EA Touts Unrested Pursuit For More Teams, Shares Respawn Entertainment Acquisition To Be A “Classic Example”

Looking at the current frontrunners that make up Electronic Arts’ in-house network of studios, development teams such as Respawn Entertainment, DICE, and EA Vancouver are just some off the top of the list that are and still underway with new projects to ship with the EA name on it. However, the firm reveals that the ambition to add more developers to that list has yet to cease. But instead, the firm is “more interested than ever” in search for new talent to acquire for future properties. Electronic Arts CFO Blake Jorgensen discloses the new detail during the firm’s Q1 Webcast call this week. “It is very rare that we don’t get a chance to look at anything that is up for sale. You can imagine … people call us and say we’re thinking about selling the business or we’re thinking about selling ourselves,” Jorgensen elaborates on the topic. “We are a place that a lot of people want to come as a long-term home if they decide to sell the business. We get to look at almost everything.” Jorgensen continues by sharing that while he cannot offer specifics on the teams that Electronic Arts is interested in, he does share an example of what the publisher does look for – that being Respawn Entertainment. I think Respawn is a classic example of that. We were able to bring them into the fold and give them incredible support and it was all driven by the fact that they have incredible talent. It wasn’t about Titanfall–no offense to Titanfall. It’s an amazing game and maybe you’ll see Titanfall some time down the road. But it was really about the team. Most recently, it was reported that Apex Legends has been and continues to be one of the leading factors for Electronic Arts capital gain this past financial quarter. Especially seeing that the latest season for the battle royale has accumulated the most attention for the project. Taken from the subject matter, many went to believe that this recent statement alongside the previous reportings of Warner Bros. interested in selling its gaming division that Electronic Arts is aiming for the line of WB teams. However, Jorgensen’s statement does not illustrate to align with EA’s ambitions to do so. “As you’ve seen in the past, where we’ve done the best is where we have long-term relationships with people and we’re really trying to buy great talent versus games.” With the acquisition of developers like Rocksteady Studios and Monolith Productions, Electronic Arts would only earn the rights to the teams, not the properties – which the publisher has emphasized ambitions to acquire both. But, Jorgensen does disclose that due to the current economic status created by the global pandemic still ongoing, the purchase might not take place for quite some time. What teams do you think Electronic Arts will ultimately acquire in the coming future? Source: Electronic Arts
Standalone Visual Novel Vampire: The Masquerade – The Shadows of New York Announced For Late 2020 Release

Over two months ago, developer Hardsuit Labs announced that the coming sequel for Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines would be shipping to next-generation. In particular with the title’s arrival for Xbox Series X, Microsoft revealed that the title will support cross-generation purchases with its in-house Smart Delivery feature unique to Xbox Series X. At the beginning of the month later on, developer Big Bad Wolf Games revealed elsewhere that the team will be expanding on the Vampire: The Masquerade series with a standalone entry set in Boston, Massachusetts. The game titled ‘Swansong’ focuses on the division of the vampiric cult as new recruits live their stories through the duration of the new game. Now this week Draw Distance disclosed to be also occupied with its own Vampire: The Masquerade title. And while the coming entry will also spin-off from the mainline series alike with Swansong, this new entry is a visual novel to depict the expansive story in the streets of Manhattan. You can watch the gameplay trailer in the video below: “When New York’s Anarch leader meets a gruesome end, out of all the bloodsuckers in the metropolis, you’re the one picked to investigate. Make no mistake: this is obviously a trap, yet another move in the horrible game of Jyhad, the eternal struggle for power between warring vampire generations,” the Steam page reads. “But you’re Lasombra, and if there’s one thing you know, it’s this: if the Ventrue Prince and her followers underestimate you, they’re going to deeply regret it.” Dubbed “The Shadows of New York,” this new experience will follow the path of Draw Distance’s Vampire: The Masquerade – Coteries of New York which shipped back in December. While still embracing the initial storytelling of the 2019 title, this standalone entry will offer new characters, settings, and fresh soundtrack to go along with the new story. What are you most intrigued by this new standalone from Draw Distance? Vampire: The Masquerade – The Shadows of New York arrive sometime in Q3 for PC, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and Nintendo Switch.
Crystal Dynamics Confirms Hawkeye Joins Marvel’s Avengers As A Post-Launch Add-on

