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Nissan’s IMQ concept looks more like a stealth fighter than a crossover

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Concept cars are traditionally an exercise in what’s potentially possible in the future. For Nissan (like nearly every other automaker at the Geneva Motor Show), the future is electric and autonomous.

The IMQ crossover concept vehicle uses Nissan’s e-Power hybrid system that the company has been using in Japan. The automaker used the vehicle to announce that it would be bringing the powertrain to Europe.

The automaker also noted that the vehicle is using Nissan’s next generation AWD (All-Wheel Drive) system. But the IMQ is more than just a powertrain and drivetrain wrapped in the styling of a stealth fighter.

Nissan announced that the concept vehicle is loaded with a prototype version of the automaker’s impressive ProPilot system. The vehicle is supposed to be able to autonomously drive in urban environments. That’s the gold standard for a self-driving car.

While we won’t see the IMQ anytime soon, it’s design language and tech will start creeping into future Nissans.

Follow all the latest news from Geneva Motor Show 2019 here!

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Las Vegas taps Elon Musk’s Boring Company for transport project

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The Boring Company believes the tunnel system could be ready within a year, syncing up with the LVCC’s expansion plans. You could be riding by CES 2021, in other words. It’s estimated to cost between $35 million and $55 million, though the exact price will likely become clearer if and when specific plans are submitted at a contract negotiating meeting in June 2019.

A system like this might be necessary. The LVCC is already a sprawling facility (just ask Engadget’s staff), but it’ll be two miles across by the time the expansion is done — that’s a long walk if you’re just trying to visit a booth at a trade show. It could also alleviate some of the pressure on existing transportation options like the monorail, shuttle vans, taxis and ridesharing services.

This could also be an important victory for The Boring Company in the face of significant setbacks. The firm recently abandoned plans for an LA Westside tunnel, and its proposed Chicago loop is dealing with opposition as well. A completed Las Vegas project would represent a much-needed company win, and might just convince other cities to ask for tunnels of their own. That is, of course, provided there isn’t further opposition. The Vegas taxi industry successfully lobbied against a monorail extension, and it might offer a similar fight here.

Proposed Boring Company tunnel route for Las Vegas

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The best games for Nintendo Switch

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Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

Switch

The Legend of Zelda: BOTW signals the biggest shift in the series since the Nintendo 64’s Ocarina of Time, and it might well be one of the best games of the past decade. It pulls the long-running series into modern gaming, with a perfectly pitched difficulty curve and an incredible open world to play with. There’s crafting, weapons that degrade, almost too much to collect and do and a gentle story hidden away for players to discover for themselves. Even without the entertaining DLC add-ons, there’s simply so much to do here and challenges for every level of gamer. MS

Bayonetta 2

Bayonetta 2

The Bayonetta series fuses together compelling (and different) character design with memorable boss battles, seemingly endless waves of monsters and a smart fighting system that’s easy enough to start with, but pulls no punches later. Originally launched on the Wii U, the Switch gives Bayonetta 2 another chance to shine (the original is also available alongside) in a portable console, with nothing lost in transition. Another reason to catch up? A third game for Nintendo’s hybrid console is already underway. MS

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe

Nintendo

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe‘s vibrancy and attention to detail prove it’s a valid upgrade to the Wii U original. Characters are animated and endearing as they race around, and Nintendo’s made bigger, wider tracks to accommodate up to 12 racers. This edition of Mario Kart included gravity-defying hover tires and automatic gliders for when you soar off ramps, making races even more visually thrilling, but at its core, it’s Mario Kart — simple, pure gaming fun. It’s also a great showcase for the multitude of playing modes that the Switch is capable of: Two-player split screen anywhere is possible, as are online races or Switch-on-Switch chaos. For now, this is the definitive edition. MS

Mario Odyssey

Nintendo

Super Mario Odyssey might not represent the major change that Breath of the Wild was for the Zelda series, Instead, we got a great Mario game that’s been refined across the last two decades. Yes, we got some important modern improvements, like maps and fast travel, and the power-stealing Cappy is a truly fun addition to Mario’s usual tricks. But that core joy of Mario, figuring out the puzzles, racing to collect items and exploring landmarks, is here in abundance. MS

Fortnite Battle Royale

Fortnite is a cultural phenomenon, responsible for popularizing a new shooting-game genre and doing it in a way that has millions playing across mobile, PC and games consoles, like the Switch — you’ll see this particular game appear in several of our lists. It all started with a simple idea: survive. (Actually it started with a tower-defense-esque game where you built a fort to protect human survivors against zombies, but hey, it evolved.) Fortnite has a low barrier to entry (it’s free!), and the sheer momentum behind the fact that everyone is playing it makes resistance futile. Parachute into the field, grab supplies, guns and ammo, build some defensive protections if you like and make it to the end. Sounds simple, but the best game ideas are. PUBG, Apex and the rest have a tough fight on their hands. MS

Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle

Nintendo

The visuals of this Ubisoft-Nintendo collaboration betray a sophisticated, turn-based strategy game. Mario + Rabbids‘ learning curve is perfect, with the story mode adding new characters and unlocking better, different weapons and skills as the game progresses. Skills (and weapon effects) playfully interact with each other by the middle of the game, adding dimensions to the initial cover-based shoot-out. Each level has a goal (destroy all enemies, get to this area), and you’re rated only by the survival rate of your three fighters and the number of turns it takes to fulfill said goal. Parts of the single-player mode are weaker, but the core game is equal parts entertaining and slick. There’s also a rich multiplayer mode to add to the longevity. MS

Rocket League

Rocket League

Rocket League could have been a short-lived novelty title, a game that mashed together soccer and vehicular combat to make a few million in its launch year before fading quietly into obscurity. Instead, developer Psyonix has consistently innovated since 2015, and in the process, it’s pushed the broader video-game industry toward a more inclusive future. Rocket League was one of the first games to call for and implement cross-console play, and today it’s one of just two titles (the other one being Fortnite) to support play among PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Switch. JC

Splatoon 2

Nintendo

The original Splatoon, released on the underselling Wii U, didn’t get the love it deserved. On the Switch, the sequel is even better, with plenty to offer both new and returning players. This squid-ink shooter divvies up players into teams of four and asks them to cover as much turf as possible — by dousing it in paint. Splatoon 2 adds even more weapons, cool clothes and even a few new battle modes, including Salmon Run, which pits your team against a series of unusual sea-creature-inspired bosses. There’s always something to do in the game, making it more than worth the Nintendo Online subscription needed to play with your ink-shooting friends (and foes) online. KN

Stardew Valley

Sometimes all you want to do is just water some plants, drink a beer and pet a dog, and Stardew Valley has all that and more. When you escape your mundane office job to the valley, you’re given a small farm to shape as you see fit with crops and livestock. If you get tired of that, explore the nearby Pelican Town, get to know your neighbors and hopefully woo one lucky one into marriage. Or, you can take your chances in the caves at the edge of town to mine for gems and metals — at which point the game becomes more dungeon crawler than simple farming sim. You can play Stardew Valley at your pace, so you can spend hours on it and never get bored, or put it down for months and pick it up again and just start watering your crops again like no time has passed. KN

Celeste

Celeste

Celeste is a lot of things. It’s a great platformer, but it’s also a puzzle game. It’s extremely punishing, but it’s also very accessible. It puts gameplay above everything, but it has a great story. It’s a beautiful, moving and memorable contradiction of a game, created by Matt Makes Games, the indie studio behind the excellent Towerfall. So, Celeste is worth picking up no matter what platform you own, but its room-based levels and clear 2D artwork make it a fantastic game to play on the Switch when on the go. AS

Contributors: Jessica Conditt (JC), Kris Naudus (KN), Mat Smith (MS), Aaron Souppouris (AS)

The best games
Explore our top picks for every system

PS4buttons

  • Monday: PlayStation 4
  • Tuesday: Xbox One
  • Wednesday: Switch
  • Thursday: PC
  • Friday: Mobile
  • Saturday: Free-to-play

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Pirelli app gives track day drivers a digital pit crew

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Announced at the Geneva Motor Show, Pirelli’s “Track Adrenaline” technology uses telemetry and tyre data to identify and tell the driver when it’s time to warm up tires, when they’re prime for a flying lap, and when it’s time to come back to the pits for a tire change. The system uses a GPS-equipped electronic box — fitted to the vehicle — and Pirelli’s P Zero Trofeo R tyres, which have sensors inside. All the information is relayed to the Track Adrenaline smartphone app, which also provides information on lap times, acceleration, braking and so on.

But here’s the rub. As Pirelli says in its own press release, the product is designed for “gentlemen drivers, professionals and driving schools,” so it’s not going to be cheap. Of course, the cost of the electronic box is probably negligible, but it’s only compatible with Pirelli’s own motorsport tires, and the whole set-up is designed to be used by people who can stump up for a track day, which is not most motorists.

Nonetheless, the system does point at something that will undoubtedly become more mainstream in the future. This kind of racing data was once only available to professional track teams, so it’s pretty neat that it’s now technically available to anyone. But as with most things, it’ll be the people with the big budgets that get it first.

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‘Yakuza’ spin-off ‘Judgment’ comes to PS4 on June 25th

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This new title from Ryu ga Gotoku Studios features private detective Takayuki Yagami (a now-disgraced laywer), who is on the track of a serial killer. Players can follow clues in order to figure out who’s behind these gruesome attacks, and of course, there are plenty of suspects along the way. You can use lock picks, a drone and even take advantage of a Yakuza gang member who will beat people up for you to get some answers. You can see Judgment‘s trailer here.

