620°

Inside Xbox One X Enhanced: The Witcher 3

Today, we’ll be chatting with CD Projekt RED’s Jakub Kutrzuba, Development Lead on the epic RPG The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt.

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news.xbox.com
Kribwalker2792d ago

Nice, upgraded textures, ambient occlusion, better shadows, higher resolution amongst others. i think the upgraded textures are going to be a key difference going forward in most of not all games. like digital foundry called it out before with the shadow of war comparison, the soup like textures on the ps4 pro version to the high res textures on the xbox one x version were a huge difference

KingKionic 2792d ago

We are literally 6 days from the beast.

Boy.

Its about to be lit.

ULTp0ltergeist2792d ago

Glad I'm seeing that these enhancements aren't just 4k enhancements but increase fidelity in full-HD which I think is being understated here. Microsoft needs to make a stronger point on that but they're trying to push the TV market because they want retails to promote their 4k TVs in store with an Xbox One X showcase.

Skull5212792d ago

The massive power difference between the Pro and the XBOX is really going to show moving forward. The 12 gigs of RAM was a very wise decision and it’s going to pay off.

Bigpappy2792d ago

Without them, there is not much benefit to 4K. Higher resolution is for showing more details. If no details are there to show, then what's the point of higher resolution?

Neonridr2792d ago

better lighting and effects can come from the increased performance of the One X. It isn't all about resolution.

2791d ago
MegaMohsi2792d ago (Edited 2792d ago )

Agreed, I think texture differences (12gb of ram vs 8) will be the most noticeable difference between the Pro and X versions of games.

Higher overall resolution is nice vs the Pro version but the higher resolution textures are where X should really shine.

2792d ago
PFFT2792d ago

All that graphical goodness in one package. The beast is coming!!!!!

mark_parch2791d ago

agree that the 4k textures will be way more noticeable than improved resolution

xX-oldboy-Xx2791d ago

Reading 'soup like textures' for the next 2 - 3 hr, o'the joy.

If this is what you can expect from all the upgraded games, it's going to be great value for money.

Imagine revisiting all your old games, but looking all shiny and new - it will almost feel like a new game!

+ Show (4) more repliesLast reply 2791d ago
GUTZnPAPERCUTZ2792d ago

So the Pro Version gets 4k and a bump in AO. While the X1X version gets 4k, Higher Textures, Better Shadows, etc.
That is the way it should be when comparing the Pro and the X, More RAM should get more assets! :)

OMGitzThatGuy2792d ago

Pro is 1920x2160, not 4k. 1X most likely not native either.

PFFT2792d ago (Edited 2792d ago )

But that doesnt matter really as long as i get my High res textures, better lighting, shadows and Ambient occlusion. I couldnt careless if its native 4k or not.

GUTZnPAPERCUTZ2791d ago

Well it can't be 1920x2160 since that is almost square and not a widescreen resolution but I know what ya mean

theXtReMe12792d ago

Holy God... if the 200+ hours Ive already played without even touching the DLC wasnt enough... Now you spring 4K, 4K textures, Ambient Occlusion and higher quality shadows on me.

Well, there goes another 300+ hours of my life. I love you CD Projekt Red.

iDadio2792d ago

Possibly my game of the generation

Donjune2792d ago

I purposely chilled out with the game once the beast was announced!

That1BluKid2791d ago

lol i honestly did too. Started playing when it was on a really good deal and then i heard its going to get a big bump in quality so i stopped haha. Also replaying Doom, got all the newest games sitting on my xbox unplayed waiting for that 1x lol

Hroach6162791d ago

I had around 200 hrs my first plathrough. Then I redid the entire main game + all the DLC for another total of around 300+ hrs. So I have prob 500+ hrs into the game in total. Now I genuinely want to do it all again on the X..... my life is sad

theXtReMe12792d ago

Im a bit confused. CD Projekt Red didnt say anything about HDR, but Microsofts question seems to confirm its existence in the game.

“What does 4K and HDR mean for your game, games in the future and development at your studio?”

ALowlyRock2792d ago

There's also this tweet from the official Xbox twitter account that has HDR listed: https://twitter.com/Xbox/st...

So far, though, I haven't seen any official statements to the effect of "Yes, Witcher 3 will have HDR on Xbox One X."

christocolus2792d ago

It just keeps getting better. Nice work CD Projekt. Anthem and RDR2 will look amazing on the 1X.

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620°

Microsoft planning “major” Xbox layoffs next week

The cuts are expected to be announced next week.

