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  • 343 Industries’ Bonnie Ross to be Inducted Into the AIAS Hall of Fame

    Today, we are happy to share that the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences (AIAS) has announced its 23rd Hall of Fame recipient: Bonnie Ross, Microsoft Corporate Vice President and Head of 343 Industries. Ross has been integral in the vision and expansion of the Halo franchise that has continued to excite generations of fans, generating nearly $6 billion in worldwide sales to date and has transcended video games to grow into a global entertainment phenomenon. Ross is also a key voice in promoting STEM and diversity efforts across the gaming industry amongst women, under-represented minorities and children.

    “It is thanks to Bonnie’s vision and drive for combining art and technology that has allowed the Halo universe to flourish within so many different mediums and platforms,” said Meggan Scavio, President, Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences. “That along with her deep passion to expand diversity in gaming and encourage STEM education amongst women as well as all young people is truly inspirational. Her positive legacy and leadership have helped advance interactive entertainment and will impact game makers and aspiring game makers for generations to come.”

    The 2019 Hall of Fame Award will be presented to Ross during the 22nd Annual D.I.C.E. Awards ceremony on Wednesday, February 13, 2019, at the Aria Convention Center in Las Vegas by her long-time colleague and friend, Phil Spencer, Executive Vice President and Head of Gaming at Microsoft.

    “It’s been a privilege to work alongside Bonnie for more than two decades, and I have continually been impressed not only by her passion for merging art and storytelling, but also her equal passion for creating teams and technical breakthroughs; solid foundations that will set the direction of Halo and Xbox for years to come,” said Spencer. “Bonnie’s tenure at Microsoft is more than just a model for aspiring game makers, it’s a proof of concept that bringing together talented and diverse voices around a shared, passionate vision, can unleash worlds, wonders and legends that define entertainment for generations.”

    Ross’ interest in technology and gaming began at an early age, where her pursuit of advanced math and science classes led to a degree in Technical Communication and a concentration in Physics and Computer Science. Following college, she landed an internship at IBM before beginning her profession at Microsoft, first working on operating systems.

    Ross began her career in the games industry in 1994, when Microsoft created a PC sports gaming division, leading to her first game release of NBA Full Court Press for Windows. She progressed her career in gaming in a variety of roles, including producer, lead producer, executive producer and general manager overseeing production for all titles within the Microsoft Game Studios portfolio. In these roles, Ross worked with several leading development studios in the co-development or publishing of many well-known titles, including Counter-Strike (Xbox), Dungeon Siege, Fuzion Frenzy, Gears of War, Jade Empire, Mass Effect, NBA: Inside Drive, Pandora’s Box, Psychonauts, and Zoo Tycoon.

    In 2007, when Halo creators Bungie parted ways with Microsoft as a first-party developer, Ross founded 343 Industries, an entertainment studio committed to fostering the growth and expansion of the Halo franchise, as well as driving innovation across Microsoft platforms. That commitment to building diverse stories and characters has helped 343 Industries create immersive, blockbuster sci-fi entertainment experiences within the Halo universe. At Microsoft Game Studios and 343 Industries, she has worked with or directly overseen many well-loved Halo games: Halo 3: ODST, Halo: Reach, Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary, Halo: Spartan Assault, Halo: Spartan Strike, Halo 4, Halo: The Master Chief Collection, Halo 5: Guardians, Halo Wars 2, Halo: Fireteam Raven, and the upcoming Halo Infinite.

    Ross is passionate about bringing together art and technology to transform how people experience entertainment. Over the last nine years, she pushed to broaden franchise reach and define Halo as a leader in transmedia across the entire entertainment industry, including the Halo series of video games, the upcoming Halo television series by SHOWTIME, and live-action series, such as Halo: Forward Unto Dawn and Halo: Nightfall. In addition, 12 of 17 Halo novels have been named to the New York Times Best Sellers list and Halo consumer products have generated over $1.5 billion in consumer spend.

    Ross is also deeply involved in promoting efforts to drive diversity across the games industry and generating interest amongst women, minorities and children in the pursuit of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) careers. In 1997, she co-founded the Microsoft Women in Gaming community as a way for women in the industry to network and support each other. Beginning as a small cocktail event with roughly 20 attendees, it has since then grown to become an annual lunch at the Game Developers Conference (GDC) that counts more than 1,500 in attendance.

    Ross was named one of Fortune’s most powerful women in gaming and is a key part of The Ad Council’s “She Can STEM” campaign.

