Daily Archives: January 26, 2020

Virtual reality gaming is getting more accessible as PC requirements become more affordable and more titles with solid VR support become available. If you're looking to hop on board the still-new and exciting VR train, you'll want to check out our list of all the must-have titles, no matter what VR platform you've chosen.

TheOculus Rift,PlayStation VRorHTC Vivecontinue to offer enthralling AAA experiences like Doom, Skyrim and Tetris Effect, while the affordableOculus GoandSamsung Gear VRhave fun titles that you can play anywhere. And with new headsets like theOculus Quest,HTC Vive Cosmosand nowNintendo's Labo VRandOculus Rift S, you can expect even more great VR games in 2020.

Hopefully we'll have plenty of new additions to put on this list this year, perhaps including the upcomingHalf Life: Alyx, which looks like it will finally continue the well-loved Valve series in a whole new immersive style. But in the meantime, here's what we recommend from the currently available VR titles.

The famous (and infamous) space exploration game can be enjoyed on the PlayStation 4s VR headset. Youre taken right into the heart of the new worlds you discover, or can sit and truly appreciate the massiveness of space from your ships cockpit. And since the galaxy is so enormous, youll never run out of new things to see and find as you hunt for resources to improve your ship and travel even greater distances.

Beat Saber is a fast, kinetic rhythm game in which the player slashes color-coded blocks to the beat of music playing in the background. Using two motion controllers, you'll swipe in the air vertically or horizontally and occasionally hold your controller in a position to rack up points. Beat Saber features a similar "note highway" as you'll find on games like Guitar Hero or Rock Band; you'll see the blocks you need to swipe as they draw closer to you, and it'll be up to you to keep yourself in time with the beat.

Designed for a seated experience, Beat Saber comes with 10 songs. However, PC players can use a track editor to create their own custom tracks from within the game; with some light modding, they can allow download other users' tracks.

A full VR translation of 2011's single-player, open-world epic, Skyrim VR gives players a much closer look at the world of Tamriel. The game features fully tracked motion controls for your left- and right-hand equipment, so you'll be able to swing your sword and block incoming attacks using realistic gestures. You move through the game world via teleportation, direct input on a controller or walking around using a room-scale setup if you have a room big enough to spare.

All previously released DLC expansions, like Dawnguard and Hearthfire, come with this version of Skyrim. The graphical upgrade seen in Special Edition is unfortunately missing from the VR version of Skyrim, so some visuals may look a bit dated.

Doom VFR is best described as a VR adaptation of 2016's popular release of Doom, rather than a full port of that game into VR. This means Doom VFR features a different story and campaign, with heavily tweaked combat dynamics designed with VR in mind. This title is suited to a standing or room-scale setup, as the game will frequently require you to raise and lower your profile and turn around quickly to deal with enemies coming from all directions. This title adds free movement using a controller, but the game was originally designed to use a teleportation system when covering large distances.

If you just took the plunge on a new headset or if you want to show off VR to someone for the first time, Rec Room provides a low-impact and free social sandbox of places to go, things to pick up and toss, objects to interact with, and some minigames to play solo or with others online. You can play this title suitably from either a seated or standing position, and it works well with room scale.

Rec Room is designed primarily as a social experience, so expect a lot of people to be on mic, and consider taking part in the chatter yourself. You won't find an infinitely replayable game world to explore here, but Rec room should help people who need to get their VR sea legs before they tackle more in-depth experiences.

In Star Trek: Bridge Crew, you can fulfill your dream of joining Starfleet, with a choice of four different key roles onboard the USS Aegis: Captain, Tactical, Helm or Engineer. This game will require constant communication with your crewmates as you explore space, defend yourself from enemies and avoid natural hazards. Bridge Crew is designed as a seated experience, so players won't be moving around or exploring the bridge itself. Instead, you'll handle one of the four workstations and use your motion controllers to interact with the ship's controls.

The game works best in online multiplayer, but you can also issue specific voice commands to three AI crewmembers in single-player mode if you're playing offline.

Archangel is a mech shooter that includes a single-player story campaign for the PS4 and PC versions of the game. This campaign places you in the cockpit of a building-size mech in an on-rails experience best played while seated. You'll control the mech's two arms and an array of weapons for dispatching waves of incoming enemies. When things get a little close quarters, you can swing your mech mitts around and swat the bad guys away.

The PC version offers a free stand-alone competitive multiplayer mode. This also gives you full control over your mech, so you can move in all directions; a robust upgrade path; and unlockable mech chassis and skins. If you buy the campaign DLC on Steam, it'll also unlock some goodies in the multiplayer mode.

Batman: Arkham VR puts you right in the bat suit so you can take to the streets of Arkham City and get busy fighting crime. This game is from the earlier days of VR, so much of it feels like an extended, albeit very polished tech demo for a full Batman VR game. You'll teleport only to designated positions in the Wayne manor, the bat cave and out in the city, with most direct action consisting of throwing a bat-arang or calling in for support from your ship, the Nightwing.

