Game 315: July 3, 2020the Initials Game

• Game 315: July 3 2020 The Initials Game On Computer
• Game 315: July 3 2020 The Initials Game On Saturday

Work on the Interpretation Centre of the Quli Qutb Heritage Park has come to a grinding halt following a ruling by the Telangana State Waqf Tribunal. The tribunal gave a temporary injunction on. Iron Man VR will fly onto PS4 this July 3, according to the official PlayStation Twitter account. The VR title will drop just in time for Independence Day, a fitting time for Tony Stark to show. Jul 03, 2020 July 3, 2020 The Cleveland Browns elevated two offensive players from the practice squad to the active roster for Sunday's AFC divisional round game in Kansas City. Offensive tackle Alex Taylor and tight end Kyle Markway were elevated to face the Chiefs.

It appears the battle to get rid of the name of the Washington NFL team is on its way to being over.

Finally.

It’s taken decades of fighting and pressure on Redskins owners including Dan Snyder to change the name, and on Friday, under new pressure (we’ll get to that), the team announced that they “will undergo a thorough review of the team’s name. This review formalizes the initial discussions the team has been having with the league in recent weeks.”

So how did we get to this place after all this time? Let’s look back at some key dates from the past near-century:

1933: The football team in Boston gets its name

Owner George Preston Marshall wanted to make sure people weren’t confusing the franchise with baseball’s Boston Braves.

1937: The Redskins move to Washington DC

1992: A rally before Super Bowl XXVI draws more than 2,000 protesters calling for a name change

There had been some calls for the change in the preceding decades. But this was a visible moment.

From the Washington Post:

The director of the American Indian Movement today called Washington Redskins owner Jack Kent Cooke and NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue “racists” before a rally of more than 2,000 outside the Metrodome, site of Super Bowl XXVI.

“We say to Jack Kent Cooke,” Vernon Bellecourt added, “this is 1992. The name of your football team has got to be changed.” To other teams with Indian nicknames and to fans who support them, he warned: “No more chicken feathers. . . . No more paint on faces. The chop stops here.”

2013: Snyder says the team name will “NEVER” change

From USA TODAY Sports:

“We will never change the name of the team,” Snyder told USA TODAY Sports this week. “As a lifelong Redskins fan, and I think that the Redskins fans understand the great tradition and what it’s all about and what it means, so we feel pretty fortunate to be just working on next season.”

What if his football team loses an ongoing federal trademark lawsuit? Would he consider changing it then?

“We’ll never change the name,” he said. “It’s that simple. NEVER — you can use caps.”

2013: The fight to get the name changed gets momentum

From CNN:

“We are asking the NFL to stop using a racial slur as the name of Washington’s football team,” said Oneida Indian Nation Representative Ray Halbritter.

The “Change the Mascot” campaign launched last month with a string of radio ads airing in Washington and cities where the Redskins play this season.

And then there was this in that same year from President Barack Obama:

2014: 50 senators call for the team to change the name

2016: A Washington Post survey of Native Americans reveals nine in 10 aren’t offended by the name

It was a victory for Snyder at the time.

2020: The Redskins participate in Blackout Tuesday and Rep. Aexandria Ocasio-Cortez responds

2020: FedEx — which sponsors the name of the team’s stadium — formally asks for the franchise to change its name

Also: Nike removed gear from its website:

2020: The Redskins make their announcement

Marvel's Iron Man VR is a virtual realityshooter video game developed by American studios Camouflaj and Darkwind Media and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment for the PlayStation 4's PlayStation VR headset. It is based on the Marvel Comics superhero Iron Man,^[1] and is inspired by the long-running comic book mythology and adaptations in other media. The game's story revolves around Iron Man's conflict with a mysterious computer hacker and terrorist known only as Ghost, who targets Tony Stark and his company while seeking revenge for the deaths caused by the weapons the company manufactured prior to Stark becoming Iron Man.

Gameplay is presented from a first-person perspective, calling on the player to navigate the game's virtual space by using the flying mechanics and weapon systems of the Iron Man armor to attack enemies primarily in aerial combat across several environments. Iron Man can freely navigate the different environments in the game accessed through a linear progression of different levels, interacting with characters, undertaking missions, and unlocking new armor upgrades by progressing through the main story or completing challenge modes outside of the story.

