Google's Pixel 3a XL has been spotted at a Springfield, Ohio Best Buy, removing any remaining mystery about what the search giant is about to announce. The handset was seen in its packaging by an Android Police tipster in plain view (but under glass) in both of the previously leaked colors, "Purple-ish" and "Just Black." The sighting all but confirms the imminent launch and availability of the device, expected to happen on May 7th at Google's I/O event.
We've already seen images of the Pixel 3a in its notch-free, single rear camera glory (above). We also know that the 5.6-inch Pixel 3a and 6-inch 3a XL will likely have 2,160 x 1,080 and 2,220 x 1,080 displays and Snapdragon 670 and 710 processors, respectively, along with 4GB of RAM and the same Pixel Visual Core powering the cameras on current Pixel 3 devices. Even the prices have leaked out: $399 US for the regular 3a and $479 for the XL. Though the evidence is convincing, it's still not official -- so take all this info with a grain of salt.
If this particular leak sounds familiar, Engadget's Richard Lai spotted the original Pixel 3 XL in Hong Kong, and even got to borrow and play with it for a bit. Whoever saw the Pixel 3a XL didn't go that far, but it's likely that Best Buy would have blocked any sale if they had tried to buy it. In any case, it looks like you'll be able to buy Google's mid-range devices with a pure Android experience -- and probably a great camera -- shortly after they launch next week.
Sorry, Half-Life fans, you'll have to wait at least another year to see the classic FPS make it into the World Video Game Hall of Fame. The National Museum of Play has announced this year's batch of inductees: Mortal Kombat, Super Mario Kart, Colossal Cave Adventure and Microsoft Windows Solitaire.
The museum said all four inductees "significantly affected the video game industry, popular culture, and society in general." The Mortal Kombat and Super Mario Kart series are still going strong, with Mortal Kombat 11 dropping just last week, while Mario Kart 8 Deluxe continues to thrive in sales charts and there's a Mario Kart mobile game set to arrive this summer. Solitaire helped countless office workers and students while away the time when they got bored with life (or Minesweeper), but you might be less familiar with Colossal Cave Adventure.
Despite its lack of polygons, the 1976 text-based adventure "still offered a fully-realized realm to explore, with treasures to find and puzzles to solve," according to the museum. That paved the way for "an entire genre of fantasy and adventure games, and it directly inspired other pioneering titles, such as Adventureland and Zork."
For fans of car-soccer, yesterday’s news hit like a rocket-powered bump out of nowhere: after nearly two decades of independence, Rocket League
developer Psyonix has been acquired by Fortnite maker Epic Games . The companies had worked together long ago, when Psyonix was primarily a support studio before Rocket League’s success, but it was still an unexpected turn of events.
Both Psyonix and Epic Games declined to comment further on the terms of the deal, which is expected to close later this month or in early June. We don’t know how much Epic Games shelled out for the San Diego-based studio and Rocket League, which has logged some 57 million players to date, nor do we know how Epic plans to integrate Psyonix into the company.
In a blog post, Psyonix suggested that nothing will change in the short term. Rocket League will shift to the Epic Games Store at some point and end new sales via Steam, although the millions of existing buyers will still see ongoing support on Valve’s platform. Most crucially, however, Psyonix believes that the acquisition can accelerate Rocket League‘s esports scene, and I see a few ways in which that can happen.
Rocket League‘s esports growth has been gradual—and at times, too slow for some anxious parties.
Undoubtedly, joining the Epic family opens Psyonix and Rocket League up to considerably more financial resources. Fortnite alone has earned Epic Games billions and is now a merchandising juggernaut. That’s on top of the company’s enormous success with the widely-used Unreal Engine, along with revenue from the recent launch of the Epic Games Store—oh, and October’s $1.25B USD funding round.
We’ve already seen how Epic can pour considerable cash into an esports push. Hot off of the initial success of Fortnite‘s battle royale mode, the company announced plans to fund $100M in prize pools during the first year of competition—which culminates with this July’s $30M World Cup event. Organizations have flooded into Fortnite, and the fervent interest that has surrounded the game has extended into its esports scene.
