Friday, June 10, 2022

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HTC teases a potential 'Viverse' phone launch for June 28th

Posted: 10 Jun 2022 01:25 AM PDT

Earlier this year HTC outlined its answer to Facebook's metaverse with Viverse, allowing you socialize, hold meetings and more in VR. Later on at Mobile World Congress, the company said it would launch a high-end smartphone with some kind of metaverse feature. Now, HTC has teased a launch date for that device on Twitter with an image showing a phone shape and HTC's Viverse logo. 

It's likely to offer an AR/VR experience via HTC's open-source Viverse. That metaverse platform lets you chat with others via VRChat, hold business meetings in Engage, collaborate in Vive Sync, watch "holographic" VR concerts and more. It's also expected to offer integration with the Vive Flow VR headset.

It may also have some blockchain features like HTC's Exodus phone from several years back, though it's not clear if there's much overlap with crypto and VR fans. It'll reportedly partner in Taiwan with Chunghwa Telecom, Taiwan Mobile and FarEasTone, according an earlier report from Focus Taiwan. HTC will reveal more details about the device on June 28th. 

Meta is reportedly discontinuing Portal devices for consumers

Posted: 09 Jun 2022 10:04 PM PDT

Meta will no longer release any more Portal devices for consumers, according to The Information and Variety. The company is reportedly repositioning the smart display and home video line as a business product and discontinuing current consumer versions. Variety says Meta will sell all the remaining inventory of previously released models and will continue providing support for existing customers, but it will focus on business applications for future releases. Portal never quite sold as well as Amazon's and Google smart display devices, but it enjoyed an uptick in sales after pandemic lockdowns forced companies to let their employees work from home. 

According to the IDC research firm, Meta sold 600,000 Portal devices in 2020 and 800,000 in 2021, as businesses looked for solutions to make communicating with remote workers easier. Perhaps it was the knowledge that it was business customers that gave the devices' sales a boost these past two years that compelled Meta to change the product line's focus. We'll just have to wait and see how Portals for businesses differ from their consumer counterparts. Meta released several versions of Portal in the past, including the Portal TV, which turns televisions into big smart displays, and the Portal Go that can be taken out of its charging dock and moved around. 

In addition to killing off consumer Portals, Meta has also reportedly shelved plans for its long-rumored dual-camera smartwatch. Previous reports suggested that it was going to be an Apple competitor, but Meta has apparently decided to focus on developing other wearables for now.

Devolver's demonic answer to 'Animal Crossing' arrives August 11th

Posted: 09 Jun 2022 03:30 PM PDT

Have you ever played Animal Crossing or Stardew Valley and wished you could subjugate the townsfolk? You'll soon have your chance. Devolver and Massive Monster have announced that the cute-but-sinister Cult of the Lamb launches August 11th for PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S. There's a demo on Steam to help whet your demonic appetite.

The game shares the community building and top-down perspective of games like Animal Crossing, but the plot is anything but kid-friendly. You play a possessed lamb forced to repay a debt to a creepy stranger by growing (what else?) a cult around him. You have to build idols, perform rituals, give sermons as you gradually convert the local population in a randomly-generated world. Naturally, you'l have to battle false prophets and anyone else who refuses to embrace your beliefs.

'Skate Story'
Sam Eng/Devolver Digital

Cult of the Lamb comes alongside premieres for a trio of new Devolver games due in 2023. Anger Foot is a first-person shoot-and-kick romp from the creators of Broforce and Genital Jousting. Sam Eng's Skate Story (pictured above), meanwhile, is a stylish skateboarder that challenges you to escape captivity in the underworld by eating the Moon — yes, really. All Possible Futures' The Plucky Squire rounds out the list by telling the tale of storybook characters who jump between 2D book pages and the 3D world beyond. The three titles are all coming to PC, while Plucky Squire will also be available on PS5, Switch and Xbox Series X/S.

Meta has reportedly shelved its rumored dual-camera smartwatch

Posted: 09 Jun 2022 01:59 PM PDT

Reports over the last couple of years have suggested that not only was Meta working on a smartwatch, it was developing one with two cameras. However, that project is on hold, according to Bloomberg, as Meta is focusing on other wearables instead.

