Apple : WhatsApp hits malware maker with mega lawsuit

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• WhatsApp hits malware maker with mega lawsuit
• Best Android phone 2019: which should you buy?
• The 16-inch MacBook Pro will have a different kind of Touch Bar
• Spotify Kids protects your child from explicit content with an age-appropriate music catalog
• What is Industry 4.0? Everything you need to know
• GTA 6 news and rumors: when will Grand Theft Auto 6 be announced?
• Dragon Age 4: everything we know so far about the open secret of a sequel
• PS5 games: all the games confirmed and expected on the PlayStation 5
• Xbox Project Scarlett games: all the games confirmed and expected on the next Xbox
• Death Stranding: release date, trailers and news
• Google may finally be killing off Flash
• Best blogging platforms of 2019
• How wearable technology could assist emergency services
• Content funding on TechRadar
• Best managed WordPress hosting 2019
• Canelo vs Kovalev live stream: how to watch the Alvarez fight online from anywhere Saturday
• The best Xbox One X prices, bundles and deals in October 2019: where to buy the 4K Xbox
• The cheapest Xbox One bundle deals and sale prices in October 2019
• Pay under £200 for the cheapest Samsung Galaxy A40 deal around at Amazon
• Amazing Nintendo Switch bundle deal at Walmart rings in Black Friday early

WhatsApp hits malware maker with mega lawsuit Posted: 30 Oct 2019 01:15 PM PDT WhatsApp is fighting back following a cyberattack that installed spyware on users' smartphones. The Facebook-owned company has filed a lawsuit against the Israeli cyber intelligence firm NSO Group claiming it created an exploit that made the attack possible. According to the lawsuit, which was filed in a California federal court, the NSO Group “developed their malware in order to access messages and other communications after they were decrypted” on target devices. WhatsApp attack allowed hackers to install surveillance tech Hackers can alter WhatsApp chats to show fake information WhatsApp chats can be hacked with a malicious GIF The attack itself exploited an audio-calling vulnerability in WhatsApp and targeted users would think they were getting a call, when really the malware would infect their device with spyware that gave attackers complete access to their smartphone. Breaking WhatsApp's end-to-end encryption has proven difficult which is why governments and mobile spyware companies have started targeting the devices that sent or received messages instead. Why hack the service itself when you can hack a device to obtain its data? WhatsApp vs NSO group WhatsApp was able to quickly patch the vulnerability that made the attack possible and while the NSO Group was believed to be responsible at that time, WhatsApp did not publicly call out the cyber intelligence firm until now. After the lawsuit was filed, vice president of WhatsApp, Will Cathcart published an op-ed in The Washington Post in which he explained how the company determined the NSO Group was behind the attack, saying: “As we gathered the information that we lay out in our complaint, we learned that the attackers used servers and Internet-hosting services that were previously associated with NSO. In addition, as our complaint notes, we have tied certain WhatsApp accounts used during the attacks back to NSO. While their attack was highly sophisticated, their attempts to cover their tracks were not entirely successful.” Around 1,400 targeted devices were affected by the exploit but according to WhatsApp, over 100 human rights defenders, journalists and “other members of civil society” were targeted by the attack. Additionally government officials and diplomats were also targeted. The NSO Group has disputed WhatsApp's claims but we won't know the full story until the lawsuit goes to trial. Keep your devices protected with the best antivirus software Via TechCrunch This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Best Android phone 2019: which should you buy? Posted: 30 Oct 2019 01:15 PM PDT The best Android phones sport slimmer bezels and introduce startling new design quirks. With more fantastic Android smartphones coming out, it's difficult to pick the best one to suit your needs, but we’ve had lots of hands-on time to list the best – and the rest. For now, Samsung is still holding strong thanks to its talent for blending features, high specs, and exciting design alongside some stunning cameras in its reigning S10 line. But given the advancements coming from competing Google Pixel phones, the roster of best Android smartphones will keep getting more interesting. The OnePlus 7 Pro is a scrappy and less costly contender, but it's tough to argue against the versatility of the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus.  If you’re shopping for a new Android smartphone, be sure to check each of these handsets out, as you'll see some you might not have been aware of or taken seriously - but we can assure you they're all quality picks. You can also compare the list to our best phones and best unlocked phones to see how Android and iOS devices stack up. And, if you need mobile service to go with your phone, we can help you find the best unlimited data plan. Without further ado, let’s take a look at the best Android phones on the market right now. Best Samsung Phone | Best Huawei Phone | Best Moto Phone | Best Sony Phone | Best Nokia Phone | Best iPhone While the Samsung Galaxy S series has only made incremental improvements in recent years, the Galaxy S10 Plus makes a bit more of a substantial leap ahead with new features and an even sleeker look. While the other models in the series have their advantages, the S10 Plus is simply the best of the best – top specs, an expanded camera suite and some shiny new tricks. The Snapdragon 855 at the phone's core competes with the Apple A12 for the fastest chip you can get in phones, and the 8GB RAM makes browsing and gaming speedy. The baseline 128GB of storage is great, but you can also pick up the phone with 512GB – or even 1TB, if you pay for the premium ceramic-backed version (which boosts the RAM to 12GB). If that's not enough, storage can be boosted by 512GB via microSD, bumping potential storage to 1.5TB...whoever should need it. The phone has few drawbacks, with a huge 6.4-inch screen in the smallest frame we've seen thanks to a 93% screen-to-body ratio. The in-screen fingerprint sensor is cool, the ability to wirelessly charge other devices using the new Wireless PowerShare feature is even cooler, and we just love the clean look of the phone. Aces all around...if you're willing to pay the (very) high price. Read the full review: Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus The Samsung Galaxy S10e is essentially the iPhone XR for Android: flagship specs at a lower price, with a few features shaved off to cut costs. And yet, the S10e is less of a compromise. It retains an AMOLED display (the XR's is LCD), starts at 6GB of RAM and packs a second ultrawide rear camera to the XR's single wide lens. There are several things the S10e lacks compared to its pricier siblings, but nothing you'll terribly miss: its side-mounted sensor is still more reliable than the in-screen fingerprint sensor on the S10 and S10 Plus. The 2x telephoto lens on its bigger siblings isn't as useful as the ultrawide sensor it keeps.  But most importantly, it's a cheaper, smaller phone in a sea of Android phones that are getting larger and pricier. The S10e is a more distinct alternative to the S10 Plus than the standard S10, which ends up being a middle child that doesn't quite earn its price hike from its budget flagship sibling.  Read the full review: Samsung Galaxy S10e Image credit: TechRadar The OnePlus 7 Pro is the pinnacle of the company's design ethos: top-tier specs and software at sub-flagship prices. While the latter is still true - and you can get the standard OnePlus 7 a little cheaper, if you want - the pricetag for the elite OnePlus 7 Pro is creeping closer to the competitors it had previously outvalued. But arguably, the upgrades from last year's OnePlus 6T are worth it. The new handset adds a third ultrawide camera (following the Samsung Galaxy S10 line and Huawei Mate 20 Pro before it), retains its in-display fingerprint sensor, and even bumps up the resolution to an impressive WQHD+ (1,440 x 3,120) for a sharper-than-ever picture. The OnePlus 7 Pro's real innovation is a seamless, no-notch display - made possible by a persicope 16MP selfie camera. It pops up when taking selfies, but also when unlocking the phone with facial recognition. It even auto-retracts when the phone's gyroscope detects it's been dropped, though we haven't tested how effective this is.  All in all, the phone is a solid upgrade over its predecessor, though its extreme value over leading flagships has diminished somewhat. Read more: OnePlus 7 Pro review The Galaxy Note 10 Plus is the most supreme this smartphone series has been, with a big gorgeous display, four rear cameras, and the same reliable S Pen stylus.  Following the Samsung Galaxy S10's lead, the Note 10 Plus adds a 16MP ultrawide lens and a Time-of-Flight depth sensor. And the phonemaker has really leaned into the premium edge with the Plus, as it starts at 256GB of storage and 12GB of RAM. Otherwise, not much will surprise you about this phone, which is okay: it's less thick, has a bigger screen, and is more stylish than ever. It's pricey yet powerful, with a bit more S Pen functionality.  Read the full review: Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus The Google PIxel 4 XL still takes incredible photos, but its curious features and disappointing battery life make this year's version a bit tougher to recommend. New Soli radar components and a return to a thick top bezel instead of a notch make this a more conservative, but still stylish, phone. The fingerprint sensor is gone, replaced by facial recognition unlocking that's not quite on par with Apple's Face ID - and not yet recognized by many banks, meaning the phone doesn't have biometric authentication for financial apps. The new Motion Sense lets you control audio and alarms via aerial hand gestures, but it's not used for much more than that - and works erratically to boot. Other new features are neat, like Live Caption and live transcribing in the Recorder app, though those features are coming to the Pixel 3 series. Still, the Pixel 4 XL is a great phone with a minimal design style compared to the flashier flagships out there, and with a Snapdragon 855 chipset and 6GB of RAM, it's powerful enough to get the job done. Just be prepared to recharge: the phone rarely lasts more than a day at full capacity, which is why we recommend the XL over the Pixel 4's pitiful 2,800mAh battery. Read more: Google Pixel 4 XL review The Samsung Galaxy S10 is an incredible phone – a true flagship that ticks all the boxes and even has a few new tricks that make it a bit more than just an incremental upgrade over the Galaxy S9. But with the addition of the 'budget flagship' S10e to the S10 line, the standard edition is a bit harder of a sell. Don't get us wrong, it's still a fantastic phone. Packing the latest Snapdragon 855 chip and doubling the RAM to 8GB makes the standard S10 a powerful device, and the baseline 128GB of storage is very welcome. The new in-screen fingerprint scanner is pretty cool, and the extra 2x optical telephoto and ultrawide lens are reasons alone to pick this over last year's Galaxy S9. The new Wireless PowerShare is very handy in a pinch to charge other devices. But for a noticeable price cut, you aren't missing much if you opt for the S10e; and on the other side, for a bit higher price, the S10 Plus offers a slightly larger screen, another selfie camera for portrait depth, and a higher spec ceiling. Thus, the standard S10 is likely for folks who want a flagship that's not too big, not too small, yet is powerful enough to last years of use. Read the full review: Samsung Galaxy S10 Huawei's P series has always taken photography seriously, and the P30 Pro takes that to an extreme. Where other phones have struggled to fit more than a 3x optical zoom in ever-slimmer phones, Huawei circumvented that limit with a novel design: lay its lens stack along the phone's length and use a mirror to reflect it out the rear cover. Hence the "periscope" lens, which manages 5x optical zoom, a 10x digital zoom and a baffling 50x full digital zoom. The phone is no slouch in other departments, either, sporting Huawei's latest Kirin 980 chip to reach speeds on par with Apple and Samsung flagships. Respectable RAM and storage round out the phone's specs, but you'll pick up the P30 Pro for its astounding photo capabilities, which include impressive DSLR-level ISO, per Huawei's claims.  Alas, Huawei phones aren't the easiest to get in the US – you'll have to pick them up wholesale from a retailer, since no carrier currently sells the company's devices and network support is limited. If not for that scarcity issue, this phone would likely rank higher in our list. But if sourcing your phone isn't much of an issue, the P30 Pro looks to be a great choice. Read our full review: Huawei P30 Pro Huawei’s Mate 20 Pro isn’t the easiest to get your hands on in the US, but that doesn’t make it any less impressive a phone. It’s the best we’ve ever seen from Huawei, and stacks up well against all other Android phones. It’s QHD display measures 6.39 inches and supports HDR10 for a great visual experience, as long as notches aren’t an issue There’s a fingerprint sensor embedded underneath the display as well. Inside, it’s offering impressive performance with Huawei’s own Kirin 980 chipset and 6GB or 8GB of RAM. It comes with plenty of storage and a large battery as well.  The camera offering on the Mate 20 Pro is truly impressive, with a combination of three cameras on the back and a super-sharp 24MP selfie camera. The rear camera system combines a 40MP wide-angle sensor, an 8MP telephoto sensor, and a 20MP ultra-wide sensor. The result is an incredibly versatile snapper with AI backing it up. Read more: Huawei Mate 20 Pro review Google’s Pixel 3 XL is a bit bigger and blockier than its smaller sibling, with sizable bezels that are less and less ignorable in 2019. The phone still has one of the best camera setups on the market, and it does that with just one rear sensor, two front-facing sensors, and a whole lot of software optimization, so credit where credit is due.  The design of the Pixel 3 XL isn’t quite as dazzling as the other offerings on this list, but it’s passable. It boasts a 6.3-inch OLED screen, but has a glaring notch at the top. The dual front-facing speakers help make up for that unsightly notch. The internals are also competitive with the other flagship phones. And, with regular operating system updates guaranteed by Google, the Pixel 3 XL may have a longer life than some of the competition.  Read more: Google Pixel 3 XL review The recent LG G8 isn't the company's strongest offer in recent years. It launched with a design that wasn't keeping up with its contemporaries, yet it had a price that was just about as expensive. All the same, it comes with the latest Android experience and all the power that's offered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 chipset. That combination is enough to make it a worthwhile consideration as an Android phone. The screen may have a notch cut out of the top, but it's otherwise bright, sharp, and decently large. The cameras aren't top-class, but with a wide angle lens on one, they offer some handy versatility. If you can find the LG G8 at a discounted price, some of its detractors get easier to forgive. Read more: LG G8 ThinQ review This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

