Tag: console

Xbox-Activision-Blizzard-King is now a reality

Xbox-Activision-Blizzard-King is now a reality

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Ever since it was first announced, the stakeholders behind the Xbox-Activision-Blizzard-King deal worth almost $70 billion went through lots of hurdles that include opposition by Sony’s PlayStation division, a trial with America’s Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and a rejection by the United Kingdom’s regulator Competition and Markets Authority (CMA).

The obstacles are over as the Xbox-Activision-Blizzard-King deal recently closed and already the Activision side of the business has officially started integrating into Microsoft. This deal is many times larger than the Xbox-Bethesda acquisition of a few years ago. Watch the related video by Team Xbox below…

Xbox chief Phil Spencer issued a statement related to the newly closed deal. To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from his statement published through Xbox.com. Some parts in boldface…

We love gaming. We play games, create games, and know first-hand how much gaming means to all of us as individuals and collectively, as a community. And today, we officially welcome Activision Blizzard and their teams to Xbox. They are the publishers of some of the most played and most beloved franchises in gaming history across console, PC and mobile. From Pitfall to Call of Duty, World of Warcraft to Overwatch, Candy Crush Saga to Farm Heroes Saga, their studios have pushed the boundaries of gaming for players around the world.

I’ve long admired the work of Activision, Blizzard, and King, and the impact they’ve had on gaming, entertainment, and pop culture. Whether it was late nights spent playing the Diablo IV campaign with friends from start to finish, gathering the entire family in the rec room for our weekly Guitar Hero night, or going on an epic streak in Candy Crush, some of my most memorable gaming moments came from experiences their studios have created. It is incredible to welcome such legendary teams to Xbox.

As one team, we’ll learn, innovate, and continue to deliver on our promise to bring the joy and community of gaming to more people. We’ll do this in a culture that strives to empower everyone to do their best work, where all people are welcome, and is centered on our ongoing commitment of Gaming for Everyone. We are intentional about inclusion in everything we do at Xbox – from our team to the products we make and the stories we tell, to the way our players interact and engage as a wider gaming community.

Together, we’ll create new worlds and stories, bring your favorite games to more places so more players can join in, and we’ll engage with and delight players in new, innovative ways in the places they love to play including mobile, cloud streaming and more.

Players have always been at the center of everything we do. And as we grow, we’ll continue to keep players at the heart of it all. We’ll continue to listen to your feedback, build a community where you can be yourself, where developers can do their best work, and continue to make really fun games. As promised, we will also continue to make more games available in more places – and that begins now by enabling cloud streaming providers and players to stream Activision Blizzard games in the European Economic Area, a commitment made to the European Commission. Today we start the work to bring beloved Activision, Blizzard, and King franchises to Game Pass and other platforms. We’ll share more about when you can expect to play in the coming months. We know you’re excited – and we are too.

For the millions of fans who love Activision, Blizzard, and King games, we want you to know that today is a good day to play. You are the heart and soul of these franchises, and we are honored to have you as part of our community. Whether you play on Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo, PC or mobile, you are welcome here – and will remain welcome, even if Xbox isn’t where you play your favorite franchise. Because when everyone plays, we all win.

For their part, Activision Blizzard issued its own statement related to the biggest deal in video gaming with Microsoft. They are looking forward to the future of gaming with Team Xbox. Posted below is an excerpt from their statement with some parts in boldface…

It’s a big day for us at Activision Blizzard. For more than four decades, our players have inspired us to push the boundaries of imagination with iconic universes including Call of Duty, Candy Crush Saga, Crash Bandicoot, Diablo, Overwatch, and Warcraft.

Today we begin a new chapter as we officially become a part of the Microsoft family, uniting with the amazing Xbox team and co-creating the future of gaming together.

In our earliest days we were a modest collective of designers who raided rivers, commanded choppers, and avoided pitfalls. Now as part of Xbox, we will continue our mission to deliver the world’s most epic interactive entertainment experiences to more people, more platforms, and across more worlds than ever before.

All of our history and success leading to this moment is because of you, our incredible gaming community.

Unsurprisingly, the approved Xbox-Activision-Blizzard-King deal made tremendous waves through social media and through YouTube. Watch and learn from the videos below starting with an interview with Activision Blizzard’s Bobby Kotick (note: pay close attention to his words)…

The Xbox-Activision-Blizzard-King deal is not just another multi-billion Dollar business breakthrough…it is a tremendous boost for the credibility of Xbox as a video gaming, PC gaming, cloud gaming and mobile gaming entity.

Not only will Team Xbox have access and control of Activision Blizzard’s multiple game franchises and properties, they will also inherit the many talents and game makers of ABK (Activision-Blizzard-King), inherit the proprietary technologies for making the games, and most notably inherit and do business with the hundreds of millions of Activision Blizzard King customers worldwide!

