announcements
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Alexa's intercom-like broadcasts come to more non-Echo devices
Amazon has slowly been expanding the circle of devices that can use Alexa Announcements, but now it's throwing the gates wide open. The company has made the intercom-like feature available to any device with Alexa support built-in -- you could use your thermostat or fridge to tell the kids that dinner is ready. In theory, you won't have to visit a specific room like you might today.
Alexa's one-way intercom feature arrives on Fire TV Cube
If you have several Echo (or Sonos One or Beam) devices around your home, you might already be aware of the Alexa Announcements feature -- speak into one device and the others broadcast that message over their speakers. To knit its ecosystem closer together, Amazon is bringing the one-way intercom tool to the Fire TV Cube.
Amazon Fire HD tablets now receive Alexa drop-in calls
You can already start calls to Alexa devices from Amazon's tablets, but it's now possible to receive those calls, too. As of December 5th, people with recent Fire HD 8 (2017 and 2018) and Fire HD 10 models can take Drop-In calls and intercom-style Announcements when they're in Show Mode. This will mainly be useful if you have a Show Mode charging dock, which invokes the mode automatically. If you're in that position, though, it could be very helpful -- you could tell your kids it's time for dinner without buying another Echo or (gasp) walking across the house.
Alexa's intercom-like announcements arrive on Sonos One and Beam
One of the more useful features of Amazon's Alexa voice assistant is the ability to create custom recordings and use them as announcements for your entire network of Alexa-enabled connected speakers. Now, Sonos is getting the feature, too: announcements are coming to Sonos One and Sonos Beam.
World of Warcraft's 10th anniversary preview
Ten years is a long time. Ten years ago, in 2004, I was 20 years old and entering my third semester of college--also entangled in endless piles of paperwork while I prepared to spend a year studying at the University of New South Wales in Sydney for the calender year 2005. Ten years ago, in November 2004, World of Warcraft officially launched. The mark that WoW has left on the gaming industry is indisputable--but we're not here for musing retrospectives. At least, not yet. We're here because there's going to be a whole bunch of fun in-game events to celebrate WoW's first decade of existence, and Blizzard has given us a lovely preview of what at least a few of them are.
Perfect World Entertainment announces Swordsman
Don't you love a clear, unambiguous title? Swordsman leaves no doubt as to what the game will involve. Put simply, there will be swords. There will be men. There will be men with swords, men who know how to use swords. There may even be men who know how to use swords fighting other men with swords. It's a title that promises to deliver a whole lot of swords and men with training in same, what else could you ask? Yes, there's more information than that. Swordsman is based upon popular wuxia novels by Louis Cha, set during the Ming dynasty and featuring ten diverse fighting styles. It sounds like a familiar premise, but it certainly beats another outing in which you're a pseudo-European knight with gleaming plate armor, yes? Check out the full press release for the game just past the break, and sign up for beta on the official site if that's your bag. [Source: Perfect World Entertainment press release]
Playwith Interactive announces Eclipse War Online
Playwith Interactive's upcoming new title, Eclipse War Online, is all about change. Specifically, about your character changing. Even more specifically, about your character changing into a monster. Yes, that's the big gimmick of the game. When you kill a monster, it can drop a transformation card, which your character can subsequently use to take the form of a monster with according stat boosts, abilities, and similar improvements. Don't just kill ten rats, become the rat! Or something like that. Transformations also play into the game's environmental systems, with climate and time of day both changing the overall efficiency of your transformed abilities. You can also take part in several different forms of PvP, including open world PvP as well as special instanced maps. The game is planning on hitting beta early this year, so keep your eyes peeled for more information if you just can't wait to turn into a spider after killing one. [Source: Playwith Interactive press release]
CCP Games reveals EVE Valkyrie
There's another game on its way to share space with EVE Online and DUST 514. EVE: Valkyrie is the official name for what had been referred to before now as EVE-VR, what was described as a tech demo assembled with the Oculus Rift and a few fighter craft. Yes, that high-speed dogfighting sim in a virtual reality headset turned out to not just be a brief bit of playable speculation but a peek at the next game from CCP Games. CEO Hilmar Petursson stated that as soon as players got their hands on the demo, they wanted to know when the whole thing could be purchased -- and that was when it was just a concept demo developed by a handful of people during some spare moments. No official statements have been issued on what format the game will take or whether or not there will be components other than multiplayer dogfights. But there will be spaceships zooming around and shooting one another, and that's what attracted people in the first place.
