Category: IGN

Amidst a recent new wave of interest in AI technology, a number of gaming companies have lately been addressing what this means for them and their businesses. Count EA among them now, as CEO Andrew Wilson and COO Laura Miele addressed the future of games, AI, and EA on the company’s Q4 earnings call.

Addressing a question about AI, Wilson began by saying that the games industry would probably be “one of the greatest beneficiaries of AI.” He described AI as an “augment” to EA’s teams, as well as a way to allow players to create content within EA’s worlds.

However, he also addressed some fears about AI in…not the most reassuring way.

“The fear of displacement of the workforce is something we read a lot about and we talk a lot about,” Wilson said. “And as we think about every revolution over the course of time from the agricultural revolution to the industrial revolution and on, there has been displacement of the workforce in the near term, and then meaningful increases in workforce opportunities over the longer term. Our hope is that AI represents the same opportunity, and we’re working very closely inside of our company to ensure that our people benefit in that way and actually facilitate them to do more things.”

Wilson also addressed other concerns, noting that issues around ownership of AI output were not a concern for EA given its 40+ years of internal data and owned content an AI could conceivably learn from. He also remarked on concerns about bad actors using AI, promising that EA would work with others across the industry as well as governments and regulators to make laws around AI to protect consumers.

At this point, Wilson tossed to Miele who reiterated a number of Wilson’s points, adding that EA’s partnerships similarly put the company in a strong position for training AI thanks to data from third-parties like La Liga.

Then, Miele mused on the numerous possibilities for AI use in live service games.

“So in game development you would imagine the velocity of content, creative iteration is going to be advantaged greatly by having really smart content tools. Andrew mentioned creator content, lifelike animation, realtime text-to-speech for players and what that will mean for them and the experiences they have. As we think about live game support at scale there’s going to be some really great imagery detection, issue detection, economic modeling that we’re going to be able to apply as we continue to grow these connected ecosystems. So we’re pretty opstimistic and excited and inspired about this new wave of AI.”

EA executives also talked about the possibility of Apex Legends content crossovers in the future, and Andrew Wilson said the potential acquisition of Activision Blizzard by Microsoft is “not really material” to EA. For more on the subject of AI, IGN recently held an AI Week of articles and video content all about the nascent technology.

Rebekah Valentine is a senior reporter for IGN. You can find her on Twitter @duckvalentine.

No, you’re not seeing things – Apex Legends could eventually include Overwatch-style crossovers, bringing pop-culture content to Kings Canyon.

“I don’t think anything is off the table,” said EA CEO Andrew Wilson during an investor call today. “I think that as we think about game IP today, it’s kind of like comic book IP of 20 or 30 years ago. This is the IP that Gen Z and Jen Alpha perhaps identify mostly with.”

“I think the opportunity for us to continue to grow and expand and stretch the nature of the experiences that we’re able to offer to our global player base over the next decade and beyond is unfettered,” he added.

Overwatch 2 recently made headlines when it featured its first-ever major brand crossover, adding One-Punch Man-themed skins, challenges, victory poses, and more.

It’s not the first to do this, of course, and follows in the footsteps of Fortnite which has long used brand crossovers to win over fans. It’s currently sporting some pretty neat Star Wars-themed gear courtesy of its mini-battle pass, Find the Force.

Although there are no concrete plans to add this in the near future, Apex fans could well see something similar. At the very least, it’s not being ruled out.

“Apex is certainly front and center as we think about our business model,” said Wilson. “We have a substantial player base with incredible retention and you know, as is the nature of these free-to-play environments, there are ebbs and flows and I think what is unique to Apex is its ability to engage and re-engage through those ebbs and flows.”

IGN’s Apex Legends review gave it 9/10 and said: “Apex Legends has become my go-to game when I want something fun and competitive. Being able to squad up with friends and try out different combinations of Legend abilities in the hunt for that satisfying Champion win screen is the perfect mix of thrilling and approachable. The consistent updates keep the gunplay from ever feeling repetitive and boring, and no match is ever the same as another, no matter the mode or map. “

Want to read more about Apex Legends? Find out about the single line of code responsible for its Season 16 bugs as well as all the details about Season 17’s new legend.

Ryan Leston is an entertainment journalist and film critic for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.

Following the halt of Microsoft’s planned acquisition of Activision/Blizzard, both companies have vowed to appeal the decision from the UK’s CMA (Competition and Market Authority) board. And now, Activision has taken the first big step forward by hiring a lawyer who previously handled cases for the UK Parliament and Queen Elizabeth II to represent the appeal.

