Update: Beast Wars Transformers Movie Reportedly in Development

After releasing five films in the franchise, Paramount Pictures is reportedly planning to revamp the Transformers series with two new scripts in development. Sources tell Variety that Paramount Pictures has tasked Murder Mystery's James Vanderbilt and Army of the Dead's Joby Harold with creating two new Transformers scripts for two separate films. However, there has not been any official announcement from Paramount Pictures at the time of writing. Update: A report from Deadline says that Vanderbilt's Transformers film is based on franchise spin-off Beast Wars: Transformers, the hit animated series beloved by fans that ran from 1996-1998 featuring Transformer factions Maximals (including the likes of Optimus Primal, Rattrap, and Cheetor) and Predacons (Megatron, Waspinator, Tarantula) battling on a prehistoric Earth. The original story continues below. The Transformers franchise launched in 2007 and is worth an estimated 4 billion dollars. The most recent film, Bumblebee, received a fair amount of critical acclaim and pulled in over $450 million in box offices worldwide. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=dumbest-transformers-movie-moments&captions=true"] It is currently unclear if either of the upcoming films will be set in the same universe as Bumblebee, or if the series will be receiving a fresh start. While little is known about the upcoming Transformers revamp, Variety sources state that it will aim to open up the door for upcoming additions to the franchise. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2018/12/09/bumblebee-review"] At this time, neither script has a director or cast attached to it. Further, it's likely that the series revamp will feature a brand-new set of cast members according to Variety, but again, no announcements have been made at this time. While you're waiting for more news on the potential Transformers revamp, be sure to check out our review of Bumblebee. Further, you can also check out the highest-grossing Transformers films in the franchise and the 20 dumbest Transformers movie moments. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Andrew Smith is a freelance contributor at IGN. Follow him on Twitter @_andrewtsmith

Torchlight Frontiers Is Now Torchlight 3, Can Be Played Offline

The previously announced Torchlight Frontiers, which was previously announced as an action MMORPG, will be scaled back into a more traditional ARPG. As such, Perfect World Entertainment and developer Echtra Games announced that Torchlight Frontiers is being renamed as Torchlight 3. “During development, you often discover what type of product a game was meant to be and we found Torchlight Frontiers was meant to be a true successor to Torchlight 1 & 2,” said Echtra Games CEO Max Schaefer. “Based on this and extensive feedback from our Alpha testers, we decided it was time to take the game back to its roots and model it after the classic Torchlight games that ARPG fans have come to love.” [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2018/08/09/torchlight-frontiers-announcement-trailer"] Torchlight Frontiers was announced back in 2018 as a shared-world action-RPG where players can crawl through dungeons together. IGN came away with a positive impression of the shared world when we previewed Torchlight Frontiers in 2018. However, Echtra seems to believe that a more traditional approach is in order. Instead of going free-to-play, Torchlight 3 will be a purchasable game title with full access to all the playable content. So basically a traditional game release. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2018/08/20/torchlight-frontiers-gameplay-reveal-trailer"] Furthermore, Torchlight 3 will be playable online or off and feature a more linear structure similar to the first two Torchlight games. Torchlight 3 still has online multiplayer and character classes: The Dusk Mage, Forged, and Railmaster. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Kim is a reporter for IGN. You can reach him on Twitter.

Will Marvel’s Next Avengers Villain Be… Moon Knight!?

