Yearly Archives: 2020
Capcom Says 80% of Its Games Are Sold Digitally
According to Capcom, 80% of its games are sold digitally, and the company is encouraged by the trend to increase that number to 90% before long.
During the Q&A portion of its recent annual shareholders' meeting, Capcom was asked what its plans were for strengthening digital sales. Capcom revealed that its “current digital download sales ratio is approximately 80%.”
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“While it ultimately depends on how our customers behave going forward, for the time being we are promoting our digital strategy with an objective of 90%, since there are some customers who prefer to own discs,” Capcom added.
As reported by GamesIndustry.biz, Capcom’s digital sales have exploded, growing from 53.3% last year to 80%. Even Capcom predicted growth to only reach 75.4% this year, but it appears that the shift to digital is happening faster than anticipated.
Capcom attributes the growth to titles like Monster Hunter World: Iceborne. But the company plans to increase digital sales by expanding the availability of digital games to more markets worldwide.
Other companies like PlayStation announced that digital game downloads have overtaken physical game sales, and companies like EA and Activision also report strong growth in digital game sales.
These upward trends explain why both Sony and Microsoft are looking at releasing digital-only next-gen consoles. Sony already revealed a slimmer, digital-only PS5, while Microsoft is rumored to announce Lockhart, a similarly digital-only Xbox Series X.
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Matt T.M. Kim is a reporter for IGN.
Tetris on Mobile Just Became a Daily Game Show With Cash Prizes
N3TWORK's Tetris mobile app has launched a new daily game show called Tetris Primetime, which offers players the chance to compete in a live tournament to win cash prizes.
Per PocketGamer, Tetris Primetime is described as a "mix between a live television show and a video game tournament," with a daily competition hosted by actor Millen Baird, who will be awarding more than $1 million in annual cash prizes to players.
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2016/05/23/the-top-7-tetris-blocks"]
The game will kick off every night at 7:30 pm in various "anchor" cities around the globe, including Auckland, Perth, Moscow, Berlin, London, New York City, and Los Angeles, with participants in the first game playing for a chance to win a share of the $5,000 prize pool.
Alongside this announcement, N3TWORK revealed that a further block of new game modes will be added to the Tetris mobile app home screen. Players can now join Tetris Royale, a previously-announced battle game, which sees up to 100 players compete to be the last person standing in the match.
In addition, Tetris Together is also set to be rolled out as a brand new interactive experience, which will allow individual players to voice chat with their family and friends while also creating and sharing new levels for them to join on the platform.
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"We've kept the gameplay that you remember, and have infused it with competition, communication, community and an incredible global, daily game show with cash prizes," said Neil Young, founder and CEO of N3TWORK. "We think Tetris has the opportunity to be bigger than ever before as fans around the world can now play in both familiar and exciting new ways."
The Tetris app is available as a free download on Android and iOS.
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Adele Ankers is a Freelance Entertainment Journalist. You can reach her on Twitter.
Tetris on Mobile Just Became a Daily Game Show With Cash Prizes
N3TWORK's Tetris mobile app has launched a new daily game show called Tetris Primetime, which offers players the chance to compete in a live tournament to win cash prizes.
Per PocketGamer, Tetris Primetime is described as a "mix between a live television show and a video game tournament," with a daily competition hosted by actor Millen Baird, who will be awarding more than $1 million in annual cash prizes to players.
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2016/05/23/the-top-7-tetris-blocks"]
The game will kick off every night at 7:30 pm in various "anchor" cities around the globe, including Auckland, Perth, Moscow, Berlin, London, New York City, and Los Angeles, with participants in the first game playing for a chance to win a share of the $5,000 prize pool.
Alongside this announcement, N3TWORK revealed that a further block of new game modes will be added to the Tetris mobile app home screen. Players can now join Tetris Royale, a previously-announced battle game, which sees up to 100 players compete to be the last person standing in the match.
In addition, Tetris Together is also set to be rolled out as a brand new interactive experience, which will allow individual players to voice chat with their family and friends while also creating and sharing new levels for them to join on the platform.
[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-most-addictive-online-games&captions=true"]
"We've kept the gameplay that you remember, and have infused it with competition, communication, community and an incredible global, daily game show with cash prizes," said Neil Young, founder and CEO of N3TWORK. "We think Tetris has the opportunity to be bigger than ever before as fans around the world can now play in both familiar and exciting new ways."
The Tetris app is available as a free download on Android and iOS.
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Adele Ankers is a Freelance Entertainment Journalist. You can reach her on Twitter.
