With PS5 Launching Soon, Sony Is Reportedly Making A Costly Move To Get More On Store Shelves

Despite still not having a price or concrete plans for pre-orders (outside of a Sony-run raffle), Sony is anticipating high demand for the PlayStation 5 this holiday season. So much so that it’s planning to speed up shipments to the US via air freights.

According to Daniel Ahmad, analyst at Niko Partners, Sony has already scheduled numerous flights with PS5 stock for the US in order to meet retail demand for the next-gen console over the holidays. Ahmad states that he isn’t sure whether it is 60 flights, or 60 planes worth of flights being readied, but that this method of shipping will incur a bigger cost to Sony over traditional shipping via the sea.

This is identical to what Nintendo did back in 2017 to meet the growing demand of the Nintendo Switch at the time. The company absorbed the additional cost in order to ensure 2 million Switch units were available to retail ahead of its launch in March of that year, which was only disclosed a few months later in an earnings report. Back then, it was estimated that the cost of this shipping was around $45 more per unit.

Sony is hosting another digital showcase this week on September 16, which might finally disclose both the PS5’s price and release date. Currently we know that the company is preparing two versions of its console, one with a disc drive and one without. This is different to Microsoft’s strategy, with the Xbox Series S not only removing the disc drive but also shipping with less powerful components for a drastically reduced price of $300.

Now Playing: First Look at PS5 Console | Sony PS5 Reveal Event

Godfall Preorders Live Now On PC: Price, Editions, And More

Godfall, an upcoming action-RPG for PS5 and PC, has been flying a bit under the radar, but it could wind up being one of the more unique AAA games in 2020. Developed by Counterplay Games and published by Gearbox, Godfall will combine action-RPG gameplay with loot-focused systems to create what the developers call a “looter-slasher.” PC preorders for multiple editions are available now at the Epic Games Store ahead of its holiday release on PS5 and PC.

Godfall takes place in a high fantasy world dubbed Aperion and places you in the role of a Valorian Knight. In fact, you’re the last Valorian Knight, and you must make your way through the five realms (Earth, Water, Air, Fire, and Spirit) to save your crumbling, post-apocalyptic home. Your main foe is the mad god Macros, who you will square off against after you slash your way through droves of underlings and challenging boss fights.

A third-person action-RPG, Godfall has skill-based melee combat. There are five classes of weapons, each with their own playstyles and customizations as well as 12 unique Valorplates, armor sets that have different buffs and abilities. Valorplates essentially act as classes as some fare better depending on the mission. With a heavy emphasis on both leveling and loot, Godfall will join the growing number of AAA games that focus on tinkering with your build as you find new gear. Each of Godfall’s story missions will have mid- and end-bosses, and there will also be various side missions to complete throughout. Godfall can be played solo or with up two friends in online co-op.

While we still don’t know the official release date for Godfall, it’s slated to arrive this holiday on PS5 and PC. As of now, PC preorders are live at the Epic Games Store and details on the PS5 edition are coming soon.

Godfall preorder bonuses

Godfall preorder bonuses
Godfall preorder bonuses

If you preorder Godfall at the Epic Games Store, you’ll get the following in-game bonuses:

  • Godfall Starter Pack: Set of Augments and Trinkets
  • Chrome skins for three Valorplates
  • Zer0’s longsword from Borderlands 3
  • Yellow Valorplate skin for Typhon

It’s unclear if PS5 users will get the same preorder bonuses.

Godfall is available to preorder in three different editions at the Epic Games Store:

  • Standard ($60): Comes with the base game and preorder bonuses
  • Deluxe edition ($80): Comes with base game, preorder bonuses, and the first expansion
  • Ascended edition ($90): Comes with Deluxe edition content as well as a red Valorplate skin, Gold Weapon Pack, Gold Shield, Gold Royal Banner, and Zodiac Knight Lobby Title

Now Playing: Godfall: Combat Overview – PS5 Gameplay Walkthrough

GameSpot may get a commission from retail offers.

