Red Dead Redemption 2 is widely expected to, at some point in the future, release on PC. Developer Rockstar Games has made no announcements, and neither has parent company Take-Two. Despite that, evidence continues to mount for the acclaimed western releasing on PC.Speaking at an investor briefing this week in New York City, Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick responded to the assertion that launching Red Dead Redemption 2 on PC would be a "layup." That's a basketball metaphor for something very easy to do.Zelnick succinctly responded, "There is no downside to releasing the game on PC."That's all he had to say on the subject. His response is interesting and noteworthy, however. Zelnick is asked regularly about bringing Red Dead Redemption 2 to PC, and up until now, his public response had been that he would let Rockstar speak for itself. Zelnick is confirming nothing with his new statement, but it is a notable change of form for the executive.Looking at Rockstar's history, it seems likely that Red Dead Redemption 2 may eventually release on PC. Rockstar's previous release, Grand Theft Auto V, came to PC in April 2015, which was five months after the release of GTA V on PS4 and Xbox One and 18 months after GTA V originally launched on PS3 and Xbox 360 in 2013.For Red Dead Redemption 2, Rockstar and Sony had an exclusivity deal for some content, though whether or not this impacts the game launching on other platforms, like PC, is unknown. For what it's worth, 2010's original Red Dead Redemption never came to PC.Red Dead Redemption 2 has shipped more than 24 million copies, which makes it one of the most commercially successful games in history. Launching on PC would only further increase the sales number, which is probably what Zelnick is referring to when he says "there is no downside" to bringing the game to PC.Red Dead Redemption 2's online mode, Red Dead Online, recently left beta with a huge update. Rockstar continues to support the online mode, and lots more content is coming over time.Rockstar isn't announced as an attendee for E3 2019, but Take-Two will be at the show where it will go big on hyping Borderlands 3 from Gearbox Software.Info from Gamespot.com

It looks like the 3DS's time in the spotlight is over. We've seen 3DS support dwindle over the past few years, but there's at least one more show to see on the long-lived portable before it takes a bow. Persona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth brings the familiar casts of Persona 3, Persona 4, and Persona 5 together for a meaty RPG adventure that lives up to the reputation of its big-screen counterparts. If Persona Q2 winds up being the last big event on the 3DS, it's a fine way to end the handheld's run.Persona Q2 begins with Persona 5's Phantom Thieves on a routine mission when they find themselves in a movie theater with a creepy projectionist and two avid filmgoers. With seemingly no way out of this strange miniplex, the team find themselves engaging with film on a whole new level: exploring the elaborate, first-person dungeons contained within the projections. These twisted takes on superhero, disaster, and sci-fi films aren't just dramatizations; they feature familiar faces and scenarios with potentially deadly consequences for the Phantom Thieves. It also appears that a few other folks may have stumbled into the cinema world, so it's up to you to find the others, help them all band together, and reveal the mystery behind this strange theatre as one big Persona-using team.Much like the previous 3DS game, Persona Q, Q2 eschews many of the concepts seen in the primary Persona games, instead going with systems derived from Atlus's Etrian Odyssey series of first-person dungeon-crawlers. You conduct careful, step-by-step mapping of themed labyrinths, but rather than explore with your party and enemies visible on a map, you face random encounters. While Persona proper has you exploiting enemy weaknesses for extra turns in combat, in Persona Q2 critical hits and enemy weaknesses boost your combatants for their next strike. Limited-inventory item management, side-questing, and team composition are all crucial, and Q2's stand-in for Etrian Odyssey's freeform character-building--the ability for all characters to equip power- and skill-augmenting sub-Personas--allows you to assemble a team of formidable fighters provided you make good calls with Persona fusion and skill inheritance. It feels like Atlus took the best elements of both game series--Etrian’s sense of adventure, exploration, and danger, and Persona’s elaborate collection/fusion systems and character interactions--and worked to make them meld together as best they could.The stark differences in gameplay might throw Persona fans who aren't familiar with Etrian Odyssey's quirks for a bit of a loop, but Persona Q2 has some nice quality-of-life enhancements to make things a bit easier to adjust to. For starters, you can set the game to auto-map a good chunk of the dungeon on its own, saving you time you'd normally spend drawing squares and walls for your map on the bottom screen--though you'll still need to fill in some other details on your own. Helpful indicators aid you with planning for battle; an icon indicates how close you are to a random encounter happening, while dots on the map indicating the fearsome roaming FOE sub-bosses change color based on how much of a threat they are to the party at their current level. Enemy weaknesses in battle will be highlighted once they have been discovered, and should you ever find combat a bit too much to handle, you can freely change the difficulty via the in-game options to make things a bit easier. And if things go south, you'll be automatically healed to max the moment you step outside of the dungeon. This helps make things more inviting to new players who might not be used to the Etrian Odyssey style of play, and are good