Sony has announced a management re-shuffling for its PlayStation business. The massive company announced today that Jim Ryan, the longtime PlayStation executive who most recently served as Deputy President of Sony Interactive Entertainment, will become SIE’s president and CEO. The move is effective April 1, 2019–this is not a joke.
John Kodera, the current president and CEO of SIE, will become Deputy President. In that position he will “dedicate his focus on creating innovative user experiences and further enhancing the network area,” Sony said in a statement.
Ryan, who has worked at Sony for a quarter of a century, will report directly to Sony’s overall president and CEO, Kenichiro Yoshida. PlayStation is big business for Sony. Yoshida said in a statement that Sony’s video game division, which is called Game & Network Services, is now Sony’s overall largest business when it comes to sales and operating income. He also said gaming is a “growth driver” for Sony going forward.
“This industry is relentlessly fast-moving, and to remain the market leader, we must constantly evolve ourselves with a sense of urgency,” Yoshida said. “Based on extensive discussions with John, I have decided to change the management structure of SIE to ensure sustainable evolution of the PlayStation platform and further growth of the network area.”
Yoshida said Kodera, the outgoing SIE CEO, will work towards further expanding PlayStation Network. It is already a massive service; it counts more than 90 million monthly active users globally, Sony said.
As for Ryan, he said it is a “huge honor” to become the president and CEO of SIE. “I’ve seen the PlayStation business grow and change massively since the very early days, and I hope to be able to put that experience to good use in reinforcing the foundations of the Game & Network Service business, and in evolving the entertainment that PlayStation offers to its engaged and passionate community,” he said.
Ryan originally joined Sony in 1994, holding various positions as he climbed the corporate ladder. In 2011, Sony appointed him as the president of SIEE, a position that saw him leading PlayStation’s business endeavours across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Oceania. Prior to his appointment to SIE Deputy President in January 2018, Ryan was SIE’s head of global sales and marketing.
Ryan is known for his candid and sometimes controversial comments in interviews. In 2017, Ryan explained why Sony didn’t at the time allow cross-play by saying doing so could potentially expose children to “external influences” that it could not directly control. Xbox leader Phil Spencer responded by calling out Ryan’s comments as being unhealthy for the video game industry overall.
In other Sony news, the company is skipping E3 this year–and here’s why.
The James Bond franchise is one of the most famous, most lucrative, and longest-running film series in the world. The franchise has been hugely influential, affecting almost every form of spy fiction written, filmed, or developed since the 1960s in some way. Moreover, the brand has stayed relevant for far longer than most comparable mega-franchises: Marvel’s 80-year existence and Disney’s seemingly perpetual presence on Earth pre-date Bond’s 1953 print debut, and they stand as some of the only similar properties to prevail. Conversely, attempts to reinvigorate big IP such as Back to the Future or The Mummy have not been successful enough for studios to continue making them.
To remain part of the zeitgeist for so long is no easy task, and despite some missteps, James Bond has defied the odds time and again, reinventing itself repeatedly to avoid being left behind. Some of those reinventions are obvious, such as the changing of actors, writers, and directors, or even come in the form of distinct reboots–the hardest of which came in 2006 with the 21st Eon-produced film, Casino Royale. Others, however, are a little more tricky: Bond has had to change even more drastically to fit new media, such as for the first 007 video game, a 1982 text adventure title for the ZX Spectrum named Shaken but Not Stirred. Unfortunately, the Bond games have endured an uneven run over the years, with some great games, some poor ones, and none at all since 2012’s poorly received 007 Legends.
To dive deeper into the continued evolution of the British spy, I spoke to Bruce Feirstein, screenwriter of three Bond films–GoldenEye, Tomorrow Never Dies, and The World is Not Enough–and writer of the video games From Russia With Love, Everything or Nothing, Blood Stone, and 007 Legends.
GameSpot: How does writing a Bond game differ to writing a Bond film?
Bruce Feirstein: It’s not all that different. You’re still trying to tell an interesting story, with unique settings and compelling characters. So the actual process isn’t that different. It’s just as collaborative, and in some aspects easier. For example, in Everything or Nothing, the original sequence was written in Hong Kong. There was some problem having to do with visual rights–I think some of the buildings were trademarked, and we’d need permission–so I suggested putting the opening sequence in Athens. Everyone agreed, and in ten minutes we moved forward. A change like that in a film could take a month to get through all the decision makers and the clearances.
How did writing for Sean Connery differ to writing to Pierce Brosnan and Daniel Craig?
