News::'Pokémon Go' dev says it needed to block scrapers to expand

Niantic Labs is still facing backlash from some players over blocking many third-party Pokémon Go services, but insists that the moves are necessary. In a blog post it provided a graph (without any numbers) that it says shows how much traffic dropped off after it blocked many scraper services. It says that "freeing up those resources" is what enabled it to launch in Central and South America earlier this week, and blamed scrapers for delaying the rollout in the first place.

Source: Pokemon Go

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News::Valve is open-sourcing HTC Vive's room-scale tracking tech

Much like Valve open-sourced its Steam controller gamepad, it's doing the same for the Vive VR headset's stand-out feature. The company has recently opened up SteamVR's room-scale 3D tracking system to anyone, as spotted by The Verge. Development kits include a pair of HTC Vive base stations; a "full complement of EVM circuit boards to enable rapid prototyping of your own tracked object" and 40 sensors for your tracked object that could be applied to a VR golf club or indoor drone, among other options.

Via: The Verge

Source: Valve (1), (2)

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News::Cult classic 'Indigo Prophecy' gets a new PS4 release date

Heavy Rain and Beyond: Two Souls developer Quantic Dream has announced that one of its earlier pseudo-cinematic games, Indigo Prophecy, will be released for PlayStation 4 via the PlayStation Store on August 9th. It will arrive as a PS2-to-PS4 game so it won't be fully remastered, but this version will still support Trophies. The game was originally supposed to come out on Sony's console in July, but was held up for unknown reasons.

Source: PlayStation Blog

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News::Beloved indie game 'To the Moon' heads to iOS, Android in HD

To the Moon is a heartwarming RPG that landed on PC in 2011 and quickly found success, garnering multiple accolades including a nomination at the 2012 Independent Games Festival. In 2017, mobile players will get the chance to play To the Moon in an HD, remastered version coming from Ragnarok Online developer XD Network. The iOS and Android editions feature updated mechanics and a softer overall design: The original game's sharp pixel edges have been smoothed out in a painting-inspired art style.

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News::Listen to the full 'No Man's Sky' soundtrack on YouTube

No Man's Sky is just a few days away. If you're itching to explore its vast and colorful galaxy, there's an easy way to whet your appetite: by listening to its stellar soundtrack. 65daysofstatic, an electro math rock band from the UK, has uploaded the 10-track set to YouTube. It's just over 45 minutes in length, offering a hint of the atmosphere and depth that Hello Games is trying to deliver. And if you like what you hear, there's always the No Man's Sky tour to look forward to. Or one of these cool-looking vinyl records.

Source: 65daysofstatic(YouTube)

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News::'Prey for the Gods' is a modern 'Shadow of the Colossus'

It's strange that Shadow of the Colossus, a game so well-received on the PlayStation 2, has had so few imitators. The beautiful art style, spectacular battles and surprising story (I won't spoil it) seem ripe for adaptation. That's why we're curious about Prey for the Gods, a new game kickstarted by fledgling developer No Matter Studios. The team has name-dropped Shadow of the Colossus as an inspiration, and its DNA is clear in early screenshots and trailers. You play as a lone hero, wandering a wintery island filled with giant, fantastical creatures. Survival is no easy task.

Via: PlayStation Blog

Source: Prey for the Gods

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News::Disney 16-bit classics including 'Aladdin' coming to GOG.com

Nothing says '90s gaming like the Sega Genesis and 16-bit Disney classics like Aladdin. You can bathe in that nostalgia again thanks to GOG.com and Disney's re-release of Aladdin, The Lion King and Jungle Book. Those titles, originally developed for the Super NES and Sega Genesis, were groundbreaking at the time for the hand drawn "Digicel" tech used. All were eventually ported to the NES, Amiga, PC and other systems, but GOG cheekily said that the Aladdin update is based on the "obviously superior" Sega/PC version.

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