Naughty Dog Promotes Neil Druckmann to Co-President

Yesterday, Naughty Dog released an announcement on its website with news of a few major promotions within the company.

Neil Druckmann is joining Evan Wells as Co-President of Naughty Dog. Druckmann has previously been vice-president for the company for almost three years now. Druckmann was also the director of The Last of Us Part II, which just released earlier this year.

On top of that, Alison Mori and Christian Gyrling have been promoted to Vice Presidents for the development studio. Before the promotion, Mori worked as the Director of Operations and Gyrling has previously been the Co-Director of Programming.

It's not surprising Druckmann has been moved up to Co-President. The man has almost become the face of the company as he had led development on the biggest game ever for the company.

But now that he is sharing the top position at the company, has he moved into a position that would take him out of game development? I am sure this job lands him with a laundry list of new responsibilities. Plus, the new The Last of Us HBO show that he is producing will also pour some more responsibility on him. I am interested to see what direction he will steer Naughty dog in the near future.

Naughty Dog had just released The Last of Us Part II earlier this June for the PS4. The game is also backward compatible on the newly released PS5. Make sure to check out DualShockers' official review of the game right here

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Chrono Odyssey Released its First Trailer and the Korean MMORPG is Gorgeous

The first trailer for an ambitious MMORPG title called Chrono Odyssey made its debut. Korean studio NPIXEL is behind the game, which is set to launch for PC in 2022, features unique job systems and random dungeons that utilize timespace. You can check out the impressive announcement trailer below (thanks to PS360HD):

Chrono Odyssey, which was formerly known as "Project S," is an epic fantasy massively multiplayer online RPG about time and space. This project visualizes the story of members of the special organization, "Idraiginn," waging a huge war against 12 gods. The title bears a strong resemblance to Final Fantasy XIV, which is definitely a good thing in my own opinion.

For those who have already invested in next-gen consoles, Producer and Director Naoki Yoshida has revealed his desire for the title to come to PS5 and he believes it could still come to Xbox consoles according to an interview published in July.

The most recent patch, Patch 5.4, will add several new quests and dungeons including a fight against Final Fantasy VII endgame superboss Emerald Weapon. Patch 5.2, Echoes of a Fallen Star, released on February 18th and featured new main quests, a new raid dungeon, new general dungeons, and VII's other endgame superboss Ruby Weapon. The previous Shadowbringers update, titled 5.1 "Vows of Virtue, Deeds of Cruelty," introduced a brand new NieR Automata-themed patch featuring new gear, a new dungeon, new game+, and the Fellowship.

Announced by Square Enix and Producer/Director Naoki Yoshida via a press release, Final Fantasy XIV has now surpassed 18 million registered players in total. This number is comprised of players across all of the game's platforms which include PS4, PC, Mac, and even the PS3.

Meanwhile, be sure to check out our official review of Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers here, as well as our E3 2019 interview with Final Fantasy XIV director Naoki Yoshida here. Shadowbringers is available now for PS4 and PC on Amazon.

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Video Games Have Reportedly Contributed Over $90 Billion to U.S. Economy

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare

Public opinion of video games has really shifted as the years have gone on. Once a hobby that many of us thought was a "niche" or "nerdy" hobby has gone on to become one of the most profitable sources in the entertainment industry. A new study from the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) shows that the video game industry has provided a significant impact on the U.S. economy, both in terms of growth and jobs.

The report states that the U.S. video game industry in 2019 generated $90.3 billion in economic output. On top of that, the industry supported close to 429,000 jobs. This number includes 143,000 people who are directly employed by the industry and average over $121,000 in annual compensation. $12.6 billion in federal, state, and local taxes have also come from video game-related activity.

On top of that, the report from the ESA also breaks down the top ten states that have contributed the most to the U.S. economy directly from the video game industry. You can take a look at the list below. I think you can guess which state is sitting on top of the list.

ESA

Stanley Pierre-Louis shared some thoughts on how video games have affected the economy. He stated: "The statistics in this detailed report reinforce the significant impact video games have on the U.S. economy, including jobs creation and providing family-sustaining wages in wide array of careers. As a convergence point for leadership in software, hardware, entertainment and creative arts, the video game ecosystem generates the kind of innovation critical to economic growth and this report helps share that story in a new and comprehensive way."

