Xbox One and PlayStation 4 support added to Unreal Engine 4 in latest update
Moving a game from one platform to another — from iOS to PC, from Xbox One to PlayStation 4 — isn’t as easy as it seems. Just change a few button prompts and you’re all set, right? Not so much. There’s a lot to consider: how do you control the game (mouse/keyboard/gamepad/touch/etc.)? does it sync up with online leaderboards? does it have the proper logos/attribution? Epic Games’ Unreal Engine 4 aims to circumvent as much of that as possible, and today it’s enabling two more platforms: Xbox One and PlayStation 4. In terms of Xbox One peripheral support, that includes Kinect, and in terms of PlayStation 4 peripheral support, that includes the Project Morpheus virtual reality headset.
The update brings UE4 to version 4.1, and is part of the same $19/mo. monthly subscription fee that customers are already paying. The engine itself is actually being certified directly by both Sony and Microsoft right now, which should help with game certification down the line; Sony’s PS4 is already ready-to-go and Microsoft’s Xbox One is in the works (though game makers can submit UE4-made games for publishing on either console before the process is complete for the engine itself).
With today’s update, the folks at Epic are actually running out of platforms to support: it already supports PC, last-gen consoles, current-gen consoles, SteamOS, Linux, and the Oculus Rift. They’re still working on Windows Phone 8 and, though there’s no “concrete roadmap,” a full version of the UE4 editor is in the works for Linux. The game industry’s most prolific engine is quickly becoming the game industry’s most widely available as well.
One of Activision’s top moneymakers gets a new entry in Skylanders: Trap Team
Like taxes, iPhones and, well, Madden, you can count on a new Skylanders game every year. If you’re unfamiliar with the franchise, that may just be a symptom of not being around kids — the toy / video game series is a dominant force in the kids gaming market, sharing responsibility with biggies like Call of Duty and World of Warcraft for bringing in 80 percent of Activision’s earnings in 2013. Each new entry in the game series comes with a new physical device for reading toy figurines; when said figurines are placed on the device (called a “portal”), they’re transported into the game world and playable in-game.
Between the figures ($5 – $7 apiece, on average) and the games (anywhere from $7 to $60), it’s easy to understand why the franchise is so profitable. Thankfully, the franchise is also lauded by most critics as a pretty decent game, too. The next entry, Skylanders: Trap Team, arrives this October — the first time the series is on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One — and it’s the largest game in the franchise to date.
When Skylanders: Trap Team launches on October 5th in North America (the 10th in Europe), it arrives with a new portal, and also even larger Skylanders figures than before. The hook this time around (beyond the whole “putting a toy from the real world into a game” thing) is the ability to “trap” in-game enemies. Using one of eight “Traptanium Traps” — that’s eight colored real-world toys that must be purchased — you can “trap” enemies (store the character data from the game). That enemy can then be used in-game, just like a Skylander. This enables players to quickly switch between two characters, one Skylander and one boss character, on-the-fly. There’s also a neat interactivity aspect wherein the portal now has a speaker and the boss character, once captured, will comment on the game in real-time.
We spoke with Toys for Bob’s Paul Reiche, head of the studio that both created the Skylanders franchise and headed up development of Skylanders: Team Trap. Before you ask: yes, all previous Skylanders toys work with this new one. All the parents in the crowd say “Yay-a!” Reiche (pronounced “Richy”) walked us through the new game, the scope of the series, and spoke to the design of the new characters. What’s with the new traps? Why are the characters larger? And what the heck is “traptanium”? Allow him to explain in the video above, and get a much closer look at all the new hardware while you’re at it.
Video produced by Edgar Alvarez and Daniel Orren.
Filed under: Gaming, Software, HD, Sony, Microsoft, Nintendo
Bing’s kid-friendly search is now available to every grade school in the US
Your kid’s in-school web searches may soon be much safer and smarter: Microsoft has just expanded availability of its Bing school program (now Bing in the Classroom) to all K-12 institutions in the US. The move lets any school fill out a form to remove ads, get daily lesson plans and keep adult content filters switched on. As part of the launch, Microsoft is also making it easier for parents to both check if a school is using Bing and see how close it is toward earning free Surface tablets through search credits.
