Tony Hawk Pro Skater 1 + 2 Arrives To Nintendo Switch In Late June

When looking back to this past September, the release of Tony Hawk Pro Skater 1 + 2 sure did bring some smiles to many that felt sluggish from the stress of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the game was missing one thing – a version for Nintendo Switch. But despite the absence, developer Vicarious Visions slipped on the secret as users soon found that a Nintendo Switch version is underway with control prompts unearthed in the game’s code. So, it was a matter of time before the announcement for the port. And it came plus more. In that, Tony Hawk Pro Skater 1 + 2 would not only be confirmed for Nintendo Switch, but proper optimizations for Xbox Series X|S & PlayStation 5 are also slated. But, the next-generation versions would arrive ahead of the port for the Nintendo console as no date is provided. On Wednesday, Nintendo and Activision unveiled that Tony Hawk Pro Skater 1 + 2 will be arriving to Nintendo Switch in late June. The firms do so by a post on Twitter that day. Play Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater & Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2 in one epic collection, rebuilt from the ground up in incredible HD. All the pro skaters, levels and tricks are back and fully-remastered, plus more,” the overview for the game reads on the Nintendo eShop listing for the game. As for future plans of more remade titles from Activision’s disposal, it is revealed that Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time developer Toys for Bob is now a support studio for Call of Duty: Warzone. Similar to how Vicarious Visions was merged into Blizzard Entertainment previously, it is pertained that the team will no longer helm its own projects now. You can read the initial report by heading here. Are you excited for Tony Hawk Pro Skater 1 + 2 coming to Nintendo Switch? Tony Hawk Pro Skater 1 + 2 arrives to Nintendo Switch on June 25, 2021; out now for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.

Sony Organizes Another Shoe Deal With Nike & Paul George For PlayStation Sneakers

Amid the mass influence that the video game industry brings in from the developed content that releases periodically – either from small development teams or big budget publishers – there are always byproducts of what shapes the market. For Sony Interactive Entertainment, the firm back in April announced to be appointing musician Travis Scott to the PlayStation family for a new creative collaboration. Currently, no details arose on the matters including the career rapper. Prior to that, there has been a previous collaboration that Sony organized with Nike. Alongside a partnership with professional basketball player Paul George, the deal introduced PlayStation-licensed shoes that a select number of people can purchase. And now, that is coming back once again. On Tuesday, Sony announced to be teaming up with Nike and the Los Angeles Clippers Small Forward for a new pair of shoes that take after the latest PlayStation 5 console. You can watch the reveal trailer in the video below: “Like many of you, I’ve been a die-hard PlayStation fan all my life, so it’s an honor to introduce my newest creative project with my favorite brands: the PG 5 PlayStation 5 colorway,” LA Clippers No.13 Paul George shares in the blog post. “Just like the PlayStation 5 console, the PG 5 is my platform to take my game to the next level, so I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to bring these two elements together in this new partnership with PlayStation. “Nike and PlayStation designers, including Yujin Morisawa – the artist behind the PS5 console’s design – worked closely together to bring the spirit of my game and the look of PS5 to life in this unique collaboration.” This certainly is not the first line of shoes that industry leaders made in organized collaborations. Previously, Respawn Entertainment upon teaming up with Artifact Studios introduced a line of shoes inspired by the design of select Apex Legends characters. You can read the full report by heading here. What are you most interested about the new shoe deal? PG 5 PlayStation 5 colorway is said to release on May 14, 2021. Source: PlayStation Blog

Ubisoft Announces Free-to-Play The Division Heartland For 2022 Release, Maps Content Leading To Movie Adaptation

While the game came and went that is The Division 2, the second entry set in the nation’s capitol stood to be a more appreciated release which surprised the video game industry following the mixed reception of the original game in 2016. But, Ubisoft only planned a full two years of content before moving on to the next major project for developer Massive Entertainment. Due to the response of its user base for more additions to the game, the game studio announced to proceed with new content arriving to the game later on in 2021. However, there is more to that according to the Ubisoft subsidiary. In a separate statement, the developer pressed that the experience for The Division 2 will be “entirely new to the franchise.” As of yet, there is no detail on the content being added. As for further plans on The Division as a series, Ubisoft shared a roadmap for its plans ahead. Upon the finer details, the publisher unveils new additions like free-to-play experience The Division Heartland, a mobile release, a licensed novel, and the film adaptation starring Jake Gyllenhaal. You can view the image below: “We’re pleased to share that Tom Clancy’s The Division Heartland, a free-to-play game set in The Division universe, is in development at our Red Storm studio,” Alain Corre, executive director of Ubisoft EMEA shares. “Having worked on Tom Clancy games since 1997, its extensive experience across numerous genres and games, most recently The Division and The Division 2, makes Red Storm a perfect fit for this project. “Heartland is a standalone game that doesn’t require previous experience with the series but will provide an all new perspective on the universe in a new setting. The game will be made available in 2021-22 on PC, consoles, and cloud.” Those interested can sign-up for the early playtest can on the website. Heartland from the titling appears to be a new entry that takes place in the Midwest of the United States. This will be another rural-set Ubisoft title following Far Cry 5 in 2018. In regards to the aforementioned content coming to The Division 2, the firm frames a late 2021 release for said content. Ubisoft also presses that a mobile release is also on the menu for The Division. This happens to make another AAA franchise going to smart phones following the recent mobile plans for Battlefield from developer DICE. Previously, Massive Entertainment pressed on the possibility of a single-player experience set in The Division universe. While not cementing a game to be in development, Creative Director Julian Gerighty appears to support the idea in a thread on Twitter. You can read the full report by heading here. Are you excited for the coming plans for The Division franchise? Source: Ubisoft