Though Moon Knight may be a bit of a loner with a more brutal approach to justice than most, he’s still always been a hero. That appears to be changing with April’s Avengers #33, which writer Jason Aaron teased with a blog post titled “Moon Knight vs. the Avengers this April.” That issue marks the start of the "Age of Khonshu" arc pitting Marc Spector against Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. Why is Moon Knight facing off against his former allies? Aaron doesn’t reveal that detail, but he does promise that this story will showcase why Moon Knight is a force to be reckoned with. “If you've ever wanted to see Moon Knight at his most badass, taking on the most powerful, primordial forces of the Marvel Universe, with all his moon-powered fury, then this is the world-shaking, face-breaking arc for you,” Aaron wrote. [caption id="attachment_2293462" align="aligncenter" width="720"]Avengers #33 art by Matteo Scalera. Interior art will be drawn by Javier Garrón. (Image courtesy of Marvel Comics) Avengers #33 art by Matteo Scalera. Interior art will be drawn by Javier Garrón. (Image courtesy of Marvel Comics)[/caption] The story starts when a series of supernatural disturbances start to pop up across the Marvel Universe. “Mummies are rising from their graves. Secret armies march by moonlight, from K’un-Lun to Wakanda to Greenwich Village. A dark god invades Asgard. And the Moon Knight has been unleashed as never before. So begins the Age of Khonshu. So fall the Avengers,” the blog post teases. “This arc has been the main focus of my 2020 so far,” Aaron added. “I'm looking for it to set the tone for everything I wanna do in the Marvel U going forward. In case you can't tell, I'm pretty damn excited about this one.” [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=20-most-anticipated-comics-of-2020&captions=true"] Since Marvel Studios revealed that a Moon Knight show will debut on Disney+, interest in the character has been on the rise, so it’s either lucky happenstance or a well-planned act of corporate synergy that Moon Knight is now the force of antagonism in the next big Avengers comic arc. The subtitle “Age of Khonshu” (named for the Egyptian moon god who empowers Moon Knight) is of course reminiscent of “Age of Apocalypse” and “Age of Ultron,” so Aaron is clearly aiming to evoke the same kind of menace that those iconic villain stories bring with them. Will this inform how Moon Knight is introduced to the Marvel Cinematic Universe? It’s hard to say at this point, but Aaron’s comics work has influenced previous MCU movies -- for example, elements of his Thor villain Gorr the God Butcher (co-created with Esad Ribic) was used for Cate Blanchett’s Hela -- so it wouldn’t be a surprise to see more of his ideas show up on screen. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/01/27/9-facts-and-1-lie-doom-franchise"] In other Marvel news, the release date for The Falcon and the Winter Soldier was moved up, we learned just how sci-fi The Eternals will be, and a pair of animated shows were given the axe at Hulu. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Joshua is Senior Features Editor at IGN. If Pokemon, Green Lantern, or Game of Thrones are frequently used words in your vocabulary, you’ll want to follow him on Twitter @JoshuaYehl and IGN.

Pokemon: Rookie Mom Dominates Tournament, Becomes Social Media Sensation

A tweet about a Pokemon TCG tournament has gone viral thanks to the surprising performance of a mom named Pam (via ComicBook.com). The tweet thread from @CarolineDirectr tells the story of how she invited her mother Pam to join in on her weekend Pokemon tournament at Core TCG in Pasadena, CA -- a pre-release for the new Sword and Shield set. Pam sheepishly asked her daughter if it was okay for her to watch the Pokemon tournament, but Caroline went one further and taught her how to play so she could be a part of the competition. What Caroline likely didn't expect was for her mother to not only beat her when they were pitted against each other in the third round of the tournament but to continue doing well enough to finish in the Top 8. The tournament had upwards of 40 competitors. The final photo shows Pam alongside the other top finishers gleefully holding up her prizes. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=pam-the-pokemoms-pokemon-journey&captions=true"] The story is incredibly sweet in how it shows Pam as just a mom who wants to have fun joining in on her daughter’s game but isn’t too familiar with Pokemon -- “She was calling Raichu ‘Rikkuhchu’ and Salandit ‘Sizzle’ all while owning her opponents,” Caroline tweeted -- yet that didn’t stop her from stomping the competition and coming away from the tournament with a handful of booster packs. Clearly, Pam is a natural. The tweets caught on with Pokemon fans and earned Pam a heap of praise and admiration. Much was made of Pam’s smiling competitive game-face, the last thing her opponent’s saw before their ultimate defeat. pam 1 The new Sword and Shield expansion is ushering in some big rules changes for the TCG, including the removal of Fairy typing from the game. The Sword and Shield video games are expanding with two DLC packs, which will bring numerous Pokemon to the Galar region. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/01/10/how-pokemon-sword-and-shield-dlc-affects-dexit-ign-now"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Joshua is Senior Features Editor at IGN. If Pokemon, Green Lantern, or Game of Thrones are frequently used words in your vocabulary, you’ll want to follow him on Twitter @JoshuaYehl and IGN.

