Konami calls it quits on AAA console games, reports say
Konami is shutting down much of its AAA console-game development for the foreseeable future, according to a report on French site Gameblog (as translated by Eurogamer). The only two franchises on Konami’s AAA plate are Metal Gear Online and Pro Evolution Soccer 2016. Otherwise, there are no plans to develop additional Metal Gear, Silent Hill, Castlevania or other AAA games at Konami, the site says. An additional report on Gameblog claims that Konami Worldwide Technical Director and head of the studio’s Fox Engine, Julien Merceron, has left the company. We’ve reached out to Konami for clarification. These reports play into recent rumblings of unrest at Konami and a shift toward mobile-game development, following a series of odd events at the studio.
One of the first signs of turmoil at Konami came when it canceled Silent Hills, a game that received a ton of positive hype after the release of its teaser, PT, in 2014. It was a collaboration between famed horror-movie director Guillermo del Toro and Metal Gear creator Hideo Kojima, starring The Walking Dead‘s Norman Reedus. Konami never officially announced the cancelation, though del Toro and Reedus have both said it’s canned.
Second, Kojima himself appears to be on the outs at Konami and he’s expected to cut ties with the studio now that Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain is out. Kojima’s name was removed from the box art for Metal Gear Solid V along with the logo for his studio, Kojima Productions. Plus, it seems that Metal Gear Solid V was originally intended to include a third chapter and more content in general. Konami has recently pledged to focus on mobile development, which ties into the “no more AAA” reports this week.
Wilson’s connected basketball helps hone your skills on the court
Connected sporting goods are nothing new, and Wilson’s a smart basketball that tracks every shot you take on the court is adding to the fray. The Wilson X, which was first announced last year, uses an embedded sensor to tally makes and misses in real time alongside a companion app for iOS devices While it’ll only play nice with Apple gadget right now, it’ll be available for Android this fall. The mobile software also offers four modes for shooting drills. There’s a Buzzer Beater mode that offers the challenge of making the game-winning shot as the clock winds down, for example. Wilson says that this high-tech ball and app combo is made for shooters as it isn’t designed to track shots within seven feet of the basket.
As you might expect, the game-like simulations are complete with crowd noise and sports commentators. In addition to tracking shots taken and made baskets, the Wilson X can keep tabs on two-pointers, three-pointers and free throws before letting you brag to your friends via social networks or sharing stats with your coach. What’s more, the ball doesn’t need to be charged and Wilson says it’ll last up to 100,000 shots. That’s about 300 shots a day, every day, for a year. The ball is available in two sizes, 29.5-inch Official and 28.5-inch Intermediate, for $199.
Source: Wilson
Playdate: taking on The Taken King in ‘Destiny’
We’re officially in “year two” of Bungie’s connected shooter Destiny and what better way to celebrate than by streaming its first big expansion pack, “The Taken King” ? Both Sean Buckley and myself are lapsed Destiny players who’ve largely stepped away from the game in pursuit of other, not-grindy experiences. But Bungie’s been touting the changes it’s made as being more welcoming to new folks and those who’ve been overwhelmed by what it took to get the best gear and weapons previously. So join us at 6 pm ET / 3 pm PT for two hours of hot new Guardian action as we discover how accurate the developer’s claims are. As always, you can check out the broadcast right here on this post, the Engadget Gaming homepage, and, if you want to join us in chat, head over to Twitch.tv/joystiq.
http://www.twitch.tv/joystiq/embedWatch live video from Joystiq on www.twitch.tv
[We’re streaming “The Taken King” at 720p on PlayStation 4 through OBS, so rest assured the game looks much prettier on your TV at home.]
Stick with Android: a cheeky response to Apple’s Move to iOS
Earlier this week Apple released its very first Android app, which ironically was designed to help people leave Android behind. We don’t find the existence of “Move to iOS” all that surprising, but what about the rest of us? Those who wish to stay with Android? For us, there’s “Stick With Android”.
The tongue and cheek jab at Apple’s latest app is a simple app that has just one function: providing humor. Upon opening the app for the first time you are greeted with a green screen and a single button that says “Click here to stick with Android”. Click it and you are greeted by a new message “Congratulations, you did it!”.
As priceless as the app is, its official description is actually even better:
Everything about Android is designed to be easy. That includes sticking with it. With just one step, you can keep your content automatically and securely on your Android device with the Stay on Android app. No need to save your stuff elsewhere before staying on Android. The Stay on Android app securely keeps you away from switching to another (worse) platform.
Believe it or not, the app has actually already managed to garner 548 reviews since its release yesterday. Of those reviews, 531 are 5-star and most of them are actually more hilarious than the app itself. As for the 12 others? All one-stars from people who either have no humor, are Apple fans, or both.
To check out the pointless yet priceless app for yourself, you’ll want to head on over to Google Play.
Google Play Music has completely overhauled Chromecast integration
In an announcement welcomed by tech-savvy music lovers everywhere, Google Play Music is rolling out a new update that focuses on improving the popular music app’s integration with Chromecast.
Previously, using Google Play Music with Google Cast would occasionally stop playback between songs, which could really throw a kink into your house party’s groove. Also, the Google Play Music/Chromecast combo had a nasty habit of inserting little gaps between songs, breaking the flow of songs which were intended by artists to transition seamlessly into each other. Most frustratingly, Chromecast used to go completely silent if the owner of the casting device left the building to grab some more snacks for the party. Now, in addition to fixing those other bugs, Google Play Music will keep the party going over Chromecast even in your absence!
Google Play Music users who don’t regularly Chromecast won’t notice anything different about this new update, which leaves user interface and most features as they were. It’s certainly not a major update by any metric, but it does fix some long-linger issues that had been plaguing a minority of users for quite some time.
For those who aren’t in the know, Google Play Music is a service provided by Google that’s fairly similar to Pandora Radio on the surface. Non-subscribers have access to ad-supported radio stations that can be seeded by artists, specific songs, or whole albums. You can also browse radio stations based on genre, decade, or situation (radio stations exist for “Having friends over,” “Going for a Late Night Drive,” and “Taking a Sunny Stroll,” for example). Paid subscribers to Google Play Music gain on-demand access to an extensive database of millions of songs that can be added to the user’s personal library, compiled into playlists, streamed from any device, or downloaded for personal use.
Thanks to this update, Google Play Music now combines even better with Chromecast, which is a product released by Google in July 2013. The Chromecast device is a small dongle that looks a lot like a USB drive, but it plugs into your television’s HDMI port. Chromecast connects to your Wi-Fi network and acts as an intermediary between your television and other devices like your smartphone or tablet. With Chromecast, you can “cast” media content like music or videos to your television seamlessly. It’s an excellent little device with a queue function that will revolutionize your next YouTube “That’s pretty good, but check out this one” video-binge party.
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