Tony Hawk has said he’s talking to Activision again and is working on something Pro Skater-related with the company.
In an interview with Mythical Kitchen (via VGC), the world famous skater teased plans to celebrate Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater’s 25th anniversary later this year.
“I wish I could tell you more, but I can tell you that I have been talking to Activision again, which is insanely exciting. We’re working on something,” Hawk said. “That is the first time I’ve said that publicly.
“It will be something the fans will truly appreciate.”
Speaking in 2022, Hawk said a follow-up remake collection was planned (Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4) before Vicarious Visions merged with Blizzard, but the dream died when Activision failed to find a video game pitch from other developers it was happy with.
“[Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4] was the plan, even up until the release date of [1 and 2],” Hawk said. “We were doing 3 and 4, and then Vicarious got kind of absorbed, and then they were looking for other developers, and then it was over.
“The truth of it is [Activision] were trying to find somebody to do 3 and 4 but they just didn’t really trust anyone the way they did Vicarious.
“So they took other pitches from other studios, like, ‘what would you do with the THPS title?’ And they didn’t like anything they heard, and then that was it.
“Who knows? Maybe when the dust settles, we’ll figure it out. You never know. I never would’ve thought we were going to do 1+2, 20 years later.”
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater released on PSone on September 29, 1999, and went on to sell millions of copies and spawn subsequent sequels. As well as working with Activision on something new video game related, Tony Hawk is making a kids-focused animated TV show called Skatebirds, a title inspired by Hawk’s ‘Birdman’ nickname.
Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images.
Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.
Cyberpunk 2077 developer CD Projekt has finally added AMD FidelityFX Super Resolution 3 with Frame Generation to the PC version of the game.
Patch 2.13 for Cyberpunk 2077 and expansion Phantom Liberty is being rolled out now on PC only (patch notes are below), but despite the version mismatch between PC and console, cross-progression will still function properly.
AMD FidelityFX Super Resolution 3 (FSR3) combines image upscaling with frame generation technologies to generate high resolution frames at fast frame-rates. You can enable it in Settings → Graphics in the Quick Preset section, CD Projekt explained in a post on its website.
There’s also a separate setting to enable FSR Frame Generation. Note that FSR Frame Generation can only be used when AMD FidelityFX Super Resolution 3 upscaling is enabled.
Fans were left questioning whether the promised update would ever arrive after the developer told investors its Cyberpunk 2077 team had migrated elsewhere following the release of what was assumed to be the final update in version 2.12.
“We’ve decided to keep support for both FSR 2.1 and FSR 3 to give players the flexibility to choose their preferred setting for visual quality and performance,” CD Projekt explained. “This allows them to experiment and find what fits their gaming style best.”
Cyberpunk 2077 and Phantom Liberty update 2.13 patch notes:
Added support for AMD FidelityFX Super Resolution 3 with Frame Generation. More information can be found in this article on the Support website.
Added support for Intel Xe Super Sampling 1.3.
It will now be possible to enable both DLAA and DLSS Ray Reconstruction at the same time.
Added a new “Utilities” tab in Settings and moved HDD Mode, Hybrid CPU Utilization and AMD Simultaneous Multithreading (SMT) options there.
Other stability and visual fixes.
Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.
Thieves are once again targeting the Pokémon Trading Card Game, with a duo in Japan allegedly making off with $70,000 worth after asking staff which ones were valuable.
As reported by NHK and translated by ComicBook, a Pokémon TCG store in Osaka was allegedly broken into at 3:30am while a pair of employees were closing up. The perpetrators tied the workers up and demanded not the Pokémon cards themselves, but insight into which ones were worth taking.
Pokémon card thefts are on the rise given how valuable some cards are (the rarest sold in 2022 for more than $5 million), but as tens of thousands of individual cards exist, not to mention countless copies of most of them, it can be hard to differentiate between the good cardboard and the bad cardboard.
Payday 3 director Miodrag Kovačević is stepping down following a disastrous first year for the live service heist shooter.
