Monthly Archives: March 2022
Lost Co-Creator Damon Lindelof Reportedly Working on a New Star Wars Movie
Damon Lindelof – co-creator of Lost and The Leftovers, and creator the Watchmen TV series – is reportedly working on a new Star Wars movie.
According to The Ankler's Jeff Sneider, the writer/producer was approached to create a new entry in the Star Wars universe after publicly saying he'd like to work in that universe. Sneider has previously revealed unannounced details about a number of movies, including revealing the villains and even some of the less-expected protagonists of Spider-Man: No Way Home.
"At some point, but certainly not in the immediate future," Lindelof said in 2020, " I feel like I would love to do something in the Star Wars universe. Maybe a decade from now when I would no longer be blamed for ruining it. That would be a hoot.”
As Lindelof jokes about above, he remains a polarising figure for many fans. While his Watchmen and Leftovers series have been beloved, the finale of Lost and the controversial Star Trek Into Darkness have seen some fans question his work.
However, even if Lindelof is developing a Star Wars movie, recent history makes it clear that this isn't confirmation that he'll release one. Previously, a trilogy from Game of Thrones' David Benioff and D.B. Weiss was cancelled, a Rian Johnson trilogy seemingly remains in limbo, and multiple directors have been dropped from the more recent movies.
Even with those dropouts, there is a lot of Star Wars on the way, with Obi-Wan Kenobi set to premiere on Disney+ on May 25.
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.
Lost Co-Creator Damon Lindelof Reportedly Working on a New Star Wars Movie
Damon Lindelof – co-creator of Lost and The Leftovers, and creator the Watchmen TV series – is reportedly working on a new Star Wars movie.
According to The Ankler's Jeff Sneider, the writer/producer was approached to create a new entry in the Star Wars universe after publicly saying he'd like to work in that universe. Sneider has previously revealed unannounced details about a number of movies, including revealing the villains and even some of the less-expected protagonists of Spider-Man: No Way Home.
"At some point, but certainly not in the immediate future," Lindelof said in 2020, " I feel like I would love to do something in the Star Wars universe. Maybe a decade from now when I would no longer be blamed for ruining it. That would be a hoot.”
As Lindelof jokes about above, he remains a polarising figure for many fans. While his Watchmen and Leftovers series have been beloved, the finale of Lost and the controversial Star Trek Into Darkness have seen some fans question his work.
However, even if Lindelof is developing a Star Wars movie, recent history makes it clear that this isn't confirmation that he'll release one. Previously, a trilogy from Game of Thrones' David Benioff and D.B. Weiss was cancelled, a Rian Johnson trilogy seemingly remains in limbo, and multiple directors have been dropped from the more recent movies.
Even with those dropouts, there is a lot of Star Wars on the way, with Obi-Wan Kenobi set to premiere on Disney+ on May 25.
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.
Xbox Game Pass in March: Guardians of the Galaxy, Crusader Kings 3, F1 2021, and More
New Xbox Game Pass additions for the second of March have been announced by Xbox. The first half of the month saw Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy hit the service, and now we've got even more titles hitting Game Pass in the latter half of March.
This includes Crusader Kings 3 making its way over from PC Game Pass, as it will now be available for Xbox console users as well from March 29. There's also F1 2021, Shredders, Tainted Grail: Conquest, and much more. Here's everything on Xbox Game Pass this month.
Crusader Kings 3 on Xbox Series X|S from March 29
Given a 'masterpiece' 10/10 review when it was first released for PC in 2020, Crusader Kings 3 will now be available for some Game Pass consoles users, alongside those already playing on PC Game Pass. Unfortunately, those on Xbox One will be unable to play the game via Game Pass, as when it hits the service on March 29, it will be limited to just Xbox Series X|S on March 29.
Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy is on Xbox Game Pass This Month
Guardians of the Galaxy earned some decent reviews during its launch period, and we even gave it an 8/10 in our review: "A fun, no-frills single-player campaign full of cosmic comic book flavor." Developed by Eidos Montreal, Guardians of the Galaxy came out quite recently during the tail-end of 2021, and will be available for cloud, console, and PC Game Pass from March 10.
