Google Play game developers and players alike are getting a quartet of game-changing additions today: real-time multiplayer, leaderboards, cloud saves and achievements. And that's not all -- the latter three services will function cross-platform between Android, iOS and the web. The whole initiative is called -- unsurprisingly -- "Google Play Game Services," and it's available today in a smattering of games. Unlike Apple's Game Center application, what Google's offering is backend support for developers rather than a standalone application. Think of it more like OpenFeint than Game Center -- you can sign in using your Google+ login in-game, and that login will track your identity (including leaderboard scores, achievements and saves) across various games and devices.

Any developer launching a game on the Google Play store has access to game services, though Google isn't making it an obligation. "We won't make it a mandatory exercise, or have any certification process around it," Google lead product manager Greg Hartrell told us. "We create fantastic services that allow developers to create these great game experiences, and help promote their discovery, help retain their users and keep them engaged."

Filed under: Cellphones, Gaming, Handhelds, Tablets, Software, Mobile, Google

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It appears that while EA's making claims that its Frostbite 3 game engine (which powers next-gen's Battlefield 4) can't run on Nintendo's Wii U, the game publisher is also working on bringing "true Frostbite experiences to all major mobile platforms." The Frostbite website details the initiative as "Frostbite Go," and calls it "one of our most exciting current projects."

Without directly saying "Frostbite 3," the blurb details Frostbite Go as aimed at "empowering EA game developers" -- in so many words, it sounds like Frostbite Go isn't meant for indies as much as it's meant for EA studios used to working with Frostbite. Battlefield 4 will be the first game from EA to launch using the latest iteration of Frostbite, which isn't a huge surprise considering that BF4's developed by the same folks who develop the engine (EA DICE). It's expected to arrive this fall on both current and next-gen platforms.

Filed under: Gaming, Software, HD

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Via: Game Informer, NeoGAF

Source: EA

NVIDIA's Project Shield now has an official name (NVIDIA Shield), a release window ("by the end of June") and a price tag ($350). That's a full $100 more than the PlayStation Vita -- arguably the most competent competition for Shield's hardcore skewing demographic -- and even a smidgen over the cost of various full-on game consoles. Despite the high barrier to entry, NVIDIA tells us Shield will follow the same annualized model that its mobile phone counterparts do: a new internal upgrade each year to keep up with the times. And we already know what that future looks like. Given all that baggage, we can't help but approach our last hands-on before launch with an eye toward whether or not this is a worthy purchase. Is NVIDIA's Shield worth getting in on early?

Gallery: NVIDIA Shield (Hands-on final)

Filed under: Gaming, Handhelds, Mobile, NVIDIA

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NVIDIA's "project not a product" just became a product: Project Shield is now NVIDIA Shield, and it's arriving this June for $350. The specs haven't changed -- it's still rockin' a Tegra 4 processor with 2GB of RAM, a 5-inch "retinal" IPS display (1280x720), and 16GB of storage (expandable to 64GB via microSD). The concept remains nigh identical with what NVIDIA head Jen-Hsun Huang introduced back at CES: a console-quality controller with an HD screen mounted to it for on-the-go and streaming PC gaming.

Beyond the price point and release window, the Shield is also getting a few new game announcements in Double Fine's Broken Age and Costume Quest, not to mention a new iteration of Chip's Challenge named "Chuck's Challenge." The AR.Drone folks are also adding in support for the Shield, enabling controller-based inputs over the motion-based usual. NVIDIA's also promising monthly OTA updates for the system, including the latest version of Android (the system ships with Jelly Bean 4.2.1). The company also warns that not all Android apps will work out of the box -- specifically, any that don't support landscape mode (the Netflix login screen, for example, has an issue here). Kinks aside, should you wish to be the very first to get a Shield, it's available for pre-order starting right now on NVIDIA's website (if you're on the mailing list, that is), or on May 20th everywhere else. Or you could sign up for the mailing list, of course.

