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The UK's games industry body has distanced itself from an embarrassing BBC blunder, after an original NES Super Mario Bros. cartridge was shown jammed into an SNES console
In the breakfast TV segment broadcast this morning, UKIE boss Nick Poole introduced hosts Jon Kay and Sally Nugent to a selection of retro systems, including a ZX81, a Nintendo Wii, and an SNES. And despite Nugent's palpable disbelief that her co-host Kay had "spent hours — days" enjoying the original Donkey Kong, it was the incorrect set-up that really got people talking.
"Great to see this content on [a] mainstream channel, but a NES cart on a SNES? And where's the greatest, and UK's biggest selling 16-bit console, the SEGA Mega Drive?" asked one respondent in the comments, while another suggested on Reddit: "They should have gone full mental and added a GameCube controller."
"I want to report a crime," wrote another in a comment that has been upvoted hundreds of times."
This display was either set up by someone who knows nothing about games, or someone who knows a lot about games and wants to screw with this subreddit," posited another respondent, while another simply wrote: "*external screaming*"
In response, UKIE distanced itself from the mistake, telling VGC: "For transparency, the studio team set up the in-studio display independently and handled the placement of the consoles — unfortunately, we couldn’t adjust it whilst on air."
In related Nintendo-flavored news, the director of the upcoming Donkey Kong Bananza recently acknowledged "performance" issues, while saying the team prioritized "fun and playability" during development.
Image credit: BBC
Vikki Blake is a reporter for IGN, as well as a critic, columnist, and consultant with 15+ years experience working with some of the world's biggest gaming sites and publications. She's also a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her at BlueSky.
Following a wave of mass layoffs that impacted an estimated 9,100 employees at Microsoft, many of whom were in its Xbox gaming division, the union of employees at Xbox subsidiary ZeniMax have responded with a statement explaining the current employment status of its members.
Today, ZeniMax Online Studios United (ZOSU), which represents employees on both The Elder Scrolls Online and the cancelled unannounced MMO, issued a lengthy statement addressing the layoffs and project cancellations. Critically, ZOSU confirmed that as of today, its members are all still employed by Microsoft and receiving pay and benefits, though this is likely not to be the case forever.
Per the statement, worker representatives of the union are currently bargaining with the company over how the workers will move forward following the shuttering of the MMO. While the union acknowledges that layoffs may be in the future for some members, "as a result of our organizing, we are able to ensure that those impacted will be able to depart with dignity."
ZOSU was formed just last December, consisting at the time of its organizing of 461 employees across ZeniMax Online Studios. This number included web developers, designers, engineers, and graphic artists at ZeniMax Online Studios working on The Elder Scrolls Online and the unannounced MMO. While ZOSU still has yet to reach a contract agreement with Microsoft, its sibling union ZeniMax Workers United, which represents ZeniMax QA workers, reached an agreement at the end of May.
ZOSU's statement is published in full below:
Earlier this month, Microsoft indefinitely shelved an unannounced MMORPG at ZeniMax Online Studios, a shock to the 222 ZOSU-CWA developers working on the project. It has been heartening and validating to see our game mentioned in the press and by players that would have loved to see the results of our work.
Undoubtedly, a future has been stolen from many of us and our community will never experience an amazing game. However, despite discussions regarding the status of our employment, the fact is: we have not yet been laid off.
While we understand that for most of us something like a layoff is inevitable, last December both the teams behind The Elder Scrolls Online (ESO) and the unannounced project voted overwhelmingly to form a union and establish ZeniMax Online Studios United-CWA (ZOSU-CWA). Worker-volunteers elected to represent the interests of our union are currently bargaining with Microsoft for the benefit of our impacted teammates.
While Microsoft and ZOSU-CWA bargain over how we move forward following the project closure, the developers behind the unannounced project remain employees of ZeniMax Online Studios with full pay and benefits.
On July 2nd, our lives were upended without prior notice or communication from Microsoft leadership and without clear understanding about the status of our employment. In light of this, our union came together with urgency, gathering and distributing information and resources to our affected members.
Where Microsoft has failed to support the talented craftspeople who have generated billions in revenue, our union has stepped up to provide clarity and support.
It is true that a layoff may be in the future for some of our members. However, as a result of our organizing, we are able to ensure that those impacted will be able to depart with dignity.
More importantly, the work of ZOSU-CWA will continue so that our remaining teammates — the stalwart developers of ESO — can follow in the footsteps of our colleagues across other departments and studios at Microsoft, including our union siblings at ZeniMax Workers United (ZWU-CWA). We look forward to other units who will soon ratify fair contracts that will guarantee the rights we all deserve.
The impact of the massive Microsoft layoffs earlier this month on Xbox specifically was wide, and remains not fully understood. We've since learned that Everwild and Perfect Dark are no longer being developed, and The Initiative has shut down.
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.
With great power comes great responsibility… to let the fans know what’s in store for them with Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Tom Holland has recently reflected about the difficulties of shooting 2021's Spider-Man: No Way Home amid the pandemic — and how that has influenced the production of his next Spider-Man film.
“We were really restricted with what we could do in the last movie because of COVID. We shot the entire film on stages,” the actor revealed of his experience filming the third Spider-Man movie, during an interview with Flip Your Wig shared to social media today. “And now, we’re really gonna lean into that old school filmmaking and shoot in real locations.”
Holland also revealed one pivotal location for the upcoming film. “Which is why we’re starting in Glasgow,” he continued in the chat. “We’re gonna use the streets of Glasgow for this massive set piece that we’re putting together.”
It sounds as though Holland’s excited for what’s to come for the next installment of his Spidey franchise, which began back in 2017 with Spider-Man: Homecoming (if you don’t count his Civil War cameo a year prior, of course). In fact, the whole thing seems to be making Holland a bit nostalgic.
“It’s gonna feel like making Spider-Man 1 again,” he gushed in the interview. “It’s been such a long time since I’ve done it that it’s gonna feel like a breath of fresh air, and I think the fans are gonna be over the moon with what we’re putting together.”
Brand New Day is scheduled to swing into theaters over a year from now on July 31, 2026 — and we can’t wait to see how Holland’s insights end up playing out on screen.
Lex Briscuso is a film and television critic and a freelance entertainment writer for IGN. You can follow her on Twitter at @nikonamerica.
Nintendo has quietly made some subtle changes to its guidelines for developers publishing games on its Nintendo Switch 2 eShop, seemingly in an effort to slow an oft-criticized flood of low-effort “slop” content that’s been crowding out other games and frustrating users.