Everything Coming to Xbox Game Pass in March
- Far: Changing Tides (Cloud, Console, and PC) – Available Now
- Microsoft Flight Simulator (Cloud) – Available Now
- Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII (Console and PC) – March 3
- Kentucky Route Zero (Cloud, Console, and PC) ID@Xbox – March 10
- Lawn Mowing Simulator (Xbox One) ID@Xbox – March 10
- Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy (Cloud, Console, and PC) – March 10
- Young Souls (Cloud, Console, and PC) ID@Xbox – March 10
- Shredders (Cloud, PC, and Xbox Series X|S) ID@Xbox – March 17
- The Dungeon of Naheulbeuk: The Amulet of Chaos (Cloud, Console, and PC) ID@Xbox – March 17
- Tainted Grail: Conquest (Console) ID@Xbox – March 22
- Zero Escape: The Nonary Games (Cloud, Console, and PC) – March 22
- Norco (PC) ID@Xbox – March 24
- F1 2021 (Console) EA Play – March 24
- Crusader Kings III (Xbox Series X|S) ID@Xbox – March 29
- Weird West (Cloud, Console, and PC) ID@Xbox – March 31
Best Xbox Deals Right Now: $5 Off Game Pass
You can also get 3-months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate for just $39.99 at Amazon right now, which is $5 off the asking price. This will also stack with your current membership.
Everything Leaving Xbox Game Pass in March
These games will leave Xbox Game Pass by the end of the month.
Leaving March 15
- Nier: Automata (Cloud, Console, and PC)
- Phogs! (Cloud, Console, and PC)
- Torchlight III (Cloud, Console, and PC)
- The Surge 2 (Cloud, Console, and PC)
Leaving March 31
- Madden NFL 20 (Cloud, Console, and PC) EA Play
- Narita Boy (Cloud, Console, and PC)
- Shadow Warrior 2 (Cloud, Console, and PC)
Leaving April 11
- Destiny 2: Beyond Light, Shadowkeep, and Forsaken (PC)
Xbox PC App Install Update
The Xbox app is also receiving some brand new install and modding capability options in an update available now. To access the new update, open the Microsoft Store app on Windows, navigate to your Library and select ‘Update’ next to the Xbox app. The new changes are listed just below.
- You now have the option to choose what folder your games get installed to
- Access to files for select games you’ve installed, as well as options to repair and move your games
- Ability to mod more games
Even More Gaming Deals Right Now
Robert Anderson is a deals expert and Commerce Editor for IGN. You can follow him @robertliam21 on Twitter.
Elden Ring Is Europe’s Biggest New IP Since The Division
Elden Ring is Europe's best-selling new gaming IP since Ubisoft's The Division in 2016.
Revealed in the latest GSD data, as reported by gamesindustry.biz, Elden Ring is also the biggest game overall to launch in Europe since 2021's Call of Duty: Vanguard, meaning it outsold the likes of Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, Halo: Infinite, and Horizon: Forbidden West.
The GSD data also included a breakdown of formats, showing that 44% of European Elden Ring copies were sold on PC, followed by 27% on PlayStation 5, 16% on Xbox, and 13% on PS4.
Elden Ring continues its world domination as last week it became the United States' best selling game of 2022 so far, and was only outsold by Call of Duty: Vanguard in the previous 12 months.
Reiterating the GSD data showing high PC sales, on Steam Elden Ring grew in popularity day by day on its first weekend before becoming the sixth most played game of all time on the platform by concurrent users.
It's proven somewhat of a cultural phenomenon, with crazy adverts, a streamer's Twitch chat playing while he swept, someone using the Nintendo Switch's Ring Fit Controller to beat a boss, and it's even got its own candy.
In our 10/10 review, IGN said: "Elden Ring is a massive iteration on what FromSoftware began with the Souls series, bringing its relentlessly challenging combat to an incredible open world that gives us the freedom to choose our own path."