Filed under: Gaming, Handhelds, Mobile, NVIDIA

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We'd probably say something like, "I always thought it would be cool to build a giant fire breathing piranha plant," and then promptly forget about following through. Also, hey, that sounds dangerous! Hack-a-day's Caleb Kraft, however, doesn't allow silly things like fear of seared human flesh get between him and his dreams. (This is the same man who created an incredible Portal gun, in case you forgot the name.)

Kraft created a six-foot tall, fire-breathing "piranha plant" -- also known as "that bastard plant hiding in Super Mario World's pipes" -- using PVC pipe, butane and a whole mess of other materials. The results are -- well, we can think of a variety of adjectives that'd fit perfectly well here, but you'll likely come up with a few of your own after watching the video of it in action below the break.

Filed under: Misc, Gaming, Science, Alt, Nintendo

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Source: Hack-a-day

You already know that Half-Life 2 for Xbox, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC and OS X is excellent, but have you tried it on Linux? Well, yes, technically speaking, you couldn't actually play that version until this week when it launched on Steam for Linux, but our question stands! Yeah, that's what we thought. Now that that's straightened out, we might warn you about the beta nature of HL2's Linux launch. Like other Valve titles recently released to Steam for Linux, Half-Life 2 is merely a beta for now. Should you already own a copy for another platform, it'll show up in your Steam library as available for download like any other crossplatform game. Of course, you're probably too tied up with Half-Life 2's recently added Oculus Rift support on PC to think about a plain old keyboard/mouse experience. And hey, we can't blame you for that.

Interestingly, Valve's internal Steambox is powered by Steam's Linux version; it wouldn't be hard to imagine Valve scaling up its Linux game library ahead of the retail debut of various Steamboxes (or Steamboxen, if you will). That remains to be seen, of course, as Valve's made no official announcement regarding that project's availability.

Filed under: Gaming, Software

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Via: OMG Ubuntu

Source: SteamDB

Upcoming third-person action game Watch Dogs is set in a near-future environment modeled on Chicago, a city that's overseen by computers that can be manipulated. And while the game has some instances of fantastical hacking perpetrated by main character Aiden Pearce, Ubisoft's creative team is also working with security firm Kaspersky Lab to bring an air of realism to the game's hacking themes.

"They have really hardcore experts there on hacking. We send them some of our designs and we ask them [for] feedback on it, and it's interesting to see what gets back," Ubisoft Montreal senior producer Dominic Guay told our sister site, Joystiq. "Sometimes they say, 'Yeah, that's possible, but change that word,' or, 'That's not the way it works.'" Check out the full piece right here.

Along with a new Assassin's Creed game, Ubisoft is bringing Watch Dogs to next-gen consoles this year (as well as current-gen and PC), leading its next-gen push.

Filed under: Gaming, Software, HD

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Source: Joystiq

So you want a console for free, eh? BlueStacks is apparently prepared to offer you just that in its GamePop game console, which costs nothing for the month of May with a one-year subscription to the service (wouldn't you know it, that costs $93.83 -- just below the price of an OUYA at retail). Like its counterparts, the GamePop is powered by Android (4.2) and runs mostly mobile games. The company isn't sharing specs just yet, sadly. BlueStacks is promising "over 500" games, and has some top mobile devs offering credence with in testimonial.

"We've been a featured partner in App Player since early on and they've delivered on every promise in terms of distribution," Fruit Ninja studio head Shainiel Deo said, referencing BlueStacks' App Player software. "GamePop is a great incremental channel for us." Since games won't be bought, but included in the subscription, devs receive a 50 percent cut of subscription revenue, determined by how often users play their games. Should you be interested in getting in early, pre-orders are now open at the GamePop website; we've also included an intro video from BlueStacks just below.

Filed under: Gaming, HD

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Source: GamePop.tv

The OUYA game console is shifting its launch from June 4th to June 25th, the company revealed in a press release this morning. Speaking with our friends at Joystiq, CEO Julie Uhrman explained the decision to push the console's retail launch back as a measure of keeping up with retail demand. "We've had incredibly positive reactions from our retail partners," Uhrman said. The date shift, "will allow us to create more units and, basically, have more units on store shelves."

