‘No Man’s Sky’ files hint at upcoming ground vehicles
When Hello Games said that its No Man’s Sky Foundation Update was laying the groundwork for things to come, it definitely wasn’t kidding. Reddit user eegandj has discovered multiple files that hint at the addition of a buggy to the open-ended space game. There’s an incomplete 3D model of the ground vehicle, icons, textures and even a folder conspicuously marked “buggy” — wonder what that’s for? He even managed to bring the unfinished model into the game to see what it looks like in practice.
There are no guarantees that you’ll be driving across alien planets in a buggy any time soon, or at all. It’s not uncommon for software developers to leave unused assets in updates, even if it’s just due to expediency — it can be easier to keep stray files and code than tidy things up. If this is a sign of what’s to come, though, it’s good news for players who don’t like walking for minutes on end just to collect resources or discover a new base.
Via: Polygon
Source: Reddit (1), (2)
Ben Heck’s Virtual Boy, part 1
Ben’s seeing double this week with a retro virtual reality console that was ahead of its time: Nintendo’s Virtual Boy (codename “VUE”). Though the technology was advanced in many ways, it didn’t prevent the sort of dizziness that still plagues virtual reality headsets today. As Ben quips, “It’s like a trip to the eye doctor!” Of course, this means Ben has to take it apart in a traditional teardown to find out what makes the Virtual Boy tick. Inside we find a 32-bit processor and graphics chip along with a very clever mechanical setup. Unfortunately, as ingenious as the internal design is, it’s still prone to failure; indeed, Ben has to design and print a part using Autodesk Fusion 360 to help repair it. Now that it’s fixed, though, it’s time to improve it! Make sure you look out for the next episode, and in the meantime let us know what you think of VR technology over on the element14 Community.
Major ‘No Man’s Sky’ update arrives with surprises
That promised Foundation Update for No Man’s Sky? It’s already here for both PC and PS4… and it includes much, much more than Hello Games hinted at just a couple of days ago. The centerpiece remains base building, which turns out to be simple but helpful. If you find an uninhabited base, you can use modular structures to make it your own — including automated resource farming and storage so you don’t have to traipse across the planet harvesting items. You can also hire aliens to research technology, and teleport to and from space stations. And did we mention that you can buy freighters, which serve as spaceborne bases that you can summon anywhere in the galaxy? If you hated the forced mineral-gathering marches that you experienced on launch, you might be happy with this alone. Thankfully, there’s more.
The update also introduces Creative and Survival modes, in case you want to either remove restrictions or add an extra challenge on hostile worlds. You’ll see new biomes and star-specific resources, along with new equipment to collect rare goods. The interface has received a healthy makeover, too. There’s a smart quick access menu that helps you quickly switch to and interact with items (say, charging your mining beam). You can stack more items in a given inventory slot, get a clearer view of which minerals are nearby, quickly view your objectives and get a heads-up when pirates are nearby.
Visuals are also getting a boost: there’s both motion blur and temporal antialiasing options (at least on PCs), and lower-end PCs can enable texture streaming to lighten the burden on their systems. On the PS4, there’s a photo mode to preserve scenic views for posterity.
It’s too soon to say if the Foundation Update will please all the players upset that they didn’t get the game they expected. Base building and the Creative mode should eliminate some of the drudgery, but will they be enough? This is just the first of a string of promised upgrades, however, and it’s important enough that historically quiet company chief Sean Murray has stressed that it’s extremely “meaningful” for the team. If nothing else, it shows that Hello Games hasn’t been deaf to complaints — it just wanted to have an answer ready before it spoke up.
Via: Polygon
Source: Hello Games, Sean Murray (Twitter)
First ‘Titanfall 2’ DLC includes a no-nonsense skins store
Respawn made it a point with Titanfall 2 to ditch some of the more annoying business models of modern games (such as charging for important add-ons), and you’re about to find out how well that works in practice. The studio has revealed that its first downloadable content pack, Angel City’s Most Wanted, will arrive on November 30th… and this is not the usual case of charging a small fortune for a handful of extra gameplay. The extension not only gives you a ‘new’ map (surprise: the original game’s Angel City), a new pistol and several titan kits completely free of charge, but introduces an in-game skins store that is the opposite of what you frequently see in other blockbuster titles.
As Respawn notes, the store simply involves buying what you like with cold, card cash, and it’s strictly cosmetic items like Prime Titans (robots with different looks and assassinations) and camouflage. There are no arbitrary in-game currencies or loot boxes, and nothing you buy is a shortcut to victory. To put it another way: you shouldn’t have to grind for days just to get something for free.
