Monthly Archives: February 2020
GDC 2020 March Event Canceled Over Coronavirus Concerns
The Game Developers Conference is canceled, sources tell IGN, with the show's organizers now confirming it as a postponement to a later planned date.
Two developers familiar with GDC's plans told IGN of a planned cancellation ahead of the official GDC announcement, which reads:
"After close consultation with our partners in the game development industry and community around the world, we’ve made the difficult decision to postpone the Game Developers Conference this March.
Having spent the past year preparing for the show with our advisory boards, speakers, exhibitors, and event partners, we're genuinely upset and disappointed not to be able to host you at this time."
The official statement goes on to indicate that the organizers "fully intend to host a GDC event later in the summer," however it is unclear what the size or scope of that show is intended to be in comparison to the now cancelled one. "We will be working with our partners to finalize the details and will share more information about our plans in the coming weeks," the statement continued.
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In lieu of the event, GDC is offering any speakers who planned on giving their presentations at the show an opportunity to make those presentations available online through the GDC YouTube channel and a free portion of the GDC Vault. GDC is also planning to set up streams in order to still hold the Independent Games Festival and Game Developers Choice Awards shows during the originally scheduled week of GDC.
There is no news of refunds for attendees and anyone who may have had a physical booth presence at the show. Rami Ismail of the developer Vlambeer announced a fundraising initiative for devs who may have been financially hurt by the postponement through the digial conference gamedev.word which will host digital talks and pay-what-you-want game bundles to raise funds.
Questions over the state of this year’s GDC began after major companies began announcing they’d be pulling out of the show over concerns about COVID-19. Big studios like PlayStation, Microsoft, Epic Games, Kojima Productions, Facebook, EA, and more have all announced that they would no longer be participating in this year’s event.
This prompted attendees to wonder whether GDC would still be the convention they expected it to be, especially since one of the major benefits of attending is for developers to connect and learn from the major players.
In Northern California, the state government announced that it was monitoring 8,400 people for COVID-19. Since GDC is hosted in San Francisco, California today’s news of canceling the show is a logical precaution.
This is not the first game conference to be shut down by COVID-19 concerns as the Taipei Game Show in Taiwan was also canceled.
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Matt Kim is a reporter for IGN. You can reach him on Twitter.
Wolcen: Lords Of Mayhem Review – Choking On Ambition
There's an air of familiarity to Wolcen: Lords of Mayhem. It's an action role-playing game with heavy inspiration from Diablo and Path of Exile, from their high-fantasy gothic settings to their destiny-bound protagonists and plethora of abilities to dabble in. Wolcen wears its influences on its sleeve, and while it makes changes to their established foundations, it stumbles so many times along the way that it just feels lost by the end of it.
Wolcen's opening obscures some of its more novel ideas, with a stale and predictable narrative that makes it feel generic. You play as one of three siblings born and bred for battle, but cast out from the only family you know when an unknown power awakens within you. It's a plot filled to the brim with exposition, riddled with vaguely explained fantasy jargon and worldbuilding that never clicks into place. It's easy to forget about entirely after the first few hours, with only the stilted dialogue and awkward cutscenes reminding you of the uninteresting events dressing Wolcen's main draw.
The setting, however, doesn't fall prey to the same oppressive medieval look. Gloomy caverns and bright, colorful forests are equally impressive backdrops for the equally outstanding visual details buried within them. The variation across Wolcen's three acts is impressive too, as it whisks you between the opulent, gold-laden halls of an ancient sacred ground to the blood-drenched trenches of a chaotic battlefield.
Continue Reading at GameSpotWolcen: Lords Of Mayhem Review – Choking On Ambition
There's an air of familiarity to Wolcen: Lords of Mayhem. It's an action role-playing game with heavy inspiration from Diablo and Path of Exile, from their high-fantasy gothic settings to their destiny-bound protagonists and plethora of abilities to dabble in. Wolcen wears its influences on its sleeve, and while it makes changes to their established foundations, it stumbles so many times along the way that it just feels lost by the end of it.
