Yearly Archives: 2020

Resident Evil 3: How Capcom Redesigned Jill Valentine Into an Action Hero

Capcom revealed a whole bunch of new details about Resident Evil 3 remake this morning. IGN was able to get a full hands-on preview from the event, as well as an interview with Capcom producer Peter Fabiano where we talked about the inspirations for Jill Valentine’s redesign, the changes in the remake from the original, and how to make Nemesis scary after Mr. X. Resident Evil 3 remake reimagines and remixes the characters and events of the 1999 PlayStation survival-horror game. Jill Valentine, a protagonist from the first Resident Evil game, once again takes center stage as she tries to escape Raccoon City during a T-Virus outbreak. Like the Resident Evil 2 remake, Capcom has gone back to the drawing board to redesign Jill Valentine for 2020 and we asked Fabiano what that process was like. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=resident-evil-3&captions=true"] “So when you look at the original, right? [Jill Valentine] needed to kind of pop in the graphics of the day. So when we were looking at [the remake] and rebuilding Raccoon City and the world, overall, in Resident Evil 3, you’ll notice that we use photogrammetry and photo-real [graphics],” Fabiano said. “We wanted to make sure that Jill fit in that environment. So that’s why you’ll see that come to fruition in the design that we have with Jill and in the reimagining we have here. As well as the fact that you still see the Jill you know and love. That comes out a lot more in the performances and mocap.” It wasn’t just Jill’s look that got a redesign either. Resident Evil 3 expands on the storytelling and dialogue, which means Jill’s character has been expanded upon through story and writing as well. Throughout the demo Carlos calls Jill ‘Supercop’ and she feels like an 80s action hero at times. “The director really wanted to show that Jill is a character that has the wherewithal to get through all situations,” Fabiano explained. One of those situations, for example, is the Drain Deimos which makes an updated return in Resident Evil 3. When attacked by one of these, Jill risks getting infected with parasites which she must proceed to remove from herself by inducing vomiting. “At its core, it is survival horror, right? And we want to keep those elements in there and…[show] that Jill can get through these really hard situations.” Resident Evil 3 has been in development for three years, and there was some concurrent development with Resident Evil 2. This allowed the developers to see what was being done in one remake and adapt and learn for Resident Evil 3. “So we were able to take a lot of what we built out for RE 2 with the RE engine and use that and then kind of adapt and actually bring that even more forward and develop in that sense… We saw what was being built out in RE2, and there were things that we took from that or things that we actually wanted to kind of bring even more forward,” Fabiano said. As for specifics, Fabiano told IGN that there were “certain things that [Capcom] did with AI and certain things to kind of spruce up the way that the graphics look,” but declined to get too much further in-depth. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/01/14/resident-evil-3-nemesis-trailer"] While elements like the city and characters were expanded for the Resident Evil 3 remake, other functions like the multiple endings and live choices were removed. Fabiano says these features were sacrificed in favor of a more focused story. “The live selections were something that was included in the original RE 3. You know, they didn’t have much development time and there were challenges that they had to face. So one of the solutions they came up with to give the game some replayability was to add the live selections,” Fabiano says. “In this case, the director really just wanted to tell a consistent story. And so that’s why we decided to go with the one story with Resident Evil 3.” While you can read IGN’s hands-on preview of Resident Evil 3 for more details and impressions about the upcoming survival horror game, we did ask Fabiano two final questions. Will there be more Resident Evil remakes in the future, and will Resident Evil go first-person again? Sadly, our answers to both of those questions was a very vague, “Who knows?” [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Kim is a reporter for IGN. You can reach him on Twitter.

Posted in Uncategorized

Red Dead Online Players Being Banned By Booby-Trapped Treasure

Red Dead Online players are being suspended and, in some cases, permanently banned after opening treasure chests spawned into the game by hackers. Unfortunately, it seems it's not just hackers that are getting caught out, as even players who have never used a cheat in Red Dead Online are being suspended if they interact with these treasure chests.

