Added: 09.03.2015 7:46 | 7 views | 0 comments

1. You’ll Create The Best Mario Level You’ve Ever Played

Nintendo’s inviting you to design your own Mario levels in the upcoming Mario Maker for Wii U. Just imagine: You can spell out the phrase “Suck it haters” with floating tiles of piranha plants.

2. Virtual Reality Hits the Mainstream

After years of buzz, the consumer model of the Oculus Rift will finally hit in 2015. The dawn of the techno dystopia has never seemed more appealing.

3. Fighting Games Rise From the Grave

Every few years someone declares the fighting genre dead, and then some awesome new game resurrects the scene once again. Street Fighter V and Mortal Kombat X arrive this year, and they both look vicious and absolutely vital.

4. Halo Gets Its Act Together

343 Industries shipped The Master Chief Collection with a host of bugs. But to give the devil his due, they weren’t the original developers for those games. Halo 5: Guardians is their baby, so here’s hoping they can deliver.

5. Zelda Finally Goes Open World

“Give us an open world like the first game!” That’s been the constant refrain of fans for the past two decades. This year, Nintendo aims to deliver with their most ambitious title yet. Finally, HD Zelda like you’ve always dreamed.

6. The Great JRPG Renaissance Begins

Where are all the new JRPGs? Well, between a new Xenoblade on the Wii U, and the desperately anticipated Persona 5, two heavy hitting franchises from Japan will release their most impressive entries yet. Relief is on the way!

7. Indie Games Continue to Innovate

Some of the biggest surprises each year come from the smaller studios that work tirelessly to deliver a personal vision. This year we’ll see Cuphead, Firewatch, The Witness, Inside, Hotline Miami 2, Adrift, and many more.

8. Media Molecule Has a Huge Surprise Up Its Sleeve

The company that brought us Little Big Planet and Tearaway has been working on a secret, unannounced game. Their PS4 tech demo showed promise back in 2013. Whatever they’re cooking up, we know it will be creatively unique.

9. Old Classics Will Become Easier to Play

Current offerings for retro games may be paltry, but signs point to more a robust selection throughout 2015. The Wii U recently launched downloads of Wii titles, and Sony’s PS Now will gain steam by year’s end.

10. Handheld Gaming Reaches Its Perfect Pinnacle

For the 3DS and the Vita, the later years in a console’s life usually sees the maturation of the system, along with its best games. Example A: Axiom Verge will absolutely (probably) kick ass.

11. Mirror’s Edge 2 Is Maybe Coming out

We’re getting a sequel to everyone’s favorite rebellious roof top runner! But it’s about more than just one great game. It’s emblematic that publishers are still willing to take risks on inventive experiences in 2015. Have Faith.

12. Two Brand New Nintendo IPs Excite Everyone

Just when you couldn’t stomach the idea of a 25th (!) Kirby game, Nintendo unveiled a pair of promisingly original games. The squad shooter Splatoon and the steampunk themed Code Name S.T.E.A.M. hit this year. Weird Nintendo is back!

13. The Variety of Voices in Games Has Grown More Diverse

While everyone loves to complain about the era of the YouTube Superstar, the medium can only benefit from a growing group of enthusiasts and archivists. Add Patreon and podcasts in the mix, and the culture of games is as lively as ever.

Added: 09.03.2015 6:18 | 6 views | 0 comments


Ryan Gan of SideQuesting writes: "After trying the latest version of the Oculus Rift at PAX East and its impressive demo, our outlook towards VR is more positive than ever. Hands-on impressions with the device."

Added: 08.03.2015 13:19 | 0 views | 0 comments


ClutchVR is a simulator that uses the Oculus Rift and aims to change the way people learn how to drive. The virtual cars will be modeled on real-life cars and they use actual laws of physics for a realistic feel.

Added: 06.03.2015 8:09 | 15 views | 0 comments


VRFocus- The 2015 Game Developers Conference (GDC) might well be remembered as the true starting point for the virtual reality (VR) race. While Oculus VR brought its Oculus Rift head-mounted display (HMD) to the show, Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE) provided an impressive update on its Project Morpheus kit and Valve showcased the HTC Vive. Oculus VR is yet to comment on the latter of these two devices, but the companys John Carmack recently tried Project Morpheus and seemingly came away impressed.

Added: 06.03.2015 1:01 | 0 views | 0 comments

Valve has experimented with virtual reality for years, but the is the first anyone outside the company and its tight-knit circles have seen of its efforts. It's an impressive piece of kit, featuring a high-res, independent display for each eye, and a chassis that's packed with sensors to monitor your movements so that they can be replicated in VR. It's a great VR headset, but so are the Oculus Rift and Sony Morpheus, which have seen great improvements over the last year. Yet, after my demo during GDC this week, I can say one thing with certainty: Valve has taken the lead in the VR arms race.

