Sony has submitted a patent for an AI that may be able to help players stuck in a game by pointing them towards items or weapons that may help them overcome their obstacle. This can either be an in-game item or if need be, an item available for purchase. In a patent filing for something called the “In-Game Resource Surfacing Platform,” Sony describes a scenario in which a player is stuck in a video game that they may need help to overcome. “Many video-games have hundred of thousands of individual items for users to earn, find, or purchase and use within the video game,” it says in the patent description. The AI tool that Sony is hoping to patent would help search and identify “in-game resources that assist a player based on contextual data and data from a community of similar players.” [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=igns-top-25-playstation-4-games&captions=true"] Sony lays out three variations of this tool. One is where the AI identifies the “current state” the player is in while in a game and cross-references it with other players who’ve successfully moved past that point. “[T]he method provides an operation for selecting a resource that is usable by the player to complete the objective based on the one or more resources utilized by respective other players during said successful attempt of completing the objective[.]” [caption id="attachment_2300616" align="alignnone" width="720"] This figure illustrates how Sony's tool might suggest microtransactions to help the player get through a difficult section of a game.[/caption] Meaning the AI will find out how other players completed the obstacle and point the stuck players towards that solution. The AI tool may also point players towards an item in a store, in-game or online, that can help complete the objective or even advance the game to a point past the obstacle (a skip, maybe?). The use of AI during a game session is not new. Ubisoft has rolled out an AI service called Sam which can track progression in games, or check in-game stats. Google Stadia has also promised a feature in the future where players may be able to directly interact with Google Assistant for in-game help. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/02/07/next-gen-console-watch-how-powerful-ps5-xbox-series-x-may-be"] Sony’s patent seems at first more localized towards getting players past a certain obstacle, either through in-game or purchasable methods. But there’s a chance the service could expand to provide deeper help. Though there’s always the IGN Wiki guides if you need a leg-up on how to get past certain game obstacles. The patent was filed last year and published recently. There’s been no public announcement of a new AI tool for Sony games, so this may be a next-gen feature for the PlayStation 5. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Kim is a reporter for IGN. You can reach him on Twitter.

The 2020 Academy Awards paid tribute to the many actors, filmmakers and other Hollywood icons who passed away in the Oscars "In Memoriam" segment. And as is too often the case, the segment is drawing complaints from viewers noticing several key names were omitted from the list. As The Hollywood Reporter notes, this year's notable omissions include Beverly Hills, 90210 and Riverdale star Luke Perry, The Devil's Rejects star Sid Haig, and Disney Channel star Cameron Boyce. The In Memoriam segment featured an emotionally charged rendition of The Beatles' "Yesterday" performed by Billie Eilish. Several recently passed celebrities were featured in the montage, including NBA star and Oscar winner Kobe Bryant and Golden Age Hollywood icon Kirk Douglas. Douglas' was the last name to appear in the montage, having passed on February 5. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/03/04/luke-perry-star-of-90210-and-riverdale-dies-at-52"] Perry's absence is especially surprising given his sudden, unexpected death at the relatively young age of 52 and the fact that he appears in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, one of this year's Best Picture nominees. Similarly, Boyce's absence is odd given his career was cut short at the shockingly young age of 20. Horror magazine Fangoria called out Haig's absence after the segment ended, tweeting "... and, In Memoriam, Sid Haig. #Oscars." Other notable omissions include actor Rene Auberjonois (Star Trek: Deep Space 9), actor Tim Conway (The Carol Burnett Show), director Larry Cohen (It's Alive), actress Denise Nickerson (Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory), actor Jan-Michael Vincent (Airwolf) and actor Orson Bean (1977's The Hobbit). Most of these omissions are included in a more comprehensive online tribute, though Bean (who very recently died in a car crash on February 7), hasn't yet been added. As mentioned, this is hardly a new problem for the Oscars. 2018's In Memoriam segment was especially criticized, as it omitted TV's Batman, Adam West, and Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Poltergeist director Tobe Hooper. Nor is this problem unique to the Oscars. The latest Primetime Emmys drew criticism when the late Andre Previn was memorialized with a photo of the still very much alive Leonard Slatkin. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=best-reviewed-movies-of-2019&captions=true"] Click here for the full list of winners at the 2020 Academy Awards. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter.

