Kojima Productions, and Hideo Kojinma himself, have become the latest Game Developers Conference dropouts because of concerns around COVID-19 (a.k.a. Coronavirus). In a short post on its English-language website, a spokesperson for the Death Stranding developer wrote: "Kojima Productions has made the difficult decision to cancel our participation at the 2020 Game Developers Conference due to increasing concerns related to novel coronavirus. Although much-anticipated, unfortunately this cancellation also includes Hideo Kojima’s session on the 19th and Eric Johnson’s session on the 16th." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/02/07/the-outer-worlds-switch-version-delayed-due-to-coronavirus"] Kojima was due to present a talk about his design philosophy for Death Stranding at the show, in which the legendary director would "unravel this process through an analysis of the game's concept, theme, storytelling, game mechanics, and development, utilizing the overarching keyword of 'connection' as a framework." It's the latest in a number of developer cancellations for upcoming public shows. PlayStation and Oculus have also pulled out of GDC, while PAX East has also been hit, with PlayStation and Square Enix among those who have changed plans around the event. The mayor of Boston has since publicly called for PlayStation to reconsider its PAX East decision, saying it contributes to harmful stereotypes. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Joe Skrebels is IGN's Executive Editor of News. Follow him on Twitter.

Sony has announced a new flagship smartphone called the Xperia 1 II and it packs the biggest camera sensor we’ve seen on a mobile device. The Sony Xperia 1 II’s biggest headlining feature is it now features a 1/1.7-inch main image sensor, which also happens to sit behind a 24mm Zeiss lens that’s also been optically stabilized and specifically calibrated for this phone. It might only be a 12MP resolution sensor, but that big imaging chip is 50% larger than the 1/1.26-inch sensor you’ll find in most smartphone cameras today. As always, a larger sensor absorbs more light to produces better low-light images with less noise—but it has also allowed Sony to integrate a faster focusing system as well. With the larger imaging chip, Sony was also able to implement a larger dual-photo diode sensor. This technology already allowed the original Sony Xperia 1 to split each pixel on the sensor two photodiodes, which would receive light from separate angles and essentially act as a phase-detect autofocus system. The Sony Xperia 1 II features the same dual photodiode sensor focusing system, but now it covers 70% of the camera sensor. What’s more, Sony has added a new 3D iToF sensor that calculates the time of flight from your phone to your subject (i.e. a person or building). With the expanded dual-photo diode and 3D iToF sensor combined, the new Xperia 1 II can give you constant autofocus and auto-exposure while you’re shooting. Additionally, Sony has ported the Real-time Eye AF feature from its mainstream cameras, so it can automatically lock focus onto both human or animal eyes while you're taking portraits or cat photos. Sony has also expanded the burst shooting capabilities of the Sony Xperia 1 II, which can now shoot at up to 20fps with constant AF and AE enabled as well. On top of the upgraded main camera, the Sony Xperia 1 II features another pair of 12MP sensors behind a 16mm ultrawide and 70mm telephoto lens. The ultrawide camera features its own dual-photo diode sensor, meanwhile, the telephoto can only use phase-detect autofocus but you do get OIS as with the main camera. Like the iPhone 11 Pro, users will be able to smoothly zoom between the Xperia 1 II’s three focal lengths, which will come in handy when you’re shooting 4K 60p videos with this handset. Cameras aside the Xperia 1 II features a familiar extra tall 6.5-inch 4K HDR OLED display following Sony’s 21:9 CinemaWide screen format. The chipset has also been upgraded to a Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 processor paired with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. The battery onboard Sony’s latest flagship is pretty average at a 4,000mAh capacity. The Sony Xperia 1 II also sees the reintroduction of the 3.5mm audio jack with the addition of dual front-firing stereo speakers. Lastly, Sony has added a few gaming-focused features on the Xperia 1 II including motion blur reduction and enhanced touch sensitivity. Sony has also told us that it will announce a special collaboration with Call of Duty: Mobile at a later date. Sony has yet to disclose pricing or availability information for the Sony Xperia 1 II, but we expect to hear an update any day now.

