Children’s educational app, Hey Duggee: The Counting Badge, wins 2019 Kidscreen Award

Chris Hare
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Children’s educational app, Hey Duggee: The Counting Badge, wins 2019 Kidscreen Award

The educational app, Hey Duggee: The Counting Badge, has won a 2019 Kidscreen Award for ‘Best Branded Learning App’ in the ‘Digital – Preschool’ category.

Hey Duggee: The Counting Badge is based upon the popular animated children’s television series, Hey Duggee (with the narration voiced by Alexander Armstrong).

Designed with Early Years Foundation Stage learning outcomes at its core, the app features a diverse mix of engaging counting tasks and automatically adjusted difficulty levels to help children of young ages learn and enjoy numeracy.

Hey Duggee is created by Scary Beasties, a BAFTA award-winning digital agency, in association with BBC Studios and Studio AKA, a multi-BAFTA winning, EMMY awarded & Oscar-nominated independent animation studio.

Hey Duggee: The Counting Badge is available on GooglePlay, Amazon, the Apple AppStore and retails at £2.99.

Peter Hickman, BBC Studios Producer for Children’s and Drama said, “Hey Duggee goes from strength to strength, not just on TV, but in the highly competitive world of children’s apps. I’m over the moon.”

Honor announces the Honor 8A smartphone for under £140

Chris Hare
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Honor announces the Honor 8A smartphone for under £140

HONOR has today launched the HONOR 8A smartphone that boasts a 6.09-inch Dewdrop FullView Display, 87 per cent screen-to-body ratio and offers finger gesture command features, which can be used with a one-handed grip. The sleek smartphone is also equipped with SmartPA, which amplifies sound significantly to deliver premium audio performance. The HONOR 8A is available at a fantastic price point of £139.99.

The key features of the HONOR 8A include:

  • 6.09-inch HD+ Dewdrop FullView Display
  • SmartPA speakers combined with a dual-suspension structure
  • Long lasting 3,020 mAh battery
  • Triple card slots (i.e. Dual SIM slots and Micro-SD slot)
  • 13MP main camera with flagship level f/1.8 wide aperture; complemented by an 8MP front-facing camera
  • MT6765 high-frequency 8-core processor
  • Built-in wireless FM Radio
  • Phone unlock using facial recognition
  • EMUI 9.0

“We’re thrilled to launch the HONOR 8A, our latest best-value smartphone. With the HONOR 8A, we are offering a smartphone built with the highest quality technology, but at an affordable price point. The device is a perfect mixture of style and substance, as it brings both impeccable design and fantastic audio quality. We are beyond excited for our fans to get hold of the HONOR 8A,” said Michael Pan, President of HONOR Western Europe.

The ultimate visual experience

The HONOR 8A is the brand’s latest budget-friendly smartphone that packs high-end features in both design and performance. The Dewdrop notch, nestled at the top of the screen, measures a mere 3.2mm and houses the front camera, light sensor and proximity sensor. The Dewdrop notch is 71.1 per cent smaller than traditional notches and enables the screen to reach an 87 per cent screen-to-body ratio, providing users with a true full-view display. The HONOR 8A pays tribute to the classic dual-texture rear body design, featuring a glossy, glass-like finish. The HONOR 8A is available in black.

The HONOR 8A is also equipped with a display screen mode certified by TüV Rheinland – a feature that reduces blue light emitted by the screen to prevent eye fatigue.

Unrivaled sound quality

The HONOR 8A is equipped with a dual suspension structure, a big sound cavity that delivers uniform acoustics. The phone can deliver 30 per cent more volume in comparison to its predecessors due to the built-in high power SmartPA amplifier, which boosts the HONOR 8A’s ability to deliver superior sound quality.

Re-imagine clarity in photography

The HONOR 8A is equipped with a 13MP rear camera that has a f/1.8 wide aperture, which allows for more light entry when capturing images. In addition, the camera is also fitted with an automatic HDR mode to allow for a more dynamic range and greater image details, even in night photography. On top of that, the 8MP front camera is equipped with an advanced portrait and AI algorithm that improves the quality of selfies.

