John Swartzwelder is both a beloved and enigmatic figure in Simpsons lore. Responsible for more scripts than any other writer in Simpsons history — 59 in total — he played a crucial role in developing the show's voice. But as something of a recluse, he's almost never given interviews, lending him an almost mythic aura in Simpsons history. So when Swartzwelder finally broke his silence to speak with The New Yorker over the weekend, it was big news. In the wide-ranging interview, Swartzwelder addressed many of the most famous legends from over the years, from supposedly applying for Late Night With Dave Letterman by handing in a three-by-five card containing a single joke (Swartzwelder denies it) to his time on SNL. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2015/08/20/history-of-awesome-the-simpsons"] Naturally, it was Swartzwelder's lengthy stint with the The Simpsons that garnered the most attention. He spoke honestly but fondly of his time on the show, praising the talent in the writing room, and revealing some of his secrets for producing beloved scripts like Homer vs. the Eighteenth Amendment. He also addressed some of the biggest legends surrounding his time at The Simpsons. For example, the rumor that he received special permission to work away from the office because he insisted on smoking. "After Season 4, I renegotiated my contract to allow me to work from home. I didn’t want to go in to work every day anymore. Getting old, I guess. It had nothing to do with smoking," Swartzwelder said. There was also the legend that he enjoyed working in a particular diner booth so much that he wound up bringing it home with him. "Actually, I bought a new diner booth and had it installed in my home," Swartzwelder replied matter-of-factly. "Later, I added a second one, in a different part of the house. Diner booths are a great place to write. Try it." [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-top-30-simpsons-episodes&captions=true"] Swartzwelder went on to share some of his favorite episodes, including Bart the Murderer and Homer at the Bat, and reveal that Season 3 was his favorite of the bunch. "I will say that I’ve always thought Season 3 was our best individual season. By Season 3 we had learned how to grind out first-class 'Simpsons' episodes with surprising regularity, we had developed a big cast of characters to work with, we hadn’t even come close to running out of story lines, and the staff hadn’t been worn down by overwork yet. Season 3 was a fun year to be in the 'Simpsons' writers’ room, and I think it shows in the work," Swartzwelder said. Swartzwelder left The Simpsons in 2003. These days he self-publishes novels about a bumbling private detective named Frank Burly who has a habit of finding himself in sci-fi plots. His legacy lives on in the term "Swartzweldian," which is used to denote the mix of random and old-timey humor that infused his scripts. "I guess I understand what they’re driving at, and it all sounds very complimentary, and I thank everybody for that, but I can’t help thinking 'Swartzweldian' is about the most awkward-sounding word in the English language," Swartzwelder said. "I mean, I thought 'Oakleyesque' and 'Vittiriffic' [Simpsons' writers Bill Oakley and Jon Vitti] were bad, but 'Swartzweldian'!" The Simpsons is currently in the midst of its 32nd season, and has already been renewed for Seasons 33 and 34. It's better than you think, but if you still have some nostalgia for Golden Era Simpsons (who doesn't?), then this interview is well worth a read. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Kat Bailey is a Senior News Editor at IGN. Her favorite episode of The Simpsons is "The Itchy & Scratchy & Poochie Show." 

Internal Microsoft documents revealed the terms for certain exclusive Xbox games like STALKER 2, which will be exclusive to Xbox for three months. As part of the internal Xbox documents acquired by The Verge, Microsoft shared a snapshot of newly signed ID@Xbox games including terms of their exclusivity. In these documents, Xbox confirmed that the upcoming STALKER 2 will be an Xbox console exclusive for three months when it is released in Q4 2021. The Gunk will be a permanent Xbox exclusive when it is released in Q3 2021. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=confirmed-xbox-series-x-games&captions=true"] The other game included in the snapshot was Tetris Effect Connected, an enhanced version of Tetris Effect. The Connected features are exclusive to Xbox for six months. While limited console exclusivity is typical in many cases, the terms of these exclusivity periods are usually not disclosed. Some games can remain a console exclusive for a year or more. Elsewhere in these documents are Microsoft's plans to cut its share of the revenue on PC games to an 88/12 split. Meaning Microsoft will take just 12 percent of the revenue on PC games starting on August 1. This is the same model as the one Epic has and is considerably less than the standard 30 percent cut taken by Steam. There are details in the document that suggested Microsoft considered lowering its revenue share on consoles as well, but the company has since confirmed there will be no change to the revenue share model for systems like the Xbox Series X. Instead, it will remain 30 percent, just like on other systems like the Nintendo Switch and PlayStation. Microsoft VP of Xbox business development Lori Wright has been called by both Epic and Apple as a third-party witness in the court case between the two companies. Check out our rundown of the first day of the Epic vs. Apple case which we'll update as the case continues through the coming days and weeks. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt T.M. Kim is IGN's News Editor.

