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Xbox has officially launched Project Amplify, a new video series that "aims to magnify Black voices within Xbox to inspire, educate and motivate youth across the U.S. to aspire towards careers in the gaming industry through real-life storytelling from Black leaders and employees across the Xbox ecosystem." Alongside a teaser, the first details of Project Amplify were shared on Xbox Wire by Black Communities at Xbox Co-Leads Q Muhaimin and James Lewis, and they begin by discussing the results of a recent survey from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Connect that discovered that, out of 200 respondents, 95% of college students and alumni from HBCUs in the US had an interest in having a career in the games industry. 34% said they wanted Program Management roles, 24% wanted Engineering roles, and 18% wanted Gaming Development roles. These numbers tell a story about Black students wanting to join the games industry, but the reality paints a different pictu

Infinity Ward, Fromsoftware, and Insomniac are just a few of the hundreds of development teams out there but they and plenty of other top developers regularly take input from publishers like Activision, Bandai Namco, and Sony during the process to help their games reach the finish line. While some franchises and developers tend to be exclusive to specific publishers, there are a number of them that work across the industry with many different publishers. Call of Duty regularly cycles its developers yearly while FromSoftware has partnered with Sony and Bandai Namco for big successful titles like Bloodborne and Elden Ring. Even Insomniac worked with Xbox Game Studios on Sunset Overdrive before Sony put a ring on it and officially made them part of their first-party family. Let's use Call of Duty as an example. The series regularly cycles development teams between installments but is owned and published by Activision. Some fans will only buy CoD when developed by their preferred

In Beacon Pines, the story and decisions made are mapped out on a tree, showing branching paths from single moments that changed the course of the story. For developer Matt Meyer, that was true in real life, too. His path to developing Beacon Pines began with a single, simple, consequential decision made years ago, almost on a whim. “I worked a corporate job for five years or so in Chicago, and sort of just snapped one day,” Meyer says. “It wasn't really the job's fault. It was the traffic. I was in my car an hour and a half every day…I hate traffic so much. So I just snapped one day. I was like, ‘I'm moving,’ and I moved to Austin, and didn't really have a plan.” Sans plan, Meyer was hoping to write music, specifically for games. After a bit of noodling around, though, he realized if he made a game, he could put his own music in that. He eventually teamed up with Brent Calhoun and Ilse Harting, and thus Beacon Pines was born…as an RPG rhythm battler. “It looks co

Xbox’s flagship shooter is an intergalactic sci-fi saga with narrative foundations that date back billions of years. Despite that far-reaching history, the actual Halo games largely take place within a single decade during the tail end and aftermath of the Human-Covenant War. The mainline Halo games present a sequential storyline, though several spinoffs complicate the series’ chronology. With that in mind, we’ve created this brief rundown of the Halo timeline as explored in video games. This list includes all mainline Halo games and most spinoffs, including the Halo Wars strategy games and Halo: Spartan top-down shooters. The mixed-reality game Halo Recruit, the arcade game Halo: Fireteam Raven, and the marketing ploy/mobile game Halo 4: King of the Hill Fueled By Mountain Dew are not included. Jump to : How to play in chronological order How to play by release order The Halo Games in Chronological Order As with most series, there are two possible ways to approach the H

Breathing new life into our favorite classic games is often a double-edged sword. On the one hand, the game has familiarity with audiences, so it will already have a fanbase that will be excited to see it make a return. Still, there is always the risk that the updated version won't live up to the memories we have of the original. Successful or not, year after year, we see more and more developers attempt to breathe life into an older franchise in the hopes of returning it to its previous glory days. Recently we've witnessed Chrono Cross, Destroy All Humans, Alan Wake, and plenty of others make a resurgence thanks to remasters. We also know that there are plenty more on the way as this trend doesn't seem to be stopping anytime soon. So, what classic franchise would you like to make a comeback, and get the remaster or remake treatment? What minimum amount of time should pass before a game or franchise gets the remaster or remake treatment? What remastered games have com

A white Xbox Series X has been spotted in a new Logitech advert, but it's unclear if it's an official colorway. The console, spotted by VGC , is seen in the background of an advert for the Astro A30 wireless headset but has not been promoted anywhere else. The scene itself depicts several consoles and peripherals placed on shelves… but it’s unclear whether this is a real, upcoming version of the console or simply a custom version made for this advert. Other than special editions, such as the Halo Infinite Xbox Series X , the Series X has only been available in black since its launch in November 2020. However, the white (or two-tone) style of the recently released Xbox Elite Series 2 Core controller may well hint that a white Xbox is coming… or it just looks the part whether you’re playing on Xbox Series X or S. Either way, the appearance of a white console in the new Logitech advert is intriguing. We've reached out to Microsoft for further information. The new

