Elden Ring – How To Beat Sir Gideon Ofnir, The All-Knowing

With Maliketh dead and Lyndell buried in ash, it’s time to make the trek to the Erdtree and claim the throne. Unfortunately, the fight is nowhere near over. Some of the toughest bosses in Elden Ring stand in your way. First on the list: Sir Gideon Ofnir, The All-Knowing.

As the leader of the Roundtable Hold and an “all-knowing” scholar, it’s no surprise that Gideon boasts an impressive array of attacks. The fight is essentially a showcase of all the most powerful Sorceries and Incantations in the game, many of which you will have already encountered in previous boss fights. If you know how to avoid these spells–or are able to apply so much pressure he never has the chance to cast them–this fight is a cinch.

Preparing for the fight

This is one of the last fights in the game, so you should be at a high level by the time you get here. Somewhere in the 150 range is ideal. Get your weapon leveled up to the max–+25 for standard weapons or +10 for unique weapons.

While Gideon does deal Standard damage, his most dangerous attacks deal Magic, Holy, or Fire damage. Suit up in whatever armor has the highest resistance to Elemental damage (Lusat’s Set being the best of the bunch), and bring along some Spellproof, Holyproof, and Fireproof Dried Liver for good measure. Mixing the Opaline Hardtear into your Flask of Wondrous Physick can make a difference, too.

Gideon is extremely weak to Madness, so high-Faith builds should come equipped with their favorite Frenzy Incantations. For Sorcerers, Ranni’s Dark Moon and Eternal Darkness are the best spells for the fight.

Lastly, summoning a Spirit Ash can make quick work of Gideon. You’ll want something that can deal lots of damage up close–Black Knife Tiche is a great option, as is the Mimic Tear if you’re running a melee-centric build yourself.

How to beat Sir Gideon Ofnir, The All-Knowing

Comet Azur is one of Gideon’s deadliest spells. When you see the blue energy beam charging up, get ready to dodge, or seek cover behind a pillar.

If there’s one strategy you want to employ against Gideon, it’s non-stop aggression. His spells are powerful, but they’re almost all projectiles with considerable windups, and can easily be interrupted with even a light attack. Backing him into a wall renders him basically useless; close the gap as quickly as you can, and stun-lock him into oblivion.

If you’re employing a long-ranged strategy–be it spells or arrows–you’ll definitely want to bring along an aggressive Spirit Summon for the fight. Gideon will cast most of his deadliest spells from a distance. Having another player stay in his face to interrupt his casts will give you time to set up your own long-distance attacks, without constantly having to worry about dodging his projectiles.

As soon as you enter the arena for the first time, Gideon will begin a speech. He won’t get aggressive until he’s done speaking, so quickly run up to him and dish out your deadliest attack before he has the chance to defend himself.

Gideon doesn’t deal melee damage. Instead, he relies on casting the strongest spells in the game. These are the Sorceries he will cast throughout the fight:

Comet. He will fire a large Glintstone comet at you, sometimes casting the spell up to four times in a row in rapid succession. Dodge to the side to avoid damage.Comet Azur. He will release a huge energy beam that can easily one-shot you if you get caught in its path. Luckily, the charge-up is very well telegraphed. Roll to the side right before he releases the beam.Carian Phalanx. He will summon an arc of magic sword above his head that will shoot at you if you get too close. You can avoid the projectiles by rolling to the side as soon as they fire.Rykard’s Rancor. A large, red skull will float toward you, following you around for a while before disappearing. Shortly after, the red trail in the air left by the skull will begin to explode, starting where the spell was cast and ending where the skull disappeared. As menacing as it may be, the skull itself doesn’t actually deal damage. Just pay attention to the path it takes, and get out of the way before the AOE explosions start.Eternal Darkness can redirect the majority of Gideon’s Sorceries, including the Comet.

These Sorceries can also all be avoided by getting behind one of the many pillars scattered throughout the room. In addition, if you have the Intelligence required to cast it, Eternal Darkness can be a huge help. It creates a portal that will redirect and absorb almost all of Gideon’s spells, giving you time to run up for an attack. Better yet, hit him with Ranni’s Dark Moon to shut off his ability to cast Sorceries entirely.

Get between the rings to avoid damage from the Triple Rings of Light Incantation.

