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Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
College Football 26 presentation, uniform, & more details revealed
The post College Football 26 presentation, uniform, & more details revealed appeared first on ClutchPoints. A new College Football 26 arrived this week, showing new details on presentation, uniforms, mascots, runouts, and much more. With 136 schools in the game, it's important for EA Sports to deliver an authentic experience in terms of gameplay and presentation. So what are they doing in the latter category to make the game bigger and better than ever? Let's find out. EA Sports College Football 26 Presentation Deep Dive – Everything You Need To Know The new EA Sports College Football 26 Presentation Deep Dive released this week, and here are the biggest highlights: Advertisement Lighting & Time of Day – College Football 26 Presentation Deep Dive Lighting received an improvement, and now dynamically changes throughout the game. As you progress through each quarter, you'll see the lighting change. If you start a game at 6PM, expect it to get dark by the time the fourth quarter arrives. Of course, the seasons of the year impact lighting. So in the winter, it'll get darker earlier in the day. Pre-Game: Runouts, Light Shows, & More – College Football 26 Presentation Deep Dive EA sports both upgraded current runouts as well as epic runouts for primetime games. Both of them aim to up the authenticity and excitement with new improvements that elevate the presentation. Advertisement Drone Shows are also making their way to College Football 26. Additionally, this includes light shows, making each pregame experience feel a bit more unique. Each intro is inspired by their real team, helping it stay true and authentic. All College Football 26 Schools with light shows include: Alabama Auburn Georgia Nebraska South Carolina Tennessee NC State Georgia Tech North Carolina Texas State UCF Boston College Notre Dame Rutgers UCLA All College Football 26 Schools with Drone Shows Arizona State Cal Florida LSU Texas Ohio State Clemson Nebraska Interestingly, Nebraska is the only school that can have a Light or Drone pre-game show. Furthermore, CFB 26 features more traditional runouts. From Motorcycles to Wagon Rides, you'll see unique school traditions that occur before and during games. But the developers are also adding shorter 'Quick Runouts' if you want something a bit faster. Advertisement Lastly, Road To Glory will have their own Runouts, and will follow the player as they actually run out from the tunnel, and onto the field. This sequence uses a player controlled camera. You can see from the perspective of your player as you head out to the crowd. And it's not just players and mascots, but the band members as well. There'll be new iconic band formations, giving players something new to look at throughout their experience. New Mascots & Traditions – College Football 26 Presentation Deep Dive EA Sports confirmed the addition of over 35 new mascots in College Football 26. Check out the full list of all confirmed Mascots in the game! Furthermore, the developers plan to add even more after launch. Advertisement Additionally, the developers added new touchdown and turnover traditions to replicate the real-life celebrations. Overall, here are just a few examples of the traditions you'll see: Turnover Swords (Texas & Arizona) Turnover Tire (Akron) Savage Pads (Georgia) Paddles (Oklahoma State) Handsign (Liberty) Balloons (Nebraska) Lastly, EA Sports mentioned that Rivalries play a bigger role in CFB 26, especially in Dynasty mode. Player & Uniform Authenticity – College Football 26 Presentation Deep Dive Of course, we'd be remiss not to mention all the updates for players and uniforms. College Football features a new 'Lean' body type to expand the variety of physiques in the game. Now, players have a total of five body types to choose from. Uniforms in College Football 26 now feature more details, including wrinkles and more. Advertisement Additionally, the developers expanded uniform options, including new and modern styles for high school teams. Each School comes with their own unique design, and you can also create a college team via Team Builder. Like Mascots, Uniforms will also receive updates in CFB 26. Expect to see new uniforms, helmet options, and more. Lastly, like players, over 300 real coaches will be