Universal to Distribute New Releases On Demand Amid Coronavirus
As the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic forces movie theaters worldwide to shut down entirely or to limit capacity, Universal Pictures has responded by becoming the first major Hollywood studio to break the traditional window separating when a new movie release debuts in theaters to when it is available on-demand. In an announcement Monday, the studio said its upcoming animated film Trolls World Tour will be available to consumers on-demand day and date with its original theatrical release date (April 10 in the US and UK).
Universal also said it will also make movies that are currently in theatrical release -- specifically, The Hunt, The Invisible Man, and Emma -- available on-demand starting as early as Friday, March 20. These titles will be available across multiple on-demand services for a 48-hour rental period at a suggested retail price of $19.99 in the U.S. and the price equivalent in international markets.
The move comes days after Universal halted production on a number of its films currently in production, including Jurassic World: Dominion, due to the pandemic.
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“Universal Pictures has a broad and diverse range of movies with 2020 being no exception. Rather than delaying these films or releasing them into a challenged distribution landscape, we wanted to provide an option for people to view these titles in the home that is both accessible and affordable,” NBCUniversal CEO Jeff Shell said in a statement.
“We hope and believe that people will still go to the movies in theaters where available, but we understand that for people in different areas of the world that is increasingly becoming less possible.”
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NBCUniversal added that it will continue to "determine the best distribution strategy in each market" as conditions evolve.
For more of our coverage on how Hollywood is responding to COVID-19, here's a rundown of every film release and production that has been delayed, discover what a high-ranking studio exec and box office analysts said about its potential impact on the industry, and find out if medical experts think postponing a film's release will make a difference.
Simpsons Writer Says Coronavirus Meme Is ‘Gross’
A meme based on The Simpsons repurposed for the current COVID-19 outbreak is "gross," Simpsons writer Bill Oakley told The Hollywood Reporter.
The "Marge in Chains" Simpsons episode from 1993 features a sickness shown in a joke to have originated from Osaka, Japan. The scene shows an ill factory worker who coughs into boxes for juicers heading to Springfield. After many in Springfield order said juicer, weeks later, the town experiences an outbreak of illness. The illness is called the "Osaka Flu."
Oakley said memes have been created using "Coronavirus" in place of "Osaka Flu" and he finds it gross.
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"I don't like it being used for nefarious purposes," Oakley told THR in regard to "Marge in Chains," an episode of The Simpsons that he helped write. "The idea that anyone misappropriates it to make Coronavirus seem like an Asian plot is terrible. In terms of trying to place blame on Asia — I think that is gross."
Oakley said the scene in "Marge in Chains" showing where the illness originated from was "supposed to be a quick joke about how the flu got here."
"It was meant to be absurd that someone could cough into (a) box and the virus would survive for six to eight weeks in the box," Oakley said. "It is cartoonish. We intentionally made it cartoonish because we wanted it to be silly and not scary, and not carry any of these bad associations along with it, which is why the virus itself was acting like a cartoon character and behaving in extremely unrealistic ways."
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You can watch "Marge in Chains" as well as all 30 seasons of The Simpsons on Disney's streaming service, Disney+. In future episodes, don't exepct Hank Azaria to voice Simpsons character Apu anymore, as he is stepping down from the role.
For more about The Simpsons, check out the show's Avengers: Endgame crossover poster and read about how composer Danny Elfman created the show's theme in just one day.
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Wesley LeBlanc is a freelance news writer and guide maker for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @LeBlancWes.
Fantastic Beasts 3 Production Halted Due to Coronavirus
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic prompted Warner Bros. to halt production of its third Fantastic Beasts film on Monday, March 16, the same day the film was to have begun filming.
How long production will remain halted is currently unknown and it's also unclear whether this delay will affect the film's release date of November 12, 2021, according to Variety.
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This production halt is not Fantastic Beasts 3's first schedule setback. Filming was postponed in 2019 after it was determined additional pre-production for the movie needed. That's when the movie's new release date of November 12, 2021, was announced.
The third installment in the Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them series sees Eddie Redmayne return as Newt Scamander and David Yates back in the director's chair. Katherine Waterston and Dan Fogler are also reprising their roles as Tina Goldstein and Jacob Kowalski respectively.
