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Monthly Archives: June 2020

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Torchlight 3: New Echonok Location Coming to Early Access This Month

Torchlight 3's final location, Echonok, will be added to the Steam Early Access version of the game on June 30. Echonok makes up the third and final act of Torchlight 3, and its addition will add story content, new environments, new dungeons, new enemies, new bosses and Echonok-specific loot. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/06/25/torchlight-3-echonok-reveal-trailer"] Echonok will see players attempting to put an end to the game's Netherim invasion once and for all, travelling to Mount Echonok to defeat Veriss, who holds the means of permanently merging the human and Netherim worlds. Getting there will take the adventurers through the home of the Voltura, a race of bird-machine hybrids that really aren't happy to see you there. Torchlight 3 is in Early Access on Steam this year, and is aiming for a full release on PC, PS4 and Xbox One this year. You can check out gameplay footage of the new area in our interview with director Max Schaefer below: [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/06/25/torchlight-3s-creators-also-made-diablo-2-heres-how-they-differ"] There's more to see from today's IGN Expo, and we're running the Summer of Gaming throughout June – here's the Summer of Gaming full schedule. All month, we're supporting some incredibly important causes – the World Health Organisation and The Bail Project – if you are able, help us support them too at donate.ign.com. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Joe Skrebels is IGN's Executive Editor of News. Follow him on Twitter. Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.  
Posted in Uncategorized

Torchlight 3: New Echonok Location Coming to Early Access This Month

Torchlight 3's final location, Echonok, will be added to the Steam Early Access version of the game on June 30. Echonok makes up the third and final act of Torchlight 3, and its addition will add story content, new environments, new dungeons, new enemies, new bosses and Echonok-specific loot. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/06/25/torchlight-3-echonok-reveal-trailer"] Echonok will see players attempting to put an end to the game's Netherim invasion once and for all, travelling to Mount Echonok to defeat Veriss, who holds the means of permanently merging the human and Netherim worlds. Getting there will take the adventurers through the home of the Voltura, a race of bird-machine hybrids that really aren't happy to see you there. Torchlight 3 is in Early Access on Steam this year, and is aiming for a full release on PC, PS4 and Xbox One this year. You can check out gameplay footage of the new area in our interview with director Max Schaefer below: [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/06/25/torchlight-3s-creators-also-made-diablo-2-heres-how-they-differ"] There's more to see from today's IGN Expo, and we're running the Summer of Gaming throughout June – here's the Summer of Gaming full schedule. All month, we're supporting some incredibly important causes – the World Health Organisation and The Bail Project – if you are able, help us support them too at donate.ign.com. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Joe Skrebels is IGN's Executive Editor of News. Follow him on Twitter. Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.  
Posted in Uncategorized

Following Splash Mountain Redesign, Fans Call for Disney to Change Jungle Cruise Next

Reacting to Thursday's announcement that Disney's Splash Mountain is being changed into a Princess and the Frog attraction, many social media users, including celebrities, are calling on Disney Parks to update, re-theme or outright remove other attractions and rides they find offensive due to outdated and insensitive depictions of indigenous peoples, including Jungle Cruise. Not long after the news broke about Splash Mountain -- which fans petitioned Disney to change due to its origins in the racist and banned 1946 film Song of the South -- "Jungle Cruise" trended on Twitter with social media users calling for the pun-laden riverboat ride to be overhauled, if not closed entirely. Jungle Cruise has been a Disneyland staple since 1955, with versions also appearing at Magic Kingdom in Orlando, Tokyo Disneyland, and Hong Kong Disneyland. The cruise -- which takes park visitors down several rivers in Africa, South America, and Asia -- includes animatronic human characters, depicting some native populations as headhunters and including insensitive period language (the ride is set during the 1930s) from white characters who refer to the indigenous characters as "savages". Other Disney theme park attractions cited by social media users as problematic and in need of overhauling or removal include Peter Pan's Flight -- which, like the 1953 film it's based on, features stereotypical and insensitive depictions of Native Americans -- and the Enchanted Tiki Room, which includes characters that rely on a number of ethnic stereotypes. Some also included the Hall of Presidents in their criticism. Both Peter Pan's Flight and the Tiki Room were among the original attractions when Disneyland opened in 1955. Disney has yet to comment on calls for Jungle Cruise and other attractions to be reimagined or removed, but complicating matters for Disney when it comes to Jungle Cruise is the fact that the studio has a major movie coming out next year based on the ride. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/disneys-jungle-cruise-official-trailer-2"] The Jungle Cruise movie, starring Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt, is a comedic period romp that sees the main characters on a supernaturally-tinged adventure. The movie was meant to open next month but the coronavirus pandemic forced Disney to postpone Jungle Cruise's release to July 30, 2021. Given that the movie's plot is original, it's not clear yet what, if any, elements from the ride itself may have ended up in the movie -- let alone if any of them are patterned after the problematic parts of the attraction. Still, if the movie does have any such elements, the filmmakers have time to address them before Jungle Cruise opens next year. Disney has altered their theme park attractions before due to public outcry, most notably the Pirates of the Caribbean ride in 2017. And like that ride, the company obviously hopes for a blockbuster Disney movie to increase attendance to the theme park attraction that inspired it. However, if that attraction is steeped in controversy and/or closed for an overhaul at the time the movie opens, Disney would likely have yet another quandary to contend with.
Posted in Uncategorized

