Xbox Joins IGN’s Summer of Gaming
Xbox will be a part of our summer showcase this June, along with EA, CD Projekt Red, and more.
Xbox 20/20 Announced: Monthly Updates on Series X, New Games and More
Xbox has announced Xbox 20/20, a programme of monthly updates on the future of Xbox, beginning with this week's Inside Xbox broadcast. A July episode will focus on looking at first-party Xbox Series X games from Xbox Game Studios. Xbox will also be joining IGN's Summer of Gaming showcase in June.
Jerret West, CVP of Gaming Marketing at Xbox explained the format: "Starting with the May 7th episode of Inside Xbox, we will be showcasing what happens next in the world of Xbox, every month, which is why we’re calling it 'Xbox 20/20.' These monthly moments will take place throughout the rest of the year and will be a way for us to engage, connect and celebrate with you about what’s in store for the next generation of gaming, including what’s next for Xbox Series X, Xbox Game Studios, Xbox Game Pass and Project xCloud. Every month will bring something different. Stay tuned to Xbox Wire for more details."
[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=assassins-creed-valhalla-first-screenshots&captions=true"]
West offered more details about the Inside Xbox this Thursday. As expected, the show will focus on third-party games for Xbox Series X, and include a look at gameplay from Assassin's Creed Valhalla. It will also "be confirming games that utilize our new Smart Delivery feature, which ensures that you always play the best version of the games you own for your console, across generations. And all the games you’ll see will be Xbox Series X Optimized, meaning they are built to take advantage of the powerful Xbox Series X features that make games look and feel incredible, including 4K resolution at up to 120 frames per second, DirectStorage, hardware-accelerated DirectX raytracing, super-fast load times and much more."
If you want to get prepared for all the news, here's where to watch the May 7 Inside Xbox.
The June drop for Xbox 20/20 is still unannounced, but we're happy to confirm that Xbox will be a part of IGN's Summer of Gaming showcase next month, joining the likes of CD Projekt Red, EA, 2K and more to make brand new announcements with us.
July will include first looks at what's to come from Microsoft's various owned studios. "In July, we will dedicate time to focus on the incredible games coming from Xbox Game Studios", says West. "A number of our studio teams are looking forward to sharing first looks at new gameplay, insights from development teams being optimized for Xbox Series X, and brand-new game announcements. We cannot wait to share this initial look at what some of those teams are working on."
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/04/03/ign-announces-summer-of-gaming-showcase-for-june"]
West also used the blog post to make a series of commitments for Xbox this year, given the difficulties posed by the COVID-19 crisis:
- "Our goal remains to launch Xbox Series X and 'Halo Infinite' this holiday
- All 15 Xbox Game Studios teams are hard at work on next-generation games for Xbox Series X and Xbox Game Pass
- The best development teams around the world are working hard to have their games ready to play on Xbox Series X this holiday
- For PC players, we plan to support the community by making all of our major releases at launch available with Xbox Game Pass for PC, including 'Halo Infinite,' 'Wastelands 3' and of course, Microsoft Flight Simulator.
- We have new updates and titles lined up for Xbox Game Pass for console and PC
- We’re expanding Project xCloud into new countries and on new devices—and later this year Project xCloud and Xbox Game Pass will come together, enabling you and your friends to play together in more ways."
Xbox 20/20 Announced: Monthly Updates on Series X, New Games and More
Xbox has announced Xbox 20/20, a programme of monthly updates on the future of Xbox, beginning with this week's Inside Xbox broadcast. A July episode will focus on looking at first-party Xbox Series X games from Xbox Game Studios. Xbox will also be joining IGN's Summer of Gaming showcase in June.
Jerret West, CVP of Gaming Marketing at Xbox explained the format: "Starting with the May 7th episode of Inside Xbox, we will be showcasing what happens next in the world of Xbox, every month, which is why we’re calling it 'Xbox 20/20.' These monthly moments will take place throughout the rest of the year and will be a way for us to engage, connect and celebrate with you about what’s in store for the next generation of gaming, including what’s next for Xbox Series X, Xbox Game Studios, Xbox Game Pass and Project xCloud. Every month will bring something different. Stay tuned to Xbox Wire for more details."
