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Xbox 360 messenger recreated on website for authentic 2000s era gamer rage
A website has been created to recreate the Xbox 360's voice messaging feature, allowing users to send short audio clips reminiscent of the 2000s online gaming era. Developed by Mike Wing, the tool mimics the original dashboard interface and muffled mic quality, enabling users to share voice messages and engage in digital gamer rage. This revival comes after Microsoft removed the original feature from its consoles.
Sony’s PC Gaming Strategy Generates $300M Revenue Over Three Years
Sony has generated $300 million in net revenue from PC games between 2021 and 2023, demonstrating the success of their strategy to bring PlayStation exclusives to the PC platform. This financial success validates their expansion beyond consoles, though some fans express concern about potential impacts on PlayStation console sales and the timing of PC releases.
NASA's Artemis II mission has left Earth's orbit
NASA's Artemis II mission has successfully departed Earth's orbit, marking the first human departure from Earth orbit since 1972. The Orion capsule, carrying astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen, completed a critical engine burn to set its course for a 10-day trip around the moon. Despite minor issues with the onboard toilet and Microsoft Outlook, the mission is proceeding as planned.
Reddit posts can be more important than data, and other lessons from maintaining Candy Crush as a forever game
Eva Ryott, King's head of live operations, discusses maintaining Candy Crush Saga as a 'forever game' by focusing on player needs and leveraging AI for content creation and workflow support. She highlights the importance of combining data-driven insights with innovation and listening to player feedback, even from platforms like Reddit, to keep the long-running mobile title engaging.
State of Decay 3 Is Back From The Dead, And You Might Be Able To Play It Soon
Undead Labs has announced an upcoming alpha test for State of Decay 3, with sign-ups now open. The zombie apocalypse survival game, first revealed in 2020, will feature four-player co-op, new base-building mechanics, and combat. The alpha playtest is scheduled to begin in May, with further testing opportunities planned throughout the year.
PlayStation To "Enhance Gameplay Visuals" With Buyout Ahead Of PS6
Sony Interactive Entertainment has acquired UK-based machine-learning company Cinemersive Labs to enhance gameplay visuals and rendering techniques. The acquired company's AI technology can transform photos into volumetric 3D experiences. This acquisition comes as Sony prepares for the next generation of PlayStation consoles and follows recent studio closures.
Gears Of War Actor's Gears 6 Fanfic Involves Marcus Fighting His Zombie Son
Liam McIntyre, the voice actor for JD Fenix in the Gears of War series, shared his fan-fiction ideas for a potential Gears 6. His concept involves a rogue Marcus Fenix fighting a zombie-fied JD, who has been revived and controlled by the Swarm, with a hope that Del Walker's survival is canon. While The Coalition is focusing on the prequel Gears of War: E-Day, McIntyre's ideas offer a glimpse into potential future storylines for the franchise.
Dead By Daylight 2? No Way, We're Not Doing That, Dev Says
Behaviour Interactive, the developer of Dead by Daylight, has stated there are no plans for a numbered sequel to the live-service horror game. Creative director Dave Richard and head of partnerships Mathieu Cote explained that a sequel would not be fair to fans who have invested time and money into the current game. The studio is considering graphical updates to leverage new hardware, but acknowledges the challenges of leaving older players behind.
Xbox FanFest Goes on Tour in 2026 for Xbox’s 25th Anniversary Celebration
Xbox is expanding its FanFest event into a global tour in 2026 to celebrate its 25th anniversary. The tour will visit multiple cities worldwide, including Los Angeles, Cologne, London, Mexico City, Seattle, Sydney, Tokyo, and Toronto, with more locations to be announced. Each stop will offer unique in-person experiences for fans to connect with the Xbox community and developers.