Riding the 5G wave

If you were wondering why we didn’t mention the Xperia 1 II was a 5G phone, well that’s because it’s sticking to 4G. Sony is saving its 5G experience for a higher-end Xperia Pro. The Xperia Pro comes 5G ready with sub6 and mmWave radios, but it otherwise features the same specs as the Xperia 1 II from its cameras to an identical chipset. On other difference you might notice about Sony’s highest-end phone is it's a bit larger and that’s to make way for a more robust frame with a dedicated HDMI port. Users will be able to connect this phone directly to a Sony camera—from the brand's mirrorless cameras to its professional camcorders. While connected the Xperia Pro can be used as an external recorder and even stream video directly over the Internet. As with the Xperia 1 II, Sony has yet to announce pricing or a release date for the Xperia Pro but we’re hoping to hear more soon. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Kevin Lee is IGN's Hardware and Roundups Editor. Follow him on Twitter @baggingspam

Sony has announced a new flagship smartphone called the Xperia 1 II and it packs the biggest camera sensor we’ve seen on a mobile device. The Sony Xperia 1 II’s biggest headlining feature is it now features a 1/1.7-inch main image sensor, which also happens to sit behind a 24mm Zeiss lens that’s also been optically stabilized and specifically calibrated for this phone. It might only be a 12MP resolution sensor, but that big imaging chip is 50% larger than the 1/1.26-inch sensor you’ll find in most smartphone cameras today. As always, a larger sensor absorbs more light to produces better low-light images with less noise—but it has also allowed Sony to integrate a faster focusing system as well. With the larger imaging chip, Sony was also able to implement a larger dual-photo diode sensor. This technology already allowed the original Sony Xperia 1 to split each pixel on the sensor two photodiodes, which would receive light from separate angles and essentially act as a phase-detect autofocus system. The Sony Xperia 1 II features the same dual photodiode sensor focusing system, but now it covers 70% of the camera sensor. What’s more, Sony has added a new 3D iToF sensor that calculates the time of flight from your phone to your subject (i.e. a person or building). With the expanded dual-photo diode and 3D iToF sensor combined, the new Xperia 1 II can give you constant autofocus and auto-exposure while you’re shooting. Additionally, Sony has ported the Real-time Eye AF feature from its mainstream cameras, so it can automatically lock focus onto both human or animal eyes while you're taking portraits or cat photos. Sony has also expanded the burst shooting capabilities of the Sony Xperia 1 II, which can now shoot at up to 20fps with constant AF and AE enabled as well. On top of the upgraded main camera, the Sony Xperia 1 II features another pair of 12MP sensors behind a 16mm ultrawide and 70mm telephoto lens. The ultrawide camera features its own dual-photo diode sensor, meanwhile, the telephoto can only use phase-detect autofocus but you do get OIS as with the main camera. Like the iPhone 11 Pro, users will be able to smoothly zoom between the Xperia 1 II’s three focal lengths, which will come in handy when you’re shooting 4K 60p videos with this handset. Cameras aside the Xperia 1 II features a familiar extra tall 6.5-inch 4K HDR OLED display following Sony’s 21:9 CinemaWide screen format. The chipset has also been upgraded to a Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 processor paired with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. The battery onboard Sony’s latest flagship is pretty average at a 4,000mAh capacity. The Sony Xperia 1 II also sees the reintroduction of the 3.5mm audio jack with the addition of dual front-firing stereo speakers. Lastly, Sony has added a few gaming-focused features on the Xperia 1 II including motion blur reduction and enhanced touch sensitivity. Sony has also told us that it will announce a special collaboration with Call of Duty: Mobile at a later date. Sony has yet to disclose pricing or availability information for the Sony Xperia 1 II, but we expect to hear an update any day now.