To make those choices with the best available information, check out our guide that features everything you could ever hope to know about Elden Ring, including collectible locations, boss strategies, and more.
Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelancer who occasionally remembers to tweet @thelastdinsdale.
Elden Ring Is Europe’s Biggest New IP Since The Division
Elden Ring is Europe's best-selling new gaming IP since Ubisoft's The Division in 2016.
Revealed in the latest GSD data, as reported by gamesindustry.biz, Elden Ring is also the biggest game overall to launch in Europe since 2021's Call of Duty: Vanguard, meaning it outsold the likes of Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, Halo: Infinite, and Horizon: Forbidden West.
The GSD data also included a breakdown of formats, showing that 44% of European Elden Ring copies were sold on PC, followed by 27% on PlayStation 5, 16% on Xbox, and 13% on PS4.
Elden Ring continues its world domination as last week it became the United States' best selling game of 2022 so far, and was only outsold by Call of Duty: Vanguard in the previous 12 months.
Reiterating the GSD data showing high PC sales, on Steam Elden Ring grew in popularity day by day on its first weekend before becoming the sixth most played game of all time on the platform by concurrent users.
It's proven somewhat of a cultural phenomenon, with crazy adverts, a streamer's Twitch chat playing while he swept, someone using the Nintendo Switch's Ring Fit Controller to beat a boss, and it's even got its own candy.
In our 10/10 review, IGN said: "Elden Ring is a massive iteration on what FromSoftware began with the Souls series, bringing its relentlessly challenging combat to an incredible open world that gives us the freedom to choose our own path."
To make those choices with the best available information, check out our guide that features everything you could ever hope to know about Elden Ring, including collectible locations, boss strategies, and more.
Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelancer who occasionally remembers to tweet @thelastdinsdale.
Ms. Marvel: First Trailer Reveals June Release Date
Ms. Marvel has received its first trailer, revealing that the show will premiere on Disney+ on June 8.
Ms. Marvel will introduce Kamala Khan to the MCU, a Pakistani-American teenager who idolises Captain Marvel, before gaining powers of her own. The trailer shows us a similar set-up, but with what look to be some key differences from the comic book origins of the character.
Where the comics' Kamala gained her powers by being affected by Terrigen mist, the trailer suggests the MCU Kamala will gain them from what looks to be a magical bracer. While we see that this Kamala still has the 'embiggening' powers we're familiar with (allowing her to shapeshift and gain superstrength), it seems the MCU version also gains the ability to create cosmic material she can throw, walk on, or use as a shield.
The trailer also gives us glimpses of her high school life, the object of her affections, home life, and confirms the character remains a practicing Muslim in the MCU. The show's antagonists are less clear, with only vague shots as to who she'll be battling with, and why.
A new poster was also released today:
Ms. Marvel, an Original series from Marvel Studios, starts streaming June 8 on @DisneyPlus. #MsMarvel pic.twitter.com/giKSYA8vNT
— Marvel Entertainment (@Marvel) March 15, 2022
Newcomer Iman Vellani plays Kamala Khan, and the show is includes directors from Bad Boys for Life, The Punisher, and more. After this show has finished, Ms. Marvel is due to reappear in The Marvels (once known as Captain Marvel 2).
The June 8 release date places the show in between May's Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, and July's Thor: Love and Thunder in the MCU release schedule. Before all of that comes Moon Knight, which premieres on March 30. The Marvels is set to hit theaters on February 17, 2023.
We've got a full rundown of Ms. Marvel's comic book powers, origins, and more if you want to know more before the show starts.
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.
Ms. Marvel: First Trailer Reveals June Release Date
Ms. Marvel has received its first trailer, revealing that the show will premiere on Disney+ on June 8.
Ms. Marvel will introduce Kamala Khan to the MCU, a Pakistani-American teenager who idolises Captain Marvel, before gaining powers of her own. The trailer shows us a similar set-up, but with what look to be some key differences from the comic book origins of the character.