Internal Microsoft documents revealed the terms for certain exclusive Xbox games like STALKER 2, which will be exclusive to Xbox for three months. As part of the internal Xbox documents acquired by The Verge, Microsoft shared a snapshot of newly signed ID@Xbox games including terms of their exclusivity. In these documents, Xbox confirmed that the upcoming STALKER 2 will be an Xbox console exclusive for three months when it is released in Q4 2021. The Gunk will be a permanent Xbox exclusive when it is released in Q3 2021. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=confirmed-xbox-series-x-games&captions=true"] The other game included in the snapshot was Tetris Effect Connected, an enhanced version of Tetris Effect. The Connected features are exclusive to Xbox for six months. While limited console exclusivity is typical in many cases, the terms of these exclusivity periods are usually not disclosed. Some games can remain a console exclusive for a year or more. Elsewhere in these documents are Microsoft's plans to cut its share of the revenue on PC games to an 88/12 split. Meaning Microsoft will take just 12 percent of the revenue on PC games starting on August 1. This is the same model as the one Epic has and is considerably less than the standard 30 percent cut taken by Steam. There are details in the document that suggested Microsoft considered lowering its revenue share on consoles as well, but the company has since confirmed there will be no change to the revenue share model for systems like the Xbox Series X. Instead, it will remain 30 percent, just like on other systems like the Nintendo Switch and PlayStation. Microsoft VP of Xbox business development Lori Wright has been called by both Epic and Apple as a third-party witness in the court case between the two companies. Check out our rundown of the first day of the Epic vs. Apple case which we'll update as the case continues through the coming days and weeks. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt T.M. Kim is IGN's News Editor.

Remember back in the day when Sony finally stopped being the one holdout from Fortnite being cross-platform across all major devices? You know, way back in 2018? It turns out Epic had to agree to cough up extra dough to keep that cross-play support going, and still is to this day. During the Epic v. Apple trial today, Epic CEO Tim Sweeney took the stand for several hours to answer questions about Epic Games and Fortnite, ranging from the banal "Do you know what a 'console' is?" to far more complex queries about the company's intended business model and relationship with Apple. Late in the day, the cross-examiner began asking Sweeney some basic questions about how cross-platform play in Fortnite works, especially with regards to who profits from purchases made using "cross-wallet" features that allow players to buy skins on one platform and use them on others. It was during this line of questioning that Sweeney pointed out Sony's contract had them getting a little extra cash from cross-platform play, specifically when PlayStation Fortnite players consistently bought V-Bucks on other devices but were still gaming on Sony consoles. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/08/13/apple-removes-fortnite-from-ios-app-store"] "Sony has a policy that requires if the ratio of payments across platforms for a given PS user gets out of sync with the playtime, then we have to pay them a commission on other platform revenue," Sweeney said. "So if someone were primarily playing on PS but paying on iPhone, they'd [inaudible] compensation to Sony." The cross-examiner had Sweeney confirm that this stipulation was put in place at the time Sony agreed to allow cross-platform play in Fortnite happen on its device. Normally, Sweeney acknowledged, when V-Bucks are purchased on one platform and used on another, every platform involved in the transaction gets a cut — but in the very specific cases that he outlined, Sony gets a little bit more. We've learned quite a bit about how Fortnite works behind the scenes today during the first hours of the trial, including that Fortnite made over $9 billion in its first two years, and that Epic has spent over $11 million for Epic Games Store exclusives since it launched the platform. It also apparently has been trying to get Samus Aran as a skin in Fortnite, and already has plans for skins based on The Rock and Lebron James. Epic's challenge of Apple's 30% revenue cut in court is expected to continue over the next three weeks before a verdict is reached. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Rebekah Valentine is a news reporter for IGN. You can find her on Twitter @duckvalentine.