Premium technology

The HONOR 8A is optimised with the EMUI 9.0 operating system and is based on the latest Android 9 Pie. The device’s background app management algorithms are enhanced by artificial intelligence to guarantee a smooth user experience, even after extended periods of usage. The built-in 3,020mAh battery works with the 12nm 8-Core power-efficient processor and EMUI’s intelligent power-saving capabilities to easily provide a full day’s use.

The recommended retail price is £139.99. It will be available for purchase at Amazon and Carphone Warehouse from 13th February.  More retailers will be announced shortly.

Collector’s Pack for The Walking Dead: The Final Season Announced

Chris Hare
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Collector’s Pack for The Walking Dead: The Final Season Announced

Skybound Games prepares for the launch of Episode 4 in Telltale’s The Walking Dead: The Final Season on 26th March, has announced today a Skybound.com-exclusive Collector’s Pack that includes a boxed edition of the entire Final Season, plus an exclusive AJ Pin and Figure.

Save big with new deals from Honor from the Honor 9 Lite to the Honor Play and more

Chris Hare
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0
Save big with new deals from Honor from the Honor 9 Lite to the Honor Play and more

If you’re looking for high-end tech at affordable prices, then HONOR has you covered with limited-time deals live this February.

Whether you’re a fashionista, photography expert or hardcore gamer, HONOR offers something for everyone without having to blow your budget!

For the Gamer….

HONOR Play

RRP: £279.99

Promotion:  £239.99 (valid until 31/03/19)

Game-Changing Fun

The HONOR Play delivers a fantastic entertainment experience straight to your smartphone. Whether it be for gaming enthusiasts or those watching Netflix on the commute, the HONOR Play immerses users in a premium entertainment experience. It packs a 6.3-inch FullView HD display, 3D surround sound and a large 3750 mAh battery which allows for 15 hours of video streaming and 95 hours of music playback in a compact, slim handset.

The HONOR Play is available to purchase at Amazon, Very, Argos, AO, Carphone Warehouse, John Lewis, and www.hihonor.com/uk

For the Fashionista…

HONOR 10

RRP:£349.99

Promotion: £299.99(valid until 19/02/19)

Style and Substance 

The HONOR 10 has sold over 1.5 million units in Europe since its launch last May and comes complete with a high-power mobile AI processor Kirin 970. With an AI-enhanced 24+16MP dual camera, this powerhouse acts as an intelligent selfie companion, allowing you to turn your favourite moments into instant professional shots. The stylish handset boasts a sleek design complete with a 3D aurora glass design, composed of 15 layers of shimmering colour, available in Phantom Green, Glacier Grey or Phantom Blue.

The HONOR 10 is available to purchase from Amazon, Very, Argos, AO, Carphone Warehouse, John Lewis andwww.hihonor.com/uk

For under £200…

HONOR 9 Lite

RRP: £179.99

Promotion: £129.99 (valid until 28/02/19)

Affordable quality

Packing a mighty punch in a hugely affordable package, the HONOR 9 Lite could be perfect for you. The device offers a 5.6-inch full-view screen with a bezel-free design and, as one of the first devices to carry a quad lens camera, features a dual lens on the front and the back, making for stunning selfies. All these features are offered at a great price, making this the perfect phone if you’re not looking to break the bank.

The HONOR 9 Lite is available to purchase from Amazon, Very, Argos, AO, Carphone Warehouse, John Lewis and www.hihonor.com/uk

For under £100…

HONOR 7S

RRP: £99.99

Promotion: £79.99 (valid until 26/02/19)

Big benefits at a small price

The HONOR 7S is the ideal phone for anyone on a budget. The device has a 5.4-inch screen, a 16mp+2mp camera as well as a built-in ‘selfie-LED’. The HONOR 7S offers wonderful value at an incredibly competitive price point.

 

The HONOR 7S is available from Amazon, JLP, Very, Argos, AO and www.hihonor.com/uk

ID@Xbox Releases for February 4th – 8th 2019

Andrew Edney
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ID@Xbox Releases for February 4th – 8th 2019

Each week a number of new ID@Xbox titles are released. Here is the roundup of the releases for this week.

RIOT: Civil Unrest

As the world’s economic crisis deepens and inequality tears the very fabric of society the discontentment of the masses manifests itself in violent public disturbances and civil disorder.

Salt and Sanctuary

Salt and Sanctuary seamlessly combines fast, brutal, and complex 2D combat with richly developed RPG mechanics. Discover, craft, and upgrade over 600 weapons, armor pieces, spells, and items as you explore a cursed realm of forgotten cities, blood-soaked dungeons, desecrated monuments, and the fallen lords they once celebrated.

