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‘Persona,’ ‘God of War’ named among year’s best concept art
While the E3 show floor might be a loud, raucous place where game publishers flaunt their vast wealth with gigantic booths, the show's Into the Pixel event is something altogether different. It's an intimate gallery-like setting where concept art from titles large and small is given the treatment it deserves before being shrunk down and put into a hastily assembled art book for a game's special edition. This year, Into the Pixel will feature works from titles including God of War, Persona 5, Homo Machina and Afterparty. If you like what you see, the works will be auctioned on eBay next week during the show.
The most eye-catching cars and tech from NAIAS 2018 in Detroit
The North American International Auto Show's press and industry preview week is winding down, but the show is far from over. Next week the NAIAS opens to the public and if can't make it to the Mitten State yourself but still want a peek at what's tucked inside Detroit's Cobo Center, we've got you covered. HoloLens and VR? Check. A Chevy pick-up with snowmobile treads for tires? Mhrm. Same goes for a Mercedes G-Class Wagon trapped inside a brick of "amber" resin. Hell, we even got the Michelin Man to flex his muscles for a photo. There's a lot to see, so kick back, pour yourself a frosty beverage and peep the slideshow below on the biggest monitor available.
17 corporate pranks that aren't April Fooling anybody
It's (ugh) that time of year again. That magically obnoxious season wherein every tech startup, thought influencer and blog worth its weight in snark attempts to pull a fast one on the rest of us with a clever April Fool's Day prank. Only problem is, they're rarely clever, usually terrible and almost assuredly obvious to anyone with a functioning brainstem. Don't believe me? Here are 17 of the weirdest prank pitches to come through the Engadget tip box this year.
After Math: Weird science
It's been a strange week for the scientific arts. The speed of light might not be as stable as we thought, carbon nanotubes have been used to freeze boiling water, a bunch of schoolkids recreated a $750 compound for $25 and the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology has decided that it doesn't believe in climate change. Numbers, because how else will we know how fast the Earth is warming?
GDC will host its own video game art gallery next year
E3 has the Into the Pixel art gallery for video game concept art, and now the annual Game Developers Conference is trying its hand at one. Called "Art Boss," it's a collaboration with the folks at iam8bit and will feature not just concept art (a la Into the Pixel), but production art, in-game stuff like textures and even promo materials. Another way this differs from Into the Pixel is that each artist will have a headshot and a bio alongside their submitted work -- the E3 gallery typically just lists the artist's name, game a piece came from and the studio responsible. Further on the artist-forward note, there isn't an entry fee for submitting a piece, either.
The VR reading library Oculus hid at its developer conference
Oculus' annual developer conference serves as a touchstone for its community; a time to see how far virtual reality has come in the last year and to inspire, motivate and help developers build the VR experiences of tomorrow. Most of that comes in the form of announcements, panels and software showcases, but in the media demo rooms, the VR company hid dense sources for inspiration in plain sight. Stacked just above the TV in at each demo station was a small collection of books -- all of them about either games, game development or the effect of virtual reality on our culture.
Virtual art gallery mimics and defies reality
Digital artists don't typically have many choices for where they can exhibit their work: they either have to ground their pieces in the real world or else put it in a fantastical virtual space that may be a little too strange. Cameron Buckley and Daniel Smith may have struck a better balance, though. Their Paper-Thin gallery is meticulously designed to look like a real building, but lets artists run wild within the spaces they get. It's theoretically a best-of-both-worlds approach -- you can explore creative new concepts without feeling lost.
Motorola's Chicago flagship store is the antithesis of an Apple store
Motorola has exactly one retail store, and it's located in the heart of Chicago's downtown Loop district. I happened to be in the area recently and stopped by on a Friday afternoon before its grand opening. As I found, it is, in many ways, the antithesis of an Apple store. Whereas Cupertino's retail locations feel cold, sterile and a little disconnected, Moto's outpost is warm and welcoming, with an earthy décor and smiling staff at every turn. It's outfitted with bright colors, wood panels and leather accents, while devices like the Moto X, G, E and 360 share display space with plants. What's more, the store encourages you to drop its handsets on the floor to prove how durable they are. Given all this, it's a wonder the company doesn't plan to open any more stores outside its home city.