As reported by Florian Mueller, the legal advisor — whose full title is Lord David Pannick KC (King’s Council) — will represent the appeal for Activision/Blizzard to the Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT). Microsoft also plans to proceed with a parallel appeal with UK lawyer Daniel Beard KC handling the case.

This news comes a full two weeks following the sudden and surprising halt to Microsoft’s plans to acquire Activision/Blizzard’s various studios and its IPs. Before the CMA’s decision, the acquisition gained traction over its yearlong examination from global agencies following the announcement in January 2022.

If you’ve been holding off on getting a PS5, but are eager to play Final Fantasy XVI when it comes out on June 22, here’s some good news. You can pick up a bundle that includes a PS5 disc console, plus the upcoming Final Fantasy installment, all for $559.99. That represents a $10 discount off buying the items separately, but you also get the awesome Final Fantasy PS5 box. So it’s probably worth grabbing, all things considered.

Where to Preorder the PS5 Final Fantasy XVI Bundle

• Get it at Amazon
• Get it at Best Buy
• Get it at GameStop
• Get it at PS Direct
• Get it at Target

The PS5 is an excellent console that continues to dominate Xbox Series X|S this generation. Final Fantasy XVI is shaping up to be a massive, epic adventure involving warring kingdoms and powerful crystals that must be destroyed. It’s also a PS5 exclusive, at least for the first six months after launch. Check out our Final Fantasy 16 preorder guide for information about what comes in the various editions and how much they cost.

You can find out more about the game in our exclusive Final Fantasy XVI interview with the game’s director, and be sure to check out our Final Fantasy XVI hands-on preview. That ought to tell you everything you need to know about whether it’s your kind of game or not.

Chris Reed is a commerce editor and deals expert for IGN. He also runs IGN’s board game and LEGO coverage. You can follow him on Twitter @_chrislreed or on Mastodon @chrislreed.

The release of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 may mark the end of an era for the original team, but it’s an era that will stand the test of time. James Gunn’s trilogy of Marvel films will always be adored, along with that beloved bunch of A-holes we’ve grown to love over the years.

It’s true, this team fooled around and we fell in love. And with all of that comes a desire to show off that love, which is why we’ve collected a variety of Guardians of the Galaxy-themed gifts and merch for you to enjoy. Whether you want to have the Awesome Mixes to play around the house or some excellent LEGO sets to build, we’ve got you covered in our Guardians of the Galaxy gift guide.

Best Guardians of the Galaxy Gifts and Merch

Below, you can find some of our personal favorite gift ideas. The latest Awesome Mix for Vol. 3 has some excellent songs on it — from the acoustic version of Creep by Radiohead to the Beastie Boys’ No Sleep Till Brooklyn — and the Nerf Quad Blaster and Adam Warlock figure are great pick-ups for those interested in toys and collectibles.

Guardians of the Galaxy LEGO Gifts

Whether you want to construct the Guardians’ new ship from Vol. 3 or an adorable baby Groot, we’ve got a great selection of LEGO gifts below to choose from.

Guardians of the Galaxy Music/Vinyl LPs

Music is at Guardians’ core, and there are plenty of excellent songs scattered throughout each of James Gunn’s films. If you have yet to get your hands on one of the Awesome Mixes or its score, you can find links to their CDs and vinyls below.

Guardians of the Galaxy Funko Pop Vinyls

Funko Pops are aplenty when it comes to Guardians of the Galaxy, and there’s truly no better time to pick them up than now so they don’t end up in a landfill. Below, you can see a wide variety that are available, from Vol. 3 and last year’s Christmas special.

Guardians of the Galaxy Comics/Books

Even though their cinematic journey is over (for now), the Guardians’ adventures carry on in both comics and books. From classic comics to an ultimate guide to the Guardians, we’ve listed a variety that’s sure to make any Guardians fan happy.

Consider Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy on PS5 or Xbox

It’s an underrated gem, and well worth considering if you or your loved one never got around to playing it. With some of the best video game writing and voice work of the current (and even the last) generation, GotG is the perfect companion piece to the new movie if you’re looking for even more action, laughs, and emotional vulnerability from your favorite space-based heroes.

Guardians of the Galaxy Clothing/Merch

If you prefer to wear your love of Guardians, we’ve got you covered with several different clothing items that look and feel great. Most have an excellent 80s style as well for a nice creative touch.

