Welcome back to IGN Game Scoop!, the ONLY video game podcast! This week your Omega Cops — Daemon Hatfield, Justin Davis, Sam Claiborn, and Michael Swaim — are discussing topics like Horizon Forbidden West, Xbox and Bethesda’s E3 conference, Resident Evil Village, Mass Effect, and more. And, of course, they play Video Game 20 Questions. The music in this episode is from Mass Effect, Mega Man, and Gun.Smoke.
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Disney is doubling down on the dalmatian business. Only one week after the release of Cruella, the studio has already begun development on a sequel to the Emma Stone vehicle, per The Hollywood Reporter.
In addition to Stone, both Cruella director Craig Gillespie and screenwriter Tony McNamara are also expected to return for the film’s sequel.
Disney’s 1996 live-action remake of 101 Dalmatians, featuring Glenn Close in the role of Cruella de Vil, also spawned a sequel. 102 Dalmatians was released four years later in November 2000 and featured Close reprising her role.
Cruella debuted in theaters on May 28, opening in 2nd at the North American box office after A Quiet Place: Part II with a domestic gross of $21.5 million. The film has gone on to earn $48.5 million worldwide in its first week of release. Additionally, Cruella was released on Disney Plus through the streamer’s Premier Access program, which makes the film available to subscribers at a $30 price point.
While Disney does not regularly release official figures for Disney Plus viewership, it can be inferred that Cruella’s theatrical box office and Premier Access revenue have proved sizable enough for the studio to explore options for a sequel.
In our review of Cruella, IGN gave the film a 7, praising its “crackling leading ladies, imaginative twists, and eye-popping spectacle” while also saying it “ultimately feels like a clumsy compromise.”
After E3’s forced cancellation back in 2020, the video game industry’s biggest event of the year is back and merely a week away. On June 12, E3 2021 is kicking off and in addition to hours of exciting showcases, we’re bound to get a whole lot of new titles for everyone’s favorite portable platform, the Nintendo Switch. While the Nintendo Direct presentation on June 15 is definitely the one to watch for an update on all your favorite first-party games from Nintendo, there are a handful of E3 events that are sure to be filled with Switch titles. The Guerilla Collective showcases, which take place on June 5 and 12, are two of them.
Over the course of the Guerilla Collective showcases, over 80 indie games will be featured–many of which are coming to Nintendo Switch. On June 5, titles such as Kung Fu Kickball, Endling, Beasts of Maravilla Island, and The Lightbringer will be making appearances. On June 12, you’ll get a closer look at Archvale, Black Book, Death Trash, Batora: Lost Haven, and more. In addition, the June 12 event will feature a Wholesome Direct, a Nintendo Direct-esque showcase of feel-good games, many of which are indies and may be coming to Nintendo Switch
On June 14, Capcom is hosting their own showcase, and while they’ve yet to announce just what games they’ll be presenting, the studio has a close relationship with Nintendo, making it likely they’ll have some Switch titles there. For instance, both Great Ace Attorney Chronicles and Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin are coming to Switch in 2021, making it highly probably we’ll see a bit more of them during the conference. A leak earlier this year alleged a new Resident Evil game is coming to Switch, though that’s still extremely up in the air. It is also possible we could see a new entry in the Mega Man series there, as a Mega Man film is currently in production, making the time ripe for Capcom to release a new game to help support it.
However, the main event–and perhaps most unpredictable one–is the Nintendo Direct taking place on the last day of E3, June 15. When it comes to Nintendo, we can pretty safely say expect the unexpected. For starters, we may or may not see an entirely new console announced. GameSpot previously reported on a rumored Nintendo Switch Pro coming ahead of E3, but as we near the conference, it feels possible we could see it there. The problem with this theory, however, is that Nintendo’s Direct announcement did state the showcase would solely focus on software. While Nintendo has misled people before (see announcing Splatoon 3 back in February Direct for 2021 releases), it does seem perhaps too wild of a misdirection.
For those of you playing on multiple platforms, be sure to check out the full E3 schedule as well as our list of all the games confirmed to be shown at E3 2021. Read on for the complete list of confirmed Nintendo Switch games coming to this year’s E3.
