Latest News - Page 2371

Halloween has certainly captured many headlines in the past week or so, between all the extra scary-themed content available for gaming titles, it comes as no surprise. The next to be "spookified" shall we call it, is the Grand Theft Auto Online Halloween event, which commences this Friday, October 28.

The special event gives players access to the brand new motorcycle formally known as the "Sanctus" The Rockstar blog post had this to say about it:

"With its eerie skull-studded design, the Sanctus is a dread-inducing piece of machinery, guaranteed to strike fear into passersby on your next midnight ride."

Nintendo's new Switch hardware melds the worlds of handheld and console gaming in a single transforming package. But what about gameplay? There's usually a pretty big disparity between Nintendo's consoles and handhelds as far as gameplay performance...however Nintendo now affirms that the Switch will deliver console-quality performance even while taken on-the-go.

Recent reports state that the Nintendo Switch will offer better performance while docked for home console play, with the handheld portion possibly being underclocked while used out and about.

But according to Nintendo's President Tatsumi Kimishima, the Switch's handheld will deliver high-quality gameplay even while used outside the home, likely mirroring the exact same gameplay as when docked.

This month has certainly proven to be all things Halloween, with October alone racking up a good number of spooky-themed packages and game deals on various platforms.

Though Xbox fans in particular, will be pleased to know that Microsoft announced their Shocktober sale, a full week prior to Halloween. The sale gives customers great discounts on numerous horror-themed games in celebration of the scariest night of the year, for the Xbox One and Xbox 360.

The prices can be viewed via the official Microsoft Xbox website as well as the Major Nelson website. Dont miss out as the sale will only run from 25th-31st of October. Get your spook on with some great steals!

Nintendo's new Switch console and mobile handheld hybrid will be the nexus (or NeXus, if you will) of an ecosystem with a lot of software and accompanying hardware accessories. Although we saw a few of these during the Switch preview trailer, Nintendo President Tatsumi Kimishima says "by no means is that everything."

Photo credit: Ryan Salamanda

In a recent interview with Bloomberg, Nintendo President Tatsumi Kimishima revealed that the Switch will have a "wider array" of what he refers to as "add-on hardware." He also hints that the Switch will offer more ways to play than what we were shown during the trailer, and that some software could go beyond traditional console and mobile gaming.

Quantic Dream is one of the only game developers left that makes games that feel oh-so-different, but Quantic Dream boss David Cage recently talked with GamesIndustry.biz and had some interesting things to say about VR.

Cage said: "We have all VR systems installed in the studio, and I encourage my teams to try them out. We've downloaded every game on every system to try and understand where people are right now, what works, and what doesn't work, and what we could bring to this medium". Cage added: "The idea is not to do VR for the sake of doing VR. It's about saying something on this medium that hasn't been said already".

When it comes to the sense of presence that VR can give gamers, game developers will have to do more to trick gamers' brains into thinking that the virtual reality they're in, is more real than 'just a game'. Cage continued: "If there's a character in front of you, your brain thinks they're actually there. So suddenly there's a distance you're trying to keep when you talk to them".

Today has been a big day for Apple, with the announcement of their next-gen MacBook Pro laptops coming in 3 models: two 13-inch MBPs, and a higher-end 15-inch MacBook Pro which rocks AMD's new Radeon Pro 400 series graphics - but the fun doesn't end there.

LG has unveiled its new 4K and 5K displays, specifically designed for Apple's new MacBook Pro models. The new UltraFine Displays feature 3 x USB-C ports that will power additional devices, with LG's new monitors rocking built-in stereo speakers, a camera, and a microphone.

LG's new 5K UltraFine Display requires a Thunderbolt 3 connection, and we originally reported that LG's new 5K display was an Apple exclusive, but our friends at Fudzilla have informed us that it's not exclusive to the new MacBook Pro. This is a big hint at Apple's future, as it seems as though the company won't be making any more monitors - gone are the days of Apple's Cinema Displays, guys... sob.

Since Nintendo's new Switch hardware is both a console and handheld, there's some major concerns that the Japanese console-maker will retire its ultra-popular 3DS. But that won't happen any time soon, and the 3DS will continue on.

