Xbox Boss Congratulates Sony on Bloodborne Success
Head of Xbox Phil Spencer has reached out to congratulate From Software and Sony over the success of Bloodborne.
Taking to Twitter, Spencer praised his the way in which the PlayStation-exclusive has managed to sell over 1 million copies despite being a new franchise.
I know some will question me but wanted to say it's cool to see Bloodborne sell 1M+. New IP is hard, congrats @PlayStation @fromsoftware_pr
A New Smart Drone Takes to the Skies
3D Robotics has announced Solo, a quadcopter drone that is designed to make high quality video capture easy.
3D Robotics describes its new product as "a breakthrough in intelligent flight". The handheld controller displays real time high definition video, and also has an HDMI out port.
Camera automation software means you can set the drone to follow you, or you can draw a line on the screen which the drone will follow. Orbit mode allows you to select an object for the drone to circle. There's even a selfie option where the camera focuses on you while the drone flies.
WayForward Shows Off The Apple Watch’s First Exclusive
WayForward has revealed Watch Quest! the first exclusive game for the Apple Watch.
The game can be played over two devices, with the iPhone serving as the player’s kingdom, while the Watch represents “a journey that spans several hours.”
Gameplay sees the player choose a hero and decking them out via the iPhone, then guiding him or her via the Apple Watch as they explore, fight off monsters, undertake puzzles, all the while searching for treasure.
Watch Quest is said to offer two play styles. Players can play passively by selecting longer-but-easier quests, or they can go all out and take on more difficult missions. The catch? Playing on easy will let you get geared up in advance, but it’ll take longer, whereas if you opt for the higher difficulty, you’ll need to find loot as you progress.
Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Xbox One Bundle Announced for Europe
A new Xbox One bundle for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is coming to Europe, Microsoft has announced. The package will be priced at £310 in the UK, with prices varying across other territories.
The bundle is confirmed specifically for the EMEA market (Europe, the Middle East and Africa). It doesn't include Kinect, but a second bundle which does include the motion sensor is coming to just ten territories, as listed on Xbox Wire. Both editions of the bundle come with a download code for The Witcher 3.
Report: Wildstar Pulled From Australian Stores
Major Australian retailers EB Games and JB Hi-Fi have reportedly removed copies of Carbine Studios’ sci-fi MMO WildStar from its shelves.
Games.on.net reports that copies have been returned the distributor with an EB games employee telling the publication that the stock was removed “a few weeks ago.”
While the game is still available for purchase via the official WildStar storefront from USD $39.99, the removal of the game from retailers is a possible indication that the game may transition into a free-to-play model in the near future.
Environmental Group Still Unhappy With Xbox One Energy-saving Mode
US-based environmental advocacy group the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) has welcomed Microsoft’s plan to give users the chance to activate the system's energy-saving mode during the initial console set-up period but remains unhappy with the way Microsoft may be planning to describe the differences between “Energy-saving mode” and “Instant-on mode” to new Xbox One owners.
Based on a screenshot Microsoft published earlier this month via Xbox Wire, the NRDC’s Noah Horowitz is disappointed with the language Microsoft has chosen to use to differentiate between the two modes.
EB Expo 2015 Tickets on Sale Tomorrow
Tickets for EB Expo 2015 go on sale tomorrow, Thursday April 16, at 9am AEDT. Tickets will be available from EBExpo.com.au, EB Games stores and through oztix.com.au.
Tickets start at AUD$40 for general admission but a three-day pass will cost $150, and the special express queue ticket will set you back almost $200. You can read more about the ticket categories here.
EB Expo 2015 will take place at Sydney Showground (Sydney Olympic Park’s events precinct) from October 2 to 4. EB has announced Sony, Microsoft, Nintendo, Activision, Bethesda, Electronic Arts, Ubisoft, and Warner Bros. will be at the show, and has also confirmed Australian comedy duo The Umbilical Brothers will be performing across the weekend.
Silver Mario Amiibo Bought From Chinese Auction Site
A sharp-eyed collector has nabbed a yet-to-be-released silver Mario amiibo from a Chinese auction site, and it appears to be the real deal.
Considering its non-branded packaging, the figure looks fake at first glance. However, the collector has verified it not only works with Mario Party 10, it gives Mario a silver base and comes with a silver token, just like the gold Mario does.
The gold and silver Marios are variants of the classic Super Mario amiibo, which launched March 20. The gold amiibo was released into the wild last month as a Wal-Mart exclusive in the United States, but there's no word yet as to how Nintendo plans to distribute the silver figurines. Which is, naturally, just how the company likes it.
Google’s Phone Service May Offer Rollover Data, Pay-per Gigabyte Plans
A leaked app from Google codenamed Tycho, which is thought to supplement Google’s wireless network service, reveals information about the initiative’s activation, payment structure and more.
Tycho was found within a February Lollipop build for the Nexus 6 and mined for details by Android Police. Its code mentions both “Project Fi,” an internal placeholder name for the carrier service, and “Nova,” the rumored name of Google’s mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) hardware infrastructure.
Video Games Live: Australian Tour Dates
The long-running concert experience Video Games Live is coming to Australia in July, and tickets are now on sale. The three shows will be at The Palais Theatre in Melbourne on July 24, the Brisbane Convention Centre on July 26 and the Enmore Theatre in Sydney on July 30.
Making Tetris cinematic is no mean feat.
According to the organisers, "Video Games Live is an award winning immersive concert event featuring music from the most popular video games of all time," in which "top orchestras and choirs around the world perform along with exclusive synchronized video footage and music arrangements, synchronized lighting, well known internet solo performers, electronic percussion, live action and unique interactive segments to create an explosive one-of-a-kind entertainment experience."