Phil Spencer Says Xbox Series X Price and Release Date Weren't Supposed to be Revealed Until Next Week

Xbox Microsoft E3 Phil Spencer 2019

It has been a pretty darn big week for the team at Xbox so far. At long last, the Xbox Series X has a release date and a price point, and the rumored Xbox Series S model was finally unveiled yesterday as well. While Microsoft has finally lifted the veil on all of this long-dormant information, it seems as though it wasn't always in the cards to have revealed these details this week.

Phil Spencer, the Head of Xbox, took to Twitter today after the announcement of the Xbox Series X release date and price became official. Spencer thanks the community for its "support and encouragement" in responses to the recent announcements. He also then went on to say that even though this info is now public, it wasn't always planned to go down this way.

"Great to see the reactions, really proud of how the team handled the unscripted announce (was supposed to be next week but oh well…).," Spencer expressed of the quick turnaround Microsoft had to make after details of the Xbox Series S leaked late on Monday evening. Either way, Spencer ended his message by simply saying, "Can't wait for launch."

Even though all of the key pieces of information related to the Xbox Series X and Series S weren't slated to go out until next week, I'm sure the general gaming community doesn't mind at all that it came about a bit earlier. For weeks at this point, it seems as though we've all been eagerly waiting to learn when the next-gen consoles would be releasing and how much they would cost us. The fact that we finally gleaned this info from Xbox definitely isn't a bad thing if you're a consumer.

With Microsoft having now revealed the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S price and release date, PlayStation, the ball is in your court.

The post Phil Spencer Says Xbox Series X Price and Release Date Weren't Supposed to be Revealed Until Next Week by Logan Moore appeared first on DualShockers.

Yakuza: Like a Dragon Launches November 10 on Xbox Series X

Yakuza 7 Like a Dragon SEGA Spotify News 2020

Yakuza: Like a Dragon is launching on PC, PS4, and Xbox One on November 13. We've known that for a few weeks now. However, today Sega shared a new piece of news that will have every Yakuza fan's ears perking up. Thanks to our friends at Shacknews, we know that the next mainline Yakuza game will feature as a launch game for Xbox Series X and S. While that's only three days before the game's wider release, it still feels like an important step for Microsoft. But before we dive in, give Like a Dragon's incredibly trailer another watch below.

Even though the "exclusive" period is a simple three-day window, this still seems like a win for the Xbox crowd. Yakuza: Like a Dragon represents one of the bigger games to come out of Japan this year. Considering how much Xbox has historically struggled in the Japanese market, having this game on day one is important.

Now, obviously, this is likely more a result of dates just lining up than some big deal. That said, it wasn't too long ago that the Yakuza series was exclusive to PlayStation hardware. Xbox has smartly recognized that Yakuza is a major player in the market and has worked accordingly. Hopefully, this is only a sign of things to come from Microsoft. I mean, I'm sure I'm not the only Yakuza nerd that's considering switching to Xbox Series X based on this news alone.

Jokes aside, Yakuza: Like a Dragon is confirmation that Xbox is here to play in the East. That's great news for gamers everywhere.

Yakuza: Like a Dragon launches on Xbox Series X and S on November 10. The game will then come to PC, PS4, and Xbox One on November 13. A PS5 version is coming, but we don't have the release date for it just yet.

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Nintendo is Reportedly Asking Developers to Make Their Games 4K-Ready

Nintendo Switch

Between the COVID-19 pandemic and the release of Animal Crossing: New Horizons in March, demand for the Switch has been higher than ever. In a report from Bloomberg, Nintendo is reportedly ramping up Switch production and asking developers to make games 4K-ready.

Several anonymous game developers have told Bloomberg that Nintendo has asked them to make upcoming games 4K-ready. This falls in line with other rumors saying Nintendo will launch an upgraded Nintendo Switch in the future which features a higher resolution screen.

In addition to rumors of Nintendo asking for 4K content, Bloomberg reports that Nintendo has asked its partners to increase Switch production by 20 percent. They also report that while production was impacted in China due to COVID-19, their supply chain is back to normal. With this increase in Nintendo Switch production, the number of consoles manufactured goes to 30 million by the end of this fiscal year.

During Nintendo's latest earnings report, they revealed that Animal Crossing: New Horizons has sold 22 million units worldwide since its release. Additionally, the Nintendo Switch has sold 61.44 million units worldwide since its launch in March 2017. With more first-party games releasing this year and more updates to Animal Crossing: New Horizons, momentum for the Nintendo Switch won't slow down anytime soon.

In other Nintendo Switch news, they recently released a Super Mario 35th anniversary Direct which had several cool announcements. One of those was Super Mario 3D All-Stars, a collection that includes Super Mario 64, Super Mario Sunshine, and Super Mario Galaxy. It releases on September 18 and will be available till March 31, 2o21. Nintendo also announced Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity, which is set 100 years before 2017's Breath of the Wild. The game is set to release on November 20 and Nintendo will rerelease the Champions Amiibo the same day.

