Everyone had their breath taken away when prolific action star Keanu Reeves revealed Cyberpunk 2077's release date on Microsoft's E3 2019 stage. We know Reeves will play the "legendary rockerboy" Johnny Silverhand, but how CD Projekt Red got the Canadian-American actor to be involved with the upcoming first-person shooter has remained a mystery--until now. We sat down with senior level designer Miles Tost to talk about how the Polish developer recruited Reeves.Reeves is a new addition to the game, only being approached about a year ago or so. When asked why Reeves and not some other action star, Tost said Reeves was the perfect fit. Tost mentions his "rich background [in] cyberpunky stores"--titles like Johnny Mnemonic and The Matrix come to mind--and says "the roles he's been playing really fit" the team's vision for the game, calling it "a very natural match made in heaven."When asked about Reeves' reaction to CD Projekt Red's inquiry, Tost said Reeves is a "super cool guy" who "seems really into this and very passionate about the project and the role he's playing." Tost recalls a vivid moment during the pitch process where Reeves was "really getting into the role," enacting mannerisms Johnny Silverhand might actually have.It's worth noting that, while Cyberpunk 2077 is Reeves' most recent video game casting, he's appeared in a handful of titles before, including action-adventure game Enter the Matrix, cooperative first-person shooter Payday 2, and big-name battle royale game Fortnite.While the game won't come out until next year, Tost says he's confident the team will pull the project together and ship it when it's ready. "Our studio is one that really puts quality above everything, and it's also reassuring for me as a developer. I know we will not ship this game if it isn't ready by the time we decide to ship it. With that, I think gamers will be able to expect the kind of quality that we had with The Witcher 3 and then some."Cyberpunk 2077 will launch on April 16, 2020 for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. CD Projekt Red previously announced a North American-only PC version but swiftly changed its mind amid fan outcry.More E3 news:Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 teasedNew Xbox console, Scarlett, revealedXbox Scarlett details: 8K, 120 FPS, SSDElden Ring is From Software and George RR Martin's new gameCyberpunk 2077 release date announcedFinal Fantasy VII Remake release date announcedMarvel's Avengers revealedInfo from Gamespot.com

E3 2019 began over the weekend with big announcements like the release date of the anticipated Final Fantasy 7 Remake and the surprise that came from Keanu Reeves during the Cyberpunk 2077 trailer, but we are just getting started!If you are attending the expo in L.A. this week, you got to stop by GameSpot’s booth located in the West Hall of the Los Angeles Convention Center! You can watch our shows live from our stage and check out all the surprises we have in store for attendees.We also have a free activation open to the public from Tuesday to Thursday where you can enjoy gameplay, celebrity meet n’ greets, giveaways and more. Check out our Base Station schedule below:Tuesday June 11AvaGG & Anthony Kongphan 3pm to 4pmRKG 4pm to 6pmDallas Fuel from 6pm to 7pmTeam Liquid’s Cali & Geesh from 7pm to 8pmWednesday June 12Sohinki, Jovenshire & Lasercorn from 3pm to 4pmWWE® Superstars The New Day®, from 4pm to 6pmFunhaus from 6pm to 8pmThursday June 13Rooster Teeth talent from 3pm to 4pmWhat’s Good Games from 4pm to 5:30pmKenny Omega from 5:30pm to 6pmKinda Funny from 6pm-8pmAnd for everyone that will be watching our coverage from cyberspace you can follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and also watch us live on YouTube. Info from Gamespot.com

The long-awaited first look at the upcoming Avengers game, titled Marvel's Avengers, finally came at E3 2019 on Monday night. Square Enix saved the reveal for the end of its press conference, but it probably didn't get the sort of reaction from the internet it might have liked. While it stars the core Avengers team from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it doesn't feature the likenesses of those MCU actors who fans have grown accustomed to over the last ten years, and that resulted in the character designs getting dragged on social media.The Avengers reveal finally showed something of the game that's being worked on by Crystal Dynamics and Eidos Montreal. Despite an extended look at Avengers, things are still pretty cryptic: though it seems to be a third-person action game, it's not especially clear how it plays. We do know that it's an original Avengers story (the same way Insomniac's recent game, Marvel's Spider-Man, was divorced from existing storylines). And it seems that Captain America buys it early in the game, with the story picking up five years later after they disband in response to taking the blame for destroying a big part of San Francisco.There was plenty of news included in the presentation, including an upcoming Avengers beta coming to PS4 first and its release date. While the action is cinematic in the game's trailer and Square Enix's announcement included details like cooperative gameplay, free post-release DLC, and an all-star voice cast that includes Troy Baker, Laura Bailey, Nolan North, Travis Willingham, and Jeff Schine, it was the character designs that captured imaginations, and not in a good way.It's not just that the MCU actors' likenesses weren't used--although that was part of the reaction. Captain America's riot officer body armor and Thor's weird headlight shirt were among the issues many seemed to take with the designs. There were also plenty of people wondering where Hawkeye is. You can check out some of the meanest (or funniest) reactions below.We've got plenty more E3 2019 coverage throughout the show, including rundowns of all the news out of the