in the game. Crowds, Stadium, & Commentary – College Football 26 Presentation Deep Dive College Football 26 also adds new presentation details in characters beyond the field. The developers created over 1,700 new heads for Secondary character, new strand hair technology, and more. Overall, the crowd and cheerleaders are more varied, creating more unique looks for each school. Advertisement In terms of Audio, College Football 26 feature 15,000 new lines to build upon CFB 25. The focus this year was to add more content for Rivalry games, Playoffs, and recaps from the previous season. Additionally, the inclusion of Real Coaches now allows for more banter. A real coach entering his second or third year may have more expected of him. Expect to hear commentators talk more about these coaches. Furthermore, there's new unique dialogue for modes like Dynasty and RTG. Your team's performance, rank, and skill will impact what's said about you. This makes your experience feel more immersive. CFB 26 also sees the addition of 160 new chants, enhancing the authenticity in different games. In terms of Music, CFB 26 adds new PA Music, 88 new pieces of Marching Band Music, and much more. Menus now feature 20 new drumline tracks as well as new band interpretations of current songs. Advertisement Lastly, there'll be all sorts of new in-game broadcast Graphics for players to see. From stat comparisons, to top players of the game, you'll see a ton of things during the game to keep you updated. Overall, that includes all the major details from the College Football 26 Presentation Deep Dive. We look forward to seeing how all of these changes feel when we see them in action. Keep on the lookout for new details on Dynasty to launch later this week! Lastly, for more gaming and NCAAF news, visit ClutchPoints. Furthermore, subscribe to our gaming newsletter for more weekly info.A Related: All Confirmed New Mascots in College Football 26 Related: NBA 2K25 Season 8 Release Date & Patch Notes
Bloomberg
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Bloomberg
Six Observations From Summer Game Fest
Hi everyone. Today we've got some thoughts from the Summer Game Fest convention, but first... This week's top gaming news:
Globe and Mail
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Globe and Mail
Block Blast X Is Redefining Browser Puzzle Games with Addictive Gameplay and Zero Downloads
In an industry driven by mobile apps and high-production cconsole titles, it's easy to overlook the quiet renaissance happening in browser-based games. Yet one puzzle game, Block Blast X, is quietly building momentum by doing exactly what most modern games don't: simplifying the experience while deepening the strategy. Built from the ground up by Sandy Studio, Block Blast X takes inspiration from classic block puzzles, then reimagines them with a farm-themed twist — think cabbages, crates, and colorful crops, rather than the usual neon cubes. But its charm goes beyond visuals. What truly sets it apart is its browser-native design. At a time when most games are designed for app stores first and adapted to browsers as an afterthought, Block Blast X is the opposite. It runs flawlessly across devices, requires no downloads, and offers zero ads. This approach embraces the philosophy behind browser games, where speed, accessibility, and simplicity take precedence. Players enter a 9x9 grid with randomized block drops and must plan moves strategically. The deceptively simple mechanics mask a depth that rewards logic, foresight, and spatial awareness — key reasons why many now regard it as one of the best puzzle games to play online in 2025. The game's official site, hosts not just the game itself, but also guides, developer insights, and FAQs that deepen the user's connection to the experience. This holistic content ecosystem reflects a clear effort to establish Block Blast as a recognized digital entity, not just a flash-in-the-pan title. With an ever-growing player base and increasing attention from casual gamers and puzzle enthusiasts alike, Block Blast X is more than just a new game — it's a strategic move to restore legitimacy to browser gaming in a world increasingly dominated by intrusive monetization models. As browser games continue their quiet climb back into mainstream relevance, Block Blast X is poised to become a flagship example of what's possible when thoughtful design meets timeless gameplay.
