Amazon's incumbent CEO Andy Jassy has pledged his support to the company's gaming division following reported internal struggles at Amazon Game Studios. In an email seen by Bloomberg, Jassy acknowledged the difficulties faced so far, which have seen games like Crucible being shut down only months after its official launch. "Some businesses take off in the first year, and others take many years,” Jassy said in an email to staff. “Though we haven’t consistently succeeded yet in AGS, I believe we will if we hang in there.” Jassy is set to replace Amazon's CEO and founder Jeff Bezos later this year after Bezos announced that he was stepping down on Tuesday. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/05/27/crucible-review"] Jassy's supportive email was apparently a follow-up to an email from Mike Frazzini, the current head of Amazon Game Studios. Frazzini was addressing a recent Bloomberg report which illuminated behind-the-scenes issues at the studio. Bloomberg's report alleged a 'Bro Culture' at AGS and alluded to multiple cancelled projects, mismanagement and a difficult-to-work-with game engine in Amazon Lumberyard, which apparently caused difficulties during development. In the emails obtained by Bloomberg, Frazzini is reported as saying that the studio "has zero tolerance for [the kind of behaviour described], or anything less than a fully equitable and inclusive environment [...] We’ve learned and improved a lot along the way, myself included, and we will continue to do so," Frazzini continued. "Making great games is hard, and we’re not going to get everything right.” Amazon has not had a lot of success in the gaming space so far, but Jassy and Frazzini's comments suggest they don't seem to be giving up just yet. The company announced its foray into cloud streaming in 2020 with Amazon Luna. Here's everything we know about Amazon Luna as the service sits in beta. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.

An official Sonic the Hedgehog LEGO set will be released thanks to a fan design that gained traction online through the LEGO Ideas program. UK-based LEGO builder Viv Grannell's Sonic Mania Green Hill Zone design has been greenlit by the LEGO Group and will be produced and sold in collaboration with SEGA. No release date has been set for the design, as it will only now begin product development with Sega's input, but it will eventually be released worldwide. You can see the concept image for the set below: The design picked up 10,000 votes as part of the LEGO Ideas program, which lets fans submit homemade designs to be voted on by the LEGO community. Sets that achieve traction such as this one have the chance of being turned into real products. “I’ve been invested in the world of Sonic for almost my entire life," said designer Viv Grannell, "and it’s such a perfect fit for the LEGO system that I spent about a year rallying support for it to happen. Having 10,000 people back my design was overwhelming enough, even with friends and family behind me, but having it be selected for further development was the most exciting secret I have ever had to keep!” The scene is based on the Green Hill Zone level from 2017's Sonic Mania and includes a host of Sonic characters such as the titular hedgehog, Dr Eggman, the Egg Robot mech and the Hard-Boiled Heavies.  "Featuring a wide variety of elements inspired by Classic Sonic, the set will provide LEGO collectors and Sonic fans alike a truly supersonic LEGO experience," LEGO's press release reads.

Does this look familiar? The Green Hill Zone from Sonic is absolutely iconic

Hear from the designer behind it, Viv Grannell and their journey which can be read in full here: https://t.co/XOI164GHQa #LEGOIdeas pic.twitter.com/QiUhGB62tL — LEGO® IDEAS (@LEGOIdeas) August 10, 2020

In other Sonic the Hedgehog news, a Netflix series based on the blue blur called Sonic Prime was recently revealed and is set to premiere in 2022. You can check out IGN's review of Sonic Mania here, which we scored an 8.7, calling it "the classic throwback longtime series fans have been clamouring for." [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.

