Is Die Hard a Christmas movie? Ever since 1988, action flick aficionados have been arguing about the true holiday spirit of John McClane's first big adventure. Despite releasing in the summer of '88, Die Hard features a surprising amount of Christmas cheer, tunes, and a bit of blood-soaked "ho, ho, hos."

It's no marketing mistake, either. According to DISH, 2.4 million people watched Die Hard during the Christmas season in 2016, and 1.3 million of those are on Christmas Eve. On TV, Die Hard is watched more than Christmas classics like Home Alone, Miracle on 34th Street, or The Santa Clause.

Still, the debate rages on! So we asked you, the holly jolly IGN audience, to vote on whether or not Die Hard is a Christmas movie. 23,133 of you voted, and the final verdict is in. Check out the result below.

Is Die Hard a Christmas Movie?

Yes, Definitely - 18,011 votes (77.9%)

No, stop with this madness - 5,122 votes (22.1%)

Winner: Die Hard is a Christmas movie

All told, 18,011 people voted that Die Hard is a Christmas movie, making for a whopping 77.9% of the total voter base. A less impressive, but by no means insignificant, 5,122 people voted that Die Hard is not a Christmas movie, totaling 22.1%.

Clearly, film lovers and Christmas fanatics are in favor of Die Hard's holiday status. To be fair, there's some precedent in their favor. Besides the fact that Die Hard takes place during a Christmas company party, the score includes Run D.M.C.'s "Christmas in Hollis," and even the final line (from McClane's sidekick limo driver Argyle) references Christmas.

It's also not unusual for certain films to become Christmas classics simply because audiences love to watch them during the holidays, despite not actually being terribly focused on December 25.

It's a Wonderful Life, the 1947 feel-good classic that helped inspire the "what would life be like if I didn't exist" trope, was a huge commercial failure until it accidentally entered public domain and became an easy pick for television rotation. The movie doesn't even switch gears to the Christmas season until about an hour and forty minutes into its 2 hour 10 minute runtime. Then there's movies like Batman Returns, a "Christmas" movie about a homicidal Danny DeVito who exacts vengeance on Gotham during the holidays, as well as Gremlins, Iron Man 3, and Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.

The only thing working against the vote is that Bruce Willis said in 2018 that Die Hard isn't a Christmas movie. Let's be honest, though, that opinion is probably just a defense against countless press junkets and Die Hard diehards asking him the same question over and over again.

Point being, there's no scientific formula to what makes Die Hard a Christmas movie, but having 18,011 people agreeing with you is definitely a good start. It's all about what vibes you want to feel while the snow falls, the cocoa cools, and the machine guns rattle.

Joseph Knoop is a writer/producer/Die Hard diehard for IGN

Jurassic Park director Steven Spielberg wasn’t prepared for the emotional reunion of his original characters in Jurassic World: Dominion. During an interview with Empire Magazine, director Colin Trevorrow revealed that a scene in the upcoming Jurassic World: Dominion proved to be quite poignant.

“The moment everybody shows up for the first time together, they’re all packed into a Jeep,” he said. “And I took a picture of it and I sent it to Steven [Spielberg]. He got very emotional. I don’t think even he was prepared for how moving it would be to see all of those characters that he loves, and people that he loves, looking incredible and on an adventure together.”

Jurassic World: Dominion sees Sam Neill, Laura Dern and Jeff Goldblum back together on the big screen for the first time since Jurassic Park was originally released in 1993. But they won’t be going it alone – this time, teaming up with the likes of Jurassic World newbies, Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard.

“A movie like this, with our legacy characters playing as large a role as our modern characters, it’s challenging to bring it all together in a way that has momentum, and also isn’t a five-hour-long movie,” said Trevorrow. "It was nice to have the time to make sure that every character is honoured in the way that they need to be.”

Jurassic World: Dominion will apparently conclude both Jurassic Park and Jurassic World trilogies, with a story that takes place four years after the events of Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom. This time around, the world is forced to deal with invasive dinosaur species after the park’s genetically altered inhabitants were sold off to companies around the world.

Seems a bit far-fetched but we’re gonna stick with it.

Still, with a variety of new dinosaurs on the rampage, it sounds as though our heroes are going to have their hands full. 65 million years in the making, Jurassic World: Dominion may well be the epic conclusion we’ve been waiting for.

Jurassic World: Dominion will debut in theatres on June 10, 2022.

Ryan Leston is an entertainment journalist and film critic for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.

