Monthly Archives: September 2020
PS5: Amazon Warns It May Not Be Able to Deliver Pre-Orders by Release Date
Amazon is warning customers who pre-ordered the PlayStation 5 that it may not be able to deliver PS5 systems in time for its November 12 launch.
Customers who pre-ordered PlayStation 5 systems from Amazon have received emails warning them that Amazon may not be able to fulfill orders in time for launch. Multiple IGN staffers received the same email from Amazon regarding their PS5 pre-orders.
“We’re contacting you about your order of PlayStation 5 Console to let you know in advance that you may not receive this item on the day it is released due to high demand. We’ll make every effort to get the item to you as soon as possible once released.” When PS5 pre-orders went live, Walmart customers found some of their orders were canceled, but in Amazon’s case, these PS5 pre-orders are still valid. The only issue is that those who ordered from Amazon may not receive a system on launch day. A similar situation with Amazon happened when the Nintendo Switch was released and Amazon couldn’t fulfill orders in time for launch. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=confirmed-playstation-5-games&captions=true"] IGN will continue to monitor the PS5 pre-order situation. Check out our PS5 pre-order page for regular updates on console drops. Xbox Series X systems will be available for pre-order next week. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt T.M. Kim is a reporter for IGN.Amazon has sent an email saying PS5 orders may not arrive on launch date due to high demand pic.twitter.com/xip55XEwYD
— Wario64 (@Wario64) September 18, 2020
PS5 Boss: Low-Spec Consoles at a Low Price Haven’t Produced ‘Pleasing Results’
PlayStation boss Jim Ryan explained Sony’s decision to pass over on making a lower-cost, lower-spec console, citing that those kinds of hardware offerings haven’t done too well in the past.
In a translated interview with Japanese media outlet, Impress IGN independently verified, Ryan was asked why Sony didn’t announce a lower-cost PS5 designed with lower-specs.
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“First of all let me say that we respect the judgment and philosophy of our competitors. Obviously price is an important factor, and we respect the strategy of our competitors. That said, we are completely convinced of our strategy and its implications,” said Ryan.
“One thing I would say is that introducing a low-spec console at a low price range hasn’t produced pleasing results in this industry’s past. We have also considered such an approach, but I also know that other operators have tried and had problems.”
Ryan says the conclusion comes from research that says customers want to invest in a console for long-term and use it for as long as 7 years. “We want the products we buy to be future proof,” Ryan says. “We are not looking to buy a product that will become obsolete in a few years.”
Although Sony isn’t introducing a lower-spec model this generation, the company revealed the PS5 Digital, a cheaper system with the same specs as a standard PS5, except without a physical media drive. The digital PS5 costs $399 compared to the $499 physical media version.
Microsoft, meanwhile, has introduced a cheaper, lower-spec Xbox Series S that’s capable of playing games at 1440p compared to the Xbox Series X’s 4K. The Series S costs $299 compared to the $499 Xbox Series X and will be able to play all the same next-gen games and have access to Game Pass.
For more on next-gen consoles, check out our PS5 pre-order page which is regularly updated to help snag a pre-order for the PS5. The Xbox Series X and S will go on pre-order next week.
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Matt T.M. Kim is a reporter for IGN.
No Man’s Sky: Origins Is the Next Major Update, and It’s Out Next Week
No Man's Sky's next major update is called Origins and it's coming next week.
Hello Games' No Man's Sky has come a long way since its original release thanks to its many large updates and all of the patches in between. Its next major update will launch next wee, and the studio's Sean Murray said Origins will be the beginning of something new.
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"Four years ago we announced FOUNDATION, our first major update for No Man's Sky," Murray said in a blog post released today. "'It won't be our largest update, but it is the start of something.' Those words were true at the time, and they ring true for Origins. We called it Origins because it is the beginning of something new, as No Man's Sky continues to grow and evolve."
The blog post goes on to mention the game's last major update, Beyond, which brought VR to the game and expanded upon its online capabilities, as well as the more regular updates the game received over the past year. Namely, Synthesis, Bytebeat, Living Ship, Exo Mech, Crossplay, and Desolation.
"We know there is a huge appetite in the community for No Man's Sky content, and the team has worked our socks off this year to deliver in difficult circumstances," the blog post reads. "We have been quiet, but we are always listening and focusing on improving the game that our team loves and feels so passionately about."
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Like the rest of No Man's Sky's updates, Origins is expected to be free for all players. As far as when players can expect to jump into everything new that comes with the update, no official date has been announced. We do know, however, that it's releasing next week.