The Sun
a day ago
- Entertainment
- The Sun
‘Critical' swap all Playstation users must make NOW to avoid losing money as huge feature shuts down forever
PLAYSTATION users are being urged to make a "critical" swap after the gaming giant dropped an important feature. PlayStation Stars is set to come to an end next month, as the company looks to evolve its future Loyalty Programme efforts. 1 The reward scheme has been a highlight for players over the last three years, with campaigns and purchases that offer points. It was designed as a way to bring communities of PlayStation players together through a loyalty programme that could help users be celebrated. Points are able to be accumulated through playing games, and be exchanged for free store credit to buy new games, or get extra money off their purchase. Vice President at PlayStation, Grace Chen, said in a statement: "Since launching the program, we've learned a lot from evaluating the types of activities our players respond best to, and as a company, we are always evolving with player and industry trends. "Through this evaluation, we have decided to refocus our efforts and will be winding down the current version of PlayStation Stars." PlayStation Stars features PlayStation Stars rewards scheme lets you earn points It first launched as a new loyalty scheme for PlayStation games in Asia on September 29, 2022 Once you join PlayStation Stars, you can earn rewards by completing "campaigns and activities". It's completely free to join, and additional points can be earned when purchases are made on the PlayStation store You can swap those points for PlayStation Store credit PlayStation Store credit can be spent to buy games You can redeem points and claim PSN wallet funds or select PlayStation Store products. Changes to the loyalty programme PlayStation Stars is closing down, and is no longer accepting new members for this version of the programme Current PlayStation Stars members can still earn Digital Collectibles, Points and level up their status until July 23, 2025 at 7:59AM PDT | 3:59PM BST | 11:59PM JST. After this date, there will be no new PlayStation Stars Campaigns available, or any additional rewards or status benefits to earn. Qualifying Points are redeemable until November 2026 This version of the PlayStation Stars program will fully end on November 2, 2026 and current PlayStation Stars members can continue to redeem Points as long as their Points don't expire before then Your points will disappear on November 2, 2026 If you cancel PlayStation Stars today, you can't rejoin and you also lose your points The statement continued: "We want to thank all of our players for supporting PlayStation Stars since the launch in 2022. "As we explore new ways to evolve our loyalty program efforts for the future, we'll continue to celebrate all of our players through the various community activities we have planned." What users can do as the changes come A new campaign which is available to all players, and not just those subscribed to PlayStation Plus, has dropped. 'It's fun as hell' cheer PS5 owners after finding freebie inside consoles and say they 'sure felt stupid' for missing it It is for PlayStation Tournaments, and offers 25 points to players who compete in any PlayStation 5 tournament. Fans have been offering advise on Reddit about which games to play to snap up these points. There are a few options. 'Download EA SPORTS FC 25 SHOWCASE (which is free) and in the game hub select to participate in the tournament," one user noted. Another added: 'You also might be able to use NBA 2K25." Others have recommended playing Naraka Bladepoint due to being a good game to boot up and compete in. The points can be gained after accepting the campaign in the PlayStation app and completing the goal. This should be done before the game is started up. Points will be added within the app, and can be redeemed against the PSN store credit. This is likely to be one of PlayStation Stars' last campaigns, so users should get in quick to claim their credit voucher if already accumulated a good amount of points.
The Verge
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Verge
What is an Xbox?
Microsoft's 'This is an Xbox' marketing campaign in November always felt a little too early. If you ask a friend or family member what an Xbox is, the response is likely going to be 'it's a game console.' Xbox is ingrained in popular culture as a box under your TV that you play games on, but Microsoft's ads over the past six months have been attempting to redefine the Xbox as a platform that spans across phones, laptops, TVs, handheld gaming PCs, and even VR headsets. The ads did a great job of drawing attention to the platform, but the perception of the Xbox brand as just a console is still a huge challenge that Microsoft needs to overcome if its latest strategy is going to be successful. I can already sense some trouble ahead. Ever since Microsoft unveiled its ROG Xbox Ally handheld devices earlier this month, I keep hearing from friends that are asking about an 'Xbox handheld.' YouTubers with millions of followers have positioned these handheld gaming PCs as 'the first Xbox handheld,' which is true if you believe in Microsoft's marketing, but false in reality because they don't natively run Xbox games, only PC versions. Microsoft's answer to this potential confusion is that the Xbox Ally devices will be able to stream your library of Xbox games from the cloud or another Xbox console. That's not the type of experience I want when I'm spending hundreds of dollars