Spiderman

Marvels Spider-Man on PS4

Insomniac’s Marvels Spider-Man was shown off at E3 this year and it impressed the E3 crowd and those watching at home a like. Spiderman is an action and adventure open world game exclusive to PS4. The gameplay trailer that was shown off this year did not disappoint. It looks just like a movie and the devs over at Insomniac have done a wonderful job of seamlessly transitioning between gameplay and cutscenes.

Also revealed was a whole host of villains that Spidey will be taking on too! Villains include Electro, Rhino, Scorpion and Vulture. Consequently, all of whom escape from the maximum security prison that we see in the trailer above. Hype has been huge for this game and for all the right reasons too! Consequently it’s shaping up to be a heavy hitter when it releases on 7th September 2018 as an exclusive title for PS4. (The Verge)

In the video above we see Ryan Penagos, Vice President & Creative Executive, Marvel New Media and rapper Styles P on a super quick look at Marvels Spider-Man for the PS4. Boy does it look good! Everyone loves Spiderman and we’ve not seen an open world superhero game before, if it’s anything like Spidey. Consequently, cover us interested! So show us more! Styles P beat up a few baddies and went on a car chase, he was definitely enjoying the game! If it can make a rapper this hyped about a video game, it is definitely worth checking out!

Game Information

Marvel’s: Spider-Man is an upcoming open world action-adventure video game based on the Marvel Comics superhero Spider-Man. It is being developed by Insomniac Games and is to be published by Sony Interactive Entertainment for the PlayStation 4 console. It will be the first licensed game developed by Insomniac. The game will tell a new story about Spider-Man and is not tied to a film or comic book. The game will cover both the Peter Parker and Spider-Man aspects of the character and will feature a more experienced Spider-Man.

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EE same day delivery

EE Same Day Delivery + Set Up?!

As with Amazon and Argos’ delivery options, same day delivery options, EE are joining the club too! It seems as though that same day delivery is going to become a lot more common in the future. Therefore the phone giant are looking to seperate themselves from the rest. EE same day delivery will include the delivery of your phone to you. Plus give you a helping hand with it as well. Furthermore it’ll be as quickly as 2 hours after purchase too!

The insanely fast delivery service is currently looking to launch in the Greater London area first. An expert will arrive at your doorstep and show you how to set up your phone. EE aren’t also going to be charging you for the privilege either.

To tech nerds like ourselves and our friends over at Gizmodo, it seems as though it may not be as useful as it sounds. As how difficult is it to set up a phone. However, there are people out there, you’re gran, your dad or even your not so technically adapt cousin. It can be a daunting task to set up a phone, especially if you’re brand new to smart phones.

EE same day delivery, will also look to help you get connected to smart home products that you have in the house or your Android Auto/Apple CarPlay apps. Going above and beyond just setting up your phone and leaving, will definitely set apart EE from everyone else!

EE same day delivery will only be available to a select number of flagship phones right now and only if you order online. Just select ‘superfast delivery with expert set-up’ at check out and pick an appointment. Then voila. Watch the magic happen!

Messages from the CEO

“Although we’re a nation of gadget lovers, many people just don’t have the time to learn about or set up the latest features on their new smartphone. With our new superfast, super-flexible and personal delivery service, complete with on-the-spot expert set-up with our partners Enjoy, our customers will get the best smartphone delivery experience in the UK. We want to make getting set up on your new phone just that little bit easier.” (Marc Allera, CEO, EE)

“We understand how important it is to get up and running with your smartphone, and as quickly as possible, so we are thrilled to partner with EE and extend our superfast personal delivery to EE customers in the UK”. (Rob Johnson, Co-Founder & CEO, Enjoy)

(Gizmodo)

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Deepfake Dancing

Deepfake Dancing – Drop A Beat!

A few months ago there was the scandal revolving around Deepfakes. The tech that is a more intelligent version of faceswapping, was used to insert celebs into naughty videos. The latest way that this artificial intelligence tech is being used? Dancing. Deepfakes dancing is here and you can be the best dance in your town! (In video form at least) It uses AI to read someone elses dance moves and then copies them on to your body.

The tech is developeed by 4 researchers at UC Berkley. They wrote in a paper posted on arXiV that their system is made up of a number of steps. Firstly a video of the want to be dancer is recorded, a separate programme then analyses the moves and compiles them into a stick figure. The want to be dancer is recorded for around 20mins for the quality of transfer to be useable. Then a source video is found and a stick figure made of their movements too!  Then the swap happens. The stick figure (non dancing one) is attached to the movements of the dancing stick figure. Boom. You are now a dancer. A capabale one too.

