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Nokia Lumia 1520 Coming to the UK 6th December

Chris Hare

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Nov 25, 2013

Nokia Lumia 1520 Coming to the UK 6th December

Nokia announces the UK availability of the Nokia Lumia 1520, its first smartphone with a 6 inch high definition display. First time a windows phone device has a 1080p display on it, with a QUALCOMM Snapdragon 800 processor and more.

The main features of the Nokia Lumia 1520 include:

Stunning 1080p HD screen – seamlessly combining both work and play
20MP camera – capture amazing images, edit with Refocus and document your files using Nokia Storyteller
Additional 3^rd live tiles column – access even more of your favourite apps from the homescreen
Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor – faster downloads of your files and games
7GB of SkyDrive – free and secure cloud storage to access media files anywhere
Micro SD support – allows for an additional 64GB of storage

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v6Kns0v73nc

Nokia Lumia 1520
Operating system	Windows Phone 8 with the latest updates
HERE location and mapping services	HERE location and mapping services: Free global HERE Maps and HERE Drive+;Free HERE Transit available in the Store
Display	6” full HD 1080p LCD. Great outdoor visibility with, ClearBlack technology, High Brightness Mode, Sunlight readability, Super sensitive touch for glove and nail usage protected with Gorilla glass 2
Battery	3400 mAh with integrated wireless charging (Qi compatible)
Processor	2.2GHz Quad Core Snapdragon 800
Main camera	PureView 20 MP Auto Focus ZEISS optics with Optical Image Stabilisation (OIS), 2x lossless zoom, dual LED flash, 1080p @ 30 fps video with optical image stabilisation
Front facing camera	1.2 Skype HD 720p video
Audio	Rich Recording with four microphones, Wideband Voice and multi-microphone noise reduction with four microphones, Dolby(R) Headphone, Graphic equalizer, Audio levelling, FM radio
Memory	2GB RAM, 32 GB internal user memory; 7 GB SkyDrive cloud storage, micro SD card support up to 64GB

The Nokia Lumia 1520 will be available to purchase on contract from approximately £38 per month from O2 retail, Vodafone on-line, Carphone Warehouse, Phones4u and independent retailers via Micro-P from Friday 6^th December 2013.

Assassin’s Creed Pirates Coming to Mobile and Tablets Next Month

Gaming
News

Chris Hare

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Nov 25, 2013

0

Assassin’s Creed Pirates Coming to Mobile and Tablets Next Month

Today Ubisoft announced that the next game from franchise of Assassin’s Creed, Assassin’s Creed Pirates will be available for high end smartphones and tablets on 5th December on the App Store, on Google Play and on the Amazon Appstore for £2.99. The game features brutal naval combat, Caribbean exploration and an epic quest for legendary treasure.

In Assassin’s Creed Pirates, players will explore the Caribbean during the Golden Age of Piracy as Alonzo Batilla, a young and ambitious captain. Players will be tasked to manage their crew, upgrade their ship, recruit new crew members and engage in massive real-time naval battles to become the most feared pirate in the Caribbean and claim La Buse’s renowned treasure. Along the way, players will cross paths with Assassins and Templars, as well as famous buccaneers including Blackbeard, Bellamy, and Hornigold.

Ubisoft Paris has developed a brand new mobile engine to bring groundbreaking 3D visuals to Assassin’s Creed Pirates. This engine is responsible for the breathtaking moving waters, lush islands, and gorgeous graphics players will experience on their quest for legendary treasure.

Lego The Hobbit Coming Next Year

Gaming
News

Chris Hare

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Nov 25, 2013

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Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, TT Games and The LEGO Group have today announced LEGO The Hobbit, the latest addition to the popular LEGO videogame series that brings to life the enthralling from the Oscar winning filmmaker Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit Trilogy. The game will be available in spring 2014 for the Xbox One and Xbox 360 , PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita, the Wii U , the Nintendo 3DS, as well as Windows PC and Mac.

