A new version of Battlefield 3, the Battlefield 3 Premium Edition, will arrive this September, executive producer Patrick Bach announced during EA’s Gamescom press conference. As the title implies, the Premium Edition includes a membership to the Battlefield Premium service which, in turn, grants access to new expansions, including Back to Karkand, Close Quarters, and the upcoming Armored Kill, End Game and Aftermath.The Premium Edition also features the “Multiplayer Head Start Kit,” which includes “15 different weapons, gadgets and vehicle upgrades.” The Battlefield 3 Premium Edition will launch on PC, Xbox and PS3 this September for $70 in North America, €60 in Europe and £50 in the UK. Show full PR text DICE GETS YOU INTO THE FIGHT WITH THE BATTLEFIELD 3 PREMIUM EDITION Packed with the Award-Winning Battlefield 3, All Battlefield 3 Premium Content Including Five Digital Expansions and More for £49.99 COLOGNE, Germany – August 14, 2012 – The battle continues as DICE, an Electronic Arts Inc. (NASD
AQ: EA) studio, today announced the ultimate Battlefield 3™ game pack: Battlefield 3 Premium Edition. This all-encompassing offer combines the original Battlefield 3 game, all Battlefield 3 Premium content including five themed digital expansion packs, and a Battlefield 3 Multiplayer Head-Start Kit that is custom-designed to help jump start players who are new to multiplayer by automatically unlocking 15 different weapons, gadgets and vehicle upgrades. Battlefield 3 Premium Edition delivers more than 25 maps, over 70 weapons and vehicles and dozens of unlocks and upgrades, making it the perfect entry point into one of the top shooter games of this generation. Priced at £49.99, the value that the Battlefield 3 Premium Edition provides is unbeatable when compared to purchasing all this great content individually at a cost of well over £70. “Since launch, over 15 million people worldwide have enjoyed the thrill of Battlefield, and with the release of Battlefield 3 Premium Edition the community is set to surge once again. Packing a ton of gameplay at an incredible price, there has never been a better time to jump in and see what all the fun is about. We look forward to seeing some new faces on the battlefield,” said Patrick Bach, Executive Producer, Battlefield 3. The Battlefield 3 Premium Edition includes: · Battlefield 3: Among the fastest selling titles in EA’s history, Battlefield 3 has sold more than 15M units since release. Lauded by game critics worldwide for its compelling single player campaign, intense co-op missions and its addictive and world-class multiplayer, Battlefield 3 has won more than 130 awards globally. · Battlefield 3 Premiummembership: Battlefield 3 Premium is an innovative offering that includes early access to five digital expansion packs including Battlefield 3: Back to Karkand, Battlefield 3: Close Quarters, Battlefield 3: Armored Kill, Battlefield 3: End Game and the newly announced Battlefield 3: Aftermath. These themed digital expansion packs introduce a massive amount of content including 20 new maps and weapons, four new game modes and more. Players will also receive new soldier and weapon camos, deeper personalization options, and advanced features making for the ultimate Battlefield 3 experience. · Battlefield 3 Multiplayer Head-Start Kit: This kit will automatically unlock 15 different weapons, gadgets and vehicle upgrades so new players can immediately jump in. Battlefield 3 Premium Edition will be available in the UK on September 13 for the Xbox 360® videogame and entertainment system, PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and PC. PlayStation 3 players will also receive an additional week of early access to all remaining digital expansion packs. For the latest news on Battlefield please visit http://www.facebook.com/battlefield, follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/battlefield or sign up for the official Battlefield newsletter at www.battlefield.com. Press assets for Battlefield 3 are available at www.eagames.co.uk About Electronic Arts Electronic Arts (NASDAQ: EA) is a global leader in digital interactive entertainment. The Company delivers games, content and online services for Internet-connected consoles, personal computers, mobile phones, tablets and social networks. EA has more than 220 million registered players and operates in 75 countries. In fiscal 2012, EA posted GAAP net revenue of $4.1 billion. Headquartered in Redwood City, California, EA is recognized for a portfolio of critically acclaimed, high-quality blockbuster brands such as The Sims™, Madden NFL, FIFA Soccer, Need for Speed™, Battlefield™ and Mass Effect™. More information about EA is available at www.eagames.co.uk/press. The Sims and Need for Speed are trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. Mass Effect is a trademark of EA International (Studio and Publishing) Ltd. Battlefield and Battlefield 3 are trademarks of EA Digital Illusions CE AB. John Madden, NFL and FIFA are the property of their respective owners and used with permission. PlayStation is a registered trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Xbox and Xbox 360 are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies and used with permission. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
