Author: Trafficblast

Resident Evil 7 Fan Shows Off What It Could Look Like With the Classic Fixed Resi Camera

A Resident Evil fan has released a concept video of what Resident Evil 7 could look like with the series’ original fixed camera angles – and we’re now hoping it becomes a fully-fledged mod.

YouTuber Enveloping Sounds has used a free camera mod to find fixed positions for the camera around Resident Evil 7’s Baker Mansion location, and another mod that depicts the game’s hero Ethan with a head for third-person mods. With some smart editing of both visuals and background sound effects, they’ve been able to show off an alternate reality version of Resident Evil 7 that didn’t even begin using Resi 4’s over-the-shoulder view, never mind 7’s first-person approach – and you can watch the video below (kindly provided by Enveloping Sounds).

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Sadly, this is just a concept right now. “Just to be clear, this is not an actual realized playable ‘mod’,” Enveloping Sounds tells IGN. “This is more of just a concept that I created using the free camera tool and spliced scenes together to show what COULD be.” So… any enterprising mod makers want to make this a reality?

Enveloping Sounds has previously given the same treatment to the Resident Evil 2 and Resident Evil 3 remakes, transplanting the original versions’ locked cameras into the shiny new games. Those earlier videos got a lot of fans of classic Resi in the comments wishing the new games had followed the original style. Seeing 7 – a game never designed to even be seen in third-person – presented this way is a very interesting follow-on  experiment. I’d say it’s a successfu one too.

In other Resi news, the much-rumoured Resident Evil 4 remake has reportedly seen a partial reboot and an internal delay, which may be in part due to it feeling too traditional. We also learned that Resident Evil Village will be released on May 7, and will seemingly be a successor to Resi 4. It will also come with a new multiplayer mode, RE:Verse.

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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].

Konami Announces Corporate Restructure, Effect On Gaming Unclear

Konami has announced a corporate restructure that will consolidate many of the company’s internal departments on February 1st. According to an official translation of the announcement, this means that the company’s three “production divisions” will be dissolved, though its “production departments” remain unchanged.

According to financial professionals, this is a move that will have an unclear impact on the company’s gaming operations. Analyst Daniel Ahmad suggests that this restructure is similar to the one that Konami undertook in 2015, and that the company is not “shutting down” their gaming operations, as fans have often accused it of doing in recent years. Others noted that companies like Sega and Square Enix have gone through similar restructures in the past.

While it’s true that Konami doesn’t release that many games these days, it still owns some of the most beloved gaming franchises in the world, including Metal Gear and Castlevania. For context, the last major Castlevania game was Lords of Shadow 2, which came out in 2014. Metal Gear has fared a bit better, with 2018’s Metal Gear Survive releasing without longtime director Hideo Kojima at the helm. Kojima left the company years ago due to a dispute over the production of Metal Gear Solid V.

As with previous Konami announcements, this caused Twitter to buzz with hope for a new Silent Hill game, though there’s no indication that one is in development. Konami denied rumors of a reboot last year. The company said they want to produce more “Western-developed” games last summer.

Now Playing: 5 Trippy Games In The Spirit of Death Stranding

Today’s Best Deals: Xbox Elite Series 2 For $140, Borderlands 3 For $8, And More

Another week is here, and if there’s anything to sweeten the blow of heading back to work, it’s good deals on games, controllers, and more. As we head into the last full week of January, we’re already spotting some very nice discounts, including a $40 markdown on the Xbox Elite Series 2 controller, courtesy of our friends at CNET. Borderlands 3 is the cheapest we’ve seen as part of Best Buy’s latest Deal of the Day, and GameStop is running a very nice sale on statues and figures with characters across games and anime. Here’s a look at the deals that caught our eye today:

$140 (was $180) with promo CNETMSEC

Microsoft’s Elite Series 2 wireless controller is one of the best you can own, and right now you can pick it up from Daily Steals for $140 with promo code CNETMSEC. This is a refurbished controller that comes in retail packaging and should both feel and play like new. We rarely see outright discounts on the Elite Series 2, so for Xbox gamers, this is a deal you don’t want to pass up. The Elite Series 2 controller allows you to save up to three custom profiles and features adjustable tension thumbsticks, a wrap-around rubberized grip, and shorter hair trigger locks. It also comes with four interchangeable thumbsticks, two of which emulate the size of the Xbox 360 controller, and features up to 40 hours of rechargeable battery life.