Square Enix press conference, and all the other press conferences, too--be sure to check back throughout the week for news, previews, and impressions from gaming's biggest show. Among other things, we got a fresh look at another Marvel game, Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3, which is coming to Switch in July. A new trailer showcased its characters and we learned about some of the teams coming as DLC.Wow, this Avengers video game parody looks amazing — Charlotte Ariel Finn (@CharlotteBeyond) June 11, 2019Well, they finally announced the avengers games, oh boy, that announcement was something else, haha#SquareEnixE3 #Avengers pic.twitter.com/JdCw44Bidw — Eriksson (@MedinaEriksson) June 11, 2019I see why Hawkeye didn't show up. pic.twitter.com/8mSOD57RYK — smilesmorales 🌹 (@mode7heaven) June 11, 2019marvel fans pretending tony stark and captain america look good in the new avengers game pic.twitter.com/17oKLzfLZi — 🌸alexis moore💖💙💜 (@alexisparade) June 11, 2019live look at me watching Square Enix's AVENGERS game trailer at the precise moment where I realized they didn't get likeness rights for any of the actors pic.twitter.com/FMAGpV7c9p — Scott Wampler™ (@ScottWamplerBMD) June 11, 2019Avengers game pic.twitter.com/wRq0Tx6OYG — Riv(ers) (@TheyCallMeRiv) June 11, 2019Marvel's Avengers (Dev. Crystal Dynamics.) pic.twitter.com/VrbnlM4zE1 — Matt Kim (@LawofTD) June 11, 2019Tony Stark vs. Toney Stank #E32019 #SquareEnixE3 #Avengers pic.twitter.com/Ny3vohvK8l — Glendrino Juevos (@Bust0pher_J0nes) June 11, 2019 Info from Gamespot.com

Nintendo's E3 Direct is over, meaning E3 2019's press conferences have finally concluded. Fortunately, Nintendo had a great stream and showed off some huge titles, including some surprises we didn't already know about. The biggest of the bunch was undoubtedly the Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild sequel, but there was plenty else to take both during and after the Direct.In addition, there are a bunch of new Nintendo Switch games out right now, and even though the Direct is over, the news continues to arrive during Nintendo's Treehouse Live stream. One such tidbit taught us more about Pokemon Sword and Shield's Max Raid Battles. We also learned about Animal Crossing: New Horizons co-op and new Amiibo figures. Without further ado, let's look at all the announcements from the E3 Nintendo Direct.Zelda: Breath Of The Wild Sequel Announced For SwitchNintendo followed the teaser with a short statement that read, "The sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is now in development." No release date, title, or further details were announced.Two New Smash Ultimate DLC Characters RevealedNintendo made good on its promise to reveal the newest DLC character to join the roster for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, coming in Summer 2019. While the Dragon Quest character reveal started things out, the end of the Direct brought another newcomer, and it was a big surprise: Banjo-Kazooie. The two-for-one character releases this fall.Dragon Quest XI Definitive Edition Release Date For Switch AnnouncedFollowing a new trailer that aired during the Square Enix E3 2019 press conference, Nintendo and Square Enix have confirmed a release date for Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age Definitive Edition for Nintendo Switch. The game will release on September 27. Previously, Square Enix had only confirmed a generic "Fall 2019" release window.Luigi's Mansion 3 Gameplay For Nintendo Switch DebutsNintendo gave us a closer look at the upcoming Luigi's Mansion sequel, Luigi's Mansion 3 for the Nintendo Switch. The series gives Luigi his rightful time in the spotlight as he deals with the terrifying, real-world problems his famous brother just doesn't have the guts to handle: ghosts, and lots of them.Seiken Densetsu 3 Remake Trials Of Mana Coming In 2020 For SwitchTrials of Mana is an HD remake of Seiken Densetsu 3, the notoriously unlocalized third game in the Mana series. It’s coming to Nintendo Switch in early 2020.Zelda: Link's Awakening Remake Dungeon-Maker Mode And Release Date RevealedThe new mode is a dungeon-creator that looks and sounds pretty excellent. As its name suggests, the mode allows players to create their own, custom-made dungeons by placing chambers earned in the adventure mode. Once created, players can explore the dungeons. Conquering the various chambers will yield various rewards, Nintendo said. As for the release date, Nintendo announced that Link's Awakening will launch on September 20.Fire Emblem: Three Houses Story Trailer ReleasedNintendo showed off a new trailer for Fire Emblem: Three Houses, which takes a Harry Potter approach to Fire Emblem's tactical role-playing, choice-driven narrative formula. You play as Byleth (either male or female), a teacher at the Officer's Academy. The academy is divided into three houses, each led by a powerful individual who hails from one of the three nations that make up the continent of Fódlan. Edelgard is the princess of the Adrestian Empire, Dimitri is the prince of the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus, and Claude is the heir to the leading house of the Leicester Alliance.Two More Resident Evil Games Are Coming To Nintendo SwitchNintendo also revealed two more Resident Evil games are coming to Switch this fall. The two ports are for Resident Evil 5 and Resident Evil 6.No More Heroes 3 Announced For Nintendo SwitchIn No More Heroes 3, Travis Touchdown is the last hero around. He now has an armored suit and a new katana, so he seems to be more powerful than ever. The franchise's signature humor and general outlandish tone appear to remain intact with this third game for Nintendo Switch. No More Heroes 3 launches in 2020. A specific release date was not announced.Daemon x Machina Gets A Release DateNintendo revealed a brand-new trailer for Daemon x Machina. The