Remember back in the day when Sony finally stopped being the one holdout from Fortnite being cross-platform across all major devices? You know, way back in 2018? It turns out Epic had to agree to cough up extra dough to keep that cross-play support going, and still is to this day. During the Epic v. Apple trial today, Epic CEO Tim Sweeney took the stand for several hours to answer questions about Epic Games and Fortnite, ranging from the banal "Do you know what a 'console' is?" to far more complex queries about the company's intended business model and relationship with Apple. Late in the day, the cross-examiner began asking Sweeney some basic questions about how cross-platform play in Fortnite works, especially with regards to who profits from purchases made using "cross-wallet" features that allow players to buy skins on one platform and use them on others. It was during this line of questioning that Sweeney pointed out Sony's contract had them getting a little extra cash from cross-platform play, specifically when PlayStation Fortnite players consistently bought V-Bucks on other devices but were still gaming on Sony consoles. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/08/13/apple-removes-fortnite-from-ios-app-store"] "Sony has a policy that requires if the ratio of payments across platforms for a given PS user gets out of sync with the playtime, then we have to pay them a commission on other platform revenue," Sweeney said. "So if someone were primarily playing on PS but paying on iPhone, they'd [inaudible] compensation to Sony." The cross-examiner had Sweeney confirm that this stipulation was put in place at the time Sony agreed to allow cross-platform play in Fortnite happen on its device. Normally, Sweeney acknowledged, when V-Bucks are purchased on one platform and used on another, every platform involved in the transaction gets a cut — but in the very specific cases that he outlined, Sony gets a little bit more. We've learned quite a bit about how Fortnite works behind the scenes today during the first hours of the trial, including that Fortnite made over $9 billion in its first two years, and that Epic has spent over $11 million for Epic Games Store exclusives since it launched the platform. It also apparently has been trying to get Samus Aran as a skin in Fortnite, and already has plans for skins based on The Rock and Lebron James. Epic's challenge of Apple's 30% revenue cut in court is expected to continue over the next three weeks before a verdict is reached. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Rebekah Valentine is a news reporter for IGN. You can find her on Twitter @duckvalentine.

In a poll of IGN readers, you chose Horizon Forbidden West as your most-anticipated upcoming PlayStation 5 game. Out of more than 25,000 votes, nearly half (47.9%) of you voted for Horizon. Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart came in second place, just days after PlayStation gave us an in-depth look at the lovable Lombax's next adventure in the Ratchet and Clank State of Play. Ghostwire: Tokyo, Kena: Bridge of Spirits, and Deathloop were also included in the poll, and each received less than 10% of the votes. We don't know much about Forbidden West, which is the upcoming sequel to 2017's Horizon Zero Dawn. The game was originally revealed at Sony's PS5 event last summer, and we've since learned Forbidden West will launch on both PS4 and PS5. However, even with the cross-gen availability, Sony says games releasing on both platforms will be built, "from the ground up," for PlayStation 5. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/06/11/horizon-forbidden-west-horizon-2-reveal-trailer-ps5-reveal-event"] As of now, Horizon Forbidden West is set for a 2021 release. In the reveal trailer, it looks like returning main character Aloy is headed to a post-apocalyptic version of San Francisco. If you still haven't played Aloy's original adventure, Horizon Zero Dawn is free for all PS4 and PS5 owners as a part of PlayStation's Play at Home initiative until May 14. As for other high-profile PS5 games, Returnal just launched on PlayStation 5 last week, and we called the game 'Great' in our Returnal review. However, there is some criticism over the game's lack of a save feature in its runs that can last more than two hours. For more, check out what each of PlayStation's studios is working on. Or, read about Horizon's recent crossover with Fortnite. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/04/16/fortnite-aloy-arrives-to-the-fortnite-island-trailer"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Logan Plant is a news writer for IGN, and the Production Assistant for Nintendo Voice Chat, IGN's weekly Nintendo show. You can find him on Twitter at @LoganJPlant.

