HiTechEdge

Category: Gaming

All news related to gaming.

  • Jim Ryan, CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment, Is Retiring

    Jim Ryan, CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment, Is Retiring

    Jim Ryan, the President and CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE), has announced he is retiring after nearly 30 years with the company.

    Ryan leads the division of Sony responsible for the PlayStation, and led the company during the difficult PlayStation 5 launch in the midst of the pandemic. Under his leadership, the PlayStation 5 is on its way to becoming Sony’s most popular console in the company’s history.

    Nonetheless, Ryan says he has found it increasingly difficult to balance his work and life on two different continents:

    As you will have seen today in the news , I have announced my retirement after nearly 30 years at Sony Interactive Entertainment. I did not take this decision lightly and I absolutely love SIE and our community, but of late I’ve been finding it increasingly difficult to strike the right balance between having my home in the UK and my job in the United States. As mentioned in the press release, I will continue my role as President and CEO until March 2024. Effective April 1, 2024, Hiroki Totoki will be appointed Interim CEO of SIE while he continues his current role at Sony Group Corporation.

  • Not So Fast: FTC Renews Objections to Microsoft/Activision Deal

    Not So Fast: FTC Renews Objections to Microsoft/Activision Deal

    The Federal Trade Commission is renewing its objections to Microsoft’s proposed purchase of Activision Blizzard.

    Microsoft has been pursuing a $68.7 billion deal to purchase the game studio. The company has, however, been fighting an uphill battle against regulators on both sides of the Atlantic. While the EU eventually greenlit the deal, the UK and US both objected from the outset.

    Despite withdrawing the initial case from adjudication, the FTC has decided to once again try to block the merger, according to an order the agency released:

    The Commission has determined that the public interest warrants that this matter be resolved fully and expeditiously. Therefore, the Commission is returning this matter to adjudication.

    The evidentiary hearing in this proceeding shall commence twenty one days after the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit issues its opinion regarding the appeal of the district court decision on the requested preliminary injunction. Chief Administrative Law Judge D. Michael Chappell has determined that the evidentiary hearing will be conducted virtually. Pursuant to Commission Rule 3.41(a), 16 C.F.R. § 3.41(a), we have determined to make provision for appropriate public access.

    The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority has since softened its stance in response to concessions made by Microsoft, and has given preliminary approval to the deal. If the company is not able to prevail against the FTC, however, it would spell near-certain doom for the merger.

  • Microsoft Cracks Down on Emulation on the Xbox

    Microsoft Cracks Down on Emulation on the Xbox

    Microsoft Xbox users are being told they can’t run emulated software, ending a long-standing ability gamers have enjoyed.

    Gamers have been able to load emulation software on the Xbox Series X and Series S since their introduction, giving them the ability to run any number of legacy games. According to The Verge, Microsoft appears to be cracking down on the practice, with users being met with a message saying it violates Microsoft Store Policy.

    “Unable to launch this game or app,” the message reads. “The game or app you’re trying to launch violates Microsoft Store policy and is not supported.”

    According to Microsoft Azure developer Alyanna McKenna, the decision is the result of “legal issues with Nintendo.”

    https://twitter.com/AlyannaMcKenna/status/1644033000219332613?s=20
  • Bethesda Sunsetting Its Game Launch in Favor of Steam

    Bethesda Sunsetting Its Game Launch in Favor of Steam

    Bethesda has announced it is sunsetting its own Bethesda.net Launcher, embracing Steam instead.

    Bethesda has a long and storied history in the video game industry, eventually being acquired by Microsoft in 2020. The company has maintained its own game launcher, Bethesda.net, but is now shutting it down in favor of the Steam platform.

    The company plans to begin the migration in April, providing detailed instruction to users on how to migrate their game library and Wallets.

    We’re saying goodbye to the Bethesda.net Launcher this year. We would like to thank you for your support and assure you that all of your games are safe. If you’re not playing PC games through the Bethesda.net launcher then your work is done here. Thanks for reading! If you do have games through the Bethesda.net launcher, don’t worry. Starting in early April you’ll be able to migrate your games and Wallet to your Steam account.

    The migration process is expected to be completed by May, at which point the Bethesda.net Launcher will no longer be available.

  • Microsoft Commits to Keeping Call of Duty on PlayStation — For Now

    Microsoft Commits to Keeping Call of Duty on PlayStation — For Now

    Following Microsoft’s blockbuster purchase of Activision Blizzard, Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer is working to reassure PlayStation users.

    Microsoft announced a deal on Tuesday to purchase Activision Blizzard for some $68.7 billion, a move that will upend the entire computing gaming industry. Needless to day, many wondered if Microsoft would kill off non-Xbox and PC versions of popular titles, such as Call of Duty.

    According to Spencer, the company has no plans to do that…at least not yet.

    Had good calls this week with leaders at Sony. I confirmed our intent to honor all existing agreements upon acquisition of Activision Blizzard and our desire to keep Call of Duty on PlayStation. Sony is an important part of our industry, and we value our relationship.

