Monthly Archives: May 2020
Fast & Furious Crossroads Delayed
Fast & Furious Crossroads, the video game set in the same universe as the F&F movies, has been delayed from May to later this summer.
The game will now release on August 7, as revealed by the game’s official Twitter account. When it does finally pull up on PC and consoles, Fast & Furious Crossroads will tell a new story in the F&F universe and feature Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez and Tyrese Gibson reprising their movie roles. They’re joined by Sonequa Martin-Green (Star Trek: Discovery, The Walking Dead) and Asia Kate Dillon (Billions, John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum) as new characters written for the game. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/12/13/fast-furious-crossroads-reveal-trailer"] Crossroads is a team-based “vehicular-heist” game, that presumably combines driving and action in the unique and outlandish manner that the films do. The original May release date would have meant the game would release alongside the ninth Fast & Furious movie, but the film was delayed due to the impact of COVID-19 on the movie industry. At the time, developer Slightly Mad Studios and Codemasters had warned there could be a delay for the game. If you’re in need of some fast action ahead of August, you can always check out spin-off Hobbs and Shaw, released last year. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Purslow is IGN's UK News and Entertainment Writer. You can follow him on Twitter.Fast & Furious Crossroads has changed course and is now headed for an August 7, 2020 release! Get ready to join the action. pic.twitter.com/8usLku2K4m
— Fast & Furious Crossroads (@FastFuriousCR) May 27, 2020
Gorgeous TMNT Pinball Machine Announced: First Images and Video
A Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles pinball machine has been announced by Stern Pinball Inc. and it features a magnetic spinning pizza disc (!), three ramps, three flippers, comic-book style art, and the original cartoon theme song to tie it all together. Stern worked with Nickelodeon – recent custodians of the TMNT brand – to make this machine.
This is not the first TMNT pinball machine, as Data East put out Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles that was kinda dull, if colorful (it also had a non-magnetic pizza-shaped spinning disc). This new game, designed by John Borg (Iron Man, Metallica, Tron) holds a lot more promise than the 1991 game. The TMNT (2020) art is by Zombie Yeti (Ghostbusters).
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The Limited Edition Playfield with van toy, Krang toy, and ramp diverter.[/caption]
There are three versions of Stern's TMNT (this is the way, in 2020). The Premium and Limited Edition versions have a cool turtle van that spews out pinballs for multiball, a glider toy diverter that allows you to select a ramp to send the ball down, and a Krang toy that... bounces. Here's the full feature matrix.
Recent Stern machines like Stern's Star Wars and Guardians of the Galaxy have made use of licensed footage, but TMNT doesn't have any old cartoon footage, instead using custom animations you can get a tiny glimpse at in the features video below.
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The Limited Edition (LE), limited to 500 total made games, green (ooze?) armor, a unique art package with mirrored backglass, a custom autographed (by game creators) bottom arch and numbered plaque, art blades for the cabinet interior sides, an "upgraded audio system," fancy anti-glare pinball glass, and a shaker motor (basically a rumble pack, but huge).
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is available now. The LE will set you back $9,099, while the Premium runs $7,699, and the Pro $6,099. You may have to wait a bit to find one of these on quarter play in public. Check out the tons of images below to help you make your decision.
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Samuel Claiborn is IGN's Managing Editor and both fixes and breaks pinball machines in his garage. TCELES B HSUP to follow him @Samuel_IGN on Twitter.
The Limited Edition Playfield with van toy, Krang toy, and ramp diverter.[/caption]
There are three versions of Stern's TMNT (this is the way, in 2020). The Premium and Limited Edition versions have a cool turtle van that spews out pinballs for multiball, a glider toy diverter that allows you to select a ramp to send the ball down, and a Krang toy that... bounces. Here's the full feature matrix.
Recent Stern machines like Stern's Star Wars and Guardians of the Galaxy have made use of licensed footage, but TMNT doesn't have any old cartoon footage, instead using custom animations you can get a tiny glimpse at in the features video below.
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/05/27/teenage-mutant-ninja-turtles-pinball-machine-stern-2020-first-video-and-gameplay"]
The Limited Edition (LE), limited to 500 total made games, green (ooze?) armor, a unique art package with mirrored backglass, a custom autographed (by game creators) bottom arch and numbered plaque, art blades for the cabinet interior sides, an "upgraded audio system," fancy anti-glare pinball glass, and a shaker motor (basically a rumble pack, but huge).