Developer Starbreeze Entertainment posted on X/Twitter to announce the change in management, saying Kovačević will work as a designer on Payday 3 instead. Lead producer Andreas Penninger and global brand director Almir Listo will act as the “creative force” behind the game “in the interim,” though the long term future of Payday 3’s leadership remains hazy.
“Going into year two, [Kovačević] will be stepping away from his role as game director and focusing his efforts as a designer elsewhere in the project,” the post said.
“In the interim, while researching and planning year two, [Penninger] and [Listo] will be the creative force behind the upcoming updates we hope you keep enjoying and playing. Thank you for your continued support. We salute you.”
Payday 3 launched in September 2023 to strong player numbers that quickly withered away, due to server issues that forced then Starbreeze CEO Tobias Sjögren to apologize. “We are so sorry that the infrastructure didn’t hold up as expected, and although it’s impossible to prepare for every scenario — we should be able to do better,” he said before leaving the company.
Microsoft is laying off a further 650 staff from its gaming business, according to a memo sent by Xbox chief Phil Spencer to staff today, September 12, and obtained by IGN.
In the memo, Spencer said the roles affect mostly corporate and support functions, and were made “to organize our business for long term success.” He clarified that no games, devices or experiences are being canceled and no studios are being closed as part of these cuts.
These latest layoffs mean Microsoft has let go of 2,550 staff from its gaming business since acquiring Activision Blizzard for $69 billion in 2023.
Phil Spencer’s email to staff is reproduced in full below:
For the past year, our goal has been to minimize disruption while welcoming new teams and enabling them to do their best work. As part of aligning our post-acquisition team structure and managing our business, we have made the decision to eliminate approximately 650 roles across Microsoft Gaming — mostly corporate and supporting functions — to organize our business for long term success.
I know that this is difficult news to hear. We are deeply grateful for the contributions of our colleagues who are learning they are impacted. In the U.S., we’re supporting them with exit packages that include severance, extended healthcare, and outplacement services to help with their transition; outside the U.S. packages will differ according to location.
With these changes, our corporate and supporting teams and resources are aligned for sustainable future growth, and can better support our studio teams and business units with programs and resources that can scale to meet their needs. Separately, as part of running the business, there are some impacts to other teams as they adapt to shifting priorities and manage the lifecycle and performance of games. No games, devices or experiences are being cancelled and no studios are being closed as part of these adjustments today.
Throughout our team’s history, we have had great moments, and we have had challenging ones. Today is one of the challenging days. I know that going through more changes like this is hard, but even in the most trying times, this team has been able to come together and show one another care and kindness as we work to continue delivering for our players. We appreciate your support as we navigate these changes and we thank you for your compassion and respect for each other.
Phil
These cuts follow the already eye-watering 1,900 layoffs Microsoft made to its gaming business earlier this year, and continue the video game industry’s torrid time of late. Microsoft closed Hi-Fi Rush developer Tango Gameworks and Redfall developer Arkane Austin as part of those cuts. Speaking to IGN in June, Spencer said: “I have to run a sustainable business inside the company and grow, and that means sometimes I have to make hard decisions that frankly are not decisions I love, but decisions that somebody needs to go make.”
While Spencer has insisted Microsoft’s video game franchise “are getting stronger”, and Xbox console players “are as high this year as they’ve ever been,” the gaming business is now bringing a number of its games to rival platforms, including PlayStation 5.
“And we run a business,” Spencer said. “It’s definitely true inside of Microsoft the bar is high for us in terms of the delivery we have to give back to the company. Because we get a level of support from the company that’s just amazing and what we’re able to go do.
“So I look at this, how can we make our games as strong as possible? Our platform continues to grow, on console, on PC, and on cloud. It’s just going to be a strategy that works for us.”
Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.
Sony has released a significant update for the PS5 that adds a Welcome hub, Party Share, and more new features. Unfortunately the update does not add themes or folders, two of the most-requested features from PS5 owners.
VP of product management at Sony Interactive Entertainment Hiromi Wakai unveiled PS5 system software update 24.06-10.00.00 on the PlayStation Blog, with its patch notes, below, published to the PlayStation website.
