Minecraft Earth‘s early access release is finally rolling out to countries around the world, although it’s not necessarily available where you might expect it. Mojang and Microsoft have confirmed that the augmented reality game is now available on Android and iOS in nine countries. The UK is the most recent addition, but it’s also been available for a few days in Australia…
Microsoft’s Azure PlayFab and Xbox divisions have joined together to offer game developers matchmaking and multiplayer parties at no cost when used by an Xbox network authenticated player.
The offer extends to all platforms where the Xbox network is supported today…
Bandai takes a cue from Nintendo in its new DIY kit for kids
November 5, 2019
Kids today are growing up with a lot of screens in their lives, despite the advice of pediatricians. One of the things they get a lot less of in playing with devices is the development of more tactile skills, which are usually learned by manipulating toys and other physical…
YouTube star Jarvis banned from 'Fortnite' over cheating
November 5, 2019
Another YouTuber is facing the consequences of cheating first-hand. Epic Games has permanently banned popular YouTube creator and FaZe Clan member Jarvis from Fortnite after he posted videos where he used aimbots (which virtually guarantee flawless shots) to wreak havoc in the battle royale game’s non-competitive modes. In his apology video, Jarvis said it was “completely wrong”…
Top Twitch streamer CouRage jumps to YouTube
November 4, 2019
In the wake of several high-profile streamer departures from Twitch to Mixer, Jack “CouRage” Dunlop is also jumping ship. But instead of going to Microsoft’s platform, CouRage will stream exclusively on YouTube.
CouRage will be a familiar face to…
Zynga CEO Frank Gibeau interview — Bouncing back to fast growth
November 4, 2019
Zynga CEO Frank Gibeau has been doing some victory laps in recent quarterly earnings calls. The maker of social mobile games like FarmVille, Merge Dragons, and Empires & Puzzles is back to strong growth.
For the third quarter ended September 30, Zynga reported its…
Epic Games Store revamp helps you find trending titles
November 1, 2019
The Epic Games Store still has a lot of work left if it’s going to match some players’ expectations, but there are signs of progress. Epic has launched a redesigned storefront that lets you see what games are trending, filter releases by genre and otherwise track down the title you’re looking for. It should also load faster thanks to local caching, so it won’t be quite as…
Ubisoft is developing five games for Microsoft’s next Xbox
November 1, 2019
During a recent earnings call, Ubisoft CEO and co-founder Yves Guillemot announced that the publisher is working on five games for Microsoft’s next Xbox console, according to Game Informer. Three of the five titles are Watch Dogs: Legion, Gods & Monsters and…
'Mario Kart Tour' multiplayer test is coming in December
November 1, 2019
Mario Kart Tour came to Android and iOS devices last month, but unfortunately, it shipped without without Nintendo’s signature multiplayer mode. Now, the company has announced that it’s launching real-time multiplayer mode into beta this December — with…
Nintendo President: Switch Lite isn’t cannibalizing the Switch
November 1, 2019
Nintendo President Shuntaro Furukawa said in a briefing for analysts that the Nintendo Switch Lite isn’t cannibalizing sales of its older sibling Nintendo Switch.
The more compact and lightweight Switch Lite is a dedicated handheld which cannot be used to display games on a television, as the Switch can be. It launched worldwide in September, and sales are strong.
Furukawa showed a chart that…
