Crash Bandicoot 4 makes the choice to return to a world map format closer to Crash Bandicoot 1 than the warp room setup of Crash 2 and 3. And while the team at Toys for Bob didn’t initially plan for it, the map actually provided the developers with a structure for how it wanted to introduce players to Crash 4’s story and difficulty. Speaking to IGN ahead of Crash 4’s launch, Toys for Bob studio co-head Paul Yan discussed the approach, as well as how the team set out to make the biggest Crash game ever. And initially, the team thought it would just continue the trend of Crash 3's warp room map, but realized how the style of Crash 1’s world map better suited their designs. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/10/01/crash-bandicoot-4-its-about-time-review"] “We wanted to make sure that it was a follow-up to Crash 3,” Yan said when the team approached the whole project. “Part of that was making a presumption, ‘Oh yeah. We'll just start off with the warp room format.’”

World maps are the best. Here's a sneak peek at your path through Crash 4, out tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/6W0zvuX4OW

— PlayStation (@PlayStation) October 1, 2020

“As we went along further into our designs, we found that striking this balance between making sure the game is challenging, but also approachable and controllable was at odds with that format. We went back to that linear overworld map from Crash 1, and it gave us two really long benefits.” [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=every-ign-crash-bandicoot-game-review&captions=true"] As Yan continued on, he noted that a balance between making the entire adventure approachable, but also delivering the difficulty players expect from the franchise, melded with the idea of physically having players walk along the game’s on-map path. “We could very specifically craft the ramp and its difficulty in the way that we onboard new abilities. We knew with high confidence that if you could overcome level two with this set of new abilities and this new locomotion trick, then you were prepared for level three, and that experience could be really highly crafted and authored, he explained before diving into the other major benefit. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/09/23/8-things-to-know-about-crash-bandicoot-4"] “One of our goals for this game was to make story a bigger deal, and that we would put more emphasis on the storytelling and the relationships between the characters. Having that linear format allowed us to craft that story more linearly in the way that you could present without it feeling disparate and without any sense of chronological order,” he said. And as players can experience for themselves, jumping from one level to the next on the map comes with obvious teases toward the other unlockable levels, like those Timeline adventures for other playable characters, and the flashback tape challenge chambers. For more on Crash 4, be sure to read IGN's Crash Bandicoot 4 review, and if you're playing, be sure to read our Crash Bandicoot 4 wiki guide to find out how to collect the special gems and more. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jonathon Dornbush is IGN's Senior News Editor and host of Podcast Beyond! Talk to him on Twitter @jmdornbush.

Apple has announced its next event will take place on October 13 and it's where the new line of iPhones are expected to be revealed. Apple has released new iPhones for years, now and the announcement for those phones traditionally came every September. September came and went without a trace of the rumored iPhone 12, but the company announced today that its next event will be on October 13 at 10 a.m. PDT, which is when many are expecting the new iPhones to be revealed. As indicated in the invite for the event sent to press, Apple is specifically drawing attention to speed, including the joking phrase "Hi, Speed," which ties into rumors that the next line of iPhones will have 5G integration. This new type of cellular service is extremely fast and can handle significantly more internet-connected devices at a time when compared to the 4G LTE networking we have now. When Apple announced in September that it would be holding an event that month, many speculated that the new iPhones were going to be revealed. That didn't happen as the company instead focused on its new Apple One subscription that bundles services like Apple Music and Apple Arcade together, its new iPad Air with an integrated Touch ID top button, and the new Apple Watch Series 6 smartwatch. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/09/13/apple-arcade-in-100-seconds"] Considering we received all of those announcements last month, it's safe to say that Apple is preparing to showcase its new iPhone, expected to simply be called the iPhone 12, next week. Last year's iPhone 11 came in multiple variants, namely the standard iPhone 11 and the larger and more powerful iPhone 11 Pro, and the 12 is expected to follow suit. We'll find out next week on October 13. In the meantime, read about Apple's latest phone and why we think it's great in our iPhone SE 2020 review and then read why we think the company's game subscription service, Apple Arcade, is worth getting. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Wesley LeBlanc is a freelance news writer and guide maker for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @LeBlancWes. 

