Disney Breaks Its Own Worldwide Box Office Record – IGN

Disney has earned $7.67 billion at the box office in 2019, shattering the previous record for a total year’s earnings, which was also set by Disney in 2016 with $7.61 billion, according to Variety.

The new record is notable in part because, well, it’s only just the end of July, and Disney still has Frozen 2, a Maleficent sequel, and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker debuting later this year.

The Top 25 Highest Grossing Movies of All Time (Domestic)

The new $7.67 billion record includes $5.09 billion earned from overseas markets, making it the first time any studio has crossed the $5 billion mark internationally.

If you include its Marvel properties, Disney has had an understandably remarkable year for ongoing franchises, remakes, or new IPs. Captain Marvel crossed $1 billion, and Avengers: Endgame recently became the highest-grossing film ever, beating out James Cameron’s Avatar.

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Despite some less-than-amazing reviews, Disney’s live-action Aladdin movie grossed more than $1 billion globally. Toy Story 4 is likely to gross more than $1 billion by the end of its theatrical run thanks to strong reception. All this means that Disney could also break the record for most consecutive billion-dollar film releases in 2019. To no one’s surprise, they hold the current record at four films. The Lion King remake is on track to crack $1 billion after two weeks in theaters, currently sitting at $962 million.

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All of this comes as little surprise, considering Disney’s ongoing march of high-profile acquisitions, the most recent of which was Fox. That acquisition means that Disney now owns every superhero franchise that Fox previously owned, including the X-Men. Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige teased that X-Men would be coming to the MCU in some form at this year’s Comic Con.

Altogether, Disney now accounts for about 45% of the $16 billion earned by films across the globe in 2019, according to Hollywood Reporter. Warner Bros. is Disney’s closest competitor, earning $2 billion this year so far.

Joseph Knoop is a writer/producer for IGN, and he looks forward to being acquired by Disney.

Fortnite Cheaters Booed by World Cup Crowd As They’re Eliminated From Tournament – IGN

A pair of Fortnite

World Cup competitors, formerly banned by Epic for cheating, were the target of much ire Saturday, as the crowd loudly booed one’s appearance onscreen and subsequently cheered for their loss.

XXiF was competing in Saturday’s Fortnite World Cup duos tournament alongside his partner Ronaldo. During the tournament’s fourth match, XXiF was shown on the stadium’s giant screen for the first time. The crowd gradually booed XXiF louder and louder, until 100 Thieves clan player Elevate quickly eliminated him.

Video footage captured by multiple individuals on social media shows the crowd’s ecstatic reaction to XXiF’s elimination.

The official 100 Thieves Twitter account even took some time to poke fun at XXiF’s demise.

Epic Games previously banned XXiF and Ronaldo from Fortnite for 14 days, after an internal review found that the players had colluded with other players in order to acquire easy elimination points during week 3 of the Fortnite World Cup qualifiers, according to Dexerto. The pair were subsequently dropped from their team, Rise Nation. That initially sounded like the end of the whole matter, but then XXiF and Ronaldo qualified during the week 8 qualifier, finishing in third place and securing a spot during the finals.

XXiF and Ronaldo ended up placing 28th during the duos finals, securing them $50,000 each in prize money. The Fortnite community was initially angry with the decision to let XXiF and Ronaldo back in, and some at the World Cup finals could be seen visibly protesting XXiF’s participation, such as this man in the picture below wearing a “Lock XXiF Up” shirt from Reddit.

Fortnite lock XIFF Up shirt

Credit: Reddit user u/mrax1

In a TwitLonger post, Ronaldo addressed the crowd’s reaction to his and XXiF’s loss.

“Damn today was rough,” Ronaldo wrote. “‪Quick message to my supporters, all of you guys know who you are. I know the crowd and a lot of people still aren’t with us. But I really appreicate (sic) everyone that has been with me since the beginning. Things will only get brighter and I will continue to improve‬. Thank you so much to all you real ones. Another shoutout to my team RiotSquad for supporting xxif and I even through all the horrible things people are saying about us.”

Epic has not addressed the community’s reaction in any public way beyond the initial ban.

Joseph Knoop is a writer/producer for IGN, and the only thing he’s looking to feed is his mouth.

