Take-Two ships 85 million copies of GTA5 and has a “highly-anticipated new title” from 2K on tap for 2018

Posted on November 8, 2017 by John Scalzo

Take-Two Interactive’s CEO, Strauss Zelnick, had a few interesting things to say during the company’s quarterly financial report yesterday.

First, Zelnick announced that Rockstar Games has shipped more than 85 million copies of Grand Theft Auto V throughout the world on the PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, and Xbox One. That massive number, and its perennial popularity, has actually pushed Grand Theft Auto V past Nintendo’s Wii Sports to become the best-selling game in the United States. However, it still trails Minecraft (122 million) for the worldwide title.

Looking to the future, Zelnick also said that 2K Games will publish a “highly-anticipated new title” from its stable of franchises sometime in Take-Two’s 2019 fiscal year (April 1, 2018 through March 31, 2019):

And looking ahead, fiscal 2019 promises to be one of our best years ever led by the launches of Rockstar Games’ Red Dead Redemption 2 and a highly-anticipated new title from one of 2K’s biggest franchises.

For all their success, 2K Games doesn’t actually have all that many major franchises in its catalog. So there’s a very real chance that the previously-announced Borderlands 3 or the assumed-to-be-in-development BioShock 4 will materialize next year.

Posted in News, PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One | Tagged

Microsoft is increasing first-party development in the aftermath of Xbox One X launch

Posted on November 8, 2017 by John Scalzo

Unlike in previous years, Microsoft is only pushing a handful of exclusive titles for the Xbox One this Fall (most notably Forza Motorsport 7, Cuphead, and PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds). But it looks like that’ll change in future years, as Microsoft’s Phil Spencer has confirmed the consolemaker plans to ramp up game production by acquiring or adding several new first-party developers to its Microsoft Studios stable.

Spencer recently discussed the change in policy with Bloomberg in light of the Xbox One X’s recent launch:

“We need to grow, and I look forward to doing that,” Spencer said. “Our ability to go create content has to be one of our strengths. We haven’t always invested at the same level. We’ve gone through ups and downs in the investment.”

Unfortunately, Spencer didn’t say when fans might be able to enjoy the fruits of these new studios, so we’re all playing the waiting game right now. Microsoft currently operates five internal studios: 343 Industries, The Coalition, Mojang, Rare, and Turn 10 Studios.

Posted in News, PC, Xbox One |

Need For Speed Payback, Sonic Forces, Guardians of the Galaxy Episode 5, more coming to PS Store this week

Posted on November 8, 2017 by John Scalzo

Today’s PlayStation Store update is all about pairs.

A pair of speedy PS4 games lead the way, as Electronic Arts will release Need For Speed Payback and Sega will counter with Sonic Forces. They’re joined by two from Telltale Games, Guardians of the Galaxy – Episode 5: Don’t Stop Believin’ and Minecraft: Story Mode Season 2 – Episode 4: Below the Bedrock, as well as the latest digital adaptations of Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune.

You can learn more about this week’s additions to the PlayStation Store after the break.

Press Start to Continue →

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Bandai Namco has three “big” exclusives in development for the Switch

Posted on November 7, 2017 by John Scalzo

It looks like Nintendo has another fish on the hook… Bandai Namco has pledged to increase their support of the Nintendo Switch in the coming months.

According to The Wall Street Journal’s Takashi Mochizuki‏ (via Twitter), Bandai Namco has big plans for the Switch in 2018. During a financial report earlier tonight, the publisher revealed that they’re preparing to launch three “big” titles exclusively for the Switch next year:

The three games will likely be released sometime in the Spring/Summer period, and Bandai Namco’s Mitsuaki Taguchi added that all of the company’s properties could eventually make their way to the Switch at some point.

Posted in News, Switch |

All Rise for Aaron Judge’s appearance on the cover of MLB The Show 18

Posted on November 7, 2017 by John Scalzo

Aaron Judge’s amazing 2017 season was a pleasant surprise for Yankees fans, and the massive slugger is going to cap his first full year in the Majors with an appearance as a cover athlete of MLB The Show 18. However, MLB fans who live in Canada will receive a special cover for MLB The Show 18 featuring Marcus Stroman of the Toronto Blue Jays.

MLB The Show 18 is set to launch for the PS4 on March 27, and Sony will release the baseball sim in four different packages. The game-only Standard Edition ($59.99) will be sold on retail shelves and through the PlayStation Store, but players who upgrade to the MVP Edition ($69.99) will receive the game, a Steel Book case, and a smattering of in-game bonus content.

