Can Xbox Game Studios acquire more developers?

The European Commission (EC), that approved Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard, is one of the regulators who has decided to define game markets by genre. As explained by ResetEra user Idas (via Wccftech), in layman’s terms this means that should Microsoft attempt to acquire another shooter or RPG studio despite having acquired a number of them via ZeniMax and Activision Blizzard, it could face opposition from EC.

It’s worth noting that EC previously refused to define the video game market by genre when approving Microsoft’s acquisition of ZeniMax Media. According to Idas, the Chilean regulator has also adopted similar market definitions.

“The Advisory Committee agrees with the conclusions reached by the Commission in the draft decision in relation to the definition of the relevant product markets for development and publishing of video games segmented by platform (PC, console, mobile), by types of video game (AAA games vs. non-AAA games) and by genre (action and adventure, shooter/battle royale, role-playing games, sports, racing, fighting, and strategy),” reads the document in question from EC dated May 2023.

This move may also have implications for Sony. However, PlayStation has not made an acquisition as big as ZeniMax or Activision Blizzard.

The post Microsoft May Have Trouble Acquiring More Shooter and RPG Studios appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.

Final Fantasy 16 sales should be seen relative to PS5 install base

In a statement to IGN, Square Enix said that FF16 has performed well considering the PS5’s install base — echoing what many have pointed out in response to sales comparisons with past titles.

“Taking into consideration the sales figures of the acclaimed Final Fantasy 7 Remake and the difference in size of the install base of the PlayStation 4 at the time of this title’s release, we can see that the attach rate of Final Fantasy 16 is considerably high, given the PS5 install base,” Square Enix said, adding that it considers FF16’s initial results to be “extremely strong.” The company also said that it will “continue to carry out a wide range of initiatives” to encourage more people to play the game.

Square Enix has earned a reputation for openly expressing its disappointment with game sales. The company said as much with reference to the popular Tomb Raider (2013) reboot among numerous other titles. Earlier this year, Square Enix admitted that Forspoken has flopped. In light of this, we’ll take the official word on FF16 sales over a random Twitter profile’s.

The post Final Fantasy 16 Sales Are ‘Extremely Strong,’ Says Square Enix appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.

PS5 Slim might end up having “just slightly different dimensions”

Henderson claims to have seen prototypes of the revised PS5, and based on what he’s seen, he thinks the new hardware will only feature “slightly different dimensions” at best. Dev kits of the new PS5 model reportedly made their way to game developers earlier this year.

As far as a release date is concerned, Henderson stands by his report that the revised PS5 will be out in September, so a reveal is expected soon. “I’m inclined to believe it will just be called a PS5 and branded as an improved model,” Henderson wrote, doubling down on his claim that the new PS5 will completely replace the launch model.

Earlier this month, PS5 consoles were discounted across Europe and a number of countries in other regions, leading to speculations that Sony was making room for the revised model.

The post Rumored PS5 Slim Might Not Be ‘Slim’ After All appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.

Spider-Man 2 pushes traversal speed on PS5

Over on the PS Blog, senior game director Ryan Smith said that Insomniac utilized the PS5’s “power and speed” to bring something people have seen in the comics and movies to the game.

“Swinging is the core of our Spider-Man traversal, so we designed the Web Wings to work with swinging and complement it,” Smith explained. “That way you can weave back and forth between the two to build up speed and height.”

Using Web Wings in conjunction with wind tunnels is one way for players to go across the map “super-fast and really push the speed of traversal.” Ryan added that this was one of Insomniac’s goals and the team is excited for players to try the Web Wings out.

“Thanks to the power and speed of the PS5, Web Wings add another layer to our traversal system and change up how you look at getting around the different parts of the city,” Ryan concluded.

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What is Antstream and its expected PS5 release date?

Antstream is a streaming service that currently boasts over 1400 officially licensed retro titles from the PlayStation, SNES, Sega, Atari, and Arcade, among other classic platforms. The service adds titles on an ongoing basis, supports cloud saves, records high scores online, and comes with a ‘resume play’ feature. Players can also enter tournaments and challenge each others’ high scores.

As for when Antstream might launch on PS5, Rouse told Xbox Expansion Pass that Antstream is timed exclusive to Xbox for up to eight months. When asked if PlayStation and Nintendo players can expect Antstream on their platforms, Rouse said, “I think so… probably not for another 6-8 months.”

“We want it [Antstream] everywhere,” he added. “We don’t know where you’re going to be in five years, so if we have have it on the device that you’re playing on in five years’ time, that’s brilliant.” Rouse added that all of players’ data should carry over to whatever platform they choose to play on in the future.

