Author: Trafficblast

PT Can’t Be Redownloaded on PS5, But There’s Still Hope for Backwards Compatibility

PT will not be available to redownload on PS5, but Konami isn’t ruling out that it will be playable on the next-gen console through other means.

Speaking to GamesRadar, Konami confirmed that those who own PT on PS4 will not be able to directly redownload the game on PS5, as it no longer exists on the PS Store. PT, an influential horror demo designed as a teaser for the cancelled Silent Hills, was removed from the Store in 2015 after director Hideo Kojima left Konami.

However, redownloading PS4 games on PS5 is only one method of transferring current-gen games to next-gen, with local wi-fi transfer and external storage both confirmed as means to move compatible games across generations. That leaves open the possibility that PT could still be playable (and preserved on a new generation of consoles), and it’s a possibility Konami won’t rule out right now.

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Contacted for clarification by IGN, Konami explained that it can’t currently confirm or deny whether the other methods will result in the game being playable. Theoretically, a straight data transfer should work, but it’s currently unclear whether the game would play as intended on the new hardware.

That said, Sony has not included PT on the short list of games that definitively won’t be backwards compatible on PS5. We’ve contacted Sony for comment on that, and whether PT could work using data transfer methods.

It’s yet another step in the messy timeline of PT and Silent Hills – a timeline that’s helped turn the game into a modern gaming urban legend.

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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 [email protected].

The Batman Is Borrowing Virtual Filmmaking Techniques From The Mandalorian

While the Star Wars films are known for flying into remote and beautiful locations to get the perfect shot, TV show The Mandalorian pioneered a brand-new type of filmmaking by shooting mostly in a studio against LED screens. Now, according to ILM’s chief creative officer Rob Bredow, The Batman will be using some of the same techniques for key scenes, THR reports.

As you may know if you’ve watched Disney’s behind-the-scenes series about the making of the Mandalorian, the show was mostly shot against a giant screen called “The Volume,” which runs on Epic’s Unreal Engine. The technique has been called virtual production, and the success of The Mandalorian has led to ILM creating a new production unit called StageCraft dedicated to virtual production.

Speaking at the VIEW visual effects and animation conference, ILM’s Rob Bredow revealed that The Batman has used these techniques for some scenes. The upcoming DC film, which is being filmed in London, won’t be using the Manhattan Beach Studios where The Mandalorian was filmed. Instead, Bredow explained, the team built an LED wall around a physical set that had already been constructed in the UK.

The same technology will also be used for Taika Waititi’s Thor: Love and Thunder, with a StageCraft set being built at Fox Studios Australia for the production.

The Batman was most recently delayed after a production halt caused by its star Robert Pattinson contracting COVID-19. The movie is now due to release on March 4, 2022.

The Mandalorian Season 2 was fortunately filmed before the pandemic shut the global film industry down, and the first episode will release on Disney+ on October 30. The series has also been renewed for a third season.

Now Playing: The Batman Teaser Trailer Breakdown: 22 Things You May Have Missed

Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 Has Lost Its Senior Narrative Designer

Cara Ellison, the senior narrative designer for Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2, has moved on from the project. In a statement given to PC Gamer, publisher Paradox Interactive has confirmed that Ellison is no longer involved with the game.

“We can confirm that Cara Ellison has decided to leave Hardsuit Labs and is no longer working on Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2,” the statement reads. “Cara brought fresh ideas to the project and many of her contributions will be present in the game launching next year.”

Ellison has secured a new position–she’s now a Senior Narrative Designer at League of Geeks, the Australian developer of Armello. The studio’s next game remains a secret, but it will be published by Private Division.

Ellison is not the first narrative team member to leave the project. In August, narrative lead Brian Mitsoda and creative director Ka’ai Cluney were terminated from developer Hardsuit Labs. In June, it was announced that Chris Avellone’s contributions to the game would not be used after numerous accusations of sexual assault and misconduct came to light.

Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 was originally scheduled for a 2020 release, but it was delayed into 2021. A new date has not been set. The game is coming to PS5 and Xbox Series X, as well as PC, PS4, and Xbox One.

Now Playing: Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 ‘Come Dance’ Trailer

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Phasmophobia Hackers Are Terrorizing Streamers With Jump Scares

Ghost-hunting game Phasmophobia has become a surprise hit since it launched in early access, especially among Twitch streamers who are getting into the spirit of Halloween. Unfortunately, the game appears to be plagued by hackers, with some now appearing to target the lobbies of players who are live on stream.

