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'Flight Simulator 2020' closed beta starts on July 30th
Microsoft’s Flight Simulator 2020, which blew our minds with hyper-detailed graphics and real-life weather and traffic conditions, is about to take a big step. The development team has announced (via Windows Central) that the closed beta is set to arrive on July 30th, meaning it’ll move from bug-smashing to a refinement operation.
GOAT lets you preview sneakers in AR before they launch
Today, the secondary sneaker seller GOAT released an augmented reality feature that will let users see pre-release sneakers in AR. This isn't the first time a company has let users view sneakers in AR, but GOAT users will be able to preview the shoes before they launch.
'Anthem' demo is available to pre-load on all platforms
BioWare's Anthem is less than a month away, but before then players will get a taste of the shared-world shooter thanks to a pre-release demo. This being EA, however, the timings are a tad complicated.
The Daily Grind: Are you still excited about crowdfunding?
I'm a big fan of crowdfunding. Middlemen bother me, both inside the gaming industry and out, and anything that allows creators to reach their audience with less interference from MBAs, marketers, and the like is a win in my book. That said, my personal crowdfunding honeymoon period is over. I'm finding myself more and more uninterested in betas, alphas, and backer-only pre-alpha stuff. Case in point is Star Citizen's recently released Arena Commander (or dogfighting module, if you prefer). I'm still a big fanboy, and as such I was excited to fire it up for the first time. I'm also appreciative of all the work that Cloud Imperium has done since the game was announced, but man I just don't want to play pre-release stuff! The stack of finished games on my desk is too large, as is the list of non-gaming hobbies, for me to waste time on buggy builds and feature sets that may change post-release. I'm not complaining, though, as the option to get in and see the development process is great. What about you, Massively readers? Are you still excited about crowdfunding? If so, do you get your hands dirty pre-release? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
Dev pre-release of OS X 10.8.3 available today
Apple has made a pre-release of OS X Mountain Lion 10.8.3 (Build 12D32) available for download on the Mac Dev Center today. According to an email received by TUAW, the seed note mentions that focus areas of the update are AirPlay, AirPort, Game Center and Graphics Drivers. One known issue -- Safari 6.0.2 won't be available to 10.8.3, so it's recommended to update to the latest version of Safari before installing 10.8.3. There are some other odd quirks, including after waking from sleep, when some background graphics may appear in black or become transparent. In addition, when using Command+Tab to switch between apps, icons may appear in black. Thanks to RL for the tip!
V-Moda's M-100 audiophile headphones get ready for mass production, we go ears-on
V-Moda's been seriously edging for the audiophile crowd lately -- namely with its Crossfade M-80 on-ear headphones, the VAMP headphone amp for the iPhone 4/4S, and a soon-to-be disclosed followup dubbed as Vamp Versa. That brings us to its soon-to-be released M-100 headphones, which haven't really been a secret since their inception, making them a special set. Unlike many companies who strive for secrecy in regards to upcoming products, V-Moda's taken a drastically different approach with its latest cans, with owner Val Kolton stating that they're effectively the first crowd-sourced set of headphones. Many headphone lovers out there likely know that Kolton's been heavily in contact with the Head-Fi community, hoping to craft the best sounding, looking and fitting ear-gear possible. As he puts it, "the easter egg and inside joke is that the [M-100 headphones] can actually stand up. It is the first headphone that we know of that 'stands above the rest' and all others fall down/crawl. It also can stand on top of a few other new brand's models almost like Cirque De Soleil." It may be hard to tell based on the fashion-focused looks, but the company is adamant that its audio gear goes through more stringent research and testing than some of the biggest names out there, and that it'll show in the end products. Most notably, its TrueHertz testing where, for the M-100, "six points from 5hZ to 12kHz are measured to be within [its] obsessive quality control levels." According to Kolton, most companies only check at 1Khz, and allow for much wider variances. He followed up stating that "like fine wine, a headphone is only as good as its fit (taste buds) and its driver variances (grapes/cork). To us, all brands advertising 'HD' sound [aren't being forthright] unless they believe or even know these key components are "'fugazi.'" For perspective, the M-100 is essentially the third iteration of the Crossfade LP over-ear headphones. Aside from a few tweaks to the design, it's packing an audiophile-focused tuning (rather than DJ) that's based on blending the voicings of its M-80 on-ears and the LP2 over-ears. It wouldn't be unfair to say the company is aiming for a flat, yet fun sound -- all in a package that's fit to take to the streets like its earlier offerings. Those familiar may know that just under 150 of the first 200 production-quality models are currently floating around as early stock and test units for a final bit of real-world feedback before mass-production begins -- and this editor's been lucky enough to get his mitts on a set for some initial impressions. So, is the product shaping up to match all the hype? Click on past the break for our take.
