IGN

Everything We Know About The Xbox Series X

4 years 2 months ago
2/24 Update: Added details about ray tracing, teraflops, “Quick Resume,” and “Smart Delivery.” [poilib element="accentDivider"] At The Game Awards 2019, Microsoft’s next-gen console finally earned its official name: The Xbox Series X. Initially revealed at the E3 2019 press conference as Project Scarlett, specifics about the console have been scarce. Microsoft has given us some concrete details to focus on, however, including some specs, a release window, a major launch title, and more.

Xbox Series X Price: How Much Will it Cost?

There's been no official word from Microsoft on how much the Xbox Series X will cost. However, we estimate it could cost between $450-600 based on the hardware alone. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/next-gen-console-watch-the-biggest-ps5-price-factors"]

Xbox Series X Release Date: When Does it Come Out?

During Microsoft’s E3 2019 press conference, the company revealed the Xbox Series X is set to launch in Holiday 2020. This partially lines up with previous reports that suggested “multiple pieces of hardware” would be released in 2020, and another report that specifically said Xbox's Project Scarlett would be released by Holiday 2020. With E3 2020 just a few months away, some are hoping that we will be given some news on the Xbox Series X release date.
Author
Colin Stevens

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PlayStation Fans Eager for More PS5 News Following Xbox Series X Details

4 years 2 months ago
This morning, Microsoft revealed some impressive new technical specs for its upcoming Xbox Series X console, which has made the long wait for more PlayStation 5 news even more difficult for fans. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/02/24/xbox-series-x-has-12-teraflops-new-technical-specs-revealed"]

PlayStation: State of Patience

The PS5 subreddit is filled with posters and commenters that have been reacting to Xbox Series X's recent details all day, hoping that Sony will soon reveal much more about is next-generation console.
Author
Colin Stevens

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FIFA Pro Kurt Banned From All EA Games and Services Following Latest Attack

4 years 2 months ago
EA FIFA pro player Kurt‘ Kurt0411’ Fenech has been banned from playing all EA games or accessing EA services, the company announced. The unprecedented move comes after a months-long public feud between Fenech and EA which the company says“cross a line of decency into very personal attacks and breach our Terms of Service.” Fenech tweeted out about his ban by publishing the email EA sent him notifying the permanent closure of his account. In a follow-up Tweet, Fenech wrote "End of the day I have never said anything I shouldn't have. This is just deeper than anyone thinks. They didn't want me competing at events cos [sic] they were scared I'd win them, now I'm the 2nd biggest streamer of their game and they're scared I'll overtake their golden boy."
Author
Matt Kim

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PS5 Could Collect Your 'Biofeedback' Via Optional DualShock 5 Attachment

4 years 2 months ago
Sony has filed for another patent, this time for an accessory that can attach to a PlayStation DualShock controller and sense the player’s biometrics such as heart rate or even sweat. In an application filed by Sony Interactive Entertainment Europe over the weekend, the company is looking to patent “A biofeedback sensor attachment for a controller,” that would comprise “one or more sensors for obtaining biofeedback information arranged such that at least one sensor is in contact with a user’s hand during normal use of the controller[.]” In a patent application here, Sony is exploring a controller accessory that can collect select biofeedback from players specifically: heart rate measurements and electrodermal activity aka sweat. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=igns-top-25-playstation-4-games&captions=true"] “There is a desire in computer gaming to provide an immersive and highly interactive experience for players, so as to enhance the enjoyment of the player,” says Sony in the patent description. “This has become of particular interest with the increasing availability of head-mountable displays (HMDs), which are provided with the intention of fully immersing a player in the in-game environment.” The last part of the description is likely a reference to VR headsets, a field Sony dominates, at least in the console space, thanks to the PS VR headset. This means the biofeedback accessory could work specifically with VR games. Biofeedback is a field in gaming that companies have experimented with before.
Author
Matt Kim

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Grimes Leaked Her Own Cyberpunk 2077 Character's Backstory

4 years 2 months ago
Canadian pop singer Grimes, who has a role in Cyberpunk 2077, revealed details about her character's backstory during a livestream. Warning: Spoilers for Cyberpunk 2077 follow. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/08/30/cyberpunk-2077-live-pax-gameplay-reveal"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Grimes took fan questions during a livestream over the weekend, during which she was asked about her involvement with Cyberpunk 2077. The livestream has since been taken down, but a summary of the spoilers Grimes dropped can still be found on Reddit. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=7-cyberpunk-games-to-play-while-youre-waiting-for-cyberpunk-2077&captions=true"]
"I did my voice acting for Lizzy Wizzy, that game is going to be f***ing good. I mean I haven’t played it, but I saw someone play an hour of the game," Grimes said. "The game was fantastic, and I play a pop star who committed suicide on stage, and they had to quickly come and perform emergency surgery and replace her whole body with cybernetics while she was dead for an hour. Then she finished the show as a cyborg. One of the greatest pieces of performance art ever made."
It sounds like Grimes' character has a pretty tragic backstory, based on the quote.
Author
Logan Plant

