In a surprise move today, tech giant Apple has announced a refresh of its iPod Touch.
The new Touch has received a number of changes and improvements from its predecessor, including a better processor, camera, and motion sensor. The changes have made the iPod Touch pretty much equivalent with the iPhone 6 in terms of power.
The new processor, Apple's A8 chip that powers the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, will help the iPod perform faster and run tensive games. It also helps extend the iPod's battery life. Its new camera lets iPod users shoot in slow motion and burst mode for the first time. Additionally, the new Touch includes a better motion sensor and a greatly improved Wifi receiver.
The iPod will continue to have a 4-inch screen. It has a similar metallic body to the iPhone 6. It comes in six colors: space gray, silver, pink, gold, blue, and, exclusive to the Apple Store, red. It'll cost you $199 for a 16 GB model, $249 for 32 GB, or $299 for 64 GB. A 128 GB model is available for $399 only through the Apple Store.
Apple has also changed the iPod Nano and Shuffle lines to have the same colors and look, although their internals have stayed the same.
The new iPod ships with iOS 8 and is on sale now. Will you buy a new iPod Touch? Let us know in the comments below.
Excelling in sport means knowing when a moment is outside of your control and recognizing when an opportunity is there to seize. In Rocket League, both events occur countless times in any given match--not surprising for a game heavily inspired by soccer. It caters to the competitive realist who thrills in having sole control of the ball for a few seconds despite knowing it can be snatched at any time. The best part is that you get to kill opponents' dreams and agonize in your own losses from the comfort of a very, very fast car.
Every moment in Rocket League demands split-second judgment. Are you the assertive type who takes control of the immediate situation at the risk of being in the middle of a chaotic, unpredictable scrum? Are you more of a long-term planner, one who watches your cohorts fight over a ball in a corner with the confidence that the ball will inevitably escape. When this happens, are you ready at the top of the penalty arc with the hope that the loose ball will roll between you and the goal? This echoes Wayne Gretzky's words of wisdom: "A good hockey player plays where the puck is. A great hockey player plays where the puck is going to be." Rocket League offers countless opportunities to be Gretzky--or Nostradamus.
Rocket League thrives on speed and momentum. This is best exemplified by the gravity-defying excitement of driving up the side of any of the game's arenas. This ability is useful as well as thrilling. Without the curves along the edges of the pitch, cars would simply bang into the wall. Constantly having to reverse and make three-point turns over a five-minute match would be a disappointing series of momentum-ending buzzkills. Rocket League has none of these obstacles. The curved corners means you do not lose momentum. Your tires will smoothly caress these bends as you ride the walls horizontally, chasing the ball in parallel with rest of the cars on the pitch. Given that the ceiling is also fair game, every player will feel compelled to attempt a gravity-defying loop across the width of the roof. The game's physics and your limited boost will prevent you from completing such a stunt, but you'll attempt it anyway.
The ball in play is comparable to that perpetually bouncing beach ball you find at every music festival, only slightly less buoyant. It bounces and flies in unpredictable directions when touched by two parties at the same time. This is where fortune favors the Rocket League sportsperson who embraces chaos. Transcendence comes when you realize you don't have to be in control of the ball at all times; you should chase it only when you think you can make a difference.
Getting a "first touch" credit during a drop ball is as tough as it sounds.
A goal scored ends the fleeting, yet fulfilled, existence of a ball. In its death, the ball's life is celebrated with a literal bang. It's a colorful, smoke-filled explosion that sends all the cars flying away at heights and velocities that would kill any human in real life. It is so spectacular that you can't help but savor the blast, even if you weren't on the team that scored. Rocket League is that rare kind of video-game sport where you're compelled to play your best, even when you're being blown out 5-1 and there's only a minute left on the clock.
There's no shortage of advanced ball handling in online multiplayer. In Rocket League, experience leads to tactical thinking. Tactical thinking leads to performing with finesse. You cannot open car doors to use them like arms; that would be the equivalent of a handball in soccer. Instead, you can spin your car forwards, backwards, and sideways, which is analogous to bicycle kicks and headers. Once you learn to use these moves to advance the ball, you are soon ricocheting shots on goal. Over time, you also discover that your chances of scoring are boosted by hitting the car closest to the ball rather than the ball itself. It's all obvious highlight reel material, which is why the replay save option is so welcome. Learning and mastering these advanced moves makes playing Rocket League endlessly absorbing, even after you've logged over 50 matches.
The joy of Rocket League rests on the countless plans that are conceived and discarded every other second in any given match.
. The only variables are the team sizes, A.I. difficulty, and season lengths. This lack of flexibility adds legitimacy to the sport, mirroring the steadfast traditions within many professional sports, some of which are over a hundred years old.The only thing better than a car with a Viking helmet and bubble exhausts are detailed blades of grass.
