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The developers of The Simpsons: Hit & Run finally sat down to discuss why the cult classic open-world game never got a sequel, and honestly, it sounds like they’re just as confused as fans.
Programmers Cary Brisebois and Greg Mayer, producer Steve Bocska, designer Darren Evenson, executive producer John Melchior and designer-writer Chris Mitchell dove into the details of what happened in a call with reporter Ben Hanson. A three-minute clip of the interview was posted November 20 on the MinnMax YouTube channel.
As it turns out, a follow-up game was in the works by Radical Entertainment, the developers revealed. But when asked about the rationale behind the decision to halt production on the sequel, Melchior said, “I don’t know.”
“It was a five game deal for less money than I think Vivendi paid for the first game,” Melchior continued, detailing how his boss at the time was similarly befuddled by the game being tabled. “He was just like, ‘I don’t understand. I gave it to you on a silver platter, why aren’t you just saying yes and doing these games?’ It was just a really bizarre decision. I’ll never understand it. Most people on the production level never understood it.”
The original game — also developed by Radical Entertainment — was released by Vivendi Universal Games in 2003. As word of an alien conspiracy breaks out in Springfield, players can participate in a variety of quests to investigate the series of strange events that unfold. And as fans of The Simpsons: Hit & Run know well, one of the most iconic features is the game’s Grand Theft Auto-inspired racing missions.
I gave it to you on a silver platter, why aren’t you just saying yes and doing these games?
The plan for the sequel was to expand on players’ driving capabilities by allowing them to tow objects from vehicles. Mayer even created a prototype for the new feature prior to the game’s disbandment.
This prototype, a Powerpoint presentation and a couple of assets were the extent of the work that had been done on the new game by the time the news broke that the project was being cancelled. Even the plot had yet to be fleshed out, Mitchell admitted: “It was all over the map.”
“In those early days, kind of everybody just imagines what they want, so I’m sure there were 12 competing storylines at that point,” Mitchell went on. “Who knows what the final story would have been?”
Back then, the possibility of the game not reaching fruition was unthinkable — especially with four more potential games on the horizon, the developers agreed: “This was going to be a franchise, no doubt in anybody’s mind,” Melchior said.
“It was a no-brainer; it was like, well of course we’re going to be doing this,” Evenson added. “The stars are aligned, we’re treading down this path. And then it was just like a, ‘Huh, I guess we’re not.'”
Melchior credits Vivendi failing to obtain a license for the video game rights to The Simpsons as one of the primary factors in the sequel game’s downfall. By the same token, the executive producer pointed out that Vivendi was able to secure the rights to Buffy the Vampire Slayer, a similarly popular franchise, without issue.
EA signed a contract for the video game rights to The Simpsons in 2005, but the last time the publisher released a game based on the series was in 2007.
“It was sad because there was no momentum loss between the shipping of this game and the work being done on the sequel,” Melchior mourned.
So there you have it; it looks like a sequel to The Simpsons: Hit & Run is officially ruled out as long as EA retains the rights to the franchise. But at least we can still keep hoping for a remaster of the original.
Even though there’s still a few days to go before the actual day, Black Friday deals are in full swing at a variety of retailers. If you’ve been hoping to pick up a PS5 this year during the sale event, you’re in luck! Consoles are available at a variety of retailers at the moment. There’s even a selection of console bundles for them that are on sale for Black Friday, including for the new PS5 Slim, which you can find detailed below.
Where to Buy a PS5 on Black Friday
If you’re looking to buy a standard PS5 console, you can find it at the links below on Amazon, Best Buy, Walmart, and GameStop. This will run you $500 for the disc edition, but gets you the console and a controller so you can start playing right away.
If you want a standard, non-Slim bundle deal on the PS5, you can find the Spider-Man 2 PS5 bundle at Amazon and Walmart right now for $499. That’s 11% off its usual price of $559.99, and well worth it for what you’re getting.
