This week in gaming was all about new game announcements (Xbox and Ubisift showcases), Xbox hardware speculation, Call of Duty file size (again), a major franchise releases on iPad (the next big mobile gaming platform?), a fan favourite villain returning to Street Fighter and Xbox’s multiplatform strategy paying dividends.
Xbox Showcase Reignites Excitement for the Platform
Microsoft’s Xbox showcase over the weekend was a resounding success, delivering the most impressive and hype-inducing presentation the company has put together in years. You can read our breakdown of it here.
After a period of layoffs, studio closures, and the controversial decision to bring some Xbox exclusives to PlayStation 5, fans were understandably concerned about the future of the platform. However, Sunday’s showcase effectively quelled those fears and reignited excitement for what’s to come.
The showcase kicked off with a bang as Xbox chief Phil Spencer unveiled Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, solidifying Xbox’s position as the new home for the blockbuster Call of Duty franchise. (where are the rest of the COD campaigns on Game Pass?) COD was revealed in its own stand alone event (and later in the week revealed to not actually require a 300GB download!!), but the main event impressed with a slew of new game reveals and extended gameplay demonstrations.
Standout Titles That Stole the Show
While the entire showcase was packed with compelling content, three titles stood out as particularly noteworthy and generated immense buzz among attendees and viewers:
Perfect Dark
The big surprise of the event wasnt one many people predicted. In fact id bet it wasnt on anyones Summer Showcase Bingo card. The lnext installment of the Perfect Dark franchise was finally unveiled, promising a thrilling new entry in the iconic spy-fi series. Fans were treated to an extended gameplay demo that showcased the game’s stunning visuals, intense action sequences, and intriguing narrative hooks.
Fable
Another beloved franchise made a triumphant return as the next mainline Fable game was revealed. The brief teaser trailer captured the whimsical and charming essence of the series while hinting at an ambitious, open-world adventure filled with magic, monsters, and memorable characters.
Gears of War: E-Day
Rounding out the standout titles was Gears of War: E-Day, a prequel entry in the iconic third-person shooter series. The brief trailer showed the return (sort of) of Marcus Fenix in a fight with a Locust on E-Day. The familiar piano strains of Mad World underscore the action in a call back to the promos for the original game. Needless to say the return of a classic character, in a classic setting, against the classic enemy has nostalgia pumping and everyone is suitably hyped. Its also worth pointing out that the trailer was rendered entirely with in game assets and engine, which points to players being in for a visual treat when the game is finally released (no details on a date for this yet)
The one duff note for the entire event appears to be Dragon age with players concerned about style, tone and gameplay being a departure from previous titles.
There are so many opinions, fears, speculation and the like online but the general reaction we have seen is perhaps best summed in this tweet by Youtuber The Act Man!
Ubisoft Look Forward
Youve almost got to feel sorry for Ubisoft (not really but ya know!). Its been a while since Xbox had a showcase this coming on to the stage after them must have felt like a homerun. But when Xbox hit it out of the park with multiple AAA releases for much loved and longed for franchises, Ubisofts offerings ended up looking threadbare, with many wondering why they needed an entire event to announce what they did.
Not that what they announced was bad….there just wasnt much of it.
Star Wars Outlaws
The oustanding annoucement of the event was of course Star Wars Outlaws. The game is described as “the first-ever open world Star Wars™ game, set between the events of The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi” however the last few gameplay trailers have revealed several sections that appear to be very linear, including what we assume to be fast travel sections which are entirely pre rendered custscenes. We live in hope however as there are flashes of open world exploration and a variety of missions you appear to be able to tackle in any order you choose. The game launches at the end of next month so we dont have long to wait to find out how this game stands up.
Sony dominated by Microsoft on their own platform
As reported by Windows Central the release of Sea of Thieves is going swimmingly with the game topping the sales charts
Sea of Thieves tops the charts on PlayStation 5 in both North America and Europe after recently launching on that platform.This success increases the likelihood that Microsoft will bring more of its Xbox games to PlayStation in the future, as promised by Xbox head Phil Spencer.
Other Microsoft games like Minecraft, Grounded, Fallout 4, and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 also performed well on the PlayStation charts. However, there are concerns that if too many Xbox games come to PlayStation, it could diminish the value proposition of owning an Xbox console over time. Although if the Xbox Summer Showcase was anything to go by the Xbox platform is in rude health and will be a major player in the gaming industry for many years to come.
Assassins creed launches on Ipad
Assassin’s Creed has launched on iPad and youd honestly be hard pressed to see the difference between it and its full console release breatheren. It will be interesting to see how well it sells but if casual players embrace this kind of release it could hail the beginnings of a shift in what “mobile” and “handheld” gaming actually means.
Xbox update is live
Xbox announced their Check out the full post here for all the details but some highlights include:
Console Updates
- Personalize home backgrounds by mixing dynamic and game art backgrounds
- Adjust dynamic background color separately from profile color
- Connect to up to 10 remembered wireless networks easily
- Manage Xbox subscriptions directly from console settings
- Some experimental new features like improved search, Game Pass layout changes
Controller Updates
- Firmware update with expanded accessory support for Xbox Adaptive Controller
- Improved wireless connectivity for Xbox Elite Controller Series 2 with headsets
- General bug fixes and improvements
PC Gaming Updates
- New Game Pass sub-navigation menu now available to all, with access to Xbox, EA Play, and Riot games
- Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 coming to Game Pass on day one later this year
Bison is Back
Bison is returnng to Street Fighter as part of the Season 2 pass for Street Figher 6. Not a massive piece of news but given Street Fighters place in gaming history the return of the ultimate villain is news worthy to us.
Twice the bits 
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