    The AIAS Hall of Fame honor is bestowed on game creators who have been instrumental in the development of highly influential games and moving a particular genre forward. These individuals demonstrate the highest level of creativity and innovation, resulting in significant product influence on a scale that expands the scope of the industry. Past AIAS Hall of Fame recipients include: Hideo Kojima (2016), Leslie Benzies (2014), Dan and Sam Houser (2014), and Todd Howard (2017),

    See the rest of the story on Xbox Wire

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  • Next Xbox consoles are codenamed 'Anaconda' and 'Lockhart'

    It’s no secret that Microsoft and Sony are planning to release the next generation of Xbox and PlayStation consoles in the next couple of years, likely as soon as 2020, and a new batch of rumors may have given us the codenames of the upcoming Xbox consoles.

    The premium Xbox One X model looks set to be replaced by something called ‘Anaconda’, which may ship with a solid state hard drive to improve frame rate performance, and is likely to see a boost in graphics and all-round performance.

    The Xbox One S successor, on the other hand, is likely to bump up its processing power to that of the current Xbox One X; it’s reportedly being called the ‘Lockhart’, and will offering a cheaper alternative to the Anaconda console.

    According to Windows Central, both of these models are expected to arrive alongside an additional ‘Scarlett Cloud‘ Xbox console, which would launch without a disc-drive and would be used exclusively for video game streaming using Xbox Games Pass or an updated equivalent service.

    Details are thin on the ground, and it’s unlikely we’d see all three consoles released simultaneously. We may see the lesser-powered Lockhart Xbox launched first, followed some time later by the Anaconda as a kind of mid-cycle upgrade, similar to what happened with the Xbox One X.

    4K ready

    That was the console generation that saw both Microsoft and Sony gear up for 4K gaming, with the Xbox One X able to play games in native 4K, and the PS4 Pro able to upscale HD / 1080p output to something approximating 4K resolution.

    The next-gen consoles are almost certain to offer native 4K out of the box, given the market’s push for higher-fidelity graphics, and the huge number of 4K TVs now in people’s homes.

    As VR gaming gets more advanced it may also be wise to have home consoles powerful enough to run power-intensive simulations and games in VR – especially as Xbox currently has no equivalent of PlayStation VR.

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  • The best Boxing Day sales 2018: deals landing before January sales

    The Boxing Day sales have turned into a special event to finish off the year in style for all those last-minute bargains. But with so many stores shouting about new deals it can all turn into a bit of a blur, or maybe that’s the eggnog and excessive amounts of turkey lulling us into a slumber.

    The short version: you’ve got better things to be doing on the Christmas break than checking all the usual retailers and shifting through deals. So let us do it for you and roundup the finest ones right here!

    When do the Boxing Day sales start?

    Not a silly question at all. We actually saw lots of retailers push the button (probably with gravy on their fingers) quite early on Christmas Day. But it’s not unusual to see some stores unleash new deals a few days earlier too. With so many super fast delivery options available now, or in-store pickup, retailers are keen to keep the deals going right until the last possible moment before Christmas Day. And a good thing too given how many of us tend to buy late – we’ll start soon, honest. Maybe next week. 

    If just before Christmas is the time to scramble for last-minute gifts, anytime from the day itself onwards is the chance to treat yourself or use those gift vouchers to make a great deal a truly spectacular bargain. Let’s do this!

    When do the January sales start?

    Expect an early start here too. Although if we’re going off the last few years, the January sales haven’t been particularly special. It’s been all about the Boxing Day deals really, although we’re pleased to report some of the better ones stayed online a good few days into January. January sales are more of a continuation of the Boxing Day sales so you can probably expect to see many stores simply rebrand the sales to ‘January’ ones from the day after Boxing Day on December 27th. 

    Given many workplaces are off until around January 2nd, retailers are keen to show you the best deals as soon as possible while you’ve got time off at home rather than try to push deals on you while you’re heading back to work or nursing that New Year’s Eve hangover.

    What deals can I get right now?

    Some of you really have turned up early for the Boxing Day deals and January Sales. Well, here are some highlights of the hottest discounts on the latest tech deals you can get in the UK right now.

    Nintendo Switch Boxing Day deals

    PS4 Boxing Day sales

    Xbox One Boxing Day sales

    So who’s having a Boxing Day sale?

    All the big stores get stuck in. With so many keen shoppers going online over the Christmas period in recent years, it’s just too good a chance for them to finish 2018 off with some extra money in the bank. Let’s take a look at the big hitters below and what you can nab from each.

