Gadgets
Everest VR Game Collaborates With The Royal Geographical Society
Virtual Reality is rapidly becoming more main stream, and there are several devices on the market that can provide these unique experiences. From silly party games to psychological thrillers, developers in many genres have taken advantage of the new technology and the breadth of content available is ever expanding. In 2016, Sólfar Studios, an Icelandic developer, released a virtual reality experience that gave users the ability to experience the breathtaking sights a climber would see while scaling the world’s tallest peak: Mount Everest.
Sólfar Studios was not content with providing a single VR experience and have since expanded the educational properties of their product by adding in “18 historical expedition routes into a real-time 3D map of the mountain that participants can follow at their own pace and traverse the mountain at scales ranging from 1:1 to 1500:1 metres.” World-famous expeditions are present in the pack, such as the 1953 trek that resulted in Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay becoming the first climbers to reach the peak.
Further demonstrating their commitment to education and bringing the experience of scaling the world’s largest mountain to more worldwide, Sólfar Studios has donated their Virtual Reality game to the Royal Geographical Society where it has earned a place as part of their Everest Collection.
In a press statement, Kjartan Pierre Emilsson, co-founder and CEO of Sólfar Studios, elaborated on their mission for the game:
“As we became familiar with the work of the Society, and the wonderful collection of photographs held in their Everest Collection, we set out to include photographs from the 1953 Expedition within our VR experience such that viewers could gain a stronger appreciation of the setting for this historical moment in mankind’s urge to explore the unknown. The unique ability of VR to transport us to impossible places is something we strongly believe in and we’re deeply honoured that the Society feels VR has this potential to support their mission.”
This donation is meant to enhance the society’s contemporary educational and charitable work in promoting awareness of the Everest collection. Schools, public audiences, academic, and research communities will be able to use Everest VR to immerse themselves in Everest, both as it is in the present and historically.
Buy Everest VR on Steam for $14.99 here.
Despite Microsoft’s acquisition of Bethesda, The Elder Scrolls 6 was not confirmed as an Xbox exclusive a few months ago. This happened because Xbox executive Phil Spencer indicated that target platforms hadn’t been selected yet, but it always felt like he was talking about the game being years away rather than the RPG being on PlayStation.
If you’re still holding out, Microsoft plans to release The Elder Scrolls 6 just on Xbox and PC. Documents from the company’s FTC lawsuit were recently released. In the document, Bethesda’s announced titles (both as a publisher and developer) are listed, and The Elder Scrolls 6 is listed for Xbox, PC, and nothing else.
We expected this, but The Elder Scrolls 6 was announced before Microsoft acquired its developer. The Elder Scrolls is a beloved franchise that’s been on various platforms for generations, so this isn’t Starfield.
However, the game isn’t due until 2026 at the earliest, according to the paper, and who knows what the gaming landscape will be like then.
Xbox CEO Phil Spencer’s mid-2020 dystopian email suggests the business was interested in buying Warner Bros Interactive and Bethesda. Even more alarming, the CEO calls buying Nintendo a “career moment” and “good for both companies” — and there are even rumors that Microsoft was interested in Valve.
While Spencer warns that acquiring Nintendo would be “hostile action” but “playing the long game”, the unprecedented corporate convergence is shockingly casual. He added: “Nintendo is taking a long time to realize their future is off their hardware. A long time… He even ended the chat with a smiling emoji to make it look more evil.
Spencer claims that Warner Bros Interactive was “gettable” when Microsoft was rumored to acquire it. He adds that “we wouldn’t own any of the IP which hurts long-term flexibility”. Because most Warner Bros Interactive developers work on franchises like Batman, Harry Potter, and others, the studios are worth little without the brands.
The email is over three years old, but it reveals Microsoft’s blasé approach to acquisitions and its goals. While its eventual acquisition of Activision Blizzard may have changed its plans, this leaked exchange suggests that Microsoft will not stop until it has absorbed as much of the industry as possible, even targeting Nintendo.
Jedi: Fallen Order and Jedi: Survivor director Stig Asmussen is leaving Respawn Entertainment for unknown reasons. Asmussen had planned a trilogy for Cal Kestis, but it appears another author will need to write it.
Bloomberg reports that an EA spokesperson said: “Stig Asmussen has left Respawn to pursue other adventures, and we wish him the best. Veteran Respawn leaders will lead Star Wars Jedi: Survivor.”
This move is surprising, but Asmussen leaves on a high note. Jedi: Survivor is a great game despite its performance issues, which is rare for a Star Wars game. We’ll see where Asmussen goes, but we’re excited.
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