The treasure chest spawner was released on January 22, 2020 as an update to a mod menu created by an Austrian hacker called zJanny. Mod menus allow players to use cheats inside Red Dead Online, such as god mode, teleportation, and spawning objects - and breach the game's terms of service.

When zJanny released the treasure chest spawner into a hacker's forum, it came with the message "IDK if detected or not," meaning they weren't sure if using the cheat would be detected by Rockstar's anti-cheat software and lead to an account suspension.

Around February 15, hackers from the same forum in which zJanny released the cheat started to report that they had been banned for using zJanny's mod menu, specifically for using a treasure chest spawning function. The number of bans reported by the hackers due to using the treasure chest spawner have increased since.

[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/02/10/red-dead-online-hackers-are-seemingly-behind-two-headed-skeletons-attacking-players-ign-news"]

Hackers speculated that Rockstar was hot on the treasure chest spawner and had started spectating flagged players and issuing bans if they were seen using the cheat. On February 20, one player who was banned due to using the tool, wrote in the forums: "I used this hack for one day, the first day that the treasure spawner came out. I only used it for that day a lone [sp]. Made 1k gold and 100k cash. I believe its been over a month since I used it. Finally got a ban notice. Sounds like they are looking over everyone's money now lol."

On February 22, zJanny popped up in the forum thread where many hackers were reporting account bans, saying that they figured out why so many people were being caught out when using their cheats. "I know why ya all get banned," zJanny wrote. "The 3 rewards in one treasure chest is detected. I am using it with just 1 reward per crate since a week no ban." Some hackers replied to this saying they never used the 3-in-1 treasure chest spawner but were banned regardless.

That same day, a Red Dead Online player reported on Reddit that their account had been suspended after they opened a treasure chest. "I think it was a modder who spawned it or something. The chests kept spawning and I left the session," the Redditor wrote. "When I tried to go back, it said my account was suspended until March 17." Other players replied to that thread sharing similar tales of being suspended after opening suspect treasure chests.

A day later, on February 23, a Red Dead Online player reached out to me on Twitter saying that they had been wrongfully suspended after opening a treasure chest.

"Myself and at least 4 others in the r/reddeadonline community have reported being wrongfully suspended by Rockstar and have had our characters reset, losing all progress," the player told me over Twitter DMs. "Rockstar does not listen to any of us in our efforts to contact them about being wrongfully banned. They will not state what caused our accounts to be flagged, and they won't communicate with us in any way except to say we were reset and to wait until the suspension is over to continue playing.

[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=every-ign-rockstar-game-review-ever&captions=true"]

"From what I have gathered, these hacks allowed the hackers to disguise their names in game to look like other players, which could have been part of why innocent players were banned," the player said to me. "All of the people I've talked to who were wrongfully banned (including myself) came across a random chest in the world in which we found gold, as if from a regular treasure chest from maps. From what I've found, these chests were spawned in using a hack menu and everyone who interacted with one was banned. Even innocent players who had no idea the chest wasn't supposed to be there. I wrote to you in desperation as I have lost hundreds of hours of gameplay, unlocks, and grinding because I was wrongfully banned."

This report rings true as hackers in the forum where zJanny released the spawner have said that they spawned many treasure chests inside Red Dead Online as a test to see if they would get banned - they did. One hacker even admitted to using the treasure chest spawner to get innocent players banned. "I have been spawning gold chests in areas of high traffic to try and get others to open them," they wrote in the forum.

If you're a Red Dead Online player, it's advised that you don't open any treasure chests you happen across randomly inside the world. Only open those you track down using a treasure map that you have earned legitimately.

IGN is awaiting a response from Rockstar on this issue, but hadn't received it at time of publishing.

This isn't the first problem inside Red Dead Online caused by hackers - previously, we saw unscrupulous types spawning in two-headed skeletons to terrorise innocent players.

[poilib element="accentDivider"]

Chris Priestman is a freelancer who writes news for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.