    Boxing Day sales retailer quick links

    More a fan of browsing through the sales for your own special deals? Well, let us give you a head start. The links below will take you through to a wide range of retailers we’re used to seeing get stuck into the Boxing Day and January sales spirit.

    The best Boxing Day sales and deals from last year

    Want a little taste of what to expect in the upcoming Boxing Day sales? Directly below you’ll find a selection of some of the best deals we saw last year. Naturally, these prices expired a long time ago, but they they could be even cheaper now too! We’d certainly keep our fingers crossed for lower prices each year too. 

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  • The best VR apps for education

    The best VR apps for education

    Virtual reality (VR) may be commonly used for gaming and watching videos, but there are actually plenty of ways in which it can used to educate.

    In fact, many suggest that VR could absolutely transform education altogether, largely by making education much more immersive for students – which could help make lessons more interesting.

    You don’t actually have to wait around for VR to change education, though: there are plenty of education-focused VR apps that are already available.

    Whether you’re a teacher, a student, or simply interested in learning more about the world, here are the best VR apps for education.

    best VR apps for education

    Titans of Space

    Interested in learning about the vast expanse of space? Titans of space offers an in-depth tour of a number of the planets, stars and other objects in the galaxy. Plus, it does so with beautiful visuals and a well-designed overall experience. Safe to say, this app definitely makes learning about space a little more exciting than it otherwise would be.

    To help show the sheer scale of objects in space, Titans of Space does things like shrink down planets to a millionth of their actual size. For example, the Earth could appear to be the size of a house. In the app, you’ll find a variety of options, including the ability to customize the tour of space for you or your students. The app is available on a variety of platforms, including the Oculus Go and the Samsung Gear VR.

    best VR apps for education

    Discovery VR

    Turns out, the Discovery Channel isn’t only about learning on the TV. The network has also put together a VR app called Discovery VR, in which you’ll be able to experience a variety of different settings as if you were actually there. In the app, you can enjoy content from shows like Discovery Atlas, Discover Presents, DNews Labs and more in VR.

    Perhaps one of the best things about Discovery VR is that the content on it is free. You don’t necessarily need a cable subscription to make use of the app. Discovery VR is available on a number of platforms, including the Oculus Rift, Gear VR and HTC Vive.

    best VR apps for education

    InMind VR 2

    It’s fun to learn about space and the Earth, but it’s also important enough to learn about the human brain. InMind VR 2 is set inside the brain of John, a teenager, and is inspired by Inside Out, the much-loved Pixar movie. In the app, you’ll have control over John’s emotions, but to control them, you’ll need to catch the right neurons by shaking John’s head. Get the right neurons, and the molecules will help John react to certain situations, helping shape his future.

    The game is both educational and interesting to play, and it’s available on a few different platforms, including Oculus Rift, Google Cardboard and HTC Vive.

    best VR apps for education

    VirtualSpeech VR

    This one’s perfect for those who have a fear of public speaking. As the name suggests, in the app you’ll find yourself in a variety of different situations in which you have to speak in front of others. You’ll be able to practice for things like job interviews, speaking in front of groups of people and more. You’ll be graded on things like the amount of eye contact you give, the number of filler words you use and more. Even if it doesn’t truly feel like you’re in front of a group of people, it’s a great way to improve your overall speaking skills.

    VirtualSpeech VR is available in a few platforms, including Oculus Go, Gear VR, Google Cardboard and more.

    best VR apps for education

    Tilt Brush

    Tilt Brush is an excellent choice for the artists out there. Imagine if you could take the concept of painting and apply it to 3D environments. That’s exactly what Tilt Brush aims to do. In the app, students can create their own artwork in a 3D environment, through using a variety of different brushes and colors. Students can also share their artworks in the form of animated GIFs. This app is especially good for those looking to learn more about colors and how they mix.

    Tilt Brush is available on Oculus Rift and HTC Vive.

    Supported content on TechRadar means the article has been created in partnership with a developer, publisher, manufacturer or other relevant party. When you see this disclosure note in an article, it means that the article idea has been approved by another company – a developer, hardware maker, or publisher – but that otherwise the content is planned, written, and published by TechRadar without any further approval. This is distinct from sponsored content on TechRadar, which is created entirely by a third party, and not the TechRadar editorial team.