For more No Man's Sky, read about how Hello Games is working on a huge and ambitious new game and then read about why we think No Man's Sky made a major comeback.
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Wesley LeBlanc is a freelance news writer and guide maker for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @LeBlancWes.
Cyberpunk 2077 PC Specs Revealed
Cyberpunk 2077's PC specs were revealed during today's Night City Wire livestream, both for minimum and recommended requirements.
You can find the minimum and recommended system requirements listed below.
CD Projekt Red has confirmed minimum specifications to run Cyberpunk 2077 are as follows:
Processor: Intel Core i5-3570K or AMD FX-8310
RAM: 8 GB
Graphics Card: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780 3GB or AMD Radeon RX 470
Storage: HDD (70 GB), SSD recommended
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For an optimal experience, these are the recommended system requirements:
Processor: Intel Core i7-4790 or AMD Ryzen 3 3200G
RAM: 12 GB
Graphics Card: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 6GB or AMD Radeon R9 Fury
Storage: SSD (70 GB)
Cyberpunk 2077 is in its 'final stretch of development' according to CD Projekt Red and the developer does not anticipate any further delays at this time.
Be sure to check out the full Night City Wire (Episode 3) stream to see all the new details revealed for Cyberpunk 2077 including more about the individual districts you'll explore within Night City. Cyberpunk 2077 is slated to release November 19th and will arrive on PS4, Xbox One, PC, and Stadia with enhanced versions coming to PS5 and Xbox Series X in 2021 as free upgrades for existing owners of the base game.
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Matthew Adler is a Features, News, Previews, and Reviews writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @MatthewAdler and watch him stream on Twitch.
The Hobbit: This King Thranduil Statue Is Fit for a Woodland King
If you're a fan of all things Middle-earth and have very deep pockets, Weta Workshop has just the collectible for you. The company recently unveiled a new statue featuring The Hobbit's King Thranduil, and it's easily one of the company's most elaborate and expensive pieces to date.
Dubbed The Hobbit Masters Collection: Thranduil, The Woodland King, this piece recreates the likeness of actor Lee Pace and depicts the elven monarch perched regally in his forest throne while one of his guards stands at attention. Get a closer look at this amazing piece in the slideshow gallery below:
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Like many of Weta's Hobbit/Lord of the Rings pieces, The Woodland King is designed at 1:6 scale. But given the enormous size of Thranduil's throne, the piece still clocks in at a whopping 41.33 inches in width and 39.37 inches in height. It's also got a price tag to match, coming in at $2799.99 (not including what promises to be a massive shipping charge).
Given that only a select few Middle-earth fanatics will have the spare cash and the space needed to display this monster of a statue, The Woodland King is limited to a low edition size of 400 pieces. But apparently the demand is there, as it's already sold out on Weta's website. Fortunately, it's still available at a handful of other third-party retailers like BBTS.
If you're lucky enough to snag one of these statues, Weta estimates it'll start shipping in March 2021. Let us know in the comments below if you'll be trying to pre-order one or simply admire it from afar.
Even if you don't have an extra $3000 and an empty bedroom lying around, there's plenty of reason to be excited about the future of all things Middle-earth. Amazon is producing a Lord of the Rings prequel series set during the Second Age of Middle-earth. Production began in February 2020, though it's been delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Though the series takes place thousands of years before the movies, fans can expect to see several familiar Lord of the Rings characters. However, Hugo Weaving has made it clear he has no interest in returning to play Elrond again.
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Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter.
Cyberpunk 2077 Shows Off New Location Screenshots and Gang Images
CD Projekt Red has released a number of new Cyberpunk 2077 images, showing off the game's gangs and locations.
In today's third Night City Wire broadcast, we were given a closer look at the districts of Night City, and the often violent factions that populate them.
The biggest new glut of images focus on Night City itself, with 25 screenshots showing us the abandoned Pacifica resort, the Corpo-packed City Center, Japantown, and much more:
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We also got a set of renders of many of the game's gangs, from the freakishly augmented Animals to the katana-wielding Tyger Claws:
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The images should be a good representation of what we'll be playing when the game arrives on November 19, given that it's now in the final stretch of development.
We've played 4 hours of the game so far, and were very impresse dby what we found, saying "it just might somehow live up to the years of hype."
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Joe Skrebels is IGN's Executive Editor of News. Follow him on Twitter. Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.