After a series of delays and a disruption in the game's production caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the game was released for PlayStation VR on July 3, 2020. The game received 'mixed or average' reviews according to review aggregator Metacritic.^[2]

Gameplay[edit]

Iron Man VR is an aerial shooter played from a first-person perspective, taking place across various global locales as Iron Man attempts to thwart his enemy Ghost and the various combat drones she employs to bring ruin to Tony Stark and his company. As a virtual reality game, it is played from a first-person perspective, employing the use of one PlayStation Move controller in each of the player's hands to allow control of Iron Man's palm-mounted repulsor weapons and flight stabilizers. Based on hand and head positioning of the PlayStation VR headset and Move controllers, the player can freely fly around the game's various environments in order to attack combat drones while also interacting with elements of the game map in order to do things like deactivate explosives, repair broken items or put out fires.

Environments can be navigated freely as opposed to employing elements of rail shooting, with the player in total control of roaming each game map by use of the Iron Man armor. The player uses the weapon systems of the armor including the repulsors and various auxiliary weapons (such as small missiles or larger-scale explosives) to defeat enemies, and can also employ melee attacks that are given additional power through the use of the armor's jet propulsion systems. Successful completion of missions earns the player up to five 'research points' based on their received score-based star rating, which can then be used to purchase upgrades to the Iron Man armor that can be crafted and installed in Tony Stark's garage between missions. The upgrades can augment the capabilities of the Iron Man armor while also adding new auxiliary weapons that have different effectiveness in different combat scenarios, and the player can create and choose between two different armor loadouts while in the garage featuring different upgrades and armor shaders ('decos').

Cutscenes which progress the story are also presented from the first-person perspective, allowing the player to interact with objects and look around freely while story material is taking place around them. Challenge modes consist of racing and combat-based exercises taking place through the game's pre-existing environments, giving the player an additional opportunity to earn research points they can use to upgrade the armor.

Synopsis[edit]

Characters and setting[edit]

Iron Man VR features an ensemble cast of characters drawn from the history of Iron Man and Avengers comics. Tony Stark (voiced by Josh Keaton) is a billionaire industrialist and weapons manufacturer who became a superhero after a life-changing experience, wherein he was captured and held hostage by terrorists in Afghanistan. With help from fellow captive Ho Yinsen, he built the first iteration of the Iron Man armor and managed to escape his captors, but failed to save Yinsen, who was killed during the escape. After his return to the United States, Stark turned his life around; he announced that his company, Stark Industries, would stop manufacturing weapons, and revealed himself as the superhero Iron Man.

The events of the game take place five years after Stark first became Iron Man. By this point, he has established himself as a world-renowned hero. Stark is aided in his endeavors by the recently appointed Stark Industries CEO Virgina 'Pepper' Potts (Jennifer Hale), and his sentient A.I. assistant F.R.I.D.A.Y. (Leila Birch). The game features another A.I. called 'the Gunsmith' (also voiced by Keaton), which was made in Stark's image and used to assist him in designing weapons before he became Iron Man. Throughout the game, Iron Man's adventures bring him into contact with several supporting characters, including S.H.I.E.L.D. Director Nick Fury (Ike Amadi) and Deputy Director Maria Hill (Ali Hillis); Stark's relationship with Fury was strained after the former stopped supplying S.H.I.E.L.D. with weapons, but the two nonetheless respect and admire each other. Iron Man also comes into conflict with supervillains including Ghost (Chantelle Barry) and the Living Laser (Leonardo Nam).

Iron Man VR depicts fictional locations and entities adapted from both the Marvel Comics Universe and the Marvel Cinematic Universe, including a Stark Tower based in Shanghai, Tony Stark's beachfront home in Malibu, and a S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier (described as Stark's final project before Stark Industries stopped manufacturing weapons). There are also in-game references to Iron Man being a member of the Avengers, including blueprints of Stark Tower's transformation into the Avengers Tower that the player can find. The downtown Shangai level features advertisements for other fictional companies in the Marvel Universe, such as the Roxxon Energy Corporation and Advanced Idea Mechanics. Oscorp can also be seen in-game, and the loading screens offer information on the company's background, revealing that it was founded by both Norman Osborn and Otto Octavius (which matches the story of Oscorp's foundation in Marvel's Spider-Man).

Plot[edit]

Shortly after revealing himself to the world as the superhero Iron Man, Tony Stark decides to fully move on from his former life as a weapons dealer by deactivating the 'Gunsmith,' an A.I. modeled after him that was designed to assist Stark with manufacturing weapons and planning out battle tactics. While breaking the news to the Gunsmith, Stark reveals that the A.I.'s 'retirement' will consist of 'full internet privileges' and that his consciousness will continue to exist.