The long-rumored smartwatch was pegged as a possible Apple Watch competitor and the report suggests it was expected to go on sale next spring for around $349. A prototype was said to have features including activity tracking, a calendar, photo gallery and heart rate monitoring. It's believed to have had an 18-hour battery life.

Apps included Spotify, as well as ones for Meta's own WhatsApp and Instagram Stories. The prototype reportedly did not have a native app store. Instead, the idea was that you'd manage the device using your Facebook account. Naturally, you would have been able to post to Facebook and Instagram from the watch.

The device reportedly had WiFi, GPS and eSIM support and a removable watch face with two side buttons, one of which was a circular control (it's unclear if this was an Apple Watch crown-style dial). It was said to feature a five-megapixel camera on the watch face and a 12-megapixel one on the rear. The latter was designed to be usable after the watch face was removed.

That second camera appears to have caused issues during development — its positioning reportedly interfered with sensors that turned feedback from the wearer's nerves into digital signals. The company has mulled the idea of using smartwatches as input devices for its take on the metaverse, with users being able to control avatars or engage with VR spaces through gestures.

Along with technical complications, it seems that broader issues at Meta played a role in the device being put on hold. A report last month suggested the company has killed off some Meta Reality Labs projects as it looks to rein in spending. Meta has shaken up its leadership team in recent weeks as well.

Still, the work of the engineers who were on the dual-camera watch project may not be in vain. Meta may use some of the features in other wearables. There's a possibility of the project being revived at a later date too.

Meanwhile, Meta is also said to have scaled back on its ambitions for augmented reality glasses. According to The Information, the company is no longer expected to release its first-generation augmented reality glasses in 2024. That device is now said to be earmarked for use as a demo product. The report suggests Meta is instead focusing on the second-gen AR glasses, meaning it could be several years before the device hits the market. 

In addition, the report suggests Meta will no longer make Portal devices for consumers. The company is said to be planning to turn Portal smart displays into a product line aimed at businesses.

'Monument Valley' studio returns with a cerebral and sporty roguelike, 'Desta'

Posted: 09 Jun 2022 01:33 PM PDT

Ustwo, the studio behind Monument Valley and Alba: A Wildlife Adventure, is working on a new game called Desta: The Memories Between. It features a blend of roguelike, turn-based and sports-game mechanics, and it's in development for multiple platforms — though exactly which remains a mystery, as does the game's release date. The studio promises to share more information in the coming months.

Desta
ustwo

Desta takes place in two worlds, reality and a limbo made up of the protagonist's memories, and its main gameplay mechanic involves throwing around a blue ball. The story follows Desta, a person in their 20s who returns home after leaving their loved ones in chaos a while back. Desta's dad has died, and when they find his treasured blue ball, they're transported to a dreamlike world where they can confront their past and speak with the people they left behind. Solving physics and spatial puzzles with the ball unlocks dialogue with Desta's friends and family members, and helps them find the necessary words to move forward.

The game is fully voice acted, and ustwo developers are pulling inspiration from games like Hades and Into the Breach for its mechanics.

Desta
ustwo

"Desta is the deepest, most ambitious and most replayable title from ustwo games yet, but with all the heart and approachability that the London studio is known for," according to ustwo.

Naughty Dog reveals more details about 'The Last of Us' remake for PS5 and PC

Posted: 09 Jun 2022 01:32 PM PDT

As if official confirmation was actually needed after the leak earlier today, a remake of 2013's The Last Of Us is coming to PlayStation 5 on September 2nd. Sony put together a trailer showing some of the gorgeous visuals of The Last of Us Part I and noted that the remake is coming to PC as well. The bundle also includes the excellent Left Behind expansion.

The developers used original performances from Ashley Johnson, Troy Baker, and the rest of the cast, but utilized a new AI and refreshed the combat. The effects and exploration have been enhanced as well. The team is harnessing 3D audio and the DualSense controller's adaptive triggers and haptic feedback. There will be more accessibility features than the original game had too, building on the extensive options in The Last of Us Part II. More details will be revealed in the coming months.

