IGN can exclusively reveal a seven-minute video showcasing Six Days in Fallujah's "Procedural Architecture" technology, which aims to deliver a more authentic wartime experience that will re-shape the entire battlefield each time the game is played. This new tech developed by Highwire Games and Victura, which you can see in action in the video below, was inspired by Marines who told the team that "they never knew what was waiting behind the next door." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/03/23/six-days-in-fallujah-official-gameplay-reveal-trailer"] “Memorizing maps is fake. It’s that simple,” says Sgt. Adam Banotai, who led a squad of Marines block-by-block through Fallujah. “Clearing an unfamiliar building or neighborhood is terrifying. You have no idea what’s about to happen, and this is one of the reasons we experienced such high casualties.” "Procedural Architecture" hope to communicate this aspect of war to the player in some small way. The game engine will assemble every room in every building procedurally, and this will even occur if a player needs to retry a particular section multiple times. The goal is to make every encounter feel like a new and unknown one. We spoke to Six Days in Fallujah's Peter Tamte and Jaime Griesemer for our latest IGN Unfiltered, and they discussed more about this tech, and how the team spent "months bordering on years" developing it. "So, when we heard over and over from these guys, you never knew what to expect anytime you went in a house, anytime you opened a door, you could not anticipate what was going to happen on the other side," Griesemer said. "And in a traditional video game, that applies to the first time you play, right? You're playing through a campaign mission, you kick open the door, it's an ambush; there's a guy over there, there's a guy over there. And maybe you don't succeed, maybe they get you, right? You revert back to a checkpoint, you come back to the same door. You already have a beat on the first guy before you even open the door, right?

"That is not the experience that these guys had, right? They got one shot. And how are we going to recreate that in a game? So we spent literally months bordering on years developing this technology that allows us to recreate entire sections of the city dynamically. So, not only do you not know what's going to happen when you kick open the door, but me as a designer, I don't know, right? I didn't go in and play and set up the scripting and all those stuff, it's generated."

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This tech is meant to give players a way to feel "just a little bit of what it must've been like" to be in this battle. While Griesemer acknowledges Six Days in Fallujah doesn't even come close to the experience of actual war, he hopes it will offer players context when they go into one of the included testimonials and hear a Marine talking about how he was afraid every time he opened a door.

Another big challenge for Highwire Games was making it "as easy for you to order your team to do something as it is to fire your weapon." Teamwork and coordination are essential for survival in hostile situations, and the team wanted to make sure they made this an integral and accessible part of the game.

"How do you create enemies that are actually using tactics that require a coordinated team to overwhelm them? And number two, how do we make it as easy for you to order your team to do something as it is to fire your weapon? Fundamentally, if we can make it as easy to direct your team as it is to fire a weapon, then that becomes as powerful a tool for the player as the weapon. And so that's where we get the Go command, and that's Jaime's, that's some brilliant thinking on how to do that," Tamte explained.

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Hand signals are meant to be contextual so as to not confuse players, and seem to be of similar function to the ping system in games like Apex Legends. If you point at a location, your team will know to go there, if you point at an enemy, your team will know to target them or lay down suppression fire, etc.

"And if you're pointing at a door, when you say go, it means stack up on that door because we're going through it," Griesemer said. "And if you're pointing at a corner, it means secure that corner, watch that corner because I'm going to go this way, but I need somebody watching, it's a 360 battlefield, I need somebody watching that way. You can't do elaborate three-part plans with your AI, but it's very responsive, it's happening constantly, as you're going through a house, you're able to just manage your team as you're also trying to focus on a bunch of other things. And then that extends to the co-op experience too, right? If we're playing together, I don't have to just describe an elaborate plan. I can just give you the appropriate go command and you see it on your screen. You're like, okay, I understand what we're doing."

Six Days in Fallujah is set to be released in 2021 on PC and consoles, and pulls from the real-life events of the Second Iraq War – it's been a controversial project ever since it was originally announced in 2009. The game was subsequently resurrected by Victura and Highwire.

