Month: January 2021

Live-Action Harry Potter TV Show Could Happen At HBO Max, But It’s Early Days

Warner Bros. is in the planning stages for a live-action Harry Potter TV show. This is according to The Hollywood Reporter, which says the program is in “early development” for the streaming service HBO Max.

A Harry Potter TV show had been rumored for years, but this is the first time we’re learning about some of the specifics. THR says executives from Warner Bros. have taken meetings with potential writers who are pitching “various ideas” for the show.

Don’t get too excited yet, however, as it sounds like it’s still very early days. “Sources say broad ideas have been discussed as part of the early-stage exploratory meetings,” the report said.

While Warner Bros. may be taking meetings to find a writer and a pitch for the Harry Potter show, it’s important to say nothing is final at this point. No writer has signed on and no actors have joined any project. THR says conversations are still in the “extremely early stages.”

“There are no Harry Potter series in development at the studio or on the streaming platform,” the company told THR.

The eight mainline Harry Potter films made more than $7 billion at the global box office, and the franchise remains a juggernaut, so it’s no surprise that Warner Bros. is exploring the idea of further spin-offs.

Right now, though, no new projects are officially in the works, so it’s too soon to say when in the Harry Potter timeline a TV show might take place or what characters could show up.

Following the conclusion of the main series, Warner Bros. announced plans to make five spin-off films in the Fantastic Beasts series. Two have released already, and a third is shooting now. This project went through some upheaval recently, as Johnny Depp was replaced by Mads Mikkelsen as the main bad guy, Gellert Grindelwald, amid Depp’s court case with Amber Heard.

Author J.K. Rowling has made controversial comments about gender and identity, but she remains a powerful player with her franchise. THR says she “controls the franchise and has a say in everything involving the property.”

A new Harry Potter video game, the open-world RPG Hogwarts Legacy, is in development for next-gen consoles and PC. It was recently delayed to 2022.

How Often Do You Cancel a Streaming Service After Your Favorite Show Ends?

Even with the recent announcement that Netflix has surpassed 200 million subscribers worldwide, a new study has revealed that streaming services are in danger of losing customers due to an overabundance of choice.

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In 2020 alone, there were three new streaming services (HBO Max, Peacock, and Quibi) released, though Quibi ended up being the first major casualty in The Great Streaming Wars. Even with Quibi’s $2 billion demise, the demand for streaming is showing no signs of slowing down with the new Discovery+ platform joining the fray in January and Paramount+ set to launch in March.

While streaming appears to be at an all-time high, a recent study from professional service network Deloitte (per the Los Angeles Times), revealed that the overwhelming amount of streaming platforms and shows available may be causing customers to cancel their subscriptions and seek out something new. Deloitte’s survey, which consisted of 1,100 participants, showed that “46% of respondents canceled at least one streaming service in the last six months,” according to the LA Times, which is a major rise from only 20% who said the same in a similar January survey.

The majority of participants (62% to be exact) said they canceled a particular service after finishing a TV series or movie. “Churn” is the term used to describe this phenomenon in Hollywood. Deloitte’s data suggests that streaming providers are going to have a difficult time keeping subscribers as competition in the space increases. According to the LA Times, “streaming subscribers reported having an average of five services in October, up from the three they reported having before the COVID-19 pandemic,” but this increase also seems to indicate that viewers are more willing to cancel a service once they’ve seen the show or movie that initially prompted them to sign up.

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In an interview with the LA Times, Deloitte’s Media and Telecom Leader Kevin Westcott said, “the competition for the streaming services is shifting to a different level. Over the last few years, the focus was on having exclusive, original content. In 2021, it’s going to come down to the user experience, and do you feel like a special VIP for being a member.”

While Netflix is currently winning the war with its 200 million (and growing) subscriber base, Disney+ is catching up with an impressive 86.8 million of its own since launching in late 2019, with Peacock making a push with 26 million subscribers in under a year. And with so many services vying for subscribers, streamers are going to have to get creative to keep their audiences active. Disney+ will attempt to keep Marvel fans hooked all year long with an ambitious slate of original TV shows set in the MCU, with WandaVision’s weekly release schedule rolling right into The Falcon and the Winter Soldier’s March release date, followed by Loki in May. Amazon has also experimented with a weekly release schedule for some of its shows, including Season 2 of its breakout hit The Boys and its upcoming Robert Kirkman animated superhero series Invincible.

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Looking ahead, Netflix has an ambitious lineup of at least 70 original movies releasing in 2021, while HBO Max rocked the film industry by announcing that 17 of its theatrically-released movies in 2021 will drop simultaneously on HBO Max for a one-month exclusive window.

