Focusing on the intersection of financial services and open source, Open FinTech Forum will provide CIOs and senior technologists guidance on building internal open source programs as well as an in-depth look at cutting-edge open source technologies, including AI, Blockchain/Distributed Ledger, Kubernetes/Containers, Quantum Computing, that can be leveraged to drive efficiencies and flexibility. 

Take a break from watching the NBA Finals this weekend and hit the court with NBA 2K18 during Xbox Live Gold Free Play Days. Xbox Live Gold members can enjoy NBA 2K18 for free and enjoy a limited time discount on this fantastic sports game and its virtual currency.

Starting Thursday, June 7 at 9:00 a.m. PT and running through to Sunday, June 10 at 11:59 p.m. PT, Xbox Live Gold members in Xbox One markets can play the most critically acclaimed basketball video game. During the weekend you can build up your career in NBA games, hit the courts in The Playground, join the Pro-Am circuit, or explore an all-new open neighborhood setting.

As mentioned earlier, you’ll also have the option to purchase NBA 2K18 Legend and NBA 2K18 Legend Gold Edition through the Microsoft Store at a 67% discount and up to a 30% discount on virtual currency to continue your gameplay experience. If you pass up on this opportunity, don’t worry – all your saved progress and earned achievements will be waiting for you should you decide to pick up the ball later to continue your career.

You can download NBA 2K18 by clicking on the Gold Member area on the home dashboard from your home console or by downloading directly from the Microsoft Store.

Sunday’s Xbox E3 Briefing was the largest in Microsoft’s history with more than 6,000 people, including more than 1,000 fans, invited to attend in the Microsoft Theater. Microsoft announced it is doubling its game development studios and showcased a record 52 games on stage including 18 console launch exclusives and 15 world premieres. The diverse lineup included games for every type of player, from exclusives like Forza Horizon 4, Halo Infinite and Gears 5, and independent titles like Session, Below, Ashen and Tunic to some of the biggest blockbuster games coming in the next year like Fallout 76, Tom Clancy’s The Division 2, Kingdom Hearts 3, Devil May Cry 5, Battlefield V, Metro Exodus and Shadow of the Tomb Raider, many enhanced to take advantage of the power of Xbox One X.

“There has never been a more exciting time to be part of the gaming industry, with creators large and small showcasing incredible new games for the more than two billion players around the world,” said Phil Spencer, head of Gaming at Microsoft. “At Microsoft, we are committed to empowering gamers to play the games they want, with the people they want, where they want.”

Investing in Development of Original Content

Microsoft announced it is doubling its game development studios by adding five new creative teams to the Microsoft Studios family. New investments include the formation of a brand-new studio, The Initiative, the acquisition of Playground Games, and letters of intent to acquire Ninja Theory, Undead Labs and Compulsion Games.

• The Initiative. Based in Santa Monica, Calif., The Initiative is a brand-new Microsoft game development studio headed by industry veteran Darrell Gallagher that is working to create groundbreaking new worlds, characters and game experiences.
• Playground Games. Microsoft has acquired U.K.-based Playground Games, a development partner since 2010 that has helped grow the Forza franchise to new heights. In addition to its work on this year’s Forza Horizon 4, Playground Games will have a team dedicated to bringing their open-world expertise to an entirely new project.
• Ninja Theory. The relationship between Ninja Theory and Microsoft started in 2000 when Kung Fu Chaos was in development for the original Xbox and culminated in the release of Hellblade on Xbox One earlier this year. Microsoft’s intent to acquire Ninja Theory will help ensure the creative team has the resources and freedom to bring more ambitious games like Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice to fans.
• Undead Labs. Seattle-based Undead Labs is the creator of the popular State of Decay franchise, enjoyed by millions of fans worldwide. In the first two weeks since State of Decay 2 launched, more than two million fans joined the fight to survive and took down more than two billion zombies. By entering into a letter of intent to acquire Undead Labs, Microsoft is signaling its commitment to growing the franchise and taking the zombie survival-fantasy genre to new
• Compulsion Games. As We Happy Few nears its full, multiplatform release on Aug. 10, Microsoft has entered into a letter of intent to acquire Montreal-based Compulsion Games. By joining the team at Microsoft Studios, Compulsion will have the resources, platform and freedom to take even bigger creative risks and create even more ambitious worlds with its future projects.

“The original games we create at Microsoft Studios are some of our biggest assets,” said Matt Booty, corporate vice president of Microsoft Studios. “Our growth strategy is to continue to expand the worlds that players love, while developing all-new exclusive games that deepen their engagement with our platform. We are thrilled to welcome five new studios into the Microsoft family. We believe these teams have the collective creative power and operational excellence to deliver the next industry game changers.”

