Danganronpa writer Kazutaka Kodaka’s new studio had to take out a loan to fund its next big game, The Hundred Line: Last Defense Academy, which was revealed during June 2024’s Nintendo Direct.
Speaking to Famitsu and translated by Automaton, Kodaka said his team at Too Kyo Games was “risking their lives” for the game due to financial and mental pressure, though a publishing partner has since been secured in Aniplex.
Development started off rocky, however, after a deal with an initial publisher fell through after “numerous difficulties.” Work on The Hundred Line was then restarted but what began as an “indie scale game” quickly grew and demanded more funds.
“We decided to take the plunge and take out a loan,” Kodaka said, a move which is unusual for game developers who are traditionally funded by publishers. Aniplex eventually came through for Too Kyo Games though, and Media Vision and Jet Studio joined as co-developers.
“It was tough both financially and mentally, but I may never have another opportunity to put this much effort into a project,” Kodaka said.
The Hundred Line puts fans of Danganronpa in a similar setting: a hellish high school full of despair. They take on the role of Takumi Sumino, who lived an unremarkable life until he was forced to transfer to the Last Defense Academy.
We decided to take the plunge and take out a loan.
Players must protect the school from mysterious enemies known as School Invaders for 100 days through tactical role-playing combat and delve into the “enigmatic truth of the school” alongside 15 of his companions, each looking to reclaim their lost everyday lives.
Fallout creator Tim Cain has for the first time revealed his role in the cancelation of Interplay’s Van Buren, the codename for what was intended to be the original Fallout 3.
Van Buren was in development at Interplay-owned Black Isle Studios in the early 2000s, but was canceled amid significant financial problems at the company.
Cain, who worked on the first two, much-loved Fallout games in the mid-to late 90s before leaving Interplay to start a new studio called Troika Games, has now revealed the role he played in the cancelation of Van Buren as part of his ongoing YouTube series focused on video game development.
As we walked out he basically explained any answer over six months was going to result in him having to cancel it.
Cain revealed that in the middle of 2003, an unnamed Interplay vice president asked him to play the Van Buren prototype, saying: “I don’t think they can get it done, so I’m just going to cancel it. But if you look over it and give me an estimate there’s a chance I wouldn’t cancel it.”
Cain said he played the prototype for two hours and asked the development team a number of questions before delivering his verdict to the vice president.
“I said, ‘I’m convinced in 18 months you could have a really good game shipped.’ And he said, ‘huh, could it be done any faster?’ And I was like, ‘oh, shoot, I’ve said too long.’ I said, ‘well, even if you did a death march crunch I don’t think you could do it faster than 12, and then you’d be shipping something that was unbalanced and buggy, and the team would be destroyed. So I don’t recommend that.’
“And he said, ‘ok, thanks.’ As we walked out he basically explained any answer over six months was going to result in him having to cancel it, meaning the answer I just gave got the game canceled. But he was going to cancel it anyway. He thought it couldn’t be done in six months, and I just confirmed that to him.”
According to Cain, the cancelation of Van Buren was, ultimately, about money. Interplay’s dire financial situation meant it simply did not have enough cash to fund more than six months of further development, so Van Buren was canceled.
Interplay went on to close down Black Isle Studios and cut its entire staff. The company released Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel in 2004 for the Xbox and PlayStation 2, but it was not enough. That same year, Interplay announced a licensing deal with The Elder Scrolls developer Bethesda for future Fallout games, and in 2007, Interplay sold the Fallout IP to Bethesda outright, and the rest is history.
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.
FromSoftware is rolling out a new update for Elden Ring that adds a number of features ahead of the release of DLC Shadow of the Erdtree.
Following server maintenance today, June 20, patch 1.12 deploys to prepare Elden Ring for the release of Shadow of the Erdtree on June 21. This acts as an update to the Elden Ring base game and a day one patch for the hotly anticipated expansion.
Patch 1.12 adds new inventory features, including marking newly obtained items with a “!“, and a new tab called Recent Items so players can quickly review recently obtained items.
Elsewhere, there are new Summoning Pool features, such as active Summoning Pools now carrying over to NG+, and individual Summoning Pools enabled / disabled in the newly added Map Functions Menu. Only active Summoning Pools will be selected when using the Small Golden Effigy, FromSoftware said.
