Final Fantasy VIII Remastered will come with features for faster progression
Final Fantasy VIII Remastered will come with features that will enable faster progression, according to series producer Yoshinori Kitase. Players who do not want to go through the same grind as their first playthrough will be able to activate triple speed, battle enhancements, and no random encounters.
Microsoft thinks Slack not secure enough, prohibits internal use
Microsoft has reportedly placed Slack under the "prohibited" category in an internal list of prohibited and discouraged technology. The collaboration app is a competitor to Microsoft Teams, but the main reason why the company banned employees from using it is due to security concerns.
Gaming convention GuardianCon raises a whopping $3.7 million for charity
Destiny developer Bungie joined this year's GuardianCon Charity Marathon Stream, breaking the record by raising $400,000 in just four hours. The proceeds of the week-long event will be donated to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, which treats the toughest childhood cancers and pediatric diseases.
Google fixes Nest camera bug that allowed old owners to still see through them
The previous owner of a Nest Cam Indoor discovered that he was still able to access images from the device, even after a factory reset before passing it on to the new owner. Google said that it has fixed the problem, but customers are still advised to be very cautious when buying smart security devices.
Fortnite PC players may have to upgrade graphics cards once Season 10 kicks in
Epic Games said that Fortnite for PC will no longer support DirectX 10 starting Season 10, which is set to launch in August. Players will need to have DirectX 11-capable graphics cards to continue playing the Battle Royale shooter, though that would most likely not be a problem for most gamers.
Netflix hack day project adds phone vibrations to every on-screen explosion
One of the highlights of the most recent Netflix hack day is Project Rumble Pak, which adds vibrations to the streaming service's smartphone app. The project seeks to improve the viewing experience by synchronizing haptics to the content, such as the explosions, sword clanks, and laser blasts in Voltron.
NASA hacked: 500 MB of mission data stolen through a Raspberry Pi computer
NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory was hacked last year by an attacker who used a Raspberry Pi computer to gain access to its systems. The hacker took advantage of the network's weaknesses to steal 500 MB of data from one of its major mission systems, while remaining undetected for 10 months.
Uber drivers reportedly triggering higher fares through Surge Club
Uber drivers are reportedly participating in a so-called Surge Club to artificially trigger higher fares for the ride-sharing service. Many drivers said that they do not want to join the shady practice, but they are forced to do so due to the pay cuts that they have suffered over recent years.
Microsoft reportedly wanted Halo: The Master Chief Collection on PlayStation 4
Microsoft reportedly considered launching Halo: The Master Chief Collection on the PlayStation 4 a few years ago. It remains unclear if the desire for the Halo series to make a platform jump is still there, ahead of Halo Infinite and its launch alongside the next-generation console Project Scarlett.
Nintendo 3DS nowhere to be seen at E3 2019, but apparently not yet dead
The Nintendo 3DS was missing at E3 2019, but it appears that support for the console will continue due to demand from consumers and support from retailers. No first-party games are planned for the device, but it features an extensive collection of titles that may still attract both old and new players.
Square Enix has no clue how many episodes Final Fantasy VII Remake will take
The Final Fantasy VII Remake will be rolled out in multiple parts, with the initial release on March 3, 2020 to feature the part of the adventure that takes place in Midgar. Square Enix, however, still has no idea on how many episodes it will take to tell the full story of the original RPG.
Israeli company claims it can unlock any iPhone up to iOS 12.3 for police
Israel-based forensics firm Cellebrite claimed that its UFED Premium service can unlock iPhones and iPads up to iOS 12.3 and high-end Android smartphones such as the Samsung Galaxy S9. The device will be sold as an on-premises tool, which means that the police will be able to use it any way they want.
How Epic Games almost made the mistake of ending Fortnite
Rod Fergusson, the former director of production at Epic Games, said in an interview with Game Informer that if he had stayed with the developer, he would have canceled Fortnite. The game only started soaring in popularity when the Battle Royale mode was released a few months after launch.
Niantic Labs sues hackers who help players cheat in Pokémon Go
Niantic Labs has filed a lawsuit against Global++, which was described as an association of hackers who are allegedly behind hacked versions of its mobile games Pokémon Go and Ingress. The legal action comes as the developer is preparing to launch Harry Potter: Wizards Unite, its next major project.
Impossible Foods struggles to keep up with Impossible Burger demand
Red Robin and White Castle have reported Impossible Burger shortages, as it appears that Impossible Foods is struggling to keep up with demand. The company will be selling its meat-like patties in retail outlets within the year though, which should give fans of the product another option.
