Shigeru Miyamoto had some choice words for businesses that put profits over people, essentially saying it's a shame that the priority always seems to be short-term profits over long-term playability.

In a recent interview with Famitsu (that was machine translated by VGC), Miyamoto talked about his son, Mario the Plumber's, continued success in the face of companies who regularly chase profits. In pondering just why Mario remains so popular, Miyamoto explained that Nintendo as a company doesn't approach game development from a profit point of view but rather from one of playability.

He cited Pokemon and Splatoon as two franchises that were designed like this because, had they been created with maximizing profits in mind instead of creating fun experiences, they would've been fundamentally different games.

Miyamoto then expanded on his thoughts about Mario and how that franchise was created with physical movement as the center of the gameplay experience. Because of the simplicity of that concept, he said anyone in the world--regardless of culture or language--can enjoy a Mario game. That, to Miyamoto, is what separates Nintendo from other companies. That is also why Miyamoto finds it disappointing that the endgame for most businesses is profits instead of playability.

"So, the reason Nintendo enjoys such strong global support is simply that we don't start by asking: 'What's trending right now?' Instead, we focus on who we’re actually doing this for. Who is it that's putting up the money? I really dislike terms like 'depreciation' or 'recouping costs,'" he said. "The people funding these projects are doing it to make a fortune, so why celebrate things like 'we recouped our investment' or short-term profits? To me, if you've burned through the talents of so many people just to achieve that, that feels like a massive failure."

He underlined this point, saying that Nintendo's standard practice is what he calls the "principle of gameplay." It's the idea that, if something is unique and fun to play, it will have a longer-lasting impact on a person's life rather than something that came into existence only to satisfy shareholders or line their pockets.

"We've always focused on creating the best possible product to match the 'fun gameplay' we envision," Miyamoto continued. "I think that's the only real difference. I might sound a bit arrogant saying this [laughs], but if you make things while constantly asking 'will this make money right away?' you can't create anything truly unique or with broad appeal."

Nintendo is a business, too; there's no doubt that profits are important to maintaining the company's longevity. However, at least for Miyamoto, fun and playability come first. Maximizing profits for the company's success comes second.

There's something that almost feels sacrilegious about playing Halo on a PlayStation console. The sci-fi shooter franchise feels quintessentially Xbox, and while you've been able to play Halo: The Master Chief Collection on PC with a DualSense controller, there's something extra odd with playing a version of Halo covered in a PlayStation-oriented UI and seeing PlayStation Trophies pop with every completed in-game accomplishment. 

And yet, despite how weird it is to be playing Halo on a PlayStation 5, it's still Halo. And so it's really fun.

Not to be confused with Halo: Combat Evolved, Halo: Campaign Evolved (because why would they make the title acronyms different and make things easier for me?) is a remake of the very first Halo, and it's also the first Halo game to be playable on one of Sony's consoles. Unlike the 2011 remaster Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary--which provided a graphical upgrade and added co-op gameplay and brand-new collectibles like lore-filled terminals and gameplay-modifying skulls--Campaign Evolved is a much more drastic transformation.

In the first Halo game, protagonist John-117, aka the Master Chief, awakens aboard a starship after it's been attacked by an alien alliance known as the Covenant. As a super-soldier called a Spartan, Master Chief is tasked with escaping the doomed ship with its artificial intelligence, Cortana, to a nearby moon-sized ring that humanity has never seen before. Cortana quickly learns that this ring, referred to as Halo, is important to the Covenant, and Master Chief sets out to learn what it is and why the Covenant want it, while also helping the various human survivors who made it to the ring's surface and are contending with Covenant forces.

Developed in Unreal Engine 5, Campaign Evolved's visuals are a huge jump from 2001's Combat Evolved. And as the name suggests, the actual story campaign has changed too. There are three brand-new missions that take place one year prior to the events of the main story, the levels in the main story have been redesigned in certain sections in terms of both layout and mission objective, and brand-new cutscenes further flesh out the characters and stories with references that longtime fans will recognize are now early teasers for Halo 2. 

