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Xbox Boss Highlights PlayStation Success, Talks Bringing Halo To PS5
One of the biggest surprises of 2025 was Microsoft's push to bring even more of its games to PlayStation, its longtime rival in the console gaming space. Not only have those ports been well received, but they've also been best-sellers, and next year will see the arrival of Halo and Forza Horizon on PlayStation. In a new interview, Microsoft's president of game content and studios, Matt Booty, spoke about the success of Xbox games on PS5 and the reaction to Halo's announcement for PS5.
"We had a bit of a moment earlier in the summer from end of April to end of June, where we had six of the top 10 games on PlayStation were our Xbox games," Booty said to Variety. "I look at that as validation for the teams, but most importantly, it's an opportunity for more players to engage with our content, to come into our worlds."
Halo has long been considered the crown jewel of Xbox, and the next game in the franchise, a campaign-only remake of the original titled Halo: Campaign Evolved, will launch simultaneously on PC, Xbox Series X|S, and PS5 in 2026. Booty said the announcement was well received and that Microsoft was really pleased with its efforts to bring its content to more people.
Continue Reading at GameSpotEA's $55 Billion Sale Price Reflects Gaming's "Place In Modern Entertainment," Xbox Boss Says
One of the biggest pieces of news in gaming this year was EA's announcement that it was selling itself for $55 billion to investors including Saudi Arabia. The announcement of the deal has sent shockwaves through the gaming world, and now Head of Xbox Game Studios Matt Booty has commented on the deal, saying the price tag reflects how big video games have come in the global media landscape.
"Games have really become a foundational part of entertainment," Booty told Variety. "And as such, I think we're seeing these valuations and transactions that really reflect their place in modern entertainment."
The price of the sale "reflects the value that exists in all of" the gaming IP that EA owns, including Madden, FC, and The Sims, Booty said.
Continue Reading at GameSpotAfter Black Ops 7 Disappoints, Xbox Boss Says Annual Call Of Duty Releases Are "Really Difficult"
This hasn't been the best year for Call of Duty, with sales for Black Ops 7 faltering compared to 2024's Black Ops 6. Xbox Game Studios head Matt Booty touched on this year's installment of the military shooter series, and although he didn't address sales numbers directly, he did acknowledge the hardships of the franchise's annual model.
Speaking to Variety, Booty said that "shipping a major franchise like clockwork every year is a really difficult task, and I’m really proud of what the team did to move the franchise forward in that way."
A new Call of Duty game has been released every year since the franchise's beginning in 2003, and it doesn't appear that Xbox-owned publisher Activision will stop this pattern any time soon. The only change to the release model is that the series will no longer release back-to-back installments of the same subseries, as Modern Warfare and Black Ops have both done.
Continue Reading at GameSpotXbox Developer Direct Confirmed For January 2026, But It Won't Have Everything
Microsoft has announced that the next Xbox Developer Direct broadcast is coming up in January 2026, but it won't have everything Microsoft plans to show next year for Xbox's 25th anniversary.
Speaking to Variety, Head of Xbox Game Studios Matt Booty said, "We've got a lot of stuff that we're shipping" in 2026.
As for the January 2026 Developer Direct, Booty confirmed that fans can expect to see the new Fable and Forza Horizon 6. "But we'll have more stuff next year to ship than we can fit into one Dev Direct show in January, which is a good place to be," he said.
Continue Reading at GameSpotHere's Why A Call Of Duty Movie Is Finally Happening After 10+ Years Of Trying
A movie based on Activision's Call of Duty series is in the works now at Paramount, which is now led by billionaire and Call of Duty superfan David Ellison. Prolific writer and director Taylor Sheridan is writing the script for the film, with Lone Survivor director Peter Berg attached to direct.
Activision had been trying to make Call of Duty movies for years, so why is it finally happening now? Xbox boss Matt Booty told Variety that "a relationship came about" between people at Paramount and senior executives working on Call of Duty. "They felt like they found a partner who understands the game, people who play the game, and shared a vision of what it could be to bring that forward," Booty said.
Activision originally announced it would make Call of Duty movies through its Activision Blizzard Studios label that was formed in 2015, led by Hollywood producers Stacey Sher and Nick van Dyk, and charged with adapting Activision Blizzard's franchises for film and TV. A Call of Duty movie universe was planned at one point, but, as often happens in Hollywood, nothing ever happened.
Continue Reading at GameSpotCapcom Invites Fans To Design Their Own Mega Man Boss For Dual Overdrive
As announced at The Game Awards, Mega Man is officially making his comeback in a new game, Mega Man: Dual Overdrive. Since the franchise began in 1987, the evil Dr. Wiley has been creating robot bosses to challenge Mega Man and keep him from foiling whatever nefarious plans he had. Now, it's your turn to design a robot boss for Mega Man to fight in Dual Overdrive.
The Mega Man: Dual Overdrive Robot Design Contest has already begun, but there are some restrictions. Capcom already has a base design in mind for this boss, and it's looking for a Robot Master with a right arm that has "immense suction powers." Starting from the template shared by Capcom, players aged 13 and up are encouraged to put their own spin on this villain.
