Author: Trafficblast

Following its acquisition of Returnal developer Housemarque earlier this week, PlayStation has now acquired Dutch studio Nixxes Software. The team previously made the Xbox 360 version of Rise of the Tomb Raider and contributed to Marvel’s Avengers.

Avengers was Nixxes’ biggest game ever; it created content for the game alongside Crystal Dynamics. Nixxes is known in particular for its PC ports, which is intriguing given that Sony is now looking to port more of its games to PC going forward.

“Excited to announce that the talented Dutch studio Nixxes Software will be joining PlayStation Studios,” PlayStation executive Hermen Hulst said. “It’s a real pleasure to welcome a team with such deep technical expertise and vast experience to the PlayStation family. Huge congrats to everyone Nixxes Software.”

“I highly respect Nixxes and am excited for this very experienced team to become part of the world-class development community at SIE,” Hulst said in a press release. “They have a passion for improving games and for delivering the best possible experience for gamers. Nixxes will be a strong asset for everyone across PlayStation Studios, helping our teams focus on their most important goal, which is to create unique PlayStation content at the best possible quality.”

Nixxes founder Jurjen Katsman added: “We can’t wait to get to work and are so excited to bring our technical and development expertise to an IP powerhouse like PlayStation Studios. We’re looking forward to working with some of the most talented teams in the industry to deliver the highest-quality gameplay experiences for PlayStation fans.”

The financial terms of PlayStation’s acquisition of Nixxes were not disclosed “due to contractual commitments.”

Sony may not be finished announcing new studio acquisitions, as a leak suggested that PlayStation may acquire Bluepoint Games next, the developer of the Demon’s Souls remake.

Hulst said in an interview that he doesn’t believe there is an “arms race” going on right now between Sony and Microsoft when it comes to studio acquisitions. Microsoft acquired ZeniMax in a blockbuster $7.5 billion deal that will bring Starfield to Xbox exclusively.

The Loki costume worn by Sylvie’s Sophia Di Martino featured one very thoughtful alteration.

Taking to Twitter shortly after Loki’s fourth episode premiered on Disney+, Martino commended costume designer Christine Wada for modifying Sylvie’s costume so that she could pump milk and nurse her baby while on set. The actress revealed that her outfit included concealed zippers, and posted a photo to demonstrate the suit’s functionality.

It’s not easy being a working Mama! Genius #christinewada designed Sylvie’s costume & added concealed zippers so I could pump easily & nurse my baby between takes. Little (big) things like this that made it possible for me to do my job & be a parent. I’m forever grateful 💖 pic.twitter.com/nn0d8HYrFi

— Sophia Di Martino (@sophiadimartino) July 1, 2021

“It’s not easy being a working Mama!” she tweeted alongside an image of her showcasing the clever costume design. “Genius Christine Wada designed Sylvie’s costume & added concealed zippers so I could pump easily & nurse my baby between takes. Little (big) things like this that made it possible for me to do my job & be a parent. I’m forever grateful.”

Fans responded to the tweet praising the designer for the care and consideration that she evidently put into making the costume. “Wow. So much respect to you Sophia and to the wardrobe team! Being a mama is tough enough it is very beautiful to see moms being fully supported at work and in any aspect of life,” one user commented.

“That’s brilliant! So important that mamas who nurse their babies are given the opportunity of doing so, and then to have a costume designer design this for you is awesome,” another person added. “That’s so sweet!! We need more women in these behind the scenes positions,” a third fan remarked, referencing the film and TV industry.

Major spoilers for Episode 4 of Loki follow.

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Loki’s fourth episode, “The Nexus Event,” added a few more costumes to fans potential cosplay repertoires, as Loki was woken by a set of four new Loki variants in the show’s first post-credits scene. “Classic” Loki, as listed in the credits, was the most recognizable of the bunch, perhaps because he was dressed in a classic Marvel comics-inspired costume.

He was accompanied by “Boastful Loki,” played by DeObia Oparei, who was wielding what appeared to be a DIY Mjolnir hammer, and “Kid Loki,” best known for his appearance in the Journey into Mystery and Young Avengers comics, wearing a gold embellished outfit and horned helmet, with a crown-clad croc in his arms.

“Am I dead?” asks Loki, to which Old Loki replies, “Not yet. But you will be unless you come with us.” The group appear to be standing in the middle of an apocalypse, seemingly the remains of New York City, offering a tantalising tease of what might be coming up in the penultimate episode of the Marvel/Disney+ series next week.