Ages of Mages: the last keeper

Ages of Mages: The last keeper is a TPS beat ’em up game, will makes you and your friends(family) have a good weekend on your sofa.

Take the princess back!

How our cute mages make the great job done and save the day?

39 Days to Mars

Embark on the 19th century’s most unreliable spaceship in this 2 player couch co-op adventure. 39 Days to Mars is a unique game designed to be played with a friend, where both players have important roles in the expedition. Solo players are aided by the computer-controlled ship’s cat.

Access Denied

Access Denied is a puzzle game where storage of personal data is secreted away, thanks to a special form of protected boxes. The player has the role of a professional cracker, who must test their skills and crack open these boxes across 36 different levels.

Pumped BMX Pro

Pumped BMX Pro is the next installment in the high adrenaline, fast-paced arcade BMXtrickathon. Master 60 levels and over 200 challenges while pulling off as many radical stunts as possible on one of 15 bikes. Want to make it your own? Design your own bike and hit the grind to reach the peaks of global leaderboards.

Dark Quest 2

Dark Quest 2 is a turn based RPG where you control a party of heroes on your epic quest to defeat the evil sorcerer and his minions. The game features a party based system where you control a group of heroes, an isometric hand-drawn art style, dice based mechanics and much more.

Each map is designed to take you through an adventure that will test your party’s strength, courage and sanity as you go deeper and deeper into the castle in search for the chambers of the evil sorcerer.

Away: Journey to the Unexpected

Welcome to a feel-good FPS! A colorful adventure combining action, negotiation and rogue-lite elements. You play as a kid that is neither a hero nor a warrior. Yet with the power of friendship, you will overcome every obstacle in your way!

Choose your path through the levels, uncover the light-hearted story, and above all, recruit allies. All the wacky and powerful characters you meet can be played in first person, and it’s up to you to find the right answers to get them to join your team!

Pipe Push Paradise

Pipe Push Paradise is a challenging, plumbing-based puzle game. You’ve arrived on a lonely island faced with a hero’s calling. Rise to the occasion (push pipes around) and restore this paradise to its former glory.

Please, Don’t Touch Anything

Pease, Don’t Touch Anything is a cryptic, brain-racking button-pushing puzzle game.

Covering for a colleague taking a bathroom break, you find yourself in front of a mysterious console with a green screen monitor showing a pixelated live image of an unknown city. Also present is an ominous red button with the simple instruction to not touch anything!

Glass Masquerade

Welcome to Glass Masquerade – an artistic puzzle game inspired by Art Deco and stained-glass artisans of the 20th century. Combine hidden glass pieces to unveil clocks and themes exhibited by various cultures of the world at the ‘International Times Exhibition’ – an interactive electronic show.

Evoland Legendary Edition

Evoland Legendary Edition brings you two great and unique RPGs, with their graphic style and gameplay changing as you progress through the game!

Inspired by many cult series that have left their mark in the RPG video gaming culture,Evoland takes you from monochrome to full 3D graphics and from active time battles to real time boss fights, all with plenty of humor and references to many classic games.

See you next week for another round-up of the new ID@Xbox releases.

Two Minute Review: R.A.T. 4+ Optical Gaming Mouse

Andrew Edney
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0
Two Minute Review: R.A.T. 4+ Optical Gaming Mouse

It’s time for a two minute review of the Mad Catz R.A.T. 4+ Optical Gaming Mouse.

The R.A.T range is built for endurance，using materials and components specified to meet the demands. The R.A.T. 4+ is constructed around a super lightweight chassisensuring the sensor position is perfectly balanced for tracking on your gaming surface. It also provides the rigid foundation for the rest of the control modules.
R.A.T. 4+ also comes fitted with industry leading OMRON switches (a life of 20 million clicks)，ensuring that those with the fastest clicking fingers won’t miss an action!

All gamers are different. The RATs are precision engineered，making key parts of the product adjustable，to enhance and improve your playing style. R.A.T. 4+ has an adjustable palm rest. So whether your grip is palm, claw or finger-tip, the R.A.T. 4+ can quickly adapt by adjusting in length to suit you.

What’s in the box?

