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After releasing a bummer of a Diablo 4 season, Blizzard swoops in with an update that fixes some of its worst issues
Blizzard Entertainment has released a patch for Diablo 4 to address player criticisms regarding the loot system in the Season of the Death Awakening. The update significantly boosts loot drops, particularly for the rare Mythic Unique items, which were previously difficult to obtain due to bugs and low drop rates. While some issues like stat randomness on Mythic Uniques remain, the patch aims to make the season less of a grind.
Compulsion Games posts call for business partners after Xbox spinoff
Compulsion Games, the studio behind South of Midnight, is seeking business partners for collaboration after its recent spinoff from Xbox. The studio, which has received multiple awards for its original IP, aims to leverage its talent and creativity for future projects. This move follows a significant restructure within Xbox, which included layoffs and the divestment of several studios.
PlayStation 6 could outsell Xbox Project Helix by roughly 10 million units before 2030, analysts predict
Analysts predict that the PlayStation 6 will significantly outsell the next Xbox console, codenamed Project Helix, by approximately 10 million units before 2030. This forecast considers current hardware costs, software availability, and the overall economic climate, with Sony's next-gen console expected to reach 17.2 million units by 2030, while the Xbox successor is projected to sell only 7.3 million.
As feared, those new Call of Duty Black Ops 1 and 2 ports are riddled with hackers, but Activision is at least doing something about it
The recently released ports of Call of Duty: Black Ops 1 and 2 for PlayStation 4 and 5 are experiencing widespread hacking and modded lobby issues, mirroring problems from their original releases. Activision has responded by disabling affected playlists and implementing server-side fixes to address negative XP and demotion exploits, with further updates promised.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 needs its own version of Black Ops 7's Classic mode or it risks sidelining its oldest and most loyal fans
The author argues that Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 should include a "Classic" mode, similar to the one introduced in Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, to cater to its long-time player base. This mode, which simplifies movement and loadouts to resemble older titles like Black Ops 2, proved highly popular and was made permanent. The article suggests that the fast-paced, advanced movement in Modern Warfare 4 risks alienating older fans who prefer a more strategic, positioning-focused multiplayer experience.
Former PlayStation head tells Xbox to either be a good publisher or make a good platform with exclusives: "Nintendo…
Former PlayStation head Shawn Layden advises Xbox to commit to either being a competitive platform with exclusive content or a major multi-platform publisher. He argues that trying to be both is a flawed strategy, citing Nintendo and PlayStation's reliance on exclusives. Layden also points to Microsoft's frequent layoffs and the confusing decision to acquire major franchises only to release them on rival platforms.
Games Inbox: Will there ever be a Nintendo Switch 2 Lite?
Readers discuss the potential for a Nintendo Switch 2 Lite, with concerns about component costs and Nintendo's future hardware strategy. The discussion also touches on the high cost of AAA game development, the future of Sony and Microsoft, and skepticism surrounding the release of The Elder Scrolls 6 and Grand Theft Auto 6.
Xbox Does Not Plan to Replace Laid-Off Roles With H-1B Visa Hires, Says Microsoft
Microsoft communications lead Frank Shaw clarified that recent layoffs at Xbox, totaling around 1,600 roles, were part of a necessary restructuring and not an effort to replace employees with H-1B visa hires. He stated that H-1B visas represent a small percentage of Microsoft's overall workforce and are not specific to Xbox. Xbox CEO Asha Sharma also confirmed the layoffs and the closure of four studios, emphasizing that the decisions do not reflect the talent of the affected employees.
Dutch consumer group suing PlayStation argues the end of physical discs just proves its point: 'Sony alone decides what a game costs and even how long you are allowed to use it'
A Dutch consumer group, Stichting Massaschade & Consument, is suing Sony for €400 million over its 30% PlayStation Store tax, arguing that the upcoming discontinuation of physical discs by 2028 will give Sony complete control over game pricing and usage. The group compares Sony's practices to those of Apple and Steam, highlighting concerns about consumer ownership and lack of alternatives.
The PlayStation physical games debacle is taking over everything Sony does — it’s the biggest tech PR disaster since Sonos’ app update, so will Sony learn the lessons that turned Sonos around?
Sony's move towards digital-only game sales is causing significant backlash from PlayStation owners concerned about cost, resale value, and true ownership, drawing parallels to Sonos' past app update disaster. The article suggests Sony could learn from Sonos' approach to rebuilding customer trust through humility and improved execution, but questions whether the company will prioritize this over its business interests, given its large customer base.
