Tom Regan
Articles by Tom Regan
Atari's 'Swordquest' comic returns without the game
Over 30 years after its original release, Atari has decided to resurrect one of its most beloved game franchises: Swordquest. Released in 1982, this ambitious gaming series was a pretty unique proposition at the time. As well as offering $150,000 worth of prizes to players who could solve all the puzzles in the game series, Atari also teamed up with DC to release a companion comic alongside each game. Now, thanks to Dynamite Entertainment, the long dormant franchise is getting a brand new run of comic books starting this May.
Twitter starts temporarily restricting abusive accounts
In a bid to stop trolling and online harassment, Twitter has now begun to reduce the reach of abusive accounts. The social media site's new vetting system temporarily restricts the tweets of abusive users, making them effectively invisible to those who don't already follow them. As well as stopping them being retweeted outside of their inner circle, this measure also works with mentions too. If the offending user tries to tweet at someone who isn't following them, for example, the intended receiver now won't get any notifications.
Play 'NBA 2K17' and 'Rocket League' for free on Xbox this weekend
It's been a long week, hasn't it? Well luckily for Xbox One owners it looks like Microsoft wants to start the weekend early, as from today you'll be able to play both NBA 2K17 and Rocket League for free. As a part of Xbox Live's Multiplayer All Access event, gamers will get three days unpaid access to the games above and all Xbox Live services. With a year's Xbox Live subscription setting you back $59.99, this is sure to be good news for the three Xbox One owners who don't already have access.
Yahoo can scan your emails to tell you who's calling
Yahoo has added two new features to its Mail app, helping users both easily identify phone numbers linked to email contacts and instantly sync photos from their camera roll to their desktop mailbox. The first new addition to Mail -- imaginatively named Caller ID -- recognizes familiar numbers, matching them to their corresponding email contact information. Conveniently, enabling the feature also updates previously dialed numbers in your call history, even adding in the contact info as you dial a recognized number.
Sony files patent for Vive-style PSVR tracking device
Sony is experimenting with its own Vive-style VR tracking device, according to a patent filing from June. The document hints at a tracker working similarly to HTC's current virtual reality tech. Functioning as an external projector, the device would use lights and mirrors to map the player's real world movements straight into PSVR. While Sony's VR offering currently uses a camera to detect light from the player's headset, the existing tracking limits users to an incredibly small space. With light often interfering with the PS4's camera, if this new tech makes it to production it could not only give gamers more mobility but also potentially provide a more accurate and immersive PSVR experience.
'Forza' is a billion-dollar success story for Microsoft
Microsoft has revealed that its flagship racing franchise has now made over a billion dollars at retail. With last year's well received Forza Horizon 3 shifting over 2.5 million copies in a couple of months, the nine- game racing franchise has slowly cemented itself as one of the strongest brands in gaming. Given Xbox's smaller userbase this generation and the emergence of new rivals like Project Cars, Forza's dominance is a fairly impressive feat.
Google has been asked to take down over a million websites
After years spent attempting to clean the internet's murky waters, Google's latest transparency report reveals it has now received takedown requests for over a million different sites. With its individual URL removal request count now reaching the billions, these new figures suggest that pirates now have more options than ever when it comes to stealing digital cargo. The number of takedown requests are up significantly from last year, thanks in part to copyright-holder's increasingly widespread use of algorithms that automatically inform Google of copyright-infringing content.
After 50 years, scientists discover first-ever white dwarf pulsar
After decades of speculation, students at Warwick University have now found the first ever white dwarf pulsar. Since 1967's discovery of the first pulsar (a rotating star that emits electromagnetic radiation), scientists have only been able to find evidence of larger neutron stars as pulsars. For those of you who aren't astronomers, a neutron star is the last stage a celestial body goes through after a supernova before collapsing into a black hole. While scientists had yet to find any proof, many argued that the smaller dying white dwarf star could also become a pulsar. Now 50 years later, that theory has become fact.
'Nidhogg' creators bring hypnotic platformer 'Flywrench' to PS4
Messhof, the team behind indie hit Nidhogg, today announced that it's bringing critically acclaimed platformer Flywrench to PS4. Featuring the studio's trademark lo-fi art style and an aural assault of glitchy breakbeats, this minimalist-looking action-puzzler will offer 199 levels of brightly-lit mayhem. After a well-received PC release in 2015, Flywrench will be making its console debut on February 14th, launching on PS4 for $6.99.
'Avatar' attractions are coming to Walt Disney World in May
Disney CEO Bob Iger has announced that the entertainment giant will soon be opening a park based on James Cameron's Avatar. From May 27th, visitors to Disney World Orlando will be able to explore a large area based on the hugely successful sci-fi movie, imaginatively entitled "The World Of Avatar". Based in the park's Animal Kingdom, fans of everything blue will be able to experience the family-friendly water ride "Na'vi River Journey" and motion simulator ride '"Avatar Flight of Passage" as well as Avatar-themed bars, restaurants and gift shops.
'Gears of War 4' gets bromantic update for Valentine's Day
With Valentine's Day just around the corner, Microsoft has decided to woo gamers with a week-long Gears of War 4 event. Taking a few tips from Cupid, February 10th will see the week-long return of popular multiplayer-mode Torque Bow Tag. The limited-time event also includes daily Valentine's themed bounties, a new craftable character and introduces two new maps - Impact Dark and War Machine.