Nintendo Switch Lifetime Sales Outperform PSP & GameBoy Advanced As It Reaches 84.59 Million Units Sold

In the age of current-generation consoles, the Nintendo Switch continues to steal from the competition as the device burns through sold units. Back in February, it was reported that the Nintendo Switch sold 80 million units when round up. Approximately 79.87 million at the time, it was revealed that the latest console overtook the Nintendo 3Ds in sold systems. Additionally, the Nintendo Switch following the earning call was reported to earn the second in most sales for the line of systems under Nintendo. From NPD Group, the Nintendo Switch overtook the lifetime sales for the Nintendo DS, but, that is only in dollar value. The number of units sold still crowns the Nintendo DS at 154.9 million. In the latest earnings report from Nintendo, the Nintendo Switch now surpassed 84.59 in sales. As per VGChartz, the system now outperformed both the PlayStation Portable (81.09) and GameBoy Advanced (81.51). Of course, Nintendo also provided the 10 ten best performing titles with updated sales which you can read below: Mario Kart 8 Deluxe – 35.39 million Animal Crossing: New Horizons – 32.63 million Super Smash Bros. Ultimate – 23.84 million The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild – 22.28 million Pokémon Sword/Pokémon Shield – 21.10 million Super Mario Odyssey – 20.83 million Super Mario Party – 14.79 million Pokémon Let’s Go Pikachu/ Pokémon Let’s Go Eevee – 13.28 million Splatoon 2 – 12.21 million New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe – 10.44 million While the Nintendo Switch lives during the rise of the Xbox Series X|S & PlayStation 5, the system still shakes the cage with growing sales. In one thread from Niko Partners’ analyst David Ahmad, he discloses that Nintendo sold roughly 23.83 million in the past fiscal year. But, hardware sales projected to be down 11.5% YoY, Ahmad adds in a separate tweet. Currently, Nintendo is still rumored to be shipping a new SKU later in 2021. From Bloomberg, the new Nintendo Switch model is to feature an OLED screen which offers a higher resolution and performance increase without straining the hardware. You can read the full report by heading here. Are you surprised by the new record set by the Nintendo Switch? Source: Nintendo, (1)

Apple v. Epic Games Case Reveals Xbox Never Turning A Profit Per Console, But Microsoft Reiterates Subscriptions Is Its Moneymaker

In the past few days, many online should be aware of the ongoing trial between Fornite publisher Epic Games and App Store company Apple. It is no secret that the two firms butt heads on how the handling of mobile storefronts should be managed for the video game market, but, the juicier part of the case is the information that gets discovered when investigating actions against each party. Earlier in the week, it was revealed that Sony Interactive Entertainment while allowing cross-play on its platform after a hardheaded campaign against bridging systems charged publishers a royalty for the feature on certain games. But, incite on Microsoft was also spared as well. In that, an email between Xbox head Phil Spencer and Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney offers that the Xbox company is still targeting more platforms for xCloud to support. The most intriguing of the discussion during the ongoing testimony happens to be the profitability of Xbox. Organically in the console market, hardware mostly sells at a loss, however, other attributes are to pay for profitability; such as software or services. For Xbox, the firm asserted “no”, IGN transcribes. Xbox Vice President Lori Wirght during the trial went on to elaborate that Microsoft’s ambition is meet an “an end-to-end gaming experience.” Howbeit, given the absence of profit on consoles sold in return for Microsoft, Wright adds hardware “critical to us delivering that gaming experience.” Most interesting is the follow-up from Microsoft that a spokesperson explained to The Verge. In the statement to the outlet, the Xbox company reiterates on services and online subscriptions being the stronger of the pair for the platform’s profits. The gaming business is a profitable and high-growth business for Microsoft. The console gaming business is traditionally a hardware subsidy model. Game companies sell consoles at a loss to attract new customers. Profits are generated in game sales and online service subscriptions. Elsewhere in the trial, as per Niko Partner’s analyst David Ahmad, he injects the success for Microsoft on its digital capital. On Twitter, he discloses that Microsoft tailored roughly $1 billion in profits from services in 2019 alone. Currently, hardware revenue is reported to be up nearly three times the previous financial quarter according to Microsoft’s FY21 Q3 earnings call. In January, it was recorded about 80 percent increase in revenue. Now, hardware revenue is said to be a 232 percent increase. You can read the full report by heading here. What are your thoughts on Microsoft’s profitability for its consoles?

