The International Game Developers Association (IGDA) has called for the games industry to do more to protect developer jobs and prevent further layoffs.
26.03.2024 - 12:51 / eurogamer.net / Chris Dring / James Batchelor / Rare
It is understood the «majority» of Xbox games will eventually be coming to PlayStation.
That's according to Chris Dring from Eurogamer's sister site GamesIndustry.biz. Speaking on the GI Microcast, Dring said his takeaway from GDC was that «Xbox is in real trouble as a hardware manufacturer». Sources who spoke to Dring during the conference last week said that «Xbox's performance in Europe is just flatlining», and some publishers were now expressing concerns about supporting the console.
«The phrase one major company who released a big game last year said [was], 'I don't know why we bothered supporting it',» Dring shared. «We mentioned on a previous podcast that we'd heard retailers in Europe are considering or had already been cutting back their Xbox stock on their shelves — hardware, games, that kind of thing — and now you've got third-party publishers going, 'we're putting in a lot of effort trying to create a Series S version and an X version of a game when, to be honest with you, for us the market is PC and PS5'.»
To see this content please enable targeting cookies. Manage cookie settings Newscast: Behind the headlines of GDC, a cautious sense of hope. Watch on YouTubeDring went on to reference Xbox's recent move of adding its once console exclusive games to additional platforms. He understands «the majority» of Xbox games will eventually come to more platforms «assuming it progresses as Xbox believes it probably will».
Continuing his thoughts on Xbox's hardware and business plan, Dring said he had «always just been of the belief of 'oh, it's the Game Pass delivery system, it's got a good UI, it's got a good controller. You know, if you like Xbox games it's probably the best way to play them etc.
»I thought it would be fine, but then I didn't really factor in that some developers and publishers might just go, 'yeah I don't, you know, is there any point?' And that is when you can lose it. And they are talking about releasing more powerful hardware in the next generations of devices, but they need to make sure that it makes sense for studios to continue to make versions of their games for that system.
«Another thing I kept hearing at GDC was 'what the hell is going on with Xbox, because of course from an Xbox perspective it's all about growing the market through other platforms and services and stuff. It's not all about the box under the TV, and in fact, the box under the TV is probably a very small part of their business. But from their partner's perspective, it's a key element.»
Following these words, GamesIndustry.biz editor-in-chief James Batchelor added that if developers are unconvinced they are going to see a return on their game sales on Xbox due to the smaller player base, then of
The International Game Developers Association (IGDA) has called for the games industry to do more to protect developer jobs and prevent further layoffs.
Developer Rare has kicked off the closed beta for the PS5 release of multiplayer pirate game Sea of Thieves. As a result, the studio has taken to social media platform X (formerly Twitter) to announce that the PS5 players are facing waiting times that are much longer than usual because of an influx of new players.
The PlayStation 5 port of Sea of Thieves has debuted in beta to overwhelming success, to the point that its servers are presently struggling to keep up with all the traffic. The Sea of Thieves PS5 beta test is scheduled to continue until April 15.
It looks like PS5 players can't wait to don tricornes and raise anchor; Sea of Thieves is currently experiencing «longer wait times that normal», according to developer Rare, thanks to a «high volume» of new players joining the game as part of today's freshly launched PS5 Closed Beta.
Rare has launched the Sea of Thieves closed beta on PlayStation 5.
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Microsoft’s expanded multiplatform efforts are set to continue later this month with the release of Sea of Thieves on PS5, and ahead of the port’s release, Rare has published an official FAQ, where a handful of new details and tidbits have been revealed.
The early months of 2024 have seen Microsoft stepping up its efforts to bring its first-party Xbox titles to audiences on rival platforms, with Hi-Fi Rush having released for PS5 and Obsidian duo Pentiment and Grounded both having launched for PS5 and Switch. Sea of Thieves arrives for PS5 later this month, and though Microsoft hasn’t officially announced further plans to bring any other of its games to rival consoles beyond that, reports continue to insist that there’s more stuff in the pipeline.
Sea of Thieves developer Rare has shed more light on the game’s various cross-platform features before it sets sail on PlayStation 5.
Sea of Thieves is Rare’s first title on a PlayStation console, and it’s going all out to ensure it’s up to standards. Along with announcing progress transfer for Xbox and PC players and PlayStation-only servers, it also confirmed 4K/60 FPS (with HDR) and 1080p/120 FPS graphics modes on PS5. Check out the latest feature overview trailer below.
PlayStation 5 Trophy hunters are in for a challenge, as Sea of Thieves' approaching PS5 port features over 250 Trophies to unlock. Sea of Thieves releases for Sony's newest console on April 30 as part of Xbox's new multiplatform strategy.