Epic Games has a new president. Adam Sussman, who most recently worked at the sneaker and athletics company Nike, will be heading up the publisher. Sussman announced the news with a note on LinkedIn. An Epic Games spokesperson confirmed the move to GameSpot.
“While it’s bittersweet, I am so excited to join Epic and honored to be part of the remarkable team that has built one of the biggest games in the world,” he said. “2020 will be a big year… A Return to gaming, a move to North Carolina and an opportunity to help change the future of gaming.”
Sussman served as Chief Digital Officer at Nike. Prior to that, he was a senior VP at Zynga, a senior VP at Disney, and Vice President of Worldwide Publishing at EA.
His allusion to one of the world’s biggest games is an obvious reference to Fortnite, which has demanded much of the studio’s attention in recent years. The company has also been making inroads with its Epic Games Store, which has presented a serious challenger to Steam as a PC digital storefront. The success of Fortnite has allowed the company to offer a rotation of free games on the Epic store. And under the hood of many games, Epic still develops and licenses the Unreal Engine.
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After Parasite cleaned up at the Oscars, winning four Academy Awards including Best Picture, people appear to be pretty hyped to see the movie in the theaters. According to Deadline, advance ticket sales for the film jumped 443% on Fandango by the end of the day on Monday after the Oscars. The film distributor Neon has also decided to show the film in over 2000 locations across America, despite being out on DVD already.
The film was already doing exceptionally well at the box office, making $35.5 million in North America before the Academy Awards, but after the Oscar win, analysts project it could make as much as $50 million, which would make it the fourth highest grossing non-English film of all time.
Parasite, a thriller about people from different classes colliding in Seoul, South Korea, is the first non-English-language film in Oscar history to win best picture. The film also won Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, and Best International Feature. It was a pretty good night for all of Parasite’s cast and crew, including director Bong Joon-ho who upon his Oscar win, said he was ready to drink “until next morning”.
The live-action remake of the manga and anime classic Akira has been in various stages of development over the past decade, but it doesn’t seem to be getting any closer to happening. Most recently, Thor: Ragnarok director Taika Waititi has been attached to write and direct the movie. But in a new interview, Waititi suggests that the movie is likely to be made without him.
Speaking to Variety, Waititi explained that delays to Akira meant that it ended up potentially clashing with work on his upcoming Marvel sequel, Thor: Love and Thunder. “The whole thing went on hold,” he said. “We had to keep pushing the dates, and it encroached on the Thor dates, which were immovable. So Akira ended up shifting two years down the track.”
Waititi went on to say that Akira was now so far off that he no longer knew if he would be still be involved. “So I’m not sure if even in two years I’d be–I don’t know what I’m doing in f***ing two days,” he said. “I think eventually it will happen. I’m just not sure if I’ll be doing it.”
Waititi was first attached to the Akira remake in September 2017, and last year, the movie was given a May 2021 release date. At the time, Waititi spoke about his intentions for it. “What I want to do is an adaptation of the books,” he said. “A lot of people are like, ‘Don’t touch that film!’ and I’m like, ‘I’m not remaking the film, I want to go back to the book.’ There are six gigantic books to go through. It’s so rich.”
If Waititi does leave Akira, he will be yet another high-profile director to exit the project. Other filmmakers who have been attached over the years have included David Sandberg (Shazam), Daniel Espinosa (the upcoming Morbius), Justin Lin (F9), George Miller (Mad Max: Fury Road), and Jaume Collet-Serra (The Shallows). In 2012, the film actually reached the pre-production stage before the Vancouver productions offices were shut down by Warner.
The manga of Akira ran between 1982 and 1990 and is widely credited for popularising Japanese comic books internationally. Equally, the success of the 1989 movie version did much to introduce Western viewers to anime and is now considered one of the finest sci-fi films ever made.
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Nazi Zombies make for great video game enemies—it’s hard to feel any guilt or remorse when gunning down the hordes of reanimated versions of one of the most evil people ever. While most people associate Nazi Zombies with games like Call of Duty and Zombie Army, they have actually existed in media since the 1940s.
In the above video Dave takes a look at the Nazi zombie phenomenon, the real occult inspirations behind them, their path through cheesy American B-movies, and how they went on to inspire movies like Hellboy and The Avengers, as well as games like Call of Duty and Wolfenstein.
