Resident Evil’s Netflix CGI Series Will Be Canon With The Games

Netflix has announced some scant new details about Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness, the previously-announced CGI series coming to the streaming service in 2021. The series, which will feature Resident Evil 2 heroes Leon Kennedy and Claire Redfield, will be part of the “canon” of the game world, a tweet from Netflix confirms.

The tweet, from Netflix’s account for “all things geek,” confirms that the new series will exist within the established world of Resident Evil. As the series expands with numerous spin-offs, it’s not always clear what does or doesn’t fit within the wider canon of Resident Evil, but this confirms that this series will exist within it.

This means that the series will probably fit between Resident Evil 2 and 4, although that has not been confirmed. The tweet also showed off two screenshots from the series, showing the character renders for the two returning heroes.

The tweet’s synopsis doesn’t give us a whole lot of insight, either–although using the word “biohazards” instead of “zombies” could perhaps be unpacked. Biohazard is, of course, the original Japanese title for the Resident Evil series–but it’s also the subtitle for Resident Evil 7.

Netflix is also making a live-action Resident Evil series, which will be about Albert Wesker’s daughters. The first season will run for eight episodes, but a release date and casting news has not been announced yet.

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Halo Infinite Dev Reacts To “Turtling Up” Criticism

It’s been a busy year for Halo Infinite, as Microsoft showed off the first look at the campaign mode in July before announcing in August that multiplayer element would be free. Another announcement came very recently when developer 343 Industries outlined the new “coatings” customization feature for the sci-fi shooter. But some part of the Halo playerbase was expecting to have seen and learned more about the game at this point.

Halo community manager John Junyszek has responded to a fan on Twitter who said Microsoft has been “turtling up” in regards to Halo Infinite. Junyszek said the news that Microsoft has shared so far about Halo Infinite might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but he doesn’t accept the idea that Microsoft is hiding Halo Infinite away.

“I would disagree on the turtling comment,” Junyszek said. “We just explained what coatings are, showed off two new renders, and followed up with clarifications here on Twitter. Yes, this may be different news that you might have hoped for, but it certainly isn’t turtling.”

This is not the first time that Junyszek has addressed “turtling” in particular. In August, he said 343 would share more details on Halo Infinite when it could, adding that “the plan is definitely not to turtle.”

The newest announcement of the new “coating” system for weapon, armor, and player skins was met with criticism by some fans, including about the implications for microtransactions. The first of the new coatings have been announced as exclusives to GameStop shoppers and people who enjoy sugary snacks, and 343 has admitted that this is not ideal.

Given that it has been five years since Halo 5 was released in 2015, Halo fans are understandably eager to see and learn more about Halo Infinite, especially after the delay. Halo Infinite was lined up to be the Xbox Series X’s marquee launch title before Microsoft delayed it due in part to complications related to COVID-19.

The game currently has no release date in 2021, but Xbox Game Pass subscribers will get it at no extra cost on Xbox and PC. Additionally, the multiplayer element is free so everyone can try it. While Halo Infinite is releasing on Xbox Series X and S, it will also come to Xbox One as well.

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Devil May Cry 5: Special Edition Won’t Support Ray Tracing on Xbox Series S

While Devil May Cry 5 Special Edition will be enhanced in many ways on both Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S, only the Series X will support ray tracing.

Announced by Capcom, both versions will still support high frame rates up to 120 fps, enhanced 3D audio, reduced loading times, the Legendary Dark Knight difficulty, Turbo Mode, and a playable Vergil.

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Ray tracing, which is possible on the Xbox Series S, will be available for Devil May Cry 5 Special Edition on Xbox Series X as a downloadable title update, and even though it won’t be supported on Series S, Capcom did leave a bit of hope for the future, stating that it is “just now scratching the surface of what they can do” and that it is “eager to continue exploring the full capabilities of Xbox Series X/S in the future.”

So, while Devil May Cry 5: Special Edition will be the same in most cases on the next-gen consoles, only the Xbox Series X and the PlayStation 5 will support 4K and ray tracing.

Devil May Cry 5 Special Edition will be available at the launch of both Xbox Series X/S and PlayStation 5, and even though PS4 and Xbox One users won’t get many of these upgrades, they will still be able to play as Vergil via paid DLC.

