Kategorie: News

“Dad, I can’t find many games I can play…”

“Ok darling, what sort of game would you like to play? Should I make you one?”

And that’s how it started. Just over a year ago now, my five-year-old daughter told me most of our Xbox games were too hard for her to play. After some curation, we managed to gather a neat little group of games – but the idea of creating one for her and kids like her had stuck…

As a game developer, I never landed a gig with a studio developing for Xbox. I thought, oh how prestigious it would be, being part of a crew working on an Xbox title (a life-long dream mind you). A few months into development of BouncyBoi in Puzzleland, there was quite a bit of interest shown – so I gave my demo a coat of polish and sent it away to ID@Xbox for submission. I crossed all fingers and toes.

While busy at work on the game one day, my email notification popped up. It was from ID@Xbox…

My heart skipped a beat. I told myself “Here is the rejection letter”.

I read the first sentence…

“ Thank you for submitting your game concept to ID@Xbox! We wanted to reach out and let you know that BouncyBoi in Puzzle Land has been approved for release on Xbox. “

I cannot describe in words the excitement and exhilaration that shot through my body in that moment!

Wire guidelines tell us to avoid excessive exclamation marks, so let’s just say: “six exclamation marks!” This was my first introduction to the ID@Xbox team and just a taste of the unbelievably warm welcome and support they provided through this journey.Once the wave of chaos calmed, I had only one thought in my head.  “Time to level up”.

It was my goal to make the visuals for the game pop and appear very polished. A lot of effort was spent in rendering tricks and post processing to ensure it was worthy of being on this console. I would tell myself, I am a sole developer working on a game for a console. Everything has to be on point.

When I look back to the first prototype, I can’t even recognize the game. It has grown and evolved into something I am truly proud of – and something definitely worthy of being a console game.

This amazing feat could only be accomplished by standing on the shoulders of giants.

Any and every question I had regarding the Xbox platform – the ID@Xbox team had my back. This game was created in the Unity engine and any time I needed assistance with something Xbox specific, a team member was there.

The ID@Xbox program has helped me achieve my dream of developing and publishing a game on my favorite console, something I was very close to calling an impossibility.

My daughter has had the time of her life playing through the game she helped make and is already planning out the next title (something about cats no doubt, ha!).

BouncyBoi In Puzzleland is available now!

BouncyBoi in Puzzle Land

Twin-Stick

☆☆☆☆☆

★★★★★

$13.99

Get it now

Xbox One X Enhanced

Bounce into this colorful and cartoony world with BouncyBoi and adventure through various levels filled with challenging puzzles, cute graphics and funky beats! You are BouncyBoi. A purple bouncy slime who loves to jive and solve puzzles, making his way through Puzzle Land.That's it… There's no big epic back story. No campaign to follow. Just good music, great visuals and fun times! You will be presented with a game board and need to navigate BouncyBoi to the finish line, overcoming puzzles and characters which will be obscuring your path. As you progress through the worlds, you'll meet new and interesting challenges to test your problem solving abilities.

Related:
Next Week on Xbox: March 28 to April 1
Celebrating Nine Years of ID@Xbox
Next Week on Xbox: March 21 to 25

Website: LINK

Viele Gamer*innen träumen davon, selbst ein Videospiel in einer Spieleschmiede zu entwickeln. Oder als Autor*in, Programmierer*in oder Artist im Game Development eigene Games zu erschaffen. Linda Rendel, Producerin bei Ubisoft, hat ihren Wunsch in die Tat umgesetzt – mehr noch: Sie hat mit dem #FemDevsMeetup eine Community ins Leben gerufen, die unter anderem auf Discord für viele Menschen der Deutschen Gaming-Branche – insbesondere Frauen – ein echtes Zuhause geworden ist. Auch die #FemDevsMeetup-Organisatorinnen Carmen (Lighting Artist bei Playground Games), Silvia (Senior UI Artist bei Ubisoft), Joana (Technical Artist bei Massive Mini Team) und Leonie (3D Character Artist/ Animatorin & Mentorin) sind Teil dieser Community und gestalten die #FemDevs aktiv mit. Sie moderieren nicht nur den Channel, in dem sich die Mitglieder regelmäßig treffen, networken und Freundschaften schließen. Sie organisieren auch spannende Events, mit denen die #FemDevs Impulse für eine weiblichere Gaming-Branche setzen.

Wir haben mit ihnen darüber gesprochen, was den Zusammenhalt der Entwickler*innen so unverzichtbar macht und wie sie ihre Expertise nutzen, um junge Frauen auf ihrem Karriereweg in die Industrie zu unterstützen.

Du bist nicht allein: Discord als Anker für die Community

Die Gaming-Industrie ist eine internationale Branche und Studio-Standorte verteilen sich nicht nur in ganz Deutschland, sondern über den ganzen Globus. Die Branche wird zwar immer weiblicher, trotzdem kann es mal passieren, dass man die einzige Frau in einer neuen Abteilung ist. Dank des Discord-Kanals sind andere Kolleginnen aber immer nur einen Klick entfernt und können mit Rat und Tat in allen Lebenslagen zur Seite stehen.  

„In meinem ersten Job gab es keine anderen Frauen auf meinem Stockwerk. Ich hatte die Toilette zwar ganz für mich allein, aber seltsam war es schon. *lacht*

Mittlerweile haben sich die Zeiten zum Glück geändert. Doch bis es so weit war, hatte ich immer die Community im Rücken, mit der ich mich austauschen konnte. “

Joana

Auch Carmen hat sich vor 2 Jahren den #FemDevs angeschlossen, um sich jederzeit mit anderen Entwickler*innen austauschen zu können. Der Rückhalt der Community hat ihr nicht nur den Berufseinstieg erleichtert, sondern begleitet sie auch in ihrem neuen Job. Denn obwohl Carmen für ihre Arbeit am nächsten Fable-Teil nach England ziehen musste, ist sie jederzeit mit ihren Kolleg*innen und Freund*innen vernetzt.

Gemeinsame Kreation: Wie Events den Austausch fördern und neue Impulse schaffen

Die #FemDevs-Gemeinschaft zeichnet sich durch die Vielfalt und Diversität ihrer Mitglieder aus, die unermüdlich wertvolle Impulse geben: So hat Sylvia hat für ihren Traumberuf als Spiele-Entwicklerin ihre Heimat Kolumbien verlassen, um ihren Master am Cologne Game Lab abzuschließen. Bei einem der physischen Events des #FemDevsMeetups – den Game Jams – hat sie die Community aus Gaming-begeisterten Entwickler*innen kennengelernt und war sofort fasziniert. Bei den Jams treffen sich die #FemDevs, bilden Kleingruppen und entwickeln gemeinsam in kürzester Zeit liebevolle Minispiele.

Es macht jedes Mal großen Spaß, mehr über die verschiedenen Bereiche der Spiele-Entwicklung zu lernen, neue Eindrücke zu sammeln, sich gegenseitig kreativ zu beflügeln und vielleicht sogar neue Freund*innen zu finden.“

Sylvia

Schnell wurde Sylvia von einer Teilnehmerin zum Mitglied und schließlich zur Organisatorin der Game Jams. Und es kam noch besser: Als sie sich nach vier Jahren Erfahrung auf eine neue Intermediate-Position bei Ubisoft bewarb, half ihr das Engagement bei den #FemDevs, um im mehrstufigen und anspruchsvollen Bewerbungsprozess im Gedächtnis zu bleiben – die HR kannte sie von den Game Jams und hat sie direkt wiedererkannt. Heute arbeitet sie immer noch bei Ubisoft, mittlerweile als Senior UI Artist.

Neulinge fördern und Kompetenzen weitergeben: Das Mentoring von #FemDevs

Berufseinsteiger*innen kennen das: Der Bewerbungsprozess beginnt oft bereits im Studium. Als immer mehr interessierte Student*innen mit Fragen bei den Meetups erschienen, entschieden sich die #FemDevs, ihre Community und Expertise auch für angehende Entwickler*innen zu öffnen. Die mittlerweile regelmäßig stattfindenden Mentoring-Sessions helfen Student*innen, ihre Portfolios für den Bewerbungsprozess zu optimieren.

„Die Portfolio-Sessions sind eine der seltenen Gelegenheiten, bei dem wir direkt sehen, welchen Einfluss wir haben können. Wir sehen die jungen Frauen, die zur Review kommen und manchmal können wir sie nicht nur beraten, sondern ihnen aktiv helfen, sich für einen bestimmten Job zu bewerben.“

Carmen

Gemeinschaft schließt Exklusivität aus: Wieso die #FemDevs-Community allen Menschen gleichermaßen offensteht.

Die #FemDevs-Community unterstützt nicht nur Entwickler*innen auf ihrem Karriereweg, sondern fördert auch die Diversität in der Branche. Ein empathischer Wissensaustausch ist wichtig, deshalb sind auch männliche und nicht binäre Kolleg*innen herzlich willkommen. Schließlich interessieren sich viele Entwickler*innen für den veränderten Blickwinkel und frische Perspektiven ihrer weiblichen Kolleginnen.

