“Mark Tyburn dreams of building the perfect video game,” reads the sales blurb for Rockstar co-founder Dan Houser’s novel A Better Paradise: Volume One: An Aftermath, a title so resplendent with drive-by colons that you could easily guess this man spent thirty years working in videogames. “Kurt Fischer dreams of being a rich and successful executive. Daisy Tyburn dreams of having the ideal father. John Tyburn Smith dreams of fitting in. NigelDave just dreams of becoming human.”
PleaseDon’tLetThatBeATypo, I immediately prayed to every god I knew the name of, and a few I made up on the spot. Please let NigelDave be real.
What’s next for Halo? It looks like fans will get a further tease this October at the Halo World Championship 2025.
In a blog post, Tahir “Tashi” Hasandjekic, Esports Lead for the Halo franchise, suggested fans attend the event October 24-26 in Seattle to find out what Halo Studios has been working on.
The announcements were unveiled in a seven-minute video shown ahead of the Halo World Championship’s grand finals. This showcased the results of Project Foundry — an experimental project designed to show a Halo game built using the Unreal Engine — and offered a glimpse at a fresh beginning for Xbox’s flagship franchise in the wake of 2021’s Halo Infinite.
In the blog post, Tashi referenced last year’s announcements and teased more to come this October.
“Over the past few weeks, there’s been a fair amount of speculation about when and where more details might emerge about any of the multiple projects Halo Studios is actively working on,” Tashi said. “We don’t usually comment on such matters, but this time we want to enter the chat and share a little more perspective for Halo fans who might be on the fence about whether to attend this year’s event.
“Last year at HaloWC, we premiered ‘A New Dawn’ where we talked about the switch to Unreal Engine, gave you a behind the scenes look at Project Foundry, and debuted our evolution to Halo Studios as we enter a new chapter for Halo. For us, ‘A New Dawn’ was just the beginning — at this year’s HaloWC, we look forward to continuing the conversation.
“Speculation is always fun, but if you want the official scoop on what Halo Studios has been working on, you won’t want to miss this year’s Halo World Championship. We really hope you’ll join us in Seattle this October!”
So, what could Halo Studios have up its sleeve for the announcement? It seems unlikely we’ll get a full-blown gameplay reveal for the next big Halo title, but we may get a more detailed tech demo showing Halo running in Unreal Engine. Earlier this month, Microsoft was reported to be readying a Halo: Combat Evolved remaster for release in 2026. Perhaps we will get a look at that. The so-far unannounced remaster is apparently under consideration for release on rival platforms including PlayStation 5.
Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.
The Switch 2 has been out for almost a month now and during this time some users have been experiencing issues with their Joy-Con 2 and other Switch 2 controllers repeatedly disconnecting when using the system in docked mode.
If this has come up on your end, it might actually be due to the cables you’re using. As highlighted by IGN, Nintendo’s troubleshooting guide on its official customer support page notes how one way to potentially eliminate this problem is to simply make sure you’re using an “Ultra High Speed HDMI” cable.
The Switch title received a free update last month.
Alongside Switch 2’s launch last month, Nintendo rolled out multiple free Switch game updates. One of these was for Game Builder Garage – which not only included visual optimisations but also added Joy-Con 2 mouse support.
Now, timed in with this update and the game’s fourth anniversary, the Game Builder Garage community has held its very own “fan-made Nintendo Direct” hosted by VideoDojo on YouTube (thanks for the heads up, Giovani Vitti).
The Nintendo Music mobile app for Switch Online subscribers continues its weekly updates with more album drops and the latest one to join the service is New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe.
This soundtrack, based on the 2019 Switch version, comes loaded with 90 tracks and has a total runtime of 2 hours and 7 minutes. You’ll be able to listen to everything from the title screen through to the catchy staff credits.
I’ve been keeping a close eye on the Pokémon TCG market this month, and we’re seeing two very different stories unfold. On one side, Surging Sparks cards are going through a steep correction.
On the other hand, Crown Zenith cards are showing early signs of what could be a long-term value surge. The bottom line? If you’re a collector or investor, now is the time to buy into both.
I’m picking up what I can from both sets. The current dip in Sparks is a glimmer of hope for long-suffering 2024-2025 collectors. And Crown Zenith is a train I want to be on before it leaves the station. Let’s go into more detail:
Pokémon Card Crashers
Let’s start with Surging Sparks. A handful of top cards have taken noticeable hits in the last few weeks. Pikachu ex – 247/191, for example, has dropped a whopping 51% since early April, falling from $113.38 to just $56. That’s a steep decline, no doubt, but it’s important to put it in context.
