Yearly Archives: 2020

Japan Is Celebrating 40 Years of Gundam With a Huge Moving Robot

An 18-metre mobile robot is being built in Japan and opened to the public this year to celebrate over 40 years of the Mobile Suit Gundam anime series.

Japan Times reports that the robot has 24 fully functional joints but how exactly it will be able to move hasn’t been disclosed yet.

What is known is that the robot will be 18-metres tall and supported by a 25-metre Gundam Dock that will act as its maintenance site. It will be built in Gundam Factory, Yokohama on a 9,000 square meter facility.

It’s set to open at Yamashita Pier and opened for public view on October 1, 2020, with tickets to see the robot going on sale in July.

The robot will be situated next to a two-story building with shops and event spaces. That building will be opening before the robot across the weekends of July and August.

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The Gundam Global Challenge project started back in 2014 as part of the celebrations leading up to the Mobile Suit Gundam anime’s 40th anniversary in 2019. The Challenge was to build a mobile Gundam robot. Director of the Gundam anime, Yoshiyuki Tomino, has been working on the project alongside a team of engineers and researchers.

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Last year, it was reported that a live-action Gundam movie was in the works with Brian K. Vaughn writing the screenplay. With the anime’s production studio also involved, we’re hoping there are plenty of reasons that it won’t suck.

[poilib element="accentDivider"] Chris Priestman is a freelancer who writes news for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.

Studio Ghibli Films Will Exclusively Stream on Netflix From February

Netflix has officially acquired exclusive streaming rights to Studio Ghibli's film catalogue for all regions outside of North America and Japan. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Netflix will add 21 iconic feature films from the beloved Japanese arthouse to its service in monthly waves, with the first set of titles expected to drop on February 1, 2020, for subscribers in Asia Pacific, Europe, Middle East, Africa, and Latin America. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2015/11/20/our-favorite-studio-ghibli-films-ign-anime-club"] Per the report, the release schedule for the Studio Ghibli titles is outlined as follows:
  • February 1, 2020: Castle in the Sky, My Neighbor Totoro, Kiki's Delivery Service, Only Yesterday, Porco Rosso, Ocean Waves, Tales from Earthsea.
  • March 1, 2020: Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, Princess Mononoke, My Neighbors the Yamadas, Spirited Away, The Cat Returns, Arrietty, The Tale of The Princess Kaguya.
  • April 1, 2020: Pom Poko, Whisper of the Heart, Howl's Moving Castle, Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea, From Up on Poppy Hill, The Wind Rises, When Marnie Was There.
As part of the landmark deal, Netflix will provide subtitles in 28 languages for the catalogue of films, and dub them in up to 20 languages. "This is a dream come true for Netflix and millions of our members," said Aram Yacoubian, Netflix's director of original animation. "Studio Ghibli's animated films are legendary and have enthralled fans around the world for over 35 years. We're excited to make them available in more languages across Latin America, Europe, Africa and Asia — so that more people can enjoy this whimsical and wonderful world of animation." [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-best-anime-of-the-decade-2010-2019&captions=true"] "In this day and age, there are various great ways a film can reach audiences," Studio Ghibli producer Toshio Suzuki added in a separate statement. "We've listened to our fans and have made the definitive decision to stream our film catalogue. We hope people around the world will discover the world of Studio Ghibli through this experience." Elsewhere, HBO Max recently picked up U.S. streaming rights to Studio Ghibli's famed work, meaning that Princess Mononoke, My Neighbor Totoro, Academy Award-winning Spirited Away, and many more will be available on WarnerMedia's new streaming service when it launches in Spring 2020. However, before streaming any of these Studio Ghibli classics, we suggest that you check out our list of Top 10 Hayao Miyazaki movies, find out about the new Studio Ghibli theme park opening in 2022 and read our comprehensive breakdown of the best anime of the past decade. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Adele Ankers is a Freelance Entertainment Journalist. You can reach her on Twitter.

Nintendo Switch Patent Reveals Touch Pen Attachment for Joy-Cons

A new patent has been published for an official touch pen attachment that would work with the Nintendo Switch’s Joy-Cons.

The US Patent office revealed the patent, filed by Nintendo on June 4, 2019 and published on January 16, 2020, with a bunch of images and plenty of information on how exactly the touch pen attachment would work.