Following the storyline of the first two films, LEGO The Hobbit will take players on quests throughout Middle-earth, joining Bilbo Baggins, Gandalf the Grey, and Thorin Oakenshield and Company in their exciting adventures toward the Dwarven Kingdom of Erebor.

“We are thrilled to depict the characters and environments of Peter Jackson’s Middle-earth in LEGO form with the LEGO The Hobbit videogame,” said Tom Stone, Managing Director, TT Games. “Our family-friendly take on these thrilling adventures will have kids and parents playing and laughing together as they build and explore in LEGO Middle-earth.”

In LEGO The Hobbit, kids and families will be able to take on the form of their favourite Hobbit characters, including Bilbo, Gandalf, and all of the Dwarves: Thorin, Fíli, Kíli, Óin, Glóin, Dwalin, Balin Bifur, Bofur, Bombur, Dori, Nori and Ori. Each has his own special – and quite hilarious – ability: For instance, Bombur can be used as a trampoline that enables his companions “belly-bounce” out of danger!

Players will visit key locations from the films, including Bag End, Bilbo’s Hobbit-hole in Hobbiton, trek through the treacherous High Pass over The Misty Mountains, and explore the depths of Goblin-town, Mirkwood and Rivendell. Along the way, players will solve countless puzzles, partake in Treasure Quests and battle with Orcs, Trolls and fouler things. They will also be able to mine for gems, discover loot from enemies, and craft powerful magical items or build immense new LEGO structures.

WD announces the Black2 dual drive

Andrew Edney

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Nov 25, 2013

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WD today announced the release of the WD Black² dual drive, a unique storage innovation that fuses a 2.5-inch 120 GB solid state drive (SSD) with a 1 TB hard disk drive (HDD) to offer a powerful dual drive solution.

Perfect for consumers and service providers looking to upgrade notebooks, small form factor desktops, and single-slot and all-in-one (AIO) systems with both SSD level performance and HDD capacity, the WD Black² dual drive connects through a single cable and fits into a conventional 9.5 mm slot.

Designed for enthusiasts, creative professionals, gamers and PC builders, the WD Black² dual drive provides improved overall drive capacity, performance, and reliability, while offering the flexibility to choose how and where their data is stored. Utilising the benefits of both flash and magnetic disks, WD Black² dual drives offload data usage from the SSD to the HDD, which increases endurance and life of the SSD. Users maintain greater data control, which can eliminate the need and expense of cloud-based storage.

WD Black² is free of caching algorithms and benefits from SATA 6 Gb/second interface speed. It is neatly packaged in a standard 9.5 mm, 2.5-inch form factor with legacy SATA connector, making the WD Black² dual drive compatible with popular PC operating systems ranging from Windows XP to Windows 8.1.

Available at wdstore.co.uk and through etailers such as amazon.co.uk, WD Black² dual drives are covered by a five-year limited warranty. MSRP for the 2.5-inch 120 GB SSD + 1 TB HDD WD Black² dual drive, model #: (WD1001X06XDTL) is £249.99.

Additional information about WD Black² dual drives can be found here: http://products.wd.com/wdblack2.

Jump into Super Mario 3D World this week on the Wii U

Gaming
News

Chris Hare

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Nov 25, 2013

1

Jump into Super Mario 3D World this week on the Wii U

Out this week for the Wii U is Super Mario 3D World £49.99 / €59.99 and for the Nintendo 3DS is 3D Super Hang On £4.49 / €4.99. One Piece Romance Dawn for retail and download via eShop £28.49 / €34.99 for the 3DS aswell.

Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate Combat and Bosses walkthrough

Gaming
News

Chris Hare

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Nov 25, 2013

0

The next two Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate Case Files videos are now available, detailing the FreeFlow Combat that is one of the central pillars of the Batman: Arkham franchise and some quick tips for taking on the six boss characters that Batman will face throughout the game, prior to the final boss. Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate is a 2.5-D game developed by Armature Studio.

Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate Combat

Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate Bosses

Final Fantasy IV: The After Years Out Now for iOS and Android

Apple

Chris Hare

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Nov 25, 2013

1

Final Fantasy IV: The After Years Out Now for iOS and Android

Square Enix have announced that the medieval-fantasy RPG FINAL FANTASY IV: THE AFTER YEARS is now available to download on iOS and Android devices, priced £10.99/€14.49.

A direct sequel to FINAL FANTASY IV, FINAL FANTASY IV: THE AFTER YEARS is set over a dozen years later than its predecessor. Several characters from the first game, including Cecil, Rosa and Kain, will be making a comeback, whilst players are introduced to a new central character: Ceodore, the son of Cecil and Rosa.

Originally released for Japanese mobile phones in 2008 and then released worldwide for Nintendo Wii and PlayStation Portable, the game has undergone a full remake for mobile devices with completely recreated graphics and 3D polygon characters. Carrying over some of the same mechanics from FINAL FANTASY IV, the game features new character abilities, such as the “Age of Moon” and “Band”, and will also include all ten chapters of episodic instalments.

Platform: Android, iOS

Pricing: £10.99/€14.49

Languages: English, French, Korean and Japanese.

Apple App Store

Google Play Store

The Witcher 3 Wild Hunt Gamescom 2013 Interview

Andrew Edney

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Nov 24, 2013

4

It’s been a little while since Gamescom 2013, and we still had one interview left to release. This one is for The Witcher 3 Wild Hunt.

The world is in chaos. The air is thick with tension and the smoke of burned villages. The fearsome Nilfgaardian Empire has struck again, ravaging the hapless Northern Kingdoms. The once mighty who tried to use Geralt are dead or gone. These are uncertain times and no one can say who will rise or fall, who will bring peace to the world and who will bring only misery.

But a force darker and deadlier has appeared. Little do the petty men and women moving their tin-plated armies across the Northern Kingdoms know that their conflict is mere child’s play compared with another otherworldly danger which now looms closer than ever. This brooding danger lusts after one thing: that which matters most to Geralt, that which is dearest to his heart.

I sat down with the story writer to learn more about The Witcher 3:

The Witcher 3 Wild Hunt will be released on Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC later in 2014.

Xbox One Day One Edition Unboxed

Chris Hare

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Nov 22, 2013

0

Here is the unboxing of the Xbox One Day One edition that I picked up at the midnight launch of the console.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N4swwo6nyHY

Here is all what you get in the Xbox One box of delights.

Aaron Ramsey kickstarts ‘Play The Players’ programme at the PS4 Lounge #4ThePlayers

Gaming
News

Andrew Edney

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Nov 22, 2013

0

To celebrate the launch of the highly-anticipated PS4, PlayStation is giving gamers the chance to ‘Play The Players’ by going head-to-head with famous faces at the PS4 Lounge #4ThePlayers in London’s Covent Garden.

Last night saw the first name in the all-star line-up – Arsenal and Wales football star Aaron Ramsey – draw in a huge crowd of keen gamers ready to take him on in a game of FIFA 14 on the new console. The skilled midfielder has already proved himself among Europe’s elite on the pitch, but last night also proved that he had the video gaming skills to match his football talent as he was put through his paces by PlayStation fans.

“I am a massive gaming fan and regularly play with my teammates on away trips, so I was really up for a bit of a challenge against the public on the PS4” Aaron Ramsey said. “I must admit I was a little nervous at the thought of going up against so many gamers, but I soon got into the swing of it and had great fun!”

Over the next few days, PlayStation will be announcing some other celebrity names in the ‘Play The Players’ line-up. For more information on the PS4 Lounge, including announcements on the line up for Play The Players and other exclusive events head to: https://www.facebook.com/playstation4lounge or follow @PSAccess on Twitter.

At the Midnight launch of the Xbox One

Gaming
News

Chris Hare

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Nov 22, 2013

0

With the Xbox One launched today, I was lucky to get my console at the Midnight launch at my local game store (@GameMaidstone). All the staff at the midnight launch was so helpful with all the customers outside in the cold, but lucky there felt sorry for us so we had a few hours in the warmth of the store for a while.