[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=assassins-creed-valhalla-first-screenshots&captions=true"]
West offered more details about the Inside Xbox this Thursday. As expected, the show will focus on third-party games for Xbox Series X, and include a look at gameplay from Assassin's Creed Valhalla. It will also "be confirming games that utilize our new Smart Delivery feature, which ensures that you always play the best version of the games you own for your console, across generations. And all the games you’ll see will be Xbox Series X Optimized, meaning they are built to take advantage of the powerful Xbox Series X features that make games look and feel incredible, including 4K resolution at up to 120 frames per second, DirectStorage, hardware-accelerated DirectX raytracing, super-fast load times and much more."
If you want to get prepared for all the news, here's where to watch the May 7 Inside Xbox.
The June drop for Xbox 20/20 is still unannounced, but we're happy to confirm that Xbox will be a part of IGN's Summer of Gaming showcase next month, joining the likes of CD Projekt Red, EA, 2K and more to make brand new announcements with us.
July will include first looks at what's to come from Microsoft's various owned studios. "In July, we will dedicate time to focus on the incredible games coming from Xbox Game Studios", says West. "A number of our studio teams are looking forward to sharing first looks at new gameplay, insights from development teams being optimized for Xbox Series X, and brand-new game announcements. We cannot wait to share this initial look at what some of those teams are working on."
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/04/03/ign-announces-summer-of-gaming-showcase-for-june"]
West also used the blog post to make a series of commitments for Xbox this year, given the difficulties posed by the COVID-19 crisis:
- "Our goal remains to launch Xbox Series X and 'Halo Infinite' this holiday
- All 15 Xbox Game Studios teams are hard at work on next-generation games for Xbox Series X and Xbox Game Pass
- The best development teams around the world are working hard to have their games ready to play on Xbox Series X this holiday
- For PC players, we plan to support the community by making all of our major releases at launch available with Xbox Game Pass for PC, including 'Halo Infinite,' 'Wastelands 3' and of course, Microsoft Flight Simulator.
- We have new updates and titles lined up for Xbox Game Pass for console and PC
- We’re expanding Project xCloud into new countries and on new devices—and later this year Project xCloud and Xbox Game Pass will come together, enabling you and your friends to play together in more ways."
What Happened Announced
What Happened, a new first-person psychological horror game set in a high school and starring a high school student named Stiles, has been announced. It is due for release on PC via Steam in July, with console versions due out later.
Players "will guide high school student Stiles through the dark corridors of his own mind as he struggles with his demons, real and imagined," according to Poland-based developer Genius Slackers (Katnappe will be publishing). "The mental realm that Stiles inhabits is unforgiving, with twisted memories lining the hallways of his mind. As players help Stiles solve puzzles and escape the clutches of his demons, the game will subtly respond to the empathy they show him."
[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=what-happened-screenshots&captions=true"]
You can view the announcement trailer for What Happened at the top of this page, and check out screenshots just above. Horror games continue to be in fashion, with recent examples including the reveal of the PT-inspired Dread X Collection and the launch of Daymare 1998.
[poilib element="accentDivider"]
Ryan McCaffrey is IGN’s Executive Editor of Previews. Follow him on Twitter at @DMC_Ryan, catch him on Unlocked, and drop-ship him Taylor Ham sandwiches from New Jersey whenever possible.
What Happened Announced
What Happened, a new first-person psychological horror game set in a high school and starring a high school student named Stiles, has been announced. It is due for release on PC via Steam in July, with console versions due out later.
Players "will guide high school student Stiles through the dark corridors of his own mind as he struggles with his demons, real and imagined," according to Poland-based developer Genius Slackers (Katnappe will be publishing). "The mental realm that Stiles inhabits is unforgiving, with twisted memories lining the hallways of his mind. As players help Stiles solve puzzles and escape the clutches of his demons, the game will subtly respond to the empathy they show him."
[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=what-happened-screenshots&captions=true"]
You can view the announcement trailer for What Happened at the top of this page, and check out screenshots just above. Horror games continue to be in fashion, with recent examples including the reveal of the PT-inspired Dread X Collection and the launch of Daymare 1998.