The company is also promising a few treats in what’s left of 2016. In keeping with the young company’s traditions, you’ll see “twists” periodically show up in certain game modes. There will also be double-experience weekends and public recognition for top teams. You’ll have to wait until 2017 for more DLC, but this and Angel City at least show that Respawn is determined to avoid the drop in players that affected the first Titanfall (where paid DLC was the rule). This promises to be a constantly evolving game, and you won’t have to keep shelling out money to get the full experience.
Via: GamesRadar
Source: Titanfall
‘Deus Ex Go’ is now ready for your puzzle creations
If you’ve ever wanted to create puzzles for mobile games rather than playing whatever the developer gives you, you’re about to have a field day. Square Enix has released a promised Puzzle Maker update for Deus Ex Go that lets you craft your own challenges on Android and iOS. As the studio told us back in June, this isn’t considered a throwaway feature — the aim is to have a genuinely practical, easy-to-use level editor that you’d want to try on your phone. You can share your work with the community, as well, so this could extend the life of the game even if you hardly touch the creative tools yourself.
The update includes a few other welcome tweaks, too. You now have an undo feature to rewind your move, and a profile page that lets you earn rewards as you gain experience points. There’s also a daily challenge if you’ve run out of levels to play. The main gripe, assuming you like Deus Ex Go in the first place, is that this puzzle editing isn’t coming to Hitman Go or Lara Croft Go. Like it or not, you’ll have to pay for the newer game (and accept its sci-fi trappings) to express yourself.
Source: App Store, Google Play, Square Enix Montreal (Twitter)
‘No Man’s Sky’ will get base building in its first major update
There’s some good news for No Man’s Sky fans this Black Friday: The game is soon to get its first major update, according to a post from the developer, Hello Games. The bad news: Hello Games won’t reveal much about the patch, except to say that it’s called the “Foundation Update” and it will bring — wait for it — the foundations of base building. If that name wasn’t punny enough for you, the studio adds that the Foundation Update is also “putting in place a foundation for things to come.”
And that’s all we know. Hello Games says the update will arrive “soon,” but didn’t otherwise specify a time frame. The developer also says it will follow up with detailed patch notes at a later date.
To say this is the first update for No Man’s Sky wouldn’t technically be true. Since launching on the PlayStation 4 and PC back in August, the game has seen a sizable day-one patch and patches to fix a slew of bugs. Adding to these woes, Hello Games has been accused of false advertising, after screenshots in the Steam store seemed to promise a different game altogether — one centered on open-ended space exploration instead of resource gathering.
Via: Polygon
Source: Hello Games
The Morning After: Weekend Edition
Letter from the Editor
Happy Thanksgiving, everybody! We’re hitting you with the Weekend Edition a few days early in honor of the holiday — and so we can enjoy some turkey, too — but we’ll be back to our regular schedule starting next Monday. I’d like to take this opportunity to let you all know how thankful I am, and the entire staff is, to have you as readers. The work we do wouldn’t be possible without your support, and you have our gratitude for reading, watching and contributing to Engadget.
Before you sit down to give thanks and break bread with those close to you, here are our finest cuts — and best conversation starters — from the week that was.
For the philosophical thinkers out there, Aaron Souppouris tackled a difficult conundrum: Can and should the politics of an individual affect our ability to appreciate and enjoy his or her work? He poses the question regarding the video game “RimWorld” and its creator’s apparent biases regarding sexuality and gender, but it’s a philosophical query that begs answering in many other contexts, too.
Aaron also explored the reasons for the proliferation of fake news online, and the techniques employed to get folks reading it. It might not make for the most comfortable of Thanksgiving discussions, but it’s a worthy topic, assuming you’re not OK living in a post-truth world.
If you’re looking for more, ahem, lighthearted fare, perhaps reminiscing about Dave Chappelle’s best work in preparation for his three new forthcoming Netflix specials is in order. And everyone in the family will be interested to know that supercapacitors could someday have us measuring battery life in terms of weeks instead of hours, while reducing charging times to mere seconds.
An impossible drive?
Scientists are trying to figure out this drive that produces thrust without any fuel
If humanity plans to reach locations beyond our own solar system, new methods of propulsion will be required. We’re still not sure how the EM Drive’s microwave thruster works (or if it really works), but NASA’s first peer-reviewed paper on it is now available. Ultimately, that just means more research is in order, but if we can harness the power of bouncing microwaves, there could be a 41-day voyage to Mars in your future.
