Rovio Partners with Sega for Sonic Dash, Launches Angry Birds Fight!

Rovio Entertainment, creator of the Angry Birds series, has partnered with iconic video game maker, Sega. Characters from Angry Birds Epic will find their way to Sonic Dash, an endless runner from Sega featuring its timeless mascot, Sonic the Hedgehog.

For three weeks from today on the App Store, Google Play, Amazon Appstore, and Windows Phone Store, this in-game event will include three of the most popular and best-known characters from the Angry Birds franchise: Red, Chuck, and Bomb.

"We were thrilled with the opportunity to work with Rovio on this integration," said Chris Southall, CTO of Hardlight in a prepared statement. "The expressive, colorful, and fun characters from Angry Birds Epic lend themselves flawlessly to Sonic Dash and really enhance the overall experience."

Featuring a different fan-favourite Angry Bird from Angry Birds Epic each week, including Red 'Knight,' Chuck 'Mage,' and Bomb 'Pirate.' Players will dash through the endless runner, collecting the special Angry Birds Epic tokens to unlock featured characters. Once a character is successfully unlocked, it will remain playable following the close of the event. Players will also have the option to purchase Red, Chuck, and Bomb using premium currency during the event.

"Our Epic Sonic collaboration together with Sega is a fantastic milestone for Angry Birds," said Wilhelm That, Head of External Products at Rovio. "Having two such iconic game characters and games work seamlessly together will delight millions of fans worldwide in both Sonic Dash and Angry Birds Epic."

Sonic Dash is also celebrating a major milestone -- the game has achieved over 100 million downloads since its launch in March of 2013.

Rovio is also in the news for finally launching Angry Birds Fight! for the rest of the world. It has you matching birds to battle enemies quite similar to Puzzle & Dragons, it marks yet another attempt from the Finnish company to have a game that matches the scale of success other free-to-play mobile titles have in recent times.

Though it has recently expanded Angry Birds into non-gaming segments such as clothing and toys, it's struggled to keep up with seemingly nimbler competition in its core space - mobile games. With Angry Birds Fight! it appears that the company is far from giving up. The game is now available Android and iOS.

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You Don't Need a PS4, Xbox One, or PC to Play Call of Duty: Black Ops 3

While the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One hog the limelight, the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 are still pretty useful gaming machines for anyone looking for an affordable entry into console gaming. Throw in the fact that they still have a sizeable audience, and companies will still support them. For instance, EA Sports is releasing FIFA 16 on the PS3 and Xbox 360 apart from next-gen consoles and PC. And it isn't alone.

Activision has announced that Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 will be coming to the PS3 and Xbox 360. While in-house studio, Treyarch, is hard at work on the PC (Windows), PS4, and Xbox One versions of the game, the company has enlisted the talents of Beenox and Mercenary Technology for the military FPS' last-gen outing.

"Xbox 360 and PS3 players will be able to experience Call of Duty: Black Ops 3's gameplay across campaign, multiplayer and zombies. While the teams are working to deliver the best possible experience for Xbox 360 and PS3, naturally there will be some differences across generations," a post on Activision's blog reads. "For instance, the campaign mode on Xbox 360 and PS3 is currently in development with a goal of enabling two-player cooperative play, instead of the four-player cooperative campaign on next-gen."

Apart from limited cooperative gameplay, the post goes on to explain that there will be other differences between generations due to the technical limitations on the PS3 and Xbox 360 which will be shared in the run up to the game's November 6 release date. The company also stated that there's no Wii U version planned.

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Xbox One Gets a Price Cut in India; 1TB Console and New Controller Announced

After much anticipation, Microsoft has announced the 1TB version of the Xbox One. It has simultaneously given a price cut to the 500GB version, and announced a new controller that features a 3.5mm headset jack instead of the proprietary Microsoft port. Alongside, an India price cut has been announced, which actually makes the console more expensive in the country.

