Month: August 2020

Xbox Series S Reportedly Confirmed by Controller Packaging Leak

Xbox Series S, Microsoft’s rumored second, cheaper next-gen Xbox, may have been confirmed by a controller packaging leak.

The Verge obtained photos of Xbox’s next-gen controllers, and the packaging mentions both the confirmed Xbox Series X and the unconfirmed Xbox Series S, which has had a supposed codename in Project Lockhart for quite some time.

Twitter user @zakk_exe was able to purchase this new controller on a resale site, and The Verge has verified it is a genuine next-gen controller.

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At the end of last month, an alleged image of this white Xbox Series X/S controller appeared online, and it’s important to note that Microsoft has yet to unveil either a white next-gen console or controller.

A recent report suggested that this Xbox Series S reveal would be taking place in August 2020, so news shouldn’t be too far away.

Xbox Series X, and presumably Xbox Series S, will be released during Holiday 2020, yet we have yet to learn of any release date or price.

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However, Microsoft did feature a bunch of its first-party game in a recent Xbox Games Showcase, and gave fans a new look at Halo Infinite, Fable, Forza Motorsport, Avowed, and much more.

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Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

PGA Tour 2K21 Devs Talk PS5/Xbox Series X Support, DLC, Swing Updates, And More

PGA Tour 2K21 is coming very soon, with the professional golf game scheduled for release on PS4, Xbox One, Switch, and PC on August 21. Ahead of that, the developers at HB Studios have answered some questions on Reddit regarding support for PS5/Xbox Series X, DLC, the new swing mechanics, and more.

Beginning with the next-gen consoles, HB Studios will not release a “bespoke” version of PGA Tour 2K21 for the PS5 and Xbox Series X. However, like thousands of other games on both platforms, PGA Tour 2K21 will play on PS5 and Xbox Series X through backwards compatibility, HB said.

Regarding DLC, HB said it plans to add more courses, modes, and MyPlayer options in the future. However, the studio did not say if this will come in the form of paid or free expansions.

There are 15 real-world PGA Tour courses in PGA Tour 2K21, which is more than double the number (6) that were featured in 2018’s The Golf Club 2019 Featuring PGA Tour.

Also in the Q&A, HB spoke about some of the changes for the swing mechanics in PGA Tour 2K21. First off, backswing tempo is removed, while the downswing timing and accuracy “tolerances” have been tuned to make the overall swing mechanics simpler. Additionally, the swing animations themselves have been updated to more “more athletic.”

HB also clarified that there will be many different golf clubs to earn and unlock, and these clubs include attributes that change performance. However, HB says one club won’t necessarily be “better” than another because of how the game has been tuned. For example, one driver may go further than another, but the tradeoff is that it requires a more expert control of accuracy and timing. Another example provided was that a wedge might go straight more easily, but it will be more difficult to control when using the shot-shaping mechanics.

Go to the Reddit post here to catch up with all the questions and answers.

GameSpot recently played a few hours of PGA Tour 2K21, and you can watch our gameplay video above to see us shoot 59 at TPC Summerlin.

Now Playing: PGA Tour 2K21 Gameplay — Scoring 59 At TPC Summerlin

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Seth Rogen’s An American Pickle Features A Weird Cameo From Everyone’s Favorite PS4 Exclusive

An American Pickle, the new Seth Rogen movie that debuted exclusively for HBO Max on August 6, has received mixed reviews that trend mildly positive. It’s a film about a man who gets preserved in a vat of pickles for 100 years and then has to connect with his great-grandson in modern-day Brooklyn, but that’s not the weirdest thing about it.

One viewer noticed something interesting in the background of the film, and noted it on Twitter. At a bar that the characters frequent, there’s a game playing on the TV, and it’s the same one each time. It’s unusual for a video game to be playing on a TV bar at the best of times, of course, but what makes it even weirder is that the game is PS4 launch title Knack.

Here’s the tweet from Michael Leri noting the cameo.

