Author: Trafficblast

PlayStation Now Won’t Copy Xbox Game Pass’s Best Feature

Sony isn’t planning on imitating Microsoft’s Xbox Game Pass strategy with its PlayStation Now subscription service, so don’t expect to be able to play The Last of Us Part 2 when it launches on May 29, 2020 without buying your own copy first.

Game Pass subscribers receive access to big first-party titles like Gears 5 and the upcoming Halo Infinite on the day of release, but Sony exclusives will take much longer to appear on PlayStation Now. That’s according to Sony Interactive Entertainment CEO Jim Ryan, who spoke to GamesIndustry.biz about PlayStation’s different approach to first-party games.

“It’s an area that is fast changing and fluid,” he said. “The nature and scale of some of the first-party games that we are making leads us to think that, right now, it’s better to spend energy on making sure that the launch of those games is a massive entertainment event. I would cite God of War and Spider-Man, and The Last of Us 2 next year will fall into that category. That’s where we stand right now.

“But our stance on the inclusion of first-party games in PlayStation Now in terms of what we’ve done this month is very different to our stance 12 months ago.” This is evidenced by the fact Sony recently slashed the price of PlayStation Now to better compete with rival streaming services. It also started adding “blockbuster” games to the service for a limited time, including the likes of God of War, Grand Theft Auto V, Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End, and inFamous Second Son.

“I don’t want to say this is what PlayStation Now is going to be like forever. But certainly right now, given how some of our first party IP is incredibly special and valuable, we just want to treat them with amazing care and respect, and have those launches be clean and pure.”

Aside from conjuring images of Frank Reynolds, it’s a stance that makes sense from Sony’s perspective when you consider how well its first-party titles often perform. It’s a win-win when you factor in PlayStation Now’s growing popularity amongst those willing to wait, as the service has seen a 40% increase in paying members between April and October 2019–where it reached one million subscribers. This month also sees Persona 5, Middle-Earth: Shadow of War, and Hollow Knight join the lineup for a limited time, so there’s no shortage of games to get stuck into.

Now Playing: Free PS4 PlayStation Plus Games For November 2019 Revealed

Best Black Friday 2019 Nintendo Switch Deals: Here’s What to Expect

Black Friday is November 29 this year, and it will be here before you know it. If you’re a Switch owner — or would like to become one — you’d probably like some idea of what deals are in store for you during the biggest shopping day of the year.

We have you covered below with everything that’s been officially announced so far, as well as what we expect from the retailers that haven’t made their Black Friday plans public yet. We’ll keep this page updated as new Black Friday ads are released.

Black Friday Nintendo Switch Console Deals

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Pixar’s Soul Gets Magical, Musical First Trailer

While much of Pixar’s recent movie output has consisted of sequels such as The Incredibles 2 and Toy Story 4, the studio is set to release two new original movies in 2020. Onward hits theaters in March, with Soul following in June. The first trailer for Soul has now been released.

The promo sets up the basic plot, in which jazz musician Joe seemingly dies after falling down a manhole in the city. He wakes up as a ghostly soul in some strange, dark place where he meets another soul named 22, who wants only to be remembered for a “funny cowboy dance.” The trailer doesn’t reveal much more than that, but it looks as intriguing, funny, and visually stunning as we’ve come to expect from Pixar. Check it out below.

Soul stars Jamie Foxx (Django Unchained) as Joe, Tina Fey (30 Rock) as 22, and Phylicia Rashad (Creed) as Joe’s mother, with musicians Questlove and Daveed Diggs also part of the cast. It’s directed by Pixar boss Pete Docter, who also previously helmed Inside Out, Up, and Monsters Inc. Soul releases on June 19, 2020.

In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Docter talked about the origins of the movie’s concept. “We talked to a lot of folks that represented religious traditions and cultural traditions and [asked], ‘What do you think a soul is?'” he said. “All of them said ‘vaporous’ and ‘ethereal’ and ‘non-physical.’ We were like, ‘Great! How do we do this?’ We’re used to toys, cars, things that are much more substantial and easily referenced. This was a huge challenge, but I gotta say, I think the team really put some cool stuff together that’s really indicative of those words but also relatable.”

