Latest news with #Starfield
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Microsoft starts testing Copilot for Gaming in Xbox app for iOS and Android
Microsoft announced on Wednesday that it has started rolling out the beta version of its Copilot for Gaming experience. Beta testers can access the experience in the Xbox app on iOS and Android. The early version of the experience allows the assistant to answer questions about the games you're interested in, give you links to more information, and answer questions based on your account, play history, achievements, and more. For example, you could ask something like: "What's my gamerscore and can you give me some tips to raise it?" or 'I love horror movies. Any suggestions for what game I should play?' As for questions about your play history or account, you could ask something like: "What was the last achievement I got in Starfield?" or "When does my Game Pass subscription renew?' "In this early version of the feature for mobile, you'll be able to access Copilot for Gaming on a second screen, without distracting you from your core gameplay experience," Taylor O'Malley, principal program manager at Xbox, explained in a blog post. Once you ask Copilot a question, it looks at your player activity on Xbox, alongside public information from Bing, to formulate a response. Microsoft says it's working to add more personalization and richer game assistance, such as proactive coaching, to Copilot for Gaming in the future. The beta version of Copilot for Gaming is available in English for players aged 18 and older in the following countries: Albania, Algeria, Argentina, Australia, Bahrain, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Georgia, Guatemala, Honduras, Hong Kong (SAR), India, Indonesia, Israel, Japan, Kuwait, Libya, Macedonia, Malaysia, Mexico, Moldova, Montenegro, Morocco, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Oman, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Singapore, South Africa, Taiwan, Thailand, Tunisia, Turkiye, UAE, Ukraine, Uruguay, USA and Vietnam. Microsoft plans to release the experience in additional regions at a later date. This article originally appeared on TechCrunch at
Daily Mirror
18-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Oblivion Remastered reminds me of when Bethesda were the true RPG masters
If Bethesda wants to be back on top by the time next Elder Scrolls game rolls around, it should take more lessons from Oblivion Remastered than Starfield. Oblivion Remastered demonstrates the kind of inspiring world and storytelling experience any studio worth its RPG weight should be aiming to recapture. For the longest time, the RPG video game arms race was dominated by the two Bs: BioWare and Bethesda. Specialising in creating titles with memorable characters set in incredibly detailed worlds – the kind where you, the player, can make an impact through your own gameplay decisions – it's clear that this style of game, in 2025, has only become harder to make for both studios. As a result, there's a lot less of these 'all-encompassing' style RPG experiences to be found in general, which means when a disappointment of, say, Starfield 's calibre arrives, it's no fun for anyone. Particularly the players and developers who adored the genre-defining experiences of BioWare and Bethesda's heyday. While not a bad game per se, Dragon Age: The Veilguard 's more action-oriented approach caused long-time series fans to wonder why it was even called Dragon Age at all. As for Mass Effect? Time will tell whether BioWare can put lightning back in that bottle. Meanwhile, as for the other big B, I've been dipping in and out of Oblivion Remastered since its release this month. It's showing age in places, true, yet still reminds me of when a Bethesda RPG was something to be savoured. Is it full of jank and barmy voice acting? Yes, but it also nails (as Skyrim also did) the feeling of being transported to another place, a feeling that's further cemented once you gain influence over it through your decisions. Starfield lacked a lot of this texture, by comparison. The difference with Oblivion is that it cuts the clutter. Now, what do I mean by 'clutter'? Part of this is the size of the world, of course. Whereas Starfield was largely sold on the premise of being limitless, what with procedurally generated planets making up a vast solar system that seemed ripe for exploration alongside a few central hubs, Oblivion's Cyrodiil is almost the exact opposite. In a little under 10 minutes, I can run from its capital all the way to the county of Kvatch, where I'm immediately besieged by countless narrative threads to pull on – almost all of them interesting. By nature of being substantially smaller, not only is Oblivion Remastered more manageable, but less intimidating when wanting to become invested in the several stories it presents. Starfield's more procedural approach feels more like a chore. There's an interesting concept at its centre, one involving some sort of ancient prophecy that quickly sees your main mission to hunt down a series of Artefacts as part of Constellation's effort. This narrative