gaming

A new PlayStation 5 console could be dropping in 2023. Sony VP Hideaki Nishino hinted to Famitsu that 2023 — the third year since the launch of the PS5 — will be a big year for the company, although he revealed that he could not talk about it during the time the interview was conducted. “We believe that cumulative sales will exceed 37 million units by the end of fiscal 2022, and that it will be a very important time for the platform as well,” he said. “I won’t be able to talk about specifics at this time, but I hope that you will look forward to next year (2023).” The current rumors surrounding the 2023 PS5 console claim that it will feature a detachable disc drive as a “PS5 Pro” version, especially when considering the fact that Sony released the PlayStation 4 Pro three years after it rel...

Epic Games, the video game developer behind popular titles including Fortnite and Fall Guys, agreed to pay a $520 million USD settlement over charges that said the company illegally stored information from children and scammed players into making unwanted purchases, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced on Monday. The figure comprises two separate penalty amounts from two cases. First, Epic will pay $275 million USD for its violations of federal law, the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act. Regulators accused the company of collecting personal data from children under the age of 13 who played Fortnite, without obtaining parental approval. Additionally, Epic forced parents to “jump through hoops” in order to delete their children’s personal information, and the company alle...

In celebrating 35 years of the Final Fantasy franchise, Square Enix has announced the official release of the Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster series. Scheduled to launch digitally in Spring 2023, the series will include Final Fantasy I to VI as a bundle collection or to purchase individually for the Nintendo Switch and Sony’s Playstation 4. A special -FF35th Anniversary Edition will also be available in a limited run, which will be sold exclusively via the Square Enix Store. It’ll come with a GOODS BOX containing a two-disc vinyl record set with newly arranged game music, an artbook, a set of eight pixel art character figures, as well as a bonus lenticular sleeve for the game package. The standard physical edition of the game retails for $74.99 USD, while the 35th-anniversary edition is price...

Amazon Games has struck a deal with Crystal Dynamics to bring the next installment in the Tomb Raider franchise to fruition. Crystal will be developing the project, while Amazon will be responsible for publishing and distributing. The new Tomb Raider game, which has yet to receive a title, will see hero Lara Croft return in a continuation of her narrative-driven adventure. Players will control Croft in a single-player format that brings puzzle solving and exploration to the forefront. Along the way, they’ll be challenged to defeat a variety of enemies while retaining core elements of the long running series. To create the game and amplify its storytelling, Crystal Dynamics will be using the new Unreal Engine 5, lauding the forthcoming title as the “biggest, most expansive” Tomb Raider game...

‘Tis the season for not only holidays but data as well. As companies, brands and the media look back on 2022, data guides conversation and reflection. With recent wrap-ups from the likes of Sony PlayStation and Spotify, Nintendo now joins in on the fun with a comprehensive breakdown of users’ usage info for 2022. Utilizing data as of November 30, 2022, Nintendo offers key points to review. Upon signing into the website, ones most played titles are listed alongside games played at launch and titles revisited for several years in a row. Various generated graphics accompany each category with additional data below listing the five most played titles, noting number of different days the game was played, hours played, what month it was most played and more. Wrapping things up, time spent by gen...

Square Enix’s Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion has officially launched today. To celebrate the game’s release, UK-based tree sculptor Simon O’Rourke also unveiled a one-off tree carving featuring the legendary Buster Sword. Buster Sword is an iconic weapon from the Final Fantasy VII realm that has been yielded by various characters. Simon O’Rourke’s wooden reiteration of the acclaimed blade took around 30 hours to make. The sculptor first had to strip off the tree’s outer layers using various chainsaws, then gradually refine the details using drills, grinders, and rotary tools. Metal inserts were also implemented to reinforce more fragile parts of the tree, while LED lights are added to illuminate the branches for a touch of festivity. [embedded content] Speaking about his creation, ...