Massively Exclusive: An interview with WildStar's Jeremy Gaffney
Big releases from the WildStar development team at Carbine Studios seem to be few and far between, which is why the recent footage from early testing was such a breath of fresh air. Aside from showing off some of the game's role-based content for Settlers and Scientists, it also displayed new environments, new combat elements, and the unique graphical flair that attracted fans even before anything had been said about gameplay. We gamers are a curious bunch, though, and seeing a bunch of cool new stuff doesn't stop us from asking questions. Executive producer and design director Jeremy Gaffney recently hosted an AMA session on Reddit, but he was also kind enough to answer a few more questions from us here at Massively about combat flow, racial differentiation, and the usual character roles in MMOs. Take a look past the break at what the game will offer players when it finally goes live... which most WildStar fans agree can't be soon enough.
The Daily Grind: Do you mourn games that never were?
With the sudden and unexpected shutdown of Dominus prior to its launch, the game joins a long line of titles canceled before ever seeing the light of day. Some of them were expansions or campaigns, like Guild Wars: Utopia; some were full games, like the various Ultima Online sequels planned over the years. But none of them ever saw general release. They existed only as test clients and unrealized screenshots. Obviously, it's difficult to feel the same sense of loss for these games. Star Wars Galaxies is gone now, but it was released and playable at one time. But for some people, the games that never really existed can be a little bit sadder. They weren't cut down in their prime; they were cut down before they even had a chance. So do you mourn games that never were? Do you reminisce about what could have been? Or do you save your sorrow for games that did get released and then faded away? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
Stay on target: SWTOR's guilds begin to align with phase 2
Star Wars: The Old Republic's release may feel like it's always going to be in a "galaxy far, far away," but at least BioWare is giving guilds something substantial to do in preparation for launch. Following up the first phase of guild formation, today the studio announced that guilds can now progress into the second phase: alignment. During this phase, guild leaders can establish up to three guilds as their Allies or Adversaries (depending on the target guild's faction). Not only will this help to cement friendships and rivalries, but BioWare says that these connections "will have the highest chance of being placed in the game together, allowing these guilds to coexist on the same server." This won't happen if the guilds have chosen different server rulesets, however. Another new feature that's come with this phase is the ability for leaders and officers to begin inviting people to the guild by email. The SWTOR website has a helpful FAQ for all three phases of guild preparations. The third phase, deployment, is scheduled to occur shortly before launch and will begin placing guilds on servers if these guilds have met certain criteria.
Microsoft promises Mango phones in September for Imagine Cup finalists
Another year, another Imagine Cup. The annual competition, sponsored by Microsoft, gives students the opportunity to apply technology to tackle hunger, poverty, and other global problems, thereby making the world a better place (for you and for me, and the entire human race). We'd say the finalists deserve a pretty cool reward for their efforts, right? According to a status update on the Cup's Twitter account -- an update that's conspicuously been pulled -- one of the prizes for finalists is a Windows Phone with Mango pre-loaded, a jackpot they'd receive by September. We're not completely certain if this will be a pre-release version intended for developers or if it's an indication that the final iteration will be ready for public use by this time; we've only heard that Mango's slotted for a fall release, so both are definite possibilities. Since many of these students are developers, however, it's entirely possible they'll receive a prototype device with an early version of the firmware. No phone could replace the warm feelings in their heart for such a great accomplishment, but at least they can share their joy with built-in Twitter integration.
