‘Titanfall’ is going free-to-play in Asia
Free-to-play games are big business outside of America and Titanfall is the next big shooter joining the ranks of Halo and Call of Duty in taking that route. Publisher Electronic Arts is working with Nexon (the company behind Maple Story and FIFA Online 3) to take developer Respawn Entertainment’s mech-based shooter to China, Japan, Korea, Macau and regions of Southeast Asia including Cambodia and Thailand. Naturally, it’ll only be a PC version of the game since that plays well in internet cafes, but any other details aren’t known at this point. However, the F2P model could actually translate pretty easily considering the game’s Burn Card system that rewards players with single-use power-ups is similar to how existing microtransaction-based games function. Stand by for Titanfall, Asia.
Filed under: Gaming, Home Entertainment, HD
Amazon’s Dash Buttons bring one-push ordering to all Prime members
If you’re like me, you probably thought Amazon’s Dash Button was an April Fool’s joke that arrived a day early. Well, we found out rather quickly that the online retailer was serious about the device and invited select Prime members to give them a shot. If you were left out of the initial push, the one-touch order buttons are now available for anyone with a Prime membership for $5 each. Right now, there are 18 total Dash buttons to choose from that will handle orders of items like laundry detergent, paper towels, food and more with ease. With an adhesive backing, the idea is the place the Dash Button close to where you’re likely to run out of an item for easy access. In the case of the Tide button above, you’d stick it on your washing machine. The diminutive devices connect to your home WiFi network through the Amazon mobile app where you can select the size/quantity info. You’ll also receive an order alert on your phone, so you can cancel the order if needed. You know, in case someone happens to press it one too many times.
With an adhesive backing, the idea is the place the Dash Button close to where you’re likely to run out of an item for easy access. In the case of the Tide button above, you’d stick it on your washing machine. The diminutive devices connect to your home WiFi network through the Amazon mobile app where you can select the size/quantity info. You’ll also receive an order alert on your phone, so you can cancel the order if needed. You know, in case someone happens to press it one too many times.
Filed under: Household, Amazon
Via: The Verge, @richdemuro (Twitter)
Source: Amazon
‘Five Nights at Freddy’s’ movie gets the director from ‘Poltergeist’
If you’re hoping that the movie adaptation of the Five Nights at Freddy’s games will get the director it deserves… well, we have mixed news. Deadline understands that Gil Kenan, best known for helming Monster House and the Poltergeist remake, will both direct and co-write the big-screen tale of animatronics gone very, very wrong. Kenan is definitely in the right genre and might be well-suited to Five Nights’ fondness for jump scares and suspense, but his critical track record suggests that you aren’t going to get a horror master on the level of John Carpenter or Wes Craven. With that said, the man mostly needs to capture the spirit of the titles — the movie doesn’t have to be a tour de force to reward loyal fans.
Filed under: Gaming, Home Entertainment, HD
Source: Deadline Hollywood
Razer offers a new deal to indie game developers without exclusivity constraint
When gaming accessory maker Razer acquired Ouya, many Free The Games (FtG) participants were less than thrilled as the move would have adversely affected their funding. As part of FtG promotion, gaming console Ouya had offered to match the funds raised by any Android game developer on Kickstarter in exchange for exclusivity. Ouya’s new owners are offering the developers a better deal – without the exclusivity constraint.
It is a win win situation for participants who will now develop games for Razer’s Forge TV set-top box, while being free to sell it on platforms like Play Store, iOS, PC, Amazon and Xbox Live. It is noteworthy that the gaming hardware manufacturer is not obligated to pay anyone, but it has decided to support independent game developers as part of its mutually benefiting strategy. The developers will have to give away games to Razer Cortex users in exchange for the funding.
Razer revealed that around $620,000 is still owed to developers who signed the original Free The Games agreement. The company is now trying to contact all of the affected developers. It was revealed in earlier reports that around 75% of 27 FtG participants still owed Ouya at least some money.
Press Release
RVINE, CA–(Marketwired – July 28, 2015) – WHAT: Razer and a new OUYA publishing entity will work to satisfy previously involved Free the Games (FtG) developers, while creating a more open, sustainable distribution model that benefits gamers and expands revenue opportunities for all parties involved.
Razer plans to back the new OUYA to fulfil an estimated $620,000 fund established for FtG developers who had signed FtG agreements with the original OUYA and who fulfil their FtG agreement milestones and related commitments on Kickstarter.
Qualified FtG developers will need to sign up with the new OUYA for a new publishing agreement.
Financial terms will remain largely the same with one notable exception. Advances under the FtG agreements demanded commercial exclusivity to the OUYA platform. Under the proposed new agreements, Razer and OUYA publishing will forgo exclusivity in favor of developers providing an equitable amount of their FtG-funded titles to gamers for free on the Cortex TV platform. For example, if $10,000 is funded toward a $1 game, then 10,000 games at $1 would be given away at no cost to gamers on Cortex TV. OUYA publishing will not limit developers in any instance to one or another platform, but will promote publishing to all Android platforms — Google Play, Cortex TV, XiaoMi, Alibaba, and the likes.
WHY: Razer has a real interest in supporting indie developers and furthering the expansion of Android gaming on TV. Moving forward with this plan will ensure that both interests are met, as openly, widely, and beneficially as possible. Razer did not acquire hardware, agreements, pre-existing liabilities or debts from OUYA-only software related to the OUYA store and content catalog. Razer must sign new agreements with FtG developers, since there are no existing legal or non-legal developer relationships. Razer’s credo is “By Gamers. For Gamers.” Giving back to gamers, game developers and those who support the gaming lifestyle is what it’s all about.