This movie is expected to be the third of a five-movie series, although Fantastic Beasts was originally set to be a three-movie story. Each movie will take place in a different city too. The third is set to take place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
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For more about Fantastic Beasts, read about how J.K. Rowling confirmed the relationship between Dumbledore and Grindelwald's was in fact a "love relationship" with "sexual dimensions."
You can also check out our reviews of the first two films in the series. We thought the first movie was okay, giving Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them a 6.5 out of 10, while we thought the sequel was great, giving Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald an 8 out of 10.
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Wesley LeBlanc is a freelance news writer and guide maker for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @LeBlancWes.
Cyberpunk 2077 Still on Track for September Release Date After Developers Start Working From Home
CD Projekt Red has implemented a work from home policy to adapt to the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak. However, the company has assured fans that Cyberpunk 2077 is still on track to be released in September.
In a Tweet published on the company’s official social media account CD Projekt Red wrote, “Over the past week, we have been adapting to the situation and gradually rolling out preventative measures across our entire organization. We’ve also been upgrading equipment & infrastructure and working towards enabling our employees to work remotely, from the safety of their homes.”
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As a result of these efforts CD Projekt Red says that it’s switching to full remote work “for as long as it is needed.” However, the studio added that the company is “rising to the challenge and showing no signs of stopping in our effort to bring you some kick-ass role-playing action in September.” When IGN reached out for clarification, CD Projekt explained that the developers “are on track with [Cyberpunk 2077] for September 17, 2020.”
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Cyberpunk 2077 was originally supposed to be released in April, but the company announced earlier this year that because of the need for further playtesting, fixing, and polishing, that the launch date would be moved back to September. CD Projekt also said at the time that Cyberpunk 2077 was in a “complete and playable” state, but that didn’t necessarily mean that Cyberpunk was in a finished state.
For more, check out IGN’s Cyberpunk 2077 preview for our full coverage. Also, check out our complete list of gaming events and studios impacted by COVID-19.
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Matt Kim is a reporter for IGN. You can reach him on Twitter.
Final Fantasy 7 Remake: Check Out Brand New Characters and Areas
Square Enix has revealed some more screenshots from Final Fantasy 7 Remake, and they offer us first looks at some brand new characters and locations that were not seen in the original game.
There are four new characters revealed in Square’s latest drop. The first is Andrea Rhodea, the owner of the Honeybee Inn. It is he who approves women for auditions with Don Corneo, the rather gross guy who is looking for a ‘bride’ each evening in the Wall Market area of Midgar’s Sector 6. Also with similar power to approve women is Madam M, who runs Wall Market’s hand-massage parlour, and Chocobo Sam, who is - as his name suggests - a Chocobo handler. As well as helping Corneo, he also runs a service called Sam’s Delivery.
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Don Corneo definitely seems to have extended his network for Remake, as alongside these two he’s also working with a young man called Leslie Kyle, who Square describes as Don’s lackey. Corneo’s Lackey is an enemy type from the original game, and so Kyle’s position is likely a reference to that. There’s no sighting of Scotch and Kotch, Don’s original henchmen, though.
The screenshots show off a glowed-up Wall Market, but also reveals the Corneo Colosseum, a fighting arena where players can battle enemies to receive rewards. This sounds and looks a lot like the Battle Square from the original game’s Gold Saucer. As we won’t get to visit the Gold Saucer in the chapters covered by Remake, it makes sense why it would be added to Wall Market.
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There’s also confirmation that the Beginner’s Hall from Sector 7 is back, and that it features both the ground floor weapons shop and the second floor neighborhood watch room. Not spotted in any of the screens is the many flexing dudes, though, which is a bit of a shame. There is a jukebox in Tifa’s Seventh Heaven bar, though, and you can buy music discs in the world to play on it.
For more Final Fantasy 7 Remake, check out the promise that we’ll see much more of Midgar’s Upper City environments, and read our latest hands-on preview.
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Matt Purslow is IGN's UK News and Entertainment Writer. You can follow him on Twitter.