VR isn't just about the headset, because for a VR system to work its magic, it needs to account for more than just what you see and where your head is. For a VR experience to truly shine, you need to be able to move and interact with your surroundings. Granted, I've experienced these capabilities on both Oculus Rift and Morpheus, but Valve's solution to these problems is far and away the best yet.

Valve set me up in an empty room about 15' x 15' in size. I was handed a belt in order to secure the Vive's cables to my waist, rather than having them pull down on the headset as I moved around the room. The Vive was placed on my head, and for a moment, I stared at a white landscape with pillars surrounding me, bobbing slightly in place. I began to walk around, and the pillars moved out of my way. Then the person running the demo told me to look down. There were one-handed, virtual controllers on either side of me. When he told me to grab them, I did so with ease, because they were exactly where my brain expected them to be.

Similar to Sony's Move controllers, Valve's prototype VR controller features positional tracking, but that's where the similarities end. It's closer to a Wii nunchuck than a Move controller, just larger and flatter. Where you would find the analog stick on a Wii nunchuck, Valve has placed a large touch-sensitive pad on the front, a trigger in the back, and two buttons on either side that you activate by tightening your grip on the controller. They're comfortable and simple; everything a controller should be.

Valve's VR demos aren't a far cry from what I've seen before, but the hardware component coupled with the small touches in the demos was what sold me. I was able to move in a relatively large area and explore my surroundings, intuitively interact with objects, fall into a trance as I created color and shapes out of thin air, and revel in my ineptitude as I floundered in the world of robots and AI. Yes, the HTC Vive is a great VR headset, and Valve's controllers felt great, but it's the marriage of all of that tech with thoughtfully designed software that really sold me on Valve's flavor of VR. Valve has a reputation as the PC gamer's company, which is probably because they listen to their users and respond in line. If they manage to deliver what I experienced today before any of the competition catches up, both on a hardware and software level, it's going to be hard for anyone, Oculus or otherwise, to topple the current king of the hill.

Added: 06.03.2015 1:01 | 1 views | 0 comments

Valve has experimented with virtual reality for years, but the is the first anyone outside the company and its tight-knit circles have seen of its efforts. It's an impressive piece of kit, featuring a high-res, independent display for each eye, and a chassis that's packed with sensors to monitor your movements so that they can be replicated in VR. It's a great VR headset, but so are the Oculus Rift and Sony Morpheus, which have seen great improvements over the last year. Yet, after my demo during GDC this week, I can say one thing with certainty: Valve has taken the lead in the VR arms race.

VR isn't just about the headset, because for a VR system to work its magic, it needs to account for more than just what you see and where your head is. For a VR experience to truly shine, you need to be able to move and interact with your surroundings. Granted, I've experienced these capabilities on both Oculus Rift and Morpheus, but Valve's solution to these problems is far and away the best yet.

Valve set me up in an empty room about 15' x 15' in size. I was handed a belt in order to secure the Vive's cables to my waist, rather than having them pull down on the headset as I moved around the room. The Vive was placed on my head, and for a moment, I stared at a white landscape with pillars surrounding me, bobbing slightly in place. I began to walk around, and the pillars moved out of my way. Then the person running the demo told me to look down. There were one-handed, virtual controllers on either side of me. When he told me to grab them, I did so with ease, because they were exactly where my brain expected them to be.

Similar to Sony's Move controllers, Valve's prototype VR controller features positional tracking, but that's where the similarities end. It's closer to a Wii nunchuck than a Move controller, just larger and flatter. Where you would find the analog stick on a Wii nunchuck, Valve has placed a large touch-sensitive pad on the front, a trigger in the back, and two buttons on either side that you activate by tightening your grip on the controller. They're comfortable and simple; everything a controller should be.

Valve's VR demos aren't a far cry from what I've seen before, but the hardware component coupled with the small touches in the demos was what sold me. I was able to move in a relatively large area and explore my surroundings, intuitively interact with objects, fall into a trance as I created color and shapes out of thin air, and revel in my ineptitude as I floundered in the world of robots and AI. Yes, the HTC Vive is a great VR headset, and Valve's controllers felt great, but it's the marriage of all of that tech with thoughtfully designed software that really sold me on Valve's flavor of VR. Valve has a reputation as the PC gamer's company, which is probably because they listen to their users and respond in line. If they manage to deliver what I experienced today before any of the competition catches up, both on a hardware and software level, it's going to be hard for anyone, Oculus or otherwise, to topple the current king of the hill.