We’re seeing more sealed product become available every week, and as supply rises, prices are naturally correcting. Hydreigon ex – 240/191has also taken a 34% hit, now sitting at $49.60, while Milotic ex – 237/191 is down 26% to $99. Even the alternate-art Pikachu ex – 238/191 is feeling the pressure, dropping 22% to $294.99, and Latias ex – 239/191 has slipped 23% to $193.99.
But this isn’t panic selling or lost interest in Surging Sparks, it’s the result of increased availability. Collectors and resellers aren’t willing to overpay for cards that are easier to find. If anything, that creates opportunity.
These aren’t bad cards; they’re just correcting from an inflated early market. For anyone who missed the initial wave or hesitated at launch prices, this correction is your window.
Pokémon Card Climbers
Crown Zenith is telling a very different story. Cards from this set, particularly the stunning Secret Rare VSTARs, are starting to heat up. Giratina VSTAR (Secret) GG69/GG70 has jumped 24% this month, climbing from $152.78 to $199.99.
We’re at a pivotal moment in the Pokémon TCG timeline. The Scarlet and Violet era is drawing to a close, and with the Mega Evolution era moving in after Black Bolt and White Flare sets later this year, we’re about to enter the next generation.
That transition turns Sword and Shield-era sets like Crown Zenith into the odd category of not-so modern Pokémon cards. If historic price climbs tells us anything, cards become more valuable two generations out. We’ve seen this pattern with XY and early Sun & Moon sets, and I expect Sword and Shield to follow suit alongside old Mega Evolution Pokémon.
Sealed Product Price Comparison
Some of the pricing here by Amazon is insane, but there’s some deals to be had when comparing these products to TCG Player. For example, Prismatic Evolutions Super-Premium Collection is a massive 56% below market value, so go with Amazon on that one.
On the other end of the scale, TCG Player has Cynthia’s Garchomp ex Premium Collection at a massive 48% below Amazon’s current price, which is very close to MSRP. I’ve compared all the prices in the carousel above, but another pro tip is clicking through to eBay to see if there’s any new bargains to be had.
Last Weeks Crashers and Climbers
As the Scarlet & Violet era winds down with the upcoming Black Bolt and White Flare sets, collectors are already looking backward in anticipation of what’s next—namely, the long-awaited return of Mega Evolutions. Following the reveal of Mega Symphonia and Mega Brave for Japan’s August launch, classic Mega cards are seeing renewed interest.
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.
I’ve found some great deals on gaming laptops and prebuilt desktops for todays daily deals. Everything from brand new high-end Alienware laptops that mimick their higher end cousins without the sticker shock to HP Omen beasts with cracking discounts. There’s even deals on Windows handhelds from Lenovo and MSI. There’s a good mix of laptops, desktops, and portable rigs, and most of them come with pretty aggressive discounts or promo codes. Nice and simple, right? Let’s get into it:
PUBG: Blindspot is a cheeky little PUBG: Battlegrounds spin off that’s currently in development, and was playable on the show floor at IGN Live. It’s a 5v5 top-down tactical shooter that has a classic team deathmatch mode – one we got hooked on even in the chaos of the gaming show floor – and a Demolition mode, that will see teams using traps and obstacles to outwit the enemy. It’s been compared to a top-down Rainbow Six Siege and with good reason: to rack up the kills you’re going to need to use your brain as well as your trigger finger.
1. Think ‘Peekaboo with bullets’
Forget all your FPS muscle memory, this is a top-down strategic PvP game where your cunning is as important as your reaction times. You’re dropped into a map full of corners, windows, doorways – basically anything you can think of to make line of sight a key part of gameplay – and you have to hunt down your opponents before they pop one in your back. You can see the whole map, but you’ll only see enemies if they’re in your cone of vision or your teammates, which sounds simple until someone snipes you through a window while you’re focused on the doorway at the end of a corridor.
2. Demolition Mode is on the way
While we didn’t get to play the Demolition Mode, it sounds like a step up in complexity from the 5v5 deathmatch, adding a greater need for planning and teamwork. Production Director Seungmyeong Yang explained more about it at IGN Live. “Demolition Mode can commonly be found in other games such as Counter Strike or Valorant,” he said. “In this Demolition Mode there is an attacking team and a defending team, and the defense team basically tries to block the attacking team from coming in and the attacking team tries to breach the building. It was really fun to see how the gamers react, they seem to really enjoy the game!” Demolition Mode is the inspiration for those Rainbow Six Siege comparisons, albeit it from a whole new top-down perspective.