The post Retro Cloud Gaming Service Antstream Might Come to PS5 appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.

Gundam Evolution will shut down in November 2023

Gundam Evolution’s servers will go dark on November 29, 2023. Prior to this, Bandai Namco will pull sales of EVO Coins and EC Pod Limited, and end updates to EC Pods, CAP Pods, and Ticket Pods. The sales and updates will cease next week on July 26. Those who have already purchased EVO Coins will still be able to use them after this date. There will be no refunds.

Gundam Evolution will still receive Season 6 and 7 updates in August and October, respectively. The updates will add new units and maps.

As for why Gundam Evolution is shutting down, Bandai Namco says that it can no longer provide a satisfactory experience. “We wanted to create a title that brought FPS fans and Gundam fans together,” the company said. “We challenged ourselves to create an authentic Gundam FPS game that could be played globally. Unfortunately, we have determined that it is no longer possible for us to provide a service that satisfies our players.”

The post Gundam Evolution Shutting Down a Year After Launch appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.

New King Kong game is a third-person action adventure

According to a translation of the Amazon pages found by Gematsu, which are still up at the time of this writing, Skull Island: Rise of Kong is a third-person action-adventure title that will task players with avenging the death of their parents at the hands of the “ultimate alpha predator: Gaw.” Gaw is the title for the leader of the Deathrunners, officially described as “a fictional species of dromaeosaurid dinosaurs native to Skull Island.”

Players will have to defeat “waves of primal beasts” and other enemies to become the king of Skull Island. The island itself comes with plenty of history, secrets, and various environments and landscapes to enjoy. Expect swamps, waterfalls, jungle, and even caves.

Amazon lists Skull Island: Rise of Kong’s release date as December 31, 2024, which is probably a placeholder. The game is also headed to Xbox One and Series X|S, and the Nintendo Switch. Its developer has not been revealed.

The post New King Kong Game Leaked, Headed to PS5 and PS4 appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.

Sony adds more blessed stability to PS5 and PS4 via system update

The minor updates come with the good ol’ trademark patch note:

• This system software update improves system performance

As usual, there’s a chance players will notice a change (or two) in due course, so we’ll keep our readers posted.

PS4 version 10.70 comes over four months after a major update. Version 10.50 was released in early March, allowing players to access authorized third-party apps and services via Settings. March’s update also improved the last-gen console’s compatibility with the PS App.

The PS5 hasn’t had a major update since March either, but did receive minor stability and improvement patches over the months. Sony’s VP of Product Management Hiromi Wakai said back in March that her team will continue to work on new features. “We are always thinking about the features that our fans might want to see and ways to make their gaming experiences on PS5 more fun, social, and connected,” she said.

The post PS5, PS4 System Software Update Released – July 20, 2023 appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.

Lawmakers urge FTC to drop Microsoft-Activision matter

The gamers’ lawsuit met its end on Tuesday when Justice Elena Kagan denied their request to block the deal. Meanwhile, a group of lawmakers have written to the Federal Trade Commission chair Lina Khan, urging her to drop the matter entirely. Despite having its request for a preliminary injunction denied, the FTC can continue to investigate the deal, seeking legal recourse later. The FTC has not responded or detailed its next steps.

In related news, Microsoft announced this morning that it has reached an agreement with Activision Blizzard to extend the deal’s deadline as it continues to negotiate remedies with U.K. regulator Competition and Markets Authority. The CMA is the only regulator who has blocked the deal outside of the U.S.

The merger is now set to close on October 18, 2023. “We’re optimistic about getting this done, and excited about bringing more games to more players everywhere,” wrote Xbox boss Phil Spencer.

The post Gamers’ Lawsuit Against Microsoft-Activision Deal Chucked Out of the Supreme Court appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.

Mission: Impossible director’s past comments about Uncharted were misconstrued

Over on Threads, McQuarrie said that Dead Reckoning Part One’s train sequence wasn’t even “remotely” influenced by Uncharted 2. He also clarified a previous comment he made that led many to believe he sought inspiration from Uncharted 3 for a plane sequence in Rogue Nation.

“I used the word [Uncharted] in the literal sense in a post years ago and have been hearing that ever since,” McQuarrie said. “Games are just something I know nothing about.”

This clarification is rather amusing since fans, and even Uncharted 3’s own lead developer, have believed for the past eight years that Rogue Nation sought inspiration from the game’s plane sequence. Justin Richmond, who directed Uncharted 3, was so flattered when McQuarry mentioned the word “uncharted” that he said it “made my month.” Turns out, McQuarry wasn’t talking about the game.

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