Microsoft’s Minecraft franchise and the apparel company Puma appear to be teaming up for something. A teaser video posted today hints at a forthcoming partnership between the hugely popular gaming franchise and the German athletic apparel company.

In the teaser video, an ocelot from Minecraft chases a creeper, ending with the ocelot jumping into position to match the Puma logo. “We can’t wait to reveal more,” the developer said.

Watch while we leap into a new collaboration with @PUMA coming soon! #PUMAxMinecraft pic.twitter.com/hVciHRJslU

— Minecraft (@Minecraft) January 21, 2022

That’s all there is to go on for this collaboration, so we’ll have to wait to learn more. But Puma would become just the latest big-name brand to work with Microsoft on the Minecraft series.

The franchise has previously welcome skins from mega-franchises like The Simpsons and Star Wars, as well as Mass Effect and Skyrim, among many, many others.

Minecraft was in the news recently when it became the first video game franchise ever to pass 1 trillion views on YouTube. The series remains immensely popular and continues to receive big new updates, the most recent of which was Caves and Cliffs in December.

The series is becoming a film, with Peter Sollett (Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist) directing. Minecraft has also been making headlines recently as part of Microsoft’s proposed acquisition of Activision Blizzard. Microsoft didn’t stop publishing Minecraft on PlayStation when it acquired the series, and Microsoft will continue to put Call of Duty on PlayStation even after the buyout.

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After Spheal starred in the latest Pokemon Go Community Day last weekend, a bonus second Community Day–called Community Day Classic–is coming this weekend, spotlighting the very first Pokemon in the Pokedex.

Bulbasaur is the star of the Community Day Classic, which runs 2 PM-5 PM local time on January 22. Along with increased chances to catch the Seed Pokemon, any Ivysaurs that evolve into Venusaur either during the event or up to two hours afterward will learn the powerful Grass-type move Frenzy Plant.

🌱 It starts with #001.
Return to the roots of Community Day during the Season of Heritage! As a special treat, we’ll be holding Community Day Classic and bringing back a favorite: 🍃 Bulbasaur! 🍃
📝 Read more here: https://t.co/cCg71zui4t pic.twitter.com/73KKXpqmvP

— Pokémon GO (@PokemonGoApp) January 4, 2022

A limited-time Community Day Special Research Story called “Bulbasaur Community Day Classic” will be available to purchase for $1. No specific details are known about the research tasks or rewards, but tickets are available to pre-purchase now for those who are interested anyway. Other Bulbasaur Community Day perks include:

Triple Catch XP for each Pokemon caughtIncense activated during the event will last three hours instead of 30 minutesLure Modules activated during the event will also last three hours instead of 30 minutesSome Snapshots taken during the event will have “a surprise”

Finally, the Item Shop will have two Community Day specials running throughout the event. Not only will 30 Ultra Balls be offered for free, but a special one-time-purchase Community Day Box will be available for 1,280 PokeCoins. The special bundle will include 50 Ultra Balls, five Lucky Eggs, five Star Pieces, and one Elite Charged TM.

The event is the second Pokemon Go Community Day in a week, after a Spheal-themed event took place January 16. This Community Day also marks the first time Bulbasaur has been celebrated via the monthly event since March 2018, during what was the third-ever Community Day event.

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With fab expansions on tap across the entire semiconductor industry, Intel today is laying out their own plans for significantly increasing their production capacity by announcing their intention to build a new $20 billion fab complex in Ohio. With the paperwork already inked and construction set to begin in late 2022, Intel will be building two new leading-edge fabs in their new Ohio location to support future chip needs. And should further demand call for it, the Ohio complex has space to house several more fabs.

Intel’s announcement follows ongoing concerns about chip fab capacity and national security, as like other chip fabs, Intel is looking to expand their capacity in future years amidst the current chip crunch. All the while, the United States government has become increasingly mindful about how much chip production takes place in geopolitically tricky Taiwan, placing additional pressure on firms to build additional fabs within the US. To that end, Intel has been not-so-secretly undertaking a search to find a good location for a new fab campus, and they have finally found their answer in Ohio.

