Category: Video Games

PlayStation Reverses Course on Helldivers 2 PSN Account Requirement

PlayStation has reversed course on the Helldivers 2 PSN account requirement, walking back the unpopular policy after a weekend long backlash that included tens of thousands of negative reviews, some of which spread to Sony’s other Steam games.

“Helldivers fans — we’ve heard your feedback on the Helldivers 2 account linking update. The May 6 update, which would have required Steam and PlayStation Network account linking for new players and for current players beginning May 30, will not be moving forward,” PlayStation wrote on its official account.

“We’re still learning what is best for PC players and your feedback has been invaluable. Thanks again for your continued support of Helldivers 2 and we’ll keep you updated on future plans.”

PlayStation’s decision means that Helldivers 2 players on Steam won’t have to link a PSN account in order to play. The unpopular policy, which would have seen new players confronted with a mandatory login beginning this week, resulted in Helldivers 2 being delisted in around 177 countries. At one point, Arrowhead CEO Johan Pilestedt, clearly frustrated over the controversy, posted, “Waking up to the sunshine of yesterday replaced with a dreary drizzle and shivering winds makes me reflect on how I spent my time those rare few moments when all was perfect.”

Pilestedt said Sunday that Arrowhead was “talking solutions” with PlayStation, which apparently led to the decision to not move forward with the policy. Pilestedt also shed more light on the decision-making behind the scenes, admitting that it was his decision to disable account linking at launch so that players could play the game.

“I did not ensure players were aware of the requirement and we didn’t talk about it enough,” he wrote, saying that he was “not blameless” in the countroversy. “We knew for about 6 months before launch that it would be mandatory for online PS titles.”

As he has been throughout Helldivers 2’s release, Pilestedt was a vocal presence on social media, at various points apologizing to fans and say he “just wants to make a good game.” Helldivers 2’s recent reviews on Steam currently sit at “Overwhelmingly Negative,” dropping it to Mixed overall after a wave of review bombing that included more than 200,000 negative reviews.

Following PlayStation’s announcement, fans expressed hope that future games would not include the requirement. Others urged players to not take out their anger on Arrowhead.

“They ended up in the crossfire for this and it wasn’t fair to them as they were doing what they were contractually obligated to do,” one fan wrote.

PlayStation’s decision means that the focus can begin to return to the game itself, which up until now has been one of the most popular games of 2024 thanks to its unique approach to live service storytelling. Its breakthrough success has led to it selling an estimated 8 million units as of March 2024.

Kat Bailey is IGN’s News Director as well as co-host of Nintendo Voice Chat. Have a tip? Send her a DM at @the_katbot.

New Limited-Time Pokémon Scarlet And Violet Distribution Now Available

Get it while you can.

The Pokémon Company is currently running a new limited-time distribution for the latest Switch titles Scarlet and Violet.

This time it’s a special Gift Distribution for a Flutter Mane based on a Pokémon used in last year’s Korean Trainers Cup stream. It will be available until 7th May 2024. Here are the details courtesy of Serebii.net, along with the code:

Read the full article on nintendolife.com

Helldivers 2 Pulled From 177 Countries Due to PSN Linking Requirement, Arrowhead ‘Talking Solutions’

As Helldiver 2’s reviews continue to collapse on Steam, Arrowhead’s best-selling action game has been pulled from around 177 countries in the wake of the new PSN account linking requirement that has turned its fanbase upside down.

Egypt, Georgia, Jamaica, and Morocco are some of the notable countries where Helldivers 2 can no longer be purchased due PSN not being available, sparking confusion among fans. Japan is also among the countries listed, but according to SteamDB it has a separate package and is still available, though users can’t buy the “global version.”

In the meantime, Helldivers 2’s recent reviews on Steam are now “Overwhelmingly Negative” amid continued review bombing by fans. On Friday, Arrowhead CEO Johan Pilstedt apologized for the requirement in a statement posted to X/Twitter, writing, “Ouch, right in the review score. Well, I guess it’s warranted. Sorry everyone for how this all transpired. I hope we will make it up and regain the trust by providing a continued great game experience. I just want to make great games!”

The controversy kicked off on Friday when Sony Interactive Entertainment announced that the “grace period” in which Helldivers 2 did not need to be connected to a PSN account was ending. Starting May 6, all new Helldivers 2 players on Steam will be required to connect their Steam account to PSN. Existing Steam players will begin seeing a mandatory login on May 30.

