If You Just Want the New Switch Dock, You Can Buy It Separately

While not everyone may want to upgrade to the Nintendo Switch (OLED Model), Nintendo will be making its new dock, which features a wired LAN port, available for purchase.

Nintendo confirmed the news to Digital Trends while also revealing that the new dock will not be sold at retail stores like Best Buy and GameStop, but will instead need to be purchased on the Nintendo Online Store.

[ignvideo url=”https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/07/06/nintendo-switch-oled-model-official-announcement-trailer”]

“The white dock and black dock will be sold separately (no HDMI cable, no AC adaptor, not in a package) on the Nintendo online store. It will not be sold at retail,” Nintendo said in a statement.

The current Nintendo Switch Dock can be purchased on the Nintendo Online Store for $59.99 USD, but Nintendo has yet to give any indication as to whether the new dock will replace the old one, or if it will see a price increase. The company also offers refurbished docks for $39.99 USD.

The Nintendo Switch (OLED Model) was officially unveiled yesterday, and it features a larger 7-inch OLED screen, a wider, adjustable base stand, enhanced audio, 64GB of internal storage, and the previously mentioned new dock with a wired LAN port.

[ignvideo url=”https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/07/06/should-you-buy-the-new-oled-nintendo-switch-ign-now”]

This new Switch will be released on October 8, 2021, and while pre-orders are not yet live, we’ve created a guide to help you learn all you need to secure one.

For more, check out our look at why, even though the Switch OLED may not be the Switch Pro, it is still a very Nintendo Move, and our explainer of why OLED over LCD is a big change.

[poilib element=”accentDivider”]

Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to [email protected].

Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

Space Jam: A New Legacy Fossil Watch Collection Features Cool Tune Squad Designs

Space Jam: A New Legacy is getting another merch collaboration, this time with popular fashion company Fossil. The Fossil x Space Jam: A New Legacy collection includes themed watches, backpacks, card cases, and more, all of which celebrate Looney Tunes characters who make up the Tune Squad in the upcoming film. The collection is available to order now, but if you’re interested in any of the designs, you might want to pick them up as soon as possible.

Fossil x Space Jam Collector's box set
Fossil x Space Jam Collector’s box set

Gallery

Fossil’s Space Jam collection is led by an ultra-limited edition $500 box set that comes in a decorative wooden box. The set includes a 42mm Fossil watch with a lenticular screen that can be adjusted to display different Tune Squad players. In addition to the default black leather strap, there are a trio of interchangeable themed designs based on LeBron James, Bugs Bunny, and Daffy Duck. The set comes with a commemorative Bugs Bunny coin and keychain. Below the watches, you’ll find a collection of nine Tune Squad figurines, each of which has its own dedicated compartment. Only 75 of these limited-edition sets are being made.

Bugs Bunny - Slam Dunk collection
Bugs Bunny – Slam Dunk collection

Gallery

In addition to the fancy box set, there are two other collections to shop. The Slam Dunk collection is themed around Bugs and Lola Bunny. Each of the watches comes in a basketball-shaped case that contains a collectible coin and bag tag. These sets, which are limited to 2,350, cost $159 each. The Slam Dunk collection also features reimagined editions of Fossil’s Buckner and Megan backpacks, with prices ranging from $218 to $398.

The All Stars collection has the most affordable designs in the line. Fossil is only making 790 of each of the five designs: Bugs, Lola, Tweety, Daffy, or Marvin. They come with sport bands as well as a cool box for storage. All Star collection watches cost $89 each. Matching card cases are available in the All Star collection as well.

Space Jam: A New Legacy releases on HBO Max and in theaters July 16. The Fossil x Space Jam collection isn’t the first merch collaboration announced in recent weeks. A trio of Space Jam-themed Xbox controllers release this week, but all of them are currently sold out. However, you’ll have another chance to get a Space Jam Xbox controller on July 15 when Nike’s mismatched Space Jam shoe bundle is available to order on the Nike SNKRS app.

Watch live streams, videos, and more from GameSpot’s summer event. Check it out

A Secret Nintendo Cafe in Japan is Opening to the Public for the First Time

Japan is no stranger to gaming themed cafes – there have been Kirby cafes, Super Mario cafes and Final Fantasy cafes to name but a few. But for the first time, a secret cafe only available to Nintendo employees and other game developers will be opening up to the public.