The gameplay has been overhauled too, implementing changes to make the first Halo play more like Master Chief's later adventures. Some of these changes radically alter how it feels to play the first Halo--like the ability to sprint, or aim down sights on all weapons--while others feel much smaller. A mechanic like vehicle hijacking was not added to Halo until the second game in the series, so its addition in Campaign Evolved is technically new, for example. But vehicle hijacking doesn't feel like an extraordinary game-changer because the number of times you have the opportunity to use it are few and far between.

While the much larger (and visually gorgeous) environments, grander firefight arenas, and newly added "hold-the-line" encounters make for an altogether longer game to both explore and fight through, playing Campaign Evolved feels like the memory I have of playing Combat Evolved. The changes to the story and gameplay are noticeable to anyone who has familiarity with the first Halo, but the remake's adjustments don't feel like a complete departure from its source material. 

If anything, Campaign Evolved makes the story of Combat Evolved feel more in line with the lore and overall story developed in the games, books, and animated series that were released after the first Halo. Everything is just better connected--bringing the Brutes into Halo 1 erases the confusion as to why they're in Halo Reach and Halo 2, but not the game that canonically takes place in between them, for instance. And Captain Keyes' daughter, Miranda, is also now mentioned multiple times, setting up her in-game introduction in Halo 2. The original Combat Evolved doesn't acknowledge her existence because she didn't exist when that game was made. But she's now a major part of Halo 2 and Halo 3 (as well as several books) so it makes sense that her dad would at least talk about her in Halo 1.

Are any of these details crucial to the story told in the first Halo? No. Do these changes make the overall story of Master Chief's first game better flow into the second? Yes.

The changes are so much better that Campaign Evolved feels like the new gold standard for playing through the first Halo--I'd recommend this over Combat Evolved Anniversary. Every change feels like an improvement on what came before.

While the three new prequel missions don't rise to the same dramatic highs that make the main story of Combat Evolved so memorable, their inclusion does improve the overall experience and I recommend anyone who picks up Campaign Evolved play these new missions first (the game counts them as a separate story that you can choose to play at any point). 

These new missions see Master Chief and fan-favorite Sergeant Johnson infiltrate a Covenant ship in an effort to find intel on the alien threat's main base of operations. The duo have fantastic back-and-forth that builds up their relationship in a way that Combat Evolved's story simply doesn't have time for because they're split up almost immediately, and even when they do reunite, they then both go off on their separate missions. Combat Evolved's story is a largely solo affair of Chief doing his best to help his human allies as he moves from place to place across the Halo ring, and Campaign Evolved remains faithful to that lonely-feeling journey despite supporting co-op. 

So having a chance to see Chief interact with a friend does a lot of the heavy lifting in characterizing him as an actual person. You see that he has a sense of humor and is fiercely loyal to others (aspects that aren't really explored until Halo 2). And seeing just how, daresay, shy he is with marines he doesn't really know brings the whole psychological toll of being a Spartan to the forefront of his character. That's something you don't really get at all unless you read the books, watch the intro or closing cinematics of Halo 4, or play Halo Infinite. 

These three prequel missions also just have a very Halo Reach feel (there's even a mission in space that isn't all that great in comparison to other sci-fi space battle games, but plays well enough to be a good time). The horrifying threat of the Flood, the mystique of the Forerunners, and the drama of AI rampancy feel so far away. In these missions, it's all about the ongoing galactic war between humanity's scrappiness and an alien threat's technological superiority. As Chief and Johnson do their best to keep each other motivated, navigate a Covenant nature preserve in which the aliens hunt human prisoners for sport, and gaze down upon a planet that has been transformed into glass after undergoing an orbital plasma cannon bombardment, you can just feel it: Humanity is losing. And unless they get a miracle, they'll go extinct. 

