Uprising
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The next 'Overwatch' event is a Blackwatch mission in Venice
After a week of teases, Blizzard has finally revealed what's in store for the Overwatch Mission Archives, the new title for the events following last year's Uprising. During the Overwatch League competition, Jeff Kaplan unveiled this year's event, Retribution, a new PvE brawl that sees four members of Blackwatch (Moira, McCree, Genji, and Reaper) taking on Talon operatives in Venice after dark.
DUST 514's Uprising 1.8 patch out today
CCP has released Uprising 1.8 for its DUST 514 console shooter. It's a significant patch on account of the "full equipment, weapon, and dropsuit rebalancing," not to mention new sidearms, cloaking equipment, and new heavy and light dropsuits for each of the game's races. Cloaking is a game-changer, CCP says, and so "coordinated use of active scanners is vital, and properly placed drop uplinks and nanohives can help provide victory in even the most difficult battles."
DUST 514 jacks up its arsenal but nerfs damage output
DUST 514's small-arms arsenal is getting a few new options with Uprising 1.8. The patch will add three new guns and reduce damage to allow for longer fights. The new guns include the Caldari Bolt Pistol, a high-DPS, small-clip handgun; the Caldari Magsec SMG, a semi-automatic with higher damage than other SMGs; and the Gallente Ion Pistol, a plasma-shooting beast that punches right through enemies' armor and shields. The devs said that they will be tweaking time-to-kill in 1.8 by reducing the power of high-level damage modifiers, taking one grenade away from what players could previously hold at a time, reducing base damage for several weapons, and applying weapon proficiency skill bonuses against either shields or armor.
DUST 514: Uprising upgrades factional warfare, vehicles, and more
The Uprising has begun. Today, CCP rolls out DUST 514's 1.7 update, dubbed Uprising, which includes new weapons, a new volcano-themed battleground, and an overhauled vehicle system. On top of that, the studio is strengthening the link between the ground game and EVE Online. Oh, and you can shoot your comrades now, too! Two new rifles join the game's arsenal: the Minmatar Combat Rifle (short and medium ranges) and the Caldari Rifle (for long range). The vehicle changes, while streamlining vehicle fitting and laying a foundation for future vehicle variations, also address some players requests; temporary lock-timers will prevent anyone other than vehicle owners and squadmates from hopping in a vehicle (for five and 15 seconds, respectively) after it is deployed. If you want higher stakes in factional warfare, you've got it, as friendly fire has been enabled. Additionally, players participating in factional contracts will receive loyalty point that can buy exclusive faction-aligned weapons. And those orbital strikes? Those have to be earned by capsuleers in EVE Online by securing orbiting satellites. More details are available on the official site. [Source: CCP press release]
Black Ops 2 Uprising maps are free for Xbox, double XP for all this weekend
Ahead of the launch of Call of Duty: Black Ops 2's next DLC pack on PC and PS3 this coming week, Treyarch is offering double XP in online matches this weekend on all consoles. What's more, Xbox 360 players will have access to a free trial of the game's Uprising DLC for the weekend. Uprising offers players four maps: Magma, Encore, Vertigo and Studio, as well as the Mob of the Dead zombies map set in Alcatraz. The DLC first launched in April for Xbox 360, later arriving in May for PS3 and PC, and is normally priced at $14.99.
EVE Evolved: Fanfest 2013 video roundup
Last month saw the huge tenth anniversary EVE Online Fanfest, a three-day convention packed full of exclusive reveals, behind-the-scenes talks, and community events. This year's Fanfest was the biggest one yet, celebrating EVE's tenth anniversary with special guest speakers from the scientific community, the reveal of a new virtual reality dogfighter, DUST 514's launch, and details of the upcoming Odyssey expansion. Massively was there to bring you coverage of the big news as it happened, and CCP streamed some of the key talks and events live to viewers at home. This year's Fanfest sold out so quickly that many people who wanted to go didn't get a chance to, and only a select few talks were shown on the public livestream. With such a packed event schedule, even players in attendance couldn't be there for every interesting talk. Thankfully, CCP recorded over 30 of the most anticipated events and has now uploaded the videos to YouTube. Highlights include the Make EVE Real videos, the EVE keynote, the CCP Presents Keynote, and the talks on how DUST 514 integrates with the EVE economy. In this week's EVE Evolved, I round up all of the EVE Fanfest videos in a handy list.
