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index.feed.received.today — 4 avril 20253.3 🎲 Jeux English

The Sims Competitor inZOI Sells 1 Million in a Week, Krafton Declares It a ‘Long-Term Franchise IP’

4 avril 2025 à 13:29

inZOI has sold 1 million copies in a week, developer and publisher Krafton has announced. That’s the fastest sales milestone ever for a game published by the South Korean megacorp.

Krafton’s The Sims competitor launched on PC via Steam in Early Access form on March 28 and quickly hit the headlines after players discovered they could run over and kill children. Krafton responded to say it had patched out what it called an "unintended bug."

Despite this hiccup, inZOI has a ‘very positive’ user review rating on Steam, and saw a peak of 175,000 concurrent viewers on Twitch, ranking third in the Games category. It rose to number one on Steam’s Global Top Sellers List (by sales revenue) just 40 minutes after release.

Meanwhile, Canvas, inZOI’s in-game user-generated content (UGC) sharing platform, saw over 1.2 million “participants” on launch day, and over 470,000 pieces of content uploaded.

IGN’s inZOI Early Access review returned a 6/10. We said: “inZOI is a visually striking life simulator with plenty of ambition, but not enough depth as of its Early Access launch.”

Clearly, inZOI is doing the business for Krafton, which highlighted its work promoting the game ahead of launch and its communication with the community as helping to build trust and momentum for release. The inZOI global showcase and demo build “particularly attracted high interest,” Krafton added.

CEO CH Kim commented: “We are grateful and excited to present inZOI to players around the world through Early Access. We will continue to actively communicate with players and foster inZOI as Krafton’s long-term franchise IP.”

As for what’s next, Krafton said future updates will introduce new content, including mod support and new cities, with all updates and DLC provided for free until full release.

In a recent note to players, Krafton said it will “quickly” apply fixes for reported issues through hotfixes during April amid complaints from some players about the state of the game. The scale of inZOI’s global community is “a next-level experience for us,” Krafton said, before admitting it’s “going through some trial and error in finding the optimal means of communication.”

Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

Nintendo Switch 2 Game Sizes Revealed, and It Looks Like the 256 GB Internal Storage Will Keep Most Players Going for a While

4 avril 2025 à 13:06

Nintendo has confirmed some of its Switch 2 game sizes, and, thankfully, they’re relatively small.

The Japanese My Nintendo Store lists a number of Switch 2 games alongside their file sizes.

The Nintendo Switch 2 features 256 GB of internal storage, which is a significant upgrade on the 32 GB available on the OG Switch and Switch Lite and the 64 GB on the Switch - OLED Model.

Another big difference is that the Switch 2 requires microSD Express cards for up to 2 TB of extra storage, meaning the microSDXC cards the current Switch models support cannot transfer over to the new console.

But, based on the file sizes revealed on the Japanese store, that 256 GB of internal storage should keep most players going for a while.

Nintendo Switch 2 game storage sizes:

The biggest file size here is, as you’d expect, Mario Kart World, but at 23.4 GB it only takes up around 10% of the Switch 2’s total internal storage.

Mario Kart World is relatively slim compared to the beefy Cyberpunk 2077, which weighs in at 64 GB on Nintendo Switch 2. That's a chunky 25% of the Switch 2’s internal storage.

Nintendo also recently confirmed that several new Switch 2 game cards won’t always carry an actual game, but instead contain a key for a game download. This isn't the case for Cyberpunk 2077, though.

For context, one of the biggest games on the original Switch, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, was just 16 GB.

It’s worth noting that the GameCube app’s size is expected to grow as new games are added to the library. At launch, the GameCube app contains The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, F-Zero GX, and SoulCalibur 2.

So, how is the Nintendo Switch 2 able to get away with relatively small game sizes while offering up to 4K resolution?

In January, the internet spotted a Nintendo patent, filed July 2023 but published for the first time earlier this year, that described AI image upscaling technology that would help keep video game download sizes small enough to fit on a physical game cartridge while offering up to 4K textures. It was thought at the time that this applied to the Nintendo Switch 2, and could relate to Nvidia DLSS graphics technology.

Nvidia DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling) is an AI-powered technology that uses machine learning to upscale lower-resolution images in real-time, enhancing both performance and image quality in games.

This week, in the wake of the Nintendo Direct, Nintendo and Nvidia confirmed the Switch 2’s custom GPU enables AI upscaling via DLSS and ray tracing.

Nvidia described it as a “custom Nvidia processor featuring an Nvidia GPU with dedicated RT Cores and Tensor Cores for stunning visuals and AI-driven enhancements.”

Those upgrades include up to 4K gaming in TV mode and up to 120 FPS at 1080p in handheld mode. Nintendo Switch 2 also supports HDR, and AI upscaling “to sharpen visuals and smooth gameplay.”

The new RT Cores bring real-time ray tracing, delivering “lifelike lighting, reflections and shadows for more immersive worlds,” Nvidia continued.

Tensor Cores, meanwhile, power AI-driven features like DLSS, “boosting resolution for sharper details without sacrificing image quality.”

Details are thin on the ground, however. In a hardware-focused roundtable Q&A in New York this week, attended by IGN, Nintendo representatives confirmed the Switch 2 uses DLSS, but did not specify which version of the tech, or whether it had been customized for Switch 2. It was a similarly vague response when Nintendo confirmed the Switch 2’s GPU is capable of ray tracing.

And what about the GPU itself? Tetsuya Sasaki, General Manager at Nintendo’s Technology Development Division, and Senior Director at its Technology Development Department, chimed in to say Nintendo prefers not to get in the weeds on things like the GPU.

“Nintendo doesn't share too much on the hardware spec,” he said. “What we really like to focus on is the value that we can provide to our consumers. But I do believe that our partner Nvidia will be sharing some information.”

For more, check out everything announced at the Switch 2 Nintendo Direct, and what the experts have to say about the Switch 2 price and Mario Kart World’s $80 price tag.

Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

Bungie's Marathon Finally Emerges From the Shadows to Tease… Something

4 avril 2025 à 12:24

Remember Marathon? It’s Destiny developer Bungie’s next game, and it looks like we’re about to finally see more of it.

Marathon is a PvP-focused extraction shooter set on the mysterious planet of Tau Ceti IV. Players inhabit the bodies of Runners, cybernetic mercenaries who have been designed to survive the planet’s harsh environments, exploring the lost colony that once inhabited Tau Ceti’s surface.

It has been some time since we saw or heard of Marathon. In October, Bungie released a lengthy development update video that shed light on Marathon's mechanics, but stressed how early in development the game was. Player character models were, at that point, still "coming together," while enemy models were still in an "early state."

Now, though, half a year later, it looks like Bungie is finally ready to reveal what it’s been working on. A tweet from the official Marathon account, below, revealed a typically cryptic image and accompanying garbled signal noise. As fans have noticed, there’s ASCII art of footage from the debut Marathon trailer. Given this is Bungie we’re talking about, a developer known for its mysterious teasers, hidden clues, and Easter eggs, there’s probably much more here to discover, and fans are already working to find out what it all means.

Either way, it very much looks like it’s finally happening for Marathon after what has been a troubled development.

pic.twitter.com/6NBgIdRVK2

— Marathon (@MarathonTheGame) April 4, 2025

Marathon was revealed in May 2023 as a reboot of the classic Bungie franchise, but with all its themes of "mysteries, eeriness, and psychological creepiness." But Bungie itself has suffered several controversies in recent years, headlined by the laying off of 220 staff members, meaning 17% of its workforce, in July 2024: a move even industry peers criticized.

This came less than a year after 100 other layoffs at Bungie, at which point staff told IGN the atmosphere was "soul crushing" at the studio.

Further controversy came when a report released weeks after the 220 job losses alleging former Marathon director Chris Barrett was fired after an internal misconduct investigation at Bungie. Barrett subsequently sued Sony Interactive Entertainment and Bungie for more than $200 million.

This all comes as Sony rethinks its focus on live-service games. Sony president Hiroki Totoki said in November 2023 the company was committed to launching just six of the 12 live service games it was working on by March 2026, in a shift in strategy that saw The Last of Us multiplayer game cancelled.

While Arrowhead’s Helldivers 2 was a breakout hit, becoming the fastest-selling PlayStation Studios game of all time with 12 million copies sold in just 12 weeks, Sony’s other live service games were either canceled or suffered disastrous launches.

Indeed, Sony’s Concord is one of the biggest video game disasters in PlayStation history, lasting just a couple of weeks before it was brought offline amid eye-wateringly low player numbers. Sony later decided to kill the game entirely and shut its developer.

And earlier this year, Sony reportedly canceled two unannounced live service games, one a God of War title in development at Bluepoint, the other in the works at Days Gone developer Bend.

Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

How Does Switch 2’s Price Compare to the Cost of Other Nintendo Consoles at Launch? Spoiler: It’s Not the Most Expensive

4 avril 2025 à 12:15

When the Nintendo Switch 2’s $450 USD price was announced it turned heads given this is a bigger sticker price then we’ve come to expect from Nintendo in the past. However, with the rise in production costs and other economic uncertainties like tariffs, analysts did predict the Switch 2 to cost around $400 USD at least.

Maybe the bigger shock was around the cost of Switch 2 games, which not only hit the new $70 USD standard for new games but also go as high as $80 in the case of games like Mario Kart World. Add in the additional cost of the various accessories if you want the full Switch 2 experience and it all totals a hefty sum.

But if you adjust the launch cost of previous Nintendo consoles for inflation, how does Switch 2 stack up? And how does the Switch 2 price also compare to other consoles? The results might surprise you...

Nintendo Switch 2 Price Vs Previous Nintendo Consoles

NES

The NES was released in 1985 and was sold for $179 USD at launch. That sounds like a bargain these days, but if you adjust the cost for inflation it would set you back $523 USD in 2025. Woof!