The addition of these creative teams reinforces Microsoft’s vision for gaming, which starts with a deep commitment to original content. The company is developing a portfolio of games on every device, including newly announced Microsoft Studios games. Revealed on stage today were three new Gears of War titles — Gears 5, Gears Tactics, Gears Pop! — along with Battletoads, Forza Horizon 4 and Halo Infinite, a Master Chief story and the next major release in the franchise built from the ground up on the new Slipspace engine.

Access to your Favorite Games Faster and Better than Ever

Microsoft announced several new titles joining the Xbox Game Pass catalog this year including Forza Horizon 4, Fallout 4, Tom Clancy’s The Division and The Elder Scrolls Online: Tamriel Unlimited, as well as several new ID@Xbox games being added on their release date. Microsoft also introduced new innovations to push digital gaming forward, including FastStart, an innovation from Microsoft’s Machine Learning Team, and plans from Microsoft’s Gaming Cloud Team to develop a game streaming service to unlock console-quality gaming on any device.

“We’ve been thrilled to see the positive impact Xbox Game Pass is having on the gaming ecosystem, including increasing the number of titles gamers play nearly 40 percent and increasing gameplay hours by almost 20 percent,” said Mike Nichols, chief marketing officer for Gaming at Microsoft. “With the ultimate freedom to explore and play over 100 great games, Xbox Game Pass delivers our members an incredible value in gaming.”

• Xbox Game Pass. The Xbox Game Pass catalog continues to expand, with exciting new blockbuster titles available to members starting today, including Fallout 4, The Elder Scrolls Online: Tamriel Unlimited and Tom Clancy’s The Division. Microsoft also announced several notable titles launching through the ID@Xbox program that will be coming to Xbox Game Pass this year to coincide with their debut on Xbox One. These include Warhammer: Vermintide 2, Ashen, Afterparty and Phoenix Point, as well as blockbusters from some of our biggest first-party franchises such as Forza Horizon 4, Crackdown 3, Gears 5 and Halo: The Master Chief Collection, which will release later in 2018 and beyond.
• FastStart (Xbox One). With FastStart, you can now jump into your game[i] twice as fast and play after downloading just a fraction of your title. FastStart identifies which files are needed to begin playing and prioritizes the download of those files first, enabling you to quickly jump into full-fidelity gameplay while the remainder of your title downloads in the background. Simply find the FastStart-enabled title you want to play, hit Download and your console will take care of the rest. It’s that simple.
• Xbox Adaptive Controller (Xbox One, Windows 10). Beginning at 9 a.m. PT on June 11, preorders will begin in select markets for the first-of-its-kind Xbox Adaptive Controller, designed for gamers with limited mobility. Available exclusively through Microsoft Store for $99.99 USD, the newest addition to the Xbox family of controllers and devices is designed to be as adaptable as possible, so gamers can create a setup that works for them in a way that is plug-and-play, extensible and affordable.
• Mixer, Microsoft’s live streaming service, is seeing continued growth with viewership doubling in just six months to more than 20 million. The majority of this is growth from viewers on mobile

 Best Place to Play Original, Blockbuster, and Independent Games

 Xbox One continues to be the best place to play the biggest blockbuster games with over 220 titles enhanced for Xbox One X, the world’s most powerful console, with new games leveraging the power of the platform from some of the world’s most talented creators like Fallout 76 from Bethesda Game Studios, Cyberpunk 2077 from CD Projekt RED, Tom Clancy’s The Division 2 from Ubisoft Massive and dozens more. Independent game creators also continue to innovate on Xbox One with games like Session, Below, Ashen and Tunic coming to Xbox One as console launch exclusives.

