BioWare continues to work on Dragon Age 4, but don’t expect it to release anytime soon. Electronic Arts CFO Blake Jorgensen said on an earnings call that Dragon Age 4 is likely still two or more years away from releasing.

He said fans can expect to play Dragon Age 4 after Fiscal Year 2022. That period runs from April 1, 2021 through March 31, 2022, so fans shouldn’t expect Dragon Age 4 until April 2022 at the very soonest. Jorgensen said “plans are underway for that product,” which makes it sound like it’s still early days for Dragon Age 4.

After much speculation, Dragon Age 4’s first teaser was shown during The Game Awards in December 2018. A brief teaser trailer showed some slow pans across artifacts, and a hashtag that likely hints at a central story figure. It read, “The Dread Wolf Rises.”

In a 2018 blog post, BioWare’s Mark Darrah confirmed that Dragon Age 4 has been in the works for “quite a while.” Some of the “core” team that worked on the previous Dragon Age games are back for the new one, while BioWare’s plan is to “push BioWare’s storytelling to the next level.”

Dragon Age 4’s creative director is Matthew Goldman. He said BioWare has put together its “strongest team yet” to work on the new Dragon Age. He called it the “most epic quest ever.”

Dragon Age 4 may not be the only title BioWare is working on right now, as Jorgensen added that BioWare has other titles in the works, though he did not name them.

The Dragon Age franchise hasn’t seen a new release since 2014’s Dragon Age: Inquisition. That game was well received and it was a commercial success.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/dragon-age-4-still-happening-but-its-a-long-time-a/1100-6471009/

The Star Wars: Battlefront series from Electronic Arts is a tremendous commercial success, despite all the hullabaloo about loot boxes and microtransactions. The publisher confirmed in its latest earnings report that the 2015 Star Wars: Battlefront and its 2017 sequel Battlefront II have combined to sell 33 million copies.

No details were provided about how the sales numbers break down by title. However, EA did disclose earlier that Battlefront II sold 9 million copies over its first three months in 2017, which compares to 13 million copies sold for the first Battlefront over its first quarter in 2015.

With both Battlefront games now combining for 33 million sales, it seems the titles performed very well after their initial releases.

EA caught a lot of flak over how Battlefront II allowed players to buy loot boxes–which contained items that affected gameplay–for real money. This controversy led to a global discussion about loot boxes, and various lawmakers around the world began looking into best practices. In the United States, the ESRB has begun to place stickers on game boxes to inform purchasers about whether or not a game has loot boxes. Additionally, Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo have announced plans for further disclosures about loot boxes.

33 million in sales for both Battlefront games is a huge number, but it only begins to describe how much money the games are bringing in. Battlefront II got rid of loot boxes, but the game does have numerous microtransactions available for players, and EA’s live services–which cover these microtransactions–are booming at the publisher right now.

Impacting the profitability of the Battlefront games is the fact that EA must pay Disney/Lucasfilm a licensing fee. Terms of EA’s deal with Disney are unknown, however.

There is no word yet on if EA will make Star Wars: Battlefront 3, though given the success of the first two games that seems likely. The franchise is developed by DICE, which is making a next-generation Battlefield title and another mysterious title.

EA’s next Star Wars games is Jedi Fallen Order, which launches on November 15 for PS4, Xbox One, and PC. This game is not expected to be as popular as either Battlefront title, as EA is modeling sales of 6-8 million copies during its launch quarter.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/despite-loot-box-controversy-eas-star-wars-battlef/1100-6471006/

The reimagined, revamped version of Persona 5 has officially launched in Japan, and developer/publisher Atlus went the extra mile in letting people know it’s out there. Along with a launch day livestream, a modified version of Persona 5 Royal‘s opening cinematic took over multiple screens at the iconic Shibuya Crossing. It’s life imitating art, as the Phantom Thieves have a knack for hijacking the huge screens of their fictional Shibuya during pivotal moments in the game.

You can watch an on-the-ground video of this happening in a tweet from the official Japanese Persona Twitter account:

The Twitter fan account Persona Spain also clipped the moment from the livestream’s angle, which you can see below:

Here’s a photo from the ground that shows another angle of what it looked like at Shibuya Crossing:

P5R has a slew of additional content like a whole new palace, new social events, an extra semester in the story’s timeline, additional battle mechanics, more activities during free time in Tokyo, My Palace mode, new characters, new endings…it’s wild.