ASUS preparing an ultraslim Eee PC 'with a twist' for Computex
ASUS' week of merciless teasers continues today with a silhouette of what the company calls a "super-slim sensation [with] a twist." It's an Eee PC and there are no doubts about it being a netbook, but something about this evolutionary product won't be quite the same as on its predecessors. Notebook Italia has dug up the above image, which looks like a match for ASUS' shadow-obscured teaser and shows what may very well be the thinnest Eee PC we've yet seen. Last time ASUS was touting anything laptop-shaped that was quite so slim, it was the Neo smartbook prototype that never made it out of the labs, but this here cheese slicer looks very likely to be hitting the market shortly after Computex. Naturally, we'll be in Taipei getting the lowdown for you, whatever happens.
HP Pre 3 listed for pre-order on Amazon.de: €449 for the best of webOS
We're not dealing with price estimates anymore, here's an honest-to-goodness pre-order for the HP Pre 3. Amazon Germany, a traditionally quick retailer to put device listings up, has added the webOS 2.2 QWERTY slider to its online catalog at a price of €449 ($640) -- though availability is predictably undefined for now. Lest your memory needs a refresher since the Pre 3's announcement back in February, this is a 3.6-inch smartphone with a WVGA (800 x 480) resolution, a 1.4GHz Qualcomm MSM8x55 processor, 512MB of RAM, and a pair of cameras, the rear of which can record 720p video and 5 megapixel stills. To fill the time until a launch date is made known, why not consult our handy chart for a detailed look at how else the Pre 3 improves on its Pre-decessor. [Thanks, Timo]
T-Mobile G-Slate and G2x dual-core smartphone coming on April 20th?
LG, you big tease! T-Mobile must be feeling a tinge of regret for hooking up with the Korean hardware manufacturer lately, as TmoNews reports both the G-Slate tablet and a new G2x smartphone (believed to be the US moniker for the Optimus 2X) won't be coming Stateside for at least another month. Neither will be exactly late, mind you, since both feature dual-core Tegra 2 chips and the G-Slate runs Google's freshest Honeycomb software, however a launch date of April 20th does put LG a step behind its direct competitors. Motorola has already rolled out its own Xoom and Atrix alternatives, while Samsung is making noise about its new Galaxy devices, which might well beat LG's wares to the market. Rumor is we'll get an official date out of T-Mobile at CTIA next week, so keep your eyes peeled for that one.
Nintendo rolls a 3DS Demo Pod across US, gets gamers salivating for March 27th launch
The perks of living in a big city, eh? Citizens of Chicago, New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco are being treated to some three-dimensional March madness from the guys and gals at Nintendo. For the remainder of this month, Ninty's 3DS handheld will be available to try and play in so-called Demo Pods (see above) at strategic locations in each marquee city. The Mii Maker app, nintendogs + cats, Madden NFL Football, Aslphalt 3D, and a selection of other games will be preloaded and waiting for you, letting you have a taste of what's to come on March 27th. See Nintendo's PR after the break for the full details.
Enter at Your Own Rift: Pre-launch checklist
I'll just come out and say it: The month or so right before the launch of a highly anticipated MMO is simultaneously ecstasy and agony, full of love and loathing. The waiting sucks, but the anticipation is delicious. The enthusiasm from the community is electric, but the heated emotions can be toxic. The discussion is fascinating, but the know-it-alls are annoying. Personally, I kind of wish we could be at launch-plus-one month right now, just so that the frenzy of insane opinions will have died down and we can just, y'know, play the game without feeling as though we were in the middle of a verbal rugby match. Like any MMO, RIFT's going to have its positives and negatives, but I feel that this launch is going to be something we haven't seen in a long time: a solid, stable MMO that offers up a complete package. That pleases the Justin. Since I can't whip out my magic remote control and fast-forward to April, I propose we do the next best thing. Let's open up our imaginary quest logs and run down a checklist of seven "To Dos" and a few "To Don'ts" to help us prepare for RIFT's release. Planning can be fun! Shut up, it can be!