trailer ended with a release date announcement: September 13.Panzer Dragoon Remake Announced For Nintendo SwitchPanzer Dragoon, a remake of Sega's classic on-rails shooter, was announced for Nintendo Switch. Developed by Forever Entertainment's Megapixel Studio, the newly announced game is a remake of the first Panzer Dragoon, originally released for the Sega Saturn in 1995.New Contra Game Announced For Nintendo SwitchThe Contra franchise returns this year with a new Nintendo Switch game called Contra Rogue Corps. Announced during Nintendo's E3 2019 briefing, Rogue is a third-person, behind-the-shoulder title that also features moments that are presented from a top-down perspective and from the side. You can play solo or fight against other humans with online or local multiplayer.Contra Anniversary Collection Surprise-ReleasedAlongside that announcement, the company also revealed that the Contra Collection is available in the Nintendo eShop starting today.The Contra Collection brings together an array of 10 classic Contra games, including the European Probotector games. The full collection includes Contra for arcade and NES, Super Contra for arcade and NES, Contra 3: Alien Wars, Contra: Hard Corps, Operation C for Game Boy, and the Probotector versions of Contra 3 and Hard Corps.New Ultimate Alliance 3 Trailer Includes A Ton Of Marvel's Best CharactersIn the Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order trailer, we see a bunch of Marvel heroes and villains that will be featured in the game, including Hela, Surtur, Magneto (who somehow gets his hands on the Reality Infinity Stone), Miles Morales, Doctor Octopus, Ghost Rider, Elektra, Kamala Khan, Gwen Stacey, Thor, Scarlet Witch, the Guardians of the Galaxy, and the Avengers. The trailer also showcases The Black Order's main antagonist, Thanos, will be rocking his original comic book look in the game.The trailer also reveals that The Black Order will launch with an expansion pass that adds additional playable characters to the game. With the pass, you'll gain access to characters from the Marvel Knights, X-Men, and Fantastic Four.New Mario And Sonic At The Olympic Games Trailer Shown During Nintendo DirectOne of the upcoming games the publisher showed off was a new Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games. The new entry will celebrate the 2020 Games in Tokyo, Japan. Mario and Sonic will be joined by friends from their respective universes, and they'll compete in sports such as surfing, skateboarding, sprinting, climbing, boxing, horse racing, swimming, fencing, soccer, baseball, hurdles, long jump, basketball, shot put, volleyball, BMX, and gymnastics. Publisher Sega previously stated the game would arrive in the winter, and Nintendo has now announced it will exclusively appear on the Nintendo Switch this November.Spyro Reignited Trilogy Coming To SwitchSpyro Reignited Trilogy is being ported to Switch, it was announced today during Nintendo's E3 2019 Direct presentation. The game previously launched on PS4 and Xbox One last year but will be making the jump to Switch on September 3. The remaster features updated versions of the first three Spyro games: 1998's Spyro the Dragon, 1999's Spyro 2: Ripto's Rage (known as Gateway to Glimmer in Europe and Australia), and 2000's Spyro: Year of the Dragon.Nintendo's Cadence Of Hyrule Releases On Switch Very, Very SoonThe company continued spreading the love for Link and Zelda with a new trailer for Cadence of Hyrule, which is (surprisingly) releasing very, very soon. The game will be released on June 13, which is right around the corner. Made by the same folks behind Crypt of the Necrodancer, Cadence of Hyrule is a roguelike, and borrows most of its mechanics and features from Necrodancer. It will feature 25 remixed classic tracks from the Legend of Zelda series of games.Alien Isolation Is Coming To Nintendo SwitchNintendo showed a sizzle reel of games coming to the Nintendo Switch in 2019 and beyond. Although it only appeared briefly, one of those games was a port of Creative Assembly's horror spooktacular, Alien: Isolation.Animal Crossing For Switch Delayed, But It Now Has A NameOne of the most anticipated games heading into E3 2019 was Animal Crossing for Switch, and now we've finally gotten our first look at it during Nintendo's latest Direct presentation. Now officially dubbed Animal Crossing: New Horizons, the upcoming installment has been pushed back to March 20, 2020.The Witcher 3 Announced For Nintendo SwitchIt had been rumored, but Nintendo made it official during its E3 2019 broadcast. CD Projekt Red's acclaimed role-playing game The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is coming to Nintendo Switch. It's the Complete Edition heading to Switch, and this features the game's two substantial expansions--Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine. In terms of a release date, Nintendo confirmed that The Witcher 3 will be available on Switch sometime later this year.Astral Chain Gameplay Video Shows Hectic Action And Sci-Fi StoryFinally, a new Astral Chain trailer was shown at Nintendo's E3 2019 Direct presentation. It offered another glimpse of the game in action with some over-the-top combat and boss fights.Pokemon Sword & Shield Work With Poke Ball PlusNintendo revealed that Pokemon Sword and Shield will be compatible with the Poke Ball Plus.The Poke Ball Plus is the Poke Ball-shaped controller that released alongside last year's Pokemon games, Let's Go Pikachu and Eevee. As we learned during the Direct, you'll be able to send some of your Pokemon from Sword and Shield to the Poke Ball Plus and take them with you on walks, just as you could in Let's Go Pikachu and Eevee. Nintendo teases that something good may happen if you bring your Pokemon with you. However, it doesn't appear you'll be able to use the Poke Ball Plus as a controller for Sword and Shield.Info from Gamespot.com

