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The PlayStation VR includes a demo disc loaded with games
PlayStation VR is expensive enough by itself, so you probably don't relish the idea of spending more just to get a taste of what the PS4 headset is like. Thankfully, you won't have to. Sony has revealed that PSVR's accompanying demo disc will include samples of eight games. A handful are definitely lighter releases that serve more as showcases (PlayStation VR Worlds most notably), but there are also tasters of games you might well buy later. You can play demos for Battlezone, Driveclub VR, the ubiquitous VR sampler EVE: Valkyrie and RIGS: Mechanized Combat League, among others.
Play 'Overwatch' for free next weekend
If for whatever reason you still aren't sold on Overwatch, Blizzard's popular team-based shooter, you'll want to clear your schedule for next weekend. Blizzard announced on Thursday that it's putting on an Overwatch Free Weekend from September 9th to 12th.
Progress from 'NBA 2K17' demo carries over to the full game
Game demos are awesome, but they're usually the intro section of any given game. More than that, once you actually have the retail version, you're stuck working through the same portion of the game over again before getting to the meat of the experience. Playing early is a double-edged sword. NBA 2K17 is doing something different come September 9th, though. With "The Prelude," you'll have early access to the basketball game's career mode and will be able to play college games, interact with coaches during the mini-narrative and affect how you'll start MyCareer when the game arrives.
Nintendo tries to salvage 'Star Fox: Zero' with a late demo
Despite being one of Nintendo's most highly anticipated Wii U games, Star Fox: Zero landed with less than stellar reviews. It wasn't that the game was bad, just sort of hard to play. Critics and fans alike lambasted the title for having an obtuse, disconnected control scheme that moved half of the action to the Wii U gamepad -- forcing players to divide their attention between two screens. Now, Nintendo is letting players judge for themselves: three months after hitting store shelves, Star Fox: Zero finally has a free, downloadable demo.
Clearing 'Trials of the Blood Dragon' demo unlocks full PC game
Game demos typically are little more than a bullet point in a publisher's marketing plan designed to give folks an early taste of what a game might end up being while simultaneously driving pre-order numbers northward. But for Trials of the Blood Dragon, Ubisoft is trying something different. If you download the, err, trial version of the game on PC and complete the available challenges within a certain threshold of perfection, you'll unlock the full version of the game. Of course, you'll have to suffer through using Ubisoft's Uplay interface to do so, but that's probably a lot less work than getting 15 faults or fewer across the some 30 available stages.
PlayStation VR demos begin at Best Buy and GameStop tomorrow
At this week's annual E3 game show, Sony revealed the exact ship date for its PlayStation VR setup: October 13th. Pre-orders have been open since March, but if you're still weighing the pros and cons, you'll have the chance to try before you buy starting tomorrow (June 17th). At select Best Buy and Gamestop locations, the virtual reality tech will be available for your to test drive.
Try the first level of 'Doom' for free this week
The new Doom has launched to rave reviews, but today at E3 Bethesda announced it was looking to get even more people into the game. To that end, the first level of Doom will be available for free on Steam, Xbox One and PS4 this week only. The company said it was meant to be in the spirit of shareware demos that were so popular on the PC way back when the first Doom was popular, but this teaser is a bit more restrictive, since it'll only last for a week. Still, it's a better demo than most games offer these days.
Magic Leap reveals more about its 'mixed reality' tech
Despite billions in funding and board members like Peter Jackson and Sundar Pichai, there's still a lot of mystery around Magic Leap's augmented reality (AR) tech. We know that it's making a self-contained, high-resolution AR headset that seamlessly inserts digital elements into the real world, much like Microsoft's Hololens. We've also seen a patent application and a spectacular gaming concept video. However, the company has revealed a bit more new information about its vision for Magic Leap via a new demo video (below) and a feature article from Wired.