„Es ist seltsam, wenn sich bei gemeinschaftlichen und universalen Themen wie Diversity oder Gleichberechtigung nur ein Teil der Kolleginnen engagiert. Gerade bei so wichtigen Themen geht es viel mehr um den Zusammenhalt aller Mitarbeiterinnen untereinander. Deshalb sind bei den #FemDevs alle willkommen – unabhängig von ihrem Geschlecht.”

Leonie

Female Future: Die Gaming-Industrie wird weiblicher

Als unsere Interview-Partnerinnen ihre Karriere begannen, war es oft nicht einfach, gleichgesinnte Frauen zu finden. Doch die Gaming-Industrie befindet sich in einem kontinuierlichen Wandel, den auch die Entwickler*innen bemerken: Heute interessieren und begeistern sich immer mehr junge Frauen für Videospiele. Die #FemDevs formen deshalb auch weiterhin aktiv die Zukunft der Branche und zeigen, dass aus der Faszination für Games spannende Berufsperspektiven hervorgehen können. Denn je diverser und vielseitiger sich Spieleschmieden aufstellen, desto facettenreicher wird das neue Gaming-Abenteuer.

Vielleicht spiegelt sich im zunehmenden Erfolg weiblicher Entwicklerinnen auch der globale Siegeszug der Gaming-Industrie per se wider: Was als kleine Bewegung begann, ist zu einem weltweiten Erfolgsmodell geworden.

Website: LINK

Here at Microsoft, our mission is simple: we want to bring the joy and community of gaming to everyone on the planet. Ultimately, we aspire to empower everyone to play the games they want, with the people they want, anywhere they want. While most people know about our gaming business in Xbox, not everyone knows about our offerings and technologies in the world of game development. In fact, game development is in Microsoft’s DNA, with over 40 years of experience building games for Windows and console, our open ecosystem reaches virtually every endpoint between console, PC, mobile, and the cloud.

As we see it, we must empower developers not just to create great games for our platform but for all platforms. We are committed to helping all developers in an effort to enrich the entire game-development ecosystem. Game development has always been on the cutting edge of technology, whether it’s pushing the boundary of graphics, creating massively multiplayer experiences, or combining the real-world with the digital – gaming is largely seen a vanguard for other industries.

This week, at the annual Game Developers Conference, we shared more of our vision for the future of game development, delivering 27 technical talks addressing topics spanning across Graphics, Performance optimization, Cloud development/production, Accessibility, and more. There’s also a fireside chat between CEO of Xbox Phil Spencer and Sarah Bond, Head of Xbox Creator Experience that is a must-watch for anyone interested in game development. Head over to the new and improved Microsoft game development website to watch it at aka.ms/GDC. Our own Major Nelson rounded out the week by interviewing Sarah Bond for the Official Xbox Podcast (which you can watch above).

Last but certainly not least, we also shared demonstrations of nine different solution areas using Microsoft technologies that support game creators at each stage of their game’s lifecycle – whether that’s building, running, or growing their game. Let’s take a closer look at those demos to see what we can offer game creators.

Forza Horizon 5 (Azure PlayFab Data Platform)

Playground Games and Turn 10 are deeply committed delighting fans of Forza Horizon 5. To best understand player behavior, the teams at Playground Games and Turn 10 leveraged the Azure PlayFab Data Platform to run integrated, self-service custom analytics for optimized performance.

As Satya Bobba, Senior Software Engineer at Turn 10 put it: “We love how PlayFab fully manages our data ingestion into Azure Data Lake so our engineers can focus on making the game better for our players rather than managing the pipeline.”

By using the Azure PlayFab Data Platform, the teams were able to take advantage of real-time actions, optimize performance by controlling which events to analyze, and open new avenues of integration between PlayFab and their pre-existing analytics solutions.

Halo Infinite (Simplygon)

While developing Halo Infinite, the developers at 343i knew that they needed to optimize and render the game’s vast world quickly, smoothly, and efficiently. To do that, 343i utilized Simplygon to optimize the massive environments in Halo Infinite to ensure the game renders the world perfectly, while running smoothly at the target frame rate on any platform.

“It’s hard to imagine how we could have built this game without Simplygon,” said Kurt Diegert, Environment Technical Art Lead at 343i. “Simplygon allowed us to focus our time and energy on building quality assets and gave us the tools we needed to reduce and optimize our content for our target platforms.”

Simplygon allowed the team to ensure more efficient content production by integrating into existing content production pipelines while also working quickly and iteratively, building content in less time and lowering the cost of making content changes. Finally, Simplygon let the developers at 343i scale Halo Infinite’s performance requirements and hit its performance goals on different target systems.

Microsoft Flight Simulator (Azure PlayFab UGC)

By actively incubating its creator community over the years, Microsoft Flight Simulator has made its mark by offering fans one of the world’s most engaged and vibrant marketplaces of user-generated content. With the release of the new Microsoft Flight Simulator last year, the team at Asobo and Xbox Game Studios Publishing helped grow creator revenue by integrating the Azure PlayFab UGC platform and supercharging the volume of assets creators had to work with.

“PlayFab supports our goals of offering a flexible, open and vibrant marketplace for creators that allows them to reach the entire Flight Simulator audience,” said Jorg Neumann, Head of Partner Production at Xbox Game Studios.

Using Azure Playfab UGC offered the teams an off-the-shelf solution to build a best-in-class creator marketplace, ultimately saving time, money, and resources. On the content front, a streamlined content management system allowed them to catalog to store and manage content while an easy-to-use content search let players quickly find interesting content to use in-game.

Psychonauts 2 (Visual Studio 2022)

Double Fine has always been known for its focus on innovation, creativity, and storytelling. The studio’s development team honed that focus more than ever while creating Psychonauts 2, a strategy that paid off with more than 60 industry awards. A big part of their success was the ability to move and iterate quickly using Visual Studio, which helped reduce the time spent on build iteration.

“As Tech Director, I switch between many of our game projects throughout the day to compile and review the latest code,” said Chad Dawson, Technical Director at Double Fine. “The improved project load times and faster link times in Visual Studio 2022 are exciting and will be a welcome improvement to my workflow.”

The benefits of embracing Visual Studio were clear to the team at Double Fine, including faster build iteration, stable and efficient debugging to elimination frequent debugger crashes and have a streamlined experience, and a much faster and smoother editing experience that reduced inefficiencies.

NBA Clash (Azure PlayFab Live Ops Services)

Launching a new game is tough, especially when you need to use data to make confident decisions about how to grow your game. When NBA Clash launched on mobile platforms, the developers at Nifty Games knew they needed to successfully release a new Starter Pack. To make that happen, they turned to Azure PlayFab Live Ops Services to help them easily configure and manage experiments to test the content against targeted player segments.

“PlayFab has made a big difference for us – it has driven measurable efficiencies around our experiment management and analysis,” said Jonathan Bach, Head of Central Product at Nifty Games. “PlayFab continues to improve, and we look forward to continued collaboration.”

Using Azure PlayFab Live Ops Services allowed Nifty Games to make confident, data-driven decisions based on insights into player behavior, run A/B tests and experiment with variable gameplay experiences, and deploy player-targeted experiments concurrently to optimize the rollout of new game flows.

No Man’s Sky (Azure PlayFab Multiplayer Services)

From the beginning of the game’s development, Hello Games set out to create an epic adventure in No Man’s Sky. They also strongly believed that the experience would be enriched by having all players – regardless of platform – enjoy the game together. Using Azure PlayFab Multiplayer Services allowed the team to have gamers on Xbox, PlayStation, and PC playing together. What’s more, the team’s insights into creating cross-platform games were highly valuable in shaping Azure PlayFab Matchmaking to include real-time notifications and a Lobby feature to group players across their user base.

Iain Brown, Server/Multiplayer Lead at Hello Games, summed it up best: “PlayFab allowed us to realise our vision of a single shared universe for all our players to explore together.”

Unify players across platforms with matchmaking allows developers to connect their communities, while allowing them to create, find, and join searchable lobbies offers the type of custom multiplayer experiences gamers have come to expect. All of this and more is available through the use of Azure PlayFab Multiplayer Services.

DOOM Eternal (Azure PlayFab Multiplayer Servers)

During the game’s development, id Software was laser-focused on making DOOM Eternal a unique experience for gamers all over the world. By taking advantage of Azure PlayFab Multiplayer Server features to save time and money, the team could reduce overhead and focus on what they do best: making a best-in-class shooter.

“The way Azure PlayFab delivers online features and functionality aligned with our ideas for next-generation game technology,” said Travis Bradshaw, Principal Program Manager at Microsoft and the former Lead Services Programmer at id Software. “That synergy gave us confidence.”

To ensure players get matched to the best, lowest latency servers around the world, id Software used Azure PlayFab Multiplayer Servers automated latency and QoS monitoring features. And because Azure has a multitude of regions for hosting servers, players are matched to their first-pick server regions quickly and frequently.

