titles a much-needed lick of paint, boosting the visuals significantly while adding in an optional modern control scheme for those who might not get on with the ageing ‘tank’ controls — more on that later. Smaller additions include a surprisingly robust photo mode and health bars for boss encounters.
Read the full article on nintendolife.com
Xbox and Microsoft Flight Simulator are immersing gamers worldwide in the captivating world of Arrakis, commemorating the highly anticipated release of “Dune: Part Two.” Enthusiasts can anticipate a free game expansion for Microsoft Flight Simulator launching, bespoke Xbox hardware, and an awe-inspiring gaming simulator-all intricately inspired by the film. Two prominent stars from the movie, Timothée Chalamet, portraying Paul Atreides, and Austin Butler, who embodies Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen, captured the collaboration with a short video.
Microsoft Flight Simulator, working with Legendary Pictures and Warner Bros. Pictures, for the first time ever is taking you beyond Planet Earth into the harsh deserts of the world of “Dune” and the planet Arrakis. The skies of Arrakis are traversed by a deft craft called an ornithopter, a nimble flying machine propelled by four precisely tuned oscillating wings. The Royal Atreides Ornithopter is a special ultra-performance variant of the craft, renowned for its lightning acceleration, blazing speeds, and precision maneuverability when under the control of pilots skilled in its operation – and who have the fortitude to survive the harsh extremes of Dune.
Microsoft Flight Simulator Aviators have the unique opportunity starting today to put their courage and skills, to the test in the cockpit of the Royal Atreides Ornithopter in this latest expansion. which includes three tutorials: take-off, landing, and freefall. Once simmers have mastered the basics, they can move on to attempt the package’s six activities: five-time trials and a daring rescue mission where aviators must save their flight instructor before a massive sandstorm engulfs him.
A specially designed console holder inspired by the Ornithopter captures the vibrant colors of Arrakis’s sun, planets, and sand. This custom Xbox Series S is a true collector’s item for fans. In addition, Xbox introduces the world’s first floating Xbox Controller. Hovering above oceans of sand dunes like an Ornithopter, the visually stunning design will look great in any living room. Fans have the chance to win this set of custom hardware by following Xbox on X (formerly Twitter) and retweeting the official Xbox sweepstakes tweet during the Entry Period. The giveaway runs exclusively from February 13, 2024 through March 25, 2024. For official rules and eligibility details, visit here.
Following their appearance at the world premiere in London and at the U.S premiere in New York, Xbox will bring two life-size Royal Atreides Ornithopter gaming simulators to the London Microsoft Experience Center on Oxford Circus starting February 16th and New York Microsoft Experience Center on Fifth Avenue starting February 26th. Take your skills to the skies in the Microsoft Flight Simulator: Dune Expansion pack and explore the custom Dune-themed hardware on display for a limited time only.
The sky is calling!
About Microsoft Flight Simulator
Microsoft Flight Simulator is available for Xbox Series X|S and PC with Xbox Game Pass, PC Game Pass, Windows, and Steam, and on Xbox One and supported mobile phones, tablets, and lower-spec PCs via Xbox Cloud Gaming. For the latest information on Microsoft Flight Simulator, stay tuned to @MSFSOfficial on X (formerly Twitter).
About “Dune: Part Two”
“Dune: Part Two” explores the mythic journey of Paul Atreides as he unites with Chani and the Fremen while on a path of revenge against the conspirators who destroyed his family. Facing a choice between the love of his life and the fate of the known universe, he endeavors to prevent a terrible future only he can foresee.
Denis Villeneuve returns to direct from a script he wrote with Jon Spaihts, based on Frank Herbert’s novel. Mary Parent, Cale Boyter, Villeneuve, Tanya Lapointe and Patrick McCormick produce. The executive producers are Josh Grode, Herbert W. Gains, Jon Spaihts, Thomas Tull, Brian Herbert, Byron Merritt, Kim Herbert, with Kevin J. Anderson serving as creative consultant.
Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures Present a Legendary Pictures Production, a Film by Denis Villeneuve, “Dune: Part Two.” A Warner Bros. Pictures’ release, the film will be only in theaters and IMAX on March 1, 2024.
About Legendary Entertainment:
Legendary Entertainment is a leading media company with film (Legendary Pictures), television and digital (Legendary Television and Digital Media) and comics (Legendary Comics) divisions dedicated to owning, producing and delivering content to worldwide audiences. Legendary has built a library of marquee media properties and has established itself as a trusted brand which consistently delivers high-quality, commercial entertainment including some of the world’s most popular intellectual property. In aggregate, Legendary Pictures-associated productions have realized grosses of more than $19 billion worldwide at the box office. To learn more visit: www.legendary.com
The post Xbox and Microsoft Flight Simulator Unveil Dune Expansion and Floating Controller appeared first on Xbox Wire.