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is available now. The LE will set you back $9,099, while the Premium runs $7,699, and the Pro $6,099. You may have to wait a bit to find one of these on quarter play in public. Check out the tons of images below to help you make your decision.
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Samuel Claiborn is IGN's Managing Editor and both fixes and breaks pinball machines in his garage. TCELES B HSUP to follow him @Samuel_IGN on Twitter.Justice League Snyder Cut: Darkseid Confirmed and Revealed
Zack Snyder has posted an image of his cut of Justice League's take on Darkseid, and confirmed the iconic supervillain will appear in the version that hits HBO Max next year.
Posted on Snyder's Twitter feed, the low-resolution image doesn't give too much away about Darkseid's appearance, but confirms that Ray Porter - who recently confirmed that he played the supervillain in unsued portions of the film - will finally get his debut in the role.
As for how Darkseid will tie into the role, previous reports have suggested he appears in a prologue to the film, and after the original cut's climax. Snyder confirmed that the long-awaited Snyder Cut - or at least a Snyder Cut - will be released on HBO Max in 2021, and may take the form of a four-hour movie, or even a TV-like run of episodes. We've seen much of the cast celebrating its release in recent days. HBO Max boss Bob Greenblatt recently admitted that the mooted $20-30 million cost of the new cut was underselling it, and it would cost more due to it being a "radical rethinking of that movie". The reshoots required won't include the original cast, however. For more on The Snyder Cut, check out our deep dive into the legendary project's history. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/justice-league-the-snyder-cut-official-hbo-max-announcement"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Joe Skrebels is IGN's Executive Editor of News. Follow him on Twitter.He's coming... to HBO Max pic.twitter.com/tthWwAqzWp
— Zack Snyder (@ZackSnyder) May 27, 2020
Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition Review – I’m Really Feeling It
Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition is just as vast and fantastical as it was in 2010. While not every aspect has aged gracefully, Monolith Soft's lengthy role-playing game has withstood the test of time and further cements itself as one of the most memorable JRPGs in the last decade.
Although Xenoblade Chronicles' opening hours may seem standard fare for JRPGs story-wise, what sets it apart right from the get-go is its setting. Years before the events of the game, two massive titans, Bionis and Mechonis, were locked in a devastating battle of unfathomable proportions. One day, the titans froze, and life started to pop up on the backs of these enormous figures. To put things into perspective, Colony 9--where protagonist Shulk lives--and the sprawling plains and lake surrounding it are located near the Bionis' ankle.
Despite Xenoblade Chronicles's age, its sense of scale is still impressive. Throughout your journey you explore wide-open plains, dense forests, snow-capped mountains, and vast lakes. All the while, Mechonis looms over you as you explore every corner of Bionis.
Continue Reading at GameSpotXenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition Review – I’m Really Feeling It
Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition is just as vast and fantastical as it was in 2010. While not every aspect has aged gracefully, Monolith Soft's lengthy role-playing game has withstood the test of time and further cements itself as one of the most memorable JRPGs in the last decade.
Although Xenoblade Chronicles' opening hours may seem standard fare for JRPGs story-wise, what sets it apart right from the get-go is its setting. Years before the events of the game, two massive titans, Bionis and Mechonis, were locked in a devastating battle of unfathomable proportions. One day, the titans froze, and life started to pop up on the backs of these enormous figures. To put things into perspective, Colony 9--where protagonist Shulk lives--and the sprawling plains and lake surrounding it are located near the Bionis' ankle.
Despite Xenoblade Chronicles's age, its sense of scale is still impressive. Throughout your journey you explore wide-open plains, dense forests, snow-capped mountains, and vast lakes. All the while, Mechonis looms over you as you explore every corner of Bionis.
Continue Reading at GameSpotGirl With the Dragon Tattoo Reboot TV Series in the Works at Amazon
Amazon is developing an original TV series centred on Lisbeth Salander, the character originally created by Stieg Larsson for The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, the first book in his best-selling Millennium series of novels.
Variety reports that the spin-off series planned for Amazon's streaming service will not be a direct sequel or continuation of any previous books or movies but rather a standalone story that places Salander in the entirely new setting of "today's world", where she will be surrounded by new characters and challenges.
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The project, which is tentatively titled The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, will be a collaborative effort between Amazon Studios, Left Bank Pictures, and Sony Pictures Television, though no writing team or cast members have been attached to the series as of yet.