While it is made clear that Microsoft-controlled ABK will still release games on multiple platforms, the new owners can make the new and upcoming games Xbox-exclusive (meaning released only on Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Windows PC plus cloud and mobile devices which collectively are more numerous than Nintendo and PlayStation consoles). For insights about potential Xbox-exclusive Activision Blizzard games, watch Colteastwood’s video below…

More on exclusivity that include games, DLC releases and other matters, it is clear that the pre-existing contracts between PlayStation and Activision will never be renewed (read: PlayStation is no longer the home of Call of Duty). PlayStation, whose leader Jim Ryan has been so arrogant and dishonest when opposing the Xbox-Activision-Blizzard-King deal, will have a lot to worry about on the gaming subscription side of business once Activision Blizzard games get added into the Xbox Game Pass (XGP) service some time in 2024. As much as Team Xbox and Microsoft are benefiting from this mega deal, gamers across different platforms will eventually benefit as well in various ways. Expect new customer-oriented choices to be made through the games under Xbox’s banner.

As of this writing, Xbox fans are rejoicing over the closed Xbox-Activision-Blizzard-King deal while PlayStation fanboys cannot help but agonize with anger and jealousy. All you have to do to see the PS fanboys’ anguish is search for them on social media over their collective negative reactions. The “Xbox has no games” zealots are looking and feeling bad nowadays. Indeed, things are working in Team Xbox’s favor and I personally cannot wait to see the benefits of the ABK deal get realized in my gaming experience. Also there is nothing like seeing ABK’s established franchises like Call of Duty, StarCraft, Warcraft and many others listed with Xbox’s own franchises such as Halo, Forza Motorsport, The Elder Scrolls, Starfield, Fallout and others.

Personally, I look forward to playing Call of Duty, Crash Bandicoot (a game property that started on PlayStation) other Activision titles on my Xbox Series X console through my Xbox Game Pass subscription in the near future.

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Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below, share this article to others and also please consider making a donation to support my publishing. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at  @HavenorFantasy as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/ and on Instagram athttps://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco

Konami admits 2023 release of Suikoden I&II HD Remaster Gate Rune and Dunan Unification Wars is uncertain as more time is needed to ensure quality performance

Konami admits 2023 release of Suikoden I&II HD Remaster Gate Rune and Dunan Unification Wars is uncertain as more time is needed to ensure quality performance

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Not so long after the confirmed delay of release of the Japanese role-playing game (JRPG) Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes (now set for 2024), Xbox fans, JRPG enthusiasts and Suikoden fans (including those who own different game consoles) will have to adjust themselves for the potential delay of Suikoden I & II HD Remaster: Gate Rune and Dunan Unification Wars as Konami admitted online that a 2023 release is uncertain as more time is needed in order to ensure quality and enjoyment.

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the official update from Konami. Some parts in boldface…

Regarding the planned release of Suikoden I & II HD Remaster: Gate Rune and Dunan Unification Wars, we have reached the conclusion that despite the very best efforts of our dedicated development staff to release the Remasters in 2023, additional time is needed to ensure the quality performance and gameplay experience our users deserve.

The entire Suikoden team is renewing our efforts to bring Suikoden I & II HD Remaster to release as soon as is possible. We will share further release information as soon as it becomes available, on our official social media accounts and official homepage.

There you have it! Konami is struggling to keep its promise of a 2023 release of the remastered Suikoden and Suikoden II (read my retro review). If a delay does happen, there is no telling if the release will still happen within this year or in 2024 (the worst case scenario). Konami made clear it wants to release Suikoden I & II HD Remaster: Gate Rune and Dunan Unification Wars as soon as possible and they know very well that there are many Suikoden fans within the Xbox community, the PlayStation community, Nintendo community and PC gamers who play via Steam. Konami also knows that there is a huge market of gamers worldwide who enjoy Japanese RPGs but never got to play the early Suikoden games.

I played the original Suikoden on PlayStation way back in 1996 and I would love replay it on my Xbox Series X console.
Suikoden II is one of the best Japanese RPGs not made by Square Enix that I have ever played. This I really look forward to replaying on my Xbox Series X.

While the uncertainty of a 2023 release of Suikoden I & II HD Remaster: Gate Rune and Dunan Unification Wars is suggestive of a delay just waiting to happen, in my experience the wait won’t be too painful as Starfield and Forza Motorsport (2023) will be released soon and those Xbox-exclusives will keep many gamers occupied. Take note that Sea of Stars has just been released and already it gathered many positive reviews and more people on the Xbox ecosystem (including those subscribing on Xbox Game Pass) are playing it. Right now, we can only hope that Konami and its team can ensure that the remastered Suikoden and Suikoden II will come out with top-notch quality and with a lot fun whether a delay is happening or note.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? Do you think Konami will delay Suikoden I & II HD Remaster: Gate Rune and Dunan Unification Wars for release in 2024?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below, share this article to others and also please consider making a donation to support my publishing. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at  @HavenorFantasy as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/ and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco

Play over 1,000 retro games on Xbox with Antstream Arcade!

Play over 1,000 retro games on Xbox with Antstream Arcade!

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If you are long-time gamer who misses the many fun games from them past, then you will delighted to know that you can play over one thousand retro games on Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S and Xbox One with the Antstream Arcade service which is now available for $29.99 annual subscription and $79.99 lifetime pass.

