Sony’s new high-end wireless PS4 headset coming on January 17
Sony has unveiled the Platinum Wireless Headset aimed at PS4, Playstation VR, and mobile users. The model has hidden noise cancelling microphones and, like the Gold model, supports 7.1 virtual surround sound. However, it’s also equipped with the 3D audio tech used on the PlayStation VR, meaning you’ll be able to get the same surround-sound effects from a regular PlayStation 4 console. Though no PS4 games currently support 3D audio, Naughty Dog will release a patch that brings it to Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End.
A couple of other games will also support the 3D audio tech later on: MLB The Show 17, Uncharted: The Lost Legacy, and Days Gone, with more to be announced later. In a similar way to systems from Dolby and others, it “simulates the effect of audio arriving at your ears from different directions and distances to mimic the behavior of sound in real life,” according to the PlayStation Blog.
The wireless part only works on the PS4 (via a wireless adapter) — for the PlayStation VR and mobile, you’ll need to use the included 3.5mm audio cable. However, Sony has noted before that 3D audio only works on wired headphones for VR, and confirmed that it won’t work in wireless mode on the PS4 either. So for regular PS4 games you can go wireless, but to get 3D audio, you’ll have to plug in which, frankly, is kind of stupid.
For titles that don’t support 3D audio, Sony said in the comments section of the post that the headset “has an enhanced version of 7.1 virtual surround sound. So even in games without 3D audio, the Platinum Wireless Headset will have better virtual surround sound.”
However, the fact that Sony uses its own proprietary 3D audio makes choosing a sound system a bit awkward. The Xbox One, for example, will soon support Dolby Atmos surround sound, and while that’ll only work for Blu-ray playback, at least you can run the audio through a Dolby Atmos receiver to get the full effect. So if you’d rather blast games through your home theater system rather than a headset, it doesn’t appear that you’ll get the full 3D audio effect.
Source: Sony
‘Modern Warfare Remastered’ adds female soldiers, microtransactions
If you thought that Modern Warfare Remastered would’ve been forgotten immediately after it was released, think again. The game’s latest free update brings seven classic maps into the fold (Bloc, Countdown, Pipeline, Showdown, Strike, Wet Work) and the winter-themed, previously PC-only Winter Crash, according to the Activision blog. More than that, the “Operation Arctic Wolf” loot drop adds female soldiers to the mix — a first for the Modern Warfare franchise. Why those aren’t available as default options now is anyone’s guess, though.
The patch also brings in something that’s a bit controversial: microtransactions. You can earn those cosmetic items like weapon skins or targeting reticules by doing stuff in-game, sure, but they’re also available to buy with Call of Duty Points, which you purchase with real-world money. Gamespot reports that new melee weapons like a shovel or hammer can be purchased as well.
Of course, these are all optional things that don’t really have any effect on the game and are more for personalization that anything. But the difference between League of Legends charging for characters and skins, and CoD or Overwatch is that Riot’s wildly popular game doesn’t cost $60 up front.
Via: Kotaku
Source: Activision blog
The best Christmas jumpers for UK techies
Christmas is coming, and that means you need to get yourself a terrifically tacky knitted jumper. Sure, you can head down to shops and grab yourself a generic wooly warmer, but there are lots of options available online that will better suit your (geeky) personality. Here are our picks.
The Animated One
The MorphDigital Dudz light-up Christmas jumpers from Morphsuits double up as phone holders. Download the app, slip your phone into the opening at the front of the jumper and your pullover will come to life with a flickering flame, a mooning Santa and other festive nonsense.
OhLED
LED lights mean that this Novelty Knitwear Santa jumper will really come into its own at night. Wear it to the office Christmas party to become the star attraction.
A Force To Be Reckoned With
This Darth Vader Christmas jumper has a stern, but fair, message for all the Scrooges out there. The lightsaber lights up and makes all the right noises.
PS4 Festive Gear
If you own the PlayStation 4 or PlayStation 4 Pro (or have one on your list), to play at your best you really need the matching Official Playstation Console Christmas pullover.
Gotta Catch ‘Em All
The Pokemon: Pikachu jumper has a subtle Christmas theme, so you might be able to get away with wearing this one for the whole winter.
A Marvel From Marvel
You can’t pass this one by. This Deadpool Sweater says everything you want to say at this time of year.