Deepfake Dancing

Deepfake Dancing

 

Limitations

The programme is working very hard to smooth the movement of the stick figures. The reason behind this is so that upon completion the dancers don’t jerk around too much. Plus there programme is also retracing the non professional dancers face to ensure realism.

However, for the Deepfake Dancing programme to work effectively, loose clothing cannot be worn, they have to wear tight fighting clothing. As The Verge are reporting, in the video above, there is some visual artefacts. Joints of the target and source dancer don’t 100% match up. The software seems to not be able to keep up with small complex movements either for example a hand flipping from back to front.

(The Verge)

Despite all this Deepfake Dancing sounds super cool. But like most tech it could be used in a negative way! It will be interesting to see how this tech plays out and how it will be used by all in the future!

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Amazon Go

Amazon Go launching another store!

In what seems like a move to eradicate all jobs for customer advisors everywhere. Amazon are launching another Amazon go store. After the succesful launch of it’s first cashier-less store in Seattle in December 2016.

It’s second store will too open in Seattle and launched earlier this month. It’s part of the gradual roll out across America with other Amazon Go stores looking to open in LA, San Francisco and Chicago.

Amazon’s second store will be a smaller venue. It won’t feature a working kitchen like it’s main store. Neither will it include a liquor section. The smaller store is more aimed toward the office workers. Therefore will focusing on offering it’s customers baked goods and ready to go meals. Plus it’s own Blue-Apron-Like meal deals. It’s open from 7AM-7PM Monday – Friday and is situated on 5th and Marion in downtown Seattle.

Amazon Go: A Re-Cap.

Amazon Go is the world’s first cashier-less ‘regular’ store. It allows customers to enter the store by scanning a code on their app on a smartphone. You are then tracked by Amazon within the store by a ton of cameras above you. Amazon will then bill you when you take items off the shelves directly to the account which you used to enter the store. Therefore nulling the need fo a cashier. Verge are reporting that the cameras within the store are so smart they can even distinguish between three Amazon employees who dressed in Pikachu costumes to simulate robberies.

Would you use this if it was brought to the UK? What worries do you have or do you just see this as a way as us moving forward with technology? We shall see what the future holds for the jobs of many many people. However, some could argue that it’ll create more jobs?

(Verge)

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Lego Technic Car

LEGO do the IMPOSSIBLE?! The LEGO Technic Car

A week ago, Lego seemingly teased something that nobody could ever think could become reality. But we all imagined as a kid. a LEGO Technic Car. Who in their right mind would want to build a LEGO Technic Car? Think of all the intricacies that it will need. The moving parts. Not forgetting an engine?

Well LEGO have built a whole city in Windsor, producing a car is nothing short of impossible for them. While many of us remain skeptical it certainly seems that way. Afterall, LEGO got us thinking after a rather teasing tweet last week:

LEGO are teasing a working proper car that’s in similar shape to a Bugatti Chiron. Looking at the pieces it seems as though they’re the correct size. LEGO do make some spectacular creations so it’s not too far outside the realms of possibility for them.

Using the hashtag #BuildForReal, LEGO are putting a lot on the line here. Even if it’s just a marketing stunt, by saying ‘For Real’ it gets people expecting and can’t be letting people down!

However….it seems as though LEGO are proving everybody wrong…..

It looks like they have done the impossible, well hats off to them, because it certainly got us interested! It was a very long week waiting for LEGO reveal, what they had actually created. Many thought it was just a 1:1 replica. But they proved us wrong, they proved everyone wrong! It really is a LEGO Technic Car!

Nothing is impossible with Lego Technic! LEGO have once again gone above and beyond to amaze us all. We are seriously impressed.

(Gizmodo)

Now, let’s just go and dig out our LEGO Technic and see what we can come up with…..

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Windows 95

Windows 95 Lives Once AGAIN!

Windows 95 is BACK! Plus you can put it on your Mac too! What was once a powerhouse in home computing is now used as an indicator of what’s possible on modern computing devices.

We’ve seen the triumphant Windows 95 loaded on to just about anything these days. From an Apple Watch, an Android smartwatch, and the Xbox One. However the Verge are reporting that you can now run the ancient OS on an app on Mac OS, Windows and Linux. Guess the phrase “there’s an app for that” really does cover everything!

A developer from the awesome guys over at Slack, Felix Rieseberg is the man behind the web app. The nostalgia inducing app is based on an existing web project that currently supports Windows 95, 98, amongst others. You can use the Windows 95 web app, just like you did before. Play Minesweeper (how many hours was killed with THAT!?) or even use word pad. Only programme that doesn’t work is Internet Explorer.

Download it here it will work on both macOS and Windows. It’ll only take up a small amount of RAM when using it too, the Verge are reporting that it takes up 200MB

(Verge)

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Streets of Rage 4

Streets of Rage 4 on the way?!

