Monthly Archives: April 2015
What We Expect (For Now) From Apple’s WWDC 2015
Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference might not sound like something we should care about as consumers, but that's never actually the case. As Google does with its own annual I/O conference, the WWDC keynote always spills a fair amount of news about what's ahead for Apple—and the 2015 conference was just announced this week, running from June 8-12 in San Francisco.
The rumors and reports circulating around this year's event offer ample reason for tech and gadget junkies to stay tuned, with potential new hardware, software, and services expected to make an appearance. Here are the five big announcements we may hear at WWDC 2015.
Star Wars: Battlefront Release Date Possibly Leaked
Star Wars: Battlefront might be launching November 17.
NeoGAF user salromano spotted that the source code for the Star Wars: Battlefront website lists November 17 as the release date for the DICE-developed game. The hidden text says: "The latest news and updates for Star Wars Battlefront. Available November 17, 2015 for PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC."
Earlier today, we got an early look at Star Wars: Battlefront, thanks to footage attached to the end of the Star Wars: The Force Awakens trailer. We also learned earlier this week that Star Wars: Battlefront will be playable first on Xbox One for EA Access subscribers.
Daily Deals: Free Android Apps, Mortal Kombat X $50, Xbox Live for $35
I'd say the must have here is Plants vs Zombies, but if you see anything in there you like, shout it out in the comments.
Mortal Kombat X and A Blue DualShock 4
Here's a pretty good deal: this bundle is $100, so you're paying $50 for the game and $50 for the controller. The blue DualShock 4 is currently $50, and you can get a copy of MK X for $50 here, so you're not overpaying a penny if you want Mortal Kombat and a new PS4 controller.
Grand Theft Auto 5 in Virtual Reality
If you have Grand Theft Auto 5 on PC and an Oculus Rift development kit, you can now experience Los Santos in first-person virtual reality.
VorpX, a driver that lets you play DirectX 9-11 games using the Oculus Rift, recently added support for Grand Theft Auto 5 on the PC.
Because Grand Theft Auto 5 isn't optimized for virtual reality, the experience may not run as smoothly as games that are designed with that in mind.
You can still use your own head movement to control the first-person camera, though, which adds at least a level of the immersion possible with VR.
Check out the video below, which depicts a first-person, VR-controlled bike ride through a rainy Los Santos.
App Store Update: April 16
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.
Adaline – ($1.99)
Adaline just got her degree in political science and decides to open a pizza place in the woods, not knowing that is home to a hungry pack of wolves. Only some unexpected allies¹ will help her avoid being turned into take-away food.
A Small Glimpse At Star Wars: Battlefront
For impatient fans who can't wait to get a look at Star Wars: Battlefront, you can get a small glimpse of game footage at the end of the Star Wars: The Force Awakens trailer on YouTube.
The video depicts stormtroopers and AT-AT walkers on what appears to be the planet Endor.
Skip to 1 minute 49 seconds in the video below.
The game footage isn't part of the trailer itself, but a small thumbnail that will presumably be linked off to Star Wars: Battlefront footage once we get the full reveal at Star Wars Celebration.
Princess Leia Is Ditching The Iconic Hair Buns
Actress Carrie Fisher, known best as Princess Leia, has confirmed that those iconic buns (or "star puffs") that were tied to her character won't be returning for Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
However, she did say that there might be some kind of alternative style in the upcoming movie.
"The buns are tired now," Fisher said. "We’re probably not going to see the futuristic buns. But we have something else ... that’s not going to be the metal bikini."
Star Wars Celebration will unfold through the end of the weekend, April 16 - 19, in Anaheim, California. For everything from the event, be sure to head over to IGN's complete coverage of the event as it happens.
Here’s the Star Wars: The Force Awakens Cast Assembled
The cast of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, old and new, assembled on stage at Star Wars Celebration today. Take a look at Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Anthony Daniels, Peter Mayhew, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac and Daisy Ridley, plus director J.J. Abrams and producer Kathleen Kennedy. And also some new-style Stormtroopers!
Harrison Ford couldn't make it due to his recent accident, but hey -- we did get to see him in the new teaser trailer at least!
Talk to Senior Editor Scott Collura on Twitter at @ScottIGN, on IGN at scottcollura and on Facebook.
Everything You Might Have Missed From The Force Awakens Panel
Star Wars Celebration debuted in full force today, with Star Wars: The Force Awakens director J.J. Abrams and Lucasfilm's Kathleen Kennedy kicking things off with an exciting and revealing panel.
The duo discussed their history of Star Wars, a model of BB-8 took the stage, learned more about the new characters, and we saw some new images of Chewbacca and the Millennium Falcon -- but the highlight was, of course, the reveal of Star Wars: The Force Awakens' second teaser.
Here's all the biggest news from Celebration's huge morning.
Watch the New Star Wars: The Force Awakens Teaser
The new Star Wars: The Force Awakens teaser debuted during J.J. Abrams' panel at Star Wars Celebration this morning.
In it, we get a shot of the desert planet Jakku eluded to during the panel, followed by appearances from several cast members, including Solo and Chewie. Check it out above.
Star Wars: The Force Awakens is coming this Christmas.
We'll have all the breaking news from Star Wars Celebration, including trailers, images, and more this weekend. In the meantime, catch up on everything you might have missed from The Force Awakens panel this morning.