Powdered alcohol is coming to a liquor store near you

20 Apr

Putting a can of beer in a brown paper bag is about to look like child's play. A new product that's somehow been approved by US regulators makes booze as discreet as a packet of sugar. It's called Palcohol, and it transforms a shot of vodka or rum into a pocketable pouch of powder. Tear it open, add some water, mix, and you've got hard liquor. Considering the age group that Palcohol is going to appeal to, however, the sweet, pre-mixed powders are probably going to be far more popular. To start off, the company plans to make margarita, mojito, cosmopolitan, and lemon drop flavors.

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Why Sales Figures Matter – Article

20 Apr

I’ve been hearing a lot of chatter recently from high level journalists that, with the next generation (now the current gen), sales figures mean little. The biggest example I’ve heard so far is from a brilliant investigative journalist over at Giant Bomb by the name of Patrick Klepek, the man who originally found out that Microsoft was going to pull a U-turn on the always-online DRM policy. In his most recent podcast, he states that:

“We don’t have enough information; NPD releases fewer and fewer bits of data every single year because the publishers have wrestled that control away from NPD. Steam releases precious little data about PC sales, and what this allows video game companies to do, and valve is culpable in this as well, is paint their own narratives.

We don’t have enough information to actually accurately talk about any of this, and that’s what's frustrating, because people are so quick to grab the first piece of data that fulfils their own personal narrative; whether it’s the console war, or a game that they’ve bought that they wanna validate that it’s sold really well. We just don’t have enough information to make any of those arguments, so that’s what makes any of these arguments so God damn frustrating; it's cause you’re arguing over nothing, cause the games industry has systemically removed every piece of information that allows us to even make a credible data-driven argument about the state of the games industry.”

Sales Stuff 1

This is an excerpt from the full story which was originally featured on gamrReview, read the full version here - Why Sales Figures Matter - Article

US government to argue against Aereo at Supreme Court hearing this week

20 Apr

Major US broadcasters have found an ally in their case against Aereo, the streaming television service that uses thousands of micro antennas to pull in free over-the-air signals. Deadline reports that the US Supreme Court has granted a motion from the Deputy Solicitor General to appear during oral arguments on April 22nd as an amicus curiae in support of broadcaster's claims that Aereo infringes their copyrights.

The Obama Administration earlier requested permission to argue its perspective on the case before the justices on grounds that the decision will make important decisions about "the scope of the public-performance right in the context of novel technologies for transmitting and viewing copyrighted audiovisual works using the...

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Ultra Street Fighter IV “Special Trailer” Shows The Game’s Special Moves

20 Apr

Capcom has released two new videos for their upcoming Ultra Street Fighter IV that shows off the game’s opening cinematic, as well as the new character additions in action.

Check out the “special trailer” to see them use Capcom’s new features such as W-Ultras and perform some hurtful combos. You can see some of the new stages as well.

Ultra Street Fighter IV is relatively an improved version of the previous Super Street Fighter IV: Arcade Edition. The new iteration features new characters and stages, as well as bringing in a ton of tweaks and balances for every character. Additionally the developer has brought in new features and game mechanics that according to recent reports by professional Street Fighter players have had an impact on the tier list.

Ultra Street Fighter IV will be available in June for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. A PC release will follow in August. The game can be purchased as an online download for $14.99, but it will also be released as a new retail game. The game will come bundled with all previously released costumes.

Recently Capcom revealed the fifth and final new character of the game, Decapre. She looks pretty similar to Cammy and performs a bit like her too. However, Capcom has promised that she holds an entirely new arsenal when it comes to high level play.

The post Ultra Street Fighter IV “Special Trailer” Shows The Game’s Special Moves appeared first on SegmentNext.

Work on Half-Life 2: Episode 1 VR is Almost Complete

20 Apr

Nathan Andrews has been working sine last year on his personal virtual reality project of Half-Life 2: Episode 1 and it is now almost upon completion.

His mod cleans up the game and provides a new HUD that goes along perfectly when playing with the Oculus Rift. In a new video we can spot statistics like the gun’s current ammo showcased as a holographic element above the gun. Alongside there are stats of your HEV suit, health, and shields that appear on your wrist.

The importance of such HUDs in a virtual reality setting is really great since the conventional flatter versions break the immersion factor. In the time to come you can expect the VR title developers to provide HUDs that make your setting seem more real and interactive.