The 16-inch MacBook Pro will have a different kind of Touch Bar Posted: 30 Oct 2019 12:52 PM PDT A new image of the 16-inch MacBook Pro has leaked through files within the macOS Catalina 10.15.1 release, showing a different design for the Touch Bar and Touch ID. None other than 9to5Mac has discovered the image file within the depths of macOS 10.15.1 code, revealing Touch Bar and Touch ID modules that are separated by a cut of aluminum. As you may know, all Touch Bar MacBook Pro models to date have included the Touch ID module within the same display enclosure. This seems like a tiny difference, but could have implications for the rest of the 16-inch MacBook Pro design, which is expected to come with a whole new keyboard. While 9to5Mac reports that this revelation confirms that the new model will also include a physical escape key – all models feature a software-based escape key – we wouldn’t buy that at least until we see another leaked image of exactly that. These are the top MacBook Pro accessories A macOS Catalina primer Find the best MacBook Pro deals right here The leaked image that 9to5Mac has uncovered. A smaller redesign than we hoped for? Who knows… The 9to5Mac team seems to be connecting this latest image leak with one of a few days prior: art icons within the macOS 10.15.1 beta code suggested the 16-inch MacBook Pro won’t be as big of a redesign as many had expect. However, we’re not yet prepared to accept that these two leaks imply a smaller redesign than previously anticipated, as the image in the beta code leak is impossible to discern a physical escape key from the angle at which it’s presented. It could just as easily be an image artifact as it could be depicting a separate, physical escape key. Also, how either of these leaks confirm or even affirm suspicion that this 16-inch MacBook Pro won’t be a drastic redesign is unclear. All we know right now, with any degree of certainty, is that the 16-inch MacBook Pro could have a separated Touch Bar and Touch ID module. OK, well that and the assumption that this laptop is almost undoubtedly not coming out in October 2019. These are the best Macs we’ve tested to date This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Spotify Kids protects your child from explicit content with an age-appropriate music catalog Posted: 30 Oct 2019 12:29 PM PDT Spotify has announced a new age-appropriate app for kids called, as you’d expect, Spotify Kids. The service requires a Spotify Family Plan to use and is available starting first in Ireland, but will likely roll out to other territories in the near future.  "[The app] welcome[s] the next generation of listeners – kids – into the Family Plan experience," Alex Norström, Spotify’s Chief Premium Business Officer, explained in a a blog post. According to information in the post, the app will offer an ad-free experience for kids (hence why it requires Spotify’s Premium Family Plan) with a catalog of around 6,000 curated songs from Nickelodeon, Disney, Discovery Kids, and Universal Pictures soundtracks and popular children’s artists.  Of course, if your kids are a bit older – somewhere in their teens, for example – Spotify Kids will allow you to set the age limit of their songs a bit higher, opening up artists like Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande, and Bruno Mars.  Can't my kids just use my account? Well... yes and no. Spotify Kids is basically a safety-proof sandbox for kids. There aren't any ads, the songs are checked for references to drugs, sex and violence, and its limits can be modified to fit your kid's tastes as they mature. A kids account will take up one of the six slots in your Spotify Family Plan, but that's probably a better alternative than letting your kids use your account and ultimately tainting the recommendation algorithm with Let It Go for the hundredth time. Right now the service is still in limited beta on iOS and Android but, should everything go well, expect a full roll out sometime later this year or early in 2020.  Which is the best music streaming service for you? We've got your answer! This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

What is Industry 4.0? Everything you need to know Posted: 30 Oct 2019 12:25 PM PDT What is Industry 4.0? There's no question that technology is playing a huge part in our everyday lives today, but the increasingly connected culture we live in is also having an impact on the world of industry. Welcome to Industry 4.0, the name given to the growing combination of traditional manufacturing and industrial platforms and practices with the latest smart technology. This primarily focuses on the use of large-scale M2M and Internet of Things (IoT) deployments to provide the likes of increased automation, improved communication and monitoring, as well as smart machines that can analyse and diagnose issues without the need for human intervention.  Industry 4.0 is already seeing factories become increasingly automated and self-monitoring as the machines within are given the ability to analyse and communicate with each other. This then free ups their human co-workers, granting companies much smoother processes that leave employees open for other tasks.  Industry 4.0 - the latest news 24/07 - Industry 4.0: for smarter operations - Understanding the real-world applications of IIoT data capture... 13/05 - Don’t forget the human touch in Industry 4.0 - Seamless customer experiences that balance technology with human touch... 04/04 - Industry 4.0 suffering major security issues - Manufacturing sector lags behind when it comes to cybersecurity... 29/03 - Why mobile is at the heart of Industry 4.0 - Industry 4.0 or the IIoT will change every sector and mobile will play a huge role... 22/03 - IoT security spend to reach £1bn in 2018 - Gartner figures suggests increased awareness of threats is boosting spend... 10/03 - Forget smart fridges: the Industrial Internet of Things is the real revolution - Industry 4.0 is already here and making massive differences... 25/02 - Industry 4.0: an industrial evolution, rather than a revolution - The connected, intelligent factories of the future will usher in a new generation of industry... 20/02 - UK businesses unprepared for Industry 4.0 - Manufacturing industry in the UK has done little to adopt automation and other digital technologies...  30/10/2018 - 'Fourth Industrial Revolution' could unlock billions for the UK - Embracing Industry 4.0 technologies could be key to major new benefits, report claims..  Why Industry 4.0? What happened to Industry 2.0 and 3.0? Industry 4.0 is neither a new form of technology, nor a business ideal, but in fact a revamped approach inspired by new advancements to achieve results that weren't possible 10 years ago.  It has also been labelled as "the fourth industrial revolution" - but what exactly does that mean? The first industrial revolution saw Britain move from farming to factory production in the 19th Century. The second spanned the period from the 1850s to World War I and began with the introduction of steel, culminating in the early electrification of factories and the first spouts of mass production. Finally, the third industrial revolution refers to the change from analogue, mechanical, and electronic technology to digital technology that took place from the late 1950s to the late 1970s. The fourth, then, is the move towards digitisation. Industry 4.0 uses the Internet of Things and cyber-physical systems such as sensors to collect vast amounts of data that can be used by manufacturers and producers to analyse and improve their work. Recent advancements in big data and analytics platforms means that systems can trawl through the huge sets of data and produce insights that can be acted upon quickly. Smart factories, which will be at the heart of Industry 4.0, will take on board information and communication technology for an evolution in the supply chain and production line that brings a much higher level of both automation and digitisation. It means machines using self-optimisation, self-configuration and even artificial intelligence to complete complex tasks in order to deliver vastly superior cost efficiencies and better quality goods or services. Who started Industry 4.0? Industry 4.0 is different in that it stems not from a single company, but instead from government, with a 2013 German government memo widely recognised as one of the first times that 'Industrie 4.0' was mentioned.  The high-tech strategy document outlined a plan to almost fully computerise the manufacturing industry without the need for human involvement. The idea really hit the headlines when Chanceller Angela Merkel spoke glowingly of the concept in January 2015 at the World Economic Forum in Davos, calling 'Industrie 4.0' the way to "deal quickly with the fusion of the online world and the world of industrial production." To date, German government is investing some €200 million (around £146 million, $216 million, or AU$278 million) to encourage research across academia, business and government, and Germany isn't the only country where advancements are taking place. The United States has the Smart Manufacturing Leadership Coalition (SMLC), a non-profit organisation made up of manufacturers, suppliers, technology firms, government agencies, universities and laboratories that all have the common goal of advancing the way of thinking behind Industry 4.0.  It is aiming to construct an open, smart manufacturing platform for industrial-networked information applications. The hope is that it will eventually enable manufacturing firms of all sizes to gain easy and affordable access to modelling and analytical technologies that can be customised to meet their needs. How much is Industry 4.0 worth? Anything attached to the Internet of Things or increased automation is worth a tidy sum and Industry 4.0 is no different, with analysis valuing the technology around the idea as practically never-ending. Recent figures from KPMG has estimated that the component markets of Industry 4.0 are estimated to be worth more than US$4 trillion by 2020. This is above the expected value of the Internet of Things (IoT) market, which Gartner has estimated will be worth almost US$3.7 trillion by 2020. Businesses everywhere are thought to be able to benefit from embracing Industry 4.0, with a recent government report claiming that utilising this advanced technology could benefit the nation's manufacturing sector by around £445 billion and create around 175,000 jobs,  Much of this is down to the thirst for higher productivity and cost reductions from using real-time data. This can also be another area where technologies of the future, such as 5G, will have an effect and make sure the "things" are buzzing away at optimum efficiency. Whatever the cost, the value of Industry 4.0 comes from improving productivity and removing inefficiency at all levels, making it one of the most valuable ideas of our time. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

GTA 6 news and rumors: when will Grand Theft Auto 6 be announced? Posted: 30 Oct 2019 12:05 PM PDT When will GTA 6 be announced? Now that most of us have traipsed through the gorgeous world of Red Dead Redemption 2 – with a PC port finally announced – gamers are looking ahead to the next open-world Rockstar game set in the Grand Theft Auto universe: GTA 6. It's been a whole six years since GTA 5 launched on consoles and PC, meaning an announcement could be imminent, and the latest news and rumors suggest that GTA 6 could be on its way soon. The short answer is: no one knows. Despite all kinds of rumours (which you can read about below), there have been no official details about GTA 6 from the team at Rockstar Games – but that doesn't mean it might not drop at any minute.  It doesn't look like a 2019 release is likely, though, given how close we are to the end of the year – and since Rockstar confirmed it wouldn't be landing before the year was out, after a hoax release date got plastered all over the internet. Details may be thin on the ground, but that doesn't stop us gathering together the best pieces of gossip, rumor and fact for your personal pleasure. So without further ado, here's everything we know so far about GTA 6. Check out our video below on GTA VI: predictions on characters, locations, story and GTA Online. Cut to the chase What is it? The highly-anticipated next entry in the Grand Theft Auto series When it is out? That’s the internet’s biggest mystery (but we're pretty sure it won't be 2019) Will it launch on PC? Both GTA 4 and 5 made their way to PC (eventually), so fingers crossed Where will GTA 6 be set? Unknown, but some rumors have suggested a move to South America GTA 6 release date : when can I play it? Red Dead Redemption 2 has now been released into the wild for nearly a whole year, which means we're hoping a GTA 6 announcement isn't far away – even though we're likely to be waiting a while to play it. According to some reports, we could be waiting until 2020 for the next Grand Theft Auto, which would make sense. Rockstar has supported GTA Online, the multiplayer component of GTA 5, since the game launched back in September 2013 with regular content updates. Rockstar has been busy over the past year focusing on getting Red Dead Online running smoothly. According to reputable industry analyst Michael Pachter, the game could be as far away as 2022. In an interview with Gaming Bolt, Pachter said that he thinks a 2020 announcement with a 2021 release would be the best case scenario, while a 2021 announcement with a 2022 release or later would be more likely.  Basically, expecting any news of GTA 6 any time soon is optimistic. We think it would make sense if the game followed the release pattern of its predecessor, Grand Theft Auto 5, whereby it'd be released at the very tail end of the current generation, comfortably released on the new generation and straddle both for the widest install base possible. And with the next Xbox and PS5 right around the corner, it looks likely this could be Rocktar's plan. Xbox Two vs PS5: predicting the future GTA 6 trailer: when can I watch one? Grand Theft Auto (Image credit: Rockstar Games) The thing about Rockstar Games is that it’s an incredibly secretive games publisher. No trailer is getting out of that studio unless someone seriously screws up.  Just look at what Rockstar did with both GTA 5 and Red Read Redemption 2. It teased an announcement a few days before dropping the first trailer for either game.  If there’s a GTA 6 trailer, you’ll know about it because the internet will explode – and we'll let you know too, of course. But we're not expecting one anytime soon. GTA 6 news and rumors: what do we know so far? Below we've collected together all of the latest leaks and rumors that hint at when GTA 6 might be launched – and what we can expect from the new game. As always, take these details with a pinch of salt – some are old, some are from now deleted sources and others might just be keen fans getting carried away.  Steven Ogg at Brazil Game Show Steven Ogg, the actor known for playing Trevor in GTA 5, was in attendance at the Brazil Game Show in October 2019. According to someone who was at the event, Ogg said that GTA 6 will be coming "soon".  Ogg's reasoning, rather than any kind of inside knowledge as far as we can tell, is that Rockstar games "take 7-8 years to make, do the math." Doing the math from GTA 5's 2013 release date would mean that GTA 6 could release in 2020 or 2021, right in time for the next generation of consoles. That seems very soon for a game we've seen very little about but, hey, it's not impossible. We'll be watching this space.  Scouting areas in Florida Speculation around a Florida setting – even a game that encompassed the whole state – has been brimming after a leaked letter was given legitimacy by a well-regarded Rockstar leaker, @Yan2295.  The letter was to a Florida store asking permission for Rockstar Games to inspect the premises, presumably for use or inspiration in the forthcoming game – mentioning a location scout Leah Sokolowsky who hinted at a large digital media client in a podcast back in May 2019 (via Daily Star). Edinburgh Rockstar HQ The latest rumor that could hint at GTA 6's imminent arrival comes from website Edinburgh Live. According to the team there, Rockstar's HQ in Edinburgh has been tearing down the Red Dead Redemption 2 banner this week. We know, that's hardly proof of anything. But what will replace it? It could well be another game, a redesign or maybe the team just want to let a bit more natural light in. Project Americas Another day and another Grand Theft Auto 6 leak (via GamesRadar) is making the rounds, though we'd recommend not getting too excited given it's from a now-deleted Reddit post. Admittedly, some of the things that appear in this supposed leak do corroborate previous rumors but this consistency is no confirmation of what the game will be and we won't know for sure what's in store for Grand Theft Auto 6 until Rockstar itself makes an announcement. Regardless, it's still fun to get our imaginations going for what the future of the Grand Theft Auto franchise may hold. According to the Reddit poster behind the leak, the game, known as Project Americas, has been in production since 2015 though it was placed on ice while Red Dead Redemption 2 was the focus. GTA 6 could be expansive, set across multiple decades (1970s to 1980s) and locations (one of which is Vice City, another Liberty City and another is a fictional city based on Rio de Janeiro).  The game will apparently deal with one playable protagonist named Ricardo and play through their story as a rising drug lord with heavy inspiration from Netflix's Narcos series. Starting  The story will be told through chapters, with a heavy emphasis on the visuals of changes in time as the story progresses. While there's no estimated release date given, the post says that the plan is to release the game for the next generation only.  