Category: Microsoft News

All news pertaining to Microsoft’s family of consoles, including the Xbox One X and Xbox One S.

Bethesda Pens Note to Fans Ahead of Fallout 76 Release

Que up Country Roads; the anticipated multiplayer spin on the fan favorite Fallout series, Fallout 76, officially drops Wednesday, November 14th, 2018. Ahead of the release, the team at Bethesda Game Studios penned a heartfelt letter to fans and the multiple development teams attached to the game, expressing their deepest appreciation for everything that has been done for the game.

“It’s with great excitement that we’re finally launching Fallout 76, a Fallout game unlike anything we’ve done. Really, it’s a game unlike any we’ve ever played” the studio wrote in the letter published on their site, Bethesda.net. “With Fallout 76, we’ve woven together parts of our past Fallouts, the survival genre, and massive online games, to create something unique: a game where you share in the story and the struggle to survive, with your friends, with strangers and with us.”

Fallout 76, which is developed and produced in house by Bethesda Game Studios and Bethesda Softworks respectively, uses a modified version of Bethesda’s Creation Engine, that was tweaked to specifically accommodate multiplayer game play. Modifications to the engine, which was first implemented in the Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, was handled by Bethesda’s team in Austin, Texas, who at the time were working on the now-cancelled hero shooter BattleCry in 2012, leading many to believe the game has been in development for around five years. The letter also states that help was given in the development cycle by ZeniMax Online, id Software, and Arkane.

“A huge thanks to everyone at Bethesda and ZeniMax who supported us in making this game”, continued the Maryland based studio. “Creating a new style of game has taken the best from not just our own producers, programmers, artists and designers – but great efforts from across the company.”

Finally, the company gave thanks to all that participated in the beta for the game over the past month, saying the feed back has made the game better each week. Speaking on the “B.E.T.A” (Break It Early Application) and moving forward, the company encouragingly wrote “We have an incredible list of updates we’ve begun work on – from C.A.M.P. building improvements, new quests and events, new Vaults opening, character respecing, a faction-based PVP system, and much more.” The beta, which was released to industry members and those who preordered the game, was received with generally favorable impressions, with most criticism falling on stability issues with the PC version of the game.

Fallout 76, which launches on November 14th, 2018 for Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC, sets players loose in the post-apocalyptic hills of West Virginia, where you must survive the ever growing threat of mutated beasts, all while working together with other players to rebuild the world around you.

How many of you will being taking the country roads home in Fallout 76 later this week?

 

For more updates on upcoming Bethesda games, including Fallout76, be sure to follow us on Twitter at @BonusAccessory, and keep it locked it on Bonus Accessory.

Spyro Reignited Trilogy Shipping Incomplete, Requires Download

Everyone’s favorite purple dragon is hitting store shelves again for the first time in almost a decade, and while many fans are excited for the return, some are expressing their discontent with how the game is being packaged. In a post made on Reddit by user u/jmill643, he/she confirms that the Spyro Reignited Trilogy only has one game attached to the physical version of the game, with the two others requiring a 17.6 GB download.

While this isn’t anything that completely out of the norm for many developers to do anymore, it does raise some concerns on how games are being compressed during the transfer process to the disk. Most physical games on modern systems do require users to install parts of the game to the user’s hard drive, due to the size of game files and the ability to take less stress off of the system. While that does have benefits to it, fans are airing their frustrations, focused around the size of this specific game not being that big in relation to the majority of other AAA games. The first game off of the disk comes in at around a minuscule 9 GBs, with the two other games requiring an addition 17.6 GBs in downloaded content, bringing our total to around 27 GBs total. For comparison, Marvel’s Spider-Man, which released on the PlayStation 4 this past September, totaled in at 45 GBs, with a small day one patch on release.

While the majority of gamers shouldn’t have too much of an issue downloading the two additional games, not everyone has an internet connection that can handle this size of download in a reasonable time frame. According to a study done by Akamai, the average internet speed in the United States is 18.7 Mb/s, which is almost 10 Mb/s less than South Korea at 28.6 Mb/s.

Activision and developer Toys for Bob originally planned to release the trilogy on September 21st, 2018, but this past August announced that the game would be pushed back until November 13th. While Activision did confirm to fans that the game would ship with only the first game on the disk earlier that month, fans had hoped that the delay would possible mean that the publisher would be backpedaling on that statement.