The new 1TB Microsoft Xbox One will hit the United States and select markets from June 16. It will retail for $399 (roughly Rs. 25,000) while the 500GB variant will sell for $349 (roughly Rs. 22,500). To note, the 500GB console was launched bundled with the Kinect at $499, and then unbundled it in May 2014, dropping the price to $399 - making this a $50 price cut. While it has retailed for as low as $299 in the recent past, Microsoft insists those were only promotional prices.

The 1TB console will come with an improved controller that allows users to use standard 3.5mm headphones instead of Microsoft's proprietary headset. At the moment there's no clarity if the 1TB version of the Xbox One will sport improved internals for more efficient power usage, something the PlayStation 4 1TB version will have. For now, individual pricing of the new Xbox One controller has not yet been provided, nor have details about if it will be available bundled with the 500GB and Kinect console bundles as well, safe to say it will maintain the current price of the previous controller. Certain regions will have the 1TB console bundled with a download code for Halo: The Master Chief Collection for a limited time.

Furthermore, Microsoft announced that the adapter needed to use the Xbox One controller wirelessly on Windows 10 will go on sale later in the year. It's crucial to note that wireless Xbox One controller usage on the PC is limited to Windows 10 only. The adapter will retail for $25 (around Rs. 1,600, pictured below).

Finally, coming to the India price cut. After reducing the price of the Xbox One (without Kinect) to Rs. 29,990 for most of March and Rs. 32,000 for Diwali, Microsoft India has announced that the console will see a price cut to Rs. 34,990. Confused? You aren't alone.

You see, the Xbox One has an MRP of Rs. 39,990. However it's rarely been sold at that price. Which makes the new permanent price of the console down to Rs. 34,990 a price hike if anything else considering that Microsoft and its exclusive retail partner Amazon India have used every opportunity to sell the console for around Rs. 5,000 less.

"At Xbox we believe there's never been a better time to join the new console generation and we are happy to announce that from today, all Xbox One 500GB consoles will be available from Rs. 34,990. With Xbox One available at this great new price, there has never been a more exciting time to join our family as we get ready to launch the biggest line up in our history," a press release from the company reads.

What's interesting is that Rs. 34,990 gets you any Xbox One 500GB bundle. Options include getting the console with Assassin's Creed: Unity or FIFA 15 and perplexingly, also includes all bundles with an extra controller as well for the same price allowing for a savings of Rs. 3,990.

This marks just one of the many questionable moves by Microsoft in its handling of the Xbox One in India. From deep discounts on software (you could buy first-party games like Halo: The Master Chief Collection and Sunset Overdrive at 40 percent of their MRP), to frequent discounts on hardware, it simply seems to be a poorly planned and executed operation.

Sources in the distribution channel have informed us that the company has imported around 2,000 units of the console bundled with Halo: The Master Chief Collection and Kinect, which makes the move to a lower price point on existing stock, a desperate attempt at clearing it once and for all.

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Soon, Video Games to Train Robots

While planning a task may seem simple to your mind, it is not so for robots.

Researchers from the Brown University are developing a new algorithm, using a video game called Minecraft, to help robots better plan their actions in complex environments.

The problem researchers in robotics face is that robots do not intuitively ignore objects and actions that are irrelevant to the task at hand.

For example, if someone asked you to empty the trash can in the kitchen, you would know there is no need to turn on the oven or open the refrigerator. You would go right to the trash can.

Robots, however, lack that intuition. Most approaches to planning consider the entire set of possible objects and actions before deciding which course to pursue.

In other words, a robot might actually consider turning on the oven as part of its planning process for taking out the trash.

In complex environments, this leads to what computer scientists refer to as the "state-space explosion" - an array of choices so large that it boggles the robot mind.

"It's a tough problem. We want robots having capabilities to do all kinds of different things, but then the space of possible actions becomes enormous," said Stefanie Tellex, assistant professor of computer science at Brown.

"We don't want to limit the robot's capabilities, so we have to find ways to shrink the search space."

The algorithm that Tellex and her students are developing does just that.

The algorithm augments standard robot planning algorithms using "goal-based action priors" - sets of objects and actions in a given space that are most likely to help an agent achieve a given goal.