Rogue Company (Game Production in the Cloud with Azure)

The last few years have changed everything in the world of game development. While game production had always been a highly centralized activity, hybrid work models forced development teams like Hi-Rez Studios to pivot. The developers at Hi-Rez moved quickly to shift development of Rogue Company’s post-launch updates to the cloud. By using Perforce and Incredibuild in the cloud, the team was able to enact cloud-powered game production workflows, successfully operating remotely while keeping a tight, fast iteration loop.

“The speed and efficiency we gain by having the ability to spin up hardware through automation is a game-changer,” said Matt Smith, Lead Tools Engineer at Hi-Rez Studios.

Best of all, Azure offers more flexibility than ever before. Teams can control when and which pieces of the production pipeline migrate to the cloud, all based on a studio’s individual needs. A development team can move a single process, incrementally retool a pipeline, or fully migrate to the cloud. Low latency VMs on Azure’s global network allow teams to work anywhere, with the same build speed they would get in the office.

Yakuza: Like a Dragon (Touch Controls for Xbox Cloud Gaming)

In an effort to maximize the reach of their hit game Yakuza: Like a Dragon, Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio embraced Xbox Cloud Gaming to bring the experience to more players in more parts of the world. The Xbox Cloud Gaming APIs and the Touch Adaptation Kit allowed them to bring the full HD version of the game to smartphones and tablets, implementing scenario-based touch control layouts that dynamically changed on-screen based on what the player is doing in-game. The results were groundbreaking, with all new audiences now able to enjoy the award-winning title.

“We used the Xbox Cloud Gaming Touch Adaptation Kit to easily place buttons and icons proactively in a way that was intuitive, making actions in each scenario easy to understand,” said a representative of Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio.

The Xbox Cloud Gaming APIs and the Touch Adaptation Kit ensures that players get the best experience in every part of a game with context sensitive touch layouts that feel mobile-native. Most importantly, they also allow developers to create an immersive experience with custom controls that match the game’s art style.

Related:
Celebrating Nine Years of ID@Xbox
Coming Soon to Xbox Game Pass: Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy, Kentucky Route Zero, and More
Coming Soon to Xbox Game Pass: Total War: Warhammer III, Madden NFL 22, and More

Website: LINK

Here at Microsoft, our mission is simple: we want to bring the joy and community of gaming to everyone on the planet. Ultimately, we aspire to empower everyone to play the games they want, with the people they want, anywhere they want. While most people know about our gaming business in Xbox, not everyone knows about our offerings and technologies in the world of game development. In fact, game development is in Microsoft’s DNA, with over 40 years of experience building games for Windows and console, our open ecosystem reaches virtually every endpoint between console, PC, mobile, and the cloud.

As we see it, we must empower developers not just to create great games for our platform but for all platforms. We are committed to helping all developers in an effort to enrich the entire game-development ecosystem. Game development has always been on the cutting edge of technology, whether it’s pushing the boundary of graphics, creating massively multiplayer experiences, or combining the real-world with the digital – gaming is largely seen a vanguard for other industries.

This week, at the annual Game Developers Conference, we shared more of our vision for the future of game development, delivering 27 technical talks addressing topics spanning across Graphics, Performance optimization, Cloud development/production, Accessibility, and more. There’s also a fireside chat between CEO of Xbox Phil Spencer and Sarah Bond, Head of Xbox Creator Experience that is a must-watch for anyone interested in game development. Head over to the new and improved Microsoft game development website to watch it at aka.ms/GDC. Our own Major Nelson rounded out the week by interviewing Sarah Bond for the Official Xbox Podcast (which you can watch above).

Last but certainly not least, we also shared demonstrations of nine different solution areas using Microsoft technologies that support game creators at each stage of their game’s lifecycle – whether that’s building, running, or growing their game. Let’s take a closer look at those demos to see what we can offer game creators.

Forza Horizon 5 (Azure PlayFab Data Platform)

Playground Games and Turn 10 are deeply committed delighting fans of Forza Horizon 5. To best understand player behavior, the teams at Playground Games and Turn 10 leveraged the Azure PlayFab Data Platform to run integrated, self-service custom analytics for optimized performance.

As Satya Bobba, Senior Software Engineer at Turn 10 put it: “We love how PlayFab fully manages our data ingestion into Azure Data Lake so our engineers can focus on making the game better for our players rather than managing the pipeline.”

By using the Azure PlayFab Data Platform, the teams were able to take advantage of real-time actions, optimize performance by controlling which events to analyze, and open new avenues of integration between PlayFab and their pre-existing analytics solutions.

Halo Infinite (Simplygon)

While developing Halo Infinite, the developers at 343i knew that they needed to optimize and render the game’s vast world quickly, smoothly, and efficiently. To do that, 343i utilized Simplygon to optimize the massive environments in Halo Infinite to ensure the game renders the world perfectly, while running smoothly at the target frame rate on any platform.

“It’s hard to imagine how we could have built this game without Simplygon,” said Kurt Diegert, Environment Technical Art Lead at 343i. “Simplygon allowed us to focus our time and energy on building quality assets and gave us the tools we needed to reduce and optimize our content for our target platforms.”

Simplygon allowed the team to ensure more efficient content production by integrating into existing content production pipelines while also working quickly and iteratively, building content in less time and lowering the cost of making content changes. Finally, Simplygon let the developers at 343i scale Halo Infinite’s performance requirements and hit its performance goals on different target systems.

Microsoft Flight Simulator (Azure PlayFab UGC)

By actively incubating its creator community over the years, Microsoft Flight Simulator has made its mark by offering fans one of the world’s most engaged and vibrant marketplaces of user-generated content. With the release of the new Microsoft Flight Simulator last year, the team at Asobo and Xbox Game Studios Publishing helped grow creator revenue by integrating the Azure PlayFab UGC platform and supercharging the volume of assets creators had to work with.

“PlayFab supports our goals of offering a flexible, open and vibrant marketplace for creators that allows them to reach the entire Flight Simulator audience,” said Jorg Neumann, Head of Partner Production at Xbox Game Studios.

Using Azure Playfab UGC offered the teams an off-the-shelf solution to build a best-in-class creator marketplace, ultimately saving time, money, and resources. On the content front, a streamlined content management system allowed them to catalog to store and manage content while an easy-to-use content search let players quickly find interesting content to use in-game.

Psychonauts 2 (Visual Studio 2022)

Double Fine has always been known for its focus on innovation, creativity, and storytelling. The studio’s development team honed that focus more than ever while creating Psychonauts 2, a strategy that paid off with more than 60 industry awards. A big part of their success was the ability to move and iterate quickly using Visual Studio, which helped reduce the time spent on build iteration.

“As Tech Director, I switch between many of our game projects throughout the day to compile and review the latest code,” said Chad Dawson, Technical Director at Double Fine. “The improved project load times and faster link times in Visual Studio 2022 are exciting and will be a welcome improvement to my workflow.”

The benefits of embracing Visual Studio were clear to the team at Double Fine, including faster build iteration, stable and efficient debugging to elimination frequent debugger crashes and have a streamlined experience, and a much faster and smoother editing experience that reduced inefficiencies.

NBA Clash (Azure PlayFab Live Ops Services)

Launching a new game is tough, especially when you need to use data to make confident decisions about how to grow your game. When NBA Clash launched on mobile platforms, the developers at Nifty Games knew they needed to successfully release a new Starter Pack. To make that happen, they turned to Azure PlayFab Live Ops Services to help them easily configure and manage experiments to test the content against targeted player segments.

“PlayFab has made a big difference for us – it has driven measurable efficiencies around our experiment management and analysis,” said Jonathan Bach, Head of Central Product at Nifty Games. “PlayFab continues to improve, and we look forward to continued collaboration.”

Using Azure PlayFab Live Ops Services allowed Nifty Games to make confident, data-driven decisions based on insights into player behavior, run A/B tests and experiment with variable gameplay experiences, and deploy player-targeted experiments concurrently to optimize the rollout of new game flows.

No Man’s Sky (Azure PlayFab Multiplayer Services)

From the beginning of the game’s development, Hello Games set out to create an epic adventure in No Man’s Sky. They also strongly believed that the experience would be enriched by having all players – regardless of platform – enjoy the game together. Using Azure PlayFab Multiplayer Services allowed the team to have gamers on Xbox, PlayStation, and PC playing together. What’s more, the team’s insights into creating cross-platform games were highly valuable in shaping Azure PlayFab Matchmaking to include real-time notifications and a Lobby feature to group players across their user base.

Iain Brown, Server/Multiplayer Lead at Hello Games, summed it up best: “PlayFab allowed us to realise our vision of a single shared universe for all our players to explore together.”

Unify players across platforms with matchmaking allows developers to connect their communities, while allowing them to create, find, and join searchable lobbies offers the type of custom multiplayer experiences gamers have come to expect. All of this and more is available through the use of Azure PlayFab Multiplayer Services.

DOOM Eternal (Azure PlayFab Multiplayer Servers)

During the game’s development, id Software was laser-focused on making DOOM Eternal a unique experience for gamers all over the world. By taking advantage of Azure PlayFab Multiplayer Server features to save time and money, the team could reduce overhead and focus on what they do best: making a best-in-class shooter.

