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'The Witcher' will be a movie in 2017
The Witcher is perhaps best known as a video game series, but its roots travel deeper than the digital realm. The Witcher games are based on a long-running series of novels and short stories by Andrzej Sapkowski, and these tales are being turned into a film, due to premiere in 2017. The movie will pull from themes in The Witcher and Lesser Evil, two stories in Sapkowski's collection The Last Wish, which was originally published in 1993; an English version hit the market in 2007. The Sean Daniel Company (the studio that produced The Mummy franchise) is teaming up with Platige Films on the project, alongside Oscar-nominated director of The Cathedral, Tomasz Bagiński. It's planned to be a series, assuming audiences are appropriately charmed by the leading, supernaturally powered man, Geralt. He's fairly bewitching, or so we've heard.
Playdate: Clambering around London in 'Assassin's Creed: Syndicate'
It's autumn, so that means it's time for a new Assassin's Creed game. This time out the franchise has gone back to London's industrial age with Syndicate. A period when kids worked in factories and hooded folks jumped off of tall buildings to kill members of the Knights Templar. That last part might not be historically accurate. Maybe. There are a lot of variables at play here. Regardless, the last few AC releases haven't been great, but I'm determined to give Syndicate the old college try to see if it can recapture the franchise's highpoint, 2009's Assassin's Creed 2. This time you can come along for the ride with Sean and myself as we explore London's seedy underbelly starting at 6PM Eastern / 3PM Pacific. As always, we'll be playing for two hours and you can tune in either on this post, the Engadget Gaming homepage or Twitch.tv/Joystiq if you'd like to join us in chat.
Time Warner CEO: DC Comics shows could be slow to hit Netflix and Hulu
If you're waiting to catch up on Gotham or Arrow, the wait could get even longer. Time Warner CEO Jeff Bewkes told analysts this week that past seasons of DC Comics television shows could be slow to arrive on Hulu and Netflix. Why? Well, the chief executive said that the company would give preference to cable customers first, making those older seasons available elsewhere several years after they air. In case you didn't know, Time Warner owns DC Comics. Bewkes explained that Time Warner is set on "delivering even more value to consumers, especially those who subscribe to the traditional bundle." Eight DC Comics shows are now on the air, including the recent addition of Supergirl on CBS.
Comcast expanding internet usage caps to more areas
Now that cord-cutting is taking off, thanks to web services like Sling TV and Hulu Plus, Comcast won't let that dictate how much money it's going to make going forward. The company, which runs cable and internet operations across the US (among other things), recently started testing bandwidth caps on Xfinity customers in Atlanta, Miami and Nashville. These internet users have a 300GB monthly limit and, if they go over it, there's an overage fee of $10 for every 50 gigabytes. Now, despite customer backlash, Comcast is expanding the plan to more places, including Tuscaloosa, Alabama; Little Rock, Arkansas; Houma, LaPlace and Shreveport, Louisiana; Chattanooga, Greenville, Johnson City/Gray, Tennessee; Charleston, South Carolina; and Galax, Virginia.
YouTube rolls out support for VR video
Google CEO Sundar Pichai took to Twitter Thursday to announce that YouTube now supports VR video. The site already offers 360 degree video but has now officially added Cardboard support as well. Compatible videos will now display a Cardboard icon at the watch page menu. [Image Credit: Bloomberg via Getty Images]
The 'Fallout 4' launch trailer has robots, beasts, mutants and more
Fallout 4 is poised to be a massive game (even by Fallout standards) and today's three-minute launch trailer really drives that point home. You want a city of giant, horned, Doom-like monsters? Check. Do you want to build a base? Yep. Is it your dream to be in a post-apocalyptic gang with an android? Got it. Do you love friendly dogs? Oh yes, there's a friendly dog. Fallout 4 launches on November 10th across PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC (with DLC incoming).
Disney and ESPN channels are coming to PlayStation Vue
For all the channels that PlayStation Vue gives you, there have been a few conspicuous gaps: without Disney or ESPN, you didn't have much in the way of kids' programming or sports. That gap is closing today. Disney has announced that all of its media networks are coming to Sony's streaming TV service, including local ABC stations, the Disney Channel and (of course) ESPN's many offerings. Importantly, this is a rare chance to watch live Disney streams on multiple devices -- you can watch sports on your iPad while your kids monopolize the TV. Disney hasn't said when its channels are showing up or whether you'll pay a premium to get them, but this is still big news if you've wanted to ditch cable or satellite without springing for a relatively barebones option like Sling TV.
