• Xbox Creator Seamus Blackley Says Jurassic World Began as His Pitch for a Video Game

    The Jurassic World film franchise originally began as an early video game concept, according to game designer and original Xbox creator Seamus Blackley.

    The famed developer shared the story on Twitter (below), explaining that he was asked in 2012 to create a pitch with the story, gameplay, and a trailer for a new game to coincide with a relaunch of the Jurassic Park franchise from Steven Spielberg.

    Blackley had previously made a Jurassic Park game called Trespasser – an infamously bad iteration released in 1998 – but had since begun working for a game finance company, for which Steven Spielberg was a client.

    "I'd see him in meetings, and sometimes do stuff with him on games or movie stuff," Blackley said. "Steven would always say 'I don’t like you in this job. Why are you doing this job'.

    "One day I get a call from some guys at Universal. 'Steven was thinking of restarting the Jurassic Park franchise, and we thought it should relaunch with a new Trespasser.'

    Blackley continued: "I wrote a story about dinosaurs on Isla Sorna and the research sites escaping, and about how humans had to come to terms with the original owners of the planet. My thesis was that audiences wanted to know the dinosaurs more than to kill them."

    The game was called Jurassic World (the pitch trailer for which leaked in 2013, confusing many, Blackley noted) and was about fighting the humans who wanted to kill the dinosaurs. Management changes at Universal meant the game was cancelled, however, with every storyboard, idea, artwork, and so on instead going to the movie.

    The Jurassic World film was released in 2015, sparking a new Chris Pratt-led trilogy that came to a close just last month with the release of Jurassic World Dominion.

    Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelancer. He'll talk about The Witcher all day.

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    How to Avoid Paying £95 for Amazon Prime

    Amazon is officially increasing the cost of Prime memberships in the UK, with the new changes taking place from September 15, 2022. Prime will soon cost £95 a year, a £16 increase from the current price of £79.

    The issue is a lot of us probably don't want to pay any more than we currently are for Prime. Thankfully, there are already a few workarounds to check out. So, to give you a headstart, here are a few ways around the new charges, at least for the next year.

    1. Sign Up or Switch to 1-Year of Amazon Prime

    To avoid the price hike, there is an easy trick if you can stomach giving even more money to Amazon. Right now if you purchase, or switch to an annual membership, it will cost just £79, and you won't have to pay the hiked £95 price until this time next year.

    Moreover, say you're currently on the monthly membership and you've already paid for this month's coverage, Amazon will actually refund this back to you. So, best case scenario, you're paying £71.09 for a year of Prime (equivalent to £5.92/per month), or worst case you're paying the original £79 (equivalent to £6.58/month).

    Unfortunately, for those who already pay yearly, this isn't the best option, unless your renewal is due before September 15. If your renewal is after September 15, you might be better off contacting Amazon to see if you can cancel your membership and get a refund for the time you have left.

    2. Sign Up for Amazon Prime Student

    Student membership is also increasing from £3.99 to £4.49 in September, and the annual cost will increase from £39.00 to £47.49. But, if you're a student, or you have a generous student in your life, you can still get Prime for very little at the moment.

    3. Cancel Amazon Prime Altogether

    Yeah, I know, a bit of a rogue choice. But ask yourself this, is Prime worth it to you? If it's not a resounding yes, then maybe consider just cancelling the service altogether.

    Is Amazon Prime Increasing in Price in the UK?

    Yes, Prime will be going up in price for the UK soon. Breaking down the new costs coming in September; if you're paying monthly, that's £7.99/month or £95.88 yearly, this is increasing to £8.99/month, or £107.88 yearly, a £12 increase overall.

    By comparison, yearly memberships are skyrocketing from £79/year to £95/year — almost matching the inflated cost of paying monthly before the price hike, and a £16 increase. So, if you're looking to avoid these price increases, it might not be a bad idea to elevate your membership to a yearly one. So, at least you're paying a little bit less until the summer of 2023 rolls around.

    Robert Anderson is a deals expert and Commerce Editor for IGN. You can follow him @robertliam21 on Twitter.

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    Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 Will Be ‘Much More Mature,’ Says James Gunn

    Director James Gunn has indicated that Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 will have a different tone than previous entries in the beloved franchise as the third volume has a "much more mature" story.

    Gunn teased a little more of what fans should expect from the plot of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 while speaking to GameSpot at San Diego Comic-Con 2022. He explained how the franchise has evolved over time, leading up to the third installment of the cosmic Marvel franchise, as he warned fans that the team's final outing will be an emotionally-charged adventure.

    "It's an incredibly emotional story," Gunn said of the upcoming third sequel, which wrapped production in May. "Much more mature than the other Guardian stories in a way because, you know, we started making these movies that were 10, 11 years old when they saw the first one, and now they're 20, 21 years old. The movie has grown up with them."

