Yearly Archives: 2020
Red Dead Online: Get 40% Bonus Character and Role XP, Property Discounts, And More
Nintendo Publicly Cuts Ties With Game Publication After Pokemon Sword and Shield Leaks
Nintendo and The Pokemon Company have announced they will no longer work with a game publication after one of its reviewers leaked images of Pokemon Sword and Shield back in November 2019.
The reviewer worked for Portugese website FNintendo and received a copy of the Nintendo Switch game early. He then shared photos of the game online that revealed multiple Pokemon in Sword and Shield that were unannounced at the time.
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/11/13/pokemon-sword-and-pokemon-shield-review"]
Nintendo and The Pokemon Company discovered the source of these leaks and took immediate action. But now the two companies have gone further and announced in a statement released to press today that they've cut ties with that reviewer and FNintendo completely.
"Both he and FNintendo failed to handle confidential material, resulting in a clear breach of the confidentiality agreement between Nintendo and the media outlet. As a result, Nintendo will no longer work with FNintendo," reads the statement.
"Nintendo will always protect its intellectual property and brands. Leaks hurt not just Nintendo, but the thousands of employees who work hard to bring games to market, and the millions of fans around the world who look forward to news and surprises.
To surprise and delight players through new experiences is a shared passion for Nintendo and The Pokémon Company. We will pursue all avenues to preserve surprises for players of future Pokémon titles."
[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=25-most-wanted-pokemon-not-in-sword-and-shield&captions=true"]
FNintendo has released its own statement on the matter, which admits to being the source of the leaks, and offers an apology. Here's FNintendo's statement:
"At the beginning of November, a series of off-screen photographs leaked multiple new and unannounced Pokémon from Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield. We want to take this opportunity to openly admit to our readers that FNintendo was responsible for leaking some of these photos.
Nintendo offered us a copy of the game for review purposes, with clear embargo guidelines, to which we agreed. This copy was then sent to one of our reviewers, who leaked the information. Following the investigation, FNintendo severed its relationship with this reviewer.
Our relationship with Nintendo Portugal dates back 11 years, but our part in this leak is a clear breach of the confidentiality agreement between us, and, as a result, a total breach of trust with Nintendo.
We recognise it is impermissible to break embargo guidelines and we failed to handle the review materials with sufficient care. We fully respect Nintendo's decision to cancel the confidentiality agreement between our companies as a result of this breach of trust, and accept that we will no longer receive products from Nintendo, nor will we be invited to attend their events.
We want to apologise to Nintendo and The Pokémon Company, and to our readers for letting them down."
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/01/09/pokemon-sword-and-shield-expansion-announced"]
It isn't just FNintendo that were hunted down by The Pokemon Company for leaking unannounced Pokemon. In late November 2019, the company announced it was after 4Chan and Discord users that leaked photos from the Sword and Shield strategy guide before it was released.
Then, in December 2019, The Pokemon Company said it had been given legal permission to pursue those leakers to the full extent of the law. This involved seeking financial reimbursement from the leakers and any legal punishment that is deemed appropriate by court.
It wasn't just Pokemon Sword and Shield that was subject to huge leaks last year either. We summed it all up in the biggest leaks of 2019, which includes some of the biggest game announcements in recent years alongside info on next-gen consoles.
[poilib element="accentDivider"]Chris Priestman is a freelancer who writes news for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.
Nintendo Publicly Cuts Ties With Game Publication After Pokemon Sword and Shield Leaks
Nintendo and The Pokemon Company have announced they will no longer work with a game publication after one of its reviewers leaked images of Pokemon Sword and Shield back in November 2019.
The reviewer worked for Portugese website FNintendo and received a copy of the Nintendo Switch game early. He then shared photos of the game online that revealed multiple Pokemon in Sword and Shield that were unannounced at the time.
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/11/13/pokemon-sword-and-pokemon-shield-review"]
Nintendo and The Pokemon Company discovered the source of these leaks and took immediate action. But now the two companies have gone further and announced in a statement released to press today that they've cut ties with that reviewer and FNintendo completely.
"Both he and FNintendo failed to handle confidential material, resulting in a clear breach of the confidentiality agreement between Nintendo and the media outlet. As a result, Nintendo will no longer work with FNintendo," reads the statement.
"Nintendo will always protect its intellectual property and brands. Leaks hurt not just Nintendo, but the thousands of employees who work hard to bring games to market, and the millions of fans around the world who look forward to news and surprises.
To surprise and delight players through new experiences is a shared passion for Nintendo and The Pokémon Company. We will pursue all avenues to preserve surprises for players of future Pokémon titles."
[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=25-most-wanted-pokemon-not-in-sword-and-shield&captions=true"]
FNintendo has released its own statement on the matter, which admits to being the source of the leaks, and offers an apology. Here's FNintendo's statement:
"At the beginning of November, a series of off-screen photographs leaked multiple new and unannounced Pokémon from Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield. We want to take this opportunity to openly admit to our readers that FNintendo was responsible for leaking some of these photos.