Microsoft is also planning thousands of job cuts that will impact other parts of it businesses

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theverge.com
15h agoReplies(1)
15h agoReplies(1)
Obscure_Observer14h ago

MFs has been beating their chests over great quarterly results and big profits to shareholders while firing people by the thousands just like Sony.

I wonder if at the top of those rumored layoffs they´ll also cancel upcoming or unannounced games while shutting down more studios as well.

14h ago
pwnmaster300014h ago

Always got to throw shade at Sony smh.
Yes we get it,
MS good Sony bad
MS bad Sony is also bad lmao

14h ago
Obscure_Observer14h ago

F* them both!

Just for the record, I don´t care about your victim complex crap either. Find someone else who cares.

blacktiger13h ago

He was talking about both. Why you getting offended when he's using both names

pwnmaster300013h ago(Edited 13h ago)

@Blacktiger

Im not offended , that’s just his formula lol
He can’t help help himself, he needs to bring Sony down when the topic involves MS.
Whether is good news for MS or bad, it some how leads to Sony doing bad lmao.
It’s actually hilarious.

InUrFoxHole8h ago

He's not wrong but im tracking what youre saying. In this case is should just be MS bad. Thats a lot of people fired

+ Show (4) more repliesLast reply 8h ago
Tacoboto14h ago

"just like Sony"

Gosh you're insufferable, not everything needs to be both-sides'd. Sony's had layoffs, but nothing like what Microsoft has been doing and is continuing to do.

CrimsonWing6914h ago(Edited 14h ago)

I mean, no offense, but this is why you’re not some corporate business person running a major corporation. Big profits don’t mean jobs are safe. Do you understand why things like this happen:

Cutting jobs to maintain or increase profitability, especially in underperforming divisions like parts of Xbox like other gaming divisions.

Corporate restructuring and relocating resources for strategic stability in ever changing markets and consumer behaviors.

Investor expectations and optimizing operations to maintain investor confidence. Whatever boosts stock prices and improves future margins.

And there’s many other factors at play. It’s never as simple as business doing well, everyone’s safe. That’s just you not understanding at all how corporations work and have been working since the beginning. This isn’t something that’s specific to Xbox, you can bet your ass Sony and Nintendo do this and if it’s not clear by now, game development is not a stable job nor has it ever been for many. A lot of developers are contractors and guess what happens when a project is done?

Ganif12h ago

Nintendo said they have no plans for layoffs, and you can't seriously claim that the scale of Sony's layoffs most of which involved Bungie which is self managed as even close to the same scale as what Microsoft has done since they purchased Zenimax. And that significantly less layoffs would have happened if those publishers had stayed independent. Keep in mind that much of these layoffs have been due to redundancies specifically related to these buyouts.

CrimsonWing6912h ago(Edited 12h ago)

@Ganif

Nintendo:

https://gamerant.com/ninten...

Sony:

https://gamerant.com/playst...

https://techxplore.com/news...

I don’t think it’s realistic to treat Sony’s layoffs as somehow outside the norm for the industry right now. Even if Bungie is self-managed, Sony’s cuts went far beyond that like Naughty Dog, Insomniac, London Studio being shut down completely, and multiple teams across the globe took hits. These weren’t just minor adjustments.

Nintendo, I had to look up and you’re right. They seem to be an outlier, but rest assured at some point it happens. And even then there’s been layoffs, albeit a smaller amount and contractors.

Would fewer layoffs have happened if studios from acquisitions stayed independent? Maybe. But even independents have been hit hard and look at what’s happened with Embracer’s fallout, or smaller devs like Digic, Roll7, or Volition. This isn’t just a “Microsoft problem” or strictly tied to acquisitions; it’s a broader correction happening across the whole industry, and unfortunately, layoffs are a big part of that process right now.

Ganif12h ago

From your article:

"According to reports, Nintendo of America restructured its testing operations, leading to layoffs of about 120 contractors, part of a strategy for global integration.

Nintendo of America, publisher of iconic franchises like Mario and Zelda, is shifting some contractors to full-time roles for better development integration."

Contractors are not employees, and even if you want to count them as that, it's 120 people vs around 7500 since Microsoft purchased Zenimax.

In an era of game industry layoffs, Nintendo is hiring more people
https://automaton-media.com...

Nintendo Announces 10 Percent Pay Raise For Devs Despite Lower Profits
https://kotaku.com/nintendo...