Microsoft finally announced its next-generation console platform, Project Scarlett, at E3 2019. We know it's coming in Holiday 2020 with Halo Infinite as a launch title, but there are still many unanswered questions about the console and the wider thinking behind it. Xbox boss Phil Spencer sat down with Ian Sherr of GameSpot sister site CNET where he shared new insight on the upcoming platform.Starting off, Spencer confirmed that Project Scarlett will have a disc drive. He explained that it was important for Microsoft to respect the physical purchases--of games and media--that people made in the past. "What we know is physical media for many people is still where their library is," he said. "We're obviously leaning into the compatibility across all of our generations in a big way."The only reason this is news is because Microsoft is experimenting with an all-digital Xbox One S model that features no disc drive. Some people naturally wondered about if the new Project Scarlett will have a disc drive, and now it's confirmed that it does. It's also confirmed that the PlayStation 5 will have a disc drive.It is undeniable that digital is taking up a bigger and bigger share of the games industry. So for those who no longer use physical media, the all-digital Xbox One S--with its lower price point thanks to its lack of a disc drive--may be an attractive option.Moving on, Spencer responded to whether or not he thinks the Project Scarlett will be the final console from Microsoft. "Honestly, I don't know. I've been around long enough to know that there have been multiple 'this is the last generation.' That's not a new meme that comes out," he said.Spencer pointed out that, despite the rise of streaming in music, film, and TV, that hasn't slowed down the acceleration of physical hardware. "The number of compute devices around us hasn't gone down; it's gone up," he said."Different people will say different things on this, but the truth of the matter is that the best way for you to play a high-fidelity video game for years is going to be with a local device," he said.Also in the interview, Spencer said Microsoft hasn't finalized a price for Project Scarlett as of yet. He said there is "still stuff we work through and cogs and everything else" before Microsoft announces a price point.Spencer also spoke about how Microsoft doesn't necessarily need you to buy Project Scarlett. The real money is made in software and services, Spencer pointed out."I actually never really need that customer to go buy a new piece of hardware," he said. "The business is around software and service growth. That is the profitable part of the business; selling the hardware is not the profitable part of the business."Microsoft already has Xbox Live, which generates millions of dollars on a regular basis for Microsoft thanks to its monthly subscription price. The company also has Xbox Game Pass, another subscription service that gives players access to a growing catalog of games. This service recently came to PC, while an Ultimate version that gets you Xbox Live Gold and Game Pass was also recently introduced."This is a little bit why we've backed away from the race on how many we can sell or announce the the sales of as many consoles as possible," Spencer said. "Not that that's immaterial; I'm not at all trying to say that. But the real root of the business is how many customers are engaged in your service. How engaged are they? And can you keep that number growing?"It's been reported that Project Scarlett is the name of Microsoft's next-generation console strategy, instead of a single console. The system Microsoft talked about at E3 is reportedly the high-end model, codenamed Anaconda, while a lower-spec version, Lockhart, is supposedly also in the works. However, Spencer doesn't touch on this speculation in the interview.Go to CNET to read the full review.More E3 news:Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 teasedNew Xbox console, Scarlett, revealedXbox Scarlett details: 8K, 120 FPS, SSDElden Ring is From Software and George RR Martin's new gameCyberpunk 2077 release date announcedFinal Fantasy VII Remake release date announcedMarvel's Avengers revealedInfo from Gamespot.com

The E3 2019 Nintendo Direct happened today, and among the many announcements was the surprise that the first three games in the Secret Of Mana series, brought together in Collection of Mana, would be available for Nintendo Switch starting today. The trilogy comprises the three games known as Seiken Densetsu 1, 2, and 3 in Japan, and Final Fantasy Adventure on Game Boy, Secret of Mana on SNES, and what's now known as Trials of Mana, also for SNES, but one that never saw an official Western release. You can see the trailer above.This trilogy of games was released in Japan back in June 2017. It features the ability to save at any point in time, and a selection of different screen sizes and color modes (for Final Fantasy Adventure). The game also supports for multiplayer co-op where available--Secret of Mana supports up to three players, and Trials of Mana supports two.The Mana games were considered to be innovative RPGs the time of their release because of, among other things, their real-time combat system. Secret of Mana received a 3D remake in 2018, though GameSpot reviewer Justin Clark remarked that "altogether, the new Secret of Mana exists in a weird nexus of being a forward-thinking RPG that occasionally shows its age, or a very modern RPG with some baffling design decisions and sub-standard A.I."The release of Collection of Mana is significant, however, because as mentioned previously Seiken Densetsu 3 never saw an official Western release. First released in 1995, the game allows you to choose from one of six different protagonists, each with their own abilities and origin story, and then pick and choose your party of three from the remaining roster.Collection of Mana wasn't the only big Mana-related announcement Nintendo made today, as the company also revealed that Trials of Mana would also be getting a full HD remake, would be coming to Nintendo Switch in early 2020. For more on the news and announcements that came out of the E3 2019 Nintendo Direct, be sure to check out our recap.More E3 news:Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 teasedNew Xbox console, Scarlett, revealedXbox Scarlett details: 8K, 120 FPS, SSDElden Ring is From Software and George RR Martin's new gameCyberpunk 2077 release date announcedFinal Fantasy VII Remake release date announcedMarvel's Avengers revealedInfo from Gamespot.com

