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EA Sports UFC clinches June 3 demo, submits new gameplay video
EA Sports UFC is just a few weeks from entering the digital octagon on June 17 for PS4 and Xbox One, but those looking to get a few practice rounds in can download its demo next week. The demo, which features co-cover athletes Alexander Gustafsson and reigning light heavyweight champion Jon "Bones" Jones, will be available June 3 for Xbox One and PlayStation 4. EA also offered a new entry in its gameplay video series this week, detailing the game's strategic submission system. The trailer shows Ronda Rousey getting the upper hand on Miesha Tate and ultimately submitting her via her popular armbar move. As detailed in a developer blog, the submission mechanic in the game features a HUD similar to that of THQ's final MMA game, UFC Undisputed 3, in which players must flick the right stick in one of four directions to either advance their submission attempt or defend against the attacker. Past videos showed off EA Sports UFC's career mode, which starts players out in its owner version of The Ultimate Fighter reality show, gave players a glimpse at the playable legend Bruce Lee in action and also showed a full round of fighting between Jose Aldo and Anthony Pettis. [Image: EA Sports]
Independent Games Festival 2014 now accepting submissions
The 16th annual Independent Games Festival is now accepting submissions from indie developers. Those looking to enter the competition must enter by October 19. Entries for the student showcase are due October 31. IGF nominees compete for roughly $60,000 in prizes across a number of categories, including Excellence in Visual Art, Audio, Design, and Narrative Awards. Becoming an IGF finalist may not guarantee success, though finalists' games will be playable at GDC 2014 in San Francisco.
Google Play for Education now accepting developer submissions
Google's getting serious about education. Its Play for Education portal, announced last month at I/O, is creeping ever closer to a full launch, with a call for application submissions starting today. Developers that want to be considered for Google's curated storefront can mark their applications for consideration now via the Play Developer Console. But unlike the wild, wild west of the Play store at-large, where anything goes, not every education-focused app will get the greenlight. In fact, Google's submission process requires all applications marked as suitable for K-12 to first pass through a network of non-affiliated educators for evaluation before then being measured against the Play for Education store's requirements for classroom use. If selected, developer's applications will be made available to the many pilot programs currently underway across the country, with an eventual full-scale rollout when Play for Education officially launches sometime this fall.
Twin Galaxies accepting record score submissions, now at a cost
Legendary arcade scoring organization Twin Galaxies had to take a break from tracking scores for about six months as the company went through a transition last year, but as of last week it's back in business and ready for score submissions.There is one catch, however. The company charge to report your scores: $25 for one submission, $60 for three submissions, or $75 for five submissions. Each score submission requires video proof – you may include more than one score in the video – but each video can only cover one game. If you want to submit both Donkey Kong and Rampage scores, for example, you'll need to pay twice.The new ownership says the old database was "damaged yet not completely irretrievable," and the fees will go towards smoothing out the verification process and evolving the website "beyond its status as the premier competitive scoring service, and into an interactive gaming platform."So, think you can do better than Hank Chien?
GDC China returns September 15 - 17
GDC China's sixth incarnation will take place a few months earlier this year than last, with the conference commandeering the Shanghai International Convention Center from September 15 through September 17. As a result, panel/talk submissions for the event have an early deadline: May 10.Talk applications can be submitted in either Mandarin or English (relevant submission forms here and here) and can cover topics on "Game Design, Production, Visual Arts, Business and Marketing, Smartphone and Tablet Games, and Independent Games," according to GDC China's official blog. Registration for GDC China is set to begin sometime later this month.
B&N accepting Nook Color app submissions, because you can never have too many app stores
The upcoming firmware update for the Nook Color is shaping up to be a hefty one for the e-reader-turned-Android tablet. Barnes & Noble has now announced that it's officially opening up the device to developers, and will be taking app submissions through its developer site effective immediately. The Nook has long been one of the best bangs for your buck in the ever-expanding world of Android tablets, and all that's left now is Honeycomb -- and no, the hacked port doesn't count.
Apple now accepting submissions for Mac App Store
Apple has apparently notified developers that it is now accepting submissions for the upcoming Mac App Store. An email to devs from Apple has links on how to set up an iTunes Connect account and the associated certificates. Developers can send apps in right now to have them ready for the approval process for the new Mac App Store. There's no word yet on which developers are jumping on this, but I'm sure we'll find out when the store goes live soon which developers took advantage of this opportunity right away. And when we say soon, we mean it -- Apple originally said that developers would be able to start submitting apps in November, and, true to their word, here we are on November 3rd. Apple also said that the Mac App Store would be live within 90 days from the Back to the Mac event a couple of weeks ago, so there's every reason to think it should be live within the next few months. Stay tuned -- this should be fun.
