PlayStation CEO Talks Struggle Of Launching PS5 Amid COVID Pandemic

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The PS5 is now here, and it's been released across the globe. It was a launch celebrated internationally with light shows and all kinds of fanciness. It's no doubt been frustrating for some who were unable to get their own system as well. The system launched among the worst pandemic in about 100 years, and many even predicated that it and Microsoft's Xbox Series X/S would probably be pushed back into 2021 due to the massive amount of issues COVID-19 was causing. Jim Ryan recalls the challenge.

Speaking to TASS, the CEO of PlayStation talked about the many struggles of launching during these times. While he said they're happy that the system was able to get out on time, due to the disruptions in Asia during the initial COVID outbreak wave that basically shut down traditional production it was a stressful and uncertain time. Prep was even being done by remote camera at one point.

"I guess my two principle feelings are one of happiness as things appear to be going well, and secondly of relief – we did it in this unusual, strange and frankly rather difficult year. Of all the things that I've learned this year, one is that I wouldn't plan on doing another big console launch in the midst of a global pandemic, and I wouldn't recommend it to anybody else. It's been difficult, it's been challenging from the production side, not being able to get anybody into the factories in Asia… Before we started production, we had to do all the manufacturing preparation by camera remotely. I mean, just imagine that for a precision device like the PlayStation 5."

Hopefully, Ryan gets his wish and when we do this again in 7 or so years we won't be in the midst of a new pandemic. COVID aside, the PS5 is now available worldwide for those that are able to find one.

Cyberpunk 2077 – Pre-Order On Stadia To Get Free Premiere Edition

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After a few high profile delays, it seems Cyberpunk 2077 is almost here (feels like I've written that more than a few times at this point). The much anticipated new game from CD Projekt RED is set to come next month, and one of the many platforms it'll be launching on is Google's streaming service, Stadia. Originally, it was going to release later, but was moved up to release alongside the other versions. Now, if you want Cyberpunk 2077 in Stadia, you can get a bonus.

On the game's Stadia official listing, it states that if you pre-order the game on Stadia, you get the Premiere Edition for free. That includes a Stadia controller as well as a version of Chromecast that supports the service. While you don't need these to play the Stadia version of the game, it'll give you another option of where you want to. It's not too bad of a deal.

Cyberpunk 2077 is set to launch December 10th for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC and Stadia. You can check out the latest trailer all about Johnny Silverhand through here.

Destiny 2 – Upcoming Hotfix Will Add Season 10 and 11 Weapons

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With the release of Destiny 2's Beyond Light, a large majority of content and loot from previous years has been vaulted. As such, the loot pool is looking incredibly shallow. To address this, Bungie will release a hotfix on November 24th which adds previous seasonal Legendary weapons to the world loot pool.

These include all of the Seventh Seraph weapons from Season 10, along with seasonal and reprised planetary weapons from Season 11. Drop chances are also being weighted to ensure that newer items are more likely to drop. Meanwhile, Legendary weapons that have already hit their infusion cap for this season will be removed.

All in all, this is good news. The Seventh Seraph weapons are some of the best in the game due to their ability to spawn Warmind cells which cause massive amounts of damage when detonated. Likewise, Season 11 aka Season of Arrivals also had some great weapons like Falling Guillotine that will be worth acquiring. Stay tuned for more details when the hotfix goes live.

Demon's Souls Remake's Mysterious New Door Has Been Opened

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What's old is new once more with the release of the remake of Demon's Souls. The game is Sony's only next generation exclusive title to launch alongside their PS5, and while being a visual overhaul, it remains largely faithful to the original PS3 title. We were pretty big fans of it. Bluepoint did, at one point, think about some fairly radical changes but reeled it back in to be as faithful as possible. There is some addition, though, that is sure to make fans happy.

You may recall that a mysterious new door popped up that no one could figure out how to open. Well, now we know. Streamer Distortion2 figured out the mystery. You have to collect 26 newly added Ceramic Coins in fractured mode to trade to the crow. After trading them all, you'll get a Rusty Key that opens the door. Within is a set of armor, and fans will recognize it as the same armor as the Penetrator boss. A nice bit of fanservice there.

Demon's Souls is available now exclusively on the PlayStation 5.

