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Valorant's twelfth agent is Killjoy, a German robotics genius
Killjoy’s addition to Valorant could be divisive.
Volkswagen will only sell its ID electric cars online
A new agency model means no more hard sell from dealerships.
'Minecraft Education Edition' will let kids build with code
Minecraft Education Edition is getting a big upgrade: Code Builder. Essentially, students will be able to learn coding by traveling around the game's pixely world. Typing "/code" will bring up a list of commands and code snippets. From there, an adorable robot avatar dubbed "the agent" appears and acts on code to do things like work while you're away, light your fortress at night or delve deeper into the earth for resources. On the stage, the agent built a windmill and columns for the Parthenon automatically. And that's about it! Codebuilder is available in beta right now.
Sony sold me on Xperia Agent in one cup of coffee
I like coffee. I like robots. So, when Sony's cutesy Xperia Agent offered to serve me up a cup of Arabica at IFA, how could I refuse? Of course I didn't, and it was probably the best cup of show-floor joe that I had this week. We first saw the Xperia Agent at MWC, but we've barely heard anything from the bot since, so free coffee or not, it was good to check in with the little guy and see it doing its connected thing.
Hyperspace Beacon: SWTOR Marauders will suck but Operatives will not
Update 2.5 for Star Wars: The Old Republic will release at the same time the Galactic Starfighter expansion will hit for subscribers. Perhaps this timing is meant to hide the awful mistakes BioWare is making with two of its best Advanced Classes. One will receive a thorough thrashing with a nerf bat, while the other will only get a stern talking-to -- not even a wag of the finger. Of course, I'm talking about the Marauder/Sentinel class and the Operative/Scoundrel class. Last week, the Inquisitor/Consular class took center stage because there is a chance that the Madness spec might actually become viable in PvP. But at the same time the Assassin/Shadow tank becomes viable in PvE, it'll become a wrecking ball in PvP. (Time to roll another character!) Unfortunately, two of my favorite classes aren't seeing the changes they need in the next SWTOR update. Because I'm so helpful to the SWTOR developers, I will sit in my armchair and tell them exactly what to do. But first, let's talk about the tweaks coming for these two enormously popular classes.
Tiger Woods 'in negotiations' with another publisher for video game rights
Since pro golfer Tiger Woods' name and likeness are no longer attached to EA's Tiger Woods PGA Tour golf series, he is free to explore deals with another publisher. That is exactly what Woods' agent Mark Steinberg is doing, as he is currently "in negotiations with another company regarding Woods' video game rights," ESPN reported. EA announced earlier this week that it was parting ways with Woods following a report in April that Tiger Woods PGA Tour 15 wasn't happening. The publisher will maintain a licensing partnership with the PGA Tour for future golf games.
Rockstar's Agent may not be KIA, trademarks suggest
While Rockstar Games' Agent entered deep cover and maintained radio silence over the last couple of years, a pair of recently-renewed trademarks discovered by Siliconera suggest that the espionage thriller may still be alive and under development. The trademark filings (documented here and here, though public viewing requires a unique search session) specifically mention Agent's distinct logo, which features "the shape of a handgun comprising the internal section of the letter 'G'". No additional details regarding the project's current status are yet known. Announced as a PlayStation 3 exclusive in 2009, Agent is a stealth-action game with a storyline set during the Cold War in the 1970s. The game later slipped to a 2010 release date, but failed to materialize. Rockstar announced in 2011 that Agent was "still in development," but has not issued a clarifying statement in the years since.
The Daily Roundup for 05.22.2013
You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
Agent smartwatch launches with Kickstarter campaign, promises 'unparalleled battery life'
There are few gadgets more associated with crowdfunding than smartwatches, due largely to the millions raised by Pebble. Now, you can add one more competing for your attention (and your backing). A Kickstarter campaign for the Agent smartwatch kicked off today, promising to deliver a device with better battery life than its competitors and a developer-friendly environment to attract some all-important apps (it's using the .NET Micro Framework, with apps able to be written in in C# using Visual Studio 2012). As for the watch itself, it packs a 1.28-inch memory display with anti-glare glass, an ARM Cortex-M4 processor (which promises to help on the power-consumption front), Qi wireless charging, motion and light sensors, and a water-resistent design with replaceable wrist straps. If all goes as planned, the company intends to begin full production of the watch in December of this year, with the final MSRP running $249 (or $299 including a Qi charger). Some of the Kickstarter options will get you one for less than that, although many of those have already been claimed.