Apple has announced its next event will take place on October 13 and it's where the new line of iPhones are expected to be revealed. Apple has released new iPhones for years, now and the announcement for those phones traditionally came every September. September came and went without a trace of the rumored iPhone 12, but the company announced today that its next event will be on October 13 at 10 a.m. PDT, which is when many are expecting the new iPhones to be revealed. As indicated in the invite for the event sent to press, Apple is specifically drawing attention to speed, including the joking phrase "Hi, Speed," which ties into rumors that the next line of iPhones will have 5G integration. This new type of cellular service is extremely fast and can handle significantly more internet-connected devices at a time when compared to the 4G LTE networking we have now. When Apple announced in September that it would be holding an event that month, many speculated that the new iPhones were going to be revealed. That didn't happen as the company instead focused on its new Apple One subscription that bundles services like Apple Music and Apple Arcade together, its new iPad Air with an integrated Touch ID top button, and the new Apple Watch Series 6 smartwatch. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/09/13/apple-arcade-in-100-seconds"] Considering we received all of those announcements last month, it's safe to say that Apple is preparing to showcase its new iPhone, expected to simply be called the iPhone 12, next week. Last year's iPhone 11 came in multiple variants, namely the standard iPhone 11 and the larger and more powerful iPhone 11 Pro, and the 12 is expected to follow suit. We'll find out next week on October 13. In the meantime, read about Apple's latest phone and why we think it's great in our iPhone SE 2020 review and then read why we think the company's game subscription service, Apple Arcade, is worth getting. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Wesley LeBlanc is a freelance news writer and guide maker for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @LeBlancWes. 

Media Indie Exchange has announced The MIX NEXT, a digital showcase of game reveals and announcements, coming on Wednesday, October 14 – and you can watch it live on IGN. The MIX NEXT follows on from this summer's Guerrilla Collective showcases, which showcased dozens of new game announcements, as well as in-depth developer walkthroughs, and we can expect a similar set-up here.

What Is The MIX NEXT Showcase Start Time?

The MIX NEXT takes place on Wednesday, October 14, and begins at 11am Pacific / 2pm Eastern / 7pm UK. If you’re tuning in from Australia, the showcase is on October 15 at 4am AEST. A post-show will air from 1pm Pacific / 4pm Eastern / 9pm UK. That's October 15 at 6am AEST.

How to Watch The MIX NEXT Showcase

We’ll be broadcasting the livestream on our channels across a variety of platforms. Here’s where you can watch The MIX NEXT with IGN:

• IGN.com (homepage)
• IGN's Twitch Channel
• IGN’s Youtube Channel

What to Expect at The MIX NEXT Showcase

No specific games have been announced for the show as yet, but The MIX NEXT will feature game reveals, announcements, trailers, and gameplay from the likes of tinyBuild, Humble Games, Modern Wolf, Akupara Games, Another Indie, Goblinz, Graffiti Games, Headup, Panic, Raw Fury, SEGA & Two Point Studios, Super.com, Those Awesome Guys, Thomas Happ, Whitethorn Games, and more. The showcase will also include appearances from Kinda Funny’s Greg Miller, Twitch’s Mary Kish, and game developers Shawn Alexander Allen, Nick Suttner and Swery. A MIX NEXT Steam event page, also going live on October 14, will include pages and demos for games featured during the show. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Joe Skrebels is IGN's Executive Editor of News. Follow him on Twitter. Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.

Media Indie Exchange has announced The MIX NEXT, a digital showcase of game reveals and announcements, coming on Wednesday, October 14 – and you can watch it live on IGN. The MIX NEXT follows on from this summer's Guerrilla Collective showcases, which showcased dozens of new game announcements, as well as in-depth developer walkthroughs, and we can expect a similar set-up here.