quality-of-life improvements in their own right.But while the gameplay needle swings further to the Etrian Odyssey side of things, the presentation of the story, character interactions, visual flair, and music are pure Persona through and through. From the moment the bite-sized Persona 5 cast first appears on the screen, you know you're in for a game full of cute, fun character interactions. There's plenty of story and dialogue both in and out of the dungeons, and while there are some serious moments, it tends to be more on the humorous side overall. (It's several hours of game time before most of the Persona 3 and 4 cast show up, so if you're a purist fan of either of those two titles, you might be waiting a while before your favorites join.)There are even character-bonding “Special Screening” side-quests that are somewhat similar to Persona’s much-beloved Social Links, but with a lot more dungeon exploration and fighting. These are a smart way to bring Persona’s social-development gameplay into the mix while giving the player more gameplay meat to chew on. Finishing these quests can yield extra Unison Attack skills between characters (with a supremely adorable associated animation) that provide varied beneficial effects.Visually, the game makes the most of the 3DS' limited hardware. The characters' tiny renditions are charming and faithful to their original designs, the environments are distinct and memorable, and many of the game's cinematics are rendered in-engine, adding to a strong overall sense of visual coherency. The only real knock here is the recycled enemy designs, many of which are still leftover from the days of Persona 3 on the PS2. The music is also top-notch, featuring many new and familiar compositions that are as earworm-y as you'd expect from a series known for catchy tunes.There are a few minor irritations, but they don’t steal the show. Having a big crossover cast from Persona 3, 4, and 5 is great for story and character vignettes, but there's so much overlap between character combat archetypes and specialties that you'll probably wind up sidelining most of them. That might not sound so bad, but there's no passive EXP gain, and sometimes you'll encounter lucrative Special Screenings where you're asked to use a specific character or a difficult battle where one character archetype works particularly well -- and those members lagging in levels will be a pain to level up unless they’re “motivated.” (There are items and quests that expedite this somewhat, but many of the items are paid DLC.)Combat can also feel wildly unbalanced at times. In an effort to add Persona-style elements to Etrian Odyssey's combat, Persona Q2 incentivizes you to knock enemies down and boost your fighters by targeting enemy weaknesses or landing critical hits, somewhat similarly to Shin Megami Tensei IV. However, fighting sometimes feels so skewed towards weakness exploitation that it can make the difference between a quick, momentary encounter and a drawn-out, messy slog. If you don't have access to whatever skill an enemy's weak to, you're generally forced into less effective physical combat in an effort to conserve valuable skill points, and your ability to lock them down goes out the window. It's frustrating to wander into a new area, fight a new enemy, and then watch them mop the floor with your team because you don't have the one thing they're weak to on your current squad. Not being able to swap Personas mid-battle, as you can in mainline Persona games, makes this issue worse. Thankfully, once you do know and prepare in advance for enemy weaknesses, it’s much easier - but the trial-and-error part can be somewhat irritating.But a few annoyances don't drag down Persona Q2 significantly. As a dungeon crawler, it's challenging and engaging, but doesn’t drag or feel overwhelming. As a piece of Persona fan service, it delivers the goods with delightful crossover character antics and an enjoyable theme. It all combines into a solid little RPG that can keep you hooked for its entire runtime. The curtains may be closing on the 3DS, but Persona Q2 is a terrific way to end the show.Info from Gamespot.com

Monster Hunter World's massive Iceborne expansion arrives on PS4 and Xbox One this September (with a PC release to follow). The DLC will make its playable debut at E3 2019, but ahead of the show, Capcom has shared a new story trailer that sets the stage for the adventure and offers another look at some of the new monsters players will encounter.Set after the events of Monster Hunter World's main story, Iceborne takes players to an entirely new arctic region called Hoarfrost Reach, which is home to a diverse array of new and returning monsters. After arriving at the region, the Research Commission establishes a new camp called Seliana, which will serve as your base of operations during your Iceborne adventures.Along with the new elder dragon Velkana, Iceborne introduces an "extreme" variant of the Legiana known as the Shrieking Legian. It also brings a couple of older monsters back; we got a glimpse at the Nargacuga during Sony's latest State of Play broadcast, and the new trailer reveals the fearsome Tigrex is coming back as well. It appears some more fan-favorites will also return; the trailer ends with a fiery slash followed by Glavenus's distinctive roar, teasing it may likewise be coming back in Iceborne. You can watch the story trailer above.Capcom says the upcoming Iceborne expansion "rivals the volume of the original release of Monster Hunter World." On top of all the new monsters, it adds a variety of new quests, gear and weapons to craft, and a new rank called Master Rank, which is similar to the G-Rank from previous games. Some of the game's existing gadgets are also getting new upgrades; the Slinger, for instance, is getting a new Clutch Claw function that allows players to freely grapple and mantle enemies.Monster Hunter World: Iceborne launches for PS4 and Xbox One on September 6. The expansion is also coming to PC later this winter, although no date has been specified yet. You'll need to own a copy of the base game in order to play Iceborne, but Capcom is releasing a new Master Edition that bundles both together for $60.Info from Gamespot.com