The Welcome hub is a new personalized space with customizable widgets and backgrounds in your PS5 home screen. Welcome hub is a reimagined version of the Explore tab, Wakai said, which was previously only available in the U.S. It will roll out globally over the next few weeks, starting today for select players in the U.S.
Elsewhere, Party share will roll out globally in the coming weeks. This will allow you to invite a friend you’re chatting with on any messaging app to join your party voice chat, even if you haven’t added them to your friends list on PlayStation Network.
To create a party link, open the voice chat card in the Control Center on PS5, select [Invite Players], then click [Share Party link] to generate a scannable QR code. Recipients can open the link on their mobile device and seamlessly join the party on their PS5 or from PlayStation App.
Wakai outlined more features released as part of today’s update, previously tested in beta:
Personalized 3D audio profiles for headphones and earbuds
Adjust Remote Play settings per user and choose who is allowed to connect to your PS5 console using Remote Play
Adaptive charging for your controllers (available for the slimmer PS5 model and PS5 Pro when it’s available)
PS5 system software update 24.06-10.00.00 patch notes:
The Welcome hub is now available in the home screen. For users in North America, this enhancement replaces the Explore hub.
You can customize the Welcome hub with widgets and backgrounds.
Widgets display information like storage, battery levels, online friends, and more.
Widgets can be added, removed, resized, and moved one by one. You can also choose from preset widget layouts based on your preferences.
A limited number of users will receive the Welcome hub in this update. All users worldwide will receive this enhancement within 1-2 months.
You can now create a personalized 3D audio profile for your headphones that’s optimized to each user’s ears. This allows for a more immersive 3D audio experience than ever before.
Each 3D audio profile is uniquely optimized for each user, created by taking detailed measurements of how you hear 3D audio throughheadphones.
To create a personalized 3D audio for your headphones, go to Settings > Sound > 3D Audio (Headphones).
You can still select from 3D audio presets like before.
Adaptive charging for your controller is now available for when your PS5 (CFI-2000 model group)is in rest mode.
Adaptive charging allows the duration of power supply during rest mode to adjust depending on how much battery your controller has left, helping save power.
To use adaptive charging, go to Settings > System > Power Saving > Features Available in Rest Mode, and then select Supply Power to USB Ports > Adaptive.
Adaptive charging is supported on the PS5 CFI-2000 model group, using the USB Type-C port. Adaptive charging works with the DualSense wireless controller, DualSense Edge wireless controller, PS VR2 Sense controllers, and Access controller.
After your PS5 enters rest mode, if a controller isn’t connected, the power supply to the USB port will stop after a certain period of time.
When you’re in a party, you can now share a link to that party. Share the link with players using other services to invite them to that party.
This feature will be gradually rolled out after this system software update is released.
You can now set which users can connect to the PS5 using Remote Play.
Go to Settings > System > Remote Play > Enable Remote Play, and select the users who can access your console through Remote Play.
The restore licenses feature has been improved, and you can now restore one license at a time.
Go to Settings > Users and Accounts > Other > Restore Licenses to select the license that you want to restore.
To restore a license from the home screen or Game Library, go to the game, press the options button, and then select Restore License from the menu.
We’ve added a friendly recommendation about your storage space that you’ll sometimes see in Settings > Storage.
We’ve made it simpler to access the most popular activities from game hubs.
Game hubs now only display activities that are currently in progress.
To play a specific activity, start the game first and find it using in-game menus.
The Invite to New Game option, which is available from multiple locations, is no longer available when sending game invites.
To invite friends to a game session, start the game first, then send the invitation to the session.
We’ve updated the device software of the DualSense and DualSense Edge wireless controllers, PlayStation VR2 Sense controllers, and Access controller to improve stability.
We’ve improved system software performance and stability.
We’ve improved the messages and usability on some screens.
Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.
Now Saber Interactive CEO Tim Willits, who served as studio director at id Software until 2019, is claiming that Space Marine 2 is selling many of the games in id’s famed franchises. He’s backed up by former CEO Todd Hollenshead, who departed id Software in 2013 and currently works with Willits at Saber.
