GAMES
Xbox Celebrates International Women’s Day in Support of Women in Gaming
In honor of International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month 2022, Xbox will celebrate the important role of mentorship — to uplift and support the next generation of women in gaming. As a champion and member of the fellowship of the Women of Xbox UK initiative, I had the opportunity to help connect the community of women who work across our UK studios. This includes game designers, engineers, audio/sound experts, and producers to share their knowledge and experience with young women encouraging them to pursue a career in the gaming industry. One of the greatest joys I have found through mentoring other women is what I call the “Leveling up Moment” — when the culmination of their hard work and resilience meets with breakthrough and success.
We know that while according to the ESA, 45% of gamers identify as women, there is an underrepresentation of women characters in gaming. Additionally, among video game developers, only 30% identify as women globally. By increasing diversity and representation in the people who make games, we can create new and unique gaming experiences for everyone. While there is more work to do, at Xbox we are proud that women make up over half of our gaming leadership team and are forging the future of gaming and at Microsoft, women now represent 29.7% of the core global workforce. This is also true of my team at Rare, where half of our design and production team are women because of our investment in making inclusivity and diversity core to how we build teams, and we remain committed to this goal. It’s also imperative to continue to support women once they’re part of the industry, and at Xbox, the Women in Gaming group provides career development, networking opportunities, mentoring and more to encourage retention.
Mentorship and leading from a place of empathy encourages a culture of women uplifting and supporting other women, and I hope to inspire others to do the same. Xbox is committed to building a community where everyone is welcome to play, and to creating a space where it is safe to do so. It is in this spirit of mentorship that we hope to see more women become part of the games industry so that they can see themselves as the hero in the games they play and in their own lives.
Join us as Xbox celebrates the voices of women during International Women’s Day, Women’s History Month and beyond:
Connect and Impact
Introducing a Mentoring Program by Xbox
Introducing a mentoring program for everyone aimed at partnering women in gaming careers across Xbox’s diverse range of studios and products with aspiring talent, giving them the chance to access to valuable 1:1 coaching sessions with key leaders in select markets such as the US, UK, France, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Japan, and Korea with additional markets to follow.
It is our hope that this program generates meaningful engagements with tangible and purposeful actions to help foster career development in the games industry. With the program available in multiple markets kicking off this month, Xbox is opening up their world to inspire and support the next generation of women leaders in gaming. More details will follow mid- March.
Game Developers Conference 2022: Inclusive Leadership @ Xbox Game Studios
(Pre-recorded Sessions – March 23-24)
Join our esteemed panel of tech leaders at Xbox Game Studios, as they share their career journeys and lived experiences at Xbox during the upcoming Game Developers Conference. Our session includes Mary McGuane, Xbox studio manager (Obsidian, Double Fine and InXile); Kate Rayner, head of technology for The Coalition; Shannon Loftis, former studio head for World’s Edge; Helen Chiang, corporate vice `president, Minecraft franchise; Kim Swift, senior director of Cloud Gaming at Xbox Game Studios Publishing; and Bonnie Ross, studio head for 343 Industries. This powerhouse line-up will share their unique perspectives on the evolution of game development teams, and what is expected on the horizon, as we navigate dynamic shifts in business culture, inclusive hiring and community support across our Xbox Game Studios teams. Learn more.
Microsoft Rewards on Xbox: Donate Points to Organizations Supporting Women in Gaming
Microsoft Rewards members in the United States can earn and donate points to organizations supporting women in gaming with Xbox. The below organizations will be featured on console throughout March:
- Girls Who Code: Girls Who Code is a nonprofit organization working to close the gender gap in tech by equipping students who identify as girls or nonbinary with the necessary computing skills to pursue 21st century opportunities.
- Games & Online Harassment Hotline (via Feminist Frequency): The Games and Online Harassment Hotline is a free, text message-based, confidential emotional support hotline, created specifically for the gaming community. Whether you’re a player, a developer, a streamer, a competitor — any part of this community —we’re here for you, whether that means offering emotional support or finding the referrals and resources that you need.
