Tag: Sony - Page 20
News Rise of the Ronin's Korean Release Cancelled Following Commentary Controversy
Pulled from PSN, along with marketing materials
If, like ourselves, you're only passingly familiar with the complex, extremely fraught history between Japan and Korea, you might have missed the significance of specific comments made by Rise of the Ronin director Fumuhiko Yasuda in a behind-the-scenes trailer released last week. We certainly did,...
Review Helldivers 2 (PS5) - The Best Co-Op Shooter on PS5
For Super Earth
Helldivers 2 is some of the best fun we've had with friends on PS5. It's a simple and broad statement to start a review with, but in many ways Helldivers 2 is a simple game. This satirical bug-squashing shooter has its upgrades and customisation, but it's at its best when you're holding the trigger and not letting go. This game knows...
News PS5 Goes for the Kill with New Discounts in Europe
In pursuit of 25 million target
Sony is still aiming to ship an impressive 25 million PS5 consoles this fiscal year, and it’s got a little over a month to achieve the milestone. Right across Europe, it’s currently discounting the price of the remodelled PS5 Slim, where in Italy you can get savings of up to €75 through 25th February. That makes...
News Helldivers 2 Is 'Blowing Through Estimates', Around 1 Million Sales In Less Than a Week
Doing your part
Across its opening weekend, it's clear that Helldivers 2 has been a big success. There are some launch period fires to put out, and developer Arrowhead is working on it, having already released patches for across PS5 and PC. However, despite the early issues, the co-op shooter has made a splash, quickly becoming Sony's biggest Steam...
News Games Should 'Earn the Right to Monetise', Says Helldivers 2 Director
Service guarantees citizenship
With the industry as volatile as it is, publishers and developers must find new ways to monetise and offer value to their players to keep them coming back. Released on Friday, Helldivers 2 from developer Arrowhead Studios had a massive weekend, doing things slightly differently from its competitors in the service...
News PS5 Outsold Xbox Series X|S Nearly Two to One, According to Take-Two Sales Data
The hits keep on coming
According to recently revealed sales data from publisher Take-Two, it looks like Sony's PS5 has outsold Microsoft's Xbox Series X|S by a factor of roughly 2:1. Microsoft stopped trumpeting console sales a while back, so getting to a concrete number requires taking a slightly circuitous route. As reported by GameSpot,...
News Helldivers 2 PS5 Patch Should Alleviate Server Strain, Progression Issue Persists
Stand firm, soldier
Helldivers 2 is proving to be a rousing success for developer Arrowhead Game Studios, but the chaotic cooperative shooter's launch has been marred by some persistent bugs (pardon the pun) and recurring issues; the good news is the recently deployed patch on PS5 and increased server capacity should help with matchmaking, but...
News Helldivers 2 Is Now Comfortably Sony's Biggest Ever PC Launch
Touches 120k concurrent players as weekend gets underway
We’ve got to be honest: this wasn’t on our bingo card for 2024 at all. Helldivers 2 has blown up big time, and it continues to climb the Steam most played charts, now peaking at almost 120k concurrent players – with presumably bigger numbers to follow as the weekend goes on. This means...
News The Last of Us 2 Remastered Europe's Best-Selling New Game of January, PS5 Sales Up
Wasn't for nothing
January seems to have been a strong month for Sony, at least in Europe. According to data pulled together by GamesIndustry, last month saw successes for the platform holder in terms of both software and hardware — not a bad way to kick off 2024. The Last of Us Part II Remastered did very well digitally and physically,...
News Sony Aggrieves Anime Fans by Erasing Digital Funimation Content in Crunchyroll Merger
Gone for good
Sony has single-handedly managed to p*ss off the entire anime community, as it’s announced plans to erase purchased digital content as part of Funimation’s merger with Crunchyroll. The Japanese giant effectively has a stranglehold on the popular form of media, as it owns all of the major streaming services and a chunk of content...
News Glimpse Rise of the Ronin's PS5-Powered Depiction of 1800s Japan
Black Ships on the horizon
Set during the disastrous final days of the Tokugawa Shogunate, Rise of the Ronin will take players to Bakamatsu-era Japan and arm them with an arsenal of early-modern weaponry. We got a new trailer and an accompanying PlayStation Blog write-up, shedding further light on the game's depiction of this pivotal moment in...
News Helldivers 2 Is Blowing Up, Sony's Biggest Ever PC Launch
Are you doing your part?
Despite some inevitable technical teething troubles, Helldivers 2 is blowing up on both PS5 and PC – with its Steam numbers outpacing those of even God of War. Not content with being the best-selling game on Valve’s popular storefront right now, the third-person shooter sequel peaked at about 81k players overnight,...
