PS4 Risen 3 Titans
When Risen 3: Titan Lords first released onto PlayStation 3, Xbox One, and PC last year, it wasn’treviewed all that highly. The RPG had a clunky combat system, frame-rate issues, and poor graphics, making it not quite worth your money. However, while Risen 3: Titan Lords – Enhanced Edition on PS4 still deals with many of the same issues, it actually manages to look gorgeous on the current-gen system.
Things Are Moving Fast
Risen 3 follows the story of a nameless hero who is the son of the famous Captain Steelbeard, a pirate leader. Soon after the game begins, the hero dies, but is brought back to life a few weeks later. It’s revealed that he needs to find his soul, as it has been trapped in the Underworld. This leads the player on a quest to get the hero’s soul back by obtaining help from a variety of different magic users on a number of different islands. It’s a not bad story, but the pacing seems a bit too fast, almost as if the developer wanted to skip past certain, and important, parts of the story to get right into the gameplay.
Unfortunately, the gameplay isn’t all that much better. The world of Risen 3 is massive, allowing players to spend hours upon hours exploring a variety of different landscapes and fighting a myriad of different creatures and enemies. Since it is an open-world game, Risen 3 gives players the freedom to explore the game world at their leisure, working on a large number of side-quests and looking for treasure as they do so. It sounds pretty good, and it would be, too, if it wasn’t for the horrible animations and the clunky combat.
Actually, the animations are so bad, that they seem like they could have been taken straight out of a 10-year old PC game, or maybe something even older. The main characters seems to have no weight when he walks, and it looks like he glides across the ground instead of actually placing his feet down. This is only made more clear when attempting to “climb” a vertical wall. I found that by simply walking straight into the faces of cliffs or the trunks of trees, my character would sort of float up them, instead of staying on the ground like he should have done. This makes any sort of movement in the game both look and feel unnatural.
Samsung test drive for iPhone users
IN A DESPERATE BID TO TAKE ON APPLE, Samsung has launched a scheme that will offer iPhone users the chance to try out a Galaxy device for 30 days.
Ultimate Test Drive is available to confused punters in the US and is aimed at iPhone users who fancy a change of scenery and wouldn't mind trying out the Galaxy S6 Edge+ or Galaxy Note 5.
These loan phones, for which you'll have to pay $1 to borrow, ship with a free activated SIM card, and it doesn't appear as if they need to be on a specific carrier.
"For just $1, you can try one of our latest Samsung phones for 30 days with no obligation. Your test drive kit will come with the phone of your choice, an activated SIM card, and a step-by-step guide to help you start your test drive," a note on the Samsung website explained.
The firm added that those who become quite fond of the device and decide to defect from iOS to Android will continue to receive the special treatment.
"After 30 days, if you buy a qualifying Samsung device, there’s even more love in store for you," Samsung said.
BlackBerry or Windows Phone users who wouldn't mind giving them a try: bad luck. Samsung noted that the programme is only a ploy to steal customers away from rival Apple, so much so that they must sign up to it using their iPhone.
"Our programme gives iPhone users the opportunity to learn more about our latest Galaxy phones," Samsung said. "Due to the design of the programme, we request that you enroll from your iPhone device to receive your Test Drive
There's nothing compact about this Sony Xperia Z5 Compact leak | TechRadar
While it's difficult to verify the image, it does seem to point at a design that is in line with the Xperia Z-branded phones from Sony so far.
But bigger than the promo shot, the Dutch website has also seemingly gotten its hands on the Xperia Z5 Compact handset itself.
While it hasn't posted a photo of the handset, the site did include the leaked image from ViziLeaks that popped up about a month ago, saying the design of the Xperia Z5 Compact is in line with these images.
iPhone 6S or 7: super-strength new iPhone 'too expensive' | The Week UK
Apple's next-generation smartphone, likely to be called either the iPhone 6S or iPhone 7, will make use of a high-grade aluminium alloy that should prevent it bending in users' pockets – but will add significantly to the cost of building the device.
How to Sign Up for the PS4 System Software Beta – PlayStation.Blog
Calling all PS4 fans! Before we launch our next major system software update, we’re running a beta program to test its functionality. If you’d like to get a sneak peek at the features of the new system software, and help us with feedback on ways to improve it, sign up today.
