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Uncharted 4 gets delayed again, will be released on May 10
Uncharted 4: A Thief's End will be a cornerstone of Sony's massive PlayStation 4 dominance this year, but the game has been delayed... again. Uncharted 4 was delayed from 2015 into 2016, then it was delayed into April 2016, and now it has been delayed again - until May 10.
President and CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment America, Shawn Layden, explained on the PlayStation Blog: "In an effort to meet the considerable worldwide demand, and to ensure that all gamers worldwide have the opportunity to play the game on day one, we have chosen to postpone the launch of the game by two weeks to allow for extra manufacturing time. We know this news might be disappointing, and we are sorry to have to make you wait a little longer to play Naughty Dog's latest. The good news is that the game is phenomenal - we are fully confident that it will be worth the wait and the team at Naughty Dog is eager as ever for you to experience Nathan Drake's final adventure".
There will also be an Uncharted 4 open beta multiplayer that kicks off this weekend, which will give Naughty Dog and Sony a chance to test out the game's servers for its launch, hopefully, on May 10.
Continue reading: Uncharted 4 gets delayed again, will be released on May 10 (full post)
Xbox boss teases upgradeable hardware for the next-gen Xbox
If there's one huge area where consoles lose out to PCs, it would be that they're not upgradeable. Console owners and fans would disagree, saying that it creates an ecosystem that allows Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo to develop, and let third-party studios develop games for hardware that is identical between consoles. So, if one person owns a PS4 - the other 25 million+ have the exact same hardware.
Well, according to Xbox boss Phil Spencer, this could all change in the future. Optional hardware purchases could happen, and they would be different to the "optional" microtransactions games have today, except you'd actually get value out of spending money. Speaking with Polygon, Spencer said: "When you look at the console space, I believe we will see more hardware innovation in the console space than we've ever seen".
He continued: "You'll actually see us come out with new hardware capability during a generation allowing the same games to run backward and forward compatible because we have a Universal Windows Application running on top of the Universal Windows Platform that allows us to focus more and more on hardware innovation without invalidating the games that run on that platform". So that makes sense, as we really do need hardware innovation in the console space, as it has been dead for 10 years now - we're still in the 720p-ish 30FPS-ish world, and that's shocking, as it's 2016 - not 1996.
Continue reading: Xbox boss teases upgradeable hardware for the next-gen Xbox (full post)
MS teases 'latest DirectX12 enhancements' for Rise of the Tomb Raider
Rise of the Tomb Raider has been enjoying huge sales on the PC, where it has smashed the sales of the Xbox One version - but what about the rumored DX12 patch for the game?
Well, it looks like it could be closer than we thought, with Microsoft teasing that Rise of the Tomb Raider was running in DX12 at its Xbox Showcase Media Event. Microsoft confirmed: "DirectX 12 Showcase: Rise of the Tomb Raider, Ashes of the Singularity, King of Wushu - Square Enix, Snail, and Stardock showcased their latest DirectX 12 enhancements for Rise of the Tomb Raider, King of Wushu, and Ashes of the Singularity on Origin PCs, iBUYPOWER Revolt 2, and Maingear PCs".
They continued: "Ashes of the Singularity is taking advantage the DirectX 12 multi-adapter technology, allowing PCs to use multiple GPUs, even from different manufacturers. Rise of the Tomb Raider was playable for the first time at the Xbox Spring Showcase running DirectX 12".
Continue reading: MS teases 'latest DirectX12 enhancements' for Rise of the Tomb Raider (full post)
Killer Instinct requires 4GB RAM and Windows 10, launches on March 29
Killer Instinct is coming over to the PC through Windows 10, with Microsoft confirming the news earlier today. The game will launch on March 29, and thanks to a new FAQ posted on the official website, we know that if you buy the Xbox One version of Killer Instinct, you won't lose all of the content you've purchased.
If you want to keep your existing Killer Instinct content when you shift over from the Xbox One to Windows 10, you must "receive the Season 3 game update, available starting March 29, 2016. Simply login to your Xbox One console and launch Killer Instinct. Ensure you're connected to Xbox Live and follow the prompts to receive the update. Once the update is complete, launch Killer Instinct fully. Once the update is complete and you have launched Killer Instinct again, you will be able to login into Windows 10 to access your owned and earned content".
As for the minimum and recommended requirements, this is what you'll need:
Continue reading: Killer Instinct requires 4GB RAM and Windows 10, launches on March 29 (full post)
'Pacific Rim 2' lives on as del Toro abandons director's chair
The future of the sequel to the 2013 robot/monster bash-em-up 'Pacific Rim' has been shaky to say the least, but it looks like that's all behind them as Warner Bros have re-committed to the film. There's just one hitch though - creator Guillermo del Toro has abandoned directing duties.