Posted in Uncategorized

Astronomers Discover New Way to Detect Potentially Habitable Planets

A new study shows how scientists can observe radio waves to detect planets and probe the surrounding environments to determine habitability, though it will largely depend on the positioning of star vectors to their nearby planets. According to ScienceDaily, this new research was conducted by a team of scientists in the Netherlands, who used a Low-Frequency Array (LOFAR) radio telescope to study emissions from aurorae, caused by the interaction between a planet and its star's magnetic field, particularly for red dwarf stars. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/12/21/exegol-explained-star-wars-the-rise-of-skywalker"] Red dwarfs are known to have strong magnetic fields that might heat up and erode the atmosphere of a habitable planet if they become exposed to this type of activity, even though the stars themselves are much smaller and cooler than the Sun. However, the radio emissions associated with this process allows scientists to probe the planet-star interaction. "The motion of the planet through a red dwarf's strong magnetic field acts like an electric engine much in the same way a bicycle dynamo works," said Harish Vedantham, the lead author of the Nature Astronomy study. "This generates a huge current that powers aurorae and radio emission on the star." [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=star-wars-every-new-planet-in-the-disney-movies&captions=true"] As this is the first time that astronomers have been able to detect and decipher these signals, solar-system studies are expected to expand into new territories, as scientists may now be able to use these novel techniques to potentially discover exoplanets in habitable zones by finding similar emission from other stars. "We now know that nearly every red dwarf hosts terrestrial planets, so there must be other stars showing similar emission," said Joe Callingham, who was a co-author on the recent Nature Astronomy paper. "We want to know how this impacts our search for another Earth around another star." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2015/12/31/the-star-wars-saga-in-7-minutes"] This new research puts astronomers on an exciting path towards discovering even more about the galaxy far, far away. As we all know, the Star Wars fictional universe has been steadily evolving for years. From the battle-strewn wastes of Jakku to the lush beaches of Scarif, the recent sequel trilogy and franchise spin-offs have introduced many new planets to the Star Wars solar system. For more on these worlds, check out our rundown of every new planet Introduced in the Disney Star Wars movies or read about The Rise of Skywalker's hidden planet Exegol and find out more about the classic Star Wars planet that appeared in Episode IX. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Adele Ankers is a Freelance Entertainment Journalist. You can reach her on Twitter.

Posted in Uncategorized

Crunchyroll Announces 7 Original Projects for 2020

Anime streaming service Crunchyroll announced its "first slate" of Crunchyroll Originals with all projects set for release in 2020. The first of Crunchyroll's newest projects, In/Spectre, is a fantasy anime streaming on the service now. The seven others coming later are a mix of previously announced and unannounced projects in production with companies like Webtoon, its own Crunchyroll Studios Production, and more. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/5-notable-black-characters-in-anime-history"] You can read more about each project below:

Crunchyroll and Webtoon Production Projects

Tower of God - Based on a comic of the same name by SIU, this fantasy action series follows a man fighting his way through a mysterious tower. This is scheduled for spring 2020 with animation by Telecom Animation Film.
Noblesse - Also based on a comic of the same name by Jeho Son and Kwangsu lee, this fantasy is about the adventures of a vampire noble who wakes up in the modern-day after 820 years of sleep. Noblesse is animated by Production I.G.

Crunchyroll Originals

Onyx Equinox - "A young Aztec boy is saved from death by the gods and chosen to act as ‘humanity’s champion,’ forced to discard his apathy toward his fellow man and prove humanity’s potential in a fight that spans across fantastical-yet-authentic Mesoamerican cultures." This show created by Sofia Alexander premieres in summer 2020.
The God of High School - Based on a comic of the same name by Yongje Park and animated by MAPPA, this series is about high schoolers loaning power from gods and fighting their way through an "epic tournament."
Meiji Gekken: Sword & Gun - "Japan, 1870. We follow an ensemble of characters - a former samurai, a yakuza bodyguard, a devious spy and a geisha assassin - as they try to find their place in the rapidly evolving Meiji-era while escaping the sins of their pasts…" This Crunchyroll Studios Production is out sometime in 2020.
FreakAngels - Based on graphic novels by the same name by Warren Ellis and Paul Duffield, this show follows twelve psychics in a post-apocalyptic London attempting to rebuild society.
High Guardian Spice - Created by Raye Rodriguez, this Crunchyroll Studios production follows four girls training at the High Guardian Academy to become heroes.