The game emphasizes the detective side of Batman, so if you're looking for something slower paced and cinematic, this one might be worth your time. You'll have plenty of opportunities to examine your environment, pick things up, study crime scenes and otherwise immerse yourself in the world of Bruce Wayne, mostly at your leisure.

Like with Skyrim and its VR edition, Fallout 4 has gotten the full VR treatment, bringing over the full single-player campaign of Fallout 4 exclusively to HTC Vive headsets on PC. The VR adaptation works just like it does in Skyrim VR, where you're free to walk about the world of Fallout at a room-scale level, use direct-control stick movement on the Vive's controllers, travel via teleportation from point to point or any combination of the above. This doesn't inherently rule out seated gameplay, but it's geared toward standing and at least some degree of turning and walking around.

The Talos Principle is a first-person puzzle game, easily adapted fully into VR and suitable for any play-space configuration. In this game, you'll have to line up light beams to turn on and off force fields that block your path, manipulate blocks using motion controls, and solve other mind-bending puzzles. Where many VR games focus on action, The Talos Principle offers something a little more chill and cerebral.

The single-player campaign features a mysterious story to unravel. You play as an android being guided by a mysterious voice while you learn about the last days of humanity on Earth.

L.A. Noire: The VR Case Files brings a portion of the very impressive PS3 and 360 game to Vive headsets. You'll have seven cases to solve in this VR version of the game, which famously uses facial motion capturing to make the characters look exceedingly realistic, even seven years after release. The game recommends a minimum of 2 by 2 meters of room space to move around in, so you can lean in and inspect items in people's homes, pick things up off of the ground and maneuver around the game's open-world comfortably.

Just as with the original game, you'll need to gather clues and question suspects, taking into account if you think they're telling the truth or lying to your face.

Like the original Superhot, Superhot VR is a combat puzzle game in which you must clear a room full of enemy AI humans using a limited arsenal and one key mechanic: Time moves only when you do. Large deliberate movements of your arms or legs will trigger time to progress forward, but making smaller movements with only your head or hands will allow you to assess the next move and even give you enough time to move out of the way of enemy bullets.

The VR version of the game is primarily a standing experience; you won't be walking around your environment, but you'll need to be able to turn around and duck behind cover in the space you have. You can take weapons directly out of enemies' hands, and you can fire bullets at incoming bullets to deflect them; in general, Superhot VR is a very over-the-top experience.

Polybius is probably the strangest game on our list and also the one most likely to make you motion sick. It's a high-score, arcade-style shoot'em-up that relies on psychedelic "trancetastic" visual design and a truly awesome sense of speed even outside of VR. It's a little difficult to explain exactly what you need to do in Polybius, aside from shoot as many things ahead of you as possible while avoiding collisions with the solid objects that come hurtling toward you during the game's 50 linear levels. This game's filled with old-school arcade and early gaming references, so you may pick up on some aural references here and there. You may also get a little motion sick.

Best to play this one seated, and if you have a weak stomach, try playing it on a normal TV first.

Eve: Valkyrie is set in the world of Eve Online, but has only competitive multiplayer spaceship combat. There is no single-player mode that's offline or features a traditional campaign; instead, you're placed in large battle arenas and must shoot down the opposing team's spaceships. You have a selection of ship classes, each with its own specialties and roles to play during a match. You have five different multiplayer modes to choose from.

This game is designed for a seated experience and for play using either a traditional controller or a keyboard and mouse. Eve: Valkyrie tracks your head movements to help give you visibility around your ship from inside the cockpit, but the game otherwise does not rely on motion-controller input.

Astro Bot: Rescue Mission is a PS VR exclusive and might be one of the most creative platformers in VR yet. You control a small robot who must rescue his robot friends who are scattered about each level. Your perspective as the player is a third-person camera, and you'll need to bend down, turn around and look closely at the environment to spot the trapped robots as well as other hidden collectibles.

The game is a cheery example of the platforming and creative camera control that is truly possible only inside of VR.

Resident Evil 7's VR supportis exclusive to PS VR, and the terror this game delivers really ramps up when you're placed directly in the shoes of Ethan Winters in the Louisiana swamp. As Winters searches for his missing wife, Mia, this first-person horror game returns to Resident Evil's survival roots and requires you to carefully manage your inventory and resources in order to survive.

There's also a fair bit of puzzle-solving to do, in between running for your life from the creepy mold monsters that have infested the Baker family's derelict home.

Tetris Effecttakes what you already know about Tetris and layers on several visual and musical effects designed to change the way it feels to play this classic game. There are also some new mechanics, like the ability to clear whole zones of Tetris blocks at once, potentially up to 20 lines at a time. The music and visuals pulse and change to the pace of your performance in-game, and the PS VR support means you'll be that much closer to the experience, able to lean in as much as you like while using a traditional controller.

Moss is a cute action/puzzle platformer that has you pilot a small mouse, named Quill, through a fantasy world. She must save her uncle from an evil snake that has taken over the kingdom. Moss plays best while you're standing, as you control Quill from a distance and will need to lean in to better view her surroundings, fight enemies and jump across gaps.

