It's Xbox Series X and Series S pre-order day, and if you've got a few hundred dollars burning a hole in your pocket along with a hankering for a next-generation console, now's the time. Microsoft is opening up the order books for its two new consoles at 8AM PT / 11 AM ET today, September 22, for preorders in the US and Canada. Read on for three things you need to know.
It's no longer shocking to hear a massive data breach targeting some large company and affecting hundreds of thousands of users. These reports have become almost too common that it may actually be harder to separate fact from fiction. That seems to be the case with a recently reported hacking of Activision's servers that claimed to have left half a million Call of Duty accounts exposed. The developers, however, have immediately come out to clear the air and report that nothing like that happened at all.
Long gone are the days when all you needed to do on consoles was turn it on, pop in a game, and start playing. With the Internet and digital distribution, consoles have become digital hubs for connecting not just gamers but also the games that they play. More than just gaming, the purchasing and browsing experience has become an equally important part of the console experience and the revamped Microsoft Store on Xbox promises to take that to the next level.
Epic Games has announced that hit South Korean boy band BTS will be holding a virtual music video premiere in Fortnite's Party Royale mode. This won't be the first time Epic has brought in musicians to play in its battle-free game mode, but BTS is arguably the most popular thus far. The band previously teased an upcoming concert at a 'secret' venue, which they collectively revealed is Fortnite in a video published today.
This afternoon the developers at Cyan revealed a new version of the classic PC game MYST. This game is a "brand new version of Myst, completely re-imagined for modern game systems and - for the first time for any game in the Myst series - including optional VR support!" If you're a fan of the original MYST series, please feel free to flip out with happiness.
Starting this week, Microsoft opened orders for the next generation in official Xbox Wireless Controller sales. The Xbox Wireless Controller in Shock Blue is entirely new. This is a "vibrant hue, not yet seen on any [official Microsoft-made] controller." To be clear, today we're talking about the new, 2020-and-beyond Xbox Wireless Controller series made for Xbox Series X and Windows 10.
Today we're taking a peek at the latest update to Pokemon GO, including the adding of Shiny Kricketot. With this update, Shiny Kricketot was added in a gold form - or perhaps orange, however you see it. This change modifies the majority of the Pokemon, save the collar, the cummerbund, and the shirt. That's assuming this bug is actually wearing a shirt, not a bug body.
Earlier today, Microsoft announced plans to purchase ZeniMax Media in a deal that's massive in every sense of the word. Microsoft is shelling out $7.5 billion to own ZeniMax and its subsidiaries such as Bethesda, id Software, Machine Games, and Arkane Studios, which means that once the deal is complete, Microsoft will own the Fallout, Elder Scrolls, DOOM, Quake, and Wolfenstein IPs (among others). With ZeniMax and its properties joining the Xbox Game Studios umbrella, there's a big question about the future of these game franchises and the existing exclusivity deals with companies other than Microsoft.
Microsoft has been teasing the arrival of a new Xbox mobile app for some time now, and today is the big day. Microsoft has launched its new Xbox app on Android, and while the app is in beta for now, it sounds like it's already capable of quite a bit. This app brings Microsoft one step closer to unifying the Xbox experience ahead of the launch of the Xbox Series X/S in November.
Microsoft has announced a whopper of an acquisition, revealing this morning that it has entered into an agreement to purchase ZeniMax Media for $7.5 billion in cash. While not as massive as other major players like Electronic Arts or Activision, ZeniMax Media is still a very big publisher in its own right, with a fairly long list of subsidiaries that includes Bethesda Softworks, Arkane Studios, and id Software.
Things are not starting well for the PlayStation 5 and the superstitious might think of recent events as an omen. From debates around its design to some rather disappointing news about some of its capabilities as well as launch titles, the PS5 seems to already be surrounded by not so positive chatter even before it formally launches. The latest is perhaps the most discouraging, with a pre-order brouhaha that now has Sony apologizing and promising that the year won't end badly for the next-get console.
Sony's upcoming console hasn't been without its fair share of controversy even as fans start counting down the weeks before the PlayStation 5 launches. The design of the console itself was already a point of heated discussion, with some loving it and others mocking it. One thing that may not have been given much attention, however, is the size of the console even after Sony gave the figures. Thankfully, Taiwan's NCC has published photos of an actual PS5 that really puts that size into perspective.