The Nintendo Switch is one of the most popular consoles in the world, and it’s especially dominant in Japan — home of Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio’s Yakuza series. But don’t expect to see the series on Nintendo’s platform any time soon.

Speaking with IGN as part of a roundtable interview, RGG Studio head Masayoshi Yokoyama was blunt in his assessment of the franchise’s prospects on the Switch.

“First of all, whether our games will run on the Switch is probably the first question. The second is, when people are doing things that they don't want to do, and you lose the morale and urge to do it,” Yokoyama said in response to a question from GameSpot, which first reported the story.

“And when it comes to the Switch, it’s kind of a system for a younger audience…it's how we picture it in Japan anyway, for kids. So do we want to put a title, where we're going and picking a fight with the world, and doing all this Yakuza stuff, on a Switch? Will people be happy if we do that? And we're not confident that they will. So that's why we're probably not aiming for it.”

When a reporter pointed out that mature games such as 2016’s Doom are on the platform as well, Yokoyama acknowledged that the Switch is “changing.”

“I am, too, thinking that the perception of the Switch, is changing, and maybe because of that one day we will put it out on the Switch, but still in Japan the image of the Switch is more something you put next to the register at a supermarket or something. You'll line up all those games. If you want to have the Yakuza game right there with all the others…I don't feel like I want to do that yet,” Yokoyama said.

He reiterated that RGG Studio tends to think of itself of “underdogs” and “people of the night world,” implicitly suggesting that the studio’s culture is at odds with the wholesome image put forward by the Switch.

“So yeah, we still think of ourselves as people of the night world. We don't want to be walking around in the daylight with everybody else. For us, it's showing this underground feeling. I say night world, but underground kind of feeling is what we want to do” Yokoyama finished.

While RGG Studio will eschew the Switch for now, it still has plenty of other projects on its plate, including a new Kazuma Kiryu sidestory and Like a Dragon 8. The studio is also looking into pushing on to Unreal Engine 5, which would further separate it from Nintendo’s hardware

RGG Studio’s next game is a remake of Like a Dragon: Ishin, which is due out February 2023.

Kat Bailey is a Senior News Editor at IGN as well as co-host of Nintendo Voice Chat. Have a tip? Send her a DM at @the_katbot.

The People’s Joker has been removed from the Toronto International Film Festival.

The film starred director Vera Drew as a trans woman working in comedy, which happened to be set in a re-imagined version of Gotham – the very same Gotham that’s home to DC’s Batman.

“The filmmaker has withdrawn this film due to rights issues,” says the TIFF website. “We apologize for any inconvenience. Current ticket holders will receive an email from TIFF Customer Relations with information on their purchase.”

The People’s Joker held its world premiere on Tuesday, but the film was pulled from the festival shortly afterward.

Bob Odenkirk features as Bob the Goon… and Drew couldn’t believe he agreed to take on the role.

“I had a call with Bob, and it was literally a half-hour phone call where we talked about the part, and it was really cool,” Drew told Collider. “He listened to me ramble about all my highfalutin ideas about this illegal movie, and his only request was, ‘I'll do it. I want to do it. I think it's great. I think you're great, but just make me look kind of fucked up. Give me a big scar, something. Cause I don't want people to think like, 'Oh it's cool, Bob's in it, blah, blah blah.'”

According to The Hollywood Reporter, festival organizers soon confirmed the withdrawal of what they described as a “queer coming-of-age film”. However, the filmmakers, as well as the production banner Haunted Gay Ride Productions have remained silent on the matter.

Additionally, Warner Bros, Discovery has not commented on the film.

However, Polygon has confirmed that Warner Bros. served a cease-and-desist order to the filmmakers before its TIFF premiere, prompting the decision to pull the film from any subsequent screenings.

Director Vera Drew previously asserted that the film was protected as it’s a parody.

“[It’s an] illegal gray zone,” they claimed in an interview with Alex Helisek. “I, Vera Drew, don’t own Joker and Batman, but it’s a parody.”

Whether or not that’s enough to protect the film from rights issues with Warner Bros. Discovery remains to be seen. But the filmmaker has already chosen to withdraw it immediately from TIFF.

But Drew remains defiant.

“I wanna talk to everyone but I also gotta be smart about our next moves,” they said via Twitter. “Animal planet declared war this week on my movie and we are doing everything we can to find a distribution partner who is gonna protect us and ensure that everyone EVERYWHERE gets to see this movie.”

