What in the week
It’s almost as if no matter how hard the folks over at Microsoft and Xbox try (not like they have been over the past few weeks), they just can’t seem to stay out of the news cycle. In the latest, users enrolled in the Xbox Insider program have been reporting erasure of profiles, console settings and other data (aka a factory reset) following a new update. There’s a joke here somewhere about the current state of the particular console’s future, but for now, as is our daily driver motto here at Story Mode headquarters, it could have been worse. In a surprise update that didn’t break anything — Sony’s 19-year-old console, the PS3, received a new system software update with the seemingly trademarked “improves system performance” patch note that also renews the Blu-ray player encryption key to allow for disc playback (or something).
Well, now we too wish the news this week was all quirks and blunders, but just like clockwork, layoffs reared its ugly head again. Until Dawn remake studio Ballistic Moon has reportedly “effectively closed”, with only a handful of employees left besides the studio’s founders — and none from the development team. Meanwhile, following the recent cancellations of multiple live-service games, PlayStation has been hit with further layoffs, this time from its San Diego-based Visual Arts studio, with an unknown number of staff let go. And Secret Mode, the UK indie publisher behind Still Wakes the Deep reported a “small number” of layoffs following its sale to investment firm Emona Capital and the scrapping of plans to work on its own IP.
But in a potential light-at-the-end-of-the-tunnel-esque news, Visions of Mana co-director Kenji Ozawa announced the opening of a new studio called Sasanqua — with an emphasis on “management needs to protect creators” — following departure from layoff-happy NetEase. While down under, LA Noire boss Brendan McNamara is back in the Rockstar fold, after the studio acquired his Sydney-based Video Games Deluxe — which has been responsible for the poor GTA Trilogy port (among other re-releases) — and renamed it Rockstar Australia. McNamara was originally the director and founder of Team Bondi, the LA Noire developer, which faced accusations of exploitative working practices and shuttered within a year after the game was shipped.
And in things to keep to look out for, the eye-catchy hero shooter FragPunk‘s console launch has been delayed last-minute, but the PC release will proceed as before. Grand Theft Auto V‘s next-gen features have finally made the jump to PC in a free update, three years after the launch of the Expanded & Enhanced edition on the current gen PS and Xbox consoles. Activision confirmed a remake of Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 and 4, some five years after the first two original games received the same treatment. Samsung showcased a concept ‘folding handheld’ gaming device(?), creatively called the Samsung Flex Gaming. And a new Witcher novel by author Andrzej Sapkowski is due to be released later this year. A prequel to the original story, Crossroads of Ravens (Rozdroże Kruków in Polish), will follow the exploits of a teenage Geralt.
It was a particular good week for new releases which saw Split Fiction, Monster Hunter Wilds and Two Point Museum drawing critical acclaim, with Wilds not only propelling Steam to its highest ever player count (with more than 40 million people online at the same time), but also becoming Capcom’s fastest selling game of all time, despite issues with PC performance.
Eyes out for
Now for some notable releases for the upcoming week
- Ivy Road’s Wanderstop, March 11
- Visual Concepts’ WWE 2K25, March 14
Read up
And here are some exciting reads for you over the weekend from our very own garage:
- Anirudh Regidi is back with a GPU review, this time the AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT
- And Karan Pradhan takes a dive into his favourite franchise with a review of Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii
Story Mode recommends
In tech speak, this is the hot sauce equivalent of a disruptive upgrade. This all-natural successor to the infamous Da Bomb Beyond Insanity dials back the synthetic pepper extract while delivering a not-inconsiderable 500,000 Scoville punch, courtesy of scorpion peppers. Seasoned with a sprinkle of paprika and turmeric, it balances brutal heat with subtle hints of garlic, lemon, and herbs like coriander (cilantro, if you prefer) and mint. A must-try for thrill-seekers in the culinary space. — Karan Pradhan
An ethereally beautiful and melancholic poem capturing the essence of a party (duh!); people coming together, sharing moments, and eventually parting ways. Something to perhaps share with your friends of old at the next gathering if you’re in a particularly reminiscent mood. — Harsh Pareek
Until next time.
Banner image by Harsh Pareek