“The way Azure PlayFab delivers online features and functionality aligned with our ideas for next-generation game technology,” said Travis Bradshaw, Principal Program Manager at Microsoft and the former Lead Services Programmer at id Software. “That synergy gave us confidence.”

To ensure players get matched to the best, lowest latency servers around the world, id Software used Azure PlayFab Multiplayer Servers automated latency and QoS monitoring features. And because Azure has a multitude of regions for hosting servers, players are matched to their first-pick server regions quickly and frequently.

Rogue Company (Game Production in the Cloud with Azure)

The last few years have changed everything in the world of game development. While game production had always been a highly centralized activity, hybrid work models forced development teams like Hi-Rez Studios to pivot. The developers at Hi-Rez moved quickly to shift development of Rogue Company’s post-launch updates to the cloud. By using Perforce and Incredibuild in the cloud, the team was able to enact cloud-powered game production workflows, successfully operating remotely while keeping a tight, fast iteration loop.

“The speed and efficiency we gain by having the ability to spin up hardware through automation is a game-changer,” said Matt Smith, Lead Tools Engineer at Hi-Rez Studios.

Best of all, Azure offers more flexibility than ever before. Teams can control when and which pieces of the production pipeline migrate to the cloud, all based on a studio’s individual needs. A development team can move a single process, incrementally retool a pipeline, or fully migrate to the cloud. Low latency VMs on Azure’s global network allow teams to work anywhere, with the same build speed they would get in the office.

Yakuza: Like a Dragon (Touch Controls for Xbox Cloud Gaming)

In an effort to maximize the reach of their hit game Yakuza: Like a Dragon, Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio embraced Xbox Cloud Gaming to bring the experience to more players in more parts of the world. The Xbox Cloud Gaming APIs and the Touch Adaptation Kit allowed them to bring the full HD version of the game to smartphones and tablets, implementing scenario-based touch control layouts that dynamically changed on-screen based on what the player is doing in-game. The results were groundbreaking, with all new audiences now able to enjoy the award-winning title.

“We used the Xbox Cloud Gaming Touch Adaptation Kit to easily place buttons and icons proactively in a way that was intuitive, making actions in each scenario easy to understand,” said a representative of Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio.

The Xbox Cloud Gaming APIs and the Touch Adaptation Kit ensures that players get the best experience in every part of a game with context sensitive touch layouts that feel mobile-native. Most importantly, they also allow developers to create an immersive experience with custom controls that match the game’s art style.

Related:
Celebrating Nine Years of ID@Xbox
Coming Soon to Xbox Game Pass: Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy, Kentucky Route Zero, and More
Coming Soon to Xbox Game Pass: Total War: Warhammer III, Madden NFL 22, and More

Website: LINK

Als wir das [email protected]-Programm (vor fast neun Jahren!) ins Leben riefen, wussten wir nicht viel. Wir wussten, dass Indie-Studios Innovationen in der Spielentwicklung schneller denn je vorantrieben und wir wussten, dass ihre Arbeit unglaublich fortschrittlich und wichtig für die Videospielindustrie ist. Wir wussten auch, dass die Xbox-Community die Fähigkeiten und Vielfalt von unabhängigen Entwickler*innen liebte. Wir wollten Indie-Entwickler*innen dabei helfen, ihren Erfolg im Xbox-Ökosystem zu maximieren und unseren Spieler*innen die beste und vielfältigste Auswahl an Spielen zu bieten.

Also haben wir viele Gespräche geführt, um direkt von den Entwickler*innen zu erfahren, was sie von uns brauchten. Zu unserem Glück waren sie nie schüchtern und sagten uns genau, was funktioniert und was nicht. Innovative Vorschläge wie systemübergreifendes Cross-Play kamen zum Beispiel direkt von unseren [email protected] Auf der Basis ihres Feedbacks und ihrer Wünsche nahmen wir viele Änderungen an unserem Back-End und unserer App-Infrastruktur vor. Diese Änderungen scheinen auf den ersten Blick relativ unscheinbar, für die problemlose Veröffentlichung vieler Indie-Spiele auf Xbox und PC spielen sie aber bis heute eine wichtige Rolle.

[email protected]: Ein Erfolgsprogramm für unabhängige Publisher

Die bisherigen Erfolge von [email protected] haben all unsere Erwartungen übertroffen. Seit Beginn des Programms, nahmen Indie-Entwicklerstudios über 2,5 Milliarden US-Dollar Umsatz an Lizenzzahlung ein. Die Gesamteinnahmen unserer [email protected] auf Xbox haben sich in den letzten drei Jahren fast verdoppelt. Diese beeindruckenden Zahlen veranschaulichen die Stärke unabhängiger Entwickler*innen sehr deutlich.

Darüber hinaus zahlten wir Entwicklerstudios und Publishern hunderte Millionen US-Dollar an Lizenzgebühren, um ihre Spiele in den Xbox Game Pass aufzunehmen. Es gib viele großartige Spiele auf Xbox (und anderen Plattformen), die ohne die tatkräftige Unterstützung von Xbox Game Pass-Mitgliedern heute nicht existieren würden – das ist wirklich unglaublich. Die Tatsache, dass Millionen Game Pass-Abonnent*innen in den Genuss vieler der besten Indie-Spiele aller Zeiten kamen, hat große Veränderungen für Xbox-Spieler*innen und -Entwickler*innen bewirkt.

Es ist uns wichtig, die Talente von Studios aller Größen zu fördern – ob von Start-Ups, Einzelpersonen oder Indie-Veteranen mit vielen erfolgreichen Spielen. Wir sind stolz darauf, dass über 4.600 Studios aus 94 Ländern ihre Titel auf Xbox veröffentlichen möchten. Dies umfasst über 1.000 neue Partner, die sich in den letzten zwei Jahren für das [email protected] angemeldet haben.

Bei [email protected] findest Du auch zukünftig noch mehr Indie-Lieblinge

Aber auch nach über 3.000 veröffentlichten Indie-Spielen auf Xbox liegt noch ein langer Weg vor uns. In Gesprächen mit Studios und der Community sprechen wir oft über die „Entdeckbarkeit“ von Spielen. Teams bei Microsoft arbeiten täglich an Lösungen, damit Spieler*innen die Titel entdecken, die sie lieben. So finden auch Entwickler*innen das richtige Publikum für ihre Spiele. Ob es darum geht, Spiele wie WrestleQuest oder Escape Academy im /[email protected] Showcase mit /twitchgaming Millionen von Zuschauer*innen vorzustellen, Spiele auf Xbox-Kanälen hervorzuheben oder Titel in Sales zu integrieren: Wir suchen immer nach neuen Möglichkeiten, Entwickler*innen mit neuen Spieler*innen zu verknüpfen.

Xbox Game Pass ist dabei eine wichtige Plattform, die Xbox-Spieler*innen ermutigt, neue Genres und Spiele auszuprobieren. Mitglieder spielen im Durchschnitt 30 Prozent mehr Genres und 40 Prozent mehr Spiele – der Großteil davon außerhalb des Abonnements.

Darüber hinaus investieren wir kontinuierlich in Marketing- und Merchandising-Programme und stellen sicher, dass Xbox-Spieler*innen die mehr als 3.000 Indie-Titel auf Xbox entdecken.

Darauf aufbauend kündigt Microsoft auf der diesjährigen GDC ein neues Programm an, das ebenfalls aus den Feedback von Entwickler*innen hervorgeht – [email protected]. Unter der Leitung von Nick Ferguson, Director of [email protected], (der bereits 2013 Teil des [email protected] war, als wir nur ein kleines Team mit einer Vision waren) unterstützt [email protected] Entwicklerstudios, die Microsofts Cloud Gaming Services auf iOS, Android, Switch, PlayStation, PC und Xbox in ihre Spiele integrieren möchten. Alle Informationen zu [email protected] findest Du hier.

Vor neun Jahren versprachen wir Indie-Entwickler*innen, uns bestmöglich für sie einzusetzen, weil wir wussten, dass die Xbox-Community sie liebend gern unterstützen würden. Dieses Versprechen ist keineswegs vollständig erfüllt, denn wir sehen unsere Arbeit als fortlaufendes Engagement. Aber durch [email protected], den Start von [email protected], Xbox Game Pass, unsere Unterstützung von Indie-Studios und das großartige Feedback der Community, können wir viele Fortschritte verzeichnen.

Website: LINK

Als wir das [email protected]-Programm (vor fast neun Jahren!) ins Leben riefen, wussten wir nicht viel. Wir wussten, dass Indie-Studios Innovationen in der Spielentwicklung schneller denn je vorantrieben und wir wussten, dass ihre Arbeit unglaublich fortschrittlich und wichtig für die Videospielindustrie ist. Wir wussten auch, dass die Xbox-Community die Fähigkeiten und Vielfalt von unabhängigen Entwickler*innen liebte. Wir wollten Indie-Entwickler*innen dabei helfen, ihren Erfolg im Xbox-Ökosystem zu maximieren und unseren Spieler*innen die beste und vielfältigste Auswahl an Spielen zu bieten.

