The Jampack Report: Gaming News Podcast

With a 2021 acquisition of ZeniMax Media set for approval in the first part of 2021, Phil Spencer says that Bethesda's teams are going to be critical to Xbox's progress and is excited for the acquisition so that both Microsoft and Bethesda can "start working like one company." 2020's acqiusition announcement garnered a mixed response; while Xbox fans were excited about a more robust first-party de...

Alongside an already packed lineup of releases including Shadow Warrior 3, Olija, Loop Hero, and more, Devolver Digital has revealed that there are an additional 5 unannounced titles planned for release in the new year ahead!  Here are today's stories:  - Devolver Digital Teases Five Unannounced Games for Next Year - Koei Tecmo Shuts Down Forums Following Data Hack - January's PlayStatio...

Respawn Entertainment, the team behind Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, Apex Legends, and the Titanfall franchise, is staffing up for another new IP. This news comes from a new job listing on their website for a Generalist Software Engineer. This new hire will be joining the New IP Incubation Team "being formed to develop a brand new IP." Here are today's stories:  - Respawn seems to be working...

After three years since its announcement, PlatinumGames' Hideki Kamiya has confirmed in an interview with Famitsu that Bayonetta 3 development is "going very well" while Project G.G. has officially started development. Here are today's stories:  - PlatinumGames' Hideki Kamiya Confirms Status Of Bayonetta 3 And Project G.G. - Joey Ferris, GameXplain comments - Xbox One Game Unexpectedly Cancel...

Internationally, gaming now generates more money than movies and sports combined with an estimated total of $197.7 billion dollars projected by the end of the year. While it's unclear if this growth will continue, these new heights come during a year where movies and sporting events have declined drastically during a global pandemic.  Here are today's stories:  - Games Are Now Making Mor...

CD Projekt Red's latest hotfix for Cyberpunk 2077 is live across consoles and PC, adding stability to the console versions on PS4 and Xbox One while fixing a game-breaking 8MB limitation for save file sizes on PC - while still not retroactively fixing broken game saves for those already impacted.  Here are today's stories:  - New Cyberpunk 2077 update targets PC save file corruption bug...

After rumors arose yet again that the Xbox One version of Halo Infinite had been cancelled, 343 Community Manager John Junyszek took to twitter to deny the claims. These rumors come after a LinkedIn profile was found that listed only next-gen and PC versions of the title on the listing.  Here are today's stories:  - Halo Infinite’s developer again denies it’s cancelling the Xbox One vers...

Ahead of its release next year, Gran Turismo 7 head Kazunori Yamauchi has said that the team at Polyphony Digital will make "no concessions" on their next title, promising to deliver the best to everyone. Here are today's stories:  - Gran Turismo 7 head claims he’ll make ‘no concessions’ on detail for PS5 - Nintendo Switch is “halfway through its life” according to Nintendo boss - Among Us is...

After the messy release of Cyberpunk 2077, a new article from the New York Times shares that CD Projekt Red may face a class action lawsuit over "misrepresentation in order to obtain financial benefits". Here are today's stories:  - Cyberpunk 2077 Studio Could Be Facing Possible Lawsuit - GOG advises Cyberpunk 2077 players to "keep a lower amount of items" to avoid corrupting save files - Con...

After a rollercoaster of a release, Cyberpunk 2077 has been removed from sale on the PlayStation Store and Sony has begun offering refunds for CD Projekt Red's open-world RPG. The developer has come under fire this week after releasing a broken and incomplete last-generation version of their newest title, damaging what has otherwise been a pristine reputation since the success of The Witcher 3: Wi...

Nintendo of America president Doug Bowser shared that the company has been working with consumers experiencing drifting in their Joy-Con controllers to learn more about the issues and investigate potential solutions. While players are able to send their Joy-Con in for repair or replacement, this statement comes after years of complaints from players around the world of faulty hardware impacting th...

Originally planned to launch yesterday, EA Play's inclusion in Xbox Game Pass for PC has been delayed until 2021. Announced in an Xbox Wire post, the team stated that they "need more time to provide the Xbox Game Pass experience" for the new addition. EA Play is currently out on the console version of Xbox Game Pass and is included in the service's Ultimate subscription tier.  Here are today'...

