This Week in Xbox One News - April 12, 2022

Welcome to our weekly ICYMI for Xbox news!

We'll yet be posting major Xbox announcements in the main feed, but I'll be collecting some of the more nuanced news, rumours and talking points into one handy thread every weekend!

There'south been a ton of major announcements this week, so without further ado, here'due south our latest edition of This Week in Xbox One News.

Kojima five. Konami drama continues, but what exactly is going on?

Donna Shush, the vocalizer for MGS: Peace Walker's incredible "Heaven's Split" and MGSV'south "Sins for the Father" recently inferred that Hideo Kojima had indeed been fired by Konami, which contradicts their previous statements.

The whole ordeal came to light when Konami began scrubbing Kojima'southward proper noun from diverse Metal Gear titles on their websites. Statements from anonymous sources then filtered through to Kotaku and other major sites claiming that Kojima Productions was under burn down, and that all MGSV staff had been reduced to contractors. The incident forced Kojima and Konami to upshot articulation statements to assure fans that MGSV: The Phantom Pain was nearing completion, and that Kojima was however 100% on board with the project.

Donna stated on twitter that fans shouldn't boycott MGSV and undo Kojima Productions hard work because "Konami fired a genius", she then elaborated farther to concerned fans emphasising that he has indeed been fired by Konami, but was on lath to complete the game regardless.

Konami denied the claims to VideoGamer.com, stating that they were 'categorically untrue', but information technology's clear something very odd is taking place at Konami HQ. As I mentioned in my previous coverage for this story, information technology doesn't bode well for the future of both Metal Gear and Silent Loma (which has had a reboot spearheaded by Kojima planned). Konami, in my opinion, have displayed staggering disability to handle their IP without Kojima's interest, and then, I recollect fans take more than enough crusade for business.

Major Nelson rebuffs NeoGAF studio boss for 'bribery' claims

Last year, Major Nelson offered NeoGAF staffers access to E3 as 'Microsoft guests' after E3 declined to accept NeoGAF as media. The NeoGAF staffers snubbed Major Nelson, claiming that it would 'touch on their neutrality'. Major Nelson urged that the Microsoft team asked for nothing in return, no pro-Xbox coverage then on, only regardless, NeoGAF head recently described the offer as a 'bribe' during a Q&A with Kotaku.

In a frank riposte, Major Nelson took to NeoGAF to offer his side of the story:

I'll just say I have event with your pick of the give-and-take "bribe." At no fourth dimension did I e'er imply or otherwise infer that I would wait coverage - let alone dictate the tone or tenor of said coverage. What always you choose to say or write or otherwise do to comprehend the event (or non at all) was entirely upward to yous. I said it and then, and I"ll say it again: This was a 100% no strings attached professional person courtesy I was extending to another member of the customs. No expectations were unsaid or inferred. I wanted to make certain you could see, in person, the Xbox briefing then you lot could depict your own conclusions. How or if you shared them was entirely upward to you. That was it. No strings attached. Period. Assuming that I would expect annihilation in return is only flat out incorrect and misrepresents my intention. It's likewise incorrect to assume that I would somehow employ this to create an uncomfortable state of affairs when we would run into at E3. I call up I have conducted myself in a much more professional and upstanding manner both online and in person that y'all would have understood that.

There's always two sides to a story, but as someone who has dealt with the Xbox team both as part of Windows Central and smaller contained sites, my experience with them has been nothing just positive. They're very keen to help people out in the community, normally asking for cypher in return. TiC Podcast'southward interview with Phil Spencer is a pretty prime example of this, the previously obscure YouTube channel had around 300 subs when Phil agreed to dial in and talk games, no strings fastened.

I'm non naïve plenty to ignore the benefits for Microsoft to communicate with smaller outlets in this manner, it creates grassroots blessing for a company that hasn't enjoyed a particularly positive public image over the terminal 10 years, but the Xbox team seem to have far more elbowroom when it comes to engaging fans, and generally do and then in a frank and unfiltered fashion. Although, whilst we're discussing communication with Xbox HQ...