‘Dishonored 2’ has a good reason to play its New Game Plus mode
If, like me, you’re already deep into the intricate world of Dishonored 2, be prepared to keep playing for a while. Bethesda just revealed that the title’s first free update will include a “New Game Plus” mode, which will give you full access to the skills from its two heroes, Emily and Corvo. Up until now, each character could only use abilities within their specific skill trees. In a New Game Plus playthrough, which is unlocked after beating the game, you’ll be able to use Emily’s “Mesmerize” to stun an enemy and then follow it up with Corvo’s ability to summon man-eating rats. You know, as one does in the Empire of the Isles.
Additionally, playing through Dishonored 2 with New Game Plus will let you carry over the Runes and Bonecharms you’ve already collected. And yes, you’ll be able to re-assign Runes as you see fit. The game’s first update will be released on December 19th for PC, Xbox One and PlayStation 4, and PC users can test out a beta version starting today.
If you’re wondering what’s next for Dishonored 2, Bethesda also announced that its second major update will land in January and will let you choose specific missions (which is useful for gathering all those collectibles you’ve missed), as well as fine-tune the game’s difficulty.
Via: Gamesradar
Source: Bethesda
‘1979 Revolution’ lands on Android
1979 Revolution: Black Friday is a powerful adventure game about a photojournalist, Reza, who gets tangled up in the movement to overthrow the Shah of Iran around 1979. And now, the complete game is on Android. 1979 Revolution hit Google Play today for Android devices, following its launch on PC, Mac and iOS earlier this year.
1979 Revolution is all about the decisions that players make during the revolution, and at times it feels more like a documentary than a game. It’s infused with true stories and real photos of the Iranian Revolution, as collected by creator and iNK Stories founder Navid Khonsari. Khonsari lived in Iran until he was 11, and his home videos and personal experiences are scattered throughout the game.
As a former Grand Theft Auto developer, Khonsari is well aware of the impact that video games can have on broader society, he told Engadget in October.
“I’m not saying games can provide world peace because there’s a lot of other parts that need to move, but they can actually start a conversation that goes beyond the single dimension of how countries, regions, people, politics and conflicts are being portrayed in single, five-minute news pieces that generalize an entire nation or group of people,” he said.
The United Nations agrees with Khonsari. The UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization highlighted 1979 Revolution in a November paper about the ways video games can support peace education and conflict resolution.
“1979 Revolution: Black Friday is a distinctive example of how a digital game can explore the complex and ambiguous ethical dilemmas faced by individuals in a historically and culturally accurate zone of conflict,” the paper reads.
Iranian authorities banned the sale of 1979 Revolution in the country, claiming it is an “anti-Iranian” game. In response to the ban, iNK Stories translated the entire experience into Farsi. It’s now available in seven languages — English, Spanish, Russian, German, French, Turkish and Farsi — and all of these languages are accessible in the Android version.
Source: Google Play
JRPG classic ‘Lost Odyssey’ is currently free on Xbox One
Here’s an easy holiday gift for all the Xbox One owners itching to relive the nostalgic days of classic Xbox 360 titles: From now until December 31st, digital copies of Hironobu Sakaguchi and Mistwalker Studios’ legendary Japanese RPG Lost Odyssey are free for download on Xbox One’s backward compatibility.
If you missed it the first go-round, Lost Odyssey follows the journey of Kaim “a mysterious immortal warrior” on a mission of self-discovery. The freebie is “our small way of saying thank you for being a fan of Xbox” Mike Nelson wrote on the Xbox Wire today, but it’s also a celebration of Xbox hitting a 300-title milestone on Backwards Compatibility. While you’ll still have to pony up $19.99 to bring back other classics like Bioshock or Call of Duty: World at War, Lost Odyssey originally spanned four dual-layer DVDs when it was released in 2008, so players will definitely have enough free content to get through a long holiday season and well into 2017.
Source: Xbox News, Major Nelson
Study: ‘Pokémon Go’ boosts physical activity, but not for long
It was obvious when the need to catch ’em all first hit smartphones all over the world, more people were getting out of the house more to hit Gyms and Pokéstops. According to a recent study published by The BMJ (formerly the British Medical Journal), Pokémon Go increased physical activity for players ages 18 to 35 in the US, but the change didn’t last long. Researchers found what within six weeks of first installing the game, users had gone back to their pre-Pokémon activity levels based on the iPhone’s step tracking totals.
During the first week of playing the game, users took an average of nearly 1,000 more steps a day than they did in the month before downloading the game on their phones. That’s about 11 more minutes of walking in a 24-hour period. The study included 560 “avid” players and 622 users who had yet to play the game for comparison. Researchers found that sex, age, race, body weight, location (urban, suburban or rural) and walkability of the nearby area didn’t have an effect on activity levels.