For the newcomers reading this, Antstream Arcade is the grand gaming arcade with over 1,300 classic games from the 1980s to the 2000s that were released across varied platforms such as the video arcade, Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) and the PlayStation One to name a few. Antstream Arcade on Xbox platforms just made the global Xbox ecosystem even more exciting to those who love playing multiple types of games. Posted below is the official Xbox launch trailer of Antstream Arcade!

To gain a deeper understanding of Antstream Arcade on Xbox, posted below is an excerpt from the Xbox.com article. Some parts in boldface…

We’re excited to share that Antstream Arcade, a cross-platform streaming platform focusing on retro games, is now available on Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One, bringing its current library of over 1,300 retro games to Xbox consoles. Jump in today and play classics like Mortal Kombat, Pac-Man, Asteroids, and Earthworm Jim from your couch. Experience classic PS1 and Nintendo games such as Loaded, Indiana Jones Greatest Adventures, and Super Star Wars with your Xbox controller in hand. With Antstream Arcade you can experience these games today, fully optimized, and ready to go at the push of a button. Simply create an account, sign in, and start playing!

The Importance of Game Curation to Antstream – When the company was formed in 2013, one of the key motivations behind the product was preservation. There are decades of incredible games which are no longer available legally. Sure, many of these titles can be downloaded and played with emulators and ROMs but that experience is uncomfortable. The configuration of Emulators and ROMs is a technological barrier for many gamers.

Antstream’s easy ‘pick up and play’ mechanic makes these games accessible to everyone. In my position as Customer Support manager, I’ve had emails from six-year-old kids telling me that they’ve had a blast playing Double Dragon. Another recent email was from a 72-year-old who needed help completing Dizzy. Antstream is incredibly easy to use.

“Many of us grew up playing these games, so the ability to stream them on Xbox consoles and share these experiences with our friends and family is incredible,” said Sarah Bond, CVP of game creator experience and ecosystem at Microsoft. “We’re pleased that with Microsoft for Startups Founders Hub’s technology benefits and Azure cloud services we can help enable Antstream to reach more players.”

Coming back to the preservation aspect. It’s painful to see games lost to time. Antstream is a fantastic platform for people to experience games that they have never played before. Also, to find and discover games that were cancelled or not released. We are crafting a catalogue of titles which raise awareness of gaming history and keep the spirit of their creators alive.

This has been recognized by TIGA, Antstream has won an award for games curation.

New’ Retro Games on the Platform –  A unique aspect to Antstream’s approach to game curation is how we support independent developers who are continuing to release games on retro platforms. For example, Turbo Tomato is an Amiga game released last year. It has become hugely popular thanks to Antstream. We also include these in our challenges and tournaments.

Challenges and Tournaments – Antstream is also creating longer lasting appeal with classic games with our unique challenge system. These titles are back-engineered to create a competitive system which allows you to experience these well-loved titles in new ways. These are ‘game modes’ such as ‘one-life challenges’ that extend the life of these titles and create new interest in the community.

In the past 12 months, we have introduced a new mode called Giant Slayer. This is centered around our growing community. One person sets up a challenge and then is presented to the community. They must try and beat the challenger for kudos and precious gems. Giant Slayer challenges are created by the players for other players. This keeps our community constantly engaged and involved in the product in a greater way than other streaming services.

We also feature tournaments. Here you can pit your high scores and feats against others in games like Dig Dug, Marble Madness, Double Dragon and Mortal Kombat. Scoring highly in these contests payout gems that you can spend on other games or for entering future tournaments.

The ‘power’ of Antstream – Speaking to Microsoft Game Dev Blog about how Azure powered Antstream, Founder and Chief Executive Officer at Antstream Arcade Steve Cottam shared, “Microsoft was the right technical ally for us because it has a high density of servers globally, which was how we knew we could scale our service. By connecting gameplay to a nearby Azure virtual machine, we make sure that the time between a player pressing a controller button and something appearing on their screen is less than 50 milliseconds.”

In addition, there is this very in-depth video that answers a lot of questions about Antstream Arcade posted below for you all…

Having Antstream Arcade on Xbox is very appealing to me personally. I still have some fondness of games I played long ago on the arcades such as Elevator Action Returns, Star Wars, Defender, Robotron: 2084, BurgerTime, Cloak & Dagger, Fighter’s History, Double Dragon, Space Invaders and Asteroids plus so many others I cannot just write down here. Not only that, Antstream Arcade is also an opportunity for me to play many, many other games I never got to play such as Indiana Jones’ Greatest Adventures (SNES), Metal Dragon (MSX), and more.

As mentioned in the Xbox.com article, it was indeed a great move for Microsoft to be the definitive technical ally for the Antstream Arcade developers not only because of the established global servers available but also because the retro gaming service fits right in with the Xbox ecosystem of games and the global userbase of millions.

The Cloak & Dagger arcade game that had a severely limited release decades ago has gotten more available for millions of users via Antstream Arcade on Xbox.
The arcade hit Elevator Action Returns.
The Super NES version of Zombies Ate My Neighbors.
Star Wars arcade game.
Indiana Jones’ Greatest Adventures on SNES.

One of these days, I will avail of Antstream Arcade to make the gaming experience on my Xbox Series X even more in-depth. It will be a matter of timing, cost, the number of games updated and how the Antstream Arcade developers will be able to fix whatever bugs they will encounter as the service has just launched. If you are already availing of the retro games service and you encountered technical glitches, you better report to the developers online.

