Three Sony Japan developers, Junya Okura, Kazunobu Sato, and Keiichiro Toyama, have left the company to create Bokeh Game Studio. Toyama, who is best known as the director of Silent Hill and the Gravity Rush series, will serve as the studio's creative director alongside lead Gravity Rush designer, Okura, and Sato, who was the lead designer of The Last Guardian. The three will lead Bokeh as an independent game studio with the goal of rediscovering the joy in making games. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-best-ps1-games-ever&captions=true"] "First I want to fulfill our fans' expectations, but at the same time, I want to go back and enjoy how fun it is to make games," Toyama said in the studio's announcement video released on December 2. "I want to share that feeling to the players. This is what I'll aim for from now on." The announcement video features the three developers sitting at a bar talking about their shared excitement for Bokeh. Okura, who will work as the studio's game director, mentioned that until the formation of this studio, there was always a company providing them with a work environment. Now that they're independent, they'll have to prepare everything themselves, he said. "It is hard," Okura said. "There are responsibilities, but we have our freedom. That is the most important. I want to enjoy creating from now on." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/11/11/first-person-silent-hill-fan-remake-gameplay"] Sato, who will serve as the studio's producer, said founding a company came with many challenges but that advice from those around them helped bring this idea to life. He said the team can now just focus on making games. "I look forward to it," Sato said. "Many people we've worked with in the past are joining us too. I'm convinced that we'll be able to deliver something everyone will enjoy." There's no word on who else is joining the studio, although Sato hinted that people they've worked with in the past will be joining them, nor is there a word of what they're working on or when we can expect to hear anything about it. If you watch the video though, you can catch some glimpses of artwork that may or may not be concept art. Read IGN's thoughts on these developers' latest games in our Gravity Rush review, Gravity Rush 2 review, and our review of The Last Guardian. Check out our top 10 most terrifying scares in video games, which features a scare from Toyama's Silent Hill, after that. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Wesley LeBlanc is a freelance news writer and guide make for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @LeBlancWes. 

Three Sony Japan developers, Junya Okura, Kazunobu Sato, and Keiichiro Toyama, have left the company to create Bokeh Game Studio. Toyama, who is best known as the director of Silent Hill and the Gravity Rush series, will serve as the studio's creative director alongside lead Gravity Rush designer, Okura, and Sato, who was the lead designer of The Last Guardian. The three will lead Bokeh as an independent game studio with the goal of rediscovering the joy in making games. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-best-ps1-games-ever&captions=true"] "First I want to fulfill our fans' expectations, but at the same time, I want to go back and enjoy how fun it is to make games," Toyama said in the studio's announcement video released on December 2. "I want to share that feeling to the players. This is what I'll aim for from now on." The announcement video features the three developers sitting at a bar talking about their shared excitement for Bokeh. Okura, who will work as the studio's game director, mentioned that until the formation of this studio, there was always a company providing them with a work environment. Now that they're independent, they'll have to prepare everything themselves, he said. "It is hard," Okura said. "There are responsibilities, but we have our freedom. That is the most important. I want to enjoy creating from now on." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/11/11/first-person-silent-hill-fan-remake-gameplay"] Sato, who will serve as the studio's producer, said founding a company came with many challenges but that advice from those around them helped bring this idea to life. He said the team can now just focus on making games. "I look forward to it," Sato said. "Many people we've worked with in the past are joining us too. I'm convinced that we'll be able to deliver something everyone will enjoy." There's no word on who else is joining the studio, although Sato hinted that people they've worked with in the past will be joining them, nor is there a word of what they're working on or when we can expect to hear anything about it. If you watch the video though, you can catch some glimpses of artwork that may or may not be concept art. Read IGN's thoughts on these developers' latest games in our Gravity Rush review, Gravity Rush 2 review, and our review of The Last Guardian. Check out our top 10 most terrifying scares in video games, which features a scare from Toyama's Silent Hill, after that. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Wesley LeBlanc is a freelance news writer and guide make for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @LeBlancWes. 