BioWare was working on a spy game, 'Agent,' in 2009
Way back in the olden days of 2009, BioWare co-founder Trent Oster started work on a new, PS3-exclusive spy game called Agent, which "failed to survive the recession," Oster told Eurogamer. Agent was a mix of Jason Bourne and 007, Oster said, though we detected a hint of Deus Ex in his description as well:"The concept was to do the other half of GoldenEye," Oster said. "The idea being that James Bond isn't just a gun that walks around the world and shoots people. He's a suave manipulator, he's a talented martial artist, he's a secret agent. We wanted to cross that 007 with Jason Bourne, where he's been modified in some way; you're not sure what, but he's definitely deadly."We really wanted to push the acting side, the digital acting. We really wanted to be very high drama, very intense scenes. I always think of the scene in the second Bourne movie where Jason Bourne's choking the guy out with a book and he's right in his face and it's this very intense moment. That was one of the key things we wanted to carry off."No, Agent didn't have anything to do with the PS3-exclusive game that Rockstar announced in 2009, also dubbed Agent. EA "didn't believe in the concept" for BioWare's game and Agent was sent off on a mission from which it'd never return: counting all the grains of sand on a windy beach. Or just the recycle bin.
Screen Grabs: Are agents on Fringe flashing their Google Wallet?
Screen Grabs chronicles the uses (and misuses) of real-world gadgets in today's movies and TV. Send in your sightings (with screen grab!) to screengrabs at engadget dot com. We're not sure exactly what the FBI's standard issue kit consists of, but we imagine it has more than a few bits of secret tech. These screen grabs from this week's Fringe, however, would have us believe that the rogue agents like to pick up their tabs with what looks like Google Wallet. We can clearly see a Sprint-branded Galaxy Nexus being used to for a not-so-undercover financial transaction. At least it looks like the agents might have had an upgrade since we last saw them around these parts. Update: As many of you have pointed out, there was something wrong with our own intel on this case, and it wasn't one of the agents using the service. Perhaps the bureau isn't comfortable with e-wallets just yet. [Thanks, Te-je]
Star Wars: The Old Republic pits the Jedi Consular against the Imperial Agent
Ladies and gentlemen, this match is scheduled for one fall! In the blue corner, weighing in at 200 pounds of pure Force, we have the Jedi Consular. In the red corner, we have the conniving Imperial Agent. Who will come out on top? Well, that's for you to decide, but the folks at BioWare want to make sure everyone is making informed decisions. In light of that, the studio has released a new Star Wars: The Old Republic video in which a number of devs (verbally) duke it out in hopes of proving that their class is the best class. So jump past the cut and check it out, then decide for yourself who comes out on top (protip: it's the Agent). Oh, and while you're at it, don't forget that you can now preorder The Old Republic peripherals, so if you're in the market for a new mouse, keyboard, or headset, you can declare your allegiance for the Empire or Republic with a new gadget. For the full details, hit the SWTOR official site.
Agent progression revealed for Star Wars: The Old Republic
It's been a day for news about Star Wars: The Old Republic as we move still closer to release. The latest character progression video has been unveiled for the Agent, showing both the differences in equipment and abilities players can expect as they level up as one of the subtle hands of the Sith Empire's will. As players grow in power, they can either take the route of the stealthy and aggressive Operative or the resourceful ranged Sniper. On the Operative route, armors tend toward hooded attire as the character employs a variety of blades, bombs, and short-range blaster attacks to keep enemies pinned. Snipers, meanwhile, are sleekly armored ranged dispensers of death, with their abilities culminating in a large-scale orbital strike to take out inconvenient enemies. If you're itching to play an Agent, you'd be well-served to take a look at the full trailer to see all that the class is capable of doing in the name of the Empire.
SWTOR trailer revels in the signs of war
"Peace between Republic and Empire is crumbling. Every world, signs of war." Thus begins a two-minute journey through Star Wars: The Old Republic's setting, as the narrator takes us to a half-dozen worlds where conflict is brewing, people are being stabbed in the back, Bantha raiders are waving sticks above their heads, and players' mouths are salivating. This new trailer, Signs of War, is being shown this weekend at the New York Comic Con. While it might not be packed with new information, it's certainly a pulse-pounding buildup to this December's launch. From Jedi to Agents, every class gets its little moment to shine in it, packaged between explosions and large-scale conflict. You can watch the full trailer after the jump!
Agent's first art pops up on concept artist's portfolio
(click to embiggen) Rockstar's PlayStation 3 exclusive, Agent, remains a mystery. The game has yet to be shown off by the GTA developer since its first reveal in 2009, but a concept artist's portfolio, which was recently discovered by GameSpot, seems to show off the game's first visuals. Former concept artist Leigh Donoghue outed the images on his personal website, which have since been removed. Donoghue is currently employed as an architecture visualization specialist (a concept artist for reality, if you will), though he presumably drew up the concept art for Agent at Rockstar North during his employment there from April 2005 to November 2009 -- an employment which ended just months after Agent's E3 reveal that year. We've reached out to Rockstar and Take-Two for comment, but the fact that the images have been removed, not to mention the fact that Donoghue drew concept art for a variety of other Rockstar projects while employed there, lend plenty of credence to their validity. Otherwise, the most recent news from Take-Two/Rockstar about Agent is that it's "still in development," alongside the rarely seen Max Payne 3. Perhaps the Agent and Mr. Payne are cavorting around South America together? [Image credit: GameSpot]
Max Payne 3 and Agent 'still in development'
We think we cracked the code of delayed games. You don't really need to worry unless the title of a game can be easily worked into a headline gag about the delay. Madden? Call of Duty? Boring. Those games are destined to come to market on time. But dangle "The Max Payne of a long wait ahead" or "Agent to stay secret for a while longer" in front of Fate and it just can't help itself. If there's one thing the gaming gods love, it's a rib-tickling blog pun. It goes almost without saying then that in an investor call today Take-Two would say only that Max Payne 3 and Agent are "still in development," declining even to give a calendar year in which either would be released. It's a tough situation, but if Take-Two would just relent and change the names to Dependable Cop 3 and Trustworthy Spy it could all be fixed.