The last we heard from him was back in September when in a new blog post he updated us that the game is working fine with the Razer Hydra controller and that players can now use the Hydra to aim and fire weapons. He also mentioned that he’s looking forward to adding “sixense STEM support” when the new Oculus Rift developer kits are released.

There’s still no word on when Andrews will be releasing the VR version of Half-Life 2: Episode 1. Judging from the latest trailer, it is soon.

The post Work on Half-Life 2: Episode 1 VR is Almost Complete appeared first on SegmentNext.

Quentin Tarantino is modifying script for ‘The Hateful Eight’ after leak

20 Apr

It looks like Quentin Tarantino's next film will be The Hateful Eight after all. Last night the writer-director staged a star-studded reading of the leaked script in Los Angeles, and he told the sold out crowd of 1,200: "I’m working on a second draft and I will do a third draft."

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Trials Fusion Easter Eggs

20 Apr
Happy Easter everyone! Let’s take a look at some fun Trials Fusion easter eggs! They can be found if you know where to look! Easter eggs have been confirmed for Trials Fusion. Watch footage of them all below. Index of Trials Fusion Guides: This Page: Trials Fusion Easter Eggs Next Page: Trials Fusion Walkthrough Next...

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ZeniMax Trademarks Nuka Cola; Could Be Related To Fallout 4

20 Apr

Fallout - Nuka Cola

For the past couple of years Bethesda Softworks has been rumored to be working on a next-gen Fallout title based in Boston. While the company has relatively kept quiet on the matter and even has come forward a couple of times to deny all such rumors, the speculations have only gone stronger to the extent that some believe it’s a Fallout MMO.

Earlier this week ZeniMax Online, the parent company of Bethesda, filed trademarks for Nuka Cola, an instantly recognizable soft drink from the Fallout franchise. It’s a bit weak to be raising our hopes but I’m sure fans would nonetheless be looking at the brighter side and hoping for a possible E3 2014 Fallout 4 announcement.

As reported by a user on NeoGAF, there are three different trademarks filed by ZeniMax for the same Nuka Cola brand under different categories. The first covers “computer game software for use with computers and video game consoles,” the second “entertainment services, namely, providing online interactive computer games” while the third is for clothing.

A representative from ZeniMax came forward later to state that the trademarks are nothing more than just securing their rights. That said, the company is known to keep their projects undercover for a surprise announcement.

E3 2014 takes place in less than a couple of months. We’ll see if Bethesda can knock us out with a Fallout 4 announcement for the new consoles and PC.

The post ZeniMax Trademarks Nuka Cola; Could Be Related To Fallout 4 appeared first on SegmentNext.

Sony Trademarks Kill Strain and Entwined

20 Apr

SCEA

Sony is always looking to expand its library of games and a recent spotting of a trademark filing points towards two new additions.

Posted on NeoGAF yesterday, SCEA has filed for trademarks for two titles called Entwined and Kill Strain. Both are categorized under software and will possibly be announced this June at E3 2014 for the PlayStation 4.

Presently we only have rumors to go along with and according to them Kill Strain is or could be a next-gen iteration of the Syphon Filter series with a zombie setting. The Syphon Filter franchise was a booming success for the PlayStation One and Sony could be planning on banking on its third-person action formula.

Information on Entwined on the other hand is in the dark. A couple of years ago there was puzzle game that went with the same name, Entwined: Strings of Deception. It could be a new installment for that or perhaps it has no correlation altogether.

Both trademarks were filed on April 14 and 15, respectively. It’s possible that Sony releases a teaser for both titles in anticipation of its E3 press conference. Additionally I’m assuming them to have a release date of either Q1 2015 or later.

The post Sony Trademarks Kill Strain and Entwined appeared first on SegmentNext.

Killer Instinct Adds 8 More Characters in Season Two

20 Apr

Killer Instinct - Fulgore

Late last month Microsoft Studios had to bring in Iron Galaxy Studios as the new developer for its Xbox One brawler Killer Instinct, following Amazon’s acquisition of its original developer Double Helix Games.

Almost a month after, the new developer has revealed during a Play XBLA stream its future plans for the game’s Season Two, which according to them will be much like the first season.

Season Two will see to Killer Instinct getting eight new characters. While Iron Galaxy didn’t exactly mention the names of the new roster additions, the developer’s previous XBLA Live streams hint the likes of Cinder, T.J Combo, Riptor and Tusk. In these streams, the developers discussed plans for the mentioned characters, ‘if’ they were to be included in the game. That’s pretty much spelling out that they indeed are.

