Latest news with #CrystalDynamics
Forbes
03-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
The Stunning List Of Cancelled Xbox Projects, From ‘Perfect Dark' To ‘Everwild'
Perfect Dark While it was known before this that Xbox layoffs were coming this week, what wasn't known was their scope. It's not just that jobs that have been cut, but a number of high-profile projects, and others that might have been great if they were not killed early on like this. These news stories have been coming so fast that it's hard to keep track of everything that's been cut, so here's a list of the disastrous dissection of projects that have accompanying layoffs. Significant ones, in many cases. This is a running list, as more news may drop at any moment. Perfect Dark – The long-gestating shooter had reported troubled development despite Microsoft assembling a 'AAAA' studio, The Initiative, specifically to make it, eventually also bringing in Tomb Raider's Crystal Dynamics to help. That did not help, and what once was one of the most promising-sounding, large-scale games (alongside Fable) is now completely dead, and The Initiative itself has been closed down, resulting in significant job losses. On top of that, rumors are circling back around that the recent, flashy trailer Microsoft showed off for the game after years of silence may have been more or less faked and not actual gameplay. Everwild Everwild – Rare, the storied developer, was given a chance to develop a brand new IP, and now that chance has been erased, despite just months ago, Xbox exec Phil Spencer was singing its praises and talking about the time it needed: 'It's nice to see the team with Everwild and the progress that they're making,' Spencer said. 'It has been [a while] FEATURED | Frase ByForbes™ Unscramble The Anagram To Reveal The Phrase Pinpoint By Linkedin Guess The Category Queens By Linkedin Crown Each Region Crossclimb By Linkedin Unlock A Trivia LadderRomero Shooters – An unnamed shooter from Romero Games, of the legendary John Romero, has announced it has lost the funding it was getting from Xbox, and the game may never see the light of day. In addition to that, funding was lost for 'several other unannounced projects.' The developer is unequivocal about how devasting this all is. It's reported that other Bethesda-based projects have been scrapped, but there are few details there. ZeniMax MMORPG – This was supposed to be a new MMORPG from the team behind the long-running Elder Scrolls Online, codenamed Blackbird, which has been worked on for years. Warcraft Rumble – Layoffs with this Blizzard team mean that support for the Warcraft-themed mobile game will no longer produce new content, even if it continues to exist. Halo Infinite The Deep Cuts – The rest of these are a high-level series of layoffs that may not have specific projects announced as cut, but it's a wide range of developers. Team 10 has been gutted to the point where it seems questionable if there will be future Forza Motorsport games, only Horizon. Cuts hit Call of Duty studios Sledgehammer and Raven. King, Microsoft's purchase mobile giant, will cut 200 jobs. Specific social teams at Blizzard have been cut, with many roles now outsourced. Halo Studios lost some employees as the future of Microsoft's biggest IP remains in flux years after its last underwhelming release. And all of this is after more layoffs and shutdown 18 months ago which closed Arkan Austin, Alpha Dog Games and the developer of Xbox's best game in a while, Hi-Fi Rush's Tango Gameworks, which had to be saved by another company. All this, as Phil Spencer pointed out in his layoff note, for some reason, comes at a profitable time for Xbox which says its expansion strategy is going well. Well, isn't that nice to hear. Follow me on Twitter, YouTube, Bluesky and Instagram. Pick up my sci-fi novels the Herokiller series and The Earthborn Trilogy.