Month: October 2019
appBlaster 2.0 gets friendly with Android handsets, brings new AR features
We’re not sure how many members of the Google army asked for it, but the second-gen, Android-friendly appBlaster’s now being delivered to all peripheral buffs. Obviously, one of the biggest improvements in v2.0 of the apptoyz accessory is its much welcomed compatibility with something other than iDevices via a new universal cage — that said, there’s also other fresh augmented reality features which, in theory, should make it a vast improvement over its predecessor. The appBlaster 2.0’s only seen a slight price bump in comparison to the first-gen, with RED5 asking for £25 (around $40) for the add-on — a small amount to pay when you consider all the attention you’re going to get. And, well, we know you love that. Show full PR text RED5.co.uk Launches The New Generation of appBlaster … And this time the aliens know where to hide… Monday 6th August, 2012 – London, UK: RED5.co.uk, the ultimate gadget shop, is today launching the appBlaster v.2 to market. With a complete re-design, the appBlaster v.2 now houses iPods, iPhones and Android phones while the updated free augmented reality app sees the alien swarm appear from within the objects in the room. When your smartphone is docked with the new app, it transforms into an augmented reality gaming machine with cross hair and game data on view. Utilising the accelerometer of your smartphone the appBlaster v.2 app allows the game to rotate, and moves as you do. The result is immersive game play that requires quick reactions and frantic firing as aliens emerge from the walls, ceiling, floor or random objects at every angle imaginable. To play the game you must defend your location against swarms of aliens, using an assortment of guns and missiles. When you’re running low on ammo, reload by quickly cocking the gun by pointing it at the ceiling, and then take aim. Fancy a new weapon or feeling battle weary? Keep your eyes peeled for special weapons and power ups which can be collected throughout the mission. The appBlaster v.2 is lightweight and the shoulder stock can be removed to give you a shorter device depending on your preference. With two trig
gers; the rear trigger fires the lasers, whilst the front trigger is for firing missiles. Never before has the quote “they’re coming out of the goddamn walls!” been so apt!
Apple updates Apple Store app with software pre-install options
Apple Store app for the iPhone was recently updated with a new feature that’ll let customers order a new Mac with the iWork applications pre-installed.New Macs usually ship with the iLife suite of apps installed for free, but now customers using their iPhone to make a purchase can choose to add iWork apps like Pages, Numbers and Keynote to their Mac for US$20 each.Just like iLife, the iWork apps will be installed on the customer’s machine when they pick it up at the store. It’s a small change, but one that suggests Apple is working to improve its retail shopping experience, right down to the smallest details. #next_pages_container { width: 5px; hight: 5px; position: absolute; top: -100px; left: -100px; z-index: 2147483647 !important; }#next_pages_container { width: 5px; hight: 5px; position: absolute; top: -100px; left: -100px; z-index: 2147483647 !important; }#next_pages_container { width: 5px; hight: 5px; position: absolute; to
p: -100px; left: -100px; z-index: 2147483647 !important; }
MLG League of Legends Summer Championship winners disqualified for ‘collusion’
Major League Gaming announced late last night that the first and second place winners of the Summer Championship League of Legends Event have been disqualified for conspiring to not play a match to win.”We have determined that there was collusion between the two final teams, Curse NA and Team Dignitas,” MLG wrote in a statement. “This is in clear violation of both the letter and spirit of MLG’s Official Pro Circuit Conduct Rules: ‘competitors may not intentionally Forfeit a Game or conspire to manipulate Rankings or Brackets.’ As such, both teams have been disqualified, and no placements or prize money will be awarded.”Curse NA put out a video stating the issue surrounds agreeing with Team Dignitas that the first round of the match should be an “ARAM,” but that no other agreements were made. The acronym stands for “all random all middle,” meaning both teams picked champions 
at random and played only the middle lane. It’s a player-created match style, like if two major sports teams agreed to play baseball with one base or basketball using half the court.Senior Vice President Lee Chen of Major League Gaming denies the defense, writing on Twitter: “To be clear here folks, the collusion had nothing to do with the ARAM. CRS/DIG conspired to split prize money.”The third and fourth place teams will receive the prize money for the event. MLG states although there is contention over the exact nature of the violation, that “both teams, as well as MLG and [League of Legends developer] Riot” agree that not playing a tournament match to win warrants disqualification.