Each is a little bit different. I was writing the Brosnan Bond that I wrote in the films, so it wasn’t much of an adjustment. Daniel Craig’s is terser, so his dialogue was cut back to reflect the Bond he created on the screen. And Connery was the Bond I always had in my head, having been the first Bond I saw. He and I actually talked about this.
Can you talk a little more about the creation of Judi Dench’s M? What was your reaction when you saw her death in Skyfall, and how do you think Ralph Fiennes is handling the role now?
While I was working on GoldenEye, [director] Martin Campbell and I met at the studio one morning to discuss what we should do about updating M. I said it was just a bunch of guys talking in a room, and Martin replied, “Why don’t you try it as a woman?” So the idea came from him. I wrote the “sexist misogynist dinosaur” scene in three hours, and pretty much what you see on the screen is what I wrote that first morning. As far as her death, Judi Dench brought great grace and originality to her role as M. She was amazing, and always took what we wrote and made it better. So I was sad to see that she wouldn’t be playing M anymore, but that’s the inevitable process in these films. And just as Judi defined the role in her way, Ralph Fiennes is bringing his own touch to the role now. He’s a terrific actor.
Is there anything you would have changed if you’d been involved in the films and games since you stopped working on the franchise?
No. If the franchise hadn’t evolved over the past 55 years, it wouldn’t exist anymore. Barbara Broccoli and Michael Wilson have created–in my opinion–the perfect Bond for the post 9/11 era. Along with Daniel Craig, of course, and the writers, Neal Purvis and Robert Wade. I wouldn’t change a thing. They’ve done an extraordinary job, and all deserve huge credit.
Which game do you think, looking back, offers the truest representation of Bond?
I think they all represented Bond well. But the most influential game was the original GoldenEye. I didn’t work on that game–but it had a huge impact on gaming. Funny enough, these days, I keep meeting people who are let down when they find out I only co-wrote the GoldenEye movie, and not the game.
Tap To Unmute
Rocket Launcher Fails and more – GoldenEye 007 Multiple Players Highlights
Want us to remember this setting for all your devices?
I remember Everything or Nothing really resonating with players, too. Why do you think that is?
I suspect that this is because it was an entirely original story, with a new villain and all new supporting characters. So the whole experience was new. And we got very lucky in having Willem Dafoe as the bad guy. He gave a great performance.
How does working on an original story for a game compare to converting a film into a game? Which do you think works best for a game: creating a bespoke story or converting the iconic films?
An original story is more fun because you’re working from a clean slate. Anything is possible. With an adaptation, you’ve got to adhere as much as possible to the source material. Both are enjoyable experiences, but creating something new is more interesting.
From a writing perspective, what defines Bond as a character?
Bond is a lone warrior with a license to kill who hides his inner conflicts about what he does by striking a cool, dispassionate demeanor, and never allowing anyone to get too close to him.
We’ve seen the series tackle text adventures, first-person shooters, third-person action games, strategy, and more. In your eyes, what’s does a hypothetically perfect Bond game look like?
In any format, the perfect Bond game allows the player to enter an alternate reality of James Bond’s world, and experience a James Bond adventure. The platform is less important than the execution.
Tap To Unmute
James Bond: Quantum of Solace Action Trailer
Want us to remember this setting for all your devices?
Were you involved with the canceled Casino Royale game?
There’s a lot of misinformation and speculation on the internet about Bond games that were cancelled or didn’t exist in the first place. As I recall, what some think of as a canceled Casino Royale game was actually an earlier version of either Bloodstone or Everything or Nothing that was stopped at one developer and moved to another. But I could be wrong.
Why do you think there hasn’t been a Bond game for a while?
I can only speculate here, as I haven’t discussed this with Eon. I don’t know why there hasn’t been a recent Bond game. But I do know that in general, there are fewer games based on movies these days. I’ve heard lots of reasons for this: 1) Huge game makers like Activision or Electronic arts would rather develop their own franchises. 2) As it now takes 18 months to make a first class game, day/date releases (meaning the game is released on the same day as the movie) aren’t practical. 3) The market for original games–Halo or Call of Duty–is much larger than the market for game tie-ins. Again, I don’t know how much of this impacts Bond, or has anything to do with Eon’s plans for future games. I’m just talking about movie games in general.
Would you like to be involved in another Bond game or film if the opportunity presented itself?
