Valve Is Removing Steam Video Section; Retiring Non-Gaming Content
Valve has announced it's retiring the Video section from the Steam store. You'll keep any videos you've already purchased from Steam, though, so you don't have to worry about losing anything you've bought.
"In reviewing what Steam users actually watch, it became clear we should focus our effort on offering content that is either directly related to gaming or, is accessory content for games or software sold on Steam," Valve wrote in a blog post. "As part of this refocus, we have retired the Video section of the Steam Store menu with an expectation that video content is discovered via the associated game or software store page, or through search, user tags, recommendations, etc."
As part of the company's renewed focus on gaming, in the next few weeks, Valve will be retiring "a number of non-gaming videos" which "will no longer be available for purchase." As stated above, you'll still have access to these videos provided you've bought them already. Otherwise, they'll be gone from the Steam Store for good.
Steam's domination of the PC gaming marketplace has been challenged by the arrival of the Epic Games Store. Epic--creator of the popular battle royale game Fortnite--has managed to carve out a chunk of the PC gaming landscape by offering developers a larger cut of their profits in comparison to Steam. Already, Epic has managed to secure the exclusive distribution for the PC versions of several indie games, like Ashen and Journey, as well as some notable triple-A titles, such as Metro Exodus and The Division 2. Exodus, specifically, caused quite a bit of controversy, as its movement from Steam to Epic angered both Valve and fans of the Metro franchise.
Metro Exodus launched to several positive reviews, including ours--Michael Higham gave it an 8/10. If you prefer consoles, the game is also available on Xbox One and PS4.
Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (February 23rd)
Ah, Saturday. Quite possibly the best day of the week; certainly in the top five. It’s been a busy week despite the post-Direct lull. News that Reggie Fils-Aimé will be stepping down in April had us rewatching classic clips with a tear in the eye. Enough of that nonsense, though. Reggie wouldn’t want us moping around – he’d want us playing the very best games that Switch and 3DS have to offer, so that’s what the Nintendo Life team are going to do! These are our game-based plans and we’d love to hear yours, so get involved in the poll and comments. Have fun!
Austin Voigt, contributing writer
This weekend, after Reggie’s announcement, I’m honestly just looking for comfort and warmth in a world of utter darkness. I think I’ll stick to my favorites – finishing off the DLC in Breath of the Wild, unlocking some new characters in Smash Ultimate, playing a few rounds in Splatoon 2. I’ll probably pick up the old 3DS as well, and knock back some Animal Crossing & Pokémon. I’m feeling sad, people, so all I wanna do is play games that I know and love. I’ll also be rewatching “best of” clips of Reggie on repeat via the YouTube app on Switch – does that count?
Gavin Lane, staff writer
It’s been a busy week and I’ve only managed to squeeze in thirty minutes with the latest Tetris game to arrive on Switch. Those thirty minutes were enough to confirm two things: firstly, I’m absolutely rubbish at Tetris, and secondly, I need to be careful that Tetris 99 doesn’t suck away all my weekend hours.
Assuming I can avoid that particular pitfall, I’d really like to get into Ikaruga. I got the game, I got the Flip Grip but I just haven’t had the chance to play the thing, much to the chagrin of my fellow Nintendo Life staff. I’m on the case, team! Let’s just hope I’m better at shmups than Tetris…
Gonçalo Lopes, contributing writer
There is so much shooting to be done this weekend courtesy of the eShop! The excellent Rock n’ Roll Racing spiritual sequel BlazeRush, the solid Cybernator-inspired mech action of Gigantic Army, becoming the aliens in X-Morph: Defense and even WW2 dogfighting and air base management in Warplanes: WW2 Dogfight. But the most shooting of all will be done in Gameloft’s surprisingly impressive Modern Combat Blackout, proof that you don’t really miss Call of Duty until Activision simply stops releasing it in your Nintendo console of choice and every other FPS out there is now some sort of F2P Battle Royale thingamajig.
Game of the week goes with little surprise to Protoculture Game’s appropriately titled horizontal shmup Devil Engine! A love letter to retro shmups where you will have as much fun testing your skills to a non-stop barrage of action while also picking up Easter eggs references to other shmups such as Thunder Force IV and Last Resort. Time to pick up a 5th microSD card I guess…
Dom Reseigh-Lincoln, reviewer
This weekend I’m going to be playing a LOT of Anthem. However, when I’m not flying about shooting grabbits in my javelin, I’ll be taking Trials Rising on Nintendo Switch for a spin. I’ve loved the series since it debuted way back on Xbox 360, so I’m hoping this port will live up to the hype. I imagine I’ll be swearing my head off when a mistime a jump for 100th time, but that’s Trials! Look out for my review on the site next week.
