Category: Video Games

Official PlayStation Podcast Episode 504: Celebrating 30 Years of PlayStation (Part 4)

Email us at PSPodcast@sony.com!

Subscribe via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or download here

Hey gang! This week, Final Fantasy creator Hironobu Sakaguchi stops by to discuss his latest game, Fantasian Neo Dimension. Plus, the PlayStation 30th anniversary celebration continues as the crew shares their favorite games on PS5 and PS VR2. Through the end of the year, we’ll continue featuring picks from listeners and developers (and Kristen will return to share her top PlayStation games from the past 30 years).

Stuff We Talked About

  • Next week’s release highlights:
    • Flint: Treasure of Oblivion| PS5
    • Alien: Rogue Incursion | PS VR2
  • Interview w/ Hironobu Sakaguchi (begins at 4:41)
  • Special listener and developer’s favorite PlayStation games segment
  • The podcast crew highlights their top games on PS5 and PS VR2 (discussion to be continued…)

The Cast

Sid Shuman – Senior Director of Content Communications, SIE

Tim Turi – Content Communications Manager, SIE

O’Dell Harmon Jr. – Content Communications Specialist, SIE

Thanks to Dormilón for our rad theme song and show music.

[Editor’s note: PSN game release dates are subject to change without notice. Game details are gathered from press releases from their individual publishers and/or ESRB rating descriptions.]

Get an Official Xbox Controller for Only $35: Matches the Best Xbox Controller Deal on Black Friday

Today, Lenovo is matching the lowest price I saw for an Xbox Series X|S wireless controller on Black Friday. Right now you can get one in either Carbon Black or Robot White for only $34.99 when you apply coupon code “SHOPXMAS“. These controllers are compatible with Xbox Series X and S and PC.

Xbox Controllers for $34.99

Aesthetics aside, these Xbox wireless controllers are identical to the one that’s bundled with the Xbox Series X and S console. Standard features include textured grips, hybrid D-pad, button mapping with the Xbox app, a 3.5mm audio jack that works with any wired headset, and a Share button to upload screenshots and video.

The controller supports both Xbox wireless and Bluetooth connectivity. That means you can use it for your PC or mobile device. In fact, we think this is the the best PC controller you can get. If your PC doesn’t have Bluetooth, you can still use it in wired mode with a USB Type-C cable or go out and buy a Bluetooth or Xbox wireless adapter.

3 Months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate for $28.99

On a related note, Woot! currently has an excellent deal on Xbox Game Pass: Get three months of Game Pass Ultimate, which usually costs $19.99 monthly, for only $28.99 after you apply coupon code “GAMEPASS“. This sale ends on December 13. Xbox Game Pass Ultimate gives you access to a library of hundreds of Xbox games, including day one releases. If you don’t own a console and don’t want to pay for one, there’s even a legitimate way to play Game Pass games without an Xbox. Although you do lose access to the library once your membership is over, all your past achievements and progress will be saved. New release games are not cheap, and being able to play them at launch without paying retail price for them will save you a lot of money. This perk alone will easily recoup the cost of the membership.

Other benefits include access to Xbox Game Pass for PC, exclusive membership discounts, Xbox Cloud Gaming, a bonus EA Play subscription, extra in-game content and rewards, and more.

Eric Song is the IGN commerce manager in charge of finding the best gaming and tech deals every day. When Eric isn’t hunting for deals for other people at work, he’s hunting for deals for himself during his free time.

‘Hyperdimension Neptunia’ & ‘Death End’ Switch Releases Scrapped For “Not Complying With Nintendo Guidelines”

Death end re;Quest: Code Z still on for PS5/4, though.

Idea Factory International has released a statement saying that a quartet of previously announced titles won’t be releasing for Switch in the West after all.

Hyperdimension Neptunia Re;Birth 1, Hyperdimension Neptunia Re;Birth 2 Sisters Generation, and Hyperdimension Neptunia Re;Birth3 V Generation had been lined up for release back in May, but were postponed. Death End Re;Quest: Code Z was due to launch on the North American and European eShops in 2025, but has now been cancelled.

Read the full article on nintendolife.com

Support Virtual Agent is Here to Help [Update: Rolling Out to All US Users]

Update 12/13: After a successful Insider testing period, we’re delighted to announce that Support Virtual Agent is now rolling out to all players in the US. We’d like to thank Insiders for their help in testing and providing feedback for this new feature.”