The game, which launched in 2013, has become a bit of a meme over time. The launch title received a 4/10 from GameSpot, and is often the butt of jokes, with players ironically calling it one of the true greats of the console.

So why is Knack, of all things, popping up in the background of An American Pickle? Unless first-time feature director Brandon Trost decides to explain, we might never know.

Knack was eventually followed up with a sequel, Knack 2. It was much better.

Now Playing: 8 Best Shows And Movies To Stream For August 2020 – Netflix, HBO Max, Hulu, Disney+, Prime Video

New Dune Movie Will Be “Up There” With The Lord Of The Rings, Art Director Says

One of the most highly anticipated upcoming films is Arrival and Blade Runner 2049 director Denis Villeneuve’s new Dune adaptation featuring a star-studded cast led by Timothee Chalamet. Art director Tom Brown has now spoken more about the film, likening it to The Lord of the Rings when it comes to the “sheer scale” of the project and what Villeneuve is trying to achieve with the story.

“I think what Denis Villeneuve is doing is what’s called a seminal version of this story. I don’t think it will be topped, to be perfectly honest,” Brown told KIDS FIRST! Film Critics (via IndieWire). “The sheer scale of it is going to be daunting. But I do think it’s going to be extremely special.”

“I heard in the paper the other day that they’re looking at the new Lord of the Rings, and I firmly believe that. I think it’s going to be up there with those kinds of films, really,” he added.

Dune will be split into two films, the first of which is scheduled for release in December this year. The movie also stars Rebecca Ferguson, Josh Brolin, Jason Momoa, Zendaya, Javier Bardem, Oscar Isaac, Stellan Skarsgard, and Dave Bautista.

The film is based on the writing of Frank Herbert. Dune was originally made into a movie directed by David Lynch in 1984 starring Kyle McLachlan, Patrick Stewart, and Sting. It was a commercial disappointment, but it gained a cult following, and a Dune mini-series aired on the Sci-Fi Channel (now known as Syfy) in the early 2000s.

Now Playing: 8 Best Shows And Movies To Stream For August 2020 – Netflix, HBO Max, Hulu, Disney+, Prime Video

Call of Duty: Warzone Player Tricks Enemy By Playing Dead

A clever Call of Duty: Warzone player played dead on August 8 in order to trick another player into lowering their guard. Redditor Lambeauleap80 dropped all of his weapons and items and went prone while waiting for a nearby enemy to walk by his trap.

The other player, who Lambeauleap80 had been following, eventually ran up to the dropped loot and started going through it. That’s when our opossum-like friend popped up and beat him all the way to the gulag.

“I couldn’t stop laughing at this death chat reaction after faking my death actually worked,” he said in a post recounting the trick.

The enemy players’ death chat, where the game shares audio from the player you killed for a second, captured his reaction wonderfully.

Call of Duty: Warzone’s Season 5 update brought a lot of content to the battle royale. There is now a loot train circling the map, the stadium and train station are open, and there are mysteries keypads to be found across Verdansk. A new entry in the Call of Duty series has also been teased in Warzone with a possible announcement coming on August 10. However, a Warzone texture glitch appears to be keeping some players from enjoying the game.

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Horizon Zero Dawn Developer Is Working To Fix Crashes On PC

Horizon Zero Dawn developer Guerrilla Games is looking into why the PC version of the game is crashing. The PC version launched on August 7, but it has some technical issues that have frustrated many players.

“I just downloaded game on PC and I’m trying to load in but after 40% game just crashes,” said Redditor fortuneed. “Anyone have any solution?”

Guerrilla Games said that they’ve seen the posts across social media and are continuing to investigate. They’ll “update [us] as soon as we have more news.”

“We appreciate those who have already taken the time to report their issues on Steam, Reddit, or via our website,” the studio said in a statement on Steam. “If you are still encountering crashes or bugs, please continue to use those spaces, or refer to our FAQ if you are unsure of how to proceed. Your reports are, and have already been, incredibly helpful for our teams.”