Fall Guys Studio Forced Cheaters To Play Together On Cheater Island

Fall Guys studio Mediatonic has revealed an unusual way of dealing with cheaters that it has since abandoned: It sent them to “Cheater Island,” where they were forced to play with other cheaters.

“At launch, we had some of our own cheat detection built into the game. We weren’t banning anyone at this point, just gathering data carefully. We wanted to be 100% sure that our cheat detection would only catch people who were legitimately cheating,” read a tweet by the official Fall Guys account. “After we confirmed that it was working–We secretly launched Fall Guys Cheater Island.”

The Fall Guys Twitter account tweeted a long thread about cheater island, how the studio was overwhelmed by the amount of cheaters trying to play Fall Guys, and its upcoming plans to combat dishonest players. The UK-based studio reemphasized that it’s adding Fortnite’s anti-cheat system in the coming weeks.

“Our cheat detection system was good but we hadn’t expected so many players and we had no idea the lengths that some players would go to cheat. We tried to create a system around honesty,” the studio tweeted. “But as soon as we realized we were in an ARMS RACE we called up the experts at Epic.”

Infinity Ward did something similar when the Santa Monica-based studio put Call of Duty: Warzone cheaters into the same lobby to try and discourage players from cheating. The popular battle royale still has a huge cheating problem.

Mediatonic decommissioned Cheater Island this week after videos of cheater-filled matches started to spread around social media. The studio said that those videos “made the game look bad” and said future updates should help combat the Fall Guys cheating issue.

GameSpot may get a commission from retail offers.

Bungie Denies Acquisition Talks With Microsoft Are Happening

Talks of Microsoft potentially acquiring Bungie, Destiny and former Halo developer, are circulating–but they aren’t true, according to Bungie. Initially, VentureBeat’s Jeff Grubb spoke on the GamesBeat podcast about hearing that Microsoft and Bungie were in discussions, but that the two companies could not agree on a sale price. Eurogamer then corroborated this, saying it too had heard of such discussions taking place.

However, the CEO of Bungie, Pete Parsons, took to Twitter to succinctly declare the news false. A member of Bungie’s community team also requested that people use Bungie’s new logo when “circulating gossip” about the company.

Bungie recently left a publishing deal with Activision, ending a 10-year partnership earlier than expected, and is currently independent. In an Activision earnings report, the company explained why it broke off from Bungie. While describing the split as a “mutual amicable agreement,” chief operating officer Coddy Johnson stated, “Destiny is highly critically acclaimed, high quality content, but it was not meeting our financial expectations.”

Microsoft did own Bungie once and after buying the company in 2000, when the developer was still making Halo games, Bungie and Microsoft split in 2007, with Microsoft retaining the Halo IP.

Bungie received $100 million from Chinese internet giant, NetEase, in 2018. The money will enable the developer make non-Destiny games and establish separate internal development teams. However, as evident in the past few years, Bungie emphasized that it will not stop stop working on Destiny 2 and “will grow [the game] for many years to come.”

Destiny 2 is in its third year and is still going strong. In the latest news, Destiny 2’s expansions, Forsaken and Shadowkeep, are coming to Xbox Game Pass on September 22. Beyond Light, when it launches on November 10, will be added to Game Pass as well. Destiny 2 is also coming to the Xbox Series X/S and PlayStation 5, where it will run at 4K and 60 FPS.

Now Playing: Destiny 2: Beyond Light Trailer | Gamescom 2020

GameSpot may get a commission from retail offers.

Fortnite Servers Are Down Due To Login Issues

Fortnite servers have gone down temporarily to deal with a series of login issues that are kicking or barring players from entering the game. Error messages like “You do not have permission to play Fortnite” or “Your account no longer has play access to Fortnite” are probably concerning to see, but according to the official Fortnite Status account on Twitter, there’s no need to worry–you are probably not actually banned from Fortnite.

According to the Fortnite Status account, Epic Games is currently looking into the issue. The game has now entered server downtime as part of the investigation. We’ll update you when it’s back up.

Fortnite’s Season 4 update 14.00 launched on August 27 and has so far seen crossovers with both Marvel and now Star Wars, with the new X-Wing glider now available in the item shop.

