ICYMI: Amazon’s Treasure Truck, mood-altering wearables and more
Today on In Case You Missed It: Strap a neurosignaling device onto your forehead and control your mood from an app ; Amazon delivers deals on wheels via a new ‘Treasure Truck;’ and a new Super Mario World record has been set by a speedrunner who did it all blindfolded.
But we need your help! Let the team at Engadget know about any interesting stories or videos you stumble across by using the #ICYMI hashtag @engadget or @mskerryd. We will be ever so thankful!
Filed under: Displays, Misc, Gaming, Transportation, Wearables, Science, Internet, Amazon, Nintendo
Shoot cyborgs in ‘Terminator Genisys’ game before the movie starts
When you head out to watch Terminator Genisys next week, you might want to get to the theater a little early. Not just to get good seats, but also to play a game on your phone before the movie starts. Based on Terminator Genisys: Revolution by Glu Mobile, it’s apparently the first ever in-theater interactive game according to Paramount. To participate, simply join the local WiFi network (you’ll see prompts to do so on your mobile device). You’ll then be assigned to one of four teams, at which point you’re instructed to point your phone at the movie screen to aim and shoot at incoming cyborgs. And don’t worry about people doing this during the movie — the game only lasts three minutes and is over before the film starts. Winning teams will get a poster of the movie, at least until July 2nd or while supplies last. The game is only playable in select participating theaters, the list for which you can find after the break.
- New York (AMC Lincoln Square IMAX 13)
- Los Angeles (AMC Universal CityWalk 19 with IMAX)
- San Francisco (AMC Metreon IMAX 16)
- Boston (AMC Boston Commons IMAX 19)
- Dallas (AMC Northpark IMAX 15)
Filed under: Gaming
Source: Business Insider
JXE Streams: Exploring ‘Lego Jurassic World’ brick by brick
In just under two weeks, Jurassic World has absolutely demolished box office records around the globe and has raked in over $1 billion to date according to Box Office Mojo. The film series is a natural fit for video-game (and virtual reality) tie-ins and since you gals and guys enjoyed us streaming a pair of those not too long ago, we figured it’d only be fitting that we’d go back to the island with Lego Jurassic World. Join me at 7 p.m. Eastern / 4 p.m. Pacific as I wade through the muddy jungles of Isla Nublar completely blind on PlayStation 4.
Tune in right here, at Engadget.com/gaming and on Twitch.tv/Joystiq to catch two straight hours of plastic dinosaurs and my poor attempt at replicating Jeff Goldblum’s iconic laugh.
http://www.twitch.tv/joystiq/embed
[We’re streaming a retail copy of Lego Jurassic World through an Elgato HD via OBS and PlayStation 4 at 720p.]
Filed under: Gaming, Home Entertainment, HD
‘Sailor Moon’ in a post-apocalyptic pigeon-dating simulator
Hatoful Boyfriend is a pigeon-dating simulator. You read that correctly and, yes, it means exactly what it sounds like. However, Hatoful Boyfriend is also much more than a pigeon-dating simulator: It’s a dark tale of science experiments gone awry and a formerly human world now run by birds. In Hatoful Boyfriend — released on Steam in September and on its way to PlayStation 4 and Vita this year — you play as a young (human) woman and uncover truly terrifying things about this strange new avian world. Hatoful Boyfriend: Holiday Star is a new game in the same pigeon-dating universe, due to hit PS4, Vita and PC this fall. As Mediatonic Producer Luke Borrett explains direct from E3 2015, Holiday Star features even wackier stories, including scenes reminiscent of Sailor Moon, a trip to a manga convention and birds in tanks. Watch a portion of our interview with Borrett below.