All the E3 2019 presentations have come and gone, but there is still plenty of news coming out of the show floor. The news cycle can be difficult to keep up with, so we've compiled a list of the most important news from this year's E3, including information on Xbox's new Scarlett system, the Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Sequel reveal, an Elden Ring announcement, and much more.Be sure to head over to our E3 hub to keep up with all the latest headlines as they roll in. For now, check out the biggest news to come out of this year's E3 press conferences.New Xbox Scarlett System, Coming Holiday 2020The biggest headline out of this year's E3 was Microsoft's next-gen console, codenamed Project Scarlett. While the specs are impressive and this new system is said to be "four times" more powerful than the Xbox One X, nothing else is really known about Microsoft's new console. The company did announce that Halo Infinite will debut on Xbox Scarlett as a day-one launch title, and the two are set to arrive holiday 2020.Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 TeasedBefore concluding its E3 2019 Direct, Nintendo announced that a Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Sequel is now in development. Not much is known about the game, and though the company didn't confirm a release date or window, we do know that Link is preparing for another adventure.Keanu Reeves Unveils Cyberpunk 2077 Release DateProlific action star Keanu Reeves took to Microsoft's E3 2019 stage to reveal the release date for Cyberpunk 2077. We also learned the Canadian-American's involvement with the game, playing "legendary rockerboy" and "key" character Johnny Silverhand, and how CD Projekt Red recruited the actor. The sci-fi, first-person shooter from the Witcher developers is headed to PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One on April 16, 2020.Marvel's Avengers Release Date AnnouncedSquare Enix finally gave an official Marvel's Avengers announcement during its E3 2019 presentation, where we also learned when (and on what platforms) the game will launch and who lends their voices to the game's heroes. Marvel's Avengers will release on March 15, 2020 for Google Stadia, PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. Publisher Square Enix, in a partnership with PlayStation, has announced that PS4 owners will get early beta access and bonus surprises.Final Fantasy VII Remake Gets Release Date, Further DetailsSquare Enix gave more details on the highly-anticipated Final Fantasy VII Remake on its E3 2019 stage. The action-RPG will feature two Blu-Ray discs' worth of gameplay content, a revamped combat system reminiscent of Final Fantasy XV, swappable party members, and so much more. The project is getting so ambitious, Square doesn't even know how many games the remake will end up becoming. Final Fantasy VII Remake will arrive on PlayStation 4 on March 20, 2020.FromSoft, George R.R. Martin Collaboration Elden Ring AnnouncedSekiro: Shadows Die Twice might have just came out, but FromSoftware is already hard at work on another high-fantasy RPG. In collaboration with Game of Thrones writer George R.R. Martin, Elden Ring is the new game from the Dark Souls developers, unveiled during Microsoft's E3 2019 presentation. Published by Bandai Namco, Elden Ring is coming to PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One, but an official release date remains unknown.Info from Gamespot.com

One of the biggest unanswered questions about the new Project Xbox Scarlett platform is the price point. From the super-specs that Microsoft started to talk about at a high level, it sounds like the system will come with a premium price point given the guts inside it. But what will that price be? Microsoft isn't saying yet, but now Partner Director of Program Management Jason Ronald has provided some high-level thoughts on Microsoft's thinking on price.Speaking to Windows Central, Ronald said Microsoft is aware of what "reasonable price points" are for consoles, along with what factors are important to consumers when thinking about pricing. That said, Ronald explained that Project Scarlett is aiming to achieve things never done before in console gaming, and as such, the suggestion is it'll be an expensive box."We understand what reasonable price points are for a console and kind of what customers expect about that. At the same time to you, we are innovating we are pushing the boundaries of some of this," he said. "We're not sharing any details on price, or, you know, more detailed specs at this point. But I will say that we're very confident in what we're building, something that will set a new bar for expectations of console gaming."Xbox boss Phil Spencer said Microsoft is still working through various price point discussions and considerations for Project Scarlett. The console releases in Holiday 2020, so Microsoft has more time to communicate the specifics about pricing.The Xbox One X, which is Microsoft's highest-end Xbox, launched at a price point of $500 USD. When Project Scarlett is released, the price of the Xbox One X (and the rest of the Xbox One family of consoles) will presumably go down.Project Scarlett is reportedly the name of Microsoft's overall next-generation console strategy, instead of a single console. The system Microsoft talked about at E3 is reportedly the high-end model, codenamed Anaconda, while a lower-spec version, Lockhart, is supposedly also in the works.Recently, Spencer talked about how the real money for Microsoft is in software and services, and not hardware, so he doesn't necessarily need you go out and upgrade.More E3 news:Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 teasedNew Xbox console, Scarlett, revealedXbox Scarlett details: 8K, 120 FPS, SSDElden Ring is From Software and George RR Martin's new gameCyberpunk 2077 release date announcedFinal Fantasy VII Remake release date announcedMarvel's Avengers revealedInfo from Gamespot.com

