Xbox Game Studios – Author Carlo Carrasco

What to watch on YouTube right now – Part 85

June 25, 2025June 21, 2025carlocarrasco

Welcome back my readers, YouTube viewers and all others who followed this series of articles focused on YouTube videos worth watching. Have you been searching for something fun or interesting to watch on YouTube? Do you feel bored right now and you crave for something to see on the world’s most popular online video destination?

I recommend you check out the following videos I found.

#1 The Cannonball Run revisited by GoodBadFlicks and You, Me and the Movies – Do you enjoy 1980s comedy films? How about a film that has comedy, an all-star cast, lots of cars and lots of stunts? You will find that in The Cannonball Run which was released in 1981 and became a box office hit. The film has a memorable cast including Burt Reynolds, Roger Moore (technically playing James Bond), Farrah Fawcett, Dom DeLuise, Jackie Chan, Adrienne Barbeau, Tara Buckman and others. For your enjoyment, I posted below the recent reaction video by You, Me and the Movies, and a retrospective video by GoodBadFlicks. If you have not seen The Cannonball Run, watch it first (available on Blu-ray format). Otherwise, enjoy the videos below.

#2 PatmanQC examines Super Mario Bros. 3 – When it comes to picking which is the most influential platform game on the Nintendo Family Computer (Famicom)/Nintendo Entertainment System (NES), Super Mario Bros. and Super Mario Bros. 3 are often the most popular choices as both games are really great. While the first game sold a lot more copies worldwide, the third game remains highly significant as it influenced platform game designers for a number of years. Not only that, Super Mario Bros. 3 notably was featured in the 1989 movie The Wizard. To see how Super Mario Bros. 3 was made, what the legendary Shigeru Miyamoto and teammates did and how much of an impact the game had on players, watch the in-depth video of PatmanQC below.

#3 Unsolved Mysteries examines 2001 anthrax attacks – 2001 will always be remembered as a year of uncertainty and chaos. During that year, 9/11 shocked the world which raised public fear about terrorism. Adding further to the shock and fear of the time, the 2001 anthrax attacks happened shortly after 9/11. Suddenly, a lot of people got afraid of touching pieces of mail as the anthrax attacks happened through the distribution system of the US Postal Service. Eventually, the TV series Unsolved Mysteries (hosted by the late Robert Stack) released an episode dramatizing and examining the 2001 anthrax attacks. Before watching the video below, be advised that the details can be quite disturbing.

#4 Examining the so-called success of Xbox RPG Avowed – It has been months since the Obsidian-developed Xbox fantasy role-playing game (RPG) Avowed was released. Shortly after, there were these individuals or publishers that declared the game a success even though there is no evidence to prove it was. This only reminds me of the sad reality that there are a lot of woke activists, Marxists and fake fans who have infiltrated the gaming and entertainment industries which explains the misinformation spreading around us. I played and finished Avowed and I can say that it never lived up to my expectations and the long wait since it was first announced was not worth it. Along the way, it is clear that Obsidian allowed its assigned game makers to add elements of identity politics into Avowed. Externally, there are woke nuts among game journalists, vloggers and bloggers who dedicated themselves to make Avowed look like a smash success even though reality, truth and facts are not on their side. Watch and learn from the selected videos below.

#5 James Gunn’s Superman movie to end up a huge disappointment? – Recently here in the Philippines, director James Gunn, producer Peter Safran, Rachel Brosnahan and David Corenswet arrived to meet the fans as part of their world tour to promote the new Superman movie. Considering how lavish the activities and promotions are, it is simply hard to ignore that Superman of 2025 is looking bound for box office disappointment based on the latest box office analysis and predictions. While RK Outpost examines the weakening Superman box office prospects, Ranting for Vengeance examines the many elements of the James Gunn-directed movie (based on the latest footage shown) that could turn off long-time and genuine Superman fans, and lead to failure. Watch the videos below and pay close attention to the details.

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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

What to watch on YouTube right now – Part 81

June 6, 2025June 2, 2025carlocarrasco

I recommend you check out the following videos I found.

#1 Retrospective videos of Krull – I was a young boy when I saw Krull inside the cinema way back in 1983. It was an entertaining experience for me as the movie had a clever mix of fantasy, science fiction and even horror in its presentation. As many years passed by, I replayed Krull as an adult on cable TV and DVD, and it still remained entertaining. For those of you who intend to learn more about (or rediscover) Krull, I posted below some videos for your enjoyment. If you have not seen Krull yet, watch the movie entirely first.