Harley Quinn Season 3 Coming to HBO Max
DC's raunchy, adults-only Harley Quinn animated series will return for a third season. However, you'll only be able to watch it on HBO Max.
This renewal comes as DC has also finally confirmed what many fans have been suspecting for a while - the DC Universe streaming platform as we know it is going away. The service isn't being shuttered entirely, but will instead be re-branded as "DC Universe Infinite." The new service will emphasize DC's library of 24,000 digital comics, while HBO Max will become the sole home for Harley Quinn and other former DCU-exclusive shows like Young Justice, Titans and Doom Patrol.
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No other details are available about Harley Quinn: Season 3 yet, though it's probably safe to assume Kaley Cuoco will return to voice the title character and executive-produce the series. Other executive producers in Seasons 1 and 2 included Justin Halpern, Patrick Schumacker, Dean Lorey and Sam Register.
While DC hasn't revealed when Harley Quinn: Season 3 might debut, we do know the DC Universe Infinite relaunch will take place on January 21, 2021 (with a global launch to follow later). The service will continue to offer access to DC's full digital comics library and unlimited offline downloads. DC's current print comics will now be added to the service six months after their original release rather than the current 12 month cycle. DC will also begin releasing exclusive comic book content on DC Universe Infinite, along with the ability to read digital-first titles like Batman: Gotham Nights and Harley Quinn: Black + White + Red before they debut on other platforms. DC will also offer members-only access to various fan events, likely building on the recent success of the DC FanDome virtual event.
“Our fans love the platform’s robust library of comic books and, with the transformation, we will not disappoint,” said DC Publisher and Chief Creative Officer Jim Lee in a statement. “I’m excited to share that not only will DC UNIVERSE INFINITE members still be able to read all of the great comics that they’ve enjoyed but new issues are debuting on the platform quicker than before, digital first exclusives are being created, and the members-only events will begin as soon as possible. There has never been a better time to be a DC fan!”
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DC Universe Infinite will retain the same pricing scheme as the current DC Universe platform, at $7.99 per month or $75 for an annual subscription. Current subscribers will be automatically rolled over to DC Universe Infinite and will be rewarded with vouchers for the DC Shop ($10 for monthly subscribers and $25 for annual pass holders) in February 2021.
Let us know in the comments below if you plan on maintaining your subscription after the relaunch.
In IGN's review for Harley Quinn: Season 1, we said, "If shows like Swamp Thing and Titans are too deathly serious for your liking, Harley Quinn hits like a breath of fresh air. This series provides a very goofy take on the DCU and its costumed denizens, one that shares much in common with the sorely missed Batman: The Brave and the Bold."
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In other DC Universe news, Doom Patrol was recently greenlit for a third season, while we learned Titans: Season 3 will add several iconic Batman characters. You can also check out our theories about what Young Justice: Phantoms might be about.
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Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter.
TikTok Downloads Set to Be Banned in the US from Sunday [Update]
Update:
A federal judge has blocked the White House's ban on TikTok downloads in the United States just hours before the ban was set to take effect on Sunday night.
Washington D.C. District Judge Carl Nichols agreed to TikTok's request for a temporary injunction against the U.S. ban after claiming that the Trump administration "likely exceeded the lawful bounds" of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. This is the Act the administration used to justify its ban on TikTok.
Nichols cited how the IEEPA does not give the president any authority to ban "the importation or exportation of 'information or informational materials" or "personal communication, which do [] not involve a transfer of anything of value."
Furthermore, Nichols sided with TikTok when the video app argued the ban will cause "irreparable economic and reputational harm" to the app as another reason to temporarily halt the ban.
TikTok is still under threat of effectively shutting down by November 12 if a deal to sell its U.S. operations isn't complete by that deadline. TikTok asked Nichols for relief on that front as well, but Nichols said that matter should be handled by another proceeding.
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Original Story: The Department of Commerce has ordered that downloads for mobile apps TikTok and WeChat be banned in the US from Sunday.
American users will not be able to download the apps after September 20. Those with the apps already downloaded will still be able to use them, but they won't be able to access any future updates for TikTok or WeChat, which may damage their functionality.
The apps will be fully banned and made illegal on November 12 if President Trump's security concerns with TikTok and WeChat are not resolved by that date. Oracle was recently negotiating to become TikTok's 'trusted tech partner' in the U.S. - if that deal goes ahead, the ban can be reversed.
You can read the full release from the Department of Commerce here, in which Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross details the reasons behind the order. According to Ross, this order has been issued to "safeguard the national security of the United States."