[poilib element="accentDivider"]
Ryan McCaffrey is IGN’s Executive Editor of Previews. Follow him on Twitter at @DMC_Ryan, catch him on Unlocked, and drop-ship him Taylor Ham sandwiches from New Jersey whenever possible.
Cyberpunk 2077: Australian Classification Board Details Adult Content
A decision report from the Australian Classification Board has revealed numerous details regarding Cyberpunk 2077’s handling of adult content and themes. The document, which provides the game an adults-only R 18+ classification, reveals that CD Projekt Red’s latest RPG is going to be a gnarly trip to Night City.
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2018/08/27/cyberpunk-2077-gameplay-demo-taking-out-the-scavengers"]
Much of the classification report focuses on sex, and explains that Cyberpunk 2077 features first-person perspective sex scenes. These are non-interactive, but feature nudity ranging from “breast and buttock” to “full frontal female nudity”. No mention is made of frontal male nudity. Sex can be initiated with male or female NPC prostitutes, or with other consensual characters.
The report is censored to prevent spoilers, but it seems to suggest that sex workers can be solicited in the world akin to how they can be approached in Grand Theft Auto, while other characters can be engaged without a service transaction, perhaps via romance-based dialogue or dating quests.
The report also details a quest in which the player visits a sex shop. “Mannequins are posed inside glass cabinets in various sexual positions, including a simulation of rear-entry sex,” it describes. “Other, smaller cabinets contain a variety of sex toys or devices, including a number of oversized phallic-shaped dildos.”
[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=100-new-cyberpunk-2077-screenshots-gangs-characters-and-playstyles-revealed&captions=true"]
In regards to darker themes, the report also details a scene in which the player examines someone who is implied to be the survivor of a sexual assault. While it is clearly stated that sexual violence is never shown, the report does explain that themes of sex, violence, and sexual violence are “at times, inextricably linked within the narrative”.
As for violence, it appears that Cyberpunk 2077 will deliver near Soldier of Fortune-levels of blood, gore, and evisceration. Gunfire wounds cause “generous blood mists and sprays, and may also result in the severing of limbs and, in some cases, decapitations.”
The most damage can be inflicted on NPC corpses, with the report using an example of a shotgun being used to dismember a dead character. “Corpses may also be eviscerated if the player uses an automatic weapon,” states the report, “with large mists of blood rising and, in some cases, stylised injury detail including bone and entrails being visible.”
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/05/24/7-cyberpunk-games-to-play-before-cyberpunk-2077"]
The report makes no mention of drug use, but the Cyberpunk 2077 Twitter account recently confirmed that “2077 does have drugs.” It’s going all-out cyberpunk, basically, which you’d expect considering the name.
Recently Cyberpunk 2077’s lead quest designer responded to a fan on Twitter regarding the first details on the game’s adult content, saying “You surprised? We don’t f**k around.”
You’ll be able to see more from Cyberpunk 2077 during IGN’s Summer of Gaming, which will feature new reveals from the RPG in June. This year will also see Cyberpunk 2077 grace the very last special edition Xbox One X.
[poilib element="accentDivider"]
Matt Purslow is IGN's UK News and Entertainment Writer. You can follow him on Twitter.
Cyberpunk 2077: Australian Classification Board Details Adult Content
A decision report from the Australian Classification Board has revealed numerous details regarding Cyberpunk 2077’s handling of adult content and themes. The document, which provides the game an adults-only R 18+ classification, reveals that CD Projekt Red’s latest RPG is going to be a gnarly trip to Night City.
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2018/08/27/cyberpunk-2077-gameplay-demo-taking-out-the-scavengers"]
Much of the classification report focuses on sex, and explains that Cyberpunk 2077 features first-person perspective sex scenes. These are non-interactive, but feature nudity ranging from “breast and buttock” to “full frontal female nudity”. No mention is made of frontal male nudity. Sex can be initiated with male or female NPC prostitutes, or with other consensual characters.
The report is censored to prevent spoilers, but it seems to suggest that sex workers can be solicited in the world akin to how they can be approached in Grand Theft Auto, while other characters can be engaged without a service transaction, perhaps via romance-based dialogue or dating quests.