All Nintendo Switch Games Confirmed For E3 2021
Archvale
Batora: Lost Haven
Bear and Breakfast
Beasts of Maravilla Island
Black Book
Blooming Business: Casino
Death Trash
Endling
Fire Ronight
Kung Fu Kickball
Lamentum
Onsen Master
Serial Cleaners
The Legend of Tiandig
The Lightbringer
Watch live streams, videos, and more from GameSpot’s summer event. Check it out
A new lawsuit alleges Capcom may have used hundreds of unlicensed photographs to create assets for games like Resident Evil 4 and Devil May Cry.
As reported by Polygon, artist Judy A. Juracek filed a copyright infringement complaint in the Connecticut court system this Friday accusing Capcom of using images from her book “Surfaces” in several high-profile Capcom games without licensing them from her.
According to the lawsuit acquired by Polygon, Juracek travels the world photographing various designs as part of her research. She compiled her photographs into a book and CD-ROM called “Surfaces” which Juracek copyrighted in 1996. And “interested parties” may contact Juracek to request the license to use the images in her book.
However, Juracek claims Capcom has never contacted her for a license to the images in her book, despite presenting almost 100 instances in which she claims her photographs can be found in Capcom games, including Resident Evil 4.
One prominent example is a picture of shattered glass Juracek took in Italy which was seemingly used for the Resident Evil 4 logo. The lawsuit notes the probability of Capcom taking a similar photograph is highly unlikely.
In a second example, Juracek shared a photograph she took from a mansion in Newport, Rhode Island, which is similar to a design that appears in Resident Evil 4. The lawsuit claims that since the mansion is not available to the public it would be impossible for Capcom to have taken the exact same photograph.
Juracek was partially alerted to the infringement from the 2020 Capcom data breach where an outside attack stole troves of Capcom’s data and game details, including employee information and details for upcoming games like Resident Evil Village. Capcom was threatened with a ransom lest they leak the data.
As part of the leaks, some Capcom data released included high-resolution images used in Resident Evil and other games, and the file names “for at least one of the images from the Capcom hacked files are the same file names as those used on the [Surface] CD-ROM.”
One example is a file from Juracek’s CD titled “ME009” and according to the lawsuit, Capcom’s files also included a seemingly identical image titled ME009 that it used in Resident Evil games.
Juracek’s lawyers are asking for up to $12 million in damages for copyright infringement as well as $2,500 to $25,000 for each used photograph for “false copyright management and removal of copyright management.”
IGN has contacted Capcom but was simply told, “We are aware of the lawsuit and have no further comment.”
Check out the full lawsuit uploaded by Polygon for more examples provided by the artist.
Bethesda unveiled The Elder Scrolls 6 in 2018 with a brief teaser trailer, but information about the highly anticipated sequel has been scarce ever since. Though so little is known about the forthcoming open-world RPG, we’ve compiled everything available from across the internet to prepare you for whenever Bethesda and Microsoft decide to disclose more about the game.
With E3 2021 coming up and Microsoft-Bethesda holding a 90-minute joint presentation on June 13, there’s always the possibility of The Elder Scrolls 6 showing up. Still, the game is reportedly years away from release. So, with that in mind, here’s everything we know so far about The Elder Scrolls 6.
Release Date
The Elder Scrolls 6 does have a release date, and executive producer Todd Howard knows it, but he said it would be “foolish” to announce. Whether or not there is a release date, the game won’t be out for a while. After the initial reveal, ZeniMax Online Studios boss Matt Firor suggested it’s “not coming anytime soon.” Firor also said the game might launch this console generation, further underscoring just how uncertain the release really is.
We know The Elder Scrolls 6 will launch on PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S, thanks to Microsoft’s $7.5 billion acquisition of ZeniMax Media earlier this year. And as part of that purchase, we also know the game will hit Xbox Game Pass the same day it releases worldwide, letting players jump into the highly anticipated open-world sequel without buying the game outright. (The same goes for all other first-party Bethesda titles, including Starfield.)