In 1998, Spyro the Dragon was released on the PlayStation and became a household name within Sony’s community of gamers. Since then, fans have been treated to a multitude of sequels, including appearances on the PlayStation 2, Xbox, GameCube, Nintendo DS, Xbox 360, Playstation 3, and Wii. The Reignited Trilogy will be his first solo release in ten years. The game will include the original Spyro the Dragon, Spyro 2: Ripto’s Rage and Spyro: Year of the Dragon, all with new HD textures, audio and cinematics, along with being developed using Unreal Engine 4. The trilogy releases tomorrow on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. It is currently sitting at a score of 82 on MetaCritic at the time of this post.

For all things Spyro, including the Reignited Trilogy, be sure to follow us on Twitter at @BonusAccessory and keep it right here on Bonus Accessory.

Microsoft to Reveal Ninja Theory’s Next Project in 2019

On a day filled with a plethora of Xbox-themed announcements, from new games to major studio acquisitions, a hint at a new game announcement for one of Microsoft’s recently acquired studios may have been completely glanced over.

During an interview at Microsoft’s X018 FanFest, executive Vice President of Gaming at Microsoft, Phil Spencer, mentioned that we would be hearing about one of Ninja Theory’s next projects “next year”.

Spencer, who participated in an interview session with Inside Xbox host Julia Hardy, covered a variety of topics, including some of the studio announcements fans could expect that day. When broached on the subject, Spencer began using Ninja Theory as an example, saying that the company focuses on finding a “cultural fit” for those at Microsoft Studios. He then followed up with a juicy tidbit that fans of the British studio may have missed, saying “It’s really fun to not only see what Ninja Theory has done in the past, but to look forward to next year and things that might come.”

Ninja Theory, developer of 2017’s critically acclaimed Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice, was one of five studios acquired by Microsoft this past June to bolster an ever growing lineup of exclusive developers for the team draped in green and black.

While fans wait to hear what’s next in the pipeline for the now-exclusive studio, those who didn’t play get a chance to play Hellblade will have a new avenue to do so next month. During the X018 FanFest, it was announced that the psychosis-fueled experience would be heading to Microsoft’s hit gaming subscription service, Xbox Game Pass, on December 17th, 2018.

 

For more updates regarding Ninja Theory and their upcoming projects, follow us on Twitter at @BonusAccessory, and keep it right here on Bonus Accessory.

Microsoft Studios Announces Acquisitions of Obsidian and inXile

MSStudiosX018_HERO-hero

On a day filled with a plethora of announcements within the Xbox ecosystem, arguably the biggest comes at the tail end of the X018 FanFest, where Microsoft Studios officially announced the long rumored acquisition of Obsidian Entertainment and inXile Entertainment.

 

“As part of our commitment to brining a steady stream of new, exclusive games to our fans, I’m excited to announce Microsoft’s intent to acquire two new game development studios – Obsidian Entertainment and inXile Entertainment”, Corporate VP of Microsoft Studios, Matt Booty stated in a press release right after the announcement. “It was important for us to find studio partners who have strong creative visions, a mastery of their medium and are expert world-builders. Obsidian and inXile embody all of these qualities while also bringing expertise on the PC platform and a unique RPG focus to the table”.

Obsidian Entertainment, best known for its development of Fallout: New Vegas and Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: the Sith Lords, has over 15 years of experience crafting unique and genre defining RPGs to both the console and PC market. More recently, the studio has also developed South Park: the Stick of Truth and Pillars of Eternity, two multi-platform titles that have received positive reviews.

inXile Entertainment, whose two teams in Newport Beach and New Orleans, have primarily focused on heavy RPG experiences on PC, bring a multitude of resources and industry veterans to the Microsoft family. They are best known for such titles as Wasteland 2, Torment:Tides of Numenera, Bard’s Tale IV and Wasteland 3 (which is currently in development).

The acquisition now brings a total of seven new studios to Microsoft Studios since June 2018, and the overall total to 13 studios under the company’s umbrella. Booty reiterated the common message of first party, exclusive commitment that the Xbox team has been striving to bring fans over the year. “We are committed to expanding the MicrosoftStudios franchises players already love, and investing in new, exclusive content for every type of game.”

No specific games were announced for either developer, but Obsidian’s Twitter bio does state the company is currently working on an “unannounced RPG” with publisher Private Division. No confirmation was made if the game is intended for the Xbox One or not at the time of this writing.

For all things Xbox, including updates on the ever growing list of exclusive developers for the system, follow us on Twitter at @BonusAccessory, and keep it right here on Bonus Accessory.

