EA’s new jobs hint at plans for VR gaming
EA hasn’t done much of anything with virtual reality so far, but that may well change soon. DICE has started hiring creatives and engineers to bring VR support to Frostbite, EA’s seemingly ubiquitous game engine. Don’t expect the developer to go all-in on immersive displays just yet. This is a “small and collaborative” team, technical director Johan Andersson says. Still, the hires could represent a big step toward bringing VR gaming into the mainstream. While you can already find VR in a few important game engines, such as Unreal Engine and Unity, EA has some of the gaming world’s biggest franchises under its belt — a VR Battlefield or sports title could give the technology broader recognition.
Via: Road To VR
Source: Frostbite, Johan Andersson (Twitter)
PlayStation VR is a few games away from being ready for prime time
The PlayStation Experience event in San Francisco this weekend is one of the biggest opportunities to date for the public to check out PlayStation VR — more than a dozen titles are on display here, including titles from Sony, Harmonix, Capcom and more. Unfortunately, it hasn’t been easy for those at the show to actually try those games out. Attendees were able to sign up ahead of time and reserve a slot to try the PlayStation VR experience, but a glitch in Sony’s database erased all those reservations, leaving a bunch of excited fans figuratively out in the cold.
‘Gigantic’ creator layoffs show that MOBA games aren’t easy
With Blizzard, Riot and seemingly everyone else making a multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) game, the field is getting pretty crowded… and unfortunately, it’s clear that some of those developers are facing greater challenges than others. Gigantic creator Motiga has revealed that it’s delaying its take on the genre to 2016, and is laying off 16 employees more than a quarter of its staff) to make this happen. This is a startup with “finite” resources, the company says, and there’s only so much it can do without letting people go. It’s no doubt a tough decision — here’s hoping that Gigantic can stand out despite the heavyweight competition, and that Motiga’s former workers land on their feet.
Via: Windows Central
Source: Motiga
Watch two minutes of remastered ‘Final Fantasy VII’ on PS4
Square Enix teased a remastered, PlayStation 4 version of Final Fantasy VII back at E3 2015 — and today we get a better look at what that remake means. Final Fantasy VII kicked off the PlayStation Experience keynote this morning, with a two-minute trailer for the remaster (embedded below) and news that the original game is available on PS4 today. There’s no word on a launch window for Final Fantasy VII on PS4 just yet.
Double Fine’s next games include a ‘Full Throttle’ remaster
Double Fine isn’t counting solely on a crowdfunded Psychonauts sequel to capture your imagination — it just unveiled a ton of new projects at Sony’s PlayStation Experience event. The highlight (at least for gamers of a certain age) is a remastered version of Full Throttle, Tim Schafer’s action/adventure classic. It’s not certain just when the motorcycle-heavy game will arrive, but it’ll be available on both the PS4 and PlayStation Vita.
Source: Twitter (PlayStation), PlayStation Blog (1), (2)
Hey, Kid: ‘Bastion’ is out on Vita today
It’s a good day to be a Vita owner. Bastion, the gorgeous 2011 isometric adventure from Supergiant Games, is out today on Vita. Sony announced Bastion‘s Vita launch during its PlayStation Experience keynote this morning. This brings Bastion‘s platforms up to seven: PC, Mac, Linux, Xbox 360, iOS, Chrome, PlayStation 4 and, now, Vita. It’s a Cross-Buy game on Sony’s platforms, meaning if you own it on PS4, you automatically get it on Vita, and vice versa. Score!
‘Ratchet & Clank’ hits PS4 on April 12th
The PlayStation 4 version of Ratchet & Clank, a mega-remaster of Insomniac’s PlayStation 2 game, lands on Sony’s new console on April 12th. That’s just before the Ratchet & Clank movie hits theaters on April 29th. Ratchet & Clank on PS4 is more than a simple visual upgrade: It’s a completely new game based on the PS2 version, with an expanded story, more planets to explore, new weapons, fresh controls and other goodies.
Music shooter ‘Rez’ is coming to PlayStation VR
Sony has a ton of PlayStation VR content lined up at its PlayStation Experience gathering, but there’s a truly special title in that mix: a modern version of Rez. The upcoming Rez Infinite will bring immersive visuals to the legendary (and borderline hallucinogenic) music shooter, including 3D audio and brisk 60 frames per second gameplay at 1080p. There’s a whole new area, too, which will help tackle gripes that the original was too short. There’s no word on a ship date, but it’s safe to say this is good news if the game’s mix of iconic graphics and memorable dance tracks (Adam Freeland’s “Mind Killer,” anyone?) is still etched in your brain.
Source: PlayStation (Twitter)
‘Destiny’ will add a hovercraft racing competition next week
If you’re searching for a new way to play Destiny, Bungie and Activision have PlayStation owners covered. Starting on December 8th, Destiny: The Taken King owners can participate in the Sparrow Racing League. It’s a competitive race on the game’s Sparrow hovercrafts against friends or strangers alike, and from the quick video we just saw at the PlayStation Experience event in San Francisco, it should be a good time. If you’re a fan of F–Zero, Wipeout 2048 or any of the other many similar games out there, the Sparrow Racing League will likely scratch that same itch.
‘Gears of War’ studio is making a MOBA for PS4 and PC
Epic Games, the studio best known for the Gears of War franchise, is building Paragon, a new multiplayer shooter for the PlayStation 4 and PC. It’s a MOBA (multiplayer online battle arena), meaning its gameplay is reminiscent of titles like League of Legends, Smite or Dota — two teams of five players fighting for control of a single map. Paragon includes a card-collecting aspect, too, because if you’re going to make a game that appeals to a large online audience (Hearthstone, anyone?), it might as well have all the bells and whistles. Paragon enters open beta on PS4 and PC in summer 2016, followed by a paid “early access” launch in early spring. Epic announced Paragon during today’s PlayStation Experience keynote address.
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