Todd Hollenshead (former CEO of id Software) and I believe that Space Marine 2 is the fastest selling game we’ve ever worked on, including all the Quake, DOOM, Wolfenstein, and RAGE games over the years. #SpaceMarine2
“Todd Hollenshead (former CEO of id Software) and I believe that Space Marine 2 is the fastest selling game we’ve ever worked on, including all the Quake, DOOM, Wolfenstein, and RAGE games over the years,” Willits claims.
IGN has reached out to id Software for a response.
Todd Hollenshead (former CEO of id Software) and I believe that Space Marine 2 is the fastest selling game we’ve ever worked on
Willits departed id Software in 2019, meaning he would have had at least some oversight over 2020’s Doom Eternal. Both Willits and Hollenshead spent many years at id Software, joining in 1995 and 1996 respectively, which was the heyday of games like Doom 2. In the years that they were with id Software, the studio developed the Quake franchise, various Doom sequels and reboots, and Rage and its sequel.
While the actual sales data around its various games are a bit hazy, 2016’s Doom was able to sell at least 2 million copies by 2017. Doom Eternal, meanwhile, was estimated to have reached 3 million at launch.
One way or another, Space Marine 2 is doing well for itself, buoyed by strong reviews and player sentiment. We recently called it an “Xbox 360 shooter in the best way possible,” writing in our review: “Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 is a terrific third-person shooter with a compelling story, loads of weapons that are a blast to use, and a healthy variety of enemies to use them on,” It once again borrows many of its ideas from the Gears of War series, but they’re good ideas, and Space Marine 2 does a fine job of making them its own.
“And while the Operations PvE mode that accompanies it doesn’t currently offer enough to keep me coming back, the deep customization options for your Space Marine do look promising if it’s supported in post-launch updates as planned. Besides, when you’re eviscerating aliens on planets as pretty as these, it’s hard not to leave satisfied.”
I find the word “cozy” to be dreadfully overused when assigning genres to video games these days, but it’s hard to find another adjective that so perfectly captures what I love about Dragon Quest. Straightforward but rewarding turn-based combat paired with a classic hero’s journey told in a picturesque fantasy world result in a wonderfully traditional RPG experience I’ve always found so comforting. So when I was given the choice at a recent preview event to try out Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake on either PlayStation 5 or Nintendo Switch, the choice to settle in on the couch in the Switch’s handheld mode was an easy one.
And rest assured, Switch owners, Dragon Quest 3 looked and ran great on the aging Nintendo system. Square Enix’s other HD-2D games like Octopath Traveler and Live A Live were perfect for playing in short bursts before bed, and Dragon Quest 3 is looking to fit that mold as well.
Unlike our first look at Dragon Quest 3’s remake which showed off how faithfully it’s sticking to the roots of the 30-plus-year-old NES RPG, the hour I played Dragon Quest 3 was spent with some of the remake’s brand-new additions. And so far, I’m extremely pleased with the new content that spruces things up without unrecognizably transforming the original experience.
First, I hung out in the revamped Monster Arena, where you can send monsters you’ve defeated and recruited throughout the game to do battle against other teams of creatures. In the original Dragon Quest 3, you could simply bet on the outcome of fights in the Monster Arena, but this remake lets you get in on the action yourself. Monster collecting has been a big part of both the main Dragon Quest games and the Monsters spinoff series for decades, and it’s great to see that legacy continue here.
I entered the arena with a preset team of a Slime, Healslime, and Spiked Hare, but this side mode is clearly set up for me to make my own teams with monsters I recruit across the main game. You don’t directly command your team in the Monster Arena tournament, but rather set how they should act in battle from four distinct options: Show No Mercy, Fight Wisely, Focus on Healing, and Don’t Use MP.
For the first few rounds, I instructed my Healslime to focus on healing its allies while the Slime and Spiked Hare dealt all the damage, but once I realized I had this fight in the bag, I had my whole team go all out. This monster auto battler seems like a fun distraction from the main adventure, and I can see myself swinging by regularly to fine-tune my team and enter them in tournaments.
