Category: IGN

Since its release almost 10 years ago, The Sims 4 has been essentially free of timed content, with expansion packs and free additions being obtainable at any point after release. However, that’s changing in a new update that brings a battle pass-style feature to the game’s main menu, and fans aren’t happy.

Today, EA revealed its plan for Events in a blog post, describing each event as a “limited time experience, centered around a fun theme, with free rewards or gameplay that adds new opportunities to your game.”

Come for the vending machine, leave with a brand-new trait! 🤩

Events are here in The Sims 4 as limited time experiences with free rewards that adds new opportunities to your game. ✨

Discover more: https://t.co/RepxRYq9xn pic.twitter.com/fZZqynBeIm

— The Sims (@TheSims) May 30, 2024

Each Event is free and offers 8 rewards over the course of 4 weeks, with new rewards being made available each week. This format requires players to launch the game on at least different 8 days to claim every reward.

The first event, titled The Sims 4 Happy at Home Login Event, will become available for all players by June 13 and introduces several furniture items, a few new Sim accessories, and, most notably, a vending machine and a new trait called Practice Makes Perfect.

The blog post clarifies that each event will end in an extra week where players can claim rewards they missed. Still, claiming each reward requires extra commitment, and fans haven’t been happy about it, with many taking to Twitter/X to share their disappointment.

TIMED EVENTS IN THE SIMS 4???

fuck off. no. ur turning this game into a mobile game, this is NOT what we wanted. listen, i hate when people say this, but WHO TF ASKED FOR THIS??? fuck all the way off with this bullshit.

(pics from simscommunity) pic.twitter.com/rnY9c3pqLu

— OakieDokie (@OakSimStudios) May 28, 2024

This isn’t it. Players log into games often when they offer engaging GAMEPLAY. The Sims used to do well with 2 EPs a year- they that kept players busy for months. Lately packs can’t hold simmers attentions for 2 days before they start asking for the next one. see the issue? pic.twitter.com/NGYpN4A4sK

— 🏳️‍🌈AnotherPlumbob🏳️‍🌈 (@AnotherPlumbob) May 30, 2024

Other players, including some responding to a post on Reddit, complained about the game’s ongoing bugginess seemingly being ignored to focus on Events. Others speculated that EA was setting up microtransactions for Project Rene.

“It’s clear that this is the way EA are wanting to take the franchise. It’s a shame that EA, a multi-billion dollar company, feels the need to create multiple broken DLC for a high price then think ‘nah, we can still make more money,'” a user wrote. “We deserve better than re-colored items from other packs just so the data shows that player numbers are going up. I wish we were given genuine, original free content or better yet, focus on fixing the damn game instead of modders doing it. Things aren’t looking good for the future of the Sims franchise.”

EA previously confirmed that Project Rene, which most fans are calling The Sims 5, will be free-to-play when it’s eventually released.

We gave The Sims 4 a 7.5 in our original review, calling it “a good start to what may eventually be expanded into a great Sims game.” Since then, it’s received a notable number of expansions and smaller patches, the most recent of which have added vitiligo, sexual orientation, and pronoun options for Sims.

Amelia Zollner is a freelance writer at IGN who loves all things indie and Nintendo. Outside of IGN, they’ve contributed to sites like Polygon and Rock Paper Shotgun, and they’re currently developing a game called Garage Sale. Find them on Twitter: @ameliazollner.

Redfall’s final update, which was announced following Microsoft’s closure of developer Arkane Austin, is here, adding a myriad of quality-of-life overhauls to the game, such as an offline mode, DLSS3, and single-player pausing.

The details of Redfall Game Update 4 were unveiled in a Bethesda blog post today, including a ranking system called Community Standing, which is among the new features in the game’s Neighborhood system. Community Standing, as the blog post describes, is a rank-based reputation that rewards players with unique permanent buffs upon completing a Safehouse mission, rescuing civilians, and defeating an Underboss.

