Syndicated
Gaming News
Xbox Boss Reacts To Google Stadia Reveal In Internal Email
Google’s announcement of its streaming platform Stadia was being carefully watched not just by gamers and press, but also by competitors. Microsoft’s Xbox division, which appears primed to be a major competitor to Google in the game streaming business, reportedly feels encouraged by the news.
An internal email from Xbox head Phil Spencer was published by Thurrott. While Spencer concedes that he was impressed by how well Google leveraged its various technologies, he also suggested that Google’s approach validates the current course for his division. The tone of the email strongly suggests that Xbox is planning its own streaming service, and that we’ll see it unveiled at E3 2019.
Microsoft has already indicated that it is working on a streaming solution with the announcement of Project xCloud, which will begin public tests this year. Most recently we saw it in action playing Forza Horizon 4. Google unveiled its streaming solution first, but Microsoft has similar infrastructure tools and an established gaming brand in Xbox.
Spencer also alludes specifically to E3, saying that will be Xbox’s turn to “go big.” This phrasing rings a bell, as he also used it when declaring that the company would be appearing at E3 after news broke that Sony would be dropping out of the show.
Streaming games through the cloud appears to be the next corporate battleground. You can read up on everything we know about Stadia and our hands-on impressions, or just familiarize yourself on cloud streaming and some companies eyeing the emerging market.
Spencer’s email can be read in full below:
We just wrapped up watching the Google announcement of Stadia as team here at GDC. Their announcement is validation of the path we embarked on two years ago..
Today we saw a big tech competitor enter the gaming market, and frame the necessary ingredients for success as Content, Community and Cloud. There were no big surprises in their announcement although I was impressed by their leveraging of YouTube, the use of Google Assistant and the new WiFi controller.
But I want get back to us, there has been really good work to get us to the position where we are poised to compete for 2 billion gamers across the planet. Google went big today and we have a couple of months until E3 when we will go big.
We have to stay agile and continue to build with our customer at the center. We have the content, community, cloud team and strategy, and as I’ve been saying for a while, it’s all about execution. This is even more true today.
Energizing times.
from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/xbox-boss-reacts-to-google-stadia-reveal-in-intern/1100-6465726/
Nintendo Just Launched A Huge Eshop Sale On Some Great Games (US)
Following today’s Nindies Showcase, which announced new indie games for the Nintendo Switch, Nintendo is continuing its celebration of indie games with a massive Switch eshop sale, which just went live. The US-only sale includes discounts up to 30% off on some of the Nintendo Switch’s best indie games.
The indie sale quite a few notable deals, such as Iconoclasts for $15, Inside for $14, Night in the Woods for $14, and Darkest Dungeon for $17.49. Moonlighter is marked down to $16.74, and Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon is only $7. All of these indie games are now below $20 with the discounts.
The eshop sale on select indie games runs now until March 27 at 8:59 AM PT / 11:59 AM ET, so pick up these amazing titles for yourself while this offer lasts. And while you’re already in the eshop, check out the new indie games announced in today’s Showcase that are available to purchase now, such as Nuclear Throne and Blaster Master Zero II.
Shop Nintendo’s eshop sale on indie games »
See the full list of games on sale below!
- Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon — $7
- Blossom Tales: The Sleeping King — $10
- Darkest Dungeon — $17.49
- Donut County — $9.74
- Firewatch — $16
- Flat Heroes — $6.69
- Flinkhook — $10.49
- Horizon Chase Turbo — $14
- Iconoclasts — $15
- Inside — $14
- Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes — $9
- Minit — $6
- Moonlighter — $16.74
- Night in the Woods — $14
- Old Man’s Journey — $5
- Salt and Sanctuary — $12.59
- Thimbleweed Park — $10
- Unruly Heroes — $14
- Wandersong — $15
- Wizard of Legend — $11.19
- Yoku’s Island Express — $10
from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/nintendo-just-launched-a-huge-eshop-sale-on-some-g/1100-6465719/
Quantic Dream’s PS4/PS3 Exclusives Detroit, Beyond, And Heavy Rain Are Coming To PC
French developer Quantic Dreams today announced a big change. Some of the studio’s most popular games, including Heavy Rain, Beyond: Two Souls, and Detroit: Become Human, are coming to PC. They’ll debut first on the Epic Games Store, with a one-year exclusivity window before launching on other, unspecified PC stores, Quantic said in a press release.
This is a big deal, considering these games were previously not only exclusive to console, but only the PlayStation family. And in the case of Detroit, it was released as a PS4 exclusive back in May 2018, less than a year ago.
“We are so grateful for twelve fantastic years of collaboration with Sony Interactive Entertainment and all they have allowed us to create and produce,” Quantic Dream co-CEO Guillaume de Fondaumiere said in a statement. “With this new partnership with Epic, we can now expand our products to a wider fan base and allow PC players to enjoy our titles.”
Quantic’s earlier titles, including The Nomad Soul and Fahrenheit, were released on PC, along with additional console platforms in some cases.
“We are extremely excited for the Epic Games Store to host such a well-known and established video game studio like Quantic Dream,” Epic Games’ Steve Allison said in a statement. “Their games have truly pioneered the genre of interactive storytelling, and with their expansion onto other platforms we are truly honored they chose to take that first step with Epic Games.”
Heavy Rain, Beyond: Two Souls, and Detroit: Become Human will launch on the Epic Games store later this year. However, Quantic didn’t provide specific release dates or pricing details.
Quantic is going through big changes. Though it was never owned by Sony, the company exclusively released its games on Sony machines since 2010 with Heavy Rain. Now, the company is working on a new IP that will come to multiple platforms, while it’s taken on NetEase as a minority stakeholder to help fund its “future technologies.”
NetEase, a Chinese internet company, is itself making moves lately. The company also invested $100 million into Bungie to develop non-Destiny games. The company also poured $30 million in Second Dinner, a small team founded by Hearthstone developers who are making a Marvel game.
Looking to Quantic’s future, studio boss David Cage said the company aims to become a “global, multi-franchise company” that retains its independence, and raising the money from NetEase will help it achieve that. “We want to keep developing original games in the genre we pioneered, but also expand our audience by being present on all platforms,” he said.
As for the Epic Games Store, it’s attracted a number of developers since its launch in 2018. Unlike other PC game stores, the Epic Games Store gives developers 88 percent of revenue, while keeping only 12 percent.
from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/quantic-dreams-ps4ps3-exclusives-detroit-beyond-an/1100-6465707/