While it's unlikely that the whole report is true (even the poster says that the game's pre-alpha status means things are likely to change) that's not to say some elements are impossible. Certainly a next-gen only release seems entirely plausible. Before you get too excited,though, the post has already been debunked by Kotaku's Jason Schreier. Another rumor leak? This is definitely one to take with a big pinch of salt but according to a new leak, Grand Theft Auto 6 will return to multiple previous fan-favorite locations, take inspiration from Red Dead Redemption 2, and won't release on current generation consoles. Well, that's according to an anonymous post made on Pastebin, which has since been removed (via Comic Book) . According to the post, GTA 6 will allow players to travel between several big cities, including Liberty City and Vice City. The poster also claims you start off as a small-time drug runner before joining an infamous gang and kicking it with the big dogs. In addition, the post claims Rockstar is waiting to see how the new-generation consoles sell (PS5 and Xbox Two) as GTA 6 wouldn't be able to be released on the PlayStation 4 or Xbox One due to memory restrictions. The anonymous poster also claimed GTA 6 will feature both major cities along with a vast stretch of highways and Blaine County-like countryside in the middle of it all. Finally, the post claims that, despite the game being set in a timed era, there will be flashbacks between missions and Red Dead Redemption 2-type stranger dialogues that implement the greet/antagonise format. While location rumors seem to be leaking in abundance, the anonymous Pastebin post has been backed up by review on Glassdoor by a Rockstar Games QA tester, which has since been removed (via Dexerto). Alongside reading out Rockstar for its institutionalized crunch, the post leaves a cryptic message that sees the first letter of each sentence spelling out 'GTA6LSVCLC'. This may be pointing to the potential locations of Grand Theft Auto 6: Los Santos, Vice City, and Liberty City.  Wonder what these locations would look like together as an actual map? Graphic designer RealityDesign posted a concept image on GTA Forums, showing what this map could potentially look like. Check it out below: Image credit: RealityDesign Job listings At this point we're probably just clenching at straws, but Rockstar have been hiring for a tonne of programming positions. We're hoping they're preparing to get development underway, but that is probably just hopeful thinking. The Know report on Vice City The most significant Grand Theft Auto 6 rumor came from YouTube channel The Know. It stated that an inside source told it that GTA 6 is coming 2021-2022 and is being developed under the code name Project Americas. The reason for this code name is apparently because players will be able to fly between the US and South America in the game, though the majority of the action will take place in the former. This in combination with the source's assertion that the game will largely be set in Vice City (the Rockstar version of Miami) suggests there could be a focus on drug running which would draw on the popularity of shows and movies like Narcos and Tom Cruise's Made in America. Particularly if Rockstar holds on to that 80s setting. With no comment from Rockstar, these rumors remain nothing more than, well, rumors. But they do pose an interesting proposition that would seize upon the particular fondness many fans of the series have for Vice City. GTA 6 is definitely coming and there are ideas What we do know about GTA 6 is that ideas are being thrown around for development, even if it’s just in the early stages. Rockstar President Leslie Benzies teased the game in an interview back in 2013 with Develop magazine.  “We don’t know what GTA 6 will be, but we’ve got some ideas,” said Benzies in the interview.  Okay, so it’s not much, but it’s certainly a snippet of solid information direct from the source.  Grand Theft Auto (Image credit: Rockstar Games) Benzies went on to talk about what kind of ideas get the creative juices flowing over at Rockstar.  “We’ve got about 45 years’ worth of ideas we want to do,” he added. “We’ll pick the right ones.” “It comes from the idea first. Where it is going to be set is the first question. That then defines the missions; you’re doing different things in LA than in New York or Miami. “The map and story get worked up together, and the story is a basic flow of how it works out so you can layer the mission in.” We’re just pleased that Rockstar has so many ideas for what it wants to do with GTA 6. We just hope it sorts them into some kind of organised system and gets that game to us sharpish.  GTA 6 map: where will GTA 6 be set? Although there haven’t been any concrete reports as yet, every online titbit and juicy gossip morsel is pointing towards GTA 6’s map being absolutely massive.  We’re even not talking city-size massive, we’re talking potentially the entire of the United States massive.  Some rumors are suggesting that GTA 6 may end up spanning the entirety of the US, with some kind of teleportation system that cuts down the journey time between cities.  There are even some incredibly exciting rumours that Rockstar Games might have a ‘70s theme up its sleeve, so crack out those old bell-bottoms and disco balls. Grand Theft Auto (Image credit: Rockstar Games) But there’s also another rumor that’s gathering strength, which would put GTA 6 a little closer to Rockstar Games’ British home – a London setting.  The reports actually started with a comment from Rockstar Games’ co-founder Dan Houser: “At the moment, it feels like GTA’s DNA is contemporary-ish, American-ish, English-speaking-ish, because that’s what it has been… But that doesn’t necessarily limit it to those, that’s just what we’ve done so far.” Rockstar Games sources suggest that London is the only non-US location to be whispered as a potential GTA setting.   For our money, we think a return to Vice City is on the cards, which would tie in to the rumors mentioned above. A recent report from The Know suggests that a return to Vice City in the 80s is actually in the works and that players will explore the rise in drugs at the time through the missions. In this rumored game, players will move between Vice City and South America, which would create a very interesting and entirely new kind of map. The GTA 3 trilogy was set across three locations, Liberty City, Vice City, and San Andreas. This mirrored the original Grand Theft Auto Game, which was also set across the same three locations.  The most recent Grand Theft Auto games, GTA 4 and GTA 5, have so far been set in Liberty City and San Andreas respectively, meaning that Vice City is the only location yet to be explored by the recent games.  The only question now is whether Rockstar will be tempted to complete the set.  Grand Theft Auto (Image credit: Rockstar Games) GTA 6 rumors A female protagonist When asked about a female protagonist for GTA 5, instead of three male heroes (or anti-heroes), Rockstar co-founder and lead writer Dan Houser said in an interview with The Guardian back in 2013 that a female lead wasn’t really on the table, but not intentionally. “We didn’t really think about it this time,” Houser said. “That’s not to say that we couldn’t or we wouldn’t. This character set is just what came to us: it wasn’t, ‘we’ve got X and Y so we need Z’. We weren’t trying to do it off a checklist – I don’t think that will ever give you something that’s believable or engaging.” “In the future, could we do a game with a female lead? Of course. We just haven’t found the right game for it yet, but it’s one of the things that we always think about.” “It didn’t feel natural for this game but definitely for the right game in the future – with the right themes, it could be fantastic. But for GTA 5, this was the organic thing that came up, these were the characters that would display the themes we wanted to think about.” Likelihood: Strong. Fans have long clamored for a female hero in a Grand Theft Auto game, and it would be a wonderful change from all the murdered prostitutes.  Grand Theft Auto (Image credit: Rockstar Games) Eva Mendez and Ryan Gosling Rumors of a female protagonist are super exciting, but there’s more.  Apparently, Eva Mendez is top of Rockstar’s list for playing said hero.  But again, there’s more. There’s a male lead on the list too and it’s none other than global heart-throb Ryan Gosling, who also just happens to be her real-life husband.  Likelihood: Questionable. GTA is a major gaming franchise that’s incredibly famous, especially outside of the gaming industry, so it’s possible some big names could be involved, but we’re not convinced.  Full support for virtual reality Another GTA 6 rumour involves virtual reality and according to the online rumblings, you may be able to play the entirety of GTA 6 in VR.  Specific headsets haven’t been mentioned, but since this is probably just a rumor we’re not that bothered. Likelihood: Questionable. GTA 6 might have a VR experience attached to it but playing the whole game in virtual reality would be insane.  Unless we’ve seen huge leaps in virtual reality in the years between now and the GTA 6 release date playing a whole GTA game in VR would prove testing for most stomachs.  Fast-paced, action-packed and played in long sessions, a VR GTA (in its current form at least) wouldn’t work.  Grand Theft Auto (Image credit: Rockstar Games) Time travel or another futuristic twist With the murmurings of a seriously big map for GTA 6, there are also some rumors of time travelling being a major part of the game.  Yes… seriously. This isn’t Saints Row we’re talking about, but apparently there may be a futuristic twist to GTA 6.  According to a report from ChristianToday – really – the game will give players “the taste of time travel” where “teleportation [is] possible within a split-second”.  Likelihood: Utterly ridiculous. There are hilarious side-missions in GTA games, but having time travelling as a main gameplay mechanic is just not in Rockstar’s DNA.  Plus, ChristianToday has no screenshots, sources or any kind of proof, so we’re certainly sceptical.  Playing as either a cop or a criminal Another potential for the GTA 6 storyline is that you have the decision to play either as a cop or as a criminal. Or at least, if GTA 6 adopts the multiple protagonist feature of GTA 5, one of the characters you play as could be a police officer.  Likelihood: Strong. We could totally see this working, especially with the potential mayhem that could ensue if you’re playing a Trevor-style character half the time and a cop the other.  (Image credits: Rockstar Games) While you wait for GTA 6 news, check out our list of the best single player PC games of 2019 so far This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Dragon Age 4: everything we know so far about the open secret of a sequel Posted: 30 Oct 2019 11:53 AM PDT They say good things come to those who wait and we’re hopeful that will be the case for Dragon Age fans who are patiently hanging on for news of the fourth instalment in the franchise.  After being an open secret for so long, Dragon Age 4 has now been confirmed by executive producer Mark Darrah and we’ve even been teased by a minute-long trailer.  At the moment we’re cautiously calling the game Dragon Age 4 but this title isn’t confirmed and the series’ naming pattern makes it hard to predict for certain whether we’ll be looking at a named or a numbered game.  What we do know, though, is that Dragon Age is definitely coming so we think it’s only appropriate to keep an eye on the latest news and begin piecing together a picture of what the game might look like when it finally takes flight. As such, we’ve put together this this hub of news and rumors to keep you on top of the latest happenings from the land of Thedas.  [Update: The latest EA earnings call suggests that Dragon Age 4 is still a couple of years away yet. Read on to find out more.] Cut to the chase What is it? The fourth instalment in the popular RPG franchise, Dragon Age What can I play it on? Not confirmed but it's likely to be Xbox One, PS4 and PC When can I play it? At least a couple of years away  Dragon Age 4 trailers The Game Awards 2018 had plenty of reveals but one of the biggest was a teaser trailer for Dragon Age 4. At only a minute long, the trailer doesn’t give much away but the hashtag TheDreadWolfRises as well as the appearance of Inquisition’s Solas is enough to pique any fan’s interest.  You can watch the teaser trailer below: Dragon Age 4 release date Despite the fact that the game’s development has long been a very open secret, Dragon Age 4 has only just been officially announced by BioWare. But, even now, BioWare isn't ready to say much about the game. "Hey everyone, we have been working on a new Dragon Age game for quite a while now and I am pleased to finally tease the existence of this project," said Mark Darrah, executive producer on a BioWare blog post. "While we won’t be sharing any details for now, I can tell you we have been building a new team around a core of Dragon Age veterans, people I’ve worked with on Dragon Age, Jade Empire, and some of whom I’ve worked with since the Baldur’s Gate days. "I’m so excited to show you more!"  Back in May 2017, writer Alexis Kennedy revealed that he was working on a part of the game’s story in an interview with Eurogamer. This part of the story, he revealed, is “well-segregated from other parts of the game”. At this point in time, the game was still clearly in the very early stages of development.  A later report from Kotaku suggested that some of the Dragon Age development team had been pulled off the title to focus on creating Anthem which would understandably cause delays to the game's development.  In addition, a report by Venture Beat suggests Dragon Age 4's release date is at least three years away and a title for the fourth installation hasn't even been chosen yet "according to sources familiar with the studio". Basically, it looks like Dragon Age 4, if that is its real name, is still early in its development and it could be a while before BioWare open the curtains on any kind of release window. At the moment we’d expect the game will release on PS4, Xbox One and PC but it’s hard not to note that preparations for the next generation ramping up and it’s uncertain whether consoles such as PS5 and Xbox Two will be here by the time Dragon Age 4 is released.  Dragon Age 4 news and rumors EA October Earnings Call EA's recent earnings call (via Eurogamer) had a note about Dragon Age 4 that suggests we won't see it released for a couple of years yet. During the call, the company's CFO Blake Jorgensen said that the game "probably comes after fiscal '22." This would mean that the earliest the next Dragon Age should be expected is April 2022. That would mean around an 8 year gap between entires but fans will no doubt be happy to wait if it means getting things right.  September Update If the silence around Dragon Age 4 since its initial teaser has left you feeling nervous for the game's future, worry not as BioWare's Casey Hudson has made reference to the game's ongoing development in a BioWare blog post.  The post went into more detail on games like Anthem and Star Wars: The Old Republic, while Dragon Age 4 came under the "super-secret" category so not much can be said. Hudson did, however, say that "one of our projects has a large and growing team in Edmonton working through pre-production, and based on the progress I’m seeing, I can confirm that indeed the Dread Wolf rises." It's not much but it is confirmation that progress on Dragon Age 4 is still being made.  Fernando Melo departure On the heels of Anthem's lead producer, Ben Irving, Dragon Age 4 lead producer, Fernando Melo has left BioWare. Melo worked on Dragon Age: Origins and Dragon Age 2 before being appointed lead producer on Dragon Age 4 (codenamed 'Morrison'.) In a thread of tweets, Melo explained that he is taking "time to disconnect" after 12 years at BioWare and in an email to his colleagues he said that "Morrison is well underway to becoming the definitive Dragon Age experience" which bodes well for fans.  Gamescom 2019 BioWare isn't attending Gamescom 2019 so don't expect any news on Dragon Age 4 at the gaming show. Setting to be teased by new short story collection Dragon Age: Tevinter Nights is a new set of tales by a handful of BioWare authors, edited by Dragon Age's current lead writer, Patrick Weekes. He took to Twitter to clarify his position as editor of the new collection, and to give a shout out to those involved: Beyond the authors working on the book, there's little to go on so far as to what the collection will contain. However, its title "Tevinter Nights" seems a certain tease as to where the Dragon Age franchise is headed next. Each Dragon Age game so far has, more or less, focussed on one region or area of the continent of Thedas, in which the games are set. So, Dragon Age Origins introduced Ferelden, Dragon Age 2 focused on the single city of Kirkwall, and Dragon Age: Inquisition spanned the Orlesian Empire. Regularly referenced is the Tevinter Imperium, an area where magic is less strictly policed than in other realms of Thedas, with its mage population often seen as antagonists in the Dragon Age universe.  