Where the comics' Kamala gained her powers by being affected by Terrigen mist, the trailer suggests the MCU Kamala will gain them from what looks to be a magical bracer. While we see that this Kamala still has the 'embiggening' powers we're familiar with (allowing her to shapeshift and gain superstrength), it seems the MCU version also gains the ability to create cosmic material she can throw, walk on, or use as a shield.
The trailer also gives us glimpses of her high school life, the object of her affections, home life, and confirms the character remains a practicing Muslim in the MCU. The show's antagonists are less clear, with only vague shots as to who she'll be battling with, and why.
A new poster was also released today:
Ms. Marvel, an Original series from Marvel Studios, starts streaming June 8 on @DisneyPlus. #MsMarvel pic.twitter.com/giKSYA8vNT
— Marvel Entertainment (@Marvel) March 15, 2022
Newcomer Iman Vellani plays Kamala Khan, and the show is includes directors from Bad Boys for Life, The Punisher, and more. After this show has finished, Ms. Marvel is due to reappear in The Marvels (once known as Captain Marvel 2).
The June 8 release date places the show in between May's Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, and July's Thor: Love and Thunder in the MCU release schedule. Before all of that comes Moon Knight, which premieres on March 30. The Marvels is set to hit theaters on February 17, 2023.
We've got a full rundown of Ms. Marvel's comic book powers, origins, and more if you want to know more before the show starts.
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.
Perfect Dark Reboot Studio Reportedly Sees Staff Departures Due to ‘Slow Development Progress’
A new report suggests that Microsoft's The Initiative, the studio developing a reboot of Perfect Dark, has suffered significant staff departures over the past 12 months. Staff are apparently leaving the company due to "a lack of creative autonomy and slow development progress."
The report from VGC is complied from interviews with unnamed ex-Initiative employees and analysis of the studio's structure. It notes that around 34 people have quit within the last year, including much of the senior design team. Game director Dan Neuburger appears to have left the team this year, and previous departures include design director Drew Murray, lead level designer Chris O’Neill, principal world builder Jolyon Myers, and several more from the core team. Additionally, VGC notes that two senior writers recently left, as well as the technical director, technical art director, lead gameplay engineer, lead animation, quality assurance lead, and more.
VGC's interviews with former Initiative staff suggests that the departures have come "fast and furious", something that has impacted the momentum of the project.
Reasons given for staff departures predominantly include a feeling that the studio was not a collaborative place to work. It was apparently built as a top-down hierarchy, starting with Neuburger and studio head Darrell Gallagher, who heavily dictated the creative decisions. Staff apparently felt unheard by their seniors on issues such as development priorities, project planning, and team staffing. The alleged result of this was a project that developed "painfully" slow and a lack of company culture.
“Making games is hard enough, let alone when you feel like you can’t get through to people making the decisions that affect everyone," one source said.
VGC's sources claim that the culture problem was part of the reason for bringing Crystal Dynamics on board as a collaborator studio. Gallagher and Neuburger were previously studio head and game director respectively at Crystal Dynamics, and It was hoped that a team familiar with their management methods would work well with them.
In a statement to VGC, Gallagher (who remains as studio head at The Initiative) said, "In this journey, it’s not uncommon for there to be staffing changes, especially during a time of global upheaval over the last two years, and there’s plenty more work in front of us to deliver a fantastic Perfect Dark experience to our players.
“We wish all our former colleagues the very best, and I’m confident in the team we have in place, the new talent joining, and we can’t wait to share more with the fans.”
The report's sources suggest that the large change in staff and the inclusion of Crystal Dynamics may well have triggered an internal soft reboot of Perfect Dark, and that a final release could well still be years away.
Matt Purslow is IGN's UK News and Entertainment Writer.
Perfect Dark Reboot Studio Reportedly Sees Staff Departures Due to ‘Slow Development Progress’
A new report suggests that Microsoft's The Initiative, the studio developing a reboot of Perfect Dark, has suffered significant staff departures over the past 12 months. Staff are apparently leaving the company due to "a lack of creative autonomy and slow development progress."