SNES

Nintendo followed it up in 1991 with the SNES, which at the time cost $199 USD. It was $20 dollars more back then but taking into account the additional inflation between the two launch years, it would cost $460 USD in 2025.

Nintendo 64

Nintendo’s big 3D revolution came when the Nintendo 64 was released in 1996, which came in at the same $199 price point as the SNES. However that’s $400 USD in today’s terms after adjustments for inflation.

Nintendo GameCube

The Nintendo GameCube, whose games will be available on the Switch 2 through the Nintendo Switch Online’s classic library, hit the shelves in 2001 for $199 or $359 USD in today’s dollars.

Wii

Nintendo’s bold next step after the GameCube was the motion-controlled Wii which went on to become a global phenomenon. In 2006, the Wii hit shelves at $249 USD or about $394 USD in 2025.

Wii U

Nintendo wasn’t as successful with its follow-up the Wii U. It was released in 2012 for $299 USD at launch or $415 USD in 2025, making it closer to the Switch 2’s pricing.

Nintendo Switch

Nintendo found its groove again with the Nintendo Switch, which will go down as one of Nintendo’s most-successful consoles of all time. The system hit stores in 2017 – nearly eight years ago – and retailed for $299 USD, or $387 USD in today’s dollars, so still cheaper than Switch 2 when it hits the shelves on June 5.

So there you have it, the original NES is the most expensive console Nintendo has ever launched if you adjust prices for inflation. Does that make Switch 2's price any easier to swallow? Absolutely not.

But what about the games?

While the Switch 2’s price was largely expected by analysts and other trend watchers, the real head-turner was Nintendo’s pricing on games, which will retail as high as $80 USD for Mario Kart World, while others like Donkey Kong Bananza are priced at $70 USD (or $65 digitally).

It’s difficult to see exactly how that compares to the earliest NES cartridges at launch because unlike today, prices back then varied pretty wildly from one game to the next. For example, in the early 90s an NES game could cost as much as $45 USD, or $130 USD in 2025, while some sold for as little as $34, or $98 USD after adjusting for inflation – which is still more than what Mario Kart World would cost today. But many are convinced that the cost of games could increase further.

It's no surprise the Switch 2 hits the higher end of Nintendo's pricing, beaten only by the NES and SNES. Real-world factors do seem to be a big cause of this price increase given that Nintendo announced a cheaper, region-locked Switch 2 for Japan, Nintendo's key domestic market, for 49,980 JPY or $340 USD.

How Switch 2's Price Compares to Other Consoles

We did a similar cost analysis when the price for the PS5 Pro was announced, comparing the PS5 Pro to other Sony consoles. But how does Switch 2 stack up to some other past consoles?

PlayStation 2

The PlayStation 2 was released in 2000 and is the biggest selling console of all time. It cost $299 USD back then and now, adjusted for inflation, the PS2 would cost $565 USD in 2025!

Xbox 360

The Xbox follow-up was the company's most-successful console and was released in 2005 for $299 USD, or about $500 USD in 2025.

So that's how the Switch 2's price stacks up against its predecessors and some rivals. For more, check out IGN's hands-on with the Switch 2 as well as games like Mario Kart World. Also, check out our chat with analysts on just why exactly the Switch 2 and everything around it costs so much.

Matt Kim is IGN's Senior Features Editor.

Nintendo Made a Much Cheaper Japanese Language-Only Nintendo Switch 2 — and Even Duolingo Is Poking Fun

4 avril 2025 à 12:05

Now that we finally have a release date and tech specs on the highly anticipated Switch successor, Nintendo Switch 2 — as well as an idea of how much first-party Nintendo games cost on the new console — thoughts turn to the cost of the system itself.

While no prices were confirmed during the Nintendo Direct presentation, regional costings have since popped up on Nintendo's country-specific websites, leading to the realisation that the cheapest way to own Nintendo's new hardware is to be Japanese.

As highlighted in a cheeky tweet from Duolingo — the education app that teaches a range of languages, including Japanese — Japan is selling two different Switch consoles: a multi-language version, which sells for 69,980 yen (around $477), and a Japanese language-only edition for 49,980 yen (about $341).

Gamers, learn Japanese to save $133! https://t.co/misNmSstIf

— Duolingo (@duolingo) April 3, 2025

As Japan is the only country in the world offering a mono-language console option for a cheaper price, this means players content to play in Japanese can save over $100 compared to the system the rest of the world has to buy, which is selling for $449.99 in the U.S.

In some experts' opinions, the inflated international price may well be a result of U.S. president Donald Trump's recently announced international tariffs.

"Nintendo probably factored in possible tariffs, the current inflationary climate in the world and the $700 Sony dared to charge for the PlayStation 5 Pro last year," said Dr. Serkan Toto, CEO of Kantan Games.

It may also be because Japan is "a key market for Nintendo," with the country accounting for a quarter (24%) of the Nintendo Switch installed base in 2024, compared with just 2% for Xbox Series X/S and 9% for PlayStation 5.

"If Switch 2 pricing in Japanese Yen was aligned with the U.S. Dollar price, it would dramatically weaken Nintendo's position in Japan, representing a doubling in the list price over the classic LCD Nintendo Switch model," explained James McWhirter, analyst at Omdia. "Yet if Nintendo continued to rely on region-specific pricing that is significantly cheaper in USD terms, they would face an issue with grey imports to other territories."

Even if you do happen to be fluent in Japanese, however, there are still barriers to getting hold of the cheaper system.

"The Japanese-Language System (Japan only) is designed for use in Japan only," states Nintendo's own website. "Only Japanese is available as the system language, and only Nintendo accounts with the country/region set to Japan can be linked to this system."

With these further limitations, coupled with the fact the Japanese-only variant is only available from the Japanese My Nintendo Store, Nintendo is essentially region-locking the console to keep costs down for Japanese players.

For more on why the Nintendo Switch 2 and its games are so expensive, check out our deep dive as we talk to industry experts.

For more on Nintendo Switch 2, you can catch up on everything shown at this week's Nintendo Direct right here.

Vikki Blake is a reporter, critic, columnist, and consultant. She's also a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her at BlueSky.

Does the Price of the Switch 2 Overshadow Its Reveal?

4 avril 2025 à 12:00

There’s no denying the excitement of a new console reveal, and Nintendo certainly delivered when it came to the new graphical capabilities of the Switch 2. Despite still no sign of a new 3D Mario game (it’s been almost eight years since Super Mario Odyssey, why must my pain continue?), we got the open-world Mario Kart World, the return of Donkey Kong to the limelight, and a pseudo-successor to Bloodborne in the shape of The Duskbloods. But one aspect of the reveal has overshadowed everything – the price. Not necessarily just the console itself – $449.99 isn’t an outrageous cost for a piece of new technology in 2025 – but the amount of money it will take to buy the games and accessories to enjoy Switch 2 to its fullest. So is the price of admission to Nintendo’s new toys really too high? Let’s take a look.

Many headlines have been written about the $80 price tag of Mario Kart World. It’s certainly an eye-opener in an age when we’re so used to $60 or $70 being the norm. The knee-jerk reaction is to say that it’s too much and Nintendo is squeezing us for every penny as it knows it’s the one game everyone will want at launch. Throw in another set of joy-con if you want to play with friends and family and that’ll be another $90. Want people from across the world to join you? A non-inexpensive Nintendo Online membership is required. It all tots up and when the reveal trailer was so focused on 24-player co-op and the ability to roam around its world with friends, taking advantage of the new GameChat and photo mode features, it’s hard not to think it's all a bit cynical.

Of course, the counterargument is that it presents good value for money in terms of dollars to hours of enjoyment. World will likely be the only Mario Kart game to be released on the Nintendo Switch 2 if Mario Kart 8’s decade-long lifetime is anything to go by. Is $80 a reasonable amount to charge for a game that will likely provide many years of enjoyment? In an age where free-to-play games such as Fortnite are now the norm, have our perspectives of value for money been skewed? I imagine someone who puts as many hours into Fortnite over a five-year period as a Mario Kart player will likely spend $80 on battle passes and skins. Yes, these examples are apples and oranges, but in a time when a cinema trip for the whole family can easily cost $80 for two hours of animated slop, a decade of Mario Kart doesn’t seem too bad.

Granted, Donkey Kong Bananza is listed at a cheaper $69.99 price, so maybe this is a case of Nintendo knowing they can ask what they want for Mario Kart, one of the planet’s most popular game series. But it does set a worrying precedent, and with the Switch 2 versions of Kirby and the Forgotten Land and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom both also costing $80, the strategy is a little baffling. For a company like Nintendo, which has also appeared player-first and generous in its offerings, it raises the question of whether other game publishers will follow in the footsteps of these inflated game prices. GTA 6, we’re all looking at you. It also turns the attention to how generational leaps between consoles will go in the future when it comes to the cost of upgrading older games.

PlayStation has been doing this for years, consistently offering $10 upgrades to some of its PS4 games making the jump to PS5, with Days Gone doing exactly that later this month. The price for enhanced versions of Switch games on the Switch 2 is yet to be revealed though; if it’s the same as Sony charges then I doubt there’ll be much of an outcry – $10 for a superior frame rate, greater resolution in 4K, and even extra gameplay additions isn’t a bad deal. But if it’s $20 or $30, I’m not sure I’ll be investing in many of these upgrades.

For example, you can currently buy Tears of the Kingdom on Amazon for $52, a whole $28 less than the Switch 2 edition will cost. Surely the upgrade won’t be quite that much? The difference is even starker in the UK, where it’s currently £45 for the Switch version, but £75 for Switch 2. The MSRP for the original Switch version of TOTK is $70, so does that mean the upgrade will be just $10? If that’s the case, why not just buy a Switch copy from Amazon and then get the upgrade pack for another $10, saving yourself almost $20 in the process?