But whether The Elder Scrolls 6 comes to PS4 or PS5 remains a mystery. Rumors began circulating that Microsoft buying ZeniMax Media might indicate that all Bethesda games will be Xbox exclusive from now on. Microsoft has yet to counter this sentiment; however, Xbox head Phill Spencer has said that the deal isn’t forcing any decisions about platforms.
Both Howard and Spencer have separately said their companies would review releases and platforms on a “case-by-case basis,” possibly hinting that, at the very least, the next mainline Elder Scrolls game could be multi-platform.
Aside from the above teaser, Bethesda hasn’t shared any other visuals from The Elder Scrolls 6. The clip is brief. It’s 36 seconds of a camera flying over a foggy, mountainous region before coming to a clearing, then splashing the game’s title across the center of the screen only to immediately cut to black.
Because The Elder Scrolls 6 doesn’t have a public release date, the game isn’t available for preorder anywhere. Furthermore, it seems any additional details about the game won’t be revealed for a few more years, as Bethesda senior vice president of communications Pete Hines said The Elder Scrolls VI is coming sometime after Starfield, a game that also remains a mystery.
Once preorders go live at the usual retailers–Best Buy, Target, Walmart, et al.–we’ll update this section to include details about available bonuses.
Watch live streams, videos, and more from GameSpot’s summer event. Check it out
Paramount+ has released a new trailer for its upcoming sci-fi action movie Infinte, starring Mark Wahlberg (Entourage) and Chiwetel Ejiofor (Red Belt). The film will hit the streaming service on June 10.
Directed by Antoine Fuqua (The Magnificent Seven), the film is based on author D. Eric Maikranz’s 2009 novel, The Reincarnationist Papers. Like the book, as its title suggests, the movie delves into the concept of reincarnation “through spectacular visuals and nuanced characters who must use memories and skills from past lives to ensure the future.” Check out the newly released trailer to get a sense for yourself.
The film’s official synopsis reads: “For Evan McCauley (Wahlberg), skills he has never learned and memories of places he has never visited haunt his daily life. Self-medicated and on the brink of a mental breakdown, Evan is sought by a secret group that call themselves ‘Infinites,’ revealing to him that his memories may be real–but they are from multiple past lives.”
Featuring a story adapted for the screen by Todd Stein (2:22) and written by Ian Shorr (Office Uprising), Infinite’s cast also includes Sophie Cookson, Jason Mantzoukas, Rupert Friend, Liz Carr, Toby Jones, and Dylan O’Brien. The film was originally scheduled to hit theaters in August 2020, but was delayed and secured for streaming due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Hasbro has announced a new line of GI Joe figures, led by ones for Snake Eyes and his pet, Timber. The new Alpha Commandos two-pack will launch on July 1. Read on to get the scoop on plenty of other GI Joe figures, including those based on Roadblock, Gabriel “Barbecue” Kelly, and Alvin “Breaker” Kinney.
Snake Eyes stands six inches tall, looking cool and wielding a big knife or dual-wielding automatic rifles as he’s known to do. His wolf pet Timber looks menacing as he snarls. Both are part of the GI Joe Classified series, which also adds a Heavy Artillery Roadblock variant. As you can see in the image below, the character Roadblock is wielding a massive machine gun, while he also has a pistol at his disposal.
Snake Eyes and Timber
Gallery
The Snake Eyes and Timber GI Joe Classified two-pack is available for preorder for $40 starting June 10 and will then release on July 1. The Heavy Artillery Roadblock figure costs $20 and also releases on July 1.
Roadblock Heavy Artillery
Hasbro also announced the Cobra Island Gabriel “Barbecue” Kelly action figure, which launches on August 1 priced at $20. “The figure comes ready for action, with multiple points of articulation making it highly poseable and accessories inspired by the character’s rich history,” reads a line from its description.
The Cobra Island Alvin “Breaker” Kinney figure, meanwhile, launches on July 1 for $40. You can see all of these new figures in the image galleries in this story.
