Latest Oculus Update Removes Headset DRM Check
Oculus exclusives will once again be playable on non-Oculus headsets when players use independently developed software thanks to a new update.
In an update released today, Oculus removed the headset DRM checks built into Oculus-exclusive games that required an Oculus Rift headset be connected to a computer before those games would launch.
This change was discovered by a Revive developer, who posted the discovery to the Vive subreddit today. Revive is a program that allows Vive users to access Oculus-exclusive games, and the developers have been locked in a battle with the headset checks until today.
The Surge Is More Than Just “Sci-fi Dark Souls”
The easiest way to explain a new game to someone is to directly compare it to another game they already know. It’s "Kirby meets Carmageddon”, a “gritty take on Candy Crush” or, in the case of much of what I’d seen and heard about Deck 13's The Surge, “It’s Dark Souls with a Sci-Fi twist”.
While the developers clearly took several cues from the Souls series - both feature the challenging and strategic melee combat, circuitous open worlds, and environmental storytelling that have become so prevalent in the hardcore action RPG genre lately - that comparison sort of negates all of the work that they've put in to set themselves apart from their contemporaries, too. After watching The Surge in action for myself at E3 last week, I could see that while there was certainly more than a hint of inspiration from the Souls genre, it also has the potential to be more than just “Dark Souls with mechs”.
L.A. Noire Dev’s Next Project Not Expected to Come Out
After years of silence regarding the game, one former producer on KMM Games and Team Bondi's Whore of the Orient has indicated the game will likely not see the light of day.
"I don’t think so," former KMM Games producer Derek Proud said on the Gamehugs podcast (via a transcript from Finder) when asked whether the L.A. Noire followup might ever be released.
Game of Thrones’ 8 Best Battle Strategies
Major spoilers for Game of Thrones continue below, so read on at your own risk.
Many battles have been fought over the years on Game of Thrones, and what the show has proven time again is simply having the biggest army doesn't mean you'll win the war. The leaders of the various contenders for control of Westeros have had to come up with some pretty out-of-the-box ideas to make sure they come out of battles victorious.
In honor of Sunday's epic "Battle of the Bastards," IGN decided to take a look back at some of the best tactics players in the game of thrones have used to win epic clashes over the past six seasons. What is surprisingly not a major game-changer in battles is outright magic. Even with dragons and the undead roaming the land, the execution of straightforward magic hasn't shifted the tides... well, except for that shadow baby.
Daily Deals: Steam Summer Sale, PlayStation Flash Sale, Xbox One Under $300
Get an Xbox One With A Ton of Freebies
The Xbox One S is official, so retailers are practically giving away the original model. Here's a 1TB system with Gears of War Ultimate, Rare Replay, Ori and the Blind Forest, Forza Horizon 2, and two controllers, and a deal on the Elite console (with Elite controller and Forza Horizon 2).
Nick Offerman Is Voicing a Fantasy Doctor in FOX’s Son of Zorn
Nick Offerman is joining the animated voice cast of FOX's new hybrid live-action/animated comedy, Son of Zorn. IGN can confirm the Parks and Recreation alum will be voicing recurring character Dr. Klorpins, Zorn's cave-dewelling doctor friend from the fantastical (and animated) land of Zephyria.
Son of Zorn brings real and animated worlds together when cartoon barbarian Zorn (think a less heroic He-Man, voiced by Jason Sudeikis) returns home to suburbia to reconnect with his estranged live-action family after a decade apart. Several of his friends will visit him from Zephyria throughout the season, including Klorpins.
Nick Offerman as Ron Swanson on Parks and Recreation
South Park: Season 19 Blu-ray Cover and Details
South Park's 19th season is hitting Blu-ray and DVD later this summer, and we have an exclusive first look at the new set.
South Park: The Complete Nineteenth Season will include all 10 episodes on 2 discs and will be available in both Blu-ray and DVD formats. The set will includes both 5.1 Dolby True HD and Dolby Digital Stereo audio tracks, as well as English SDH Subtitles.
The set will also include the following special features:
MS Tried Partnering With Nintendo and Sony Before Xbox
Before Microsoft began developing the first Xbox, the company went to both Nintendo and Sony to see if either were interested in partnering to release a console; both companies turned the offer down, however.
When asked on the latest episode of IGN Unfiltered whether or not Microsoft ever considered buying Nintendo, Xbox co-creator Ed Fries replied, "When we first started thinking about doing Xbox we met with Nintendo and we sat down with Iwata and others and we said, 'This is what we want to do. Could we partner? Could we work together on this?' And basically they said no."
Education-Focused Civilization Game Heading to Schools in 2017
Sid Meier's Civilization V is already—at its core—teaching players valuable critical thinking skills.
Developer Firaxis Games is looking to amp that up by bringing an explicitly educational version of the game, CivilizationEDU, to North American high schools.
Nonprofit learning company GlassLab Inc., in collaboration with Firaxis Games and Take-Two Interactive Software, is adding a "learning analytics engine" to Civilization to capture and assess students' progress and problem-solving skills. The goal is to engage students in critical thinking, and experiment with the "casual/correlative relationships between military, technology, political, and socioeconomic development."
Nintendo on Why New Zelda Was Delayed
Why was Zelda Breath of the Wild delayed? Why is it taking longer to create than most folks would like? If you’ve found yourself pondering these two questions, then you’re in luck.
In an interview with Kotaku, series producer Eiji Aonuma explains why the new Zelda needed to be delayed, and why it’s taking longer than usual to develop.
“When we think about the release period for any Zelda game, we really want to get it out as soon as possible so that everybody can play and experience it,” says Aonuma.
“But every time we make a Zelda, we want to make something new. It’s hard to gauge how long that’s going to take. And it’s also hard to gauge at what point whatever we consider to be new is done.”