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New episodes of Loki arrive on Disney Plus at 12:01am PT / 3:01am ET every Wednesday. That means Loki Episode 5 will go live on Disney+ on Wednesday, July 7 at 12:01am PT / 3:01am ET. Moving forward, viewers can expect future Disney Plus original series to release on Wednesdays instead of Fridays, thanks to the success of Loki.

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Adele Ankers is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow her on Twitter.

Writer-director Quentin Tarantino plans to make one more movie and then retire, and in a new interview, he spoke at a high level about his plans for a 10th movie. Tarantino also shared some ideas for Kill Bill Vol. 3, though he stopped short of saying he plans to actually make it to wrap up his career.

Speaking on the Joe Rogan Experience podcast, Tarantino said 2019’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood was his big “epic” and that his next film will be more of an “epilogue” to his career.

“The weight was really on Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. That’s kind of like my big epic. That’s like my big wrap-up-the-career kind of epic,” he explained. “And I think I did it. I don’t know what the next story is going to be. I’m imagining it will be more epilogue-y. Like [Once Upon a Time in Hollywood] is the big one, and then whatever I end up doing for that last one…more of an epilogue, as you’re wrapping up the career.”

But what will the last movie be? Tarantino doesn’t know yet. He said he has no idea what this movie will be, and he has no timeline for when he wants to make it.

Tarantino is hoping to write one more book, then produce a stage play, and then “we’ll see” about his 10th movie.

The director said he might be convinced to make another “epic” as his last film if it’s a third Kill Bill movie. He’s been thinking about it and he has some ideas.

“The only one I can imagine where it would be another epic, where I would need to out-do everything is if I did a Kill Bill 3. I’ve thought of it,” he said.

One of the ideas that Tarantino has for Kill Bill Vol. 3 would be to revisit the characters 20 years later and cast Uma Thurman again as the Bride and her real-life daughter Maya Hawke as B.B. “I think it’s just revisiting the characters, 20 years later, just imagining the Bride and her daughter B.B. having 20 years of peace,” he said. “And then that peace is shattered. The Bride and B.B. are on the run. The idea of being able to cast Uma and her daughter Maya would be f**king exciting.”

Finally, Tarantino reiterated that he considered making a Reservoir Dogs remake with a new cast as his final film because he believes the material is timeless. However, he decided against this and is now looking to produce a Reservoir Dogs stage play instead. He also wants to write a novelization of Reservoir Dogs and produce a Hateful 8 stage play.

Also on the podcast, Tarantino had a message for critics of the Bruce Lee scene in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood: “Suck a d.”

Regarding his forthcoming retirement, Tarantino said in a previous interview that he believes that “most directors have horrible last movies,” and he doesn’t want this to be true for himself.

“Usually their worst movies are their last movies,” he said. “That’s the case for most of the Golden Age directors that ended up making their last movies in the late ’60s and the ’70s, then that ended up being the case for most of the New Hollywood directors who made their last movies in the late ’80s and the ’90s. I mean, most directors’ last films are f**king lousy.”

In other news, the novelization of Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is out now, and it confirms whether or not Cliff Booth killed his wife with a harpoon gun.

Two of the recently announced Arcade1Up home arcade cabinets–Street Fighter II Big Blue and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in Time–are now available for preorder directly from the company. Both were announced at E3 2021 and feature free Wi-Fi play for online multiplayer.

Alongside these cabinets, the company also revealed a split Ms. Pac-Man and Galaga Class of 1981 machine, a throwback to an earlier anniversary cabinet from Namco that featured both games. As we previously reported, The Simpsons Arcade was announced at the same time, but details are scarce–we’ll have an exclusive hands-on preview with a prototype in the future.

$600

A recreation of the famous “Big Blue” variant from Street Fighter II’s original arcade heyday, the Arcade1Up Street Fighter II Big Blue cabinet comes equipped with Wi-Fi, making it the first Street Fighter cabinet from the company that allows for online play. It comes loaded with 12 games, including several variants of Street Fighter 2 and the excellent 1944: The Loop Master.

$650

This redesigned take on the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cabinet from Arcade1Up features a completely different build and new Wi-Fi connectivity as well as faux coin doors for that classic arcade look. Both the original TMNT arcade game and the titular Turtles in Time are included, along with a retro art style on the cabinet itself that pays homage to the original cabinet.

