Category: Gamespot

Virtual reality will find its place in the gaming landscape, but it might not be for a few years, according to Xbox executive Phil Spencer. He said in a new interview with Stevivor that he has all the major VR headsets and has found that most of the games he’s playing now “feel like demos and experiments.”

This is not a knock on VR, he said. “I actually think it’s absolutely the right thing to have happened. That’s not a criticism at all, but should be happening. But I think it will take time.”

“I think VR will find its spot in gaming; I would make that bet,” Spencer went on to say. “We designed Scorpio as a VR-capable console. Whether that happens this year, next year, or the year after…”

Spencer added that he hasn’t found a VR game that people spend a lot of time in, for what he called “long-term engagement.” As he alluded to, most of what he’s played have been shorter experiences in nature that “feel like demos and experiments.”

“I don’t think the creators in the game space have yet found–well, they haven’t obviously perfected the craft of building VR games,” Spencer added. “It’s so early; I think we’re a couple of years before we’ll really see that hit mainstream.”

The executive went on to question the broad appeal of existing VR headsets, saying they can be cumbersome with their wires, in particular. Naturally, he mentioned Microsoft’s HoloLens as being a potential solution.

“In the long run, we need untethered solutions,” he said. “You need to have the compute capability not be wired to my display that’s on my head. That means I either have some kind of high-bandwidth wireless HDMI or I have compute here. With the HoloLens we’ve chosen to put compute in the HMD itself, so it’s right there. With HoloLens we picked where we think the tech’s going to be in ten years, because we see a lot of people doing great work in the VR space today.”

Read the full Stevivor interview here.

Project Scorpio comes out in fall 2017. Though it will be VR-ready, Microsoft has not yet announced any specific plans for the headset in the area of VR or AR.

Sony’s PlayStation 4 VR headset, PlayStation VR, launched in the middle of October. Sony announced just today that sales of the device are “on track,” though a specific unit sales figure was not disclosed.

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Sales of Sony’s newly launched PlayStation VR headset are “on track,” chief financial offer Kenichiro Yoshida said today during the company’s earnings briefing.

The reporting period for this latest quarter ended on September 30, which might explain why the company only offered that high level description instead of a firm figure. It doesn’t appear that Sony has modeled a sales forecast for PlayStation VR. In fact, PlayStation boss Shuhei Yoshida said in September, “To be honest, we don’t know what demand will be.”

PlayStation executive Jim Ryan said in October that PlayStation VR is expected to sell “hundreds of thousands” of units at launch. According to research group Superdata, PlayStation VR sales could reach 2.6 million units by the end of the year.

The headset costs $400 on its own and also requires a PlayStation 4 and a PlayStation camera. A $500 PlayStation VR Launch Bundle comes with the headset, a camera, and two Move controllers, as well as the five-game PlayStation VR Worlds collection. All versions of PlayStation VR include a demo disc containing trials for 18 games, including Resident Evil 7.

GameSpot’s Jimmy Thang reviewed PlayStation VR, saying it’s not a must-buy at the moment.

“As a VR fan, I want PSVR to succeed, but it trips up too many times to wholeheartedly recommend at this point,” he wrote. “Many of the launch titles will make a large percentage of people sick, and it may lead to the false impression that VR has to make you nauseated. If you have a PS4 and are dying to get PSVR, then I’d recommend the $499.99 bundle which includes the PlayStation Camera, two Move controllers, and PlayStation VR Worlds.

“If you have a PS4 and are simply curious about VR, I’d hold out until more titles are released. While there are a handful of fun titles, there’s nothing that I’ve played at launch so far to indicate to me that the PSVR is a must-buy right now. For everyone else, I’d recommend saving up for a better reality.”

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Nintendo won’t officially announce more key details about the Switch system until January 2017, but now president Tatsumi Kimishima has offered a high-level take on two key areas: price and launch lineup.

In terms of pricing, Kimishima said during an earnings briefing that the console will be priced in line with what you’d expect from a Nintendo console. However, given that the Switch is something of a new idea in game–it’s a console/mobile hybrid–it’s not so easy to compare to any past Nintendo system.

“Regarding the price, as we have been saying, we are, in principle, not planning to sell it at a loss,” Kimishima said. “We would like a wide variety of consumers to enjoy Nintendo products, and we would also like to think in terms of consumers’ expectations for our products.”

The Wii started at $250, while the Wii U debuted at $300. You can find out what GameSpot editors think the Switch will be priced at here in this Q&A feature.

