In a new, in-depth interview with The New York Times, Xbox Executive Vice President Phil Spencer was asked about the connection between gaming and the polarization of American politics. To which Spencer said that Xbox is "not a free speech platform" and is designed first and foremost for games and entertainment.

Spencer discussed the idea of political and social radicalization with the New York Times on Kara Swisher's Sway podcast. During the multi-topic chat focused largely on the emergence of the "metaverse" concept, Swisher brought up former Trump administration chief strategist and Breitbart founder Steve Bannon who talked about utilizing Gamergate as a political army.

"We see all positives and negatives of the human condition. We have people who propose to each other and get married on Xbox Live," Spencer says about Xbox's online services. "We also have conversations about politics and other things that happen. One of the things we’ve stated about our social network is we’re not a free speech platform. We’re a platform around interactive entertainment and video games. And we’re not there to allow all kinds of social discourse to happen on our platform. That’s not why we exist."

"We're not there to allow any conversation to happen on our platform," Spencer says, and more than that Xbox Live is simply not designed for that kind of politicization. "It's very difficult to come to Xbox Live and say, Okay, I want to go create a political party on the platform.'"

"You could kind of twist the tools and try to get there, but it’s just not set up for general-purpose conversations or community," Spencer says but, "It’s really set up for community around interactive entertainment and the games that run on our platform. And that’s the way we invest."

In 2017 Bannon specifically cited Gamergate, a harassment campaign against women and progressive figures in the video game industry, and said "You can activate that army. They come in through Gamergate or whatever and then get turned onto politics and Trump."

Swisher referenced social media companies like Facebook and Twitter, driven by ad revenue and other murky monetization models, that are regarded as poorly moderated platforms for hate speech and other types of harassment, and asked Spencer if he thought game companies moderated their communities more effectively.

"I think we all have a long way to go. You could tell me that’s a lame answer. That’s all right," Spencer said.

Spencer later added that he loves the modern video game business model for its "transparency." Simply put, if a customer likes what Xbox or another video game studio is doing, they purchase the product, continue subscribing, or invest in some other aspect of the platform.

"That’s very different if I have a passive business model that maybe my customer doesn’t even understand," Spencer said. "And I think some [of] the pure ad-driven platforms that are out there, they get themselves stuck in this model. Because some of the most tumultuous topics that they can put out there are the things that drive the most clicks.

It's a relatively firm political statement for the chief of a multi-billion dollar video game industry giant. Spencer previously commented on the allegations of harassment and sexual discrimination at Activision-Blizzard, makers of World of Warcraft, Diablo, and Overwatch, saying that Xbox was "evaluating all aspects" of their relationship with the studio.

The full podcast is worth a listen as Spencer touches on Activision, as well as regulations on games, and Netflix's arrival into the games industry as well.

Joseph Knoop is a writer/producer for IGN.

Production on The Bob's Burgers Movie has been relatively quiet since mid-2021, but we finally have some plot details that shed light on what the Belcher family and their humble restaurant will get up to.

In the "musical-comedy-mystery-adventure" film, a ruptured water main opens up a giant sinkhole in front of the titular restaurant, blocking the entrance and ruining summer plans for the Belchers, according to 20th Century Fox's official synopsis. Bob and wife Linda Belcher will be busy keeping the business afloat while the kids work on solving a mystery that could save the family business.

"As the dangers mount, these underdogs help each other find hope and fight to get back behind the counter, where they belong," the synopsis reads.

The Bob's Burgers Movie stars the original series cast, including Kristen Schall and H. Jon Benjamin, along with new and returning guest stars like comedian Zach Galifianakis (The Hangover), Stephanie Beatriz (Brooklyn Nine-Nine), Ashley Nicole Black (Full Frontal, A Black Lady Sketch Show), Tim Meadows (SNL, The Goldbergs) and Ron Funches (Harley Quinn's King Shark).

Bob's Burgers is an animated sitcom following the Belcher family who run a burger restaurant somewhere in the American Northeast. The family consists of father bob, mother Linda, and three kids Tina, Gene, and Louise. The series is currently on its 12th season.

As of June last year, show creator and executive producer Loren Bouchard said no firm release date beyond 2022 had been established, but he did confirm a theatrical release. He also revealed a short, titled "My Butt Has a Fever," may accompany the film.