We recently spoke to a number of Arab and Iraqi game developers, members of the video game community, and a US military veteran about how Six Days in Fallujah is both complicated and painful for those who are connected to the real events the game is attempting to depict.

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Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com. Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

Seth Rogen is set to play Steven Spielberg's "favorite uncle" in the director's upcoming semi-biographical film, which is loosely based on Spielberg's childhood growing up in Arizona. According to Deadline, Rogen has been tapped to play the beloved uncle of young Spielberg in the untitled film. He joins the cast alongside Michelle Williams who is reportedly on board to play a character inspired by Spielberg's mother. Casting is also said to be underway for several of the various child roles, one of which will "play the part inspired by the young storyteller." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2018/10/01/baby-drivers-ansel-elgort-to-star-in-west-side-story-remake-from-steven-spielberg"] Since the story is very personal to Spielberg, the renowned filmmaker is partaking in screenwriting duties for the first time in 20 years (with 2001's A.I. Artificial Intelligence being the last time that he penned a screenplay for a feature film). Spielberg has collaborated on this new script with Tony Kushner, who he previously worked with on Munich, Lincoln, and his upcoming West Side Story remake. Spielberg and Kushner are also serving as producers alongside Kristie Macosko Krieger, who is another frequent-collaborator of Spielberg's, having started out as an associate producer on 2008's Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull before going on to produce the likes of 2015's Bridge of Spies and 2017's The Post — both of which received Academy Award nominations for Best Picture. Spielberg is among the most powerful and influential people to have ever worked in Hollywood. The famed director rose to prominence in the 1970s and helped to invent the modern blockbuster with films like Jaws, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, and Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark, and for the most part, he has stayed at the top of the game ever since. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-10-best-steven-spielberg-movies-of-all-time&captions=true"] Spielberg's next directorial feature appears to be a follow-up undertaking to his West Side Story remake, which has had its release date pushed back almost exactly a year, from a holiday 2020 release to a holiday 2021 slot due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Spielberg's upcoming film adaptation of David Kertzer's book The Kidnapping of Edgardo Mortara is also in pre-production. Production on Spielberg's upcoming semi-biographical film is scheduled to start this summer, with a planned release for sometime in 2022. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Adele Ankers is a Freelance Entertainment Journalist. You can reach her on Twitter.

Seth Rogen is set to play Steven Spielberg's "favorite uncle" in the director's upcoming semi-biographical film, which is loosely based on Spielberg's childhood growing up in Arizona. According to Deadline, Rogen has been tapped to play the beloved uncle of young Spielberg in the untitled film. He joins the cast alongside Michelle Williams who is reportedly on board to play a character inspired by Spielberg's mother. Casting is also said to be underway for several of the various child roles, one of which will "play the part inspired by the young storyteller." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2018/10/01/baby-drivers-ansel-elgort-to-star-in-west-side-story-remake-from-steven-spielberg"] Since the story is very personal to Spielberg, the renowned filmmaker is partaking in screenwriting duties for the first time in 20 years (with 2001's A.I. Artificial Intelligence being the last time that he penned a screenplay for a feature film). Spielberg has collaborated on this new script with Tony Kushner, who he previously worked with on Munich, Lincoln, and his upcoming West Side Story remake. Spielberg and Kushner are also serving as producers alongside Kristie Macosko Krieger, who is another frequent-collaborator of Spielberg's, having started out as an associate producer on 2008's Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull before going on to produce the likes of 2015's Bridge of Spies and 2017's The Post — both of which received Academy Award nominations for Best Picture. Spielberg is among the most powerful and influential people to have ever worked in Hollywood. The famed director rose to prominence in the 1970s and helped to invent the modern blockbuster with films like Jaws, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, and Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark, and for the most part, he has stayed at the top of the game ever since. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-10-best-steven-spielberg-movies-of-all-time&captions=true"] Spielberg's next directorial feature appears to be a follow-up undertaking to his West Side Story remake, which has had its release date pushed back almost exactly a year, from a holiday 2020 release to a holiday 2021 slot due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Spielberg's upcoming film adaptation of David Kertzer's book The Kidnapping of Edgardo Mortara is also in pre-production. Production on Spielberg's upcoming semi-biographical film is scheduled to start this summer, with a planned release for sometime in 2022. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Adele Ankers is a Freelance Entertainment Journalist. You can reach her on Twitter.

