Xbox is having its first gaming presentation of 2024 with a Developer Direct showcase that will share news about Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II, Avowed, and more.
Xbox has confirmed that MachineGames’ Indiana Jones video game will make its debut during the showcase. Expect “more than 10 minutes of game and developer insights, including details about the game’s setting and story, how fans will actually play as Indy.”
In addition to a first glimpse of the Indiana Jones game, the Developer Direct might also confirm (or put to bed) rumors that Hi-Fi Rush and Sea of Thieves will venture beyond the land of Xbox exclusivity for multi-platform shores. Additionally, after Xbox Wire mistakenly announced that Final Fantasy XIV was now available in open beta, there might also be news on when you can finally play the “critically acclaimed” MMORPG on Xbox.
Temper your expectations if you’re hoping to hear about what Activision Blizzard is up to. According to Xbox, news from those publishers will come sometime later. Check out all the details from the Xbox Developer Direct below.
Here’s our first look at Bethesda’s Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
A few years after it was first announced, we finally have a glimpse at the Indiana Jones game from Bethesda studio and Wolfenstein developer MachineGames. It’s called Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, and the gameplay reveal was shown during Microsoft’s Developer Direct event. It’s an action-adventure game that takes place in both first and third person, depending on the scenario, and it’s set between the films Raiders of the Lost Ark and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, with Bethesda boss Todd Howard serving as executive producer. It doesn’t have a release date, but Microsoft says it’s coming later in 2024 to Xbox and PC.
And yes, there’s a lot of whip-based action.
Read Article >- Hell(blade) will freeze over this May.
Ninja Theory shared some updates on development on Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II during Xbox’s Developer Direct showcase. For Senua’s next adventure, she’s on a journey of revenge, going after a troop of Vikings that have been raiding her village.
During the game’s short featurette, the developers at Ninja Theory spoke about traveling to Iceland for environmental references used to make the game feel more realistic. Ninja Theory also announced that Hellblade II would be a digital-only release with a $49.99 price tag.
Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II launches May 21st.
- Well, well, well… if it isn’t the consequences of your own in-game actions.
The next game from Obsidian is out this year. And during today’s showcase, the studio gave a deep dive into Avowed’s colorful fantasy realm, real-time combat, and choice-based narrative. We didn’t get an actual release date, though, instead learning that it’ll be out sometime in the fall. I, for one, can’t wait to dual-wield some wands.
- Here’s your one-hour warning for the Xbox event.
It starts at 3PM ET, and we’re expecting a bunch of news about upcoming games, including the Indiana Jones title from MachineGames. You can watch via the embed below, or check out some more options right here.
How to watch the Xbox Developer Direct 2024
We’re only a few weeks into 2024, and it’s already time for a gaming event. Kicking things off this year is the Xbox Developer Direct 2024, which is described as “a deep-dive into some of the biggest games coming to Xbox platforms.”
Right now, we know that includes at least a few previously announced titles: an Indiana Jones game from the studio behind Wolfenstein, the very intense-looking sequel to Hellblade, the upcoming Obsidian RPG Avowed, and Ara: History Untold, a turn-based strategy game from a new studio founded by Firaxis Games developers.
Read Article >Why Microsoft might be considering Xbox exclusives on PlayStation and Nintendo Switch
Illustration by Alex Castro / The VergeRumors are swirling that Microsoft has been considering bringing some Xbox exclusives to rival PlayStation and Nintendo Switch platforms. Sea of Thieves and Hi-Fi Rush have both reportedly been under cross-platform consideration, and when you combine the rumors with recent comments from Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and Xbox CFO Tim Stuart, it’s clear Microsoft is weighing its Xbox strategy now that the Activision Blizzard deal is complete.
At a Wells Fargo summit in late November, Stuart detailed what he described as “a bit of a change of strategy” for Microsoft Gaming, the division that houses Xbox and Microsoft’s overall gaming efforts. “Not announcing anything broadly here, but our mission is to bring our first-party experiences [and] our subscription services to every screen that can play games,” said Stuart. “That means smart TVs, that means mobile devices, that means what we would have thought of as competitors in the past like PlayStation and Nintendo.”
Read Article >Microsoft’s second Xbox Developer Direct on January 18th will feature Indiana Jones
Image: MicrosoftMicrosoft is holding a second Xbox Developer Direct event on January 18th. Much like last year’s initial event, Microsoft will detail some of its plans for Xbox this year and provide updates on games that are planned for release. The developers of the Indiana Jones game, MachinesGames, are going to reveal how the title is progressing with “more than 10 minutes of game and developer insights.”
The game will be exclusive to Xbox and PC, according to testimony during the FTC v. Microsoft case last year. The game was originally announced in 2021, just months before Microsoft finalized its $7.5 billion deal to acquire ZeniMax Media, the parent company of Doom and Fallout studio Bethesda Softworks. The Indiana Jones game is being developed by the same studio behind the Wolfenstein franchise.
Read Article >
