DGB 03.2022 SOURCES

-

From COMICBOOK.COM

A new report has claimed that Star Wars Eclipse, which is the upcoming video game from developer Quantic Dream, might not be releasing until 2027 at the earliest. This past December at The Game Awards, Star Wars Eclipse ended up being one of the most notable reveals of the show. The game was announced via a stunning new CGI trailer that gave some initial hints at what Eclipse could have in store. And while a number of fans were very excited to get their hands on Star Wars Eclipse, it looks like the game isn't going to actually launch for a very, very long time.

Coming by way of Xfire, it has been said that Star Wars Eclipse's internal release window is likely now somewhere between 2027 and 2028. When the project was first announced a couple of months back, it was made clear that Quantic Dream was only just getting started on the game's development. However, since announcing the title, Quantic Dream has reportedly had difficulties when it comes to bringing aboard new staff members. As such, the release of Star Wars Eclipse has now potentially been impacted, which has led to this new reported launch window.

-https://comicbook.com/gaming/news/star-wars-eclipse-release-date-2027-report/

-

From TECHRADAR.COM

PlayStation maker Sony announced on Monday plans to acquire Bungie for $3.6 billion – an enormous acquisition likely to shake up the gaming universe.

The announcement followed hot on the heels of the startling news last week that Xbox manufacturer Microsoft planned to take over Activision Blizzard – so the Japanese company countered with its own major gaming acquisition.

The game development studio is best known for helping the Xbox platform launch back in November 2001 as the initial developer of the Halo series and more recently has been helming the hugely popular Destiny franchise - which is soon to release its next major expansion with The Witch Queen.

Bungie has officially acknowledged the announcement in a blog post. In it Pete Parsons, CEO and Chairman of Bungie explains that he sees Sony Interactive Entertainment as “a partner who unconditionally supports us in all we are and who wants to accelerate our vision to create generation-spanning entertainment.”

In the same post, Parsons adds that "creative independence" remains at Bungie's heart. This will hopefully alleviate the fears of some fans that the studio will return to how it was run under Activision Blizzard - an arrangement that was ended due to a lack of control over its IP.

https://www.techradar.com/news/live/sony-is-buying-bungie-for-dollar36b

-

From ENGADGET.COM

Epic Games is continuing its habit of buying creator-friendly companies. The Fortnite developer has announced plans to acquire the online music platform Bandcamp. The move will help Epic build a "creator marketplace ecosystem" based on "fair and open" platforms, according to the companies. Bandcamp will still run its standalone store and community, and co-founder Ethan Diamond will continue to lead its operations.

The two didn't say how much the deal was worth or when they expected to finalize the arrangement.

The move follows a string of creativity-related acquisitions at Epic, including ArtStation, Cubic Motion and Sketchfab. While a music platform is an unusual purchase, it reflects Epic's evolution from a purely game-oriented company to one that produces visual effects tools for shows like The Mandalorian and turns games into creative platforms. While Bandcamp's exact role at Epic isn't known, it could easily help artists in various mediums profit from their work.

https://www.engadget.com/epic-games-acquires-bandcamp-173446180.html

-

From CBR.COM

According to reputable journalist and industry insider Jeff Grubb, developer EA Motive is now aiming to release Dead Space in early 2023. While a formal launch window was never announced, rumors suggested that the team was hoping to ship the game in late 2022. A reason behind the potential internal delay was not specified, but Grubb states that Electronic Arts is placing more time into the production process of Isaac Clarke's reimagined adventure to "wow fans when it returns."

While the remake of Dead Space does not have a release date, the game will launch for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and PC.

https://www.cbr.com/dead-space-remake-aiming-2023-launch/

-

From VARIETY.COM

Amazon Prime Video is in talks to pick up a “God of War” live-action TV series adaptation from Sony Pictures Television and PlayStation Productions, Variety has learned.