Riding the 5G wave

If you were wondering why we didn’t mention the Xperia 1 II was a 5G phone, well that’s because it’s sticking to 4G. Sony is saving its 5G experience for a higher-end Xperia Pro. The Xperia Pro comes 5G ready with sub6 and mmWave radios, but it otherwise features the same specs as the Xperia 1 II from its cameras to an identical chipset. On other difference you might notice about Sony’s highest-end phone is it's a bit larger and that’s to make way for a more robust frame with a dedicated HDMI port. Users will be able to connect this phone directly to a Sony camera—from the brand's mirrorless cameras to its professional camcorders. While connected the Xperia Pro can be used as an external recorder and even stream video directly over the Internet. As with the Xperia 1 II, Sony has yet to announce pricing or a release date for the Xperia Pro but we’re hoping to hear more soon. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Kevin Lee is IGN's Hardware and Roundups Editor. Follow him on Twitter @baggingspam

The world of competitive gaming is one of thrilling victories, soul-crushing defeats, and extreme skill. That said, perhaps no major video game tournament will ever result in a moment cuter than when a young girl by the name of Simone Lim won the Pokemon Oceania International Junior Championships this week.

The official Play Pokemon Twitter account caught the final moments of Lim’s hard-fought victory against her older opponent, Justin Miranda-Radbord, who actually took home the Pokemon Oceania Junior Championship in 2019. According to the tournament's commentators, this was also Lim's first competitive season and her first major tournament after winning in two regional tournaments.

An INCREDIBLE read by Simone, leading to a victory and earning Simone the title of 2020 Oceania #PokemonVG Junior Champion! pic.twitter.com/liiJyEj09I

— Play Pokémon (@playpokemon) February 23, 2020

Leading into the final round, the odds seemed slightly stacked against the young Lim. Miranda-Radbord himself has won multiple Pokemon championships. He managed to go 5-0 through the event, had the top seed, and seemed to have a slight advantage going into the final turns of the Oceania tournament’s final rounds.

Lim herself had a tougher road to victory, going 3-2 earlier in the tournament and landing a seed 7. Managing to win one round against Miranda-Radbord, she pushed the competition to its final round, where she was faced with a tough situation: Facing Radbord’s two Pokemon (a Rhyperior and a Dusclops) with just one low-health Tyranitar. Lim managed to predict which Pokemon Radbord would use Protect on, allowing her to defeat the Dusclops first before using Superpower on Radbord’s final Pokemon, clenching a very close win and audibly stunning the audience.

Lim can be seen just barely smiling through her hands, looking somewhat embarrassed, before her friend runs up to her and hugs her, eliciting a much bigger smile.

 

In the post-game interview, Lim said she knew her opponent would use Protect on his Rhyperior, then thanked her friends and family while clutching onto a large Eevee plush toy.

And here’s Lim standing next to her fellow champions in the other divisions of the Pokemon Oceania tournament. Needless to say, though she might be barely four feet tall, she’s standing head and shoulders above the competition today.

You can watch the whole 5-hour tournament here if you like. The battle between Lim and Miranda-Radbord begins around the 4-hours-and-3-minutes mark. Don't forget to check out IGN's Pokemon Sword and Shield hub page for more updates on the games, including the new Pokemon Home. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Joseph Knoop is a writer/producer/blubbering mess for IGN.

The world of competitive gaming is one of thrilling victories, soul-crushing defeats, and extreme skill. That said, perhaps no major video game tournament will ever result in a moment cuter than when a young girl by the name of Simone Lim won the Pokemon Oceania International Junior Championships this week.

The official Play Pokemon Twitter account caught the final moments of Lim’s hard-fought victory against her older opponent, Justin Miranda-Radbord, who actually took home the Pokemon Oceania Junior Championship in 2019. According to the tournament's commentators, this was also Lim's first competitive season and her first major tournament after winning in two regional tournaments.