In a recent interview with Bloomberg, Nintendo President Tatsumi Kimishima affirms that the Switch won't "cannibalize" the 3DS, and the 3DS handheld will continue onward alongside the Switch even after the new console's release.

"Thanks to our software, the 3DS hardware is still growing. So that business still has momentum. And certainly rather than being cannibalized by the Switch, we think the 3DS can continue in its own form," Kimishima affirmed in the interview.

Nintendo has already confirmed that it hasn't revealed everything about its new Switch console handheld hybrid, and now some of those features have apparently come to light: namely the Switch handheld's 6-inch 720p multi-touchscreen.

As millions of gamers watched the Nintendo Switch preview, a lot of us sighed in relief when no sort of touch-screen gimmick was shown. But internal sources close to the Switch have told Eurogamer that the Switch will indeed have a touchscreen, but it'll be both new and old territory for Nintendo.

Eurogamer's Tom Phillips reports that the Nintendo Switch's 6.2-inch handheld display won't be full 1080p, but 720p, and will support modernized multi-touchscreen with up to 10 points of capacitive touch, which is head over heels better than Nintendo's previous touchscreen endeavors (the Wii U and 3DS, for example, use pressure-sensitive resistive touchscreens with only one-point touch).

Twitter is going through troubles of its own, but now the social media giant has announced it will be shutting down the Vine app in the next few months.

Vine wrote in a blog post: "Since 2013, millions of people have turned to Vine to laugh at loops and see creativity unfold. Today, we are sharing the news that in the coming months we'll be discontinuing the mobile app".

Twitter announced it is restructuring itself, laying off 9% of their global workforce, and working on other methods to reduce cost. Vine users won't feel the pinch immediately, with their Vines still accessible, with Vine adding it will continue working with creators on answering any questions.

After a decade of waiting, Final Fantasy 15 has gone gold and is completely finished and ready to be shipped off to millions of gamers.

Final Fantasy 15 has gone from barely running at 30FPS on consoles to a competent and polished build known as the "final master version." Square Enix has proudly proclaimed the game has gone gold, meaning the main game is totally wrapped up.

But that's not it; Square Enix also revealed that the huge open-world adventure will allow four friends to team up for some online co-op. The co-op mode will be available following the game's release on November 29, and is one of the six DLC packs that are included in the $25 season pass. The co-op mode allows four players to take the roles of Noctis, Ignis, Gladiolus and Prompto and take part in in-game battle sequences.

Apple unveiled its new 15-inch MacBook Pro today, something that includes AMD's new Polaris-based Radeon Pro 400 series graphics, available first inside of the new 15-inch MBP.

AMD's new Radeon Pro 400 series graphics is explained perfectly on the Radeon Pro website, which details the new Polaris GPU as the best choice for creators.

Radeon Technologies Group SVP and Chief Architect, Raja Koduri, explains: "We couldn't be more proud to have Radeon Pro 400 Series Graphics launching in the new 15-inch MacBook Pro, a notebook designed for performance and creativity".

Nintendo's new Switch console handheld hybrid will reportedly use the modern USB Type-C interface to charge the handheld while on the go, instead of a proprietary first-party charging cable.

Sources at Nintendo have told Let's Play Video Games' Laura Kate Dale that the Switch handheld shown in the preview trailer uses USB Type-C port for power, meaning the actual consumer Switch could use the new Type-C interface. This would allow the Switch to benefit from Type-C's fast-charging modes, along with potential high-speed transfers and compatibility with a host of adapters.

USB Type-C charging could offset the Switch's purported three-hour battery life while in un-docked handheld mode, as users may be able to easily and quickly re-charge the Switch console. Nintendo typically regulates its hardware with exclusive first-party power cables, so this move to the new future-proof standard would be substantial for the company.

Titanfall 2 is finally here, with developer Respawn Entertainment coming out and explaining that there will be no Season Pass released for their second mech shooter in the franchise.

Respawn Entertainment confirmed the news in a blog post, explaining that Titanfall 2 isn't a typical shooter: "No Season Pass required: all maps & modes will be free in Titanfall 2 Multiplayer. This means no splitting up the community and it all starts with the legendary Angel City map, remastered from the original Titanfall".

