The publisher said it’s working on backwards compatibility for both games too. So, fingers crossed that even if the PS5 and XSX upgrades aren’t available when the consoles are released this fall, you’ll still get to play the titles on them sooner rather than later.
Meanwhile, Bethesda said players will get free upgrades for all of the other games it’s updating for PS5 and Xbox Series X. It’s not confirming what those titles are just yet, but one would imagine Skyrim is among them. Much like with Grand Theft Auto V, it seems that’ll make its way to everyconceivableplatform for the rest of time. You’ll probably be able to play Skyrim on a digital contact lens at some point, so why not new consoles?
Amazon’s Echo Flex plug-in smart speaker should now be much more useful in the kitchen. The Vergereports that Amazon has unveiled an official, Third Reality-made Smart Clock add-on for the Flex that brings connected timekeeping to the Alexa device. The USB accessory will show the current time, of course, but it’s most helpful for timers. Ask Alexa to set a timer and you’ll see it count down, so you won’t have to ask for an update (or use an Echo with a built-in display) just to see how soon your cooking will be ready.
You can also use Alexa to switch between 12- and 24-hour formats, or manually adjust the brightness when the automatic settings aren’t enough. It doesn’t need any additional power, although the Flex’s limitation to one add-on at a time will force you to choose this over another device like a motion sensor.
“Given the fact that this is a show basically made from start to finish in Unreal, you can see why Epic perked their ears up,” Mirabello said. “They were pretty intrigued, also because there’s no video content. You know that 90-second trailer that you saw? This entire episode is actually a smaller download footprint than a 4K version of the trailer we played.”
Mirabello didn’t divulge details about the deal between Epic and Terrible Posture, but said it was a new way of handling indie publishing.
“The way that this is being delivered is definitely a different approach to how games are built, how they’re funded and what their goals are,” he said. “With that said, the mission statement of this game isn’t necessarily to make money. It would be lovely and we have the soundtrack up there if people want to buy the soundtrack and support us more, that’s fantastic, but we want to make sure that as many people can play this as possible.”
In episode one of 3 out of 10, “Welcome to Shovelworks,” it’s Midge Potter’s first day on the job. In fact, she thinks she’s at Shovelworks for an interview, but she’s funneled directly into the exploded animator’s vacated role. At the office, Midge meets Pylon (a logical but happy-go-lucky programmer), Ben (who would just like to do his work, please), Francine (the ambivalent assistant with blue hair), Viper (the macho dude with an artist’s heart), Joan (the mom of the group) and Kevin (who thinks it’s a “twist” to build an endless runner… with an end). This is the main ensemble cast, and players will take control of different characters with each episode.
Terrible Posture
Their new project is Surfing with Sharks, and the internet is in an uproar because the virtual shark is a Great White, but Shovelworks insists on calling it a Tiger Shark. Well, at least Kevin does. On top of handling public perception and building a functional game in a rigid system, Midge is dealing with a mysterious handler who insists that Shovelworks can’t be allowed to build a good game. In the ensuing episodes, a larger narrative arc unfurls around the studio.
“I’ve got stories,” Mirabello said. “There’s no end of inspiration that we can think of to spoof and mock. This thing could go a long time. There is a progressing meta story, and so eventually that will go somewhere.”
Mirabello and Zukowski definitely have stories to spare. They worked together at 38 Studios between 2011 and 2012, building an ambitious MMO codenamed Project Copernicus — before the company publicly crumbled, taking the state of Rhode Island with it. 38 Studios, founded by former baseball pro Curt Schilling, obtained a $75 million loan from the state of Rhode Island to fund the development of Project Copernicus and another huge game, Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning, meaning taxpayers would be on the hook if either of these titles failed. It was a gamble for the state, and it didn’t pay off. Three months after Kingdoms of Amalur came out, 38 Studios couldn’t make payroll. The company folded and Rhode Island citizens are still dealing with the fallout.
With 38 Studios in the rearview mirror, Mirabello went indie and developed Tower of Guns, which landed him his first solo hit in 2014. He followed it with MOTHERGUNSHIP, and now he’s back with Zukowski and building 3 out of 10.
Its systems were reportedly seized by Maze, a group that exfiltrates data before encrypting and locking off systems. Bleeping Computer obtained a partial screenshot of the purported ransom note sent to Canon, and said that Maze confirmed that it had stolen “10 terabytes of data, private databases, etc.” as part of the attack. By combining data theft with ransomware, Maze can attempt to blackmail companies that may have full system backups.
Canon’s image.canon cloud photo storage site was also affected, though apparently not by the same problem. On the site’s home page, Canon says that “some of the photo and video image files saved in the 10GB long-term storage prior to June 16, 2020 9:00 AM (JST) were lost.” It added that “there was no leak of image data” and said that it was able to restore functionality as of August 4th. Maze reportedly confirmed to Bleeping Computer that the photo site wasn’t part of the attack, though of course one can’t take criminals at their word.
Microsoft is giving Xbox Insiders in the invite-only Alpha Skip-Ahead and Alpha rings access to a handful of experimental features, including the new Game Activity tab. While the feature was designed to replace Xbox One’s Achievements tab, Achievements still take up its top portion. It also shows users which friends are playing a particular game, though, along with in-game events, updates from developers and “Looking for group” posts, so they can find new people to play with. For those who aren’t particularly fond of Achievements, there’s now a shortcut to turn the Achievement Tracker on or off, as well.
Microsoft
The tech giant is also gradually rolling out the new Xbox store experience it revealed a few days ago. It will be available to everyone in the fall, but a subset of users in the US, UK, Canada and Germany will get access to it first. The new experience is supposed to be faster than the current design and can make easier to see the games a user’s friends are playing.