The 'Final Fantasy XV Platinum Demo' is available now
The long-awaited Final Fantasy XV will not arrive until September 30th, but gamers can get a taste tonight, with the Platinum Demo now available on PS4 and Xbox One. Find it now via these links (PlayStation, Xbox) or on the console's stores (we had to search for the game to get it to show up). According to the description you will "Join young Noctis and his magical guide as you explore the fantastical world of his dreams." Sounds exciting.
'Black Ops 3' is $15 on Steam in a multiplayer-only edition
So, you haven't played Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 but you don't want to throw down $60 for an online shooter that you might not enjoy. Activision has you covered with the Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 Multiplayer Starter Pack -- it's $15 on Steam and includes access to public ranked multiplayer matches, the Weapon Paint Shop, Gunsmith customization system, Black Market trading post, and Arena, Free Run and Theater modes. The pack is available from February 16th to the 29th.
'No Man's Sky' will get a Stephen Colbert 'Late Show' demo
With Apple CEO Tim Cook and other guests, Stephen Colbert has shown that tech will be a big part of his Late Show appeal. That includes gaming, judging by two segments scheduled for next week. On Friday, Colbert will welcome Hello Games founder Sean Murray, who will do an interview and demonstration of No Man's Sky. The title has made numerous appearances of late, including in our own Twitch interview (below). Sony is no doubt building hype for a release of the presumed blockbuster, which will debut on the PS4. The question on everyone's mind, of course, is "when is it coming?" We doubt that'll be answered on Late Show, but you never know.
The Uncharted 4 beta launches December 4th
Uncharted 4 won't arrive until 2016, but the forthcoming Nathan Drake Collection should keep you happy until it does. The remastered versions of the first three Uncharted games are launching in the first week of October, but if that seems like an eternity away, then help is at hand. The PlayStation Blog has revealed that the single player demo for the title will land on the store a week earlier, on September 29th. Of course, the key reason to buy the product is that you'll be able to take part in the Uncharted 4 multiplayer beta that's scheduled for December 4th through the 13th. Sony has also revealed to Eurogamer that European Nathan Drake fans will be able to snag a 500GB and 1TB PS4 bundle with the collection thrown in, the former setting you back £299.99 and the latter priced at £329.99.
'Mighty No. 9' demo delay gives backers more reason to be upset (updated)
What a long, sad trip it's been for folks who backed the Mega Man spiritual successor Mighty No. 9 on Kickstarter. A demo, which was originally planned as an apology for the game being delayed, has been pushed back. Developer Comcept writes that this tardiness is a result of issues that arose pertaining to the distribution method -- Steam. No other updates or info was given, and this news was buried at the bottom of a blog post about a custom-design contest (hey, we're running one of those too!). It's probably safe to guess that those involved feel pretty bad about the whole ordeal and how Comcept plans to make up for this is going to be interesting. Could another apology even suffice at this point? Update: Comcept tells Kickstarter backers that the delay stems from both deciding to remove copy protection from the demo (since it was already having trouble with Steam distribution) and responding to backers' requests to remove the time limit. That's reportedly going to take some time, in part because the DRM-free delivery involves making arrangements with Humble Bundle.
'FIFA 16' demo lets you control a women's team for the first time
FIFA 16 is a little special this year. For the first time ever, EA will let you play its football game as one of 12 women's national teams. It's a landmark moment in the series, and today you can see how it all works with the long-anticipated demo on PS4, PS3, Xbox One, Xbox 360 and PC. You can step out onto the turf as one of two women's teams -- the USA or Germany -- or get to grips with one of 10 professional clubs: Barcelona, Chelsea, Borussia Dortmund, Borussia Mönchengladbach, Inter Milan, Manchester City, PSG, Real Madrid, Club Atlético River Plate and the Seattle Sounders. With whipped crosses, mid-air tackles and some new finishing animations, there's a lot here to sink your Suarez teeth into.
