Over the years, Rare has played an integral role in shaping my personal gaming journey, dating back to my childhood where it introduced me to captivating titles such as Donkey Kong Country, Conker’s Bad Fur Day, Banjo-Kazooie, and many more that left a lasting impact.
It can’t be made any better: this is a disappointing day for Xbox fans, as these layoffs come at a time when the game industry has been cutting back harshly for years. This news dampens the enthusiasm generated by Microsoft’s gaming brand, which had recently gained momentum from the Xbox Games Showcase and the announcement of the Xbox Ally handheld devices.
As an analyst, I’m reporting that Microsoft has announced a significant round of layoffs impacting approximately 4% of its global workforce across all divisions. Regrettably, the Xbox division appears to be bearing a substantial brunt of these cuts, with employees from various departments receiving termination notices today. Among those affected is the Xbox studio The Initiative, which unfortunately is being shut down.
Although there’s been much speculation about potential cuts in Microsoft’s hardware division, it appears that the upcoming Xbox hardware line, including a possible successor to the Xbox Series X with potential Steam compatibility, has remained largely untouched by these changes. This recent round of layoffs doesn’t seem to have affected their next-gen Xbox hardware plans.
In its most recent update, PowerToys has been bumped up to version 0.92. This update enhances the speed of the Command Palette, introduces fresh customization possibilities for the Color Picker, and boosts the quality of File Explorer extensions’ display.
According to reports from Windows Central, there have been reductions in ZeniMax Media’s marketing staff in both London, UK and Rockville, MD, USA. However, the extent of these cuts is currently unknown. Additionally, it’s expected that layoffs may occur within certain U.S. teams associated with Xbox, with further information to be revealed soon.
Since 2020, Apple’s introduction of Apple Silicon has significantly raised the bar for the entire PC industry in terms of chip design. To this day, Apple frequently outperforms its competitors in terms of silicon performance and energy efficiency.
Here’s a more conversational way of expressing that: “You have the option to toggle specific system settings to enhance your gaming performance and ensure a smooth experience. This includes features like ‘Game Mode’, GPU prioritization, Variable Refresh Rate (VRR), Memory Stability, and Virtualization.
I spent approximately an hour playing Wuchang: Fallen Feathers in Los Angeles, tackling some of its bosses and delving into the game’s imaginative interpretation of Ming dynasty China. In essence, it offers a unique gaming adventure, albeit one that is notably challenging, as even minor errors can lead to harsh penalties during certain battles.
Initially unveiled at the 2024 Xbox Games Showcase, Wuchang: Fallen Feathers has been characterized by its creators as a game in the “Soulslike” genre, drawing significant influence from FromSoftware’s Dark Souls series and this year’s critically acclaimed title, Elden Ring.
Meta has been extending massive deals, such as $100 million signing bonuses and annual compensations exceeding this figure, to numerous members of our team. Yet, thus far, none of our top talents have accepted these offers.