Granted, that Fortnite esports push has come with a fair bit of controversy. Epic Games has explored a wide array of formats while continually tweaking the game itself, including changing major game elements right before significant competitions—or instituting odd, restrictive rules on players during events. Successful esports must balance the need for entertaining gameplay with competitive integrity, and at times, Fortnite has seemed more concerned with the former than the latter.
On the flip side, outside of semi-recurring server issues and occasional format annoyances, the biggest complaints with Rocket League esports have typically been that players, organizations, and fans wanted much faster growth and evolution.
There’s been a lot of hype around the game’s mainstream potential, as it’s a super-charged version of soccer that nearly anyone can understand at a glance even without playing it. Beyond Psyonix’s own Rocket League Championship Series (RLCS), which was co-founded with and originally operated by Twitch
, major players like NBC, ESPN, and ELEAGUE have all hosted major Rocket League competitions over the last couple of years.
But despite that hype, Rocket League‘s esports growth has been gradual—and at times, too slow for some anxious parties. Players wanted more competitions and cash at stake, and Psyonix and partners have gradually responded in kind. Organizations, meanwhile, have wanted in-game revenue-sharing items and a clearer roadmap to guide their continued investments. And after a lot of behind-the-scenes frustration and some team departures, Psyonix recently launched an esports items pilot program with 11 teams.
The more people that play and care about Rocket League, the more that are going to watch and follow the esports side.
Imagine what Psyonix could do with a lot more money in hand. Could we see in-studio regular season play? A franchise system? More reliable servers? How about massively boosted prize pools? The last two RLCS seasons have each offered $1M in prize winnings, but that still pales in comparison to what Epic is doing with Fortnite. In my view, the best-case scenario sees Epic cutting Psyonix a large check and telling the studio to continue what it has been doing, albeit on a larger scale and with more flexibility.
After nearly four years on the market and three years as an esport, Rocket League isn’t going to suddenly explode as an esports phenomenon simply due to an influx of money. However, Psyonix has been building something seemingly sustainable over those years with a firmly established core game that has the potential to endure for some time. Giving it more robust funding and letting Psyonix push harder than ever could have a slow burn effect that makes Epic a mint over the long haul.
Under Epic’s umbrella, it also seems likely that Rocket League will go free-to-play globally sooner than later. It has done extremely well as a $20 game with in-game purchases, given the aforementioned number of players and continual growth over the years—but with Fortnite, Epic has seen the wonders of what an incredibly friendly free-to-play model can do to remove barriers, build awareness, and generate ongoing excitement amongst players.
Credit: Psyonix
Going free-to-play is sure to have a knock-on effect with esports, as well. The more people that play and care about Rocket League, the more that are going to watch and follow the esports side. It may also ensure that there’s a steady stream of new talent coming into the game, and between in-game notifications of live esports events and free in-game items awarded to Twitch viewers, Rocket League already boasts solid esports integration to enable that growth.
Lastly, it’s easy to overlook the role that Tencent plays in this connection. The Chinese gaming giant owns 40% of Epic Games and is also known as the parent company of League of Legends
developer Riot Games . League of Legends is an enormously popular esport, of course, and Tencent’s own mobile hit Honor of Kings (Arena of Valor) has a thriving league in China. The company is also investing aggressively in PUBG Mobile competitions.
Psyonix and Tencent actually already collaborated on a free-to-play Chinese version of Rocket League, and with Tencent’s immense reach and resources, not to mention a significant and growing interest in esports, it could also help expand Rocket League esports globally. Asia is currently an untapped market for the game’s competitive scene, and it’s a huge potential growth area. Rocket League could also be well suited to spotlight as an option for the Olympics and the Asian Games, following backlash from sports leaders over violent video games.
Until the deal formally closes and the companies start talking specifics, it’s too early to tell what the true impact of the acquisition will be on Rocket League esports.
Of course, there are potential downsides to consider with this deal. It’s reasonable to worry about Epic Games coming in and mucking up what already works so well about Rocket League as a game and esport, or impacting Psyonix’s culture in a negative way. After all, the acquisition news arrives soon after reporting that Epic Games employees have been suffering through months of intensive development crunch to keep up Fortnite‘s flow of content. That’s an unsustainable model with potentially dire consequences.
