Tag: sony

EA Lowers Annual Booking Forecast for 2022 Amid Decades-High Inflation, Strong Dollar

Electronic Arts (EA) lowered its annual bookings forecast on Tuesday as the publisher of FIFA and Apex Legends struggles with this year’s surge in the US dollar and a gaming industry slowdown from pandemic heights. The company now expects annual bookings – an indicator of future revenue – between $7.65 billion (roughly Rs. 63,280 crore) and $7.85 billion (roughly Rs. 64,930 crore), compared with $7.90 billion (roughly Rs. 65,350 crore) to $8.10 billion (roughly Rs. 67,000 crore) earlier.

After a meteoric rise during the pandemic, video game sales have been easing this year due to a lack of major releases and lower spending by consumers facing decades-high inflation.

That, coupled with the industry’s prolonged supply-chain challenges, also pressured quarterly revenue from Sony’s PlayStation 5 and Microsoft’s Xbox content and services.

Overall, the gaming market is expected to grow just 2 percent in 2022, according to data from research firm Newzoo, a far cry from 2020’s 23 percent jump.

A near 17 percent rise in the US dollar this year has also stifled growth, with EA forecasting a roughly $200 million (roughly Rs. 1,650 crore) hit to annual bookings. The company earns more than half of its revenue from outside the US. But EA, which had no major releases in the first three quarters of 2022, could get some support from the October launch of FIFA 23 – the latest instalment in its popular football franchise.

FIFA 23 had the best launch week of any game in the series, and it looks set for more demand thanks to the soccer World Cup in Qatar next month. EA booked second-quarter adjusted sales of $1.75 billion (roughly Rs.14,475 crore), missing the $1.80 billion (roughly Rs. 14,890 crore) expected by analysts, according to Refinitiv data.

Net income rose to $299 million (roughly Rs. 2,470 crore), or $1.07 per share, from $294 million (roughly Rs. 2,430 crore), or $1.02 (roughly Rs. 85) per share, a year earlier.

© Thomson Reuters 2022

 

Affiliate links may be automatically generated – see our ethics statement for details.

Check out our Latest News and Follow us at Facebook

Original Source

Microsoft Said to Have Offered No Remedies in EU Antitrust Review of Activision Deal

Microsoft’s has not offered any remedies to EU antitrust regulators reviewing its proposed $69 billion (nearly Rs. 5,71,400 crore) bid for Call of Duty maker Activision Blizzard ahead of an expected full-scale EU probe, a person familiar with the matter said on Monday.

The US software company is betting on the acquisition to help it compete better with leaders Tencent and Sony, with the latter being a critic of the deal.

The European Commission, which is scheduled to finish its preliminary assessment of the deal by November 8, said its website was up to date. The site showed that Microsoft had not provided concessions.

Microsoft said it continues to work with the Commission on the next steps and to address any valid marketplace concerns, such as those voiced by Sony.

“Sony, as the industry leader, says it is worried about Call of Duty, but we’ve said we are committed to making the same game available on the same day on both Xbox and PlayStation,” Microsoft said in a statement.

Companies typically do not offer remedies during the EU preliminary review when they know regulators subsequently intend to open a four-month long investigation.

Earlier, it was reported that the EU antitrust regulators are asking games developers whether Microsoft will be incentivised to block rivals’ access to Call of Duty maker Activision Blizzard’s best-selling games, according to an EU document seen by Reuters. 

The EU competition enforcer also asked if Activision’s trove of user data would give the US software giant a competitive advantage in the development, publishing and distribution of computer and console games, the EU document shows.

The planned acquisition, the biggest in the gaming industry, will help Microsoft better compete with leaders Tencent and Sony.

© Thomson Reuters 2022

 

Affiliate links may be automatically generated – see our ethics statement for details.