• Battlefield V (Electronic Arts). Available worldwide Oct. 19, 2018, enter mankind’s greatest conflict with Battlefield V as the series goes back to its roots in a never-before-seen portrayal of World War II. Take on all-out multiplayer across the world or witness human drama set against global combat in single player War Stories, including Nordlys — a first look shown in the Xbox E3 briefing — the story of a young Norwegian resistance fighter during the German occupation, you must pay an unthinkable price to save not only yourself, but also your family.
• Black Desert (Pearl Abyss). Black Desert is a revolutionary MMORPG that delivers intense, fast-paced combat, profitable life skills and an expansive open world. Slay monsters, abominations and gods, or engage in relaxing life skills like crafting, fishing and cooking. Become your true self in this truly open world MMORPG
• Crackdown 3 (Xbox One Exclusive). Crackdown 3 brings the boom next February, where players will stop crime as a super-powered Agent in a sandbox of mayhem and destruction. Developed by Microsoft Studios in collaboration with Sumo Digital and Elbow Rocket, Crackdown 3 delivers cooperative mayhem, signature antics, explosive gameplay and an all-new multiplayer mode, Wrecking Zone, where destruction is your ultimate weapon powered by Microsoft Cloud. Available worldwide in February 2019.
• Cuphead: The Delicious Last Course (Studio MDHR). In Cuphead: The Delicious Last Course, Cuphead and Mugman are joined by Ms. Chalice for a DLC add-on adventure on a brand-new island! With new weapons, new charms and Ms. Chalice’s brand new abilities, take on a new cast of multifaceted, screen-filling bosses to assist Chef Saltbaker in Cuphead’s final challenging quest.
• Cyberpunk 2077 (CD Projekt RED). Cyberpunk 2077 is a narrative-driven, open world RPG set in the most vibrant and dangerous metropolis of the future — Night City. You play as V, a hired gun on the rise, who just got their first serious contract. In a world of cyber-enhanced street warriors, tech-savvy netrunners and corporate lifehackers, today is your first step to becoming an urban legend.
• Devil May Cry 5 (Capcom). A brand-new entry in the legendary over-the-top action series comes to Xbox One in spring 2019, complete with its signature blend of high-octane stylized action and otherworldly and original characters the series is known for. Years have passed since the legions of hell have set foot in this world, but now a new demonic invasion has begun, and humanity’s last hope will rest in the hands of three lone demon hunters, each offering a radically different play style. United by fate and a thirst for vengeance, these demon hunters will have to face their demons if they hope to survive. The devil you know returns in the most over the top, technically advanced, utterly insane action experience of this generation.
• Dying Light 2 (Techland). The bold sequel to the open-world phenomenon, Dying Light 2 brings to life a unique post-apocalyptic vision of the Modern Dark Ages, where your parkour abilities and brutal combat skills are the only things that let you dive into darkness and emerge alive. Make morally grey decisions, shape the transformation of the City and ultimately decide its fate.
• Fallout 76 (Bethesda Game Studios). The award-winning creators of Skyrim and Fallout 4 welcome you to Fallout 76 — a stunning prequel and the largest world ever created in the legendary Fallout universe. Set in the hills of West Virginia, you are one of the first to emerge, into a new and untamed wasteland.
• Forza Horizon 4 (Xbox One And Windows 10 Exclusive – World Premiere). In Forza Horizon 4, seasons change everything. This highly anticipated follow-up to 2016’s breakout hit Forza Horizon 3 brings players dynamic seasons in a shared open world that change every week. Experience beautiful, historic Britain in spectacular native 4K and HDR, collect over 450 cars, and become a Horizon Superstar. Forza Horizon 4 will launch worldwide on Xbox One, Windows 10 and Xbox Game Pass on Oct. 2, 2018, as an Xbox Play Anywhere title.
• Gears 5 (Xbox One And Windows 10 Exclusive – World Premiere). As Kait, journey across the biggest, most beautiful Gears world ever created. Play solo or with a friend in local split-screen co-op, or online co-op and experience every mode in 4K Ultra HD resolution with stunning HDR at a smooth 60 frames per second. “Gears 5” will be released in 2019 on Xbox One and Windows 10 and will come to Xbox Game Pass on the same date as its global release.
• Gears POP! (iOS and Android Exclusive – World Premiere). Gears Pop! brings together iconic Gears characters in a cute Funko Pop! style. The game is being developed in partnership with Funko (Nasdaq “FNKO”) and inspired by the Gears of War vinyl collectible figures. It’s the perfect slice of mobile mayhem, available on iOS and Android in 2019.
• Gears Tactics (Windows 10 Exclusive – World Premiere). Gears Tactics evolves turn-based tactics games combining signature fast-paced brutal action and character-driven storytelling with customizable squads, upgradable weapons, and, of course, massive boss battles. Gears Tactics is also the first Gears game to be specifically designed for PC gamers.
• Halo Infinite (Xbox One And Windows 10 Exclusive – World Premiere). The Master Chief returns in the next chapter of the legendary franchise in Halo Infinite. Developed by 343 Industries and created with the studio’s new Slipspace Engine, Halo Infinite debuted at the Xbox E3 2018 Briefing with a thrilling engine demo that provides a glimpse into the future of Halo, leading the franchise into new and unexpected directions.
• Jump Force (Bandai Namco Entertainment America Inc). The greatest heroes and villains from the 50-year history of Shueisha’s influential Japanese Weekly Jump manga will battle against each other across iconic locations across Earth in this anime fan’s dream come true! Featuring the world’s most popular and classic manga and anime franchises including Dragon Ball Z, One Piece, Naruto, and many others, players will be able to compete in hyper-stylish arena brawls set against familiar backdrops of famous landmarks around the world, including New York City’s Times Square and the Matterhorn.
• Just Cause 4 (Square Enix). Rogue agent Rico Rodriguez journeys to Solis, a huge South American world home of conflict, oppression and extreme weather conditions. Strap into your wingsuit, equip your fully customizable grappling hook, and get ready to bring the thunder!
• Kingdom Hearts III (Square Enix). Kingdom Hearts III tells the story of the power of friendship as Sora and his friends embark on a perilous adventure and support each other through difficult times. Set in a vast array of Disney worlds, Kingdom Hearts follows the journey of Sora, a young boy and unknowing heir to a spectacular power. Sora is joined by Donald and Goofy to stop an evil force known as the Heartless from invading and overtaking the universe. Through the power of positivity and friendship, Sora, Donald and Goofy unite with iconic Disney-Pixar characters old and new to overcome tremendous challenges and persevere against the darkness threatening their worlds.