The priors for a given task can be supplied by an expert operator, but they can also be learned by the algorithm itself through trial and error.

The researchers used the algorithm to have a robot help a person in the task of baking brownies. The algorithm was supplied with several action priors for the task.

For example, one action prior let the robot know that eggs often need to be beaten with a whisk. So when a carton of eggs appears in the robot's workspace, it is able to anticipate the cook's need for a whisk and hand him one.

In light of the results, Tellex says she sees goal-based action priors as a viable strategy to help robots cope with the complexities of unstructured environments - something that will be important as robots continue to move out of controlled settings and into our homes.

The work also shows the potential of virtual spaces like Minecraft in developing solutions for real-world robots and other artificial agents.

Minecraft is an open-ended game, where players gather resources and build all manner of structures by destroying or stacking 3D blocks in a virtual world.

"If you can do all of Minecraft you could solve anything. That's pretty far off, but there are lots of interesting research objectives along the way," Tellex said.

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PS4, Xbox One Tipped to Be Available With Twice the Storage at 1TB

Barring last year's Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare Xbox One bundle, Microsoft did not release a 1TB version of its console. This however, is about to change, if a retail listing is to be believed. In the meantime, Sony is also tipped to be releasing a 1TB version of its console soon. Both consoles are expected to be revealed at E3 2015.

According to a listing on Amazon that's been taken down, Microsoft is slated to release a 1TB Xbox One and it will come bundled with a controller that has a 3.5mm headphone jack to make voice communication in multiplayer easy without purchasing a headset that uses Microsoft's proprietary tech. It will also come bundled with a digital code for Halo: The Master Chief Collection all for $400 (around Rs.25,625).

With Sony planning to launch a higher capacity PlayStation 4 (PS4) with greater power efficiency, it will be interesting to see if the Xbox One will consume the same amount of power or less.

With E3 2015 in a week, we won't have to wait too long to finally hear officially from either manufacturer. As for India, Sony has historically been quicker to ship new console versions into the country.

We wouldn't be too sure on what to expect from the Microsoft camp though. Sources tell us that over 2,000 units of the 500GB Xbox One bundle with Halo: The Master Chief Collection were brought into India. Considering how sluggish sales have been for the Redmond-based company, and that it's limited to Amazon India (for now), these units will be available for a long time. This serves to hamper the chance of the 1TB console showing up here. There's a good chance that we won't see it in the country any time on par with international markets.

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Angry Birds Maker Rovio Signs Deal With Toymaker Lego

Rovio, whose 2014 earnings fell 73 percent due to a drop in licensing the Angry Birds brand on toys, clothing and sweets, said the release of the Lego toys would coincide with the premiere of its full-length Angry Birds movie in spring 2016.Finland's Rovio said on Monday it had signed a deal with Danish toymaker Lego to launch a line of Angry Birds building blocks as a bid to revive its ailing licensing business based on the popular mobile game.

The Angry Birds game, in which players use a slingshot to attack pigs who steal birds' eggs, is the No. 1 paid mobile app of all time, but the brand has been losing appeal and Rovio has struggled to produce new hit games.

Back in March, the company said it hoped the upcoming 3D movie will help the toy business turn back to growth.

The costly 3D movie project is aimed at helping the firm return to growth. A decline in its business licensing the Angry Birds brand on toys, clothing and sweets is adding to the problems of Rovio, which has yet to repeat the success of its original slingshot-based game which became the No.1 paid mobile app of all time after its launch in 2009.

In the meanwhile, though we've had Angry Birds on iOS, Android, Symbian, BlackBerry, Windows Phone, PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PlayStation Vita, PlayStation 3, Wii, and Wii U, though, it seems that one platform remains amiss from catching avian fever, virtual reality (VR).

This however, is about to change. The Samsung Gear VR headset played host to a demo of Angry Birds VR. It was demoed to VIP pass holders at Las Vegas' Rock in Rio event last week. It's not clear if this is for a brand new game or just a promotional tactic for the event as it features landmarks from it.

