Thursday, 30 April 2020

Worldwide smartphone sales showed 'biggest decline ever' in Q1 2020

The impact of COVID-19 on smartphone sales was drastic, as market analysts noted shipments worldwide dropped by millions in the last few months. While manufacturers are typically nonspecific about sales numbers, IDC’s Quarterly Mobile Phone tracker n...

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Top 10 Fun Free Game Apps for Apple and Android

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According to Business of Apps, game apps in 2018 created an amazing $54.7 billion in revenue. Not only is that an incredible amount of money, but it’s actually growing by 15% every year at the same time. On the other hand, just because people are making a lot of money off of game apps, that doesn’t […]

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Walmart's two-hour Express Delivery is coming to thousands of stores

Walmart has introduced a faster delivery service called Express Delivery, which can get your orders to your door in less than two hours. In its announcement, the retail giant said it accelerated the service’s development in the wake of the coronaviru...

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Sega Ages on Switch Reviews (Part 4)

A couple top-notch sequels and G-LOC - The Sega Ages line-up of game ports has seen a fantastic collection of classics so far and here are 3 more titles to enjoy on your Switch. Read more: Sega Ages on Switch Reviews (Part 4)

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Netflix removes a 'Designated Survivor' episode in Turkey

Netflix has removed an episode of the political thriller Designated Survivor from its streaming service in Turkey following a demand from a regulator. It did so to comply with local law, it told Variety in a statement.The episode in question, the sev...

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Amazon details the war mechanics of its 'New World' MMO

Amazon’s New World MMO will apparently have an intricately detailed war system, based on the company’s latest post about the game. As part of New World’s Developer Diary Series, Amazon has revealed how players will be able to wage war against each ot...

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I Studied The Blade

Edward Denton is an artist at WETA, where he’s worked on stuff like The Hobbit, Elysium and Chappie.

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The Internet Agrees That Elon Musk Is Deus Ex's Trillionaire Villain, Not JC Denton

Today, noted embarrassing smoker, bad driver, and worse tweeter who is also somehow a billionaire Elon Musk has decided he’s JC Denton, the hero of 2000’s genre-defining cyberpunk immersive sim Deus Ex. Nobody agrees with him.

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Subnautica: Below Zero has a 'revamped' story to explore

I feel like I'm locked in a perpetual game of chicken with Subnautica: Below Zero, a game I can't possibly dislike. I keep telling myself "This is the Early Access update. This is the one that'll get me to play." I say that every dang time, and I still haven't taken the plunge – but this could be it. This should be it.

Today's Frostbite update for Subnautica: Below Zero is the first step in the new storyline, making it a particularly good entry point. Unknown Worlds still wants to "respect" the old lore and characters found in prior versions of the underwater survival game, but there will be big and small changes. Short term, there's a new intro cinematic, new voice-work for Robin and Sam, and new journal entries.

That said, it's a work-in-progress. "Bases may come and go, or shift a few hundred meters in one direction or another, but the substance of the world in Subnautica: Below Zero will remain fundamentally the same," said narrative designer Jill Murray. "That means we need to work the new story around the twists and turns, dark caverns, and mischievous sea monkeys we already know."

The Frostbite update has some other cool tricks up its sleeve including Quantum Lockers (which let you access your items anywhere), snowballs (as an escape tactic or water source), and Surface Beacons. The developers also "extensively reworked" the Glacial Basin and refined the cold weather mechanics.

That giant creature at the end of the trailer? That's an Ice Worm. The beast has "new interactions and animations to uncover as you attempt to cross its treacherous territory." Tread lightly.

Subnautica: Below Zero has a 'revamped' story to explore screenshot



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Somewhere, Out There, Is A Timeline Where These Nintendo Games Exist

It is time, as it is around this time every year, for Japanese game store Meteor to hold their Famicase exhibition, where artists from all around the world are invited to create cartridge art for non-existent video games.