What Is The MIX NEXT Showcase Start Time?

The MIX NEXT takes place on Wednesday, October 14, and begins at 11am Pacific / 2pm Eastern / 7pm UK. If you’re tuning in from Australia, the showcase is on October 15 at 4am AEST. A post-show will air from 1pm Pacific / 4pm Eastern / 9pm UK. That's October 15 at 6am AEST.

How to Watch The MIX NEXT Showcase

We’ll be broadcasting the livestream on our channels across a variety of platforms. Here’s where you can watch The MIX NEXT with IGN:

• IGN.com (homepage)
• IGN's Twitch Channel
• IGN’s Youtube Channel

What to Expect at The MIX NEXT Showcase

No specific games have been announced for the show as yet, but The MIX NEXT will feature game reveals, announcements, trailers, and gameplay from the likes of tinyBuild, Humble Games, Modern Wolf, Akupara Games, Another Indie, Goblinz, Graffiti Games, Headup, Panic, Raw Fury, SEGA & Two Point Studios, Super.com, Those Awesome Guys, Thomas Happ, Whitethorn Games, and more. The showcase will also include appearances from Kinda Funny’s Greg Miller, Twitch’s Mary Kish, and game developers Shawn Alexander Allen, Nick Suttner and Swery. A MIX NEXT Steam event page, also going live on October 14, will include pages and demos for games featured during the show. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Joe Skrebels is IGN's Executive Editor of News. Follow him on Twitter. Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.

This week in Red Dead Online, take on new Vitalism Studies, a new Legendary Animal Sighting Mission, and more.

This week in Red Dead Online, take on new Vitalism Studies, a new Legendary Animal Sighting Mission, and more.

Scientists have discovered that a massive supernova explosion likely occurred in Earth's vicinity 2.5 million years ago. Researchers have theories across the board on whether or not it links to the period of the Ice Ages or even bipedalism. In a new research paper from the Technical University of Munich, originally reported by Universe Today, a team of researchers led by Gunther Korschinek have discovered proof of a supernova explosion in the form of a very specific manganese isotope known as 53Mn. These isotopes were discovered in a chunk of manganese crust found on Earth and what makes them unique is that they can only be produced by a supernova. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/04/10/scientists-have-revealed-the-first-photo-of-a-black-hole"] "The increased concentrations of manganese-53 can be taken as the 'smoking gun' — the ultimate proof that this supernova really did take place," Korschinek said in a press release related to the discovery.

What Is a Supernova?

Supernovae are massive explosions with the potential to sterilize or even destroy entire planets. They occur when a large star reaches the end of its life and the resulting explosion can light up nearby skies for months. Without actually seeing a supernova, scientists are able to discover one might have occurred through the large blast of chemicals the explosions release. These chemicals are blasted outwards and can form concentrations of isotopes in places like Earth's crust. Scientists have long pondered the idea that a supernova occurred in Earth's vicinity due to a concentration of an iron isotope known as 60Fe. This isotope is produced by supernovae, but scientists have never been sure that the 60Fe actually came from such an explosion, because 60Fe can also be produced by Asymptomatic Giant Branch stars. With the discovery of the 53Mn isotopes in ferromanganese crust samples on Earth, scientists also discovered 60Fe, and unlike 60Fe, 53Mn cannot be produced by AGB stars. This is why Korschinek's team believes a supernova explosion produced both isotopes. [caption id="attachment_2417621" align="alignnone" width="1041"] A Hubble Space Telescope image of supernova remnants discovered in 2017. Image credit: NASA.[/caption] "A feasible way to detect 53Mn in Earth's reservoirs is, as in the case of the finding of 60Fe, direct atom counting by accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS)," Korschinek said. Korschinek's team used AMS to detect 53Mn in samples of ferromanganese crust as AMS helped pick out this isotope among other very similar isotopes like 55Mn, which is more common to begin with as its the only "naturally occurring" manganese isotope. When the scientists discovered the 53Mn, they realized it was significantly abundant in concentration, too. This led the team to further believe it was the work of a supernova explosion that occurred about 2.5 million years ago. "This is investigative ultra-trace analysis," Korschinek said. "We are talking about merely a few atoms here. But, accelerator mass spectrometry is so sensitive that it even allows us to calculate from our measurements that the star that exploded must have had 11 to 25 times the size of the sun."

