Sony has teamed up with Spin Master to launch a new range of collectible figures based on PlayStation Studios franchises. Dubbed the PlayStation Shapes collection, the figures include Aloy and Varl from Horizon: Forbidden West, Kratos and Atreus from God of War, and Jin Sakai from Ghost of Tsushima.

When will the Shapes Collection figures be released?

The figures from the Shapes Collection will start shipping from the PlayStation Gear store on August 15, 2024, in Europe. The PlayStation Gear store for the United States currently has a placeholder shipping date of January 1, 2025; however, Sony’s Vice President of Network Advertising, Loyalty & Licensed Merchandise, Grace Chen, has said the figures will ship in August. All of the figures are available to pre-order now.

All five of the 6-inch adjustable figures have been created in collaboration with developers who worked on the games. Each has interchangeable accessories and can be posed in many different ways thanks to dozens of points of articulation.

Horizon’s Aloy is the most expensive of the five at $49.99. She has 42 points of articulation and 15 accessories that include interchangeable face plates, hands, a precision bow, spear, arrow, and quiver. Her companion Varl is priced at $29.99. He has 32 points of articulation and an unspecified number of accessories that include his axe and two sets of hands for various grips.

Kratos and Atreus from God of War are also $29.99 each. The former has 31 points of articulation and accessories like the Leviathan Axe and Blades of Chaos. Meanwhile, Atreus has 33 points of articulation and comes with a bow, arrow, and interchangeable hands.

Completing the collection is Ghost of Tsushima’s Jin Sakai. Also priced at $29.99, he has 32 points of articulation. His collection of accessories include his katana, tanto, mempo mask, and an additional sword.

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Firewalk Studios has announced the dates for the Concord open beta, as well as when players can get into the Early Access weekend before that. Both the open beta and Early Access beta will be available on PS5 and PC, with optional cross-play support able to bring players together on both platforms.

The Concord open beta and early access dates

The Concord open beta will begin on July 18, 2024, and will run until July 21. However, those who preorder any version of the game will get five codes for the Early Access beta that runs from July 12 to July 14. This allows them to bring along four friends for the first opportunity to get hands-on with the multiplayer shooter.

The beta weekends offer access to all 16 playable Freegunners that will be available at launch in August. These include Haymar, Vale, Lennox, 1-0FF, and Star Child who all appeared in the reveal trailer, as well as new characters like It-Z, Teo, and Bazz. Each has its own abilities, traversal, and gunplay feel to accommodate a range of playstyles.

The Early Access beta will have three game modes — Trophy Hunt, Cargo Run, and Clash Point. When the open beta begins the following weekend, a fourth Area Control mode will also become available:

• Trophy Hunt: A respawn-based mode where you fight to take down members of the rival crew and collect their bounty cards to earn points for your team. The first team to reach the target score before time runs out wins the match.
• Cargo Run: A no-respawn mode where teams compete to retrieve the Blue Buddy robotic package delivery system, plant it at one of the zones, and defend it from the rival crew to win.
• Clash Point: A round-based, no-respawn game mode where teams compete to control a single capture zone at a central location on the map.
• Area Control: A respawn mode where teams compete to control multiple capture and control zones around the map. Control two or more zones to increase your team’s score and reach the point threshold to win.

Four maps will be in rotation during the Early Access beta. Freewater is a fortified outpost on the planet of Glance with a large central area and perimeter lanes. Water Hazard is a large floating fishing rig on the water-covered planet of Leviathan with a captured Morack as its centerpiece. An ancient observatory atop the tallest mountain on the planet Gloom is the setting for Star Chamber, while Shock Risk takes place beneath a massive conductive kite in the sky that harvests lightning on the planet Leviathan.

Finally, when the open beta begins, a fifth map will be added to the collection; Bone Mines is set amidst mining caverns and the skeletal remains of massive vastadons on Akkar.

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Sony’s Screen Gems and PlayStation Studios are in the process of adapting Supermassive Games’ Until Dawn to the silver screen. The studios recently revealed part of the cast of the upcoming film, announcing four of its principal actors.

Who’s a part of the Until Dawn cast?

On Friday, Deadline reported that Ella Rubin, Odessa A’zion, Ji-young Yoo, and Michael Cimino have all been tapped to appear in Sony’s film adaptation of Until Dawn. However, the studios haven’t announced the actors’ roles.

Fans may recognize Rubin as the actress who played Izzy in Amazon Prime’s The Idea of You, starring Anne Hathaway. Prime watchers may also recognize A’zion as Corinne from the romantic comedy film Sitting in Bars with Cake. Yoo, meanwhile, was nominated for a Gotham TV Award for her portrayal of Mercy Cho in Amazon’s Expats. Finally, Cimino is best known as the title character in Hulu’s teen drama series Love, Victor.

“At PlayStation Productions, we are always looking to find creative and authentic ways to adapt our beloved games that our fans will enjoy,” PlayStation’s Asad Qizilbash said of the Until Dawn film. “Alongside Screen Gems, we’ve assembled a fantastic cast of new characters that builds upon our already stellar filmmaking team and their vision for the adaptation. We’re excited to reveal more about the movie soon.”

