Phil Spencer acknowledged yesterday that COVID-19 might impact game releases for the Xbox Series X's scheduled launch later this year, though the console itself is expected to launch on time. ...
According to an update given to GameIndustry.biz today, the leaker(s) responsible for the massive The Last of Us Part II leaks did not come from Sony or Naughty Dog.
This goes against many of the internet rumors, Reddit threads, and forum chatter swirling around the leaks.
Sony's statement to GameIndustry.biz confirms that they have identified the primary individuals responsible for the deluge of leaks, and that the information is currently subject to an ongoing investigation.
May 4 is right around the corner, and that's a big deal for Star Wars fans. May 4 is "May the 4th be with you," and it usually means we get new Star Wars merchandise to buy and perhaps even a sneak peek at what is coming next for Star Wars movies and television series. Hasbro jumped the gun a little today with new Star Wars reveals falling into what it is calling "Fan First Friday."
Following the unauthorised release of extensive The Last of Us Part 2 footage onto the internet earlier this week, Sony says it has identified the persons responsible.
Video footage showing cutscenes and gameplay - including several pivotal plot sequences - appeared on YouTube and Reddit over the weekend, and while Sony was quick to move, pulling the offending material citing copyright concerns, the damage was already done.
In a statement released on Monday, Sony said it was "disappointed that anyone would release unauthorised pre-launch footage of The Last of Us Part 2, disrupt years of Naughty Dog's hard work and ruin the experience for fans worldwide" and asked that "viewing or sharing of the unauthorised footage be avoided". Developer Naughty Dog shared a similar sentiment, calling the incident "incredibly difficult" and asking that fans avoid spoiling the story for others.
Image: Bungie
Tired of feeling pressured to play Destiny 2 every season? That all changes this fall
Image: Bungie
Some Destiny fans think a planet may be in danger this fall, and we agree with them
The first ever Collector's Corner looks at some upcoming Good Smile Company products people can preorder or pick up.
The post Collector’s Corner: Good Smile Company Picks for May 2020 appeared first on Siliconera.
An archived concert recording from 2019’s Fire Emblem Expo has been shared to make up for Fire Emblem Expo II's cancellation.
The post Hear Classic Fire Emblem Songs With the Fire Emblem Expo Concert Archive appeared first on Siliconera.
You’ve heard of our deals of the day, but now, in rare form, we’re bringing back a classic (at least for today): our pick of the 10 BEST deals after sifting through ALL the options ourselves. Opinions may vary on what is and isn’t classified as a bargain, and that’s okay. At the end of the day, what matters it that…
Historically, May Day is a holiday with deep-seated spiritual roots, but you may know it more from its modern reinvention as International Workers’ Day. Animal Crossing: New Horizons is lorded over by the most insidiously craven capitalist in animalkind, but Tom Nook is still using the occasion to let players earn…
Sure, one can get Wayô Records’ reissues of Yuzo Koshiro’s legendary Mega Drive soundtracks to Streets of Rage and Streets of Rage II digitally or on compact disc, but why not pick a format capable of melting on the dashboard of your car or being eaten by hamsters?
Fallout 76 is an incredibly frustrating game. Its combat feels like trying to unseize an overheated engine by hand. Bugs and occasional game crashes, though much rarer than at launch, remain ever present. Fallout 76 demands a lot of you if you just want to survive, and a ton more if you want to flourish in its fallen…
Like many character actors, Ron Perlman (who marked his 70th birthday in April!) has a lengthy resumé filled with roles that span a huge range—he’s done comedies, crime dramas, comic book movies, many TV shows, and many more animated voices. For the purposes of this list, we’ve narrowed it to our 14 favorite…
The upcoming third episode of Guild Wars 2’s fifth season will release without voice acting, developer ArenaNet said in a recent announcement. The studio plans to record voiceover and add it to the game at a later date.
Another domino has inevitably fallen. Evo 2020, the biggest fighting game showcase of the year, has been canceled. Originally scheduled to begin on July 31 in Las Vegas, tournament organizers have pulled the plug because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Monolith Soft and Nintendo really like Xenoblade Chronicles.
Since its 2010 launch, the pair have ported the game to the New 3DS and the Switch, the latter of which will feature a "Definitive Edition" with a new story epilogue. This is one of the only games in Nintendo history to span three different systems.
As expected, Nintendo is giving us information in spurts for the Switch version, and now the pieces are all coming together like a 100 piece puzzle. You won't need to beat the entire game to access the epilogue, which starts one year after the main story, for instance. Also, the classic and new soundtracks are both options in the Switch edition. Now, thanks to a bunch of revelations on the official new site for the Definitive Edition, we have a clearer picture of what the epilogue entails.
As previously detailed it will take place on the Bionis’ Shoulder (the left shoulder, to be exact), but will also feature copious amounts of Nopons, including two named Nene and Kino, who will fight with the player party. Apparently Shulk no longer has his Vision power, so he'll "need to think more carefully" when approaching combat. To that end, he'll be battling new enemies infected by black mist, which encourages other monsters to join in on the battle.
