Xbox To Host Inclusivity Live Stream For Game Designers

Next week, Microsoft will be hosting a special panel called “Intentionally Inclusive Design: Building a Welcoming Future in Games,” focused on the importance of inclusivity in game design. This panel was originally planned for the Game Developers Conference, but with GDC being postponed Xbox is going ahead with their own live streams on game development.

Managed by Katy Jo Wright, the Director of Play for Everyone at On Xbox, the panel aims to discuss how technology and society can interact with each other and make gaming better for everyone. The panel will include Dan Greenawalt, Creative Director on the Forza franchise, Elise Baldwin, Sound Director on the upcoming title ‘Tell Me Why‘, and Dave Evans, Director of Studio at Flying Squirrel.

The panel will attempt to cover topics such as the myth that inclusive features can cause a game to “lose its edge”, how to tell different stories in an authentic way, and explore how a “Gaming for Everyone” philosophy can be applied to games.

The panel will be live streamed via Mixer, Gamestack, Youtube and Twitter on March 17 from 11:35 AM PT. The stream should last around 40 minutes. Tune in a learn more about the future of inclusivity and Xbox games.

Microsoft has been leading the charge on inclusivity in the games industry. From diversity in the industry to the inclusion of disabled gamers, Microsoft is intent on making a space for everyone in games.

Now Playing: Free Xbox One And Xbox 360 Games With Gold For March 2020 Revealed

DiRT Rally 2.0 Game Of The Year Edition Announced

Nearly a year on from the game’s original release date, DiRT Rally 2.0 is getting a new boxed edition in the form of the Game Of The Year Edition. It pulls together all the various new content and features added over the past year, along with a new expansion pack featuring 40 scenarios spanning the career of famous Rally car champion Colin McRae.

New vehicles, locations, and challenges are also being added to the already massive game. With well over 50 cars to pick from, six different countries and monthly challenges, DiRT Rally 2.0 GOTY Edition has more rally car racing content than one person could ever need.

Those who purchase the Deluxe Edition of DiRT Rally 2.0 or purchased the full Season Pass will receive the Colin McRae update and content for free. If you have the standard game you will need to buy the pack or the GOTY Edition separately.

DiRT Rally 2.0 Game Of The Year Edition is coming to PC, Xbox One and PS4 on March 27. This will be the last release for DiRT Rally 2.0, as Codemasters is moving onto the next project, so fans of the franchise should make sure to give it a go.

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Spawn Creator Confirms Jamie Foxx Hasn’t Quit Movie

It’s been a wild ride for Todd McFarlane’s Spawn movie. After being in the works for so long, the movie finally seems to be happening, thanks in part to the success of Joker. However, it was recently reported that Jamie Foxx, who was set to star in the film as Spawn, had dropped out due to scheduling conflicts.

Don’t get too worried, though, as that is simply not the case. Speaking to GameSpot about the character’s upcoming appearance in Mortal Kombat 11, MacFarlane confirmed that Foxx is still playing the character and hasn’t dropped out of the project.

“It was funny because I had a couple of interviews with people I’m like, ‘You know, I got Jamie Foxx, I got Jeremy Renner, and I was close to getting the third big heavy-hitter,'” he explained. “And I said I lost that heavy hitter and all of a sudden I got a call from Jamie Foxx’s people going, ‘What is this headline that says you’ve lost Jamie? You don’t want Jamie?'”

He continued, “I didn’t say that. It was in addition to Jamie and Jeremy, right? Somebody just misheard what I said, but that’s okay. I cleaned it up.”

As it stands, both Foxx and Renner remain part of the Spawn movie McFarlane is building. And because of Joker, the creator is confident he’s going to get to tell the story his way. For now, there remains no potential release date for the film, which will be produced by Blumhouse.

Now Playing: Mortal Kombat 11 – Official Spawn Gameplay Trailer

You’ll Soon Be Able To Wear Official Mario Overalls Just Like The Plumber Himself

Apparel company Levi’s has announced more details on its partnership with Nintendo. As expected, the partnership takes the form of branded t-shirts and pants, and yes, blue overalls that would make Mario proud are part of the line.

The overalls have a special gold coin design near the back pocket and other special motifs. Also included in the line is a standard white Levi’s t-shirt featuring a jumping Mario. There is also a special denim jacket featuring Mario characters like Bowser and Boo on patches. On top of all of this, there are other shorts, pants, and jackets featuring characters from the mushroom kingdom.

There is no word yet on when the Levi’s Nintendo clothing line will go on sale or how much the items will cost. Nintendo is just the latest massive entertainment brand that Levi’s partners with. The company previously made officially licensed Star Wars and Disney clothing.