GameSpot may get a commission from retail offers.

Here’s How Much The Xbox Series X And Series S Weigh

Microsoft has updated the landing pages for the Xbox Series S and Series X with more details about the systems and their specifications. Alongside what comes in the box, the key takeaway is how much these systems weigh, and the Series X is particularly heavy.

The Series X is a chunky system, resembling a PC tower more than a traditional console. Despite its tall, blocky stature, editor Michael Higham said the Series X wasn’t as bulky as he thought it would be when checking out mock-ups Microsoft sent over. One thing that was missing was the actual weight of the consoles. And according to the updated Series X site, the upcoming console weighs 9.8 pounds. This puts the Series X just a bit lighter than the original PS3, which weighs 11.02 pounds. Conversely, the Series S is significantly lighter, weighing only 4.25 pounds.

Current- And Next-Gen Weight Comparison

  • Xbox Series S: 4.25 lbs
  • Xbox Series X: 9.8 lbs
  • Xbox One: 7.8 lbs
  • Xbox One S: 6.4 lbs
  • Xbox One X: 8.4 lbs
  • OG PlayStation 4: 6.2 lbs
  • PlayStation 4 Slim: 4.6 lbs
  • PlayStation 4 Pro: 7.3 lbs
  • PlayStation 5: estimated 10.54 lbs

Another piece of interesting information from the updated landing pages is the number of HDMI and USB ports. According to the Series S site, the system has one HDMI 2.1 port and three USB 3.1 Gen 1 ports. The Series X site, on the other hand, contains an error. It purports the system has no USB ports and three HDMI 3.1 Gen 1 ports, when in fact the mock-up featured the same number of ports as the Series S.

Finally, we know what will be included in the boxes of both the Series S and Series X. It’s nothing surprising; just the exact components you need to get the system setup.

Xbox Series S Box Contents:

  • Xbox Series S console
  • Wireless controller
  • Ultra High-Speed HDMI cable
  • Power cord

Xbox Series X Box Contents:

  • Xbox Series X console
  • Wireless controller
  • Ultra High-Speed HDMI cable
  • Power cord

Microsoft’s next gen consoles launch on November 10 for $300 and $500. You can check out our Xbox Series S and Series X preorder guide to learn when they go live.

Now Playing: Xbox Series S VERSUS Series X: Which Is Right For You?

WWE 2K Battlegrounds Has Free Post-Launch DLC

2K Games latest WWE venture isn’t the simulation-style romp fans have come to expect. WWE 2K Battlegrounds is an arcade-style fighter, and aside from gameplay, 2K is also doing things a bit differently when it comes to post-launch content.

With WWE wrestling games, fans have come to expect massive rosters, and Battlegrounds comes with over 70 at launch. And with post-launch, players will be getting more than 60 more wrestlers to bring to the ring.

However, in order to get these new wrestlers, you won’t have to pay an additional fee. “All of it is free updates,” Sean O’Connor executive producer, publishing at 2K Games told GameSpot. “You don’t even have to go download DLC. The game will just update, and there’ll be new stuff to unlock and explore and play with.”

There haven’t been any other announcements about post-launch content aside from the previously revealed wrestlers, but there will be more in the future. Unlocking content will require users to earn “Brawler Bucks,” an in-game currency. However, players will not have to spend real-life money to buy these Brawler Bucks in order to unlock everything in the game–but they can if they choose to.

“Every single thing in the game you can unlock without paying another cent,” O’Connor said. “We’ve tried to be really generous with the amount of brawler bucks that you earn as you’re playing through the game so that you can unlock the things you want and play the way that you want. Whether that’s superstars, vanity items, arena customization, and things like that. If you want to accelerate your gameplay, you can use virtual currency. You can purchase virtual currency to then unlock things faster, but you don’t need to.”

It was unclear how much these unlockable items would cost or how many Brawler Bucks these unlockables would cost during our time with a demo of the game prior to the September 18 launch. WWE 2K Battlegrounds will cost $40 and be available on Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Stadia, PC, and PS4. There will be crossplay available between the systems, but not for PS4.