An INCREDIBLE read by Simone, leading to a victory and earning Simone the title of 2020 Oceania #PokemonVG Junior Champion! pic.twitter.com/liiJyEj09I

— Play Pokémon (@playpokemon) February 23, 2020

Leading into the final round, the odds seemed slightly stacked against the young Lim. Miranda-Radbord himself has won multiple Pokemon championships. He managed to go 5-0 through the event, had the top seed, and seemed to have a slight advantage going into the final turns of the Oceania tournament’s final rounds.

Lim herself had a tougher road to victory, going 3-2 earlier in the tournament and landing a seed 7. Managing to win one round against Miranda-Radbord, she pushed the competition to its final round, where she was faced with a tough situation: Facing Radbord’s two Pokemon (a Rhyperior and a Dusclops) with just one low-health Tyranitar. Lim managed to predict which Pokemon Radbord would use Protect on, allowing her to defeat the Dusclops first before using Superpower on Radbord’s final Pokemon, clenching a very close win and audibly stunning the audience.

Lim can be seen just barely smiling through her hands, looking somewhat embarrassed, before her friend runs up to her and hugs her, eliciting a much bigger smile.

 

In the post-game interview, Lim said she knew her opponent would use Protect on his Rhyperior, then thanked her friends and family while clutching onto a large Eevee plush toy.

And here’s Lim standing next to her fellow champions in the other divisions of the Pokemon Oceania tournament. Needless to say, though she might be barely four feet tall, she’s standing head and shoulders above the competition today.

You can watch the whole 5-hour tournament here if you like. The battle between Lim and Miranda-Radbord begins around the 4-hours-and-3-minutes mark. Don't forget to check out IGN's Pokemon Sword and Shield hub page for more updates on the games, including the new Pokemon Home. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Joseph Knoop is a writer/producer/blubbering mess for IGN.

An impressive amount of images from the upcoming Resident Evil 3 remake appear to have leaked online. The images show off plenty of new looks at Nemesis, the iconic Resident Evil monster bred to hunt down S.T.A.R.S. members, plus a look at some different environments and at least one other major enemy. Check it out in the gallery below.

[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=resident-evil-3-leak-screenshot-gallery-images&captions=true"]

Posted to an ongoing Resident Evil 3 Resetera thread by a moderator known as Dusk Golem, the images show off Nemesis looming over Jill Valentine, much like Mr. X in the Resident Evil 2 remake. Nemesis also appears to be holding a massive flamethrower, brandishing it in front of Jill’s face at one point. Obviously, Capcom hasn’t confirmed any of these screenshots, so take it all with a grain of salt. The images themselves all have a watermark from the French gaming site, gamergen.com.

[caption id="attachment_2307407" align="alignnone" width="720"] Source: Resetera/Dusk Golem.[/caption]

Another couple of images show two enemies: One that that could most likely be the amphibious Gamma Hunter, and another that might be the worm-like Grave Digger. Either way, they’re both definitely terrifying at close range.

[caption id="attachment_230740" align="alignnone" width="720"] Source: Resetera/Dusk Golem.[/caption]

The images also show off new looks at other playable characters from Resident Evil Resistance, the multiplayer component to the RE3 remake. We see Carlos Olivera and Becca Woolett traipsing around a casino club environment rife with zombies.

[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/12/11/resident-evil-3-comparison-remake-vs-original"]

The Resident Evil 3 remake is out on April 3, 2020.

Don’t forget to check out 23 more screenshots from Resident Evil 3 that dropped last month, and here’s everything that’s changing in Resident Evil 3, and everything that’s staying the same. Follow the rest of our Resident Evil 3 coverage for more updates and previews.

[poilib element="accentDivider"] Joseph Knoop is a writer/producer/biological weapon for IGN.