Barbara Broccoli and Michael Wilson have been incredibly loyal to me over the years. Being asked to write the games was flattering, and a great gift, for which I am very grateful. If they asked me to write another one, I’d be there in a minute. And if they didn’t, I’d be the first in line to buy it, and cheer them on, and hope for it’s great success. I am blessed to have been a small part of the franchise in any way at all.
Finally, as a bit of fun: who’s your favourite Bond actor from the film series? And who would you like to see take on the role after Craig steps down?
They say the first Bond you saw is always your favorite Bond. Connery was my first Bond, but the truth is that I like, respect, and admire everyone who has played the role. They were all perfect a reflection of their time: Connery in the cold war, Roger during the Reagan years, Tim Dalton during the end of the USSR, Pierce in post-cold war era, and Daniel Craig in the post 9/11 era. And, more importantly, from someone who worked inside the franchise: Every one of them made the next one possible.
EA’s new battle royale shooter Apex Legends has reached 25 million total players since its debut last week.
An update on the official EA website from Respawn Entertainment CEO Vince Zampella announced the news of the milestone, which also notes that the game hosted two million concurrent players during its peak over the weekend.
As in any battle royale game, a big part of the experience of Apex Legends is searching for weapons to defend yourself against the many squads you’re competing with to survive. The early part of a game is all about finding weapons quickly; later, if you survive, you can try to find more effective guns that will make you deadlier as you work toward being the last team standing. Throughout any match, you’re constantly asking yourself if the gun you’ve found is better than the gun you’re carrying.
We’ve spent quite a bit of time with Apex Legends at this point, and we’ve definitely determined that some guns are better than others. Many are good in a pinch, some are great in specific roles, and a few are worth ditching whatever you’re carrying whenever you find them. What guns you’re carrying can make or break a battle, and having a good spread of fire options among your squad can make you versatile in a lot of different situations. Choosing the right guns is a big part of your strategy in Apex Legends.
Here’s a rundown of what guns you should grab as you’re working to survive in Apex Legends, and the situations they’re great in. Remember too that the right attachments can completely change a weapon’s effectiveness and how it handles, so make sure you’re keeping an eye out for extended magazines, stocks, optics, and everything else you can get to improve your favorites. You’ll also want to check out our rundown of things the game doesn’t teach you, learn about how monetization works in the game, and read our full Apex Legends review.
Treyarch is continuing to steadily roll out new updates and content for Call of Duty: Black Ops 4. The developer has given fans a glimpse at what lays ahead for the popular shooter this week, including a double XP weekend event across all three game modes, new multiplayer and Blackout playlists for the PS4 version, and more.
Beginning February 14, Treyarch is kicking off a Valentine’s Quad Feed weekend. Throughout the weekend, players will earn double XP and weapon XP in multiplayer mode, double XP and Nebulium Plasma in Zombies, and twice as many Merits in the Blackout battle royale mode. The event is scheduled to end at 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET on Tuesday, February 19.
Before that, Treyarch will kick off two special modes on PS4 on February 12. First is the Arms Race Team Deathmatch playlist for multiplayer, which will reward players with 150 points, rather than the usual 100, for every enemy killed. Blackout, meanwhile, will get another iteration of Close Quarters Frenzy. The collapse occurs even more quickly in this mode, and the only weapons you’ll find are SMGs, shotguns, pistols, and Bowie Knives.
Speaking of Blackout, it appears Treyarch has something big planned for the mode. On Twitter, the official Call of Duty account shared a brief, cryptic video featuring a blueprint of Blackout’s map (below). The blueprint is then marked up with numerous red Xs, capped off with a large one in the lower right corner of the map. Treyarch hasn’t shared any further information about what this means, but it appears to suggest that some big tweaks will be made to the map in the near future.
Finally, Treyarch is teasing that it will preview “new content coming to all modes in our next Operation” this week. The studio didn’t provide any more details beyond that, but we’ll likely learn more when it shares the full patch notes for this week’s update on February 12.
Apex Legends, the free-to-play battle royale game from Titanfall developer Respawn, continues to soar. More than 25 million players have now tried Apex Legends, Respawn’s Vince Zampella announced in a blog post. Additionally, the game reached “well over” 2 million peak concurrent players over the weekend, he said.
“What a week! Since we launched Apex Legends last week on Monday we’ve seen the creation of an Apex Legends community that is excited, thriving, and full of great feedback and ideas,” Zampella said. “Our goal is to build this game with you, our community, so keep giving us your feedback because we really are listening.”