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

Star Wars: Squadrons to Add Free DLC From The Mandalorian

Star Wars: Squadrons is also celebrating the launch of season 2 of The Mandalorian this week with some free DLC that includes a dashboard decoration of Baby Yoda/The Child.

Announced as part of Star Wars’ Mando Mondays, The Mandalorian Supply Drop will arrive on October 28 and also includes Razor Crest Gunship and Beskar Ingot Hanging Flair, IG-Series Assassin Droid Dashboard Flair, and Blurrg and Bounty Holograms.

Screenshot_2020-10-26 sws-mandalorian-drop-16x9-small jpg adapt crop16x9 1455w jpg (JPEG Image, 1455 × 818 pixels) - Scaled[...]The “Mysterious Creature,” as Star Wars: Squadrons calls The Child, can only be used by a New Republic starfighter, but both factions will receive one hologram, one decal, one dashboard flair, and one hanging flair, giving players a total of eight new cosmetics to unlock.

sws-child-cockpit-featured.jpg.adapt.crop16x9.1455wThis welcome move is a bit of a surprising one following EA Motive’s previous statements about how, while also saying “never say never,” that there are no plans for more content for Star Wars: Squadrons.

However, that very well could mean we won’t see any substantial, paid DLC in the future, but fans may be surprised with new, free cosmetics like these.

The Mandalorian’s second season will premiere on October 30 on Disney+, and you can find out when each new episode arrives with our release schedule guide.

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For more on Mando Mondays, check out the Limited Edition Mandalorian Xbox Controller and Hasbro’s Mandalorian Retro Collection figures.

 

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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.

Ghost Of Tsushima: Check Out This Gorgeous Concept Art With Words From The Artist

Ghost of Tsushima is one of the best-looking games on the PS4, thanks to both the developers’ full mastery of the PS4 and some absolutely beautiful art direction. Now, the game’s lead concept artist has given fans a breakdown of some of the art behind the game, and how the team at Sucker Punch realized some of these concepts in-game.

In a post on the PlayStation Blog, lead concept artist Ian Jun Wei Chiew has shared many of the images created during the development of Ghost of Tsushima, and talked through its inspirations and how it translated into the game. “We began by exposing ourselves to as much research and content as we could on the Kamakura era, Japanese culture, old samurai films and the Invasion of Tsushima, which led to the final designs of our characters, outfits, landscape, architecture, etc.,” he writes.

“A lot of the references we gathered were from museum exhibits and photos taken by teams that the studio sent out to Tsushima as well as the main island of JapanThe artist digs into the design processes around each character, too. For Jin, he writes, “we needed someone that can fulfill the fantasy of hiding in the shadows, but still having a look that feels like it was inspired by some of his samurai armor and aesthetic.”

The environments, meanwhile, are a mix of realistic and stylized: “we always had to think about what to keep historically accurate, and when to break away.”

Ghost of Tsushima environmental concept art
Ghost of Tsushima environmental concept art

We’ve rounded up some of our favorites from the blog below, but it’s worth reading over the full thing to see more and read Ian Jun Wei Chiew’s thoughts on each part of the process.

Gallery

An artbook for the game, The Art of Ghost of Tsushima, releases on December 1. You can preorder on Amazon.

Ghost of Tsushima recently received a major update, which added a co-op mode to the game. Sucker Punch is currently seeking writers with an interest in Japan, so it’s likely that we’ll see more from Tsushima.

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Devil May Cry 5: Special Edition Won’t Have Ray Tracing On Xbox Series S

Devil May Cry 5: Special Edition is coming to Xbox Series X/S and PS5 at launch, bringing with it a boosted framerate, 3D audio, some new modes, and Vergil as a playable character. The game will also now have ray tracing–but one next-gen system will miss out.

The Devil May Cry Twitter account has released an update about the Xbox Series X/S version of Special Edition, making it clear that the Series S will not, in fact, support ray tracing.

The Xbox Series X version of the game will come with Direct X Ray Tracing, which will be made available in a downloadable title update after launch. However, the Series S won’t get the same feature, so players opting for the smaller, cheaper Xbox model will miss out.

The game will have several different performance mode options on both consoles, so you can tweak the experience depending on your preferences. You can only hit 120fps, for instance, with ray-tracing off–in fact, if you want a 4K image and ray tracing, you’re limited to 30fps.