Of course, this is all speculation but the only indicator we have so far is the enhanced versions of Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom being available as part of a Nintendo Online + Expansion Pack membership, of which the cost is currently $49.99 a year. Assuming that the price doesn’t get raised in the next two months (I wouldn’t be hugely surprised if it does at some point though, Netflix currently charges me $4 million dollars and the soul of my firstborn just to watch Love is Blind), an upgraded Zelda as part of that isn’t the worst deal in the world. But what happens if I cancel my membership? Do I have to go back to playing 1080p, slightly framey Zelda until I resub? These are all questions that need answering.

Finally, we have perhaps the most baffling choice of all: the decision to charge for Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour. This virtual exhibition littered with minigames reeks of hardware pack-in energy and is the sort of thing you’d expect to be greeted with when loading a new console up for the first time. Astro’s Playroom came free with all PlayStation 5s and was an incredibly generous platformer that both evoked Nintendo’s brand of invention and celebrated PlayStation history while welcoming the new addition to its console family. It felt like Sony learned the right lessons from Nintendo and Wii Sports, whereas Switch 2 Welcome Tour feels like Nintendo taking pages out of the borderline arrogance Sony displayed during its expensive PS3 launch.

I don’t think the Switch 2 will be a step backward for Nintendo like Sony’s jump into the high-definition generation was though. It has enough forward momentum and goodwill from the original Switch, not to mention its frankly absurd library of games, to falter massively. The Switch 2 console itself looks like an impressive if not slightly safe improvement on what’s come before. The games we’ve seen so far largely look great too, with many more to come I’m sure (Mario, come on, mate). I just hope Nintendo doesn’t get too greedy and learns from the instant backlash of the cost of some of its launch offerings. No one wants $80 to be the new standard price of video games, so let’s hope Nintendo doesn’t make that a reality.

Does the cost of the Switch 2 and its accompanying games, upgrades, and peripherals completely overshadow the reveal? Not quite for me. But it certainly didn’t result in it being the universal success that Nintendo hoped it would be.

Simon Cardy is a Senior Editor at IGN who can mainly be found skulking around open world games, indulging in Korean cinema, or despairing at the state of Tottenham Hotspur and the New York Jets. Follow him on Bluesky at @cardy.bsky.social.

Tekken Boss Katsuhiro Harada Says Dev Team 'Working Around the Clock' to Improve Tekken 8 Amid Backlash, 'Emergency' Patch Planned

4 avril 2025 à 11:47

It’s all kicking off in the Tekken community. This week IGN reported on how Tekken 8 players had reacted in anger to the Season 2 update because of big changes it made to the way the fighting game played.

Patch notes revealed an across-the-board buff to character damage potential and offensive pressure, which caused some within the community to complain that Tekken 8 has strayed too far from the classic Tekken experience.

The backlash got so bad that some pro Tekken players threatened to ditch the game, while others took to Steam to leave angry negative reviews.

In response, the Tekken development team at Bandai Namco issued a statement acknowledging the furore, and confirming an “emergency patch” would be released this month to address Paul and Jack specifically, with more balance changes to come.

Fighters,

we are aware of the current community feedback regarding #TEKKEN8 Season 2.
We are carefully reviewing the balance of the game; expect more information about these changes soon.

In addition, an emergency patch will be released in April to adress the following issues👇 pic.twitter.com/Gvet0IOISu

— TEKKEN (@TEKKEN) April 3, 2025

Now, Tekken development chief has waded in, tweeting one person’s complaint that the Tekken community had gone too far in directing its anger at specific staff on social media.

“In any case, it is clear to me that the result is a disconnect between what the community wants and the tuning results,” Harada said.

“I understand that whatever words I may be accused by the community about it, that is not the essential issue and it is not the time to worry about it.

“We have our Battle & Tuning team working around the clock to read through all the feedback logs from the community and work on future policies and changes for the better.

“Thanks.”

Tekken characters in Season 2 pic.twitter.com/n6UTHsSswn

— K-Wiss 🉐 (@KungFuKobi) April 3, 2025

It seems unlikely that Harada’s comment will calm the angry responses from the Tekken community, or stem the tide of negative user reviews on Steam. Recent reviews there are now ‘overwhelmingly negative’ after thousands of negative reviews were left in the last week.

“I am baffled,” reads the current “most helpful” user review. “I never seen devs so out of touch with the community.

“New season dropped and they made every character into a braindead easy mix up machine without a single buff to defense. From the start of Tekken 8 players were vocal about the prominence of easy mix-ups and the glaring nerfs to defense compared to past Tekken games and yet they do a huge patch with lots of new moves that emphasise on every aspect the players disliked about the game.

“No-one, literally no-one asked for these changes, even new players never asked for more offense in a game that clearly lacks defensive options and is easy to mash button and win like in most Tekken games.”

Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

Mario Kart World Costs $80... Will GTA 6?

4 avril 2025 à 10:36

With Mario Kart World cruising its way onto store shelves at $80, Nintendo fans who were otherwise stoked about the promise of the Nintendo Switch 2 have spent the last 24 hours balking at the prospect of doling out that many coins, even for a game they feel is a must-have.

We wrote earlier today about why Mario Kart World, as well as the Nintendo Switch 2 itself and many of its accessories, are so dang expensive. But knowing the “why” of it doesn’t really ease the pain on the wallet. What’s more, we learned just this morning that a number of Nintendo Switch 2 Edition games, including The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom and Kirby and the Forgotten Land, will also be $80. And with the AAA game price increase from $60 to $70 still firmly within recent memory, fans are now worried that more and more games, Nintendo or otherwise, are going to start getting more and more and more expensive.

So what does the future hold? Are $80 games the new Nintendo normal?

As usual, rather than speculate ourselves, we went and found some expert analysts to tell us what they think is going to happen.

A New Nintendo Normal

NYU Stern professor and author of SuperJoost Playlist, Joost van Dreunen, believes Nintendo is using Mario Kart World as a “test case for premium pricing,” and will evaluate consumer response before applying this more broadly. Spoilers: the response hasn’t been great so far! But sentiment is not the same as sales, and Nintendo will likely measure success by how well Mario Kart World actually sells.

If the $80 price point succeeds, Nintendo will likely extend it selectively to their most valuable franchises rather than making it standard across their first-party lineup. Franchises that could potentially justify the premium pricing include:

  • The Legend of Zelda - the next mainline entry following Tears of the Kingdom could command $80 given the series' prestige and the expansive scope these games typically offer.
  • New 3D Mario adventures - for major releases in the vein of Super Mario Odyssey, Nintendo could position these as premium products.
  • Super Smash Bros. - the next installment of this franchise would be a strong candidate for premium pricing due to its extensive roster and competitive staying power.

“Games that likely wouldn't justify the premium price include smaller-scale entries, remasters, and series with more niche appeal. Nintendo will probably maintain a tiered pricing strategy, with their tent-pole franchises at $80, mid-tier releases at $60-70, and smaller titles at traditional price points.”

Rhys Elliott, games analyst at Alinea Analytics, had a similar take, pointing to the top 10 best-selling Nintendo Switch games as a guide for what we might see get an $80 price tag in the future. “I could see Nintendo pricing mainline Pokémon games, mainline Zelda games, and the inevitably imminent 3D Mario and Animal Crossing games at $80 physical (but $70 digital still).”

And James McWhirter, analyst at Omdia, added a suggested hypothetical Splatoon 4 to the list of possibilities, along with another thought on future monetization:

“For titles that do not adopt the $80 base price, Nintendo could lean in more heavily in alternative forms of monetisation, including those it has so far refrained from using, such as tying paid early access to higher value editions of its games.”

Grand Theft, Grand Price?

That covers Nintendo, but what about other games? Earlier this year, we covered a flurry of speculation on one specifically: Grand Theft Auto 6. At the time, we were responding to rumors and discussion that Take-Two might price the sequel to the over 200 million selling blockbuster at $80, $90, or even $100. Analysts suggested that the high end of this was rather unlikely, but what about now? Will Grand Theft Auto 6 cost $80... or even more?

Tiago Reis, market analyst at Newzoo, certainly thinks so. “For sure. Big hits that are highly anticipated (e.g., GTA 6, new CODs) can get away with it due to franchise recognition. Most people are not going to stop buying these games because they are $10 more expensive. If consumers are willing to wait, they can get it at a discount a couple of months after release. But by then, these companies have already extracted max value/price from the people who are less price sensitive.”

Reis’ colleague Lauren Universe, client services manager at Newzoo, added: “Frankly, I expect base GTA to be at least $80, with multiple options of various increased prices (like Civ 7) that include expansions, DLCs, and ‘early access.’”

Dr. Serkan Toto, CEO of Kantan Games, agreed, and even expanded on who might be interested in raising prices beyond just Take-Two. “I do believe there is a chance that companies like Microsoft or Sony could feel encouraged to raise their prices now. Would you be shocked if Take-Two now thought to themselves: ‘If Nintendo can charge $80 for a Mario Kart game, we can do the same for GTA 6 - a title thousands of people have been working on for 12 years?”

Nuno Domingues Marques, also a market analyst at Newzoo, similarly brought up Sony and Microsoft as possible candidates for price hikes. “I am unsure if Sony/Xbox will wait for their next generation to make the push or if they will adjust post-Switch launch, but certainly, it seems like the way forward. Third-party publishers will jump on it as soon as they feel it is justified, which is likely ASAP. Not all exclusive games will cost $80, in my opinion though. Games like Ratchet & Clank or other smaller niche experiences are likely to keep lower price points.”

But Elliott pushed back a bit on the idea that Mario Kart World could have opened a higher pricing floodgate. He pointed out that at least in the UK and Europe (U.S. price discrepancies are still unconfirmed), Nintendo is charging more for the physical edition of Mario Kart World than digital in an effort to push more consumers toward the digital edition. But he suspects that because the other two console platforms are far more digitally-oriented than Nintendo (something he discussed in more detail in our other piece on the Switch 2 pricing), this would be a tougher sell for other publishers.