The requirement has sparked a massive online backlash against SIE that has continued throughout the weekend.

“What a clusterf*ck,” wrote independent developer Rami Ismail on X/Twitter. “For all my criticism of Steam — its incredible that they’re choosing to take the hit for Sony’s nonsense to ensure nobody ends up with a unusable game because of Playstation’s super limited accessibility globally. Absolutely terrible decision-making by Sony.”

PlayStation has yet to respond to the account linking controversy.

Arrowhead is “talking solutions” with PlayStation

Up until Friday, Helldivers 2 was a notable win for SIE, earning Game of the Year notice for its excellent community engagement. It’s been one of the best-selling games of 2024 to this point, with an estimated 8 million copies sold as of March 2024. Now its future may be in doubt as fans abruptly turn on the sensationally popular game.

Amid the anger, Pilestedt said that Arrowhead is working on a solution, but that the studio doesn’t have the final say.

“Is this the moment to tweet ‘What? You guys don’t have phones?'” Pilestedt asked on X/Twitter, referencing Diablo Immortal’s infamous reveal. “On serious note: We are talking solutions with PlayStation, especially for non-PSN countries. Your voice has been heard, and I am doing everything I can to speak for the community — but I don’t have the final say.”

The Arrowhead CEO, who has been actively engaging with fans since Helldivers 2’s launch, has been morose and even a bit poetic since the controversy began. “Waking up to the sunshine of yesterday replaced with a dreary drizzle and shivering winds makes me reflect on how I spent my time those rare few moments when all was perfect.”

“Yet rain is essential to growth and is what changes spring into summer. I will just have to wait for sunshine to return.”

Kat Bailey is IGN’s News Director as well as co-host of Nintendo Voice Chat. Have a tip? Send her a DM at @the_katbot.

What’s on your bookshelf?: Borderlands, Life Is Strange, and Horizon Zero Dawn actor Ashly Burch

Hello reader who is also a reader, and welcome to Booked For The Week – our new Sunday feature where we ask a selection of cool industry folks questions about books! The very first book was famously written in the 1200’s by notable scholar and six-time wrestling world champion Booker T, a fact you’d know if you simply read more books. This week, it’s voice of Horizon Zero Dawn’s Aloy and many others, writer, singer, and endless other cool stuff, Ashly Burch! Cheers Ashly! Mind if we have a nose at your bookshelf?

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PS5 Pro: Everything We Know About PlayStation’s Next Console

Even though the PlayStation 5 Slim launch is still fairly close in the rearview mirror, many are already wondering about a potential PlayStation 5 Pro. It makes sense – platform holders like Sony have a history of releasing souped-up revisions of their flagship consoles to provide new visual and quality-of-life improvements in the middle of console generations.

Sony has not officially confirmed any details about a rumored ‘Pro’ version of the PS5. Nevertheless, we’re collecting all of the information and reporting we can find on this anticipated upgrade to keep you in the loop until an official announcement is made.

Potential PS5 Pro Release Window

In February 2024, analysts reported to CNBC that they anticipate Sony will release a ‘Pro’ variant of the PS5 in the latter half of 2024. Elsewhere, Insider Gaming has also reported that the PS5 Pro is “aiming for a tentative holiday 2024 release.” Unfortunately, there’s been no official word from Sony on this front, so it’s hard to say whether the alleged console variant will surface later this year.

A late 2024 release window for the PS5 Pro would come ahead of the planned 2025 launch of Grand Theft Auto 6, easily one of the most anticipated console games on the horizon. If the first trailer is anything to go off, GTA 6 looks like a graphically intense AAA blockbuster that would likely benefit from the upgraded hardware a ‘Pro’ PS5 could offer.

Considering the PS4 Pro launched in the latter days of the previous-gen console, it’s fair to assume the Pro model of the PS5 could follow suit. In February 2024, Bloomberg reported on Sony’s fiscal plans, quoting the brand’s senior vice president, Naomi Matsuoka. In the article, Matsuoka said, ‘Looking ahead, PS5 will enter the latter stage of its life cycle. As such, we will put more emphasis on the balance between profitability and sales. For this reason, we expect the annual sales pace of PS5 hardware will start falling from the next fiscal year.’ which runs from April 2024 to April 2025.

