Latest news with #Turn10
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Another Xbox studio reacts to the layoffs exploding around it: with Rare's Everwild dead, Sea of Thieves dev says "it's impossible for something like this not to ripple through the studio"
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Sea of Thieves studio Rare is the next Xbox studio to respond to the recent Microsoft layoffs and in this case, specifically the cancelation of the action-adventure game Everwild. Everwild, first announced in 2019 with a development story going all the way back to 2014, was one of the many casualties of Microsoft's recent downsizing, which resulted in the loss of around 9,000 jobs. We didn't see a whole lot of Everwild in the years since its reveal, but what little we did see of its colorful fantasy world was mighty promising, making its cancelation all the more disappointing for Rare diehards. In July's Sea of Thieves developer update, Rare production director Drew Stevens opened by addressing the elephant in the room, speaking out about the impact of Everwild's cancelation on the overall studio. "I think it would be strange to jump straight into our usual updates without acknowledging the news that we've ended development on Everwild here at Rare," Stevens said. "While this didn't directly impact Sea of Thieves, and we're continuing on as we'd planned, our focus as a team and a studio is on supporting our friends and colleagues whose roles are at risk." The layoffs at Xbox resulted in the cancelation of the Perfect Dark reboot and the shuttering of developer The Initiative, the downsizing of Forza studio Turn 10's workforce by about 50%, and the cancelation of an unannounced ZeniMax Online MMO. Longtime ZeniMax Online studio director Matt Firor of 18 years left the studio in the wake of the news, and later, the studio's union issued a statement on the cancelation, saying "a future has been stolen." "It's impossible for something like this not to ripple through the studio and affect us all in some way or another, so please bear with us," added Stevens. "And on that, I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who's reached out to check in on us and share their kind words of support. Genuinely, thank you, it really means a lot." As bummed as I am about Everwild, I really do appreciate that Rare took the time to acknowledge the situation instead of just pretending like nothing's happened. I can't fathom the pain and uncertainty at Xbox studios like Rare right now, and I can only hope that being able to continue work on Sea of Thieves gives the developers some sense of poetic escape similar to the whimsical distraction the open seas have provided players like me for years and years. "What happened with Microsoft was clear": Former Square Enix exec says Game Pass, "a service with barely any growth," didn't cause layoffs – competition with AI did Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
02-04-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
'Mario Kart World' For Switch 2 Improves On The 'Forza Horizon' Open-World Playbook By Letting You Race As A Cow
For over a decade now, the "Forza Horizon" series has owned the open-world racing genre. It's been the go-to franchise for those looking to cruise aimlessly around a scenic locale, spending hours in a constant drift without ever regaining traction. It seems Nintendo took note of Turn 10 and Playground Games' success in the segment, though, because the latest "Mario Kart" entry brings the same features to the new Switch 2. "Mario Kart World," the official title of the new game, connects classic and new tracks from the series into a single unified open world. This even includes racing between tracks, turning race series into unified endurance competitions that take place all across the map. Up to 24 players will compete in races at once, double that of the outgoing game. "Mario Kart World" even improves on the "Forza" formula in some interesting ways — most importantly, letting you play as a cow riding a Motocompo-inspired tape deck motorcycle. Moo-tocompo. Read more: Pokémon Go Was A Plot To Use Your Data To Fast Track An AI-Slop Google Maps Competitor It appears from the trailer that players in "World" won't be limited in the karts they choose to explore the open world with. There are standard karts, buggy-style offroad karts, even what appears to be a '90s F-150–esque truck with rally lights. Different karts also come with different outfits in "World," and I would like to personally extend my thanks to whoever decided Peach should ride a Honda XL 600LM-inspired dual sport in Daisy Dukes and a cropped pink jacket. Absolute fashion icon. That's exactly how I would dress for motorcycling if crashes weren't real. The Switch 2 releases on June 5 for $449.99, with "Mario Kart World" priced at $79.99. The game can be bundled with a Switch 2 for $499.99, a marked increase from the $299.99 "Mario Kart 8" bundle for the outgoing Switch. That's more expensive than a $299 Xbox Series S and a $59.99 copy of "Forza Horizon 5," and only about $20 less than a $449.99 PlayStation 5 with a $69.99 copy of "Gran Turismo 7" — a bundle that would include my personal 2024 Game of the Year, "Astro Bot." Nintendo's latest kart racer expands the series in some very interesting ways, but only time will tell whether the company has priced itself out of its own game. With competitors offering more choices in racing games for the same or less money, it remains to be seen whether Nintendo's pricing gamble here will pay off. If you're on the fence about preordering, though, just remember — prices sure aren't going down as tariffs loom. Want more like this? Join the Jalopnik newsletter to get the latest auto news sent straight to your inbox... Read the original article on Jalopnik.