The title of the new short story collection adds weight to the rumour that Dragon Age 4 will be set in the Tevinter Imperium. Not only has BioWare previously used books to set up forthcoming locations and characters in its games (Weekes, for instance, wrote a book called "The Masked Empire", which was published prior to the release of Inquisition and introduced ancillary characters and quest lines), but also Dragon Age Inquisition's final DLC scene saw the player character Inquisitor stab a knife into the heart of the Tevinter Imperium on a map. Live Service elements may be included but they aren't likely to be like Anthem Back in January 2018 a report from Kotaku suggested that Dragon Age 4 could include live elements, stirring some fan concern that this could mean an always-online multiplayer approach.  However, in Kotaku’s most recent April 2019 report it’s been suggested that while Dragon Age 4 game could potentially include Anthem-like live elements, it won’t simply be “Anthem with dragons”. One developer told Kotaku: “The idea was that Anthem would be the online game and that Dragon Age and Mass Effect, while they may experiment with online portions, that’s not what defines them as franchises. I don’t think you’ll see us completely change those franchises.” This suggests that any live plans for Dragon Age aren’t likely to take the form of a shared online world exactly like Anthem’s and will still be suited to the single-player adventuring Dragon Age is known for.  In a tweet in January 2018, Casey Hudson also stated that the “live” elements being considered are actually ways of continuing the game’s story after the main story has been completed.  A big take away from Kotaku’s report is that at this early stage in the game’s development, as with any game, very few things are absolutely set in stone, with another developer stating: “They have a lot of unanswered questions. Plus I know it’s going to change like five times in the next two years.”  So, regardless of what Dragon Age 4’s live elements look like now they could change drastically over the next few weeks, months or even years. Official announcement After years without an update, BioWare officially announced during The Game Awards 2018 that it will be returning to Thedas in a new Dragon Age title.  The Game Awards 2018 According to a report by Venture Beat (and understood to be correct by Eurogamer), we expected an announcement regarding Dragon Age 4 during The Game Awards 2018.  What that announcement turned out to be, interestingly, was the game's first 1-minute-long teaser trailer that re-introduced Fen'Harel, the elven god of betrayal, and Solas from Dragon Age Inquisition.  We didn't get any gameplay or story details but, for now, the confirmation from BioWare is enough to keep the hype train chugging. Roundabout confirmations Regardless of whether or not BioWare had confirmed it, Dragon Age fans were pretty certain that another game was going to be in the works. Partly because they had faith in the power of their sheer force of will and partly because over the last couple of years there have been hints from BioWare that something would indeed be happening. It’s the secret that was never really a secret.  The most recent non-official confirmation has come from executive producer Mark Darrah, who tweeted in January 2018 that he’s working on both Dragon Age as well as BioWare’s next big IP, Anthem.  Though he’s now left the company, BioWare veteran Mike Laidlaw was tweeting that there was still another couple of games in Dragon Age series yet back in mid-2017. Even before that, Alexis Kennedy became the writer that launched a thousand headlines after comments he made in an interview with Eurogamer were taken as a semi-official confirmation of the game’s existence and his place in it.  In the interview Kennedy teased that he's been "given considerable autonomy to work on a storyline bit of lore which is well-segregated from other parts of the game.“  ”I don't want to exaggerate the degree of the chunk [I'm writing],“ Kennedy he was at pains to add. ”It's nothing that grandiose, but it is distinct. It's a bit of lore which has not been addressed much to date in Dragon Age.“ Story and character Every game in the Dragon Age franchise has had a heavy emphasis on story and character and fans will be glad to know that Dragon Age 4 isn’t likely to be any different. After Mark Darrah tweeted that he was working on the game, BioWare general manager Casey Hudson chipped in with his own elaborative tweet. In this tweet he said it was “too early to talk details” but the game would be “story & character focused.” It’s not clear whether this will be a brand new standalone game or whether it’ll continue on directly from Inquisition. Certainly, the end of Inquisition's Trespasser DLC suggests there is a story thread to follow with Solas, which would see the Inquisitor chase the elf down to stop his plans. The teaser trailer from The Game Awards 2018 also hints heavily that this will be the case. We already know there are writers working on lore and side quests, following Alexis Kennedy’s interview with Eurogamer in 2017 in which he confirmed he was working on a part of the game that’s “well-segregated” from the rest and focuses on some lore that’s not been widely addressed.  Kennedy, who has worked on titles such as Sunless Sea and Fallen London, said the subject matter would not be surprising to those familiar with his work. To us this implies that his quest (or quests) will include thoughtful choices, themes of tragic love and desire and an underlying sense of unease.  New live elements In the January 2018 Kotaku report on Anthem and Dragon Age, it was mentioned that sources had informed Kotaku that Dragon Age had been “rebooted” in order to implement more “live elements” into the game. Naturally, there was some fan panic in response to this given EA’s increasing penchant for service-based games. Fans expressed concern that BioWare was going to take the Dragon Age series down a Destiny 2, always-online multiplayer route.  That doesn’t appear to be the case, however. In his tweet, Casey Hudson also stated that the “live” elements being considered are actually ways of continuing the game’s story after the main story has been completed. This is something we’ve already seen in games such as Assassin’s Creed Origins.  Things we'd like to see A world like Dragon Age: Inquisition We hope that the next Dragon Age game has a map similar to the one in Dragon Age: Inquisition, by which we mean we hope it's big and open without being overwhelming. It was the perfect follow-up to the closed and repetitive maps of Dragon Age 2 and we’d like this approach to continue.  Explore more of Thedas There’s one very notable part of Thedas that players have yet to be allowed to explore and that’s the Tevinter Imperium. Once the most powerful nation in Thedas, the Imperium is a shadow of its former self. Its history, stratified social structure and maintenance of a magocracy would make it an immensely interesting and different part of Thedas to allow players to explore, while allowing the franchise to continue to explore themes of social injustice, power and prejudice.   The fact that the area is references throughout other Dragon Age games is enough to make us think it’s a viable setting for Dragon Age 4. However, the ending of Dragon Age: Inquisition’s Trespasser DLC makes us think it even more likely, as it sees the Inquisitor stab a dagger into a map of the Imperium with a vow to track down Solas. Solve that cliffhanger Our previous point brings us to this one – we’d really like that Solas storyline to continue to be explored. He’s the perfect focus for the next game and the player’s approach to him is the perfect narrative crux.  (Image credits: BioWare) Best upcoming games 2019: most anticipated titles for PS4, Xbox One and Switch This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

PS5 games: all the games confirmed and expected on the PlayStation 5 Posted: 30 Oct 2019 11:51 AM PDT Once upon a time the PlayStation 5 merely seemed like a gamer's dream but, now Sony has dropped the first solid details of its next generation console and an official release window of late 2020, things are starting to get very real.   So we can't help but stargaze and speculate about what PS5 games Sony has in the works - and what these next generation titles could look like.  While Sony has confirmed some of the games coming to the PS5, we can assume that a lot of the developer's upcoming exclusive titles will be coming to both the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5.  So without further ado, we've gathered together this handy guide to all the PS5 games Sony has confirmed - and some that we expect to see... Confirmed: New Bluepoint Studios game It's taken months, but we've finally got our first confirmed PS5 game. That's not to say we have a name, a release date or even a concept, but this is the first time a company has come out into the open and said that it is indeed developing a title for Sony's next-generation console. That company is Bluepoint Studios, the team best known for ports of classic games, having put out the incredibly well received Metal Gear Solid: HD Collection, Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection and astonishing Shadow of the Colossus remaster. Talk early in 2019 pointed to the studio's next project being yet another re-imagining of a classic game, and with rumors swirling around a Demon's Souls remake happening (an IP owned by Sony unlike the rest of the Bandai Namco franchise), it's looking like a relatively good guess that'll be the company's next title. Who will win the next gen war? Check out Xbox Two vs PS5: predicting the future Cyberpunk 2077 - Rumored Image credit: CD Projekt Red CD Projekt Red has already confirmed that its dystopian cyberpunk title is being developed with next generation consoles in mind.  In an interview with VG247 last year, CD Projekt Red revealed that Cyberpunk 2077 will be able to work with future gaming technology. “Next gen hasn’t been announced yet, so we can only speculate,” CD Projekt Red president Adam Kiciński explained. “Technology-wise, Cyberpunk is very advanced. Our technology is ready to interface with future generations. “The game is developed in such a way that it can use very powerful future equipment." With Cyberpunk 2077 due for release in April 2020, and the PS5 not due to launch until late 2020, it's likely that it'll be a cross-generation title - but this is still open to speculation. We think it's safe to say it seems like Cyberpunk 2077 will be a PS5 game. Death Stranding - Rumored Image credit: Kojima Productions Hideo Kojima and Sony have been pretty tight-lipped about whether we will be seeing Death Stranding as a PS5 game.  We know Death Stranding will definitely release on PS4 this November, but in an interview with Wired, Sony's Mark Cerny hinted that we could be seeing the allusive title on PS5 too. When asked by Wired about the transition from PS4 to next generation, and how Death Stranding will fit into this process, Cerny gave a "pregnant pause" and a glib smile before a spokesperson interjected that game would be released for PS4.  It's not exactly a confirmation but Cerny's response has definitely fueled speculation that Death Stranding will be a cross-generation release. Ghost of Tsushima - Rumored Image credit: SuckerPunch Perhaps more wishful thinking on our part, but we haven't heard much in the way of Ghost of Tsushima news since the new IP was revealed at Paris Games Week 2017.  We do know that SuckerPunch's historical open world adventure will take players back to Feudal Japan and that development is well underway, but we have little information about when Ghost of Tsushima will release - or what consoles we will see it on. Given the high-quality graphics we've seen in the trailers to date, we wouldn't be surprised if the title releases on both PS4 and PS5. However, Sony and SuckerPunch have remained tight-lipped about whether Ghost of Tsushima will be a PS5 game.  The Last of Us: Part 2 - Rumored Image credit: Naughty Dog We now know that The Last of Us: Part 2 will release on May 29, 2020 - much earlier than the PS5's late 2020 release date. However we think it's a safe assumption that any Sony exclusives coming in 2020 will likely be cross-generation titles. It would seem slightly odd for Sony to release one of its most eagerly anticipated sequels for just the PS4 at the end of the console's life cycle. So we think it's a safe bet to assume Joel and Ellie will make their way to the PS5, instantly becoming one of the best PS5 games. Starfield - Rumored Image credit: Bethesda Bethesda has quite a lot of projects in the works, but the one we seem to know the least about is Starfield. All we know so far is that Starfield is the gaming behemoth's first new IP for 25 years and will be a single player RPG set in outer space. Having only seen an announcement trailer, we don't expect Starfield to release until at least 2020 which means it will land in the prime window to become a PS5 game. Bethesda hasn't let slip if this will be the case but it seems likely we will be venturing into Bethesda's galaxy on next generation consoles. The Elder Scrolls 6 - Rumored Image credit: Bethesda As we said, Bethesda has been pretty busy behind the scenes since E3 2018. Not only is Starfield on the cards, but the long-awaited Elder Scrolls 6 has also been confirmed to be in the works.  Bethesda's Todd Howard has already stated that The Elder Scrolls 6 won't be coming out until after Starfield. So it'll be a while before we venture into Tamriel again, likely on next generation consoles.  Grand Theft Auto 6 - Rumored Image credit: Rockstar Games Ok, yes, we are being a bit hopeful here - mainly because Grand Theft Auto 6 has not been announced by Rockstar Games. But it's almost guaranteed that we will see a new instalation in the Grand Theft Auto series, and it's not going to be for a while.  Therefore, it is likely that a release date will fall into the next generation, making GTA 6 a PS5 game. Final Fantasy 7 Remake - Rumored Image credit: Square Enix Again, the Final Fantasy 7 Remake has not been confirmed to be a PS5 game but Square Enix has confirmed the title will come to PS4 first - with an Xbox One and PC release likely in the future . Given the age of the PS4, and the ambitious nature of the game, a cross-generation title with next-gen platforms isn't out of the question. So we're definitely hoping to see the Final Fantasy 7 Remake on PS5. Horizon Zero Dawn 2 - Rumored Now, it's worth noting this title hasn't been officially confirmed nevermind being confirmed for PS5.  Sony has had huge success with its PS4 exclusives, particularly post-apocalyptic RPG Horizon Zero Dawn. Horizon Zero Dawn is one of the best-selling games on the PS4, selling over 10 million copies and cementing itself as a must-have title. So it would make perfect sense for Guerrilla Games to develop a sequel, right? It seems that is exactly what's happening. While neither Sony nor Guerrilla Games have announced a Horizon Zero Dawn 2 is in the works, one of the game's voice actors spilled the beans earlier this year and essentially confirmed a sequel is on the way. But with no release date in sight, it looks likely that Horizon Zero Dawn will land on PS5. God of War 2 - Rumored Much like Horizon Zero Dawn 2, God of War 2 hasn't officially been confirmed to be in the works.  It's only been a year since the critically acclaimed (and our Game of the Year 2018 winner) God of War reboot launched exclusively on PlayStation 4, but we're already looking to the future. Despite Sony remaining tight-lipped on the subject, the success of God of War means a sequel is probably on the way (perhaps another God of War 2?). In addition, Sony Santa Monica has posted job listings for a number of roles across its teams - with one listing clearly citing the God of War reboot.  At this point, it's most likely that God of War 2 will come to PS5 than the PS4. Watch Dogs Legion - Rumored First announced at E3 2019, Watch Dogs Legion was initially confirmed for a March 2020 release. However, since then Ubisoft has confirmed that the game will now be delayed into the next financial year which runs from April 2020 to March April 2021, meaning Watch Dogs Legion could see a delay of as little as a month or up to a year.  This delay does, however, make it more likely than ever that Watch Dogs Legion will launch on the PS5 platform. Especially after the game's Creative Director, Clint Hocking, said that the game will launch on "PlayStation platforms" (that's a curious plural) during the E3 Coliseum.  Gods and Monsters - Rumored Just like Watch Dogs Legion, Gods and Monsters is another title from Ubisoft announced for PS4 at E3 2019 that's been delayed from its original early 2020 release into the next financial year.  