Earlier this year, we reported on a growing epidemic of “slop” games flooding the recommendation pages of multiple gaming storefronts, most prevalently on the PlayStation Store and Nintendo eShop. Many of these games shared a number of commonalities: obscure publishing companies with little available public information, very little game content, low-quality assets, numerous bugs, inaccurate store page descriptions, and often AI-generated storefront art that wasn’t representative of the game itself. A number of them also centered around adult content.
Since then, IGN has once again spoken to multiple developers with access to the Nintendo Switch eShop developer and publishing portal, who have shown us a new set of guidelines for publishing games on the Nintendo Switch 2 eShop specific to the platform’s storefronts in Japan and other regions of Asia. Critically, these rules seem to include attempts at curbing the flow of “slop”, reducing the amount of adult content recommended on the front pages, and making the Nintendo Switch 2 eShop storefront, at least, more user-friendly than its predecessor.
The guidelines, which took effect on June 5 (the day of the Nintendo Switch 2’s launch), cover a wide range of topics, including how game bundles can be sold, restrictions on sensitive content, prohibitions on inaccurate product descriptions, and when and how product information can be updated.
First, regarding bundles, the restrictions state that in the first year of a game’s release, only a maximum of five game bundles may be distributed. After the first year, that number goes up by one for each year the game is available, up to a maximum of eight different bundles. This seems to be a direct response to developer concerns in our previous reporting that some companies were simply creating “bundle spam” and offering deep discounts on new bundle after new bundle to keep their game at the top of eShop listings.
Many of the new guidelines discuss “sensitive content,” and include specific rules for what qualifies as sensitive content in the first place. Listed criteria that “would be considered damaging to the Nintendo brand” include sexualization of children, overly sexual content, discrimination and hate, exploitation of social issues (“Content that clearly exploits a topical and controversial social issue, tragedy, or catastrophic event”), instructing criminal activity, and political statements (“Content that overtly supports or criticizes real-life countries, organizations, or ideologies”). Nintendo states in the guidelines that it reserves the right not to distribute a game, but claims it offers the guidelines to help developers understand its reasoning in certain situations. “We encourage you to take this information into consideration when developing content for potential release on our platforms and before submitting such content to Nintendo,” the guidelines state. It also disclaims that the guidelines are not an exhaustive list, and that sometimes “determinations may be made on a regional basis.”
Another new guideline includes a prohibition against inaccurate descriptions of games. It reads, in full: “It is prohibited to provide inaccurate descriptions of the contents of a product. It is prohibited to provide description of the content of a product as under development if it is not expected to be implemented in the product.”
Other guidelines prohibit changing the name of a product without good reason (“drastic update”) or to make it consistent with a game’s name on other platforms or with other games in a series. Developers are also prohibited from changing information on the product page after the page is live. And developers are asked to contact Nintendo representatives if they intend to distribute an application “that does not include game elements.”
The section concludes with the following:
“In the even [sic] of any violation of these guidelines, Nintendo may refuse to sell the product, request revisions, limit the scope of disclosure by not displaying it on various pages including Nintendo eShop home page or suspend distribution on Nintendo platforms regardless of the reason.
“Notwithstanding these guidelines, similar measures may be taken if Nintendo reasonably determines that there is a violation of laws, regulations, or other contracts, rules, etc.”
As we were working on this story, an article came to our attention that seemed to be evidence of at least one of the new policies being enforced. Last month, Automaton reported that a game series called Hentai Girls (a game about compiling jigsaw puzzles of anime women in various states of dress and undress). Per the report, Hentai Girls, which has historically been criticized for having some of the hallmarks of the “slop” games previously discussed, would be renamed to “Kawaii Girls” going forward. As Automaton reported, Hentai Girls games are currently very easy to find in the Nintendo Switch eShop, but are challenging to find on the Nintendo Switch 2 eShop, only showing up if searched for directly by publisher name. What’s more, this issue doesn’t seem to impact the U.S. eShop, suggesting that the Nintendo Switch 2 eShop in Asia is restricting the word “hentai” in a way that isn’t being enforced in the U.S. or on the Nintendo Switch 1. While there's been no official confirmation of why this is happening, this development appears to be in line with the new guidelines.
Earlier this year, when we wrote about the issues with the various console storefronts and their respective relationship with “slop,” or low-effort spam content, we spoke to a number of game developers about their concerns. They told us they were frustrated with Nintendo’s penchant for a lack of enforcement, and willingness to let companies flood the eShop with dozens of games containing minimal content, misleading storefront pages, cheap and recycled assets, or game-breaking bugs. These games have historically caused issues for developers by crowding out games that studios spent years working on, often manipulating sales and bundles to stay at the top of recommendation pages in the eShop and making it difficult to discover other games.
We reached back out to some of the same developers we spoke to for the first article, as well as some new developers, all of whom had experience publishing their games on the Nintendo Switch eShop in both the United States and Asia. All of the people we spoke to were able to confirm the content of the new guidelines, and everyone we spoke to seemed to think that the new guidelines were created at least in part due to concerns about “slop.” However, their opinions on the efficacy of those guidelines varied.
One developer commented on the restrictions on bundle spam to say that a more helpful method of curbing issues with developers taking over the page would look more akin to what Steam has — better tagging and recommendations. “Their algorithm will more or less naturally bury AI slop or very low-effort releases. Sure, not every ‘good indie’ rises as high as they should but the visibility situation for indies with no marketing budget is significantly better on Steam. It gives you a shot when you release. On the Nintendo eShop you just get filed into an endless list of releases never to be seen by anyone. Unless you have a big name outside Nintendo already (like e.g. Balatro last year), it's close to impossible to stand out.”
Another developer commented that Nintendo has always been able to refuse anything from the store at their discretion, even before these new guidelines. “Whether they exercise this right to combat slop is an unknown,” they said. “In principle, I think the latest guidelines are a step in the right direction and will help the situation that was running rampant before. To what extent remains to be seen.”
And still another developer agreed, while stating they believed that the new guidelines didn’t go far enough.
“For example, they now limit a new release to participating in five bundles within the first year, but if each of those bundles can span a month that means you can still have your game discounted for nearly half of the first year. It also seems like these new guidelines are only for Japan/Asia. I don't know why they wouldn't apply them globally. But it's good to see them covering issues like deceptive product descriptions (e.g. promising features that don't exist) and misleading screenshots.”
