Twitch is ditching Flash. The first step is a redesign of its video player controls, swapping out the old Flash model for shiny, new HTML5 and Javascript controls. Twitch videos are still Flash-based for now, but this is all in preparation for a full HTML5 player. The new controls will be rolled out gradually to all users, and you'll notice them on channel pages first.
Filed under: Gaming, Internet, HD
Source: Twitch
Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 doesn't drop until November, but you won't have to wait nearly so long to find out whether or not its online play lives up to the hype. Activision and Treyarch have revealed that the sci-fi shooter's multiplayer beta kicks off August 19th if you've pre-ordered the PlayStation 4 version, and August 26th on Xbox One. You'll only have five days to play in either case, but it should give you a feel for the player classes and new gameplay mechanics (such as momentum-based movement) before you get your full copy. It's not certain just which maps and game modes will find their way into the beta, but you'll likely find out before the test starts.
Filed under: Gaming
Via: Windows Central
Source: Activision Games Blog
That's 132 new cards, to be exact. The Grand Tournament is Hearthstone's latest expansion, due to hit in August with 132 new cards, plus fresh spells and weapons. It also introduces a new keyword -- a special attribute attached to certain cards -- called Inspire, which adds attack and spell boosts to some plays. Plus, the game board gets a revamp with tournament tents and competition grounds. The Grand Tournament comes at a price, of course: These card packs will be available for in-game gold or real money at the same price as standard packs, ranging from 100 gold for one pack and $3 for two packs, all the way to $50 for 40 packs. There's a pre-purchase price of $50 for 50 Grand Tournament card packs to be unsealed on launch day. The expansion launches sometime in August across iOS, Android, PC and Mac. Ready your decks, champions.
Source: Hearthstone
Not that long ago we published a list of the Engadget crew's favorite game soundtracks. But, of course, we left some of your favorites out. Well, we listened. What you'll find below are a selection of soundtracks that y'all made impassioned pleas for in the comments and on Facebook and Twitter. The big takeaway? You gals and guys really like the music from Eastern-developed games like Chrono Trigger and Shadow of the Colossus. You'll find those along with other, perhaps more modern, examples as well.
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Beneath that shiny exterior, the Xbox One is, basically, a glorified gaming PC in a slightly smaller frame. As such, wouldn't it be great if you could play RTS games on the machine with your keyboard and mouse? The hardware can already support the former, and if Microsoft's Phil Spencer is to be believed, the latter is coming in the near future. The executive was asked on Twitter if it'd be possible to stream games from a Windows machine to the Xbox -- in the opposite direction to how the company has set up its game streaming system. In response, he said that it'd require keyboard and mouse support for it to work, crucially adding "those aren't far away."
Filed under: Gaming, Peripherals, Microsoft
Via: UberGizmo
So this whole year of Star Wars thing apparently includes dormant video games too, who knew? Despite the fact that the lesser of the two Knights of the Old Republic role-playing games released all the way back in 2004, it recently got a pretty huge update. Now KotOR 2: The Sith Lords is playable on Mac and Linux, available in the Mac App Store, has achievements, widescreen support and will even run in 4K and 5K resolution. If it's a console-like experience you're chasing, the game supports controllers too, including PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360 and Xbox One gamepads. The title's Steam page teases mod support via Steam Workshop and even a "Force special effects" option in the game's menu. To find out exactly what the latter entails, you'll likely have to download it for yourself.
[Image credit: theglobalpanorama/Flickr]
Filed under: Gaming, Home Entertainment, HD
Source: Steam