Where to Buy a PS5 Slim for Black Friday
If you’re hoping to get your hands on the new PS5 Slim, there are a few different ways that you can. Alongside being able to pick it up on its own at PlayStation and GameStop, there are a couple of PS5 Slim bundles available for Black Friday that are worth picking up. Those come bundled with either Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 or Modern Warfare III.
PS5 Slim Bundles
If you’re curious to see more PlayStation 5 deals – and there’s plenty to look through – make sure to check out our roundup of PlayStation and PS5 Black Friday deals. Not only will you find the excellent console bundle deals in there, but also sales on games, DualSense controllers, and more. For more information about Black Friday in general, visit our Black Friday deals hub page to learn more about what’s still to come this week.
Hannah Hoolihan is a freelance writer who works with the Guides and Commerce teams here at IGN.
I grew up playing a variety of Mario games. From turn-based RPGs, to racers, to classic side scrollers, my Nintendo libraries always included Mario. At a young age, I rarely struggled to complete some of the hardest levels in games like Super Mario World. Each finished stage acted as a testament to my overall strength and energy levels. Yet, as I grew older, my disability prevented me from fully enjoying traditional side-scrolling Mario. That is until the release of Super Mario Bros. Wonder.
While it’s true Mario games are inherently designed for audiences of all ages, collectibles, bonus levels, and even timed challenges are meant for players with a greater understanding of mechanics. Individuals need precision with their movements, while simultaneously paying attention to the available time constraints of each course. They provide an immense challenge, but often create such inaccessible barriers for players with varying disabilities. For this Access Designed, I want to explore the overall physical accessibility of Wonder, while also acknowledging Nintendo’s commitment to creating accessible games through inclusive designs.
While it’s true Mario games are inherently designed for audiences of all ages, collectibles, bonus levels, and even timed challenges are meant for players with a greater understanding of mechanics.
Wonderful Mechanics
Before I begin, I would be remiss if I did not discuss the Settings menu within Wonder. Players have the capability to activate motion controls, deactivate rumble, and even alter the buttons and motions they use to run, jump, and ground-pound. While not as robust as other games with dozens of accessibility features, being able to select these options provides some level of choice and prevents physically disabled players from needing to alter their Switch controller settings for a specific game. I want to be able to comfortably control my experience with every game. And for the first time with Mario, Wonder lets me decide how to play.
Wonderous Designs
As a company, Nintendo is often met with controversy within the disability community. Its systems traditionally include inaccessible gimmicks like forced motion controls, and its games often lack extensive features and options like Xbox and PlayStation games. However, from an inclusive design perspective, Nintendo often leads in innovation.
With Wonder, you no longer need to compete against timed levels. Indeed, the biggest inclusive design with this side-scroller is the removal of the dreaded clock because previously, Mario games always included a time limit with each stage, providing little room to rest or recover stamina after extensive play sessions. Further, timed levels would add unnecessary stress for cognitive disabilities, especially if a stage featured hidden collectibles. In Wonder I regularly had the opportunity to simply put down my controller for several minutes without fear of losing a life because I ran out of time. Rather, I could exclusively focus on platforming and finding treasures.
Beyond the lack of time, Wonder offers several character choices which drastically mitigate physical exertion, namely with enemies. If there are too many monsters in a level, or if I’m too tired to consistently jump on and attack minions, I can simply play as Yoshi or Nabbit. These heroes only lose a life through environmental obstacles like pits or lava, meaning I don’t need to be precise with movements around foes. At their core, Mario games are about platforming. Yes, the enemies add nuance to each stage, requiring individuals to think about jumping on monsters to reach specific areas. But if I’m too exhausted, I can focus exclusively on reaching the next platform to complete the course.