Building a high-end racing sim setup with $1,800 in gaming accessories
When it comes to racing games, and especially simulator-style titles, using a standard controller is fine for casual, laid-back play. But the genre really comes into its own with a dedicated wheel/pedal setup. There are a number of affordable options out there, as well as higher-end wheels like the Thrustmaster T300RS we checked out earlier this year. Meanwhile Logitech recently announced the $400 G29 and G920 (for the PS3/4 and Xbox One/PC, respectively). But if those wheels just aren’t quite high-end enough for you, Fanatec is happy to help you out. I’ve been using the company’s modular ClubSport line to see if it can help me tame the vehicles on offer in the racing sim Project CARS. It’s about as top-of-the-line as racing wheels get, but I’m warning you right now: The best doesn’t come cheap.
Let’s start with a rundown of the gear I tested. At the heart of the ClubSport line is the company’s Wheel Base V2 servo ($600), which lets you attach various steering wheels, shifters and pedals. Fanatec also set me up with both a Porsche 918 RSR wheel ($400) and a Formula Carbon ($250) that mimics the compact size of F1 steering wheels. I also tried out the ClubSport Shifter SQ ($200), which can switch between sequential and H-pattern shifting. Last, but definitely not least, the company sent along its newly announced ClubSport V3 pedals ($300) and a sturdy $90 Wheel Stand to mount the various components.
If you’re thinking that’s a mighty pricey setup, you’d be correct. This is certainly for those who are serious about racing games — like GT Academy-level dedication. And while those prices mentioned above are certainly eye-opening, Fanatec does a solid job on the packaging front to convince you that your money has been well-spent. “Hello realism; goodbye toys,” the top flaps state as you open the ClubSport Wheel Base’s box — seemingly assuring you that this was a sound investment.
As for the accessories themselves, I can’t complain about the choice of materials. The Wheel Base is a rounded brick of anodized aluminum and plastic. Thanks to a clear top panel, you can see the smooth, brushless servo motor inside that handles up to 900 degrees of rotation and offers suitably stout force feedback. The company claims its Porsche 918 RSR steering wheel is a very close copy of the one found in the actual car. Sadly, I didn’t have a 918 on hand to make a direct comparison, but judging by its 3.6-pound weight and liberal use of leather and thick metal, I’m inclined to believe it. Meanwhile, the front panel of the Formula Carbon wheel is, in fact, real carbon fiber.
Both controllers are positively festooned with buttons, as well as a pair of thumbsticks like on traditional gamepads. Unfortunately, since these wheels are compatible with a number of systems, you’re stuck with a trial-and-error process to figure out what action each unlabeled button controls. An upcoming and optional Xbox One hub ($300) lets you attach a variety of steering wheel rims and, thankfully, adds dedicated and properly labeled controls for that console — although the hub will work on other consoles.
The new ClubSport V3 pedals (due out later this year) are an impressive mix of aluminum and steel and build upon the looks of the V2 model. Each pedal feels distinct when pressed so there’s no mistaking which one you’ve stomped on. Like almost everything else in this setup, you can adjust the pedals to your liking, and a set of attachable extension plates lets you change the angle for just the right fit.
You’re going to need a place to mount all this gear and, unfortunately, the $50 table mount is an optional extra. If you don’t have the table space, the $90 Wheel Stand is (literally) a solid option. It’s a heavy-duty steel frame that offers a long platform to mount your pedals and an adjustable pedestal to attach your wheel and shifter (although you’ll need the Shifter SQ’s $30 table mount for this setup). If you’ve ever put together a weight bench, the assembly process here isn’t too different. Everything’s installed and adjusted using a pair of included Allen keys (so you’ll want to keep those handy). A couple metal collars help keep the tangle of cords in check, but I opted to add in some Velcro ties to keep things tidy.
Once you have everything attached and the stand adjusted to your preferences, it’s time to actually play something. My go-to game was the recently released Project CARS, a fun racing sim that gives players a deep level of customization as far as controls and on-screen menus go. Unfortunately, one of the drawbacks of a modular setup like this is having to refer to several quick guides and manuals to get everything up and running. In the case of Project CARS on PS4, it wasn’t until I checked Fanatec’s site that I finally figured out how to use the wheel. Turns out you need to load the game as you normally would with a standard controller and then press “Start” on the ClubSport Wheel at the title screen. From there, you can navigate the menus purely from the wheel. Though do note the game still pumps some audio through the DualShock 4‘s built-in speaker to simulate members of your race team speaking to you via in-helmet radio, which can be a wee bit terrifying when you casually toss aside your standard controller and suddenly hear some dude screaming at you from between the couch cushions.
