Xbox Downplays Mysterious Fable And Perfect Dark Social Accounts

Microsoft has downplayed the significance of two social media accounts that reference Microsoft properties Fable and Perfect Dark, but fans aren’t convinced.

Last week, fans picked up on @fable and @PerfectDarkGame accounts, both of which were registered in early 2020. Verge journalist Tom Warren noticed that the Perfect Dark account was followed by a Microsoft employee, which turned out to be Ken Lobb, Creative Director at Microsoft Studios and former Perfect Dark developer. Warren also noted that the Fable account is registered to a Microsoft email address.

Xbox Games Marketing’s Aaron Greenberg was quick to quash rumours about the accounts, replying to Warren’s tweet and stating that “it’s standard practice to secure social handles for our IP,” noting that the accounts “have been inactive for years.” However, it clearly says on the placeholder pages that both accounts joined Twitter in March and June of 2020, so what’s really going on?

The @PerfectDarkGame account subsequently tweeted to say that it had been acquired by a fan of the series, but was surprised to see Ken Lobb request to follow the page. Adding to the strangeness of the situation is the fact that both accounts were originally spotted with the display name “Placeholder” (which the Fable account still shows).

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Rumours around a potential revival for the Fable and Perfect Dark franchise have been swirling for some time. In the case of Fable 4, we’ve been reporting on that potential project for a few years now – here’s what we’d like to see from a new game in the series.

Many are hoping to see a reveal for one or both projects at July’s showcase of first-party Xbox Series X games.

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Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter. 

 

Crash Bandicoot 4 Will Have Over 100 Levels & In-Game Purchases

Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time will feature over 100 levels and in-game purchases of some description.

According to an email from GameStop received by fans, the forthcoming game will feature “100+ levels of play” as well as “new game modes” when it launches in October. For some perspective, Crash Bandicoot 3: Warped had 32 levels including bosses and secrets.

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A Microsoft Store page for the game includes a little plus symbol next to the game’s price tag, which suggests that the game “offers in-app purchases” of some kind. It’s not clear how these will work, as of yet, but microtransactions were previously added to Crash Team Racing: Nitro-Fueled in August 2019 as part of a post-launch update.

In the racing spin-off, players could purchase Wumpa Coins using real-world money, with which they could buy cosmetics to trick out their kart. Given that Crash Bandicoot 4 is already offering pre-order skins for its lead characters, we could see a similar system here.

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If you want to check out the first gameplay for Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time and dig into further details about what new features are coming to the game, check out our interview with Toys for Bob Design Producer Lou Studdert.

If your Bandicoot appetite is still not sated, you can check out all of IGN’s Crash Bandicoot game reviews here.

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Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN who has got to get those apples. Follow him on Twitter.

Anthony Mackie Talks About Falcon And The Winter Soldier TV Show, Says It’s Like A 6-Hour Movie

MCU actor Anthony Mackie has shared a little more insight on the upcoming Marvel TV show The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Speaking to Variety, Mackie said the show–which reportedly carries a $150 million budget–is being filmed like a movie.

“We’re shooting it exactly like a movie,” he said. “Everybody who had worked on TV before was like, ‘I’ve never worked on a TV show like this.’ The way in which we were shooting, it feels exactly like we were shooting the movie cut up into the show. So instead of a two-hour movie, a six or eight-hour movie.”

Mackie also teased that The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, which also stars Sebastian Stan as the Winter Soldier, will feature stunt sequences that are “on another level.”

“Every show, every movie, they just push it–they push the envelope so much,” Mackie said.

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier was filming in Europe until March, when production shut down to the COVID-19 global pandemic. Mackie said he hopes to return to work soon, but there is no word when yet when cameras may begin rolling.

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier is being made for Disney Plus. It’s not the only MCU TV show coming to the streaming service, as Marvel is also producing a show about Vision and Scarlet Witch called WandaVision. Both shows are slated to premiere in 2020, but that seems unlikely now that production has stopped with no firm plan to begin again.

TV shows based on Loki, Hawkeye, Ms Marvel, and She-Hulk are also in the works for Disney Plus.

Marvel’s next movie, Black Widow, is finished and was scheduled to have already been released. However, due to the COVID-19 crisis, Marvel pushed the release out to November 2020.

Now Playing: Best Shows And Movies To Stream For June 2020 – Netflix, HBO Max, Hulu, Disney+, Shudder

Family Guy’s Cleveland Actor Steps Down From The Role

The actor who plays the Black character Cleveland Brown on Family Guy, Mike Henry, has announced he’s stepping down from voicing the role on Fox’s long-running animated show. Writing on Twitter, Henry–who is white–said, “I love this character, but persons of color should play characters of color.”

Henry also voices the Latina maid Consuela on Family Guy. On the spin-off program The Cleveland Show, Henry voices Cleveland and his Black stepson Rallo Tubbs. Since this announcement was just made, there is no word on how things might move forward and if Fox will recast the role on Family Guy. The Cleveland Show was canceled in 2013.