The game's environments are set up like dioramas for the player to peer into, adding to the game's storybook atmosphere. You control Quill directly using the controller's direction buttons, but you also need motion controls to manipulate the environment and help Quill get past obstacles.

If your idea of a good time is exploring a haunted restaurant with killer animatronic robots on the loose, then have I got a game for you. Five Nights at Freddy's has finally made the jump to VR so you can get your jump scares in terrifying VR. In Five Nights at Freddy's VR: Help Wanted, you have several mini games to play, but no matter what you play, the goal remains the same - survive.

This is a party game that involves one person in VR and as many people as you like outside of VR assisting the VR player in defusing a bomb. In VR, you can see and manipulate a complex explosive device using all kinds of buttons and wires. Your friends outside of VR, who can't see the bomb, need to use an instruction manual that they can pull up on their phones or a computer screen to walk you through the defusal process. Outside players won't even know what kind of bomb you're looking at, so you all have to communicate as accurately as possible. And, of course, there's a time limit.

Minecraft's VR transition has been a little rockier than one might expect, but we did eventually get a VR version for Gear VR headsets. The VR mode does about what you'd expect, putting you right in at ground level in the world of Minecraft as based off of the latest mobile edition of the game.

For owners of powerful Android smartphones, Gear VR can be a good alternative to traditional VR setups. However, you'll, of course, need an external controller since your phone will be strapped into the Gear VR headset during use.

Catan VR takes the real-world experience of playing the tabletop board game Settlers of Catan and adapts it lovingly for the VR space. You'll sit at a table with up to three other players online and use motion controllers to select and place your pieces in an otherwise-quite-traditional game of Catan. The charm of the VR version is that, even though you're playing online, you can still see and gesture at your opponents or teammates as if you were in the same room.

Catan VR is one of the standout games for Oculus Go, the all-in-one VR solution that doesn't rely on a smartphone, game console or beefy PC and is available for under $200.

This interactive story puts you in the shoes of a high school senior and budding photographer. While looking for your next photography subject and meet a beautiful girl. From here, you begin to build your relationship with the Han Yua, engaging in conversations and cataloging your dates via photo, its a story of young love and nostalgia thats sweet and intimate.

Youve seen entertainers Penn & Teller wow audiences with magic and take cleavers to some of our most sacred cows. Now the duo is taking on VR in Penn & Tell VR: Frankly Unfair, Unkind, Unnecessary, & Underhanded is at its heart a bunch of pranks you can unleash on your friends and loved ones. Half face your fears half magic tricks, you also have the opportunity to step into the shoes of some of the worlds most renowned magicians including Houdini. Its a wickedly fun time.

Go here to read the rest:

The best VR games of 2020 - Tom's Guide

2010 was a great year for peripheral-based rhythm games. It was also effectively the last year for peripheral-based rhythm games. Rock Band, the multiplayer co-op band game that Harmonix created after separating from Guitar Hero and leaving it to its publisher Activision, was always considered by genre connoisseurs (i.e. me) to be the better, more refined game. The game whose presentation and mechanics worked in harmony to actually make you feel like you were truly in a band with your friends, and that you were actually playing the song. Rock Band defined almost a decade of my life, and Rock Band 3 represented the series at its biggest, best, and most ambitious.

If you remember the era you'll be familiar with the Rock Band concept--two guitar controllers, one drumset, and a microphone to belt out timeless rock and pop songs in time to a steady flow of colour-coded gems. While Rock Band 2 introduced dramatically improved controllers, a more robust campaign, and comprehensive online multiplayer modes, Rock Band 3 introduced an incredible amount of quality-of-life fixes, like being able to change instruments, difficulties, options, and band members anytime on the fly, as well as a robust character customisation creator that fed into the more intricate career and challenge modes.

But the biggest new additions? Three-part vocal harmonies. Keyboards. And real guitars. Rock Band 3 was the series' big push into teaching players to transfer their skills over to playing real instruments with a new "Pro" difficulty modifier. Drums were already there, with the inclusion of discrete cymbal inputs in Rock Band 2, and the new two-octave keyboard controller allowed for some pretty accurate note charts that used 26 black-and-white piano keys in addition to the standard five-button ones. But Harmonix (in partnership with Mad Catz) also released a 102-button guitar controller with strings to pick and strum at, while also partnering with Fender to release an actual electric guitar with controller inputs integrated into it. It was bonkers, and it all worked really well even if all of that stuff did cost me an arm and a leg.

And of course, the most important thing is that all of these new features ended up being backwards compatible with Rock Band's rolling library consisting of literally thousands of songs, a feat that no other rhythm game from this era managed to do. That library has continued to grow to a number that's closing in on 3000 with the release of the more focussed Rock Band 4 in 2015, and DLC songs continue to release even as I write this in 2020.

For me, nothing will ever beat the hundreds and hundreds of hours I spent playing Rock Band 3 with eager friends at parties, with colleagues in the office until the late hours at night, and by myself, all day every day, climbing the instrument leaderboards. | Edmond Tran

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Remembering 2010: The Biggest Games Turning 10 This Year - GameSpot

Zion Williamson has had quite a start to his NBA career.

