Sony hardware architect Masayasu Ito, who led the engineering work on both PS4 and PS5, is retiring at the end of September.

The 60-year-old engineer is currently the vice-president of Sony Interactive Entertainment, but according to Bloomberg, will step down from his position on October 1.

Ito first joined Sony in 1986, transferring to its console division in 2000. During his time at the company, he led the engineering of the PS3, PS4, and PS5, as well as the PS4 Pro.

Although not as famous as Sony hardware designer Mark Cerny, Ito was nevertheless instrumental to PlayStation’s success – a key engineer when it comes to the hardware and system software of the PS3, PS4, and PSP. Now, he will be leaving Sony behind, exiting as representative director as well as SIE vice president.

Ito began engineering consoles in the early ‘00s – largely working on PlayStation 1 and 2 peripherals including LCD Monitors for the PSOne. He then led the development of Sony's popular handheld, the PSP. He was also heavily involved in the creation of Sony’s first dabble in VR, the original PSVR, as well as the PS5.

Ito’s exit marks the end of a 36-year-long career with Sony – originally working on audio equipment. Current director and deputy president Lin Tao will replace Ito when he steps down on October 1. Additionally, Kiichiro Urata will take over as representative director in his absence. However, it’s also assumed that Cerny will remain as lead designer for Sony’s next generation of consoles.

That said, there’s no word yet on anything to do with a PlayStation 6.

The PS5 has been hit with relentless supply issues since its launch in November 2020, with many gamers still unable to get their hands on a console. However, Sony is committed to increasing PS5 supply in time for the holidays, with promises to ramp up production earlier in the year. “We want to produce more units as soon as possible,” said Sony CFO, Hiroki Totoki.

Want to read more about the PS5? Here’s why the PS5 is getting more expensive, and what you can expect from the upcoming PlayStation Tournaments Beta.

Ryan Leston is an entertainment journalist and film critic for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.

Tiktok's parent company ByteDance has reportedly laid off hundreds of staff members, and is "aggressively downsizing" its video game business.

As reported by the South China Morning Post (and spotted by GamesIndustry), ByteDance has shut down most of its Shanghai-based Wushuang Studio and either laid off staff or moved them to other divisions of the company. Jobs have also been cut at the Jiangnan game development studio in Hangzhou.

Sources familiar with the downsizing said ByteDance's current gaming projects - which include a handful of mobile games - will continue to be supported in its Shanghai office, but seemingly no new developments will begin. Perhaps the most notable game coming from ByteDance is Marvel Snap, a new collectible card game developed by former Hearthstone director Ben Brode.

ByteDance was heavily investing in its gaming division just two years ago, making a major push to recruit upwards of 900 new staff members back in 2020. The company was reportedly looking to replicate the success of fellow Chinese tech giant Tencent, which has expanded its gaming business significantly in the last few years - most recently by investing in Elden Ring developer FromSoftware.

Akin to Netflix's push into gaming, ByteDance tested adding games to its social media platform TikTok back in May, but it's unclear if this trial will continue given the downsizing reports.

Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelancer. He'll talk about The Witcher all day.

Ubisoft Forward will play host to an Assassin's Creed showcase that promises to "unveil the future of the franchise," possibly bringing more news on Assassin's Creed Infinity.

Ubisoft Forward will deliver new reveals and updates on several of the publisher's upcoming games, as well as a special Assassin's Creed showcase offering a peek at what's next for the franchise. This part of the presentation will include more details on the recently confirmed Assassin's Creed Mirage and may possibly provide an update on Assassin's Creed Infinity.

Assassin's Creed Infinity was announced by Ubisoft in July as "an important upcoming, early-in-development project" between Ubisoft Quebec and Ubisoft Montreal, with the creative leads at each studio being Quebec's Jonathan Dumont (Assassin's Creed Syndicate, Assassin's Creed Odyssey) and Montreal's Clint Hocking (Far Cry 2, Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory, Watch Dogs: Legion).

In addition to the Assassin's Creed showcase, Ubisoft Forward will offer updates on the upcoming Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope and the long-awaited Skull and Bones. A pre-show beginning 25 minutes before the main event also promises to bring news on "the latest seasons, characters, and content from Brawlhalla, For Honor, The Crew 2, Anno 1800, and more."

The show will be broadcast on Ubisoft's YouTube and Twitch channels as well as its own website. Those watching on Twitch will be eligible to earn Twitch drop rewards throughout the stream. Viewers will be able to claim the Skull Logo Emblem in Skull and Bones, the Explosive Detail Charm in Rainbow Six Siege, the RC22 Original Cosmetic in Roller Champions, and the Sphinx Tattoo Set in Assassin's Creed Valhalla.

