Phil Spencer has played down the idea that Xbox Series X games will be held back from their full potential by having to be playable on Xbox One, pointing to the success of PC games at working across wide ranges of hardware power as evidence. Speaking to GamesIndustry, the Xbox boss called the idea of games being held back "a meme that gets created by people who are too caught up in device competition." Instead, Spencer points to the PC market, where games that are regularly touted as the most advanced versions across all platforms can also be played on lower-powered hardware: "I just look at Windows", Spencer explained. "It's almost certain if the developer is building a Windows version of their game, then the most powerful and highest fidelity version is the PC version. You can even see that with some of our first-party console games going to PC, even from our competitors, that the richest version is the PC version. Yet the PC ecosystem is the most diverse when it comes to hardware, when you think about the CPUs and GPUs from years ago that are there. "Yes, every developer is going to find a line and say that this is the hardware that I am going to support, but the diversity of hardware choice in PC has not held back the highest fidelity PC games on the market. The highest fidelity PC games rival anything that anybody has ever seen in video games. So this idea that developers don't know how to build games, or game engines, or ecosystems, that work across a set of hardware... there's a proof point in PC that shows that's not the case." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/04/01/interview-head-of-xbox-phil-spencer-unlocked-437"] Spencer's wider point is that advanced games can be created that don't also cut out a section of the existing playerbase: "We should applaud load times and fidelity of scenes and framerate and input latency, and all of these things that we've focused on with the next generation. But that should not exclude people from being able to play. That's our point. How do we create an ecosystem where if you want to play an Xbox game, we're going to give you a way to go play it?" "As a player you are the centre of our strategy," Spencer adds later in the interview. "Our device is not the centre of our strategy, our game is not the centre of the strategy. We want to enable you to play the games you want to play, with the friends you want to play with, on any device. On TV, the Xbox console is going to be the best way to play console games. Xbox Series X is the most powerful console out there and it will have absolutely the best versions of our console games. But that's not to exclude other people from being able to play." Spencer also adds that he's playing cross-gen games on his Xbox Series X, and that he does feel a change in quality: "I'm playing it every day at home, and it is different to playing on an Xbox One X." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/06/15/xbox-smart-delivery-in-depth-with-microsofts-jason-ronald"] The choice to allow for true next-gen exclusives is one of the most notable points of difference between Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5. While Xbox has committed to the idea that its first-party games will be playable across generations, Sony Interactive Entertainment boss Jim Ryan has specifically said that he's uninterested in making PS5 games run on PS4 hardware. “We believe that when you go to all the trouble of creating a next-gen console," Ryan explained, "that it should include features and benefits that the previous generation does not include. And that, in our view, people should make games that can make the most of those features.” You can check out mroe of the differences between the two upcoming consoles in our PS5 vs. Xbox Series X comparison chart. [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.

Update: Ubisoft has confirmed that Far Cry 6 will be shown at Sunday's Ubisoft Forward conference. The publisher posted a video of Giancarlo Esposito as new antagonist Anton Castillo, along with a message seemingly referencing the leak: "Anton would not be pleased":

Anton would not be pleased. See you on Sunday at #UbiForward. pic.twitter.com/HieToJzDxp

— Far Cry (@FarCrygame) July 10, 2020

[poilib element="accentDivider"] Far Cry 6 has leaked due to a PlayStation Store Hong Kong listing, confirming Giancarlo Esposito as the game's villain, and providing a suggested release date of February 18, 2021. The game will also seemingly receive a free PS4-PS5 upgrade. According to the description in the listing, the game's plot is staged on the island of Yara, "the largest Far Cry playground to date" and "a tropical paradise frozen in time" (which sounds something like a Cuban setting). Giancarlo Esposito's character is seemingly called Anton Castillo and serves as the dictator of the island. The young chap in the image below is his son, Diego, who is "following in his bloody footsteps" as he attempts to restore his nation back to its former glory. The protagonist is apparently a local Yaran called Dani Rojas, a guerilla soldier fighting for freedom. You will employ "makeshift weapons, vehicles, and Amigos, the new fangs for hire to burn the tyrannical regime to the ground."

