Tag: xbox

EA Lowers Annual Booking Forecast for 2022 Amid Decades-High Inflation, Strong Dollar

Electronic Arts (EA) lowered its annual bookings forecast on Tuesday as the publisher of FIFA and Apex Legends struggles with this year’s surge in the US dollar and a gaming industry slowdown from pandemic heights. The company now expects annual bookings – an indicator of future revenue – between $7.65 billion (roughly Rs. 63,280 crore) and $7.85 billion (roughly Rs. 64,930 crore), compared with $7.90 billion (roughly Rs. 65,350 crore) to $8.10 billion (roughly Rs. 67,000 crore) earlier.

After a meteoric rise during the pandemic, video game sales have been easing this year due to a lack of major releases and lower spending by consumers facing decades-high inflation.

That, coupled with the industry’s prolonged supply-chain challenges, also pressured quarterly revenue from Sony’s PlayStation 5 and Microsoft’s Xbox content and services.

Overall, the gaming market is expected to grow just 2 percent in 2022, according to data from research firm Newzoo, a far cry from 2020’s 23 percent jump.

A near 17 percent rise in the US dollar this year has also stifled growth, with EA forecasting a roughly $200 million (roughly Rs. 1,650 crore) hit to annual bookings. The company earns more than half of its revenue from outside the US. But EA, which had no major releases in the first three quarters of 2022, could get some support from the October launch of FIFA 23 – the latest instalment in its popular football franchise.

FIFA 23 had the best launch week of any game in the series, and it looks set for more demand thanks to the soccer World Cup in Qatar next month. EA booked second-quarter adjusted sales of $1.75 billion (roughly Rs.14,475 crore), missing the $1.80 billion (roughly Rs. 14,890 crore) expected by analysts, according to Refinitiv data.

Net income rose to $299 million (roughly Rs. 2,470 crore), or $1.07 per share, from $294 million (roughly Rs. 2,430 crore), or $1.02 (roughly Rs. 85) per share, a year earlier.

© Thomson Reuters 2022

 

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Fry Cry 5 Coming to Xbox Game Pass for Console, PC, Cloud on July 1

Far Cry 5 Xbox Game Pass release date is out. The fifth instalment of the popular first-person action-adventure shooter game Far Cry will be available July 1 on Xbox Game Pass for PC, console, and cloud. This means that subscribers will be able to play Far Cry 5 on these platforms at no additional cost. The title comes to Xbox Game Pass nearly four years after it was released for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One in 2018.

Developed by Ubisoft Montreal and Ubisoft Toronto and published by Ubisoft, Far Cry 5 lets you play as an unnamed junior deputy sheriff, who teams up with various resistance factions in a bid to liberate Hope County, a fictional region of Montana, United States, from the clutches of a charismatic tyrant named Joseph Seed.

Far Cry 5 received generally favourable reviews with praise directed towards the visuals and gameplay features. Most critics, however, were not too impressed by the core storyline and character development. There was also a perception that it had the potential to spark controversy as it explored themes such as religious fanaticism and the rise of far-right political movements in the US. Despite this, Far Cry 5 went on to deliver the fastest-selling title in the Fry Cry franchise’s history, grossing $310 million (about Rs. 2,423 crore) in its first week itself. The overwhelming response to the title paved the way for its 2019 spin-off Far Cry New Dawn and the 2021 sequel Far Cry 6.

Besides Far Cry 5, the football game FIFA 22 and the legends of the Far East-inspired action game Naraka: Bladepoint are coming to Xbox Game Pass on June 23. Moreover, the science fantasy tabletop role-playing Shadowrun trilogy and the strategy game Total War: Three Kingdoms are already available for console and cloud and PC, respectively.

Far Cry 5 comes to Xbox Game Pass on July 1.

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FIFA 22 Is Coming to EA Play, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate on June 23

FIFA 22 is coming to the Play List later this month, Electronic Arts announced on Tuesday. EA’s latest entry its popular FIFA series will be available at no extra cost with an EA Play or an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription. FIFA 22 is the last of EA Sports’ titles from 2021 — including F1 2021, Madden NFL 22, and NHL 22 — to become part of the Play List. Meanwhile, the publisher also announced recurring member-only benefits for subscribers while playing FIFA 22.

In a post on Microsoft’s Xbox blog, EA revealed on Tuesday that FIFA 22 is coming to the Play List on June 23. EA’s Play List includes a list of several popular titles including It Takes Two, Mass Effect Legendary Edition, Star Wars: Squadrons, Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit Remastered, as well as other 2021 EA Sports titles such as F1 2021, Madden NFL 22, and NHL 22.

EA Play, which is included as part of an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription, will offer member-only challenges and in-game rewards on FIFA 22 later this month, according to the publisher. These rewards include Volta Apparel, coins, Ultimate Team Seasonal XP Boosts, and Stadium Sets. Members also have access to 10 hours of free playtime for new releases, and can purchase EA digital content at a 10 percent discount.

