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'Call of Duty: Warzone' gets 15 million players in four days
Call of Duty: Warzone's take on battle royale is continuing to grow quickly in its honeymoon phase. The developers have revealed that over 15 million people had tried the free-to-play mode as of March 13th. That's more than double the 6 million who'd started playing in the first 24 hours, and no small feat when gamers had just four days of play up to that point. For context, Apex Legends was up to 10 million players in its first three days.
The Morning After: Disney released 'The Rise of Skywalker' early
Hey, good morning! You look fabulous. As if this week didn't have enough happening (check below for a few highlights) Friday tossed in enough groundbreaking events for an entire week. At a White House press conference, the president announced Google would make a screening site for people in the US with COVID-19 symptoms to determine if they need testing, find a drive-thru test and later, receive their results. Shortly after, it became apparent this website won't do all of that, won't work for everyone in the US when it launches and is the work of a small Alphabet subsidiary named Verily, not 1,700 Google engineers. According to a report by Wired, Google execs didn't even know the announcement was part of the plan. Meanwhile, other companies responded to the growing pandemic in their own ways. Comcast decided to back off of bandwidth caps for two months and open up its WiFi hotspots for free use by all, mobile carriers banded together with a pledge to suspend cancellations and even Disney got into the act. It's promising to release Frozen 2 on Disney+ early this weekend (you'll have to wait until Tuesday to watch in 4K) to give families stuck at home something to enjoy, and it already released Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker on video-on-demand several days earlier than expected. I haven't mentioned the two most surprising stories from Friday afternoon and evening yet -- look below. -- Richard
An improved MacBook Air could debut as early as next week
Apple hasn't really touched the current MacBook Air design since its 2018 debut unless you count the addition of True Tone, but it might be close to a substantial update. A MacRumors source with a largely positive track record has claimed that a refreshed MacBook Air will launch sometime the week of March 16th. It's not certain what that tweak would entail, but it's safe to presume Apple would use the more reliable, better-feeling scissor switch keyboard it introduced with the 16-inch MacBook Pro.
Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference goes online-only due to coronavirus
Nearly every major tech event this year to date has been cancelled or dramatically revamped over coronavirus concerns, and Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference is no exception. The company has just announced that WWDC-- typically held at the San Jose McEnery Convention Center in California -- will be a purely online event when it takes place sometime this June. "The current health situation has required that we create a new WWDC 2020 format that delivers a full program with an online keynote and sessions, offering a great learning experience for our entire developer community, all around the world," said Phil Schiller, Apple's SVP of worldwide marketing in a post on the company's website. "We will be sharing all of the details in the weeks ahead."
Users tell us what keeps the XPS 15 from being the perfect laptop
Dell's XPS 13 has long been one of our favorite laptops here at Engadget, but its bigger 15-inch sibling isn't too far behind in the rankings. In reviewing last year's model, Cherlynn Low was pleased by its gorgeous display, the improved keyboard travel and the laptop's powerful Core i9 processor. She was also happy to see the webcam was moved to the top of the screen, after previously sitting at the bottom with a good view up her nose during video calls.
Microsoft issues emergency Windows 10 patch for leaked vulnerability
Microsoft has released an unscheduled patch for a security bug that it accidentally disclosed during the release of its March 2020 patch several days ago. While difficult to exploit, the vulnerability is "critical" because it could allow malicious code to automatically spread from one machine to another. By releasing the fix now, Microsoft aims to avoid a chain reaction scenario that played out with the WannaCry and NotPetya viruses in 2017.
The Morning After: Meet Lego Super Mario
Hey, good morning! You look fabulous. Just in case you were wondering how necessary ISP's bandwidth limits are, Comcast and AT&T have found some wiggle room in response to the outbreak of coronavirus. AT&T told Motherboard it is suspending broadband usage caps for now, as children, college students and adults are all suddenly spending some extra time at home. For its part, Comcast is boosting broadband speeds for low-income Internet Essentials customers, which is an important first step. Canceling caps like AT&T or expanding them beyond current outdated limits could be a great second step -- especially if other ISPs do the same. And then keep the changes in place after the crisis is over, as step three. Just a thought. -- Richard
Microsoft's Build conference will be a 'digital' online-only event for 2020
Microsoft's big event for developers in Seattle is traditionally where it shows off a lot of things that also impact us as consumers using Windows, Office or its other products, but this year it will be an exclusively virtual one. The company revealed in a statement to The Verge that "...we will deliver our annual Microsoft Build event for developers as a digital event, in lieu of an in-person event. We look forward to bringing together our ecosystem of developers in this new virtual format to learn, connect and code together." Yesterday, Washington governor Jay Inslee announced a ban on events with more than 250 people that will run at least until the end of March. While that's set to expire before the Build event in May, Microsoft is acting now to prepare people for a "virtual format" instead of waiting any longer to see if it's extended. Facebook F8 and Google I/O were scheduled to take place earlier in May, and both have already canceled any in-person component of those developer events. Last year Microsoft showed off the new Linux kernel for Windows 10 and Minecraft AR, and this year we expect to hear a lot more about its support for developers creating apps to run on Windows 10x and dual-screen devices like the Surface Neo.
MSI's PS42 Modern entry-level gaming laptop is on sale for $830
If you've been thinking of investing in an entry-level gaming laptop, now might be the time. The MSI PS42 Modern is on sale on Newegg for $830. That's a $770 savings off of the machine's original price, and it's closer to the price you'd usually see on a base-level Ultrabook.