Xbox X018 Inside Xbox Live Update Thread

x018

Microsoft and Xbox take over Mexico City on November 10th for the X018 FanFest, and are brining a special live edition of Inside Xbox with them! Info on the event can be found below:

Time: 4 PM EST/1 PM PST

Streaming

Updates

Update 4:01 PM

  • PlayerUnknown’s BattleGround is coming to Xbox Game Pass – Twitter

Update 4:03

  • Void Bastards, from the co-creator of the Bioshock series, arrives in 2019 on Xbox One and Xbox Game Pass – Twitter

Update 4:15 PM

  • Crackdown 3 is shown with new gameplay footage, along with an updated release date of February 15th, 2019; day & date release on Game Pass – Twitter
  • Crackdown (2007) will be available for free digitally on Xbox Store until end of November.

Update 4:19 PM

  • New Battlefield V trailer is shown, detailing Xbox One X enhancements.

Update 4:25 PM

  • Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice comes to Game Pass on December 17th

Update 4:30 PM

  • New Kingdom Hearts 3 trailer is revealed, with new gameplay and story elements.

Updated 4:35 PM

  • Final Fantasy XIII and it’s expansions, along with Civilization Revolution come to the Backwards Compatibility program on November 13th.

Update 4:37 PM

  • Ori & the Blind Forest (December 20th), Ori & the Will of the Wisp (Launch), and Thief of Thieves (today) headed to Game Pass

Update 4:41 PM

  • Sea of Thieves introduces new competitive mode, the Arena; available early 2019

Update 4:52 PM

  • Jump Force gets a new gameplay trailer, and a release date of February 15th, 2019

Update 4:53 PM

  • Zedhunter Update coming to State of Decay 2. New weapons, gear, and ways to survive. Arrives November 16th.

Update 4:57 PM

  • Just Cause 4 gets new trailer and details. Drops December 4th, 2018.

Update 5:12 PM

  • Aftercharge, Supermarket Shriek, and Kingdom Two Crowns are coming to Game Pass.

Update 5:18 PM

  • Minecraft announces new update, Cats & Pandas. No release date, “Coming Soon”

Update 5:19 PM

  • Devil May Cry 5 gets some one on one time with fans, with some new gameplay footage detailing the new “Void Mode”, various attacks, defenses and more.

Update 5:26 PM

  • A sneak peak is shown of Shadow of the Tomb Raider’s first DLC titled “the Forge”. A new challenge tomb, that fans can play both in solo or co-op modes, a new score attack mode, time attack mode, along with a new grenadier skill, Brocken outfit and Umbrage 3-80 weapon highlight the content pack. Available November 13th, 2018.

Update 5:27 PM

  • Pathologic 2, Secret Neighbor, the Good Life and Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden are being added to Game Pass.

Update 5:31 PM

  • Metro Exodus gets a new trailer revealed, along with a new Spartan Collector’s Edition, that includes a 30.5″ Resin statue, “Artyom’s Memories” collectible postcards, authentic Spartan Order dog tag and patches, gigantic metal sealed canister, and is purchasable with or without Aurora limited edition; available when the game releases February 22nd, 2019.

Update 5:32 PM

  • Razer and Xbox announce partnership to bring wireless mechanical keyboard and mouse, designed from the ground up specifically with the Xbox One family of consoles in mind. More details will be released in January by Razer at CES 2019.

Update 5:37 PM

  • Forza Horizon 4 gets DLC update, Fortune Island; labeled “largest, most extreme location ever seen in a Horizon game”. Available December 13th, 2018.
  • Ken Block’s GymkhanaTen vehicles hit Horizon 4 come to Horizon 4; 2016 Ford Focus RS RX, 1977 Ford D150 Hoonitruck available now; 1991 Ford Escort Cosworth Group A, 2017 Ford Fiesta ST, 1965 Ford Hoonicorn Mustang coming soon.

Update 5:39 PM

  • ID@Xbox boasts 1,000 games now available on Xbox One platforms; over 4 billion hours of gameplay. Winter event coming in December.

Update 5:42 PM

  • MXGP 3, Agents of Mayhem, and thomas was alone hitting Game Pass on November 22nd.

Update 5:55 PM

  • Obsidian Entertainment and inXile officially acquired by Microsoft as first party studios, aimed to develop exclusive titles for the Xbox family of systems.

 

Show concluded at 6 PM EST. Stay tuned for a detailed write up on the press conference as a whole within the next 24 hours.

 

For more on X018, and all things Xbox, be sure to follow us on Twitter at @BonusAccessory, and keep it locked in at Bonus Accessory.

Sony’s Revenue Increased 40% Year Over Year, Highest Among Top Gaming Companies

playstation-top-mainvisual-20171002-pc

In a console generation dominated by the Sony’s forth home console, the PlayStation 4, it doesn’t come as a shock to learn that the Japanese tech giant has continued to increase revenue consistently; but the new financial findings reveal they are having one of their best years to date currently.

