As rumors of a Switch successor and mid-generation hardware refreshes for the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S continue, spending for all three consoles have dropped by double-digits compared to 2023.
In Circana’s May 2024 U.S. video game market highlights, the analytics company reported that video game hardware spending is down 40% compared to 2023. Microsoft, Nintendo, and Sony have all shown “double-digit percentage declines,” with the Nintendo Switch seeing the “most significant drop.”
May 2024 content spending fell 3% compared to a year ago to $3.6B, as 13% growth in Mobile content spending could not offset a 40% drop in Console content spending. (Mobile spending totals provided by Sensor Tower).
In a post on X/Twitter, Circana’s Executive Director & Video Game Industry Advisor Mat Piscatella wrote that the hardware spending decline between 2023 and 2024 can “partially” be attributed to the release of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, which was released exclusively on Nintendo Switch on May 12, 2023.
As for the games themselves, Circana reports that the best-selling games in terms of dollar sales for May 2024 were Ghost of Tsushima, Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door Remake, and Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 (2023 version), the last of which topped the charts for both PS5 and Xbox.
In the case of Ghost of Tsushima, its sales performance jumped to first place from its previous placement of 71 due to a PC port being released on May 16.
Official Nintendo Switch Joy Cons aren’t discounted very often, but Walmart is bucking that trend. Ahead of Prime Day, Walmart is offering the Nintendo Switch Joy-Cons Bundled with Super Mario Party for only $69. This bundle usually retails for $99, and the cost goes up even more if you were to purchase each item separately. Walmart+ members have early access to this deal until 5pm EST. However, everyone else will be able to purchase it at this price afterwards.
Nintendo Switch Joy-Cons + Super Mario Party for $69
Exclusive to Walmart+ members until 5pm ET, open to everyone after
This bundle includes a pair of Nintendo Joy-Con controllers and the Super Mario Party game. The Nintendo Joy-Con controllers are functionally identical to the ones that came with your Switch console. A nice bonus is that the Joy-Cons are decked out in a colorway that’s exclusive to this bundle; there isn’t any other easy way to secure a pair of Mario Red and Mario Blue controllers.
Anyone who owns a Nintendo Switch console should be familiar with the Joy-Con controllers. The Joy-Cons are unlike any other controller on the market. There are three ways to use them; connected to the Switch console, separated with each Joy-Con as its own controller, and combined into a gamepad with the Joy-Con grip that came with your console. They have a lot of fun features like a built-in accelerometer, gyro sensor, independent motion controls,. HD rumble, and NFC touchpoint for amiibo compatibility. Most 3rd party controllers don’t support amiibos at all.
The included Super Mario Party game is the definitive party choice for the Nintendo Switch, with up to 80 mini games that take full advantage of the quirky tech of the Switch controllers to keep things feeling fresh. The game supports up to four players, and in most cases a single Joy-Con controller is needed for each player. That means, alongside your original Joy-Con controllers, this bundle is all you need to max out the player count in Super Mario Party.
Other Nintendo Switch related sales and news that might interest you:
Though the upcoming Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster will change several things, including Frank West’s voice actor, fans of the sandbox zombie game franchise will be happy to know that the licensed music tracks from the 2006 original will return.
Speaking to our sister site VG247, a Capcom spokesperson confirmed that “licensed music is returning” for Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster. When Dead Rising was originally released in 2006, its soundtrack included several licensed tracks, such as Heaven’s Creepin’ In by Supernova Syndicate and Slave by The Evolutionaries. Yet the game’s most notable licensed music track was Lifeseeker’s Gone Guru, played every time the character encountered the Convicts while roaming in Leisure Park.
There had been speculation about whether Capcom would use licensed music from Dead Rising in Deluxe Remaster, especially with Lifeseeker’s Marc Lariviere posting on Facebook and Instagram that he was unsure whether or not Gone Guru would be included. Though Lariviere did reveal that the last time Capcom remastered the game, referring to the 2016 HD re-release, the studio “did not tell him” whether or not the song would be included.
In the meantime, fans continue to speculate about will be included in the Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster. Most notably, many were shocked to learn that T.J. Rotolo, who voiced protagonist Frank West, will not be reprising his role because Capcom did not ask him.