Descend into the slimy heart of the IGN UK podcast this week, as Joe is confusingly repulsed by Scorn, Matt and Cardy have conflicting feelings on the new Monkey Island, and everyone really likes Andor. We also have a special little tease for a live show we hope to be putting on in the not-too-distant future... IGN UK Podcast #663: Professor Layton and the Sludge-Guts of Doom Got a game for us to play or some feedback you'd like read out on the show? Why not email us: ign_ukfeedback@ign.com. IGN UK Podcast #662: So Many Streams IGN UK Podcast #661: House of the Rings of Power IGN UK Podcast #660: Bat Family Ties IGN UK Podcast #659: Live from a Cologne Roof at Midnight IGN UK Podcast #658: Better Call She-Hulk source https://www.ign.com/articles/ign-uk-podcast-663-professor-layton-and-the-sludge-guts-of-doom

Solium Infernum was a literally hellish multiplayer strategy game that became a cult classic in 2009 – and League of Geeks aims to bring it back next year in a reimagined form. Announced as part of EGX, the new Solium Infernum takes the fundamentals of the indie original – a grand strategy game about warring, conniving archfiends in Hell – but builds in 3D visuals, more defined heroes (well, villains), adds accessibility and UI improvements, and more. The game is being described as a "reimagining", rather than a remake or remaster. In a hands-off demo, League of Geeks co-founder Trent Kusters tells me that his team are huge fans of the original game (going so far as to say the studio's debut, Armello was inspired in part by it), and had gotten to know its solo developer, Vic Davis. Asked if he had plans for the game, Davis said no, and League of Geeks offered to buy the IP to create a new tribute to his original. The results will come to PC, with a release tentativel

Mortal Kombat's co-creator has explained how he came up with the game's iconic logo – and how it almost got trashed for looking like a seahorse. On Twitter , John Tobias unveiled the original hand-drawn logo he created for the first Mortal Kombat game… and delved into its background. “Here’s a recently discovered image of the very first drawing of #MortalKombat’s dragon icon,” he revealed. “I designed the icon as both a symbol of our game and its fictional tournament.” Here’s a recently discovered image of the very first drawing of #MortalKombat ’s dragon icon. I designed the icon as both a symbol of our game and its fictional tournament… (thread) #MK30 pic.twitter.com/vVIDr4K9aP — John Tobias (@therealsaibot) September 22, 2022 Tobias’ original pencil drawing was digitized by both Tobias himself and Mortal Kombat artist John Vogel, who traced over the digitized image with pixels. Why a dragon? Well, Tobias explained that was all because of the game’s original name.

Ah, Call of Duty – one of my favorite signs of autumn. Just as mornings are broken by the sound of Canadian geese migrating to warmer climates, the tranquility of my living room is interrupted each fall by the coming of the Call of Duty beta period. Modern Warfare II (no, the new one, you're thinking of Modern Warfare 2 ) is the latest arrival – the 19th mainline game, if you’re keeping score – and it brings with it a return to a modern setting after last year's… return to World War 2. Much like another fall favorite that returns each year, the pumpkin spice latte, Call of Duty is familiar, reliable, and doesn't have any real surprises in store. In other words, it's nice to have it back, but outside of the obvious visual differences between the two eras, don't expect anything much different than you enjoyed last year. If it sounds like I'm being negative, I'm not. There's something to be said about familiarity, and Modern Warfare II, in spite of its r

Thirty minutes after I started playing, my impressions could be summed up with one word: "hard." I've finished most of Team Ninja's recent games like the Nioh series and Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin, but I couldn't help but be astounded by this title's difficulty when I first picked it up. Let me state right here, though, that while this isn't a simple game, you'll instantly be drawn in by the dizzying high-speed action on display once you get used to how it works. Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty adds new systems to its masocore base to create impressive Chinese martial arts-themed combat. While the game had me wailing and groaning at first, by the time I was three hours in, my brain was pumping out so much dopamine that I couldn't put my controller down. Let's talk about what exactly this game is like. I should also note that this demo was played in single-player on the PS5 with a DualSense controller. The game begins with character c