Guardians of the Galaxy Blu-rays

Even though Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is in theaters — to which you can check out showtimes for your local cinema here — there’s nothing wrong with picking up a Blu-ray pack of Volumes 1 and 2 to have at home right now. Below, we have both the Blu-ray and 4K Ultra HD versions listed that are worth adding to your Marvel movie collection.

Cute Guardians of the Galaxy Gifts and Merch

You really can’t go wrong with these adorable Groot socks and stuffed pillow! We are Groot, after all.

Guardians of the Galaxy Toys and Collectibles

And for those looking to pick up new toys and collectibles, we’ve got a fantastic array to choose from. Whether you want to jump on preorders for the new Star-Lord and Rocket statue from S.H.Figuarts or an action figure from the Marvel Legends Series, you can find a great selection listed below.

To see even more toys and collectibles that are worth picking up, make sure to check out our toys and collectibles gift guide to see some of the best that are available in 2023. And, for more from the world of Marvel, check out our collection of the best Marvel gifts for this year.

Hannah Hoolihan is a freelance writer who works with the Guides and Commerce teams here at IGN.

Nintendo has put a stop to rumours about its new hardware, whether it’s the long-rumoured Switch Pro or otherwise, by declaring that a Switch successor won’t be released until April 2024 at the earliest.

As reported by Bloomberg, Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa explained during an investors presentation that it isn’t considering new hardware in the 2023/24 financial year. This means that Nintendo’s next home console won’t be released until late April 2024 at the earliest.

This comes despite a decline in Switch sales. The console sold close to 18 million units in the last financial year, down from 23 million sold the year before and 28 million the year before that. Nintendo isn’t looking to rush a new console out to tackle this decline though, as it has forecast another drop for the coming year.

“Sustaining the Switch’s sales momentum will be difficult in its seventh year,” said Furukawa during the presentation. “Our goal of selling 15 million units this fiscal year is a bit of a stretch, but we will do our best to bolster demand going into the holiday season so that we can achieve the goal.”

Rumours surrounding a new console have been circulating for years, with even analysts unsure if Nintendo was planning to release the Switch 2 (for lack of a better name) as early as 2021. The new console was said to offer boosted graphics akin to the PlayStation 4 and its Pro model, but there is no official information regarding the next piece of Nintendo hardware yet.

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

To celebrate 60 years of Doctor Who, Magic: The Gathering is releasing four ready-to-play Commander decks and a Collector Booster box (and individual packs) for Whovians to enjoy. They’re set to release this year on October 13, so you can pick them up before the show returns for the anniversary specials in November.

Below, you can find links to all of the Commander decks and Booster packs that are up for preorder on Amazon, along with where to pick up a Starter Kit if you’re new to the world of Magic!

Magic: The Gathering Starter Kit

For those who want to learn the basics of Magic, this is another excellent preorder to jump on. This 2023 two-player Starter Kit serves as an easy and fun introduction to the game with everything you need to learn how to play, including two ready-to-play decks and two codes to play online. It’s set to release on September 8, 2023, so you can have it before the new Doctor Who set drops, too.

Doctor Who Magic: The Gathering Collector Boosters

Magic: The Gathering has revealed a Doctor Who Collector Booster box of 12 packs and a single Collector Booster pack of 15 cards for the show’s anniversary. According to their website, the Collector Booster box features “your favorite Doctor Who characters with 12 boosters full of Rares (7-14 in every pack!), TARDIS Showcase frames, and more shiny foils than you can shake a sonic screwdriver at.” You can see links to both below.

Doctor Who Magic: The Gathering Commander Decks

And for those who want to jump right in, Magic: The Gathering has also revealed four ready-to-play Commander decks. These decks are called Masters of Evil, Blast From the Past, Timey-Wimey, and Paradox Power. According to MTG’s website, “each deck will contain 50 new cards and a new set of Planechase cards featuring famous locations from the Doctor Who universe.”

For more from the world of Magic: The Gathering, you can also preorder the brand new The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth Commander decks, set boosters, jumpstart boosters, collector boosters, and more on Amazon. These are set to release on June 23 this year.

Hannah Hoolihan is a freelance writer who works with the Guides and Commerce teams here at IGN.

Pokemon Go developer Niantic is launching its first new IP in a decade: Peridot. The AR-focused, location-based pet simulator is out today for iOS and Android, and it looks to be a massive technological leap from Niantic’s previous AR and location-based endeavors.

Peridot puts each player in charge of a Peridot (or Dot), a cute and mythical creature that can be raised from a baby to an adult. Players pet, play with, walk, and train their Dot, each of which has its own completely unique appearance and “DNA” of sorts. Like a little Tamagotchi, Dots can express their needs for food and stimulation, and will grow as those needs are met.