The stylus-like device is designed to work when the Switch is in handheld mode and the Joy-Cons are not attached to the touchscreen. You slide the attachment on to either Joy-Con - accommodating both left and right handed use - and then use it to draw onto the touchscreen.

Nintendo Switch draw

The patent showcases that when drawing with the touch pen you are able to use the buttons on the Joy-Con too. In one example, the player draws a line with the touch pen, and then presses one of the Joy-Con buttons to change the thickness of that line.

The Joy-Con’s HD rumble function is also shown working in another illustration. The player touches one of three boxes displayed on the touchscreen and the Joy-Con vibrates in response to the interaction.

Nintendo Switch boxes

It’s worth noting that there is already a Nintendo Switch stylus available that allows for easy drawing on the touchscreen. However, it doesn’t work in tandem with the Joy-Cons and their features. Nintendo has also previously sold touch pens for its handheld consoles, such as the DS, 3DS, and Wii U.

This new touch pen adds more functionality due to being an attachment for the Joy-Cons, which could open up more gameplay possibilities for compatible games, including Super Mario Maker 2, Dr. Kawashima’s Brain Training, and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

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With reports of a Nintendo Switch Pro on the way this year, it’s possible that a Pro model be designed to make the most of ideas like this touch pen attachment. Is this our first look at how Nintendo will be responding to the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X?

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

Joaquin Phoenix Thanks ‘Favorite Actor’ Heath Ledger in Joker SAG Awards Speech

At the 26th Screen Actors Guild Awards tonight, Joaquin Phoenix won Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role in the movie category for his portrayal of Arthur Fleck in Joker. During his acceptance speech, Phoenix paid tribute to his Heath Ledger, who he called his "favorite actor." After telling Leonardo DiCaprio, who was nominated in the same category for Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, that he'd been an inspiration for 25 years, and then saying kind words to the other nominees, Phoenix shared "Really, I'm standing here on the shoulders of my favorite actor Heath Ledger." Check out the speech below... And then it was Fandango's Erik Davis who pointed out that it was exactly 10 years ago that Ledger won the same SAG award for playing Joker in The Dark Knight... Joker was one of IGN's best-reviewed movies of 2019 and won the People's Choice Award for the Best Movie of 2019. There has been some talk about a Joker sequel, but nothing has been confirmed yet. Check out all the Screen Actor's Guild award winners, including Peter Dinklage, Jennifer Aniston, Brad Pitt, and the cast of Parasite. You can also see what It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia star Rob McElhenney said about the future of the series and learn how The Witcher's showrunner crafted Yennefer's backstory based on very spare details from the books. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/01/18/6-games-that-should-be-netflix-shows-up-at-noon"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Fowler is a writer for IGN and a member of the Television Critics Association. Follow him on Twitter at @TheMattFowler and Facebook at Facebook.com/MattBFowler.

Screen Actors Guild Awards 2020: All the Movie and TV Winners

The 26th Screen Actors Guild Awards were held on Sunday evening, honoring the best performances of 2019 in both film and television! Joaquin Phoenix and Renee Zellweger took home the top acting prizes for movies while Peter Dinklage, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, and Fosse/Verdon's Sam Rockwell and Michelle Williams were among those who won for TV. Bong Joon-ho's Parasite was the biggest surprise of the night, taking home the trophy for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture while both Avengers: Endgame and Game of Thrones were honored for their stunt teams. Check out the SAG awards results below, updated as they roll in, with the winners noted in red and bold! [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=midseason-tv-2020-34-shows-we-cant-wait-to-watch&captions=true"]

Motion Picture Honors

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role

  • Christian Bale, Ford v Ferrari
  • Leonardo DiCaprio, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
  • Adam Driver, Marriage Story
  • Taron Egerton, Rocketman
  • Joaquin Phoenix, Joker (WINNNER)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role

  • Cynthia Erivo, Harriet
  • Scarlett Johansson, Marriage Story
  • Lupita Nyong'o, Us
  • Charlize Theron, Bombshell
  • Renee Zellweger, Judy (WINNER)

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role

  • Jamie Foxx, Just Mercy
  • Tom Hanks, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
  • Al Pacino, The Irishman
  • Joe Pesci, The Irishman
  • Brad Pitt, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (WINNER)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role

