Xbox President Talks The Future Of Its Hardware And The Importance Of Backward Compatibility
Sarah Bond, the president of Xbox, stated that she believes her main focus at Xbox has been on “engineering and building that next-generation hardware experience.”
In an interview with Bloomberg, Bond continued to explain that Microsoft’s focus with Xbox is to deliver “the biggest leap ever” for its next-gen hardware, which includes “power and performance.” This does align with what Bond has said in the past regarding how Xbox’s next-gen hardware will focus on “delivering the biggest technological leap ever in a generation.”
As the interview continued, she explained how Xbox is ensuring backward compatibility will be a part of its next-gen hardware.
“It’s also about the ability to be able to play all of the games. I mean, we have people who’ve been playing on Xbox for decades and invested thousands and thousands of dollars and hours with us. And [we want to enable them] to take all those games with them into the hardware of the future.”
Bond went on to explain that when she became president of Xbox late last year, one of the first things she did was create a team dedicated to backward compatibility. She then went on to say that the Xbox team is committed to the idea of being able to play their games wherever they are.
“So our long-term commitment to cross-play is part of that and our commitment to cross-progression and cloud saves. So you can pick up on one device and you can play on another is a part of that.”
Recently, Xbox has found itself in some hot water after the company shut down four of its studios, including Arkane Austin and Tango Gameworks, and then again by trying to defend its decision to shut down the studios.
Humble Bundle Offers 61 Doctor Who Comics For $25
Doctor Who is a series with a ton of history and unique stories thanks to the universe-spanning, time-hopping adventures of its protagonist, the Doctor, and the frequent regeneration that shapes them into a new character every so often. While the franchise is best known for the long-running BBC series, there are also many comics that expand on the Whoniverse, and you can get a ton of them on the cheap in ebook form with Humble’s Doctor Who Megabundle. The bundle includes comics based on the modern iterations of the Doctor, starting with the show’s return in 2009 up to its most recent series, and also includes a few stories reaching back into the older seasons that ran between the 1960s and ’80s. With this bundle deal, you can snag up to 61 Doctor Who comics if you pay at least $25, but there are also cheaper bundle tiers if you just want a few.
Paying $1 gets you the first tier, which includes the first four comic volumes of stories featuring the Tenth Doctor, played in the show by David Tennant. This is perfect for anyone who wants to see what the series is all about.
If you kick your payment up to at least $10, you get 19 comics. This includes the four books in the $1 tier, plus six more volumes of the Tenth Doctor’s storyline, and three volumes featuring a crossover between the Tenth Doctor and Matt Smith’s Eleventh Doctor.
The full $25 tier, includes 61 comics covering select volumes featuring the Ninth through Fifteenth Doctors, as well as a few stories about the older versions of the time-hopping hero. You can check out the full lineup of everything included in the Doctor Who Megabundle over at Humble. And as usual, you can also dictate how much of what you pay goes to charity as part of the bundle. With the Doctor Who Megabundle, you can donate to BBC Children in Need, which supports children in need in the United Kingdom.
Humble’s Doctor Who Comics Megabundle is a great way to dive into the franchise, but it’s only available through May 29, so be sure to grab this before it’s gone. You’ll probably also notice that it’s not a comprehensive collection–quite a few volumes are missing that you’ll want to grab elsewhere. Luckily, several volumes are on sale at Amazon, including a few hardcover editions, that can supplement your collection if you’re looking for even more Doctor Who stories.
Best Doctor Who Comics Deals On Amazon
Alan Moore’s Newest Graphic Novel Will Teach You How To Cast Magic Spell And Contact The Dead
Alan Moore is one of the most widely celebrated writers in comic books, but the legend is finally getting ready to call it a day with one last comic book. First teased two decades ago, The Moon and Serpent Bumper Book of Magic will be released this October and contains “a clear and practical grimoire of the occult sciences,” from Moore, who is also a practicing occultist. Made in collaboration with his late friend and co-author, Steve Moore, this 352-page hardback book mixes writing, illustration, and advice on how to cast a few spells and has been discounted from $50 to $46.50 ahead of its release.
In addition to the two (unrelated) Moores, the book also features contributions by Kevin O’Neill, Melinda Gebbie, Jose Villarrubia, Steve Parkhouse, John Coulthart, Rick Veitch, and Ben Wickey.