The 'Fallout 4' Pip-Boy app is available right now
Attention future Commonwealth explorers: The Fallout 4 Pip-Boy app is available for you to download. Unlike the gap between the release of Fallout Shelter on Android and iOS, both versions are available right this very moment. More than just acting as a mobile menu setup, you can play any holotape games you find in Fallout 4 within the app (with what sounds like a version of Missile Command built in). Sounds cool, right? Well, now you've got another something to keep you busy until November 10th -- even if you have an oversized phone. Update: A Windows Phone version has been promised, but as of this writing hasn't gone live yet.
'SOMA' nearly wasn't a horror game and other secrets from Ian Thomas
The developers at Frictional Games have a lot to live up to. This is the independent studio responsible for Amnesia: The Dark Descent, a terrifying first-person game fraught with monsters, mysterious shadows, haunting candlelight and devious puzzles. Amnesia won a handful of awards after its launch in 2010, including two at the Independent Games Festival, and it's widely considered a modern horror classic. SOMA is Frictional's first game since that success (the studio didn't even develop Amnesia's 2013 sequel), and it's an underwater, sci-fi adventure. And, of course, it's a horror game. This means the pressure is on for programmer Ian Thomas. He joined Frictional a few years into SOMA's development and he's been "bowled over" by the response to his studio's latest project. For Thomas, it's good to know that Frictional's instincts were spot-on, especially considering SOMA was almost a very different game.
Sky's Now TV app brings more UK content to Apple TV
While the new Apple TV has been available to order for over a week, UK-centric apps have been a bit thin on the ground. Less than a week after the BBC confirmed that iPlayer is coming to the streamer, Sky has gone one better and released an app for Now TV. Its release doesn't come as much of a surprise, given the fact that it is already available on third-generation Apple TVs and the iPhone maker is actively plugging the service on its website, but it's good to see more broadcasters committing to Apple's new hardware.
The new 'Need for Speed' looks like a movie shot on film
The new, simply titled Need for Speed (out this week on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One) is as close as you're going to get to an art-house, video game version of The Fast and the Furious. The series has had players recreating cop chases from movies since 1998's Hot Pursuit, but this is the first time the game actually feels filmic. It isn't going to stand toe-to-toe with Microsoft's Forza series or Sony's ill-fated, but gorgeous Driveclub because it doesn't have to -- visually, they aren't even competing against each other. NfS doesn't run at 60FPS like Forza Motorsport; it doesn't feature those meticulously detailed cockpits either. What's more, car models aren't nearly as detailed as Driveclub's. But whatever NfS lacks in "perfection," it makes up for with killer arcade-like handling and a visual style guided by a clear aesthetic: Make a racing game that looks like a movie shot on film.
Game streamer Hitbox takes on Twitch with 4K eSports broadcasts
Pop quiz hotshot: Name a game broadcasting service that isn't Twitch, YouTube Gaming or MLG.tv. Give up? You're forgiven. Vienna-based Hitbox.tv is relatively new to the space and its looking to make a name for itself by offering features that the competition doesn't. Like streaming eSports events in 4K at 60FPS starting this fall, for instance. As Twitch expands into more and more non-gaming avenues, Hitbox thinks it can serve the core crowd that might feel alienated by those moves. The Austrian company has picked up some new investments recently -- most notably from the folks behind World of Tanks, Wargaming. A canned statement from the latter says that forthcoming games will "integrate game data" into broadcasts and that it should be pretty easy to do so. Hitbox also offers a wide-open revenue split system that every broadcaster has access to, rather than Twitch's curated Partner program highlighting its top broadcasters.
Volkswagen also lied about its gas-powered cars
Volkswagen admitted in September that it used defeat devices aimed at fooling emissions tests in 11 million of its diesel vehicles -- but now its gasoline models are implicated in the scandal as well. On Tuesday, Volkswagen reported that it understated the level of carbon dioxide emissions of about 800,000 vehicles, including gasoline-powered models. This is the first confirmation that some of Volkswagen's gasoline-run vehicles do in fact exceed carbon dioxide emissions. The company didn't provide details in today's revelation, but it said the conclusion comes after conducting internal emissions tests.
A&E and Vice hope that you still like conventional TV
You may be devoting a lot of your viewing time to streaming services, but A&E reckons that you still have a soft spot for old-school TV. Its parent company A+E Networks is teaming up with Vice to launch Viceland, a 24-hour TV channel aimed right at that all-important youth demographic. They're largely leaning on Vice's edgy reputation to draw you in -- the initial shows include Gaycation and Weediquette, and Spike Jonze is overseeing the channel. However, they're also acknowledging the realities of an era where DVRs and online video are commonplace. Viceland is planning to run fewer ads during prime time, and there are hints of "innovative monetization strategies" that won't simply involve wave after wave of commercials.