What do you think of the results from the study? Do you cancel a particular streaming service after you finishing binging a show or watching a movie? Let us know in the comments.

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David Griffin still watches DuckTales in his pajamas with a cereal bowl in hand. He’s also the TV Editor for IGN. Say hi on Twitter.

Resident Evil 7 Fan Shows Off What It Could Look Like With the Classic Fixed Resi Camera

A Resident Evil fan has released a concept video of what Resident Evil 7 could look like with the series’ original fixed camera angles – and we’re now hoping it becomes a fully-fledged mod.

YouTuber Enveloping Sounds has used a free camera mod to find fixed positions for the camera around Resident Evil 7’s Baker Mansion location, and another mod that depicts the game’s hero Ethan with a head for third-person mods. With some smart editing of both visuals and background sound effects, they’ve been able to show off an alternate reality version of Resident Evil 7 that didn’t even begin using Resi 4’s over-the-shoulder view, never mind 7’s first-person approach – and you can watch the video below (kindly provided by Enveloping Sounds).

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Sadly, this is just a concept right now. “Just to be clear, this is not an actual realized playable ‘mod’,” Enveloping Sounds tells IGN. “This is more of just a concept that I created using the free camera tool and spliced scenes together to show what COULD be.” So… any enterprising mod makers want to make this a reality?

Enveloping Sounds has previously given the same treatment to the Resident Evil 2 and Resident Evil 3 remakes, transplanting the original versions’ locked cameras into the shiny new games. Those earlier videos got a lot of fans of classic Resi in the comments wishing the new games had followed the original style. Seeing 7 – a game never designed to even be seen in third-person – presented this way is a very interesting follow-on  experiment. I’d say it’s a successfu one too.

In other Resi news, the much-rumoured Resident Evil 4 remake has reportedly seen a partial reboot and an internal delay, which may be in part due to it feeling too traditional. We also learned that Resident Evil Village will be released on May 7, and will seemingly be a successor to Resi 4. It will also come with a new multiplayer mode, RE:Verse.

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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 [email protected].

Konami Announces Corporate Restructure, Effect On Gaming Unclear

Konami has announced a corporate restructure that will consolidate many of the company’s internal departments on February 1st. According to an official translation of the announcement, this means that the company’s three “production divisions” will be dissolved, though its “production departments” remain unchanged.

According to financial professionals, this is a move that will have an unclear impact on the company’s gaming operations. Analyst Daniel Ahmad suggests that this restructure is similar to the one that Konami undertook in 2015, and that the company is not “shutting down” their gaming operations, as fans have often accused it of doing in recent years. Others noted that companies like Sega and Square Enix have gone through similar restructures in the past.

While it’s true that Konami doesn’t release that many games these days, it still owns some of the most beloved gaming franchises in the world, including Metal Gear and Castlevania. For context, the last major Castlevania game was Lords of Shadow 2, which came out in 2014. Metal Gear has fared a bit better, with 2018’s Metal Gear Survive releasing without longtime director Hideo Kojima at the helm. Kojima left the company years ago due to a dispute over the production of Metal Gear Solid V.

As with previous Konami announcements, this caused Twitter to buzz with hope for a new Silent Hill game, though there’s no indication that one is in development. Konami denied rumors of a reboot last year. The company said they want to produce more “Western-developed” games last summer.

Now Playing: 5 Trippy Games In The Spirit of Death Stranding

Today’s Best Deals: Xbox Elite Series 2 For $140, Borderlands 3 For $8, And More

Another week is here, and if there’s anything to sweeten the blow of heading back to work, it’s good deals on games, controllers, and more. As we head into the last full week of January, we’re already spotting some very nice discounts, including a $40 markdown on the Xbox Elite Series 2 controller, courtesy of our friends at CNET. Borderlands 3 is the cheapest we’ve seen as part of Best Buy’s latest Deal of the Day, and GameStop is running a very nice sale on statues and figures with characters across games and anime. Here’s a look at the deals that caught our eye today:

$140 (was $180) with promo CNETMSEC

Microsoft’s Elite Series 2 wireless controller is one of the best you can own, and right now you can pick it up from Daily Steals for $140 with promo code CNETMSEC. This is a refurbished controller that comes in retail packaging and should both feel and play like new. We rarely see outright discounts on the Elite Series 2, so for Xbox gamers, this is a deal you don’t want to pass up. The Elite Series 2 controller allows you to save up to three custom profiles and features adjustable tension thumbsticks, a wrap-around rubberized grip, and shorter hair trigger locks. It also comes with four interchangeable thumbsticks, two of which emulate the size of the Xbox 360 controller, and features up to 40 hours of rechargeable battery life.