These are the Incantations Gideon will cast throughout the fight:

Black Flame Ritual. He will summon a circle of black flames around himself, which will continue dealing damage to you over time if it connects. Simply dodge away from him to avoid the AOE.Triple Rings of Light. He will shoot three large Holy rings, fanning out toward you in straight lines before returning to Gideon a moment after. Get between the rings to avoid, or dodge through them. Be prepared to avoid them when they boomerang back.Law of Causality. He will gesture with his arms out to his side, before forming an Elden Ring on his chest. Once you hit him five times, the ring will explode. Try to get in the final hit with a projectile from a distance to avoid damage.Scarlet Aeonia. He will jump in the air, becoming a lotus before slamming back into the ground, dealing huge amount of Scarlet Rot in an AOE blast. Run out of the way while he hovers in the air.Bloodboon. He will throw a wave of Blood Flame at you, dealing Bleed. Simply get out of range, or dodge backward when he winds up.

Again, Gideon is extremely weak to melee damage. While his spells are powerful, they can all be easily interrupted. Get in his face, don’t lay off with the attacks, and you can defeat him before he even has the chance to cast the majority of his spells. When you kill him, you’ll be rewarded with 150,000 Runes, the All-Knowing Set, and the Scepter of the All-Knowing. Now, it’s time to continue onward and take on Godfrey, First Elden Lord.

Read MoreGameSpot – Game News

Apex Legends Season 13 Ranked Changes Guide: What’s New And How To Avoid Demotion

Apex Legends Season 13 is live, adding new playable legend Newcastle, the Downed Beast point-of-interest to Storm Point, and plenty of balancing adjustments (all of which are listed in the Season 13 patch notes). The new season also makes some interesting adjustments to the Ranked system.

Starting in Season 13, how you earn Ranked Points (RP) has changed, and you are no longer safe from demotion once you’ve reached a new medal tier–in the past, reaching Gold meant you couldn’t ever drop back down to Silver, but that’s no longer always the case. Below, we cover everything you need to know about what’s changed with Ranked and how to avoid being demoted.

Medal tiers

Season 13 introduces a new medal tier: Rookie. This new tier will sit below Bronze, acting as the introductory level for new players who are playing Ranked for the first time.

That means the new path in Ranked is: Rookie → Bronze → Silver → Gold → Platinum → Diamond → Master/Predator.

This does mean that the Bronze tier now has an entry cost, presenting a risk to queue into a Ranked match as soon as you’re in what was Apex Legends’ previously lowest tier. And on that note, entry costs have changed as well.

Entry cost

For those not in the know, queueing into Ranked will cost you a set amount of RP per match, the very points you need to earn in order to rise in Ranked. This means that to earn RP, you have to gain enough during a match to offset the amount you’re spending just to queue in.

Previously, every medal tier had a set RP cost: Bronze was 0, Silver was 12, Gold was 24, Platinum was 36, Diamond was 48, and Master/Predator was 60. That is no longer the case, as each individual division within each medal tier will now cost a different amount of RP, increasing with each division (save for the Master/Predator tier). The full breakdown is detailed in the table below.

Division IVDivision IIIDivision IIDivision IBronze15182124Silver27303336Gold39424548Platinum51545760Diamond63666972Master/Predator75757575In Season 13, Ranked has changed to better reward teams that work together, not lone wolves operating on their own.

Earning RP

How you earn RP is changing a little bit in Season 13. Respawn is hoping the adjustments lead to more rewarding teamplay, as Ranked previously only rewarded players who were good at fighting. This new system shares the love a bit, ensuring a player who’s good at other aspects of being a good squadmate–like keeping the team alive and finding loot–can still benefit.

Starting in Season 13, all living members of a squad get RP whenever someone gets a kill. Actually getting the kill or assisting with it will still net you more RP, but you no longer have to directly engage in every single firefight in order to ensure you’re actually earning RP.

On top of that, there is no longer a kill/assist cap for earning RP. If you go on a murderous rampage, you’ll keep earning RP for every kill and/or assist you get, though with lesser returns for each subsequent kill/assist down to a minimum.

Additionally, the extra RP earned for placing well is being adjusted. For most medal tiers, placing in 20-11th place with one to three kills/assists will now no longer be enough to go positive in terms of RP. Respawn is adjusting those values so that getting 20-11th place is now considered a “loss” while making it to the top 10 is a “win” where your chances of going positive have been greatly increased, regardless if you have any kills or assists.

The timing on assists have been expanded as well, so damaging an enemy within 15 seconds of them being knocked and subsequently killed (instead of just 10) will get you the assist bonus. Additionally, if an enemy you helped knock down gets revived and then immediately knocked again, you still get the assist RP bonus, despite not being a part of the knockdown that leads to their death.