Wolcen's opening obscures some of its more novel ideas, with a stale and predictable narrative that makes it feel generic. You play as one of three siblings born and bred for battle, but cast out from the only family you know when an unknown power awakens within you. It's a plot filled to the brim with exposition, riddled with vaguely explained fantasy jargon and worldbuilding that never clicks into place. It's easy to forget about entirely after the first few hours, with only the stilted dialogue and awkward cutscenes reminding you of the uninteresting events dressing Wolcen's main draw.
The setting, however, doesn't fall prey to the same oppressive medieval look. Gloomy caverns and bright, colorful forests are equally impressive backdrops for the equally outstanding visual details buried within them. The variation across Wolcen's three acts is impressive too, as it whisks you between the opulent, gold-laden halls of an ancient sacred ground to the blood-drenched trenches of a chaotic battlefield.
Continue Reading at GameSpotBack to the Future Remake: Tom Holland Says There Have Been ‘Conversations’
Tom Holland said that somebody has talked to him about a Back to the Future remake, but he ultimately feels it's unnecessary to make considering the original is "one of the most perfect films" ever made.
Holland recently appeared on BBC Radio 1 and was talking about his new movie Onward and one of the movie's themes of being yourself and not fake. The interviewer brought up the viral deep fake of Holland and his Marvel co-star Robert Downey Jr. replacing Marty McFly and Doc Brown from Back to the Future. The interviewer asked Holland how quickly he would deny a Back to the Future remake if he was ever asked to do it.
"I’d be lying if I said there hadn’t been conversations in the past about doing some sort of remake, but that film is the most perfect film — or one of the most perfect films, one that could never be made better," Holland told BBC Radio 1. "That said, if Downey and I could just shoot that one scene that they remade for fun — he could pay for it cause he’s got loads of money — I would do it for my fee and we could remake that scene. I think we owe it to deep fake because they did such a good job."
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The director of the original film, Robert Zemeckis, told The Telegraph in 2015 that he would have to be dead for them to remake the original film.
“That can’t happen until both Bob [Gale, the trilogy's co-writer,] and I are dead. And then I’m sure they’ll do it, unless there’s a way our estates can stop it." He continued, “I mean, to me, that’s outrageous. Especially since it’s a good movie. It’s like saying ‘Let’s remake Citizen Kane. Who are we going to get to play Kane?’ What folly, what insanity is that? Why would anyone do that?”
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2015/06/30/director-says-no-back-to-the-future-remake-ign-news"]
Back to the Future recently placed on IGN's best summer blockbusters of all time and IGN's top 25 sci-fi movies.
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Petey Oneto is a freelance writer for IGN who will buy a DeLorean and drive it 88 miles per hour through the Universal backlot if they go forward with a remake of Back to the Future. Go play the Telltale game!
X of Swords: Marvel’s Next Major X-Men Crossover Revealed
Marvel Comics has been teasing the debut of a major new X-Men storyline that will kick off the second phase of writer Jonathan Hickman's multi-year X-Men saga. Now we know the name of that story - X of Swords.
As revealed at the Marvel Comics: X-Men panel at C2E2, X of Swords is a 15-part crossover event that will link together all the ongoing X-Men titles. X of Swords begins in July, following a prelude tale in Marvel's Free Comic Book Day 2020 special. While Marvel isn't revealing much about the plot of this crossover, their press release does tease the story will begin "the next phase of Jonathan Hickman’s vision for mutantkind, which will affect the entire X-Men line."
[caption id="attachment_2311324" align="aligncenter" width="1467"]
X of Swords teaser by Mark Brooks. (Image Credit: Marvel Comics)[/caption]
The "X" in the title is meant to be read as "Ten." As with 2019's Powers of X, we assume that title will make more sense after reading the crossover. The title is probably inspired by the tarot card Ten of Swords, which generally represents betrayal, rivalry and tragic endings.