At E3 2019, Microsoft announced that it acquired Brutal Legend developer Double Fine and created a brand-new Age of Empires studio, bringing the company's total in-house development studios to 15. The company may not be finished buying studios yet, however. Xbox boss Phil Spencer told GI.biz that Microsoft is looking to buy a studio from Asia to increase its footprint in the area where Xbox has historically struggled to get a foothold."I think it would be nice if we found an Asian studio, in particular a Japanese studio, to add [to our studios]," Spencer explained. "I liked it when we had some first-party capability in Japan. We have a small team there, but I think we can do more. That said, through our trips to Japan, I love having Phantasy Star back on our stage with Sega--thought that was fantastic. Miyazaki-San, before with Dark Souls and now having Elden Ring on our stage... the Japanese creators have shown up more and more."Spencer didn't mention any specific acquisition targets, but fans will now no doubt speculate as to which studio may seek to scoop up in the future.Spencer went on to speak a high level about Microsoft's thinking behind buying up and creating new studios. It's all about giving Microsoft the opportunity to create new games, exclusive to its platforms, that span a variety of different genres.All of Microsoft's first-party games will launch into the Xbox Game Pass catalog, and this will--in theory at least--make the subscription offering more and more attractive over time. That's important because, as Spencer says, the money in gaming is in software and services, not selling consoles."Just like in video, just like in music, there isn't one song that everybody loves. There isn't one movie, or even a genre that everybody loves. So with Game Pass, we think about millions of different players and the different kind of games they will play. That diversity is really important," he said.Also in the interview, Spencer said the Xbox division of Microsoft has the backing and support of the wider company. CEO Satya Nadella and CFO Amy Hood, along with Microsoft's board of directors, see gaming as an "important growth category," Spencer said. As such, Spencer said fans can expect Microsoft to continue to invest in content and teams over the years, though he said he doesn't expect to have a big year like in 2018 where Microsoft acquired or created seven new studios.Xbox Game Studios DevelopersAs of June 2019343 IndustriesThe CoalitionCompulsion GamesDouble FineMicrosoft Studios Global PublishingThe InitiativeinXileMojangNinja TheoryObsidianPlayground GamesRareTurn 10 StudiosUndead LabsAge of EmpiresMore E3 news:Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 teasedNew Xbox console, Scarlett, revealedXbox Scarlett details: 8K, 120 FPS, SSDElden Ring is From Software and George RR Martin's new gameCyberpunk 2077 release date announcedFinal Fantasy VII Remake release date announcedMarvel's Avengers revealedInfo from Gamespot.com

During the Microsoft E3 press conference, The Coalition released new trailers for Gears 5 and revealed additional details about the game--including a new PvE mode called Escape. The developer also announced a Terminator crossover for Gears 5, where you'll be able to play as the Terminator or Sarah Connor.During our E3 2019 Gears 5 Stage Show (embedded above), GameSpot video producers Mike Mahardy and Lucy James asked The Coalition studio head Rod Fergusson about the crossover. The rest of the interview covers the new Escape mode and how Gears 5 changes the traditional Gears of War formula."It was just one of those things where we've always been fans of the Terminator franchise and we're here coming back with James Cameron and Linda Hamilton and we're just very excited," Fergusson said. "When you look at Sarah Connor as a character, she really resonates with us in terms of how we're telling Kait's story. Kait went from this outsider civilian into this warrior who's trying to save humanity. It's kind of the same story for Sarah Connor. And so this idea of bringing these two franchises together in a really cool way is exciting to us."In Gears 5, Sarah will be voiced by the actress behind the original character. "Linda is actually going to do the voice of Sarah Connor," Fergusson said. To play as Connor or the Terminator, you must either pre-order Gears 5 or buy and play the game within the first week of its launch. Of course, that means if you're a Game Pass subscriber, you qualify without having to buy the game. Just remember to download Gears 5 within the first week of its release.Gears 5 is coming to Xbox One and PC on September 10.More E3 news:New Xbox console, Scarlett, revealedXbox Scarlett details: 8K, 120 FPS, SSDElden Ring is From Software and George RR Martin's new gameCyberpunk 2077 release date announcedFinal Fantasy VII Remake announcedInfo from Gamespot.com