Liam Doolan, news reporter
This weekend I’m playing more Tetris 99, more Wargroove and more Hollow Knight. I’ve also managed to finally rip myself away from Super Smash Bros. Ultimate to spend some well overdue time with Dragon Ball FighterZ. It’s another one of those games I bought in launch week and never got around to properly playing due to the busy time of year. When I’m not playing any of these titles, I might give the Trials Rising beta another go. I’ll admit the Switch version definitely isn’t the best-looking one, but it hasn’t been enough to detract from the overall level of fun I’ve had with the game so far.
What games are you playing this weekend? (311 votes)
Ori And The Blind Forest For Switch Spotted In UK Wholesale Database
Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past week, you will have no doubt heard about the ongoing rumours regarding a possible partnership between Microsoft and Nintendo.
According to multiple sources, Microsoft has plans to bring an Xbox App, Game Pass, cloud technology and even some Xbox exclusives to the Nintendo Switch at some point this year. This rumour began when it was discovered Microsoft would be discussing its plans to make Xbox Live compatible with multiple platforms at the upcoming Game Developers Conference.
In the latest development, Gematsu is now reporting a Switch version of Ori and the Blind Forest has appeared in “at least one” United Kingdom wholesale database. Unfortunately, there’s no mention of the actual wholesaler or photographic evidence. Apparently, though, the game will be distributed by THQ Nordic, which would make sense as it has worked with Microsoft in the past to publish games on the digital distribution platform, Steam.
This isn’t the first time this game has been mentioned. Yesterday, Direct-Feed Games name-dropped the 2015 release and French gaming website Jeuxvideo supported these claims while also referencing the platforming boss-battler, Cuphead.
Are you convinced yet? Would you like to play Ori and the Blind Forest on the Switch? Tell us down in the comments.
As previously revealed, volume one will arrive next week on 28th February. It includes the new playable character Shinobu Jacobs, who is played by Kimberly Brooks, and also the new Badman Strikes Back Adventure.
The second DLC pack, Bubblegum Fatale, is set to follow this and will be released on 30th April. It includes the new playable character Bad Girl, an additional stage and another new adventure.
As we’ve already mentioned, the Season Pass is available for $9.99 / £8.99 / €9.99 – although this is included in physical copies of the game and some digital bundles.
Did you buy this game in the end? Has this DLC got your attention? Tell us below.
Posted by: xSicKxBot - 02-24-2019, 12:31 AM - Forum: Lounge
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Reggie Fils-Aime Retiring From Nintendo; Doug Bowser To Take Over
Reggie Fils-Aime, the longtime president and COO of Nintendo of America, will retire this spring, he and the company announced in a joint statement on Thursday. Taking over his role will be the company's current senior vice president of sales and marketing, Doug Bowser, a man whose name requires a "yes, really" after every mention.
Fils-Aime has been in this role for more than a decade, having gotten the job in May 2006 following a three-year stint as the executive VP of sales and marketing. He has effectively served as the company's face in North American territories for much of his tenure as president; he's often seen in Nintendo Direct streams and was often the primary presenter back when the company did live E3 media briefings. Fils-Aime stood out both due to his Terminator-like stature and meme-friendly antics, like when he danced in an attempt to convince a western audience to take notice of Yo-Kai Watch.
"Nintendo owns a part of my heart forever," Fils-Aime said in a press release revealing his departure. "It's a part that is filled with gratitude--for the incredibly talented people I've worked with, for the opportunity to represent such a wonderful brand, and most of all, to feel like a member of the world's most positive and enduring gamer community. As I look forward to departing in both good health and good humor, this is not 'game over' for me, but instead 'leveling up' to more time with my wife, family and friends."
In addition to that message, Nintendo shared a video from Fils-Aime on Twitter in which he thanks fans for their support. "I wanted to reach out directly to you, the Nintendo community, because there's one thing I really want to say: thank you," Fils-Aime said. "Thank you for your never-ending support, and for your passionate love of Nintendo. And personally, for giving me a Mushroom Kingdom full of incredible memories that I will never forget, ever." In addition to this, there's also been an outpouring of well-wishes on Twitter from various members of the games industry.