Now, I’m by no means a racing game expert, but I can confidently say Project CARS is much more fun with a proper wheel/pedal setup. My first few attempts using the DualShock 4 were exercises in frustration as I spun out at nearly every opportunity. After consulting some forums and tweaking some input settings, it was more bearable, but Fanatec’s gear felt natural from the first green light. It’s a blast flinging light, 125cc karts around the track and it’s suitably challenging when you have to wrestle rear-wheel drive supercars in the rain. The tension and feedback are adjustable both in game and on the wheel itself, which may be daunting for some, but it’s nice to have such flexibility.
I had a similarly good time playing on the PC version of Project CARS. Here, too, the ClubSport combo was a far more immersive way to play the game versus my standard PC input device: a wired Xbox 360 controller. Using the Shifter SQ to handle gear changes upped the level of realism for me, whether in the up/down sequential mode or the seven-speed H-pattern. I did have trouble at first correctly finding those upper gears as well as reverse, but I’m chalking that up to my own inexperience. The V3 pedals feature vibration feedback, but support for that function is on a game-to-game basis. Even without that extra bit of realism, I had no trouble losing myself in the game. After a particularly hard-fought victory on wet pavement, I felt a rush of excitement and achievement that I doubt I could’ve recreated on a standard controller.
Of course, there are drawbacks to consider. At the top of the list: Um, did you see those prices earlier? We’re talking used, mid-’90s Honda Accord money here if you go for a similar setup. This is certainly not the most affordable way to upgrade your racing sim experience. In fact, it’s a bit like buying a Leica camera — yes, there are other, much cheaper cams that take high-quality pics, but they won’t be this well-made or feature such high-end materials. I also had a couple in-game issues, including moments where the wheel snapped back to center when I paused the game mid-race. It’s a strong enough motor that you should probably keep your hands clear when pausing in-game. There were also a few control-related bugs where the game forgot where the wheel’s center position was, but it’s tough to tell whether the game or the wheel was at fault and a quick exit to the main menu usually solved minor issues. Indeed, recent and upcoming game patches seem to be tackling some of these control quirks.
And when you’re combining so many different components, it’ll take a fair amount of time and adjustments to get everything just right. That said, Fanatec’s modular approach means you could, conceivably, use a competitor’s pedals with the company’s Wheel Base or, say, use the ClubSport Shifter with other models on PC (with an available USB adapter). And then there’s the Wheel Stand, which is compatible with a number of setups, including wheels and pedals from Fanatec competitors like Logitech and Thrustmaster — so it may be attractive to gamers who don’t have any other Fanatec gear on hand.
In the end, Fanatec’s ClubSport line is impressively polished and flexible, but that high build quality comes at a rather high price. There are certainly far more affordable ways to spruce up your racing rig, but it manages to justify its eye-raising price tag with its high level of polish and performance.
Filed under: Gaming
At E3, I saw the missing pieces of the VR puzzle
The excitement around virtual reality may have started when Sony unveiled Project Morpheus last year, but last week’s E3 was its coming out party. The thing is, I’ve been around long enough to remember the hype and subsequent commercial flatline over gaming in stereoscopic 3D. So going into this year’s grand gaming gala, I was skeptical — I had that awkward tech history footnote in mind — and to a point, I still am. But Oculus helped me get over that a bit. All it took was a game from a trusted developer — Insomniac Games — and an input solution that makes VR feel less isolating.