Take-Two, the parent company of Rockstar Games and 2K Games, has acquired Dynamixyz, a “video-based facial animation services” company that worked on projects like Avengers: Endgame and Love, Death & Robots, as well as Take-Two’s own Red Dead Redemption II and NBA 2K21.

Dynamixyz owns “leading-edge, proprietary motion capture, facial-analysis, and full 3D processing tools and technology” that spans CG, computer vision, and machine learning.

Take-Two did not disclose the purchase price for Dynamixyz, which is based in Cesson-Sévigné, France.

Take-Two said the acquisition of Dynamixyz represents the company’s next step in its plan to bolster its internal development capabilities so it can become the “most creative, innovative, and efficient entertainment company.”

Going forward, Dynamixyz will become a division of Take-Two and will work solely with Take-Two’s labels, including Rockstar and 2K. Current CEO Gaspard Breton will continue to lead the company.

“Dynamixyz’s revolutionary facial analysis technology and services is a highly complementary and strategic addition to Take-Two’s world-class publishing and development structure,” Take-Two publishing boss Michael Worosz said. “Gaspard and the visionary team at Dynamixyz have a well-earned reputation for providing the widest and smartest range of facial motion capture solutions to the entertainment industry, and their work has captivated millions of people around the world from the box office to the living room. We’re thrilled to have them join our team, incorporate their proprietary technologies and creative wonder into our future offerings, and to continue to evolve their capabilities and solutions.”

For his part, Breton said: “Having worked with Rockstar Games and 2K, we know firsthand Take-Two’s commitment to creative excellence and welcome the opportunity to leverage our tools and technology to help them to achieve that goal and to captivate and engage audiences further.”

In other news, the latest GTA 6 rumor suggests the game will launch in 2025 and include a Fortnite-like evolving map.

Singularity 6, the developer of the the MMO Palia that has echoes of Animal Crossing and Breath of the Wild, has raised $30 million in Series B funding to help fuel the development of that title.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the new round of funding was led by FunPlus Ventures, while game industry veteran Mitch Lasky also invested.

Singularity 6’s CEO Anthony Leung, a former executive at League of Legends developer Riot Games, said the team has been “overjoyed” by the reaction to Palia thus far.

“The incredible response from the community has further invigorated us in our pursuit to deliver an immersive online world where players can feel like they truly belong. Creating that experience may have seemed like a daunting prospect, but with all of the support and encouragement we’ve received, we are more heartened than ever,” Leung said.

FunPlus Ventures COO Michael Tong said his venture capital firm was attracted to Palia because it’s more than a game–it’s a “social space where players can find a sense of community and build friendships.”

As we reported previously, Palia allows you to create your own character before being put into a vibrant world. You play as a human, a species regarded as long dead “legends” by the rest of the world. You awaken into this world without knowing why, and set out to make a name for yourself, whether that’s as a gardener, cook, homeowner, adventurer, or something else.

As a MMO, Palia’s world is filled with both fleshed-out NPCs and real-world players, allowing you to build a community and discover the secrets of Palia’s world together. You can also build and customize your own home, join Neighborhoods (Palia’s version of guilds), and start romances with certain characters.

Palia is scheduled to release for PC in Pre-Alpha Access in Summer 2021.

BioWare was once working on a first-person, space-faring Mass Effect game for Nintendo DS, but the project was eventually disbanded.

Talking to MinnMax, ex-BioWare producer, Mark Darrah, spoke about the game – called Mass Effect: Corsair – and revealed what the project was intended to be. “It was going to be a DS game, it was going to be first-person, you’d fly around a ship,” he said. “We were going to put it out in a part of the galaxy that was more pirate-y and not really fully explored.”

“It was going to kinda be a combination of Privateer and Star Control,” he continued. “You would be independent, you’d be more like a Han Solo character, not a Spectre. And you’d be flying around, picking up cargo, exploring, and sell that information back to the human Alliance.”

By that description, it sounds as if Corsair was planned to take place in Mass Effect’s Terminus Systems; a sector of lawless space beyond the reach of the Council and the Earth Systems Alliance. Players would have had control of their ship, and been able to engage in space combat.