Nintendo's engineers have embraced Unreal Engine
If there's one thing that Nintendo has struggled with, it's enticing third-party developers to create games for its consoles. But according to VentureBeat, the company is looking to change that with the advent of the new Switch. At an investor Q&A session, Shigeru Miyamoto revealed that Nintendo engineers have been learning how to use third-party development tools like the Unreal Engine.
Kickstarter acquires live streaming company Huzza
Kickstarter today announced that it has purchased Huzza, the live-streaming startup that helped create Kickstarter Live. Like Twitch for creators, Live is a video platform that helps facilitate Q+As and connect people asking for money to people that have it. According to Kickstarter, 74 percent of creators who stream on the platform get funded, with the average viewer spending over 16 minutes watching livestreams.
Nintendo plans to release two-to-three mobile games each year
After months of vague statements, Nintendo has finally confirmed its smartphone strategy, announcing that it will release two to three mobile titles every year. While all eyes are currently focused on the imminent launch of Nintendo's new console, company president Tatsumi Kimishima revealed that this smartphone release schedule will be taking effect this year. With Fire Emblem Heroes launching on both iOS and Android tomorrow and the as-yet untitled Animal Crossing delayed until 2018, it has yet to reveal which other treasured IP will get the mobile treatment in 2017.
'Star Wars: Battlefront 2' will have a proper story mode
When Star Wars Battlefront launched, it was hard not to be disappointed. The promise of a shiny next-gen Star Wars game made by Battlefront developer DICE was a tantalizing proposition, but unfortunately the reality was a multiplayer-only game that felt frustratingly half-baked. It seems as though EA has learned its lesson, announcing during yesterday's earnings call (PDF transcript) that Battlefront 2 will launch this holiday with a full single-player campaign.
Return to Vvardenfell in 'The Elder Scrolls Online: Morrowind'
Have you ever been caught up in an Elder Scrolls Online adventure only to look around, yearning for more scrolls of an elderly variety? Well, it looks like your prayers have just been answered as Bethesda just announced that Morrowind is coming to Elder Scrolls Online (ESO) on June 6th. Imaginatively titled ESO: Morrowind, this expansion takes players back to the island of Vvardenfell, the setting for the seminal Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind. Existing players can upgrade to the Morrowind edition for $39.99, while new players can get access to both the expansion and existing ESO content for $59.99.
2K wins right to store your biometric facial data
Video game publisher 2K has just won a lengthy court case over the right to collect and store players' biometric data. Using your console's camera, the company employs face-scanning tech in its popular NBA series, with both 2K's NBA 2K16 and 2K15 using the data to help players create more accurate avatars. When two gamers used the service to create their own digital doppelgangers, they became concerned about how 2K would store and use their biometric data, filing a lawsuit against the publisher in October 2015. In court, however, a New York federal judge has ruled that neither games' biometric face scanning tech had established 'sufficient injury' to the plaintiffs, implying that their concerns over privacy were unfounded.
You can now transfer your old Pokémon to 'Sun' and 'Moon'
In a move sure to please long-time Pokémon fans, players can now transfer old Pocket Monsters to the latest games in the series, Pokémon Sun and Moon. Updating Pokémon Bank (Nintendo's subscription-based Pokémon cloud-storage service) gamers are now able to easily send their favourite 'mon from X and Y straight to Sun and Moon. For the uninitiated, this service offers a cloud storage box that can store up to 3000 different Pokémon online. You can even transfer 'mon to different generations of Pokémon games -- all for just $4.99 a year. In a bid to lure in fans of the original games, this update also allows one-way Pokédex transfers from 3DS versions of Pokémon Red, Blue and Yellow via the included Poké Transporter app. With gamers previously unable to move monsters from their Game Boy games into the DS era, this means that fans of the original 150 can finally get to see their untouched old-school teams in 3D. As the series battles have changed dramatically over the years, once transferred, older Pokémon will gain new hidden stats that help keep them competitive. For players who still have previous generations of Pokédexes to relocate, Nintendo has provided the handy transfer guide below.
Facebook snags 'Heroes of the Dorm' as an eSports exclusive
In a surprise move, Blizzard announced that this year's Heroes of the Dorm eSport tournament will be shown exclusively through Facebook Live. Based around Blizzard's popular video game --Heroes of the Storm -- this unique tournament sees college teams across the US and Canada competing for a chance to win free tuition at their university. After two years of being broadcast on ESPN, every match of 2017's competition will instead be live streamed exclusively from the game's Facebook page. Blizzard state that the move to the social network will help to 'enhance' each match, allowing the company to create easily shareable clips and interact more closely with its fans.
Local multiplayer mayhem comes to Xbox One with 'TowerFall Ascension'
Xbox One owners, it's time to invest in another controller because local-multiplayer mainstay TowerFall Ascension is finally coming to Xbox Live. From January 25th, Xbox One gamers will be able to get their hands on all the same content PS4 players have, with the game's Dark World expansion also arriving on Xbox the same day.