PC Cheats – The Sims 4 Wiki Guide – IGN

Last Edited: July 24, 2019 at 1:10 PM

This page contains a list of The Sims 4 cheats, Easter eggs, tips, and other secrets. The following list of Sims 4 Cheats are designed specifically for PC and will NOT work on any other platform. If you’ve discovered cheats for The Sims 4 that you’d like to add to the page, or have a correction, please click EDIT and add it.

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If you already know how to open The Sims 4 Cheat Console (see the paragraph below if you don’t), use these links to quickly jump to each of The Sims 4 cheats sections:

In order to use cheats in The Sims 4, you’ll first need to open the cheat console. To activate it:

  • On PC, hold CTRL and Shift, then press C.
  • On Mac, hold Command and Shift, then press C.
  • On PlayStation 4, hold all four shoulder buttons at once.
  • On Xbox One, hold all four shoulder buttons at once.

Once opened, the cheat console will appear as a thin box at the top of the screen. Into that, you can type any of the cheats below or on other pages. To close the cheat console, simply press the same keys or buttons.

Some cheats require you to first this:

testingcheats true

(Note that “true” above can be replaced with the word “on” as well.)

When TestingCheats is enabled, other cheats can also be toggled. To turn off TestingCheats, type this into the cheat console:

testingcheats false

(Note that “false” can be replaced with “off.”)

Additionally, some cheats require shift-clicking Sims or objects on the PC or Mac. To execute a shift-click on consoles, hold Circle and press X (on PlayStation 4) or hold B and press A (on Xbox One).

After the large Sims 4 redesign patch in 2019 and with TestingCheats enabled, enter both of the following codes to unlock debug items:

bb.showhiddenobjects
bb.showliveeditobjects

Note that when the codes are entered, there will be no indication they worked in the cheat console. You can copy-and-paste to make sure they are entered exactly as needed.

With both codes entered, you can search Build Mode for “DEBUG” in the bottom-left corner. Don’t be surprised of a list of “DEBUG” entries appear directly above it on subsequent searches as seen below.

The search will show you a list of almost every object in the game that is ordinarily blocked off from the player. This mainly includes decorative objects usually reserved for public lots, such as non-driveable cars or entire background houses. None of these decorative objects actually work; the cars cannot be interacted with and the house props cannot be entered.

There are some workable objects in the list however. For example, you can find and place a sign that marks a fishing spot wherever you wish, including on your property as seen below.

Most of the debug objects are free to place. Some, such as public toilets or other useable objects generally found on public lots, may cost simoleons to place. However, if you’re using cheats to access the debug menu anyway, you may as well enter this classic cheat several times:

motherlode

That will add in §50,000 each time you use it, and even a single instance will generally get you enough money to place down and debug objects you may wish to use. While their functions are limited, the decorative objects can allow you to build a lot exactly how you wish.

Much of this entry had information came from a video by a YouTuber named James Turner. You can view his channel called The Sim Supply with that link.

With testingcheats true enabled, you can enter the following codes from the console for the corresponding effects in Build Mode.

  • [ and ] – The left bracket enlarges an item and the right bracket shrinks it
  • 9 and 0 – You can raise and lower objects using the 9 or 0 keys
  • bb.moveobjects on/off – You can merge objects together and place them wherever you wish
  • bb.showhiddenobjects – Items that normally must be found or dug up are now visible
  • bb.ignoregameplayunlocksentitlement – All build items you would typically have to earn are unlocked

Submitted by: jboo_chillin

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With testingcheats true enabled, you can enter the following codes from the console for the corresponding effects.

  • sims.add_buff buff_pregnancy_trimester1 – Make Sim or Ghost pregnant in first trimester
  • sims.add_buff buff_pregnancy_trimester2 – Make Sim or Ghost pregnant in second trimester
  • sims.add_buff buff_pregnancy_trimester3 – Make Sim or Ghost pregnant in third trimester
  • sims.add_buff buff_pregnancy_inlabor – Make Sim or Ghost pregnant at term (purchase a bassinet and they will have a fake birth)

Submitted by: igber

With testingcheats true enabled, you can enter the following codes from the console for the corresponding effects.