IGN Exclusively Collaborates With San Diego Comic-Con 2020
IGN is happy to announce that we'll be exclusively collaborating with San Diego Comic-Con to bring you Comic-Con@Home on IGN Live from July 22-26.
With SDCC going all-digital and totally free for 2020, we'll be bringing you a selection of livestreamed panels throughout the show, handpicked from the 350+ options that Comic-Con is airing this year.
On top of that, we'll be screening our own content, including exclusive interviews, expert analysis and much more, covering the length and breadth of Comic-Con content – from film, TV and comics, to gaming, cosplay and collectibles. We'll be releasing our full schedule next week, so make sure to check back with us for that.
You'll be able to watch Comic-Con@Home on IGN Live across IGN.com, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and Twitch, and we'll have custom-created programming for Snapchat, Instagram, Samsung TV Plus and more.
“We know this world inside and out, so to have the chance to collaborate with San Diego Comic-Con to bring their programming to a huge online audience was such a natural fit,” said IGN's Terri Schwartz. “We’re thrilled to continue to bring what we do best to the Comic-Con circuit, albeit under very different circumstances than previous years.”
Panels so far announced for Comic-Con@Home as a whole (with far more to come) include:
You'll be able to watch Comic-Con@Home on IGN Live across IGN.com, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and Twitch, and we'll have custom-created programming for Snapchat, Instagram, Samsung TV Plus and more.
“We know this world inside and out, so to have the chance to collaborate with San Diego Comic-Con to bring their programming to a huge online audience was such a natural fit,” said IGN's Terri Schwartz. “We’re thrilled to continue to bring what we do best to the Comic-Con circuit, albeit under very different circumstances than previous years.”
Panels so far announced for Comic-Con@Home as a whole (with far more to come) include:
- Amazon Prime Video: The Boys, Upload, Utopia, Truth Seekers
- AMC: The Walking Dead, The Walking Dead: World Beyond, NOS4A2
- CBS: Star Trek Universe (Discovery, Lower Decks and Picard)
- Disney TV: A Conversation With Nathan Fillion
- HBO: His Dark Materials, Lovecraft Country
- HBO Max: Adventure Time: Distant Lands - BMO
- Hulu: Helstrom, Solar Opposites, Crossing Swords
- Fox: The Simpsons, Bob's Burgers, Family Guy
- FX: Archer, What We Do in the Shadows
- Orion: Bill & Ted Face the Music
IGN Exclusively Collaborates With San Diego Comic-Con 2020
IGN is happy to announce that we'll be exclusively collaborating with San Diego Comic-Con to bring you Comic-Con@Home on IGN Live from July 22-26.
With SDCC going all-digital and totally free for 2020, we'll be bringing you a selection of livestreamed panels throughout the show, handpicked from the 350+ options that Comic-Con is airing this year.
On top of that, we'll be screening our own content, including exclusive interviews, expert analysis and much more, covering the length and breadth of Comic-Con content – from film, TV and comics, to gaming, cosplay and collectibles. We'll be releasing our full schedule next week, so make sure to check back with us for that.
You'll be able to watch Comic-Con@Home on IGN Live across IGN.com, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and Twitch, and we'll have custom-created programming for Snapchat, Instagram, Samsung TV Plus and more.
“We know this world inside and out, so to have the chance to collaborate with San Diego Comic-Con to bring their programming to a huge online audience was such a natural fit,” said IGN's Terri Schwartz. “We’re thrilled to continue to bring what we do best to the Comic-Con circuit, albeit under very different circumstances than previous years.”
Panels so far announced for Comic-Con@Home as a whole (with far more to come) include:
You'll be able to watch Comic-Con@Home on IGN Live across IGN.com, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and Twitch, and we'll have custom-created programming for Snapchat, Instagram, Samsung TV Plus and more.
“We know this world inside and out, so to have the chance to collaborate with San Diego Comic-Con to bring their programming to a huge online audience was such a natural fit,” said IGN's Terri Schwartz. “We’re thrilled to continue to bring what we do best to the Comic-Con circuit, albeit under very different circumstances than previous years.”
Panels so far announced for Comic-Con@Home as a whole (with far more to come) include:
- Amazon Prime Video: The Boys, Upload, Utopia, Truth Seekers
- AMC: The Walking Dead, The Walking Dead: World Beyond, NOS4A2
- CBS: Star Trek Universe (Discovery, Lower Decks and Picard)
- Disney TV: A Conversation With Nathan Fillion
- HBO: His Dark Materials, Lovecraft Country
- HBO Max: Adventure Time: Distant Lands - BMO
- Hulu: Helstrom, Solar Opposites, Crossing Swords
- Fox: The Simpsons, Bob's Burgers, Family Guy
- FX: Archer, What We Do in the Shadows
- Orion: Bill & Ted Face the Music
Crash Bandicoot: On the Run! Officially Announced
After a soft launch earlier this year, King has officially confirmed Crash Bandicoot: On the Run!, a mobile runner featuring the platforming mascot, is officially on the way for a wider launch on iOS and Android phones.