  • Laura Dern, Marriage Story (WINNER)
  • Scarlett Johansson, Jojo Rabbit
  • Nicole Kidman, Bombshell
  • Jennifer Lopez, Hustlers
  • Margot Robbie, Bombshell

Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture

  • Bombshell
  • The Irishman
  • Jojo Rabbit
  • Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
  • Parasite (WINNER)
[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/09/30/the-irishman-review"]

Television, Cable and New Media Program Honors

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Limited Series

  • Mahershala Ali, True Detective
  • Russell Crowe, The Loudest Voice
  • Jared Harris, Chernobyl
  • Jharrel Jerome, When They See Us
  • Sam Rockwell, Fosse/Verdon (WINNER)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Limited Series

  • Patricia Arquette, The Act
  • Toni Collette, Unbelievable
  • Joey King, The Act
  • Emily Watson, Chernobyl
  • Michelle Williams, Fosse/Verdon (WINNER)

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series

  • Sterling K. Brown, This Is Us
  • Steve Carell, The Morning Show
  • Billy Crudup, The Morning Show
  • Peter Dinklage, Game of Thrones (WINNER)
  • David Harbour, Stranger Things

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series

  • Jennifer Aniston, The Morning Show (WINNER)
  • Helena Bonham Carter, The Crown
  • Olivia Colman, The Crown
  • Jodie Comer, Killing Eve
  • Elisabeth Moss, The Handmaid's Tale

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series

  • Alan Arkin, The Kominsky Method
  • Michael Douglas, The Kominsky Method
  • Bill Hader, Barry
  • Andrew Scott, Fleabag
  • Tony Shalhoub, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (WINNER)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series

  • Christina Applegate, Dead to Me
  • Alex Borstein, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
  • Rachel Brosnahan, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
  • Catherine O'Hara, Schitt's Creek
  • Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Fleabag (WINNER)

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series

  • Big Little Lies
  • The Crown (WINNER)
  • Game of Thrones
  • The Handmaid’s Tale
  • Stranger Things

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series

  • Barry
  • Fleabag
  • The Kominsky Method
  • The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (WINNER)
  • Schitt’s Creek
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Stunt Ensemble Honors

Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture

  • Avengers: Endgame (WINNER)
  • Ford v Ferrari
  • The Irishman
  • Joker
  • Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Comedy or Drama Series

  • Game of Thrones (WINNER)
  • Glow
  • Stranger Things
  • The Walking Dead
  • Watchmen

[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=quentin-tarantinos-most-notable-abandoned-or-delayed-projects&captions=true"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Fowler is a writer for IGN and a member of the Television Critics Association. Follow him on Twitter at @TheMattFowler and Facebook at Facebook.com/MattBFowler.

Joe Biden Calls Silicon Valley Game Developers ‘Little Creeps’

Joe Biden, the former vice president and 2020 candidate for President of the United States, has shared some harsh thoughts on Silicon Valley game developers, as reported in a wide-reaching interview with The New York Times. When asked about the Obama administration's legacy on Silicon Valley regulation, Biden talks about meeting with leaders in Silicon Valley to discuss intellectual property rights, and describes interacting with an unspecified game developer as "one of the little creeps" who make games that "teach you how to kill people." "And at one point, one of the little creeps sitting around that table, who was a multi- — close to a billionaire — who told me he was an artist because he was able to come up with games to teach you how to kill people, you know the ——," said Biden. The reporter interrupted Biden at this point to clarify he was talking about video games, to which he agrees. The senator went on to use the words "righteous" and "overwhelming arrogance" to further describe those working in tech at Silicon Valley. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/08/07/every-country-has-video-games-only-one-has-a-mass-shooter-problem"] "And then one of these righteous people said to me that, you know, 'We are the economic engine of America. We are the ones.' And fortunately, I had done a little homework before I went and I said, you know, I find it fascinating. As I added up the seven outfits, everyone’s there but Microsoft. I said you have fewer people on your payroll than all the losses that General Motors just faced in the last quarter, of employees. So don’t lecture me about how you’ve created all this employment," continued Biden. "The point is, there’s an arrogance about it, an overwhelming arrogance that we are, we are the ones. We can do what we want to do. I disagree," Biden said. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2018/02/22/trump-suggests-movies-and-video-games-are-responsible-for-youth-violence"] The New York Times did not appear to press Biden on specifying which game developers he met with, or to elaborate further on his thoughts. Biden's views on violent video games aren't surprising. Back in 2013 when he was Vice President he vocally saw no legal problem taxing violent media. That year The Gaming Association even published an open letter asking him to look at studies suggesting there's no link between violence and video games. The question of whether violent video games lead kids astray is a long talked about one. However, when it comes to the relationship between shootings in the United States of America and games the correlation doesn't seem to make much sense. As for Silicon Valley, the tech hub's long history of sexism and worker exploitation has been well-documented by reporters at Wired and The Atlantic, among others. [poilib element="accentDivider"]Hope Corrigan is an Australian freelance writer for IGN. You can follow her on Twitter and Instagram.