On the flipside, fans can expect thhe return of the photography mini-game (with some updates such as an Auto Focus feature) and the Mall’s directory and map layout. The most recent gameplay also showed the katana that you can find off the ledge of the Colombian Roastmasters in Paradise Plaza, implying that item locations will be the same as the original.
Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster is a remaster of the 2006 Xbox 360 game. Running on RE Engine, Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster will be able to run up to 4K resolution at 60 frames per second and includes a slew of quality-of-life improvements, such as the ability to move while aiming and better AI for the survivors you can rescue.
Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster will be released on September 19 for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.
Taylor is a Reporter at IGN. You can follow her on Twitter @TayNixster.
The Ukrainian city of Mariupol came under heavy bombardment during the opening months of Russia’s invasion in 2022, a programme of artillery and air strikes that damaged or destroyed the majority of residential buildings and has killed or dispossessed thousands of people. It has now been occupied by Russia for almost two years, during which, as reported by the Associated Press, Russia has demolished, rebuilt and renamed much of the city, overwriting its Ukrainian heritage.
The Disco Elysium-inspired RPG Hollow Home is a memory of Mariupol from just before the war – not a 1:1 recreation, but a collection of details, colours, personalities and some familiar buildings, painstakingly amassed and offered up in the face of erasure. Speaking to me during a very brief demo at Digital Dragons in Poland this year, artist Anastasia Hlyniana called my attention to the plants jutting from old car tyres around the game’s isometric map, which she says are a common sight in Mariupol.
Beyond Good & Evil: 20th Anniversary Edition is out now on Switch and, by and large, it’s turned out to be a successful release for Ubisoft, boasting upgraded visuals from the original alongside some meaningful bonus material. We gave the game an 8/10 in our review, and you should definitely check out our full thoughts when you’re able.
Naturally, however, with multiplatform games such as this, the Switch version has unfortunately been subjected to a few downgrades when compared to PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. The most noticeable change comes with the textures: characters, objects, and environments are significantly less detailed than the game’s console counterparts, though the use of lighting is at least on par across all systems.
Unique Ammo Mechanics: Absorb enemy fire to reload and retaliate.
Engaging storyline: Uncover the truth behind the lack of weapons in the galaxy.
Variety of modes: Enjoy different game modes offering varied challenges and replayability.
I’m Austin Sojka, the solo developer behind Romans I XVI Gaming, and I’m incredibly excited to announce that my passion project, Retaliate, will be launching on Xbox on July 15th, 2024.
Get ready to dive into a retro-inspired space shooter that brings a unique twist to the genre. In Retaliate, you start with no ammo. Instead, you must use your temporary shield to absorb enemy fire and convert it into your own ammunition. This mechanic adds a strategic layer to the classic shooter formula, making every encounter a thrilling challenge.
Your quest to uncover who has seized control of all the weapons in the galaxy and put an end to their reign of terror begins with Story Mode. The rich and immersive narrative provides a compelling backdrop to the intense space combat.
Your progress to put a stop to this foe is met with increasingly powerful enemies, armed with increasingly destructive weapons. But this is to your advantage! From homing missies, to bombs, to lasers and beyond. Every weapon of your enemy can become a weapon of your own.
Along the way, adjust your ship and shield to match your personal style. What is victory if you aren’t doing it in style? Customize your ship and your shield in the hangar. This allows for a personalized gaming experience that’s uniquely yours.
To keep the action fresh and exciting, Retaliate offers various game modes. In Endless Mode, you’ll test your endurance as you strive for the highest score against an infinite onslaught of enemies. Trials Mode presents the opportunity to hone your skill on the levels from Story Mode. And in Classic Mode, you can experience gameplay inspired by the original space shooter classics.
Retaliate is available for pre-order on Xbox now! Don’t miss your chance to dive into this exciting space adventure on July 15th. Your support means the world to me, and I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity to share this game with you.
Retaliate is a retro inspired scrolling shooter with a twist, you start with no ammo!
Unlike those in the golden era of space shooters you are not so fortunate as to have infinite ammo. Instead use your shield to both destroy your enemies and absorb their weapons, then use your enemies’ weapons to retaliate!
• Story: Discover who has seized control of all the weapons in the galaxy and bring their reign of terror to an end!