The company also revealed that it's altering the existing controller's button holes to ensure that retail buyers don't run into the same sticking issue that Kickstarter backers have been dealing with. And despite those two pieces of news sounding an awful lot like they're connected (the delay and the controller alteration), Uhrman claims they're not. "We made that change very early so all the units are being produced with those larger button holes," she said. At this point, it's not clear if OUYA will hook up early backers with a new controller upon request (or perhaps just new faceplates), but we've asked for more information.

Filed under: Gaming, HD

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Big Bird (or "Big Yellah," as we like to call him) and his Sesame Street cohorts are now available for streaming on your Roku box. Not just that, but his non-avian colleagues from PBS and PBS Kids are also making the trip, arriving today in new PBS and PBS Kids Roku channels. The two new channels offer more than the on-demand access to PBS programming you'd expect; PBS Digital Studios' work is also available to stream (we're quite fond of it, if you couldn't tell).

While it's not 100 percent clear what exactly is available at any given time, PBS' announcement says "hundreds of videos" can be accessed, which are pulled from the archives, from national and local daily programming, and include biggies like NOVA, Frontline, and American Experience (it stands to reason that heavy hitter Downtown Abbey won't be available, given its exclusive license with Amazon starting next month). PBS Kids is similarly well-stocked, with "more than 1,000 videos," which includes everything from Curious George to, yes, Sesame Street. There's a short teaser video of the service being used just below the break, should you not be able to contain yourself until you get home.

Update: According to Roku, not all Roku players support the new PBS channels. "Both PBS and PBS Kids are available immediately for all Roku 3, Roku 2, Roku LT, new Roku HD players and the Roku Streaming Stick in the US," the company says. Heads up!

Filed under: Home Entertainment, Science, HD

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Source: Roku

Sony's already got a low barrier to entry for developers on its PlayStation Mobile platform, which encompasses the PlayStation Vita handheld game console and a variety of smartphones -- just $99 for a license enables publishing across all PlayStation Mobile devices. Apparently that fee is too much for some folks, so Sony's waiving it altogether. Starting right now (as of yesterday, actually), Sony's "removing any existing barriers" between developers and the PS Mobile platform by dropping the publishing fee, thusly making it all the easier for devs to push their games to the Vita and various smartphones. There are already some great indie games featured on Sony's PS Mobile store, including Vlambeer's Super Crate Box and Super Icon Ltd.'s Life of Pixel, and this paves the way for even more.

Of course, Apple's iOS publishing fee is $99 per year and the App Store is certainly more flush with content than Sony's Mobile store, which tells us it isn't the license fee that's stopping people from pushing their games to PS Mobile.

Filed under: Gaming, Handhelds, Software, HD, Sony

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Source: US PlayStation Blog, EU PlayStation Blog

The Windows Phone 8 YouTube app has been woefully underutilized, acting more or less as a bookmark that redirects users to the web. No more, as the app's getting a major update today that makes it act more like a standard WP8 app -- you can pin various components right into your Live Tile set and play videos (as music) in the background, even when your phone's locked. Standards like social sharing and search are also in there, and a "new and innovative playlist design" rounds out the refresh. Perhaps the Microsoft / Google relationship is mending? We can't be sure, but this is certainly one step in the right direction. We've dropped the full list of new features beyond the break, and you can grab the app update for yourself right here.

Filed under: Cellphones, Handhelds, Software, Mobile, Microsoft, Google

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Source: Windows Phone Store, Microsoft

Sure, you could see and manage your Google Drive files from within the comfort of your PC / Mac file management system, but you couldn't publicly share them with friends -- until now. Google Drive files are now sharable via right click directly on your desktop, meaning the Drive desktop app now has one more feature that Dropbox already had several years ago. We hope you'll forgive our lack of enthusiasm for Google's catchup effort, but it's hard to get all jazzed up about functionality that should've probably been there at launch. Anyway, if you're not seeing the new feature pop up on your dashboard yet, Google says it's "rolling out over the next few days." Hold tight!

