Blue Beetle Movie Suit Design Shown For the First Time – DC FanDome 2021

The Blue Beetle got an update today at DC Fandome when the company revealed the concept art for the live-action movie suit. The art was revealed during a live interview discussion shown at the event.

You can see the concept art just below.

DC is fast-tracking Blue Beetle for an exclusive HBO Max premiere. The film has cast Xolo Maridueña from Netflix's Cobra Kai to lead DC's first Mexican-led superhero movie. The studio also tapped Charm City Kings director Angel Manuel Soto as the director working off a script from Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer.

The film will follow Mexican-American teen Jaime Reyes, the third person to don the Blue Beetle title.

For more from DC Fandome check out IGN for all the latest reveals and announcements.

Kat Bailey is a Senior News Editor at IGN

You Can Buy an Official Superman Hat… for $750 – DC FanDome 2021

FanDome 2021 is a good time for DC fans to see the latest updates on your favorite TV shows and movies, including any media feature Superman. If you are a fan of the Man of Steel and looking to add more official mech into your collection, Cam Newton announced today that hat company, Meshika has partnered with DC to create an official Superman hat, starting at a steep $750 retail price.

The Meshika x Superman hat collaboration is a limited edition collection available as part of this year's DC FanDome event. The collection itself features four hats with a starting price of $750 with the most expensive hats costing $950. Each one of the hats are handcrafted

Each hat in the collection offers a distinct color and design based on one of the most popular superheroes in DC Comics. There's even a "Clark Kent" hat that includes a limited edition Superman Collectors Card and Pins with "Press Pass" printed.

While these hats are pretty pricey, each hat includes a limited edition Superman lining with a few hats offering a comic print lining. Nevertheless, if you are a megafan of Superman like Cam Newton, this might be enough reason to justify purchasing one of these fedoras for your collection.

Taylor is the Associate Tech Editor at IGN. You can follow her on Twitter @TayNixster.

You Can Buy an Official Superman Hat… for $750 – DC FanDome 2021

FanDome 2021 is a good time for DC fans to see the latest updates on your favorite TV shows and movies, including any media feature Superman. If you are a fan of the Man of Steel and looking to add more official mech into your collection, Cam Newton announced today that hat company, Meshika has partnered with DC to create an official Superman hat, starting at a steep $750 retail price.

The Meshika x Superman hat collaboration is a limited edition collection available as part of this year's DC FanDome event. The collection itself features four hats with a starting price of $750 with the most expensive hats costing $950. Each one of the hats are handcrafted

Each hat in the collection offers a distinct color and design based on one of the most popular superheroes in DC Comics. There's even a "Clark Kent" hat that includes a limited edition Superman Collectors Card and Pins with "Press Pass" printed.

While these hats are pretty pricey, each hat includes a limited edition Superman lining with a few hats offering a comic print lining. Nevertheless, if you are a megafan of Superman like Cam Newton, this might be enough reason to justify purchasing one of these fedoras for your collection.

Taylor is the Associate Tech Editor at IGN. You can follow her on Twitter @TayNixster.

The Flash: First Footage Teases Michael Keaton’s Batman and Batmobile – DC FanDome 2021

We've not only got our first look at The Flash's solo movie today, but also a tease of Michael Keaton's Batman and Batmobile.

Shown off at DC FanDome 2021, Flash star Ezra Miller introduced our first look at The Flash, saying the movie will hit theaters later next year. You can watch the full teaser below.

In the footage, we saw a few shots of what looks like Wayne Manor. We also saw a look at Keaton's cowl, as Batman looked out over the Batcave. The sneak peek then cut to Miller's Barry Allen, who was joined by Sasha Calle's Supergirl, and what appears to be another version of the Flash also played by Miller. The trailer ends with the Flash pulling the cover off of what looked like Keaton's iteration of the Batmobile.

It's been a long and troubled road to get here for The Flash. First announced in 2014, Ezra Miller has always been attached in the lead role, the movie has lost two directors, been delayed, gotten a complete rewrite, and been involved in an acrimonious bust-up between Warner Bros. and Cyborg actor Ray Fisher.

Touted as a version of the classic DC Flashpoint story, the story will apparently "restart everything" in the DC cinematic universe. Alongside Miller, we'll be getting Calle as Supergirl, Keaton returning as Batman, and Ben Affleck as a whole other Batman, who did not appear in the first-look trailer.

For more on The Flash, check out why Flashpoint is the perfect reboot for the DCEU.

Logan Plant is a freelance writer for IGN. You can find him on Twitter @LoganJPlant.

The Flash: First Footage Teases Michael Keaton’s Batman and Batmobile – DC FanDome 2021

We've not only got our first look at The Flash's solo movie today, but also a tease of Michael Keaton's Batman and Batmobile.

Shown off at DC FanDome 2021, Flash star Ezra Miller introduced our first look at The Flash, saying the movie will hit theaters later next year. You can watch the full teaser below.