Additionally, how many studios have we seen sucked up by a major third-party publisher (like Activision
or EA ) over the years and then shuttered once it outlived its usefulness and/or profitability? Following Psyonix’s recent ad sales and sponsorships deal with Turner Sports and ELEAGUE, studio VP of publishing Jeremy Dunham told The Esports Observer that splitting from Twitch and operating the RLCS itself was a matter of “[having] as much control over our destiny as possible.” But when your company becomes a subsidiary of another, the ultimate control is taken out of your hands.
Until the deal formally closes and the companies start talking specifics, it’s too early to tell what the true impact of the acquisition will be on Rocket League esports. But by leaning on its new owner’s resources and taking a couple of lessons from Fortnite, Psyonix has an opportunity to inject some nitrous into its growth plans and help ignite Rocket League‘s intended ascent towards Tier-1 status.
With the launch day approaching, there have been plenty of leaks about the Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL lately. Just yesterday we got a sneak peek at the box and possible pricing, and today we're learning even more through some new promotional images.
First up, we have images showing off all three colors of the new Pixel 3a phones including Clearly White, Purplish, and Just Black. The new Pixel models will use a plastic build but still feature the squeezable frame to activate Google Assistant and use a fingerprint sensor on the back.
Next, the promo images confirm that the Pixel 3a series will still have an "extraordinary camera." In other words, we can expect all the fantastic features found on regular Pixel 3 lineup, such as Night Sight, portrait mode, Google Lens, Motion Auto Focus, and unlimited Google Photos storage at full resolution.
The images detail that the Pixel 3a models will get three years of security and OS updates, as well as use the custom made Titan-M security chip to protect your data and passwords. Furthermore, we can look forward to the Call Screen feature which allows your phone to deal with unknown callers to see if it's worth picking up.
Specs for the Pixel 3a include a 5.6-inch display, Snapdragon 670, and a 3000mAh battery. As for the larger Pixel 3a XL, it will sport a 6-inch display, Snapdragon 710, and a 3700mAh battery. Both models are expected to include 4GB of RAM and the same 12.2MP camera found on the Pixel 3. The Pixel 3a pricing is rumored to start at $400 and the larger Pixel 3a XL will start at $479.
After poor sales of the Pixel 3, could the Pixel 3a models be the hit Google needs right now? Offering up that fantastic camera along with three years of updates at a more affordable price sure seems tempting, and it's more than what you get from a lot of other midrange phones on the market.
The Pixel 3 is always up to date with software delivered to you straight from Google itself. There is no phone more tightly integrated with Google and its services, and it boasts one of the best cameras on the market. Truly a phone built for the shutterbugs out there.
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May has begun, and that means the latest iteration of Google's I/O developer conference is right around the bend. Usually, that translates to a deluge of new software, AI breakthroughs and web technology. And we're still expecting plenty of that at this year's show. This time around, however, there's a bit of a twist: Google confirmed during its latest financial results call that it will make hardware announcements at I/O, breaking a device drought from the past few years. But what does it plan to reveal, exactly? Here's a primer on what to expect so that you're prepared for whatever appears onstage on May 7th.
Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL
Google hasn't tried to hide that it's introducing new phones at the conference, namely the mid-sized Pixel 3a and the larger Pixel 3a XL. There's been a conspicuous teaser for "something big" coming to the Pixel universe on May 7th, and the handsets have even been mentioned by name on the Google store. It would be more of a surprise if they didn't get unveiled at I/O.
Thanks to a flurry of leaks, we have a good idea of what these new devices are capable of. Both Pixel 3a phones will have 12-megapixel cameras like their higher-end counterparts, complete with Google's custom Pixel Visual Core that helps deliver stunning shots. They'll even look similar to the higher-end models, with the same two-tone back and contrasting buttons.
The differences, according to the leaks, will revolve mostly around under-the-hood performance. The two Pixel 3a units will use midrange processors, most likely the Snapdragon 670 and (in the XL) the comparatively rare Snapdragon 710. And while the smaller 3a has a 5.6-inch screen with a 2,160 x 1,080 resolution like its high-end counterpart, you'd have to 'settle' for a slightly upgraded 6-inch, 2,220 x 1,080 panel on the 3a XL instead of the 6.3-inch, 2,960 x 1,440 screen from the flagship. You might, however, get a headphone jack -- an unusual change of heart when many thought Google had written off the 3.5mm port for good.
