Sega's Sonic the Hedgehog panel at SXSW 2017 brought a bit of good news and a bit of bad news. The bad news is that Sonic Mania has been delayed. Originally scheduled for a spring release, the 2D Sonic adventure that serves as a throwback to Genesis-era Sonic games now won't be arriving until sometime this summer.
For most developers, launching a brand new IP the same week a new console comes out is a no-go. Beyond that, launching a new IP the same week a new console and a new game in The Legend of Zelda series release would probably be insanity. That isn't the case for Sony, which launched Horizon Zero Dawn for the PlayStation just a few days before the Nintendo Switch and Breath of the Wild arrived on the scene.
Sony recently released PlayStation 4 firmware update version 4.50, bringing a bunch of updates and some new very welcomed features, such as external hard drive support for storing games. Unfortunately, the update also brought with it a major networking issue that is affecting many console owners, resulting in an inability to use a WiFi network. While some users have come up with 'workarounds' to get around the issue, Sony still hasn't released a fix.
PlayStation Now is going to get a major boost in value later this year, as Sony announced today that it will soon add PS4 games to the PS Now lineup. That's pretty huge news, as PS Now is currently exclusive to PlayStation 3 titles. The PlayStation 3 had a good library, to be sure, but at $20 per month, some folks think that PlayStation Now is a little too expensive when the service only offers previous-generation games.
Rocket League fans have something new to look forward to today, as the game will be getting yet another new game mode next week. Dubbed Dropshot, this mode seems a little more intense than the hockey and basketball modes that came before it. That's because players will have to damage the arena before they can score their goals.
As the anticipated release of Mass Effect: Andromeda draws closer, developer BioWare is continuing to reveal more gameplay features and story tidbits. A panel for the game at this weekend's PAX event in Boston saw some team members present a whopping 30 minutes of footage containing the Loyalty Mission for Liam Kosta. Those looking to go into the game's story blind should turn away now, as there are a decent number of spoilers.
No Man's Sky had a well-documented rough launch last summer, but the following months saw the release of the Foundation Update, showing that developer Hello Games was learning from its mistakes and adding value to the space exploration title. Now they're back with the Path Finder Update, released this week, which introduces a number of new features, including support for the PS4 Pro console.
This July will see the release of Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age on PlayStation 4. An HD remaster of the PS2's FF12, the game will feature updated graphics and the titular Zodiac Job system that was exclusive to the Japanese version, along with other small improvements that come with running on current-gen hardware. To celebrate the re-release of the acclaimed 2006 title, developer Square Enix has announced an exclusive, and pricey, collector's edition.
Sonic Mania is coming up later on this year, and it has Sonic fans excited. That's because Sonic Mania represents a return to form for the Sonic the Hedgehog series, bringing the blur blur back to his 2D sidescrolling days. Besides a few gameplay trailers here and there, we really haven't seen too much of Sonic Mania, but that all changes today as Sega has posted a video that walks us through Sonic Mania's Green Hill Zone.
Back at the beginning of February, we told you about PlayStation 4 system update 4.50. When it was first detailed, Sony talked about a lot of major features, like Boost Mode for the PS4 Pro and external hard drive support for the entire PlayStation family. Today, we're learning about some additional features that will be coming along with 4.50, making this one massive update.
PlayStation Vue is getting a nifty new feature today in the form of multi-view. As you could probably already tell from the name, multi-view allows you to watch multiple channels simultaneously and side-by-side, which ensures that you either miss nothing or everything as you try to keep up with it all. The feature is rolling out today for PlayStation Vue on the PS4.
The long wait to an official announcement of Destiny's sequel continues, but on Friday developer Bungie finally answered one of the most burning questions players have had about how their character and progress will carry over into the new game. Basically, it boils down to all gear, such as weapons and armor, abilities/subclasses, and paid-for cosmetics will be left behind for the sequel, but remain accessible in Destiny 1.
