‘Call of Duty Advanced Warfare’: The Joystiq Review
You get just a novel snippet of peace in Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare. In this shooter’s future, technology has trumped terrorism, rooted out the last evil masterminds and flexed its bionic muscles in total defiance of lead-footed politicians who’d rather talk than get things done. “The world is running out of bad guys,” your partner says, hopeful but tragically unaware that he’s basically describing a video game glitch. Call of Duty never runs out of bad guys.
This one gets points for honesty, though, in that there is no pretentious cover-up of why the good guys beat the bad guys (or why the plot finds them easily interchangeable). In Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare, you win because you have better guns, stronger sights, super abilities and superior movement. Whether it’s in the rich and varied multiplayer mode, or the frantic, thrill-a-minute single-player campaign, you’re constantly relying on cool weapons and combat data to make taking lives easier. Advanced Warfare front-loads the benefits of power in a franchise that has always made technology the exalted, almost fetishized solution to every problem. And you know what? It’s more fun when it admits as much.
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Filed under: Gaming, Software, HD, Sony, Microsoft
Source: Joystiq
The Xbox One will get more affordable thanks to a new processor
Microsoft may have already cut the Xbox One’s price to $349 for the holidays, but there are hints that the game console may get a permanent price drop before too long. An AMD chip design manager recently updated his LinkedIn resume (since made private) with word that he worked on a more efficient, “cost-reduced” version of the Xbox One’s processor. There aren’t any clues as to when this spruced-up silicon will arrive, but recent AMD roadmap leaks suggest that its first CPU architecture based on the technology will ship in 2015. In other words, you could be buying a cheaper Xbox by this time next year.
Processor upgrades are nothing new in the console world. They’re crucial for both price cuts and smaller, cooler-running systems that aren’t so noisy. However, there’s added urgency this time around — the PlayStation 4 has been outselling the Xbox One due in part to its initial price advantage, and lower prices should both help Microsoft stay competitive and leave more money in your wallet.
Filed under: Gaming, Microsoft, AMD
Source: Mosen (Beyond3D Forums)
Feedback Loop: NFC, ‘Evolve’ alpha codes and more!
Welcome to this week’s edition of Feedback Loop. We take a look at the rising popularity of NFC, give out some Evolve alpha codes and discuss things that are missing from our favorite operating systems. Head past the break to find out what fellow Engadget readers are talking about.
Has NFC finally arrived?
Apple Pay introduced a lot of people to the wonderful technology of NFC. However, it’s actually been around for a while and there have been some really cool uses for it. Check out what other Engadget readers have been doing with NFC.
Want early access to play Evolve?
Evolve is the latest game from Turtle Rock Studios and features some intense 4 vs. 1 co-op multiplayer action. Do you want to hunt or be hunted? Either way, we’re giving you an opportunity to win an alpha access code right here. Good luck!
What’s missing from your favorite operating system?
No matter which mobile operating system you prefer, there’s bound to be something missing from your favorite OS. Is there a feature you still can’t believe is unavailable? Share your thoughts right here.
That’s all this week! Do you want to talk about your favorite gadget or have a burning question about technology? Register for an Engadget account today, visit the Engadget forums and start a new discussion!
Source: Engadget forums
‘GTA: San Andreas’ on Xbox 360 looks a lot like the Android version
Let’s say that nostalgia got the better of you and you downloaded the refreshed GTA: San Andreas on Xbox 360 to replay a few missions ahead of GTA:V‘s new-gen re-release. You know, the tale of the Grove Street Families that now supports 720p resolution and achievements. Well, the tech-minded folks at Digital Foundry have done some digging and found that the HD version actually bears more than a passing resemblance to the game’s recent Android offering, as opposed to, say, a port of the original PC release. What you get here has better draw distance than the one on Google’s mobile OS, but, for the most part, little else in the way of enhancements. Instead, there’s apparently quite a bit of stuttering in-game, there are visual effects missing that even the PlayStation 2 release had too, in addition to cutscenes where audio drops out completely.
As DF notes, this is all quite sad, honestly, considering that San Andreas was arguably the best GTA of its era. If anything, this lends credence to the notion of not throwing out your old games and systems — the game industry still hasn’t figured out how to preserve its history in the way that film has. For video proof of the port’s transgressions, check out the analysis below.
Filed under: Gaming, Home Entertainment, HD, Mobile
Via: Joystiq
Source: Digital Foundry
Engadget Daily: Samsung’s all-metal phone, a Wii U eulogy and more!
A lot can happen between the time and the sun rises and sets — especially in the future we live in. So, what’s new ’round these parts? Well, Samsung debuted super thin, all-metal smartphones; our Joseph Volpe penned a eulogy for Nintendo’s Wii U and our Sean Buckley reviewed ASUS’ new gaming laptop, the ROG G751. There are more stories than that, though, and you can find those in the gallery below!
Filed under: Misc, Gaming, Laptops, Internet, Mobile, Samsung, Facebook
Manuel Noriega’s case against Activision dismissed by California judge
Apparently Mayor Giuliani’s defense worked: Former Panama dictator Manuel Noriega’s case against Activision for including his likeness in Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 has been dismissed by a California judge. As Kotaku spotted, Activision issued a press release stating that this was an important win for not just video games, but historical fiction in general.”This was an absurd lawsuit from the very beginning and we’re gratified that in the end, a notorious criminal didn’t win,” Giuliani says. So there’s that! Anyone who wants to bend the history books a bit to suit their narrative needs should be pretty much in the clear from here on out.
Filed under: Gaming, Home Entertainment, HD
Via: Kotaku
Source: Activision Blizzard
Nintendo finally turns a profit thanks to ‘Super Smash Bros.’
