Monthly Archives: May 2015
6 New Features Coming to Android M
Today at Google's I/O 2015 conference, the company revealed new details for Android M, the latest version of its smartphone and tablet operating system.
In addition to thousands of bug fixes, Dave Burke, VP of Engineering at Google, revealed six major improvements coming in Android M.
- App Permissions: You don't need to agree to permissions (like camera or locations access) you don't need. Apps will ask you about permissions when you try to use their features, and not during installation.
- Web Experience: Instead of requiring app developers to create their own browsers, Chrome can now run on top of apps. Previously, this created issues with password saving and logged-in sessions.
Gotham: Harvey Dent Actor Made Series Regular
Nicholas D'Agosto, the young actor who plays Harvey Dent in Gotham, will return in Season 2 as a series regular.
D'Agosto confirmed the news in a post on Twitter, saying:
Thank you to all of you @Gotham and #HarveyDent fans for your enthusiasm. I can't wait to join more of the fun as a regular in Season 2!
— Nicholas D'Agosto (@nicholasdagosto) May 27, 2015
Massive Chalice Headlines June’s Games With Gold
Microsoft has just unveiled the free games it will be rolling out to Xbox Live Gold subscribers during the month of June, with Massive Chalice leading the pack on Xbox One.
According to Major Nelson's blog, all month long Xbox One owners will be able to download Double Fine Production's aforementioned title free of charge, as well as Pool Nation FX, whose free-download status has been extended an additional month.
On the Xbox 360 front, Just Cause 2 kicks things off, and will be free from June 1 up through June 15. The following day, Avalanche Studios' open-world action game will be replaced by Thief, which will be available as a free download until the end of the month.
HBO Now Available on Google Play Soon
HBO's standalone streaming service is coming the Google Play store, Sundar Pichai, Senior Vice President of Products announced at Google's developer conference today. HBO Now is available after launching on Apple devices last month. The video streaming service will also be available on Google Chromecast.
Check out our walkthrough of HBO Now on iOS below for an idea of what you may be in for on Android.
Mitch Dyer is an Editor at IGN. He hosts IGN Arena, a podcast about MOBAs. Talk to Mitch about Dota 2, movies, books, and other stuff on Twitter at @MitchyD and subscribe to MitchyD on Twitch.
Hasbro, Paramount Team for Live-Action Beyblade Movie
Paramount Pictures is reportedly looking to take Hasbro's popular Beyblade toy franchise and create a live-action feature.
According to Deadline, the movie will be produced by Mary Parent's Disruption Entertainment. Aside from that, however, very little is known about the project, as it's clearly still in the early stages of development.
Beyblade has a line of popular toys, generating a whopping $2.5 billion in revenue for Hasbro. Beyblade has already spawned an animated television series and handful of video game tie-ins.
Vita Now a ‘Legacy Platform’ in the West, Says Sony
PlayStation Vita has officially been labeled a "legacy platform" by Sony Computer Entertainment president Andrew House, as the handheld device continues to struggle outside the Asian gaming market.
During Sony's annual Investor Relations Day conference, House explained that while Vita remains "strong and vibrant" among those in Asia, sales continue to decline in the west. As such, the PlayStation exec has relegated both the handheld and its struggling PlayStation TV counterpart to 'legacy' status in both North America and Europe.
House also discussed Sony's home console during the conference, admitting that because its first-party lineup for PS4 in 2015 is "sparse" it will have to rely on third-party content to carry the platform in the coming months.
New Xbox One Project CARS Patch Out Now
Projects CARS developer Slighty Mad Studios has detailed the latest update for Xbox One.
Patch 1.3 -- which is being rolled out now -- addresses several fixes, including issues with gamepad controllers, wheel controllers, and rogue AI that permitted competitor cars to refuel in races where the player could not.
Time Trials on the Xbox One have been revised to start at 11am to ensure consistent track temperatures with PC counterparts. The "smoothness of the sun, moon, stars, and shadow motion" when replaying matches with "a high time acceleration," random crashes, and pit engineer issues have also been addressed.
Justice League: Attack of the Legion of Doom! Trailer Debut
Behold the first trailer for LEGO DC Comics Super Heroes - Justice League: Attack of the Legion of Doom!, the next animated feature from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment, Warner Bros. Animation, DC Entertainment and The LEGO Group. Check out the trailer above as well as the official synopsis, box art and first look images below!
LEGO DC Comics Super Heroes - Justice League: Attack of the Legion of Doom! will be available on Blu-ray Combo Pack, DVD and Digital HD on August 25.
Mark Hamill voices the Trickster, a role he's played on both live-action Flash TV series. Hamill also voices Sinestro. The voice cast also includes Troy Baker (Batman), Nolan North (Superman), Josh Keaton (Green Lantern), Khary Payton (Cyborg), James Arnold Taylor (The Flash) and Grey Griffin (Wonder Woman, Lois Lane).
Assassin’s Creed Syndicate Will Not Have a Companion App
Assassin's Creed Syndicate will not have an accompanying companion app, Ubisoft has confirmed.
Speaking to Eurogamer, the developer confirmed "the team wanted to focus all their efforts on the core experience."
It's a decision likely to be music to the ears of series' fans. Last year, Assassin's Creed Unity added the rather unwelcome feature of locking access to certain treasure chests and costumes unless you'd poured hours into the app. The previous year's installment, Black Flag, enabled you to earn additional money and resources via a naval minigame.
On the Edge of Control in Batman: Arkham Knight
After a delay or three, Batman: Arkham Knight is finally ready to roll out of the Batcave, and I finally got my first chance to play it. Unsurprisingly, I came away impressed. Gotham City is full of things to do, from rescuing trapped firefighters to literally throwing yourself into a gang of random street thugs. Nothing about playing it suggests – save for the story, which we still know very little about – that it will disappoint in the wake of its stellar Arkham predecessors. In fact, my only yellow flag (I’m not even going to call it a red flag) involves the controls.
That is to say, it’s tough to jump into the middle of Arkham Knight, even when you’ve completed Asylum and City. Many of Batman’s combat controls involve multi-layered button combinations, and the Batmobile is equally nuanced. R2 on PS4 is the gas, as expected, but L2 doesn't brake the car as expected, but activates its tank-like Battle Mode. On foot, double-tapping and then holding the X button, waiting for an orange square to appear on a targeted bad guy, and then hitting the button again will trigger a badass leap-out-of-the-Batmobile-and-then-glide-and-then-smash-through-a-window-and-take-out-a-guy move – if you nail the combo properly.