Today, Sony Interactive Entertainment expands the PlayStation 5 (PS5) family of products with the release of the new PlayStation 5 Pro (PS5 Pro) console - the company's most advanced and innovative gaming console to date. PlayStation 5 Pro was designed with deeply engaged players and game creators in mind and includes key performance features that allow games to run with higher fidelity graphics at smoother frame rates.

"With PlayStation 5 Pro, we wanted to make sure that the most dedicated gamers, as well as game creators, could utilize the most advanced console technology, taking the PlayStation 5 experience even farther," said Hideaki Nishino, CEO Platform Business Group, Sony Interactive Entertainment. "This is our most advanced PlayStation to date, and it gives our community of players the opportunity to experience games the way that developers intended for them to be. Players will be thrilled with how this console enhances some of their favorite titles, while opening avenues to discover new ones."

As we continue our celebrations leading up to the 30th anniversary of the first PlayStation console launch, we have a special treat to reveal today that brings the past together with the present. Introducing our PlayStation 30th Anniversary Collection to celebrate this wonderful milestone.

The new limited edition designs pay homage to 30 wonderful years of gaming, a journey made possible by the passion and support of our fans and talented game developers. Reminiscent of the very first PlayStation console to launch on December 3, 1994, this limited edition offering utilizes the original PlayStation color design and integrates it into the latest line of PS5 hardware products.

Corcord, Firewalk Studios' hero shooter, released on August 23 for PS5 and Windows, was pulled from sale on Tuesday and will be taken offline later this week, all thanks to its disastrous launch. Sony announced on its Playstation blog Players who purchased Concord would be refunded as it "explores options" for the game, and "determines the best path ahead."

Game director at Firewalk Studios, Ryan Ellis, announced Concord's fate in a message to players, saying, "Aspects of the game and our initial launch didn't land the way we intended." He continues, "Concord fans—we've been listening closely to your feedback since the launch of Concord on PlayStation 5 and PC and want to thank everyone who has joined the journey aboard the Northstar." Ellis added,"Your support and the passionate community that has grown around the game has meant the world to us."

Fanatec is pleased to announce that it is continuing as an Official Licensee of Formula 1 and Official Provider of Formula 1 Sim Racing with a new multi-year agreement. Since 2018, both parties have continued to push the boundaries of real-world motorsport and sim racing, giving fans across the world the chance to experience the rush and thrill of the world's greatest sports and entertainment spectacle in their own home, and in the Fan Zones and Paddock Club of Formula 1 races across the globe. As part of the new deal, Fanatec will also continue as the Official Provider of Formula 1 Sim Racing, supplying teams and drivers with a full racing set up including a steering wheel, pedals, direct drive wheel base, and cockpit. Round three of the 2024 F1 Sim Racing Championship will take place on May 7.

The ClubSport Racing Wheel F1 is the latest officially licensed F1 hardware package from Fanatec, combining a new F1 Steering Wheel with unique blue forged carbon finish together with the acclaimed 15Nm ClubSport DD+ Wheel Base. Officially licensed by PlayStation for PS5 and PS4 consoles, this product was developed under the official licensing and approval of Sony Interactive Entertainment.

Jim Ryan—President & CEO, Sony Interactive Entertainment—revealed a sobering restructuring plan earlier today: "The PlayStation community means everything to us, so I felt it was important to update you on a difficult day at our company. We have made the extremely hard decision to announce our plan to commence a reduction of our overall headcount globally by about 8% or about 900 people, subject to local law and consultation processes. Employees across the globe, including our studios, are impacted." Ryan's full email—addressed to the entire Sony Interactive Entertainment workforce—can be found here. It reveals that company leadership has decided to close its PlayStation London Studio—the South East UK team is/was reportedly working on an announced "PS5 online game." Microsoft revealed a larger scale layoff program late last month—affecting 1900 employees—albeit without shuttering any major development studios. A number of its California-based teams are in the process of ditching "traditional" office locations (including a former aircraft hangar), and are moving to a work from home (WFH) model.

The SIE chief believes that current circumstances are not sustainable: "These are incredibly talented people who have been part of our success, and we are very grateful for their contributions. However, the industry has changed immensely, and we need to future ready ourselves to set the business up for what lies ahead. We need to deliver on expectations from developers and gamers and continue to propel future technology in gaming, so we took a step back to ensure we are set up to continue bringing the best gaming experiences to the community." His email outlines an "impact for employees across all SIE regions—Americas, EMEA, Japan, and APAC," with reductions affecting native development teams and Firesprite, a Liverpool, UK-based studio (founded by former Psygnosis veterans). Hermen Hulst, Head of PlayStation Studios, also posted a blog entry on the subject of SIE global layoffs—he confirmed a number of reductions and project cancellations.