In terms of game support, Nintendo’s only confirmed Switch game is The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, though teasers for new or updated versions of Mario Kart 8 and Splatoon were shown during the Switch’s announcement video. There was also a mysterious 3D Mario game on display in the video. Nintendo cautioned that the announcement trailer only showed “short glimpses of representative gameplay to demonstrate the liberating nature of the Nintendo Switch home gaming system.”

As for third-party support, videos for Skyrim and an NBA 2K game were shown during the Switch’s announcement trailer, but these games are not officially confirmed for the console. Ubisoft is bringing at least Just Dance 2017 to the Switch, while dozens of third-party developers have signed up to support the console, including Activision, Electronic Arts, Warner Bros., Square Enix, Konami, and Capcom.

In the earnings briefing, Kimishima said third-party support for Switch has been strong because the studios “realize that Nintendo Switch offers a chance to create new and exciting surprises which are not possible with existing gaming devices.” Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot said previously that Switch could “redefine” gaming.

Also during the presentation, Kimishima was asked if the initial launch lineup for Switch will be aimed at hardcore gamers. He didn’t outright answer this question, but claimed Switch will be “embraced by a variety of different people across many different age demographics.”

Nintendo will officially announce the Switch’s price, launch lineup, and specs on January 12 during an online presentation. The company has said not to expect any major news about the console until then.

In terms of sales projections, Nintendo expects to ship 2 million Switch consoles during its launch month of March 2017.

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Following last week’s Monster Hunter-themed Nintendo Direct briefing, the company has now confirmed a presentation focused on Animal Crossing is coming this week.

The event, which will offer updates on Animal Crossing: New Leaf, is slated for Wednesday, November 2, at 7 AM PT / 10 AM ET / 2 PM UK time.

Specifically, this Nintendo Direct briefing will focus on the upcoming “Welcome Amiibo” update for New Leaf. As announced previously, New Leaf will add Amiibo support in December.

Amiibo support for New Leaf was announced in July. When the update comes out, you can tap compatible Amiibo figures and cards on your 3DS, which will then bring that specific villager to your town. Check out some screenshots and every compatible Amiibo in the gallery above.

Separately, it’s been confirmed that the Japanese steam will include details on Miitopia, a game announced during a Nintendo Direct Japanese briefing earlier this year. Don’t expect any news about the Animal Crossing smartphone game or Nintendo Switch, however, according to Gematsu.

In October, Nintendo announced that Amiibo sales slid to 3.8 million units for the figure version and 1.7 million for the card-type. Nintendo said the downturn in sales was partially attributable to few games supporting them.

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Sony today reported earnings for the three-month quarter ended September 30, announcing it shipped 3.9 million PlayStation 4 consoles during the July-September quarter.

That’s down from 4 million PS4 consoles shipped during the same period last year. With the 3.9 million new consoles shipped, the PS4 has now shipped 47.4 million systems worldwide as of September 30. As announced previously, Sony expects to ship 20 million PS4 systems during its current fiscal year, bringing the console’s lifetime shipment tally to 60 million by March 2017.

Sony’s Game & Network Services division overall saw its sales slide 11.3 percent to ¥319.9 billion ($3.2 billion). The decrease, which Sony labeled as being “significant” was mainly attributed to a difficult foreign exchange rate and PS4 price drops. PS4 game sales partially offset the downturn, Sony said.

Operating income for Sony’s Game & Network Services division fell to ¥14.9 billion ($188 million). Again, this decrease was attributed mainly to the PS4 price drops as well as lower PlayStation 3 sales. Partially offsetting the decrease were PS4 hardware cost reductions and the aforementioned increased game sales.

On a wider angle, Sony Corporation overall saw its sales for the quarter fall by 10.8 percent to ¥1.7 trillion yen ($16.7 billion), a downturn that it attributed “mainly” to the impact of foreign exchange rates. Operating income dropped as well, coming in at ¥45.7 billion ($453 million).

The next gaming product launch for Sony is the PlayStation 4 Pro, which goes on sale on November 10, priced at $400. GameSpot received a unit this week and we’ll have lots more coverage in the days ahead.

Microsoft’s Xbox One has been the best-selling console in the United States for three straight months, running July through September. October’s numbers will come in later this month.

For more on how other gaming companies are doing from a business perspective, check out GameSpot’s reports on the latest earnings below. Electronic Arts report earnings later today, November 1, while Sega, Take-Two, Activision, and Ubisoft are scheduled to do so later this week.

