Polygon: All Posts by Emily Gerahttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/42931/favicon.ico2015-03-27T08:21:35-04:00https://www.polygon.com/authors/emily-gera/rss2015-03-27T08:21:35-04:002015-03-27T08:21:35-04:00Xbox One gets voice messaging this April
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<p>Xbox One systems will receive voice messaging as part of the console's April firmware update, according to further details about the patch made available by <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=teku29sYDqE" target="_blank">Microsoft </a>today.</p>
<p>This week, Xbox One dashboard preview testers will be able to test out the new voice messaging system that allows users to leave audio clips in their friends' inboxes. This feature will be made available to all Xbox One owners soon.</p>
<p>Interestingly, this will allow both Xbox One and Xbox 360 owners to exchange voice messages regardless of what platform they use.</p>
<p>Also coming in next month's update is a new What's On section for the dashboard, which will feature games and series tailored to you. Finally, dedicated servers will be made available to those struggling...</p>
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<a href="https://www.polygon.com/2015/3/27/8299207/xbox-one-gets-voice-messaging-this-april">Continue reading…</a>
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https://www.polygon.com/2015/3/27/8299207/xbox-one-gets-voice-messaging-this-aprilEmily Gera2015-03-27T05:43:20-04:002015-03-27T05:43:20-04:00Double Fine's Broken Age documentary series is now free for all
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<p>The Double Fine Adventure Documentary series, which follows the making of Kickstarter success <i><a class="sbn-auto-link" href="/game/broken-age/11344">Broken Age</a></i>, is now free for all after previously only being available to those who backed the game via the crowdfunding website in 2012.</p>
<p>As of right now 10 of the episodes in the series are available for you to watch, while the remaining episodes will be released every Tuesday and Thursday, leading up to the April 28 release of <i>Broken Age Act 2</i>. In the run-up you can have a look at the continually updated playlist <a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLIhLvue17Sd7F6pU2ByRRb0igiI-WKk3D" target="_blank">right here</a>.</p>
<p><i>Broken Age</i> began in February 2012 on Kickstarter as <i><a sl-processed="1" href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/doublefine/double-fine-adventure" target="new">Double Fine Adventure</a></i>, and Double Fine ended up raising more than $3.33 million through the crowdfunding platform. At the time, the studio planned to launch the full...</p>
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https://www.polygon.com/2015/3/27/8299023/double-fine-broken-age-documentary-is-now-freeEmily Gera2015-03-27T04:47:37-04:002015-03-27T04:47:37-04:00Dota 2 The International tickets go on sale today
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<p>Tickets to Valve's upcoming <i><a class="sbn-auto-link" href="/game/dota-2/2243">Dota 2</a></i> tournament The International go on sale today starting around 1 p.m. EDT. Find your tickets <a href="https://go.redirectingat.com?id=66960X1516586&xs=1&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ticketmaster.com%2Fthe-international-dota-2-championship-seattle-washington%2Fevent%2F0F004E74F1AD57F5%3Fartistid%3D1982004%26majorcatid%3D10005%26minorcatid%3D0&referrer=polygon.com&sref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.polygon.com%2F2015%2F3%2F27%2F8298991%2Fdota-2-the-international-tickets-go-on-sale-today" target="_blank" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener">here</a>.</p>
<p>The annual event, which is now in its fifth year, costs $99 to attend <span>—</span><span> And luckily if you miss today's ticket sales, another wave is incoming on March 27 beginning at 1 a.m. EDT. Keep in mind, last year's tournament sold out in under an hour. Likewise, d</span><span>ue to limited space, those purchasing tickets are limited to just five per household.</span></p>
<p>The International returns this year to the Key Arena in Seattle from Aug. 3-8. The main event will run a full six days, as opposed to last year's four, while Valve once again plans to feature 16 teams in championship <i>Dota 2</i> play, and says it will send team invitations "<a href="http://www.polygon.com/2015/1/7/7509921/dota-2-the-international-2015-dates-valve" target="_blank">s...</a></p>
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https://www.polygon.com/2015/3/27/8298991/dota-2-the-international-tickets-go-on-sale-todayEmily Gera2015-03-26T11:00:02-04:002015-03-26T11:00:02-04:00This free VR platform is helping universities experiment with the next frontier of tech