You also now earn an extra 100 RP just for getting promoted into a new medal tier. For example, if you earn enough RP to go from Silver I to Gold IV, your extra RP will roll over and you’ll get an additional 100 points on top of that.

As a tank-like character geared toward keeping teammates alive, Newcastle is a strong pick for Ranked under this new RP system.

Third-party kill-stealing

In past seasons, you could third-party a team (the act of engaging a fight already in progress between two teams to take advantage of their weakened state) and kill all the members of the winning team and then finish off the already downed members of the losing team and still get RP for all those kills, even though you had no hand in actually downing most of the members of the second squad. This is called “third-party kill-stealing.”

No need to remember the term, though, because it no longer exists. In Season 13, Respawn is disabling the ability to do this, meaning you will not earn RP for finishing off players that another team already downed for you.

Demotions

Starting in Season 13, you can be demoted. That means making it to Platinum IV does not mean you’re safe from dropping back down to Gold I, for example.

To ensure there isn’t too much fluctuation (and frustration) with this, you do have demotion protection for three matches after a promotion. So if you go up to a higher medal tier, you can’t fall back down to the previous medal–no matter how much RP you lose–until your fourth match. Once you get to match four, however, there is no way to stop yourself from being demoted save for consistently winning and/or earning enough RP to remain positive.

When you are demoted, your RP value will be reduced to 50% of the previous tier. So going back to the example used above, if you’re at Platinum IV and get demoted, you’ll go to Gold I with 50% of the RP needed to get back to Platinum IV. This will ensure you don’t immediately drop again to a lower division if you keep losing.

Read MoreGameSpot – Game News

Grab 8 Steam Deck-Verified Games For $20

If you managed to get your hands on a Steam Deck, consider checking out the latest Humble Bundle–which offers eight Steam Deck-verified games for just $20. Included in the bundle you’ll find Orcs Must Die 3, Neon Abyss, MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries, and more.

If you’re not looking to drop $20, Humble is offering a $10 tier that includes Parkasaurus, Paint the Town Red, Exanima, and Orcs Must Die 2: Complete. Regardless of which bundle you pick, you’ll be able to redeem all your games through Steam and benefit from full support for Steam Deck.

Orcs Must Die 3 is arguably the most well-known game of the bunch, offering over-the-top action that sees you laying traps and slaying legions of orcs as you protect your vulnerable rift. If solo play isn’t chaotic enough for you, the game features a cooperative mode that lets you and a buddy team up for even more orc-slaying action.

If you’re looking for something a bit more methodical, you can check out the isometric RPG Exanima. The indie title features fully interactive maps, and you’ll have plenty of options at your disposal when it comes to exploring its gloomy world and fighting off its haunting inhabitants.

Like all Humble Bundles, a portion of the Handheld PC Power Bundle proceeds goes to charity. This time the funds are split between Lifelites and Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals–both of which work to help provide critical treatments to children.

Take a look at the list below for the full library of games in this bundle. Also, make sure to check out Humble’s other current bundles, including the stellar Game Over, T1D bundle featuring 12 games for 12 bucks.

Handheld PC Power Bundle

Exanima Mechwarrior 5: Mercenaries Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden Deluxe Neon Abyss: Deluxe Edition Orcs Must Die 2: Complete Orcs Must Die 3 Paint the Town Red Parkasaurus

Read MoreGameSpot – Game News

Xbox Hardware Dollar Sales Sees Dramatic Increase In The US

While consumer spending on video games saw an overall decrease of 8% between January and March of this year compared to 2021, Xbox hardware saw a massive jump in dollar sales in the United States compared to the same time last year.

The data comes from The NPD Group’s consumer spending report for Q1 2022, which notes that even with hardware spending having decreased by 15% compared to Q1 2021, Xbox hardware in terms of total dollar sales saw a massive 92% increase. The report gives no specific reason for the huge jump in dollar sales for Xbox, though improved console availability for both the Xbox Series X and less expensive Xbox Series S–as well as fewer supply chain issues– could certainly be a factor. Meanwhile, the Nintendo Switch was the best-selling console in the same time frame in terms of units sold.

Total spending on games in the U.S. came out to $13.9 billion in Q1 2022, but it was the mobile space that saw the largest drop in spending when compared to the same time last year with a 10% decrease. While mobile spending was down, The NPD does note that many of the most popular games on the platform continued to grow their number of players compared to last year and even 2019.