According to a market analysis done on the gaming industry, Sony’s revenue has increased 40% year over year, with the company generating a estimated $6.1 billion this fiscal year comparative to $4.4 billion in 2017. This gives them to highest percentage in revenue growth out of the top 10 gaming companies listed.

With their continued ability to lock in large AAA third party games to exclusive marketing and timed content right (such as the critically acclaimed Red Dead Redemption 2), it is easy to see how Sony and the PlayStation brand are able to continue to appeal to a broad casual audience; not to mention the continuous wave of exclusive first party hits that have landed in 2018, including Game of the Year front runner in many critics’ eyes, God of War.

While Sony may be the front runner in terms of greatest growth, its competitors have found great financial success over the last year as well. Nintendo, riding a stellar wave of critical and financial success due to their newest home hybrid console, Nintendo Switch, increased revenue by 20%, from $1.2 billion in 2017 $1.5 billion in 2018. Nintendo has rarely discounted both their first party games and hardware over the past year, which would result in a higher revenue per unit sold.

Microsoft also saw success from 2017 to 2018, including the release of their mid-generation console iteration, the Xbox One X, which helped in increasing their revenue an estimated 30% ($3.7 billion in 2017 to $4.4 billion in 2018). On top of that, their staple Xbox Live service, the new game service Game Pass, and continued strong sales of third party titles, the American based company continues to make strides to position themselves well for the future.

The Chinese gaming publisher and developer, Tencent, led all of gaming, due to their increasing stranglehold over the Chinese gaming market, along with a multitude of other investments in different sects of media. Tencent increased their revenue nearly 20%, from $8.5 billion in 2017, to a staggering 10.2 billion in 2018.

 

For all things gaming, including updated market analysis on gaming, follow us on Twitter at @BonusAccessory, and keep it right here on Bonus Accessory.

Microsoft, Xbox Release Free In-Game Items for Sea of Thieves, Forza Horizon 4, at X018

Screen Shot 2018-11-08 at 9.43.12 AM

Yesterday, Director of Programming for Xbox Live Larry “Major Nelson” Hryb released a press article siting ways fans can watch the upcoming live edition of Inside Xbox from X018 FanFest in Mexico City this Saturday. While available on a multitude of platforms, including YouTube, Twitch, Facebook, and Twitter, Hryb promised fans who watched through Microsoft’s Mixer streaming service the chance to receive free in-game items for Sea of Thieves and Forza Horizon 4, and we now know what kind of goodies we are receiving.

In a tweet released yesterday, Mixer touted the ability to receiving one of a kind in-game items for the two Microsoft exclusive titles. “Tune into a very special episode of #InsideXbox LIVE from #Z018! Make sure you’re logged in to get an exclusive MixPot featuring in-game content for Sea of Thieves and Forza Horizon 4 – and, be there live for all the latest announcements!”

 

Sea of Thieves’ official Twitter account plunged into more detail on the in-game items you can received by watching the show through Mixer, including an Obsidian drum and spyglass. “Another reason to tune in to the X018 episode of Inside Xbox on Saturday: you’ll receive the Obsidian drum and spyglass if you watch via mixer.com/xbox!”

The Forza team at Playground Games have yet to release a social media post detailing the exact item(s) you can receive, but from the original tweet, we can see pictured a black shirt for your in-game character, with yellow trim and lettering, stating “Welcome to the Horizon Festival”.

Microsoft’s newly revamped X018 FanFast is set to take place in Mexico City starting Friday, November 9th and going through Sunday, Sunday November 11th. Events include the FanFest pre-party Friday night, the full FanFest Saturday, and concluding on Sunday with an ESports Extravaganza. For information regarding dates, times and options to watch, visit the official Xbox site.

For updates on the X018 FanFest this weekend, including all game announcements, be to sure to follow us on @BonusAccessory and be sure to keep it right here at BonusAccessory.

Red Dead Redemption 2 Sold 17 Million Copies in 12 Days

red_dead_redemption_2_trailer_3_screencap_25_1920.0

Rockstar’s newest and highly anticipated entry into its wild west-based series, Red Dead Redemption 2, launched on October 26th, and to no one’s surprise, a lot of gamers saddled up to retailers to buy it.

Per their most recent financial reports, in its first 12 days of release, Red Dead Redemption 2 has sold an estimated 17 million copies across both PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, Take-Two Interactive announced today. The western adventure’s massive commercial success lead to the game setting the record for biggest opening weekend in retail sales for an entertainment product, with over $725 million in sales.