While I believe Take Two could charge over $70 for GTA 6, I maintain that it is a bad idea.

“While I believe Take Two could charge over $70 for GTA 6, I maintain that it is a bad idea for three reasons. [One,] the real cash cow is GTA Online and its recurring revenues, so limiting the total addressable audience at launch wouldn't be smart. There’s also a cost-of-living crisis happening globally and GTA appeals to everyone – rich and less fortunate.

"[Two,] Rockstar needs to move players from GTA 5, and a higher floor for the switching cost would limit the GTA 5-to-GTA 6 player acquisition. Players not budging from GTA 5 is probably one of GTA 6's biggest threats, one GTA hasn't really faced before. After all, live services are mostly zero-sum in today's oversaturated attention economy. GTA 6 isn't just competing against competitors' games, it's competing with TikTok, Netflix, and even its predecessor.

"[Three,] Rockstar can easily charge $100 or more for an edition of GTA 6 with a week of early access, maybe with a shark card thrown in. Players with disposable income will pay for it. This is the best of both worlds for Take-Two. This is pretty much the norm for AAA games these days.”

Elliott concluded that even with all that in mind, GTA 6 nonetheless stands a better chance than any other game at withstanding a price hike with its consumer base intact. So ultimately, the question of GTA 6’s pricing remains an impossible one to answer up to the point where Take-Two finally announces it.

Living in Interesting Times

I’ll end on a hopeful note, though, which I got from both Mat Piscatella, analyst at Circana, and a couple of analysts at Newzoo. These folks told me that while we’re likely to keep seeing games get more expensive (and, as Piscatella points out, have already been for a while via Collector’s Editions and similar), we may also see them get cheaper in certain ways.

“Other Nintendo games will certainly follow suit,” said Brett Hunt, market analyst at Newzoo. “It could, however, open the door for Nintendo to have an adjusted discounting strategy for the Switch 2.”

Marques agreed. “Maybe we will see a bigger window of pricing as well, as seen from the Donkey Kong game. Creation of space for multiple different-sized games; games that cost $49.99, $59.99, etc., having distinct content depth and breadth expectations. I agree that maybe a new discounting strategy is coming from Nintendo.”

And as Piscatella put it, Nintendo may not be the only company that sees the need to break with $70 convention in more than just one way. “We certainly could see other publishers try and establish even higher base prices for some of their new games. But we could also see more significant price promotion and discounting as well.

"With all of the uncertainty in the market, we're at a point where both publishers and consumers will have to figure out where things go next. These are, after all, interesting times."

Rebekah Valentine is a senior reporter for IGN. You can find her posting on BlueSky @duckvalentine.bsky.social. Got a story tip? Send it to rvalentine@ign.com.

Blox Fruits Codes (April 2025)

4 avril 2025 à 03:00

If you're looking for Blox Fruits codes, IGN has what you need! In this article, you'll find all the latest and working Blox Fruits codes in April 2025 that you can redeem for free rewards and bonuses, including 2x EXP for a set time, a title, and stat resets.

Active Blox Fruits Codes (April 2025)

Below, you'll find all the active and working Blox Fruits codes in April 2025 and the rewards you get for redeeming them:

  • KITT_RESET: 1x Stat Refund
  • Sub2UncleKizaru: 1x Stat Refund
  • SUB2GAMERROBOT_RESET1: 1x Stat Refund
  • fudd10_v2: $2
  • Fudd10: $1
  • Bignews: "Big News" in-game title (speak to The Title Specialist under the Cafe in the Second Sea)
  • SUB2GAMERROBOT_EXP1: 2x EXP for 30 minutes
  • Sub2Fer999: 2x EXP for 20 minutes
  • TantaiGaming: 2x EXP for 20 minutes
  • kittgaming: 2x EXP for 20 minutes
  • Enyu_is_Pro: 2x EXP for 20 minutes
  • Sub2CaptainMaui: 2x EXP for 20 minutes
  • Magicbus: 2x EXP for 20 minutes
  • Sub2OfficialNoobie: 2x EXP for 20 minutes
  • TheGreatAce: 2x EXP for 20 minutes
  • JCWK: 2x EXP for 20 minutes
  • Bluxxy: 2x EXP for 20 minutes
  • Axiore: 2x EXP for 20 minutes
  • Starcodeheo: 2x EXP for 20 minutes
  • StrawHatMaine: 2x EXP for 20 minutes
  • Sub2Daigrock: 2x EXP for 20 minutes
  • Sub2NoobMaster123: 2x EXP for 15 minutes

Expired Blox Fruits Codes

Here are all the expired Blox Fruits codes that are no longer working in April 2025 and can no longer be redeemed:

  • ADMINFIGHT
  • BANEXPLOIT
  • NOMOREHACK
  • FIGHT4FRUIT
  • WildDares
  • BossBuild
  • GetPranked
  • EARN_FRUITS
  • NOEXPLOITER
  • DEVSCOOKING
  • REWARDFUN
  • ADMIN_STRENGTH
  • THIRDSEA
  • JULYUPDATE_RESET

How to Redeem Blox Fruits Codes in Roblox

To redeem Blox Fruits codes and get free rewards in Roblox, follow the steps below:

  1. Open the Blox Fruits Roblox experience.
  2. Click on the blue gift icon on the left-hand side above the Compass to open the Reward Codes menu.
  3. Enter the code in the "Enter code here" box.
  4. Double check it's inputted correctly and then click "Redeem!" to redeem the code.

Why Isn't My Blox Fruits Code Working?

If the Blox Fruits code you're trying to input isn't working, it's likely due to one of two potential reasons:

  • There's a typo in the Blox Fruits code.
  • The Blox Fruits code is expired.

When entering a code into Blox Fruits, ensure it's spelled correctly (for example, capital O and not 0 and vice versa) and that there are no accidental spaces before or after the code. The best way to ensure there are no errors is to copy and paste directly from our article.

If the code still isn't working, then it is probably expired and no longer working.

How to Get More Blox Fruits Codes in Roblox

The best way to get more Blox Fruits codes is to join the Roblox experience's Discord server. While we do check for new codes and update this article regularly, joining the Blox Fruits Discord ensures you'll be notified in real time whenever there's a new one for you to redeem. Additionally, new codes are often posted to the Blox Fruits YouTube channel by the developer.

What is Blox Fruits in Roblox?

Blox Fruits is a Roblox experience inspired by the popular pirate anime One Piece, and is available on PC, console, and mobile devices. In it, you sail the seas as either a Marine or a Pirate to undertake various quests and find Blox Fruits that give you supernatural powers.

Meg Koepp is a Guides Editor on the IGN Guides team, with a focus on trends. When she's not working, you can find her adventuring around Eorzea in Final Fantasy XIV or making miniatures.

First Major Update for The First Berserker: Khazan Released, Full Patch Notes

4 avril 2025 à 11:14

NEOPLE has released the first major title update for The First Berserker: Khazan, and shared its full patch notes. This first patch brings balance adjustments, UI and QoL improvements, some system changes and fixes for bugs and errors. Going into more details, the April 4th Patch improves consumables recharge. So, now, your inventory will be … Continue reading First Major Update for The First Berserker: Khazan Released, Full Patch Notes

The post First Major Update for The First Berserker: Khazan Released, Full Patch Notes appeared first on DSOGaming.

Disney and Marvel at CinemaCon 2025: The Biggest Moments

4 avril 2025 à 07:00

Disney's CinemaCon presentation was filled with footage showcasing some of the upcoming films from Disney, Marvel, and more.

While the studios have yet to release most of the clips, we were in attendance and are here to break down the biggest moments for you from The Fantasic Four: First Steps to Thunderbolts* to Avatar: Fire and Ash and more.

New Fantastic Four Footage Reveals a Major Plot Point... and the Female Silver Surfer

The Fantastic Four took center stage at CinemaCon and we got a look at brand-new footage of the long-awaited film that will be released in theaters on July 25, 2025.

The footage begins with Mark Gatiss' Ted Gilbert hosting his 1960s Ed Sullivan Show-style talk show and recapping the story of the Fantastic Four. We get to see the space trip that transformed them, their popularity amongst the people, and their powers, minus the stretching abilities belonging to Pedro Pascal's Reed Richards.

We then cut to a look at the Fantastic Four's home life and see more of our favorite robot, H.E.R.B.I.E., who is cooking with Ebon Moss Bachrach's Ben. The big reveal here is... SPOILER WARNING... Vanessa Kirby's Sue Storm is pregnant.

It doesn't end there as we were then treated to the first shots of Julia Garner's Shalla-Bal, the Silver Surfer. She says, "your planet is now marked for death," and that is followed by shots of Galactus' shadow over New York.

Lastly, Reed is seen getting ready for a mission and questioning whether or not they are safe. We also saw a large crowd running through the city and a little girl finding a The Thing action figure before being enveloped in Galactus' shadow herself. The final shot is off the SIlver Surfer flying towards the camera on her surfboard.

Thunderbolts: New Footage Revealed the Sad Outcome of Bucky’s Political Career

To help with the wait until Thunderbolts* is unleashed into theaters on May 2, Marvel has revealed new footage of the upcoming MCU film.

It all begins with the team driving to Jefferson Starship's 'Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now,' and we hear Bucky (Sebastian Stan) and Red Guardian (David Harbour) talking about the Super Soldier Serum and Hydra. In the back, Yelena (Florence Pugh) is talking about her Widow's Bite bracelets with Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen) and John Walker (Wyatt Russell).

The vehicle our heroes are in then smashes through glass walls and a fight breaks out where we see some of the unique skills and powers of these Thunderbolts in action. The fight is interrupted by Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), who tells them to come upstairs in what is revealed as the building once known as Avengers Tower.