To see what games to expect to Antstream Arcade, check out Pure Xbox’s very long list by clicking here.

In concluding this post, posted below are Xbox-related videos for your enjoyment.

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Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below and also please consider sharing this article to others. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. If you want to support my website, please consider making a donation. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at  @HavenorFantasy as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/ and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco/.

Carbon black Xbox Series S – 1TB set to launch on September 1, 2023 for $349.99

Carbon black Xbox Series S – 1TB set to launch on September 1, 2023 for $349.99

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It has been over a month since the Xbox Games Showcase 2023 and Starfield Direct happened and in recent times Team Xbox boasted very high viewership as the games that got showcased really drew in a lot of people online.

Among the many games shown, Team Xbox formally announced an improved version of the Xbox Series S console – a carbon black Xbox Series S loaded with 1 Terabyte SSD all set for commercial release on September 1, 2023 with a price tag of $349.99. This machine is also referred to as Xbox Series S – 1TB.

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the official Xbox.com announcement. Some parts in boldface…

Meet the new Carbon Black Series S with 1TB of storage. Whether you’re looking to upgrade from your current console or are new to Xbox, the Xbox Series S – 1TB offers you another option within the Xbox family of devices. The bold Carbon Black color is the same sleek, modern matte finish as Xbox Series X and the Xbox Wireless Controller.  This console features the same next-gen speed and performance of our 512GB Series S, now with double the storage so you can download even more of your favorite games to your console where they’ll be ready to play when you are. Plus, you’ll make the most of every gaming minute with features like Quick Resume, lightning-fast load times, and gameplay of up to 120 FPS – all powered by Xbox Velocity Architecture.  

Better Together – Xbox Series S pairs seamlessly with all our fan-favorite Xbox accessories. You can also add an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription (membership sold separately) so you can play new games built natively for Xbox Series S and X like Starfield and Forza Motorsport on day one. Plus with games added all the time, there’s always something new to play. 

Available Worldwide September 1 – Launching September 1 (just in time for Starfield), pre-orders for Xbox Series S – 1TB start today at xbox.com or microsoftstore.com for $349.99 ERP. We’ll be adding more retailers and regions in the weeks to come.  

Now watch the official Team Xbox YouTube video below…

If you ask me, I don’t intend to buy the Xbox Series S – 1TB as I already own an Xbox Series X console which is the more expensive machine as it is a premium product. Still, there is no denying that the Xbox Series S – 1TB and its older (soon to be phased out) predecessor strongly appeal to gamers who have limited amounts of money to buy new game consoles, as well as gamers who don’t care much about 4K resolution gaming and movie viewing at home.

Xbox Series S – 1TB release on September 1 is very strategic as the epic Bethesda-developed Xbox-exclusive sci-fi RPG Starfield will be released just days after. A little over a month later, the Xbox-exclusive Forza Motorsport (2023) will be released. Sometime in 2024, the Obsidian-developed Xbox-exclusive fantasy RPG Avowed will be released. I would not be surprised to see the Xbox Series S – 1TB sell a lot (note: first-time gamers as well as owners of the old Xbox One consoles and even those with Xbox Series S consoles will be more likely customers) before those Xbox exclusives get released and eventually more new subscribers to Xbox Game Pass (XGP) (note: I encourage you to subscribe) will be realized. There will also be a lot of other new games, game compilations and remastered games that will be released in the 4th quarter this year.

Watch out for Xbox Series S – 1TB on September 1, 2023.

In conclusion, posted below are Xbox-related videos for your enjoyment. I also included videos about the big breakthroughs of the Xbox-Activision-Blizzard deal. In case you missed the news, the opposition led by PlayStation against the deal has failed and Sony itself signed a Call of Duty-related contract with Team Xbox!

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Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below and also please consider sharing this article to others. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. If you want to support my website, please consider making a donation. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at  @HavenorFantasy as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/ and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco/.

Grand Theft Auto V is back yet again on Xbox Game Pass (XGP) service

Grand Theft Auto V is back yet again on Xbox Game Pass (XGP) service

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Recently as Team Xbox announced the July 2023 lineup of games added on the Xbox Game Pass (XGP) subscription service, the inclusion of the massive best-selling open-world game Grand Theft Auto V (GTAV) turned out to be the biggest surprise of them all.

Franklin traveling on waves. This entire sequence ran smoothly at 60FPS with ray tracing enabled.

To be very clear, this is not GTAV’s first time to be in XGP. In fact, it was made available to Xbox Game Pass subscribers in limited time periods in 2020 and 2021. In my case, since I bought my Xbox Series X console and subscribed to XGP in late-2021, this is my first time to play GTAV on the service and the first time in years for me to replay the game since the Xbox One version. Oh yes, I first played GTAV on Xbox 360 way back in 2013.

What makes GTAV’s newest return to the service significant is that it includes the most updated versions of the game optimized specifically for Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S. This means that the next-generation console graphical enhancements include the Fidelity Mode, the Performance Mode and the Performance RT Mode, and only the Xbox Series X is capable of those three. Refer to the details below sourced from GINX.TV

GTA 5 Fidelity Mode – The highest visual quality possible and targets 30 fps. PS5 and Xbox Series X supports native 4k resolution in this mode with Ray Tracing enabled. Xbox Series S supports upscaled 4K resolution.