Crunchyroll has been co-producing anime like Kenmono Friends and A Place Further than the Universe since 2015 since the company partnered with Sumitomo to produce anime for a global audience. It also pa rtnered with NBC Universal in 2017. In other Crunchyroll news, the streaming service recently announced a new limited streetwear line with Kinfold. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Miranda Sanchez is an executive editor at IGN. You can chat with her about video games and anime on Twitter.

Posted in Uncategorized

Rainbow Six Siege Dev Team Wants it to Go Free-to-Play One Day

Rainbow Six Siege's development team would like the competitive shooter to go free-to-play one day.

That's according to game director Leroy Athanassoff who spoke to PC Gamer at the Six Invitational 2020. "It’s a company decision. I think on the development team we want that at some point. We want the game to be accessible to everyone,” Athanassoff said.

[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/02/15/rainbow-six-siege-iana-and-oryx-gameplay"]

However, he added that while the desire is there to make Siege free-to-play, Athanassoff reckons the game isn't ready for it yet. “You need certain features ready to be a good and successful free-to-play game,” he said.

One of these features according to the game director is a solution to smurfing in Siege. Smurfing is when an experienced player creates a new account in order to play against players of lesser skill. "What’s important for us is that we find out as soon as possible that a player is highly skilled in the things that matter,” Athanassoff said. “The problem right now is that you can play a certain amount of matches with Copper players while you’re a Diamond.”

Ubisoft has a team dedicated to making smurfing less of a problem in Rainbow Six Siege. If that team is able to lessen its impact then Siege will be a little closer to going free-to-play. One of the ways to do this is to change how a player's skill is worked out.

[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=rainbow-six-siege-tachanka-rework&captions=true"]

Currently, Siege's ranking system looks at a player's win rate, but Athanasoff's team is looking to bring in more stats so smurfs aren't matched with lower-skilled players as often.

More on the future of Rainbow Six Siege was recently revealed during the Six Invitational 2020. New operators Iana and Oryx were announced, alongside a player reputation system, and confirmation that Siege would be coming to PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X.

[poilib element="accentDivider"]

Chris Priestman is a freelancer who writes news for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.

Posted in Uncategorized

Every Game Event Affected by Coronavirus So Far

With ongoing concerns about the spread of COVID-19 (a.k.a. Coronavirus), games companies are increasingly pulling out of major events for the protection of their employees and the public. Below is a list of dropouts, changes and cancellations at game shows across the world, forced by the current health crisis. We'll update this story as and when more news emerges. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/02/07/the-outer-worlds-switch-version-delayed-due-to-coronavirus"]

Taipei Game Show (February 6-9)

January 31: The organisers of Taipei Game Show – who had previously announced temperature checks and mandatory masks for attendees – announce that the show has been postponed to an unspecified date later this year. “We are deeply sorry to announce the difference decision from our committee,” said the organizers in a statement. “However, due to the serious outbreak of Wuhan coronavirus, we have decided to postpone the event to this summer.”

PAX East (February 27-March 1)

February 19: Sony announces that it will no longer attend PAX East in any capacity, including canceling the first public hands-on of The Last of Us Part 2. February 20: Capcom cancels any developer involvement in the Monster Hunter Festa event, due to take place during PAX East. The event itself will still take place. February 21: Square Enix scales back its PAX East showing, with no Japanese staff to attend the show. Final Fantasy developer and fan sessions are canceled, but other Square events at the show will continue as planned. February 23: The mayor of Boston, Marty Walsh, sends an open letter to Sony, urging the company to reconsider its decision to skip PAX East. "These fears reinforce harmful stereotypes that generations of Asians have worked hard to dismantle," reads Walsh's letter.