The new art shown during the panel shows the crossover will also literally revolve around sword-wielding X-Men, as ten mutants take up legendary blades in defense of Krakoa. These blades will include some familiar Marvel Universe artifacts, such as Magik's Soulsword and Wolverine's Muramasa blade, along with some new creations.
[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=20-most-anticipated-comics-of-2020&captions=true"]
What could X of Swords be about? Since the new mutant status quo was established, most of the X-books have focused on the growing pains facing the nation of Krakoa as it asserts its place on the world stage and various human enemies work to tear down what Moira MacTaggert, Professor Xavier and Magneto have built. Meanwhile, there have been increasing signs Xavier isn't in his right mind, while Mystique may be plotting to bring Krakoa burning down. X of Swords may build on any of those ongoing story threads as Krakoa faces a dire new threat.
The emphasis on swords is certainly interesting in light of the recent X-Men #7. That issue revealed a grim ritual known as Crucible, where de-powered mutants have to fight Apocalypse in order to earn an honorable death and be reborn as full mutants again. Does the title also refer to the sword Apocalypse uses to kill these mutants? Are there ten resurrected mutants in particular who form the crux of this conflict?
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/10/09/marvels-x-men-now-have-a-bold-new-status-quo-ign-now"]
No doubt Marvel will have more to reveal as we get closer to July. For now, check out our biggest questions about the new X-Men status quo, stay tuned to IGN for more big C2E2 announcements over the course of the weekend.
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Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter.
X of Swords teaser by Mark Brooks. (Image Credit: Marvel Comics)[/caption]
The "X" in the title is meant to be read as "Ten." As with 2019's Powers of X, we assume that title will make more sense after reading the crossover. The title is probably inspired by the tarot card Ten of Swords, which generally represents betrayal, rivalry and tragic endings.
The new art shown during the panel shows the crossover will also literally revolve around sword-wielding X-Men, as ten mutants take up legendary blades in defense of Krakoa. These blades will include some familiar Marvel Universe artifacts, such as Magik's Soulsword and Wolverine's Muramasa blade, along with some new creations.
[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=20-most-anticipated-comics-of-2020&captions=true"]
What could X of Swords be about? Since the new mutant status quo was established, most of the X-books have focused on the growing pains facing the nation of Krakoa as it asserts its place on the world stage and various human enemies work to tear down what Moira MacTaggert, Professor Xavier and Magneto have built. Meanwhile, there have been increasing signs Xavier isn't in his right mind, while Mystique may be plotting to bring Krakoa burning down. X of Swords may build on any of those ongoing story threads as Krakoa faces a dire new threat.
The emphasis on swords is certainly interesting in light of the recent X-Men #7. That issue revealed a grim ritual known as Crucible, where de-powered mutants have to fight Apocalypse in order to earn an honorable death and be reborn as full mutants again. Does the title also refer to the sword Apocalypse uses to kill these mutants? Are there ten resurrected mutants in particular who form the crux of this conflict?
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/10/09/marvels-x-men-now-have-a-bold-new-status-quo-ign-now"]
No doubt Marvel will have more to reveal as we get closer to July. For now, check out our biggest questions about the new X-Men status quo, stay tuned to IGN for more big C2E2 announcements over the course of the weekend.
[poilib element="accentDivider"]
Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter.X of Swords: Marvel’s Next Major X-Men Crossover Revealed
Marvel Comics has been teasing the debut of a major new X-Men storyline that will kick off the second phase of writer Jonathan Hickman's multi-year X-Men saga. Now we know the name of that story - X of Swords.
As revealed at the Marvel Comics: X-Men panel at C2E2, X of Swords is a crossover event that will link together all the ongoing X-Men titles. X of Swords begins in July, following a prelude tale in Marvel's Free Comic Book Day 2020 special. While Marvel isn't revealing much about the plot of this crossover, their press release does tease the story will begin "the next phase of Jonathan Hickman’s vision for mutantkind, which will affect the entire X-Men line."
