biteho.com

Spider-Man, Spider-Man. Sony sold lots of Spider-Man. Cash registers go cha-ching. Revenue more than Homecoming. Watch out! It’s payday for Spider-Man.

USA Today reports that Sony sold 3.3 million copies of Marvel’s Spider-Man within the first three days of release, setting a new sales record. That edges out the prior record of 3.1 million in the first three days set by God of War earlier this year. Pre-orders were a record-setter as well, at one million copies. This figure doesn’t account for sales of the PlayStation 4 Pro bundle that included a specially painted console and a copy of the game.

As the report notes, the retail price of $60 would translate to roughly $198 million in revenue, which actually tops the $117 million opening weekend box office for Spider-Man Homecoming. Not all of the copies would have sold for exactly $60, so the actual figure could be a bit less. Plus the comparison is a little skewed given that movie tickets cost significantly less than a new video game, but it’s still an impressive achievement.

“Our expectations are always set at the highest levels,” said Sony global VP of sales Stephen Turvey. “It’s met and exceeded all expectations. I think the company, and the campus, and our fans are super proud of it.” He added that Insomniac Games brought Spider-Man back “in a way that you want to experience it.”

Marvel’s Spider-Man is a critical success as well. It scored an aggregate 87 on GameSpot sister site Metacritic. Sony is planning three narrative expansions through the rest of the year, along with a New Game Plus mode. In GameSpot’s Spider-Man review, Edmond Tran praised the dynamic combat, fluid web-swinging, and surprisingly rich story.

“There have been open-world Spider-Man games before, but none so riveting and full of personality, none that explore and do justice to this many facets of the universe,” Tran said. “Insomniac has created a superior Spider-Man experience that leaves a lasting impression, one that has you longing for just one more swing around New York City, even after the credits roll.”

Final Fantasy composer Nobuo Uematsu is stepping away from the industry for a period of time so he can focus on improving his mental and physical health. In a blog post, Uematsu said he is taking an “extended leave of absence” to recover from what has been a hectic production schedule following the formation of his studio Dog Ear Records.

“Since the establishment of Dog Ear Records, I have found myself blessed with countless opportunities. From composing new works to holding concerts around the world, my days have been hectic, yet fulfilling,” he said. “The resulting fatigue, however, has finally caught up with me, and I find it mentally and physically difficult to go on at my current pace. After giving serious consideration to all options, I have decided to take an extended leave of absence and give my mind and body the time they need to properly mend.”

Uematsu said if he ever comes to back, he wants to do so “in full health.” While he used the word “if,” later in the blog post he said he expects to make a full recovery.

“Do not worry. Once I’ve made a full recovery, I’ll be back doing what I do best,” he explained. “My current plan is to rest for the remainder of the year, and while I cannot commit to a method or time frame for my return, I’m very hopeful.”

Uematsu said he apologies for the “burden” that he believes his leave of absence puts on his fans and clients, adding that he hopes people understand that he has to do what’s best for his health and well being. “I thank you all for your continued support and only ask that you are patient until I’m on my feet once again,” he said.

Uematsu, who was born in 1959, is considered by some to be the John Williams of video games. For lots more, check out GameSpot’s interview and profile of Uematsu from 2009.

You need a javascript enabled browser to watch videos.

The next James Bond movie has a new director. Following the departure of Danny Boyle last month, it has been confirmed that True Detective‘s Cary Fukunaga will helm the 25th movie in the long-running series, which hits theaters in 2020.

As reported by Variety, Fukunaga will start shooting the currently-untitled Bond movie in March. The film was originally set to start production later this year, with the release date set for December 2019. However, following weeks of uncertainty over who would helm the movie after Boyle’s exit, it has been confirmed that it will now arrive on February 14, 2020.

Fukunaga is best known for directing the entirety of the hugely popular first season of HBO’s True Detective. He also directed the acclaimed movie Beasts of No Nation and the Mexico-set thriller Sin Nombre, plus the new Netflix series Maniac, which arrives on the service this week.

Boyle left the Bond film in late August due to “creative differences.” He signed on in May and the film was set to use the script he had written with his regular scriptwriting partner John Hodge. With Boyle no longer attached it is unknown whether the movie will his script, and it is possible that the producers might return to veteran Bond writers Neal Purvis and Robert Wade, who had been initially attached to the project.

Daniel Craig is set to play the iconic British superspy for the fifth time. There had been much speculation about whether he would return as 007 after 2015’s Spectre, particularly as Craig himself didn’t seem very keen on the idea. However, he confirmed will play Bond again in August last year.

The Bond series remains a hugely popular franchise. Craig’s first movie, 2006’s Casino Royale took in almost $600 million worldwide and Spectre made $880 million. The biggest success from Craig’s run was 2012’s Skyfall which grossed $1.1 billion across the globe.