games news

• Phil Spencer was afraid PlayStation might buy Starfield exclusivity, so Xbox bought Bethesda instead

  23-06-2023 23:43 via gamesradar.com
  
  According to Xbox boss Phil Spencer, part of the reason Microsoft bought Bethesda and its parent company ZeniMax Media was out of fear that Sony might make Starfield a timed PS5 exclusive.Shortly before Microsoft acquired ZeniMax and Bethesda, Sony secured timed exclusivity for games like Deathloop and Ghostwire: Tokyo. Those deals were honored even after the buyout went through, and it was a full year before either of those games came to Xbox, despite their developers becoming first-party Xbox
  
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• The Elder Scrolls 6 is "so far out" even Phil Spencer doesn't know what console it'll be on

  23-06-2023 22:24 via gamesradar.com
  
  The one thing we know for sure about The Elder Scrolls 6 is that it's going to be a long, long time before any of us get to play it - so long, in fact, that even Xbox boss Phil Spencer doesn't know what platforms it'll be available on.During today's hearings over the Xbox Activision deal, FTC lawyers asked Spencer about how Xbox decides which games will be exclusive to its consoles. Spencer said that the decision is made on a case-by-case basis. Starfield, of course, is exclusive to Xbox and PC,
  
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• Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies, Star Trek: Prodigy, and more canceled at Paramount Plus

  23-06-2023 21:52 via gamesradar.com
  
  Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies, Star Trek: Prodigy, The Game, and Queen of the Universe have all been canceled at Paramount Plus and will be removed from the streaming platform."The Paramount+ series Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies, Star Trek: Prodigy, Queen of the Universe, and The Game have completed their runs on Paramount+ and will not be returning to the service," a Paramount+ spokesperson said. "We want to extend our thanks to our tremendously talented cast and crew and our producing part
  
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• Hideo Kojima says he won't make movies because he's too much of a "perfectionist"

  23-06-2023 20:39 via gamesradar.com
  
  If you follow Hideo Kojima on social media, you’ll know how much the celebrated designer of games like Metal Gear Solid and Death Stranding 2 loves movies. But while Kojima harbors some dreams to get behind the camera himself, he expresses doubt it will ever happen.At the premiere of the  Hideo Kojima documentary, Connecting Worlds at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York City, Kojima attended a post-screening Q&A hosted by Geoff Keighley. Given that the documentary, directed
  
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• FTC declares console war winners

  23-06-2023 20:07 via gamesradar.com
  
  If you've been waiting for some official statement to mark the end of the last few console wars, the Federal Trade Commission has you covered, as the group has now declared the winners in the battles of Xbox 360 versus PS3 and Xbox One versus PS4.In advance of this week's hearings on the Xbox Activision deal, lawyers representing the FTC filed their proposed 'findings of fact' - a document that essentially lays out the facts of the case as the FTC understands them. The document lays out the hist
  
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• Miles Morales swings in to help the students of Strange Academy in a new trio of one-shots

  23-06-2023 18:33 via gamesradar.com
  
  School is back in session at Strange Academy. This August sees the launch of a new series of three inter-linked one-shots that will bring students at Dr Strange's school for magicians together with Miles Morales, Moon Knight, and Spider-Man.The series is written by Carlos Hernandez, and drawn by artists Juann Cabal, Julian Shaw, and Vasco Georgiev. The story begins in Strange Academy: Miles Morales #1, which sees the students head to New York where they will take on the rival Brooklyn Visio
  
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• Sims 4 Horse Ranch fans are hopeful the pack fixes the game's biggest problem

  23-06-2023 18:19 via gamesradar.com
  
  The latest Sims 4 expansion pack is on its way, and EA's description of it has reignited a years-long hope held by some Simmers for even bigger lots to build on."Does this mean a world full of big lots? Because we're gonna struggle building ranches on a bunch of 30x20 lots," said one hopeful Sims fan (via Twitter), quoting the mention of "big open countryside" as detailed on the EA website. It sounds like a heavy hint that, finally, we might be getting larger spaces to build our farms and ranche
  