The much-rumoured new model of Nintendo Switch – unofficially referred to by many as a 'Switch Pro' – will reportedly use an upgraded Nvidia chip (offering 'better graphics and processing'), support Nvidia's DLSS rendering, and could be released by Holiday 2021. However, analysts expect it to come with a potential $50-100 price increase. Bloomberg reports that those familiar with the new model of Switch – which will reportedly also feature a larger screen and 4K output – have indicated that it will use an updated Nvidia chipset, and is aiming for release during the "year-end shopping season". The Nvidia chipset will bring an updated CPU and increase memory, allowing for better looking games and faster processing. To help support 4K docked output, the new chip will apparently include support for Nvidia's Deep Learning Super Sampling (DLSS), which uses AI upscaling to offer 4K resolutions without the associated hardware strain. However, Bloomberg's sources indicate that DLSS requires custom code for software, meaning it will more likely be used to create better-looking new games, rather than upgrade existing ones. [caption id="attachment_2490228" align="alignnone" width="1921"] A mock-up of Switch models, including the rumoured 'Pro' model.[/caption] That upgrade may well come at a cost, with one analyst telling Bloomberg they expect the new hardware to come at a $50-100 increase on top of the existing Switch model's $299.99 price point. This new chipset would come along with the reported larger, 7-inch, 720p OLED touchscreen on the new model of Switch. When docked, the new console would apparently output at 4K – previously, this seemed a tough ask for Switch hardware, but the improved chipset and DLSS makes this more feasible. Previous reports have pointed to manufacturing beginning in June, with a monthly production target of a million units. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/new-nintendo-switch-with-bigger-screen-4k-output-on-the-way-ign-news"] Nintendo has remained quiet on any new Switch model, with Nintendo President Shuntaro Furukawa recently saying it will not be announcing a new version "anytime soon." Nintendo Switch's existing model has been doing incredibly well. Lifetime sales recently passed 79.87 million - eclipsing the Nintendo 3DS - and it's been the best-selling console in the US for nearly two years. However, with recent reports suggesting that Nintendo has a "series of marquee game releases" that it expects to help beat its own all-time record for software sales, new hardware may be a part of that plan. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Joe Skrebels is IGN's Executive Editor of News. Follow him on Twitter. Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.

The much-rumoured new model of Nintendo Switch – unofficially referred to by many as a 'Switch Pro' – will reportedly use an upgraded Nvidia chip (offering 'better graphics and processing'), support Nvidia's DLSS rendering, and could be released by Holiday 2021. However, analysts expect it to come with a potential $50-100 price increase. Bloomberg reports that those familiar with the new model of Switch – which will reportedly also feature a larger screen and 4K output – have indicated that it will use an updated Nvidia chipset, and is aiming for release during the "year-end shopping season". The Nvidia chipset will bring an updated CPU and increase memory, allowing for better looking games and faster processing. To help support 4K docked output, the new chip will apparently include support for Nvidia's Deep Learning Super Sampling (DLSS), which uses AI upscaling to offer 4K resolutions without the associated hardware strain. However, Bloomberg's sources indicate that DLSS requires custom code for software, meaning it will more likely be used to create better-looking new games, rather than upgrade existing ones. [caption id="attachment_2490228" align="alignnone" width="1921"] A mock-up of Switch models, including the rumoured 'Pro' model.[/caption] That upgrade may well come at a cost, with one analyst telling Bloomberg they expect the new hardware to come at a $50-100 increase on top of the existing Switch model's $299.99 price point. This new chipset would come along with the reported larger, 7-inch, 720p OLED touchscreen on the new model of Switch. When docked, the new console would apparently output at 4K – previously, this seemed a tough ask for Switch hardware, but the improved chipset and DLSS makes this more feasible. Previous reports have pointed to manufacturing beginning in June, with a monthly production target of a million units. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/new-nintendo-switch-with-bigger-screen-4k-output-on-the-way-ign-news"] Nintendo has remained quiet on any new Switch model, with Nintendo President Shuntaro Furukawa recently saying it will not be announcing a new version "anytime soon." Nintendo Switch's existing model has been doing incredibly well. Lifetime sales recently passed 79.87 million - eclipsing the Nintendo 3DS - and it's been the best-selling console in the US for nearly two years. However, with recent reports suggesting that Nintendo has a "series of marquee game releases" that it expects to help beat its own all-time record for software sales, new hardware may be a part of that plan. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Joe Skrebels is IGN's Executive Editor of News. Follow him on Twitter. Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.

