Microsoft’s shocking decision in May to close a collection of Bethesda-adjacent studios saw Dishonored and Redfall developers Arcane Austin suddenly closed down, before the studio was able to complete Redfall’s promised content. Those who bought the game’s never-to-be-released Hero DLC are now, a month later, being…
Xbox’s Best Showcase In Years Was Also The Hardest To Root For
A Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 campaign that looks like Mission: Impossible by way of an Adam Curtis documentary, a Gearsof War prequel that shows fans E-Day and the birth of the series’ iconic “Lancer” chainsaw gun, and a trailer that showed Perfect Dark isn’t just still alive, it’s potentially thriving. Microsoft’s…
I Still Wish Destiny Was An Offline Game
As I sit here, on June 6, 2024 at 11:45 a.m., two days after The Final Shape launched—Destiny’s last expansion in the story arc it clumsily started more than a decade ago—I am notably not blasting aliens nor taking in sweeping sci-fi vistas. I am not playing at all.
Redfall’s Last Update Revamps Game As Arkane Devs Bid Farewell
Earlier this month, it was announced that Arkane Austin, among a number of other Bethesda-owned studios, was being shuttered by Xbox, meaning that the team responsible for vampire-themed loot shooter Redfall wouldn’t be able to continue supporting the game. The developers were reportedly working on a major update just…
The Story Behind PO’ed, 2024’s Weirdest Remaster
In 2024, I doubt most people have played or even heard of PO’ed, a’90s first-person shooter featuring strange aliens, bizarre weapons (like a frying pan), and hard-to-navigate levels. The odd Doom-like shooter was released first on 3DO in 1995 and later ported to the original PlayStation in 1996. And since then,…
The Buck Stops With Phil Spencer And More Gaming Opinions
People had strong feelings, to put it mildly, after Xbox shuttered Arkane Austin, Tango Gameworks, and other studios, and we share some of our own. Also,PlayStation finally relented on a requirement that PC players maintain a PSN account, but not before colossal fan uproar, and as the dust started to settle, we had…
Xbox Shutters Studios, Switch 2 Specs Leak, & More Gaming News
This past week started with a shock, as Microsoft announced it was closing a number of studios including Tango Gameworks, responsible for the very well-liked Hi-Fi Rush, leading many to wonder just what a studio has to achieve in this day and age to be deemed successful enough to exist. Also, one of the most…
Breaking Down Microsoft’s Very Bad Week
It has been a very bad week for Xbox Game Studios. On Tuesday, May 7, Microsoft announced it would shut down three studios: Redfall developer Arkane Austin, Hi-Fi Rush creators Tango Gameworks, and Mighty Doom studio Alpha Dog Games. On top of this, Roadhouse Games is being absorbed into Elder Scrolls Online developer…
Xbox Blames Too Many Games For Studio Closings
After shutting down multiple Bethesda studios, Xbox and Bethesda leadership held a town hall meeting with staff to discuss the closures, explaining that the company’s studios had been spread too thin and that it wanted to focus on fewer projects moving forward.