Valentina talks about purchasing Avengers Tower and then addresses the team one by one, all before mocking Bucky's brief time as a congressman as he couldn't even make it half a term. Bucky lunges at Valentina, but he is stopped by an unseen force that we soon learn is caused by the Sentry. His reign of terror doesn't end there either as the footage ends with him taking out our favorite new team with ease.

Avatar: Fire and Ash Footage Introduced New Na'vi Allies and Adversaries

Ahead of its December 19 release date, Avatar: Fire and Ash was given an introduction by director James Cameron before the first-ever footage was shown to the audience.

“The Sully family are really put through the ringer on this one as they face not only the human invaders, but new adversaries: the Ash People,” Cameron said in his introduction.

We got to see about five minutes of the film in 3D, and it featured two new groups of Na'vi - the Tlalim clan, a.k.a. the Windtraders, and the Mangkwan clan, a.k.a. the Ash People. The former are nomads who "sail" the skies and the latter have rejected their diety and the ways of the Na'vi after a volcano destoryed their homeland and left nothing but ash.

The next sequence starred Jak Sully, Neytiri, Lo'ak, Tuk, Kiri, and Spider living amongst the Windtraders and sailing high above the sky in their membrane-like sails that look like jellyfish. All is well until they are attacked by the Ash People.

First Predator: Badlands Trailer Shown at CinemaCon

Elle Fanning took the stage at CinemaCon to unveil the first trailer for Predator: Badlands, where the Predator is a... good guy?! This new Predator is a younger warrior who has been cast out from his tribe and chooses to work with Fanning's character.

"Something unprecedented happens in this movie," Fanning said. "My character is not the one being chased. My character actually teams up with the Predator. And you get to see him in a completley new light. And... I'll stop there!"

As for the trailer, it kicks off with Predator relics on a ship and then a Predator standing on the shore of a planet that is not Earth. He also isn't wearing his helmet. Alongside glimpses of the Predator being surrounded by giant deadly monsters and Fanning's character saying, "You're somthing that cannot be killed," the footage ends with a bang as the Predator roars and faces down another massive creature with no fear.

Predator: Badlands will be released in theaters on November 7, 2025.

Tron: Ares Footage Gives Us a Tease of the Digital and Real Worlds Colliding

Program initiated. #CinemaCon pic.twitter.com/QUan8n66ma

— Walt Disney Studios (@DisneyStudios) April 3, 2025

Tron: Ares will be released in theaters on October 10, 2025, and CinemaCon gave us a tease of this new adventure that will see the digital and real worlds collide. The footage begins with a highly sophisticated program, Jared Leto's Area, entering the real world from his digital home. This momentous occasion marks the first time humanity has encountered these AI beings in their world.

Ares can be seen speeding through a city on his red-tinged light cycle, leaving police cars in his wake that have no hope of catching him. A Recognizer can also be seen hovering over the city with terrified citizens looking on.

Gillian Anderson's character, who appears to be a business executive, makes an appearance alongside Jeff Bridges' Kevin Flynn, who can be heard saying, "Are you ready? Because there's no going back." And yes, the footage was accompanied by music by Nine Inch Nails.

Lilo & Stitch Clip Shows Stitch Causing Chaos at Jimmy's Luau

The live-action remake of Lilo & Stitch is set to be released in theaters on May 23, 2025, and CinemaCon presented us with a clip that fans of the original should be familiar with. The footage takes place at Jimmy's Luau, where Nani works, and sees Lilo and Stitch joining her. People still think Stitch is some weird dog, even David, but he doesn't behave like a good boy as he escapes his leash and has a western showdown with Lilo with a soda gun.

Zootopia 2 and Elio Steal Our Hearts With New Footage, Adorable Animals, and More

Zootopia 2 and Elio both got new looks at CinemaCon, wit helio getting roughly 10 minutes of showtime with footage we've seen in the trailers ane beyond.

For Zootopia 2, Ke Huy Quan, who plays Gary De'Snake, took the stage to share new details about the much-anticipated sequel, including that Quinta Brunson will be playing an adorable quokka therapist named Dr. Fuzzby.

🚨NEW ANIMAL JUST DROPPED🚨 Meet the newest addition to Zootopia 2 with Quinta Brunson as the quokka therapist Dr. Fuzzby! pic.twitter.com/0iIk8hEvET

— Disney Animation (@DisneyAnimation) April 3, 2025

Nick and Judy are seen chasing after Gary De'Snake and are searching for clues as to his wherabouts. Alongside the way, they stop at therapy and meet the wonderful Dr. Fuzzby.

Lindsay Lohan Flirts With Chad Michael Murray Even Though She's Really Jamie Lee Curtis in New Freakier Friday Footage

Did you feel that? Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis reunite at #CinemaCon to celebrate Freakier Friday coming to theaters August 8. pic.twitter.com/3Hv3djwG5G

— Walt Disney Studios (@DisneyStudios) April 3, 2025

After Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis took the stage at CinemaCon, footage was shown of Lindsay's Anna, who is actually housing Curtis' Tess in her body after they swap, flirting with Chad Michael Murray's Jake. Jake then asks if Tess' husband is still alive and she confirms she is and that he's very old.

Freakier Friday will be released in theaters on August 8, 2025.

Level up your gaming with Genuine Windows 11 Pro for just $10!

4 avril 2025 à 07:27

Full Disclosure: This is a sponsored article Written by Keysfan If you’re still on Windows 10?! You might be holding your gaming experience back. Slower load times, inconsistent frame rates, and outdated drivers can make even the best games sluggish.  Windows 11 Professional is built to optimize performance, enhance visuals, and introduce next-gen features that make … Continue reading Level up your gaming with Genuine Windows 11 Pro for just $10!

The post Level up your gaming with Genuine Windows 11 Pro for just $10! appeared first on DSOGaming.

Thunderbolts: New Footage Revealed the Sad Outcome of Bucky’s Political Career

4 avril 2025 à 03:40

With the release of Thunderbolts just a month away, some new footage was shown from the film today at CinemaCon in Las Vegas, introduced by stars Florence Pugh (“Yelena Belova”), David Harbour (“Alexei Shostakov / Red Guardian”), Hannah John-Kamen (“Ava Starr / Ghost”), Wyatt Russell (“John Walker / U.S. Agent”) and Julia Louis-Dreyfus (“Valentina Allegra de Fontaine”) - with Pugh saying how much she loved getting to jump from the second highest building in the world in the film.

In the footage, we see the team driving, making small talk, as Jefferson Starship’s “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now” (used prominently in the film’s recent trailer) plays on the radio. Up front, Bucky (Sebastian Stan) and Red Guardian talk about the super soldier serum and Hydra, while in the back, Yelena is discussing her Widow’s Bite bracelets with Ghost and John Walker, and asking John about the helmet he wears in battle.

They then pull up to their destination, smashing their vehicle through the glass walls of the bottom floor. The minute they get out, we get the quick juxtaposition from the laid back vibe on the drive to how all-business they can be in fight, with them all doing fairly brutal takedowns of the soldiers attacking them, as Ghost, the most notably superpowered of the bunch, uses her phasing abilities.

The fight is then interrupted by the voice of Valentina, who tells them to come upstairs - though Bucky still punches out the guy he was fighting. It turns out they’re in what was once Avengers Tower!

In the top floor where Tony Stark once declared “We have a Hulk,” Valentina talks about how expensive it was to buy the building, and then laughs about the unlikely group in front of her - as she and Yelena face off about Valentina pitting them all against each other, only for them to become a team. Valentina goes through the group one-by-one, throwing out insults, calling John Walker “Jr. Varsity Captain America.”

However, she doesn’t recognize Red Guardian at all, asking who “Santa” is, infuriating him. On the flip side, Valentina seems to know Ghost quite well, casually calling her “Ava.” She then mocks Bucky’s brief time as a congressman (he was running for office in Captain America: Brave New World), saying it’s embarrassing he only served less than half a term.

Bucky lunges at Valentina when an unseen force stops him in his tracks, making him unable to move. That’s when we see boots coming down the stairs, clearly belonging to the Sentry, and get glimpses of him wiping the floor with the team (though we still don’t see him fully in the shots included).

For more CinemaCon coverage, here’s we learned about The Fantastic Four: First Steps, Avatar: Fire and Ash, Predator: Badlands, Superman, Mortal Kombat II, Resident Evil, Spider-Man: Brave New Day, Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse, John Wick 5, Jurassic World Rebirth, Now You See Me: Now You Don’t, Masters of the Universe, The Beatles, The Legend of Aang: The Last Airbender, TRON: Ares, and Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning.

The First Footage From Edgar Wright’s The Running Man Shows How He’s Gone Back to Stephen King’s Source Material

4 avril 2025 à 03:39

At CinemaCon today, Edgar Wright and cast members Glen Powell, Josh Brolin and Colman Domingo debuted the first footage from the filmmaker's new take on The Running Man. Like the 1987 Arnold Schwarzenegger film, Wright’s movie is adapted from the Stephen King book of the same name (written under his Richard Bachman pseudonym) about a dystopian game show where trained killers hunt you to the death - though there’s a huge cash prize if you can somehow survive. Wright said that while he enjoyed the 1987 movie, he always wanted to see the book – one of his favorites as a teenager – more properly adapted, which is where his version comes in.

The footage shown today indicates many of the details from the book discarded in the earlier film are put back in, starting with Ben Richards (Glen Powell) now much more of an everyman who volunteers for the games, thanks to financial desperation, rather than Schwarzenegger’s framed police officer who was forced to play them. Wright noted that Ben initially wants to play one of the other, less lethal games, only to end up in “the big one.”

In the ‘87 film, the show’s host, Killian, was also the executive producer, but the new film restores these aspects to two separate characters, as King intended - with Josh Brolin’s Killian now solely the executive producer of The Running Man, while Colman Domingo’s Bobby Thompson hosts the show. We see Killian trying to convince Ben to play The Running Man and when Ben tells him “I’m not trying to get myself killed, so kiss my ass twice,” Killian replies “That right there is why you’re perfect!” Brolin described his character as “wonderfully maniacal.”