  • sims.add_buff buff_death_electrocution_warning – Cause death while fixing electric item
  • sims.add_buff buff_death_elderexhaustion_warning – Cause death after working out
  • sims.add_buff buff_mortified – Cause death by embarrassment within five hours
  • sims.add_buff buff_motives_hunger_starving – Cause death by hunger within one day

Submitted by: young_teen56

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With testingcheats true enabled, you can enter the following code from the console to set the desired level on a given skill:

stats.set_skill_level [skilltype] [1-10]

As an example, you might enter stats.set_skill_level Major_Fishing 7 to set your skill level on Major Fishing to 7. The list of available skill types is as follows:

Submitted by: somedude1800

While in the cheats console, pressing SHIFT+] also increase the size of objects. If you enable additional cheats using the testinghcheats true code and then type in cas.fulleditmode, you will enable all CAS abilities. Then you can press and hold SHIFT while clicking on the objects listed below to produce a menu that lets you select the corresponding effect.

  • Sim – Allows Sim to be modified, except name and inherited traits (Modify in CAS)
  • Sim – Reset a Sim (Reset Object)
  • Sim – Add the Sim to the current family (Add to Family)
  • Sim – All motives are full and mood is Happy (Cheat Motive > Make Happy)
  • Sim – Motives change dynamically (Cheat Motive > Enable Motive Decay)
  • Sim – Motives remain static (Cheat MOtive > Disable Motive Decay)
  • Object – Resets object
  • Dirty-able Object – Makes object dirty
  • Dirty Object – Makes object clean
  • Mailbox – Resets mailbox
  • Ground – Teleports your Sim to that vicinity

Submitted by: ign_cheats

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You can enter the commands below to activate the corresponding effects.

  • Help cheats
  • motherlode – 50,000 Simoleons
  • kaching/rosebud – 1000 Simoleons
  • FreeRealEstate [on/off] – When entered at neighborhood/world level, makes all homes free
  • Death.toggle – Disables Death
  • resetSim [FirstName] [LastName] – Resets the specified Sim
  • fullscreen – Toggles full screen on/off
  • headlineeffects[on/off] – Hides all headline effects (plumbobs, thought balloons, etc.)
  • testingcheats [true/false] – Enables additional cheats
  • households.autopay_bills – Pays bills automatically
  • ui.dialog.auto_respond – Backs out of dialog or makes a choice automatically
  • aspirations.complete_current_milestone – Completes current aspiration milestone
  • careers.demote[name of career] – Earn a demotion in chosen career
  • careers.promote[name of career] – Earn a promotion in chosen career
  • careers.remove_career[name of career] – Abandon career
  • crafting.shorten_phases – Faster crafting
  • sims.fill_all_commodities – Fill commodities for one Sim
  • stats.fill_commodities_household – Fill commodities for all Sims in household
  • sims.modify_funds [amount] – Add specified amount of funds
  • sims.remove_all_buffs – Moodlets are removed
  • sims.spawnsimple[number of Sims desired] – Spawn specified number of Sims (keep the number low to avoid crashes)
  • bb.moveobjects – Disable object placement rules
  • sims.give_satisfaction_points[number of points desired] – Give satisfaction points to Sims
  • bb.ignoregameplayunlocksentitlement – Unlock all career rewards in Buy Mode

Submitted by: ign_cheats

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  • modifyrelationship [First name of the first sim] [Last name of the first sim] [First name of the second sim] [Last name of the second sim] [Number] Friendship_Main – Add more friendship between two sims
  • modifyrelationship [First name of the first sim] [Last name of the first sim] [First name of the second sim] [Last name of the second sim] [Number] Romance_Main – Add more romance between two sims

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To control the Grim Reaper you can add him to your household if someone else dies. With testingcheatsenabled on, shift+click on the Grim Reaper before he leaves, and click Add to Family.

The MoveObjects (or Move_Objects) cheat is a classic from the Sims franchise, and it returns in The Sims 4. To activate it, you must first open the cheat console. Into the box, type the following line including punctuation:

bb.moveobjects

The coding serves as a toggle, so if you need to turn it off, simply re-enter the code. You can close the cheat console by pressing the same combination of keys or buttons as you did to open it.