throughline quickly gets muddled soon after you've first launched off the starting planet, however, and it isn't helped by the avalanche of continuous load screens as you board, fly, and then exit your shuttle. Oblivion Remastered has absolutely none of these extra trimmings, and therefore very little bloat. You're quickly out there, exploring Cyrodiil at your own pace, meeting all kinds of quirky races and characters. A dying age Funnily enough, where Oblivion Remastered is most like Starfield is in the raft of dungeons I'm encouraged to plunder. Absolutely all of them I've explored so far feel like the same copy-and-paste underground design, only with a slightly different layout and objective. This isn't an issue exclusive to Oblivion, mind you, Skyrim still has a similar sense of repetition. However, it never bothers me too much since you're never forced to spend exorbitant amounts of time in them, meaning it's never too long before you're back out into Cyrodiil's beautiful open scenery – which obviously looks better than ever due to being rebuilt from the ground up in Unreal Engine 5. These are just a few superficial examples, but as someone who is currently playing Oblivion for the first time via this remaster, the benefits are clear: Bethesda RPGs are best when they cut out any noise and make you the centre of this story cleanly and promptly. It's not perfect, and by nature of being essentially a facelift of a 2006 Xbox 360 title, there's a few niggles I have with combat, pacing, and the minigames. Dear lord, the minigames… That said, I hope Bethesda learns what it did great during this era of RPG development so it can use these lessons to inform the next generation of The Elder Scrolls rather than the less nuanced approach of Starfield. In the end, there's a direct line that can be drawn from Oblivion all the way to Starfield. You see it in its insistence on wanting to make the player feel special, combined with plenty of reasons to poke away at the farthest reaches of the map and, most of all, tell a story in a world that reflects the effects of your specific decision-making right back at you. These kinds of wide-scale RPGs are no longer a walk in the park to make, and so it's not too surprising to see both BioWare and Bethesda stumble a fair bit when wanting to still get it right while making the most of what new advancements in technology offer. Oblivion Remastered, warts and all, has far more texture and allure than most other recent video game worlds. As such, I don't think it's wrong to expect a once great RPG studio like Bethesda to try and get back to that.
Metro
02-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Metro
The Elder Scrolls 6 is still on the way - here's what we know so far
Bethesda's sequel to The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim has been in development for years, but several rumours have teased what to expect. It's been 14 years since The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim first appeared in 2011, and since then Bethesda has done everything but release a sequel. Aside from putting Skyrim on every platform under the sun, the studio has released Fallout 4, Fallout 76, several The Elder Scrolls spin-offs, and a new sci-fi IP in 2023's Starfield. Just recently, Bethesda also launched a remastered version of The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion, presumably as a stop-gap for the next mainline instalment. For many who are still playing Skyrim, and now Oblivion Remastered, The Elder Scrolls 6 is probably one of the most anticipated games of the decade. If you're craving some kind of solace during the long wait for its release, we've assembled everything we know about Bethesda's pivotal sequel. Incredibly, The Elder Scrolls 6 was announced way back on June 10, 2018 at Bethesda's E3 event that year. Nothing was shown apart from a teaser trailer which showed off the logo, and a nondescript landscape. At the time, the game's director, Todd Howard, warned it would be 'a very long way off', and he wasn't lying. Since then, we've heard small updates on the game's progress. The Elder Scrolls 6 entered active production at Bethesda in 2023, following the release of Starfield, and it was playable via early builds in March 2024. As confirmed in a Telegraph interview with Todd Howard, the long-awaited sequel will also run on Bethesda's Creation Engine 2, the same engine used for Starfield (so, yes, that probably means the facial animation will still be bad). Bethesda has not announced a release date for The Elder Scrolls 6. However, according to Microsoft documents in the Federal Trade Commission case from 2023, the sequel is 'expected 2026 or later'. This was immediately put into question when Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer said it would be 'five+ years away' in an interview in the same year – which suggests it wouldn't be out until 2028 at the earliest and, at that point, presumably on the next generation of consoles. Considering we've seen no actual footage of The Elder Scrolls 6, it's safe to say it will probably launch at some point after 2026 – unless Bethesda is planning the