GTA 5 Performance Mode – Performance Mode in targets 60 fps for the most responsive, smoothest gameplay experience yet on PS5 and Xbox Series X, with an upscaled 4K resolution. Xbox Series S, on the other hand, supports a resolution of 1080p in Performance Mode targetting 60 fps.

GTA 5 Performance RT Mode – The Performance Ray Tracing Mode is only available for PS5 and Xbox Series X, and is not supported on the Series S console. This is a hybrid between the Performance and Fidelity modes. It targets 60 fps with Ray Tracing enabled, with an upscaled 4K resolution to boot.

This huge crash happened during one of the scores in the game. Captured on Performance RT Mode.

That being said, I started playing Grand Theft Auto V on my Xbox Series X via XGP with the Performance Mode setting for the graphics followed many hours later with the Performance RT (ray tracing) Mode.

As such, I am enjoying replaying the game with super smooth 60 frames-per-second (60FPS) and I can say it made the single-player gameplay experience more fun and engaging to do. Since I enjoy the 60FPS frame rate a lot, I will play the game with the Fidelity Mode some time later.

With Starfield and Forza Motorsport (2023) launching on Xbox Game Pass this September and October respectively, playing GTAV on the service with the Xbox Series X console is strongly recommended. That being said, there is no telling how long with Rockstar’s game remain on XGP. If you are already an XGP subscriber with an Xbox Series X console and you love open-world games, then you should avail of Grand Theft Auto V while it is still available. Xbox Series S-owning XGP subscribers can still enjoy 60FPS gaming with the Rockstar game.

Go and play Grand Theft Auto V on your Xbox Series X or Xbox Series S console while it is still available on XGP.

In concluding this post, posted below are Xbox-related videos for your enjoyment.

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Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below and also please consider sharing this article to others. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. If you want to support my website, please consider making a donation. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at  @HavenorFantasy as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/ and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco/.

Xbox-exclusive Clockwork Revolution looks ambitious

Xbox-exclusive Clockwork Revolution looks ambitious

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inXile Entertainment, the Xbox studio behind Wasteland 3, is back with their brand new Xbox-exclusive game Clockwork Revolution which turned out to be one of the biggest reveals of the Xbox Games Showcase 2023/Starfield Direct double feature. While no release date has been set, the game will be released on Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S and Windows PC with availability on Xbox Game Pass, PC Game Pass and Steam.

To put things in perspective, posted below is the excerpt from the official Xbox.com article describing Clockwork Revolution. Some parts in boldface…

This is a fantastical, first-person action RPG, with dynamic time-bending combat, deep interconnected roleplaying systems, and the ability to create your own unique character from the ground up. The project is led by Game Director Chad Moore and Principal Designer Jason Anderson, who just happen to have created one of the greatest steampunk RPGs of all time—Arcanum.

Setting and Story – Clockwork Revolution takes place in the vibrant Victorian-era metropolis of Avalon, where steam trains fly overhead, wealthy industrialists replace their limbs with ornate clockwork prosthetics, and mechanical servants fulfill their masters’ every whim. 

A vibrant steampunk society with a legacy waiting to be discovered in Clockwork Revolution.

But this new age of wonders holds a dark secret—it’s been carefully constructed by the ruthless Lady Ironwood. Through use of a time travel device, she’s changed key moments in Avalon’s history, keeping the working class struggling in the slums and factories, while bringing herself immense wealth and power. That’s where you come in…

Time Travel and The Chronometer – Discovering Ironwood’s scheme, you’ll use a wondrous device known as the Chronometer to travel back in time, choose how to influence the past, and then return to the present to experience the effects of your decisions. Through unprecedented and complex visual and narrative depth, the choices you make on your trips into the past will change the people, the stories, and the city of Avalon itself in extraordinary and (very often) unexpected ways. In Clockwork Revolution we’re pushing roleplaying reactivity to new heights, infused with the unique texture and personality that you’ve come to expect from our games.

Looks like a huge boss you will have to fight.

This is an exciting project for us at inXile. Not only is Clockwork Revolution our first fully-fledged Xbox Game Studios release, but from start to finish we’re utilizing the resources and support of Microsoft and Xbox to create our studio’s first AAA first-person action RPG.

What inXile is doing with Clockwork Revolution is very ambitious. What they showed during the Xbox Games Showcase made lots of gamers online make quick comparisons with BioShock Infinite as they are both first-person games that involve shooting, exploration, intense action and interaction with fantasy settings that are eerily similar between them. While it is not clear how far inXile has gone with the progress of game development, the Clockwork Revolution unveiling last week showed signs of high production values here and there, and it is clear that the developers have a clear vision of what they want to achieve and bring to players in due time.

Always make sure your weapons are fully loaded before going on a mission.

Right now, I am excited for Clockwork Revolution and I can only hope that the high production values inXile showed during the showcase will be maintained until they finish making the game. I really want to explore the game’s world, see how the time-traveling feature will deepen the gameplay and experience how much fun the Xbox-exclusive game will turn out. Not only that, I want to see how inXile will implement role-playing and what they could do with the steampunk concept in relation to the storytelling and gameplay.

