Tag: Sony - Page 3
News After a Tough Few Months, Sony Says It'll Keep Making PS5 Live Service Games
Searching for ways to evolve revenue streams
In a devastating statement issued today, Sony announced the closure of two studios it acquired under co-CEO Hermen Hulst’s tenure – but it’s not deterred it from chasing the live service gravy train. The
News Sony Shuts PS Studio Neon Koi without Ever Releasing a Game
Swimming with the fishes
In addition to shutting down Concord developer Firewalk Studios, the Japanese giant has also closed German developer Neon Koi. This lesser known team was originally purchased as Savage Game Studios in 2022, with the intention of making mobile games.
News PS5, PC Flop Concord Never Returning, Studio Closed Down
Crash landing
In a devastating PS Studios update, bigwig Hermen Hulst has confirmed that following a period of consultation, PS5 and PC gigaflop Concord will never be returning and developer Firewalk Studios has been closed down. According to Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier, around 172 people will lose their jobs, although Sony does say it’s trying...
Random Forward-Thinking PlayStation Gamer Spends $2,000 on 24 Years of PS Plus
To avoid Sony's frequent price-hikes
It's one thing to proclaim you will be one of the PlayStation faithful for life and quite another to drop a cool two grand on banking PS Plus subscriptions. That's exactly what one power user has done "because of the absurd price increases the past few years", ensuring their access to Sony's Premium online...
News PS5 Slim 30th Anniversary Console Restock Expected Today in the US
Get em' while they're hot
It looks like Sony is restocking the PS5 Slim Digital—30th Anniversary Bundle in the hours to come, but so far, this replenishment is for American customers only. Spotted by the ever-watchful billbil-kun (thanks, VGC), it looks like additional inventory will b
News Cash Rewards Still Unavailable for Millions in PS5, PS4 Rewards Scheme PS Stars
No update from organisation
Update (26th October, 2024): It’s been several days since cash rewards first started disappearing from the PS Stars app for millions around the world, and the issue still hasn’t been fixed. As of the time of writing, in the UK, we still can’t exchange our points for PSN credit, and many remain in the same situation...
News Spider-Man 2, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart PS5 Pro Updates Include Ray Tracing Toggles
The time is nigh
The ever-industrious Insomniac Games has joined a handful of other first-party PS Studios in releasing its PS5 Pro patches ahead of the console’s launch next month. Both the excellent Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 and Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart have new updates available, incorporating support for Sony’s supercharged new system,...
News Xbox Fans Really Want a Port of PS5, PC Hit Helldivers 2
Arrowhead claims it "could" happen
There’s often this recurring sentiment within the gaming industry that whatever strategy Xbox is following, Sony must follow it too. Many of you will recall, at the height of Game Pass’ popularity, PlayStation was put under intense pressure to replicate the business model or risk losing its market position...
News Silence Dissenters with Helldivers 2's Truth Enforcer's Warbond on PS5, PC
You can't handle the truth
Helldivers 2 is seemingly returning to a more traditional style of Warbond with the imminent Truth Enforcers, which is all about enforcing Super Earth's will. Embrace your authoritarian side when this one arrives on PS5 and PC on 31st October. Truth Enforcers offers two primary weapons designed for efficient crowd...
Reminder You Must Accept PS Stars Terms of Service to Keep Earning Points
Just get it done
This is a quick reminder to point out you must accept the new Terms of Service for PS Stars within the app on your phone otherwise you will cease earning rewards. PS Plus members who have an active PS Stars account can earn points on every PS Store purchase, which can be exchanged for digital collectibles and cash rewards. The...
News Sony's Japan Studio 'Forgot What It Feels Like to Have a Hit'
Shawn Layden wasn't surprised by closure
Sony’s shuttered Japan Studio, a much-loved team by PlayStation enthusiasts, was not a hit factory when it closed. The developer worked on numerous fan-favourite franchises – like Gravity Rush and Ape Escape – but many of these failed to resonate commercially, and the department was infamously chaotic...
News Astro Bot PS5 Update Adds Second Free Speedrun Stage, Available Now
Let It Slide
Team Asobi has just released a new game update for Astro Bot, adding the second of five free speedrun stages to the game. The update is approximately 386 MB, so it won't take you long to download. This level, named Let It Slide, has you traversing an icy set of platforms using the elephant power-up to produce your own. In addition to...
Random Killzone Superfans Want to License the IP from Sony
"We promise, we won't disappoint"
The creators of a Killzone fanzine have appealed to Sony to license the intellectual property to them, promising “we won’t disappoint”. Following comments made by Guerrilla’s art director Roy Postma, in which he implied the team was “done with” the first-person shooter franchise, the British-based...