Batman V Superman: Warner Bros boss explains release date change | Den of Geek
When Warner Bros shifted Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice to 2016, it left a hole in its schedule. So why did it do it?
For a while, there was going to be the biggest clash of superheroes we’d ever seen at the box office. You may recall that Warner Bros originally had Zack Snyder’s Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice set to land in July of this year, before pushing it back to May 6th 2016. At that stage, Marvel had earmarked that date for a then-unnamed movie, which we now know as Captain Amerca: Civil War. It refused to blink on the release date, and Warner Bros thus moved Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice again, to where it now sits on March 25th 2016.
Entrepreneurs explain why virtual reality is part of a new technology revolution - GeekWire
Some people aren’t yet convinced that virtual reality is the next big thing. Others say it’s going to be a revolution.
Three Oregon-based entrepreneurs speaking on Thursday certainly fall into the latter camp.
GeekWire reporter Jacob Demmitt tries out the HTC Vive in Seattle.
360 Labs co-founder Thomas Hayden, ZeroTransformfounder Justin Moravetz, andWILD founder Gabe Paez spoke on a virtual reality panel at TechFestNW in Portland and each expressed optimism for the virtual reality industry.
“People are ready for a new revolution in technology, ” said Paez, whose company is building multi-sensory games and experiences leveraging virtual reality. “Taking the Internet, moving to mobile, and now with virtual reality — it presents an entirely different way of interfacing with technology where it’s truly centered around us and our natural human perception of the world, which is first person.”
The concept of virtual reality is not exactly new, but over the past few years advances in technology have enabled developers and engineers to come up with impressive hardware devices for everyday consumers like the Oculus Rift andHTC Vive that run equally-innovative software.
GeekWire’s John Cook tries out an Oculus Rift virtual reality headset at CES 2015.
Kerbal Space Program Heading to XBOX ONE
Kerbal Space Program's little green engineers are heading to the XBOX One. As with the PS4 version that was was announce in June no release date have been announced for the spaceship-building sim.
Japan's top oil company is building an 'Aliens' power loader
This is turning out to be an awesome week for powered exoskeletons. First, America's MegaBot clears half of its initial $500,000 Kickstarter goal ahead of next year's fight against Japan's Kuratas in a little under 24 hours. Now, Mitsui, Japan's number one oil and ore mining outfit, has announced that it plans to develop real life versions of Ripley's power loader.
HTC O2 Rumors
HTC is probably fully aware that it lost the battle with Samsung this year, as theHTC One M9 failed to impress buyers in a manner similar to the Galaxy S6 family. Now, a new report indicates that the Taiwanese company is already working on a powerful new flagship device, a phablet that will sport high-end specs and a crazy new name.
Microsoft Surface Pro 2 & Surface Pro 3 Update
Microsoft has justpushed out an updatefor Surface Pro 2 and Surface Pro 3 devices running Windows 10 that should improve graphical performance and the operating system’s stability. The name of the update is “HD Graphics Family driver update (v10.18.15.4256)” and is available now.
Playstation 4 Software Beta Program
Sony has opened its PlayStation 4 software beta program to anyone, letting users sign up to test early versions of new system firmware before they're released to the general public. You can sign up to participate here as long as you have a PS4, though Sony warns that space on the program will be limited.
Samsung Galaxy O Series Could Be Related To Virtual Reality
A couple of days ago, a rumor surfaced suggesting that Samsung has a new lineup of phones in the works that will be part of a new Galaxy O series of handsets. It was unclear as to what kind of devices the Galaxy O series might be, butthanks to a report by Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster, we might have a better idea.
According to Munster, he claims that the Galaxy O series of smartphones could be related to virtual reality. He writes, “We believe Oculus in combination with Samsung could either launch a new phone series for VR as they are rumored to be releasing the “O Series” or, alternatively (but unlikely), it could be an all in one wireless VR headset.”
It is unclear as to what a phone dedicated to virtual reality might be like, but perhaps it could be a phone that will fit perfectly with the Gear VR. While Munster believes that it is unlikely that it could be a virtual reality headset, we’re not so sure we should close the door. Recently Samsung had confirmed that a new Gear VR is coming soon, so perhaps an all in one VR headset might not be that much of a stretch.
However it would be an odd choice to call the headset a “Galaxy” device since the Galaxy name is usually reserved for tablets and smartphones. In any case take this with a grain of salt for now, but hopefully we will find out more in the coming weeks.