The remake is a full-price game at $70. Opt for the $80 Digital Deluxe edition and you'll be able to unlock some items and features early, including a speedrun mode, explosive arrows(!), weapon skins and modifiers for faster crafting and healing. The $100 Firefly edition includes all of those bonuses as well as a steelbook cover for the physical version and four issues of the The Last of Us: American Dreams comic. There are pre-order perks for every version too.

That's not the only news about the franchise that was revealed today. It's long been acknowledged that a standalone multiplayer games set in the world of The Last of Us was in the works, and now Naughty Dog has revealed more details about what's in store. Studio co-president Neil Druckmann, the director of the first two games in the series, showed the first concept art at Summer Game Fest.

TLOU multiplayer game
Naughty Dog

Druckmann said it will be "as big of as any of our single-player games that we've done, and in some ways bigger." It has its own story and a new cast of characters, along with a fresh setting. It's led by a team of Naughty Dog veterans who have worked on the series as well as the Uncharted games. More details will be announced next year. 

Following that announcement, Druckmann touched on the HBO's upcoming The Last of Us series. While lots of set photos have popped up over the last year, he showed the second official still from the show. It shows Joel (Pedro Pascal) and (Bella Ramsay) taking cover. Bump up the brightness on the image, though, and you'll see something lurking in the background.

The Last of Us show
PlayStation Productions/HBO

It also emerged that Johnson and Baker, who played Ellie and Joel in the games, will appear in the show, but their roles haven't been revealed as yet. Filming will wrap on the first season tomorrow. While the series is expected to arrive next year, Druckmann said that fans will hear more about it "very soon."

'Layers of Fears' from Bloober Team hits PC and consoles in 2023

Posted: 09 Jun 2022 01:22 PM PDT

Bloober Team is returning to its roots with Layers of Fears, a "psychological horror chronicle" heading to PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and S, and PC in early 2023. The game is a new story chapter in the Layers of Fear universe, building on the spooky psychedelic foundation laid out in the previous installments.

"We are bringing back a franchise that is really special for us, in a new form that will give players a truly fresh gaming experience and that will shed new light on the overall story," Bloober Team CEO Piotr Babieno said in a press release. "Our plan was to recreate the games, but we didn't want to make it a simple collection of two remastered games. We've worked out a new approach, something that is maybe not yet obvious. But I can tell you there's a reason why we called it Layers of Fears."

Bloober Team launched its original horror franchise in 2016 with Layers of Fear and an expansion subtitled Inheritance. A full sequel came out in 2019, and throughout the years Bloober Team has partnered with major studios to create spooky games including Blair Witch and The Medium.

Last year, Bloober Team entered into a partnership with Konami, the publisher of the Silent Hill franchise, fueling rumors that the studio was working on a remake of Silent Hill 2. These rumors came to a head just before the Summer Game Fest kickoff show this year — but turns out, it was Layers of Fears all along. The studio is reportedly working on multiple games simultaneously, so there's still a chance for Bloober Team to get in on the Silent Hill franchise.

Bloober Team is co-developing Layers of Fears with Anshar Studios, which also helped out with Observer: System Redux.

VR mouse adventure 'Moss: Book II' comes to Quest 2 on July 21st

Posted: 09 Jun 2022 01:10 PM PDT

You no longer need cords (or a PlayStation) to continue the Moss saga. Polyarc has revealed that Moss: Book II is coming to the Quest 2 VR headset on July 21st. The core experience remains intact — you help the mouse heroine Quill as evil forces try to claim the Glass she holds. The difference, of course, is that the Quest 2's stand-alone design and dual controllers promise more gameplay freedom compared to the PSVR version.

You can add Book II to your wishlist now. The launch comes months after the game's March 31st debut on PSVR, but it's arguably worth the wait. The PlayStation release not only tethers you to a console, but relies on a conventional gamepad. This brings the game to a wider audience while taking better advantage of VR's potential.