It isn’t hard to see why the tabletop community appears so enamored by Azul. The colorful tile-drafting game is simple enough to pick up in a round or two, but the strategy at higher levels can get relatively deep. Because Azul is so approachable, it is widely considered to be one of the best family board games available. That said, the addictive gameplay and wealth of different versions have also made Azul a favorite among serious hobbyists.

Outside of the satisfying-feeling tiles and the easy-to-pick-up gameplay, the magic of Azul is that it scales incredibly well. Many games, while claiming to accommodate a range of competitors, don’t play as well with some player counts as others. On the other hand, while we picked Azul as one of the best board games for three players, it’s just as good with two or four people.

Later iterations of Azul have introduced wildly different rulesets, further deepening the experience. Each version doesn’t play like a simple adaption, however. Sure, the various entries all ask players to draft beautifully crafted tiles and place them on a board, but these packages are often so varied that owning multiple versions actually makes sense for more than just the hardcore Azul fanatic. All the various titles and expansions might be a bit confusing at first, but it helps to know that there isn’t a bad option in the bunch. That said, for most people, it probably makes the most sense to begin with the title that started it all.

The Games

Azul

MSRP: $44.99 USD

• Age: 8+
• Players: 2-4
• Play Time: 30-45 mins

Azul asks players to draft tiles and place them in designated spots on their boards. The goal is to complete columns, rows, and colors, all of which award a set amount of points. Of course, the player with the most points at the end of the game wins. However, strategic players will want to block their opponent from completing their respective board, meaning Azul is a game about both offense and defense. This balance is part of what makes Azul great, and the ability to eye multiple boards is what separates novice players from skilled ones. Like any great strategy game, it’s about being one step ahead of the competition.

Azul scored high in our review and won several Board Game of the Year awards thanks to its simple yet elegant gameplay. The beautifully crafted tiles both look phenomenal and feel great in the hand. As this is the most basic iteration of Azul, it’s the recommended place for most players to start. Don’t let its simplicity fool you, however. Two-player matches can get quite cutthroat, as much of the game revolves around blocking opponents from selecting the tiles they need to complete their boards. Still, if you’re looking for something more complex, the next few titles in the franchise offer wrinkles that add a bit of depth to the core gameplay.

Azul: Stained Glass of Sintra

MSRP: $44.99 USD

• Age: 8+
• Players: 2-4
• Play Time: 30-45 mins

While there are no bad Azul games, Stained Glass of Sintra is about as divisive a title as the series has. Azul fans who aren’t as hot on Stained Glass of Sintra are generally still positive about it, but, understandably, players were a bit taken aback by this entry as it is quite the departure from the original. Sure, players are still tasked with drafting colorful tiles and playing them on their board, but tile placement works much differently in Stained Glass of Sintra.

Rather than trying to complete columns and rows, the follow-up focuses more heavily on vertical gameplay. Additionally, a meeple is introduced to the series (but never seen again afterward) which moves players from one stained glass board to the next. Players familiar with Azul will undoubtedly catch on rather quickly, but these new mechanics do add some complexity to the original gameplay. For those looking for something slightly deeper than Azul, Stained Glass of Sintra is certainly worth checking out, as are the next couple of entries on this list. Additionally, this is an easy recommendation for players who already have Azul and are looking for something a bit different that still manages to scratch the same itch. But again, maybe check out the next couple of entries first.

Azul: Summer Pavillion

MSRP: $44.99 USD

• Age: 8+
• Players: 2-4
• Play Time: 30-45 mins

Like Stained Glass of Sintra, Azul: Summer Pavilion maintains the same tile drafting system as the original game but differentiates itself in the placement phase. The biggest change to gameplay with Summer Pavilion is the introduction of the wild card tile. Each round a new color is selected to be the wild card, meaning it can be used in place of any tile in the game.

Like the earlier entries in the series, Summer Pavilion maintains its tense drafting phase that requires players to think about future turns and predict the moves of their opponents, but the wild card adds a fun and meaningful twist to the formula. The new board also offers even more room to score bonus points, making Summer Pavilion somewhat deeper than the previous two entries. Not to sound like a broken record, but many will want to grab the original Azul first and later graduate to a title like Summer Pavilion. However, the wild card element and the deeper scoring system might be enough to persuade first-time buyers looking for something more advanced. If that’s you, then Summer Pavilion is an excellent place to start.