Disney+ has ordered a 10-episode Mighty Ducks series and, somehow, the Ducks are the bad guys in this one. “You either die the hero or live long enough to see yourself become the villain.” This must have been what Harvey Dent was talking about in The Dark Knight.
Lauren Graham (Gilmore Girls) and Brady Noon (Good Boys) will star in the series as a mother and son who have been wronged by everyone’s favorite hockey team. A description of the series from Disney+ reads, “In present-day Minnesota, the Mighty Ducks have evolved from scrappy underdogs to an ultra-competitive, powerhouse youth hockey team. After 12-year-old Evan (Noon) is unceremoniously cut from the Ducks, he and his mom Alex (Graham) set out to build their own ragtag team of misfits to challenge the cutthroat, win-at-all-costs culture of competitive youth sports.”
There’s no word about whether or not anyone from the original trilogy of movies will make an appearance on the show. Still, it would be exciting to know what happened to the likes of Charlie Conway (Joshua Jackson) or Coach Gordon Bombay (Emilio Estevez).
Revisiting the Mighty Ducks isn’t the only bit of nostalgia Disney is delving into. It’s also being reported that the Honey, I Shrunk the Kids sequel film starring Josh Gad has enlisted franchise star Rick Moranis to reprise his role as wacky scientist Wayne Szalinski.
The Mighty Ducks will begin production soon in Canada and is expected to debut later this year on Disney+.
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Multiplayer hack-and-slash roguelite Conan Chop Chop has suffered yet another delay. Instead of launching on February 25, it’s now expected to arrive sometime in “Q2 2020” (between April 1 and June 30) on Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One, developer Mighty Kingdom and publisher Funcom announced in a press release.
Conan Chop Chop was initially teased as an April Fools’ day joke during last year’s E3 before getting an official announcement trailer. The game is a crudely-drawn rendition of Conan the Barbarian, featuring stick figures instead of a more traditional art style. It’s a solo- and multiplayer romp that seems to share a lot in common with other hack-and-slash titles like Castle Crashers or Streets of Red: Devil’s Dare Deluxe.
Mighty Kingdom said the extra development time will allow the studio to optimize Conan Chop Chop for online multiplayer, as well as add some finishing touches to polish the overall experience. “It’s basically all about getting that final Chop in place,” studio head Philip Mayes said. “This isn’t merely a one-chop game. This is Conan Chop Chop, and that necessitates extra attention to detail.”
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Pokemon Home is now available, which means you can transfer Pokemon from old games into Sword and Shield. Currently, you can only transfer Pokemon that are in the Galar Pokedex; however, any regional forms a Pokemon has occupy the same Pokedex number as their normal form, meaning you can get some alternate forms in Sword and Shield via Home even if they weren’t originally available in the Galar region.
This includes Alolan Vulpix and Ninetales, whose original forms are already included in the Galar Pokedex, as well as regular Darumaka and Darmanitan, who gained Galarian forms in Gen 8. Before Pokemon Home, there was no way to get the alternate forms of these Pokemon in Sword and Shield. Once you transfer them in, though, it’s really easy to get more if you know how.
Normally, when breeding a Pokemon with alternate forms, the offspring will hatch as the form native to the region you’re in–so Vulpix will always be normal, because that’s the kind of Vulpix you can get in Galar. Once you transfer in an Alolan Vulpix, though, you can breed more Alolan Vulpix by giving it an Everstone to hold before putting it in the Nursery. This will pass down the parent’s form to the offspring (but it only works if the parent is female or if you’re breeding with Ditto). Below are all the Pokemon with alternate forms you can now get in Sword and Shield. Note that through in-game trades, you could already get regular Meowth, Yamask, and Mr. Mime without transferring them, as well as regular Persian and Cofagrigus through evolution.
Alternate Forms Now In Sword And Shield
Alolan Vulpix
Alolan Ninetales
Alolan Diglett
Alolan Dugtrio
Alolan Meowth
Alolan Persian
Alolan Raichu*
Ponyta
Rapidash
Weezing*
Farfetch’d
Corsola
Zigzagoon
Linoone
Darumaka
Darmanitan
Stunfisk
*Alolan Raichu and Weezing are not breedable, but you can transfer them fully evolved into Sword and Shield.