An How To Kill An Hour favourite, Streets of Rage is coming back, better than ever! (We do love ourselves Streets of Rage. Check out our Raging Justice play through here!)

Streets of Rage 4 is on the way courtesy of Dotemu and Lizardcube in partnership with Sega.  Developers of Streets Of Fury, which was released in 2015 which used digitized graphics, Guard Crush Games will also have a hands on involvement in the game.

Plot

Fans of the game will be well aware of the characters that users will be utilising.  You will take on Axel and Blaze in ” “an entirely original arcade-style romp”, which will of course feature the same gameplay that you’re used to.

However, there will be new fighting mechanics and an original story. It’s a direct sequel to 1994’s Streets of Rage 3 and will feature some hand drawn visuals. Which is different to many games out there and we’re definitely looking forward to seeing it in action!

History Lesson

Sega’s hugely successful Streets of Rage franchise started life in 1991 on the Sega Genesis. It was then followed up by a duo of sequels in 1992 and ’94. It was mainly popular for it’s infections game mechanics and Yuzo Koshiro’s music!

However what consoles that Streets of Rage 4 would be coming to was not announced. Nor was a release date. We’ll keep an eye out for it!

Strange Brigade

Strange Brigade: Exclusive Play Through

Strange Brigade: Play Through

We’ve given Strange Brigade a play through and one thing that we will say afterwards is: Fun! This game is fun, fun, fuuuuun!! It’s very enjoyable by yourself defeating hordes of the undead. However, get a crew together and this levels of excitement and enjoyment go through the roof!

From the very start Strange Brigade is very charming with it’s friendly narrator (with his over the top British upper class dialect) and it’s 1930’s setting. The graphics draw you in to a world that is full of might magic and mystery. Yet at the same time having an underlying notion of danger when the undead appear. You know you’re in danger! Yet the locations are so pretty!

What makes Strange Brigade different to many other co-op games available today is that the levels and the game will change slightly depending on the numbers in your team. More enemies, lots of twists and turns with the levels and even the puzzles take it up a notch if you have a friend with you. Depending on who you have in your team, the chests that are scattered around the levels are there to help you. You can either share them out amongst yourselves. Or if you have a slightly unhelpful teammate (as we saw in our playthrough!) it can be a little competition to get the loot first. However we will say defeating the undead is a lot easier if you work together! Don’t horde the loot!

Characters

There are a range of characters to choose from, whilst the weapons stay the same no matter who you choose. It’s the taking of souls within the amulet where the separation between each of them is apparent. The game focuses heavily on the ‘amulet’ the small device that collects souls from the undead. Each character has their own special ability with how they utilise the amulet and the souls that they harvest. We found it a lot of fun cycling through the characters and witnessing the abilities for ourselves. We suggest you do the same, it would be such a shame to spoil it for you here!

Levels

There are a total of 9 levels to complete, each with their own areas to unlock via collection of coins. Though some will also require your brain to unlock via puzzles! Making for quite the exciting experience.  Plus the levels are interactive too, shoot various things to help defeat enemies. Shoot ropes to knock down blocks or shoot orbs to bring up a huge saw!

Horde Mode

Horde mode is also incredible amounts of fun, simply see how long you can last as a character taking on streams of enemies. The difficulty gets harder and harder as you progress so make sure you utilise the environment and collect those souls!

 

What is Strange Brigade?

Strange Brigade is your next favourite game! That’s what it is!

Strange Brigade takes users to places that they have never been before. The Plot? Well, simply there are four remote corners of the British Empire. What these remote corners entails no one knows as the shadows linger at their deepest. Who knows about these places the best? The servants of The Crown do and there are some supernatural beings that exist in these places!

Therefore it’s time to introduce the Strange Brigade! It is here where users are taken on an exotic safari, it’s dangerous and few dare to even embark on such an adventure. Why? As few return! As you go along this treacherous safari, you encounter civilisations that have once been forgotten by society, yet they’re fantastic within their own right, all while being shrouded in mystery! Go on adventures that take you to dark tombs and battle unimaginable evil!

Strange Brigade: Plot

You take on one of four adventurers or explorers. Each of the characters available to you have their own special powers, weapons and even tactics! The campaign takes you across a 1930’s era landscape and play with up to 4 friends along this action packed safari! However, as with many exotic plots, be aware of fighting armies of mythological characters that have been unleashed by an ancient Egyptian ruler: Seteki The Witch Queen. She’s so evil she has been wiped from hieroglyphs! So beware! To help you along the way there are secret caves around the safari. Why are these so special? Well within these caves there’s buried riches. Find these to help you along the way!