As a PVE game, Phasmophobia hasn’t implemented anti-cheat, but some players are calling for it to be added to cut down on hackers who are making the game unenjoyable for others. At its most innocent, hacks can be used to increase the number of players allowed to join a lobby for those who want to play with more than three other people, but the hacking tools are also being used for harassment. A Google search currently turns up numerous YouTube videos and forums providing guides on how to hack the game.

Multiple Twitch streamers have had their private lobbies raided by hackers, who then spawn ghosts into the lobby screen to inflict jump scares on streamers enjoying a moment of rest. While the game is a horror game designed to cause a scare or two, these kinds of unexpected scares are more confronting, and can cause genuine distress for the players experiencing them.

You can see below how the hacks appear in game, be sure to turn your volume down before watching.

According to a post in the game’s Discord server, Phasmophobia studio Kinetic Games is aware of the hacks, and is working on a solution. “We are aware that there has been a number of games that have been using third party tools (cheats) to modify the game. This includes changes such as increasing player limits, changing AI behaviour and simply increasing money or level,” the announcement reads. “We cannot support this as it is causing a number of issues across the game, including the corruption of saved games and destabilizing the servers for other players.”

Currently the devs have advised players to avoid modded lobbies as much as possible. “The easiest way to determine if a lobby is ‘modded’ is if it has more than 4 players,” the update reads. “Other signs can also be unusual AI behaviour, teleporting, or even multiple ghosts.”

A tweet from Twitch streamer 8Bit Dylan says that the hacks can be avoided by using the beta version of the game, according to a conversation with one of the game’s developers.

If you’re after more horror games to play this Halloween, check out GameSpot’s list of horror game recommendations.

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Jeff Bridges Announces He Has Lymphoma, Says The Prognosis Is Good

Veteran and esteemed actor Jeff Bridges has announced he has Lymphoma, which is a type of cancer.

He made the announcement on Twitter, referencing his character from The Big Lebowski, The Dude. “As The Dude would say.. New s**t has come to light. I have been diagnosed with Lymphoma,” he said. “Although it is a serious disease, I feel fortunate that I have a great team of doctors and the prognosis is good. I’m starting treatment and will keep you posted on my recovery.”

There was an immediate outpouring of support for Bridges, and he followed up with a second tweet where he said he is “profoundly grateful for the love and support from my family and friends.”

“Thank you for your prayers and well wishes. And, while I have you, please remember to go vote. Because we are all in this together,” he said.

Bridges is a veteran actor who has been in the business for decades and has earned seven Academy Award nominations in his career, winning a Best Actor award for Crazy Heart in 2010. His older brother, Beau Bridges, is also an actor and has appeared in numerous films and TV shows over the past half-century.

Jeff Bridges is known for many more roles beyond The Big Lebowski, with some of his other popular films including titles like the Coen brothers 2010 remake of True Grit, as well as the first MCU movie Iron Man, and the animated film Surf’s Up. His most recent major movie was Bad Times at the El Royale.

His next role is a lead character on the TV show called Old Man, but it’s unclear if his recent diagnosis has changed the shooting schedule. The show is scheduled to premiere on FX for Hulu, and the networks released a statement regarding the news about Bridges and his health.

“Our thoughts go out to Jeff and his family during this challenging time and they have our love and support. We wish him a safe and full recovery,”” FX, Touchstone Television, Hulu, and FXP said in a statement to Variety. “And, as Jeff always says, ‘We are all in this together.’ Jeff, we are all in this together with you.”

Genshin Impact’s Newest Playable Character Is Explosives Expert Klee

Although Genshin Impact borrows a lot from Nintendo’s Breath Of The Wild for its open world, it’s also a gacha game–which means new characters will be inbound fairly regularly. The next event banner character Klee may not be new to the game, but she’s about to be summonable for the first time.

Now that Venti’s banner event has ended, pyro expert Klee will be the next character you’ll have an increased chance of pulling from event wishes. You’d have to spend some serious money to guarantee a Klee pull, but free-to-play players will also have a higher chance of snagging her during the event.

Klee, of course, isn’t new to the game in general. She resides in “solitary confinement” in the Knights of Favonius headquarters, where a knight named Wood stands guard in front of a locked door. Klee also has a story quest available from Adventure Rank 32 where players can learn a little more about the pint-sized explosives expert.