Written with agency inputs

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New Gloves to Let Users 'Feel' Virtual Reality

You would have sensed virtual reality through sight and sound so far. Now, you can touch the virtual objects, thanks to a new pair of gloves.

Gloveone, the new green and black gloves from Spain-based tech company NeuroDigital Technologies, will let you actually feel sensations like shape and weight when interacting with virtual objects.

The developers claim that the wearers will be able to feel rain and fire, and also something as ethereal as butterfly wings, Discovery.com reported.

The technology translates touch sensations into vibrations and each pair has 10 sensors placed in the palm and fingertips. Four of those sensors, located in the palm, thumb, index and middle fingers, can detect each other, letting you fire a gun or grab an apple.

The gloves also include a 9-axis inertial measurement unity (IMU) sensor, which can be placed beneath the gloves. An IMU sensor, often used to manoeuvre aircraft, can record velocity, orientation and gravitational forces using accelerometers, gyroscopes and magnetometers.

In the Gloveone, the IMU sensor will track your hands within the virtual world to offer a more realistic experience.

The company describes the sensation of wearing these gloves as a "realistic perceptual illusion", meaning that you can't feel the weight of a virtual object the same as it is in real life, but you can compare weights within the virtual world.

The company has finished prototyping the product and created a Kickstarter page to finance manufacturing the gloves.

People can buy the gloves fitted in three sizes. Each "anti-bacterial, sweat-proof" pair features a Bluetooth wireless connection and offers more than four hours of battery life.

Only thing, you will have to wait till 2016 before you enjoy the experience through Gloveone.

Vidyanshu GaurReply All

Sent ItemsMonday, June 08, 2015 4:28 PM

London, June 8 (IANS) You would have sensed virtual reality through sight and sound so far. Now, you can touch the virtual objects, thanks to a new pair of gloves.

Gloveone, the new green and black gloves from Spain-based tech company NeuroDigital Technologies, will let you actually feel sensations like shape and weight when interacting with virtual objects.

The developers claim that the wearers will be able to feel rain and fire, and also something as ethereal as butterfly wings, Discovery.com reported.

The technology translates touch sensations into vibrations and each pair has 10 sensors placed in the palm and fingertips. Four of those sensors, located in the palm, thumb, index and middle fingers, can detect each other, letting you fire a gun or grab an apple.

The gloves also include a 9-Axis inertial measurement unity (IMU) sensor, which can be placed beneath the gloves. An IMU sensor, often used to manoeuvre aircraft, can record velocity, orientation and gravitational forces using accelerometers, gyroscopes and magnetometers.

In the Gloveone, the IMU sensor will track your hands within the virtual world to offer a more realistic experience.

The company describes the sensation of wearing these gloves as a "realistic perceptual illusion", meaning that you can't feel the weight of a virtual object the same as it is in real life, but you can compare weights within the virtual world.

The company has finished prototyping the product and created a Kickstarter page to finance manufacturing the gloves.

People can buy the gloves fitted in three sizes. Each "anti-bacterial, sweat-proof" pair features a Bluetooth wireless connection and offers more than four hours of battery life.

Only thing, you will have to wait till 2016 before you enjoy the experience through Gloveone
.

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Steam Machines, Steam Link, and Steam Controller Now Up for Pre-Orders

Back in 2013, Valve announced that it would be releasing Steam Machines along with its hardware partners - small form factor PCs running Valve's SteamOS , a Linux-based OS for living room gaming PCs. At the time the company said that these would ship in 2014.

However this was pushed back to 2015 when Valve realised it was not ready for prime time.

"We're now using wireless prototype controllers to conduct live playtests, with everyone from industry professionals to die-hard gamers to casual gamers. It's generating a ton of useful feedback, and it means we'll be able to make the controller a lot better. Of course, it's also keeping us pretty busy making all those improvements. Realistically, we're now looking at a release window of 2015, not 2014," a post on Steam Universe, a Steam Group read at the time.

It was only at GDC 2015 when the first Steam Machines were properly showcased, alongside the Steam Link.

