Game Infliction, Author at Game Infliction

Sony Acquires AAA Multiplayer Developer Firewalk Studios

PlayStation announced that it has acquired Firewalk Studios, and that the studio still hard at work on its first original AAA multiplayer game. This comes after PlayStation and Firewalk Studios announced back in 2021 that they had formed a partnership to publish the aforementioned multiplayer game.

“Building a new studio at scale has been an incredibly exhilarating and relentlessly daunting task. Fortunately, we’ve been supported by great partners throughout,” explained studio head Tony Hsu and game director Ryan Ellis. “ProbablyMonsters helped turbocharge us in setting up the studio, and Sony has been supporting our project and our creative vision from the beginning.”

Great news: @FirewalkStudios is joining the PlayStation Studios family!
Learn more about this talented team and their plan to connect players in new and innovative ways in their ambitious upcoming multiplayer game: https://t.co/30jQNY3qen pic.twitter.com/8wB3pEsbrH
— PlayStation (@PlayStation) April 20, 2023

They continued: “Today we’re taking the next natural step and joining PlayStation Studios. We’ve worked closely with Hermen and the very talented team at PlayStation for years, helping to make our new game even better. To join PlayStation Studios is to formally become part of a family that has produced many of the most storied games of our age, and we are honored.”

Firewalk Studios was founded in 2018 as part of ProbablyMonsters, which was itself founded by former Bungie CEO Harold Ryan. It’s the latest studio to join the PlayStation portfolio. In particular, Firewalk Studios is another studio that is focusing on developing a multiplayer game, which is a direction that PlayStation is more frequently headed. PlayStation recently acquired Haven Studios, which is also creating its own multiplayer IP, as well as Bungie, who is working on a character-focused multiplayer game as well as it’s ongoing work on Destiny 2.

George Yang is a freelance writer for IGN. He’s been writing about the industry since 2019 and has worked with other publications such as Insider, Kotaku, NPR, and Variety.

When not writing about video games, George is playing video games. What a surprise! You can follow him on Twitter @Yinyangfooey

Humanity’s release date trailer references a golden age of video game TV adverts

Humanity is a puzzle game about controlling a glowing Shiba Inu who can drop instructions for a streaming crowd of human beings to follow. It’s a concept reminscent of Lemmings, but wrapped in a style that evokes the self-assuredly video gamey early PlayStation era. That’s what its latest trailer does, too, while also announcing a May 16th release date.

Skate Is Getting Console Playtesting as EA Shares Tons of New Info

EA has revealed that the next generation Skate game is getting console playtesting, and while the publisher didn’t say when, it did share a ton of other new information about the highly anticipated game.

Revealed in a new episode of The Board Room video series, the team at Full Circle announced that console playtesting would eventually join those on PC, and that they’ll share more information closer to the time.

The developers did share some information on the progression system though, saying it’s currently in early development and making absolutely clear that Skate won’t have lootboxes.

Difficulty will affect rewards gained though, with the hardest of the three levels (which are called Own It, Crush It, and Shut It Down) granting the most rewards. There are also modifiers to the difficulty levels to make things even more (or less) challenging.

The basically philosophy is “do cool stuff, get cool stuff” Full Circle said, so no matter what activity players are doing, they’re always progressing towards new rewards. Though they didn’t say much about them, rewards will seemingly be customisation items, “giving you more ways to show off what makes you uniquely you”.

As for what these activities are, Full Circle breaks them down into four main categories, though that’s not to say more won’t be added later.

Challenges are short solo experiences that rotate in and out periodically, meaning they regularly change and always offer players something new. Pop-ups are dynamic events around the city, Community Events are events where players must play together, and Throwdowns are customisable and user-initiated events that allow players to “gather together, build friendships (or maybe rivalries), practice, or show off”.

Skate, which was originally announced as Skate 4, got its name change in July last year. This is also when EA announced it will be free to play, and asked for playtesters to come on board around the same time.

Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelancer and acting UK news editor. He’ll talk about The Witcher all day.

Double up with two 64GB USB sticks for £6

It’s not often that we write about deals that knock £2 off the usual price, but it’s also rare to get the chance to pick up two 64GB USB flash drives for just £6. These drives are well worth picking up for transferring files between PCs, installing BIOS updates and backing up small but important files, which enough space to store some – but not all – music collections, game install directories and wallpaper packs.

Poll: Which Was Your First ‘Final Fantasy’?

The first, or the final?

Now that Final Fantasy I-VI Pixel Remaster is out on Switch, it means that 11 of the 15 (soon to be 16) mainline games are now available on Nintendo’s hybrid console, some of them in multiple forms. That’s mad.

Given the sheer breadth of the franchise’s history since the release of the first game back in 1987, we imagine there are quite a few jumping-off points for fans. After all, the beauty of Final Fantasy is that, beyond a few choice recurrences here and there, each mainline game is its own beast; a contained story that requires little to no knowledge of the other games.

Read the full article on nintendolife.com

Jump into Crash Team Rumble’s Closed Beta Today

The Crash Team Rumble Closed Beta is officially here – so what can you expect? Starting April 20 those who pre-ordered the game will gain access to a slice of the game, which officially launches on June 20, 2023.

In the Closed Beta, players will get to play as some of their favorite heroes and villains including Crash Bandicoot, Dingodile, Neo Cortex, Tawna, and Coco – plus more to come at launch. In addition, players will get to experience three of the maps, their relic stations, various character customizations, and more!

The team at Toys For Bob is excited for fans to finally get their hands on the game, get feedback, and see how players progress in the span of those four days. This beta is crucial to the development cycle and provides the team at Toys For Bob with the opportunity to ensure the best possible game at launch. “There will be lots more people playing Crash Team Rumble than there ever have been,” says Dan Neil, creative director at Toys For Bob, “and it’s going to give us a bunch of really important information about the game balance to allow us to fine-tune it as we move forward to launch.”

The crew at Toys For Bob have been hard at work creating an all-new type of Crash game which is also a “new, and weird, and it’s uncharted territory,” says Lou Studdert, associate creative director at Toys For Bob. “One of the things I love about the Crash franchise is how it swings from a core platforming experience to something new, but in multiplayer games like Crash Team Racing and Crash Bash, the platforming DNA was lost, and it was more about the characters in a new type of game. Crash Team Rumble brings the multiplayer fun while retaining the DNA of the skills you’ve built up by playing the franchise.”

Fans will get to test this out and get to experience all of the fun first-hand, and Toys For Bob will be eagerly waiting for their feedback and is excited to see what they have been working tirelessly on!

To access the Closed Beta on April 20, fans can pre-order Crash Team Rumble now, then get ready to rumble with full game access on June 20, 2023.

Read more about how Crash Bandicoot Heads in a New and Unexpected Direction with Crash Team Rumble, and for more information about Crash Team Rumble, check out the official Crash Bandicoot site, and be sure to follow Crash Bandicoot on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and TikTok.

Crash Team Rumble™ – Standard Edition

Activision Publishing Inc.

☆☆☆☆☆
9

★★★★★

$29.99

Pre-order

Pre-order Crash Team Rumble™ and receive:

– Access to the Crash Team Rumble™ Closed Beta, starting April 20, 2023*
– Retro Threads Tawna Skin

This Edition also includes:

– Crash Team Rumble™ for Xbox One / Xbox Series X|S
– Premium Battle Pass Unlock for Season 1

Get ready to dash, jump, slide, and bounce into an all-new way to Crash.