• Metro Exodus (Deep Silver). Metro Exodus is an epic, story-driven first-person shooter from 4A Games that blends deadly combat and stealth with exploration and survival horror in one of the most immersive game worlds ever created. Explore the Russian wilderness across vast, nonlinear levels and follow a thrilling storyline that spans an entire year through spring, summer and autumn to the depths of nuclear winter. Inspired by the novels of Dmitry Glukhovsky, Metro Exodus continues Artyom’s story in the greatest Metro adventure yet.
• Nier: Automata Become As Gods Edition (Square Enix). NieR: Automata is a revolutionary action RPG set in a post-apocalyptic world overrun by machine lifeforms and abandoned by mankind. As part of an android army created by humans to reclaim the planet, players will fight their way through the mechanical horde using a collective of close-combat weapons and ranged attacks.
• Ori and The Will Of The Wisps (Xbox One And Windows 10 Exclusive). The highly anticipated sequel Ori and the Will of the Wisps made its worldwide gameplay debut, showcasing Ori’s immersive world, dynamic combat mechanics, gripping enemy encounters and challenging puzzles in this story-driven adventure. Ori and the Will of the Wisps releases on Xbox One and Windows 10 in 2019.
• PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (Console Launch Exclusive). PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG), the tactical, high-octane battle royale phenomenon, debuted footage from two new maps: Sanhok, a smaller-scale, action-packed map inspired by the islands that dot the Southeast Pacific Ocean, and a snow-covered map currently in development. New footage also debuted of War Mode, a deathmatch-style battle royale gaming experience and the world premiere debut of the Ballistic Shield, a new tool for setting up quick cover for explosive and close-distance attacks. Sanhok and War Mode will debut on Xbox in late summer 2018.
• Sea Of Thieves (Xbox One and Windows 10 Exclusive). Sea of Thieves, the shared-world multiplayer game that provides the quintessential pirate experience, returns with additional content that continues to grow and evolve the game. Releasing in July, Cursed Sails will bring a new threat to the seas in the form of terrifying skeleton ships. In September, Forsaken Shores will reveal a perilous new part of the world, filled with dangers that will test the skill and nerve of even the most hardened crews. Each update will be accompanied by a time-limited campaign that introduces content in a fun, engaging and memorable way. Sea of Thieves is now available on Xbox One, Windows 10 and Xbox Game Pass as an Xbox Play Anywhere title.
• Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice (Activision). A fantastical, dark and twisted new gameplay experience developed by the renowned team at FromSoftware and published by Activision. Directed by Hidetaka Miyazaki, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is a third-person, action-adventure game with RPG elements. The single-player game puts gamers in the protagonist role of a hard-hearted warrior whose mission is to rescue his master, a young lord, and exact revenge on his arch nemesis. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is scheduled for release in early 2019 for the family of Xbox One devices from Microsoft, including the Xbox One X. Preorders are available now at select retailers for the suggested retail price of $59.99.
• Session (Crea-Ture Studios). Inspired by the golden era of skateboarding, the early 90s and early 2000, Session’s primary goal is to make you experience what skateboarding really is: an incredible sport where there are no other goals other than expressing your creativity and achieving success through hard work, perseverance and bits of madness for no one else other than yourself.
• Shadow of the Tomb Raider (Square Enix). Experience Lara Croft’s defining moment as she becomes the Tomb Raider. In Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Lara must master a deadly jungle, overcome terrifying tombs, and persevere through her darkest hour. As she races to save the world from a Maya apocalypse, Lara will ultimately be forged into the Tomb Raider she is destined to be.
• Tales of Vesperia: Definitive Edition (Bandai Namco Entertainment America Inc). Available this winter, Tales of Vesperia: Definitive Edition celebrates the 10th anniversary of this cherished RPG with new fully playable characters, events and other additional content never released outside of Japan. Follow Yuri Lowell, a former Imperial Knight, as he befriends a colorful cast of characters throughout the world of Terca Lumireis and finds himself in the middle of a nefarious plot that threatens the destruction of the entire planet.
• The Awesome Adventures of Captain Spirit (Square Enix). Have you ever dreamt of being a superhero? Meet Chris, a creative and imaginative 10-year-old boy who escapes reality with fantastical adventures as his alter ego, the Awesome Captain Spirit! Return to your childhood and play a touching and heart-warming one-of-a-kind narrative experience from the directors and development team behind the BAFTA award-winning game Life is Strange. The Awesome Adventures of Captain Spirit is an original story set in the Life is Strange Universe that contains links to the brand-new story an characters of Life is Strange 2.
• Tom Clancy’s The Division 2 (Ubisoft). Developed by Ubisoft Massive and the same teams that brought you Tom Clancy’s The Division, Tom Clancy’s The Division 2 is an online open-world, action-shooter RPG experience set in a collapsing and fractured Washington, D.C. This rich new setting combines a wide variety of beautiful, iconic and realistic environments where the player will experience the series’ trademark for authenticity in world- building, rich RPG systems, and fast-paced action like never before. Play solo or co-op with a team of up to four players to complete a wide range of activities, from the main campaign and adversarial PvP matches to the Dark Zone — where anything can happen.
• Tunic (Finji). Tunic is an isometric action adventure about a tiny fox in a big world. Embark on an adventuresome questabout set in that place just beyond the farthest you’ve ever been! Explore ancient ruins, fight monsters and uncover mysterious secrets. The world is big and scary — so be brave, little one!
• We Happy Few (Compulsion Games, Gearbox Publishing). After debuting as an Xbox Game Preview title at the 2016 Xbox E3 Briefing, We Happy Few 1.0, which includes an all-new narrative and community-driven improvements, will launch on Xbox One and Xbox One X (with 4K and HDR support) on Aug. 10, 2018. We Happy Few is a narrative-driven action adventure game set in a drug-fueled, retrofuturistic 1960s England. Uncover the mystery of Wellington Wells as you play through the interwoven narratives of three moderately terrible citizens trying to escape from a lifetime of cheerful denial.