#2 The George Foreman Grill remembered – The late George Foreman will be remembered for a long time. He made an impact on the world in professional boxing during his younger days and made a tremendous comeback by becoming the oldest heavyweight champion at age 45. Along the way, he became a preacher of God’s Word, led a local church and managed a youth center. Along the way, the late Foreman found tremendous success by endorsing a product that became the George Foreman Grill. To find out more about the Foreman and the popular grill, watch the video below.

#3 France’s President humiliated – With the way he is leading France as its President and the way he is helping Palestinian terrorists by antagonizing Israel, Emmanuel Macron is on the wrong side of history. He was back in the media spotlight as he got slapped by his wife recently. Watch and learn from the videos below.

#4 Ashleigh Burton reacts to Casper – It has been a little over thirty years since the live-action movie Casper was released in cinemas. As a young boy, I read some Casper comic books and saw some episodes of the cartoon shows on TV but I never was a fan of the character. I did not see the Casper film until it started showing on cable TV. Casper of 1995 does not interest me much but you should see how it draws reactions from Ashleigh Burton in the video below.

#5 PatmanQC examines Cruis’n USA – Cruis’n USA is one of those hit arcade games from the 1990s that I never got to play in Iocal arcades. Most of the time, I received information of Cruis’n USA primarily due to its port for Nintendo 64 (N64) being heavily reported by video game journalists back then. While the original arcade game was successful with both players and game critics, the same cannot be said about the N64 port. To find out more, watch PatmanQC’s in-depth video below.

#6 Ramnexus examines Oblivion Remastered – It’s been over a month since Oblivion Remastered (full title: The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion – Remastered) was released, and I still have not played it on my Xbox Series X. While it is popular with gamers, I still was not convinced to return to subscribing to Xbox Game Pass (XGP) for it. The original Oblivion of 2006 is one of my favorite RPGs of the 21^st century and I just might consider playing its remastered version someday. For now, I am just watching YouTube videos of the remastered game and I found a recent video by Ramnexus that turns out to be an engaging look at it. Watch Ramnexus’ video below.

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Retro Classics now available on Game Pass covering Xbox consoles, PC and other devices

May 28, 2025May 22, 2025carlocarrasco

Welcome back Xbox fans, geeks, RPG players, retro gaming enthusiasts and other gamers!

In what is clearly the most serious effort exerted by Team Xbox on retro gaming, they recently released Retro Classics on the Game Pass subscription service covering gamers with Xbox consoles, personal computers (PCs) and device with cloud gaming.

To get things started, watch the official launch trailer of Retro Classics below.

For insight about Retro Classics, posted below is an excerpt from the official announcement on Xbox.com. Some parts in boldface.

Retro Classics games are available to play for Xbox Game Pass members. Players who stream on the Xbox app on PC now have an additional streaming option with GeForce Now. Game Bar introduces quick settings, visual updates for Widgets in Compact Mode, and coming soon, Microsoft Edge Game Assist, an in-game browser that brings an immersive game-centric experience to Edge. And Xbox gift cards can now be redeemed for any amount via Xbox Rewards.

Announcing Retro Classics available for Game Pass Members – We’re thrilled to announce the launch of Retro Classics, a collaboration between Xbox and Antstream Arcade, available to play for Game Pass members globally.

Starting today, Game Pass members can dive into a collection of 50+ classic Activision games from the ’80s and ’90s, including beloved titles like Commando, Grand Prix, Kaboom!, Mech Warrior 2: 31st Century Combat, and Pitfall! This initiative is a step in our commitment to game preservation and backwards compatibility, allowing players to experience many timeless games on modern devices.

With Retro Classics, Game Pass members can expect a seamless gaming experience across console, PC, and on supported devices with cloud gaming. Whether playing on Xbox console, the Xbox app on PC, or streaming on supported LG and Samsung Smart TVs, Amazon Fire TV devices, and Meta Quest headsets, Retro Classics offers a versatile and accessible way to enjoy these nostalgic titles. Game Pass members can access Retro Classics through their Game Pass membership by searching and installing the feature via their console or on the Xbox app on PC. Additionally, players can take on friends, rivals, or the entire world with unique challenges. For the achievement hunters, there are some great new ones to collect, and for newer players, the ability to save and reload your progress, a first for many classic titles.