X-Men: Dark Phoenix is just around the corner and Jean Grey is yet again about to be thrust into the spotlight--but what, exactly, is her deal? For being one of the X-Men’s most notoriously complicated mutants, Jean's story actually has a relatively simple start. She's one of the original team members, introduced back in the very first issue back in 1963. She was the token girl on the otherwise all-male team back in the day, and the only mutant with telekinetic powers in the mix--the others, Iceman, Psyclops, Beast, and Angel all had largely physical powers. For years, this was as tricky as Jean got. She was known as Marvel Girl, and she could move things with her mind--no fuss, no frills.Becoming The PhoenixThe simplicity didn't last, however. Over time, more of Jean's origin was revealed to be a somewhat insidious effort by Charles Xavier, who had clocked her as an up-and-coming telepath with potentially dangerous abilities. As she was enrolled in Xavier's Academy For Gifted Youngsters, Xavier placed special telepathic blocks in Jean's brain to limit her mutation to just telekinesis at first.After a considerable amount of training and practice, her telepathic powers were eventually unlocked, allowing her to grow that particular skill as she participated in missions with the team--but eventually, Xavier's fears began to become realities. It started slowly at first: During a mission set in space, Jean was forced to sacrifice herself to save her teammates, but in doing so, sent a massive telepathic plea out into the universe itself--a plea that was answered by a cosmic power known as the Phoenix Force, the manifestation of the power of creation and life itself in the universe.The Phoenix Force took up residence inside of Jean, saving her from the near-death experience. She emerged with a new look and codename: Phoenix.For a few fleeting moments, it actually seemed as though that was all there was to it. Jean seemed mostly fine, despite the trauma, and her revival was mysterious but not completely unheard of in superhero comics. But after some time, the truth came to light--sort of. The Phoenix Force had actually taken over Jean's body and mind, creating a duplicate body to house her consciousness and the Force itself, along with Jean's memories, while Jean's real body was placed in a special stasis pod/cocoon to be healed.Yeah. Look, X-Men stories are a lot of things, but simple ain't one of them.Enter Dark PhoenixSo anyway, Phoenix Jean--who, for all intents and purposes, was Jean, or at least, completely believed herself to be Jean--eventually started to experience strange visions of a past life where she was known as Lady Grey, the nefarious Black Queen of a group of evildoers called the Hellfire Club. The story of Lady Grey was, in fact, a complete fabrication by a villain known as Mastermind, who was specifically working to undermine Jean's sanity. And that's exactly what he was able to do. As the visions increased in frequency and intensity, Jean eventually accepted them as reality and succumbed entirely to a new evil alter-ego: Dark Phoenix, the full, unbridled potential of the Phoenix Force unchecked and given horrifying, hedonistic purpose care of the false Hellfire Club memories.Dark Phoenix promptly became the single most powerful and deadly psychic in the universe--and we mean that in the most literal and comic book-y way possible. After turning on her friends and team, Dark Phoenix opted to leave Earth, getting herself pinged on the radar of a handful of alien races and committing a handful of casual planetary genocides on the way--you know, like you do--which specifically got her noticed by the Shi'Ar Empire, who deemed her a greater threat to the galaxy than Galactus himself.The conflict eventually escalated so dramatically that the Shi'Ar nearly enacted "Plan Omega," which would evolve destroying the entire solar system in an effort to destroy Dark Phoenix, but thankfully the X-Men were able to head things off before they went that far. After briefly regaining her sense of self and her human memories, Jean heroically sacrificed herself, forcing the Phoenix Force out of her body and saving the universe.The cycle of death and rebirthBut things don't end there. Remember the original Jean Grey body that was left in a healing stasis? The disembodied Phoenix Force tried to possess that version of Jean--it doesn't work, but it does bring that Jean back into play, prompting her to wake up and begin a new life with no memory of any of the Phoenix/Dark Phoenix events at all. Meanwhile, another, totally different duplicate Jean, a clone made by the villain Mr. Sinister, isn't so lucky. A portion of the Phoenix Force found a home in that body and creates another version of Jean altogether, known as Madelyne Pryor.So to recap, there are three Jeans in the mix here: the original Jean who was stuck in a healing coma for the events of the Phoenix saga, the duplicate Jean who was the embodiment of the Phoenix Force who became Dark Phoenix and died, and the clone of Jean who became the second Phoenix Force host, Madelyne Pryor.Remember what we said about X-Men comics not being simple? Yeah. We really meant it.After the Dark Phoenix Saga, Jean's life never really went back to normal. She and her on-again-off-again flame Scott Summers were married for a while (though Scott also had a thing with Madelyne Pryor, too, which is a whole other can of worms) but their relationship eventually began to fail with a little help from the villain Apocalypse, who temporarily killed Scott and Emma Frost, with whom