The expansion should give Microsoft a strong foothold in the classroom. The just-ended pilot project is already providing search to more than 5,000 schools, and there isn’t any major competition. Google offers school-ready versions of both its web apps and Google Play, but it doesn’t do the same for search — Microsoft may end up being the de facto choice for your kid’s internet searches simply because it’s the only obvious choice.
Filed under: Internet, Microsoft
Via: The Verge
Source: Bing Search Blog
Microsoft offers a peek at Remote Desktop to Windows Phone 8.1 users
Microsoft promised that it would put out a Remote Desktop app for Windows Phone, and it’s making good on its word — provided you’re an early adopter, anyway. The company has released a Remote Desktop Preview that requires Windows Phone 8.1 (which itself is considered a preview) just to run. If all the stars align, though, you’ll get fairly advanced remote PC access that lets you perform Windows 8′s multi-touch gestures and stream “high quality” media. The folks in Redmond haven’t said when the finished app will arrive, but we wouldn’t be surprised if it launches after Windows Phone 8.1 rolls out in earnest.
Filed under: Cellphones, Software, Mobile, Microsoft
Via: ZDNet
Japan’s not getting the Xbox One until this September
If we’re being civil, Japan’s relationship with the Xbox could be described as “tenuous” at best, and the release date for Microsoft’s latest game console probably won’t do much to change that. Come this September 4th, gamers in the country will finally be able to claim an Xbox One for themselves. Yes, that’s around 10 months after it launched in the US and other “first tier” countries, and seven months after the PlayStation 4′s Japanese debut. Redmond’s Eastern wing hasn’t mentioned pricing just yet (what, one announcement isn’t enough?), but with E3 on the horizon it likely won’t remain unknown for too much longer.
Filed under: Gaming, Home Entertainment, HD, Microsoft
Source: Microsoft (Japanese)
Xplore’s latest Windows 8 tablet is tough enough for a warzone
When a company sends you a tablet buried under a half foot of sopping-wet turf, you can be reasonably sure that the hardware’s going to be sturdier than your average kit. Xplore Technologies makes computing devices for the harshest of environments, including warzones, so we thought we would spend some time with the company’s latest slab. The XC6 is the most powerful unit the company has ever released, packing Intel’s Haswell internals and a 1,300-nit display. Like Lady Gaga, the XC6 likes it rough, so we grew out our beard, grabbed a sledgehammer and did some extreme computing for our enjoyment.
If the most that you do with your tablet is check Twitter while sitting in a restroom stall, then it shouldn’t be a surprise to learn that the XC6 is a tad overkill. Since it’s been designed to be used by oil-rig workers, soldiers, census takers and civil engineers, among other dangerous professions, it’s designed to take a lot of rough treatment. Weighing in at 5.4 pounds, it’s got a magnesium-alloy chassis, coated with liberal amounts of rubber over the port bays and corners. It’s rated for IP67 and MIL-STD-810G, so it should be able to handle being submerged into a meter of water for half an hour, as well as hot, cold, sand and extreme humidity. What we were able to do is leave this machine in our freezer for a few hours, only to find it still cheerily working, as well as take it into the shower with us for a casual spot of surfing while we rinsed ourselves clean. Reportedly, this unit is able to withstand drops from seven feet onto concrete, something that we tested with glee. There’s a 5-megapixel camera on the back with a fixed focal length that’s great for taking pictures of barcodes, and useless for anything else. There’s a 720p front-facer, which is perfectly acceptable for Skype chats, but not much else.
Despite the austere construction, there are a few surprising additions to the input list, with Gigabit Ethernet and HDMI-out alongside the usual complement of a fingerprint scanner, a pair of USB 3.0 ports and a 3.5mm headphone jack. In order to ensure that the device can withstand gloves and extreme temperatures, Xplore has eschewed a capacitive touchscreen in favor of a heavy-duty resistive one. Thankfully, there’s a pair of styluses available that’ll help you navigate around the device, and while it can work with gloves, it’ll require a hefty press. We did find that gestures in Windows 8 (for the Charms Bar) didn’t work unless we used the stylus, unfortunately. That 1,300-nit display is also strong enough to hold its own in direct sunlight, making it much more visible than the average laptop in similar conditions — although it’s by no means comfortable if you’re without shade for long periods of time. Another thing that we noticed is an odd amount of ghosting, with the previous screens lingering on the display as we flicked between various applications.
