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Xbox has been dropping hints that it may be introducing a new, more affordable tier to its Xbox Game Pass subscription programme.

There were rumours during December that the Xbox Game Pass pricing might increase in the coming year. But Xbox has historically been the more affordable choice for gamers, so a hike in the cost of Game Pass would be a setback for the community. According to rumours, Microsoft distributed a survey that inquired about potential subscription packages.

According to the study, 2 potential subscription plans were discussed. The first was a family package, which allows several consoles and users to receive Game Pass advantages. Microsoft has been testing this option since September and has already made it available in two countries. The second was a less expensive, ad-supported plan that still had the majority of Game Pass’s advantages but not all of them.

As 2022 advances, the XBOX platform’s catalogue will keep growing. Here are just a few of the November 2022 releases.

Ghost Song – November 3rd
You control a dead suit, an android intended for combat who is abandoned on a barren moon with no memory of how he got there, in this sci-fi side-scrolling game. You must now find a way out while learning ancient truths and facing terrifying creatures.

Microsoft Flight Simulator 40th Anniversary Edition – November 11th
This game marks the 40th anniversary of the company’s longest-running franchise. Including all of the existing aircraft as well as new ones that may be flown as a free add-on.

Evil West – November 22nd
A third-party shooter. You are the last line of defence against a horde of bloodsucking vampires terrorising the wild west. You must kill this undead with guns, gadgets, and a gauntlet powered by lightning.

In December 2021, GTA closed its online servers for Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 users. Users took to Twitter to share their thoughts and feelings, with one user saying.

“Game froze. I guess here’s the last ever pic of the GTA online character. I will miss this game….”

Many players may not have been using the old servers, but the game remained popular and populated with players until the final switch off. The game is still available to those with an Xbox One or PS4. 

You have GTA IV available if you still want to play a GTA game online via an Xbox 360.

In January 2022, the Xbox 360 servers for the Halo games were turned off

Even though servers have been closed, you can still play the basic game, but online challenges and file shares will not be possible.

Does this spell the end of the Xbox 360? 

August looks to be another bumper month for Xbox Series X game releases, here are just a handful of games we are looking forward to:

August 3
Lemnis Gate is a 4D time-bending tactical combat game set in a time loop where you need to master your enemy’s abilities and outmanoeuvre your enemy.

August 12
Foreclosed – An adventure-filled game set in a cyberpunk world where your character has been stripped of his job and brain implants.

August 13
Hades – Action dungeon crawler with Hades son Zagreus released initially on Windows and Switch in September 2020. The game is now coming to Xbox X.

August 25
Psychonauts 2 – Join in with quirky missions and conspiracies in this platform adventure game with customisable psychic powers!

August 26
Hotel Life – You are the manager of a hotel in this resort simulator game. Build your hotel and make beautiful memories for your guests.

August 31
Maneater: Truth Quest – The base game Maneater is needed to play. Play new quests, side hunts and journey to a new region. 

One of the biggest concerns of many Xbox gamers considering a purchase of Microsoft’s new gaming consoles, is what are the main differences between the two. Obviously, there is a considerable price difference between the two, but what more specifically what are you paying for?

The main differences are that the Series X has a significantly better graphics card, much more powerful GPU (12.15 teraflops vs. 4 teraflops), slightly faster CPU (3.8 GHz vs. 3.6 GHz), more RAM (16 GB vs 10 GB) and storage (1 TB vs 512 GB) and is larger in size. Other items include, the Series S not having a disc drive, compared to the Blu-ray feature of the Series X and resolution output differences of 144op compared to 4K.

These two new consoles are acclaimed to be two of the top gaming systems on the market and Xbox fans are clamouring to get their hands on one.

2021 has been fairly quiet so far in terms of big game releases but we are expecting some huge releases this year that it’s worth getting excited for and marking in your calendar. We have rounded up what we believe will be the best releases in 2021.

Resident Evil village – May 7th. Basically, Resident Evil 8 as it’s a direct sequel to resident evil 7’s storyline. The developers have also hinted that this game is set to be big too with them stating “it will be a larger game than Resident Evil 7”.

Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker saga – First half of 2021, official date TBC. Lego star wars are back after a 5 year break – the last time we saw the franchise was in 2016 with the Force Awakens. Although the official date is yet to be confirmed it is anticipated it will be released by June 2021.

Far Cry 6 – February 2021 – but has been rescheduled for later this year. This game was scheduled to be released this month, but the date has unfortunately been postponed to later this year with no confirmation of an exact date. Far Cry 6 is due to be the biggest Far Cry yet with additional features.