Reported by Bloomberg, the café known as 84 is owned and operated by ex-Nintendo employee Toru Hashimoto, and was created as a members-only cafe for video game developers. The cafe, located in Shibuya at a still-secret address, has been forced to re-evaluate its operating model as a result of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, and is now taking reservations and customers from outside the industry.

Toru Hashimoto originally wanted 84 to be a place for Nintendo’s game developers to relax in a video game themed environment that wasn’t in the company offices. It still very much retains a Nintendo focus, however, with art and doodles from various Nintendo games framed on the walls, and a Legend of Zelda jingle playing as you walk through the door.

[ignvideo url=”https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/06/16/the-biggest-announcements-from-the-nintendo-direct-e3-2021″]

The name 84 comes from the year that Hashimoto joined Nintendo, and many of the items and decorations in the cafe are related to his time there. Hashimoto left Nintendo in 1995, and opened the café ten years later in 2015. Apparently, he opened the café exclusively for friends because he didn’t have much experience in the hospitality business, and they “would be forgiving even if I make mistakes”. Brilliantly, even those invited to dine at 84 still had to solve a puzzle to find the address.

It isn’t just Nintendo employees that have eaten there. Famous Japanese developers like Dragon Quest designer Yuji Horii and Shigeki Morimoto from the Pokemon Company are also regulars, making the venue a hotspot for Japanese development talent.

Despite aiming to open the cafe up to a wider audience, there is still an air of secrecy around 84. The address is only shared with people who actually make a booking, and given the high profile clientele who have spent time there, bookings are likely to fill up fast. However, Hashimoto does want to see the cafe support the next generation of game developers, as he has floated the idea of hosting spoken word nights about video game history, and events around games development.

[ignvideo url=”https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/07/06/nintendo-switch-oled-model-announced-out-in-october-ign-news”]

This isn’t the only way that Nintendo’s history and brand is being made more accessible. It was recently revealed that a Nintendo museum is in the works, and set to open to the public in 2024, and a Super Nintendo World attraction has opened up at Universal Studios Japan. For a company that has for so long been shrouded in secrecy, it’s a nice change of pace to see Nintendo opening up and sharing more about the company that helped push gaming into the mainstream.

In other Nintendo news, the company announced yesterday that a new Nintendo Switch OLED Model will be released on October 8, the same day as Metroid Dread finally releases after 15 years. Though it’s not quite the rumoured Switch Pro that many had been anticipating.

[poilib element=”accentDivider”]

Liam Wiseman is a Freelance News Writer for IGN and will be making a trip to 84 as soon as it’s safe to. You can follow him on Twitter @liamthewiseman

Call Of Duty League Returning To Fan-Attended Live Events With Stage V Major

The Call of Duty League has announced that the league’s Stage V Major tournament–currently scheduled for Thursday, July 29 to Sunday, August 1–will take place in front of a live ticketed audience.

The Major V event will emanate from Esports Stadium Arlington in Texas, home of the defending Call of Duty League champion Dallas Empire. Fans will be allowed into the stadium for the final two days of the tournament, July 31 and August 1, with tickets on sale now. All 12 teams are scheduled to take part in the Major V weekend.

This marks the first time fans have been able to watch a live Call of Duty event since March 8, 2020 during the league’s inaugural season. The COVID-19 pandemic forced the league to play its matches online, where it has played since–including the first-ever CDL Championship last August. The league’s first LAN event post-pandemic, the Stage IV Major, took place June 17 in the same location with no fans in attendance.

The Call of Duty League’s second season kicked off in February 2021, adopting a new stage-based format with three qualifier weekends followed by a Major tournament. The Atlanta FaZe have won three of the four stages played so far, with the Toronto Ultra’s Stage 2 Major victory being the only exception. The Championship tournament will take place after the Stage V Major, with official dates and times yet to be determined.

Watch live streams, videos, and more from GameSpot’s summer event. Check it out

Filming Has Begun On The Ryan Reynolds/Will Ferrell Holiday Movie, First Image Released

Filming has officially begun on the upcoming Ryan Reynolds/Will Ferrell holiday movie, Spirited. Reynolds announced the start of production on Twitter, where he shared an image of himself and Ferrell in frame locked in an epic staredown.

Spirited is coming to Apple TV+. It’s a modern-day musical version of Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, and it also has Oscar-winner Octavia Spencer in the cast. Sean Anders, who previously wrote and directed Daddy’s Home, its sequel, and Instantly Family, is the writer-director on Spirited.