"I really appreciate everything Reggie has done for Nintendo," said Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa. "Inside and outside our company, Reggie is known as an exceptional leader. We are grateful that he is leaving the business in good shape with strong momentum. While we will miss him and we wish him the very best in his retirement, we are also pleased to have such an able successor ready to step into that role. Doug Bowser and the rest of the team will ensure a seamless transition and continued momentum for Nintendo."
Fils-Aime will officially step down on April 15, at which point Bowser will assume the title of president of Nintendo of America. Prior to his current position at Nintendo, he worked for EA. When he was first hired at Nintendo, he tweeted an image offering his thanks but--with a nod toward his surname--Mario and Luigi plushes discreetly tied up in the background.
— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) May 20, 2015
Bowser also had a comment to share in the press release regarding Fils-Aime's retirement. "It has been my great fortune to work with and be mentored by Reggie for four years at Nintendo of America," he said, before going on to menacingly promise, "And rest assured, we will continue to build on his work to evolve and expand our brand, furthering Nintendo's global mission of creating smiles. There are millions more of those to come."
Analogue Mega Sg To Feature Unreleased Sega Genesis/Mega Drive Game
When Analogue released its modern reimagining of the NES, the Analogue Nt, it was a thing of beauty. The premium $500 price, though, meant it was destined for the serious enthusiast market only. Its follow up, the Analogue Nt Mini, trimmed a couple of features but came in at a far more realistic pricepoint for the average gamer.
Then followed the Analogue Super Nt, doing for the 16-bit SNES what it had done for the console’s predecessor. Every console also came with an extra special gift – an exclusive Director’s Cut of Super Turrican featuring material that had to be cut from the original cartridge due to memory restrictions. With the upcoming Analogue Mega Sg – an equivalent modern interpretation of Sega’s Mega Drive/Genesis – fans were hoping there’d be a similar present awaiting them on the new console.
From the look of that trailer, they’re not going to be disappointed! The company posted the above video showing off Hardcore, a run-and-gun shooter from Digital Illusions (or DICE as they’re better known) that was cancelled in 1994 in a 99% complete state. Apparently the only known source code came from “a single, dead hard drive that was barely recovered”.
Analogue go on to describe the game thusly:
Hardcore is a fast paced, euro-style run’n’gun, space base thriller. We’re dedicated to preserving this piece of video game history and Hardcore is included digitally on each Mega Sg system.
The game will go by the name Ultracore ‘due to licensing reasons’, but whatever it’s called, it looks absolutely terrific. It’ll be a treat to tuck into a game from the era – not a remake, not an homage; a genuine 25-year-old Mega Drive game that had been ‘lost’.
The console is on pre-order for $189.99 from Analogue’s website and is scheduled to ship in April.
As you can probably tell, we’re quite excited – it’d be a massive shame if the game turns out to be rubbish! Does this make the Analogue Mega Sg a more attractive proposition? Share your thoughts below.
Four More Xbox One Backwards Compatible Games Out Now
Larry "Major Nelson" Hryb has announced four more games are now backwards compatible on Xbox One. The first three are all a part of the Lost Planet series, while the fourth is a Resident Evil game.
All three of the mainline Lost Planet games--Lost Planet: Extreme Condition, Lost Planet 2, and Lost Planet 3--are now backwards compatible, as is the gold edition of the first game, titled Lost Planet: Colonies. Resident Evil Code: Veronica X, an extended cut version of a game that originally released on Dreamcast, is also now backwards compatible.
Published by Capcom, the Lost Planet franchise consists of a series of shooters that follow the struggles of different protagonists that all live on a planet that's in the midst of an ice age. Gameplay evolves throughout the series, but each title primarily focuses on survival in the harsh environment, as well as shootouts with alien creatures or soldiers from corporations hell bent on controlling the planet. At the time of its release in 2007, we enjoyed Lost Planet: Extreme Condition--calling it "a great action game because it focuses on tense, thrilling battles." We weren't quite as fond of Lost Planet 2 or its sequel, criticizing the former for its "broken, tedious, or downright frustrating" missions and the latter for struggling to maintain the series' identity.