Azul: Queen’s Garden

MSRP: $44.99 USD

• Age: 10+
• Players: 2-4
• Play Time: 30-45 mins

Azul: Queen’s Garden is easily the farthest departure from the original title. Both the tile drafting and placement phases are quite different, albeit still somewhat reminiscent of Azul. However, Queen’s Garden makes a substantial leap in complexity thanks to tiles that vary in color and design. Additionally, not only are players drafting tiles, but they are also drafting expansions to their board. These board expansions also need to share a type or a color with the adjacent tile, adding another wrinkle to the player’s strategy.

Despite differing so drastically from earlier iterations of Azul, Queen’s Garden is still an excellent title. In fact, many players enjoy it because of its deeper gameplay. Again, newer players will likely want to start with the original Azul before trying out one of the later entries, but, in this case, liking one isn’t necessarily an indicator of enjoying the other as they are so different. This is certainly the most difficult title in the series, with Summer Pavilion being a good middle ground between it and the original.

Azul: Master Chocolatier

MSRP: $44.99 USD

• Age: 8+
• Players: 2-4
• Play Time: 30-45 mins

Azul: Master Chocolatier is more or less a reskin of the original game, but with a chocolatey theme. Master Chocolatier does add an Advanced Mode that introduces a slight tweak to the drafting process thanks to various symbols on the reverse side of the mats that can affect scoring or tile placement. If played on the standard side, however, the gameplay remains the same. The only other difference between Master Chocolatier and the original is the design of the boards and the tiles.

The introduction of the Advanced Mode makes this an intriguing option over the original version simply because there is some additional variability. Other than that, it’s recommended that players choose the design and theme that most appeals to them.

The Expansions

Azul: Crystal Mozaic

MSRP: $14.99 USD

Components (REQUIRES AZUL)

• 4 new double-sided player boards
• Plastic overlays to keep tiles in place

Crystal Mozaic is a relatively small and inexpensive expansion to Azul. The big change comes in the form of the new player boards that alter the tile placement process. Scoring is slightly different, lowering some penalties for unused tiles and adding new bonuses for various placements.

At its core, this is still Azul, but Crystal Mozaic adds variability for those who have played the original game countless times and are looking for something slightly different. It’s not a game-changer by any means, but it may offer more replayability to your existing copy of Azul.

Azul: Glazed Pavilion

MSRP: $14.99 USD

Components (REQUIRES AZUL: SUMMER PAVILION)

• 4 new double-sided player boards
• 1 new double-sided central board
• Plastic overlays to keep tiles in place

Glazed Pavilion essentially does for Summer Pavilion what Crystal Mozaic does for the original Azul. The new double-sided player boards offer different scoring options that vary slightly from Summer Pavilion.

Like Crystal Mozaic, Glazed Pavilion is recommended for players who have run their copy of Summer Pavilion into the ground and are looking for a new way to experience an old favorite. It’s not an exceptionally exciting change, but it’s a relatively inexpensive option to add more replayability to a great game.

Other Versions

Azul Mini

Azul Mini is exactly what it sounds like; it’s just Azul but at a fraction of the size. Azul Mini is ideal for anyone running out of space on their bookshelf or in their closet but still wants to own one of the best family games in recent years. Not to mention, this version is great for traveling. Just don’t misplace the smaller components.

5211: Azul Edition

MSRP: $12.99 USD

• Age: 8+
• Players: 2-5
• Play Time: 20 mins

5211: Azul Edition isn’t an Azul title at all, but rather, a reskinned version of the 5211 card game. 5211 is a pretty simple and quick-playing game where players draw five cards, and each round has them playing two cards, one card, and then one again. (See what they did there?) After identifying the majority color on the table at the end of each round, players take back their cards of that color to tally up at the end of the game for points. There are some fun twists baked in as well. For example, too many cards of the same color on the table can lead to a bust, and the next most popular color cards are taken.

