Monthly Archives: June 2017
Microsoft Shows Off Scorpio Dev Kit Ahead of E3
Microsoft has released a video displaying the features included in their Scorpio Development Kits which they started shipping last month to get the jump on E3.
In the video, Kevin Gammill from the Xbox engineering team takes us through the various functionalities included in the kit to assist developers in making new games.
Gammill explains that the kit has been built after collecting feedback from Xbox development partners to try to meet the needs of making games for the newer more powerful console.
Due to this, the Scorpio Dev Kit sports higher specs than what the consumer version will have, featuring 4 more control units in the CPU, 12gb more ram, and an additional 1tb SSD. These enhancements will allow developers to make games faster and then tune them down to the console's abilities.
Sony Exec Shawn Layden Calls Nintendo Switch ‘A Great Success’
Shawn Layden, President and CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment America, has acknowledged the success of the Nintendo Switch.
During an interview with Time, Layden referred to the Switch as "a great success for Nintendo," explaining that "it's definitely what that fanbase has been waiting for." The Sony Boss doesn't seem threatened by the console and claimed that sales of the Switch haven't affected that of the PlayStation 4. Instead, he spoke of a more symbiotic relationship between Nintendo and Sony.
"When you look at our numbers, I think it shows that a lot of gamers are a two-console family," explained Layden. "And quite often those two consoles are PlayStation and Nintendo sitting side-by-side."
Nearly One in Every Five PS4s Sold Is a PS4 Pro
An interview with PlayStation executives from Europe and America has revealed that the PlayStation 4 Pro accounts for about 20 percent of PS4 systems currently being sold.
When talking to Glixel, the CEO of Sony Entertainment Europe Jim Ryan, stated that the success of the PS4 Pro exceeded the company's expectations, with the PS4 Pro accounting for nearly one of every five PS4s sold.
"We were confident about the product but have really been taken aback by how well it's done," Ryan said. "Almost one in five PlayStations sold since that launch in November has been a Pro. That's significantly ahead of our expectations. We're feeling pretty good about that."
Not only are sales strong for the PS4 Pro according to Sony, but also nearly 40 percent of purchases are upgrades from the PS4 to the more powerful iteration of the console.
Horizon: Zero Dawn Has Now Sold 3.4 Million Copies
Horizon: Zero Dawn has now sold 3.4 million copies worldwide.
In an interview with Glixel, Sony Interactive Entertainment America president Shawn Layden revealed the sales milestone, saying it was a "brave step for
to go from making shooters like Killzone to an open world game."
Layden also confirmed that of the 3.4 million copies sold, roughly 915,000 were digital. "This kind of shift changes everything," said Layden. "It changes the publishing model, it allows smaller players to put out games, it affects DLC and it has a huge impact."
Back in March, more than 2.6 million units of Horizon: Zero Dawn were sold worldwide during the game's first two weeks on sale, becoming the best-selling new first-party IP on PlayStation 4, as well as Guerrilla Games' "biggest debut." Guerrilla is currently working on a story expansion.
PlayStation VR Surpasses 1 Million Units Sold
PlayStation VR has surpassed 1 million units sold worldwide after reports earlier this year indicated over 900,000 units of the VR headset had been sold.
Sony Europe boss Jim Ryan revealed the milestone in an interview with Glixel while also confirming that over 5 million PSVR games have been sold. Ryan credits the VR headset's commercial success to Sony treating PSVR as a platform launch rather than a peripheral.
"To be honest we didn't know how well it would do," said Ryan. "We were optimistic, but something as completely different as virtual reality is tough to predict."
Top Comics to Buy This Week: June 7, 2017
With dozens of comic books to choose from, let us show you which are the best coming out this week. Take a look at this list spotlighting our favorite comics that we know are money-well-spent and new books that look cool and are backed by some top-tier talent.
Check out our picks, then head to the comments to let us know what you’ll be buying this week!
By writer Charles Soule & artist Giuseppe Camuncoli | Marvel
Marvel's newest ongoing Star Wars comic again puts the Dark Lord of the Sith in the spotlight. That might not seem like the most groundbreaking direction for the franchise so soon after Kieron Gillen and Salvador Larroca's Darth Vader comic wrapped up, but the fact is that there's plenty more ground left to cover with this villain. The new series is set shortly after the events of Episode III, meaning we're getting a closer look at how Anakin Skywalker evolved from fallen Jedi Knight to scourge of the galaxy. The first story arc will explore how Vader forged his signature red lightsaber, and we're hoping the series will also explore the inner workings of Vader's castle introduced in Rogue One last year.
Phoenix Point Boss Battle Gameplay Revealed
Phoenix Point developer Snapshot Games has pulled back the curtain on some early gameplay of its upcoming strategy game.
Snapshot Games founder and CEO Julian Gollop, who's also the original creator of X-COM, walked IGN through a battle on an abandoned oil rig against several alien foes, including the intimidatingly massive Alien Queen.
"Return fire is a very important concept in Phoenix Point," Gollop noted, as firing upon the enemy often results in a retaliating attack by the opposition. Likewise, "Will Points" are a key part of the gameplay, as executing special actions with your troops require you to spend some of your points.
Phoenix Point is slated to release for PC, Linux and Mac in Q4 2018. At the time of this posting, Snapshot Games' crowdfunded project has garnered over $709,000, having surpassed its initial $500,000 goal last month.
Kung Fu Panda Coming to Universal Studios Theme Park
Having purchased DreamWorks Animation for 3.8 billion last year, it was clear NBCUniversal wouldn’t squander the theme park opportunities adding so many characters to their arsenal gives them. Now we know the first new theme park element we’ll see from this merger, as Universal Studios Hollywood has announced a new DreamWorks Theater attraction.
While the plan is for the venue to play host to a variety of DreamWorks Animation themed attractions, the first will be based around Kung Fu Panda, in what is described as a “multi-sensory adventure.” While it is a stage show, with the audience sitting down to watch, the description reads:
The Dark Tower: New Videos From the Stephen King Film
Sony Pictures aired three new TV spots for their forthcoming feature film The Dark Tower, based on Stephen King's book saga, during Sunday's NBA Finals. You can watch all three spots below.
The first TV spot profiles Idris Elba's protagonist, gunslinger Roland Deschain, while the second one showcases Matthew McConaughey's villainous "Man in Black," aka Walter Padick.
The final spot chronicles the menace Padick poses to Earth.
In addition to Elba and McConaughey, The Dark Tower cast also includes Tom Taylor as Jake Chambers, Abbey Lee, Jackie Earle Haley, Fran Kranz, Katheryn Winnick, Michael Barbieri, and Claudia Kim. Nikolaj Arcel directs.
American Made: Tom Cruise’s Casting a Nod to Top Gun
I chatted over the phone last week with director Doug Liman about his upcoming movie American Made, a true crime tale that reunites him with his Edge of Tomorrow star, Tom Cruise.
American Made tells the story of Barry Seal (Cruise), a commercial pilot and hustler in the 1980s who smuggled drugs for the Colombian cartels while also being recruited by the CIA to run one of the biggest covert operations in U.S. history. Seal played both sides against the other, a dangerous game involving some of the most powerful political and criminal figures of the 20th century.
Seal's story is an outrageous one and, as the film's first trailer (seen below) makes clear, Liman's film embraces that absurdity and cocaine cowboy quality.