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Streets of Rage 4: New Character Announced

4 years 2 months ago
The final unknown character for Streets of Rage 4, Floyd Iraia, has been announced alongside two ways of playing with others online and offline in the upcoming brawler. Floyd joins the roster of five characters as a cybernetic powerhouse brawler. The official description of his playstyle, as described via an official press release, reads:
"The new character, Floyd, dishes out serious damage with his incredibly strong cybernetic arms, a cutting-edge upgrade courtesy of Streets of Rage 3’s playable cyborg, Dr. Zan. Although Floyd’s movement and health recovery are slower than most, he boasts the longest reach among the playable roster and tremendous power, ensuring any combo he puts an enemy through will be devastating."
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/02/24/streets-of-rage-4-floyd-iraia-multiplayer"] Publisher Dotemu also showcased how cooperative play works with two-player online and four-player offline modes, as you can see in the video above. Fans going to PAX East will have a chance to try the Streets of Rage 4 demo at booth 28051, from February 27 to March 1. Floyd will be playable at the booth for those interested in trying the cyborg character. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=streets-of-rage-4-new-character-floyd-iraia&captions=true"] The other four playable characters include Axel Stone, Blaze Fielding, Cherry Hunter, and Adam Hunter.
Author
Jeffrey Lerman

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DOOM Eternal: The Final Preview

4 years 2 months ago
Unless a pinky demon bit into game director Hugo Martin’s skull and ate his brain after he’d only finished half of his design work on DOOM Eternal, I just don’t see how the sequel to the stunningly good 2016 DOOM reboot is going to be anything less than one of my favorite games of 2020. I’ve played several hours of DOOM Eternal at this point, and from what I have seen it is such a smart and well-executed follow-up that it has ruined DOOM (2016) for me. As revered as the original DOOM II was in 1994, in hindsight, it didn’t offer all that much, really, over the legendary 1993 original. Thirty-two new maps, a few new monsters, and a double-barrelled shotgun. This DOOM 2, however, ups the ante quite a bit more compared to its predecessor. The flame belch, for instance, adds a new layer to combat by spitting armor boosts out of immolated foes. The ice bomb, meanwhile – a grenade alternate – spews health from enemies damaged or destroyed after being frozen by the frosty blast. That means you can now mix and match fire, ice, chainsaws, glory kills, blood punches, and more in order to more effectively and more specifically manage resources during battle. Meanwhile, a midair double dash lets you close on enemies with godlike speed. On the other side of the gun barrel, enemies now have weak points – such as the gaping maws of the Cacodemons or the gun turrets atop the Arachnotrons – that will make them much less dangerous during a hectic combat encounter if you take them out. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/02/03/the-first-10-minutes-of-doom-eternal-gameplay-4k60fps-ign-first"] [poilib element="quoteBox" parameters="excerpt=The%20newfound%20versatility%20within%20combat%20levels%20DOOM%20Eternal%20up%20and%20makes%202016%20feel%20slow%20and%20simple%20to%20me%20now."] It’s this newfound versatility within combat – plus the sheer chaos and challenge of the fights themselves – that levels DOOM Eternal up and makes 2016 feel slow and simple to me now.
Author
Ryan McCaffrey

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Anthem's Fans Celebrated the Game's Birthday, Even if BioWare Didn't

4 years 2 months ago
Anthem turned one year old this weekend but, despite the milestone, developer BioWare held no in-game celebration, nor recognised the date on the BioWare or Anthem Twitter feeds. While the developer may have decided to not celebrate the game’s birthday, Anthem fans took to Reddit to cheer it on. Anthem turned one year old on February 22. As perhaps a sign as to the game’s current state, Christmas decorations from the Icetide event still litter the Fort Tarsis social hub, and snow still falls gently from the sky. These were not replaced with birthday or anniversary elements to mark Anthem’s 12 months of being live, unlike what many other MMOs or shared-world games typically do. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/02/10/anthem-getting-major-overhaul"] While there seemed to be no movement in-game to recognise the anniversary, the Anthem Reddit hub had several posts celebrating the day. “Thank you guys for this amazing experience and I hope nothing but the best for the game’s future,” said user Velocity_Prime in a celebratory post. “You guys made a game that has an amazing and highly supportive community so know that you’ll always have at least a few gamers on your side!” Others posted significant gameplay moments and montages showing off the game at its best, with Javelins flipping and flying among Anthem’s beautiful world.
Author
Matt Purslow

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Othercide Hands-On: Dark and Deadly