Forbes
02-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Xbox Has Cancelled ‘Perfect Dark' And Two More Games Amongst Layoffs
Perfect Dark While we knew that large-scale layoffs were coming to Xbox, the 4% cut of 9,000 Microsoft jobs has hit its gaming division in significant ways, and as of now, cancelled three different projects, including a high-profile future offering. It's just been confirmed (originally reported by Windows Central) that Xbox has cancelled Perfect Dark, its long-gestating return to the classic IP being made by new 'AAAA' studio The Initiative. The Initiative has been closed down as well, and Microsoft is ending its partnership with Tomb Raider's Crystal Dynamics, which was also working on Perfect Dark. Here's the memo from Xbox's Matty Booty: Perfect Dark was announced back at The Game Awards in 2020, but barely anything has been released publicly since then, outside of a brief look at alleged gameplay. In that sense, it may not be a shock the game was cancelled, but Microsoft had poured significant resources into it to make it happen, ending in failure. It, along with Fable, seemed like the pair of future Xbox first-party games to get excited about, returning to beloved franchises. Now, it's just Fable. For now, anyway. The day isn't over yet. Fable FEATURED | Frase ByForbes™ Unscramble The Anagram To Reveal The Phrase Pinpoint By Linkedin Guess The Category Queens By Linkedin Crown Each Region Crossclimb By Linkedin Unlock A Trivia Ladder This may be the most high-profile cancellation, but it's only midway through the day. Before this, it was revealed that Rare's original IP Everwild would be cancelled before ever getting a real showcase, and so would an MMORPG project that The Elder Scrolls Online's Zenimax was working on. We are still attempting to find the exact number of layoffs that has accompanied all this, but it seems significant, and not just in places where games were cancelled. Again, the day is not even halfway over, and it remains to be seen what other developers, divisions or games may be affected by these mass Microsoft layoffs. This comes in the wake of a number of controversial changes to the focus of the Xbox brand, which include expanding beyond its obviously declining hardware business into Xbox Game Pass subscriptions, cloud gaming and recently releasing almost all first-party games on rivals like PlayStation. That said, this is clearly a giant swath of cuts affecting far more than just Xbox as Microsoft culls 9,000 jobs. We'll see what else happens today, or over the next week. Follow me on Twitter, YouTube, Bluesky and Instagram. Pick up my sci-fi novels the Herokiller series and The Earthborn Trilogy.
Metro
21-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Metro
Playing Gex again is a reminder of a simpler time for gaming - Reader's Feature
A reader welcomes the return of PS1 platformer Gex and reminiscences over both a childhood favourite and an era when video games weren't so demanding. This week, a game trilogy has been re-released which is very dear to me but seemingly very few people have even heard of: Gex – where a gecko is tasked with saving television from the evil robot Rez. This is good news, even if you don't know or care about Gex. Games are notoriously difficult to preserve. Playing old games today, without the hardware they originally ran on, can be a mission that quickly enters a legal grey area. Therefore, I am immensely grateful for companies like Limited Run Games giving some of these old games a new lease of life. Although it feels like only a minimum effort went into this one – note how I call it a re-release and not a remaster or remake. The Switch version, in its current state, looks especially awful. At least they added some quality of life features, like being able to manually save whenever you want to, which can take the frustration out of some of the more challenging levels. Gex was originally created by Crystal Dynamics, who took over the Tomb Raider franchise after Angel Of Darkness. Speaking of which, did you know that until the 2013 reboot, Lara's model was measured in Gexels? This is because the Tomb Raider games were made on a modified engine based on the one developed for Gex 3D: Enter The Gecko, which was heavily inspired by Super Mario 64 and in my opinion definitely doesn't have to stand in that game's shadow. This is the game I played religiously as a child. I loved the tail-whipping gecko from the first moment