Now Playing: WWE 2K Battlegrounds Gameplay: 2v2 Steel Cage Match

GameSpot may get a commission from retail offers.

Lovecraft Country Episode 5: Easter Eggs And References In ‘Strange Case’

Lovecraft Country Episode 5: Easter Eggs And References In ‘Strange Case’ – GameSpot

“/>

By on

]]>

In the fifth episode of Lovecraft Country, the show goes full-on body horror. Most of the characters deal with this figuratively, fighting with how they feel inside and how they present themselves to the world. Tic fights the violence inside of him when he nearly kills Montrose in a one-sided beatdown. Montrose fights his feelings for Sammy in a world that is unaccepting of them. Leti struggles with her mother’s religious faith, which she’s pretended to have but never made her own.

And Ruby, thanks to William’s magic, gets to live–quite literally–inside the skin of a white woman. And although it allows her access to the spaces and opportunities once denied her, she ultimately leaves her second skin behind, especially after she begins taking out her frustrations on the only other black woman who works at her department store.

Here is every Easter Egg and reference that we noticed in Lovecraft Country’s fifth episode, “Strange Case.” When you’re done, take a look at our Easter egg guides for previous episodes.

]]>

]]>

1. Strange Case

1. Strange Case

The title of the episode, “Strange Case,” is taken from the horror novella Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson, about a man of science who uses a serum to transform into an evil persona and indulge his depravities.

]]>

]]>

2. Remember Her?

2. Remember Her?

The white woman who Ruby transforms into is Dell, the same woman from Episode 2 who was guarding the town’s tower with attack dogs. It implies that the metamorphosis serum might be tied to people who the Braithwaites know and have access to.

]]>

]]>

3. Patience and Prudence

3. Patience and Prudence

The song that’s playing during Ruby’s police car ride is the Patience and Prudence cover of “Tonight You Belong To Me.” It’s creepily appropriate (since she’s being taken back to William against her will), and it’s also a hat tip to the horror anthology series American Horror Story, which has used the song several times during its run, including in its pilot.

]]>

]]>

4. Intersectionality

4. Intersectionality

It’s worth noting that during the police car ride scene, Ruby is treated better than she was as a Black woman, but as a white woman, she’s still not treated as an equal to white men; she’s largely ignored by the officers who are taking her back to William. Multiple factors collide to create second and third class citizenry.

]]>

]]>

5. Metamorphosis

5. Metamorphosis

During the scene where William cuts Ruby open to quicken her transformation, there’s a news report on the television about locusts, and their molting/metamorphosis process. It recalls a novella by Franz Kafka called “Metamorphosis,” about a man who wakes to find himself transformed into a giant cockroach.

]]>

]]>

6. The Rainbow is Enuf

6. The Rainbow is Enuf

The spoken-word monologue that narrates Ruby’s day as a white woman is from the theatrical piece “For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide / When The Rainbow Is Enuf.” It’s used ironically, to discuss the hardships of Black women in America while Ruby is enjoying the comparative benefits of white womanhood.

]]>

]]>

7. Tutti Frutti

7. Tutti Frutti

Pat Boone, a white musician, sings the “Tutti Frutti” version that Ruby and her co-workers dance to on their work break. Little Richard, a Black musician, was the originator of the song. Boone’s version, however, ended up charting higher, because his music was considered “safer” for white homes in 1956. This attitude is mirrored in the co-workers attitudes toward Black people; they want to go to a Black bar on the South Side for some excitement, even though they also fear it.

]]>

]]>

8. Norman Rockwell

8. Norman Rockwell

The co-workers discuss their boss, Paul, as someone who lives in a Norman Rockwell painting. Rockwell was an artist for the Saturday Evening Post, famous for his sentimental portrayals of American suburban life. Although his name is frequently invoked as shorthand for “over-idealized small-town America,” Rockwell also addressed serious issues in his art. Most notably, his portrayal of Ruby Bridges integrating the public schools in Louisiana continues to receive widespread acclaim.