There are five different colors of cards in 5211, but in the Azul Edition, those colors are replaced by five tile designs inspired by the aesthetic of the original Azul. That’s really the only difference. It’s a smart tactic from publisher Next Move Games as Azul is one of the most popular titles in the medium. Despite its lack of similarities, however, fans of Azul may still enjoy 5211 as it is yet another simple-to-learn game with layers of strategy.

Azul: Digital

There’s nothing like getting a group of friends or family members around a table to enjoy a fun game, but when that isn’t an option, playing online is often a solid way to go. Along with hundreds of other titles, Azul is available to play on Board Game Arena with a Premium Membership. Board Game Arena does offer many free titles, but games like Azul, Wingspan, Ark Nova, Terraforming Mars, CATAN, Ticket to Ride, and hundreds of others are available to play online for just $3.00 per month, billed at $36.00 yearly.

Bottom Line

Azul is such a versatile game that it fits well in virtually any collection. The Azul series has progressively moved further and further away from the simple gameplay mechanics that made the title famous, but it has still managed to maintain a cohesive look and feel throughout. For most players, the first entry is an excellent place to start with multiple options to level up to afterward. Queen’s Garden offers something for hardcore strategists while Summer Pavilion lies somewhere in between. Of course, many of these titles can be purchased well under the stated MSRP at retailers like Amazon, Target, and Walmart. To potentially score the best price, make sure to follow our board game deals coverage which is constantly updated with the latest sales.

For some great tabletop recommendations, see our collections of the best four-player board games in addition to our picks for the best two-player board games.

Amazon is offering the Jackery Explorer 100 31,000mAh Power Bank for $109 after you clip the $20 off coupon on the product page. This is the largest capacity power bank we’ve seen that’s TSA carry-on eligible. It also uses superior LiFePO4 battery cells, can charge up to 3 devices simultaneously, and boasts up to 100W charging output via USB Type-C.

Jackery Explorer 100 31,000mAh Power Bank for $109

At first glance the Jackery Explorer 100 looks like one of those large power stations you might use as a backup battery for your home. But actually, this thing is pretty small, small enough to fit on the palm of your hand. It measures only 5″x3.4″x3.4″ and weighs about 2 pounds. This is a 99Whr power bank, which means it just barely squeezes its way under TSA’s sub-100Whr requirement. With a 31,000mAh total capacity, this is definitely the largest TSA carry-on eligible power bank we’ve posted on IGN.

Unlike most smaller power banks which use lithium-ion cells, the Jackery Explorer 100 uses LiFePO4 cells. They’re usually more expensive and also a bit heavier, but in exchange you get inherently safer battery chemistry and a much longer lifespan, both in terms of number of cycles and calendar aging.

The Jackery Explorer 100 has three outputs: two USB Type-C with PPS and Power Delivery up to 100W total, and a USB Type-A with 28W of charging for a total of 128W. The Steam Deck supports up to 45W max charging, the ASUS ROG Ally up to 65W, and the Nintendo Switch up to 18W. That means ou can charge a Steam Deck, ASUS ROG Ally, or Nintendo Switch at its maximum charging speed. In fact, you could almost charge all three at their maximum charging rate simultaneously.

Jackery is a well known brand that’s based out of Fremont, California. They’re very reliable and are often a great alternative to the juggernaut Chinese companies like Ecoflow and Bluetti. This power bank is UL 94V-0 certified and includes a 2 year warranty.

For more options, check out our favorite power banks for 2024.

Hogwarts Legacy developer Avalanche Software has announced its summer update brings photo mode, a Hogsmeade quest, and more to the game on June 6.

In a post on X/Twitter, below, Avalanche shared a look at what players can expext in the update, with those on Xbox Series X and S, Nintendo Switch, and PC getting the most out of it as the currently PlayStation exclusive Haunted Hogsmeade quest becomes playable for all.