The report from VGC is complied from interviews with unnamed ex-Initiative employees and analysis of the studio's structure. It notes that around 34 people have quit within the last year, including much of the senior design team. Game director Dan Neuburger appears to have left the team this year, and previous departures include design director Drew Murray, lead level designer Chris O’Neill, principal world builder Jolyon Myers, and several more from the core team. Additionally, VGC notes that two senior writers recently left, as well as the technical director, technical art director, lead gameplay engineer, lead animation, quality assurance lead, and more.
VGC's interviews with former Initiative staff suggests that the departures have come "fast and furious", something that has impacted the momentum of the project.
Reasons given for staff departures predominantly include a feeling that the studio was not a collaborative place to work. It was apparently built as a top-down hierarchy, starting with Neuburger and studio head Darrell Gallagher, who heavily dictated the creative decisions. Staff apparently felt unheard by their seniors on issues such as development priorities, project planning, and team staffing. The alleged result of this was a project that developed "painfully" slow and a lack of company culture.
“Making games is hard enough, let alone when you feel like you can’t get through to people making the decisions that affect everyone," one source said.
VGC's sources claim that the culture problem was part of the reason for bringing Crystal Dynamics on board as a collaborator studio. Gallagher and Neuburger were previously studio head and game director respectively at Crystal Dynamics, and It was hoped that a team familiar with their management methods would work well with them.
In a statement to VGC, Gallagher (who remains as studio head at The Initiative) said, "In this journey, it’s not uncommon for there to be staffing changes, especially during a time of global upheaval over the last two years, and there’s plenty more work in front of us to deliver a fantastic Perfect Dark experience to our players.
“We wish all our former colleagues the very best, and I’m confident in the team we have in place, the new talent joining, and we can’t wait to share more with the fans.”
The report's sources suggest that the large change in staff and the inclusion of Crystal Dynamics may well have triggered an internal soft reboot of Perfect Dark, and that a final release could well still be years away.
Matt Purslow is IGN's UK News and Entertainment Writer.
Halo TV Series Creators Respond to Controversy About Cortana’s Redesign
The creators of the Halo TV series have addressed Cortana's controversial redesign, explaining that they wanted Master Chief's AI companion to feel "very tangible" on the show.
Speaking to GamesRadar+ about the reaction to Cortana's new look in the Halo series, Kiki Wolfkill, a studio head at 343 and Halo's executive producer, explained that the decision was partly driven by technology, as the team likes to utilize the latest tools to make considered design choices, just like they have done throughout the decades-spanning game series.
"It's so funny, because we change her design for every game. And a lot of that is driven by technology," Wolfkill said. "A lot of the design changes as we progress[ed] through the game generations was because we had access to better graphics, technology, more pixels, and more effects. And so it's always been about adapting Cortana to the environment.
"In this situation, it's so very different from the games in that she has to feel real," Wolfkill continued. "And by that, I don't mean feel like a real human. She has to feel like a real AI, a real hologram, and be a character that real people are acting against… That was really the impetus in designing her – how do we make her feel very tangible in this Halo world?"
Jen Taylor, the voice of Cortana in the mainline Halo games, reprises her role as the "smart" AI for the upcoming series, having voiced the beloved character in Halo: Combat Evolved and its sequels, Halo 2, Halo 3, Halo 4, and Halo 5: Guardians, plus a brief appearance in Halo: Reach. Taylor says she's "curious" to see how the new take on her character plays out.
"I understand why people are protective of that [original design]. I am curious to see how it's received. I'm interested in seeing something different and seeing something new... I'm also interested to see what she looks like in this new version," Taylor said, adding that the AI has "different goals than the Cortana that we have known in the past 20 years."
Dramatizing an epic 26th-century conflict between humanity and an alien threat known as the Covenant, the Halo TV series weaves deeply-drawn personal stories with action, adventure and a richly imagined vision of the future. Paramount is clearly pleased with that vision, as the show has been renewed for a second season ahead of its Paramount+ premiere on March 24.
Adele Ankers-Range is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow her on Twitter.