After more than a year that they could not come to a new agreement and let games being removed from Chinese market (except Diablo Immortal), Blizzard Entertainment will return to China via Xbox consoles. Back in November 2022, when Activision Blizzard were still independent, could not reach a new business agreement beyond the availability of Diablo Immortal (a whole different agreement) and let January 2023 as the official month of most of Blizzard Entertainment games to be retired. This week's announcement is basically a Microsoft Gaming led gaming success in China gaming market, that includes to explore bringing new NetEase games to Xbox consoles and other platforms. NetEase hasn't been in the bench despite losing a powerful partner like Blizzard (which rumors saying that in part, is was due disturbed communication with unpleasant misunderstandings for then CEO Bobby Kotick), as buying and investing in Westerns gaming studios. For immediate effect, Chinese gamers will expect the recovery of access of previous available titles like World of Warcraft, Hearthstone, and other titles in the Warcraft, Overwatch, Diablo and StarCraft franchises. Of course, Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer considers this agreement a new Xbox victory for bringing more games to more players around the world. #Gaming #GameNews #youtubegaming 🕹 🎮

"It is the greatest privilege of my professional career to have this opportunity," -Henry Cavill in an interview with Josh Horowitz about the in-development #Warhammer40K cinematic universe developed by Vertigo, Amazon & Games Workshop. Back in 2022, Amazon announced that it was co-developing a cinematic universe centered in the Warhammer 40,000 tabletop war game along with game's creator Games Workshop & Vertigo Entertainment. Henry Cavill will be serving as Executive Producer along being on of the main characters, which has not been revealed yet. There is not release date and/or if the cinematic universe will start as a movie or a TV Series. #Gaming #GameNews #youtubegaming 🕹🎮

Today, the UK CMA has ruled that Sony is liable & will indeed entering in a £5 billion class action lawsuit over #PlayStation Store prices practices, lawsuit filed originally on August 2022 & since then, Sony has been trying to have the case dismissed. Some context: The lawsuit isn't aimed exclusively on consumer (they are at the end of the chain, but instead, Sony has been accused on leveraging unfairly at his favor the fee charged at developers who cannot deploy Playstation games elsewhere and the cost is passed to consumers. #Gaming #GamingNews

In a surprising move, Sony and Jim Ryan confirmed that he will leave his position as SIE and #Playstation CEO on March 2024, alluding that since 1994, working for Sony between USA and Japan while being a European resident, has become a personal challenge. While not a stranger in Sony as he began in mid 90's, he landed the Sony Interactive Entertainment, the parent company of Playstation on 2019 replacing John Kodera and pretty much oversaw the last stretch of the PS4 era and managed the pandemic-chaotic initial release of PS5. While Ryan is praised for his sales and managements skills, which pretty much lead him to Playstation at the last part of his almost 20 years career at Sony, but he will also remembered for dismissing retro gaming to favor the narrative of Playstation as a dominant gaming force. Also 2022 and 2023 will be remembered on how publicly went "not worried"of the Activsion Blizzard acquisition by Microsoft. But in reality, led a massive lobbying campaign that failed as it ended him being called out at the end by the very same lawmakers in an embarrassing open letter that accused him and Playstation to actually being the cause of Xbox failing to capitalize in Japan since 2001. #Gaming #GamingNews

Despite trying to lead the counterattack on regulators trying to ban the ABK buyout, it was revealed that Sony told investors on Fidelity back in 2022, that the #Bungie acquisition had more value for Playstation more than ABK to Xbox itself. Not the first time that Sony got exposed on not being too concerned originally, but lead a lobbying campaign in Washington DC with Sony Interactive Entertainment CEO Jim Ryan, who ended being called out to be at the wrong side by lawmakers regarding the ABK acquisition. #Gaming #GamingNews

2022 was Lapsus$ & seems that 2023 will go for Ransomed vc and this new group claims that has compromised Sony servers across ALL BUSINESSES which could include #Playstation & that it will sell the data they got as Sony will not pay ransomware. 2011 Deja-Vu? #Gaming #GamingNews