Video games have been proven to make you happier and improve your mental health. Now that video games are having such a positive impact on the U.S. economy, I don't know what else people can negatively say about them.

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Dragon Age Will Once Again Be Shown at The Game Awards

Dragon Age

Dragon Age fans have not received a proper game in the series since the release of Dragon Age Inquisition back in 2014. A couple of years ago at The Game Awards, the next game in the series was revealed. This year, Geoff Keighley will be bringing the game back for another look.

The host of The Game Awards tweeted that fans will get a special look at the next Dragon Age game from Bioware at the show along with what appears to be some new artwork.

It wasn't specified what this special look will be. The first announcement was just a short teaser clip with artwork and voice over. We have still yet to see gameplay in any capacity. Unless you would like to count this small snippet from a video showing off EA's tech.

I am interested to see how this game is holding up. Bioware has gone through plenty of trials and tribulations over the last five years. Everyone knows what happened with Anthem and Mass Effect Andromeda, but the company has had many internal issues that could be problematic for development. Multiple top developers have left the studio, including Casey Hudson and Mark Darrah.

EA has stated that the next Dragon Age game will not release until 2022 at the earliest and 2023 at the latest. One can assume that it is being developed for the next generation of consoles. Bioware has been run through the internet gauntlet after Inquisition was released. Hopefully, this Dragon Age game can help set the developers as one of the top RPG makers once again.

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Radio Telescope That Inspired Battlefield 4 Map Experiences Levolution

Battlefield 4

For those that played on them, the maps in Battlefield 4 were iconic. They were large, sprawling playgrounds that players could blow up, skydive through and make their own Battlefield moments in. But the standout feature of the maps in Battlefield 4 was their levolutions. This made-up term defines the massive changes each map could go through when something gets blown up or if the weather decided to take an especially nasty turn. Ironically, one of the real-life inspirations for a map in Battlefield 4 experienced its own levolution on the first of December.

Players may remember Rogue Transmission, one of the larger maps in Battlefield 4 that centers around a massive radio telescope. In the game, this map is set in the Guizhou Province of China. In reality, the map is based on the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico.

Just a few days ago, Arecibo's 900-ton equipment platform — that massive thing dangling some 500 feet above the dish — collapsed. The last of the platform's functioning support cables finally gave out, crashing the platform down on the disc below it. Nobody was hurt in the crash, according to an NPR report on the matter.

As unfortunate as it is that a massive scientific icon has been destroyed, the similarities between this accident and the levolution from Battlefield 4 are undeniable. footage of the Arecibo Observatory's collapse can be found below.

During its nearly 60 years in service, the Arecibo Observatory was an important tool for scientists studying radio astronomy and atmospheric science. Outside of its scientific uses, the enormous facility was also used as a setpiece in the James Bond movie GoldenEye.

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Code Geass Band FLOW Whip Up Zero Cosplay For Lelouch's Birthday, New Project Reveal Stream Coming This Saturday

FLOW code geass zero cosplay

December 5, 2020 marks the birthday of Code Geass protagonist Lelouch, and Sunrise will be holding a special live stream for the occasion. The Code Geass New Project Reveal stream is happening at 0600 ET (Click here for a time zone conversion table). The stream will be on YouTube.

The latest big Code Geass project is Code Geass: Lelouch of the Re;surrection, a movie which released in February 2019 in Japan. This new stream should be revealing a sequel. We don't know yet what form it'll take, whether it'll be a TV series or another movie. And it's unlikely the first announcement will precise as much.

For the occasion, Japanese band FLOW, who handled multiple Code Geass theme songs including first OP Colors (JIBUN WO), shared a photo of themselves cosplaying Zero.

FLOW is made of singer Keigo, singers and guitarists Kohshi and TAKE. Bassist and singer Got's, And drummer Iwasaki. The five man band knows how to have fun and share it:

While Code Geass is regularly featured in Super Robot Wars, it's been a while since the series got a game. I wouldn't be surprised if an announcement on that front came soon. Earlier this year, Lelouch also got to pilot a new Gundam Wing Zero in his colors.