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  • Xbox streaming console leak reveals next-gen AMD processor

    Rumors of a streaming-only Xbox started emerging earlier in July and now we know a lot more about how it might actually work.

    According to a report from Wccftech, the Xbox Scarlet Cloud will utilize a semi-custom AMD Picasso chip. In case that series of APUs sounds familiar, these are the same chips AMD is rumored to introduce as its next-generation Ryzen 3000 mobile processors, which have been recently spotted in a few HP laptop benchmarks and even in an upcoming AMD-powered Surface Laptop.

    This new streaming Xbox won’t just be powered by a laptop CPU of course. Microsoft will undoubtedly want the chip stripped of unnecessary components and have a custom packaging made for its upcoming console. Interestingly, this new chip is said to offer even better performance to power, which may allow it to fit into an even smaller form factor than the Xbox One S and Xbox One X.

    Microsoft is purportedly tuning the APU to run ‘latency sensitive’ calculations, which we assume means the console will be able to render predicted frames in games. This way, before you even move, shoot or press a button on your controller, the game will be ready to animate your action and reduce the lag that streaming games suffer.

    AI comes to gaming

    The second part of this technology is a piece of software called Project Brainwave, which is deep learning acceleration platform for real-time AI that Microsoft announced last year. This deep learning software will supposedly run on both the console and on Microsoft servers, improving its ability to predict the actions of players in an effort to minimize latency.

    This all might sound like some lofty goals from Microsoft, but the company has been making strides into game streaming. Microsoft’s recently announced Project xCloud already lets you play Forza and other Xbox One games on your phone, thanks to the company converting its datacenters to work with its consoles, so the company is already putting in the legwork into a game streaming future.

    Between multiple confirmations of AMD’s upcoming APUs and Microsoft’s evolving Cloud architecture, the Xbox Scarlet Cloud is almost assuredly real. Still, there’s a chance this might be all smoke and mirrors, so stay tuned to TechRadar for more news on this front.

    • The Xbox streaming console isn’t coming soon, but you can treat yourself with these holiday gifts

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  • Gunman Clive HD Collection Returns On 17th January For A Bargain Price

    What a deal.

    The trend of Gunman Clive games being affordably priced looks set to continue on the Switch, with Swedish indie developer Bertil Hörberg revealing the previously announced HD Collection (containing the first and second game) will arrive on Nintendo’s hybrid platform on 17th January for $3.99 / €3.99.

    Hörberg made the announcement via Twitter, while joking how people should buy it, as the release date happens to be his Birthday. Here are the tweets:

    Read the full article on nintendolife.com

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  • The Wireless NES Controller For Switch Has A Few Surprises But Still Lacks Compatibility

    Retro restrictions.

    When Nintendo first revealed the wireless NES controller for Switch, details were limited. Now that the first shipment has arrived, new information about the retro-themed pads is beginning to surface.

    Read the full article on nintendolife.com

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  • Video: Nintendo Really Wants You To Buy The Wireless NES Controllers For Switch

    “There’s really no better way to play”.

    When the digital NES game library for Switch Online was revealed, Nintendo announced it would be releasing a pair of wireless NES controllers. If you’re still not convinced, perhaps the above video will change your mind.

    Presented by Nintendo Treehouse staffer JC Rodrigo, the short clip takes the time to unbox the product and then reinforces how NES games were obviously designed to be played with NES controllers. This is followed up with instructions on how to buy these controllers online. To be eligible for this purchase, you’ll need to have a Nintendo Switch Online membership.

    Read the full article on nintendolife.com

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  • Mario Kart Arcade GP DX Adds Lakitu To The Race Lineup

    New courses also released.

    The airborne koopa Lakitu has a long history with the Mario Kart series. He’s best known for starting each race and helping out when karts go off-course. Later on in Mario Kart 7 and Mario Kart 8, Lakitu was added to the series as a playable character.

    Read the full article on nintendolife.com

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  • Competition: Win A Copy Of The Exhilarating Aaero: Complete Edition

    Complete with Bass Wobble.

    To celebrate the upcoming launch of Aaero: Complete Edition on Nintendo Switch we’ve teamed up with developer Mad Fellows to give you the opportunity to win one of three copies of the game.

    Independent two-man team Mad Fellows bring you Aaero which synergizes high-speed sci-fi shooting action with immersive music elements to deliver an amazing audio-visual experience. The Complete Edition includes all of the content previously released as DLC on other platforms. It also boasts numerous improvements based on players’ feedback from the original versions.

    Read the full article on nintendolife.com

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