Clockwork Revolution is most likely a few years away from release. We can only hope that inXile won’t be hampered during the development. Right now they have a lot of resources and a long development process ahead of them.

In concluding this post, posted below are Xbox-related videos for your enjoyment.

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Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below and also please consider sharing this article to others. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. If you want to support my website, please consider making a donation. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at  @HavenorFantasy as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/ and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco/.

Xbox Games Showcase and Starfield Direct Double Feature all set this Sunday (Monday in Asia)

Xbox Games Showcase and Starfield Direct Double Feature all set this Sunday (Monday in Asia)

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It is that time again for Xbox fans and gamers to get excited as the Xbox Games Showcase and Starfield Direct Double Feature will happen this Sunday June 11 (Monday June 12 in Asia) and viewers will get to watch it on multiple channels.

To begin with, Team Xbox announced that the two showcases will be streamed live via the online channels below…

Not only that, those who want to watch the streams in 4K resolution at 60FPS should head on to YouTube.com/Xbox and YouTube.com/Bethesda. There will also be multi-language support in the forms of subtitles.

What to expect? Based on the recent tweets by Xbox Games Marketing executive Aaron Greenberg, the Xbox Games Showcase and Starfield Direct will combine for roughly two hours non-stop games and it will all be about games. There won’t be any movie trailers to disrupt the double feature. Look at the tweets below…

Already, it has been confirmed that there will be no CGI-trailers about Team Xbox’s games at the two showcases. Personally, I prefer to see gameplay footage showing how the upcoming games function and how they could turn out fun. When it comes to showing story cutscenes, using gameplay graphics is more preferrable to me.

What video games to expect from Team Xbox? While it is inevitable to me that they will show the promised 2023 exclusives Forza Motorsport (2023) and Bethesda’s highly anticipated Starfield, I can only speculate that Phil Spencer and his team will give fans big updates (note: to be showcased visually, not just mere announcements) about other Xbox-exclusives such as Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II (read my article), the new Fable role-playing game (RPG), the fantasy RPG Avowed from Obsidian Entertainment (read my last article of Avowed), and possibly State of Decay 3 from Undead Labs. While it is possible that the troubled Xbox-exclusives Everwild and the Perfect Dark reboot could also be shown, I’m not confident about them. I also do not expect anything to be shown about Hideo Kojima’s Xbox project nor the other exclusive game Contraband.

I am anticipating that a final release date for Forza Motorsport (2023) will be announced, and the same should happen with Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II (possibly late-2023 or early 2024). Avowed, if its development has progressed a lot since the first announcement, could be announced for 2024 and it should help satiate gamers’ demand for the epic open-world fantasy RPG experience of the Elder Scrolls game franchise. In my view, the Elder Scrolls VI is still years away from getting released. As for Fable, it could be shown but without a release date.

Starfield will have its very own showcase immediately after that of Xbox. That being said, I am anticipating a very in-depth gameplay demonstration of the game, some more bits about its story and core concept, and hopefully there will be options for gamers to play the game in 30FPS and 60FPS with varying resolutions. I personally want to play Starfield on my Xbox Series X console in 60FPS. I hope they will show more space battles which I think will add more variety to the gameplay as a whole. We will find out soon from Bethesda and Todd Howard on Starfield Direct.

When it comes to the Gears of War franchise, I’m not really anticipating a new Gears sequel. What would be more doable, in my opinion, is Team Xbox revealing a Gears Tactics sequel which should delight fans of the 2020 game as well as gamers who love playing turn-based tactics games. For me, the time is right to announce a new Gears Tactics game!

In my view, the time is right for a Gears Tactics sequel to be unveiled while gamers worldwide endure the long wait for the next Gears of War game.

As for games from other companies that could be part of the Xbox Games Showcase, I am anticipating an appearance and updates about Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes in terms of new gameplay and hopefully a final release date within 2023 (note: this Japanese RPG will also launch on Xbox Game Pass). Very recently, Japan-based developer Rabbit & Bear Studios posted updates about the game on social media which just might mean there will be a possible appearance on the showcase. Take note that Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes’ inclusion on Xbox Game Pass is significant and this weekend’s online event is the best opportunity to promote it and make both XGP subscribers and JRPG fans excited.

There is the possibility that Konami could show Suikoden I&II HD Remaster Gate Rune and Dunan Unification Wars and announce a firm release date for 2023. The showcase is also a great opportunity for Konami to promote the classic games to a worldwide audience and finally start executing their marketing plans that should excite Suikoden fans as well as gamers who love JRPGs.

When it comes to dream scenarios (note: the unlikely) that could really make waves if they ever happen at the Xbox showcase, that would be Capcom showing a big-budget remake of Dino Crisis (comparable to what they did with Resident Evil 2, 3 and 4) as well as announcing remastered versions of Breath of Fire RPGs for release on modern consoles plus Xbox Game Pass. I understand Capcom has its very own games showcase scheduled for the next day but the Xbox showcase is still a great opportunity to make waves with gamers worldwide. More wild scenarios? That would SEGA announcing the next Virtua Fighter game or a fully remastered Shining Force III (with all three chapters together), 2K Games revealing XCOM 3 (note: it’s been seven years since XCOM 2) plus Square Enix actually announcing a remastered version of Xenogears (note: this year marks the 25th anniversary of the game).