Henry is just the latest big-name white actor to step down from voicing a character of color on an animated TV show. The Simpsons veteran Hank Azaria will no longer voice Apu, Carl, and Akira, among other non-white characters. The Simpsons producers have committed to wider changes to their casting. In the future, The Simpsons will no longer have white actors voicing non-white characters.

Additionally, actress Jenny Slate has announced she will no longer voice the young Black girl Missy on Netflix’s Big Mouth. The part will be recast with a Black actor.

GameSpot has officially kicked off Play For All–a celebration of all things gaming. Join us as we bring you the summer’s hottest news, previews, interviews, features, and videos, as well as raise money for COVID-19 relief efforts and Black Lives Matter with the help of our friends from around the gaming world. Check out the Play For All schedule for more.

Now Playing: Best Shows And Movies To Stream For June 2020 – Netflix, HBO Max, Hulu, Disney+, Shudder

Xbox Director Responds To Fable 4, Perfect Dark Rumors

Xbox marketing director Aaron Greenberg has responded to a recent internet discussion around the possibility of Fable 4 and a new Perfect Dark game. Greenberg said on Twitter that he understands people are “hungry for news” in the lead-up to the Xbox Series X first-party games showcase in July, but he acknowledged that you shouldn’t get too excited for those unannounced games.

Newly discovered placeholder Twitter accounts for “Fable” and “Perfect Dark Game” are not what they seem to be, Greenberg said. He pointed out that these accounts have been inactive “for years.” The executive also mentioned that it’s standard operating procedure for Microsoft to register social accounts for its franchises, even if the company has no plans for announcements around them.

The Perfect Dark account was created by a fan. Xbox veteran Ken Lobb, whose name is the inspiration for the Klobb weapon in GoldenEye, followed the account, which led people to believe it might be the genuine article. However, it’s only a fan account. The owner said they would give it up to Microsoft if they asked, but that doesn’t appear to have happened yet.

The Fable account, however, was seemingly created by Microsoft as a measure of brand-protection.

It is widely rumored that Forza Horizon’s second team at Playground is working on Fable 4. In 2018, Eurogamer reported that the game is a story- and character-focused open-world action RPG that has a development team of more than 200 people.

The Fable series was created by Peter Molyneux and Lionhead Studios. Molyneux has since left Microsoft, while Lionhead was closed down after the cancellation of Fable Legends.

The Xbox Series X July showcase is expected to bring news about Halo Infinite–a launch title for the Series X–as well as Microsoft’s other exclusive games.

Now Playing: Xbox Series X – Smart Delivery Trailer

The Last Of Us 2 Won’t Get Story DLC, But An Online Mode Is Coming

The Last of Us Part II is a huge sales success, but developer Naughty Dog won’t follow it up with any DLC. Writer-director Neil Druckmann told Kinda Funny that The Last of Us Part II won’t have any story DLC. The 2013 original game had story DLC in the very well received Left Behind, which was part of the game’s Season Pass, but there are “no plans” for anything similar for the sequel.

“No, with Last of Us I think we had some Season Pass or something that said ahead of time we have some story DLC–no there’s no plans for that [with The Last of Us Part II],” Druckmann said.

While The Last of Us Part II seemingly won’t have any story DLC, Naughty Dog will expand the game with a multiplayer mode of some kind in the future. Naughty Dog has said the game will get a separate online experience down the road through some kind of standalone title.

With the launch of the PlayStation 5 coming up in a few months, it seems the next-generation console could be where the new Last of Us II multiplayer game shows up, but nothing is confirmed yet. The Last of Us Part II will be among the thousands of PS4 games that will be playable on PS5.

The Last of Us Part II sold more than 4 million copies over its first three days to set new records at PlayStation, outpacing other exclusives like Spider-Man, God of War, and Uncharted 4.

For more on The Last of Us Part II, check out editor Phil Hornshaw’s recent opinion piece, “The Last Of Us 2’s Obsession With A Gamer Gotcha Undermines Its Characters.”

Now Playing: The Last Of Us Part II Video Review

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Top New Video Games Out On Switch, PS4, Xbox One, And PC This Month — July 2020

If this episode of New Releases is any indication, you won’t run out of new video games to play anytime soon. We’re taking a look at the month of July, which kicks off with Marvel’s Iron Man VR. You can also take to the skies in Rocket Arena just over a week after that. July is also time to protect your land, whether it’s an occupied island in Ghost of Tsushima or the Mushroom Kingdom in Paper Mario: The Origami King. Finally, the month wraps up with the Destroy All Humans remake.

Marvel’s Iron Man VR — July 3

Available on: PS4

After a few delays, Iron Man VR is finally giving us a chance to step into Tony Stark’s suit. As you’d expect, the HUD inside the PSVR headset resembles Stark’s FRIDAY technology, and you can use the Move Controllers to aim and fire your various weapons. Expect to see other Marvel staples like Nick Fury in the story too.