Resident Evil Code: Veronica X continues the series' survival horror gameplay, following the story of siblings Chris and Claire Redfield after the events of Resident Evil 2. In our Resident Evil Code: Veronica X review, Joe Fielder gave the game a 9/10, praising it for its visuals and soundtrack while also commending the storytelling in spite of some cheesy moments.
To play any of these four games on Xbox One, you'll either need to own their respective physical Xbox 360 copy or buy their digital versions from the Xbox Live marketplace. We've outlined the full list of Xbox One backwards compatible games, and also highlighted some of our favorites.
Rumour: French Gaming Website Suggests Cuphead Could Come To Switch
Further to last night’s rumours suggesting that Microsoft is planning to bring an Xbox app, Project X Cloud and its Game Pass service to Switch, more details have come to light regarding the possible cross-pollination.
French gaming website Jeuxvideo has extra details regarding the potential collaboration between the two gaming giants. Firstly, the site mentions not only Ori and the Blind Forest, but also 2D platforming boss-battler Cuphead as one of the potential games come to Switch, although it’s unclear if they’ll be native games or part of the 100 Game Pass and X Cloud titles potentially available before 2020 arrives. Getting Cuphead on Switch in any form, regardless of the technicalities, would be something of a coup for Nintendo after Microsoft nabbed lifetime console exclusivity for the game which emulates classic Fleischer animation from the early 20th century.
While no mention is made of PlatinumGames’ dead projectScalebound, there are suggestions that a big Microsoft franchise ‘could’ potentially come to Switch in some form. The website is hazier on the details in this area, so we’d recommend a significantly larger pinch of salt here. As a reminder for the Nintendo purists, the biggest exclusive series on Xbox include Forza, Gears of War and Halo. Master Chief for Smash? Quiet down at the back!
The company also owns Rare, the British developer which used to be in Nintendo’s wheelhouse until they were sold along with their IPs to Microsoft in 2002. The developer’s catalogue – especially for the Nintendo 64 era – holds a special place in the heart of many Nintendo gamers, so even the slightest possibility that we could see Rare Replay with classics like Banjo-Kazooie or Perfect Dark once again on a Nintendo console is very exciting.
Let’s not get carried away, though. While Jeuxvideo is certain that high-level meetings have taken place, other details are sketchy. It does mention that sources refuse to confirm whether Nintendo games could appear on Microsoft platforms, although we can’t imagine Nintendo would permit that. With Microsoft languishing in third place this generation following the bungled launch of Xbox One, an alliance would arguably stand to benefit the Redmond company over Nintendo.
That said, Switch gamers stand to win big if it’s possible we’ll see Rare games back on a Nintendo system for the first time in a long while (Nintendo-owned IPs notwithstanding, of course). Regardless, these whispers represent exciting times for an industry that’s more in flux than ever.
“Reggie and Phil sittin-“… No, hang on… “Doug and Phil sitting in a tree…” Is this wishful thinking? Do you think this move would make sense for both parties? Any Xbox exclusives you wouldn’t mind trying on Switch? Share your thoughts in the usual place.
If you decide to try Azure, chances are you will not be able to immediately move 100% of your on-prem databases and relevant applications in one go. You’ll probably come up with a migration plan that spans weeks, months or even years. During the migration phase you will be spinning up new instances of Azure SQL Database and turning off on-prem SQL Server instances, but for a little bit of time there will be overlap.
To help manage the cost during such transitions we offer the Azure Hybrid Benefit. You can convert 1 core of SQL Enterprise edition to get up to 4 vCores of Azure SQL Database at a reduced rate. For example, if you have 4 core licenses of SQL Enterprise edition, you can receive up to 16 vCores of Azure SQL Database.
If you want to learn more check out the Azure Hybrid Benefit FAQ and don’t forget, if you have any questions around migrating your .NET applications to Azure you can always ask for free assistance. If you have any questions about this post just leave us a comment below.
For the past few years, we have worked on expanding Steam beyond games and software by building a video platform that supports paid and free video content. In reviewing what Steam users actually watch, it became clear we should focus our effort on offering content that is either directly related to gaming or, is accessory content for games or software sold on Steam.
As part of this refocus, we have retired the Video section of the Steam Store menu with an expectation that video content is discovered via the associated game or software store page, or through search, user tags, recommendations, etc.
Over the coming weeks a number of non-gaming videos will be retired and will no longer be available for purchase. Previously purchased content will remain available to owners.