Now, the company has put up a pre-order page on Steam, listing not just Steam Machines from brands like Alienware and Syber but the Steam Controller and Steam Link which lets you stream Steam games to your TV. The Steam Controller and Steam Link would set you back $49.99 (Rs. 3,200) a piece.

The price for a Steam Machine starts from $449 (Rs. 28,742) for an entry-level Alienware Alpha that consists of a dual-core Intel Core i3 processor, GeForce 860M graphics and 4GB RAM. Spartan stuff. But meatier offerings will be available as well. Not just from Alienware but others like Asus who have the GR8S (pictured below) and Zotac with the Steam Machine SN970 both of which are listed with cutting-edge Intel Core i5 and Core i7 processors and GTX 9-series Nvidia video cards. Barring the Alienware Alpha and Syber, the pricing for other Steam Machines is unknown at the moment.

Ordering the Steam Controller, Steam Link or a Steam Machine via Steam right now ensures you get it from October 16 onwards. Other retailers will be selling it from November 10, giving you almost a month to play with Valve's first foray into hardware before most.

What about India?

At the moment Indian Steam users are unable to pre-order the Steam Controller, Steam Link, or Steam Machine. Pre-orders are locked to North America and Europe. As for local availability? There's no clarity yet.

NDTV Gadgets reached out to Valve's India distributor, Worldwide CD ROM, and are yet to receive a reply. While it's usually been on the ball with software releases from Valve, if any, there's no telling if it would approach this in the same way.

Reason being, Worldwide CD ROM is also the distributor for Activision. Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare and Destiny were exclusive to Flipkart and Amazon respectively. It's still unknown if Worldwide CD ROM would follow this approach with the Steam Controller and Steam Link. A year ago, it would have seemed unlikely, but given that Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare was an online exclusive to Flipkart despite the series' mass appeal, the chance of having Valve's latest and greatest hardware exclusive is a possibility.

As for Steam Machines? At the moment manufacturers have been dragging their heels on availability of regular Windows-based desktop and small form-factor gaming PCs in part due to high prices. Given the market scenario it's hard to expect any of the companies who are making Steam Machines to support the Indian market in any fashion. Right now, most gamers find it easier to assemble their own gaming PCs or at the worst, compromise with a gaming laptop.

For most part, Valve's announcement has little bearing on the local market. Unless you're the sort who is comfortable with importing, you'd best wait till availability becomes more widespread.

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Fallout 4 India Pricing Revealed; 2015 Release Date Tipped

 Hotly anticipated open-world post-apocalyptic role-playing game (RPG) is making it to India. Amidst intense speculation, Games The Shop, the retail arm of E-xpress, the distributor of the game, has listed the game for pre-order on its site. And it's rather steep.

Pre-ordering the PC version of Fallout 4 will set you back by Rs. 2,499. In contrast, most new PC games cost between Rs. 1,499 and Rs. 1,799. Meanwhile, the PlayStation 4 (PS4) and Xbox One variants will cost you Rs. 3,999, around Rs. 500 more than what most other games cost.

(Also see:Fallout 4 Announced for PC, PS4, and Xbox One)

However, with the Fallout series known for its wealth of gameplay time, perhaps the high cost of entry is somewhat justified. And though officially there's no release date, digital game seller, GreenManGaming, has hinted that the game will be out this year in an emailer sent to its customers (pictured below).

For RPG fans however, this is a bumper year what with The Witcher 3, Pillars of Eternity, Bloodborne, and now Fallout 4 anticipated for release. With a new Need for Speed, Halo 5: Guardians, Call of Duty: Black Ops 3, Assassin's Creed Syndicate, and XCOM 2 expected as well, the latter half of the year seems to have something for everyone.

(Also see:XCOM 2 Announced Only for Windows, Linux, and Mac)

All said and done, it would be best to remain cautious. Dragon Age: Inquisition was also slated for release in the country only to be halted at the last moment. And while a listing on a retailer run by the game's distributor is a sign of confidence, this won't be the first time it happens
.

