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Twelve South loves you and is giving you a Christmas present
Those of you who have dual-screen setups for your Macs are going to love the nice Christmas gift that accessory manufacturer Twelve South is sending your way. The company has partnered with San Francisco photographer Scott Gordon to create sets of dual-screen backgrounds that you can download and install for free. According to Twelve South Creative Director and Co-founder Andrew Green, "I've always enjoyed the dual-screen experience with my Macs, and the best way to make the most of that setup is with gorgeous dual-screen backgrounds. In the spirit of the holiday season, we've partnered with San Francisco photographer Scott Gordon to share a stunning set of dual-screen backgrounds with you. Happy Holidays from everyone at Twelve South." The collection of backgrounds is titled "Collection 1: Fall in San Francisco", which seems to be a subtle hint that there will be future collections coming from Gordon and Twelve South. Visiting the page for the collection, you have your choice of four different wallpaper duos -- Golden Gate, Nightscape, Cloudveil, and Soma -- all of which come in a variety of sizes and resolutions. Frankly, this is tempting me to get a 27-inch iMac with Retina display to sit next to my "old" 27-inch iMac so I can get a stunning set of San Francisco images... Many thanks to Andrew Green, Twelve South, and Scott Gordon for this fun and useful gift.
343 announces free ODST campaign as apology for Halo: MCC woes
When Halo: The Master Chief Collection launched in November with a largely non-functional online multiplayer component, people were upset. Bonnie Ross, head of developer 343 Industries, personally apologized for the issues, promising to "make this right" with fans of old Tall, Green and Handsome. Yesterday, Ross elaborated on just what she meant: free stuff, including an updated version of Halo 3: ODST running on Xbox One. Anyone who played Halo: The Master Chief Collection online between launch (November 11, 2014) and December 19, 2014 is eligible to receive one month of complimentary Xbox Live Gold, an exclusive in-game nameplate and avatar, and a free download of the Halo 3: ODST campaign running at 1080p and 60 frames per second. Lastly, everyone who plays The Master Chief Collection will be able to enjoy an updated version of the Halo 2 map, "Relic," when it launches as a free content update for the game. The nameplate and avatar will be added to The Master Chief Collection sometime later this month, while a reworked Relic and the ODST campaign will arrive sometime in spring of 2015. "Both [Relic and Halo 3: ODST] were not part of our original development plans, but as a result of community feedback, and to do something special for our fans, both are now in development," an FAQ page for the recently-announced content reads.
Devolver serves up Fork Parker's Holiday Profit Hike for free on Steam
If the ongoing Steam Holiday Sale has you strapped for cash, Devolver Digital's faux CFO Fork Parker wants to cut you a deal in Fork Parker's Holiday Profit Hike, a freeware platformer released today on Steam. Developed by Enter the Gungeon creator Dodge Roll Games, Holiday Profit Hike is a vertically scrolling action game that blends gameplay mechanics from Nintendo's Ice Climber and the classic arcade game Roc'n Rope. Players ascend an icy mountain using an infinite supply of ropes and pulleys, grabbing any cash they find along the way to fill Parker's pocketbook. Be careful, though -- the climb is perilous, and each death deducts cash from Parker's savings to cover medical costs. It's a short game (there's an achievement for players who can climb the mountain in under 12 minutes), but the platforming within is surprisingly complex, and it'll take you a while to fully grasp how the rope mechanics work. Good luck, and try not to bankrupt Devolver Digital. Think of the indies! [Image: Devolver Digital)
GTA 5 'Festive Surprise' brings Christmas fear to Los Santas
As the snow drifted quietly this wintry morn, Rockstar Games offered a new "Festive Surprise" update for Grand Theft Auto 5. Players will now be able to use proximity mines and a homing missile launcher in the game, which will feature occasional snowy days. The update also adds holiday pajamas, Christmas sweaters, hats, scarves, masks and other festive gear for free, available through Monday, January 5. GTA 5's Festive Surprise update also features special gifts on Christmas Day (December 25) and a firework launcher and firework rocket ammo to celebrate New Year's. Lastly, players can pick up four new vehicles, such as the Hot Rod Christmas Ratloader and the Slam Van. The open world game's update also tweaked a few of the game's mechanics, adding an on/off switch for the first-person mode's auto-level setting as well as deadzone and acceleration slider controls. Better yet, players are now able to own a third property in GTA Online, allowing them to own up to 30 cars and 9 bicycles. While the Festive Surprise update is available to all players, a recent developer Q&A addressed concerns over next-gen-exclusive updates, such as first-person mode. Rockstar stressed that "there may be some updates that are only technically possible on the new hardware," though it does "hope to continue delivering as many updates as we can for all four consoles for as long as possible." GTA Online's heist missions will be available for all players in early 2015. [Image: Take-Two]