Scott engaged in a "psychic affair."Sometime later, Jean was killed yet again--this time by a former teammate named Xorn (who was actually Magneto, don't worry about it)--only to be revived by the Phoenix Force all over again--sort of, at least. There are some alternate timeline shenanigans at play here that both do and do not negate her death. Ultimately, it was revealed that Jean bonded to the Phoenix Force to become a god-like entity known as the White Phoenix Of The Crown, and completely ascended to a higher plane of existence known as the White Hot Room, an extra-dimensional nexus that served as a sort of hub for the Phoenix Force and its hosts, rendering her somewhere between life and death. Though, as far as anyone was concerned on Earth, she was just the normal sort of dead.She actually stayed dead for a while this time--kind of, at least. While Jean was technically dead for all intents and purposes, her consciousness still resided in the White Hot Room and would occasionally come into play in the form of psychic messages and manifestations (also through her various clones and time traveling pseudo-descendants like Hope Summers).What about now?That's how things stayed for some time until she was finally resurrected again, by way of uh--an egg. Get it? Because the Phoenix is a bird? She even briefly had her very own team of X-Men after her resurrection, who acted as a sort of top secret mutant black ops unit trying to "heal" the world of its anti-mutant sentiments.Oh, and there were a couple of time-displaced versions of her running around too, including the child version of herself brought to the present alongside all her original X-Men teammates. Kid Jean even got her own solo series for a while, which is something the adult version of herself never managed to nail down.So what does this say about Jean’s turn as the Phoenix in the upcoming X-Men: Dark Phoenix live action movie? We can guess based on trailers that we’re going to see a pretty villainous turn for Jean on the big screen as is par for the course in the source material, but it’s difficult to guess just how this particular incarnation of the Phoenix Force is actually going to work. It seems like a safe bet to expect a major self-sacrifice moment from Jean by the end of the movie, but with news that the ending has been reshot, where things will end up is really anyone’s guess. It’s pretty unlikely that we’ll see big screen versions of any of Jean’s clones, though, if only for the fact that this particular arm of the X-Men cinematic universe is likely coming to a close thanks to the Disney/Fox buy out. But hey, anything’s possible. Info from Gamespot.com

E3 2019 begins in just a few days, but even before that, Pokemon fans can look forward to some announcements. On Wednesday, June 5 at 6 AM PT / 9 AM ET, Nintendo will be holding a special Pokemon Sword and Shield Direct that will contain "roughly 15 minutes of new information" about the Nintendo Switch games. The original Sword and Shield announcement showed off the three new starter Pokemon, the new Galar region, and a few other details, but there's still a lot left to learn. Here are our big predictions for the Pokemon Direct.A Release Date: Correct!When Pokemon Sword and Shield were announced, they were given a late-2019 release window. That's fast approaching, so it stands to reason that the June 5 Direct will confirm the exact date. The most recent Pokemon games--Sun and Moon, Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon, and Let's Go Pikachu and Eevee--all released in November, so I'll go ahead and predict a November 2019 release date.Was this a stretch? No. But was I right? You bet! Pokemon Sword and Shield have been confirmed for a November 15, 2019 release date. You can learn more in our pre-order guide.More Pokemon, Including Legendaries: Correct!So far, the only new Pokemon we've seen for Gen 8 are the three starters: Grookey, Scorbunny, and Sobble. The Pokemon Direct will include a mix of run-of-the-mill Pokemon--think the Pidgey and Rattata of Galar--and Sword and Shield's legendary Pokemon, which would presumably be on the games' boxes. It would also be great to see the starters' evolved forms, but because they've already had their day in the sun, I think we'll have to wait to see those.Right again! We were introduced to several new Galar Pokemon as well as the two legendaries, Zamazanta and Zacian (who are good boys).A New Battle Mechanic: Correct!The basic Pokemon formula has largely stayed the same over the years, but the series has been good about regularly introducing new battle mechanics to keep things interesting. X and Y had Mega Evolution, Sun and Moon had Z-Moves (and Battle Royals), and Sword and Shield will probably have something spicy to try out. There's even a circular red-and-blue symbol seen throughout the announcement trailer, including in the games' Japanese logos, that would seem to indicate a new mechanic--a crystal logo appeared in Sun and Moon's Japanese logos, representing Z-Crystals--but there's otherwise no indication of what it might be. I don't have a guess, either.I really nailed this, I think. Sword and Shield are introducing a new mechanic called Dynamax, which makes your Pokemon giant and adds other benefits in battle. Like Mega Evolution, only one Pokemon can be Dynamaxed at once, and it only lasts for three turns on top of that, so you have to use it wisely.Story Details And Version Differences: Mostly Correct!Finally, I'm willing to bet the Pokemon Direct will include some story info. What's the deal with the Galar region? What sort of Team will you be up against, if any? The Pokemon Direct will have character intros and some basic details to lay out Sword and Shield's vibe. I'll go one step further and say that we'll also learn what some of the version differences are, whether it's a gameplay gimmick like Sun and Moon's day-night shift or simply what