The Lord of the Rings community is coming together to fundraise enough money to purchase the home where J.R.R. Tolkien wrote The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. According to the project's website, the goal is to turn the North Oxford house into "not a dry museum, but a homely house of continuing creativity" and will have "an engaging online presence to bring into the house's programme those who cannot travel to Oxford." Middle-earth actors Ian McKellen, Martin Freeman, and John Rhys-Davies, as well as songwriter Annie Lennox, took part in filming a video detailing the fundraiser.

Unlike other writers of his stature, there is no centre devoted to J.R.R. Tolkien anywhere in the world. Yet. @ProjNorthmoor https://t.co/pzMg8Yk2t2 pic.twitter.com/jx2r5MVbcw

— Ian McKellen (@IanMcKellen) December 2, 2020

  The campaign was launched on December 2 by novelist Julia Golding. She negotiated a deal with the owner of the house to give her three months to raise the funds needed to buy it, according to Entertainment Weekly. Approximately 6% of the $6 million goal has been raised, according to the donation page on the project's website. Only $5.3 million is needed to purchase the house itself, but extra money will go towards restoring Tolkien's garden, building a Hobbit hole, and creating "Smaug's lair for pipe smokers." Tolkien lived in the house from 1930 to 1947. A FAQ on the fundraiser's website said that The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings were written in that house and Tolkien's children grew up there. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=amazons-the-lord-of-the-rings-every-confirmed-actor&captions=true"] 90 years later and Middle-earth is one of the biggest entertainment properties around. Amazon reportedly dropped $250 million just for the rights to make a TV series set in Middle-earth and is expected to spend upwards of $1 billion to make multiple seasons. The series is expected to be back to filming after a COVID-19 shutdown. It's also been reported that multiple Lord of the Rings characters from the movies will be a part of the highly-anticipated show. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/08/24/the-lord-of-the-rings-gollum-teaser-trailer"] Aside from a Lord of the Rings TV show, there's a Gollum video game coming soon. Titled The Lord of the Rings: Gollum, it's described as a stealth game mixed with Prince of Persia. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Petey Oneto is a freelance writer for IGN who is more excited for Gollum: Prince of Persia than anything else right now.

The Lord of the Rings community is coming together to fundraise enough money to purchase the home where J.R.R. Tolkien wrote The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. According to the project's website, the goal is to turn the North Oxford house into "not a dry museum, but a homely house of continuing creativity" and will have "an engaging online presence to bring into the house's programme those who cannot travel to Oxford." Middle-earth actors Ian McKellen, Martin Freeman, and John Rhys-Davies, as well as songwriter Annie Lennox, took part in filming a video detailing the fundraiser.

Unlike other writers of his stature, there is no centre devoted to J.R.R. Tolkien anywhere in the world. Yet. @ProjNorthmoor https://t.co/pzMg8Yk2t2 pic.twitter.com/jx2r5MVbcw

— Ian McKellen (@IanMcKellen) December 2, 2020

  The campaign was launched on December 2 by novelist Julia Golding. She negotiated a deal with the owner of the house to give her three months to raise the funds needed to buy it, according to Entertainment Weekly. Approximately 6% of the $6 million goal has been raised, according to the donation page on the project's website. Only $5.3 million is needed to purchase the house itself, but extra money will go towards restoring Tolkien's garden, building a Hobbit hole, and creating "Smaug's lair for pipe smokers." Tolkien lived in the house from 1930 to 1947. A FAQ on the fundraiser's website said that The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings were written in that house and Tolkien's children grew up there. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=amazons-the-lord-of-the-rings-every-confirmed-actor&captions=true"] 90 years later and Middle-earth is one of the biggest entertainment properties around. Amazon reportedly dropped $250 million just for the rights to make a TV series set in Middle-earth and is expected to spend upwards of $1 billion to make multiple seasons. The series is expected to be back to filming after a COVID-19 shutdown. It's also been reported that multiple Lord of the Rings characters from the movies will be a part of the highly-anticipated show. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/08/24/the-lord-of-the-rings-gollum-teaser-trailer"] Aside from a Lord of the Rings TV show, there's a Gollum video game coming soon. Titled The Lord of the Rings: Gollum, it's described as a stealth game mixed with Prince of Persia. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Petey Oneto is a freelance writer for IGN who is more excited for Gollum: Prince of Persia than anything else right now.

