Latest news with #SouthofMidnight
Engadget
09-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Engadget
All digital Xbox games now carry standardized accessibility tags
Microsoft just announced that all digital games and experiences are now accompanied by clearly labeled and standardized accessibility tags . These Accessible Games Initiative tags are designed to "provide players with clear and consistent information about the accessibility features in video games." They are found on top of the store page. As you can see below, the game South of Midnight includes 13 accessibility features . Clicking "More" leads to a description of each. In this case, the game boasts adjustable input sensitivity, multiple volume controls, color alternatives, large subtitles and the ability to play without button holds, among other accessibility-minded features. Each of these tags can now be used as a filter in the Xbox Store, to make it easier to search for the perfect game. They are also available in the Xbox PC app, Xbox Mobile app and, of course, on the website. Xbox began implementing Accessibility Feature tags back in 2021 , but this move marks a transition to the standardized Accessible Games Initiative tags . These standardized tags are being managed by the Entertainment Software Association, with input from companies like Nintendo, EA, Ubisoft, Sony and Microsoft. Other big firms like Amazon Games, Riot Games, Square Enix and Warner Bros. Games have since joined the project. All told, there are 24 possible accessibility tags , advertising features like text-to-speech and menu narration. Despite being involved since inception, Nintendo and Sony have yet to update their store pages with these tags. It looks like Microsoft is the first of the big three to do so. While the gaming industry is standardizing this feature, the mobile app industry is playing catch up. Apple recently announced it's developing its own accessibility tag system, called Accessibility Nutrition Labels . This feature will be introduced to the App Store later in the year. If you buy something through a link in this article, we may earn commission.
Business Mayor
25-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Business Mayor
Call of Duty sees boost on Twitch thanks to Verdansk map
The streaming space saw a relatively quiet April, according to StreamElement's latest State of the Stream report. Twitch saw fewer hours watched than in March, which the report attributes at least in part to a lack of 'major' game releases — games like South of Midnight and Oblivion Remastered not being enough to move the needle on viewers at least. The most notable thing about the month is the precipitous spike in viewership for Call of Duty: Warzone, which saw 45 million hours watched in April, a 146% increase. According to StreamElement's report, which was done in partnership with Twitch saw a total of 1.573 billion hours watched in April, less than even February despite have two more days. For daily hours watched, Rainmaker's data shows viewers watched about 52 million hours total per day, lower than any other month in April. Or Perry, StreamElements CEO, attributed the viewership spike to the re-launch of the much-beloved Verdansk map. 'The highlight of April was Call of Duty: Warzone experiencing a whopping 146% surge in viewership on Twitch, driven by the return of an updated version of the fan favorite Verdansk map. Nostalgia is a powerful tool because it makes things feel instantly familiar, with Warzone's latest release standing out by reestablishing that emotional connection while upgrading rather than simply recycling old content.' The rest of the report covers the list of the top 10 streamers on Twitch. Caedrel remains at the top of the list, thanks to his League of Legends commentary streams — he covered the LCK Spring Split in April, and also received the EMEA Masters Trophy his team, Los Ratones, won at the winter event. It's his third month
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Xbox's next-gen console coming way sooner than we'd have liked
It seems that the next-gen Xbox console might be arriving sooner rather than later. The Xbox Series X/S launched in 2020 and has graced us with first-party titles such as Forza Horizon 5, Starfield and Halo Infinite. More recently, we were treated to the surprise hit that is South of Midnight from Compulsion Games. Check out the South of Midnight trailer below! By console generation standards with Xbox Series X/S being five years old, it's still relatively young. For example, the last generation, Xbox One, lasted from 2013 to its discontinuation in 2020. The original Xbox had a slightly longer life span from 2001 to 2009. However, Microsoft's most successful console, the Xbox 360 lasted over a decade from 2005 to 2016. So, to be fair, it shouldn't come as much of a surprise that the next-gen Xbox console could be around the next corner. With that in mind, a game intended to release on the next Xbox and PlayStation 6 has reportedly been cancelled. As reported by Eurogamer (via Insider Gaming), the game in question is based on the iconic Ridley Scott sci-fi movie franchise, Blade Runner. Interestingly, the game called Blade Runner: Time to Live was being developed by Until Dawn studio, Supermassive Games. So, it might be safe to assume that its estimated 10 to 12 hour story campaign would offer multiple choice scenarios and alternative endings. Players reportedly would have been the last Blade Runner bounty hunter alive in 2065, assuming the role of So-Lange, a vintage Nexus-6 model android, said to be 'inexplicably still alive well beyond your limited lifespan.' Its story would also have focused on 'the philosophical themes of Blade Runner with kinetic action-adventure gameplay.' What's more, documents obtained by Insider Gaming read: 'Journey from the teeming undercity of New Zurich 2065 to the eerie remnants of the forgotten world beyond.' 'Under orders to retire, Rev, the mysterious and ruthless leader of an underground replicant network, you are betrayed and left for dead in a brutally hostile environment.' It's claimed that Blade Runner: Time to Live had entered pre-production in September 2024, with its prototype build aimed to have been completed by March this year. Blade Runner: Time to Live was expected to be released in 2027 and was not only intended to launch on PC and next-gen consoles but also PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S.
