Oculus’ Touch controllers priced at £190 in the UK
If you still haven’t figured out why the Oculus Rift sells for a solid $200 less than HTC’s Vive, let this be the final word: it’s the motion controllers. According to a display in a GAME store in the UK (found by our very own Nick Summers), Oculus’ virtual reality motion controllers will retail for £190, or just over $200 after deducting local UK taxes. That’s expensive, but not at all unexpected — if that price holds across the pond, it puts the cost of a room-scale Oculus Rift kit on equal ground with HTC’s $800 Vive.
Oculus Touch controllers to cost £190 in the UK. Crikey. pic.twitter.com/zg9JTNiCg8
— Nick Summers (@nisummers) September 20, 2016
As daunting as that total price is, it’s sort of the going rate for immersive, room-scale VR. We’re still in first generation of high-end consumer virtual reality, and first-gen hardware is always expensive. Even so, we’ve reached out to Oculus for confirmation on the listed UK price and if the $200 projection will carry over to the US market — but don’t expect a forthcoming revelation. The company is probably holding that announcement for Oculus Connect, next month.
Source: Twitter
Curt Schilling to repay a fraction of $75 million game loan
The saga of former Boston Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling’s 38 Studios, the state of Rhode Island and an awful lot of money might finally be over. At the end of July, it was announced that 38 Studios wouldn’t face criminal charges for a failed $75 million loan for Project Copernicus, a massively multiplayer online game set in the Kingdoms of Amalur universe. Now, Schilling and his compatriots only have to pay $2.5 million to settle the lawsuit out of court, according to the Associated Press.
One bit about the settlement agreement: It says that the defendants “deny liability and the settlement is not to be construed as an admission of liability by any of them.” This is important because Schilling has stressed time and again that he didn’t do anything wrong — that it was Rhode Island’s fault for how everything went pear shaped. It probably also helps insulate his story of being financially drained after filing bankruptcy in 2012.
The AP says that this settlement will pay back bonds, but that the state’s taxpayers still are in the hole over $28 million on the deal. How will the rest of that shake out? Only time (and civil suits) will tell.
Via: Ars Technica
Source: Associated Press
Sega harnesses nostalgia to sell you ‘Sonic Mania’
Ever since, uh, 1995, it’s been a hard few years for Sonic The Hedgehog fans as we’re promised a new game that’ll remedy all those past transgressions. In order to commemorate the original’s 25th anniversary, Sega is launching Sonic Mania, a new title that reimagines levels from the first (and best) four games in the series. But that’s not the only thing that Sega is reimagining, which you’ll see if you take a look at the commercial that’s being used to pimp the collector’s edition box set.
The clip above is a gentle tribute to a commercial for Sonic 2 that aired way back in 1993, when Sega’s marketing was the best in town. As GameInformer rightly points out, Sega is hoping that the nostalgia factor will coax back gamers who’ve been burned by so many bad Sonic titles post Sonic & Knuckles. Still, it’s nice to be transported back to a time when we argued over the merits of Blast Processing versus Mode 7, if only for a moment.
Via: GameInformer
Source: Sonic Mania
Pokémon chief says Nintendo’s NX is both handheld and console
The head of The Pokémon Company has let slip that his outfit is working on a pocketable monster title for Nintendo’s NX. Given that TPC is part-owned by the Japanese gaming giant, he’s probably seen the new handheld/console/tablet hybrid up close and personal. The Wall Street Journal quotes Tsunekazu Ishihara as saying that “the NX is trying to change the concept of what it means to be a home console device or a hand-held device.”
Like the fable of the blind men holding an elephant, there’s been a lot of conflicting reports about what the NX will be. At this point, it looks like the device will be some sort of handheld device that has a TV component, or the other way around. Given that Nintendo has already developed a tablet-based console which, you know, didn’t do so well, it’s enough to be concerned about history repeating.
Our own Sean Buckley has gone deep into what Nintendo’s NX could look like, and how it would work up close and personal. His feeling is that the device will operate like Razer’s old Edge tablet, with hardware controls (and a TV link) at home, detaching to offer a lesser experience while out and about.
Ishihara, the naughty tease, declined to mention anything about the Nintendo NX, or when Pokémon NX would land. He did mention, however, that the obscure, niche mobile title Pokémon Go, has sent sales of related titles and merchandise through the roof. In addition, plans are underway to bring Go to China and South Korea, where mapping still needs to be enhanced.
