by Stone Marshall | Jul 29, 2016 | Awesome Book News |
Suspicions have been all abound about just what the Nintendo NX would be, andEurogamer is reporting something quite interesting: that the system will be portable with home TV dock, feature detachable controllers, and be powered by Nvidia Tegra chips. Eurogamer is saying that multiple sources have confirmed the NX’s nature to them, with a separate report saying that the system will use the Tegra X1, which is currently used in the rather capable Shield TV:
What’s interesting is that there was a report, seemingly denied by Nintendo, that the NX would run Android. While we don’t know what the operating system for NX will be like yet, it is intriguing to see that a chip used in Android devices is going to power Nintendo’s new system. Kevin Geisler of Young Horses, developer of Octodad: Dadliest Catch [$4.99], had this to say about the Tegra X1 rumors:
Perhaps this is a big sign Nintendo isn’t going to go whole-hog into mobile quite yet, if they’re taking a risk on a new portable system, albeit one with elements of mobile devices. Though, they could easily just use their own hardware for selling to their core audience, and utilize more mobile-optimized experiences such as Pokemon GO [Free] that wouldn’t work as well on their dedicated hardware.
Nintendo’s NX System to be powered by Nvidia Tegra Chips, the same used in Android Devices.
by Stone Marshall | Jul 29, 2016 | Awesome Book News |
Last week, I wrote an informative, objective and only subtly biased article to help any new players choose which team to join in Pokemon GO [Free]. While, at the end of the day, whatever team you join is currently a relatively cosmetic decision and will likely be mostly influenced by whoever your friends have aligned with, an intense rivalry has sprung up across the internet between the three groups. Or, at least, two groups. Team Instinct has been on the receiving end of an overwhelming number of memes slating the apparent disproportionate number of members they have compared to Valor and Mystic, and such mockery has only intensified after the leaders of each faction were revealed at Comic Con this weekend. However, the underdog always fights back. In the TouchArcade poll we posted on the team guide post last week, Team Instinct managed to finish top as our most supported team, with Mystic narrowly behind in second place, and Valor far behind in third. Here is a pie chart showing the results in all their glory (disclaimer – the results are valid as of 26 July 2016 at 12pm GMT+0 for 898 votes, and may be different after publication):
Obviously, as the chart above does suggest, it wasn’t the most emphatic of victories for Instinct – with 38.8% of the votes, it was only 4.7% more popular than Team Mystic, which also broke more than a third of the votes with a 34.1% share of the popular support. What was most surprising, however, was the extent that Valor was trailing both of these teams. With only a 27.2% portion of the votes, it seems that Candela, Moltres and the allure of power over principles haven’t struck the same chord with TouchArcade readers as it seems they have on a larger scale. While I will happily celebrate a glorious Instinct victory, any members of Mystic and Valor should not be too down – the overwhelming consensus across the internet and the world is that Mystic, followed by Valor and then Instinct is the true order of popularity, and our 898 member poll isn’t exactly a representative sample of the millions playing Pokemon GO at the moment. But, at the very least, TouchArcade is today yellow.
What might be interesting to evaluate is why the results from our TouchArcade poll vary from the generally accepted status quo – is this a suggestion that Instinct, and Zapdos’ objective and undeniable superiority, are more popular amongst gamers? Whilst many famous Pokemon YouTubers appear to also be on Team Instinct, I wouldn’t necessarily say this is a legitimate hypothesis – Mystic and Valor both have a large support base, and their colors of red and blue appeal better to fans of the original Pokemon titles as they represent the first two entries in the series. It may be that the spirit of the underdog has become prominent amongst players who are aware of Mystic and Valor’s dominance, but again that is hard to tell. At an even more tenuous push, it could be that new players of Pokemon GO that read our guide last week were won over by my plea to join Team Instinct? Who knows. Either way, let us know why you decided to join your team, or share your jubilation/disappointment at this poll result, in the comments below, but remember – regardless of faction, we all share the common goal of being the very best, like no one ever was.