Sony’s film adaptation of Until Dawn is being directed by David F. Sandberg. His filmography includes horror movies like Lights Out and Annabelle: Creation and the DC Cinematic Universe’s Shazam! movies. Until Dawn’s screenplay is written by Gary Dauberman, who replaced Blair Butler.

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Today’s Summer Game Fest show has confirmed the existence of the much-rumored LEGO Horizon Adventures for release on PS5, Nintendo Switch, and PC this holiday season through a new trailer. The action-adventure game is being co-developed by Guerrilla Games and Studio Gobo yet still has the characteristics of a typical LEGO game.

What the LEGO Horizon Adventures trailer shows

The LEGO Horizons Adventure trailer shows Hotdog Guy as he nearly gets squished by a rampaging Thunderjaw. The good news is that LEGO Aloy is there to save him. She then ventures through a LEGO-fied post-apocalyptic US alongside pals like Varl, taking down familiar dinosaur-like machines by throwing sharks at them, and collecting “all the shiny things.”

The story begins when Aloy is found in a cave as a baby by a huntsman called Rost, who raises her and teaches her everything she needs to know to survive. On a search for her true destiny, she finds a thousand-year-old hologram of a scientist called Elisabet. The world is endangered by a group of sun worshipers who bow to an Ancient Evil, and she must confront their leader Helis.

There’s also a chance to turn the village of Mother’s Heart into a theme park, as players can construct and decorate unique LEGO buildings and ornaments. Alongside these are plenty of outfits to unlock like a bee, carrot, banana, or astronaut. Whether Aloy ever gets her desired hotdog costume remains to be seen.

The game features co-op play for two players, both as couch co-op and online multiplayer. There wasn’t any confirmation of the rumored cross-play between platforms, nor whether the game will feature a typical live-service model.

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Rumor has it that PlayStation Studios plan to showcase more games during the Summer Game Fest 2024 in June. If you’re one of those who were left underwhelmed by yesterday’s State of Play, then don’t lose hope just yet as there might be more coming from Sony’s first-party developers.

What PlayStation Studios could potentially bring to Summer Game Fest 2024

The aforementioned report comes from known and reliable insider Midori, who goes as @MbKKssTBhz5 on X. Although they mostly focus on Sega and Atlus leaks, which have been accurate thus far, they appear to have some knowledge of what’s coming to Summer Game Fest.

One of the games speculated to show up at the event is Lego Horizon Adventures, which was recently leaked and corroborated by several insiders. The game did not make it to yesterday’s State of Play, so there’s a chance we’ll see it at the upcoming show.

Considering Hideo Kojima’s relationship with the event host Geoff Keighley, there’s speculation that Death Stranding 2 will also be showcased at Summer Game Fest. However, Death Stranding 2 isn’t considered a first-party game even though Sony owns the IP.

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 DLC has been rumored for a while so there’s a chance Sony will choose to showcase the content at a more recognized event. But take all of this with a grain of salt to avoid a second round of disappointment.

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It’s almost time for the PlayStation State of Play May 2024 livestream to begin, and you’ve come to the right place to watch it. While we didn’t get the Showcase that some expected, players will get a much-needed update on what’s coming to PS5 and PSVR 2, especially from PlayStation Studios.

Watch the PlayStation State of Play May 2024 livestream right here

The livestream below will kick off at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT. Read on for what to expect from the show and what we’ve gathered from credible leakers and insiders so far.

Still here? Good! According to Sony, the State of Play will be over 30 minutes long and will feature 14 games. We’re not sure about the split between PS5 and PSVR 2, but we’ve had credible reports that one of the games is a new Astro Bot title, Silent Hill 2 remake will make an appearance, and there’s a possibility that God of War Ragnarok’s PC port will be announced.

Firewalk’s live service game Concord, which Sony confirmed will release in 2024, is also expected to be showcased. As far as some less credible reports go, Until Dawn’s PS5 and PC release has been rumored, and we’ve heard rumblings that Monster Hunter: Wilds and a Marvel title will also appear at the event.

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Sony has revealed that the most popular and beloved PlayStation Studios are still focused on single-player games. The company held a business meeting earlier today, as part of which PlayStation CEOs Hermen Hulst and Hideaki Nishino provided an update on the state of affairs at Sony Interactive Entertainment.

PlayStation Studios have ‘differentiated and complementary capabilities’ when it comes to making games

Hulst and Nishino presented a slide which showed how PlayStation Studios are split based on their strengths and focus. Santa Monica Studio, Insomniac Games, Naughty Dog, and Sucker Punch Productions are all listed as single-player, narrative-focused studios.

Other categories include Partner Studios, Evolving/Multi-Genre Studios, and Live Service Focused Studios. Partners include the likes of Nixxes and Bluepoint, which help port games. Guerrilla Games and Bend Studio are listed as multi-genre developers. Four out of five of Sony’s live service developers were acquired recently, between FY21-23. These include Bungie, Firewalk, and Jade Raymond’s Haven.

