New LEGO Star Wars: Skywalker Saga Art Revealed

WB Games has remained relatively quiet about its upcoming, all-encompassing LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga since E3 2019. But, thankfully, a new piece of art teases the battles and characters we'll experience in the upcoming game. To celebrate the Star Wars-y date of May the 4th, WB Games has released new key art for The Skywalker Saga. It incorporates all three trilogies, major characters from each era, and a tease of the action to come. Check it out below.   Screen Shot 2020-05-03 at 9.25.28 PM LEGO Star Wars The Skywalker Saga Key Art Banner The art includes some notable figures — Obi-Wan Kenobi, Yoda, R2-D2, and C-3PO from a prequel-era battle, Leia and Han Solo battling AT-AT's and Stormtroopers on Hoth from the original trilogy, and Rey, Kylo Ren, and BB-8 from the sequel trilogy, with Chewbacca, sporting his medal, alongside them. Looming large over them is Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader, while notable vehicles and locations, like the Death Star, are also showcased. While we're still waiting for a release date for The Skywalker Saga, we learned quite a bit about it at E3 2019 when we previewed the upcoming LEGO Star Wars. Rather than a compilation of past LEGO Star Wars games, The Skywalker Saga is offering a new adventure encompassing all nine Skywalker saga films, with five missions for each movie. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/06/12/everything-we-learned-about-lego-star-wars-the-skywalker-saga"] Featuring interplanetary travel, wide, open worlds to explore, and over 200 characters from across the Star Wars saga, the new entry will also be offering a new take on the series' combat, a host of sidequests, and more. For more on the upcoming LEGO game, be sure to read our preview of how LEGO games seem to be growing up with the Skywalker Saga, and find out how you can get The Mandalorian's Razor Crest ship in LEGO Star Wars.

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New LEGO Star Wars: Skywalker Saga Art Revealed

WB Games has remained relatively quiet about its upcoming, all-encompassing LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga since E3 2019. But, thankfully, a new piece of art teases the battles and characters we'll experience in the upcoming game. To celebrate the Star Wars-y date of May the 4th, WB Games has released new key art for The Skywalker Saga. It incorporates all three trilogies, major characters from each era, and a tease of the action to come. Check it out below.   Screen Shot 2020-05-03 at 9.25.28 PM LEGO Star Wars The Skywalker Saga Key Art Banner The art includes some notable figures — Obi-Wan Kenobi, Yoda, R2-D2, and C-3PO from a prequel-era battle, Leia and Han Solo battling AT-AT's and Stormtroopers on Hoth from the original trilogy, and Rey, Kylo Ren, and BB-8 from the sequel trilogy, with Chewbacca, sporting his medal, alongside them. Looming large over them is Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader, while notable vehicles and locations, like the Death Star, are also showcased. While we're still waiting for a release date for The Skywalker Saga, we learned quite a bit about it at E3 2019 when we previewed the upcoming LEGO Star Wars. Rather than a compilation of past LEGO Star Wars games, The Skywalker Saga is offering a new adventure encompassing all nine Skywalker saga films, with five missions for each movie. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/06/12/everything-we-learned-about-lego-star-wars-the-skywalker-saga"] Featuring interplanetary travel, wide, open worlds to explore, and over 200 characters from across the Star Wars saga, the new entry will also be offering a new take on the series' combat, a host of sidequests, and more. For more on the upcoming LEGO game, be sure to read our preview of how LEGO games seem to be growing up with the Skywalker Saga, and find out how you can get The Mandalorian's Razor Crest ship in LEGO Star Wars.

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Lord of the Rings: Gollum – First Screenshots Emerge

The first screenshots of Lord of the Rings: Gollum - the upcoming stealth adventure game from Daedelic - have emerged. Scheduled for release on PS5, Xbox Series X and PC in 2021, we were told that this Gollum wouldn't be based on Peter Jackson's imagining of the character. However, the screenshots, which have popped up on Gamestar, show that he doesn't look that different after all: [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=lord-of-the-rings-gollum-11-screenshots&captions=true"] There's a slightly more cartoony quality to the screens than we've seen from Monolith's Middle-earth games in recent years. Most of the screenshots show the darker region of Mordor, but there's a glimpse of lush New Zealand green in there too (albeit with some giant spiders lurking at the back of the frame). As for the game itself, we see what looks like the stealth-action game we were promised, as well as what seems to be adventure game-style decision making based around Gollum's dual personality. This game is based entirely on the Tolkien books rather than the movies. It's not the only adaptation in the works, with Amazon's prequel TV series on the way for at least two seasons. Make sure to watch the Inside Xbox livestream on May 7 for a look at even more upcoming next-gen games. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Joe Skrebels is IGN's Executive Editor of News. Follow him on Twitter.

