Ryu Ga Gotoku’s studio boss has credited subscription services such as Xbox Game Pass for the Yakuza series’ growing popularity in the west. Almost the entireYakuzaseries – eight titles in total – have been available on Game Pass since 2020, barringsome temporary removals. This summer, the same library of games was added to the newPlayStationPlus Premium and Extra libraries. The latest instalment, Yakuza: Like A Dragon, was released day and date onXboxGame Pass....

Sumo Digital has launched a new Sackboy: A Big Adventure update which introduces online multiplayer to the game. The feature was originally planned to be included when the game launched on November 12 but it was delayed to ensure it offered “the very best experience” possible for players. SupportingPS4andPS5cross-play, online multiplayer enables users to play through Sackboy’s adventure with up to three teammates. The update also introduces a set of 10 dedicated Teamwork Levels....

Seth Rogen has claimed that Sony once banned Jonah Hill from touching a PlayStation on-screen. Speaking on the red carpet at South By South West, the Pineapple Express actor was asked what the most ridiculous note he ever received from a studio was. A note is typically a minor demand made by a production company during the production of a film. “On Superbad, we were told that Jonah Hill’s character, Seth, was so reprehensible to the studio that they were like, there’s a scene where they’re playing video games and (Sony) was like ‘Jonah can’t touch aPlayStation‘....

Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) has “high hopes” of enticing PC players to PS5 by continuing to release its “tentpole” singe-player games for console first. While its live service games will be released simultaneously for PS5 andPC, console players willcontinue to receive early access to Sony’s narrative-driven titles. Hermen Hulstand Hideaki Nishino,who will be the new joint CEOs of SIEstarting on June 1, discussed this strategy during aPlayStationbusiness briefing on Thursday....

PlayStation president Jim Ryan has said the platform holder is “doing our best” to predict demand for PS5’s Digital Edition console. Retailers around the world openedpre-orders for the two PlayStation 5 modelsthis week. The standard edition will retail for $100 / £90 more than the Digital Edition ($400 / £360), which shares the same hardware specs but does not include a disc drive. However, VGC reported on Wednesday thatstock for the Digital Edition console was expected to be significantly lowerthan the standard version worldwide, per our publishing sources....

1047 Games CEO Ian Proulx has apologized for the “Make FPS Great Again” hat he wore on stage during Summer Games Fest in Los Angeles. Proulx appeared in a segment last week during theGeoff Keighley-hosted show, in which he announced a battle royale mode forSplitgate2, and criticised the state of the shooter genre. However, it was the CEO’s MAGA-style hat that attracted attention from viewers, due to its obvious political connotations – especially during the weekend when President Donald Trumpdeployed National Guard members to Los Angeles– the same city whereSummer Game Festis held – amid major protests around immigration raids....

Valve has announced plans for Steam Deck’s delayed launch next month. The company will distribute the first batch of order emails to reservation holders (in the order they were placed) shortly after 10am PT / 1pm ET / 6pm GMT on February 25. Customers will be given 72 hours from receipt of their order email to purchase aSteamDeck or their reservation will be passed to the next person waiting....

Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League has received its final significant content update. DeveloperRocksteady Studiosconfirmed in December that the game’s current season would be its last. And Season 4 concluded today with the launch of Season 4 Episode 8. “While Season 4 Episode 8 will mark the final battle against Brainiac, all online features will continue to be available, so you’ll still be able to enjoy co-op with friends, as well as all previous seasonal/episodic content,” Rocksteady explained....

The Switch has received its latest system update, and while relatively minor it will fix an eShop bug for some players. Version 12.0.3. was released yesterday, and according to the officialNintendopatch notes, all it adds is “general system stability improvements to enhance the user’s experience”. However,Switchdataminer OatmealDome investigated the actual changes made to the Switch’s firmware and noted on Twitter that there were changes made to: [Nintendo Switch System Update]The 12....

Tango Gameworks is planning “a more open world type of experience” for Hi-Fi Rush 2, according to Krafton. The South Korean publisher, which recentlyacquired the Japanese studio and the Hi-Fi Rush IPfromMicrosoft, discussed its plans for the series in an interview withGamesIndustry.biz. Kraftonhead of corporate development Maria Park said Tango was working on a six-month-old build ofHi-Fi Rush2 when the companies first met, although the sequel is currently on hold until Microsoft has transferred all of the related assets to its new owner....

An Xbox version of The Outlast Trials has been spotted on the Xbox Store. As reported byXbox Era, a listing forThe Outlast Trials: Deluxe Editionhas appeared on the store. Latest update8th Dec 2023 / 2:20 am The game has now been officially announced. The Outlast Trials is coming toPS5,PS4,Xbox Series X/SandXbox Oneon July 28, 2025. The game has been aPCexclusive since it was released in early access in 2023....

Microsoft’s proposed acquisition of Activision Blizzard has been blocked by the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). After months of investigation, the regulator published its final report on the $69 billion deal on Wednesday and said it had prevented it over concerns it would “alter the future of the fast-growing cloud gaming market, leading to reduced innovation and less choice for UK gamers over the years to come.” The decision is the most significant yet inMicrosoft‘s battle to get the acquisition over the line....

There are only so many ways you can conquer the ancient world before it gets a bit predictable, but if you’re thinking Total War Pharaoh is just more of the same, Creative Assembly Sofia has a few surprises for you. Sure, it leaves most of the long-running strategy series’ key tenets unchanged. However, it builds on them in smart ways and makes the best use of any Total War game’s historical setting....