WHEN: July 28, 2015
WHO: Razer, a world leader in connected devices and software for gamers.
WHERE: OUYA Developer Email: officehours@ouya.tv
ABOUT RAZER:
Razer™ is a world leader in connected devices and software for gamers.
Razer is transforming the way people play games, engage with other gamers and identify with the gamer lifestyle. Having won the coveted “Best of CES” award consecutively for five years, the company’s leadership in product innovation continues to create new categories for the gaming community that is estimated to have over 1 billion gamers worldwide.
Razer’s award-winning design and technology include an array of user interface and systems devices, voice-over IP for gamers and a cloud platform for customizing and enhancing gaming devices.
Founded in 2005, Razer is backed by Intel Capital, IDG-Accel and Heliconia Capital Management (Heliconia), a wholly owned subsidiary of Singapore investment company Temasek. For more information visit http://www.razerzone.com/about-razer.
Come comment on this article: Razer offers a new deal to indie game developers without exclusivity constraint
Cyanogen switching their default calendar to use Boxer calendar
I
n the ever changing world of Cyanogen, the newest change is that of the default calendar app that comes bundled with the operating system. It used to be Google’s own calendar but as of Cyanogen OS12, the new calendar app will be Boxer.
Boxer looks very similar to Google Calendar and even works with Gmail and Exchange. Cyanogen already use Boxer’s own email app so it’s of no surprise really that the company decided to finish up the bundle with the accompanying calendar app.
Will you miss Google Calendar being part of Cyanogen? Drop us a comment below.
The post Cyanogen switching their default calendar to use Boxer calendar appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Apple Releases Third OS X El Capitan Public Beta
Apple today seeded the third beta OS X El Capitan to public beta testers, one week after seeding the second set of beta and just under three weeks after first providing the OS X El Capitan beta to the public for testing purposes.
The third public beta follows the launch of the fifth OS X El Capitan developer beta, which was seeded to developers late on Monday afternoon. No outward-facing changes were introduced with the beta, suggesting it’s an under-the-hood update with bug fixes and performance improvements.
Beta testers who have signed up for Apple’s beta testing program and already have the public beta installed can update through the Software Update mechanism in the Mac App Store for OS X.
OS X 10.11 El Capitan is expected to be released to the public in the fall after the beta testing process is complete.
Dear Veronica: Is this the end of portable gaming devices?
First things first, I wanted to let you guys know that you can now subscribe to Dear Veronica on iTunes! We’ll have an RSS feed up soon for you non-iTunes people, so don’t think we forgot about you. These things just take time.
Episode-wise, I’m excited to welcome onto the show my friend and my former Tekzilla co-host Patrick Norton of TekThing! He’s going to set you straight on the best home automation setup. Plus, we talk about following (or not) awkward acquaintances on Instagram.
Keep sending in those questions to me via email, or on Twitter using the hashtag #DearVeronica. See you next time!
Netflix synthesizes a brainwave symphony for ‘Sense8’
Netflix’s new sci-fi adventure, Sense8, follows eight people who suddenly develop psychic powers with each other. To commemorate the series, which is directed by The Matrix’s Wachowski siblings, Netflix teamed up with J. Michael Straczynski, the guy who invented Babylon 5, and technologist Patrick Gunderman to create the strangest symphony you’ve ever heard — or thought.
The team scanned the brains of eight volunteers as they were shown psychedelic images specifically crafted to elicit an emotional response. Then they assigned a musical value to each resulting alpha, beta, delta and theta wave. “There is something musical about the way the brain works,” Straczynski said in the making-of video below. “It’s a symphony on it’s own terms.”
https://player.vimeo.com/video/134787134
Filed under: Peripherals, Science
Source: The Creators Project
Sprint counters T-Mobile with 10GB of shared family data
The battle between Sprint and T-Mobile for the hearts and phone lines of America’s families is heating up. T-Mobile recently updated its Simple Choice family plan to give a pair of people unlimited calling and text, as well as 10GB of data to each of them for $!00 a month. On Wednesday, Sprint fired back with a revamped Family Share Pack. This package offers four lines, unlimited talk, text and 10GB of shared data for $100 to families that switch from another carrier. Even with twice as many lines, the 10GB of data still averages out to more per person (2.5GB) than T-Mobile’s offering. And if 10GB isn’t enough, Sprint also announced that it will sell a 40GB plan for $20 more per month, $120 in total.
[Image Credit: Charlie Riedel/AP]
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Sprint, T-Mobile
Source: Sprint
Report: United hacked by the same group behind OPM breach
United Airlines detected a breach in its computer systems in May or early June, potentially putting the movements of millions of Americans in the hands of a China-backed hacker group, Bloomberg reports. This is the same group suspected of hacking into the Office of Personnel Management in June and compromising the privacy of 21.5 million people, the site reports. The OPM breach led to the resignation of Director Katherine Archuleta.
Data compromised in the United Airlines hack includes manifests, which detail the passengers, origins and destinations of individual flights, Bloomberg says. This information could be added to China’s growing database on US defense and intelligence officials, and it could be cross-referenced with previously stolen medical and financial records, according to those familiar with the breach.
This hack is not directly linked to reported network glitches in June and July that that caused United to ground all flights, the site reports. However, Bloomberg says it appears that the hackers were lurking in United’s network for months, and one domain linked to the attack was set up in April 2014.
Filed under: Transportation
Source: Bloomberg
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