Apex Legends Player Takes Over Airport TV to Play Ranked Match

An actual apex legend plugged his PlayStation 4 into a TV at Portland International Airport on Thursday to play Apex Legends. According to Oregon Live (via Kotaku), the man commandeered a TV that was displaying a map of the airport. Security officials walked over and asked the traveler to stop playing. Kama Simonds from Port of Portland said that the man "very politely" asked if he can finish his game. Security denied his request, and the man stopped his game. “Apparently it was a very polite and cordial interaction,” Simonds said. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Picture from Oregon Live[/caption] The television takeover occurred early in the morning on Thursday. Simonds said this was, "a good reminder of what not to do at the airport.” US Gamer pointed out that the man decided to play a ranked match judging by a badge on the corner of the screen. Apex Legends launched almost a year ago on February 4, 2019. The game has continued adding new events including the Grand Soirée event, which is currently going on until January 28. One of the events is an option to play in third-person mode. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/01/14/apex-legends-grand-soiree-breakdown-and-the-state-of-matchmaking"] The CEO of Respawn has just taken over duties as head of DICE LA and is currently working on an original IP that has yet to be announced. Good news for our airport friend, a mobile version of Apex Legends is still on the way. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Petey Oneto is a freelance writer for IGN.

Rob McElhenney Says They’ll Keep Doing It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia ‘Forever’

It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia has yet to be renewed for Season 15, but co-creator Rob McElhenney apparently has no plans for the series to end any time soon. While promoting his upcoming Apple TV+ series Mythic Quest: Raven's Banquet at the Television Critics Association winter press tour, McElhenney told reporters that he and Mythic Quest co-creator Charlie Day (who also stars on Always Sunny) are able to juggle the scheduling of the two shows to ensure that It's Always Sunny isn't impacted, after a reporter observed that Sunny seems likely to run forever. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/01/07/mythic-quest-ravens-banquet-official-trailer"] "It takes us about five months to make a season of Sunny, we have that period of our lives carved out just for that," McElhenney revealed. "And yes, we’re gonna keep doing it forever, as long as people keep watching it." This reiterates a recent Tweet from McElhenney promoting the Mythic Quest trailer, in which the showrunner noted, "Charlie Day & I would like to cut the death threats off by saying this will in no way affect Sunny. Sunny Always. Always Sunny. But also Mythic Quest. There's room for both you animals." FX boss John Landgraf recently told Deadline that discussions are currently underway with the It's Always Sunny team for a potential Season 15: “We’re actively talking to them about more," he said. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/06/10/mythic-quest-ravens-banquet-full-presentation-e3-2019"] Mythic Quest, co-created by McElhenney, Day, and fellow Sunny executive producer Megan Ganz, is a live-action comedy series that follows a team of video game developers as they navigate the challenges of running a popular video game. It stars McElhenney, David Hornsby (aka Always Sunny's Cricket), F. Murray Abraham, Charlotte Nicdao, Imani Hakim, Danny Pudi, Ashly Burch, and Jessie Ennis, and premieres on Apple TV+ on February 7. Check out our review of It's Always Sunny's Season 14 finale here. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=midseason-tv-2020-34-shows-we-cant-wait-to-watch&captions=true"]