The game will feature a dual audio track (English and Japanese), as well as subtitles in five languages (English, French, German, Italian and Spanish). You can fight with two different combat styles; Crane gives you an overhead view, while Tiger is perfect for a single opponent. You can quickly switch between the two styles for maximum effect.

If you snag a physical copy of Judgment, you’ll get the original Japanese cover art with a Ryu ga Gotoku sticker. But if you prefer a download, you won’t be left out. People who pre-order the game digitally will get a static theme featuring Takayuki Yagami as well as a secret bonus when you check out. You’ll also get early access to the full game on June 21st, four days before its official release date.

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Treasure hunts have come to ‘Fortnite’

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As teased inside the game’s newsfeed, treasure maps will allow you to “uncover hidden loot across the island.” Grab the map from floor loot or a chest, travel to the waypoint it highlights and dig (pickaxe) where X marks the spot. Inside you’ll find a bunch of legendary (gold) items, ranging from assault rifles, heavy shotguns and compact SMGs, but also extra ammo and consumables like Chug Jugs.

With new battle royale shooter Apex Legends pushing past the 50 million player mark, Fortnite has some real competition on its hands. As part of last week’s major update, Epic Games added a marker system similar to the ping mechanic in Apex, showing that the game maker isn’t afraid to adapt. Rumors also suggest that a respawn feature could soon come to Fortnite, giving players another chance to fight on if they’re eliminated early on in a game.



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Meizu says its port-free Zero phone was a failed marketing stunt

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Fans’ reaction to Wong’s statement is mostly along the lines of “you shouldn’t be so direct,” with a couple others adding that they were disappointed by what he said. Wong’s seemingly laid-back attitude also reinforces the observation that large companies have been abusing crowdfunding platforms just to get some buzz, rather than genuinely seeking financial support from backers. Other recent examples include Anker’s Nebula Capsule II portable projector, Bose’s Sleepbuds and Sphero’s RVR.

The Zero is Meizu’s answer to Vivo’s 2019-edition APEX concept smartphone. Both are minimalistic devices that lack the usual openings such as speaker grill, earpiece, physical buttons, headphone jack or USB port. Despite both companies’ claims, though, these aren’t truly holeless devices, as they still require tiny openings for picking up audio.

The one distinct advantage that the Zero had over the APEX was that rather than using pogo pins on the back, the former had wireless charging along with some sort of wireless USB connectivity, which was partly why it was able to get IP68 dustproof plus waterproof rating. Still, for a $1,299 device featuring last year’s Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, the Zero was certainly a hard sell. And with the way Wong’s face-saving attempt backfired, Meizu will less likely win the hearts of backers in future crowdfunding campaigns, if any.

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Watch the Hayabusa2 probe touch down on asteroid Ryugu

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Hayabusa2 has been orbiting Ryugu since mid-2018 to find the perfect spot for its touchdown. It took over a day for the probe to descend from its orbit, but the contact itself lasted only for a second. The video below shows the event at five times its actual speed:

JAXA plans to use the spacecraft to fire an explosive into the asteroid sometime during the first week of April. That will create a crater near Ryugu’s equator and kick up more fragments Hayabusa2 can collect when it touches down again in May. Its ground team plans to start observing the second touchdown site later this month.

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‘Devil May Cry 5’ reveals the live action mockups behind its cutscenes

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Numerous games have offered behind-the-scenes footage that shows how cutscenes came to be. But what if you could play the entire game that way? Capcom, at least, is willing to give that a shot. When Devil May Cry 5 launches on March 8th, the Deluxe Edition will include an option to watch the live action footage used to visualize cutscenes before the CG comes into play. In essence, it’s like watching a low-rent, sweded version of Devil May Cry — action figures, cardboard trucks and simple costumes fill in for the usual digital wizardry.

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Nissan Leaf is the first electric car to top 400,000 sales

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About 90 percent of those sales were concentrated in just three countries. The US led the way with 90,000 Leafs, while Nissan’s home country of Japan bought 50,000 cars and Europe snapped up 40,000 combined.

The company might not want to get too comfortable with its crown. Tesla sold 140,000 Model 3s in 2018, and that was before the $35,000 entry model reached the market. Nissan won’t necessarily complain, though. More competition means that the Leaf was a wise bet, and that future Nissan EVs will likely fare well. As it stands, the Leaf’s history could easily be considered a bellwether for EV acceptance as a whole. It started out as a machine for early adopters willing to put up with limited range and a dearth of chargers, but it evolved into a thoroughly mainstream car that can easily handle typical city driving.

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