Nintendo CEO’s refusal to layoff staff goes viral following industry-wide cuts
"Satoru Iwata took pay cuts to ensure staff didn’t have to be let go"
https://www.nme.com/news/ga...

And as for Sony you're comparing less than 1000 total jobs to an estimated7500

Has the industry faced layoffs, yes, but that still doesn't account for the mass layoffs due to redundancies that was easily predictable, or that fact that at least 1/3 of Microsoft's layoffs and studio closures happened before the industry downturn.

thorstein11h ago(Edited 11h ago)

Take the L, Crimson.

People hate Nintendo, but Ganif proved why they deserve support.

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 11h ago
-Foxtrot13h ago

It's like banging your head off a wall, he just can't help himself.

Microsoft can do no wrong, Sony sucks at everything and Nintendo is bigged up because it's less hassle than trying to defend Microsoft all the time

What's going to happen when Microsoft finally turn completely third party, then what?

anast13h ago

I enjoy Obscure. Obscure does good work.

crazyCoconuts13h ago

Did you know that the first n4g was designed to be a perfect human world? Where none suffered, where everyone would be happy. It was a disaster. No one would accept the program.

Tacoboto12h ago

I wouldn't be surprised at this point if anast and osbcure were both alts for the Admin.

We know how Obscure especially drums up additional comments and clicks with his spam-worthy remarks that somehow never get moderated

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 12h ago
Profchaos10h ago

Thats business present a strong front to your shareholders while your company burns around you.

Keep shareholders happy at all costs andnif not happy keep them numb to the reality of you organisation

Angyobangyo1h ago

" Just for the record, I don´t care about your victim complex crap either. Find someone else who cares. "

Just for the record, you clearly you do if you have to vent this hard.

+ Show (5) more repliesLast reply 1h ago
14h ago
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130°

Sony Faces Class Action in the Netherlands Over Allegedly Inflated PlayStation Store Prices

Mass Damage & Consumer Foundation in the Netherlands has filed a class action against Sony for inflating PlayStation Store prices.

dveio13h ago(Edited 13h ago)

My personal opinion:

Manufacturers and publishers have indeed inflated the industry.

From $700 million development costs for games like Call of Duty, to digital (store) prices for games and DLCs, online multiplayer fees on consoles (why can you play Helldivers 2 online for free on PC but not consoles?) or still preventing sell/lend digitally purchased games.

Sometime in the future, this bubble will collapse.

They should know better, but they just can't help themselves and suck even the last penny out of our wallets.

BeHunted11h ago

Because Sony knows people will be forced to pay those prices for single player and multiplayer games, not everyone prefers PC gaming. Sony also has a monopoly on PlayStation digital games. In 2019, they stopped allowing retailers and game key sellers to sell PlayStation digital games, making them available only through the official PlayStation Store

anast13h ago

The Dutch gov. wants a piece of the pie.

Eonjay12h ago

They should be suing the individual publishers increasing the prices to $80 instead of suing the store. There are plenty of publishers still selling game for like $50 with much success (like E33). But this proves that the publishers are the ones setting the prices.... so again nothing changes because they aren't even going after the main offender. How is suing Sony going to make Microsoft not charge $80 for the next COD? Sony being the number one store in the market doesn't mean that publisher have to charge us an arm and a leg. Again the industry is laughing at us because consumers never get real representation. Just these fake platitudes that are meaningless.

BeHunted11h ago

"How is suing Sony going to make Microsoft not charge $80 for the next COD"

Because Microsoft doesn't have a monopoly, I can purchase Call of Duty at a huge discount from CDKeys or other gaming retailers. The only way to purchase digital PlayStation games is through the PlayStation Store.

djl34859h ago

Weird, I swore GoW, Stellar Blade, Horizon Zero Dawn, TLoU, etc. were on the steam store....uh.....

BeHunted6h ago(Edited 6h ago)

@djI3485

I'm talking about PlayStation games that you can only purchase on PlayStation. I can purchase Steam and Epic games from 3rd party retailers and key stores.

"Sony to stop selling full-game download codes at retailers"

https://www.videogamer.com/...

Killer2020UK11h ago

About time. There is zero fair reason why digitally distributed products that you cannot recoup any value when you want to dispose of them, should be priced higher than that of physical copies that entail all of the costs and the benefits of owning.

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50°

Spook-A-Boo — Game Overview • VGMM

Spook-A-boo is a silly ghost-hunting game where you and up to 3 friends explore different levels, hunting down ghosts in a game of hide-and-seek.

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videogamesmademe.com