Zampella also announced some new events for Apex Legends. The Apex Legends Challenge, which is sponsored by Twitch, is a streamer event where 48 of the “biggest streamers” on Twitch will compete against each other. The event takes place on February 12 and February 19. You can watch it here on Twitch. Apex Legends is wildly popular on Twitch. Today, it has at this writing 409,000 viewers, which is well ahead of Fortnite, which has 168,000 viewers, according to Twitch’s public viewing data.
Additionally, Apex Legends will host a Valentine’s Day event where players can get Valentine’s Day-themed loot, though no other details are available yet. And finally, the Apex Legends battle pass premieres in March. It kicks off the game’s Season One, and this will include new characters, weapons, and loot, among other things.
In addition to Apex Legends, Respawn is working on something new in the Titanfall universe to release later this year, though whether or not it is the much-requested Titanfall 3 remains to be seen. Additionally, Respawn is developing a Star Wars game called Jedi: Fallen Order, and it is also slated to launch in 2019.
“Apex Legends is a mix of smart shooter ideas that makes for a competitive, team-based game that gets at all the best parts of battle royale while addressing a lot of the weaknesses,” reviewer Phil Hornshaw said. “Respawn’s intense focus on team play makes Apex more than just a worthy addition to the genre; it’s an indicator of where battle royale should go in the future.”
Upon finishing the first episode of DC Universe’s Doom Patrol, I couldn’t help but wonder, “Why can’t the DC Cinematic Universe make movies this unique and fun?” Doom Patrol isn’t trying to fit itself into a box, creating yet another paint-by-numbers superhero story. This is a show speaking to its fanbase that doesn’t take itself too seriously. It’s a refreshing take on a genre that–at times–feels beaten to death.
DC Universe is well on a roll with its original programming. The first original series, Titans, was a huge success and Young Justice continued the adventures of characters we know and love in a dynamite follow up. As for Doom Patrol, it knows knows what it is and doesn’t care what you think, which is the most endearing thing about it.
From the first moments of the premiere, you know you’re in for something different. “Ready for a story about superheroes? More TV superheroes, just what the world needs. Be honest, have you hung yourself yet?” Those words, spewed into a mic by none other than Alan Tudyk–who plays the villain Mr. Nobody–open up this first episode. This is unlike any other superhero television series, and I couldn’t have been happier.
Doom Patrol, on its surface, is a story of a group of superheroes living in mansion, and they’re all a bit out there. They’re not really a team at this point. They’re more of a group of freaks living out of the public eye. There’s Robotman, the brain of former racecar driver Cliff Steele living in a metal robot; Elasti-Girl, former Hollywood star who occasionally turns into a blob-like creature; Negative Man, a military pilot who was in a horrific crash but didn’t die; and Crazy Jane, a woman with multiple personalities that all have their own superpowers. The head of this household is scientific genius, who is exceptionally secretive, The Chief. Eventually, Cyborg will join as well, but we’re not there just yet.
Episode 1 is the essential “origin” episode where we’re introduced to these characters and get to know how most of them came to be who they are now. However, the show makes the audience well aware that these are all deeply flawed people. For example, Cliff Steele may seem like a family man, but it’s quickly apparent he’s not faithful to his marriage, and he’s a bit of a jerk. In fact, most of members of this team–aside from Negative Man–have unlikable flaws made plain during their origins, and the quirky tone for the series carries over into their character traits.
It’s familiar territory for the viewer, which is a nice way to get the audience invested in the show, when what you have coming down the line are things like pocket universes, an indescribable villain, and a giant blob destroying a town. But Doom Patrol isn’t all just wacky weirdness. There is a lot of heart to the story, characters getting to know each other, dealing with past regrets, and a lot of engaging conversations that are written exceptionally well. That may sound very much like a CW series, but the angst and the needlessly over dramatic moments are nowhere to be found.
These characters are incredibly well-defined for a pilot episode. We get a glimmer of their pasts, who they are in the present, and that’s about it. Throughout it all, the audience gets to piece the rest together themselves, rather than get blasted with an info-dump of exposition. The writing is a journey for the characters, not a flashcard of facts. And quirky tone aside, the pacing is exceptionally well done. One person who steals the show is Crazy Jane, played by Diane Guerrero (Orange is the New Black). Guerrero has to take on the role of playing 64 different personality types, all contained within one vessel. Her range here is amazing, as she jumps between these different personalities–some of which are extremely hostile and others are passive and infantile.