$8 (was $30) with free next-gen upgrade

Borderlands 3 brings the loot-shooter franchise’s 10-year journey to a satisfying conclusion, and just for today, it’s down to just 8 bucks as a Best Buy Deal of the Day. With the game’s free next-gen upgrades available now, there’s no better time to grab Borderlands 3 for this cheap–just insert the physical game into your PS5 or Xbox Series X, and you’ll have access to the enhanced version. While Borderlands 3 is largely more of the same rather than offering any innovative or different, it’s still a blast of fans of the series, earning an 8/10 in our Borderlands 3 review.

While GameStop’s daily game deals are often lacking, its collectible sales are worth checking out, and today’s daily deal at the retailer offers 30% off dozens of statues and figures. There’s a nice selection of collectibles on sale here, with stunning statues from Breath of the Wild, Persona 5, God of War, Pokemon, Dragon Ball Z, and more popular franchises. If you’re a collector, we suggest checking out everything on offer for yourself–there’s some neat stuff.

$14 (was $25) with promo code BESTGY2

Persona 4 Golden released on Steam last year, offering fans who didn’t own a PS Vita the chance to play the JRPG for the first time. Right now at Newegg, you can snag a Steam code for Persona 4 Golden for $14, down from its usual $25, by using promo code BESTGY2 at checkout. This is the cheapest we’ve seen it, so this is an incredible deal for Persona fans who have been wanting to play P4G. The Deluxe edition gets you the official digital art book and soundtrack in addition to the base game. For more on this acclaimed JRPG, see our Persona 4 Golden review and editor Michael Higham’s writeup on how the Persona 4 Golden Steam port holds up.

$15.74 (was $25)

Gotta go fast to snag this Amazon deal: Sonic the Hedgehog’s limited collector’s edition is $10 off at the retailer today. This collector’s edition comes with Blu-ray, DVD, and digital copies of the movie along with exclusive mini posters and a ton of bonus features, including deleted scenes, bloopers with Jim Carrey and the rest of the cast, making-of videos, and more. For those who never saw the Sonic movie last year, it’s absolutely a delight, with nods to the classic video game series while also making a great introduction for new fans of Sega’s blue hedgehog. Check out our Sonic the Hedgehog movie review for more of our thoughts.

$35 (was $50)

Sadly this PS5 bundle isn’t a PS5 console bundle, but whether you’ve managed to pick up Sony’s new console or are holding out for the next PS5 restock, this PlayStation merch bundle may bring you some joy. On sale for $35 today at Amazon, the officially licensed merchandise bundle gets you PlayStation-branded knit socks, an insulated bottle, a wool cap, and tech decals for your phone or laptop. It’s honestly a pretty neat set and looks high quality, and it’d also make a nice gift if you know someone who’s a die-hard PlayStation fan.

Tenet Star Kenneth Branagh To Play Boris Johnson In New Limited Series About COVID-19

Veteran actor Kenneth Branagh’s next role has been confirmed, and he’s set to portray UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson in a limited series chronicling the leader’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The show is called This Sceptred Isle, and it’s in production at the British studio Sky; there will be five episodes in total. The series will look into the early days of the COVID-19 virus and touch on how Johnson and his administration took on the pandemic.

Michael Winterbottom (24 Hour Party People) is directing the series from a script he co-wrote with Kieron Quirke (Defending the Guilty), according to EW.

Branagh has earned five Academy Award nominations over the years and recently starred in Christopher Nolan’s Tenet.

“The first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic will be remembered forever,” Winterbottom said in a statement. “A time when the country came together to battle an invisible enemy. A time when people were more aware than ever of the importance of community.”

He added: “Our series weaves together countless true stories–from Boris Johnson in Number 10 [Downing Street] to front line workers around the country–chronicling the efforts of scientists, doctors, care home workers and policymakers to protect us from the virus.”

There is no word yet on when production will begin on This Sceptred Isle or when the show will premiere. Branagh’s next film is the Agatha Christie movie Death on the Nile, which he directed and stars in.

The UK has gone back into lockdown, so this show is as timely as ever. Johnson himself contracted COVID-19 and was hospitalized for a period of time.

Zelda BOTW Expert Explains High Level Combat

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Breath of the Wild still to this day continues to have new discoveries of techniques and secrets in combat, so we get our in-house expert to completely breakdown this crazy Lynel fight and explain what is going on.

In the video above Max runs down quick explanations of difficult techniques such as Daruk’s Shield Block Reset, Thunderclap Rushes, Perfect Daruk’s Rushes, and more. And also a bit of homework so you can do some simpler techniques for yourself at home.

As Peter Brown stated in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild’s review back in 2017, “Given the myriad enemies and weapons you’re up against, mastery feels almost unattainable even with substantial practice. However, that also means you are constantly learning in the face of unforeseen challenges.”, giving Breath of the Wild a 10 out of 10.