In a poll of IGN readers, you chose Horizon Forbidden West as your most-anticipated upcoming PlayStation 5 game. Out of more than 25,000 votes, nearly half (47.9%) of you voted for Horizon. Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart came in second place, just days after PlayStation gave us an in-depth look at the lovable Lombax's next adventure in the Ratchet and Clank State of Play. Ghostwire: Tokyo, Kena: Bridge of Spirits, and Deathloop were also included in the poll, and each received less than 10% of the votes. We don't know much about Forbidden West, which is the upcoming sequel to 2017's Horizon Zero Dawn. The game was originally revealed at Sony's PS5 event last summer, and we've since learned Forbidden West will launch on both PS4 and PS5. However, even with the cross-gen availability, Sony says games releasing on both platforms will be built, "from the ground up," for PlayStation 5. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/06/11/horizon-forbidden-west-horizon-2-reveal-trailer-ps5-reveal-event"] As of now, Horizon Forbidden West is set for a 2021 release. In the reveal trailer, it looks like returning main character Aloy is headed to a post-apocalyptic version of San Francisco. If you still haven't played Aloy's original adventure, Horizon Zero Dawn is free for all PS4 and PS5 owners as a part of PlayStation's Play at Home initiative until May 14. As for other high-profile PS5 games, Returnal just launched on PlayStation 5 last week, and we called the game 'Great' in our Returnal review. However, there is some criticism over the game's lack of a save feature in its runs that can last more than two hours. For more, check out what each of PlayStation's studios is working on. Or, read about Horizon's recent crossover with Fortnite. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/04/16/fortnite-aloy-arrives-to-the-fortnite-island-trailer"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Logan Plant is a news writer for IGN, and the Production Assistant for Nintendo Voice Chat, IGN's weekly Nintendo show. You can find him on Twitter at @LoganJPlant.

Epic Games and Apple are locked in a trial over alleged antitrust practices by the iPhone maker that could see the entire App Store ecosystem change depending on the outcome.

The trial, which kicked off today with testimony from Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney, will try to answer one question: do Apple’s in-app purchase policies violate antitrust law? Back when Epic Games filed a lawsuit against Apple for “anti-competitive restraints and monopolistic practices” — as stated in the original lawsuit —  the Fortnite developer alleged that Apple’s policies were unfair to both Epic and millions of other developers.

Apple takes 30% of every in-app purchase made through apps available in its App Store. This includes signing up for a streaming service like HBO Max as well as microtransactions or cosmetic items in games.

Before Epic Games circumvented Apple’s policies by giving players in-game the choice of how to pay for things like V-Bucks (a move that Epic Games knew would get the app removed from the store for violating policies), the company was also forced to give Apple a cut of the profit.

[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2012/08/27/news-apple-wins-1-billion-lawsuit-against-samsung"]

“Apple imposes unreasonable and unlawful restraints to completely monopolize both markets and prevent software developers from reaching the over one billion users of its mobile devices unless they go through a single store controlled by Apple, the App Store, where Apple exacts an oppressive 30% tax on the sale of every app,” Epic said at the time in its lawsuit.

Despite it being the same cut imposed by other companies, including Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo, Epic is arguing that customers on iPhones and iPad devices should have alternative payment options on the hardware they use. On the first day of the trial, Epic’s lawyers referred to Apple’s ecosystem as a walled garden. Or, to quote the Eagles, you can never leave once you’re in it. This has led some companies to directly skip putting their apps on the App Store, like Xbox Game Pass.

Apple, on the other hand, is going to position the App Store, and the security oversight that comes with the App store, as crucial. There are nearly two million apps available to iOS users, and because they have to go through an approval process, Apple can ensure that people are getting a vetted experience.

[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/08/13/apple-removes-fortnite-from-ios-app-store"]

Plus, Apple’s team will point to the 30% cut as inline with the rest of the industry; therefore, giving Epic a special cut isn’t fair to the rest of the developers abiding by Apple’s rate, which is the same rate as other competitors.

“The fact that their business interests now lead them to push for a special arrangement does not change the fact that these guidelines create a level playing field for all developers and make the store safe for all users,” Apple’s original response to Epic’s lawsuit stated. “We will make every effort to work with Epic to resolve these violations so they can return Fortnite to the App Store.“

The trial will take place over the next three weeks. Sessions kick off at 8:45am PT, and will run throughout the day. IGN will update this story every day in the coming weeks so you know what to expect on a particular day. We’ll also cover news from the trial as it happens.