Game Pass members can look forward to discovering additional games added from Activision and Blizzard, expanding the Retro Classics collection to more than 100+ titles over time.

Now that Activision and Blizzard were mentioned in the official announcement, it is clear that this retro gaming approach by Team Xbox (in strategic partnership with Antstream Arcade) is one of the benefits of the 2023 acquisition of Activision-Blizzard-King.

Having played video games for decades, I know for a fact that Activision alone has lots of old video games from the 1980s and the 1990s. I still remember playing Activision’s Keystone Kapers on the Atari 2600 when I was very young. The same company also released Pitfall! and River Raid on different consoles in the 1980s. The Activision games of the 1990s I often remember were MechWarrior, MechWarrior 2: 31st Century Combat and Pitfall: The Mayan Adventure. As for Blizzard, I remember playing Blackthorne and I witnessed some people who played Warcraft and StarCraft games in the 1990s.

*See a retro game that interests you? (Photo source – Xbox.com)*

There definitely be more old-but-fun video games coming into Retro Classics for Game Pass subscribers to enjoy. It remains to be seen how fast Team Xbox and its partner will be able to add the games.

If you are already a Game Pass subscriber and if you have decided to enjoy retro gaming, you can do so by availing of Retro Classics by clicking https://www.xbox.com/en-us/games/store/retro-classics/9MTVJ3HHTQGS

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What to watch on YouTube right now – Part 59

February 26, 2025February 18, 2025carlocarrasco

I recommend you check out the following topics and the related videos I found.

#1 Popcorn in Bed reacts to Planet of the Apes (1968) – YouTuber Popcorn in Bed finally did it…posting a reaction video featuring the classic science fiction movie Planet of the Apes (1968). The video has both Cassie and Carly reacting to the Charlton Heston-led film. Considering how many Planet of the Apes reaction videos have been posted on YouTube, I can say that Popcorn in Bed’s video is entertaining to watch. Watch it now!

#2 Comparison video of Avowed and Oblivion – In case you missed the news, the long-awaited Xbox-exclusive fantasy role-playing game (RPG) Avowed has been released and it is the latest game from RPG specialist Obsidian Entertainment (an Xbox game studio). Recently, someone posted a new video comparing Avowed with the 2006 RPG The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion focused on specific details. It’s clear that Obsidian still has a long way to go to truly make Avowed’s world a living and breathing realm. I encourage you all to watch it now.

#3 Slope Game Room examines the history of Zombies Ate My Neighbors – Recently, I purchased the digital collection of Zombies Ate My Neighbors and Ghoul Patrol for my Xbox Series X. As of this writing, I’m still playing Zombies Ate My Neighbors – specifically the Super NES version – and I’m enjoying it. First released in 1993, Zombies Ate My Neighbors was developed by LucasArts and published by Konami for the two 16-bit consoles of the time. It turns out, there is a lot of interesting details behind the development of the game, what led to the creation of Ghoul Patrol and more. To know more, watch the video of Slope’s Game Room below.

#4 CNN supports Hamas terrorists – I don’t trust the opinions and news publishing of CNN (originally called Cable News Network) which has turned into a propaganda machine for the corrupted Democrats, Islamo-Leftists, and woke mobs. In recent times, CNN had an entire segment defending the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas and the two personalities who spoke clearly have no love for Israel. To find out what happened, watch the video below.

#5 You, Me and the Movies react to Air Force One – At last, YouTuber You, Me and the Movies posted its reaction video featuring the 1997 blockbuster Air Force One with Harrison Ford playing a tough, fictional US President. It is an entertaining reaction video to watch and the old film itself is relevant once again as Trump-led America today has toughened its stance against terrorists. If you have not seen the film, watch it first. Otherwise, enjoy the video below.

#6 Ashleigh Burton reacts to a 1999 comedy – I never saw the 1999 comedy 10 Things I Hate About You in the cinema but some friends of mind did and they found it funny and memorable. A few years later, I finally saw it on cable TV and home video and it was entertaining. Recently, Ashleigh Burton posted her reaction video and I enjoyed how she responded to it.