Appearing on GameSpot's E3 2019 Live Show stage, Bethesda boss Todd Howard spoke at a high level about one of the company's ambitious upcoming games, the sci-fi title Starfield.Howard explained that Bethesda's goal with Starfield--which is Bethesda's first new IP in 25 years--is to have it stand apart from the wealth of science fiction stories out there in media."There is a lot of science fiction. There's less in games actually; there's more in movies and television," Howard said. "And for us, that's a world and IP and game we've thought about for a decade. It's our first new IP in 25 years.""Our goal is it has its uniqueness where it stands up with Fallout and Elder Scrolls and Starfield, and it's its own thing. We spend a lot of time on tone. Not just game flow, but how does it feel so you look at it and say, 'That's Starfield' versus Star Trek or Star Wars."Unfortunately, because it's so early, Howard is talking about specifics about Starfield at this stage. The game skipped E3 2019, which was the same for Bethesda's other major upcoming game, The Elder Scrolls VI. Howard has talked about how both Starfield and The Elder Scrolls VI may not release until the next-generation of consoles come out.Starfield and The Elder Scrolls VI did not appear at Bethesda's E3 2019 briefing this week. The publisher instead revealed a Fallout 76 battle royale mode, while Dishonored studio Arkane announced a new game called Deathloop and The Evil Within studio Tango Gameworks revealed Ghostwire: Tokyo. You can check out GameSpot's Bethesda E3 2019 news recap to see all the big reveals.More E3 news:Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 teasedNew Xbox console, Scarlett, revealedXbox Scarlett details: 8K, 120 FPS, SSDElden Ring is From Software and George RR Martin's new gameCyberpunk 2077 release date announcedFinal Fantasy VII Remake release date announcedMarvel's Avengers revealedInfo from Gamespot.com

Since Microsoft's E3 2019 press conference, we haven't stopped thinking about Keanu Reeves. The Reeves-surgence is in full swing thanks to John Wick (and to his excellent appearance in Netflix's Always Be My Maybe), and now CD Projekt Red has somehow had the foresight to include him in Cyberpunk 2077. From the trailer, though, it wasn't clear how big a role Reeves' character would have in the game. During a behind-closed-doors presentation at E3 2019, we saw nearly an hour of Cyberpunk 2077 footage that strongly indicates Reeves has a very big role in the game's story. He plays Johnny Silverhand, a major character from the Cyberpunk 2020 universe (the tabletop game on which 2077 is based). In the demo we saw, Johnny appears as a hologram that's apparently in your character's head, and he acts as a guide of sorts through key moments. This is less weird than it might sound; your character, V, has a biochip embedded in their brain, and that's apparently where Johnny resides. But because it's in your brain, it stands to reason that Johnny will be sticking around for a significant part of the game. That is way more Keanu Reeves than we expected at first, and it's looking like that's a very good thing.Cyberpunk 2077 now has a release date: April 16, 2020. Look out for more Cyberpunk news as E3 goes on, including how the team got Keanu Reeves involved in the first place.More E3 News:Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 teasedNew Xbox console, Scarlett, revealedXbox Scarlett details: 8K, 120 FPS, SSDElden Ring is From Software and George RR Martin's new gameCyberpunk 2077 release date announcedFinal Fantasy VII Remake release date announcedMarvel's Avengers revealedInfo from Gamespot.com

Square Enix's E3 2019 press conference started off with an exciting and in-depth presentation of Final Fantasy VII Remake for PS4. The publisher gave us an overview of the game's revamped combat system, which mixes real-time action with the Active-Time Battle system. We also learned that the game will be quite massive, featuring two Blu-ray discs' worth of gameplay content.It seems the sheer amount of content is why it'll take up so much space. Square Enix had previously said the Final Fantasy VII remake would come in multiple parts or episodes. As producer Yoshinori Kitase explained during an E3 press preview, however, the first "game" is "set in the eclectic city of Midgar and presents a fully standalone gaming experience," effectively making it the first leg of the original version of FFVII. Kitase said Square Enix isn't sure yet how many episodes Final Fantasy VII Remake will require, or how long development of additional episodes will take.That wasn't the only Final Fantasy VII news to come out of the press conference; Square Enix also showed off an extended version of the trailer that was revealed during June 9's Final Fantasy concert. This one gave us our first look at Tifa, along with more footage of the revamped battle system.Square Enix also unveiled two new special editions for the game, including a $330 1st Class edition. All of this comes on the heels of Sunday's night announcement of a March 2020 release date for the much-anticipated remake, which releases exclusively on PS4. Kitase said during the presentation that the team "will not disappoint your expectations." You can read more in our Final Fantasy VII Remake pre-order guide.E3 2019 is steadily drawing to a close, so check the full schedule to see what presentations are left. And check back here for all the latest and hottest announcements and news updates.E3 2019 Conference ScheduleTuesday, June 11, 9 AM PT -- Nintendo Direct ShowcaseMore E3 news:New Xbox console, Scarlett, revealedXbox Scarlett details: 8K, 120 FPS, SSDElden Ring is From Software and George RR Martin's new gameCyberpunk 2077 release date announcedFinal Fantasy VII Remake release date announcedMarvel's Avengers revealedInfo from Gamespot.com