An impressive amount of images from the upcoming Resident Evil 3 remake appear to have leaked online. The images show off plenty of new looks at Nemesis, the iconic Resident Evil monster bred to hunt down S.T.A.R.S. members, plus a look at some different environments and at least one other major enemy. Check it out in the gallery below.

[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=resident-evil-3-leak-screenshot-gallery-images&captions=true"]

Posted to an ongoing Resident Evil 3 Resetera thread by a moderator known as Dusk Golem, the images show off Nemesis looming over Jill Valentine, much like Mr. X in the Resident Evil 2 remake. Nemesis also appears to be holding a massive flamethrower, brandishing it in front of Jill’s face at one point. Obviously, Capcom hasn’t confirmed any of these screenshots, so take it all with a grain of salt. The images themselves all have a watermark from the French gaming site, gamergen.com.

[caption id="attachment_2307407" align="alignnone" width="720"] Source: Resetera/Dusk Golem.[/caption]

Another couple of images show two enemies: One that that could most likely be the amphibious Gamma Hunter, and another that might be the worm-like Grave Digger. Either way, they’re both definitely terrifying at close range.

[caption id="attachment_230740" align="alignnone" width="720"] Source: Resetera/Dusk Golem.[/caption]

The images also show off new looks at other playable characters from Resident Evil Resistance, the multiplayer component to the RE3 remake. We see Carlos Olivera and Becca Woolett traipsing around a casino club environment rife with zombies.

[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/12/11/resident-evil-3-comparison-remake-vs-original"]

The Resident Evil 3 remake is out on April 3, 2020.

Don’t forget to check out 23 more screenshots from Resident Evil 3 that dropped last month, and here’s everything that’s changing in Resident Evil 3, and everything that’s staying the same. Follow the rest of our Resident Evil 3 coverage for more updates and previews.

[poilib element="accentDivider"] Joseph Knoop is a writer/producer/biological weapon for IGN.

It’s been less than a week since PlayStation announced it won’t be attending PAX East in Boston due to “increasing concerns” over COVID-19, otherwise known as the novel coronavirus. Now, the mayor of Boston has reached out to Sony to appeal to the company, urging them to make a decision based on “facts, not fear,” and urging PlayStation to not play into “harmful stereotypes” about Chinese people.

According to WCVB (via Eurogamer), Boston Mayor Marty Walsh has sent a letter to PlayStation CEO Kenichiro Yoshida, saying to the gaming company president that the risk of individuals contracting the COVID-19 in Boston and Massachusetts remains extremely low. Walsh also stated in the letter that anti-Chinese and anti-Asian sentiment and misinformation have played a role in the increasing fear of the COVID-19 in the United States.

"These fears reinforce harmful stereotypes that generations of Asians have worked hard to dismantle," reads Walsh's letter. "They trigger our worst impulses: to view entire groups of people with suspicion, to close ourselves off, and to miss out on the opportunities and connections our global city provides. Boston is united in our efforts to dispel these harmful and misguided fears."

[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=all-the-big-games-coming-in-2020&captions=true"]

Walsh specifically urged PlayStation to play a role in pushing back against these fears.

"As a large, international company, you have an opportunity to set a good example," Walsh wrote. "As a leader in technology, you can show that you are motivated by facts, not fear. As a leader in gaming and culture, you can show that you believe in connection, not isolation."

So far, only one Boston resident has been confirmed to have contracted COVID-19. That resident, a man in his 20s who attends the University of Massachusetts and returned from recent trip to Wuhan, the Chinese city at the center of the outbreak, has since been kept in isolation in his home where he is currently recovering.

[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/02/21/othercide-reveal-trailer-pax-east-2020"]

Since COVID-19 appeared in Boston, Walsh has started a social media campaign focused on easing the fears of the city’s Chinatown’s business.

PlayStation has yet to publicly respond to Walsh’s letter.