I laid eyes on him, on my neighbour's PlayStation, and eventually got the game for PC. Once I also got the graphics card necessary to actually play it, I spent every minute of my allotted hour of computer time in the media dimension, where Gex hops into the different levels, which are pastiches of television genres and movies. These range from haunted house horror to Looney Toons, kung fu movies, Star Wars, and many more. They are full of fun nods to their inspirations and Gex usually dresses for the occasion, be that fighting hunters as a bunny during 'Wabbit' season or wearing a hide and a bone although his nose in the Jurassic levels. Sign up to the GameCentral newsletter for a unique take on the week in gaming, alongside the latest reviews and more. Delivered to your inbox every Saturday morning. The animations and sound design made it so much fun to double jump around on Gex's spring-shaped tail, accompanied by a characteristic 'boioinnng!' And if you happened to land on some unfortunate enemy's head, they got flattened. Similarly, when jumping into a wall, Gex might hit his head and fall flat on his back with a splat, after which stars circle over his head, together with an 'oooww' sound. I'm definitely guilty of giving the poor gecko a few headaches. The game also rewarded my urge to explore and while I failed a timed Indiana Jones style level a lot, because I spent my time marvelling at the snakeheads and skulls adorning the temple walls, imagine my elation when I discovered, in a horror level, that some bookshelves would turn when walking against them, revealing a lever that opened a new part of the level! Of course. I also hunted down all the collectibles to earn all the TV remotes. With enough remotes you would unlock new levels and bosses and one of these has been living rent free in my head for over 20 years now: Gexzilla battling it out with Mecharez – complete with tanks and helicopters trying to defend the city that is getting destroyed in the process – epic! The only thing that doesn't quite hit home for me is Gex's actual personality, especially when it comes to the voice lines, which trigger all the time. While the sound effects and animations are quite endearing, the comedian Dana Gould's quips are old-fashioned and feel weird to hear out of a gecko's mouth. (It seems you were playing the US version. In the UK, Gex was originally voiced by Leslie Philips and then later Danny John-Jules. Their voices weren't in the initial re-release but are being added via a patch – GC) And then there is the fact that a Gecko has implied relations with a human woman… ick. I guess it is a product of its time, much like the older James Bond films which inspired his personality, but I do have to give its makers credit for trying something different than 'Mamma mia.' More Trending I love revisiting Gex because it reminds me of simpler days. Life is busier now and I rarely find the time or motivation anymore, to fully explore and complete today's often vast and complex games. Older games making a comeback shows us that there is a case for more simplicity. Being able to finish a game without it taking dozens of hours and eating up all your spare time is such a relief. By reader Peter Schmid The reader's features do not necessarily represent the views of GameCentral or Metro. You can submit your own 500 to 600-word reader feature at any time, which if used will be published in the next appropriate weekend slot. Just contact us at gamecentral@ or use our Submit Stuff page and you won't need to send an email. MORE: Video games are great for my mental and physical wellbeing - Reader's Feature MORE: I'm going to say it: Mario Kart World is not as good as it should be – Reader's Feature MORE: As a former Xbox 360 owner I don't understand Xbox today - Reader's Feature
Time of India
18-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
10 excellent games you would be embarrassed to play around non-gamers