"The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has demonstrated the means and motives to use these apps to threaten the national security, foreign policy, and the economy of the U.S. Today’s announced prohibitions when combined, protect users in the U.S. by eliminating access to these applications and significantly reducing their functionality."
This move follows Executive Orders signed by Trump in August which sought to block TikTok and WeChat's operations in the US if they were not sold by their Chinese-owned parent companies, ByteDance and Tencent.
Microsoft was in discussions to purchase TikTok in the United States after the app fell under scrutiny from the Trump administration. Microsoft has since said that TikTok operator ByteDance would not sell them its US operations.
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Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.
Nintendo Switch Launches in Brazil, the First Nintendo Product to Go on Sale in the Country Since 2015
Nintendistas (Brazilian Nintendo fans) were delighted with some long-awaited news on August 19th. On its official Twitter account, Nintendo of America announced that the Switch is coming soon to Brazil - Nintendo’s first official release in the country since it ceased operations in the country back in 2015.
The official launch of the Nintendo Switch in Brazil arrives today, September 18, 2020, for the suggested price of 2,999 real - which is equivalent to about $567 USD. The announcement shared on social media was accompanied by an image of Switch’s standard version, leading fans to correctly guess that this model would be the only one to arrive in the country at launch. That information was confirmed by Bill van Zyll, Nintendo’s General Manager of Latin America, who added that the Pro Controller and Joy-Con will also arrive at launch, and that the Lite model will follow in 2021.
Greetings to all the Brazilian Nintendo fans out there! We’re excited to announce that #NintendoSwitch will be coming soon to Brazil!
Stay tuned to these channels for more info: Facebook: https://t.co/dQwMX6PHP3 Instagram: https://t.co/Sp4HJFQA63 pic.twitter.com/0Ri5a8Vj6l — Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) August 19, 2020
How did Brazilians have access to Nintendo products up until now?
While there is a large gray market for Switch consoles and a system to buy games digitally, it has been five years since Nintendo stopped official sales of its products in Brazil. Upon ceasing its operations in 2015, the company stated that its model of distribution in the country had become unsustainable due to “challenges in the local business environment”, such as “high import taxes”. Because of that, Nintendo fans in Brazil missed out on physical editions of major releases such as The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Pokémon Sun & Moon, as well as the New Nintendo 2DS XL. Nintendo first established a distribution model in Brazil back in 1993, when the company established a partnership with Gradiente and Estrela – which merged to become Playtronic. The enterprise assembled consoles domestically – to avoid high import tax payments – and translated printed materials, like manuals and packaging. At that time, clone NES and SNES consoles were so popular that the official releases struggled to outsell the fake ones. For more than two decades, Nintendo maintained some of its logistics in the country, changing its local distributors from time to time. Distribution was cut short for two years during the GameCube era, between 2004 and 2006 – however, the biggest gap started when the company ceased its contract with Gaming do Brasil in 2015. For the past five years up to 2020, the only way that Brazilians could buy Nintendo products was through the gray market. Retailers and specialized stores had to directly import consoles, peripherals and games and, because of that, there weren’t fixed prices and some products had prices considered excessive – a gray market Switch would sell for up to 4000 real ($756 USD). Many players found buying abroad or importing themselves a more viable option. [caption id="attachment_2409023" align="alignnone" width="2362"] Nintendo's booth at Brasil Game Show 2019.[/caption] Indeed, these gray market prices make the new official price of 2,999 real seem much more reasonable. For comparison, this is the same price as the PlayStation 4 Pro in Brazil; the standard PS4 sells for 2,000-2,500 real, about $378-$470 USD. It was only in 2018 that Nintendo took steps towards being closer to South America’s regional market again. During that year’s E3, the company revealed exclusively to IGN Brasil that it was planning to launch Loja Nintendo, a website from which fans can buy download codes of Switch games using local currency. Loja Nintendo has since had its catalog expanded and is now releasing games more quickly, in addition to offering pre-sale services. However, the catalog does not include all titles released on the Switch, and games like Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and Spiritfarer are not available. At Brasil Game Show (BGS) 2018, the company announced a partnership with a local retail store to sell Nintendo Switch prepaid game cards, for those players who had imported a console. Nintendo also had a booth at BGS 2019, which further stoked the hopes of fans. Brazilian fans still don’t have a fully functional eShop – the app includes no browsable catalog or any other feature besides redeeming codes for digital versions of games. Other issues that Nintendistas face are related to technical assistance. Nintendo has only one certified repair center in the whole country, which is located in the city of São Paulo. Therefore, if a player wants their Joy-Con drift problem fixed, they will have to send it or come to the city themselves. [caption id="attachment_2409032" align="alignnone" width="2362"] Nintendo's booth at Brasil Game Show 2019.[/caption]How will the Switch arrive in Brazil?
