Category: games

Sony is fast-tracking a movie adaptation of the popular multiplayer strategy board game, The Settlers of Catan.

Variety reports Sony is in negotiations to acquire the film rights and will be working with producer Gail Katz (Air Force One, The Perfect Storm) on the project. It was reported back in 2015 that Katz secured the film and TV rights to the strategy game.

Blaise Hemingway (Ugly Dolls) will write the screenplay for the film, titled Catan, with Dan Lin (It, The Lego Movie) and Jonathan Eirich producing alongside Katz. Sony is reportedly said to be interested in launching a possible franchise.

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Listen to fans, for once

The live-action Akira movie may have a director, with Thor Ragnarok’s Taika Waititi reportedly in talks to take charge. But maybe adapting Akira isn’t a good idea to begin with? Hollywood’s anime adaptations tend to deviate from the source material, throwing cultural and historical value to the wind, and fans rarely end up happy.

Fortunately, there is a solution, but it involves taking risks with anime titles that may not be as popular as Akira. There are plenty of series with universal appeal that would come without the pitfalls of something as iconic as Akira. Here’s our list of anime that Hollywood should adapt instead of screwing up Akira.

Claymore

Claire is a warrior out for revenge. As a “claymore, ” she travels around a fictional medieval landscape fighting “Youma,” which are humanoid shape-shifters that feed on humans. After meeting Raki, a lone man who has lost his family to Youma, the two journey out to kill every last demon, while discovering secrets about themselves in the process.

The armor and weaponry are a point of reference to medieval times but there is no clear indication of where the series specifically takes place. This leaves the series open for any Hollywood screenwriter to create their own set of rules that are digestible for a general audience–unlike Akira, where the rules set in stone and any changes could make the original story unrecognizable.

Attack on Titan

The story of Attack on Titan revolves around the misadventures of Eren Yeager, Mikasa Ackerman, and their childhood friend Armin Arlert, as they fight for survival in a world overrun with flesh eating giants. It’s assumed Attack on Titan takes place in 16th-century Germany (due to some of the language used), but there is nothing concrete that pinpoints what year it is.

As of April 2017, the manga has sold 66 million print copies, and Japan has produced two live-actions films based on the series. Attack on Titan also has a huge fandom in America and around the world. If these type of movies are for fans, why not go with a sure thing that’s easy to adapt and embraced by a large audience?

Berserk

If you ask anime fans what’s one of the most disturbing anime they’ve ever seen, many will name Berserk. It’s a medieval anime centered around Guts, a man who fights demons with an abnormally large sword. What makes this anime unique is it addresses topics like child abuse, physical and mental disability, and sexual assault.

Berserk never hit the mainstream in the United States, but maybe that’s a good thing. Hollywood could add a fresh take on the series and adapt it so general audience and fans can enjoy. Recent big budget sci-fi adaptations like Akira have struggled at the box office, with movies like Ghost in the Shell and Valerian flopping domestically, so why not channel that money somewhere else?

Gangsta

Various crime families fight for dominance in the city of Egastulum. Within all the chaos, Nicholas and Worick are “handymen”–more like hitmen–who play all sides as long as they get paid. The duo have the advantage because Nicholas is a “twilight,” a genetically enhanced human with super speed, strength, and agility. When the two cross paths with Alex (a woman with a dangerous past), they are thrust into the center of a turf war they can’t escape from. Although the Gangsta manga is ongoing, the anime comprised nine animated episodes before the production company, Manglobe, went out of business.

Gangsta is everything Akira is not. It’s a dystopian, action-adventure that tackles themes people can relate to. Akira is slow, and requires a lot of attention to detail. Akira is a lot to take in for a first time watcher. A Hollywood pick-me-up for Gangsta would mean expanding a great story that’s been halted prematurely.

The Rose of Versaille

The Rose of Versailles focuses on Oscar François de Jarjayes, a young woman who is raised as man in order to become her father’s successor to the royal palace guard. She is a master swordsman with a strong sense of justice, but she struggles between her duty to the crown and loyalty to the French lower class. As talk of revolution increases, her relationships with Marie Antoinette and other royal authority figures are tested as she decides which side of the law she’s on.