Photo mode is another major addition, with Avalanche showing off a wealth of different options digital photographers will have. A major quality of life feature arrives too, as players will be able to reset their Talent Points when the update is made available.

No Revelio needed here! We’re sharing all of the details around our upcoming summer update. Get ready to dive back into the magic of #HogwartsLegacy on June 6th! pic.twitter.com/85SkKQK8ii

— Hogwarts Legacy (@HogwartsLegacy) May 30, 2024

It otherwise includes some additional cosmetic items, such as The Glasses That Lived (eyewear inspired by big Harry himself), the Azkaban Prisoner’s outfit and coat, the Felix Felicis potion recipe, Lavender Borealis Broom, and an Onyx Hippogriff Mount.

Community manager Chandler Wood previously took to social media to tell fans to “set expectations” for the update, which many hoped would be more akin to an expansion with a wealth of new content instead of just an additional collection of useful features and fun items.

Hogwarts Legacy was the bestselling game in the U.S. in 2023 and sold 22 million copies worldwide. Its success has been mixed with controversy due to its connection to Harry Potter creator J.K. Rowling though, who has been outspoken in her anti-transgender views.

In our 9/10 review, IGN said: “In almost every way, Hogwarts Legacy is the Harry Potter role-playing game [we’ve] always wanted to play.”

Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelance reporter. He’ll talk about The Witcher all day.

Netflix has announced and released a short teaser trailer for a Minecraft animated series coming to the streaming service “soon”.

Announced during the 15th year anniversary celebration for the beloved survival sandbox game, the Minecraft animated series will feature an original story, new characters, and showcase the world of Minecraft in a new light.

WildBrain, the studio behind other Netflix shows such as Sonic Prime, Ninjago: Dragons Rising, and Carmen Sandiego, will create the CG-animated series.

The short teaser trailer, published on YouTube, doesn’t give much away but opens with the series’ most iconic mascot as a Creeper comes on screen before blowing up. The camera then moves through streams of lava in the Nether before emerging into a cave where the Netflix logo sits atop a rock, with sounds of other Minecraft beasties like spiders and zombies playing in the background.

“Netflix x Minecraft” then appears on screen, followed by “animated series” and “coming soon”. It’s unclear when this “soon” will be, but Netflix precedent indicates anywhere up to two years.

Minecraft arrived in 2009 but remains incredibly popular, with publisher Microsoft continuing to update it with new features and options like a Game Pass style subscription.

Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelance reporter. He’ll talk about The Witcher all day.

The protagonist of Dungeons of Hinterberg is at a crossroads in her life. Feeling burnt out by her big city job, Luisa travels to the easygoing town of Hinterberg, Austria, to check out the sights, cut loose in the social scene, and try her hand at monster slaying to score some sweet loot. Dungeons of Hinterberg is what you get when you combine the cozy vibes of a Persona-style social-sim RPG with the sprawling adventure of The Legend of Zelda – and all wrapped in a charming package that strikes a chord for those longing for a break.

In my extended preview of developer Microbird Games’ action- RPG, I got to play the early hours of this oddball yet delightfully charming dungeon crawler that tasks you with making the most of your monster-filled vacation in the Austrian Alps.

When a mysterious magical force has turned the town of Hinterberg and the surrounding mountains into an actual high-fantasy realm filled with mythical monsters and dungeons, the small community becomes a tourist hot spot for thrill seekers and social media influencers. WhenFollowing Luisa’s first crack at a dungeon run leads to an unexpected boss battle with the mythical Krampus, she resolves to stick with her vacation and learn the ropes of being an adventurer and citizen of Hinterberg.

As Luisa, you spend your “slaycation” in Hinterberg getting to know the quirky residents and exploring the surrounding magical zones outside of town. Within a daily schedule, you have to manage Luisa’s time while out and about across Hinterberg – which includes getting some quality “me-time” by checking out points of interest while deciding on which dungeons or overworld activities to dive into. Along the way, you’ll upgrade Luisa’s skills in combat and exploration to make her a more capable adventurer and uncover what led to magic forces seeping into the real world.