If you’re staying with the PS4 or Xbox One for a while longer, you can still get Vergil as DLC. These changes and additions will not be made available for the PC version.

Now Playing: Devil May Cry 5: Special Edition Reveal Trailer| PS5 Showcase

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Phil Spencer Explains Why Microsoft Doesn’t Need You To Buy A New Xbox This Holiday

Microsoft’s next-generation strategy is not traditional. Microsoft kinda doesn’t care if you even buy a new Xbox Series X or S console because the company also releases its games on PC and mobile, while it also has Xbox customers on Nintendo Switch and PlayStation. Xbox boss Phil Spencer has now shared some additional insight on this unique strategy.

Speaking to GameReactor, Spencer said Microsoft wants to create Xbox customers, and that doesn’t necessarily mean on a dedicated gaming console.

“Our high-level goal inside of our team, of how we measure ourselves, is how many people are playing on Xbox,” Spencer said. “And when we say ‘playing on Xbox’ it doesn’t mean an Xbox console. It means somebody who is logging in and playing a part of our ecosystem, whether first-party or third-party. And it could be on an Android phone. It could be on a Switch. It could be on a PC. That’s how we think about it.”

Microsoft also has a presence on PlayStation, as it publishes Minecraft on Sony’s consoles. Because of how massively successful Minecraft is, Spencer said he believes Microsoft is in fact one of the biggest publishers on PlayStation.

Game consoles usually do not make any money, and if they do, it’s not a lot compared to the much more lucrative games and services. This is why Microsoft is pushing Xbox Game Pass so hard. Creating more subscribers gives Microsoft a regular and recurring revenue stream.

Even with this strategy, the Xbox Series X and S consoles are expected to be very popular this holiday. Spencer said he predicts shortages as Microsoft will sell every console it can make. “I am going to predict that we are both going to sell every console we build in 2020,” he said.

Also in the interview, Spencer said spoke at a high level of about creating exclusive games. He said exclusives can be a great way to drive adoption of a particular platform or ecosystem, but his larger goal is to bring games to as many people as possible.

“I believe that in my core. I love this art form of video games, the interactivity, and the community around it. Both the social discussions, the camaraderie that you and I might feel as we are doing a Destiny strike together, and so on. I love the fact that games can bridge political lines, geographical lines, socioeconomic lines, and religious lines,” Spencer said. “So, when I think about games, I want games to be played by as many people as possible, that is part of our strategy at Xbox.”

The Xbox Series X and S consoles will launch on November 10, priced at $500 and $300 respectively.

Now Playing: Xbox Series X: The Final Preview

Battlestar Galactica Movie Coming From X-Men Producer Simon Kinberg

Battlestar Galactica is coming to the big screen, THR reports, with longtime X-Men movie producer Simon Kinberg attached to write and produce. Kinberg joined the X-Men universe co-writing X-Men: The Last Stand, and has continued with the franchise in a variety of roles–producer, writer, and director–right up through 2020’s The New Mutants. Now he’s onto a new franchise that starts far, far away from planet Earth. Kinberg joins producer Dylan Clark, who has been attached to the film for years.

“Battlestar Galactica is one of the holy grails of science fiction,” Kinberg said in an official statement via The Hollywood Reporter. “I couldn’t be more excited about bringing something new to the franchise, while honoring what’s made it so iconic and enduring. I’m so grateful that Dylan and my partners at Universal have trusted me with this incredible universe.”

Battlestar Galactica began life in the late 1970s as a product of Star Wars‘ popularity. It told the story of humans in the distant future fighting a long war with the robotic Cylons over the Twelve Colonies of Mankind as they escaped in search of the mythical planet Earth on the last remaining battleship, the titular Battlestar Galactica. The 2005 series, which ran on Syfy for five seasons, made humanity the creator of the Cylons and thus the architect of its own destruction.

What began as a television knockoff of a theatrical movie is completing the circle to become a feature-length film of its own. But if you’re concerned about how Battlestar Galactica might fit into a film-sized can, don’t worry–a television reboot is also on the way. Mr. Robot creator Sam Esmail is executive producing a second reboot of the television series for NBC’s Peacock streaming service.