Pokemon you might find in each.Okay, so this is the one that I maybe didn't do as well with. We did get to meet some of Sword and Shield's characters and learned more about the vibe of the Galar region, but we didn't hear anything about the version differences or a Team Rocket equivalent.What's Left For E3?It seems a bit premature holding a Sword and Shield Direct right before E3, right? What will be left? While it's unlikely Nintendo will reiterate much from the Pokemon Direct during its June 11 E3 presentation, that presentation will be followed by three days of Treehouse streams. In previous years, those streams have featured in-depth gameplay demos, sometimes with developer commentary; Let's Go Pikachu and Eevee got the spotlight last year. The Treehouse streams would be a great opportunity to expand upon what we learn during the June 5 Direct without having to spend precious time going over specifics.Info from Gamespot.com

E3 2019 is expected to include a lot of big announcements. One of the announcements, Watch Dogs Legion, has leaked and been subsequently confirmed. But among the things you can count on not seeing at the big expo is the next game from Batman: Arkham studio Rocksteady Games. Game director and co-founder Sefton Hill wrote on Twitter that the studio "won't be showing at E3 this year.""We'll be watching as fans but remaining in London, hard at work on our next big project," he said.Hi all! A number of you have asked so we wanted to let you all know up front that @Rocksteadygames won't be showing at E3 this year. We’ll be watching as fans but remaining in London, hard at work on our next big project. Enjoy the show! — Sefton Hill (@Seftonhill) June 4, 2019It's become tradition for Hill to release these kinds of statements tempering fans' excitement and expectations for Rocksteady's new game.In December 2018, Hill confirmed there would be no reveal at The Game Awards, while months prior he responded to fan feedback over Rocksteady's E3 2018 no-show.Rocksteady is clearly still not ready to show off its new game. There are a number of rumours floating around about what it will be, as well as the idea that it's coming for next-gen hardware, but nothing is confirmed at this stage. Rocksteady created the Batman Arkham series, the latest instalment of which, Arkham Knight, was released in 2015.Batman: Arkham Origins developer WB Games Montreal, meanwhile, is also working on a new game, but it too is shrouded in mystery.WB Games Montreal and Rocksteady share a parent company in Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, which is one of the companies attending E3 2019 this month. That being said, nothing yet has suggested any new Batman games will be revealed at the show.Rocksteady's new game isn't the only title skipping E3. The Last of Us 2 and The Elder Scrolls 6 are among the other titles that are also not going to be at the show. Info from Gamespot.com

The production of James Bond 25 has suffered another filming accident. Not long after 007 actor Daniel Craig injured his ankle and needed surgery, the producers have now confirmed that a controlled explosion went wrong, with one crew member getting hurt.There were no injuries on set at Pinewood Studios when the accident occurred on June 4, but one person outside the stage suffered a "minor injury." No other details were provided.According to the UK tabloid The Sun, part of the stage was blown off during the filming of a stunt involving a fireball inside a laboratory.During the filming of a controlled explosion on the set of Bond 25 today at Pinewood Studios, damage was caused to the exterior of the 007 Stage. There were no injuries on set, however one crew member outside the stage has sustained a minor injury. pic.twitter.com/8O9tOgwMYK — James Bond (@007) June 4, 2019Presumably some extra time will be required to repair the stage at Pinewood Studios, though it's unknown if this latest mishap will result in a delay for Bond 25. Craig needed about two weeks of downtime to recover from his own ankle injury and surgery sustained while filming in Jamaica. Despite that, the production team said at the time that the movie will not be delayed.James Bond 25, or whatever it ends up being called, hits theatres in April 2020. In addition to Craig, Ralph Fiennes, Naomie Harris, and Lea Seydoux will all reprise their roles for the 25th James Bond movie. Jeffrey Wright and Ben Whishaw also return, while Rami Malek has joined the movie as the villain.Bond 25's story begins with Bond no longer on active service but instead enjoying himself in Jamaica. "His peace is short-lived when his old friend Felix Leiter from the CIA turns up asking for help," reads a lin efrom the description. "The mission to rescue a kidnapped scientist turns out to be far more treacherous than expected, leading Bond onto the trail of a mysterious villain armed with dangerous new technology."The movie was initially going to be directed by Danny Boyle, but he left due to "creative differences." True Detective's Cary Fukunaga replaced Boyle before the film was delayed first from October 2019 to February 2020 and then again to April 3, 2020.Info from Gamespot.com