- ReDI School of Digital Integration: ReDI School of Digital Integration is a non-profit tech school for people, mainly refugees and migrants, without access to digital education to support them on their integration journey, including upskilling-programs for women, children and teens.
- PretaLab: PretaLab’s mission is to work toward diversity and inclusion in the Technology sector, promoting the employability of Black Brazilian women through a platform that connects Black women in technology and companies.
Xbox gamers can earn Microsoft Rewards points in various ways, such as playing or purchasing games after downloading the Microsoft Rewards app on Xbox. Earn points and redeem them for real rewards. Join us today and donate through Xbox.
Discover
Xbox Ambassadors Spotlights Stories about Representation in Gaming
Throughout Women’s History Month, we will be spotlighting stories about representation in gaming from women gamers in the Xbox Ambassadors community. These are their stories.
Xbox Plays will Feature Women Streamers, Game Creators, and Nonprofits
Throughout March, the Xbox Plays team will be streaming on the Xbox Twitch channel and feature programming celebrating Women’s History Month. Each week will have a different theme, featuring Women Streamer Takeovers, Women Game Creators and showcase nonprofit organizations supporting women to pursue technology and gaming as careers.
Gears 5 Women’s Tournament Coming March 26
The fifth quarterly Gears 5 Women’s Tournament will take place on Saturday, March 26. You are invited to watch 32 of the best all-women teams in Gears 5 as they battle it out for $5,000 in prizing. Learn more.
Watch here starting at 10 a.m. PT on March 26 to see all the action, receive exclusive Gears 5 in-game items and your chance to win Astro Gaming prizes. Watch the broadcast.
“Women of Xbox UK” Podcast
The “Women of Xbox UK” Podcast will be returning for Season 2 this year, with a brand-new line up of empowering and inspirational leaders. The podcast will continue to spotlight phenomenally talented women from a wide spectrum of roles within the games industry that work closely on Xbox first- and third-party titles, with the aim to encourage young women to start or further a career within the games industry.
Season 1 content found here: YouTube | Soundcloud | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts
Explore
Discover Games, Movies, and TV Curated by Women at Microsoft
This March, celebrate women in entertainment with Microsoft Store and Xbox Game Pass through robust collections of games, movies, and TV curated by women at Microsoft. From game studios led by women to blockbuster movies with a focus on women’s stories, discover exciting and authentic experiences that bring focus to women creators, main characters and opportunities for individual expression.
A few highlights from the full Xbox games and Windows games collections spanning creators, main characters, and character creation options include:
Games
- SkateBird – From women led game studio Glass Bottom Games
You’re a lonely lil’ skateboarding bird, and your Big Friend has hung up their board for good. Their job sucks, and lately, they’re barely ever home to play with you. You’re gonna fix all that – with the power of skateboarding! - Unpacking – From creator Wren Brier
Unpack like never before in this zen puzzle game where you’ll learn about a character through a variety of moves. Unpacking weaves together a story through the everyday and sentimental belongings you’ll encounter as you decorate and organize each new space throughout the game. - It Takes Two – The Game Awards: Game of the Year 2021
Play as the clashing couple Cody and May, two humans turned into dolls by a magic spell. Trapped in a fantastical world, they’re reluctantly challenged with saving their fractured relationship by the suave love guru Dr. Hakim.
Movies & TV
- Encanto – Walt Disney Animation Studios’ ENCANTO tells the tale of the Madrigals, an extraordinary family living in a magical house in the Colombian mountains. But when Mirabel, the only ordinary family member, discovers the magic surrounding their home is in danger, she decides that she might just be her exceptional family’s last hope.
- Beans – Written and directed by Tracey Deer, an Indigenous creator, this film follows a preteen’s involvement with protests during a government standoff to protect Mohawk burial grounds in Kahnawake, Canada.
View the collections in all Xbox regions. Visitors to both the Xbox and Microsoft Store on Windows can find community picks from women at Microsoft at any time by searching for “Women’s History” and related terms. Content subject to availability by country.