And five new hairstyles are added to the game. They can be selected during character creation using the Clouded Mirror Stand or using Rennala’s Rebirth feature.
Shadow of the Erdtree is set to add a wealth of new content to the beloved role-playing game. Just like previous FromSoftware games Dark Souls and Bloodborne, however, accessing the DLC isn’t as simple as selecting it on a menu, as players must tick off a handful of obscure feats beforehand, including beating an optional boss. Thankfully, IGN has a guide on how to prepare for the Shadow of Erdtree DLC if you need to scramble ahead of the expansion’s release. And make sure to check out our Elden Ring interactive map to ensure you’re not missing any important collectibles.
IGN’s Shadow of the Erdtree review returned a 10/10. We said: “Like the base game did before it, Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree raises the bar for single-player DLC expansions. It takes everything that made the base game such a landmark RPG, condenses it into a relatively compact 20-25 hour campaign, and provides fantastic new challenges for heavily invested fans to chew on.”
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.
Diamond Select Toys has been hard at work immortalizing the epic showdown between Peter Parker, Miles Morales and Venom as seen in 2023’s Spider-Man 2 game. IGN previously debuted DST’s Peter Parker statue and Miles Morales statue, and now we can cap off the trinity with the exclusive reveal of Venom himself.
Check out the slideshow gallery below for a closer look at DST’s Marvel Gamerverse Gallery Diorama Spider-Man 2 Venom PVC Statue:
The Marvel Gamerverse Gallery Diorama Spider-Man 2 Venom PVC Statue measures 13 inches tall and 12 inches wide, featuring the iconic villain in all his oozy, slimy glory. The statue is designed to form a larger diorama display with the aforementioned Spider-Man statues.
This statue was designed by Nelson X. Asencio and sculpted by John Cleary.
The Marvel Gamerverse Gallery Diorama Spider-Man 2 Venom PVC Statue is priced at $85.00 and is slated for release in Q1 2025. Preorders will open on the Diamond Select website and other retailers on Friday, June 21.
Microsoft Store is discounting its official Xbox Complete Component Pack for 2nd gen Xbox Elite Series 2 Core wireless controllers. Right now you can get it for only $30, 50% off the $60 MSRP. At this price point, they’re even less expensive than the 3rd party knockoff models you’ll find on Amazon.
Xbox Elite Controller Complete Component Pack for $30
The main difference between the 2nd generation Xbox Elite Core controller and the original Xbox Elite controller (besides the color scheme) is the accessories included. The original controller comes with the component pack, which includes extra sets of paddles, thumbsticks, and D-pad for more customizability, as well as a travel case. The newer gen Xbox controller doesn’t include these, which is why it is sold at an MSRP of $140 instead of $190. By getting this component pack, you’re basically upgrading your 2nd gen controller to 1st gen, and saving quite a bit of money to get there.
Xbox Elite Wireless Controller Series 2 for $95.99
If you don’t yet have a Xbox Elite controller, this is the best deal available right now. Target recently dropped the price of the professional-grade 2nd gen Xbox Series X Elite Series 2 Core Wireless Controller in Red/Black to $95.99. Note that Target RedCard members get an extra 5% discount. Signing up is free.
The Xbox Elite Series 2 Core wireless controller is physically the same controller as the older generation Xbox Elite Series 2 controller, which retails for a much higher $190 MSRP. The Elite Series 2 Core controller retains all the integrated pro gaming features like adjustable-tension thumbsticks, wrap-around rubberized grip, and shorter hair trigger locks. It’s a much superior option to the standard Xbox Core controller that the current gen consoles come with.
Xbox Core Controllers for $46.95
If you’re looking for something more stock, Walmart has dropped the prices on official Microsoft Xbox Series X Wireless Controllers to under $50. This includes the Arctic Camo White color released last year as well as Carbon Black, Robot White, Shock Blue, and Pulse Red.
A post on Discord from one of the three listed developers and co-owner of Banana, aestheticspartan, said the team had parted ways with one of its members after it emerged they were accused of being involved in a Steam scam previously. This team member has denied any involvement in a scam, saying instead an influx of money obtained through the Steam marketplace was the result of a bug.