Did the Supernova Impact Earth?

The supernova explosion was too far away to cause something of a mass extinction for Earth, according to the team, but it likely caused a change in climate due to a shower of cosmic rays. "However, this can lead to increased cloud formation," research paper co-author Thomas Faestermann said. "Perhaps there is a link to the Pleistocene epoch, the period of the Ice Ages, which began 2.6 million years ago." [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-25-best-sci-fi-movies&captions=true"] Some researchers believe that the supernova might have led to a partial extinction known as the Pliocene Marine Megafauna extinction, while others believe a supernova like this one might have triggered humankind's conversion to bipedalism, according to Universe Today. The supernova's effects of life here on Earth is still a question of debate, but this new discovery of 53Mn provides even stronger evidence that a massive supernova explosion did occur within the Earth's vicinity 2.5 million years ago. Here's hoping Earth survives the next one, whenever that may be. If you're looking for more science stories, read about the black hole closest to Earth recently discovered and then check out this story about how Earth might be causing the Moon to rust. For something off world, read about possible signs of life discovered on Venus that date back to 1978 and then check out this story where scientists claim to have evidence of a parallel universe where time runs backward. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Wesley LeBlanc is a freelance news writer and guide maker for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @LeBlancWes. 

Scientists have discovered that a massive supernova explosion likely occurred in Earth's vicinity 2.5 million years ago. Researchers have theories across the board on whether or not it links to the period of the Ice Ages or even bipedalism. In a new research paper from the Technical University of Munich, originally reported by Universe Today, a team of researchers led by Gunther Korschinek have discovered proof of a supernova explosion in the form of a very specific manganese isotope known as 53Mn. These isotopes were discovered in a chunk of manganese crust found on Earth and what makes them unique is that they can only be produced by a supernova. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/04/10/scientists-have-revealed-the-first-photo-of-a-black-hole"] "The increased concentrations of manganese-53 can be taken as the 'smoking gun' — the ultimate proof that this supernova really did take place," Korschinek said in a press release related to the discovery.

What Is a Supernova?

Supernovae are massive explosions with the potential to sterilize or even destroy entire planets. They occur when a large star reaches the end of its life and the resulting explosion can light up nearby skies for months. Without actually seeing a supernova, scientists are able to discover one might have occurred through the large blast of chemicals the explosions release. These chemicals are blasted outwards and can form concentrations of isotopes in places like Earth's crust. Scientists have long pondered the idea that a supernova occurred in Earth's vicinity due to a concentration of an iron isotope known as 60Fe. This isotope is produced by supernovae, but scientists have never been sure that the 60Fe actually came from such an explosion, because 60Fe can also be produced by Asymptomatic Giant Branch stars. With the discovery of the 53Mn isotopes in ferromanganese crust samples on Earth, scientists also discovered 60Fe, and unlike 60Fe, 53Mn cannot be produced by AGB stars. This is why Korschinek's team believes a supernova explosion produced both isotopes. [caption id="attachment_2417621" align="alignnone" width="1041"] A Hubble Space Telescope image of supernova remnants discovered in 2017. Image credit: NASA.[/caption] "A feasible way to detect 53Mn in Earth's reservoirs is, as in the case of the finding of 60Fe, direct atom counting by accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS)," Korschinek said. Korschinek's team used AMS to detect 53Mn in samples of ferromanganese crust as AMS helped pick out this isotope among other very similar isotopes like 55Mn, which is more common to begin with as its the only "naturally occurring" manganese isotope. When the scientists discovered the 53Mn, they realized it was significantly abundant in concentration, too. This led the team to further believe it was the work of a supernova explosion that occurred about 2.5 million years ago. "This is investigative ultra-trace analysis," Korschinek said. "We are talking about merely a few atoms here. But, accelerator mass spectrometry is so sensitive that it even allows us to calculate from our measurements that the star that exploded must have had 11 to 25 times the size of the sun."

