2023-10

Nintendo revealed in August that longtime Mario voice actor Charles Martinet would no longer be voicing Mario. Amongst speculation of a different voice actor for Mario in Super Mario Bros. Wonder trailers, Nintendo also announced Martinet was not jumpman's voice in the game, leaving fans to wonder who the new voice is. After months of internet sleuthing, guesswork, and more, Nintendo has confirmed that Genshin Impact voice actor Kevin Afghani is the new voice of Mario.  "The voice actor's name is Kevin Afghani," Nintendo tells Game Informer in a statement. Afghani celebrated the news with a tweet today about how excited he is to voice both Mario and Luigi in Super Mario Bros. Wonder.  "Incredibly proud to have voiced Mario and Luigi in Super Mario Bros. Wonder. Thanks to Nintendo for inviting me into the Flower Kingdom." Incredibly proud to have voiced Mario...

It's one of the most fondly-remembered consoles of all time, with a library of incredible bangers. However, there can only be 25 of the best PS2 games...here they are....

After nearly two years since the initial announcement, Microsoft has finally and officially acquired Activision Blizzard for a colossal $69 billion. This means that Activision Blizzard, which is the company behind franchises like Call of Duty and Diablo, is now part of Xbox's first-party umbrella. As a result, Xbox's stable of IPs and game franchises has become much larger, welcoming the likes of Overwatch, World of Warcraft, and more.  While many know Activision Blizzard as the company behind industry juggernauts like Call of Duty and Overwatch, the company is home to plenty more games. In light of today's news, we've decided to create an easy place to see every Activision Blizzard game franchise that Xbox now owns.  Every Activision Blizzard Game Franchise Xbox Now Owns Call of Duty Crash Bandicoot (after Activision acquired Vivendi Universal in 2008) Diablo ...

After nearly two years since the announcement, Microsoft has officially acquired Activision Blizzard for nearly $69 billion. Now, in emails from Microsoft Gaming CEO and Xbox Head Phil Spencer and Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick, we know Kotick will remain CEO through the end of 2023. Kotick says Spencer specifically asked him to remain as CEO through the end of the year to help with the transition, now that Activision Blizzard is part of the Xbox first-party umbrella.  Image from Xbox "I have long said that I am fully committed to helping with the transition," Kotick writes in an email he sent to all of Activision Blizzard. "[Phil Spencer] has asked me to stay on as CEO of ABK, reporting to him, and we have agreed that I will do that through the end of 2023. We both look...

It's official: Microsoft has acquired Activision Blizzard, the company behind franchises like Call of Duty, Overwatch, Diablo, and World of Warcraft, for a colossal $69 billion.  Earlier this morning, the U.K.'s Competition and Markets Authority approved Microsoft's $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard. The CMA was the last hurdle for Microsoft's acquisition after it received approval in more than 40 countries and regions, including the U.S. earlier this summer. The deadline for Microsoft to close this deal was October 18, but reports indicated the company was planning to finalize it today, October 13. That has now happened, and Activision Blizzard is officially part of Xbox's first-party studio umbrella. Xbox released the video below to celebrate its acquisition:  Xbox head and Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer says, "I've long admired the work at Activision Blizzard, and King, and the impact they've...

After the U.K.'s Competition and Markets Authority blocked Microsoft's $69 billion acquisition of Call of Duty and Diablo maker Activision Blizzard earlier this year over cloud gaming concerns, Microsoft brought a new deal to the table. In this new deal, Ubisoft would get the rights to Activision Blizzard cloud game streaming in the U.K. for 15 years, theoretically quelling the CMA's concerns. The CMA granted Microsoft a preliminary approval last month and now, a few weeks later, the U.K. regulatory agency has finally given Microsoft the full approval it needs.  With the CMA's approval, Microsoft now has everything it needs to close the deal and make Activision Blizzard a part of Xbox's first-party umbrella. This approval comes just days before Microsoft's October 18 deadline to complete the acquisition, and prior reports indicate Microsoft is planning to do so today.  Here's...

Assassin's Creed Mirage hit PlayStation, Xbox, and PC last week and both critics and fans alike are quite happy with the series return to its roots. Unlike Assassin's Creed Origins, Odyssey, and Valhalla, in which Basim is featured, Mirage is a smaller, more condensed adventure, unlike the prior open-world RPGs. Now, roughly a week later, Ubisoft has revealed that Mirage's player count is in line with Origins and Odyssey. Plus, Mirage is Ubisoft's biggest new-gen launch in terms of sales.  Thank you all for joining us on Basim's journey in 9th Century Baghdad! We are thrilled by the response from the community and for embracing our homage to the roots of the AC franchise. #AssassinsCreed pic.twitter.com/KnL2YxGION — Assassin's Creed (@assassinscreed) October 11, 2023 Alongside the news, Ubisoft revealed some fun statistics about what Mirage players have accomplished in just six days:  ...

Platinum Games co-founder Hideki Kamiya announced last month he was departing from the studio. Having founded it in 2006 in Osaka, Japan, later working on games like Bayonetta and The Wonderful 101, he left his reason for leaving up in the air. He simply said, "This came after a lot of consideration based on my own beliefs" and that he feels "this outcome is for the best." Now, just a few weeks later, Kamiya has started a YouTube channel – aptly called "Hideki Kamiya Channel" – and in his first video, he reveals he's not retiring, as first reported by VideoGamesChronicle.  In the video, we see Kamiya presumably leaving his office with a box of knick-knacks and more in hand before leaving in a Lamborghini. In the first video, he talks about how he's currently unemployed, joking that people need...

Dead Island 2 is getting its first story expansion dubbed Haus. The adventure whisks players to new locations to take on a mysterious cult while surviving that pesky zombie apocalypse.  This new storyline centers on techno-death cults hosted by its crazed leader, Konstantin, who believes such battles are the "paragon of the future." The adventure unfolds in a Malibu villa, described in a press release as a "deranged labyrinth of biomes where rational architecture is subverted by expanding narrative spaces." Your guess is as good as ours as to what that means, but Haus features eight new cards and new weapons, such as the long-ranged K-Rossbow and the flame-spewing Hog Roaster. Developer Dambuster Studios has not posted a trailer but did release a few screenshots that you can view below.   Dead Island 2 Haus launches on November 2. You can read...

If you’re a PlayStation Plus Premium subscriber, you’re getting a new perk in the ability to stream select native PS5 games starting this month. Cloud streaming will be available for supported titles within the PS Plus Game Catalog, game trials, and personal user libraries.  The PlayStation Blog post details that select PS5 titles that support the feature include Ghost of Tsushima, Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Horizon: Forbidden West, Mortal Kombat 11, and Saints Row IV. Additionally, you can stream game trials such as for Hogwarts Legacy, The Calisto Protocol, and The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. DLC and add-ons will also be available to stream.  Games streamed over the cloud will output up to 4K 60 fps (depending on your internet speed), and feature full DualSense and Tempest 3D audio support. Sony states that it plans to have "hundreds" of...