$8 (was $30) with free next-gen upgrade

Borderlands 3 brings the loot-shooter franchise’s 10-year journey to a satisfying conclusion, and just for today, it’s down to just 8 bucks as a Best Buy Deal of the Day. With the game’s free next-gen upgrades available now, there’s no better time to grab Borderlands 3 for this cheap–just insert the physical game into your PS5 or Xbox Series X, and you’ll have access to the enhanced version. While Borderlands 3 is largely more of the same rather than offering any innovative or different, it’s still a blast of fans of the series, earning an 8/10 in our Borderlands 3 review.

While GameStop’s daily game deals are often lacking, its collectible sales are worth checking out, and today’s daily deal at the retailer offers 30% off dozens of statues and figures. There’s a nice selection of collectibles on sale here, with stunning statues from Breath of the Wild, Persona 5, God of War, Pokemon, Dragon Ball Z, and more popular franchises. If you’re a collector, we suggest checking out everything on offer for yourself–there’s some neat stuff.

$14 (was $25) with promo code BESTGY2

Persona 4 Golden released on Steam last year, offering fans who didn’t own a PS Vita the chance to play the JRPG for the first time. Right now at Newegg, you can snag a Steam code for Persona 4 Golden for $14, down from its usual $25, by using promo code BESTGY2 at checkout. This is the cheapest we’ve seen it, so this is an incredible deal for Persona fans who have been wanting to play P4G. The Deluxe edition gets you the official digital art book and soundtrack in addition to the base game. For more on this acclaimed JRPG, see our Persona 4 Golden review and editor Michael Higham’s writeup on how the Persona 4 Golden Steam port holds up.

$15.74 (was $25)

Gotta go fast to snag this Amazon deal: Sonic the Hedgehog’s limited collector’s edition is $10 off at the retailer today. This collector’s edition comes with Blu-ray, DVD, and digital copies of the movie along with exclusive mini posters and a ton of bonus features, including deleted scenes, bloopers with Jim Carrey and the rest of the cast, making-of videos, and more. For those who never saw the Sonic movie last year, it’s absolutely a delight, with nods to the classic video game series while also making a great introduction for new fans of Sega’s blue hedgehog. Check out our Sonic the Hedgehog movie review for more of our thoughts.

$35 (was $50)

Sadly this PS5 bundle isn’t a PS5 console bundle, but whether you’ve managed to pick up Sony’s new console or are holding out for the next PS5 restock, this PlayStation merch bundle may bring you some joy. On sale for $35 today at Amazon, the officially licensed merchandise bundle gets you PlayStation-branded knit socks, an insulated bottle, a wool cap, and tech decals for your phone or laptop. It’s honestly a pretty neat set and looks high quality, and it’d also make a nice gift if you know someone who’s a die-hard PlayStation fan.

Tenet Star Kenneth Branagh To Play Boris Johnson In New Limited Series About COVID-19

Veteran actor Kenneth Branagh’s next role has been confirmed, and he’s set to portray UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson in a limited series chronicling the leader’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The show is called This Sceptred Isle, and it’s in production at the British studio Sky; there will be five episodes in total. The series will look into the early days of the COVID-19 virus and touch on how Johnson and his administration took on the pandemic.

Michael Winterbottom (24 Hour Party People) is directing the series from a script he co-wrote with Kieron Quirke (Defending the Guilty), according to EW.

Branagh has earned five Academy Award nominations over the years and recently starred in Christopher Nolan’s Tenet.

