Yearly Archives: 2020

eBay Condemns PS5 Photo Scammers, Is Taking Action Against Sellers

Auction site eBay has condemned scammers listing photographs of PlayStation 5 consoles, and has vowed to take action against the sellers and to remove listings. In a statement to Eurogamer, eBay said: "We condemn these opportunistic sellers who are attempting to mislead other users. We are in the process of removing all listings for photos of PS5s from our marketplace and will be taking appropriate action against the sellers.” [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/11/06/playstation-5-review"] These sellers are creating listings that look like they are for PlayStation 5 consoles, but are actually just for printed photographs of a PS5. Listings feature titles like “Sony PlayStation 5 Digital Edition 1TB Console - White (PHOTO)” and so - while actually disclaiming they are selling a photograph - the bulk of the name appears like a console listing. At time of writing, there are dozens of these listings across UK and US eBay sites. There are listings being actively bid on, with some current bids being in the multiple hundreds of dollars/pounds. These may be inflated by the scammers themselves in order to look more ‘legitimate’ and fool buyers, or simply be genuine bids by fooled buyers. "For any purchase, but especially highly priced or in-demand items, buyers should exercise caution and thoroughly read the listing description,” said eBay’s statement. "Buyers who receive an item which is not as described are entitled to a refund via our eBay Money Back Guarantee, provided they completed the transaction on the eBay platform." [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=confirmed-playstation-5-games&captions=true"] These sellers clearly know the rules of “item must be as described” since every listing has “photo”, “picture”, or “image only” in their description, and often a line in the listing saying that purchasers will only receive a printed picture. So while these listings do ‘technically’ abide by eBay’s rules, it’s good to see eBay planning to take action. The statement is unclear on if those who fall victim can be compensated, but the line stating “an item which is not as described are entitled to a refund” suggests not, as all these listings do state they are photographs. PS5 scams and scalpers have been a major issue since the console launched. For more, take a look at our investigation into how sneaker culture predicted next-gen console scalpers. If you do already have one, be sure to check out our PS5 console guide and 8 hidden PS5 features and settings. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Purslow is IGN's UK News and Entertainment Writer.

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eBay Condemns PS5 Photo Scammers, Is Taking Action Against Sellers

Auction site eBay has condemned scammers listing photographs of PlayStation 5 consoles, and has vowed to take action against the sellers and to remove listings. In a statement to Eurogamer, eBay said: "We condemn these opportunistic sellers who are attempting to mislead other users. We are in the process of removing all listings for photos of PS5s from our marketplace and will be taking appropriate action against the sellers.” [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/11/06/playstation-5-review"] These sellers are creating listings that look like they are for PlayStation 5 consoles, but are actually just for printed photographs of a PS5. Listings feature titles like “Sony PlayStation 5 Digital Edition 1TB Console - White (PHOTO)” and so - while actually disclaiming they are selling a photograph - the bulk of the name appears like a console listing. At time of writing, there are dozens of these listings across UK and US eBay sites. There are listings being actively bid on, with some current bids being in the multiple hundreds of dollars/pounds. These may be inflated by the scammers themselves in order to look more ‘legitimate’ and fool buyers, or simply be genuine bids by fooled buyers. "For any purchase, but especially highly priced or in-demand items, buyers should exercise caution and thoroughly read the listing description,” said eBay’s statement. "Buyers who receive an item which is not as described are entitled to a refund via our eBay Money Back Guarantee, provided they completed the transaction on the eBay platform." [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=confirmed-playstation-5-games&captions=true"] These sellers clearly know the rules of “item must be as described” since every listing has “photo”, “picture”, or “image only” in their description, and often a line in the listing saying that purchasers will only receive a printed picture. So while these listings do ‘technically’ abide by eBay’s rules, it’s good to see eBay planning to take action. The statement is unclear on if those who fall victim can be compensated, but the line stating “an item which is not as described are entitled to a refund” suggests not, as all these listings do state they are photographs. PS5 scams and scalpers have been a major issue since the console launched. For more, take a look at our investigation into how sneaker culture predicted next-gen console scalpers. If you do already have one, be sure to check out our PS5 console guide and 8 hidden PS5 features and settings. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Purslow is IGN's UK News and Entertainment Writer.

