For the last few years, Apple’s iOS updates have mostly happened behind your home screen. The display you see as soon as you unlock your phone as remained largely unchanged, but with iOS 14, announced at WWDC, it’s getting a shake up.
In a way, it’s the most radical redesign of iOS in years, but also not the most innovative one in the grander scheme of the industry. Front and center in iOS 14 are widgets–larger app icons that display more information at a glance, and change up the composition of your home screen drastically.
Apple also announced new features to automatically help group similar applications and sort them into folders, which will also be surfaced in groups when an app theme is searched for. Siri, Apple’s own digital assistant, is also being reworked so that it doesn’t take up the entire screen when dealing with a query. This lets you do more on your display at once than ever before, including new picture-in-picture support (which was introduced on the iPad a few years ago).
iOS 14 home screen
Perhaps one of the biggest changes might be one Apple should’ve introduced years ago. In iOS 14 you’ll finally be able to set your default web browser and mail apps to ones other than Apple’s in-house versions, meaning you can have Gmail or Microsoft Edge open when you tap on links instead.
Apple has not announced a release date for iOS 14, but typically reserves it for launch around September in conjunction with annual iPhone launches. For more on WWCD, check out GameSpot sister site CNET for even more on iPadOS, Apple WatchOS, and MacOS updates.
Microsoft has announced that it is shutting down Mixer, its streaming competitor to the likes of Twitch. The Xbox owners will be transitioning over to Facebook Gaming instead, partnered streamers having the option to be included with the move or return to Twitch. As of July 22, Mixer sites and apps will redirect users to Facebook Gaming.
Mixer, which was known as Beam.io before Microsoft purchased it, struggled to gain the viewership of its competitors since launch. Big streamer acquisitions such as deals with Ninja and Shroud might have initially drawn viewers in, but it’s lacked the mass appeal Microsoft, and Xbox specifically, need leading up to the launch of the Xbox Series X and xCloud, Xbox’s on-demand streaming service.
“Ultimately, the success of Partners and streamers on Mixer is dependent on our ability to scale the service for them as quickly and broadly as possible,” Xbox boss Phil Spencer explained in a post on Xbox Wire. “It became clear that the time needed to grow our own livestreaming community to scale was out of measure with the vision and experiences we want to deliver to gamers now, so we’ve decided to close the operations side of Mixer and help the community transition to a new platform. To better serve our community’s needs, we’re teaming up with Facebook to enable the Mixer community to transition to Facebook Gaming.”
Spencer explained in a statement to The Verge that the decision wasn’t so much about how to recoup a return on investment, but rather what will work for Xbox’s future strategies. “When we think about xCloud and the opportunity to unlock gameplay for 2 billion players, we know it’s going be critically important that our services find large audiences and Facebook clearly gives us that opportunity,” explained Spencer.
To achieve that, Xbox is looking to Facebook Gaming–another alternative to Twitch that has gained far more popularity with Facebook’s wide user base, and has far more reach than Mixer. Spencer says that xCloud will integrate with Facebook Gaming to allow you to launch games from streams you’re watching–a feature Google Stadia advertised before launch, but one that hasn’t yet materialized.
Microsoft says it won’t abandon the Mixer technology entirely, as it will be put to use for Microsoft Teams.
Where Are Ninja, Shroud, And Others Going?
Sources familiar with the deal have informed me that while Facebook did try and negotiate to keep their big partners both Shroud and Ninja opted out. They have received their full payments and as of midnight yesterday were free to engage in talks with other platforms. Game on.
While Mixer partnered streamers are free to transition over to Facebook Gaming, two of Mixer’s biggest acquisitions have reportedly opted not to move there, opening the door for a return to Twitch. Ninja, who left Twitch for a rich exclusive deal at Mixer, wrote in a statement on Twitter, “I love my community and what we built together on Mixer. I have some decisions to make and will be thinking about you all as I make them.” Another Mixer partner, Gothalion, has chosen to stay with Microsoft and make the move to Facebook gaming.
I love my community and what we built together on Mixer. I have some decisions to make and will be thinking about you all as I make them.
Xbox xCloud doesn’t have a release date yet, but is expected to launch later this year alongside the Xbox Series X as Microsoft continues to push into more service-based products. The hardware powering xCloud will also be upgraded in 2021 to support Xbox Series X titles and possibly PC games streaming.
GameSpot has officially kicked off Play For All–a celebration of all things gaming. Join us as we bring you the summer’s hottest news, previews, interviews, features, and videos, as well as raise money for COVID-19 relief efforts and Black Lives Matter with the help of our friends from around the gaming world. Check out the Play For All schedule for more.
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Crossfire X, the Xbox One version of the massively popular PC FPS game Crossfire, has a closed beta right now, with an open beta running this weekend. The open beta begins Thursday, June 25 and runs through Sunday, June 28.