The box contains the mouse, a guide and some Mad Catz stickers.

A Closer Look

Final Thoughts

Back in November Mad Catz announced they were shipping new products, and one of them was the R.A.T. 4+ Optical Gaming Mouse. Having reviewed other Mad Catz mice in the past, and being impressed, I was looking forward to getting my hands, or should that be hand, on it!

One of the key features of the R.A.T. 4+ is its customisation options. You can tweak just about anything want and create profiles which makes is easy to swap between games, or those pesky spreadsheets!

You can program the buttons to in order to suit your play style too.

The R.A.T. 4+ is comfortable to hold and use and you can even adjust the palm rest if you need to.

The R.A.T. 4+ comes in both white and black, so pick whichever you prefer and get gaming!

All in all this is a really great gaming mouse and if you are serious about your PC gaming you should definitely take a look at the R.A.T. 4+, you won’t be disappointed.

The Mad Catz R.A.T. 4+ Optical Gaming Mouse is available now priced around £60.

You can learn more from the Mad Catz website.

Ghost Giant to be published by Perp Games this Spring

Chris Hare
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Ghost Giant to be published by Perp Games this Spring

Zoink Games and Perp Games has today announced that Ghost Giant will have a simultaneous physical and digital launch, this Spring.

Originally revealed during E3, this is one of the most highly sought after PSVR exclusive titles of the year. Ghost Giant comes from the developers behind Stick it to the Man, Fe, and Flipping Death.

This exciting puzzle adventure filled with warmth and charm sees a lonely boy named Louis befriend a giant ghost visible only to him. As the Ghost Giant, you’ll have to carefully build trust with Louis and help him through small, big and sometimes overwhelmingly huge obstacles, discovering the true meaning of friendship along the way.

Ghost Giant has already received critical acclaim from various outlets, with Tech Radar calling it a ‘Beautifully designed game’ Comic Book saying it’s ‘the most promising looking PSVR game’ and VR Focus saying Ghost Giant is ‘a wonderful Toyland Adventure’ and ‘one of the standout VR titles of E3’

As the Ghost Giant, you will get to explore the world of Sancourt, helping its citizens with all manner of day to day problems by using your size and strength. Ghost Giant offers a unique, crafty-looking dollhouse world which can be manipulated in multiple ways and is full of hidden secrets.

Zoink’s aim with Ghost Giant is to recreate the feel of exploring a doll’s house in VR by lifting furniture off the roof and playing around with trinkets and furniture inside, while also giving players a purpose and sense of scale to deliver something truly special and memorable. You’re not just a manipulator from outside the screen, you’re really in there, participating in Louis’ world and being recognized by him as his friend.

Of this very special announcement, Olov Redmalm, Art and Creative Director at Zoink Games says “Warmly welcome to Sancourt! I’m absolutely thrilled that we’re getting a physical release of Ghost Giant by Perp Games. With their line of great VR game releases, we feel right at home. The team at Zoink Games hopes that through Ghost Giant you will experience something quite unique in both VR and storytelling! We’re very proud of the game and it handles a topic we’re all really passionate about. So buckle up, ready your handkerchiefs (just in case things get emotional) and prepare to become the Ghost Giant.”

Ghost Giant has been written in collaboration with Swedish writer, Sara Bergmark Elfgren, whose work has been translated into 25 different languages and is perhaps best known for her Engelsfors Trilogy. This gives players a whole new perspective on VR by pushing the boundaries of physical interaction with emotionally compelling storytelling.

Releasing a physical release at the same time as digital offers everyone the opportunity to explore the world of Sancourt, however, they choose to play their games, from day one. Perp are honoured to work on such an exciting project and cannot wait to bring it to market.

Rob Edwards, MD of Perp Games, is delighted to work on Ghost Giant and talks about the incredible slate of games Perp have coming up. “Ghost Giant is what VR is all about. A warm, heartwrenching story that fully immerses you into the world. We are so excited to be working with Zoink Games on one of the most anticipated VR games of 2019.”

 

Ghost Giant will arrive exclusively on PSVR in Spring 2019 and will receive a boxed release in EU territories. A North American date will follow.