If there's any mystery left, it's the availability. It's not certain if the Pixel 3a line will ship right away, and the pricing remains a mystery. It's safe to say at least one of them will cost less than the $799 of the standard Pixel 3, but that might not guarantee a dramatically lower price. These will be the most accessible ways into Google's phone ecosystem. It's just a question of how accessible they'll be.
Nest Hub Max
The other strong candidate appears to be Google's second-ever smart display, the already-teased Nest Hub Max. It will have a 10-inch display versus the Home Hub's 7-inch screen, but it wouldn't just be a supersized Google Assistant device. It'll also integrate a Nest camera with motion and sound alerts, serving both as a security monitor as well as a portal for Duo video calls. Stereo speakers, meanwhile, could add some clarity to music and the occasional YouTube video.
There's little doubt that the Nest Home Max is coming soon after Google itself made reference to it online. However, you might not want to count on Google announcing it at I/O -- Google hasn't been teasing a new Nest device release like it has the Pixel line. You can safely presume it will cost significantly more than the $150 Home Hub.
Android Q
It wouldn't be I/O without a new version of Android, and Google appears set to continue that tradition this year. It released the first beta of Android Q back in March, and it's virtually certain that you'll learn more about its final feature set at Google's developer meetup.
Some details are already well-established thanks to that beta. There will be tighter privacy controls for apps, sharing shortcuts to send content directly to contacts, and settings panels that can pop up when an app needs them. More recently, Google revamped navigation gestures and introduced chat bubbles that keep conversations going while you're using other apps. Q will also include official support for foldable phones.
The company seldom shows all its cards in those early releases, though, and there have been hints of larger feature changes. Under-the-surface code in Android Q has alluded to a possible dark theme and even a desktop mode for those who want to use their phones as makeshift PCs without turning to manufacturer-specific options like Samsung's DeX. It might also support secure face detection through depth sensors and other components, similar to Apple's Face ID. We wouldn't count on these features being announced at I/O (Google sometimes postpones or shelves features mentioned in code), but they've at least been under consideration during Q's development cycle.
Whatever's included, you might not have to wait long to try the new software. Google released a public beta of Android P at I/O last year, and it's reasonable to anticipate a repeat for Q. And while the P beta supported a surprising array of third-party devices, you should see an even wider range eligible for Q's test release. Although the finished build isn't likely to appear until later this summer, you'll have a much clearer picture of the operating system long before then.
Android TV
There are murmurs of Google updating Android TV at I/O, though it's not immediately apparent what updates will entail. An update is arguably overdue, mind you. For many, the biggest update in recent years was support for Google Assistant. A modernized interface could both spark new life in the platform and help it compete against evolving TV platforms like Samsung's version of Tizen and LG's webOS.
Wildcards: AI, Chrome and more
Google's I/O presentations are sprawling affairs that touch on virtually every aspect of the company, so there's a good chance you'll see major news in other categories. AI, in particular, is bound to be a centerpiece. Google has been beating the AI drum for the past few years and made Assistant a cornerstone of its products. Even if you don't see a clever invention on par with Duplex's automated phone calls, you'll probably see creative uses of AI throughout Google's products.
It's also reasonable to bet that Chrome and Chrome OS will see updates. Rumors have been quiet on that front, although Google's efforts to integrate Android apps into Chrome OS are likely to continue. New first-party Chrome OS hardware doesn't seem destined to appear at I/O, at any rate. There have been allusions in code to a "Hatch" Chromebook in the pipeline, but it's not clear if this is even a Google device, let alone slated for an I/O debut. The company has historically unveiled its own Chrome OS-based devices at its fall event. But we wouldn't rule out showcases for new hardware from Google's partners.