Team Instinct is TouchArcade’s Most Popular Faction in ‘Pokemon Go’
by Stone Marshall | Jul 28, 2016 | Awesome Book News |
Developer RuvixArts is set to release its debut title, Crooked Path, on August 4th. The concept behind the game is a bit abstract, and the video doesn’t necessarily make the gameplay super-clear, but you’ll be activating switches, hopping portals, all to explore these levels full of, you guessed it, crooked paths. It’s a gorgeous-looking game, with some definite Mirror’s Edge influence in there, and some of the concepts in play seem mighty intriguing:
The concept behind the game is inspired by some personal strife in lead developer Joseph Mambwe’s personal life, with the game being driven by the quote “The path to your destiny, will not always be a straight one.” I’m intrigued to see how this all plays out when this releases. Check out the forum thread posted by the developer for more screenshots of this one and to discuss the game.
‘Crooked Path’ is a Gorgeous Looking Game Set to Release in Early August
by Stone Marshall | Jul 27, 2016 | Minecraft News |
If you’ve been playing Telltale’s Minecraft: Story Mode [$4.99], you’ll be glad to know that the seventh episode of this long-running series, Access Denied, is available for download – or will be available today at some point. As we talked about recently, this episode moves away from the murder-mystery tone of Episode 6 and goes instead into a different narrative direction. Gone is the haunted house; instead, what we have inAccess Denied is a battle between Jesse’s crew and PAMA, a sinister AI seeking to command everything and everyone around it in a “pursuit of optimal usefulness and efficiency.”
In a way, PAMA wants to do what redstoners have been doing ever since redstone was added to the game; we all know the struggle of trying to shrink down a redstone machine to its absolute smallest – yet efficient – size. Jesse will have to run from the all-mighty PAMA and seek the help of new friends to defeat this corrupted computer. Judging from the screenshots, there’s definitely a different feel from the earlier episodes of the series because of the emphasis on the digital and the virtual – including VR technology. There’s also a new cast member, Yvette Nicole Brown of Community fame, who plays Harper, PAMA’s creator in hiding.
Check out the screenshots below and let me know if you’re enjoying the direction Telltale is taking its series. You can also check our ongoing review of the series here. Remember, this episode wasn’t included in the original season pass, so you’ll need to either buy it separately or buy the Adventure Pass add-on.
‘Minecraft: Story Mode’ Episode 7, ‘Access Denied’, Is Ready for Download
by Stone Marshall | Jul 27, 2016 | Minecraft News |
Minecraft and its ‘build what you want’ mentality has made it an effective tool in the classroom. The game, developed by Mojang and owned by Microsoft, has been used to teach art, geology and now history, thanks to a new project by the Museum of London. It’s called “Great Fire 1666” and will portray the historic blaze that swept across the city 350 years ago.
The tragic event will be portrayed through three different maps; the first, available for free on July 29th, will show the city as it stood before the fire, complete with iconic landmarks such as London Bridge and St Paul’s Cathedral. Audio clips will be scattered throughout the world, containing some explanations (the long, dry summer and the city’s wooden houses, for instance) for why the inferno spread so quickly. The second, to be released in September, will put you in the middle of the crisis and include basic mini-games about saving residents and fighting the flames. You’ll also be able to make “crucial decisions” by talking to historical figures.
The third, set for February next year, will allow players to rebuild London using the architectural plans drawn up by Christopher Wren, John Evelyn and others. Playing all three should, the museum hopes, create an experience that’s both unique and informative. The “Great Fire of London” is a popular classroom topic in Britain, so the maps should make for a refreshing departure from musty textbooks and TV documentaries.
The unique Minecraft worlds are being put together by Adam Clarke, a Minecraft artist and digital producer, Blockworks, a professional Minecraft map building team in the UK, and “Dragnoz,” a YouTuber and world creator deeply involved with the Minecraft community. A teaser video has been released showing off the group’s interpretation of London, and it’s quite a sight; the scale and detail means it’s easy to envision the city in the 17th Century, even if everything is made from rudimentary blocks.
Museum uses ‘Minecraft’ to visualise the Great Fire of London