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Old Build Of Switch Game Released Early, Publisher Calls It A "Happy Surprise"

Action RPG Indivisible, from Skullgirls creators Lab Zero, is great! The version that was reportedly released on the Switch this week, though, has been a very weird story.

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Epic cancels 2020 Fortnite World Cup

Epic is the next big game developer cutting physical esports tourneys from its schedule as it deals with the realities of the COVID-19 pandemic. The company has canceled the 2020 Fortnite World Cup outright in addition to moving all other Fortnite ev...

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GDC Summer will go all-digital

Earlier this year, the annual Game Developer’s Conference that was set to occur in March was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic. Later, GDC 2020 organizers said that it would be postponed to August under the new moniker of “GDC Summer.” Now, it...

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Reddit pulls back chat rooms after angering moderators

Just one day after launching a new chat room feature, Reddit has reversed course and pulled it entirely following an outcry from the site’s moderators. The company yanked “Start Chatting,” which aimed to create small, randomized chat rooms within the...

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Microsoft opens free registrations for Build 2020

In addition to hosting its annual Build developer conference online, Microsoft now plans to make the event free to attend. On Thursday, the company’s Scott Hanselman announced the conference will start on May 19th at 8AM PT / 11AM ET and feature 48-h...

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3 Things We Didn't Like (and 1 We Did) About Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045

Last week, Netflix finally dropped its latest big anime get: Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045, the highly anticipated (and perhaps in some regards, dreaded) continuation of the action-packed TV spinoff of Masamune Shirow’s beloved manga/cyberpunk movie icon. With the story over for now, here’s what worked for us in the…

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The Neo Geo Mini International Edition Is Cheaper Than Ever at $30

Neo Geo Mini International | $30 | Amazon

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HTC's Vive Sync beta offers businesses free access to VR meetings

HTC’s Vive Sync collaboration platform is now in open beta, giving businesses a way to hold meetings in VR at a time when people are meeting online more than ever. The company even made the app free to use for businesses of all sizes throughout the b...

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Xbox Game Pass clears 10 million subscribers

Microsoft's bet on subscription gaming appears to be paying off. The company has revealed that more than 10 million people now pay for Xbox Game Pass, a buffet-style service with an ever-changing library of first- and third-party titles. Microsoft la...

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Today’s selection of articles from Kotaku’s reader-run community: Fruits Basket 2nd Season: AniTAY F

Today’s selection of articles from Kotaku’s reader-run community: Fruits Basket 2nd Season: AniTAY First Impressions The Only Final Fantasy VII Remake Opinion That Matters TAY Retro: Nintendo Entertainment System - The Battle of Olympus [TV Commercial, NA]

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Twitter sees record user growth, thanks to COVID-19

Twitter is reporting a record increase in its daily user figures as a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic of 24 percent, up to 166 million. That’s a big jump on the 134 million it was counting at the start of 2019 and the 152 million monetizable dai...

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The Morning After: Facebook.com is about to show off a new look

Whether you’re in an office or at home, there’s a decent chance you’ve been wasting time on Facebook.com. After going years without a major redesign, the company is rolling out a rebuilt page with a new look, so Nick Summers talked to engineers about...

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People Keep Drawing Oliver From Animal Crossing: New Horizons As A Sexy Hunk

In Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Wilbur is a blue-feathered dodo. Ditto for his brother Orville. But folks have been drawing the Dodo Airlines brothers as hunky dudes, with Wilbur being especially cool.

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This is not a new Mother (aka Earthbound) game announcement—well, not yet at least.

This is not a new Mother (aka Earthbound) game announcement—well, not yet at least. However, it is an announcement that the scripts from all the Mother games will be released later this year in Japan. There will also be other Mother-related announcements before then. Hopefully, that means some Switch ports!

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Epic Games Store gets local pricing in five more countries

You can now pay for Epic Games Store purchases in your own currency if you’re in Australia, Canada, Denmark, Norway and Sweden. The developer’s digital storefront now supports AUD, CAD, DKK, NOK and SEK, bringing the total number of currencies it acc...

