Monthly Archives: March 2015
App Store Update: March 31
Every day hundreds of new apps make their debut on the App Store, and hundreds more are updated or reduced in price. We have sifted through the noise and highlighted those select few that might be worth your attention.
Note: The prices and deals compiled below are accurate at the time we published this story, but all are subject to change.
Pie in the Sky: A Pizza Odyssey – ($2.99)
It's a game about delivering pizza . . . in outer space!
Pixar’s RenderMan Software Is Now Free
If you've ever wanted to up your animation game, now's your chance. Pixar Animation Studios has made their in-house rendering software free to download and use.
RenderMan -- used for all of Pixar's films as well as pictures like Guardians of the Galaxy and Captain America: The Winter Soldier -- is now completely free for non-commercial use on Windows, Mac, and Linux. The free version includes all the features of the paid version, with no time limits or watermarks.
The only restriction is that it cannot be used in a commercial way. If you make something you do want to profit from, you can pick up the commercial license for the software for $495 (USD).
RenderMan isn't a 3D modeling application. Instead, it fleshes out animation to make it more realistic with interactive lighting and shading. Not only is it used for Pixar films, it's also the industry standard for special effects. To use it, you will need to create a 3D model or animation to render. RenderMan currently supports Autodesk's Maya (which has a free trial available for download) and The Foundry's Katana.
Resident Evil Revelations 2 Adds Online Co-Op
Resident Evil Revelations 2's free update went through today, adding the much-anticipated online Raid Mode co-op and a few other tweaks as well.
It's currently available on PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360. Xbox One should receive the update "shortly," according to Capcom.
Before now, players were only able to play local co-op in Resident Evil Revelations 2's action-focused Raid Mode, via split-screen.
Tortoise Shell 3D Printed for Injured Tortoise
A leopard tortoise named Cleopatra is wearing a prosthetic shell thanks to 3D printing technology. Cleopatra's shell suffers from a condition known as either "pyramiding" or "peaking," which means that her shell is more Tokka than Michelangelo.
Rather than the smooth shell on turtles not afflicted, her shell has raised sections which can wear easily and are susceptible to infection. According to the Huffington Post, Nico Novelli, owner of Canyon Critters Reptile Rescue in Golden, CO, had the shell built because he knew "something had to be done."
The shell was designed by Colorado Technical University student and US Air Force veteran Roger Henry. The prosthetic took hundreds of hours of design, Henry said, but should help Cleopatra to heal.
Final Fantasy 15 May Feature Female Party Members as Guests
While Final Fantasy XV's main cast will be composed of all male characters, it's possible females will be able to join your party as guests, according to game director Hajime Tabata.
"It’s possible we’ll have female characters join the party as guests," Tabata told Famitsu (via Gematsu). "But since it’s an all-male party, when you have a female character as a guest, their behavior might change because a woman is around."
The director previously stated that the decision to create an all-male cast was to make Final Fantasy XV "more approachable."
Daily Deals: Sunset Overdrive, PS4 With Free Bloodborne, Batman Arkham Knight Bundle
Sunset Overdrive scored a 9 out of 10 when we reviewed and it recently snagged the number two spot on our list of the best Xbox One games. Right now Amazon is selling copies for $40. The cheapest I've ever seen it go for was $35 back on Black Friday, so this is a good opportunity to grab it.
Podcast: The ‘Gods go off on the newest from Angelina Jolie
From their secluded home-theater compound, film critics Wade Major and Mark Keizer mix insightful commentary with irreverent banter, covering the latest DVD and Blu-ray news and new releases of the week, including studio, independent, television and special-interest titles.
Digigods Podcast, 03/31/15 (MP3) -- 32.9 MB
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Nintendo Takes Down Super Mario 64 HD Fan Project
Nintendo's legal department is taking down a free fan project based on the first level of Super Mario 64.
According to Eurogamer, the game's creator, Erik Ross, said he used assets taken from official Mario games. He said, "All the art and animations were done by myself, with the exception of the Mario, Goomba, and Power Star meshes, which are ripped (without animations) from Super Mario Galaxy."
The takedown notice cites a copyright breach for "Nintendo's Super Mario 64 video game (U.S. Copyright Reg. No. PA0000788138), including but not limited to the audiovisual work, computer program, music, and fictional character depictions."
Star Wars: Battlefront Trailer Debuts April 17th
DICE will debut the Star Wars: Battlefront official reveal trailer during its Star Wars Celebration panel on April 17th, starting at 10:30 am PT.
We knew Star Wars: Battlefront would have a presence at the upcoming Star Wars Celebration in Anaheim, but now we know exactly when.
Gameplay for Star Wars: Battlefront will also be on display "behind closed doors" at EA's booth.
Despite EA referring to it as the "reveal trailer," we did see bits and pieces of the new Star Wars: Battlefront at E3 last year, including a short making-of. However, with Star Wars: Battlefront aiming for launch later this year, fans are hoping to finally see the game in action.
Doctor Who’s Rory Joins The Arrow/Flash Spinoff
Doctor Who's Rory (Arthur Darvill) is set to play Rip Hunter in the Arrow/Flash spinoff.
Deadline reports the news, and describes Richard ‘Rip’ Hunter as a roguish time traveller.
Rip Hunter was created by Jack Miller and Ruben Moreira back in May 1959 for Showcase issue 20. There are also some spoilers regarding Hunter and Booster Gold that may be a worth a quick Google.
One of the other recent additions to the spinoff is Ciara Renee, who’s set to take up the role of Hawkgirl. While details are sparse at the moment, we do know the spinoff is said to combine several fan-favorites from both Arrow and The Flash, as well as DC players who have yet to grace our TV screens.