Nintendo revealed a ton of new details about Pokemon Sword and Shield last week, but we also learned some new tidbits about the games during the Treehouse livestream that followed Nintendo's E3 2019 Direct. In particular, we learned more about how the recently announced Pokemon Home service will work with the Switch titles, and it appears there will be some limitations.During the Treehouse livestream, game producer Junichi Masuda revealed that not every previous Pokemon will be transferable to Sword and Shield. "Players will be able to transfer their Pokemon from Pokemon Home only if they appear in the Galar region Pokedex," Masuda said through an interpreter. What that means is that if a Pokemon isn't already obtainable within Sword and Shield, you won't be able to transfer it over from Pokemon Home.Masuda acknowledged this is a change from how the previous Pokemon cloud service, Pokemon Bank, worked and explained the rationale behind this controversial decision:"In previous games that worked with the Pokemon Bank service, you were able to--for example, in Sun and Moon--bring over any Pokemon, even if they weren't in the Alola Pokedex," Masuda said. "But with the transition to the Nintendo Switch hardware, being much more powerful [and] allowing us to be much more expressive with each of the individual Pokemon ... at Game Freak we really spent a lot of time thinking about what the best way to move forward was, really preserving the quality of all the different Pokemon while also taking into account the battle balance, having so many different Pokemon available, all within a limited development time so we don't keep fans waiting too long for every new entry in the series. And after a lot of discussion, we decided to come to a new direction."One of the new features in Sword and Shield that undoubtedly proved to be a hurdle in this regard was Dynamaxing, which can supersize a Pokemon for a limited time during battle. Given that there are more than 800 Pokemon in the series, Game Freak would have had to make new assets for hundreds of different monsters to account for this feature. We also don't yet know how many Pokemon will be available in Sword and Shield; we've only gotten a glimpse at a handful of them thus far, but we've already seen a number of fan-favorites among them.Pokemon Sword and Shield launch for Nintendo Switch on November 15. The games will be compatible with the Poke Ball Plus accessory. We also learned some new details about Raid Battles during the Treehouse segment, which you can watch in its entirety above. For more on the titles, be sure to check out our Pokemon Sword and Shield pre-order guide.More E3 news:Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 teasedNew Xbox console, Scarlett, revealedXbox Scarlett details: 8K, 120 FPS, SSDElden Ring is From Software and George RR Martin's new gameCyberpunk 2077 release date announcedFinal Fantasy VII Remake release date announcedMarvel's Avengers revealedInfo from Gamespot.com

E3 2019 is one of the world's biggest and most important video game conferences, and it's going on right now--press conferences began this weekend and continued early this week. While the show may be in a state of undeniable upheaval, many of the industry's biggest players are still coming to the show, including platform-holders Microsoft and Nintendo, as well as Square Enix (occupying a time normally held by Sony). Even Google held a Stadia Connect event just before E3. For the first time in the show's history, however, the third major platform-holder--Sony PlayStation--is not attending. So, what gives?Sony confirmed in late 2018 that it would not attend E3 2019 because it was looking for other "inventive opportunities" to connect with its own community."PlayStation fans mean the world to us and we always want to innovate, think differently and experiment with new ways to delight gamers. As a result, we have decided not to participate in E3 in 2019," a PlayStation representative said at the time.Despite not attending E3, Sony did recently generate some excitement one of PS4's big upcoming exclusives, releasing a new Death Stranding trailer and announcing a release date of this November. Before that, it shared the first details about its next-gen PlayStation console, PS5. Although it does not yet have an official name (we're simply assuming it will be the PlayStation 5), we have learned all about its specs and other elements of the console.This year is the first time that Sony has opted to skip E3 since it entered the video game business in the mid-90s. While Sony has completely bowed out, other companies have adjusted their E3 plans in recent years.Microsoft, for example, relocated its floor space from the show floor at the Los Angeles Convention Center to the nearby Microsoft Theatre in 2018, something that it is doing again this year. Nintendo, for its part, stopped conducting live stage shows at E3 in favor of broadcasting its popular, often shorter, pre-recorded Nintendo Direct briefings.Sony, too, tried something new with its E3 2018 briefing. The company opted to conduct a somewhat-bizarre "guided experience" that focused on just four games over the course of the evening. The reaction from the community was mixed.E3 2019 isn't the only major event this year that Sony is skipping. The company recently confirmed it will not host its annual PlayStation Experience this year. "We wouldn't have enough to bring people all together in North America to have that event," PlayStation boss Shawn Layden said. "We don't want to set expectations really high and then not deliver on that. It was a hard decision, but we have determined that this year we will not hold PlayStation Experience."While Sony won't be at E3, the show is still expected to bring a lot of big news. Microsoft already announced its new Xbox console, Scarlet, as well as a From Software-George RR Martin game, Elden Ring.For more on E3 2019, check out GameSpot's feature where we break down why E3 2019 will be different than past years and what to expect.More E3 news:New Xbox console, Scarlett, revealedXbox Scarlett details: 8K, 120 FPS, SSDElden Ring is From Software and George RR Martin's new gameCyberpunk 2077 release date announcedFinal Fantasy VII Remake announcedInfo from Gamespot.com