In related news, Pixar fans can check out a series of new animated short films on Disney+, when the service launches next week. The series is named Sparkshorts, and the six shorts have been made by upcoming animators at the studio.

Sony’s PS5 Preparations Involve Taking A New Approach

Sony has been giving out new information on the PlayStation 5 in tiny drips, but behind the scenes the company is making big moves to prepare for the next generation. That includes not only hardware and software development as you’d expect with any new console cycle, but also a dramatic restructuring of the PlayStation business.

Newly placed PlayStation head Jim Ryan told GI.biz that the company is shifting to be one global unified brand, rather than disparate arms like PlayStation North America, Europe, and Japan. He also expanded on what that means for day-to-day operations.

“We feel we need to become a more global organisation, but this is absolutely not at the expense of our in-market strength at a country level,” he said. “I really want to reinforce the point that globalisation does not mean Americanisation, or vice versa. Becoming a global organisation does not, in any way, shape or form, mean becoming an American organisation.”

He said in practice, this has meant a more streamlined approach for developing the PlayStation 5 feature set. The product planners are having one conversation “instead of three different regional conversations, where they needed to reconcile positions that were often conflicting or contradictory.”

It also will appear in more globalized marketing campaigns. He cites Spider-Man as an example, which was executed as a single marketing campaign instead of three regional campaigns. That will be the model going forward, from the sounds of it, but there will still be room for individual regions to play to their strengths. The European arm might take the lead on FIFA, for example, while the Japanese region showcases Final Fantasy 7.

The worldwide approach also may mean fewer games catered to a specific market. Ryan cited the 2010 game Invizimals as an example of a game that was very catered to one region, and suggested that the same focused niche will now be served better by its indie partnerships. A recent management reshuffling will be key here too.

“The nature of AAA PlayStation 4 and certainly PlayStation 5 development… We’re obviously not going to have Worldwide Studios make a game for one specific European country,” he said. “And that might have been the case back in the PSP times with Invizimals [which was popular in Spain]. I think this will be where Shuhei Yoshida’s new task [of working with indies] will come in. If we are nimble, flexible and global, we can work with smaller developers to allow those countries’ specific needs to be met.”

For more on the next generation, check out everything we know about the PlayStation 5.

Now Playing: Marvel’s Spider-Man Review

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Best Toys and Collectible Gifts 2019

Buying toys and collectibles can be a tricky process. If you know a pop-culture or toy collector, a bootleg Superman action figure might not cut it in the gift department. Fortunately for your gift-giving needs this holiday season, we’ve put together this helpful guide so you can give the best possible pop-culture toys and collectibles.

Don’t see the deals below? Click here.

Best Toy and Collectible Gifts 2019

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Watch Inside Xbox at X019 Live on IGN!

Join IGN for Microsoft’s Inside Xbox livestream, live from the X019 fan event in London on November 14 at 12pm PT/3pm ET/8pm UK.

Immediately following Inside Xbox, we’ll have a live post-stream show featuring a recap of all of the big announcements, special guests from Xbox including Xbox Chief Phil Spencer, tons of developers from some of X019’s biggest games, studio special and more!

We’ll kick things off with a pre-show at 11:45am PT/2:45pm ET/7:45pm UK with our predictions and more. Get hyped, Xbox fans!

Ryan McCaffrey is IGN’s Executive Editor of Previews. Follow him on Twitter at @DMC_Ryan, catch him on Unlocked, and drop-ship him Taylor Ham sandwiches from New Jersey whenever possible.

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The Rise of Skywalker: Leia Was Originally Going to Be the ‘Last Jedi’

Carrie Fisher’s brother, Todd Fisher, has revealed new details about director JJ Abrams’ original plans for Leia in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.

In an interview with Yahoo Entertainment, Fisher elaborated on the original intentions for his sister’s iconic character going into Episode IX, prior to her sudden death in December 2016, claiming that she was actually meant to become the “Last Jedi” of the Skywalker saga.

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Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled Adding Neon Circus Grand Prix This Week

A new Grand Prix is heading to Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled on November 9. The free Nitro Circus update includes a new track, game mode, characters, karts, cosmetic items, and more.

