Xbox Game Studios Archives

AppWizard

April 27, 2025

This week’s hot PC gaming Steam Deals Apr. 20-26

A new wave of sales on Steam includes significant discounts on various games. The Xbox Game Studios Publisher Sale features discounts up to 90% on titles available until May 8, 2025. Highlights include: - The Hellblade Bundle - 34% off - State of Decay: Complete Collection - 75% off - Halo Infinite - Campaign - 67% off - Halo Master Chief Collection - 75% off - Avowed - 20% off - Microsoft Flight Simulator 40th Anniversary Edition - 50% off - Sea of Thieves - 50% off - Age of Mythology: Retold - 20% off - Grounded - 50% off - Ara: History Untold - 35% off - Age of Empires IV - 60% off - Sunset Overdrive - 80% off - Forza Horizon 5 - 50% off Indie games on sale include: - The Long Dark - 90% off - Little Nightmares II - 67% off - Overcooked! 2 - 75% off - Golf With Your Friends - 68% off - Ender Lillies: Quietus of the Knights - 60% off - Patrick's Parabox - 40% off - Trepang2 - 50% off - This War of Mine - 85% off - World of Goo - 66% off - Harold Halibut - 40% off Culturally significant games on sale include: - Returnal - 50% off - Resident Evil 7 - 60% off - Alien: Isolation - 80% off - Lies of P - 40% off - Dragon Ball Z Sparking! Zero - 25% off - Monster Hunter World - 67% off - Grand Theft Auto IV - 65% off - Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 - 10% off - Persona 5 Royal - 60% off - Resident Evil 4 - 50% off

AppWizard

April 26, 2025

Weekend PC Download Deals for Apr. 25: Steam Golden Week sales begin

The gaming community is experiencing excitement during Golden Week with sales and discounts across various platforms. Steam has launched its Golden Week sales, featuring discounts on titles from Capcom and Sega, including a debut discount on Like A Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii. Valve's storefront is highlighting box-pushing games such as Arranger: A Role-Puzzling Adventure and Lab Rat. Although Xbox is not officially part of Golden Week, Xbox Game Studios is offering a sale with a first-time price reduction on Avowed. Blizzard is hosting its annual Spring Sale with discounts on Avowed, the Diablo 4 Expansion Bundle, and World of Warcraft: The War Within, which includes a 30-day subscription. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is also gaining attention with launch week discounts from various retailers. Humble Bundle is offering a subscription service for .99 per month, providing access to several games including Tomb Raider 1-3 Remastered and Dredge, along with additional savings for members. Various tiers of deals are available for games like Doom 64, Doom 3, and Wolfenstein titles.

AppWizard

April 4, 2025

South of Midnight review

A Southern Gothic action-adventure game titled "South of Midnight" is set to be released on April 8, 2025, with a price of £35. It is developed by Compulsion Games and published by Xbox Game Studios. The game is not multiplayer and was reviewed on Windows 11 Pro with an RTX 4080, AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D, and 64GB RAM. The protagonist, Hazel Flood, navigates a world filled with supernatural elements and emotional depth, reflecting the complexities of life in the Deep South. The gameplay features combat that unfolds at a leisurely pace, intertwined with themes of healing and resilience. Hazel's journey emphasizes understanding and acknowledging pain, with encounters with spirits that represent trauma. The narrative challenges players to confront historical wounds and fosters a sense of connection and compassion.

AppWizard

March 26, 2025

Minecraft Arrives On Go-GURT Packages For Limited Time

Yoplait has partnered with Xbox Game Studios to create limited-edition Minecraft-themed Go-GURT packaging. Each package features vibrant characters from Minecraft and includes game credits with every purchase. Consumers can also find hidden surprises in each tube, allowing kids to play a Minecraft-themed version of Rock, Paper, Scissors. From now until May 15, purchases of Minecraft Go-GURT come with a discount code for the Minecraft Shop, coinciding with the release of A Minecraft Movie on April 4. The Go-GURT is made with live and active yogurt cultures, free from high fructose corn syrup and artificial colors, and contains added vitamins A and D, along with calcium.

AppWizard

March 24, 2025

Minecraft officially announces biggest graphical upgrade ever

Minecraft has sold over 300 million units worldwide from 2016 to 2023. Microsoft acquired Mojang Studios and the rights to Minecraft in September 2015 for .5 billion. A new update called ‘Vibrant Visuals’ was announced during a recent ‘Minecraft Live’ event, which will improve textures, lighting, shadows, reflections, and fog. This update will be available for both PC and Minecraft: Bedrock Edition across various devices, maintaining backwards compatibility with previous versions. A specific release date for the update has not been announced, but it is expected later this year.

