Monthly Archives: April 2015
Here’s What People Are Saying About Apple Watch
The first device from Apple specifically designed to be as much a fashion accessory as a piece of tech begins pre-orders tonight. The Apple Watch, which starts at $350 USD and only goes up from there, is the first entirely new product since Apple cofounder Steve Jobs died.
We'll have our own review of the Apple Watch later this month, but reviews are beginning to trickle in already. So far the consensus seems to be that the device is stylish, well-built, attractive, and useful, but it also has some flaws that can't be ignored.
The Verge made it clear from the get-go that the Apple Watch is slow. Overall there are times when the watch stutters or slows to a crawl: "Sometimes it’s just unresponsive for a few seconds while it thinks and then it comes back." Apple did assure The Verge that a future software update would fix the problems
Check Out the Vision Poster for Avengers: Age of Ultron
Marvel has unveiled the character poster for The Vision, a newcomer in Avengers: Age of Ultron.
Paul Bettany is portraying the latest addition to Earth's Mightiest Heroes. And the 43-year-old actor is not new to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, previously voicing J.A.R.V.I.S. in the Iron Man movies and The Avengers.
Marvel's Avengers: The Age of Ultron will premiere on U.S. screens May 1, while the superhero flick will debut in the UK on April 23. And you can check even more posters for the blockbuster film below.
Activision Confirms Black Ops 3 Is Coming This Year
Following this morning's Back in Black teaser, Activision has confirmed that 2015's Call of Duty game is Black Ops III.
This comes as no surprise, considering the teaser was absolutely loaded with Black Ops quotes and imagery. Still, as obvious as it may have seemed, we now have full confirmation from the publisher via Activision's Twitter account.
It's official—@CallofDuty Black Ops III is coming this year from @Treyarch http://t.co/YSRQcqyq46 #BackInBlack pic.twitter.com/xNhzanSyCW
Apple Watch Pre-Orders Open Tonight
Apple is gearing up for the April 24 launch of its smartwatch, and you can reserve yours starting tonight.
When the clock strikes 12:01am PT on April 10, pre-orders for the Apple Watch will be open through the company's online store. The device must be bought online, as Apple isn't accepting walk-in purchases on release day.
The watch is incredibly customizable, with a limited edition solid gold model starting at $10,000 USD. It will also be able to play games, the first of which was revealed just a couple weeks ago.
Report: Speed Run of The Witcher 3 Lasts 25 Hours
Developers at CD Projekt Red have commented on the length of their upcoming open-world RPG The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt.
Speaking with German site Gamereactor, they claim that speed runs of Wild Hunt have taken approximately 25 hours to complete.
This includes taking the most direct routes and skipping past all dialog options. Reportedly, it only applies to speed runs of the story and not to any additional side content found in its open world.
Developers have claimed The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt will take the average player about 200 hours to complete everything in the game. IGN has reached out to CD Projekt Red for additional information.
App Store Update: April 9
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.
Devious Dungeon 2 – ($0.99)
The gang at Ravenous Games returns with another excellent-looking sprite-based platformer action extravanganza. Take a look:
X-Men: Apocalypse: Singer Confirms Angel Casting
Update: Empire also revealed two pieces of concept art for Angel, with and without his wings. The sharp, metallic wings definitely evoke Angel's transformed Archangel look, all but confirming that he will indeed become Death, a horseman of Apocalypse.
NHL 15 Added to EA Access Vault
The latest entry in EA's NHL franchise, NHL 15, has been added to the EA Access Vault, becoming the tenth game to join the Xbox One subscription service.
In addition to NHL 15, the Vault now includes Battlefield 4, Need for Speed Rivals, Peggle 2, Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare, Madden NFL 25, FIFA 14, EA Sports UFC, NBA Live 15, and Madden NFL 15.
For $5 USD/month or $30 USD/year, EA Access offers subscribers access to every game in the Vault on Xbox One. The subscription service also includes access to exclusive game demos and discounts on EA games through the Xbox Store.
For more, check out IGN's NHL 15 review, which said it "plays extremely well, whether online or offline, proving why EA Sports' long-running series has been the king of the ice for over 20 years."
Ranking the Fast and the Furious Movies
Most franchises run out of gas as they churn out more sequels, but in the case of The Fast and the Furious the films have grown better and more successful with each installment. Since today, June 22, marks the 15th anniversary of the release of The Fast and the Furious, let's take a look back at this most unlikely of franchises and rank its seven entries.
(This feature originally ran in April 2015.)
Spoilers for all seven films below…
Coming off the surprise success of 2001’s The Fast and the Furious, a sequel was a no-brainer. Unfortunately the decision to move forward without Vin Diesel on the marquee also demonstrated a serious lack of brains. Though Paul Walker returned and Tyrese Gibson did yeoman’s work as Walker’s new muscley sidekick, the edgy magic of the original cast was hard to recreate, even with Eva Mendes and the always appealing Ludacris added to the mix.
Marvel, ABC Planning Agents of SHIELD Spinoff Series
Though there's no official word yet on either a Season 3 pick up for Marvel's Agents of SHIELD or a Season 2 renewal for Marvel's Agent Carter, news has broken that both Marvel and ABC are in the midst of developing an Agent of SHIELD spinoff series.
Per EW.com, this new spinoff would not come about via "backdoor pilot" (a bubble-episode within a season that introduces brand new characters who are intended to get immediately spun off) but instead would be based on a story arc featured in the remaining Season 2 SHIELD episodes. Plot details and characters about the new spinoff are zilch at this point though. No info other than in hailing from SHIELD producer Jeffrey Bell (Angel, The X-Files) and series writer Paul Zbyszewski (Lost).