The New Orleans Pelicans rookie followed up his electric, 22-point performance in his debut game on Wednesday by recording 15 points and six rebounds in a 113-106 loss to the Denver Nuggets on Friday night.

After Williamson shot 8-of-11 from the field on Wednesday, including 4-for-4 from 3-point range, the No. 1 overall pick finished by shooting 7-of-9 from the field against the Nuggets.

As a result of his efficiency, Williamson is the first and only player in NBA history to record at least 15 points and shoot over 70% from the field in each of his first two career games, via Tommy Beer of Rotoworld.

Williamson also became the first player in NBA history to score at least 22 points while playing fewer than 20 minutes in a debut game. He is also the only player to shoot 4-of-4 or better from 3-point range in a debut game.

In his second game on Friday, Williamson logged 21 minutes as the Pelicans once again monitored his workload. He used his elite athleticism to his advantage, often bullying defenders in the post. For his first points of the game, Williamson even connected with Jrue Holiday for his first dunk.

After playing the Nuggets, Williamson and the Pelicans wrap up a three-game homestand on Sunday against the Boston Celtics with tip-off set for 6 p.m. ET.

Originally posted here:

Zion Williamson has made NBA history in his first two career games - The Rookie Wire

RYAN VANDERSLOOT, 717-505-5403/@yascores Published 1:33 p.m. ET Jan. 26, 2020

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Former York High star Kelvin Parker, seen here in a file photo, had 29 points on Saturday for the York Buccaneers in a win vs. Hub City.(Photo: The York Dispatch)

The York Buccaneers are certainly a lot of things.

Talented? No doubt.

Exciting? You bet.

Successful? Absolutely.

Midway through their fifth season in the American Basketball Association, the Bucs and owner Tyrell Bowie believe they have things headed in the right direction.

Saturday night at Voni B. Grimes Gym, the Bucs cruised to their sixth victory of the season over the Hub City (Hagerstown) Hogs, 123-109. That triumph could be crucial in York'sdrive towarda possibleABA playoff berth this spring. The Bucs now stand at 6-3.

Weve made the playoffs every year except one, Bowie said. And thats what were fighting for now. We want to be in playoff contention.

Like what you're reading?: Not a subscriber? Click here for full access to The York Dispatch.

While the playoffs are every teams goal in the ABA, Bowie has bigger goals in mind with organization. As the only semi-pro hoops team in York, Bowie is hoping to create and grow a community following that fills the gym on game nights.

The Bucs certainly have a lot to offer local fans.The ABA game is typically fast-paced, so fan boredom is seldom a worry.

Former York College standout Jason Bady, seen here in file photo, is one of the many recognizable local faces on the York Buccaneers roster.(Photo: The York Dispatch)

Lots of local faces: Recognizable localfaces are also a hallmark of both the team and league. The Bucs feature plentyof York-area talent, including former York High starKelvin Parker, who scored a team-high 29 points on Saturday, to go with four assists and eight rebounds.

Former York College standout Jason Bady, former York Suburban playerDarian Doleman, Penn State York grad Anthony Bennett and others also fill out the roster.

Bennett, who is a first-year player in the league as well as a current assistant coach for the Penn State York mens basketball team, had nothing but good things to say about his experience so far.

The leagues been great, Bennett said. Theres a lot of good talent that were playing against in this league. A lot of pros in this league. And its way faster than the college game.

That statement was echoed by another first-year player in Tyler Martin. A high school grad of (Lancaster) McCaskey, Martin earned some local stripes when he played four years at Penn State York while winning three Penn State University Athletic Conference titles with the local Lions.

This is a bunch of strong, athletic, fast and quick guys, Martin said. These are guys that can get up and down the court. Most of us are in our mid-20s but there are some older guys here too. We played a team in Philly and they were older, probably in their 30s, but they were all real strong, physical guys.

Trying to build a fan base: Bowieis hoping his team catches on locally to build a sizable fan base. Right now the team plays at Grimes, where the seating capacity is about 300. Saturdays contest was near capacity, which is a good sign for Bowie and the team.

This is a fun league to watch, Bowie said. Its a fun league and I really appreciate everyone that came out. Were looking forward to keep building.

Notes: The regular-season schedule for the Bucs features 15 league games. Of the first nine played so far, however, only two of those contests were home games.

Bowie expects at least two more home tilts with a possible third one added after a scheduling discrepancy.

The weather kind of got us one week, Bowie said. And then we had a team that canceled on us, but were hoping to reschedulethat one soon.

The next officially scheduled home game for the Bucs is Saturday, Feb. 29, against the Lehigh Valley Hunters. Bowie is hoping to have one of those other games rescheduled for early to mid-February.

Reach Ryan Vandersloot at sports@yorkdispatch.com.