Launching today, our latest wireless headset, Pulse Elite, brings crisp, immersive audio to the gaming experience on the PS5 console; to PlayStation Link supported devices including PS5, PC, Mac, and PlayStation Portal remote player; and to Bluetooth compatible devices such as smartphones and tablets. Pulse Elite follows the launch of our first wireless earbuds, Pulse Explore, with both audio devices featuring planar magnetic drivers to further enhance the PS5 console's Tempest 3D AudioTech. When combined with PlayStation Link, the planar drivers precisely deliver the output of the 3D audio algorithms directly to the player's ear without loss, and nearly no distortion or delay. Here's our quick-start guide on setting up and using the Pulse Elite wireless headset, along with Pulse Explore wireless earbuds.

Set up and use sidetone and 3D audio features on PS5
A tour of the headset appears when you first connect the Pulse Elite wireless headset or Pulse Explore wireless earbuds to your PS5 console via the included PlayStation Link USB adapter. Before diving into a game, I recommend personalizing 3D audio settings and adjusting sidetone volume (changing this adjusts how loudly you hear your own voice in your ear when you talk). It's also possible to create a custom name for the headset, with standard letters, symbols, and even emoji. After the tour, you can change settings at any time while the headset is connected by navigating to the Settings menu and selecting Accessories, followed by Pulse Elite wireless headset.

Hiroki Totoki—Chief Operating Officer (COO) and president of Sony Group Corporation—expressed slight disappointment in PlayStation 5's Q3Y23 sales performance. The console's lifetime total (since November 2020) hit an impressive 50 million units sold milestone last December, but Sony's top brass had set an aggressive target of 25 million PS5 units sold through the fiscal year of 2023. A recent company earnings call highlighted a revised sales goal of 21 million units, and the PlayStation top executive's uneasy outlook for the fourth quarter and beyond. Genki Japan parsed this information into an easy to digest Tweet: "Sony COO Totoki said that it is harder to grow profits on the PS5 as the life cycle goes on in comparison to previous generations. With previous gens as time went on it became cheaper to produce them. But with PS5 the parts are becoming more expensive as the life cycle goes on."

Well known hardware tipster—Kepler_L2—followed up on Genki's brief report with an insight into semiconductor conditions (current day and in times ahead): "Cost per transistor has remained flat through FinFETs and will go up with GAAFETs/CFETs. The days of free cost savings with die shrinks is over and things will only get worse. Future consoles will either have increasingly smaller performance gains or significantly higher prices." Kepler_L2 has a pretty good track record of covering unreleased AMD CPU and GPU technologies, particularly in the field of Sony and Microsoft gaming hardware—they were last seen weighing in on the matter of speculated PlayStation 5 Pro specifications. Industry observers believe that the proper next-generation PlayStation and Xbox consoles will launch with insides occupied by Team Red-designed tech, despite early 2024 rumblings of NVIDIA and Intel pitching in with shopped proposals.

The PC version of Helldivers 2 has shot up the Steam charts since yesterday's launch (also available on PlayStation 5)—according to tracking sites, peak player population sits at 151,927. Games industry watchdogs believe that this is Sony PlayStation's most successful launch title on PC platforms—24-hour peak telemetry has Helldivers 2 attracting 81,840 players versus God of War's 68,000 (January 14, 2022). An abundance of technical issues has prompted the submission of negative feedback—around 12,200 reviews have been left on the game's Steam Profile. Its current status is "Mostly Positive," but launch evening impressions were "Mixed" following 5300 review submissions. Eurogamer has summarized the problematic period: "Chief among criticisms are complaints about persistent crashes, while others have singled out server and matchmaking issues. Then there's ire directed towards PC optimization, and its kernel-level GameGuard anti-cheat software, which some feel is cause for concern, as well as complaints around Helldivers 2's monetization—which includes a battle pass and premium currency in-game shop, despite its £34.99/$39.99 price tag."