Lord of the Rings: Gollum – First Screenshots Emerge

The first screenshots of Lord of the Rings: Gollum - the upcoming stealth adventure game from Daedelic - have emerged. Scheduled for release on PS5, Xbox Series X and PC in 2021, we were told that this Gollum wouldn't be based on Peter Jackson's imagining of the character. However, the screenshots, which have popped up on Gamestar, show that he doesn't look that different after all: [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=lord-of-the-rings-gollum-11-screenshots&captions=true"] There's a slightly more cartoony quality to the screens than we've seen from Monolith's Middle-earth games in recent years. Most of the screenshots show the darker region of Mordor, but there's a glimpse of lush New Zealand green in there too (albeit with some giant spiders lurking at the back of the frame). As for the game itself, we see what looks like the stealth-action game we were promised, as well as what seems to be adventure game-style decision making based around Gollum's dual personality. This game is based entirely on the Tolkien books rather than the movies. It's not the only adaptation in the works, with Amazon's prequel TV series on the way for at least two seasons. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Joe Skrebels is IGN's Executive Editor of News. Follow him on Twitter.

Sony’s VR Team Is Researching a New Valve Index-Style Controller

Sony has published a new research paper discussing the development of a new controller that detects individual finger movements. A video uploaded alongside it demonstrates it being used with a VR headset, suggesting that Sony is working on new Valve Index-like controllers for potential PSVR2 hardware. Sony VR controllerThe paper, written by Sony Interactive Entertainment’s R&D engineers Kazuyuki Arimatsu and Hideki Mori, deals with the evolution of machine learning techniques in regards to hand pose estimation. Essentially, it discusses how machine learning in combination with a proximity sensor-equipped controller can estimate the position of fingers and then replicate that within a virtual environment. This follows on from a patent published earlier this year showing a controller equipped with finger-sensing technology. The video demonstrates the controllers - which here look very much like prototypes, or at least non-consumer devices - and the virtual representation of hands when different movements are made. The controller’s proximity sensors are able to detect when each finger is touching or lifted away from the device, and software is able to fill in the blanks and animate gestures, allowing for motions such as rotating your thumb. No external cameras are used to observe the user’s hands, which is a solution used by Oculus for the Quest headset's controller-free interface. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/04/23/the-10-best-psvr-games"] The paper does not specifically mention PS5 or PSVR2, and Sony has made no suggestion that the PS5 will launch with a new VR headset. However, this research into machine learning and new controllers suggests that Sony is looking into advancing its VR technology. Perhaps this will evolve into PSVR2, but it seems sensible to not expect anything soon. For VR you can play right now, check out the best PlayStation VR games, including gems like Superhot VR. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Purslow is IGN's UK News and Entertainment Writer. You can follow him on Twitter

Sony’s VR Team Is Researching a New Valve Index-Style Controller

Sony has published a new research paper discussing the development of a new controller that detects individual finger movements. A video uploaded alongside it demonstrates it being used with a VR headset, suggesting that Sony is working on new Valve Index-like controllers for potential PSVR2 hardware. Sony VR controllerThe paper, written by Sony Interactive Entertainment’s R&D engineers Kazuyuki Arimatsu and Hideki Mori, deals with the evolution of machine learning techniques in regards to hand pose estimation. Essentially, it discusses how machine learning in combination with a proximity sensor-equipped controller can estimate the position of fingers and then replicate that within a virtual environment. This follows on from a patent published earlier this year showing a controller equipped with finger-sensing technology. The video demonstrates the controllers - which here look very much like prototypes, or at least non-consumer devices - and the virtual representation of hands when different movements are made. The controller’s proximity sensors are able to detect when each finger is touching or lifted away from the device, and software is able to fill in the blanks and animate gestures, allowing for motions such as rotating your thumb. No external cameras are used to observe the user’s hands, which is a solution used by Oculus for the Quest headset's controller-free interface. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/04/23/the-10-best-psvr-games"] The paper does not specifically mention PS5 or PSVR2, and Sony has made no suggestion that the PS5 will launch with a new VR headset. However, this research into machine learning and new controllers suggests that Sony is looking into advancing its VR technology. Perhaps this will evolve into PSVR2, but it seems sensible to not expect anything soon. For VR you can play right now, check out the best PlayStation VR games, including gems like Superhot VR. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Purslow is IGN's UK News and Entertainment Writer. You can follow him on Twitter

