US retailers Walmart and Target have suspended in-store sales of Pokemon cards and other trading cards, due to safety concerns caused by a huge upsurge in demand. As reported by Bleeding Cool, a sign spotted by a customer in New York notes that Target will no longer sell MLB, NFL, NBA and Pokemon Trading Cards as of May 14th "to ensure the safety of our guests and team members." It's clear that renewed interest in the scene is having a negative effect on in-store conduct, amid an uptick in scalping.

Target is no longer selling Pokémon cards in stores “to ensure the safety of our guests and team members.” pic.twitter.com/lpV0pyw8oA

— Nintendeal (@Nintendeal) May 13, 2021

That demand has led not just to bad behaviour, but real crime. Vice reports that a fight related to trading cards in a Wisconsin Target parking lot recently led to a gun being drawn, but thankfully not used. Last month in Brunswick, Maine, News Center reports that $20,000 of sports trading cards were stolen. Those increasingly serious events have clearly led to the suspension of sales. Bleeding Cool received a statement from Target saying: "The safety of our guests and our team is our top priority. Out of an abundance of caution, we've decided to temporarily suspend the sale of MLB, NFL, NBA and Pokémon trading cards within our stores, effective May 14. Guests can continue to shop these cards online at Target.com." Similar notices have reportedly been issued in Walmart, with a sign shared in a Facebook Magic the Gathering group noting that "the trading card categories have been removed from the sales floor and sales of these items have been suspended due to inappropriate customer behaviour and increased demand." The note suggests that stores have been asked to no longer stock trading cards like Pokemon ahead of "further direction from management." [ignvideo url="[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2016/10/25/top-10-scariest-pokemon"]"] Trading cards have seen a massive boom over the past year. There's been a surge of renewed interest as rare pack openings and trading card content has flooded onto YouTube and Twitch. In January of this year, a Pokemon TCG Booster Box sold at auction for $408,000, and McDonald's also had to "strongly encourage" its stores not to sell multiple packs of Pokemon 25th Anniversary cards to customers in February to prevent scalping. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.

The ESA has provided the first details about how people will access the all-digital E3 2021 event. Gaming fans across the world will be able to 'attend' E3 via an online portal and mobile app. Opening next month, the online portal and app will allow users to visit "virtual 'booths'" for each exhibitor, which will feature videos, written articles, and special events. These will be the locations to find key announcements and game information from each publisher. Vitally, this will be the place where the E3 live broadcast will be held, accompanied by an interactive overlay that will provide viewer polls, featured tweets, and other elements. This broadcast will be hosted by E3 2021's line up of gaming personalities. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/05/07/ps5-xbox-series-x-e3-2021-predictions-next-gen-console-watch"] The portal and app will allow visitors to watch hosted events and video conferences, as well as discuss the announcements and new reveals with others on the E3 2021 forums. Each user will have their own customisable profile and avatar, and can get their names on leaderboards which will track gamified interactions from attendees across the show. “From the moment we decided to host E3 virtually, we’ve been focused on providing an interactive experience for fans around the globe that goes beyond the typical livestream,” said Stanley Pierre-Louis, President & CEO of the ESA. “The result is a bespoke online portal and app that will allow fans, media and industry professionals to have an E3 experience designed to run parallel to the four-day broadcast, laying the foundation for interactive E3 elements to continue beyond this year’s all-virtual show.” The portal and app will start to accept registration sign-ups from later this month, which will be free to all. E3 2021 will then be open to the public from June 12, which will be the first day of the E3 broadcast. The event will conclude on June 15. Aside from E3's own portal and app, you'll be able to watch the show on IGN as part of our Summer of Gaming event. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Purslow is IGN's UK News and Entertainment Writer.

Sony has revealed new Midnight Black and Cosmic Red editions of the PS5 DualSense Controller, and they'll be released in June. Announced on the PlayStation blog, the new controllers continue the two-tone approach of the original white DualSense, with Cosmic red adopting a red and black look, and Midnight Black offering a subtler black and grey approach. Both controllers will go on sale next month, but release dates will vary by region. In the US, you can pre-order on Amazon or with PS Direct in time for a June 11 release, with Midnight Black coming in at the standard $69.99/ £59.99, but Cosmic Red costing a little more at $74.99/ £64.99. It's not clear what causes that difference in price. In the UK, they will arrive on June 18, and can be preordered at GAME. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/05/13/playstation-5-dualsense-cosmic-red-and-midnight-black-reveal-trailer"] While Sony has yet to announce a new-look PlayStation 5 console, designer Leo Cardoso says the new controllers have been designed to complement the existing white-and-black machine. "We designed the colors around the theme of ‘galaxy’ as it felt like a natural progression from the original PS5 and accessories designs," he explained. Fellow designer Satoshi Aoyagi adds that both new controller editions,"feature a subtle blue hue, that produces unique shades of red and black. A blue hue is also present in the original DualSense wireless controller colors, so all three colors complement each other nicely." Despite the colour differences (including different button symbol colouring), both new controllers are functionally identical to the existing white DualSense. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=ps5-dualsense-midnight-black-and-cosmic-red-editions&captions=true"] We awarded the PS5 DualSense controller a 9/10 review saying that, "Except for battery life, which remains a weak point, the DualSense controller is everything you want to see in a next-gen upgrade." Its adaptive triggers and haptic feedback are major point of that success, particulalry in games like Astro's Playroom and Returnal – and you're now able to use the controller with iOS devices for remote play. [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.