An increase in racist comments and attacks has been linked to increasing fear over COVID-19. A viral video recorded recently shows a man on an LA subway train ranting at an Asian woman, saying “every disease has ever came from China.” Similarly, another video recorded at a Super 8 in Plymouth, Indiana shows a man denying a room to two Hmong men over a similar fear. Other video footage shows a man attacking an Asian woman seemingly for wearing a face mask, a common accessory in Asian communities long before COVID-19 arose.

As of February 23, COVID-19 has killed approximately 2,442 people in China’s mainland, with a total of 76,936 reported infections, according to Aljazeera. According to CNN, United States health officials have confirmed 35 cases of COVID-19 in the country. The highest concentration of individuals with COVID-19 appears to be in California, with a confirmed eight cases.

PlayStation and Facebook (which owns the Oculus VR brand) similarly also pulled out of the 2020 Game Developers Conference, which is hosted in San Francisco’s downtown district from March 16 to March 20, citing the same concerns over the coronavirus.

“We have made the difficult decision to cancel our participation in Game Developers Conference due to increasing concerns related to COVID-19… We felt this was the best option as the situation related to the virus and global travel restrictions are changing daily," Sony said in a statement. "We are disappointed to cancel our participation, but the health and safety of our global workforce is our highest concern. We look forward to participating in GDC in the future.”

[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/02/21/game-scoop-567-400-is-the-magic-number-for-a-console-launch"]

PlayStation not attending PAX East also means that a previously planned demo of The Last of Us Part II will not be available for the public.

The outbreak of COVID-19 has interrupted other gaming events as well. The Overwatch development team has announced it will temporarily relocate its Chinese teams to South Korea, and Nintendo confirmed the outbreak will impact Animal Crossing: New Horizons shipments in Japan.

[poilib element="accentDivider"] Joseph Knoop is a writer/producer for IGN.

It’s been less than a week since PlayStation announced it won’t be attending PAX East in Boston due to “increasing concerns” over COVID-19, otherwise known as the novel coronavirus. Now, the mayor of Boston has reached out to Sony to appeal to the company, urging them to make a decision based on “facts, not fear,” and urging PlayStation to not play into “harmful stereotypes” about Chinese people.

According to WCVB (via Eurogamer), Boston Mayor Marty Walsh has sent a letter to PlayStation CEO Kenichiro Yoshida, saying to the gaming company president that the risk of individuals contracting the COVID-19 in Boston and Massachusetts remains extremely low. Walsh also stated in the letter that anti-Chinese and anti-Asian sentiment and misinformation have played a role in the increasing fear of the COVID-19 in the United States.

"These fears reinforce harmful stereotypes that generations of Asians have worked hard to dismantle," reads Walsh's letter. "They trigger our worst impulses: to view entire groups of people with suspicion, to close ourselves off, and to miss out on the opportunities and connections our global city provides. Boston is united in our efforts to dispel these harmful and misguided fears."

[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=all-the-big-games-coming-in-2020&captions=true"]

Walsh specifically urged PlayStation to play a role in pushing back against these fears.

"As a large, international company, you have an opportunity to set a good example," Walsh wrote. "As a leader in technology, you can show that you are motivated by facts, not fear. As a leader in gaming and culture, you can show that you believe in connection, not isolation."

So far, only one Boston resident has been confirmed to have contracted COVID-19. That resident, a man in his 20s who attends the University of Massachusetts and returned from recent trip to Wuhan, the Chinese city at the center of the outbreak, has since been kept in isolation in his home where he is currently recovering.

[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/02/21/othercide-reveal-trailer-pax-east-2020"]

Since COVID-19 appeared in Boston, Walsh has started a social media campaign focused on easing the fears of the city’s Chinatown’s business.

PlayStation has yet to publicly respond to Walsh’s letter.

An increase in racist comments and attacks has been linked to increasing fear over COVID-19. A viral video recorded recently shows a man on an LA subway train ranting at an Asian woman, saying “every disease has ever came from China.” Similarly, another video recorded at a Super 8 in Plymouth, Indiana shows a man denying a room to two Hmong men over a similar fear. Other video footage shows a man attacking an Asian woman seemingly for wearing a face mask, a common accessory in Asian communities long before COVID-19 arose.

