Third-party News, Tips, Tricks & Ideas

Gio Corsi has joined Nintendo, the industry veteran recently revealed via his personal Twitter page. Corsi has joined the company’s AAA Third-Party Portfolio Management team, and though his specific position within the team isn’t clear, he says he will be helping “great teams bring their amazing games to this legendary platform.”

Gio Corsi, the former head of commercial at Iron Galaxy Studios, chief product officer of IllFonic, and head of global second party games at Sony Interactive Entertainment, has joined Nintendo of America as part of its AAA third-party games portfolio management team, he announced.

Xbox might be facing some push back from third-party developers. According to Chris Dring of GamesIndustry.biz, developers he spoke to during the recent Game Developers Conference indicated that Xbox’s general place in the market right now spells trouble for Microsoft.

Microsoft Xbox fans were in for quite a fright not too long ago. A slew of rumors hit the web suggesting that Xbox was bowing out. There wouldn’t be new consoles, and first-party titles would launch on competitor platforms, and it really painted a doom-and-gloom picture. Now, a new report suggests there are even more disheartening comments made from third-party publishers. 

Sony is said to have launched an internal investigation into the leaked documents about the rumored PS5 Pro model.

If you've been gaming for a while, you probably have a story about a terrible third-party controller. But now these off-brand manufacturers are making some of the best controllers in the market today.

Discord has announced that, starting on 18th March, it'll be providing third-party developers with the tools to create games and apps that can be embedded and played on its platform.

Peter Moore, the former vice-president of Microsoft’s interactive entertainment business division who oversaw both the original Xbox and Xbox 360, has offered some fascinating insight into the current gaming landscape and the potential future of the industry.

Microsoft is likely debating the future of Xbox consoles, as the market is rapidly changing, making launching new hardware more difficult and expensive, according to Xbox and EA's former boss.

Outward developer Nine Dots is moving into third-party publishing.

Apple has finally released its big iOS 17.4 update to the general public. The company has complied with the EU regulatory authorities to update its platform with the necessary changes oriented toward developers and the public. The update also comes with a plethora of additional features rolling out globally. If you were waiting for the iOS 17.4 update for the iPhone, it is now available for free.

Microsoft has announced its next Xbox Partner Direct scheduled for Wednesday, March 6th, at 10am PT / 1pm ET.

Sony recently started sharing information on the PlayStation 5 Pro specs with third-party publishers, judging from a recent report of a well-known insider.

Epic have outlined their 2024 plans for the Epic Games Store, which includes a new download manager, a proper offline mode, pre-loading of games, and a focus on game discovery in general.

The Epic Games Store officially turned 5 years old in December, and while some of the fiery debate surrounding the storefront has died down, that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a success yet. As part of their lawsuit against Google, Epic admitted the EGS still isn’t profitable and now they’ve released their 2023 Year in Review stats, which they obviously try to spin in a positive way, but don’t really look that promising.

In the colourful world of instant messaging, emojis and GIFs have grown to be imperative tools for expressing emotions and adding flair to conversations. However, what takes place when you cannot find the appropriate GIF to carry your message? Fear not, as we unveil a simple yet powerful technique to create your very own GIFs on iPhone, without the need for third-party apps.

This morning, the Embracer Group released its Q3 fiscal year 2023/2024 financial report. The company managed to deliver slightly above expectations thanks to non-core game divisions like Asmodee, Middle-earth Enterprises, and mobile, while the PC and console segment was down 9% due to a lighter release schedule.

Apple recently released iOS 17.4 to developers for testing purposes. In accordance with our prior speculations, the company is rolling out App Store changes with its latest iOS 17.4 beta. The upcoming update will house all the required changes the EU imposed under the Digital Markets Act. Apple has until March 6 to comply with the necessary changes, and the latest beta confirms that iOS 17.4 will be the update that will change how users download and install apps on the iPhone. With iOS 17.4, Apple has also opened the browser category for third-party developers, which they can use as the default app.

Though much of PlayStation’s success has come from its stable of first-party games, it has also benefitted from third-party titles that receive Sony’s support. In an interview with Boardroom, Shawne Benson, who is the global head of third-party portfolio and acquisitions, shed some light on how some of these deals come about.

Sony has been fined €13.5 million ($14.8 million) over claims that it damaged third-party PlayStation 4 controllers via a system update. French regulator Autorité de la Concurrence says that Sony abused its position in the industry to hurt the reputation of unofficial PS4 controllers, limiting their success.

Sony has been fined 13.5 million euros by France’s antitrust regulator, after it was deemed to have abused its market position for the supply of PlayStation 4 controllers.

Considering all the controversy surrounding zombie shooter The Day Before, it should be no surprise that the game has earned a certain level of notoriety. As caught by Kotaku, while the game is no longer available to purchase on Steam, those curious about the title can buy Steam keys for The Day Before from unauthorised third-party resellers.

Apple Inc. on Saturday said it shut down third-party applications that enabled Android devices to use the iMessage service to communicate with iPhone users. 