Its English ver. pic.twitter.com/htPVQrQEn3

— James Huang (@james_huang_cn) July 10, 2020

As fans have dug into the listing, it has also been revealed that the PS5 version of the game will arrive as a free upgrade, so you'll only have to purchase the game one time to play it across both generations. The game also has a 2-player multiplayer mode, and offers preorder bonuses, including a "state-of-the-art Discos Lobos weapon" and "a skin for Chorizo," whoever that is... We're sure to hear more about Far Cry 6 this weekend during the Ubisoft Forward event, where it was most likely set to debut. For the full line-up of expected games and instructions on how to watch the show, check out our article here. It marks the third major Ubisoft game to leak before the event, after Assassin's Creed Valhalla gameplay and Watch Dogs: Legion screenshots hit the internet unexpectedly. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.

Far Cry 6 has due to a PlayStation Store Hong Kong listing, confirming Giancarlo Esposito as the game's villain, and providing a suggested release date of February 18th, 2021. It's thought that Ubisoft may have planned to reveal the game this weekend during the Ubisoft Forward event on Sunday, July 12. According to the description in the listing, the game's plot is staged on the island of Yara, "a tropical paradise frozen in time." Giancarlo Esposito's character is seemingly called Anton Castillo and serves as the dictator of the island. The young chap in the image below is his son, Diego, who is "following in his bloody footsteps" as he attempts to restore his nation back to its former glory. The protagonist is apparently a local Yaran called Dani Rojas, a guerilla soldier fighting for freedom. You will employ "makeshift weapons, vehicles, and Amigos, the new fangs for hire to burn the tyrannical regime to the ground."     As fans have dug into the listing, it has also been revealed that the PS5 version of the game will arrive as a free upgrade, so you'll only have to purchase the game one time to play it across both generations. I'm sure we'll hear more about Far Cry 6 this weekend during the Ubisoft Forward event, where it was most likely set to debut. For the full line-up of expected games and instructions on how to watch the show, check out our article here. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.

Epic CEO says Sony invested after a good reaction to the Unreal Engine 5 demo on PS5.

Epic CEO says Sony invested after a good reaction to the Unreal Engine 5 demo on PS5.

Marvel and Scholastic have announced an all-new line of original graphic novels featuring some of Marvel's most iconic superheroes. On Thursday, Marvel Entertainment announced a multi-year agreement with Scholastic for a new wave of stories aimed at young readers, with the first title in the line-up set to be published through Scholastic's Graphix Media imprint for release in Spring 2021. Miles Morales: Shock Waves, the program's debut graphic novel written by bestselling author Justin A. Reynolds and illustrated by Eisner Award-nominated artist Pablo Leon, promises to introduce readers to "a riveting new story that will thrill both new and well-versed comics readers alike." [caption id="attachment_237800" align="alignnone" width="900"] Image credit: Marvel Comics/Scholastic[/caption] The new story will see Morales suit up and spring into action to help set up a fundraiser to raise money for an island, located in his mother's birthplace of Puerto Rico, that has been left devastated by a disastrous earthquake. However, things take an unexpected turn when one of his fellow students from Brooklyn Visions Academy goes missing, as Morales soon discovers a connection between the disappearance and the giant corporation sponsoring his fundraiser. "Ever since he entered the Marvel Universe a few years ago, Miles has struck a deep and personal chord with fans around the world," said Lauren Bisom, Editor of Marvel's juvenile publishing. "As Spider-Man, he embodies that classic coming-of-age story. But as Miles, he represents so much more—and his life experiences, his culture, and his ability to embrace his inner strength make him one of the most important and inspirational heroes in the Marvel Universe." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2018/07/21/peter-parker-vs-miles-morales-spider-verse-stars-argue-whos-the-better-spider-man"] Following the release of Miles Morales: Shock Waves, Marvel and Scholastic will debut an all-new adventure following Kamala Khan's Ms. Marvel, written by Nadia Shammas, together with another new comic starring Wakanda's Princess Shuri, which will be written by Roseanne A. Brown. More details about both of these new titles are expected to be released in the coming months. "The first books in our collaboration with Marvel have been enthusiastically received by critics and readers alike," said Michael Petranek, Executive Editor and Manager of Graphix Media. "We are thrilled to bring fans of these amazing characters more stories to enjoy. We can't wait to take our readers on new adventures and expand the breadth of our storytelling with Marvel." [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-top-25-best-spider-man-comics&captions=true"] Miles Morales, a character created by writer Brian Michael Bendis and artist Sara Pichelli in late 2011, has been spinning webs of storytelling across the pages of Marvel comics for years before swinging onto the big screen as the main protagonist in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. The movie became a fan-favourite in the Spidey universe, and also proved to be awards season gold as well. Spider-Verse won the Oscar and Golden Globe for Best Animated Movie in 2019, and was named IGN's Movie of the Year in 2018. As such, a Spider-Verse sequel is now in active development. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Adele Ankers is a Freelance Entertainment Journalist. You can reach her on Twitter.