Microsoft is allegedly in talks to purchase Discord, the gaming-focused chat software, for over $10 billion USD. As reported by Bloomberg, these discussions appear to be early as there is no imminent deal on the horizon. Furthermore, one source said that, despite these talks, Discord may be more likely to go public than sell itself. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/why-ps5-series-x-games-have-yet-to-blow-us-away-next-gen-console-watch"] While Microsoft is one of potential suitors, Discord has also been in discussions with Epic Games and Amazon. VentureBeat first reported that Discord, the company with roughly 140 million monthly userrs that recently raised $100 million at a $7 billion valuation, was exploring a sale worth more than $10 billion. Discord was said to be the one who reached out to Microsoft to gauge interest in a potential sale and that Xbox head Phil Spencer has been part of these chats. While purely speculation, it's important to consider how beneficial having a service like Discord could be for the future of communication on the Xbox platform. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-best-games-to-play-on-xbox-series-xs&captions=true"] Xbox and Discord have worked together in the past, as Xbox owners have had the ability to link their Discord accounts to see what their friends are doing. This acquisition, if it does happen, would bolster Microsoft's continuing plans to make gaming as easy and accessible for all. It's strategy is focused on offering its games, especially via Xbox Game Pass, on consoles, PC, and mobile, and having Discord integration could make communicating across all these platforms a much smoother process. Owning Discord would only strengthen the value of the Xbox brand, which recently completed its $7.5 billion acquisition of ZeniMax Media, the parent company of developers like Bethesda, Arkane, id Software, and more. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/03/09/microsoft-bethesda-heres-to-the-journey-official-announcement-trailer"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com. Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

Microsoft is allegedly in talks to purchase Discord, the gaming-focused chat software, for over $10 billion USD. As reported by Bloomberg, these discussions appear to be early as there is no imminent deal on the horizon. Furthermore, one source said that, despite these talks, Discord may be more likely to go public than sell itself. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/why-ps5-series-x-games-have-yet-to-blow-us-away-next-gen-console-watch"] While Microsoft is one of potential suitors, Discord has also been in discussions with Epic Games and Amazon. VentureBeat first reported that Discord, the company with roughly 140 million monthly userrs that recently raised $100 million at a $7 billion valuation, was exploring a sale worth more than $10 billion. Discord was said to be the one who reached out to Microsoft to gauge interest in a potential sale and that Xbox head Phil Spencer has been part of these chats. While purely speculation, it's important to consider how beneficial having a service like Discord could be for the future of communication on the Xbox platform. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-best-games-to-play-on-xbox-series-xs&captions=true"] Xbox and Discord have worked together in the past, as Xbox owners have had the ability to link their Discord accounts to see what their friends are doing. This acquisition, if it does happen, would bolster Microsoft's continuing plans to make gaming as easy and accessible for all. It's strategy is focused on offering its games, especially via Xbox Game Pass, on consoles, PC, and mobile, and having Discord integration could make communicating across all these platforms a much smoother process. Owning Discord would only strengthen the value of the Xbox brand, which recently completed its $7.5 billion acquisition of ZeniMax Media, the parent company of developers like Bethesda, Arkane, id Software, and more. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/03/09/microsoft-bethesda-heres-to-the-journey-official-announcement-trailer"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com. Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