News Arrowhead Confirms Helldivers 2 PS5 Patch, Matchmaking Fixes Inbound
Help is on the way
Helldivers 2 experienced a somewhat chaotic descent from high orbit, deploying onto PS5 and PC simultaneously and paying for it, with players experiencing matchmaking issues and unable to link up with their comrades. Thankfully, developer Arrowhead is doing its part to keep the intergalactic war effort going. Confirmation of a...
Poll Are You Playing Helldivers 2?
Dive in
Helldivers 2 has arrived on PS5 (and PC!) with a bit of a bang. The co-op shooter appears to be quite popular already, rocketing up the Steam player charts and garnering a sizeable audience on streaming websites like Twitch. The question, then, is whether you're joining the Helldiver ranks and taking the fight to those big old bugs. We...
News Helldivers 2 Off to a Strong Start on PS5, PC, Currently Third Best-Selling Game on Steam
Over 50,000 concurrent players already
Helldivers 2 officially launches today, 8th February 2024, and it appears to be opening on a very strong footing. From what we can glean from publicly available data, Arrowhead's sci-fi co-op shooter seems to be performing very healthily on both PS5 and PC at this early stage. On the European PS Store, the...
Interview Shift Up on PS5's Highly Promising Stellar Blade
Korean dev details console debut
PlayStation fans have been frustrated by Sony’s seeming overemphasis on live service game development behind-the-scenes, but that makes Stellar Blade a real breath of fresh air. A staunchly single player PS5 character action title, it marks Korean developer Shift Up’s first foray into the world of consoles –...
News Huge Spider-Man 2 Update Adds New Game+, New Suits, More on 7th March
More features will be detailed soon
Insomniac Games has confirmed the long-awaited Marvel's Spider-Man 2 update that'll add New Game+, new suits, and much more will arrive on 7th March 2024. A tweet states a complete list of features will be shared closer to release, but until then, we know New Game+ and more Spider-Man suits are in. The...
Poll How Do You Feel About All of the Xbox Multiplatform Rumours?
A PlayStation perspective
While we use the word 'rumours' in the headline of this article, the reality of the situation is that it really does look like Xbox is making significant changes to its business strategy. Speculation is absolutely rampant at the time of writing, with numerous reports all coming to the same conclusion: Microsoft wants to...
News Helldivers 2 Pre-Orders Are Big on PS5, PC, Currently Outselling Palworld in US
Orbital barrage
Sony is launching Helldivers 2 this week on 8th February, 2024, and by the looks of it, the co-op shooter might be more popular than you think. From what can be gleaned from digital storefronts, the sci-fi shoot-'em-up seems to be killing it in terms of pre-orders. As noted by X user KAMI, the game is currently the top result for...
News Stellar Blade PS5 Pre-Orders Go Live, Two Versions to Choose From
Ahead of 26th April 2024 release date
Following on from its State of Play showing last week, Shift Up has opened pre-orders for Stellar Blade on the PS Store and at retailers worldwide. The PS5 exclusive is available in two versions: a £69.99 / $69.99 standard edition and also a £79.99 / $79.99 Digital Deluxe Edition. The game releases on 26th...
News PS5, PS4 First-Party Devs Won't Get Complacent Even if Competition Degrades
"We're driven by an internal desire to create the best work possible"
One of the big talking points emerging as part of Microsoft’s rumoured switch in strategy is that a reduction in competition could result in complacency from PlayStation and its army of first-party developers. The issue, according to some, is that if Xbox were to abandon its own...
News More Than 2,000 New PS5, PS4 Deals Dropped Tantalisingly onto PS Store
Cough up
Got a hole in your pocket? Well, over 2,000 fresh PS5 and PS4 deals have been deployed on the PS Store, which means any hopes you had of saving money at the start of the year are likely in tatters right now. The savings do include a lot of DLC, so keep that in mind – but you’re generally looking at some big discounts on slightly lower...
News Stellar Blade Director Says 'Korean NieR' Comparison Is a 'Great Honour'
But stresses that gameplay differs greatly
Even to casual fans of Yoko Taro's esoteric NieR franchise, the similarities to the upcoming and eagerly anticipated Stellar Blade are apparent—both feature flashy, action-based gameplay and buxom, blade-wielding protagonists, for starters. Rather than shy away from these comparisons, director Hyung-Tae...
News Evo 2024 Games Announced, Tekken 8 and Street Fighter 6 Headline
A new battle begins
The main games lineup for Evo 2024 has been revealed, and to the surprise of no one, Street Fighter 6 and Tekken 8 are the headline acts. Those heavy hitters will be joined by Guilty Gear Strive, Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising, Under Night In-Birth 2 , Mortal Kombat 1, King of Fighters XV, and
News Helldivers 2 Outlines the Story So Far in Stylish Trailer, Confirms Post-Launch Updates
For democracy
We're on the verge of launch day for Helldivers 2, the sci-fi co-op shooter hitting PS5 and PC this week. While the emphasis in the game is very much on the action, there is some semblance of a story behind all the carnage, and that's what this new trailer aims to convey, complete with a neat stylised look. The story details touched...