Insomniac Games’ Edge of Nowhere is what made me feel like VR is actually a viable gaming platform and not just an outlet for a never-ending march of tech demos. The game takes place in 1930s Antarctica and you’re controlling an intrepid explorer through scenarios reminiscent of H.P. Lovecraft’s At the Mountains of Madness, with your head acting as the camera control. You have full freedom to look wherever you want in Nowhere and the camera is at a farther distance than it is in a majority of third-person games. I discovered pretty quickly that where you want to look isn’t always where you should. At one point, a huge tentacle-mouthed beast was chasing me through the snow. Turning my head 180 degrees to get a look at the monstrosity up close and personal wasn’t something I should’ve done.
Edge of Nowhere made me feel like VR is actually a viable gaming platform and not just an outlet for a never-ending march of tech demos.
I felt right at home guiding my explorer across rickety, wind-blown suspension bridges and dropping flares to the bottom of a pitch-black cave to get a sense of how deep it was as I rappelled down. Paired with the Xbox One controller in my hand, it all felt incredibly familiar; it worked just fine as an input for VR. But despite all the heavy lifting it did, it wasn’t Edge of Nowhere, or even Eve: Valkyrie and its massive-scale dogfights in space that took me from being wary about VR to someone who believed in the medium. What really brought everything to a head was a separate demo where I tried Oculus Touch, the company’s input solution for bringing your hands into virtual reality.
While there are plenty of third-party peripherals that want to be the input device for non-gaming VR experiences, Oculus Touch is among the best and least gimmicky I’ve tried. Touch isn’t a glove you put on; it’s an incredibly ergonomic, sort of pistol-grip pair of controllers you wrap your hands around. It’s kind of like the Wii Remote and Nunchuk, but much more refined and less toy-like. An analog stick and two face buttons rest on the top of each wireless controller and a pair of triggers resides on the grips. A “guard” of sorts covers over the triggers and, like the rest of the controllers, it’s covered in LEDs for motion tracking.
Pulling a trigger on the controller while hovering over a pingpong paddle let me pick it up. The same gesture worked for grabbing the remote to a radio-controlled tank, the slingshot or the wooden block on the virtual table in front of me too. Despite an Oculus employee being on the other side of a wall, it felt like he was directly in front of me in the virtual space. I passed him Roman candles and M-80s to light, and after he handed them back, I shot fireballs and threw the firecrackers at him. Whoops. Then he talked me through the entire process of how to pick up and use the slingshot, which I then fired at his head. I make no apologies for my behavior in VR.
Every now and again, I found myself looking down at the hands in front of me. They weren’t mine, but they were “mine.” The disembodied mitts floating in front of me weren’t as big or as beaten up as my own, but they moved in time with mine. As far as my brain was concerned, these were my hands; it was pretty incredible. The illusion broke a bit when I came in contact with the real world, though. While playing VR tetherball, my knuckles brushed against the rather low ceiling in Oculus’ meeting room a number of times. And while the motion tracking is incredibly accurate, giving a thumbs up or doing finger guns (thumbs up, pointer fingers extended) took a moment for the tracking technology to register and replicate in VR. Oculus Vice President of Product Nate Mitchell told me that Touch wouldn’t ship with the Rift’s consumer version next spring and that it’s still very much a prototype.
My initial worry about VR being a fad wasn’t exactly abated by Mitchell’s response when I asked him about it being the next stereoscopic 3D. “Seeing is believing,” he said. “The short answer to that question is to just show it to them.”
“With VR, I don’t think it’s so much convincing people,” Mitchell said before pausing and correcting himself. “Actually, we have a huge job of convincing people.”
Filed under: Gaming, Home Entertainment, HD
Dragon Quest VI Realms of Revelation launches today on Android and iOS
Starting today, Dragon Quest VI Realms of Revelation joins its fellow Dragon Quest brethren on the Google Play Store and iOS. The game was originally released in 1995 on the SNES by Enix (before they merged with Squaresoft) and re-released on the Nintendo DS in 2007.