Knowing now that we could see Gods and Monsters released any time between April 2020 and March 2021, we think it's increasingly likely that the title will make an appearance on the PS5 platform. Rainbow Six Quarantine - Rumored Rainbow Six Quarantine was first confirmed during Ubisoft's E3 2019 press conference. It was never given a solid release date but it has since been delayed into the 2020-2021 financial year.  So, while we still don't know a release date, this delay has pushed the game closer to the PS5 launch and increased the likelihood we'll see it playable on the next generation of consoles.  Battlefield 6 - Rumored Electronic Arts has confirmed that Battlefield 6 is on the way, and that it's coming to next-generation consoles.  EA didn't confirm which consoles (so we will keep Battlefield 6 in the rumored section for not) but, regardless, it'll be a few years before we see the shooter on any next-gen consoles as the publisher wants to give the platforms time to build a strong player base. But a PS5 looks very likely. Read more: PS5 - All the games, specs, news, and rumors for Sony’s Playstation 5 This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Xbox Project Scarlett games: all the games confirmed and expected on the next Xbox Posted: 30 Oct 2019 11:51 AM PDT Microsoft officially announced Xbox Project Scarlett during its E3 2019 keynote conference. It's real, and it's coming. Faster and capable of more advanced graphics than its predecessors, the next-generation hardware promises to be the most powerful games console (or perhaps consoles) in the world when it launches late in 2020 – even more so than the PS5, which is expected to hit shelves around the same time. While Microsoft has confirmed at least one game that's coming to Xbox Project Scarlett, we're fairly in the dark as to what other titles we will see hitting the platform. So without further ado, we've gathered together this handy guide to all the Xbox Project Scarlett games Microsoft has confirmed - and some that we expect to see... Who will win the next gen war? Check out Xbox Two vs PS5: predicting the future Confirmed Xbox Scarlett titles Halo Infinite Image credit: Microsoft Halo Infinite is currently the only title that Microsoft has actually confirmed for Xbox Project Scarlett - so we definitely know Master Chief is making the jump to the next-generation console.  Not only that, but Halo Infinite will be a launch title for Project Scarlett, releasing in Holiday 2020 alongside the console (or consoles). It's not particularly a surprise, considering Master Chief has served as the face of Xbox for nearly 18 years...  Suspected Xbox Scarlett titles Cyberpunk 2077 Image credit: CD Projekt Red CD Projekt Red has already confirmed that its dystopian cyberpunk title is being developed with next-generation consoles in mind.  In an interview with VG247 last year, CD Projekt Red revealed that Cyberpunk 2077 will be able to work with future gaming technology. “Next gen hasn’t been announced yet, so we can only speculate,” CD Projekt Red president Adam Kiciński explained. “Technology-wise, Cyberpunk is very advanced. Our technology is ready to interface with future generations. “The game is developed in such a way that it can use very powerful future equipment." With Cyberpunk 2077 due for release in April 2020, and Xbox Project Scarlett not due to launch until late 2020, it's likely that it'll be a cross-generation title - but this is still open to speculation. We think it's safe to say it seems like Cyberpunk 2077 will be a Xbox Project Scarlett game. Starfield Image credit: Bethesda Bethesda has quite a lot of projects in the works, but the one we seem to know the least about is Starfield. All we know so far is that Starfield is the gaming behemoth's first new IP in 25 years and will be a single player RPG set in outer space. Having only seen an announcement trailer, we don't expect Starfield to release until at least 2020 which means it will land in the prime window to become an Xbox Project Scarlett game. Bethesda hasn't let slip if this will be the case, but it seems likely we will be venturing into Bethesda's galaxy on next-generation consoles. The Elder Scrolls 6 Image credit: Bethesda As we said, Bethesda has been pretty busy behind the scenes since E3 2018. Not only is Starfield on the cards, but the long-awaited Elder Scrolls 6 has also been confirmed to be in the works.  Bethesda's Todd Howard has already stated that The Elder Scrolls 6 won't be coming out until after Starfield. So it'll be a while before we venture into Tamriel again, likely on next-generation consoles.  Grand Theft Auto 6 Image credit: Rockstar Games Ok, yes, we are being a bit hopeful here - mainly because Grand Theft Auto 6 has not been announced by Rockstar Games. But it's almost guaranteed that we will see a new instalation in the Grand Theft Auto series, and it's not going to be for a while.  Therefore, it is likely that a release date will fall into the next generation, making GTA 6 a Project Scarlett game. Final Fantasy 7 Remake Image credit: Square Enix Again, the Final Fantasy 7 Remake has not been confirmed to be an Xbox Project Scarlett game but Square Enix has confirmed the title will come to PS4 first - with an Xbox One and PC release likely in the future . Given the age of the Xbox One, and the ambitious nature of the game - it's coming in multiple episodes across a multi-year release schedule - a cross-generation title with next-gen platforms isn't out of the question. So we're definitely hoping to see the Final Fantasy 7 Remake on Xbox Project Scarlett. Watch Dogs: Legion First announced at E3 2019, Watch Dogs Legion was initially confirmed for a March 2020 release. However, since then Ubisoft has confirmed that the game will now be delayed into the next financial year which runs from April 2020 to March April 2021, meaning Watch Dogs Legion could see a delay of as little as a month or up to a year.  This delay does, however, make it more likely than ever that Watch Dogs Legion will launch for Xbox Project Scarlett as a cross-generation title.  Gods and Monsters Just like Watch Dogs Legion, Gods and Monsters is another title from Ubisoft announced for Xbox at E3 2019 that's been delayed from its original early 2020 release into the next financial year.  Knowing now that we could see Gods and Monsters released any time between April 2020 and March 2021, we think it's increasingly likely that the title will make an appearance on the Xbox Project Scarlett platform. Rainbow Six Quarantine Rainbow Six Quarantine was first confirmed during Ubisoft's E3 2019 press conference. It was never given a solid release date but it has since been delayed into the 2020-2021 financial year.  So, while we still don't know a release date, this delay has pushed the game closer to the Xbox Project Scarlett launch and increased the likelihood we'll see it playable on the next generation of consoles.  Battlefield 6 Electronic Arts has confirmed that Battlefield 6 is on the way, and that it's coming to next-generation consoles.  EA didn't confirm which consoles (so we will keep Battlefield 6 in the rumored section for not) but, regardless, it'll be a few years before we see the shooter on any next-gen consoles as the publisher wants to give the platforms time to build a strong player base. But a Xbox Project Scarlett looks very likely. Read more: Xbox Project Scarlett release date, specs and games confirmed This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Death Stranding: release date, trailers and news Posted: 30 Oct 2019 11:40 AM PDT Finally, after years of being in development, we know when Hideo Kojima's upcoming title Death Stranding will release and we also know a little bit more about what to expect from the game...kind of...probably as much as we ever will. As the game's November release date approaches Kojima has been taking advantage of events like Gamescom and Tokyo Games Show to steadily release more information about the game and show us more footage. But with Kojima, nothing is simple.  While we have now seen more gameplay footage, more trailers and learned of further confirmed features which has cleared up some of our confusion, there's still a part of us that's not entirely sure of what to expect from Death Stranding. We're not actually sure we'll have a real handle on it until we can play it in its entirety.   So while fans try to work out what to expect from Kojima's latest offering, let this article guide you through everything there is to know about Death Stranding so far. [Update: The Death Stranding launch trailer is here. Watch almost 8 minutes of footage for yourself below.]  Image credit: Kojima Productions  Cut to the chase What is it? It’s the debut title from Hideo Kojima’s new studio Kojima Studios.  When can I play it? November 8, 2019  What can I play it on? Sony PS4 (PC at a later date) Death Stranding trailers and screenshots It's almost time for Death Stranding's release date and that means all the pre-launch announcements are coming to an end. The final trailer before we get to play the game for ourselves is here and it stands at just under 8 minutes.  A word of warning before you press play: this launch trailer has a fair few story details so if you don't want to know anything ahead of playing the game it might be best to look away (although if you're on an information-heavy page like this we imagine that's maybe not too much of a concern for you).  Kojima made an appearance at Tokyo Games Show in 2019 and brought with him the longest chunk of Death Stranding gameplay footage we've seen so far. At just under an hour, this footage gives us a good look at how the game will play. Death Stranding trailers are becoming increasingly focused and two released on August 19 at Gamescom 2019 brought the enigmatic infants into closer view.  The trailers revealed a new character that is the mother to an infant who was born still, and so its soul exists in a mirror plane to the real world, the world of the dead. Then, some of the characters in this world have managed to manipulate and navigate this world with actual stillborn infants connected across planes with still mothers ... we think.  It's wild stuff that borderlines on taboo – and it features Guillermo Del Toro, too. Finally, Kojima revealed gameplay of Death Stranding, which detailed a character interacting with a character modeled after Geoff Keighley (who is literally in the game now). Then, he fell off a cliff onto the baby resting in its artificial womb on the character's chest ... unscathed. We have no idea. Prior to Gamescom, Kojima gave us a two minute look at a brand new character: Heartman. Played by Danish filmmaker Nicolas Winding Refn, this character's heart stops every 21 minutes. Each time his heart stops he dies for around 3 minutes and enters the world of the dead before being revived by a defibrillator strapped to his chest and returned to the land of the living.  The most revealing Death Stranding trailer dropped on May 29, announcing the game's release date and attempting to shed some light on the storyline. Check it out below: The Tokyo Game Show 2018 trailer revealed voice-acting veteran Troy Baker has joined the cast as the mysterious villain The Man in the Golden Mask. E3 2018 brought Death Stranding gameplay to our eyes and left our minds somewhat confused.  Before E3 2018, Death Stranding featured at the Game Awards 2017. Coming in at nearly eight minutes long, this isn't a quick watch and unfortunately it doesn't answer many of the questions we have about the game (actually we think we have more).  Watch it for yourself below: The reveal trailer that was shown at E3 in 2016 may have been more than 3 minutes long, but it didn’t reveal much about the game at all other than that it would star The Walking Dead’s Norman Reedus. A second even longer and 4K trailer was shown at The Game Awards at the end of 2016. This trailer starred Hannibal’s Mads Mikkelsen and Guillermo Del Toro and although it didn’t give us any more of an idea of what the game will actually even be about (in fact leaving us more confused than we were before) it did send expectations soaring.  Death Stranding release date Death Stranding will release for PS4 on November 8 2019. However, the game will not release on PC until "early summer 2020". Death Stranding is available to pre-order now from the PlayStation Store. The standard digital edition will cost you £54.99 / $59.99 / AU$99.95, while the deluxe digital edition costs £64.99 / $79.99 / AU$114.95. Image credit: Kojima Productions Death Stranding news and features Death Stranding is officially coming to PC in 2020 After months of speculation, it’s been officially announced that Death Stranding is coming to PC – and it will arrive on gaming computers “early summer of 2020”. London Event PlayStation UK has announced that it will be holding a Death Stranding event in London and that Hideo Kojima himself will be in attendance. Called The Death Stranding Experience, the event will be non-ticketed and will take place on November 2 between 10am and 7pm with the chance to meet Kojima between 11.30am and 1.30pm. For those who cannot make the initial day when Kojima is attending, further Death Stranding Experiences will be available on November 3, 8, 9 and 10 from 10.30am until 6pm.  What exactly will happen during The Death Stranding Experience is currently unclear and we've heard little other than that it will be a “unique experience that draws on the environments of the game.” For those not entirely sure what Kojima's game will be about, this is probably a good opportunity to get a better idea. Naturally, there will also be opportunities to purchase official merchandise.  It seems likely that this is part of Kojima's World Stranding Tour which is happening in the run up to the game's release on November 8. Before London, Kojima will be visiting Paris and afterwards he will be touring around Berlin, New York, San Francisco, Tokyo, Osaka, Seoul, Taipei and Singapore.  Tokyo Games Show Hideo Kojima and Death Stranding made an appearance at Tokyo Games Show; quite a long one as well. The creator took to the stage to show off almost an hour of gameplay footage which is the longest look at the game yet. From what we could see from the footage, there's a lot of walking in Death Stranding though it's mercifully broken up by some vehicles and, of course, some combat with enemies. As Reedus' character Sam, players will pull their cargo across the game world, struggling as it gets heavier. As players walk they'll need to contend with the little things like replacing their worn out boots and they'll be able to pick up cargo dropped by other players in their playthroughs.  Another round of footage was shown at the close of the show which gave us a glimpse of the game's Safe House, a more intimate place in the game world where time will be spent between missions. The Safe House is a place where you can hang out as Sam and mess around with selfies, customise your gear, plan your next move, take a shower and, er, eat some bugs.   Kojima also took some interviews during the show and in one particular interview he admitted that the game won't get "really fun" until players get around halfway through it. According to Kojima the game will have a slow start and "there is no explanation or anything". The reason for this is, in part, to make the game more accessible to every kind of player which has been a key concern for Kojima.  Accessible difficulty settings According to a tweet by Kojima, Death Stranding will have a "very easy" mode (via GamesRadar). This is one for movie fans who are interested in the game's leading actors but aren't really interested in playing the game. Kojima is known for his long cinematic cutscenes so this isn't an entirely inexplicable move for Death Stranding.  Gamescom 2019 We knew Hideo Kojima was going to make an appearance at Gamescom: Opening Night Live to premiere new footage from Death Stranding, but it was probably too hopeful of us to think his appearance would be straightforward. Kojima just doesn't roll like that. While the gaming auteur certainly tried to explain Death Stranding, and in particular the baby we see Norman Reedus carrying about, it still manged to be a convoluted affair. We kind of have a better idea about what Death Stranding's Bridge Babies are about thanks to a couple of new trailers.  It seems like Bridge Babies (or BBs) are babies who are born on "the other side" (aka stillborn). However they remain attached to their mothers via some sort of supernatural umbilical cord, which means they exist in a kind of mirror plane to the real world - ethereal, but still 'connected' to their mothers. The babies then seem to be used to allow people in the real world, like Norman Reedus' character Sam, to see BTs (supernatural, shadowy creatures). So Sam attaches a device to him that acts like a mother's womb, so the BB thinks it's still in there.  