The "X" in the title is meant to be read as "Ten." As with 2019's Powers of X, we assume that title will make more sense after reading the crossover. The title is probably inspired by the tarot card Ten of Swords, which generally represents betrayal, rivalry and tragic endings. The new art shown during the panel suggests the crossover will also literally revolve around sword-wielding X-Men. [note - we'll update this article with new X of Swords art as it becomes available]
[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=20-most-anticipated-comics-of-2020&captions=true"]
What could X of Swords be about? Since the new mutant status quo was established, most of the X-books have focused on the growing pains facing the nation of Krakoa as it asserts its place on the world stage and various human enemies work to tear down what Moira MacTaggert, Professor Xavier and Magneto have built. Meanwhile, there have been increasing signs Xavier isn't in his right mind, while Mystique may be plotting to bring Krakoa burning down. X of Swords may build on any of those ongoing story threads as Krakoa faces a dire new threat.
The emphasis on swords is certainly interesting in light of the recent X-Men #7. That issue revealed a grim ritual known as Crucible, where de-powered mutants have to fight Apocalypse in order to earn an honorable death and be reborn as full mutants again. Does the title also refer to the sword Apocalypse uses to kill these mutants? Are there ten resurrected mutants in particular who form the crux of this conflict?
It's also worth remembering that the X-Men franchise features several noteworthy swords, including Magik's mystical Soulsword and Wolverine's healing factor-canceling Muramasa blade. Does the title imply there are ten swords of special significance to the mutant race?
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/10/09/marvels-x-men-now-have-a-bold-new-status-quo-ign-now"]
No doubt Marvel will have more to reveal as we get closer to July. For now, check out our biggest questions about the new X-Men status quo, stay tuned to IGN for more big C2E2 announcements over the course of the weekend.
[poilib element="accentDivider"]
Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter.
Netflix’s The Witcher Has Found Its Vesemir
Netflix has announced that Killing Eve actor Kim Bodnia, will portray Vesemir in Season 2 of Netflix's The Witcher.
"I am so thrilled to welcome Kim Bodnia to the cast of The Witcher," series showrunner Lauren Schmidt Hissrich said. "I have admired his unique talents in shows like Killing Eve and The Bridge, and cannot wait for him to bring strength, tenacity, and warmth to the character of Vesemir, who is such an integral part of our upcoming season."
To see Bodnia, and all of the other new and returning characters coming to The Witcher's second season, check out the gallery below:
[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-witcher-explaining-all-the-characters-and-who-plays-them&captions=true"]
Here's how the streamer describes Vesemir in Season 2: "A charming relic of the witcher Golden Age, Vesemir is the oldest and most experienced witcher in our series, as well as a father figure to Geralt. As one of the survivors of The Massacre at Kaer Morhen, a haunting slaughter that nearly exterminated the Witchers, he is fiercely protective of the remaining few, who he sees as an endangered community who can find glory on 'the Path' to slaying monsters."
Before Bodnia's casting announcement, there was a social media frenzy about the possibility of iconic Star Wars actor Mark Hamill portraying the elder Witcher. Back in January 2020, IGN spoke to Hissrich about Hamill's interest in the project and the fan reaction around it. "Mark has always been of interest to me and interest to the project," Hissrich told IGN. "We have not contacted his agent yet because we’re not casting the role quite yet, but that being said, I am loving what’s happening on the internet. And I’m loving all of the fan reaction to it. Obviously, we’ve seen what a huge fanbase The Witcher has, and to add that to a Star Wars fanbase... it makes my mind explode a little bit."
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/12/18/how-much-does-the-witcher-know-about-the-witcher"]
Season 2 of The Witcher will premiere in 2021, but if you want to see Bodnia sooner than that, be sure to check him out in Killing Eve and the upcoming Netflix fantasy series, The Letter for the King. What do you think of the casting? Let us know in the comments below.