Yet another developer I spoke to expressed a different concern - that stricter regulations might harm legitimate games that deal with more serious or mature themes. "I would say personally I would be curious to see how Nintendo will handle games that deal with serious topics, or if they will try to lean away from having more mature game that deal with such subjects, even when handled carefully or in positive support of such groups (Supporting gender expression, ethnicity, religion, ect.)" This developer also specifically mentioned the horror genre, with games like The House in Fata Morgana and The Missing: J.J. Macfield and the Island of Memories cited as having sensitive content, but which is contextualized within the story.
Just from my own firsthand experience of the Nintendo Switch 2 eshop in the U.S., it’s clear there have been some improvements. There are more targeted sections to browse now, meaning it’s easier to organically stumble upon a game I might enjoy based on my interests. That said, it’s worth pointing out the double-edged sword of curation here: most of the top-level recommendations are already fairly popular games, ones that likely are already selling well or are critically acclaimed. It remains challenging for excellent, otherwise unknown games to break out on the eShop, whether it’s because they’re being buried by publishers pumping out multiple cheap games per month on one storefront, or because it’s nigh-impossible to get storefront prominence anyway.
“The flood of low effort games in digital marketplaces is definitely a concern to me as an indie developer,” one developer said. “The space is already wildly competitive, and these stores don't always provide great discoverability (the eShop is particularly bad, even on Switch 2, though at least it runs much faster now!), so it sucks that we have to compete for visibility with bad actors who are just running a grift. The increased prevalence of gen AI has only made the problem worse, unfortunately (but predictably). It feels like there's so much room for improvement in all of these stores and it's a bit frustrating to see platform owners moving so slowly on this.”
Nintendo did not return our request for comment.
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.
Considering what it offers, Disney Plus is one of the best streaming services on the block. From classic Disney animated films to the latest Marvel shows and Star Wars movies, excellent kids' programming like Bluey, and so much more, Disney Plus puts an incredible range of high-quality viewing options at your fingertips. And with so much to check out - including Marvel's latest series Ironheart - you'll want to find a plan that best suits you. We're here to help.
At the moment, one of the best Disney Plus bundle deals available is the massive Disney Plus, Hulu, and HBO Max streaming bundle. This starts at $16.99/month to get you all three streaming services with ads. It's one of the best bundles available at the moment, but we've included more Disney Plus bundle deals worth exploring below. If you're looking for more streaming deals from other services, check out the best Hulu deals and bundles and the best HBO Max deals.
The Disney Plus, Hulu, and HBO Max streaming bundle can be purchased through any of the three streaming services and starts at $16.99/month for the ad-supported tier or $29.99/month for ad-free access across the three platforms.
If you currently own all three and want to cut down on costs, this is a great way to bundle them together and save big on what you'd pay for them separately per month – 43% on the ad-supported plan and 42% on the ad-free plan.
In an effort to crack down on password sharing, Disney has added a paid sharing plan for individuals outside of your household. Basically, anyone using your account that's not within your household will have to be added as an "Extra Member" to your account. This costs an additional $6.99/month for the ad-supported Basic subscription and $9.99/month for the Premium ad-free plan, and only one Extra Member slot is available per account. You can learn more from Disney's paid sharing explainer here.
Disney+ is available in a couple of different tiers. You can get the least expensive option (called Disney+ Basic) for $9.99/month, which gives you access to everything except the ability to download select shows to watch on the go. This tier is ad supported. If you want to get rid of ads and be able to download certain shows, you can spring for the $15.99/month or $159.99/year Disney+ Premium package.
Want a way to save on your Disney+ membership? Bundles are a great, affordable way to go. As far as bundles go, there are two ad-supported bundles and two ad-free bundles. Here's the breakdown:
If you want to help someone out and give them a gift that will keep on giving, gifting a one-year Disney+ card is a great way to go. It provides all the great things Disney+ offers and it costs a fraction of what it would take to buy even a small sampling of those movies physically.
There is a bonkers array of shows and movies you can watch on Disney+. Let's start at the top and simply talk about the verticals on offer here with the base subscription.
Here's what you get:
On the Disney front, you have awesome classic movies like The Sword In The Stone, Robin Hood, 101 Dalmations, Hercules, and Sleeping Beauty, modern classics like The Princess & The Frog, Tangled, and Frozen, and a wide range of animated shows, including Phineas & Ferb.
You also gain access to a ton of vintage content like Escape to Witch Mountain, The Apple Dumpling Gang, Bedknobs and Broomsticks, The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes, The Love Bug, and a whole lot more. The Disney Junior section is home to absolutely top tier animated shows like Bluey (which, for my money, is worth the price of admission on its own).
There's way more on offer, too, including a ton of Muppet movies, new live-action films and adaptions (including the new Snow White), nature programs, documentaries, Pirates of the Caribbean, and musical programs featuring Taylor Swift (like her wildly popular The Eras Tour), Elton John, Ed Sheeran, and more.
When it comes to computer generated films, Pixar stands alone. Kicking off the revolution with Toy Story, Pixar has consistently put out fantastic films, and they are all here. From the Toy Story series to Finding Nemo, Cars, and more recent hits like Inside Out 2, there is a ton to love.
Beyond even that, there are incredible shorts like Bao and Party Central, as well as a wide range of originals and series based on major films, such as Dory's Reef Cam, Forky Asks A Question, Cars On The Road, and more.
The MCU has become a true juggernaut, and there are many viewers who subscribe to Disney+ purely for access to nearly the entire MCU lineup of films and shows.
Whether you are a fan of the blockbuster action films, you are an appreciator of the classic 90s runs of "Saturday morning" cartoons like X-Men, or you are currently vibing to the funky theme of the 1981 Spider-Man series, there is a ton of Marvel to enjoy on Disney+. And with new movies and shows being added to the MCU all the time, including most recently Deadpool & Wolverine and Captain America: Brave New World, there is always more coming.
A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, there was a film that changed everything. The original Star Wars is a seminal sci-fi fantasy work that inspired generations of creators, but there is still nothing quite like that far away galaxy. Disney+ grants access to all things Star Wars, including the remastered versions of the original trilogy (hopefully some day they'll add the theatrical cuts, too), as well as the prequels and sequels.
You can also stay up-to-date on all the latest shows, including The Mandalorian and the critically-lauded Andor, which just wrapped up its second and final season. There are also fantastic short series like Star Wars Visions, and longer-form series like The Clone Wars, The Bad Batch, Young Jedi Adventures, and a whole lot more.
Take a look at our list of Disney+ alernatives for additional streaming services. To play while you watch, see our roundup of the best LEGO Disney sets. For more deals, dive into our Daily Deals page.
Hannah Hoolihan is a freelance writer who works with the Guides and Commerce teams here at IGN.