The 2020 Academy Awards paid tribute to the many actors, filmmakers and other Hollywood icons who passed away in the Oscars "In Memoriam" segment. And as is too often the case, the segment is drawing complaints from viewers noticing several key names were omitted from the list. As The Hollywood Reporter notes, this year's notable omissions include Beverly Hills, 90210 and Riverdale star Luke Perry, The Devil's Rejects star Sid Haig, and Disney Channel star Cameron Boyce. The In Memoriam segment featured an emotionally charged rendition of The Beatles' "Yesterday" performed by Billie Eilish. Several recently passed celebrities were featured in the montage, including NBA star and Oscar winner Kobe Bryant and Golden Age Hollywood icon Kirk Douglas. Douglas' was the last name to appear in the montage, having passed on February 5. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/03/04/luke-perry-star-of-90210-and-riverdale-dies-at-52"] Perry's absence is especially surprising given his sudden, unexpected death at the relatively young age of 52 and the fact that he appears in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, one of this year's Best Picture nominees. Similarly, Boyce's absence is odd given his career was cut short at the shockingly young age of 20. Horror magazine Fangoria called out Haig's absence after the segment ended, tweeting "... and, In Memoriam, Sid Haig. #Oscars." Other notable omissions include actor Rene Auberjonois (Star Trek: Deep Space 9), actor Tim Conway (The Carol Burnett Show), director Larry Cohen (It's Alive), actress Denise Nickerson (Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory), actor Jan-Michael Vincent (Airwolf) and actor Orson Bean (1977's The Hobbit). Most of these omissions are included in a more comprehensive online tribute, though Bean (who very recently died in a car crash on February 7), hasn't yet been added. As mentioned, this is hardly a new problem for the Oscars. 2018's In Memoriam segment was especially criticized, as it omitted TV's Batman, Adam West, and Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Poltergeist director Tobe Hooper. Nor is this problem unique to the Oscars. The latest Primetime Emmys drew criticism when the late Andre Previn was memorialized with a photo of the still very much alive Leonard Slatkin. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=best-reviewed-movies-of-2019&captions=true"] Click here for the full list of winners at the 2020 Academy Awards. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter.

BioWare general manager Casey Hudson announced in a new blog post that the developers at BioWare will be redesigning Anthem that will reinvent “the core gameplay loop.” The effort is meant to be a larger overhaul Anthem instead of just a series of updates and expansions. In an official BioWare blog post, Hudson thanked readers for one year of Anthem a game he says “represented a big leap into new territory for us as a studio.” Hudson acknowledged that since launch there have been critical feedback from fans saying Anthem “needs a more satisfying loot experience, better long-term progression, and a more fulfilling end game.” [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=every-ign-bioware-game-review&captions=true"] “Over the coming months, we will be focusing on a longer-term redesign of the experience, specifically working to reinvent the core gameplay loop with clear goals, motivating challenges and progression with meaningful rewards — while preserving the fun of flying and fighting in a vast science-fantasy setting.” To do this, Hudson says the developers at BioWare will be “doing something we’d like to have done more of the first time around — giving a focused team the time to test and iterate, focusing on gameplay first.” This is a rare admission that during the initial development of Anthem, the team wasn’t able to test and iterate features as much as they would have liked. Which would explain some of the criticisms that Anthem’s loot and progression felt shallow and undercooked. By the description, Anthem’s new development plans sound a lot like Final Fantasy 14: A Realm Reborn, a game with similar launch issues that was reworked into something almost like an entirely new game. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/02/21/anthem-review"] Anthem was released almost one year ago and the response was fairly tepid. Although many praised the core flight mechanic of the game, Anthem was unable to provide a satisfying games-as-service experience, and instead issuing several post-launch fixes and updates. The rollout for the big Cataclysm event also faced several delays. Hudson didn’t announce when the relaunch of Anthem will drop, but in the meantime, Anthem will still be supported with events, store refreshes, and past seasonal content. Check out IGN’s Anthem wiki for more of our coverage, including walkthroughs, tips, and more. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Kim is a reporter for IGN. You can reach him on Twitter.