Atari Is Making Hotels Now

Atari, the video game brand currently amid a comeback, has announced its latest venture: hotels. The video game company announced that it will begin development on a line of Atari-themed hotels, with the first one to start construction later this year. Atari announced that it is partnering with the strategy agency GSD Group and Phoenix, Arizona-based real estate developer True North Studio to begin development on a hotel themed after the video game brand. Atari-House-2-1920x1080-1 The plan is to combine a hotel with video game experiences. Atari is promising a “unique lodging experience combining the iconic brand with a one-of-a-kind video game-themed destination.” [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=atari-vcs&captions=true"] Plans include “the latest VR and AR” games as well as “state-of-the-art venues and studios to accommodate esports events,” at select venues. The first hotel location will be in Phoenix, Arizona while additional hotels are being planned in Las Vegas, Denver, Chicago, Austin, Seattle, San Francisco, and San Jose. Since 2017, Atari has been pursuing an aggressive branding operation. The company announced a new console called the Atari VCS which is not a retro console, but a new hardware system that the company says can play games in 4K resolution, HDR, and 60 fps. It has been described as a “less ambitious Steam Machine.” The Atari VCS has encountered some trouble including a delay and the departure of its lead console engineer in 2019. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2015/06/27/history-of-awesome-atari-vcs"] Another product Atari released is the Speaker Hat, a baseball cap with built-in Bluetooth speakers. This hat was released as part of its lifestyle line. So it seems that next to a new console and speaker hat, a hotel is the next logical step for the company. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Kim is a reporter for IGN. He owns an Atari Speaker Hat and you can reach him on Twitter.

Metro Exodus Second Expansion Release Date Announced

Metro Exodus developers have announced that the Sam's Story expansion will release on February 11, 2020, for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PC, and Stadia. After discovering Moscow wasn't the only city left standing after the war, Sam has dreams of finding his family alive. The new Metro Exodus expansion will continue Sam's journey as he attempts to find his way back to the United States. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=all-the-big-games-coming-in-2020&captions=true"] Sam must journey through the, "remains of Vladivostok’s tsunami ravaged harbors, ruined industrial buildings, and crumbling residential districts" and will be required to use, "every tactic he has learned so far to survive." The Metro Exodus Sam's Story will be free to those who own the Expansion Pass, which costs $25 and gives players access to The Two Colonel expansion as well. Additionally, Sam's Story will be the final Metro Exodus expansion. For those who just want to purchase the Sam's Story expansion, it is available for $8. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/02/13/metro-exodus-review"] The first Metro Exodus expansion was released in August 2019, and followed the story of Colonel Khlebnikov and provided more details about the fall of Novosibirsk. Metro Exodus was announced for Game Pass at E3 2019, so if you've yet to play, you can download it for free if you're a subscriber. While you wait for the Sam's Story DLC to drop, be sure to check out IGN's Metro Exodus review. You can also visit our official Metro Exodus wiki page to find information on how to defeat every enemy. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Andrew Smith is a freelance contributor with IGN. Follow him on Twitter @_andrewtsmith.

NBA 2K20 Commemorates Kobe Bryant With In-Game Tribute

On Sunday, January 26, Basketball player Kobe Bryant was killed in a helicopter crash. As tributes continue to go up 2K Games is using its NBA 2K series to honor the basketball player as well. An update has gone live that makes it so that when players start up NBA 2K20, they’ll be greeted with a somber memorial to Kobe Bryant. It’s a simple black and white photo of Bryant, his name, and the years 1978 - 2020. nba_2k20_kobe_tribute Bryant was a cover athlete for NBA 2K10 and has been a playable player for even longer. It’s unknown for how long the tribute will appear upon start-up, but fans are welcoming the tribute online. Elsewhere in NBA 2K20, fans are hosting their own tributes to Bryant. In the online social spaces for NBA 2K20, players are wearing Bryant’s Lakers gear and gathering around the space as if in a virtual vigil. On January 26, Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter Gianna Maria, seven other individuals including the pilot, were killed in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, Los Angeles. The group was on the way to a youth basketball practice in Thousand Oaks. Bryant, a former professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers, retired in 2016. The Lakers retired Bryant’s number 8 and 24 jerseys. Since then there has been an outpour of tributes from fellow NBA players. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Kim is a reporter for IGN. You can reach him on Twitter.  (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)

Resident Evil: Resistance Is Not Canon, Says Capcom

Project Resistance is not official Resident Evil canon, according to Capcom, despite its inclusion in the upcoming Resident Evil 3 remake. Events within the 4v1 multiplayer mode make it "impossible to fit in the actual timeline," Resident Evil 3 producer Peter Fabiano told Official PlayStation Magazine (via GamesRadar). Fabiano instead refers to Resistance as a "fun online experience with connections to the RE Universe," including "familiar enemies and characters like Mastermind." [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=project-resistance-tgs-screenshots&captions=true"] The producer says Resistance and Resident Evil 3 share the thematic tie of characters trying to escape, and for that reason, Capcom bundled the two games together. "You’ll remember that the Japanese subtitle for RE3 was Last Escape," he said. "Both of these titles have characters that are trying to escape somewhere or something, so thematically it made sense." Following a couple teases and a leak, Resistance was unveiled at the Tokyo Game Show in September. The asymmetrical multiplayer mode sees four players trying to survive and escape from a player-controlled Mastermind. You can read IGN's Resident Evil: Resistance hands-on preview for more. Resident Evil 3 was "about 90%" completed as of early January, leading Capcom to declare it won't be delayed. The remake (and Project Resistance) will be released for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC on April 3. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/11/18/project-resistance-5-player-gameplay-in-4k"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jordan is a freelance writer for IGN.