Original story from Brian Barnett.
If you collect Pokémon cards or just like staying ahead of the curve, Best Buy just opened preorders for Pokémon TCG: Mega Evolutions. This set is shaping up to be a big one, bringing back classic mechanics with modern flair, and preorders tend to sell out quickly once word gets out. This also means that other big box retailers should be going live with their preorder allocations soon, so make sure to keep an eye on Target and Walmart below.
Alongside the Mega Evolutions preorders, today’s lineup has a few other bangin deals. Suikoden I & II HD Remastered is down to $48.31 for the Day One Edition on Nintendo Switch, and The Lord of the Rings Illustrated Edition hardcover is sitting at just over $30. If you’ve been eyeing AirPods Pro 2, they’re holding steady at $199, offering great value with active noise cancellation and personalized spatial audio. Let's get into it:
This is it, the beggining of a new expansion for Pokémon TCG. Best Buy have gone live with their preorder allocation for Mega Evolutions today, which mean Target and Walmart won't be far behind. Here's all the links you need and good luck trainers!
I can't believe I'm writing this, but Amazon has quite a bit of sealed Pokémon TCG product for under market value. Whilst that unfortunately means it's still way above MSRP, some of these sets are at the best prices they've been in the last month.
As newer Pokémon TCG sets grab the spotlight, Paradox Rift is seeing its high-rarity SIR ex cards drop in value while several Illustration Rares quietly climb due to shifting collector interest and low inventory. Cards like Altaria ex, Gholdengo ex, and Steelix have dropped between 16% and 25%, while Illustration Rares including Morpeko, Plusle, Minun, Groudon, and Iron Valiant ex are climbing fast, with Morpeko leading at a 43% increase. This mirrors earlier trends where less flashy cards gain traction as availability tightens.
It's a bit of a mixed back for Magic: The Gathering prices this week, so it's always worth double checking eBay before TCG Player and Amazon for a last minute bargain. Also, whoever thinks a Theros Beyond Death booster is worth north of $700 needs to have a word with themselves.
I picked up the Yu-Gi-Oh! Early Days Collection for Switch and it’s been a solid throwback to the old Duel Monsters days. I grew up playing these games, so jumping back in with the ability to duel online and unlock classic cards feels pretty great. The save-anywhere feature makes it easy to squeeze in a match during a break and come back to it later. I also like that you can rewind or fast forward during duels which makes testing out new strategies a lot more flexible.
I was hoping to grab the steelbook edition of Superman but it looks like that’s already sold out. The standard Blu-ray is still available though if you’re just looking to watch the movie without the collectible packaging. James Gunn delivers a Superman story that feels fresh while staying true to the character. There’s a solid balance of action, humor, and heart, and it sets a strong tone for what’s next in the DCU. If you’re into superhero movies that keep things grounded while still feeling big and cinematic, this one’s worth picking up.
I grabbed Split Fiction on PS5 recently and it’s been a great pick for co-op sessions. We gave it a 9 out of 10 and after playing it I can see why. It focuses on split-screen teamwork where you and a partner have to sync your actions to clear each challenge. I really like how each level introduces new mechanics and switches between sci-fi and fantasy settings so it never feels repetitive. Mio and Zoe’s story adds some extra depth too since they do not get along at first but that dynamic makes the whole adventure feel more personal as things ramp up.
AirPods Pro 2 are one of those earbuds I keep noticing for their mix of sound quality and thoughtful features. At $199, they offer a strong balance of value and performance. The active noise cancellation blocks out a lot of background noise while adaptive audio automatically adjusts based on your surroundings. You get four sizes of silicone tips for a customizable fit, and once those are set they stay comfortable even through longer listening sessions. The personalized spatial audio and hearing aid features add extra depth, giving them more flexibility than just a standard pair of wireless earbuds.
DRAGON QUEST III HD-2D Remake caught my attention for how it brings that classic RPG feel into a modern format. At $34.99, it’s a pretty big discount compared to the usual price, which makes it an easy pick if you’ve been waiting to try it. The HD-2D visuals really stand out with that mix of pixel art and depth that makes the world feel fresh but still familiar. Battles stick to the traditional turn-based system but with small updates like adjustable speed and auto-battle, so it doesn’t feel stuck in the past. The soundtrack ties it all together with that same timeless vibe DRAGON QUEST fans already know.
The Lord of the Rings Illustrated Edition feels like more than just a regular hardcover. At $30.07 it is a big drop from the usual $90 which makes it a sound deal. What really sets this edition apart are the illustrations with Tolkien’s own drawings maps and sketches included throughout. The full text is printed in red and black ink and there are details like sprayed edges and a ribbon bookmark that make it feel more like a collector’s item.
Suikoden I & II HD Remastered at $48.31 for the Day One Edition is an essential pickup for JRPG fans. The updated pixel art looks sharp without losing the original style and the new environmental sounds add a little more atmosphere as you move through towns and dungeons. Fattle fast forward and auto-save features make revisiting these games more modern and easier to play in shorter sessions.
Christian Wait is a contributing freelancer for IGN covering everything collectable and deals. Christian has over 7 years of experience in the Gaming and Tech industry with bylines at Mashable and Pocket-Tactics. Christian also makes hand-painted collectibles for Saber Miniatures. Christian is also the author of "Pokemon Ultimate Unofficial Gaming Guide by GamesWarrior". Find Christian on X @ChrisReggieWait.
Alienware's Black Friday in July Sale has officially commenced. So far it's the best sale I've seen from Dell this year, and that's great news for gamers looking to upgrade their rigs. Score big savings on Alienware's gaming PCs, laptops, monitors, electronics, and accessories, including 2025 releases like the new flagship Area-51 systems. What many people might not realize is that traditionally the Black Friday in July deals are as good as or better than the deals we see on Black Friday proper. Some of these prebuilt configurations will also be better than any PC deal coming out of Amazon Prime Day. I'll keep updating the page with new deals as they come in.
You can quickly browse through all of the listed products on sale above. See below for our favorite picks.
Alienware's Black Friday in July Sale has officially kicked off, and one of the best deals I've seen so far is this Alienware Aurora R16 RTX 5080 gaming PC for just $1,999.99 shipped. This is $250 less than the previous best deal I've seen on the same configuration, and one of the best prices you can get for any prebuilt RTX 5080 gaming PC. If you were to try to find a 5080 GPU for your do-it-yourself PC build, you'll probably spend $1,400 for the graphics card alone.