News Layoffs Reported at Horizon MMO Developer NCSoft
Aloy's mobile adventure likely impacted
South Korean developer NCSoft has cut an unspecified number of jobs, with unannounced projects and support functions being cancelled or otherwise reduced due to its "deteriorating" financial situation. The company, which just released the MMO Throne and Liberty on PS5, struck a deal with Sony a couple of years...
News Horizon Zero Dawn PS5 Is an Absolutely Insane Upgrade
Update: Digital Foundry deep dive reveals even more
Update: Just as these Horizon Zero Dawn comparisons emerged on Reddit, tech experts Digital Foundry have published an exhaustive 20-minute deep dive into the remaster. A lot of the content is as you’d expect: this is an absolutely tremendous upgrade from Nixxes, which significantly transforms the...
News PS5 Pro Patch Incoming for Helldivers 2
Console target acquired
Helldivers 2 has been added to the list of All PS5 Pro Enhanced Games, as the Arrowhead Studios community manager Twinbeard confirms via Discord there'll be "differences between the current PS5 and the Pro versions". However, it does sound like this PS5 Pro patch might not be ready for the console's release on 7th November...
News The Latest PS5 Firmware Update Is Available Now, Tweaks Activity Cards
What does version 24.07-10.20.00 do?
Sony has released a new system software update for PS5. Bringing the firmware to version 24.07-10.20.00, this isn't a major one, but it's a little more than the usual stability update. Coming in at just over 1.3 GB, here are the official patch notes for this latest firmware: Activities now display as In...
News LEGO Pitched the Brilliant LEGO Horizon Adventures to Sony
Not the other way around
There’s a strange, recurring sentiment within the PlayStation community that Horizon is getting too many games – but it’s LEGO who came up with the idea of LEGO Horizon Adventures. You may recall Guerrilla and the Danish brick manufacturer collaborating on an awesome Tallneck set a few years ago; this sparked an idea...
News PS5 Pro Patch for The Last of Us 2 Remastered Already Available Now
You just can't use it yet
Naughty Dog has dropped its PS5 Pro patch for The Last of Us 2 Remastered a whole two weeks before the upgraded Sony system is even available, updating the game to version number 1.2.0. Of course, you're not going to actually feel the effects of the patch if you download it to a base PS5, but there are some tweaks and fixes...
News PlayStation, Bungie Still Going Ahead with Internal Live Service Team
Will support all of Sony's live-service titles
There's been little mention of the "SIE Live Service Centre of Excellence" since Sony acquired Destiny 2 team Bungie a few years ago, but it still sounds like the initiative is going ahead in some form. Bridget O'Neill, a lead figure at Bungie Creative Studios, has shared her team will be joining...
News Sony's Guerrilla Sounds Completely Done with the Killzone Series
"We were done with it as a team"
If there ever is to be another Killzone title out of Sony in the future, you probably should not expect it to come out of the series' original developer Guerrilla Games. Having shifted focus to its more vibrant Horizon series following PS4 launch game Killzone: Shadow Fall, the studio's art director Roy Postma has...
News Naughty Dog's Next Game Will Reportedly Put More of a Focus on 'Player Freedom'
Spoiled for choice
In huge news for fans tired of its cinematic schtick, developer Naughty Dog's next game will reportedly feature "a lot of player freedom". That's according to a tantalising tidbit from MinnMax founder Ben Hanson and "somebody very in the know, who worked on the game". Transcribed by VGC, Hanson relayed word of one of the several...
News Construction Complete on LEGO Horizon Adventures as Game Goes Gold
Available soon on PS5, Switch, and PC
Guerrilla Games has announced its latest title, LEGO Horizon Adventures, has now gone gold. Co-developed by Studio Gobo, the plastic retelling of Aloy's first quest is now ready to roll, as confirmed on social media: Going gold basically means that development of the base game is done, and it's ready for...
News Like It or Not, This Is Why PS5 Pro Doesn't Have a Disc Drive
Digital ratio increases again on PS5
Update: Games Industry.biz’s Chris Dring has added to the US data points below with trends in Europe. While the methodology is not identical to the one employed by Mat Piscatella and excludes some countries like the UK, he reports that around 68% of “AA and AAA” PS5 game sales were digital in Europe this...
News Horizon's Sylens Will Be Recast Following the Passing of Lance Reddick
Starting with LEGO Horizon Adventures
One of the most complex and beloved characters in Guerrilla Games' Horizon series is Sylens, whose alliances shift in his pursuit of knowledge. He's played by Lance Reddick in both Horizon Zero Dawn and Horizon Forbidden West, but after the actor's passing in 2023, fans have been left wondering what will happen...
