Nintendo Direct Broadcast Announced for Japan
Nintendo has announced it will be holding its next Japan-focused Direct presentation this weekend.
The broadcast will air this Sunday, May 31, at 7pm Japan Time, and will be focused on 3DS and Wii U software set to release in the region this summer.
If you'd like to see the Nintendo Direct, but don't live in Japan, you can tune in and watch the live feed at 6am ET, 3am PT, or 11am BST.
Nintendo will be holding its annual E3 Digital Event next month on the morning of June 16. What sort of surprises might the house of Mario have in store? Check out our predictions episode of Nintendo Voice Chat to find out what IGN's crew of Nintendo experts think we might see.
Battlefield Hardline Tournament Sign-ups Start Tomorrow
Sony has announced registration for June's PlayStation Plus Battlefield Hardline tournament opens tomorrow.
The tournament is only open to European players, and registration closes on June 8. A total of 256 teams will be able to participate.
The tournament will feature 5-on-5 rescue matches on a fixed map each round, with teams needing to secure 11 rounds to win the match.
There will be a total of six rounds of matches, followed by semi-finals and a grand final. The tournament begins on June 21, and will end with the semis and grand final on July 12 at 7pm BST, 8pm CEST.
If you're interested in Battlefield Hardline's upcoming DLC Criminal Activity, check out all the details here on IGN.
Need for Speed Reboot Will Need an Online Connection
The upcoming Need for Speed reboot will require an online connection to play, according to EA.
The tweet from the official Need for Speed Twitter account says that "NFS will require an online connection, but the benefits are nice. More variety and a more rewarding experience with friends." This was in response to a worried comment from a fan.
Ghost Games is developing the reboot, having already made 2013's Need for Speed: Rivals. It will be running on the same version of the Frostbite Engine as Star Wars: Battlefront.
Pictures of Revamped Xbox One Controller Leak
Following on from yesterday's news of a new Xbox One controller , a retailer has gone ahead and posted images of the device on its site.
Libro has posted a listing for the special Covert Forces wireless controller, which comes replete with the headphone port we saw in yesterday's reveal. Seeing as it's supposedly available from June 8, we should likely get an official announcement any day now.
Here’s Snake’s Bike from Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain
Konami has teamed up with Triumph to produce a bespoke "Venom" motorcycle "thematically" based upon Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain.
The bike -- which was revealed at MCM London Comic Con last week and is said to continue "a relationship" that has seen Triumph bikes featured in Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriot and Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker -- "reflects the hard-edged and stripped-back edge of the broken but unbowed hero that returns for the new game."
Konami Issues Apology, Explains ‘Mobile First’ Future
Recent disruption within Konami has left many important questions about the Japanese publisher’s future unanswered before today, but a lengthy explanation has shed light on the future of Silent Hill, Metal Gear, and Konami’s “Mobile First” future. The company has also issued an apology for the commotion following these controversies.
In a statement to IGN, a Konami representative said “We are aware that the conjecture surrounding our recent changes has prompted a great deal of anxiety, for which we apologise.”
Konami’s statement continued to explain that, in addition to mobile gaming, “the Metal Gear and Silent Hill series, both beloved by countless fans around the globe, are also extremely important to Konami. We have nurtured them with care over many years since their inception, and will continue to produce products for both franchises, but we are not currently at a stage where we can announce the path these future titles will take.”
Here’s When SAO: Lost Song Is Coming to the Americas
Bandai Namco Games has announced it will be bringing Sword Art Online: Lost Song to the Americas.
Sword Art Online: Lost Song is an action-RPG based on the plot of the light novels and anime series Sword Art Online. Fans can explore the worlds of Aincrad and ALfhiem Online as their favorite characters, including Kirito, Leafa, and Asuna.
It was also announced on Bandai Namco's official tumblr that those in America will also be getting a PS4 digital release of Sword Art Online Re: Hollow Fragment this summer. For those who don't know, this game is an enhanced director's cut port of Sword Art Online: Hollow Fragment, which originally released for PlayStation Vita in 2014.
Steam Summer Sale 2015 Dates Leak
The Steam Summer Sale will begin on June 11 and last until June 20, according to a prematurely-revealed social post.
Our friends at IGN Russia spotted a post on Valve's official VKontakte, a social networking platform in the country, which explains the annual sale will run for those days before being followed by a successive two days of encore sales, where the best offers are once again available.
Last year, the Steam Summer Adventure, let people collect, trade, and craft 10 cards that could only be acquired during the Steam Summer Sale. The adventure was a competition of sorts, with players earning items and rewards for crafting badges during the sale. There's no word if it's back.
Blitzball May be Heading to Final Fantasy 14
Blitzball, the underwater sport made famous by Final Fantasy X and Final Fantasy X-2 may one day make an appearance in Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn.
That's according to game director Naoki Yoshida, who revealed to IGN he's had conversations with Yoshinori Kitase about possibly including the sport in a future update, in a similar manner to how Final Fantasy VIII's Triple Triad is. He also teased something may be coming to Eorzea to celebrate Final Fantasy XV's launch, too.
"We can’t say it’s been decided yet, this may be just half-joking so don’t write it down as confirmed," he said. "But there was a meeting about two months ago where I had a chance to speak with Kitase-San, and I mentioned there seemed to be a big demand for implementing a Blitzball element in Final Fantasy XIV, and Kitase-San was just like, 'Oh wow, I never knew that? That could be cool to consider!' So let’s just say… that conversation happened.
FIFA 16’s Female Players Are a Step in The Right Direction
It's 22 years since FIFA first landed and finally it's representing the football world as a whole, by including female players. Alex, Chris and Rory all agree it's about time and discuss why it's taken so long.
The voice of Darth Maul, AKA Peter Serafinowicz, also swings by to talk about his love for Dark Souls and Bloodborne, why it was nerve-racking to work with George Lucas and why he went weak at the knees working with Jason Statham and Jude Law in new movie Spy, the trailer for which can be viewed below.
So grab your light sabre because it's about to get messy!
IGN UK Podcast #282: Why FIFA 16's Female Players Are a Step in The Right Direction