Nintendo is currently unable to make enough Switch consoles to meet demand, and is becoming 'more uncertain' about its production plans for the coming year amid a global semiconductor shortage. In a Q&A with investors, company president Shuntaro Furukawa explained, "Demand for hardware continues to exceed our expectations even after the beginning of this calendar year, and production has currently not caught up to this high demand due to the tight supply and demand situation for semiconductor materials worldwide." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/how-nintendo-is-winning-next-gen-with-a-last-gen-console"] Semiconductors are used in almost all computing devices, and have seen shortages since last year. Among other things, they're used in the chips that power all of the major consoles. Furukawa was asked about the company's goal to ship 25.5 million Switches in the new financial year amid that situation, and it sounds like a somewhat hopeful number. "Although we are currently striving to produce as many units as possible, the fact is that our production plans are more uncertain than they were at the beginning of previous fiscal years. Our full-year sales plan is based on the premise that we can secure the materials necessary for production, but if we are able to produce more units, we will work hard to meet the strong demand, and to be able to ship and sell those units." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/will-switch-pros-new-chip-keep-up-with-ps5-xbox-series-x-next-gen-console-watch"] Nintendo is far from the only console maker running into semiconductor-related production issues. Microsoft has previously said it expects Xbox Series X/S production to be hit this year, and Sony has even said shortages of PS5 could continue until 2022. President Joe Biden has even signed an executive order pledging to review the supply chains involced in the problem. Those shortages have combined with Nintendo's most profitable year ever, having sold 28.8 million consoles in that time (alongside 230.9 million games). The coming year could, according to reports, see the release of a new 4K model of Switch – which would of course be similarly affected by chip shortages. Nintendo's reportedly expecting another record year, but it remains to be seen if that will be possible. [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.

A financial results presentation has revealed that Sega is considering reboots of Crazy Taxi, Jet Set Radio and other dormant IP, while it begins work on a 'super game'. A results presentation to mark the end of the fiscal year was published to the SegaSammy investor relations website today. The slideshow includes a number of interesting details about the company's future plans. One slide concerns the "utilization of IP [intellectual property] assets," noting which IPs are active and dormant, and how Sega plans to remaster, remake or reboot its older series to capitalize on the "globally recognized" IPs it has in its vault. A number of old, fan favourite franchises are mentioned in the past IP groups section, including Crazy Taxi, Jet Set Radio, NiGHTS, Space Channel 5, Panzer Dragoon and Rez. At the very least, this suggests that the company is interested in bringing some of these games back to market while strengthening its active IPs such as Yakuza, Persona and Sonic. [caption id="attachment_2513120" align="alignnone" width="1266"] Sega's slide on its remasters, remakes, and reboots. (Source: SegaSammy)[/caption] The presentation also mentions Sega's five-year plan to release what it calls a "Super Game". While unclear exactly what that term implies, Sega says it's making "focused investment" in the project, and aims to have it released by its 2026 financial year. As well as turning its existing, active IPs into global brands, the company wants to create new IP "which can be expanded globally" – but which it doesn't expect to be immediately highly profitable. No details were given on which of Sega's studios would make the game, nor what kind of a game it would be. [caption id="attachment_2513122" align="alignnone" width="1266"] Sega's slide on creating a 'Super Game'. (Source: SegaSammy)[/caption] As Sega works towards its Super Game, it also mentions the development of a "new FPS title at European studio," which could well be the "ambitious multiplayer" sci-fi shooter Creative Assembly is working on. Sega expanded Creative Assembly back in 2017, acquiring Crytek Black Sea and adding it to its ranks as Creative Assembly Sofia. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.