Ubisoft Forward will take place on September 10 at 12noon Pacific / 3pm Eastern / 8pm UK (or 5am on September 11 AEST). Stay tuned to IGN for all of the latest announcements and reveals from the event.

Adele Ankers-Range is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow her on Twitter.

Legendary composer John Williams has shared with the world the first listen of "Helena's Theme" from Indiana Jones 5 for Phoebe Waller-Bridge's character Helena, and it is simply wonderful.

As reported by Slash Film, Williams and the Los Angeles Philharmonic orchestra played the song at the Maestro of the Movies concert at the Hollywood Bowl. This event celebrated Williams, who turned 90 earlier this year.

You can hear the music below from @BriggonSnow on Twitter or head over to Charles Ozeas' YouTube page for another look.

John Williams talking Indiana Jones 5 and debuting “Helena’s Theme”. Absolutely iconic moment to hear new gorgeous work from the maestro for the first time. Had to share. pic.twitter.com/x0zCkpqic5

— Briggon Snow (@BriggonSnow) September 3, 2022

Alongside the music, Williams shared a few details on Waller-Bridge's Helena, who will star alongside Harrison's Ford's Dr. Henry Walton "Indiana" Jones, Jr.

"She's an adventuress, and she's also a femme fatale," Williams said. "She's many, many things. She has lyrical music like an old movie star, which she looks like except she's young and beautiful and wonderful."

The composer also discussed why this music was released so early as Indiana Jones 5 won't hit theaters until June 30, 2023.

"[I was] having a chat with our wonderful director, Jim Mangold, who's the most fantastic man, and last week as we recorded the music, Jim said, 'Why don't you play it at the Bowl next week?' I said, 'Well, Jim, the picture's not coming out until next year.' 'That doesn't matter! Play it at the Bowl!' So here is Phoebe's theme," Williams said.

Speaking of Mangold, he took to Twitter to praise Williams and state what an honor it is to be able to work with him.

"This man is so gifted, charming & in love w/ making his art, even at 90," Mangold wrote. "Astonishing to consider the worldwide impact of John’s music & his ability to tune modern ears into the passion & purity of an orchestra. It’s a euphoric honor to collaborate w/ him."

For more, check out Williams discussing how he'd love to score a James Bond film, how Indiana Jones 5 may be the last film he scores, and the first look at Indiana Jones 5.

Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.

Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

Legendary composer John Williams has shared with the world the first listen of "Helena's Theme" from Indiana Jones 5 for Phoebe Waller-Bridge's character Helena, and it is simply wonderful.

As reported by Slash Film, Williams and the Los Angeles Philharmonic orchestra played the song at the Maestro of the Movies concert at the Hollywood Bowl. This event celebrated Williams, who turned 90 earlier this year.

You can hear the music below from @BriggonSnow on Twitter or head over to Charles Ozeas' YouTube page for another look.

John Williams talking Indiana Jones 5 and debuting “Helena’s Theme”. Absolutely iconic moment to hear new gorgeous work from the maestro for the first time. Had to share. pic.twitter.com/x0zCkpqic5

— Briggon Snow (@BriggonSnow) September 3, 2022

Alongside the music, Williams shared a few details on Waller-Bridge's Helena, who will star alongside Harrison's Ford's Dr. Henry Walton "Indiana" Jones, Jr.

"She's an adventuress, and she's also a femme fatale," Williams said. "She's many, many things. She has lyrical music like an old movie star, which she looks like except she's young and beautiful and wonderful."

The composer also discussed why this music was released so early as Indiana Jones 5 won't hit theaters until June 30, 2023.

"[I was] having a chat with our wonderful director, Jim Mangold, who's the most fantastic man, and last week as we recorded the music, Jim said, 'Why don't you play it at the Bowl next week?' I said, 'Well, Jim, the picture's not coming out until next year.' 'That doesn't matter! Play it at the Bowl!' So here is Phoebe's theme," Williams said.

Speaking of Mangold, he took to Twitter to praise Williams and state what an honor it is to be able to work with him.

"This man is so gifted, charming & in love w/ making his art, even at 90," Mangold wrote. "Astonishing to consider the worldwide impact of John’s music & his ability to tune modern ears into the passion & purity of an orchestra. It’s a euphoric honor to collaborate w/ him."

For more, check out Williams discussing how he'd love to score a James Bond film, how Indiana Jones 5 may be the last film he scores, and the first look at Indiana Jones 5.

Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.

Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

Apple's annual iPhone event of the year is quickly approaching. And aside from the strong likelihood that the iPhone 14 will headline the show, Apple is expected to announce some other products during its second hardware-focused event in 2022.