Amazon has revealed the names of 20 new actors joining its Lord of the Rings series TV series, which is currently in production in New Zealand. Some of the notable cast members joining Lord of the Rings' growing ensemble include Arrowverse and Spartacus actress Cynthia Addai-Robinson, Ozark's Peter Mullan, and Knightfall's Simon Merrells. For a look at the complete list of actors starring in the upcoming adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's fantasy epic, check out the gallery below: [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=amazons-the-lord-of-the-rings-every-confirmed-actor&captions=true"] Amazon has not revealed which characters these actors will be portraying, but series showrunners and executive producers J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay had this to say about the recent casting announcement: "The world that J.R.R. Tolkien created is epic, diverse, and filled with heart. These extraordinarily talented performers, hailing from across the globe, represent the culmination of a multi-year search to find brilliant and unique artists to bring that world to life anew. The international cast of Amazon’s The Lord of the Rings series is more than just an ensemble. It is a family. We are thrilled to welcome each of them to Middle-earth." For more Lord of the Rings, find out why actor Hugo Weaving has no interest in ever playing Elrond again, find out which three classic characters will make appearances in Amazon's Lord of the Rings series, and check out this awesome King Thranduil statue from The Hobbit. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/11/19/lord-of-the-rings-series-gets-early-season-2-renewal-from-amazon-ign-now"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] David Griffin still watches DuckTales in his pajamas with a cereal bowl in hand. He's also the TV Editor for IGN. Say hi on Twitter.

Amazon has revealed the names of 20 new actors joining its Lord of the Rings series TV series, which is currently in production in New Zealand. Some of the notable cast members joining Lord of the Rings' growing ensemble include Arrowverse and Spartacus actress Cynthia Addai-Robinson, Ozark's Peter Mullan, and Knightfall's Simon Merrells. For a look at the complete list of actors starring in the upcoming adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's fantasy epic, check out the gallery below: [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=amazons-the-lord-of-the-rings-every-confirmed-actor&captions=true"] Amazon has not revealed which characters these actors will be portraying, but series showrunners and executive producers J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay had this to say about the recent casting announcement: "The world that J.R.R. Tolkien created is epic, diverse, and filled with heart. These extraordinarily talented performers, hailing from across the globe, represent the culmination of a multi-year search to find brilliant and unique artists to bring that world to life anew. The international cast of Amazon’s The Lord of the Rings series is more than just an ensemble. It is a family. We are thrilled to welcome each of them to Middle-earth." For more Lord of the Rings, find out why actor Hugo Weaving has no interest in ever playing Elrond again, find out which three classic characters will make appearances in Amazon's Lord of the Rings series, and check out this awesome King Thranduil statue from The Hobbit. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/11/19/lord-of-the-rings-series-gets-early-season-2-renewal-from-amazon-ign-now"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] David Griffin still watches DuckTales in his pajamas with a cereal bowl in hand. He's also the TV Editor for IGN. Say hi on Twitter.

