Monthly Archives: May 2020
EA Reportedly Doesn’t Want to Make Skate 4, Does Want a Mobile Version of Skate 3
Skateboarding legend Jason Dill was reportedly called by EA to discuss a mobile version of Skate 3, and was subsequently told that the company doesn't want to make a Skate 4. He also says that a new Tony Hawk's Pro Skater game is coming this year.
In an episode of The Nine Club, a podcast run by professional skateboarder Chris Roberts, Dill hopped on for a chat, revealing that he'd been called by EA about his participation in a potential mobile version of Skate 3.
"I got a call from the EA people about 10 months ago, and they said, 'Hey, we want to talk about the Skate games.'" Dill starts. "This woman emailed me, and she said, basically, 'Hey Jason, we want to do a mobile version of Skate 3,' and I wrote back and I said, 'What else?'
"She wrote back, 'No that's it.' So I wrote back, 'Look, no big deal, no one wants your stupid mobile version of Skate 3... make Skate f***ing 4 already!"
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2010/05/10/skate-3-video-review-skate-3-video-review"]
Fans have been clamouring for a bonafide Skate sequel for the best part of a decade now, and Dill clearly wasn't happy with the idea of a purely mobile version of Skate 3. "Just do it, just make the game, and just participate again. You can't level it to the same numbers you get on other games. You do [Skate 4] for a cultural thing that pays you back later - and that's how corporations can work if they play their cards right."
EA wrote back to Dill, saying that it wasn't looking to pursue Skate 4, to which Dill replied, "Well have a lot of luck on Need for Speed 29. I won't be in your stupid mobile game."
Dill ended his anecdote by making reference to Atiba Jefferson, who appeared in Skate 3 "If Atiba agrees, tell him I'm gonna call him. Don't do it." Closing out the conversation, Dill added "I think the Skate team at EA has done themselves a big disservice by not actually trying. I don't want to be on some mobile f**king gaming system."
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/11/16/crazy-tony-hawks-pro-skater-2-speedrun-finished-in-12-minutes"]
In the same video, Dill mentions that "Tony Hawk is putting out another game," which is practically an open secret by now given previous leaks that suggest Tony Hawk's Pro Skater is making a comeback in 2020. Dill explains his connection to that game by saying he's licensed one of his boards for the game.
Dill reserved some praise for the upcoming Skater XL, saying, "That's cool, it's like a new thing that they're doing. It's adaptation of another thing." We too are hoping that game can fill the Skate-shaped hole in our hearts.
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Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.
EA Reportedly Doesn’t Want to Make Skate 4, Does Want a Mobile Version of Skate 3
Skateboarding legend Jason Dill was reportedly called by EA to discuss a mobile version of Skate 3, and was subsequently told that the company doesn't want to make a Skate 4. He also says that a new Tony Hawk's Pro Skater game is coming this year.
In an episode of The Nine Club, a podcast run by professional skateboarder Chris Roberts, Dill hopped on for a chat, revealing that he'd been called by EA about his participation in a potential mobile version of Skate 3.
"I got a call from the EA people about 10 months ago, and they said, 'Hey, we want to talk about the Skate games.'" Dill starts. "This woman emailed me, and she said, basically, 'Hey Jason, we want to do a mobile version of Skate 3,' and I wrote back and I said, 'What else?'
"She wrote back, 'No that's it.' So I wrote back, 'Look, no big deal, no one wants your stupid mobile version of Skate 3... make Skate f***ing 4 already!"
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2010/05/10/skate-3-video-review-skate-3-video-review"]
Fans have been clamouring for a bonafide Skate sequel for the best part of a decade now, and Dill clearly wasn't happy with the idea of a purely mobile version of Skate 3. "Just do it, just make the game, and just participate again. You can't level it to the same numbers you get on other games. You do [Skate 4] for a cultural thing that pays you back later - and that's how corporations can work if they play their cards right."
EA wrote back to Dill, saying that it wasn't looking to pursue Skate 4, to which Dill replied, "Well have a lot of luck on Need for Speed 29. I won't be in your stupid mobile game."
