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Apple has unveiled its gaming subscription service, Apple Arcade, and it looks promising: for a recurring fee, customers can play any number of games in the service’s catalogue on their iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple TV at no additional cost...and since they’re all exclusives, you won’t be able to play them anywhere else. These aren’t just random developers, either: Apple has secured titles from big-time names in gaming, like Hironobu Sakaguchi (creator of Final Fantasy), Ken Wong (designer and artist on Monument Valley) and Will Wright (creator of Sim City). Games will come from studios large and small, including: Konami, Klei, Annapurna Interactive, LEGO, Klei Entertainment, Mistwalker Corporation, SEGA, Giant Squid, Finji and more. The service will feature over 100 of these "new and exclusive" titles, according to a press release, with some or all available when it launches in fall 2019 in over 150 countries. You’ll be able to find it in the App … [Read more...] about 3 things we want to know about Apple Arcade, the new gaming service

Sony’s skipping the E3 2019 conference this year as, we assume, it beavers away working on its PS5 launch plans. Instead it’s taking a leaf out of the Nintendo playbook, launching a new series of live streams where it will reveal its upcoming slate of games.The first of these ‘State of Play’ events has now spilled its goods and, to be honest, it was a little disappointing. Focusing almost entirely on new PlayStation VR titles, there was no sign of long-awaited PS4 titles such as Death Stranding or The Last of Us 2. Now, that’s almost certainly so that Sony’s got something to hold back for the buzz period around E3 but the whole thing was still a little underwhelming. Here’s hoping Sony kicks things up a gear for next time.That’s not to say the first State of Play stream didn’t have a few gems on show though. See all the action in the stream replay embedded below, as well as our thoughts on the best of what was revealed.The best of … [Read more...] about No Man’s Sky VR headlines PlayStation State of Play showcase

It’s finally here: Apple has released its flagship streaming service, Apple TV Plus, at the tech giant's star-studded keynote event at the Steve Jobs theatre in San Cupertino, California. With a parade of Hollywood actors and directors, including Steven Spielberg and Jennifer Aniston (and even Sesame Street's Big Bird) taking to the stage to promote their exclusive Apple TV Plus shows, Apple seems to be taking aim at Netflix's popular Originals programming.So, how does the new streaming service differ from Netflix? And could it truly pose a threat to the most popular streaming platform in the world? Read on for our take on Apple’s first foray into the world of TV and movie streaming.Apple TV Plus vs Netflix: overview Aside from being the most popular streaming service in the world, Netflix has become something of a cultural icon, even inspiring its own lexicon – we all know what it means to ‘Netflix and chill’ (if you don’t, ask an … [Read more...] about Apple TV Plus vs Netflix: could Apple eclipse its biggest rival?

Sony is not hosting a PlayStation event at this year's E3 2019 conference. Instead, it's kicking off a new 'State of Play' livestream series that will showcase all its upcoming games and hardware for the near future. Here's how to watch the livestream of this inaugural Sony gaming event.From today, March 25, at 2pm. PT / 9pm GMT, the livestream will show all the goodies PlayStation has to offer in the coming months. It'll be broadcast over Facebook, Twitter, Twitch and YouTube – just hit up any of those links and your preferred service will deliver hot fresh gaming action directly into your eyes, as it happens.What are we expecting to see?With no E3 plans and the PlayStation 4 hitting its twilight years, we're guessing it's going to be a big PlayStation VR focus during the Sony State of Play livestream.We're most hoping to see some more on Blood and Truth, the cockney crime caper that captivated us way back in 2017, but has been quietly gestating ever since.Other … [Read more...] about PlayStation State of Play: how to watch the livestream

Oprah Winfrey is apparently coming to iOS, with a new book club format exclusively for Apple devices.Winfrey was a surprise guest at the end of Apple's launch event on March 25, closing an eclectic list of announcements covering everything from a video game subscription service (Apple Arcade) to the formal unveiling of the Apple TV+ streaming platform.Speaking to the crowd, Winfrey stressed the importance of 'listening' to one another, and praised Apple's global device network for its ability to connect users to each other – but followed up with a teasing reference of 'Oprah's Book Club', the regular literary segment on the Oprah Winfrey Show that ceased back in 2011.She said that "nothing is more gratifying than a brilliant book", and announced the incoming "club" forth "one billion plus strong" network of iOS users – referring to the 1.3 billion active Apple devices in use across the world.Winfrey gave few details – no launch date, pricing, or how restricted the … [Read more...] about Oprah Winfrey resurrects her Book Club… for iOS