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Fallout 4 Announced for PC, PS4, and Xbox One

After many a rumour, a leak, and a countdown that served as a dead giveaway, Fallout 4 has finally been announced. Much like Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas, it will be a first-person role-playing game set in a post-apocalyptic open-world. And much unlike the other two games, it will not make an appearance on the PlayStation 3 (PS3) and Xbox 360. It's for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.

Bethesda, the company behind the game, released a trailer showing off the world before and post-apocalypse. The trailer has been made in-game, which means it should give you an accurate representation of what to expect when it's out. While there's no release date yet, Bethesda, the company behind the game said that a full reveal will happen at E3 2015.

But will it make it to India? If history is anything to go by, it would be unlikely. In the past, Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas never made it to India. This is because Bethesda, the series' publisher didn't want to offend Indian sensibilities due to the game's portrayal of cows. They were mutated, two-headed, and called Brahmins.

At the same time, the game was edited for sale in Australia and Japan. References to morphine and nuclear bombs were removed respectively for copies sold in these countries. Of course, the size of the Indian RPG market is much smaller. Such games sell a few hundred copies at best. Though with the startling success of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt locally (we were told 1,500 units were brought in on PS4 and the same quantity for PC) that's currently sold out, that might change. Even then, it's still a small number that doesn't warrant the extent of changes needed to make it available for India alone. E-xpress, the distributor for Bethesda was unavailable for comment.

Unless of course, Bethesda decides to make the game available in the Middle East as well. Fallout: New Vegas was banned in the UAE for gambling and sexual themes. However since the market size dwarfs that of India, localising Fallout 4 to be culturally sensitive is an option (provided the game has elements that can be modified as to pass muster with local regulations). It's something CD Projekt RED did for The Witcher 3, what with a separate, censored edition of the game for Middle East markets. So it can't be ruled out for India if Bethesda follow this route, making a censored edition available for the Indian market.

(Also see:The Witcher 3 on PC and PS4 - Everything You Need To Know)

Either way, much like Dragon Age: Inquisition, you can expect the grey market to pick up slack when official channels fail. One way or another, getting your open-world post-apocalyptic fix shouldn't be that much of a bother
.

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Valve Now Offering Steam Game Refunds for 'Any Reason'

In a move that's likely to shake up digital distribution of video games, Steam - the biggest platform for PC games - now allows for refunds. Previously getting a refund on a Steam purchase was next to impossible, but this is going to change. Valve, the company behind Steam outlined how this will happen.

"You can request a refund for nearly any purchase on Steam - for any reason. Maybe your PC doesn't meet the hardware requirements; maybe you bought a game by mistake; maybe you played the title for an hour and just didn't like it," the refunds page on its site reads.

"Valve will, upon request via help.steampowered.com, issue a refund for any reason, if the request is made within fourteen days of purchase, and the title has been played for less than two hours. There are more details below, but even if you fall outside of the refund rules we've described, you can ask for a refund anyway and we'll take a look."

The page confirms that full refunds will be issued within a week of approval and shall be granted via the same payment method used to make the purchase. If Valve is unable to issue refund via the initial payment option, the user's Steam Wallet will be credited.

Interestingly, Valve also takes into consideration its Steam Sales. The section related to customer's abusing its refund policy on the page states:

"We do not consider it abuse to request a refund on a title that was purchased just before a sale and then immediately rebuying that title for the sale price."

Though the 14-day window for refunds is not causing any major controversy, Valve's stipulation that consumers are eligible for refunds if they have played a game for less than two hours in that period is one that has raised eyebrows across the world. While most AAA titles do offer at least 6-10 hours of content, there are hundreds of smaller games out their with much smaller play times. 

These games could in theory be played to completion in less than two hours, and then returned for a refund - in essence giving users a free game regardless of how cheaply it was priced by the developer. While Valve does say it will treat each refund individually and monitor for abuse of the system by the consumer, developers of small games are certainly on the losing end here. Another concern is for DRM-free games - users can copy the game data, and then ask for refund, leaving them with a legal working copy of the game for free.