Joseph Knoop is a writer/producer/powerful force for IGN.

Production on The Bob's Burgers Movie has been relatively quiet since mid-2021, but we finally have some plot details that shed light on what the Belcher family and their humble restaurant will get up to.

In the "musical-comedy-mystery-adventure" film, a ruptured water main opens up a giant sinkhole in front of the titular restaurant, blocking the entrance and ruining summer plans for the Belchers, according to 20th Century Fox's official synopsis. Bob and wife Tina Belcher will be busy keeping the business afloat while the kids work on solving a mystery that could save the family business.

"As the dangers mount, these underdogs help each other find hope and fight to get back behind the counter, where they belong," the synopsis reads.

The Bob's Burgers Movie stars the original series cast, including Kristen Schall and H. Jon Benjamin, along with new and returning guest stars like comedian Zach Galifianakis (The Hangover), Stephanie Beatriz (Brooklyn Nine-Nine), Ashley Nicole Black (Full Frontal, A Black Lady Sketch Show), Tim Meadows (SNL, The Goldbergs) and Ron Funches (Harley Quinn's King Shark).

Bob's Burgers is an animated sitcom following the Belcher family who run a burger restaurant somewhere in the American Northeast. The family consists of father bob, mother Linda, and three kids Tina, Gene, and Louise. The series is currently on its 12th season.

As of June last year, show creator and executive producer Loren Bouchard said no firm release date beyond 2022 had been established, but he did confirm a theatrical release. He also revealed a short, titled "My Butt Has a Fever," may accompany the film.

Joseph Knoop is a writer/producer/powerful force for IGN.

Game of Thrones actor Peter Dinklage hopes that HBO's upcoming prequel spinoff doesn't just milk the iconic original series for all its worth.

In a new interview with Independent, Dinklage offered up some advice for the Targaryen-focused series, House of the Dragon, saying, "I think the trick is not to try to recreate Game of Thrones."

"If you try to recreate it, that feels like a money grab. With a lot of sequels, the reason for them is that the first one made a lot of money, which is why they aren't as strong. But I'm excited to watch House of the Dragon purely as a viewer, not knowing what will happen next."

House of the Dragon is set 200 years before the events of Game of Thrones and will focus on House Targaryen, the ancestors of Daenerys Targaryen and Jon Snow. In Game of Thrones lore, the Targaryens ruled over the continent of Westeros for generations before Robert Baratheon assumed control of the land in his rebellion.

Dinklage also had some words for folks still salty at how Game of Thrones ended its final season.

“People were just mad because nobody wanted it to be over,” Dinklage says of the outcry. “I know a lot of people were supposedly surprised by the ending, but if you paid attention, the clues were there. We told you not to name your dog Khaleesi.”

House of the Dragon is only one of many Game of Thrones spinoffs HBO is producing, including an animated series, multiple live-action series, and an ongoing deal between George R.R. Martin and HBO.

House of the Dragon has at least one (not-so-objective) fan already. Martin revealed earlier this month that he has already watched the first episode, saying he "loved it. It’s dark, it’s powerful, it’s visceral… just the way I like my epic fantasy."

Joseph Knoop is a writer/producer/bird for IGN.

Game of Thrones actor Peter Dinklage hopes that HBO's upcoming prequel spinoff doesn't just milk the iconic original series for all its worth.

In a new interview with Independent, Dinklage offered up some advice for the Targaryen-focused series, House of the Dragon, saying, "I think the trick is not to try to recreate Game of Thrones."

"If you try to recreate it, that feels like a money grab. With a lot of sequels, the reason for them is that the first one made a lot of money, which is why they aren't as strong. But I'm excited to watch House of the Dragon purely as a viewer, not knowing what will happen next."

House of the Dragon is set 200 years before the events of Game of Thrones and will focus on House Targaryen, the ancestors of Daenerys Targaryen and Jon Snow. In Game of Thrones lore, the Targaryens ruled over the continent of Westeros for generations before Robert Baratheon assumed control of the land in his rebellion.

Dinklage also had some words for folks still salty at how Game of Thrones ended its final season.

“People were just mad because nobody wanted it to be over,” Dinklage says of the outcry. “I know a lot of people were supposedly surprised by the ending, but if you paid attention, the clues were there. We told you not to name your dog Khaleesi.”