Despite their involvement, “there is no scamming or scam going on,” aestheticspartan insisted. Banana’s gameplay literally involves clicking a banana repeatedly, but its main draw is in its dropping of Steam items which can be sold on the official marketplace. Banana gives out different bananas as its item, and clicking on the game once in a while nets players a couple per day.
Most of these items are listed for just a few cents each, meaning the players of Banana are often spending and gaining very little at a time, but this likely doesn’t matter to Steam owner Valve or the development team.
That’s because both get a cut of every marketplace sale. Valve takes 5%, to a minimum of $0.01, and the developer takes another small percentage, the exact total of which is unclear in this case, but likely follows the same conventions as Valve’s to a minimum of $0.01.
Buyers and sellers don’t see the same numbers on Steam’s community marketplace, as the seller chooses the amount and the buyer sees the total of that number plus fees. This would explain why no banana item is available for less than $0.03 — they’re likely listed at $0.01, but another $0.01 for Valve and $0.01 for the developer adds up to the $0.03 total.
These tiny numbers add up though. Using the most basic example, the plain Banana item (compared to the banana that looks like a Panda or any other obscure design), we can see how much the developer and Valve potentially make from Banana.
Steam itself features an hour-by-hour breakdown of how many of these items are sold. Using the latest full day example, June 18, 2024, an eye-watering total of 1,993,669 of this single item were sold.
Valve therefore potentially earned a total of $19,936.69 from this single Banana’s sales over a 24-hour period, a number more than likely earned by the developer, too. This standard drop is one of 81 items being sold on Banana’s community marketplace.
This is the most common item, however, so it’s being sold in larger quantities than other items. The Rainbow Banana, for example, is currently listed for around $0.75 but generally sells for less than 50 per hour instead of the thousands of the most common Banana. The most expensive item, the Crypticnana, of which only 25 exist, has been sold four times for values of more than $1,000 since June 17.
While this is a colossal price compared to the most basic Banana for the buyer and seller, Valve’s 5% means it only nets $50 per $1,000 sold on these. It’s therefore the $0.01 minimum policy affecting large quantities of low-selling items that make Valve and the developer the most money. A total of 14 items are listed at the minimum $0.03 amount, and each one sells thousands per hour.
Developer aestheticspartan’s insistence Banana isn’t a scam is therefore likely legitimate, but it’s also almost certainly earning the development team tens of thousands of dollars a day, if not more. As for why it’s so popular, developer team member Hery told Polygon Banana is a real-life “infinite money glitch.” “I do believe that the reason why it mostly caught on is because it’s a legal infinite money glitch,” Hery said. “Users make money out of a free game while selling free virtual items.”
They also admitted Banana had a bot problem early on, with only around one third of all concurrents being actual players. Whether or not that figure has changed since Banana blew up remains to be seen, though Hery said the developement team has contacted Valve for help with the issue.
Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelance reporter. He’ll talk about The Witcher all day.
Mortal Kombat 1 has a new patch that finally removes the 30fps cap for cutscenes on PC.
NetherRealm’s fighting game launched with a 30fps cap for in-game cutscenes such as Fatalities despite gameplay running at 60fps. Developer NetherRealm has insisted this cap lets it create flashier cutscenes, but some players have said the switch from 60 to 30 and back again is jarring.
Now, in a fresh update for Mortal Kombat 1, that 30fps cap is removed with the addition of a new graphics setting that increases the lock to 60fps on PC only, but it’s worth noting that NetherRealm warned this setting is intended for PC gamers with high-end rigs.
The patch, also available on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X, makes a number of character fixes, including to the recently released DLC character Homelander. The patch notes are below.