Using Niantic’s Lightship platform, Dots can also dynamically interact with the real world, as unlike previous Niantic endeavors, the game is fully in AR. Dots are able to differentiate between different kinds of terrain, different objects, and even other humans and animals. Their movements in AR, at least from company-provided footage, also seem to be far more intelligent than what we’ve seen with Pokemon Go, with Dots moving realistically around obstacles and across distances. In my early hands-on time with Peridot, I’ve seen Dots jump onto chairs, desks, move behind furniture, chase balls under the couch, and even sit in a colleague’s open hands.

Aside from raising Dots, one of the main goals of Peridot is to “diversify the species” by breeding adult Dots with those of other players to create new Dots with new sets of unique DNA. Dots can be bred by working together with other players using Niantic’s social app, Campfire, to connect with other players and their Dots. Rare traits can be unlocked through various means, and Dots can take on different archtypes resembling mythical creatures and real animals, with new archtypes to be introduced during in-game events. However, while Peridot is free to play, it does cost real money to hatch each new Dot – you need an item called a “Nest” that costs $4.99. It is unclear if players will be able to acquire free Nests through events or other activities in the future.

Additionally, Peridot will include a feature called Amazon Anywhere, which integrates Amazon shopping to purchase Peridot merchandise in the real world through an in-game store.

Long-term, Niantic says its vision is to release Peridot not just on mobile devices, but eventually on future AR hardware, including wearable MR or AR glasses. Peridot is now available for download on iOS and Android devices.

Rebekah Valentine is a news reporter for IGN. You can find her on Twitter @duckvalentine.

Metroid Prime: Remastered has sold one million copies since it launched in February while fellow Nintendo Switch titles Splatoon 3 and Pokémon Scarlet and Violet have also hit major sales milestones.

Revealed in Nintendo’s latest financial report, the critically acclaimed Metroid Prime: Remastered has sold 1.09 million units since its launch on February 8. Splatoon 3 also followed through on its impressive launch to sell more than ten million units while Scarlet and Violet have now passed the 20 million unit milestone.

Sitting at 20.7 million units sold through to consumers (and 22.1 million sold to retailers), Scarlet and Violet are up two million from the figures released in February but still fall a little short of 2019’s Pokémon Sword and Shield, which currently sit at 25.82 million units sold to retailers.

Scarlet and Violet are still performing well compared to most Switch games, however, as they’re currently seventh on the list of best selling software behind only Super Mario Odyssey, Sword and Shield, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Animal Cross: New Horizons, and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe in first.

Splatoon 3 doesn’t quite crack the top ten but comes in at 14th place on the list of best selling first party titles, while Metroid Prime: Remastered currently sits in 22nd place. Regardless, both games are part of the million-sold club that only 23 first party Switch games are a part of so far.

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

It’s almost summertime—(yeah, where has the time gone?!) As E3 is canceled, don’t fret; there will be plenty of exciting video game announcements and reveals to come this June. From IGN’s own Summer of Gaming event to the Xbox Showcase, be sure to mark your calendars accordingly so you don’t miss a beat. Here are 10 of the biggest events you can look forward to this summer, with more details to come!

Here’s a running list of every upcoming gaming event planned for June 2023

• June 1-30 – IGN Summer of Gaming 2023
• June 7 – Guerilla Collective Showcase
• June 8 – Summer Game Fest
• June 10 – Future Games Show
• June 11 – Final Fantasy XVI Pre-Launch Celebration
• June 11 – Xbox Showcase
• June 11 – Starfield Direct
• June 12 – Ubisoft Forward
• June 11 – PC Gaming Show
• June (TBD) – Upload VR Showcase
• June (TBD) – Wholesome Direct
• Possibly – Nintendo Direct
• Possibly – Sony State of Play

June 1-30 – IGN Summer of Gaming

IGN’s Summer of Gaming is returning for its fourth year this June for a multi-day event filled with tons of game and developer content. IGN is excited to share exclusive reveals, interviews and more; (see what was announced last year). As part of our Summer of Gaming programming, tune in on June 8th for Geoff Keighley’s Summer Game Fest stream and all of our analysis!

June 7 – Guerilla Collective Showcase

Guerilla Collective’s Showcase will officially kick off June’s games events on June 7th. If it’s anything like last year, there’s a “truckload” of announcements to expect. There were a whopping 40 new trailers and game announcements from Guerrilla Collective in 2022!

We’re proud to bring you the official date of the amazing Guerrilla Collective event we have planned this summer:

? Wednesday, June 7th @ 9AM PST | 6PM CET!