Dragon Quest VI is the final chapter in the Zenithian trilogy that started in Dragon Quest IV and continued through Dragon Quest V. With this release, the entire trilogy is now available on mobile devices.
The game is played in portrait mode and retains most of its graphic styling from its prior releases. That means it’ll be great for those who enjoy retro gaming since this is actually a retro game. Battles will be turn-based and first person which is something you don’t see everyday. Characters get more powerful through the use of classes which you can choose and switch between at the Alltrades Abbey location in game. It does seem to take more from the DS remake than the original SNES remake.
Unlike later version of Dragon Quest, catching monsters isn’t a big part of the story but it is there nevertheless. The famed casino also makes a return along with a few mini-games so players can take a break from the story if needed. The game also includes a quick save function so players can save anytime and return to what they were doing later.
You can pick up the game in the Google Play Store today for $14.99. It seems expensive but the Nintendo DS remake still goes for $49.99 on Amazon which makes this version feel much more reasonably priced by comparison. If you’re interested, you can find it using the button below or read the press release embedded below that!
Download Dragon Quest VI from Google Play
DRAGON QUEST VI Realms of Revelation
Final Chapter in the Zenithian Trilogy Now Available
LOS ANGELES (June 25, 2015) – SQUARE ENIX® today announced that the classic role-playing game (RPG), DRAGON QUESTTM VI Realms of Revelation®, is now available on compatible iOS and Android devices. Players will set out on an epic adventure spanning two parallel worlds, where they must join forces with a diverse group of characters in order to save the world from darkness.
DRAGON QUEST VI Realms of Revelation is the final chapter of the Zenithian trilogy, concluding in an expansive quest of a young Hero who sets out to learn the truth about his world and the mysterious phantom realm that lies beneath. Journeying across a vast and dangerous land, players must confront the Hero’s destiny and recover his long-lost memories in order to unite and save the two worlds.
Key features in DRAGON QUEST VI Realms of Revelation include:
● Loyal Companions – On their travels, players will recruit a following of faithful friends in the riven realms, from wandering warriors to amnesiac teens. Faithful companions can be instructed to fight to bring down even the toughest enemies with ease.
● Master of Abilities – Heroes and their companions can complete vocational training at Alltrades Abbey to learn and master a multitude of spells and special abilities.
● The Slimopolis – Players can recruit, train and battle slimes in the Slimopolis to test their mettle in a series of arena battles with fabulous prizes on offer for any slime tough enough to emerge victorious.
● Slippin’ Slime – For a break between battles, this slime-sliding mini-game challenges players to maneuver around perilous pitfalls and obstinate obstacles.
● The Casino – Players can try their hand at the poker tables and slot machines and exchange tokens for rare and unique prizes.
With its simple and intuitive controls that work perfectly with the vertical layout of mobile devices (facilitating both one and two-handed play), DRAGON QUEST VI Realms of Revelation also allows players save at any time through the Quick Save function allowing players to rejoin the action right where they left off. In addition, the title includes work from the legendary trio of creators – Master Creator Yuji Horii, revolutionary Music Composer Koichi Sugiyama and Art Director Akira Toriyama – setting forth a truly stunning and thrilling tale.
About Square Enix, Inc.
Square Enix, Inc. develops, publishes, distributes and licenses SQUARE ENIX, EIDOS® and TAITO® branded entertainment content throughout the Americas as part of the Square Enix Group. The Square Enix Group operates a global network of leading development studios and boasts a valuable portfolio of intellectual property, including: FINAL FANTASY®, which has sold over 110 million units worldwide; DRAGON QUEST, which has sold over 64 million units worldwide; TOMB RAIDER®, which has sold over 42 million units worldwide; and the legendary SPACE INVADERS®. Square Enix, Inc. is a U.S.-based, wholly-owned subsidiary of Square Enix Holdings Co., Ltd.
