Gaming News - Page 3

All the latest gaming news, with everything related to PlayStation releases (PS4 & PS5), Xbox, PC Games, Nintendo Switch & plenty more - Page 3.

Cheaper Xbox Game Pass with ads may roll out in 2023, new survey hints

Derek Strickland | Dec 18, 2022 4:00 PM CST

Microsoft could introduce a lower-cost Xbox Game Pass subscription tier that requires users to watch advertisements before they play.

Cheaper Xbox Game Pass with ads may roll out in 2023, new survey hints 223

An Xbox user survey may hint at a new cheaper Xbox Game Pass subscription plan in exchange for ads, not unlike the cheaper ad-supported plans that Netflix, Disney, and Paramount+ currently offer. The survey, which is in Spanish and was uploaded to ResetEra, gives an interesting look at what Microsoft could be planning.

According to the questionnaire, Microsoft could offer a tremendously low-cost Game Pass tier for just 3 Euros a month with lots of restrictions. Right now Xbox Game Pass is the most value-oriented video games subscription on the market, and Microsoft could improve subscriber counts by cutting up this value and offering separately-priced pieces.

Continue reading: Cheaper Xbox Game Pass with ads may roll out in 2023, new survey hints (full post)

Microsoft's latest pro-merger argument doesn't seem entirely accurate

Derek Strickland | Dec 16, 2022 5:45 PM CST

Microsoft executive Brad Smith makes the case that Xbox needs more first-party content in order to stay competitive, but that isn't exactly true--Microsoft just needs more games.

Microsoft's latest pro-merger argument doesn't seem entirely accurate 31

In a recent interview with Bloomberg Technology, Microsoft President Brad Smith laid out more reasons why the company should be able to buy Activision for $68.7 billion. Smith argues that Xbox needs more first-party IPs so that they can adequately compete against Sony's PlayStation brand,

"We're the small entrant. They have 286 exclusive titles. We have 59. We need some more first-party games in order to be a healthier and stronger competitor, and we need to do it in course in a way that doesn't impede competition along the way," Smith said.

Continue reading: Microsoft's latest pro-merger argument doesn't seem entirely accurate (full post)

Valve concept testing new Steam console prototypes for couch PC play

Derek Strickland | Dec 15, 2022 4:21 PM CST

Valve confirms it is concepting new SteamOS hardware for all kinds of spaces, including couch gaming in the living room.

Valve concept testing new Steam console prototypes for couch PC play 3

Valve has had a push and pull relationship with hardware. Its Steam Machines initiative, which created low-cost (and low-powered) PC "consoles" from multiple OEMs largely failed to gain traction. The VR and handheld gaming fronts are very different stories. The Steam Deck is incredibly popular, and Valve's Index VR is largely seen as the best way to experience dedicated, PC-powered virtual reality.

The PC game store operator has no plans of stopping its hardware ambitions any time soon. Valve is currently focusing heavily on its Steam Deck platform, including new model revisions, as well as VR...but it still isn't giving up on some sort of console-like system for the living room.

Continue reading: Valve concept testing new Steam console prototypes for couch PC play (full post)

One of PS5's most anticipated new games gets 2023 launch window

Derek Strickland | Dec 15, 2022 2:21 PM CST

Spider-Man 2, one of the most anticipated new PS5 games, just got a targeted release window.

One of PS5's most anticipated new games gets 2023 launch window 21

Sony and Insomniac Games today announced Spider-Man 2 is planned for a Fall 2023 launch exclusively on PS5. The sequel features both Miles Morales and Peter Parker, hinting that gamers will be able to switch between the heroes, and Venom also shows up. Maybe Miles and Peter team up against Venom, or all three join to fight some bigger threat like Carnage?

"What a year it's been for PlayStation Studios; here at Insomniac Games we've been in absolute awe of the work of our peers. Congrats to everyone on a successful 2022...and here's to next year being just as exciting as we continue to get Marvel's Spider-Man 2 ready for release next fall," said Insomniac Games creative director Bryan Intihar.

Continue reading: One of PS5's most anticipated new games gets 2023 launch window (full post)

Hell freezes over with Diablo 2's new demon-sleighing Christmas event

Derek Strickland | Dec 14, 2022 11:00 PM CST

Blizzard and Vicarious Visions are celebrating the holiday season in hell with some nifty Diablo II Resurrected events.

Hell freezes over with Diablo 2's new demon-sleighing Christmas event 2

Thanks to Blizzard's efforts, Hell freezes this Christmas with a special D2 event. The limited-time holiday event is called 22 Nights of Terror, and will feature a new modifier or in-game changes every day for the next 20 days. Blizzard officially promises "powerful loot, a dash of terror, and a new surprise"...however the first two days have been predictable enough.

Day 1 saw the Cow Level (aka an non-existent level) being corrupted as a Terror Zone for the entire day. Areas that are corrupted deliver more XP and have a chance of dropping the new Sunder Charms. Day 2's buff is called Sanity Clause, and sees Terror Zones changing every 15 minutes.