Can anyone figure out the foldable? Samsung hopes the third time’s the charm. Alongside its new Note 20 series, the company revealed the Galaxy Z Fold 2, with more screen on both the folding surface and the secondary outer display. The latter was a weak point on the original Galaxy Fold, a tiny mediocre screen that was hard to use.
Samsung
The Fold 2 also appears thinner than the original, partly thanks to shorter fiber brushes between the hinge parts, meant to clean out trapped dust and particles. The company has also reengineered the display layers for improved durability — a question that still lingers around foldables.
As the line between the flagship Galaxy S and Galaxy Note series blurs — they’re all big phones now — foldables could be the new Note. Maybe.
For now, Samsung’s third folding phone still doesn’t appear to be reinventing what smartphones can offer. Expect more details (and a hefty price) on September 1st.
— Mat
What you need to know about the new Galaxy Note 20 and Note 20 Ultra
Do you want premium or ‘premium’ premium?
Engadget
Samsung has officially revealed the Galaxy Note 20 ($999) and Note 20 Ultra ($1,299), and the more expensive model comes with some major differences. The Note 20 Ultra has a 6.9-inch screen, though it has a narrower, taller build, making it easier to handle than you might think. The Note 20 is a little smaller at 6.7 inches, but that still makes for a pretty big phone. It also has a lower resolution and the typical 60Hz refresh rate. Meanwhile, the Note 20 Ultra gets an ultra-smooth 120Hz screen. Camera specs, similarly, separate the two, making the Note 20 a harder device to recommend, at least going on spec sheets. Take a look for yourself. Continue reading.
Samsung’s Galaxy Buds Live offer ‘open’ ANC and hands-free access to Bixby
They go on sale today for $170.
Samsung
They’re weird looking, but Samsung’s next-generation wireless buds are here. Their curved bean shape is apparently meant to mimic the crevices of your ear, and they sit flat on the outside of your ear canal without a tip that goes inside. Instead, a pair of speakers on the underside of the Buds Live beam sound in on each side. This allows for “open” active noise cancellation (ANC) tech. Rather than piping outside noise in with an ambient sound mode, the Buds Live has vents that let you hear what’s going on around you. The ANC focuses on low-frequency noise. Continue reading.
Sponsored by Yahoo
A quick read that you’ll finish before your first cup of coffee.
Disney has no idea what it’s doing with ‘Mulan’
A $200 million Hail Mary.
Disney
Is Disney’s direct-to-streaming release of Mulan a calculated shot to kill movie theaters, a dastardly plot to eliminate movie ownership in favor of leases that keep customers hooked on Disney+ or something else? Devindra Hardawar explains the factors that make this look more like a salvage operation than strategic attack, and why fumbling the rollout could upset “premium VOD” possibilities in the future. Continue reading.
Intel might not be building 5G modems on its own anymore, but its partnership with MediaTek is starting to bear fruit. The two companies have unveiled MediaTek’s T700 5G modem that’s designed to be used with next-generation Intel-powered laptops. For its part, Intel said it has been working on “system integration, validation and developing platform optimizations” for the 5G chip, as well as providing assistance for OEM partners.
MediaTek’s T700 modem supports Sub-6 5G tech, and the company said it has tested 5G standalone calls that don’t depend on a 4G LTE network. At the same time, however, the chipset also supports non-standalone Sub-6 5G networks that rely on a 4G network backup. MediaTek also promised that it’s “highly power efficient” so that it won’t drain your laptop if you’re surfing 5G or making calls.
Other changes include additional usable battery capacity — Audi limits it to make the batteries last longer — and tweaks that make the SUV more efficient. They’re built into the Sportback version at launch, which has 218 miles of listed range, and the 2021 SUV will extend its EPA-rated range by 18 miles, to 222 mile.
According to Nintendo, its mobile efforts experienced “steady growth,” too. Despite lackluster reviews, Mario Kart Tour is experiencing “record use” and Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp is benefitted from the popularity of New Horizons. Together, smartphone and “IP-related income” came in at 13.2 billion yen (roughly $124.9 million) during the quarter, up 32.7 percent year-over-year. Overall, the company recorded sales of 358.1 billion yen (roughly $3.39 billion), which was more than double what it managed for the same period last year. Operating profit, meanwhile, skyrocketed to 144.7 billion yen (roughly $1.37 billion), up 427.7 percent year-over-year.
Nintendo’s next quarter should be slightly livelier than the last. Nintendo released Paper Mario: The Origami King on July 17th, which has been generally praised for its art style and humor. The company has also collaborated with Lego on an impressively-creative Mario-themed line, and a gloriously-detailed NES replica, which it presumably gets some kind of royalty kickbacks from. Switch fans will be wondering what Nintendo has planned for the rest of the year, though. An updated version of Pikmin 3 is coming, but what else? The much-rumored Mario remasters haven’t materialized, and we still don’t have a firm release date for Bravely Default II and No More Heroes 3, both of which are supposed to come out in 2020.
Ridley Scott’s Raised by Wolves was supposed to be a straight-to-series order for TNT, but it officially became an HBO Max title last year. Now, the newly launched streaming service has released a trailer for the upcoming sci—fi series, and it showcases elements that bring back memories of Scott’s Alien franchise.
Scott directed Raised by Wolves’ first two episodes, making it his directorial debut for TV, while Prisoners’ Aaron Guzikowski served as showrunner and writer. The trailer comes with a brief synopsis of the show that says: “Mother was programmed to protect everyone after Earth had been destroyed. When the big bad wolf shows up, she is the one we must trust.”
