PlayStation 4 sales declined this year, but Sony’s lead is still gigantic

Sony has now shipped 63.3 million PlayStation 4 systems to retailers worldwide, the company announced this week, up from 60 million this spring. The number came as part of the company’s earnings report, where the company said that it has sold 3.3 million systems since the previous call this spring. Of those shipped to retailers, Sony says about 60 million are actually off shelves and in consumers’ homes, according to GameSpot.

PlayStation 4 shipments dropped over this time last year, down from 3.5 million shipped. The company is expecting to sell fewer systems this year anyway, estimating 18 million total instead of the 20 million last year.

A mountain and a mole hill

SuperData Research estimated back in January that Microsoft had sold about 26 million Xbox One systems. Even if we’re generous with sales, which Microsoft no longer discloses, that puts Microsoft around or below the 30-million mark. That’s less than half. Compared to the previous generation, it’s less a contest and more a beatdown, and it has been almost without exception since launch.

A combination of a lower price at launch, some sharp marketing from Sony, and a huge, hubris-induced stumble we call Kinect, the PlayStation 4 jumped to the front of the line quickly and stayed there. Microsoft has done a lot since to make fans happy, but the company is still having trouble getting consoles off shelves right now.

With the Xbox One X, things could change. The system is the smallest Microsoft has produced and the most-powerful game console anyone has put out, with developers comparing it to a fairly expensive gaming rig. But even with that, Microsoft is asking $500 for  the system, a price gamers had trouble swallowing in 2013 for the original, under-powered Xbox One.  Contributing further to that is a relative lack of original games, excluding Forza Motorsport 7 and Crackdown 3, that show off the new system’s power in a meaningful way.

Microsoft has its Gamescom show on August 20, and could announce some things that make the deal a bit sweeter, but even so, 33 million is a big gap to close.

Add EA to the pile of companies glad that Red Dead 2 got delayed

Sometimes, video games can be massive. They can be so massive that other video games can suffer. Consider the “Call of Duty effect” that Activision’s shooter franchise once had. No publisher would want to launch their title near Call of Duty for fear that sales would be slowed due to its release.

That same notion applies to Red Dead Redemption 2, and companies have been relatively pleased to see it delayed out of 2017 and into 2018. Add EA to that list.

EA CFO Blake Jorgensen recently told investors that the delay of Red Dead Redemption 2 provides them with “a little bit of opportunity.”

“What we’ve found historically, we’ve had many times where we’ve gone into quarters that looked daunting because of the competition. Think back to [Grand Theft Auto V] when it came out, and what we actually found is it grows the overall market. It drives console sales. Oftentimes, many of those titles get bundled to help drive or reduce the price of a console for the consumer, and it drives excitement in the marketplace, and we like that. It benefits the consumer and it benefits us because it generates a lot of buzz around games.”

They like games like Red Dead Redemption 2 because they will push people to buy consoles and, in turn, eventually buy other games. They just don’t want their software to become a casualty near the release of titles like Red Dead 2.

Can you blame them? Red Dead Redemption 2’s gonna be huge.

Amazon Great Indian Sale Dates Announced: Deals, Offers, and More Details

HIGHLIGHTS

• The sale will start from August 9
• Amazon Pay Balance only deals to be available during sale
• You can play "Guess Who" game on app for sneak peek at deals

Amazon has announced dates of the next Amazon Great Indian Sale, the big sale the company holds every few months to mark major occasions. The next Amazon Great Indian Sale will start at 12am IST (midnight) on August 9 and end on 11.59pm IST on August 12, and is being held to celebrate the upcoming Independence Day. As part of the sale, the website will be offering "blockbuster deals at never-seen-before prices," the company said in its release. Unsurprisingly, the Amazon sale will see deals on a range of brands across categories, and Amazon Prime members will be getting exclusive Prime-only deals apart from 30 minutes Early Access to top deals.

Amazon sale offers

Amazon India will be offering "Amazon Pay Balance only deals" as part of the Great Indian Sale and customers topping up their Amazon Pay balance starting August 4 will get extra 15 percent cashback up to Rs. 300, the company said in its release. SBI credit and debit card holders can avail additional cashback of 15 percent on app and 10 percent on the website during the sale. On Amazon app, customers will be able to play 'Guess Who' and solve puzzles in order to get a "sneak peek" at the products that will go on a deal during the actual sale event, the company said. The programme will be live on August 7 and August 8 exclusively on the app.

Amazon says that there will be a 5 percent cashback on all email gift cards and up to 20 percent off on gift cards from BookMyShow, Cleartrip, Pantaloons, and Joyalukkas.

As part of the Great Indian Sale, Amazon India will be offering discounts on brands including Apple, OnePlus, Samsung, UCB, Puma, Adidas, Wrangler, Titan, Marks & Spencer, American Tourister, Vero Moda, BPL, Micromax, TCL, Lenovo, HP, IFB, Bosch,D'Décor, McAfee, and Kasperskyamong others.