Originally posted here:

York Buccaneers focus on winning basketball games and a community following - York Dispatch

Doom Eternal Game Director Hugo Martin has outlined a load of new and returning demons in a NoClip documentary, highlighting his new chess pieces with which to threaten the players. A lot of the new enemies look particularly devious, forcing players to adopt new playstyles to defeat them. Like the Carcass, for example, which throws up an anti-rocket shield to confound one of Dooms best weapons. Were cool with frustrating you as long as were teaching, says Martin. The old Doom 2 creatures outlined are the Pain Elemental, Arachnotron, Archvile, and Hellified Soldiers. New to Doom Eternal are the Whiplash, Tentacles, Marauder, Doom Hunter, and Carcass.

Doom Eternal continues to have a surprisingly nuanced set of game design principles behind it for a game about chainsawing demons, but 2016s Doom is going to be hard act to follow. We recently got a few hours hands-on with Doom Eternal, and outlined what we did and didnt like about the game. The relentless pace and non-stop chaos will appeal to a lot of people, but I prefer a little more space in my games, said our Andy Kelly. If youre not all caught up on it, heres everything we know about Doom Eternal.

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Heres a breakdown of the new demons in Doom Eternal - PC Gamer

Mark Wilson of Steamboat Springs competes Saturday, Jan. 25, 2020, in the snowbike cross qualifier. (Dale Pistole/Special to The Aspen Times)Dale Pistole/Special to The Aspen Times

Jesse Kirchmeyer competes in the snow bikecross finals at X Games Aspen on Saturday, Jan. 25, 2020, at Buttermilk Ski Area in Aspen Snowmass, Colo. (Liz Copan/Summit Daily News via AP)AP | Summit Daily News

Canadian Cody Matechuk of Cochrane, Alberta, competes Saturday in the snowbike cross. He won golf for the third consecutive year. (Dale Pistole/Special to The Aspen Times)Dale Pistole/Special to The Aspen Times

Harris Huizenga competes in the snow bikecross finals at X Games Aspen on Saturday, Jan. 25, 2020, at Buttermilk Ski Area in Aspen Snowmass, Colo. (Liz Copan/Summit Daily News via AP)AP | Summit Daily News

Mark Wilson of Steamboat Springs gets ready for the snowbike cross heat on Saturday, Jan. 25, 2020. (Dale Pistole/Special to The Aspen Times)Dale Pistole/Special to The Aspen Times

on Saturday, Jan. 25, 2020. (Dale Pistole/Special to The Aspen Times)Dale Pistole/Special to The Aspen Times

Cody Matechuk competes in the snow bikecross finals at X Games Aspen on Saturday, Jan. 25, 2020, at Buttermilk Ski Area in Aspen Snowmass, Colo. (Liz Copan/Summit Daily News via AP)AP | Summit Daily News

on Saturday, Jan. 25, 2020. (Dale Pistole/Special to The Aspen Times)Dale Pistole/Special to The Aspen Times

Yanick Boucher competes in the snow bikecross finals at X Games Aspen on Saturday, Jan. 25, 2020, at Buttermilk Ski Area in Aspen Snowmass, Colo. (Liz Copan/Summit Daily News via AP)AP | Summit Daily News

on Saturday, Jan. 25, 2020. (Dale Pistole/Special to The Aspen Times)Dale Pistole/Special to The Aspen Times

Seth Fischer competes in the snow bikecross finals at X Games Aspen on Saturday, Jan. 25, 2020, at Buttermilk Ski Area in Aspen Snowmass, Colo. (Liz Copan/Summit Daily News via AP)AP | Summit Daily News

on Saturday, Jan. 25, 2020. (Dale Pistole/Special to The Aspen Times)Dale Pistole/Special to The Aspen Times

on Saturday, Jan. 25, 2020. (Dale Pistole/Special to The Aspen Times)Dale Pistole/Special to The Aspen Times

on Saturday, Jan. 25, 2020. (Dale Pistole/Special to The Aspen Times)Dale Pistole/Special to The Aspen Times

Mick Olson competes in the snow bikecross finals at X Games Aspen on Saturday, Jan. 25, 2020, at Buttermilk Ski Area in Aspen Snowmass, Colo. (Liz Copan/Summit Daily News via AP)AP | Summit Daily News

Yanick Boucher competes in the snow bikecross finals at X Games Aspen on Saturday, Jan. 25, 2020, at Buttermilk Ski Area in Aspen Snowmass, Colo. (Liz Copan/Summit Daily News via AP)AP | Summit Daily News

Colton Davis competes in the snow bikecross finals at X Games Aspen on Saturday, Jan. 25, 2020, at Buttermilk Ski Area in Aspen Snowmass, Colo. (Liz Copan/Summit Daily News via AP)AP | Summit Daily News

Yanick Boucher competes in the snow bikecross finals at X Games Aspen on Saturday, Jan. 25, 2020, at Buttermilk Ski Area in Aspen Snowmass, Colo. (Liz Copan/Summit Daily News via AP)AP | Summit Daily News

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Doug Henry is basically the Lebron James of snow biking. Hes been around a long time, and doesnt seem to know how to lose.