Dark Souls 3's PC servers are back offline despite being restored by FromSoftware just four weeks ago. The Dark Souls Twitter account announced the news (below), saying that the Steam servers were down once again. No explanation of what the issue is or how long it will be an issue were given, but the developer did say it was actively investigating and trying to solve the problem. "At this time, there is a confirmed issue with Dark Souls 3 online play via the Steam platform," FromSoftware said. "We are investigating the source of the problem and will inform you as soon as more details become available." At this time, there is a confirmed issue with DARK SOULS III online play via the Steam platform. We are investigating the source of the problem and will inform you as soon as more details become available. Thank you for your patience. #DarkSouls — Dark Souls (@DarkSoulsGame) September 21, 2022 Fans were also thanked for their patience but, given the

North Africa in Company of Heroes 3 isn't just a different campaign structure and a sandy color palette. Compared to Italy, where the might of the US and British forces keep your offensive churning along, the Deutsch Afrika Korps often has to make a big difference with smaller, undersupplied forces and whatever they can find lying around – sometimes literally. In this brand new exclusive mission, Desert Route Raid, we went hands-on to see the kinds of challenges the dunes can throw your way. Running Out of Time This scenario, which takes place some time after the pivotal Battle of Tobruk, opens with Erwin Rommel detailing a high risk, high reward opportunity to hit British fuel supplies. There's no base building in this one. And worse yet, you don't even get any real armor to play with. It's just two armored cars and four squads of infantry, sent deep into enemy territory to take out some depots before a larger patrol returns. Sure, whatever you say, Feldmarschall…

Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands developer Gearbox says the Borderlands spin-off is now the start of a new franchise all of its own. Gearbox Software has called the Borderlands spin-off a “major victory” after a solid launch, with CEO Randy Pitchford saying that Gearbox now sees this as a new franchise, with “future experiences already under development.” “Wonderlands shattered all of our target expectations, both critically and commercially,” said Pitchford during the Embracer Group’s annual general meeting, “and I'm thrilled to report that in addition to great financial rewards from this victory that will be coming our way in the coming quarters, we have established a firm beachhead, and we now clearly have a new franchise on our hands.” Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands was released back in March 2022, adapting the RPG-style action of the Borderlands 2 DLC Tiny Tina’s Assault on Dragon Keep and turning it into its own standalone game. It was met with positivity from fans and critics alike.

Kirby’s Return to Dream Land Deluxe is set to release exclusively for Nintendo Switch on February 24. A remake of a 2011 Wii game, it’s a fairly traditional side-scrolling Kirby adventure, with an enemy copy ability and a more powerful mecha-copy ability. Up to four players can play together on a single Switch (no online mode, though), and unlike Kirby and the Forgotten Land, the other players can also play as Kirby, so they can copy enemy powers as well. The game is available for preorder now from a variety of retailers ( see it at Amazon ). Read on to learn more about the game and see where you can reserve a copy for yourself. Preorder Kirby’s Return to Dream Land Deluxe Get it at Amazon - $59.99 Get it at Best Buy - $59.99 Get it at GameStop - $59.99 Get it at Nintendo eShop (digital) - $59.99 There aren’t any special or collector’s editions of this game, so the standard edition is the one to get. What is Kirby’s Return to Dream Land Deluxe? Kirby’s Return to Dre

A prominent Spider-Man modder has worked on an experimental first-person mode for the game, showing off web-swinging from the (slightly nausea-inducing) perspective. YouTube user jedijosh920 first released gameplay of the mod with a fixed camera perspective, meaning the first-person view is steady as Spider-Man swings around New York. This version is probably more comfortable to use but does come with some caveats, as when the player performs tricks and flips in the air, the fixed perspective meant his body will flash up in front of the camera instead of reacting more naturally. Spider-Man First Person Mod... do you want a Spider-Man FPS mode in Spider-Man 2? pic.twitter.com/9BJqzmyEtX — Chaos (@Chaosxsilencer) September 20, 2022 Fans therefore called for the fully accurate version, where the camera would move exactly with Spider-Man's eyeline and, for better or worse, jedijosh920 delivered. The next video they released does exactly that, showing every movement of the he

Microsoft has released its September update for the Xbox Series and Xbox One consoles, completely revamping the game library, adding customisable colour options to the Elite Series 2 controller, and more. The details were revealed on the Xbox Wire , with the updated game library being arguably the biggest change. The My Games and Apps section has been redesigned to give more streamlined access to anything the player is able to play, whether it be in their own library, through Xbox Game Pass, Games with Gold, EA Access, and so on. Those playing with an Xbox Elite Controller Series 2 can enjoy an extra bonus in the update too, as Microsoft has added the ability to change the colour of the Xbox logo light on the gamepad. The options are pretty diverse too, as the player can not only choose the base colour but also the hue and saturation as well. The update also brings more flexibility when it comes to storage locations, as the player can now select different installation locations