No deal has closed yet for the project based on the popular Santa Monica Studio-produced PlayStation game. The potential series hails from “The Expanse” creators Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby and “The Wheel of Time” showrunner Rafe Judkins.

Representatives for Sony Pictures Television and Amazon Studios declined to comment.

https://variety.com/2022/tv/news/god-of-war-tv-series-amazon-sony-playstation-1235198208/

-

Paramount Pictures released the final trailer for Sonic The Hedgehog 2, coming exclusively to cinemas April 8th.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=47r8FXYZWNU

-

Paramount+ released the second trailer for Halo The Series, streaming exclusively March 24th.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b4doITNi2RE

-

From ENGAGDET.COM

Another game has joined the increasingly long list of titles that are being adapted for TV. A show based on Asobo Studios’ A Plague Tale: Innocence is in the pipeline, joining the likes of The Last of Us and Twisted Metal.

As spotted by Eurogamer, French website Allocine reported that US production studios interested in the project were rebuffed in favor of keeping things close to Asobo’s home of Bordeaux with Merlin Productions. Details about casting, the production schedule and where you’ll be able to watch the series haven’t been revealed, though director Mathieu Turi (who was an assistant director on Inglourious Basterds) is working on the show.

A Plague Tale: Innocence has all the right ingredients for a good TV series, including an atmospheric, striking setting and a solid premise. It’s a stealth and puzzle-heavy adventure in which Amicia de Rune and her brother Hugo flee from French Inquisition soldiers and rats spreading the Black Plague in 14th-century France.

https://www.engadget.com/a-plague-tale-innocence-tv-adaptation-142845742.html

-

Avalanche Software and Warner Bros Interactive Entertainment revealed the gameplay of Hogwarts Legacy in a 15 minute video. The open-world game is set in the late 1800s, following a student at Hogwarts. The player attends Hogwarts late as a fifth year student. The player is able to choose their House and attend classes at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, alongside exploring an open world consisting of locations including the Forbidden Forest and Hogsmeade Village. The player character will learn to cast various magical spells, brew potions, tame magical beasts, keep an elf servant, and master combat abilities. A morality system plays a role in the game. Players will also be able to customize their character's voice, body type, wand type and gender.

The game is set to be released holiday 2022 for Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aOx7D1PSt9A

-

Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League has officially been delayed to spring 2023, according to an announcement from Rocksteady Games creative director Sefton Hill on Twitter.

“We’ve made the difficult decision to delay Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League to Spring 2023,” Hill’s tweet reads. “I know a delay is frustrating but that time is going into making the best game we can. I look forward to bringing the chaos to Metropolis together. Thanks for your patience.”

-

From GAMESRADAR.COM

Developer CD Projekt Red announced the next installment in the storied RPG franchise in a brief blog post. The new game hasn't been officially labeled as The Witcher 4, but it's said to kick off "a new saga for the franchise."

The Witcher 4, or whatever its final title ends up being, will see CD Projekt Red jump from REDengine, which was used for the development of Cyberpunk 2077, to Unreal Engine 5. The studio has been using the engine since The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings, released in 2011.

The creator of Unreal Engine, Epic Games, will also become a central partner for CD Projekt Red across a "multi-year strategic partnership." CDPR says it will be working to fine-tune the new-gen game engine to suit the open worlds it's known for.

https://www.gamesradar.com/the-witcher-4-is-in-the-works-and-wont-use-the-cyberpunk-2077-engine/

-

From KOTAKU.COM

A new lawsuit against Call of Duty publisher Activision Blizzard by a current employee raises fresh allegations of sexual harassment at the publisher, this time focused on leaders in Blizzard’s IT department. According to the lawsuit, the current employee was repeatedly subjected to unwanted advances, touching, and inappropriate remarks. She says she was retaliated against after reporting it to HR and subsequently passed over for promotions in an attempt to force her out of the company.

