A crazy week of major game presentations is behind us. As we can finally catch our breath, we've gathered a few interesting industry and gaming topics that flew under the radar. Amazon is still considering the future of gaming projects related to The Lord of the Rings, Xbox is trying to clarify its new exclusivity policy, Ninja Theory has abandoned Project Mara, and James Bond is already one of the biggest commercial successes for IO Interactive.
Amazon still wants to create a new game based on The Lord of the Rings, but the project currently lacks a concrete shape. According to statements from Amazon, the company is currently "evaluating various concepts," which means that it is still considering what type of game would best suit that franchise. It has been mentioned that an interesting prototype was recently shown, but there is still no confirmation of the genre, team, platforms, or estimated release date.
Ninja Theory has confirmed that it is no longer working on Project Mara, the experimental horror project that was first introduced back in 2020. The studio is now turning to a new game related to Senua and expanding the Hellblade series. Studio head Dom Matthews stated that the decision was not easy, but the goal is to gather the entire team around one larger project that will feature more combat, exploration, puzzles, and more classic action-adventure elements.
Xbox has once again tried to clarify its exclusivity policy. After a period in which numerous Microsoft games were released on other platforms, Xbox is now stating that players can expect a "reliable line" of exclusive titles. Gears of War: E-Day and Clockwork Revolution are cited as examples of games that will not be released on competing consoles, while larger live service titles like Call of Duty will continue to be treated differently.
However, Xbox will not solve everything with one rule. Exclusivity will be decided on a case-by-case basis, depending on the type of game, previous agreements, business goals, and player expectations. This means that some games will remain tied to the Xbox ecosystem, while others will still be released on multiple platforms. In practice, Microsoft is trying to find a balance between expanding its audience and preserving reasons to buy an Xbox console.
007 First Light continues to achieve excellent results. The game has reportedly sold 2.7 million copies in its first week, and estimates suggest that it is likely already close to three million. For IO Interactive, this is a significant success, especially since it is the studio's first major game outside the Hitman series in a long time. James Bond has thus proven to be an exceptionally strong return to the world of video games.
The future of James Bond games, however, could look different. Future titles based on this license will be overseen by MGM and Amazon Game Studios, as Amazon now controls the rights to the franchise. IO Interactive was able to independently release 007 First Light because the agreement was made earlier, but it is not yet entirely clear whether the studio will retain the same role for potential sequels. Amazon has stated that they have a good relationship with IO Interactive, but specific plans have not yet been confirmed.
Nintendo Switch 2 in Japan has recorded a significant weekly drop in sales following the previous spike caused by announced price corrections. Sales fell by 87 percent, to 31,751 consoles sold in the week, after customers rushed to buy the console before the price increase. Such a drop does not necessarily indicate a long-term problem, but rather a correction after an unusually strong sales period.
Gran Turismo 7 continues with regular free support. The latest update brings version 1.70 and five new cars: Ferrari 499P, Porsche 963, BMW M Hybrid V8, Peugeot 9X8, and Porsche 911 Turbo S Safety Car. Polyphony Digital continues to expand the game's content years after its release, and Gran Turismo 7 remains one of the best examples of long-term support for PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4 titles.