Tango is still a work in progress
Review: Lenovo Phab 2 Pro
Bleeding-edge tech isn’t everything, as Chris Velazco found out reviewing Lenovo’s Phab 2 Pro. It’s the first device shipping with Google’s Project Tango tech built-in, which lets it recognize and operate as an augmented reality device in all new ways. Unfortunately, the hardware and software combo isn’t quite polished, it’s huge, and there’s no killer app available yet.
Just a taste
24 hours with Sony’s A99 II
Sony’s new DSLR-like shooter is almost here, and while we don’t have a full review yet, you can experience its 42.2MP capabilities via these sample photos.
Some of the best discounts in gadgets and gamesBlack Friday 2016 deals
After Thanksgiving dinner, it’s time for Black Friday shopping. We’ve sorted through the best deals on phones, drones, TVs and more to put them all in one place for you.
In the eyes of a Model XTesla’s latest autonomous drive video shows you what the car sees
Not everyone is ready to trust self-driving cars, but maybe they should check out this demo. Tesla posted another video of one of its cars making a trip entirely under its own control, overlaid with views of exactly what its onboard cameras and computer are seeing as it drives down the road.
Clickbait battleTo battle fake news is to battle brain chemistry
That fake news is proliferating online isn’t a question, but why do people press “share”? Data shows that headlines with extreme emotion induce people to click, so we had researchers look at fake news headlines through the prism of sentiment analysis.
“SNL” was just the startDave Chappelle will release three comedy specials on Netflix
Right on time, Dave Chappelle is returning to the spotlight. After an impressive spot hosting “Saturday Night Live,” the comedian has signed a deal with Netflix for a rumored $60 million. Their agreement will apparently cover one all-new special, plus two others based on unreleased material from previous performances.
But wait, there’s more…
- New battery tech lasts for days, charges in seconds
- Review: LG V20
- Should a developer’s politics ruin a game I love?
- Mark Zuckerberg on how Facebook is fighting fake news
‘Watch Dogs 2’ finally has all the features Ubisoft promised
People who bought Watch Dogs 2 under the promise of a seamless blend between a solo campaign and multiplayer are finally going to get the game they paid for. Yesterday, developer/publisher Ubisoft turned on what it’s calling the “second phase” of the feature to both PlayStation 4 and Xbox One owners. From the company statement:
“Players will now be able to experience the full seamless multiplayer features: Nearby bounty targets and Prime_Eight rivals will join the player’s world for them to hunt down and hack without going through the Multiplayer App in the smartphone. Players will also encounter friendly Dedsec hackers who can help them complete different Dedsec events throughout San Francisco. Players can also invite those Dedsec hackers to form a co-op team and complete co-op missions.”
During the pre-launch period when press had advance access to the game, Ubisoft discovered that the drop-in multiplayer was wreaking havoc on Watch Dogs 2’s frame rate and general stability. While certain multiplayer modes were available before this patch, as the statement says, you had to set them up for yourself rather than randomly happening upon another player in your own world — a step back from how the first game worked.
Watch Dogs 2 was released on November 15th, so if you’re keeping track at home, it took just over a week for the patch to make it through Microsoft’s and Sony’s respective quality certification programs.
The best deals for Black Friday
Black Friday, the shopping mania that occurs the day after American Thanksgiving, may be more important than ever in 2016. Between 4K TVs, new game consoles, media hubs, mobile devices and wearables, there are many potential gifts this year — those discounts could be crucial to splurging on someone or treating yourself. But where do you go to find the best bargains? Never fear, as we’re rounding up some of the bigger deals you’ll see on and around November 25th. And many of these deals will be online, so you might not have to brave packed stores and shopping malls to save some cash.
Microsoft’s ‘Solitaire’ heads to iOS and Android
If you’re one of the millions addicted to Microsoft’s Solitaire on Windows, now you’ll be able to get your card fix for free on iOS and Android. This marks the first time the Solitaire Collection has appeared outside of Windows, as The Verge reports. The mobile version will include FreeCell, Klondike, Spider, Tripeaks and Pyramid game modes, and it’ll sport Xbox Live integration as well, so you you won’t have to play it alone. (Yes, I realize that’s the point of Solitaire for many.)
While there are already countless versions of Solitaire available for iOS and Android, it makes sense for Microsoft to bring its popular version of the game over. I know some PC users who refuse to play anything but Microsoft’s version of the game. While both versions are free, you can also shell out $2 a month for a “Premium Edition,” which will remove ads and double coin rewards.
Via: The Verge
Source: Google Play, iTunes
AIVAnet 