News MLB The Show 24's PS5, PS4 Collector's Edition Is Extremely Unique and Cool
Paper talk
MLB The Show 23 was half annual sports game, half historical documentary – and it looks like San Diego Studio is responding to all the positive feedback from its previous release, and doubling down in MLB The Show 24. Case in point: its extremely unique Collector’s Edition celebrates the voice of black newspapers and writers, who...
News Helldivers 2 PS5 Trophies Will Have You Doing Your Part for the Platinum
For Super Earth
Helldivers 2 is only a couple of days away at the time of writing, and it's looking more and more promising the closer we get. The third-person co-op shooter has players working as a team to eliminate alien threats using an array of powerful weaponry. It looks like it should scratch that mindless shooting-stuff itch, and you can work...
News New PS5 Firmware Beta Improves DualSense Sound, Adds Share Screen Interactions
Starting today
Sony has just announced a new PS5 firmware update that's going into public beta testing today. A selection of PS5 users will be invited via email to try out the firmware's new features before it's rolled out to everybody. Time to check those inboxes! So, what's the deal with this firmware beta? Well, it's not an enormous one, but...
News Stellar Blade Dev Considering Crossover Content with Saucy Smartphone Shooter NIKKE
"If that's what the users want"
NIKKE: Goddess of Victory, Korean developer Shift Up’s saucy gacha shooter, is one of the biggest mobile games on the planet, raking in upwards of $25 million per month according to Sensor Tower data. It’s always felt inevitable, then, that the studio will draw upon the game’s enormous audience to promote...
News Abusive Last of Us 2 Fans Allegedly Levelled Death Threats at Abby Actor's Newborn Son
Truly vile
One of the more heartbreaking revelations of Naughty Dog's recently released Grounded II: Making the Last of Us Part II documentary was the extent to which unwell The Last of Us fans took their grievances. The worst of it, according to Abby actor Laura Bailey, was "real hardcore death threats", some of which were even directed at Bailey's...
News Microsoft Has Apparently Been Stocking Up on PS5 Devkits as Xbox Pivots
Further fuel to the fire
While an enormous amount of attention has been placed on the games Microsoft is potentially bringing to PlayStation, reports also suggest the tech titan has been quietly stocking up on PS5 devkits to support its plans. Speculation comes courtesy of fan site Xbox Era, which broke the news Starfield may be coming to Sony’s...
News Stellar Blade's Japanese Dub Won't Be Available Worldwide, But Korean Will Be
English, Korean, and Japanese will be lip-synced
Stellar Blade’s big re-reveal during last week’s State of Play focused on its English dub, with many fans commenting they’d prefer to play the game in either Japanese or its native Korean. Speaking with developer Shift Up during an interview earlier today, we quizzed Game Director Hyung-Tae Kim...
News Sounds Like Naughty Dog's Next Game Won't Be The Last of Us 3
Or possibly the one after that
Naughty Dog recently released Grounded II: Making The Last of Us Part II, a two-hour documentary delving into the creation of the mammoth sequel. Full of in-progress footage and stories from development, It's well worth watching, and you can do so for free on YouTube. In its closing moments, Neil Druckmann says he has...
Rumour A PS5 Remake of Uncharted: Drake's Fortune Is Possibly on the Cards
Buried treasure?
The eternal churn of online scuttlebutt continues apace, and this time, our old pal Nathan Drake is said to be coming out of retirement. According to XboxEra's Nick Baker and John Clarke, the very first game in the series — Uncharted: Drake's Fortune — might be in the running for a PS5 remake. Speaking on their podcast, the...
Guide What Time Is the Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth State of Play?
Dates, times, and what to expect
When is the Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth State of Play? Sony has only just presented us with a bumper State of Play featuring various upcoming titles, but it closed the show with news that another edition would be coming very soon indeed. This latest State of Play will focus entirely on Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, the second...
News The Last of Us 2 Began Life as Open World Melee Epic Heavily Inspired by Bloodborne
May you find your worth in the waking world
With the release of Grounded II: Making The Last of Us Part II, fans have been given a unique insight into the challenges and triumphs developer Naughty Dog encountered while creating its violent sequel, The Last of Us Part II. One of the biggest genuine surprises was a few almost throwaway lines,...
News Kojima Confirms Mads Mikkelsen Won't Be Returning for Death Stranding 2
Stranded on the Beach
Iconic actor Mads Mikkelson will not be returning for Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, creator Hideo Kojima has confirmed, with the tragic tale of his character, Cliff Unger, having been resolved in the original Death Stranding.Kojima confirmed the news on Twitter in response to fan inquiries about the star returning...