The People’s Joker stars Vera Drew, Lynn Downey, Kane Distler, Nathan Faustyn, David Liebe Hart, Christian Calloway, Griffin Kramer, Phil Braun, Tim Heidecker, Ember Knight, and Sarah Sherman.

The film is Drew’s first feature film as a director, following an Emmy-nominated career as an editor.

Ryan Leston is an entertainment journalist and film critic for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.

Image Credit: Vera Drew|TIFF

The People’s Joker has been removed from the Toronto International Film Festival.

The film starred director Vera Drew as a trans woman working in comedy, which happened to be set in a re-imagined version of Gotham – the very same Gotham that’s home to DC’s Batman.

“The filmmaker has withdrawn this film due to rights issues,” says the TIFF website. “We apologize for any inconvenience. Current ticket holders will receive an email from TIFF Customer Relations with information on their purchase.”

The People’s Joker held its world premiere on Tuesday, but the film was pulled from the festival shortly afterward.

Bob Odenkirk features as Bob the Goon… and Drew couldn’t believe he agreed to take on the role.

“I had a call with Bob, and it was literally a half-hour phone call where we talked about the part, and it was really cool,” Drew told Collider. “He listened to me ramble about all my highfalutin ideas about this illegal movie, and his only request was, ‘I'll do it. I want to do it. I think it's great. I think you're great, but just make me look kind of fucked up. Give me a big scar, something. Cause I don't want people to think like, 'Oh it's cool, Bob's in it, blah, blah blah.'”

According to The Hollywood Reporter, festival organizers soon confirmed the withdrawal of what they described as a “queer coming-of-age film”. However, the filmmakers, as well as the production banner Haunted Gay Ride Productions have remained silent on the matter.

Additionally, Warner Bros, Discovery has not commented on the film.

However, Polygon has confirmed that Warner Bros. served a cease-and-desist order to the filmmakers before its TIFF premiere, prompting the decision to pull the film from any subsequent screenings.

Director Vera Drew previously asserted that the film was protected as it’s a parody.

“[It’s an] illegal gray zone,” they claimed in an interview with Alex Helisek. “I, Vera Drew, don’t own Joker and Batman, but it’s a parody.”

Whether or not that’s enough to protect the film from rights issues with Warner Bros. Discovery remains to be seen. But the filmmaker has already chosen to withdraw it immediately from TIFF.

But Drew remains defiant.

“I wanna talk to everyone but I also gotta be smart about our next moves,” they said via Twitter. “Animal planet declared war this week on my movie and we are doing everything we can to find a distribution partner who is gonna protect us and ensure that everyone EVERYWHERE gets to see this movie.”

The People’s Joker stars Vera Drew, Lynn Downey, Kane Distler, Nathan Faustyn, David Liebe Hart, Christian Calloway, Griffin Kramer, Phil Braun, Tim Heidecker, Ember Knight, and Sarah Sherman.

The film is Drew’s first feature film as a director, following an Emmy-nominated career as an editor.

Ryan Leston is an entertainment journalist and film critic for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.

Image Credit: Vera Drew|TIFF

Ant-Man 3 writer Jeff Loveness will also write Avengers: The Kang Dynasty.

According to Deadline, the 33-year-old screenwriter will pen the upcoming Avengers sequel which will focus on Kang the Conqueror – a Marvel villain that’s about to be re-introduced in Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania. Kang made an appearance in a slightly different form in the recent Loki series.

The film was unveiled during Marvel’s recent San Diego Comic-Con panel and will bring an end to Phase 6 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe on May 2, 2025, alongside Avengers: Secret Wars which will debut a few months later on November 7, 2025.

Destin Daniel Cretton will direct The Kang Dynasty with Marvel boss Kevin Feige as executive producer.

Although plot details remain firmly under wraps, it seems like a good idea to get Loveness on board.

After all, with Loveness writing the upcoming Ant-Man sequel, he’s going to get a pretty good handle on Kang the Conqueror… and that’s sure going to pay off when it comes to writing The Kang Dynasty. The Kang in Ant-Man 3 is also much more menacing as seen in a new trailer that premiered exclusively to folks who attended D23.

Loveness is perhaps best known for his work on the hit animated sci-fi show, Rick and Morty, and has written a number of hit episodes, including The Vat of Acid Episode as well as the Season 5 premiere, Mort Dinner Rick Andre as well as the season finale, Rickmurai Jack.

Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania will effectively kick off Phase 5 of the MCU, which concludes with the release of The Thunderbolts in July 2024.