Other candidates for I/O? Google could reveal more about its Stadia game-streaming service, although that doesn't seem probable when the company spoke volumes about the tech at the Game Developers Conference just a few weeks ago. Likewise, Google has already talked about its plans for tiles in Wear OS. It's entirely possible that you'll hear news about Daydream VR technology when Google has been relatively quiet on that front, though. And remember, this is Google's biggest chance to woo developers this year. If there are any software-related surprises it can deliver before the end of the year, it'll save them for a major meetup like this.
Image credits: Evan Blass/Twitter; AP Photo/Jeff Chiu; Chris Velazco/Engadget; Jeff Bottari/AP Images for Hisense; Chris Velazco/Engadget
Are you ready for the first 5G-connected TV? Huawei may have one on the way; however, we're probably closer to seeing all of Google's Pixel 3a and the Moto Z4. Also, NASA uncovered a fraud scheme that resulted in a couple of destroyed rockets, and tinkerers should check out this DIY smartwatch project.
When the launch of NASA's Orbiting Carbon Observatory and Glory missions failed in 2009 and 2011, the agency said it was because their launch vehicle malfunctioned. Now, a NASA Launch Services Program (LSP) investigation has revealed the malfunction was caused by faulty aluminum materials. More importantly, the probe blew a 19-year fraud scheme perpetrated by Oregon aluminum extrusion manufacturer Sapa Profiles, Inc., which Orbital ATK fell victim to, wide open.
Including VAT and the UK's Plug-In Car Grant, prices for the Model 3 start at £38,900 ($50,853) for the Standard Range Plus model, rising to £47,900 ($62,691) for the Long Range model and £56,900 ($74,385) for the top-end Performance model. Meanwhile, in Canada, Tesla is selling a software-limited 93-mile range vehicle, which starts at $44,999, just $1 under the $45,000 limit to be eligible for a $5,000 EV credit.
Fortnite-maker Epic has acquired Rocket League-creator Psyonix for an unspecified amount and will bring the vehicular soccer game to the Epic Games Store by late 2019. Needless to say, that has people worried about Rocket League's fate -- will it disappear from Steam? Epic said it had "not announced plans" to stop selling the game on Steam, but it's only guaranteeing existing customers will "continue to be supported."
When it comes out on September 13th, Borderlands 3 will have a four-player online co-op, and it'll also support local, split-screen multiplayer for up to two people. It has more than one billion guns, comic-book-inspired visuals, new narrative arcs with famous in-game folks, customizable skill trees and heaps of enemies to mow down. Perhaps most importantly, every scene is dripping with crass sarcasm.
The company is increasing its audio bitrate up to 640 kbps on devices that support 5.1 surround sound and up to 768 kbps for Dolby Atmos -- though you'll need to be a Premium subscriber for that. It's also bringing adaptive streaming, a feature it's long used for video, to your speakers.
This month's IRL focuses on the Marvel Cinematic Universe's latest achievement -- Avengers: Endgame. While we can already tell you how to watch the movie (go IMAX or go home), now it's time to talk about how we felt once it was over and the lights came back on.
Harry Potter: Wizards Unite, the Pokémon Go-style smartphone game co-developed by Niantic and WB Games, is now available in open beta in Australia and New Zealand. Players in the two countries can play the game now on both iOS and Android. The announcement follows a couple of false starts for the game, which included it appearing on the iOS App Store last month before quickly being pulled.
Back in 2016, Pokémon Go also launched in Australia and New Zealand first, before coming later to the US, Europe, and the rest of the world. However, at the time it was possible to get access to the game early on Android by downloading its APK from a third-party source. That doesn’t appear to be the case for Wizard’s Unite. Although we were able to successfully install the app using this method, it refused to load any content beyond a brief initial tutorial.
Wizard’s Unite is set to be a much more complex game than Pokémon Go was at launch, with artifacts to collect, characters to rescue, and an intricate set of skills to level up . When we tried it out for ourselves back in March, we found that this meant it was harder to immediately understand than Pokémon Go’s relatively simple gameplay loop of hunting for Pokemon and battling at gyms. However, its developers have noted that the game’s features could change over the course of the beta.
Harry Potter: Wizard’s Unite is available to download now in Australia and New Zealand on both iOS and Android. A worldwide release date is yet to be announced, but you can sign up to receive updates on the Wizards Unite website, or pre-register on the Google Play Store.