Super Smash Bros. isn’t just fun to play, it finally gave Nintendo a fun financial quarter, as well. For the first time in a while, the Japanese company turned a profit, 24 billion yen worth ($224 million) to be exact. That’s a big u-turn over last quarter, when it managed to lose 9.9 billion yen ($97 million). Overall, Nintendo sold 3.2 million copies of Super Smash Bros. worldwide, not a bad figure considering that sales started late in the quarter. It also bodes well for the holidays, when Nintendo will launch additional Amiibo figurines that unlock more playable characters. The launch likely also pushed up Wii U sales, which increased to 650,000 units, 100,000 more than last quarter. Despite the good news, however, overall sales for Nintendo are still down 12.8 percent over last year — and Super Smash Bros. games don’t come along every day.
Source: Nintendo
Playdate: We’re livestreaming ‘Sunset Overdrive’ on Xbox One!
We’ve been singing Sunset Overdrive‘s praises for awhile now and it’s finally time that the rest of the world gets a chance to play it. The Xbox One exclusive isn’t just a killer game, but it’s one of the stand-out releases in this year’s crowded holiday launch season. What makes it so awesome? Well, for starters it places pure fun over everything else, and coming from the folks responsible for the excellent Ratchet and Clank series for PlayStation hardware it really shouldn’t be a surprise. Sunset City is where you’re free to dress up exactly how you want (my character is rocking an orange-and-blue pompadour and a pair of underwear with a stuffed kangaroo head dangling off the front; seriously) and shoot ridiculous weapons at former humans while grinding around on power-lines and bouncing off of cars. Never before have we seen vinyl records used to mow down cartoonish mutants, but hopefully it happens a lot more in the future.
Want a peek at all this madness? Of course you do, and that’s why you should come back here at 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT and witness it for yourself as we stream live from the Xbox One. But wait, there’s more! We also have Xbox One download codes to give away for Killer Instinct Season Two: Ultimate Edition, Minecraft, Project Spark and D4: Dark Dreams Don’t Die. All you need to do is tune in. If you like what you see, you could even sign up for our Sunset Overdrive Xbox One giveaway, too!
[For the record, I’m playing Sunset Overdrive on an Xbox One, using a retail copy (download) provided by Microsoft. I’m streaming the game over wired internet using the Xbox One Twitch app. All that to say, “This game will likely look prettier and run more smoothly on your home equipment. Streaming conditions vary!”]
Watch live video from Engadget on www.twitch.tv
Filed under: Gaming, Home Entertainment, HD, Microsoft
Source: Twitch
Razer has a $200 soundbar and subwoofer combo called ‘Leviathan’
Let’s face it: not everyone wants to go through the hassle of setting up a surround sound system piece by piece. As for other alternatives, even the best headphones are only viable for the person wearing them. In an effort to hit a sweet spot between the two (the price of headphones and room-filling audio of multiple speakers) the folks at Razer are launching the Leviathan soundbar and subwoofer kit. For $200 you get an adjustable speaker bar packing four drivers and a separate 5.25-inch subwoofer, which marry to handle your 5.1 surround needs for movies and games. The unit uses Dolby Virtual Speakers to fill in the audio gaps left by its 4-speaker system, while Dolby Digital processing will convert any incoming signal, be it analog stereo or multichannel from an optical cable, to surround sound.
Meaning, you can hook up a game console, a PC or a TV to it and be good to go for a simple sound system that’ll almost assuredly blow the doors off of your TV’s tinny built-in speakers.
Speaking of stereo, do you want to wirelessly beam Mastodon’s Moby Dick-inspired album Leviathan to the Leviathan? Thanks to the setup’s Bluetooth 4.0 connectivity you totally can! Perhaps most surprising of all, though, is the subwoofer that scrapes the depths of the 20Hz range. Many say that 24Hz is the lowest frequency that the human ear can hear, and anything under that is more along the lines of feeling a wave of sound pressure when the bass hits. But, considering the setup’s modest size and power ratings (30w for the sound bar and 30w RMS — meaning, continuous power — for the sub) overall, how well the bass-box actually performs at that ultra-low frequency is anyone’s guess. You can put Razer’s sea-beast through its paces starting this November.
Filed under: Desktops, Gaming, Home Entertainment, HD
Source: Razer
Sony’s PlayStation 4 2.0 update is here, go download it
Own a PlayStation 4? Today’s your day: the console’s big 2.0 update is finally live. Sony’s been teasing the update for weeks, lauding the console’s new ability to play music from a USB drive, the availability of system menu themes and promising new voice commands, party options and a less crowded home-screen. The update also gives the console’s unique “share” button a little more power: the ability to upload video clips directly to YouTube and, most notably, remotely stream your games to a friend over the internet. Sony invited me to try some of these features ahead of today’s launch and, yes, they all seem to work just fine — at least in a controlled environment.
Sony walked me through the update in its Palo Alto, CA office last week, showing me the new themes, party options and even a few updated voice commands. The most interesting demo, of course, was SharePlay — the console’s new ability to stream PlayStation 4 games from one console to another over the internet. Think of it as a localized PlayStation Now between your console and a friends. This worked too, but left me with some concern: even in Sony’s controlled demo environment, I noticed a perceptible amount of lag between the monitor displaying the host console and the guest. It wasn’t enough to effect gameplay in Infamous Second Son, but a flightier residential connection could easily render the game unplayable.
The demo left me with a little doubt, but even more optimism — the feature is brimming with potential: it not only gives players the ability to test out their friends’ libraries remotely, but even join them in local multiplayer sessions in games that don’t have online multiplayer! Will SharePlay live up to its potential for the average user? Well, now’s your chance to find out: SharePlay and the PS4 System Software v2.0 is available for download today. Let us know how it works for you in the comments below.
AIVAnet 