Halo Infinite – Autumn 2021. This game is easily one of the most anticipated game releases of 2021. Although an exact date has yet to be confirmed by the developers, we expect this game to be released between September – December 2021.

Lord of the Rings: Gollum – Following the Middle-Earth Lord of the ring’s games, we are expecting this new game to be released later in the year. This game won’t be the typical RPG experience that we saw from the Middle-Earth games but will instead focus on Gollum’s stealth.

As the Xbox 360 console gets ever nearer its 20th Anniversary, it is great to look back on some of the best games to be played on this console and are still excellent gameplay even now. The Xbox 360 remains a revolutionary platform for many gamers and helped inspire several incredible Xbox One games.

Top Five Xbox 360 Games

1. Mass Effect 2- this incredible intergalactic role-playing game provides a dynamic story as each decision you make influences the rest of the plot. You explore exotic planets and have to complete assignments along this space odyssey.

2. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim- this astronomical role-playing game blows you away with its incredible world of sky-scraping mountains, lush forests, and rolling meadows. You shape your own gameplay by deciding to go only on the quests of your choice or following the bath of the Dragonborn.

3. Portal 2- this darkly humorous and brain-teasing puzzle game creates an amusing story as you solve problems with the goal of escaping an intricate underground, maze-like facility, Aperture Science. This game cleverly combines tricks to help guide you and nudge you towards success.

4. Red Dead Redemption- this wiley Wild West-style story sets you up as a former outlaw, John Marston, who after an encounter with the FBI is now chasing down his old cronies. This Grand Theft Auto-like game offers an open-world type of gameplay that offers fantastic western activities and memorable characters.

5. Batman: Arkham City- this captivating story, draws you into a superb world of puzzle-solving and iconic fighting mechanics, as you enjoy the arsenal you would come to expect from Gotham City’s infamous Batman. Batman must fight and divine his way out of an abandoned part of the city filled with villains and prison inmates and is arguably the best superhero game created.

November 10th saw the release of the new Xbox Series X and S and ever since this system been practically selling out before even hitting the shelves. There has been an incredibly high demand for these consoles and due to pre-ordering, distributers are having a hard time keeping up. These stock shortages are are expected to last at least until April 2021, when Microsoft hopes to rectify this supply/demand issues going into the second quarter of the year. If you have not already acquired your console, it may be very difficult to get your hands on one until at least May of next year.

It’s easy to see why there is such a high demand for this backwards-compatible, extraordinary new console with it being an absolute POWERHOUSE containing an eight-core AMD Zen 2 processor and colossal 12 Teraflops of processing power. It has an interesting tower-like design and there is debate over it being the most impressive game system to date. The PS5 is its closest rival and it is also experiencing stock shortages with Sony apologising to customers over the difficulty they have experienced with pre-orders.

With the exciting new Xbox Series X and its smaller, less expensive counterpart, the Xbox Series S, now on the shelves and making waves, everyone is wondering what are the best new games on offer. Here are a few games you might want to be adding to your Christmas list.

Top 10 New Xbox Games for Series X & S

1. Assassin’s Creed Valhalla
2. Forza Horizon 4
3. Ori and the Will of the Wisps
4. No Man’s Sky
5. NBA 2K21/Madden 20
6. Fortnite
7. Tetris Effect Connected
8. Gear Tactics
9. Watch Dogs: Legion
10. Yakuza: Like a Dragon

If a load of new games just isn’t in your budget, fear not because the Series X is also backwards compatible so you can keep playing all of your favourites. There are also still loads of games waiting to be optimised for play on the new console. These optimisations will significantly reduce any loading times and produce unquestionably improved effects.

Released on the 15th of September 2020, Xbox have developed several mobile gaming accessories which enable users to take their favourite Xbox games with them wherever they go with cloud gaming. To utilise cloud gaming, you will also need a subscription with the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate.

Razer Kishi
This universal mobile gaming controller is for use with Android mobile device and creates an ergonomic game controller feel once the Android product is connected to its centre. It extends and retracts as needed for playing or storage and offers pass-through charging for your smartphone for long gaming sessions.

Power A
The new MOGA XP5-X Plus Bluetooth controller works with the cloud gaming and Android mobile devices to deliver mobile gaming with the familiarity of an Xbox style controller that also has a detachable phone clip and mappable advanced gaming buttons. It also includes an integrated 3000mAh rechargeable Power Bank that can charge Android mobile devices on the go.

8BitDo
For the retro-style gaming controller fans out there, this device also possesses a clip and Bluetooth technology compatible with all Android tablets and mobile devices.