Preview LEGO Horizon Adventures Is Looking Like the Best LEGO Game Yet
A-toy
LEGO, the versatile Danish toy, has been converted into dozens of great games. Most recently, we’ve enjoyed LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga and the Minecraft-inspired LEGO Fortnite. But if we’re being brutally honest, after just shy of 90 minutes of play, LEGO Horizon Adventures is already looking like a standout for the blocky brand...
Poll One Year Later, How Would You Rate Marvel's Spider-Man 2 on PS5?
Double trouble
It's been one whole year since the release of Marvel's Spider-Man 2 as a PS5 exclusive. The much-hyped sequel had big shoes to fill given how beloved its predecessor was, and for the most part, it seemed to match expectations. Reviews were incredibly positive, and the title ended up winning some Game of the Year awards a couple of...
News PS5 Pro's Proprietary Upscaler PSSR Is Looking Very Promising
And that bodes well for PS6
While it’s still extremely early days for Sony’s proprietary machine learning-based upscaler PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution (PSSR), it’s already beginning to look like the Japanese giant’s done an outstanding job. An in-depth Digital Foundry comparison, which pits the tech against AMD’s alternative...
News Some Marvel's Spider-Man 2 PS5 Fans Are Furious It's Not Getting DLC
"A really bad decision"
There are some fans of Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 who are absolutely irate the game is not getting any DLC expansions. Insomniac Games never explicitly announced any additional content for the game, but without getting into the weeds of stolen information, the big hack that impacted the developer did mention plans for...
News Spider-Man 2 Won't Receive Any PS5 Story DLC
Insomniac pretty much moves on
Insomniac Games has effectively confirmed it's now moved on from development of Marvel's Spider-Man 2 and major post-launch support as it states in a PlayStation Blog post that it's not working on any story DLC for the follow-up. As it reveals a PC version of the game will release on 30th January 2025, it also states:...
News Marvel's Spider-Man 2 Web Swings to PC in January 2025
Port work done by Nixxes Software
Sony has announced Marvel's Spider-Man 2 as its next PC port, arriving on Steam and the Epic Games Store early next year on 30th January 2025. PC specialist studio Nixxes has "optimised" the PS5 title for PC, and you can catch the first slice of footage in the trailer above. As is standard now, a PSN account will be...
News Boy! Sony and Amazon to Start from Scratch on God of War TV Show
Turns out television is tough
Sony’s been doing a good job adapting its flagship franchises into TV shows and movies, with the likes of The Last of Us, Twisted Metal, and Gran Turismo all doing decently. But recently it hit a snag with Netflix’s take on Horizon, and now
Poll Are You Using the PS5's New Welcome Hub?
Welcome one and all
Most PS5 users should now have access to the 'Welcome' hub — a customisable screen that sits on your console's home menu, which basically just gives you a bunch of PS5 features at a glance. You can choose to see your friends list, your friends' recent game-related activities, your Trophy count, your controller's battery...
News Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered Sounds Like a Ridiculously Good PS5 Upgrade
Above and beyond
Nixxes didn’t need to go this hard, but it did anyway. The team – renowned for its PC conversions – is now a PlayStation first-party, and it’s been quietly collaborating with Guerrilla on Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered for some time. The results, when you consider this a $10 upgrade for existing owners, sound extraordinary...
News Astro Bot's First Speedrun Level Is Out Now in Free PS5 Game Update, More to Come Later
Building Speed is here
Update (17/10/24): Building Speed, the first speedrun DLC level for Astro Bot, is now available on PS5. You'll need to update your game to the latest version, installing a patch that's just shy of 2GB. A further four speedrun levels will be released on a weekly basis, as outlined below. Original Story: Team Asobi has...
News Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart Showcases the Problem with Sony's Games on PS5 Pro
Spot the difference
As an old games media meme once pointed out, the problem with Sony’s games is they’re too good. Okay, we’re being facetious, but there’s a nugget of truth here when it comes to the PS5 Pro, as this analysis of Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart illustrates. Ultimately, the problem is the game already looks incredible on base...
News Bank Balances Beware! Over 1,000 Ghoulish PS5, PS4 Games Discounted for Halloween
Scared into submission
Halloween is upon us, which means the nights are drawing in and there are creepy-crawlies hiding in every corner. There’s also danger for your bank balance, as Sony has rolled out another enormous PS Store sale, this time largely focused on over 1,000 ghoulish games. While the platform holder is stretching the definition of...
News PS5's New Welcome Page Rolling Out to UK Accounts
Last but not least
More than a month after the USA and one week following the European rollout, PS5 owners in the UK are now beginning to see the new Welcome page appear on their console's home screen. Designed as a quick look at everything going on concerning your friends, PlayStation itself, and your system's battery lives, the widget should...