While the physical benefits may not last, the game did offer real help to people who suffer from anxiety, depression and other mental health issues. You don’t have to look far to find an account of Pokémon Go encouraging someone to get out of the house and interact with others. It may sound simple enough, but it’s a big deal to those who are dealing with depression and the positive effect that a little movement can have on a person’s overall mood goes a long way.
Via: The Guardian
Source: The BMJ
Steam now has full support for the PS4 controller
Valve tried to radically redesign the gaming controller with its own Steam controller, but for a lot of players it never quite caught on. Fortunately, Steam is a very flexible OS and it’s pretty easy to use your controller of choice. Like the PS4’s Dualshock 4 controller, for example: Valve just announced today that the Steam client now fully supports the Dualshock 4. That means all the controller’s capabilities can be mapped to various functions in Steam, including the trackpad and gyroscope.
Valve also notes the controllers will have access to the full range of APIs that Steam controllers have access to. There’s a whole host of other controller feature additions in this update, as well. There are settings to control the LEDs on your controller (like the Dualshock 4 has), a joystick-controlled mouse, preferences for haptic feedback, and software-based gyroscope and accelerometer integration — something that’ll specifically add extended support for the PS4 controller’s gyro input.
Via: Gamasutra
Source: Steam
The Morning After: Wednesday December 14, 2016
Hey, good morning! You look fabulous.
We’re halfway through the week, and you’re right — something is missing on your Mac. Also, Apple’s AirPods are on sale and it’s time to meet Waymo.
Feature removals will continue until morale improvesLatest macOS update removes “battery time remaining” estimate
macOS Sierra 10.12.2 has at least one undocumented change that you probably will notice. Besides an array of bugfixes and tweaks, it removes the “battery time remaining” estimate from the menu bar. According to Apple, rapidly changing power states make it too inaccurate, especially on new Intel Skylake-equipped Macbook Pros. The solution? Yank it.
If you’re reading this it’s too lateApple AirPods finally go on sale
Apple’s wireless earbuds are finally available, but that doesn’t mean you’ll get a pair anytime soon. Estimated shipping time from Apple’s website quickly stretched beyond four weeks, however, and the company says they will be available in stores soon.
Somebody set us up the bomb“Funky Fantasy IV” tries game localization via Google Translate
The effort put into localizing foreign games can have a huge impact on the experience. Most games get at least a decent translation effort, but one gamer went out of his way to show what happens if you just rely on Google Translate. Thanks to his custom software and a stream recording, you can experience “Final Fantasy IV” in a way its creators never intended.
Another Alphabet entryNow Google’s self-driving car project is a solo company
As Google reshuffles its moonshot efforts, the company is spinning out its self-driving cars. Now that project is a company called Waymo, with former Hyundai exec John Krafcik serving as its CEO. Its mission: turning self-driving tech into a practical business. To do that, Waymo is looking at ridesharing, trucking and regular passenger vehicles.
ThreeChevrolet delivers the first Bolt EVs to customers
GM made its year-end deadline of shipping production versions of its sub-$40k electric car, but only just barely. Three Bolt EVs have reached new owners in California, and more are on the way. It’s a small start, but a meaningful one while we keep waiting for Tesla and the Model 3.
But wait, there’s more…
- Nokia returns with a dumb phone
- Neil Young’s Pono music service will adjust streaming quality on the fly
- Adobe Photoshop is ready for the MBP Touch Bar
- Tinder’s Apple TV app brings swiping to the big screen
‘Overwatch’ unleashes Winter Wonderland event
The latest themed event for Overwatch is here, as “Winter Wonderland” has settled in for its run through January 2nd. Players of Blizzard’s team-based shooter are getting an update on their consoles and PCs that brings loot boxes filled with over 100 cosmetic items available only for a limited time. There’s also a special Brawl mode for the event focused on ice-spraying hero Mei. The 6v6 Mei’s Snowball Offensive replaces her weapon with a single-shot snowball gun, that needs to be reloaded at snow piles located around the level, while her Ultimate ability upgrades it for semi-automatic fire.
Beyond the cosmetic and game mode changes, the update also brings several other highly-anticipated tweaks for the game. The ability to party up with random players you encounter using the “Stay as Team” feature is now widely available, along with new abilities for Symmetra. Recently-added hero Sombra also has a new “Boop” unlockable voice line, and there’s a slew of bug fixes noted in the official changelog.
As usual, all of these updates are free, however, anyone obsessed with the collectibles might buy loot boxes instead of waiting to earn a few chances just by leveling up.
Source: Play Overwatch, Changelog
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