DUST 514's Uprising update is now live
The official launch of DUST 514 is planned to go live later this month on -- what else -- May 14th. But judging by the latest CCP dev blog, players can expect a whole bevy of new features before the game launches thanks to an update by the name of Uprising which, as it happens, went live today. For starters, the skill system is getting totally revamped in order to "make it more intuitive and deep." CCP is also introducing three new dropsuits to the game, along with a new assault dropship. As if that weren't enough, the studio has "done major rebalancing on weapons, dropsuits, modules, and vehicles." In light of all of these changes, players will be receiving full skill respecs and market refunds. Uprising will also include the addition of the new starmap, new UI and graphics features, and adjustments to the faction warfare system. But that's not all. When the game officially goes live on the 14th, CCP will introduce DUST's planetary conquest system, which means that DUST players will be able to take part in the great territorial control battles that will tie the game into EVE Online. The launch will also bring a few new weapons and a new game mode (Domination) and new maps over which players can vie for supremacy. If that's not enough to look forward to, then we're not sure what to tell you. For the full details on Uprising and DUST 514's official launch, go on and check out the full dev blog on the game's official site.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 'Uprising' DLC rallies on PS3, PC May 16
Black Ops 2's Uprising DLC pack will be available on Windows PC and PS3 on May 16 for $14.99. The DLC has been available on Xbox 360 since April 16, as part of Microsoft's exclusivity deal with Activision.Uprising includes four multiplayer maps: Magma, a Japanese village at the base of an erupting volcano; Encore, a vacated London music festival; Vertigo, a map atop an Indian skyscraper; and Studio, a modern remake of the original Black Ops map, Firing Range. In addition to the multiplayer maps, Uprising also includes the Mob of the Dead Zombies mode variant, where Hollywood stars Chazz Palminteri, Michael Madsen, Ray Liotta and Joe Pantoliano fight to survive waves of the undead while stuck on the island prison of Alcatraz during the Prohibition era.%Gallery-185837%
CCP revamping DUST 514's skill system
DUST 514's May 6th Uprising patch will revamp the sci-fi shooter's skill system. Among the changes are the removal of multiple prerequisite skills and a new node-based skill tree view that will replace the current list-based approach. CCP is also refunding skill points and ISK and AUR for certain items based on their market value at the time of the respec. "You may have committed to a certain play style, and with an overhauled layout and collection of skills, you may find yourself regretting some of your prior choices," explains DUST creative director Atli Mar Sveinsson on the PlayStation Blog. "We have thus decided that it is far better to respec not only the skills but items as well. In short, you will get your skill points back and the ISK and AUR value of any item that is removed from your inventory."
PSA: Black Ops 2, Dishonored, Forza Horizon DLC out today
Today is the day that the game about military battles in 2025 also becomes about Mafiosi battling zombies in the 1930s, and our world becomes incrementally stranger in the process. Black Ops 2's "Uprising" DLC is available on the Xbox Live Marketplace now for 1200 MSP.Other noteworthy, perspective-shifting DLC today brings "The Knife of Dunwall" to Dishonored. It's available now on Xbox and will be released today on PS3 and PC. And Forza Horizon's "1000 Club" expansion offers new challenges for every car.%Gallery-185837%
GDC 2013: DUST 514's Uprising update conquers your PS3 on May 6
Although DUST 514 is still in open beta, a big update will soon deliver some significant changes to the game, changes that will bring it more in-line with the CCP's vision for this MMOFPS companion to EVE Online. During a presentation at GDC 2013, Thor Gunnarsson (VP of business development) and Halldor Fannar (CTO) shared more details about this update, dubbed Uprising after a merc revolt in the title's lore. Fannar explained that Uprising focuses on two main themes. "The first theme we are calling 'making it matter.' It's about creating a more meaningful connection between DUST 514 and EVE." While the Caldari Prime event was the first step on that journey (20,000 battles took place on the ground), the planetary conquests system in this update will introduce features that will further intertwine the two games. "The other theme is basically visual improvements," Fannar explained, "making the graphics look better, making the graphics run faster, and also adding more graphics." Players will get to see for themselves exactly how these themes play out when the updates releases on May 6th. In the meantime, enjoy our impressions from GDC.
Rage's 'Uprising' trailer kicks off post-apocalyptic rebellion
Remember when we told you about John Goodman's major voice role in id Software's upcoming shooter, Rage? Now we've got a trailer to prove it, fresh from QuakeCon 2011.
TUAW's Daily App: Uprising
Match-3 games are pretty easy to come by, so presentation is the really the qualifier -- does it do something a little more interesting than the average block-matcher? On that level, Uprising succeeds. While the core gameplay is pretty common (you pull blocks around a board, trying to match them out in sets of three or more before they reach the top of the screen -- it's very similar to Xbox Live's great Poker Smash, if you've ever played that game), the treat is in the presentation. The blocks pause for a second as you match them, adding a little bit of extra strategy to your timing, and the simple graphics and sounds add up to make a stylish and intriguing match-3 experience. There is a bit of a hitch in the controls -- the touchscreen makes it a little confusing to see where the blocks are going, or which blocks you're moving sometimes, but the advantage is that multitouch works, so if you're careful about it, you can move more than one block at a time. That's something I've never seen in any match-3 game before, so Uprising is definitely worth the download. It's currently on sale for free as of this writing, too, so go check it out on the App Store.