Dell is offering a competitive price on an Alienware Aurora R16 gaming PC equipped with the excellent GeForce RTX 5070 Ti graphics card. Right now you can get a base configuration paired with the latest Intel Core Ultra 7 processor for just $1,749.99. This CPU/GPU duo can comfortably handle even the latest and most demanding games in 4K resolution like Black Myth Wukong, Clair Obscur, or Kingdom Come: Deliverance, and it's $250 cheaper than jumping to the 5080.
If you're seeking the absolute best of the best in PC gaming performance, look no further. Dell has just dropped the price of its flagship Alienware Area-51 prebuilt gaming PC, equipped with the Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 graphics card starting at $4,449.99 with free shipping. The RTX 5090 is undisputedly the most powerful graphics card on the market. It's the best consumer card for both high-resolution gaming and AI work thanks to its whopping 32GB of GDDR7 VRAM. It's also pretty much impossible to find a standalone graphics card for your diy build for under $3,000.
Alienware's new mainstream gaming laptop for 2025 is dubbed the "Alienware Aurora" and comes in two 16" models: the 16 and 16X. As part of its Black Friday in July Sale, Dell has dropped the price of the Alienware Aurora 16 gaming laptop equipped with an GeForce RTX 5060 mobile GPU for just $1,099.99 with free delivery. That is a big $400 discount from its official launch price and currently the best deal I can find on an RTX 5060 equipped laptop from any brand and any retailer.
New for 2025, the Alienware Area-51 gaming laptop features a magnesium alloy chassis with upgraded cooling to tackle the latest and greatest heat generating components. This includes more fans and bigger cutouts enabling greater airflow, more generous use of copper, and a new thermal interface material to better transfer heat away from the core components. Dell claims that the laptop can handle a higher power ceiling of up to 240W TDP without raising acoustics.
Design-wise, the Area 51 accentuates its smooth contours, with rounded edges and soft corners replacing the squared off design you'd see in most other laptops. The hinges are also mostly internally positioned so that they're near invisible. As befits an Alienware laptop, there are ample customization options for RGB LED lighting.
The Alienware AW2725DF 27" QD OLED gaming monitor normally retails for $899.99, but right now you can get it at Dell for just $599.99. The AW2725DF is Dell's first (and only) monitor with both an OLED panel and blazing fast 360Hz refresh rate. This is easily one of the best 27" QHD gaming monitors you can get right now, especially if you're aiming for the highest frame rates possible in your FPS games.
Right now you can pick up an Alienware AW3425DW 34" QD-OLED gaming monitor for $769.99. The Alienware AW3425DW is a curved 34" with a 3440x1440 WQHD resolution, 0.03ms response time, and 165Hz refresh rate. It also uses a Samsung quantum dot OLED panel. If you're not looking for a true 4K monitor, this is one of the best monitors out there. The ultrawide WQHD resolution of this monitor measures out to a respectable 109ppi. You can get something like an RTX 4060 Ti or RTX 4070 GPU and achieve perfectly playable framerates. A true 4K monitor, on the other hand, would require a more powerful and pricier GPU.
If you're in the market for a prebuilt gaming PC, Dell is one of best gaming brands we'd recommend. The Alienware gaming desktops offer a staggering array of options, all built into a custom chassis that's both easy on the eyes and easy on the wallet. Alienware gaming laptops in recent years have been redesigned to be thinner and lighter while still offering the same immense power under the hood. Consistent build quality, available inventory, frequent sales, and solid customer service are the main reasons why Dell is at the top of our buying list for gaming laptops and PCs.
Eric Song is the IGN commerce manager in charge of finding the best gaming and tech deals every day. When Eric isn't hunting for deals for other people at work, he's hunting for deals for himself during his free time.
A cozier Lord of the Rings experience is on the way with Tales of the Shire: A The Lord of the Rings Game. Weta Workshop's hobbit life-sim goes live later this month, and the studio has shared the surprisingly reasonable minimum system requirements ahead of Tales of the Shire's launch.
Posted on the Steam page, the minimum system requirements are surprisingly low on the graphics card side. For the minimum bar, whihc is 1080p and 30 FPS on Very Low settings, you can get by with an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 770, AMD Radeon R9 270X, or Intel Arc A580. The former two are both 4 GB graphics cards from 2013.
While the processor will need to be a little more recent (an Intel Core i5-7600K or AMD Ryzen 3 1200), that's a fairly reasonable setup, albeit for the absolute lowest settings. What about the recommended?
For 1080p and 60 FPS on High settings, you'll need a little more oomph. The graphics card requirement bar jumps up to NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti (8 GB) or AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT (12 GB). CPU will need a bit more power too, moving up to an Intel Core i5-10600 or AMD Ryzen 5 8400F. Here are the full system requirements:
OS: Windows 10
Processor: Intel Core i5-7600K or AMD Ryzen 3 1200
Memory: 16 GB RAM
Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 770, 4 GB or AMD Radeon R9 270X, 4 GB or Intel Arc A580, 8 GB
Storage: 3 GB available space
Additional Notes / Details: 1080p Very Low @ 30 FPS
OS: Windows 11
Processor: Intel Core i5-10600 or AMD Ryzen 5 8400F
Memory: 16 GB RAM
Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti, 8 GB or AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT, 12 GB
Storage: 3 GB available space
Additional Notes / Details: 1080p High @ 60 FPS
This leaves some questions unanswered when it comes to higher resolutions, though. Running at 1080p60 on High settings is one thing, but for players who might want to push up towards 1440p or 4K, we'll have to wait and hear more about the state of the game.
At the very least, Tales of the Shire seems to be shaping up to be a cozy time in this well-loved fantasy universe. Despite being caught up in some delays and a drawn-out struggle to find its footing, after publisher Private Division was sold off.
Tales of the Shire: A The Lord of the Rings Game is out on July 29 for PC, as well as PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and Switch.
Eric is a freelance writer for IGN.
James Gunn’s Superman movie has dropped and looks to be a great hit both in theatres and with critics, scoring a box office record and getting high reviews, like our review by Tom Jorgensen, who gave it an 8/10.
Now, as part of an ongoing promotion from Audible, you can listen to the comic that inspired the movie, All-Star Superman, for absolutely free.
Running until the end of July, Amazon Prime members can get a three-month Audible membership for absolutely free, whereas such a membership would normally cost $14.95 per month. Amazon Prime itself has 30-day trials available, and students or those between 18 and 24 and get a six-month trial through the Prime for Young Adults tier.
Each month of the three-month Audible trial grants you one book credit to spend, and All-Star Superman is a stellar first Superman story to spend it on.