The new site, Intel’s first new manufacturing site location in 40 years, is located in New Albany, Ohio, just outside of Columbus. Up until now, all of Intel’s major chip fab sites have been in the western United States – Oregon, Arizona, and at one point, Silicon Valley – so the Ohio site is a significant move for the company. All told, the Ohio “mega-site”, as Intel likes to call it, covers nearly 1000 acres. And while Intel is only initially planning for two fabs, the site offers plenty of room to grow, offering enough space for a total of 8 fabs.

The immediate goal of the company – and the crux of today’s announcement – revolves around the building of two new leading-edge fabs at the Ohio location. According to Intel, these two fabs will begin construction late this year, with production coming online in 2025. The company isn’t formally stating what the initial process node will be – instead saying that it will be using the “industry’s most advanced transistor technologies” – however if the company is indeed building truly bleeding-edge fabs, then 2025 lines up with Intel’s 18A process, which will be 4 generations newer than what Intel is using now (Intel 7).

Altogether, Intel expects the project to cost about $20 billion, which is similar to what Intel will be spending for its two new Arizona fabs, which were announced just under a year ago. And further down the line, should Intel opt to fill the rest of the property with the other 6 fabs that the site can support, the company expects that the total price tag could reach nearly $100 billion. Ultimately, the company is making it clear that they are priming the site not just to met their mid-term production needs with the initial two fabs, but are making sure to have the space ready for further capacity expansion over the long-term.

As to whether Intel eventually builds those further 6 fabs, that will depend on a few factors. Key among these will be demand from Intel Foundry Services clients; while Intel will be using some of the Ohio site’s capacity for their own needs, the site will also be used to fab chips for IFS customers. If Intel’s bid to break into the contract fab business is successful, and the company is able to woo over additional clients/orders, then they will need to build additional fabs to meet that demand.

Also hanging in the balance is what the US Government opts for, both in terms of orders and incentives. The Ohio fabs will be used for domestic production of sensitive chips, as the US looks to secure its supply lines. Meanwhile the CHIPS for America Act and its 53 billion in incentives will also be a. Intel for its part isn’t playing coy about its interest in the CHIPS money, explicitly stating that “The scope and pace of Intel’s expansion in Ohio, however, will depend heavily on funding from the CHIPS Act”. In some respects Intel is taking a bit of a gamble by investing in the Ohio location before any CHIPS funding is approved – on a pure cost basis, overseas production is traditionally cheaper – so there is certainly a political element in announcing these fabs and selecting an Ohio location. And as an added incentive to the US Government, Pat Gelsinger has told Time that Intel would even be interested in bringing some chip packaging, assembly, and testing back to the US if the CHIPS Act were funded, which in turn would allow Intel to do every last step of production within the US.

But more immediately, Intel’s focus is on getting its first two Ohio fabs up and running. Along with building the facilities they’ll need a workforce to operate them, and as a result the company is also pledging $100M over a decade in funding for local educational efforts. As with similar local industry efforts, that investment would be focused on helping local colleges and universities establish semiconductor manufacturing curricula to help train the technical workforce required.

And while outside of Intel’s own investment scope, the creation of their Ohio fab complex means that Intel’s suppliers are also coming along for the ride. According to the company, Air Products, Applied Materials, LAM Research and Ultra Clean Technology have all indicated that they’ll be setting up facilities in the area. All of which the company is using to further underscore the size of the project and the value it brings to the area – and why they deserve that CHIPS Act funding.

Ultimately, the addition of a third US fab site and two more fabs to Intel’s portfolio is the latest step Intel has taken under Pat Gelsinger’s IDM 2.0 strategy. Gelsinger opted to go all-in on having Intel fab chips for themselves and others, and this is the kind of expansion that Gelsinger has been alluding to as necessary to make IDM 2.0 a reality. Taken altogether, Intel now has 4 leading-edge fabs set to come online in the 2024-2025 timeframe, and with any luck on Intel’s part, there will be room for several more to come.

Source: Intel

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The Xbox 20th Anniversary Controller was a hot commodity when it arrived last year, but Amazon is now offering it at its lowest price ever. It’s not much of a discount, but you can now pick up the sleek gamepad for $65–down from its usual price of $70.