Xbox boss Phil Spencer says Microsoft spends over $1 billion a year bringing third-party titles to Xbox Game Pass.

After failing to disclose accessibility information and provide suitable accessible features and design practices in one of this year’s biggest games, Xbox’s positive messaging surrounding their commitment to accessibility is once again being questioned by disabled players. Xbox recently announced that third-party accessories and controllers will no longer be compatible with systems after an upcoming update. For many disabled Xbox gamers, this decision will ultimately impact their capability to play.

If you own an “unauthorised” third party accessory for your Xbox then it’s about to become useless. Players using the devices now will see an “error 0x82d60002” message that informs them the device will no longer be useable on the console from November 12th, 2023.

In a recent move, Microsoft has taken a decisive step in enforcing tighter control over the usage of third-party Xbox controllers and accessories on their gaming consoles. The move came to light when vigilant members of the Resetera forum noticed a warning message stating that "connected accessory is not authorised" was being displayed when attempting to use certain non-official Xbox controllers. This move has sparked speculation within the gaming community regarding Microsoft's intentions, whether it's aimed at countering cheat devices or promoting their official partner program.

If you own an “unauthorised” third party accessory for your Xbox then it’s about to become useless. Players using the devices now will see an “error 0x82d60002” message that informs them the device will no longer be useable on the console from November 12th, 2023.

A recent Xbox update may include a mechanism to block third-party controllers.

After Sunday, November 12, unofficial third-party controllers and devices will no longer be usable on Xbox systems. 

Microsoft is reportedly planning to expand its approved third-party program.

Microsoft plans to block Xbox players from using unauthorized third-party controllers and accessories.

Xbox is reportedly about to block players from using any «unauthorised» third party accessories as of 12th November.

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A new Xbox error message has revealed that “unauthorized accessories” will soon be blocked from use, with users being encouraged to return products from stores and manufacturers. 

One of the most convenient features of the Xbox consoles is that it is compatible with a large variety of third party accessories. Be it a controller or headset, a large number of third-party devices work with the consoles, giving players the option to go with something that they find more comfortable and affordable.

Microsoft has announced that it will be holding an on Wednesday, October 25 to show off titles being developed by the gaming giant’s third-party partners. While the recently revealed showcase promises to give gamers a glimpse of some upcoming PC and Xbox titles, no Activision Blizzard games will be included at this year’s event.

Microsoft will host Xbox Partner Preview, a new broadcast event featuring updates from third-party partners and independent developers, on October 25 at 10:00 a.m. PT / 1:00 p.m. ET, the company announced. You will be able to watch it on YouTube and Twitch.

Microsoft's occasional Xbox Partner Preview series returns this Wednesday, 25th October, with another digital showcase of gameplay and trailers.

Xbox will debut its new broadcast format, Xbox Partner Preview, this week where we'll hear from its third-party partners like Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio, Remedy Entertainment, Studio Wildcard, and more. This new show will feature more than 20 minutes of trailers and new gameplay footage, and goes live at 10 a.m. PT/1 p.m. ET on Wednesday, October 25. 

If you're looking for another way to play your old Nintendo 64 games, you might be in luck. Third-party hardware company Analogue has just announced a new console, the Analogue 3D, which promises Nintendo 64 games in 4K, playing titles from any region.

Epic Games and the International Age Rating Coalition (IARC) are partnering to add age ratings to all Fortnite content. These ratings will apply to both first- and third-party content starting November 14.

As Payday 3’s matchmaking issues continue, its developer is looking into adding an offline mode.

Sony has revealed its next State of Play livestream will take place this Thursday, 14th September 2023 at 2pm PT / 5pm ET / 10pm BST. The showcase will focus on «updates to previously announced games coming to PlayStation consoles», which includes indie titles, third-party experiences, and upcoming PSVR2 hits. A run time wasn't announced in the post on the PlayStation Blog. Given the wording, it seems safe to say there won't be any PlayStation Studios games featured.

Sony's next PlayStation State of Play event is scheduled to take place tonight, and this time, instead of first-party titles, we'll get to see loads of fantastic indie games. 

State of Play, Sony's irregular series of PlayStation showcases, is returning tomorrow, 14th September, with a focus on previously announced indie and third-party games.

Hello everyone, I’m Shawne Benson, part of the Global Third Party Relations team here at PlayStation. And I’m excited to announce a new State of Play broadcast streaming tomorrow, September 14 at 2pm Pacific.

Epic Games has begun a titular First Run program for third-party developers on the Epic Games Store. The aim, according to the developer, is to "give developers of any scale the opportunity to activate our global audience right at launch."

The Steam Deck comes with a beautiful 1280×800 LCD screen, and you can have an anti-glare filter slapped onto it if you buy the premium 512GB version. For those who aren’t satisfied, there’s the DeckHD screen which boasts a 1920×800 resolution and promises to deliver more vibrant colors.

Bing Chat is making its way to mobile browsers.

The next planned Windows 11 update breaks the Start menu if certain third-party apps are installed, and it's not a problem Microsoft intends to fix.