Biggest Xbox Sale of the Year Happening Now

Microsoft also announced its Biggest Xbox Sale of the Year where gamers can find discounts on hundreds of games, accessories, Xbox Game Pass and Live Gold subscriptions, plus $50 off ANY Xbox One. For more information, visit Xbox Wire.

Be sure to preorder now at your Microsoft Store or local retailer. With retail locations across the U.S., Canada, Puerto Rico and Australia, and through Microsoft.com, fans can begin preordering their favorite games and select accessories and hardware from this year’s Xbox E3 2018 Briefing right now. For a list of Microsoft Store locations, visit https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/store/locations/find-a-store.

Watch E3 Live Streaming on Mixer

For additional news, highlights, exclusive reveals and a behind-the-scenes look at some of your favorite games throughout the week of E3, watch Inside Xbox: Live @ E3 on Monday, June 11 at 3 p.m. PDT and tune in to live streaming on Mixer Tuesday, June 12 and Wednesday, June 13.

Welcome to the Weekender, your weekly look at the best new games, sales, and updates. We’ve got a few games to check out, a whole bunch of sales, and a couple great updates heading into the weekend.

Out Now

7 Wonders: The Cities (iOS Universal and Android)

The digital adaptation of the 7 Wonders board game got its second expansion since release. The Cities expansion is $1.99 and introduces black cards, which represent city ruins, along with new leaders, 2 additional wonders, and 4 new guilds.

Space Leagues (iOS Universal) – Full review coming soon!

In Space Leagues you play as the General Manager of a team in a fantasy combat league. You hire players, set roles (tank, blaster, striker, and so on) and the roster, and watch your team win or lose in weekly combat. Your goal is to win and win a lot, thus climbing all the way up to the premier league. Your door is always open to your players, unfortunately, and they come to you with weekly drama. Your reaction could push them to a season-best game or make them utterly useless. It’s an interesting take on the sports simulation genre.

Physics Box (iOS Universal)

More a sandbox builder than game, Physics Box lets you tinker with gravity, anti-gravity, thrust, and more. You can even build your own pinball game if so inclined.

Shuyan Saga (iOS Universal)

Shuyan Saga is a graphic novel and video game rolled into one. It’s set in a martial-arts infused fantasy universe and follows Shuyan, a princess with a passion for Kung Fu, as she defends her kingdom from the Guer horde. You follow the story, as you might read a graphic novel, with various pause points for you to make a decision or engage in combat. The art and music are both quite good and help set a good atmosphere for the tale. The story itself isn’t particularly original, but certainly akin to what you might find in a good comic. Combat is pretty simple, you pick high or low strikes and set up different combos, but there does seem to be some character progression and enemies seem to be scaling up. The individual books have been out for a while, but you can now unlock the full story for $3.99.

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Sales

Threes! (iOS Universal and Android): $2.99 on iOS

One of the most-popular mobile puzzle games, Threes!, is on sale for half off. Threes is one of the first games, and maybe the most successful, to use the slide to combine/grow mechanic. Check it out if you dig that type of game and don’t have it already.

D&D Lords of Waterdeep (iOS Universal and Android): $3.99 (Review)

Dungeons & Dragons based board game D&D Lords of Waterdeep is available for a solid discount on both the App and Google Play stores. You play as a masked Lord of the city and must out wrangle your opponents to recruit adventurers to complete quests and thus increase your political power.