Just over two weeks ago, developer Crystal Dynamics and Eidos Montreal alongside publisher Square Enix announced that the upcoming Marvel’s Avengers is receiving an playable beta at the start of August. In that, the playtests were disclosed to begin uniquely on PlayStation 4 starting August 2nd followed the week after with betas for Xbox One, PC, and Stadia. Now during this week’s Wartable livestream for the September-scheduled title, the teams elaborate more on the game discussing the contents of the previously announced betas alongside combing out what will be shipping to Marvel’s Avengers following the game’s release. Looking ahead, Marvel’s Avengers will be receiving the addition of Hawkeye later on as an add-on for the base game, Square Enix confirms. You can watch the teaser trailer in the video below: “Our team revisited their favorite comic arc at the beginning of any hero concept process, including Writer Matt Fraction and Artist David Aja’s ‘My Life as A Weapon,’” Crystal Dynamics shares in a blog post. “Hawkeye has his own in-depth story mission chain, and it’s unique from the main campaign because it can be played either co-op or solo, whichever you prefer. He’ll also bring a new villain with him, which you’ll learn about in the future along with other surprises!” Elaborating more on the matters of the coming beta sessions, Crystal Dynamics discloses that progress between each session that is being held next month will carry over to the next playtest. That includes in-game cosmetics and your advancements when exploring and fighting in the game’s world. However, when the full game arrives in September, you will have to re-earn your belongings. Currently, neither Crystal Dynamics nor Square Enix spared details on the arrival for Hawkeye to Marvel’s Avengers. Even more, a price tag for the added Avengers was not disclosed either at the time of reporting. What system do you plan on playing Marvel’s Avengers on? Marvel’s Avengers will launch on September 4, 2020 for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Pc, and Stadia. Source: PlayStation Blog
Review: Final Fantasy VII Remake