“Players are clearly still engaging with favorite games on mobile but have a broader array of alternative entertainment options open to them compared to a year ago as life in the U.S. normalizes,” Randy Nelson, head of mobile insights at Sensor Tower, said as part of The NPD report.

Top games for Q1 2022 in terms of spending include many of the usual suspects, such as Fortnite, Minecraft, Pokemon Go, Roblox, Call of Duty: Vanguard and Warzone, NBA 2K22, Madden NFL 22, Candy Crush Saga, Candy Crush Soda Saga, and Grand Theft Auto V. Other titles that led the quarter include Elden Ring, Horizon: Forbidden West, Pokemon Legends: Arceus, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Mario Party Superstars, Coin Master, The Sims 4, and WWE 2K22.

The NPD also notes that while overall spending was down by $1.2 billion for the quarter, it still remains higher than pre-pandemic levels. Other factors for the decrease in spending include supply constraints for new hardware, the lack of additional disposable income in the form of stimulus checks when compared to Q1 2021, and “the return of experiential spending opportunities that had been depressed last year.”

Sales numbers in 2022 were unlikely to top 2021, which in many ways was a record-breaking year. The amount of money being spent on video games set a new record high last year, when total spending reached $60.4 billion. That was an increase from an already record-breaking $56.9 billion in 2020, a 27% increase from total sales pre-pandemic in 2019.

Read MoreGameSpot – Game News

Today’s Wordle Answer (#326) – May 11, 2022

What’s up Wordle fiends, today is May 11 and today’s Wordle is almost a doozy. I don’t use this word all that much and I don’t know how many other folks commonly use it these days over its more contemporary synonyms, so it definitely was a surprise to see. Nonetheless, it’s okay because I’m here to help you with it if you need the aid.

Have you tried today’s Wordle? It’s actually a surprisingly straightforward word in terms of the letters it uses. I think you all could get it because no particular part of the word is all that strange, it’s just really something you don’t hear all that much anymore. That is very likely what may stump a bunch of younger players, but luckily you don’t need to worry about that, because you’re walking out of here with an answer, or at least a good idea of one.

If you wanted to get a leg up on today’s word, we’ve put together a list of starting words you could use to get started. I’ve checked and at least two of the words on there may or may not give you the bulk of today’s answer, even if the order might need some tweaking. We’ve got to leave you something to do.

Today’s Wordle Answer – May 11, 2022

The answer to today’s Wordle will be waiting for you below, but first I’ve got some hints for you to work through. Usually I think up some pretty accessible video game hints that you all can use for these words, but today’s word is, once again, a bit of a doozy. So maybe gamers will struggle with today’s answer, but I’m going to try to help.

Hint 1: South Park: The Stick of Truth is a type of comedy whose story takes such dramatic left and right turns and goes to such ridiculous places, it could be considered today’s word.Hint 2: Ironically, and you’ll forgive me for how crude this is (but crudeness is sometimes the point of today’s Wordle), this word sounds a lot like a disgusting central mechanic also found in South Park: The Stick of Truth.

I wish I could say I’m surprised that South Park fits the bill for this one so much, but…well it’s South Park. Have you guessed today’s Wordle yet? Don’t worry, because I’ve got you covered on this one. Today’s Wordle is…farce. Farces are a kind of comedy that are crude and out of this world in terms of what they cover, and I can’t think of a better game that fits that bill then South Park: The Stick of Truth, a game where you also can utilize farts as an attack.

“Video games need to include the word farce more,” is what I’m getting out of this. That’s all I’ve got for you on today’s Wordle, but be sure to check back tomorrow for a new round of hints and hopefully less crude hints!

Read MoreGameSpot – Game News

Capcom Will Release Multiple “Major” Titles By March 2023

Capcom reported a highly profitable financial year this week, but the company is anticipating that the 2022-23 financial year will be even bigger. According to the company’s outlook for the future, it plans to sell 37 million units–up from 32.6 million units the previous fiscal year–with 30 million of those sales coming from outside of Japan.

Of that total, Capcom is predicting that its new games will count for 10 million units sold, while the rest of the sales will come from existing games such as the recent Resident Evil remakes, Resident Evil 7, and Resident Evil Village.

Capcom’s current slate of 2023 titles includes dinosaur-centric action game Exoprimal and the mysterious Pragmata, while Street Fighter 6‘s release window has yet to be revealed. In the more immediate future, retro fans can revisit classic games in Capcom Fighting Collection on June 24 and Capcom Arcade 2nd Stadium on July 22. Monster Hunter fans aren’t being left out either, as the Sunbreak expansion is scheduled to land on Switch and PC on June 30.