E3 2013: Behaviour announces Warhammer 40k: Eternal Crusade
"In the grim darkness of the far future, there is only war." These are the ominous words that greet visitors of the brand-new website for Warhammer 40k: Eternal Crusade. The game, announced today and in development at Behaviour Interactive (with the support of Games Workshop, of course), is a third-person action MMORPG set in a persistent world. Details are scant as the title's unveiling has just begun, currently sitting at phase one of nine. The only clear information available on the official site is a targeted release window of late 2015. We'll have more for you tomorrow after we sit down with Behaviour's head of online games, Miguel Caron, at E3, but for now, here's the press release blurby: Montreal, 10th June, 2013 – Behaviour Interactive and Games Workshop® proudly announce a new online game in the Warhammer® 40,000® universe: Warhammer 40,000: Eternal Crusade. Behaviour Interactive has obtained the rights to create a wholly new MMORPG persistent war experience for PC, PS4 and Xbox One set in Games Workshop's universe of the 41st Millennium. In the game, players choose a Warhammer 40,000® race and fight directly as one of their warriors in massive conflicts for territory. It will be up to each faction's community to determine their own destiny as they vie for control of an entire planet. Massively's on the ground in Los Angeles during the week of June 10-13, bringing you all the best news from E3 2013. We're covering everything from WildStar and Elder Scrolls Online and ArcheAge to FFXIV's inbound revamp and TERA's latest update, so stay tuned!
Reuters: Apple to show off iRadio streaming service next week
Reuters is reporting that among the announcements we'll see at next week's WWDC keynote, Apple will introduce a new music-streaming service called iRadio. The service will be free and ad-supported, Reuters says those in the know claimed, and will feature ads from the iAds team. The service is designed to dive into the already crowded market of music-streaming services, which includes Pandora, Rdio, Spotify, Slacker Radio and a number of other sizable options. I will buy this rumor, but I don't know if Apple's plan is simply to just introduce "another" music streaming service. The company has been working hard with iCloud and iTunes Match to get you access to your music from any of your devices, and my guess is that any "iRadio" reveal would be along those lines, aimed at providing you direct access to any tunes you want to listen to from anywhere. The iAds division was of course put together for running ads on apps, but it makes sense that Apple would want an in-house solution for them to sell, so it sounds like this could work. As with all of these rumors, we won't know what's true until Apple actually takes the stage next week. But at least we don't have too much longer to wait.
Fates Forever is MOBA enough for PC but made for a tablet
The MOBA market is pretty full these days, but Hammer & Chisel is trying to find a unique angle with Fates Forever. It's meant to have everything you'd expect from a MOBA, with the game outright calling itself a re-imagining of League of Legends. But you can't play this game on anything less than a tablet. No smartphones, no consoles, no computers, a competitive MOBA designed only for use on tablets. So what makes it uniquely designed for tablets? Fine touch controls, for one thing. Instead of clicking, you can use gestures to direct your heroes, and you can also activate special attacks specifically via the touchscreen. That opens the door for controls that would be tedious or unworkable on a PC and cumbersome on a smartphone. How successful this approach will be remains to be seen, but the game is aimed for a release later this year. [Source: Hammer & Chisel press release]
Stardock announces dev investment fund, showing two new games this year
Developer Stardock has announced the beginning of an investment fund to support up-and-coming developers. When Stardock sold distribution service Impulse to GameStop, it earned "some unprecedented opportunities," says CEO Brad Wardell. The fiscal boon will help "to keep Stardock small and invest in start-ups."These spinoffs, says Wardell, "should produce things that will help future start-ups in the technology industry." Some of the partnerships are already underway, though "not far enough along in what they're working on to publicize anything." Wardell's plan is to reveal more about the fund this summer, with news about the companies involved coming later.Elsewhere in Stardock's customer report, Wardell says the company's internal teams are toward two new games to be revealed this year. One or both games may be the result of Stardock's work with consultant Soren Johnson, the former lead designer on Civilization 4.Wardell also says Sins of a Solar Empire: Rebellion was "immensely successful," and that we can expect more from that series in the future.