'Guild Wars 2' defies the odds for online RPGs with a third expansion
Guild Wars 2 has been one of the most resilient online RPGs to date -- it has persisted for nearly eight years despite competition from heavyweights like World of Warcraft, not to mention its own challenges. And it appears that the game has plenty of life left. ArenaNet has announced that it's working on a third Guild Wars 2 expansion. There are so few details that the developer isn't even talking basic features or story, but it did release concept art (above) hinting at an Asia-themed setting.
The 1997 'Blade Runner' game is being remastered for consoles and PC
After it recently became available to purchase again following years of legal and technical turmoil, the 1997 Blade Runner PC adventure game is about to be remastered for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and PC. Nightdive Studios, the developer behind the recent System Shock and Turok remasters, revealed the Enhanced Edition's existence in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter. What's more, you'll be able to play it later this year.
Discord relaxes streaming limits during coronavirus outbreak
In the wake of the coronavirus, streaming platform Discord is temporarily upping the limit on its Go Live service to 50 people at a time. In a blog post, the company said that it recognized that people in areas hit by the virus are using Discord to "keep in touch and stay on track with their everyday lives, from attending classes remotely to working from home," and that it wanted to find a way to help.
'Roblox' announces limited-run 'Doctor Who' collaboration
Roblox has seen an impressive range of crossovers since its arrival in 2015. The game-slash-development platform has linked up with Jurassic Park, Dr Seuss and Star Wars. Now it's getting the Doctor Who treatment.
Shadow’s cloud-based gaming service now starts at $12 per month
Shadow made a big splash when it launched its cloud-based PC gaming service back in 2018. For a monthly fee, the service brings the power of PC gaming to almost any device – from smartphone to laptop -- by streaming gameplay from super powerful servers. It's a smart idea -- who wouldn't want the performance of a $2,000 gaming rig without having to cough up for the gear? But at $35-$50 a month, the service was a little too pricey for some -- especially when the likes of GeForce Now and xCloud were so much cheaper. Now, though, Shadow has introduced a new subscription model designed to make its offering accessible to more gamers.
The Morning After: BMW will end production of the i8 soon
Hey, good morning! You look fabulous. E3 is canceled. Due to the extended threat of the coronavirus pandemic, the gaming industry's biggest event of the year isn't happening. Please add it to the canceled event list that includes SXSW and Google I/O. As we mentioned when the news broke, there were already several question marks hanging over this year's show. Earlier this year, Iam8bit, best known for its video game vinyl releases, resigned as E3 creative directors. The production company didn't give reasons for why it was bowing out, and there were whispers that this would be a very different kind of E3. Last year, an E3 2020 pitch deck was leaked, outlining a "fan, media and influencer festival" that sounded a little different from the usual hands-on areas and industry meetings. Instead, the show would reportedly retool to pull in more of the general public -- and ticket sales. Geoff Keighley, the organizer of The Game Awards and host of the E3 Coliseum event space, announced that he would be skipping the show last month, too, following up with a sober tweet about how this year's E3 was shaping up. Not to mention, Sony was already no-show. Both the team behind PlayStation and Microsoft are planning standalone events to showcase their new consoles. (There will be a digital event for Microsoft's E3 news.) You could argue, then, that our team dodged a bullet. But those games will still be announced, and still playable -- somewhere, at some point. It'll all be in a more piecemeal fashion. -- Mat
Overwatch League cancels all homestand matches through April
Activision Blizzard has cancelled some Overwatch League matches before in response to the coronavirus outbreak, but now it's taking no chances. The league has cancelled all Overwatch League homestand games for March and April. The cancellations won't affect other league events, but there's no question this will be disruptive to the Overwatch esports scene.
EU plans to introduce sweeping 'right to repair' legislation for electronics
As part of its newly announced Circular Economy Action Plan, the European Commission, the body that drafts the EU's laws, says it will introduce right to repair legislation that will push electronics manufacturers to create products that last longer, include as many recycled materials as possible and are easier to reuse, repair and recycle.
The Xbox E3 event will still happen, just online
E3, the most high-profile conference in the multibillion-dollar business of video games, has been canceled this year, but that doesn't mean the industry is going to stop altogether. Instead of hosting a massive stage show at the Microsoft Theater in downtown Los Angeles this summer, the Xbox team is moving the conference online.
How Riot Games' new team plans to curb trolling before it begins
Riot Games doesn't use the word "toxic." "Toxicity means different things to different people," Riot's head of Player Dynamics Weszt Hart said. "What's trash talk to one person is totally inappropriate to someone else, which makes it really hard to proactively design a solution. 'Toxic' is so subjective, we failed to see how it was blinding us to the possibilities."
The Morning After: Tesla might build a Cybertruck plant in 'central USA'
Hey, good morning! You look fabulous. I've been waiting for another NFL-licensed 2K football game since ESPN NFL 2K5 on the original Xbox, and it appears the wait might be over. On Tuesday morning, 2K announced it has a new deal with the NFL to make non-simulation NFL games, which could hint at something in the mold of NFL Street or NBA Playgrounds -- an ideal situation for me, since I'm a little past my prime for managing audibles and route combinations on the fly. Still, the most interesting thing about this news is that the NFL's exclusive deal with EA and its Madden franchise will reportedly expire after the 2021 season. While I'll take what I can get for now, a true NFL 2K game is what I'm really hoping to see for 2022. -- Richard