It seems Sam needs to keep his BB calm and happy because they're "unpredictable" and can possibly fail. It seems like Sam will die if the BB dies. So essentially you're a delivery man and a surrogate mother... After the two trailers on BBs, Kojima revealed gameplay of Death Stranding which started with Sam urinating to empty his "tank". The pee also caused a mushroom to grow a bit. We can only assume there's a survival mechanic that means you need to drink, eat and pee. We assume... Next, the trailer detailed Sam interacting with a character modeled after Game Awards founder Geoff Keighley (who is literally in the game now). Sam delivers a package and then a new strand is uncovered, showing more of the map. Then, he fell off a cliff face-down into the ground, flat on the baby resting in its artificial womb on the character's chest, which was... unscathed. We have no idea. The baby then start crying and Sam has to rock it to calm it down. The new trailers didn't shed a whole lot of light on Death Stranding but it seems the babies are technically dead and create a link to another world, allowing Sam (and anyone attached to BBs) to see the shadowy BT figures. Maybe? Who knows. Keanu Reeves was almost cast in Death Stranding During a panel at San Diego Comic-Con, Death Stranding creator Hideo Kojima revealed that Reeves was initially recommended for a main role in the game. However, Kojima decided to go with Hannibal's Mads Mikkelsen instead. "I originally was recommended Keanu Reeves but I wanted Mads," Kojima explained during the panel, according to Twitter user Kalai Chik. Check out the tweet below: Release date revealed in trailer According to the latest Death Stranding trailer, the game will release on November 8, 2019. The trailer is pretty odd and includes scenes such as Norman Reedus' Sam traversing open-world grasslands on a motorbike, Mads Mikkelsen leading an army of undead soldiers and more jar babies. Kojima has stated the game centers around 'connection'  Following the release of the new Death Stranding trailer, Kojima tweeted an image which states what he believes the game is about and what its key themes are. Check the tweet out below: Death Stranding's pre-order page is live now Death Stranding's pre-order page is now up on the PS Store, showing off a bunch of pre-order bonus content. Check out all the items below: Image credit: Sony Tribeca Film Festival We learnt a few new tidbits at the Tribeca Film Festival, which hosted a panel discussion with Hideo Kojima and Norman Reedus. Much of it was about how immersed Reedus was with development, with his entire face and body (tattoos and all) having been scanned into the game. “In Death Stranding I’m trying to put every aspect [of Norman] in there,” Kojima said through his interpreter, “and you will see his … everything, in the game,” he finished, suggestively, cracking up the crowd. By the end of the game, he says, you’ll “love Norman”. Non-branching narrative Kojima also stated there would be some painful choices to make in the game, though followed up by saying the player wouldn't really be able to influence the story through their decisions. Sounds like some different cutscenes or dialogue options, though not much in the way of affecting plot. Online features One of the biggest teases at Tribeca was the recurring mention of online features, though Kojima avoided talking directly about what this would look like in the game: "You're connecting the game, and everyone is playing it together, and you'll be connected, everyone will be connected together as well." Maybe a way to communicate or leave notes for other players, in the vein of Dark Souls? Image credit: TechRadar Troy Baker is a villain Veteran voice-actor Troy Baker (who voices Joel in The Last of Us series) stars in Death Stranding as the enigmatic antagonist The Man in the Golden Mask. Baker was introduced in a teaser trailer shown during Tokyo Game Show, with his skull-masked character summoning a black tar-like demon to take on Norman Reedus' character. E3 2018 E3 brought a brand new trailer, few answers and even more questions. The trailer for the game had the most revealing description we've seen yet, stating the game is about Sam ‘Porter’ Bridges, a delivery man who must journey across a vast world so that he can “reunite the shattered world one step at a time.” We also got look at two more famous faces who will make an appearance in the game – Léa Seydoux and Lindsay Wagner. Something edgy Back in 2015 Kojima starting giving hints around the game's tone and star-studded voice cast in an interview with IGN. According to Kojima his first title with Sony is going to be “slightly more edgy”, as while he wants “to create something that’s what people expect” he also wants to bring “something new that people haven’t seen before.” We do know that Kojima is planning to do something different with the game’s mechanics, most notably around the concept of dying and involving the baby that has appeared in every trailer. Kojima said in the interview that the mechanics of Death Stranding were inspired by a Japanese short story.  Image credit: Kojima Productions In the story it’s stated that the first tool mankind creates is a stick for protection, but that the second tool mankind created was a rope to keep things close and secure. “Most of your tools in action games are sticks,” Kojima explained, “You punch or you shoot or you kick. The communication is always through these 'sticks.' In [Death Stranding], I want people to be connected not through sticks, but through what would be the equivalent of ropes… But of course you will be able to use the sticks too.” Unfortunately we haven’t seen any gameplay that would give us a better insight into how this rope approach will actually work.  A mystery to its own devs At a Q and A session at the E3 Coliseum in 2017, Kojima himself said that his own team didn't understand the game: "I started explaining a year ago to the team what I wanted to make. No one got it!" Before this, the game's star Mads Mikkelsen admitted he "got lost" when Kojima tried to explain the game's plot to him.  Sporadic details Though Kojima has been coy, he’s given some nice teases into what we can expect from Death Stranding in terms of tone and gameplay modes. We know the game will run on the Decima engine which was created by Horizon: Zero Dawn developers, Guerilla Games. Kojima praised this engine during PSX 2016 as being an excellent engine for creating open world games, something that Horizon: Zero Dawn’s reception suggests has an element of truth to it.  Though its unsettling trailers suggest otherwise, Kojima has said that Death Stranding won’t be as dark as some fans are expecting. It’s certainly not a horror game, he told Glixel, and it would have comedic moments which isn’t entirely surprising considering the overarching tone of the Metal Gear series.  An impressive cast We already knew Death Stranding had some big names attached to it including Norman Reedus and Mads Mikkelsen . But now we know they'll be joined by writer and actress Emily O'Brien and the voice of video games, Troy Baker.  O'Brien posted a picture to Instagram which showed her alongside Baker and Reedus, with a caption stating "Honored to be working alongside these two fine lads on [Hideo Kojima's] new project Death Stranding."  While Baker is well known for his starring roles in video games such as The Last of Us and Bioshock Infinite, O'Brien has had roles on both TV and in games, featuring in Telltale's Guardian's of the Galaxy and Batman: The Enemy Within as well as Rock in a Hard Place. Players won't die In an interview with IGN, Hideo Kojima was slightly more open with details than he usually is. The strange underwater sequence from the 2017 Game Awards trailer for example? That's apparently a kind of purgatory where players will go and freely explore when they die in the game, though Kojima notes that "death will never pull you out of the game."  The game apparently explores the themes of life and death and it's for this reason that Kojima would like to explore the traditional death mechanic in games and let players know that  in-game death isn't the end for them when it happens. In this underwater area, he explains, “you're not dead or alive. It's the equivalent of that screen that says 'Continue?' and a counter ticking down towards zero.” When players decide they're ready to leave and return to the game world, they won't be returned to a point before their death. Instead the game acknowledges their defeat and coming back to life is more of a reincarnation than a respawn. There's a weird time rain During the trailer shown at the 2017 Game Awards, fans noticed there's a strange kind of rain that has an effect on time. In makes plants grow and wilt and makes human bodies age and degenerate when it touches them. The rain is apparently called Timefall and it has a big role to play in the game's story.  The best PS4 games you can play right now This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Google may finally be killing off Flash Posted: 30 Oct 2019 11:40 AM PDT As the internet prepares to finally bid farewell to Adobe Flash next year, Google has announced that it will stop indexing Flash content in its search engine. In a blog post, the company's engineering manager Dong-Whi Lee explained that Google Search will no longer index SWF files, saying: “Google Search will stop supporting Flash later this year. In Web pages that contain Flash content, Google Search will ignore the Flash content. Google Search will stop indexing standalone SWF files. Most users and websites won't see any impact from this change.” The long and painful death of Flash Microsoft Edge is phasing out Flash Flash will be disabled by default in Firefox 69 Death of Flash Two years ago, a consortium of internet companies, including Apple, Microsoft, Google, Mozilla, Facebook and even Adobe itself, all agreed to kill Flash support once and for all in 2020. However, it was Steve Jobs' famous 'Thoughts on Flash' letter from back in 2010 that would lead to the eventual demise of Adobe's multimedia software platform. In his letter, Jobs listed a number of reasons why Apple devices would not support Flash such as poor performance on mobile and weak security. Since then, internet companies have slowly ended their support for Flash as they increased their support of HTML5. In fact, both Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox now block all Flash content by default. Flash served its purpose in the early days of the internet but now that HTML 5 has been widely adopted, the multimedia software platform no longer has the appeal it once did. We've also highlighted the best antivirus software of 2019 Via VentureBeat This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Best blogging platforms of 2019 Posted: 30 Oct 2019 11:18 AM PDT The popularity of blogging (which originally derives from ‘personal web log’) continues, whether for profit, or just to have a voice on the web, since over a decade ago when it first captured the internet as the ‘next big thing’. Some blogs are standalone sites, but others are a more personal section that fits into a larger, corporate web site. In order to blog, a blogging platform is required, which takes care of formatting the content in the form of text and images, and provides a framework for getting it onto a website. The blogging platform also makes it easier for a search engine to categorize the blog entries, and to be able to take advantage of marketing and advertising opportunities. So before you start cranking out posts, and welcoming your virtual visitors from around the world, you need to choose the best blogging platform to suit your needs. Check out these great options. We've also highlighted the best web hosting services Blogger Ask any old-time blogger about what platform they started their blog with, and chances are they'll answer that it was Blogger. To this day, Google’s offering in the blogging space still retains several advantages, including that your existing Google account already means you have a Blogger account. A broke startup blog will appreciate that it is free to use, and it will even provide the blogspot.com domain name, as well as the option for a custom domain name. It is also one of the easier platforms to use, and provides a choice of templates that can be flexibly modified. As it is a Google offering, it easily integrates with other Google products, including Google Analytics that can provide information about your website’s visitors that should be used to help grow traffic. Also, your blog can be integrated with Google’s Adsense, that will analyze your content, and display relevant ads to monetize your blog, so you can pay for the coffee as you sit in Starbucks and blog into the night. With all that going for it, is there any reason not to use Blogger? Well, the problem is that as your blog grows, its simplicity means that you may outgrow Blogger at some point. In addition, it can be difficult to transition from Blogger to another platform.  You can sign up for Blogger here WordPress WordPress is a popular blogging platform which is used on a claimed 30% of web sites, that offers an excellent balance between ease of use, and more powerful options. They can handle all the details, and take care of the domain name, the security and the hosting for a one stop shopping option. WordPress offers hundreds of themes, with flexibility in fonts and options for a custom look. They also offer expert support, and credit card payments can be accepted via an available plugin. Pricing starts at the Personal plan for $4 (€3.6, £3.1) monthly billed annually, which removes all WordPress advertising. There is also a free tier available, which is suitable for a noncommercial blog as there is WordPress advertising and no way you can monetize it.  You can sign up for WordPress here Jekyll The latest version of Jekyll (4.0.0.) is a “simple, blog-aware, static site generator.” Content gets created in TXT files, which get placed into folders. Then you build your site via Liquid language templates. Jekyll then merges the content and the template together, and voila, a website is generated that can be uploaded to a server. For those that need a host, there is integration with Jekyll to host the website for free on GitHub. While there is a comprehensive ‘quick-start guide’ on the Jekyll website, it hardly offers the simplicity of some competing blogging platforms that can do this all from a web interface. However, the benefits that Jekyll offers are the advanced features, which include options for paginating posts, available plugins, templates, and community maintained themes. It also supports blog migration from other platforms.   The plus here is that there is no cost to the platform, but the downside is that there is only community support, and the work takes place in the Ruby development environment, so many newbies will be put off.  You can sign up for Jekyll here Tumblr While some blogs are well developed, and blur the line between a blog, and a full fledged website, at the other end of things we have Tumblr. It seems to be doing something right as it claims a staggering 450+ million different blogs. It focuses on the more concise end of the spectrum, with an emphasis on shorter content, like just an image, or link, that can appear as more of an alternate social media platform. Content is definitely more short-form, with posts consisting of a variety of material, for example, pics, jokes, quips, Spotify tracks, and video (just remember that adult content is no longer welcome). Like a social media platform, you can also follow other blogs, and republish posts you like to your own blog. The pro is that Tumblr is quite simple to use, costs nothing, and is ideal for use on a mobile device. However, this is not ideal for a more developed blog, as the content remains in the Tumblr ecosystem, and there is no way to monetize it.   You can sign up for Tumblr here Typepad Typepad is a fully developed blogging platform, designed for the professional blogger. It offers a ton of flexibility, including the ability to publish from email, a web browser, or mobile. It also easily integrates with Google Analytics, and has its own affiliate plan. Typepad supports design customization with a Theme Builder for a custom look, and the option for creating your own custom template or modifying a theme with custom CSS. Typepad is also fully hosted, and has support available.  After the initial 14-day trial, plans start at $8.95 (£8) per month for up to four blogs with unlimited storage.  You can sign up for Typepad here Check out the best website hosting services This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