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'Luigi's Mansion 3' adds more multiplayer minigames with new DLC

Last year Nintendo promised a two-part release of extra content for Luigi’s Mansion 3, all scheduled to arrive before July 31st. Part one of the $10 DLC pack went on sale in early March, and now Part 2 is here.Both halves of the DLC add three additio...

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(Update) Gals' Fighters returns this week to celebrate Neo Geo 30th Anniversary

[Update: Gals' Fighters is now available to purchase worldwide for Nintendo Switch. You can pick it up from the eShop for around $8. No other platforms have been announced. You can check out a short trailer at the foot of the article.]

Yesterday was the 30th anniversary of SNK's super-powerful, super-expensive Neo Geo hardware. To celebrate the console's storied legacy of great fighting games and giant cartridges, SNK has announced that it will be re-releasing Neo Geo Pocket Color classic Gals' Fighters this week, and will offer up new information regarding the upcoming Samurai Shodown Neo Geo collection.

Released back in 2000 for the fledgling handheld, Gals' Fighters is a comedic crossover fighter that brings together a selection of the Neo Geo's fighting femmes in a one-on-one tournament, the prize being the realisation of the winner's greatest wish. Gals' Fighters is a cute, fun punch-up, and would set the stage for later release SNK Heroines: Tag Team Frenzy, which launched on PS4 and Nintendo Switch in 2018.

The Samurai Shodown Neo Geo Collection was first revealed almost exactly a year ago, and will feature the classic SamSho titles that launched on the Neo Geo console between 1993 and 2004. The release will feature all six games in their Japanese and World editions, along with online multiplayer and a museum full of marketing goodies.

Oddly, SNK's announcement did not include a price or platforms for Gals' Fighters in its announcement, although we do know it has previously been rated for Switch. We will, of course, update you when we have further information.

SNK Gals' Fighters launches this week [Japanese Nintendo]

(Update) Gals' Fighters returns this week to celebrate Neo Geo 30th Anniversary screenshot

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Raspberry Pi's improved camera module supports interchangeable lenses

Raspberry Pi has launched a new high-quality, interchangeable lens camera for budding photographers or folks who want to learn how integrate a camera into their build projects. It comes with a 7.9mm (Type 1/2.3) Sony IMX477 12.3-megapixel back-illumi...

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Microsoft Office for iPad tests multi-window support

Microsoft will soon make it easier to juggle multiple Word documents and PowerPoint presentations for iOS users. The tech giant has given Office Insiders the ability to open multiple Word and PowerPoint windows side-by-side on an iPad.Insiders can ac...

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Wednesday, 29 April 2020

Extreme E races will have male and female driver changeovers

The format for Extreme E, an off-road motorsport by the creators of Formula E, just got a little more interesting. Today, organizers revealed that each team will have two drivers — a man and a woman — competing in the same vehicle. They also confirme...

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Balmuda's $329 steam-based toaster finally arrives in the US

Just how much do you value your toast in the morning? Enough that you’d pay top dollar to have a near-ideal texture every time? You now have a chance to prove your commitment. Japanese brand Balmuda has released its fabled The Toaster in the US, maki...

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Why I Prefer Reviewing Games on Xbox One

Microsoft makes it easy - I play and review a ton of games and I used to stick to PlayStation 4 whenever I could. However, I find myself preferring to review games on Xbox One recently and after being asked why, I put a lot of thought into it. So, without further ado; here's why! Read more: Why I Prefer Reviewing Games on Xbox One

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British Museum makes over half of its collection viewable online

You can’t visit museums in person during pandemic lockdowns, but you might not have to for one of the most prestigious institutions. The British Museum has made (via Motherboard) images of more than half its collection (4.5 million objects) available...