The French Revolution has been hit (Le Miserable) or miss (Man in the Iron Mask) for Hollywood, but The Rose of Versailles looks at the historical events through a feminine lens while flipping gender norms, and delivering swashbuckling action. In general, most anime centers around young boys or men. Hollywood could use more female-led action films.

Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood

While trying to resurrect their dead mother, brothers Edward and Alphonse Elric suffer a great loss due to their inexperience with alchemy. In order to restore their bodies they need the Philosopher’s Stone, and they launch a worldwide search to find it. On their search they learn of a government conspiracy, as corrupt government officials have other plans for the stone’s power.

The series has elements that Akira doesn’t have, like alchemy and magic. There are references to Nazi Germany, and studios love films about World War II. Its episodic nature helps to add depth to the story. There is potential there for more than one movie, where Akira would (should) be a one-and-done thing.

Cowboy Bebop

In the year 2071, 50 years after the Earth became uninhabitable, humans took to space to colonize the Moon and several other rocky planets within the solar system. Instead of calling one planet home, Spike Spiegel and his posse of space misfits enjoy drinking, eating, and getting into trouble. They battle various enemies including space pirates, mercenaries, and the infamous Red Dragon Crime Syndicate. Cowboy Bebop is a space western with something for everyone.

This anime has been on Hollywood’s radar for at least 10 years. There was once talk of Keanu Reeves being involved with a cinematic adaptation. Deadline reports the series will be made for television, but fans still want to see a feature length film.

What anime adaptations are you aching to see? Or are you in favor of Hollywood tackling Akira? Let us know in the comments below.

Xbox boss Phil Spencer provides an update on original Xbox backwards compatibility and teases something related to Xbox One X.

After a brief extension, the Star Wars: Battlefront II multiplayer beta wrapped up this week. Now, developer DICE has published a blog post in which it talks about what it learned from the beta and how the final game may be different as a result of the feedback.

DICE did not say exactly how many people played the beta, only noting that it was in the “millions.” More than 9 million people played the beta for 2015’s Battlefront, which at the time was a record for the company. Whatever the case, DICE surely has a lot of feedback to consider from the Battlefront II beta.

The developer will be looking at things like Battlefront II’s controversial Crate system and progression overall. DICE also is eyeing changes for the Strike mode with the idea of making it a best-of-three gametype. The studio also said that the Specialist’s Infiltration ability is probably too overpowered right now, so you can expect a nerf for launch. What’s more, the First Order Flametrooper is underpowered, DICE said.

Outside of those changes, DICE is also looking to implement systems that allow players to stay grouped together during a match. As an incentive, at launch, Battlefront II will reward players for spawning together.

Regarding Crates and progression, which has been criticized for trending towards pay-to-win, DICE first pointed out that the beta contained an incomplete look at how this will work. The studio promised more tuning over time, with one major goal being that the most powerful items can only be earned through gameplay, not by spending money. For lots more on this topic, check out GameSpot’s further coverage here.

“Your feedback makes a difference, and your passion is what keeps us creating,” DICE said. “We’ll have much more to share with you before we see you on the battlefront in November.”

Battlefront II launches on November for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. This week, EA confirmed that EA Access and Origin Access subscribers will get to start playing the game early through a Play First Trial.

Anyone who has played Epic Games’ incredibly popular Fortnite Battle Royale knows that cheaters have quickly become a major problem. Epic has taken a number of steps to counteract cheating, including new lawsuits against two repeat cheaters.

According to documents obtained by TorrentFreak, Epic launched lawsuits against two alleged cheaters, Mr. Broom and Mr. Vraspir, who have been caught cheating and banned multiple times, yet continue to make new accounts to play. Epic’s complaints point out that cheating, and enabling others to cheat, is in violation of the terms and agreements players must agree to before accessing the game.

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Thor: Ragnarok is on track to have the biggest opening in the history of the series.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the third Thor film from Marvel and Disney is expected to make between $90 million and $100 million over the November 3-5 weekend.

The first Thor movie opened to $65.7 million, while Thor: Dark World made $85.7 million. And if the projections hold true for Rangarok, it would appear there’s little Thor fatigue setting in for viewers.