Added a new Graphics Setting to increase the 30 FPS lock on certain sections to 60 FPS, which is intended for users with High-End Hardware
The new setting to enable this is accessed via Main Menu > Settings > Graphics > Experimental > 60 FPS Mode: OFF (Default)/ON
Note that this setting will not affect pre-rendered movies and will be automatically disabled during Online Matches to avoid stability issues
General Fixes & Adjustments
Fixed several desyncs that could occur during online play if the game had been hot-fixed
Adjusted camera behavior when Homelander, Omni-Man, or Peacemaker are interrupted or hit high off screen
Character Specific Adjustments
Main Fighters
Reptile
Fixed damage scaling on Force Ball when not enhanced
Peacemaker
Human Torpedo & Enhanced Human Torpedo now hits High
Reduced base health value to 650 (from 700)
Homelander
Fixed canceling into Flight when grounded more than once in a kombo not consuming Super Meter
Fixed Jump Attacks during Flight be able to be canceled into Flight on block
Fixed not being able to breaker God Complex & Enhanced God Complex
Improved Punching Down linking into God Complex & Enhanced God Complex from Flight when it hits opponent near the top
Fixed issue that could result in Homelander sliding on the ground sometimes when God Complex from Flight was canceled from certain heights
Fixed rare issue that could result in Homelander sliding on the ground sometimes when God Complex from Flight was performed just as flight was about to time out
Fixed rare instances of some juggle kombos sometimes behaving slightly differently against Homelander with specific timing
The following attacks can no longer be parried by Dirty Trick
Kitana – Fancy Strike (Away + Front Punch)
Rain – Tide (Away + Back Punch) & It Pours (Back Punch, Front Punch, Front Punch, Back Punch)
Reptile – Kneet Trick (Towards + Back Punch, Front Kick)
Sindel – Shear Genius (Towards + Front Punch) & Off The Top (Away + Back Punch, Front Kick, Back Punch)
Ermac – Dragged Under (Front Kick, Back Kick)
Peacemaker – Gutshot (Away + Back Kick) & Pinky Toermenter (Down + Back Kick)
Quan Chi – Skeleton Jacker (Towards + Back Punch, Front Punch)
The following attacks can now be parried by Dirty Trick
Kenshi – Quick Slice (Jump Front Punch in Sento Stance), Upper Gash (Jump Back Punch in Sento Stance), Ancestral Guard, Soaring Sento, & Teamwork
Kung Lao – Kung-Kussion & Shaolin Shimmy
General Shao – Power Strike
Smoke – Vicious Vapors & Smoke Bomb
Peacemaker – Coming Through! (Towards + Back Kick, Front Punch)
Homelander – Grounding Fist from (Air) Diabolical Dash & Soaring Strike from Diabolical Dash
Kameo Fighters
Cyrax
Fixed canceling into Horizontal Kopter Chopper from Kopter Chopper not using Kameo Meter
Khameleon
Reduced pushback on block of first 2 hits of Roll & slightly reduced the pushback on block of the last hit
Reduced base health value to 250 (from 300)
Janet Cage
Slightly increased combo damage scaling on Hop Punch & Hop Skip Punch
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.
Ubisoft has delisted Beyond Good and Evil on Steam ahead of an expected reveal of a remaster.
A note on the Steam page for the cult classic adventure signals Ubisoft’s decision: “Notice: At the request of the publisher, Beyond Good and Evil is unlisted on the Steam store and will not appear in search.” At the time of this article’s publication, Beyond Good and Evil remains available to buy on GoG.
Ubisoft has said it will announce more news about Beyond Good & Evil – 20th Anniversary Edition during the Limited Run Games Showcase on June 20 at 11am Pacific / 2pm Eastern 7pm UK. It seems likely a re-release is inbound.
Looks like Uncle Pey’j has a message to share with you all… See you at the Limited Run Games Showcase on June 20th at 2pm EST for more news about Beyond Good & Evil – 20th Anniversary Edition! 👉 : https://t.co/zaLKVRlN2A Big thanks to Hubert Chevillard for this little teaser😀 pic.twitter.com/dY2PqL2JWn
In August 2023, the Electronic Software Ratings Board (ESRB) rated Beyond Good & Evil: 20th Anniversary Edition for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and S, Nintendo Switch, and PC. Then, in November, Ubisoft accidentally released Beyond Good & Evil 20th Anniversary Edition early, blaming it on a “technical error” while confirming an early 2024 release window.
Beyond Good & Evil first launched on November 11, 2003, so we’ve skipped past the actual 20th anniversary. In IGN’s 9/10 Beyond Good & Evil review, we said: “While it’s over a bit before you’d want it to be, Beyond Good & Evil tells its story with amazing pizzazz and polish. Even better, it’s a story well worth telling.”
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.
Activision has detailed Call of Duty’s Fallout crossover and confirmed a release date of June 20, 2024.