Filed under: Internet, Software, Google

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Source: Google

GameStop is shuttering its PlayStation 2 trade-in business as of June 1st, a company spokesperson confirmed to Engadget. "We can confirm that as of June 1st we will no longer be accepting the PS2 console or its related product for trades," the statement reads. Several of GameStop's retail locations confirmed to our sister site Joystiq that the June 1st date was accurate after a Reddit posting showed what appeared to be an in-store sign saying as much, and the statement today offers a bit more detail.

For instance, GameStop won't end sales of used PlayStation 2 hardware, software and accessories -- both in store and online -- until "several months" after the June 1 cutoff. Those sales, of course, depend on "remaining stock from trades." Additionally, GameStop reminded us that it's totally pumped for the upcoming PlayStation 4. "We are very excited about the upcoming PS4 and are making room in our stores for it and other new platforms expected this fall," the statement says. And hey, with all the extra space available in GameStop stores by "holiday 2013" (when the PS4 is expected to land at retail), it looks like GameStop will be ready for business. For GameStop's full statement, head below.

Filed under: Gaming, Software, HD, Sony

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The White House West Wing, as ever, is very busy. It's nearly time for White House Press Secretary Jay Carney's daily press briefing, which today (April 22nd) will reveal that the Boston bombing suspect, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, won't be tried as an "enemy combatant." Just upstairs, the atmosphere is thankfully less intense. In the East Room and surrounding chambers, over 100 students -- STEM-based competition winners from 40 different states -- are making their best efforts to remain chipper while explaining projects they've no doubt discussed dozens (if not hundreds) of times before.

Later this afternoon, President Barack Obama will address the dozens of attendees -- accomplished students and educators, as well as folks like Bill Nye ("The Science Guy"), Levar Burton (of Reading Rainbow fame) and Kathryn D. Sullivan (the first American woman to walk in space). He'll characterize the students' projects as "really cool," and he'll call out some lucky winners by name while speaking to the importance of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education in the United States.

Today is the culmination of years of work for many attendees, and it's an important day for the current administration as well. The White House Science Fair is an annual highlight of its "Educate to Innovate" initiative -- the Obama administration-led program that directs both public and private funds to a variety of programs, all aimed at bolstering STEM education in the US. It's a long-term, ambitious plan, and one that the White House is re-dedicating itself to in its proposed fiscal year 2014 budget: a planned reorganization coupled with $265 million, "redirected from within the Department [of Education] and from other agencies."

Beyond the occasional PR bump that events like the White House Science Fair bring, the Educate to Innovate initiative is largely one that won't reap dividends for some time. In 20 years, however, it may be the most important component of Obama's legacy.

Gallery: White House Science Fair 2013

Filed under: Science, Software, Alt

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At some point next year, EA will release The Sims 4 on PC and Mac. At least that's what the Madden publisher is saying today alongside news of the game's existence; it's the fourth Sims title handled by the folks at EA Maxis (the same team behind SimCity and Spore, among others). Outside of the game's existence and year-long launch window, EA isn't offering much in the way of details -- we're taking a wild guess that you'll once again be tasked with managing the lives of various sims in their day-to-day affairs. Of course, many folks will indulge their darker side, banishing sims to houses without doors and watching the virtual person's descent into both madness and uncleanliness. Perhaps if their cries for help weren't in simlish, it wouldn't be so adorable (but we doubt it).

Filed under: Gaming, Software

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Source: EA

US Cellular is apparently seeing the light when it comes to offering Apple products to its customers, announcing today in its quarterly earnings that it'll begin selling unnamed Apple products in its stores starting "later this year." Though no specifics are given as to what products will be available, USC president Mary Dillon couched the announcement in iPhone-leaning verbiage.

"We have a number of strategies in progress to increase loyalty and attract more customers, including our announcement today that we will begin offering Apple products later this year. By further strengthening our device portfolio, we'll give consumers another great reason to switch to U.S. Cellular, and enable our existing customers to choose from an even wider variety of iconic smartphones, and enjoy the outstanding U.S. Cellular customer experiences they deserve."

