‘Metal Gear Online’ evolves its stealthy multiplayer in ‘The Phantom Pain’
At the same two-day preview event where we got to spend hours at the helm of Hideo Kojima’s next (and possibly last) Metal Gear Solid game, publisher Konami confirmed a handful of details about its online component. Metal Gear Online in The Phantom Pain will feature online player-vs.-player competitive modes for teams of up to 16 players on PC, Xbox One and PS4 and a max of 12 players on the previous-generation consoles.
One standout is the return of Team Sneak, a mode where one team must infiltrate another team’s base and subdue adversaries using camouflage and non-lethal weaponry. The defending team counters invaders with a wide array of deadly weapons. Team Sneak first appeared in Metal Gear Solid 4‘s Metal Gear Online mode on PS3. Online maps will be unique for the mode, but inspired by locations found in Afghanistan and Africa from The Phantom Pain‘s single-player campaign. When discussing the maps, Konami Productions Los Angeles Online Community Manager Robert Peeler used language that original maps may be added to the game later, but DLC content was not confirmed.
In the single-player game, Big Boss worked tirelessly to develop a base of operations, a giant oil tanker where soldiers train and equipment is developed called the Mother Base. One aspect of The Phantom Pain’s online component ties directly to a player’s headquarters, a system Peeler referred to as Forward Operating Bases. With the online version, you get an attack-and-defend system. “You set up some Forward Operating Bases [FOB] in your Mother Base where different players also playing the game can come and attack it and you can attack theirs,” Peeler says. “There are different objectives including taking out the enemy, rescuing hostages” and more.
With the FOB system, if a friend has quality resources you’re craving that you haven’t unlocked, such as specific vehicles or highly trained soldiers, it’s possible to steal those valuable assets for use in your own army. Players can spend in-game currency to research and develop new technologies, but may want to set aside a fund to fortify their bases from online invaders.
The online modes for Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain are in development at Konami Productions Los Angeles. Konami promises it will reveal additional details this week during E3.
Filed under: Gaming
Razer’s VR platform gets Android support and position tracking
Razer recently launched its Open Source VR intiative, complete with a virtual reality headset to get more developers into the VR game. The initial launch notably lacked Android support and positional tracking hardware, but it’s now filed those holes with its latest OSVR Hacker Development Kit (HDK) 1.2. The IR system is included in the kit price, including the 100Mhz IR LED system and a camera that provides 360 degrees of position tracking. Previously, Razer included IR position tracking designs and templates, but didn’t supply the hardware.
On top of Linux and Windows, OSVR now supports Android as well. That’ll enable developers to create mobile content and test it with Unity’s “Palace” demo. The hardware kit will soon include a mobile faceplate too, which will work in conjunction with the Android SDK to “let developers test their OSVR hardware on Android devices.” To use it, developers will just need to swap out the developer headset’s default faceplate and replace it with the mobile version when it arrives.
Razer also revealed that the new developer kit supports the incoming faceplate with a built-in Leap Motion controller, though that hardware won’t be coming until later, either. Also arriving in a future upgrade will be an ultra-wide, 150 degree eyepiece upgrade module. As for the software, the new kit now includes additional documentation and a simpler Windows installer.
Razer noted that 144 organizations now belong to the OSVR, and if you’re interested in joining them, the new Hacker Development Kit is shipping now for $299. That price includes the IR positional tracking kit, though the hardware won’t ship until July. If you own the original $200 version 1.1 HDK, you’ll be able to get the IR upgrade for $130. There’s no word yet on when the Leap Motion faceplate, mobile faceplate and other new hardware is coming.
Misfit’s Flash fitness tracker will switch on your lights, shame you for being lazy
Misfit’s wearable devices are know for their nice aesthetic, but it’s the company’s ongoing support, that keeps them joining the rank and file fitness trackers. Today, it’s a trio of small, but handy updates to both the Shine and the Flash. Most notably, the introduction of a web interface to view your fitness or sleep data online, so you’re no longer tied to the mobile app. Back in January, Misfit announced Flash would join FitBit in working with IFTTT’s web automation tools, and also be able to control smart home devices via Logitech’s Harmony Home Hub. Both of those features arrive today (though Misfit already had some IFTTT integrations). Last up, one for the iOS users. Misfit already feeds your step-count into Apple’s HealthKit, but starting today, your sleep and weight data will (if you wish) be included too. So, we’re getting mixed messages here? Misfit’s saving you a walk to the light switch, but making it harder to hide from your (now lower) step count. Thanks… we think?
Filed under: Wearables
Source: Misfit
ICYMI: Head-mounted Minecraft, CGI celebrities and more
It’s the very first episode of In Case You Missed It, where we surface the weird and wacky news that may have been buried by yesterday’s big headlines. Today we’re covering some of our favorite stories from Monday: The HoloLens headset at E3, what’s happening with the first solar-powered flight around the world and CGI modeling using paparazzi photos.