More Coverage:

Rocket Arena — July 14

Available on: PS4, Xbox One, PC

Rocket Arena
Rocket Arena

Rocket Arena is a 3-on-3 shooter with just one weapon at your side: a rocket launcher. Thing is, each character has their own special rockets with unique effects. You can also customize your favorite hero with outfits, launcher parts, and stat boosts.

More Coverage:

Ghost Of Tsushima — July 17

Available on: PS4

Ghost of Tsushima
Ghost of Tsushima

This is the next PS4 exclusive from Sly Cooper and Infamous developer Sucker Punch. You play as Jin, a samurai looking to liberate his island from Mongol invaders. You’ll do this with a combination of stealth and in-your-face katana combat. You’ll need to switch stances and time your attacks to parry and defeat your many enemies.

More Coverage:

Paper Mario: The Origami King — July 17

Available on: Switch

Paper Mario: The Origami King

The Mushroom Kingdom has been usurped again, this time by the eponymous Origami King Olly. Mario will have to use a new ring-based combat system to defeat enemies and bosses if he hopes to take the kingdom back. The origami style applies to the world too: you’ll be pulling and bending the environment to solve puzzles and explore.

More Coverage:

Destroy All Humans — July 28

Available on: PS4, Xbox One, PC

Destroy All Humans!

This is a remake of the original Destroy All Humans from 2005. Once again, you’ll be stepping into the space boots of alien invader Crypto as he extracts DNA from the residents of a midwestern town, using all types of alien weapons and gadgets. This remake includes content cut from the original game too.

More Coverage:

July has only just arrived, so we’ve got a lot more games to cover. Next week, New Releases will take a look at the console release of CrossCode and a very anticipated sequel, Deadly Premonition 2: A Blessing in Disguise. GameSpot’s Play for All event is continuing through the new month as well.

Now Playing: Top New Video Games Releasing On Switch, PS4, Xbox One, And PC This Month — July 2020

Tales Of Monkey Island By Telltale Has Returned To Digital Stores With A Discount

Tales of Monkey Island, the episodic Monkey Island series from Telltale Games, has been unavailable since the developer and publisher closed, along with many other Telltale series. But now, the game has returned to digital storefronts, and it’s currently discounted by 50% until July 10.

The game is available again on both Steam and GOG, and is currently discounted from $20 to $10. This is the complete collection, so it contains all five episodes, originally released in 2009. The game was released on the Wii and PS3 as well, along with mobile. For now, it only seems to be available on PC.

The developer is listed as LCG Entertainment, and the publisher as Athlon Games. LCG Entertainment handles the parts of Telltale’s back catalog that have been re-released.

While not held in the same regard as the earlier Monkey Island titles, Tales of Monkey Island was generally well-liked, and received an 8.5/10 in GameSpot’s review. This means that the whole Monkey Island series is now available digitally, as The Curse of Monkey Island received a digital release in 2018.

Several Telltale Games releases remain unavailable, including Tales from the Borderlands, Guardians of the Galaxy, and Game of Thrones.

One old Telltale project, The Wolf Among Us 2, has been resurrected, and has been restarted from scratch.

Now Playing: Tales of Monkey Island Official Trailer

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Ori And The Will Of The Wisps Devs Talk About Whether The Game Will Come To Switch

Ori and the Will of the Wisps released early this year on Xbox One and PC via Xbox Game Pass, and has since been played by 2 million people. The game is a sequel to Ori and the Blind Forest, which was released for Switch in 2019 despite being published by Microsoft Game Studios. The Switch port of the first game was well-received, and a member of developer Moon Studios has now opened up about whether the sequel is likely to receive similar treatment.

In a Reddit AMA, developer Moon Studios lead engineer Gennadiy Korol answered a question about the sequel coming to Switch. He says that while the team “loves” Nintendo’s console, they are not currently working on a port. “Right now we don’t have anything to share when it comes to Ori and the Will of the Wisps port,” he says. “If it were to ever happen though I can tell you that it would be (an) extremely difficult port to make run at 60fps.”

Ori and the Will of the Wisps faced frame rate difficulties on a base model Xbox One, which would make a Switch port difficult.

Elsewhere in the AMA, lead designer Chris McEntee discusses the possibility of Ori 3, saying that nothing is currently in the works. “We really felt that we told the story that we wanted to tell–Ori’s story–across the two games,” he writes. “We’ve left the door cracked open a bit for a potential continuation, though we don’t have anything specific to share at this point and time.”

Microsoft has previously said that the plan going forward is for Xbox’s first-party studios to make console exclusives. Moon Studios, however, is not owned by Microsoft.

Moon Studios’ next game will not be a fantasy title, and will reportedly be very different from the Ori games.

Now Playing: Ori And The Will Of The Wisps Video Review

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