Game News

Microsoft is celebrating 20 years of Xbox with new gear in its shop, Halo reflection, and so much more! Can you believe it? 20 years of Team Green, time sure flies! Xbox has made some drastic pivots through the generations and the Xbox Series X has kicked off a strong start for a new era of gaming for those that love the Microsoft platform.

Xbox's Major Nelson took to the company's official blog to reflect back on the last two decades from its inception on November 15 back in 2011. "Twenty years ago, playing on Xbox meant hooking up your console with three (or more!) cables to a standard definition CRT TV. You had to pre-order the hottest new games and stand in line at your favorite retail shop to pick them up. Games were played in 640×480 resolution, and you only had 8GB of storage and 64MB of memory to enjoy them with. And you either played alone or with a friend sitting next to you on the couch."

With the Xbox Series X and S, players can enjoy every generation before the current one, which means that some of the most beloved adventures from the past don't have to stay there. With Xbox Game Pass, games are even more accessible than ever before in terms of a more cost-effective library model. Xbox has also broadened its reach immensely in recent years, bridging the gap between console and PC and even more growth is expected on the horizon.

"Thanks to game creators and players like you, we have a greater variety of games and diverse characters – with more worlds to explore, stories to tell, heroes and villains to meet, and achievements to unlock – in the 7 thousand games that have been released across the Xbox platform. Do you remember unlocking your first Xbox achievement? To-date, you and the Xbox community together have racked up nearly 1 trillion total Gamerscore. Most importantly, you’ve worked together to change the face of gaming by welcoming players from all walks of life, everywhere in the world."

Xbox also paid tribute to Halo, the game that started it all for Team Green! Master Chief became an icon when he first made his DNA and this franchise was a vital part of what made Xbox ... well, Xbox! With Halo Infinite on the horizon later this year, the legacy continues. Where it goes from here is anyone's guess.

For those that love gear, Xbox is offering special merch to celebrate the 20-year milestone. You can find out what is available with the Xbox Gear Shop right here. Other ways Xbox is celebrating 20 years with fans include:

Share your favorite Xbox memories on social with the #Xbox20 tag for community bonding
Free Xbox and Halo anniversary-themed wallpapers can be found here
Special Xbox anniversary Avatars are available
Xbox Fan Fest registration is live with a change to win new gear and digital freebies
New Dynamic themes for Xbox
Anniversary Collection for game suggestions

And so much more! Read all about it right here!

What are some of your favorite memories of Xbox through the years? Shout them out in the comments below!

Published in News

Wednesday, 12 May 2021 15:50

Rumor: Rambo, John McClane Coming To Call Of Duty: Black Ops Cold War And Warzone

Written by Daniel Tack

As Call of Duty continues to embrace the 80s with content for both Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War and Warzone, there are rumors swirling about some iconic characters from that era coming to the game(s) as operator skins. The official Call of Duty twitter has been the source of speculation here based on some not-so-cryptic tweets hinting at Rambo a little while ago, and the Die Hard protagonist more recently. You can see those tweets below here and connect the dots.

Does anyone know SURVIVORJOHN#1009062? Their #WarzoneReport is a sight to be seen. pic.twitter.com/EUFPmexQnF
— Call of Duty (@CallofDuty) May 5, 2021

Welcome to the party, COWBOYMCCLANE#0070030. #WarzoneReport pic.twitter.com/N26Y2vrN2A
— Call of Duty (@CallofDuty) May 12, 2021

However, more recently we have a purported image on Reddit. While the accuracy of the image can’t be verified and people always love to have fun mocking up potential reveals, you can check out this post right here to get a look at what these two new characters might look like. Reddit user JohnnyUtahBrah has posted the image and it’s gotten plenty of attention over on the Call of Duty: Warzone board. Whether or not the images are 100% accurate or not, the clues that have been dropped on Call of Duty’s social channels are fairly blatant, so it’s likely that both Rambo and John McClane are going to make their way to the Warzone soon.

This invites further speculation into other 80s action hero icons that may find their way to Verdansk in the future. Who would you like to see join the crew? Honestly, nothing is really out of potential scope here. For instance, if you would have told me ages ago that the Saw puppet was coming to Call of Duty, I would have been completely mystified. But as crossover inclusion from massive media properties continues to become more of the rule both here in the Warzone and in big battle royale brands like Fortnite, I wouldn’t be surprised to see other characters from the era joining the ranks. We really need John-Claude Van Damme from Bloodsport, for instance, to really round this crew out.

Some may wonder why Christmas movie icons are headed to the Warzone, but I’m pretty much all for it. At this point in time, when the CoD store is loaded with everything from anime angels to weed-themed fare, there’s no sense in keeping things grounded.

Who do you want to see from the 80s make their way into the Warzone? Let's get Back to the Future characters in there! Let us know in the comments!

Published in News

Wednesday, 12 May 2021 16:55

Yakuza’s Kazuma Kiryu Is Now Available In Duck Form

Written by Daniel Tack

Yep, that’s right. The lovable protagonist of the Yakuza series is now available as a TUBBZ duck, complete with a bicycle. If you’ve never played a Yakuza game and brawled your way through a throng of enemies, you’ve missed out. And now you can bring the cool hero of the Yakuza saga home, as a duck. Now the real question is, when can we play as a duck Kiryu in a game? Or better yet, a duck Majima? These are the real inquiries that we need answers to!

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Kazuma Kiryu TUBBZ available to pre-order now!https://t.co/vJFaLMUkOC pic.twitter.com/VmRkk3wM0r
— RGG Studio (@RGGStudio) May 13, 2021

The Yakuza series prominently features Kazuma Kiryu in many titles as the protagonist, with the notable exception being the turn-based Yakuza: Like A Dragon. In Like A Dragon, the franchise got a cool new protagonist with Ichiban while retaining many of the strange, eccentric, and often hilarious quirks that make the series a joy to explore. The series is looking to continue this turn-based focus into the future.

“Like a Dragon is a departure from the games that came before it, but I found those changes to be revitalizing. As much as I enjoyed the Yakuza formula, it was definitely a formula. Like a Dragon has enough familiar elements to make it feel like, at its heart, it’s a Yakuza game,” said Jeff Cork in the Game Informer review. “All the while, I fully appreciated how much of a new identity this entry is establishing. Here’s hoping this is the first step in yet another great journey for the series.”

If you’re looking to go back to the beginning so to speak, the best game to start your Yakuza journey on is probably Yakuza 0, which functions as a prequel for some of the most popular characters.

The figure is official SEGA merchandise and comes with a bathtub display box. Other ducks of interest in the TUBBZ line if you’re into Kazuma Kiryu may be Shenmue’s Ryo Hazuki or a Jet Set Radio duck.

Published in News