At this stage, we can only wait and see what will happen next. Team Xbox should show more games related to the latest Xbox Game Studios Publishing developments and other deals they made with developers – both the big and the smaller independent ones – so far. Not only that, there has to be something new and ready to be revealed from Team Xbox’s game studios such as Compulsion Games, inXile Entertainment and others. The excitement and suspense are building up!

Watch out for the games, the exciting stuff and big announcements at the Xbox Games Showcase and Starfield Direct Double Feature this weekend!

In concluding this article, posted below for your enjoyment are Xbox-related videos.

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Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below, share this article to others and also please consider making a donation to support my publishing. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at  @HavenorFantasy as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/ and on Instagram athttps://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco

Planet of Lana now available on Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Windows PC and Xbox Game Pass (XGP) service

Planet of Lana now available on Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Windows PC and Xbox Game Pass (XGP) service

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Planet of Lana, the newest game from Wishfully Studios and Thunderful Games, is now available for gamers to enjoy on Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, Windows PC and on the Xbox Game Pass (XGP) service! As of this writing, the game has been praise from video game critics (click here, here, here, here and here) and I myself just started playing it on my Xbox Series X console and already I am having fun.

For the newcomers reading this, posted below is an excerpt from the official pre-release press release of the game from Thunderful Games. Some parts in boldface…

Appearing on over 40 “most anticipated” lists, including from the likes of IGN, Gamespot, Eurogamer, Polygon, Kotaku, Rock Paper Shotgun, Time and Game Informer, Planet of Lana is one of the most anticipated indie titles of recent years, drawing attention for its stunning art style, rousing soundtrack from D.I.C.E. and BAFTA-nominated composer Takeshi Furukawa, and unique companion-based mechanics.

Nothing like overcoming challenges and obstacles with a good sense of achievement proceeding to the next stage.

Set on an alien world, Planet of Lana tells the story of Lana and her loyal animal companion Mui as they embark on a rescue mission to save her sister. Blending an epic story that takes you on a spectacular journey across stunning natural landscapes with a touching personal relationship built between protagonists Lana and Mui, Planet of Lana is a game filled with wonder and adventure. Expect to encounter strange creatures and dangerous machines as you move through lush forests, mysterious caves and arid desert landscapes during your journey.

Lana swimming her way through the village.

Throughout daring platforming, engaging puzzles and tense stealth sequences, players will discover a game built around the unique companion mechanic that connects Lana and Mui. Only by working in tandem can you solve the puzzles and avoid the dangers that lay ahead of you, from stalking spindle-legged robot menaces that have mysteriously landed on Lana’s planet, to the not-always-friendly fauna that populates Planet of Lana’s breathtaking environments.

More on pre-release stuff, there is also a very detailed preview of Planet of Lana published through Xbox.com. The preview was written by Wishfully Studios creative director Adam Stjärnljus.

As I mentioned earlier, I just started playing Planet of Lana on my console. So far, I’m having a good time playing it, and in my decades-long experience of playing video games, I can say that Planet of Lana has vibes of Flashback in terms of 2D platform gameplay and environment interaction. Compared to the mentioned old game, this new game’s controls are very user friendly, easy to learn and also very responsive. The art direction looks really nice and the music is a must-listen! Oh yes, there were these suspenseful moments that I experienced as I had Lana and her companion avoid destructive enemies with timely and strategic moves.

I really like the artistic direction and style of this game!

When it comes to the adventure aspect, this game reminds me of what I saw in anime productions of Studio Ghibli, specifically Princess Mononoke and Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind. The alien machines’ acts of abducting people even reminded me of the 21st century War of the Worlds movie.

As I’m writing this, there still more for me to discover playing Planet of Lana and I am eager to complete it, finish the tale and see what the game developers prepared. For those of you already subscribing to Xbox Game Pass, I encourage you to download the game and start playing it.

The scale is very immense in this part of the game!

Go for Planet of Lana on Xbox platforms, Windows PC and Xbox Game Pass now! Click https://www.xbox.com/en-us/games/store/planet-of-lana/9mxk2rsqjqnd

In concluding this article, posted below for your enjoyment are Xbox-related videos.

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Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below, share this article to others and also please consider making a donation to support my publishing. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at  @HavenorFantasy as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/ and on Instagram athttps://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco

Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom – The Prince’s Edition now available on Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One and Windows PC with Xbox Game Pass (XGP)

Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom – The Prince’s Edition now available on Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One and Windows PC with Xbox Game Pass (XGP)

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Xbox fans who love Japanese role-playing games (JRPGs) have a new addition to enjoy from Bandai Namco – Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom – The Prince’s Edition! The sequel to Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch is now available for Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One and Windows PC, and Xbox Game Pass (XGP) subscribers can start downloading the game to their delight!