And from the cutting room floor, a handful of little gems we just didn’t have time to include: The Sony hack that ushered f-bombs onto British daytime TV and this video story on using emoji for passwords.
Let us know about any cool tech or internet stories that you stumble across by using the #ICYMI hashtag and tweeting @engadget or @mskerryd.
Filed under: Announcements, Misc, Gaming, Transportation, Internet, Sony, Microsoft
Super League Gaming brings competitive ‘Minecraft’ to American movie theaters
Arcades used to be the go-to place for gamers to come together and test their skills in friendly matches. While quarter-fuelled cabinets have fallen in popularity, the online eSports scene has exploded, resulting in huge tournaments and sell-out crowds. Super League Gaming, despite its name, wants to recreate the social, recreational arcade atmosphere for a new generation of games and players. For starters, it’s planning a 28-city tour in the US, where it’ll be hosting Minecraft competitions inside 80 AMC, Cinemark and iPic movie theaters. The game isn’t exactly known for its competitive multiplayer, but organisers hope to stir up some friendly rivalry with PVP matches and casual building sessions.
The “league” will start with an introductory tour from June 15th to August 28th, before a more structured six-week competition kicks off on September 14th. The organisers say their goal is to support other, more traditional eSports games in the future, but feel that for now Minecraft is best-suited for its “minor league” vibe. It’s not an eSports league in the traditional sense, but for casual players it could be a novel way to compete.
Filed under: Gaming
Source: Super League Gaming
Arnold Schwarzenegger is giving voice directions to Waze users
There’s a new Terminator movie coming out, and what the studio saved on spellcheck it was able to pay Arnold Schwarzenegger for extra promotional work. As such, the actor has teamed up with Waze to lend his unique voice to the company’s crowdsourced sat nav service. If you want to be steered around town by the governator, you just have to head into the settings menu and select Terminator Genisys from the options.
In addition to the usual stock phrases and being assured that he’ll “get you to your destination,” users will also get a friendly heads-up every time you’re close to a cinema showing the aforementioned flick. It’s not the first time that Waze has teamed up with a celebrity for some advertising cash driving directions, having recently hired Vlade Divac of the Sacramento Kings and “Colonel Sanders” from KFC. Naturally, these are time-limited offerings, and according to USA Today, the Arnie directions will expire in mid-July. Now, all we need to go is to get to the end of this story without making an “I’ll be back” joke and we’ll be home and dry.
Filed under: GPS, Transportation
Source: Businesswire
Sky’s new full HD Now TV box will launch in August for £15
Sky is shedding a little light today on its next-generation Now TV box and a new monthly streaming plan for Sky Sports. Its refreshed hardware, which slipped out earlier this year in an investor presentation, will debut this August for £14.99 with an ethernet port and a five times faster processor. It’s based on the Roku 3 player, the same as the company’s “Sky Online TV Box” in Italy, which means it should finally support 1080p streaming too.
The broadcaster is keeping its Now TV daily and weekly passes for Sky Sports, but revealed today that it’s also preparing a monthly tier for those who want to watch their favourite teams week-in, week-out. It’ll cost £31.99 per month and be available in time for the new football season. Finally, Sky is also refreshing the Now TV user interface to make it “quicker and easier” to navigate. The broadcaster has again refrained from giving a specific release date, but says later updates in the year will improve the search, tagging and bookmarking experience, and also add the ability to auto-play next episodes.
Filed under: Home Entertainment
Source: Sky
FTC appoints an ombudsperson to hear your complaints
As it promised when it made broadband a “Title II” utility, the FCC now has an ombudsperson in charge of “open internet questions and complaints.” The regulator appointed Parul P. Desai to the job, who previously worked as communications policy counsel for the non-profit society behind Consumer Reports. If you’ve got a beef, you’ll be able to contact her office by phone, email or the “file a complaint” section of the FCC’s consumer complaints website. Chairman Tom Wheeler first dropped the idea of an ombudsperson last year when he decided to forge ahead with new net neutrality rules.
The FCC said that “a wide array of commenters expressed support for the FCC’s establishing this resource” during the public comment period of the open internet debate. The ombudsperson will “ensure that consumers… have effective access to the (FCC’s) processes that protect their interests.” However, it’s bound to be an extra pain for TWC, Verizon et. al., given how much hatred consumers have for broadband providers. When the idea was proposed last, year, AT&T said “(such) regulation would strangle investment, hobble innovation, and put government regulators in charge of nearly every aspect of Internet-based services .”
Of course, the telecoms haven’t given up; in fact, they’ve already sued to shut down the new net neutrality rules. When it comes time to fight those legal battles, we imagine the ombudsperson — with a formal record of complaints against Telecoms — will come in handy for the FCC.
*Verizon is currently in the process of acquiring AOL, Engadget’s parent company. However, Engadget maintains full editorial control, and Verizon will have to pry it from our cold, dead hands.