Kinberg is a busy guy. In addition to Battlestar Galactica, he has a spy thriller called The 355 on ther way, along with the Apple TV+ series Invasion.

Former Nintendo Boss Reggie Fils-Aime Gets A New Job, And It’s Completely Different

Reggie Fils-Aime is staying busy in his post-Nintendo life. After announcing his retirement from Nintendo in February 2019, Fils-Aime joined the GameStop board of directors in March 2020. He then launched an excellent podcast in May. That same month, Fils-Aime joined the board of directors at the toys and games company Spin Master, Now he’s got another job: Fils-Aime has joined the board of directors at the boating company Brunswick, which makes the famous Sea Ray boat and the Mercury Marine engines.

“As a highly respected and seasoned executive, Reggie’s experience in consumer-facing initiatives and digital technology will make him a valued addition to our strong and experienced board of directors. We look forward to benefiting from Reggie’s expertise as we continue to develop deeper relationships with our customers,” Brunswick’s chairman of the board, Manuel Fernandez, said in a statement.

In its announcement, Brunswick noted that Fils-Aime, throughout his career, has “revitalized brands and reshaped various industries,” which is a good sign to why they’ve hired him. Fils-Aime worked at Nintendo for 15 years, and before that, he held executive-level and leadership positions at VH1, Pizza Hut, and Procter & Gamble.

Brunswick’s government filing announcing Fils-Aime’s hiring notes that it has not yet determined which committee Fils-Aime will serve on for the board of directors. It also states that Fils-Aime’s pay will be “consistent with that provided to all Brunswick’s non-employee directors.”

As for what Nintendo is up to these days, the company is celebrating the 35th anniversary of Mario and gearing up for the launch of Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity very soon for Nintendo Switch. An upgraded version of the Switch is rumored for release in early 2021.

There Is A Good Reason Why Microsoft Can’t Talk About The Bethesda Buyout Just Yet

In September, Microsoft announced one of the biggest gaming acquisitions in history when it revealed its intentions to purchase ZeniMax, and its subsidiary Bethesda, for a cool $7.5 billion. People understandably have a lot of questions about the deal–like if The Elder Scrolls 6 will come to PlayStation 5–and so far, Microsoft has only given vague answers about the future.

It turns out there is a very good reason for that. Xbox boss Phil Spencer told GameReactor that he cannot say much of substance about the deal due to legal requirements. Technically speaking, Microsoft has only announced its intention to purchase ZeniMax; the deal to buy the company is not expected to close until early 2021. While Spencer said he does not foresee any issues in the regulatory process to approve the deal, it remains “illegal” for him to discuss specifics right now.

“First of all, I would like to say that we haven’t acquired ZeniMax. We have announced our intention to acquire ZeniMax. It is going through regulatory approval and we don’t see any issues there. We expect early in 2021 the deal will close,” he said. “But I say that because I want people to know, I’m not sitting down with Todd Howard and Robert Altman and planning their future. Because I’m currently not allowed to do that, that would be illegal.”

Right now, Spencer said he is focused on getting the deal done, and not on going through ZeniMax’s portfolio and outlining the future of each franchise and studio.

That being said, Spencer mentioned that his long-term plan for ZeniMax is for all of its studios to “create the best games they ever created.” Spencer recalled a conversation he had with Bethesda boss Todd Howard when they were discussing the potential sale.

“We looked each other in the eyes and we said, ‘Okay, what are we really gonna do here?’ And he said, ‘I wanna build the best games that I’ve ever built and I want the support of Microsoft to be able to do that.’ And I say the same thing about the studios at Arkane and id Software and Machine Games. I want them to do the most amazing work and support them in doing that.”

The $7.5 billion that Microsoft paid to acquire Bethesda represents the second-largest gaming acquisition in history, only behind Tencent’s $8.6 billion acquisition of Clash of Clans developer Supercell.

A big question many have about future Bethesda games is if they will be released on consoles and platforms that rival Microsoft’s. Spencer has said the deals that were already in place for games that have been announced will be honored, but the future is less certain. Publishing arrangements for specific titles will be determined on a case-by-case basis, Spencer has suggested.

Now Playing: Xbox Buys Bethesda: What It Means For Game Pass, Starfield, PS5 + More | Generation Next