Check out our Latest News and Follow us at Facebook

Original Source

PlayStation Plus November 2022 Free Games: Nioh 2, Lego Harry Potter Collection, and Heavenly Bodies

PlayStation Plus’ monthly free games for November 2022 have been announced. These titles will be available to members of PS Plus Essential, Extra, and Deluxe/ Premium plans, starting next week. On November 1, PS Plus subscribers gain access to the Japan-set Soulslike sequel Nioh 2, the entire Lego Harry Potter Collection, and the atmospheric indie gem Heavenly Bodies. These titles can be added to your PS games library until December 5, after which you will be required to hold onto your subscriptions to play them.

Sony confirmed the additions on the PlayStation Blog, late Wednesday, stating that the higher-tier PS Plus Extra and Premium/ Deluxe plans have new titles coming later in November.

PlayStation Plus: India Pricing Revealed for PS Plus Deluxe, Extra, and Essential

PS Plus November 2022: Nioh 2/ Nioh 2 Remastered

Create your half-human, half-supernatural Yokai warrior in this challenging action RPG sequel, and embark on a quest to hunt down supernatural spirits, seasoned samurai warriors, and ingeniously designed bosses. Set in a stylised version of Japan’s early Sengoku period, this Soulslike title introduces a Yokai Shift ability, enabling monstrous transformations to unleash paranormal moves. Enemies in Nioh 2 can now create a Dark Realm, raising the stakes and creating punishing challenges to overcome.

Its 2017 prequel Nioh, is included as part of the PS Plus Extra subscription. Nioh 2 and Nioh 2 Remastered will be available to play on PS4 and PS5, respectively.

PS Plus November 2022: Lego Harry Potter Collection

The Lego franchise of video games have a knack for recreating iconic moments from films, and the trend continues with Harry Potter. Dubbed “Lego Harry Potter Collection,” the package offers two classic brick-building titles — Years 1–4 and Years 5–7 — letting players blast their way through every year of Hogwarts, as they learn spell casting, brew potions, solve puzzles, and do a whole lot more, reliving the magical memories.

Lego Harry Potter Collection will be available to play on PS4, and can be enjoyed with a second player, via online or local co-op.

PS Plus November 2022: Heavenly Bodies

Take complete control of a 1970s space cosmonaut, as you push, pull, and twist your way through a slew of physically demanding scenarios. Inspired by space explorers and researchers throughout history, players are thrown onto a weightless plane, and forced to figure out ways to perform simple tasks — down to simply raising your arms or legs, whilst adjusting to low gravity.

Heavenly Bodies is built keeping a controller in mind, and can be played solo or via local co-op. It drops on PS4 and PS5.

Sony also reiterated that all PlayStation Plus subscribers have a few more days — until October 31 — to add the racing title Hot Wheels Unleashed, side-scrolling fighter Injustice 2, and the fast-paced FPS Superhot to their library. These are the three free games that were announced for October.

PlayStation Plus subscription in India starts at Rs. 499 per month for Essential, Rs. 749 per month for the Extra plan, and Rs. 849 per month for the top-tier Deluxe. The monthly free games are included with all three tiers.

Affiliate links may be automatically generated – see our ethics statement for details.

Check out our Latest News and Follow us at Facebook

Original Source

PlayStation Confirms State of Play Event for September 14 in India, Nintendo Direct Tonight

Sony has confirmed a brand-new State of Play presentation for tomorrow. The show will be about 20 minutes long, and promises updates for 10 games, across the PS5, PS4, and PS VR2. The event will be live across PlayStation’s official YouTube and Twitch channels on September 14 at 3:30am IST in India, and September 13, 3:00pm PT in the US. Moreover, even Nintendo has plans to host a game showcase with their Nintendo Direct event.

The announcement comes ahead of Tokyo Game Show, which kicks off later in the week. Sony remains quite vague on the details, but notes that the presentation will feature some “ great updates from our amazing Japanese partners, along with a few other surprises from developers all around the world.” PlayStation’s close partners in crime include Capcom, which confirmed back in June, that Resident Evil Village is headed to PS VR2. The next-gen virtual reality headset is launching sometime in early 2023, so this would be an ideal time for Sony to showcase its potential. Some gameplay footage for the Resident Evil 4 remake should also be expected — set for a March 2023 release.