Also haben wir viele Gespräche geführt, um direkt von den Entwickler*innen zu erfahren, was sie von uns brauchten. Zu unserem Glück waren sie nie schüchtern und sagten uns genau, was funktioniert und was nicht. Innovative Vorschläge wie systemübergreifendes Cross-Play kamen zum Beispiel direkt von unseren [email protected] Auf der Basis ihres Feedbacks und ihrer Wünsche nahmen wir viele Änderungen an unserem Back-End und unserer App-Infrastruktur vor. Diese Änderungen scheinen auf den ersten Blick relativ unscheinbar, für die problemlose Veröffentlichung vieler Indie-Spiele auf Xbox und PC spielen sie aber bis heute eine wichtige Rolle.

[email protected]: Ein Erfolgsprogramm für unabhängige Publisher

Die bisherigen Erfolge von [email protected] haben all unsere Erwartungen übertroffen. Seit Beginn des Programms, nahmen Indie-Entwicklerstudios über 2,5 Milliarden US-Dollar Umsatz an Lizenzzahlung ein. Die Gesamteinnahmen unserer [email protected] auf Xbox haben sich in den letzten drei Jahren fast verdoppelt. Diese beeindruckenden Zahlen veranschaulichen die Stärke unabhängiger Entwickler*innen sehr deutlich.

Darüber hinaus zahlten wir Entwicklerstudios und Publishern hunderte Millionen US-Dollar an Lizenzgebühren, um ihre Spiele in den Xbox Game Pass aufzunehmen. Es gib viele großartige Spiele auf Xbox (und anderen Plattformen), die ohne die tatkräftige Unterstützung von Xbox Game Pass-Mitgliedern heute nicht existieren würden – das ist wirklich unglaublich. Die Tatsache, dass Millionen Game Pass-Abonnent*innen in den Genuss vieler der besten Indie-Spiele aller Zeiten kamen, hat große Veränderungen für Xbox-Spieler*innen und -Entwickler*innen bewirkt.

Es ist uns wichtig, die Talente von Studios aller Größen zu fördern – ob von Start-Ups, Einzelpersonen oder Indie-Veteranen mit vielen erfolgreichen Spielen. Wir sind stolz darauf, dass über 4.600 Studios aus 94 Ländern ihre Titel auf Xbox veröffentlichen möchten. Dies umfasst über 1.000 neue Partner, die sich in den letzten zwei Jahren für das [email protected] angemeldet haben.

Bei [email protected] findest Du auch zukünftig noch mehr Indie-Lieblinge

Aber auch nach über 3.000 veröffentlichten Indie-Spielen auf Xbox liegt noch ein langer Weg vor uns. In Gesprächen mit Studios und der Community sprechen wir oft über die „Entdeckbarkeit“ von Spielen. Teams bei Microsoft arbeiten täglich an Lösungen, damit Spieler*innen die Titel entdecken, die sie lieben. So finden auch Entwickler*innen das richtige Publikum für ihre Spiele. Ob es darum geht, Spiele wie WrestleQuest oder Escape Academy im /[email protected] Showcase mit /twitchgaming Millionen von Zuschauer*innen vorzustellen, Spiele auf Xbox-Kanälen hervorzuheben oder Titel in Sales zu integrieren: Wir suchen immer nach neuen Möglichkeiten, Entwickler*innen mit neuen Spieler*innen zu verknüpfen.

Xbox Game Pass ist dabei eine wichtige Plattform, die Xbox-Spieler*innen ermutigt, neue Genres und Spiele auszuprobieren. Mitglieder spielen im Durchschnitt 30 Prozent mehr Genres und 40 Prozent mehr Spiele – der Großteil davon außerhalb des Abonnements.

Darüber hinaus investieren wir kontinuierlich in Marketing- und Merchandising-Programme und stellen sicher, dass Xbox-Spieler*innen die mehr als 3.000 Indie-Titel auf Xbox entdecken.

Darauf aufbauend kündigt Microsoft auf der diesjährigen GDC ein neues Programm an, das ebenfalls aus den Feedback von Entwickler*innen hervorgeht – [email protected]. Unter der Leitung von Nick Ferguson, Director of [email protected], (der bereits 2013 Teil des [email protected] war, als wir nur ein kleines Team mit einer Vision waren) unterstützt [email protected] Entwicklerstudios, die Microsofts Cloud Gaming Services auf iOS, Android, Switch, PlayStation, PC und Xbox in ihre Spiele integrieren möchten. Alle Informationen zu [email protected] findest Du hier.

Vor neun Jahren versprachen wir Indie-Entwickler*innen, uns bestmöglich für sie einzusetzen, weil wir wussten, dass die Xbox-Community sie liebend gern unterstützen würden. Dieses Versprechen ist keineswegs vollständig erfüllt, denn wir sehen unsere Arbeit als fortlaufendes Engagement. Aber durch [email protected], den Start von [email protected], Xbox Game Pass, unsere Unterstützung von Indie-Studios und das großartige Feedback der Community, können wir viele Fortschritte verzeichnen.

Website: LINK

Xbox und die weltweit führende Nagellackmarke OPI haben sich zusammengetan, um eine neue Nagellack-Kollektion zu entwerfen. Diese bietet Dir die Möglichkeit, Deine Lieblingsnagellackfarbe mit der Welt des Gaming zu kombinieren. Im Rahmen der Aktion erwarten Dich außerdem spannende Gewinnspiele rund um exklusive Controller-Designs sowie Ingame-Content.

Die OPI x Xbox-Kollektion umfasst zwölf Farbtöne, die auf Basis der GelColor-, Infinite Shine- oder Nail Lacquer- Formel ihren Weg in die Welt des Gaming finden:

• Quest for Quartz — Mit dem schimmernden OPI Nagellack Quest for Quartz in Rosenquartz gehörst du zu den Gewinner*innen.
• Pixel Dust — Verpixle deine Welt mit diesem perlmuttfarben OPI Nagellack Pixel Dust im wunderschönen Mauve-Ton.
• Racing for Pinks — Der OPI Nagellack Racing for Pinks in zartem Creme-Rosa bringt Deinen Motor auf Touren.
• Suzi is My Avatar — Erwecke Deine*n virtuelle*n Spieler*in mit diesem OPI Nagellack Suzi is My Avatar im cremigen Korallenton zum Leben
• Trading Paint — Mit dem OPI Nagellack Trading Paint im cremigen Apricotton erreichst Du schnell das Ziel.
• Heart and Con-soul — Bringe Deine Nägel mit dem OPI Nagellack Heart and Con-soul im hoch-schimmernden Rot auf das nächste Level.
• The Pass is Always Greener — Triff Deinen Match(a) mit dem OPI Nagellack The Pass is Always Greener in Pastell-Grün.
• Sage Simulation — Tauche ein in die schimmernde Simulation des OPI Nagellacks Sage Simulation in Salbei-Grün.
• You Had Me at Halo — Der OPI Nagellack You Had Me at Halo im schimmernden galaktischen Blau ist nicht von dieser Welt.
• Can’t CTRL Me — Der OPI Nagellack Can’t CTRL Me in zartem Himmel-Blau ist unendlich und out of CONTROL.
• Achievement Unlocked — Mit dem OPI Nagellack Achievement Unlocked im cremigen Pastell-Lila eröffnet sich eine Welt des digitalen Lavendels.
• N00berry — Verleihe Deinen Nägeln mit dem OPI Nagellack Nooberry in tiefem Creme-Lila den nötigen Beeren-Boost.

“In den letzten 40 Jahren haben wir den Globus bereist; jetzt freuen wir uns, mit Xbox virtuelle Welten zu besuchen”, sagt OPI-Mitbegründerin und Markenbotschafterin Suzi Weiss-Fischmann. “In diesen Welten ist alles möglich und die Farben der Kollektion spiegeln die unendlichen Facetten der Kreativität wider. Ob Videospiele als kreatives Hobby oder zur Entspannung sowie zum Austausch mit Freund*innen gespielt werden, die Nagelpflege bietet dieselben Vorteile. Von neuen Farbtechnologien bis hin zu Nail Art Design und mehr können User*innen im Rahmen dieser Partnerschaft viele aufregende Überraschungen erwarten!”

“Wir freuen uns sehr über die Partnerschaft mit OPI, um faszinierende Nagellackfarben zu präsentieren, die von Spielen und den Lieblingstiteln im Xbox Game Pass inspiriert sind”, so Marcos Waltenberg, Xbox Global Partnerships Director. “Wir hoffen, dass diese Kollektion Fans auf der ganzen Welt dazu inspiriert, ihre Kreativität und Fantasie durch Nail Design und Farbe zu entfalten.”