Game Developers Conference (March 16-20)

February 20: Both PlayStation and Facebook Oculus announce that they will not attend GDC, cancelling all scheduled participaton in the show. "[We are] emoving our booth footprint and are advising all employees to refrain from travel during the show”, said an Oculus spokesperson. February 20: GDC organisers say they "are confident that the Game Developers Conference will follow in the footsteps of other large and successful international events taking place at the Moscone Center." However, they will enact "enhanced on-site measures" at the show, per CDC and WHO guidance. February 24: Kojima Productions pulls out of GDC, cancelling two sessions at the show, including Hideo Kojima's talk on the design philosophy of Death Stranding. February 25: EA says it is also cancelling its participation with GDC, as well as "limiting attendance" to other unspecified events. The company will also restrict all non-essential travel for employees. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=all-the-big-games-coming-in-2020&captions=true"] Coronavirus has seen other game-related setbacks, including a delay to The Outer Worlds on Switch, and Animal Crossing special edition console production being affected. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Joe Skrebels is IGN's Executive Editor of News. Follow him on Twitter.

Posted in Uncategorized

Lucasfilm Reveals Star Wars: The High Republic Publishing-Led Initiative

Star Wars' Project Luminous has officially been revealed as Star Wars: The High Republic - new adult and young adult novels, children's books, and comics that will explore this new era that takes place 200 years before the events of Star Wars: The Phantom Menace. These inter-connected stories, which will begin to debut in August 2020 at Star Wars Celebration Anaheim, "will not overlap any of the filmed features or series currently planned for production, giving creators and partners a vast amount of room to tell Star Wars stories with new adventures and original characters." This is a multi-year project that will have a "core group of heroes that will expand," and the first phase of this new initiative is called "Light of the Jedi."

Hundreds of years before the Skywalker Saga, the Galactic Republic is at its height. Protected by the Jedi Knights, guardians of peace and justice throughout the galaxy.
Get the details on #StarWarsTheHighRepublic, exclusively on https://t.co/mVXi17qoJk: https://t.co/iEdglKjC6Y pic.twitter.com/hmDuUZwNjD — Star Wars (@starwars) February 25, 2020

Jedi are like the Knights of the Round Table during the High Republic Era, and villains known as the space viking-like Nihil will be causing trouble in that galaxy far, far away. The High Republic has a very distinct style, which is reflected in the Jedi's Temple wear and mission attire. Additionally, some of the Lightsabers will resemble King Arthur's Excalibur, complete with longer handles and a crossguard. The threat and tension, as Lucasfilm's Pablo Hidalgo explains, stems from the fact that the Republic's reach does not cover all the galaxy. It is a time that has a bit of a "wild, wild west" feel. There are even "Texas Ranger" Jedi who explore the farthest reaches of space, beyond the safety of the Republic. These stories will written by a team of writers that include Claudia Gray, Justina Ireland, Daniel Jose Older, Cavan Scott, and Charles Soule. Lucasfilm brought these writers and many more to Skywalker Ranch to develop this new concept and give them the chance to tell the stories they've always dreamed of. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=star-wars-the-high-republic-publishing-initiative-novels-books-and-comics&captions=true"] “Star Wars: The High Republic features the Jedi as we’ve always wanted to see them — as true guardians of peace and justice. This is a hopeful, optimistic time, when the Jedi and the Galactic Republic are at their height. But of course, into this glorious new era something wicked this way comes,” says Lucasfilm publishing creative director Michael Siglain. “This initiative will give readers young and old a new corner of the galaxy to explore through rich, meaningful stories. Plus, readers will learn what scares the Jedi.” The first story will be Charles Soule's Light of the Jedi on August 25, 2020, followed by Justina Ireland's A Test of Courage on September 8, and Claudia Gray's Into the Dark on October 13. There will also be comics from both Marvel and IDW. Light of the Jedi will begin in a time of peace, but an event known as The Great Disaster occurs and forces the Jedi into action. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=star-wars-the-high-republic-announcement-screenshots&captions=true"] Two of the big inspirations for The High Republic were Obi-Wan's A New Hope quote, "For over a thousand generations, the Jedi Knights were the guardians of peace and justice in the Old Republic," and the simple question that asks, what scares the Jedi? These stories will also not just focus on the Jedi, there will be new smugglers, scoundrels, and bounty hunters that will have the spotlight. Soule had actually been teasing the arrival of the High Republic Era in both The Rise of Kylo Ren #2 comic and 2020's Star Wars #2. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/12/04/the-star-wars-saga-timeline-in-chronological-order"] The High Republic will be just some of the Star Wars stories that will fill the void until Star Wars returns to the big screen in 2022. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com. Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN who is telling all from a galaxy near and far, far away that he will one day write a Star Wars story. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