Players have started to post their own workarounds on how to avoid crashes, but nothing is guaranteed to prevent them until Guerrilla Games implements a patch. On top of the reports of crashing, GameSpot’s Michael Higham encountered significant frame rate drops, stuttering, and numerous bugs like character models showing the wrong texture. You can learn more about Higham’s experience in the video above.

Now Playing: Horizon Zero Dawn PC Port Needs Some Work

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Doctor Who: Christopher Eccleston Returning as The Ninth Doctor

Christopher Eccleston, as the Ninth Doctor, helped usher in a new era of Doctor Who, though his tenure would be short-lived as the actor would leave the series after only one season of 13 episodes due to a breakdown in his relationship with then-showrunner Russell T Davies.

Eccleston also famously turned down the chance to reprise the role on several occasions over the years, including an appearance on the 50th Anniversary show.

Now it’s been announced that Eccleston will return to the role of the Ninth Doctor after fifteen years, for a new Ninth Doctor audio series from BBC Studios and Big Finish.

The series will feature twelve full-cast audio adventures, due to be released across four box sets, starting with volume one in May 2021.

“After 15 years it will be exciting to revisit the Ninth Doctor’s world,” Eccleston said in a release, “bringing back to life a character I love playing.”

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Big Finish’s Chairman, Jason Haigh-Ellery said: “I first talked to Christopher about returning to the role of the Doctor at the Gallifrey One convention in February this year. Christopher said he was enjoying meeting the fans and was pleased that his Doctor was remembered so fondly. He indicated he would be open to discussing a project with Big Finish.”

“And then the pandemic happened and time moved both quickly and very slowly. Over recent months, ideas have been exchanged and discussions had. I am so pleased that Christopher has decided to return to the role with us – and I’m excited to welcome him to the Big Finish family as we discover the new adventures of the Ninth Doctor.”

The four volumes in Doctor Who: The Ninth Doctor Adventures will be released as a 4-disc collector’s edition box set or download containing three brand-new full cast audio adventures, plus a selection of behind-the-scenes extras. Pre-ordering is available now. Other details, including additional guest cast, are not known at this time.

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Matt Fowler is a writer for IGN and a member of the Television Critics Association. Follow him on Twitter at @TheMattFowler and Facebook at Facebook.com/MattBFowler.

Street Fighter Producer Yoshinori Ono to Leave Capcom After Almost 30 Years

Street Fighter producer and Capcom developer Yoshinori Ono has announced that he will be resigning from the company he’s worked with for almost 30 years this summer.

Ono took to Twitter to explain his decision, and he began by bringing up the challenges that the COVID-19 pandemic have brought upon the world and how it has impacted the Capcom Pro Tour and its format for 2020.

He then moved on to talk about his departure, and described how much Street Fighter, and its community, have meant to him.

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“I’ve been with the Street Fighter brand for a long time, experiencing good times, bad times, and even non-existent times,” Ono said. “My heart is filled with appreciation to those players who’ve been giving warm and kind support on the brand especially little over the past decade or so as all the activities on the Street Fighter brand regained sunshine and grew its liveliness.”

“And now, after serving almost 30 years at Capcom, I am leaving the company in this summer. This means that I will resign my position as the brand manager for Capcom’s various titles including Street Fighter. ”

“Capcom staff in the new generation will continue taking care of the Street Fighter brand and leading the World Warriors. And, I do believe that they will continue making Street Fighter extraordinary. I will look forward to seeing the new Street Fighter brand and how it’s going to be expanded, as just one of the regular gamers next time around.”

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Ono began his career at Capcom working on Mega Man: Battle & Chase for the original PlayStation as a music composer before he went to work on Street Fighter Alpha 3 as a sound manager. He would go on to help with many games, including Devil May Cry, Onimusha, Resident Evil: Outbreak, and more. He quickly became a fan favorite around his work on Street Fighter IV and Street Fighter V, as he would appear at many fan events and tournaments with a smile and wonderful energy.

You can read Ono’s full statement here.

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Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to [email protected].

Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.