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Tech News
A new feature spotlights open source games sourced from small, lesser-known repositories rather than popular rankings. The selection aims to surface playable projects that might otherwise go unnoticed by mainstream audiences.
Electronic Arts is shutting down BioWare, the studio behind franchises like Mass Effect and Dragon Age, according to a report. Details on the timing and fate of remaining staff and projects were not specified in available information.
Amazon is selling physical copies of Star Wars Zero Company, the XCOM-style tactical strategy game, for $47.99 on PlayStation 5 and $49.99 on Xbox Series S/X, down from the regular $59.99 price. A tech journalist reviewing the deal praised the game's branching story missions, character customization options, and inclusion of familiar Star Wars alien races.
Microsoft has set introductory pricing for its new pay-as-you-go Xbox Cloud Gaming option, letting players buy cloud hours without an Xbox Game Pass subscription. Xbox Insiders can now purchase bundles of 10 hours for $3.99, 25 hours for $7.99, or 50 hours for $11.99, with unused hours carrying over indefinitely. The feature rolls out more broadly next month and includes ad-free streaming and faster load times.
A blogger reverse engineered the Android app for the music guessing board game Hitster, decompiling its APK with jadx to inspect its code. They found a JSON file containing an encrypted card-to-song database and located the AES decryption routine directly in the app's source, allowing them to decode the mapping between card IDs and Spotify tracks without needing a paid Spotify or Apple Music subscription.
A leaked internal EA memo outlines a strategic realignment focused on three priorities, with leadership citing intensifying competition and shifting player habits as reasons for reshaping its studio portfolio. The memo, addressed to staff, discusses concentrating talent and investment where EA sees the biggest growth opportunities, including changes to its Shooters business, with reports indicating BioWare is being shut down as part of these moves.
Starting Monday, Domino's is pairing its Detroit-style 'the Domino' pizza with Minecraft Dungeons II promotions, including six collectible boxes featuring game characters like the Creeper and Valorie. Online buyers can unlock codes for in-game items such as a Domino's skin, a Slice Slayer Cape or a Cheesy Cube pet, and through Nov. 4 can enter to win one of 20,000 free downloads of the $30 game for PC or Xbox.
Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto VI, launching in November after a 13-year gap, features a vast open-world Florida-inspired setting with dynamic weather and extensive wildlife. Preorder revenue estimates range from $1 billion to $4 billion despite an $80-$100 price point, though Rockstar has not confirmed the game's development budget.
Nvidia released GPU driver 621.01, enabling Microsoft's Advanced Shader Delivery, a DirectX 12/Windows 11 technology that precompiles shaders in the cloud instead of on a player's PC. Gears of War: E-Day and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 support the feature when downloaded through the Xbox PC app, even if purchased on Steam, and it's also supported on AMD and Qualcomm Snapdragon X2 drivers.
Microsoft is adding the indie horror title Mouthwashing and Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade to Xbox Game Pass starting October 29, available to Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass and Game Pass Premium subscribers. Mouthwashing, a 2024 release, casts players as crew members on a failing spaceship facing dwindling supplies, while Intergrade offers an updated version of part of the classic Final Fantasy 7 story.
Microsoft confirmed that Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade, the first chapter in Square Enix's FF7 Remake trilogy, will be added to Xbox Game Pass on Oct. 29. The addition is part of a wider October lineup that also includes the detective game The Seance of Blake Manor, arriving Oct. 27 for Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass and Game Pass Premium subscribers.
According to a Fortune profile of Xbox CEO Asha Sharma, Microsoft's next-generation console, codenamed Helix, is now targeted for the 2028 holiday season rather than 2027, with internal pricing estimates ranging from $1,200 to $1,800 unless subsidized. A separate Xbox-branded handheld capable of running digital console games could still arrive in 2027. Sharma is also reportedly planning to restructure Game Pass into an à la carte model with optional add-ons.