The financial year ending on March 31, 2022, has been a record-breaking period of success for Capcom. The company reported net sales of $850 million that were up by 15.5% year-on-year, its operating income had increased to $330 million, and its net income was up by 30.6% when compared to the previous financial year, having reached $250 million.

Resident Evil Village and Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin were big drivers for Capcom’s growth in 2021, while its back catalog also contributed heavily to these numbers.

Read MoreGameSpot – Game News

3 Reasons Why You REALLY Need to Try Raid: Shadow Legends Today

Three years in, Raid: Shadow Legends remains THE premiere turn-based RPG on PC or mobile, and the developers at Plarium are full speed ahead on new content for the game’s massive player base–more than a million daily, in fact. But first, they’ve got an anniversary to celebrate, and a bunch of free stuff, including an $80 gift for NEW Raid users when you open 2 void shards in 30 days and only coming from THIS link. Old Raid user? No problem, there’s a ton of stuff for you as well.

Raid: Shadow Legends’ third anniversary event has something for everyone, whether you’ve been playing Raid since the beginning or are just taking your first look. It’s an incredible game no matter when you discover it – now just happens to be a particularly good time to play, because the good folks at Plarium have some gifts for all its players during this anniversary celebration – such as the champion Talia, which all new players receive free when they sign up, plus a whole boatload of in-game currency that you can earn fairly easily if you’re a regular player.

But those goodies are just a few of the many, many reasons why you should check out RAID: Shadow Legends. We certainly don’t have time to get into all of them today – there’s just too many – but in the spirit of the third anniversary, we’ll give you the top three.

A spectacular original dark fantasy universe, in a real RPG experience

Raid: Shadow Legends takes place in the world of Teleria, which suffers under the eye of the dark lord Siroth. You play an ancient, dead warrior, restored to life by the Arbiter, Teleria’s guardian mage, to fight back against this evil after her own power is nearly exhausted.

Yep, that sure sounds like a fantasy RPG. And Raid: Shadow Legends is one of the best around in 2022, regardless of platform. You’ve got everything. Grand quests through the deepest crypts and terrifying elven forests. The full array of men and beasts to slay, from dark elves to orcs to lizard men and demonic creatures. And a legitimately compelling story to experience as you journey through this exciting original fantasy universe.

All of that is to say that Raid: Shadow Legends has everything a great RPG needs to make its mark on the genre, and that’s certainly something that the folks at Plarium have done here. There are so many excellent RPGs to choose from on PC in 2022, but Raid stands apart from the rest thanks to its commitment to telling a deep and meaningful story in an awesome new setting. And it’s beautiful, too.

That extremely fluid and thoughtful turn-based combat

While most RPGs have taken an action focus lately, Raid: Shadow Legends sticks with the tried-and-true turn-based combat of old. And not only does it work, but this combat system is so deep and captivating that it feels so much more satisfying than any action RPG could be. This is a game for players who like to use their brains.

The combat system is built around champions that you can unlock over time by playing the game. These champions are your party, and there are more than a million combinations of team members that you can choose from during your journey.

And whether you’re playing in PvE against the toughest bosses or facing off against other players in PvP, Raid: Shadow Legends’ turn-based combat system is gonna get your brain working overtime as you work out the perfect strategies to take down your foes. It won’t be easy, but it is gonna be a good time.

These great 3rd anniversary gifts!

It wouldn’t be a video game’s anniversary party without free stuff, and free stuff is certainly abundant in Raid: Shadow Legends right now. First: if you’re a new player who signs up for an account, you get a free Epic-rarity champion, Talia. It’s hard to complain about that, right? Right.

Oh but it gets so much better. It’s hard to imagine, but it really is true, okay? If you are a new user and open two shards in 30 days – those are the boxes you draw new champions from – Plarium will give you an $80 gift card of your choice for FREE! You can purchase those or actually earn them just by playing regularly. It’s an amazing deal, and one that’s exclusive for users coming from THIS link.

And that’s just the tip of the celebratory iceberg, because Plarium has been pulling out all the stops for this anniversary soiree. You don’t want to miss it – download Raid: Shadow Legends today.

Read MoreGameSpot – Game News

Converse Pokemon Sneakers Look Great, But Don’t Get Too Excited

The Pokemon Company and Converse Japan have teamed up again to create a range of Pokemon sneakers, based on some of the most iconic pocket monsters from the original games.