Call of Duty: Warzone Seemingly Headed to Next-Gen Consoles

Infinity Ward has suggested that it will support Call of Duty: Warzone on both the Xbox Series X and PS5 after they launch later this year. A developer also hinted that the Battle Royale standalone could abandon the series' yearly release schedule. In an interview with GamerGen, Taylor Kurosaki of Infinity Ward responded to a question about the game being ported to next-generation consoles, noting that "as soon as those new systems are out and available, I'm sure we'll support them." This will be music to the ears of Warzone fans who are hoping to continue battling in the Gulag and beyond as we shift to next-generation consoles at the end of the year. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/03/23/call-of-duty-warzone-review"] In the same interview, Kurosaki mentioned that Warzone has helped Infinity Ward to rethink its approach to releasing content, suggesting that the battle royale will break away from the "regular cadence" of Call of Duty, a franchise in which new games have been launching every year for the best part of a decade. "Call of Duty is a genre in itself, there are different branches in the Call of Duty tree, but they're all connected in some ways," Kurosaki notes. "Warzone will be the through-line that connects all of the different various sub-franchises of Call of Duty." This suggests that Warzone isn't going away any time soon, and given its popularity may support future releases within the Call of Duty series as a whole. What this means for the future of the franchise is unclear right now, but it looks like Infinity Ward is at the very least thinking about different ways to service fans with Call of Duty content going forward, beyond the typical yearly launch cycle which has made the series a constant through previous generations. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=every-ign-call-of-duty-review&captions=true"] As we've seen with Warzone so far, it's been a useful playground for Infinity Ward to introduce characters across the Modern Warfare spectrum like Captain Price, Ghost and even Riley the dog, but this could extend to the other subdivisions of Call of Duty that we've seen in the past - perhaps even those developed by other studios like Treyarch. For more on Warzone, check out our article on the ingenious way in which Infinity Ward is punishing the game's cheaters. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.

Call of Duty: Warzone Seemingly Headed to Next-Gen Consoles

Infinity Ward has suggested that it will support Call of Duty: Warzone on both the Xbox Series X and PS5 after they launch later this year. A developer also hinted that the Battle Royale standalone could abandon the series' yearly release schedule. In an interview with GamerGen, Taylor Kurosaki of Infinity Ward responded to a question about the game being ported to next-generation consoles, noting that "as soon as those new systems are out and available, I'm sure we'll support them." This will be music to the ears of Warzone fans who are hoping to continue battling in the Gulag and beyond as we shift to next-generation consoles at the end of the year. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/03/23/call-of-duty-warzone-review"] In the same interview, Kurosaki mentioned that Warzone has helped Infinity Ward to rethink its approach to releasing content, suggesting that the battle royale will break away from the "regular cadence" of Call of Duty, a franchise in which new games have been launching every year for the best part of a decade. "Call of Duty is a genre in itself, there are different branches in the Call of Duty tree, but they're all connected in some ways," Kurosaki notes. "Warzone will be the through-line that connects all of the different various sub-franchises of Call of Duty." This suggests that Warzone isn't going away any time soon, and given its popularity may support future releases within the Call of Duty series as a whole. What this means for the future of the franchise is unclear right now, but it looks like Infinity Ward is at the very least thinking about different ways to service fans with Call of Duty content going forward, beyond the typical yearly launch cycle which has made the series a constant through previous generations. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=every-ign-call-of-duty-review&captions=true"] As we've seen with Warzone so far, it's been a useful playground for Infinity Ward to introduce characters across the Modern Warfare spectrum like Captain Price, Ghost and even Riley the dog, but this could extend to the other subdivisions of Call of Duty that we've seen in the past - perhaps even those developed by other studios like Treyarch. For more on Warzone, check out our article on the ingenious way in which Infinity Ward is punishing the game's cheaters. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.