Skybound and Beamdog to bring Classic RPGs on Console

Chris Hare
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Skybound and Beamdog to bring Classic RPGs on Console

Skybound Games and Beamdog today announced a publishing partnership that will bring classic roleplaying videogames Baldur’s Gate, Baldur’s Gate ll, Baldur’s Gate: Siege of Dragonspear, Icewind Dale, Planescape: Torment, and Neverwinter Nights to console platforms in 2019.

Beamdog is known for bringing enhanced versions of Dungeons & Dragons videogames to fans both new and old on the PC platform, including the critically acclaimed Baldur’s Gate, Neverwinter Nights and Planescape: Torment. Six of Beamdog’s fan-favorite games will be released on console platforms for the first time ever via Skybound all as Enhanced Editions sold at retail stores and online (www.Skybound.com). These upcoming releases will allow RPG fans the opportunity to experience epic Dungeons & Dragons adventures in a whole new way.

A selection of Beamdog’s games will be on display in the Skybound Games booth at PAX East in Boston from March 28th to March 31st, all coinciding with the first anniversary of Skybound Games as the video game publishing arm of Skybound Entertainment.

“These games are iconic, including Baldur’s Gate, which has really set the standard for Dungeons & Dragons computer roleplaying games,” said Skybound Games CEO Ian Howe. “We’re excited to bring Beamdog’s incredible slate to new platforms for both the dedicated fan and those who will soon discover these adventures for the first time. As longtime fans of Baldur’s Gate and Dungeons & Dragons it’s fantastic to partner with Beamdog as the newest member of the Skybound family.”

“We are ecstatic to partner with Skybound Games to bring these great classics to new platforms,” said Trent Oster, Beamdog CEO. “Skybound’s accomplishments are amazing and they have a demonstrated love and respect for creators. We’re thrilled to find ourselves working with such a talented group.”

VODAFONE UK Teams up with Qualcomm and Ericsson to lab test 5G processor and smartphone

Chris Hare
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0
VODAFONE UK Teams up with Qualcomm and Ericsson to lab test 5G processor and smartphone

Vodafone UK, Qualcomm Technologies Inc. and Ericsson are conducting ‘over the air’ tests with 5G technology and a device that is similar in size to the 5G mobile phones that are being developed.

5G smartphones will enable extremely high-resolution video streaming and gaming on the go and web-browsing at speeds of up to 10 times faster than 4G. The technology is also key to eventually enabling 3D holographic calling on people’s phones – a technology Vodafone was first to demonstrate in the UK last September.

Starting this week, Vodafone has begun lab tests of a 5G smartphone ‘form factor’ test device with a Qualcomm Snapdragon X50 5G modem using Ericsson radio equipment at the Vodafone Technology Centre in Newbury, Berkshire. This is a major step in ensuring customers get the best 5G experience possible from their phone and the Vodafone network.

The latest test forms part of Vodafone’s UK-wide trial of 5G in Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Glasgow, Liverpool, London and Manchester. Earlier this week, Vodafone engineers in Salford, Greater Manchester, downloaded an hour and 45 minute-length movie over 5G in just 24 seconds. The same movie over fast 4G (using carrier aggregation) took one minute and 35 seconds to download.

Vodafone UK Chief Executive Nick Jeffery said: “We made the UK’s first live 5G 3D holographic call between Manchester and Newbury five months ago. Soon after, we carried the UK’s first 5G call over a live mobile network. Today, we are testing technology that will power 5G smartphones. Another first in the UK.”

Thomas Noren, Head of 5G Commercialization, Ericsson said: “We’re making headway on mobile devices as an integral part of the 5G ecosystem. Ericsson continues to drive the commercial readiness of 5G by future-proofing this ecosystem. Together with Qualcomm, we continue to advance the testing of 5G NR networks with mobile devices and support Vodafone in deploying 5G across the UK.”

Enrico Salvatori, senior vice president and president, Qualcomm EMEA, said: “We are excited to be working with Vodafone and Ericsson as we head towards 5G commercialisation. These tests will be instrumental in defining and refining the 5G services consumers will be able to access.”

’39 Days to Mars’ Now Available on Xbox One

Chris Hare
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0
’39 Days to Mars’ Now Available on Xbox One

Developer It’s Anecdotal has announced its puzzle-adventure game 39 Days to Mars is now available for $14.99 on Xbox One!

