Xbox is closing down Ninja Theory, the studio behind the Hellblade series, a source tells The Verge. Staffers were told on a call on Monday about the closure, but they are hoping the studio will find a buyer. The closure comes as "several" Xbox studios at Microsoft, including Compulsion Games and Double Fine, are in "active negotiations" about spinning off, Bloomberg reports.

The closure and negotiations follow Xbox CEO Asha Sharma and chief content officer Matt Booty warning last week of a "reset" at Xbox, laying out several challenges facing Xbox's business - including that it had "over extended" with its studio system and the hardware c …

Read the full story at The Verge.

Last week, Xbox boss Asha Sharma sent a memo warning of an Xbox "reset" ahead of expected layoffs, and today, Kotaku reported that Xbox plans to shut down Compulsion Games, the studio behind South of Midnight.

Since taking over in February, Sharma has made some big decisions, including cutting the price of Xbox Game Pass and making Gears of War: E-Day and Clockwork Revolution Xbox console exclusives. But in their "reset" memo, Sharma and chief content officer Matt Booty discussed many challenges facing the Xbox business, including that it has "over extended" with its studio system:

We are the fortunate stewards of industry-defining franch …

Read the full story at The Verge.

As editoras poderão ser obrigadas a adaptar os jogos dependentes de servidores online para poderem ser jogados offline, quando chegam ao seu ciclo final de vida. O movimento já foi ouvido em Bruxelas e nos Estados Unidos.

The post Movimento Stop Killing Games enfrenta as grandes editoras para impedir encerramento dos servidores de jogos appeared first on Tek Notícias.

Roblox's vice president of safety product policy, Eliza Jacobs, told NBC News that Roblox is "optimistic" that its new facial age estimation tech will "continue to get better," saying, "Ticking a box to say you're 13 or older, it's not enough anymore." NBC invited a group of kids to try out Roblox's new video selfie age check process, but they weren't able to get around it with a fake mustache. Jacobs claims Roblox's facial age estimates can typically land "within 1.4 years of a child's exact age."

Roblox announced plans in April to begin using its video selfie age estimation tech to sort players into age brackets. Users under 16 and unde …

Read the full story at The Verge.

EA is making a big push for more in-game advertising.

On Friday Google announced it was making a relatively unknown feature of Google Earth available to a wider audience. The desktop version of Google Earth has had a hidden flight simulator mode since 2007, but it's now easily accessible through a web browser without having to download or install any apps.

To take to the virtual skies you'll need to open the Google Earth website and then click on the "Explore Earth" button found near the top right corner of the page. From there you'll find the "Flight Simulator" mode accessible as the last option in the Tool's section of the site's top menu bar. For the best experience you'll first want to fin …

Read the full story at The Verge.

Pourquoi attendre qu'une manette tombe à court de batterie pour penser à la suivante ? La DualSense Cosmic Red profite actuellement d'une belle baisse de prix chez Rakuten. Une offre qui permet de s'équiper à moindre coût avant qu'elle ne disparaisse des radars.

Les circuits virtuels n'ont jamais semblé aussi proches de la réalité. En ce moment, Cdiscount braque les projecteurs sur le Logitech G923, un pack volant et pédalier qui transforme les sessions de jeu en véritable expérience de pilotage. Une bonne excuse pour ressortir vos jeux de course du garage.

Customers can order new joysticks, batteries, screens and more.

A copy of Super Mario Bros., still in the box and sealed with its original sticker, just sold at Heritage Auctions for $3 million. That absolutely crushes the previous record of $2 million, also for a copy of Super Mario Bros., in 2021. That sale also came hot on the heels of a controversial auction of Super Mario 64 for $1.56 million.

Part of what drove the price of this particular copy so high is that, according to Heritage Auctions, instead of shrink-wrap, this 19895 second run was sealed with a glossy sticker, which was discontinued shortly after. The site claims it's the earliest known sealed copy of the game in existence. It's also gr …

Read the full story at The Verge.

Microsoft is preparing to lay off a significant chunk of its Xbox division and is reevaluating the plans for its next-generation Project Helix console. It's apparently also considering dramatically restructuring its relationship with Xbox, and hasn't ruled out spinning it off into a separate company.

A new report from The Information suggests that Microsoft has considered some dramatic measures to make its Xbox unit more sustainable. That includes turning it into a wholly owned subsidiary, a joint venture, or even spinning it off entirely, with the possibility of selling the business. The report doesn't suggest anything is imminent, but it …

Read the full story at The Verge.

The point-and-click adventure game based on the horror anthology series arrives in August.

Echo Isle is heavily inspired by The Legend of Zelda, and it's not afraid to show it: The retro graphics bear a striking resemblance to Link's Awakening, the main character wears a blue tunic and wields a sword, and he navigates dungeons to collect items and keys to fight bosses and gather magical MacGuffins. But where Echo Isle shines is how it takes the best parts of a Zelda adventure and shrinks them down to their essence - I finished the game in a little more than an hour.

The game starts with the main character falling from the sky onto Echo Isle, an island protected by a magical lighthouse that has mysteriously gone dark. While you d …

Read the full story at The Verge.

Plus, the next game from the Mouthwashing devs and trying to survive as a sentient guitar.

On June 10th, the German container ship Posen docked in Los Angeles after a two-week voyage from Shanghai. As Valve watcher Brad Lynch notes, it was almost certainly carrying the first mass production shipments of the Steam Frame, Valve's new gaming headset.

Import records show that Valve's distribution partner Ceva offloaded nearly 32 metric tons of "Virtual Reality Devices" on Valve's behalf - or roughly 13 tons of actual product, after you subtract the roughly 3,700 kilogram weight of five 40-foot shipping containers.

That's the same math we used to estimate that Valve imported 50 tons of game consoles in two days last month - and sin …

Read the full story at The Verge.

Even with the looming specter of rising prices, there's never been a better time for portable gaming. The Steam Deck has ushered in a new era of handheld PCs, the Analogue Pocket and other Game Boy-style remakes are making retro games more approachable than ever, the Playdate has led to an alternate universe of weirdo portable titles, and Nintendo continues to chug along with the latest iteration of the Switch. If you want to play games on the go, you're spoiled for choice. But if you're planning on doing some traveling and want to bring games along with you, I'd actually recommend none of those devices. There's a much better, and older, opt …

Read the full story at The Verge.

In an unusual misinformation campaign, fraudulent data breach disclosures were submitted to Maine's official breach portal and publicly posted before their legitimacy could be verified, prompting companies to deny the claims. [...]

Shion arrives when Season 3 starts on June 16.

Underwater roguelite / restaurant management game Dave the Diver paddles onto mobile later this summer.

So long and thanks for all the cool new video games.