A new console generation is almost here, but even though there are flashes of the old console rivalry with the imminent release of the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5, Xbox boss Phil Spencer says he’s more worried about Amazon and Google. In an interview with Protocol, Spencer explained how Microsoft and Xbox “see Amazon and Google as the Main competitors going forward.” This is because those tech companies both have top-end global cloud infrastructure, which Microsoft also has thanks to its Azure platform. “I don’t want to be in a fight over format wars with [Nintendo and Sony] while Amazon and Google are focusing on how to get gaming to 7 billion people around the world. Ultimately, that’s the goal.” [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=igns-top-25-xbox-one-games&captions=true"] Cloud infrastructure is a multi-billion dollar industry led by companies like Amazon Web Services, Google Cloud, and Microsoft Azure. Although cloud technology is used for a variety of different services, like web hosting, the technology has been incorporated into gaming as well. Google Stadia uses Google’s cloud technology to stream games to homes, as does Xbox’s Project xCloud with Azure. In 2019, Microsoft and Sony announced a joint agreement that would allow the two companies to work together on developing “future cloud solutions in Microsoft Azure to support their respective game and content-streaming services.” The agreement could pave the way for Sony to use Microsoft’s Azure data centers to power its streaming services. There are rumors that Nintendo is also looking to work with Microsoft’s Azure on streaming. While Sony and Microsoft are considering the imminent launch of each other company’s console, as Sony says when the company recently talked about pricing for the PS5, it appears that Microsoft is looking beyond hardware and sees cloud services as a new battleground. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/11/22/google-stadia-review"] “That’s not to disrespect Nintendo and Sony, but traditional gaming companies are somewhat out of position,” says Spencer. “I guess they could try to re-create Azure, but we’ve invested tens of billions of dollars in cloud over the years.” Check out IGN’s Console Watch 2020 series for more on next-gen news. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Kim is a reporter for IGN. You can reach him on Twitter.

A new console generation is almost here, but even though there are flashes of the old console rivalry with the imminent release of the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5, Xbox boss Phil Spencer says he’s more worried about Amazon and Google. In an interview with Protocol, Spencer explained how Microsoft and Xbox “see Amazon and Google as the Main competitors going forward.” This is because those tech companies both have top-end global cloud infrastructure, which Microsoft also has thanks to its Azure platform. “I don’t want to be in a fight over format wars with [Nintendo and Sony] while Amazon and Google are focusing on how to get gaming to 7 billion people around the world. Ultimately, that’s the goal.” [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=igns-top-25-xbox-one-games&captions=true"] Cloud infrastructure is a multi-billion dollar industry led by companies like Amazon Web Services, Google Cloud, and Microsoft Azure. Although cloud technology is used for a variety of different services, like web hosting, the technology has been incorporated into gaming as well. Google Stadia uses Google’s cloud technology to stream games to homes, as does Xbox’s Project xCloud with Azure. In 2019, Microsoft and Sony announced a joint agreement that would allow the two companies to work together on developing “future cloud solutions in Microsoft Azure to support their respective game and content-streaming services.” The agreement could pave the way for Sony to use Microsoft’s Azure data centers to power its streaming services. There are rumors that Nintendo is also looking to work with Microsoft’s Azure on streaming. While Sony and Microsoft are considering the imminent launch of each other company’s console, as Sony says when the company recently talked about pricing for the PS5, it appears that Microsoft is looking beyond hardware and sees cloud services as a new battleground. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/11/22/google-stadia-review"] “That’s not to disrespect Nintendo and Sony, but traditional gaming companies are somewhat out of position,” says Spencer. “I guess they could try to re-create Azure, but we’ve invested tens of billions of dollars in cloud over the years.” Check out IGN’s Console Watch 2020 series for more on next-gen news. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Kim is a reporter for IGN. You can reach him on Twitter.