#7 RK Outpost explains box-office disappointment of Captain America: Brave New World – Are you aware that the woke Disney company, Marvel Studios and its wicked Hollywood media partners are lying to you and trying to manipulate you into believing that Captain America: Brave New World had a successful launch? YouTuber RK Outpost posted a video explaining in detail why the new movie (starring Anthony Mackie) is actually a box office disappointment upon launching, how the Hollywood players are lying, what facts are being ignored, and why you should not be fooled by Disney and its partners-in-crime. Watch and learn!

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Xbox Game Pass (XGP) keeps on changing for the worse

September 22, 2024September 16, 2024carlocarrasco

Welcome back Xbox fans, geeks and gamers!

Let’s be honest here. There are changes regarding Xbox Game Pass (XGP) that are disadvantageous to both Xbox fans and the gamers who subscribe for the best value in gaming. In fact, the said subscriber service is getting is getting worse as reported by Windows Central Gaming. You heard about the Standard tier of XGP? Are you aware that certain first-party games are not even part of the services below the Ultimate tier of XGP?

To put things in perspective, posted below is the excerpt from Windows Central Gaming’s news report. Some parts in boldface…

Xbox Game Pass has long been the key differentiator for Microsoft’s gaming business, offering an alternative subscription-based store against Steam on PC, and offering heaps of value on console against PlayStation with its day-one games pledge. That covenant has been undone now, though.

Now, only users on the $19.99 Xbox Game Pass Ultimate tier will get day one games on console, with PC users retaining them at $11.99. The big change is to the basic “Console” tier, which has now essentially been removed for new users. The new Standard tier will start at $14.99 for new customers, and will include the Xbox Live Gold (Game Pass Core) multiplayer paywall specifically for premium games like Call of Duty Black Ops 6. Crucially, though, it won’t actually include Call of Duty Black Ops 6.

Previously, Xbox Game Pass’ promise was to offer day-one Microsoft-owned titles into the service. Games like Starfield, Forza Horizon 5, Flight Simulator, and many other heavy hitters dropped straight into Xbox Game Pass Console, PC Game Pass, and Ultimate, granting the service far better value on paper than competing options. Xbox Game Pass Standard no longer guarantees day-one access to Xbox games, meaning the hotly anticipated Call of Duty Black Ops 6 will be available only to PC Game Pass users, and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers. Despite paying more than PC Game Pass users, Xbox Game Pass “Standard” members will not get access to said games.

To compound matters, it was discovered recently (via Forbes) that Xbox Game Pass Standard has removed access to a wide variety of games that are currently active on the deprecated Xbox Game Pass “Console” tier, which is only available for users who maintain a subscription. If you swap out your subscription to gain access to Xbox Live Gold, which isn’t available on Xbox Game Pass “Console,” then you’ll lose access to a huge list of titles.

I encourage you to read the rest of Windows Central Gaming’s article by clicking https://www.windowscentral.com/gaming/xbox/xbox-game-pass-standard-is-sub-standard-games-like-starfield-diablo-4-go-retroactively-missing-from-the-consoles-game-pass-mid-tier

I hope understand what was reported. Specifically for those who own Xbox consoles, the three Xbox Game Pass services available for your choosing are Core at $9.99/month, Standard for $14.99/month and Ultimate for $19.99/month (note: only $1 will be charged for the first 14 days before the regular rate gets implemented).

If you will subscribe to Core or Standard, you will NOT be able to play Avowed and Indiana Jones and The Great Circle once they launch on XGP. Avowed will launch on February 18, 2025 while the Indiana Jones game will be released on December 9, 2024. At the same time, you won’t be able to play the other Xbox heavy hitters like Forza Motorsport (2023), Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II, Halo Infinite and Starfield while subscribing with Core or Standard services.

It is clear that Microsoft is trying to lure gamers to take the most expensive XGP service – Ultimate. This can be disadvantageous to not only Xbox fans but the many millions of gamers out there who have yet to discover and subscribe to Xbox Game Pass.

As for those who have been XGP subscribers since at least a year ago, they are still enjoying the access to the above-mentioned heavy hitters while paying the same old monthly rate as before. If they stop subscribing now, they will lose their privileges and if they decide to return to the service with the same experience as before, they will have to subscribe to XGP Ultimate at $19.99 a month for the Day One access as well as the access to premium games.