“Its contents include profusely illustrated instructional essays upon this ancient sect’s theories of magic, notably the key dissertation “Adventures in Thinking,” which gives reliable advice as to how entry into the world of magic may be readily achieved,” the official synopsis reads.
“Further to this, a number of ‘Rainy Day’ activity pages present lively and entertaining things to do once the magical state has been attained, including such popular pastimes as divination, etheric travel, and the conjuring of a colorful multitude of spirits, deities, dead people, and infernal entities from the pit, all of whom are sure to become your new best friends.”
If you’re not looking to accidentally summon dark forces into the land of the living, you can check out Moore’s comic books. After decades in the industry, Moore’s rich body of work includes the groundbreaking superhero tale Watchmen, the anarchistic V for Vendetta, and the creepy From Hell. Watchmen is available in several deluxe formats–including a luxurious hardcover version–while V for Vendetta comes with a replica of V’s signature mask. You know, the one that all the cool kids in Anonymous wear. Check out the best Alan Moore graphic novel deals in the list below.
Alan Moore graphic novels
The Road, A Major Influence For The Last Of Us, Is Getting A Graphic Novel Adaptation
The Last of Us draws inspiration from several sources, but one of the most apparent influences is The Road. Written by Cormac McCarthy, the novel was first published in 2006 and would go on to win the Pulitzer Prize. Later, it would get a movie adaptation starring Viggo Mortensen and Charlize Theron, bringing the post-apocalyptic journey to a wider audience. The book apparently isn’t done branching out to other forms of media, as The Road: A Graphic Novel is now up for preorder with a scheduled release date of September 17.
$25 (was $27)
This is the first-ever graphic novel adaptation of McCarthy’s hit novel. It follows the same story threads, with a nameless father and son duo trying to survive in a post-apocalyptic wasteland–and it’s every bit as bleak as The Last of Us. It clocks in at 160 pages and was personally approved by McCarthy before he passed away last year. In other words, it’s all but guaranteed to hit the high standards of the iconic novelist.
Ahead of its release, you can preorder The Road: A Graphic Novel for $25 (down from $27).
If you’re interested in checking out more of McCarthy’s work, you’ll find several of his books on sale right now. This includes No Country for Old Men, Blood Meridian: Or the Evening Redness in the West, and his debut novel, The Orchard Keeper.
You’ll also find All the Pretty Horses for ($10 (down from $18), which won the National Book Award. However, it’s hard to go wrong with anything from the McCarthy catalog, as most of his work is highly praised. Here’s a short list of the best deals available right now.
Fans of post-apocalyptic fiction should also check out Fanatical’s Build Your Own Trinity Bundle, which lets you select up to seven games for as little as $1.53 each, including the post-nuclear open-world RPGs Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas.
Disclosure: GameSpot and Fanatical are both owned by Fandom.
Best Cormac McCarthy Book Deals
What The Hell Is Happening At Xbox? | Spot On
Earlier this week, Xbox leadership made the decision to close multiple high-profile studios including Hi-Fi Rush developer Tango Gameworks and Arkane Austin, the studio behind Prey and Redfall. Though the unfortunate truth is that layoffs and studio closures are becoming increasingly common in the gaming industry, the internet was quick to point out that these two in particular felt a bit… confusing. Largely because they seem to go against many of Xbox’s previous statements and goals.
Back in 2023, Xbox reportedly claimed that Hi-Fi Rush had been a success for the company and it planned on reinvesting in the team in the future. The studio also admitted they had neglected to give Arkane Austin proper support, and expressed a desire to work alongside the team to improve Redfall. So what happened?
All this confusion has resulted in discussions around what the platform holder’s intent for the future of Xbox is, and speculation on what part Game Pass plays in it. On this episode of Spot On, Lucy and Tamoor discuss the closures, the aftermath of them—including some confusing statements from an exec—and what the future of Xbox may look like.
Spot On is GameSpot’s weekly news show in which managing editor Tamoor Hussain and senior producer Lucy James talk about the latest game news. Given the massive video game industry’s highly dynamic and never-ending news cycle, there’s always something to talk about. Unlike most news shows, Spot On will dive deep into a single topic instead of recapping all the news. Spot On airs each Friday.
Pokemon Go May 2024 Community Day: Shiny Bounsweet, Bonuses, And More
Pokemon Go‘s next Community Day event is just around the corner. This month’s festivities will revolve around the grass-type Pokemon Bounsweet, which will appear in the wild much more frequently than usual throughout the event. On top of that, a few other in-game bonuses will also be available, including extra Candy for catching Pokemon.