• Arcade: Challenge yourself in your mastery of the mechanics of Retaliate. Go for a highscore in Endless mode, perfect the levels in Trials mode, or try the original that inspired it all in Classic mode.
• Hangar: What is victory if you’re not doing it in style? Customize your ship and your shield in the hangar.
The journey of developing Cygni hasn’t been easy, especially as a start-up, with this being our debut game. Nevertheless, every step of this journey has been filled with passion.
Our inspiration was sparked by the enjoyment we found in playing shoot’em ups on arcade machines in our youth – a fun experience that brought joy to all, regardless of high scores. We aimed to recreate this exhilarating experience using next-gen technology, with the power of the PlayStation 5. This has allowed us to deliver a fresh take on the shoot-‘em-up, with an epic story, and innovative gameplay features for a new generation of gamers.
Ava’s fight for survival
Cygni, a planet colonized by humans, thrives on ancient technology found in ruins left by an unknown civilization. These remnants serve as a vital power source and catalyst for technological progress. Our Konamiprotagonist Ava, a recent recruit in Cygni’s Air Force, pilots the Orca in a desperate struggle against a sudden, potent attack by bio-mechanical aliens— potentially Cygni’s original inhabitants.
Beyond the bullets
Energy Management: Switching between shields (health) and weapons (more firepower and missiles) on the fly.
Combat: Air-to-air and air-to-ground combat includes a real-time crowd system—not just a background prop; they are gameplay-related, where players can interact with allied forces on the ground. This mutual assistance is not only crucial for gameplay but also aids in obtaining pickups and increasing your score.
Weapon Enhancement: Upgrade and prepare weapons – even equipping your ship with two additional side-drones – before engaging in battle.
Designer Mode: Allows players to create, save, and manage projectile patterns on the go. This feature adds a layer of customization and strategy, enabling players to toggle between saved patterns on the go.
Three Difficulty Modes: Easy (being more accessible, by having 3 lives per level) Normal and Hard.
Local Co-Op: Players can revive each other at the cost of sacrificing shield points, while enjoying double the firepower.
Arcade Mode: Tailored for high-score enthusiasts. Players start from Level 1 and continue to the game’s end without any interruptions or cutscenes, but with only one life. This mode caters to those who enjoy a relentless challenge, and the highest scores can be recorded on global online leaderboards.
Colossal Bosses: Cygni features large bosses each with their own unique combat mechanics, providing players with challenging and memorable battle experiences.
Innovation with indie passion
Using our past experiences in filmmaking and animation, we wanted to push the visual storytelling boundaries in Cygni without compromising gameplay. This includes short cutscenes in-between levels and creating full scale high-quality CG cinematics (Intro and Outro to the game), uncommon to most indie games, and the genre. Cygni takes full advantage of the PS5’s power and its SSD allowing for crisp visuals, fast loading times and a smooth experience running at 60FPS/4K.
We wanted to create a shoot’em up that’s not entirely a bullet hell experience – sometimes you WILL get hit, but that’s OK. The core gameplay mechanic of balancing your ship’s power between its weapons and shields means you can strategize your offensive vs defensive gameplay (firepower vs. shield). We have utilized the DualSense controller’s directional haptic feedback to help elevate and enhance this in a tactile, but logical way.
Cygni: All Guns Blazing launches on PS5 next month on August 6.
The closure of Embracer-owned studios continues — this time it’s developer Piranha Bytes that’s reportedly shut down.
German studio Piranha Bytes was founded in 1997 and changed hands a number of times before it found its way to Embracer via publisher THQ Nordic in 2019. Piranha Bytes is perhaps best-known for developing fantasy role-playing series Gothic and Risen, but in recent years it released science fiction role-playing games Elex and Elex 2.
Earlier this year, Piranha Bytes acknowledged it was in a “difficult situation” amid devastating cuts and layoffs at embattled parent company Embracer. At the time, Piranha Bytes said it was trying to find a partner for its next project, apparently not with Embracer.
According to German website GameStar, Piranha Bytes shut down at the end of June. IGN has asked Embracer for comment.
Meanwhile, two former Piranha Bytes developers, Björn Pankratz and Jennifer Pankratz, have formed a new indie called Pithead Studio and kicked off a video series that promises to reveal what went down during the studio’s final months.