Indeed, Xbox Game Pass is changing for the worse. In fact, it could be the first sign of things to come. I’m talking about the future of gaming under Microsoft that could mean the end of Xbox as we know it and Team Xbox becoming a multiplatform game publisher. Microsoft’s love and care for Xbox fans is fading away, and what they’re doing could turn off potential new gamers related to the changing demographics of the world.

This screenshot from Red Dead Redemption II should remind you that Microsoft is aiming at the wrong direction with regards to its video gaming strategy. Imagine being part of Team Xbox receiving orders from Microsoft’s top management that don’t make much sense with regards to gaming and the interests of the players.

If you plan to subscribe to Xbox Game Pass at all, start doing your research carefully before deciding to subscribe. Click https://www.xbox.com/en-US/xbox-game-pass

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Note: Cover photo sourced from Xbox.com

Team Xbox commits blunder by announcing PS5 version of Indiana Jones and The Great Circle before even releasing the Xbox version

September 2, 2024August 21, 2024carlocarrasco

Welcome back Xbox fans, geeks and gamers!

In case you missed the news, Team Xbox recently had a presence during Gamescom in Germany and they made several announcements and previews of upcoming video games there.

During the first day of Gamescom, Team Xbox announced at last the release date of the much-awaited Indiana Jones and The Great Circle which is December 9, 2024 (for Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC and Xbox Game Pass). At the same time, they committed a blunder that the MachineGames-developed first-person adventure game is coming to Sony’s PlayStation 5 (PS5) console sometime in 2025. That’s right, the Indiana Jones video game is no longer an Xbox-exclusive game. Watch the Gamescom trailer of the game below from start to finish…

As I mentioned earlier, Team Xbox committed a blunder by announcing a PS5 version of Indiana Jones and The Great Circle during Gamescom. It is a blunder in the sense that Team Xbox (which owns and controls Bethesda) could have delayed the PS5 version announcement and maximize efforts to sell as many copies of the game on Xbox and PC, sell as many Xbox consoles as possible, and convince many gamers out there to subscribe to Xbox Game Pass and PC Game Pass to play it.

Team Xbox could have waited until January or February 2025 to announce the Indiana Jones game for PS5. Instead, they shot themselves on the foot by blowing away the first-move advantage.

To put things in perspective, Microsoft/Xbox/Bethesda do not OWN the intellectual property of Indiana Jones which belongs to Disney-owned Lucasfilm. Considering the big financial problems Disney has as a corporation (note: the streaming service Disney+ continues to lose money since it first launched), I can speculate that they pushed Team Xbox and Bethesda to not only make a PS5 version of Indiana Jones and The Great Circle but also announce it very early to maximize sales potential and public awareness. Disney itself has a lot to benefit from collecting royalties if the game sells a lot on the two game consoles.

Going back to Xbox, we have to face the reality that we are witnessing the beginning of the end of Xbox as we know it. It is highly anticipated that in the near future, Xbox-exclusive games will no longer happen and the games of Xbox properties (examples: Halo, Forza Motorsport and Fable) will be released on Nintendo and PlayStation consoles. The Xbox brand itself will fade away and be replaced with something like “Microsoft Gaming” once Microsoft goes all-in as a multiplatform game publisher. It is also obvious that Microsoft wants a huge return for the combined $76 billion it spent on acquiring Bethesda and Activision.

I am still looking forward to playing the Indiana Jones game on my Xbox Series X console, but I can say that this latest development as well as the recent Game Pass adjustments brought my excitement down a bit.

For more details about Indiana Jones and The Great Circle, click https://www.xbox.com/en-US/games/indiana-jones-and-the-great-circle

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From PlayStation to Xbox – Crash Bandicoot: N. Sane Trilogy now available via Xbox Game Pass (XGP)

August 21, 2024August 18, 2024carlocarrasco

Welcome back Xbox fans, geeks and gamers!

In case you missed the news, Crash Bandicoot: N. Sane Trilogy was recently launched on Xbox Game Pass (XGP) effectively making the three classic games – Crash Bandicoot (1996), Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back (1997) and Crash Bandicoot: Warped (1998) – available for millions of subscribers to enjoy. In fact, Crash Bandicoot: N.Sane Trilogy on XGP is already a massive success in terms of of player count increase reaching 2,808%!