Source: WSJ
Nike and EA bring back 1994 with 16-bit soccer shoes
Every year since 1994, EA Sports has added a new game to its FIFA video game line-up. Next week marks the release of FIFA 17, its 24th instalment, and to celebrate, the company has teamed up with Nike to create a limited edition Mercurial Superfly cleat (or boot if you speak the Queen’s English). According to Nike, these slick soccer shoes chart the advancements of the game over the past two decades — nerdy they are not.
The EA Sports x Nike Mercurial boots are bright orange and feature graphics that transition from a pixelated 16-bit design on one side to a high-definition pattern on the other. There’s an EA Sports logo on the sock, lace and heel, and the Nike swoosh has been given the pixelation treatment too. To complete the look, the bottom plate has been given an iridescent golden finish.
The good news is that you’ll be able to grab the new EA Sports x Nike Mercurial Superflys in one of two ways. The first is a virtual unlock, which requires you to reach level seven in the EA Sports Football Club Catalog offered inside FIFA 17. The company will also make 1,500 pairs available via the Nike Football App and Nike website on September 26th.
Source: Nike
League of Legends’ creators made a board game
Riot Games is best known for League of Legends and now the developer-publisher is pushing into board games. Mechs Vs. Minions is the studio’s debut effort, and it features miniatures, a modular board system, dice, a custom sand timer (think an hourglass, but on a smaller scale), quest cards and an overarching story. In addition to all that, there’s a physically large mystery item locked away in the box, according to a feature article from Polygon.
“It’s easily the most expensive piece in the game,” producer Chris Cantrell says. He’d really like it if people held off on opening it until they’re asked to do so over the course of a game, especially since the team made a point for it to not be the center of its marketing campaign. But, honestly, would you and three friends be able to resist?
Lucky for you, you don’t have long to devise an answer to that question: Mechs Vs. Minions will be available on October 13th — directly from Riot — for $75. Hopefully you won’t be too busy with PlayStation VR to order a copy.
Source: Polygon
Next ‘GTA Online’ expansion will make a biker out of you
Motorcycle gangs aren’t exactly new ground for Grand Theft Auto, sure, but GTA Online will play host to the one percenters in the future. The refreshingly conservatively named “Bikers” expansion will add eight-player gangs, “a massive slate of new competitive and co-op gameplay,” new properties to buy and a bunch of new bikes, according to a post on Rockstar Newswire.
And what’s a biker gang without tattoos and colors? Rockstar promises those in addition to “high-level, high-risk vehicle based business ventures” as well. The only bit missing? A release window. But that probably isn’t far off. Meanwhile, you could always fire up the GTA IV expansion “The Lost and the Damned” to kill some time and see a digital Congressman’s flaccid phallus.
Source: Rockstar Newswire
What’s on your HDTV: ‘Labyrinth’ 4K, ‘NBA 2K17,’ ‘Mr. Robot’
Welcome to your fall TV season. Now we get to say things like “Lucifer got a second season?” and “Dr. Ken is still on? Good for them!” There’s a slew of returning series and all-new shows, including Kiefer Sutherland as not-Jack Bauer in Designated Survivor, as well as a Macgyver reboot. It’s also time for the season finale of (Emmy Award-winning) Mr. Robot, just as Amazon brings back its Emmy-winning series Transparent for a third run.
On Blu-ray we’re looking at the Ultra HD Blu-ray release of Labyrinth. Gamers have a lot of choices to make, as NBA 2K17 becomes widely available, Destiny adds its Rise of Iron DLC, Firewatch comes to Xbox One and Forza Horizon 3 opens up to some pre-orderers on Friday. Look after the break to check out each day’s highlights, including trailers and let us know what you think (or what we missed).
