Gaming
Oculus launches online Concepts store for early access to games
Oculus and Samsung partnered up last year to launch the Gear VR, and today they started shipping the newest edition of the virtual reality headset and launched a new platform within the Oculus Store. With a few Gear VR games and apps already available in the same store, launching Concepts is a bonus for those who really want to experience virtual reality from the ground up. Oculus Concepts is essentially a platform where VR game developers can upload their Gear VR games before completion, so that users can test them and give feedback.
That being said, paying $100 to get the new Gear VR from the Oculus store seems much more interesting. With early access to new games and apps and the chance to experience how VR content is made from the ground up is an interesting opportunity, even for casual users. There’s a lot of investment involved in the Gear VR, because it only works with newer Samsung Galaxy handsets, which are rather expensive exceeding $500 unlocked.
However, the Oculus Concepts store offers an additional reason why early adopters and VR fans would consider buying into the ecosystem. To truly experience games to the max with Gear VR, besides the phone, VR headset and Oculus store prices you pay, you should also consider getting a Bluetooth controller or gamepad. But the games and the experience might be worth it to you with the early access Oculus Concepts offers.
Testing VR games and monitoring their progress and development by being part of the feedback process can be fun and rewarding at the same time. Developers and gamers can work together to create games that fascinate and offer immersive experiences that can be unique to Gear VR. Starting today, developers and Samsung Gear VR owners can access Oculus Concepts and start collaborating within virtual reality.
Developers can begin submitting Gear VR games to the Concepts store, while U.S. customers should be receiving the first shipments of the virtual reality headset. International preorders are also going to be opened, so early adopters from around the world can join in the fun. Provided their wallets are up for the task. The Concepts store is pretty neat, but I’m still not sure anyone except Galaxy S6 owners would feel rewarded with the Gear VR headset.
Consoles
To keep Apex Legends running for an additional “10 to 15 years,” Respawn opens a third studio
Apex Legends developer Respawn has created a third studio in order to keep the popular battle royale genre running for another “10 to 15 years”. Madison, Wisconsin is where the new studio is situated.
This third studio (the first two being headquartered in Los Angeles and Vancouver) will largely focus on Apex Legends in order to ensure a continuous and, most importantly, sustainable production pipeline. It may, however, contribute to other Respawn products in the future. Ryan Burnett, who previously served as director of engine production at Epic Games and had a distinguished 14-year career at Raven Software, the Call of Duty Studio, will serve as the studio’s head.
Senior VP of operations at Respawn, Daniel Suarez, claims in-depth in an interview with GamesIndustry.biz that “Because we intend to stick with this for the long haul, team health is unquestionably a top priority for us. We’re eager to see Apex become a franchise that endures for ten, fifteen, or more years because we think it will. We can’t just accomplish everything at once, exhaust ourselves, and be unprepared to do it over the long run.”
Consistency (as well as adequate production runway) are essential to make Apex Legends’ 90-day turnaround for new seasons of content realistic. Suarez observes that the introduction of new characters to the game takes a lot longer than you might anticipate “It takes us between a year and a year and a half to become proficient in a Legend. We are therefore making preparations well in advance.”
Only a few weeks ago, parent company EA fired more than 200 Apex Legends quality assurance testers in an impromptu Zoom call, raising concerns among some fans about the game’s future.
Do you support Respawn’s decision to open a third studio? Do you believe Apex Legends will still be around in 15 years?
Kingdom Eighties, a micro-strategy game coming out for the PS5 in 2023, is a loving tribute to that legendary time period.Eighties will be a stand-alone novel like earlier books in the Kingdom series, such as Two Crowns or New Lands.
You take on the role of the leader, a camp counselor tasked with protecting the village against enigmatic creatures known as greed. Bike around the neighborhood with youngsters like The Champ, The Tinkerer, and The Wiz, who will support you in combat and each contribute something unique to the table while doing your best Stranger Things impressions.
Your thoughts about Kingdom Eighties Have you played any of the other Kingdom games?
Just now, another great update for PS Plus Extra and PS Plus Premium came out.There are 17 titles in all that are available for these higher membership tiers in March, which is a wonderful collection that should have something for everyone. In Europe, these games are now available for download on the PS5 and PS4, and they will soon be released in North America.
Here is a list of everything included as a reminder:
PS Plus Extra: March 2023
- Tchia (PS5, PS4) | Review
- Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection (PS5) | Review
- Immortals Fenyx Rising (PS5, PS4) | Review
- Rainbow Six Extraction (PS5, PS4) | Review
- Ghostwire: Tokyo (PS5) | Review
- Life is Strange True Colors (PS5, PS4) | Review
- Life is Strange 2 (PS4) | Review
- Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot (PS4) | Review
- Street Fighter V Champion Edition (PS4) | Review
- Untitled Goose Game (PS4) | Review
- Final Fantasy Type-0 HD (PS4) | Review
- RAGE 2 (PS4) | Review
- NEO: The World Ends With You (PS4) | Review
- Haven (PS5, PS4) | Review
PS Plus Premium: March 2023
- Ridge Racer Type 4 (PS1) | Review
- Ape Academy 2 (PSP)
- Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror (PSP)
Tchia, an independent open-world adventure, debuts on PlayStation Plus Extra on the first day of this month. In addition to everything else mentioned above, members will also have access to this endearing new game. The three classic games mentioned above are also available to PS Plus Premium subscribers. Both Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror and Ape Academy 2 provide a set of trophies, which is always a welcome extra.
According to our most recent poll, the majority of you are happy with the new games and oldies that were added to the catalog this month, and we don’t blame you. It’s a fantastic choice. With these more recent membership tiers, Sony seems to be finding its footing after a somewhat poor start.
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