A 12-issue series written and illustrated by DC greats, Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely, between late 2005 and 2008, All-Star Superman is one of the finest comic stories of all time based on the Man of Steel. Many others have been released since then, but it’s been tough to top All-Star’s take on what’s been deemed as a “timeless” Superman — with first-rate storytelling, modern characterisation, and riveting art.
While the audiobook version won’t treat you to much of the latter, you’ll get in exchange some top-tier full-cast narration, which lends an emotional and powerful telling of the Kryptonians’ beloved story.
As Audible’s limited-time offer allows you to dive into the original tale before or after you check out James Gunn’s movie adaptation, there’s a massive selection of the best fictional audiobooks you can spend your other credits on.
Alternatively, Amazon still has stock of a huge variety of the best Superman comics to check out as well, including paperback and hardcover versions of All-Star Superman.
Along with Supergirl, Woman of Tomorrow, Superman: Birthright, Kingdom Come, and Superman For All Seasons, there are also preorders for Absolute Superman Vol. 1: the first collection of issues based on a version of Kal-El from the darker Absolute Universe.
Absolute Superman Vol. 1 is releasing on August 19, Absolute Batman Vol. 1 on August 5, and Absolute Wonder Woman Vol. 1 on Aug 12. In the meantime, you can instead listen to All-Star Superman for free right now on Audible.
Ben Williams – IGN freelance contributor with over 10 years of experience covering gaming, tech, film, TV, and anime. Follow him on Twitter/X @BenLevelTen.
In James Gunn’s Superman, David Corenswet’s Kal-El has no shortage of enemies to battle. He faces off with everyone from Ultraman to María Gabriela de Faría’s Engineer to a runaway kaiju, all while Nicholas Hoult’s Lex Luthor pulls the strings. It’s a good thing the Man of Steel has such a vast rogues gallery, or else there might not be anyone left to build a sequel around.
Superman may not be overly interested in laying seeds and dropping teases for future movies, but we do have to wonder if Gunn is telegraphing the villain of a potential Superman 2. It all has to do with the open-ended fate of one character. Which iconic DC villain could Gunn be hinting at? None other than Superman’s backwards-talking doppelganger, Bizarro. Let’s break down the evidence.
As many DC fans suspected, there’s a reason Ultraman’s face is kept hidden for much of the movie. Early on, we learn that Ultraman was genetically engineered by Luthor as part of his ambitious Planet Watch initiative. He’s meant to be the perfect weapon - a being that possesses all of Superman’s powers but is completely malleable and controllable.
In the climax of the film, it becomes apparent just how much DNA Ultraman shares with Superman when his face is finally revealed and we see a scraggly, long-haired version of Corenswet’s face. Ultraman truly is Superman, just without Clark’s latent humanity and intelligence.
At this point, it’s hard not to be reminded of a specific incarnation of Bizarro from the comics. While, traditionally, Bizarro is depicted as an alien from the square-shaped planet Bizarro World, DC attempted to give the character more of a grounded makeover for its New 52 reboot. 2013’s Forever Evil introduced a new take on the character, one that may well have inspired Gunn’s version of Ultraman.
The New 52 Bizarro is also a Superman clone genetically engineered by Luthor. He’s the first semi-successful test subject, codenamed Subject B-0, though an invasion by the Crime Syndicate forces Luthor to defrost his creation five years early. That’s the source of Bizarro’s white, mottled skin and limited intelligence. Bizarro also wears an inside-out Superman T-shirt, explaining his iconic backwards Superman costume.
Bizarro helps Luthor defend the world from these interdimensional invaders, and the two form a surprisingly tender bond (very much unlike Luthor’s clear disgust for Ultraman in the movie). Bizarro ultimately dies fighting Luthor’s Earth-3 doppelganger, Mahzahs, and Luthor avenges his friend. As Forever Evil ends, Luthor is seen ordering his scientists to begin growing a new Superman clone, while also instructing them to specifically wake him up five years early again. That’s probably the most humanity Luthor has ever shown anyone.
Even prior to the New 52, the idea of Bizarro being a Superman clone created by Luthor was explored in Superman: The Animated Series. There’s a definite precedent here.
There are definite comparisons to be drawn between the DCU’s Ultraman and the New 52 version of Bizarro. But that’s not the only reason we think Gunn may be setting up Bizarro in a possible sequel. Ultraman’s open-ended fate also hints at a larger storyline for this poor, misunderstood villain.
Even after finally gaining the upper hand, Corenswet’s Superman stops short of killing Ultraman in the film. Instead, Ultraman is dragged into the black hole at the center of the pocket universe Luthor created to serve as his personal prison. When the rift between dimensions is finally closed, Ultraman is left trapped and alone. But given that he has all of Superman’s powers, we’d venture to guess he’s not dead.
Instead, we could easily see a scenario where Ultraman is left isolated and alone in this strange realm. Maybe the solitude drives him crazy, transforming him into a shambling creature with pale skin who speaks in opposites. Maybe the next time we meet Ultraman, he’s devolved into Bizarro.
The pocket dimension itself seems to be the perfect way to introduce Bizarro World to the DCU. The fact that so much of the architecture and geological formations in that realm are cubes could very well be a telltale clue that this is where Gunn is headed. Luthor’s pocket universe could reassemble itself to form one giant, cubed planet. And don’t forget - the movie ends with a post-credits scene revealing Metropolis isn’t perfectly realigned. That jokey moment could be a clue that the pocket dimension will come back into play in a potential Superman 2.
The question is just how far down the Bizarro rabbit hole Gunn might go in future movies. Will we see Bizarro versions of Rachel Brosnahan’s Lois Lane and the rest of the Daily Planet crew? Will he introduce Bizarro’s friend Batzarro, the World’s Worst Detective? If anyone is going to mine that ridiculous DC treasure trove, it’s Gunn.
It’s also worth remembering that Bizarro and the anti-Bizarro known as Zibarro play a major role in Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely’s All-Star Superman, a comic we know was a huge source of inspiration for Gunn and his team. Gunn may want to further honor that comic by including Bizarro in the sequel. If not as the main villain, then at least as an entertaining side character. If Gunn can make Guy Gardner’s hideous bowl cut work in live action, then there’s no reason he can’t do justice to Bizarro.
Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on BlueSky.
Prime Day has come and gone, but there are still some excellent PlayStation deals floating around. If you've been searching for great discounts on games, storage, and more for your PS5, we're here to help. We've searched the internet to find the best PS5 deals available at the moment, from Amazon and beyond, and there are some real treats to choose from. These include discounts on Elden Ring Nightreign, Metaphor: ReFantazio, and Space Marine 2.