*A clip I captured while playing the remastered Crash Bandicoot of 1996 on my Xbox Series X.*

The said release on XGP is very significant. Firstly, this is the initial offering for Xbox Game Pass that is directly connected with the Xbox-Activision-Blizzard-King deal. We are now living in the age of Microsoft-owned Activision and it should be remembered that Activision first released Crash Bandicoot: N. Sane Trilogy on PlayStation 4 (PS4) in 2017 before landing on Xbox One and other platforms.

Crash Bandicoot: N. Sane Trilogy on Xbox Game Pass is most likely the first of many Activision titles that will make their way on to the subscription service in the months to come. Think about the many Call of Duty (COD) games that will soon land on XGP and reignite public interest on the service which can help Team Xbox convince many players out there to start considering subscriptions.

*Caution and precision in key segments like this one happened during a snowy level on Crash Bandicoot 2.*

Secondly and more notably, the classic Crash Bandicoot games all started on the first PlayStation console and the titular character Crash (created by Andy Gavin and Jason Rubin during their time with Naughty Dog) served as the mascot for Sony Computer Entertainment until the year 2000.

Each PlayStation-exclusive Crash video game released from 1996 to 1998 was a million-seller and also a hit with video game critics of the era. Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy also sold millions when it was initially released on PlayStation 4.

*From one of the 2D side-scrolling levels of the first Crash Bandicoot.*

Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy on Xbox Game Pass is a clear indication that the PlayStation-related exclusivity on Crash Bandicoot games is over and there is nothing Sony could do to change that. With Microsoft owning Activision, it is only a matter of time before the Crash Bandicoot franchise will become solidly associated with Xbox commercially and culturally. I am speculating that Team Xbox and Activision must have plans for more Crash Bandicoot sequels and spin-offs with multi-platform releases and subsequent XGP releases in mind.

With my XGP subscription, I took some time out to replay parts of the three classic games in the Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy on my Xbox Series X console. I can say that regardless of which game I played, I enjoyed playing them again and it brings back memories of my enjoyment of them on the PlayStation console in 1996-1998. The remastered visuals (on gameplay and cinematic cut scenes) were nicely done and they looked lively on our UHDTV.

*From the sea water level in Crash Bandicoot: Warped.*

If you are an Xbox gamer who enjoys platform gaming or if you are an Xbox Game Pass subscriber looking for something new and fun to play, then Crash Bandicoot: N. Sane Trilogy is a good choice as it is fun retro gaming of the platform kind. I encourage you to play it while it is available and you can do your part by expressing your feedback to Team Xbox about having more Activision games on XGP.

For more details about Crash Bandicoot: N. Sane Trilogy, click https://www.xbox.com/en-US/games/store/crash-bandicoot-n-sane-trilogy/c27xpr5xdmft

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Team Xbox delays fantasy RPG Avowed to February 2025

August 14, 2024August 6, 2024carlocarrasco

Welcome back Xbox fans, geeks and gamers!

In case you missed the news – bad ones actually – be aware that the release of fantasy role-playing game Avowed has officially been delayed to February 18, 2025, according to a Windows Central news report. It was previously announced that Avowed was supposed to be released sometime in late-2024 on Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Windows PC and Xbox Game Pass (XGP).

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the Windows Central news report. Some parts in boldface…

Obsidian Entertainment and Xbox Game Studios’ upcoming fantasy role-playing game Avowed is being delayed out of the year, as confirmed via the official Xbox X (Twitter) account.

“So many games coming! As such, we’re moving Avowed to Feb 18, 2025 to give players’ backlogs some breathing room,” the message reads. “Stay tuned for more from our games across Activision, Blizzard, Bethesda & Xbox Game Studios at gamescom, including our Aug 23 livestream for a look at Avowed.”

This comes hot on the heels of a report from The Verge indicating that Avowed would be delayed, which Windows Central was able to corroborate. By all accounts, this move is to allow Avowed more breathing room outside of what is shaping up to be an extremely busy fall and holiday period, with multiple Xbox first-party launches and third-party titles including Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, and Dragon Age: The Veilguard.

While Avowed won’t be playable at Gamescom 2024, Xbox is hosting theater presentations revealing more of the game, alongside similar presentations for Indiana Jones and Starfield’s Shattered Space expansion.