4 years 2 months ago
Turn-based tactics games aren’t always eye-catching, but Othercide, from developer Lightbulb Crew, instantly grabbed my attention with its bold and moody art style. Just look at this game: the red highlights against the weird and perpetually rainy monochrome world certainly sets a striking mood. And with some high-stakes rogue-lite ideas behind it, learning the ropes in the first few hours has been interesting and challenging. The story is extremely cryptic and to be honest, I don’t have a clue what’s going on yet. I do know that the nightmarish Other is invading your world, and your squad of Daughters has monsters to kill. The turn-based tactical battles play out on relatively small maps until you almost inevitably lose and start again with some new unlocks, called Remembrances, that will help you survive longer and go farther next time. Such is the way of the rogue-lite. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/02/21/othercide-reveal-trailer-pax-east-2020"] Unlike XCOM or other rigidly ordered “I go, you go” turn-based games, Othercide’s turns are governed by the timeline at the bottom of the screen. It shows you who will move next based on each character’s initiative stat, which means there are no surprises and no guesswork in the tactical puzzles each level presents you with. And if you don’t like that an enemy character gets to move before yours and you can’t quite kill them outright, certain moves, such as a shield slam, can stun them and knock them back a ways, or certain buffs can skip a friendly character ahead in line. On top of that, if you use more than 50% of a character’s 100 action points in a turn it means that Daughter has overexerted herself and requires twice as long on the timeline before she can move again.
Author
Dan Stapleton

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Mega Man Zero/ZX Legacy Collection Review

4 years 2 months ago

Man oh (mega) man do I love this collection. Its six excellent Mega Man spin-off games bring with them exactly the kind of gameplay and story my body craves and I’m thrilled at how well they hold up and stand on their own. But it’s the extras, including a new competitive mode with online leaderboards, that really seals the deal.

Mega Man and Mega Man X are some of my favorite series in all of gaming, but I slept on the Mega Man Zero series when it came to Game Boy Advance starting in 2002 and first realized what I was missing when the Zero Collection came out on DS in 2010. The Mega Man Zero/ZX Legacy Collection for Nintendo Switch, PS4, Xbox One, and Steam is even better, because it brings all four of the original Mega Man Zero GBA games and both DS games into one convenient package. They're wonderful.

If you're not familiar with the plot of the Mega Man Zero series, here's a quick rundown: 100 years after the events of the Mega Man X series, legendary warrior Zero is reactivated to help fight in the war between humans and Reploids, a race of human-like robots based on the original Mega Man X.

Mega Man ZX and Advent are set even further in the future, in the year 25XX, when humans and Reploids exist in harmony... until the revival of the Mavericks. Throughout the entire series there's a lot of talk of cyber-elves and Neo Arcadia, Bio-Metals, Reploids, E-Crystals, sacrifice, and betrayal… in other words, it rules pretty hard. It's exactly the kind of corny, jargon-heavy anime storyline I love in my video games. Unfortunately dialogue is largely unskippable, which can be real annoying when you're trying to beat a boss.

[poilib element="quoteBox" parameters="excerpt=There's%20a%20lot%20of%20talk%20of%20cyber-elves%20and%20Neo%20Arcadia%2C%20Bio-Metals%2C%20Reploids%2C%20E-Crystals%2C%20sacrifice%2C%20and%20betrayal%E2%80%A6%20in%20other%20words%2C%20it%20rules%20pretty%20hard."]

Author
Seth G. Macy

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Cyberpunk 2077 on Xbox Will Upgrade to Series X Version for Free

4 years 2 months ago
If you buy Cyberpunk 2077 on Xbox One, you'll receive its eventual Xbox Series X version for free, thanks to Microsoft's new Smart Delivery feature. As part of a massive drop of new Xbox Series X details today, Microsoft announced Smart Delivery, which will give players both current and next-gen versions of cross-generation games for the price of a single purchase. This will be available on all Xbox Game Studios games, but Microsoft said any third-party developer could opt in - the Cyberpunk Twitter account duly obliged:
Author
Joe Skrebels

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Xbox Series X Has 12 Teraflops

4 years 2 months ago
Xbox Series X will have 12 teraflops of GPU power, support backwards compatibility back to original Xbox games, include hardware accelerated raytracing, supports up to 120 frames per second, and supports quick resume for multiple games simultaneously. Those are just some of the technical specs of the new console listed by Head of Xbox Phil Spencer in an Xbox Newswire blogpost today. The post goes into detail on several key themes for Series X: power & speed, instant immersion and game compatibility. Much of what's being discussed has been touched on previously, but this is a more definitive, technical rundown of the console than in previous statements from Microsoft. On power and speed, Spencer points out the Series X's custom AMD processor, capable of 12 teraflops of GPU performance, which he says will result in higher framerates and larger worlds. Alongside that, variable rate shading support will allow developers to prioritise how effects are applied to their games, resulting in "more stable frame rates and higher resolution, with no impact on the final image quality." Spencer also says that hardware-accelerated DirectX raytracing will be a first for consoles. Xbox_ShortBullets_JPG On instant immersion, Spencer points to the console's solid state drive (replacing the hard disc drives of previous Xbox consoles), which should improve load times. The console will also have a Quick Resume feature that allows you to re-enter suspended games with almost no wait times.
Author
Joe Skrebels