Xbox Insiders (a free program anyone can sign up for) can register to join the closed beta now through June 23 through the Xbox Insider Hub. A limited number of people will be granted access to the closed beta, with the number increasing as it continues.
The beta features three game modes: Spectre Mode, Team Match, and Point Capture. Players who complete a match during the beta will receive the X-B.C. Axe weapon skin when the game launches.
Crossfire X was announced at Microsoft’s Xbox E3 2019 press conference, advertised as launching first on Xbox in 2020. Crossfire is massively popular around the world, with more than 650 million players on PC.
GameSpot has officially kicked off Play For All–a celebration of all things gaming. Join us as we bring you the summer’s hottest news, previews, interviews, features, and videos, as well as raise money for COVID-19 relief efforts and Black Lives Matter with the help of our friends from around the gaming world. Check out the Play For All schedule for more.
Michael Keaton is among the long list of actors to portray a live-action version of Batman, and he’s certainly one of the most beloved to do so. While he’s been away from the role for decades, Keaton may be coming back to play Bruce Wayne once again.
That’s according to a story from The Hollywood Reporter, which states that Keaton is “in talks” to reprise the role for the upcoming movie The Flash. THR also reports that Keaton may appear in “several other DC-oriented film projects” as a mentor, a role similar to Samuel L. Jackson’s Nick Fury in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It seems Batgirl could be one of the films Keaton may show up in.
No further details are shared on Keaton’s role; perhaps The Flash’s time-travel abilities will send him back to a time when Keaton was Batman. Will Flash do him a kindness and bring him the tools to be able to turn his head? Only time will tell.
It’s been nearly three decades since Keaton last played Batman, in 1992’s Batman Returns.
The long-delayed movie The Flash stars Ezra Miller as Barry Allen. As of last year, it will be directed by Andy Muschietti, who also helmed Stephen King’s It and It: Chapter 2.
Joel Schumacher, the director behind films like The Lost Boys and St. Elmo’s Fire and two Batman movies, has died at 80. The news of his passing comes from Variety, which reports he succumbed to a year-long battle with cancer on Monday.
He is likely best-known for his movies about the Caped Crusader, 1995’s Batman Forever and 1997’s Batman & Robin. He took over directing duties from Tim Burton, who helmed Batman and Batman Returns. During his tenure, both Val Kilmer and George Clooney portrayed Bruce Wayne/Batman. Schumacher’s Batman movies leaned heavily on camp, rather than the dark gothic version of the Dark Knight that Burton brought to the screen.
Schumacher didn’t start his filmmaking career as a director. Instead, he first worked as a costume designer after attending Parsons the New School for Design and the Fashion Institute of Technology. His directorial debut was 1981’s The Incredible Shrinking Woman, starring Lily Tomlin and Charles Grodin.
Among the other notable films directed by Schumacher are 8mm, A Time to Kill, The Client, Flatliners, and the 2004 adaptation of The Phantom of the Opera starring Gerard Butler and Emmy Rossum. He also directed two episodes of Netflix’s House of Cards. His most recent film was 2011’s Trespass starring Nicole Kidman and Nicolas Cage.
Nintendo is reportedly retreating from the mobile gaming market, and currently has no new mobile games in development.
A Bloomberg report indicates that Nintendo has been underwhelmed by its mobile games’ financial performance, and is now preferring to concentrate on making games for its own Switch console following the huge success of games like Animal Crossing (which contributed to a 12-year high in share price).
Analyst Serkan Toto told Bloomberg that “since the release of Mario Kart Tour in fall 2019, Nintendo’s mobile pipeline is empty”. The analyst added that the huge success of Switch has “reduced the need and the pressure” to create mobile game successes at the company.
Nintendo has previously said that it will now concentrate on its current mobile games, such as Mario Kart Tour and Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp. The company’s mobile development partner, DeNA, has reportedly also said not to expect new games until the end of the Japanese fiscal year (31st March 2021), implying there’s no Nintendo mobile games coming anytime soon.
Joe Skrebels is IGN’s Executive Editor of News. Follow him on Twitter. Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to [email protected].
Update: A new report claims that Batman: Arkham studio Rocksteady is indeed the developer behind the Suicide Squad game mentioned in the domain name registrations.
According to Eurogamer, the London studio has been working on the project for years, and the “Suicide Squad Kill The Justice League” domain is potentially the game’s full title, as well as a summation of it’s content.
Eurogamer also says that the domains were registered by WB Interactive, that Gotham Knights does refer to WB Montreal’s long rumoured Batman: Court of Owls game, and that both games will be shown in some respect at the DC Fandome event.
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Original Story: Domain registrations for a game seemingly titled Gotham Knights, and a potential Suicide Squad game have been found online.
ResetEra user DriftingOrbit posted their findings, which include domain registrations for “suicidesquadgame.com”, “suicidesquadkillthejusticeleague.com” and “gothamknightsgame.com.”