PlayStation CEO on Possible PS5 Game Pass Competitor: "There is News to Come"

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Microsoft have made Xbox Game Pass central to their strategy, and creating new content to drive up subscriptions for it – across multiple devices – has become integral to their approach to the industry. Sony, on the other hand, are continuing with the tried and true, with multiple premium AAA exclusives that they're using to attract consumers.

But that doesn't mean Sony are completely ignoring Game Pass. In fact, it's possible that they might be looking to push out their own response to Microsoft's service on the PS5 sooner rather than later. Speaking about the same in an interview with TASS, PlayStation CEO Jim Ryan said that Sony will have news to share about the topic eventually.

"There is actually news to come, but just not today," Ryan said. "We have PlayStation Now which is our subscription service, and that is available in a number of markets."

It makes sense that Sony are considering doing something similar to Game Pass (if that is indeed what Ryan is referring to here), considering how successful the service has been for Microsoft and how well the masses have responded to it.

Whether or not Sony follows a strictly similar model, and when the news Ryan speaks about will be shared, remains to be seen. Stay tuned to GamingBolt, and we'll keep you updated on any new details that come our way.

PlayStation CEO is Unsure if Starfield and The Elder Scrolls 6 Will Launch on PS5

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Once Microsoft's ZeniMax acquisition goes through, they will become the owners of Bethesda and all of its properties- which means there's huge question marks over whether upcoming games such as Starfield and The Elder Scrolls 6 will release on the PS5. Microsoft's own cagey remarks about the same haven't really helped clear things up on that front, and it seems PlayStation CEO Jim Ryan is as much in the dark as we are. 

Speaking in an interview with TASS, when asked about the chances of Starfield and The Elder Scrolls 6 coming to PS5, Ryan said, "That's a decision that is out of our hands, we'll wait and see what happens. I look forward to learning about that."

Though Microsoft haven't yet given definitive answers to these questions, they have suggested on a few occasions that Bethesda games won't necessarily be exclusive to Xbox. Xbox boss Phil Spencer has said that the company doesn't need to retain Bethesda exclusivity to recoup the acquisition's investment, and that exclusivity for future releases will be decided on a case-by-case basis, while Microsoft CFO Tim Stuart recently said that Microsoft doesn't necessarily want to take Bethesda games off Nintendo and Sony consoles, but rather wants to ensure that they're either best or available first on Xbox.

Meanwhile, Bethesda's Todd Howard has said it's hard to imagine Starfield and The Elder Scrolls 6 being exclusive to any console. Read more on that through here.

Unannounced Dragon's Dogma, Monster Hunter, Onimusha Sequels Mentioned in Massive Capcom Leak

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Capcom has fallen victim to a massive, what must be devastating leak for them, and in recent days, we've heard about quite a few of their unannounced plans for the coming years. From Resident Evil Village's planned launch window to Street Fighter 6 to Monster Hunter Rise and Stories 2 coming to PC as well, quite a few of their plans have been revealed due to the leak.

In fact, the leak goes into quite a lot of detail, essentially laying out their planned releases for the next few years (via ResetEra), with multiple major unannounced releases mentioned alongside their planned launch windows. Of these, Dragon's Dogma 2, which Capcom's Hideaki Itsuno has spoken of in the past, is one of the most high profile, and as per the leak, is planned to come out in Q2 of financial year 2022. 

Several Resident Evil games are also seemingly planned, with something called Resident Evil Outrage planned for Q4 FY 2021, the rumoured Resident Evil 4 remake planned for Q4 FY 2022, a game titled Resident Evil Apocalypse planned for Q4 FY 2023, and a game referred to as Resident Evil Hank scheduled for Q4 FY 2024. 

Meanwhile, it also seems like Capcom has plans to release multiple editions of Street Fighter 6 over the coming years, which, of course, is something series fans will be used to. As per the leak, the base game is scheduled to release in Q3 FY 2022 (which falls in line with recent rumours), with Super Street Fighter 6 coming in Q4 FY 2023, and finally, Ultra Street Fighter 6 planned for Q4 FY 2024. 

There are some other major games mentioned in the leak as well, with Monster Hunter in particular getting a couple of mentions. The Ultimate (or G) version of Monster Hunter Rise is supposedly planned for Q4 FY 2022, while not long afterward, Monster Hunter 6, the mainline sequel to World, is planned for Q2 FY 2023. 