Nintendo’s partnership with Levi’s is just the latest licensing deal that Nintendo has made with gigantic brands. Just recently, Nintendo and Lego teamed up for new Lego sets.

Nintendo pushing further into licensing deals is not unexpected. In 2016, then-Nintendo president Tatsumi Kimishima explained that, as a result of changes in the gaming landscape, fewer and fewer young people are finding out about Nintendo games through … games.Instead, they’re discovering Nintendo and its characters through things like officially licensed Mario toothbrushes. Kimishima said at the time that you can expect these kinds of licensing deals to continue and possibly increase, and this includes the new Levi’s and Lego partnerships.

Nintendo also recently agreed to a licensing deal with Universal for a Super Mario movie, while Nintendo is also working with Universal Parks on a Super Mario Land attraction in Japan and Orlando.

As Nintendo thinks about itself more broadly as an entertainment company, these kinds of licensing arrangements will be important to Nintendo’s growth.

New Mutants Release Postponed Due to Coronavirus

Disney has indefinitely postponed the release of The New Mutants, which was due out April 3, due to ongoing concerns over the coronavirus (COVID-19). The studio is also delaying the release of their Searchlight horror title Antlers, which was slated to open April 17.

The studio is said to be looking at new potential 2020 release dates to be announced at a later date.

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Both films join Disney’s Mulan on the list of delayed releases, which also now includes Fast 9No Time to Die, Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway, The Lovebirds, and A Quiet Place Part II.  The news also follows the announcement that Disney is closing Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure as of March 14 through the end of the month.

The New Mutants has been down this road before. Its original release date was previously postponed from April 13, 2018, to August 2019 and then to April 3, 2020.

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The New Mutants stars Maisie Williams, Anya Taylor-Joy, Blu Hunt, Charlie Heaton, Henry Zaga, and Alice Braga.

Antlers is a horror film directed by Scott Cooper and produced by Guillermo del Toro. It stars Keri Russell and Jesse Plemons.

 

What E3’s Cancellation Means for Nintendo – NVC 498

Welcoooome to Nintendo Voice Chat! This week, host Casey DeFreitas is joined by Brian Altano and Zach Ryan to discuss what E3’s cancellation means for Nintendo’s 2020 plans. Then, the crew celebrates MAR10 day by discussing the new Mario Levi collection and the Lego Super Mario collaboration. Plus, hear about Reggie joining GameStop’s board of directors, and more. Finally, it’s your listener questions answered on another edition of Question Block.

Timecodes!

  • 00:00:00 Welcome!
  • 00:06:26 What does E3’s cancellation mean for Nintendo?
  • 00:16:26 Happy Belated MAR10 Day!
  • 00:28:45 Reggie teams up with GameStop
  • 00:36:52 Games out this week
  • 00:41:20 What we’re playing
  • 00:46:27 Question Block!

Games out this week:

  • Trancelation – 3/13 for $6.99

Buy Trancelation and get four games for free:

  • Freecell Solitaire DX
  • Pizza Bar Tycoon
  • 2038 Battles
  • Flowlines VS

Also out this week:

  • My Hero One’s Justice 2 – 3/13 for $59.99
  • Yoga Master – 3/13 for $24.99 (Launch sale at $19.99)
  • Half Past Fate – 3/12 for $19.99 (Launch sale at $15.99)

What we’re playing:

  • Casey: Murder by Numbers
  • Zach: Mega Man Zero/ZX Legacy Collection
  • Brian: Kunai

Finally, NVC shirts and sweatshirts are now available at the IGN Store! Use the code nvc10 to get 10% off your purchase of NVC clothes. Multiple styles and colors are available. It’s not just IGN merch though. The store also has Star Wars shirts and officially licensed Nintendo shirts too, among other designs.

NVC is available on your preferred platform!

You can also Download NVC 498 Directly Here

You can listen to NVC on your preferred platform every Thursday at 3pm PT/6pm ET. Have a question for Question Block? Write to us at [email protected] and we may pick your question! Also, make sure to join the Nintendo Voice Chat Podcast Forums on Facebook. We’re all pretty active there and often pull Question Block questions and comments straight from the community.

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Logan Plant is the Production Assistant for NVC. You can find him on Twitter at @LoganJPlant.

Disney Delays Mulan, Three Other Movies, At The Last Minute Due To Coronavirus

In addition to closing Disneyland, the entertainment giant announced Thursday that it is delaying three of its upcoming movies, including Mulan, due to COVID-19 (coronavirus).

