SCOOP: For the last two years, Microsoft has pushed Xbox to hit profit margins of 30%, an ambitious target that's far higher than the industry average.

This chase for profit has led Xbox to raise prices, cut thousands of jobs, and rethink everything.

Story: www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

'CEOs need to take a backseat:' MindsEye devs accuse studio execs of fumbling layoffs and mandating crunch

A new #GTAOnline event starts on October 2 (available through October 8).

BREAKING: Microsoft is announcing big changes to Xbox Game Pass today. Xbox Game Pass Ultimate is getting more features, but it's going up to $29.99 a month. PC games + cloud are also coming to new Game Pass Essential + Premium plans. Full details 👇 www.theverge.com/news/789424/...

It's kind of an odd move considering they added a 'Support Updates' role just for this type of announcements, but then did this instead.

How to sell a video game console:
1) Make your console more expensive than the other consoles
2) Also put all of your games on the other consoles

Microsoft is raising prices on Xbox consoles yet again in the US due to "changes in the macroeconomic environment:

Series S from $379 ➡️ $399
Series X from $599 ➡️ $649
Series X Digital from $549 ➡️ $599
2TB Series X from $729 ➡️ $799

www.windowscentral.com/gaming/xbox/...

Discord Rich Presence is now a setting in Rockstar Games Launcher.

gtaforums.com/topic/892200...

Fusion Fix 4.0 for GTA IV is OUT NOW! Rebranded, refreshed and our biggest update yet! Check out the changelog for full details and enjoy new features like Volumetric Fog, Tone Mapping and reworked Bloom, Motion Blur, Depth of Field and much, much more:

github.com/ThirteenAG/G...

Rockstar Games Co-Founder Dan Houser will make his first on-camera interview appearance at LA Comic Con this year to have an in-depth conversation with IGN's Ryan McCaffrey, about the legacy and impact of his past games and a look forward to his newer projects in development at Absurd Ventures.

A new #GTAOnline event starts on September 11 (available through September 17).

Potential #GTAVI in-game sites

gtaforums.com/topic/100228...

OK, listen. A triple-A (AAA) game had a meaning once. A million years ago (the 90s...), it was used by game industry analysts to indicate that a game was almost certain to make back it's investment. It echoed the bond rating: AAA, indicating the best possible investment.

Now? Who the hell knows.

SCOOP: Perfect Dark was almost revived.

The game's developers were close to a deal with Take-Two to fund and publish the game following its cancellation by Xbox in July, sources say, but negotiations fell through, leading to layoffs at Crystal Dynamics last week. www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

A new #GTAOnline event starts on August 28 (available through September 3).

Max Payne 1 & 2 Remake "continues its progress and remains in full production" and collaboration with Rockstar is "close and productive", says Remedy.

The project is advancing toward its "next major phase".

➡️ investors.remedygames.com/releases-and...

#MaxPayne

A new #GTAOnline event starts on August 7 (available through August 13). Earn 3X GTA$ and RP from Martin Madrazo missions and 2X on Bail Office hits, plus get a GTA$100K bonus for taking out three targets.

I documented my trip to EA's big Battlefield 6 reveal event that happened in Los Angeles last week.

What did we eat? How did EA herd us all around? What celebrities did I meet? Did I kill TacticalGrandma? How many free Red Bulls did I drink? Find out all that and more!

kotaku.com/battlefield-...

A quick look at the new Cayo Perico variant of the Adversary Mode "Motor Wars" added to #GTAOnline today youtu.be/Fe7tMrPJx9k

The activity pays 2X GTA$ & RP for all players and 4X GTA$ & RP for GTA+ Members through August 6.

This is from last year, but still holds up:

kotaku.com/xbox-phil-sp...

A new #GTAOnline event starts on June 26 (available through July 2). A fresh wave of content hits this week with new vehicles, new jobs and double Rewards are active on Higgins Helitours Missions, Dispatch Work, Juggernaut Adversary Mode, and more.

NEW: I chatted with Sony about PlayStation Plus, as the subscription service turns 15

- Premium (most expensive tier) is surging
- Targeting 4-5 3rd party games day-and-date per year (open to more)
- Adding more PS3 games possible, despite '25 drought

Free post:
www.gamefile.news/p/playstatio...

I appear to have been proven wrong - which is only a good thing!
The Brute Pony has full mod accessibility in the Facility.

Per @skuppernog.bsky.social

#GTAOnline

pulls an apple move at the last one:

"Black Ops X"

"Traverse a world of warfare shaped by Elon Musk social media"