Support Virtual Agent is an AI-powered feature built to help Xbox players more efficiently solve their support-related gaming issues, and it is rolling out to select Xbox Insiders on support.xbox.com today. Support Virtual Agent can quickly access information from support.xbox.com to answer questions relevant to Xbox console and game support issues. Xbox Insiders located in the United States and with English selected as their preferred language can begin previewing the Support Virtual Agent today by visiting support.xbox.com while signed into an account that is registered with the Xbox Insider Program.

We value the feedback from Xbox Insiders for this preview experience and any feedback received will be used to improve the Support Virtual Agent. As you interact with the Support Virtual Agent, you can provide feedback via the “thumbs up” or “thumbs down” button on each of the responses or provide feedback directly via the “Give feedback” button at the bottom of the page.

How to Use Support Virtual Agent

Starting today, Xbox Insiders will see the Support Virtual Agent on the “Contact us” page on support.xbox.com. Sign in with the same account you registered with the Xbox Insider Program, then you’ll see a new option to ask our new Support Virtual Agent a question.

Xbox Insiders can launch the Support Virtual Agent by selecting “ask a question” on the “Contact us” page on support.xbox.com

Once you click on “Ask a question,” you will see the Support Virtual Agent launch in a new browser window. You can ask the agent questions via text or voice, and it will answer with relevant information from support.xbox.com. If the Support Virtual Agent cannot solve the issue, you can request to speak with a live support agent as long as it is within Xbox Support’s normal hours of operation.

During this preview, you can also customize your support experience by clicking on the ellipsis menu icon and choosing between two different Support Virtual Agents.

Players can customize their support experience and choose between two different Support Virtual Agents

How to Get Xbox Insider Support and Share Your Feedback

If you’re an Xbox Insider looking for support, please join our community on the Xbox Insider subreddit. Official Xbox staff, moderators, and fellow Xbox Insiders are there to help. We recommend adding to threads with the same topic before posting a brand new one. This helps us support you the best we can! Also, you can provide direct feedback to Team Xbox by following the steps here under the “Report a problem online” section. 

If you aren’t part of the Xbox Insider Program yet and want to help create the future of Xbox and get early access to new features, join the Program today by downloading the Xbox Insider Hub for Xbox Series X|S & Xbox One or Windows PC. 

For more information on the Xbox Insider Program, follow us on Twitter at @XboxInsider.

The post Support Virtual Agent is Here to Help [Update: Rolling Out to All US Users] appeared first on Xbox Wire.

Share of the Week: 30th Anniversary

Last week, asked you to share your favorite PlayStation games, consoles, and gaming collections using #PSshare #PSBlog to celebrate PlayStation’s 30th anniversary. Here are this week’s nostalgic highlights:

dwardlozano shares the in-game 30th anniversary celebration in Astro Bot.

call_me_xavii shares a picture of their old PS One.

silentgear1 shares their expansive PlayStation collection, which includes the full God of War gaming lineup.

MrioMoreno5 shares a collection of games across the generations that spell out PS.

rumunskibugarin shares Castlevania: Symphony of the Night booted up on PS1, surrounded by a PS2, a PSP, and PS VR2 headset. 

UnlimitedGamesX shares their PlayStation collection laid out by era, with PS1, PS2, PS3, and PS Vita. 

Search #PSshare #PSBlog on Twitter or Instagram to see more entries to this week’s theme. Want to be featured in the next Share of the Week?

THEME: Astro Bot – Winter Wonder Level
SUBMIT BY: 11:59 PM PT on December 18, 2024 

Next week, we’re blasting back into Astro Bot to explore the newly released Winter Wonder level. Share moments jumping through the snow and presents using #PSshare #PSBlog for a chance to be featured.

Naughty Dog Fans Already Think They’ve Worked Out Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet’s Cast

Naughty Dog revealed its next game, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, at The Game Awards 2024, and fans think they’ve already worked out what looks to be a very impressive cast.

Intergalactic director and Naughty Dog studio head Neil Druckmann has already confirmed that Tati Gabrielle of the Uncharted movie will play the protagonist, a bounty hunter named Jordan A. Mun, and told The New York Times that Kumail Nanjiani of Marvel’s Eternals will play one of her targets, a man called Colin Graves.

But fans have analysed the trailer, below, to piece together the rest of the cast, and though it focuses on just a couple of characters, a photo of what appears to be a crew reveals even more.

As spotted by Reddit user ERASER345, the character at the center of this photo appears to be Tony Dalton, perhaps best known for playing Lalo Salamanca in Breaking Bad spin-off Better Call Saul. Walking Dead actor Cooper Andrews also appears to be on the right side of the photo.