Alongside those offers, you can see our top picks for the best PlayStation deals today below.
If you're looking to fill up your library with some new PS5 games, there are plenty of discounts available right now, even after the big Prime Day sale event. One of the biggest deals that's stuck out to us is Elden Ring Nightreign, which is currently at its lowest-ever price at Amazon.
Several games are down to $39.99 as well, including Metaphor: ReFantazio, Space Marine 2, and Silent Hill 2. You can see these deals and even more of our favorites at the moment above.
PS5 games continue to grow in size, and with SSD prices climbing, finding the right storage at a great price is more important than ever. We've listed our favorite deals just here, but you should keep checking back here for more updates as often as possible, as new SSD deals pop up all the time.
Keep in mind that not all SSDs are compatible with the PS5. To ensure optimal performance on the best PS5 SSD, you'll need a PCIe Gen4 x4 M.2 drive with a minimum read speed of 5,500MB/s to match the console's internal storage.
The PSVR2 Horizon: Call of the Mountain bundle is available to buy for $399.99. This package is great value for everything you're getting (the PSVR2 headset and controllers alongside the Horizon: Call of The Mountain game), and pushes the PSVR2 as a strong contender against budget-friendly VR options like the Meta Quest, delivering a premium virtual reality experience without the eye-watering cost.
Sony also gave the PSVR2 a new lease of life by adding PC VR support, allowing owners of the second-generation headset to play PC VR games like Half-Life: Alyx, provided they have the Sony-made adapter.
The PlayStation Portal has come a long way since its launch. Initial skepticism surrounded the device, but over time it has proven itself as a handy companion for PS5 owners.
Despite stock challenges and surges in demand, a new feature is making the Portal even more appealing to potential buyers. Sony rolled out an update for the PlayStation Portal, currently in opt-in beta, allowing PlayStation Plus Premium subscribers to stream games from the cloud.
This means you can now enjoy a library of games on the go—even if you don’t own a PS5. The update adds another compelling reason to consider the PlayStation Portal.
If you're looking to trade in your old PlayStation consoles, you can do so at select retailers in-store and online. Often, the most widely available retailers are GameStop and Best Buy. However, you can also trade your used devices online at retailers such as Amazon and Microsoft.
Some retailers will offer you cash for your used goods, while others may provide you with a gift card that can be used in-store and online. This is a great way to offload your old gaming gear and get some money that you can put towards a newer console and games.
While trading devices in at retailers will often net you the lowest amount for your used consoles, there are also online marketplaces such as eBay, Craigslist, and OfferUp that may fetch higher prices, but you'll often be responsible for packing and shipping costs, or be required to meet someone in person for the transaction. The latter of which poses its own risks.
Robert Anderson is a deals expert and Commerce Editor for IGN. You can follow him @robertliam21 on Twitter.
The director of the upcoming Donkey Kong Bananza has acknowledged some "performance" issues, while saying the team prioritized "fun and playability" during development.
In an interview with La Vanguardia, director Kazuya Takahashi responded to performance issues noticed by a journalist whilst previewing the game.
"There are several factors to consider," Takahashi said when asked about the issues. "First, we intentionally used effects like hit-stop and slow motion to emphasize impacts. Second, because we use voxel technology, there are times when there are major changes and destruction in the environment.
"We're aware that performance may drop slightly at these times," Takahashi added. "However, as [the journalist says], overall the game is smooth, and at points where large-scale changes occur, we prioritized fun and playability."
"I think Bananza is on track to be one of the most gorgeous Nintendo games I’ve seen," we wrote in IGN's Donkey Kong Bananza preview. "It really does take advantage of Switch 2's hardware – the environments are beautiful and DK’s animations are wonderfully expressive, and I left feeling like the next generation of first-party Nintendo games had truly arrived."
Donkey Kong Bananza is out later this week on July 17 for $69.99 exclusively on the Nintendo Switch 2. If you're looking to stay spoiler-free, now may be a good time to mute words on social media, as Donkey Kong Bananza spoilers are being spread online after early copies of the game have turned up in the hands of several fans.
For more, we have a selection of stories in which we spoke to the development team about a number of topics related to Bananza, including how the game was first conceived and the necessity of releasing on the Nintendo Switch 2. You can read our entire interview in full right here.
Vikki Blake is a reporter for IGN, as well as a critic, columnist, and consultant with 15+ years experience working with some of the world's biggest gaming sites and publications. She's also a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her at BlueSky.
A Microsoft employee has drawn criticism for sharing a widely-ridiculed AI image to advertise empty roles on Xbox's graphics team.
The image, which features a woman sat at a computer typing code — shown on the rear of the monitor, rather than its screen — is clearly made by AI. Accompanying text states: "Xbox Graphics Is Hiring".
Reaction to the post, which went live on LinkedIn over the weekend and is still available at the time of writing, is a mixture of bafflement and outright anger — with many responses criticising the "embarrassing" quality of the image, and the timing of the post, just weeks after mass layoffs at Xbox as Microsoft doubles down on AI.
"The Xbox Graphics team is hiring folks with experience with device drivers, GPU performance, or related validation or engineering system experience," a Principal Development Lead on the Xbox Graphics team wrote, sharing two Senior Software Engineer jobs based at Microsoft's Redmond headquarters.
While seemingly not an official post by Microsoft itself — and instead, it appears, the work of this individual employee — the post has generated more than 100 replies, nearly all heavily critical of the job ad.
"Do you think this image communicates 'this is a company where we value people who can make stuff look good?'," wrote a fellow Microsoft staff member.
"Posting this days after MS laid off 9,000 folks in gamedev, while including an AI-generated image wherein the monitor is backwards... like, dude, read the room," wrote an employee at Meta.
"This s**t is just embarrassing. AI gutter-slop image (THE SCREEN IS ON THE BACK OF THE MONITOR) to advertise a *graphics* post," wrote a Ubisoft employee. "Do. F**king. Better."
A handful of other responses simply laughed off the image, however, with one even suggesting the image was posted on purpose — to show why good hires were needed.
IGN has contacted the post's author, who is yet to respond to any of the comments.
Microsoft announced plans to shed nearly 4% of its staff, or roughly 9,100 employees, earlier this month, with deep cuts to several major Xbox studios. Rare's long-gestating fantasy project Everwild was canned, as was the upcoming Perfect Dark reboot from Tomb Raider studio Crystal Dynamics and Microsoft outfit The Initiative — which was shut down completely. Other projects impacted include a promising new role-player from Bethesda's The Elder Scrolls Online team, and Romero Studios' new first-person shooter. This latest round of layoffs is the fourth to hit Microsoft's gaming business in 18 months.