The company previously said (way back in 2011) that it couldn't find agreeable terms with Apple to offer its devices in USC stores, but apparently that situation has been resolved. We're reaching out to US Cellular for more information and will let you know as we hear it.

Update: US Cellular reps told Engadget, "U.S. Cellular will be selling iPhone products later this year. We don't have any additional information at this time." Surprise!

Filed under: Cellphones, Tablets, Mobile, Apple

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Via: Bloomberg

Source: Marketwatch

In a move which should surprise no one who's been following along, New York City livery car groups successfully won a bid yesterday afternoon for a temporary restraining order against New York City's smartphone-based hail pilot program ("e-hails," if you will). This effectively shuts down any (limited) plans UberTAXI and others had for getting back in business in Gotham -- both Uber and Hailo are being stopped from operating in NYC as a result. Under the pilot program -- approved earlier this year but mired in legal drama ever since -- services like Uber and Hailo could be used in NYC's approximately 13K yellow cabs. Livery cab businesses in NYC have sought to stop the program's implementation via legal means. Its latest effort, the "application for interim relief," was admitted via lawyer Randy Mastro of Gibson Dunn, and cites the following as its reason for the temporary restraining order:

"Absent emergency relief, petitioners and the public will suffer irreparable injury to their livelihoods, businesses and industry, fundamental rights and environmental interests, all of which will be impossible to remedy after this case is resolved in petitioner's favor."

Filed under: Cellphones, Transportation, Software

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Via: Bloomberg

NASA wants your words,

preferably a haiku.

It might go to Mars!

Filed under: Transportation, Science, Internet, Alt

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Via: NPR

Source: NASA

Haven't heard of Noah Falstein? That may be the case, but you've probably heard of some of his work -- everything from arcade gem Sinistar to adventure game classic Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis. Well now he's working on another thing you've heard of: Google. According to Mr. Falstein's LinkedIn profile, spotted by TechCrunch, he recently became "Chief Game Designer" at the "Don't be evil" company -- but what could that mean?

Nothing yet, as additional information isn't available, though we've reached out to both Falstein and Google. Our friends at TC are suggesting something more "serious games" focused, or perhaps something involving Niantic Labs' Ingress MMO, but it's all up in the air at this point. A cached version of Falstein's LinkedIn reveals his new gig as chief game designer "at Android Play Studio," which ... well, that's the first time we've heard that name as well. For now, know that Google's got a game industry vet leading up something involving games at the company.

Update: Google confirmed to Engadget that Falstein joined the company, but won't say what he's up to just yet. We'll let you know more as soon as we do!

Filed under: Gaming, Google

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Via: TechCrunch

Source: LinkedIn

It's hard to believe, but there is seriously another Angry Birds game headed to mobile today, dubbed Angry Birds Friends. Like its Facebook counterpart, the game is focused on social versions of standard Angry Birds mechanics -- flinging various bird types at various structures protecting pigs, with the ultimate goal of destroying said pigs. The twist in this iteration is that your score is tracked and stacked up against friends via Facebook, meaning that people on all platforms (Facebook, iOS and Android) can play against each other. Should you be wary of shelling out more cash for fowl, worry not, as Angry Birds Friends is free (supported by ads, as you might imagine). It's available now on both iTunes and the Google Play store.

Filed under: Cellphones, Gaming, Tablets, Software, Mobile

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Source: Rovio

Like Punxsutawney Phil's shadowgazing, we can rightfully expect a new Call of Duty game to be announced annually and available at the holidays. Also like our groundhog friend, the only annual questions we must ask are in the details -- what is this year's Call of Duty about, and who's making it? It turns out that this year's Duty development, unsurprisingly, falls on Infinity Ward's shoulders -- the folks who created the much lauded Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare -- and it's named "Call of Duty: Ghosts." The first-person shooter is arriving on a whole mess of platforms this November 5th, including Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC, but also PlayStation 4 and the next Xbox -- given that we don't know release dates for the PlayStation 4 and the next Xbox, it stands to reason that Ghosts will arrive on a different date for those platforms. It's also likely we'll see a handheld version on Nintendo's 3DS made by someone other than Infinity Ward, but we've got no direct word on that just yet. More ambiguous, Nintendo's Wii U isn't listed, but it stands to reason it'll head that way as well (the last series entry, Black Ops 2, got a Wii U version).

