Valorant wants more women and 'minority genders' competing at its highest levels.

First step towards encouraging inclusion: create a Championship and Academy that excludes the other group.

Introducing the next generation of VR on PlayStation.

Ummm... that's not an introduction, just abstract hype direct from Sony. I wonder if a competitor is about to make an announcement, but Sony wanted to be "first", even if just in form of a couple paragraphs of promises.

[EDIT] Oh, this is just an official statement to compliment an interview in GQ about PS VR.

Gran Turismo 7 delayed to 2022.

Surprising no one. It should have full VR support though...

This comment was edited on Feb 23, 2021, 13:16.

Reactor wrote on Feb 19, 2021, 19:07:
3D? No thanks.

"There will also be an option to play this in throwback 2D sprite-based mode for an experience that's even closer to the original."

eRe4s3r wrote on Feb 18, 2021, 13:41:
If think that is bad just remember that there are now less viewers in Germany thanks to the new owners of F1 kicking out free watching in Germany... now only on SKY, and I will never ever give that scummy company a single € (just to watch Mercedes winning again)

F1 is dead to me now... one year of no race watching will cure me of any lingering interest...

If you like motorsports, and want less bullshit and predictability, watch MotoGP. Perhaps the best of top-tier motorsports. If you can torrent/find last years season, it is worth it.

Risk to on-track fatality and career-ending injury provide gravitas to the competition. It has bleeding-edge technology innovations, (often) mesmerizing on-track competition in 50min races, astounding physical attrition from the riders as their injuries accumulate during the season/career, and it is a visual showcase of the mental challenges and sways in a rider's confidence from race to race. Oh, and the rain separates men from boys.

Even if you start with this upcoming season, it may be the best of the last 10 years, which is what last year was.

theyarecomingforyou wrote on Feb 18, 2021, 11:17:
Get ready for yearly instalments of games like F1... oh wait, they already do that. Match made in heaven.

This upcoming season should be a pass for the video game. The technical regulations remain largely the same because the teams voted unanimously (during COVID outbreak) to push the major overhaul to 2021. Here's a quick review from James Allison:

• New tire compounds from Pirelli
• Various aero changes to make the cars slower
• 1 Power Unit upgrade during the season, instead of 3
• Cost-cap financial regulations
• Wind tunnel & CFD access is now varied, with last place getting 20% more time than 1st, and the rest scaled between
• Circuit Zandvoort back into the calendar

It will be challenging for Codies/EA to make F1 2021 an enticing purchase, mainly because the motorsport itself could face a dull year with the Mercedes dominance unchallenged, yet again. The other team/driver changes and subsequent drama and media talking points, may be the most entertaining part of the season

I picked up F1 2020 @ 60% off as I anticipate skipping 2021. It has several quality of life updates, like adjustable camera positions of all driving perspectives and removing the most distracting visuals. Unfortunately, in my limited testing so far, the force feedback and handling seem copy&paste from years ago. Can't feel the chassis pitch, the traction near slip angle is on/off, limits of brakes/throttle seem mysteriously muted.

F1 2021 would have to offer major new additions in gaming content and features for me to consider it.

Interesting... I hope they use the HL:A style of movement (teleport) because that adds to the panic and spook of both gameplay styles.

LOC wrote on Feb 12, 2021, 11:12:

VaranDragon wrote on Feb 12, 2021, 04:59:
Now with all new 8 vs 8 focused games, because smaller is better!

From reports and "leaks" if you can call them that yet at this point, they are going way bigger this time around. No mention of exact player limits, but don't be surprised if we get 128vs128 or even higher.

I've ranted about this before with Battlefield: Bigger does not mean better. More is not merrier.

I don't want to feel like cannon fodder, a nameless foot soldier to be slaughtered easily by the enemy. I want my heroic efforts to create a hole in the defense, not a dent. I want my actions and decisions to have consequences in the match. But with the more variables added to the field, including players, you get meaningless chaos instead of consistent fun.

The gameplay of Battlefield has a limit, and imo, Bad Company 2 had the best balance of gameplay elements, level design/size, and player count.

During a time when access to information has never been more available, with the capacity to record-keep text/audio/video practically infinite, and our ability to communicate with each other is now instant... yet the truth to the reality around us still remains ambiguous.

I want to fall back into a Battlefield game, something with fun gameplay and tactical depth that is sprinkled with moments of chaos. I don't care which era.

It's probably the best bang-for-buck sim on PC because it (and the DLC) is often on sale. I think RaceDepartment is still the biggest hub for user content. The LA Canyons content offers street driving with traffic and cops, you can easily torrent it, or pay the creators.

The single player content is not very deep or enticing, and you need to find leagues to join if you want consistent online competition. But a lot of people enjoy its physics, tire modeling, and force feedback.

If anyone is looking to try sim racing, Assetto Corsa is the cheapest way to get a taste.

BTW, the "sequel" Assetto Corsa Competizione is a pure Blancpain GT simulator with NO mod support and much more robust single/multiplayer.

Yeah super popular among kids right right, with various COVID lock-downs preventing them from hanging out with friends in person.

Amazing mod community, I even bought LA Canyons!

fakespyder wrote on Feb 8, 2021, 20:50:
But I thought this guy was for the environment?

Musk wants to leave Earth for Mars, that's his shtick.

"Your have been EPICALLY pwned!!"

Squadrons is brain-melting in VR

I thought I had developed sturdy VR legs over the years... but 360* space combat is a bonkers as you can imagine

spurred by an anti-corruption drive spearheaded by the Chinese government

there's an oxymoron

Q: AMD’s LiquidVR SDK and web page haven’t been updated in 5 years...
A: ...there are no plans to update it...

annnnnnd thats a wrap, folks!

My 15 year old cousin just built her first computer, specifically for VR, having really enjoyed the experience on PS4 but left wanting more content. The pandemic has shut down her school, hanging with friends, her sports... she's desperate to 'go somewhere and do something' in the middle of winter. I suppose she's an outlier with geeky family to overcome technical hurdles of getting into PC VR, but I am sure there are lots of young people who would jump at the chance to play Minecraft or whatever with their friends in a virtual reality.

As for 3D Vision, I was never impressed. It felt my like my brain naturally took the stereoscopic screen and 'reduced' it back to 2D. After a few minutes, I just didn't see it anymore. It was like chewing gum that goes tasteless. I'm just going through the same motions. But I'll admit it was early days and I was replaying games that added support, instead of playing something new.

I would say that VR can lose that "wow" factor too, because the user becomes so immersed in the world around them. It's not a video game anymore; it's another reality.

Dude sounds like a filthy casual...

[insert Glorious PC Gaming Master Race meme]

PHJF wrote on Jan 29, 2021, 20:13:
This game is horrible. Some friends of ours encouraged us to play with them last weekend and it was just a miserable experience on every level.

Did you queue with them?

When you first play a competitive shooter like Valorant, the match making algorithm should group you with other newbs, mitigating any skill advantage. But if you queue with other people it will place you against people near their level. That can kill A LOT of the fun right off the bat.

As for the gameplay, it's a weird combo of old school Counter-Strike (loud footsteps, slow player movement, holding corners, solving the mystery of enemy locations & strategies) and hero role playing shooters like Apex or Overwatch (unique skills, nuanced advantages over other heroes, team combos of hero skills).

Personally, I don't like it either