The full details are available on Capcom's site, and entries will be accepted from Japan, North America, South America, Europe, and Asia through January 1, 2026 at 11:59 PM PST. Contestants will have to follow the @Megaman account on X to submit their creations. Capcom's staff will narrow the designs down until they pick the six best entries, and the final winner will be chosen from that group.
Continue Reading at GameSpotXbox Boss Reacts To Dropping Plans For $80 Games
Earlier this year, Microsoft announced that it would start charging $80 for new games, beginning with The Outer Worlds 2. The company backtracked on those plans, however, opting to sell the game for $70 and cancelling plans for other $80 games in the future. What happened here? And what does Microsoft think about pricing for its games going forward?
Head of Xbox Game Studios Matt Booty told Variety that the decision to roll back prices from $80 to $70 came about from listening to player feedback and trying to deliver "player value."
"We've reacted in the last year and I think for us, the real focus is going to be ... meeting people where they are. I think there's going to be less of a focus on what's that top line price of a game, as people start to engage in different ways with games," he said.
Continue Reading at GameSpotNitro Deck 2 For Nintendo Switch 2 Revealed
The Switch 2 is a fun console, but one of its shortcomings is that it's not the most ergonomic device for handheld play. That's where CRKD is looking to switch things up, as the company has announced the Nitro Deck 2 for Switch 2 consoles. Even better, it's compatible with the Switch 1 and is scheduled to launch in Spring 2026 in two colorways: White and Smoke Black. Pricing for these have not yet been revealed.
CRKD Nitro Deck 2 Releases Spring 2026Like the original Nitro Deck, the Nitro Deck 2 is designed to be an all-in-one add-on to the Switch 2. The cradle uses a retractable locking mechanism to ensure a tight fit with Switch consoles, and it replaces the Joy-Cons on the sides. The built-in controllers are contoured to fit more naturally in your hands, and they feature an offset right thumbstick for a more ergonomic feel. The console tablet is now held in place with a retractable locking dial located on the rear. It also comes with a legacy adapter for Switch 1 and Switch OLED consoles, as well as another adapter to enable low-latency wired handheld play.
The capsticks on this model aren't Hall Effect sticks, but CRKD claims they can deliver ultra-responsive control, adjustable resistance, and immunity to magnetic interference thanks to a zero-contact design. Programmable back buttons can also be found on the rear of the Nitro Deck 2, which have been expanded to include L2 and R2 buttons. You can also customize the joysticks with swappable tops, and the triggers have been upgraded to tactile Digital Triggers. The cradle is rounded off with a durable metal kickstand and motion control compatibility.
When not in use with a Switch console, it can be used as a wireless or wired controller for PC, mobile devices, and smart TVs.
Smokey Black White CRKD Nitro Deck 2
If you're looking to get something right away for your Switch 1 console, the current CRKD Nitro Deck and Nitro Deck+ come highly recommended. These are priced from around $50 - $60 each, and they come in a wide variety of colors like black, PAL grey, and a retro-inspired purple. The regular Nitro Deck features full-size Hall Effect analog sticks and triggers, a conventional D-pad, four remappable back buttons, motion controls, rumble, turbo function, curved handles, and is compatible with both the standard and OLED Switch models.
Continue Reading at GameSpotAmazon-Exclusive Steelbook Edition Of Stephen King Classic On Sale For Best Price Yet
The Dead Zone: Limited Edition Steelbook (4K Blu-ray)
$32 (was $45) | Amazon Exclusive
Get deal at Amazon
Stephen King fans can get the Amazon-exclusive Steelbook Edition of The Dead Zone on 4K Blu-ray for its best price yet. Released in June with a $45 list price, The Dead Zone Limited Edition Steelbook is on sale for only $32. Up until this week, the biggest discount had been a few bucks, so the 30% price cut is by far the best deal since launch. The steelbook case features artwork inspired by the the 1983 film's eerie promotional poster.
Adapted from King's classic 1979 novel, the 1983 sci-fi thriller was directed by David Cronenberg and features a stellar performance from legendary actor Christopher Walken. The Dead Zone is one of the few Stephen King adaptations that is as good as the book--and the book is really good.
Continue Reading at GameSpotClair Obscur Celebrates Its Game Awards Blowout With A Major New Update
It was almost a foregone conclusion, but Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 absolutely crushed it at The Game Awards this year, taking home little polygonal statues for a record-setting number of categories it was nominated for. When the game's director, Guillaume Broche took the stage, he thanked a number of individuals, but he ended his speech by giving a very special thank you to us, the players, not with a speech, but with a rather sizable update for the game that dropped the second he walked on stage to accept the award.
Dubbed "The Thank You Update", this is no mere costume/weapon set, though there's over a dozen each of those to go find too. This is an all-encompassing update that brings everything from quality-of-life updates--a Picto/Lumina filter, a long-overdue photo mode, and an option to escape from battles, to a completely new area called "Verso's Drafts," with a bunch of new story content, mostly about Verso's childhood, and the final music tracks written by Lorien Testard for the game.
You can watch the trailer for it here, but, really, we're very sorry, this is a Jack from Lost situation now; you're gonna have to go back and play. The Thank You Update/patch 1.5.0 is available right now on all platforms. The full patch notes are below:
Continue Reading at GameSpot