MoveObjects used to be used in the Sims franchise to shift household objects when Sims were stuck. The cheat is no longer necessary for this; even without cheats or mods, you can move objects at any time even if a Sim is interacting with them, and the Sim will terminate their actions and reset themselves to a nearby tile.

However, MoveObjects in Sims 4 has additional features. With the cheat enabled, objects can be moved vertically or onto surfaces they should not be able to be placed. You can place tables onto beds, or toilets onto pools! Note that when used this way, Sims often cannot use the object in question; they wouldn’t be able to physically reach it to trigger the object’s animation scripts. The cheat can be used instead to design houses in unique ways.

UK Daily Deals: Samsung S10+ on EE with 60GB Data for £49/Month, 1 Year PureVPN Subscription for £2.35/Month – IGN

Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter for the latest deals and follow our very own IGN UK Deals Amazon storefront for IGN’s curated lists of best games, tech and accessories.

The Best Mobile Phone Contract Deal on the S10+

Carphone Warehouse has just released one of the best contract deals I’ve ever seen on the Samsung Galaxy S10+. Get 60GB data on the EE network, plus unlimited minutes and texts, all for just £49 per month and an upfront cost of £44.99.

IGN Exclusive VPN Deal: Stream and Watch US Netflix or Amazon Prime Video Content from the UK

This IGN exclusive VPN deal makes PureVPN one of the cheapest VPNs on the market that has compatibility with streaming US Netflix and US Amazon Prime Video content from the UK. Amazon Prime Video comes free with a Prime membership and Netflix is a subscription we’re sure most of you already have – all you have to do is select ‘Stream Mode’, then connect to a United States server to get access to a much bigger range of movies and TV shows that the US have over the UK. Also remember that you are able to stream Amazon Prime Video and Netflix from Amazon’s Fire TV Stick, and you can also install PureVPN on them too.

When you think about all the extra content you’re getting by just paying an extra £2.35 per month on top of your current monthly payments towards Amazon Prime or Netflix, it’s definitely worth it. That’s not to mention all the other benefits you’re getting from a VPN, such as remaining anonymous online – PureVPN allows its users to utilize a single account on up to 5 devices simultaneously from the same country. With PureVPN, all your devices are completely protected.

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Nintendo Switch (Neon Red/Neon Blue) + £30 Nintendo eShop Voucher

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Black Friday in July at Dell

Dell continue their Black Friday in July sale by bringing the prices down on the most popular PCs, laptops, monitors and more. Check the full list of products here, or take a took at our favourites below.

Spend £4.95 on Gillette’s Subscription Service and Receive a £10 Myprotein Voucher

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Linksys VELOP Intelligent Whole Home Mesh Wi-Fi System under £165

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Follow IGN UK Deals Amazon Storefront to View IGN’s Best Products for 2019

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Pokemon Go: Team Rocket Invasion Event Happening Today

After numerous teases, Team Rocket finally made their debut in Pokemon Go earlier this week. The villainous trainers would “take over” various PokeStops around the world and challenge players to battles using their Shadow Pokemon. Although Rocket sightings up until now have been relatively rare, particularly if you live in rural areas, you’ll have a better chance to encounter some Rocket grunts today, July 28, thanks to a special limited-time event.

From 4-5 PM local time, Team Rocket grunts will take over all of your local PokeStops, guaranteeing you’ll encounter the villainous trainers during that time frame. When you spin the Photo Disc at a Team Rocket PokeStop, the Rocket grunt will reveal themselves and challenge you to a Pokemon battle. As previously mentioned, Team Rocket has Shadow Pokemon in their possession, which are surrounded by a sinister aura.

If you defeat the Rocket grunt, they’ll leave their Shadow Pokemon behind, giving you an opportunity to capture it. You can choose to either keep the Pokemon in its Shadow form or “purify” it. Not only will this return the Pokemon’s appearance to normal, it’ll increase its stats and confer a few other benefits. You can read more about how the process works in our guide to catching and purifying Shadow Pokemon.