What immediately jumped out to me was Dungeons of Hinterberg’s gorgeous visual style. The vibrant colors and stylized characters all come together to give off a warm and exciting vibe to the adventure. It’s very much giving a comic book-style aesthetic, and coupled with the cozy vibes and generally exciting exploration, it’s a unique take on a dungeon crawler that’s all about making the most of your time and enjoying yourself while doing it.

An average day for Luisa starts with catching up with friends to learn about current events in town before spending her afternoon exploring the magical wilderness of Hinterberg, which includes mountainside plains, dense forests, and other bizarre locales infused with magic. To cap off her day of adventuring, Luisa spends her evening bonding with one of the many characters in town, such as the owner of a spell shop or an aloof pop-culture journalist not impressed by the magical city, to earn an upgrade or stat bonus. You can turn in for the night or stay up late to watch TV or read a book, but at the cost of lower health for the following day.

On the surface, this seems like a strict structure that can put some pressure on your activities, but in practice, it works as an engaging game loop that keeps me focused on what sort of threads I want to follow. Dungeons of Hinterberg keeps a mellow pace even when you can only do a limited number of daily activities. Moreover, you can revisit social threads and check out areas you may have missed in the following days.

And even though it’s a dungeon crawler RPG – which carries some expectation of tension and challenge – Hinterberg maintains that “vacation” vibe throughout, especially when taking on the meat of the experience with the exploration and combat. The starting zone of Doberkogel is an excellent onboarding that shows off the scope on offer, and the inherent quirkiness of seeing a modern community trying to embrace magic.

As you explore the zones, you’ll be able to fight monsters in engagements that feel inspired by both Nier Automata and The Legend of Zelda, with Luisa being able to dodge attacks, counter with follows, and whip out some powerful spells or combat moves to take out her foes. However, it can be easy to wander into some fights that you’re completely outmatched for. While I sometimes felt the slowed pace and somewhat dodgy camera in action added some unintended challenges, I was impressed by how varied the battle mechanics were, and seeing Luisa dish out some truly stunning moves was particularly satisfying.

Luisa’s versatility also comes into play during the titular dungeons. With 25 bespoke dungeons to explore, each presents unique puzzles and combat encounters that lean into the zone-specific magical spells you’ll need to master. Some of these encounters involve some Legend of Zelda-style thinking to resolve, such as using magical bombs to blow up groups of enemies or open passages. It was super fun to see how each dungeon and set piece event felt unique, leaning into particular skill sets to make it to the end.

Dungeons of Hinterberg leans into its quirky setting, especially the cast of characters — many are either annoyed by the increased attention the town has received or welcome the opportunities the notoriety brings. One of my favorite moments saw the Mayor of Hinterberg tout the community’s popularity by announcing the filming of a new streaming series in town and unveiling a monster slayer-themed statue, which the residents quickly dunk on for looking ridiculous.

What makes Dungeons of Hinterberg such a neat take on a dungeon crawler is that it not only shows a self-awareness of the type of game it is, but it uses that conceit to focus on building up Luisa and her friends within Hinterberg. Exploring the town is an enjoyable and intriguing activity, as the community has so much personality. I often walked around just to hear some of the quirky dialog and see the sights.

It’s such a fresh take on a dungeon crawler, and the experience of embracing new horizons in an unfamiliar yet still inviting setting and the friends you make along the way make this such a novel take on a familiar conceit. From my early hours, Dungeons of Hinterberg and its laid-back approach to an action RPG show some great promise, and it could end up being a pleasant surprise for those looking for a decidedly new type of dungeon crawler to dive into.

Newly appointed PlayStation CEOs Hideaki Nishino and Hermen Hulst have discussed the company’s perspective on live service games, PC releases, lay offs, and much more in their first presentation as co-leaders.

Nishino and Hulst opened Sony’s Game and Network Services Business Segment presentation by boasting “each PlayStation 5 sold generates over $700 U.S. of additional spend, which is significantly higher than the previous generation.”