As spotted by Kotaku, the Converse shoes will be available in four distinct pairs–Pikachu, Eevee, Charizard, and Mewtwo –each one sporting a color palette inspired by their respective pocket monsters. The design isn’t ostentatious either, as each Chuck will enhance the overall color on the canvas with some Pokedex stats on the right shoe and small pixel art of the Pokemon on the tongue.

Converse sneakers have undergone an Eeveelution.

Gallery

Each shoe also has different Pokeball-themed shoelace tags; Pikachu gets a regular Pokeball, Eevee’s laces have Great Ball colors, Charizard sports an Ultra Ball motif, and Mewtwo has Master Ball theming. The shoe box continues this aesthetic, as each one bears Pokeball colors as well.

The catch here is that these sneakers will be exclusive to Japan for now, and will retail for around $75 in that market. Pokemon and Converse have collaborated before, as the clothing brand rolled out Pokemon-themed footwear, apparel, and accessories last year for the 25th anniversary of the pocket monster series. Which all sold out, very, very quickly.

Read MoreGameSpot – Game News

Elden Ring Has Shipped More Than 13.4 Million Units

Elden Ring has shipped 13.4 million units as of March 31 according to Bandai Namco, with its latest sales figure being bolstered by 1.4 million sales during the second half of that month. While it’s worth noting that the figure relates to units that were sent out to retail, Bandai Namco did report 12 million sales as of March 14, so the math seemingly checks out.

Since it launched in February on PC, PlayStation, and Xbox, Elden Ring has been a commercial and critical hit for developer From Software, regularly taking the first spot in sales lists. The game’s combination of slick Souls action, rich worldbuilding that Game of Thrones author George R. R. Martin had a hand in, and impressive storytelling has helped it become one of the biggest hits of the year so far.

As industry analyst Mat Piscatella put it, Elden Ring has experienced “mind-bending” levels of success since its launch.

Every time I look at Elden Ring data I find myself just staring at it for a while in different shades of admiration, mild shock and wonder. The scale of the success is mindbending.

— Mat Piscatella (@MatPiscatella) May 9, 2022

Elden Ring was the best-selling full-price game in Q1 2022 based on dollar sales in the US, and the game remained at the top of the UK physical sales charts until Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga toppled it. Things have come full circle though, as modders have managed to add lightsabers to Elden Ring on PC.

If you’re still planning to play, we’ve got plenty of guides in our Elden Ring hub for you. You can check out features on how to beat the full-grown Fallingstar Beast, where to get Frozen Armament, and where to find Loretta’s Greatbow.

Read MoreGameSpot – Game News

PlayStation Plus Subscriber Numbers Are Down, But Sony Isn’t Worried

Sony’s PlayStation Plus has experienced a small dip in members, but the company isn’t too worried and expects the service to attract new customers when it relaunches the subscription service in June. In its financial report for the year ending on March 31, Sony reported that it had 47.4 million subscribers during the quarter ending March 2022, a figure that is down by 0.6 million people compared to the previous financial quarter from December 2021.

Overall, that figure is down by 0.2 million subscribers year-on-year, although this is the only the second time that PS Plus numbers have dipped between quarters, the last such occurrence being recorded in the 2021 financial year’s first quarter. Active user numbers are also down, with the March total of 106 million users showing a decrease of 5 million people from the previous quarter and 3 million members when adjusted for year-on-year totals.

“Let me give you the overall trend,” Sony’s CFO Hikori Totoki said (via VGC) when he was asked during an earnings call about the user numbers being in flux. “The total gameplay time is so important. Year-on-year, there has been a decline, but the stay-at-home demand was not so strong between January to February in 2021 compared to the previous year. That’s a decrease by 8% compared to January and February in 2022. Compared to the end of March in 2020, there’s a decrease of 5.9 million.”

According to Totoki, one of the main reasons for the decrease in numbers was due to the COVID-19 pandemic and stay-at-home arrangements subsiding, as the impact of the virus had led to a surge in more people engaging in video games while they were at home. This resulted in a “temporary factor” that Sony capitalized on, with Totoki mentioning that engagement numbers were still high and will likely be maintained once the PS Plus revamp is launched.

On the hardware side of Sony, it reported that it had shipped 2 million PS5 units during the latest quarter, with overall sales now sitting at 19.3 million units. FY21 sales increased 3% year-on-year which Sony said was primarily driven by “improvements in the profitability” of PS5 hardware, possibly referencing the slightly revised PS5 model that’s now available.

Read MoreGameSpot – Game News