As of February 23, COVID-19 has killed approximately 2,442 people in China’s mainland, with a total of 76,936 reported infections, according to Aljazeera. According to CNN, United States health officials have confirmed 35 cases of COVID-19 in the country. The highest concentration of individuals with COVID-19 appears to be in California, with a confirmed eight cases.

PlayStation and Facebook (which owns the Oculus VR brand) similarly also pulled out of the 2020 Game Developers Conference, which is hosted in San Francisco’s downtown district from March 16 to March 20, citing the same concerns over the coronavirus.

“We have made the difficult decision to cancel our participation in Game Developers Conference due to increasing concerns related to COVID-19… We felt this was the best option as the situation related to the virus and global travel restrictions are changing daily," Sony said in a statement. "We are disappointed to cancel our participation, but the health and safety of our global workforce is our highest concern. We look forward to participating in GDC in the future.”

[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/02/21/game-scoop-567-400-is-the-magic-number-for-a-console-launch"]

PlayStation not attending PAX East also means that a previously planned demo of The Last of Us Part II will not be available for the public.

The outbreak of COVID-19 has interrupted other gaming events as well. The Overwatch development team has announced it will temporarily relocate its Chinese teams to South Korea, and Nintendo confirmed the outbreak will impact Animal Crossing: New Horizons shipments in Japan.

[poilib element="accentDivider"] Joseph Knoop is a writer/producer for IGN.

It was a neck and neck race this weekend at the box office between Sonic the Hedgehog and Call of the Wild, starring Harrison Ford and man's best CGI friend. In the end, Sonic edged out Call of the Wild, pulling in an estimated $26.3 million, which brings the video game adaptation to a grand total of $107 million domestically, per Variety. Call of the Wild, which is based on Jack London's famous novel from 1903, brought in an estimated $24.8 million, which is more than analysts predicted but still small compared to the film's giant $135 million budget. Our own review of Call of the Wild said the the movie was all bark and no bite due to an "over-reliance on CGI." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/11/20/the-call-of-the-wild-official-trailer"] Sonic vs. Wild wasn't the only close contest this weekend. Horror flick Brahms: The Boy II fizzled with critics and movie-goers, nabbing $5.9 million for the weekend - which was just barely enough to overtakeBad Boys for Life's fourth place spot. A spinoff/sequel to 2016's The Boy, the film stars Katie Holmes, Ralph Ineson, and Owain Yeoman.

North American Box Office Estimates

Birds of Prey was third this weekend, with $7 million, finishing the weekend with an estimated $72 million total domestic take to date. The rest of the Top 10 contained Oscar winners 1917 and Parasite, which continue to do well in the wake of the Academy Awards, as well as holiday juggernaut Jumanji: The Next Level, which has now a whopping $311 million domestic haul. TruTV's Impractical Jokers: The Movie, in limited release, landed in 11th place, with $2.3 million. Here are the Top 10 North American box office estimates for the (2-day) weekend (via Box Office Mojo)

• 1. Sonic the Hedgehog $26,300,000
• 2. Call of the Wild $24,820,000
• 3. Birds of Prey $7,005,000
• 4. Brahms: The Boy II $5,900,000
• 5. Bad Boys for Life $5,860,000
• 6. 1917 $4,400,000
• 7. Fantasy Island $4,185,000
• 8. Parasite $3,121,000
• 9. Jumanji: The Next Level $3,000,000
• 10 The Photograph $2,800,000

[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=sonic-the-hedgehog-all-the-easter-eggs-and-hidden-references-from-the-movie&captions=true"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Fowler is a writer for IGN and a member of the Television Critics Association. Follow him on Twitter at @TheMattFowler and Facebook at Facebook.com/MattBFowler.