Playdate's Halloween Horror Hangover: 'The Park' and 'NOCT'
Thought our week of spooky Twitch streams was over? Not quite: there are just too many deliciously creepy games out there to cram into just two Playdate streams, so we're giving you a bonus -- Engadget's Halloween Horror Hangover. Join us as we explore the terror of losing a child in an seedy amusement park (in the appropriately named The Park), right here at 6PM EST (3PM PST), at Twitch.tv/joystiq or on the Engadget Gaming homepage. Not scary enough? Fine: we'll also be checking out the terrifying, monochrome monsters of NOCT.
Epic Games' new PC shooter is called 'Paragon'
Thought the new Unreal Tournament was Epic Games' only upcoming PC shooter? Think again: today the company quietly announced Paragon -- but truth be told, we know almost nothing about the new title. Epic is giving the game a slow reveal, teasing a new playable "hero" character for the game each week until December 3rd. Unfortunately, the game's reveal doesn't explain what the what kind of game Paragon actually is.
I'm not paying CBS to watch 'Star Trek' online
Yesterday I got the best birthday present a lifelong Trekkie could hope for: Star Trek is coming back to television -- kinda, sorta. It's been over a decade since Star Trek ended TV production and, while fans have had two successful films to enjoy (or despise), corporate infighting between CBS and Viacom has kept the franchise from its rightful home on the small screen. However, it looks like the two companies have hugged it out with the news that a new Star Trek series will return to "television" in early 2017. And while this would normally be cause for celebration among Trekkies, the announcement doesn't come without a few caveats in terms of who's making it and how it's being distributed: The show will be produced by the team in charge of the recent films, and it will only be available via CBS' subscription streaming service, CBS All Access. It's a bit of a no-win situation (a Kobayashi Maru scenario, if you will) for die-hard fans who wanted to see Star Trek back on television. Star Trek may be back, but it comes at a cost: both figurative and literal.
Jon Stewart's return to TV will be on HBO's streaming TV services
Even after leaving the Daily Show behind, apparently Jon Stewart just couldn't stay away. HBO just announced it has signed a four year production deal with the TV host that will kick off with "short form digital content." He's apparently working with the graphics company OTOY on new technology that will allow him to create and post digital content "multiple times throughout the day" (we're going to guess that means Snapchats, Periscopes and vines, but who knows) on HBO Now. We contacted the network and confirmed that it will be on HBO Go as well for cable customers. According to Stewart "Appearing on television 22 minutes a night clearly broke me. I'm pretty sure I can produce a few minutes of content every now and again." [Image credit: Phil McCarten/Associated Press]
PlayStation Now adds 105 games, including 21 from Capcom
PlayStation Now is Sony's game-streaming subscription service, and its library basically just doubled in size. With today's addition of 105 titles, PlayStation Now offers more than 250 subscription games for the PlayStation 3, PS4, Vita and PS TV, all of which should keep you occupied through 2016 at least. Today's game dump features 21 Capcom titles, including six Resident Evil installments, Ultra Street Fighter 4, Mega Man 9 and 10, Dead Rising 2 and Asura's Wrath. Other new games available via PlayStation Now include Guilty Gear Xrd - SIGN, Proteus, Stealth Inc: A Clone in the Dark, Double Dragon Neon, Dragon's Lair, Karateka, Giana Sisters: Twisted Dreams, Penny Arcade Adventures 1 and 2, Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath HD, Starwhal, MX vs. ATV Alive and Fatal Fury. PlayStation Now subscriptions start at $20 per month in the US (£13 in the UK).
Time Warner Cable tests the 'evolution' of streaming TV in NYC
Confirming plans Engadget exclusively revealed to you, Time Warner Cable is very close to publicly testing a way for its internet-only customers to get TV services. Fundamentally the big change is that until now, to get TV service and access to its streaming TWC TV app, you needed to be a "TV" customer and have a cable box. Soon, if you're a Time Warner Cable customer in New York City with just internet service, the company will also offer access to its TWC TV Roku Trial. CEO Rob Marcus told investors that the plan is an "evolution" of TWC TV, as customers eventually can get access to video without needing to rent any hardware at all. GVP & GM of Video Product Alix Cottrell told me that the focus for the test is making sure everything is "really easy and straightforward" before it's potentially rolled out to customers outside New York City.