FIFA 22 Review: More Arcade Than Ever

Last month, EA announced that FIFA 23 would be the last FIFA-branded game from EA Sports — following titles will switch to EA Sports FC from next year. EA parted ways with world football governing body FIFA which it had partnered with nearly three-decades ago, after they failed to strike a new licensing deal. The first EA Sports FC title after FIFA 23 will be unable to include FIFA-specific content such as the World Cup.

EA also began testing cross-play — also known as cross-platform play support — for multiplayer matches for current generation consoles last month. This means that gamers on the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series S/X, and Google Stadia can play Online Seasons and Online Friendlies modes with others across these devices. EA Sports could be working on adding support for cross-play on other game modes for the upcoming FIFA 23 title, which expected to release later this year.

Microsoft’s Xbox Game Pass Ultimate — including EA Play, Xbox Live Gold/ Xbox network, as well as game streaming in select markets — is priced at Rs. 499 per month, or Rs. 5,999 per year on PC and console in India. EA Play is priced at Rs. 315 a month, or Rs. 1,990 a year, while EA Play Pro is priced at Rs. 999 a month, and Rs. 6,499 a year. Gamers can subscribe via the EA App, stores for PlayStation and Xbox, and Steam.

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Persona 3 Portable, Persona 4 Golden, Persona 5 Royal Coming to Xbox Game Pass

Persona 3 Portable, Persona 4 Golden, and Persona 5 Royal are heading to Xbox Game Pass, Japanese game developer Atlus revealed during the Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase 2022. They will also be available on Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, and Windows PCs. Persona 5 will be available on October 21, while the other games will be out in 2023 on yet-to-be-announced release dates. Persona 3 Portable is the most notable of the three ports, mainly because it hasn’t been all that easily available over the years. Its legacy further makes it a sought after title.

Originally launched in 2006 for PS2, Persona 3 is credited for popularising the franchise in the US. It introduced concepts such as a daily calendar, which paved the way for its successors. It was last released for PSP as Persona 3 Portable, which marked the only time the series allowed you to play as a female protagonist.

This will be the first time for Persona 3, Persona 4, and Persona 5 on Xbox. When it was released on PC in 2020, Persona 4 Golden proved to be a surprise hit among gamers.

Persona 5 Royal, the most recent entry into the mainline series, added a new dimension to the Persona 5 universe as its protagonist Joker appeared on Super Smash Bros. Ultimate as a fighter. It will be worth watching if it is able to work its magic on Xbox.

All three Persona games revolved around three Japanese teenagers, who vanquish demons while trying to deal with challenges such as academic examinations and personal romances. The series became quite popular in the US due to its critically-acclaimed art and soundtrack, which helped it sell 15 million units worldwide.

Persona 5 Royal comes to Xbox on October 21 while Persona 3 Portable and Persona 4 Golden will be available sometime next year.

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Xbox and Bethesda Games Showcase 2022: Time in India, How to Watch Live Stream, and More

The Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase 2022 is set to take place in an online event later on Sunday. As is the case with most events held during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the Xbox and Bethesda Showcase will be held virtually — on the Internet. Both Xbox and Bethesda, now owned by Microsoft, have been tight lipped on details of announcements that will be made this year at the Xbox and Bethesda Showcase event. But we expect details on Xbox’s upcoming gaming line-up, updates to existing titles, along with new releases coming to its game subscription offering Xbox Game Pass. You can also expect to hear more details about delayed Xbox games, including some from Bethesda.

These include Starfield, Redfall, Stalker 2, and other titles. Xbox could also announce additional updates and improvements to popular titles like Forza Horizon 5 and Halo Infinite at the event. And as always, there’s likely to be a surprise or two. Microsoft has already announced an Xbox Games Showcase Extended — for Tuesday, June 14 — where it will broadcast new trailers, offer deeper looks at the news from the Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase, and feature conversations with game creators. But before that happens, here’s how you can tune into tonight’s Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase.

Xbox and Bethesda Games Showcase time in India

The Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase 2022 event will begin at 10:30pm IST/ 10am PDT/ 6pm BST on Sunday, June 12. You can use this handy converter tool to check when the Xbox and Bethesda Games Showcase livestream will begin in your region.

According to Xbox Games and Marketing GM Aaron Greenberg, the Xbox and Bethesda event is expected to run for around 90 minutes — that would make it five minutes longer than the 2021 Xbox and Bethesda event.

Xbox and Bethesda Games Showcase live stream

You can watch the Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase event live on Xbox’s official YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and Twitch, TikTok accounts. The event will also be streamed live on the Xbox website and on Bethesda’s YouTube channel. You can also watch the event live from the Twitch player embedded below.