Verfügbarkeit in Deutschland

Ab sofort ist die Kollektion OPI x Xbox in drei Produktlinien in Deutschland verfügbar:

• Infinite Shine garantiert ein hochglänzendes Finish und eine Haltbarkeit von bis zu 11 Tagen. Der Lack mit Gel-Effekt trocknet unter natürlichem Licht und ist verfügbar ab 19,00 Euro.
• Nail Lacquers ist der traditionelle Original-Nagellack von OPI mit einer hochpigmentierten und reichhaltigen Formel für ein gleichmäßiges Auftragen ohne Streifenbildung mit bis zu 7 Tagen Halt. Der Lack ist verfügbar ab 16,00 Euro.  
• GelColor ist ein pures Nagelgel mit Aushärtung unter einer LED-Lampe und einer Haltbarkeit von bis zu drei Wochen. Das Gel ist verfügbar bei ausgewählten Partnern mit professionellen Nail- und Beauty Salons oder mit einem Gewerbeschein bei Colibri.

Die OPI x Xbox Kollektion bekommst Du bei Flaconi.de, im Flaconi Konzept-Store in Berlin, bei Amazon und weiteren Einzelhändlern in Deutschland.

Kaufst Du einen beliebigen OPI Nagellack der OPI x Xbox Spring Collection bei Flaconi, kann du eine Lackierung für Forza Horizon 5 oder ein Coating für Halo Infinite gratis erhalten. Registriere Dich mit einem Kaufbeleg hier. Du hast außerdem die Möglichkeit, limitierte und individuelle Xbox Wireless Controller in den Trendfarben “Achievement Unlocked”, “Racing for Pinks” und “Can’t CTRL Me” zu gewinnen. Weitere Informationen findest Du auf den deutschen OPI-Kanälen auf Instagram, Facebook sowie TikTok.

Verfügbarkeit in der Schweiz

Ab sofort ist die Kollektion OPI x Xbox in drei Produktlinien in der Schweiz verfügbar:

• Infinite Shine garantiert ein hochglänzendes Finish und eine Haltbarkeit von bis zu 11 Tagen. Der Lack mit Gel-Effekt trocknet unter natürlichem Licht und ist verfügbar ab CHF 24.90 (EVP).
• Nail Lacquers ist der traditionelle Original-Nagellack von OPI mit einer hochpigmentierten und reichhaltigen Formel für ein gleichmäßiges Auftragen ohne Streifenbildung mit bis zu 7 Tagen Halt. Der Lack ist verfügbar ab CHF 19.90 (EVP).
• GelColor istein pures Nagelgel mit Aushärtung unter einer LED-Lampe und einer Haltbarkeit von bis zu drei Wochen. Das Gel ist verfügbar bei ausgewählten Partnern mit professionellen Nail- und Beauty Salons. Verkaufsstellen und Partner mit professionellem Maniküre-Service-Angebot findest Du hier.

Die OPI x Xbox Kollektion bekommst du bei Globus, Manor, Perfecthair und bei anderen anerkannten Einzelhändlern (siehe Liste für die gesamte Schweiz), Auf Fans in der Schweiz warten außerdem Gewinne wie exklusive Xbox Wireless Controller sowie Ingame-Content in den Farben der OPI-Kollektion für Halo Infinite und Forza Horizon 5. Behalte die OPI-Kanäle der Schweiz auf Instagram und Facebook im Auge, um am Gewinnspiel teilzunehmen.

Verfügbarkeit in Österreich

Ab sofort ist die Kollektion OPI x Xbox in zwei Produktlinien in Österreich verfügbar:

• Infinite Shine garantiert ein hochglänzendes Finish und eine Haltbarkeit von bis zu 11 Tagen. Der Lack mit Gel-Effekt trocknet unter natürlichem Licht und ist verfügbar ab 19,00 Euro.
• Nail Lacquers ist der traditionelle Original-Nagellack von OPI mit einer hochpigmentierten und reichhaltigen Formel für ein gleichmäßiges Auftragen ohne Streifenbildung mit bis zu 7 Tagen Halt. Der Lack ist verfügbar ab 16,00 Euro.

Die OPI x Xbox Kollektion bekommst Du bei Flaconi.at, Amazon und weiteren Einzelhändlern in Österreich.

Wir wünschen Dir viel Spaß mit der neuen Kollektion! Für weitere Informationen rund um Xbox, besuche wie gewohnt Xbox Wire DACH.

Website: LINK

Website: LINK

All of us here at Hugecalf Studios are ridiculously excited to finally reveal Turbo Golf Racing, a fast-paced, arcade-style, multiplayer party racing game for up to eight players online.

Turbo Golf Racing is a game that takes the concept of a golf driving range at face value, throwing competitors into cars onto winding, colorful fairways teeming with power-ups to see who can be first to strike their oversized golf ball into the finish hole.

And we’re not just announcing Turbo Golf Racing today: we’re inviting you tee-off with us next month in our playable beta, accessible via the Xbox Insider Program. Make sure you have the Xbox Insider Hub downloaded from the Store if you haven’t yet already, and you can register for more details about participation right now over on the Turbo Golf Racing website.

The eagle-eyed (or should that be albatross-eyed?) among you will have spied that you’re not simply driving ordinary cars, either. Our machines have modular features. We want you to make your vehicle your own by bolting on unique combinations of chassis, shields, spoilers, wheels, and boosters, and then coating it all with a paint job of your choosing. You can even customize your golf ball, too, so why not ditch that regular white ball for a glittering disco ball instead?

That’s not all. You can also plug elements called Power Cores directly into your car, which let you pull off special abilities such as Ground Stomp to get the edge on your opponents. You’ll unlock Power Cores by completing various milestones and through regular play.

And all vehicles, regardless of components, can take to the skies and fly: many of the courses feature special jump pads and boost-powered wind tunnels for you to cut some corners on your dash towards the finish hole.

From the very start of development, we wanted to make Turbo Golf Racing a casually competitive multiplayer game that’s both welcoming and chaotic. One in which it’s fun to win, of course, but where near-misses and defeats are just as enjoyable. With our mix of cars, courses, and Grand Prix-style competitions we’re confident that we’ve found that formula, but we want you to join us next month in the Turbo Golf Racing Beta to see for yourself and help us fine-tune the game ahead of release.

I can’t wait to see you in our beta, and I’m looking forward to sharing even more with you in the coming months. Turbo Golf Racing will be heading to Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and with Xbox Game Pass later in 2022.

Related:
Next Week on Xbox: March 28 to April 1
Microsoft Flight Simulator Releases World Update VIII: Spain, Portugal, Gibraltar, and Andorra
Paramount+ Brings More Halo to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate

Website: LINK

All of us here at Hugecalf Studios are ridiculously excited to finally reveal Turbo Golf Racing, a fast-paced, arcade-style, multiplayer party racing game for up to eight players online.

Turbo Golf Racing is a game that takes the concept of a golf driving range at face value, throwing competitors into cars onto winding, colorful fairways teeming with power-ups to see who can be first to strike their oversized golf ball into the finish hole.

And we’re not just announcing Turbo Golf Racing today: we’re inviting you tee-off with us next month in our playable beta, accessible via the Xbox Insider Program. Make sure you have the Xbox Insider Hub downloaded from the Store if you haven’t yet already, and you can register for more details about participation right now over on the Turbo Golf Racing website.

The eagle-eyed (or should that be albatross-eyed?) among you will have spied that you’re not simply driving ordinary cars, either. Our machines have modular features. We want you to make your vehicle your own by bolting on unique combinations of chassis, shields, spoilers, wheels, and boosters, and then coating it all with a paint job of your choosing. You can even customize your golf ball, too, so why not ditch that regular white ball for a glittering disco ball instead?

That’s not all. You can also plug elements called Power Cores directly into your car, which let you pull off special abilities such as Ground Stomp to get the edge on your opponents. You’ll unlock Power Cores by completing various milestones and through regular play.

And all vehicles, regardless of components, can take to the skies and fly: many of the courses feature special jump pads and boost-powered wind tunnels for you to cut some corners on your dash towards the finish hole.

From the very start of development, we wanted to make Turbo Golf Racing a casually competitive multiplayer game that’s both welcoming and chaotic. One in which it’s fun to win, of course, but where near-misses and defeats are just as enjoyable. With our mix of cars, courses, and Grand Prix-style competitions we’re confident that we’ve found that formula, but we want you to join us next month in the Turbo Golf Racing Beta to see for yourself and help us fine-tune the game ahead of release.

I can’t wait to see you in our beta, and I’m looking forward to sharing even more with you in the coming months. Turbo Golf Racing will be heading to Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and with Xbox Game Pass later in 2022.

Related:
Next Week on Xbox: March 28 to April 1
Microsoft Flight Simulator Releases World Update VIII: Spain, Portugal, Gibraltar, and Andorra
Paramount+ Brings More Halo to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate

Website: LINK

Welcome to Next Week on Xbox! In this weekly feature we cover all the games coming soon to Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows PC, and Game Pass! Get more details on these upcoming games below and click their profiles for more details (release dates subject to change). Let’s jump in!