Mulan was previously scheduled to release in theatres on March 27, but it’s now been delayed. Additionally, Disney is delaying the superhero movie New Mutants (previously due out on April 3) and also pushing back the Guillermo Del Toro movie Antlers (expected April 17).

This news comes from The Hollywood Reporter. New release dates for these films were not announced.

The delay of these Disney movies follow the news from Universal that it was delaying Fast & Furious 9 an entire year due to concerns around the coronavirus.

In the video game world, this month’s Game Developers Conference was postponed, while E3 2020 has been canceled entirely.

Mulan Release Date Delayed

Disney announced Thursday that its live-action remake of Mulan has been indefinitely delayed from its original release date of March 27. The move is the latest in a series of big-budget Hollywood films that have been delayed due to concerns over COVID-19 (also known as the coronavirus).

The studio held a splashy red-carpet Hollywood premiere for Mulan on March 8, at which time the plan was to still release the film as scheduled. But with more and more studios delaying their upcoming offerings, Disney has now followed suit. The news comes in the wake of Disney closing Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure as of March 14 through the end of the month.

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Mulan’s release in China, where many theaters remain closed due to the outbreak, has been delayed indefinitely.

Other films that have been delayed due to COVID-19 include Fast 9, which will now be released almost a year later than originally planned, in April 2021, No Time to Die, which will now be released in November 2020, and A Quiet Place 2, which currently does not have a new release date set.

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For more on how COVID-19 could affect the film industry, head here.

Disneyland Is Closed For The Month Due To Coronavirus; Universal Also Closes

Disneyland in California is closing for the fourth time in its history, and the first time since the aftermath of 9/11, amid fears around the COVID-19 (coronavirus). Additionally, Universal Studios Hollywood has announced its closing in March as well.

Disneyland’s parks in California will be closed from March 14 through the end of the month due to the outbreak of the virus, according to Variety. The closure comes in the wake of the virus’ official designation by the WHO as a global pandemic.

This is just the fourth time since Disneyland opening in July 1955 that it’s been closed for a significant amount of time. Disney also closed the park after the September 11 attacks in 2001, the 1994 Northridge earthquake, and back in 1963 after JFK was assassinated during a time of mourning.

Disney World in Orlando, Florida will remain open. Disneyland is not the first of Disney’s parks to close, however, as Disney has also temporarily shut down some of its parks in Asia due to the virus.

In a statement, Disney said there have been no reported cases of COVID-19 at Disneyland in California. However, the company decided it was in the “best interest of our guests and employees” to close the park to keep people safe. Disney also confirmed that it will continue to pay its park employees–called cast members–during the the closure.

People who have booked trips to Disneyland in March during the closure can request refunds.

The closure of Disneyland in California comes after California governor Gavin Newsom announced new policies around mass gatherings of groups of 250 people or more, affecting places like theme parks and sporting events. Newsom said in his own statement that “Disney made the right call in the interest of public health” in shutting down its park for the time being. Newsom added that he expects more California theme parks to announce closures soon as well.

In fact, Universal Studios Hollywood also confirmed that it’s closing until March 28. “The health and safety of our team members and guests is always our top priority,” the company said, adding that it decided to temporarily close down in response to advisories from California’s public health department.

In addition to Disneyland closing up temporarily, the NBA, NHL, and MLB have all canceled or suspended their seasons due to the coronavirus outbreak, while the NCAA has canceled March Madness.

Scream: Ready or Not Directors to Reboot Horror Comedy Franchise

A Scream reboot directed by Ready or Not’s Matthew Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett is reportedly in development at Spyglass Media Group.

There’s no word on if this upcoming Scream project is a soft reboot with a continuation of the previous story or a hard reboot with no connection to previous Scream movies. It’s not known if this movie will continue the tradition of mixing comedy with horror, purposefully sending up cliches from both genres as the previous Scream films did.

Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett helmed last year’s horror romp Ready or Not with Chad Villela producing. (We gave Ready Or Not a 7.6 out of 10 in our review.) Villela will return as a producer for Scream alongside Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett. The trio are collectively known as the horror film group Radio Silence.

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Lantern Entertainment acquired the rights to Scream after the company took control of film and TV assets following a Weinstein Co. bankruptcy sale in 2018, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

The first Scream — directed by Wes Craven and written by Kevin Williamson — was released in 1996. It starred Drew Barrymore, Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, and Matthew Lillard, among others. The slasher “GhostFace” — who wore a mask inspired by the Edvard Munch painting, The Scream — preyed on Campbell’s character.

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Scream made over $100 million at the domestic box office and spawned a number of sequels as well as an MTV television series.

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Wesley LeBlanc is a freelance news writer and guide maker for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @LeBlancWes