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Uber AI plays any Atari 2600 game with 'superhuman' skill

DeepMind isn’t the only one with an Atari-savvy AI. A team of Uber AI researchers has developed a set of algorithms, Go-Explore, that reportedly beats any Atari 2600 game with “superhuman” scores, including ones where AI previously had trouble bestin...

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Next, Please

Andrey Vasilyev is a concept artist and matte painter from Ukraine.

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GUN JAM Is A Shooter But Also A Music Game

If you have ever wondered what it’d be like if Doom met Dance Dance Revolution—and maybe you’re out there?—then GUN JAM is that pondering come to life.

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Final Fantasy III Designer Wasn’t Particularly Into Moogles, Actually

In honor of Final Fantasy III’s 30th anniversary, Square Enix recently published an extensive interview with Hiromichi Tanaka, who worked as a designer on the 1990 Famicom game. While lighthearted, they do touch on some interesting subjects, including the debut of Moogles, how they created a cool attack effect for the…

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Tesla's 'full self-driving' feature is coming in subscription form

During the Q1 2020 earnings call on Wednesday, Tesla CEO Elon Musk confirmed that the company’s “Full Self-Driving” system will become available as a monthly subscription later this year.Tesla has been installing the necessary hardware for its autono...

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Games for Carers initiative offering 85,000 free games to NHS workers

The UK games industry has launched an initiative to provide free video games and subscription services to NHS workers, tirelessly working around-the-clock to care for those affected by the ongoing COVID-19/coronavirus pandemic.

The Games for Carers scheme was first conceived by VGC writer Chris Scullion, who found support and mobilisation through the UK's gaming trade body Ukie and streaming marketer Keymailer. With the support from of a huge list of studios including Bethesda, Codemasters, Electronic Arts, and Media Molecule, Games for Carers has over 85,000 video games to give away to frontline NHS staff, with more games being added daily.

All NHS staffers need do is visit the official Games for Carers website and register their NHS email address. There are games across a huge range of genres and platforms, including mobile, so there should be something for everybody. Full details and conditions about the Games for Carers scheme can be found here.

Games for Carers initiative offering 85,000 free games to NHS workers screenshot

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‘Minecraft Earth’ adds seasonal challenges for its AR builders

Minecraft Earth, Microsoft’s blocky answer to Pokémon Go, continues to evolve despite still being in Early Access mode. The latest update adds three important new features to challenge players and make it easier to keep track of past feats. Are you...

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Cooper FX's multi-effect guitar pedal uses tiny cartridges

Cooper FX has just announced Arcades, a guitar pedal that changes its tune with SD card-sized swapable cartridges. Inspired by vintage video game consoles (hence the name) Arcades aims to negate some of the cost involved in traditional pedals — the b...

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Today’s selection of articles from Kotaku’s reader-run community: My Understanding Of Final Fantasy

Today’s selection of articles from Kotaku’s reader-run community: My Understanding Of Final Fantasy VII Remake’s Story and Ending Stinolez’s Seasonal Roundup [Winter 2020] TAY Retro: Nintendo Entertainment System - The Kids These Days Tetris [TV Commercial, NA]

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The Morning After: How to buy a monitor

Going to the movies was a thing we used to do -- and may do again in the future. However, if you’re going to an AMC theater anywhere in the world, you won’t find any Universal films. The theater chain declared war once NBCUniversal execs told The Wal...

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Fairphone 3 can now be bought with a ‘de-googled’ OS

Fairphone is teaming up with /e/OS to launch a “de-googled” version of its flagship smartphone, the Fairphone 3. This new handset has the same hardware features as the regular Fairphone, but without Google’s online services. The idea is to create a p...

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Spotify users are flocking to ‘chill’ playlists during COVID-19

“Every day now looks like the weekend,” says Spotify's newest financial report, and one of the earliest looks at how COVID-19 impacts streaming businesses. The music and podcast company, as expected, saw user growth increase, with 286 million total u...

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Google Meet will soon be free for anyone with a Gmail account

You’ll soon be able to access Google Meet for free even if you’re not a G Suite customer: Starting in early May, you’ll be able to sign up for Meet as long as you have a Gmail account. Some of the features you can enjoy include the ability to create...