• Nintendo
• Konami
• Capcom

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James Cameron’s 2009 sci-fi blockbuster Avatar made pioneering use of 3D, and the director wants to take the technology even further with its sequels. Cameron has revealed that he hopes to release the follow-up movies in glasses-free 3D.

The director was recently given honorary membership of the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers, and at the ceremony spoke about his intentions to advance the technology he uses for the Avatar sequels even further.

“I’m going to push,” Cameron said, via Indiewire. “Not only for better tools, workflow, high dynamic range and high frame rates–the things we are working toward. I’m still very bullish on 3D, but we need brighter projection, and ultimately I think it can happen–with no glasses. We’ll get there.”

Cameron has promised no fewer than four more Avatar movies. The first is currently scheduled for a 2018 release, but in September the director admitted that this date could change. “We haven’t moved that target yet, but we will if we need to,” he told Variety.

“The important thing for me is not when the first one comes out but the cadence of the release pattern. I want them to be released as close together as possible. If it’s an annual appointment to show up at Christmas, I want to make sure that we’re able to fulfill on that promise.”

Cameron also gave a hint as to what the sequels might be about. “The storyline in the sequels really follows Jake and Neytiri and their children,” he revealed. “It’s more of a family saga about the struggle with the humans.”

The first Avatar earned $2.7 billion worldwide, making it the most successful movie ever made in terms of box office earnings.

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The Flash has lost another director. Production on the DC superhero movie was due to begin early next year, but it has now been confirmed that Rick Famuyiwa has left the project.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Famuyiwa has quit over “creative differences” with Warner. The site reports that production is now unlikely to start in March 2017 as originally scheduled.

Famuyiwa was announced as director of The Flash in June this year, replacing Seth Grahame-Smith who exited a month earlier. At the time it was reported that the movie would retain the script that Grahame-Smith had written. Famuyiwa is best known for his acclaimed indie comedy Dope.

In a statement, Famuyiwa said: “When I was approached by Warner Bros and DC about the possibility of directing The Flash, I was excited about the opportunity to enter this amazing world of characters that I loved growing up, and still do to this day.

“While it’s disappointing that we couldn’t come together creatively on the project, I remain grateful for the opportunity. I will continue to look for opportunities to tell stories that speak to a fresh generational, topical, and multicultural point of view.”

The Flash will star Ezra Miller as Barry Allen, with Billy Crudup and Kiersey Clemons also cast. It is currently scheduled for a May 2018 release, but if the movie does move back in DC’s schedule, it is possible that Ben Affleck’s Batman film could take its place. Last week actor Jeremy Irons, who plays Bruce Wayne’s butler Alfred in DC’s movies, suggested that Affleck’s film could start production next summer.

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An image of Sombra, the new Overwatch character Blizzard is expected to reveal later this week, has appeared online. The art was found on the server for Blizzard’s official Overwatch merchandise store.

The image is signed by John Polidora, who is listed as a “Blizzard/Overwatch illustrator, concept artist, and character designer” on ArtStation. Although it has since been removed, the image has been reposted on Imgur (via Reddit).

Sombra is shown standing on the hand of giant Omnic, with threads of energy linking her hands to the fingers of the Omnic. This suggests she is exerting some sort of control over the giant robot, which could translate to gameplay in interesting ways.

Although Blizzard hasn’t officially detailed Sombra yet, fans have speculated she’ll be a hacker and advanced tech user, based on the in-game teases and various teaser websites that Blizzard has created. It’s still unclear which class grouping she’ll fit into.

The pose she’s striking in the image is similar to the one depicted in a previous leak (below), which was featured in the same document that also correctly detailed the Overwatch Halloween event.

Blizzard is expected to show off new Overwatch content during BlizzCon 2016, which kicks off on November 1. There’s also a chance that something new could be revealed today to coincide with the Dia de los Muertos Festival, which ties into Sombra’s Mexican origin.

On October 28, a post on the Overwatch blog mentioned Los Muertos, a fictional gang in the Overwatch universe, is “organizing a protest to coincide with LumériCo’s unveiling of the Dorado nuclear plant on November 1st,” which could be hinting at a map.

BlizzCon is completely sold out, but you can watch the event by purchasing a BlizzCon virtual ticket for $40. In addition to the press conferences and announcements, you’ll also get to watch “Weird Al” Yankovic perform from the comfort of your home.

In related Blizzard news, 2016 also happens to be the 20th anniversary of the Diablo franchise. There is a lot of discussion about the possibility of Diablo 4, but this is just a rumor for now.

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