Simogo launches The Sensational December Machine on PC, Mac
Hot on the heels of launching its last narrative-driven game roughly one month ago, Simogo offered another game today for free, The Sensational December Machine. The Device 6 developer just teased the PC and Mac game on its Twitter account yesterday before offering it as a holiday gift to its fans today. Simogo's last game, The Sailor's Dream, was received rather well in our review and is available on iPad for $3.99. The Sensational December Machine is a "short interactive story about an inventor and her unusual new creation." The brief interactive story took three weeks to create and includes hand-drawn art and text as well as "dynamic music" that evolves alongside the story provided by Daniel Olsén, the composer for Device 6 and Year Walk. "We hope you'll snuggle up with this little seasonal, and very three-dimensional, tale in fullscreen mode," the developer added. "Perhaps with some good headphones, and a warm drink by your side." The Sensational December Machine can be downloaded through Simogo's website. [Image: Simogo]
Hulu offers free streaming on Android over the holidays
Need a way to drown out your extended family while they're visiting for the holidays? So long as you own an Android device and are in the United States, Hulu's got you covered. See, the TV-streaming outfit is offering "many popular" shows as part of its free Share the Joy of the Seasons promo on Google's mobile OS. As the app's Google Play listing tells it, episodes from the current seasons of Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Sleepy Hollow and South Park are on tap, amongst others. More episodes and content -- like Party Down -- naturally are locked behind the Hulu Plus paywall. And for iOS users, well, we suppose they'll have to settle for that recently redesigned app.
Mortal Kombat developer grapples with WWE Immortals next year
WWE is partnering with Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and Mortal Kombat developer NetherRealm Studios to create a new spin on the wrestling company's brand of brawling, WWE Immortals. The game will launch on iOS and Android devices for free next year, and will feature "epic Superstar battles in a fantastically re-imagined WWE world." In this case, we're hoping "Hell in a Cell" is taken more literally by the Mortal Kombat developer. While no other details are known about WWE Immortals, NetherRealm will handle the development in conjunction with Phosphor Game Studios. Phosphor is the developer behind first-person survival shooter Nether and The Dark Meadow, a creepy mobile adventure game. WWE has found ways to capitalize on its wrestling roster in the mobile space this year, as the company launched trading card battler WWE SuperCard in August, reaching 1.5 million downloads in its first week. [Image: WWE, WBIE]
Take a look, Lionhead prototype Inkquest is in a book (and free)
Fable Legends isn't the only game that's been cooking in the labs of Lionhead Studios. A game called Inkquest, which told the story of a girl trapped inside a book, was revealed back in September - though it was only a prototype and not destined to become a full-fledged game. Still, the concept and gameplay were at a point where the project was playable, so Lionhead has released the unfinished build for free to PC users. "This is the exact build that was featured in the [September] video - we haven't developed it any further," the company posted to their blog this week. "As such, there's bugs and rough edges, and none of the gameplay, visuals or features should be considered 'done.' That's the caveaty bit. Please do let us know what you think all the same – just bear in mind it's little more than a 'sketch,' and should be viewed as such." Inkquest comes from Lionhead Incubation, a department within Lionhead aimed at giving players a better look at the inner workings and incomplete projects of the studio. "We want the community to share in our failures-that-are-not-failures, and so over time we're going to be sharing some of those ideas with you, hopefully evolving into a regular cycle of interesting things for you to see or play," the company wrote in September. [Image: Lionhead]
Microsoft celebrates Xbox One's first year with gifts to lucky fans