“The first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic will be remembered forever,” Winterbottom said in a statement. “A time when the country came together to battle an invisible enemy. A time when people were more aware than ever of the importance of community.”

He added: “Our series weaves together countless true stories–from Boris Johnson in Number 10 [Downing Street] to front line workers around the country–chronicling the efforts of scientists, doctors, care home workers and policymakers to protect us from the virus.”

There is no word yet on when production will begin on This Sceptred Isle or when the show will premiere. Branagh’s next film is the Agatha Christie movie Death on the Nile, which he directed and stars in.

The UK has gone back into lockdown, so this show is as timely as ever. Johnson himself contracted COVID-19 and was hospitalized for a period of time.

Dragon Age 4 Setting Confirmed To Be Tevinter

The next Dragon Age game will take place in Tevinter, according to an official BioWare game development book. For fans of the series, the new setting suggests a lot about the story and conflicts that will be front-and-center in the anticipated sequel.

Eurogamer reports that the setting was confirmed in the book BioWare: Stories and Secrets from 24 Years of Game Development. This follows a hint that came at the end of Dragon Age Inquisition‘s Trespasser expansion, and will finally make good on a setting we’ve previously only heard about secondhand.

The Tevinter Imperium is a human nation ruled by a council of mages. The council of magisters is led by the Imperial Archon. Tevinter has also been described as a rich, decadent nation that kept a tight rule on its people, including by use of blood magic. Given that plenty of Dragon Age stories have revolved around tensions between magic-users and non-magic folk, it’s sure to be a rich vein for intrigue.

The report also notes that while Tevinter looks to be the primary setting, concept art in the book implies that you’ll travel to surrounding areas as well. Some of those include Antiva City, the Mourn Watch in a Necropolis likely to be in Nevarra, and the treasure hunters guild based in Rivain.

The next Dragon Age, which is still officially untitled and may not actually be called “Dragon Age 4,” still appears to be far from release. EA and BioWare haven’t even given a release window, including in a debut trailer shown in December. At the same Game Awards event, BioWare showed a trailer for the next Mass Effect game, which is also undated.

Now Playing: Dragon Age Trailer | Game Awards 2020

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Zelda BOTW Expert Explains High Level Combat

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Breath of the Wild still to this day continues to have new discoveries of techniques and secrets in combat, so we get our in-house expert to completely breakdown this crazy Lynel fight and explain what is going on.

In the video above Max runs down quick explanations of difficult techniques such as Daruk’s Shield Block Reset, Thunderclap Rushes, Perfect Daruk’s Rushes, and more. And also a bit of homework so you can do some simpler techniques for yourself at home.

As Peter Brown stated in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild’s review back in 2017, “Given the myriad enemies and weapons you’re up against, mastery feels almost unattainable even with substantial practice. However, that also means you are constantly learning in the face of unforeseen challenges.”, giving Breath of the Wild a 10 out of 10.

No, Konami Hasn’t Shut Down Its Gaming Division

Konami has announced an internal restructure in which three production divisions will be dissolved – but has denied that it is shutting down its gaming production after fans and media began speculating about the move.

The story began in an announcement to investors of, among other things, organizational restructuring. A post on the Konami Digital Entertainment website explained that it will dissolve Production Divisions 1, 2, and 3, “to respond to the rapid market that surrounds us.” With Production Divisions previously representing the company’s home of game development, some took this to mean that gaming production at the company was being shuttered as a whole.

However, in a statement to IGN, a Konami representative wrote: “The announcement made refers to an internal restructure, with Production Divisions being consolidated. We have not ‘shut down’ our video gaming division.”

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While Konami hasn’t commented further, the same announcement shows that several executives who previously led Production Divisions are now solely leading separate Production Departments. Per the statement’s mention of consolidation, it may be that the development work of the old Divisions is being folded into wider Departments.

