INSIDE XBOX 4/7/20 RECAP
INSIDE XBOX 4/7/20 RECAP
On the April 4th episode of Inside Xbox, the panel discussed some exciting new things pertaining to Xbox. Grounded, Gears Tactics, new titles coming to Gamepass, a closer look at some Series X tech, an evolution of the Xbox Game Bar for Windows 10, xCloud news, new ID@Xbox games, Forza Street, Journey to the Savage Planet DLC, and an update for Sea of Thieves. For a shorter than normal episode, (around 47 minutes), it was chock full of information.
To start the show, they debuted a new story trailer for Grounded, the Survival/RPG game where you play as someone who has been shrunk down to the size of an ant, and must survive the perils of the backyard until you return to normal size. Along with a cinematic trailer, was an updated look at gameplay. The gameplay was a welcome sight, as the game really captures that 90’s aesthetic of Honey I Shrunk the Kids and Bug’s Life. Grounded hits Early Access on July 28th, and will be included in Xbox Gamepass.
Jason Ronald, Director of Product Management on Xbox Series X (also Head of Backwards Compatibility), sat down with the panel to do a deep dive on Series X specs. DirectX raytracing, Quick Resume, memory storage options, and Velocity Architecture were among the features highlighted. The Xbox team has truly made a powerful console.
The Xbox Game Bar for Windows 10 has been a popular interface for PC gamers. Today they announced some upcoming additions to the interface. Xbox partners such as Intel, Razer, and Xsplit will have new apps to access through new widgets. These will help streamline the app use process.
Xbox Gamepass was announced as coming soon to Japan and Korea on April 13th. For the first time ever, both countries will have access to Xbox Gamepass and Xbox Gamepass PC. As for new titles coming to the Gamepass subscriptions, a plethora of titles were announced: Alvastia Chronicles, Journey to the Savage Planet, Overcooked! 2, Football Manager 2020, Mistover, Yakuza Kiwami, and Stranger Things 3: The Game. These titles will be available soon.
There was a brief segment on Cloud, discussing new games coming to the cloud service, and new countries being added to the eligible network. Three popular EA games are now available to stream via xCloud: The Sims 4, Unravel Two, and Dragon Age: Inquisition. As for new countries, eleven more were added to the program. For more info on that, check out the Xbox website for country details.
The popular racing series, Forza Motorsport, will be receiving a new mobile game this summer. Forza Street will be available on both IOS and Android devices. The game launces on May 5th. If you play the game between May 5th and June 5th, you’ll receive the Founder’s Pack as a free gift.
Gears Tactics is the next big AAA First Party title to be coming for the Xbox platforms. This game is a Tactical Shooter/RPG hybrid placing you in the role of Gabe Diaz and his squad. Tactics will launch on PC April 28th, and come to Xbox console later this year. It was eye catching that they said Xbox Console instead of Xbox One, which leaves room for the idea that Gears Tactics may end up being an Xbox Series X launch title this Holiday.
The new Ships of Fortune update for Sea of Thieves will be arriving later this month. Trading Companies have been given added depth and features, alongside an entirely new Company known as The Reaper’s Bones. These trading companies allow players to represent them for boosted rewards and exclusive cosmetic items. The Reaper’s Bones is a company that focuses on player vs player engagements.
Two new ID@Xbox titles were unveiled on the episode: Last Campfire, a puzzle title from Hello Games, and Atomicrops, a post-apocalyptic farming game in an action-packed wasteland. After these games were discussed, the panel announced an Xbox port of the popular Hotline Miami Collection, which is available now. A shadow-drop of a highly requested collection, was a nice way to end the show.