Much earlier than that, we have the Nintendo Direct event — a 40-minute-long presentation, focusing on games launching in the winter. The show will be live streamed on Nintendo’s official YouTube channel on September 13 at 7:30pm IST in India. For US audiences, this translates to September 13 at 7:00 am PT. As usual, the Japanese publisher has not teased what reveals they have in store for us, causing fans around the world to speculate that the “Sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild” — working title — will be shown.

Nintendo also confirmed that the event won’t be broadcast live on its UK YouTube channel, out of respect for the national mourning period, following Queen Elizabeth II’s demise. “As a mark of respect during this period of national mourning, we will not live stream tomorrow’s Nintendo Direct,” said Nintendo UK. Instead, the publisher will make a video-on-demand presentation available later on the channel at 4:00pm UK time.

In other news, Nintendo’s latest, Splatoon 3 has smashed video game launch records in Japan. The third iteration in the paint shooting franchise reached 3.45 million unit sales in the country, nearly doubling the sales of Animal Crossing: New Horizons. The game launched on September 9, and marks the highest domestic sales level for any Nintendo Switch software — within the first three days.

Check out our Latest News and Follow us at Facebook

Original Source

Sony Xperia 5 IV Specifications Tipped by Alleged Geekbench Listing, May Come With Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 SoC

Sony Xperia 5 IV is expected to go official on September 1. Just a day before the formal debut, the handset has allegedly appeared on the Geekbench benchmarking site, hinting at its key specifications. The listing suggests 8GB RAM and Android 12 operating system on the Sony Xperia 5 IV. The smartphone could be powered by a Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 SoC. The Sony Xperia 5 IV is expected to succeed the Sony Xperia 5 III.

An alleged listing on Geekbench, first spotted by Slahsleaks, shows the Sony Xperia 5 IV with model number Sony XQ-CQ62. As per the listing, the smartphone scored 1,152 points in single-core testing and 3,304 points in multi-core testing on Geekbench. The screenshots of the listing show that the phone would offer 6.91GB of memory. This translates to 8GB RAM on paper. It could run on Android 12 out-of-the-box.

As per the Geekbench listing, an octa-core chipset with the codename ‘taro’ will power the phone. The prime CPU core has a maximum clock speed of 3.0GHz, three cores capped at 2.50GHz and four cores capped at 1.79GHz. All these indicate the presence of a Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset on the upcoming Sony Xperia 5 IV.

Sony will be announcing a new Xperia device on September 1 and the launch event will be livestreamed via its official YouTube channel. Sony has not confirmed the moniker of the phone yet, but Xperia 5 IV is expected to break the cover during the event.

Past leaks suggest a 6.04-inch display on the Sony Xperia 5 IV. It is expected to come with wireless charging support. The Sony Xperia 5 IV could offer a 12-megapixel triple rear camera setup as its predecessor, the Xperia 5 III. It is also said to offer NFC and Wi-Fi 6 wireless connectivity.

Check out our Latest News and Follow us at Facebook

Original Source

Horizon Zero Dawn Netflix Series to Be Made by The Umbrella Academy Creator Steve Blackman

Horizon Zero Dawn TV adaptation is in the works, as we already know, and now we know who’s making it: The Umbrella Academy creator Steve Blackman. In a Netflix Tudum interview, the filmmaker confirmed that he will be adapting the critically-acclaimed PlayStation game into a series. Michelle Lovretta (Killjoys) partners with him on the script, and will expectedly focus on Aloy as the main character. The Horizon Zero Dawn series joins the ever-growing list of PlayStation titles set for a screen adaptation, including The Last of Us and God of War.