Image via: Crystal Dynamics/Eidos-Montréal In the universe of gaming, one thing is certain, not every game is created equal, especially in the view of the uninitiated. Some have pioneered the essence of design and storytelling; yet others will have you fumbling for the pause button and excuses when caught mid-game. Here are 10 games you may very well be proud of playing, but only behind closed doors. 1. Tomb Raider Ara Croft's reboot aimed to redefine the character as a serious and gritty survivor. What we received, however, was a wonderful action-adventure, largely resembling a really late-night adult film. The problem? Each scream uttered by Lara following a climb, fall, or blow definitely does not go well in shared company-and not everyone would enjoy witnessing your outburst. 10 Great Games You'd Be EMBARRASSED to Play Around Non-Gamers 2. Yakuza Series Yakuza is half an undergoing crime drama and half a fever dream. One moment you are doing battle in the underworld, the next you are in a rhythm game or watching women in bug outfits catfight. The tonal whiplash is both the charm and reason for only using headphones. 3. Stellar Blade It is fast and showy, but Eve's outfit comes off with revealing suit-like levels of jiggly physics that would have felt dated ten years ago. Underneath the cheesecake, there is a good game, but once they unlock Eve's "suit," judgmental side eyes, even from fellow gamers, will erupt. 4. Dragon's Crown The Sorceress in particular provides an anatomy lesson on the over-exaggerated side of things. You'll be embarrassed just selecting characters. And while it's an entertaining game, your rational defense for playing is about to die when anyone walks into the room and asks you just what you are playing. 5. Life Is Strange For all its emotional depth and social commentary, "Life Is Strange" bears some of the most excruciating dialogue in gaming. Sure, it tugs on your heartstrings; now try explaining to someone why you're crying over a high-school-breakup simulator rather than merely shutting your console off. 20 PS5 Games That Are Hidden Gems You Missed 6. Bayonetta Series Bayonetta is powerful, witty, but unapologetically odd. Clothes made of hair-letting the hair fly off during combat to summon demons-have got some feminists applauding, others crying "exploitative," while folks walking in at the wrong time will ensure a "damn, what are you playing?" 7. Xenoblade Chronicles 2 The story is epic, the world is wide, and the characters are they hard to ignore. Pyra could break your heart. This fantastic RPG is almost unplayable in public, seeing its characters as if they've been lifted from a fan-service sketchbook. 8. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain A mute assassin who "breathes through her skin" and looks good in strands of clothing pieces. The genius hiding behind stealth gameplay in a Kojima production is often questioned with thick jokes about why on earth your sniper comrade has to be dressed in almost odd dress while committing to warfare. 9. Dead or Alive: Xtreme Beach Volleyball It is a vacation simulator for those who have never left childhood. Physics that provide a bouncing effect are probably better than the actual game mechanics. This is not something you play; you just keep it hidden beneath a pile of more respectable titles. 10 Games With Good Gameplay But DISAPPOINTING STORY 10. Final Fantasy X-2 The sequel to one of the most cherished RPGs in history starts with a J-pop concert and never looks back. Dress spheres, awkward massage minigames, and never-ending "girl power" energy make this one a guilty pleasure even amongst die-hard fans. Not all embarrassment is bad. Some of these defy conventions while others embrace irreverence. One thing for certain, if you're popping any of these on, be sure to lock the door and lower the volume. Because sometimes the cringe is just too loud to ignore, no matter how deep or brilliant the game. Get IPL 2025 match schedules , squads , points table , and live scores for CSK , MI , RCB , KKR , SRH , LSG , DC , GT , PBKS , and RR . Check the latest IPL Orange Cap and Purple Cap standings.
Yahoo
28-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
《古墓奇兵》新作終於要來？爆料者聲稱隨時都可能會公開
（圖源：Shadow of the Tomb Raider） 2022 年時，Square Enix 以 3 億美金的價格，出售旗下《古墓奇兵》（Tomb Raider）和《駭客入侵》等多款遊戲 IP 與開發團隊給 Embracer 集團，雖然收購後《古墓奇兵》推出了兩部舊版強化盒輯，但新作已經有近 7 年時間沒有任何消息。而近日，根據爆料消息指出，《古墓奇兵》新作很快就會推出。 知名影視娛樂消息爆料者 V Scooper，去年曾爆料《古墓奇兵》新作背景設定在印度，並且有張能允許玩家自由探索的大地圖、可以駕駛載具等消息。而近日，V Scooper 引用去年的消息，發文表示《古墓奇兵》新作可能隨時都會公開。 I can see the announcement coming anytime soon... — V Scooper (@thevscooper) April 11, 2025 距離上一次 Crystal Dynamics 的《古墓奇兵》新作，已經是 2018 年的《古墓奇兵：暗影》，屬於重啟系列的新三部曲。而 Crystal Dynamics 其實早在 2022 年時，就通過 Epic Games 的官方節目「 The State of Unreal 2022 」確認新作採用 Unreal Engine 5 開發，後來更確定是由 Amazon Games 負責發行，不過同樣至今 2 年過去仍沒有任何新消息。 緊貼最新科技資訊、網購優惠，追隨 Yahoo Tech 各大社交平台！ 🎉📱 Tech Facebook： 🎉📱 Tech Instagram： 🎉📱 Tech WhatsApp 社群： 🎉📱 Tech WhatsApp 頻道： 🎉📱 Tech Telegram 頻道：
