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Xbox reportedly stops signing third-party Game Pass deals
Xbox has reportedly halted new third-party deals for Game Pass, with sources indicating that developers were informed of a pause in negotiations. This decision comes as new Xbox boss Asha Sharma assesses the company's strategy following significant acquisitions and a recent price increase on consoles. While the future of third-party content on Game Pass is uncertain, the service remains a key component of Xbox's business model.
Eager players are pre-ordering GTA 6 for free using 98,000 Microsoft points and one super fan says it was all only…
Some players have managed to pre-order Grand Theft Auto 6 for free by accumulating Microsoft Rewards points through activities like searching on Bing. Players utilized nearly 100,000 points, earned over several months, to cover the cost of the highly anticipated game.
80% of single-player game sales are on PS5 over Xbox reveals combined data
New data indicates that single-player game sales on PlayStation 5 significantly outperform Xbox Series X/S, with 75%-80% of global launch sales occurring on Sony's console. This trend is attributed to higher PlayStation 5 unit sales and Xbox Game Pass potentially reducing individual game purchases. While Microsoft has disputed some figures, the console sales disparity suggests a substantial market advantage for PlayStation in the single-player space.
SK Hynix, Samsung and Micron sued over allegations of "concerted anticompetitive behaviour" in DRAM market
Chip manufacturers SK Hynix, Samsung, and Micron are facing a class action lawsuit alleging concerted anticompetitive behavior in the DRAM market. Lawyers claim the companies coordinated to cut consumer DRAM supply and pivot to high-bandwidth memory for data centers, leading to significant price increases. This alleged behavior follows a history of DRAM price-fixing conspiracies between the same companies.
This week in PC games: a new King's Field-like RPG, an American Revolutionary War sim, and a dreaming megacity full of cool architecture
This week's PC game releases include a King's Field-like RPG called Forgotten Blood, an American Revolutionary War simulation, and Lullabies Made of Static, an exploration game set in a megacity. Other notable titles are the puzzler The Message from Deep Space, the fighting game Ninja Masters, and the bullet heaven game Mycofall.
It looks like PlayStation 6 is going to cost Sony about $1,000 to make, which likely means it will cost more than that at retail
A recent leak suggests that the manufacturing cost for the upcoming PlayStation 6 could reach approximately $960 per unit, significantly higher than previous estimates. This increased cost, driven by component prices, may lead to a retail price exceeding $1,000, a historically high figure for a PlayStation console. Sony has not officially announced any details regarding the PlayStation 6's launch date or pricing.
GTA 6 is being sold on eBay at a crazy price and people are actually buying it
Scalpers are reselling Grand Theft Auto 6 pre-orders on eBay at significantly inflated prices, despite regular pre-orders being widely available for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S. Listings show prices ranging from £83.99 to over £156.70, with some digital codes already sold for $120. This practice is occurring despite the game's standard and ultimate editions having reasonable prices and the physical copies containing only download codes.
Games Inbox: Is GTA 6 being hyped too much?
Readers discuss whether Grand Theft Auto 6 is receiving excessive hype, with some questioning the series' controls and the trend towards digital-only releases. The conversation also touches on rising console prices, the impact of AI on the industry, and the potential for remakes like The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.
PS6 will cost Sony £750 just for the raw materials says insider
An insider estimates the raw materials for the PlayStation 6 could cost around $960 (£730), significantly increasing the potential retail price. This surge is attributed to rising memory and hard drive costs, driven by demand for AI data centers, impacting all hardware manufacturers. Sony and Microsoft may face difficult decisions regarding console pricing and profitability.
Claims GTA 6 is selling 8 times as many copies on PS5 as Xbox "doesn't represent pre-order data", insists Microsoft
Microsoft has refuted claims that PlayStation 5 pre-orders for Grand Theft Auto 6 are eight times higher than on Xbox Series X/S, stating the data is not representative of actual pre-order figures. The company insists that it has seen record orders and advises waiting for official sales data. The article also touches on debates surrounding the lack of a disc in physical editions and the potential implications for game ownership and second-hand sales.
Sunday Tech Bits
IBM is preparing to scale its quantum computing capabilities, as reported by the Wall Street Journal. Separately, a memory crunch is posing existential threats to smaller companies, while Apple and Microsoft are also affected. The article also touches on the current state of PC hardware, particularly with an all-AMD focus.
Game Pass Adds A Fan Favourite As Eight Games Prepare To Leave
Xbox Game Pass is adding RV There Yet? and Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 + 4 to its library across various tiers, including PC Game Pass and Game Pass Ultimate. However, eight games, including Rise of the Tomb Raider and Slay the Spire, will be removed from the service on June 30th.
Why Modern Xbox Players Spend More Time in Menus Than Games
Modern Xbox consoles are criticized for excessive menu navigation and promotional content that delays gameplay. While Microsoft has introduced customization options and faster navigation, the dashboard's design prioritizes business interests over player experience. The article suggests that simplifying menus and utilizing features like Quick Resume can improve playtime efficiency.
Halo Campaign Evolved creative director says the remake will have 'all the original content' and new features to bring it into more of a modern shooter'
Halo Campaign Evolved, a remake of Halo: Combat Evolved, will include all original content alongside new features and weapons to modernize the shooter experience. Creative director Max Szlagor and executive producer Damon Conn stated the game aims to be more accessible with improved wayfinding and optional quality-of-life features like a sprint button, built using Unreal Engine 5. The game is set to launch on July 28 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Series S, and PC.
Nintendo Switch Online is what Game Pass wanted to be - Reader’s Feature
A reader argues that Nintendo Switch Online is a more successful subscription service than Microsoft's Game Pass. The author highlights Nintendo's lower price point, retro game focus, and less aggressive marketing as key factors in its quiet success, contrasting it with Game Pass's perceived issues with rising prices and overwhelming choice.
AI Yi-Yi!
A24 is defending its partnership with Google regarding AI technology, while OpenAI is previewing its next-generation model, GPT-5.6 Sol. Separately, The New York Times has criticized Microsoft for allegedly building a copyright-infringing supercomputer for OpenAI.
Windows 10 gets yet another year of life as Microsoft extends security updates into 2027
Microsoft has extended security updates for Windows 10 until October 2027, an additional year beyond the previously announced end of support in October 2025. This extension will be automatically applied to existing Extended Security Updates (ESU) subscriptions at no extra charge. The move acknowledges the significant number of users still on Windows 10, with Steam Hardware Survey data indicating 24% of PC gamers use it.
Weekend Console Download Deals for June 26: Nintendo Summer Sale
Nintendo has launched its largest summer sale of the year, featuring discounts on numerous first-party titles for the Nintendo Switch, including The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. PlayStation and Xbox platforms also have various ongoing digital sales with significant price reductions on a wide range of games.
Xbox prepares to jack up its console prices by a hefty amount (again, again)
Microsoft announced that it will be increasing the prices of its Xbox consoles starting August 1st. The 512 GB models will increase by $100, and the 1 TB models by $150, with the 2 TB edition being discontinued. The company cited rising component and memory prices as the primary reason for the price hike.
Rockstar's decision to make GTA 6 fully digital is a terrible, anti-consumer move that makes me worry about the…
The author criticizes Rockstar's decision to make Grand Theft Auto 6 a digital-only release, arguing it's an anti-consumer practice that eliminates the benefits of physical media like reselling and lending. This move, despite the game's physical edition containing only a code, raises concerns about long-term game preservation and control, especially given Rockstar's history with microtransactions in GTA Online.