Crusader Kings III – March 29 – Xbox Game Pass, Optimized for Xbox Series X|S

Available now with PC Game Pass and coming soon to Xbox Series X|S! Live the life of a medieval ruler in Paradox Development Studio’s award-winning strategy role-playing game, Crusader Kings III! Assume the leadership of a medieval noble family, increasing its power and reputation through the generations. As one ruler dies, they are replaced by an heir who may have very different abilities or interests, forcing you to adjust your long-term plans.

Ikai – March 29 – Optimized for Xbox Series X|S, Smart Delivery

Ikai is a first-person psychological horror game drawing inspiration from Japanese folklore. Live the horror by the hand of its defining yokais and submerge into the superstitions of the past driven by a unique story and exploration.

Vengeful Heart – March 29 – Optimized for Xbox Series X|S, Smart Delivery

Betrayed by the calculated cruelty of an evil corporation, Josephine finds herself homeless, jobless, and without a heart. With nothing to lose, she joins a ragtag group of rebels seeking vengeance. Choose a love interest and let them guide Josephine’s heart across this industrial hellscape.

Agent Intercept – March 30 – Optimized for Xbox Series X|S, Smart Delivery

Agent Intercept is an over-the-top arcade action game where you drive a transforming spy vehicle through exotic locales, perform ridiculous stunts, and blow things up to save the world… in style!

Weird West – March 30 – Xbox Game Pass

Available on day one with Game Pass. Weird West is a dark fantasy reimagining of the Wild West where lawmen and gunslingers share the frontier with fantastical creatures, each playing with their own rules and their own peculiar motives. Available on Cloud, Console, and PC.

Whisper Trip – March 30

Whisper Trip is a fast, cooperative action side-scroller with a touch of cyberpunk. You’re a newly recruited TPF (Tactical Police Force) agent, part of an anti-terrorist squad with a mission to eliminate criminal groups.

Glam’s Incredible Run: Escape from Dukha – March 31

Glam is a hard, action-packed acrobatic platformer where you must run, jump, climb and swing to make it to the exit without falling into the emptiness!

Princess Farmer – March 31

Be the magical bunny farmer you’ve always wanted to be! Princess Farmer is a charming visual-novel meets match-3 gameplay, with a host of adorable characters to befriend, mysteries to solve, and fashion to collect.

Real Heroes: Firefighter HD – March 31

In this first-person fire and rescue action game, don the soot-stained boots of an everyday hero, as a newly graduated academy cadet getting their start in a big city fire station. Face the heat on the front line as you save people and animals from fiery danger to become a real hero!

Flat Kingdom Paper’s Cut Edition – April 1 – Optimized for Xbox Series X|S, Smart Delivery

Flat Kingdom Paper’s Cut Edition is set in a beautiful 2D land, but now it’s threatened by 3D malice and chaos. A wise sorcerer created six magical jewels that kept the effects of the third dimension at bay, granting peace and prosperity. However, one day an evil masked thief named Hex disrupted the balance and made the chaos return.

MLB The Show 22 – MVP Edition – April 1 – Optimized for Xbox Series X|S

Experience faster, deeper, and more intense moment-to-moment action on the field, with a variety of game modes for all you rookie players and returning seasoned vets. With every pitch, hit, and win, you’ll make your mark on The Show. Pre-order MLB The Show 22 – MVP Edition and start playing April 1; MLB The Show 22 standard edition will be available April 5 with Xbox Game Pass. Learn more here.

Super Cyborg – April 1

Super Cyborg is an old school non-stop hardcore run ‘n’ gun action game! You are an elite battle cyborg who is sent in to investigate a series of anomalies on a mysterious island. Destroy everything that moves on this island, because if it moves — it kills! Are you ready to save the Earth?

Related:
Celebrating Nine Years of ID@Xbox
Microsoft Flight Simulator Releases World Update VIII: Spain, Portugal, Gibraltar, and Andorra
Paramount+ Brings More Halo to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate

Website: LINK

Today, we’re excited to announce our partnership with Wolverine, the 139-year-old boot and clothing company, to release multiple Halo-inspired boots celebrating the franchise throughout the year. To kick off the collaboration, we’re revealing the limited-edition Wolverine x Halo: The Master Chief boot.

Given Halo’s roots in military science fiction we knew the time would come when we would want to bring Spartan boots to life, and when Wolverine approached us about a collaboration, we knew the time was now.

Originally inspired by Wolverine’s Hellcat boot, the Master Chief boot is one-of-a-kind, drawing design aesthetics from the Chief’s iconic armor and insignia from the Halo universe. This legendary work boot is tough as Mjolnir armor, while providing the unwavering comfort, strength and support that Wolverine is best known for in all their work boots.

After a year of design and collaboration, we are proud to announce that 117 pairs of the Wolverine x Halo: The Master Chief boots will be released on Tuesday, March 29, at 12 p.m. ET on Wolverine.com/halo for $225.

The Master Chief boot is only the beginning for the Halo x Wolverine partnership, drawing on the popularity of Halo Infinite Multiplayer we will have more news on Spartan-inspired work boots to share soon.

Head over to Wolverine.com/halo to sign-up to receive updates for the Halo x Wolverine collaboration and forthcoming releases.

Related:
“Halo” Episode One Streaming Now on Paramount+
Paramount+ Brings More Halo to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate
Play the Palette with the Xbox-inspired Spring 2022 Collection from OPI

Website: LINK

Your time has come, Valorians! Godfall: Ultimate Edition marks the arrival of the epic action RPG on Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S. The team here at Counterplay Games can’t wait for the Xbox community to dive into this epic high fantasy playground we’ve created for you. Let’s jump in and look at some of the awesome content you’ll discover when Godfall: Ultimate Edition launches on April 7, 2022.

Godfall is a melee action-RPG designed specifically to be the tinkerer’s dream. Playing as Orin, you find Aperion on the precipice of ruin. You and your small band of loyal champions are the last of the Valorian knights, god-like warriors able to equip Valorplates. These legendary armor sets transform those that wield them into unstoppable masters of melee combat and harness powerful elemental and status effects to tear through foes. Your goal is to climb through the elemental realms and challenge Macros, who is rapidly acquiring the necessary resources to ascend to the status of a god.

Godfall: Ultimate Edition contains the core game and a year and a half of post-launch updates, including the massive Primal, Lightbringer, and Exalted updates plus the Fire & Darkness expansion. Godfall: Ultimate Edition will retail for $39.99, with a special limited time Xbox launch price of $29.99!

Take on the Epic Campaign in Single-Player and Co-op

The story of Godfall has players adventuring across the three elemental realms of Aperion alone or with up to two other players as you battle towards the final confrontation with the twisted fallen knight, Macros. If successful, an even greater threat will emerge with the arrival of Moirax and the Flameblood Tribe in the deadly Fire Realm from the Fire & Darkness Expansion. The enemies found in the Fire Realm are as diverse as they are formidable and will test even the most well-equipped knights. The Exalted Update brings a host of story updates and enhancements including new cutscenes, increased Macros dialog, contextual loading screens, and more NPC interactions. These changes make Godfall more immersive than ever before!

Choose Your Valorplate

These 12 unique sets of armor inspired by the signs of the Zodiac each offer diverse powers from summoning spiritual backup, redirecting damage back at enemies, or powering up attacks with elemental infused status effects of fire, earth, air, and water. They are unlocked by spending resources collected from various sources throughout the Realms of Aperion. Valorplates can be further empowered thanks to the new Shard system.

While dawning a specific Valorplate, players will need to complete unlock requirements like defeating enemies or locating points of interest in the Spirit Realms game mode to unlock Shards. Once unlocked, the Shards are equipped to the Valorplate activating an additional ability tied to a triggering move in combat. Shards can be upgraded up to five times at the Forge scaling the benefits. After unlocking all four of the Shards on a given Valorplate, it becomes Ascendant and gains a second ability. More still, once all four Shards are leveled up to rank five the Valorplate becomes Exalted and gains a third ability, such as massive boosts to ailment damage.

The Tinkerer’s Dream

There is no shortage of awesome loot to obtain in Godfall. And you better believe that the Exalted Update comes jam packed with features to help you navigate all these treasures as well as a host of new cosmetic options for you to unlock. Knowing that each battle and challenge can require its own special approach, players can customize and save up to three loadouts for each Valorplate. Make sure to continue experimenting until you’ve found the ultimate build befitting a god!

We wouldn’t be able to call Godfall an action RPG if it didn’t come loaded with a spread of deadly weapons for players to master and collect. Five weapon classes, each with their own play styles and attributes await players. These include the quick and deadly longswords and dual blades; the powerful far-reaching polearms; and the destructive warhammers and greatswords perfect for smashing through enemies.

By defeating enemies, players earn experience helping them climb to level 50. Each level earns a player a skill point that can be applied toward improving various attributes and your move set in combat. The journey doesn’t stop at just level 50 – players can power up beyond the level cap through a whopping 450 Ascension Levels to obtain new powers and bonuses, allowing them to gain the upper hand against our hardcore endgame challenges.”