We'll provide everything you need to know to watch Apple's Far Out event, including when it starts, where you can stream the show live, and predictions on what could appear during the event.

When is the Apple event?

Apple's Far Out event will be held on Wednesday, September 7, at 10am PT / 1pm ET. Like WWDC, which was held in June, Apple is hosting a hybrid event, where it will stream the event but will also have a small, invite-only event at its Apple Park, where it will stream the show online.

Where can I watch the event online?

Apple is streaming the event live on its official website and on its YouTube channel.

What to Expect at Apple's Far Out Event

While we don't know much about what hardware Apple plans to announce, we have a good idea of some products that will appear, but I would not expect any new MacBooks or Apple's long-rumored mixed reality headset to appear at the event, sadly. The most obvious one is the iPhone 14 family. Rumors suggest the iPhone 14 will not include a "Mini" model, like the iPhone 12 and iPhone 13 line.

However, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kou expects four models to be included in the iPhone 14 lineup. In July, MacRumors spotted some images of third-party cases for the iPhone 14 series, which included four models under the labels "14," "14 Pro," "14 Plus," and "14 Pro Max." The iPhone 14 Pro line is rumored to introduce three big features: an always-on display, a 48-megapixel rear camera, and a hole-punch selfie camera.

While the iPhones will likely headline the show, Apple is also set to unveil an Apple Watch. Rumors indicate that the tech giant is prepping to launch three models: the Apple Watch Series 8, Apple Watch SE (Gen 2), and a "Pro" wearable that is more rugged with a titanium chassis and designed for "extreme sports athletes."

Should a new Apple Watch SE model be announced, it will likely replace the Series 3, the only model still available to purchase now that is confirmed not to support WatchOS 9 when it releases this fall.

One other product that has a strong possibility of appearing is the second-generation AirPods Pro. While the design is expected to remain largely the same, the AirPods Pro Gen 2 might be the first AirPods model to support lossless audio, a feature that not even the $549 AirPods Max supports.

Taylor is the Associate Tech Editor at IGN. You can follow her on Twitter @TayNixster.

Apple's annual iPhone event of the year is quickly approaching. And aside from the strong likelihood that the iPhone 14 will headline the show, Apple is expected to announce some other products during its second hardware-focused event in 2022.

We'll provide everything you need to know to watch Apple's Far Out event, including when it starts, where you can stream the show live, and predictions on what could appear during the event.

When is the Apple event?

Apple's Far Out event will be held on Wednesday, September 7, at 10am PT / 1pm ET. Like WWDC, which was held in June, Apple is hosting a hybrid event, where it will stream the event but will also have a small, invite-only event at its Apple Park, where it will stream the show online.

Where can I watch the event online?

Apple is streaming the event live on its official website and on its YouTube channel.

What to Expect at Apple's Far Out Event

While we don't know much about what hardware Apple plans to announce, we have a good idea of some products that will appear, but I would not expect any new MacBooks or Apple's long-rumored mixed reality headset to appear at the event, sadly. The most obvious one is the iPhone 14 family. Rumors suggest the iPhone 14 will not include a "Mini" model, like the iPhone 12 and iPhone 13 line.

However, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kou expects four models to be included in the iPhone 14 lineup. In July, MacRumors spotted some images of third-party cases for the iPhone 14 series, which included four models under the labels "14," "14 Pro," "14 Plus," and "14 Pro Max." The iPhone 14 Pro line is rumored to introduce three big features: an always-on display, a 48-megapixel rear camera, and a hole-punch selfie camera.

While the iPhones will likely headline the show, Apple is also set to unveil an Apple Watch. Rumors indicate that the tech giant is prepping to launch three models: the Apple Watch Series 8, Apple Watch SE (Gen 2), and a "Pro" wearable that is more rugged with a titanium chassis and designed for "extreme sports athletes."

Should a new Apple Watch SE model be announced, it will likely replace the Series 3, the only model still available to purchase now that is confirmed not to support WatchOS 9 when it releases this fall.

One other product that has a strong possibility of appearing is the second-generation AirPods Pro. While the design is expected to remain largely the same, the AirPods Pro Gen 2 might be the first AirPods model to support lossless audio, a feature that not even the $549 AirPods Max supports.

Taylor is the Associate Tech Editor at IGN. You can follow her on Twitter @TayNixster.

John Williams, the legendary composer responsible for the scores of Star Wars, Harry Potter, Jurassic Park, and more, has said that he would "love" to score a James Bond movie.

As reported by The Guardian, Williams was speaking to Classic FM about his work on Indiana Jones 5 and, when asked if he'd like to work on a James Bond film, he said, "I'd love it."