With over 100 plus people in the queue when I left at 12.01am as I was the first to get the Xbox One console after freezing for 8 hours yes I was and am mad. We all had a really good laugh outside the store waiting trying to get warm when we was outside the store.

Have you got your Xbox One yet or are you waiting still on the new console.

Xbox One Took Over Leicester Square for launch

Chris Hare

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Nov 22, 2013

0

Xbox One Took Over Leicester Square for launch

Yesterday Leicester Square officially became Xbox One Square for the launch of Xbox One. The biggest week in video game history kicked off with live outdoor performances from chart toppers Plan B and Katy B, and the midnight opening of a pop-up GAME store in a 10,000 ft² Xbox One gaming zone in London’s Trocadero.

Leicester Square came to a standstill as stars from TV, film and music welcomed a new generation in gaming and entertainment, along with thousands of fans.

A giant three-dimensional Xbox nexus dominated the centre of Leicester Square, which was transformed into a gaming and entertainment universe for the day. The very best of British game developers – who now represent one of the country’s most successful exports – were also on hand to showcase their new releases.

Zombies from Dead Rising 3 roamed the streets alongside a Roman legion from Ryse: Son of Rome. The Stig drove through the crowds in a McLaren supercar from Forza Motorsport 5 with headline performer Plan B, while Premiership footballer Andros Townsend competed against fans on FIFA 14 as part of the two-hour live extravaganza.

GAME, the UK’s leading games retailer, then opened the doors to its pop-up store in the Xbox One Gaming Zone in The Trocadero, which once again becomes the home of video games for one weekend only. Hordes of fans waited excitedly for midnight at 500 stores up and down the country.

Phil Harrison, Corporate Vice President, Interactive Entertainment Business, Microsoft EMEA, said: “We’re proud and excited that Xbox One is going to be the biggest launch in Xbox history. Xbox One is a complete, all-in-one system which has the best games, the best online service in Xbox Live, the best entertainment experiences and is built for the future. With the strongest line-up of games we’ve ever seen for a new console, pre-orders from fans across the UK are at unprecedented levels.”

“The games industry is evolving and growing fast, and we are proud to have so many British developers and creators helping to drive the new Xbox One era.”

Councillor Robert Davis, Westminster City Council’s deputy leader, said: “Leicester Square is the number one leisure destination in the UK, so Xbox holding their UK launch here is a perfect match – as the console will provide people with hours of fun, film, music and entertainment, just like the West End of London.”

“Microsoft already has a strong bond with Westminster, with Microsoft Studios’ Soho Productions and developer Lift London just a few hundred metres away in Soho – which is becoming one of the UK’s fastest growing hubs for software designers and programmers.”

“We are delighted to be hosting them for what is a major launch event which reflects the importance of central London as an economic powerhouse.”

Martyn Gibbs, CEO Game Retail Ltd added: “Last night was incredible. You could almost taste the excitement – gamers have been waiting for Xbox One for years and we saw a massive turnout at the midnight openings at more than 300 GAME stores across the UK.“

Xbox One goes on sale in the UK today at £429.99 RRP, and boasts the biggest ever roster of launch titles – including Forza Motorsport 5, Dead Rising 3, and Ryse: Son of Rome exclusive to Xbox One alongside the latest titles from the biggest gaming franchises including FIFA 14, Call of Duty: Ghosts , Battlefield 4 and Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag.

Xbox One is the only console that lets you play your favourite games, watch TV shows, movies and music, surf the web, and talk with your family and friends via Skype. And only on Xbox One can you instantly switch between all of your entertainment with the sound of your voice.

Call of Duty : Ghosts PS3 Release Notes for the 21st November

Gaming
News

Chris Hare

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Nov 22, 2013

0

Call of Duty : Ghosts PS3 Release Notes for the 21st November

Here is the latest release note for the PS3 version of Call of Duty : Ghosts from Activision and Infinity Ward.

