Top Story
Nintendo tease new Switch ‘belt’ peripheral with September 12 reveal
Nintendo has just revealed a “first look at a new experience” involving a bunch of smiling, happy families and friends doing something while holding what looks like some kind of Switch motion controller shaped like a belt or ring.
The video shows people getting very physical while playing some unseen games, with no indication of exactly what’s going on. Maybe it’s Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020?
It’s weird and goofy – Nintendo’s signature design
The players are running on the spot, stretching, squatting, balancing, apparently driving and definitely pretending to fire a bow and arrow. Looks like Nintendo wants us to get into shape! Could it be Switch Fit or Switch Sports?
There’s also a strap for attaching a JoyCon controller to your leg, while the other one is slotted into the weird belt controller. The belt is flexible, and it appears possible to squeez and manipulate it quite roughly without fear of breaking it. Is it a full-body input device? No idea, but it looks like you’ll break a sweat. We’ll know more about this new experience on September 12th
Time For A Quick Daily Quiz?
Which of these games did Gears of War: Judgment developer People Can Fly NOT work on?
- Gears of War 4
- Painkiller
- Fortnite
- Bulletstorm
The answer will be revealed at the end of this issue!
News Bits
Fairy Tail manga becomes RPG for PC and consoles in 2020
The popular Fairy Tail manga by Hiro Mashima is getting adapted once again, this time for PC, PlayStation 4 and Switch. Various Fairy Tail games have been released for PlayStation Portable, mobile and web browser, but now it’s finally getting a proper AAA console RPG treatment, courtesy of Koei Tecmo and GUST Studios.
Community-made tool ‘imports games’ from rivals into Steam
The number of different stores and platforms available for PC means running a bunch of different launchers, and it can be confusing. Fortunately, the community-made SteamGridDB Manager allows you to import games from Origin, Uplay, Epic Games Launcher, Battle.net and GOG Galaxy into your Steam library, with the added benefit of enabling Big Picture mode, the Steam Overlay, the Steam Input API and last but not least, In-Home Streaming.
Daily Fact
George A. Romero made a live-action Resident Evil commercial
Horror icon George A. Romero was actually tipped to direct the live-action Resident Evil movies at one time, having already directed a live-action TV commercial for Resident Evil 2. However that is as close as he would get because it would eventually go to Paul W.S. Anderson and the creation of ‘Alice’ who doesn’t exist outside the films in the Resident Evil universe.
Also, before Leon S. Kennedy makes it into Raccoon City in Resident Evil 2 he should have been in civilian clothes as it was intended for him to change into his RCPD uniform. This poignant scene was designed to show Leon’s “determination to protect both the city and his principles” but a problem with the CG kept it from ever making it into the game. I guess he never really cared after all. RIP Raccoon City.
VR Corner
Star Wars Mods for Blade & Sorcery
Blade & Sorcery, the Early Access medieval fantasy sandbox, now features Star Wars mods. ‘The Outer Rim’ is a mod that adds lightsabers and blasters as well as waves of Sith and Jedi to fight against. The mod also features telekinesis powers, enabling players to move objects using The Force.
Blade & Sorcery is available on Steam and the Oculus Store, and supports the Valve Index, HTC Vive, Oculus Rift and Windows Mixed Reality headsets.
Gearbox Software confirm Borderlands 2 VR is coming to PC this winter
Gearbox Software, the developers behind the massively popular Borderlands series, has confirmed that Borderlands 2 VR will arrive on PC this winter. Borderlands 2 VR launched on PlayStation VR back in December 2018, earning a modest 72 on review aggregator website Metacritic.
It looks like the biggest complaint about Borderlands 2 VR – the lack of a multiplayer/cooperative mode – has not been addressed for the PC version. Publisher 2K Games has not confirmed whether the game will be available on Steam, which has gamers worried since Borderlands 3 is an Epic Games Store exclusive.
Taking ‘seated VR experiences’ to a new level
If you’re one of the unlucky people who love playing VR games but suffers from motion sickness, you know how annoying it is when you quite playing because you literally feel nauseous. But your wobbly guts may soon be calmed by the VRGO Mini – a disc-shaped device that you … sit on.
Recently launched on Kickstarter, the VRGO Mini allows you to traverse virtual worlds by tilting the disc in the direction that you want to go – essentially putting the left thumbstick on a controller under your butt. Featuring haptics and a cushioned seat, the VRGO Mini can be placed on most chairs and connects to VR setups using Bluetooth. Promising low latency and a more comfortable experience for players who can’t get on with existing VR setups, this is certainly something to keep an eye on.
With 20 days left to go on Kickstarter, the VRGO Mini already smashed its £20,000 goal and is estimated to be delivered in March 2020.
Ones to watch: September 2019
September holds a lot of promise for VR releases, so here’s a quick rundown of some of our most anticipated titles.
Groundhog Day: Like Father Like Son is due to release on September 17th on the Vive and Rift. If you’re looking for a pirate-themed combat title, Battlewake is sailing onto the Vive and Rift on September 10th. For those interested in the BBC’s favourite Time Lord, Doctor Who: The Edge of Time is arriving on Vive, Oculus and PSVR sometime in September.
Finally, Espire 1: VR Operative, an upcoming stealth game that has been compared to Metal Gear Solid, is set to release on September 24th, so you’ll be able to grab this on Oculus, Vive, Index, PSVR or Windows Mixed Reality by the end of the month.