The Xbox dilemma
Two separate Southeast Asian gaming events combined into one? Link between terrorism and gaming debunked?
All these, and more, in this week's gaming news recap.
The Big Picture
If there was any doubt that Xbox isn't a third-party game studio, all of that is completely erased.
Back in late 2001, Xbox paved the way for legitimate online play for consoles and also boasted a wave of titles like the Halo and Forza series, with Gears of War debuting on the Xbox 360.
These days, Xbox is porting its games and 'hand-me-downs' onto PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch/Switch 2. Why? Because it is making back its money in the long term after spending way too much on the Activision Blizzard King trifecta in 2022.
Two years later, Xbox is following the path Sega was on back when the latter went out of the first-party console race, making games for Nintendo and PlayStation.
How did it come to this? The once-championed first-party Western game studio and console maker under Microsoft is now relegated to a third-party role? Simple – the need to get games on its Xbox Game Pass subscription plan.
While the idea is sound (more new games to this new ecosystem of distributing games on the cheap), the fact that Microsoft paid more than it should have put it in a position where it needs to recoup all those billions by selling games on other platforms.
It's a great long-term profitable plan, but long-time Xbox followers and fans will see this as nothing more than a betrayal, eschewing its ecosystem in favour of its long-term recoup-slash-eventual-profit plan.
This is why you'll see Sony and Nintendo saying, 'Thanks for the games,' to Microsoft without them being obligated or needing to put their games on the Xbox Series and new Xbox platform in the first place.
There is simply no benefit for Sony and Nintendo to do so from a business standpoint, as exclusive games are still king in their PlayStation and Switch domains.
Xbox has no leverage, and its own (un)doing led it to this third-party path. No amount of fanboy 'copium' can change that current reality.
Short Beats
Competitive player-versus-player shooter Marvel Rivals hits 40 million players, but right after a round of layoffs.
Thailand Game Show and Gamescom Asia are joining forces for a mega gaming event this October 2025. Last year's hit open-world first-person shooter title S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 is getting incremental updates – about 1,700 of them.
Remedy founder Sam Lake (Max Payne series, Alan Wake, Control) and indie developer Lucas Pope (Papers, Please, Return of the Obra Dinn) will be honoured at this year's Game Developer Choice Awards this March. Lake will receive the Lifetime Achievement award, while Pope will get the Pioneer Award.
Op-Eds
We had our hands deep in the Elden Ring: Nightreign beta. Check out our thoughts.
A Malaysian publication linked gaming with extremism and terrorism in the most dubious way possible. We asked a real expert in the subject matter. Read her views.
Games Out This Week
Avowed is out now for PC, Xbox Series, and Xbox Game Pass. It is a new computer role-playing game with open-world exploration and multi-layered real-time combat with swords, guns, and spells in the mix. It also has an expansive story involving colonialism and prejudices in the fantasy area called the Living Lands.
Like A Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii is an action-adventure title where you control a yakuza member who lost his memory and ends up being a pirate with his own ship and crewmates. All while sailing the Hawaiian seas and islands for lost treasure and plundering from other bloodthirsty pirates. And even ninjas. And deviating from your quest to play go-karts with weapons, karaoke, and scouting for Minato Girls for your pirate friend. The game is out for PC, Xbox Series, and PlayStation 5.
Stories From Sol: The Gun Dog is a PC, Nintendo Switch, and PlayStation 4 visual novel set in a sci-fi universe and is tailored like a 90s PC story game with anime cutscenes and backdrops. Take on the role of the Gun Dog's security officer as you attempt to save the ship from an unknown assailant whilst navigating the paranoia, conspiracies, and vendettas that break out amongst the crew.
Recommended Viewing
Here is a quick evolution video from Kakuchopurei spotlighting the Shinobi series from Sega, dating back to 1987.
Game website channel 20m Podcast talks to Larian Studios CEO Swen Vincke about the Malaysian offshoot studio and its future.
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