3. Start your WASD warmups
The keyboard and mouse controls are more like a twin-stick shooter set up, and it’s going to take your brain a second to catch up to how they work. You control movement with WASD and your cone of vision with the mouse, while to aim and fire weapons you hold down the right mouse button. That will slow your movement, though, so it’s always a balance between moving quickly to avoid enemy detection and choosing when to take your shots. Once you’ve mastered that you can focus on being more accurate, using the mouse wheel and keyboard to go for head shots, body shots, or aiming specifically at any crouched enemies.
4. Character choice is key
Like any team game, who you have in your five-person kill crew is going to matter. The build I played had 10 characters to choose from, each with pleasingly distinct looks and loadouts to keep things interesting. I’m not exactly a subtle operative, so I gravitated towards those with weapons that could cause carnage up close and personal, like bearded cowboy Collision, who packs a Winchester 1300 shotgun and booby traps; or Kayak, who has a semi-automatic O12 combat shotgun and a remote sticky bomb. Support players can go for Fanatic with her P90 and First Aid Kid, or sniper Buddy with her scanning drones. Some you might want to play just because of their character designs – I’m not usually one for Toxic Gas Grenades, but Dropdown has a sort of Dystopian Harley Quinn vibe that’s hard to resist.
5. You can play it in August
There’s no official release date for the full game, but there is a PC beta planned for August. Keep an eye on the game’s official Steam page for updates.
Rachel Weber is the Senior Editorial Director of Games at IGN and an elder millennial. She’s been a professional nerd since 2006 when she got her start on Official PlayStation Magazine in the UK, and has since worked for GamesIndustry.Biz, Rolling Stone and GamesRadar. She loves horror, horror movies, horror games, and French Bulldogs. Those extra wrinkles on her face are thanks to going time blind and staying up too late finishing every sidequest in RPGs like Fallout and Witcher 3.
If you were a kid who grew up in the ’90s, you’ve probably watched more than a handful of episodes of Animaniacs. The Warner Bros.-produced cartoon ran from 1993 to 1998 and received well over 250 episodes. And, you can bet there were many video games out there to accompany Yakko, Wakko, and Dot’s animated antics.
In fact, there were nine different games between the SNES and DS eras, in fact, but a tenth, long-lost one has recently been rediscovered and preserved online (thanks, Time Extension!); Animaniacs: Hollywood Hypnotics, which is now fully preserved and playable online thanks to the efforts of Hidden Palace, MrPinball64, and Billscat-socks.
Dinosaurs captivate all ages. The creatures that dominated Earth ages ago, populating our world for 165 million years, will always be fascinating. And, on screen, as part of movie history, dinosaurs have always been a go-to genre for incredible spectacle and chilling thrills – whether you’re into t-rexes, pterodactyls, raptors, or gentle giant brontosauruses.
Dinosaur movies transport us back in time to the era of these wondrous reptiles, while other instances show dinosaurs living among us, either on a secluded island lost to history or as cloned beings brought back by science for our amusement (and dismemberment).
The Jurassic Park/World franchise has raked in over $6 billion in box office bucks over the past 30 years, proving that these glorious beasts can bring home the bacon. But which dinosaur films are the best?
Here are our picks of the 10 best dinosaur movies, from trampled theme parks to warring prehistoric titans.
Um, duh. Yup, not only is Spielberg’s Jurassic Park one of the best “dinosaur movies ever,” it easily doubles as one of the “best movies ever.” Adapted from Michael Crichton’s novel (and second story about a futuristic amusement park gone lethally haywire), Jurassic Park is endlessly entertaining and infinitely quotable, providing equal parts laughter and horror. Sam Neill, Laura Dern, and Jeff Goldblum star in this tyrannosaurus-sized tale about scientists evaluating a – er – unique family attraction before it opens to the public. Hold onto your butts, because this appraisal winds up with a body count.
More than 20 years after the original Jurassic Park (which wound up becoming a trilogy), Jurassic World kicked off a new segment of the franchise, with greedy corporations and opportunistic scientists learning nothing from previous tragedies and opening “Jurassic World” to patrons everywhere. Naturally, things go horribly awry and carnage ensues and Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard anchor a budding dino-apocalypse. The films would eventually bring back the original three stars but the first World installment stands tall as a formulaic but fun feast for the senses.
The Land Before Time (1988)
From George Lucas and Steven Spielberg, this Don Bluth animated classic blossomed into a decades-spanning franchise featuring 13 sequels, several video games, and a TV series. The story of a young orphaned dinosaur named Littlefoot, who embarks on a great journey to find a paradise called the Great Valley, The Land Before Time is a beautifully animated ’80s staple. The saga teaches kids about the importance of friendship, the dangers of prejudice, and the power of hope.