BioWare general manager Casey Hudson announced in a new blog post that the developers at BioWare will be redesigning Anthem that will reinvent “the core gameplay loop.” The effort is meant to be a larger overhaul Anthem instead of just a series of updates and expansions. In an official BioWare blog post, Hudson thanked readers for one year of Anthem a game he says “represented a big leap into new territory for us as a studio.” Hudson acknowledged that since launch there have been critical feedback from fans saying Anthem “needs a more satisfying loot experience, better long-term progression, and a more fulfilling end game.” [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=every-ign-bioware-game-review&captions=true"] “Over the coming months, we will be focusing on a longer-term redesign of the experience, specifically working to reinvent the core gameplay loop with clear goals, motivating challenges and progression with meaningful rewards — while preserving the fun of flying and fighting in a vast science-fantasy setting.” To do this, Hudson says the developers at BioWare will be “doing something we’d like to have done more of the first time around — giving a focused team the time to test and iterate, focusing on gameplay first.” This is a rare admission that during the initial development of Anthem, the team wasn’t able to test and iterate features as much as they would have liked. Which would explain some of the criticisms that Anthem’s loot and progression felt shallow and undercooked. By the description, Anthem’s new development plans sound a lot like Final Fantasy 14: A Realm Reborn, a game with similar launch issues that was reworked into something almost like an entirely new game. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/02/21/anthem-review"] Anthem was released almost one year ago and the response was fairly tepid. Although many praised the core flight mechanic of the game, Anthem was unable to provide a satisfying games-as-service experience, and instead issuing several post-launch fixes and updates. The rollout for the big Cataclysm event also faced several delays. Hudson didn’t announce when the relaunch of Anthem will drop, but in the meantime, Anthem will still be supported with events, store refreshes, and past seasonal content. Check out IGN’s Anthem wiki for more of our coverage, including walkthroughs, tips, and more. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Kim is a reporter for IGN. You can reach him on Twitter.

Netflix has renewed Sex Education for a third season. The British comedy drama, starring Gillian Anderson, Asa Butterfield, Emma Mackey, and Ncuti Gatwa, deals with the intertwined lives of several high school students. The first season saw Butterfield's character, Otis, sneakily set up a sex clinic at school, providing advice he learns via his mother (Anderson) who works as a sex therapist. Season 2 evolved the show into a more character-led story, largely abandoning the 'case of the week' style. Season 3 looks likely to continue that trend. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=sex-education-season-2-gallery&captions=true"] Netflix's short renewal announcement states that the season goes into production this year. No release date has been set, but both season 1 and 2 aired in January in 2019 and 2020 respectively. Our review of Sex Education Season 2 said the show "stands tall with bright characters, fun performances, and an unequaled candidness about sex." Naturally, we're more than happy to see a third season. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/12/22/new-to-netflix-for-january-2020"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Purslow is IGN's UK News and Entertainment Writer. You can follow him on Twitter. 

Netflix has renewed Sex Education for a third season. The British comedy drama, starring Gillian Anderson, Asa Butterfield, Emma Mackey, and Ncuti Gatwa, deals with the intertwined lives of several high school students. The first season saw Butterfield's character, Otis, sneakily set up a sex clinic at school, providing advice he learns via his mother (Anderson) who works as a sex therapist. Season 2 evolved the show into a more character-led story, largely abandoning the 'case of the week' style. Season 3 looks likely to continue that trend. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=sex-education-season-2-gallery&captions=true"] Netflix's short renewal announcement states that the season goes into production this year. No release date has been set, but both season 1 and 2 aired in January in 2019 and 2020 respectively. Our review of Sex Education Season 2 said the show "stands tall with bright characters, fun performances, and an unequaled candidness about sex." Naturally, we're more than happy to see a third season. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/12/22/new-to-netflix-for-january-2020"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Purslow is IGN's UK News and Entertainment Writer. You can follow him on Twitter. 

WWE has confirmed that WrestleMania 37 will be hosted at the SoFi Stadium, Los Angeles in March 2021. In an official announcement on Monday, the WWE network revealed that the major sports-entertainment event would be heading to Inglewood, California on Sunday, March 28, 2021.