Episode 1 does more than tell the typical origin story; it is a “call to arms” for these potential heroes. They head to town, but everything goes to hell, and they need to save the day from Mr. Nobody and his farting donkey. Yes, you read that right. As soon as you feel like you have a grasp on what’s happening, this show drops something incredibly dumb or weird in the middle of your lap. It’s up to you to figure out whether this will make sense in the grand scheme of things, even as it just gets more bizarre.
Flatulent animals aside, where the show gets a bit confusing, primarily for those who watched Titans, is how this fits into DC’s world. Is this a part of a the same world as Titans? On Doom Patrol, the role of the Chief is played by Timothy Dalton, but on Titans, he was played by Bruno Bichir, and there is no mention on Doom Patrol of Beast Boy. Maybe I’m expecting it because every studio loves creating shared universes now, and Doom Patrol debuted on Episode 4 of Titans. While this is a little bit of an annoyance, it’s the only one throughout Episode 1.
If you’re looking for a traditional superhero story with familiar faces, Doom Patrol will be a bit of a disappointment. However, what makes this opening offering so wonderful is that it isn’t more of the same. These unfamiliar DC characters are super weird, this show has a very off-beat and humorous tone, and it is unpredictable. It’s the exact opposite of a palate cleanser. DC Universe’s newest original series is vastly different from its previous offerings, which is what is so intriguing about it. For as great as I thought Titans was, this somehow blows that out of the water. Doom Patrol won’t be for everyone, but it was definitely for me.
Season 8 of Fortnite is just around the corner now, but not before developer Epic Games rolls out another patch for the hit battle royale game. Update 7.40 is slated to arrive on all platforms–PS4, Xbox One, PC, Nintendo Switch, and mobile–on February 12, and it appears it’ll introduce yet another new weapon to the game.
Fortnite’s in-game News feed is teasing the arrival of a new type of gun called the Infantry Rifle. Its description doesn’t offer many details on how it’ll handle, but the gun is listed as “coming soon.” Considering that Epic frequently advertises new weapons and items in the News feed just prior to its latest updates, the Infantry Rifle will presumably arrive as part of this week’s 7.40 patch.
That isn’t the only change Epic has in store for Fortnite this week. In a post on Reddit, the developer detailed a number of balance and gameplay adjustments it is implementing with the 7.40 update. Full patch notes will be available once the update goes live, but among other things, Epic is increasing the reload time for Rocket Launchers and reducing the amount of structure damage Hand Cannons deal. Additionally, the Stormwing vehicle will no longer be able to crash through structures.
On top of that, a new set of Overtime challenges will be available following the 7.40 update. Epic hasn’t shared any details yet on what these missions will entail, but they’re part of the recently announced Share the Love event, and they’ll give players an opportunity to earn five new Valentine’s Day-themed rewards. Battle Pass holders will also be able to unlock new styles of the Trog, Powder, and Onesie skins.
While Epic hasn’t announced when Season 8 of Fortnite will begin, the developer has confirmed that Season 7 ends on February 28, so players only have a little more time to complete any remaining challenges. We’ve put together tips and guides for the trickier ones in our complete Fortnite Season 7 challenges roundup. The developer will also hold two double XP weekends before the season ends to give players another opportunity to level their Battle Pass up; the first is set for February 15-17, while the second takes place February 22-24.
Rainbow Six Siege‘s next downloadable content will be Burnt Horizon, a set of operators and environments that pay homage to the continent of Australia. It accompanied the announcement with a short teaser that shows the Outback Map.
According to the announcement, the new DLC will include two new operators: one attacker and one defender. How exactly they’ll function is left a bit of a mystery, though. The two are said to be old friends from the SASR, and they’re described as stoic and quick-witted, respectively. The overview of the map shows a dusty, isolated area of the red desert. As usual, the new map will be released for free, and season pass holders will get the two new operators right away. Everyone else will have to wait an extra week and then grind for in-game currency to unlock them.
More details on the operators and the new map will be coming during the Six Invitational tournament in Montreal on February 17. It will be aired on the Rainbow Six Twitch channel.
Tap To Unmute
Rainbow Six Siege: Operation Burnt Horizon – Outback Map Trailer
Want us to remember this setting for all your devices?
Rainbow Six Siege launched in 2015 with generally positive reviews, but Ubisoft has kept it going long after launch. It has been regularly adding new operators and maps, along with lots of regular rebalancing. The live game model has paid off for the studio, even earning it a spot among the 2018 Steam Awards in the “Better With Friends” category.