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CD Projekt Red Is Europe's Second Most Valuable Games Developer

4 years 2 months ago

CD Projekt Red is now the second most valuable game developer in the whole of Europe. This has been confirmed recently after the studio's market valuation surpassed $8 billion (via Reddit).

Can you guess which is the number one studio in Europe in terms of market valuation? It's Ubisoft, which is currently sitting pretty at $9.52 billion. CD Projekt Red isn't all that far behind now, though.

[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/08/19/how-does-the-witcher-3-run-on-switch"]

It's tricky to be sure exactly why the value of any company goes up or down, but you can have a good guess, especially when it comes to CD Projekt Red. For starters, the number of people playing The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt soared after the Netflix series launched.

This would suggest that sales of the game also got a boost, and that seems to be the case, given that CD Projekt Red recently announced that the game has made $50 million in revenue through Steam alone since October 2018.  That number is significant as it's the threshold at which Valve's cut from a Steam game's revenue goes from 30% to 20%, meaning that CD Projekt Red make a bit more dosh from every sale of The Witcher 3 on Steam than before.

Author
Chris Priestman

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Kojima Productions Drops Out of GDC Due to Coronavirus

4 years 2 months ago
Kojima Productions, and Hideo Kojinma himself, have become the latest Game Developers Conference dropouts because of concerns around COVID-19 (a.k.a. Coronavirus). In a short post on its English-language website, a spokesperson for the Death Stranding developer wrote: "Kojima Productions has made the difficult decision to cancel our participation at the 2020 Game Developers Conference due to increasing concerns related to novel coronavirus. Although much-anticipated, unfortunately this cancellation also includes Hideo Kojima’s session on the 19th and Eric Johnson’s session on the 16th." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/02/07/the-outer-worlds-switch-version-delayed-due-to-coronavirus"] Kojima was due to present a talk about his design philosophy for Death Stranding at the show, in which the legendary director would "unravel this process through an analysis of the game's concept, theme, storytelling, game mechanics, and development, utilizing the overarching keyword of 'connection' as a framework." It's the latest in a number of developer cancellations for upcoming public shows. PlayStation and Oculus have also pulled out of GDC, while PAX East has also been hit, with PlayStation and Square Enix among those who have changed plans around the event. The mayor of Boston has since publicly called for PlayStation to reconsider its PAX East decision, saying it contributes to harmful stereotypes. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Joe Skrebels is IGN's Executive Editor of News.
Author
Joe Skrebels

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Adorable Little Girl Wins Pokemon Championship in Australia

4 years 2 months ago

The world of competitive gaming is one of thrilling victories, soul-crushing defeats, and extreme skill. That said, perhaps no major video game tournament will ever result in a moment cuter than when a young girl by the name of Simone Lim won the Pokemon Oceania International Junior Championships this week.

The official Play Pokemon Twitter account caught the final moments of Lim’s hard-fought victory against her older opponent, Justin Miranda-Radbord, who actually took home the Pokemon Oceania Junior Championship in 2019. According to the tournament's commentators, this was also Lim's first competitive season and her first major tournament after winning in two regional tournaments.

Author
Joseph Knoop

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Leaked Resident Evil 3 Remake Screenshots Show Off Nemesis and More

4 years 2 months ago

An impressive amount of images from the upcoming Resident Evil 3 remake appear to have leaked online. The images show off plenty of new looks at Nemesis, the iconic Resident Evil monster bred to hunt down S.T.A.R.S. members, plus a look at some different environments and at least one other major enemy. Check it out in the gallery below.

[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=resident-evil-3-leak-screenshot-gallery-images&captions=true"]

Posted to an ongoing Resident Evil 3 Resetera thread by a moderator known as Dusk Golem, the images show off Nemesis looming over Jill Valentine, much like Mr. X in the Resident Evil 2 remake. Nemesis also appears to be holding a massive flamethrower, brandishing it in front of Jill’s face at one point. Obviously, Capcom hasn’t confirmed any of these screenshots, so take it all with a grain of salt. The images themselves all have a watermark from the French gaming site, gamergen.com.

[caption id="attachment_2307407" align="alignnone" width="720"]Source: Resetera/Dusk Golem. Source: Resetera/Dusk Golem.[/caption]

Another couple of images show two enemies: One that that could most likely be the amphibious Gamma Hunter, and another that might be the worm-like Grave Digger. Either way, they’re both definitely terrifying at close range.