The report also details a quest in which the player visits a sex shop. “Mannequins are posed inside glass cabinets in various sexual positions, including a simulation of rear-entry sex,” it describes. “Other, smaller cabinets contain a variety of sex toys or devices, including a number of oversized phallic-shaped dildos.”
[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=100-new-cyberpunk-2077-screenshots-gangs-characters-and-playstyles-revealed&captions=true"]
In regards to darker themes, the report also details a scene in which the player examines someone who is implied to be the survivor of a sexual assault. While it is clearly stated that sexual violence is never shown, the report does explain that themes of sex, violence, and sexual violence are “at times, inextricably linked within the narrative”.
As for violence, it appears that Cyberpunk 2077 will deliver near Soldier of Fortune-levels of blood, gore, and evisceration. Gunfire wounds cause “generous blood mists and sprays, and may also result in the severing of limbs and, in some cases, decapitations.”
The most damage can be inflicted on NPC corpses, with the report using an example of a shotgun being used to dismember a dead character. “Corpses may also be eviscerated if the player uses an automatic weapon,” states the report, “with large mists of blood rising and, in some cases, stylised injury detail including bone and entrails being visible.”
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/05/24/7-cyberpunk-games-to-play-before-cyberpunk-2077"]
The report makes no mention of drug use, but the Cyberpunk 2077 Twitter account recently confirmed that “2077 does have drugs.” It’s going all-out cyberpunk, basically, which you’d expect considering the name.
Recently Cyberpunk 2077’s lead quest designer responded to a fan on Twitter regarding the first details on the game’s adult content, saying “You surprised? We don’t f**k around.”
You’ll be able to see more from Cyberpunk 2077 during IGN’s Summer of Gaming, which will feature new reveals from the RPG in June. This year will also see Cyberpunk 2077 grace the very last special edition Xbox One X.
[poilib element="accentDivider"]
Matt Purslow is IGN's UK News and Entertainment Writer. You can follow him on Twitter.
EA Reportedly Doesn’t Want to Make Skate 4, Does Want a Mobile Version of Skate 3
Skateboarding legend Jason Dill was reportedly called by EA to discuss a mobile version of Skate 3, and was subsequently told that the company doesn't want to make a Skate 4. He also says that a new Tony Hawk's Pro Skater game is coming this year.
In an episode of The Nine Club, a podcast run by professional skateboarder Chris Roberts, Dill hopped on for a chat, revealing that he'd been called by EA about his participation in a potential mobile version of Skate 3.
"I got a call from the EA people about 10 months ago, and they said, 'Hey, we want to talk about the Skate games.'" Dill starts. "This woman emailed me, and she said, basically, 'Hey Jason, we want to do a mobile version of Skate 3,' and I wrote back and I said, 'What else?'
"She wrote back, 'No that's it.' So I wrote back, 'Look, no big deal, no one wants your stupid mobile version of Skate 3... make Skate f***ing 4 already!"
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2010/05/10/skate-3-video-review-skate-3-video-review"]
Fans have been clamouring for a bonafide Skate sequel for the best part of a decade now, and Dill clearly wasn't happy with the idea of a purely mobile version of Skate 3. "Just do it, just make the game, and just participate again. You can't level it to the same numbers you get on other games. You do [Skate 4] for a cultural thing that pays you back later - and that's how corporations can work if they play their cards right."
EA wrote back to Dill, saying that it wasn't looking to pursue Skate 4, to which Dill replied, "Well have a lot of luck on Need for Speed 29. I won't be in your stupid mobile game."
Dill ended his anecdote by making reference to Atiba Jefferson, who appeared in Skate 3 "If Atiba agrees, tell him I'm gonna call him. Don't do it." Closing out the conversation, Dill added "I think the Skate team at EA has done themselves a big disservice by not actually trying. I don't want to be on some mobile f**king gaming system."
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/11/16/crazy-tony-hawks-pro-skater-2-speedrun-finished-in-12-minutes"]
In the same video, Dill mentions that "Tony Hawk is putting out another game," which is practically an open secret by now given previous leaks that suggest Tony Hawk's Pro Skater is making a comeback in 2020. Dill explains his connection to that game by saying he's licensed one of his boards for the game.