With Pithead Studio we have founded a new indie studio. In the future we will develop immersive and fantastic indie games.
Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.
Warning: This article contains spoilers for Star Wars: The Acolyte Episode 5!
The lightsaber is undoubtedly one of the coolest (albeit sadly nonexistent) weapons in all of pop culture. What’s not to love about a laser sword that can cut through anything yet easily stow away in your pocket when not in use? Though as we’ve seen many times in the Star Wars universe, some Jedi and Sith aren’t content to stick to the traditional lightsaber design. The Acolyte is just the latest Star Wars project to continue that proud tradition.
From double-bladed lightsabers to lightsaber pikes to a lightsaber rifle (?), here are the strangest and most noteworthy lightsaber designs in the Star Wars franchise, including a few from the classic Legends continuity.
Lumiya’s Light-Whip
You have to give Marvel Comics credit for thinking outside the box on this one. Long before the days of villains like Darth Maul and Kylo Ren, 1985’s Star Wars #95 featured one of the most unusual lightsaber designs ever conceived. Lumiya, former protege of Darth Vader himself, constructed a whip based on ancient Sith designs. Built from a combination of unbreakable Mandalorian iron and lightsaber crystals, this weapon is the only lightsaber that creates a flexible beam. Lumiya nearly overwhelmed Luke with this deadly weapon, forcing him to wield two sabers at once to stand a chance in battle.
The Double-Bladed Lightsaber
The concept of a double-bladed lightsaber was introduced prior to The Phantom Menace, but this movie brought that weapon into the mainstream thanks to Darth Maul. Maul showed how deadly this weapon can be in the right hands, dominating two powerful Jedi at once. Similar doubled-bladed sabers have been used by characters like Savage Opress and Satele Shan.
The Lightsaber Pike
One of the more interesting variations of the double-bladed lightsaber is the lightsaber pike, a weapon used by the guards at the Jedi Temple on Coruscant. With a longer hilt and shorter blades, these sabers are designed to be used more like a staff than a traditional sword. The hilts also fold in half in a switchblade-style design, one that’s started becoming more popular in the Star Wars universe.
Pong Krell’s Sabers
Star Wars: The Clone Wars introduced a corrupt Jedi Master named Pong Krell who puts his own spin on the double-bladed lightsaber design. Krell’s saber blades are longer, like Maul’s, but the hilts fold in half, like the lightsaber pike. Krell is also the rare Jedi capable of wielding two double-bladed sabers at once, a feat only possible because of his incredible strength and extra arms.
Mace Windu’s Purple Saber
Canonically, there’s only one Jedi cool enough to wield a purple-bladed lightsaber. Lightsaber crystals almost always come in green, blue or red varieties, making Mace’s saber quite the collector’s item. We can’t help but wonder what became of the weapon after Anakin sliced Mace’s arm off in Revenge of the Sith.
Count Dooku’s Saber
Count Dooku was regarded as one of the finest swordsmen in the galaxy before defecting to the Sith. His lightsaber hilt features a unique, curved design, allowing for precise motions and strikes. This enhances the fencing-inspired fighting style Dooku has perfected. His protege, Asajj Ventress, wields a pair of similar sabers, though never quite as skillfully as her master.
Darth Sidious’ Sabers
Darth Sidious’s sabers stand out both for their ornamental design and the fact that the hilts are so short. That makes sense, given that Sidious has taken great pains to conceal his Sith powers and keeps his sabers concealed within the folds of his robes.
Ahsoka Tano’s Sabers
When Ahsoka Tano first appeared in Star Wars: The Clone Wars, she wielded a traditional green saber. But as the series progressed and Ahsoka became more confident in her abilities, she switched to the Jar’Kai style of combat, which focuses on dual sabers. Like a samurai, Ahsoka carries a standard-length blade and a shorter blade known as a shoto. Star Wars Rebels further sets her apart by making Ahsoka one of the rare Jedi to wield white lightsaber blades, with the blades also appearing in the live-action shows The Mandalorian and Star Wars: Ahsoka.
Maris Brood’s Sabers
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed introduced Maris Brood, a Jedi Padawan who falls to the Dark Side after the death of her master, Shaak Ti. Brood’s twin sabers are inspired by tonfa sticks, with a perpendicular hilt design that allow her to hold her sabers at unusual angles.