Marvel and Scholastic have announced an all-new line of original graphic novels featuring some of Marvel's most iconic superheroes. On Thursday, Marvel Entertainment announced a multi-year agreement with Scholastic for a new wave of stories aimed at young readers, with the first title in the line-up set to be published through Scholastic's Graphix Media imprint for release in Spring 2021. Miles Morales: Shock Waves, the program's debut graphic novel written by bestselling author Justin A. Reynolds and illustrated by Eisner Award-nominated artist Pablo Leon, promises to introduce readers to "a riveting new story that will thrill both new and well-versed comics readers alike." [caption id="attachment_237800" align="alignnone" width="900"] Image credit: Marvel Comics/Scholastic[/caption] The new story will see Morales suit up and spring into action to help set up a fundraiser to raise money for an island, located in his mother's birthplace of Puerto Rico, that has been left devastated by a disastrous earthquake. However, things take an unexpected turn when one of his fellow students from Brooklyn Visions Academy goes missing, as Morales soon discovers a connection between the disappearance and the giant corporation sponsoring his fundraiser. "Ever since he entered the Marvel Universe a few years ago, Miles has struck a deep and personal chord with fans around the world," said Lauren Bisom, Editor of Marvel's juvenile publishing. "As Spider-Man, he embodies that classic coming-of-age story. But as Miles, he represents so much more—and his life experiences, his culture, and his ability to embrace his inner strength make him one of the most important and inspirational heroes in the Marvel Universe." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2018/07/21/peter-parker-vs-miles-morales-spider-verse-stars-argue-whos-the-better-spider-man"] Following the release of Miles Morales: Shock Waves, Marvel and Scholastic will debut an all-new adventure following Kamala Khan's Ms. Marvel, written by Nadia Shammas, together with another new comic starring Wakanda's Princess Shuri, which will be written by Roseanne A. Brown. More details about both of these new titles are expected to be released in the coming months. "The first books in our collaboration with Marvel have been enthusiastically received by critics and readers alike," said Michael Petranek, Executive Editor and Manager of Graphix Media. "We are thrilled to bring fans of these amazing characters more stories to enjoy. We can't wait to take our readers on new adventures and expand the breadth of our storytelling with Marvel." [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-top-25-best-spider-man-comics&captions=true"] Miles Morales, a character created by writer Brian Michael Bendis and artist Sara Pichelli in late 2011, has been spinning webs of storytelling across the pages of Marvel comics for years before swinging onto the big screen as the main protagonist in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. The movie became a fan-favourite in the Spidey universe, and also proved to be awards season gold as well. Spider-Verse won the Oscar and Golden Globe for Best Animated Movie in 2019, and was named IGN's Movie of the Year in 2018. As such, a Spider-Verse sequel is now in active development. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Adele Ankers is a Freelance Entertainment Journalist. You can reach her on Twitter.

Nintendo is set to showcase a new game from developer WayForward (Shantae), based on a third-party property, during a Nintendo Treehouse Live broadcast later today. The Nintendo of America Twitter account revealed that the main focus of today's event will be showing gameplay from Paper Mario: The Origami King, but that there will also be "a first reveal and gameplay for a title in a franchise new to developer WayForward."

Check out gameplay of the upcoming game #PaperMario: The Origami King tomorrow 7/10 at 10am PT on #NintendoTreehouseLive | July 2020. Plus, we'll feature a first reveal and gameplay for a title in a franchise new to developer WayForward!https://t.co/pWziqZZPd3 pic.twitter.com/ZeubOStUtD

— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) July 9, 2020

Many fans surmised that this could mean WayForward is tackling a first-party Nintendo franchise like WarioLand or Metroid, but after the rumour mill started to turn, Nintendo was quick to dispel any speculation. "Please note that WayForward's new title featured in Nintendo Treehouse Live is based on a third-party property," a follow-up tweet reads. If you're unfamiliar with WayForward, the developer has quite the library of games under its belt, including River City Girls, Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night and Shantae: Half-Genie Hero. In the past, the studio has been responsible for many licensed games, and the suggestion that this is "a franchise new to developer WayForward" means it really could be anything from a movie tie-in to a fresh spin on a popular third-party IP. I suppose we'll find out later today, when July's Nintendo Treehouse Live event kicks off July 10 at 10am Pacific / 1pm Eastern / 6pm UK (that's July 11 at 3am AEST). You can watch the show on YouTube. We reviewed Shantae: Half-Genie Hero back in 2016, calling it a "strong action-platformer." [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.  