House of the Dragon is only one of many Game of Thrones spinoffs HBO is producing, including an animated series, multiple live-action series, and an ongoing deal between George R.R. Martin and HBO.

House of the Dragon has at least one (not-so-objective) fan already. Martin revealed earlier this month that he has already watched the first episode, saying he "loved it. It’s dark, it’s powerful, it’s visceral… just the way I like my epic fantasy."

Joseph Knoop is a writer/producer/bird for IGN.

A brand new Bel-Air trailer is here, revealing the darker and edgier approach the series will be taking to the Fresh Prince.

The new three-minute trailer features main character Will Smith as he moves in with his auntie and uncle in Bel-Air for "one more chance." The trailer reveals how it will be more of a prestige drama than sitcom, with Will Smith as a troubled kid from West Philly trying to adapt to life in Southern California.

The new series stars Jabari Banks, a West Philadelphia native who will play the character portrayed by Will Smith from 1990 to 1996. Smith himself surprised Banks with the news in a video that quickly went viral.

This follows reports last year that Peacock was intending to move in a "slightly different creative direction" with a "broad-skewing network-style show." Instead, the trailer depicts Bel-Air as the "edgy, premium series" it was originally intended to be. The first teaser, which features a dramatic recreation of the original's iconic theme song, was probably a clue regarding the show's direction.

Bel-Air debuts on February 13, putting it on Super Bowl Sunday. In the meantime, you can read our ranking of the best and worst shows on Peacock.

Kat Bailey is a Senior News Editor at IGN

After announcing one of the biggest acquisitions in game industry history, Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick named his company's biggest franchises. It contained some expected names, and one outlier – Midnight Club, which hasn't seen a new release since October 2008.

Speaking in an investor call, Zelnick was laying out how he wants new acquisition Zynga to help bring its biggest franchises to mobile. Before doing so, Zelnick named some of the company's key properties: "Our labels are home to some of the most iconic brands in the world, including Grand Theft Auto, Red Dead Redemption, Midnight Club, NBA 2K, BioShock, Borderlands, Sid Meier's Civilization, Mafia, and Kerbal Space Program."

It's a list of heavy-hitters from across Take-Two's developers, but Midnight Club feels a little out of place. Every name on that list has seen a new release in recent years, or is currently seeing development of a new one – except the Rockstar-developed Racing Series, which saw the release of Midnight Club: Los Angeles in 2008, before going dormant.

It's not clear exactly why Zelnick brought the game up in this context, although it's possible he's alluding to the series getting a mobile version in future. Within Zelnick's presentation to investors, Midnight Club is also included on a list of console and PC franchises that Take-Two sees as potential opportunities for mobile development.

That same set of games is also listed elsewhere in the presentation as one of the company's top franchises, having passed 5 million units sold – so it could be that its inclusion on the list is simply because it's a part of that bracket, rather than any future plans. Zelnick also understandably said that it was "early days" for collaborations between Take-Two and Zynga, meaning it's entirely possible there are no plans.

Either way, it was an unexpected addition to a list of games we're far more used to seeing from Take-Two - and it hasn't gone unnoticed by fans.

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.

Sony's rumoured reboot of Twisted Metal is reportedly no longer under the remit of Lucid Games and instead has been handed over to one of Sony's first-party studios.

In a report by VGC, sources told the outlet that a reboot of the car combat series is still on the cards but that it is no longer being developed by UK-based studio Lucid Games – which created PS5 exclusive Destruction All-Stars – and instead has been handed over to one of its first-party studios in Europe.

Sony's European studios include Guerrilla Games (Horizon: Forbidden West), Housemarque (Returnal), London Studio (Blood & Truth), Media Molecule (Dreams), and new acquisitions Nixxes and Firesprite.

At present, neither Sony nor Lucid Games have inclined to comment in regard to the report. VGC states that the sources providing the information did not give a reason for Sony's change in developer, though one person did suggest that the mixed reception to Destruction AllStars could have factored into the decision.

AllStars was met with muted reviews when it launched last year. In our very own rundown of the game, we awarded it a 6/10, stating that it contained a "disappointing lack of depth beneath the loud crashes, bangs, and wallops that feel so exciting at first."