Japanese School Cancels Graduation, Students Hold It Inside Minecraft Instead
Japanese students are using Minecraft to enjoy their school graduation virtually, in spite of a coronavirus lockdown.
Japanese schools have been closed for over two weeks due to COVID-19 and, with the Japanese school year ending in March, it's meant many students won't have their graduation ceremonies, according to SoraNews24.
However, graduates from one elementary school found they could use Minecraft to create their own ceremony. Without any school or parental oversight, kids designed their own assembly hall, and gathered on a server to play out their graduation online.
SoraNews24 translated the following tweets as: "They spent all day online together playing games and laughing. I’m glad they all had fun," and "The assembly hall is also really well made."
Minecraft continues to be a great platform for people to let their imagination run free in all sorts of ways. This is just another example of how it's more than a game for people all around the world. It's only a matter of time until more creative ideas like these arise with various game events frequently being cancelled. Many companies are already planning digital alternatives as Microsoft announced earlier this month. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=every-2020-video-game-release&captions=true"] Other ways people are using Minecraft as a world parallel to ours include a recently created virtual library for fighting censorship. If you're looking for more Minecraft content, be sure to check out the Nether update and our Minecraft wiki for guides. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jeffrey Lerman is a Freelance News Writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @Snakester95.会場もすごくよく出来ている。 pic.twitter.com/HKjVCaOmOf
— 柏原周平 (@backyennew) March 14, 2020
Xbox Series X Controller Has a New D-Pad and Should Be Easier to Hold
The Xbox Series X controller looks very similar to its predecessor, but has a few key changes, including new buttons, ergonomic changes for those with smaller hands, and better compatibility with non-Xbox devices.
In an interview on Xbox Newswire, senior designer Ryan Whitaker went through some of the differences on the very familiar controller. That similarity is key - people are very used to the Xbox controller design, so changes were meant to be evolutionary, rather than wholesale.
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The biggest difference is in how the controller will now be easier to hold for those with smaller hands. While not immediately noticeably smaller, the team has achieved that effect by "rounding the bumpers, slightly reducing and rounding parts around the triggers, and carefully sculpting the grips." Bumpers and triggers now also have a "tactile dot" pattern not found on standard Xbox One controllers.
The new D-pad is designed as a hybrid between the two swappable designs on the Xbox Elite controller. It has a slightly deeper lowest point, allowing the thumb to sit more comfortably inside, and will apparenly allow for easy pressing of up, down, left, right, while also making it easier to perform sweeps or diagonals.
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As previously seen, the controller now has a Share button between and below the View and Men buttons. It's not clear exactly how it will work in practice, but Whitaker explains that it's designed to allow screenshots or video to be recorded without the need for onscreen menus.
The controller will now remember multiple Bluetooth devices to allow for faster connections, and includes Bluetooth Low Energy that should make pairing more simple. The controller now has a USB-C port for pairing and connecting, but wireless latency has also been worked on - "Essentially," says Whitaker, "information is sent more frequently from the controller and matched with exact frames of your game on-screen."
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While we already knew that Xbox One controllers will work on Xbox Series X, the reverse is also confirmed to be true. More PC, Android and iOS devices will be supported by the new controller, too.
It's been a big day for Series X news, with the full (and impressive) specs list revealed, a size comparison shown off, and the annoucement of a Gears 5 Series X port (which will be a free upgrade for those that already own it).
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Resident Evil 3 Demo Arriving This Week
Capcom has announced that the Resident Evil 3 Demo will be released on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC on March 19, and that the Open Beta for Resident Evil Resistance will begin on March 27.
More details were revealed on a blogpost on Capcom Unity, and it appears to not have any restrictions like Resident Evil 2's 1-Shot Demo that gave players one chance and 30 minutes to try out its remake of the 1998 classic.
The Resident Evil 3 demo will begin on March 19 at 12am ET on Xbox One and 1pm ET on PlayStation 4 and PC (Steam). The Resident Evil Resistance Open beta will start March 27 at 3am ET on Xbox One and PlayStation 4 and 1pm ET on PC (Steam). The Open Beta will end on April 3.