Experience bullet time in Epic's crazy VR demo
Game-tech powerhouse Epic Games and its Unreal Engine are capable of some seriously impressive stuff, and now the North Carolina-based outfit wants you to experience what it's capable of in the virtual reality space. "Showdown" is the demo that the outfit's been showing off at industry events for the past year or so (I got to try it at CES back in January) and it's by far the most bad-ass bullet-time walk toward a hulking, missile-happy, bipedal robot I've ever experienced. The path is predetermined, sure, but as the street explodes into chaos around you, it's entirely possible to duck down or peer around objects like pop cans or even cars as they hurtle toward you in slow motion.
Watch the extended 'Uncharted 4' demo at 11am PT on Twitch
Fans of the Nathan Drake saga are going to want to tune in to Twitch at 11 am Pacific today. Naughty Dog has announced that it will stream the extended E3 press conference demo of Uncharted 4: A Thief's End.
The mother of all tech demos becomes an avant garde opera
1968 is when it all changed. On December 9 that year, Douglas Engelbart, a computer scientist at Stanford Research Center, made a 90-minute video presentation that revolutionized the world of computers. He didn't show up on stage at the Computer Conference in San Francisco, instead, he teleconferenced from his research lab 30 miles away -- an unprecedented feat at the time. Now almost half a century later, "the mother of all demos" is being resurrected as an avant garde opera called The Demo. Composers Mikel Rouse and Ben Neill re-imagine Engelbart's demo and the defining moments in his life that led up to it through a hybrid theater performance.
Final Fantasy 15 demo exclusive to day-one copies of Type-0 HD
Final Fantasy 15's demo will be exclusive to those with a copy of Final Fantasy Type-0 HD, Square Enix revealed. In fact, the publisher confirmed via PlayStation Blog that the demo is "intended to be a special gift for those of you who purchase early," so only the first shipment of Type-0 HD will include the "Episode Duscae" demo. In September, reports began circulating that Square Enix would offer the Final Fantasy 15 demo in 2015. Episode Duscae will feature around an hour's worth of narrative content, and thorough explorers will get around three to four hours of gameplay out of the demo. Square Enix stressed today that the publisher is "never going to release [the demo] as a stand-alone piece down the line." Square Enix also divulged details on Type-0 HD's $100 Collector's Edition bundle. The Collector's Edition includes a steel book case, 15-track song collection, 200-page manga set during the events of the game's opening moments, 80-page art book and five collectible cards. Those that pre-order the Collector's Edition will gain access to Final Fantasy 15's demo as well. Final Fantasy Type-0 HD will launch on March 17, 2015. [Image: Square Enix]
Bravely Default sequel lights up Japan in April 2015
Bravely Second is flying fairly to Japan on April 23, 2015, though there still isn't word on a Western release. The Bravely Default sequel was due on Japan's retail shelves this winter, but perhaps the publisher thought releasing it prematurely was unacceptable. So, while Japan has to wait a little longer, it can look forward to a shiny-looking collector's pack at launch. The package is on offer for 14,800 yen ($123), and its extras include the "200 years later" companion art book and novel, a "mini soundtrack" on CD, a notebook, a Pope Agnes mini-figure (yes, Pope Agnes), a strap detailed with new character Magnolia, and a code that adds unspecified in-game content.
Video: A hands on demo with Apple Watch
The release of the Apple Watch is still off in the distance, but excitement has been building for the product since it was announced. Despite all this excitement most of the footage we've seen of the device has been in controlled videos from Apple. Given how easy it is to make a demo video for your own product run like a dream it's hard to know exactly how accurate they are without hands on experience. As a Thanksgiving treat the folks at Cult of Mac have given their readers just such a hands on experience, and we're sharing the video with you as well. Shot at this years announcement event at Cupertino the video was originally not released due to its weak sound, but the visuals speak volumes about the interface of the Apple Watch. Give it a view to see how interacting with the watch in real time will go.