Following Splash Mountain Redesign, Fans Call for Disney to Change Jungle Cruise Next

Reacting to Thursday's announcement that Disney's Splash Mountain is being changed into a Princess and the Frog attraction, many social media users, including celebrities, are calling on Disney Parks to update, re-theme or outright remove other attractions and rides they find offensive due to outdated and insensitive depictions of indigenous peoples, including Jungle Cruise. Not long after the news broke about Splash Mountain -- which fans petitioned Disney to change due to its origins in the racist and banned 1946 film Song of the South -- "Jungle Cruise" trended on Twitter with social media users calling for the pun-laden riverboat ride to be overhauled, if not closed entirely. Jungle Cruise has been a Disneyland staple since 1955, with versions also appearing at Magic Kingdom in Orlando, Tokyo Disneyland, and Hong Kong Disneyland. The cruise -- which takes park visitors down several rivers in Africa, South America, and Asia -- includes animatronic human characters, depicting some native populations as headhunters and including insensitive period language (the ride is set during the 1930s) from white characters who refer to the indigenous characters as "savages". Other Disney theme park attractions cited by social media users as problematic and in need of overhauling or removal include Peter Pan's Flight -- which, like the 1953 film it's based on, features stereotypical and insensitive depictions of Native Americans -- and the Enchanted Tiki Room, which includes characters that rely on a number of ethnic stereotypes. Some also included the Hall of Presidents in their criticism. Both Peter Pan's Flight and the Tiki Room were among the original attractions when Disneyland opened in 1955. Disney has yet to comment on calls for Jungle Cruise and other attractions to be reimagined or removed, but complicating matters for Disney when it comes to Jungle Cruise is the fact that the studio has a major movie coming out next year based on the ride. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/disneys-jungle-cruise-official-trailer-2"] The Jungle Cruise movie, starring Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt, is a comedic period romp that sees the main characters on a supernaturally-tinged adventure. The movie was meant to open next month but the coronavirus pandemic forced Disney to postpone Jungle Cruise's release to July 30, 2021. Given that the movie's plot is original, it's not clear yet what, if any, elements from the ride itself may have ended up in the movie -- let alone if any of them are patterned after the problematic parts of the attraction. Still, if the movie does have any such elements, the filmmakers have time to address them before Jungle Cruise opens next year. Disney has altered their theme park attractions before due to public outcry, most notably the Pirates of the Caribbean ride in 2017. And like that ride, the company obviously hopes for a blockbuster Disney movie to increase attendance to the theme park attraction that inspired it. However, if that attraction is steeped in controversy and/or closed for an overhaul at the time the movie opens, Disney would likely have yet another quandary to contend with.
Posted in Uncategorized

Marvel’s Avengers: Release Date, Gameplay, and What We Know So Far

Updated 6/25 with new Marvel's Avenger story and gameplay details. The Marvel's Avengers game is set to launch in just a few months and fans of the Marvel Universe will soon be able to play as one of six playable heroes confirmed for it. Set five years after the events of A-Day, Marvel's Avengers follows Kamala Khan as she assembles a team to help her tackle a new threat. With a beta confirmed for later this year and the release date drawing near, now is a great time to catch up on what we know about Crystal Dynamic's Marvel's Avengers so far. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/06/24/marvels-avengers-summer-of-gaming-interview"]

Marvel's Avengers Release Date

The Marvel's Avengers release date is September 4, 2020 and will arrive on PC, PS4, Xbox One, and Google Stadia. Crystal Dynamics initially planned for a May 2020 release but elected to push back the date so developers could finish "fine-tuning and polishing the game." Marvel's Avengers has been teased by Square Enix since 2017 and was officially revealed at E3 2019. Those who preorder the game will get access to the beta and some other cool rewards. Check out our Marvel's Avengers preorder guide for more information.

