ICYMI: Head-mounted Minecraft, CGI celebrities and more
It’s the very first episode of In Case You Missed It, where we surface the weird and wacky news that may have been buried by yesterday’s big headlines. Today we’re covering some of our favorite stories from Monday: The HoloLens headset at E3, what’s happening with the first solar-powered flight around the world and CGI modeling using paparazzi photos.
And from the cutting room floor, a handful of little gems we just didn’t have time to include: The Sony hack that ushered f-bombs onto British daytime TV and this video story on using emoji for passwords.
Let us know about any cool tech or internet stories that you stumble across by using the #ICYMI hashtag and tweeting @engadget or @mskerryd.
Filed under: Announcements, Misc, Gaming, Transportation, Internet, Sony, Microsoft
Sony’s tweaked Xperia Z4v has a better screen, wider waistline
Remember when Sony cooked up a new flagship smartphone for Japan called the Z4, then renamed it the Z3+ when it came time to take it overseas? Yeah, well, it’s finally coming to the United States with a little help from Verizon, and it has another name for us to try and keep straight. Meet the Xperia Z4v. You’d be forgiven for thinking this was a straight-up rebrand of an existing phone, but that’s not quite true — it’s a chubbier version of a phone we’ve already met with a better screen, to boot.
All of the really important bits — by which we mean the Snapdragon 810 chipset with 3GB of RAM, the 20.7-megapixel camera and all that wonderful waterproofing — remain intact. So what’s new? Well, the 5.2-inch screen has been bumped up to Quad HD (or 2560 x1440 if you haven’t committed it to memory yet) from the Z4’s 1080p resolution, and the battery has swelled ever so slightly up to a full 3,000mAh. Thing is, Sony squeezed all of that into a body that’s just a touch heavier and fatter than the lithe, streamlined Z4, so the company have might have kissed whatever style advantage they had goodbye. We can’t say we’re surprised to see Sony cozy up to a carrier like Verizon so closely. After all, last year saw a similar tie-up in the Xperia Z3v and Sony’s phone business is clearly hurting for some strong supporters. For a company that’s spent decades stirring the pot of innovation, it just can’t seem to convince the average consumer to buy their phones — we’ll just have to see if the Z4v manages to move the needle at all.
Filed under: Mobile
Sony E3 2015: From ‘Horizon: Zero Dawn’ to ‘No Man’s Sky’
Sony has surprised audiences at its E3 event by revealing a full-blown Final Fantasy VII remake, the new Call of Duty and The Last Guardian gameplay. It has also announced a seriously lengthy list of games other than those three, including a title for it upcoming VR headset and ones that feature PS4-exclusive content. Check ’em all out below the fold!
The Last Guardian
Yep, The Last Guardian is still a go, after spending years in limbo. Sony showed off a PS4 gameplay footage at E3, featuring a toga-clad boy and his gigantic dog-bird beast, as they explore some ancient ruins. If all goes well this time around (cross your fingers if you’ve been waiting for the title), the game will hit shelves next year.
Horizon: Zero Dawn
Killzone’s developer, Guerilla Games, has revealed a new IP at the Sony event called Horizon: Zero Dawn. It’s a post-apocalyptic game that pits you (playing a skilled hunter equipped with a bow and arrow) against gigantic robotic animals in the wild.
Hitman
Square Enix-owned development company, IO Interactive, has revealed the new entry in the Hitman franchise simply called, well, Hitman. It will be available in several platforms when it comes out sometime in 2016, but PS4 users will get exclusive access to six contracts for Agent 47 to fulfill.
Street Fighter V
This PC and PS4 exclusive revives the characters Birdie, who has retained his mohawk but has grown a hefty beer belly, and Cammy, whose one-piece leotard looks as skimpy as ever. PS4 users who pre-order the game can get beta access once it launches in July, but the game itself will come out sometime next year.
No Man’s Sky
This ambitious sci-fi game by a team of British developers, Hello Games, was revealed at last year’s E3. This time, the team has demoed its interplanetary warping capabilities, with the promise of “a release date soon.”
Dreams
Media Molecule, the studio behind Little Big Planet, has introduced a rather surreal IP called Dreams. Everything in the game is textured, sometimes eerie, and always dream-like. It lets you animate your characters via performance capture, and it gives you the power to remix other people’s “dreams.”
