Tag: Halo

Halo Infinite May Have RPG Elements Suggests New 343 Industries Job Listing

At Microsoft’s E3 press conference in June 2018, Halo fans were treated to a small look at the newest entry in the tech giant’s flagship franchise, Halo Infinite. While much of the game is still shrouded in mystery, a recent job listing on Microsoft’s career portal give some hints at a new element to gameplay that players could expect to see.

The listing, which was posted yesterday on Microsoft’s public job board, is for a Senior Systems Designer position within Microsoft Game’s 343 Industries Studio. Digging deeper into the description, 343 states the position will be focusing on ‘our next epic, system-driven Halo Campaign. Halo Infinite‘s campaign seems to be the focal point of the position, as the job will ‘manage, architect, document, and help drive systemic gameplay within our Campaign experience’.

What makes the new listing even more interesting, is the qualifications needed for the position. While many requirements are pretty cut & dry, and to be expected for a position of this level including 7+ years of senior design capacity on AAA titles and working knowledge of industry standard game engines, design toolsets and scripting languages, one aspect does stick out. The studio specifically asks for familiarity with ‘RPG and Shooter game mechanics.’ With the success of games like Destiny, could we possibly see customization and weapon-based skills/attributes be incorporated into the Halo ecosystem?

While it is unknown this is specifically the direction we see the game take, 343 Industries have gone on record stating their commitment on the campaign and narrative attached to it; emphasizing the focus on Infinite being Master Chief’s story.

Recently, Dan Chosich, Narrative Experience Director on Halo Infinite, sat down with Brian Jarrad, the studio’s Community Lead, to discuss the making of the E3 trailer. While the presentation did not give any specific details about the game that weren’t truly unknown, it is a great watch for any Halo fans wanting to scratch that Infinite itch until more details drop.

For updates on all things Halo, follow us on Twitter and Facebook, and keep it locked in at Bonus Accessory.

Behind the Scenes Look of Halo Infinite’s E3 Trailer Announced for December 12th Stream

Halo fans lost their collective mind when 343 Industries gave them a taste of what they’ve been working on at E3 2018, with a first look at Halo Infinite. While the development team behind the iconic Xbox staple have been quiet on the matter since then, it looks like fans will have a chance to peek behind the curtain on how the trailer was made.

In a tweet from the series official account, the development team announced that viewers of their December 12th stream on Mixer will get a special behind the scenes look at how the E3 reveal trailer for Halo Infinite was made. This will be the first time the Infinite team at 343 Industries has gone on camera to talk about the game. The few minor updates given since the game’s reveal have all come in the form of short blog posts.

It’s highly unlikely the team is set to announce any new details surrounding the series, but having the company start to show more of the development process of the game in any fashion is exciting. No release date is currently set for Halo Infinite.

Fans can watch the stream tomorrow (December 12th) starting at 4:30 PM EST/1:30 PM PST at Halo’s Mixer channel.

For updates regarding the Halo series, including the highly anticipated Halo Infinite, follow us on Twitter and Facebook, and keep it locked in at Bonus Accessory.

Phil Spencer: “We have million of subscribers on Game Pass today”

While Microsoft made a few missteps at the beginning of the current console generation, the Xbox team has made tremendous strides in regaining gamers, by continuously making decisions with gamers in mind. One of those decisions being the subscription service, Xbox Game Pass in June 2017, and it sounds like its popularity is at an all time high.

In a recent interview with LevelUp, Phil Spencer, Executive VP of Gaming at Microsoft, declared that Game Pass now has ‘millions’ of subscribers currently. When talking on where the focus of the subscription service is, Spencer focused on it being just another option for gamers, and the traditional form of purchasing games won’t be replaced by it. “I think it’s about choice for gamers. We are seeing incredible growth with Game Pass, we have millions of subscribers today. But also, every game that is in Game Pass, you can buy that game.”

Since Game Pass launched in June 2017, the subscription service has amassed 236 games to its library, including over 170 Xbox One games, and in January 2018, the company announced that Xbox exclusives will launch day and date on Game Pass. Through multiple bundles and specials, the service is becoming a household name for those in the Xbox ecosystem, but to Spenser, it all comes down to what is best for the gamer. “I love the idea that if you want to go build your library of games through purchasing games, that’s a great thing and it’s incredibly healthy and growing right now (speaking on games sales). If you want to go build your library through the month subscription , I think that’s also a great way and I love the fact that as a gamer, you have that choice on our platform.”

This past weekend, Microsoft and the team at Xbox took over Mexico City for the newly invigorated X018 Fan Fest, where multiple game additions to Game Pass were announced, including the popular battle-royale shooter PlayUnknown’s BattleGrounds. “Games that go into Game Pass are seeing huge uplift in the number of players that are playing those games, so you get gamers playing more diverse kinds of games. That’s so healthy for us, for the industry”, Spencer noted.

