The Nintendo Switch is known for its unique Joy Con controllers that can actually detach from the system. Few have attempted to replicate the features of the Switch or its Joy Con controllers, but a new patent makes it look like Microsoft is throwing its hat in the ring with a similar controller concept. A patent application detailing the plans for this product was recently submitted by Microsoft. The device itself is called a “chargeable device for removable input modules.” In this case, “input modules” refers to what would be the controller elements as are depicted in diagrams presented later in the patent. The way the charging device would work is detailed further in the body of the patent. It states that the charging device “comprises two attachment portions… each of which is configured (e.g. shaped) to receive an input module.” In other words, it works similarly to the Joy-Cons which attach to a peripheral unit that shape into a device … [Read more...] about Microsoft Patent Hints at Joy Con Style Controllers
Xbox
Meet more characters for One Punch Man’s fighting game
I thought it couldn’t get more bananas than Dragon Ball FighterZ, and then we got Jump Force. I thought that was the limit of Bandai Namco’s appetite for wild fighting game adaptations of over-the-top anime, completely forgetting about the existence of One Punch Man. How Bandai Namco continues this bonkers trend after One Punch Man: A Hero Nobody Knows, I’ll leave that to the more animé-aware among us. The game was announced last week, https://www.polygon.com/2019/6/25/18756260/one-punch-man-fighting-game-ps4-xbox-one-pc and Bandai Namco followed that up from Anime Expo with this character trailer yesterday. It is outstanding, daaaaaaaaaaaaammittttt! Forgive my easily amused nature, I don’t watch the show, I’ve only been ephemerally aware of it since the TV series got going about four years ago. Saitama faces a delightful rogues’ gallery of foes, among them Vaccine Man, Mosquito Girl, Carnage Kabuto and Deep Sea King. This is like when my best … [Read more...] about Meet more characters for One Punch Man’s fighting game
Rumor: Microsoft Making Streaming-Only Xbox With Super Low Price
Thurrott writer Brad Sams has proven in the past that he has insider knowledge of Microsoft and Xbox, with his reveal of Halo: Infinite before the game was officially announced at E3 2018 being just one example of this. Now Sams has uploaded a compelling new video where he reveals new information from sources detailing the long-rumored streaming-only Xbox console. According to Sams, Microsoft is actively working on an Xbox “cloud console” that would function strictly as a device to stream xCloud, Microsoft’s game streaming service. Sams is unsure of when the streaming-only Xbox console will launch, if ever, but he did note that it’s more likely to release now that Microsoft has canceled its plans for Xbox Lockhart, and that it would likely have a low price point in the range of $60-$85. Xbox Lockhart, for the uninitiated, was meant to be a less powerful version of Project Scarlett. However, it seems as though Lockhart was redundant because of this streaming-only … [Read more...] about Rumor: Microsoft Making Streaming-Only Xbox With Super Low Price
Single-player games might be safer bets than live games in 2019
After what looked like a wildly successful launch a few months ago, EA and Respawn’s Apex Legends has been struggling. Twitch viewership has plunged more than 80 percent from the game’s highs, and other metrics, like post volume on Apex subreddits and views for Apex-related YouTube videos, have also declined sharply. It seems like many of the 50 million users who tried Respawn’s battle royale are no longer playing regularly. This is remarkable, because Apex Legends has a Metascore of 89 and is almost universally considered to be a very good game. When EA canceled Visceral Games’ in-progress Star Wars title and disbanded the studio in 2017, some commentators argued that AAA single-player titles were no longer an economically viable business in the current marketplace, and that the future of gaming was in live services, which can provide constant revenue from players over an extended period of time. I argued at the time that there was still a market for … [Read more...] about Single-player games might be safer bets than live games in 2019
Phil Spencer Says Xbox Live is Not a Platform for ‘Free Speech’
Head of Xbox Phil Spencer, who jumpstarted a new initiative vowing to create a protective environment for players, has been very outspoken for the last several months about the intention to make Xbox a safe home for gamers that is as devoid of toxicity as possible. In a recent interview, Spencer further discussed the idea of Xbox and Xbox Live as an inclusive place for gamers on a universal scale, though there does exist limitations to Xbox as a platform altogether. Having written a recent blog post outlining the forthcoming efforts too battle toxicity and all-around unappealing behavior, while also launching updates targeting scathing trash talk, Spencer was approached at E3 2019 and asked a few questions regarding his stated mission with Xbox. Asked why he wrote the aforementioned blog post, Spencer responded by stating that the direction of Xbox should be apparent to consumers and that the company should have a concrete purpose. Admitting that there would inevitably be detractors of … [Read more...] about Phil Spencer Says Xbox Live is Not a Platform for ‘Free Speech’