Turbine Entertainment unveils Infinite Crisis, a DC Universe MOBA
Ready to unleash your own Crisis on Infinite Earths? Warner Bros. Interactive, Turbine Entertainment, and DC Comics are teaming up to let you do just that with the upcoming Infinite Crisis, a MOBA set against the backdrop of the DC multiverse. If you ever wanted to know who would win in a matchup between normal Batman and steampunk Batman, you'll have the opportunity to find out here. Infinite Crisis isn't in beta yet, but the launch trailer (embedded past the break) makes it clear that there are already several alternate versions of iconic heroes planned for inclusion. Players can also look forward to destructible environments, major events, and even an overall story arc. If you're worried about breaking your wallet, the game is already planning on launching as a free-to-play title, so everyone can jump in for all of the DC-related antics. You can sign up for beta testing now on the official site.
Steve's 'One More Things' all in one video
Steve Jobs' "One More Thing" pronouncements made for some of the most memorable and fun moments of the various Apple events he hosted over the years. Near the end of each show, he would usually pull out a "I've got one more thing to share with you" reveal, and it would always be something not necessarily groundbreaking, but always charming and fun. The G4 Cube, the iPod shuffle and FaceTime were all announced as "One More Thing," and while I'd argue that none of those were really that influential, they're definitely well-used and well-remembered by the Apple faithful. And now, someone's collected (almost) all of the "One More Thing" mentions all together in one video below. It's fascinating for a number of reasons, both just as a collection of the "One More Thing" moments, but also as a timeline of Jobs' presentation style, as he slowly refined and cultivated the mystique that he was eventually so well-known for. At the beginning of the video, "One More Thing" is just something he says in the course of his talk, but near the end, it's become an event all its own. It's very cool to watch these back to back for sure.
Talkcast tonight, 7pm PT/10pm ET: iPad mini mega-announcement edition
It's Sunday once again, and since Mike is busy battening down the tech hatches in anticipation of Sandy, tonight Kelly will be hosting. We'll have plenty to discuss, with not only an earnings call, but a media event as well, giving us loads of actual facts (iPad mini! New iMac! Retina 13" and a new Mac mini!) instead of just speculation. There's quite a bit to discuss, so hopefully we can cover everything in the hour we have. Since Kelly's hosting the show, that means there will be aftershow. It's worth holding out for, provided you don't have emergency prep for the Frankenstorm. Since it's really all about you, the community, do see if you can join us, won't you? To participate, you can use the browser-only Talkshoe client, the embedded Facebook app, or download the classic TalkShoe Pro Java client; however, for +5 Interactivity, you should call in. For the web UI, just click the Talkshoe Web button on our profile page at 4 HI/7 PDT/10 pm EDT Sunday. To call in on regular phone or VoIP lines (Viva free weekend minutes!): dial (724) 444-7444 and enter our talkcast ID, 45077 -- during the call, you can request to talk by keying in *8. If you've got a headset or microphone handy on your Mac, you can connect via the free X-Lite or other SIP clients (aside from Skype or Google Voice), basic instructions are here. Talk to you tonight!
The Daily Grind: Do you expect big news from this week's confluence of conventions?