According to van Zyll, when the Switch is officially released Nintendo will keep its operating system “simple” at first. The company will be working with two distributors – Rcell and Ingram Micro – as well as big retailers such as Lojas Americanas, Magazine Luiza and Submarino. This pared-down approach is intended to avoid the problems that led Nintendo to exit Brazil back in 2015. “We tried different approaches that seemed to be right at that time [2015], but we ran into different issues or different challenges in each case,” says van Zyll. “So, what we did this time is we took another step back and we really looked at it and we went with a model which is simple, direct, straightforward and something that we think will work and something that we think we can build on.” At this point, the company still has a long way to go to fully establish itself in Brazil. Economist Roberto Dumas believes that the reactivation of Nintendo’s operation in the country will cause an overall improvement in customer’s lives, but he also has words of caution. “One thing is for certain: This will improve fans’ well-being; otherwise, there would be no reason,” he says. “Brazil is a great consumerist market: 68% of our Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is made by domestic consumption. We love to spend money, and Nintendo most certainly has noticed that people are buying more of their products during the pandemic, so they must have decided to not lose this good opportunity to invest here. However, don’t get your hopes too high, because now is not the time to establish a robust operation.” [caption id="attachment_2409026" align="alignnone" width="2362"] Nintendo's booth at Brasil Game Show 2019.[/caption]Why now?
So, why return to Brazil now, five years after exiting the market and during a global pandemic? Van Zyll tells us, “This has been in the works for a while. This did not happen overnight. We've been working at this for some time, really, for years, and we took our steps, our deliberate steps, which is how Nintendo works.” According to the executive, the Brazilian market is very important for Nintendo. He explains that "Brazil is one of the top 10 economies in the world, it has 210 million consumers, and it’s the largest gaming market in Latin America." Van Zyll also mentions the passion of the Brazilian fans, the Nintendistas: "While we've been out there working and trying to get ready for this, we’ve continually heard from the Nintendistas. And I’ll tell you, every time I go to Brazil, I have a chance to talk to people and just that the passion, the love that people have for Nintendo it is just so... it really hits you! It's quite an experience. I think it's really unique." He adds: "Please don't confuse us getting late to Brazil as Nintendo not caring, because we absolutely do." [poilib element="accentDivider"] Helena Nogueira is a writer for IGN Brasil.Beyond Good & Evil 2 Gameplay to Be Shown Next Year
Beyond Good & Evil 2 will show new gameplay next year, with the most recent internal build offering "hours of gameplay and an incredible level of freedom in a seamless online sandbox".
Following the retirement of director Michel Ancel from the games industry, senior producer Guillaume Brunier provided an update on the game, reassuring fans that the BG&E director hasn't been directly involved in the game for some time, and explaining that the game has passed important internal milestones.
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The key milestone has been a playable build of the game, which Brunier says, "proves our Space Pirate Fantasy and offers hours of gameplay and an incredible level of freedom in a seamless online sandbox, building upon the promise of our tech demos shown at E3. I’m incredibly proud of the team’s perseverance, dedication to each other and ongoing commitment to developing an amazing game."
Along with the update, we also got a new piece of art for the game, which you can see below:
The next milestone is to show the game in action "sometime next year". Brunier explains that he understands fans' eagerness to hear more (especially after the game seemingly vanished), but says, "we will take the time needed to get it right. We want to go beyond the high expectations you have of us, and that we have for ourselves." Lead studio Ubisoft Montpellier has brought on Ubisoft Paris as a partner on the game, and Brunier says the team is continuing to hire for new roles.
No announcement has been made as to who will succeed Ancel as the director of the game. Brunier made clear his appreciation for the work that the creator put in: "For years, Michel imparted his creative vision and helped us remain faithful to BG&E’s incredible universe. His uncompromising passion pushed us to redefine what was possible in crafting an expansive, multicultural, and futuristic science-fiction world. As we move forward, we are all committed to remaining true to this vision."
This marks the first major update we've had on the incredibly ambitious RPG for some time - here's everything we know so far.
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Joe Skrebels is IGN's Executive Editor of News. Follow him on Twitter. Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.