More info below:
➡️ https://t.co/lj68oroG0y pic.twitter.com/p8JidwbnGQ

— Guerrilla Collective (@GuerrillaCollec) April 19, 2023

June 8 – Summer Game Fest

Summer Game Fest is still on for 2023, and has been confirmed for Thursday, June 8, Noon PT/3p ET. It’s once again a free livestream hosted by Geoff Keighley, with big partners and anticipated announcements to come throughout June 8th-9th. Be sure to check back here on IGN.com for the Summer Game Fest stream and catch our real-time reactions as part of June’s Summer of Gaming event!

See what’s next in video games when @summergamefest goes live!

?Thursday, June 8, Noon PT/3p ET
?Free livestream from @youtubetheater pic.twitter.com/cxpZlQk0fq

— Summer Game Fest (@summergamefest) March 30, 2023

June 10 – Future Games Show

Future Games Show (FGS) is still a go for June 10th and is one of Future’s three total gaming showcases of the year. If you’re wondering what Future Games Show is all about, FGS debuted in 2020 with a mission “to celebrate the most exciting, unusual and innovative upcoming games across all formats”. For June 2023, you can expect gameplay footage from indies and the like, with some new surprises and “tweaks to the show format” according to their site.

June 11 – Final Fantasy XVI Pre-Launch Celebration

Final Fantasy fans can anticipate a pre-launch celebration stream for FFXVI on June 11 at 3:00 p.m. PT / 6:00 p.m. ET, hosted by Square Enix. More details to come, but you’ll definitely want to mark your calendars for this special sneak peek around the 16th chapter of this anticipated franchise release (June 22). Catch up on the latest Final Fantasy 16 Showcase from Sony State of Play.

June 11 – Xbox Showcase

As usual, Xbox will be hosting its summer showcase (and extended showcase again, perhaps?) this June. Here’s what went down last year with almost three dozen games announced during Microsoft’s event; from Starfield to Forza Motorsport to Redfall and more!

June 11 – Starfield Direct

Immediately following the Xbox Showcase will be Starfield Direct. After a couple of delays, Starfield is confirmed to launch in September 2023 for Xbox Series X/S and PC, and people are stoked!

Join us for #StarfieldDirect following the Xbox Games Showcase on Sunday, June 11 https://t.co/Igj84qH7AT

— Xbox (@Xbox) March 8, 2023

June 11 – PC Gaming Show

According to PC Gamer’s announcement, the start time for the PC Gaming Show will be shared at a later date, and will be broadcast on Twitch and other platforms on June 11th.

June 12 – Ubisoft Forward

See the latest from Ubisoft during their livestream on June 12th. Ahead of the event, catch up on everything announced from Ubisoft Forward in Fall 2022 to give you an idea of what’s to come still. Reveals in September 2022 included a sneak peek into the future of Assassin’s Creed, Rayman coming to Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope, and Skull and Bones Trailer showing ship customization to name a few.

June 14 – Upload VR Showcase

While last year’s summer showcase contained several announcements for the Meta Quest 2 and major VR headsets, this showcase should focus on VR games. Although we’re not likely to get any new VR headset announcements, if VR is your jam, you’ll want to see what VR games will be announced. Timing TBD.

June (TBD) – Wholesome Direct

You can expect truly wholesome aesthetics shown again this year at the Wholesome Direct event, including new trailers in tandem with new release dates and windows. 2022’s Wholesome Direct event showed off 90+ games in total, with three new games announced including Bubblegum Galaxy. What new cozy games can we look forward to this time around?

Today is your last chance to submit for Wholesome Direct 2023! https://t.co/2WSSDLrNjm

— Wholesome Games (@_wholesomegames) March 31, 2023

(Unconfirmed) – Nintendo Direct

With a new, big release coming up on May 12th for Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, it’s hard to imagine what fans will care about even more than Zelda come June! This event is TBD at the moment, but there were a ton of announcements from September’s Nintendo Direct event to recap if you need an idea of what news comes from these showcases.

(Unconfirmed) – Sony State of Play

Although unconfirmed for now, if Sony comes through again with a showcase in June, we’re likely to see a handful of new reveals for PSVR2 and PS5, along with new character reveals and new looks at upcoming releases like we did in February’s State of Play event. Earlier this year, we got the news about new Street Fighter 6 fighters and saw new Suicide Squad gameplay to name a couple of the bigger highlights.

What are you hoping to see this summer from these gaming events? Let us know in the comments.