Blu-ray & Games & Streaming
- Labyrinth (30th Anniversary Edition) (4K)
- Beauty and the Beast (25th Anniversary Edition)
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows (3D)
- Neighbors 2
- Free State of Jones
- High Noon
- Blood Simple (Criterion)
- It
- Salem’s Lot
- Cat’s Eye
- The Thing
- NBA 2K17 (PC, PS3, Xbox 360, PS4, Xbox One)
- Destiny: Rise of Iron DLC (Xbox One, PS4)
- Dear Esther (PS4, Xbox One)
- LASTFIGHT (PS4, Xbox One)
- H1Z1 (PC)
- Batman: The Telltale Series Episode 2 (PC, PS4, Xbox One)
- Killer Instinct: Definitive Edition (Xbox One)
- Firewatch (Xbox One)
- Severed (Wii U)
Monday
- Monday Night Football: Eagles vs. Bears, ESPN, 8:15PM
- The Big Bang theory (season premiere), CBS, 8PM
- Gotham (season premiere), Fox, 8PM
- Three Days of Terror: The Charlie Hebdo Attacks, HBO, 8PM
- The Voice (season premiere), NBC, 8PM
- Dancing With the Stars, ABC, 8PM
- Sacred Sites, Smithsonian Channel, 8PM
- WWE Raw, USA, 8PM
- X Factor UK, Axs, 8PM
- Kevin Can Wait (series premiere), CBS, 8:30PM
- The Case of: Jon Benet Ramsey Part 2 of 2, CBS, 9PM
- Lucifer (season premiere), Fox, 9PM
- The Good Place (series premiere), NBC, 10PM
- Mary + Jane, MTV, 10PM
- Match Game (season finale), ABC, 10PM
- Catfish, MTV, 10PM
- Cheer Squad, Freeform, 10PM
- Sacred Steel, Discovery, 10PM
- Major Crimes, TNT, 10PM
- Loosely Exactly Nicole, MTV, 10:30PM
- Full Frontal with Samantha Bee, TBS, 10:30PM
- StarTalk (season premiere), National Geographic Channel, 11PM
Tuesday
- Brooklyn Nine-nine (season premiere), Fox, 8PM
- NCIS (season premiere), CBS, 8PM
- The Voice, NBC, 8PM
- 16 for ’16: Dean/Buchanan, PBS, 8PM
- WWE Smackdown, USA, 8PM
- Big Brother, CBS, 8PM
- Undrafted, NFL Network, 8PM
- New Girl (season premiere), Fox, 8:30PM
- Bull (series premiere), CBS, 9PM
- Scream Queens (season premiere), Fox, 9PM
- Inside the NFL, Showtime 9PM
- Deadliest Catch: Dungeon Cove, Discovery, 9PM
- From Dusk till Dawn, El Rey, 9PM
- Forged in Fire, History, 9PM
- MadTV, CW, 9PM
- Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (season premiere), ABC, 10PM
- NCIS: NO (season premiere), CBS, 10PM
- This is Us (series premiere), NBC, 10PM
- Black Market, Viceland, 10PM
- Atlanta, FX, 10PM
- A Season with Florida State Football, Showtime, 10PM
- Adam Ruins Everything, TruTV, 10PM
- One Shot, BET, 10PM
Wednesday
- Blindspot, NBC, 10PM
- The Goldbergs (season premiere), ABC, 8PM
- Penn & Teller: Fool Us, CW, 8PM
- Lethal Weapon (series premiere), Fox, 8PM
- Survivor (season premiere), CBS, 8PM
- The Timeline, NFL Network, 8PM
- Forces of Nature, PBS, 8PM
- Speechless (series premiere), ABC, 8:30PM
- Empire (season premiere), Fox, 9PM
- Modern Family (season premiere), ABC, 9PM
- Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (season premiere), NBC, 9PM
- Dual Survival, Discovery, 9PM
- Whose Line is it Anyway?, CW, 9PM
- America’s Got Talent, NBC, 9PM
- Big Brother (season finale), CBS, 9:30PM
- Black-ish (season premiere), ABC, 9:30PM
- Designated Survivor (series premiere), ABC, 10PM
- Chicago PD (season premiere), NBC, 10PM
- You’re the Worst, FXX, 10PM
- Catfish, MTV, 10PM
- Mr. Robot (season finale), USA, 10PM
- American Horror Story FX, 10PM
- South Park, Comedy Central, 10PM
- Still Alive, Discovery, 10PM
- Weediquette, Viceland, 10PM
- Any Given Wednesday with Bill Simmons, HBO, 10PM
- American Gothic, CBS, 10PM
- Gaycation, Viceland, 10:30PM
- Legends of Chamberlain Heights, Comedy Central, 10:30PM
- Unlocking the Truth, MTV, 11PM
- Falling Water: Special Preview, USA, 11PM
Thursday
- Easy (S1), Netflix, 3AM
- Texans/Patriots football, CBS, 8:25PM
- Grey’s Anatomy (season premiere), ABC, 8PM
- Superstore (season premiere), NBC, 8PM
- Rosewood (season premiere), Fox, 8PM
- The Good Place, NBC, 8:30PM
- Pitch (series premiere), Fox, 9PM
- Chicago Med (season premiere), NBC, 9PM
- Notorious (series premiere), ABC, 9PM
- The Blacklist (season premiere), NBC, 10PM
- How to Get Away With Murder (season premiere), ABC, 10PM
- Better Things, FX, 10PM
- Wonderland, MTV, 11PM
Friday
- Longmire (S5), Netflix, 3AM
- Audrie & Daisy, Netflix, 3AM
- Iliza Schlesinger: Confirmed Kills, Netflix, 3AM
- Transparent (S3), Amazon Prime, 3AM
- Macgyver (series premiere), CBS, 8PM