The Sunday Papers
Criterion Games, known for racing titles like Burnout and Need For Speed, is now solely focused on developing for the Battlefield series, as confirmed by studio leadership. Meanwhile, an analysis of Xbox's recent restructuring highlights the company's significant layoffs and the challenges faced by the division, drawing parallels to past industry missteps.
The Elder Scrolls Online's developer deserved better than to get sucker-punched by Microsoft twice in two years
Microsoft's recent layoffs at ZeniMax Online Studios, impacting an estimated 60% of the workforce, are criticized as cruel and short-sighted. Despite The Elder Scrolls Online's profitability and a recent positive shift in player sentiment and development strategy, the studio has faced significant workforce reductions, including the cancellation of the long-in-development Project Blackbird. This analysis argues that these cuts jeopardize the future of the MMO and the Elder Scrolls franchise's presence in the gaming landscape.
WRUP: Welcome to Gleepgurp’s Annual Whatever Awards edition
This installment of Gleepgurp's annual awards features host Feldon Snurch complaining about his long-term contract and the bizarre award categories. Staff and community members share their weekend gaming plans, including Pokemon Go, Guild Wars 2, The Elder Scrolls Online, Warframe, and Crimson Desert, while also discussing hobbies they wish they had pursued.
Microsoft responds to racist Xbox layoff conspiracy theory, says CEO Asha Sharma is 'American born, raised, and…
Microsoft's chief communications officer, Frank X. Shaw, addressed conspiracy theories claiming recent Xbox layoffs were intended to replace American workers with foreign H-1B visa holders. Shaw stated the workforce changes were due to the Xbox business's unhealthy state, not to replace employees, and clarified that H-1B figures are company-wide and represent a small percentage of the total workforce. He also emphasized that Xbox is the largest employer of American workers in the gaming industry and its CEO, Asha Sharma, is American-born.
Microsoft Refutes Notion That Foreign-Worker Visas Were Behind Mass Xbox Layoffs
Microsoft communications lead Frank X. Shaw refuted claims that foreign-worker visas were the cause of recent mass layoffs affecting 1,600 people at Xbox. Shaw stated the workforce changes were due to a necessary business restructure, not to replace employees with foreign workers, and that H-1B visa holders represent a small percentage of the overall workforce and were not specific to Xbox.
Microsoft comms lead says Xbox layoffs "were not made to replace employees with foreign workers" in response…
Microsoft communications lead Frank Shaw clarified that recent Xbox layoffs, affecting 1,600 employees initially and planned to reach 3,200, were not made to replace workers with foreign H-1B visa holders. Shaw stated the workforce changes were necessary to restructure the Xbox business, which he described as unhealthy, and emphasized that the H-1B visa figures mentioned are company-wide and not specific to Xbox. He also highlighted that Xbox is the largest employer of American workers in the gaming industry.
Xbox After The Layoffs: Studios Left And What They’re Making
Xbox has undergone significant restructuring, including layoffs and the divestment of five studios, as it aims to increase profitability and focus on major intellectual properties. This shake-up impacts numerous development teams and projects across Xbox Game Studios, Activision, Blizzard, and Bethesda, with a renewed focus on core franchises and a shift in business strategies like the exclusion of Call of Duty from Xbox Game Pass day-one launches.
Xbox needs to make a choice, says former PlayStation leader Shawn Layden: be a publisher or a platform, but you can't be both
Former PlayStation leader Shawn Layden argues that Xbox must choose between being a major game publisher or a platform holder, stating it cannot effectively be both. He highlights the need for exclusive content to support a platform, contrasting it with the multiplatform approach required for a top publisher, a dilemma exacerbated by recent Xbox layoffs and strategic shifts.
"We mean business" - Bethesda union members to march in protest of sweeping Xbox job cuts
Bethesda Game Studios union members are planning protests against recent layoffs impacting Microsoft's Xbox division. The union criticizes Microsoft's framing of the cuts and asserts their legal right to bargain over the impact of these layoffs, demanding preferential transfers, stronger severance, and recall rights for affected workers. The layoffs have reportedly caused plummeting morale and may significantly affect the development of The Elder Scrolls 6.
Can a top-down, focused software strategy save Xbox? | Opinion
Xbox has undergone significant layoffs and studio closures, impacting 20% of its workforce and five internal studios, including Compulsion Games and Double Fine. This strategic shift, led by Asha Sharma, aims to address financial issues and improve first-party development, though the article questions the effectiveness of these measures and criticizes the company's past spending and treatment of developers.