When it comes to tech, the major trends of 2021 were as much about what didn’t happen than what did. A year into the ninth generation of gaming consoles, the top story of the year is a chip shortage that’s continued to cause headaches and supply strains (with no sign of relief for at least another year). Even so, we’ve seen some exciting announcements and advancements that lay the groundwork for next year and beyond. Here are the biggest tech stories of 2021.

The Chip Shortage

If you have been trying to purchase any of the most popular gaming gadgets this year, you’re probably familiar with these two words: “semiconductor shortage.” Global supply chain problems stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic have limited the supply of the components needed for high-end electronics worldwide, causing manufacturing delays and production shortages on consumer products across the board. The ripples of the shortage can be felt in everything from rising inflation to Final Fantasy XIV server queues, but PC graphics cards and the PS5 and Xbox Series X have been hit especially hard, making it nearly impossible to find these high-ticket items at their advertised prices.

Unfortunately, there’s no end in sight, as many industry leaders have said that the chip shortage will extend through 2022 and likely into 2023.

Ninth-Generation Consoles: One Year Later

It’s been more than a year since Microsoft and Sony kicked off a new generation of gaming consoles with the release of the Xbox Series X and PS5, but they remain some of the most desirable and difficult-to-find gadgets on the market today. The ongoing chip shortage has kept stock in short supply, and when they do hit digital store shelves, they’re quickly snatched up by bots to be resold with a huge markup. Nevertheless, both consoles have sold big numbers in their first year, and their futures look promising.

For folks who have managed to snag a console, we’ve seen a steady trickle of hardware and software improvements throughout the year. One of the biggest issues both consoles were criticized for at launch was the minimal internal storage sizes, particularly for the PS5, which has just 667GB of usable space and launched without a means of expanding it. This past summer, Sony finally rolled out a firmware update that allows PS5 owners to open up their console and install their own M.2 SSD to expand the storage. While it seems intimidating for some, the process is fairly straightforward, and a slew of SSD options are available. Meanwhile, on the Microsoft side, additional configurations for the proprietary storage expansion card have hit the market, giving Xbox Series X users more options for contending with a growing library of game installs.

Peripheral support continues to grow as well. The Xbox Design Lab returned, letting folks build customized Xbox controllers with personalized color schemes, rubber grips, and metallic finishes on the triggers and d-pad. The PS5 got some personality this year too, as Sony rolled out a handful of new DualSense and console faceplate colorways.

Also on the Sony front, the PS5 finally has an answer to the Xbox Elite, thanks to third-party controller-maker Scuf, which announced the Reflex Pro, a PS5 controller with remappable back paddles, interchangeable thumbsticks, and customizable colors. It’s a welcome addition to the controller landscape, and something we hope more companies will follow suit with in 2022.

The Revival of Gaming Handhelds

The mega-hit Nintendo Switch made sure that handheld gaming never truly died, but recently a handful of newcomers have come into the fold, each with its own distinct approach to gaming off the big screen.

Most notable is the Valve Steam Deck, a handheld gaming PC that will run SteamOS. When it arrives, it promises to finally give PC gamers a way to take their game libraries on the go (or to the couch). Steam Deck was announced with a launch date for this holiday season, but that same chip shortage caused that date to slip into early 2022.

Steam Deck wasn’t the year’s only exciting handheld, though. The long-awaited Analogue Pocket is a sleek handheld that plays Game Boy cartridges without emulation, and it finally launched its first wave of units in December. More are on the way, but – yup, because of the chip shortage again – they’re now $20 more expensive and will be shipping in waves on a first-come, first-served basis: first in early 2022, followed by late 2022.

Finally, we have the Playdate, a quirky little handheld you can recharge with a mechanical crank on the side. It plays a selection of experimental or otherwise non-traditional games from notable indie developers. It was supposed to come out this year, but it too has been pushed into 2022.

Regardless of the launch dates or their particular approaches, these new devices, alongside the continued success of the Switch and its brand-new OLED model, shows a real renaissance in the handheld gaming space.

Cloud Gaming Makes Major Strides

Cloud gaming is nothing new, but 2021 saw this emerging tech make major strides.

In October, Nvidia announced a new subscription tier for its GeForce Now platform that effectively lets you rent a PC with an RTX 3080. While cloud gaming still comes with its own share of hiccups, access to that level of power is welcome considering how difficult it’s been to buy an RTX 30-series graphics card in real life.

As for Microsoft, it’s been building a lot of momentum with Xbox Cloud Gaming. The service launched on Android devices last year, but in 2021 it rolled out to Apple devices, the Xbox PC app, and Xbox consoles. That increasing device support means more and more folks have a pain-free way to try the service out and experience a game without the need for local gaming hardware that’s hard to buy right now. It also means that new-gen exclusives like Starfield will be playable on Xbox One, or your phone.