Crash Team Rumble™ takes Crash Bandicoot™ in a brand new direction, placing the series’ iconic heroes and villains into a 4v4 team-based competition. Players will duke it out across diverse and dangerous maps as both teams race to be the first team to collect and bank enough Wumpa fruit to claim victory! Rise as a hero, or feed your inner villain across a wild and N.Sane cast of characters, each with their own unique skills and abilities. Teamwork is integral to every match, as players must work together to battle the opposing team, defend their own Wumpa Bank, and capture key points around the map to boost their score.

There’s more to come for Crash Team Rumble™, with additional heroes, modes, maps, rewards, and more coming soon!

*Actual platform availability and beta date(s) subject to change. Beta downloaded separately. Play time subject to possible outages and time zone differences. See www.crashbandicoot.com for more details. Minimum Beta duration is two days. Limited time only. Internet connection required. Xbox Live Gold subscription may be required.

For more information, please visit www.crashbandicoot.com for more details.

© 2023 Activision Publishing Inc. ACTIVISION, CRASH TEAM RUMBLE, CRASH BANDICOOT and CRASH are trademarks of Activision Publishing, Inc. All other trademarks and trade names are the properties of their respective owners.

Crash Team Rumble™ – Deluxe Edition

Activision Publishing Inc.

☆☆☆☆☆
9

★★★★★

$39.99

Pre-order

Pre-order Crash Team Rumble™ and receive:

– Access to the Crash Team Rumble™ Closed Beta, starting April 20, 2023*
– Retro Threads Tawna Skin

This Edition also includes:

– Crash Team Rumble™ for Xbox One / Xbox Series X|S
– Premium Battle Pass Unlock for Seasons 1 + 2
– Digital Proto Pack. Includes:
— 8 ‘Blocky’ hero skins
— ‘Pixelated’ Shadow
— ‘Get On My Level’ In-Game Victory Music
— ‘Blocky’ Hat
— ‘Blocky’ Backpack
— ‘Blocky’ Score FX
— Unique Banner
– 25 Tier Instant Unlock for Season 1 Premium Battle Pass

Get ready to dash, jump, slide, and bounce into an all-new way to Crash.

There’s more to come for Crash Team Rumble™, with additional heroes, modes, maps, rewards, and more coming soon!

For more information, please visit www.crashbandicoot.com for more details.

Dominate the Crash Team Rumble closed beta with tips from devs, live today

The key to victory in this 4v4 competitive platformer is strategy. There are strategic advantages throughout the game from gameplay, to hero roles, powers, and more.

To celebrate the start of Crash Team Rumble’s Closed Beta – here are some tips and tricks that can give you a leg up on the competition to lead your team victory:

Boosts are stackable depending on what map you’re on

Gem pads boost your score, but there is huge boost potential by capturing all of the gem pad clusters on one map.
Pro Tip: Be sure you and your team collects and banks as much Wumpa as possible while the boost is active, to fully benefit from the boost.

Fighting is only a means to an end: scoring is what counts

The name of the game is scoring – so defense is just as important as offense.
Victory is a much harder task without a blocker. The blocker’s main goal is to prevent the other team from scoring at their Wumpa bank. How can a team win if they can’t bank their Wumpa?!
Pro Tip: The Gasmoxian Guard is a blocker’s best friend. Blocker’s should have their Gasmoxian Guard set up camp at the other team’s Wumpa bank, making it extremely difficult for the other team to score.

Relic Stations can swing the match

If a game is close, the Relic Station can make all the difference – rolling over enemies, catapulting around a map, and more.
Pro Tip: Collect as many relics as possible early to use on epic stations for game changing results later in the match when it becomes more crucial.

Use the whole map

Don’t be afraid to explore and see what’s available in all of the corners of the map.
Pro Tip: Don’t forget to explore the map vertically. Check out the views from a higher point, you never know, you may find a new way to help your team from a bird’s eye perspective.

Your hero’s powers matter

Specific powers can take roles to the next level, choose wisely. Some powers are meant to compliment a hero – ie. golden Wumpa for a scorer, Gasmoxian Guard for a blocker, etc.
Pro Tip: Placement of a power can make all the difference, be strategic.