Yahoo
15-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Mid-April Xbox Game Pass Update Brings 11 New Titles, Says Goodbye to 6
Midway through April, Xbox Game Pass has expanded its lineup with major hits and indie gems — but six games are on the way out. The second wave of Xbox Game Pass additions is here for mid-April. As fans have come to expect, every batch of new titles is accompanied by some notable removals from the service. On April 30, six games will leave the platform to make room for 11 new titles arriving over the next two weeks, beginning with the additions of Grand Theft Auto V and Hunt: The Showdown 1896. Xbox Game Pass April 2025 started with a bang, introducing players to Compulsion Games' South of Midnight, as well as the newly released indie sensation Blue Prince, which joined the lineup on April 10. CGMagazine's review of South of Midnight says, 'The art direction is so strong that simply looking at the world is enjoyable.' The review of Blue Prince calls it 'one of the most interesting and addictive puzzle games I've played this year, filled with charm and secrets to uncover.' The mid-April Xbox Game Pass update aims to elevate subscriber libraries with 11 new titles, listed below with their respective release dates. April 15 Grand Theft Auto V — added to Standard, Ultimate, and PC Game Pass Hunt: Showdown 1896 — added to PC Game Pass April 16 Neon White – added to Standard Xbox Game Pass SpongeBob SquarePants: The Patrick Star Game – added to Standard, Ultimate, and PC Game Pass April 17 Tempopo – added to Standard Crime Scene Cleaner – added to Ultimate and PC Game Pass April 24 Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 – official release, added to Ultimate and PC Game Pass April 29 Towerborne — added to Ultimate and PC Game Pass April 30 Far Cry 4 — added to Standard, Ultimate, PC Game Pass May 1 Anno 1800 — added to Standard, Ultimate and PC Game Pass Call of Duty Modern Warfare II — added to Ultimate and PC Game Pass DREDGE — Standard, Ultimate, PC Game Pass (Series X|S and Cloud) Alongside the new addition, Xbox Game Pass has removed six titles from their service starting on April 30, and they can be seen as listed below. Have a Nice Death Kona II: Brume Sniper Elite 5 The Last Case of Benedict Fox Thirsty Suitors The Rewinder Xbox Game Pass subscribers affected by the six upcoming removals may want to dive back in, as these titles will no longer be playable through the service after April 30. Fans can visit the official Xbox website for more information.
New York Times
08-04-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Soaking in the Swamps and Myths of South of Midnight
In South of Midnight, the regional folk tales of Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi take center stage during a sorrowful adventure embellished by magical realism and strands of hope. The difficult history of one girl's community unfolds in a world inspired by the humid swamps and bayous near New Orleans and the dusty sawmills of LaSalle Parish. Moments after the game begins, a frightful hurricane takes young Hazel Flood's home. It bobs away down a raging, windswept river with her mother trapped inside. During her ensuing search, Hazel encounters the ghosts of slaves and the downtrodden everywhere. Through a combination of cynicism and empathy, she uncovers tales of child and animal abuse, accidental or murderous. These affecting, sometimes shocking, stories are told carefully and with respect for the dead. Hazel (voiced by Adriyan Rae of 'Chicago Fire') is a weaver, a paranormal human who receives powers through two formidable knitting needles. Even when she complains that she needs a bath after falling into polluted water or hog waste, she never stops moving forward. While the story could benefit from moments of self-doubt, Hazel's love for her mother is all-encompassing. She needs her mother, who is a social worker, to be found alive more than she herself needs to live. Too much of the game play, however, is familiar: skating on walls, squeezing between rocks and battling with bold pushes that momentarily throw gruesome creatures across grim, bramble-filled terrain. These monstrous haints are made from a damaged Grand Tapestry. They're angry and ugly, and they must be fought until their strands can be unraveled. Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times. Thank you for your patience while we verify access. Already a subscriber? Log in. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