Again, cloud gaming is not without its quirks – namely, it’s completely dependent on the quality of your internet connection. The medium has a long way to go before it could fully supplant traditional console or PC hardware in most gamers’ living rooms – if we ever even get to that point at all – but the support and growth on both the device and platform level show that cloud gaming will continue to be an important piece of the gaming landscape in the years to come.

Invincible fans have something to look forward to on top of the news that Amazon has ordered two more seasons of the animated superhero series. Diamond Select Toys is releasing a second series of figures inspired by the show, and IGN has an exclusive first look.

Check out the slideshow gallery below for a closer look at the Atom Eve and Robot figures, along with the previously revealed Invincible Series 1 wave:

Like most DST figures, Atom Eve and Robot are designed in a 7-inch scale. Each figure was sculpted by Chris Dahlberg to mimic the show's animation style. The figures feature 16 points of articulation and come with accessories and interchangeable parts (like an alternate head for Eve and chest plate for Robot).

These figures are priced at $24.99 each and are slated for release in Summer 2022. Pre-orders aren't open quite yet, but both figures will be available to purchase as a set and individually on Diamond's website beginning on Thursday, December 23.

Whether you prefer the animated series or the original Invincible comic, these figures mark the first time a company has tackled the franchise's full roster. Previously, McFarlane Toys released comic book-inspired versions of Invincible himself and Atom Eve.

Invincible's first season made a strong impression in 2021. IGN's Siddhant Adlahka scored Season 1 an 8 in his review, writing "After a shaky start, Invincible’s first season gradually finds its footing, and eventually ends on a stunning high. Based on the early 2000s Image comic, the show combines familiar superhero tropes with unexpected gore and moving character dynamics, resulting in the year’s most surprising superhero series."

Invincible was also among the shows nominated for IGN's Best Comic Book TV Series of 2021, though another contender wound up earning the top honor.

Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter.

Dark Horse Comics, the publisher behind Frank Miller’s Sin City, has become part of the Embracer Group.

The popular publishing company – the third-largest comics publisher in the US – was acquired by the Embracer Group today as part of its rapid expansion, with many more companies in its sights.

“I can’t express the excitement I feel as Dark Horse moves into this new chapter in our history,” said Dark Horse CEO, Mike Richardson. “The synergies that exist with the Embracer network of companies promises exciting new opportunities not only for Dark Horse, but also for the creators and companies we work with.”

Dark Horse Comics is also known for Alien, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Conan and Star Wars comics, while the Embracer Group has been snapping up games studios. It currently owns Gearbox Entertainment, Koch Media, Saber Interactive and THQ Nordic among many, many others.

This move opens up a whole world of possibilities for the newly acquired comic publisher.

“Dark Horse’s growing library includes over 300 compelling intellectual properties,” reads the official statement. “With a structure and proven ability to produce IP, partner with top creative talent, and create brands and global hits, Dark Horse is in a strong position in a market where entertainment content is in high demand.”

The proof, they say, is in the pudding – the company has over 40 projects ongoing with the likes of Netflix, Amazon, Syfy, Sony, MGM, Universal and Warner Media. Dark Horse is producing The Witcher comic book series as well as cool memorabilia items such as its recent Geralt vs the Kikimora statue, depicting the opening fight from The Witcher TV series.

Of course, sharing IP goes both ways, with the Embracer Group keen to develop new games based on properties owned by Dark Horse Comics.

“Additionally, there is untapped potential in creating games based on Dark Horse IP and substantial opportunity for synergies within the Embracer group, both within the Dark Horse Comics and Dark Horse Entertainment.”

What will this entail? For now, we’ll have to wait and see. But with titles such as The Mask, Time Cop, and Ghost on their hands, we could see some interesting new games in years to come.

Thumbnail image credit: Dark Horse Comics.

The Witcher's second season debuted last week, marking the return of Geralt, Ciri, Yennefer, and all the rest. As part of the festivities, Netflix Geeked hosted a spoiler-filled The Witcher Unlocked conversation, in which host Felicia Day spoke with the cast about their individual characters.

Per usual, Henry Cavill had plenty of thoughts on Geralt, discussing his character's relationship with Ciri and Yennefer and other developments. For fans just finishing up the second season, he also expressed his wishes for Geralt as The Witcher heads into Season 3, which is almost fully written.

Warning: This article contains spoilers for The Witcher Season 2

Talking about which character he would like to see developed further, Cavill highlighted Nenneke, an important character from the books described as part of Geralt's "chosen family."