    — Phil Spencer (XboxP3), January 20, 2022

    As some commenters immediately pointed out, Spencer’s choice of words certainly leaves doubt about the long-term future. Rather than a strong ‘we WILL keep Call of Duty on PlayStation,’ Spencer seemingly left Microsoft an out by only saying the company would honor existing agreements, and it was their desire to keep Call of Duty on PlayStation.

    Only time will tell how committed Microsoft is to other gaming platforms over the long haul.

  • Valve Delays Steam Deck by Two Months

    Valve Delays Steam Deck by Two Months

    Valve has delayed the release of its much-anticipated Steam Deck by two months as a result of global supply chain issues.

    Steam Deck is Valve’s Nintendo Switch-like gaming console, powered by Linux. Early access reviews have praised the device’s design and performance. 

    Valve had initially targeted December as the release window, in time to benefit from the holiday shopping season. Issues with acquiring semiconductors and other components have torpedoed those plans, however, with the company now targeting February 2022.

    The company announced the delay in a statement:

    The launch of Steam Deck will be delayed by two months. We’re sorry about this—we did our best to work around the global supply chain issues, but due to material shortages, components aren’t reaching our manufacturing facilities in time for us to meet our initial launch dates.

    Based on our updated build estimates, Steam Deck will start shipping to customers February 2022. This will be the new start date of the reservation queue—all reservation holders keep their place in line but dates will shift back accordingly. Reservation date estimates will be updated shortly after this announcement.

  • Microsoft and Sega Exploring ‘Strategic Alliance’

    Microsoft and Sega Exploring ‘Strategic Alliance’

    Microsoft and Sega have announced they are exploring a “strategic alliance” to create new titles and a next-gen development environment.

    The gaming industry is becoming more competitive and complicated, thanks to the advent of 5G and cloud computing. Games are also taking on a greater importance in society as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing digital transformation.

    Microsoft and Sega see an opportunity to work together to create the next generation of blockbuster games, and Sega is interested in using Microsoft’s Azure cloud platform to help create a next-gen development environment.

    “We are very pleased to announce today that we are considering a strategic alliance with Microsoft to help develop SEGA’s new ‘Super Game’ initiative as well as build a next-generation game development environment,” said Yukio Sugino, President and COO, SEGA Corporation. “By considering a strategic partnership with Microsoft, we seek to further advance our game development so that our titles can be enjoyed by fans all over the world; in this regard, we aim to build an alliance that utilizes both SEGA’s powerful game development capabilities and Microsoft’s cutting-edge technology and development environment.”

    “SEGA has played such an iconic role in the gaming industry and has been a tremendous partner over the years,” said Sarah Bond, CVP, Microsoft Corporation. “We look forward to working together as they explore new ways to create unique gaming experiences for the future using Microsoft cloud technologies. Together we will reimagine how games get built, hosted, and operated, with a goal of adding more value to players and SEGA alike.”

  • Epic Shutting Down Chinese Version of Fortnite

    Epic Shutting Down Chinese Version of Fortnite

    Epic is shutting down the Chinese version of its blockbuster game Fortnite.

    Like other games made for the Chinese market, Epic had to make a customized version of Fortnite that met the local laws and requirements. Despite its investment, the company is shutting down its efforts, and will no longer accept new users starting November 1, according to TechCrunch. The game will shut down November 15.

    Epic released a brief statement announcing the shutdown. The announcement did not go into detail about the company’s motivations, although Beijing’s recent crackdowns on the gaming industry are likely a factor.

  • Nintendo Switch (Finally) Gains Bluetooth Audio Support

    Nintendo Switch (Finally) Gains Bluetooth Audio Support

    Nintendo Switch fans can finally use their favorite Bluetooth headsets with their gaming device, thanks to a software update.

    The Nintendo Switch is one of the most popular gaming consoles. Unfortunately, Bluetooth audio support was conspicuously missing, meaning users had to rely on wired headsets.

    The company announced via Twitter that it has released a software update that enables the long-awaited feature.

  • Lead Google Stadia Exec Moves to Google Cloud

    Lead Google Stadia Exec Moves to Google Cloud

    Stadia’s status continues to perplex as a top exec moves from Google’s gaming platform to Google Cloud.

    Stadia is Google’s cloud gaming service. The service has gone through a number of changes, not the least of which was Google shutting down its own in-house game studio.

    According to The Verge, Jack Buser, Stadia’s Director for Games, has been moved to Google Cloud. The company provided the following statement to Google:

    Gaming is an incredibly important vertical at Google and we’re seeing huge momentum across all products and services. Jack’s new role will allow us to better bring customers the best of Google across our Cloud services, Stadia, YouTube, and more. Stadia continues to be led by its GM Phil Harrison, and Stadia’s business development and partner management teams will continue to be led by Michael Abbattista, who took over the role in 2020.

    As The Verge points out, though disconcerting, the move doesn’t necessarily spell trouble for Stadia. Google made it clear when it shut down its own in-house game studio that it wanted to provide a platform for partner companies to develop games for.

    In that content, Buser’s move to Google Cloud may make sense and demonstrate Google’s commitment to leveraging the power of its cloud platform to bolster Stadia.