 

Join Sir Albert Wickes and The Right Honourable Clarence Baxter for an exciting 19th century adventure! 39 Days to Mars is a 1-2 player co-operative adventure game set in an alternate reality some 150 years in the past. You’re tasked with piloting the HMS Fearful — a masterpiece of unreliable engineering — on its maiden voyage to Mars.

When the steam engine runs out of coal, the ship’s cat shreds the navigation chart, and the tea gets cold, it becomes clear that interstellar transportation isn’t a walk in the park. It will take the talents of two working together on a mix of puzzles and action sequences to get to Mars in one piece (let alone in 39 days).

 

39 Days to Mars is also out now on Windows, Mac and Linux platforms; with a Nintendo Switch version in the works for launch in Early 2019. The Additional Victorian Adventures content update released on PC last year is included as part of the console edition as well.

Assassin’s Creed III Remastered lands for Xbox One/PS4 and PC on the 29th March

Chris Hare
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Assassin’s Creed III Remastered lands for Xbox One/PS4 and PC on the 29th March

Ubisoft announced that Assassin’s Creed III Remastered, developed by Ubisoft Barcelona, will launch 29th March on the PlayStation 4, and the Xbox One / Xbox One X and Windows PC. Assassin’s Creed III Remastered can be pre-ordered for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One as a stand-alone game starting today and is also part of the Assassin’s Creed Odyssey Season Pass.

 

The Remastered edition will feature 4K and HDR on PlayStation 4 Pro, Xbox One X and Windows PC, as well as higher resolution textures, a new graphics engine and several other graphical enhancements. Gameplay mechanics and ergonomics have also been improved.

 

Assassin’s Creed III Remastered will include the full game, the single-player missions Benedict Arnold and Hidden Secrets, The Tyranny of King Washington and Assassin’s Creed III Liberation Remastered, detailed below:

 

  • Assassin’s Creed III Remastered: Players will embody Connor, a master Assassin born of the beauty and brutality of 18th century America. As a bloody revolution draws near, your tribe is threatened by a powerful group seeking to crush the American Revolution and control the thirteen colonies. Shocked into action by the devastation of your village, you pledge your life to the cause of freedom and embark on a decades-long quest to achieve it.

 

  • Tyranny of King Washington: Explore an alternate history where one of America’s greatest heroes, George Washington, succumbs to the temptation of infinite power. The new King is born and his reign leaves no one untouched. Players must return freedom to the land by dethroning the tyrant our hero once called a friend.
  • Assassin’s Creed III Liberation Remastered: Follow Aveline’s story as she battles Spanish forces in the American south to win freedom for her land and people. A woman of conviction, Aveline fights for freedom in 18th century New Orleans, a city on the brink of a rebellion as the Spanish Empire imposes its new rule. Embark on an epic journey that will take her from the crowded streets of New Orleans to voodoo-haunted swamps and ancient Mayan ruins.

Astroneer 1.0 Touches Down on Steam, Xbox One

Chris Hare
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0
Astroneer 1.0 Touches Down on Steam, Xbox One

Astroneer, the interplanetary survival sandbox from System Era Softworks enjoyed by more than 2 million spacefarers, lifts off from Steam Early Access as well as Xbox One Game Preview, and safely lands with the launch of 1.0.

 

Developer System Era Softworks is composed of AAA veterans reaching for the stars with their hopeful vision for the future of human space exploration. The team, which includes senior staff from Bungie, Ubisoft, Disney, Valve and many more, usher in a new era of intrepid interplanetary escapades with 1.0’s bountiful expansion of new content.

 

Adventurous travelers harness their ingenuity to thrive on seven uncharted planets, unraveling the mysteries of abandoned structures strewn across their surfaces. Excavate, elevate and terraform through vibrant terrain in whimsical worlds teeming with unfamiliar oddities. Exploration takes exciting turns as astronauts encounter mysterious structures and dangerous obstacles, then engineer new technology to light the way.

 

Additions to character customization empowers astronauts to show their own personal tastes as they distinguish themselves from friends in four-player co-op. The first major post-launch update will bring dedicated servers and cross-play, enabling adventurers to build their bases and embark on journeys together regardless of platform and doubling the maximum number of players to eight.