Posted in Uncategorized

Everything We Know About The Xbox Series X

2/24 Update: Added details about ray tracing, teraflops, “Quick Resume,” and “Smart Delivery.” [poilib element="accentDivider"] At The Game Awards 2019, Microsoft’s next-gen console finally earned its official name: The Xbox Series X. Initially revealed at the E3 2019 press conference as Project Scarlett, specifics about the console have been scarce. Microsoft has given us some concrete details to focus on, however, including some specs, a release window, a major launch title, and more.

Xbox Series X Price: How Much Will it Cost?

There's been no official word from Microsoft on how much the Xbox Series X will cost. However, we estimate it could cost between $450-600 based on the hardware alone. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/next-gen-console-watch-the-biggest-ps5-price-factors"]

Xbox Series X Release Date: When Does it Come Out?

During Microsoft’s E3 2019 press conference, the company revealed the Xbox Series X is set to launch in Holiday 2020. This partially lines up with previous reports that suggested “multiple pieces of hardware” would be released in 2020, and another report that specifically said Xbox's Project Scarlett would be released by Holiday 2020. With E3 2020 just a few months away, some are hoping that we will be given some news on the Xbox Series X release date. Earlier this year, Sony announced that it would not be attending the show, but Microsoft has confirmed that the Xbox team is "hard at work on E3" prep. With Sony absent, Phil Spencer and his team will definitely be the main focus of the show, however, it remains to be seen if that means we hear any announcements about an Xbox Series X release date or price.

Xbox Series X Specs: What Hardware Does it Have?

As part of the initial Project Scarlett announcement video, those involved in the creation of the new console said it will be four times more powerful than the Xbox One X, which is capable of 8K output, 120 frames per second, variable refresh rates and real-time “next-gen ray tracing." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/02/24/xbox-series-x-has-12-teraflops-new-technical-specs-revealed-ign-news"] Spencer later clarified that the Xbox Series X would feature DirectX raytracing, which will allow for more realistic environments, with “accurate reflections and realistic acoustics.” A new generation SSD is being used as virtual RAM, allegedly offering over 40 times performance increases from the current generation. Xbox Series X will also leverage high-bandwidth GDDR 6 SDRAM. AMD and Microsoft co-engineered and designed a custom processor for the Xbox Series X. This processor leverages AMD’s latest Zen 2 and Navi technology. It was clear before E3 2019 that AMD would be designing the next Xbox's processor, as Spencer briefly discussed a partnership with AMD during a keynote address at CES 2019. Spencer teased the new Xbox Series X processor on Twitter earlier this year when he changed his profile picture to an image of the chip. The new processor, which looks very similar to that of the Xbox One X reads "8K" and "Project Scarlett." [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="1200"]