While you’re out searching for Team Rocket, you may want to search for Armored Mewtwo Raids as well–the Legendary Pokemon is leaving the game on July 31, making this your last opportunity to add one to your collection. Pokemon Go’s One Piece crossover event is also ending soon; you have until tomorrow, July 29, to catch a Pikachu sporting a straw hat like the one that One Piece hero Luffy wears.

Meanwhile, Pokemon Go’s next Community Day is scheduled for Saturday, August 3. This time, the featured Pokemon will be Ralts. If you can evolve it into one of its final forms–Gardevoir or Gallade–up to an hour after the Community Day ends, the Pokemon will automatically learn a special event-exclusive move. Additionally, Pokemon Eggs will hatch at a quarter of the distance they typically require during the Community Day.

Daily Win: Free Xbox One Game – Enter for a Chance to Win One Piece: World Seeker for Xbox One – IGN

Today we’re giving away One Piece: World Seeker for Xbox One. To enter into this sweepstake, fill out the form below. You must be at least 13 years old and a legal U.S. resident to enter. Today’s sweepstake will end at 11:59 p.m. PDT. Entries entered after this time will not be considered.

To use the entry form, you will need to sign into a Google account; this is to ensure one entry per person. Please enter your IGN username and an email address so we can contact you if you’ve won. Don’t worry, we won’t sell your information. Winners must respond within 72 hours. If you can’t see the embedded form, go here.

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Play as Luffy and discover an all-new island and story in One Piece: World Seeker. Use Luffy’s Gum-Gum powers to swing, jump, bound and stretch all over the new island to uncover new sights and defeat enemies. And of course, all of your favorite One Piece characters make their own appearances too!

Cover art for One Piece World Seeker.

Today’s Daily Win is a physical copy of One Piece World Seeker for Xbox One.

Into exploration, but not feeling anime? Check back tomorrow to enter for a chance to win a copy of Shadow of the Tomb Raider: Croft Edition for PC/Steam.

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Open to legal US residents in the 50 U.S. & DC. 13+. Void where prohibited. See Official Rules here. For more, check out our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

Thank you to the Bandai Namco Entertainment team for providing today’s game!

Horror Villains, Superheroes and Harry Potter Collectibles Debut at Comic Con 2019 – IGN

This year’s Comic-Con truly was a collector’s dream. Name an iconic pop culture franchise and it’s a safe bet at least one or two companies were showing off figures or statues at the show.We’ve put together a combined slideshow gallery with an eclectic assortment products from three companies – Hollywood Collectibles Group, Icon Heroes and Quantum Mechanix. Check it out to see some amazing life-size busts and props, figurines, statues and other goodies covering everything from Halloween to Ghostbusters to Harry Potter to DC superheroes.

Horror Villains, Superheroes and Harry Potter Collectibles at Comic-Con 2019

The standout item at the HCG booth was easily the life-size bust of iconic slasher movie villain Michael Myers (based on his appearance in the the original film rather than the 2018 follow-up). We were also impressed by the series of 1:4 scale Ghostbusters statues based on the original movie and the various prop replicas covering items like the motion tracker from 1986’s Aliens and Deckard’s pistol from 1982’s Blade Runner.

Icon Heroes’ lineup covered a very eclectic range of licenses, but their Harry Potter display was easily the highlight. This line of 1:9 statues looks to be perfect for fans who want a wide range of Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts characters without breaking the bank.

Finally, while Quantum Mechanix showed off more of the cutesy Marvel and DC figurines for which the company is well-known, it’s clear the company is diversifying its lineup in 2019. That includes the 1:6 Batman family statue and 1:6 scale figures for Lynda Carter’s Wonder Woman and the cast of Supernatural.

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For more amazing Comic-Con collectibles, check out our photos for DC Collectibles’ Batman/TMNT figures, McFarlane Toys’ new Fortnite and Game of Thrones figures and Kotobukiya’s epic Avengers statue line.

Jesse is a mild-mannered writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter.