Marvel's Avengers Story

Marvel's Avengers takes place five years after the cinematic trailer that was shown during E3 2019, where the Avengers are blamed for a tragedy involving Terrigen mists (a mutagen that transforms its victims into Inhumans) that struck the San Francisco Bay Area. After the event, dubbed "A-Day", superheroes are outlawed and the Avengers are officially disbanded. One of the victims of the Terrigen mists includes the co-founder of Advanced Idea Mechanics (or A.I.M.) George Tarleton, who eventually transforms into the game's main supervillain, MODOK. Utilizing the lingering resentment against the Avengers after A-Day to imprison Inhumans and "find a cure", Tarleton begins secretly using their powers to form an Adaptoid robot army with the goal of eliminating all superpowered peoples from the Earth. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/06/24/marvels-avengers-meet-modok"] A teenager named Kamala Khan (also known as Ms. Marvel) is another victim of the Terrigen mist who discovers her powers during a fight. She later finds evidence that reveals the true nature behind A.I.M.'s Inhuman "research" as well as the truth about Captain America's death, and brings the information to Bruce Banner who then informs Tony Stark. Eventually, the Avengers are forced to reassemble to confront the threat.

Marvel's Avengers Gameplay

Marvel's Avengers can be played as a single-player game or as an online co-op game where you can team up with three other players. There are also two types of missions in the game, Hero and Warzone missions. Hero missions are single-player only and part of the main campaign according to Crystal Dynamics' Studio Creative Head, Noah Hughes. Warzone missions, on the other hand, are less story focused and allow players to play as any Avenger they like, either by themselves or with friends. When playing co-op, heroes can work together to perform Team Finisher moves. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/06/24/marvels-avengers-co-op-war-zones-trailer"] Crystal Dynamics is focusing on player choice as far as Marvel's Avengers gameplay is concerned, allowing each hero's gear, skills, and outfits to be customized. We spoke with the developers to find out more about customizing hero moves in Marvel's Avengers and lead combat designer Vince Napoli told us, "All the support abilities also have a primary function for the main character as well." For example, Thor has an ability that strikes enemies with lightning but also strikes each Avenger, giving them a lightning shield and making them invincible for 12 seconds. These abilities can also be customized to suit specific needs. Napoli explained, "You can change the way that the god mode sort of works for Thor and you can turn him into a sort of a beacon of health where he’ll sort of channel health to nearby characters for the duration of his god mode." As players progress through the game, they'll be able to upgrade gear to make their heroes more powerful, similar to games like Destiny or Borderlands. However, gear upgrades will not be visible on a hero's suit, but will instead be "part of or underneath your suit" according to senior producer Rose Hunt. "We thought [players] would rather have the visuals that we're pulling from the comic books or the original suits that we're making up, rather than have a bunch of attachments on the outside of it making them look not as cool," said Hunt. "When you scale up or when you level up gear, there's definitely going to be some different visuals for VFX. Generally, it's going to feel like a celebration. It's also going to have probably some different animations at different times." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/06/24/marvels-avengers-thor-8-minute-gameplay-reveal"] As far as game length goes, Crystal Dynamics hasn't released an official statement on Marvel's Avengers playtime. However, senior brand director Rich Briggs suggested to Comicbook that quickly going through the main story might take around 10-12 hours, but a more in-depth playthrough could last up to 30 hours. In a clarifying statement to IGN, a Crystal Dynamics representative indicated the studio intends to support the game for "multiple years" with DLC and post-launch content. Further, Crystal Dynamics is calling Marvel Avengers the largest game in the history of its studio. IGN was able to go hands-on with it at Gamescom 2019, so be sure to check out our Marvel's Avengers first impressions, if you're interested. Additionally, we've rounded up a list of over 38 new details about the game.