Xbox Series X Features[/caption] The same team that worked on the Xbox One X is working on the Xbox Series X and they are prioritizing reduced load times. Xbox head Phil Spencer is a longtime advocate for framerate over resolution, so it shouldn't come as a surprise that the Xbox Series X team is paying close attention to better framerates. In February 2020, Phil Spencer posted on the Xbox blog, detailing some features coming to the Xbox Series X. A “Quick Resume” feature will allow players to load “suspended state” games almost instantly and let you quickly navigate through multiple games without having to endure enormous load times. It was also confirmed that the Xbox Series X will have 12 teraflops of GPU power, which is four times more than the Xbox One and twice as much as the Xbox One X. For those not familiar with the term, a teraflop is a measure of how many complex calculations a machine can handle every second. Essentially, it allows for higher-quality graphical output. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=xbox-console-power-levels-compared&captions=true"] At EA's Q3 2020 investors call, CFO Blake Jorgensen told investors that the power behind the new generation of consoles would "blow people's mind." "The power of the new consoles is gonna be substantially greater than existing consoles," said Jorgensen during the call. "We can do a lot more [with PS5 and Xbox Series X]. Things we’re doing will blow people’s minds." It sounds like Microsoft's next-gen console is going to be pretty powerful. We actually broke down how the Xbox Series X compares to PCs.

Xbox Series X Design and Images: What Does it Look Like?

At The Game Awards 2019, we were given our first look at the Xbox Series X. Standing vertically in what looks to be a matte black finish, Microsoft's fourth-generation console features a power button with the signature Xbox insignia at the top that lights up white when pressed on. There's metal mesh across the top of the console that gets backlit with an Xbox green glow as well. In an interview with GameSpot, it was confirmed the Xbox Series X will support discs and is "roughly as wide as an Xbox One controller". Phil Spencer also told GameSpot that the Xbox Series X was "designed to be as quiet as possible", sporting a large fan designed to push out "high volumes of air" from the top and keep the console cool. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=xbox-series-x-reveal-images&captions=true"] Earlier this year, images of the Xbox Series X were reportedly leaked on Twitter. At the time of writing, it's still unclear if this is a real prototype, or simply an incredibly detailed mockup. Either way, the reported leak offers fans a potential closer look at the front and back of the console. A lot of fans have taken note of an unknown port located between the HDMI and digital audio port on the back of the "leaked" Xbox Series X image. Microsoft insider blog Thurrott is reporting that the unknown port will be used for expandable storage. At the time of writing, the purpose of the port has not been confirmed by Microsoft.

Xbox Series X Games: What Are the Confirmed and Rumored Titles?

So far, we know of seven titles that will be making its way to the Xbox Series X, along with two unannounced AAA games. Perhaps the biggest title of them all is Halo Infinite, which is the only confirmed Xbox Series X launch title. Confirmed Xbox Series X Games:

Halo Infinite
Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2
The Lord of the Rings: Gollum
Watch Dogs Legion
Rainbow Six Quarantine
Gods and Monsters
Battlefield 6
2 Unannounced AAA Games

[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-big-xbox-games-coming-in-2020&captions=true"] Reports dating as far back as February 2019 suggested Halo Infinite would be coming to Project Scarlett as a launch title, though these reports claimed Halo Infinite would be released on Xbox One as well. On top of this, a poll from GDC 2019 revealed about 18% of developers were working on next-gen games. During its E3 2018 press conference, Bethesda suggested its upcoming game Starfield would be coming to the next console generation, and that The Elder Scrolls VI would launch after that. However, in March 2019, Bethesda confirmed it would not be discussing Starfield or The Elder Scrolls VI at E3 2019, but with E3 2020 just around the corner, we might get some news. Microsoft has been accumulating studios, perhaps in anticipation of the future console generation. Microsoft announced it had acquired five studios (Ninja Theory, Undead Labs, Compulsion Games, Playground Games) and founded a new Santa Monica studio during E3 2018. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/02/06/microsoft-forms-xbox-game-studios-ign-news"] Revealed during X018, an additional two studios (Obsidian Entertainment and inXile Entertainment) joined the Xbox family. During Microsoft’s E3 2019 press conference, Double Fine Productions was officially added to that stable. Make sure to check out our list of confirmed and rumored games for the Xbox Series X.