Niantic, the developers of Pokemon Go, are teaming up again with Nintendo on more AR games based on Nintendo franchises, starting with Pikmin. Niantic's blog post announced a new partnership between the AR developer and Nintendo where the two companies will "jointly develop mobile titles" using Niantic's AR technology and Nintendo's characters. The Pikmin game, then, sounds like the first of these joint partnership games and Niantic says it'll be released later this year. "The app will include gameplay activities to encourage walking and make walking more delightful," Niantic says in its blog post. "This will be the first title created by our Tokyo Studio since it was established in April 2018." Niantic says it'll share more news about its apps in the future, though who knows which Nintendo franchise will get the AR treatment next. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2018/07/05/pokemon-go-friends-trailer"] Niantic made its name on real-world AR games like Ingress. When Niantic released Pokemon Go in 2016, it was and remains a full-blown phenomenon. Since then Niantic has worked with other licenses such as Settler of Catan and Harry Potter: Wizards Unite. But the new partnership means Niantic will be partnering with Nintendo to create several new AR apps. While gameplay details haven't been announced, the Pikmin AR game will still utilize Niantic's combination of gameplay and going out. As IGN reported when speaking with Pokemon Go players, some aspects of Niantic's games were impacted by the stay-at-home orders which were a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt T.M. Kim is IGN's News Editor.

Niantic, the developers of Pokemon Go, are teaming up again with Nintendo on more AR games based on Nintendo franchises, starting with Pikmin. Niantic's blog post announced a new partnership between the AR developer and Nintendo where the two companies will "jointly develop mobile titles" using Niantic's AR technology and Nintendo's characters. The Pikmin game, then, sounds like the first of these joint partnership games and Niantic says it'll be released later this year. "The app will include gameplay activities to encourage walking and make walking more delightful," Niantic says in its blog post. "This will be the first title created by our Tokyo Studio since it was established in April 2018." Niantic says it'll share more news about its apps in the future, though who knows which Nintendo franchise will get the AR treatment next. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2018/07/05/pokemon-go-friends-trailer"] Niantic made its name on real-world AR games like Ingress. When Niantic released Pokemon Go in 2016, it was and remains a full-blown phenomenon. Since then Niantic has worked with other licenses such as Settler of Catan and Harry Potter: Wizards Unite. But the new partnership means Niantic will be partnering with Nintendo to create several new AR apps. While gameplay details haven't been announced, the Pikmin AR game will still utilize Niantic's combination of gameplay and going out. As IGN reported when speaking with Pokemon Go players, some aspects of Niantic's games were impacted by the stay-at-home orders which were a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt T.M. Kim is IGN's News Editor.

Two weeks after the end of WandaVision, Marvel already has another hit. Disney+ has announced that The Falcon and the Winter Soldier's premiere weekend was the biggest yet for any series on the streaming service. Disney+ did not provide exact viewership numbers for the premiere. However, it did mention that The Falcon and the Winter Soldier stands above WandaVision and the Season 2 premiere of The Mandalorian, with the trio composing the top three most watched weekend premieres for the platform. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/03/18/the-falcon-and-the-winter-soldier-preview"] During its annual shareholders meeting earlier this month, Disney announced that its streaming service had reached 100 million subscribers since its launch 16 months ago. The success of WandaVision and The Mandalorian, as well as movie releases like Pixar's Soul and Raya and the Last Dragon likely played a major role in boosting popularity for Disney+. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier began its six-episode run on March 19, with new episodes debuting on Disney+ every Friday for the next few weeks. There are currently no announcements for a second season, though Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige has confessed that some ideas are being bounced around. On the horizon for Disney+ original series, Marvel will debut Loki on June 11. The studio is also eyeing release dates before the end of the year for Hawkeye and Ms. Marvel. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-falcon-and-the-winter-soldier-cast-and-characters&captions=true"] In our review of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier premiere, IGN gave the episode an 8, saying it was "packed with thoughtful character observations and themes that run deeper than many Marvel movies and shows." [poilib element="accentDivider"] J. Kim Murphy is a freelance entertainment writer.