Continue reading: Hell freezes over with Diablo 2's new demon-sleighing Christmas event (full post)

End of an era: Epic Games to shut down Unreal Tournament servers in 2023

Derek Strickland | Dec 14, 2022 3:37 PM CST

Old-school Unreal Tournament shooters will be taken offline in January 2023, Epic Games has announced.

End of an era: Epic Games to shut down Unreal Tournament servers in 2023 2

The end of a classic PC gaming era is upon us. Epic Games is removing all Unreal Tournament games from storefronts and plans to turn off online multiplayer servers for games including Unreal Gold, Unreal II: The Awakening, Unreal Tournament (2003), Unreal Tournament (2004), Unreal Tournament III, and the Unreal Tournament Game of the Year Edition. All versions of these games have already been de-listed from Steam and can no longer be found on the Epic Games Store.

Epic says that it is now shifting towards its more unified and cohesive Epic Online Services framework, which requires deprecating older builds of specific titles. Luckily, Epic says it plans to revive Unreal Tournament 3 to utilize its new services network.

Continue reading: End of an era: Epic Games to shut down Unreal Tournament servers in 2023 (full post)

Sony still fails to leverage the full potential of PlayStation Plus Premium

Derek Strickland | Dec 14, 2022 2:50 PM CST

Sony's new $119 a year PlayStation Plus Premium subscription just isn't worth it right now.

Sony still fails to leverage the full potential of PlayStation Plus Premium 45

Sony recently announced all the new games coming to PlayStation Plus Extra and PlayStation Plus Premium. The offered games continue one big trend about Sony's new 3-tier PS Plus service: The more expensive Premium tier really isn't worth the price, at least right.

PS Plus Premium isn't much more expensive than PS Plus Extra. The Premium tier costs $119 per year, whereas Extra costs $99 a year. The main selling point for PS Plus Premium is access to a growing number of classic games across all PlayStation console generations, including PS1, PS2, PS3, and even PSP and Vita, access to Ubisoft+ titles, as well as being able to stream games to console and PC.

Continue reading: Sony still fails to leverage the full potential of PlayStation Plus Premium (full post)

Witcher 3 upgrade on PC is a big mess with massive frame rate issues

Derek Strickland | Dec 14, 2022 1:13 PM CST

The Witcher 3's new upgrade on PC is a big mess right now and we recommend you hold off on the update until CD Projekt RED addresses the issues.

Witcher 3 upgrade on PC is a big mess with massive frame rate issues 1

Today CD Projekt released The Witcher 3's massively anticipated next-gen version on consoles and PC. The game runs smoothly on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S, but the PC version is having big issues with big FPS drops and other game-breaking glitches including not being able to heal toxicity levels.

Frame rates are the biggest problems on PC right now. Gamers are reporting 45FPS with an RTX 3080 at 1440p with DLSS at RT Ultra with about 50% GPU utilization. Some 3090 owners are also reporting 45FPS perf. It looks like RTX is the issue, and turning raytracing off immediately gives a huge FPS boost in the 100+ FPS range. Other gamers are reporting instant crashes after they load a save that had raytracing turned on.

Continue reading: Witcher 3 upgrade on PC is a big mess with massive frame rate issues (full post)

Armored Core VI will be a love letter to mecha fans everywhere

Derek Strickland | Dec 13, 2022 3:24 PM CST

FromSoftware has one main goal with Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon, and it's essentially aiming to be a love letter for die-hard mecha fans.

Armored Core VI will be a love letter to mecha fans everywhere 7

The collective gaming world has been waiting a long time for a new Armored Core game. It's been 10 years since the last title, and a few years since FromSoftware teased a new AC. Now the cat's out of the bag and the Souls developers are discussing their main motivations for Fires of Rubicon.

According to Hideki Miyazaki, Armored Core VI won't be a Souls-like, but it will have "intense boss battles" and it is primarily focused on singleplayer content, hearkening to the older days of the series.

Continue reading: Armored Core VI will be a love letter to mecha fans everywhere (full post)

Dead Island 2 will let you turn undead to wreak bloodthirsty havoc

Derek Strickland | Dec 13, 2022 2:22 PM CST

Apart from the general chicanery, hijinks, and ultra-gory mayhem, Dead Island 2 has something new up its sleeve: You're actually a zombie. Well...sort of.

Like Dying Light 2, Dead Island 2 will also let players transform into a zombie to wreak total bloodthirsty havoc on Hell-A (a stylized version of L.A. where all hell breaks loose). The game's latest trailer, which has some surprisingly good-looking environments and effects, showcased some of the creative and ridiculous combat features and dynamics that players will explore as they absolutely annihilate the undead.

One of the more surprising parts is that you're not just killing undead...but you are the undead. Apparently players are actually infected with the HK pathogen and can call upon their powers at will. Gamers can go into a kind of berserk mode and just destroy everything around them.

Continue reading: Dead Island 2 will let you turn undead to wreak bloodthirsty havoc (full post)

Newsletter Subscription
Latest News
View More News
Latest Reviews
View More Reviews
Latest Articles
View More Articles