The Connecticut native, who just turned 50, won his third consecutive gold medal at the X Games as he crossed the line Saturday with a massive lead in the para snowbike cross finals.

With decades in the sport and a heavy haul of hardware, Henry has considered retiring a few times. Still, he cant seem to stay away from the sport. Right now, his goal is to keep competing until hes 55.

Its been a thought probably five times, said Henry, who is the oldest athlete in this years X Games. Ive tried, but as long as Im having fun and still competitive, Im gonna do it.

Henry won gold in the para snow bikecross in 2019, and finished first in the adaptive version of the event the year before.

Henrys only competition was eliminated early as Will Posey took a jump too aggressively and wiped out just as he started lap two. From there, Henry cruised to a 15-second margin of victory. Henry nearly committed a crucial mistake when he didnt take enough horsepower into a jump, but managed to keep his track on the ground and his bike moving forward.

The first lap or two, youre just trying to keep it up and start improving, getting a little bit faster here and there, he said. I just looked behind me, I had a little bit of a gap.

Brandon Dudley finished second, while Leighton Lillie picked up a bronze medal.

The snow bike veteran Henry has been attending X Games since 1999, but says the thrill of attending and performing well hasnt faded.

You have no idea how early this is in my head and in my mind. In November, Im training pretty hard, Henry said. Its pretty much a year-round thing. X Games is top of my list of events I want to win.

Cody Matechuk ran away with his third straight gold medal in snowbike cross, finishing a whopping 16 seconds ahead of Yanick Boucher.

The whole race, one of his crew members stood near the lap line, gesturing with his arms how great a lead he had. With each lap, his hands got farther and farther apart, to the point he could no longer accurately express how large Matechuks advantage was.

I really dont like racing and looking backwards, so I rely on my mechanic to give me gap, Matechuk said. I could see the gap growing. I just felt like I was in a good rhythm. I was hitting all my marks, I wasnt pushing.

He was so far removed from the rest of the race, as the cameras swarmed him at the finish Matechuk asked his crew, Who got second and third?

Boucher took second, and Jesse Kirchmeyer picked up bronze. Kirchmeyer finished second last year. Boucher made it to the finals in 2019, but didnt finish the race.

Matechuk couldnt avoid drama in his semifinal. At the start of the first semifinal, Hoyer and Josh Hill jumped the gun, having to be moved behind the line and work their way back to the front throughout the race.

That put Matechuk at an advantage, which he held for most of the race, but with a few laps to go, he bailed off his bike when it malfunctioned. He got back on and crossed the line in second to make the finals.

Sometimes that stuff just finds you, but it wouldnt be a good story without a little bit of adversity, Matechuk said. We broke a ski on that first race, still ended up getting second place. We went back and changed it for the main. Its X Games. You got to leave it all on the table.

See the article here:

Henry, Matechuk earn third consecutive X Games golds in snowbike disciplines - Aspen Times

TOKYO -- Once in every ten years, Tokyo and Beijing engage in psychological warfare over the Chinese leader's official visit to Japan, no matter how well or badly the two Asian powers get along at a given time.

Ever since the two countries normalized relations in 1972, the Chinese top leader's trip to the nearby country has been a major bilateral diplomatic event.

The last two such trips were in 1998, by then-President Jiang Zemin, and in 2008 by successor Hu Jintao.

In a long-awaited move, current Chinese President Xi Jinping, who also heads the Communist Party, will come to Japan this April in his first official visit since taking office. (He has been to Osaka for the Group of 20 summit).

The treatment of Xi on this trip has emerged as Tokyo's biggest diplomatic bargaining chip.

The diplomatic wrangling was visible when Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe visited Beijing and held talks with Xi this past December. Abe took an unusually strong stance over "sensitive issues" between the two countries.

Abe first urged Xi to address intrusions by official Chinese vessels into Japanese territorial waters around the Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea, which China claims and calls the Diaoyu.

"Without stability in the East China Sea, there will be no true improvement in bilateral relations," he said.

Abe also called for the early return of Japanese nationals detained in China on espionage charges and expressed concerns over the ongoing unrest in Hong Kong as well as human rights issues in China's Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region.

In the past, even when there had been a delicate exchange of words between the Japanese and Chinese leaders, Tokyo had often refrained from revealing or detailing such exchanges in public out of consideration for China.

But this time, Abe forthrightly told a news conference the next day that "I raised our pending problems directly with President Xi."

Abe's tougher stance stems back to a heated discussion at a top party meeting at his Liberal Democratic Party a few weeks prior.

At the General Council, the party's top decision-making body, on Dec. 12, some LDP lawmakers had objected to having Xi visit Japan as a state guest.

Seishiro Eto, a former director general of what is now the Ministry of Defense, was the first to speak out. "If we are going to invite him as a state guest, we should ask China to halt intrusions into Japanese territorial waters," he said, regarding the Senkaku Islands. Other LDP lawmakers echoed Eto's remarks.

Within the LDP, legislators have also worried about hosting Xi as a state guest, at a time when China is subject to international criticism over the handling of the Hong Kong protests and the Uighur internment camps.