Dill ended his anecdote by making reference to Atiba Jefferson, who appeared in Skate 3 "If Atiba agrees, tell him I'm gonna call him. Don't do it." Closing out the conversation, Dill added "I think the Skate team at EA has done themselves a big disservice by not actually trying. I don't want to be on some mobile f**king gaming system."
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/11/16/crazy-tony-hawks-pro-skater-2-speedrun-finished-in-12-minutes"]
In the same video, Dill mentions that "Tony Hawk is putting out another game," which is practically an open secret by now given previous leaks that suggest Tony Hawk's Pro Skater is making a comeback in 2020. Dill explains his connection to that game by saying he's licensed one of his boards for the game.
Dill reserved some praise for the upcoming Skater XL, saying, "That's cool, it's like a new thing that they're doing. It's adaptation of another thing." We too are hoping that game can fill the Skate-shaped hole in our hearts.
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Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.
Yakuza 7: Like a Dragon Seemingly Getting Western Release on PC
A Western release for Yakuza: Like a Dragon - known as Ryu Ga Gotoku 7 in Japan - has been teased by a Steam database listing.
You can check out the page over on SteamDB, where the "unknown app" was registered and found. This is especially interesting given that we haven't heard much from Sega recently about the Western release of Like a Dragon, which launched in Japan on January 16, 2020.
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We knew that the game was set to be released later in 2020, but nothing about a potential PC release, as it was assumed the game was exclusive to PS4, as it is in Japan.
Of course, we don't have any word on a firm launch window for the game, but historically speaking, titles that get listed on SteamDB usually end up on the Steam store sooner rather than later.
Fans have been waiting for a PC release for the remaining Yakuza games (3 through 6) after Yakuza 0, Kiwami and Kiwami 2 launched last year. It looks like we may be getting Like a Dragon first if this listing is anything to go by.
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If you're interested in getting into the Yakuza series but you don't know where to start, check out our handy guide to help you figure out which game in the franchise you should play first. For more on Yakuza: Like a Dragon, check out our gameplay preview from late 2019.
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Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.
The Mandalorian Season 2: Robert Rodriguez, Peyton Reed Confirm They’re Directing Episodes
One-man movie-making machine Robert Rodriguez (Desperado, From Dusk Till Dawn, Machete) and regular Marvel collaborator Peyton Reed (Bring It On, Ant-Man and its sequels) have both confirmed they will be directing episodes of season two of The Mandalorian.
The directors each revealed the news via Twitter, with Rodriguez quipping he’d had the “rare privilege of directing the biggest star in the universe” while posing with a puppet of “The Child” (colloquially known as Baby Yoda) and Reed simply sharing a shot of his director’s chair with Din Djarin’s helmet perched on it.I am truly humbled to say I have now had the very rare privilege of directing the biggest star in the universe. @StarWars #TheMandalorian #MayThe4th #StarWarsDay pic.twitter.com/pcmzOHfgaW
— Robert Rodriguez (@Rodriguez) May 5, 2020
It was announced in February that a second season of the popular Star Wars streaming series will debut on Disney+ in October 2020. Joining the series in front of the camera will be veteran actor Michael Biehn (The Terminator, Aliens), who has been cast in season two in an unspecified role as an unknown bounty hunter. Rosario Dawson has also been reportedly cast as Ahsoka Tano, the breakout character from Star Wars: The Clone Wars movie and TV series. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=sideshow-collectibles-the-child-life-sized-statue&captions=true"] While The Mandalorian only wrapped production on season two in March, pre-production on season three has apparently already begun. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/01/03/the-mandalorian-season-1-review"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Luke is Games Editor at IGN's Sydney office. You can find him on Twitter sporadically @MrLukeReilly.#MayThe4thBeWithYou pic.twitter.com/XUk5Xfs0JE
— Peyton Reed (@MrPeytonReed) May 4, 2020
Streets Of Rage 4 Review – The Beat-‘Em-Up Boys Are Back In Town
Everybody has a favorite old game series that they'd like to see make a comeback, but modernizing a long-dormant franchise requires a deft touch. Not only do you have to please the old fans--who see their longtime favorites through rose-tinted nostalgia goggles--but you also have to find a way to make the game appealing to a newer audience. Fortunately for longtime Sega and beat-'em-up fans, Streets of Rage 4 adeptly walks the tightrope of classic and modern appeal while busting some heads in the process.