We didn’t have time to run any in-depth battery life tests, but were able to run the XC6 through 3DMark 11 to offer us some indication of its ability to handle tasks. You may be surprised to learn that it managed to crank out benchmarks of E1,801, P898 and X299 — figures that put it very close to Lenovo’s IdeaPad Yoga 2 Pro. Given that it’s packing a 1.9GHz Haswell Core i5-4300U with 4GB RAM and a 128GB SSD, we can be sure that while it may look like a piece of farm equipment, it’s certainly no tractor. It’s launching today, with the base model setting you back a whopping $5,299 — and more if you want to add in a Core i7 or other accessories like a card reader, or, who knows, maybe a rocket launcher.
Microsoft and Nokia finally tying the knot on April 25th
Let the wedding bells ring! Microsoft announced this morning that it finally has something we’ve been curious about since September: the actual date the company will complete its proposed acquisition of Nokia’s devices and services business. In a blog post, Microsoft’s General Counsel Brad Smith explained that all of the legal hurdles have been cleared and that the merger will officially take place this Friday, April 25th. “We look forward to introducing the next billion customers to Microsoft services via Nokia mobile phones,” Smith said.
Microsoft will manage the Nokia.com domain and the company’s social media presence for up to a year, and former Nokia CEO Stephen Elop will be in charge of Microsoft’s devices group, reporting directly to CEO Satya Nadella. Aside from this, Microsoft has been pretty tight-lipped on details about what the post-acquisition world will be like, mainly due to legal restrictions. After this Friday, however, we hope the company will open up a bit more about what we can expect going forward.
Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile, Microsoft, Nokia
Source: Microsoft Blog
Here’s how Microsoft tried to win the early instant messaging wars
The battle between modern chat services like LINE and WhatsApp is fierce, but it has nothing on the war between Microsoft and AOL (Engadget’s parent company) at the turn of the century. Former Microsoft developer David Auerbach has revealed that his MSN Messenger team fought hard for compatibility with AOL Instant Messenger in the summer of 1999, all in the hopes of attracting some converts. At one point, Auerbach was in a daily struggle — AOL would break MSN support by the morning, and he’d have a fix in place by the evening.
A stalemate came relatively quickly: AOL introduced a security flaw in August that Microsoft couldn’t work around, forcing the two services to remain separate. Of course, we know in hindsight that the conflict was for nought as chat shifted from PC software to mobile apps and social networks. However, the story shows that Redmond was determined to lead the instant messaging space from the word go — its acquisition of Skype was really just the culmination of efforts that began more than a decade earlier.
[Image credit: Nicki Varkevisser, Flickr]
Filed under: Internet, Microsoft
Via: I Started Something, The Verge
Source: N+1 Mag
Microsoft’s now letting developers respond to app store critics
If a Windows Phone app disappoints you, it’s probably right that you call out its failings and warn others to steer clear. Don’t be surprised, however, if the minds behind the software start responding to your gripes directly. Microsoft is slowly rolling out a program whereby developers can comment on your reviews of their handiwork. Fortunately for you, however, the devs won’t get access to your personal details, and, if they overstep the mark, you can report them for poor conduct. Still, the notion that coders will now get the chance to openly gain feedback from users seems like a step in the right direction — just as long as everyone remains civil.
Filed under: Cellphones, Software, Mobile, Microsoft
Via: The Next Web
Titanfall pushes Xbox One sales to 5 million total, but it can’t pass PlayStation
Sony and Microsoft’s console sales were neck and neck for awhile, but the gap is starting to widen: according to the latest NPD numbers, Sony is winning the race. Yesterday, the Japanese hardware manufacturer announced that it has moved more than seven million PlayStation 4s worldwide — today Microsoft countered with a total of five million, trailing Sony in both monthly and lifelong sales. A stark difference, sure, but it’s not all bad: the Xbox exclusive Titanfall is the industry’s top-selling title right now, and the second highest selling for the platform overall. The new console is also outpacing the Xbox 360′s first-year sales by more than 60 percent; it’s doing well, it’s just not top dog. The latest inFamous game (a PS4 exclusive) ranked the second highest selling game for the month of March, followed by multiplatform titles like South Park: The Stick of Truth, Call of Duty Ghosts and Dark Souls II.
Filed under: Gaming, HD, Sony, Microsoft
Via: Joystiq
Source: Xbox
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