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Dice is moving on from ‘Battlefield V’ and ‘Battlefront II’

Battlefield V may be slowly winding to a close, but developer DICE has assured players that a new Battlefield game is on the way, and will arrive in 2021. The company has revealed that this month’s The Battle on Scarif update will be the last for Sta...

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Apple will pay $18 million to settle broken FaceTime suit

Apple has agreed to pay $18 million to settle a case accusing the company of intentionally breaking FaceTime on iOS 6. The class action lawsuit, which was filed in 2017, argued that the tech giant disabled the video-calling applicationn on the iPhone...

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What are the most Important Gambling Trends in 2020?

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With the world firmly in the hands of the biggest pandemic of most of our lifetimes, many people turn to online sources to get their entertainment fix. Be it Netflix, video games or even online casinos, the world online just keeps turning. And while the digital space is less susceptible to the restrictions people are […]

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Universal's plans for more 'premium VOD' push AMC to drop its movies

Earlier today the Wall Street Journal reported that a direct-to-home release of Trolls World Tour earlier this month netted Universal more revenue than the box office release of the first Trolls film. According to its sources, the $20-per-rental sche...

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Tuesday, 28 April 2020

Pen and Paper Games Bundle Review

Hilarious and imaginative RPG fun - Having never played any of the Pen and Paper series, I figured I'd check out this handy new bundle and I'm very glad that I did. If you're new to the franchise as well, allow me to describe each of the included games so you can decide if you'd enjoy them, too. Read more: Pen and Paper Games Bundle Review

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Google is killing its experimental social network Shoelace

Google’s experimental Area 120 unit launched Shoelace in mid-2019 as a way to help people get together in real life. Unfortunately, the fledgling social network won’t make it out of the experimental phase — the tech giant has announced that Shoelace...

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The Rest of Final Fantasy VII Remake Won’t ‘Drastically Change the Story’

The release of the Final Fantasy VII Remake Ultimania guide book brought with it a wealth of new information thanks to an interview with Producer Yoshinori Kitase and Director Tetsuya Nomura. Translated by @aitaikimochi on Twitter, the interview includes details on future installments of the Final Fantasy VII Remake saga, as the first game ends when the party leaves Midgar. Despite some theories after the end of Final Fantasy VII Remake that the story would be taking a different path from the original Final Fantasy VII, Kitase reassures fans that they are “not drastically changing the story and making it into something completely different than the original.”

“Even though it’s a Remake, please assume the story of FF7 will continue as FF7 always has from here on out,” Kitase continues. What we can presume from Kitase’s comments is that subsequent entries will follow the same general narrative structure of the first, recounting iconic moments from the original game with some surprising and unexpected new twists, but not completely changing what the original game was. If you have a favorite moment from the 1997 game, rest assured it will probably end up translated into the Remake saga in some way.

Many of the changes being made to the scenarios in Final Fantasy VII Remake have to do with the Compilation of Final Fantasy VII (which includes the original game, the Advent Children film, Crisis Core, and more). Remake is being envisioned as the “culmination” of the complete compilation.

Kitase’s words should help allay fears that Final Fantasy VII Remake would take too much of a bizarre “Kingdom Hearts-esque” turn and alter the story and moments people have come to love. The first game was lauded for its daring reinterpretation of iconic events and moments while still being the game we remember from 23 years ago. Unfortunately, we don’t know how much longer we’ll have to wait for the next part, or even how many parts the full saga will be. In fact, Nomura and Kitase themselves aren’t even entirely sure.

Final Fantasy VII Remake is out now exclusively on PS4.

The post The Rest of Final Fantasy VII Remake Won’t ‘Drastically Change the Story’ appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.



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Space Crud! Git Yur Space Crud!

Egor Grositskiy is a concept artist and visual developer from Russia who has worked in games, movies and animation.

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