biggest surprise shadowdrop of all time. Bethesda hasn't revealed the setting, but rumours point to it either being Hammerfell and/or the neighbouring region of High Rock. Each mainline entry is named after an existing area within the fictional world of Tamriel, which is made up of nine provinces, and these two areas have not received their own mainline game yet. As for the gameplay, several rumours suggest dragons will be involved, along with naval battles, ship customisation, and underwater exploration. A leak from an alleged Bethesda environment designer suggests it will have Egyptian, Mediterranean and north African influences too in an 'explorable archipelago'. While Bethesda hasn't confirmed if The Elder Scrolls 6 will be exclusive to Xbox, following Microsoft's acquisition of the studio, documents released in 2023, as part of the FTC case, suggest that was the original plan. More Trending However, Xbox's strategy has changed quite drastically since then, with many Microsoft-published games now arriving on other platforms either at launch or just after. For example, Doom: The Dark Ages is set to launch across PlayStation 5, Xbox, and PC simultaneously in May 2025, while Indiana Jones And The Great Circle arrived on PlayStation 5 just four months after it launched on Xbox and PC. Bethesda's last major role-playing title, Starfield, has remained an Xbox exclusive for nearly two years though, so there's no clear rule at the moment. While it's unclear if this multi-platform drive could reverse as we approach Microsoft's next console, based on its current strategy it seems unlikely The Elder Scrolls 6 will remain an Xbox exclusive for long – if at all. Email gamecentral@ leave a comment below, follow us on Twitter, and sign-up to our newsletter. To submit Inbox letters and Reader's Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use our Submit Stuff page here. For more stories like this, check our Gaming page. MORE: Games Inbox: Will all video games be £80 from now on? MORE: Iconic Sega composer retires after 41 years, is immediately rehired MORE: Xbox games facing new £80 price tag as console prices rise by £50
Korea Herald
23-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
Is Microsoft overlooking Korean gamers?
Game industry expert says Korean gaming market has lost appeal with rise of competitors such as China Microsoft's decision not to release its latest title in South Korea has reignited criticism over its neglect of Korean gamers -- and game industry experts say such a move reflects Korea's declining standing in the global gaming industry. Bethesda Softworks, a US-based game publisher under Microsoft, released The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered at midnight Wednesday (Korean time), marking the return of the 2006 role-playing game classic. The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered launched globally via digital storefronts of Windows, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X and S. The remastered game features a visual overhaul of the original game using Unreal Engine 5, expanded gaming territories, as well as newly added dialogues, visual and audio effects. Notably absent in the global launch is South Korea, with the country being one of the only two countries where the game is not available for purchase on Steam, alongside Russia. On Steam, the game is available for purchase in 41 countries. The omission has reignited longstanding criticism of Microsoft's localization strategy and its perceived neglect of the Korean gaming community. The Outer Worlds 2, another upcoming Microsoft title, is reportedly not planning to include Korean language support at launch, echoing the nationwide controversy that surrounded the release of Starfield in 2023. Microsoft's decision to exclude a Korean language option in Starfield had sparked public outcry, including protests, boycotts and online petitions from Korean gamers demanding language support for the game. In January, frustration also mounted over Microsoft's promotion of Diablo 1 Remastered, a Blizzard title added to Game Pass. Although the game was marketed in Korea, it was never released in the local market, prompting accusations of false advertising. Industry analysts say the company's diminishing focus on Korea reflects broader shifts in the global gaming landscape. 'The Korean gaming market has lost much of its appeal (as a consumer) due to the rise of competitors such as China,' said Wi Jong-hyun, president of the Korea Game Society. According to him, Korea was once a strong consumer as well as a potential partner, with leading game IPs in mobile and RPG gaming sectors. However, he said China has stepped in to overtake Korea, with its gaming industry experiencing strong growth. 'From Microsoft's perspective, the priority is console sales, but Xbox remains a hard sell in Korea,' Wi added. 'As for the recent 'Elder Scrolls' situation, there may have been technical or localization issues for the company to leave out only Korea and Russia. But in the past, such factors wouldn't have stopped publishers from prioritizing Korea. Today, the incentive just isn't there.'