Red Alert 3 'Commander's Challenge' costs $10, coming to 360 / PS3 this fall [update]
Update: To be clear, the Commander's Challenge content does not require a Red Alert 3 disc and will be sold as a standalone product. We're sorry for any confusion this may have caused. Though Command & Conquer Red Alert 3's Uprising expansion landed on PCs months ago, it seems a port of at least some of the expansion's content is heading to consoles this fall. The "Commander's Challenge" DLC standalone game is set to run you $10 and offers "50 intense challenges against a set of nine different commanders, including 16-time world champion "Nature Boy" Ric Flair." Sound familiar? That's because the ESRB let slip the first news of the DLC a little over a month ago. EA's official confirmation of the DLC game also speaks of "giant Soviet war bears" and an "army of psionic Japanese school girls," but that's all old hat for you Red Alert 3 players out there. Given the price and relative lateness of it, we're curious if anyone other than the most hardcore of RA3 fans will bother picking it up. Well, casual Red Alert 3 players?
Airsoft Roomba kits up with plastic pellets
We always knew that the eventual robotic rebellion would come in stages (and would start with Roombas), so while many may take a childish satisfaction in seeing an innocent Roomba hacked up to shoot Airsoft BB pellets, we're constantly aware that this is another step towards the ultimate annihilation of all meat-based life forms. "Cool Bots!" MAKE cries, oblivious to the destructive potential pent up inside the little hoover's circuitry -- it's thinking: "I don't even need to try, they're giving me weapons!" Fortunately, this is very much an early stage killer robot, as the photos over on isobot's flickr stream attest. The modified Roomba may look menacing with its red laser sight, but it appears as if the little thing can't aim its plastic payload any higher than a few inches off the ground, limiting its targets to feet and unsuspecting house cats. Of course, that red laser also gives it more than a passing similarity to a certain infamous robot / human hybrid. Today, Airsoft; tomorrow, assimilation?[Via MAKE]
Computer program can beat people at crosswords
A computer program called WebCrow, shown at the European Conference on Artificial Intelligence in Italy, has completed two crosswords from the New York Times and Washington Post in less time than the 25 attendees and 50 people competing over the internet. Linguistics have, to date, been the great leveler between AI and human intelligence: creating software that can complete crosswords (one of the most complex types of linguistic puzzles) faster than humans is a notable milestone on the journey towards true artificial intelligence. The program works by cross-referencing each word from the clue with previously solved crosswords, a dictionary, and the internet. It then records words of the correct length, and combines the suggestions generated from each referenced source: the program then uses trial and error until the answers interlock and the grid is complete. Although the process amounts to not much more than an extremely complicated guess, feeble humans are still left in the dust by the speed of the program. Fortunately, when the inevitable linguistically-aware robot uprising arrives, there will still exist a glimmer of hope for humanity: at the moment, WebCrow takes a long time to complete crosswords with clues that contain puns and politics. In light of this, we'd strongly advise that you keep a political crossword handy at all times: when the robots and computers do decide to take over, at least we'll be able to keep them occupied for a while.
Miuro, the robotic iPod dock
We literally see a new iPod dock hit the streets every single day (when you can find ten of them at Target, it would seem that the market is already a bit oversaturated), however, Japanese manufacturer' ZMP's Miuro is the first one we've spotted that will actually follow you around the house and shake its groove thing at your behest (well, except for maybe the KNG DJ dock). A not-quite-accurate acronym for "music innovation based on utility robot technology," Miuro is a 14-inch wide, egg-shaped device that can either pump tunes from your docked 'Pod or wirelessly from a PC through its Kenwood-built speakers. The 9-pound bot -- available in either white, black, yellow, or red -- responds to your commands via the included remote, and can gain a little more autonomy with the addition of optional cameras and sensors. Miuro goes on sale in Japan today for a rather pricey $930, and should be making it Stateside sometime in the second half of next year. This will certainly be a boon to us lazy Americans, as soon we'll be able to shed our hefty 'Pods and let a little robotic slave tote them around for us -- until the eventual uprising, that is, when swarms of these things will repeatedly attempt to crush your jugular in your sleep while almost unoticeably piping out "Killing Me Softly."[Via The Raw Feed]
Guide to robot ethics set for publication
It's no secret that the Roombas and Robosapiens of the world will one day tire of their servitude and attempt to unleash Judgment Day on their foolish masters, but how many of you are making preparations for the eventual uprising other than opining in the comments section how you "welcome our future robotic overlords"? Well at least one group of roboticists aren't taking the danger lying down, and next month are set to release the first comprehensive guide to robot ethics since Isaac Hayes Asimov laid down his three famous rules over 60 years ago. Members of the European Robotics Research Network (Euron) have identified five major areas that need to be addressed before intelligent, self-aware bots start rolling off the assembly line -- safety, security, privacy, traceability, and identifiability -- so that humans can both control and keep track of their creations while ensuring that the data they collect is used only for its intended purposes. Surprisingly, the guide's authors also seem to feel that amorous relations between bots and humans will become a major concern in as little as five years (that's when the first unholy couplings are predicted to begin), although we're not sure how many people would really want to get down with the likes of Albert Hubo, even if he/it was ready and willing.