‘Batman: Arkham Knight’ for PCs pulled because of glitches
If you’ve been holding off from buying Batman: Arkham Knight for Windows due to reports of numerous performance issues, low quality textures and glitches, its publisher Warner Brother Games agrees. That’s why it’s pulling the game from sale “while we work to address these issues to satisfy our quality standards.” If you’ve already purchased it you can still play, but in a forum post the team mentioned people can go to Steam or retail locations where they purchased the game for a refund. A couple of days ago, Warner made some suggestions on how users could get the game to run better, but those don’t seem to help much. Right now, the game is showing a “Mostly Negative” review status on Steam with 8,700 reviews logged — while it’s certainly not the first bad PC port, hopefully this embarrassing episode will make it one of the last. (We can hope, right?)
Our team has posted an update for our PC players over at the official Arkham forums. http://t.co/a6EFqhSD3n
– Batman Arkham (@BatmanArkham) June 24, 2015
Warner Bros. Games:
Dear Batman: Arkham Knight PC owners,
We want to apologize to those of you who are experiencing performance issues with Batman: Arkham Knight on PC. We take these issues very seriously and have therefore decided to suspend future game sales of the PC version while we work to address these issues to satisfy our quality standards. We greatly value our customers and know that while there are a significant amount of players who are enjoying the game on PC, we want to do whatever we can to make the experience better for PC players overall.
Thank you to those players who have already given valuable feedback. We are continuously monitoring all threads posted in the Official Batman: Arkham Knight Community and Steam forums, as well as any issues logged with our Customer Support (support.wbgames.com). If you purchased your copy of the game and are not satisfied with your experience, then we ask for your patience while these issues are resolved. If desired, you can request a refund at help.steampowered.com (Steam refund policies can be found here: http://store.steampowered.com/steam_refunds) or the retail location where you purchased the game.
The Batman: Arkham fans have continually supported the franchise to its current height of success, and we want to thank you for your patience as we work to deliver an updated version of Batman: Arkham Knight on PC so you can all enjoy the final chapter of the Batman: Arkham series as it was meant to be played.
https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/il8wy3q2HrY?rel=0
Filed under: Gaming
Source: Arkham Knight Forums
Nintendo includes same-sex marriages in ‘Fire Emblem Fates’
Nintendo has a rocky past when it comes to same-sex relationships in its games, but the upcoming Fire Emblem Fates for its 3DS handheld should change that. There are a few different options to choose from, as Polygon reports. If you want to play as a male character who can marry a male party member, you should grab the Conquest edition of Fates. And if you want to be a female warrior who weds another lady, then the Birthright edition is the one for you. There’s also a third downloadable storyline that’ll let you do both. The marriages don’t come easy from the sounds of it, either: you need to bond with your partner in battle before you can tie the knot.
It’s a rather surprising about-face from Nintendo considering its history, but the company’s statement to Polygon makes it pretty clear that the company’s learned its lesson. Check it out:
“We believe that our gameplay experiences should reflect the diversity of the communities in which we operate and, at the same time, we will always design the game specifications of each title by considering a variety of factors, such as the game’s scenario and the nature of the game play. In the end of course, the game should be fun to play. We feel that Fire Emblem Fates is indeed enjoyable to play and we hope fans like the game.”
Filed under: Gaming, Home Entertainment, Nintendo
Source: Polygon
Bungie apologizes to ‘Destiny’ players by selling them stuff
At E3 Bungie announced The Taken King expansion for Destiny, and as we explained this morning that didn’t go over very well with existing players. One of the main reasons is that, aside from a $40 price for the expansion itself, Bungie made exclusive downloadables that only people buying the complete game as part of a new collector’s edition could get. Tonight the developer published an early “Part 1″ of its usual weekly update, apologizing for that awkward Eurogamer interview and explaining that existing players can get the new items (three specific class emotes, three color schemes for their armor, and three exotic class items) by shelling out $20 for an upgrade bundle it will put on sale September 15th. That’s certainly better than not being able to get it at all — and cheaper than buying the new $80 CE — but let us know if that’s enough, or if you’re still calling BS.
Source: Bungie
AIVAnet 