Nintendo offered us a copy of the game for review purposes, with clear embargo guidelines, to which we agreed. This copy was then sent to one of our reviewers, who leaked the information. Following the investigation, FNintendo severed its relationship with this reviewer.
Our relationship with Nintendo Portugal dates back 11 years, but our part in this leak is a clear breach of the confidentiality agreement between us, and, as a result, a total breach of trust with Nintendo.
We recognise it is impermissible to break embargo guidelines and we failed to handle the review materials with sufficient care. We fully respect Nintendo's decision to cancel the confidentiality agreement between our companies as a result of this breach of trust, and accept that we will no longer receive products from Nintendo, nor will we be invited to attend their events.
We want to apologise to Nintendo and The Pokémon Company, and to our readers for letting them down."
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/01/09/pokemon-sword-and-shield-expansion-announced"]
It isn't just FNintendo that were hunted down by The Pokemon Company for leaking unannounced Pokemon. In late November 2019, the company announced it was after 4Chan and Discord users that leaked photos from the Sword and Shield strategy guide before it was released.
Then, in December 2019, The Pokemon Company said it had been given legal permission to pursue those leakers to the full extent of the law. This involved seeking financial reimbursement from the leakers and any legal punishment that is deemed appropriate by court.
It wasn't just Pokemon Sword and Shield that was subject to huge leaks last year either. We summed it all up in the biggest leaks of 2019, which includes some of the biggest game announcements in recent years alongside info on next-gen consoles.
[poilib element="accentDivider"]Chris Priestman is a freelancer who writes news for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.
Joker Star Zazie Beetz Says DC Should Not ‘Milk’ a Sequel
Joker Star Zazie Beetz Says DC Should Not ‘Milk’ a Sequel
Watch the Official Trailer for Altered Carbon Season 2
Watch the Official Trailer for Altered Carbon Season 2
Square Enix’s Outriders Coming Holiday 2020
Square Enix’s Outriders Coming Holiday 2020
The Last of Us Part 2 Gets New Concept Art and Dynamic PS4 Theme
Naughty Dog has revealed new The Last of Us Part 2 collectible concept art, another Ellie statuette, and a PS4 dynamic theme that you can download right now - not to mention announcing the game's first public hands-on.
First off, the new concept art is said to explore the two sides of Ellie's journey throughout the game. As Naughty Dog puts it, "from the relative peace she’s found when the story begins to the relentless pursuit of vengeance that follows." You can download this concept art as wallpaper for any of your devices.
If you're into dynamic themes then there's now a The Last of Us Part 2 one available for PS4. It transitions from day to night based on your PS4's clock and is available for free on the PlayStation Store. You just need to enter the code that corresponds to your region (note that the codes expire on February 11, 2021).
Americas: 4FMP-BBNM-J5L3
Europe/AU/NZ/Russia/Middle East/Africa/India: 9DEK-PKNG-N445
If you want something more physical, you could always order the new art prints which will soon be available at Cook & Becker. Naughty Dog says these new prints are different to the ones that were released last year, so keep an eye out for those.
The other physical option is to pre-order the second The Last of Us Part 2 statuette that has been produced with Dark Horse. The first one had Ellie with a bow and arrow, but this second one makes her look much more vicious as she's angrily wielding a machete.
This statuette is having a limited production based on the number of pre-orders Dark Horse receives before March 13, 2020. So if you want one you'll need to order it before that date. Bear in mind that you can't order more than two per person.
The final announcement today is that the first-ever public demo of The Last of Us Part 2 will be available to play at PAX East 2020. "From 27th February until 1st March, attendees will have an opportunity to play “Patrol”, featuring an early area of the game where Ellie and Dina must venture out of Jackson into the surrounding areas to clear out infected," Naughty Dog said.
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/09/26/our-the-last-of-us-part-2-hands-on-impressions-deep-dive-beyond-episode-608"]
The demo is said to have an hour of gameplay altogether and will "provide just a small glimpse into what awaits you in the full game." This is the demo that we got to play last year so head over and read our The Last of Us Part 2 impressions to get an idea of what you'll experience, unless you want to avoid spoilers, of course.
IGN Game Scoop at PAX East
As if you needed another excuse to visit Boston at the end of the month, we'll be there doing a live recording of Game Scoop on Saturday, February 29 at 7:30 pm in the Dragonfly Theater. We'll also be out and about on the floor, and will most certainly be looking to talk to you about The Last of Us Part II, so if you're going to be there and you see one of us, make sure to say "hi!"The Last of Us Part II is due to come out for PS4 on May 29, 2020. Among many changes to the first game are dogs, which are much harder to kill than humans, it turns out.
[poilib element="accentDivider"]Chris Priestman is a freelancer who writes news for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.