Author
Joseph Knoop

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Boston Mayor Asks Sony to Reconsider PAX Absence Over Coronavirus

4 years 2 months ago

It’s been less than a week since PlayStation announced it won’t be attending PAX East in Boston due to “increasing concerns” over COVID-19, otherwise known as the novel coronavirus. Now, the mayor of Boston has reached out to Sony to appeal to the company, urging them to make a decision based on “facts, not fear,” and urging PlayStation to not play into “harmful stereotypes” about Chinese people.

According to WCVB (via Eurogamer), Boston Mayor Marty Walsh has sent a letter to PlayStation CEO Kenichiro Yoshida, saying to the gaming company president that the risk of individuals contracting the COVID-19 in Boston and Massachusetts remains extremely low. Walsh also stated in the letter that anti-Chinese and anti-Asian sentiment and misinformation have played a role in the increasing fear of the COVID-19 in the United States.

"These fears reinforce harmful stereotypes that generations of Asians have worked hard to dismantle," reads Walsh's letter. "They trigger our worst impulses: to view entire groups of people with suspicion, to close ourselves off, and to miss out on the opportunities and connections our global city provides. Boston is united in our efforts to dispel these harmful and misguided fears."

[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=all-the-big-games-coming-in-2020&captions=true"]

Walsh specifically urged PlayStation to play a role in pushing back against these fears.

Author
Joseph Knoop

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Activision Subpoenas Reddit to Pursue Call of Duty Battle Royale Leaker

4 years 2 months ago
Court documents reveal that Activision is attempting to subpoena Reddit in order to uncover the identity of the user who recently leaked key art for Modern Warfare's battle royale game mode, Warzone. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Activision is filing a Digital Millennium Copyright Act subpoena against Reddit in an effort to reveal the identity of the user who leaked "infringing Activision content." [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=every-ign-call-of-duty-review&captions=true"] The now-deleted Reddit post seemingly revealed some key art from the upcoming Modern Warfare: Warzone game mode. This is not the first Warzone leak, as there have been a handful of leaks over the past couple of months, which have all but confirmed the unannounced battle royale game mode. A December leak seemingly revealed an official look at the new Warzone map, while a leak earlier this month seems to reveal the full battle royale map. Since Modern Warfare leaks are not uncommon, it's unclear why Activision is just now deciding to take legal action. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/02/14/new-call-of-duty-modern-warfare-battle-royale-details-reportedly-leaked-ign-news"] IGN has reached out to Activision for a comment, but did not immediately receive a reply.
Author
Andrew Smith

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Baldur's Gate 3 Will Release in Early Access Later This Year

4 years 2 months ago

With just about a week before PAX East, Baldur’s Gate 3 developer Larian Studios has announced that the long-awaited RPG will first launch in early access later this year.

Hasbro, which owns Wizards of the Coast, which in turn is responsible for the publishing of D&D products, made the announcement at the New York Toy Fair, according to a report from DSO Gaming.

[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/06/06/baldurs-gate-3-announcement-teaser-uncut"]

It wouldn’t be the first time Larian has released one of its expansive role-playing games in early access. Divinity: Original Sin 2 first released as early access in September 2016, and finally launched in full almost exactly a year later in 2017. During its first stage of early access, Larian only had the prologue, first chapter, and a transition to act two available to play. Hasbro and Larian have made no further comments regarding what amount of content will release during this early access period, or what state it will be in. After its full release, Divinity: Original Sin 2 also received ongoing updates, culminating in a Definitive Edition in August 2018, which came with a wide array of improvements.

Larian will be debuting gameplay footage during PAX East for Baldur’s Gate 3 on February 27 at 3:30 P.M. Eastern Time. Larian has said that the PAX East presentation will feature gameplay and story details, plus a Q&A session for fans afterwards.

Author
Joseph Knoop

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Report: EA Canceled a Star Wars Battlefront Spinoff Last Year

4 years 2 months ago
A new report says EA quietly canceled yet another Star Wars video game last year in 2019, this time a planned spinoff of Star Wars: Battlefront. According to Kotaku, EA canceled a third Star Wars game, code-named “Viking.” Although details regarding Viking’s plot and settings are a secret, the report says it was planned to be a spinoff of Star Wars: Battlefront with open-world elements. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=every-ea-star-wars-project&captions=true"] Project Viking wasn’t a complete unknown. After Visceral’s Star Wars game under Uncharted director, Amy Hennig was canceled, EA Vancouver inherited some assets from project Ragtag to work on its own game which became project Orca. When Orca was also canceled, EA Vancouver began working on a third Star Wars project that was planned to be released in fall 2020. This project was Viking. According to Kotaku’s sources, Viking was being developed by EA Vancouver with the help of Criterion, best known for the Burnout series. Unfortunately, the cross-national development and multiple studios involved created a “too many cooks” situation and the project’s scope soon became too ambitious for its planned year and half development time.
Author
Matt Kim