Snake Eyes star Henry Golding has revealed a new photo from the set of the G.I. Joe movie. This new image gives fans their first glimpse of how the iconic ninja hero will look in the prequel. Golding posted the photo on his Instagram account, along with the message, "Because its my birthday today and I'm playing Snake Eyes... Here's your first look." Check it out below: The photo appears to show Golding's Snake Eyes in full training garb making his way to a temple. Production shifted from Vancouver to Japan in January 2020, so we're probably seeing a glimpse of a scene where Snake Eyes is training to become a member of the Arashikage Clan. This photo is also noteworthy because it shows a small glimpse of the character's unmasked head, a significant deviation from the usual G.I. Joe formula. Golding recently confirmed fans will see Snake Eyes' face in the movie, describing it as essential in order for fans to connect with the character. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=snake-eyes-movie-every-confirmed-actor-and-character&captions=true"] “Snake Eyes was always seen as a weapon, as almost an inanimate object," said Golding at a press junket. "But when you get to see someone’s eyes you get to see that past, their future, the personality behind that.” Snake Eyes is being directed by Robert Schwentke. The cast also includes Andrew Koji as his Cobra rival Storm Shadow, Iko Uwais as Hard Master, Ursula Corbero as Baroness, and Samara Weaving as Scarlett. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/01/10/snake-eyes-henry-golding-on-why-its-important-to-show-him-without-his-mask"] Snakes is slated to hit theaters on October 23, 2020. It's one of nearly 60 movies we're geeking out over in 2020. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter.

Snake Eyes star Henry Golding has revealed a new photo from the set of the G.I. Joe movie. This new image gives fans their first glimpse of how the iconic ninja hero will look in the prequel. Golding posted the photo on his Instagram account, along with the message, "Because its my birthday today and I'm playing Snake Eyes... Here's your first look." Check it out below: The photo appears to show Golding's Snake Eyes in full training garb making his way to a temple. Production shifted from Vancouver to Japan in January 2020, so we're probably seeing a glimpse of a scene where Snake Eyes is training to become a member of the Arashikage Clan. This photo is also noteworthy because it shows a small glimpse of the character's unmasked head, a significant deviation from the usual G.I. Joe formula. Golding recently confirmed fans will see Snake Eyes' face in the movie, describing it as essential in order for fans to connect with the character. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=snake-eyes-movie-every-confirmed-actor-and-character&captions=true"] “Snake Eyes was always seen as a weapon, as almost an inanimate object," said Golding at a press junket. "But when you get to see someone’s eyes you get to see that past, their future, the personality behind that.” Snake Eyes is being directed by Robert Schwentke. The cast also includes Andrew Koji as his Cobra rival Storm Shadow, Iko Uwais as Hard Master, Ursula Corbero as Baroness, and Samara Weaving as Scarlett. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/01/10/snake-eyes-henry-golding-on-why-its-important-to-show-him-without-his-mask"] Snakes is slated to hit theaters on October 23, 2020. It's one of nearly 60 movies we're geeking out over in 2020. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter.

Masahiro Sakurai, the director of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, agrees with fans that there are too many Fire Emblem and sword-based characters in the game. As posted by Ryokutya2089, a column in Japanese magazine Famitsu saw Sakurai discuss the current situation with Super Smash Bros. Ultimate’s character roster. “I know it as well. There are too many Fire Emblem characters,” he said. “And too many swordsmen. But when something’s decided, I move ahead with it.” [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/01/30/super-smash-bros-ultimate-byleth-dlc-review"] He also explained that the choice is out of his hands when it comes to new characters. “New fighters aren’t decided by my preference, but are put forward by Nintendo,” he said. While Sakurai recognises the large number of sword fighters in Ultimate, he hopes they all offer something individual. “Because there are too many swordsmen, we designed tactics only for that fighter.” he said, explaining that incorporating the heritage of fighters through three weapon choices is an example of this. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=every-super-smash-bros-ultimate-fighter&captions=true"] At the end of January Nintendo announced that Fire Emblem: Three Houses protagonist Byleth was being added to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, and the character was met with a less-than-happy response from the fan base. While the fighter is an easy pick-up-and-play character worth checking out, it’s easy to see why Sakurai has felt it important to discuss the situation with fans in his Famitsu column. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Purslow is IGN's UK News and Entertainment Writer. You can follow him on Twitter. 