Dragon Age 4 Setting Confirmed To Be Tevinter

The next Dragon Age game will take place in Tevinter, according to an official BioWare game development book. For fans of the series, the new setting suggests a lot about the story and conflicts that will be front-and-center in the anticipated sequel.

Eurogamer reports that the setting was confirmed in the book BioWare: Stories and Secrets from 24 Years of Game Development. This follows a hint that came at the end of Dragon Age Inquisition‘s Trespasser expansion, and will finally make good on a setting we’ve previously only heard about secondhand.

The Tevinter Imperium is a human nation ruled by a council of mages. The council of magisters is led by the Imperial Archon. Tevinter has also been described as a rich, decadent nation that kept a tight rule on its people, including by use of blood magic. Given that plenty of Dragon Age stories have revolved around tensions between magic-users and non-magic folk, it’s sure to be a rich vein for intrigue.

The report also notes that while Tevinter looks to be the primary setting, concept art in the book implies that you’ll travel to surrounding areas as well. Some of those include Antiva City, the Mourn Watch in a Necropolis likely to be in Nevarra, and the treasure hunters guild based in Rivain.

The next Dragon Age, which is still officially untitled and may not actually be called “Dragon Age 4,” still appears to be far from release. EA and BioWare haven’t even given a release window, including in a debut trailer shown in December. At the same Game Awards event, BioWare showed a trailer for the next Mass Effect game, which is also undated.

Now Playing: Dragon Age Trailer | Game Awards 2020

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No, Konami Hasn’t Shut Down Its Gaming Division

Konami has announced an internal restructure in which three production divisions will be dissolved – but has denied that it is shutting down its gaming production after fans and media began speculating about the move.

The story began in an announcement to investors of, among other things, organizational restructuring. A post on the Konami Digital Entertainment website explained that it will dissolve Production Divisions 1, 2, and 3, “to respond to the rapid market that surrounds us.” With Production Divisions previously representing the company’s home of game development, some took this to mean that gaming production at the company was being shuttered as a whole.

However, in a statement to IGN, a Konami representative wrote: “The announcement made refers to an internal restructure, with Production Divisions being consolidated. We have not ‘shut down’ our video gaming division.”

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While Konami hasn’t commented further, the same announcement shows that several executives who previously led Production Divisions are now solely leading separate Production Departments. Per the statement’s mention of consolidation, it may be that the development work of the old Divisions is being folded into wider Departments.

Konami, once a huge part of the games development and publishing landscape, has become increasingly quiet in the field in recent years, which goes some way towards explaining why many jumped to the conclusion that Konami was moving away from games production. The company is currently actively developing PES 2022 for next-gen consoles, and set up a western game publishing division last year.

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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 [email protected].

Hitman 3 Speedrunners Are Finishing The First Level In Less Than 10 Seconds

Hitman 3 speedrunners are currently posting record completion times of IO Interactive’s latest assassination sandbox, with some players now able to complete the opening Dubai level in under ten seconds. The first level of Hitman 3 tasks players with eliminating two targets inside of a heavily-fortified skyscraper, with one of the potential victims routinely wandering around the upper floors and constantly flanked by security.

According to Speedrun.com, a website that tracks how quickly players can complete games, user Goron currently holds first place with a world record of eight seconds, followed closely by four other players who share second place with a nine-second run. The strategy for completing the mission ‘On Top Of The World’ is simple but requires pinpoint accuracy to pull off.

In the video provided in the link above, Goron attracts the attention of Marcus Stuyvesant on one of the upper floors with a well-placed shot from Agent 47’s silenced pistol, instantly executes him with a headshot, and quickly eliminates his second target, Carl Ingram, within less than a second. With the starting point of the Dubai level also being a convenient exit point, Goron was able to pull off the impressive feat with time to spare.

This particular method does result in 47 being spotted by nearby NPCs, leading to a less than impressive two-star rating for the level. Hitman speedrunners will likely be attempting to see who can achieve the fastest Silent Assassin completion of the game and its various levels, a far more challenging scenario that involves only assassinating marked targets so that the highest mission rating can be earned.

One gamer by the name of El GuLe has already pulled off a 17-second Silent Assassin run, using a silenced sniper rifle to draw targets to areas where a killshot is possible. One headshot and a fatal bullet to the wrist later, and El Gule has set an astonishing record that other players will be looking to break.

For more on the final chapter in the current Hitman series, check out our Hitman 3 hub that’s loaded with tips and tricks to help you become the world’s deadliest assassin.

Now Playing: Firearms Expert Reacts To Hitman 3’s Guns

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