News Friendly Fire at the Core of Helldivers 2, All for a Good Laugh and Chaos
And you can't turn it off
While bringing the camera close to your character is one of the biggest changes Helldivers 2 makes from the original, a feature that remains very much the same is friendly fire. If a teammate steps in the path of your own bullet barrage or laser beam, or is caught up in a missile strike, they'll sustain damage and could...
News Third-Person View Makes Helldivers 2 More Immersive, Better Game Feel
Original game still has its place
Probably the biggest change Helldivers 2 makes compared to the PS4 original is its camera perspective. Replacing the top-down view is an over-the-shoulder, third-person camera in the PS5, PC sequel, and this is designed to help you "feel more immersed in the experience". Speaking to assistant game director Sagar...
News The Last of Us 3 Probably Happening at Some Point in the Future
"Probably one more chapter to the story"
As part of the developer documentary covering how The Last of Us: Part II came to be, Neil Druckmann reveals he now has a "concept" for a third instalment in the series. It sounds like a third game is very far away, but now Druckmann has that concept after "years" of searching for it, he says there's...
Rumour PC, PS5 Versions of Media Molecule's Dreams Were Allegedly Real, Cancelled
PC version was "ready to ship"
Dreams remains a tremendous hub for imaginative players (and is home to some truly excellent creations), but the underplayed PS4 exclusive will, sadly, remain a PS4 exclusive. Outcry from fans about the game's potential were it to be released on more platforms — particularly PC — have been around since the start,...
News The Last of Us 2's Dev Documentary Grounded II Available to Watch Now
Two hours of development insight
As announced last month, Naughty Dog has put together a new documentary that provides a deep dive into the making of The Last of Us: Part II, and it's available for viewing now. You can either watch it on YouTube — the video is up above — or you can download a new patch for The Last of Us 2 Remastered on PS5 and...
News Live-Service Content in Helldivers 2 Likened to D&D, Will React to PS5, PC Players
Items will never be removed from the game
Just like many other multiplayer experiences on the market, Helldivers 2 will be supported long past its PS5 launch with new content to play and items to earn. However, Arrowhead Studios is not simply producing fixed content drops it can plan for months down the line; rather, it sees itself as a D&D game...
News A Marvel's Spider-Man Glitch Nearly Found Its Way into Across the Spider-Verse Movie
Getting heated
Sony has just released a pretty interesting video as part of its Creator to Creator series. Available to watch on YouTube, it's part one of a conversation between various creative leads on two beloved Spider-Man projects — Marvel's Spider-Man 2 from Insomniac Games, and Sony Pictures Animation's Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse...
Rumour A New PlayStation Handheld Console Reportedly in the Works
We wish
Following the PlayStation Vita's relatively poor commercial performance, it's never really seemed likely that Sony would return to the handheld space. In a world where smartphones are already everywhere and development budgets and timescales are ballooning, a dedicated handheld console seems like the last thing Sony would focus on. However,...
"Don't do this."
Members of the Insomniac Games development team have been forced to speak out against the online abuse they are receiving over the lack of Marvel's Spider-Man 2 updates. The problem was first brought to light by advanced senior community manager Aaron Jason Espinoza, who tweeted: "Sending violent threats to game developers over game...
Preview Helldivers 2 Utterly Revels in Its Chaotic Bug Battles
Hands on with Sony's new shooter
The jury's still out on whether Sony's live-service push will prove fruitful or not, but Helldivers 2 at least gets it off on the front foot. The satisfying addictiveness of the Arrowhead Game Studios follow-up will see it fit perfectly in a rotation of other online and single player titles, circumventing the pull of...
News Kojima's Bizarre PS5 Death Stranding 2 Trailer Gets the Meme Treatment
Another weird little guy to obsess over
At yesterday's State of Play showcase, Hideo Kojima unveiled new gameplay for and officially confirmed the title of Death Stranding 2: On the Beach. As was the case with the original Death Stranding, it watches like a fever dream, dredged from the deepest recesses of Kojima's imagination. According to the...
News Gran Turismo Sport's Last Ever PS4 Patch Enables Offline Saves
Preserving offline play forever
Gran Turismo Sport, controversially, tied save files to a server – raising understandable preservation concerns, in addition to an abundance of other issues. However, as Polyphony Digital has terminated the title’s online services, it’s released one final patch which will allow existing owners to save their...
News Could Sony, Hideo Kojima's Physint Be the First Announced PS6 Game?
He even says it's for the "next generation"
Considering that Kojima Productions is nowhere near the biggest developer in the world, it seems absurdly busy at the moment. The Japanese team has Death Stranding 2: On the Beach slated for 2025, it's collaborating with Xbox on OD, and now there's a new IP in the works funded by Sony. That is a lot of...