While Sony is not attending E3 2019 next week, the PlayStation company still has news to share, specifically about its much-anticipated next-generation console. Sony's Jim Ryan, who recently stepped into the position of SIE president, sat down with GameSpot sister site CNET to discuss some of Sony's high-level plans for its next console, believed to be the PlayStation 5.One of the biggest talking points was what Ryan called "cross-generational play." This means those who pick up a PlayStation 5 (or whatever it is called), will be able to continue playing their PlayStation 4 games on the new box. Not only that, but Ryan suggested that PlayStation friends list will span both systems."Whether it's backwards compatibility or the possibility of cross generational play, we'll be able to transition that community to next-gen," he said. "It won't be a binary choice about whether you have to be either on PlayStation 4 or next-gen to continue your friendship."This is a big deal because the PS4 does not currently offer backwards compatibility like the rival Xbox One does. Ryan said in a previous interview that backwards compatibility and cross-gen play is "incredibly important" to helping make the transition between systems as seamless as possible.Also in the interview, Ryan confirmed that the PS5's new SSD that was custom-made for the system will be part of the standard edition, not a more expensive premium version. The SSD allows the PS5 to improve load times; you can see a demonstration of the faster load times here.Ryan also talked about how the PS5 is capable of supporting 4K visuals at 120Hz for those who have TVs that can support that. 120Hz is a refresh rate around double the rate of standard TVs.As for why Sony is talking about the PS5 (Mark Cerny shared numerous details earlier) before actually announcing the console, Ryan said it's an effort to get ahead of leaks. PS5 development kits are being sent to outside studios currently, and Ryan said he wants PlayStation fans to have "clear and unambiguous" details about the system instead of "garbled nonsense."It sounds like the PS5 is still a long time off, as Ryan said, "This is just the start of the unveil process." There is no word yet as to when Sony may officially announce the PS5.As part of Sony's Corporate Strategy Meeting recently, Sony said the PS5 will offer experiences that "greatly exceed" what is possible on PS4 and PS4 Pro. Sony said people can expect "completely transformative and immersive gaming experiences" on the PS5.You can visit CNET to read the full interview in which Ryan touches on the changing landscape of the video game business, Sony's partnership with Microsoft for cloud gaming, if the PS5 will be Sony's last console, and lots more.The PlayStation 5 will have an "appealing" price point given its specs, according to Cerny, but there is no ballpark estimate yet regarding what the price may be. As for the release date of the PlayStation 5, Sony has said it will not release in the next fiscal year, which means it won't launch April 2020 at the soonest.Info from Gamespot.com

Apart from being remembered as an amazing open-world RPG, Bethesda's The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion is also known for being one of the first console games with microtransactions. Specifically, horse armor. Bethesda boss Todd Howard has now reflected on the horse armor controversy.Speaking to IGN, Howard said, "People will buy anything." He added: "That doesn't mean you should do it. [But] they will buy anything. That sounds terrible."Howard went on to say that there is nothing wrong in practice with horse armor, but the issue with it is how pricey it was. He said someone at Microsoft--he wouldn't say who--told the team at Bethesda to charge more, so they did.At the time, themes--or wallpaper for your Xbox 360--were a big deal. The price point Bethesda proposed for horse armor was below the price of a theme. So Microsoft asked Bethesda to increase the price; it was sold at the time for $2.50 USD."Horse armor is not bad. I think horse armor is fine. The price point, at the time, was the issue. We felt, it's probably worth this," he said. "I won't say who at Microsoft said, 'Well, that's less than we sell a theme for; a wallpaper is more than that. You should charge this; you can always lower it.' We were like, 'Okay!' It's a price-to-value proposition at the time, not do I want armor for my horse. And looking back now, it's quite cheap."In the ensuring years, Bethesda sold Oblivion's horse armor for twice the normal price as an April Fool's joke, and it sold well because people were in on the joke and wanted to participate, Howard said.The next mainline Elder Scrolls game is The Elder Scrolls VI, which is still a long ways off. The game will not be at E3 2019 this month, and it might not release until the next-generation of consoles.Info from Gamespot.com

Two of Bethesda's major upcoming games, The Elder Scrolls VI and Starfield, are not coming to E3 2019; they won't be showing up during the Bethesda press conference or appear on the show floor. It's unclear when they'll be shown publicly, but that doesn't mean the company is keeping completely quiet about the projects in the meantime. Bethesda boss Todd Howard spoke briefly about both projects in an in-depth interview with IGN this week.Starting with The Elder Scrolls VI, Howard said Bethesda is designing the game to be played for a decade "at least." He wants the game to have longevity in the way that The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim has. That game was released in 2011 and it remains popular and sells well on every platform Bethesda brings it to, Howard said.He gave no indication as to when The Elder Scrolls VI will release, but he says you will understand why it's taking so long once Bethesda finally shows it off."On one hand, I think it's good to miss things. I think that makes people come to it with really really fresh eyes," he said about the gap between Skyrim and The Elder Scrolls VI. "When you eventually, eventually see the game and what we have in mind [you'll] understand the gap more in terms of technology and what we want it to do."The only piece of media for The Elder Scrolls VI released so far is the briefest of teaser trailers from E3 2018. The game will likely release on next-generation platforms, Howard has said in the past and mentioned again in the IGN interview.As for Starfield, Howard talked about how it's important for the game to have its own tone to help it stand apart from the numerous other sci-fi games on the market."