The Orange Box is considered to be one of the greatest value propositions in the history of video games, and it all came about because Valve was approaching the finish line with multiple projects in a way they never had before. In this month's episode of IGN Unfiltered, Ryan McCaffrey sat down with Chris Remo and Robin Walker from Valve to talk about Half-Life: Alyx, The Orange Box, the mystique of Valve, and much more. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2016/09/10/history-of-awesome-orange-box"] "The Orange Box is interesting... It's a very interesting choice because it's not... I don't think it comes from the place that people assume it comes from. It came from what's essentially an internal problem, which was, up until that point... we had only ever shipped one game at a time." Before The Orange Box, whenever Valve would near the finish line on a project (say the last six months or so before shipping), most of the other teams would slow their work (even stopping their usual work in the final month) to pile on Valve's primary project and help the shipping product finish strong. "If you're on one of those other teams and looking at how you can spend an hour of your time... when a product is at the end, and you understand it perfectly, you can usually generate so much value in just one hour of work; fixing the right bug, putting the final polish on something, that it's hard not to just feel like, 'Oh, wow. I could help so much if I just went over and helped.' [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="legacyId=830467&captions=true"] "So, we've got a company full of people who are used to doing that, and then we're working on these three different games. Team Fortress 2, [Half-Life 2] Episode 2, and Portal. And, looking at, 'Oh, man, for the first time, it looks like all these are going to finish around the same time. How are we going to handle this?' "Another problem we've got is the case of Portal... which is a product that we're really excited about. We think it's really interesting, but there weren't a lot of first-person shooter puzzle games out there to look around at. We were bringing people in and playtesting it, as we always do, and they were really enjoying it, but we were [not really getting close] to figuring out... how do we talk to people about this? How do we explain it to people? It was also shorter [than other AAA games]." With each team feeling a need for additional help for their own products, Valve decided that instead of stopping two projects to focus on the third, as they normally did, they could combine all three games into a single product. By doing so, they would free team members to move around as needed without feeling they were hurting their own game. Unfortunately, this caused an entirely new set of problems. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2018/10/18/the-orange-box-backwards-compatible-with-xbox-one-x-enhancements"] For one thing, retailers didn't know what to do with Orange Box. "To them, bundles of products are either old or bad games. No one ever bundles new, great games." Xbox also had issues, because the Orange Box had five games on a single disc, which didn't work with the way Achievements were allocated, so custom code had to be written. Creating television ads was also more complicated because instead of convincing people to buy one game in a 30-second slot, Valve had to explain three games in the same window. Catch up on every single episode of IGN Unfiltered here so you can hear from the best and brightest minds in the video game industry, such as Hugo Martin and Marty Stratton (id), Stig Asmussen (Respawn), Sam Lake (Remedy), Bonnie Ross (343 Industries), Ted Price (Insomniac), and a whole lot more.

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Brian Barnett writes news, features, wiki guides, deals posts, and much more for IGN. You can get your fix of Brian's antics on Twitter and Instagram (@Ribnax).

Fox and NASCAR held a test lap of sorts on March 22 with its eNASCAR iRacing Pro Series Invitational opener and after its success, Fox has decided to air the remainder of the virtual season on its channels. NASCAR racers like Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Bobby Labonte headlined Sunday's eNASCAR race that drew in over 900,000 viewers. Sunday's race was the most talked-about TV program that day on Twitter, according to NASCAR. Three-time Daytona 500 winner Denny Hamlin took home the win, but he and other racers will now be competing online for the remainder of the season in the PC game, iRacing. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=every-delayed-movie-due-to-coronavirus-so-far&captions=true"] "This rapid-fire collaboration between FOX Sports, NASCAR, and iRacing obviously has resonated with race fans, gamers, and television viewers across the country in a very positive way," Fox Sports Executive Producer Brad Zager said. "We have learned so much in a relatively short period of time, and we are excited to expand coverage of this brand-new NASCAR esports series to an even wider audience." The standard Fox NASCAR broadcast team consisting of Jeff Gordon, Mike Joy, and Larry McReynolds will continue to commentate on the action found in the virtual races, just as they would for the organization's actual races. Gordon said he's excited to bring a "bit of normalcy back to the weekend" with these races. These esports races will include simulation races from competitors in the NASCAR Cup Series, the NASCAR Xfinity Series, the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series and other NASCAR series. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/02/25/how-coronavirus-is-impacting-the-games-industry"] The next race is scheduled for Sunday, March 29, at 1 p.m. EST. It will be broadcast live from a virtual Texas Motor Speedway and can be viewed on the Fox broadcast network channels, FS1, and the Fox Sports app. NASCAR isn't the first racing organization to turn to virtual races in the wake of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. All Supercars drivers will participate in a Supercars All Stars Eseries of races while the regular season is postponed. F1 drivers are doing the same through F1 2019. Here are some ways to help others and stay safe during the COVID-19 pandemic. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Wesley LeBlanc is a freelance news writer and guide maker for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @LeBlancWes.