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David Griffin still watches DuckTales in his pajamas with a cereal bowl in hand. He's also the TV Editor for IGN. Say hi on Twitter.
Netflix’s The Witcher Has Found Its Vesemir
Netflix has announced that Killing Eve actor Kim Bodnia, will portray Vesemir in Season 2 of Netflix's The Witcher.
"I am so thrilled to welcome Kim Bodnia to the cast of The Witcher," series showrunner Lauren Schmidt Hissrich said. "I have admired his unique talents in shows like Killing Eve and The Bridge, and cannot wait for him to bring strength, tenacity, and warmth to the character of Vesemir, who is such an integral part of our upcoming season."
To see Bodnia, and all of the other new and returning characters coming to The Witcher's second season, check out the gallery below:
[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-witcher-explaining-all-the-characters-and-who-plays-them&captions=true"]
Here's how the streamer describes Vesemir in Season 2: "A charming relic of the witcher Golden Age, Vesemir is the oldest and most experienced witcher in our series, as well as a father figure to Geralt. As one of the survivors of The Massacre at Kaer Morhen, a haunting slaughter that nearly exterminated the Witchers, he is fiercely protective of the remaining few, who he sees as an endangered community who can find glory on 'the Path' to slaying monsters."
Before Bodnia's casting announcement, there was a social media frenzy about the possibility of iconic Star Wars actor Mark Hamill portraying the elder Witcher. Back in January 2020, IGN spoke to Hissrich about Hamill's interest in the project and the fan reaction around it. "Mark has always been of interest to me and interest to the project," Hissrich told IGN. "We have not contacted his agent yet because we’re not casting the role quite yet, but that being said, I am loving what’s happening on the internet. And I’m loving all of the fan reaction to it. Obviously, we’ve seen what a huge fanbase The Witcher has, and to add that to a Star Wars fanbase... it makes my mind explode a little bit."
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/12/18/how-much-does-the-witcher-know-about-the-witcher"]
Season 2 of The Witcher will premiere in 2021, but if you want to see Bodnia sooner than that, be sure to check him out in Killing Eve and the upcoming Netflix fantasy series, The Letter for the King. What do you think of the casting? Let us know in the comments below.
[poilib element="accentDivider"]
David Griffin still watches DuckTales in his pajamas with a cereal bowl in hand. He's also the TV Editor for IGN. Say hi on Twitter.
Simpsons Short Will Play in Front of Onward in Theaters
The Simpsons' social media pages announced a new Maggie short film, which will premiere in theaters with Pixar's Onward.
The short is called Playdate with Destiny, and an image accompanying the social media post shows Maggie sitting next to another baby overlooking what appears to be the country of Greece, judging by the blue-domed architecture.
"Maggie Simpson is speechless...," the caption reads. "Playdate with Destiny, a new Simpsons short film before Disney & Pixar’s Onward. Exclusively in theaters!"