Lights. Camera. ACTION! #WrestleMania 37 is going Hollywood! See you next year, @SoFiStadium. https://t.co/65Lt2PZoiu

— WWE WrestleMania (@WrestleMania) February 10, 2020

"On behalf of everyone at WWE, we are excited to bring WrestleMania back to Los Angeles," said Vince McMahon, WWE Chairman & CEO. "WrestleMania will set the bar for future sports and entertainment events held at SoFi Stadium as we add this facility to the list of iconic venues that have hosted our pop-culture extravaganza." In addition to WrestleMania 37, the weeklong celebration will include Friday Night SmackDown, NXT TakeOver and Monday Night Raw at Staples Center, WrestleMania Axxess, as well as the annual WWE Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=most-devastating-finishing-moves-in-wwe-history&captions=true"] Scheduled to open in July 2020, the state-of-the-art SoFi Stadium will also host the Los Angeles Rams and Los Angeles Chargers for the 2020 NFL season, the Super Bowl LVI in February 2022 and the College Football Playoff National Championship in January 2023. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Adele Ankers is a Freelance Entertainment Journalist. You can reach her on Twitter.

WWE has confirmed that WrestleMania 37 will be hosted at the SoFi Stadium, Los Angeles in March 2021. In an official announcement on Monday, the WWE network revealed that the major sports-entertainment event would be heading to Inglewood, California on Sunday, March 28, 2021.

Lights. Camera. ACTION! #WrestleMania 37 is going Hollywood! See you next year, @SoFiStadium. https://t.co/65Lt2PZoiu

— WWE WrestleMania (@WrestleMania) February 10, 2020

"On behalf of everyone at WWE, we are excited to bring WrestleMania back to Los Angeles," said Vince McMahon, WWE Chairman & CEO. "WrestleMania will set the bar for future sports and entertainment events held at SoFi Stadium as we add this facility to the list of iconic venues that have hosted our pop-culture extravaganza." In addition to WrestleMania 37, the weeklong celebration will include Friday Night SmackDown, NXT TakeOver and Monday Night Raw at Staples Center, WrestleMania Axxess, as well as the annual WWE Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=most-devastating-finishing-moves-in-wwe-history&captions=true"] Scheduled to open in July 2020, the state-of-the-art SoFi Stadium will also host the Los Angeles Rams and Los Angeles Chargers for the 2020 NFL season, the Super Bowl LVI in February 2022 and the College Football Playoff National Championship in January 2023. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Adele Ankers is a Freelance Entertainment Journalist. You can reach her on Twitter.

A grieving mother was recently given the chance be reunited with a recreation of her deceased daughter in virtual reality. Jang Ji-sung's daughter Nayeon died in 2016 from an incurable disease at the age of seven. The video (uploaded by MBC Documentary) of Ji-sun interacting with her deceased daughter was aired as part of a South Korean documentary on February 6. The team behind the documentary spent eight months creating the VR recreation of Nayeon, reports PC Gamer. [Image Credit: MBCDocumentary. With a headset and pair of haptic gloves, Ji-sung was able to virtually play with a rendering of her daughter, and could even hear an approximation of her actual voice. In the documentary clip linked above, viewers were able to witness the emotional moment when Ji-sung was reunited with her virtually rendered daughter. The clip is around ten-minutes long, with the majority of it showing Ji-sung having a picnic in the park with Nayeon. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2017/11/30/9-unforgettable-ps-vr-experiences"] An emotional family watched on as the grieving mother spoke and played with Nayeon's VR recreation. Due to the nature of the topic, the video is difficult to watch — so please take that into consideration before viewing. Interacting with deceased loved ones is something that has yet to be fully explored yet by VR technology. Despite some concerns that it could negatively affect the grieving process, there are a handful of companies that are currently exploring VR capabilities in this area. VR technology has come a long way over the past few years, with developers being able to use it to offer experience's that other forms of media cannot. However, VR is still struggling to take off, indicated by Sony's recent closure of its first-party VR studio, which never released a game. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Andrew Smith is a freelance contributor with IGN. Follow him on Twitter @_andrewtsmith.