While we're waiting for Rick and Morty to resume its long-awaited fourth season on Adult Swim, co-creator Justin Roiland has another surreal animated sci-fi tale to share - Hulu's Solar Opposites, which has just debuted its first official teaser trailer. The series, which will premiere its entire season on Friday, May 8, 2020, is co-created by Roiland and Mike McMahan. Per Hulu, "Solar Opposites centers around a team of four aliens who escape their exploding homeworld only to crash land into a move-in ready home in suburban America. They are evenly split on whether Earth is awful or awesome. Korvo (Roiland) and Yumyulack (Sean Giambrone) only see the pollution, crass consumerism, and human frailty while Terry (Thomas Middleditch) and Jesse (Mary Mack) love humans and all their TV, junk food and fun stuff. Their mission: protect the Pupa, a living supercomputer that will one day evolve into its true form, consume them and terraform the Earth." Watch the hilarious new trailer for Solar Opposites below: [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/03/25/solar-opposites-official-teaser-trailer-2020-justin-roiland-thomas-middleditch"] Solar Opposites also features a who's who of guest actors including Alan Tudyk, Alfred Molina, Christina Hendricks, Jason Mantzoukas, Liam Cunningham, Rainn Wilson, Tiffany Haddish, and many more. Here's a message from Roiland and McMahan: “Solar Opposites is coming! We can only show you the teaser right now, but the whole season will be out in a matter of weeks! Stay inside and stay healthy so you can watch and love this show and call us geniuses and all that s**t.” Check out the official art for the series below: To further bask in the glow of Justin Roiland's twisted mind, be sure to check out our top 10 Rick and Morty episodes ranking, Rick and Morty reacting to their own memes, and our review of Roiland's VR game, Trover Saves the Universe. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=new-movies-coming-to-vod-early&captions=true"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] David Griffin still watches DuckTales in his pajamas with a cereal bowl in hand. He's also the TV Editor for IGN. Say hi on Twitter.

Animal Crossing players are using the game's design editor to create giant works of art ranging from masterpieces like Prison Mike from the Office to portraits of Starkiller Base radar technician, Matt. Released just last week, Animal Crossing is a way for players to farm land, fish daily, complete a museum, become entrapped in the throes of Tom Nook's latest business... and create art. Some players do it all, while others hone in on one thing. The Animal Crossing subreddit is currently full of users spending time to create some seriously impressive works of art. Check out SweetHayders' boyfriend's Prison Mike that sits on the ground of their island. Redditor CapitanWaffles created Starkiller Base's very own Matt the Radar Technician on their island. Reddit user Rare_Yogurtcloset used 12 canvasses to create the famed woodblock print, The Great Wave Off Kanagawa, in their room. Another redditor with the username shuchugou has a 24-piece canvas of a Bob Ross painting displayed in their room. Other redditors like Dew64 are using their design editor skills to create meme-inspires works of art for their island. Check out their Big Chungus Bugs Bunny below. Perhaps best of all, over on Twitter, Lucbomber created the famous Steamed Hams scene from The Simpsons, complete with Aurora Borealis/kitchen fire:

Good lord what is happening in there!? pic.twitter.com/TIrhapel6k

— Lucbomber (@The_Lucbomber) March 24, 2020

If you're someone wondering how on earth these Animal Crossing players are creating such awesome pieces of art for their homes, some of these were likely made with the help of a tool like ACPatterns.  If you're looking for inspiration, we've got just the guide for you: check out our Animal Crossing Wiki Guide for Custom Designs. If creating isn't for you, the Cool Creator IDs and Design IDs page will link you to some of the best creators out there sharing works of art for all to use. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/03/20/animal-crossing-new-horizons-how-to-unlock-everything"] If you haven't yet visited our Animal Crossing: New Horizons Wiki Guide, it's a treasure trove of helpful guides to help you maximize your time on your island while making it the best it can possibly be. It has loads of how-to guides, a beginner's guide with tips, and a page all about the things Animal Crossing: New Horizons doesn't tell you. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Wesley LeBlanc is a freelance news writer and guide maker for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @LeBlancWes.

A recently released book going behind-the-scenes of The Office has shed new light on the possible reason for Steve Carell's departure as Michael Scott from the NBC sitcom. According to Collider, interviews with creators, writers, and actors from the sitcom, published in Andy Greene's new book, The Office: The Untold Story of the Greatest Sitcom of the 2000s, appear to suggest that the network's ambivalence over Carell's contract played a part in the lead star's exit from the show. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2007/09/26/the-office-tv-clip-this-office-is-cursed"] In one untold story, boom operator/sound mixer Brian Wittle claimed that Carell realised that it was time to hang up Michael Scott's business suit after he haphazardly mentioned that Season 7 of The Office would probably be his "last year," during an interview with the BBC in April 2010, and received no reaction from those connected to the series. "He didn’t plan on saying it out loud and he hadn’t decided anything," Wittle admitted. "He was kind of thinking out loud, but he did it in an interview in public and it created news. Then what he said was the people connected to the show had no reaction to it. They didn't call and say, 'What? You wanna leave?' He said he didn't get any kind of response from them. "When he realized he didn't get any kind of response from them, he thought, 'Oh, maybe they don’t really care if I leave. Maybe I should go do other things.' So I think that made it easier, because when the news broke that he was considering it, the people that are in charge of keeping him there didn’t make a big effort to do so until afterward." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2009/05/13/the-office-tv-clip-michael-talks-to-holly"] Further on in the pages of the book, hairstylist Kim Ferry supported Wittle's account of events, saying that Carell had actually told NBC that "he was going to sign for another couple of years," but for one reason or another, network executives "didn't contact him" back. "I don't know if it was a game of chicken or what," she explained. "He planned on staying on the show. He told his manager and his manager contacted them and said he's willing to sign another contract for a couple years. So all of that was willing and ready and, on their side, honest. And the deadline came for when they were supposed to give him an offer and it passed and they didn't make him an offer." It seems it was never made clear why Carell didn't hear anything back about a contract extension, though it reportedly came at a time when NBC changed presidents from Jeff Zucker to Bob Greenblatt, who, producer Randy Cordray recalls in the book, "was not as big a fan of The Office." However, Greenblatt added, "I think Steve was already departing the show when I arrived. I couldn't do anything about that since it preceded me." [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-best-tv-shows-of-the-decade-2010-2019&captions=true"] Nevertheless, as one office door closes, another one opens; Greenblatt has since discussed the idea of rebooting The Office, saying that it could be possible, though it is unlikely to be with the full original cast. While no official talks have taken place as of yet, John Krasinski, who played Jim Halpert in the sitcom, said he is open to the idea of reprising his role. With TV revival culture not just taking hold, but attracting huge audiences, it seems fairly likely that we might see some more of the small screen's beloved shows return to the air in the near future. For now, though, check out our list of the best and worst revivals so far. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Adele Ankers is a Freelance Entertainment Journalist. You can reach her on Twitter.