Planescape: Torment (iOS Universal and Android): $5.99/$3.99 (Review)

Classic post-apocalyptic RPG Planescape Torment got this special “enhanced edition” about a year ago with remastered music, updated graphics, and a new user interface. It’s normally $10, but right now you can grab it for $6 on iOS and $4 on Android.

Antihero (iOS Universal and Android): $2.99 (Review)

Digital board game Antihero came out for mobile earlier this year and does a great job delivering engaging turn-based tactics in a Victorian style setting. It’s also on sale for the first time ever, other than the introductory price. You can grab it for 3 bucks, down from five.

Evoland 2 (iOS Universal): $3.99

Also on sale for the first time ever is video-game nostalgia simulator Evoland 2. RPG your way through video game history (again) for just $4.

2K Games Sale

2K Games most notable mobile games are on sale for a couple bucks off each.

Updates

Sir Questionnaire (iOS Universal and Android)

Brand new roguelike dungeon crawler Sir Questionnaire is getting an update sooner than expected due to the discovery of a rather nasty bug. It adds fire and water dragons and improved outfit options.

Minecraft (iOS Universal and Android)

Minecraft has added a bunch of new fish including pufferfish, tropical fish, cod and salmon. You can whip up a trident and go swimming and collect fish in your bucket. There are nine ocean biomes packed with kelp, icebergs, blue ice, coral, sea grass, sea pickles and more. Oh, and there are now swimming animations.

Seen anything else you liked? Played any of the above? Let us know in the comments! 

In this GDC 2015 session, Bungie’s Jami Jeffcoat goes over what technical designers in animation mean to Bungie, discussing how the position is utilized to build a bridge across the animation, animation engineering, and design teams.

Jeffcoat also explains the role of a technical designer which can encompass everything from implementing run-time code, building tools, and rapid bug fixing.

Using the development of Destiny as an example, Jeffcoat provides information for developers who might want to help implement or evolve this kind of position at their own studios.

Devs interested in how Bungie utilizes technical designers in animation may appreciate that they can now watch the talk for free over on the official GDC YouTube channel!

In addition to this presentation, the GDC Vault and its new YouTube channel offers numerous other free videos, audio recordings, and slides from many of the recent Game Developers Conference events, and the service offers even more members-only content for GDC Vault subscribers.

Those who purchased All Access passes to recent events like GDC, GDC Europe, and GDC Next already have full access to GDC Vault, and interested parties can apply for the individual subscription via a GDC Vault subscription page. Group subscriptions are also available: game-related schools and development studios who sign up for GDC Vault Studio Subscriptions can receive access for their entire office or company by contacting staff via the GDC Vault group subscription page. Finally, current subscribers with access issues can contact GDC Vault technical support.

Gamasutra and GDC are sibling organizations under parent UBM Americas

Nintendo serves up the deliciously strategic Sushi Striker: The Way of Sushido

You are the only one who can save the world’s sushi – by eating as much as you can! In the fast-paced action-puzzle-RPG Sushi Striker: The Way of Sushido – now available for both the Nintendo Switch system and the Nintendo 3DS family of systems – you must vanquish the evil Empire by devouring delicious sushi and hurling the empty plates at your opponents.

“This wonderfully clever game is sure to work up an appetite for fans of frenetic action-puzzle games,” said Doug Bowser, Nintendo of America’s Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing. “With a simultaneous launch on Nintendo Switch and Nintendo 3DS, fans can enjoy a veritable buffet of sushi anytime, anywhere.”

In the game, you play as the orphaned hero and budding Sushi Striker, Musashi. As you journey through the massive collection of more than 150 stages, you will get to better know your hero and a colorful cast of other characters through fully animated voiced cutscenes.

Each battle consists of two opponents, who both have access to three conveyor belts of constantly changing sushi – along with a seventh shared belt in the middle. By linking (and eating) sushi plates of the same color, you create stacks that can then be hurled at your opponent. The fun, sushi-eating action is coupled with significant tactical depth. You’ll encounter divine beings called Sushi Sprites that provide special skills that you can chain together for powerful combos. One Sprite might turn all of your plates the same color for a certain time, for example, while another will turn sushi into sweets that restore HP. You can equip up to three different Sushi Sprites in battle, and there are more than 50 Sushi Sprites to befriend, many of which can evolve into more powerful forms.

In the Nintendo 3DS version*, the action is split between the two screens, with the ability to use the stylus to control the action. Touch controls can also be used while playing in Handheld mode on Nintendo Switch. Both versions also allow for local or online multiplayer.** Two players who each own the game and a Nintendo 3DS family system can battle each other locally, while two people can each use a single Joy-Con controller to compete on the same screen when playing on Nintendo Switch. They can also battle each other locally if they each have their own game and Nintendo Switch system.