Marvel's Avengers Characters

There are currently six heroes confirmed for Marvel's Avengers. You can see a list of all the characters below.
  • Iron Man
  • Thor
  • Black Widow
  • Captain America
  • Hulk
  • Kamala Khan
At the 2019 New York City Comic Con, Kamala Khan was introduced as the sixth playable character to join the elite squad of heroes. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/10/05/marvels-avengers-every-revealed-character-costume-and-finisher-in-4k"] It was also revealed that Kamala Khan's Ms. Marvel will be the main protagonist of Marvel's Avengers. Rose Hunt, Marvel’s Avengers senior producer told IGN that the team decided to focus on Ms. Marvel in part due to her lack of history in the Marvel universe, allowing the studio more freedom when crafting her story for the game. “Another advantage of her is that she doesn't have 80 years of history, like Captain America or some of the other Avengers,” said Hunt. “And that allows us to actually tell more of an original story with her, because her story has just begun, and we can build on that in very interesting ways.” Some fans were disappointed to see Hawkeye left off the list, after all, he is one of the core Avengers. While he hasn't been officially revealed at the time of writing, Marvel Games' Creative Director Bill Rosemann is telling fans to "stay tuned, true believer," suggesting Hawkeye may be joining the lineup at a later date. Various trailers and gameplay reveals have also indicated that Abomination and Taskmaster will show up in the game as villains. While there is little to no public information on these character's roles in the game, Taskmaster will be one of the villains in the upcoming Black Widow movie, which has been delayed due to the coronavirus. Game footage has also revealed that A.I.M. will be the main mastermind group behind the conspiracy uncovered by Kamala Khan. This group first appeared in Marvel comics in the 1960s and has since appeared in a variety of movies, shows, and even games. For more, check out our deep dive into the history of A.I.M. MODOK is confirmed to be the main supervillain in Marvel's Avengers. In addition to all this, Square Enix has announced that there will be characters added to the game post-launch, which will be free for all players. Be sure to check out our list of heroes we want to see added in the DLC.

Marvel's Avengers Beta

The Marvel's Avengers beta will be available to everyone who preorders the game. At the time of writing, the beta release date hasn't been announced yet and Square Enix is telling fans that more information will be provided at a later date. Additionally, those who preorder a copy on the PS4 will get access to the beta first. Anyone who preorders the Deluxe or Earth's Mightiest editions (any platform) of Marvel's Avengers will get access to the game on September 1, three days before its launch. However, preordering any edition of the Marvel's Avengers will grant you beta access when it becomes available. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Andrew Smith is a freelance contributor with IGN and is super excited to play Marvel's Avengers in September! Follow him on Twitter @_andrewtsmith.
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Diablo 4: Open World Side Activities Detailed

Diablo 4's developers recently ran a two-day playtest, and have reported back on some of their findings. That includes the game's open world side activities, how its shared world shouldn't ever feel crowded, and more. In a lengthy report on the playtest, which took place in the game's Dry Steppes area (which we saw at the game's BlizzCon 2019 reveal), several of the game's new features were covered. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/11/02/diablo-4-hands-on-gameplay-impressions-blizzcon-2019"]

Open World Activities

While Diablo 4 still features a linear story campaign, its new open world allows for variety of side activities - the playtest revealed that those who didn't mainline the story campaign ended up playing for roughly twice as long as those who did. Side activities includ crafting, world events, PvP and side quests. The playtest's most popular activities, however, were Camps, clearable outposts dotted across the game world. Each camp has been overrun in a different way (one has been cursed and turned villagers into salt, another is haunted by a spirit possessing various bodies in a crypt) and, when cleared, will become populated with friendly NPCs and become a waypoint on the map. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=diablo-4-gameplay-reveal-images&captions=true"]

Shared World

While Diablo 4 will feature a shared world. Blizzard makes clear that it's fine-tuned the game so that it doesn't feel like a traditional MMO, instead making player encounters rare, with larger groups only appearing where they'd be contextually expected to. Dungeons and key story moments are always private to the playing party. Towns will feature a few other players, and the open road will be dotted with them too. Cooperative world events sound as though they'll feature the largest numbers of collected players, fighting against hordes of enemies or world bosses. New tools will let solo players either find open parties, or join parties in proximity with them. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/11/03/diablo-4-how-that-cinematic-got-so-dark-blizzcon-2019"]

Cutscenes

Diablo 4 will feature three varieties of cutscene, aiming to make sure it rarely breaks the game's isometric camera angle, but still feels cinematic in some way. Normal NPC conversations will see the camera draw closer, using canned animations. More important conversations will use the same camera angle, but will use hand-crafted animations to get across the story as effectively as possible. The most important moments will use real-time cutscenes, which take a more cinematic camera style, but will include your character, in their current armour, and with your chosen graphics settings, to keep the game feeling seamless. These are the main new details announced in Blizzard's update, but there's a lot more included in the report about general playtesting findings. Diablo 4 still doesn't have a release date, and you shouldn't expect it anytime soon. We already know quite a lot about the game, however - including how it's being steered by Gears of War's Rod Fergusson, how it will feature cosmetic microtransactions, and how it's been inspired by Junji Ito. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Joe Skrebels is IGN's Executive Editor of News. Follow him on Twitter. Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.
Posted in Uncategorized