As it turns out, actor Vin Diesel has a larger role in Ark 2 than just being the star of Studio Wildcard's newest title. Along with starring as Santiago, Vin Diesel has also been brought on as Studio Wildcard's President of Creative Convergence and Executive Producer on Ark 2. Here are today's stories:  - Vin Diesel Doesn't Just Appear in Ark 2, He's Also Its Executive Producer - OpenCritic w...

Cyberpunk 2077 has become one of the most divisive games since No Man's Sky. While CD Projekt Red's newest title runs well on high-end PCs, players on consoles are left with a version of the game that ranges from "much to be desired" to "false advertising" depending on the console version that they are running. Work is being done, patches and updates are on the way, but inflated expectations from...

The Game Awards 2020 were hosted on December 10, bringing plenty of announcements alongside a slew of awards recognizing the achievements of developers across the industry during an incredibly challenging year. New announcements ranged from The Initiative's new Perfect Dark remake to slightly more information on Dragon Age and Mass Effect, but plenty of other titles saw time in the limelight. The...

Cyberpunk 2077 has broken Steam's single player concurrent player count at launch, hitting a record-setting 1,003,264 players. The original record was held by Fallout 4 with 472,962 players during its launch in 2015.  Here are today's stories:  - Cyberpunk 2077 has over a million concurrent players on Steam - Xbox Cloud Gaming with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate coming to PC and iOS in Spring 2...

After facing a delay following a lackluster reveal in July, 343 Industries' "Halo Infinite" will now be launching sometime in Fall 2021 - a date very close to the 20th anniversary of the launch of Halo: Combat Evolved.  Here are today's stories:  - Halo Infinite is officially launching fall 2021 - Bungie confirms Destiny 2 crossplay is coming in 2021 - It looks like Ubisoft's Prince of P...

A new trailer showcasing upcoming PS5 console exclusives has shared more about exclusivity periods coming to major titles. Deathloop and Ghostwire: Tokyo will remain exclusive to PS5 for one year while Square Enix's "Project Athia" will be a PS5 console exclusive for "at least 24 months" while also releasing on PC.  Here are today's stories:  - Square Enix’s Project Athia Is Console Excl...

Gaming journalist Jeff Grubb claimed during a GamesBeat video stream that an announcement is coming from the team at Microsoft during The Game Awards. The show will be hosted on December 10 at 3:30pm PT/6:30pm ET. Here are today's stories:  - Xbox will reportedly make an announcement at The Game Awards next week - Oscar Isaac to star as Solid Snake in Metal Gear Solid film - Neil Druckmann Be...

BioWare General Manager Casey Hudson and Dragon Age Executive Producer Mark Darrah are retiring from BioWare. While statements seek to calm fans who may be concerned, this is still a large shift at a studio leading some of the most anticipated games of the next 5 years.  Here are today's stories:  - Mass Effect and Dragon Age leads leave BioWare - God of War Kratos Skin Available Now in...

During Microsoft's annual shareholder meeting, CEO Satya Nadella shared more about Microsoft's strategy in the gaming space, saying that the company is "very, very much focused on gaming" and is "very excited" about the new console launches that have hit markets around the world in the past month. Here are today's stories:  - Microsoft’s CEO says the company is ‘very, very much focused on gam...

Halo Community Director Brian Jarrard took to Twitter to address resurging rumors that a battle royale element is on the way for Halo Infinite, saying that the rumors are "unfounded" while also reminding the community that a year-end update is currently in the works.  Here are today's stories:  - Halo community manager says battle royale rumor is 'unfounded' - Xbox Game Pass adds Doom Et...

Head of Xbox Phil Spencer applauded Sony's DualSense controller in a recent interview with The Verge, saying that all companies should take notes from the competition to create new innovation and build a stronger industry.  Here are today's stories:  - Phil Spencer Seems To Be A Fan Of The PS5’s DualSense Controller - Leaked PlayStation Research Explains That Single-Player Games are Thri...

While previously acknowledged, Bungie CEO Pete Parsons has shared that new Bungie games have been in development for three years. Starting as "incubation" projects, the initial goal wasn't to create new internationally-renowned IP, but to harness creativity and cohesion within the development team. As it turns out, some of those projects are actually showing promise.  Here are today's stories...

Sony has announced that the PlayStation 5 has surpassed the PlayStation 4 to become both the biggest PlayStation launch and the biggest console launch of all time. While no definitive figures have been shared, the success of the PS5 is already clear.  Here are today's stories:  - PS5 is biggest console launch in history - PSVR patent points toward a new PS5-related headset - 'Marvel's Av...