Sushi Striker: The Way of Sushido is now available on Nintendo Switch and Nintendo 3DS at suggested retail prices of $49.99 and $39.99, respectively. A free demo of the game can currently be downloaded in Nintendo eShop on Nintendo Switch. For more information about Sushi Striker: The Way of Sushido, visit https://sushistriker.nintendo.com/.

Remember that Nintendo Switch and the Nintendo 3DS family of systems feature parental controls that let adults manage the content their children can access. For more information about other features, visit https://www.nintendo.com/switch/ or https://www.nintendo.com/3ds/.

*The Nintendo 3DS version of the game is only playable in 2D.

**For the Nintendo Switch version, a Nintendo Switch Online membership will be required for online play when the paid service launches in September.

Mild Cartoon Violence
Mild Suggestive Themes

We know you’re busy and might miss out on all the exciting things we’re talking about on Xbox Wire every week. If you’ve got a few minutes, we can help remedy that. We’ve pared down the past week’s news into one easy-to-digest article for all things Xbox! Or, if you’d rather watch than read, you can feast your eyes on our weekly video show above. Be sure to come back every Friday to find out what’s happening This Week on Xbox!

Games with Gold for June 2018
Welcome to another edition of Games with Gold for Xbox One and Xbox 360! This month on June 1, infiltrate and dispatch your enemies in Assassin’s Creed Chronicles: Russia, then on June 16, control the power of the pantheon with the Smite Gold Bundle with content exclusive to Gold members. On Xbox 360 – and Xbox One via Backward Compatibility – we’ll have the classic racer Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed and the brick-building action title LEGO Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure Continues! All games will be available exclusively for Xbox Live Gold members for a limited time as part of Games with Gold. With Xbox Live Gold, you get the most advanced multiplayer, free games,… Read more

Xbox Game Pass Has a Remarkable First Year Creating New Opportunities for Gamers and Developers
It’s been one year since we launched Xbox Game Pass, a monthly membership built for gamers. From the very outset, our goal with Xbox Game Pass has been to provide you with more value and choice by delivering a diverse library of games reflective of the long history of Xbox, as well as create new opportunities for our industry partners that make a positive impact. Thanks to you, this last year has been remarkable – we’ve been humbled by your enthusiasm and support. Over the last year, we’ve achieved several… Read more

Xbox at E3 2018: Everything You Need to Know
With E3 less than two weeks away, we’ve got some new details on what Xbox has got going on for the biggest gaming event of the year! We’ll be kicking things off with our annual Xbox E3 2018 Briefing, which you can watch live beginning on Sunday, June 10 at 1:00 p.m. PDT. During the briefing, you’ll have a chance to check out everything from in-depth looks at previously-announced games to trailers for our unannounced titles coming in 2018 and beyond. You can watch the Xbox E3 2018 Briefing live beginning at 1 p.m. PDT on June 10 on the official Xbox Channel on Mixer, or on the Mixer app for Xbox One and mobile. Viewers logged into Mixer will be eligible for a special MixPot full… Read more

Robocraft Infinity Big Boom Content Update Launching Soon on Xbox One
Hello, Xbox fans! Over 200,000 of you have played Robocraft Infinity since launch and our robot building and battling game will receive its biggest content update to date in the coming weeks. The Big Boom update is the culmination of all the feedback the lovely Xbox community has given us since launch and includes optimizations to make load times faster, improved network connectivity, and we’ve squashed lots of annoying bugs which should mean that the whole experience feels much more polished overall. Fans have also told us that they want more options when it comes to capturing… Read more

The Force is Strong with Xbox Game Pass
Whether you prefer your Star Wars in the Old Republic, on the dark side, or small and plastic with a satisfying click, Xbox Game Pass has you covered as four amazing Star Wars games join the catalog today on June 1. Please welcome Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic, Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga, Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, and Star Wars: The Force Unleashed 2. Where will you begin? Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic A classic Star Wars role-playing game, Star Wars: Knights of the old Republic puts the player in the midst of the battle to save the Republic. As the last hope for the Jedi Order, your every move — from dialog choices to big plot decisions — puts you… Read more

Open-world, Pinball, Platforming Adventure Yoku’s Island Express Available Now on Xbox One
I’m super excited to finally – after almost five years of development – bring you Yoku’s Island Express to the Xbox One! For those of you that don’t know, Yoku’s Island Express is an open-world pinball platformer. You play as Yoku, a dung beetle postman who’s just arrived on Mokumana Island as the new postman. Using flippers and bumpers over an expansive world you pinball your way across the island, delivering the mail, and hopefully unravel the mystery with the ailing island god. We’re a small indie studio located in Stockholm, Sweden, and this is our first game together. From the very beginning, we wanted to make something that felt innovative and radically… Read more