Holding an Everstone will also pass down the holder’s nature to the offspring. If your parent Pokemon from another region has the wrong nature, you can use a Mint–which are available to purchase with BP at the Battle Tower–to change the offspring’s nature after it has hatched. Changing a Pokemon’s nature this way won’t change the Pokemon’s “DNA,” though, meaning you can’t change the parent’s nature and expect the new nature to pass down to the offspring.
For more on Pokemon Home, see our full Pokemon Home FAQ for pricing details, mobile and Switch version differences, and everything else you need to know.
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Naughty Dog’s The Last of Us was one of the best games of the last decade, so naturally The Last of Us Part 2 is one of the most anticipated games of 2020. Arriving May 29 on PS4, the action-adventure sequel will be one of the last PS4 exclusives before the PS5 takes center stage this holiday season. With a game as big as The Last of Us 2, you can bet that there’s some cool merch both on shelves now and available to pre-order.
We’ve rounded up all of the best The Last of Us Part 2-themed products you can buy. About half of the items you’ll find here are limited-edition, and it’s a safe bet that they will become sought-after collector’s items. You’ll have one more chance to pick up one of those collector’s items tomorrow, February 13 at 6 AM PT / 9 AM ET. The Last of Us 2’s Ellie Edition will be restocked at all major US retailers and EB Games in Canada. But you will have to scoop one up quickly–pre-orders for the Ellie Edition sold out extremely fast last year. For more information on all of available editions, make sure to check out our The Last of Us Part 2 pre-order guide.
The Last of Us Part 2 Ellie Edition | $230
The Last of Us Part 2 Ellie Edition is honestly the best purchase you can make if you’re looking for Last of Us 2-themed products. The $230 edition has been sold out for a while, but it will be available again for a limited time at major retailers tomorrow, February 13 at 6 AM PT / 9 AM ET. If the last round of pre-orders were any indication, the Ellie Edition will probably sell out in minutes. Here’s what you get with the Ellie Edition:
Base game and digital bonuses: ammo capacity upgrade, training manual
Full-sized recreation of Ellie’s backpack
Embroidered patch
7-inch vinyl record with original music
12-inch Ellie statue
Life-sized replica of Ellie’s bracelet
Collectible steelbook
48-page mini art book from Dark Horse
Set of six enamel pins
Lithograph art print
Set of five stickers
PSN Dynamic Theme
Six PSN avatars
Digital soundtrack
Digital version of the mini art book
The Last of Us 2 Collector’s Edition | $170
The Last of Us Part 2 Collector’s Edition is the Ellie Edition without the backpack, vinyl record, and embroidered patch. The collector’s edition is hard to come by, but it’s currently in stock at GameStop.
The Last of Us 2 Special Edition | $80
The $80 Special Edition of The Last of Us Part II comes with the 48-page mini art book from Dark Horse, a collectible steelbook case, PS4 dynamic theme, and six PSN avatars. We imagine the art book and steelbook case will become collector’s items. The Special Edition gives you a way to get a couple of cool pieces of The Last of Us 2 merch without spending three times as much on your copy of the game. The Special Edition is in stock at Best Buy and GameStop.
The Art of The Last of Us Part 2
Deluxe Edition comes with an exclusive lithograph
The Art of The Last of Us Part 2 will provide both a treasure trove of original concept art and insights from the development team on the process of bringing the sequel to life. Published by Dark Horse, The Art of The Last of Us Part 2 is available in two editions. The standard edition hardcover is available to pre-order for $28 (was $40). A fancy deluxe edition that features an alternate cover, slipcase, and exclusive lithograph is available to pre-order for $81 (was $90). Both editions are 200 pages and will release June 16, roughly two weeks after the game.
It’s worth noting that the Deluxe Edition has been discounted to as low as $54 at Amazon. If you pre-order from Amazon, you’ll get the lowest price offered between the time you place your order and when it ships.