While Electronic Arts' Origin Store and GOG offer refunds for games within seven and 30 day window respectively, the fact that Steam will be allowing you to get your money back is reassuring, considering that it's the biggest of the bunch, despite the several ways in which the system can be gamed. 

With most sales translating to digital over physical its heartening to know that not all customer rights are lost in the process. And though this takes care of the PC side of things, the question is though, how soon before the PlayStation Store and Xbox Games Store make their refund policies a little more user friendly
?

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Nintendo Says NX Game Console Won't Be Powered by Android

A day ago the Internet was abuzz with rampant speculation pertaining to Nintendo's next console, codenamed NX, running Android. On Tuesday, the company shot down all assumptions related to the same.

"There is no truth to the report saying that we are planning to adopt Android for NX," a Nintendo spokesman said to the Wall Street Journal.

This response was to a report by Japanese business daily, Nikkei. It said that Nintendo would be using Android in its next console, claiming that the information came from sources close to the matter at Nintendo's headquarters.

Its sources claimed that by using Android as the base for NX, Nintendo would be able to gain a numerical superiority in developers for the platform thanks to the slew of developers making apps for Android. And with the Wii U console's touchscreen controller being a hindrance to most developers, going with something that's familiar to developers would be a plus point. However the report in the Nikkei also mentioned that the OS' known security issues would make it a hindrance for children, women, and families - casual audiences that the company strives to appeal to.

In the past, details of Nintendo's upcoming consoles have been well-kept secrets and the company has remained quiet, keeping its cards close to its chest. Its even gone as far as to state the NX will not be revealed at E3 2015 with CEO Satoru Iwata saying that a full reveal can be expected in 2016.

Earlier in the year, the company was in the news for its deal with DeNA to bring its games to mobile.

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XCOM 2 Announced Only for Windows, Linux, and Mac

Three years since the stellar XCOM: Enemy Unknown (Review), comes XCOM 2. Helmed by acclaimed developer Firaxis Games (responsible for the Civilization series as well as XCOM), it takes place 20 years after the first game. Aliens rule the world and humanity must strike back and reclaim control.

While its predecessor found its way to the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, iOS, Android, Windows, and Mac, XCOM 2 is for Windows, Linux, and Mac only. The latter two platforms will see development by Feral Interactive. No other platforms have been announced at the moment, and the game has been given a November 2015 release date.

"Firaxis proved they could reimagine a beloved franchise with XCOM: Enemy Unknown, a Game of the Year award-winning title," said Christoph Hartmann, President of 2K in a press release for the game. "With XCOM 2, the team is breathing new life into the series by adding an epic narrative and challenging players to overcome near impossible odds."

"The feedback from the passionate XCOM community played an important role in the development of XCOM 2, driving us to push the visual, gameplay and replayability boundaries of what a strategy game can be," said Jake Solomon, creative director of XCOM 2 at Firaxis Games. "We're thrilled to implement long-time fan requested features such as procedural levels and modding support, as well as adding more of what makes XCOM great like new aliens, enemies and soldier classes."

Considering that the tactical strategy genre is a niche in itself, announcing XCOM 2 now a shrewd move. One that ensures it won't get lost in the slew of game announcements expected at E3 that's just a couple of weeks away. The company has created a dedicated page for the game, called Advent Future.

Check out the announcement trailer below, which features the description, "Twenty years have passed since humanity lost the war against the alien invaders and a new world order now exists under the enforcement of the Advent. After years of lurking in the shadows, the time has come for the remnant XCOM forces to rise and reclaim control of Earth."

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Minecraft Now Has Competition With Lego Worlds

Due to its immense popularity, Minecraft has proved to be in a league of its own. The sandbox survival game, now owned by Microsoft has had more than a few companies worried. One of them is Lego. 

While the Denmark-based firm is in a league of its own as well in the toy domain, what Minecraft has done is essentially create the digital equivalent of the toy bricks we all know and love. And it looks like Lego has decided to enter the fray with Lego Worlds. Right now it's PC only via Steam Early Access.

