Cities: Skylines II was set to come to PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S in October, but Colossal Order has now said it'll be delayed out of that date. This is the second setback for that version, which was originally meant to launch this past spring.On its forums, the developer explained that it hasn't met the desired stability and performance targets. What's more, it claims there are "unresolved issues" that would severely hamper the player experience."We understand this is disappointing, and it’s not what we had hoped for either," wrote Colossal Order. "However, we are committed to keeping you informed throughout this development process, even if the updates aren’t always what we’d like."
Xbox is bringing Xbox Game Pass Ultimate to Amazon Fire TV in over 25 countries.Those who subscribe to the premium Xbox Game Pass tier will be able to play games directly from the Xbox app on select Fire TV devices via the power of the cloud.Xbox said the partnership will give people more choice when deciding how to play their favorite games. It also represents another instance of Microsoft broadening the boundaries of its platform ecosystem beyond traditional console hardware—which, as the company recently admitted, isn't selling too well.Xbox Game Pass will initially be supported on the Fire TV Stick 4K Max and Fire TV Stick 4K, which retail for $59.99 and $49.99 respectively. Microsoft said those price points represent a "great low-cost, convenient, and portable option"…
Xbox is bringing Xbox Game Pass Ultimate to Amazon Fire TV in over 25 countries.Those who subscribe to the premium Xbox Game Pass tier will be able to play games directly from the Xbox app on select Fire TV devices via the power of the cloud.Xbox said the partnership will give people more choice when deciding how to play their favorite games. It also represents another instance of Microsoft broadening the boundaries of its platform ecosystem beyond traditional console hardware—which, as the company recently admitted, isn't selling too well.Xbox Game Pass will initially be supported on the Fire TV Stick 4K Max and Fire TV Stick 4K, which retail for $59.99 and $49.99 respectively. Microsoft said those price points represent a "great low-cost, convenient, and portable option"…
Guilty Gear Strive turned three years old in mid-June, and developer Arc System Works revealed the game has now crossed 3 million players worldwide.The anime fighter originally released for PlayStation 4 and 5 and PC in 2021, followed by a Japanese arcade release in July that same year. It finally came to Xbox One and Series X|S in March 2023, in addition to Xbox Game Pass.
3 million players, but how many sales?
It's unknown how this player milestone translates, sales-wise. As of last August, the fighter sold 2.5 million copies, and both Arc System and Bandai Namco have been mum on its commercial performance since.Strive was the first mainline…
Nearly a full year after leaving Xbox, Larry "Major Nelson" Hryb has found a new position at Unity.As he revealed on social media, Hryb will serve as director of the engine maker's community team. "Building on my long history as a developer advocate at Xbox," he wrote, "I'm excited to collaborate again with developers, harnessing our collective creativity to shape the future of real-time gaming and experiences."During his 20-year Xbox tenure, Hryb served as a senior programming director and help guided Xbox Live's evolution on both the Xbox 360 and Xbox One, and the development of Kinect peripherals.He was also one of the console brand's biggest faces, which puts some extra weight behind his new Unity job. As he called it on LinkedIn, this …
Layoffs have hit PlayStation subsidiary Firesprite, which let go of game director Alex Barnes today. At time of writing, the exact number of affected staff (him included) is unclear.Barnes, who'd been with the company for seven years, directed its 2023 game Horizon: Call of the Mountain. On Twitter, he called it a "tough time" in recent months, while thanking those who've "continued helping each other through all this."In February, Sony Interactive Entertainment announced its plans to cut 900 jobs as part of a reevaluation of its operations. Along with Firesprite, Sony London, Naughty Dog and Insomniac Games were hit with redundancies or fully shut down.
Longtime Ubisoft veteran Cécile Russeil has now been promoted to the French studio's executive vice president.Per the press release, she'll primarily lead the company's teams focused on group synergy. Along with HR and legal, she will also head up the Diversity, Inclusion, and Accessibility division. Ubisoft notes these departments will have "greater agility, consistency, and influence" from her leadership.Russeil first joined Ubisoft in 1990 as an executive assistant, then again in 1995 as lead legal counsel. She established its legal function in 2000, and has been the team's chief officer since 2015.Her new position comes weeks after Ubisoft elevated publishing VP Brenda Panagrossi to serve as general manager for its US market. "Cécile offers invalua…
Longtime Ubisoft veteran Cécile Russeil has now been promoted to the French studio's executive vice president.Per the press release, she'll primarily lead the company's teams focused on group synergy. Along with HR and legal, she will also head up the Diversity, Inclusion, and Accessibility division. Ubisoft notes these departments will have "greater agility, consistency, and influence" from her leadership.Russeil first joined Ubisoft in 1990 as an executive assistant, then again in 1995 as lead legal counsel. She established its legal function in 2000, and has been the team's chief officer since 2015.Her new position comes weeks after Ubisoft elevated publishing VP Brenda Panagrossi to serve as general manager for its US market. "Cécile offers invalua…
A week after its breakup with Sega Europe, the newly-independent Relic Entertainment is laying off some of its staff. Per external development producer Robyn Smale, 41 staffers were let go.On LinkedIn, the Vancouver studio attributed its newest reductions to "an increasingly volatile industry. It does not in any way reflect the expertise, passion, or character of any of the impacted employees."Similar cuts took place last week at Gearbox, which was sold off to Take-Two by its previous parent company, Embracer.At least some of these cuts have hit the studio's communication team. "I'm so grateful to have been able to spend nine years in an environment and with people I enjoyed so much," wrote senior comms manager Jamie Chapman."Being sad to leave is as much…