]]>

]]>

9. Torso

9. Torso

The police captain appears to have a Black man’s torso when he removes his shirt, which raises all sorts of questions. In an episode about dual natures and multiple identities, is Lancaster using a Black person’s body to stay alive? It recalls the central premise of the film “Get Out.” Jordan Peele, who wrote and directed that movie, executive produces Lovecraft Country.

]]>

]]>

10. Stiletto

10. Stiletto

Ruby uses a stiletto to rape Paul. The stiletto heel first became popular in America in the 1950’s and came to symbolize sexual power and femininity. Appropriate to the episode, the word “stiletto” originally referred to an Italian dagger from the 15th century.

]]>

]]>

11. Dresses and Shirts

11. Dresses and Shirts

The big reveal at the end of the episode was one that we predicted last week: William and Christina are the same person. Early in the episode, you can actually see several dresses hanging in William’s closet, which foreshadows the twist.

]]>

Disclosure: ViacomCBS is GameSpot’s parent company


Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1+2 Sets New Franchise Record

Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1+2 has been widely regarded as an excellent remastering of two classic skateboarding games, and now Activision Blizzard has boasted that the good buzz has coincided with great sales.

In a tweet, the company says that it’s now the fastest game to reach 1 million sales in franchise history. It didn’t mention exactly how fast the game cracked that record, but it’s only been out for just over a week.

Critics have been largely positive on the remastered Tony Hawk, finding it a return to form that captures the feeling of the classics with some welcome new additions like trick elements from later games. It also gave the stages themselves a fresh layer of polish, sometimes with clever twists like the abandoned mall or a school that is empty due to COVID. The game is also coming at the end of a console cycle and is priced at $40, which likely helped it reach its big sales numbers.

THPS1+2 has soaked up some goodwill from its general positive tone too, from celebrating a more diverse skating culture than when the games were first created, to DLC benefitting veterans. Hawk himself has been acting as a brand ambassador, announcing a trick change and thanking the studio for putting together a little present for him.

“Because it nails so much about that original Tony Hawk experience, it’s really hard to be mad at Pro Skater 1 + 2 for any of its downsides,” Mat Paget wrote in GameSpot’s Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1+2 review. “Playing through the newly remade levels is immensely enjoyable, and that on its own is enough to call Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2 a success. However, smart additions and an engaging challenge system make it an experience that’s more than just a brief skate through Tony Hawk’s past.”

Now Playing: Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2 Video Review

GameSpot may get a commission from retail offers.

US Customs Doubles Down After Seizing Apple AirPod “Fakes,” Which Are Just OnePlus Earbuds

In what appeared to be a mistaken attempt to prevent counterfeit good entering the country, the US Customs and Border Protection has accidentally confiscated a large shipment of what it believes to be fake Apple AirPods. Turns out they aren’t fake at all.

The shipment, mistaken for knock off Apple AirPods, is in fact a legitimate product from Chinese smartphone and electronics maker OnePlus. The OnePlus Buds were announced earlier this year and retail for $79, which brings the total shipment cost of the 2000 pairs confiscated to $158,000. That’s far less than the estimated $398,00 in fakes that the customs officials stated they had discovered.

After the “stash” was shown off on Twitter, OnePlus US had this cheeky reply on hand for their confiscated stock.

Turns out US Customs isn’t backing down though, stating that the confiscation was not an error. In a statement to The Verge, the CBP explains that it seized the goods based on their belief that it infringes on Apple’s trademark designs for the AirPods. This despite the fact that you can purchase the OnePlus Buds from most retailers if you want today, without any complaints from Apple directly.

“Upon examining the shipment in question, a CBP import specialist determined that the subject earbuds appeared to violate Apple’s configuration trademark. Apple has configuration trademarks on their brand of earbuds, and has recorded those trademarks with CBP.”

There is no question that the OnePlus Buds bear a resemblance to Apple’s own wireless earbuds, from the earpiece design down to the long stem. But OnePlus aren’t the only ones that have taken inspiration from the design, with CNET noting that Google and Samsung have done the same before with the Google Buds and Galaxy Buds respectively.

CNET did reach out to the US Customs and Border Protection for a comment on the mishap but have yet to receive a reply.