Posted in Uncategorized

Japan’s Super Nintendo World Theme Park Area Gets an Official Opening Date

Universal Studios Japan today announced that its long-awaited Super Nintendo World area will finally open to the public on February 4, 2021. IGN Japan was on hand for a sneak peek at one section of the new world; the very first time members of the press have been invited inside – check out our gallery below.

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Bowser’s Castle (or Koopa’s Castle in Japan) is an immense reconstruction of the iconic location from the games. Visitors will be able to climb a sweeping grand staircase, at the top of which is an enormous, imposing bronze statue of Bowser himself. The scale is seriously impressive.

The walls of the castle’s corridors are lined with huge portrait paintings of Bowser, along with bright and colourful emblems from the Mario Kart games. Huge faux brass knockers adorn the doors, while Bowser’s face in menacing silhouette peers down from the top of the door frames.

We also saw where guests will line up for one of the park’s most anticipated new attractions, Mario Kart: Koopa’s Challenge, which promises to put visitors in the driving seat for a ride that includes AR and projection mapping effects to bring courses from the Mario Kart games to life. This is realized through a special headset styled on Mario’s hat with a built-in AR screen.

The attraction is the result of a six-year collaboration with the creative team at Nintendo, including input from Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto.[poilib element="quoteBox" parameters="excerpt=Mario%20Kart%3A%20Koopa%E2%80%99s%20Challenge%20promises%20to%20put%20visitors%20in%20the%20driving%20seat%20for%20a%20ride%20that%20includes%20AR%20and%20projection%20mapping%20effects%20to%20bring%20courses%20from%20the%20Mario%20Kart%20games%20to%20life."]

Mario Kart Station is where visitors will board the ride. Each kart has four seats, with a steering wheel and AR headset for each rider. Warp Pipes hang down from the ceiling of the station departure hall, while chunky metal chains and massive gears decorate the room. The facade of a Lemmy’s Tire Service repair shop and other details can be seen above.

We also walked through a Trophy Room where guests can pose for photos alongside artefacts inspired by the games, including familiar trophies and one bearing the USJ logo, as well as a handwritten note from Bowser laying down a karting challenge.

Speaking to the assembled media, Mario Kart: Koopa’s Challenge attraction executive producer Thomas Geraghty showed off the new headset and Power Up Band. He noted that this will be the first ever Mario Kart theme park ride. “We will bring the story to life with Nintendo’s very compelling characters – Mario, Luigi and Princess Peach – and we will immerse our guests into the world of Nintendo with this augmented reality headset,” he said. “Guests will join their favourite characters immersed in augmented reality, steering their way through the Mushroom Kingdom, throwing shells at Koopalings, as they race to the finish.” He said that there will be win and lose states in the game, so victory is not guaranteed.

Geraghty said the headsets will be sanitised after every use, along with other social distancing measures.

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Super Nintendo World was originally intended to open ahead of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics this summer, but this was postponed in response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Even so, in October, a Mario-themed cafe and store opened inside USJ did open, separate from the Super Nintendo World area. The final area promises to include some pretty cool gamified elements, such as interactive attractions where visitors link their Power Up Bands to a mobile app to collect digital coins and unlock achievements.

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I want to go to there. (Image via Nintendo.)[/caption]

Universal Studios Japan is located in Osaka, Japan, and at the time of writing, Japan’s borders are closed to foreign tourists, though permanent foreign residents and business visitors from some countries are permitted to enter. The government is reportedly planning to fully reopen to tourists in spring 2021.

In addition to the USJ Super Nintendo World attraction, future locations are also being considered at other Universal Studios parks around the world.

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Daniel Robson is Chief Editor at IGN Japan – follow him on Twitter here!

Posted in Uncategorized

Japan’s Super Nintendo World Theme Park Area Gets an Official Opening Date

Universal Studios Japan today announced that its long-awaited Super Nintendo World area will finally open to the public on February 4, 2021. IGN Japan was on hand for a sneak peek at one section of the new world; the very first time members of the press have been invited inside – check out our gallery below.

[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=super-nintendo-world-in-universal-studios-japan-sneak-peek&captions=true"]

Bowser’s Castle (or Koopa’s Castle in Japan) is an immense reconstruction of the iconic location from the games. Visitors will be able to climb a sweeping grand staircase, at the top of which is an imposing life-size bronze statue of Bowser himself. The scale is seriously impressive.