Call for Submissions: All about WoW TCG
We're more than a little surprised that there's so little talk around these parts about the World of Warcraft Trading Card Game. After all, players who've been around the gaming scene for very many years tend to have dabbled in card games like Magic: The Gathering. WoW itself would be a very different creation without the influence of games like MTG and the games that inspired it -- so let's talk about WoW's own collectible card game! WoW.com is accepting article submissions from experienced WoW TCG players. What does it take to get started? What's the gameplay like? How do the loot cards tie in, and what's been available so far? Is the game part of the tournament scene? Your article will give readers who've never played WoW TCG a peek into the game and the world of card games.
Call for submissions: Fill our cup with new Breakfast Topics
Calling all writers -- the Breakfast Topic coffee cup is back, ready to be filled up with your submissions. What's on your mind (and what do you think is on other players' minds) when it comes to WoW? Write it up as Breakfast Topic and submit your article for consideration through Seed, Aol's guest writer program. We're looking for Breakfast Topics in our usual conversational style, asking the community for their thoughts on your WoW-related topic. Submissions should be between 200 and 500 words. (Watch that top end!) We're looking for both strong writing and topics that will spark an interesting conversation. Only the best submissions will be accepted. Here's what to do: read up about the Seed program, sign up and then submit your article (you can't see the article page unless you have a Seed account). Unfortunately, we are currently only able to take submissions from individuals living in the United States; we hope to be able to accept international submissions in the future. We'll accept Breakfast Topic submissions for this call-out until 11:59 p.m. EST on Wednesday, June 23. In the meantime, we'll be deciding what type of donuts we want to go along with that steaming cup of joe. Me, I'm taking hot green tea, with an English muffin and Nutella. What's your Breakfast Topic accompaniment of choice?
Call for submissions: Qualities of an outstanding raid leader
What motivates you to follow your raid leader into the heat of battle? How does your trusty leader manage to keep your group focused, motivated and on target? And on top of all that, how does he keep the entire process fun? We're looking for an article that outlines the qualities of an outstanding raid leader. Effective raid leaders obviously wield in-depth knowledge of the encounters ... But how else do they make the raid a success while encouraging everyone to want to come back for more? Your article should clearly explain why successful raid leading means more than yelling at Group X to move to Point Y when Event Z occurs. Submissions should be between 500 and 1,000 words. Artwork is not mandatory, but any you choose to include must be your own work or from creative commons. We will not accept articles submitted under player names or pen names; please use your real name and email. We'll only be accepting the very best article. Ready to submit? Read up about our guest post program, then sign up for Seed and submit your article here. (You can't see the article page unless you have a Seed account.) Unfortunately, we are currently only able to take submissions from individuals living in the United States; we hope to be able to accept international submissions in the future. We'll accept submissions for this assignment until 11:59 p.m. EST on Thurs., June 24. Good luck and good writing!
Call for submissions: Top tips for healers
Early this year, we ran a guest post on top tips for DPSers. Just last week, we asked for your articles on top tips for tanks. (We're evaluating those submissions as we speak; the article should be published this weekend.) This week, we're going to complete the triad with a call for articles on top tips for healers. We've all heard the basics a million times ... Tell us the secrets of the very best healers! Maybe you have a list of little-known tricks used by the most experienced healers, or you'd like to share some tips to calm the nervous first-time instance or raid healer. What about the savviest moves for healers in ICC hard modes? Whatever your angle is, it should stand out and provide a top 10 list worthy of bookmarking; we'll only be accepting the very best article. Submissions should be between 500 and 1,000 words. Artwork is not mandatory, but should you choose to include a screenshot, please make sure that it is your own work or from creative commons; images should be 580 pixels wide and between 175 and 350 pixels high. Update: We will not accept articles submitted under player names or pen names; please use your real name and email. Ready to submit? Read up about our guest post program, then sign up for Seed and submit your article here. (You can't see the article page unless you have a Seed account.) Unfortunately, we are currently only able to take submissions from individuals living in the United States; we hope to be able to accept international submissions in the future. We'll accept submissions for this assignment until 11:59 p.m. EST on Thurs., June 3. Good luck and good writing!
Call for submissions: Top tips for tanks
That's right, hopeful writers -- we're back again for what's becoming a weekly call for article submissions. We're enjoying your articles so much that we're opening up a slot each week for an outstanding submission via Seed, Aol's guest writer program that brings your words to WoW.com. This week, we're looking for your top 10 tips for tanks. What's your spin on this topic -- can you tell us the most important things to that tanks should know, or perhaps the handiest little-known tricks used by experienced tanks? Maybe you have tricks and tips to calm the nervous first-time tank, or perhaps you've collected some obscure strategies applicable only to the hardest of the hardcore. Whatever your angle is, it should provide a top 10 list worthy of bookmarking; we'll only be accepting the very best article. Submissions should be between 500 and 1,000 words. Art work is not mandatory, but should you choose to include a screenshot, please make sure that it is your own work or from creative commons; images should be 580 pixels wide and between 175 and 350 pixels high. Ready to submit? Read up about the Seed program, sign up and then submit your article here (you can't see the article page unless you have a Seed account). Unfortunately, we are currently only able to take submissions from individuals living in the United States; we hope to be able to accept international submissions in the future. We'll accept submissions for this assignment until 11:59 p.m. EST on Thursday, May 27.