Nintendo has delivered nearly 10,000 protective N95 Particulate Respirator masks to healthcare workers in Washington. The developer sent over a bulk of face masks to help first responders and health care providers in North Bend, who are on the frontlines dealing with the outbreak. On the North Bend government website, the city thanked Nintendo and noted how the essential supplies would be distributed by Fire and Rescue staff and be passed on to healthcare workers "throughout the region." "The communities served by City of North Bend and Eastside Fire & Rescue staff deeply appreciate the generous donation from Nintendo," the statement reads. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=every-delayed-movie-due-to-coronavirus-so-far&captions=true"] Nintendo had originally purchased the masks for "emergency preparedness planning" but realised that they could be of greater use elsewhere given the ongoing pandemic. In other Nintendo News, the company announced yesterday that would be closing its repair centres in North America due to COVID-19. Those with ongoing issues are being advised to hold off on sending their devices in for service. Elsewhere, Gamestop has revealed that it is shutting all of its US stores in accordance with CDC guidelines, after initially deeming their service as an "essential" business. Here's how to help and stay safe during the coronavirus outbreak. [poilib element="accentDivider"]Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter.

VFX supervisor Neal Scanlan has hinted that some characters who were cut from the Star Wars film franchise might be revived for the Disney+ Cassian Andor series. In an interview with MovieWeb, Scanlan, who started working as a creature creator on the Skywalker saga after the Lucasfilm-Disney acquisition, suggested that Cassian and K2-SO could potentially be joined by previously crafted characters from the Star Wars universe in the upcoming Rogue One prequel series. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2016/12/12/rogue-one-a-star-wars-story-diego-luna-on-captain-cassian-andors-dangerous-ways"] "What is fun about this is, in many ways, I don't think it feels different than working on a movie. It certainly doesn't feel like we are making any compromises. It's the same creative conditions in every department to do what we can do," he explained about the production. "We also have this backlog of characters. A lot of the characters that we built for all of the films either didn't make it to the final cut, because that's just the way that the film process happens, or that they are seen so momentarily that there is this wonderful second opportunity to bring back some of the characters that we've made and bring them to this new storyline in a more, shall we say, integrated way." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2016/04/09/comparing-rogue-one-to-the-original-star-wars-trilogy"] He added, "I think it's going to be tremendous. I find that it's a second opportunity for everything that we've made, plus the opportunity of moving TV along, in a sense, at what will not at all be diminished as far as the level of quality, the level of things that we are going to try and achieve." While Scanlan didn't divulge details about which characters might appear in the script of the new series, he previously shared his desire to repurpose characters that had not been given significant screentime. In particular, he said he would like to see The Eye of Webbish Bog, cut from The Rise of Skywalker, introduced in a future adventure in the galaxy far, far away. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=every-upcoming-star-wars-movie&captions=true"] More details about the production are expected to be unveiled in the coming months, as Diego Luna, who is reprising his role as Cassian Andor for the Disney+ series alongside Alan Tudyk's deadpan droid K2-SO, previously confirmed that the untitled Star Wars: Rogue One prequel series will begin filming this year. Elsewhere in the Star Wars TV universe, The Mandalorian Season 2 recently cast Rosario Dawson as fan-favourite character Ahsoka Tano, Episode 5 of the final season of Star Wars: The Clone Wars premiered with Ahsoka Tano back in action, and the Obi-Wan Kenobi series production was pushed back until 2021, though the series is on target for its original release. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Adele Ankers is a Freelance Entertainment Journalist. You can reach her on Twitter.