Nintendo is set to showcase a new game from developer WayForward (Shantae), based on a third-party property, during a Nintendo Treehouse Live broadcast later today. The Nintendo of America Twitter account revealed that the main focus of today's event will be showing gameplay from Paper Mario: The Origami King, but that there will also be "a first reveal and gameplay for a title in a franchise new to developer WayForward."

Check out gameplay of the upcoming game #PaperMario: The Origami King tomorrow 7/10 at 10am PT on #NintendoTreehouseLive | July 2020. Plus, we'll feature a first reveal and gameplay for a title in a franchise new to developer WayForward!https://t.co/pWziqZZPd3 pic.twitter.com/ZeubOStUtD

— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) July 9, 2020

Many fans surmised that this could mean WayForward is tackling a first-party Nintendo franchise like WarioLand or Metroid, but after the rumour mill started to turn, Nintendo was quick to dispel any speculation. "Please note that WayForward's new title featured in Nintendo Treehouse Live is based on a third-party property," a follow-up tweet reads. If you're unfamiliar with WayForward, the developer has quite the library of games under its belt, including River City Girls, Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night and Shantae: Half-Genie Hero. In the past, the studio has been responsible for many licensed games, and the suggestion that this is "a franchise new to developer WayForward" means it really could be anything from a movie tie-in to a fresh spin on a popular third-party IP. I suppose we'll find out later today, when July's Nintendo Treehouse Live event kicks off July 10 at 10am Pacific / 1pm Eastern / 6pm UK (that's July 11 at 3am AEST). You can watch the show on YouTube. We reviewed Shantae: Half-Genie Hero back in 2016, calling it a "strong action-platformer." [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.  

Various Xbox Game Studios leaders like Tim Schaefer and Brian Fargo revealed more about what it means to join up and become an Xbox first-party studio. In the case of Double Fine, joining the Xbox stable meant being able to put back boss fights into Psychonauts 2, which were previously cut due to budget shortages. In a new interview with GamesIndustry.biz, several studio heads now working under the Xbox Game Studios umbrella shared the experience of being acquired by Xbox. Xbox Game Studios boss Matt Booty prefers a method of acquisition called “Limited integration” or “unplugged studios” where developers can remain as they are while Xbox provides “financial firepower and support of the larger business.” Double Fine boss Tim Schafer shared what this meant for Psychonauts 2 and how “With Psychonauts 2, we could see the end of our budget coming up, and so we had cut a lot of stuff… We had cut our boss fights.” [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=confirmed-xbox-series-x-games&captions=true"] After the acquisition, Schafer says the studio was able to put the boss fights back in. “I’m looking forward to doing things for the right reasons. When you only have a certain amount of time and money, you might jump into a part of the game that you’re not ready to jump into or start working on art before you’re ready with design. But now I look forward to this era where we are doing everything for what is right for the game.” Xbox’s approach differs for each studio. InXile boss Brian Fargo, for example, shared a story about pitching the studio’s next game to Booty and how despite it being a new idea, it was a relatively simple process. “I prepared the whole [presentation], I sat with Matt [Booty] and said here is what we want to do, and he said ‘if that’s what you want to do, then great’. It was over in like 60 seconds.” Booty and Xbox head Phil Spencer attribute the acquisitions philosophy to the lessons Microsoft learned from acquiring Minecraft developers Mojang. “The first priority was making sure the studios had the things that they needed to build the best versions of the games,” says Spencer. “That means extending some of the timelines and giving them more budgets. We have really strong support from Satya Nadella, the CEO of Microsoft, and Amy Hood, the CFO. And there’s been no signal at all that we should be slowing down[.]” Xbox Game Studios now comprises 15 branches, and Spencer hasn’t ruled out more studios joining. It’s been reported that Xbox is interested in a bid for WB Interactive if the division ends up for sale. Spencer has also previously expressed interest in acquiring a Japanese game developer. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt T.M. Kim is a reporter for IGN.