Diablo 4: Open World Side Activities Detailed

Diablo 4's developers recently ran a two-day playtest, and have reported back on some of their findings. That includes the game's open world side activities, how its shared world shouldn't ever feel crowded, and more. In a lengthy report on the playtest, which took place in the game's Dry Steppes area (which we saw at the game's BlizzCon 2019 reveal), several of the game's new features were covered. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/11/02/diablo-4-hands-on-gameplay-impressions-blizzcon-2019"]

Open World Activities

While Diablo 4 still features a linear story campaign, its new open world allows for variety of side activities - the playtest revealed that those who didn't mainline the story campaign ended up playing for roughly twice as long as those who did. Side activities includ crafting, world events, PvP and side quests. The playtest's most popular activities, however, were Camps, clearable outposts dotted across the game world. Each camp has been overrun in a different way (one has been cursed and turned villagers into salt, another is haunted by a spirit possessing various bodies in a crypt) and, when cleared, will become populated with friendly NPCs and become a waypoint on the map. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=diablo-4-gameplay-reveal-images&captions=true"]

Shared World

While Diablo 4 will feature a shared world. Blizzard makes clear that it's fine-tuned the game so that it doesn't feel like a traditional MMO, instead making player encounters rare, with larger groups only appearing where they'd be contextually expected to. Dungeons and key story moments are always private to the playing party. Towns will feature a few other players, and the open road will be dotted with them too. Cooperative world events sound as though they'll feature the largest numbers of collected players, fighting against hordes of enemies or world bosses. New tools will let solo players either find open parties, or join parties in proximity with them. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/11/03/diablo-4-how-that-cinematic-got-so-dark-blizzcon-2019"]

Cutscenes

Diablo 4 will feature three varieties of cutscene, aiming to make sure it rarely breaks the game's isometric camera angle, but still feels cinematic in some way. Normal NPC conversations will see the camera draw closer, using canned animations. More important conversations will use the same camera angle, but will use hand-crafted animations to get across the story as effectively as possible. The most important moments will use real-time cutscenes, which take a more cinematic camera style, but will include your character, in their current armour, and with your chosen graphics settings, to keep the game feeling seamless. These are the main new details announced in Blizzard's update, but there's a lot more included in the report about general playtesting findings. Diablo 4 still doesn't have a release date, and you shouldn't expect it anytime soon. We already know quite a lot about the game, however - including how it's being steered by Gears of War's Rod Fergusson, how it will feature cosmetic microtransactions, and how it's been inspired by Junji Ito. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Joe Skrebels is IGN's Executive Editor of News. Follow him on Twitter. Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.
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Xbox Games With Gold Free July Games Announced

Microsoft has announced the Xbox Games with Gold lineup for July, featuring the latest WRC racing sim, Saints Row 2, and more. As always, next month's lineup includes four games, all of which are free to Xbox Live Gold and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers. Check out the full lineup below:
  • WRC 8 (July 1–31 on Xbox One)
  • Dunk Lords (July 16–August 15 on Xbox One)
  • Saints Row 2 (July 1–15 on Xbox One and Xbox 360)
  • Juju (July 16–31 on Xbox One and Xbox 360)
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/06/25/xbox-july-2020-games-with-gold-trailer"] Released last September, WRC 8 is the latest World Rally Championship racing sim. IGN's WRC 8 review awarded the racer an 8.4 and called it the series' "biggest leap in quality to date." July's lineup of free games also features the 2008 Saints Row sequel. In our Saints Row 2 review, we called the beloved sandbox game "big dumb fun." Rounding out the month are Dunk Lords, a two-on-two basketball beat 'em up, and Juju, a family friendly platformer. Three of June's Games with Gold — Shantae and the Pirate’s Curse, Coffee Talk, and Sine Mora — are still available for free. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=23-best-xbox-game-pass-games&captions=true"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jordan is a freelance writer for IGN.
Posted in Uncategorized