Release Notes for the 21st November 2013

New Features

#CODeSports option added, providing further MLG support; Contains a Broadcast mode and the ability to enable the latest MLG ruleset in both online Private Matches and System Link.

Stability

Fixed a rare crash when quitting out of an MP match while calling in a squad mate with a riot shield equipped.
Fixed a rare private match stability issue, which was occurring when a playlist update was published.
Fixed a crash which occurred when renaming a loadout as the match was starting.
Fixed a crash when the host of a Wargame match could crash if they are pulled out of the match while in a 5 player party.
Fixed an MP Siege rare crash on load.

Numerous other MP in-game stability fixes.
Fixed a rare crash on load.

Key Changes

Further spawn logic improvements.
Fixed a spawn exploit where players would always respawn at their team spawn within the first 15 seconds of a game, even if an enemy was nearby.

Increased XP rewards slightly for Operations and early tier weapon challenges.
Added leaderboard for Search and Destroy game mode.
Numerous map exploit fixes in MP and Extinction.
Numerous Anti-Cheat fixes.
Fixed collision bugs on multiple maps.
Care package stacking exploit fix.
Increased Search and Destroy XP to give 10x XP instead of 5x XP.
Search and Destroy, now has its own online playlist.

Additional Fixes

Improved character models rendering, when viewing players with the Gryphon.
Accuracy fix for the Preferred Weapon Stat on the Player Stats lobby page.
Spectator movement improvements.
Further support for the COD App.
Clan tags no longer missing a bracket when viewed in-game.
Dedicated server bug fixes.
Fix for seeing empty player name when joining a game in progress.
Reduced upwards velocity when performing a melee charge.
ADS while moving in a remote turret is now allowed.
Dog no longer twitches when player is too close.
Ping for bots now returns a more accurate 0ms.
Fixed a very rare issue where the left pistol could shoot two bullets instead of one.
Vehicle explosions sometimes did not appear in killcams; fixed.
Disable the create clan button when the service is unavailable.
Added error popup to the Call of Duty Account button when the service is down.
Added an error message on the Clan section of the Friends List when the service is down.
When losing internet connection, then attempting to modify a loadout’s perks, the game now returns you to the main menu.
Balanced the Focus Perk’s view-kick scale.
Fixed bug where clan tag colors were not showing up on Clan Details page.
Fixed an issue where mantling while going through a blitz portal would sometimes not teleport the players.
Adding patch & background reward for Call of Duty Account Registration.
In Extinction, fixed a rare issue where the alien wouldn’t retreat.
Fixed an issue in Extinction when the hive chopper wouldn’t show up if
an attack chopper was bought during a very specific window of time.
Multiple fixes for Recent History and My Modes lists.
Fix for sometimes spawning from last stand without a weapon in hand in Extinction.
Fix for a few last stand revive weapon bugs in Extinction.
Added new MP spawn music.
Fixed an issue with the ammo counter sometimes not showing up properly in safeguard.
Fixed a rare issue where the Score/XP popup (i.e., +100) didn’t appear when killing a player in Squads Mode.
Changing the leaderboard filter then scrolling would sometimes cause the user to be sent back to a previous menu screen, fixed.
We now show dog tags to spectators in Search and Rescue.
Ensured the ratchet sound only plays when first entering the summary after a game.
Replace generic unlock icon (head/helmet/uniform) with text description of item.
Fixed a bug with shooting down a heli sniper with a gryphon.
Riot shield assists challenge balancing.
Fixed operation completion bonus to account for multi-tier operations rolling over.
Improved UI messages to explain rewards.
Added a “Track Operation” button helper text in the operation selection menu.
Make it so the CoD Anywhere confirm button does not disappear when you back out of a field edit popup.
Fix for mismatched player cards in extinction mode.
Added thermal hybrid scope hint in extinction HUD.
Fixed an issue where backing out of a certain error popup would cause the player to sit in a lobby that wouldn’t fill up in Squad Assault.
Fixed unlocalized text in the Extinction unlock screen for Extinction abilities.