How wearable technology could assist emergency services Posted: 30 Oct 2019 11:00 AM PDT IDC predicts that global shipments of wearable devices will hit almost 190 million units per year by 2022. When we think of wearable technology, we no longer just associate it with the consumer space. In fact, wearables within the enterprise is now a well-discussed topic. However, despite growing interest, we’re yet to see the technology fully take off within the business world.  Enterprise wearable predictions to date have fallen short and examples of internet-connected devices have lacked the mobility and security capabilities needed to support modern working environments. Despite this, there are examples of some industries making headway with integrating the technology into their enterprise IT, and organisations within sectors where wearables are yet to touch remain eager to discuss potential use cases. For example, industries with a heavy reliance on frontline and field workers – such as logistics, manufacturing, warehousing and healthcare – are increasingly adopting solutions like assisted reality (AR) smart glasses. Other perhaps more surprising sectors are also joining the wearable discussion. One such industry is the emergency services sector. Decision-makers within the police, fire and ambulance services are beginning to recognise how they can best use these devices to enhance the mobile productivity of workforces, improve first-responder safety and better patient care.  The future is virtual - why AR and VR will live in the cloud Lenovo launches ThinkReality to bring AR to the enterprise nreal unveils consumer and developer versions of its AR smartglasses Wearables on the front line While it’s important to note here that these discussions are still very much in the early stages, device manufacturers are seeing a growing appetite around use case testing and experimentation. So, how exactly can wearables assist first responders on the front line? Let’s take the ambulance service as an example. Currently, paramedics work mostly in silo to hospitals. Existing systems mean that paramedics have to log patient details manually before handing over either a device or notes on arrival at the hospital. This can lead to a delay in patient information getting from an accident site to emergency teams waiting to give further treatment when the patient arrives. Paramedics can use AR smart glasses to receive and send vital patient information without disrupting diagnosis and the administration of triage. Not only does this keep the medic hands-free to focus on the patient, but also staff in the hospital are more prepared when the patient reaches them, improving both pre-hospital assistance and the continuity of care. While paramedics are trained for a range of emergency situations, certain scenarios require precise skills and knowledge that are perhaps less common in the field than in a hospital setting. Using AR smart glasses, paramedics can utilise Remote Expert capabilities to access medical knowledge, guidance and information from hospital specialists through high quality image and video conferencing.  Wearables also offer numerous benefits to other areas of emergency services. For example, internet-connected technologies embedded into a firefighters’ suit or helmet can deliver important information on both the scene of the emergency and the firefighters’ location, oxygen levels, heart rate and temperature.  Challenges to overcome  We’re currently on the cusp of seeing these use-cases become a reality. However, as with all new technology, there are a few teething problems to iron out during initial experimentation phases. Considerations must be taken around the user-friendliness of equipment, including whether devices are lightweight, robust and reliable enough for use on the frontline. There are also infrastructure, data management and security, and connectivity issues to deliberate. For example, how will this technology be managed? How will devices like AR smart glasses fit into existing networks? Do services have the infrastructure in place to effectively and safely manage data generated by these devices? Or do they have access to the right connectivity to ensure the technology works correctly out in the field?  The rise of 5G and edge computing is helping organisations within emergency services resolve these potential issues. Edge computing helps organisations to resolve some of these challenges, while at the same time enabling new methods of gathering, analysing and redistributing data and derived intelligence. Processing data at the edge reduces strain on the cloud so users can be more selective of the data they send to the network core. So, what does the future of wearables in the emergency services sector look like? While wearables remain in their infancy within the Blue Light sector, the technology is constantly evolving and those who are already testing out wearable technology are continually uncovering more potential use-cases. David Sims, Solutions Sales Specialist at Dynabook Northern Europe Also check out our complete list of the best business VR headsets of 2019 This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Content funding on TechRadar Posted: 30 Oct 2019 10:51 AM PDT At Future Publishing Limited we rely on advertising to keep bringing you the content you love to read.  The vast majority of the content on TechRadar is created solely by our editorial team, but on occasion we also work with external partners to create content we hope our readers will find interesting and useful.  In some cases the partner provides content for us, but in others they support us in producing content and we maintain editorial independence.  This additional content is labelled so you can see who has funded it and how it was created, and we have created this page to make it clear to you exactly what those labels mean about how the content you're reading was funded.  We have two main types of funded content: Supported Editorial Articles that are labelled as being written ‘in association’ with are independent editorial articles, created by writers employed by TechRadar that have been funded through the support of a commercial partner.  When planning supported content, a senior editor will agree the topic and the headline of the article with the funding partner but is not obliged to take further direction from the partner.  The article is written by a TechRadar journalist, or one under the direction of a TechRadar senior editor, and posted to TechRadar. It is not sent to the funding partner for approval.  This content abides by the Editors’ Code of Practice from the Independent Press Standards Organisation. Advertisement Feature Articles that are labelled ‘Advertisement Feature’ are paid for and controlled by a commercial partner. They may be produced by the client or by staff employed by TechRadar.  This is commercial content and so is subject to the Advertising Standards Authority and Federal Trade Commission regulations. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Best managed WordPress hosting 2019 Posted: 30 Oct 2019 10:13 AM PDT As a content management system, WordPress offers one of the easiest and quickest ways to set up your own blog or website. With a few clicks of the mouse, you can select from one of hundreds of templates, as well as create interactive content such as contact forms. The usefulness of WordPress has not been lost on web hosting providers. In this guide, you’ll discover some of the very best vendors on the market today who offer managed WordPress hosting. This is a great way to avoid the time and trouble of hosting your content from scratch as they take the trouble of creating and maintaining your website away from you. Don't underestimate the importance of managing an online property. Between SEO, admin, content and social marketing, there's more than enough work for a small business. Also check out our list of the best web hosting solutions WP Engine WP Engine is the leading WordPress digital platform. It hosts excellent uptime, WordPress specific security and unlimited monthly transfers. WP Engine includes many great tools needed for web hosting. These range from automated backups to 24/7 support (phone support on Growth and Scale packages).  You can use WP Engine’s ‘actionable intelligence’ to gain insight into the performance of your pages, content and applications. WP Engine has four different price plans. All include free migration and free page performance. If you pay for a year’s subscription upfront, you get three months free. Prices start off at $35 per month which include a 60-day risk free guarantee. WP Engine also have a ‘Custom’ tier for larger businesses who want a plan more tailored for their individual needs. Some users have asked for a mid-range pricing option between the $35 and $115 tiers with the most expensive tier, Scale, costing $290 per month and offering support for up to 15 sites. At the moment, if you choose monthly billing, there is a 10% discount on all plans for your first payment. You can sign up for WP Engine here GoDaddy Pro GoDaddy Pro is part of GoDaddy Inc, founded in 1997. It offers users a more robust, wider range of tools for developers and businesses. While it doesn't mention WordPress in the opening few introductory phrases, GDP is actually wholly focused on WordPress installs. GoDaddy Pro offers client management tools and advanced support. This solution allows developers to add multiple clients and manages their accounts from one single dashboard.  GoDaddy gives users access to a management dashboard. From here all products and clients can be viewed. The dashboard can alert the user via SMS and email to any issues the client may have. As GoDaddy Pro has been designed to make developer’s lives easier, the platform is user-friendly and everything is at your fingertips via the dashboard. Access to the dashboard is free and includes reporting and basic maintenance for as many WordPress sites as needed. Paid services include cloud backups, migration, uptime monitoring and automated security checks. These can be purchased as add-ons to your free plan. Users have noted that bandwidth monitoring is not included. You can sign up for GoDaddy Pro here Bluehost Bluehost is a web hosting company owned by Endurance International Group. It was founded in 2003. It’s part of a web hosting family that includes HostMonster, FastDomain and iPage. Bluehost tries to make the daunting task of starting a new web site easy. It offers plenty of options to those new to web hosting while still offering tools for the more experienced user. All new subscribers can set up a WordPress site with a single click of their mouse. Also, newbies can rely on Blue Spark, a specialized service that helps new users with everything WordPress related.  Bluehost are currently offering all their WordPress plans at a reduced rate. Prices start at $2.95 (£2.2) a month for a single WordPress site complete with 50GB of website space. The ‘Plus’ and ‘Premium’ packages are on offer for $5.45 (£4.10) per month. These both include unlimited WordPress sites and unlimited website space. The ‘Premium’ package includes domain privacy and SiteBackup Pro. Furthermore, WP Pro plans are available, which bring additional improvements and features with prices starting at $19.95. More inexperienced users have reported that the dashboard can be difficult to navigate if you do not know all the terminology. You can sign up for Bluehost here WordPress VIP WordPress VIP is a fully managed cloud platform. Users of VIP have access to expert guidance, code review and around the clock support. Users get their own Git repository and ZenDesk account. Once your code is ready, you send it to the VIP team. Experts at VIP go through each line of code in your repository. This can take 4-6 weeks. If any issues are found, they’re raised on GitHub. Once these have been removed the code is transferred to your project and you are online. VIP adhere to strict coding standards. One of the main attractions of VIP, is their ‘always on’ support. VIP engineers watch for any issues that may arise and fix them proactively on behalf of the client. Once rectified, a report will be sent to you explaining what occurred. Users will need to contact VIP directly in order to get a quote. Some users have reported delays with setting up and building sites. You can sign up for WordPress VIP here SiteGround SiteGround was founded in 2004. It provides shared hosting, cloud hosting and dedicated servers. SiteGround lets you choose from one of their four data centers on which to host your website. These are based in the US, Amsterdam, Singapore and the UK. SiteGround offers users CloudFlare CDN, free SSL certificates and daily backups of their website’s data. All of their shared hosting plans include managed WordPress. The platform’s customer support includes live chat as well as a phone in option. All support services are available 24/7. The ‘StartUp’ plan begins at $11.95 (£9.28) per month ($3.95 for initial payment) which includes one website, 10GB web space and is suitable for 10,000 visits monthly. The ‘GrowBig’ plan for $19.95 (£15.47) monthly ($5.95 for initial payment) allows for multiple websites, 20GB of web space and is suitable for 25,000 visits. SiteGround’s ‘GoGeek’ plan starts at $34.95 (£27.08) per month ($11.95 for initial payment) which includes 30GB of web space and is suitable for 100,000 visits monthly. SiteGround do not offer a free trial but do have a 30-day money back guarantee. Some users reported issues with being automatically logged out when signing in on multiple devices. You can sign up for SiteGround here DreamHost DreamHost is owned by New Dream Network, LLC which was founded in 1996. It’s both a web hosting provider and a domain name registrar. DreamHost’s ‘Shared Starter’ plan starts at $2.59 (£2) per month. This includes a shared hosting server, 1 WordPress website, unlimited traffic, 1-click SSL certificate, fast SSD storage, 24/7 support and an upgrade to add email. The ‘DreamPress’ (the managed WP plan) package starts at $16.95 (£12.8). This includes all of what the ‘Shared Starter’ plan has to offer along with 30GB SSD storage, JetPack free preinstalled, daily backups and a few other things. All of DreamHost’s hosting solutions are a fully managed service. Inexperienced users have reported issues with getting started.  You can sign up for DreamHost here InMotion InMotion Hosting is an employee-owned and -operated domain name and web hosting company founded in 2001. InMotion offers dedicated, shared, virtual private server and WordPress hosting along with several Ecommerce tools.  Their WordPress hosting plans start off at $4.99 (£3.8) per month (for initial payment) and include one website, 40GB SSD storage and is suitable for 20,000 visitors a month. InMotion have six price plans available and all of them offer unlimited data transfers. Besides having numerous price plans for each of their hosting options, InMotion have numerous free add-ons, free ecommerce tools and unlimited emails. While they do not have a free trial, they do include a 90-day money back guarantee. Some users have complained that InMotion is not as competitively priced as other hosting providers. You can sign up for InMotion here HostGator HostGator was founded in 2002. It provides shared, reseller, VPS and dedicated web hosting. HostGator’s Website Builder comes with a handy drag and drop feature. The builder includes a wide range of themes. Some of the features are pre-built to help make the process easier and faster. HostGator claims that load times for WordPress sites are up to 2.5 times faster when compared to its own shared hosting due to the superior server architecture of its managed WordPress hosting. The utility offers a WordPress Cloud Interface where you can manage backups, access all your email accounts and other hosting options. You can also allocate server bandwidth from here. HostGator offer three WordPress cloud hosting plans. The ‘Starter’ plan is currently $5.95 (£4.64) per month for 1 site, 100,000 visits per month, 1GB free backups and a free SSL certificate. The ‘Standard’ plan is on offer at $7.95 (£6.19) per month for 2 sites, 200,000 visits per month, 2GB backups and a free SSL certificate.  HostGator’s ‘Business’ plan is also on offer at $9.95 (£7.73) per month. This includes 3 sites, 500,000 visits, 3GB backups and a free SSL certificate. According to online commentators, the purchase price for additional domains can be quite steep. You can sign up for HostGator here 1&1 IONOS 1&1 (called 1&1 IONOS since October 2018) is owned by German company, United Internet. It was founded in 1988. It offers domain registration, cloud servers, virtual private servers and dedicated servers. 1&1 boasts excellent customer support and easy to use web creation tools. More inexperienced users might find this provider more suitable to their needs. 