[Starfield will have its] own tone in terms of there is so much science-fiction in the same way that Fallout has its own tone in post-apocalyptic," he said. "Elder Scrolls has found its own tone, but originally didn't. It was very generic fantasy."Howard wants Starfield to be the "be all, end all science fiction game that everyone's always wanted to play." He clarified that it is his own personal be all, end all sci-fi game, and not necessarily yours.Whatever the case, it's a bold ambition for Starfield, but Howard thinks he has put the pieces in place to make it happen. "We could be the ones to pull this off," he said. "We have enough talent and experience and technology; we need to write a whole bunch of new technology that we're doing [for Starfield]. But we think that we can pull it off."A scene from Starfield's announcement trailerAlso in the interview, Howard said Bethesda knew it wanted Starfield to be its next game after Fallout 4 and that development is now underway across the developer's North American studios.But when will we see more of Starfield? "Everyone should be very patient," Howard said.Like Fallout 4, which was announced in June just five months before its release in November 2015, Howard said he wants to have a short announce-to-release window for Starfield. The five month window for Fallout 4 was the quickest turnaround the Bethesda's sales team would allow, he said. Howard acknowledged there are complexities related to announcing and releasing quickly, due in part to allowing retail partners to prepare for release.In terms of a release schedule, Starfield is coming first and then The Elder Scrolls VI, at least according to the current plan.While Starfield and The Elder Scrolls VI will not appear at E3 this year, Bethesda is still holding a briefing where it will announce other games and make additional announcements.Info from Gamespot.com

Since they were first shown off, Pokemon Sword and Shield have become two Nintendo Switch games at the top of fans' wishlists. Thanks to a new Nintendo Direct, we now know the games' global release date has been set for November 15. We also learned a variety of new gameplay details and the availability of a Double Pack that includes copies of the two versions. Here's a rundown on all the major news from the Direct.Developer Game Freak shared more details on the gameplay innovations seen in Sword and Shield. A new battle mechanic named Dynamax turns Pokemon into giant versions of themselves. Like Sun and Moon's Z-Moves, Dynamax can be triggered once per battle. It boosts your Pokemon's power and turns all their moves into Max Moves. The creature returns to normal after three turns.Additionally, Sword and Shield will feature Raid Battles, a new battle type seemingly inspired by the raids seen in Pokemon Go. There are sections of the game world in which you can team up with up to three other human players and battle a Pokemon which is permanently in Dynamax form, and hence is very powerful. You'll need to work together to bring down the wild Pokemon and then catch them for yourself. The creatures seen in these wild Dynamax battles vary by area and weather, Game Freak said.Finally, the developer revealed the box art for Sword and Shield, which features two new legendary creatures, Zamazenta and Zacian. We also got a look at some of the other new Gen 8 Pokemon being introduced, including the adorable, sheep-like Wooloo.Alongside the two separate games, a Double Pack will be available that includes both games together. In Europe, this includes an exclusive gold steelbook, which is currently unconfirmed for other territories. The standard editions of the game will cost $60 / £50 each, while the dual pack is $120 (international pricing is yet to be revealed).Sword and Shield mark the eighth generation of Pokemon games and are set in an entirely new region with all-new Pokemon. That region is named Galar, and it's primarily made up of picturesque countryside inspired by the UK.Not only will players encounter an assortment of returning Pokemon here--including fan-favorites like Tyranitar, Lucario, and, of course, Pikachu--the region will also be home to many new kinds of Pokemon. We've already gotten a look at the three new starters, and the latest Pokemon Direct presentation gave us a glimpse at a handful of other Gen 8 monsters, with many more undoubtedly still waiting to be revealed.For more on the new games, check out our roundup of all the Pokemon confirmed for Sword and Shield. There is a chance we might learn even more about the two Switch games during Nintendo's E3 press conference, along with all these Nintendo games confirmed for E3 2019.Info from Gamespot.com

As part of a special Nintendo Direct for Pokemon Sword and Shield today, Nintendo introduced us to the newest Legendary Pokemon to grace your Pokedex. As you might expect, the two new Legendaries represent the "Sword" and "Shield" aspects of their titles.The two Pokemon, named Zamazenta and Zacian, look like similarly colorful wolves. Zamazenta has a fur pattern on its face and chest that looks like a shield, while Zacian carries a sword-like object in its mouth. In the brief trailer, the two are seen fighting with each other, before something else attracts both of their attention.Presumably, Pokemon Sword and Shield will follow the pattern of prior Pokemon games and make one Legendary available in each version. Nintendo also announced a double-pack available for pre-order that will include both versions when the games release on November 15.Other details from the Nintendo Direct included other new Pokemon, multiplayer raid battles, and the new kaiju-sized Dynamax system that can make a Pokemon grow to massive size. Check out our pre-order guide for more details.Info from Gamespot.com