Of course, this means Kang the Conqueror will be around for some time yet – at least until the penultimate film of MCU Phase 6. And that’s a few years away. Think of Kang as the new Thanos, with Jonathan Majors returning to reprise his role from Loki.

Want to read more about Avengers: The Kang Dynasty? Check out everything Marvel Studios announced at San Diego Comic Con and find out who Marvel’s New Avengers will be.

Ryan Leston is an entertainment journalist and film critic for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.

Ant-Man 3 writer Jeff Loveness will also write Avengers: The Kang Dynasty.

According to Deadline, the 33-year-old screenwriter will pen the upcoming Avengers sequel which will focus on Kang the Conqueror – a Marvel villain that’s about to be re-introduced in Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania. Kang made an appearance in a slightly different form in the recent Loki series.

The film was unveiled during Marvel’s recent San Diego Comic-Con panel and will bring an end to Phase 6 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe on May 2, 2025, alongside Avengers: Secret Wars which will debut a few months later on November 7, 2025.

Destin Daniel Cretton will direct The Kang Dynasty with Marvel boss Kevin Feige as executive producer.

Although plot details remain firmly under wraps, it seems like a good idea to get Loveness on board.

After all, with Loveness writing the upcoming Ant-Man sequel, he’s going to get a pretty good handle on Kang the Conqueror… and that’s sure going to pay off when it comes to writing The Kang Dynasty. The Kang in Ant-Man 3 is also much more menacing as seen in a new trailer that premiered exclusively to folks who attended D23.

Loveness is perhaps best known for his work on the hit animated sci-fi show, Rick and Morty, and has written a number of hit episodes, including The Vat of Acid Episode as well as the Season 5 premiere, Mort Dinner Rick Andre as well as the season finale, Rickmurai Jack.

Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania will effectively kick off Phase 5 of the MCU, which concludes with the release of The Thunderbolts in July 2024.

Of course, this means Kang the Conqueror will be around for some time yet – at least until the penultimate film of MCU Phase 6. And that’s a few years away. Think of Kang as the new Thanos, with Jonathan Majors returning to reprise his role from Loki.

Want to read more about Avengers: The Kang Dynasty? Check out everything Marvel Studios announced at San Diego Comic Con and find out who Marvel’s New Avengers will be.

Ryan Leston is an entertainment journalist and film critic for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.

David Harbour (Stranger Things, Hellboy) has been cast in director Neill Blomkamp's Gran Turismo movie.

Harbour will play a retired racecar driver who teaches the teenage protagonist how to drive, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The film tells the tale of a real-life teenage Gran Turismo player who transcended video games to become an actual pro driver.

Gran Turismo was written by Jason Hall (American Sniper) and Zach Baylin (King Richard). It's due to hit theaters on August 11, 2023.

The Blomkamp film follows Sony's successful big-screen adaptation of Uncharted, which grossed over $400 million USD globally. Future PlayStation Productions projects include a Twisted Metal series at Peacock, a The Last of Us series at HBO, a God of War series at Amazon, a Horizon series at Netflix, and a Ghost of Tsushima movie directed by Chad Stahleski (John Wick).

The latest game in Sony's long-running racing franchise, Gran Turismo 7, was released earlier this year. Our review said it's "the best the series has been since its dominant PlayStation 2 era."

Jordan is a freelance writer for IGN.

David Harbour (Stranger Things, Hellboy) has been cast in director Neill Blomkamp's Gran Turismo movie.

Harbour will play a retired racecar driver who teaches the teenage protagonist how to drive, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The film tells the tale of a real-life teenage Gran Turismo player who transcended video games to become an actual pro driver.

Gran Turismo was written by Jason Hall (American Sniper) and Zach Baylin (King Richard). It's due to hit theaters on August 11, 2023.

The Blomkamp film follows Sony's successful big-screen adaptation of Uncharted, which grossed over $400 USD globally. Future PlayStation Productions projects include a Twisted Metal series at Peacock, a The Last of Us series at HBO, a God of War series at Amazon, a Horizon series at Netflix, and a Ghost of Tsushima movie directed by Chad Stahleski (John Wick).

The latest game in Sony's long-running racing franchise, Gran Turismo 7, was released earlier this year. Our review said it's "the best the series has been since its dominant PlayStation 2 era."

Jordan is a freelance writer for IGN.

Microsoft has released a new update for its Xbox app on Windows, which includes faster launch times and will now tell you how long it takes to beat a game.

As part of a partnership with IGN's sister site, HowLongToBeat, the Xbox app for Windows computers includes some information on most of the games available on PC Game Pass, such as how long it takes to beat a game or get 100 percent completion.