Inclusive design is the concept of providing accessibility without settings in a menu, and Wonder’s biggest inclusive design feature by far are the badges. Badges provide unique boosts to specific actions like jumping or dashing, or even grant players items like Elephant Fruits and Fire Flowers. If I’m playing a particularly challenging platforming level, I can simply equip the Safety Bounce badge which saves me once if I accidentally fall into a deadly zone. Or if I want more of a grace period between jumps, I choose the Floating High Jump badge which lets me temporarily float through the air after a jump.
Not all badges are beneficial for my needs, nor are they provided from the start of the game. Many need to be unlocked in the overworld map with Wonder Seeds, and then players must complete a tutorial or course to permanently unlock them. Would it be nice if some badges were automatically unlocked? Absolutely. However, the capability to complete levels without time limits, select characters that are immune to enemy damage, and even equip a badge that grants special powers is the truest definition of inclusive design. None of these options are forced or locked away in a menu. Disabled players have the freedom to complete the game in a way that is both accessible and enjoyable.
To coincide with everything I listed above, Wonder includes one more inclusive design feature in the form of multiplayer. When playing with friends or even strangers online, it’s entirely possible to continuously fail platforming sections without losing a life. When knocked out, your character appears in a floating bubble for five seconds. If touched within those seconds, no penalty is given. Players can simply resume the stage from the point of retrieval. If I struggled with a particular level, I would simply ask my friends to play and stick by me as I pushed through the course. While it’s unfortunate that others can’t actively complete a stage for you, there’s no pressure of losing lives when playing with others. Further, the above points still apply – even in a multiplayer lobby, I can equip a badge or select Yoshi or Nabbit.
Inclusive design is the concept of providing accessibility without settings in a menu, and Wonder’s biggest inclusive design feature by far are the badges.
I love Wonder. It’s arguably within my top five accessible games released this year. It’s by no means perfect but it offers a level of accessible and inclusive choice often reserved for games like Pokémon. As my disability progressed, I feared losing access to some of my favorite franchises. For the first time since the release of New Super Mario Bros. U in 2012, I find myself actively wanting to play a Mario game. Nintendo games may lack extensive menus, but in terms of inclusive design, they consistently transform inaccessible titles into magical, wonderous adventures.
Grant Stoner is a disabled journalist covering accessibility and the disabled perspective in video games. When not writing, he is usually screaming about Pokémon or his cat, Goomba on Twitter.
Steam’s latest hit is a cooperative horror game about scavenging derelict moons called Lethal Company, and its now reached more than 100,000 concurrent players.
Developer Zeekerss posted on X/Twitter to celebrate the achievement, below, revealed by player tracking website SteamDB. “While I was asleep Lethal Company passed 100,000 concurrent players,” they said. “Unbelievable, thank you for playing. Releasing updates for this game will be very fun.”
Lethal Company released in Steam Early Access on October 23 and steadily increased in popularity until last week when it spiked. Sitting at a peak of 47,933 on November 14, Lethal Company’s numbers grew every day before jumping from 60,838 on November 17 to 88,751 the next day. It crossed the 100,000 mark on November 19 and hit its current all-time peak of 115,050 today, November 20.
While I was asleep Lethal Company passed 100,000 concurrent players. Unbelievable, thank you for playing. Releasing updates for this game will be very fun. pic.twitter.com/VYQgfve4hr
Steam users are enjoying it too, with Lethal Company currently holding an “Overwhelmingly Positive” rating on the platform. “Haven’t laughed so hard in any game basically ever,” said Froegerer on Reddit. “Decent game loop after the initial novelty wears off also. Creator updates almost bi-weekly with new mobs and items. Really fun game.”
Players take on the role of a contracted worker for the Company who must collect scrap from abandoned moons to meet its corporate profit quota. Suit customisation, ship decoration, and bestiary filling are all features too, though players should keep in mind its origins as a horror title. Per Lethal Company’s synopsis: “Never miss the quota.”
As mentioned by Zeekerss and the Reddit user, updates will be released regularly, in part due to it still being in Early Access. 2At this stage I’m confident you will have a good time with Lethal Company, but there are still many ideas and features I have in mind,” Zeekers said on the Steam page. “I also need your feedback to help tune the game’s difficulty and balance. Lethal Company is ‘finished’ but still far from realizing its potential.”