Insomniac creative director Marcus Smith says there's "nothing really stopping" the studio from making a sequel to the Xbox-exclusive Sunset Overdrive for PlayStation – and that he'd love to return to the series. Speaking to GQ, Smith was asked if it was possible to make a new Sunset Overdrive now that the studio was owned by Sony. "I mean, never say never is my approach," he replied. "Obviously, we’re part of Sony now, but we own the IP and so there’s nothing really stopping us other than we have a lot of really exciting things in our future." That idea is backed up by the fact that Sony itself recently registered a trademark for Sunset Overdrive. While by no means a confirmation that the company will make a sequel, it does mean that it could. Smith – who directed Sunset Overdrive, and is directing Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart – also made clear that he'd like to try his hand at a sequel: "I think there are a lot of stories that can be told in that universe and I would love to return to it. I had a lot of fun making that game." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2018/09/12/sunset-overdrive-was-originally-a-lot-like-fortnite-ign-unfiltered"] It's perhaps no surprise that some of the Insomniac team wants to return to Sunset Overdrive, as it's still an influence on the studio's newer games. “What we found with developing Sunset Overdrive, and one of the things I think worked really well in Spider-Man, is giving the player a bigger move set to tackle their challenges than is strictly necessary,” Rift Apart director Mike Daly said to IGN. “Since you have so many more permutations of ways to handle threats or navigate spaces than you did before, it feels a lot more personal and customizable, like you had really solved that problem, which makes all the gameplay that much more satisfying." Sunset Overdrive was an anarchic, comedic open-world game released in 2014. Despite a positive reception – including a 9/10 review from IGN – a sequel never materialised, a decision that Insomniac put firmly at Microsoft's door. Members of the studio haven't been shy about wanting to return to the idea in the years since. Insomniac's recent success with other games could be the only thing in the way of a Sunset Overdrive 2. Its Spider-Man series has been a huge success, with a sequel very much set up, and Ratchet and Clank continues to charm. But maybe, just maybe, it could squeeze in a trip back to Sunset City one day soon. [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.

The stakes are high for the Amazon Studios' upcoming Lord of the Rings series. With a reported first season budget of $465 million, it will be one of the most expensive shows ever made. How do justify such an expensive endeavor? Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Amazon Studios chief Jennifer Salke said it was mostly due to the madness of the market, noting that Netflix paid $469 for two sequels to Knives Out. But she also revealed Amazon's lofty expectations for the forthcoming prequel. "As for how many people need to watch Lord of the Rings? A lot. (Laughs.) A giant, global audience needs to show up to it as appointment television, and we are pretty confident that that will happen," Salke said. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/01/13/lord-of-the-rings-amazon-series-plot-details-revealed"] Naturally, every show wants to garner a large audience, but Amazon is setting a high bar for The Lord of the Rings. In today's world of fragmented entertainment, few shows can be called "event television." Like its competitors, Amazon appears eager to fill the void created by The Game of Thrones, which capped off its run with a finale watched by 19.3 million viewers. It will face competition from Disney's run of very successful MCU and Star Wars shows, as well as a planned Game of Thrones prequel. As for where all that money is actually going, Salke says that most of it is about building up the infrastructure for the rest of the show. "This is a full season of a huge world-building show. The number is a sexy headline or a crazy headline that’s fun to click on, but that is really building the infrastructure of what will sustain the whole series. But it is a crazy world and various people on this Zoom, mostly Bela and me, have been in bidding situations where it starts to go incredibly high. There's a lot of wooing and we have to make decisions on where we want to stretch and where we want to draw the line," Salke said. Anyone who has watched the making of the original Lord of the Rings trilogy will know how much work that entails. There are the sets, the prop, and everything else that goes into bringing Middle-earth to life. It will once again take place in New Zeland, which served as the backdrop for Peter Jackson's trilogy. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=amazons-the-lord-of-the-rings-every-confirmed-actor&captions=true"] Earlier this year, Amazon released the show's plot synopsis, which promises to take viewers from the "darkest depths of the Misty Mountains to the majestic forests of the elf-capital of Lindon." It is set during Middle-earth's Second Age, and will take viewers back to an era in which "great powers were forged, kingdoms rose to glory and fell to ruin, unlikely heroes were tested, hope hung by the finest of threads, and the greatest villain that ever flowed from Tolkien’s pen threatened to cover all the world in darkness." Production is currently underway, and you can find out which familiar characters may be showing up, which actors have joined the show, and our explainer of The Second Age.