State of Decay 3 Alpha Starts in May With 4 Player Co-op, Base-Building and “Lots” of Combat
Undead Labs has announced that alpha playtests for State of Decay 3 will begin in May, featuring 4-player co-op, base building, and extensive combat. Franchise co-creator Brant Fitzgerald confirmed that sign-ups are open, with more opportunities planned throughout the year. Despite earlier development hurdles and rumors of a PS5 release, the game is progressing well with Unreal Engine 5.
AI Yi-Yi!
Microsoft has launched three new AI models, directly competing with OpenAI and Google. Google also announced its Gemma 4 open AI models, switching to an Apache 2.0 license. The article mentions Gemma 4 in relation to RTX technology.
An architect of GameStop's long-forgotten Steam competitor explains why he thinks Valve came out on top: 'What Steam did better than anybody else was to create a community'
Former Impulse storefront architect Larry Kuperman explains Valve's success with Steam, attributing it to superior community building and a more open platform for developers. He contrasts Steam's approach with early competitors like GameStop's Impulse and Paradox's GamersGate, highlighting Steam's ability to foster indie survival and facilitate the sale of third-party games.
If you love indie games, there’s now a subscription service for these gems
Indie.io has launched Indie Pass, a new subscription service dedicated to indie games, priced at $6.99 per month for PC. The service aims to improve discoverability for independent titles by offering over 70 games at launch, with more to be added regularly. Indie Pass pays developers based on player time and is non-exclusive, allowing studios to distribute their games on other platforms simultaneously.
Free Play Days – Find Your Assassin: The Perfect Assassin’s Creed Game Based on Your Playstyle
From April 2-6, six Assassin's Creed titles including Unity, Syndicate, Origins, Odyssey, Valhalla, and Mirage are available for free on Xbox as part of Free Play Days. The article provides recommendations based on player preference for stealth, RPG depth, or open-world exploration. All six games are also heavily discounted during the event, with progress carrying over to purchased copies.
Morning Metaverse
Amazon is reportedly in talks to acquire Globalstar, a move that would allow it to compete with SpaceX's Starlink in the satellite internet market. Separately, NASA's Artemis II crew experienced issues with Microsoft Outlook, requiring remote access from Earth to resolve.
Latin America’s High-Growth Games Market Takes Center Stage at gamescom latam 2026
gamescom latam 2026 will be held in São Paulo, Brazil, from April 29 to May 3, highlighting Latin America's rapid growth in the gaming market. The event will feature B2B sessions on investment, AI, and IP development, aiming to foster business opportunities and connect the region with the global gaming ecosystem. Major companies like Microsoft, Nintendo, and Sony Interactive Entertainment are expected to attend.
Nexon agrees to publish Overwatch in Korea
Nexon has agreed to publish Blizzard Entertainment's Overwatch in Korea, handling live service and business operations for the PC version expected this year. The partnership aims to deliver hyper-localized content and services tailored for Korean players, leveraging Nexon's expertise in the market and Blizzard's game development. This agreement follows recent unionization efforts at Blizzard and discussions around AI in game development.
Apparently you can't escape Microsoft Outlook issues even in space as Artemis II astronauts ask NASA for help with…
Astronauts on the Artemis II mission have reported issues with Microsoft Outlook, prompting them to request assistance from NASA. The problems highlight ongoing software challenges even in critical space missions. Microsoft is reportedly working on improving its native Windows applications.
Free Play Days – Assassin’s Creed Takeover 2026
Xbox is offering six Assassin's Creed titles for free during Free Play Days from April 2 to April 6, with Assassin's Creed Mirage available as a 2-hour timed trial. Several of these titles are optimized for Xbox Series X with 4K 60 FPS support. Players can purchase the games at a discount after the event and retain their progress.
Indie Pass Is a Brand New Subscription Service Just for Indies
A new subscription service called Indie Pass has launched, offering a curated collection of indie games for $6.99 per month. The service features its own launcher and promises to add new titles regularly, with a portion of fees going to creators. Currently, Indie Pass is exclusive to PC.