The source of the domain registrations isn’t immediately clear but, as pointed out by user JaseC in the same thread, the company listed as the domain registrar is MarkMonitor Inc, which also registered the wbgames.com domain. This lends some credibility to the existence of these games, but it’s nothing concrete.
Previous rumours have alluded to a Suicide Squad game being cancelled at WB Montreal, with recent teases from the studio pointing to a game based on Batman: Court of Owls. Some have taken these domain registrations to mean that WB Montreal’s project is Gotham Knights, and the long-silent Rocksteady (creator of the Batman: Arkham series) have a Suicide Squad game lined up.
DC is holding a digital event called DC FanDome on August 22, where WB Games will be making announcements. Many are already speculating that these games will be revealed or announced at the event.
The Last of Us Part 2 is Sony’s fastest-selling boxed PS4 game in the UK, and the biggest UK boxed launch of 2020.
According to GamesIndustry.Biz, Naughty Dog’s gritty sequel has beaten the previous record-holder Uncharted 4 by 1%, making it the fastest-selling PS4 game of the current generation in the UK. The UK sales charts do not include digital sales and, given the growth in digital sales in recent years, potentially means it’s broken Sony’s overall UK records too.
The Last of Us Part 2’s boxed launch sales are also “76% higher” than 2013’s The Last of Us. Lots of Naughty Dog records broken by… Naughty Dog.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons previously held the title for the biggest UK boxed launch this year, but this was also toppled by The Last Of Us Part 2 by a 40% margin.
For more on The Last of Us Part 2, check out IGN’s review of the game, where we called it a “masterpiece that evolves the gameplay, cinematic storytelling, and rich world design of the original.” If you’ve already went hands-on, check out our piece running through 14 brilliant little details that you might have missed!
It’s been over two decades, but the iconic PlayStation character will soon be back in action: Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time was announced today and will launch on PS4 and Xbox One this fall. The fourth Crash game will release October 2, 2020, and it’s available to pre-order now in both physical and digital formats.
Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time picks up after the end of the third game, Crash Bandicoot: Warped–villains Neo Cortex, Dr. N. Tropy, and Uka Uka are back and planning an all-out assault on the entire multiverse. Crash and his younger sister Coco must reunite four quantum masks and “bend the rules of reality” to save the day. The masks will help you through tricky areas, including a Time Mask that can slow down time and a Gravity Mask that lets you move upside down. Crash Bandicoot 4 will have the same platforming mechanics but with modern additions like wall-running and rail-grinding. You’ll also be able to play as Neo Cortex in addition to Crash and Coco.
Whether you’re a longtime Crash fan or new to the series (it did come out 20 years ago, after all), you can go ahead and secure your copy now so it’s ready to go on day one. Below, you can check out the pre-order bonuses for Crash Bandicoot 4 and place your pre-order.
Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time pre-order bonuses
If you pre-order Crash Bandicoot 4 digitally, you’ll get the Totally Tubular skins for Crash and Coco.
Pre-order Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time | $60
Crash Bandicoot 4 is available to pre-order digitally on the PlayStation Store and Xbox Live, and physical versions are up for pre-order at Best Buy. We expect more editions will be announced at a later date, but if you’re just interested in the base game, you can go ahead and pre-order below. You’ll get the aforementioned pre-order bonuses as well.
Pre-order on PS4:
Pre-order on Xbox One:
If you want to go back and experience the first three Crash Bandicoot games, the Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy is available on PS4, Xbox One, PC, and Switch and bundles remastered versions of the original trilogy. You can buy it now for $40 at Best Buy.
The Fallout series has never been well-represented on Nintendo systems, but that isn’t stopping a crossover from happening with Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. The series’ signature Vault Boy mascot is on the way–but not as a full playable character.
Five new Mii Fighter costumes will be joining Smash Ultimate on June 29, including Fallout’s Vault Boy. That’s notable because the only Fallout game to release on a Nintendo system to date is the spin-off Fallout Shelter for Switch. The Vault Boy reveal didn’t coincide with any news about additional Fallout games coming to Switch, but you can nonetheless look forward to playing as Vault Boy in Smash. He functions as a Gunner-type character and looks quite good.
The other new Mii fighters come from Arms, Tekken, and Splatoon. All five release on June 29 for $0.75 each and are separate from the Fighters Pass that includes standard characters. Here’s the full lineup of new Mii Fighter costumes:
Vault Boy (Fallout)
Ninjara (Arms)
Heihachi (Tekken)
Callie (Splatoon)
Marie (Splatoon)
Smash Ultimate’s new Fallout, Splatoon, Tekken, and Arms Mii Fighter costumes
The Super Smash Bros. Ultimate livestream delivered the promised news about the new DLC fighter from Arms, Min Min. And while the bulk of the broadcast was dedicated to showcasing her unique fighting style and accompanying arena, Nintendo had more changes to share, including news of the new Mii fighters, Amiibo figures, and new Spirits features.