Be sure to check the #ルルーシュ生誕祭2020 tag on Twitter for your dose of fanart and cosplay. A new official artwork for Lelouch was published by the official Code Geass Twitter account:

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Tales of 25th Anniversary Stream Coming December 15 With "Latest Information" On The Series

tales of 25th anniversary stream feature

Bandai Namco announced a new special stream for the 25th anniversary of JRPG series Tales Of, with "the latest information on the series", meaning we could be getting Tales of Arise news. The stream will be held on December 15 at 0600 ET (Click here for a time zone conversion table). YouTube and Persiscope pages for the stream will be up at a later date.

The stream will also include new information on upcoming goods, events, and for the mobile games Tales of Asteria, Tales of the Rays, and Tales of Crestoria. The stream will also include multiple developers of the Tales of series looking back and sharing exclusive development stories. Lastly, multiple musical performances will be held.

The Tales of 25th anniversary stream will feature:

  • Chiaki Matsuzawa as MC,
  • Tales of Producer, Tales of Arise Producer Yusuke Tomizawa.
  • Game Journalist Riko Kushida.
  • Junko Iwao (Mint in Tales of Phantasia).
  • Chihiro Suzuki (Luke in Tales Of The Abyss).
  • Kōhei Amasaki (Kanata in Tales of Crestoria).
  • Music band Deen.
  • Composer Motoi Sakuraba
  • Composer Go Shiina
  • Singer Songwriter Misono

Moreover, four key and longtime developers of the Tales of Series will be present:

Shinichiro Okamoto. One of the main creators of the series since Phantasia.

Makoto Yoshizumi, One of the Producers of the series. From May 2002 to 2007, when he then switched to "General Producer".

Yoshito Higuchi, Director on Destiny 2, Symphonia. Chief Director on Abyss, Vesperia.

Tatsuro Udo, 2D map Programmer on Phantasia. Battle Programmer on Eternia, Destiny 2, Rebirth, Destiny PS2 Remake, Graces. Lead game Designer on Zestiria. Battle Game Design on Berseria.

Here's our analysis on what kind of announcements this Tales of 25th anniversary stream could contain:

Overall, this looks like a talk show to have fun reminiscing about the series, rather than a place where we'll get big announcements. Tales of Arise currently has no release date estimate. I doubt we'll hear one on this stream. However, we could learn a bit more on the game.

Most notably, seeing so many artists will be on stream, it'll very likely the theme song of either Tales of Arise or another game will be announced. It's possible Bandai Namco will announce the trademarked Tales of Luminaria and reveal its theme songs.

Bandai Namco didn't announce yet who is handling Tales of Arise's OST. It's possible both Motoi Sakuraba and Go Shiina are working on it.

Even if the stream includes no new information on Tales of Arise, it's very likely Yusuke Tomizawa will at least share a quick development update.

Lastly, we could get announcements or hints towards remakes or remasters of past games. There are plenty of Tales of games who never left Japan too. Bandai Namco teased announcements for the 25th anniversary after all.

Whatever happens, we'll be here with a full summary of the stream, so stay tuned.

Tales of Arise was first announced at E3 2019. The game is, for now, planned for PC, PS4, Xbox One. First planned for 2020, Arise ended up indefinitely delayed, but then was trademarked in Australia. Several goods have been launched for the 25th anniversary. In related news, Hajime Kanzaka and Rui Araizumi's Slayers is having a collab crossover event with Tales of The Rays.

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Video Game Usage In The US Reportedly Up To 79% Throughout 2020

switch

Many stay-at-home activities have seen a rise over the last year due to the current COVID-19 pandemic. More and more people are finding ways to properly social distance while still keeping their sanity by either doing things they already enjoy or discovering new hobbies to take on. As such, video game usage has reportedly seen a massive spike to 79% in the last year within the United States. NPD Group's executive director of games Mat Piscatella spoke with GameDaily.biz to further explain the upward trend.