Firewatch
This is a first-person adventure game by indie studio Campo Santo that follows the story of a volunteer fire lookout, as he solves mysterious happenings in the Wyoming woods. It will debut on the PS4, though it will eventually be available on Windows, Mac and Linux.
Destiny
The Taken King is Destiny’s new expansion, where you’ll have to fight King Oryx and his army of darkness. It will arrive on September 15th and will come with PS4-exclusive content.
Assassin’s Creed Syndicate
Syndicate, which was also announced at Ubisoft’s E3 bonanza, will come bundled with “The Dreadful Crimes” — a set of exclusive missions for the PS4.
World of Final Fantasy
This is quite different from the Final Fantasy you’re used to — everything’s cute and tiny! The game will be available for PS4 and PS Vita in 2016.
Final Fantasy VII remake
Fan favorite FFVII is getting a legit remake for PS4 (and possibly for PC, too), with updated graphics to take advantage of the new console’s capabilities. Square Enix hasn’t revealed the important details yet (release date, please!), but you can watch the teaser trailer below.
Devolver games
American publisher Devolver Digital has announced four 2D games during the event: Eitr and Mother Russia Bleeds for PS4 as well as Ronin and Crossing Souls for PS4 and PS Vita.
Shenmue III
Developer Yu Suzuki launched a KickStarter campaign for Shenmue III, which has already raised over half (as of this writing) of its lofty $2 million goal. If the action RPG set in China manages to meet its goal, the game will ship out in December 2017 for PS4 and PC.
Batman: Arkham Knight
“This is how it happened. This is how the Batman died,” a voiceover said in the video for this Arkham series finale. The game will come out on June 23rd, 2015 for various platforms, but PS4 users will get exclusive access to Scarecrow-related missions.
Rigs
There are apparently over 30 games for Project Morpheus already in the works, and one of those is Guerilla Cambridge’s Rigs. It’s a multiplayer, first-person shooter controlled using the company’s upcoming VR headset.
Call of Duty: Black Ops III
Activision and Treyarch have changed allegiances, giving Sony the right to announce the new Call of Duty game and giving PS4 users first access to DLCs. CoD news used to be revealed during Microsoft events, and Xbox gamers had always been first to get its DLCs. Its creators said PlayStation is Call of Duty’s new home, so expect to hear future developments at Sony’s events.
Disney Infinity 3.0
The new Disney Infinity focuses on the Star Wars universe, bringing toys based on the characters’ likeness to life. PS4 gamers get exclusive access to a Starter Pack, including the character Boba Fett, and early access to some content when it launches this fall.
Star Wars Battlefront
This multiplayer shooter game features split-screen co-op and lets you play as various characters from the franchise, including Luke and Darth Vader. It’s slated to come out in November, with a free DLC arriving in December 2015.
Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End
Uncharted 4 is the much-delayed PlayStation-exclusive sequel to the Sony-Naughty Dog franchise. The action-adventure game is scheduled to hit digital and brick-and-mortar shelves in spring 2016.
Check here for everything happening at E3 2015!
20th Anniversary PS4 controller and headset bring back PSX colors
PlayStation fans who have been with Sony’s system since the beginning can pledge their allegiance with a pair of new PS4 accessories. Designed to commemorate the original PlayStation’s 20th anniversary, this DualShock 4 and Gold Wireless rock the familiar two-tone gray color scheme with its distinctive PlayStation logo. They’ll arrive in the US for $65 and $99 (respectively) this September. The controller is coming to Europe and Asia too, but there’s no word on the headphones.
Behold! The 20th Anniversary DualShock 4 ($64.99) and Gold Wireless Headset ($99.99). Coming this September. pic.twitter.com/dORvfhTzaC
– PlayStation (@PlayStation) June 16, 2015
Source: PlayStation (Twitter)
Sony invites PS4 gamers to invade each other’s ‘Dreams’
Leave it to Media Molecule, the Sony first-party studio responsible for the crafty Tearaway and level-creation bonanza that is LittleBigPlanet, to introduce something a little different at E3. Dreams, as the new title is called, takes a unique approach to gameplay, letting PlayStation 4 users create, explore and “remix” each other’s dreams. Alex Evans, studio co-founder, explained that by using the DualShock 4’s motion controls, players can easily “piece together a whole environment in moments.” There’s also the ability to animate characters of your own creation using performance capture.