These missions lead so well into the main story of Campaign Evolved, establishing that humanity is on the backfoot. My one major qualm with these new prequel missions is that they introduce two new characters: a new Covenant prophet and a new human fireteam leader. Neither are very fleshed out, beyond "evil scientist is evil" and "rough and tough marine," and that feels like such a missed opportunity. Chief meets several prophets across the Halo games, and fights alongside tons of humanity's soldiers. Given how well these prequel missions flesh out Chief and Johnson's relationship, they could have done the same for Chief and an existing prophet or human ally. Instead they introduce new characters but don't have the time to give either one enough time to breath and evolve into nuanced individuals. 

These two characters are not so bad that they ruin the story of these prequel missions, but they both feel like sci-fi tropes. Admittedly, Halo is filled with sci-fi tropes, but it also has some fantastic characters. So whenever a couple of duds pop up, they really stick out for how poorly characterized they are.

Additionally, Campaign Evolved doesn't quite figure out checkpoints. The game's automatic checkpoints seem to trigger for a variety of reasons: reaching a specific spot in a level, killing a certain number of enemies in an area, leaving combat entirely, or some combination of the three. The logic for what counts and what doesn't isn't super consistent and seems to shift parameters moment-to-moment, leading to irritating setbacks--when it's not abundantly clear why getting defeated in one lengthy fight sends you all the way back to the beginning of it, while a defeat in the fight that had just occurred prior only sent you back a few seconds, it can feel like the checkpoint system is finicky at best and unfair at worst. This is a problem in both the main story and the new prequel missions, though I noticed it a lot more in the latter than the former. It's not so bad that I ever wanted to put the game down in frustration, but it's certainly annoying whenever it happens to pop up, especially if you're playing on one of the more challenging difficulties, like Heroic or Legendary.

These issues aside, however, Halo: Campaign Evolved is awesome. And that's not surprising, simply because Halo: Combat Evolved is a fantastic game. There's a reason this story is a classic. Its explosive opening chapter plunges immediately into a series of desperate, high-action firefights that repeatedly reward your precise aim and strategic battle awareness with the sensation of being a heroic super-soldier. Humanity's weapons punch through flesh, while the Covenant's alien firearms and explosives satisfyingly melt enemy shields and paint the walls and floors with purple-blue plasma. For lack of a better word, the orchestral score is perfect, and I envy you if this will be your first time hearing it. And the main story's abrupt shift from a straightforward war between two civilizations into a desperate race by both sides to escape and contain a terrifying new threat that neither can handle is still as tense as it was back in 2001.

It's still an odd sensation to be playing a Halo game on a PlayStation console. If you had asked teenage Jordan--the one who spent hundreds upon hundreds of hours laughing alongside their friends in Halo 3 and Halo Reach online multiplayer--whether Halo would ever make its way to a Sony console, they'd have told you it was impossible. Yet, here we are. And 25 years later, Halo: Combat Evolved's story is still really, really good.

It's a big day for Halo, as Halo: Campaign Evolved launches today, July 23, in early access. Beyond the excitement that normally surrounds the launch of a new Halo game, the release is especially notable because today will also be remembered as the day Halo finally came to PlayStation after more than two decades of console exclusivity on Xbox.

The sci-fi series debuted in 2001 as a launch title for the original Xbox, and the franchise has been exclusive, at least on console, to Xbox ever since--until today.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6sUil_Tj_OQ Why now?

Why is Halo now, after all these years, finally coming to PlayStation? According to developers, the aim is to "bring players back together" and help the franchise reach new audiences.

“There are people who have never been exposed to Halo. Maybe they’ve always been on Sony products, switched consoles at a certain point, or just missed it at the time. We want to bring players back together,” executive producer Damon Conn said.

Creative director Max Szlagor added that, “Halo is best played when we have a large, healthy community.” Releasing Halo: Campaign Evolved on PS5 is a “way to grow, expand, and reconnect the Halo community,” Szlagor said.