To begin with, watch the official Xbox video below…

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the official announcement by Bandai Namco. Some parts in boldface…

Join the young king Evan on a grand adventure that blurs the line of animated feature film and video game in Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom – The Prince’s Edition, launching on Xbox, Xbox Game Pass and PC Game Pass today.

As a king, Evan bears the responsibility of great power. He’ll personally set forth and do battle to unite and save his people in this action RPG. However, the king’s duty does not end there. As part of the main game, Evan must also develop his empire in a city simulator-like Kingdom Management mode, and lead his army in a real-time-strategy like Skirmish mode.

A battle with a huge monster.

These two modes will become important parts of Evan’s journey as he works to demonstrate his leadership on and off the battlefield, so read on for a dive into how they work and a couple of tips to get you started.

Kingdom Management Mode – After a certain point in the story, Evan will be able to sit upon his throne to initiate Kingdom Management mode. Starting from a small humble town, you will help Evan lead his people by choosing which buildings to construct and assigning citizens to work on their respective sections.

Each building will provide significant conveniences or bonuses to your kingdom. Some buildings constructed in Kingdom Management mode are the sole source of some rare items.

Citizens will drive upgrades and research in Evan’s kingdom. Each citizen has their own specialty and bonus that will make them more suited for one job or the other. It’ll be Evan’s job as king to make this assessment and decision.

Skirmish Mode – To build and expand his kingdom, Evan must demonstrate his tactical prowess by leading his army against other enemy armies in a real-time-strategy-like mode called Skirmish mode. In this mode, Evan will command up to 4 units of soldiers. Each soldier type is easily distinguished by the color of their uniform.

A scene from the Skirmish Mode of the game.

For the newcomers reading this, Ni No Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom was originally released in 2018 only on PlayStation 4 and Windows PC. Like its predecessor, the game was positively received by both video game critics and gamers. Loaded with additional content in the form of DLCs, Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom – The Prince’s Edition’s release on Xbox consoles significant as it adds more weight on the Xbox ecosystem becoming the haven for fantasy RPGs and other types of role-playing games. Japanese RPGs on Xbox this year are looking exciting as Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes and the remastered Suikoden and Suikoden II will be released in due time. I should state that recently Persona RPGs were released already on Xbox and XGP.

Ni No Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom – The Prince’s Edition on Xbox adds variety to the gamers who like JRPGs as it has notable game features that make it stand out from its predecessor. Also, the battles moved faster and looked flashier.

Go for Ni No Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom – The Prince’s Edition on Xbox platforms and Xbox Game Pass now!

In concluding this article, posted below for your enjoyment are Xbox-related videos.

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Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below, share this article to others and also please consider making a donation to support my publishing. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at  @HavenorFantasy as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/ and on Instagram athttps://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco

Sea of Stars RPG coming to Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S and Xbox One on August 29, 2023

Sea of Stars RPG coming to Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S and Xbox One on August 29, 2023

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Xbox fans who love role-playing games (RPGs) should be delighted to know that the new multiplatform fantasy RPG Sea of Stars will be officially released for Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S and Xbox One consoles on August 29, 2023, according to an official announcement by Sabotage Studio (The Messenger).

To begin with, watch the official Sea of Stars Xbox video below…

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the official announcement by the developer…

Talk about an announcement that was long overdue!

Since the very beginning, we were secretly hoping to be able to cover all current and previous generation consoles. With production being a world of curve balls, we had to leave the messaging at “PC and Consoles” to avoid having to walk some things back. With the big unknowns now in the rear view, we are delighted to finally confirm the addition of Xbox to the party!

For the newcomers reading this, Sea of Stars is a turn-based RPG inspired by the classics. It tells the story of two Children of the Solstice who combine the powers of the sun and moon to perform Eclipse Magic, the only force capable of fending off the monstrous creations of the evil alchemist known as The Fleshmancer. The game also has some music from veteran composer Yasunori Mitsuda whose credits include Japanese RPGs (JRPGs) Chrono Trigger, Chrono Cross and Xenoblade Chronicles 3. In terms of setting, Sea of Stars is a prequel to Sabotage Studios’ previous game The Messenger.

A battle with a huge monster. This game has really nice pixel art and animation, complete with oversized creatures.
A battle with monsters while exploring the world.
We will find out soon how good the quality the writing for the game will be.

This announcement of Sea of Stars is making 2023 a more exciting year of RPGs for Xbox gamers as Starfield will be released this coming September as an Xbox-exclusive, while new JRPG Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes and the remastered editions of Suikoden I and II will be released sometime this year. Recently, the remastered Tales of Symphonia was released on Xbox while Square Enix had an online sale for Xbox gamers.

The Xbox ecosystem is becoming more significant for gamers who love RPGs whether they are brand new or old RPGs that got remastered to take advantage of the modern game consoles. The more the Xbox ecosystem becomes important, it could convince Square Enix to someday remaster their classic JRPG Xenogears on Xbox and Windows PC. The same could be said about Capcom and its Breath of Fire RPG series.

Sea of Stars on Xbox is a blessing!

Watch out for Sea of Stars on Xbox on August 29, 2023.

In concluding this article, posted below for your enjoyment are Xbox-related videos.

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Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below, share this article to others and also please consider making a donation to support my publishing. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at  @HavenorFantasy as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/ and on Instagram athttps://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco