Microsoft's Azure cloud service is experiencing a massive outage affecting multiple services, including Xbox game downloads and Minecraft. Microsoft confirmed the cause in an Azure status update, stating the widespread connectivity issues began around 16:00 UTC. The company attributed the trigger event to "an inadvertent configuration change" in the Azure Front Door (AFD) service. Several concurrent actions are being taken to solve the issue, but the Azure outage is still ongoing at the time of writing, and Xbox game publishers have started warning users about potential problems. On Bluesky, Obsidian Entertainment confirmed that due to the continuing outage, The Outer […]

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While AI can streamline the video game development process, it would never be able to create a very good Grand Theft Auto game, according to Take-Two's CEO Strauss Zelnick, as current models lack something very important. Speaking about AI usage in video game development at CNBC's Technology Executive Council Summit in New York on October 28, the CEO of Rockstar Games' parent company made it clear that the current models would be unable to create a very good Grand Theft Auto game. For starters, using AI to create intellectual property creates issues not only with protecting one's own but also […]

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Despite being the series that defined Japanese role-playing games, Dragon Quest took some time to get the widespread recognition it deserved in North America and Europe. Nowadays, the franchise created by Yuji Horii is a household name as much as Final Fantasy is, and the popularity of the franchise led to the successful release of the Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake, a very solid remake that was met with a warm reception from fans, thanks to its great visuals and how small choice tweaks made the classic gameplay more compelling. Remaking the remainder of the Erdrick trilogy, however, needed something […]

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Hideo Kojima was as surprised as anyone learning this week that he was offered to develop a video game project based on the Matrix franchise, as no one ever told him such a conversation took place between the Wachowskis and Konami. Earlier today, the legendary game designer and creator of the Metal Gear and Death Stranding series clarified the statements made a few days ago by Christopher Bergstresser, the Senior Vice President of Strategic Planning and business Development at Konami between 1996 and 2002. In his post on X, Kojima-san confirmed that, back in 1999, he and the Wachowskis exchanged […]

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The PlayStation Portal handheld system may be about to get a highly-requested feature soon, judging from a PS App leak. Over on the PlayStation Portal official subreddit, user GetTheWetsOn shared a screenshot captured from the PS App of the Deliver at All Costs store page, which seemingly confirms that cloud streaming of purchased digital games could be coming to the PlayStation Portal for PS Plus Premium subscribers. The user also stated that the same confirmation, which has since been removed, could be found on the Dead Space remake store page. While there's no indication this new PlayStation Portal streaming option […]

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With its many accessibility options, Ninja Gaiden 4 is one of the most approachable entries in the series, allowing players to experience its high-speed action without letting the high challenge level get in the way of enjoyment. Those who want to truly appreciate the game, however, will wish to master many of its intricacies, put their skills to the test, and attempt to achieve an S rank for completing each of the story chapters. Here are some tips to help you understand the mission scoring system and what you should always strive to do to achieve such a high rank. […]

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Zack Fair's gameplay in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is set to be significantly expanded by a new mod introducing new mechanics and skill for an overhauled combat experience. This Zack gameplay overhaul mod is being developed by NSK, the modder behind the Zack and Sephiroth Combat Fix mod whichaddressed some issues for the two characters and expanded their possibilities when added to the regular combat party outside their small playable segments. Judging from the video showcase shared a few days ago on YouTube, the changes being made to Zack's gameplay are going to be significant, leveraging his unique Charge mechanics […]

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Death Stranding 2: On the Beach now supports the PlayStation 5's power saver mode, and its implementation is among the most interesting to date, according to a new technical analysis. In the latest episode of their weekly podcast, the tech experts at Digital Foundry examined how the two entries in the Kojima Productions series support Power Saver Mode, a newly introduced operating mode for the PlayStation 5 console that cuts CPU resources in half, halves the memory bandwidth, and reduces CPU and GPU clocks to reduce the system's power consumption. While the implementation in Death Stranding: Director's Cut was not […]

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EA is pushing its employees to use AI for basically every task, but the results can be flawed, resulting in more work for developers. Business Insider recently talked with current EA staff, who confirmed that the company's leadership has spent the past year or so pushing its 15,000 employees to use AI for virtually every task, from producing code and concept art for games to advising managers how to speak to staff about a certain number of topics, including pay or promotions. The AI tools used to produce code are among those creating the most issues for developers. It is […]

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A new Unreal Engine 5 feature pushed to the engine's main development branch last week could pave the way for significant Lumen performance improvements across the board and for the lighting technology to be implemented in Nintendo Switch 2 games. As reported by tech artist Dylan Browne on X, Lumen Irradiance Cache, a probe-based Lumen mode for lower-end devices, is now available in the Epic engine. Compared to the default Hardware Lumen, the new mode features less occlusion detail and worse reflections, but it's still a good compromise compared to having no Lumen at all, judging from the comparison video […]

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Halo: Campaign Evolved, the remake of the first entry in the Halo series announced last week after months of rumors and speculation, is set to introduce significant visual improvements over both the original and the Combat Evolved Anniversary remaster, judging from some early comparison videos shared online. Following the game's announcement at this year's Halo WCC, Cycu1 shared two comparison videos on YouTube, comparing the current available footage of the remake with a recreation of similar sequences in the original and the Halo Combat Evolved Anniversary remaster. Needless to say, the differences are massive between the modern remake and the […]

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Stray, the cat adventure game developed by BlueTwelve and published by Annapurna Interactive, will reportedly headline the PlayStation Plus Essential games lineup for November 2025. Earlier today, known leaker billbil-kun, who has proven extremely reliable regarding PlayStation Plus game lineup leaks in the past, revealed in a new report posted on Dealabs that the game that made headlines when it was launched in July 2022 for being widely appreciated by cats as much as by their owners will be available to all PlayStation Plus Essential, Extra, and Premium subscribers starting from November 4. Interestingly, Stray's joining the PlayStation Plus library next month […]

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Perfect Fatal Flash is Ninja Gaiden 4's most effective counter-attack, but also the most difficult maneuver to pull off consistently, as the skill's in-game description is vague on its activation conditions. Here what the game doesn't tell you to use Perfect Fatal Flash consistently after every parry. NOTE: Method and strategy perfected in the over 30 hours the author has spent in the game, completing the main campaign twice in Normal and Hard difficulty and Boss Trials challenges. Screenshots captured from the Steam 1.0.1.0 version. How to Use Perfect Fatal Flash As the name implies, Perfect Fatal Flash is the […]

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The October 23 Borderlands 4 patch introduces undocumented performance improvements on PC, according to a new comparison video shared on YouTube. The video shared by MxBenchmarkPC highlights how the latest update for the new entry in the series by Gearbox Software introduces a roughly 10% performance improvement at both 4K and 1440p resolutions. While barely hitting 59 FPS at 4K resolution on a powerful GPU like the RTX 5080 is still a strong indication that more work is needed to improve Borderlands 4, these improvements are a step in the right direction. Besides introducing these undocumented performance improvements on PC, […]

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At the end of the Ninja Gaiden 4 campaign, Yakumo acquires a fifth weapon, the Dark Dragon Blade, which allows him to fight the game's final boss on equal ground. Here's how to permanently unlock this powerful final weapon in less than 30 minutes. NOTE: Method tested in the game's Steam 1.0.1.0 version after the completion of two different playtroughs, which the author played at Normal and Hard difficulty. Screenshots captured from the same version. How to Unlock the Final Weapon, the Dark Dragon Blade The Dark Dragon Blade is the final weapon for Yakumo. It is permanently unlocked by […]

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Although the perception of Xbox is at an all-time low, the brand is doing better in Japan, a region that is notoriously one of the worst for Microsoft's video gaming division Speaking with Japanese publication Famitsu during the recent Beyond the Strand event celebrating Kojima Productions' 10th anniversary, Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer commented on Xbox's performance in Japan. In the past year, the total playtime across the entire ecosystem has increased by around 20%. Although no exact figure has been confirmed, Spencer specified that the playtime growth is balanced between console, PC, and cloud. However, much of this total […]

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