Metro
23-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Metro
Games Inbox: Is The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion remaster worth it?
The Wednesday letters page thinks it understands Sony's plans for the PS6 portable, as a reader celebrates pre-ordering a Nintendo Switch 2. To join in with the discussions yourself email gamecentral@ Honest hype Nice to see some hype that was actually worth it, with the Oblivion remaster looking really nice. I appreciated that they made lots of changes to the gameplay and UI and other aspects to modernise it too. It reminds me of Metroid Prime, in that while they're both technically remasters this looks more significant than some remakes. The price is good too and as of right now I've bought it on PlayStation 5 and I'm downloading it now. Bethesda always seem a bit too full of themselves, which I think leads to some of their biggest mistakes, but at the end of the day they do make some great games. I'm not quite sure what went wrong with Starfield, but I know Oblivion is good and I can't wait to start playing what, in terms of the number of hours it'll suck me in, looks to be the bargain of the year. Purple Ranger Face to face I've got to hand it to Bethesda, the Oblivion remaster looks really good. A major upgrade in graphics and I really like the way they've improved the combat with special effects and new sound. The landscapes look really good and it's not actually too expensive, given it's a nearly 20 year old game. The only problem, and I can't believe they drew attention to it, is that the faces are still terrible. What is it with Bethesda and facial animation? Why do all their characters look like Mr Potato Head after too much cosmetic surgery? There was some improvement in Starfield, but it was still well behind the curve and while I guess this is bad because it's a remaster and not a remake, it's still laughable. It makes it seem like everyone at Bethesda is an alien that's never seen a real human being before. Bosley Random remaster I have to admit the Oblivion remaster looks really nice and I will probably end up getting it. I don't really see why it's Oblivion they've picked on though. Everyone jokes about how many times Skyrim has been re-released, but it's never had a remaster like this. Why not start with it or with Morrowind, which is in desperate need of a full remake. Starting in the middle with Oblivion seems a bit random to me. I'll be honest and admit I don't really remember the game all that well, just that I liked it and the celebrity voiceovers were good, so it's definitely worth a revisit. I just hope it's not a one-off, as the other two games definitely need the attention. Heck, why not do Daggerfall as well, I've never even played that one. Glottis Email your comments to: gamecentral@ Three not of a kind I feel the logic behind the PlayStation 6 portable is beginning to make sense. The initial rumours said that Sony was inspired by the unexpected success of the PlayStation Portal, so it would track that they'd want to make a new one for the PlayStation 6 that could play its games through streaming and PlayStation 5 games natively. That actually seems really appealing to me, although I don't know how existing Portal owners would feel, faced with having to buy another portable. It's clearly not very much like the Switch though and I'm going to guess the Xbox handheld is going to be a much more straightforward copy of the Steam Deck. If that's true, then we could end up with three very different portables this generation, from all three console manufacturers. That's pretty exciting. Focus Mysteries within mysteries The Nintendo Switch 2 Direct gets more puzzling the more you think of it. What gets me is that there was no major first party game that used mouse controls and there was no equivalent of 1-2-Switch or WarioWare to show off all the new features. There sort of was, but not really. Welcome Tour was the closest to something like 1-2-Switch but somehow it seemed even worse, while you got Drag X Drive as the first party game that showed off mouse controls. But I'd hardly call it 'big', considering it looked like a £5 indie Steam game. There was the DLC for Super Mario Party too, but none of that really seems like the sort of centrepiece game that instantly proves what it's all about. Mario Kart and Donkey Kong look good, but they also could've been on any sufficiently powerful console. Dalston Gravy train I know you don't need me to say how weird it is to make an OutRun movie, but did no one involved think about it for more than a second? A game with no plot or characters, that hasn't had a new sequel in nearly two decades, and they've got two major Hollywood stars attached. I hear that sales of A