When it launched last November, there was hardly a retailer that could keep the limited-edition controller in stock. Things have slowed down in the ensuing months, although we’re not sure how long it’ll last on Amazon with its new price point.

It’s not currently on sale, but Amazon also has the matching Xbox 20th Anniversary Headset in stock for $70.

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Elden Ring doesn’t arrive until February 25, but Newegg is giving you a chance to scoop it up at a $10 discount. The preorder deal only applies to digital copies of Elden Ring’s Deluxe Edition on Xbox, but this is the first price cut we’ve seen for a console version of the highly anticipated title.

To earn the full discount, you’ll need to add the Xbox version of Elden Ring: Deluxe Edition to your shopping cart and apply promo code EMCBN2A25. This will slash the price to $70, down from its usual listing of $80. Newegg is only running the promotion until January 23, so make sure to check it out before it’s gone.

If you’re a longtime fan of From Software, the Deluxe Edition of Elden Ring isn’t a bad deal (especially at its newly discounted price). Aside from the main game, you’ll get a digital artbook and an original soundtrack. Preordering will also net you the Adventure Guide (which contains useful information about the Lands Between) and an in-game bonus gesture.

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The Xbox Series S is on sale for $20 off at Woot (an Amazon-owned company). This is the first actual discount we’ve seen on the Series S since launching more than a year ago. The deal is only available for the rest of the day or until it sells out. It’s very likely that it will sell out, so you’ll want to act fast.

While the Xbox Series X remains extremely difficult to find in stock at major retailers, the Series S has been readily available for the past few weeks. However, it’s unlikely we’ll see the Series S for less than $280 any time soon.

The Series S is a digital-only console that offers excellent performance for the price, though it doesn’t offer true 4K visuals. Instead, it upscales to 1440p. That said, the Series S is a great machine to pair with an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription.

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While it may have had a strong start, Battlefield 2042’s performance issues, XP progression, and a moderate amount of available content have seen a declining player count for the near-future military shooter.

According to industry insider Tom Henderson, EA has been “very disappointed” with the game’s market performance and is considering implementing some form of free-to-play capacity within Battlefield 2042.

“EA is reportedly very disappointed with how Battlefield 2042 has performed and is ‘looking at all the options’ when it comes to the title, this is including looking at free-to-play in some capacity,” Henderson tweeted.

EA is reportedly very disappointed with how Battlefield 2042 has performed and is “looking at all the options” when it comes to the title, this is including looking at Free to Play in some capacity.
I’ll have more on this tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/WWuDpstyqS

— Tom Henderson (@_Tom_Henderson_) January 20, 2022

It’s worth noting that while Battlefield 2042 was 2021’s fifth best-selling game in the US, EA has so far kept quiet on exact numbers for the title. This week has seen some substantial content drop for the game though, as the new 3.2 update went live and added a refreshed scoreboard UI that fans had been requesting since launch. Battlefield 2042 players can also dive into a community-made mode called Zombie Survival and fight back against the undead hordes until January 27.

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According to multiple insiders, the next Dragon Age game will not be released in 2022. Neither EA nor BioWare ever said it would be, but the reports give an indication as to when fans might get to play one of the next big RPGs in development at the esteemed studio.

Insider Tom Henderson wrote on Twitter: “A source with knowledge of EA’s plans has said there’s ‘no chance’ that Dragon Age 4 will release in 2022.”

A source with knowledge of EA’s plans has said there’s “no chance” that Dragon Age 4 will release in 2022. pic.twitter.com/gFgBYvBmET

— Tom Henderson (@_Tom_Henderson_) January 20, 2022

Reporter Jeff Grubb backed this up in a report, saying Summer 2023 is the “earliest possible timeframe” for when the game might be released, “and even that is a vague hope more than a real target.”

Neither EA nor BioWare have ever given any indication as to when the next Dragon Age might be released, and that remains to be the case. But 2022 never seemed likely for the game to release.

EA reportedly decided to remove all multiplayer from the game and may have ditched live-service elements. The game has a focus on single-player, BioWare said in December 2021.

Dragon Age 4 will be set in Tevinter, but that’s almost all we know about it. The game’s senior creative director left the project in 2021.