This 1TB portable SSD is down to £56.50 at CCL in the UK

We’ve continued to see prices fall on solid state storage over the past few months, as manufacturers are looking to sell on excess stock caused by falling demand in commercial sectors. That makes it a great time to be a PC gamer, as you can pick up some great tech for bargain basement prices – including this Crucial X6 portable SSD, which offers 1TB of space for £56.50. That’s nearly half the price this drive cost at launch a few years ago and a good £15 below what it was going for in February this year, making it an awesome pickup for the money.

Project Milo Was a Big Swing (and a Miss) at Leveling Up Game AI

As IGN’s AI Week continues, I thought it’d be fitting to look back on the Xbox’s highest-aiming gaming AI project: Project Milo, which would formally come to be known as Milo & Kate before disappearing in a cloud of vaporware altogether. It was unveiled back at E3 2009, meaning that it’s so old at this point that, more than likely, plenty of folks in an entire generation of younger gamers don’t even know what it is. Heck, I lived through it as the Senior Editor for Official Xbox Magazine at the time, and even I couldn’t tell you what it was – because I never saw it running. Few people outside of Microsoft’s walls did.

What it wanted to be was a grand experiment in AI. Take a look through all the stories IGN did on it over the years. You’ll go on quite a ride! The “emotional AI” would have allowed you to interact with Milo and his (or her, if you chose the female version named Millie) dog named Kate. And by “interact” I mean talk to, using Kinect’s built-in microphone array.

Ah yes, Kinect. I probably should’ve mentioned that part sooner! For those of you who remember Kinect but not Milo, you’re probably now nodding along and thinking, “OK, now this is starting to make sense.” And when you add in the extra piece of the puzzle – that it was the brainchild of visionary game designer Peter Molyneux, who by his own admission often bit off more than he could chew, ambition-wise, a clearer picture of Milo starts to come together.

It was, in essence, a grand experiment that never quite found the right formula. Per Milo’s Wikipedia page, the special sauce would’ve been as follows: “The game relies on a procedural generation system which is constantly updating a built-in “dictionary” that is capable of matching key words in conversations with inherent voice-acting clips to simulate lifelike conversations. Molyneux claims that the technology for the game was developed while working on Fable and Black & White.”

It was the brainchild of Peter Molyneux, who by his own admission often bit off more than he could chew

Truth be told, Kinect itself probably wasn’t up to the task, even if the software had been. Perhaps the Xbox One’s regretfully bundled Kinect 2.0 could’ve gotten Milo & Kate to where it wanted to go. But let’s imagine for a moment that it had all worked. How cool of an AI-driven experience would it have been to talk to – and in fact have rudimentary conversations with – a realistic digital avatar?

Some of the tech developed for Mile & Kate did go into Fable: The Journey, the Kinect game that Molyneux (who left mid-project) and the team at Lionhead did release. (Side note: with apologies to the small-scale Fable CCG called Fable Fortune, Fable: The Journey is the last “big” Fable game to ship, all the way back in 2012!) Unfortunately, as I said in my review of it for IGN, the spellcasting adventure game was quite fun… if the Kinect actually worked properly, which it often did not. Perhaps someday something like Molyneux’s original vision for Milo & Kate will, too.

The Electronic Wireless Show podcast S2 Episode 12: remember movies? They’re back! In game form…

Over the last few weeks we at the RPS Electronic Wireless Show podcast have noticed a slight resurgence in a trend we thought was basically over. That’s right: video game tie-ins to films! There used to be loads of them, and now there aren’t. Except there are again, culminating in Renfield (of all movies) having a Vampire Survivorslike you can actually buy on actual Steam. What’s going on? Is this marking the start of something new? What are some of our favourite game tie ins?

Plus we put the boot in on a couple of Tweets about the Mario movie, because why not, frankly.