While John Williams and James Bond seem like a match made in heaven, it's important to remember the Williams said earlier this year that Indiana Jones 5 very well may be the last film he plans to work on. Obviously, things can change, but he does seem to be looking towards the next chapter in his life.

Williams also gave some details on the progress of Indiana Jones 5's soundtrack, saying that he is about 30% done with the project.

"I pretty much have the thematic scheme done. But we probably will be working on this into September,” Williams said.

He also discussed what it is like composing music for feature films, and he revealed it can be a very difficult thing to do.

"Writing for film music is very difficult … it’s probably not a profession for all composers because … [it] can be very constricting and possibly very frustrating," Williams said.

He continued on to talk about what happens when he finishes a project, and he said he doesn't listen to his work and is always looking toward the horizon.

"Once I’ve done, finished with it, I close the book and go on to the next empty page, which has become a way of life where I’m very happy to get up each day to work,” Williams said. “I’m very happy, I would feel very deprived if I couldn’t do it.”

Indiana Jones 5 is set to be released in theaters on June 30, 2023, and Star Wars Celebration gave us our first look at the much-anticipated new adventure of Harrison Ford's Dr. Henry Walton "Indiana" Jones, Jr.

Blogroll Image Credit: Michael Kovac/Getty Images

Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.

Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

John Williams, the legendary composer responsible for the scores of Star Wars, Harry Potter, Jurassic Park, and more, has said that he would "love" to score a James Bond movie.

As reported by The Guardian, Williams was speaking to Classic FM about his work on Indiana Jones 5 and, when asked if he'd like to work on a James Bond film, he said, "I'd love it."

While John Williams and James Bond seem like a match made in heaven, it's important to remember the Williams said earlier this year that Indiana Jones 5 very well may be the last film he plans to work on. Obviously, things can change, but he does seem to be looking towards the next chapter in his life.

Williams also gave some details on the progress of Indiana Jones 5's soundtrack, saying that he is about 30% done with the project.

"I pretty much have the thematic scheme done. But we probably will be working on this into September,” Williams said.

He also discussed what it is like composing music for feature films, and he revealed it can be a very difficult thing to do.

"Writing for film music is very difficult … it’s probably not a profession for all composers because … [it] can be very constricting and possibly very frustrating," Williams said.

He continued on to talk about what happens when he finishes a project, and he said he doesn't listen to his work and is always looking toward the horizon.

"Once I’ve done, finished with it, I close the book and go on to the next empty page, which has become a way of life where I’m very happy to get up each day to work,” Williams said. “I’m very happy, I would feel very deprived if I couldn’t do it.”

Indiana Jones 5 is set to be released in theaters on June 30, 2023, and Star Wars Celebration gave us our first look at the much-anticipated new adventure of Harrison Ford's Dr. Henry Walton "Indiana" Jones, Jr.

Blogroll Image Credit: Michael Kovac/Getty Images

Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.

Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

Top Gun: Maverick has crossed $700 million at the domestic box office to become the fifth-highest grossing movie in North American history.

As reported by Variety, Top Gun: Maverick overtook Black Panther on its way to fifth place, and it also, according to Paramount, has become the only film to ever place first at the domestic box office for both Memorial Day and Labor Day holidays.

Yes, Top Gun: Maverick, after 15 weeks in theaters, has managed to rise to the top once again with $7.9 million in ticket sales over this holiday weekend. This helped bring its domestic total to $701 million.

“It’s without a doubt, that ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ is a true cultural touchstone embodying the power of the cinematic experience,” said Brian Robbins, president and CEO of Paramount Pictures. “As we celebrate this enormous achievement and the film’s massive impact, we want to extend our gratitude to Tom Cruise, our filmmakers and cast, Paramount’s marketing and distribution teams, and the legions of both new and longtime ‘Top Gun’ fans who keep turning out to enjoy this remarkable movie.”

Top Gun: Maverick has a lot of ground to cover, however, if it wants to pass Avatar's $760 million and become the fourth-highest grossing movie in North American history. Unfortunately for Top Gun: Maverick, Avatar is headed back to theaters later this month to bring that total even higher.

Globally, Top Gun: Maverick is currently sitting at 12th place at $1.44 billion and is inching ever closer to Frozen II's $1.45 billion.

In our Top Gun: Maverick review, we said that it is "an out-of-bounds blast of afterburner fumes and thrillseeker highs that's sure to please audiences looking for a classic summer blockbuster."

For more, check out how you can watch Top Gun: Maverick now that it is available for purchase online and our explainer of the film's ending.

Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.

Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.