Klee will be available from October 20, with her chance-increasing banner running until November 11. There will also be an Epitome Invocation weapons banner available for the same time period, with the event end coinciding with Genshin Impact’s update 1.1, its first big post-release patch.

Genshin Impact is free-to-play on PC, mobile, and PS4, with a Switch port in the works.

John Wick Is Getting A Licensed Roller Coaster

With three successful movies, two more on the way, a video game, and a number of spin-offs for both TV and cinema in the works, John Wick has been a hit for Lionsgate. Now, the company wants to turn its star franchise into a 10-story roller coaster for its Motiongate theme park in Dubai, Variety reports.

The “John Wick: Open Contract” ride, along with another coaster designed after the Now You See Me franchise, is due to open early next year in Dubai. Lionsgate have shared renderings of what both rides are expected to look like.

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From the descriptions, it seems that most of the theming will take place in the ride queue. Riders will get to choose whether they want to help John Wick or hunt him, with each option taking them on a different route through the queueing area. It sounds like both options culminate in the same actual ride, however. The queue may end up being the best part for John Wick fans–it’s designed after the franchise’s iconic Continental Hotel.

“I think what’s going to be amazing for fans is to have the opportunity to walk through the lobby of the Continental and experience different key moments in the settings that took place in the films,” Lionsgate executive vice president Jenefer Brown said. “This attraction in particular is really about setting the story by putting people in this very immersive environment, and then you really get the action as you get on the coaster. It’s 10 stories high, so there’s definitely a level of intensity that’s befitting of the John Wick franchise that guests will experience.”

The Now You See Me coaster is named “High Roller,” and is themed after a casino, with riders getting to be a part of the protagonists’ heist as they move through the ride queue. Motiongate already has a ride themed after The Hunger Games, as well as a dance show based on the movie Step Up.

Though the rides are debuting in Dubai, Lionsgate has set its sights on other markets, with the goal to expand its roster of theme parks globally just like rivals Disney and Universal.

Motiongate Dubai is currently open, but operating at reduced capacity due to COVID-19–though restrictions may be lifted further by the time the John Wick and Now You See Me rides are scheduled to open. International fans will have to wait a bit longer to experience the Continental for themselves, however.

Now Playing: John Wick: Chapter 3 Parabellum – Official Trailer

The XIII Remake Has Been Delayed On Switch

The XIII remake due on November 10 has been delayed for one system–the Nintendo Switch. Publisher Microids has announced the delay, explaining that the game will now release in 2021.

A specific date or time frame within 2021 has not been nailed down.

This news has been announced alongside the release of a new trailer, which focuses on the game’s weapons. If you’ve played the original release, you’ll recognize these guns–but they look better than ever now.

XIII is based on a Belgian comic series. You play as an amnesiac killer, who awakens on a beach and discovers that they’re being chased by the FBI for the assassination of the US president. The original game was published by Ubisoft for PS2, Xbox, GameCube, and PC in 2003.

This is not the first major 2020 shooter to be delayed on Nintendo’s console–a Switch version of Doom Eternal still has not been released.

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HBO’s Euphoria Is Coming Back For Two Special Episodes, See A Teaser Image Here

HBO’s drama series Euphoria, which stars Zendaya, is coming back. The network has confirmed that two additional episodes are on the way, one of which is set during Christmas. However, these appear to be one-off episodes and not the start of a Season 2 properly.

The first of the new episodes will air on Sunday, December 6, and it will be available on HBO and to stream through HBO Max. This episode is titled “Trouble Don’t Last Always” and it picks up with Zendaya’s Rue celebrating Christmas while dealing with a recent relapse. The episode was written and directed by Euphoria creator Sam Levinson, and it also features Colman Domingo, but that’s all HBO had to say. The network did, however, release a teaser image for the episode; check it out below.

Euphoria is coming back for two more episodes in 2020
Euphoria is coming back for two more episodes in 2020

The second episode remains more of a mystery–HBO will announce its title and release date at some point later on. The network also confirmed that the episodes were film in adherence with COVID-19 safety guidelines.

Euphoria made a splash when it premiered in 2019, with critics celebrating Zendaya’s performance in particular. Zendaya recently earned an Emmy award for Outstanding Lead Actress In A Drama Series for it, and this was one of three Emmy wins that the show notched at the awards show.

In addition to these special episodes of Euphoria, Levinson and Zendaya teamed up again for a movie that was filmed in secret and recently sold to Netflix for $30 million.