King announced today that On the Run! is currently available for pre-registration on the Google Play store for android phones, and will soon be available to pre-register on iOS as well. Those who pre-register will receive the Blue Hyena Skin from Crash Team Racing: Nitro-Fueled when the game launches. You can check out a trailer for the mobile game below.
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/07/09/crash-bandicoot-on-the-run-announce-trailer"]
On the Run! features Dr. Neo Cortex, along with his henchmen, aiming to take control of the multiverse. Crash and Coco will venture through various levels that harken back to classic Crash regions, like Temple Ruins, Turtle Woods, Bear It, and more, in the new runner game.
Levels will include secret paths for players to find, much like any classic Crash experience, and boss battles will see returning villains like Scorporilla, Nitrus Brio, Nina Cortex or Dingodile.
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On the Run! will also feature a base for Crash and Coco, which players can build up, customize, and upgrade bu gathering rewards and ingredients. The runner will also offer asynchronus multiplayer to let players battle one another.
Crash and Coco are set to have a busy year, as Toys for Bob's Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time is set to be launched on PS4 and Xbox One on Oct. 2. Toys for Bob recently confirmed Crash 4 won't feature microtransactions, and we got a new look at Crash Bandicoot 4 gameplay.
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Jonathon Dornbush is IGN's Senior News Editor, host of Podcast Beyond!, and Crash Bandicoot specialist. Talk to him on Twitter @jmdornbush.
Crash Bandicoot: On the Run! Officially Announced
After a soft launch earlier this year, King has officially confirmed Crash Bandicoot: On the Run!, a mobile runner featuring the platforming mascot, is officially on the way for a wider launch on iOS and Android phones.
King announced today that On the Run! is currently available for pre-registration on the Google Play store for android phones, and will soon be available to pre-register on iOS as well. Those who pre-register will receive the Blue Hyena Skin from Crash Team Racing: Nitro-Fueled when the game launches. You can check out a trailer for the mobile game below.
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/07/09/crash-bandicoot-on-the-run-announce-trailer"]
On the Run! features Dr. Neo Cortex, along with his henchmen, aiming to take control of the multiverse. Crash and Coco will venture through various levels that harken back to classic Crash regions, like Temple Ruins, Turtle Woods, Bear It, and more, in the new runner game.
Levels will include secret paths for players to find, much like any classic Crash experience, and boss battles will see returning villains like Scorporilla, Nitrus Brio, Nina Cortex or Dingodile.
[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=crash-bandicoot-on-the-run-first-screenshots&captions=true"]
On the Run! will also feature a base for Crash and Coco, which players can build up, customize, and upgrade bu gathering rewards and ingredients. The runner will also offer asynchronus multiplayer to let players battle one another.
Crash and Coco are set to have a busy year, as Toys for Bob's Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time is set to be launched on PS4 and Xbox One on Oct. 2. Toys for Bob recently confirmed Crash 4 won't feature microtransactions, and we got a new look at Crash Bandicoot 4 gameplay.
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Jonathon Dornbush is IGN's Senior News Editor, host of Podcast Beyond!, and Crash Bandicoot specialist. Talk to him on Twitter @jmdornbush.
Valorant Releases Weapon Pack Where the Weapons Are Just Dragons (and it Costs Nearly $100)
A new weapon pack has been revealed for Valorant which turns the game's guns into dragons – and will cost you nearly $100 dollars for the full arsenal.
You can check out the Elderflame skin reveal trailer here, with the first "Ultra Edition" guns arriving in-game this Friday, the July 10.