In the Nintendo Direct presentation for Pokemon Sword and Shield, Nintendo introduced a new mechanic called Dynamax. This makes your Pokemon huge and boosts their abilities, but it also plays into another brand-new feature: cooperative multiplayer Raid Battles, which can be home to exclusive Pokemon.The Wild Area is all of the territory between towns where you can encounter Pokemon, and some special areas in the Wild have nodes where you can join up with other trainers to fight in Max Raid Battles. While your own Pokemon can only go Dynamax for three turns and can only be triggered once per battle, these Max Raid Battles will have you face off against a mega-sized Pokemon for the entire encounter. You'll need to coordinate with other players to bring them down, and only one of the trainers will be permitted to use a Dynamax of their own. The opposing Pokemon will also have access to "unique powers." If you manage to beat them, you can catch them.These Max Raid Battles will vary by area and weather, and some Pokemon can only be caught by participating in a Max Raid Battle. You can team up with three other players, but if three humans aren't available, AI support trainers will be automatically added to your team. It all seems inspired by the Raid battles in Pokemon Go, albeit with a super-sized twist.Dynamax Pokemon swap their abilities for Max abilities, and during the presentation we saw several Dynamax battles taking place in specialized Pokemon arenas full of fans. Other details from the Nintendo Direct include new character and story details, and our first look at the two new Legendary Pokemon that represent the Sword and Shield.Among all the news shared during the Pokemon Direct broadcast was Pokemon Sword and Shield's release date: It launches for Switch on November 15. Read our Pokemon Sword & Shield pre-order guide for more details on where to get it and the special dual pack that includes both games for those who just have to collect both Legendaries.Info from Gamespot.com

In the June 5 Pokemon Sword and Shield Direct, we got our first look at the characters and overall story of the upcoming Nintendo Switch games. This included the Galar region's Pokemon professor, your rival, and the Champion, all mainstays of the Pokemon series. And while we didn't get a look at a Team Rocket equivalent or any overall mysteries to the story, we did get a better idea of what the Galar region is all about: Pokemon battles, of course.In the new Galar region, Pokemon battles are an especially big deal. The stadiums shown in the reveal trailer are, in fact, Gyms, and tons of people gather to watch challengers take on Gym Leaders. According to The Pokemon Company, "Pokemon battles are regarded as the most popular form of entertainment" in Galar. Pokemon are also important in the Galarian economy and actively participate in the workforce when they're not battling.Of course, the main goal of Sword and Shield is to take on the Pokemon League and become the Champion. The current Galar Champion is an exuberant anime-looking guy named Leon who's shown with a Charizard. His younger brother, Hop, is your rival and, in classic fashion, wants to train to be the best. You'll be helped along the way by Professor Magnolia--who studies the new Dynamax phenomenon--and her granddaughter and assistant Sonia, who is also Leon's childhood friend. All roads seem to lead back to Leon.Finally, we were briefly introduced to the Grass-type Gym Leader, Milo. Gym Leaders have powerful Dynamax Pokemon, a big new battle mechanic introduced in Sword and Shield. It also appears that Milo uses at least one of the new Galar Pokemon, Eldegoss.In other Pokemon Direct news, we were introduced to Sword and Shield's legendary Pokemon, Zamazenta and Zacian. The Direct also revealed the games' release date: November 15. They'll be sold both individually and as a double pack, the latter of which includes a special steelbook.Info from Gamespot.com

Just as promised, the latest Pokemon Direct presentation brought a ton of new details about the upcoming Pokemon Sword and Shield games for Nintendo Switch. On top of confirming their release date, the broadcast gave us our first look at some of the new characters players will encounter on their journey across the Galar region, as well as a handful of new Gen 8 Pokemon that inhabit it.First is the Grass-type Gossifleur, whose pollen has healing properties. Gossifleur is able to evolve into Eldegoss, the Cotton Bloom Pokemon. We also got a look at Wooloo, an adorable sheep Pokemon covered in fluffy wool, as well as the vicious snapping turtle-like Drednaw. Finally, The Pokemon Company revealed Corviknight, the raven Pokemon. Interestingly, Corviknight will be able to taxi players back to any town they have previously visited, much like the Fly HM of old.CorviknightThose aren't the only new Pokemon we got a look at. The Pokemon Company also unveiled Sword and Shield's Legendary Pokemon, the wolf-like Zamazenta and Zacian. Few details about the Legendaries were revealed, but the former is covered in armor that resembles a shield, while the latter wields a sword in its maw. In their reveal trailer, the Legendaries could be briefly seen fighting each other before a sound catches their attention.That certainly isn't all we learned about Pokemon Sword and Shield during the Pokemon Direct. As speculated, the games are introducing a new battle mechanic called Dynamaxing. Like Mega Evolution and Z-Moves before it, Dynamax is triggered via its own button and can only be used once per battle. This causes your Pokemon to grow into a massive size, giving them a power boost and turning their attacks into Max Moves. However, Dynamax Pokemon will only remain in that state for three turns. Players will also be able to team up with others and battle wild Dynamx Pokemon in Pokemon Go-like Raids while exploring the Wild Area, an open world-like environment between cities in Galar. Pokemon Sword and Shield launch for Nintendo Switch on November 15. You can learn more in our Pokemon Sword and Shield pre-order guide.Info from Gamespot.com