EA has announced that Casey Hudson, the general manager of BioWare, and Mark Darrah, the executive producer on the upcoming Dragon Age, will be departing the company. All currently ongoing projects, including Anthem Next, the next Dragon Age, and the Mass Effect: The Legendary Edition remasters among them, will continue as planned despite the leadership shifts. Samantha Ryan will continue to oversee the studio, while Christian Dailey, who joined BioWare from Blizzard, will now be leading the Dragon Age project as executive producer, with Matthew Goldman remaining as creative director on the project. And the Mass Effect collection will continue to be led by Mike Gamble as that team also remains "hard at work on the future of that franchise." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/dragon-age-4-behind-the-scenes-teaser"] This marks Hudson's second departure from Bioware, after he first left the studio in 2014 and announced a new position at Microsoft in 2015. Hudson rejoined BioWare in 2017 when then-GM Aaryn Flynn stepped down. While the company searches for a new GM, Gary McKay, the senior director of development operations, will act as interim Studio GM. "They will always be an important part of the studio’s history, we appreciate their many contributions, and we look forward to seeing what they’ll each do next," Laura Miele, Chief Studios Officer. EA, said in a statement announcing the duo's departure. "It’s not an easy decision to make, and big changes like this always come with a certain degree of sadness. I will miss being able to work every day with our inspiring developers on the biggest and most exciting projects I can imagine. But I also know that this is a good time for a change, for both myself and BioWare," Hudson said in a post explaining his departure. "It’s profound and humbling to look back on a decades-long career and think about the things we’ve achieved together. It’s hard to make the decision to move on, but I’m excited about what’s next, for all of us." Darrah also wrote about the decision to leave, saying "This has been a very difficult decision for me. The team of amazing developers on Dragon Age, make my life fuller and better. They have taught me so much. But the strength of the team is also what makes this possible. I know that Dragon Age won’t just survive without me, it will thrive. "Christian Dailey is a strong leader and will provide great insight to the rest of the Dragon Age leadership who remain. This is a team that includes people with decades of experience at BioWare. I am confident that, together, this is the team that can make this Dragon Age the best one yet." [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=43-new-images-from-dragon-age-4&captions=true"] In the meantime, BioWare's long list of projects will continue - the company continues to produce Star Wars: The Old Republic, and work continues on Anthem Next, as BioWare hopes to revive the looter-shooter with a massive overhaul. Recent looks at Anthem 2.0 have included planned changes to loot and weapons, as well as Javelin builds and skill trees. (Christian Dailey, who is joining the DA team, has been the person behind these lengthy Anthem blog post updates.) Meanwhile, BioWare celebrated N7 Day this year with the official confirmation of Mass Effect: Legendary Edition, slated for a spring 2021 release, while also teasing that a new Mass Effect project is in the works from a "veteran team." And, of course, Dragon Age 4 is also in the works following its teaser reveal at The Game Awards 2018, and most recently a behind-the-scenes look at Dragon Age 4 development during Gamescom 2020. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jonathon Dornbush is IGN's Senior News Editor, host of Podcast Beyond!, and PlayStation lead. Talk to him on Twitter @jmdornbush.

EA has announced that Casey Hudson, the general manager of BioWare, and Mark Darrah, the executive producer on the upcoming Dragon Age, will be departing the company. All currently ongoing projects, including Anthem Next, the next Dragon Age, and the Mass Effect: The Legendary Edition remasters among them, will continue as planned despite the leadership shifts. Samantha Ryan will continue to oversee the studio, while Christian Dailey, who joined BioWare from Blizzard, will now be leading the Dragon Age project as executive producer, with Matthew Goldman remaining as creative director on the project. And the Mass Effect collection will continue to be led by Mike Gamble as that team also remains "hard at work on the future of that franchise." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/dragon-age-4-behind-the-scenes-teaser"] This marks Hudson's second departure from Bioware, after he first left the studio in 2014 and announced a new position at Microsoft in 2015. Hudson rejoined BioWare in 2017 when then-GM Aaryn Flynn stepped down. While the company searches for a new GM, Gary McKay, the senior director of development operations, will act as interim Studio GM. "They will always be an important part of the studio’s history, we appreciate their many contributions, and we look forward to seeing what they’ll each do next," Laura Miele, Chief Studios Officer. EA, said in a statement announcing the duo's departure. "It’s not an easy decision to make, and big changes like this always come with a certain degree of sadness. I will miss being able to work every day with our inspiring developers on the biggest and most exciting projects I can imagine. But I also know that this is a good time for a change, for both myself and BioWare," Hudson said in a post explaining his departure. "It’s profound and humbling to look back on a decades-long career and think about the things we’ve achieved together. It’s hard to make the decision to move on, but I’m excited about what’s next, for all of us." Darrah also wrote about the decision to leave, saying "This has been a very difficult decision for me. The team of amazing developers on Dragon Age, make my life fuller and better. They have taught me so much. But the strength of the team is also what makes this possible. I know that Dragon Age won’t just survive without me, it will thrive. "Christian Dailey is a strong leader and will provide great insight to the rest of the Dragon Age leadership who remain. This is a team that includes people with decades of experience at BioWare. I am confident that, together, this is the team that can make this Dragon Age the best one yet." [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=43-new-images-from-dragon-age-4&captions=true"] In the meantime, BioWare's long list of projects will continue - the company continues to produce Star Wars: The Old Republic, and work continues on Anthem Next, as BioWare hopes to revive the looter-shooter with a massive overhaul. Recent looks at Anthem 2.0 have included planned changes to loot and weapons, as well as Javelin builds and skill trees. (Christian Dailey, who is joining the DA team, has been the person behind these lengthy Anthem blog post updates.) Meanwhile, BioWare celebrated N7 Day this year with the official confirmation of Mass Effect: Legendary Edition, slated for a spring 2021 release, while also teasing that a new Mass Effect project is in the works from a "veteran team." And, of course, Dragon Age 4 is also in the works following its teaser reveal at The Game Awards 2018, and most recently a behind-the-scenes look at Dragon Age 4 development during Gamescom 2020. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jonathon Dornbush is IGN's Senior News Editor, host of Podcast Beyond!, and PlayStation lead. Talk to him on Twitter @jmdornbush.