Early Xbox One purchasers: Today might be your lucky day. A post on Major Nelson's blog explains that in celebration of the Xbox One's first year on the market, console owners will be "selected at random to receive a special gift from us." The blog post offers a full list of potential prizes, but highlights include the Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare and Sunset Overdrive console bundles and a one-year subscription to Xbox Live Gold. Free copies of Limbo, as seen in the above image tweeted by Xbox's Jeff Rubenstein, are also planned as a thank-you to Day One console adopters. Luck won't be the driving factor for everything related to the anniversary, however. Fans 17 or older that have used their console for more than 10 hours, reside in one of the original 13 markets for Xbox One and made their purchase between November 22, 2013 - November 11, 2014 will receive The Year One Celebration box. The bundle contains a Year One-themed gamer picture, dashboard background, desktop image and free rentals of Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn and Dragon Ball Z: Battle of the Gods. Those living in the US and Canada will also get a sampler pack of Dragon Ball Z episodes. Aside from free stuff, Xbox crunched a few community-wide statistics to see what Xbox One owners accomplished in their first year. The communal Gamerscore total earned on Xbox One has surpassed 11 billion, which was earned throughout two billion hours of play. The year's four most-earned achievements include Forza Motorsport 5's "Welcome to Forza Motorsport," Titanfall's "Build Yourself," Destiny's "Ship Rite" and Call of Duty: Ghosts' "Spatial Awareness." Happy birthday, Xbox One. [Image: Microsoft]
Free Shadow of Mordor DLC drops today on PC, PS4, Xbox One
Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor players will be able to put their warrior skills to the test in a free batch of DLC launching today, publisher Warner Bros. announced. Today's "Power of Defiance" DLC pack includes a new character skin (seen above), introducing Lady Marwen's daughter Lithariel as a playable character. The bundle also adds the new Test of Defiance Challenge Mode, which disables Wraith powers during battles with Sauron's Warchiefs. If you're looking to take an easier route through Shadow of Mordor's storyline, the DLC additionally includes an Epic Rune that grants players an additional Last Chance after falling in battle. Power of Defiance is available as a free download for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC versions of Shadow of Mordor. Additional expansions will launch in the coming months as part of Shadow of Mordor's Season Pass. [Image: Warner Bros.]
Why App Store apps are now labeled 'Get' instead of 'Free'
If you're searching on either the Mac or iOS App Stores today, you might notice a little change in the way Apple labels free apps. Before, even if such an app contained costly upgrades, it would carry the label 'Free.' However, following the company's latest App Store refresh, that description will now read 'Get.' But why? Well, it likely has something to do with the pressure Apple has been under from European regulators to better protect children (and parent's bank accounts) from the shady world of in-app purchases.
The Internet Arcade has 900+ games, no quarters needed
The Internet Archive, a non-profit collection of movies, music, books, websites and (most relevant to the following information) games, has unleashed The Internet Arcade: a collection of more than 900 classic arcade games which can be played for free inside your browser. On The Internet Arcade, you'll find classics like Out Run, Millipede, Tapper and Paperboy, alongside some not-so-classics like Turkey Shoot, The Three Stooges and Kangaroo. But hey, since there's no coins to gamble, why not give them all a try? Jason Scott, a developer of the project, described the process converting arcade games as surprisingly easy on a blog post (despite the fact that he also acknowledges scaling issues, control mechanisms that don't translate to keyboard or gamepad and several other minor problems). "My hope is that a handful, a probably tiny percentage [of people], will begin plotting out ways to use this stuff in research, in writing, and remixing these old games into understanding their contexts," Scott writes. "Time will tell." If you're having trouble getting started with a game, press the 5 key to insert a coin, and Tab to change the controls to something comfortable. [Image: The Internet Archive]
What a treat: Play tons of indie games free on Saturday in SF
The second annual Day of the Devs, an independent game showcase hosted by Double Fine and iam8bit, kicks off on Saturday, November 1 at Mint Plaza in San Francisco. It's free, open to all ages, and runs from 4 - 11PM PT. And it's probably tons of fun. Games on display and available to play include Costume Quest 2, Axiom Verge, Escape Goat 2, Classroom Aquatic, Gang Beasts, GNOG, Grim Fandango Remastered, Hyper Light Drifter, Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime, Massive Chalice, Night in the Woods, Push Me Pull You, Titan Souls and Videoball. There will also be musical entertainment from Doseone, Disasterpeace, David Kanaga, Lifeformed and Fez-developer-turned-DJ Phil Fish. Hear some of Fish's mixes here. If you're not in San Francisco this weekend, you can follow along with the fun live on Twitch, streaming the show from 4PM - 11PM PT on Double Fine's channel. Last year's Day of the Devs drew in more than 1,800 fans.