Stompy gets off the ground with a Kickstarter: buy a ride on a 2-ton hexabot
In June we were promised a Kickstarter for Project Hexapod’s 10-foot tall, two-ton Stompy. We’re happy to report that Gui Cavalcanti and his cohorts (James Whong and Dan Cody) at the Artisan’s Asylum weren’t kidding. This morning the page went live and you can officially pledge your support for rideable six-legged robots. Now that the chassis is 80 percent through the design phase, the half-scale prototype leg (Gimpy) has proven its mettle, and the full-size prototype leg has been designed and the necessary parts ordered, it’s time to start lining up funding for the final project. You know how it works: you pledge a certain amount of money and in return you receive a particular level of reward. Don’t have much to offer? For just $5 the team will scale the White Mountains and shout your name from the top, while $10 will get you get you something a bit more tangible — a bumper sticker that reads “my other car has six legs.” Sure, stickers, photos and T-shirts are nice, but the real fun comes when you pledge something substantial, like $200. At that level Stompy will live up to his name and crush any inanimate, non-volatile object of your choosing. Project Hexapod will even post a video of the destruction on YouTube for the world to enjoy. But, wait, it gets better. Cough up $300, and you’ll get to ride the 18-foot wide steel beast. Jump to a cool grand and they’ll let you man the controls. There’s a few more levels above that, but get this, if you contribute $300,000, they’ll build you your own Stompy (we’ve already started emptying our retirement accounts and pooling our funds). The goal is a perfectly reasonable $65,000 — especially when you consider each leg is roughly $6,000 in raw materials. But, at $95K, the team will add a “performance upgrade” package that’ll allow it to move 
faster, smoother and over more rugged terrain. If you’re at all concerned at all about where your money is going, we’ll leave you with these parting pieces of information to consider. One: When the project is complete, everything from the CAD designs to the lesson plans used in the associated class will be posted online for anyone to download. Two: In the course of designing Stompy, the Project Hexapod crew developed a position-controlled hydraulic actuator capable of generating 18,000 pounds of force with a two-foot stroke that’s two orders of magnitude cheaper that comparable hardware. And, three: If the team reaches $300,000 in funding, they will buy a waterjet cutter and install it at the Artisan’s Asylum for public use. It will also be used to build a “zoo’s worth of rideable robots.” Neither we, nor they are kidding.
Gamescom 2012: CJ Games showcases upcoming games in videos
Back at E3, Massively had the chance to chat with folks from CJ Games Global about a number of their upcoming games, including the horror-themed shooter Hounds, the medieval strategy game Monarch, and the urban action shooter District 187: Sin Streets (formally called Sin Streets Online). For Gamescom, the company showed two short trailers highlighting some of the in-game action of both Monarch and Hounds.Hounds will feature five types of gameplay, including endgame raiding and PvP. The game is scheduled for a fourth-quarter release in 2013. Planned for release just before that in Q3 2013, Monarch utilizes soldiers-for-hire to siege opposing territories in large-scale combat.Check out the in-game footage of both titles in the trailers after the break.[Source: CJ Games Global press release] 
Every summer, the gaming industry descends on Cologne, Germany, for Gamescom, the world’s largest trade fair for interactive games and entertainment. Massively’s on the scene in 2012, bringing you all the best scoops, impressions, and interviews from the MMOs at the show!
The Queue: WoW Patch 5.0.4 Q&A
Welcome back to The Queue, the daily Q&A column in which the WoW Insider team answers your questions about the World of Warcraft. Adam Holisky (@adamholisky) will be your host today.I’m back from my wedding and honeymoon, and Blizzard has delivered a gigantic gift of patch 5.0.4 for me. Let’s get down to business with a lot of questions and answers about today’s patch.John asked:Q4TQ: Are any of the archeology changes (more digs per spot, for instance, etc.) coming in patch 5.0.4? To the best of my knowledge, only the extra digs per site are coming in patch 5.0.4. 