Developer –Square Enix Publisher – Square Enix Platforms – PS4, PS5, PC Today at long last we take a look at Square Enix’s latest remake of Final Fantasy VII. Originally shown years ago during Sony’s legendary 2015 E3,. Final Fantasy VII Remake has had fans captivated with the very idea of it’s existence ever since the Advent Children film released. Right away this Remake captivates with how incredible it looks. The art-style calls back to the essence of what has to be the most popular JRPG of all time. The style goes beyond how it looks, with every single character has a distinct look. Midgar and Shinra’s bosses fill up the screen and are fun to discover and battle against. Every landmark, set piece, and pre-rendered background is brought to life with stunning clarity. Even more impressive than how great it looks is how great a job they do of making sure all of the special touches of each location remain intact. All of the music gets the same treatment the visuals do. A rich, sweeping score composed by Masashi Hamauzu, Mitsuto Suzuki and the legendary Nobuo Uematsu fully captures the nostalgia of the original and add so much nuance and depth to one of the greatest OST’s of all time. The sound effects, voice over, and battle themes are all incredible and varied. From the first fight and into the hundredth you won’t tire of the music. The reason why the visuals and sound are so important is because of the game that lies beneath. A substandard effort for either one of those two would do a disservice to a game that is beloved by so many fans. Do you risk upsetting them? Or do you play it safe and and avoid providing anything exciting for returning veterans. They thankfully find ways to satisfy both new and returning fans. The changes the cast of characters provide dramatically change up what you know and expect from them. Each character is given so much more material to work with. Some of it was bound to happen due to technology. Facial reactions and voice over alone bring characters to life in ways the original couldn’t imagine. The focus on Midgar and the extended moments in this formally brief chapter provides much more background for these larger than life characters to work with. Barrett, Tifa and the rest of Avalanche benefit the most from this change. So much of their struggle, home, and just getting a chance to hang with the crew really makes the bond they have make much more sense. Keeping the story moving, is the incredible combat system. The combat system is very much the core of any JRPG and how you progress and carry out combat goes a long way to making the game feel fresh and exciting, or dull and sleep inducing. FF7 REMAKE has a ton of new mechanics to keep it fresh, while also keeping the “feel” of the original games ATB battles. At first glance the combat appears similar to 15, but once you dig deeper its a far different beast despite it being in real time. ATB returns, this time in the form of two pips that have to be used for all actions. To build the charges, you must engage in real time combat. Defending can also fill the ATB meters, and each character can be played as while AI takes over the other 2 party members. The decision to marry real time combat with the classic ATB system works to perfection. While trying to respect the original, they have created one of the best modern JRPG combat systems. The combat system has so much depth. Dodging, invincible frames, spell interrupts and parries are all featured. Each characters distinct weapons come to life and all of them are absolutely fun to discover and use. All those skills will be needed because the game actually has some challenge. Dungeons are large and tough enemies will be guarding all the hidden materia and items hidden through out. Final Fantasy VII Remake is great, but it isn’t free of criticism.Despite how much they do to the experience, this lingering anxiety is always lurking in the back of your head. For somebody who loved the original like myself, I often found myself anticipating moments I knew were coming rather than appreciating the new content I experiencing. On the whole it isn’t a huge problem, but as you start playing and getting to some filler chapters that feeling only grows. A couple chapters are more guilty than others, and those moments can be quite a slog to push through to get to the exciting stuff on the other side. This game also reeks of the exact problem Mark Cerny discussed in his PS5 presentation. Never has a modern game had to hide load times as much as this Remake. No matter what environment or scenario, you better believe Cloud and company will find a narrow hallway to shimmy through to get to the other side. On one hand the visuals justify it, but I couldn’t help but wonder what Part 2 will be like on much more powerful hardware. The slow crawl also hampered my willingness to replay some entire chapters of the game. Those problems, as real as they are, still didn’t hamper my admiration and love for this remake. Rich story, great characters, top notch sound and visual design complement the intense and engrossing combat mechanics. An ode to the original while moving the entire story into the modern landscape. Much ado was also made about the changes near the ending, and I absolutely loved them. Yes it’s not what I was expecting, but without spoiling anything, I’m now even more excited about the future of this story.
Private Division Shares New Publishing Partnership With Moon Studios, Roll7, And League Of Geeks

Publisher Private Division this week shares to be expanding its publishing repertoire with new teams on upcoming, unannounced projects. In a new press release released recently, the firm tells that it has formed new partnerships with Moon Studios, Roll7, and League of Geeks to publish upcoming titles from the three video game developers. Private Division is a Take-Two Interactive-acquired publisher that has went on to publish some notable releases and anticipated projects still underway. Those titles include Obsidian Entertainment’s The Outer Worlds, V1 Interactive’s Disintegration, and Squad’s upcoming sequel Kerbal Space Program 2. Our partnerships with Moon Studios, League of Geeks, and Roll7 continue to enhance Private Division’s roster with more of the game industry’s best creative talent from around the world. We are thrilled to work alongside these experienced developers to provide them with the support needed to propel their creative visions to the next level. Michael Worosz, Private Division Executive Vice President For those unaware, these new teams involved are nothing to shrug off for the new agreements under Private Division. Moon Studios is reputable for its recent Xbox Game Studios release Ori and the Will of the Wisps, Roll7 notorious for the OlliOlli & Not a Hero, and League of Geeks for its 2015 interactive board game Armello. With the announcement taking place this week, Private Division discloses that each respected project is still in early development and is not expected to ship for a couple more years. The publisher projects that the games will not be available until sometime in fiscal year 2022. However, we can expect to learn of the aforementioned projects ahead of that in the coming future. Collaborative publishing partnerships in recent months has illustrated to becoming a standard for the gaming industry. It was back in late March that Epic Games announced its trio of publishing agreements with Remedy Entertainment, Playdead, and gen Design. You can reads the announcement by heading here. What are you excited to see from the new partnerships for the three studios under Private Division? Source: Private Division
Battletoads Officially Arrives To Xbox One, PC On August 20