Ubisoft Sues Website That Allegedly Facilitates DDoS Attacks on Siege

Ubisoft is suing a website that allegedly sells subscriptions to a server that distributes denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks on Rainbow Six: Siege players, according to a report by Polygon. The lawsuit was filed on Thursday against website SNG.ONE. On the outside, the website sells plans to companies who want to evaluate the security of their website, according to Eurogamer. When Ubisoft went to investigate, they found they could get access to servers from Epic Games' Fortnite, EA's FIFA 20, Activision's Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (2019) and more. "When executed, the DDoS Attacks flood the R6S Servers, overload its network, slow down the servers, and often cause a complete server crash, disconnecting all players engaged in an R6S match on the targeted server (and thereby ending their game prematurely)," the lawsuit reads. "Even when the DDoS Attacks do not result in a server crash, however, they nonetheless disrupt and interfere with access to the R6S Servers. Defendants have weaponized these DDoS Attacks, providing some R6S players looking for an unfair advantage with the ability to cheat." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/01/15/rainbow-six-siege-road-to-six-invitational-2020-trailer"] Ubisoft announced plans to counter DDoS attacks in September that resulted in a 93% decrease in attacks by the end of October. The lawsuit mentions a time when it's believed SNG.ONE responded to Ubisoft's original plans. In September, the Twitter account for SNG wrote "Good job, @UbisoftSupport Keep the work up." Accompanied with the post is a picture from The Simpsons with Bart writing on the chalkboard. The writing on the chalkboard appears to be edited to read, "We will ban every ddoser." The tweet has since been taken down, according to Polygon, but a screenshot of it was placed in the lawsuit. Ubisoft claims in the lawsuit that this means SNG was "well aware" of both Ubisoft's actions as well as their own. [caption id="attachment_228993" align="aligncenter" width="473"]ubisoft tweet Screenshot from the Ubisoft lawsuit[/caption] For now, Ubisoft is seeking damages and court fees while it petitions a court to shut down the alleged DDoS service. Rainbow Six Siege was first launched by Ubisoft in December 2015. The support for the game hasn't stopped by Ubisoft or the community. The game is the fourth most-played game on Steam at the time of this writing and Ubisoft keeps adding new characters to play as. Read our interview with a game designer on two of those new characters. And check out which awards Rainbow Six Siege lost at the most recent Game Awards. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=rainbow-six-siege-operation-shifting-tides-screenshots&captions=true"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Petey Oneto is a freelance writer for IGN.

England’s Top Mental Health Nurse: Games Push Kids to Gamble

England's top mental health nurse wants game publishers to restrict microtransaction sales to children because of its possible relation to gambling. Claire Murdoch, National Health Service England's mental health director, released a report that calls for "fair and realistic spending limits" on loot boxes and for gaming publishers to give consumers a "percentage chance they have of obtaining the items they want before they purchase." The report also called for some serious reckoning on behalf of the video game industry, calling for "the gaming industry to face up to responsibilities to protect players from potential harms" and "an industry levy to support independent research on long-term effects of gaming." “Frankly no company should be setting kids up for addiction by teaching them to gamble on the content of these loot boxes," Murdoch said. "No firm should sell to children loot box games with this element of chance, so yes those sales should end." Meanwhile, a U.S. senator introduces a bill to ban microtransaction sales to children. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/05/08/us-legislation-could-limit-loot-box-sales-to-children-ign-now"] The report from Murdoch wants gaming companies to do more about restricting younger players from playing games with a rating outside of their age range. It also mentions that half of U.K. parents let their children play a game with a mature rating without having seen any of the game themselves, and that there have been cases of children purchasing microtransactions without their parents' knowledge. This comes about three months after NHS opened a clinic for gaming addiction and less than a year after the World Health Organization announced that Gaming Disorder will be classified as a disease in 2022. Up to 15 new gambling clinics will be available in England to address people aged 13-25 who are struggling with mental health addiction in topics related to social media and video games. “Young people’s health is at stake, and although the NHS is stepping up with these new, innovative services available to families through our Long Term Plan, we cannot do this alone, so other parts of society must do what they can to limit risks and safeguard children’s wellbeing," Murdoch said. WHO announced plans in 2018 to make the first update in 26 years to the compendium of diseases so they can list "gaming disorder" and "hazardous gaming."  In August 2019, it was announced that Sony, Nintendo and Microsoft will work on new policies surrounding microtransactions. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2018/06/18/gaming-organizations-react-to-gaming-disorder-classification"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Petey Oneto is a freelance writer for IGN.