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EA cuts around 800 jobs shortly after reporting major profits

EA has laid off nearly 800 employees, or six percent of its roughly 12,900-person workforce.

Andrew Wilson, the company’s CEO, confirmed the cuts in a blog post on Wednesday.

“As we drive greater focus across our portfolio, we are moving away from projects that do not contribute to our strategy, reviewing our real estate footprint, and restructuring some of our teams,” Wilson wrote of the layoffs. This follows EA’s cuts of 200 Apex Legends QA testers last month, although it’s not clear if EA is counting some or all of those people among the six percent.

However, this all comes just two months after EA reported earning approximately $7 billion USD ($9.47 billion CAD) in net revenue last year, which works out to $5 billion USD ($6.76 billion CAD) in gross profits, an 18 percent year-over-year increase. Meanwhile, Wilson himself earned $19.9 million USD ($26.9 million CAD) in 2022, which was already made to be about half his 2021 salary due to shareholders taking issue with his executive bonuses. For context, EA reported to the SEC that its median employee income for 2022 was $115,569 USD ($156,372 CAD), meaning Wilson makes roughly 172 times more than those who work below him, on average.

In the blog post, Wilson says EA is offering eligible employees other roles within the company and, “where that’s not possible,” providing severance pay and health benefits to others. It’s currently unclear exactly who among EA’s global workforce has been affected by the layoffs. The publisher has several studios in Canada, in particular, including a flagship Vancouver campus (FIFA and NHL), BioWare Edmonton (Mass Effect) and the Montreal-based Motive (this year’s Dead Space).

For now, Wilson is singling out the success of FIFA 23, which he says is pacing to be the franchise’s biggest title, as well as Apex Legends and The Sims. One month from now, the company also has Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, the highly-anticipated sequel to 2019’s best-selling Jedi: Fallen Order. Clearly, then, the company isn’t hurting, which makes these layoffs all the more disappointing.

EA’s layoffs follow many other recent cuts in the tech sector, including thousands at Meta, Amazon, Google and Microsoft.

Image credit: EA

Source: EA

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Mobile Syrup

PlayStation Spring Sale offers up to 75 percent off over 2,000 titles

Sony has kicked off a major Spring Sale on the PlayStation Store, offering up to 75 percent off more than 2,400 digital games and add-ons.

Notably, this includes deals on recent releases like Dead Space, Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion and Like a Dragon: Ishin! See below for some of the highlights:

The full list of Spring Sale deals can be found here. The promotion runs until April 26th.

Image credit: Square Enix

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Mobile Syrup

Xbox patent outlines gamepad with Wii U-like built-in touchscreen

A recently filed Xbox patent outlines a gamepad that allows players to save custom loadouts that can then be accessed via a touchscreen built into the controller.

According to the patent, the display can also track the player’s in-game performance and be used to access various social media features (likely posting clips of gameplay and other photos). Other potential features include audio settings, charge level and more. The patent also mentions that the hypothetical gamepad is compatible with smartphones through a mobile app.

In a sense, the gamepad sort of seems like a pared-down version of the Wii U’s GamePad or, if you’re old like me, the Dreamcast’s Visual Memory Card (VMU), only its display is designed to show very specific information. It’s worth noting that Game Rant strangely doesn’t link back to the patent link in its coverage and I wasn’t able to find it myself. However, the image looks legitimate and likely exists in a patent database somewhere.

Earlier this week, Microsoft revealed ‘Red’ and ‘Blue’ Elite Series 2 gamepad Core colours, and a few months ago, the tech giant released a custom version of the Elite Series 2 controller.

As is the case with all patents, it’s important to point out that it’s unclear if this gamepad will actually be released. That said, the Elite Series 2 was released back in 2019, so a new version of Microsoft’s high-end gamepad could be in the works — especially considering the build issues the Series 2 has experienced (though the custom version of the gamepad seems to solve most of them).

Via: Game Rant

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Mobile Syrup

Where to pre-order Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom OLED Nintendo Switch in Canada

Earlier this week, Nintendo held a special video presentation dedicated entirely to The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.

In it, we saw 10 minutes of open-world gameplay footage from The Breath of the Wild sequel, including a look at some of Link’s new powers. However, the stream ended with the reveal of a few new Tears of the Kingdom-themed products: a special edition Nintendo Switch OLED model ($469.99), Pro controller ($99.99) and Switch carrying case ($32.99).

The Switch OLED releases April 28th while the controller and case launch on May 12th alongside Tears of the Kingdom. We’ve also added the $174.99 collector’s edition, which went up for pre-order last month and quickly sold out everywhere, and the $21.99 Tears of the Kingdom Link amiibo where applicable.

Here’s where you can pre-order them in Canada.

Note: as with many special edition items, pre-orders have sold out quickly as they’ve become available at various retailers. Therefore, you’ll likely want to bookmark these pages and even follow some of the retailers’ social media handles for updates. We’ll also update should any additional retailers become available.

Amazon

Best Buy

GameStop

Nintendo Store

The Source

Walmart

It’s worth noting that the Walmart Canada Gaming Twitter account will notify you when stock is replenished on the console.

Finally, it’s important to note that Tears of the Kingdom itself will be priced at $89 in Canada, $10 more than other Switch games. “We determine the suggested retail price for any Nintendo product on a case-by-case basis,” a Nintendo of Canada spokesperson told MobileSyrup.

Image credit: Nintendo

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Mobile Syrup

The Last of Us Part I is a broken mess on PC

The Last of Us Part I finally debuted on PC on March 28th, but it’s been a bumpy launch, to say the least.

In the past 24 hours, players have been reporting a slew of technical issues with the remake of the seminal 2013 PS3 game, including repeated crashes, inconsistent framerates and lengthy wait times to load shaders. At the time of writing, the game has a “Mostly Negative” rating on Steam based on more than 7,000 reviews.

Naughty Dog, the original developer of The Last of Us that also assisted port studio Iron Galaxy on the PC version, took to social media to acknowledge the issues.

“We’ve heard your concerns, and our team is actively investigating multiple issues you’ve reported. We will continue to update you, but our team is prioritizing updates and will address issues in upcoming patches,” tweeted Naughty Dog. The developer also directed players to a page listing known issues with the PC port while also asking players to submit a ticket for any others they my encounter.

It’s a remarkably bad look for PlayStation, which had already delayed the port by a few weeks for extra polish. It’s also a blemish on Naughty Dog, specifically, a studio renowned for its tightly-crafted, highly-polished games. “We want to make sure that The Last of Us Part I PC debut is in the best shape possible,” wrote Naughty Dog in a February 3rd tweet of the delay. “These additional few weeks will allow us to ensure this version of The Last of Us lives up to your, and our, standards.”

The port also comes several months after The Last of Us Part I was released on PS5 with no significant issues.

While Horizon Zero Dawn had a similarly rough launch on PC in 2020, PlayStation’s subsequent PC ports for games like God of War and Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered have largely been well-received, making the shoddy state of The Last of Us Part I feel especially standout.

Further enhancing the issue is the fact that this port was meant to coincide with the recently concluded first season of HBO’s hit The Last of Us series, which directly adapts the first game. Clearly, PlayStation is positioning the remake as an entry point for people who were introduced to the IP through the series. What’s more, PlayStation also didn’t make review copies available ahead of release, which meant that buyers weren’t able to get any advance feedback on how the PC port actually runs.

It’s worth noting that Iron Galaxy has a mixed track record with PC ports. While it did work on the solid PC version of Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection, it also handled the infamously broken PC port of Batman: Arkham Knight, which was so bad that Warner Bros. had to stop selling it for a time.

It remains to be seen how long it will take for The Last of Us Part I to be in an acceptable state on PC.

Image credit: PlayStation

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Mobile Syrup

Here are the free games hitting PlayStation Plus Essential in April 2023

PlayStation has revealed the free games coming to PlayStation Plus Essential in April 2023.

Leading this month’s lineup is Build Your Maker on PS4 and PS5 is releasing day one on PlayStation Plus. The first-person building and raiding game hails from Montreal’s Behaviour Interactive, the studio behind Dead by Daylight.

Also notable is Sackboy: A Big Adventure, a co-op-supported, Super Mario 3D World-esque platformer that’s available on both PS4 and PS5.

Rounding out this month’s trio of freebies is Tails of Iron, a hand-drawn RPG for PS4 and PS5.

All three games will be free through PS Plus Essential, the base PS Plus membership, from April 4th to May 1st. March’s Essential titles will remain free until April 3rd.

PlayStation Plus Essential costs $11.99/month or $69.99/year.

Image credit: Behaviour Interactive

Source: PlayStation

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Nintendo’s Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom-themed Switch OLED model releases April 28th

During Nintendo’s Direct stream focused on The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, the Japanese gaming giant revealed a special edition version of the console alongside a lengthy look at the game.

The Tears of the Kingdom edition Switch OLED model is gold, white and green, and features designs inspired by the game, including the Triforce on the dock and several designs on its gold Joy-Cons.

