App Store Update: May 12
Every day hundreds of new apps make their debut on the App Store, and hundreds more are updated or reduced in price. We have sifted through the noise and highlighted those select few that might be worth your attention.
Note: The prices and deals compiled below are accurate at the time we published this story, but all are subject to change.
Alphadia Genesis 2 – ($4.99 Launch Sale, Normally to be $9.99)
Now here's something new and unexpected! Kemco and Kotobuki Solutions deliver new JRPGs into the App Store every few weeks, but I believe this is the first time they've ever done a direct sequel to one of their past releases. If you played the first Alphadia Genesis, take a look!
Play as The Keeper in The Evil Within’s Final DLC
The final DLC for Tango Gameworks' The Evil Within is giving players a first-person perspective on horror.
As the infamous Keeper, players will return to the Victoriano Estate to fight several of the enemies found in The Evil Within.
This is the third bit of DLC for The Evil Within, after the previously-released story content The Assignment and The Consequence. It will release on May 26.
Devil May Cry 4 — Special Edition Release Date Revealed
Capcom has announced that Devil May Cry 4 -- Special Edition will release June 23 in North America and Europe.
The enhanced version of the 2008 action title will cost $25/ €25 / £20, according to Capcom. Pre-ordering Devil May Cry 4 -- Special Edition will net players bonus costumes for Lady and Trish (seen below), with PlayStation 4 owners also receiving a custom theme.
Devil May Cry 4 -- Special Edition improves on the original game with better visuals, running 1080p at 60 frames per second, and five playable characters, including Vergil. The remastered action game also boasts Legendary Dark Knight Mode.
Skype Translator Preview Goes Open Beta
We first heard of Skype Translator back in December, when it was allowing select Windows 8.1 users access to its services on an invite-only basis.
Now, after a few months in closed beta, Skype's universal translation app is opening up its multilingual capabilities to anyone with Windows 8.1 or access to the Windows 10 technical preview.
You can find it as a free app on the Windows Store. It works on both PC and tablets.
Best of all, only one person needs to have the app enabled for it to work, meaning you won't need to waste time with installations instructions getting lost in translation.
Konami Enjoys Profits Spike Thanks to Mobile
Despite struggles within the console gaming sphere, Japanese game publisher Konami is reporting growth in its net income, with profits up 147 percent.
The company previously reported profits totaling ¥3.8 billion ($31.7m) for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2014. However, it's now enjoying ¥9.5 billion ($79.1m) in profits for its latest fiscal year, which ended just a couple months ago. Interestingly enough, Konami expects to rake in the very same figure over the next year.
While Konami has had its fair share of issues these past few months with the cancelation of Silent Hills and its deteriorating relationship with Metal Gear Solid creator Hideo Kojima, its gaming division is still its most profitable arm, thanks to Pro Evolution Soccer 15 and a new mobile baseball game called Jikkyou Pawafuru Puroyakyu, which amassed a whopping eight million downloads in its first four months.
Marvel’s Feige: The MCU Will Never Take a ‘Dark’ Turn
Marvel Studios president and Marvel's Avengers: Age of Ultron producer Kevin Feige recently participated in a post-Ultron screening Q&A at the University of Southern California during which time he was asked whether the Marvel Cinematic Universe will ever adopt a darker tone (presumably a la the more grim vibe of the DC movies).
According to the reddit user/student covering the Q&A, Feige informed the crowd that humor will remain a permanent fixture of the MCU: "There is no dark turn in the MCU. He says every year fans come up to him and ask him if this movie is when the MCU goes 'dark' or takes a 'dark' turn. He said while the trailers may seem ominous or have a sense of impending doom, the movies do not have that feel, and will not. He said he 'Hoped people would catch on by now' - there will be no giant dark turns in the MCU where it then continues to head in that direction. The humor is in the DNA of the movies, there are no plans to change that."
Talking to the Man Who Destroyed the Marvel Universe
Warning: this article contains spoilers for Secret Wars #1!
The Marvel Universe came to an end last week in Secret Wars #1 by writer Jonathan Hickman and artist Esad Ribic, but of course that's just the beginning of the eight-part story.
Play-by-play of the End of the Marvel Universe
To tide us over until tomorrow's Secret Wars #2, we hopped on the phone with Hickman to talk about building up to the destruction of the Marvel U, bumps in the road along the way, and that amazing Punisher moment.
AMC Airing Mad Men Marathon
In celebration of the upcoming Mad Men series finale, AMC will air a marathon of all seven seasons of the show, in consecutive order, starting Wednesday, May 13 at 6pm ET/PT and leading into the finale on Sunday, May 17 at 10pm ET/PT.
Additionally, all of AMC's sister networks -- BBC America, IFC, SundanceTV and WE tv -- will go dark for one hour, timed to the Mad Men finale, as a tribute to Mad Men, instead airing a special message commemorating the show.
Jon Hamm as Don Draper in Mad Men
Verizon Is Now the Proud Owner of AOL
Mobile network provider Verizon has purchased AOL for the sizable sum of $4.4 billion.
Following the acquisition, America Online will become its own separate division within Verizon, with CEO Tim Armstrong retaining his position at AOL. According to CNN, Armstrong believes this new team-up will provide new opportunities for growth, especially within the mobile space.
The deal is expected to close within the next few months, with Verizon planning to fund the acquisition through short-term loans and cash. Fortunately, Armstrong doesn't anticipate any job cuts following the purchase, so it looks like AOL's current staff can breathe a sigh of relief.
Taylor Swift Teases a Sin City-Style Music Video
An upcoming video for pop star Taylor Swift's single Bad Blood reveals it has more than a little influence from the Sin City films.
Several stars will appear in the video, including Ellie Goulding, Hayley Williams, Lena Dunham, and Kendrick Lamar. In the teaser images Swift released on Instagram, each of them are presented in a black, white, and red motif not unlike the Miller/Rodriguez 2005 film Sin City.
Furthermore, each of the people involved have been given pulpy character names, such as Catastrophe, Lucky Fiori, Destructa X, and The Crimson Curse. The video is set to premiere at the Billboard Music Awards on May 17.