Embark on an Adventure in Moonlighter, Available Now on Xbox One
Moonlighter is the story of Will, a humble shopkeeper that dreams of being a hero, just like the customer visiting his shops. For us this was always a story very close to our hearts since, as game developers, we started working for other people. We developed games that were not based on our own ideas but, secretly, we always dreamt of developing our own worlds, telling our own stories. Just like Will, we dreamt of being heroic indie developers, while we humbly developed the games of others, to make a living. It all started with this idea about playing as the (always ready!) shopkeeper of your typical JRPG and, from there, it evolved into something that got inspirations from… Read more

Xbox One Storytellers: Big Bad Wolf on The Council
It’s hard to match the narrative scope and immersive experience that a compelling story-driven game has over other storytelling mediums, allowing players not only to fall into the world of a well-crafted story but to experience it firsthand. These types of games can empower someone with a new perspective or let us live a double-life as a superhero. Narrative-driven games allow us to become someone we’re not, which is perhaps the biggest reason we enjoy these experiences. Now, with the power of Xbox One X, creators can bring us even closer to their vision. With our Xbox One Storytellers… Read more

Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection Now Available on Xbox One
Celebrate the last 30 years of Street Fighter with Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection, now available on Xbox One! We’re honored to bring this collection to you, which contains three decades worth of history, music, and world-famous characters that changed the fighting game genre. The 12 titles included in Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection are Street Fighter, Street Fighter II, Street Fighter II: Champion Edition, Street Fighter II: Hyper Fighting, Super Street Fighter II, Super Street Fighter II: Turbo, Street Fighter Alpha, Street Fighter Alpha 2, Street Fighter Alpha 3, Street Fighter III, Street Fighter III: 2nd Impact, and Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike. All 12… Read more

Get State of Decay 2 or Red Dead Redemption with Your Purchase of Xbox One X for a Limited Time
Starting now, we’ve got two weeks of Xbox One X deals to kick off your 4K Ultra HD summer gaming with State of Decay 2 and Red Dead Redemption. From May 27 through June 2, you’ll get a copy of State of Decay 2 with your Xbox One X purchase. And from June 3 through June 9, you’ll get a copy of Red Dead Redemption with your Xbox One X purchase. State of Decay 2 is the ultimate zombie survival fantasy, where it’s up to you to decide how to survive in an open, post-apocalyptic world. Play State of… Read more

Discover The Giant Megalodon Shark In Sea of Thieves – The Hungering Deep, Available Now
Last month, we shared our plans for how we intend to build on the core Sea of Thieves experience by regularly adding new content. We’re delighted to announce that the first of our three summer updates – The Hungering Deep – is now live and available to all Sea of Thieves players at no additional cost. While we’ve released patches for Sea of Thieves every week from launch to address the top community feedback points, this update is a little different. Not only does it feature a range of permanent new content including a fearsome new AI threat, new items and cosmetics, it also marks the first time we’ve run a time-limited campaign. Running for two weeks, The Hungering Deep… Read more

Birdcakes Available Now for Xbox One
Hello everyone! Greetings from Green Lava Studios. Located in lovely, sunny Costa Rica, we’ve been making games for about eight years now and with Birdcakes, we celebrate our second game on the Xbox One, along with Fenix Furia! It’s been a long, winding road for us, but hey! We made it! We started looking to create games for companies and dreamt to be able to create our own IP in the future. Now, we do whatever we want really, as long as it’s fun and entertaining for us and the end user. We’re proud to welcome Pancake and Cherry, the protagonists of Birdcakes, into our Green Lava Family, and for gamers to see! Birdcakes, like the name implies, is all about cupcakes that can… Read more

Based on the information that’s surfaced over the past few weeks, it appears Fortnite will arrive on the Nintendo Switch eShop at some point during this year’s E3.

To help tide you over until then, here’s some nightmare fuel. A fan of the insanely popular free-to-play battle royale game has created concept art, illustrating what a KFC cross-over with Fortnite could potentially look like in the form of a character skin:

Since going live, KFC Canada’s tweet has been given the thumbs up by professional eSport players and even the likes of Twin Galaxies. The skin itself replaces the glider with a chicken and there’s a finger lickin’ emote included to help celebrate any victories. Looking back on food promotions for video games over the years, crazier things have happened.

Tell us in the comments if you think this skin looks tasty, or if you would prefer your Fortnite sessions remain chicken-free when the game eventually arrives on the Switch.  

Play Forts Multiplayer for FREE starting now through Sunday at 1PM Pacific Time. You can also pick up the game at 40% off the regular price!*

If you already have Steam installed, click here to install or play Forts. If you don’t have Steam, you can download it here.

Forts is a physics-based RTS where foes design and build custom bases, arm them to the teeth and blast their opponent’s creations to rubble.

Build an armoured fort in real-time and arm it to the teeth. Collect resources, develop your tech-tree, unlock advanced weapons to target your opponent’s weak points, and feel the satisfaction as their fort comes crashing down.

*Offer ends Monday at 10AM Pacific Time