Stylish platformer 'Neon White' arrives on Switch and PC next week

Posted: 09 Jun 2022 12:56 PM PDT

Fans of Donut Country creator Ben Esposito won't have to wait much longer to play his new game. At Summer Game Fest, Annapurna Interactive announced Neon White is launching on June 16th on both PC and Nintendo Switch. Alongside news of a release date, the publisher also shared a new gameplay trailer, showcasing the game's unusual mix of platforming and card-based shooting. Engadget senior editor Jessica Conditt interviewed Esposito about the game last March and came away excited to play it.    

NASA plans to study unidentified objects in the sky

Posted: 09 Jun 2022 12:25 PM PDT

NASA wants a deeper understanding of the many unexplained, flying objects that appear in the sky. The agency is assembling a study team this fall to observe UFOs, now known as UAPS (unidentified aerial phenomena). While it may be tempting to think of UFOs as the stuff of sci-fi and conspiracy theories, NASA's announcement states right off the bat that there is "no evidence UAPs are extraterrestrial in origin." Instead, the focus of the mission appears to be on gathering data and furthering our scientific understanding of UAPs. There's a practical reason why. Unexplained flying objects — no matter the origin — can pose a threat to flight safety and national security, as military officials have noted.

"The limited number of observations of UAPs currently makes it difficult to draw scientific conclusions about the nature of such events. Unidentified phenomena in the atmosphere are of interest for both national security and air safety. Establishing which events are natural provides a key first step to identifying or mitigating such phenomena, which aligns with one of NASA's goals to ensure the safety of aircraft," said the agency in its announcement.

NASA is far from the only US government agency with an interest in UAPs. Last month, Congress held its first hearing on UFOs in over 50 years, where Pentagon officials noted that reports of UAPs are more frequent now than in the past. More than 143 incidents of unidentified flying objects have been reported to the Pentagon since 2004 and remain unexplained, according to a report released last year by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.

NASA's UAP study will be led by astrophysicist David Spergel of the Simons Foundation and NASA's Daniel Evans, the assistant deputy associate administrator for research at the agency's Science Mission Directorate. The study will take nine months to complete, and the team will consult with a field of experts in science, aeronautics and data analytics.

Upon the study's conclusion, NASA promises to make both its findings and all the collected data public. "All of NASA's data is available to the public – we take that obligation seriously – and we make it easily accessible for anyone to see or study," Evans said in a statement.

'Goat Simulator 3' is coming to PC, Xbox and PlayStation this fall

Posted: 09 Jun 2022 12:23 PM PDT

Publisher Coffee Stain is dipping its hooves back into the world of livestock-based chaos. Goat Simulator 3 was announced during Thursday's Summer Game Fest showcase. It's coming to Xbox, PlayStation and Epic Games Store this fall.

As fans of the series will expect, it's an open-world adventure game. You'll headbutt and lick anything and everything as you triple-jump across the island of San Angora, which is packed with fresh areas, challenges and events. There's four-player couch and online co-op. You'll be able to explore the island together and butt heads in seven minigames.

You'll be able to customize your goat with gear that enhances their abilities. You can kit them out with questionable fashion choices like tea trays and toilet rolls, or skip to the inevitable and slap a jetpack on their back.

'Stormgate' is a new free-to-play RTS from the director of 'Starcraft 2'

Posted: 09 Jun 2022 12:17 PM PDT

In 2020, Starcraft 2 production director Tim Morten left Blizzard to start Frost Giant Studios. At Summer Game Fest, he finally showed off what he and his team have been working on for the past two years. We got our first look at Stormgate, a new free-to-play real-time strategy game that runs on Unreal Engine 5. Morten didn't share too many details on the project but said the game would feature two races at launch.  

Frost Giant features some serious talent. In addition to Morten, former Warcraft 3: The Frozen Throne campaign designer Tim Campbell is part of the team working on Stormgate. Frost Giant plans to begin beta testing the game next year. 

'Routine' is back from the dead to murder you with robots

Posted: 09 Jun 2022 12:02 PM PDT

Nearly full, honest decade after it was first shown off at Gamescom 2012, Lunar Software and Raw Fury made an appearance at Summer Game Fest 2022 to show off the new trailer for the long-awaited space survival horror, Routine.