Xbox Series X Backwards Compatibility and Smart Delivery

Microsoft has confirmed that the Xbox Series X will support backwards compatibility with all Xbox One titles day one. Further, all of the original Xbox and Xbox 360 titles that are available on the Xbox One will also be available at launch. We estimate that there will be around 575 backwards compatible games on the Xbox Series X at launch. Phil Spencer also said Microsoft aims to support a "Play Anywhere" scheme, wanting to provide the option for gamers to connect across devices and across platforms, suggesting potential cross-generation play. Additionally, the Xbox Series X will feature “Smart Delivery” which will give players easy access to all digitally purchased games across all devices, meaning it doesn’t have to be purchased twice. This feature will be available for all exclusive Xbox Game Studio titles, including Halo Infinite, as well as any third-party developers that decide to opt in. Cyberpunk 2077 is one game already confirmed for smart delivery.

Project xCloud

Just before officially announcing Project Scarlett, Microsoft announced that its game streaming platform Project xCloud is coming in October 2019. Xbox head Phil Spencer also announced Console Streaming, which turns an Xbox One into a personal Xbox server for free. It’s likely this feature and Project xCloud will find its way to the Xbox Series X in the future. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/06/09/project-xcloud-xbox-one-presentation-e3-2019"] Last year, we went hands-on with Project xCloud and found that so far, it seems like a pretty good service. Be sure to check out our Project xCloud review if you want to hear more about it. There were some recent rumors about Project xCloud exclusive games, but Microsoft has since clarified its original comments, saying that it has "no plans for cloud-exclusive content at this time."

Xbox Series X: What Happened to Lockhart and Anaconda?

In December 2018, reports suggested the two devices that make up Project Scarlett are referred to within Microsoft by two codenames: Lockhart and Anaconda. Again, it’s unclear if Project Scarlett still consists of multiple pieces of hardware. These two separate Xbox SKUs would theoretically have a similar dynamic to Xbox One S and Xbox One X. Lockhart was rumored to be a more affordable, baseline model that made the technology more accessible to a larger group of consumers. This could potentially be the streaming-centric device hinted at in earlier rumors. The report suggested Lockhart was comparable to, or just a bit more powerful than, the Xbox One X. Anaconda, on the other hand, would be a decidedly more powerful piece of hardware that would cost more for consumers willing to shell out the money for extra horsepower. It would reportedly provide a “cutting-edge console gaming experience.” It was also suggested the Anaconda could potentially act as a dev kit. If the rumors are to be believed, the Xbox Series X is likely the console nicknamed Anaconda, while the Lockhart console is yet to be announced by Microsoft. However, it's currently still unclear if Microsoft will have more than one console at launch.

Xbox Series X Controller vs Xbox One Controller

The Xbox Series X controller looks very similar to that of the Xbox One and was partially inspired by the Elite Series 2 controller. Notable new features with the new Series X controller are a Share button and a hybrid d-pad similar to the Elite Series 2.

In the Xbox Series X announcement post from Microsoft, the company noted that the controllers "size and shape have been refined to accommodate an even wider range of people." Further, the new controller will be compatible with the Xbox One and Windows 10 PC's and will be included with every Xbox Series X purchase. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Colin Stevens is a news writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.

Posted in Uncategorized

Snack World Review – Cheers, But I’m Full

From the Minestrone Mines to Gumbo Grotto, Snack World is an RPG universe entirely founded upon various types of cuisine. But although this base is admirably creative, Snack World's failings outweigh its strengths. Although it is conceptually innovative, the execution never quite lives up to ambition.

Right from the get-go, Snack World acknowledges the tropes it attempts to riff off of. You awaken as an amnesiac hero, conveniently discovered just outside the castle gates. You earn an audience with the king, who is simultaneously jovial and relentlessly selfish, and he tasks you with a variety of quests to satiate his daughter's fleeting desires--most of which she no longer cares for by the time you retrieve your boon.

Once you embark on an odyssey to regain your memory while becoming a dungeon-crawling virtuoso, you're quickly bombarded with a hefty amount of information tied to the game's various systems. Although they are relatively straightforward and conventional--character traits, codex entries, and opportunities for dungeon co-op--the explanations are buried under esoteric apps on a phone-like device called a Pix-e Pad. It's an interesting idea, but they're unnecessarily facetious, confusing nuance with jargon.