After the meeting, General Council chairman Shunichi Suzuki sent a message to the prime minister's office, through a member of Abe's faction, that he looks to put to rest any intraparty objection to Xi's state visit in the coming months by officially calling for the Japanese government to address these issues of concern.

While LDP conservatives have grumbled over the state visit invitation in the past, but a formal request from a formal body of the party carries more weight.

Behind the scenes, China's own Foreign Ministry has warned Japan that if Xi would not be welcomed, he will not be making the trip.

Chinese presidents are usually treated as state guests when they visit foreign countries, except when attending international conferences.

This is because China attaches great importance to its top leaders' honor and does not agree to have them visit foreign countries unless they can do so as state guests.

It was Abe who first proposed inviting Xi as a state guest in their talks last June. Therefore, by protocol, Japan is in no position to retract the offer, no matter the objection in the public.

In light of such history, one would suspect that the prime minister's office would wish the objections to die down.

But sources inside the prime minister's office tell a different tale.

In fact, some of the prime minister's aides seem to have lobbied members of the LDP General Council to raise more commotion. "We want the party to speak out about Japan's stance more."

Their ulterior motive is to extract as many concessions as possible from China in return for arranging a successful visit, amid the opposing voices.

When Hu Jintao came in 2008, Tokyo leveraged the upcoming Beijing Summer Olympics, offering to help in making the historic games a success. The strategy worked. China agreed to conduct joint development of gas fields in the East China Sea, an issue it had not said yes to until then.

Jiang Zemin's visit in 1998 is a model of a failed visit. The two countries could not come to terms over historical issues, resulting in the Chinese leader calling out Japan for past "militarism" in an Imperial Palace banquet.

Deng Xiaoping came to Japan in 1978. Half a year earlier, more than 100 Chinese fishing vessels had gathered around the Senkakus.

The environment surrounding Xi's planned visit is even more fraught.

The number of official Chinese vessels confirmed in the 24-nautical-mile contiguous zone around the Senkaku Islands in 2019 exceeded 1,000 on a cumulative basis, hitting a record annual high.

Japan has confirmed that 10 of its nationals detained in China on spying and other charges have yet to return home.

China concerns transcend Japan's party lines. Even the Japanese Communist Party criticized Beijing for its strengthening hegemonism in a revised platform this month.

China has stressed the need to improve the Japanese public's feelings toward it and has repeatedly asked the government here to provide proper guidance to domestic media outlets.

Japanese Defense Minister Taro Kono offered a counterargument when meeting with his Chinese counterpart in Beijing this past December.

"There is freedom of the press in Japan," which "cannot control public opinion like China," he said at the time. "In order to create a welcoming mood among the Japanese people for Mr. Xi's Japan visit, your side needs to make considerable efforts."

In late 2017, President Xi told Chinese officials to "improve relations with Japan even if there are problems."

Xi issued the instruction at an internal meeting after deciding that building better relations with surrounding countries was crucial, given the inevitability of a confrontation between China and the U.S.

On the other hand, Xi also told Chinese officials to resolutely protect national sovereignty. These instructions lie behind the increase in Chinese vessels heading toward the Senkakus and the continued detentions of Japanese, despite improved Sino-Japanese ties.

After his 2008 Japan visit, Hu came under criticism at home for caving in to Japan, destabilizing his political power base. Xi cannot afford to make the same mistake.

The psychological warfare continues as each side seeks concessions from the other.

In late December, after returning from his China trip, Abe called ex-defense chief Eto, the lawmaker who opposed the state visit at the party meeting, and briefed him about the meeting with Xi. "I properly conveyed Japan's position" the Japanese leader explained.

Eto did not take Abe's remarks as a request to sheathe his sword, but as an encouragement to continue to stand up for Japan.

Official Chinese vessels continue to intrude into Japanese territorial waters around the Senkaku Islands even after Abe directly urged Xi to address the issue. Eto said that "if the situation does not improve, I will speak out again."

Another LDP lawmaker, Masahisa Sato, a respected former colonel of the Self-Defense Forces, has also stressed both within and outside the party that "a state guest is a guest of the emperor, a symbol of the unity of the people," and that the explanation for inviting Xi as a state guest has been insufficient.

The Japanese side is also throwing another curve ball.

Abe's younger brother Nobuo Kishi, an LDP lower house member, visited Beijing from Jan. 8 to Jan. 10 for exchanges between Japanese and Chinese lawmakers and emphasized the importance of stability in the East China Sea.

Kishi then flew to Taiwan on Jan. 12 and met with President Tsai Ing-wen, who had won reelection earlier that month.

While showing Tsai Japanese newspapers reporting her victory, Kishi congratulated her on her win and said: "All of the Japanese newspapers published articles about your win on their front pages. Even the [Japanese] prime minister does not always get front page coverage."

Xi is alarmed by Abe's closeness to Taiwan. During their meetings, Xi has always tried to gauge whether Japan's Taiwan policy has changed. Kishi's recent visit to the island can also be said to be part of the ongoing mind games.