Controlling Scope and Scale Without ‘Compromising on Quality’

To keep up a high level of game development Hulst said PlayStation is “increasing [its] use of external development teams, outsourcing partners, and co-development agreements with teams in lower-cost regions”. He then insisted this allows PlayStation to control the “scope and scale” of its games “without compromising on quality”.

AI is seemingly another way PlayStation is looking to achieve this. “We also see opportunities in AI to level up our own productivity and to enhance player experiences enabling us to better serve players and creators, create new experiences, and drive organization-wide efficiencies,” Nishino said.

“Research and experimentation in AI and machine learning is a focus for us,” Hulst added. “With work being done across a wide variety of our development tools and processes, we have a wealth of knowledge and experience forged from decades of gaming industry experience that will enable us to implement AI tools efficiently and impactfully.

“We have been realizing the benefits of AI in several areas, from assets creation to efficiency to accelerating coding to optimizing translation and localization processes, all while ensuring a responsible and ethical approach across the organization. We believe that AI holds great promise for the future of gaming, and we want to lead the industry in the adoption and implementation of this new technology.”

Helldivers 2 Paving the Way Forward for Sony’s Live Service

PlayStation is prioritizing a mix of tentpole single-player games alongside live service games, going forward, but will pull from the success of Helldivers 2 and launch all upcoming live service games on PC and PS5 simultaneously.

“We are bringing our titles to the PC platform and we have a dual approach here on the live service side,” Hulst said. “We are releasing our titles simultaneously, so day-and-date on PlayStation 5 and PC, but with our tentpole titles, our single-player narrative-driven titles that are, as you saw on the presentation, the backbone of what PlayStation Studios has delivered in recent years and in our history, we take a more strategic approach.

“We introduce our great franchises to new audiences, and we’re finding new audiences that are potentially going to be very interested in playing, for example, sequels on the PlayStation platform. We have high hopes that we’re actually able to bring new players into PlayStation at large and into PlayStation platforms specifically. Actually, the same goes for the work that we do with extending our great properties onto other media such as television series and film.”

Speaking of that focus on delivering games outside of just PlayStation consoles, Nishino believes, “rather than cannibalization,” this is an “opportunity for growth.” Hulst chimed in too: “We are looking to extend the reach of our franchises by our focus on multi-platform delivery. That enables us to continue to invest these substantial amounts into creating world-class franchises.”

Helldivers 2 is a prime example of this strategy, and, according to Hulst, it “highlights the strength of our live services efforts as well as the increased returns and reach we can realize by bringing our games to new formats and audiences beyond the PlayStation console.”

This strategy won’t be the same on all different platforms, however, as the team is taking a more “measured approach” when it comes to mobile instead of the more aggressive one on PC.

“PC is obviously more adjacent to the core of our development than mobile is,” Hulst said. “Nevertheless, we’re taking a strategic approach also in the sense of working with some of the leading companies in this space. We’re working with various partners such as NCSoft and we’re learning a lot from these collaborations, and let me conclude by saying that we’re very excited about upcoming title releases that we can communicate in the future.”

Industry Is in a ‘Very Good Place’ Despite Thousands of Job Losses

In response to a question about the layoffs that have impacted the whole video game industry, including PlayStation itself when it let go of 900 people in February 2024, Hulst insisted the industry is actually “in a very good place”.

“We’re always looking to optimize the resource allocation on an ongoing basis, but I think specifically what you’re referring to in recent months and quarters is probably a slight adjustment on the back of the windfall that the industry saw during the pandemic,” Hulst said.

“So, that might be reflective of that rather than impacting the long-term growth of the industry, which I believe in general is in a very good place, but I see this as an adjustment of the pandemic years.”

Alongside PlayStation job losses, Microsoft closed a number of Bethesda studios, including Redfall maker Arkane Austin, Hi-Fi Rush and The Evil Within developer Tango Gameworks, and more in devastating cuts at Bethesda earlier in May 2024.

Bungie

Elsewhere in the discussion, Hulst and Nishino discussed how Halo and Destiny developer Bungie is improving its business, despite several of its employees also being laid off by PlayStation in late 2023.

