A Look at VR From the ’80s, ’90s, and Through Today
While Oculus, Samsung, and Sony are busy getting all the headlines about virtual reality headsets, the old timers among us are leaning back, arms folded, saying, "Mmm hmm." That's because they've seen it all before. In the early 1990s, technology firms, especially video game companies, fell over themselves in a rush to capitalize on VR Buzz 1.0 by announcing (and in a few cases releasing) their very own virtual reality headset hardware.
That buzz was generated by truly pioneering work in VR at places like NASA and a few major universities during the 1980s. But despite the quality of their work (and the almost adorable sincerity of the commercial VR products that followed), it didn't keep people from looking fairly ridiculous while using this nascent technology, especially when posed for press photos. So that's what you're going to see ahead: people looking silly using VR a long time ago.
This Groot Cosplay Is So Realistic It’s Almost Scary
A Guardians of the Galaxy 2 teaser was posted earlier this week, and it seems like fans are pretty damn excited.
With a new movie comes new cosplays, so we decided to share one of our favorite, full-sized Groot cosplayers, HurleyFX.
HurleyFX, or Lee, is known for making incredibly detailed sculpts, and his Groot is nothing short of amazing - click right to see all the images:
The photographers featured above are Bryan Humphrey and Dim Horizon Studio, who can also be found on Instagram.
IGN UK Podcast #354: The One Where No One Mentions Nintendo Switch or Red Dead
Monday seems a very long time ago now. Nintendo Switch had a different name, we were only guessing that Red Dead 2 existed, and IGN LA's Terri Schwartz chose to spend some of her holidays in our office for no discernible reason and we wanted to record a podcast with her.
Basically, all of this is an excuse for why this four day-old episode seems very out-of-date. Forget all that brand new stuff, let's talk about The Crystal Maze and Miles Teller's gusset, then play Keyword Countdown. Oh, and one of you makes us look really clever with your feedback - thanks for that.
Joss Whedon Wants to Make a Star Wars Spin-Off
It's perhaps no surprise that Joss Whedon wants to make a Star Wars film - I mean, unless you're Steven Spielberg, who wouldn't - but the man behind Buffy, Firefly and the Avengers movies has a very specific wish for any potential jaunt to a galaxy far, far away.
"I mean, it’s a fun thing to do, to put yourself in the service of something if you think you can add an interpretation", Whedon explains to Complex. "It’s no different than any other storytelling
Do I want to make a Star Wars movie? Yeah.
Video Game Voice Actor Strike Begins
After failing to reach an agreement on new contractual terms, the Screen Actors Guild - American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) has gone on strike from today as of 12:01AM, PDT.
The list of companies affected by the strike include Activision, Blindlight, Corps of Discovery Films, Disney Character Voices, Formosa Interactive, Insomniac Games, Interactive Associates, Take 2, VoiceWorks Productions, and WB Games, Inc.
The current deal from the above Companies offered an immediate 9 percent pay rise should SAG-AFTRA union members accept the offer by December 1.
Scott J. Witlin, of the law firm of Barnes & Thornburg, who represents the interests of the Companies, offered the following statement.
Justice League vs. Suicide Squad Concludes in January
DC released their full lineup of solicitations for January 2017 this week. The new year will kick off with the debut of new mini-series like Justice League/Power Rangers and The Kamandi Challenge and the conclusion of the Justice League vs. Suicide Squad event.
New Series:
- Batman '66 Meets Wonder Woman '77 #1
- The Fall and Rise of Captain Atom #1
- Justice League of America: Rebirth one-shots
- Justice League/Power Rangers #1
- The Kamandi Challenge #1
- The Odyssey of the Amazons #1
Ending Series:
- Justice League vs. Suicide Squad #3-6
How Watch Dogs 2 Addresses Player Freedom
One of the big changes in Watch Dogs 2 is its emphasis on player freedom when it comes to every single mission and encounter in the game. The three main ways to play are Aggressor (guns blazing), Ghost (neither seen nor heard), and Trickster (a techno agent of chaos), and it's up to you to choose which kind of Marcus you want to play as.
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The video above showcases a single three-minute mission, but by flipping between the various streams on the right, you’re able to control which of the three play-styles you're viewing.
And for so much more coverage, check out our Watch Dogs 2 IGN First hub.
Marty Sliva is a Senior Editor at IGN. He once ate a whole blueberry. Follow him on Twitter @McBiggitty.
Nintendo Switch Will Support Unreal Engine 4
Unreal Engine 4 - the game engine powering the likes of Gears of War 4 and Batman Arkham: VR - will be supported on Nintendo's new console, the Switch.
Despite not being included on yesterday's list of Switch partners, Unreal today tweeted to confirm that it would support UE4 development for the handheld/home console hybrid:
We're thrilled to partner with Nintendo to help Unreal Engine 4 developers bring their games to Nintendo Switch! https://t.co/MWL29xhb90
Daily Deals: 40% off GTA V, Doom, Overwatch, Xbox One Hard Drive
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If you haven't yet sampled the mayhem of next-gen GTA V, consider scoring the game while console copies have reduced to £27.99. If you're like us and follow the market on these games you'll realise that this is as cheap as GTA ever gets; it is the only game that is notoriously known to hold its value (it's still £44.99 at GAME!). Forget the world-class campaign, £28 for GTA V is worth it just for GTA Online alone.
Mario, Pokemon Crossover Merchandise Coming to Japan
The Pokemon Company has unveiled a new line of Mario and Luigi-themed merchandise that will be available for Pokemon Center shoppers in Japan.
In addition to adorable Mario and Luigi-themed Pikachu plush toys, other collectibles include special Mario-themed Pokemon trading cards, game cases, keychains, notebooks, and more.
You can swipe through the gallery above to see the full line of merchandise.
For now, the set has only been confirmed in Japan, but hopefully Mario and Luigi Pikachu will make their way to Western stores as well.
For more on rare Pokemon toys, check out limited edition merchandise from this year’s Pokemon World Championships, as well as a tour of Japan’s biggest Pokemon Center.