"To be true to the books, I think there's a chance to explore the Nenneke relationship a little further," Cavill says. "Of course, I would love to work with the Witchers some more, but it all depends on how much the story allows. I'm a huge fan of the books and staying loyal to them, and it's about making sure that story happens without too much in the way of diversions or side things going on to muddy the waters."

Geralt spends the bulk of the second season bonding with Ciri, who is his surrogate daughter. He also reunites with Yennefer, who has her own plans for Ciri as part of her quest to regain her powers.

Talking about how Geralt's relationship with Yennefer at the end of the season, Cavill said, "I mean, [Yennefer's actions were] pretty extreme, so it's a tough one to forgive. It's going to take some real l work, some nuance, some complexity."

Anya Chalotra, who portrays Yennefer in The Witcher, also had thoughts on the direction she expects Yennefer to take in The Witcher's third season. "It's habitual, isn't it? She's how old, and she's lived the kind of life she's lived, and, you know, the rules that she lives by, and that's the end, and she doesn't trust anybody, and it's going to be hard to just delve into a new way of being. She might have learned to consider things more, but in the moment, in such a violent world, you have to watch out for yourself as well."

There's plenty more to be found in the interview, including Ciri actress Freya Allan's reaction to the season's big reveal, and their favorite scenes from Season 2. In the meantime, you can read our review of The Witcher's first six episodes, where we call it a meaningful step forward despite some lingering issues.

For more info on the new season of The Witcher, check our explanation of Season 2's ending, and how filming the second season nearly derailed Henry Cavill's career as an action star.

Kat Bailey is a Senior News Editor for IGN

The Witcher's second season debuted last week, marking the return of Geralt, Ciri, Yennefer, and all the rest. As part of the festivities, Netflix Geeked hosted a spoiler-filled The Witcher Unlocked conversation, in which host Felicia Day spoke with the cast about their individual characters.

Per usual, Henry Cavill had plenty of thoughts on Geralt, discussing his character's relationship with Ciri and Yennefer and other developments. For fans just finishing up the second season, he also expressed his wishes for Geralt as The Witcher heads into Season 3, which is almost fully written.

Warning: This article contains spoilers for The Witcher Season 2

Talking about which character he would like to see developed further, Cavill highlighted Nenneke, an important character from the books described as part of Geralt's "chosen family."

"To be true to the books, I think there's a chance to explore the Nenneke relationship a little further," Cavill says. "Of course, I would love to work with the Witchers some more, but it all depends on how much the story allows. I'm a huge fan of the books and staying loyal to them, and it's about making sure that story happens without too much in the way of diversions or side things going on to muddy the waters."

Geralt spends the bulk of the second season bonding with Ciri, who is his surrogate daughter. He also reunites with Yennefer, who has her own plans for Ciri as part of her quest to regain her powers.

Talking about how Geralt's relationship with Yennefer at the end of the season, Cavill said, "I mean, [Yennefer's actions were] pretty extreme, so it's a tough one to forgive. It's going to take some real l work, some nuance, some complexity."

Anya Chalotra, who portrays Yennefer in The Witcher, also had thoughts on the direction she expects Yennefer to take in The Witcher's third season. "It's habitual, isn't it? She's how old, and she's lived the kind of life she's lived, and, you know, the rules that she lives by, and that's the end, and she doesn't trust anybody, and it's going to be hard to just delve into a new way of being. She might have learned to consider things more, but in the moment, in such a violent world, you have to watch out for yourself as well."

There's plenty more to be found in the interview, including Ciri actress Freya Allan's reaction to the season's big reveal, and their favorite scenes from Season 2. In the meantime, you can read our review of The Witcher's first six episodes, where we call it a meaningful step forward despite some lingering issues.

For more info on the new season of The Witcher, check our explanation of Season 2's ending, and how filming the second season nearly derailed Henry Cavill's career as an action star.

Kat Bailey is a Senior News Editor for IGN

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings director Destin Daniel Cretton was already responsible for bringing Hong Kong legend Tony Leung into the MCU. But with a sequel on its way, Cretton has eyes on another icon: Jackie Chan.

With Shang-Chi 2 officially announced, all eyes are on what new martial arts adventure Cretton and star Simu Liu will bring to the MCU. Given the cast for the first film included Leung and Michelle Yeoh, the bar is already set high. But if Cretton had his way he’d try and bring Jackie Chan into the MCU next.

“I mean, if we could ever get Jackie [Chan] into a movie that would be a lifelong dream of mine,” Cretton says in an interview with CinemaBlend.