“Bungie’s network operations expertise has allowed us to optimize the performance of our upcoming live service titles, which is really great,” Hulst said.

“We expect to see the full integration of Bungie’s capabilities into our business operations by the end of this current fiscal year. We can’t disclose financials for individual studios in our portfolio that includes Bungie, but whilst we don’t expect a profit contribution from Bungie in Fiscal Year 24 on a standalone basis, that is obviously to do with the fact that they are working on a new IP that is yet to be released.

“It’s really important to state that we are already seeing returns on our investment in the form of process optimization and capability growth across SIE, particularly in live services. And that was always the goal behind the acquisition, that it has helped us to progress faster. It’s helped us with cost optimization, and then obviously with the upcoming releases of Destiny: The Final Shape and later with Marathon, we are going to see significant revenues coming in to SIE.”

The meeting also revealed the PS5 generation is PlayStation’s most profitable console to date and that Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 sales have swung all the way up to 11 million units since launch.

PlayStation’s big week continues today, May 30, as its gearing up to present its latest State of Play that will feature “14 PS5 and PS VR2 titles, including a look at PlayStation Studios titles arriving later this year.”

Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.

Adam Bankhurst is a writer for IGN. You can follow him on X/Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on TikTok.

The PlayStation 5 generation is officially the most profitable Sony console generation to date, according to new data shared by the company.

This comes from the company’s Game & Network Services Business Segment meeting slides and presentation, which were shared today following the company’s earnings report two weeks ago. In the presentation, Sony revealed that the PS5 generation has brought in $106 billion in sales since launch, outpacing every past console at the same point in its generation.

Stellar Blade, the third-person action game by developer Shift Up, was the best-selling video game in the U.S. in April 2024.

Mat Piscatella, executive director of video games at Circana, noted in the latest report that Stellar Blade was the only new release in April 2024 that ranked “among the month’s top 20 best-selling premium video games,” beating out other new releases in April, such as Sand Land and Another Crab’s Treasure. Additional games that made the top 20 best-selling games for April 2024 include Helldivers 2, Fallout 4, and Tekken 8.

Piscatella further elaborated on the April 2024 report, explaining in a post on X/Twitter that although it was a great achievement for Stellar Blade to rank first in U.S. sales last month, “it did have the lowest sales to lead” since April 2012 when Radical Entertainment’s action-adventure game Prototype 2 secured the number one spot.

More interestingly, Piscatella wrote on X/Twitter that PS5 sales were trending ahead of PS4 but deduced that 2023 might have been the PS5’s “peak year” for sales in the United States. In contrast, the PS5’s competition, the Xbox Series X/S consoles, is trailing Xbox One by 13 percent, and both systems remain “slightly behind” the Xbox 360 in terms of U.S. sales.

Lots of chatter on PS5 sales today… in the US through each platform’s 41st month in market (March 2024 for PS5), PS5 unit sales are trending 7% ahead of PS4, and 66% ahead of PS3.

It is likely that 2023 was PS5’s peak year in the US.

Source: Circana Retail Tracking Service.

— Mat Piscatella (@MatPiscatella) May 14, 2024

The number for the PS5 is interesting. It comes nearly two weeks after Sony’s statistics revealed that half of PlayStation players have yet to upgrade from a PS4 to a PS5 console.

Nevertheless, despite Sony and Microsoft’s respective growing pains in terms of hardware sales, both companies are gearing up for new hardware. In the case of Sony, its rumored PS5 Pro had its hardware specs leaked online in March, with a report last month claiming that Sony told developers to prepare their games for the new hardware.

Microsoft, on the other hand, already revealed it is working on a next-generation gaming console that touts will be the “largest technical leap” in a game console generation. However, before Microsoft released this next-generation Xbox system, a leak from last year revealed that the company plans to launch mid-cycle refreshes of the Xbox Series X and S sometime in 2024.

Taylor is a Reporter at IGN. You can follow her on Twitter @TayNixster.