For those playing already or looking to get into Lethal Company, check out IGN’s guide.
Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelance reporter. He’ll talk about The Witcher all day.
Against the Storm leaves early access next month with a 1.0 update that adds a new game mode, publisher Hooded Horse has announced.
Not only that, but Microsoft has snapped up Eremite Games’ roguelite city builder for PC Game Pass. The 1.0 release date is set for December 8, which is when Against the Storm launches on the Microsoft Store as well as PC Game Pass.
Against the Storm is described as a “dark fantasy city builder where you must rebuild civilization in the face of apocalyptic rains”. As the Queen’s Viceroy, you lead humans, beavers, lizards, foxes, and harpies to reclaim the wilderness and secure a future for civilization’s last survivors.
The new game mode is called Queen’s Hand, a “specially crafted challenge for experienced Viceroys”, with unique rules and rewards. In this mode, players have only one Cycle to reforge the Adamantine Seal — the game’s hardest challenge.
Against the Storm has seen some significant developments during its early access run, Hooded Horse said, with content updates every two weeks bringing a host of major and minor changes. Two new species were added to the game, including the Fox people, and new mechanics to bolster the endgame. There were also significant reworks to the strategy layer and Blightstorms. This update cadence will continue until the full release, Hooded Horse added.
On Steam, Against the Storm has an impressive “overwhelmingly positive” user review rating of 95% from nearly 14,500 reviews.
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.
If you have yet to purchase either a PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X|S, there is never a better time than Black Friday. Both systems have received massive exclusives in 2023, further bolstering their offerings. A great entry point is the Xbox Series S, which happens to be on sale with the new Starter Bundle. This bundle is only $249.99 for Black Friday, a 17% discount from the standard price.
Grab the Xbox Series S Starter Bundle for Only $249.99
The Xbox Series S Starter Bundle includes everything you need to get started in the Xbox ecosystem. Starting off, the bundle includes the Xbox Series S console – packing 512GB of storage, so you might want to look into additional storage in the future. You’ll also get your standard Xbox controller in Robot White. And the last thing included is a 3-month voucher for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, essentially saving you another $50 on top.
Overall, this bundle offers a great starting point if you’re not the owner of an Xbox or PlayStation yet. It’s the cheapest entry into either ecosystem, and the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate voucher will allow you to take full advantage of the Xbox content offerings. Three months of Game Pass will take you into early 2024 and cover releases like Persona 3 Reload or Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth.
Walmart has many other deals you don’t want to miss this Black Friday. For example, Xbox Controllers are priced at only $45, which is 25% off. You can always use an extra controller, so this is a great deal to combine with the Starter Bundle. Additionally, the Sony Bravia XR A90J is only $1,396, which is the best Black Friday TV deal. For more deals, check out our Walmart Black Friday 2023 roundup.
‘Tis the season of savings as Black Friday is in full swing this week at a variety of retailers. While there’s an abundance of great deals to look through, one of our favorites is the Nintendo Switch Mario Kart 8 Deluxe bundle for $299. This comes with the Switch console, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (in a digital format), and 3 months of Nintendo Switch Online membership. It’s well worth picking up if you, or someone you know, has been dying to get their hands on a Nintendo Switch. Click the link below to see this deal in full at Amazon, Best Buy, and GameStop.
Black Friday 2023: Nintendo Switch Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Bundle
The Mario Kart 8 Deluxe bundle isn’t the only one that Nintendo has up its sleeve for Black Friday. They also have a Switch OLED bundle that comes with a digital download of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and a three-month subscription to Nintendo Switch Online for $349.99.
Nintendo has quite a few Black Friday deals available this year, though. This includes a wide variety of discounts on games, Joy-Cons in a bundle deal, and so much more. You can even save on The Super Mario Bros. Movie right now, which has dropped down to just $10 on Blu-ray and $12 on 4K!