News Until Dawn's Movie Lives to See Another Day on 25th April
That ain't far away
Sony has tagged its upcoming Until Dawn movie with a 25th April, 2025 release date, after filming concluded earlier this month. The film, directed by Lights Out’s David F. Sandberg, features a script penned by Annabelle’s Gary Dauberman. The movie will mostly host an all-new cast of rising stars, but Swedish star Peter...
News PlayStation Going on Tour in Musical Concert Next Year, Music from Sony's Biggest Games
Tickets go on sale tomorrow
Sony has today announced PlayStation The Concert, a world tour of musical pieces taken from some of the biggest and best PlayStation titles. The show includes performances from God of War, The Last of Us, Ghost of Tsushima, Horizon, and "many others that reflect our 30 years of making games". Tickets go on sale tomorrow,...
News Helldivers 2 Concludes 60-Day Overhaul Plan with Latest Balance Update on PS5, PC
Restoring the balance
Helldivers 2 developer Arrowhead Game Studios has just dropped another substantial patch for its sci-fi co-op shooter, finishing its big push to improve the experience for all players. The new update is now available for both the PS5 and PC versions of the game, featuring an enormous list of fixes and changes. All of the patch...
News PS5 30th Anniversary Orders Screwed Up by Argos in the UK
Mass cancellation occurs
As beautiful as PS5’s range of 30th anniversary hardware is, limited edition items such as this inevitably always lead to anxiety. Last week, Sony made the PS5 Slim Digital Edition console available to third-party retailers, which resulted in an influx of pre-orders. Unfortunately, UK retailer Argos has screwed them up...
News PlayStation Community Reflects on Iconic Uncharted 2: Among Thieves for 15th Anniversary
"Is that an ancient Tibetan ritual dagger in your pocket?"
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves is a phenomenal video game, which isn't a very controversial opinion to hold. It put the series, from Sony-owned first-party developer Naughty Dog, on the map in a way that the first game didn't quite manage, informing the stylish, cinematic direction of many of...
News One Year On, Plucky PS Portal's Sales Remain Strong
PlayStation's best-selling accessory in 2024
While many PlayStation faithful (ourselves included) were initially sceptical of the plucky PS Portal, it has become a strong seller for Sony. The PS5 streaming handheld has reportedly managed to edge out the Midnight Black DualSense, making it the best-selling accessory (in dollar sales) in the U.S. for...
News Acclaimed PS5 Platformer Astro Bot Really Couldn't Be Selling Any Better
Beating basically every non-Mario platformer from past decade
Here’s the thing: Astro Bot is never going to outsell a series like Super Mario – it just doesn’t have the legacy to do so. It’s also never going to outsell stalwart series like Call of Duty or EA Sports FC – they’re just more commercially popular. But it sounds like, in...
News PS5 May Soon Be Unchallenged by Xbox in Some Regions
Microsoft could be pulling its consoles from some countries
As the sales of Xbox Series X|S continue to collapse, it’s beginning to look like PS5 may have a free run at some markets as Microsoft effectively exits them. While it’s still an evolving story with many mixed messages, it sounds like the Redmond firm will cease shipping consoles to...
News Concord Devs Tinker with PC Files, Spurring Free-to-Play Speculation
Failure to launch
We haven't heard much from the Concord front in recent days, likely because it functionally no longer exists. Still, there is plenty of interest amongst the PlayStation faithful as to what developer Firewalk's ultimate fate will be, and the always-watching SteamDB has detected some small movement. Now, we don't speak PC and thus...
News Sony's Porting PS2 Horror Siren to Its New PS5, PS4 Emulator
And that's actually huge news
Sony is adding Siren to PS Plus Premium from 15th October, which is potentially huge news. This is because the PS2 survival horror is actually already part of the subscription, as it was ported to the PS4 in 2016. The Japanese giant pulled the plug on its ill-fated PS2 on PS4 programme after fans complained of shoddy...
News PS5 Pro, 30th Anniversary Consoles Now Available at More Retailers
Update: Available now in the USA
Pre-orders for the PS5 Pro and PS5 30th Anniversary consoles are now available from third-party retailers, like Amazon and various major outlets. Previously exclusive to Sony's own PlayStation Direct website, you can now land a pre-order with a different retailer. Below you'll find links to the most popular items on...
News Fans Are Concerned Until Dawn PS4 Could Be Delisted Following PS5 Remake's Release
Not available for purchase, but almost certainly a bug
Update: While we haven’t received word back from Sony yet, it’s looking increasingly like this is a bug. Until Dawn shows as “not available for purchase” on the web store in some countries, but if you search for it on a PS5 or PS4 console, you can buy it no problem. This all suggests to...