Tom Phillips is IGN's News Editor. You can reach Tom at tom_phillips@ign.com or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social
Dragon Quest publisher Square Enix is set to relaunch another fan-favorite instalment, this time Dragon Quest 7: Fragments of the Forgotten Past.
According to MP1st, internal documents leaked to the outlet have detailed a number of upcoming unannounced projects, including a remake of the seventh mainline Dragon Quest game.
Interestingly, whilst other remakes have been specifically marked as HD Remakes, that isn't the case here — or at least, not according to MP1st — suggesting this time, this will be more than just a graphical overhaul or a reskinned remaster. Exactly what that'll entail, we're not sure, though, and it may be some time before we get official confirmation.
The leaked document suggests we'll get to play this new version of Dragon Quest 7 sometime between early 2026 and 2027, to adhere with Square Enix's next fiscal year and financial forecasts.
In related Dragon Quest-shaped news, don't forget Dragon Quest 1 & 2 HD-2D Remake will release on October 30, 2025, on PC (via Steam and Microsoft Store), PS5, Switch, and Xbox Series X/S. Square Enix has just confirmed the RPG is also coming to Nintendo Switch 2, too. We also recently had an update on what, exactly, players can get if they pre-order the game in advance, as well as details of an all-new Collector's Edition.
Dragon Quest creator Yuji Horii recently confirmed Dragon Quest 12: The Flames of Fate has not been canceled. Though Dragon Quest 12 was announced as part of the series' 35th anniversary celebration back in 2021, signalling the first mainline entry since 2017's Dragon Quest 11: Echoes of an Elusive Age, it's been pretty quiet ever since, and the last we heard about Dragon Quest 12 was in February, when Horii broke his silence to say the development team at Square Enix is “working hard."
"Yes, indeed, I can't say anything, I apologize," he said in May. "I am making it, putting lots of work into it... I can only say that the next work will be great too, [I'm] working really hard. Please look forward to it is the only thing I can say."
Vikki Blake is a reporter for IGN, as well as a critic, columnist, and consultant with 15+ years experience working with some of the world's biggest gaming sites and publications. She's also a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her at BlueSky.
It took over a month, but Amazon's listings for the Nintendo Switch 2 have finally changed. The pages went up way later than most other retailers, a couple of weeks after the console released, but they didn't have buy buttons.
They still don't have direct "buy" buttons, but they do now have a "Request Invite". Not only that, but looking at IGN's own data, Amazon had started to send out invites to buy, so the console is actively available and easy to buy if you can secure that invite ASAP.
You can visit the listing and submit your request now.
It's unclear how long it will take for invitations to purchase Nintendo's new device to go out once you've submitted your request. It's also anyone's guess as to how many Switch 2 consoles Amazon will actually receive.
Amazon and Nintendo haven't had the smoothest relationship in recent years, with first-party Nintendo games not being available with Amazon as the seller.
It was only a few weeks ago (after the Switch 2 was already out) when first-party Nintendo Switch 2 games began appearing on Amazon again. And while some reports suggested the missing Nintendo listings were due to a spat over third-party sales, Nintendo denied this report.
The end of the standoff has also brought a fresh listing for the Switch 2 Pro Controller alongside Donkey Kong Bananza, which launches later this week on July 17.
In any case, lots of online shoppers seem to prefer to make their purchases at Amazon. And if this new "Request invite" button on the Switch 2 + Mario Kart World bundle listing is an indication that the tensions are lowering, that's good news for consumers.
In other Switch 2 news, while we’ve seen 256GB that can double your Switch 2’s storage, there's a brand new 512GB option is in stock at $78 from Walmart, which is by far the best price we’ve found for a card of this size that you can buy right now.
We add that caveat, because Walmart does have an onn microSDXC Express Card which is slightly cheaper. It’s been out of stock for some time, too, making this SanDisk offering your best bet.
Amazon still has the microSD Express from Samsung with Mario branding, but it’ll set you back $59. For just under $20 more, you’re getting double the storage.
It also features the same 512GB SanDisk card, but is listed for $120 instead of $78 and has delayed delivery through to August or September. So that's a huge $42 off when buying via Walmart, and faster shipping to-boot.
Chris Reed is a commerce editor and deals expert for IGN. He also runs IGN's board game and LEGO coverage. You can follow him on Bluesky.
Remember when Rian Johnson was supposed to bring us a whole new Star Wars trilogy? The Glass Onion filmmaker has now opened up about the projects that never were, and admitted it was “all very conceptual” — so much so that he never developed an “outline or a treatment or anything” for the project.
“Nothing really happened with it,” Johnson told Rolling Stone in a recent interview. “We had a great time working together, and they said, ‘Let’s keep doing it.’ I said, ‘Great!’ I would kick ideas around with Kathy [Kathleen Kennedy, Lucasfilm president].
"The short version is ‘Knives Out’ happened. I went off and made ‘Knives Out,’ and was off to the races, busy making murder mysteries. It’s the sort of thing if, down the line, there’s an opportunity to do it, or do something else in ‘Star Wars,’ I would be thrilled. But right now I’m just doing my own stuff, and pretty happy.”
As the story goes, Johnson was in talks with Kennedy developing the three films, but the opportunity to make his Agatha Christie-style murder mystery Knives Out led the Last Jedi filmmaker to a different franchise altogether.
A few years back, Johnson spoke of his desire to get back in the director’s chair for another Star Wars film, though admitted that “it wouldn’t be the end of the world for anyone” if he didn’t.
“But I would be sad,” Johnson told Variety in 2022. “I love the world. I love the people. I love ‘Star Wars’ fans. I love the passion of how they engage in it. There’s nothing like telling a story in this world and then experiencing people truly connecting to it and letting you know that. It’s extraordinary.”
As part of the same interview, Johnson addressed the polarised fan reaction The Last Jedi, and said his days "arguing on the playground about Star Wars" — and in particular his previous dislike of the Prequel trilogy — had helped him process the backlash to his work.
The Brick filmmaker wrote and directed The Last Jedi in 2017, so it’s definitely been a while since he’s been in that galaxy. Considering the next Knives Out installment, Wake Up Dead Man, is set to be released in December, and Lucasfilm's current Star Wars movie plans already stretch out to at least 2027, it may be some time before Johnson wields his lightsaber once more.
Lex Briscuso is a film and television critic and a freelance entertainment writer for IGN. You can follow her on Twitter at @nikonamerica.
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