In the footage, we saw a few shots of what looks like Wayne Manor. We also saw a look at Keaton's cowl, as Batman looked out over the Batcave. The sneak peek then cut to Miller's Barry Allen, who was joined by Sasha Calle's Supergirl, and what appears to be another version of the Flash also played by Miller. The trailer ends with the Flash pulling the cover off of what looked like Keaton's iteration of the Batmobile.

It's been a long and troubled road to get here for The Flash. First announced in 2014, Ezra Miller has always been attached in the lead role, the movie has lost two directors, been delayed, gotten a complete rewrite, and been involved in an acrimonious bust-up between Warner Bros. and Cyborg actor Ray Fisher.

Touted as a version of the classic DC Flashpoint story, the story will apparently "restart everything" in the DC cinematic universe. Alongside Miller, we'll be getting Calle as Supergirl, Keaton returning as Batman, and Ben Affleck as a whole other Batman, who did not appear in the first-look trailer.

For more on The Flash, check out why Flashpoint is the perfect reboot for the DCEU.

Logan Plant is a freelance writer for IGN. You can find him on Twitter @LoganJPlant.

Analogue Pocket Will Come With an Operating System Designed to Let You ‘Play Through History’

Analogue, Inc. has announced Analogue OS, a new operating system that will be included in its upcoming gaming handheld, the Pocket.

Analogue OS will allow players to "explore, discover, and play through all of video game history." The company notes that the operating system has been developed from the ground up with the end goal of becoming a scholarly database for "all of video game history." Analogue OS will have a library that stores these games, allowing you to search for a game by platform, region, developer, and publisher and play these games on the Pocket.

Analogue OS' library will take full advantage of the proprietary technology created by the company to perform several things, including the ability to read physical game cartridges and detect all possible information on the game cartridge. For example, if you insert a cartridge for a game like Pokémon Red or Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening, the Analogue OS will allow you to find out what revision of the game you are playing and all the details that were changed for this revision.

Game preservation has become more of a hot topic in recent years as some parts of video game history are at risk of disappearing forever. There are multiple reasons for it, such as cartridge rot or developers losing a game's source code. Analogue, Inc. envisions building out its operating system to become "the great library of Alexandria of video game databases."

The operating system will also include save states, allowing you to save and load a game cartridge and pick up exactly where you left off. Analogue, Inc. also confirmed that the OS is optimized to play in both handheld and docked mode, the latter can output 1080p on an LCD or OLED display via HDMI or a connection to a CRT/PVM.

Analogue OS will also include features, such as the ability to capture and save screenshots, create your own box art, and even track your gameplay progress, by showing you key stats including what days you played a particular game and how long you played. Unfortunately many of Analogue OS' features like the Library and Tracking will not be available at launch with some of these features slated to come as early as update 1.1.

Analogue Pocket is currently slated to release sometime this December.

Taylor is the Associate Tech Editor at IGN. You can follow her on Twitter @TayNixster.

Unique Kickstarter Game Boy Game Needs Two Cartridges to Play

The Shapeshifter 2 is an upcoming game for the Game Boy (Yup, you read correctly) that requires two cartridges to play. And it has already passed its Kickstarter goal.

Solo developer Greenboy Games has been keeping the spirit of the Game Boy alive by making indie games specifically for physical cartridges. The first Shapeshifter game was developed for both the Game Boy and NES. And now with about a month and a half to go the sequel, Shapeshifter 2, has raised over $57,000 on an initial goal of just under $7,000.

Dana Puch is the lone developer who has been running Greenboy Games since 2018. The Shapeshifter 2 is just the latest Game Boy-based game from the developer, but it's also set to be Greenboy Games' most ambitious.

"I'm very in love with the classic old school adventures like Monkey Island, Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis, The Dig, and [other] classic PC games," Dana told IGN. "And, of course, I'm deeply in love with the Game Boy. I have the entire collection of Game Boy games, so it's like the perfect match."

The website describes the game as, "an Old-School Adventure game, reminiscent of classics like 'Monkey Island', and is the first and only Game Boy game that requires 2 cartridges to play!"

The game takes inspiration from choose-your-own-adventure novels, in which the story can greatly change depending on your choices. In this game, the choice the player makes may require them to swap out the cartridge to continue the story. There is also a 'ROM Only' tier in which two separate ROM files replace the individual Game Boy carts.

Dana notes the game is still in the early stages of development. You can check out a trailer for the game on Kickstarter.

There's plenty of love for Nintendo's old handhelds over on Kickstarter right now. Goodboy Galaxy, an upcoming Metroidvania for GBA, smashed its Kickstarter goal. And, a Game Boy Color game will finally see the light of day after decades of development hell.

Logan Plant is a freelance writer for IGN. You can find him on Twitter @LoganJPlant.

FIFA Challenges EA’s Soccer Monopoly In New Statement

For more than a decade now, EA's FIFA franchise has had a virtual monopoly in the video game soccer space, overshadowing Pro Evolution Soccer while raking in hundreds of millions dollars from FIFA Ultimate Team. But recent events is putting that dominance under threat, with FIFA issuing a release saying future games "must" involve more than party.