Set in an abandoned and derelict planetary research station, players must investigate the mysteries surrounding fates of its former inhabitants, all while hounded by a deadly lurking threat that may or may not be of the mechanical variety. Lunar Software has reportedly rebuilt the game "from the ground up" to take advantage of the new generation of console hardware capabilities. Routine will be released on PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and Game Pass, though there is no release date set at this time.  

Twitter's new tweet reporting tools are now available to everyone

Posted: 09 Jun 2022 11:47 AM PDT

Twitter's newly improved tweet-reporting tools are now available to everyone on the platform. The company first began testing the new process for reporting harmful tweets in December, saying it was trying to take a "people first" approach that would make it easier to flag tweets.

Previously, Twitter's reporting process required users to navigate a series of menus in order to identify the specific rule they believed had been broken. The process was confusing, even for those familiar with Twitter's policies, and often resulted in problematic tweets not being properly flagged.

The revamped process instead begins each report by asking users to describe "what happened," rather than prompting them to guess which rule may have been broken. It also makes it easier to report tweets in which someone else is being targeted, and gives users more options for reporting hate speech.

That simplified approach is already paying off, according to Twitter. The company says the new reporting process has resulted in a 50 percent increase in "actionable reports" since it began testing six months ago.

'The Callisto Protocol' gameplay trailer is as bloody as you'd expect

Posted: 09 Jun 2022 11:35 AM PDT

After a moody first trailer, Striking Distance Studios, a team made up of former Dead Space developers, has released new gameplay footage from its upcoming survival horror title, The Callisto Protocol. Shown off during Summer Game Fest, the clip was captured on current generation hardware, according to host Geoff Keighley. The trailer sees the game's protagonist fight their way through a claustrophobic environment using an arsenal that will be familiar to any Dead Space fan. Their primary weapon maims enemies in much the same way Isaac's Plasma Cutter did Necromorphs. The protagonist also has access to a telekinesis ability that allows them to use the environment to deadly effect.  

Striking Distance Studios will release The Callisto Protocol on December 2nd, about two months before EA's Dead Space remake arrives on January 27th, 2023.  

'Aliens: Dark Descent' is a single-player, squad-based action game coming in 2023

Posted: 09 Jun 2022 11:25 AM PDT

There's a new entry in the xenomorph video game catalog, this one called Aliens: Dark Descent. It's due out in 2023 from French studio Tindalos Interactive, Focus Entertainment and 20th Century Games. It'll come to PlayStation 4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series consoles and PC.

Aliens: Dark Descent is a single-player, squad-based action game. Here's how the game's YouTube description reads: "Drop into an original Alien story where players will lead a squad of marines in real-time combat against the deadliest creature mankind has ever faced."

Players will be able to customize their team's weapons, armor and abilities, but the xenomorphs will adapt to these decisions. These space monsters are no idle threat, either — in this game, death is permanent for your squad.

"Embark on high stakes missions in treacherous territory, all the while gathering resources to fix up the stranded Otago spacecraft and researching tech upgrades for your crew," the description continues. "Players will command a squad as one unit thanks to intuitive controls, allowing their Marines to automatically prioritize and execute complex actions in real-time, based on their respective skill sets and the environment around them."

The new game made its debut with a cinematic trailer during the Summer Game Fest kickoff stream. In fact, it was the first game shown off in the entire show, which must make it feel nice and special.

The trailer shows a squad of Marines hunting and being hunted by a handful of xenomorphs, complete with plenty of gunfire, creeping monsters and interpersonal betrayal.

Polestar begins delivery on 65,000 rental vehicle order for Hertz

Posted: 09 Jun 2022 11:07 AM PDT

Hertz customers in select cities nationwide will soon have the opportunity to rent a Polestar 2. The EV automaker announced Thursday that it has delivered the first batch of some 65,000 vehicles to the Rental corporation as part of a deal struck between the two in April. 

"Our partnership with Hertz is an exciting milestone that provides the opportunity for a significant number of potential new customers to experience an EV for the first time, and it will be in a Polestar," Thomas Ingenlath, Polestar CEO, said in a prepared statement. "With over 55,000 Polestar cars already on the road across our 25 live markets there is no doubt that our brand is growing at an incredible pace."