Konami, once a huge part of the games development and publishing landscape, has become increasingly quiet in the field in recent years, which goes some way towards explaining why many jumped to the conclusion that Konami was moving away from games production. The company is currently actively developing PES 2022 for next-gen consoles, and set up a western game publishing division last year.

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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].

Hitman 3 Speedrunners Are Finishing The First Level In Less Than 10 Seconds

Hitman 3 speedrunners are currently posting record completion times of IO Interactive’s latest assassination sandbox, with some players now able to complete the opening Dubai level in under ten seconds. The first level of Hitman 3 tasks players with eliminating two targets inside of a heavily-fortified skyscraper, with one of the potential victims routinely wandering around the upper floors and constantly flanked by security.

According to Speedrun.com, a website that tracks how quickly players can complete games, user Goron currently holds first place with a world record of eight seconds, followed closely by four other players who share second place with a nine-second run. The strategy for completing the mission ‘On Top Of The World’ is simple but requires pinpoint accuracy to pull off.

In the video provided in the link above, Goron attracts the attention of Marcus Stuyvesant on one of the upper floors with a well-placed shot from Agent 47’s silenced pistol, instantly executes him with a headshot, and quickly eliminates his second target, Carl Ingram, within less than a second. With the starting point of the Dubai level also being a convenient exit point, Goron was able to pull off the impressive feat with time to spare.

This particular method does result in 47 being spotted by nearby NPCs, leading to a less than impressive two-star rating for the level. Hitman speedrunners will likely be attempting to see who can achieve the fastest Silent Assassin completion of the game and its various levels, a far more challenging scenario that involves only assassinating marked targets so that the highest mission rating can be earned.

One gamer by the name of El GuLe has already pulled off a 17-second Silent Assassin run, using a silenced sniper rifle to draw targets to areas where a killshot is possible. One headshot and a fatal bullet to the wrist later, and El Gule has set an astonishing record that other players will be looking to break.

For more on the final chapter in the current Hitman series, check out our Hitman 3 hub that’s loaded with tips and tricks to help you become the world’s deadliest assassin.

Now Playing: Firearms Expert Reacts To Hitman 3’s Guns

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WWE Network in the US to Close and Move to NBC’s Peacock in March

NBC’s Peacock and WWE have announced a multi-year agreement that gives Peacock exclusive streaming rights to the WWE Network in the US.

WWE has revealed that NBCUniversal will officially launch the WWE Network on its Peacock streaming service in the US on March 18, beginning the roll-out of “more than 17,000 hours of new, original, and library WWE Network programming” both on-demand and on a 24/7 channel. Per Variety, any existing subscribers of the WWE Network in the US will be migrated over to Peacock Premium for $4.99 per month or, for an ad-free experience, Peacock Premium Plus will be available for $9.99 per month.

The Wall Street Journal reports that WWE is set to rake in more than $1 billion for the five-year deal, which will see Peacock become the sole streaming distributor in the US of the WWE Network. Consequently, WWE will shut down its WWE Network streaming service in the US in March but will continue to operate as a standalone streaming service outside of the US, meaning that nothing will change for WWE Network subscribers in other countries. The companies plan to share further details about the switch to Peacock and the management of customer accounts in the next few weeks.

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The new agreement will bolster Peacock’s sports programming selection, with all of WWE’s live pay-per-view events, including WrestleMania, SummerSlam, and Fastlane (available on Peacock on March 21). The catalog also includes original series like Steve Austin Broken Skull Sessions, Undertaker: The Last Ride, and the all-new WWE Icons, plus in-ring shows like NXT, NXT UK, and WWE 205 Live, as well as replays of Raw and SmackDown, together with WWE Network archives and documentaries.

“NBCUniversal has a long-standing relationship with WWE that began nearly 30 years ago with Monday Night Raw on USA. WWE has always tapped into the cultural zeitgeist with spectacular live events and larger-than-life characters, and we are thrilled to be the exclusive home for WWE Network and its millions of fans across the country,” said Rick Cordella, Peacock’s EVP and Chief Revenue Officer. “WWE Network is a transformative addition to the platform and complements Peacock’s massive catalog of iconic movies and shows, as well as the best live news and sports, from NBCUniversal and beyond.”