In the footage, we see that Domingo’s Bobby is quite the showman, spotting a cowboy hat at one point and surrounded by dancing girls (the one aspect that feels inspired by the 1987 film). But we then see him scream in anger, presumably as the film goes on and Ben proves to be better at avoiding death than expected: “This is America, damn it, and we don’t put up with no bullshit! Hunt. Him. Down!”

Domingo described Bobby as someone who “knows he’s loved by America and they listen to him. He’s having a good time.” He added that he and Wright “talked about game show hosts and their function. The show must go on. The show must happen every day.”

Where the 1987 film had the game confined to a specific area, here Ben is on the run across the country, with Hunters trying to kill him wherever he goes.

Where the 1987 film had the game confined to a specific area, here Ben is on the run across the country, with Hunters trying to kill him wherever he goes. He’s also followed at every turn by drone cameras, and we see him grab a hold of one at one point and scream into it “Stop following me!” before smashing it. As you’d expect from Wright, the action looks dynamic and exciting with flourishes of dark humor, as bullets and arrows fly and some big fights break out.

The footage ended with a very well received moment where Ben takes refuge with a man (Scott Pilgrim himself, Michael Cera) who turns out to have readied himself for attack by electrifying the floor of his hallway. As he and Ben stand safely in the next room, Cera takes out a large pump action water gun and sprays the floor, frying a group of Hunters as they storm in.

Powell noted he regularly seeks career feedback from his Top Gun: Maverick co-star Tom Cruise, but was especially aware he had to speak to the actor – who is fairly legendary for his big running scenes at this point – about starring in a movie literally called The Running Man.

Powell revealed Cruise’s advice about getting ready for a role with a lot of onscreen running was simply “Film yourself running. You don’t look as cool as you think you do."

The Running Man opens November 7, 2025.

That Robot Giggling in the Superman Sneak Peek Is the Secret to James Gunn's Success

4 avril 2025 à 03:17

With the wide release of the five-minute Superman sneak peek that was first shown at CinemaCon earlier this week, one thing stands out even more than Krypto’s lovable (if painful for Superman) hijinks: It’s the fact that James Gunn understands the most important thing he can do for his reboot of not just the Man of Steel, but the entire DC universe, is to make us care about the characters. All of the characters, great and small, Kryptonian and human, canine and, yes, even robot. Giggling robots.

The extended preview features footage from the film that we’ve seen before, including of course Kal-El’s incredibly cute super dog arriving on the icy scene when his master is at a real low point. But it expands on that sequence from the film’s first trailer, showing us that Krypto is very much the troublemaker Gunn has described him to be. Yes, Superman is bloodied and beaten, pleading with Krypto to take him “home,” but all the pup wants to do is play. And he makes this point by jumping on the hurt Supes with all of his super-dog strength, and even dragging Kal-El’s leg up into an extremely awkward yet entirely believable pose. “Play with me, Dad!” he’s saying, in deeds if not words. It’s all very funny and it makes you love Krypto even more than you already did. Oh yes, you will believe that a super-powered dog can fly – and be lovable.

But Superman is hurt, and Krypto finally gets it, bringing Kal to the Fortress of Solitude. And that’s where we meet that giggling robot, who is one of the keys to understanding why James Gunn is so good at what he does. But before we get to that, consider that the first time we ever saw Gunn’s version of the Last Son of Krypton in action, he was in bad shape – beaten up, bleeding, needing his dog to save him. And we don’t yet know who dished out this punishment either, so this first image of Gunn’s version of Superman battered and broken is not for the benefit of getting a villain over. There’s no “look how scary this antagonist is because they beat the hell out of the Man of Steel.” The purpose of beginning the entire marketing push for this film is to show Superman in dire straits and in need of help. It’s a far cry from the typical introduction of any superhero, let alone the superhero, and yet it makes perfect sense coming from Gunn.

It’s the Harrison Ford Syndrome. Which isn’t so much a syndrome as it is a legitimate strength of Ford’s on screen persona. Either way, think about how badly Indiana Jones gets roughed up. We don’t love him because he’s so good at fighting; it’s because he’s tired and in pain just like the rest of us. Think about the scared-as-shit look on Ford’s face when he was on the run in The Fugitive, the desperate man leaping off of a dam en route to prove his innocence. Think about the hurt on Han Solo’s face, the fully bruised ego when he thought Leia was into Luke and not him at the start of Empire. It’s an everyman appeal that few actors have ever really been able to pull off. Honestly, it might just be Ford and Sigourney Weaver as Ellen Ripley that do it completely right. The point is, seeing your heroes beat up a little bit kind of makes you love them even more, especially when they rise to the occasion later to be, you know, heroes, despite everything they’ve been through.

Giving us a Superman who right off the bat has broken ribs, a jacked-up bladder, and is in awful pain is a very Gunn choice.

Gunn knows this, and he has a track record of putting his characters through the ringer. Think back to the first time we met the Guardians of the Galaxy. The first trailer for that film shows that nobody knows Star-Lord’s name and that it stings a little. And yes, Star-Lord was a little known character from the depths of Marvel’s roster, and Superman is… well, it’s almost apples to oranges, but Gunn’s approach is exactly the same here. Let’s put some dents in our main character as quickly as we can. Let’s meet a protagonist at a moment when they’re not heroic, not saving the day, when they don’t even have the upper hand – that’s part of what makes Gunn’s superhero work resonate as well as anybody’s ever been able to.

So giving us a Superman who right off the bat has broken ribs, a jacked-up bladder, and is in awful pain even when/because his robots are healing him… it’s a very Gunn choice, and it goes a long way to getting us invested in his version of a character who, let’s not forget, has had like 10 movies and 15 TV shows or something at this point and is older than your grandparents. Superman and all his pals have been around forever, so why should we care about yet another version of his story?

And not for nothing, it’s important to remember that a significant criticism has been lobbed at Superman over the years saying his invulnerability and squeaky clean boy scout-ness are just plain boring. He was, after all, created to be the best of us, but crafting interesting narratives around an overpowered alien with only a single weakness can start to get hard after a century. So how do you make this familiar story engaging? Opening on a shot of a damaged Kal-El is a great start, but we still need to fall for the supporting cast.

And that brings us back to the giggling robot. Once Krypto gets his dad into the Fortress (which is a cool re-thinking of the classic Richard Donner ice-crystal Fortress of Solitude, only in this case one that grows out of the snowy landscape on command), the robots take custody of Superman as they carry the injured hero in to treat his wounds. In the comics we know that the ‘bot known as Kelex is usually the main caretaker of the Fortress, although here we see the main robot has the simple designation of “4” on the Superman-shield on his chest.

As they tend to Superman, 4 (voiced by Alan Tudyk) introduces the newest robot of the group: “Meet 12. She’s new.” Superman nods to her weakly, and 12 practically blushes, despite being made of metal, as she giggles and says “Oh, he looked at me!”

12 has just that one line of dialogue (we're not sure who’s voicing the character but it’s gotta be someone we know, right?), but we're already so invested in her and these other robots that we're a little embarrassed to admit it. 4 also tells Kal-El that there’s no need to thank them for their service because they have “no consciousness whatsoever. Merely automatons here to serve.” But you know what? We're calling bullshit on that right now, because you can be guaranteed that half of us are going to be crying when we see the movie and one of these robots gets killed (something that in fact has already been teased in the first trailer). There’s also something about Tudyk’s delivery of those lines, like he’s dripping with sarcasm. No consciousness my red-briefs-clad-butt.

So even while comics fans can dig in and try to figure out if 4 is Kelex or how Superman’s biology works (he has intestines!) or whatever other lore or Easter egg stuff comes to mind, Gunn isn’t actually that concerned with that stuff. At minimum, we feel comfortable saying it doesn’t seem like his first priority. Yes, he understands the geeky things, he’s a fan himself and he’s read the comics – and loves them, no doubt – but what he’s doing here is building out little character moments and beats that will make us actually care about these people. And robots. And dogs!

This isn’t gonna be a Superman movie as much as it is a James Gunn movie, and we can’t wait.

TRON: Ares Footage Shows the Digital World Entering the Real World

4 avril 2025 à 03:16

New footage from TRON: Ares was unveiled today at Disney’s CinemaCon presentation by two of its stars, Oscar winners Jared Leto and Jeff Bridges.

The footage revealed the havoc unleashed when the highly sophisticated Program, Ares, enters the real world from the digital world. It’s humanity’s first encounter with AI beings and judging from this footage, it’s not the most cordial of meetings.

Leto plays Ares, who is on a dangerous mission to our world which brings him into contact with Bridges’ Kevin Flynn, the protagonist of the prior two TRON films.

The footage showed Ares on his red-tinged light cycle zooming through a real-world city pursued by police cars who are no match to catch him. The overwhelmed citizens are terrified by the sight of a giant hovering Recognizer looming over them. There was a quick shot of Gillian Anderson’s character, who appears to be a business executive.

The emphasis of the footage -- which boasted music by Nine Inch Nails -- was on wild video game elements invading the real-world and the sort of terror and destruction they can yield.

At one point, we hear Flynn say, “Are you ready? Because there’s no going back.” And then we see Ares suiting up for action.

The cast also includes Greta Lee, Evan Peters, Hasan Minhaj, Jodie Turner-Smith, Arturo Castro, and Cameron Monaghan.

Directed by Joachim Rønning, TRON: Ares zooms into theaters on October 10, 2025.

For more CinemaCon coverage, find out what we learned about The Fantastic Four: First Steps, Avatar: Fire and Ash, Predator: Badlands, Superman, Mortal Kombat II, Resident Evil, Spider-Man: Brave New Day, Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse, John Wick 5, Jurassic World Rebirth, Now You See Me: Now You Don’t, Masters of the Universe, The Beatles, The Legend of Aang: The Last Airbender, and Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning.