As more news comes out about an updated Switch, we'll be sure to let you know.

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Toby Fox Wants You To Forget About Him and Deltarune

Deltarune Chapter 2 Famitsu screenshots 3

As previously teased, this week's Famitsu magazine had a feature for the 5th anniversary of Undertale, which included 2 pages focusing on Deltarune, the new game written by Toby Fox. In those pages, Toby Fox shared a development update on the game. Some new screenshots were shared as well.  You can find them below alongside all the details.

Toby Fox jokingly started by mentioning he wrote a really long report on Deltarune's development, but shortened it for people who don't have internet access and can't buy Famitsu Magazine physically either. That way, they'll still be able to read it quickly by window shopping. Here's what he said:

Most of the Game Design work for all the Deltarune chapters is finished. Toby Fox also finished writing the 1st draft of all the dialogues during cutscenes.

Toby Fox said he started working on Deltarune Chapter 2 a few months ago and it's going well. He hurt his wrist around 7 months ago but said to not worry, and a small team is helping him. And the development of Deltarune Chapter 2 is going faster than for Chapter 1.

Ending the message, Toby Fox wrote he's confident the development of Deltarune will go smoothly. But even then, he has no idea how many more years it'll take to finish the game. So he jokingly advised us to simply forget about him and Deltarune instead of constantly waiting. And when it's done, Famitsu magazine will put it on its cover so everyone will immediately know. Only if Famitsu is okay with it though, since he didn't ask yet.

Lastly, Toby Fox said he himself is the most hyped person for Deltarune's release.

Deltarune Famitsu screenshots:

Deltarune Chapter 2 Famitsu screenshots 2 Deltarune Chapter 2 Famitsu screenshots 1 Deltarune Chapter 2 Famitsu screenshots 3

For its 5th anniversary, Undertale will get a free OST concert stream. Toby Fox also teased on Twitter a little something for fans on the anniversary date, September 15:

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Dirt 5 New Trailer Shows Off New York's Ice Breaker Racing Events

Dirt 5

Codemasters' Dirt 5 has recently received a short delay in launch, shifting the game's release date from early October to early November on all platforms. Today, you can enjoy some new gameplay footage of the game showing off an excitingly competitive race in New York.

Arriving three years after its predecessor, Dirt 5 is going to be the first 9th-gen entry of the series, featuring impressively realistic visuals combined with ray-tracing and running at 120 FPS. However, not all the progression is related to visuals. In the case of gameplay, Dirt 5 is supposed to be the most diverse iteration of the series, featuring up to 12 different racing segments, each one with their own unique car classes, circuits, and locations.

The latest gameplay footage provides a quick look at a race in the Ice Breaker segment, where you have to compete with other veteran drivers on frozen circuits and snowy weather. This particular race shown in the trailer takes place in New York's frozen East River at the dead of the night. While the trailer has been fully captured from the front-bumper view – and I don't like it at all – at least it provides a nice opportunity to take a look at how ray-tracing works in the game. With a precise look at the frozen pieces of the race, you can easily spot the reflection of the cars.

Codemasters has apparently invested hugely in the game's campaign mode, which is going to feature Nolan North and Troy Baker as voice actors. Unlike Dirt 4, It seems Dirt 5 aims to lean a bit towards arcade-style racing rather than being a fully off-road simulation.

Dirt 5 will be available for Xbox One, PS4, Stadia, and PC on November 6. The game will also hit Xbox Series X and S on November 10th as a launch title. The PS5 version will be dropped as soon as the console launches.

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Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S – Here's Where You Will Be Able to Pre-Order

Xbox Series X

The new Xbox Series X will be making its way to shelves later this holiday, and many of us are ready to put our hard-earned money into Microsoft's pockets. Microsoft has finally confirmed that both the Xbox Series X and Series S will be launching on November 10, and while pre-orders won't be up until September 22, we here at DualShockers are going to make your search simpler once pre-orders appear in hopefully the coming weeks. Similarly to the PlayStation 5, popular retailers have begun putting up placeholder pages for the Xbox Series X and Series S so that they will already be raring to go once Microsoft gives them the go-ahead.

Here are all the sites where you can currently keep in mind for once pre-orders are live.

If you visit these pages, Microsoft, Amazon, GameStop, and Best Buy all have their own e-mail notifications that you can sign up for to also notify you when pre-orders are available, which will be on Tuesday, September 22. We will update this page once pre-orders go up, so be sure to check back into DualShockers on-site as well as our Twitter page.

For those also interested in the PlayStation 5, check out our pre-order article for the PS5 as well.

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Assassin's Creed Valhalla on Xbox Series X Will Run at 4K/60FPS

With news on the next-gen consoles in Xbox Series X and PS5 having been so quiet in recent months, many publishers haven't been able to disclose just how their upcoming titles will be able to perform on each new platform. Fortunately, with all of the key details of Microsoft's Xbox Series X having now been given, it seems as though Ubisoft is opening up more about how its biggest release of the year will work on the console.