The new character, named Kasumi Yoshizawa, plays an immense role in P5R, and her presence drastically changes the way events of the original game play out. Not only is Kasumi woven into the existing story beats, but she has her own narrative arc that adds more to the story. You can learn more about her in my breakdown of Kasumi’s first character trailer.

I’ve been following Persona 5 Royal closely, and you can get up to speed with my earlier P5R trailer breakdown and explainer of P5R’s new features. Persona 5 Royal is set to launch exclusively on PlayStation 4 in the West in Spring next year.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/persona-5-royal-takes-over-shibuya-in-real-life-to/1100-6471000/

Making video games is hard. The beautiful landscapes, the engaging combat, and the stories that stick with us for years all came from hard-working and talented individuals who spent years honing their craft. As someone who has tried making a small-scale game themselves, it can seem like a steep uphill hike trying to learn game development. It can also be expensive, but if you’re looking to learn, then digital games retailer Fanatical has a great deal on some game development ebook bundles.

Fanatical is offering several ebook bundles, many of which relate to game development and other forms of programming and web production. You can take a look at a selection of some of the best below or head over to Fanatical to see them all.

See all ebook bundles at Fanatical

Unreal Game Development bundle – up to 25 ebooks for $15

The first is a Pick-and-Mix bundle on Unreal game development. You can add up to 25 ebooks for only $15 USD or less, a huge savings if you take a look at the prices of some of these books. You can also get one book for $1.29, five for $5, or 10 for $7.

See Unreal bundle at Fanatical

Unity Game Development bundle – 15 books for $10

The second bundle is a 15-book package on the Unity game engine. The price of all of those books combined is $547.85, but Fanatical is offering the bundle for $10.

See Unity bundle at Fanatical

Blender Computer Animation bundle – 15 books for $10

There’s also a bundle for the 3D modeling and animation program, Blender. Fanatical is offering similar savings with 15 ebooks for $10.

See Blender bundle at Fanatical

Fanatical’s Halloween sale is also in full swing with over 1,000 deals on some spooky (and not-so-spooky) games. Plus, use coupon code SCREAM666 for an additional 6.66% off at checkout. One of the standout discounts is Resident Evil 2 for $26.40, which is even cheaper than it is in Steam’s Halloween sale. However, that deal is only available until October 31 at 9 AM PT / 12 PM ET. Other games featured in the sale include Mortal Kombat 11, Lego DC Super Villians, and the Hitman 2 expansion pass.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/get-500-worth-of-game-development-ebooks-for-10/1100-6470999/

November’s free games for PlayStation Plus subscribers have been revealed, and it’s one of the best months in a while. Subscribers will get the challenging action game Nioh as well as the terrifying horror game Outlast 2.

Nioh is set in fictional feudal Japan and puts you in the shoes of William Adams who–in-game and in real life–is the first Western samurai. Its gameplay is very comparable to the Dark Souls series, with challenging combat, huge open levels, and big bosses that will likely kick your butt. Our Nioh review scored it a 9/10 and called it an “effective and engrossing spin on Dark Souls-inspired combat and exploration.”

Gigantic bosses can cause dread, but the second PS Plus game inspires pure terror. Outlast 2 is a first-person trek through one terrifying area after another. After a helicopter accident, your wife goes missing in a creepy remote region that’s full of disfigured cultists looking to murder anyone they find. Equipped with your trusty camcorder, you must utilize its night-vision and recording functionality to sneak, survive, and save your wife. GameSpot’s Outlast 2 review compared the game to “a ride through a really amazing haunted house,” scoring it a 7/10.

Both games join the PS Plus lineup on November 5. Once they’re available, you can add them to your basket and checkout. After that, they’re yours to keep for as long as you’re subscribed to PlayStation Plus.

Of course, there’s still some time left for October’s PlayStation Plus offerings, so if you haven’t claimed the free games for this month, then make sure to do so before time runs out. The Last of Us Remastered and MLB The Show 19 are available to claim until November 5.

If you’re also subscribed to Xbox Live Gold, then be sure to check out the free Games With Gold for November 2019.

PS Plus free games for September 2019

Available November 5 – December 3

• Nioh
• Outlast 2

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/ps-plus-november-2019-new-free-ps4-games-announced/1100-6470997/