Just like when a failed redacted document was leaked on the Internet, it seems that the Court of North California District needs to have double-check on their office clerks. Because there was a massive leaks of findings and evidence regarding #Xbox that were filed during the failed FTC Preliminary Injunction against Microsoft on attempting to buy Activision Blizzaard. The leaked documents highlights all plans that Microsoft have for this decade including a buying spree with names like Nintendo (it will be the 2nd time since late 90's attempt), WB Games, Valve and more. AS for Xbox Hardware, despite Phil Spencer confirming that there will be no mid-gen upgrade, we could see an All-Digital Xbox Series X (no Blu-Ray ROM) by 2025 & new custom Xbox controller in 2024. Microsoft tentatively aims for 2028 to say/launch what's next for Xbox hardware. It will be interesting on the reach that Xbox wants to stretch as there are visions of maybe a proper Nintendo Switch answer for the next main hardware as an "hybrid" computing and also, a Cloud-Ready Xbox console was mentioned. Now that Stadia is out of the picture, Microsoft is already developing Game Pass Cloud Servers upgrades to prepare Xbox as a proper PC gaming streaming and no longer exclusive Xbox Series X environment. Talking about Stadia, Microsoft was wary on chances to compete, but after the first rumors of Immersive Stream, the corporate version of Stadia, was a new priority rather Stadia itself, CEO Satya Nadella asked Xbox team about any opportunities & how they see why Google failed. At the Preliminary Injunction hearing, it was revealed that Microsoft chose NOT to upper up their Cloud Gaming offering & let Stadia take the lead, precisely because Microsoft knew that it will be used against it in case of a massive purchase, like the Activision Blizzard deal. Finally in gaming software related, The Elder Scrolls VI was originally slated for a 2022 release, but Starfield took priority. Before the purchase of ZeniMax Studios and Bethesda, works on the next DOOM game, Dishonored 3 & a Ghostwire Tokyo sequel were in the pipeline. Finally, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion and Fallout 3 remaster are also in development, meanwhile, it was mentioned that Rockstar Games is working on the next-gen upgrade of Read Dead Redemption 2. There is an expectation that more things will go public in a matter of days. #Gaming #GamingNews

The Verge published internal emails from Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella to #Xbox team in 2021, asking if Google white-labeling Stadia was an opportunity for Xbox. It is suggested that PC streaming by Xbox is STILL in development despite failing a 2022 launch. #Gaming #GamingNews

Lapsus$ member & hacker behind the 2022 #GTA6 leaks, Arion Kurtaj, was found guilty on launching cyberattacks on Rockstar Games, Uber & Nvidia after court accepted that he could not be judged with criminal intent since he has autism. The Lapsus$ hacking group introduced themselves in the cybersecurity community after successfully landing ransomware/hacking last year, which forced many companies to do BIG reevaluations. Members average from late teens to early adults (very common in the past actually). While many members were already arrested in the UK & Brazil, in Kurtaj case, this is the 3rd time being busted and by the first 2 times, he was already banned from having Internet access. Apparently his latest stint was done via a modified Amazon Stick, a Tablet & a Smartphone. #Gaming #GamingNews

Day 3 of FTC Preliminary Injunction request against Microsoft buying ABK 1st recap: -The day opened with a pre-filmed deposition of SCE CEO Jim Ryan (he is currently in Japan) -Playstation doubles wariness on having Microsoft with PS6 details/dev kits -An email from Phil Spencer in August 2022 was the moment he knew things will not go well for Playstation if the transaction closes -Acknowledge that was convinced that it was King and mobile studios the main target of the purchase -Ryan told Bobby Kotick that wanted the deal blocked -Jim Ryan contradicted on a meeting with Fidelity Investors in 2022 that he was wary of Xbox Game Pass business model claiming publisher are not sold, but at the same meeting was confident that the buyout wasn't about Call Of Duty -Playstation 5 lost against Xbox Series X in the first three month of respective availability -Economist expert as FTC witness, Dr. Robin Lee, agrees with the FTC’s market definition of Xbox Series S / X and PS5 consoles as “high performance” BUT, included Nintendo Switch where FTC wanted NOT to count Nintendo at ANYTHING -At counter-questioning, Microsoft legal team brought a document were Sony sees Nintendo as competitor, but it seems that FTC prepared Dr. Lee as he was very evasive on not sounding contradicting -An scenario where COD is not available on Nintendo and other assumptions, Xbox would increase its share on Call Of Duty by 8.5%