Did the Supernova Impact Earth?

The supernova explosion was too far away to cause something of a mass extinction for Earth, according to the team, but it likely caused a change in climate due to a shower of cosmic rays. "However, this can lead to increased cloud formation," research paper co-author Thomas Faestermann said. "Perhaps there is a link to the Pleistocene epoch, the period of the Ice Ages, which began 2.6 million years ago." [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-25-best-sci-fi-movies&captions=true"] Some researchers believe that the supernova might have led to a partial extinction known as the Pliocene Marine Megafauna extinction, while others believe a supernova like this one might have triggered humankind's conversion to bipedalism, according to Universe Today. The supernova's effects of life here on Earth is still a question of debate, but this new discovery of 53Mn provides even stronger evidence that a massive supernova explosion did occur within the Earth's vicinity 2.5 million years ago. Here's hoping Earth survives the next one, whenever that may be. If you're looking for more science stories, read about the black hole closest to Earth recently discovered and then check out this story about how Earth might be causing the Moon to rust. For something off world, read about possible signs of life discovered on Venus that date back to 1978 and then check out this story where scientists claim to have evidence of a parallel universe where time runs backward. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Wesley LeBlanc is a freelance news writer and guide maker for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @LeBlancWes. 

The Resident Evil origin story movie has cast nearly all of its major leads, including actors for Jill Valentine, Chris Redfield, Claire Redfield, Leon S. Kennedy, and Albert Wesker. This is yet another adaptation of Capcom’s survival horror series separate from a planned Netflix show. Production firm Constantin Film and writer/director Johannes Roberts announced the cast for its Resident Evil origin story. Set in 1998 “on a fateful night in Raccoon City” the Resident Evil movie will star Kaya Scodelario (Maze Runner) as Claire Redfield, Hannah John-Kamen (Ant-Man and the Wasp) as Jill Valentine, Robbie Amell (Upload) as Chris Redfield, Tom Hopper (The Umbrella Academy) as Albert Wesker, Avan Jogia (Zombieland: Double Tap) as Leon S. Kennedy, and Neal McDonough (Yellowstone) as William Birkin. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=resident-evil-origin-movie-cast-comparison&captions=true"] According to director Johannes Roberts in a statement, “I really wanted to go back to the original first two games and recreate the terrifying visceral experience I had when I first played them whilst at the same time telling a grounded human story about a small dying American town that feels both relatable and relevant to today’s audiences.” It appears given Roberts’ statement and the cast that this origin movie will blend elements of the first two Resident Evil games. The first game stars Chris Redfield and Jill Valentine and is set in the Spencer Mansion, a dangerous compound full of lurking horror; while Resident Evil 2 stars Claire Redfield and Leon Kennedy on a really bad first night on the job in Raccoon City. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=every-ign-resident-evil-game-review-ever&captions=true"] The new movie is produced by Constantin Film, the same company that produced the previous Resident Evil movie series directed by Paul W.S. Anderson. Though it doesn’t appear related to the previous film adaptations. This is also separate from the announced Resident Evil Netflix series which tells an original story about Wesker’s children after they move into “New Raccoon City.” And just because Netflix can't get enough zombies, the streamer is also premiering a new, CGI animated film titled Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness as well. Meanwhile, Anderson, who kickstarted the last Resident Evil live-action film series is directing a live-action Monster Hunter movie. This new origin movie is set to premiere in 2021. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt T.M. Kim is a reporter for IGN.