The fusion of both Microsoft-owned franchises sees Price, Ghost, Soap, and Gaz of Task Force 141 dressed in Vault Dweller skins. There are Vault-Tec-themed weapon blueprints and other Fallout-themed items for use in Modern Warfare 3, Warzone, and Warzone Mobile.
The in-game Fallout: Vault Dwellers event goes live at 10am PT on June 20 through to 8am PT June 26. The Tracer Pack: Fallout Vault Dweller Bundle includes two Fallout-themed weapon blueprints featuring Vault-Tec Tracers and a V.A.T.S. Death Effect.
Equip the “Vault-Tec Approved” M16 Weapon Blueprint with two Aftermarket Parts: the JAK Cutthroat Stock offering an unrivaled combination of speed and stability while aiming down sights, plus the JAK Patriot Conversion Kit which transforms the M16 into a fully automatic rifle with superior recoil control and firing aim stability.
Accompanied by a 45 Round Mag plus two attachments improving handling and recoil control, this is the ideal weapon for lasering down foes from a distance.
For closer fights, opt for the “Atomic Disintegrator” HRM-9 Weapon Blueprint geared for sustained combat in close quarters. With a 50 Round Drum Magazine plus thermal target identification, improved accuracy and recoil control, and extended range, this SMG configuration is ideal for aiming down sights with the ability to compete out to the mid-range.
The Fallout Bundle also features a “Vault 141” Operator Skin for Price, Ghost, Soap, and Gaz plus six loading screens and more. The full list of included content is as follows:
Four “Vault 141” Operator Skins
“Atomic Disintegrator” HRM-9 Weapon Blueprin
“Vault-Tec Approved” M16 Weapon Blueprint
“Let’s Do This!” and “Fatman” Charms
“Wasteland Workshop” Calling Card
“You’re Special” Large Decal
“Vault-Tec Engineer” Emblem
“Nuka-Cola Spacer” Sticker
Six Loading Screens including “Nuka-Cola,” “Please Stand By,” “Survivors’ Journey,” “Sanctuary Hills,” “Vault 141,” and “Restoring Democracy”
The Fallout: Vault Dwellers Event, meanwhile, features challenges across Multiplayer, Zombies, and Warzone. Here are the details:
Use any of the Vault Dweller Skins during the Vault Dwellers Event for an additional XP boost. Earn additional Fallout-themed cosmetic items like the “New California Republic” Large Decal, “Nuka-Cola Caps” Emblem, “Slocum’s Joe” Sticker, “Nuka-Cola” Charm, and the “Nuka-Cola Quantum” Weapon Camo.
Activision has gone big on crossover events in Call of Duty in recent years, with everything from Warhammer 40,000 to Gundam seeing in-game skins and weapons. The Fallout bundle comes hot on the heels of the breakout success of Amazon Prime’s Fallout TV show, which has boosted interest in everything related to the post-apocalyptic setting.
Modern Warfare 3 continues to receive updates as Activision prepares to launch Black Ops 6 in October. Activision is expected to move on from last year’s shooter to focus on new seasons for Black Ops 6 and Warzone later this year.
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.
Gematsu spotted a rating for TimeSplitters on PS5 and PS4 in Taiwan, indicating Free Radical Design’s much-loved shooter is coming to the Classics Catalog soon.
TimeSplitters has been rated for PS5 and PS4 in Taiwan. 99 percent likely it’s the PS2 version for the PlayStation Plus Classics Catalog, considering the platforms. Search “TimeSplitters” here to see the rating yourself: https://t.co/kSQ7a9X1P4pic.twitter.com/InFED7ihTx
TimeSplitters first released in 2000 as a launch game for the PlayStation 2 and a spiritual successor to Rare’s GoldenEye and Perfect Dark. Indeed TimeSplitters was made by some of the people who worked on those iconic N64 shooters. It took place across multiple different time periods with 18 separate characters battling against the titular foe, creatures who can travel through time and wreck history using special crystals.
It got a sequel in TimeSplitters 2 in 2002, and a further entry in 2005 called TimeSplitters: Future Perfect. After Free Radical struggled to find a publisher for a fourth game, the rights languished at Crysis developer Crytek for years before Deep Silver parent Koch Media bought them up in 2018. Eventually, as with so much video game intellectual property, TimeSplitters ended up in Embracer’s vault.
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.