In the new statement, FIFA pronounced itself "bullish" over "the future of gaming and esports." The statement also appeared to explicitly denounce the current state of the football gaming market, which has been ruled by EA for years now.

"FIFA is bullish and excited about the future in gaming and eSports for football, and it is clear that this needs to be a space that is occupied by more than one party controlling all rights," the statement read.

"Technology and mobile companies are now actively competing to be associated with FIFA, its platforms, and global tournaments. Consequently, FIFA is engaging with various industry players, including developers, investors and analysts, to build out a long-term view of the gaming, eSports and interactive entertainment sector. The outcome will ensure that FIFA has a range of suitable parties with specialist capabilities to actively shape the best possible experiences and offerings for fans and consumers."

This does not necessarily mean the end of EA's soccer franchise as we know it. EA negotiates licensing deals with individual clubs and leagues, and recently inked long-term detail with FIFPRO, a professional soccer association that will give EA access to the names and likenesses of thousands of players around the globe.

Its biggest impact is apt to be on the name itself. FIFA reportedly wants to charge EA $1 billion every four years to continue using its name, which EA has used since the mid-90s. EA is reportedly looking into changing FIFA's name to "EA Sports FC" in response.

FIFA's statement also opens the door for more competition from other major developers. At present, EA's only real competition is Konami's recently-rebranded eFootball, which was disastrously rebooted as a free-to-play release rife with glitches and other problems. 2K Sports and Sony San Diego are two of the other major players in the sports gaming business, though neither of them have shown any interest in jumping into soccer to this point.

In its own statement, EA wrote, "The breadth of our partnerships and our ecosystem of licensed content will enable us to continue to bring unrivaled authenticity in our EA SPORTS football games, now and for many years to come. As we look ahead, we’re also exploring the idea of renaming our global EA SPORTS football games. This means we're reviewing our naming rights agreement with FIFA, which is separate from all our other official partnerships and licenses across the football world."

What happens, it seems like the sports gaming landscape is set to undergo a dramatic shift as stakeholders like FIFA begin to realize just how lucrative EA's games can be. In the meantime, you can read our review of FIFA 22 right here.

Kat Bailey is a Senior News Editor at IGN and an unfortunate West Ham supporter

Steam Bans Blockchain Games That Issue NFTs or Cryptocurrency

Games that feature blockchain technology that allows for the exchange of NFTs or cryptocurrency will no longer be allowed on Steam.

According to a new rule on Steam's partner onboarding page, Valve says distributors shouldn't publish, "applications built on blockchain technology that issue or allow exchange of cryptocurrencies or NFTs."

Age of Rust, a game that involves players collecting in-game NFTs, says Steam informed them that they're kicking "all blockchain games off the platform, including Age of Rust, because NFTs have value."

NFT stands for "non-fungible token," and they are digital assets that are sold and bought online. NFTs can take many forms, but they have become increasingly popular as digital art. Artists can create a piece of digital artwork, register it as an NFT, and sell a limited number of them.

You can think of it as building a collection of paintings, trading cards, or other collectibles, only in the digital space. In video games, NFTs could take the form of in-game collectibles, skins, and more.

According to Age of Rust, Steam doesn't want to allow items on the platform that can have real-world value. IGN has reached out to Valve for comment, and we will update this article when we hear back.

For more on Valve, check out our impressions of the Steam Deck, Valve's handheld gaming PC.

Logan Plant is a freelance writer for IGN. You can find him on Twitter @LoganJPlant.

The Batman: Zoë Kravitz’s Selina Kyle Revealed Ahead Of DC FanDome 2021

With DC FanDome 2021 set to kick off tomorrow, The Batman director Matt Reeves offered fans a bit of teaser of what to expect by revealing an official photo of Zoë Kratiz as Catwoman.

"Meet Selina Kyle... See more of her tomorrow at DC FanDome," Reeves wrote in a tweet that quickly went viral.

The image is fairly simple: a shot of Kravitz in a tank top sporting heavy eyeliner. She appears to be looking at someone, possibly Robert Pattinson's Batman, who she referred to as her "partner in crime" early last year.

With a brand new trailer for The Batman set to be shown at DC FanDome tomorrow, the Catwoman reveal is part of the marketing drumbeat leading up to the big event. Earlier today, two new posters were revealed for The Batman, with a short teaser appearing yesterday.

It's a big moment for Batman fans, who have been waiting patiently for their favorite hero to return. Like so many other movies in 2020, The Batman was derailed by the COVID-19 pandemic. To prepare for the role of Catwoman, Kravitz was forced to train virtually five days a week.

Interestingly, this isn't Kravitz's first turn as Catwoman. She previously portrayed Batman's on-again, off-again foe and love interest in The Lego Batman Movie. We'll get to see how her performance translates to real life when The Batman releases on March 4, 2022.

In the meantime, stay tuned for all of IGN's DC FanDome 2021 coverage, which kicks off tomorrow starting at 9:30am PT/12:30pm ET.

Kat Bailey is a Senior News Editor at IGN