Right now, new subscribers to Game Pass can get their first month for $1. For more information on current offers and a complete list of games included in the service, please visit Game Pass‘s official website.

 

For more updates on Game Pass, including game additions, be sure to follow us on Twitter at @BonusAccessory, and keep it locked in at Bonus Accessory.

Microsoft Studios Announces Acquisitions of Obsidian and inXile

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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

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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.

Breaking: Prima Games Shutting Down by 2019

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Another unfortunate casualty in print games media has come to the end of its road. As first reported by EGM Now, the long-running and successful Prima Games will cease operations by the end of Spring 2019.

In what was described as an “extremely difficult decision”, the Dorling Kindersley division of Penguin Random revealed to sources close to EGM yesterday that they will discontinue the Prima Games printing by March 2019. All offices of Prima Games, which include Roseville, Indianapolis, and New York will be affected by the ceasing of the division.

While the company is still taking preorders on guides, even dated for February 2019, the company is expected to begin closing doors as soon as this month, starting with the Roseville location. Groups of employees based out of the Indianapolis offices are reported to stay on until the end of March 2019, while the timetable for the New York office remains unknown.

Prima Games was founded in founded in 1990 by Ben Dominitz, and grew to be one of the premiere publishers for gaming print publications, with their most popular being the gaming strategy guides they produced. Prima has been attached to some of the biggest franchises in the gaming industry, including the Legend of Zelda, Super Mario Bros, God of War, and Assassin’s Creed to name a few. The company has produced over 1,400 titles and has stated to have over 90 million strategy guides in print.

For updates on the future of Prima Games, please follow us on Twitter at @BonusAccessory, and keep it right here at Bonus Accessory.

Esports Arena Partners with Walmart, Bringing LAN Stations In-Store, New Line of PCs/Laptops

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eSports is a sect of gaming that continues to rapidly grow, and it may be getting exposure to an even broader audience very soon. Esports Arena, a Santa Ana, California based company who has a chain of state of the art, large, indoor facilities focused on holding eSports events has partnered with the popular retailer Walmart to bring a multitude of services and products both in store and online.

 

In a video released on both the company’s YouTube and Twitter accounts, Esports Arena COO Tyler Endres, said that the company’s partnership with Walmart was two fold; the first would be bringing miniature eSports “arenas” to Walmart stores, while the second part would entail releasing a new line affordable yet power gaming PCs/laptops exclusively through Walmart’s online storefront. “We are super pumped from Esports Arena to bring the esports experience to the Walmart shopper, to the everyday customer, and it allows us to expand rapidly.”

Endres continued, by saying “About a year ago, Walmart came over to the Esports Arena in Orange County (CA), and we had a long conversation about bringing the esports gaming experience to Walmart shopper”. Those conversations lead to the announcement of Epsorts Arena opening up LAN gaming centers within five Walmart locations, including three locations opening this week in Roseville, CA, Colorado Springs, CO, and Spokane Valley, WA. “Each one of the locations will have about 25 stations inside. They’ll all be connected to each other, so basically you could compete in Roseville, CA and you could compete with our original Esports Arena in Orange County; or you could compete against a brand new arena in Colorado Springs, CO.”

Walmart.com will also be the exclusive home to Esports Arena’s new line of gaming PCs & laptops, titled Over Powered or “OP” for short. “We started developing this concept about a year ago, and I’m a PC gamer myself, we have PC gamers who work here, they build esports arenas; we know what PC gaming needs. That is why we created this brand” Endres proudly expressed. The line includes three different models of pre-built gaming PC towers, along with three different models of gaming laptops as well, with the latter all including 144hz monitors.

Esports Arena plans to continue rolling out the Esports Arena centers in the remaining two locations, which weren’t disclosed, through the end of 2018 and into 2019, with hopes of expanding the program to even more locations as time goes on.

For updates on Esports Arenas new partnership with Walmart, along with everything else esports related, make sure to follow us on Twitter at @BonusAccessory and keep it locked in right here at Bonus Accessory.

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

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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.

Deals of the Day: Best Buy’s Black Friday Ad Released

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Believe it or not, Thanksgiving (US) is two weeks from today. Pretty soon you’re going to blink and it’s going to be Christmas. Time passes us by too fast, but I digress.

With Black Friday bleeding into Thanksgiving more and more every year, retailers are pushing out their ads for the massive sales as soon as they can, and one of the first to do so is Best Buy.