Just yesterday, developer Rare teased what looked to be an implication for new details on the coming Battletoads game. After the project being out of the spotlight since E3 of last year, it was speculated the game would be making a reappearance fairly soon. In that, the firm simply tweeted three frog emojis – implicating that an announcement would be on the way. And our guts happened to prove true this time as the firm alongside Dlala Studios has revealed that Battletoads will officially be arriving next month to Xbox and PC. You can watch the new release date trailer in the video below: “Rash, Zitz and Pimple are returning at last to smash-hit their way through an all-new action-packed adventure of choreographed chaos, and couch co-op may never be the same again,” the overview reads on the game’s Steam page. “Teamwork makes the dream work in a drop-in, drop-out gameplay blast, filled with over-the-top gameplay moments that anyone can enjoy, but only a True ‘Toad’ can master. “With a unique hand-animated cartoon style and packed with memorable characters and locations, the Battletoads are back for a larger-than-life brawl across the universe that promises to be fun alone, and unforgettable together.” With the game’s official arrival slated for the middle of next month, Microsoft also disclosed that Battletoads will be shipping launch day on Xbox Game Pass – presumably for both console & PC. What are you most excited about the return for the Battletoads series? Battletoads arrives to Xbox One, Windows 10, and Steam on August 20, 2020.
Outriders Team People Can Fly Announces New AAA, Next-Generation Project Is Underway

While developer People Can Fly – the team responsible for Bulletstorm, Gears of War: Judgment – is still underway with its current Outriders title slated to arrive later this holiday season, the developer is also looking ahead for the next-generation consoles with a new project in mind with the addition of the newly founded New York division. In a new announcement this week, the firm shares that a new AAA project is in the works exclusively for the new consoles. In that, the developer discloses that the anticipation for the new project will lead to a new expansion campaign for the American sector in the next 12 to 18 months, People Can Fly shares. It’s rare to ever get the chance to work on an original AAA game in today’s world, never mind being part of the origination process. We’re looking for brilliant and curious people to help us shape the vision of this incredible new world we’re building. Roland Lesterine, People Can Fly New York Creative Director In addition to the undisclosed new game to be arriving to next-generation platforms, People Can Fly also reveals that the aforementioned project will also be shipping to “streaming platforms.” Taken from the wording of the statement, the firm is most likely implying a Stadia release. However, it is also worth speculating that this new title could also be receiving support for Project xCloud as well. Microsoft has been continuing to support the cloud-streaming service with the addition for dozens of titles to Project xCloud since the playtests initiated last year. And now with the service arriving later this September, we still have more to learn on the matters of what is to come after the official debut of Project xCloud. You can read the report by heading here. What are you hoping to see next from People Can Fly? Source: People Can Fly
Square Enix Shares Next-Generation Game Project Athia To Be An Open-World Title

Over a month ago during the PlayStation 5 showcase featuring some of the most anticipated projects underway for the new console and generally the next-generation of console gaming, publisher Square Enix alongside Luminous Productions showcase a new title that is currently underway, Project Athia. While not sparing much on the new game, the title illustrated some action-adventure elements that breaks the barrier for the newest hardware. However, the trail essentially ended there with not much other information to expand on the project further thankfully, more details have surfaced earlier this week. Speaking with Toyo Keizai Plus, Square Enix President Yosuke Matsuda disclosed new information on the upcoming PlayStation 5 & PC title. He issues that the coming title will be an open-world experience. “The game Project Athia (title tentative), which we will release for PS5, is an open-world style game in which users can freely move around the game world,” Matsuda tells. He also goes into detail regarding the power of the PlayStation 5 and how little contrast the console version is to PC. PS5 dramatically improves video technology, such as with the implementation of light-reflecting ‘ray-tracing’ technology. Compared to what you see on PC, it is nearly identical. By utilizing these special traits, we’re able to create incredibly precise imagery. We still plan on developing well-balanced games tailored to a platform’s traits, including smartphone and cloud-based games, but we will never stop developing for high-end platforms such as PS5. Because these things are packed with the best technology. Giving more context of the game itself in the sense of plot or storytelling, no addition details were spared by the Square Enix President. However, some fans went to speculation to fill that spot for the time being. Taken that the team Luminous Productions – where its name is derived from the Engine for Final Fantasy XV – many followers believe the two to be connected. While not entirely sure where the pieces go together, Project Athia is suspected to either be a spin-off of the base Final Fantasy series or just a placeholder name for the next mainline installment since the last entry arrived back in 2016. Or simply the team most capable of the same-named engine formed an in-house team to work on a completely unrelated project. All of the topics are simply conjecture until properly disclosed by Square Enix. What do you hope to see more of from Project Athia later on? Project Athia is said to ship for PlayStation 5 and PC. Source: Gematsu
Three Sega Games Being Added To Electronic Arts Origin Access Premier