“We want to honor the Halo legacy on PlayStation, and we’re paving the way to expand our Halo universe–that’s how we see it,” Conn added. “And it’s not a small thing. We don’t, and we won’t, take it lightly. We definitely feel the weight of it.”

Also, money

That all may be true, but another factor at play here is money. Microsoft bringing Halo to PlayStation is also a way to make more money, and that's important for Xbox given how unhealthy the business is currently.

Microsoft's new multiplatform strategy has already helped Microsoft generate hundreds of millions of dollars bringing its games to PS5, so it's not surprising to see Microsoft bring another major franchise to a rival console.

The pivot to releasing Xbox games on rival consoles came from the Phil Spencer and Sarah Bond days, and now that they are gone, new Xbox CEO Asha Sharma has suggested the company will return to more exclusives.

Halo veteran Brian Jarrard said in 2025 that Halo games will be on PlayStation going forward, so Campaign Evolved may not be the last Halo game on a Sony console. Whether or not Sharma and her team could change this, however, remains to be seen.

What Halo games are coming next?

Years ago, Microsoft announced that multiple new Halo games were in development at Halo Studios, and they will be developed using Epic's Unreal Engine. Halo: Campaign Evolved is the only one that's been announced, but Halo 2 and Halo 3 remakes are reportedly also in the works. Beyond those, a report said Microsoft is working on a new live-service Halo game.

For more on Campaign Evolved, check out GameSpot's breakdown of how to play with your friends across platforms. Campaign Evolved's early access starts today for people who buy the game's $70 premium edition. The standard edition ($50) unlocks on July 28. Game Pass members get the game with their subscription, but they can buy a $20 upgrade to the premium edition to start playing today.

Campaign Evolved is a remake of the original Halo, with improved graphics and features. It also includes new prequel missions. However, there is no multiplayer.

Voice actor Nick Apostolides has revealed how he prepared to play Leon Kennedy in the recent Resident Evil remakes, and part of that preparation involved listening to some iconic bands.

In a Cameo video, Apostolides said he turned to some iconic metal and grunge bands. Specifically, he said Nirvana inspired his performance as Leon in Resident Evil 2 because the "grunge, rock energy" helped him get in a good headspace to play a young Leon.

He also called out Alice in Chains (and specifically the songs "Them Bones" and "Would") as his inspiration for Resident Evil 4. The actor then turned to "super heavy" Metallica to get in the groove for Leon in Resident Evil Requiem. He said Metallica's "Orion" is his favorite song of all time, and listening to it helped him prepare to play Leon in Requiem.

https://twitter.com/RENews_X/status/2079188765730611344

Apostolides has been praised for his performance in the Resident Evil series over the years, and now he's no doubt won over new fans by revealing his fantastic taste in good music.

Lego has officially revealed its Donkey Kong Arcade set, a nostalgic throwback to one of the company's first big games. A tribute to the groundbreaking 1981 arcade hit--which starred Mario as Jumpman--the 1,371-piece set launches on August 1 and is priced at $200. It also comes with a gift in the form of an Animal Crossing kit featuring everyone's favorite landlord, Tom Nook, valued at $5, if preordered from The Lego Store.

• Amazon
• The Lego Store

Inside the box, you'll find all the pieces you need to build a nostalgic arcade cabinet. It features the original first stage of Donkey Kong, complete with scaffolding, ladders, and hammer details, and a mechanism to circulate the 21 barrels in a continuous loop. Other cool details include a function to move Jumpman with the joystick and make him jump by hitting the correct button. While you won't get any minifigures inside of it, there are pieces included to build pixel-accurate versions of Jumpman, Donkey Kong, and Lady.

Once it has been fully constructed, the set measures 15.5 inches tall, 10.5 inches wide, and has a depth of 5.5 inches. This is the latest in several Nintendo Lego sets released over the years, although several of them were recently discontinued. Last year saw the release of the Lego Nintendo Game Boy, a 1:1 scale replica of the iconic handheld that was extremely popular amongst fans.