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• Olivia Colman joins the cast of Paddington 3

  23-06-2023 18:16 via gamesradar.com
  
  Olivia Colman is set to join the cast of Paddington in Peru, the third installment in the Paddington film series.According to Variety, Colman will star alongside Antonio Banderas, Emily Mortimer, and Rachel Zegler. The cast also includes Hugh Bonneville, Julie Walters, Jim Broadbent, Madeleine Harris, and Samuel Joslin. Ben Whishaw and Imelda Staunton will also be back as the voices of Paddington and Aunt Lucy.Colman will play the reverend mother who runs a home for retired bears in Paddington's
  
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• Henry Cavill says he got to inject more intellect into Geralt in his final season of The Witcher

  23-06-2023 18:14 via gamesradar.com
  
  Henry Cavill and the rest of The Witcher season 3 cast have shared some insight about the upcoming season in a new behind-the-scenes featurette. Featuring almost all of the cast, creators, and some fresh footage, it gives a bit more of an idea of what dangers lay ahead, and how Geralt must change to deal with them."It starts off with Geralt and Yennefer agreeing to protect Ciri," Cavill explains. "But now they’re out in the wild [and] because there are people out there hunting Ciri, they&r
  
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• The Nier Automata anime will finally shows its last episodes four months after they were supposed to air

  23-06-2023 17:45 via gamesradar.com
  
  The Nier Automata anime is finally set to conclude on July 23, with all four of the long-delayed final episodes airing at once.The news was announced on the show's official Japanese website, and brought to English-language attention by Anime News Network. While the announcement provides the Japanese broadcast schedule, there's not yet any word on when the official English-language versions will hit streaming services. The first eight episodes of the series were added to Crunchyroll on the same d
  
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• Final Fantasy 16 fans are concerned that its epic boss fights are making their PS5s overheat

  23-06-2023 17:45 via gamesradar.com
  
  Final Fantasy 16 fans are concerned that the game's epic boss fights are causing their PS5s to overheat.The sixteenth instalment in the world's most ironically named series is finally here, and the good news is it's, according to our Final Fantasy 16 review, "an experience that stands alongside the series' greats." The not-so-great news for fans eager to experience Clive's epic tale is that your PS5 could get awfully hot in the process.Several Final Fantasy 16 fans on Twitter have said they've h
  
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• Margaret Qualley's road trip doesn't go to plan in Drive-Away Dolls trailer

  23-06-2023 17:44 via gamesradar.com
  
  The first fun-filled trailer for Ethan Coen's Drive-Away Dolls is here – and it's everything you'd expect from a Coen-directed lesbian road trip movie. The film follows party girl Jamie (Margaret Qualley) who's just been through yet another breakup with her girlfriend. Along with her new, straight-laced friend Marian (Geraldine Viswanathan), the pair head off on an impromptu road trip to Tallahassee in search of a fresh start: "We get our act together – together!" However,
  
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• This Steam Next Fest demo reminds me of Horizon: Call of the Mountain in one crucial way

  23-06-2023 17:32 via gamesradar.com
  
  Jusant, a meditative 'action-puzzle' game from the creators of Life is Strange draws a peculiar similarity to the Horizon Forbidden West VR game.I tried out Jusant's demo during Steam Next Fest, and I was intrigued to find a game nothing like the games that helped make Don't Nod famous. There's no teen angst in sight, no liberal use of the word 'hella'. In fact, there's no real dialogue at all, just the whistle of the wind and the creak of a decaying tower.In your solitude, Jusant tasks you with
  
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• There’s no way Beyond the Spider-Verse is coming out in 2024, says animator

  23-06-2023 17:12 via gamesradar.com
  
  An animator who worked on Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse says there's no way Beyond the Spider-Verse will be out in 2024."They’ve announced that Beyond the Spider-Verse will be released in March of next year. I’ve seen people say, 'Oh, they probably worked on it at the same time,'" an animator (who prefers to remain anonymous) told Vulture. "There’s no way that movie’s coming out then. There’s been progress on the pre-production side of things. But as far
  