Taking place a decade after the third game (which released 26 years ago), Streets of Rage 4 reunites Axel and Blaze to unmask an evil plot devised by the children of series uber-antagonist Mr. X. Joining them are two new fighters: Cherry, a hard-rockin' young woman with deft moves and (literal) killer guitar riffs, and Floyd, a cybernetically-enhanced hulk who might not have speed or high jumps, but definitely has a myriad of ways to get his giant metal fists up in somebody's business. As the story unfolds, you meet characters old and new, sometimes in surprising places... but don't expect much from the plot, as it exists simply to take you to new and exciting locales where you pound a rogue's gallery of enemies into the pavement.
And there is a good amount of pavement-pounding to be had. The 12 stages in Streets of Rage 4 offer a lot of variety in scenery, obstacles, and enemies. While the clean, sharp lines of the new art are very different from the low-res, gritty pixel look fans have come to love, the HD hand-drawn characters and backgrounds look spectacular, and are packed with fun details and little Easter eggs that'll take you by surprise. The stages are fairly typical beat-'em-up settings--a dive bar, some sewers, back alleys, Chinatown--but the animations of crowds, steam, critters, and machines make these archetypal stages feel fresh and exciting. Equally excellent is the soundtrack, a techno/dance-inspired collection of hot beats from Eastern and Western game music composers, including veteran Streets of Rage alumni Yuzo Koshiro and Motohiro Kawashima.
Continue Reading at GameSpotStreets Of Rage 4 Review – The Beat-‘Em-Up Boys Are Back In Town
Everybody has a favorite old game series that they'd like to see make a comeback, but modernizing a long-dormant franchise requires a deft touch. Not only do you have to please the old fans--who see their longtime favorites through rose-tinted nostalgia goggles--but you also have to find a way to make the game appealing to a newer audience. Fortunately for longtime Sega and beat-'em-up fans, Streets of Rage 4 adeptly walks the tightrope of classic and modern appeal while busting some heads in the process.
Taking place a decade after the third game (which released 26 years ago), Streets of Rage 4 reunites Axel and Blaze to unmask an evil plot devised by the children of series uber-antagonist Mr. X. Joining them are two new fighters: Cherry, a hard-rockin' young woman with deft moves and (literal) killer guitar riffs, and Floyd, a cybernetically-enhanced hulk who might not have speed or high jumps, but definitely has a myriad of ways to get his giant metal fists up in somebody's business. As the story unfolds, you meet characters old and new, sometimes in surprising places... but don't expect much from the plot, as it exists simply to take you to new and exciting locales where you pound a rogue's gallery of enemies into the pavement.
And there is a good amount of pavement-pounding to be had. The 12 stages in Streets of Rage 4 offer a lot of variety in scenery, obstacles, and enemies. While the clean, sharp lines of the new art are very different from the low-res, gritty pixel look fans have come to love, the HD hand-drawn characters and backgrounds look spectacular, and are packed with fun details and little Easter eggs that'll take you by surprise. The stages are fairly typical beat-'em-up settings--a dive bar, some sewers, back alleys, Chinatown--but the animations of crowds, steam, critters, and machines make these archetypal stages feel fresh and exciting. Equally excellent is the soundtrack, a techno/dance-inspired collection of hot beats from Eastern and Western game music composers, including veteran Streets of Rage alumni Yuzo Koshiro and Motohiro Kawashima.
Continue Reading at GameSpotTom Cruise in Space Movie to Be Directed by Edge of Tomorrow Helmer
Update: Filmmaker Doug Liman, who directed Tom Cruise in Edge of Tomorrow and American Made, will direct Cruise and Elon Musk's action film to be filmed in outer space.