Monster Hunter Wilds April 4th Update Released, Full Patch Notes

4 avril 2025 à 02:13

Capcom has just released the massive April 4th Title Update for Monster Hunter Wilds, and shared its full patch notes. So, let’s see what this patch brings to the table. The April 4th Update, also known as Patch 1.010.00.00, brings major additions and tweaks. For instance, new monsters can now be hunted after meeting certain … Continue reading Monster Hunter Wilds April 4th Update Released, Full Patch Notes

The post Monster Hunter Wilds April 4th Update Released, Full Patch Notes appeared first on DSOGaming.

New Fantastic Four Footage Reveals a Major Plot Point... and the Female Silver Surfer

4 avril 2025 à 02:24

At CinemaCon in Las Vegas today, the Marvel Studios portion of Disney’s presentation featured the debut of brand new footage from The Fantastic Four: First Steps, including the first look anywhere of the Silver Surfer and a notable reveal about Sue Storm.

The start of the footage shows a talk show, The Ted Gilbert Show, clearly modeled after a 1960s Ed Sullivan Show style series, with Mark Gatiss (Sherlock, Game of Thrones) as the host. Ted Gilbert recaps the story of the Fantastic Four – with more glimpses of the footage we’ve seen previously of the space trip that transformed them – as we get footage showing their widespread popularity amongst the public, with cheering crowds, children included. We see Ben (Ebon Moss-Bachrach), Johnny (Joseph Quinn) and Sue (Vanessa Kirby) in action, using their powers - though, amusingly, we still weren’t given any shots of Reed’s stretching power in action. Gilbert then introduces the foursome onstage, and they stand together, in costume, in the shot we saw ending the first trailer.

Glimpses of the FF’s home life find more of the robot H.E.R.B.I.E. and Ben cooking together and Johnny chastising Reed (Pedro Pascal) and Sue for being late for dinner, leading to the big reveal about Sue, as Johnny is told his sister is pregnant. He then tells Sue she’ll be a great mom while teasing Reed he’ll be a terrible father.

We then got our first shots of Shalla-Bal, the Silver Surfer (Julia Garner), in all her gleaming, metallic glory, announcing “Your planet is now marked for death.” We then see more shots of Galactus’ shadow over New York, like in the teaser (though not a full reveal of the character yet).

Reed is seen readying for a mission, walking away from camera in a 4-logo labeled space suit as someone asks him “Are we safe?” He turns back towards them and grimly responds, “I don’t know.”

Shots of crowds running in panic across the city include a little girl stopping to retrieve an action figure of The Thing she’s dropped, but when she goes to pick it up, the giant shadow of Galactus falls over her.

The final shot of the footage then shows the Silver Surfer flying towards the camera on her surfboard.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps will be released on July 25, 2025!

Avatar: Fire and Ash Footage Introduced New Na'vi Allies and Adversaries

4 avril 2025 à 02:17

In a pre-recorded message to CinemaCon from his post-production facility in New Zealand, James Cameron introduced Zoe Saldaña to present the first-ever footage from Avatar: Fire and Ash, in theaters December 19th.

“The Sully family are really put through the ringer on this one as they face not only the human invaders, but new adversaries: the Ash People,” Cameron said in his introduction.

Roughly five minutes from the film were presented in 3D, two sequences followed by a sizzle reel. The focus of the footage presented to an audience of theater execs and press was to show an expanded look at new corners and cultures in the world of Pandora.

Two new groups of Na’vi are introduced in this third Avatar film: the Tlalim clan, aka the Windtraders, and the Mangkwan Clan, aka the Ash People. The former are nomads who “sail” the skies like sailors from the Golden Age of Sail, while the latter are baddies who have rejected their deity and the ways of the Na’vi after a volcano left their homeland a desolate wreck covered in ash.

Zoe Saldaña is back on the #CinemaCon stage to introduce Avatar: Fire and Ash. pic.twitter.com/RS8T21L4O5

— Avatar (@officialavatar) April 3, 2025

David Thewlis plays Peylak, the leader of the Windtraders, while Oona Chaplin plays the Ash People’s sinister leader, Varang. Both are featured in the footage that was shown at CinemaCon, which began with a series of images showing the expanded look at Pandora.

Then a sequence shows Jake Sully, Neytiri, their kids Lo’ak and Tuk, Kiri, and Spider living among the high-flying Windtraders whose sky boats fly with membrane-like sails that look like jellyfish. They’re then attacked from above by a raiding party of Ash People.

It then transitioned into more of an extended trailer featuring lots of action and battles in the air and land, with Varang at one point telling Neytiri that “her God has no dominion here.”

The footage – which was as eye-popping and visceral as viewers have come to expect from the Avatar films – was presented in 3D and in a high frame rate to provide an immersive, sensory experience.

For more CinemaCon coverage, find out what we learned about Superman, Mortal Kombat II, Resident Evil, Spider-Man: Brave New Day, Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse, John Wick 5, Jurassic World Rebirth, Now You See Me: Now You Don’t, Masters of the Universe, and The Beatles.

First Predator: Badlands Trailer Shown at CinemaCon

4 avril 2025 à 02:09

Elle Fanning took the stage at CinemaCon 2025 in Las Vegas today to tout her upcoming Predator movie, Predator: Badlands, which will feature... a Predator who's a good guy!

Yes, this Predator is a young warrior who has been cast out and comes to work with humans... or at least one human that we know of so far - Fanning! Before unveiling the trailer for the film, which was played exclusively for CinemaCon, the actress teased a bit of the movie's plot.

"Something unprecedented happens in this movie," the A Complete Unknown actress told the assembled crowd of reporters and theater industry folks. "My character is not the one being chased. My character actually teams up with the Predator. And you get to see him in a completley new light. And... I'll stop there!"

The trailer was then unveiled, which showed Predator relices on a ship. “I didn’t think he survived,” someone says. We see the Predator standing on the shore... but this is not Earth. It’s another planet. We also see the Predator isn't wearing his helmet. At another point he’s surrounded by giant deadly monsters. Fanning's character says, “You’re something that cannot be killed."

The trailer features the tagline “The director of Prey welcomes you to a world of hurt,” and ends with the Predator facing down a massive creature running at him, smashing through trees. Standing his ground, the Predator roars at the creature, ready to fight.

Predator: Badlands was directed by Dan Trachtenberg and co-written by Trachtenberg and Patrick Aison. It's designed to be a standalone entry in the franchise even though Trachtenberg also directed 2022's terrific Prey and is working on an as-yet untitled third Predator film as well.

Predator: Badlands will be released on November 7, 2025.

Reporting by Jim Vejvoda and Eric Goldman.

The Midnight Switch 2 Launch at Best Buy Feels Like a Forgotten Era

4 avril 2025 à 02:02

We live in an era of getting things shipped straight to your home, without needing to leave your house. Pretty much anything I could ever want can be sent directly to me in seemingly no time flat. It's an incredible thing, and yet part of me still yearns for the experience of getting something in person. It feels like it's more of an actual event and a memory you'll have forever.

With the Nintendo Switch 2 preorders starting soon, Best Buy has announced that customers will have the option to pick up the new console at their local store at the stroke of midnight EST. It's the earliest possible time fans can get their hands on the Switch 2, with Walmart offering free deliveries before 9 a.m. on June 5. While having it shipped directly to me would be the easiest path, the idea of actually going somewhere to secure the console with my own two hands appeals to me a lot more. If I do end up getting a preorder for the Switch 2, I'm going to choose to wait in line and make a big deal out of it.

Preorders Start at Best Buy on April 9 at Midnight (EST)

Best Buy preorders for the Switch 2 console, Switch 2 games, and its accessories begin on Wednesday, April 9. If you're able to secure a console before stock disappears, you'll be able to choose preorder pickup at your local Best Buy location. You can sign up to get notifications directly from Best Buy about all things Switch 2. Best Buy stated that most stores will be open at midnight ET on launch day — June 5 — for pickup.

How to find a Best Buy Store near you for pickup

You can always use Google Maps to find your local Best Buy, but you can also use the tech retailer's store locater page to find all locations in your surrounding area. You can widen the range of your search by simply expanding the map and see if the closest store is actually worth the drive.

Some Best Buy Memberships Offer Nintendo Rewards

In case you aren't familiar with Best Buy's memberships, there are a total of three. There's the free My Best Buy membership (which you'll need to preorder), My Best Buy Plus, and My Best Buy Total. Only the Plus and Total memberships are offering rewards for Nintendo purchases, but the rewards themselves are worth considering. You'll get a $20 certificate for every $150 you spend on Nintendo games and gear.

This sounds great in theory, if the Switch 2 itself was a qualifying purchase, but the fine print of the offer states that all Nintendo Switch and Switch 2 hardware is disqualified. With the price of some Nintendo Switch 2 games sitting at $80, though, you could easily spend over $150 with just two new game preorders.

All Switch 2 Game Preorders

How to stay informed on all things Switch 2 across retailers:

AU Deals: Six Freebies Including Mafia 3 and Minecraft, Lowest Evers For FF Rebirth, Jedi Survivor, and More!

4 avril 2025 à 01:34

Thank your own personal deity—possibly Odin the Aragami—it’s Friday! From sprawling RPGs to cosmic rhythm games, this week’s digital discounts are a goldmine for gamers across every platform. Stock up for your weekend, stay safe, save often, and I’ll catch you Monday!

This Day in Gaming 🎂

In retro news, I'm celebrating the 32nd birthday of Final Fight CD, arguably the best home version of Capcom's touchstone beat 'em up. Way more faithful than the SNES and Mega Drive versions—or the iffy Amiga one I was raised on—this must-own was scarfed by game starved Mega-CD owners, quicker than a free oil drum chicken.