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<p>Twenty leading universities will receive open source virtual reality hardware dev kits as part of a new OSVR academia program, organizers of the Open Source Virtual Reality announced today.</p>
<p>OSVR is a software platform that is designed to create an open standard for VR. With the academic program, universities will be offered open-source hardware design and software framework, providing a high-fidelity, wide visual field and onboard video processing in a hackable form. Both hardware designs and software can be downloaded free of charge at the <a href="http://www.osvr.com/" target="_blank">official OSVR website</a>.</p>
<p>The creation of a standardized and open-source platform for VR is said to help to experiment with and discover new virtual reality experiences.</p>
<p>"The technologies that drive...</p>
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<a href="https://www.polygon.com/2015/3/26/8294577/osvr-free-open-source-vr-platform-academia-universities">Continue reading…</a>
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https://www.polygon.com/2015/3/26/8294577/osvr-free-open-source-vr-platform-academia-universitiesEmily Gera2015-03-26T07:50:25-04:002015-03-26T07:50:25-04:00Sony Pictures plans to make Robotech into a live-action film franchise
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<p>A live-action film franchise based on the popular science-fiction anime series Robotech<i> </i>is currently being planned by Sony Pictures, the company confirmed today after securing the rights to the animated title, <a href="http://variety.com/2015/film/news/robotech-movie-sony-tv-series-anime-1201460191/" target="_blank">Variety </a>reports.</p>
<p>According to the studio, the intention is to move "quickly toward production of a future global franchise." The upcoming film will be produced and written by the same team behind the film <i>300</i>, producers Gianni Nunnari and Mark Canton, and screenwriter Michael Gordon.</p>
<p>In a prepared statement Sony Pictures' Michael De Luca described the original Japanese series as having "a history that offers an epic love triangle, a renegade hero, and a world on the brink of extinction."</p>
<p><i>Robotech</i>, which first aired in Japan in...</p>
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<a href="https://www.polygon.com/2015/3/26/8294269/robotech-sony-pictures-film">Continue reading…</a>
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https://www.polygon.com/2015/3/26/8294269/robotech-sony-pictures-filmEmily Gera2015-03-25T09:00:02-04:002015-03-25T09:00:02-04:00BioWare offers a behind-the-scenes glimpse at the making of the next Mass Effect
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<p>BioWare cinematic director Ken Thain offered a small update on the status of the next <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="/game/mass-effect/2468"><i>Mass Effect</i></a> game with a behind-the-scenes photo of a motion capture set.</p>
<p>Thain <a href="https://twitter.com/KenThain/status/580450801610522624" target="_blank">posted the image on Twitter</a>, confirming that motion capture for the game is underway at TheCaptureLab in Vancouver, Canada.</p>
<p>Getting our motions on at TheCaptureLab in Vancouver. A very cool scene for the next #MassEffect," wrote Thain.</p>
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<p>Last year, BioWare <a sl-processed="1" target="_blank" href="http://www.polygon.com/2014/11/7/7173871/new-mass-effect-halo-4">confirmed </a>the upcoming title in the Mass Effect series will be penned by the lead writer of<i> <a sl-processed="1" href="http://www.polygon.com/game/halo-4/2204">Halo 4</a></i>; Though details of the new Mass Effect are scant. BioWare has previously said it will focus on exploration. The game<a sl-processed="1" target="_blank" href="http://www.polygon.com/2014/7/27/5942487/mass-effect-4-details-comic-con-bioware"> will also see the return</a> of the Mako, the all-terrain vehicle that players can pilot on the...</p>
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<a href="https://www.polygon.com/2015/3/25/8287755/bioware-mass-effect-4-vancouver-ken-thain">Continue reading…</a>
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https://www.polygon.com/2015/3/25/8287755/bioware-mass-effect-4-vancouver-ken-thainEmily Gera2015-03-25T07:46:35-04:002015-03-25T07:46:35-04:00Sony brings a huge update to PS4 tomorrow
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<p>A major software update coming to PlayStation 4 tomorrow will bring a number of requested features to the system that Sony says will enhance the social aspects of its console.</p>
<p>The update, which is codenamed "Yukimura," includes a new suspend/resume feature that will allow gamers to jump in and out of games quickly and pick up where they left off. The patch will also allow users to search for fellow gaming friends on Facebook and easily view what their friends are playing with the addition of a "Friends Who Play This" section on each game detail page.</p>