An official Sonic the Hedgehog LEGO set will be released thanks to a fan design that gained traction online through the LEGO Ideas program. UK-based LEGO builder Viv Grannell's Sonic Mania Green Hill Zone design has been greenlit by the LEGO Group and will be produced and sold in collaboration with SEGA. No release date has been set for the design, as it will only now begin product development with Sega's input, but it will eventually be released worldwide. You can see the concept image for the set below: The design picked up 10,000 votes as part of the LEGO Ideas program, which lets fans submit homemade designs to be voted on by the LEGO community. Sets that achieve traction such as this one have the chance of being turned into real products. “I’ve been invested in the world of Sonic for almost my entire life," said designer Viv Grannell, "and it’s such a perfect fit for the LEGO system that I spent about a year rallying support for it to happen. Having 10,000 people back my design was overwhelming enough, even with friends and family behind me, but having it be selected for further development was the most exciting secret I have ever had to keep!” The scene is based on the Green Hill Zone level from 2017's Sonic Mania and includes a host of Sonic characters such as the titular hedgehog, Dr Eggman, the Egg Robot mech and the Hard-Boiled Heavies.  "Featuring a wide variety of elements inspired by Classic Sonic, the set will provide LEGO collectors and Sonic fans alike a truly supersonic LEGO experience," LEGO's press release reads.

Does this look familiar? The Green Hill Zone from Sonic is absolutely iconic

Hear from the designer behind it, Viv Grannell and their journey which can be read in full here: https://t.co/XOI164GHQa #LEGOIdeas pic.twitter.com/QiUhGB62tL — LEGO® IDEAS (@LEGOIdeas) August 10, 2020

In other Sonic the Hedgehog news, a Netflix series based on the blue blur called Sonic Prime was recently revealed and is set to premiere in 2022. You can check out IGN's review of Sonic Mania here, which we scored an 8.7, calling it "the classic throwback longtime series fans have been clamouring for." [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.

Zack Snyder has shared a fresh look at Ben Affleck's Knightmare Batman from the new Justice League shoots. The filmmaker posted the image to his Vero account, offering fans a glimpse of Affleck suited up as the Knightmare version of Batman, wearing a trench coat like the one that he wore in Batman v Superman's dystopian dreamscape. The monochrome photo is taken from behind the Dark Knight, however, the silhouette indicates that he is donning the goggles again, too. [caption id="attachment_2469398" align="alignnone" width="910"] Image credit: Vero/zacksnyder[/caption] In the comments section of the post, Snyder confirmed that the new shot is from the Justice League reshoots, which is interesting as the movie is said to include around 150 minutes of unseen footage, comprised of only "about four minutes or five minutes of additional photography." The rest of the Snyder cut is made up of original footage from the theatrical release and elements that ended up on the cutting room floor. Snyder previously revealed how he incorporated specific scenes in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice to set-up his version of Justice League. During a live commentary track for BvS released last year, Snyder confirmed that the "Knightmare" sequence, in which Bruce Wayne dreams of a hellish future where Superman has become a servant of Apokolips, was intended to set the stage for Justice League. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/08/22/justice-league-the-snyder-cut-trailer"] The same hellish, war-torn desert that was teased in the Knightmare dream sequence was further glimpsed in the first trailer for Zack Snyder's Justice League, which featured several of the key differences from Joss Whedon's 2017 theatrical release. Another one of the big changes surrounds Jared Leto's Joker, who will be returning with a different look in the Snyder Cut of Justice League. Snyder previously described Leto's Joker as a "road-weary" villain who appears in a "vignette" showing a "segment of the band together," referencing a scene from the reshoots, which involved several returning cast members, including Gal Gadot and Ray Fisher. Earlier this week, Snyder shared another Justice League snap to tease Joker's new look in the movie. We'll find more about these changes and additions when Snyder's R-rated Justice League comes to HBO Max on March 18. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=justice-league-snyder-cut-all-the-known-differences-from-the-theatrical-version&captions=true"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Adele Ankers is a Freelance Entertainment Journalist. You can reach her on Twitter.