Set in a post-apocalyptic United States overrun by hostile machines, Horizon Zero Dawn follows young hunter Aloy, who sets out to uncover her past. Developed by Guerrilla Games, Zero Dawn and its sequel, Horizon Forbidden West, chronicle her journey from getting treated as an outcast in her tribe, to growing into a hero that saves mankind from a catastrophic threat to the future. Players could unleash devastating attacks onto enemies, as they mount machines and face off against rival tribes for control, all while exploring the open world teeming with resources and wildlife.

The game received a positive reception from fans and critics alike but suffered commercially, due to its launch being aligned a week before The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild’s release. Horizon Zero Dawn was initially released on the PS4 before getting ported to PC in August 2020. Blackman intends to recreate the same story for mainstream audiences. ”My writing partner on this, Michelle Lovretta, and I are thrilled to be able to expand this remarkable IP into a series for all types of viewers,” he said in a prepared statement to Netflix.

News regarding the Horizon Zero Dawn Netflix series comes after Blackman announced the fourth and final season for The Umbrella Academy. Season 4 will serve as a “fitting end” to the Hargreeves siblings’ journey, as they enter a new timeline where their powers no longer work. Blackman will executive produce the final season, before jumping into his newly-extended creative partnership with Netflix. The deal outlines him spearheading the aforementioned Horizon Zero Dawn show and an original sci-fi piece called Orbital (not to be confused with the Gadgets 360 podcast of the same name).

“From a character- and world-building perspective, there’s a clear throughline: I gravitate to characters who are grounded and relatable but exist on the fringe. Outliers who struggle to find their place in a world of conformity and structure,” he said in relation to his interest in exploring Aloy’s story. “Horizon Zero Dawn is an exceptionally well-crafted game with wonderful characters not often seen in the rank-and-file of the gaming world. Guerrilla Games has created an incredibly lush and vivid world of man and machine who find themselves on a collision course to oblivion.”

As for Orbital, Blackman is collaborating with David and Keith Lynch — not to be confused with filmmaker David Lynch — to create a Space Station-set series, with a fair share of dark humour, desperate characters, and “wild action sequences.” Further information will be revealed in the future, but for now, Blackman has confirmed that Orbital will not feature any aliens.

Earlier this week, reports filtered in about a live-action movie based on Days Gone and Gravity Rush. Both films are in the early development stages.

Over on HBO, we got the first teaser for The Last of Us TV series, starring Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey, along with the first look at Nick Offerman’s Bill.

Currently, there is no set release window for the Horizon Zero Dawn Netflix series.

Check out our Latest News and Follow us at Facebook

Original Source

Sony Xperia 5 IV Could Be Announced as the Company’s New Smartphone on September 1

Sony has revealed that it will be announcing a new Xperia device on September 1 on a livestream via its official YouTube page. The nature of the device is still unclear; however, it could be the Xperia 5 IV smartphone. This handset was reportedly spotted on the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) certification database. Rumours have suggested that the Xperia 5 IV could be equipped with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 SoC and may offer the same camera specifications as its predecessor, the Xperia 5 III.

Sony has teamed up with musician Cat Burns to record her latest music video on this new Xperia device. The event will be livestreamed on the official Sony Xperia YouTube channel on September 1 at 4pm JST / 12:30 pm IST. The company has remained tight-lipped regarding any specifications about this upcoming Xperia device.

This new Xperia product could be the Xperia 5 IV that reportedly surfaced on the FCC certification database. This smartphone is said to measure 155.74mm in height and 67.1mm in width, whereas the diagonal length could be 153.5mm. These measurements suggest that this smartphone may feature a 6.04-inch display.

In addition, the Sony Xperia 5 IV is expected to support NFC and Wi-Fi 6 wireless connectivity. It may even come with wireless charging support. The handset has been tipped to pack a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 SoC. It is expected to feature the same camera setup as its predecessor the Xperia 5 III.

The Sony Xperia 5 III launched last year in April. It has a 6.1-inch HDR OLED CinemaWide display with a full-HD+ resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate. It packs a Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 SoC paired with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of inbuilt storage. The smartphone features a 12-megapixel triple rear camera setup and an 8-megapixel selfie camera. It comes with a 4,500mAh battery with Xperia Adaptive Charging support.