Filed under: Internet
Source: FCC
Sony’s tweaked Xperia Z4v has a better screen, wider waistline
Remember when Sony cooked up a new flagship smartphone for Japan called the Z4, then renamed it the Z3+ when it came time to take it overseas? Yeah, well, it’s finally coming to the United States with a little help from Verizon, and it has another name for us to try and keep straight. Meet the Xperia Z4v. You’d be forgiven for thinking this was a straight-up rebrand of an existing phone, but that’s not quite true — it’s a chubbier version of a phone we’ve already met with a better screen, to boot.
All of the really important bits — by which we mean the Snapdragon 810 chipset with 3GB of RAM, the 20.7-megapixel camera and all that wonderful waterproofing — remain intact. So what’s new? Well, the 5.2-inch screen has been bumped up to Quad HD (or 2560 x1440 if you haven’t committed it to memory yet) from the Z4’s 1080p resolution, and the battery has swelled ever so slightly up to a full 3,000mAh. Thing is, Sony squeezed all of that into a body that’s just a touch heavier and fatter than the lithe, streamlined Z4, so the company have might have kissed whatever style advantage they had goodbye. We can’t say we’re surprised to see Sony cozy up to a carrier like Verizon so closely. After all, last year saw a similar tie-up in the Xperia Z3v and Sony’s phone business is clearly hurting for some strong supporters. For a company that’s spent decades stirring the pot of innovation, it just can’t seem to convince the average consumer to buy their phones — we’ll just have to see if the Z4v manages to move the needle at all.
Filed under: Mobile
EE’s Harrier Tab features 4G connectivity, Octa-core processor and Full HD display
The UK carrier, EE, has expanded its range of Harrier branded devices with the release of its Harrier Tab that features Android 5.1 firmware, 4G connectivity, a full HD display and a Qualcomm Octa-core processor. We have the list of specifications and press release after the break.
The Harrier Tab is available from EE’s online shop as well as its retails stores on a variety of plans starting from £16 monthly with a £29 deposit for 2GB of 4G data. You can get 10GB of Double-Speed 4G data by paying £29 upfront and £18 monthly. If you want to avoid being tied to EE, you can always buy the device outright for £199. Let’s have a look at what Harrier Tab has to offer:
Specifications:
- Android 5.1 Lollipop
- 8-Inch Full HD display
- Qualcomm Octa-core processor @ 1.5GHz (64-bit)
- 2GB RAM
- 16GB Internal Storage
- MicroSD card support
- 8MP Rear camera
- 2MP Front camera
- CAT 4 enabled (Download speeds: Real World 60Mbps/Theoretical 150Mbps)
- 4,650mAh battery
- Dimensions: 212.8 x 124 x 8.5mm
- Weight: 310/338 grams*
*According to the press release, the Harrier Tab weighs 310 grams while its listing page on EE’s Shop says it weighs 338 grams.
What do you think of EE’s Harrier Tab? Is it worth your consideration?
Full Press Release:
EE, the UK’s most advanced digital communications company, today unveiled a new addition to the Harrier family – the Harrier Tab. It is the latest device from EE’s own brand product range and offers features and specifications traditionally associated with a higher price point.
Available for consumers and businesses from EE stores, EE telesales and via the EE online shop today, the Harrier Tab features the latest Android 5.1 Lollipop operating system. CAT 4 enabled, the tablet ensures users are able to access EE’s Double Speed 4G network, offering real world download speeds of up to 60Mbps (with theoretical maximum download speeds of 150Mbps) for the ultimate in connectivity and performance.
With a similar style to the Harrier and Harrier Mini smartphones launched earlier this year, the Harrier Tab features a powerful Octa-core 1.5GHz 64Bit Qualcomm processor. It also boasts an 8-inch Full HD display that’s perfect for enjoying crisp, clear videos and images captured on the device’s 8MP rear-facing, or 2MP front-facing, cameras.
The Harrier Tab comes with 2GB RAM and 16GB internal memory, with additional storage space available via a Micro SD card. The tablet is designed to serve as a true multimedia hub, whether you’re sitting on the sofa at home or riding the bus to work. And at just 310g it is ultra-light weight without compromising on battery life, also incorporating a large 4,650mAh battery. The result is a highly powerful and portable device that is always on hand when users need to connect.
Sharon Meadows, Director of Devices, EE said: “Like its smaller siblings, we’ve made sure the Harrier Tab features an impressive spec at an easily affordable price point for consumers and businesses alike. When paired with our superfast 4G network, it really does offer one of the best tablet experiences on the market and is the ideal device for work, study or downtime.”
The Harrier Tab is available on a range pay monthly price plans starting from £16 per month, and is free on a £18 per month 24 month plan which comes with a massive 10GB of monthly data plus access to EE’s exclusive Double Speed 4G. The Harrier Tab is also available for just £199.99 on pay as you go, as well as a range of dedicated price plans for small and large businesses.
For more information and for full pricing details visit ee.co.uk/shop or ee.co.uk/business.
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