Zack Snyder has shared a fresh look at Ben Affleck's Knightmare Batman from the new Justice League shoots. The filmmaker posted the image to his Vero account, offering fans a glimpse of Affleck suited up as the Knightmare version of Batman, wearing a trench coat like the one that he wore in Batman v Superman's dystopian dreamscape. The monochrome photo is taken from behind the Dark Knight, however, the silhouette indicates that he is donning the goggles again, too. [caption id="attachment_2469398" align="alignnone" width="910"] Image credit: Vero/zacksnyder[/caption] In the comments section of the post, Snyder confirmed that the new shot is from the Justice League reshoots, which is interesting as the movie is said to include around 150 minutes of unseen footage, comprised of only "about four minutes or five minutes of additional photography." The rest of the Snyder cut is made up of original footage from the theatrical release and elements that ended up on the cutting room floor. Snyder previously revealed how he incorporated specific scenes in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice to set-up his version of Justice League. During a live commentary track for BvS released last year, Snyder confirmed that the "Knightmare" sequence, in which Bruce Wayne dreams of a hellish future where Superman has become a servant of Apokolips, was intended to set the stage for Justice League. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/08/22/justice-league-the-snyder-cut-trailer"] The same hellish, war-torn desert that was teased in the Knightmare dream sequence was further glimpsed in the first trailer for Zack Snyder's Justice League, which featured several of the key differences from Joss Whedon's 2017 theatrical release. Another one of the big changes surrounds Jared Leto's Joker, who will be returning with a different look in the Snyder Cut of Justice League. Snyder previously described Leto's Joker as a "road-weary" villain who appears in a "vignette" showing a "segment of the band together," referencing a scene from the reshoots, which involved several returning cast members, including Gal Gadot and Ray Fisher. Earlier this week, Snyder shared another Justice League snap to tease Joker's new look in the movie. We'll find more about these changes and additions when Snyder's R-rated Justice League comes to HBO Max on March 18. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=justice-league-snyder-cut-all-the-known-differences-from-the-theatrical-version&captions=true"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Adele Ankers is a Freelance Entertainment Journalist. You can reach her on Twitter.

Konami's Digital Entertainment business – which includes "mobile games, computer and video games and card games" – not only propped up Konami's financial year amid the pandemic, but drove it to record-high profits. In the company's latest earnings release, Konami makes clear that many of its business segments (including casino gaming, sports clubs, and amusements) suffered major drops in revenue due to lockdowns and the societal effects of the pandemic. However, as we've seen across the industry, at-home gaming saw a huge boost, with Konami's Digital Entertainment division seeing revenue and profits grow substantially. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/09/26/is-konami-really-a-video-game-company-anymore"] In the nine months ending December 31, the Digital Entertainment division saw a 33.1% growth in total revenue and a 75.3% growth in profit, year-on-year. The earnings release explains, "Thus, business profit, operating profit and profit before income tax of Konami Group for the nine months ended December 31, 2020 have all reached a record high." This comes despite the fact that Konami Group as a whole saw a drop of 0.6% in total revenue. Much has been made in recent years of Konami's shift away from core video game development, favouring mobile and casino gaming. While mobile gaming undoubtedly played a major part in the company's recent success, Konami points to the console releases of multiple Pro Evolution Soccer games, as well as the Japan-only release of the latest Momotaro Dentetsu game (a series of digital board games), which shipped 2.5 million copies as of January 2021. Looking forward, Konami points to the release of Yu-Gi-Oh! Rush Duel for Nintendo Switch and a game adaptation of sci-fi manga Edens Zero. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/05/21/top-10-konami-games-that-need-next-gen-remakes"] The Digital Entertainment division's success is interesting in light of Konami's recent restructure. The company recently announced that it will dissolve its three Production Divisions, leading some to speculate that the company would no longer produce games. Konami denied that idea, telling IGN that it was in fact made to allow games to be made more efficiently at the company. It remains to be seen whether Konami will return to more regular code video game development, but it has announced that PES 2022 will be made using Unreal Engine, and set up a western game publishing division. Last year, reports spread saying that Konami was working on two new Silent Hill games, but Konami denied the assertions. “It’s not to say we are completely closing the door on the franchise, just not in the way it is being reported,” said a spokesperson. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Joe Skrebels is IGN's Executive Editor of News. Follow him on Twitter. Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.