Reports of Lucid's involvement in a Twisted Metal reboot surfaced back in September - at the time suggesting that the game could be set to feature a free-to-play model, similar to Destruction AllStars' last-minute development shift. AllStars was originally set to be priced at $70, however, weeks before launch, the game ended up delayed into 2021 and was free to PlayStation Plus subscribers for around two months, before eventually being listed in the store at around $20.

2012's Twisted Metal reboot was the last time fans were able to delve into a mainline entry for the series. While only time will tell whether or not Sony has taken the decision to change studios over the series latest reboot, there's still plenty to look forward to from the franchise. In 2019, it was announced that a Twisted Metal TV show was in the works.

Since then a number of different cast and crew have signed on to the project including Deadpool writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick as well as Marvel star Anthony Mackie who is set to play the series lead. The series acts as another example of PlayStation Productions' efforts to bring its many celebrated games to screen and joins the likes of Uncharted, The Last of Us, and Ghost of Tsushima in that respect.

Jared Moore is a freelance writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.

Grand Theft Auto parent company Take-Two just bought Zynga in a practically unprecedented $12.7 billion deal, and part of the reasoning is that it wants the opportunity to bring some of its biggest console and PC game properties to mobile.

In an investor presentation following the announcement of the deal, Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick discussed the deal and presented a slideshow to investors. Under a slide titled, 'Product Portfolios are Highly Complementary', Take-Two shows how the company's respective games and studios can be used in tandem.

Of particular interest to many fans will be the line-up of Take-Two games, with the likes of Grand Theft Auto, Red Dead Redemption, BioShock and Mafia listed alongside a caption reading, "Opportunity to bring Take-Two's console/PC properties to mobile & add new game modes". Those games are paired with a list of Zynga's in-house studios, which are listed as having a "track record of successfully executing mobile game development."

In a Q&A segment, Zelnick expanded on that point while discussing the benefits of the deal: “Perhaps most importantly we have the ability [with Zynga] – from both a development and a publishing point of view – to optimise the creation of new titles; new titles based on Take-Two’s core intellectual property. We believe we have the best collection of console and PC intellectual property in the interactive entertainment business – and it’s basically nearly entirely un-exploited from mobile and free-to-play around the world."

Zelnick didn't specify which specific franchises would be considered for mobile development, nor whether those would take the form of new games, or ports. He also called it "early days" for the collaboration, so it may be some time before we see those projects announced or released.

Even before the Zynga deal, Take-Two's plans were extensive, with the company aiming to dramatically increase the number of "core" titles it released, with 19 games set for the next three years.

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.

From Software's upcoming action-RPG Elden Ring has begun 2022 with a flourish by becoming Steam's most-wishlisted game.

As spotted by Eurogamer, Elden Ring, which is directed by Hidetaka Miyazaki and includes world-building elements by Game of Thrones novelist George R. R. Martin, has become Steam's most wanted upcoming release.

Slated for release on February 25, Elden Ring's move to the top of the Steam wishlist rankings ends a 12-month unbeaten streak from Techland's Dying Light 2: Stay Human, which maintained pole position throughout the entirety of 2021.

Other notable entries on the list include Recreate Games' multiplayer physics brawler Party Animals, the PC release for Santa Monica Studios' God of War, and FNTASTIC's upcoming post-apocalyptic open-world MMO, The Day Before.

As Elden Ring approaches its launch, George R. R. Martin recently spoke briefly about his time working on the game. During a blog post, Martin explained that when Miyazaki and his fellow game designers had pitched the idea of Elden Ring to him, he'd found the offer "too exciting to refuse".

"Miyazaki and his team from FromSoftware were doing groundbreaking stuff with gorgeous art, and what they wanted from me was just a bit of worldbuilding: a deep, dark, resonant world to serve as a foundation for the game they planned to create," Martin wrote. "And as it happens, I love creating worlds and writing imaginary history."

One feature that's likely to add to the hype surrounding From Software's upcoming launch of Elden Ring is the game's character creator, which recently leaked online, and seems to have impressed fans. While similar in style to those featured in Dark Souls and Bloodbourne, it appears as though the new game's creator will allow players to create much more natural-looking human characters than ever before.

For more on Elden Ring, make sure to check out this article delving into the monstrous beast that one fan came across when they broke out of the game's technical demo last year.

Jared Moore is a freelance writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.