Inside Japanese Politics is a column that focuses on the details and inner workings of Tokyo statecraft, policy and foreign relations.

Original post:

Japan's once-a-decade mind games with China over top leader visit - Nikkei Asian Review

Stillwater was far too much for Woodbury, especially in the second half of the Ponies 90-54 victory on Friday.

The Royals hung with their hosts in the first half, taking a 50-39 deficit into the break. But Stillwater ran all over in the second half, outscoring Woodbury 40-15.

Carley West had 18 points in the loss while fellow Royal Lexy Paulson had 11.

Alex Pratt had a game-high 24 for Stillwater, which had four players in double-digits. The Ponies hit eight 3-pointers to Woodburys one.

The Royals have a two-game week beginning at home on Tuesday against Mounds View. The Royals visit Irondale on Friday.

Forest Lake 74, Woodbury 57

The Royals kept it close for a while, but Forest Lake surged to a 74-57 win over Woodbury on Tuesday, Jan.21, thanks to a 48-point second half.

The Royals trailed just 26-25 at halftime, but were outscored 48-32 after the break.

Callie Mundahl had 15 points to lead the Royals while Carley West added 11 and Lexy Paulson had 10.

Forest Lakes Logan Anderson led all scorers with 20 points with three of her teammates scoring at least 15 as well.

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Woodbury girls' basketball dropped two games - RiverTowns

NEW ORLEANS - Basketball is supposed to be a sanctuary.

Thats what basketball players always say in the toughest times, isnt it?

It sure didnt feel like one on this Sunday night in New Orleans. Not after Kobe Bryants tragic death. This time, stepping onto the court almost felt... wrong.

I think it was hard to play for everybody. Just around the league it was, Marcus Smart said after the Celtics loss. We still cant believe that its true. I think in the back of our minds were still wishing and hoping that its not. But its just tough. Its tough for everybody out there and it was a tough night for us.

There were discussions around the league about whether the games should have been canceled. It was obvious that everyone was affected by the news. Once it was clear the games would go on, the best that teams could do was honor Bryants memory.

Kobe would have wanted us to play was a common refrain after the game, and thats probably true. So they played, and honored the late number 24 by taking 24 second violations on alternating possessions to start the game.

If people got to watch those games and watch the 24 second violations, and they got to appreciate that as fans, then I think were happy to do whatever were asked to do, Brad Stevens said, acknowledging that the decision on whether to play was a tough one. "If it brings somebody, somewhere a little bit of a distraction in an otherwise tough day, then thats OK too.

As Stevens said before the game, Bryant is Jordan-esque in the eyes of some of the younger players. Jayson Tatum couldnt talk to the media after the game. He idolized Bryant, posting a touching tribute to his idol on Instagram. He left the arena the way he walked in; the way he spent his entire time there, with his hood up over his bowed head.

Others admitted they were also distracted.

Yeah, it was hard to play. It was tough, Jaylen Brown said. I take a lot of the blame, a lot of responsibility, the things that I do well, the things that I do great, I didnt do great today. It was just one of those games."

Stevens said the team made some uncharacteristic mistakes that cost them this game, and Brown certainly had his fair share. He wasnt alone.

Both teams played. Both teams had their Kobe connections. Both teams had their struggles. They played as best they could considering the circumstances. They did it because they had to.

It wouldnt have bothered me at all if we didnt play. I didnt feel like playing today, Gordon Hayward said. "I dont think anybody on either team would have minded if we didnt.

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Kobe Bryant tragedy: Boston Celtics torn on whether games should have been canceled, but would have been OK n - MassLive.com

Run N Gun launches at Drapers Mills next month

A real life Fortnite-style experience with airsoft game play is being launched in Thanet on February 8.

Civil servant Matt Woodward, from Margate, came up with the Run N Gun Airsoft venture as a way to entice son Tyler, 11, away from the X-Box.

The adventure described as paintballing without the mess is based on battle survival games.

It has three scenarios Capture the Flag, Zombies and the popular video game Fortnite. There are up to 15 different game modes.

Dad-of-three Matt, 35, said: I work for the civil service and was liaising with local councils, when I found that there is a huge drive in getting children all of all ages to become more active.

I have an 11 year old son and, although he plays football three times a week, I know how hard it is to drag him away from his X box. I started to think of a way that he could do both and am now running Fortnite styled airsoft events.

Kids and adults can come and play the game they love with their friends in a real life immersive simulation.

I spoke to Drapers Mill school, who are as driven as I am in giving the kids of Thanet something to do and getting them out the house and become more active.

Run N Gun will be held at Drapers Mills primary school in St Peters Footpath, Margate, every Saturday from February 8, 9am to 7pm. The activity is for those aged 11 and over,

Bookings are for 90 minutes and cost 20pp.

Individual and party bookings can be catered for, including birthday, corporate, stag and hen events.

There are no extra charges for ammunition used in the plastic guns.

To find out more find Run N Gun on facebook here

Or online here

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'Real life' Fortnite-style gaming is coming to Thanet - The Isle of Thanet News