The Darksaber
The Darksaber is one of the oldest known lightsaber weapons in the Star Wars universe. Its archaic design results in a flat, angled blade that glows black and makes a distinctive hum. This blade has a long history with the warriors of Mandalore. Its creator, Tarre Vizsla, was the first Mandalorian inducted into the Jedi Order, and it’s since been used by Mandalorians like Pre Vizsla and Sabine Wren. The Darksaber also shows up in The Mandalorian’s Season 1 finale and played a key role in subsequent seasons.
Darth Malgus’ Saber
Ancient Sith Lord Darth Malgus has one of the few lightsabers that can probably kill a man even when it’s deactivated. The top of the hilt features two blade-like protrusions that make it seem as though Malgus carries an ax on the battlefield.
Darth Chratis’ Saber
Another powerful Sith Lord of the Old Republic era, Darth Chratis is notable for carrying a metal staff than can collapse in half and emit a lightsaber blade. The unusually long hilt gives Chratis extra reach in battle.
Darth Bane’s Lightsaber Pike
While the weapon the Jedi Temple Guards wield is called a lightsaber pike, The Clone Wars almost introduced a weapon even more in line with a traditional pike. This concept art shows the weapon intended to be used by Darth Bane in the Season 6 episode “Sacrifice.” It’s basically a long staff that emits a broad, tapered blade. But while Bane himself did appear in that episode, his weapon never made the cut.
The Grand Inquisitor’s Saber
Star Wars Rebels introduced the Inquistorius, an order of Dark Jedi charged with helping Vader wipe out the last of the Jedi. Each of these villains is equipped with a multi-purpose lightsaber. The hilt resembles nothing if not an identity disc from Tron, though it can also fold in half so that it looks like the hilt of a cutlass. These sabers can be used in either single or double-bladed mode. These weapons can also double as, well, personal helicopters.
Kylo Ren’s Saber
Kylo Ren wields an unusual crossguard saber that reflects his own unstable nature. The crystal powering his saber is cracked, requiring ports on either side of the hilt to vent the excess heat and plasma. The advantage is that Kylo’s saber has two extra blades (or quillons) that he often uses to his advantage in battle.
The Lightsaber Rifle
Jedi librarian Jocasta Nu may not seem capable of going toe-to-toe with Darth Vader and his Inquisitors, but she’s a surprisingly scrappy fighter when the need arises. Jocasta leveled the playing field by attaching her ordinary blue lightsaber to a specially designed rifle. That rifle uses the lightsaber as fuel for its incredibly destructive blasts. Unfortunately, the rifle can only fire so many shots before the lightsaber burns itself out.
Rey’s Switchblade Saber
In The Rise of Skywalker, Rey has a vision of herself wielding this deadly double-bladed lightsaber. This special weapon folds in half like Pong Krell and the Jedi Temple Guards’ weapons, but the twist is that it can still be used as a twin-bladed weapon even folded. Now that it’s been shown in the films (albeit as a vision), it’s only a matter of time before we see someone wielding a similar blade for real.
Vernestra Rwoh’s Light-Whip
While Lumiya has yet to make the jump from the classic Legends timeline to Disney’s official Star Wars universe, the lightsaber whip has been canonized thanks to the High Republic initiative. A young Vernestra Rwoh wields one of these weapons in the books, while a much older version of the character appears (along with her saber) in The Acolyte.
Qimir’s Modular Lightsaber
The Acolyte introduces Qimir/The Stranger, a Jedi-hating villain with a few tricks up his nonexistent sleeves. In addition to wearing a helmet and gauntlet made of the lightsaber-shorting substance known as cortosis, Qimir wields a red saber with a detachable secondary hilt. This allows Qimir to fight with a standard saber and a shorter shoto, similar to Ahsoka Tano.
They get knocked down, but they get up again, and you’re apparently never going to keep Eve Online studio CCP Games from trying to make an FPS set in the universe of their Excel(lent?) MMO happen. EVE Vanguard – the studio’s admirable fourth crack at it – was announced last September. Since then, it’s had several open betas and, according to a new and rather vague roadmap, should release sometime post this coming November. Here’s said infographic – more pork scratching-stained napkin scrawl than sat-nav.
