Xbox has been in the news a lot lately, and not for the best reasons, with reports claiming that Microsoft was abandoning plans to make future console platforms. Microsoft denied those reports, but one former executive, Mike Ybarra, said recently that Microsoft getting "out of hardware and exclusive games" might actually be a good business decision in this environment.

Ybarra said it "makes sense" that Microsoft did not put the Xbox operating system on the recently released ROG Ally X, opting for Windows instead. It makes sense, Ybarra said, because he believes Microsoft is "out of the hardware and exclusive games" business.

"That includes the dedicated OS, which is essential for any console device (ease of use, security, etc). They are a publisher who will embrace Windows. Most will just pirate all the games to the devices unless they use Steam. Why does Steam help piracy? Because it's a flawless experience with a great return policy," Ybarra said, adding that Windows is "far from a flawless experience."

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Next year is the 25th anniversary of Halo: Combat Evolved, the game that started the franchise in 2001. As a nod to the past, Halo Infinite is adding the Type-35 Needler from the original Halo.

In the lore of the franchise, Needlers were a weapon that was developed by the alien Covenant and shoot crystalline shards that can track down their targets. Different Needler models are already in Infinite, but the Type-35 is a more advanced model. Players can add it to their arsenal by buying the final Halo Championship Series weapons bundle, which will be available on October 21.

The timing of this announcement is interesting, considering that reports indicate that the Halo World Championships will feature the reveal of a Halo: Combat Evolved remake. Unlike the 2011 remaster, this is reportedly an all-new version co-developed by Halo Studios and The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered developer Virtuos. It's also said to be using a hybrid engine that combines Unreal Engine 5 and the Halo Reach Engine. Although Microsoft has yet to confirm this, the Halo: Combat Evolved remake could be the first version of Halo to hit PlayStation consoles.

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Next-gen Xbox hardware is currently in the works behind closed doors at Microsoft. Xbox president Sarah Bond has reconfirmed the company has new consoles internally in the pipeline, days after the launch of the ROG Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X--created in collaboration with Asus.

Speaking with Variety, Bond left no doubt about Xbox's hardware plans. "We are 100% looking at making things in the future. We have our next-gen hardware in development," said Bond. "We've been looking at prototyping, designing. We have a partnership we've announced with AMD around it, so that is coming."

This is the second time this month that Microsoft has declared it's not exiting the hardware business, specifically in regard to new systems in the future. A rumor bubbled up earlier in October that noted future Xbox console plans were "up in the air." A founding Xbox team member has also questioned whether Microsoft has a desire to make new hardware.

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The new ROG Xbox Ally X--and its sibling handheld gaming PC, the ROG Xbox Ally--are now available, but this new generation of mobile gaming is proving to be quite pricy. At $1,000 for the Ally X and $600 for the lower-specced Ally, not everyone can adopt Microsoft's new hardware. In a new interview, Xbox president Sarah Bond spoke about the pricing of the hardware--which she says was determined by manufacturer Asus--and how Microsoft feels that it accurately reflects the value of the new devices.

"We looked at, how do we create multiple options for people? And it really was Asus, because this is their hardware," Bond said to Variety. "That is all of their insight into the market, into the feature set, into what people want, to determine the ultimate prices of the devices. The reaction was overwhelming demand for the device. We sold out on the Xbox Store. We sold really quickly at a number of other places around the world. I feel really good about the value that we’re giving gamers for the price, based off the reception to the hardware."

Bond added that pre-launch sales had reinforced Microsoft's belief that gaming should be more like entertainment in that it could be accessed from anywhere. "You should be able to play any game you want with anyone you want on any device," Bond said.

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If you're struggling to log in and play some of your favorite games like Fortnite and Roblox, you're not alone. A massive outage was reported with Amazon's AWS hosting service, impacting various services that make use of the company's cloud services.

According to the BBC, several of the affected video game services across the world include the PlayStation Network, Pokemon Go, Rocket League, and Wordle, alongside Fortnite and Roblox.

In an update, Amazon Web Services said it was starting to see "significant signs of recovery" and it was continuing to process a backlog of queued requests. "We have identified a potential root cause for error rates for the DynamoDB APIs in the US-EAST-1 Region," Amazon said. "We are working on multiple parallel paths to accelerate recovery."

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You’ve just inherited your grandfather’s dusty, chaotic video game shop - the last one standing in a world dominated by faceless online megacorps. Can you turn this retro wreck into a thriving business before the digital tide wipes you out? Gamestonk is the first roguelite shop simulator, blending management, strategy, and chaos into one pixel-packed package. Each day presents new challenges, new customers, and new opportunities to survive - or fail spectacularly. Adapt to the ever-changing market, or get crushed by it.

Gensou Shoujo Wars: Dream of the Stray Dreamer is a strategy RPG in which aim to clear each stage with various unique party members. A huge number of characters will come together and confront the strange events that occur in Gensokyo, a world inhabited by humans, yokai, and gods. Gensou Shoujo Wars: Dream of the Stray Dreamer is a strategy RPG in which you move your party members on the map and attack enemies to defeat them. Defeating every enemy on the map to clear the stage and unlock the next stage. There are also difficulty options and a tutorial, so even first-time strategy RPG players need not worry. There are more ways to enjoy Gensou Shoujo Wars: Dream of the Stray Dreamer than the game alone. There is also a character encyclopedia and glossary that explains the world of Touhou Project, and a music player with over 200 songs, allowing players to dive deeper into the setting.

Ila’s beloved kitty, Coco, has mysteriously disappeared, and she’s determined to bring him back home! Explore a whimsical small open world as Ila, a spirited young witch-in-training flying on a magic Skatebroom. Uncover hidden stories, collect valuable items, and improve your magical flying abilities.

.HEADSPACE is a 2D adventure game that combines pixel art and hand drawn styles to immerse the player in a psychological adventure through a fractured landscape. Play as an unknown wanderer who has lost his memory and interact with a diverse cast of characters who may or may not have your best interest at heart. Visual novel, walking sim, and light puzzling elements weave together as you strive to unlock who you are and how to get home.