Sony Ericsson Xperia Neo named and previewed in one fell swoop, bringing Gingerbread to MWC 2011
We said it at the Show and we'll say it again, Sony Ericsson just doesn't know how to keep a secret. One of its phones set for launch at Mobile World Congress 2011 has just slipped the net (again) and this time we have its full product name to boot, the Xperia Neo. You'll be familiar with this Android 2.3 handset already from mobile-review's thorough preview a couple of weeks ago, though at the time it was known under its codename of MT15i. This latest hands-on look at the hardware is similarly positive about the Neo, describing it as a well constructed phone and praising Sony's Android modifications as restrained and actually useful. Talk about a 180-degree turn from the way things used to be.There's another reason to be excited about this phone, however. Back in December, Sony Ericsson registered trademarks for Xperia Arc, Xperia Play, Xperia Neo, and... an Xperia Duo. We expect all four to be out and about at MWC this year, and we may have already seen the latter device in yet another bit of leaked photography.
AMD Radeon HD 6990 shows up in its metallic flesh, looking larger than life
What does the next great superpower of desktop graphics look like? Well, it shares an unmistakable family resemblance to the current champ, but its dimensions have somehow been made even larger. Yes, we're talking about AMD's Radeon HD 6990 -- a dual-GPU monstrosity that's set to serve as the company's 2011 flagship -- which has just been shown off at an Asia Pacific Fusion Tech Day gathering. Aside from the crazy imagery (one more after the break and a gallery at the source), we've found a promise that this polygon deliverator will be available in late Q1 2011. Which gives us just enough time to rent out a room big enough to house it. Now, when's Crysis 2 coming out? [Thanks, Christopher]
iPad 2 mockup teases 128GB storage, exhibits speaker grille we've seen before
Apple itself might not be at CES, but the prospective upgrade of its iPad to version two has accessory manufacturers (or at least manufacturers' imaginations) working overtime. We've just come across our second iPad 2 mockup, this one a lot more comprehensive than the first, which seems to mesh well with some earlier imagery we've seen of the supposed next-gen Apple tablet. Not only that, its rear label reveals an A1337 product code -- one that's also shared by the current iPad WiFi + 3G -- and lists 128GB of onboard storage, two times the current tablet's maximum. We don't know what material it's made out of, but it felt felt the same as the current iPad's aluminum shell. All that said, this is still just a mockup from a no-name accessory maker and we're just as willing to believe it was put together on the basis of some decent rumor research as we are to think that it really is the iPad 2. No harm in browsing some pictures of this 9.4mm-thick device, though eh? %Gallery-113105%
HTC Thunderbolt and Samsung i520 bring LTE gravitas to Verizon's stock-keeping systems
So if the HTC Incredible was coded as the ADR6300 in Verizon's internal systems, just what do you think an ADR6400 could signify? A pair of screenshots from a VZW employee living out a Julian Assange daydream have seemingly confirmed the common expectation that Verizon will very soon deliver its Incredible successor -- better known to you and us as the LTE-equipped HTC Thunderbolt. Aiding and abetting the HTC handset in getting the red team's LTE network started will be Samsung's SCH-i520, an Android 2.2 device equipped with that most critical of accessories, a front-facing camera. Both are now standing on the precipice of showing up for sale, those zeroes in the stock column shouldn't remain so round for much longer. [Thanks, Andrew]
HTC EVO Shift 4G nonchalantly shows up for Amazon pre-order
So what if nobody has bothered to announce it yet? Sprint's upcoming EVO Shift 4G Android handset has turned up on Amazon's wireless outlet, albeit with the EVO's spec sheet. We were getting excited about an 8 megapixel camera with HD video capture and a 1.3 megapixel front-facing imager until we realized those specs probably didn't belong to the EVO Shift 4G -- thanks to a note describing this phone as having been "released in June, 2010." The product title is unequivocal, however, and offers you the EVO Shift 4G slider, to have and to hold, for $200 on a two-year contract. Clearly someone's got his or her EVOs mixed up and has HTC's second 4G cat for the Sprint network out of the bag a little early. [Thanks, Ryan] Update: The product image is user-submitted so we can probably disregard it. Still, Amazon's got HTC's unannounced phone up on its site, giving us the closest to official confirmation we've had yet.