Epic Games and Apple are locked in a trial over alleged antitrust practices by the iPhone maker that could see the entire App Store ecosystem change depending on the outcome.

The trial, which kicked off today with testimony from Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney, will try to answer one question: do Apple’s in-app purchase policies violate antitrust law? Back when Epic Games filed a lawsuit against Apple for “anti-competitive restraints and monopolistic practices” — as stated in the original lawsuit —  the Fortnite developer alleged that Apple’s policies were unfair to both Epic and millions of other developers.

Apple takes 30% of every in-app purchase made through apps available in its App Store. This includes signing up for a streaming service like HBO Max as well as microtransactions or cosmetic items in games.

Before Epic Games circumvented Apple’s policies by giving players in-game the choice of how to pay for things like V-Bucks (a move that Epic Games knew would get the app removed from the store for violating policies), the company was also forced to give Apple a cut of the profit.

[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2012/08/27/news-apple-wins-1-billion-lawsuit-against-samsung"]

“Apple imposes unreasonable and unlawful restraints to completely monopolize both markets and prevent software developers from reaching the over one billion users of its mobile devices unless they go through a single store controlled by Apple, the App Store, where Apple exacts an oppressive 30% tax on the sale of every app,” Epic said at the time in its lawsuit.

Despite it being the same cut imposed by other companies, including Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo, Epic is arguing that customers on iPhones and iPad devices should have alternative payment options on the hardware they use. On the first day of the trial, Epic’s lawyers referred to Apple’s ecosystem as a walled garden. Or, to quote the Eagles, you can never leave once you’re in it. This has led some companies to directly skip putting their apps on the App Store, like Xbox Game Pass.

Apple, on the other hand, is going to position the App Store, and the security oversight that comes with the App store, as crucial. There are nearly two million apps available to iOS users, and because they have to go through an approval process, Apple can ensure that people are getting a vetted experience.

[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/08/13/apple-removes-fortnite-from-ios-app-store"]

Plus, Apple’s team will point to the 30% cut as inline with the rest of the industry; therefore, giving Epic a special cut isn’t fair to the rest of the developers abiding by Apple’s rate, which is the same rate as other competitors.

“The fact that their business interests now lead them to push for a special arrangement does not change the fact that these guidelines create a level playing field for all developers and make the store safe for all users,” Apple’s original response to Epic’s lawsuit stated. “We will make every effort to work with Epic to resolve these violations so they can return Fortnite to the App Store.“

The trial will take place over the next three weeks. Sessions kick off at 8:45am PT, and will run throughout the day. IGN will update this story every day in the coming weeks so you know what to expect on a particular day. We’ll also cover news from the trial as it happens.

One of the strategies Epic Games uses to get users onto the Epic Games Store is by offering free games every month. Now, thanks to the legal battle between Epic Games and Apple, we have a sense of how much Epic has paid to offer these free games. According to documents released during the trial, Epic Games has shared the price it paid to offer games like Subnautica and the Batman Arkham series for free on the Epic Games Store. All-in-all, Epic has spent over $11.5 million on games to offer through the Epic Games Store. The most expensive game Epic licensed is the Batman Arkham games, which Epic paid $1.5 million for. A close second is Subnautica which Epic paid $1.4 million for. According to Epic's internal numbers, Batman and Subnautica brought in 613,912 and 804,052 new Epic users respectively.

Want to know how much $ the devs of those 'free' Epic Games Store games got, & how many copies were grabbed? Here's the first 9 months to September 2019. pic.twitter.com/5hkLb1VEjj

— Simon Carless (@simoncarless) May 3, 2021

But the high prices for these games aren't necessarily the most shocking parts of Epic's disclosure. It's actually the lower prices Epic paid to offer some of these games for free. Epic paid as low as $45,000 on some games like Super Meat Boy or RiME. Epic paid $63,000 for Ubisoft's For Honor. Not every major title is listed in this document. It's unknown how much Epic Games paid to offer Grand Theft Auto 5 for free, but the title's popularity seemingly knocked the Epic Games Store offline temporarily. More details are expected to be revealed as Epic's court case against Apple continues. Epic has already revealed that Fortnite made over $9 billion in profit in 2019, and more skins are coming to Fortnite including, potentially, skins for Samus from Metroid, LeBron James, and Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt T.M. Kim is IGN's News Editor.