Masahiro Sakurai, the director of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, agrees with fans that there are too many Fire Emblem and sword-based characters in the game. As posted by Ryokutya2089, a column in Japanese magazine Famitsu saw Sakurai discuss the current situation with Super Smash Bros. Ultimate’s character roster. “I know it as well. There are too many Fire Emblem characters,” he said. “And too many swordsmen. But when something’s decided, I move ahead with it.” [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/01/30/super-smash-bros-ultimate-byleth-dlc-review"] He also explained that the choice is out of his hands when it comes to new characters. “New fighters aren’t decided by my preference, but are put forward by Nintendo,” he said. While Sakurai recognises the large number of sword fighters in Ultimate, he hopes they all offer something individual. “Because there are too many swordsmen, we designed tactics only for that fighter.” he said, explaining that incorporating the heritage of fighters through three weapon choices is an example of this. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=every-super-smash-bros-ultimate-fighter&captions=true"] At the end of January Nintendo announced that Fire Emblem: Three Houses protagonist Byleth was being added to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, and the character was met with a less-than-happy response from the fan base. While the fighter is an easy pick-up-and-play character worth checking out, it’s easy to see why Sakurai has felt it important to discuss the situation with fans in his Famitsu column. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Purslow is IGN's UK News and Entertainment Writer. You can follow him on Twitter. 

You probably know who Grammy award-winning singer Billie Eilish is. But do you know who her mom is and, more importantly, did you know that she's been in a number of video games?

This was brought to light after a tweet from Guild Wars 2 composer Maclaine Diemer went viral that mentioned Billie Eilish's mom, whose name is Maggie Baird, plays Samara in Mass Effect 2 and 3.

[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2009/11/30/mass-effect-2-xbox-360-trailer-samara-demo"]

Samara is the blue-skinned Asari Justicar who you can have as a squadmate and also romance so long as you veer on the paragon side of morality. So that might mean you romanced Billie Eilish's mom in Mass Effect.

Baird is primarily an actor for film and television, having appeared in the likes of The X-Files, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Bones, and Eragon. She also wrote, co-produced, and made the soundtrack for the 2013 film Life Inside Out.

But Baird has also been a voice actor for games since at least 1999 when she played a role in the hybrid tank/FPS game Battlezone II: Combat Commander. Since then, she's played Anezka in Vampire: The Masquerade - Redemption, Amni Rhyza in Rogue Squadron, and been a voice in EverQuest II.

[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=best-games-of-the-2010s&captions=true"]

She then went on to give her voice to a Stilwater Resident in Saints Row, and was various characters in Saints Row 2. Other than playing Samara in Mass Effect 2 and Mass Effect 3, she also did additional voices for Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII.

It was recently announced that Billie Eilish will perform the title song for No Time to Die. That makes her the youngest artist in history to write and record a Bond song.

[poilib element="accentDivider"]

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

You probably know who Grammy award-winning singer Billie Eilish is. But do you know who her mom is and, more importantly, did you know that she's been in a number of video games?

This was brought to light after a tweet from Guild Wars 2 composer Maclaine Diemer went viral that mentioned Billie Eilish's mom, whose name is Maggie Baird, plays Samara in Mass Effect 2 and 3.

[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2009/11/30/mass-effect-2-xbox-360-trailer-samara-demo"]

Samara is the blue-skinned Asari Justicar who you can have as a squadmate and also romance so long as you veer on the paragon side of morality. So that might mean you romanced Billie Eilish's mom in Mass Effect.

Baird is primarily an actor for film and television, having appeared in the likes of The X-Files, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Bones, and Eragon. She also wrote, co-produced, and made the soundtrack for the 2013 film Life Inside Out.

But Baird has also been a voice actor for games since at least 1999 when she played a role in the hybrid tank/FPS game Battlezone II: Combat Commander. Since then, she's played Anezka in Vampire: The Masquerade - Redemption, Amni Rhyza in Rogue Squadron, and been a voice in EverQuest II.

[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=best-games-of-the-2010s&captions=true"]

She then went on to give her voice to a Stilwater Resident in Saints Row, and was various characters in Saints Row 2. Other than playing Samara in Mass Effect 2 and Mass Effect 3, she also did additional voices for Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII.

It was recently announced that Billie Eilish will perform the title song for No Time to Die. That makes her the youngest artist in history to write and record a Bond song.