Something else that's likely to get a lot of attention is a new Onimusha game that's supposedly in the works, and planned for Q4 FY 2022. After the launch of Onimusha: Warlords Remastered last year, rumours and speculation of a new mainline entry in the series have been quite prevalent. 

On top of all of this, it also seems Capcom is currently working on a slate of other revivals for some of their classic properties. Captain Commando, the sidescrolling arcade beat 'em up they released in 1991, is supposedly getting a new game in Q4 FY 2023, while remakes for Final Fight and Power Stone are planned for FY 2024, in Q2 and Q3 respectively. 

As is the case with any leak, it's best to not take this as confirmation of any sort, even though this leak in particular seems to be incredibly detailed and elaborate (and coming off the back of a publicly known Capcom data breach). Either way, if that is indeed the lineup Capcom is planning on sticking to for the coming years, they sure do have a lot of crowd-pleasers in the works.

We'll keep you updated should we learn anything more, so stay tuned.

Twelve Minutes, The Artful Escape, Last Stop Officially Delayed to 2021

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After the Steam page for Twelve Minutes indicated a 2021 release window, publisher Annapurna Interactive has now officially confirmed that it will launch next year. It also confirmed that two other titles, The Artful Escape and Last Stop, would release in 2021. This isn't unexpected, especially with this year coming to a close and the lack of updates for each title. The publisher noted that each title would release "throughout the year" and that they were currently in the polishing phase.

Twelve Minutes is developed by Luis Antonio and concerns a man trapped in a time loop. With 12 minutes of in-game time available, the player must attempt to save the man's wife and avoid death himself, all while being confined to a single apartment. It's genuinely interesting and has a solid voice cast with the likes of James McAvoy, Daisy Ridley and Willem Dafoe involved.

Developed by Beethoven and Dinosaur, The Artful Escape is a musical platformer that's been in development for several years. It was confirmed for Xbox One and Apple Arcade earlier this year, and sees singer Francis Vendetti exploring vivid mind-scapes while making peace with the legacy of his uncle, a renowned folk singer. As for Last Stop, it centers on John, Meena and Donna as they deal with a "supernatural crisis" through various minigames and dialogue interactions. Stay tuned for more details on each of the titles in the coming year.

Cyberpunk 2077 Trailer Highlights the Enigmatic Johnny Silverhand

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New gameplay for Cyberpunk 2077 released yesterday in the latest episode of Night City Wire. One of the trailers focused on Johnny Silverhand, the legendary rocker played by Keanu Reeves and offered a bit more perspective on his role. Check it out below.

As a "ghost", Silverhand essentially functions like a second protagonist, as opposed to a minor character. Even more interesting is that on top of having conversations with Silverhand, V will also experience his memories. This provides a bit more context on Johnny's previous life (and a possible look at his downfall during the Fourth Corporate War).

A few shots of a crowd seemingly instigating a riot while police responded with suppression could also be seen. Perhaps this is a flashback to Johnny's assault on Arasaka to rescue his girlfriend Alt Cunningham (before she fell victim to the Soulkiller program). Or perhaps it's an event in the present day. We'll find out in the coming weeks as Cyberpunk 2077 looks to release on December 10th for Xbox One, PS4, PC and Google Stadia.

Granblue Fantasy: Versus Crosses 450,000 Units in Digital Sales and Worldwide Shipments

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Cygames and Arc System Works continue to support Granblue Fantasy: Versus, the animated fighting game based on the former's successful mobile RPG. Sales-wise, it's managed to cross 450,000 units in digital sales and global shipments. The last reported figure was 350,000 in April 2020, which means 100,000 additional units have been shipped/sold since.

Since launch, the developer has released a number of DLC characters, the last being Cagliostro as part of Character Pass 2. Four more characters are yet to be revealed and released so there's plenty to look forward to in addition to other updates. Expect more quests and weapons in RPG Mode in the coming months.

Granblue Fantasy: Versus is currently available for PS4 and PC. Cygames also has Granblue Fantasy: Relink, an action RPG with co-op support, in development. New details are expected to be revealed in December, perhaps bringing us closer to a release date. There might even be a PS5 version announced. Stay tuned for more details in the meantime.