But dream creation isn’t the only intriguing aspect of the game — there also seems to be a slew of gameplay modes, as the demo showed off a cutesy bear attacking zombies; a sci-fi jetski-like aerial fight and two adorable polar bears sliding down snowy slopes and snuggling. There’s no word on a release date yet, so you’ll have to sit tight.
‘Destiny’ expansion ‘The Taken King’ arrives September 15th
Destiny has been a massive hit since it debuted at the end of last year, and tonight during PlayStation’s E3 event, we got our first look at its next big expansion: The Taken King. It’s supposed to launch on September 15th, and will see players facing off with the dad of the big bad they killed in the game’s second raid. Known as Oryx, The Taken King is (of course) amassing a dark army of darkness that will need to be eliminated so players can get loot. It looks like players will face enemies from all of the groups seen so far in Destiny, and there will again be some PlayStation-exclusive content when the add-on launches.
Check here for everything happening at E3 2015!
https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/VFh5ArG46_M?rel=0
Source: Destiny
‘Final Fantasy VII’ is getting a genuine remake on PS4
Final Fantasy VII is being remade. It’s coming to PS4 (at least first) and it’s all beautiful and goosebumpy. That all-too PC version? Well, that’s probably coming too. But this is what I, er, you wanted. The trailer is suitably obtuse, but there are glimpses of a guy with a gun for an arm and some blonde guy toting an oversized “buster” sword. Whoever that is. Get ready to squeal — well, a little — after the break.
Sony adds a la carte channel subscription to PlayStation Vue
If you’ve been longing to ditch your cable provider for PS Vue, PlayStation’s streaming take on “television,” then you’ll like what Sony Computer Entertainment head Andrew House announced at E3 today. This July, PlayStation users will have the option to sign-up for à la carte programming. That’s right, individual channels will be made available for subscription, allowing users to opt-out of pricey programming tiers. The new subscription feature will launch with Showtime, Machinima and Fox Soccer Channel. What’s more, House confirmed that PS Plus subscribers will be privy to unspecified discounts for programming packages. And if that wasn’t enough good news, House also added that, starting tonight, PS Vue will be made available to PS4 users in Los Angeles and San Francisco.
Check here for everything happening at E3 2015!
Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD, Sony
‘Shenmue III’ will come to PC and PS4 with your help
Apparently, the running theme of Sony’s E3 event is “long-sought follow-ups to classic games.” Famed developer Yu Suzuki has revealed that he’s crowdfunding Shenmue III, the sequel to a much-admired action role-playing series that many thought had ended back in 2001 — or 2002, if you got the Xbox version of Shenmue II. The open-world title will pick up Ryo’s adventure where it left off, with a visit to China to hunt down his father’s murderer. It’ll be available on both the PC and PlayStation 4 if all goes well, and there are promises of new fighting mechanics in addition to familiar elements.
Shenmue III isn’t expected to ship until December 2017 if it makes its funding target, but the good news is that it won’t take much to get a copy of your own. A $29 pledge is enough to land a digital edition for your platform of choice, while $60 will net you a physical version. From there, it’s all about the perks: Higher pledges include signed art, the original Ryo press event jacket and even dinner with Suzuki himself. If you were a fan of the franchise’s groundbreaking gameplay, there’s a good chance that you’ll want to pitch in.
Check here for everything happening at E3 2015!
Source: Kickstarter
PlayStation is the new home of ‘Call of Duty,’ first with beta and DLC
At tonight’s pre-E3 press conference, Sony made yet another big splash by announcing itself “the new home of Call of Duty.” The next entry of the franchise, Call of Duty Black Ops III, will have a beta exclusively for the PlayStation 4 in August, and map packs will arrive first on PlayStation. It sounds like the agreement will last longer than just the one game, with Andrew House saying the PlayStation-first DLC is “starting” here. There’s a lengthy new trailer for the game too, which you can see after the break.
Check here for everything happening at E3 2015!
Source: PlayStation Blog
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