"This is not some loose attachment. Liman and Cruise hatched this whole thing together, with Liman writing the first draft of the screenplay and producing along with Cruise," Deadline reports. "Liman and Cruise are collaborators and pals who are both pilots and bonded over an adventurous spirit."
Our original report follows.
Update: NASA has confirmed that it's working on a movie with Tom Cruise, to be filmed aboard the real International Space Station.
NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine explained that the decision has been taken in part "to inspire a new generation of engineers and scientists".
[poilib element="accentDivider"] Tom Cruise has hung off the sides of planes, piloted helicopters and planes, scaled skyscrapers, and pretty much spent his entire action film career performing many of his own death-defying stunts. And now he's reportedly setting his sights on the biggest stunt of all: filming a movie in outer space. Cruise is reportedly teaming with Elon Musk's SpaceX and working with NASA to make the first narrative film ever shot in space -- and an action movie, at that! "It’s not a Mission: Impossible film and no studio is in the mix at this stage," Deadline reports. "But this is real, albeit in the early stages of liftoff." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/top-gun-maverick-big-game-spot"] Cruise's latest project, the back-to-back production of Mission: Impossible 7 and 8, is currently on hold due to the coronavirus pandemic. M:I 7 was about to film in Italy when the countrywide quarantine forced the production to shut down. The delays have now prompted Paramount to set new release dates for both films. Cruise's next release is Top Gun: Maverick, which flies into theaters this December. [poilib element="accentDivider"]NASA is excited to work with @TomCruise on a film aboard the @Space_Station! We need popular media to inspire a new generation of engineers and scientists to make @NASA’s ambitious plans a reality. pic.twitter.com/CaPwfXtfUv
— Jim Bridenstine (@JimBridenstine) May 5, 2020
Netflix’s Extraction 2 Moving Forward With Joe Russo Scripting
Netflix's Extraction is getting a sequel, with the first film's scripter Joe Russo -- he of Avengers directing fame -- returning to write the screenplay for the next installment.
Deadline reports that as the Chris Hemsworth-starring action thriller heads towards becoming the most-watched feature film ever for the streaming service, Russo has closed a deal to pen a follow-up. AGBO, Russo's production company with his brother (and fellow Avengers director) Anthony, is said to be "putting the pieces together and are optimistic that Sam Hargrave returns as director, and that Chris Hemsworth will reprise as mercenary Tyler Rake, though those deals won’t be made by Netflix until the script is ready."
Slight spoilers follow for Extraction 1...
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Owing to the open-ended finale of the first film, the exact setting of Extraction 2 remains up in the air.
“We’re not committing yet to whether [the] story goes forward, or backward in time," said Joe Russo. "We left a big loose ending that leaves question marks for the audience.”
There's no deal yet for Hemsworth to return for a sequel, and it sounds like the once and future Thor's involvement won't be broached until after Russo has figured out the story and written a script to share with his Avengers actor.
Last week, Russo, Hargrave, and Hemsworth joined IGN for our WFH Theater to view the film with fans and provide commentary, answer questions, and just generally have a good time. You can watch the Extraction WFH Theater here. You can also check out our Extraction ending explained here, where Hemsworth himself weighs in on the film's final moments.
What would you like to see in Extraction 2? Should Hemsworth return, or should a different actor lead the charge this time out? Let's discuss in the comments!
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How Dave Filoni Went From Avatar: The Last Airbender to The Mandalorian
On Star Wars Day (aka May the 4th), Disney+ debuted its new docuseries, Disney Gallery: The Mandalorian, which gives fans a behind the scenes look at how the cast and crew brought this innovative series to life. Hosted by Mando showrunner Jon Favreau, the premiere focused on the five directors that worked on Season 1 -- Deborah Chow, Rick Famuyiwa, Dave Filoni, Bryce Dallas Howard, and Taika Waititi -- with each of them sharing a bit about their respective experiences on and off the set.