Lego's line of Pokemon sets are also evolving, as the toy company recently announced several kits coming soon. The highlight of these new arrivals is the Lego Iconic Trainer Moments: Poke Ball, a cute replica of the signature tool used to catch Pokemon. Fans can also look forward to minifigures of Arcanine, Munchlax, and Rayquaza, as well as a scaled minifigure of Red, the original Pokemon trainer.

These will be joining several more Pokemon sets following the launch of its first three kits. Announced earlier this year, there'll be 12 sets launching with Smart Play compatibility, including Smart Play All-in-One projects like the $120 Charizard vs. Jolteon Ultimate Battle display (751 pieces) and the $70 Training House Pikachu (400 pieces). Part of a new subline at Nintendo, Smart Play kits include interactive features through Smart Brick pieces, offering lights and sound interactivity.

Amongst the new releases are 10 "Smart Play Compatible" sets, which are compatible with Smart Brick pieces but do not ship with those advanced bricks like the All-in-One sets do. Some of the highlights here include the Charmander & Geodude Cavern Clash (198 pieces) and the Cubone & Gengar's Spooky Showdown (782 pieces) sets.

A new trailer for Weapons and Barbarian director Zach Cregger's Resident Evil movie has arrived, providing a new look at the scary video game adaptation.

In this new trailer, we see the medical courier Bryan (Austin Abrams) at a hospital where he takes on a new job where he must ferry organs to "Raccoon City General," a hospital "outside the zone."

The job pays double, so Bryan takes it. Then, well, everything goes badly as Bryan finds himself in a world of hell. Take a look:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mNd1gb19A-c

Cregger's Resident Evil movie tells an "entirely original story" that takes place in the Resident Evil universe. Some fans have questioned this approach, saying they'd rather see one of the game's stories adapted and for the film to feature popular characters like Leon Kennedy or Jill Valentine.

That's not going to happen, though, and Cregger thinks fans of the game will be happy with what he creates.

"When you watch it, you'll be like, 'This is very Zach.' It's just [that] it takes place in the Resident Evil world. I don't think fans of the games are gonna be bummed," he told Entertainment Weekly.

The Resident Evil movie comes to theaters on September 18. It stars Abrams as an "idiot" medical courier named Bryan who gets mixed up in a horrifying adventure that Cregger says is akin to The Lord of the Rings.

“Not that he’s stupid, but he’s not your typical game character, with no combat skills whatsoever and completely inept at survival. Bryan is very much an everyman who happens to be burdened with this kind of sacred mission that’s going to take him into the heart of everything. It’s kind of like Frodo going into Mordor," he said.

A new firmware update for PS5 consoles has been released, and as usual, it's not much to write home about. PS5 update version: 26.04-13.60.00 once again keeps things simple, offering a very incremental enhancement to the Sony-produced hardware.

"We've improved the messages and usability on some screens," the extremely brief update notes read.

The last major PS5 update was focused on the PS5 Pro, as it introduced an upgraded version of PSSR (PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution) for owners of the beefier machine. Beyond that, we've seen an improved Friends Activity widget, the option to check your PS5 console serial number, and a power saver mode added in older firmware updates alongside the usual rounds of stability improvements. Just in time for several highly anticipated games in August and September, like Control Resonant, Onimusha: Way of the Sword, and Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls.

While these announcements are also usually brushed off, people online are using them lately to voice their displeasure with Sony's decision to kill PlayStation game discs in 2028. Every post by the company online has been met with a flood of negative responses calling on people to boycott the system or purchase the games on a different platform, as part of a campaign to persuade the company to offer some form of physical media option in 2028 and beyond.

Is it working? Probably not, as Sony and third-party publishers are weathering the storm of criticism, as a digital-only marketplace will be much more lucrative for them in the future.