Fire Emblem: Three Houses – How To Make The Most Of Your Time

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Falcom President Talks The Future Of Legend Of Heroes, And Localizing Trails Of Cold Steel 3

Coming from Nihon Falcom, The Legend of Heroes has always embraced the traditional formula that embodies a classic JRPG. While the series has never quite reached the heights of Final Fantasy or Dragon Quest, it’s still cultivated a passionate fanbase in Japan, and even managed to carve out a niche in western markets. It’s seen many stories and casts of characters come and go over the years. However, it’s always stuck close to its group of young heroes as they face more significant challenges, grow in strength, and mature. This approach is especially evident in the current sub-series Trails of Cold Steel–a fantasy story of warring empires where military schools train the next band of warriors to defend their land.

With the upcoming western release of Trails of Cold Steel 3, recently delayed to October 22, GameSpot sat down with Nihon Falcom president Toshihiro Kondo to reflect on the growth of the series. At the time of this interview, Trails of Cold Steel 4 has since been out in Japan, marking the end of this particular sub-series, which raises some theories about where the series could go next. Along with an update on the progress of the western release of Trails of Cold Steel 3, he discussed what’s coming next for The Legend of Heroes franchise, and how the series could grow from here.

Editor’s note: This interview has been edited for clarity and readability.

Looking back on the Legends of Heroes series, can you talk about how the Trails of Cold Steel sub-series fits into it, and what it really brings to the larger franchise?

Toshihiro Kondo: The Legend of Heroes as a whole is a much larger series. When I first joined Falcom, they had just finished Prophecy of the Moonlight Witch in 1994, and they continued work on the following games thereafter–A Tear of Vermillion and a Song of the Ocean. This was part of a sub-series called the Gagharv Trilogy. Eventually, we moved onto a new sub-series called Trails of the Sky, which was technically at that point The Legend of Heroes VI.

In Trails of the Sky, it starts very simply. There’s a boy and a girl, they’re in the village in the middle of nowhere, and their tale begins taking them from place to place to finally make it to the capital. They get involved in this big plot that’s happening with their country and then things continue on from there. It was a traditional RPG about going on this adventure and having the characters grow and evolve. With Trails of Cold Steel, I guess you can say it’s even more about the idea of youths forming bonds together, how they form links and grow up together. You could definitely call Trails of Cold Steel much more of a modern RPG than some of the games that came before.

No Caption Provided

Though Trails of Cold Steel features a lot of modern elements from other JRPG titles like Persona or Shin Megami Tensei, it still shows its roots in more traditional games of the genre. Do you feel that there’s a void in the market that needs to be filled?

It’s not so much a conscious desire to fill a void that may exist but it has more to do with just how the mindset from which these games are developed. To me, the story is the most important thing when it comes to the series. The Trails of Cold Steel series takes place in what’s called the Erebonian Empire. From a story perspective, we found it necessary to explain what the empire is and how its inhabitants are, while also exploring the political systems they have. The story is what informs everything else about these series, it was very important to just go into depth–which is how the game ended up being more linear, more story-focused than some other kind of JRPG that’s coming out nowadays.

There are also practical development aspects as well. Since we are a smaller studio, we don’t have the resources to create so many assets or craft an open-world game. I will say that no matter how big the studio gets, we’d still focus on story-driven games designed in our particular way. One of the cool things that happen because of this is that while we’re focusing on the story, we can eventually lead up to new events that will open the game a bit more. When you’re in the final arc, you’re able to explore more freely and take on the new activities when you want.

Though Trails of Cold Steel features a lot of modern elements from other JRPG titles like Persona or Shin Megami Tensei, it still shows its roots in more traditional games of the genre. Do you feel that there’s a void in the market that needs to be filled?

It’s not so much a conscious desire to fill a void that may exist but it has more to do with just how the mindset from which these games are developed. To me, the story is the most important thing when it comes to the series. The Trails of Cold Steel series takes place in what’s called the Erebonian Empire. From a story perspective, we found it necessary to explain what the empire is and how its inhabitants are, while also exploring the political systems they have. The story is what informs everything else about these series, it was very important to just go into depth–which is how the game ended up being more linear, more story-focused than some other kind of JRPG that’s coming out nowadays.

There are also practical development aspects as well. Since we are a smaller studio, we don’t have the resources to create so many assets or craft an open-world game. I will say that no matter how big the studio gets, we’d still focus on story-driven games designed in our particular way. One of the cool things that happen because of this is that while we’re focusing on the story, we can eventually lead up to new events that will open the game a bit more. When you’re in the final arc, you’re able to explore more freely and take on the new activities when you want.