Aussie bdays for notable games

- Final Fight CD (MCD) 1993. Get

- Super Monkey Ball Jr. (GBA) 2003. Sequel

- Doom 3: Resurrection of Evil (PC) 2005. Get

- Persona 5 (PS3, PS4) 2017. Redux

Contents

Nice Savings for Nintendo Switch

On the Nintendo Switch front, Hades descends to just A$14, a hellishly good price for a game that earned Game of the Year nods and features the vocal talents of Skyrim’s own voice director. Joining it is Bravely Default II (A$52), which quietly hides a “secret ending” for the most committed JRPG fans. Just don’t blink or you’ll miss it.

Expiring Recent Deals

Or gift a Nintendo eShop Card.

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Exciting Bargains for Xbox

Over on Xbox Series X, Tekken 8 (A$49) packs a punch with its dramatically cinematic story mode and real-time slow-mo KO cams. And don’t miss Gotham Knights (a bat-tastic A$15!). While it skipped Batman, it features one of gaming’s slickest co-op experiences with sneaky nods to the Arkham universe scattered throughout.

Xbox One

Expiring Recent Deals

Or just invest in an Xbox Card.

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Pure Scores for PlayStation

And for the PlayStation 5 crowd, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth drops jaws at A$49. Alternatively, Granblue Fantasy: Relink (A$36) delivers skyfaring action and was in development for nearly a decade—originally as a PlatinumGames collaboration!

PS4

Expiring Recent Deals

PS+ Monthly Freebies
Yours to keep from Apr 1 with this subscription

  • RoboCop: Rogue City | PS5
  • The Texas Chain Saw Massacre | PS4/5
  • Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth HM | PS4

Or purchase a PS Store Card.

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Purchase Cheap for PC

PC players get the steal of the century with Mafia III: Definitive Edition and Minecraft Legends both dropping to nothing on Prime Gaming. It’s a top-tier open world adventure with one of my favourite soundtracks ever. 1968. What a year for music.

Expiring Recent Deals

Or just get a Steam Wallet Card

Laptop Deals

Desktop Deals

Monitor Deals

Component Deals

Storage Deals

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Legit LEGO Deals

Expiring Recent Deals

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Hot Headphones Deals

Audiophilia for less

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Terrific TV Deals

Do right by your console, upgrade your telly

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Adam Mathew is our Aussie deals wrangler. He plays practically everything, often on YouTube.

How to Watch A Minecraft Movie: Showtimes and Streaming Details

4 avril 2025 à 01:30

The new Minecraft movie has looked interesting from the very virst trailer. With Jack Black and Jason Momoa plopped into the world of Minecraft, it's a video game movie that has the potential to be popular with a massive audience of both kids and adults. Minecraft is one of the best-selling video games of all time that has infiltrated pretty much every medium, so its jump to a feature film was all but a matter of time. In our review of A Minecraft Movie, we found it to be surprisingly funny despite its contraints.

If you're hoping to catch the new live-action Minecraft movie in theaters this weekend, I've gathered all of the details below. For those of you waiting for it to come out on streaming and digital, I've also gathered the latest info I could find about release dates for both.

Where to Watch A Minecraft Movie

A Minecraft Movie, with a wide release date of April 4, is now available in theaters everywhere. To find when and where you can watch the film near you, check the listings featured below for local showtimes.

When Will It Come to Streaming?

We don't yet have a streaming release date for A Minecraft Movie, but we know that it will land on Max when it does hit streaming because it's a Warner Bros. project. There is no clear time period when we can expect the movie to make the jump to a streaming service since it depends on how the film does in the box office, but we can make an educated guess based on past Warner Bros. movies. Theatrical windows have shrunk in the last few years, some as short as 14 days before hitting VOD. For a movie with such crossover appeal like this one, we'd bet that it has a longer life in theaters and won't hit streaming for three to four months. That would place the potential streaming release date sometime in June or July 2025.

What about the digital and physical release?

A Minecraft Movie does not currently have a release date for when it will become available to rent or purchase digitally. We also don't have any details about the 4K and Blu-ray physical releases. We know that both of things will most likey happen before the film comes to streaming, so I'd venture a guess that it will be sometime closer to the end of May 2025. Considering the marketing team has pushed Minecraft Movie LEGO sets and toys ahead of the film's release, it seems likely we could see preorders go live for the 4K/Blu-ray as early as next week.

A Minecraft Movie - Plot Summary

If you haven't been keeping up with the latest trailers for A Minecraft Movie, here's a quick synopsis of the film directly from the Warner Bros. website:

"Welcome to the world of Minecraft, where creativity doesn’t just help you craft, it’s essential to one’s survival! Four misfits – Garrett “The Garbage Man” Garrison (Jason Momoa), Henry (Sebastian Hansen), Natalie (Emma Myers) and Dawn (Danielle Brooks) – find themselves struggling with ordinary problems when they are suddenly pulled through a mysterious portal into the Overworld: a bizarre, cubic wonderland that thrives on imagination. To get back home, they’ll have to master this world (and protect it from evil things like Piglins and Zombies, too) while embarking on a magical quest with an unexpected, expert crafter, Steve (Jack Black). Together, their adventure will challenge all five to be bold and to reconnect with the qualities that make each of them uniquely creative… the very skills they need to thrive back in the real world."

A Minecraft Movie Cast

A Minecraft Movie is directed by Jared Hess (Napoleon Dynamite, Nacho Libre) and stars:

  • Jason Momoa as Garrett
  • Jack Black as Steve
  • Sebastian Hansen as Henry
  • Emma Myers as Natalie
  • Danielle Brooks as Dawn
  • Jennifer Coolidge as Vice Principal Marlene
  • Rachel House, Jemaine Clement, Bret McKenzie, Matt Berry, and YouTubers Valkyrae, DanTDM, Aphmau, Mumbo Jumbo, and LDShadowLady all appear in various cameos or voice roles.

Rating and Runtime

A Minecraft Movie is rated PG for some violence, language, suggestive humor, and occassionally scary images. It has a total runtime of 1 hour and 41 minutes including credits. There is a mid-credits and post-credits scene you'll want to stick around for as well.

Crunchyroll Reveals Nominees for Anime of the Year – Here's How to Vote in 2025 Anime Awards

4 avril 2025 à 00:45

Crunchyroll’s Anime Awards are a chance to celebrate your favorite shows, characters, and performances from the previous year. While a panel of judges may decide on the nominees themselves, the winners of each category are ultimately decided by fans. Today, the anime streaming service officially announced the nominees for the 9th Anime Awards and opened voting to the public.

At the 2024 Anime Awards, the grand prize (and 10 other awards) went to Jujutsu Kaisen. In 2025, Frieren: Beyond Journey's End leads the charge with 25 nominations, though Dan Da Dan isn't far behind at 22. Here are the nominees for Anime of the Year and how you (yes, you!) can cast your votes.

Nominees for Anime of the Year

For this year's Anime Awards, Crunchyroll announced expanded eligibility requirements. Any series that aired between October 31, 2023 and December 31, 2024, which includes five anime 'seasons,' is eligible. With that in mind, here are the nominees for Anime of the Year:

Dan Da Dan

Dan Da Dan, produced by Science Saru, follows a pair of eccentric teenagers who discover that both aliens and demons are real. Season 2 of Dan Da Dan begins airing this summer, and one can hope they use an opening as catchy as the first season's.

Where to Stream: Crunchyroll, Netflix, or Hulu

Delicious in Dungeon

The only Netflix exclusive anime to make this list, the first season of Delicious in Dungeon ran for 24 episodes. Adapted from the manga by Ryoko Kui, the seinen anime follows a group of adventurers forced to find meal options in the depths of, well, a dungeon.

Where to Stream: Netflix

Frieren: Beyond Journey's End

The Elven mage Frieren once travelled in a party that defeated the Demon King, but her long lifespan means she's outlived all of her friends. As she decides to take a young human mage under her wing, she considers how to find meaning in fleeting lifetimes. Frieren is, in my opinion, the nominee most likely to make you cry or have an existential crisis.

Where to Stream: Crunchyroll or Netflix

Kaiju No. 8

Kaiju No. 8 (occasionally referred to as Monster No. 8 in English) is a play on the "Man Becomes a Monster to Hunt Monsters" trope that's always been popular in anime. Kafka Hibino originally joins a task force to take revenge on the Kaiju who destroyed his town, but a parasite flying into his mouth makes his plan a little more complicated.

Where to Stream: Crunchyroll

Solo Leveling

While every other anime on this list started off as a serialized manga in Japan, Solo Leveling instead started as a Korean web comic on WebToon. A-1 Pictures produces the anime adaptation, which recently surpassed One Piece to become the most reviewed anime of all time on Crunchyroll.

Where to Stream: Crunchyroll

The Apothecary Diaries

The Apothecary Diaries has been adapted into plenty of mediums over the years, including a manga licensed by Square Enix, but the seinen story reached new levels of popularity with its anime adaptation. Set in an alternate version of the Tang Dynasty, The Apothecary Diaries has aired for two seasons so far.

Where to Stream: Crunchyroll, Netflix, or Hulu

How to Vote in the 2025 Anime Awards

To vote in the Anime Awards, you’ll have to sign in to a Crunchyroll account (you do not need a Premium membership) and head on over to the voting page. Voting is open until April 14 at 11:50pm PST, and you can vote in every category once per day.

Check Out the Rest of the Nominees

Anime of the Year may be the biggest award, but categories include every genre of anime (this year added “Best Isekai Anime” to the list), as well as awards for characters, dubbed voice performances, and even opening songs. You can check out the full list of categories and nominees here.

When Are the Anime Awards?

The 2025 Anime Awards will take place in Tokyo on May 25. The event will be livestreamed on Crunchyroll, with more details to come.

Blythe (she/her) is an SEO Coordinator at IGN who spends way too much time in character customization screens and tracking down collectibles.

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