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Not much had been put together when BioWare hit a stumbling block, though. “Pretty much all we had was the beginnings of the flight controls, we didn’t have the rest of that game put together,” said Darrah. “We were figuring out how it worked from an IP perspective, still.”

That stumbling block was the DS itself; more specifically its cartridges. “The problem is that the economics of the Nintendo DS are just terrible,” said Darrah, explaining that the cartridges needed for Mass Effect: Corsair cost $10.50 each. And with DS games retailing at $30, it meant very little money for development costs after the cartridge has been purchased and localisation paid for.

“That was the problem, ultimately,” he said. “We know how to make big games, not games that had control of their cogs. It didn’t make sense. EA was predicting we’d only sell 50,000 copies.”

Darrah said that the team on Mass Effect: Corsair eventually transitioned to mobile, and the creation of Mass Effect Infiltrator, a third-person shooter made for iOS, Android, and Blackberry.

For more from BioWare’s sci-fi galaxy, check out our Legendary Edition reviews of Mass Effect and Mass Effect 2. BioWare also recently revealed the fate of the planned Mass Effect movie.

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Matt Purslow is IGN’s UK News and Entertainment Writer.

The NCAA has approved legislation allowing college athletes to earn profits from their name, image, and likeness, according to an NPR report.

Previously, college athletes had limited compensation packages for things like scholarships or other forms of educational payments. Under new laws, however, college athletes can now make money performing activities professional athletes engage in. This includes things like endorsement deals, signing autographs, and social media content. This may also include college sports games, like EA’s college football title possibly launching in 2023.

We’ve reached out to EA for comment and will update should we hear back.

NCAA president Mark Emmert said it’s “an important day” for college athletes and that the organization will “work with Congress” to enact more widespread legislation.

“This is an important day for college athletes since they all are now able to take advantage of name, image and likeness opportunities,” Emmert said. “With the variety of state laws adopted across the country, we will continue to work with Congress to develop a solution that will provide clarity on a national level.”

The last college sports game was NCAA Football 14. There hasn’t been a college basketball game from EA since 2009, with both franchises unceremoniously ending in the same year thanks to the O’Bannon v NCAA lawsuit.

Development on Electronic Arts’ upcoming college football game, which was announced back in February, is only just getting started, according to the publisher. It will feature over 100 teams and replicate their logos, stadiums, uniforms, and gameday traditions; however, EA is not working with the NCAA at all on the new game due to various ongoing lawsuits and these legal proceedings. This is also why the company is doing away with the “NCAA Football” branding moving forward.

Thor: Ragnarok didn’t just break the mold for its stoic hero, it shattered it like Hela did Mjolnir. Director Taika Waititi is set to do the same with his second go-round in Thor: Love & Thunder, and Karen Gillan’s Nebula will be part of that “bonkers” atmosphere, the actress said in a new interview with Collider.

“Taika really brought out the bonkers side [of Nebula],” Gillan said. “I think everyone is just really, really funny and bonkers and wild.”

Nebula joined the MCU in 2014’s Guardians of the Galaxy. As Gamora’s sister and Thanos’ daughter, she was a major antagonist for the Guardians and later the greater MCU as she struggled between loyalty to Thanos and then to Gamora, finally breaking out of that mold in Avengers: Endgame. While the Guardians movies are undeniably funny, Gillan has always had to play it straight as the dour cyborg. While the overall atmosphere of Thor: Love & Thunder is wild, Nebula probably won’t be the one making the jokes.

“I don’t know if it’s [personal] levity,” Gillan continued. “Like I don’t think she’s finding herself funny or being funny, but in her seriousness I think we will find her funny, and just that pure aggression that we’ve tapped into.”

Thor: Love & Thunder wrapped filming earlier this month according to Chris Hemsworth, and is currently scheduled to hit theaters on May 6, 2022. The film has an equally bonkers cast. Along with stars Chris Hemsworth and the returning Natalie Portman, a number of Guardians characters including Nebula, Star-Lord (Chris Pratt) and Kraglin (Sean Gunn) will appear; we’re expecting to see other mainline Guardians as well. Christian Bale will play Gorr the God Butcher, and Russell Crowe will graduate from gladiator to Greek god as Zeus in the film. The Asgardian Actors are returning as well, including Matt Damon and Sam Neill as Loki and Odin, who appeared in the play scene in Thor: Ragnarok. Melissa McCarthy will join them as Hela.