The video game industry in 2020 has generated roughly $159 billion in the United States alone. It also has been growing exponentially to become a powerhouse over the years that has been able to nearly rival the film industry. Now with the advent of the pandemic and social distancing being the "new normal," options of entertainment have shifted from traditional avenues such as restaurants and movie theaters to something like gaming that people can do from the safety of their homes.

Animal crossing

Another very interesting statistic that NPD highlighted was that video game usage specifically among the 45 and older age group has grown to previously unforeseen numbers. To break that down even further, playtime of adults age 45-54 rose 59%, and then the 55-64 age group rose 48%; adults 65 and older saw 45% increases. In recent years, older gamers were beginning to have more and more of a presence, so this uptick in their own usage falls in line with what we've seen previously.

Piscatella went on to say that it's unclear whether these numbers will continue beyond the pandemic. While people may potentially revert to their pre-pandemic behaviors, it is still possible that they could very likely keep with the hobbies that the current state of affairs pushed them into. Whether or not this spike will become the new norm will remain to be seen over the coming months and beyond. If anything, the massive growth that game usage has seen is very much a microcosm for much of what we can see in regards to other hobbies that people historically do in the comfort of their homes. It remains to be seen how much of this will persist in the coming months or even years, but it's safe to say that we can expect to see a lot of changes within the industry and beyond as things go forward.

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Metal Gear Solid Casts Oscar Isaac As Solid Snake In Live-Action Adaptation

Metal Gear Solid

The talks for a live-action film of Hideo Kojima's PlayStation masterpiece Metal Gear Solid has been ongoing for years now, but it looks as though the project is starting to gain real traction. Oscar Isaac, known for many roles including Poe Dameron in the latest Star Wars trilogy has been cast as the iconic stealth operative Solid Snake.

This is the first major update we've gotten on the film since almost exactly one year ago where Director Jordan Vogt-Roberts announced that a draft of the film's script had been submitted to Sony. Vogt-Roberts did however post a fun little tweet regarding Metal Gear Solid and the quarantine earlier this year. The script was penned by Derek Connolly who wrote Vogt-Roberts most recent film Kong: Skull Island.

With the casting of Isaac, the film could possibly begin production in the coming months, but there are currently no details as to when the film will begin filming. The project has been ongoing since 2015 so there's honestly no telling how much longer things are going to take.

Director Vogt-Roberts is an avid gamer and says that he wants to do right by Kojima's vision when recreating it onto the big screen. He has also said in the past that he wanted Oscar Issac in the role of Solid Snake and Issac himself said during a press interview for one of his films Triple Frontier that he was aiming to get the role even before the casting process even began.

Metal Gear Solid will surely be an ambitious film to get right on the screen, but I am optimistic now with Oscar Issac playing Snake. There are still many famous characters from the game like Revolver Ocelot and Liquid Snake that still need to be cast. There is a lot of potential for a star-studded cast with Vogt-Roberts having many famous actors including Tom Hiddleston, Brie Larson, and Samuel L. Jackson for Kong: Skull Island I hope he will be able to pull off the same this time around.

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The Game Awards Brings Stephen A. Smith, Troy Baker, and Swedish Chef As Presenters

The Game Awards

Following yesterday's announcement of Gal Gadot and Brie Larson to be presenters at this year's The Game Awards, we have three more lined up and one of them will probably surprise you more than most. Stephen A. Smith who is a popular sportscaster will be presenting the Best Sports/Racing Game category. He recently was a part of a promotional video for Spider-Man: Miles Morales.

Troy Baker will also be presenting an award. Troy Baker is arguably best known for his performance as Joel from The Last of Us franchise. Lastly, the Swedish Chef from The Muppets will also be handing out an award. The Muppets have been ongoing guests at The Game Awards in recent years with Dr. Bunsen Honeydew and Beaker being on the show last year.

While these presenters are in a sense better than those previously announced I would prefer to see those who work in the game industry get an opportunity to present, even if it is with a celebrity. Since the conception of The Game Awards, Host Geoff Keighley has tried to make it bigger every year, but bigger doesn't always mean better.

We will surely get more presenter announcements as we lead up to The Game Awards this Thursday, December 10th so we will update you as more come along. Don't forget to check back in during the night of The Game Awards to update you on all the exciting new reveals that will occur throughout the night.

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