The developer has gone above and beyond as far as cosmetics are concerned - the guns are literally sentient dragons, and will emote when you get kills, reload, aim down the sight and so on. Even the bullets appear like fire shooting from the mythical creature's mouth. Whether it's all a bit too garish to allow for proper focus in a tense match is another story... Regardless of your opinion on these new cosmetics, the price is something to behold. Valorant's Revenue Lead Joe Lee posted the breakdown to Twitter, noting that the full set will cost you 9900 Valorant Points. The closest VP bundle you can buy is 11,000 VP for $100, so be prepared to shell out if you want the full set. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/06/05/valorant-review"] Also, bear in mind that Valorant's weapons can also be upgraded using Radianite, another currency earned via the battle pass. You can also purchase it using real money to quickly level up and unlock every animation for each gun. A fully tricked out Elderflame set is potentially going to cost you a lot of money. We reviewed Valorant back in early June, scoring it a 9/10 and calling it a "clever tactical hero shooter that's plenty deep." [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.Price tiers reminder: https://t.co/MgWQFSc78c
So the bundle is 2475 x 4 = 9900 VP — Joe Lee (@SWAGGERNAU7) July 8, 2020
Valorant Releases Weapon Pack Where the Weapons Are Just Dragons (and it Costs Nearly $100)
A new weapon pack has been revealed for Valorant which turns the game's guns into dragons – and will cost you nearly $100 dollars for the full arsenal.
You can check out the Elderflame skin reveal trailer here, with the first "Ultra Edition" guns arriving in-game this Friday, the July 10.
The developer has gone above and beyond as far as cosmetics are concerned - the guns are literally sentient dragons, and will emote when you get kills, reload, aim down the sight and so on. Even the bullets appear like fire shooting from the mythical creature's mouth. Whether it's all a bit too garish to allow for proper focus in a tense match is another story... Regardless of your opinion on these new cosmetics, the price is something to behold. Valorant's Revenue Lead Joe Lee posted the breakdown to Twitter, noting that the full set will cost you 9900 Valorant Points. The closest VP bundle you can buy is 11,000 VP for $100, so be prepared to shell out if you want the full set. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/06/05/valorant-review"] Also, bear in mind that Valorant's weapons can also be upgraded using Radianite, another currency earned via the battle pass. You can also purchase it using real money to quickly level up and unlock every animation for each gun. A fully tricked out Elderflame set is potentially going to cost you a lot of money. We reviewed Valorant back in early June, scoring it a 9/10 and calling it a "clever tactical hero shooter that's plenty deep." [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.Price tiers reminder: https://t.co/MgWQFSc78c
So the bundle is 2475 x 4 = 9900 VP — Joe Lee (@SWAGGERNAU7) July 8, 2020
Sony Patent Suggests PS1, PS2, and PS3 Games Could Be Emulated Via the Cloud
A Sony patent has surfaced suggesting that PS1, PS2, and PS3 games could be emulated via the cloud.
First posted to Twitter by user Renka_schedule, the tweet can be translated into English, at which point it reads "A large number of game titles across PS1/PS2/PS3 and various generations of game consoles can be stored and used via the cloud gaming library."
"These games can be run on a virtual machine that mimics the operating system associated with each game console" it continues.
The accompanying image shows drawings of the PlayStation 1, 2, and 3 being emulated onto separate screens. It's not clear how this would be achieved, or whether it is tied to the existing PlayStation Now system. It could be that the virtualised operating system solution is a means of not having to build backwards compatibility technology into new hardware, although this isn't mentioned in the patent documents.
Later in the thread Renka_schedule posts information from another patent, which suggests that users will be able to record and create mini-games from their gameplay, and share it with friends via the cloud. That sounds as though it could be associated with the new DualSense controller's Create button, and previous Sony patents have mentioned "scene tagging", which could allow players to "record" playable sections of games and share them.
Obviously, take all patents with a hefty grain of salt, as it just means that Sony is researching and looking into using the technology. Nothing is confirmed.
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/03/18/playstation-5-specs-detailed-ign-now"]
We'v previously heard that the PS5 will be backwards compatible with the "majority" of PS4 games, but haven't heard official word on previous generations. In other Sony news, check out every game confirmed for the PS5.
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Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.
The accompanying image shows drawings of the PlayStation 1, 2, and 3 being emulated onto separate screens. It's not clear how this would be achieved, or whether it is tied to the existing PlayStation Now system. It could be that the virtualised operating system solution is a means of not having to build backwards compatibility technology into new hardware, although this isn't mentioned in the patent documents.
Later in the thread Renka_schedule posts information from another patent, which suggests that users will be able to record and create mini-games from their gameplay, and share it with friends via the cloud. That sounds as though it could be associated with the new DualSense controller's Create button, and previous Sony patents have mentioned "scene tagging", which could allow players to "record" playable sections of games and share them.
Obviously, take all patents with a hefty grain of salt, as it just means that Sony is researching and looking into using the technology. Nothing is confirmed.
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/03/18/playstation-5-specs-detailed-ign-now"]
We'v previously heard that the PS5 will be backwards compatible with the "majority" of PS4 games, but haven't heard official word on previous generations. In other Sony news, check out every game confirmed for the PS5.
[poilib element="accentDivider"]
Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.