An Array of Rewarding Endgame Activities

Godfall shines brightest when players have the ability to put their brilliantly crafted builds to the test. And what better way to do it than inviting your friends to loot and slash through the game’s several endgame modes? Players can matchmake with up to two other players to challenge Godfall’s unique endgame modes such as Dreamstones, Tower of Trials, Lightbringer, and the brand new six-player Spirit Realms. My personal favorite of these awesome options is to battle it out against increasingly ferocious enemies in the Ascended or Exalted Tower of Trials. These modes are wave based in nature and will be your gateway to legendary gear only attainable from climbing the tower and facing high leveled bosses. Xbox One, Xbox Series S and Xbox Series X players can all jump into endgame matchmaking together – so make sure to bring some friends!

Xbox-Exclusive Enhancements

When we set out to create Godfall, we wanted to create an opulent and vibrant world. Metals needed to be shiny, and visual effects needed to stand out from the backgrounds. With our arrival on Xbox, these desires have been cranked to 11. Xbox players will be able to experience Godfall’s visuals like never before with the addition of Variable Refresh Rate and Dolby Vision for HDR-capable displays. We spent a lot of time adjusting every visual effect in the game and we hope you can feel this labor of love, or at least benefit from the effort with brighter highlights, sharper contrast and more vibrant colors throughout the experience.

The Complete Experience

Godfall: Ultimate Edition is a complete premium experience. There are no microtransactions or DLC to fuss with —all cosmetics are earnable by reaching milestones and completing challenges in-game, and the Ultimate Edition even includes the original Ascended Edition and pre-order rewards! We have been listening closely to player feedback since the launch of Godfall and have worked incredibly hard to deliver as many of the community’s most requested features to the game as we can. Combat is faster and more fluid with a knockdown recovery skill; inventory management is more streamlined and robust; Valorplates feel diverse and offer unique play style options; the story experience has been enhanced, and there are now dozens of new weapons banner and shield cosmetics to unlock. We cannot wait for this new band of knights to explore the world we have so thoroughly enjoyed creating.

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Today we are delighted to announce a brand-new partnership between Xbox and the French Football Federation, making Xbox the Official Gaming Partner of the French Men’s and Women’s National Football Teams. At Xbox, our mission is to bring the joy and community of gaming to everyone on the planet. Billions of people around the world connect with each other through video games, just as they do through football. This partnership will bring to life our core message – Power Your Dreams – which not only celebrate the values of diversity and inclusion shared by Xbox and the FFF, but spurs the imagination when two world-class teams come together, empowering football fans, associations, amateur clubs, women’s football, and those who love gaming, alike.

For more than a century, the French Football Federation has supervised and developed the amateur and high-level practice of the most popular French sport. Home to the reigning Men’s World Cup Champions and the #4 ranked Women’s Team, the French Football Federation is a remarkable organization, one which has shown the same will and ambition as Xbox has had, bringing together fans and players around a common passion, while respecting their differences.

François Vasseur, marketing and economic development director for the FFF stated, “We are delighted to partner with Xbox. Xbox is a world-renowned and innovative brand that shares fundamental values with the FFF, such as diversity and inclusion, as well as gaming and its accessibility to all. The brand’s commitment to amateur football in particular and to the French national teams promises great stories together.” 

It’s an incredibly proud moment for everyone at Xbox, standing alongside the millions of fans of the French team, especially with massive global tournaments taking place this year. We are ready to bring all our collective creativity together.

As part of this partnership, Xbox will bring to life creative and unique experiences for football fans and video game enthusiasts alike, including:

Xbox FC: a Boost for Amateur Football

As part of this partnership between Xbox and the FFF, we are introducing the Xbox FC initiative, a program which aims to strengthen the FFF’s support for amateur football. The program aims to make the dreams of young amateur footballers come true by providing them with brand new training facilities and equipment. The selected clubs will benefit from renovated locker rooms, a dedicated gaming area and new Xbox and FFF branded equipment. Xbox and the FFF are committed to ensuring that these new facilities are maintained and that these clubs benefit from additional initiatives over time.

To drive this program, we are partnering with Sakina Karchaoui, member of the French Women’s National Team.  Originally from Miramas, near Marseille, she took her first steps in football with local club Montpellier HSC before going on to play for Olympique Lyonnais. Sakina now plays left-back for powerhouse club Paris Saint-Germain. She is committed to providing more resources and better conditions for amateur football.

Xbox Day: a Day Dedicated to Inclusion and Diversity

To celebrate the twin passions of football and video games, Xbox is joining with the FFF, Kadidiatou Diani and Domingo, at Clairefontaine on May 21, for Xbox Day.

As a member of the French Women’s National Team, Kadidiatou discovered football at an early age at ES Vitry. Later, she joined the Juvisy club and the French Women’s Football Pole. Today she plays as a striker for Paris Saint-Germain. Committed to the community, in 2020 she joined the Plan International France NGO as a new ambassador to defend sport as a lever for education and emancipation for girls. Kadidiatou Diani will be the ambassador of Xbox Day.

A well-known person in the French video game industry, Pierre-Alexis Bizot, better known as Domingo, is a French host and streamer. Since 2019, he has hosted his own talk show on Twitch called “Popcorn”. Passionate about sports both behind the screen and in life, he has organized sporting events such as The Escape, a virtual bike race, and participated in the Paris 2021 marathon. 

During Xbox Day, activities will include:

• An exclusive tour of Clairefontaine, the home of French football
• A unisex football tournament
• The final of the eCup FFF
• Learning about Cécifoot (A football game designed for people who are visually impaired)
• Inclusive workshops led by experts who will teach participants how to play with good gaming habits.

You can follow these activities live on the Xbox France and the French Football Federation social networks.

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When we started the ID@Xbox program (almost nine years ago!), we really didn’t know much. We knew that independent developers were driving the pace of video game innovation faster than we’d ever seen, and we knew the work they were doing was incredibly progressive and important. We also knew that our players on Xbox loved the artistry and diversity delivered by these developers, and that to make sure our players got the best, most diverse array of games possible, we had to do everything we could to help developers maximize their success on the Xbox ecosystem.

So, we did a lot of listening – directly learning from developers what they wanted, and what they needed. They were never shy about telling us what worked, and what didn’t. Innovations like cross-play across other consoles, for example, came directly from ID@Xbox partners. Stemming from their feedback and requests, we made a lot of changes to our back-end publishing systems and even our app framework. These changes may seem mundane but are really important as we seek to enable independent developers to ship their game easily across Xbox and PC.

The results have exceeded our wildest dreams. Since the program’s inception, independent developers have earned more than $2.5 billion in royalties and total revenue generated by ID@Xbox partners on Xbox almost doubled over the last three years. These are staggering numbers, and it speaks to the power of independent developers. 

We’ve also paid developers and publishers across Xbox hundreds of millions of dollars in Game Pass license fees. There are amazing games out today on Xbox (and other platforms!) that would never have existed without the support of Game Pass members, and that’s really been an incredible phenomenon. Ensuring that millions of Game Pass members get to experience some of the best independent games ever created has been transformational for Xbox players and developers.

We know talent is universal, and supporting developers of all sizes, from start-up, single-person studios to veteran indies with multiple successful games in the market is crucial. We’re proud that more than 4,600 developers from 94 countries worldwide are looking to deliver experiences to players via Xbox, including more than 1,000 creators who signed up to the ID@Xbox program over the last two years.

Even with over 3,000 games from independent developers on Xbox, we still have a long way to go. One area we talk to developers and players about a lot is “discoverability.” Teams across Microsoft work every day to help solve discovery challenges so players can find games they love, and in turn, ensure developers find the audience for their games. Whether it’s helping announce games like WrestleQuest or Escape Academy to millions of viewers in a /ID@Xbox Showcase with /twitchgaming, providing opportunities for creators to highlight their games on Xbox channels or including their titles in themed sales and promotion, we’re always looking for ways to connect creators with new audiences.

Game Pass is another avenue that helps encourage Xbox players to discover new genres and games. After joining, the average member plays 30% more genres and plays 40% more games, with a majority of those games being outside of Game Pass.

Beyond that, we’re investing a lot in marketing and merchandising programs all the time to ensure that Xbox players anywhere discover the more than 3,000 independent titles available on Xbox.

This GDC, Microsoft also introduced a new program that was born out of feedback from developers – ID@Azure. It’s led by Nick Ferguson, Director of ID@Azure, (who was an original ID@Xbox team member back in 2013, when we were just a virtual team with an idea), and it’s for developers on any platform, from iOS and Android to Switch, PlayStation, and PC (and Xbox, of course!) who want to use Microsoft’s cloud gaming services in their games. If you’re a developer, please check it out at http://www.azure.com/id

Nine years ago, we made a promise to independent developers that we’d work as hard as we could on their behalf, because we knew Xbox players would be stoked to support their work. We don’t by any means consider that promise fulfilled, because we see our work as an ongoing commitment from Xbox to independent developers. But through ID@Xbox, the launch of ID@Azure, our work with Game Pass and beyond to help developers bring their games to Xbox, and with the community response to the amazing games we’re seeing come to the platform, we feel we’re making progress in the right direction. 

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