To see everything that’s available in the world of Nintendo this shopping season, make sure to check out our roundup of Nintendo Switch Black Friday deals to learn more. And for more on Black Friday this year, check out our Black Friday 2023 hub page for information on what’s going on at other retailers and what to expect throughout the week.
Hannah Hoolihan is a freelance writer who works with the Guides and Commerce teams here at IGN.
The Walking Dead: Destinies launched last week with little fanfare and it didn’t take long for it to emerge as yet another worst game of 2023 contender from the same company that published this year’s terrible King Kong game.
The Walking Dead: Destinies is developed by little-known Brazilian studio Flux Games and published by Minneapolis-based GameMill Entertainment. Last month GameMill published Skull Island: Rise of Kong, which went viral for its terrible visuals, gameplay, and cutscenes. IGN’s Skull Island: Rise of Kong review awarded it a 3/10, calling it “a boring, buggy, totally unambitious game that isn’t even interesting in its failures.”
It later emerged that Chilean indie studio IguanaBee developed Rise of Kong within a strict one-year turnaround, and that the game was part of a “vicious cycle” of licensed titles published by GameMill.
The Walking Dead: Destinies, then, may have been developed under similar circumstances. IGN has asked GameMill for comment.
The Walking Dead: Destinies is a $49.99 third-person action adventure that retells the story of AMC’s The Walking Dead show, but lets players change the course of history. You can, for example, decide whether Rick or Shane leads the group. You can make an enemy of the Governor or recruit him to your cause. Whatever you pick, you’re meant to “live with the consequences”.
The reaction to The Walking Dead: Destinies aped that of Skull Island: Rise of Kong. The visuals are PS2-era, the gameplay itself is laughable, and its cutscenes are as static as they come. Here’s a snippet:
An actual cutscene from The Walking Dead: Destinies. 2023 is the best year in gaming, I haven’t laughed this hard at a game in a while. pic.twitter.com/NE3RG5uIzD
I refuse to believe The Walking Dead: Destinies is an actual game. I’m convinced it’s an elaborate prank by the developers to see if anyone actually takes it seriously. pic.twitter.com/2aRxPk6s14
The Walking Dead: Destinies launched last week on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X and S, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch. A PC version via Steam is due out December 1.
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.
Two new time-limited trials are on offer to PlayStation Plus Premium subscribers, although you may be interested in one more than the other.
Larian’s sweeping Dungeons & Dragons role-playing adventure Baldur’s Gate 3 has a new two-hour trial, exclusive to PS Plus Premium subscribers on PlayStation 5. “With crunchy, tactical RPG combat, a memorable story with complex characters, highly polished cinematic presentation, and a world that always rewards exploration and creativity, Baldur’s Gate 3 is the new high-water mark for CRPGs,” we said in IGN’s Baldur’s Gate 3 review, which returned a 10/10.
Meanwhile, The Lord of the Rings: Gollum now has a one-hour trial, exclusive to PS Plus Premium members. This one’s a bit of a head-scratcher. Gollum was panned upon its launch, and is considered one of 2023’s most disappointing games. “The Lord of the Rings: Gollum is filled with dull stealth, bad platforming, and a pointless story, and does little to justify why anyone should take the time to play it,” we said in IGN’s Gollum review, which awarded the game 4/10.
A contrasting due of trials, then, although it’s worth noting you won’t get much done with just two hours of Baldur’s Gate 3. If the character creator alone doesn’t rine your trial time, then you’ll barely make it out of the prologue. Still, as a sip of perhaps the greatest RPG of recent times, the trial will no-doubt whet players’ appetite for more.
One hour of Gollum, though, is enough to get a sense of what that game’s all about. According to HowLongToBeat data, Gollum’s main quest takes around 13 hours to complete. We’re not talking about the Fellowship’s journey to Mordor here.
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.