To help you prepare for the event, we’ve rounded up everything you need to know about Pokemon Go’s May 2024 Community Day below.
Now Playing: The Complicated Business of Pokémon
May 2024 Community Day Start Time
Pokemon Go’s May Community Day takes place Sunday, May 19. The event proper runs from 2 to 5 PM local time, with additional four-star raids occurring afterward from 5 to 10 PM local time.
May’s Featured Pokemon: Bounsweet
The star of this month’s Community Day is Bounsweet, an adorable grass-type Pokemon originally introduced in Pokemon Sun and Moon. During the event hours, Bounsweet will spawn in the wild more frequently, giving you more opportunities to catch them and earn Bounsweet Candy.
On top of that, you’ll have a higher chance of encountering a Shiny Bounsweet during the event. This special variant has a purple stem and yellow bottom. You’ll increase your chances of finding a Shiny Bounsweet by using Incense and placing Lure Modules in PokeStops.
May’s Featured Attack: High Jump Kick
Bounsweet’s final form, Tsareena, will be able to learn a special attack during May’s Community Day. Each Steenee you evolve between 2 and 10 PM local time on the day of the event will learn High Jump Kick when they turn into Tsareena.
High Jump Kick is a high-risk, high-reward fighting-type charged attack. In PvP battles, it boasts 110 power, but has a chance of greatly lowering your own defense stat. The move has 90 power in Gym and Raid Battles.
Bonuses
In addition to increased Bounsweet spawns, numerous other in-game bonuses will be active throughout May’s Community Day. You’ll earn double the usual amount of Candy each time you catch a Pokemon during the event, and players who are level 31 or higher will be twice as likely to receive Candy XL.
Additionally, any Pokemon eggs placed inside an incubator during the event will hatch at a quarter of the walking distance they typically require. Lure Modules and Incense will also last for three hours, while trades will cost half as much Stardust as usual.
Extra Raids
As mentioned, Pokemon Go will continue hosting special bonus raids immediately following May’s Community Day. From 5 to 10 PM local time, Bounsweet’s evolved form Steenee will appear in Gyms as a four-star raid boss. You can only participate in these Raids in-person using regular or Premium Raid Passes. You can read more about the event on the official Pokemon Go website.
Pokemon Go developer Niantic recently rolled out a big update for the mobile game, overhauling the visuals and expanding avatar customization. Later this month, Pokemon Go will also be hosting a Catching Wonders event, which includes a free Masterwork Research that will reward you with a Master Ball and other prizes upon completion.
Marvel Rivals Will Let You Destroy Maps With Superpowers, Just Not Completely
Marvel Rivals, NetEase Games’ upcoming 6v6 hero shooter, will feature limited destruction on its maps, along with special features depending on where the map is located. The destruction is limited to help show the power of the super heroes, while not completely destroying map layout.
Detailed in a blog post, the Marvel Rivals development team explained that while it felt necessary to have destruction in the hero shooter, being able to completely level a map presented too many issues with the objective-based game. If everything could be destroyed, every match would likely end up a chaotic mess, as any small arenas or pathways designed for conflicts would just end up leveled. So instead, some parts of the map can be destroyed, with the ensuing rubble and new pathways offering a new strategic way to attack, while some of the more important aspects of the environment will be indestructible.
Now Playing: Marvel Rivals – Hela – ‘Queen of Hel’ | Character Gameplay Reveal Trailer
In addition to those systems, the developers of Marvel Rivals have also paid close attention to the aftermath of the destruction. The blog said that they focused on making sure the rubble wouldn’t hinder the movement of high-flying heroes, like Spider-Man or Iron Man, while also ensuring that even if an opening in a wall has jagged edges, that players won’t get caught on the rough corners when trying to move.
The developers also touched on how the map will respond to the destruction. One example provided was how the Yggsgard map, a blend of Asgard and Yggdrasill the World Tree, would naturally rebuild itself during a match, since Loki would want to keep his realm in top shape. The other example was the Tokyo 2099 map, which was teased as having anti-Spider-Man security measures that would kick in after a certain amount of destruction.
Marvel Rivals doesn’t have a release date yet but you can sign up for the PC Alpha Test.