The After Math: You've got to see this
What a week it's been for entertainment news on the internet! Netflix's first theatrical release, Beasts of No Nation, is racking up views; the NFL's first live-streamed game, which debuted on Yahoo!, was reasonably well-received; and we learned something new about our friend, the chameleon. And now for some numbers.
A time capsule of ridiculous video game box art
Nostalgia is a weird, powerful thing. It's the force of nature that resurrected Captain EO at Walt Disney World and turned a children's cartoon about living robot cars into a blockbuster movie franchise. For me, it's also the reason I collect video game packaging from the 1980s and '90s. It feels silly, coveting a glorified advertisement designed to sell Nintendo games, but I can't help myself: A lot of these boxes are minor works of art. Don't believe me? Check it out: a full gallery of NES-era game boxes with deliciously over-the top plot descriptions, fantastic pulp artwork and even the occasional free-pizza coupon. Have a favorite retro game box of your own? Tell me all about it in the comments section below.
The gorgeous faces and stunning cinematography of 'Until Dawn'
The PlayStation 4's latest exclusive Until Dawn is absolutely stunning visually. In particular? Its faces. By using 3D performance capture techniques that include strapping an HD camera rig to actor's heads (including Hayden Panettiere and Peter Stormare) to grab practically every minute detail and expression, the characters come to life in a pretty realistic fashion. What's really cool is that oftentimes once you let the DualShock 4 sit idle for a moment, the camera will zoom in on the face of whichever of the randy teens you're controlling. If motion controls are enabled, you can tilt the gamepad this way and that and the possibly doomed cabeza will follow suit accordingly. It's pretty neat!
These are our favorite video game soundtracks
Music can tame the most savage beast, but when you're slinking around a cargo ship as a super spy, playing cowboy or making your way toward a massive mountain in the distance, sometimes you don't want calm. You want dirty, wistful or haunting tracks to fit the action onscreen. The best video game scores stick with you long after you turn the TV off, though, and that's what we want to highlight here. We're pretty big fans of how they've progressed throughout the years from simple beeps and boops to full-blown symphonic masterpieces that've traveled through concert halls around the world. Just below you'll find the scores the Engadget Gaming crew's most fond of and one that we don't particularly care for but felt like calling attention to anyhow. Have a favorite of your own that didn't make the list? Hit the comments below.
These were E3 2015's best games
E3 is (thankfully) over, and that means the press that cover the event have recently cast their votes for what they thought were the best games from the show. You know those blurbs on box art saying "winner of over 90 awards" and the like? This is partly where they come from. Collectively known as The Game Critics Awards, the governing body for them is made up of staff from over 30 editorial outlets, including Engadget, that attended gaming's Paris Fashion Week. For a game to even be up for consideration though, it has to be playable -- a stage demo or non-interactive trailer won't cut it. What's it mean for you? In the end, a better idea about what it's like to actually play the biggest games from E3, because we got to go hands-on with them. Without further ado, the winners are in the gallery below. Spoiler: Fallout 4 was pretty successful.
NASA's iconic images are now easier to find
NASA has just launched a mega photo library that masses more than 70 different collections together, with 138,000-plus images in total. Created by an archiving company called Luna Imaging, it includes plenty of famous photos from sources like Hubble, JPL and the Apollo missions. There are also wonderful and crazy images dating back as far as the early 20th century showing things like early rocketry attempts and pre-Gemini space suits. The whole thing is searchable by archive, year, mission and other keywords.
E3's 'Into the Pixel' celebrates video games as art
I've been checking out Into the Pixel since my first E3. Seeing video game concept art in a gallery setting is an excellent way to unwind and get a minute or two of respite from the madness of the show floor. It's also a chance to appreciate the downright beautiful art in a format that isn't just a rote, diminutive art book that comes with the "special edition" of a video game. In the video below, Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences president Martin Rae explains what Into the Pixel is and we take a bit of a tour through the space. The standout piece this year? It's from Far Cry 4 and right above this text.