The new Dragon Age is one of multiple games in the works at BioWare right now. The studio is also building the next Mass Effect game–check out some teaser art here.

And at a higher level, BioWare management has said it is trying to rebuild its reputation and has promised the company will only release the “highest quality” games in the future.

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Call of Duty has been the best-selling video game series in the US for 13 years in a row now, but despite that, there have reportedly been discussions about no longer releasing the series annually.

According to a report from Bloomberg, “high-level employees have discussed moving away from the annual release schedule…” as part of Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard. Nothing is set in stone as of yet, but the report said “there’s a belief among many Call of Duty developers that releasing games at a slower cadence will please players and help bolster the franchise.”

This change could happen in 2023, or potentially later, the report said. 2022’s new Call of Duty game, which is said to be a sequel to Infinity Ward’s hugely popular Modern Warfare reboot, is poised to “redeem the franchise’s fortunes,” Bloomberg’s report said.

“Slowing down the Call of Duty release schedule may lighten developers’ intense workloads and could provide new opportunities for Activision’s gamemakers to work on other titles,” the report said.

The Call of Duty series debuted in 2003 and took a year off in 2004 before returning with Call of Duty 2 in 2005. After that, Activision released a new game every year since. The entire series has sold more than 400 million premium units, which only represents a fraction of the franchise’s money-making opportunities. Call of Duty: Warzone, the free-to-play battle royale game, is a major revenue-driver, while Call of Duty: Mobile is a massive juggernaut as well.

The Call of Duty franchise has a three-year development cycle for each new installment, rotating between Infinity Ward, Sledgehammer, and Treyarch taking development duties with the support of other teams like Raven and High Moon, among others.

The latest release was Call of Duty: Vanguard, which was 2021’s best-selling game overall in the US. The second best-selling game of 2021 was also a Call of Duty game, Black Ops Cold War. And as mentioned, the Call of Duty series is the best-selling game franchise for dollar sales for 13 years in a row in the US.

There is clearly a business case to be made for releasing a new Call of Duty game every year, but that might not be the only factor at play after Microsoft takes over, if the deal goes through.

When Microsoft announced its intent to buy Activision Blizzard, many wondered if the Call of Duty series would become exclusive to Xbox. Phil Spencer, the new head of Microsoft Gaming, released a statement that suggested Call of Duty will continue to be released on PlayStation, not unlike how Microsoft still releases new Minecraft games and experiences on competing consoles despite owning the franchise. Spencer said this was Microsoft’s “desire,” and his words do not outright confirm anything specific.

Had good calls this week with leaders at Sony. I confirmed our intent to honor all existing agreements upon acquisition of Activision Blizzard and our desire to keep Call of Duty on PlayStation. Sony is an important part of our industry, and we value our relationship.

— Phil Spencer (@XboxP3) January 20, 2022

Microsoft’s deal to buy Activision Blizzard is expected to go through in Microsoft’s FY2023, which means sometime between July 2022-June 2023.

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We’re slowly learning more and more about the upcoming Witch Queen expansion for Destiny 2, and each new info drop means we’re a little closer to the end of the Season of the Lost. That means there are fewer and fewer opportunities to capitalize on Xur’s inventory of Exotics and Legendaries before the new expansion kicks off. Here’s where you can find Xur this weekend and what Exotics he’s selling.

Xur arrives in the solar system on Friday morning, so we’ll update this article as soon as he arrives with everything you need to know.

Xur is present every weekend in Destiny 2, starting with the daily reset at 9 AM PT / 12 PM ET each Friday. His exact location is always a mystery when he first arrives, as he is not listed on the map, and for novice players, he can be easy to miss. However, there are a set number of locations where he takes up residence, including the Tower Hangar area, on Nessus in Watcher’s Grave, and in the Winding Cove area of the EDZ.

Alongside changes in his location, Xur’s inventory also rotates weekly. That means it’s worth visiting him each time to check out his new weapons and rolls on Exotic and Legendary armor. You can visit him any time between his arrival Friday and the weekly reset at 9 AM PT / 12 PM ET the following Tuesday when Xur departs the solar system.

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