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$400 Is the Magic Number for a Console Launch

4 years 2 months ago
Welcome back to Game Scoop!, IGN's weekly video game talk show. This week we're discussing the possible price of next-gen consoles. We also talk about The Witcher 3, box art, light gun games, and much more. Watch the video above or hit the link below to your favorite podcast service. Listen on: Apple Podcasts YouTube Spotify Stitcher
Author
Daemon Hatfield

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Mortal Kombat 11 Spawn Action Figure Revealed

4 years 2 months ago
Mortal Kombat 11's upcoming DLC character Spawn will arrive alongside an action figure version from McFarlane Toys. The creator of Spawn, Todd McFarlane, revealed the action figure on Twitter. Check out the new Spawn action figure in the slideshow gallery below: [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=mortal-kombat-11-spawn-action-figure-revealed&captions=true"] In collaboration with NetherRealm Studios, McFarlane Toys will release the action figure at $19.99. The 7'' scale figure of Spawn will become available sometime in March. It will feature a base, sword, and "22 points of ultra-articulation" according to Todd McFarlane. Those who have the Mortal Kombat 11 Kombat Pack will have early access to Spawn on March 17. Other characters included in the DLC pack are: Shang Tsung, Nightwolf, Terminator, T-800, Sindel, and The Joker. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/07/21/new-details-on-spawn-dlc-in-mortal-kombat-11"] If you're interested in Mortal Kombat 11 with all the new characters, take a look at our Mortal Kombat 11 review for our thoughts. For more interesting action figures, take a peek at the Jurassic World toys debuting at the New York Toy Fair 2020. Also, Hasbro announced figures for Transformers: War for Cybertron. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jeffrey Lerman is a Freelance News Writer for IGN.
Author
Jeffrey Lerman

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Against All Odds, the DOOM and Animal Crossing Communities Have United

4 years 2 months ago

DOOM Eternal and Animal Crossing: New Horizons may be two wildly different games on the surface, but right now they have two things in common: fan communities that are in FULL support of each other, and a March 20 release date.

[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/02/20/animal-crossing-new-horizons-direct-2202020"]

Animal Crossing and DOOM Fans Unite

The love between these two fanbases began with a crossover from the DOOM Subreddit, with reddit user Genkiz-_ (with art by Popzotz) reaching out to r/AnimalCrossing with a message of support:

Screen Shot 2020-02-20 at 4.07.30 PM

The goodwill from both sides began to snowball as crossover fan art was dreamt up by admirers across the video game divide in an armistice for the ages. Doomguy and Isabelle have been the focus of the community collaboration, with the pair often seen exchanging gifts and weapons across their respective games and battlefields.

Screen Shot 2020-02-20 at 5.03.54 PM

Credit: Arturoware

Author
Darryn Bonthuys

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Square Enix Scales Back PAX East Showing Due to Coronavirus

4 years 2 months ago
Square Enix has become the latest company to change plans for PAX East due to concerns over COVID-19 (a.k.a. Coronavirus), scaling back plans for Final Fantasy 14 at the show in particular. While not pulling out of the show entirely, the company's Japanese staff will no longer be attending, meaning a panel session, developer signings, developer photo opps and a fan gathering will no longer take place at the show. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/02/07/the-outer-worlds-switch-version-delayed-due-to-coronavirus"] On the Final Fantasy 14 blog, a spokesperson wrote: "As the community may be aware, COVID-19 (also known as “novel coronavirus”) is spreading within the East Asia region. Taking into consideration the current situation within the region, sadly SQUARE ENIX has decided to cancel the PAX East attendance of staff who would be travelling from the Japan offices. This difficult decision was based on our desire to prevent any potential spread of the virus and to prioritize the health and safety of our team and our fans." There will still be a booth for Final Fantasy 14 at the show, and experiences like the Ruby Weapon Challenge will still be taking place. Square Enix also has plans for Final Fantasy 7 Remake and Outriders at the show, which appear to be unaffected at time of writing. This is the latest in a slew of announcements centred around concerns over COVID-19.
Author
Joe Skrebels

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Rainbow Six Siege Character Deactivated for the Third Time in 10 Months

