Monthly Archives: July 2015
Windows 8.1 Beats Out Windows XP in Total Users
Microsoft's most recent version of its Windows operating system has finally pulled ahead of legacy OS Windows XP in total number of users.
According to numbers posted by StatCounter, Windows 8.1 pulled ahead of Windows XP in November of last year. Numbers of 8.1 users have continued to increase as Windows XP use has steadily declined.
In fact, Windows XP use is now comparable to Apple's OS X, with just under 10% of users running either system.
Windows 7, however, still has a tremendous lead over both its predecessor and immediate successor, with nearly half of all users running the OS.
Cities: Skylines Developer Teases New Expansion
More content is on the way for Colossal Order's city simulator Cities: Skylines.
Boss Mariina Hallikainen recently teased future content would be announced in early Augst while speaking with TechRadar.
"We'll have a big expansion and release both free and paid updates, all of which we'll be revealing at Gamescom," she said.
During the interview, Hallikainen suggested this may not be the last planned expansion for Skylines, claiming the team will continue to add updates as long as they're able.
"As long as we possibly and technically can while people enjoy playing the game," she said. "I think the point where we have to move on to a sequel is when the technology is in such a state that it doesn't make any sense to continue working on Cities: Skylines. I'm hoping that will be some years in the future because there's so many ideas we want to add to the game before going there."
App Store Update: July 1
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.
Welcome to a special App Store Update week, iOS owners! 2015 is halfway over as of this week, so we're doing a little mid-year evaluation on the state of the App Store so far. Looking back across the past six months, we've picked out 15 games that we consider to be among the best new Game Debuts of 2015 to this point. We'll be presenting three picks a day for each day this week, so come back every day to see which apps made the cut!
PS4 System Software Update Now Available
Version 2.55 of the PlayStation 4 system software is now available. The 233 MB update fixes some stability issues that cropped up when using some of the PS4 features.
The update, which can be done either as an iterative install or as a fresh installation, follows the 2.50 update which saw quite a few changes to the PS4 ecosystem.
Among the changes in the 2.50 PS4 software update is the ability for the PS4 to keep applications suspended in rest mode, meaning games could be accessed instantly on power-up provided they were the last game played before the system powered-down.
Lionsgate and Hasbro Team for Monopoly Movie
Lionsgate and Hasbro have partnered to bring the iconic board game Monopoly to the silver screen, the two companies announced today.
According to the press release, the film "centers on a boy from Baltic Avenue who uses both Chance and Community in a quest to make his fortune, taking him on a fun, adventure-filled journey. It's about making your own luck, what makes you truly rich and, of course, avoiding Jail time!"
Deals of the Week: $10 Off Batman: Arkham Knight, Pre-Order Discounts on Star Wars Battlefront, Halo 5, Guitar Hero and More
Save Up To $10 On Games With Amazon Prime
If you have Amazon Prime, you're in for a treat: Right now Prime members can get $5 to $10 off a number of pre-orders and games that are out right now. If you don't have Prime, start a free trial, get free two-day shipping on nearly anything, and a ton of streaming video content. You can always cancel the trail before your thirty days runs out and not pay a dime for it. Set a calendar reminder!
To get the discount on these games make sure you are selecting Amazon as the seller - I'll do my best to link you right to that. Once you hit Proceed to Checkout, you'll see the discount as Prime Savings.
Xbox Boss Says Microsoft Needs to ‘Do Better in Europe’
Head of Xbox Phil Spencer would like to improve Microsoft's performance in Europe.
"We need to do better in Europe," Spencer said in the latest issue of Edge (via Videogamer). "When I look globally, mainland Europe is definitely an area we want to focus on."
A number of highly anticipated Xbox One titles skipped E3 and have instead been saved for Microsoft's presser at Germany's upcoming Europe-centric convention, Gamescom.
PlayStation Plus July 2015 Games Revealed
Sony has revealed the six new games free for PlayStation Plus subscribers in July.
Check out the full list below:
- Rocket League (PS4)
- Styx: Master of Shadows (PS4)
- MouseCraft (PS4, PS3, Vita)
- Entwined (PS4, PS3, PS Vita)
- Rain (PS3)
- Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions Evolved (Vita)
First up is Rocket League, a PS4 game that's basically soccer with cars instead of humans. Developer Psyonix is bringing Twisted Metal fan-favorite Sweet Tooth to the game.
Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions Evolved Coming to Vita
Activision has announced that Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions Evolved is releasing July 7 on PlayStation Vita.
On the handheld, Geometry Wars 3 boasts over 100 levels and 12 battle modes. Plus, the Vita version features the 40 new stages and hardcore mode that came to the twin-stick shooter in a March update for consoles and PC, according to Activision.
In addition, Geometry Wars 3 on Vita has co-operative and competitive online multiplayer modes, along with online leaderboards. And two people can play together on the same handheld, with each person utilizing one analog stick and the face buttons or directional pad to team up.
Mega Man Vinyl Figures Charge Up for SDCC
For years, we have heard rumors of Kidrobot—the popular vinyl toy and apparel company—and Capcom teaming up to release a line of Mega Man vinyl figures. With a successful launch of Kidrobot’s Street Fighter blind box vinyl toys, it seemed like the perfect fit for both companies to properly showcase one of videogames’ most recognizable brands in Mega Man.
The wait is officially over.
San Diego Comic-Con will mark the debut of Kidrobot’s Mega Man line with two exclusive 7’’ jumbo vinyl figures, a Break Man variation of Proto Man, and the red and white suit variation of Mega Man. These variations will lead into Kidrobot’s full Mega Man line of toys, due out in September 2015.