November's Games with Gold: Volgarr the Viking, Viva Pinata
Microsoft has announced next month's Games with Gold lineup, revealing that the Rastan-like barbaric side-scroller Volgarr the Viking will debut for the Xbox One as a free download for Xbox Live Gold subscribers. Members will also receive a free copy of Rare's Xbox 360 Viva Pinata sequel Trouble in Paradise starting on November 1, and Volition's havoc-raising third-person shooter Red Faction: Guerrilla will join the program on November 16. [Image: Crazy Viking Studios]
Spacebase DF-9 players get Hack n' Slash free, and vice versa
Double Fine is issuing free copies of its hacking-themed PC puzzler Hack 'n' Slash to players who purchased Spacebase DF-9 during its Steam Early Access phase, and Hack 'n' Slash owners will likewise receive Spacebase DF-9 free of charge. The giveaway follows up on recent criticism players leveled at Spacebase DF-9 after it prematurely wrapped up development, scaling back or eliminating many promised features in the process. The game was originally set to evolve over a period of several months via Steam's Early Access program before its developers made the decision to polish up and complete the game in its existing state. The final version of Spacebase DF-9 is now available for purchase via Steam at a 40 percent discount through November 3. [Image: Double Fine]
Free Xbox Music streaming to stop in December
The free music streaming feature for Xbox Music will be discontinued on December 1, Microsoft revealed on an Xbox Support page for the service. The company said it is "focusing Xbox Music to deliver the ultimate music purchase and subscription service experience for our customers" with Xbox Music Pass, its $10/month music streaming plan. Announced at E3 2012, Xbox Music arrived in October of that year as a Zune replacement and Spotify competitor. It took nearly a year before the service reached iOS and Android, just two months before Microsoft began closing down the Zune Marketplace. Those interested in trying out the paid music streaming service can sign up for a 30-day trial on Microsoft's site. [Image: Microsoft]
No one man should have all that Power of Shadow Middle-earth DLC
Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor received a free DLC pack today that adds three new runes and a playable character skin to the game. The Power of Shadow add-on introduces the Black Hand of Sauron skin for protagonist Talion. Players can also toy with the One with Nature, Ascendant and Elven Grace runes. One with Nature grants players immunity to poison attacks from Uruk captains and Ghuls. Likewise, players get double focus time for ranged combat with the Ascendant rune. Finally, Elven Grace increases players' defense, cutting the damage taken by enemy strikes in half. Monolith recently introduced a new photo mode to the game via an update. Shadow of Mordor will get a few other content packs as part of its season pass program that add new story missions. [Image: WBIE]
Biggest free weekend ever on Steam begins tomorrow
Steam is opening the gates this weekend, offering 10 games for free starting at 10AM PT on Thursday, October 16. Free weekends allow players access to the games for free for a limited time, usually through Sunday at 1PM PT, and Valve says these 10 games will be available for purchase at "tremendous savings" in conjunction with the sale. Games offered for free on Steam this weekend are Awesomenauts, Blade Symphony, Company of Heroes 2, Don't Starve, Grid 2, Injustice, Killing Floor, Payday 2, Trine 2 and XCOM: Enemy Unknown. This is the largest free weekend on Steam yet, so order in some pizza and have fun. [Image: Klei]
Dragon Age: Origins now free on Origin, naturally
EA's digital distribution platform Origin now offers users a free download of the publisher's flagship fantasy roleplaying series, Dragon Age: Origins. You may recall Dragon Age: Origins as the expansive, complex roleplaying game that gave everyone hope that developer BioWare could still do high fantasy akin to its excellent Dungeons & Dragons games of the 1990s. Plus, it introduced the world to Ser Pouncealot, the finest combat kitty this side of Eternia. Our review awarded Origins five stars while describing it as "a glowing example of the RPG genre done very right." Normally the game is priced at $20 on Origin, but "utterly free" is an undeniably better price for such a captivating adventure. There's only one major caveat attached to this deal: You must have a valid Origin membership. Fortunately, acquiring a membership is both free and relatively quick, so if you're interested in a gratis copy of Dragon Age: Origins, visit the digital distribution platform and sign up. [Image: EA]
Grab a Super-Size Punkaboo in Pokemon X/Y for Halloween
Nintendo is offering a spooky treat for Pokemon trainers this Halloween. Throughout the month of October, Pokemon X and Y players can receive an exclusive Super-Size Pumpkaboo via the Nintendo Network, granting access to the upcoming Trick-or-Treat Friendly Online Competition. To get Pumpkaboo, players must choose the "Mystery Gift" option on Pokemon X/Y's main menu, then select "Get Via Internet." The Pumpkaboo comes equipped with Halloween-themed moves like Trick-or-Treat and Scary Face, and evolves into a competition-ready Gourgeist when traded with a friend. Pumpkaboo is available as a free download starting today, and will be up for grabs through October 31. [Image: Nintendo]