Clone Wars creative director Dave Filoni shared an endearing story about his journey from working on Nickelodeon's iconic animated series Avatar: The Last Airbender, to landing a gig directing a big-budget live-action series like The Mandalorian. When Filoni was first approached to work on a Clone Wars series by Lucasfilm Animation, he revealed that he thought it was all a prank.
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"I almost didn’t get the job because I thought it was a practical joke," Filoni explained. "I was working at Nickelodeon and someone called from Lucasfilm Animation, and I’m like, ‘there’s is no Lucasfilm Animation.’ And I thought I had been so excited about Revenge of the Sith coming out and talking about it all the time, but the guys from SpongeBob were just busting my chops over Star Wars. So I thought it was a prank call from this producer I’d never heard of from (in air quotes) 'Lucasfilm Animation.' Because you get so tired of being picked on, so you’re just like, 'this is the SpongeBob guys.'"
Filoni went on to describe his first meeting with Star Wars creator George Lucas and how he initially thought he wasn't going to get the job. "And when I met him I had to go up to the main house and I had to sit there at a table," Filoni said. "He’s got my art portfolio and he’s going through it… And I’m sitting there like, 'yeah, I’m not getting this.' Because [Lucas] sees the best in the business. And all I can really think of is, 'when I’m in line for Revenge of the Sith, I can outclass any nerd there because I’ve been in a room with George Lucas.'''
Fortunately for Filoni, Lucas liked what he saw and he got the job on the spot. Filoni's fellow collaborators had nothing but praise for the Clone Wars veteran, with Taika Waititi calling him "an encyclopedia of Star Wars lore." The Mandalorian himself, Pedro Pascal said, "You wouldn’t be able to do this show without Dave Filoni. He is the truest lover of the material. He’s so well-informed and he knows exactly what would fit and make sense."
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For more Star Wars, Disney announced a new Star Wars movie directed by Taika Waititi, our review of the series finale of Star Wars: The Clone Wars, and check out this stunning Star Wars concept art.
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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.
Amazon Removes The New Mutants From Pre-Order
UPDATE: Amazon has now removed The New Mutants from being available for pre-order. Our original report follows.
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The New Mutants, 20th Century Studios' long-delayed X-Men spin-off movie, is now available for pre-order on Amazon Prime. This is curious because the Marvel Comics adaptation had been meant for a theatrical release. Is this pre-order, short of an official Disney statement, proof that The New Mutants is bypassing theaters entirely and going straight to premium video-on-demand?
The Josh Boone-directed film's Amazon Prime pre-order page was pointed out by CBR, who also noted that The New Mutants has yet to be made available for pre-order on other VOD platforms such as Apple, Vudu, Google Play, and YouTube. It's also not available for pre-order at Movies Anywhere.
Amazon Prime lists The New Mutants as available for pre-order purchase on both SD and HD for the price of $25.99. There is no release date listed.
(Editor's note: This report originally referred to New Mutants as R-rated but it is, in fact, PG-13. Furthermore, Den of Geek points out why Hulu or Disney Plus are likely not options for New Mutants given an existing Fox/HBO cable deal.)
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So did Amazon simply jump in the gun in setting up a pre-order page? Or is this a sign that The New Mutants is finally getting pushed to digital as many have long suspected, especially after it was pulled from Disney's release schedule in March due to the coronavirus pandemic?
Disney exec chairman Bob Iger recently said to expect more small movies originally meant for theatrical release to pivot to digital as they did with Artemis Fowl.
IGN reached out to Disney for comment on The New Mutants being up for pre-order but had not heard back at time of publish. We will update this report if we receive an official response.
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The New Mutants' original theatrical release date was previously postponed from April 13, 2018, to August 2019 and then to April 3, 2020 before Disney pulled it last month. If and when The New Mutants is released we know it will be the cut that director Josh Boone intended.
The cast includes Maisie Williams, Anya Taylor-Joy, Blu Hunt, Charlie Heaton, Henry Zaga, and Alice Braga.