"Amazon.in is also offering 'Amazon Pay balance only deals' on Apparel, Storage and Home with instant 10-15 percent cashback! When customers use their Amazon Pay balance they can enjoy fast and easy checkouts, quicker refunds coupled with a secured shopping experience," it said, adding, "Customers who shop on the app will also be eligible for exciting travel offers from goomo.com like all-expense paid trips to Bali," the company said.

Mass Effect: Andromeda studio will be merged with EA Motive

BioWare Montreal has had a tough go of it this year. After Mass Effect: Andromeda released to poor reviews from fans and critics alike, Electronic Arts put future work from the studio on hold and returned it to “support studio” status. Now, it seems the last nail is slamming into the coffin, and the studio is being entirely subsumed by EA Motive, co-developer Star Wars Battlefront II and the new Star Wars-related IP Jade Raymond is working on.

“We’re building a new studio in Montreal, as we’ve told everyone,” said EA CFO Blake Jorgensen in a recent financial call. “And we’ve hired over 100 people into that studio that are brand new to EA. This is to build the new IP around Jade Raymond’s team that she’s been building… and we brought our BioWare Montreal team into that same facility, so now they all sit in one new studio together.”

EA confirmed to TechRaptor that BioWare Montreal is indeed merging into EA Motive.

“With multiple major projects in development in Montreal, we are merging BioWare Montreal with Motive Studios. This is an ongoing process, but there are many exciting roles and opportunities for everyone on the team,” reads the statement from EA. “BioWare continues its work on new titles – including the highly-anticipated game Anthem. What’s coming next for BioWare is very exciting and we’re thrilled to have Casey Hudson to lead the studios in Edmonton and Austin.”

BioWare’s home base is in Edmonton, Alberta, and that’s where it typically leads products out of. Mass Effect: Andromeda was BioWare Montreal’s first big, lead project. With the disappointing performance and critical heat coming from press and fans alike, there was likely a lot of pressure to show investors that the mistake wouldn’t be repeated. With so many studios in Montreal, pouring the creative staff into another studio makes sense, and is better than closing the studio altogether.

Star Wars Battlefront II releases on November 17 for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One, while Jade Raymond’s project is currently without a release window.

Persona 5 anime scheduled to steal airwaves in 2018

Almost a year after its original Japanese release and selling nearly 2 million copies, Persona 5 is finally scheduled to follow in the footsteps of its predecessors. Atlus and anime studio A-1 Pictures have confirmed that the mega-hit JRPG will be getting its own anime adaptation in 2018.

The announcement popped up on Persona’s official Twitter account along with a teaser trailer.

超速報！！！！！
『ペルソナ５』　２０１８年　ＴＶアニメシリーズ化決定！#ペルソナ５https://t.co/BKSWbLoMijpic.twitter.com/6ke7IFhYj0

— モルガナ_ペルソナ広報 (@p_kouhou) July 30, 2017

A-1 Productions has enjoyed a long partnership with Atlus and the Persona series.The Persona 3 movies and the entire Persona 4 animated series have been the result of this partnership. And while the anime adaptations haven’t been as universally loved as the games, Persona 5’s unique art and movie style will at least make for some interesting television that will feel a bit more fresh.

Check out the anime in 2018, and be sure to play the game on the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4. 

When are Xbox One X pre-orders coming? Phil Spencer seems to know

We’ve already talked here about how I’m the target audience for the Xbox One X. Ever since Microsoft unveiled the console at E3 this June, I’ve been wondering when I might be able to pre-order the thing. My friend Tom would message me, demanding answers about when he might be able to pre-order his, too. Well, we won’t have to wait much longer.

Xbox boss Phil Spencer took to Twitter, replying to a few messages, but one stuck out. Asked about when Xbox One X pre-orders will be available, Spencer said that Microsoft’s “plan is set for this. All approvals are done, so now just landing the announce with all the info, won’t be too much longer.”

There’s a big game show coming up soon

If I had to put a date on it, I’d guess pre-orders will go live to coincide with Microsoft’s Gamescom show on August 20, but Spencer’s comment makes it sound like it could be even sooner.

The Xbox One X is launching no November 7, and will go for $499 when it hits shelves. The system is Microsoft’s smallest and most powerful console yet, and is making lots of promises about 4K gaming. I’m looking forward to getting my hands on one as soon as possible.

Marvel vs Capcom: Infinite adds five new fighters and Infinity Stones

Comic-Con is usually the place for a game like Marvel vs Capcaom: Infinite to shine, and it can do so if it includes the words “spider” and “man” together anywhere in a sentence. Luckily, the web-slinger has decided to show up in the game, to the relief of Marvel fans all around the world, and he is joined by Gamora from Guardians of the Galaxy from the Marvel side in this latest roster update.