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The demo will be a "slice of the full game" that will have players attempting to escape Raccoon City as Jill Valentine. Capcom also warns that even though Resident Evil 3 has a bit more of a focus on action when compared to Resident Evil 2, make sure to "conserve your ammo and items if you want to stand a chance of surviving."
In our hands-on time with Resident Evil 3, which will be released on Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC on April 3, we said that "not only does Resident Evil 3 feel as fresh and clever as its predecessor, it adds enough to potentially exceed it."
The Open Beta of Resident Evil Resistance will allow players to try out the asymmetrical co-op take on the horror franchise. Each round consists of four Survivors that must work together to survive the traps and monsters that the player-controlled Mastermind puts in their way.
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In our hands-on time with Resident Evil Resistance, which will be included with Resident Evil 3, we said that it very much feels like a mix of Resident Evil 7 and Friday the 13th: The Game.
For more on these upcoming titles, check our Capcom's comments on how Resident Evil Resistance is not canon, everything you need to know about the original Resident Evil 3, Nemesis, and the Best Resident Evil Bosses of All Time.
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Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.
Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons Review In Progress
There's only so much you can do every day in Animal Crossing. Part of the fun of its real-time clock is going to bed wondering what you might wake up to in the morning--how your town might change, who might move in, what special visitor might be there tomorrow. So far, I've played Animal Crossing: New Horizons for 80 hours over 17 days, and that anticipation hasn't yet gone away. While I've spent a lot of time developing my island so far, I still feel as if there's plenty left for me to do and see--there's a lot in New Horizons to occupy your time with.
Unlike in previous games, you're not moving to a lived-in town in New Horizons; the island is completely empty when you and two animals arrive as part of Tom Nook's "getaway package," save for the tiny airport. There's no store or museum, all three of you live in tents, and Tom Nook himself operates out of a tent that he shares with his adorable nephews, Timmy and Tommy. Tom Nook clearly expected this whole thing to be a bit more glamorous (or at least popular), and in typical Tom Nook fashion, one of his first actions is to put you to work collecting tree branches and fruit to make a fire pit and drinks for a welcome party.
The party serves as an introduction to the resource-gathering aspect of New Horizons' new crafting system, but it's also the first of many endearing moments with the animals. In their high-pitched, sped-up way of talking, their chit-chat centers around friendship and helping one another on the island. One of my villagers played a tambourine, shifting back and forth to his own beat while smiling, while the other sipped juice by the fire. Tommy, the more precious of the Nookling duo, stood by the tent, holding a small flag that seemed to be part of his welcome getup. It feels like a proper community from the start, despite the small population size and total lack of amenities on the island.
Continue Reading at GameSpotAnimal Crossing: New Horizons Review In Progress
There's only so much you can do every day in Animal Crossing. Part of the fun of its real-time clock is going to bed wondering what you might wake up to in the morning--how your town might change, who might move in, what special visitor might be there tomorrow. So far, I've played Animal Crossing: New Horizons for 80 hours over 17 days, and that anticipation hasn't yet gone away. While I've spent a lot of time developing my island so far, I still feel as if there's plenty left for me to do and see--there's a lot in New Horizons to occupy your time with.
Unlike in previous games, you're not moving to a lived-in town in New Horizons; the island is completely empty when you and two animals arrive as part of Tom Nook's "getaway package," save for the tiny airport. There's no store or museum, all three of you live in tents, and Tom Nook himself operates out of a tent that he shares with his adorable nephews, Timmy and Tommy. Tom Nook clearly expected this whole thing to be a bit more glamorous (or at least popular), and in typical Tom Nook fashion, one of his first actions is to put you to work collecting tree branches and fruit to make a fire pit and drinks for a welcome party.
The party serves as an introduction to the resource-gathering aspect of New Horizons' new crafting system, but it's also the first of many endearing moments with the animals. In their high-pitched, sped-up way of talking, their chit-chat centers around friendship and helping one another on the island. One of my villagers played a tambourine, shifting back and forth to his own beat while smiling, while the other sipped juice by the fire. Tommy, the more precious of the Nookling duo, stood by the tent, holding a small flag that seemed to be part of his welcome getup. It feels like a proper community from the start, despite the small population size and total lack of amenities on the island.
Continue Reading at GameSpot