The Last of Us: American Dreams | $9
Includes all issues in the American Dreams arc
The Last of Us: American Dreams is a four-issue comic arc that actually debuted before the original game launched. It’s officially a prequel and serves as a lead-in to the first game. If you’re planning to replay The Last of Us before the sequel arrives, you shouldn’t miss out on American Dreams either. Written by Neil Druckmann and Faith Erin Hicks, American Dreams is a great prequel story that follows Ellie and her friend Rebel. It’s hard to find in print for a reasonable price, but the digital version compiling all four issues is only $9 at Comixology.
“Ellie with Machete” statue | $100
Pre-orders are available until March 13
Last year, Naughty Dog opened up limited pre-orders for an incredible statue of Ellie drawing her bow. Even with a whopping $180 price, the allotment of 500 quickly sold out. Luckily for you, Naughty Dog has sculpted another Ellie statue, this time showing the heroine holding a machete. The $100 8-inch statue is remarkably detailed, and this time around, there is no limit on pre-orders. However, you have to place your order by the cutoff date of March 13 to secure this collectible statue. It’s available exclusively from Dark Horse Direct and will ship between June and September.
Cook and Becker art prints | $100+
“Downtown Meadow” — $345
Dutch online print shop Cook and Becker produces museum-worthy art prints celebrating beloved video game franchises. Given the harrowing atmosphere of The Last of Us, it’s no surprise Cook and Becker’s The Last of Us Part II prints are stunning. The prints are starting to sell out–only five of eight are still available–and once they’re gone, they won’t be reprinted. Prices vary from print to print, but they are around $100 unframed and north of $300 framed.
Logo hoodies
Zip-up ($60), pullover ($50)
PlayStation Gear has official apparel for The Last of Us Part 2, including two hoodies. You can choose between a black logo pullover hoodie for $50 and a gray zip-up hoodie for $60. Though both designs are rather plain, sometimes understated is better.
Graphic T-shirts
Portrait tee ($23), forest tee ($23)
You have more T-shirt options to choose from than hoodies. Our favorite is the Ellie graphic portrait tee ($23) shown above, but we also really like the green tee depicting Ellie walking carefully through a forest ($23). Though The Last of Us 2 focuses on Ellie, you can also grab a Joel T-shirt. Most of the available shirts are between $23 and $30, but this simple black logo tee is on sale for $10 right now.
Water bottle | $16 ($35)
Portrait bottle ($16), Logo bottle ($33)
This 25-ounce water bottle features the same Ellie portrait seen on our favorite T-shirt. It’s made of stainless steel and has a thermal design that will keep your drinks warm or cool. The Ellie water bottle is currently on sale for $16 (was $35). If you want a larger water bottle, there’s a 32-ounce logo bottle available for $33.
Stubbins Ellie Plush | $13
Please don’t let your Stubbins plush get this dirty
Stubbins plushies have a distinct, compact that makes them both cute and kind of weird. This officially licensed Ellie plush is only $13 and would probably enjoy sitting next to you on the couch while you play The Last of Us Part 2.
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What is perhaps the most important film franchise of our time is ready to make its return. No, this isn’t about Back to the Future, Lord of the Rings, more Star Wars, or even the latest entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Honey, I shrunk the Kids is back, as previously reported. The big news, though, is that the project has even lured Rick Moranis back into the fold.
The news comes from Deadline, which reports a new entry in the series–titled Shrunk–is in the works, with Josh Gad (Frozen II) starring alongside Moranis. Joe Johnston, who directed the original film, is expected to return, as well.
In the film, Gad plays the son of Wayne Szalinski, the scientist Moranis played who developed a shrinking ray accidentally used on his children. Gad’s character, like his father, aspires to be a great scientist but ends up also shrinking children. There’s seriously something wrong with this family.
The addition of Moranis may come as a surprise to many, given how few roles he’s taken since 1997. In 2005, he explained his self-imposed hiatus from acting was largely due to raising his children as a single parent after the death of his wife. “I’m a single parent, and I just found that it was too difficult to manage raising my kids and doing the traveling involved in making movies. So I took a little bit of a break. And the little bit of a break turned into a longer break, and then I found that I really didn’t miss it,” he explained to USA Today.
After the success of Honey, I Shrunk the Kids in 1989, two more movies followed, along with a TV series and three theme park attractions. The franchise has been largely dormant since Honey, I Shrunk the Kids: The TV Show ended in 2000.
A release date for Shrunk has not been announced.
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