What if Xbox Owned Valve?!

[JakobRush]

 

THE IDEA LOST STEAM

Microsoft wanted to buy Valve

https://www.pcgamer.com/microsoft-would-buy-valve-if-opportunity-arises-said-phil-spencer-in-leaked-email/

Hidden in the Nintendeets https://lmg.gg/ONtPC (PC Gamer)

Also Warner Bros and TikTok https://lmg.gg/6XQAb (Engadget)

If you didn’t know it already, Activision acquisition all about King https://lmg.gg/GJ8jY (Engadget)

King makes more money than Blizzard and Call of Duty https://lmg.gg/uMhQI (Engadget)

Weird slides

American highway and African proverb https://lmg.gg/ZtkLe

“The Voice of the Player” is made-up quotes https://lmg.gg/exXrf

 

“PLEASE BUY PC GAME PASS” – PHILLY SPENCE

Microsoft may exit game business if cloud and PC game pass subs don’t increase enough

https://wccftech.com/microsoft-may-exit-gaming-business-if-game-pass-subscribers-off-console-dont-increase-enough-by-2027/

Made $230 million in revenue in one month https://www.tweaktown.com/news/93340/xbox-game-pass-made-230-million-revenue-in-one-month-most-users-pay-for-full-subscriptions/index.html

leaked slides https://www.tweaktown.com/news/93340/xbox-game-pass-made-230-million-revenue-in-one-month-most-users-pay-for-full-subscriptions/index.html

Microsoft gave its largest subsidy ever to cover Xbox Series sales https://lmg.gg/OrIji (Polygon)

Leak shows Xbox’s estimate for bringing third party AAAs to Game Pass

https://kotaku.com/xbox-leak-game-pass-cost-star-wars-jedi-survivor-gtav-1850852885

Microsoft can’t predict Game Pass game’s worth and success

https://lmg.gg/MWKVM (Polygon)

Low-balled Baldur’s Gate 3 before its release, called it a “second-run Stadia PC RPG” because it was announced during Stadia’s first (and only?) livestream news event https://metro.co.uk/2023/09/19/xbox-described-baldurs-gate-3-as-a-second-run-stadia-pc-rpg-19523311/

Larian Studios Director of Publishing Michael Douse defends them https://twitter.com/Cromwelp/status/1704145174761197774

 

IT NEVER FADES AWAY

Rave reviews for Phantom Liberty DLC for Cyberpunk 2077

https://www.forbes.com/sites/paultassi/2023/09/20/cyberpunk-2077-phantom-liberty-review-blood-and-sublime/?sh=173c9dfa4c87

Praise for Idris Elba https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/cyberpunk-2077-phantom-liberty-review

The culmination of CD Projekt Red’s efforts https://www.gamesradar.com/cyberpunk-2077-phantom-liberty-review/  

Partially due to Cyberpunk 2.0 build https://www.gamespot.com/articles/cyberpunk-2077-2-0-update-rebuilds-its-gameplay-to-make-a-fantastic-rpg/1100-6517704/

“from a gameplay perspective, it is now a stellar RPG”   https://lmg.gg/O62Bm (GameSpot)

 

QUICK BITS

 

THEY HAVE THE BEST JOBS IN VERMUND

Dragon’s Dogma 2 announcements at Tokyo Game Show 2023

https://www.gamesradar.com/dragons-dogma-2-polishes-some-of-the-best-boss-fights-and-coolest-ideas-in-any-open-world-rpg-and-im-obsessed-with-its-new-class/

gameplay deep-dive https://youtu.be/8kqYt_J2Dvs

https://www.gematsu.com/2023/09/dragons-dogma-ii-gameplay-deep-dive-video-details-and-screenshots

 

….OK

Ubisoft announces The Division 3

https://www.forbes.com/sites/paultassi/2023/09/21/ubisoft-announces-the-division-3-with-zero-fanfare/?sh=99a86a34e3bd

https://twitter.com/UbiMassive/status/1704892074863087867

https://news.ubisoft.com/en-gb/article/18oNmwEFQzGDu0TYVOAcJN/julian-gerighty-appointed-executive-producer-for-the-division-brand

 

THE HASTA LA VISTA PROTOCOL

Dead Space co-creator leaves studio he founded

https://lmg.gg/RHhLw (Bloomberg)

the Callisto Protocol didn’t review well https://www.destructoid.com/reviews/review-the-callisto-protocol/

Dead Space remake critical success a month after Callisto Protocol https://opencritic.com/game/13897/dead-space-2023-

 

STEAM ON SWITCH CONFIRMED

Ed Boon says MK1 on Switch will be fixed

https://www.bbc.com/news/newsbeat-66842874

Example of graphics differences  https://twitter.com/SynthPotato/status/1703339602331746633

Wouldn’t you know it, the better-looking Switch gameplay trailer was filmed on PC, based on Steam achievement pop-up  https://kotaku.com/mk1-mortal-kombat-1-switch-trailer-steam-pop-up-pc-port-1850857513

 

THIS IS YOUR BRAIN ON CHESS. ANY QUESTIONS?

Chess PSA by chess.com because too many kids are playing chess in school

https://www.polygon.com/23882620/teens-love-chess-psa-classroom-distraction-youtube

Here it is https://youtu.be/Hweb1a2xDrY

Booming in popularity https://www.nytimes.com/2022/06/17/crosswords/chess/chess-is-booming.html