Phil Spencer Reportedly Says Stadia Announcement Had ‘No Big Surprises’
In an alleged e-mail that went out to various Microsoft employees, Xbox head Phil Spencer reportedly said the Google Stadia announcement had “no big surprises,” and that Xbox in turn will “go big” at E3 2019.
Thurrott, a website known for reporting on and leaking Xbox news, claims it got hold of this e-mail. "We just wrapped up watching the Google announcement of Stadia as team here at GDC,” said Spencer. "Their announcement is validation of the path we embarked on two years ago."
"Today we saw a big tech competitor enter the gaming market, and frame the necessary ingredients for success as Content, Community and Cloud. There were no big surprises in their announcement although I was impressed by their leveraging of YouTube, the use of Google Assistant and the new WiFi controller."
Phil Spencer Reportedly Says Stadia Announcement Had ‘No Big Surprises’
In an alleged e-mail that went out to various Microsoft employees, Xbox head Phil Spencer reportedly said the Google Stadia announcement had “no big surprises,” and that Xbox in turn will “go big” at E3 2019.
Thurrott, a website known for reporting on and leaking Xbox news, claims it got hold of this e-mail. "We just wrapped up watching the Google announcement of Stadia as team here at GDC,” said Spencer. "Their announcement is validation of the path we embarked on two years ago."
"Today we saw a big tech competitor enter the gaming market, and frame the necessary ingredients for success as Content, Community and Cloud. There were no big surprises in their announcement although I was impressed by their leveraging of YouTube, the use of Google Assistant and the new WiFi controller."
18 Games Highlighted in Nintendo Switch Showcase
Nintendo highlighted 18 indie games during its GDC 2019 Nindies Showcase, many with confirmed or vague imminent release dates — including a few games being released today.
Check out each of the games highlighted below for more info and a better look at the Switch's upcoming Nindies lineup.
Cuphead
Nintendo confirmed the formerly Xbox One-console exclusive Cuphead is coming to the Nintendo Switch. No mention was made of Cuphead's upcoming DLC, but Switch players can now get a taste of the beautifully animated bullet hell shooter. Cuphead comes to Switch on April 18.
Update: Lucasfilm Games Continues Commitment to Oversee Lucasfilm Properties
Update: Since publishing, IGN has spoken to a representative from Lucasfilm, who clarified that Lucasfilm Games has existed and helped to ensure games meet Lucasfilm's standards ever since the closure of LucasArts.
Any job postings for Lucasfilm Games are due to Disney wanting to make sure their game scene is staffed appropriately for any Lucasfilm properties.
Disney as a whole is still focused on third-party licensed development and are still very committed in working with EA.
IGN apologizes for any confusion our initial report caused readers.
Original story follows:
Disney seems to possibly be ramping back up its game division of Lucasfilm Games, with multiple job postings listed on Disney's career site that detail working specifically for Lucasfilm Games, as reported by PCGamesN.
Legend of Zelda-Based Crypt of the Necrodancer Sequel Announced
Nintendo closed its Nindies Showcase at GDC 2019 with a surprise The Legend of Zelda partnership: Cadence of Hyrule: Crypt of the NecroDancer feat. The Legend of Zelda.
Cadence of Hyrule is a full, new game based on both Nintendo's historic franchise and beloved roguelike dungeon exploration/rhythm game Crypt of the NecroDancer. Set for release this spring (in North America), Cadence of Hyrule includes Link and Zelda as playable characters in a quest populated by familiar Hyrule creatures, items, and, naturally for a rhythm-based game, sounds.
The decision to license Zelda out to an indie developer certainly falls in line with Nintendo's initiative to expand its franchises in new ways.
Next Yakuza Game’s Protagonist Confirmed
The next game in the Yakuza series, tentatively titled Shin Ryu ga Gotoku in Japan, will feature Ichiban Kasuga as its protagonist, and Sega has opened auditions for a female lead.
This news comes from the official Ryu ga Gotoku website (via Gematsu). Kasuga, who debuted in Yakzua Online, is a former member of the Tojo clan's Arakawa family who has been in prison for 17 years for a crime he didn’t commit. A new protagonist in the Yakuza series is notable (and entirely expected) as Kazuma Kiryu held that role for the majority of the franchise.
Cuphead for Nintendo Switch Announced
Nintendo announced during its Nindies Showcase for GDC 2019 that former Xbox One-console exclusive Cuphead is coming to the Nintendo Switch.
Cuphead will be available for the Switch on April 18, and is currently available for pre-purchase. Nintendo specifically thanked Studio MDHR and Microsoft for allowing it to come to Nintendo's console. (Cuphead also previously came to PC.)
Cuphead's reveal opened the Nindies Showcase with an amusing old-fashioned tutorial regarding milk before highlighting the frantic gameplay of Studio MDHR's platform shooter.
Originally released in 2017, Cuphead earned an 8.8 from IGN. In our Cuphead review, we said " Rather than simply offering the player what they want, Cuphead makes them earn that right – the rewards, if you can hack the tests, are absolutely worth it."
John Wick 3: Check Out 10 Exclusive New Character Posters
John Wick might be the title character of Lionsgate's action-packed franchise, but the marketing for this movie certainly seems to be pushing that John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum is an ensemble affair.
Coming off IGN's exclusive announcement that the second trailer for Parabellum will debut Thursday, March 21, today's IGN Premiere has us debuting 10 new character posters featuring the main cast featured in the third installment of this story.
Unlike the eight John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum teaser videos we posted yesterday, these posters feature two characters who weren't previously spotlighted: Jason Mantzoukas as Tick Tock Man and Saïd Taghmaoui as The Elder. They have their own posters alongside fellow Wick newcomers Halle Berry as Sofia, Angelica Huston as The Director, Asia Kate Dillon as The Adjudicator and Mark Dacascos as Zero.
Angel Star Suggests There May Be a Reunion for the Buffy Spin-Off
The lead star of Buffy the Vampire Slayer spin-off Angel, David Boreanaz, has teased that a reunion may be in the works for the show’s 20th anniversary.
As reported by Deadline, Boreanaz appeared on CBS chat show The Talk on Tuesday, where he dropped hints that something special would be happening to celebrate 20 years of the moody vampire show.
While discussing a Buffy the Vampire Slayer cast reunion that happened last month at the Wizard World convention in Portland, Boreanaz said: “We’re coming up on 20 years. I mean, that’s amazing to have been blessed with a show like that and that’s where I really started my gig — this acting world.”
Oculus Rift S Announced, Priced, and Detailed
Facebook and Oculus have announced the Oculus Rift S, a follow-up to 2016's Oculus Rift. The Rift S will be available this Spring for $399 and include two new Oculus Touch controllers.
The Rift S will run everything the original Rift did. It includes built-in Insight tech, similar to the standalone Oculus Quest – which was also just confirmed for a Spring release at a $399 price point – which means the Rift S will not need room sensors. Just one wire runs from the headset to a USB port. When asked about where wireless fits into their plans, Oculus Studios boss Jason Rubin told IGN that no official first-party wireless adapter is currently in the works, and that if they had chosen to go wireless, it would've either driven the price up – Oculus calls $399 the "sweet spot" – or they would've had to sacrifice screen resolution. The Rift S indeed has a higher resolution than either the Rift or the Quest, noticeably reducing the "screen door effect." It weighs a tad more than the original Rift but is "better balanced," weight-wise, according to Oculus. The headband was designed in partnership with Lenovo. The Rift S also sports increased visual clarity, improved lenses, and a fifth camera. "Passthrough+" allows you to see the real world through the Rift S's camera without taking the headset off, allowing you to better virtually draw your play space during setup.