This will be the third time the Simpsons have made it to the big screen. The Simpsons Movie made over half a billion dollars at the box office 13 years ago and another short film starring Maggie played in front of Ice Age 4 and some screenings of Life of Pi in 2012 and 2013. That short was called The Longest Daycare, and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film. It lost the Oscar to Disney's Paperman, which played in front of Wreck-It Ralph. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-top-30-simpsons-episodes&captions=true"] Assuming there won't be a Pixar short and a Simpsons short in front of Onward, this is the second Pixar movie in a row to not feature a Pixar-created short film in front of the movie. In Pixar's defense, new shorts from the company are uploaded almost every month on Disney+ under the Sparkshorts label. A Toy Story short film also recently premiered exclusively on the service. Does this mean that Pixar will only premiere new shorts on Disney+? Or is this just an extra bit of cross-company fun with Disney purchasing The Simpsons and the rest of 20th Century Fox for over $70 billion? Pixar will release another movie, Soul, in June, so fans won't have to wait long to find out. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/02/25/the-simpsons-hit-run-in-dreams"] The Simpsons have been in the news a couple of times over the past month. Apu's voice actor won't be playing the role after years of controversy and The Simpsons will feature an Avengers-satire on Sunday's episode where Bart threatens to spoil a big superhero movie after attending a preview event, which leads to studio executives trying to silence him. Avengers: Endgame directors Joe and Anthony Russo and producer Kevin Feige will all voice characters for the episode. As for Onward, IGN praised the film in its review. IGN's critic said, "Pixar's Onward is enchanting; a sweet, heartwarming and fun-filled fantasy adventure tale featuring a solid voice cast." [poilib element="accentDivider"] Petey Oneto is a freelance writer for IGN who refuses to watch Simpsons on Disney+ until they fix that trash aspect ratio. Also, Disney+ needs to upload The Longest Daycare.Maggie Simpson is speechless… Playdate with Destiny, a new Simpsons short film before Disney & Pixar’s Onward. Exclusively in theaters! #TheSimpsons pic.twitter.com/3090Zv8uYE
— The Simpsons (@TheSimpsons) February 28, 2020
Simpsons Short Will Play in Front of Onward in Theaters
The Simpsons' social media pages announced a new Maggie short film, which will premiere in theaters with Pixar's Onward.
The short is called Playdate with Destiny, and an image accompanying the social media post shows Maggie sitting next to another baby overlooking what appears to be the country of Greece, judging by the blue-domed architecture.
"Maggie Simpson is speechless...," the caption reads. "Playdate with Destiny, a new Simpsons short film before Disney & Pixar’s Onward. Exclusively in theaters!"
This will be the third time the Simpsons have made it to the big screen. The Simpsons Movie made over half a billion dollars at the box office 13 years ago and another short film starring Maggie played in front of Ice Age 4 and some screenings of Life of Pi in 2012 and 2013. That short was called The Longest Daycare, and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film. It lost the Oscar to Disney's Paperman, which played in front of Wreck-It Ralph. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-top-30-simpsons-episodes&captions=true"] Assuming there won't be a Pixar short and a Simpsons short in front of Onward, this is the second Pixar movie in a row to not feature a Pixar-created short film in front of the movie. In Pixar's defense, new shorts from the company are uploaded almost every month on Disney+ under the Sparkshorts label. A Toy Story short film also recently premiered exclusively on the service. Does this mean that Pixar will only premiere new shorts on Disney+? Or is this just an extra bit of cross-company fun with Disney purchasing The Simpsons and the rest of 20th Century Fox for over $70 billion? Pixar will release another movie, Soul, in June, so fans won't have to wait long to find out. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/02/25/the-simpsons-hit-run-in-dreams"] The Simpsons have been in the news a couple of times over the past month. Apu's voice actor won't be playing the role after years of controversy and The Simpsons will feature an Avengers-satire on Sunday's episode where Bart threatens to spoil a big superhero movie after attending a preview event, which leads to studio executives trying to silence him. Avengers: Endgame directors Joe and Anthony Russo and producer Kevin Feige will all voice characters for the episode. As for Onward, IGN praised the film in its review. IGN's critic said, "Pixar's Onward is enchanting; a sweet, heartwarming and fun-filled fantasy adventure tale featuring a solid voice cast." [poilib element="accentDivider"] Petey Oneto is a freelance writer for IGN who refuses to watch Simpsons on Disney+ until they fix that trash aspect ratio. Also, Disney+ needs to upload The Longest Daycare.Maggie Simpson is speechless… Playdate with Destiny, a new Simpsons short film before Disney & Pixar’s Onward. Exclusively in theaters! #TheSimpsons pic.twitter.com/3090Zv8uYE
— The Simpsons (@TheSimpsons) February 28, 2020