Best Buy is always a fan favorite to shop at on Black Friday, due to their selection of tech-related items on sale, which includes many popular video games and systems. Below are some hot ticket items to keep an eye on as you plan your budget for the biggest shopping day of the year:

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  • PlayStation 4 Slim 1 TB Bundle w/ Marvel’s Spider-Man – $199.99
  • PlayStation VR CREED/SuperHot VR Bundle – $249.99
  • PlayStation VR Astro Bot/Moss Bundle – $199.99
  • PS+ 12 Month Membership – $39.99
  • PS4 Dual Shock Controllers – $39.99
  • FIFA 19 – $29.99
  • Madden 19 – $29.99
  • Detroit: Become Human – $19.99
  • Monster Hunter: World – $19.99
  • MLB the Show 19 – $19.99
  • Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age Edition of Light – $29.99
  • God of War – $24.99
  • Call of Duty: WWII Gold Edition – $24.99
  • Red Dead Redemption 2 (w/ free shot glass) – $59.99
  • Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 – $44.99
  • Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered – $14.99
  • Star Wars Battlefront 2 – $7.99
  • L.A. Noire – $14.99
  • Borderlands: The Handsome Collection – $14.99
  • Burnout Paradise Remastered – $9.99
  • Watch Dogs 2 – $14.99
  • DOOM VFR – $14.99
  • Assassin’s Creed: The Ezio Collection – $14.99
  • The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim VR – $29.99
  • NHL 19 – $29.99
  • Overwatch Legendary Edition Holiday Bundle – $29.99
  • NASCAR Heat 3 – $29.99
  • Vampyr – $29.99
  • For Honor: Marching Fire Edition – $29.99
  • Naruto to Boruto: Shinobi Striker – $29.99
  • PES 2019: Pro Evolution Soccer – $29.99
  • F1 2018 – $29.99
  • Destiny 2: Forsaken Legendary Collection – $34.99
  • Diablo III: Eternal Collection – $19.99
  • Final Fantasy XV Royal Edition – $19.99
  • The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition – $19.99
  • Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection – $19.99
  • Resident Evil 7 Biohazard Gold Edition – $19.99
  • The Crew 2 – $19.99
  • Nier: Automata – $19.99
  • Dragon Ball FighterZ – $19.99

 

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  • Nintendo Switch Super Mario Kart Deluxe Bundle – $299.99
  • Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle – $19.99
  • Rocket League Ultimate Edition – $19.99
  • Dragon Ball FighterZ – $29.99
  • Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy – $24.99
  • Just Dance 2019 – $24.99
  • Mega Man X Legacy Collection 1+2 – $24.99
  • Legendary Fishing – $14.99
  • Tennis World Tour – $29.99
  • Overcooked! 2 – $29.99
  • Hello Neighbor – $29.99
  • Hasbro Game Night – $24.99
  • LEGO The Incredibles – $19.99
  • Namco Museum Arcade Pac – $19.99
  • Super Bomberman R – $19.99
  • Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate – $34.99
  • Sushi Striker: The Way of Sushido – $34.99
  • Fire Emblem Warriors – $34.99
  • Megan Man Legacy Collection 1+2 – $24.99
  • Sports Party – $19.99
  • Carnival Games – $24.99
  • America’s Greatest Game Shows: Wheel of Fortune & Jeopardy – $19.99

 

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  • Xbox One X 1TB Gold Rush Special Edition Battlefield V Bundle/ Extra Controller – $429.99
  • Xbox One S 1TB Minecraft Creators Bundle – $199.99
  • NBA 2K19 – $29.99
  • Assassin’s Creed Odyssey – $29.99
  • Shadow of the Tomb Raider – $29.99
  • Far Cry 5 – $19.99
  • Assassin’s Creed Origins – $19.99
  • Grand Theft Auto V: Premium Online Edition – $19.99
  • Lego DC Super Villains – $29.99
  • Forza Horizon 4 – $29.99
  • WWE 2K19 – $29.99
  • Fallout 76 (w/ Vault Boy keychain) – $59.99
  • PlayerUnknown’s BattleGrounds – $14.99
  • Red Dead Redemption: Game of the Year Edition – $9.99
  • State of Decay 2 – $14.99
  • Fallout 4: Game of the Year Edition – $24.99
  • SoulCalibur VI – $34.99
  • UFC 3 – $24.99
  • Sea of Thieves – $24.99
  • NBA Live 19 – $19.99
  • The Sims 4 – $19.99
  • Injustice 2 Legendary Edition – $19.99
  • Middle-Earth: Shadow of War Definitive Edition – $19.99

 

For more updates of Black Friday gaming deals, be sure to follow us on Twitter @BonusAccessory and keep it right here on BonusAccessory.

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

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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.