on a piece of hardware that's capable of running games without an internet connection. In reality, I get the sense that Microsoft is willing to gamble on the potential confusion here, because what it really wants to do is turn Xbox into Steam. The Xbox Ally devices are the beginning of a next-generation gaming platform — a platform that looks increasingly like it will revolve around Windows. Xbox president Sarah Bond confirmed last week that Microsoft's next console is 'not locked to a single store,' just like Windows isn't. Bond went even further, revealing that Microsoft wants to ensure 'Windows is the number one platform for gaming.' Microsoft has also started calling the Xbox app on Windows simply 'Xbox PC,' in a clear bid to position it as a Steam competitor or alternative. This Xbox PC branding has appeared in trailers for games in recent weeks, but even Microsoft can't decide whether it's 'Xbox PC' or 'Xbox on PC' as it has used both recently. Either way has risk: Microsoft rebranded its Xbox Game Pass for PC subscription to just PC Game Pass four years ago because people were getting confused, so Xbox PC feels like it could be another source of confusion. Bond's video also shed some light on how the Xbox PC initiative will allow you to play Xbox games. While Bond largely talked about an AMD partnership for co-engineering silicon, she also confirmed that this next generation of Xbox devices includes 'maintaining compatibility with your existing library of Xbox games.' That's a promise that Microsoft hasn't been able to deliver for the Xbox Ally devices, and it makes it seem like the company is confident it will deliver some form of Xbox game emulation on Windows for its next generation of devices. Bond's video wasn't the only interesting Xbox release last week. AMD CEO Lisa Su also appeared in a short video and essentially laid bare Microsoft's next-gen Xbox strategy: 'Moving forward, AMD will go beyond building custom chips for Xbox consoles to designing a full roadmap of gaming-optimized chips, combining the power of Ryzen and Radeon for consoles, handhelds, PCs, and the cloud,' Su said. That sure sounds like AMD and Microsoft are co-engineering chips for Microsoft's own next-gen Xbox console, as well as third-party devices that will also be branded as Xbox consoles. Su also specifically revealed these chips will include the hardware support needed for backward compatibility, which suggests that you'll need one of these chips for whatever emulation solution Microsoft is working on. I fully expect these next-gen chips will also form the basis for how Microsoft plans to license the software powering this Xbox experience to OEMs. It feels like this future work with AMD is really what Microsoft means when it says, 'This is an Xbox.' It's an ambitious vision where Xbox games can be played across multiple devices, all with cloud saves so you can pick up where you left off. It's also a clear reaction to SteamOS and the fact that OEMs are starting to show interest in Valve's efforts to span its game library across console-like devices. The challenge for Microsoft is making its own vision a reality and learning from its mistakes of challenging Steam in the past. In 2006, Microsoft cofounder Bill Gates outlined a similar vision for Xbox dubbed 'Live Anywhere,' where Xbox experiences would come to Windows-based PCs. It was a response, at the time, to Valve's launch of Steam a few years prior. Microsoft launched its Games for Windows Live initiative with Windows Vista in 2007, designed as a way to unify the gaming experience across PC and Xbox 360 with achievements, online multiplayer, a friends list, and marketplace. Microsoft shut down the service six years later, after lackluster ports of Xbox titles and DRM mechanisms left PC gamers building up their library in Steam instead. Nearly 20 years later, a lot of what Microsoft is saying today sounds like Bill Gates' vision for Windows and the Xbox 360. The big difference this time around is that Microsoft isn't in a position of strength in the console market like it was with the Xbox 360. That means it has to take a more open approach to overhaul what an Xbox is, like embracing rival stores on its next-generation devices or allowing OEMs to build their own Xbox devices. Microsoft's opportunity here is to boot millions of Xbox devices into its own Xbox PC store and try to sell games and subscriptions directly to people instead of them turning to Steam. There's a clear revenue benefit to Microsoft here, especially if it can convert even a small percentage of Steam users into buying games from its own store instead of handing over a 30 percent cut to Valve. It will all come down to the console-like experience, with the Xbox 'full screen experience' on Windows being a big first test. If Microsoft can pull off this big bet of changing what an Xbox is, then these 'This is an Xbox' ads will look like a prophecy. If it fails, then Microsoft risks damaging its last successful consumer brand, potentially beyond repair. The stakes for Xbox couldn't be higher. There won't be a Notepad issue next week as I'll be out on vacation, but I'm always keen to hear from readers, so please drop a comment here, or you can reach me at notepad@ if you want to discuss anything else. If you've heard about any of Microsoft's secret projects, you can reach me via email at notepad@ or speak to me confidentially on the Signal messaging app, where I'm tomwarren.01. I'm also tomwarren on Telegram, if you'd prefer to chat there. Thanks for subscribing to Notepad.