Polestar is quick to point out that this deal is one of the largest single EV purchases in history, a not so subtle dig at rival Tesla which, last October, supposedly had its own deal with Hertz for a whopping 100,000 Model 3s. However, that agreement failed to get beyond Hertz' press release as Tesla CEO Elon Musk subsequently tweeted that "no contract has been signed yet" and the whole deal fizzled from there. 

In addition to the Polestar 2s, Hertz will also be acquiring a select number of Polestar 1s, giving its customers a hybrid option to choose from as well. As a Polestar rep told Engadget, the metro areas of "Seattle, LA, Burbank and Orange County CA, San Diego, Phoenix/Scottsdale, Miami, Islip NY, and Newark NJ" will all be among the first to receive the new EVs.

The makers of 'What the Golf' are back with VR game 'What the Bat'

Posted: 09 Jun 2022 10:22 AM PDT

Triband, the studio behind early Apple Arcade standout What the Golf, is back with a new game on a completely different platform. What the Bat is a virtual reality title that's coming to Meta Quest 2 and SteamVR headsets later this year

It looks like another ridiculous physics-based game where part of the fun is in figuring out what exactly is going on in each of the more than 100 levels. This time around, you'll have baseball bats for hands and you'll use them for cooking, petting a dog, painting, playing pinball, pickling, parking and brushing your teeth. Although What the Bat isn't really a baseball game, you will still get to do some batting too.

Apple reportedly plans a 15-inch MacBook Air for 2023

Posted: 09 Jun 2022 10:03 AM PDT

Apple's MacBook Air M2 might just be the start of a broader laptop renaissance. Bloombergsources claim Apple plans to release a 15-inch MacBook Air as soon as spring 2023. The company might return to tiny laptops, too. It's reportedly working on a new 12-inch laptop that could debut in late 2023 or early 2024 — if you miss the 2015 MacBook but wish it had modern hardware and a good keyboard, your dream could be fulfilled.

To no one's surprise, the sources also indicate Apple is planning to launch updated 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pros in late 2022 with M2 Pro and M2 Max chips. These might slip into early 2023, however. The new Max chip would offer up to 12 processing cores and 38 graphics cores versus the 10 processing cores and 32 graphics cores of the M1 Max.

The tech firm had reportedly considered releasing a 15-inch MacBook Air this year, but scuttled those plans to concentrate on the 13-inch model it just unveiled this week. Murmurs of a larger Air circulated in March, when Display Supply Chain analyst Ross Young said one might be in the works.

A larger Air wouldn't be surprising. Apple confirmed at WWDC 2022 that the Air was its best-selling laptop, and a 15-inch version could appeal to buyers who want a larger screen but don't need the performance and features of the more expensive MacBook Pro line. It would also make sense in light of iPhone 14 rumors that suggest you won't have to buy a Pro model to get a giant screen. Simply speaking, Apple might be ending its long-time strategy of restricting large displays to its priciest devices.

Watch the Summer Game Fest showcase here at 2PM ET

Posted: 09 Jun 2022 10:01 AM PDT

E3 would normally be held around this time, but it isn't going ahead this year. Still, there are a ton of showcases over the next few days that will shine the spotlight on dozens, if not hundreds, of upcoming games. One of the biggest events on the docket is the Summer Game Fest showcase, which is set for 2PM ET today.

Host and producer Geoff Keighley has tried to keep fans' expectations in check by noting that, while there will be some new game announcements, the focus will primarily be on previously revealed titles. There will be details on Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II, The Callisto Protocol, Gotham Knights, Cuphead - The Delicious Last Course, Street Fighter 6, Marvel's Midnight Suns and much more.

Rumors suggest the stream will also feature Hollow Knight: Silksong and perhaps a release date for God of War Ragnarök. One thing that definitely won't be included is a Grand Theft Auto 6 trailer, according to Keighley. Don't expect to hear a peep about Half-Life 3 either.

Keighley says the event will run for over 90 minutes. Be sure to stick around afterward for the indie-focused Day of the Devs event. The Summer Game Fest showcase is available to stream on a ton of platforms, including YouTube, Twitch, Twitter, Facebook, Steam and even in IMAX theaters. To make things even easier for you, the YouTube stream is right here:
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