Xbox and Bethesda Games Showcase event languages

While the Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase event will be in English, you can also watch the stream with subtitle support or with dubbed translations in Arabic, Chinese (Simplified), Chinese (Traditional), Czech, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Hindi, Hungarian, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Malay, Norwegian, Persian (Farsi), Polish, Portuguese, Portuguese (Brazilian), Russian, Slovak, Spanish (Castilian), Spanish (Latin America), Swedish, Thai, Turkish, Ukranian, and Vietnamese. According to Microsoft, some of these languages may be added a few days after the broadcast, depending on their translation status.

The 45 Most Anticipated Games of 2022

An accessible version of the live stream will also be available with Audio Descriptions (AD) in English on the Xbox YouTube channel. Viewers will also have access to an American Sign Language (ASL) live stream on Xbox’s YouTube channel and the new XboxASL Twitch channel.

Is there a 4K 60fps stream for the Xbox and Bethesda Games Showcase event?

Like previous Xbox events that have been streamed live, the upcoming Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase event will max out at 1080p 60fps. However, Microsoft says that the showcase will be re-broadcast in 4K at 60fps on the Xbox YouTube channel after the premiere — Xbox will announce the availability of the higher resolution stream via Twitter.



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Xbox Series X India Restock: Amazon to Take Pre-Orders at 12pm Noon Today

Xbox Series X restock is happening today in India. In a rare move, Amazon has revealed that the Xbox Series X will be available for pre-order in the country today at 12pm (noon). The pre-orders of the Xbox Series X are notably going live at the time when Sony is once again making its PlayStation 5 consoles and bundles available in the country for pre-order. Xbox Series X was launched back in November 2020 globally, alongside Xbox Series S, as Microsoft’s latest gaming consoles. It comes in a svelte tower PC-like design and is based on the Xbox velocity architecture.

Xbox Series X pre-orders in India

Amazon has revealed on its video game home page and the dedicated Series S/X page that the Xbox Series X will be available for pre-orders in India from 12pm (noon) on Friday. It is unclear whether the console will also go on pre-orders through other channels. Gadgets 360 has reached out to Microsoft for clarity on that front and will update this article when the company responds.

Considering supply constraints, just a few Xbox Series X units are likely to be available for pre-orders. It is, therefore, recommended to log in on the e-commerce site on time to secure your order.

Since its debut in late 2020, Microsoft has rarely publicly revealed any details about Xbox Series X restocks in the country. The sales channels for the latest Xbox console have also remained silent about its availability most of the times. This is unlike the case of PlayStation 5 where we regularly get pre-order details through its sales channels, as well as Sony Centre’s official ShopAtSC website.

In October 2020, Xbox chief Phil Spencer said in an interview that the initial Xbox Series X/S pre-orders in India that took place in September of that year sold out instantly. He added: “We’ve hardly ever sold consoles in markets like that before,” without revealing the exact number of units sold.

Xbox Series X price in India

Xbox Series X price in India has been set at Rs. 49,990. In contrast, the Xbox Series S, which is available much easily, is priced at Rs. 34,990.

PS5 vs Xbox Series X: Which is the best “next-gen” console in India? We discussed this on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts.

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Microsoft Xbox TV Streaming Device Tipped to Launch in Next 12 Months

Microsoft may launch an Xbox streaming device in the next 12 months, as per a report. The streaming device is said to enable users to access movies, TV services along with a library of games through Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. The report also says that Microsoft is also working with Samsung to develop an Xbox game-streaming app for the South Korean company’s televisions. The news comes a few days after Microsoft announced that Xbox Cloud Gaming users will now be able to play Fortnite for free on Android, iOS, and Windows devices.

Citing people familiar with the matter, VentureBeat (GamesBeat) reported that the device will likely look like an Amazon Fire TV Stick or a Roku-like puck. As far its functionality is concerned, the device will allow users to access movies and TV services — like we do with Amazon Fire TV Stick, for example — along with their library of games through Xbox Game Pass Ultimate.

Furthermore, Microsoft is said to be working with Samsung to develop an app that’ll probably let Samsung smart TV users give the same access as the Xbox streaming device. Both these things are said to debut within the next 12 months.

The move is seen as a way to bring more users into the Xbox ecosystem. It is to be noted that Xbox consoles also allow users to download apps such as Netflix, Amazon Prime, among others and allow streaming. Microsoft is working hard to attract more casual gamers.

Recently, the company, along with Epic Games, announced that Xbox Cloud Gaming users will now be able to play Fortnite for free on Android, iOS, and Windows devices. The move will also allow users, including PC gamers, to stream Fortnite on internet browsers on their devices just like Netflix, irrespective of the hardware specifications.

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Farhan Akhtar to Appear in Ms Marvel Series, Out June 8 on Disney+ Hotstar



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