Gallery
In other news, the new Snake Eyes movie starring Henry Golding in the title role is set for release in July–here’s a new trailer.
Watch live streams, videos, and more from GameSpot’s summer event. Check it out
E3 is right around the corner, and one of biggest games at the show will be Halo Infinite. Announced back in June 2018 and originally due to release as a launch title for the Xbox Series X|S in November 2020, Microsoft has kept fans waiting for some time. But the end of the road is in sight. Here’s what we know about the game so far and what we hope to see at E3 2021 during the Microsoft/Bethesda briefing on Sunday, June 13.
What We Know So Far
Halo Infinite was officially announced at E3 2018. At the event, Microsoft showcased an impressive-looking trailer, not for the game itself, but rather its brand-new engine, Slipspace. While it didn’t contain any gameplay, the trailer got Halo fans excited for the long-awaited sequel to 2015’s Halo 5: Guardians by demonstrating what the engine is technically capable of delivering. We saw sweeping vistas, a vast world to explore, and all manner of wildlife.
This was all we got until Summer 2020, which is when Microsoft published an extended campaign demonstration for Halo Infinite that showed off new locations and items such as the Grappleshot, which is basically a grappling hook traversal tool that players will be able to use to zip around the playable spaces quickly. In fact, you can even use this Grappleshot to hijack a Banshee in mid-air, which sounds like something out of a Michael Bay action movie. Thinking about the Grappleshot in the context of multiplayer brings up a lot of exciting possibilities.
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Halo Infinite Gameplay Demo | Xbox Games Showcase 2020
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Developer 343 has also since confirmed new details about the weaponry players will have at their disposal, including the Bulldog shotgun that replaces the original. Outside of that, 343 spoke about the PC edition of Halo Infinite, which is built from the ground up for computers as opposed to coming as an afterthought, and that’s great news. We’ve also gotten a peek behind the scenes to see how the audio engineers went about capturing the sounds of Halo Infinite, and this includes recording a developer’s little dog.
Another big piece of the puzzle is that Halo Infinite’s multiplayer is free-to-play. This is a huge change for the series, but it’s one that makes sense and might pay dividends down the road if 343 can really nail the execution. Not only that, but Xbox Game Pass members can play the entire game at no extra cost, which seemingly opens it up to a potentially much larger audience that in turn could help the game get off to a great start.
Another element at play with Halo Infinite is the staff turnover and changes to the development personnel. Most notably, game director Chris Lee left the project mid-development, with Microsoft veteran Joseph Staten coming in to help finish the game. Staten worked at Bungie during the early days of Halo. He then co-created the Destiny universe before re-joining Microsoft.
Officially, nothing for Halo Infinite is confirmed for E3 2021 yet. However, it’s widely expected that Halo Infinite will take center stage at the Microsoft/Bethesda joint briefing. The key art for Microsoft’s E3 show features Spartan soldiers prominently, so it seems all but a sure thing that Halo Infinite will show up and have a major show at E3 this year.
Halo Infinite should be a big part of the Xbox/Bethesda Games Showcase
What We Hope To See At E3 2021
Halo Infinite is the first new mainline game in the series since 2015’s Halo 5: Guardians. A lot of time has passed since then, and a lot has changed in the FPS space. Free-to-play games like Call of Duty: Warzone, Fortnite, and Apex Legends are all dominating the genre these days, and Halo Infinite will have to deliver something special to compete and reclaim some of the aging franchise’s former glory.
I hope Microsoft goes all in on Halo Infinite’s multiplayer at E3 2021. After all, multiplayer is the bread and butter of the franchise, and it’s more important than ever these days due to the industry’s general trend toward live service and ongoing games. Halo is known for its forward-thinking, super-fun, and team-based sandbox multiplayer, and I’m hoping we see Microsoft’s vision for the future of Halo multiplayer at E3 this year.
No one saw Halo 5’s MOBA-style Warzone mode coming back in 2015, and I’m eager to see whatever other new and exciting innovations 343 has in the works for Halo Infinite. The studio has said it has no plans for Halo battle royale, but the game will have to offer something new and fresh beyond Slayer (which is still important!) to really make Halo pop and give lapsed players a reason to come back and invite new ones into the fold.