The development team at Arrowhead Game Studios implemented day-of-launch matchmaking fixes and addressed the most common crash problems. Helldivers 2 Game Director, Mikael Eriksson, stated that a patch was in the making: "If it's a success, we'll trigger a hotfix and get it out to the Steam community first, then roll it out to PS5 players as quickly as we can. Thank you—seriously—for your patience. We really want you all to have a blast playing this game. Bear with us, we're almost there." Arrowhead have followed up on their promise(s) today with another set of fixes pushed out to PC gamer population—Eriksson shared some good second day news: "We've uploaded a patch to Steam that should improve matchmaking for PC. The patch also includes some other crash fixes we've identified. We know there's more to solve, and we're working our way through it. Nevertheless, we hope this rapid patch goes a long way to making your experience better. Now go smash some bugs (and bots)!"

The Helldivers universe is one of noble soldiers, heroic deeds, and heartfelt, unflinching patriotism in the face of giant acid-spewing bug monsters. Stephen Flowers, Game Writer, Arrowhead Game Studios: "I personally love writing for a game with opportunities for comedy, and that doesn't take itself too seriously. I hope I can find a game like that soon…" If you want to catch up with the story of Super Earth and her valiant defenders before Helldivers 2 launches tomorrow (on February 8), read on. Plus, we share the first news that the story will continue in post-launch Helldivers 2 updates.

Since Helldivers 1…
Helldivers 2 takes place a century after the events of the first game, with Super Earth having emerged victorious against its adversaries - the deadly, bug-like Terminids, the grotesque Cyborgs and the inscrutable Illuminates. With its foes vanquished and the Galactic War won, an era of peace and prosperity ensued. The Helldivers, Super Earth's elite task force, were dismissed. The same faster-than-light travel technology, heroically liberated from the Illuminates, that gave Super Earth access to the galaxy, has since been used to colonize it. This period has come to be known as The Great Democratization. FTL technology is reliant on a steady supply of the precious substance E-710 which, luckily, can be found in decomposing Terminid bodies. So naturally, Super Earth has been farming Terminids on an industrial scale.

On February 8 Arrowhead Game Studios invites you to customize your Helldiver, drop into hell, wipe out infestations, and repeat the victorious process. Have you ever watched the anonymous soldiers of a sci-fi movie get obliterated by aliens and thought to yourself, "I could do better"? Helldivers 2 is Arrowhead Game Studios' invitation to brave players dying to experience the chaotic fun of facing seemingly impossible odds. For the uninitiated, Helldivers 2 is a full sequel that maintains the 4-player cooperative essence of the 2015 top-down PS4 entry, while adding modern over-the-shoulder third-person gunplay and deeper customization options. I recently had a chance to suit up and drop into a hands-on session with Helldivers 2 on PS5, and lived to share this debriefing. I teamed up with three other Helldivers to learn the ropes and emerged with a whetted appetite for eliminating space bugs and murderous Automatons. Let's dive in.

Action sci-fi gunplay
Helldivers 2 is bursting with customization options and strategic depth, but shooting lots of enemies is your bread and butter. Arrowhead managed to translate the frenetic top-down energy of Helldivers into a smooth third-person shooter. Weapon recoil feels powerful yet predictable enough to maintain your accuracy. I specifically loved watching Automaton's armor dent and shatter off as I punched them full of sniper rounds. Players have options when it comes to gunplay. Hold the Square button to switch between single, burst, and autofire. Press L2 to shoulder your weapon and zoom in with R2. Click R3 button to aim-down-sights for even deeper precision and immersion. The direction buttons are used for quick actions, like switching to grenades by pressing right or pressing for a life-restoring stim. Remember to save a few 'nades to close up bug nests or destroy enemy factories. The moment-to-moment action is tight and reliable, which is key when all hell inevitably breaks loose.

Sony Interactive Entertainment's State of Play confirming the title of the game, DEATH STRANDING 2: ON THE BEACH, arriving exclusively on PlayStation 5 in 2025. In Death Stranding 2: On The Beach, embark on an inspiring mission of human connection beyond the UCA. Sam—with companions by his side—sets out on a new journey to save humanity from extinction. Join them as they traverse a world beset by otherworldly enemies, obstacles and a haunting question: should we have connected? Step by step, legendary game creator Hideo Kojima changes the world once again.

Death Stranding 2: On The Beach sees Norman Reedus, Léa Seydoux, and Troy Baker return to Hideo Kojima's genre defying universe. They will be joined by Elle Fanning, Shioli Kutsuna, and Academy Award-winning film director George Miller. Hideo Kojima is joined by longtime collaborator Yoji Shinkawa who will direct character and mechanical design, with Ludvig Forssell and Kyle Cooper reprising their roles as musical director and title designer, respectively. In conjunction with the release of the new Death Stranding 2: On The Beach trailer, be sure to visit the PS5 Game Hub to add the game to your wishlist and stay tuned for more information!