Konami's Digital Entertainment business – which includes "mobile games, computer and video games and card games" – not only propped up Konami's financial year amid the pandemic, but drove it to record-high profits. In the company's latest earnings release, Konami makes clear that many of its business segments (including casino gaming, sports clubs, and amusements) suffered major drops in revenue due to lockdowns and the societal effects of the pandemic. However, as we've seen across the industry, at-home gaming saw a huge boost, with Konami's Digital Entertainment division seeing revenue and profits grow substantially. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/09/26/is-konami-really-a-video-game-company-anymore"] In the nine months ending December 31, the Digital Entertainment division saw a 33.1% growth in total revenue and a 75.3% growth in profit, year-on-year. The earnings release explains, "Thus, business profit, operating profit and profit before income tax of Konami Group for the nine months ended December 31, 2020 have all reached a record high." This comes despite the fact that Konami Group as a whole saw a drop of 0.6% in total revenue. Much has been made in recent years of Konami's shift away from core video game development, favouring mobile and casino gaming. While mobile gaming undoubtedly played a major part in the company's recent success, Konami points to the console releases of multiple Pro Evolution Soccer games, as well as the Japan-only release of the latest Momotaro Dentetsu game (a series of digital board games), which shipped 2.5 million copies as of January 2021. Looking forward, Konami points to the release of Yu-Gi-Oh! Rush Duel for Nintendo Switch and a game adaptation of sci-fi manga Edens Zero. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/05/21/top-10-konami-games-that-need-next-gen-remakes"] The Digital Entertainment division's success is interesting in light of Konami's recent restructure. The company recently announced that it will dissolve its three Production Divisions, leading some to speculate that the company would no longer produce games. Konami denied that idea, telling IGN that it was in fact made to allow games to be made more efficiently at the company. It remains to be seen whether Konami will return to more regular code video game development, but it has announced that PES 2022 will be made using Unreal Engine, and set up a western game publishing division. Last year, reports spread saying that Konami was working on two new Silent Hill games, but Konami denied the assertions. “It’s not to say we are completely closing the door on the franchise, just not in the way it is being reported,” said a spokesperson. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Joe Skrebels is IGN's Executive Editor of News. Follow him on Twitter. Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.

Sony plans to sell over 14.8 million PlayStation 5 units during its second financial year on sale, April 2021 to March 2022. That's more than the hugely successful PS4 shipped in its own second financial year – but that goal could be affected by a global semiconductor shortage. In a briefing following Sony's Q3 FY2020 earnings (transcribed by The Motley Fool), a Sony spokesperson noted the company's hopes to outsell the PS4's second-year sales numbers. "For [the] next fiscal year, we believe that there will be strong demand to continue. The second year of the launch of the PS4 [hit] 14.8 million, we would like to exceed that level of PS4 when it comes to PS5," the spokesperson said. The statement came in response to a question about the PS5's lower inventory being a consequence of a global semiconductor shortage, which has inhibited how many consoles can be manufactured – and could continue to do so. "However, we have to look at the global shortage of semiconductors," the spokesperson continued. "When we try to increase our capacity, we face difficulties because of this global situation." As we reported in late January, AMD is anticipating chip shortages through the first half of 2021, caused in part by the lack of semiconductors entering the market. AMD's chips help power PS5, meaning there could well be a knock-on effect for Sony and the production of more PlayStation 5 units. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-best-ps5-games&captions=true"] In the shorter term, Sony said it is on track to meet its current-year sales target of 7.6 million units by 31 March 2020, but notes that it was not able to meet the "high level of demand" from customers, which it expects to continue into the next fiscal year. Sony's earnings also revealed that the company had sold 4.5 million PS5s as of December 2020, matching the PS4's launch. In other PlayStation 5 news, a recent system update has fixed the PS4 disc installation bug affecting users. If you've been lucky enough to get hold of a PS5, check out our list of the best PS5 games and, if you need help with it, check out all our PS5 how-to guides. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.