Koala Carnival is a new track helmed by circus strongman Koala Kong. It twists and turns through a death-defying Big Top that’s full of neon lights, hot air balloons, and vibrant colors. There’s also a new game mode in Local Arcade called Ring Rally, tasking you with nailing the perfect racing line in order to drive through each ring and earn the Nitro that will propel you to victory.

Meanwhile, Pasadena O’Possum and Ebenezer Von Clutch join the ranks of competitive racers in Nitro-Fueled, while the aforementioned Koala Kong headlines the battle pass-esque Nitro Gauge rewards set. Sticking with the circus theme, the Nitro Bumper Kart provides a new way to travel, and both the Pressuriser and Daredevil karts return from the original Crash Team Racing.

In terms of cosmetics, there are some new circus-themed skins, in case you ever wanted antagonist Doctor Neo Cortex to resemble The Joker. You can also outfit your karts with animated paint jobs for the first time, and if you manage to finish in the top five percent of the Grand Prix leaderboards, you’ll win the Champion Kart and Neon Circus signature decal.

Last but not least, heading into Adventure Mode and collecting all of the hidden Golden Eggs scattered across each hub world will unlock King Chicken for some royal poultry-themed racing.

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Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled was released back in June earlier this year. We gave it a score of 8/10 in our review, saying, “Simply put: This is a remaster done right. Nitro-Fueled maintains the spirit and rock-solid foundations of a childhood favorite while building on it and modernizing it where necessary–even if the handling might take a bit of getting used to. Adventure mode’s classic variant feels a little tough, but your first race on Roo’s Tubes or Sewer Speedway will bring a nostalgic grin to your face regardless. When the nostalgia fades, Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled remains fun and engaging enough to keep you racing on with a smile on your face for much longer yet. It’s good to have Crash back.”

Now Playing: Crash Team Racing: Nitro Fueled – 8 Minutes of Racing Mayhem

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Guerrilla Games Co-Founder Is The New Head Of PlayStation’s Worldwide Studios; Shuhei Yoshida Has New Role

Hermen Hulst, managing director and co-founder of Dutch developer Guerrilla Games, is PlayStation’s new head of Worldwide Studios. The change comes as part of Sony Interactive Entertainment’s restructuring ahead of the launch of the PlayStation 5, slated to release during fall 2020.

Worldwide Studios president Shuhei Yoshida is also leaving his current role to lead a new initiative nurturing third-party independent studios. These moves follow the departure of Worldwide Studios Chairman Shawn Layden after 32 years at the company.

Hulst will start his new role immediately and manage all of Sony’s game development across 14 internal studios, including the likes of Naughty Dog, Insomniac, Sucker Punch, and Santa Monica. In an interview with GamesIndusry.biz, PlayStation CEO and President Jim Ryan–who was previously PlayStation Europe chief–noted that Hulst’s appointment shows that Sony is thinking globally as it moves towards the next generation. “I think everybody in Europe should be thrilled and happy and proud that that is happening,” he said.

“Hermen is one of the most effective and well-respected leaders in the video game industry. He is a passionate advocate for the teams he leads and understands how to empower creative talent to build great experiences. I have no doubt Hermen can lead our teams to deliver compelling and diverse experiences at a steady cadence.”

Hulst most recently oversaw the development of Horizon: Zero Dawn at Guerrilla Games–a successful new franchise for PlayStation–and worked with Kojima Productions on the imminent Death Stranding. The studio is also well known for developing the Killzone series of games, and a sequel to Horizon: Zero Dawn is looking more and more likely. Angie Smets, Jan-Bart van Beek, and Michiel van der Leeuw will take over as joint studio heads at Guerrilla in Hulst’s place.

Meanwhile, Yoshida’s new role emphasises Sony’s commitment to supporting indie developers. “Everybody knows just how passionate Shu is about independent games,” Ryan continued. “These wildly creative experiences deserve focus and a champion like Shu at PlayStation who will ensure the entire SIE organisation works together to better engage with independent developers through a culture of supporting and celebrating their contributions to PlayStation platforms.

“I think we’ve always been there with indies, and when they were fascinated and engaged with virtual reality, that’s when we pivoted our engagement with them. So our work with the indie community has remained at the levels that it was during the early days of PS4.”

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