Alongside the announcement of a new release date for Assassin's Creed Valhalla today, Ubisoft revealed via the game's official Arabic Twitter account that the forthcoming entry in the series will be able to perform at 4K resolution at 60 frames per second on Xbox Series X. Even though this has always been the benchmark that Microsoft has hoped developers would be able to hit on the console, this is the first such time it seems that Ubisoft has committed to this performance level. Previously, it was only said that the company was aiming for 30fps at a minimum.

While this is surely great news for anyone looking to both pick up the Xbox Series X and Assassin's Creed Valhalla at launch, it remains to be seen if the PS5 will be able to match this performance level. On paper, you would imagine that it should be able to do so, but we'll have to wait for confirmation from either Ubisoft or Sony once more is shared about the console.

Stay tuned tomorrow as we could hear more about Assassin's Creed Valhalla during Ubisoft's Forward stream which will occur on September 10.

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Watch Dogs Legion Launches on November 10th for Xbox Series X and S

Watch Dogs Legion

With Xbox's next-gen consoles arriving on November 10th, Ubisoft revealed that they will drop the next-gen version of Watch Dogs Legion for Xbox Series X and S on the same day.

Along with Assassin's Creed Valhalla, Watch Dogs Legion is the other next-gen title from Ubisoft that will be available on November 10th for Xbox Series X and S. The third installment in Ubisoft's modern-day open-world franchise will take place in post-Brexit London, where a military corporation has gained control over the city, trying to arrest and takedown every protestor in the city.

Playing as different characters with various backgrounds, your mission is to join the Resistance and stop the government's brutal army from controlling the whole districts of the city. Back in July, we get to see some extended gameplay footage from the game, showcasing just a small amount of infinite characters available in the game to play as.

As you may know, each personality will have its own background and some specialized abilities in certain areas. Even you will get to have access to some unique weapons based on the character you choose to play as. However, death, in any way, will mean the ending point to your character in the game. You cannot take a member of your crew back after losing him/her, though you can always recruited new talented people to expand your crew.

Watch Dogs Legion is currently set to be released on Xbox One, PS4, and PC on October 29, with Series X and Series S versions arriving on November 10th. It's yet to be seen when the PS5 edition will be available as the console doesn't have a release date yet.

Aside from higher frame rates at higher resolutions, Watch Dogs Legion will also feature ray-tracing on next-gen consoles which gives it a more realistic look. Some new footage from the game will probably be shown at tomorrow's Ubisoft Forward.

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Assassin's Creed Valhalla Release Date Pushed Forward to Coincide with Xbox Launch

Assassin's Creed Valhalla Progression System and Mission Structure

Ubisoft announced at its most recent Forward event that Assassin's Creed Valhalla would be launching later this fall on November 17 for all current-gen platforms. However, in the wake of new information related to Microsoft's next-gen platforms, Ubisoft has now altered its own plans.

In a move that isn't seen all too often, Ubisoft announced today that it has actually moved up the release of Assassin's Creed Valhalla. Yes, you read that correctly — the game hasn't been delayed, but it's now coming sooner than intended. The new launch date of Valhalla is now that of November 10, which will coincide with the release of the Xbox Series X and Series S consoles that are dropping on the same day.

While the new release date is clearly meant to line up directly with Microsoft's new consoles, every other platform will also see it arriving on this day, too. Obviously, the only platform that has yet to have its release date unveiled is that of the PS5 version of Assassin's Creed Valhalla. That said, once Sony announces when we'll actually be able to buy its own new platform, we'll surely see Valhalla hitting the console on the same date.

Even though Assassin's Creed Valhalla is likely the biggest game that Ubisoft will be releasing this year, the publisher still has a litany of other titles on the way which includes Watch Dogs Legion, Far Cry 6, and Immortals: Fenyx Rising. We should hear more of what Ubisoft has in store for the future as the company's next Forward event will transpire tomorrow on September 10.

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Gears Tactics Finally Hits Xbox Consoles on November 10

Gears Tactics launched on PC earlier this year, and in our own estimation, it was a pretty darn good game. For those who have been holding off to play it once the strategy title finally makes its way to Xbox, well, your time has now nearly come.

The Coalition announced this morning that Gears Tactics finally has a release date for Xbox consoles and it's a date that makes a whole lot of sense given Microsoft's larger plans. Gears Tactics is officially slated to launch on November 10, which just so happens to be the same day that the Xbox Series X and Series S will launch. While Halo Infinite might not have been able to make it out in time for the next-gen launch, Gears Tactics will have to tide you over.

In all honesty, this is a pretty well-expected announcement on the part of The Coalition and Microsoft. We've known for awhile now that Gears Tactics was slated to hit Xbox consoles at some point later in 2020, so to have it line up with the release of the next-gen platforms just makes perfect sense. Personally, I'm looking forward to giving the game a whirl in November as I still have yet to play it on PC.

So what do you think? Is a launch of Gears Tactics on Xbox anything that might sell you on picking up the Series S or Series X at launch? Let me know in the comments.

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