On the Capcom side, Dead Rising’s Frank West, Resident Evil’s Nemesis, and Final Fight’s Mike Haggar all got name dropped for their inclusion in the game.

The new trailer, seen below, also introduces the Mind Stone mechanic, which Capcom describes like this:

The Mind Stone is the fifth announced Infinity Stone for Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite. This stone brings a command grab type of attack to its wielder in the air and on the ground. Upon landing a successful Infinity Surge attack, the opponent will fall to the ground and wake up in a daze, giving the wielder plenty of time to set up their next attack. Activating the Infinity Storm gives players a boost in hyper gauge regeneration. Hyper gauge will naturally increase without performing any additional actions, letting players build up their powerful super attacks much faster.

Man, this is starting to give me Power Stone flashbacks. Way to tool the Infinity Stones into the gameplay, Capcom. Marvel vs Capcom Infinite will be released for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC in 2017.

Pokémon GO is finally ready to unleash the Legendary birds

It’s been a year in waiting, but from this weekend, you’ll be three steps closer to finishing your first generation Pokedex. Niantic has confirmed that the three legendary birds Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres will be appearing this weekend in Pokémon GO.

The update containing the three birds is already rolling out. My phone just downloaded automatically as I’m writing this!

The first of these legendary creatures will make an appearance at a huge event in Grant Park, Chicago. If enough trainers at the event defeat the legendary bird in a one-time raid, all of the birds will start to spread to raids throughout the world.

Best of luck and happy hunting to all.

Samurai Shodown V Special returns with bloodraged, uncensored fights

Well, this is one way to reintroduce us to a cult-classic. SNK’s often Japan-exclusive fighting series Samurai Shodown made a surprise appearance at EVO 2017 this past weekend, and the recently updated Samurai Shodown Vbrought along a new element to it.

Straight from Mortal Kombat’s playbook no less

.Samurai Shodown V Special adds a new, uncensored gore mode, which just gets really unsettling when you consider that the series has never been especially dark. Where as Mortal Kombat sees you committing gruesome murder on people who at least look like they deserve it, the bright, happy anime aesthetic in Samurai Shodown is just… weird.

Samurai Shodown V Special adds a new, uncensored gore mode, which just gets really unsettling when you consider that the series has never been especially dark. Where as Mortal Kombat sees you committing gruesome murder on people who at least look like they deserve it, the bright, happy anime aesthetic in Samurai Shodown is just… weird.

Raunchy! Still, it’s nice to see that SNK is still kicking around after years of corporate shuffling, and the chance to play this elusive fighting game on modern consoles is a welcome treat.

Samurai Shodown V Special will be released for the PlayStation 4 and PS Vita in 2018.

Pokemon Go Acknowledges First Birthday, But No Event....Yet

Pokemon Go commemorated its first anniversary by releasing a new piece of artwork that showedseveral of the game's characters along with many of the game's most popular Pokemon. In an accompanying tweet, the game asked fans to share their favorite memories of the last year.

Thanks for joining us for an amazing first year of #PokemonGO, Trainers! Tweet us your favorite Pokémon GO story. pic.twitter.com/E6EAvaiLjj

— Pokémon GO (@PokemonGoApp) July 6, 2017

 Of course, a goofy piece of artwork and a single tweet was not what many players were expecting to hear from Pokemon Go today. After new code was found in the game's latest update, many players were expecting an event of some kind to celebrate the game's first birthday in style.

However, while Pokemon Go's new artwork appears to just be a goofy celebration of the game, it could also be a hint as to a possible surprise for tomorrow. After all, the "party hat Pikachu" makes an appearance in the image, and we know Pokemon Go is set to release a "rare Pikachu" at the event next month.

You'll also notice the PokeStops in the imageare all lured, which could be a hint at tomorrow's alleged event as well.

Of course, this is all idle speculation and it's possible that Pokemon Go wanted to remind players that Professor Willow was still alive and kicking. Looks like we'll find out if Pokemon Go has something bigger planned for their first birthday tomorrow.

Bayonetta 1 and 2 coming to Nintendo Switch? Seems Platinum is teasing it

Platinum Games, the makers of Bayonetta, Vanquish, The Wonderful 101 and the team behind NieR: Automata opened up a new Twitter account. The first tweet they fired off? This one.

Now, that’s obviously an image featuring Bayonetta from Bayonetta and Bayonetta 2. The coloring of the images also draws a direct line to the neon blue and red Joy-Con for the Nintendo Switch. Plenty have made that connect, and some tweeted about it.

The interesting thing? Platinum actually liked one of the tweets making the connection. Are they teasing Nintendo Switch ports of Bayonetta and Bayonetta 2? Seems like it.

Having played through both already, I’d absolutely buy these games again on the Nintendo Switch if they really happen. Bayonettais a beautiful example of Japanese action game development, and Platinum are one of the best in the modern era for the genre.

If this turns into more than a tease, we’ll have the news.