- Last Man Standing (season premiere), ABC, 8PM
- Masters of Illusion, CW, 8PM
- Dr. Ken (season premiere), ABC, 8:30PM
- A Football Life: Rodney Harrison, 9PM
- The Exorcist (series premiere), Fox, 9PM
- Hawaii Five-0 (season premiere), CBS, 9PM
- Shark Tank (season premiere), ABC, 9PM
- Z Nation, Syfy, 9PM
- Van Helsing (series premiere), Syfy, 10 & 11PM
- Quarry, Cinemax, 10PM
- Blue Bloods (season premiere), CBs, 10PM
- High Maintenance, HBO, 11PM
- The Eric Andre Show, Cartoon Network, 12AM
- The Half Hour: Erik Heller/Erik Bergstrom, Comedy Central, 12AM
Saturday
- Baylor/Oklahoma State college football, Fox, 7PM
- Gringo: The Dangerous Life of John McAfee, Showtime, 9PM
Sunday
- Bears/Cowboys Sunday Night Football, NBC, 8:20PM
- Bob’s Burgers (season premiere), Fox, 7:30PM
- Once Upon a Time (season premiere), ABC, 8PM
- Poldark (season premiere), PBS, 8PM
- The Simpsons (season premiere), Fox, 8PM
- The Circus: Inside the Greatest Political Show on Earth, Showtime, 8PM
- Son of Zorn (series premiere), Fox, 8:30PM
- NCIS:LA (season premiere), CBS, 8:30PM
- Power (season finale), Starz, 9PM
- Family Guy (season premiere), Fox, 9PM
- Secrets & Lies (season premiere), ABC, 9PM
- Fear the Walking Dead, AMC, 9PM
- Quantico (season premiere), ABC, 10PM
- Masters of Sex, Showtime, 10PM
- Ballers (season finale), HBO, 10PM
- The Strain, FX, 10PM
- Survivor’s Remorse (season finale), Starz, 10PM
- Motive (season finale), USA, 11PM
- Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, HBO, 11:15PM
- Geeking Out, AMC, 11:59PM
(All times listed are ET)
Microsoft’s ‘Project Scorpio’ games will run in native 4K
You’d be forgiven for doubting that Microsoft’s Project Scorpio could really deliver on the promise of 4K gaming. Most PlayStation 4 Pro games won’t run in true 4K, and the current wave of 4K-capable PC video cards cost more than whole consoles. However, Microsoft vows that there won’t be any trickery involved with its own titles. In an interview with USA Today, the company’s Shannon Loftis says that all first-party games arriving “in the Scorpio time frame” will run in native 4K — you’ll have at least a few games to show what your new TV can do.
Loftis doesn’t say which games those are, although that isn’t surprising when Scorpio is roughly a year away. All the same, the 4K commitment could be crucial to giving the new Xbox hardware a strong start. Even if many third-party games resort to upscaling instead of real 4K, you’ll have some incentive to buy the new system. It won’t necessarily make you forget about the PS4 Pro (game selection, as always, is a crucial factor), but it might just tempt you to upgrade from an original Xbox One instead of holding out a little while longer.
Via: GamesRadar
Source: USA Today
Gamers beat scientists to making a protein discovery
It’s no great shock to see citizen scientists make discoveries that professionals miss, but making it through a video game? That’s different. Gamers playing Foldit, a puzzle title that has teams trying to fold the best protein, have identified the shape of a protein before scientists (including two trained experts and 61 University of Michigan undergrads) could manage the feat. And it’s not as if there were legions of contributors, either, as it took a relatively modest 469 players to help out.
The protein in question may be particularly significant. It prevents plaque formation, hinting that it might help fight Alzheimer’s if and when the medical community develops a practical use for it.
The achievement underscores the primary advantage of crowdsourced research: you can foster the kind of large-scale collaboration that would be utterly impractical for academics. At the same time, though, it may also demonstrate the value of adding a game element to scientific education. Paper co-author Scott Horowitz notes that Foldit players were quick to learn about proteins “because it’s fun,” while students take “weeks and weeks” of lectures to wrap their heads around the same concept. It’s easy to see more studies turned into games going forward — it could save scientists some valuable time.
Source: University of Michigan, Nature, Foldit
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