Dill reserved some praise for the upcoming Skater XL, saying, "That's cool, it's like a new thing that they're doing. It's adaptation of another thing." We too are hoping that game can fill the Skate-shaped hole in our hearts.
[poilib element="accentDivider"]
Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.
EA Reportedly Doesn’t Want to Make Skate 4, Does Want a Mobile Version of Skate 3
Skateboarding legend Jason Dill was reportedly called by EA to discuss a mobile version of Skate 3, and was subsequently told that the company doesn't want to make a Skate 4. He also says that a new Tony Hawk's Pro Skater game is coming this year.
In an episode of The Nine Club, a podcast run by professional skateboarder Chris Roberts, Dill hopped on for a chat, revealing that he'd been called by EA about his participation in a potential mobile version of Skate 3.
"I got a call from the EA people about 10 months ago, and they said, 'Hey, we want to talk about the Skate games.'" Dill starts. "This woman emailed me, and she said, basically, 'Hey Jason, we want to do a mobile version of Skate 3,' and I wrote back and I said, 'What else?'
"She wrote back, 'No that's it.' So I wrote back, 'Look, no big deal, no one wants your stupid mobile version of Skate 3... make Skate f***ing 4 already!"
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2010/05/10/skate-3-video-review-skate-3-video-review"]
Fans have been clamouring for a bonafide Skate sequel for the best part of a decade now, and Dill clearly wasn't happy with the idea of a purely mobile version of Skate 3. "Just do it, just make the game, and just participate again. You can't level it to the same numbers you get on other games. You do [Skate 4] for a cultural thing that pays you back later - and that's how corporations can work if they play their cards right."
EA wrote back to Dill, saying that it wasn't looking to pursue Skate 4, to which Dill replied, "Well have a lot of luck on Need for Speed 29. I won't be in your stupid mobile game."
Dill ended his anecdote by making reference to Atiba Jefferson, who appeared in Skate 3 "If Atiba agrees, tell him I'm gonna call him. Don't do it." Closing out the conversation, Dill added "I think the Skate team at EA has done themselves a big disservice by not actually trying. I don't want to be on some mobile f**king gaming system."
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/11/16/crazy-tony-hawks-pro-skater-2-speedrun-finished-in-12-minutes"]
In the same video, Dill mentions that "Tony Hawk is putting out another game," which is practically an open secret by now given previous leaks that suggest Tony Hawk's Pro Skater is making a comeback in 2020. Dill explains his connection to that game by saying he's licensed one of his boards for the game.
Dill reserved some praise for the upcoming Skater XL, saying, "That's cool, it's like a new thing that they're doing. It's adaptation of another thing." We too are hoping that game can fill the Skate-shaped hole in our hearts.
[poilib element="accentDivider"]
Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.
Yakuza 7: Like a Dragon Seemingly Getting Western Release on PC
A Western release for Yakuza: Like a Dragon - known as Ryu Ga Gotoku 7 in Japan - has been teased by a Steam database listing.
You can check out the page over on SteamDB, where the "unknown app" was registered and found. This is especially interesting given that we haven't heard much from Sega recently about the Western release of Like a Dragon, which launched in Japan on January 16, 2020.
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/09/12/yakuza-like-a-dragon-announcement-trailer"]
We knew that the game was set to be released later in 2020, but nothing about a potential PC release, as it was assumed the game was exclusive to PS4, as it is in Japan.
Of course, we don't have any word on a firm launch window for the game, but historically speaking, titles that get listed on SteamDB usually end up on the Steam store sooner rather than later.
Fans have been waiting for a PC release for the remaining Yakuza games (3 through 6) after Yakuza 0, Kiwami and Kiwami 2 launched last year. It looks like we may be getting Like a Dragon first if this listing is anything to go by.
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/09/12/yakuza-7-like-a-dragon-gameplay-trailer-tgs-2019"]
If you're interested in getting into the Yakuza series but you don't know where to start, check out our handy guide to help you figure out which game in the franchise you should play first. For more on Yakuza: Like a Dragon, check out our gameplay preview from late 2019.
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Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.