If you're lucky, you've managed to avoid spoiler-filled leaks for The Last of Us Part II and you'll be able to keep your blissful ignorance going until June 19 when the high-profile sequel launches on PlayStation following a logistics-driven delay from Sony. But some of us have not been so fortunate.
Honestly, I'd tread carefully – as much as you can – anywhere you see the game discussed, whether it's Twitter, YouTube, forums, or even comment sections here. Nitty-gritty plot details are running wild everywhere. On Monday, Naughty Dog expressed its disappointment in "a message from the studio."
The situation is still unfolding to this day, and I have to believe it'll only snowball from here on out, but Sony has shared a public-facing update. In a statement today, a company representative said that Sony Interactive Entertainment "has identified the primary individuals responsible for the unauthorized release of [The Last of Us Part II] assets. They are not affiliated with Naughty Dog or SIE."
That's all we've got to go on for now, as the "information is subject to an on-going investigation." The launch plan remains the same, though. The Last of Us Part II is still releasing on June 19.
Sony says it knows who leaked The Last of Us Part 2 [Polygon]
You've probably seen the rave reviews for Dreams – it's one of the highest-rated video games of 2020, according to Metacritic – but is right for you? Do you have that artistic drive? And if you don't, are the user-made games enough to justify buying into the experience? Now you can find out first-hand.
Media Molecule has released a free trial version of Dreams on the PlayStation Store. To download the demo, just click the "Try Free Demo" button using this link, or search for Dreams using your PS4.
The Dreams demo has a "selection of community creations" and a "slice of Art's Dream," so you're getting a mix of the best user-made games and a preview of Media Molecule's main story, which is wonderful and represents multiple genres including point-and-clicks, platformers, and action titles.
Even if the trial doesn't share the whole game-making toolbox, it should be pretty indicative of what's possible, what's already playable today, and what Dreams is all about as a fulfilling creative outlet.
If nothing else, I feel like you have to check out Art's Dream. I genuinely loved it.
Media Molecule [Twitter]
May 2020 for new Switch games isn’t the most exciting month for Nintendo fans as there aren’t any brand-new sequels or IPs, but there are tons of ports and remasters to be on the lookout for such as Xenoblade Chronicles, The Wonderful 101, Borderlands, and BioShock.
If you take a peek at the list down below, you can see all of the new Switch games coming in May of 2020, and if you want additional info on the titles that we would recommend picking up, you can scroll down a bit further.
Predator is the perfect property for an asymmetrical multiplayer game. Dead By Daylight has been a hit for a few years and Friday the 13th was short term fun, but jumping into the shoes (does he wear shoes?) of the iconic hunter in Predator Hunting Grounds had the potential to be the best yet.
A match is four vs. one, with a Fireteam picking a drop point before venturing into the jungle to complete a multi stage mission, all while anticipating an attack from the Predator, who’s being controlled by the lone player.
As the Fireteam, it’s a pretty generic first-person shooter. The movement is a bit clunky, there’s strangely almost no recoil while firing, and aiming is very floaty. It doesn’t feel horrible though, and popping bad guys in the head is still quite satisfying, even though the enemy AI is hilariously dumb, seemingly not having eyes or ears.
The progression system is well designed too, giving you new attacthments and weapons to use as you level up, even giving you the chance to make another custom loadout every ten levels of so.
Saying that, the Fireteam missions feel like a mode from a time when multiplayer was tacked on to single-player games back in the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 days. It doesn’t have the depth or quality of other multiplayer shooters. It’s serviceable, but nothing more.
However, how fun playing as the Fireteam is is down to a few other factors, some of which are out of the players’ control.
First of all, and probably most important, is that Predator Hunting Grounds is at its best when you’re playing with a full squad of friends. Being able to listen out for the Predator’s clicking and make sure you’re staying together makes the missions a lot more tense.
There are lots of things that look quite promising about Glumberland’s cute town sim Ooblets. There’s fashion, gardening, dance battles, and house decorating, Here’s one more thing to like: a map. More importantly, a map on which you can see the location of the other townsfolk of Badgetown. Don’t laugh, I am very serious about how very important this is. Oh also, Glumberland’s new developer update has some other details but trust me when I tell you this is a big deal.
The Western Skyrim expansion to The Elder Scrolls Online is landing later this month, taking players to the darker side of long-ago Nords. Many parts of the new map are striking familiar, but next to Solitude’s Blue Palace is a brand new Antiquarian Guild where you’ll learn the art of scrying for ancient valuables and digging them up. Zenimax have outlined the process in a new post, showing off a final look at the two new activities.
The video game arm of Adult Swim is looking to hire a sr. brand manager. Could it be you? ...
The organizers behind the Evolution Championship Series (Evo) have announced that its 2020 event is canceled due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Evo 2020 was originally scheduled to take place July 31 to August 2 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nev. Instead of a physical event, the Evo team is creating an online event, which will occur this summer.
You can see the full statement from the Evo team below.
A message from the Evo team... pic.twitter.com/ANXUXDiNGK
In the current climate of locking down and staying at home, we’re all looking for new ways to keep our minds busy. If you’re a fan of speculative fiction, I feel obliged to offer a recommendation for a new show you may have missed; Tales from the Loop, available on Amazon Prime’s streaming service. This is remarkably rich and emotionally powerful series – and a great way to wile away several hours while you’re at home.
But we’re not here to talk about TV shows. This column is all about the best in the tabletop game scene. It just so happens that Tales from the Loop is also a stellar role-playing game, and a particularly good fit for these times – as its sessions and ruleset can work in remote-play sessions with your friends.
First, a little background: Tales from the Loop found its start as an art book from 2015 by Simon Stålenhag. He crafted a series of stunning images, and some accompanying fiction, that captures much of the wistful nostalgia of a childhood in the 1980s, but interposed with surprising new elements, like monolithic sci-fi towers and rundown giant robots.
Elite Dangerous' still-mysterious Next Era update, which developer Frontier previously described as a "defining moment in the history of the game", will no longer meet its anticipated December 2020 release date, and is now expected to launch early next year.
Frontier broke the news in a post to the Elite Dangerous forum, explaining that "during this uncertain period, we've... had to re-examine our longer term roadmap and make some adjustments". The developer - which has transitioned to working from home during the coronavirus pandemic - said the decision to move its Next Era update into 2021 wasn't made lightly and "has been made with both the team and the game's best interest at heart."
Frontier has so far revealed little in the way of specifics regarding the Next Era update, other than that it will be a "major new paid-for release... which will dramatically expand gameplay" and will include "significant new features to appeal to existing commanders, whilst being specifically designed to be a compelling, attractive and welcoming entry point for new players."
John Wick: Chapter 3 — Parabellum | Photo: Niko Tavernise/Lionsgate
Lionsgate pushes back Keanu’s next adventure
Image: Bungie
No foul play here — Bungie reveals some of the math behind Guardian Games
Thems Fightin Herds, the one-time My Little Pony fighting fangame, has officially left early access and launched on PCs. Giddy-up!
The post Them’s Fightin’ Herds Finally Leaves Early Access appeared first on Siliconera.
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Organizers announced that to “keep the Evo spirit alive,” there will be an event held online this summer. Details for what the online summer event entails will be revealed later. Evo is an annual fighting game tournament where the best fighting game players gather to test their skills in popular games likes Street Fighter, Tekken, and more. Developers like Capcom and Bandai Namco also usually reserve fighting game announcements for Evo like new DLC fighters. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/02/18/tekken-7-negan-and-julia-dlc-character-trailer"] Evo Championship 2020 is the latest event to be impacted by COVID-19. Other games industry events like E3 have been canceled, while others like GDC and Gamescom have switched to all-digital events instead. For a full list of games industry events impacted by COVID-19 see IGN’s full list here. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Kim is a reporter for IGN.
I have a muddled childhood memory from the late ’80s or early ’90s of a time when my mother briefly became a hypnosis enthusiast. She went to a meeting with a friend and came home with sets of tapes, called something like “The Power of Training Your Mind” or “Minding the Power Your Training.”The idea was that a…
Final Fantasy VII Remake’s combat kit-bashes the series’ role-playing battles with the hefty action of a game like Monster Hunter World. Part action, part tactics, it usually works even if some camera woes mess things up from time to time. One fight later in the game—a fight that wasn’t in the original 1997…
Some people who helped crowdfund the Wonderful 101 Kickstarter campaign are going to find themselves with one more copy of the game than they intended. It's a make-good for Platinum -- through no fault of its own -- not quite being able to deliver on its promise.
Platinum has announced that the physical release of The Wonderful 101: Remastered has been delayed because of manufacturing difficulties raised by COVID-19. As plants halt production on a global scale, Platinum isn't the first company to find itself unable to get physical copies of games ready to ship. It's the very reason Sony chose to delay The Last of Us Part II yet again.
However, whereas Sony delayed because it wanted everyone playing at the same time, Platinum wants to fulfill its original promise. The game is done, after all. Digital copies of The Wonderful 101: Remastered will still go out in time for a May 19 launch in North America, followed by May 22 in Europe. Right now, the expected dates for the physical edition are June 30 in North America and July 3 in Europe.
Although the logistics problem is perfectly understandable, Platinum is issuing an apology bonus for people who backed the physical edition. They're going to receive an extra code for The Wonderful 101: Remastered on PC so that they, hopefully, can experience the game at launch with everyone else. Platinum plans to start sending digital versions out next week, with the intention of getting them in all backers' hands by the May 19 launch date.
Photo: Joe Buglewicz/Getty Images
Image: Nintendo EPD/Nintendo via Polygon