Thor: Ragnarok, which is directed by Taika Waititi, sees Chris Hemsworth returning as the Norse god of war. In this film, he is teaming up with Loki (Tom Hiddleston) and Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) to fight Hela, the goddess of death (Cate Blanchett). Jeff Goldblum, Idris Elba, and Anthony Hopkins are all in the film as well.

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Beetlejuice 2, the long-in-development and highly anticipated sequel to Tim Burton’s 1988 cult classic, is reportedly getting a rewrite.

Deadline reports Rememory writer Mike Vukadinovich has been tasked with penning the horror comedy. Vukadinovich also wrote the upcoming Disney film Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride, based on the Disneyland ride.

Though Beetlejuice 2 is being rewritten, Warner Bros. reportedly isn’t close to firming up a deal with either Tim Burton or Beetlejuice himself Michael Keaton. However the duo, who are currently working together on the upcoming live-action remake of Dumbo, are reportedly excited about potentially collaborating on Beetlejuice 2.

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EA’s beta test for Star Wars Battlefront II has concluded. It showcased the game’s new weapons, maps, heroes, and increased depth, but much of the discussion surrounding the game has centered around something that wasn’t actually in the beta: microtransactions. Battlefront II will give away things like maps and character DLC for free, but it will use a loot box-style system for unlocking various upgrades that has fans concerned. We recently discussed how Battlefront II’s microtransactions work and why they are a big problem, but developer DICE has now spoken out to try to assuage fears that the game will be pay-to-win.

In a new blog post, DICE outlined some of the balance changes it’s making in the wake of the beta. The big focus, however, was on microtransactions and clarifying how they work and why DICE feels you can’t just pay your way to the top of the leaderboards. “We know you have a lot of questions about crates and progression, so we want to clarify a few things, as the complete system was not in the beta and will continue to be tuned over time,” it said.

“As a balance goal, we’re working towards having the most powerful items in the game only earnable via in-game achievements,” it explained. Crates are obtained by completing challenges “and other gameplay milestones” or by purchasing them–either with credits earned in-game or real-world money. Inside crates, you’ll find Star Cards, emotes, victory poses, and outfits; any duplicate Star Cards you receive are turned into crafting parts that can be put toward other Star Cards of your choosing.

Star Cards impact gameplay and are players’ major concern. DICE claims there is more to becoming powerful than simply buying a crate and getting a good Star Card. “You have to earn the right to be able to upgrade Star Cards and unlock most weapons,” it explained. “You can only upgrade or unlock them if you have reached a high enough rank, which is determined by playing the game.”

Despite DICE’s reassurances, there are still those who want to play a version of the game where you don’t have to worry about what Star Cards you or your opponent have access to. The developer says it’s aware of that, though it didn’t promise such a mode will be released.

“We also have heard some players are looking for a way to play where all players will have the same set of Star Cards with flattened values,” it said. “Like everything else, we will be continually making necessary changes to ensure the game is fun for everyone. We will work to make sure the system is balanced both for players who want to earn everything, as well as for players who are short on time and would like to move faster in their progress towards various rewards.”

Battlefront II releases for PC, PS4, and Xbox One on November 17. Whether we’ll see any changes to the proposed crates system between now and then remains to be seen.

The CW is reportedly rebooting the drama series Roswell

Variety reports that the network behind other reboots like Dynasty is intended to provide a modern update to the story, focusing on the daughter of undocumented immigrants who returns to her hometown — Roswell, New Mexico.

But she’s in for a huge shock as she discovers that her childhood crush, who is now a police officer in the town, is actually an alien. While staying in town, she helps protect his secret while investigating his origins, but the alien presence on Earth is far larger than they knew, and, according to Variety, “the politics of fear and hatred threaten to expose him and destroy their deepening romance” as a government cover-up and violent attack come into play.

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Welcome back to Game Scoop!, IGN’s weekly video game talk show. This week we’re diving into the most-anticipated holiday games, which means Call of Duty WWII, Assassin’s Creed Origins, Battlefront 2, and more. Watch the video above or download the podcast below.

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