The Witcher Showrunner Shares Her Favourite Season 1 Deleted Scenes

The Witcher showrunner and executive producer Lauren Schmidt Hissrich recently opened up about the deleted scenes that she wished she had kept in Season 1, both of which revolve around fan-favourite character Yennefer. In an interview with Pure Fandom, Hissrich admitted "so many scenes had to be cut from the final episodes", as she detailed two particular scenes that she regretted removing from the hit Netflix show - including one cut clip that championed female friendship through the women of Aretuza, and another that showed Yennefer meeting a young Triss Merigold for the first time. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/12/20/the-witcher-game-vs-netflix-scene-comparison"] "We had a lovely scene in Episode 103 [Betrayer Moon] where Yennefer, Fringilla, and Sabrina all discussed how they felt about their transformations, and looking back, I wish we could have kept it," she told the outlet. "It was such a gorgeous example of female friendship, and it also would have served to ground Fringilla a bit more before she joined Nilfgaard. "We also filmed a scene of Yen meeting a very young Triss, who'd just arrived at Aretuza; it served to show how far Yennefer had come in her years at Aretuza, and created a sense of mentorship between these two sorceresses. Looking ahead at some stories unfolding in Season 2, I wish we still had those scenes! But I'm proud of what we accomplished." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/12/21/the-witcher-season-1-ending-explained"] While Hissrich noted that the addition of these scenes may have helped viewers to understand some of the characters' motivations ahead of Season 2, it appears that the next chapter is already plotted out, as she revealed some of the fantasy elements we can expect to see in the upcoming season, including "a crop of new monsters, a new cost to magic, and new and unexpected pairings of our favourite characters." Hissrich previously revealed all the scripts for The Witcher Season 2 had already been written, though she told us that the pages are "living breathing things," which might go through some changes during pre-production. She also explained that the team are making sure they have "a lot of built-in cushion time" so they don't have to "cram anything in at the last minute," that's why we won't be catching up with Geralt and his comrades until 2021. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-witcher-season-1-images&captions=true"] For more on The Witcher, check out our review of the first season and episode ratings, read our round-up of IGN staff reviews for additional insight, and find out why Netflix decided to adapt the books and not the games. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Adele Ankers is a Freelance Entertainment Journalist. You can reach her on Twitter.

Reggie Fils-Aime Prevented Nintendo From Having a Graffiti Logo

Former Nintendo of America president and CEO Reggie Fils-Aime has revealed that he once stopped Nintendo from having a graffiti logo.

Fils-Aime went on the Present Value Podcast and spoke about a time when Nintendo of America was trying to appeal to a broader, older audience. This involved trying out different looks for the Nintendo logo, including one styled as graffiti.

“When I joined Nintendo, there was a sense of almost shame that Nintendo appealed to young consumers, and the marketing team at Nintendo of America started doing things with the logo - that classic Nintendo logo in an oval - they would put it into graffiti style, or they’d do different things to try and age up the logo, and I put a stop to that because that is not our brand.”

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Fils-Aime joined Nintendo in 2003 and it seems he’s speaking of Nintendo at around that time. The reason he stepped in and put a stop to that marketing approach was because he felt it didn’t match “what the brand stood for.” He then encouraged Nintendo to try to reach an older audience without doing it in “some false way.”

“Systemically, we went through and cleaned up the presentation of the brand, but we also created messaging coupled with content that really broadened the reach, broadened the appeal, and set the stage for all of the great products we would launch like Wii, like Wii Fit, and eventually the Nintendo Switch,” Fils-Aime said.

Fils-Aime retired from Nintendo of America after 15 years with the company back in April 2019. The appropriately named Doug Bowser took over as the new president.

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Fils-Aime now teaches at Cornell University’s Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management in New York, which involves meeting students and discussing “leadership, conscious capitalism, and service” with them.

If you want more from the man then it’s worth reading IGN’s interview with Fils-Aime from October 2019, in which he talks about how he steered Nintendo over the years. IGN also has the eight best Reggie Fils-Aime moments for anyone who needs it.

Originally reported by VG247.

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Chris Priestman is a freelancer who writes news for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.