Five years later, Stark has cemented himself as a world-renowned hero and member of the Avengers, having walked away entirely from weapons manufacturing, much to the dismay of S.H.I.E.L.D. Director Nick Fury. After appointing his former assistant Pepper Potts as the new CEO of Stark Industries—now a clean energy company—Stark is attacked aboard a company jet by a mysterious computer hacker known as 'Ghost,' who uses a tech suit that allows her to fly and to phase in and out of solid matter. Ghost blames Stark for all the deaths caused by his weapons over the years and attempts to exact revenge by reviving a series of Stark-manufactured combat drones and having them attack Stark Industries' assets across the globe. Blindsided by the effectiveness of Ghost's initial attack, a desperate Stark reactivates the Gunsmith due to his instrumental role in designing the drones now used by Ghost, much to the dismay of his current A.I. assistant F.R.I.D.A.Y., who has been modeled to exemplify Stark's new, more heroic aspirations and goals.

After the Stark Tower in Shanghai is attacked, Iron Man races there to find Ghost waiting for him, who expresses her desire to seek justice for 'Tim Shung,' a name that neither Stark nor F.R.I.D.A.Y. recognize. When Iron Man is overwhelmed by Ghost's drones, the Gunsmith revives his powerful unibeam weapon, allowing him to destroy them. Meanwhile, Ghost's attacks catch the attention of S.H.I.E.L.D., and Fury calls Stark to the Helicarrier to offer intel on her, just as Ghost attacks, but is driven off by Iron Man and the S.H.I.E.L.D. personnel. Stark then learns that a former disgruntled Stark Industries employee named Arthur Parks has been revived by Ghost and provided with laser armor technology to assist her in her vendetta against Stark.

Ghost later attacks Stark's home in Malibu, prompting the Gunsmith to employ orbital satellites to destroy her contingent of drones, while causing a massive amount of collateral damage. F.R.I.D.A.Y. leaves in protest of Tony's continued association with the Gunsmith, whom she sees as embodying the dangerous impulses of his former, pre-heroic lifestyle. After tracking Parks, now calling himself the 'Living Laser,' and Ghost to a Roxxon facility in Kazakhstan, Iron Man defeats them both, but the Gunsmith commandeers his armor to kill Ghost against Stark's wishes. He resists and subsequently fires the Gunsmith, while Ghost escapes during the chaos.

Stark returns home to find F.R.I.D.A.Y. who reassures him and refocuses him on the mission at-hand. After the Living Laser launches a solo attack on the S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier, Iron Man defeats him and discovers the location of the base he and Ghost have been using: the same cave in Afghanistan where Stark built his first Iron Man armor to escape from his terrorist captors. Returning to the cave and finding the original armor still inside, Iron Man is attacked by Ghost, who forcefully removes the arc reactor keeping him alive from his chest. As Stark struggles through a 'trial' Ghost has planned, he learns that she was orphaned as a child by an attack involving Stark weapons, and that her desire for revenge led her to correspond online with a faceless Stark Industries employee: Tim Shung. In her eyes, Shung was a hero and a whistleblower who selflessly revealed the extent of Stark's criminality before allegedly being killed by the company. F.R.I.D.A.Y. helps recover the arc reactor and Iron Man defeats Ghost, who is subsequently imprisoned on the S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier.

Later, Stark and Pepper realize that 'Tim Shung' is an anagram for 'Gunsmith,' who reveals himself that he used Ghost's vendetta against Stark to achieve his own goal: have Stark Industries produce weapons again, believing the world was safer with Stark weapons on the market. Realizing he cannot go up against Gunsmith using his regular armor that the rogue A.I. has access to, Stark retrofits the newly recovered Mark I armor and returns to his home to fight the Gunsmith. There, he reluctantly allies himself with an escaped Ghost, who manages to go through an impenetrable barrier surrounding the mansion erected by the Gunsmith. Using the information that Ghost finds about the A.I.'s weaknesses, Iron Man eliminates a giant construct of the Gunsmith wearing an advanced version of his armor. With the Gunsmith defeated, Ghost ends her temporary truce with Stark and departs.

Months later, Iron Man and Pepper—now in her own Rescue armor—are called into space by Nick Fury to examine a S.H.I.E.L.D. orbital satellite that has become suspiciously unresponsive.