Sony Releases 'Metal Gear Solid V'-Themed Xperia J1: The Phantom Pain Edition : PERSONAL TECH : Tech Times
Metal Gear Solid fans may want to reflect their love of the franchise in things like T-shirts and posters, however, now they can show off their love with aMetal Gear Solid V version of the Sony Xperia J1.
The device is called the Sony Xperia J1: Phantom Pain edition, and it features an Outer Heaven graphic on the back of the phone, which is subtle and not too overbearing.
Of course, the MGS theme doesn't end with the graphic. The device will also feature customMGS-themed ringtones and wallpapers that are based on the new Metal Gear Solid game. A limited edition artbook also comes pre-installed on the phone, and it is accessible via the Sony File Commander app.
Last but not least is the fact that buyers of the device will get a 1,000 yen ($8.08 USD) voucher that can be put toward buying Metal Gear Solid comics.
As far as hardware goes, the device remains identical to the original Sony Xperia J1, which is certainly not a bad device. For those not familiar with the specs of the device, it includes a 4.3-inch 720p display with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor, 2 GB of RAM and 16 GB of expandable storage.
It also features a 2,300 mAh battery and a 20.7 MP rear-facing camera. The front-facing camera of the device is 2.2 MP.
Unfortunately, it seems as though the device will be limited to Japan and will be priced at 59,800 yen.
Of course, the announcement of the device comes right before the highly anticipated release of the Metal Gear Solid V game, set to be released on September 1. A trailer for the game was recently released, showing that the game could be set as the conclusion of the series. The game will be released to PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PC, Xbox One and Xbox 360. An online component of the game will also be available, however, it won't be offered until October 6 for consoles and sometime in January for PC users.
Razer just announced a VR camera powered by Intel RealSense tech - Fortune
Intel is pushing its RealSense technology for VR game and app developers and powering a new Razer VR camera that will ship in Q1 2016.
At the Intel Developer Forum, Razer introduced a new prototype camera that uses Intel RealSense depth-sensing technology. Razer will release the VR camera, which has not yet been named, in Q1 2016.
This is the first public announcement about a consumer VR device that uses Intel technology, which Piper Jaffray senior research manager Gene Munster believes is a positive for the entire VR industry.
“There are smart people at Intel who are making bets on VR, which may be placeholder or may be something more substantive, but it helps the overall industry because as these smaller companies go to get financing and investors think about this technology, having Intel attached is another step in the credibility ladder,” Munster says.
Munster also believes VR will be a driver of new PC sales, since new VR head-mounted displays like HTC Vive and Oculus Rift will require a lot of processing power.
Other analysts have similar thoughts about Intel’s involvement in VR and AR. According to Tim Merel, managing director of Digi-Capital, “AR/VR’s unique processing needs could be the next big market for Intel, Qualcomm, Nvidia, AMD and ARM.”
“Intel has been playing a bigger role in VR, but not with the brand,” Gartner analyst Brian Blau says. “They’re supplying components for VR and AR systems. I’ve heard Intel chips are part of different vendor’s head-mounted displays.”
Blau notes that Intel and Razer do have competition in this market. Leap Motion has similar technology that has been available for a few years. And PrimeSense, which was acquired by Apple in November 2013, also has similar technology, although it has nothing currently available on the market today.
Intel INTC has also joined the Open Source VR (OSVR) platform, which includes founding member Razer. Ruben Mookerjee, vice president and general manager of Razer’s peripherals business unit, hopes that by adding OSVR support for the RealSense camera, it will encourage developers to create VR games around its depth sensing technology.
Mookerjee says the Intel RealSense technology demonstrated at IDF shows how developers will be able to use the camera’s 3D modeling capabilities to show an actual real-time model of a user’s own hands in VR, instead of just an avatar. The camera will also have AR capabilities similar to the Microsoft HoloLens.
Sony SmartBand 2 To Take On Fitbit | TechCrunch
Will it be enough? Sony just announced a new Sony SmartBand 2. It is everything you’ve come to expect from fitness tracker. It has a silicon band, it can track your steps for daysand it comes with a heart rate sensor.
Everybody is trying to come up with a 24/7 fitness tracker. It seems like it’s not difficult to build one. The Sony SmartBand has all the features you can find in the Fitbit Charge HR or the Polar Loop 2.