GDC Europe, GenCon Indy, and Gamescom all happening at the same time? It'd be completely unbelievable if it weren't happening right now. This week sees three major gaming conventions all taking place, and while all three are focusing on different areas of the gaming world, you can't focus on one while ignoring the others. That means that next week is going to be full of coverage of all three events, and if you've been following the convention calendar, you're no doubt eagerly anticipating this. But will there be any major news? After all, sometimes these events don't produce news so much as a few interesting footnotes. With so much gaming concentrated in a single week, it would almost make more sense to wait until the ruckus has died down to make any big announcements. So do you expect big news from this week's convention extravaganza? Or do you expect a whole lot of noise and not a lot of signal? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
Google TV Facebook page teases new announcement (Update: It's a new YouTube app)
Since Eric Schmidt made the rather bold proclamation that "most" new TVs would have Google TV embedded by summer 2012, we've all been waiting for something "big" from Mountain View. Well, if you can believe the services' Facebook page, "big announcements" are just what we can expect Monday. A post on Google TV's profile leaves a lot to the imagination, but while speculation is already jumping sky-high (Google TV Nexus, anyone?) the possibilities range all the way from new product announcements to minor service / feature expansions or contests -- so set your alert levels accordingly. Of course, if it were really a big deal then you'd think the news would come out on Google+, right?Update: Just that fast, the official blog has revealed the big announcement and it's.... an updated version of the YouTube app. For what it's worth, the new version is supposed to be faster with smoother navigation when it starts rolling out "in the next few days." It also adds a "Discover" feature for browsing by category, new channel pages and better tie-ins for related videos, which should help viewers browse its growing library of premium content, but isn't exactly the big announcement some may have anticipated. Check the blog for more details and return to DEFCON 5.
First major patch and maintenance delayed for Star Wars: The Old Republic
Cleared your schedule later today to try out the new content in Star Wars: The Old Republic's first major patch? Well, we hate to disappoint you, but it looks like your adventures against hordes of space zombies will be delayed a little longer. According to an official announcement this morning, the scheduled maintenance has been delayed and patch 1.1 along with it, with the most definitive new information simply being some time next week. While the announcement doesn't go into details about the rationale, it notes that there were late-surfacing issues uncovered by players on the test realm that required additional maintenance to correct, forcing the team to bring the patch back and polish it a few more times. A definite time will be posted to the community as soon as it's available. It's disappointing, certainly, but the idea of putting out the game's first major patch before the game had even been out of retail release for a month may have been overly ambitious.
We're live from CES 2012!
We've landed in Vegas, just in time to enjoy the proverbial calm before the storm that will be the 2012 Consumer Electronics Show. Motorized carts zoom around the parking lot as the Las Vegas Convention Center begins to take shape -- as always, getting the million-dollar-booths fully dressed before the curtain comes up next week seems an impossible task, but the crews will come through, making the finished product a far-cry from what we see today. And as exciting as it can be to roam the halls of the LVCC and surrounding venues during the show, the pageantry of CES is really about the products, including many of which we haven't heard so much as a peep about in the weeks leading up to the show. But as the booths inside will remain veiled until company heads have a chance to brief attendees, a few hints have begun popping up outside the convention center, as workers hang sponsored banners above and along the massive entranceways. Some of these product hints serve to confirm previous rumors, so join us past the break for an early look at what's to come.
MechWarrior Online announced
In the future, battles will be fought via BattleMechs -- enormous walking tanks covered in weapons, waging war for control of the region of known space called the Inner Sphere. Sound familiar? It's the premise behind the BattleTech series of games, including the popular MechWarrior franchise. And apparently, in late 2012, players will have the chance to get inside a 'Mech of their own in a new online installment to the series, MechWarrior Online, announced by Piranha Games. The announcement comes with a slew of questions and answers for expectant players, including information about customizing one's 'Mech, which of the classic designs will be seen in the game, and of course details about the world and timeline that the game takes place. There are no details regarding a beta at the moment, but the team seems quite insistent that the game will launch in 2012. It's certainly going to make next year interesting for all life-long MechWarrior fans.