Facebook builds virtual homes to train A.I. agents in realistic environments
Researchers at Facebook have created Habitat, a platform that enables rapid training for A.I. agents by placing them in virtual homes. While it may take years for robots to learn tasks in the physical world, A.I. will receive thousands of hours of training in just a few minutes in Habitat.
Nintendo Switch owners, beware: Broken game cards may cause permanent damage
Nintendo Switch owners should always take time to check their game cards before inserting them. According to a repair shop in Japan, broken cartridges may bend the contact pin inside the slot, resulting in permanent damage as the console will not be able to read game cards even after repairs.
Defense-focused Wattson may change the Apex Legends meta for Season 2
Wattson was revealed at EA Play 2019 as the new character for Apex Legends, which will launch Season 2 in July. Wattson's skills include the ability to create electric fences and a pylon that can intercept incoming projectiles, for a defense-focused character that may change the metagame.
Hidden message by God of War director finally found: Sequel on the way?
God of War director Cory Barlog posted a series of tweets in April that took a trip down memory lane on the development of the highly-acclaimed PlayStation 4 exclusive. Two months later, the hidden message in the tweets were finally discovered, potentially hinting at the sequel for the game.
Destiny 2 to move to Steam, shift to free-to-play model starting with Shadowkeep
Destiny 2 will undergo massive changes with its latest expansion, Shadowkeep, which will take players to the moon once it launches on September 17. The PC version of the game will transfer from Battle.net to Steam, and its base game will become free-to-play to give newcomers a new entry point.
Leaked free Borderlands 2 DLC will set the stage for Borderlands 3
Borderlands 3 is set to launch in September, but Gearbox Software will first roll out free Borderlands 2 DLC in June to bridge the gap between the two games. The DLC, titled Commander Lilith & The Fight for Sanctuary, was leaked on Steam, and will allow players to explore new zones and receive new loot.
Bandai Namco E3 2019 leak spoils Elden Ring, Tales of Arise, Ni No Kuni remaster
The planned announcements for E3 2019 by Bandai Namco were leaked ahead of the annual event, through a publicly accessible URL on its website. The leak revealed three unannounced games, including the collaboration between From Software and George R.R. Martin, a new Tales game, and a remastered Ni No Kuni.
Tesla owners will soon be able to play Cuphead while parked
Tesla CEO Elon Musk confirmed that Cuphead, the notoriously difficult bullet-hell shooter on the Xbox One, PC, and Nintendo Switch, will soon be playable on the built-in dashboard screens of the company's electric vehicles. The game, however, will only include the Inkwell Isle One section.
Blizzard esports teams for Call of Duty, Overwatch reportedly low on morale
The esports teams of Blizzard, particularly those working on Call of Duty and Overwatch, are reportedly low on morale under the leadership of Pete Vlastelica. Staff are said to be "miserable" due to management's vision for the company's esports initiatives, which are more in line with televised sports.
New Google Search feature will let you see life-size animals up close with AR
A new Google Search feature allows owners of augmented reality-enabled smartphones to go on a safari from the comfort of their living room. Searching for an animal on Google may bring up an option to view it in 3D, which will call a tiger, panda, or shark to a person's side through their device's camera.
Minecraft: Story Mode will no longer be available for download on June 25
Minecraft: Story Mode Season 1 and 2 will be taken down permanently on June 25, with all episodes to no longer be available for download on that date. The game is the latest casualty of the closure of Telltale Games, which laid off most of its employees and canceled multiple titles last year.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare will ditch zombies for authentic, realistic world
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare will not have a zombies mode, said Campaign Gameplay Director Jacob Minkoff. Compared to Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 by Treyarch, which has spearheaded the addition of zombies in the series, this year's Call of Duty will look to build "an authentic, realistic feeling world."
Cyberpunk 2077 release date reportedly set for 2019, but likely delayed to 2020
CD Projekt Red is reportedly targeting the release of the long-awaited Cyberpunk 2077 this year, but it will likely be delayed to 2020. The studio, which is aiming to launch the game with the same quality as Red Dead Redemption 2, is expected to reveal more information about the project at E3 2019.
Niantic Labs will soon drop support for Pokémon Go on Apple Watch
Niantic Labs said that it will end Apple Watch support for Pokémon Go on July 1, so players who have been using the smartwatch will need to rethink their strategy. The watchOS app, which was rolled out in December 2016, was made redundant by the release of the Adventure Sync feature for the mobile game.