    The official synopsis for the third chapter teases a high-stakes escapade that will see Peter Quill, who is still reeling from the loss of Gamora, "rally his team around him to defend the universe along with protecting one of their own. A mission that, if not completed successfully, could quite possibly lead to the end of the Guardians as we know them."

    The trailer for the third Guardians movie hasn't been released online yet because Gunn isn't completely satisfied with the VFX in its current state. However, Marvel gave the Hall H crowd at SDCC a sneak peek of what's to come. The footage revealed some big changes within the team, including the debut of Cosmo the Spacedog and Gamora running a section of the Ravagers.

    Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 will be part of Phase 5 of the MCU and is set to be released on May 5, 2023. The trailer was screened during a deluge of news at SDCC, where we learned tons about Marvel's plans for the finale of Phase 4, as well as both Phases 5 and 6, now dubbed the Multiverse Saga, alongside tons of other announcements, trailers, and teasers at the event.

    Adele Ankers-Range is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow her on Twitter.

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    Red Dead Redemption 2 Mod Aims to Add New Single-Player Experience, With a Custom Character

    A new mod for Red Dead Redemption 2 adds a new single-player experience to the game, with new missions, heists, and your own, bespoke character.

    The Life of Crime mod allows you to begin a whole new wild west adventure, starting with the creation of a new custom character that follows in Arthur Morgan’s footsteps.

    “The whole point of the mod is to play as a completely NEW character with all of your weapons and money being removed,” said creator CruelMasterMC. “NOT to play as Arthur or John. This is the whole point of the mod.”

    Once installed, you kick off the Life of Crime by talking to an NPC with a white hat at Copperhead Landing, and what unfolds is a daring breakout from Siska penitentiary. This custom intro sequence gives you a little background as your character takes part in the prison break. And it’s not long before you’re meeting up with a contact to embark on a life of crime.

    “While you play on in the game you can earn all of the weapons by buying them from a gunsmith or finding them anywhere on the map,” they added. “Earn more money from doing missions and such to pay for these things and many more things I plan on adding.”

    Some of the many planned additions teased by the mod’s creator are additional heists and bounty hunting. Even right now though, the mod is pretty extensive, including a new skill tree and two new missions – a manor heist and a train heist.

    Although the mod has existed for a while, it previously only included the manor heist, which you played through as Arthur Morgan. Now though, it looks as though Life of Crime is aiming to create a whole new single-player experience.

    Rockstar recently announced that it won’t be making any additional themed updates for Red Dead Online as it prioritizes GTA 6… so this new single-player mod couldn’t have come at a better time.

    Additionally, Rockstar has also reportedly shelved planned remakes of GTA IV and the original Red Dead Redemption.

    Let’s hope this ambitious new mod gives Red Dead 2 players all the new content they need.

    Ryan Leston is an entertainment journalist and film critic for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.

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    Paul ‘Triple H’ Leveque Is Taking Over WWE Creative After Vince McMahon’s Departure

    Paul Leveque aka Triple H has been named the new head of WWE creative.

    The move comes amid a management shake-up at WWE after former CEO Vince McMahon announced his retirement earlier this month.

    “WWE executive Paul Levesque will assume all responsibilities related to WWE’s creative, in addition to his regular duties,” reads an official statement.

    McMahon ran the WWE (formerly the WWF) since 1982, monopolizing the wrestling industry and establishing numerous high-profile events – including bringing the first Wrestlemania to Maddison Square Garden in 1985.

    However, McMahon came under fire recently with allegations of misconduct and stepped down from his role as WWE CEO last month.

    “I have pledged my complete cooperation to the investigation by the special committee, and I will do everything possible to support the investigation,” McMahon said in a statement. “I have also pledged to accept the findings and outcome of the investigation, whatever they are.”

    Although McMahon was originally expected to retain his creative duties at WWE, he since announced his retirement.

    “As I approach 77 years old, I feel it’s time for me to retire as Chairman and CEO of WWE,” he said in a statement. “Throughout the years, it’s been a privilege to help WWE bring you joy, inspire you, thrill you, surprise you, and always entertain you.”

    He has since been replaced as CEO by his daughter, Stephanie McMahon, who joins as co-CEO alongside WWE president Nick Khan.

    On the creative side, McMahon has now been replaced by wrestler Triple H who will head up WWE’s creative content. It was also announced just a few days ago that Leveque would resume his duties as executive vice president of Talent Relations.

    “I look forward to returning to my prior position as head of Talent Relations. I’m healthy, fired up, and ready to take charge,” said Levesque in a statement.

    What this shake-up means for the WWE remains to be seen. But with McMahon stepping away from the company, it’s the start of a new era whichever way you look at it.

    Ryan Leston is an entertainment journalist and film critic for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.

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