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Cyberpunk 2077 Gameplay

Cyberpunk 2077 Gameplay

Cyberpunk 2077 Gameplay

Our friends over at IGN got a chance to check out Cyberpunk 2077 recently and they shared some Cyberpunk 2077 gameplay on their YouTube channel. Boy oh boy does it look good! (Though bare in mind that the footage you are seeing is from a work in progress game so all is subject t0 change. That being said it gets us excited for the release of this truly beautiful game! Bare in mind though that this game will most likely be an 18+. So the footage above is going to be very violent, use swear words,  nudity and show a lot of gore! Even though this is pre-release the graphics are clean, sharp and beautiful, which is ironic considering the scenery.

Gameplay Features

Cyberpunk 2077 is a first person RPG and we got a glimpse into how this will be incorporated in to the game. It’s CD Projekt Red’s level of detail that impressed us from the offset. Even when creating a character, the choices you make upon creation of their backstory will affect how the story will unfold going forward. IGN’s Cyberpunk 2077 gameplay shows the team take the role of a female character on her quest to find a missing person. Viewing the 48minute gameplay demo highlighted how fluid the cutscenes to gameplay is, making it feel somewhat like a movie.

The story seems very intriguing to us and we felt really immersed and we were only watching! Tasks are displayed in the top right hand corner which is very handy and easy to follow. Whilst there is no multiplayer revealed for Cyberpunk 2077, this looks like one stellar single player experience!

 

More Info

Developer CD Projekt Red describe Cyberpunk 2077 as an ““an open world, narrative-driven role-playing game” so essentially this game, as beautiful as it looks, is a first person role playing game. A first person role playing game that is also open world and narrative driven. We are liking the sound of this already! Fallout fans listen up! As even though the game is in first person, the game is said to offer players, plenty of chances to see what your character looks like. Consequently IGN pointing out that the game is a First Person RPG and not an FPS. While this is an action game, don’t expect lots of bang bang action 24/7.

Furthermore we are liking the route that this game is taking, making sure to emphasise the fact that it’s not just a shooter and it seems like there is a HUGE focus on storytelling. That’s what we got from the trailer, the trailer looked very movie like and we cannot wait to get our hands on it!

Plot

Users are playing as “V”, who is a “hired gun on the rise” within the Cyberpunk violent metropolis, Night City. Judging from the trailer we are getting a Matrix/Ready Player One vibe to the game. Going more indepth on the character customization, CD Projekt Red promises a “robust character creator” which will allow platers to choose things such as gender, appearance class and even their characters backgrounds. However, choose wisely as the choices that you make now, will affect and influence how the game plays out.

Yet much like regular RPG’s players are encouraged to interact with the various residents of Night City. Users do this via a dialogue system, which in turn will navigate the Cyberpunk 2077 narrative. With CD Prokekt Red stating that “difficult decisions will ripple through the entire game” (Polygon)

Listen to Marcus and Julia discussing this on the show by clicking here!

So, why not pre-order Cyberpunk 2077 by clicking here!

Also covered this game in one of our E3 specials listen it by clicking here!

Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate

Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate

Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate: Defeat Monsters on the move!

Monster Hunter is one of Capcom’s biggest selling franchises to date recently reaching the heights of 10million copies of Monster Hunter games being sold world wide. Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate continues this trend on the switch. It’s Monster Hunter. But on the Switch. So expect big monsters on your small Switch. However, don’t fret, as with all Monster Hunter games you’ll have so much fun hunting down these terrible, gruesome monsters!

Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate is an updated version of it’s 3DS title of the same name (minus the Ultimate). Yet it’s still just as exciting as it first was on the 3DS. Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate has added better graphics (obviously!) the control scheme and added a bunch new monsters! 20 more to be exact, bringing the total for you to defeat to 93! NINETY THREE! That’s going to take a lot of hours to kill to defeat those!

Gameplay

Gameplay, like with most Monster Hunter Games is simple yet addictive. Find a Monster. Kill it. Then use the materials gathered from said Monster to harvest a bigger and better inventory. Such as upgrading weapons and the armour. Consequently this will help to kill a bigger and badder monster. Thus repeat cycle until you become the best monster hunters in the land. Complete a range of quests that are given to you by a village elder, though there is no explicit time limit to do them in. You are going to be pretty busy preying on some pretty huge bogeys to be fair. (Though we think the fighting of monsters is a lot more fun! Especially with friends!)

It can take a lot of time and effort to defeat a range of monsters in the single player mode. So there is an option to play with friends. Joining a multiplayer game is very easy just search the available hubs and join on to take on monsters in a crew! The most annoying part of Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate is that there is no way to chat to the people you play with. Though this is a Switch problem and not Capcom’s. Why Nintendo? WHY?! Despite this, as expected it’s a lot fun!

Overall Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate is a very enjoyable experience, which you will not be disappointed with!

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