HowLongToBeat is a community-driven based site, so you will be able to submit your own times, as well as check things like forums and community reviews.

The Xbox Wire post also notes that Microsoft has made some improvements to the Game Details pages, allowing PC users to now view things like trailers, screenshots, and game descriptions, all of which are available at the top of a game's page.

Additionally, Microsoft also confirmed the latest update for the Xbox app for PC now launches 15 percent faster. "We're committed to continuing to improve the performance and reliability of the app," Xbox's Partner Director of Product Management, Player Experiences, and Platform notes in the latest XboxWire post.

Taylor is the Associate Tech Editor at IGN. You can follow her on Twitter @TayNixster.

Microsoft has released a new update for its Xbox app on Windows, which includes faster launch times and will now tell you how long it takes to beat a game.

As part of a partnership with IGN's sister site, HowLongToBeat, the Xbox app for Windows computers includes some information on most of the games available on PC Game Pass, such as how long it takes to beat a game or get 100 percent completion.

HowLongToBeat is a community-driven based site, so you will be able to submit your own times, as well as check things like forums and community reviews.

The Xbox Wire post also notes that Microsoft has made some improvements to the Game Details pages, allowing PC users to now view things like trailers, screenshots, and game descriptions, all of which are available at the top of a game's page.

Additionally, Microsoft also confirmed the latest update for the Xbox app for PC now launches 15 percent faster. "We're committed to continuing to improve the performance and reliability of the app," Xbox's Partner Director of Product Management, Player Experiences, and Platform notes in the latest XboxWire post.

Taylor is the Associate Tech Editor at IGN. You can follow her on Twitter @TayNixster.

Microsoft's ID@Xbox Fall Showcase has now concluded, following appearances from a ton of Xbox games including Valheim, Moonscars, Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed, and more.

IGN has you covered right here with everything shown during the event, which included trailers, new Game Pass additions, and interviews with developers.

Eville Arrives on Xbox and PC This October

Social deduction game Eville is officially coming to Xbox Series X/S and One, and developer VestGames has also announced an October 11 release date for both the console and PC versions of the game. It's also coming to Xbox Game Pass on day one, making it easier for friends to get together and play this murder mystery multiplayer title when it's released.

WildArts Studio Gives Deep Dive Into Born of Bread

Developers from Born of Bread took to the stage to give a deep dive into their upcoming turn-based exploration game Born of Bread. The game is coming to Xbox when it's released but a launch date, or even a launch window, has yet to be announced.

Magical Farming Game Homestead Arcana Announced for Xbox and PC

Skybound Games has announced Homestead Arcana, an upcoming farming game featuring a magical protagonist. Adding a witch's abilities to the usual farming formula, players can craft spells and plough fields to revitalise a corrupted realm.

Resting Relic Announces Song of Iron 2

A sequel to last year's Song of Iron is officially in development at Resting Relic. Though the upcoming Xbox and PC title doesn't have a release date, the developer did share a brief plot synopsis: "The Imperium’s veil is shaken, and old magics are slipping through the cracks. Use the gift of foresight to unite the region’s clans by either convincing them of the looming threat or forcing them to follow your cause."

Turnip Boy Is Back, This Time Robbing Banks

Graffiti Games has announced Turnip Boy Robs a Bank, a sequel to 2021's Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion. Confirmed to be coming to Xbox Game Pass and PC, this top-down action sequel sees Turnip Boy team up with the Pickled Gang to plan and execute the weirdest heist of all time.

Let's Cook Together 2 Is Coming to Xbox

Let's Cook Together 2 is officially coming to Xbox. Developer Yellow Dot appeared at the ID@Xbox Fall Showcase to announce that its chaotic, cooking, co-op game set amid an apocalyptic narrative is also coming to console.

Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed Gets New Gameplay

Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed, the upcoming four versus one game from Friday the 13th and Predator: Hunting Grounds developer IllFonic, got brand new gameplay during the ID@Xbox Showcase. Fans eagerly awaiting the game can check out the new gameplay featuring plenty of multiplayer, ghost busting, proton blasting action.

Xbox Shares Gameplay From a Ton of Upcoming Games

The showcase closed with the Let's Play section that showed new gameplay from a ton of upcoming Xbox and PC games. Headlined by the aforementioned Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed, the stream also showed off Amazing Cultivation Simulator, Metal: Hellsinger, You Suck at Parking, Big Con, Moonscars, Rainbow Billy, and Valheim.

Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelancer. He'll talk about The Witcher all day.