XBOX RESPONDS TO EXCLUSIVES COMING TO PS5 & MORE

Hey, folks! Today is Friday, February 16th, 2024, and as usual, Jake Baldino is here to talk about all the video game news that has been going on this week.

Xbox’s Exclusive Games Update

Xbox held a special podcast event and announced that while some games will go multiplatform, they clarified that the current plan is for select games only. The company stated that this move aims to bring more attention to the games without devaluing the Xbox console. The report mentioned that games like Starfield and Indiana Jones are not part of this list, but Activision Blizzard games are set to arrive on Game Pass soon, starting with Diablo 4 in March.

Sony’s Game Slate and Multiplatform Strategy

On the Sony side, Heroki Toki, the head of Sony Interactive Entertainment, shared in a financial earnings call that no new major PlayStation franchise titles are planned to be released before April 2025. Additionally, Sony plans to make more games multiplatform and is doubling down on its PC release strategy to improve PlayStation profit margins.

PlayStation 5 Entering Latter Stage of Life Cycle

Bloomberg reported that the PlayStation 5 is expected to slow down in sales from the next fiscal year, indicating that the console is entering the latter stage of its life cycle. While there are no announcements about a successor, sales trends point towards a slowdown in the console’s sales pace.

Other Gaming News

• Bandai Namco has canceled five games that were in development, with no details yet on which games were affected.
• Minecraft is collaborating with Universal to revive lost Universal Studios rides in the form of a Minecraft DLC called “Universal Studios Experience”.
• Hell Divers 2 is opting out of adding PvP to reduce toxic elements from the community, showing a commitment to fostering a supportive and fun environment in the game.
• Upcoming game releases include “Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden”, “Skull & Bones”, and “Tomb Raider 1-3 re-releases”.
• FromSoftware is working on Elden Ring DLC, but Rockstar didn’t provide details aside from seeking perfection for the highly anticipated Grand Theft Auto 6.

With Vessi’s partnership, Baldino also promoted waterproof sneakers that support adventurous outings, representing the perfect start to the new year.

Wrapping Up

With so much happening in the gaming world, it’s an exciting time to be a gamer! Remember, whether you’re playing on Xbox, PlayStation, PC, or any other platform, the most important thing is to enjoy the gaming experience. Have a fantastic weekend, play some great games, and we’ll see you next time! 🎮👾