In the past month, publisher Electronic Arts has illustrated its emphasis to supporting PC gaming – no matter the platform. During its annual EA Play virtual presentation last month, the firm announced over a few dozen EA-published properties will be migrating from Origin and making their debut over to Steam. But despite the recent support for the Valve-owned storefront, Electronic Arts does not plan to abandon its own PC launcher over on Origin. Instead, the company presents to further its involvement with keyboard & mouse players as more games will be coming to the vault. However, these new additions are coming to the pricier Origin Access Premier. Rather than the base Origin subscription, the pricier model offers an extended library of titles outside of Electronic Arts’ repertoire and provided players with limitless playtime on upcoming, EA titles on the platform countering the 10-hour trials. Recently, Electronic Arts has decided to introduce three new games, but these come from Japanese publisher Sega. Announcing that Sonic Mania, Two-Point Hospital, and Endless Legend are to arrive to the platform. Currently, the 2017 platformer starring Sega’s iconic blue hedgehog is available for Origin Access Premier subscribers to play. The remaining titles featured are said to be “coming soon” at a later date in the following weeks. Despite the new agreement formed between both Sega and Electronic Arts, neither firm disclosed if this new relationship will expand beyond the initial announcement. If so, it would be welcomed to see some RGG Studio titles like Yakuza Kiwami or Yakuza Kiwami 2 since both are already available on Steam. The same can also be said for Catherine which shipped last January. What Sega games would you like to see available on Origin Access Premier next? Source: Sega
Halo Infinite’s Multiplayer Will Be Free To Play & To Support Up To 120 FPS

Update: 343i officially shares that Halo Infinite’s Multiplayer will be free-to-play and will support 120 FPS on Xbox Series X. More information will be revealed later on. Halo is for everyone. We can confirm #HaloInfinite multiplayer will be free-to-play and will support 120FPS on Xbox Series X. More details will be shared later! pic.twitter.com/9bIrppFiON — Halo (@Halo) July 31, 2020 Original: Halo Infinite has been the story of the past week with its official gameplay reveal during the Xbox Games Showcase. It had received some criticism with the early build that was used to show it off, but 343i has spoken out about that. A new leak has suggested that Halo Infinite’s multiplayer will indeed be free to play while supporting 120 FPS. This comes from Smyths Toys in the UK and other sources such as Klobrille on Twitter has confirmed this. The multiplayer will have a Battle Pass system and the customization options for armor will be Halo: Reach style. Here is what it says on Smyths website: The Legendary Halo Series returns with the most expansive Master Chief campaign yet and a ground breaking free-to-play multiplayer experience. Enjoy up to 120 FPS and greatly reduced load times creating seamless gameplay with Xbox Series X. In yesterday’s blog post by 343i there were questions answered and re-confirming certain features coming to Halo Infinite: In Universe Timing: It follows the Master Chief’s story some time after Halo 5: Guardians’ conclusion Pro Team: We’ve assembled an internal Pro Team for Halo Infinite Splitscreen: Yes, splitscreen will be a thing! (See above for details about Campaign) LAN: Halo Infinite will support LAN Back in Black: Black undersuits will be in the game Microtransactions: Halo Infinite will not include real-money loot boxes Player Customization: If you liked the level of armor customization options in Halo: Reach, you will be pleased SR 152: Players who hit SR 152 in Halo 5: Guardians will receive a token of appreciation in Halo Infinite Forge: Our famous editing tool will be in Halo Infinite and will have Undo & Redo buttons, which is a first for Forge. It shouldn’t be too long until we see Halo Infinite’s multiplayer reveal. Source