Lisbeth Salander is the primary character in Larsson's award-winning Millennium series. Salander first appeared in the 2005 novel The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. She then appeared in its sequels, The Girl Who Played with Fire, The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets' Nest, The Girl in the Spider's Web, The Girl Who Takes an Eye for an Eye, and The Girl Who Lived Twice.
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In 2009, the first three books in the series were adapted into a Swedish-language film trilogy, with Noomi Rapace as Salander. It later expanded into a mini-series ahead of David Fincher's 2011 film adaptation, starring Rooney Mara as the hacker-vigilante. In 2018, The Girl in the Spider's Web rose out of Fincher's ashes, with Claire Foy reimagining the character.
Over the past few years, the TV landscape has shifted significantly to adapt to the digitalisation trend, with many streaming services offering fresh new takes on popular film franchises, to varying degrees of success. For more on these film-to-TV concepts, take a look at our rundown of 23 modern series' that took their inspiration from the big screen.
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Adele Ankers is a Freelance Entertainment Journalist. You can reach her on Twitter.
Analyst Suggests GTA 6 Could Be Released Between 2023 and 2024
Grand Theft Auto 6 could be released in Fiscal Year 2024 (April 2023 to March 2024), according to a financial analyst's assessment of the company's planned marketing spend – but there are other non Grand Theft Auto-related possibilities for that spend.
Analyst Jeff Cohen (via VentureBeat) points to recently released financial information from Take-Two, parent company of GTA developer Rockstar, which discloses the company's minimum marketing spend for the next five financial years. Cohens noticed that the latest information pointed to the company shifting a spike in marketing spend from FY 2023 to FY 2024, with at least $89.2 million now set aside for that year.
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The surrounding years' marketing commitment settle at around the $35-40 million mark – that massive increase could be seen as due to Take-Two wanting to provide the appropriate level of support for the sequel to the most successful entertainment product in history.
This is by no means a certainty, however. Cohens notes that a similar Fiscal Year marketing spike was used to "accurately [predict] the launch of Red Dead Redemption 2 prior to that game's announcement." As noted by GamesIndustry.biz, Take-Two reports did note a spending spike for FY 2019, when Red Dead Redemption 2 eventually arrived, but those reports were released a year before the game's first delay was announced. Red Dead Redemption 2 was originally scheduled to arrive in FY 2018, with a far smaller marketing spend attached to that year.
Take-Two has previously made clear that much of its marketing spend goes into securing licensing agreements with sports teams and players, and it may be the company expects a major deal to take place during that window of time. Essentially, while this is definitely an interesting bit of information, it's by no means cast-iron proof of a GTA 6 release in that window.
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Multiple sources, including IGN's own, have indicated that Rockstar is working on GTA 6, but that it is years away at this point in time. Take-Two recently called its line-up of games its "strongest pipeline in [the company's] history", with 93 games set to be released in the next five years.
GTA 6 has, of course, not been officially announced - and likely won't be for some time yet. When it does arrive, it will be the first 3D GTA game not to have been written by Rockstar co-founder Dan Houser after he left the company last year. There's a great deal of speculation about where the next game will take place, and we've got our own best guesses about that.
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Joe Skrebels is IGN's Executive Editor of News. Follow him on Twitter.
Kingdom Hearts TV Show Reportedly Coming to Disney+
A Kingdom Hearts TV show is reportedly in development for Disney+.
According to a few entertainment industry journalists posting on Twitter, a TV show adaptation of Square Enix’s video game series is in production.
Emre Kaya, writer for The Cinema Spot, tweeted that Disney originally had plans to make the show, but duties apparently shifted to Square Enix. The company has reportedly created a pilot episode using the Unreal Engine, the software used to build the video games. “This series is most likely not live-action, but CG animated. They're currently casting,” said Kaya. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/01/24/kingdom-hearts-3-review"] Kaya claims that the information was originally due to be published as an exclusive report, but that changed due to other insiders knowing about the project. This seemingly encouraged others to add to the conversation, with MCUCosmic founder Jeremy Conrad also claiming that “it’s true”. The DisInsider editor-in-chief Skyler Shuler added more to the story, claiming that “Disney VO actors are expected to reprise their roles (Jim Cummings, Bill Farmer, Tony Anselmo)”.There is a #KingdomHearts series in the works at Disney+.