1&1’s ‘Basic’ packages starts at $1 (£1 for UK) per month for the first 12 months and then $9 (£6 for UK) per month thereafter. This includes 1 WordPress project, 25GB SSD storage, unlimited visitors and managed WordPress. Upon registration you are offered a domain name free for 12 months. This is only valid upon purchase of any of their plans. Users that sign up for the ‘Business’ plan receive 2 WordPress projects, 100GB SSD storage and unlimited visitors. This plan starts at $1 (£1 for UK) per month for the first 12 months and then $11 (£8 for UK) per month thereafter.  The ‘Pro’ plan starts at $1 (£1 for UK) for the first 12 months and then $15 (£11 for UK). It includes 5 WordPress projects and 200GB SSD storage, as well as SiteLock malware protection and RailGun CDN. Online commentators have complained about long periods of downtime.  You can sign up for 1&1 here You might also want to check out our other website hosting buying guides: WordPress Cloud hosting E-commerce Dedicated server Small business Windows Managed Green Business Colocation Email hosting Resellers VPS Shared Cheap Website builders This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Canelo vs Kovalev live stream: how to watch the Alvarez fight online from anywhere Saturday Posted: 30 Oct 2019 10:10 AM PDT Can he do it? Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez steps into the ring on Saturday in Las Vegas  looking to become a four-weight world champion. The Mexican born fighter has already won titles at light middleweight, middleweight and super middleweight and will be stepping up two weight divisions for this weekends clash. It's a potentially historic night of boxing in store, and you can watch all the action as it happens, no matter where on Earth you are, with our Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez vs Sergey Kovalev live stream guide. Known as 'Krusher', Canelo's opponent in Sin City this time out will be 6ft tall Russian champ Sergey Kovalev. Best known for his trademark quick combos, Kovalev retained his belt in August following a stoppage win over Britain's Anthony Yarde , bringing his record to 29 knockouts in 34 victories. Canelo's mastery of boxing has seen him notch up a fearsome pro record a fearsome 51-1-2, but can he make the leap up two weight divisions and score a victory over an experienced performer at this level? Read on to find out how to live stream Canelo vs Kovalev fight from absolutely anywhere. Or, if you're in North America, you can head straight to learn about the DAZN coverage of the big fight. Live stream the Canelo vs Kovalev fight from outside your country  In the US, UK or Canada? Then scroll just a little further down this page and we'll tell you who's broadcasting the boxing from where you are. But if you're abroad this weekend then you'll need another way to watch and avoid possible geo-blocking. That's where using a VPN comes in. How to watch Canelo Alvarez vs Sergey Kovalev: US live stream How to watch a Canelo Alvarez vs Sergey Kovalev live stream in Canada How to watch the Alvarez vs Kovalev fight: UK stream How to watch the Alvarez vs Kovalev fight: Australia stream This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

The best Xbox One X prices, bundles and deals in October 2019: where to buy the 4K Xbox Posted: 30 Oct 2019 09:56 AM PDT We've actually had a solid few months of excellent Xbox One X prices recently. It's still the most expensive console on the market, but we're seeing bundles coming in way under the initial release price, and often with a free game too. Gamers looking for the most powerful console ever made have have been keen to pick up Xbox One X deals since release but there was a high cost to pay in the early days. Until recently, prices have been high at most stores if you weren't sure where to look. That's where we come in as our dedicated team of Deal Hunters cut through the chaff to bring you only the very best Xbox One X deals every day, and we've got some excellent ones for you today. In this article you'll find a comparison chart with the lowest prices on where to buy the 4K HDR Xbox One X console from a wide range of the best retailers. After the comparison chart we've put together a collection of the latest bundles in the USA and UK. These Xbox One X bundles will save you money over buying the items separately. If you're after information on the latest Australian deals, head over to our Australian page. The best Black Friday Xbox One X deals and prices  If the deals below don't grab your attention, fear not. Black Friday is coming up next month and it's a fantastic opportunity to find massive deals on Xbox consoles, from bundles to the 4K Xbox One X. Lucky for you, we've created a Black Friday 2019 deals guide so you can find all the top sales in one place. The best Xbox One X prices US Xbox One X bundles are really stepping things up now after seriously slow start at launch. There's never been a better time to buy actually as you're getting genuine discounts and free content for the first time in ages. If you're after more games for your Xbox One X, then why not check out our Xbox Game Pass deals page. There's also plenty of savings to be had on online play as well with our top picks of the best Xbox Live Gold sales.  What is the Xbox One X price? The Xbox One X MSRP is $499 in the US and the UK RRP currently sits at £449. So sure, it looks like UK gamers are paying considerable more as the direct currency conversion would have it at £390. On the plus side, retailers are starting to cut prices and we're seeing games bundled in too. So you should never pay those costs for the console alone today. Why should I buy an Xbox One X? Just to be clear, this is not what you'd call a 'next-gen' console. Instead it's a more powerful version over the current Xbox One lineup. To simplify things, it's akin to Sony's PS4 Pro. Both consoles are aimed at gamers with a 4K HDR TV who want the best graphical performance possible on their favored console. There will be modest performance boosts on non-4K TVs too, but you're kind of missing the point without a 4K HDR TV. The Xbox One X will play all Xbox One games and there are no games released exclusively for the Xbox One X, so there's certainly no reason to throw away your older Xbox One. The Xbox One X is the most powerful console ever made though, even outshining some of the specs of the PS4 Pro. But given the huge asking price, you'd hope as much. The Xbox One X is making bold claims about true native 4K gaming though and if you have a 4K TV with High Dynamic Range (HDR) technology, the Xbox One X is ready to seriously impress with the likes of Forza Motorsport 7, Metro: Exodus and Anthem acting as true jaw-droppers in the graphics department. Where can I buy an Xbox One X? Most of the usual big name retailers are stocking the Xbox One X. Prices are much better than they were at launch now too.  Keep an eye on the highlighted Xbox One X bundles above and our comparison chart, which we'll keep up to date on the latest prices for the Xbox One X on its own. So feel free to bookmark us and check in again soon to see if we've found the deal that's right for you. What is the Xbox One X release date? It's here now! The Xbox One X came out on November 7 2017. That was a worldwide release date too. What if I don't care about 4K or want to save money? The standard Xbox One S is a fantastic games console and you'll easily be able to get one with a few games for around $220/£200 or less. There are cheap deals all year round on our Xbox One deals and PS4 prices, deals and bundles pages. Only kidding. I want 4K HDR in my face right now. 4K TVs with HDR are nowhere near as expensive as you'd think. The prices have come down much faster than the original HD TVs, so you can get a decent model for a low price. Hell we've seen some nice ones for less than the price of the Xbox One X itself (what a ridiculous world we live in). For the best of the best, take a look at our best TV article. We've also rounded up the best cheap 4K TV deals too in the UK, and also a collection of US TV deals. How big is the hard drive in the Xbox One X? For now, the only option available is the 1TB option, that's 1000GB of storage. There are no official plans for larger versions..  With some 4K-friendly update patches to games coming in at over 100GB, we certainly wouldn't hold out for a cheaper 500GB Xbox One X, as it'd be a bit pointless to be honest.  We think gamers are going to fill up the 1TB Xbox One pretty soon. Thankfully the Xbox One X is compatible with external hard drives using USB 3.0. So if you need some extra storage, check out our list of the best external hard drives. Back to the top ^ This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

The cheapest Xbox One bundle deals and sale prices in October 2019 Posted: 30 Oct 2019 09:48 AM PDT Freshly discounted cheap Xbox One bundle deals have appeared this week and we've found some fantastic discounts. So if you've decided it's finally time to opt for a sweet Xbox One deal, then you're in luck. Microsoft is really pushing discounts on the 1TB consoles now too, which are much more accommodating for your library of games and their large install sizes than the 500GB models, which seem to have been discontinued now. The Division 2, Anthem, Battlefield V, Forza Horizon 4 and more are all aboard the Xbox One deals train today. If you're excited to hear about what's coming up in the world of Xbox, be sure to check in on our extensive coverage of E3 2019. We've also just added a section below dedicated to rounding up the best prices for the newly-announced Xbox One S All-Digital Edition, although you might want to hold off on that version of the Xbox console for a while. We'll tell you why further down. Retailers are stocking some cheap Xbox One deals as standalone purchases, but the best value is to be found with the bundles with extra games. Xbox One bundles nowadays often cost less than the standalone consoles prices too, so be sure to check out our hand-picked list of the best Xbox One offers below the comparison charts. Or maybe you're looking for a 4K upgrade? Then you'll want to take a look at the latest Xbox One X bundles. Looking to buy in the US or Australia? You'll want to head on over to our US page or AU page. The best Black Friday Xbox One deals and prices While you can find plenty of current offers below, keep in mind that the upcoming Black Friday sale is a fantastic opportunity to find killer discounts on Xbox One bundles. You can grab the console with all your favourite games packaged in for less, or upgrade your system to the 4K Xbox One X. Lucky for you, we've put together a Black Friday 2019 deals page so you can find all the top sales in one place. Microsoft finally announced the long-rumoured Xbox One S All-Digital Edition in April 2019 and it's available right now. As the name suggests, this version of the Xbox One does not come with a disc drive. So you will not be able to play physical games or blu-rays on this version. The Xbox One S All-Digital Edition costs £199 in the UK and comes with codes for Forza Horizon 3, Minecraft and Sea of Thieves. To be honest, we're not entirely convinced at that price point as you can get the regular version for a similar price and with newer games. Actually, we regularly see standard Xbox One S bundles on this page go for even less, so be sure to check out the offers further down the page before jumping on this. The new console offers no technical improvements over the original S model, so this should only be considered when the price reaches a more appropriate level. Naturally, we'll keep this page updated when it does. Feature article: The Xbox One All-Digital Edition - why pay more for less? The slimmed-down design of the Xbox One S looks much better than the original chunky box and the power brick is now a thing of the past. The main draw though is 4K visual support meaning you'll be able to watch specialised Blu-Ray and Netflix content in 4K on your new 4K TV.  The Xbox One S is now the standard console and has replaced the older model that's been phased out at retailers. The Xbox One S is cheaper too, so we've stopped covering deals on the older model as you're getting better value with the newer version and we've not spotted any decent stock for months now. More Xbox One deals Still not found your ideal Xbox One deal in our highlights of the best offers out there? Why not check out more Xbox One bundles directly from the retailers from our list below? Amazon AO.com Very.co.uk John Lewis Argos Currys The new Xbox One X is capable of displaying games in glorious HDR 4K and is the most powerful console ever made. Sadly, it has the price-tag to match too as it's way more expensive than the Xbox One S. The comparison chart below is mainly full of prices for the new console on its own. However, we're starting to see better offers appear online where you can get discounted (or sometimes free) games included too. For more details, head on over to our extensive Xbox One X bundles page for the best value deals. If you're looking to play your Xbox games online or take advantage of the free Games with Gold initiative, you'll want to check out our cheap Xbox Live Gold deals page where we've found prices considerably cheaper than the default price. If you're looking to play more games on your Xbox One S but don't want to splash on full purchases, you should also check out our best Xbox Game Pass deals.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Pay under £200 for the cheapest Samsung Galaxy A40 deal around at Amazon Posted: 30 Oct 2019 09:37 AM PDT It's not even Black Friday and Amazon has already offered a smartphone treat - the Samsung Galaxy A40 at the cheapest price around.  Amazon is offering the Samsung Galaxy A40 SIM-free meaning you won't have to be tied to a phone contract, paying off your phone every month.  This smartphone, which has an RRP of £219 is on offer for £186.20 exclusively on Amazon.co.uk. So if you're interested in a Samsung phone deal  without being tied to a contract this could be ideal for you. It may not be as new as other 2019 flagship Samsung devices, but with its full HD+ screen, 64GB storage, fingerprint scanner and dual camera it's still a pretty decent smartphone...especially at this price!  You can get the full offer explained below, or if you do happen to want the phone on a contract make sure to check out our Samsung Galaxy A40 deals guide. We don't have a specific end date for this offer, but with the price Amazon is offering, it's quite possible the smartphone will sell out before the retailer launches its other Amazon Black Friday deals. The A40 not for you? There'll be plenty of Black Friday phone deals to choose from Or if you need it now, then see our mobile phone deals guide See Amazon's ace Samsung Galaxy A40 offer in full:  Does this sound good to you? It is an excellent price for a smartphone packed with ace features. The great thing about Amazon's offer is that the phone comes without a SIM so you don't have to be tied to a long contract. However we understand that despite the discount it is a lot to pay upfront. So that means you can get into our SIM only deals guide instead, to get the best cheap calls, texts and data offers in the UK - you could get your data, minutes and texts for as little as £4 a month. Is the Samsung Galaxy A40 any good? It isn't brand new or part of the best smartphones, but it is a solid device. It offers all the features you need in a mobile including dual camera, 1080 x 2340 pixels resolution, a headphone jack, fingerprint scanner and 64GB of storage. It won't offer anything exciting or flagship specs, but at this price we're happy to let that go. Is it the phone for you? Check out our Samsung Galaxy A40 review Want a better Samsung? Check out the Samsung Galaxy S10 and Galaxy S10 Plus This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

Amazing Nintendo Switch bundle deal at Walmart rings in Black Friday early Posted: 30 Oct 2019 09:29 AM PDT If you're planning on waiting until Black Friday 2019 or even Cyber Monday for that coveted Nintendo Switch deal, you may not have to. The early Walmart Black Friday proceedings have now delivered an arguably stellar Nintendo Switch build-your-own bundle deal, with your choice of one of three games and one of three travel case options, for little more than the console's base price. Those three game choices are some of the absolute best games on the Nintendo Switch – any of these three would be an excellent start on the console. We're personally particular to the latest Zelda game, as it's arguably one of the best video games ever released, but we hear that Splatoon 2 is Nintendo's fantastically quirky answer to Call of Duty multiplayer. Oh, and Super Mario Odyssey is the best entry in the series since Super Mario 64. So, it's tough to go wrong with this bundle, spending half as much on one of Nintendo's top games of this generation and getting a case for free. How will anyone top this come Black Friday? Only Nintendo (and its countless retail partners) knows. These are the best Nintendo Switch deals elsewhere This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

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