The company also touted a multitude of other accolades in relation to the game’s release. The sequel to the 2010 fan favorite set the biggest entertainment launch of 2018, was the most pre-ordered full game ever on the PlayStation Network Store, along with the biggest day one full game sales ever on the PlayStation Network Store. It also sold more units in its first eight days than the original blockbuster, 2010’s Red Dead Redemption, did in its first eight years.

RDR2_Covered-blood-720x405

Red Dead Redemption 2 has received critical acclaim from the vast majority of major entertainment outlets, including the Washington Post writing that it is “jaw dropping at every level”. The Hollywood Reporter also stated “What Rockstar has delivered in Red Dead Redemption 2 is not just the best game of the year, but the best game of the decade.” Right now, the game holds a MetaCritic score of 97.

For more information on Red Dead Redemption 2, make sure to follow us on Twitter @BonusAccessory and keep it right here at Bonus Accessory.

Grand Theft Auto 5 Passes 100 Million Units Shipped

gta trio

In the world of gaming, not many can rival the success that Rockstar Games has amassed over the past few decades, and today they hit another major milestone in regards to their biggest franchise.

During a conference call today, Take Two Interactive, Rockstar’s parent company, announced that Grand Theft Auto 5 has now shipped more than 100 million units worldwide. To contextualize the importance of this milestone, that’s greater than Grand Theft Auto 3, Vice City, San Andres and 4 combined.

gta

The original base game released in 2013 on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, selling 11.21 million copies and generating more than $800 million in world wide sales in its first 24 hours of release. Following the release of the base game, the new online multiplayer mode “GTA Online” was added as a free update on October 1st, 2013, catapulting the game into one of the most popular multiplayer games in the world, with content still being released to this day. After multiple re-releases on the Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC, it was reported this past April that the game has now generated over $6 billion world wide, making it one of the most profitable entertainment products of all time.

A sixth installment in the series is all but inevitable, but has to be confirmed by Rockstar. It was rumored that in March 2016, the newest entry in the series entered production, with the setting to take place in the United States again, but all is considered speculation. A few weeks ago, Rockstar co-founder Dan Houser stated in an interview with GQ that Grand Theft Auto 6 would be difficult to make in today’s current political climate. “It is scary but also strange, and yet both of them (liberals and conservatives) seem occasionally to veer toward the absurd. It’s hard to satire for those reasons. Some of the stuff you see is straightforwardly beyond satire. It would be out of date within two minutes, everything is changing so fast.”

For more information on all things Rockstar Games, including Grand Theft Auto, follow us on Twitter at @BonusAccessory and keep it right here at Bonus Accessory.

Inside Xbox Set to Air Live from X018 FanFest in Mexico City; Big Surprises Promised

Inside-Xbox

There’s a lot to be excited about in the world of Microsoft and Xbox recently, and the company is looking to continue that momentum heading into their X018 FanFest in Mexico City with a special live edition of Inside Xbox.

Larry Hryb (known as his gamer tag “Major Nelson” by many of the Xbox faithful), the Director of Programming for Xbox Live, released a statement this morning via his website about the X018 FanFest happening this weekend in Mexico City, along with some details on the live edition of the Inside Xbox show emanating from there. The show is set to broadcast on November 10th at 4 PM ET/1 PM PT, and is expected to last around two hours. The special will be streamed live via Mixer, Twitch, YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter.

Hryb stated “We’ll be celebrating an incredible holiday season for gamers with our biggest episode of Inside Xbox yet, including news, interviews, great deals, and much more. Guests include Head of Xbox Phil Spencer, Head of Microsoft Studios Matt Booty, Minecraft Studio Head Helen Chiang and many, many more.” “Of course, we’ve got a couple big surprises up our sleeves”, he continues.

In terms of games stated to be there include Crackdown 3, Minecraft, Seas of Thieves, State of Decay 2, Forza Horizon 4. Spencer also states that “of course, we’ll have a surprise or two as well”. The Xbox executive also touched on the very successful game subscription service, Xbox Game Pass, stating that “over a dozen game announcements” for the service will be made.

As mentioned earlier, the show will streamed live via Mixer, the Microsoft owned streaming platform; and fans who watch via Mixer will have the opportunity to snag some free goodies. If fans log into their Microsoft account while watching the stream on Mixer, they will receive in-game items for Microsoft exclusive titles such as Sea of Thieves and Forza Horizon 4.

Microsoft and the Xbox team have continued to make superb strides in righting their ship in the second half of the current console generation, with gamer focused moves like Game Pass and backwards compatibility.

It is important to keep expectations in check, but it looks to be an exciting weekend for both the team at Xbox and their fans alike. For more info on the X018 FanFest this weekend, be sure to follow us on Twitter at @BonusAccessory.