2021 marks the 20th anniversary of Halo and the Xbox brand overall, so expectations are high for Microsoft to really stick the landing with Halo Infinite. A strong showing at E3 could be exactly what the franchise needs to rekindle some of its former glory and get people excited and interested in the game ahead of its launch this holiday.
Halo Infinite is scheduled for release this holiday across Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. It’s included with Xbox Game Pass, and, as mentioned, the multiplayer is free-to-play.
Watch live streams, videos, and more from GameSpot’s summer event. Check it out
A new Max Raid event is underway in Pokemon Sword and Shield. To celebrate the start of the rainy season, frog Pokemon are appearing more frequently in Max Raids across the Wild Area, Isle of Armor, and Crown Tundra until June 6.
During this event, you’ll have more chances to encounter Croagunk, Seismitoad, Politoed, Venusaur (which is indeed a frog), and their pre-evolved forms in Max Raid dens. Additionally, Shiny Politoed and Gigantamax Venusaur are appearing in five-star Raids. These will be much rarer to find, however.
The Galar region’s rainy season has begun! This weekend, look out for Venusaur, Politoed, Croagunk, and Seismitoad in Max Raid Battles—and yes, you’ll have a chance to encounter Gigantamax Venusaur and Shiny Politoed too! 🌧️☔️➡️ https://t.co/wRbX3fxtp5pic.twitter.com/43IQYSJhQV
The Max Raid event runs until 4:59 PM PT / 7:59 PM ET / 11:59 PM UTC. Before the featured Pokemon can begin appearing in your game, you’ll need to refresh your Max Raid dens. You can do so by either connecting your game online or selecting Get the Wild Area News from the Mystery Gift menu.
If you miss your chance to catch Gigantamax Venusaur during this event, there will be another opportunity to get one. Following this month’s Pokemon Home update, The Pokemon Company will give away a free Bulbasaur and Squirtle to all users. Both monsters will have the Gigantamax factor, meaning they’ll be able to Gigantamax when they’ve evolved into Venusaur and Blastoise. If you purchased a Sword or Shield Expansion Pass, you can also teach a Venusaur how to Gigantamax in the Isle of Armor.
Information about Shin Megami Tensei V has reportedly leaked by accident, including a potential November 11 release date and various gameplay details.
According to a ResetEra thread (via Persona Central), the game’s official Japanese website mistakenly updated to reveal details about Shin Megami Tensei V. Alongside the possible November 11 release date, the leak holds information about the game’s characters, demons, and narrative setup.
The Story’s Impetus
The protagonist’s name wasn’t revealed, but the leak suggests they are an ordinary high schooler who stumbles into the desert dimension of Da’ath. It’s here where they fuse with a “mysterious man” (a la Jujutsu Kaisen) to become an entity known as “Naobino” to battle against gods and demons.
A Desert World Of Some 200 Demons
Da’ath, according to the leak, is a world where “desert is found all over” and home to massive demons. Da’ath also houses “over 200 demons,” with several of them being newly drawn by character designer Masayuki Doi.
Gameplay wasn’t specifically outlined, but it seems players will take advantage of the protagonist’s fusion with the “mysterious man.” According to the leak, Da’ath is an “untamed land,” requiring the player to clear out powerful demons vying for control by “growing the power of Naobino and sometimes utilizing the power of the demons themselves.” It also seems the game’s ending could “diverge in many ways,” but this wasn’t outlined.
What Else Leaked?
Other details from the leak include a “Forbidden Naobino box” limited edition of Shin Megami Tensei V. The bundle features the game’s charm, an item resembling Naobino, and the official soundtrack.
In other Nintendo news, the company announced plans to host a Direct E3 2021 livestream on June 15 at 9 AM PT / 12 PM ET. The 40-minute presentation will focus on games mostly releasing this year on Nintendo Switch, so there’s a possibility Shin Megami Tensei V could show up.
Watch live streams, videos, and more from GameSpot’s summer event. Check it out