4 years 2 months ago
Rainbow Six Siege’s most problematic defender, Clash, has had to be temporarily removed from the game. This is the third time the operator has been deactivated in 10 months. Ubisoft announced the deactivation of Clash on both its Twitter feed and on Reddit. “We are deactivating Clash today,” the developer said. “We have become aware of an exploit, and have decided to deactivate Clash. As such, Clash will not be available for play until we have resolved the issue.” [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2018/08/13/rainbow-six-siege-operation-grim-sky-clash-trailer"] Official details about the glitch have not been announced, but video evidence uploaded to YouTube shows that other team members can fire their weapons through Clash’s body-length shield. As Clash’s shield is impenetrable, it effectively turns a duo of Clash and another defender into a bulletproof turret. This isn’t the first time Clash has caused a problem in Siege. Back in May she had to be removed from the game due to a glitch that allowed Clash to fire through her fully extended shield with her primary weapon. This problem took a long time to resolve, with Clash finally returning to the game in July. A few months later in December, however, Clash was once again removed due to a bug that made it appear as if she had her shield extended when she actually had her primary weapon drawn. Clash was released in September 2018, meaning in just over a year she’s had three major issues. For anyone who spent money to acquire the operator, it has meant having to endure weeks of being unable to use her.
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Matt Purslow

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Animal Crossing: New Horizons Includes (At Least) 383 Villagers

4 years 2 months ago
Animal Crossing: New Horizons will include 383 villagers who can visit your new deserted island, but it's not clear if that's the full number. Confirmed in a tweet from Tom Nook himself (on the various Animal Crossing Twitter accounts), it will be the highest number of villagers included at the launch of an Animal Crossing game. But it's not yet clear if that's all of them.
Author
Joe Skrebels

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The Witcher 3 Hits $50 Million in Revenue on Steam

4 years 2 months ago
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt has accumulated over $50 million on Steam since October 1, 2018. Announced on Twitter Friday by CD Projekt Red, the third installment in the Witcher series has exceeded the threshold required to get 80% of the revenue gained from future Steam purchases of the game.
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Wesley LeBlanc

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Why Development Stopped On DOOM 4

4 years 2 months ago
According to id Software Executive Producer Marty Stratton, the canceled DOOM 4 project that preceded DOOM (2016) was abandoned because, although it was a good game, it was "more 'DOOM' in name than really anything." In this month's episode of IGN Unfiltered, Ryan McCaffrey sat down with Stratton and DOOM Eternal Director Hugo Martin to talk about DOOM Eternal, DOOM 4, and a whole lot more. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/doom-eternal-a-closer-look-at-weapon-mods-and-upgrades-ign-first"] According to Stratton, DOOM 4 originally channeled a bit of Call of Duty, with more cinematic moments in lieu of a more traditional DOOM "all-action" feel, but that isn't the only reason the project was scrapped. "You generally try not to work on something very long that you feel like is not going to work. I think it was more... thinking about modern players and how do you bring DOOM to them and... those ingredients Hugo just talked about? It wasn't taking enough of those. It was taking 'demons' and a bit of 'hell on Earth' but that was kind of where it ended, from a [perspective of] feel." [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=doom-eternal-january-2019-screenshots&captions=true"] The ingredients Stratton referenced are the "core elements of the DOOM brand," such as the "metal element, the sense of irreverence, [and] power," which were elaborated on by Martin earlier in the interview. Determining those elements, and making sure every aspect of the game adhered to them, was a major focus during the development of DOOM Eternal. "How it made you feel... the 'heart' part that [Martin] talks about. I think that was the thing, it just wasn't quite in place. The thing is; it was still good. It was a good game. It was still a ways away from launching, so it had a ways to go," Stratton said. "We were multiple teams at a time... a lot of people were working on Rage and then we...
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Brian Barnett

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Amiibo-Like NFC Minecraft Toys Coming Later This Year

4 years 2 months ago
Minecraft has been a cultural phenomenon for over a decade now, and the augmented reality version Minecraft Earth is getting a line of adorable NFC figures from Mattel. Revealed at Toy Fair, the figures, called Minecraft Earth Boost Minis, can be scanned in Minecraft Earth to unlock "Boosts," hence the name. Boosts unlock "a unique enhancement for a limited time" for Minecraft Earth Players, such as "increased tappable radius, decrease crafting time, XP increase, and increased health/attack damage/defense," among others. Minecraft Earth Boost Minis Sized There are three different boost levels: level 1 lasts 15 minutes, level 2 last 20, and level 3 last 25 minutes. Also, just activating a Boost from a Minecraft Boost Mini unlocks in-game XP. Minecraft’s GM of Licensing & Partnerships Kayleen Walter calls them "simple and intuitive," and "just one example of how Minecraft Earth and Mattel are providing innovative Minecraft experiences." The Minecraft Boost Minis will be available for purchase directly from Mattel, with a second-quarter 2020 release window. Toy Fair is in full-effect this week, with tons of awesome announcements like a new 6" GI Joe line from Hasbro, as well as tons of Baby Yoda merch. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Seth Macy is IGN's tech and commerce editor and just wants to be your friend. Find him on Twitter @sethmacy.    
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Seth G. Macy

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Microsoft Flight Simulator Will Include 'All Airports on Earth'

4 years 2 months ago
2020's Microsoft Flight Simulator will include "all airports on Earth," ranging from countryside airstrips to international airports, according to developer Asobo Studio. A total number of airports was not disclosed, though according to the CIA, as of 2013, there were over 40,000 airports in the world. As detailed on YouTube, the studio manually edited 37,000 of those airports to ensure accuracy — from the size and surface material of the runway to the precise location of the planes' parking spots. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=microsoft-flight-simulator-airports&captions=true"] Not all airports have been given the same amount of attention; the 80 "most-played and busiest" airports are more detailed, according to Asobo.
Author
Jordan Sirani

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Kerbal Space Program 2 Gets a New Developer

4 years 2 months ago
Development of Kerbal Space Program 2 has moved from Star Theory Games to a newly formed, KSP-dedicated studio, publisher Private Division announced Friday. The new studio is owned by Private Division parent company Take-Two Interactive. Jeremy Ables, former studio head at Star Theory, will step into the same role at the new, currently unnamed studio. Joining him from Star Theory are Kerbal Space Program 2 creative director Nate Simpson and lead producer Nate Robinson, according to Gamesindustry.biz. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=kerbal-space-program-2-announcement-trailer-gallery&captions=true"] "The decision to open our own studio and move development in-house allows us to provide the development team with the necessary time and resources to complete development of KSP 2 at the quality level we all want to deliver our players," said Private Division. "Our goal — and the goal of our developers — is to provide our community with the highest level gaming experience with Kerbal Space Program 2." Take-Two acquired KSP in 2017. The sequel was then announced at Gamescom 2019 with Star Theory (formerly Uber Entertainment) as its developer. Original KSP developer Squad has been continuing to work on the first game. IGN spoke with Simpson shortly after that Gamescom reveal.
Author
Jordan Sirani

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Fans Made a 'Hot Coffee' Mod for Red Dead Redemption 2

4 years 2 months ago
Red Dead Redemption 2 now lets PC players grab a cup of “Hot Coffee,” if you catch my drift. But if you weren’t around for the halcyon days of 2005 then strap yourself in, because this is kind of funny. The mod is a reference to the infamous “Hot Coffee mod” from Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. It’s a mod that allowed players to take control of the protagonist CJ as they have sex with one of his girlfriends. The encounter was originally designed as a minigame but the developers eventually decided to keep the content hidden. It would not be unlockable at all through gameplay. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=red-dead-redemption-2-hot-coffee-fan-made-mod&captions=true"] Instead, it took until a year later in 2005 when San Andreas released on Windows that modders were able to unlock the previously blocked content. While the mod is decidedly un-sexy and awkward, it created a pretty big scandal, and San Andreas became rated AO for Adults Only. Unlike the San Andreas mod, the Hot Coffee mod for Red Dead Redemption 2 isn’t unlocked content the devs kept hidden, but a deliberate homage. The mod lets players take control of Arthur Morgan during his boozy trip to the saloon where he can woo one of the patrons and take them back to a hotel room. Like in San Andreas, the Red Dead Redemption 2 version of the mod is also not sexy, and all characters involved are clothed, and the voice lines are just generic ones from the game repurposed for the mod. Although the mod is clearly a joking reference to an older era of Rockstar Games, the developer and publisher Take-Two are reportedly unhappy with it.
Author
Matt Kim

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Surviving Capcom: How a Fan-Made RE2 Remake Led to Daymare: 1998

4 years 2 months ago

In 2015, development of Resident Evil 2: Reborn, the fan-made remake of the classic survival-horror game, came crashing to a halt when the young development team in small-town Italy received a call from Capcom politely asking them to stop. Before long, Resident Evil 7 and later RE2: Remake were officially announced. Meanwhile, in Italy, Invader Studios rose from the ashes of the cancelled fan project, delivering their own title Daymare: 1998 on Steam in 2019.

As Daymare: 1998 heads to consoles in April, IGN Japan and IGN Italy visited the Invader Studios team in the small mountainside town of Olevano Romano, 45 km east of Rome, where they told us about the fallout of that fateful call from Capcom.

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When the group of friends who were working on their fan remake – built from the ground up in Unreal Engine as an over-the-shoulder third-person action game – they knew the IP was not theirs to use. Rather than intending to monetize the project, they saw it as a way to hone their skills as game developers and maybe, just maybe, garner them some attention.

Which it did – after hundreds of thousands of YouTube plays, the team received a call from Capcom’s European marketing office. And that was the end of the project.

Showing Respect in the Industry

The team was invited to visit Capcom’s Osaka office, where they were shown top-secret early builds of the as-yet-unannounced Resident Evil 7 and – yep – Capcom’s own over-the-shoulder third-person action game remake of Resident Evil 2.

Author
Daniel Robson

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