WildStar launches the Protogames Initiative
WildStar players have fought off the machinations of the Entity, the depravities of their enemy faction, and the vicious wildlife of Nexus. Yet they've never had to face the centerpiece of the newest patch, the Protostar Corporation. Admittedly, taking part in the all-new Protogames isn't quite the same as taking on an ancient evil, but the two new dungeons added with this patch are both meant to test player abilities, with a low-level run through Protogames Academy conveying gameplay concepts while the Ultimate Protogames provide an assortment of new challenges. Not that there aren't plenty of other things for players to experience as well. The patch also contains new housing options, allowing you to edit the terrain of your home, and the character chop shop to let you re-edit facial details and the like. Players can also take on a brand-new Shiphand mission or run the Veteran difficulties of existing Shiphand missions, earning valuable Renown to take to the new Renown vendor. There's plenty to be done with the latest patch, so get in there and enjoy the games.
One Shots: Shroud of the Santa
Well, this pleases me like punch: One Shots' very first Shroud of the Avatar screenshot submission! I recall thinking that this indie MMO looked so much better than I previously thought when I got my hands on it last August, so I'm glad to see Massively readers going on a photo safari in it. Reader JohnD is responsible for this unusual sight: "Here is a shot of Johanis Lolar, who is busy adventuring. I'm not sure his Santa cap helps him blend, but he's doing his best." I always like to assume that Santa spends his off-season lurking in weeds and ambushing stray travelers with presents, so this picture plays into that fantasy. What? I'm normal; my parents had me tested.
One Shots: Haiku edition
Believe it or not, I have been listening to you guys in the comments, and I know that there's been an ongoing desire for One Shots to provide the full-size pictures that are otherwise shrunk by our size limitations. So I'm happy to announce that starting this week, I'm including a gallery at the end of the column that will allow you to pull up larger screenshots if so desired. A few weeks ago I issued a screenshot challenge for folks to send in a haiku poem in addition to their picture. A select few of you did, starting with this striking pose from Final Fantasy XIV by reader Wolfyseyes: Facing this challenge One thought repeats in my mind: Please, please, please don't suck
One Shots: Christmas leftovers
You guys! Even though Christmas is well and over, you're still sending me wonderful screenshot presents! I'm blushing. I don't even know what to say other than, "You rock! Also, no butt pictures!" Our first non-posterior shot is from reader Jake, who braved the heart of a volcano for this vista: "Here's a picture of my Dracolyte in Trove after having finished a really cool dungeon that took me down into the depths of a volcano. After a while, you start to see similar dungeon types repeated, but this was a new one for me. I kept expecting to see a conflicted hobbit contemplating a ring as I descended the volcano, but alas, nothing but lava beetles and an ember dragon." What will we find when we descend into the rest of our player-submitted screenshots for this week? Hopefully more than lava beetles!
Final Fantasy previews dungeons and plans maintenance for patch 2.5
The last pre-expansion patch for Final Fantasy XIV is going to be a big one. So big, in fact, that the game is dropping 12 hours of maintenance for the first part. Servers will go down at 6:00 p.m. EST on January 19th before coming back online at 6:00 a.m. EST on January 20th. As always, exact completion time is subject to change. If you missed yesterday's trailer, you can get an idea of some of the fuss by checking out today's dungeon preview, which shows off the Keeper of the Lake, Amdapor Keep (Hard), Wanderer's Palace (Hard), and the World of Darkness. While the exact item level requirements for these dungeons are hidden, it is clear that the Keeper of the Lake will once again be part of the main scenario quests like Snowcloak was in patch 2.4. So get ready to fight a dragon corpse, slaughter various voidsent, and most importantly rescue a whole lot of far-less-rancorous Tonberries.