Nintendo has shut down its repair service centers in North America due to the COVID-19 crisis. The news arrives via Nintendo's customer support portal, where the company revealed that it is closing all of its repair centers "in accordance with federal and local guidelines." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/03/19/gamestop-employees-told-to-keep-stores-open-because-they-are-essential-business-amid-covid-19-outbreak-ign-now"] Nintendo has warned that products sent in for repair during this time "may be returned to you as undeliverable," so you may have to ride out your Joy-Con drift troubles for the time being. Users with Nintendo products currently going through the repair process will also have their devices held there until further notice. As for when services resume, that will be down to shifting governmental guidelines as the pandemic proceeds. Nintendo has noted that if your device warranty expires during this period, they will "honor the warranty for the amount of time our repair centers are closed," which is a boon to players with Switch issues. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/07/23/nintendos-non-response-to-joy-con-drift-ign-now"] For more on how COVID-19 is affecting the video game industry, see Game Workers Unite's statement calling for aid to help studios and their employees who are affected by the crisis. As for retail, GameStop stores are now complying with CDC regulations and have closed all stores after facing scrutiny for deeming their outlets as "essential" business. Here's how to help and stay safe during the coronavirus outbreak. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN whose self-isolation is fortunately not being affected by Joy-Con drift. Stay safe, and follow him on Twitter.

Avalanche Studios, the developer behind the Just Cause series, has rebranded itself as Avalanche Studios Group. Alongside the rebrand, the company has also teased a new FPS game. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/03/25/systemic-reaction-unannounced-game-teaser"] The change to Avalanche Studios Group allows the company to recognise its three ‘creative divisions’, which are made up of Avalanche Studios, Expansive Worlds, and Systemic Reaction. Avalanche Studios will continue to focus on AAA titles such as Just Cause and Rage 2, while Expansive Worlds is dedicated to outdoor games like theHunter: Call of the Wilds. Systemic Worlds is the group’s self-publishing brand, which has previously released Generation Zero and is now working on a new, as-of-yet unannounced game. That unannounced game has been teased with a new trailer, which indicates that it is an FPS. The audio design suggests that monsters of some kind will be involved, but little else can be learned from the 28 second clip. Beyond Systemic Worlds’ untitled game, Avalanche Studios Group also promises “several games” are in development, which hopefully we’ll learn more about in the coming years. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=rage-2-gameplay-trailer-stills&captions=true"] Avalanche’s most recent games, Generation Zero and Rage 2, both offered open shooter environments to explore, with the former focused on co-op survival and the latter high-octane battles. If you’ve never dived into them, Avalanche’s games are now on sale on Steam with up to 90% off. If you’re interested in Rage 2, see our thoughts on its bright and bouncy apocalypse and how to get every weapon and ability. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Purslow is IGN's UK News and Entertainment Writer. You can follow him on Twitter. 

A teacher has found a way to deliver his lessons remotely using virtual reality... and Half-Life: Alyx. Charles Coomber, a Multiple-Subjects teacher from San Diego has taken to YouTube to deliver a lesson about Angle Vocabulary using in-game marker pens and planks of wood. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=half-life-alyx-virtual-lesson-screenshots&captions=true"] This homeschooling stroke of genius is made possible by the sheer level of detail in the opening moments of Half-Life: Alyx, which lets players draw on the windows in Alyx's greenhouse. Coomber leads his students through the hallmarks of complementary and supplementary angles with serious charisma, using window panes and a set of coloured markers. At one point, he even brandishes a plank of wood for a physical demonstration. Coomber ends the video with a challenging problem in Alyx's surveillance room, erasing part of her detailed Citadel layout in the process... [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/03/24/7-things-half-life-alyx-doesnt-tell-you"] As he offers up his knowledge, you can hear Combine alarms and patrols puttering about in the streets, City 17's Citadel looming large in the background. This clever remote teaching method is clearly a response to the COVID-19 crisis, which has led countries to close schools and forced teachers to adapt to provide learning. If you're yet to dive into Valve's latest, check out our review of the game, which we thought "set a new bar for VR." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/03/24/valve-on-the-future-of-half-life-plus-other-inside-stories-ign-unfiltered-49"] For even more detail on Half-Life: Alyx, you can check out our interview with Alyx developers Robin Walker and Chris Remo about the potential of Valve making more Half-Life games in the future. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jordan Oloman is a freelance writer for IGN who feels deeply ashamed by his failure to understand 8th Grade maths. It's been a while, ok! Follow him on Twitter.