Rob Fahey
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Sony’s Project Q offers far more Qs than As | Opinion
Unless PlayStation's new device has very aggressive pricing, it’s tricky to see what problem it’s solving
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Will players tolerate Overwatch 2’s broken promises? | Opinion
By cancelling much of the sequel’s new content, and with other F2P options a click away, Blizzard’s choice is a huge risk
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Nintendo Switch gets its swansong – what about its successor? | Opinion
With Tears of the Kingdom launching with no spec-bumped Switch Pro in tow, it seems increasingly likely that Nintendo has dropped that idea for something more radical
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Is Xbox's future brighter without Activision? | Opinion
Denied a shortcut to industry leadership, Microsoft's ambitions can be channelled into innovation and creativity – starting with the world-class studios it already owns
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The CMA and Microsoft agree on one thing: the cloud gaming market is what matters | Opinion
For all the furore over Call of Duty, Microsoft would never have made a deal this big just to sell more Xbox consoles
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Could AI spell the end of the immersion-breaking NPC? | Opinion
The technologies behind ChatGPT et al could overcome some of the biggest problems with game world immersivity – but it's no plug and play solution
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Could Sony return to the handheld market? | Opinion
The company has always seen PlayStation systems as part of a hardware ecosystem – but the business case for adding a new handheld to the family does not seem promising
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Fortnite's evolution is delivering on metaverse dreams | Opinion
More than just a buzzword to Epic, the evolution of Fortnite is on the cusp of creating a genuine metaverse-esque platform with many millions of daily users
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As supply chain issues subside, the cold console war heats up | Opinion
For two years, supply issues have dampened competition between Microsoft and Sony – but now both sides will be out to prove superiority
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Two decades later, the cross-media dream is a reality | Opinion
Publishers' notions of franchises that span games, movies, TV and other media to create an experience that's more than the sum of its parts has finally found its time
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VR isn't ready for a "must-play" experience | Opinion
Reggis Fils-Aimé is right about VR needing "must-play" games, but the sector isn't ready to play host to that kind of cultural phenomenon
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Microsoft in Brussels: Sound and fury, signifying nothing | Opinion
A slick presentation to the European Commission may sway regulators to support the Activision deal – but Microsoft’s much-vaunted concessions don’t address key concerns
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What would a Game Pass dominated landscape look like? | Opinion
Nobody is surprised by Microsoft's admission that Game Pass cannibalises paid sales, and many companies are untroubled – but a potential monopsony remains a threat for others
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How long can Microsoft float on goodwill? | Opinion
As a pandemic-distorted market starts to return to normality, the need for Xbox to impress with game exclusives has become urgent
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The EU sets its sights on game regulation | Opinion
EU regulation of game business practices is getting underway in earnest – but the industry still has time to get its own house in order before rules are imposed
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The transition to live services continues | Opinion
Ubisoft’s latest growing pains show how hard it is to shift a company entirely towards live services – and whether consumers actually want this
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Looking back to look forward: 2023 is shaping up to look familiar | Opinion
The biggest stories of 2022 still lack any resolution
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Battle passes are everywhere – but few of them are good | Opinion
While a positive step away from loot boxes, many battle passes just replicate the surface of Fortnite’s model and miss the underlying ideas entirely
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What happens if Activision Blizzard stays independent? | Opinion
Competition authorities on both sides of the Atlantic seem poised to raise objections to Microsoft’s $68 billion acquisition; what happens if the deal is blocked?
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AI moderation will cause more harm than good | Opinion
The problem of in-game abuse can only be solved through a proper commitment of resources; magical thinking about AI solutions will only make things worse
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Industry attitudes to outsourcing and contracting need to change | Opinion
Two high-profile composers reveal the breakdown of their relationships with studios – a symptom of a broader problem in how creative outsourcing is used across the industry
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Beyond NFT fumblings, Square Enix is reinventing itself | Opinion
Much attention is focused on an ill-advised side project – but the company's increased focus on small creative projects and its deft mining of gaming history is much more interesting
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Can Microsoft find its next big thing in China? | Opinion
Stung by failure to sign Genshin Impact, Microsoft turns to China as it works to build out the Xbox software pipeline – but is it just chasing after the one that got away?
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Can Meta's 'verse grow past Zuckerberg's inchoate vision? | Opinion
Horizon Worlds becoming the subject of mainstream ridicule is only a speed bump for Meta's ambitions – but its failure highlights deeper problems that the company has yet to solve
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Is Game Pass’ dominance a hurdle to the Activision acquisition? | Opinion
The UK’s competition authority suggests that subscription services are legally a separate market from game consoles; if that idea holds water, it could spell trouble for Microsoft