HBO has released concept art from House of the Dragon, the Game of Thrones prequel, and announced that production begins within the next few months. The concept art was dropped right at the end of HBO's bombshell press release on Thursday where it was announced that all of WarnerMedia's 2021 movies will be released on HBO Max as well as in theaters. Two concept art images of a dragon were released from the new Game of Thrones series. "Principal photography starts on the next Game of Thrones series, House of the Dragon, in a few months," the press release said. "Look out for dragons overhead!" [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=house-of-the-dragon-images-and-concept-art&captions=true"] House of the Dragon is based on George R.R. Martin's book, Fire & Blood, which was released in November 2018. The series will explore the Targaryan family about 300 years before Daenerys and the rest of the events of Game of Thrones. House of the Dragon will consist of 10 episodes for its first season and will likely premiere on HBO in 2022. Paddy Considine has reportedly been cast as King Viserys Targaryen. IGN has a full explainer into House of the Dragon's time period, major characters in the book, and potential events that the series will cover. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/06/23/george-r-r-martin-gives-an-update-on-the-winds-of-winter"] Game of Thrones may have ended its run over a year ago but new details continue to come out about the blockbuster series. Martin recently revealed that he filmed a cameo for the original Game of Thrones pilot but didn't return to film the role when the pilot was re-shot. Martin also spoke out on the Game of Thrones scene that he hates the most. More importantly, Martin hopes to finish writing Winds of Winter by the end of 2021. Also, during the time Game of Thrones has been over, a pilot for another Game of Thrones prequel series was filmed, but that spinoff is not moving forward. It would've focused on the Age of Heroes. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Petey Oneto is a freelance writer for IGN.  

HBO has released concept art from House of the Dragon, the Game of Thrones prequel, and announced that production begins within the next few months. The concept art was dropped right at the end of HBO's bombshell press release on Thursday where it was announced that all of WarnerMedia's 2021 movies will be released on HBO Max as well as in theaters. Two concept art images of a dragon were released from the new Game of Thrones series. "Principal photography starts on the next Game of Thrones series, House of the Dragon, in a few months," the press release said. "Look out for dragons overhead!" [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=house-of-the-dragon-images-and-concept-art&captions=true"] House of the Dragon is based on George R.R. Martin's book, Fire & Blood, which was released in November 2018. The series will explore the Targaryan family about 300 years before Daenerys and the rest of the events of Game of Thrones. House of the Dragon will consist of 10 episodes for its first season and will likely premiere on HBO in 2022. Paddy Considine has reportedly been cast as King Viserys Targaryen. IGN has a full explainer into House of the Dragon's time period, major characters in the book, and potential events that the series will cover. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/06/23/george-r-r-martin-gives-an-update-on-the-winds-of-winter"] Game of Thrones may have ended its run over a year ago but new details continue to come out about the blockbuster series. Martin recently revealed that he filmed a cameo for the original Game of Thrones pilot but didn't return to film the role when the pilot was re-shot. Martin also spoke out on the Game of Thrones scene that he hates the most. More importantly, Martin hopes to finish writing Winds of Winter by the end of 2021. Also, during the time Game of Thrones has been over, a pilot for another Game of Thrones prequel series was filmed, but that spinoff is not moving forward. It would've focused on the Age of Heroes. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Petey Oneto is a freelance writer for IGN.