The fifth and final character is harder to make it, and fans are conflicted on who it could be. Some think Ashley Scott, others think Kelly Reilly, and others again think Jessica Chastain.

Druckmann said in Naughty Dog’s announcement of Intergalactic that it features “a stellar cast” but didn’t say anything more. “We’ll reveal more of our ensemble down the line,” he said, but Intergalactic doesn’t have a release window as of yet so fans could be waiting a while.

Be sure to check out IGN’s round-up of everything announced at The Game Awards 2024 for more on what’s coming to the world of gaming in the years ahead.

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

Game of Thrones: Kingsroad Announced as Story-Driven Action Adventure RPG Coming to Mobile

Game of Thrones: Kingsroad has been announced as a story-driven action adventure role-playing game coming to mobile in 2025 from developer Netmarble.

A trailer for the game, previously known only as Game of Thrones MMORPG, was revealed during The Game Awards 2024 showcase last night, and shows the player character meeting the likes of Jon Snow, Cersei Lannister, and other iconic characters from the HBO series.

“Faithfully crafted under official license from HBO and Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, Game of Thrones: Kingsroad is a blockbuster story-driven action-adventure RPG that invites players to step into the immersive world of Westeros,” Netmarble said, dropping the previous MMO (massively multiplayer online) messaging.

“In Game of Thrones: Kingsroad, you will embark on a journey to restore your house’s legacy, forging alliances through trials and betrayals while navigating a realm rife with intrigue, danger, and opportunity. The game’s original storyline expands on that of the legendary TV series, allowing you to forge your own path amidst the power struggles of noble houses and the looming threat of what lies beyond the Wall.”

Players can choose from three classes: the knight, sellsword, or assassin. Each “offers a distinct playstyle inspired by the archetypes seen in Game of Thrones.”

The knight class uses a longsword and has “a sophisticated fighting style,” the sellsword uses a battle axe and has a “brutal fighting style,” and the assassin “employs agile and precise attacks” while dual-wielding daggers.

Little else has been said about Game of Thrones: Kingsroad despite it being revealed in 2022, but Netmarble will likely begin sharing more and more as its 2025 release draws closer.

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

Open world sword-swinger Crimson Desert horse-powerslides to a late 2025 release

Crimson Desert first galloped onto the scene in 2020, with a bombastic trailer at Gamescom 2023 showcasing some particularly beautiful medieval open world action adventuring. It’s got horses, fishing, plate armour and roving heroism, but one thing it lacks is a release date. Now, thanks to The Geoff Awards, that’s changed! Well, sort of – Crimson Desert is out sometime in late 2025.

Read more

You Can Save $10 Right Now on The Game Awards’ GOTY Winner Astro Bot

It’s official: The Game Awards named Astro Bot as 2024’s Game of the Year. This delightful game absolutely deserves the recognition, and if you’ve been hoping to pick it up there’s no better time than now. It currently has a $10 discount at several different retailers, dropping its price to $50 (see here at Amazon).

We gave Astro Bot a 9/10 in our review and it’s even among our own nominees for IGN’s Game of the Year, so it’s definitely worth picking up. Check out this deal at the links below.

Astro Bot Drops to $50 at Various Retailers

Speaking of our Astro Bot review, IGN’s Simon Cardy had high praise for this game. He said that Astro Bot is a “collection of endlessly inventive levels and fantastically fun abilities, it delivers joy in spades, never once becoming even remotely dull or repetitive. And while you don’t need a long history with Sony systems to enjoy it, it is especially a delight for those with a piece of PlayStation in their heart as a treasure trove full of playable nostalgia awaits.”

Astro Bot even got a free expansion recently called Winter Wonder, which is a very nice little bonus for shoppers. According to the PlayStation Blog post from Nicolas Doucet, Studio Director at Team Asobi, “You will need to have completed the game for this special update to appear. Since we want it to remain a little surprise, we will not say too much, but you should expect a fun-filled level with shiny presents, a good dose of jingle bells, and brand-new special bots to add to your crew!”

This new level is a great way to spend the holidays, so take advantage of this Astro Bot deal while it’s still live. If you’re looking for even more game deals, there are plenty to take advantage of right now alongside Astro Bot. Have a look through our roundups of the best PlayStation deals today, the best Xbox deals today, and the best Nintendo Switch deals to see the latest highlights.

Hannah Hoolihan is a freelancer who writes with the guides and commerce teams here at IGN.