This thoughtfulness extends to the studio's crafting of a convincing world where Rocket League is the number one sport. You see it in the multi-tier, sold-out arenas and you hear it from the indistinct chants of allegiance from the fans. The crowd goes 'Oooohhhh!' or 'Aaaaahh!', whether it's a goal or a key ball hit at midfield. These sprinkles of realism aren't strictly necessary but are greatly appreciated; for instance, the pitch itself features blades of grass that all move independently. These manicured fields are best admired during the pre-match camera shots, but you can't be faulted for staring at them in the middle of a game. They are complemented by the myriad customization parts, from wildly swinging antenna flags to neon-blue engine exhaust trails.
The joy of Rocket League rests on the countless plans that are conceived and discarded every other second in any given match. Trying to predict where and how the ball will bounce next is a game within the game. Despite the use of cars, Rocket League emulates the emotional surges typical of The Beautiful Game, such as the rush of an unexpected fast break or a well-timed header into a goal. With Rocket League, the promising concept of combining two wonderful things--cars and soccer--is equally magnificent in execution. You can't say the same thing about, say, combining cake and fruit to make fruitcake, as the comedian Jim Gaffigan observed.
Miguel Concepcion finds Rocket League delivers all the refinements and improvements befitting a sports sequel, and is a brilliantly boisterous and enthralling game in its own right.
Have you ever wondered what Sonic the Hedgehog would look like running around a gorgeous open environment created using the Unreal Engine 4? Wonder no more.
The character roster for Blizzard Entertainment's free-to-play his enemies and, in the process, reduce his death timer so that he can get back into the action more quickly. When he does respawn, he'll do so at the location of his wraith.
King Leoric becomes the third character from the Diablo franchise added to Heroes of the Storm as part of its Eternal Conflict update. The others are Johanna the Crusader and The Butcher.
With the tragic passing of Nintendo CEO Saturo Iwata, Justin, Peter and Danny take a look back at his greatest achievements and ponder what this means for Nintendo's future.
The majority of game fans in the UK still prefer to buy boxed software over digital downloads, a new study has claimed.
Of about 2,000 people surveyed, only a quarter said they preferred to download their games.
In a survey conducted by Broadband Genie, about 39 percent of 2,000 UK gamers said they preferred to buy physical software over digital. By contrast, a quarter said they preferred to download their games. The remaining 36 percent said they had no preference.
The Warcraft movie trailer shown behind closed doors at Comic-Con over the weekend has leaked.
As is often the case for videos of this kind, the quality is not the best. Still, the video offers an exciting tease for the long-in-development fantasy movie based on Blizzard's gaming franchise.
Take a look at the video below. It might get pulled, so you may want to watch it right away.
The first official Warcraft trailer isn't supposed to be.
What do you think of the leaked Warcraft trailer? Let us know in the comments below.
It's July 15, which means today is the last day that Xbox Live Gold members can download PopCap's , Microsoft is planning to roll out greater support as the service becomes more widely available this fall.
Which games interest you? Let us know in the comments.
Sony's PlayStation Mobile platform is soon to be no more. As , meaning it lived for fewer than three years.
Any previously downloaded PlayStation Mobile content will still be available after September 10, though users will need to activate their PS Vita or Android device using the instructions printed below.
How to activate your device:
For PS Vita users: You will need to complete the device activation process by performing the steps below between March 10, 2015, and September 10, 2015: Go to [Settings] > [PSN] > [System Activation] > [PlayStation Mobile] > [Activate] > [OK].
For PlayStation Certified device users: You will need to open up the PSM app and launch any purchased PSM content between April 10, 2015 and September 10, 2015 to complete the content authentication process.
Please ensure that you have downloaded all of the games that you want to keep. After September 10, 2015, you will not be able to re-download your purchased content.
Devices that are not authenticated prior to September 10, 2015 will be unable to access previously purchased PSM content after that date.
The game will feature a heavy emphasis on melee combat and role-playing game elements. According to Deep Silver, it will also have "never-before-seen" handcrafted weapons. The game is powered by Unreal Engine 4, and will take players to places like the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco and Venice Beach.
Another previously touted feature is "seamless" multiplayer for up to eight players that can "cooperate, compete, or simply coexist." The publisher has described this as a "new-gen multiplayer experience."
Gearbox Software is getting started on an all-new Duke Nukem game that the developer thinks has the potential to turn heads when it is finally released. The developer's president and CEO, Randy Pitchford, announced today that Gearbox--which, GameSpot critic Kevin VanOrd wrote about the game, "The bland and ugly Duke Nukem Forever turns a famous gaming icon into an embarrassment."
What would you like to see from a new Duke Nukem? Let us know in the comments below.
Check out the first eight minutes of Arkham Knight's Batgirl DLC.
Miguel Concepcion finds Rocket League delivers all the refinements and improvements befitting a sports sequel, and is a brilliantly boisterous and enthralling game in its own right.
With the tragic passing of Nintendo CEO Saturo Iwata, Justin, Peter and Danny take a look back at his greatest achievements and ponder what this means for Nintendo's future.
Watch Just Cause 3's E3 2015 playthrough, now complete with commentary from game director Roland Lesterlin.