Jackie Chan is an action movie legend best known for doing his own stunts on iconic films like Police Story, Drunken Master, and Rush Hour among others (his filmography is massive). While a villain is typically how big named stars enter the MCU, Shang-Chi’s focus on family could lead to plenty of possibilities.

How Chan could factor into a new Shang-Chi movie is up in the air, though Cretton says work is already underway. “We’re in the very early stages of brainstorming and figuring out what direction we want to go,” Cretton told IGN in a recent interview.

Alongside the sequel, Cretton is also developing a Disney+ series, but can’t reveal any details about the project.

Shang-Chi was one of our favorite movies of the year and was a nominee for IGN’s Best Movie of 2021. Check out our Shang-Chi review for our full take on the martial arts MCU outing.

Matt T.M. Kim is IGN's News Editor. You can reach him @lawoftd.

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings director Destin Daniel Cretton was already responsible for bringing Hong Kong legend Tony Leung into the MCU. But with a sequel on its way, Cretton has eyes on another icon: Jackie Chan.

With Shang-Chi 2 officially announced, all eyes are on what new martial arts adventure Cretton and star Simu Liu will bring to the MCU. Given the cast for the first film included Leung and Michelle Yeoh, the bar is already set high. But if Cretton had his way he’d try and bring Jackie Chan into the MCU next.

“I mean, if we could ever get Jackie [Chan] into a movie that would be a lifelong dream of mine,” Cretton says in an interview with CinemaBlend.

Jackie Chan is an action movie legend best known for doing his own stunts on iconic films like Police Story, Drunken Master, and Rush Hour among others (his filmography is massive). While a villain is typically how big named stars enter the MCU, Shang-Chi’s focus on family could lead to plenty of possibilities.

How Chan could factor into a new Shang-Chi movie is up in the air, though Cretton says work is already underway. “We’re in the very early stages of brainstorming and figuring out what direction we want to go,” Cretton told IGN in a recent interview.

Alongside the sequel, Cretton is also developing a Disney+ series, but can’t reveal any details about the project.

Shang-Chi was one of our favorite movies of the year and was a nominee for IGN’s Best Movie of 2021. Check out our Shang-Chi review for our full take on the martial arts MCU outing.

Matt T.M. Kim is IGN's News Editor. You can reach him @lawoftd.

After saving the moon of Pandora, what's left but to have a few kids and settle down? That's at least one question James Cameron's Avatar 2 is banking on. In a new interview with producer Jon Landau (Titanic, Avatar), Empire reported new details on former human Jake and Na'vi Neytiri's new mixed-species family.

The new family includes three Na'vi children named Neteyam (Jamie Flatters), Tuktirey (Trinity Bliss), Lo’ak (Britain Dalton). More importantly, the couple has also adopted a human son named Miles Sorocco AKA "Spider," played by Jack Champion. Check out an official teaser image of Spider in the tweet below.

Say hello to #Avatar2’s new human character, Spider – a child adopted by Na’vi parents Jake and Neytiri.

Producer Jon Landau tells Empire how he fits into the family story at the heart of the long-awaited sequel. Read more here: https://t.co/oh0fGB73O6 pic.twitter.com/qcFc2DYT08

— Empire Magazine (@empiremagazine) December 20, 2021

That mixed-species dynamic will reportedly play an important role in the family conflict throughout Avatar 2.

“Jake took him in but Neytiri always saw him as one of the people who destroyed her home and killed her father,” Landau told Empire. “So you have all these dynamics playing out.”

Landau also compared the family makeup to real-life mixed-race families learning how to handle racial issues in society.

“If you look at what Jim does in his movies, he writes in universal themes that are bigger than the genre of any one movie,” Landau said. “This time around, we’re taking Jake and Neytiri and building the most universal theme of all around them. Which is family. Jake comes from the human world, Neytiri from the Na’vi world. So, they’re like a modern mixed-race couple, raising kids who perhaps feel they don’t belong to one world or another.”

Avatar 2 is due out December 16, 2022, after 13 years of production and various delays. We got a very similar look at the Spider character last week when the official Avatar Twitter account and EW posted four new photos from the film set, one of which included Jack Champion partially submerged in water taking directions from Cameron.

Filming on Avatar 2 and 3 previously wrapped up this September. Avatar 3 is due out on December 20, 2024, Avatar 4 in December 2026, and Avatar 5 in December 2028. At some point in 2022, Ubisoft plans on releasing Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, a video game adaptation, a first-person open-world action-adventure game.

Joseph Knoop is a writer/producer for IGN.