According to Deadline Hollywood, 'Spartacus' creator Steven S. DeKnight will jump in as director in his feature film debut, from a script written by Jon Spaihts. Del Toro will instead join Thomas Tull, Jon Jashni, and Mary Parent as executive producers.
While the original 2017 announced release date will most certainly change, the studio has not yet confirmed when the franchise will return, but 2018 is probably a reasonable estimate.
Continue reading: 'Pacific Rim 2' lives on as del Toro abandons director's chair (full post)
New York judge rules Apple can't be forced to hack phone for drug case
A landmark decision has been reached in the ongoing data encryption war. A US magistrate judge in New York, presiding over a drug trafficking case, has ruled Apple cannot be forced to unlock an iPhone by the US government, which has been using the more than 100 year-old All Writs Act (AWA) as part of its argument. While this doesn't directly involve the bigger San Bernardino terrorism case, it's a big win for Apple and smartphone users in general who support their right to encryption, and will certainly help its argument in that case.
"The established rules for interpreting a statute's text constrain me to reject the government's interpretation that the AWA empowers a court to grant any relief not outright prohibited by law," magistrate Judge James Orenstein stated in his order.
In other words, the government overstepped its bounds in its interpretation of the AWA. Orenstein went on to conclude this is a congressional issue.
Continue reading: New York judge rules Apple can't be forced to hack phone for drug case (full post)
'Batman V Superman' Blu-ray up for pre-order already
While fans eagerly await the theatrical release of the superhero bust-up 'Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice' in just a few weeks, online stores are capitalising on the swirl of interest in the title by offering the Blu-ray up for pre-order.
While Warner Bros haven't officially provided a release date or disc specs, Amazon are already taking pre-orders for the Blu-ray release for $33.99. The release is said to include the longer, more intense R-rated director's cut, which has already been passed by the MPAA.
But if you want to see it as soon as possible, 'Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice' will be released in 3D and 2D cinemas, as well as IMAX screens ("Holy big screen, Batman!") on March 25th worldwide.
Continue reading: 'Batman V Superman' Blu-ray up for pre-order already (full post)
Introducing the first combined iPhone, Android charger cable
An Australian startup has successfully Kickstarted its first product: LMcable, a 2-in-1 connector that allows you to charge an iPhone or an Android phone. Data transfer is an option, too. The idea is pretty simple: plug it in one way for a Lightning port, and turn it upside down for micro USB -- no split connectors necessary.
Features include a brass buckle for "neat closure" and portability, a leather-bound cable, and tin-plated copper wires for high durability. And for the environmentally conscious, it utilizes Halogen-free TPE instead of PVC.
$5,000 AUD / ~$3,600 USD was the funding goal, which has been shattered with $59,073 AUD / ~$42,500 USD raised as of press time, and with 29 days to go, no less. The cable is expected to start shipping in mid April (initial planning began last July).
Continue reading: Introducing the first combined iPhone, Android charger cable (full post)
AMD shows off the 'world's best VR solution' again, teasing R9 Fury X2
AMD is being very forward about teasing what Roy Taylor calls 'the world's best VR solution' - this time partnering with the Associated Press, and sending them a bunch of dual-GPU powered VR gaming machines. It was only a few days ago when we got our first real look at the R9 Fury X2 inside of the Falcon Northwest Tiki gaming PC.
Roy Taylor took to his personal Facebook and Twitter accounts, saying: "Thanks Wallace Santos for his partnership in shipping the world's best #VR solution to the #AssociatedPress". We still don't know what's inside, but I'm sure it's AMD's dual-GPU based on the Fiji architecture - currently known (or at least, it should be called) the Radeon R9 Fury X2. It's also gone by codename Gemini, which also sounds super-awesome.
AMD is set to "spice things up" at the Game Developers Conference on March 14, where we might see either the dual-GPU in action or Polaris.
Continue reading: AMD shows off the 'world's best VR solution' again, teasing R9 Fury X2 (full post)
Hound exits beta, might be best voice assistant app around
It's strangely named but that concern will likely subside after some brief use: SoundHound's Hound app has left beta and is now available to all. If you're looking for a solid voice assistant app (allowing you to search and perform various other tasks with your voice alone), this should be your ticket.
Hound features a slick, fast, and intuitive interface, and appears to be more intelligent than most if not all apps of its kind with language understanding capabilities that combine with speech recognition as well as context and detail comprehension. The result: you can simply say things naturally and get the result you want instead of worrying about accommodating the app.
Now for the bad news: it's only available in the US. We've heard one report that users from Canada can download it, but it simply forwards your voice requests to Google. In any case, those not in the US may want to try an APK mirror here.
Continue reading: Hound exits beta, might be best voice assistant app around (full post)