While watching my team do battle I found myself mesmerized by the enemy character models. I’ve felt that Dragon Quest and the HD-2D art style were a match made in heaven since this remake’s initial reveal, and seeing it in action confirmed how much I love seeing these classic enemies in Square Enix’s enticing art direction. The killerpillar (an evil caterpillar, if you couldn’t guess) I faced in my first fight had a very detailed idle animation where it bounced back and forth, and the way it wriggled its entire body when gearing up for an attack made the whole turn-based fight feel so much more dynamic.
I’ve felt that Dragon Quest and the HD-2D art style were a match made in heaven since this remake’s initial reveal, and seeing it in action confirmed how much I love seeing these classic enemies in Square Enix’s enticing art direction.
The same can be said of the awesome character models for Robbin’ ‘Ood and his set of Robbin’ ‘oodlums, the boss fight I faced at the top of Skyfell Tower. Ascending the tower was a classic, atmospheric dungeon experience filled with random encounters. Here, I was impressed with how flexible Dragon Quest 3’s combat system is. Remember those four preset orders I could assign to my team in the Monster Arena? In Dragon Quest 3’s core combat, those presets are still available to you, with the added option of “Follow Orders”. This means you can rip through the low-stakes random encounters in a dungeon by telling all four of your party members to Show No Mercy, but when a challenging boss fight begins, you can take control of every decision to ensure you emerge victorious. This, combined with the ability to crank up the battle speed whenever you like, adds to that cozy, relaxing game feel I mentioned earlier. It’s enjoyable to kick back and watch the experience points roll in during the low level fights that only take a few seconds at max speed, but when I reached the top of the tower to face off against Robbin ‘Ood, I wanted to make every choice myself.
And it’s a good thing I did take control of the boss fight, because it was a nail-biter. I had to use my Priest to heal my party several times, while my protagonist and Monster Wrangler – which is a new class introduced to the remake – dealt the heavy blows. I let out a big sigh of relief when Robbin ‘Ood finally fell to the ground, and it just made me want to rush straight to the next dungeon to face off against the next big boss.
I imagine players will have a ton of fun customizing their party and making changes to it throughout the game.
I also want to shout out this remake’s new party customization feature. The party members in Dragon Quest 3 are blank slates, but the remake revamps Patty’s Party Planning Place, a tavern where you can design your own party members, choosing their class, name, appearance, hair color, and voice. There aren’t very many customization options, but enough to make a rudimentary version of myself that I inserted into my party. I imagine players will have a ton of fun customizing their party and making changes to it throughout the game.
Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake is out November 14 on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC, with Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake arriving sometime next year.
Lenovo is offering $15 off select Xbox controllers, including a few limited edition ones, when you apply coupon code “SAVEACCXTRA“. It stacks with instant discounts as well. The limited edition controllers – Sky Cipher Edition and Nocturnal Vapor Edition – haven’t been discounted, ever, so it’s possible that they are unintentionally eligible. In any case, if you’ve been eyeing one of these controllers, do not hesitate or you’ll probably experience FOMO. They are compatible with Xbox Series X and S consoles as well as your PC (via Bluetooth, USB Type-C, or Xbox wireless dongle).
Xbox Controllers Currently on Sale
You can quickly browse through all of the listed controllers that are currently on sale above. We picked out the best deals or most interesting products worth mentioning below.
Sky Cipher Special Edition
The Sky Cipher Edition is an absolutely gorgeous controller, with a translucent electric blue body, solid blue textured rubber grips, metallic triggers and D-pad, and metallic accents within the body.
Nocturnal Vapor Special Edition
The Nocturnal Vapor Edition sports a more understated style, with a light and dark green color swirl that’s unique to every controller, textured rubber grips, and green triggers and D-pad.
Blue
Step up with the Xbox Elite Series 2 Core wireless controller, which offers pelnty of pro gaming features like adjustable-tension thumbsticks, wrap-around rubberized grip, and shorter hair trigger locks. It’s a superior option to the standard Xbox controller. The only significant difference betweeh this and the original Elite controller is that the Core model doesn’t come with as many accessories. You can purchase them separately as a component pack for $59.99.
Deep Pink
This model features a deep pink body color with matching thumbsticks. The back is white.