Filed in Los Angeles Superior Court on March 23, the new lawsuit represents a current employee (referred to as Ms. Doe) who first came forward with these allegations in a press conference last December. It claims that despite public promises by Activision Blizzard to support victims, it has continued to retaliate against the employee in the months since she came forward.

The lawsuit says she was passed over for a promotion weeks later and given no reason why. It also says that in January, the company lied in an email to other employees, saying she had been fired. “Activision Blizzard’s relentless efforts to push her out continued on February 1, 2022, when it hired two new temporary employees to perform the exact duties Ms. Doe performed,” the lawsuit reads.

The lawsuit also goes into new detail about the apparent sexual misconduct that took place in Blizzard’s IT department, naming among its defendants three former employees: former chief technology officer Ben Kilgore, former chief information officer Derek Ingalls, and former director of IT, Mark Skorupa. The first two were former Microsoft employees prior to Blizzard.

Activision Blizzard, Ingalls, and Skorupa did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Kilgore could not immediately be reached. Microsoft declined to comment.

https://kotaku.com/activision-blizzard-sexual-harassment-xbox-lawsuit-reta-1848700680

-

From ENGADGET.COM

Paramount+ is kicking off its Twitter watch parties with one of the service's more important shows. Twitter and Paramount+ are kicking off a series of watch parties for the Halo TV series that will give fans chances to discuss episodes in shared moments. The run begins today (March 25th) at 6PM Eastern with a 'pre-show' through the official account, with executive producer Kiki Wolfkill and stars Olive Gray and Kate Kennedy meeting online to discuss the series and offer a behind-the-scenes look.

From then on, you can expect nine regular "after-show" parties. The first takes place March 28th at 4PM Eastern, but you can expect a weekly cadence of parties starting April 1st at a similar time. The virtual festivities end on May 20th. The streams will include celebrity Halo enthusiasts, fan segments and other reasons to tune in.

https://www.engadget.com/halo-watch-party-twitter-paramount-plus-204241669.html

-

From ENGAGDET.COM

You might not have to wait much longer to see Sony's response to Microsoft's Game Pass. Bloomberg sources claim Sony is introducing its rumored "Spartacus" service, which combines PlayStation Now game access and PlayStation Plus online features, as soon as next week. The service will launch with a "splashy" collection of recent hit games, the tipsters said, but you might not see blockbuster games arrive on the service the same day as they're available for purchase. Don't expect to play the upcoming God of War Ragnarok right away.

There were no new leaks for pricing. Bloomberg previously mentioned three tiers that would include a $10 per month Essential offering identical to PlayStation Plus, a $13 Extra level with access to a Game Pass-style catalog of "hundreds" of downloadable games and a $16 Premium Tier that adds PlayStation Now's game streaming and pre-release game trials.

https://www.engadget.com/sony-playstation-spartacus-release-date-175504327.html

-

From BLOG.PLAYSTATION.COM

Hermen Hulst

Head of PlayStation Studios

Today, I’m delighted to announce that Haven Studios is officially joining PlayStation Studios! Jade Raymond brings a wealth of experience from her industry achievements and an infectious passion for creating games, and the leadership team at Haven is an equally impressive group of industry veterans who have collaborated on some of the biggest and most beloved games and franchises that many of us still enjoy today.

We began working with Jade and her team in early 2021 when they were on the brink of announcing the formation of Haven Studios. From their first pitch, we were inspired by Haven’s vision for creating a modern multiplayer experience that brings gamers together in positive and meaningful ways. We were confident in their creative and technical expertise to deliver on such an ambitious project and were thrilled to invest in their journey developing a new, original IP for PlayStation.

We’ve had the privilege of working closely with Haven this past year and have been impressed by the studio’s growth and progress. So now, practically on the anniversary of when we made our partnership official, it’s especially exciting to formally welcome them into the PlayStation family. We can’t wait to see what the future holds for Haven Studios.

Welcome to PlayStation Studios, Haven!

https://blog.playstation.com/2022/03/21/welcoming-haven-studios-to-the-playstation-studios-family/

-