For everything else, you’ll need to wait until Mists releases.Jeff asked:They have posted maintenance for tomorrow: 3am to 11am PDT. Who’s taking the over?I’d be very surprised if the maintenance is done by 1 p.m. PDT, let alone 11 in the morning. My personal bet is 4 p.m. PDT, with all realms up by 6 p.m. PDT. Let’s just hope that all the mail in our mailboxes isn’t wiped out this time … (har har har).Stephpaul asked:Are the recruit a friend mounts going to be account wide?All signs point to yes. On the PTR right now they are account-wide. There’s a lot of conjecture and QQ over this, but we’ll know for sure as soon as the realms are up.Dearth asked:Q4tQ: If I was able to purchase an Argent Pony Bridle in one of my toons, will all of my other toons be able to summon an Argent Squire with the pony? Or do I have to purchase the bridle for all my other toons separately?The Argent Squire is not an account-bound pet, so your question is (unfortunately) invalid.Greenman asked:Will Blizzard add the new RF looting system as an option to select (like Nee/Greed, Master Loot, etc.) for regular raids? Wouldn’t it be great for pugs where people may not know/trust each other? I really doubt Blizzard will ever add the system to pickup groups in the classical sense. It’s almost impossible for Blizzard to analytically determine the social composition, and thus the social contract(s), in a PUG. There are some base mechanics and universal rules by which we play (need before greed, master looter, etc.), but for them to impose an entirely different loot system on classical group makeups would be unheard of and, dare I say, heavily unwelcomed.Even as an option this would force a social system onto people. (Think if one person insisted on having the new system, while the 24 other people didn’t want it.) It’s going to work brilliantly in LFR, but I’m pretty sure that’s where it’s going to stay.Bankerman asked:Are profession changes going into effect with the prepatch? I’m talking about leveling professions, obviously MoP stuff won’t be in at that time. Specifically any new glyphs and enchanters not needing to upgrade their enchanting rods.Yes, profession changes are going into patch 5.0.4 (today). And as you mention, anything that requires MoP mats or skills won’t be available.Simon asked:Does anyone know whats happening with 64 bit WoW yet? did it make it past beta stages, and will it update next week?While there hasn’t been an official update yet on the 64-bit client, I’m sure it’ll be like last time and update shortly (as in the same day, knock on wood) after the patch drops (today!). Have questions about the World of Warcraft? The WoW Insider crew is here with The Queue, our daily Q&A column. Leave your questions in the comments, and we’ll do our best to answer ’em!
Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs will take lessons from Dear Esther
One of the keys to creating Dear Esther, said thechineseroom’s Dan Pinchbeck, was allowing the player as much control over the narrative as possible. Speaking at a panel during GDC Europe, Pinchbeck addressed the intentional ambiguity of Dear Esther, saying that it gave players more freedom, thus making their time with the game more enjoyable. Rather than presenting the player with predetermined series of events, Dear Esther’s story is filled with ambiguity and revealed randomly, leaving it to the player to interpret it. In a very real sense, they actually participate in the story’s creation.While most games lay out their stories in a clear, linear fashion – think big budget FPS and action games – Pinchbeck likens Dear Esther’s story to a toy box. Instead of giving players a cohesive, linear story, thechineseroom created story blocks and lets players put them together. It’s a bit like “story Minecraft,” he said. “The story of Dear Esther doesn’t actually particularly tell you anything. It just suggests things that could have happened, but you can do the work.”People are driven to think of events in terms of story, he said. “If something looks and feels enough like a story, people are likely to interpret the action in a storied way.” As such, when creating Dear Esther, thechineseroom wasn’t concerned with creating a complete, fully rounded story. “What we can try and do in games, is not tell a story, but to provide the player with the toolbox – the tools, the bricks that they need to tell the stories themselves,” said Pinchbeck. “In exactly the same way that we consider things like physics sandboxes,” he adds, “if you provide those units of useful, interesting stuff that players can play with, they will create an experience from it.”During the Q&A session, we asked Pinchbeck if Thechineseroom’s next project, Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs will follow the same model of abstract storytelling. Unlike Dear Esther, said Pinchbeck, A Machine for Pigs exists within the constraints of a “classic horror story,” so it won’t follow the same model entirely. “What we’re going to try and do is we’re going to try and keep the lessons that we’ve learned in terms of not funneling the plot down, not being really explicit with the player about what’s going on, using inference, using suggestion,” he said. “We’re trying to have any opportunities we can to keep that open” for players to do the work of piecing together the ambiguous bits, which he says are especially important in a horror game. “You pretty much can’t represent anything in a horror game that’s going to be more scary than what the player thinks you’re going to represent, and the moment you actually show it, you’ve lost an awful lot of the power you’ve got to scare them.”