PlayStation Store users can also opt for the Digital Deluxe Edition ($99.99), which will feature even more bonus in-game content. Finally, the All Rise Edition ($99.99) will be available from GameStop in “extremely limited” quantities, and it’ll include a New Era All Rise Edition 9FIFTY Hat and a slightly different set of bonus in-game content.

The PlayStation Blog has a pretty good chart detailing the differences between each edition, and fans who pre-order any edition of the game will be able to start playing four days early on March 23.

Posted in News, PS4 | Tagged

Injustice 2 will be released for PC on November 14; Open Beta begins today on Steam

Posted on November 6, 2017 by John Scalzo

Fans had to deal with a slight delay, but NetherRealm and QLOC are finally ready to deliver Injustice 2’s Open Beta on Steam today.

Beta participants will be able to play online in one-on-one multiplayer matches with any Injustice 2 character (including DLC characters like Starfire, Sub-Zero, and Raiden) through November 10. Shortly after that, NetherRealm and QLOC plan to launch the game through Steam and the Windows Store on November 14.

Coincidentally, Injustice 2 owners on the PC, PS4, and Xbox One will be able to download Hellboy on same day.

Posted in News, PC | Tagged

PS4 owners can turn Trophies into free games with new Sony Rewards program

Posted on November 6, 2017 by John Scalzo

Sony is beefing up their Sony Rewards program with brand new Rewards Passes that can be redeemed for PlayStation Store credit (or free games). Players can earn Rewards Passes by signing up for digital services and shopping in the PlayStation Store through their PS4, but a trio of Passes will also reward you for unlocking Trophies in your favorite game.

100 Silver Trophies can be exchanged for 100 Sony Rewards Points (and a “Silver Trophy” Pass), with tougher challenges offering a bigger reward. 25 Gold Trophies are worth 250 Sony Rewards Points (and a “Gold Trophy” Pass) and 10 Platinum Trophies are valued at 1,000 Sony Rewards Points (and a “Platinum Trophy” Pass). Unfortunately, each Pass can only be earned once.

1,000 Sony Rewards Points can be traded for $10 in PlayStation Store credit.

Posted in News, PS4 |

Horizon: Zero Dawn – The Frozen Wilds launches tomorrow… so here’s a Launch Trailer

Posted on November 6, 2017 by John Scalzo

Sony plans to launch The Frozen Wilds expansion for Horizon: Zero Dawn tomorrow, expanding Aloy’s world in a snowy new direction. To celebrate, the consolemaker has also released a stunning new Launch Trailer, and offered up a few tips on the PlayStation Blog for players looking to get the most out of the expansion:

1.) Load Your Latest Save
You don’t need to start a brand-new game just to access Horizon Zero Dawn: The Frozen Wilds. The expansion content is available regardless of whether you’re on your very first playthrough or on your latest New Game+.

2.) Check Your Level
We tuned Horizon Zero Dawn: The Frozen Wilds for players with an experience level of 30 or higher. While it’s possible to access the expansion content if your level is below this threshold, you may find that Aloy’s lack of skills and/or equipment becomes too great a challenge. If that’s the case, try completing a few quests in the base game until you’ve sufficiently leveled up.

3.) Complete the Quest “A Seeker at the Gates”
Horizon Zero Dawn: The Frozen Wilds adds a whole new region known as The Cut, which becomes accessible after you’ve completed the quest A Seeker at the Gates. If you’re at level 30 you most likely already completed this quest, but if you’re not sure you can check its completion status in the Quests menu.

4.) Find a Quest-Giver
To receive directions to the new region known as The Cut, speak with one of the three quest-givers added to the base game region. These quest-givers appear with a blue quest start marker over their head. They’re located in the following areas:

  • Rhavid, a Carja nobleman with information and speculation about the Banuk borderlands, can be found outside Meridian.
  • Ohtur, who knows how to get to The Cut, can be found inside the Carja border fort known as Daytower.
  • Yariki, a Banuk woman with a dire warning about the dangers found in the borderlands, can be found north of the Grave Hoard.

5.) Survive the Frozen Wilds
Between the inhospitable environment and the dangerous new machines, Horizon Zero Dawn: The Frozen Wilds offers a greater challenge than the base game — so make sure you bring the right skills, outfits, and weapons.

Players will be able to download Horizon: Zero Dawn – The Frozen Wilds from the PlayStation Store for $19.99 (or $14.99 if you’re a PlayStation Plus subscriber).

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