<p>In fact, Sony appears to be making more of a push toward social networking site integration overall. A new feature is coming tomorrow that automatically take a screenshot when a Trophy is...</p>
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<a href="https://www.polygon.com/2015/3/25/8287573/sony-brings-a-huge-update-to-ps4-tomorrow">Continue reading…</a>
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https://www.polygon.com/2015/3/25/8287573/sony-brings-a-huge-update-to-ps4-tomorrowEmily Gera2015-03-24T08:12:03-04:002015-03-24T08:12:03-04:00The Witcher 3 will have dynamic beard growth over time
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<p><i>The Witcher 3 </i>developer CD Projekt Red have included one slightly bizarre new feature to the upcoming game: Geralt's beard will grow over time.</p>
<p>In a statement made to <a href="http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2015-03-24-geralts-beard-grows-as-you-play-witcher-3" target="_blank">Eurogamer</a>, the studio's communications chief Michael Platkow-Gilewski confirmed the protagonist's facial hair has a variety of beard "states" that will triggered over time. Players can alternatively choose an unchanging style of facial hair by downloading the free <i>Beard and Hairstyle</i> DLC coming to the game.</p>
<p>"The beard grows as time passes and when Geralt moves between locations. The beard has several "states" and these states determine its length - the longest is really long but it's not Gandalf-long," Platkow-Gilewski explains.</p>
<p>"When you download the free Beard and...</p>
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<a href="https://www.polygon.com/2015/3/24/8282437/the-witcher-3-geralt-dynamic-beard-growth-over-time">Continue reading…</a>
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https://www.polygon.com/2015/3/24/8282437/the-witcher-3-geralt-dynamic-beard-growth-over-timeEmily Gera2015-03-24T07:15:39-04:002015-03-24T07:15:39-04:00Twitch Plays Pokémon finally captures every last original monster
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<p>Twitch Plays Pokemon has reached new heights of impressiveness and absurdity with all 151 original Pokemon now captured by the thousands of gamers controlling a single game of Pokemon on the streaming platform.</p>
<p>This edition of the social experiment began earlier in the year, offering a slight twist on earlier iterations. Players were tasked with working together to play a single game of <i>Pokemon Red </i>which was modified to include all original 151 Pokemon, including the rare Mew.</p>
<p>It's taken 39 days for Twitch users to capture them all. You can watch as the players get the final necessary Pokemon, Mewtwo, in the video below.</p>
<p><a style="line-height: 16px;" href="http://www.polygon.com/2014/3/25/5506594/twitch-plays-pokemon" target="_blank">Speaking with Polygon last year</a>, the stream's original creator, an Australian programmer who wishes to remain...</p>
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<a href="https://www.polygon.com/2015/3/24/8282343/twitch-plays-pokemon-151-original">Continue reading…</a>
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https://www.polygon.com/2015/3/24/8282343/twitch-plays-pokemon-151-originalEmily Gera2015-03-24T05:52:07-04:002015-03-24T05:52:07-04:00Dota 2 player recreates Valve's rejected character concept in-game
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<p><i><a class="sbn-auto-link" href="/game/dota-2/2243">Dota 2</a> </i>player MaxOfS2D has created a working model for a "failed" character concept designed by Valve, and it's pretty amazing. Take a look below.</p>
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<p>Valve first offered fans a look at rejected concept designs for the highly anticipated Faceless Void remodel over the weekend. The character remodel was offered as a compendium reward during last year's <i>Dota 2 </i>International.</p>
<p>The Valve team had quite a few re-design options to work with, including a wand-bearing dinosaur interpretation of Faceless Void and my personal favourite: Lobster Void.</p>
<p>Unfortunately Valve has strict guidelines regarding what hero creations enter the game. Heroes have to fit the game's lore, for one, so it's unlikely we'll see this Faceless Void creation anywhere...</p>
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<a href="https://www.polygon.com/2015/3/24/8282279/dota-2-player-recreates-valves-rejected-character-concept-in-game">Continue reading…</a>
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https://www.polygon.com/2015/3/24/8282279/dota-2-player-recreates-valves-rejected-character-concept-in-gameEmily Gera