The Switch OLED model The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Edition launches on April 28th, 2023, just ahead of Tears of the Kingdom’s May 12th release date. Pricing hasn’t been confirmed, but the console will likely cost $449.49.

Nintendo also revealed plans to release a Tears of the Kingdom-themed Pro Controller and carrying case.

During the direct, Zelda producer Eiji Aonuma showed off roughly 10 minutes of Tears of the Kingdom in action, revealing several of Link’s new abilities, its world, a new system that allows you to combine weapons and more.

You can find the video below.

Image credit: Nintendo

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Ubisoft will ditch E3 2023 and have its own event instead

Is anyone heading to E3 2023? Ubisoft has officially withdrawn from the gaming event and will host its own independent showcase during the conference.

Ubisoft confirmed to VGC confirming that it won’t be in attendance, stating, “while we initially intended to have an official E3 presence, we’ve made the subsequent decision to move in a different direction and will be holding a Ubisoft Forward Live event on 12th June in Los Angeles.”

Ubisoft won’t be the only one ditching E3 2023. Xbox will also have its own showcase instead of attending the conference. Further, PlayStation and Nintendo also reportedly plan on formally ditching the event. It’s unclear when those publishers may have their own showcase.

Even though these publishers will not be attending E3, Microsoft and Ubisoft will have events that week, with Xbox/Bethesda’s happening on June 11th and Ubisoft’s on June 12th. Xbox will dive deep into Starfield, but Ubisoft will likely show games like Assassin’s Creed Mirage, other upcoming Assassin’s Creed projects and, potentially, Beyond Good and Evil 2.

E3 2023’s physical event will take place from June 13th to 16th, with an industry-only event on June 11th and 12th.

Source: VGC

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MultiVersus Open Beta to go offline on June 25

Warner Bros. (WB) free-to-play crossover fighting game MultiVersus, featuring Warner Bros. characters such as Superman, Batman, Shaggy and Tom & Jerry, rolled out its first open beta back in July 2022.

Now, eight months in, the open beta is being shut down, and the game is going temporarily offline. Warner Bros. and game developer Player First Games are taking MultiVersus offline ahead of a planned relaunch in early 2024.

As shared by DigitalTrends, the game has lost steam. It experienced a significant drop in its active player base in 2023, with a 99 percent decrease reported at one point. As a result, the developers are taking the game offline while they work towards an official release for the title, with game director Tony Huynh explaining the move in a video FAQ.

”

There is still a lot of work to do, and we have a clearer view on where we need to focus, specifically on the content cadence of new characters, maps, and modes to provide more ways to enjoy the game, along with netcode and matchmaking improvements,” said Huynh in the video. “We’ll also be reworking the progression system and looking at new ways for players to connect with friends in the game … As part of this process, we’ll be pausing updates and taking the game offline as we prepare for the launch of MultiVersus, which we are targeting for early 2024.”

MultiVersus will be taken offline on June 25th, 2023. It’s worth noting that those who have already downloaded the game can still play it offline.

Whatever progress you’ve made in the open beta version of the title will roll over to the official release, including purchases and game and battle pass progression.  Further, in order to compensate for the open beta’s shutdown, MultiVersus’ Season 2 battle pass has been extended until March 25th. Users can also purchase Gleamium, the in-game currency, until April 4th.

Source: MultiVersus Via: DigitalTrends

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Mobile Syrup

Nintendo to host The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom stream on March 28

A special presentation dedicated entirely to The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom will be held on Tuesday, March 28th.

On social media, Nintendo confirmed that “roughly” 10 minutes of gameplay from the highly anticipated Breath of the Wild sequel will be shown. The event will be hosted by veteran Zelda director and producer Eiji Aonuma.

Those interested in tuning in can do so at 10am ET/7am PT on Nintendo’s YouTube channel.

Following a delay out of 2022, Tears of the Kingdom is now set to release on May 12th, 2023. The game was first revealed in 2019, two years after the release of Breath of the Wild, so it’s been a long time coming.

It’s unclear exactly what we should expect to see from the game, which has largely been shrouded in mystery since its reveal. In the few trailers that have been revealed so far, we’ve seen teases of floating islands about Hyrule, a drone-like apparatus for Link to pilot and more.

Last month, Nintendo also confirmed that Tears of the Kingdom will be priced at $89 in Canada, $10 more than other Switch games. The company says such pricing for any future games will be decided on a “case-by-case basis.”

Image credit: Nintendo

Source: Nintendo