For the latest tech news and reviews, follow Gadgets 360 on Twitter, Facebook, and Google News. For the latest videos on gadgets and tech, subscribe to our YouTube channel.

iPhone 14 Pro, iPhone 14 Pro Max Leaked Dummy Models Offer Glimpse at Design, Colour Options

India Set to Roll Out 6G Services by the End of This Decade: PM Narendra Modi



Check out our Latest News and Follow us at Facebook

Original Source

Spider-Man Remastered PC Mod That Replaced In-Game Pride Flags Shut Down by Modding Sites

A user-created game modification — or mod — designed to replace in-game pride flags from the recently-released PC port of Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered, was reportedlt taken down by NexusMods and ModDB, two of the biggest online sites for PC game mods. Both sites have confirmed that the ‘troll’ mod, which was uploaded from a new account, had been removed.

According to a report by The Verge, popular game mod hosting site NexusMods explained in a blog post that the mod for Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered was uploaded to its site by a brand-new account with no modding history, which the site’s administrators suspect is a secondary account for one of the site’s users, or a ‘sock puppet’ account.

The mod replaced the pride flags found around New York City with the US flag on Marvel’s Spider Man Remastered. Along with removing the mod, both “the sock puppet account and the user’s main account” have been banned by NexusMods.

“It was very clearly done deliberately to be a troll mod. The fact the user needed to make a sock puppet like a coward to upload the mod showed their intent to troll and that they knew it would not be allowed,” NexusMods stated.

“Had they not been a coward and had they used their main account instead, we would have simply removed the mod and told them that we did not want to host it, only banning them if they re-uploaded it again after being fairly warned. The creation of the sock puppet removed any doubt and made it a very easy decision for us,” they added.

ModDB, which hosts mods for PC games like NexusMods, also announced via a tweet that it had removed the mod. “ModDB is an inclusive environment for all and we do not permit targeting marginalized groups. Our content moderation is largely automated but when identified, we have a zero-tolerance policy for this kind of content,” the website said in the tweet.



Check out our Latest News and Follow us at Facebook

Original Source

God of War Ragnarök Set to Release on November 9; Pre-Order Bonuses, Special Editions Revealed

God of War Ragnarök’s release date is set for November 9. Sony shared a cinematic trailer for the game on Wednesday confirming that it will be available on the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5. Fans of the franchise will be able to pre-order it starting July 15 at 10am EST (7:30pm IST). The four editions of God of War Ragnarök have also been revealed along with pre-order bonuses. Notably, none of these bundles include a physical copy of the game, which has been seemingly replaced by empty steelbook cases.

God of War Ragnarök – Standard Edition / Launch Edition

Sony made the God of War Ragnarök release announcement on Wednesday confirming the November 9 release date. The standard edition will give players access to the complete game. The pre-orders will open from July 15 and will grant players the Launch Edition bonuses. They will receive two in-game cosmetic items — the Kratos Risen Snow Armor and the Atreus Risen Snow Tunic.

God of War Ragnarök – Digital Deluxe Edition

The Digital Deluxe Edition includes bonus in-game content that will get unlocked as players progress in the story. This special edition includes:

  • Kratos Darkdale Armor
  • Atreus Darkdale Attire (cosmetic)
  • Darkdale Blades Handles for the Blades of Chaos
  • Darkdale Axe Grip for the Leviathan Axe
  • Official God of War Ragnarök Digital Soundtrack
  • Dark Horse Digital Mini Artbook
  • Avatar Set
  • PlayStation 4 Theme

God of War Ragnarök – Collector’s Edition

The Collector’s Edition is a physical bundle that comes boxed in a mini replica of the Knowledge Keeper’s Shrine from God of War (2018). The shrine depicts the tale of a Giant Sorceress called Gróa, who was the first to have a vision of Ragnarök. This edition features all the bonuses offered in the Digital Deluxe Edition along with the following:

  • Steelbook Display Case
  • Vanir Twins Carvings (2-inch)
  • Dwarven Dice Set
  • Mjölnir Replica (16-inch)

God of War Ragnarök – Jötnar Edition

The Jötnar Edition is a premium edition of the game that includes nearly all the offerings of the Digital Deluxe Edition and the Collector’s Edition. It also comes encased in a mini replica of the Knowledge Keeper’s Shrine.