Disney originally wanted to make it but that didn't work out, so Square Enix was asked to create a pilot using Unreal Engine. This series is most likely not live-action, but CG animated. They're currently casting. pic.twitter.com/jroZXImeOm — Emre Kaya (@Vullein) May 26, 2020
Disney originally planned to create a Kingdom Hearts animated series after the success of the original game in 2002, but it was cancelled due to being a “vastly different interpretation” of the game’s story. Disney nor Square Enix has made any announcement about the animated show, so the official status of such a project - if it is indeed real - remains unknown. For more Kingdom Hearts you can see right now, check out our review of Kingdom Hearts 3 and its Re Mind DLC. More Kingdom Hearts is due in a mobile game soon, and Square Enix is staffing up for further development in the series. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Purslow is IGN's UK News and Entertainment Writer. You can follow him on Twitter.Been tagged in Jeremys post (which is true), so here’s what I know:
-Kingdom Hearts will be a Disney+ series, not a movie. -It’s animated (CG) -Disney VO actors are expected to reprise their roles (Jim Cummings, Bill Farmer, Tony Anselmo) All I know. https://t.co/UTFGqXtSP6 — Skyler Shuler (@SkylerShuler) May 26, 2020
Avatar 2 to Resume Production, New Plot Details Revealed
Avatar 2 producer Jon Landau has teased a few early plot details about the long-awaited sequel, as the crew prepares to recommence filming in the wake of its production shutdown due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
In a recent Instagram post, Landau, who is co-producing Avatar 2 with director James Cameron, shared a set photo of two high-tech underwater ships, as he announced the crew's plans to resume production in New Zealand soon.
"Our Avatar sets are ready — and we couldn't be more excited to be headed back to New Zealand next week," Landau revealed in the caption a few days ago before making a direct reference to the accompanying photo. "Check out the Matador, a high speed forward command vessel (bottom) and the Picador jetboat (top) — can't wait to share more."
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As one of the first major studio productions to start up shooting again, Landau confirmed to New Zealand news site RNZ that only a small team will return to the country, where they will enter quarantine for two weeks, as the cast and crew plan to follow a "detailed and diligent safety plan that will keep everybody as safe as possible in these unprecedented times."
In the same interview, Landau shared a few minor details about the story of the 2021 sequel, as he revealed that Sam Worthington's Jake and Zoe Saldana's Neytiri will be forced to abandon their home and explore never-before-seen parts of Pandora in the forthcoming film.
"This is the story of the Sully family and what one does to keep their family together," Landau explained to the outlet. "Jake and Neytiri have a family in this movie, they are forced to leave their home, they go out and explore the different regions of Pandora, including spending quite a bit of time on the water, around the water, in the water."
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Landau's tidbit of information about the plot aligns with the previously released concept art for the Avatar sequels, showcasing various scenic locations, including islands surrounded by azure blue seas, bioluminescent bays, and floating rock formations.
We suspect that there will be more sneak peeks over the coming months, as Avatar 2 currently remains on track to swoop into theatres on December 17, 2021 - with the other sequels set to release on December 22, 2023, December 19, 2025, and December 17, 2027.
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Adele Ankers is a Freelance Entertainment Journalist. You can reach her on Twitter.
Teaser Leak Suggests Star Wars Battlefront 2 Is June’s Second PS Plus Game
A leaked teaser suggests that Star Wars Battlefront 2 will be June's second PS Plus game.
The short video, which was spotted on Instagram and posted to twitter by Nibellion, shows a short clip of Star Wars Battlefront 2 and notes that the game will be "available with PS Plus this month."
It was previously announced on Monday that PS Plus subscribers would receive Call of Duty: WWII as the first of June's free games, with more details to come later in the week.
This leak looks credible and suggests that PlayStation may officially reveal June's full lineup soon. Star Wars Battlefront 2 has had something of a redemption arc following its controversial launch. We re-reviewed the game in 2019 after its initial 2017 launch, and found it delivered an "unrivaled Force-fueled multiplayer fantasy." Back in late April, Star Wars Battlefront 2 received its final "regular content" update in the form of the Battle of Scarif update, which brought the iconic set piece from Rogue One into the game alongside updated The Rise of Skywalker skins for the game's many hero characters. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.Rumor: 2nd PS+ game for June is Star Wars: Battlefront 2 according to a teaser trailer that popped up on Instagramhttps://t.co/by3oWfkyBN pic.twitter.com/06Suz12yVt
— Nibel (@Nibellion) May 27, 2020