Xbox Games With Gold Free July Games Announced

Microsoft has announced the Xbox Games with Gold lineup for July, featuring the latest WRC racing sim, Saints Row 2, and more. As always, next month's lineup includes four games, all of which are free to Xbox Live Gold and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers. Check out the full lineup below:
  • WRC 8 (July 1–31 on Xbox One)
  • Dunk Lords (July 16–August 15 on Xbox One)
  • Saints Row 2 (July 1–15 on Xbox One and Xbox 360)
  • Juju (July 16–31 on Xbox One and Xbox 360)
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/06/25/xbox-july-2020-games-with-gold-trailer"] Released last September, WRC 8 is the latest World Rally Championship racing sim. IGN's WRC 8 review awarded the racer an 8.4 and called it the series' "biggest leap in quality to date." July's lineup of free games also features the 2008 Saints Row sequel. In our Saints Row 2 review, we called the beloved sandbox game "big dumb fun." Rounding out the month are Dunk Lords, a two-on-two basketball beat 'em up, and Juju, a family friendly platformer. Three of June's Games with Gold — Shantae and the Pirate’s Curse, Coffee Talk, and Sine Mora — are still available for free. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=23-best-xbox-game-pass-games&captions=true"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jordan is a freelance writer for IGN.
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Disney to Replace Splash Mountain With a Princess and the Frog Attraction

The fan petition worked. Disney announced Thursday that the Disneyland and Disney World theme park attraction Splash Mountain "will soon be completely reimagined" as a new attraction based on the animated film The Princess and the Frog. "We pick up this story after the final kiss, and join Princess Tiana and Louis on a musical adventure – featuring some of the powerful music from the film – as they prepare for their first-ever Mardi Gras performance," Disney said. In the announcement, Disney explained:

"The approach to retheming or 'plussing' attractions (as Walt Disney referred to it) begins with Imagineers asking the question, how can we build upon or elevate the experience and tell a fresh, relevant story? It’s a continuous process that Imagineers are deeply passionate about. And with this longstanding history of updating attractions and adding new magic, the retheming of Splash Mountain is of particular importance today. The new concept is inclusive – one that all of our guests can connect with and be inspired by, and it speaks to the diversity of the millions of people who visit our parks each year."

Disney added that its Imagineers are already at work on the redesign, beginning with conceptual artwork and "will soon be able to conduct preliminary reviews and develop a timeline for when the transformation can start to take shape." anika-responseOur original report from June 12 follows. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Fans are petitioning Disney to rename -- but not to close -- its popular Disneyland and Disney World theme park attraction Splash Mountain because it was inspired by and still features imagery from the studio's notorious 1946 film Song of the South, a movie featuring racially insensitive depictions that have caused it to remain locked away for decades. Some fans are petitioning to turn Splash Mountain into a Princess and the Frog attraction instead. 2009's The Princess and the Frog featured the first black Disney Princess in Tiana. As Yahoo! points out, other fans would like to see Splash Mountain turned into a Moana attraction instead, a sentiment echoed by Minions and The Secret Life of Pets screenwriter Brian Lynch. The live-action/animated musical Song of the South has long been criticized for its depiction of the Reconstruction era South and for its stereotypical portrayal of African-Americans, particularly Uncle Remus, the plantation laborer who recounts his interactions with animated animal characters such as Br'er Rabbit. The film's classic song "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah" won an Oscar, while Uncle Remus actor James Baskett received an honorary Oscar. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/03/11/disney-still-has-no-plans-to-release-song-of-the-south-not-even-with-disclaimer"] Lest you think Splash Mountain is a holdover attraction from the Disney parks' early days, the log flume opened at Disneyland in 1989, well after Song of the South had been deemed problematic and Disney had already pulled it from circulation. Indeed, in the '80s then-Disney CEO Michael Eisner announced that Song of the South would not receive a domestic home video release and the full film remains off of official Disney platforms to this day. (It was, however, released on video in some Asian and European countries decades ago.) But animated sequences and other portions of the movie have been repackaged into various home video offerings and even on Disney TV series over the decades. And while the full movie itself may not be available to consumers, Song of the South has remained part of Disney merchandising through the years, including book-and-record sets, audio usage, and, of course, Splash Mountain. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-25-best-disney-animated-movies&captions=true"] While there have been calls over time to re-release Song of the South -- including from Disney Legends inductee Whoopi Goldberg in 2017 -- Disney reaffirmed its position to keep Song of the South in the vault earlier this year, with then-Disney CEO Bob Iger calling the film "not appropriate in today’s world." Do you want to see Splash Mountain retooled to remove its Song of the South elements? And, if so, would you rather see it turned into a Moana or a Princess and the Frog-themed attraction? Let us know in the comments.
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