PlayStation Vue adds EPIX Hits to its streaming selection

You might not be able to catch Optimus Prime on Netflix anymore, but soon you’ll be able to see the autobot on PlayStation’s TV alternative. After expanding its reach in the US, Vue has announced that it will offer EPIX Hits to the digital buffet of content already available. Joining the ranks of Machinima and a variety of channel packages, you’ll be able to flip between gaming and blockbuster movies like Transformers: Age of Extinction all from the one place. EPIX Hits offers a free 30-day trial, with the option to add it onto your Showtime subscription or even as a standalone monthly purchase. Even if you’re not a fan of Michael Bay, the service still has a relatively low cost of entry and plenty more to keep you watching.

Source: PlayStation

GeForce Now puts PC games on your NVIDIA device for $8 per month

NVIDIA’s GRID service wasn’t the be-all, end-all of its cloud gaming ambitions… if anything, the company was just getting started. The crew in Santa Clara has unveiled GeForce Now, an $8 per month subscription service that streams PC games to all of NVIDIA’s Shield devices, ranging from the original handheld through to the Shield TV. It’s still streaming at GRID’s 1080p resolution and 60 frames per second, but you’ll get a brand new interface with better parental controls. There are over 50 (mostly) major titles to start, including most of the Batman games (but not Arkham Knight), numerous Lego games and Ultra Street Fighter IV. You can buy other games outright, such as The Witcher 3, and there are promises of future games reaching GeForce Now as soon as they launch. The service goes live on October 1st in the US. Slideshow-324014

It’s tempting, especially if you’re rocking a Shield Tablet and want to play some “big” games when you’re away from your computer. However, the selection is pretty thin at this point, reminding us more than a little of OnLive’s troubles — it may be tough to justify that rate when you could run out of games to play, or risk missing out on the blockbuster title you really wanted to try. And of course, this won’t help much if you’re using non-NVIDIA hardware. NVIDIA touts GeForce Now as a Netflix for games, but it might be hard to appreciate unless there’s a Netflix-sized catalog to keep you coming back.

Don’t worry if you’re not bent on subscribing, though, as there are still a few extra pieces of good news for Shield fans. The Shield TV is launching in the UK and several other European countries as of October 1st. In the US, it’ll be available as accessory to Google Fiber customers in Austin, Kansas City (Missouri) and Provo. The GeForce Now software update will also bring Spotify music casting from mobile devices, lossless surround sound audio and speed boosts for more video formats.

Source: NVIDIA

Playdate: We take on the Empire in ‘Disney Infinity 3.0’

It is a period of civil war. Sean and Tim, two video game streamers from the Engadget Alliance, have begun their first battle against the Galactic Empire. Pursued by the Empire’s sinister agents, the pair enlists the help of Disney Interactive’s John Vignocchi to guide them through the wastes of Tatoonie, Hoth and Endor. Together, they’ll stream Disney Infinity 3.0’s Rise Against The Empire Playset on Twitch.tv/Joystiq, the Engadget Gaming homepage and in this post. Join them today at 6PM ET (3PM PT) and help the trio restore freedom to the galaxy…

http://www.twitch.tv/joystiq/embedWatch live video from Joystiq on www.twitch.tv

[We’re streaming Disney Infinity 3.0 at 720p through OBS, so rest assured this game will look dramatically better on your TV, through your PlayStation 4 at home.]

‘The Stanley Parable’ developer’s new game launches in two days

We know just a few things for certain about Davey Wreden’s follow-up to The Stanley Parable:

• It’s called The Beginner’s Guide
• It’s a “narrative video game” for PC and Mac
• It launches on October 1st

Aside from a few equally vague screenshots, that’s about it. But, considering the massive success of The Stanley Parable, that might be all The Beginner’s Guide needs to generate a ton of hype (and sales).

The Stanley Parable was a breakout success when it hit PCs in late 2013 — it picked up a number of accolades and within a year developers Wreden and William Pugh had sold 1 million copies of the game. The Stanley Parable is an odd, darkly humorous romp through a nondescript office building, starring a knowledgable narrator and Stanley, employee #427. It’s a game about choice, futility and the oddities of game design.

In early 2014, Wreden, The Stanley Parable‘s writer and designer, penned an introspective, emotional comic about falling into depression after receiving a torrent of praise and awards over the previous months. In an interview with The New Yorker around the same time, Wreden said he was looking ahead in his career and mulling over the details of his next game. “It’s intimidating to think that we have enough time and resources to do whatever we want,” he said.

It appears that a handful of Wreden’s fellow developers have given The Beginner’s Guide a go, and early comments suggest it’s just as much of a trip as The Stanley Parable.

New game by Stanley Parable’s @HelloCakebread, just announced: http://t.co/x7cZrNj0Or I’ve played it and lemme tell you, it is *wild*.

— Douglas Wilson (@doougle) September 29, 2015

I played The Beginners Guide a few times during its dev, and it’s a very special game, a very strange game, really. It’s hard to describe.

— Rami Ismail (@tha_rami) September 29, 2015

Also can attest: When I finished playing the first time it felt like multiple parts of my brain had blue-screened https://t.co/O7JiLTJAvc

— Sven Bergström (@___discovery) September 29, 2015

Source: @HelloCakebread

1TB Xbox One bundle includes ‘Gears of War’ and two more games for $399

Do you have a special someone on your Christmas list who deserves a shiny new console this holiday season? Even if you’re just shopping for yourself, there’s a new Xbox One bundle that might catch your eye. Microsoft is offering the 1TB version with three games for the cost of the console alone. The trio of titles includes Gears of War: Ultimate Edition, Rare Replay and Ori and the Blind Forest. All of that will set you back $399 when this so-called Holiday Bundle goes on sale in October.

Source: Xbox Wire

Logitech’s latest mechanical gaming keyboard is also pretty light

Mechanical keyboards aren’t just for old school PC users anymore — they’ve also become fairly popular among the PC gaming crowd. The downside for all that glorious, mechanical keyboard feedback? They’re usually pretty hefty. Logitech aims to solve that problem with the G410 Atlas Spectrum TKL ($130), a gaming keyboard that eschews the right-hand number pad for a slimmer design. Unlike some mechanical keyboards, it also doesn’t have a metal plate inside, which adds quite a bit of weight. Logitech claims its Romer-G mechanical switches allow the G410 to register key presses 25 percent faster than other mechanical keyboards, and they’re also designed to withstand 70 million keystrikes (around 40 percent more than the competition). At 1.8 pound, the G410 is half the weight of Logitech’s larger G910 keyboard, making it a far better option for lugging around.

Being something for the gaming crowd, the G410 also packs in a bevy of lights. Yes, they’re still a bit garish, but they’re also more than mere decoration. Developers can have specific elements of their games activate different areas of the keyboard — for example, they can make certain keys light up like a speedometer for a racing game (something one company is already doing). If you’ve got other Logitech G devices, like the G633 headset and G303 mouse, you can also sync up all of their lighting.

I’ve grown used to the flatter, chiclet-style keyboards that are just about everywhere these days, but typing on the G410 brought back some of my earliest PC memories. There was just the right amount of “oomph” when I tried typing a few sentences. Exploring the world of The Witcher 3 with the G410 also felt dramatically different than my existing wireless keyboard and mouse setup. I’m not quite sure if it makes sense to actually write with mechanical keyboards anymore (thought I know many people who swear by them), but I could see how the extra feedback from the G410 could make games a lot more rewarding (even if it’s a purely psychological bonus).

The Logitech G410 will hit the U.S. and Europe in October. Check back soon for deeper impressions.