The "Ghosts" in the title references ... well, we're not entirely sure. Previous CoD games featured a character named "Ghost" fairly prominently, though the plurality indicates a game about more than one individual. Infinity Ward head Mark Rubin calls Ghosts "a new sub-brand" in the CoD franchise, and it's getting a new (unnamed) game engine to boot -- another indicator that previous characters aren't involved. We're holding out hope that the often overserious, dramatic tone of previous CoD games is being completely thrown out in favor of a goofy game about hunting ghosts. The bullets pass right through their ethereal form! Run for your life! We'll hear more about Call of Duty: Ghosts at Microsoft's big next-gen console unveiling on May 21st, so hold tight. The first teaser video is just below the jump.

Filed under: Gaming, Software, HD, Sony, Microsoft, Nintendo

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Source: YouTube

There's little in life finer than pitting youths against each other in battle, which Google's annual "Doodle 4 Google" contest clearly appreciates. The competition takes thousands of Google logo doodle entries and pits them down from thousands to 50, one per US State, and organizes those entries by grade level. The images are then put online for the world to enjoy, as well as to vote on -- out of the five doodles with the highest votes, one national winner is selected, which Google plans on revealing on May 22nd in New York City. This year's theme is "Best Day Ever," which means outdoor activities to one Maine-based middle schooler (seen above), and hanging out with bees to a Michigan-based high school student. Of course, there are 48 other excellent pieces to peek at before casting your vote, though you've gotta get in there before May 10th at 11:59pm ET.

Filed under: Misc, Internet, Google

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Source: Google, 2013 Doodle 4 Google Voting Page

It's not clear if Icelandic game studio CCP is extending its crazy MMO, EVE Online, into the world of virtual reality, but the company is working on some form of EVE-based VR application using the Oculus Rift. CCP teased the concept during the keynote event at its Fanfest event this afternoon, showing off what looked like a modern Wing Commander-style space shooter set in the world of EVE (similar to the first-person shooter extension on PlayStation 3, Dust 514), built using the Unity game engine. EVE fansite The Mittani notes from a hands-on demonstration at Fanfest that the game is currently 3v3 dogfighting employing the VR headset and an unnamed "console-style game controller." Sadly, it sounds like the project is little more than an internal curiosity at this point, but color us unsurprised if this pops up in a more polished form down the line. We'll add a video of CCP's presentation to this post as soon as it goes live -- we were marveled by the gorgeous visuals and gameplay promise of a space shooter which employs VR.

Several games are currently in development for the Oculus Rift, and Valve's Team Fortress 2 already supports the device. However, the headset that's currently available is a development kit, and not meant as representative of the final retail product.

Update: We've added the video from Fanfest below the break!

Filed under: Gaming, Peripherals, Software

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Source: Twitch.tv

Tired of how much your PlayStation 3 doesn't look like a Terminator robot? Us too, especially given that hilariously mechanical new top-loading disc drive cover. Thankfully, Sony sympathizes with our plight, announcing this week that its "Metallic Gray" DualShock 3 controller for the PlayStation 3 will arrive in the United States in a few months (it's been available in Japan for some time). On June 3rd, the controller becomes available for the standard DS3 price of $54.99, and interested parties can pre-order right this second if they so choose. Of course, we don't anticipate a shortage when they arrive this June, but it's always possible that a T-800 will be sent back from the future to accessorize. In which case, you pre-order folks end up looking pretty good.

Filed under: Gaming, Handhelds, Peripherals, Sony

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Via: Joystiq

Source: Sony