After years of PS5 shortages, 2023 and 2024 saw the console resume regular stocking and availability across much of the world—a relief to parents everywhere. Considering the PS6 is likely still a few years off, it would also be a fortuitous time for a new and improved PS5 to drop. It’s best not to take this information as gospel without a press release from Sony, though.

PS5 Pro Price & Models

Sony’s most recent console revision, the PlayStation 5 Slim, launched in December 2023. Like the PlayStation 5, it has a digital and disc version, with the digital version shipping at a lower price. While models haven’t been confirmed for the rumored PS5 Pro console, it wouldn’t be surprising if Sony repeated this pattern and released a digital and disc-based variant.

Without any official word about a new console revision, we can only speculate how Sony will price an upgraded variant of the PS5 at launch. Even so, the rumored ‘Pro’ tag may ensure a higher price point from the PS5 Slim model, especially if it is a more powerful piece of hardware.

Here are the prices for the PlayStation 5 Slim models for reference:

U.S.

  • PS5 Slim with disc drive – $500
  • PS5 Slim Digital Edition – $450

Europe

  • PS5 Slim with disc drive – €550
  • PS5 Slim Digital Edition – €450

U.K.

  • PS5 Slim with disc drive – £480
  • PS5 Slim Digital Edition – £390

Japan

  • PS5 Slim with disc drive – 66,980 JPY (includes tax)
  • PS5 Slim Digital Edition – 59,980 JPY (includes tax)

See our guide on where to buy a PS5 for purchasing options, or dive into the latest PlayStation deals today.

PS5 Pro Design – What Will the PS5 Pro Look Like?

Despite a lack of official statements, there’s been plenty of reporting about the specifications of the rumored PlayStation 5 Pro. Alongside providing a possible launch date for the console, the leak from Moore’s Law is Dead, initially reported on by Insider Gaming and further corroborated by The Verge, featured a list of specifications to unpack.

Sources told The Verge that developers are being asked to optimize their games for the new console and that improved raytracing is a significant focus for the alleged PlayStation 5 Pro. According to The Verge’s sources, developers who “provide significant enhancements” will be able to add the ‘Trinity Enhanced’ label to their games, a reference to the console’s reported codename, Trinity. The reported specifications suggest that the PlayStation 5 Pro will feature GPU and CPU upgrades, with GPU rendering “45 percent faster than standard PlayStation 5,” according to The Verge’s reporting. The PlayStation 5 Pro’s CPU will reportedly be the same as the standard model but feature a higher-frequency mode that will afford developers more power to play with, as well as benefiting from upgrades to system memory.

Finally, The Verge’s report mentions “PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution,” a new Sony technology that apparently functions similarly to Nvidia’s DLSS upscaling and image enhancement tech. When paired with an RTX graphics card, DLSS stabilizes frame rates and boosts fidelity in PC games, and PSSR reportedly seeks to provide the same sort of solution on the rumored console revision.

If you want to dig deeper into the specifics of these changes and what they might mean for upcoming PS5 games, check out our PS5 Pro breakdown here.

Aside from the reported internal specification upgrades, little has been said about the Playstation 5 Pro’s potential design and outer casing. Considering Sony has iterated but kept the original style with the PlayStation 5 Slim, it’s fair to say we may see a similar outer shell here, too – though only time will tell.

Feature: Nintendo Life eShop Selects & Readers’ Choice (April 2024)

Our picks for the best eShop games in April.

It’s that time — welcome back to our monthly eShop Selects feature! This time, we’re covering April — somehow, we’re already in May.

As mentioned last month, we’ve made another change to the piece. Now you’ll be voting for your favourite hidden gem for the current month within this piece, rather than separately. Phew. So much change!

Read the full article on nintendolife.com

Star Wars arrives in Fall Guys this week, alongside major changes to bean physics

I need to take all the opportunities to write about Fall Guys that I can get, given how much time I spend playing it with my son. This is a pretty good opportunity, too: a set of Star Wars skins are coming to the bean battle royale, as announced yesterday on May 4th, and they coincide with some major changes to Fall Guys’ platforming physics.

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Video: Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD For Switch Gets A New Trailer

Spooky surprise.

Next month, Nintendo is reviving the 3DS title Luigi’s Mansion 2 on the Nintendo Switch. In the lead up to Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD, it’s now uploaded a new trailer for the game titled ‘Rude Awakening’.

In this “visually enhanced” adventure for the Siwtch, Professor E.Gadd calls on Luigi after the Dark Moon is shattered:

Read the full article on nintendolife.com