They continued: "This means once you've purchased Titanfall 2, your investment includes a full single player campaign, the full multiplayer maps and modes, and long-term support with no hidden costs. You can pre-order the game to play 3 days early, but it will never cost you extra".

Apple has unveiled their new refreshed line of MacBook Pro laptops, with two new 13-inch models and a single higher-end 15-inch model that rocks Radeon Pro 450 graphics from AMD.

The lower-end 13-inch MBP features a dual-core Intel Core i5 processor at 2GHz, 8GB of RAM, 256GB SSD, 2 x Thunderbolt 3 ports and Intel Iris Graphics 540 - but it's the higher-end 13-inch MBP where the fun begins.

Apple has refreshed its MacBook Pro line up with some slightly beefier hardware, with Apple noting the new display on the MacBook Pro is 67% brighter, 67% higher contrast, and has 25% more colors than the MacBook.

Just like its competitors at Cupertino, Google's new Pixel and Pixel XL flagship duo carry a premium price tag. The Pixel XL starts at $769, for 32GB version, but can cost up to $869 if you go with the 128GB version.

A report from IHS Markit, an analyst company, based in London, shows that Google's total cost to manufacture the Pixel XL (32GB) is $285.75, after including $7.75 in basic manufacturing costs.

Andrew Rassweiler, senior director of cost benchmarking services for IHS Markit, said this isn't surprising.

Tesla Motors published its third-quarter earning report, and for the first time in three years, they have made a profit. Last time they reported a quarterly net profit was is the first quarter of 2013, three years after the company went public.

For the last quarter, Q3 2016, they recorded net income of $21.9 million, or 14 cents per share. A year earlier, they announced a loss of $229.9 million, or $1.78 per share.

Total revenue more than doubled compared to the same quarter last year and is now $2.3 billion.

Apple's AirPods, wireless ear buds that are somewhat of a replacement for the lack of headphone jack on the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus, were supposed to go on sale late October, which is this week. However, that's not happening.

The company says they aren't ready for the customers and won't go on sale just yet.

A spokesperson confirmed this to iMore.

At the event in New York, Microsoft has announced they are partnering with top PC makers, such as HP, Lenovo, Dell, ASUS, and Acer, to build VR headsets. They also revealed the Surface studio, an ultra-thin transforming all-in-one aimed at transforming your desk into a fully-fledged workstation studio.

The company is pushing virtual and augmented reality pretty hard, and they will show that in their next Windows 10 update named Creators Update. Due out in spring next year, the Windows 10 Creators Update will be focused on bringing the VR and AR experience to millions of users around the world.

At the event, the representatives of the company stated they want 3D available to everyone. The Creators Update will be largely built around Microsoft Paint, which will become Paint 3D, and from what we saw, it's pretty impressive.

Verizon has announced it is acquiring subscription video service Vessel, but it's the swift closure of Vessel that is surprising.

Vessel worked with YouTube giants and other video creators in its first few months on the block, offering early access to their videos for $2.99 per month. The company raised over $130 million from investors, too. Jason Kilar was Hulu's former CEO before he founded Vessel with Richard Tom, who was Vessel's CTO - Tom will stay with Verizon/Vessel, but Kilar won't be around after the transition of the acquisition later this year.

In a blog post, the Vessel founders said: "At the heart of this transaction is the Vessel technology, product and team that we have built. These three things will be married with Verizon's ambitions in online video. Though the team and the actual tech + product will live on at Verizon in ways that will become apparent in the months and years ahead, sadly we will be sunsetting the Vessel service at the end of this month (October 31)".

Nintendo's investors don't like the company's new Switch console, with many seeing the company's stubborn push to carve out its own space in the console world a risky gambit.

When the Nintendo Switch was unveiled a week ago, Nintendo's investors were less than excited about yet another home gaming console. As a result, Nintendo's shares actually dropped 6.5% after the Switch reveal; conversely, Nintendo's shares skyrockted 4.6% after Nintendo's pre-reveal Switch teaser Tweet, adding "more than $1 billion" to the company's market share.

To date, the Japanese games giant has had its shares slip almost 10% since the Switch reveal, which certainly shows how optimistic stakeholders are about the system.