The Game Archaeologist jacks into The Matrix Online: Your memories
What can you trust when your memories are merely the by-product of intelligent machines tinkering with your brain? When you come right down to it, who's to say that our alleged recollections of The Matrix Online weren't just computer viruses uploaded into our cerebral cortexes -- and that the game never existed at all? Real or not, The Matrix Online is in no danger of being forgotten. Whether it's because of the meta setting, the too-hip-to-stay-on-cows fashion, or the interactive stories, MxO never fails to evoke passionate testimonies. After speaking with developer Ben Chamberlain last week, today we're going to turn the tables on the players themselves to see what they have to say. Was The Matrix Online really all that and a bag of computer chips? Was it merely a good-looking graphical chat room or something more? And how will it be remembered many years from now when we sit our grandchildren on our laps and tell them about how we took the blue pill? Or was it red... I can never remember!
EVE Evolved: Joining the Massively Mob
At the end of last week's article on preparing for EVE Online's Incursion expansion, I mentioned that part of our expansion preparation here at Massively would involve opening a Massively corporation in the game. This is something I've always wanted to do but haven't had the time to properly launch. I've been running the Pillowsoft corporation in EVE for the past six years or so, during which time the corp has been involved in almost every major game expansion. In two and a half years of the EVE Evolved column, I've had countless readers ask to join my corporation and have had to turn them all down. With Incursion rapidly approaching and Pillowsoft's latest wormhole expedition coming to an end, we now have the perfect opportunity to start a proper Massively corporation. In addition to providing financial help and some solid guidance to newer EVE players, the corp will be running frequent contests and event nights for any readers who want to participate. If you don't want to leave your current corporation but still want to hang out with other Massively readers and take part in our contests and events, don't worry. We also have an option just for you! In this week's EVE Evolved, I introduce the EVE Online Massively Mob and explain how you can get involved.
Spy the SWTOR Imperial Agent!
When BioWare gives out so much information about one class, where do you start? We now have confirmation of the Sniper DPS sub-class and the support/healing Operative class for the Imperial Agent. Also, we know more about the Chiss' origins, the Agent's starship, and the Agent class' combat role in Star Wars: The Old Republic. The Chiss hail from the the unknown regions of galactic space, and their advanced Ascendancy evolved independently from the Republic and the Sith Empire. Despite having a grand army these blue-skinned humanoids prefer to handle war through negotiation and espionage. So when the Sith Empire brought its fleet to conquer Chiss Space, instead of being met by brute force as in other systems, the Empire was met by diplomatic messages. These negotiations allowed for the Chiss to become the only true ally of the Sith Empire. As with any spy for the Empire, the Agent needs the most advanced starship one can find. In this case, we are talking about the X70B-Phantom-class Prototype. The superior technology of this starship prevents it from being mass-produced, so it is only given to the best operatives. The shape and haul keep the craft off most radars, and the navigation system will not be seen on any other ship for the next couple of decades. Generally, the training for an Imperial Agent will go one of two ways. Secrecy and stealth are the weapons of the Agent, and much like its Republic counterpart, the Smuggler Scoundrel, the Operative can specialize in medical technology as well. However, unlike the Smuggler Gunslinger DPS class, the Sniper's advantage is the distance and precision of rifles instead of the Gunslinger's rapid-fire dual short-ranged pistols. Be sure to check out the gallery of concept art and screenshots below, and don't miss the Agent's teaser video after the break. %Gallery-106262%
ZTE intros Agent for MetroPCS -- and yes, Uno is built-in
When our favorite feature of a phone is that Uno is included in firmware, that should give you a pretty good idea of the kind of device we're talking about -- but regardless, the fact that the ZTE Agent sells for $69 commitment-free from MetroPCS makes it notable, we suppose. The candybar features a 1.3 megapixel cam with video capture, stereo Bluetooth support and a 3.5mm headphone jack (which means you've got a music player on board, naturally), microSD expansion, and a 2.4-inch QVGA display. It's available now, which means that if you're close to a MetroPCS store, you're mere minutes away from delivering a brutal Wild Draw Four on your unsuspecting opponents.