Square Enix, Sega, Bandai Namco Entertainment, Gearbox, & Xseed Games are confirmed for E3 2021

The list of companies confirmed for the all-virtual E3 2021 continues to grow with the addition of several high-profile video game publishers and developers, as well as tech, hardware and streaming companies. SQUARE ENIX, SEGA, BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment, XSEED Games / Marvelous USA, Inc., Gearbox Entertainment, Freedom Games, Devious Eye Entertainment, Turtle Beach, Verizon and Binge.com are joining the fray and preparing to bring major announcements and reveals to fans throughout E3, which takes place June 12 through June 15. “E3 2021 is set to continue its legacy as the premier video game industry event as we add new publishers, sponsors and partners” said Stanley Pierre-Louis, President & CEO of the ESA. “We can’t wait to share more details about this virtual event for audiences around the globe.” Previously confirmed E3 partners include Nintendo, Xbox, Capcom, Ubisoft, Take-Two Interactive and Warner Bros. Games. Ubisoft had already confirmed their Ubisoft Forward event for June 12 at 12 PM PT and we’ll be waiting on all the others on what they wish to do for their big presentations. E3 hasn’t been the same since the pandemic hit the world hard in 2020 making last years events for new games and hardware to be shown off in unique ways through digital events. In 2021 it will still be digital but it looks like there will be a days of showcases and conferences from all the major companies like Xbox, Ubisoft, Square Enix, etc. Sony and EA won’t be participating as we expected so we’ll see what they have to show in the coming weeks. Stay tuned for more updates on E3 2021!

Speculation For Psychonauts 2 Release Date Reveal To Happen Soon With Brief Pre-load For The Game On Microsoft Store

Given the amount of waiting Psychonauts fans already done for an announcement of the sequel, rounding up to a decade, it could not be anticipated the same could be foretold for the actual release of the second entry. Previously, Psychonauts 2 was framed to release sometime in 2020, however, the game faced an uncertain fate namely due to the COVID-19 epidemic and its launch was pushed to 2021 ultimately. But, developer Double Fine Productions to reassure its fans made an update last month. In that, the Xbox Game Studios team announced that Psychonauts 2 is still slated for its release window for this year. “it is real. It is playable. It is coming,” the game studio added. Fans are to hope that a reveal is to come in June due to the timing of annual shows like E3 taking place. While there is no certainty as to when the announcement will take place, fans are grasping some evidence to suggest the plans might be happening soon. On the Microsoft Store Psychonauts 2 allowed users to pre-load the game for just over 20 GB. But, the page was updated to block more users from doing so. Thankfully, @klobrille on Twitter preserved a screenshot of the occurrence. To hold fans off for the time being, there is more Psychonauts to be played elsewhere. In that, the most recent Xbox Game Pass additions for May 2021 includes the original Xbox title to the monthly service. Perhaps that is another nod to the game’s soon release date reveal too. Beyond what is to release in 2021, Double Fine Productions is to work on a completely unique IP following its work on Psychonauts 2. “And now we’re doing Psychonauts 2 which is a sequel so I feel like ever since 2012 I have been looking backwards a little bit and I’m like ‘okay, for now on after this game – for a long time we’re just gonna do original and new stuff,” Tim Schafer, studio founder shares. You can read the full report by heading here. Are you hoping Psychonauts 2 gets a announcement soon? Psychonauts 2 is scheduled to release sometime in 2021 for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC.

Nintendo Announces Game Builder Garage, Launches June 11th Next Month

In the past, we witnessed the rise of game creators coming to consoles across the board. In the start of the Xbox One console generation in the previous lifecycle, Microsoft introduced Project Spark. In 2020, Media Molecule launched its own experience, Dreams. However, Nintendo appears to be the one out of the equation from the looks of it. While Nintendo does experiment plenty as we are all familiar, the Nintendo Switch company only went as far as the likes of Mario Maker 2 most recently. Although there is the Nintendo Labo line of cardboard accessories, it only features a tangible form of building. Recently, Nintendo insider Emily Rogers commented one more execution for Labo is to be introduced soon. On Wednesday, Nintendo announced Game Builder Garage. While Labo is not smacked on the box, FanByte News Editor Imran Khan did share whispers for what the game would be prior to its announcement was codenamed ‘Labo 5’. You can watch the reveal trailer in the video below: “Learn how to make games (and have fun doing it) with interactive lessons,” the description reads on the Nintendo eShop. “Change between the Programming screen and Game Screen to see the hard-working Nodon in action. It’s fun to see how your choices change the game as you go!” In total, Game Builder Garage includes seven complete lessons on games to create. Shared in the listing reveals three: Tag Showdown, On a Roll, and Thrill Racer. Of course, while the game is still a fun experience alike any licensed release from Nintendo, the entire basis for the project is to introduce programming to a younger demographic or those less familiar with the skill. Are you interested to get your hands on Game Builder Garage? Game Builder Garage arrives on June 11, 2021 to Nintendo Switch.