Reynolds will play a Scrooge-like character, with Ferrell taking on the role of the Ghost of Christmas Present, according to Collider. Sunita Mani will play the Ghost of Christmas Past.

Filming is said to be taking place in the Boston suburb of Braintree, according to local media reports.

No release date has been announced for Spirit, nor do we know who else may be in the cast. Holiday-themed movies are enduringly popular, and The Rock is also set to star in one for Amazon called Red One.

Watch live streams, videos, and more from GameSpot’s summer event. Check it out

Daily Deals: Nintendo Switch OLED Model Now Available to Preorder in the UK

A brand new member of the Nintendo Switch family has been revealed, and it’s the OLED Model, featuring a brand new shiny 7-inch screen to use. The new console model is set to release on October 8, 2021 and will cost £309.99. Preorders are currently live at GAME and Smyths, with Amazon expected to go live soon as well.

Amazon preorders will be the most sought after, as Prime members will be able to get free delivery, a contrast to GAME which is charging £9.99 for delivery, or Smyths £6.99.

Where to Preorder Nintendo Switch OLED Model in the UK

[poilib element=”commerceDeal” parameters=”slug=nintendo-switch-oled-model-preorders-hero-uk”]

[poilib element=”commerceDeal” parameters=”slug=nintendo-switch-oled-model-preorders-uk-list&type=list”]

Free Money: Claim £5 for Free at Amazon Right Now

[poilib element=”commerceDeal” parameters=”slug=amazon-hero-daily-deals-2-uk”]

Even post-Prime Day, the Amazon deals just keep coming. If you haven’t already checked this deal out, now is the time. You can currently get £5 in Amazon credit just for signing up for a free Amazon Music trial. It’s for select users only, so click here to see you can get a free £5 Amazon top-up.

If you’re eligible, just sign up for the 30-day Amazon Music trial, then within one week, Amazon will email your £5 reward. It can be redeemed within 30 days of receipt against an eligible purchase of £20 or more. This offer is only available until August 4, 2021, or until the first 10,000 eligible users sign up and claim their credit, so get in now to avoid any disappointment.

[poilib element=”accentDivider”]

Robert Anderson is a deals expert and Commerce Editor for IGN. Send him awesome gaming screenshots @robertliam21 on Twitter.

Loki Stars Didn’t Know What They Were Auditioning For

Marvel is notoriously secretive about its cinematic universe, going to great lengths to keep its major projects and plot twists from being spoiled. This apparently extended to the new TV show Loki as well, with multiple main members of the cast claiming they weren’t told what they were auditioning for until they were offered the role.

The same has been said about previous Marvel TV show WandaVision, while even more extreme measures have been taken on the main films, with Endgame stars explaining that they were never even given a full script while filming.

As reported by EW, Loki star Sophia Di Martino, who plays variant Sylvie, had no idea what she was auditioning for when she went for the role. “I didn’t know what the role was, I didn’t know what the show was, I didn’t know anything,” Di Martino explained in an interview with Entertainment Tonight. “There was a short scene between two people, ‘Bob’ and ‘Sarah’ I think it was, on a train. It ended up being the train scene between Loki and Sylvie but I had no idea what I was auditioning for… It wasn’t until I was offered the job that I knew what it was.”

Tara Strong, who provides the voice for the TVA’s virtual assistant and mascot Miss Minutes, was also given very little detail for her audition. “Typically you’ll get a drawing of the character, a description, sometimes a portion of the script. I use all that information when I’m doing my audition,” Strong said in an interview with EW. “But when it came for Loki audition, I got an email minus all of that information. Like, I didn’t know what it was for, I didn’t know who this character really was, I didn’t know anything about her world. I remember calling my agent because it was sort of described as an ‘animated Siri-type voice.’ I was like, I’m trying to understand this character. Is she sentient? And they were like, ‘We don’t really know.'”

Wunmi Mosaku, who plays the TVA’s Hunter B-15, also related a similar story in an interview with Collider. “I got the call saying I had been offered a part in Loki, but I hadn’t known I was auditioning for Loki, so it was quite a shock,” she explained.

Loki is nearly at the end of its first 6-episode season, with the finale due to arrive on Disney+ next Wednesday.