When it arrives, Avowed will be launching across Xbox Series X|S consoles and Windows PC, as well as being included day one in Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass.

As a long-time Xbox gamer, the delay of Avowed is disappointing and adding more to the disappointment is the fact that an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription (note: the most expensive XGP option) is required to play it on launch day. This effectively locks out (temporarily) many Xbox Game Pass subscribers who could not afford to upgrade their current subscriptions and they have no choice but to wait first before the game becomes available to them.

Ever since it was first announced, I was looking forward to playing Avowed and it was one of the main reasons I bought the Xbox Series X console. I am also a fan of Obsidian Entertainment’s role-playing games such as Fallout: New Vegas and The Outer Worlds. In fairness, Team Xbox announced that they will do a livestream presentation of Avowed during Gamescom 2024 on August 23. Hopefully we will see the latest about the game. To ease the pain of waiting, check out the most recent video of Avowed below.

For more details about Obsidian Entertainment’s Avowed, click https://www.xbox.com/en-US/games/avowed and https://avowed.obsidian.net/

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Gears of War: E-Day was the pleasant surprise of the 2024 Xbox Games Showcase

June 19, 2024June 14, 2024carlocarrasco

Welcome back Xbox fans, geeks and gamers!

With the exception of a certain 3^rd party games that turned out to be a creative misfires respectively, the 2024 Xbox Games Showcase (also referred to as Xbox Showcase) was clearly a powerful showcase of future games on the Xbox ecosystem and the 1^st party games of Team Xbox displayed is the most exciting bunch yet!

As mentioned before, we are now living in the age of Microsoft-owned Activision, Blizzard, King and Bethesda, and Team Xbox has many game studios as a result. The 2024 Xbox Games Showcase is just the taste of many exciting and fun 1^st party games coming out in the near future (including the Game Pass services for Xbox and PC) with titles like the Perfect Dark reboot, the Fable reboot, South of Midnight, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 and more.

Among the many 1^st party games showcased was Gears of War: E-Day which turned out to be the most pleasant surprise as many people heavily anticipated Gears of War 6 and the Marcus Fenix Collection. On my part, I anticipated GOW6 and a Gears Tactics sequel to be announced but what was unveiled officially was both intriguing and captivating. To find out more what Gears of War: E-Day is about, watch the official unveiling below…

Being made by The Coalition using the Unreal 5 engine (the same engine used in Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II), Gears of War: E-Day is the origin story that depicts the horror of Locust invasion on Emergence Day through the eyes of the iconic Marcus Fenix. For the newcomers reading this, Emergence Day refers to the event when the Locus Horde emerged from the depths of the planet Sera and started major assaults on human cities causing massive counts of deaths. Chronologically, Gears of War: E-Day is set fourteen years before the events of the original Gears of War game.

As seen in the above trailer, Marcus Fenix looks younger and you can see him struggling in what seems to be his first-ever personal and physical fight with one of the Locusts. There is also a subtle reference in the video that sends gamers a message – the MK1 Lancer is here and it is NOT the chainsaw-equipped gun that became the iconic weapon of choice in the Gears of War franchise. Again, the story of this upcoming game is set more than a decade before the first GOW and The Coalition developers have planned some changes that will impact not only the interactive experience but also the storytelling.

*Do you recognize the eyes of Marcus Fenix in this image? The high level of detail of Unreal Engine 5 combined with the digital artistry of The Coalition make a great combination!*

Gears of War: E-Day is looking like a very welcome addition to not only its franchise but also for future releases on Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S and Windows PC, as well as for Game Pass subscribers among Xbox and PC gamers. I doubt that a version of the game will be released on aging Xbox One consoles. As to when will the new game be released, I am speculating it would be in November 2026 as that month would mark the 20th anniversary of the release of the original GOW. It is also possible that Microsoft will release the next-generation Xbox console on that same month as well.

Gears 5 was the last main Gears of War game I played during the final months of the existence of my old Xbox One console. I played Gears Tactics on my Xbox Series X a few years ago which was fun experience. That being said, Gears of War: E-Day is the next GOW game to look forward to.