Darkside Games points the finger at Microsoft over their failed Phantom Dust reboot

Here's some more than industry drama. Phantom Dust was supposed to be the game Xbox One JRPG fans were clamouring for, but we may all be waiting a while, as the project under Darkside Games has been axed by Microsoft for reasons the big ol' Redmond company wouldn't elaborate on.

Kotaku accept compiled a narrative, complete with quotes from anonymous, but verified sources at Darkside Games, who lay blame firmly at Microsoft. According to Kotaku'southward sources, Microsoft had unrealistic expectations for the project, which was marred with poor communication, budgetary concerns and wavering focus from Xbox HQ.

"Nobody knew [Ken Lobb] was gonna say that, we were told by people at Microsoft that Ken merely does things like that."

Apparently, what Microsoft originally pitched was purely multiplayer in focus, consummate with tournament support and spectator features - something the dev compares to Hearthstone and League of Legends. This pitch stands at a stark contradiction to what Microsoft Studios exec Ken Lobb said on the TiC Podcast, that Phantom Dust would bear a thirty hr long unmarried player component - a statement which surprised Darkside Games themselves.

"When it came downwards to it, the game they wanted could not be done, we could not make them the game they wanted for the budget they had."

The Phantom Grit dev team were likewise reportedly unaware of the CGI concept trailer that the Xbox team were shipping at E3, which painted a far grander vision than a $5m approaching game could accomplish. Owing to the change in focus, Darkside Games flew out to Redmond to request a further $3 meg to complete the game, Microsoft declined, and then followed up by pulling the plug on the whole project.

It seems odd that Microsoft Studios could mishandle a 3rd party relationship and so spectacularly. I've reached out to Microsoft to give their side of the story, but it seems unlikely they'll offer anything other than the typical response that a Phantom Dust reboot is even so on the table. Be sure to check out the full story on Kotaku.

Witcher 3 picks upwardly two huge expansions, incredible gameplay trailer

Moving on to something more positive, CD Projekt Ruby-red have announced that The Witcher 3: Wild Chase volition pick up two 'vast' expansions that the dev hopes volition represent true value for money.

With the development of Wild Chase coming to an finish, the team has embarked on the creation of two new really big adventures set in The Witcher universe. Nosotros remember the time when add together-on disks truly expanded games by delivering meaningful content. As gamers, we'd similar to bring that back. We've said in the past that if we ever make up one's mind to release paid content, it will be vast in size and represent real value for the money. Both our expansions offer more hours of gameplay than quite a few standalone games out there.

Hearts of Stone volition take place in the electric current game world, and land this October, hitting around 10 hours of actress gameplay time. Blood and Vino on the other hand will be released in Q1 2022, and is a 20 hour adventure taking place in an all-new area.

The Witcher 3: Wild Chase is gunning for the WRPG crown, and if reports that speed runs take 25+ hours, completionist playthroughs 200+ hours, and if the above gameplay trailer is representative, it may just take that title.

Deus Ex: Flesh Divided announced, blows minds (literally)

The follow up to Eidos Montreal's Deus Ex: Human Revolution has been appear, and comes with a hype inducing CGI trailer.

Deus Ex: Mankind Divided is a direct follow up to the events of Deus Ex: Human Revolution, in which augmented humans are segregated outcasts in society. Adam Jensen returns, thrown in between an overarching corporate conspiracy and terrorist cells of angry augs hell-bent on revenge. I'd fully expect to run into some live gameplay at E3.

Call of Duty: Black Ops iii reveal teased, surprises no-one

It'due south another twelvemonth, which means another Call of Duty. Whatsoever your stance is on the annualized military machine multiplayer shooter, we all know in that location's millions (billions?) in profits to exist had for parent company Activision. My cynicism towards Call of Duty is based primarily in the fact it hasn't really changed since Mod Warfare 2, and that the franchise really does just come across like an almanac £45 map pack.