As previously reported, Hulst said that Sony hopes to entice PC players into joining the PlayStation ecosystem by introducing them to its popular single-player franchises. However, day-and-date PC launches are reserved for PlayStation Studios’ live service games only.

Sony will hold a State of Play later today, where we’ll find out what first-party developers are up to.

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Sony has reiterated that it’s reserving day-and-date PC releases of PlayStation games for multiplayer titles only. When it comes to single-player “tentpole” franchises, the company is adpating a “strategic” approach that it hopes will hook PC players into the PlayStation ecosystem.

Why single-player PlayStation games won’t launch on PC and console simultaneously

In a presentation delivered earlier today, PlayStation’s co-CEO Hermen Hulst said that the idea behind bringing Sony’s popular single-player franchises to PC at a later date is to entice some PC players to eventually invest in a PlayStation console. Hulst reckons that if a PC player thoroughly enjoys a first-party game, they might want to play the sequel right away on console rather than waiting for an eventual PC release.

Apparently, Sony has “high hopes” that this strategic approach will bring more people into the PlayStation ecosystem. The company has the same logic behind extending PlayStation IPs to other media as well. The Last of Us, for example, saw an increase in sales following the success of the HBO television series.

Multiplayer games are a different ballgame, however. The success of live service games depends on having a strong player base, and console alone is no longer enough. As seen in the case of Helldivers 2, day-and-date PC launches for multiplayer games is now a necessity.

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Sony has said that diversity in people and businesses through mergers and acquisitions (M&A) has been its strength, highlighting numerous M&As across its entertainment division, including PlayStation Studios. In yesterday’s corporate strategy meeting, Sony said that it’ll continue to “evolve the diversity of its businesses and people to achieve further growth and create value over the long term.”

PlayStation acquisitions added a wide range of employees from various backgrounds

In a slide accompanying his presentation, Sony Group CFO Hiroki Totoki revealed that between FY2013 and FY2023, 47 companies joined Sony’s overall entertainment business, adding 5,000 employees to its staff. The slide specifically highlighted Insomniac Games, Bungie, and Crunchyroll, among others.

“At Sony, we bring together employees with a wide range of backgrounds including nationality, race, gender, and values, and offer opportunities for growth through the intersection of knowledge and experience that we provide by leveraging our diverse business structure,” Totoki said. “We have evolved on the strength of our diversity, which is a combination of these attributes and experiences.”

Totoki added that M&As allow Sony to continue this effort, which involves increasing foreign nationals in executive positions and women in management positions.

Worth noting that PlayStation recently laid off 900 employees as part of a cost-cutting exercise.

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Action RPG Rise of the Ronin launched for PlayStation 5 in March, taking players to the rapidly changing world of mid-19th century Japan. However, players will notice some familiar things from Team Ninja’s other action games, with the studio explaining the new game’s Nioh and Ninja Gaiden Crossovers.

Nioh and Ninja Gaiden Crossovers explained

“When considering which costumes and weapons to implement,” said director Fumihiko Yasuda, “we’ve agreed on the costume of the main character, Ryu Hayabusa, as an iconic and recognizable costume for an in-game armor design.” Team Ninja altered the design to fit Rise of the Ronin’s setting, but it’s still recognizable.

Developers also worked hard to re-create Ryu’s combat style in the new game. “Rise of the Ronin marks the first appearance of Ninja Gaiden-related content on PS5,” Yasuda explained, “so re-creating these features in high-resolution 4K format was a challenge.”

The Nioh crossover is a minor spoiler, though many players will have found it by now.

As many Rise of the Ronin players discovered, Nioh’s protagonist William, appears as a secret boss in the game. The new game takes place about 250 years after Nioh. We decided to have him appear early in the planning stage,” said Yasuda, “as we thought it would be a pleasant surprise for those who have played the Nioh series. However, Yasuda doesn’t think including someone who looks like him is too much of a leap. Team Ninja based his armor on the Obsidian Armor from Nioh but with 250 years of wear and tear.

Initially, developers also wanted to include each of Nioh’s three stances as a different combat Style in Rise of the Ronin. However, they decided that might be too complicated for players. Instead, Team Ninja combined all three stances into a single Style.

Rise of the Ronin May Update

In addition, team Ninja’s blog post provides some information on the update coming to Rise of the Ronin this week:

• New and expanded content
  • 5 new Ally Missions added.
  • When replaying a world in Midnight, you can choose to have Public Order deteriorate again.
  • Level sync selection feature added to missions from Testament of the Soul.
  • Two new Set Bonuses added to Midnight difficulty.
  • Addition of dojo training partners.
  • Add Martial Skill type bonus and raise limit of target score.
• Gameplay Improvements
  • When equipped with the same weapon type on weapons 1 and 2, the number of styles can be expanded to a maximum of 6.
  • Changed the specifications so that special equipment will be given even if the player does not confess.
  • Changed the specifications so that greetings with characters after a breakup will return to normal over time.
  • Adjusted to make it easier for asynchronous characters to be selected.

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