[poilib element="accentDivider"]

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

Nioh 2’s director has revealed that developer Team Ninja is already thinking about making its next game. What’s more, Team Ninja says they’re aware that there is an appetite for more Ninja Gaiden games and that, coincidentally, they’ve been inspired by a recent wave of ninja-themed video games themselves. Team Ninja is a development cell within Koei Tecmo known for games like Ninja Gaiden and Dead or Alive. During a recent preview event for Nioh 2, IGN was able to sit down with the game’s director, Fumihiko Yasuda, who revealed that the core members of the Nioh 2 dev team worked on Ninja Gaiden, and they want to make a new game soon, maybe another in the ninja-genre.

[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=2020-platform-exclusives&captions=true"]

“The core members of the team that worked on Ninja Gaiden want to make a new game,” said Yasuda. “We are aware that some fans wanted Ninja Gaiden more than Nioh 2. Now we see a lot of ninja games like [Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice] as well, and we see a lot of good inspirations in those games, so we hope to deliver some good news one day.” While Yasuda doesn’t outright confirm a new Ninja Gaiden game is in development, he does confirm that Team Ninja is aware of the request from fans for a new Ninja Gaiden game and that they have a lot of new ideas about the genre from recent titles. Yasuda cites From Software’s Sekiro, which was about a ninja swordsman on a mission to rescue his lord from usurpers. And while Yasuda didn’t mention these other games, there are other ninja titles in development like Sucker Punch’s Ghost of Tsushima. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/01/23/nioh-2-story-trailer"] There hasn’t been an official Ninja Gaiden game since 2012’s Ninja Gaiden 3 (not counting the 2014 spinoff Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z). But it seems like a real gold rush for ninja games, so if one of the OGs in the genre wants to stage a comeback, there’s plenty of excitement for them to do so. Meanwhile, you can read IGN’s Nioh 2 preview here and check out our for our impressions of Team Ninja’s upcoming sequel to the surprise 2017 hit. The original Nioh was a more souls-like RPG from Team Ninja, and for Nioh 2 the developers are creating a prequel. Read our Nioh review here. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Kim is a reporter for IGN. You can reach him on Twitter.

Nioh 2’s director has revealed that developer Team Ninja is already thinking about making its next game. What’s more, Team Ninja says they’re aware that there is an appetite for more Ninja Gaiden games and that, coincidentally, they’ve been inspired by a recent wave of ninja-themed video games themselves. Team Ninja is a development cell within Koei Tecmo known for games like Ninja Gaiden and Dead or Alive. During a recent preview event for Nioh 2, IGN was able to sit down with the game’s director, Fumihiko Yasuda, who revealed that the core members of the Nioh 2 dev team worked on Ninja Gaiden, and they want to make a new game soon, maybe another in the ninja-genre.

[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=2020-platform-exclusives&captions=true"]

“The core members of the team that worked on Ninja Gaiden want to make a new game,” said Yasuda. “We are aware that some fans wanted Ninja Gaiden more than Nioh 2. Now we see a lot of ninja games like [Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice] as well, and we see a lot of good inspirations in those games, so we hope to deliver some good news one day.” While Yasuda doesn’t outright confirm a new Ninja Gaiden game is in development, he does confirm that Team Ninja is aware of the request from fans for a new Ninja Gaiden game and that they have a lot of new ideas about the genre from recent titles. Yasuda cites From Software’s Sekiro, which was about a ninja swordsman on a mission to rescue his lord from usurpers. And while Yasuda didn’t mention these other games, there are other ninja titles in development like Sucker Punch’s Ghost of Tsushima. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/01/23/nioh-2-story-trailer"] There hasn’t been an official Ninja Gaiden game since 2012’s Ninja Gaiden 3 (not counting the 2014 spinoff Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z). But it seems like a real gold rush for ninja games, so if one of the OGs in the genre wants to stage a comeback, there’s plenty of excitement for them to do so. Meanwhile, you can read IGN’s Nioh 2 preview here and check out our for our impressions of Team Ninja’s upcoming sequel to the surprise 2017 hit. The original Nioh was a more souls-like RPG from Team Ninja, and for Nioh 2 the developers are creating a prequel. Read our Nioh review here. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Kim is a reporter for IGN. You can reach him on Twitter.