Console
Sega Announces Mini Arcade Cabinet
Sega Toys has officially announced a mini version of it’s classic Astro City arcade cabinet which is scheduled to be released in Japan this December and will arrive with 36 games.
Clocking in with a pricetag of $119, or 12,800 yen in Japan, the Astro City Mini, according to Sega’s official press release, measures 150mm across, 67mm deep, and 30mm high (could be an error).
Sega also revealed the first 10 games for the mini and they include: Virtua Fighter, Fantasy Zone, Golden Axe, Golden Axe: The Revenge of Death Adder, Alienstorm, Alien Syndrome, Columns II, Dark Edge, Puzzle & Action: Tant-R, and Altered Beast.
The Astro City cabinet was first introduced in 1993 and is an iconic arcade gaming cabinet in Japan.
Business
Microsoft Bringing Four Games to Rival Consoles
Microsoft has responded to recent reports that there will be changes to it’s first-party strategy and has confirmed that four game titles will be released on rival consoles.
More specifically, Xbox head Phil Spencer said that ‘Starfield’ and ‘Indiana Jones’ will not be among the four titles heading to other platforms. Both games had a number of candidate platforms, per reports, adding that this is “not a change to our fundamental exclusive strategy.”
“We don’t damage Xbox and we can grow our business using what other platforms have to help us with that,” Spencer said, according to GamesIndustry.biz. “Looking forward, I think there is an interesting story for us of introducing Xbox franchises to players on other platforms to get them more interested in Xbox. We think there’s a good brand value for Xbox there.”
Xbox president Sarah Bond announced that Activision Blizzard games would begin to be added into Game Pass offerings, starting with Diablo 4, which will be added on March 28th.
Additionally, Bond said that Microsoft is still working on hardware for the future and that their focus regarding the future is “delivering the largest technical leap you will ever have seen in a hardware generation.”
Console
Microsoft Unveils Xbox Developer Sustainability Toolkit
Xbox has officially unveiled the Xbox Developer Sustainability Toolkit which is aimed to help creators reduce energy consumption and measure carbon emissions during game development processes.
The Xbox Developer Sustainability ToolKit includes resources that include:
- Power Monitor tools
- Certification reports
- Power consumption dashboards
- Best practices
Ubisoft and 343 Industries were named as early users of the Xbox Developer Sustainability ToolKit with 343 Industries able to reduce energy use by 15% without impacting the player experience at all.
Ubisoft and Xbox are co-developing an energy-efficient eco-mode for users.
You can check out the full report right here.
Console
Microsoft Gauging Interest in Xbox Game Pass Ad-Supported Tier
Microsoft is reportedly gauging interest for an Xbox Game Pass ad-supported tier subscription with a new user survey exploring the potential addition of a $3 subscription tier that would provide more features and benefits.
According to Windows Central, the survey suggested that a potential $3 subscription tier offering come with features, such as allowing users to play new first-party Xbox titles six months after launch, and would include Xbox’s slate of exclusive titles as well.
Multiplayer and EA Access games would also be accessible in this new potential tier offering.
With Game Pass reportedly falling short of it’s target in growth, back in October, it makes sense that they are exploring new tier offerings.
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