“We are thrilled to further the long-standing and trusted partnership WWE has with NBCUniversal,” Nick Khan, WWE’s President and Chief Revenue Officer, added in an adjoining statement alongside the announcement. “Peacock is an innovative platform that will enable us to showcase our most significant events, including WrestleMania, and provide the extraordinary entertainment our fans have come to expect with the combination of premium WWE content, live sports, news, films, and television programs.”

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WWE’s 24/7 streaming network launched in 2014, offering wrestling fans exclusive access to live and on-demand programming with some original series and special partnerships. For the first time ever, US subscribers will be invited to access this content on Peacock’s streaming platform, which is already populated with a diverse selection of noteworthy movies and shows to choose from.

For more about the service, read IGN’s official review of Peacock, then check out our rundown of 20 hidden gems worth watching on the platform.

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Adele Ankers is a Freelance Entertainment Journalist. You can reach her on Twitter.

Super Bowl 55 Won’t Have Budweiser, Coke, Or Pepsi Ads

This year’s Super Bowl broadcast will look a little different, as a handful of major sponsors–including Anheuser-Busch, Pepsi, and Coca-Cola–have announced plans to forgo their traditional advertisements.

In its own statement, Anheuser-Busch said, “After a year that looked like no other, Budweiser has decided to do things differently.”

For the first time since 1983, Anheuser-Busch will not buy an ad for its famous Budweiser brand during the Super Bowl. Instead, the company is donating the money it would have used on an ad to COVID-19 relief and vaccination awareness campaigns.

“The campaign also pledges critical support to COVID-19 vaccine awareness and education, as we draw closer to a time when we can bring people back together again safely–at bars, in restaurants, or to celebrate life’s moments with our loved ones,” the company said.

Anheuser-Busch financed a new digital ad called “Bigger Picture,” which is meant to highlight and celebrate the moments of hope in 2020. Parks and Rec star Rashida Jones narrates the piece. Anheuser-Busch selected Jones because she has been an outspoken advocate for important health and social issues, through her “Ask Big Questions” podcast with Bill Gates and other efforts to promote health and welfare for people across the world.

“Budweiser shares my commitment to advocating for COVID-19 prevention and vaccine awareness and education. I’m happy to be a part of Budweiser’s celebration of our resilience and hope during these challenging times,” Jones said.

Anheuser-Busch is a gigantic company that owns and operates numerous other beer brands. Some of these, including Michelob Ultra and Bud Light’s fast-growing seltzer drinks, will have advertisements during Super Bowl LV.

You can watch the Michelob Ultra video below, featuring a long list of famous athletes such as Serena Williams, Anthony Davis, Peyton Manning, Brooks Koepka, Jimmy Butler, and Alex Morgan. In total, Anheuser-Busch bought four minutes of ad time for Super Bowl LV.

ViacomCBS, whose subsidiary CBS is broadcasting the game, is charging $5.5 million for every 30 seconds of ad time this year.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, PepsiCo will not buy ads this year either for its Pepsi brand, though it did pay for TV sports for its Mountain Dew and Frito-Lay brands, while it’s sponsoring the half-time show with The Weeknd as well. Coca-Cola, Audi, and Avocados from Mexico won’t have any presence during Super Bowl LV at all.

M&Ms, Pringles, and Toyota are expected to have ads during Super Bowl LV, while TikTok rival Triller paid for a spot as well. The online car sales store Vroom also bought a spot.

Super Bowl LV takes place on Sunday, February 7 in Tampa Bay, Florida. There will be a limited number of fans at the game–around 22,000–including more than 7,500 vaccinated health care workers who were given free tickets.

It’s a matchup between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for the title. The Sunday before the Super Bowl is normally when the Pro Bowl takes place, but due to COVID-19, the event is happening virtually this year inside Madden NFL 21.