2022-12

The Federal Trade Commission is looking to block Microsoft’s pending $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard.  According to a press release, the Commission, whose purpose is to protect consumers by promoting fair market competition, voted 3-1 to file a lawsuit to prevent the deal's closure. Thus, a federal judge will weigh in and make a decision. Among other reasons, the FTC cites Microsoft’s record of using previous acquisitions to “suppress competition from rival consoles" and points to the publisher's purchase of ZeniMax in 2020 as an example, stating:  “Microsoft decided to make several of Bethesda's titles including Starfield and Redfall Microsoft exclusives despite assurances it had given to European antitrust authorities that it had no incentive to withhold games from rival consoles.” The FTC adds that Activision is one of the few major third-party publishers left that offers several best-selling franchises on multiple platforms....

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Season: A Letter to the Future has made its serene presence known in the form of a new trailer revealing its release date: January 31.  The colorful adventure game was first revealed at the same event in 2020. It stars a young woman who leaves her isolated village to explore the world for the first time on her bike. Unfortunately, the world is on the brink of suffering a mysterious catastrophe, and the woman collects memories of her experiences before everything falls apart. The bulk of the gameplay, naturally, consists of cycling to different locations and meeting the colorful personalities who inhabit them. You’ll document your adventures by taking photographs and making recordings.  Season: A Letter to the Future will be available on PlayStation consoles and PC (both Steam and Epic). It's worth noting that pricing differs by platform. The game...

We used a combination of data from IGN.com and IGN's YouTube to determine which games were the most popular with our audience (that's you!) throughout the year....

Part Doom and part rhythm game, Metal: Hellsinger wowed us when it launched in September. We loved slaying Hell's fiercest demons with the backdrop of crunchy guitar riffs, double-kick-pedal drum beats, and soaring vocals from some of metal's most prolific artists. Today, developer The Outsiders and publisher Funcom have announced a wave of news, including a sales milestone, a new free title update, and the launch of the game on last-generation consoles. Starting today, Metal: Hellsinger is available on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. The game was originally announced for these platforms at its initial reveal in 2020, but the last-gen versions were eventually canceled. Now, owners of last-gen consoles have access to this demon-slashing and beast-blasting adventure.  The studio also announced a new 1.5 patch, which adds a new top difficulty called Archdevil, as well as new weapon skins...

Update, 12/7/2022: Balan Wonderworld director Yuji Naka has been re-arrested on a second charge of insider trading, this time involving the mobile battle royale title Final Fantasy VII: The First Soldier.  Last month, Naka and former Square Enix employee Taisuke Sazaki were arrested on suspicion of buying shares in developer Aiming after learning in advance about the team’s announcement of its mobile game Dragon Quest Tact (see the full original story below). Japanese outlet Asashi (thanks Video Games Chronicle) now reports that Naka and Sazaki are believed to have tried a similar scheme for the reveal of Final Fantasy VII: The First Soldier. Ashai notes that in February 2021, developer Ateam and Square Enix announced a partnership to develop the mobile battle royale title. Naka and Sazaki are said to have known the details of this deal before it became public and bought shares...

In the wake of Microsoft’s ongoing acquisition of Activision Blizzard, one of the most contentious arguments against it has been Call of Duty’s continued presence on PlayStation platforms. Xbox head Phil Spencer has repeatedly promised that the juggernaut franchise will still appear on its main rival’s platforms, but that hasn’t stopped Sony from touting the loss of the series as anti-competitive to stop the deal from going through. After saying he had no problem keeping Call of Duty on Sony hardware for the long term, Spencer has now extended and formalized that promise to Nintendo and Valve.  Last night, Spencer announced on Twitter that Microsoft has entered a 10-year commitment to bring Call of Duty back to Nintendo. In a follow-up tweet, Spencer states the series will remain on Steam as well. Of course, all of this hinges on the approval of...

Publisher Numskull Games and developer Dinosaur Bytes have released a new trailer for its nostalgic platformer, Clive 'N' Wrench, showcasing what to expect in the Christmas World level of the game.  This trailer arrives alongside news that the 3D platformer inspired by the likes of Spyro the Dragon and Jak & Daxter will get a retail release in the U.S. and Canada as well as a retail release in a "number of international retailers in February 2023 alongside its European launch." The game will be available digitally as well on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Switch, and PC via Steam and GOG. Physical releases will include standard and collector's editions on PlayStation and Switch.  Check out the new Christmas World showcase trailer below:  "No 3D platform is complete without an ice world and Clive 'N' Wrench takes that to eclectic...

Hey Elden Ring fans, remember those colosseums you haven’t been able to enter since launch? Those doors finally open today, thanks to the arrival of a free PvP update. Aptly dubbed Colosseum Update 1.08, the previously locked arenas in Limgrave, Caelid, and Leyndell become accessible, hosting competitive one-on-one duels, team battles, and free-for-all fights between players. It’s unclear what you’ll earn for winning other than personal glory, but it’s nice to see the fog finally lift on these mysterious locations. Check out the trailer below.  This might be the start of a big week for Elden Ring, as it could walk away with the Game of the Year trophy during this week's Game Awards. You can read our review of Elden Ring here....

Microsoft has announced that it’s raising the price of first-party Xbox Series X/S games to $70 beginning in 2023.  IGN first confirmed the news, with a Microsoft spokesperson telling the outlet that "This price reflects the content, scale, and technical complexity of these titles." First-party Xbox Series X/S games such as Starfield, Redfall, and Forza Motorsport will be among the first titles to have the $70 price tag when they arrive next year. The price of Xbox Game Pass appears unaffected, and the Microsoft spokesperson continued by saying, “As with all games developed by our teams at Xbox, they will also be available with Game Pass the same day they launch.”  Given the increasingly exorbitant cost of triple-A game development, the price rise was only a matter of time. In an October live interview with The Wall Street Journal, Xbox head Phil Spencer...