Brave a vast and charmingly stylized frontier with exciting new recipes to craft and tools to tinker with. Mold Astroneer’s colorful terrain and get creative with the minimalist landscape to shift mountains and unearth rare resources. Piece together new modules in fully customizable bases before packing up and shuttling off into an unknown sunset. Not even the sky is the limit as bold, fearless explorers embark on a futuristic journey to change the galaxy.

 

“We’ve been on this adventure with our community for over two years now and it’s thanks to them that we’ve been able to polish Astroneer’s terraforming, crafting, and multiplayer,” says System Era Softworks communications director Joe Tirado. “With 1.0, we’re bringing more content so our veteran explorers have as much to look forward to as those just blasting off with us at launch.”

Astroneer is currently available on Steam and Xbox One for $29.99. Astroneer supports the English, French, Italian, Spanish (Spain), Dutch, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Russian, Simplified Chinese, Brazilian Portuguese and Turkish languages.

Salt and Sanctuary Launches Today on Xbox

Chris Hare
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Salt and Sanctuary Launches Today on Xbox

Salt and Sanctuary, Ska Studios’ brutal hand-drawn 2D Souls like platformer with more than 900,000 downloads, washes up on the shores of Xbox One courtesy of porting specialist BlitWorks.

An unspeakable creature from the deep decimates a ship and its crew. The sole survivor of this condemned voyage washes ashore and awakens to an elderly figure. Still rubbing salt from their eyes, the old man deems them the newcomer “Saltborn.” The forsaken island looms ahead, filled with unimaginable terrors.

From cunning, unrelenting enemies to pulse-pounding boss encounters, Salt and Sanctuary poses an unyielding challenge. More than twenty unforgettable bosses claim dominion of this land, and hordes of grotesque monstrosities roam the long-abandoned villages and castles.

Triumph over these ghastly foes with a bevvy of weapons, armour, and elemental magic. Conquer tough-but-fair combat by customizing the protagonist with a massive skill tree and equipment hidden throughout the world. No single weapon, spell or armour is a catch-all solution. Only careful preparation, sharp reflexes and a willingness to adapt can offer an edge against these atrocities.

Defy the island’s punishing atmosphere with a friend in local co-op. Return to the island in New Game+ and battle through an ever-changing gameplay experience with different character builds. Challenge Modes like no-blocking and permadeath await for the truly bold or naive, extending these thrilling Souls like experience even further.

“When we first released our indie Souls like, we were thrilled by the reception, but heard a loud and clear demand from our longstanding community on Xbox,” said Michelle and James Silva, co-creators at Ska Studios. “Returning to Xbox is a homecoming for Ska Studios as a company, and it comes after an incredible journey full of support for our nightmarish creation!”

Salt and Sanctuary is available digitally for Xbox One for $17.99 and supports English, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Traditional and Simplified Chinese, Japanese, and Korean.

Two Minute Review: Kingston Nucleum Hub

Andrew Edney
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1
Two Minute Review: Kingston Nucleum Hub

It’s time for a two minute review of the Kingston Nucleum Hub.

Live the moment. Use the mouse, monitor and accessories that you’ve grown to love with your new notebook. With a single USB-C hub, you can connect up to 7 devices at once and keep your creativity flowing. The Nucleum has you covered whether you want to connect to a larger monitor or need to offload footage from the latest photo shoot. With the Nucleum, you can power up your Apple MacBook while also connecting to a USB Flash drive and charging an iPhone. The compact size and built-in cable also make the Nucleum a perfect travel companion to take with you on location.

Features

  • 7 ports of potential from one USB-C connection
  • Add more pixels using the 4K HDMI output
  • Power pass-through to charge your connected devices
  • Small and light, makes it easy to take with you
  • Designed for content creators with the included SD and microSD slots

What’s in the Box?

The box contains the Nucleum.

A Closer Look

Final Thoughts

The first thing you notice about the Nucleum is that it is quite small and lightweight – which is something you want if you want to use it with your MacBook!

The hub itself has 7 ports on it – which gives 6 more than the MacBook currently does. So plug this little baby in and you immediately get everything you could need for your MacBook, including USB-A and C ports, microSD and SDHC, along with a 4K HDMI port thrown in for good measure, all wrapped up in a tiny little box.

Using it is simple – just plug it, that’s it – you don’t have to do anything else.

The Kingston Nucleum is available now priced around £49.95 and if you have a MacBook this piece of kit is a must have – go get one now!

You can learn more from the Kingston website.

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