Minecraft Movie are slowing quicker than expected, so it won't make $1 billion. Hardly a disaster but a hint that if it had actually been any good it would've done even better. OutRun is so old and so irrelevant nowadays it seems incredible that Michael Bay and a major actress could be talked into making a film of it. If they fall for such nonsense just imagine how easy it must be for just about any idea to get through at the moment, just as long as you can say it is, or was, a famous video game. I hope we get something fun out of this current fad though, because it's bound not to last. I'd love an Ape Escape movie or Castlevania or Katamari Damacy or something. I don't even really care if they're good movies or not, I just want to see what publishers can talk Hollywood into. Of course, it would be a nice bonus if they were quality, but I'm not convinced it's ever going to happen. When Sonic The Hedgehog 3 is the high water mark I think it's a sign that overall potential is pretty low. Losca Transfer difficulties I have a quick question, I strangely can't find a direct answer for online. Do I need my Switch to transfer to a Switch 2? Ideally, I would like to sell my Switch before the Switch 2 is released to maximise the price but wasn't sure if I can transfer everything online or will need the actual, original console. John GC: We don't think there is a definitive answer. In theory you should just be able to log in with your Nintendo account and be able to redownload any of your digital games. It's the saves that's the problem – some use cloud saving, if you subscribe to Nintendo Switch Online, but others, like Zelda and Animal Crossing, don't. So presumably the only option there is to manually move them from one console to another. All paid up My partner is a legend. Because I'm not able to get out at the moment, she went to my local Currys store and pre-ordered me a Nintendo Switch 2 Mario Kart World bundle and Pro Controller 2. I did have to pay up front and it cost me £505. I've also purchased a 256GB express microSD card from the Game Collection and I've got a code for the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack for £25 from CDKeys. That's already £580 spent! Having been used to purchasing games digitally on my Xbox Series X/S consoles I will most likely continue to buy digital games on the Switch 2, although I plan to be extremely picky because of Nintendo games not dropping much in price and I'm only really interested in Nintendo exclusive games (including the games I missed on the first Switch) and indie games that skip the Xbox, like Pizza Tower. I do plan on day one to download Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, and some Mario platformer games, although I can't decide between Super Mario Odyssey, Wonder or 3D World + Bowser's Fury. I could buy all three Mario platformers but then I might feel overwhelmed, having said that I can still see me buying Odyssey and Wonder, as they are both very different. I'm also pleasantly surprised by the file sizes of these games. Most are around 5GB to 10GB each, with the exception of Smash Bros. and Mario Kart World. It makes a nice surprise to not need in excess of 100GB+ for games. I could also do with knowing if there are any good Mario sports games on the Switch that are worth a download. Hope everyone who wants a pre-order gets one and it's worth visiting a store to grab one. Charlie H. GC: Mario Tennis Aces, Mario Golf: Super Rush, and Mario Strikers: Battle League Football are all okay but none of them are must-haves. The golden age of Mario sports games seems to be behind us now. Inbox also-ransJust to point out but Street Fighter 6 on Switch 2 also seems to be using DLSS. I think most games will end up using it, once the devs get their heads around the new console. Matchaman I know that strategy game got announced at the convention but it's a shame we've still never heard anything about the third and final Star Wars Jedi game. I know the director left, but surely EA aren't going to leave it at that? Campbell More Trending Email your comments to: gamecentral@ The small print New Inbox updates appear every weekday morning, with special Hot Topic Inboxes at the weekend. Readers' letters are used on merit and may be edited for length and content. You can also submit your own 500 to 600-word Reader's Feature at any time via email or our Submit Stuff page, which if used will be shown in the next available weekend slot. You can also leave your comments below and don't forget to follow us on Twitter. MORE: Games Inbox: Is Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion better than Skyrim? MORE: Games Inbox: Will GTA 6 be on Nintendo Switch 2? MORE: Games Inbox: Is Mario Kart World going to be worth it?