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• This fan-made Assassin's Creed VR trailer is proof I couldn't stomach being Ezio

  23-06-2023 16:40 via gamesradar.com
  
  A clever Creed fan has put together a trailer for Assassin's Creed Nexus VR, and it's enough to make you nauseous before you even put the headset on.VR capture artist Demo Akuro created the high-octane fan-made trailer, which is currently doing the rounds on Twitter and drawing the attention of AC fans across the platform. Check it out for yourself below.
  This creator made an entire Assassin's Creed trailer... all in VRSo sick pic.twitter.com/wK0vxFOmNhJune 21, 2023See more
  Announced during this
  
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• Starfield genius uses space math to determine the actual size of the game's planets

  23-06-2023 16:18 via gamesradar.com
  
  A Starfield fan has used planetary mathematics to work out how large one of the game's planets is - and how that relates to real-life planets.At one point in the Starfield Direct, one smart cookie over on Reddit took note of the HUD display as Bethesda showed off a moon called Nemeria IV-a. They note a gravity of 0.4 - 40% as strong as Earth's - and that the horizon appears to be 774m away.Assuming the height of an average human (and not taking account of the small hill the player seems to be st
  
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• Horizon Forbidden West update includes a heartfelt tribute to Sylens actor Lance Reddick

  23-06-2023 15:43 via gamesradar.com
  
  Guerrilla Games has added a heartfelt tribute to Sylens actor Lance Reddick to Horizon Forbidden West.As spotted by Twitter user @MdeavorVP (via Push Square), the latest update for Horizon Forbidden West Burning Shores includes a beautiful in-game tribute to the phenomenally talented Lance Reddick, who we sadly lost earlier this year. 
  RIP Lance 💙#HorizonForbiddenWest pic.twitter.com/bZCjTZglbtJune 22, 2023See more
  As you can see from the screenshot above, the memorial shows Reddick
  
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• Dragon Age writer says there's nothing wrong with magic in games - as long as you avoid one very specific problem

  23-06-2023 15:04 via gamesradar.com
  
  Dragon Age narrative lead and creator David Gaider has warned of the "long-term headache" in games writing caused by certain magical, all-powerful story elements being introduced."One narrative design issue I've run into is what I call the lyrium problem," Gaider said (via Twitter), using Dragon Age's multi-purpose mineral as an example. "This issue doesn't automatically render settings [...] bad or unenjoyable. People like magic. It's fine...for a time. The problem is with long-term narrative c
  
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• The Walking Dead star appears to confirm Carol's return in Daryl Dixon spin-off

  23-06-2023 13:59 via gamesradar.com
  
  Melissa McBride will be making an appearance in The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon after all, according to Negan actor Jeffrey Dean Morgan – and some on-set footage captured by eagle-eyed fans. Way back in April 2022, AMC stated that McBride, who plays Carol Peletier in the hit zombie franchise, would no longer be fronting the spin-off with Norman Reedus, due to the fact that it was filming overseas. This week, however, the actor has been spotted shooting scenes with Reedus in France.In a
  
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• Take a look at major characters in MTG Lord of the Rings that the movies skipped

  23-06-2023 13:50 via gamesradar.com
  
  It's almost impossible to squeeze everything from a book into movie adaptations, but MTG Lord of the Rings doesn't have the same limitations - rather than trying to fill a couple of hours, it's got hundreds of cards to work with. That means many of the major characters who were cut from Peter Jackson's trilogy are having their chance to shine with Magic's new set.Publisher Wizards of the Coast gave us a look at cards for heroes that didn't feature in the movies but will be very recognizable to f
  
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• Indiana Jones 5 director is "not interested" in Phoebe Waller-Bridge spin-off

  23-06-2023 13:47 via gamesradar.com
  
  Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny director James Mangold has given his verdict on a spin-off about Phoebe Waller-Bridge's Helena Shaw – and he's not keen, though it has nothing to do with the character or actor herself. Waller-Bridge plays Indy's goddaughter in the movie, which has led to some speculation that she may be the future of the franchise. "I'm not interested," Mangold told Variety. "I refuse. I just can't do it." He added: "The amount of lore and Easter eggs and fa
  
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• Harrison Ford had the most Harrison Ford response when asked if he’s retiring soon

  23-06-2023 13:46 via gamesradar.com
  
  Harrison Ford may be hanging up his whip and hat as Indiana Jones, but don’t expect him to retire anytime soon. The Hollywood legend had a perfect response when quizzed about his career plans on the CNN show 'Who’s Talking to Chris Wallace?'. When asked if he’d had "any thoughts about retiring," Ford responded with a disappointed face before laughing at Wallace’s question. Clearly on the backfoot, the presenter added, "This was going so well up until this point".Howe
  
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• Starfield will have a helpful "large font mode" for accessibility and varying screen sizes

  23-06-2023 13:15 via gamesradar.com
  
  Starfield will have a large font mode for accessibility reasons as well as for players with varying screen sizes, Todd Howard reveals. In an interview with Kinda Funny Games, Bethesda head Todd Howard talks about some of the things players can expect from the studio's upcoming space RPG, Starfield. When asked how the game will work accessibility-wise, Howard said: "I think Xbox has done an incredible job there with everything they've done with accessibility and their controller in particula
  
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• Casino Royale director on why Henry Cavill wasn’t chosen as Bond (and why he probably won't be again)

  23-06-2023 13:09 via gamesradar.com
  
  Casino Royale director Martin Campbell has addressed one of 007’s biggest 'what-ifs': Henry Cavill’s James Bond audition back in 2005.Speaking to The Daily Express, Campbell lauded Cavill’s "tremendous" audition but, ultimately, felt he was too young – then 23 – to step into the tuxedo of the iconic secret agent. Daniel Craig was then cast as James Bond – and the rest is history."He looked great in the audition. His acting was tremendous. And look, if Daniel d
  
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• Bon appétit! The Bear season 2 serves up perfect Rotten Tomatoes score

  23-06-2023 12:52 via gamesradar.com
  
  The Bear season 2 has finally arrived (in the US, at least – UK viewers have a little longer to wait, unfortunately) and critics are loving the latest serving of Chicago kitchen mishaps, with the new season earning a score of 100% on review aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes.After exploding onto the small screen as an unsuspecting hit last summer with its portrayal of Carmy (Jeremy Allen White), a successful chef in New York City's fine dining scene, who returns home to Chicago to take over h
  
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• Call of Duty players up in arms after Activision calls time on Warzone

  23-06-2023 12:51 via gamesradar.com
  
  Call of Duty Warzone's days are numbered, and players aren't happy about it.In a blog post on the official Call of Duty website, Activision revealed that it's calling time on Warzone Caldera, the name for the original Warzone, later this year as the developer shifts its focus to the current free-to-play Call of Duty experience Warzone 2 as well as the future of the shooter series.
  Call of Duty: Warzone Caldera will shut down on September 21st https://t.co/xQ81RaDIsT pic.twitter.com/tZIYAFV1AiJun
  
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• This Diablo 4 player cheesed its deadliest mini-boss with a door frame

  23-06-2023 12:38 via gamesradar.com
  
  Butchers are an annoying encounter in Diablo 4's dungeons, but this Reddit user managed to beat one using nothing more than wall-hacks."It ain't much, but it's honest work," the Reddit thread is titled, an attached video showing their character hiding just outside a dungeon and hugging the outer edge of a door frame. With The Butcher still inside the room, the player then starts swinging their weapon and slicing right through the wall, slowing chipping away at the brutish mini-boss's health whil
  
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• Netflix reassures fans after Squid Game season 2 casting announcement backlash

  23-06-2023 12:26 via gamesradar.com
  
  Netflix has unveiled the first Squid Game season 2 casting announcement – but, after many noticed the reveal only featured men, the streamer has issued a statement to reassure fans that this is only the beginning. "This was the first cast announcement for Squid Game season 2. We're excited to share more casting news soon, which will include the leading female characters," a Netflix spokesperson told Insider.The casting announcement revealed the return of Seong Gi-Hun (Lee Jung-Jae), t
  
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• It sounds like Simon Pegg will actually be in The Boys season 4 quite a lot

  23-06-2023 12:26 via gamesradar.com
  
  Simon Pegg is returning for The Boys season 4, and he’s already teased some fun first details. The Mission: Impossible actor will be back as Hughie Sr. in the fourth outing, which is due to hit Amazon Prime Video later this year. "You know how crazy The Boys is? It's gonna get crazier," Pegg told Collider. "I had so much fun on that show. It was so great to go back and play Hugh Sr. I love Jack [Quaid]. It was great to work with Rosemarie DeWitt, who plays Hughie’s mom, who come
  
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• Nvidia says the RTX 4060 is 20% faster than RTX 3060 without DLSS

  23-06-2023 12:25 via gamesradar.com
  
  Nvidia’s RTX 4060 launch is imminent, and the GPU giant has shared performance comparisons ahead of its official release. While features like DLSS 3 and Frame Generation should give the graphics card an edge against both its predecessors and competition, the company says the card is 20% faster than the RTX 3060 without AI shenanigans enabled. Like it or not, AI upscaling can help the best graphics card crank out higher frame rates than ever, and the RTX 4060 has access to the same DLS
  
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• E3's future hangs in the balance as ESA says "no final decisions" have been made for 2024 and 2025

  23-06-2023 12:07 via gamesradar.com
  
  The future of E3 hangs in the balance as the event is reportedly canceled for 2024 and 2025, but its organizer says "no final decisions" have been made yet.On June 21, the Los Angeles City Tourism Commission published a report that details the city's convention sales figures for FY22/23. In the report, it is revealed that the figures for booked hotel rooms "includes E3 cancellations for 2024 & 2025" - pretty much putting the final nail in the coffin for E3, at least for the next couple of ye
  
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• Across the Spider-Verse has two different versions – and no one realized until now

  23-06-2023 11:37 via gamesradar.com
  
  Just when we thought we had discovered all there was to know about Across the Spider-Verse, we stumble across something that really got our Spidey-Senses tingling: there appears to be multiple versions of the Spider-Verse sequel, complete with different jokes and animations.As first spotted by @balisonqs on Twitter, there are two different scenes with Oscar Isaac’s Spider-Man 2099 interacting with his assistant Lyla. In one, she points at Miguel and, in the other, she takes a selfie with a
  
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• PlayStation boss Jim Ryan wasn't worried about Call of Duty becoming Xbox exclusive after Microsoft Activision deal was announced, email shows

  23-06-2023 01:54 via gamesradar.com
  
  A newly revealed email suggests PlayStation boss Jim Ryan wasn't overly concerned that Call of Duty would become an Xbox exclusive franchise shortly after Microsoft's Activision buyout was announced.The email, dated just two days after the buyout was made public in January 2022, was shown during Thursday's hearing between Microsoft and Activision and the US Federal Trade Commission (via IGN), which is seeking approval for a preliminary injunction against the purchase."It's not an Xbox exclusivit
  
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• Microsoft says this week's FTC hearing on the Activision buyout will "decide whether the deal goes forward"

  23-06-2023 01:09 via gamesradar.com
  
  Microsoft says that if the US Federal Trade Commission gets its way and delays its Activision Blizzard purchase, it might just abandon the deal altogether.Microsoft began defending its Activision deal against the FTC in court on Thursday, its goal being to convince a federal judge not to grant the FTC a preliminary injunction that would delay the buyout's closing. "This is going to decide whether the deal goes forward," said Microsoft's lead lawyer, Beth Wilkinson (via The New York Times).If the
  
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