TUAW Talkcast tonight at 10pm Eastern
Our trademark talkcast goes on the air once again this evening at 10pm Eastern, and it's going to be a heck of a show. We're right in the middle of the runup to the iPad, so we'll be talking about Apple's rumored scramble for content deals, those test units hidden in the wild, and the doors opening up for app submissions on the App Store. And "iPad" isn't the only word on the street -- Apple has chosen to ban protective screens for some reason, 10.6.3 could be sneaking out this week, and we've even got new hardware rumors (but then again, don't we always?). It's sure to be a good time full of discussion about the biggest Apple stories of the past week. Join us, won't you? To participate on TalkShoe, you can use the browser-only client, the embedded Facebook app, or the classic TalkShoe Pro Java client; however, for maximum fun, you should call in. For the web UI, just click the "TalkShoe Web" button on our profile page at 10 pm Sunday. To call in on regular phone or VoIP lines (take advantage of your free cellphone weekend minutes if you like): dial (724) 444-7444 and enter our talkcast ID, 45077 -- during the call, you can request to talk by keying in *8. If you've got a headset or microphone handy on your Mac, you can connect via the free Gizmo or X-Lite SIP clients; basic instructions are here. Talk with you then!
Blizzard announces 5th annual pumpkin carving contest
Hallow's End is almost upon us, and Blizzard has once again announced their annual pumpkin carving contest. This is always a hoot -- I was only ever able to do the usual jack-o-lantern (once I did a Batman symbol, but it never really worked out), but there are always some real professionals in the mix on these contests, as you can see in the gallery below. Basically, carve a pumpkin featuring something Blizzard-related, showing "high levels of originality, craftsmanship, and possibly humor," light it up with a candle or other source, and then submit a picture over on the site by two weeks from today, Wednesday, October 28th.And some nice prizes this year: the top five submissions will all pick up a nice 32gb iPod touch, apparently supplied by none other than Apple (and of course you'll be able to run those Blizzard mobile apps if you win). Good luck to everyone who enters -- go grab your knife and the biggest "gourd-like squash" you can find and get to carving!%Gallery-75579%
TagWoW shrinks your WoW URLs [Updated: NSFW]
There are already quite a few "shrink your URL" sites out there, from the famous TinyURL to my favorite, is.gd. But former Wowhead honcho Tim Sullivan has seen fit to add one more to the mix, and who knows, maybe the tiny bit of functionality it adds will be worth it. TagWoW will shrink your Warcraft-related URLs (well, it'll shrink anything, but it's meant for Warcraft stuff) into whatever tiny URL you want, and then it'll track the most popular pages on the homepage.Sure, it's just another URL-shrinking site, but there is some usefulness to be found here -- Blizzard forum URLs, many guild websites, and talent builds on Wowhead and elsewhere all have gigantic URLs, and shrinking them down to a memorable phrase could be helpful. Not to mention that Tim tells us that they want to "heavily moderate" the service -- gold farmers, keystroke loggers, and phishing sites are supposed to be kicked right out of the system, so if you see a TagWoW link on the forums, you will hopefully always be able follow it without worrying about compromising your security.Like I said, there's just enough functionality added here that it could end up being something big. Currently, there's apparently only a few URLs saved in the system (the site only went live last week), but you can probably expect things to pick up with our post here -- and hopefully we won't burn the site down. With the right URL submissions and, as Tim promises, some serious moderation to make everything trustworthy, TagWoW could be a nice service.EDIT: Be advised that as of this writing one of the links on the front page of TagWoW leads to an adult site though it doesn't say so in the link description. Click the links on TagWoW at your own risk.
CoH Fanzine looking for submissions
Hear ye hear ye... calling all writers and artists, the City of Heroes Fanzine is looking for a few good submissions to include in their next issue! So you live in the city that never sleeps. No, not Las Vegas. Or New York. You "live" in the City of Heroes. You've been patrolling the mean streets of Paragon City for a few years now and you think you've got what it takes. You're big, bad and altogether mean. But can you write or draw? If so... head on over to the Fan Submissions web page, read up on all the legal mumbo jumbo about how the stuff you submit no longer belongs to you once it's submitted... yadda yadda yadda. If you're game (pardon the pun)... get crackin' and let the Fanzine showcase your dazzling work. The deadline for submissions is February 11th, so get your pen stroke on!