Aria, the leader of UltraTech, on the other hand is a confirmed addition, thanks to earlier reports. She will be the final boss for Season Two’s story mode and will also be playable.

Aside from character additions, Iron Galaxy is looking to add the ‘No Mercy’ and ‘Ultimates’ features from the first two titles. These are planned to be previews during E3 which begins in a couple of months.

Earlier this month, Microsoft released a 6.8 GB tile update which added the Arcade Mode, alongside the eighth and final character for the season ‘Cyborg Knight Fulgore’. The update also added online lobbies that feature eight player rooms and an option for spectating.

The post Killer Instinct Adds 8 More Characters in Season Two appeared first on SegmentNext.

Jamaica sees green in ganja

20 Apr

It seems the United States is inching ever closer to decriminalizing marijuana, following the passage of new laws in Colorado and Washington, but on the seemingly weed-friendly shores of Jamaica — birthplace of reggae music and the Rastafari — pot remains as illegal as it's been for more than a century. It's a paradox for an island nation that has become synonymous with names like Bob Marley and Peter Tosh, but Jamaican politicians and legalization advocates say change is coming soon — perhaps as soon as this year.

Earlier this month, about 300 people gathered in the Jamaican capital of Kingston to launch the Ganja Future Growers and Producers Association, the country's first lobby group of marijuana cultivators. The new...

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Disney unveils first clip from ‘Star Wars: Rebels’ animated series

20 Apr

It's nearly time to get your animated Star Wars fix. The new original animated series Star Wars: Rebels will premiere this fall with a one-hour special on Disney XD, and now we're getting our first real look at the show. Executive Producer Dave Filoni and actress Vanessa Marshall, who voices rebel leader Hera in the clip, revealed the brief scene yesterday during a panel at WonderCon in Anaheim, California.

The art style may remind you of The Clone Wars, and that should come as no surprise — much of the key staff from that show made it over to Rebels despite the shakeup following Disney's blockbuster purchase of LucasFilm. Filoni said on the panel that the team was looking to capture the look of "classic Star Wars — what I saw when...

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The best writing of the week, April 20

20 Apr

We all know the feeling. You're sleepless in the sad hours of the night or stumbling around early on a hazy weekend morning in need of something to read, and that pile of unread books just isn't cutting it. Why not take a break from the fire hose of Twitter and RSS and check out our weekly roundup of essential writing from around the web about technology, culture, media, and the future? Sure, it's one more thing you can feel guilty about sitting in your Instapaper queue, but it's better than pulling in vain on your Twitter list again.

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Windows Phone 8.1 Developer Preview to Get Fix for 80188309 Error

20 Apr
Microsoft has acknowledged that there may be an issue with the Windows Phone 8.1 Developer Preview update

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China’s Most Expensive Production Car Sells for £500,000

20 Apr
How many Chinese people can afford a 5 million yuan Red Flag L5?

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2012 Year on Year Sales and Market Share Update to February 11th

20 Apr

Here we see data representing the global sales through to consumers and change in sales performance of the three home consoles over comparable periods for 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012.  Also shown is the market share for each of the consoles over the same periods.




"Year to date" sales for 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012 sales are shown in series at the top of the table and then just below a comparison of 2012 versus 2010 and 2012 versus 2011 is displayed.  This provides an easy-to-view summary of all the data.


Microsoft

Xbox 360 - Down YOY 51k, YTD -24.07%

Sony

Playstation 3 - Down YOY 52k, YTD -17.99%
Playstation Vita - n/a

Nintendo

Nintendo Wii - Down YOY 95k, YTD -47.16%Nintendo 3DS - n/a

New Motorola XT1021, XT1022 and XT1025 Smartphones Expected in May

20 Apr
Motorola planning to release new 4.3 smartphone in three variants.

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GTA 5 Online: Jetpack Files Found in Source Code May be Indicative of its Arrival in Next Title Update

20 Apr
The latest in GTA 5 Online news

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GTA 5 Online: How to Get Super Brakes in Any Vehicle without Cheating

20 Apr
Renowned GTA 5 tipster, Granty, reveals a handy little trick to get super brakes with any vehicle in GTA Online.

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Moto E Budget Smartphone Leaked: Similar to Moto G With More Compact Body

20 Apr
Everything we know about Motorola's next budget smartphone

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