Even so, the press release for Black Ops iii calls it the 'best Call of Duty withal', 10000th fourth dimension lucky I guess? Perchance I'm simply bitter at that place'due south no follow upward to World at War all the same... Blackness Ops 3 full gameplay reveal will come up at the end of the month.

Steve Papoutsis leaves Visceral Games

Visceral Games, the devs behind the recent Battleground Hardline and love Dead Space serial has lost its vice president and general manager, famed Steve Papoutsis. Papoutsis served every bit the executive managing director for Dead Space, and has a history with Visceral spanning 15 years. He'll be replaced past Scott Probst, the son of EA chairman Larry Probst. In that location'southward no indication as to whether he was sacked or left voluntarily, every bit neither party has commented beyond EA's canned "We are thankful for Steve's contributions" PR statement.

Hopefully the change was amicable, although critics' feelings (myself included) on Hardline were mixed, scoring the game below 75% on metacritic, the game has enjoyed the No. 1 spot for many weeks in various charts around the earth, even beating Bloodborne on the PS4 specific chart.

The conspiracy theorist in me is leaping to conclude that he left because EA want Visceral to go a Battlefield / Star Wars only studio, and that Dead Space volition be forever bars to a cold video game oblivion. Here'southward hoping that I'yard just crazy.

Microsoft defend Xbox One power consumption

Post-obit a report that the Xbox One uses more juice than competing home consoles, the Xbox team took to Xbox Wire to discuss existing and upcoming improvements to the criticised stand up-past manner, a feature which generates a reported $250 million extra in free energy costs per year in the Usa, or $6 to $15 per user according to Microsoft themselves.

Microsoft notation that being able to update games whilst offline has been a requested characteristic since the Xbox 360 days, regardless of that fact, the Xbox Ane tin accept a good xxx+ seconds to boot up when not in standby, and if your internet connexion isn't the best, leaving it in stand up-past to download games is a must-have feature.

Regardless, Microsoft aren't happy with the power consumption of their consoles, and have pledged to decrease the ability consumption without hindering features:

"Since Xbox Ane launched, we've reduced the power consumed while in Instant-on by a third. At Microsoft, sustainability is core to our business practices—nosotros go along to work to reduce the environmental impact of our products and services, and nosotros are committed to carbon neutrality every bit a company."

Check out Xbox's full response to energy consumption concerns right here.

Ori and the Blind Wood profitable subsequently i week

Moon Studios CEO Thomas Mahler took to NeoGAF to reveal that Ori and the Blind Forest became profitable after merely one week.

Business-wise, Ori was already assisting a week subsequently release and Microsoft is super happy, so nosotros'll see virtually Ori's future :)

Mahler also confirmed that the studio have been on a hiring spree, and have several small and 'huge' appear projects in the prototypical stage. Moon Studios are difficult at work patching Ori and the Blind Wood, to remove a rare salve file bug and repair some of the boring down some of the more intensive sequences can crusade. I urge any platformer fan to give Ori and the Blind Forest a try, it'southward truly a gem.

New game releases for the week ending April 12th

Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin - Action RPG

From Software'southward famous Nighttime Souls serial comes to Xbox One, in the form of a remastered Dark Souls II. The game makes the bound from 30 fps to 60 fps, consummate with 1080p and overhauled visual effects. Online play has been altered, resulting in easier friction match making and enemy behaviour has also been altered, pregnant Dark Souls 2 veterans will take to re-acquire the game. Prepare to die, a lot.

Belfry of Guns - FPS / Roguelike

Belfry of Guns is a procedurally generated FPS with bullet-hell elements, launched under the ID@Xbox program. The game touts hundreds of weapons, secrets, unlocked, upgrades and ballsy dominate battles!

And that's a wrap!

Hit the comments and kick off discussions nearly this week's news. A lot of it seems negative this week, but every bit we caput closer to E3, game announcements and gameplay volition likely (hopefully) overshadow a lot of the recent industry drama.

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Source: https://www.windowscentral.com/week-xbox-one-news-april-12th-2015

Posted by: eastonboung1938.blogspot.com