Shock Blue
This model features a blue body color with matching thumbsticks. The back is white.
Electric Volt
This model features a bright lemon-lime color with matching thumbsticks. The back is white. This is a good option if you lose your controller often and need some kind of visual indicator for help.
Sony has revealed the full line-up of PlayStation Plus Games Catalog additions for September 2024, which includes The Plucky Squire, Far Cry 5, and more.
Announced on the PlayStation Blog, a total of 13 games are joining the library, nine on the PlayStation Plus Extra tier and four on the PlayStation Plus Premium Tier through the Classic Games Catalog and PSVR2 offerings. They’re available September 17.
The Plucky Squire is certainly the headline game this month as it launches straight onto PlayStation Plus, letting players explore its blend of 2D and 3D gameplay elements. “The Plucky Squire follows the magical adventures of Jot and his companions, storybook characters who discover a three-dimensional world outside the pages of their book,” reads the official synopsis.
Under the Waves is a narrative driven adventure game about grief, set in the North Sea in a techno futuristic 1970s. Players are offered the chance to not just explore a deep and dark surreal underwater landscape but also the very depths of the human psyche.
Adventure and exploration game Night in the Woods is up next, letting PS Plus users who haven’t already experience the 2017 game. “Night in the Woods’ exploration of young adulthood manages to be charming, funny, and devastatingly sad all at once,” IGN said in our 8/10 review.
Very different, Chernobylite is promised to be a science-fiction survival horror experience, mixing the free exploration of its disturbing world with challenging combat, unique crafting, and non-linear storytelling. It was released in 2021 and has a sequel on the way.
The football version of NBA Playground arrived in 2023 as Wild Card Football. Its developer Saber Interactive said it “takes the fun and excitement of football over the top with exciting arcade action and features a massive roster of hundreds of real-life football players with detailed player models and animations.”
Looking to be as wild and wacky as some real road trips, Road 96 lets players travel through a procedurally generated adventure again and again. “Road 96 is a fascinating and frequently tense adventure that manages to keep its story on track despite the odd bump in the road,” IGN said in our 8/10 review.
Players may be able to complete Ben 10 faster than they can say “it’s hero time” but that doesn’t mean it won’t be a lot of fun, right? “As Ben Tennyson, it’s up to you to save the world,” reads the synopsis. “Take on some of Ben’s most infamous enemies, including Zombozo, Queen Bee, and the Weatherheads.”
The penultimate (for now) entry in Ubisoft’s open world first-person shooter series, Far Cry 5 takes players to the deep south of the U.S. as they look to escape from and destroy a doomsday cult attempting to take over the entire country. It also earned an 8/10 in IGN’s review: “Far Cry 5 is another wide-open playground with all the necessary ingredients for causing a real ruckus: loads of enemies and allies, temperamental wildlife, and plenty of explosions.”
Pistol Whip is September’s virtual reality game as it gives PSVR2 users an action packed rhythm game blended with the first person shooter genre. “Pistol Whip is a VR highlight with fast-paced rhythm shooting, an exciting soundtrack, and an enticingly abstract art style,” IGN said in another 8/10 review.
Did you know Clank, of Ratchet and Clank fame, had a secret agent alter ego? No? I guess that’s the point! Secret Agent Clank is a PlayStation 2 and PlayStation Portable game from 2008 making its way to the PS Plus Classic Games Catalog. IGN’s 6/10 review said we don’t hate the game, but are just disappointed in it.
Sky Gunner is a third-person combat flight simulator from 2000, originally released on the PlayStation 2. It’s now been enhanced with up-rendering, rewind, quick save, and custom video filters, however, clearing the runway for takeoff in the modern era.
Though perhaps not quite as iconic as Crash Bandicoot or Spyro the Dragon, Mister Mosquito still pulled in a decent review. “It’s a little short and about $10 more that [we’d have cared] to pay for it, and it has a few camera and control problems, but the game’s creative premise, it’s brave completion, and the phenomenal amount of laughter and fun to be had here shouldn’t be ignored,” IGN said in 2002.
Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelance reporter. He’ll talk about The Witcher all day.