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I definitely see a lot of influences from the Persona series, in terms of structure and design.

It’s interesting you bring up Persona. When you really want to focus on telling this story, the order in which things have to be seen becomes really important, which necessitates how the game is getting developed. I occasionally talk with Katsura Hashino, who is the director of Persona 5, and he said both of us have the awareness that we’re making an old style of game. But we’re also very happy to be doing it because this is the kind of game we want to make.

Interestingly enough, there was a time when we wanted to make the Trails series as an action game, but it just didn’t work out and so we reverted to a turn-based system. If you take a look at the history of Japanese games that fall under that umbrella, you’ll notice that there was a time period when everybody was trying to make action-focused games and then many of them reverted to command, turn-based.

Since this is the third game in the sub-series, was it a challenge to make this game an effective point to jump into the series?

Well, when you do have a long-running series like this it’s important to catch people up. You’re absolutely right, it can be a challenge to get people up to speed. So, we have a very, very well thought out backstory which explains the events from the previous games in the series. As you can see, character profiles, world introduction, all of these things are there. You’re able to read all about them and the world that they have in the other games. This is the first thing you can do to catch yourself up with the previous games.

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So the fourth and final Trails of Cold Steel game is already out in Japan. However, the western release of the Cold Steel series is still a bit behind. Can you talk a bit about the process for localizing these games? I imagine it must be very time-consuming.

Well, as creators, we would love for everybody to be able to play the game as soon as possible but the reality is, because these [games] are so story focused, we’re actually still fiddling with the text up until the very end, and we won’t let localization partners work on it until it’s complete. These games are known for their very luminous stories and we just take a long time to translate. This one, for example, has 2.4 million Japanese characters and it really just takes time.

Do you feel that there’s still more to explore the setting of the game within the larger Legend of Heroes saga?

Well, regarding the future of the series, Trails of Cold Steel IV ended the Cold Steel sub-series. However, I revealed some time ago before this interview the full world map for this particular world. It turns out that the whole eastern half is pretty much still in shadows. We’ve hinted at this in places in Trails of the Sky, and so going forward we’re going to be exploring that area of the world and its mysteries. It will be different characters and a new story, but it will still be a Legend of Heroes game. Looking at the larger story, I would say that it’s about 60% complete. There’s still much to be done, and I definitely would like to finish the story of this world while we still have the strength to do it.

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The Legend of Heroes series has been active for some time. Can you talk about what still resonates with you most about this series?

For me personally, I joined this company because I love the Legends of Heroes series, and I see the Trails series within that as the true successor to what that was trying to do, even back in its original form. It’s not an exaggeration to say that this is kind of my life’s work. The Trails series has so many different characters in it and being able to tell all their stories is very gratifying for me. It means quite a lot to me.

Rick and Morty Season 5 Coming Sooner Than Expected – Comic Con 2019 – IGN

Rick and Morty is getting a fifth season, and it’s coming sooner than fans might be expecting. Even though Season 4 is still months off, creators Justin Roiland and Dan Harmon confirmed at Comic Con today that work is well underway on Season 5.Harmon said, “It took us a year and a half to get in writing we were allowed to do the show. There was a lot of stuff that happened in between 3 and 4 that will never have to happen again.”

Rick and Morty: The 10 Biggest WTF Moments

Harmon later elaborated on the behind-the-scenes difficulties that caused such a large gap between Season 3 and 4, describing it as a prolonged contract negotiation made more complicated by corporate changes at WarnerMedia.

“It was in the midst of a giant merger,” said Harmon. “It’s the fault of systems. We want to be able to do this show for a living. It took that long, and that’s both sides talking.”

Interestingly, Roiland also raised the possibility of a Rick and Morty movie during the panel. While not confirmed, it appears to be an idea he and Harmon are kicking around.

The first footage of Rick and Morty Season 4 was also shown, which you can watch here. The Rick and Morty panel was on our list of top Comic Con panels we are excited for this year, and you can find all of our continuing coverage from Comic Con right here.

Jesse is a mild-mannered writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter.