Category: Gaming

Sony BitSummit 7 Spirits Lineup Announced

Sony Interactive Entertainment Japan has announced their lineup of games for the upcoming BitSummit 7 Spirits, the event will take place on the 1st of June 2019 at the Kyoto International Exhibition Hall. There will be 14 PS4 games and 4 PSVR games on display. Additionally Keita Takahashi, director of the Katamari series and lead on the upcoming Wattam game, as well as Shuhei Yoshida, president of Sony Interactive Entertainment Worldwide Studios, will be on a panel together during the event.

Here’s the lineup of PlayStation 4 games:

  1. ANNO: Mutation (ThinkingStars)
  2. Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night (505 Games / ArtPlay)
  3. Chrono Sword (21c Ducks)
  4. Evotinction (Spikewave Games)
  5. F.I.S.T. (TiGames)
  6. Hardcore Mecha (Arc System Works / RocketPunch Games)
  7. Indivisible (505 Games / LabZero Games)
  8. In Nightmare (Magicfish Studio)
  9. Knights & Bikes (Double Fine Presents / Foam Sword)
  10. Lethal League Blaze (Ooizumi Amuzio)
  11. No Straight Roads (Metronomik)
  12. Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin (Marvelous / Edelweiss)
  13. Wattam (Annapurna Interactive / Funomena)
  14. West of Dead (Raw Fury / ???)

Here’s the lineup of PlayStation VR games:

  1. Budget Cuts (Neat Corp)
  2. Falcon Age (Outerloop Games)
  3. Focus on You (Smilegate Entertainment)
  4. Throw Anything (Visual Light)
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Metro Exodus Was The Biggest Launch In THQ Nordic’s History, Partnering With 4A Games Again

THQ Nordic has announced that Metro Exodus had the best launch in their history. The game was published by Deep Silver, who also published Persona 5 in Europe and other PAL territories, and has already turned a profit. According to THQ Nordic the game “performed in line with management’s expectations and has recouped all investments in development and marketing.” This is incredibly impressive given that Metro Exodus has only been out since mid February. THQ Nordic also announced that they are working with 4A Games, the developers of the Metro series, on another “AAA project”, no other details were revealed. THQ Nordic currently have 80 games in development, 48 of which haven’t been announced as of yet. Metro Exodus is currently available on the PlayStation 4, PC and Xbox One.

THQ Nordic Acquires Piranha Bytes

THQ Nordic has announced the acquisition of game studio Piranha Bytes, creators of the Elex, Risen and Gothic franchises. The acquisition includes the rights to Piranha Bytes’ intellectual properties and the development studio. The cost of the acquisition was not disclosed but is equal to “three years of what management’s estimated royalty payments to Piranha for upcoming titles would have been, if the acquisition had not occurred.” The acquisition will not effect the way Piranha Bytes is run, the studio will retain all of its staff and will continue development and have “full creative freedom in doing so” under the new name, Piranha Bytes GmbH.

Here’s what Lars Wingefors, CEO of THQ Nordic, had to say:

“Piranha Bytes is one of the most iconic german game studios and the creators of RPG´s Gothic, Risen and, more recently, Elex. The three strong IPs have proven successful and will be great additions to our portfolio. We look forward bringing Piranha team into the family which has received legendary status across the RPG community as their fan base cherishes their current games and eagerly anticipates their new titles in the future.”

Here’s what Michael Ruve, CEO of Piranha Bytes, had to say:

“We have a successful and long-standing relationship with THQ Nordic and are very excited to join the group. THQ Nordic has unparalleled experience and capabilities in games development and publishing, and we are convinced they are the perfect partner to support Piranha in taking the studio to the next level. We see a unique opportunity to continue to develop great, memorable and impactful RPG games, now being part of the THQ Nordic family.”

Nioh 2 Closed Alpha Announced

Koei Tecmo has announced that Nioh 2 will be getting a closed alpha test on the PlayStation 4. The Nioh 2 alpha will begin on the 24th of May 2019 and will run up until the 2nd of June. The test will be invite only but no details as to how one would get in were provided. Koei Tecmo also announced that they will not be expanding the pool for the closed alpha but that they will have more information to share in the future. Nioh 2 is currently only in development for the PS4.

Capcom Release Updated Platinum Games List

Capcom has released an updated list of their “Platinum Titles“, games that have sold at least one million copies. The latest update is as of the 31st of March 2019 and the reveals a few notable details. The Resident Evil 2 Remake has sold over 4.2 million copies since releasing this January, this helped bring the Resident Evil franchise to 91 million copies sold. Resident Evil 6 also passed the 9 million milestone, selling over 100,000 copies in the fourth quarter, Resident Evil 7 sold 300,000 copies bringing the new total to 6.4 million copies. Devil May Cry V also sold over 2.1 million copies, making it just 900,000 copies shy of matching Devil May Cry 4, the current best selling game in the franchise. Monster Hunter: World sold another 500,000 copies in the last quarter bringing total to 12.4 million copies. Street Fighter V also sold a respectable amount in the last quarter, the game sold 200,000 copies, bringing the new total to 3.1 million copies.

Here’s the new series sales:

  1. Resident Evil – 91M (+5M)
  2. Monster Hunter – 54M (+1M)
  3. Megaman – 35M (+1M)
  4. Devil May Cry – 20M (+3M)
  5. Marvel Vs Capcom – 9.1M (+100K)
  6. Onimusha – 8.2M (+200K)
  7. Ace Attorney – 6.9M (+100K)

Here’s the complete platinum list:

  1. Monster Hunter: World – 12.4 M
  2. Resident Evil 5 – 7.5 M
  3. Resident Evil 6 – 7.3 M
  4. RESIDENT EVIL 7 biohazard – 6.4 M
  5. Street Fighter II – 6.3 M
  6. Resident Evil 2 – 4.96 M
  7. Monster Hunter Freedom 3 – 4.9 M
  8. Monster Hunter X (Cross) – 4.3 M
  9. Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate – 4.2 M
  10. Resident Evil 2 Remake – 4.2 M
  11. Monster Hunter 4 – 4.1 M
  12. Street Fighter II Turbo – 4.1 M
  13. Monster Hunter Freedom Unite – 3.8 M
  14. Resident Evil 3 Nemesis – 3.5 M
  15. Street Fighter IV – 3.4 M
  16. Street Fighter V – 3.1 M
  17. Dead Rising 2 – 3.1 M
  18. Monster Hunter XX (Double Cross) – 3.1 M
  19. Devil May Cry 4 – 3.0 M
  20. Resident Evil – 2.75 M
  21. Dead Rising 3 – 2.6 M
  22. Monster Hunter 3 (Tri) G – 2.6 M
  23. Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City – 2.5 M
  24. DmC Devil May Cry – 2.4 M
  25. Resident Evil Revelations 2 – 2.4 M
  26. Monster Hunter Freedom 2 – 2.4 M
  27. Resident Evil (HD Remastered) – 2.4 M
  28. Dino Crisis – 2.4 M
  29. Resident Evil 5: Gold Edition – 2.3 M
  30. Resident Evil 4 – 2.3 M
  31. Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds – 2.2 M
  32. Resident Evil 0: HD Remaster – 2.2 M
  33. Devil May Cry – 2.16 M
  34. Onimusha 2: Samurai’s Destiny – 2.1 M
  35. Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen – 2.1 M
  36. Devil May Cry 5 – 2.1 M
  37. Onimusha: Warlords – 2.02 M
  38. Resident Evil 4 Wii edition – 2.0 M
  39. Lost Planet 2 – 2.0 M
  40. Super Street Fighter II – 2.0 M
  41. Monster Hunter Tri – 1.9 M
  42. Super Street Fighter IV – 1.9 M
  43. Resident Evil Revelations – 1.9 M
  44. Dead Rising – 1.8 M
  45. Street Fighter X Tekken – 1.8 M
  46. Resident Evil 6 (PS4/PC/XboxOne) – 1.7 M
  47. Devil May Cry 2 – 1.7 M
  48. Street Fighter II’ Special Champion Edition – 1.65 M
  49. Ghosts’n Goblins – 1.64 M
  50. Lost Planet Extreme Condition – 1.6 M
  51. Resident Evil 4 (GC) – 1.6 M
  52. Onimusha 3: Demon Siege – 1.52 M
  53. Mega Man 2 – 1.51 M
  54. Final Fight – 1.48 M
  55. Resident Evil Outbreak – 1.45 M
  56. Dead Rising 2 Off The Record – 1.4 M
  57. Resident Evil 4 (PS4/PC/Xbox One) – 1.4 M
  58. Marvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age Of Heroes – 1.4 M
  59. Resident Evil 5 (PS4/PC/Xbox One) – 1.4 M
  60. Resident Evil Code: Veronica X – 1.4 M
  61. Resident Evil (GC) – 1.35 M
  62. Mega Man Battle Network 4 – 1.35 M
  63. Dragon’s Dogma – 1.3 M
  64. Ultra Street Fighter IV – 1.3 M
  65. Monster Hunter Freedom- 1.3 M
  66. Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles – 1.3 M
  67. MARVEL VS. CAPCOM: INFINITE – 1.3 M
  68. Super Street Fighter IV 3D Edition – 1.3 M
  69. Devil May Cry 3 – 1.3 M
  70. Resident Evil 0 (GC) – 1.25 M
  71. Remember Me – 1.2 M
  72. Dino Crisis 2 – 1.2 M
  73. Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 – 1.2 M
  74. DuckTales: Remastered – 1.2 M
  75. Devil May Cry HD Collection – 1.2 M
  76. Resident Evil Director’s Cut Dual Shock – 1.2 M
  77. Mega Man X – 1.16 M
  78. Resident Evil Code: Veronica (DC) – 1.14 M
  79. Commando – 1.14 M
  80. Resident Evil Director’s Cut – 1.13 M
  81. Bionic Commando – 1.1 M
  82. Super Street Fighter IV Arcade Edition – 1.1 M
  83. Mega Man Legacy Collection – 1.1 M
  84. Super Ghouls’n Ghosts – 1.09 M
  85. Mega Man 3 – 1.08 M
  86. Final Fight 2 – 1.03 M
  87. Dead Rising 4 – 1.0 M
  88. Street Fighter Alpha 3 – 1.0 M
  89. Devil May Cry 3 Special Edition – 1.0 M

Sony Investor Relations Highlights

Sony Corp held they Investor Relations Day 2019 earlier today and revealed new information about the future of PlayStation and how the brand is performing. Here’s the rundown:

  • PlayStation Network has over 96 million monthly active users
  • 90% of all PS4’s have connected in the last 12 months (it wasn’t specified as to what this meant)
  • PS4 users averaged 21 hours a week of usage in the 2018 Financial Year
  • Average lifetime device spend is over $700
  • Average launch year lifetime device spend is over $1600
  • Sony still believes in console generations
  • Backwards compatibility is part of next generation plans
  • SIE want to improve relationships with third party developers and publishers
  • Next Gen hardware will support 8K, 3D Audio, SSD, Ray Tracing and faster load times
  • PS4 will continue to play a vital role over the next three years, AAA exclusives will still release on the PS4 and there’s still unannounced exclusives for the platform
  • Streaming will be a vital part of the next generation plans
  • PS Now has over 700,000 subscribers and over 170 publishers support the service. Sony want to expand it to other devices
  • Both physical and digital sales are a key part for next gen
  • Remote Play has over 5.6 million active users
  • SIE are investing in their 13 current worldwide studios
  • Plans to expand via acquisitions and expansion of current studios
  • SIE want to develop games with post launch revenue streams

Details on their next generation hardware release date, pricing, country rollout plans and games will all be revealed at a later date. Sony also showcased the load time difference between the PlayStation 4 Pro and next gen hardware, the video was previously show by Mark Cerny in an interview with Wired. The PS4 Pro takes 8.10 seconds to load into Spider-Man whilst the next generation hardware does it in 0.83 seconds.

God of War Sales Surpass 10 Million

Sony Interactive Entertainment has announced that God of War has sold over 10 million copies since releasing on the PlayStation 4 last April, the game sold over 3 million copies within just 3 days of release. God of War also hit the 5 million milestone after just one month on the market meaning that the game sold another 5 million copies since May 2018.