Xbox has released many games throughout the many different editions of the console itself and has had a life span that has lasted decades (and will continue to go on). It is important to remember that there are a few games that may very well have you wanting to frequent your nearest casino or reach for an online version to quench your casino thirst.

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The gaming wars are heating up after the Microsoft purchase of Activision Blizzard as all the big boys realize they need a video game play.

Netflix is making it clear that they won’t be left behind:

That’s a tall task for Netflix, which is building its gaming unit from scratch. Netflix chief operating officer Greg Peters said Thursday the company plans to license “large game” intellectual property that “people will recognize” later this year. Hastings added Netflix will use its “walk, crawl, run” strategy around gaming, where it purposefully grows the business gradually to learn about user habits and use resources efficiently.

Co-chief executive officer Reed Hastings, saying that Netflix intends to “amaze” its members . . . let’s see if they meet that high standard.

Streaming powerhouse Netflix will be entering the video game business. Expect to see this in 2022 in the US as the company is already rolling this out in European markets.

Netflix has hired former Electronic Arts and Facebook executive, Mike Verdu, as vice president of game development, to lead this important strategic initiative. The company sees gaming as one of its biggest competitors, and this also offers an opportunity to differentiate itself from the likes of HBO Max.

At this time the company does not intend to charge an additional fee to access games.

Where has the time gone?

Grand Theft Auto III turns 20 and a whole generation of gamers start to feel their age. The Ringer has an excellent look back at this influential game from Rockstar Games, citing how it “set a new standard for open-world video games.”

Many of the friends and loved ones that were unable to leave their homes for fear of infection, or who had lost their friends and family in the pandemic, have found solace in online games. Their social circles are limited by physical proximity, but they can still be social beings as long as they stay logged into their favorite online game. You might think this is just a temporary comfort measure until people can get out into the world again, but you would be wrong. The people I talked to say that they don’t want to leave behind all those relationships they’ve forged with other players while playing these games; many of them find it more comforting than talking with other survivors who never played these games before.

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