Things 2 now out, adds long-awaited cloud sync
Cultured Code has released Things 2, an update to its Things task manager, including the very, very long-awaited cloud sync capability. Did we mention that we’ve been waiting for it for awhile? The best news is that unlike rival The Hit List, cloud support is free on Things 2.Things 2 is a multiplatform release across the Mac, iPad and iPhone; updates to all editions are free from 1.x. In addition to the cloud sync tool, called Things Cloud, other new features include:Things for MacDaily Review list that pulls up a list of tasks and let you decide if you want to work on them today.Mountain Lion capability, including streamlining with Reminders so Siri can easily be used to enter tasksRetina display updatesThings for iOSDaily Review addedDesign UI tweakedScrolling date pickerOther iOS improvements such as tapping and holding a checkbox to cancel a task, log completed tasks automatically and VoiceOver accessibilityThings 2 is a welcome release, and we’re looking forward to putting it through its paces. Unfortunately, the delay in adding cloud sync (other productivity systems — such as OmniFocus — have had the feature for years) has lost Cultured Code a lot of its goodwill, as apparent by reading the comments on the linked posts above. We’re glad to see Things Cloud is finally clear of its beta evolution and ready for prime time.When you si
gn up for the Things Cloud service on either your Mac or your iOS device, you’ll get a confirmation PIN via email. Entering the PIN in your client will confirm your account, and from that point you can log in on all your devices using your email/password combo. (Don’t reuse passwords, please.) The first Things instance you connect to the cloud will populate it with data, and subsequent devices (if they have to-dos on them already) will give you the option of merging, replacing local, or replacing the cloud list of tasks.Things’ previous Bonjour/WiFi sync scheme has been removed in the 2.0 release, so if you update your Mac copy of Things you’ll need to update everywhere in order to sync with the new cloud service. If you need to retain local network syncing for some reason, there is now a “Legacy Sync” version of Things 1.5 for Mac (and a corresponding “Things 1 Mode” toggle in the iOS apps) that maintains Bonjour sync.Things 2 for Mac is $49.95 through the Mac App Store, and a free trial is available from Cultured Code’s website. Things 2 for iPad is $19.99 and Things 2 for iPhone is $9.99. Both iOS versions require iOS 5 or later, and the Mac version requires OS X 10.6.6.Thanks, Eric!
Instagram 3’s new Photo Maps feature adds location to your photo stories
Instagram 3.0, the free photo sharing app for iPhone, is available and provides a number of enhancements. The most impressive is the new Photo Maps feature.By grabbing geolocation information that is saved with each photo, Instagram creates a world map of your images by location. As you zoom in on each location, say Florida for example, you see locations in that state, then in each city.You can add new photos to your Photo Maps through the new photo upload screen, which features a prominent Add to your Photo Maps button. Instagram has also increased the length of the captions you can add to each photo, and provides a way to name a location. Gallery: Instagram 3.0 Photo Maps | 8 Photos 8 +4 The app has some other improvements that make life a bit easier. There’s now infinite scrolling when you’re looking at images; when you get to the bottom of a page, more images are added automatically without having to tap a “load more” button. On the iPhone 4S, the app seems faster and more responsive in some limited testing.It’s also possible now to report individual comments as spam or obscenity by swiping right on the comment. You’re given the choice of just deleting the comment, or deleting and report
ing the comment. This addition is designed “to ensure Instagram is a safe and fun place to share your photos,” in the words of the Instagram team.Fellow TUAW blogger Megan Lavey-Heaton noticed that the filters can now be applied before you take a photo. I verified that, and also noticed that the tilt-shift and other focus filter can also be applied before shooting.Photo Maps is a compelling feature that may just cause a lot of people to pick up their pace of posting to the Instagram photo sharing service. Instagram 3.0 is a free update; we’d recommend you update as soon as possible if you haven’t already.