Dinosaur (2000)
Disney’s Dinosaur, the company’s 39th animated feature, finds a lot in common with The Land Before Time as it also follows a young orphaned dino, this time on a trek to discover to the idyllic Nesting Grounds after a meteor shower devastates their island. A mix of live-action, many of the backgrounds were filmed on location while the dinos themselves were computer-generated, making it the most expensive computer-animated film at the time. Voiced by D.B. Sweeney, Julianna Margulies, Alfre Woodard, Ossie Davis, Joan Plowright, and Hayden Panettiere.
The Good Dinosaur (2015)
Though it’s technically the first Pixar film to not quite meet profitable expectations, The Good Dinosaur is wacky, charming family entertainment, supplemented by the voices of Sam Elliott, Anna Paquin, Jeffrey Wright, and three-time Oscar-winner Frances McDormand. Like most animated dino films, the story involves a thrilling, meaningful journey, though this time it’s within an alternate history where reptilian dinosaurs never went extinct. In The Good Dinosaur, a shy Apatosaurus, Arlo, meets an unlikely human friend while traveling through a dangerous and mysterious landscape in order to return home.
King Kong (1933)
Most King Kong films are good for a ravenous dino or two, so why not revisit the 1933 original and watch humans discover Skull Island, home of not only Kong but prehistoric life of all kinds: including the Tyrannosaurus-rex, the Stegosaurus, the Pteranodon, and more. King Kong is a classic, famous for being a true spectacle at the time with game-changing special effects, from stop-motion pioneer Willis O’Brien. Kong is still thriving today, as part of Legendary’s MonsterVerse, with the latest entry, Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, worth checking out too.
Kong: Skull Island (2017)
King Kong’s MonsterVerse reboot began with Kong: Skull Island, a rollicking Vietnam War-era adventure starring Tom Hiddleston, Brie Larson, Samuel L. Jackson, and John Goodman as a part of a mix of scientists, soldiers, and scholars trapped on Kong’s dreaded isle of terrifying creatures. In a twist though, the island’s usual dinosaurs have been beaten and eaten by new giant monsters, unique to the film and the MonsterVerse itself. And it totally works. Separating itself from the Jurassic Park/World franchise, Kong: Skull Island gave viewers a fresh batch of nightmare fuel to fawn over.
One Million Years BC (1966)
This ’60s British fantasy-adventure, from Hammer Films, starred Raquel Welch as a cavewoman struggling to survive in a fictional past where humans and dinosaurs coexisted. A remake of a film from 1940, One Million Years BC is a largely enjoyable, kitschy featuring dinosaurs (and giant sea-turtles) roaming a scortched Earth, brought to life by stop-motion genius, and Willis H. O’Brien apprentice, Ray Harryhausen (Jason and the Argonauts, Clash of the Titans).
The Valley Of Gwangi (1969)
Another Harryhausen home run was cult dino-Western, The Valley Of Gwangi, as the stop-motion pro took over the project from mentor Willis O’Brien after O’Brien passed away before production. The story itself was conceived by O’Brien and combined cowboys and dinosaurs as a rodeo horse is revealed to be a fifty million-year-old, prompting members of a Wild West show to venture into Mexico’s Forbidden Valley in search of fame and untold wealth. There, however, they confront prehistoric monsters, including “Gwangi,” a giant dinosaur that decimates their ranks.
Land of the Lost (2009)
Will Ferrell and Danny McBride turn a 1970s Sid and Marty Krofft TV series (which itself got a short-lived ’90s revival) into a comedic romp in Land of the Lost, where a mysterious vortex sucks a disgraced scientist (Ferrell), his assistant (Anna Friel), and a survivalist Will (McBride) into a world populated by marauding dinosaurs and fantastically bizarre creatures.
And that’s it for our pick of the best dinosaur movies of all time. Did you favorite make the cut? Let us know in the comments.
Upcoming Dinosaur Movies
Two new dinosaur movies are in the works and are worth keeping an eye on. The first is the next installment in the Jurassic World series, Jurassic World Rebirth, due to release July 2, 2025. The second is a bit more of a mystery. It Follows director David Robert Mitchell is working on a dinosaur movie, set to release in 2026, which will feature Anne Hathaway and Ewan McGregor. According to rumors, the film has been titled Flowervale Street and is rumored to be about dinosaurs and set in the 80s.
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