  • Vinyl Record with music by Bear McCreary (7-inch)
  • The Falcon, Bear, and Wolf Pin Set
  • The Legendary Draupnir Ring
  • Brok’s Dice Set
  • Yggdrasil Cloth Map
  • Steelbook Display Case
  • Vanir Twins Carvings (2-inch)
  • Mjölnir Replica (16-inch)

God of War Ragnarök will release on November 9 on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5. Pre-orders are set to open from July 15 with special editions of the game up for grabs.

For the latest tech news and reviews, follow Gadgets 360 on Twitter, Facebook, and Google News. For the latest videos on gadgets and tech, subscribe to our YouTube channel.

Redmi K50i 5G to Be Available on Amazon, Price Leaked Ahead of July 20 Launch

Delta Airlines Launches ‘Parallel Reality’ Personalised Flight Information Board At Detroit Metropolitan Airport



Check out our Latest News and Follow us at Facebook

Original Source

PlayStation Plus July 2022 Free Games Official: Crash Bandicoot 4, Man of Medan, Arcadegeddon

PlayStation Plus monthly free games for July 2022 are now official. PS Plus subscribers, across all three tiers — PS Plus Essential, PS Plus Extra, and PS Plus Deluxe/Premium — will be able to add Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time, The Dark Pictures Anthology: Man of Medan, and Arcadegeddon to their game library from July 5 to August 1. Notably, both the PS4 and PS5 versions of Crash Bandicoot 4, and Arcadegeddon will be available. Meanwhile, Man of Medan is a PS4 only title. Of course, most PS4 games are backwards compatible on the PS5.

Sony announced via an official blog post that the three free PS Plus games for July 2022 include Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time, The Dark Pictures Anthology: Man of Medan, and Arcadegeddon. All three tiers of PlayStation Plus subscribers will be able to add these games to their library from July 5 to August 1. This announcement is in line with the recent leak that suggested that these three would be the free games for July 2022.

Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time

Bend the rules of reality and take on dangerous obstacles on this thrilling adventure in which not just the universe. but the entire multiverse is at stake. Wielding four powerful guardians of space and time, Crash and Coco will have to battle bosses such as N. Gin, Louise, Nitrus Brio, and Nefarious Tropy. The game also allows you to play as Tawna, Dingodile, and Dr Neo Cortex.

The Dark Pictures Anthology: Man of Medan

Developers of revered titles like Until Dawn and The Quarry, Supermassive Games bring another cinematic horror game — Man of Medan. The fate of all five playable characters is in your hands, as a holiday diving trip takes a sinister turn. You can go solo, or team up with friends locally or online to go through the terrifying story.

Arcadegeddon

Gilly decides to save his arcade from a faceless mega-corporation by developing a new super game. Unfortunately, the corp launches a cyberattack to prevent the protagonist from accomplishing this task. You and up to three of your friends can team up to save the game from the virus. Arcadegeddon is an ever-evolving multiplayer co-op shooter that features a mixture of Player vs Enemy (PvE) and Player vs Player (PvP) modes.

Before the arrival of these games, PlayStation Plus subscribers will have until Monday, July 4 to add the June 2022 games — God of War (2018), Naruto to Boruto: Shinobi Striker, and Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl — to their game library.

The free PS Plus games are not to be confused with the new Game Catalogue available on PS Plus Extra, Deluxe, and Premium. While the Game Catalogue titles can only be played until they exist on the service, the free PS Plus games can be played as long as you’ve an active subscription to any of the tiers.

Check out our Latest News and Follow us at Facebook

Original Source

Exit mobile version