Watch live streams, videos, and more from GameSpot’s summer event. Check it out

Minecraft Gets A 19+ Age Restriction In South Korea

While Minecraft is generally considered a great child-friendly game, a law in South Korea has resulted in the game being blocked off to all players under the age of 19. The ban isn’t anything to do with any of Minecraft’s content, but the fact that an Xbox Live account is needed to play the game.

As reported by gamesindustry.biz, Microsoft recently informed South Korean players that they would need an Xbox Live account to continue playing Minecraft, with accounts only able to be made for people over the age of 19.

The age restriction is due to a controversial South Korean “shutdown law,” which prohibits children from playing games between midnight and 6am. The law has been in place since 2011. While some game providers have implemented technical solutions to prevent minors from playing their games between these hours, Microsoft instead chose to restrict all Xbox Live accounts for people under the age of 19. Until now, users have been able to sidestep that restriction by logging into Minecraft with a Mojang account instead.

As explained by industry analyst Daniel Ahmad, the law was controversial even before the Minecraft news, and there are movements dedicated to having it removed or amended. Critics of the long-running curfew have questioned how effective the law actually is, with many workarounds available.

The Minecraft restrictions have caused South Korean users to start a petition against the law, reading: “Korea’s game market is at the risk of being the world’s only place where Minecraft is labeled as an adult game.” The petition reportedly had over 67,000 signatures as of July 6, according to Korea’s Yonhap News Agency.

Watch live streams, videos, and more from GameSpot’s summer event. Check it out

Universal Films Will Head Exclusively To Peacock After Theatrical Release

Starting in 2022, all Universal movies, including franchises like The Fast and the Furious and Jurassic World, will head to Peacock after the theatrical window, thanks to a new deal between the streaming service and Universal Pictures, NBCUniversal announced.

“The deal includes an accelerated window that will bring Universal, Focus Features, Illumination, and DreamWorks Animation titles exclusively to Peacock no later than four months following their theatrical debuts,” the announcement says. The way the deal will work, these films will appear on Peacock for the first four months once that theatrical window ends, then head to other services like Netflix or Hulu, and then jump back to Peacock for the last four months.

Right now, the release slate from Universal includes Jurassic World: Dominion, The Bad Guys, Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, Minions: The Rise of Gru, as well as new movies from Get Out director Jordan Peele and Universal’s DreamWorks Animation studio.

Universal’s F9: The Fast Saga hit theaters last month and quickly became the biggest new movie since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Jurassic World: Dominion is almost a year out, but you can still watch a prologue trailer for it right now. Peacock, despite its 42 million subscribers and massive library of films, lost almost a billion dollars in 2020, and execs are likely hoping this deal will bring in some new subscribers.

Watch live streams, videos, and more from GameSpot’s summer event. Check it out

Zack Snyder’s Next Movie, Rebel Moon, Is A Netflix Exclusive

Zack Snyder’s Army of the Dead hit Netflix earlier this year, and it sounds like the director had a good experience with the streaming giant. His next film, Rebel Moon, will be exclusive to the streaming service, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

The story features a tyrannical lord named Balisarius, who threatens a galactic colony, according to THR, requiring a young woman to recruit warriors from neighboring planets to fight off the invasion.

Now Playing: Justice League Snyder Cut VS Original: 23 Biggest Changes

“This is me growing up as an Akira Kurosawa fan, a Star Wars fan,” Snyder told THR. “It’s my love of sci-fi and a giant adventure. My hope is that this also becomes a massive IP and a universe that can be built out.”

The story is reportedly based on a Star Wars pitch Snyder made around the time Disney acquired Lucasfilm in 2012, which put an end to any ongoing conversations about it at that time. Now, Snyder is co-writing the script with Shay Hatten (Army of the Dead, John Wick: Chapter 4) and Kurt Johnstad (300, Atomic Blonde). The director is also producing the movie, once again with wife and producing partner Deborah Snyder, as well as previous Snyder collaborator Eric Newman.

Snyder plans to begin production in early 2022 after spending “the last two or three years building out this universe,” the director said. While Rebel Moon is a couple years out, Snyder’s Army of the Dead is among one of the most-watched movies on Netflix thanks to the 72 million households that tuned in for the film in the first week of release. Zack Snyder’s Justice League hit HBO Max this spring. While about half of its viewers didn’t roll credits on the four-hour epic, it still had some interesting things to say about its heroes.

Image credit: Getty Images/Hollywood Critics Association/Contributor

Watch live streams, videos, and more from GameSpot’s summer event. Check it out