Play
Active Citizen launched by Minecraft: Education Edition in partnership with Nobel Peace Center
Last week, Minecraft: Education Edition launched Active Citizen, a new learning experience created in partnership with the Nobel Peace Center. Players can walk in the shoes of four Nobel Peace Prize laureates and learn the skills needed to drive positive change in the world. Two of the Nobel Peace Prize laureates featured as non-player characters in the Minecraft world are Malala Yousafzai and Wangari Maathai, who have both championed women’s and girls’ empowerment. Players also meet Alfred Nobel and the 14th Dalai Lama and Fridtjof Nansen, both Nobel Peace Prize laureates.
Active Citizen is the first collaboration between the Nobel Peace Center and Minecraft: Education Edition, and the first time the Nobel Peace Prize is part of a gaming activation of this scale. Active Citizen is available in 29 languages for all Minecraft: Education Edition players and in mid-March as a free demo. Read more about the project in this Microsoft blog by Head of Minecraft, Helen Chaing.
Halo: Happy Women’s History Month, Spartans!
343 Industries is celebrating Women’s History Month with our Team Xbox Community! In Halo: Infinite, 343i is hitting the battlefield with some community Spartans for a special play session with Big Team Battle action! Follow @Halo on Twitter for more details! Also, throughout March, 343i will be re-releasing the Spartan Kat nameplate in Halo: The Master Chief Collection, awarded to all MCC players during the month! Happy Women’s History Month, Spartans!
Celebrating Women’s History Month with Forza Motorsport 7
Celebrate women and their contribution to motorsport by joining racecar driver Shannon McIntosh for the Forza Motorsport 7 “Women in Motorsports” Rivals Event from March 3-15. Also, just for setting a time in the event, players receive an event inspired livery and if you finish in the top 40% on the leaderboard, you get very rare Forza driver gear. For additional information, follow @ForzaMotorsport on Twitter and head over to @Turn10Studios on Twitter to learn about women who have made impactful contributions throughout the automotive industry.
Microsoft Casual Games Celebrates Women Worldwide!
From the inventions brought to life, to the art created – women have made our world a more beautiful place. In March, we celebrate women and their accomplishments through the release of 3 in-game items that were inspired by their strength, skills, and impact on our world. For release details, click here.
Age of Empires Honors Women’s History Month with New Content, Community Stories & Events
Travel through history with Age of Empires as we highlight women both past and present. Visit our Sage of Empires as they highlight stories of extraordinary women from across the world and their contributions to the development of their region. Watch the Queens’ Clash, where women players will battle it out in epic show-matches featured by Age of Queens, a women-led group from the Age Community. Check out the special in game event for Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition, including the first female explorer customizations highlighting Ada Lovelace and Elisabet Ramsey in style. All this and more coming up as we celebrate the women of AoE! Learn more.
Xbox Honors Women’s History Month with a New Gamerpic, Profile Theme, and Avatar Items!
In partnership with the Women in Gaming community at Xbox, we’re introducing a new gamerpic, profile themes, and avatar items! The gamerpic and profile theme will be available on console and the Xbox PC app. The profile theme and gamerpic will be visible on all platforms (including mobile and Game Bar), but gamers can change the profile theme on the console and the Xbox app on PC. Get your avatar items here.
GAMES
This Week’s Deals with Gold and Spotlight Sale
GAMES
The German Empire Marches to Italy in a Free Expansion Today
We have a new expansion for our WW1 Italian Front FPS game Isonzo releasing today! It’s the first part of our Caporetto season of free expansions, and features a whole new faction with the arrival of the German Empire on the Italian Front, and brings a new map for the Offensive game mode. There will be two more releases in the Caporetto season, each one with a new map to ultimately link together into a three map Caporetto Offensive.
The German faction comes with more than ten new weapons, as well as historically accurate uniforms and equipment. This first Caporetto map sees you taking part in the early stages of the Twelfth Battle of the Isonzo, with German troops assaulting Italian positions on the road to Caporetto. Historically it was a military disaster for Italy which brought down the government – but maybe things can go differently with you on the battlefield?
The update sees new uniforms and equipment from the German Empire for Isonzo’s six classes: Rifleman, Assault, Engineer, Officer, Marksman and Mountaineer. For those who aren’t familiar with the game, each class has different weapon, gear and perk options that allow you to specialize your play style within the overall focus of the class. For instance, Marksmen are always sharpshooters, but a lot depends on your loadout. You could be a long-range sniper and observer identifying and eliminating high value targets with a scoped rifle, or you could equip body armor to take and hold a front line position with deadly accurate mid-range fire. Every class has choices to make in this regard.
In Isonzo’s signature Offensive game mode, one side must attack and break through multiple defensive lines. Thick layers of barbed wire, trenches, and whatever extra defenses the enemy engineers put together will stand in the way of a successful attack. Objectives can be taking and holding key points, or planting dynamite to sabotage enemy supply stashes or heavy artillery guns.
The new Caporetto map – the first of three in the season – is a huge battlefield based on the strategically important Monte Kolovrat. There are five defensive lines, where each line has two objectives for the attackers before they can advance further. While in the historical Battle of Caporetto both German and Austro-Hungarian forces were involved, in Isonzo we’ve chosen to focus on the German contribution, so the map recreates the stunning German advance from the town of Tolmein all the way to Kolovrat Ridge. It’s a damp, overcast day when the attack begins, and the attackers must first cut their way through lines of wire to break into a devastated town – including capturing a church defended by multiple heavy machine gun positions. Fortunately, in Isonzo there are many tactical options available to deal with such strong points: artillery barrages, smokescreens, snipers, rifle grenades, even poison gas. From there, it becomes a literal uphill battle for the German attackers as they begin to climb towards the peak of Kolovrat Ridge. They’ll need to sabotage bunkers and capture command posts while navigating rocky trenches and steep forested slopes. At the penultimate fourth defensive line there is a huge siege mortar to sabotage and a cluster of houses providing cover to the Italian defenders – then it’s one last climb to reach the final objective: Hill 1114. If the Germans can take it, the Italians will finally be the ones fighting uphill as their reinforcements stream in to try and counterattack.
Of course, things are no walk in the park for the defenders either – although it’s easier to maneuver when going downhill, and it’s much simpler for officers to deploy flares to call in support, the extensive trench lines can become a liability once the Germans get a foothold, providing cover as they advance. Some of the Italian defensive positions can be exposed against the sky, making it easy for German marksmen to pick off targets. Italian engineers should make good use of their construction abilities to put down additional sandbags and lay out extra wire to prevent German assault troops sneaking through the trees to flank trenches with their grenades or light machine guns.
As we mentioned before, historically the Battle of Caporetto was a disaster for the Italians. Appalling leadership led to poorly motivated and unprepared troops falling apart in the face of the combined Austro-Hungarian and German armies using cutting edge infiltration tactics. The Italian soldiers were not allowed to retreat until too late, and in the end hundreds of thousands would surrender. After Caporetto the top Italian general was fired and replaced by someone far more competent, who managed to turn the war around for the Italians. In Isonzo, it’s a more fair fight where both sides have an equal chance of winning, if they can use all the tactical options available better than their opponents.
The release will also bring other improvements to the game, including a prestige mode and higher level cap. Additionally, for those who want more options for visual customization of their character, the Royal Units DLC is releasing alongside the free expansion and contains uniforms from the German Kingdoms of Bavaria and Württemberg. Though part of the German Empire, these states had their own distinctive uniforms which we’ve carefully recreated with the same accuracy and attention to detail as with the other uniforms in the game.
The Battle for Caporetto Begins…
Isonzo is available right now on the Microsoft Store for Xbox, and the free Caporetto expansion is out today! Plenty of time to master the art of mountain warfare before the German Empire joins the action on the Italian Front. Follow us to get the latest development news as we add the finishing touches!
We’ll see you in the trenches!
Isonzo
BlackMill Games
$29.99
World War One expands to the mountains of the Italian Front – beautiful but deadly in equal measure. Inspired by the two year struggle for control of the Isonzo river valley and the Alps during World War One, Isonzo elevates the WW1 Games Series, figuratively and literally.
From the makers of Verdun and Tannenberg…
Take part in historical offensives from the Sixth Battle of the Isonzo to the Strafexpedition. Reflecting the course of the actual battles, as the attackers advance the fighting will shift through vastly different landscapes within a single offensive: from hillside fortresses to mountain trenches and fierce urban combat on city streets. Everything is recreated based on research and field trips, from sound effects and uniforms down to the houses, vineyards and trenches you’ll be fighting over.
The new Offensive game mode puts you right in the middle of key historical offensives on the Italian Front. Lead the charge across stunning Italian landscapes as you choose your path to victory – cut paths through barbed wire, flank your enemies by following mountain trails, or man a mortar to blast a way through. Shape a dynamic battlefield by laying sandbags and wire, placing ammo crates, deploying trench periscopes or sniper shields, and more.
Call in support with a unique historically accurate flare system: flare guns can mark targets for artillery or biplane flybys, or different colored flares can be used to guide your team. Once the big guns have softened up the enemy, finish the job at close quarters with an Arditi dagger or mountaineer’s pickaxe. Man heavy machine guns, mortars and even mountain guns for more direct fire support.
Choose from six classes based on historical combat roles and build your loadout from a selection of weapons, equipment and perks linked to that class, giving flexibility and variety while staying grounded in what real soldiers might have carried. You’ll be operating wire cutters, bandaging yourself and wounded teammates, and blowing the whistle to start an assault. One shot can kill and even lighter injuries can lead to quickly bleeding out.
Being an effective soldier in Isonzo is not just about being a good marksman. Mastering the terrain is also key – the mountain can be a friend or foe. Learn how to navigate well to maintain cover and surprise your enemies or support your allies.
Finally… watch out for the dreaded poison gas. You’ve never experienced WW1 action quite like this!
Isonzo key features include:
• MOUNTAIN WARFARE: Assaulting mountain fortifications, battling through ruined towns, and fording rivers are just a few of the challenges you’ll face as you fight your way through numerous enemy positions
• TACTICAL MULTIPLAYER FPS: Choose your role and loadout carefully to survive this high altitude combat – play a sniper to pick off the enemy engineers before they can cut your wire, use rifle grenades to clear enemy machine guns, and much more
• WORLD WAR ONE GAMEPLAY: Historical Offensive game mode based on real battles and focused on the unique challenges of Alpine warfare. Fight with 30+ WW1 weapons, poisonous gas attacks, and intense artillery barrages
• BUILD FOR VICTORY: Place your own wire, sandbags, trench periscopes, and more! Whether you’re digging in or on the attack, shaping the battlefield to your advantage will be key to victory
• FACES OF WAR: Make every class your own by picking from a variety of historically class-appropriate uniforms, accessories and headgear. As a finishing touch, you can even pick your mustache from several famous period-accurate styles!
• AUTHENTIC WW1 ATMOSPHERE: Accuracy in everything from maps and weaponry to music and the uniforms – fight for the Kingdom of Italy, the German Empire or the Austro-Hungarian Dual Monarchy
MORE GAMES IN THE AUTHENTIC WW1 GAME SERIES
Immerse yourself in more WW1 action with our other standalone titles Tannenberg and Verdun. Experience trench warfare on the Western Front in Verdun, or maneuver for control of key sectors in Tannenberg on the Eastern Front. These authentic WW1 shooters let players choose from a range of squads from across the war, as they fight for control of the ever-changing frontlines.
GAMES
Transport Fever 2: Console Edition is Bringing the Full Transport Tycoon Experience to Xbox
Today, we proudly share a sneak peek into the development of Transport Fever 2: Console Edition, and how we managed to bring the full transport tycoon experience to Xbox.
Transport Fever is a very popular and highly rated transportation tycoon franchise on PC. Its latest entry, Transport Fever 2, delivers a level of size and detail never before seen in the genre. The goal of the game is to build a successful transportation company by constructing railroads, streets, water and air lines. Starting in the 19th century, the player connects towns and industries to transport both passengers and cargo. In addition to a customizable free game mode, there is also a fully-fledged campaign mode with challenging missions set in real-world transportation history.