Sony plans to sell over 14.8 million PlayStation 5 units during its second financial year on sale, April 2021 to March 2022. That's more than the hugely successful PS4 shipped in its own second financial year – but that goal could be affected by a global semiconductor shortage. In a briefing following Sony's Q3 FY2020 earnings (transcribed by The Motley Fool), a Sony spokesperson noted the company's hopes to outsell the PS4's second-year sales numbers. "For [the] next fiscal year, we believe that there will be strong demand to continue. The second year of the launch of the PS4 [hit] 14.8 million, we would like to exceed that level of PS4 when it comes to PS5," the spokesperson said. The statement came in response to a question about the PS5's lower inventory being a consequence of a global semiconductor shortage, which has inhibited how many consoles can be manufactured – and could continue to do so. "However, we have to look at the global shortage of semiconductors," the spokesperson continued. "When we try to increase our capacity, we face difficulties because of this global situation." As we reported in late January, AMD is anticipating chip shortages through the first half of 2021, caused in part by the lack of semiconductors entering the market. AMD's chips help power PS5, meaning there could well be a knock-on effect for Sony and the production of more PlayStation 5 units. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-best-ps5-games&captions=true"] In the shorter term, Sony said it is on track to meet its current-year sales target of 7.6 million units by 31 March 2020, but notes that it was not able to meet the "high level of demand" from customers, which it expects to continue into the next fiscal year. Sony's earnings also revealed that the company had sold 4.5 million PS5s as of December 2020, matching the PS4's launch. In other PlayStation 5 news, a recent system update has fixed the PS4 disc installation bug affecting users. If you've been lucky enough to get hold of a PS5, check out our list of the best PS5 games and, if you need help with it, check out all our PS5 how-to guides. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.

Eternals star Salma Hayek has explained how Marvel's upcoming Phase 4 movie differs from other MCU entries. In an interview with Variety, Hayek, who is starring as the mighty Ajak in the Phase 4 movie, spoke about how the Eternals script was brought to life and how it sets itself apart from other MCU titles. Notably, she highlighted the movie's cinematography and production style, combined with the use of real locations, as the primary reasons for the movie being different from its predecessors. "It has a completely different DNA from the [other Marvel movies]," Hayek explained. "It's shot different than all the other ones. It's in real locations and they found some crazy extraterrestrial-looking locations. I don't know if I'm allowed to talk about what they do with the camera, but… it's not mostly done in post. The cinematography is incredible." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2018/08/03/marvels-eternals-movie-explained"] We previously learned that Eternals director Chloé Zhao shot the movie with the same rig that she used for her indie film Nomadland because she reportedly wanted to keep the story grounded and experimental despite it being a "very big, sweeping, multimillennial-spanning story," which also apparently came packaged with the best pitch that Marvel's Kevin Feige had ever heard. Reportedly the most "sci-fi" movie of the MCU, Eternals follows the exploits of an immortal alien race created by the Celestials as they reunite to protect humanity from their evil counterparts, the Deviants. Hayek, who admits she knew very little about her character before accepting the role, portrays a centuries-old champion who humans have previously mistaken for the Aztec deity Quetzalcoatl. Hayek referred to seeing herself as Ajax for the first time as an empowering experience. "There was something really moving, not just for me, but for everything, all the different stereotypes. She's not sexy. You know what I'm saying? She's not sexy at all. I'm very short. I've been bullied for being short my entire life. And suddenly, it doesn't matter. You're a superhero in the Marvel universe. It moved me." [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=every-actor-and-character-confirmed-for-marvels-eternals-movie&captions=true"] Marvel's Eternals, the third film in the MCU's Phase 4, was part of a huge slate of Disney movies that were delayed towards the end of last year, with the movie now scheduled to arrive on November 5, 2021. For more on Marvel Studios' future slate of projects and releases, read our breakdown of the biggest and most noteworthy developments in the MCU, on Disney+, and in Marvel's comics this year. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Adele Ankers is a Freelance Entertainment Journalist. You can reach her on Twitter.