Dave Bautista's time as Drax in The Guardians of the Galaxy movies seemingly coming to an end with the upcoming third film, the actor has some surprising suggestions for the character he helped introduce in the MCU: Cast a new actor for a Drax reboot. Speaking with Slash Film, Bautista says he always wanted to explore the "Destroyer" side of Drax in The Guardians of the Galaxy but instead leaned into his more comedic nature. "It's weird because sometimes you'll hear me say, "I wish they dove into the Destroyer side,' which originally I thought they were going to do in Guardians 2. Because the Marvel Universe still hasn't seen Drax the Destroyer.'" [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=marvel-cinematic-universe-every-upcoming-movie-and-tv-show&captions=true"] Instead, Drax is a beloved character because his literal-mindedness is often sweet-natured and humorous. And Bautista says this likely won't change in Guardians of the Galaxy 3. "The honest answer is no," Bautista says when asked if the Destroyer will finally be seen in the third movie. "I think people are in love with the characters the way they are, and I just want to conclude this journey.'" But Bautista has a solution for folks who may one day want to see a more destructive Drax and that is recast the role for a solo movie. "I really hope that going forward they will reboot Drax, and I think Drax the Destroyer could be a standalone film. I think it could be something new and something different," says Bautista. "I hope someday that they just recast it and reboot just Drax the Destroyer and focus on that story because it's a great story." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2018/09/08/dave-bautista-responds-to-ign-comments"] It's not every day an actor talks about recasting a role that they are set to reprise, but Bautista seems content knowing he will be stepping away from the character soon. But Bautista will be keeping himself busy even if he won't be in the MCU for much longer. The actor will appear in the upcoming Dune movie and has signed on to appear in Rian Johnson's Knives Out 2. Having already left his mark on the Marvel Universe, Bautista seems content working with some of the other biggest directors in Hollywood. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt T.M. Kim is IGN's News Editor.

It appears that inXile Entertainment is indeed working on an FPS RPG. The studio behind Wasteland 3 and Torment: Tides of Numenera dropped a hint to that effect in a response to an Xbox tweet asking, "What kind of game should I play next?" It then flashed a large number of genres, including "All of Them" and "Goose." "Pulled NEW + FPS + RPG," inXile Entertainment wrote in response, seemingly confirming reports from earlier this year it was making an FPS RPG. Assuming this is the case, it means that inXile Entertainment will be following in the footsteps of Obsidian, which put out The Outer Worlds in 2019 and is currently working on Avowed. inXile Entertainment's most recent stab at making a first-person RPG was in 2018, when it put out The Bard's Tale 4. IGN reviewer Leana Hafer called The Bard's Tale IV a "rousing adventure" in her review, but also said that it "shows its retro roots in some not so positive ways. " [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2018/09/26/the-bards-tale-4-barrows-deep-review"] The Bard's Tale's 4 release came two short months before the studio's acquisition by Microsoft alongside Obsidian. It is one of several first-party studios developing RPGs for Microsoft, the most prominent of them being Bethesda. inXile Entertainment previously revealed that its next game will be a next-gen RPG developed using Unreal Engine 5. If it turns out to be a AAA RPG, it will be a major test for inXile Entertainment, which is mostly known for smaller-scale releases. For now, inXile Entertainment remains focused on Wasteland 3. Its first expansion, the Rangers of Steeltown, launches June 3. Wasteland 3 is currently available on Xbox One and PC, and can be played through Xbox Game Pass.

Destiny 2 fans have been eagerly awaiting for cross-play support, and it’s arrived months ahead of schedule... sort of.

Video Games Chronicle reports the arrival of cross-play support is actually a technical fluke. Bungie’s lead community manager Cozmo tweeted Wednesday telling players to partake until they disable the feature later this week.

“We are seeing reports that some players are able to get a sneak peek at Cross-play,” Cozmo said. “This isn't meant to be live yet and is not representative of the full experience. We will be implementing a fix to remove public access later this week, but in the meantime feel free to partake.”

We are seeing reports that some players are able to get a sneak peek at Crossplay.

This isn't meant to be live yet and is not representative of the full experience. We will be implementing a fix to remove public access later this week, but in the meantime feel free to partake. https://t.co/CKOfg1Fpq6 — Cozmo (@Cozmo23) May 12, 2021

Destiny 2’s Season of the Splicer kicked off this week as well, and data miners quickly discovered evidence of a potential cross-play beta in Destiny 2’s future, pointing at a new emblem awarded for competing cross-play Vanguard strikes, reports Eurogamer. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/05/12/destiny-2-season-of-the-splicer-season-pass-trailer"]

Destiny 2 assistant game director Joe Blackburn said back in February that Bungie is aiming to roll out cross-play sometime this fall.

You can check out the Destiny 2 Season of the Splicer battle pass trailer to see all the new weapons and cosmetics available now. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/05/08/destiny-2-season-of-the-splicer-reactions-fireteam-chat-ep-298"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Joseph Knoop is a writer/producer/hunter for IGN.