AppWizard

March 21, 2025

McDonald’s is celebrating the Minecraft movie’s release with new Happy Meals, toys, and even a special sauce

A Minecraft Movie is set to debut on April 4, 2025, with promotional efforts by Mojang Studios and Xbox Game Studios. McDonald's will launch A Minecraft Movie Happy Meals in over 100 markets starting April 1, 2025, featuring 12 collectible toys, including six cubes based on in-game blocks and six toys representing Minecraft mobs. Each Happy Meal will include a trading card with an in-game code for a character skin. A new "Nether Flame" dipping sauce will also be introduced. Additionally, McDonald's will offer an A Minecraft Movie Meal for adults, featuring a Big Mac or McNuggets, collectible toys, and possibly an Apple Cake McFlurry. Mojang Studios will release two downloadable content packs: A Minecraft Movie: Add-On and A Minecraft Movie Hero Pack, both available for free. Minecraft Live on March 22 will provide more insights and in-game cosmetics related to the movie.

AppWizard

February 26, 2025

Microsoft bumps Fable to 2026

The release of the Fable title has been postponed from 2025 to 2026, as announced by Craig Duncan, head of Xbox Game Studios. This decision was made to allow Playground Games more time to refine the game and meet high standards. Duncan praised Playground Games for their track record with the Forza Horizon series and expressed confidence in their ability to create visually stunning and engaging gameplay for Fable. The game is expected to feature breathtaking graphics, engaging mechanics, British humor, and a reimagined version of the iconic setting, Albion.

AppWizard

February 25, 2025

CHARTS: Monster Hunter Wilds pre-orders rise to second place on Steam

Pre-orders for Monster Hunter Wilds have surged, making it the second highest grossing item on Steam as of the week ending February 25th. Counter-Strike 2 remains the top performer, while the Steam Deck has risen three spots. Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 is steady at No. 4, and PUBG: Battlegrounds has climbed to No. 5. Avowed debuted at No. 6, Marvel Rivals is at No. 7, and Civilization 7 dropped to No. 8. Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii debuted at No. 9, and Apex Legends rounds out the Top Ten.

Winsage

February 17, 2025

Bill Gates talks about trading for Windows 10 as Avowed wows reviewers and Microsoft kills HoloLens and lies about uninstalling Edge

Bill Gates humorously compared the transition from Windows 10 to Windows 11 to a significant NBA trade, noting that Windows 10 holds a 60.33% market share. He also predicted that artificial intelligence could replace humans in various tasks but suggested that audiences might not enjoy watching computers play baseball. Nintendo is preparing for a potential legal battle with Pocketpair, the creators of Palworld, despite the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office rejecting 22 out of 23 of Nintendo's patent claims. Nintendo has secured a patent related to creature capturing mechanics and is pursuing additional patents. Avowed, an upcoming title from Xbox Game Studios and Obsidian Entertainment, is set to launch on February 18 and currently holds a score of around 80 on Metacritic, with early reviews praising its RPG elements. Microsoft faced criticism over a misleading webpage about uninstalling its Edge browser, which was quickly removed. Although uninstalling Edge is possible, many users may prefer to keep it installed. Microsoft has shifted the development of the IVAS militarized augmented reality headset to Anduril Industries, marking a significant move away from its HoloLens initiative, which includes the cancellation of HoloLens 3. The ASUS Zenbook Duo and Turtle Beach VelocityOne Multi-Shift received commendable scores of 4.5 out of 5 stars in reviews, with the Zenbook Duo praised for its performance and battery life, and the VelocityOne Multi-Shift recognized for its versatility for gamers.

AppWizard

February 13, 2025

Avowed review

Avowed is a first-person fantasy action RPG developed by Obsidian Entertainment and published by Xbox Game Studios, set to launch on February 18, 2025, priced at in the U.S. and £60 in the U.K. The game features engaging side quests that are integral to the experience, offering essential experience points and upgrade materials. Players will encounter well-developed companions with rich backstories, including characters like Marius and Kai. The game showcases visually stunning landscapes and offers robust combat mechanics, allowing for a mix of melee and ranged attacks, as well as character customization across various classes. Quest difficulty is influenced by gear rather than player level, and while the game has some limitations in its RPG systems, it provides a humorous and engaging narrative experience.