Development[edit]

The game was revealed on March 25, 2019 during SIE's first 'State of Play' online presentation. The game features a new suit for Iron Man, referred to as the 'Impulse Armor,' designed by comic book artist Adi Granov.^[3] Granov became closely associated with Iron Man after serving as the artist on the 'Extremis' story arc released in 2005–2006,^[4] and has since contributed design work to the first Iron Man feature film.^[5] Granov previously collaborated with Marvel Games on a new costume featured in Marvel's Spider-Man.^[6]

On April 2, 2020, the developer announced that the game would be delayed indefinitely due to the COVID-19 pandemic.^[7] On May 12, the game was announced to be released on July 3.^[8]

Release[edit]

Iron Man VR was released worldwide on July 3, 2020, exclusively for PlayStation VR. Customers who pre-ordered the game were given instant access to some unlockable, in-game features, including an exclusive theme for the PlayStation 4 dashboard as well as instant unlocks for four shaders of the game's rendition of the Iron Man armor, referred to as 'decos.' The decos included with the pre-order include 'origin armor' (inspired by the metallic look of the original Iron Man armor as seen in the character's first appearance^[9]), 'vintage armor' (based on the character's 'classic' design introduced in 1976^[10]), 'silver centurion armor' (based on the design popularized in the 'Armor Wars' story^[11]), and 'ultraviolet armor' (an original creation designed by game developer Camouflaj).

Game 315: July 3 2020 The Initials Game On Computer

The game also released a 'digital deluxe edition,' which featured another custom PlayStation 4 dashboard theme, the full soundtrack of the game, 12 instantly unlocked research points to use in upgrading the armor in-game, as well as four additional custom armor decos. These include 'golden Avenger armor' (an all-gold color variation which debuted in an early appearance,^[12] and which persisted into early issues of The Avengers^[13]), 'black centurion armor' (based on the design which debuted during the Marvel NOW! comics relaunch^[14]), 'sun stinger armor' (based on a design appearing in The Invincible Iron Man^[15]), and 'stealth armor' (based on the armor depicted in a late 1981 issue of the character's ongoing series^[16]).

Game 315: July 3 2020 The Initials Game On Saturday

Reception[edit]

It was nominated for Best VR/AR at The Game Awards 2020.^[17]

References[edit]

1. ^Romano, Sal (March 25, 2019). 'Sony and Camouflaj announce Marvel's Iron Man VR for PlayStation VR'. Gematsu. Retrieved March 25, 2019.
2. ^'Marvel's Iron Man VR'. Metacritic. July 6, 2020.
3. ^Payton, Ryan (March 25, 2019). 'Camouflaj Teams with Sony Interactive Entertainment and Marvel Games to deliver the ultimate Iron Man fantasy in VR'. PlayStation Blog. Retrieved March 25, 2019.
4. ^Ellis, Warren (w). Iron Man v4, 1 (January 2005), Marvel Comics
5. ^Furey, Emmett (May 21, 2008). 'VIVA LAS VEGAS: Granov talks Iron Man'. Comic Book Resources.
6. ^Gordon, Rob (July 19, 2018). 'Spider-Man PS4 Reveals First Look at Velocity Suit at Comic-Con'. Screen Rant. Archived from the original on July 21, 2018. Retrieved May 14, 2019.
7. ^McWhertor, Michael (April 2, 2020). 'Sony delays The Last of Us Part 2 and Iron Man VR 'until further notice''. Polygon. Retrieved April 2, 2020.
8. ^Watts, Steve (May 12, 2020). 'Iron Man VR For PS4 Gets New Release Date'. GameSpot. Retrieved May 12, 2020.
9. ^Lee, Stan and Lieber, Larry (w). Tales of Suspense 39 (March 1963), Marvel Comics
10. ^Wein, Len and Slifer, Roger (w). Iron Man 85 (April 1976), Marvel Comics
11. ^O'Neil, Dennis (w). Iron Man 200 (November 1985), Marvel Comics
12. ^Lee, Stan and Bernstein, Robert (w). Tales of Suspense 40 (April 1963), Marvel Comics
13. ^Lee, Stan and Kirby, Jack (w). The Avengers 1 (July 1963), Marvel Comics
14. ^Gillen, Kieron (w). Iron Man v5, 1 (November 2012), Marvel Comics
15. ^Fraction, Matt (w). The Invincible Iron Man 517 (May 2012), Marvel Comics
16. ^Michelinie, David and Layton, Bob (w). Iron Man 152 (November 1981), Marvel Comics
17. ^Tassi, Paul (December 11, 2020). 'Here's The Game Awards 2020 Winners List With A Near-Total 'Last Of Us' Sweep'. Forbes.