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.

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 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. The 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 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. The 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. 

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.

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.

Sylvester Stallone has confirmed that Demolition Man 2 is finally happening at Warner Bros. after being (cryogenically) frozen for years. In a recent Q&A on Instagram, Stallone revealed that a sequel to 1993's Demolition Man is on its way, as he responded to a fan who asked whether there would be a follow-up to the Marco Brambilla-helmed sci-fi actioner. "I think it is coming," Stallone said. "We're working on it right now with Warner Brothers and it's looking fantastic, so that should come out. That's going to happen." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2016/04/22/igns-top-25-cheesy-action-movies"] In the original movie, Stallone starred as Sergeant John Spartan, a fish-out-of-water cop thawed out of cryogenic prison in the year 2032 to pursue his former nemesis, Simon Phoenix, played by Wesley Snipes, who is running loose in Los Angeles,  now a pacifist utopia known as San Angeles. Over the years, Demolition Man has become a firm favourite among Stallone fans, thanks to its musclebound stars, clever script, and pulsating action, but this isn't the only movie that looks set to make a comeback. In his Q&A, Stallone revealed that 1981's Nighthawks is being remade into a streaming series. "We're remaking [Nighthawks] as a streaming series at Universal," Stallone told his fans. "I'm really proud of all of these things that are coming back around because they're holding up." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2018/11/28/sylvester-stallone-retires-rocky-balboa"] When asked to reveal another secret, Stallone let slip that his long-gestating Hunter adaptation, based on the 1999 sci-fi novel by James Byron Huggins, is also finally moving forward after being "in the works for like 20 years." According to Deadline, Stallone bought film rights to Hunter in 2009 reportedly with the idea to incorporate it into a Rambo storyline. Balboa Productions then placed the adaptation in its project lineup in 2018, with Stallone attached to star. The book centres on "Nathaniel Hunter, whose hyper-tracking skills are employed to hunt down a raging beast, a half-human terror created by a renegade agency that is threatening to wreak havoc on civilization." [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=actors-who-were-replaced-during-production&captions=true"] If that isn't enough action for one article, check out IGN's Top 25 Action Movies. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Adele Ankers is a Freelance Entertainment Journalist. You can reach her on Twitter.

Sylvester Stallone has confirmed that Demolition Man 2 is finally happening at Warner Bros. after being (cryogenically) frozen for years. In a recent Q&A on Instagram, Stallone revealed that a sequel to 1993's Demolition Man is on its way, as he responded to a fan who asked whether there would be a follow-up to the Marco Brambilla-helmed sci-fi actioner. "I think it is coming," Stallone said. "We're working on it right now with Warner Brothers and it's looking fantastic, so that should come out. That's going to happen." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2016/04/22/igns-top-25-cheesy-action-movies"] In the original movie, Stallone starred as Sergeant John Spartan, a fish-out-of-water cop thawed out of cryogenic prison in the year 2032 to pursue his former nemesis, Simon Phoenix, played by Wesley Snipes, who is running loose in Los Angeles,  now a pacifist utopia known as San Angeles. Over the years, Demolition Man has become a firm favourite among Stallone fans, thanks to its musclebound stars, clever script, and pulsating action, but this isn't the only movie that looks set to make a comeback. In his Q&A, Stallone revealed that 1981's Nighthawks is being remade into a streaming series. "We're remaking [Nighthawks] as a streaming series at Universal," Stallone told his fans. "I'm really proud of all of these things that are coming back around because they're holding up." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2018/11/28/sylvester-stallone-retires-rocky-balboa"] When asked to reveal another secret, Stallone let slip that his long-gestating Hunter adaptation, based on the 1999 sci-fi novel by James Byron Huggins, is also finally moving forward after being "in the works for like 20 years." According to Deadline, Stallone bought film rights to Hunter in 2009 reportedly with the idea to incorporate it into a Rambo storyline. Balboa Productions then placed the adaptation in its project lineup in 2018, with Stallone attached to star. The book centres on "Nathaniel Hunter, whose hyper-tracking skills are employed to hunt down a raging beast, a half-human terror created by a renegade agency that is threatening to wreak havoc on civilization." [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=actors-who-were-replaced-during-production&captions=true"] If that isn't enough action for one article, check out IGN's Top 25 Action Movies. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Adele Ankers is a Freelance Entertainment Journalist. You can reach her on Twitter.

While some folks are spending their time in self-isolation and quarantine learning a new craft, practicing their baking skills, or just catching up a backlog of TV, Hafthor Bjornsson, who played Gregor "The Mountain" Clegane on Game of Thrones for several seasons (most of them as a zombie), decided to shatter a world record for weightlifting by hoisting 1,104 pounds (501 kg) this weekend. The 31-year-old native Icelander Bjornsson, who became the World's Strongest Man in 2018, achieved this feet on Saturday at Thor's Power Gym. Bjornsson posted the video to his Instagram account, along with the message "I have no words. What an amazing day, one I will remember for the rest of my life. I said I was coming for it and once I set my mind on something I’m a dog with a bone." Bjornsson also posted the YouTube link over on his Twitter account...

https://t.co/euTHA1QLns pic.twitter.com/r7ec96Ruqw

— Hafþór J Björnsson (@ThorBjornsson_) May 2, 2020

Here's the YouTube clip itself. And for those who don't have twenty four minutes, the massive feat takes place at the 15:00 mark. Game of Thrones creators/executive producers David Benioff and D.B. Weiss recently made a cameo in Westworld's third season. Westworld itself was just picked up for a Season 4. For more TV news, here are the answers to Westworld: Season 3's biggest questions, a review of Ryan Murphy's new Netflix series, Hollywood, and an awesome update regarding the Goosebumps live-action TV series. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=tvs-most-divisive-series-finales&captions=true"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Fowler is a writer for IGN and a member of the Television Critics Association. Follow him on Twitter at @TheMattFowler and Facebook at Facebook.com/MattBFowler.

While some folks are spending their time in self-isolation and quarantine learning a new craft, practicing their baking skills, or just catching up a backlog of TV, Hafthor Bjornsson, who played Gregor "The Mountain" Clegane on Game of Thrones for several seasons (most of them as a zombie), decided to shatter a world record for weightlifting by hoisting 1,104 pounds (501 kg) this weekend. The 31-year-old native Icelander Bjornsson, who became the World's Strongest Man in 2018, achieved this feet on Saturday at Thor's Power Gym. Bjornsson posted the video to his Instagram account, along with the message "I have no words. What an amazing day, one I will remember for the rest of my life. I said I was coming for it and once I set my mind on something I’m a dog with a bone." Bjornsson also posted the YouTube link over on his Twitter account...

https://t.co/euTHA1QLns pic.twitter.com/r7ec96Ruqw

— Hafþór J Björnsson (@ThorBjornsson_) May 2, 2020

Here's the YouTube clip itself. And for those who don't have twenty four minutes, the massive feat takes place at the 15:00 mark. Game of Thrones creators/executive producers David Benioff and D.B. Weiss recently made a cameo in Westworld's third season. Westworld itself was just picked up for a Season 4. For more TV news, here are the answers to Westworld: Season 3's biggest questions, a review of Ryan Murphy's new Netflix series, Hollywood, and an awesome update regarding the Goosebumps live-action TV series. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=tvs-most-divisive-series-finales&captions=true"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Fowler is a writer for IGN and a member of the Television Critics Association. Follow him on Twitter at @TheMattFowler and Facebook at Facebook.com/MattBFowler.