"Lego Worlds embodies the physical, Lego brick-building fun that consumers have enjoyed for decades, on a digital platform that delivers an entirely new type of experience with the beloved bricks," said Tom Stone, Managing Director, TT Games, developer of the game, in a press release. "From the brick-by-brick editor, to discovering an expansive range of items, characters and creatures to populate your worlds - the creative possibilities are endless."

Keep in mind that since the game is in early access, it's missing a few features you might assume would be there. These include multiplayer and much like Nintendo's Amiibos or Disney's Infinity sets, there's a tie-in to physical products, in this case its Lego's construction sets. Right now you can play with a handful of Lego sets, and more would be announced in the future.

For $15 (around Rs. 960) you can check out Lego Worlds on Steam Early Access. Could it replace Minecraft? What do you think? Let us know in the comments.

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Xbox One Bundle With Halo: The Master Chief Collection, Kinect Launched at Rs. 45,990

After heavily discounting the Xbox One for a better part of the year and conscripting the talents of comedy troupe, AIB, to move more Xbox One consoles, it seems like Microsoft is finally ready to reveal new bundles for India.

The company announced on Monday the Xbox One Console with Kinect - Halo: The Master Chief Collection Bundle. As the name indicates, you get Halo: The Master Chief Collection as a download code, the Kinect motion sensor, and of course the Xbox One for Rs. 45,990. Amazon India, the exclusive retailer for the Xbox One, lists it to be available from June 3.

Weighing in at around 65GB, Halo: The Master Chief Collection isn't exactly a small download. Throw in the frequent updates that range from a few GB to its notorious 20GB day one patch, and the fact that multiplayer is still broken, make it more of a liability than a valued addition to this bundle. Unless of course you're a diehard fan of Master Chief and his adventures. Even then, you might as well snag a physical copy if at all.

With this bundle being available internationally since March last year, it's perplexing for Microsoft to only bring it to India now, what with a slick white console available for other markets instead of the black variant available for India. This might have to do with the slow sales for the console since its launch.

Are four Halo games and Kinect enough to compel you to pick up an Xbox One? Let us know in the comments
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It Only Took 22 Years but FIFA Will Finally Have Women Players in FIFA 16

Assassin's Creed Syndicate won't be the only game this year to sport playable female characters. FIFA 16, the latest in the long line of football games, will finally have women's teams, 22 years after the video game franchise began in 1993. To put that in some more perspective, the first FIFA Women's World Cup was held in 1991, though there were several unofficial tournaments hosted in the 1970s and 1980s.

The women's national squads of Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, England, France, Germany, Italy, Mexico, Spain, Sweden, and the United States of America, will feature in this year's game. The women's teams will represent their respective federations in several FIFA 16 game modes including Kick Off, an offline tournament, as well as Online Friendly Matches.

Much like their male counterparts, the development team responsible for the series researched player movement and likeness to replicate teams. Furthermore, motion capture sessions with four top players from United States Women's Team: Sydney Leroux, Abby Wambach, Alex Morgan, and Megan Rapinoe took place at developer Electronic Arts' Canada studio.

"Bringing some of the best women's players and teams in the world to our franchise is a massive event for EA Sports, and we are equally excited about bringing millions of fans a new way to play," said David Rutter, VP and GM, EA Sports FIFA in a prepared statement. "We're making sure fans get an authentic experience when playing with Women's National Teams thanks to our innovative player capture and reference tools, as well as the sophisticated gameplay platform which we will continue to innovate on in FIFA 16."

"I honestly can't believe all of the science and technology behind the game itself, let alone getting us into the motion capture suits and eventually into the game," said Abby Wambach, world record holder for international goals scored and Forward for the United States Women's National Team. "We're all excited to see ourselves in the game, but even more excited to see the reaction from all of the fans, including the fans of our team that maybe wouldn't be expecting something like this from EA Sports."

FIFA 16 should hit India the same day it's out in Europe, September 26. While no official pricing has been announced, you can expect the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions of the game for Rs. 3,499 while the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions would be Rs. 3,999. The PC version would be Rs. 3,499 albeit available only digitally via EA's Origin webstore, a decision EA took last year.

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