I certainly hope that The Coalition will STOP implementing wokeness, identity politics and foolish feminism (present in Gears of War 4 and Gears 5) into the new game and just make Gears of War: E-Day be much more like the original Gears of War of 2006…a war story about a band of brothers (the grunts) who risked their lives to accomplish mission objectives. The original Gears of War had the vibe of 1980s Hollywood action cinema – specifically from Predator (1987) – and I want to see that implemented in the new game.

*Here is hoping that this prequel will be released within two years’ time. Xbox fans have waited long for 1st party exclusive games to be released in this current console generation.*

You can learn more about Gears of War: E-Day by clicking https://news.xbox.com/en-us/2024/06/09/gears-of-war-e-day-interview-details-xbox-games-showcase-2024/

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First-ever gameplay of Perfect Dark reboot revealed at 2024 Xbox Games Showcase

June 12, 2024June 11, 2024carlocarrasco

Welcome back Xbox fans, geeks and gamers!

Wow! That was a powerful presentation of 1st party video games at the 2024 Xbox Games Showcase (also referred to as Xbox Showcase) that happened in America very recently. Not only was it better and more exciting than the Xbox showcase of 2023, it made this year’s State of Play and Summer Game Fest look even more lackluster and more unsatisfying. Already there are PlayStation 5 (PS5) fans who begged Sony to do better with their showcase of games because this year’s Xbox showcase – which is also the first of the new age of Microsoft-owned Activision-Blizzard-King – energetic and exciting.

For this post, I will be focusing on one of highlights of the Xbox showcase…the first-ever reveal of gameplay and features of the Perfect Dark reboot (for my previous posts, click here and here). For starters, watch the gameplay showcase video below…

Wow! The Perfect Dark presentation exceeded my expectations on gameplay and it looks like The Initiative (Xbox game studio) and Crystal Dynamics (the studio responsible for many Tomb Raider games over the past several years) really got their creative forces combined to make something unique.

Like the previous games that preceded it, the new Perfect Dark utilizes a first-person viewpoint for immersive gameplay and it has a new version of Joanna Dark introduced featuring the likeness of model Elissa Bibaud. Strangely enough, the new agent Dark does not look too attractive. Perhaps more new images of her will be unveiled someday.

*The new Joanna Dark featuring the likeness of model Elissa Bibaud.*

*Elissa Bibaud’s picture from her Instagram.*

The Initiative and Crystal Dynamics must have brainstormed a lot and worked long to modernize the gameplay for this new game (officially the 4^th Perfect Dark game for consoles played at home). What was shown during the video presentation were moments when Joanna Dark used gadgets to do thermal scanning, extract data wirelessly, generate voice-prints and create deepfake audio. Not only that, Joanna is capable of climbing wall pipes, sliding on surfaces and doing wall-running.

Without spoiling the concept of the video too much, I can say that Joanna Dark is already an agent who goes to Garden City in Cairo to find the wanted criminal Daniel Carrington and discover what he has been scheming. With all the details made available by the video and the Xbox Wire piece, Perfect Dark is really a first-person adventure that allows players to figure out what to achieve as they work their way through in missions. This is not just an action-packed first-person shooter.

Perfect Dark is a first-person adventure game laced with sci-fi and espionage elements. Players will be offered opportunities to overcome obstacles in creative ways such as using gadgets to infiltrate places.

Considering what was shown, I can only hope that the game developers will be able to create wide and vertical maps that will allow players to explore a lot more as they take on missions. By today’s standards, linear level designs just won’t cut it anymore. I know for a fact that making an open-world environment will take too much time and effort to complete Perfect Dark, so having wide and vertical maps will be good enough to offer players exploration opportunities.

Strangely enough, the video presentation does not specify which Xbox consoles Perfect Dark will be released for. What was confirmed is that the upcoming game will launch on day one on the Game Pass service which means it will eventually be released on Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S and Windows PC. That being said, Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S owners who are subscribing to Xbox Game Pass (XGP) and Windows PC gamers subscribed already to PC Game Pass will be able to play the new Perfect Dark on launch day someday. I doubt a version of the game will be released for the aging Xbox One consoles.

*In this game, you can accomplish your mission objectives by using stealth or by engaging with the enemies directly with guns and other high-tech weapons.*

While there is no release date yet for the Perfect Dark reboot, you can learn more about the game by clicking https://news.xbox.com/en-us/2024/06/09/perfect-dark-details-interview-xbox-games-showcase-2024/

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