Bungie has announced its new collaboration with EA and BioWare to allow Guardians to join the crew of the Normandy with new cosmetics and in-game items, launching February 13, 2024. The Normandy Crew Bundle will be available at the Eververse store in-game and will include a Commander Shepard-inspired N7 armor set for Titans, a Garrus-inspired Vakarian set for Hunters, and a Liara-inspired Shadow Broker set for Warlocks. In celebration of the partnership, all players will be able to claim the Alliance Requisitions Bundle, including the Enhanced Defense Ghost Shell, Alliance Scout Frigate ship, and Alliance Drop Ship Sparrow, which will be available at no cost. Players can also get the Omni Strike finisher and Flux Dance emote for Silver.

Now released in Destiny 2, Riven's Wishes are new weekly quests open to all players from January 30 until March 12. During this period, Guardians will be tasked with completing a pursuit each week to earn a token redeemable for a treasure trove of rewards. Choose from the Wish for Strength to earn Last Wish raid Deepsight weapons, Wish for Protection to armor up with Exotic gear from the Lightfall year, or Wish for Beauty to collect event mementos and essential Ascendant crafting materials.

Hi everyone, 2024 has just begun and it's time for our very first State of Play! The broadcast will be over 40 minutes long, and feature guest appearances from some of the most talented minds in gaming. Among many other updates, we'll feature extended looks at Stellar Blade and Rise of the Ronin, two great games coming to PS5 this year. And we'll give you a new look at other titles coming to PS5 and PS VR2 in 2024 and beyond. The show begins Wednesday, January 31 at 2pm PT / 5pm ET / 10pm GMT on YouTube, Twitch, and TikTok. Here's to a new year of great games!

Regarding Co-streaming and Video-On-Demand (VOD)
Please note that this broadcast may include copyrighted content (e.g. licensed music) that PlayStation does not control. We welcome and celebrate our amazing co-streamers and creators, but licensing agreements outside our control could interfere with co-streams or VOD archives of this broadcast. If you're planning to save this broadcast as a VOD to create recap videos, or to repost clips or segments from the show, we advise omitting any copyrighted music.

Until Dawn, an interactive drama horror game, arrived back in 2015 as an exclusive on Sony's PlayStation 4 console—France's Dealabs Magazine believes that updated versions are due for release on PC and PlayStation 5 platforms. One of the site's editors, billbil-kun, is well known for sniffing out insider information—mostly originating from publisher Sony Interactive Entertainment. The latest claims include the hunch that "several PlayStation exclusives were being prepared for an upcoming arrival on PC." It is not clear whether (original developer) Supermassive Games is involved in Until Dawn's current generation refresh, but he expressed confidence in a non-specific team undertaking "development for at least a year." The Quarry, a Supermassive Games-developed title, is often regarded as Until Dawn's spiritual successor—the British studio partnered up with publisher 2K Games for a 2022 multi-platform release.

Sony often turns to (internal studio) Nixxes Software B.V. for major IP conversions and ports—billbil-kun reckons that the Dutch outfit is working on a modernized "Demon's Souls or Ghost of Tsushima" project. Sony's Until Dawn IP is expanding into film, as announced yesterday, so it would make sense to generate renewed interest with upgraded versions on the popular PlayStation 5 console, as well as an introduction to gaming audiences on PC. The French tipster believes that Sony will start teasing the new version of Until Dawn next month, but he cannot confirm whether the development team is working on a simple remaster of a full remake: "If we refer to the title of this new version (simply: Until Dawn), we can imagine that it will perhaps and only be a graphical improvement of the game using the latest graphical advances on PS5 as well as on PC. We can therefore decide, without risking being mistaken, that it will be at least a remastered version."

One of the key features of Helldivers 2 is The Galactic War. Super Earth's territories are under siege on all fronts by monstrous enemies hell-bent on destroying humanity's way of life. From the war table aboard your ship, your team can watch as the conflict unfolds and take part in battles across the universe. You will do your part to advance the frontlines in the name of Freedom and Managed Democracy.

The Helldivers
Helldivers are the true heroes of Super Earth. As an elite soldier, you have the full might of Super Earth's arsenal at your disposal. Use your lethal array of stratagems and weaponry to defend its colonizers and liberate planets from enemy forces. Rise through the ranks and take on increasingly difficult missions to solidify your place in Helldiver history - and if one Helldiver should perish, that's just an opportunity for another Citizen to realize their dream. Prosperity and liberty are your core values and it's your privilege to spread them.