After the huge success of Transport Fever 2 on PC, it was only logical to bring the experience to consoles as well. Not only that, but no efforts were spared to give the console community the full experience that made the game great on PC. In order to achieve this, the engineers at Urban Games had to pull some rabbits out of their engineers’ hats.
Always providing the freshest layer of paint
One of the most cherished features of Transport Fever 2 are its highly detailed vehicles. The game comes with more than 200 lovingly hand-modeled trains, ships, and airplanes, each sporting multiple 4k textures and normal maps.
On PC, it is easily affordable to have all the models and textures in memory whenever needed, as a typical rig has 16 GB of RAM and a GPU with a dedicated extra memory. Consoles, however, are built differently. They have a unified architecture with an overall smaller amount but ultra-fast memory. The key to make it work on consoles is texture streaming, which allows to clear textures of models that are not in view anymore. Moreover, this technology is used in Transport Fever 2 to constantly load textures at the highest affordable resolution to present the stars of the show, like the classic Class A 3/5 steam locomotive, in their best coat of paint at all times.
Keeping the ground like a console pro
A trademark of Transport Fever 2 are its huge maps. During development of the game, it was always paramount to provide a real sense of scale. The engine should allow for maps where a high-speed train, such as the famous Japanese Shinkansen, can really make use of its superior speed. So, a lot of effort was put into designing a highly effective terrain rendering pipeline that can handle maps of more than 120 sq miles of size with a detail resolution of almost 1 yard. Central to this is a dynamic terrain tessellation algorithm on the CPU that, while costing a bit of extra memory, makes sure the engine can render these maps on a wide variety of PCs.
Now, enter the world of consoles with their incredibly well-designed GPUs and graphic APIs. Here, the hardware can be leveraged very well for terrain rendering by making use of the GPU tessellation feature. This feature generates the render mesh for the terrain fully on the graphics card, saving valuable processing time for the complex economy and city growth simulations. While generating more triangles, the hardware approach still costs less memory overall due to its efficiency. So vast maps can be viewed from a bird’s view high up in the sky and seamlessly zoomed in down to individual rocks on a riverbank.
Inspiring the inner architect
Finally, let’s talk about constructions, a central and defining part of the Transport Fever 2 experience. Constructions are large assemblies that consist of dozens of assets, street segments, ground decals and terrain modifications. Think of structures like airports, train stations, docks, highway crossings, and many more. Anything that is needed to build a vast transportation empire.
For a smooth construction experience, it is key that the player really feels that he has precise control over the building placement. On PC, constructions are typically built using the mouse. As the average PC user is very well adjusted to this method of input, it is sufficiently performant to calculate the entire construction each frame and place it under the cursor. However, on consoles, the best way of building constructions is to have them always kept in the center of the screen and move the camera along the map for placement. And moving the camera needs to be as smooth as silk.
So, for the console release of Transport Fever 2, the construction preview pipeline was overhauled. All dynamic calculations are now performed in the background while a static preview of the structure and its underlying ground plan are shown. Not only are constructions now completely stable in terms of FPS, but they also give feedback to the player on what environment features the construction would tear down when built.
Let’s get tycooning on console
We are very excited to bring the Transport Fever franchise to consoles for the first time ever with the release of Transport Fever 2: Console Edition on Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One in February 2023, and we hope you will enjoy it as much as we did developing it.
Whiteboard Friday Recap 2023: AI Edition
Google Merchant Center Automatically Creating Promotions
Google Bug Sends Notice To Some Advertisers That Their Ad Accounts Were Suspended
Google Discusses Fixing 404 Errors From Inbound Links
No Estimate To Share For Completion Of Google November Core & Reviews Updates
3 Questions About AI in Content: What? So What? Now What?
Is Alt Text A Ranking Factor For Google Image Search?
Musk regrets controversial post but won’t bow to advertiser ‘blackmail’
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10 Advanced Tips for Crafting Engaging Social Content Strategies
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MARKETING6 days agoWhiteboard Friday Recap 2023: AI Edition
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