Game Development

Microsoft has officially raised the price of its flagship subscription service, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, from $19.99 to $29.99 per month, a 50% increase. The PC Game Pass also saw a jump, moving from $11.99 to $16.49 per month. Alongside the price hike, Microsoft has restructured its subscription tiers, introducing new names and perks, while emphasizing access to over 400 games and 75+ day-one releases annually. The Value Proposition Game Pass has long been marketed as the “Netflix of gaming,” offering players access to a vast library of titles for a flat monthly fee. At its original price point, the service was widely considered one of the best deals in gaming. With the new pricing, the value equation shifts: ...

The Birth of Heavyshelf: Celebrating the Weight of Games in 2015 2015 was a year that felt like gaming hit critical mass. Blockbuster releases like The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Bloodborne, and Metal Gear Solid V stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Nintendo’s revival of Splatoon, while Fallout 4 lit up hype cycles across the world. It was also the year eSports began breaking into the mainstream with record-breaking events, streaming platforms like Twitch transformed how people played and connected, and VR finally felt within reach with the looming arrival of Oculus. Everywhere you looked, there was something worth debating, celebrating, or arguing over. For a group of friends caught up in this whirlwind of conversations, it was only natural to come together and start a podcast. From those late-night discussions, the first spark of what would become Heavyshelf was born. ...