Helldivers, report to the pod bays and prepare for your first dive—Helldivers 2 has gone gold! We're back to talk about the eagerly awaited launch of Helldivers 2 on PS5 and PC! Team up with your friends using crossplay and spread some Freedom and Managed Democracy. Prepare for some edge-of-your-seat, action-packed mayhem as you take down some of the galaxy's most formidable foes.

As the Galactic War rages on, you will face down the relentless Terminid scourge and the heartless Automaton regime with the help of the most powerful weapons in Super Earth's arsenal. Build your loadouts, choose your mission, and dive into the fray. Work as a team with up to three friends and spread Managed Democracy by any means necessary. But remember, in HELLDIVERS 2, friendly fire is always on! This means you'll not only be dodging bugs and bots, but stray bullets from your fellow Helldivers.

The Last of Us Part II Remastered launches January 19, and we here at Naughty Dog are so thrilled to offer new and returning players the definitive way to experience Ellie and Abby's story. Coupled with new behind-the-scenes features and new modes, Part II Remastered is intended to let players dive deeper into the story and gameplay than they ever have before. Ahead of launch later this week, we're excited to showcase a new features trailer that digs a little further into all the ways The Last of Us Part II Remastered enhances the original release. Check it out below.

For returning players who have been waiting to jump into the remastered version the $10 upgrade will be available as Part II Remastered launches! If you're an existing digital or physical owner of The Last of Us Part II on the PlayStation 4 console, head on over to the PlayStation Store as soon as Part II Remastered is available to purchase the upgrade. If you own The Last of Us Part II via a disc, you must insert disc copies into your PS5 via a disc drive to download and play the digital version of The Last of Us Part II Remastered. You'll be able to import existing saves from the original PS4 game and pick up from where you left off. Existing Trophy progress will also migrate to The Last of Us Part II Remastered.

Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) today announced the PlayStation 5 console (PS5) has surpassed 50 million units sold through to consumers, three years since its Nov. 2020 launch. Thanks to the support of PlayStation fans globally, the PS5 console has experienced strong momentum this year, driven by a slate of highly popular games and SIE's continued focus on bringing innovation to the gaming experience, including PS5 game streaming for PlayStation Plus Premium members.

"Achieving this PS5 sales milestone is a testament to the unwavering support of the global PlayStation community and their passion for the incredible experiences created by the talented developers from PlayStation Studios and our partners," said Jim Ryan, President and CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment. "We're grateful for all of our players who have joined the PS5 journey so far, and we're thrilled that this is the first holiday season since launch that we have a full supply of PS5 consoles—so anyone who wants to get one can get one."

The world of Horizon Forbidden West brims with life across its spectacular landscapes, fierce roaming machines, and thriving cultures that populate a renewed land once ravaged by the biomass-consuming machines of the Faro Plague. And though the wilds are breathtaking, and the machines are massive, Horizon's third essential element is its authentic tribal inhabitants. On her mission, Aloy meets a varied and colorful array of compelling characters, each with their own hopes, journeys, and motivations.

Weaving real personalities and genuine humanity into these characters was a feat accomplished together by many teams at Guerrilla. This article explores those processes, from the narrative foundations of character development to capturing the perfect performance and ultimately implementing them through cinematics and conversation design. Each stage is crucial to ensure the characters of Horizon are as realistic and full of depth as the world around them.

It's time, Helldivers. Katherine from Arrowhead Game Studios bringing you the biggest announcement yet: Helldivers 2 launches on PS5 and Steam on February 8, 2024! February will be here before we know it, which means we've got to get you officially enlisted! We start taking pre-orders for both the Standard Edition and the Super Citizen Edition of Helldivers 2 on September 22, 2023. It won't be long before you and 3 recruits can team up for online cooperative multiplayer with large-scale destructive power through stratagems, explore unique planets and complete objectives together, and upgrade your equipment through the deep progression system of Helldivers 2. Collect natural resources of alien origin and use them to enhance and unlock new stratagems aboard your ship.

Since pre-orders for Helldivers 2 are starting soon, you can begin planning for the fight. When you pre-order, you'll choose between the Standard Edition and the Super Citizen Edition of Helldivers 2, which includes some awesome additional content. The extra goodies in the Super Citizen Edition include a special DP-53 Savior of the Free armor set, and-because heroes wear capes-the Will of the People cape to make you stand out among the liberated. You'll also gain access to the MP-98 Knight submachine gun, which is a powerful primary weapon that tears through bots, bugs, and Helldivers too, thanks to friendly fire!

Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC ("SIE") announced today that it has entered into an agreement to acquire Audeze, a leading audio technology brand and pioneer of high-end gaming headphones. The acquisition will strengthen SIE's efforts to continue innovating when it comes to the audio experience of PlayStation games. Audeze will continue to operate independently and develop multi-platform products, while benefiting from being a part of the PlayStation ecosystem.

Based in Santa Ana, Calif., Audeze develops award-winning headphones for the professional audio, audiophile, and gaming markets. These headphones use Audeze's patented technologies and unique planar magnetic drivers to deliver an outstanding sound experience for consumers as well as recording professionals, including sound engineers at many game development studios. Audeze designs and manufactures its planar magnetic drivers and professional headphones in its California facility.

We launched PlayStation 5 in November 2020 and the world was in a strange and different place than when we announced the console in 2019. Despite the unprecedented challenges of COVID, our teams and our partners worked diligently to deliver PS5 on time. We continued to face headwinds with the pandemic, and it took months for supply chains to normalize so we could have the inventory to keep up with demand. For more months than I care to remember, we kept thanking our community for their patience while working through these issues. But now PS5 supply is well-stocked and we are seeing that pent up demand finally being met.

With the support of PlayStation fans, we have reached a milestone of 40 million PS5 consoles sold through to gamers since launch. Thank you so much to our community of gamers - without you this would have been an impossible task. PS5 launched with the best catalog of games in our history and the momentum for great content keeps getting stronger. From innovative indie games to AAA blockbusters, there are more than 2,500 PS5 games now available, and it has never been a better time to experience PS5 In the last two months alone, we have seen incredible new games from our partners, including Final Fantasy XVI, Diablo IV, and Street Fighter 6.

Hey everyone, today we are celebrating the launch of Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart on PC. Back in 2002, Insomniac Games released the first Ratchet & Clank game on PlayStation. It's been two decades since the series first evolved into an iconic franchise on PlayStation consoles, and now for the very first time, Ratchet and his friends and foes are making the jump to a new platform.

On behalf of everyone at Nixxes Software, we can't wait to hear about your experiences with Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart on PC and look forward to seeing your Photo Mode results. You can help us find your posts by using the hashtag #RatchetPC when sharing your experiences and creations on social media.

When PlayStation VR2 released earlier this year, it offered players a chance to experience virtual game worlds bristling with detail and immersive features. PS VR2 was the culmination of several years of development, which included multiple prototypes and testing approaches. To learn more, we asked PS VR2's Product Manager Yasuo Takahashi about the development process of the innovative headset and PlayStation VR2 Sense Controller, and also gained insight into the various prototypes that were created as part of this process.

PlayStation Blog: When did development for the PS VR2 headset start?
Yasuo Takahashi: Research on future VR technology was being conducted even prior to the launch of the original PlayStation VR as part of our R&D efforts. After PS VR's launch in 2016, discussion around what the next generation of VR would look like began in earnest. We went back and reviewed those R&D findings and we started prototyping various technologies at the beginning of 2017. Early that same year, we began detailed conversations on what features should be implemented in the new product, and which specific technologies we should explore further.

Microsoft and Xbox leaders have declared that the Call of Duty series will remain on PlayStation systems for the next ten years, following a possible successful acquisition of the (current owners of the IP) Activision Blizzard video game holding company. Phil Spencer, the outspoken head of Xbox stated via Twitter: "We are pleased to announce that Microsoft and PlayStation have signed a binding agreement to keep Call of Duty on PlayStation following the acquisition of Activision Blizzard. We look forward to a future where players globally have more choice to play their favorite games."

His superior, Brad Smith (vice chair and president of Microsoft) added: "From Day One of this acquisition, we've been committed to addressing the concerns of regulators, platform and game developers, and consumers. Even after we cross the finish line for this deal's approval, we will remain focused on ensuring that Call of Duty remains available on more platforms and for more consumers than ever before." The silence on Sony/PlayStation's part is very telling, they are perhaps resigned to the merger becoming concrete this summer. Fans of the series (who favor Sony systems) will be relieved to know that PlayStation 5 and its possible successor are covered for another decade—it will be interesting to see how Sony's planned cloud gaming service will operate with the CoD franchise in mind. Microsoft has been presenting ten-year deals to a variety of rivals over the past year, with Sony and Nintendo courted alongside a number of different organizations. NVIDIA and Nintendo agreed on 10-year partnerships with Xbox earlier this year.