!['The World Ends With You' Broken on iOS 8, No Update Coming [UPDATED]](https://geardiary.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/The-World-Ends-With-You.jpg "'The World Ends With You' Broken on iOS 8, No Update Coming [UPDATED] 1")
One of the best, most original and unique games for the Nintendo DS was “The World Ends With You”. Square Enix delivered excellent single-player iPhone and iPad versions called ‘Solo Remix’ in summer 2012 for an audience-limiting $17.99/$19.99. Now a game-killing iOS 8 bug has been identified, and it isn’t clear if it will be fixed.
In a stunning surprise move, New York-based investment firm Columbus Nova announced that it has bought Sony Online Entertainment (SOE) for an undisclosed amount and reformed it as Daybreak Game Company, and seems set to begin expanding game releases beyond PC and Playstation-centric MMO (massively multiplayer online) games, possibly moving to XBOX and mobile platforms! The news appeared first in a forum post and was later confirmed. SOE is best known for creating EverQuest, PlanetSide 2, DC Universe Online, H1Z1, Landmark, and the upcoming EverQuest Next. The company has been renamed Daybreak Game Company and is being headed up by…
Much of the big noise from the recent NAMM show was about bringing back the classic analog synths of the 60s and 70s. But what about the workhorses of the digital era? Those tools for those of us starving for polyphony on a budget? Roland is answering this with the introduction of the Sound Canvas module for iOS.
It is ironic that I started playing Grim Fandango as I was writing up this review. Why? Because it allowed me to compare this game with one of the absolute classics of the genre. The revitalized adventure game genre provides plenty of comparisons, and allowed me to see both good and not so good elements in Supreme League of Patriots.
While I am constantly amazed at the long-term support iOS game developers put into supporting their customers, I also know that it cannot last forever – revenues for old games diminish, and new projects need the time and resources. So while it is sad that Spacetime Studios is dropping some older games, it isn’t surprising – or even bad!
I loved Duke Nukem 3D from the moment it was released for the PC in MS-DOS, which was 19 years ago this week. Since then I have played it on Mac, Windows, OS X, iOS, Android, the Nintendo GBA version, and most recently the Playstation Vita. VoidPoint has acquired the rights and is publishing a ‘Hail to the Chief’ collection!
Yesterday we invited everyone to join us on the Outlook Mobile App Challenge, which seemed like a fun way to put this new ‘universal inbox’ app to the test. Since then some significant security concerns have been identified that makes this an app that we cannot recommend using right now. As a result, we’re stopping the challenge immediately.
Yesterday I wrote about the new Outlook app for iOS/Android, calling it a truly universal inbox that aggregates emails from all of the popular webmail services – Gmail, iCloud, Yahoo!, Hotmail, and Outlook – into a single unified Inbox. I am settled in my dual Mail/Mailbox routine, so Wayne challenged me to try Microsoft Outlook only for a week. Are you in?
Wow! 2015 is already off to any amazing start in terms of gaming! We’ve seen great stuff for iOS, Android, consoles, Mac and PC in just these normally quiet first few weeks. Now we are seeing another Steam Early access launch. This time it is for a competitive online shooter, Ratz Instagib which is just out and already popular!
More than two years ago I posted a review of PC action-RPG sequel Torchlight II. I called it “pretty much the realization of the Bop-It Extreme mantra ‘do it the same … but BETTER’.” I also noted the Mac version ‘coming soon’. Apparently ‘soon’ means 28 months, as Runic games announced a February 2nd release in a funny video.
Last week I reviewed ‘Satellina’, the puzzle in motion game I called a rare ‘simple to learn but constantly challenging’ experience that is well worth the $1.99 cost. This week as promised Moon Kid has released the game for Android on the Google Play store, and has also unleashed a free download from the game’s unique soundtrack! Check it out!
One of the great things about the recent rise of indie gaming is the sustained support for games over a long period. Successful online tactical RPG strategy game Pox Nora was purchased from Sony by the original developers who had founded a new studio called Desert Owl Games. Now they have released their first expansion called Ronin.
The quest for a truly ‘universal’ inbox for iOS is something many of us have been on since the beginning – we already had accounts on iCloud, Hotmail, Yahoo and of course Gmail … but there have always been limitations around notifications, account handling and more. Based on Accompli, the new Outlook app seeks to become your truly universal Inbox.
Last summer GRIN Studios had a Kickstarter for their unconventional un-fairy tale Woolfe: The Red Hood Diaries. Woolfe looks at the adventures of an adult Red Riding Hood as she seeks to avenge her parents deaths. The game was successfully funded, and is progressing towards release. Now GRIN announces that the game is available for Early Access on Steam.
Sony Music is one of the biggest music industry publishers, but their online service ‘Music Unlimited’ hasn’t lived up to the ‘Spotify Killer’ origins. So they are making the smart move of partnering with Spotify to bring music streaming to Playstation 3 and 4 and Xperia phone and tablet owners on the Playstation Network.
We all know that Apple is doomed… it must be, people have been saying so since the Mac vs. PC days of the late 1980s. In spite of their inevitable demise, Apple chose yesterday to announce that it had exceeded profit and revenue estimates while selling 74.5 million iPhones and 21.4 million iPads last quarter.
When my kids were young, it was the early days of educational computer games, and we were fortunate to have some awesome experiences with software that was interactive and educational. Times have rapidly advanced, and now a new game called Dino Tales presents an interactive world for kids to create and explore using methods including SIRI technology ‘word wheels’.
Last fall G5 Entertainment released G5 Jackpot Casino: Free Vegas Slots for the iPad, a free-to-play casino game with plenty of in-app purchase options. While slot machines and gambling games really aren’t my thing, the quest-based gameplay was engaging and offered loads of incentives to keep playing. What was missing was an iPhone version – which arrives now!
Two of the biggest trends for indie games recently are so-called ‘roguelikes’ and space-based simulations. Add real-time shooters and you have the recipe for a fun and addictive game that will appeal to a broad cross-section of players. That is what Stellar, a roguelike space shooter, is offering in a game with a planned 2016 release date. Check it out!
One of the fun things in first-person shooter games is all of the weapons you can play around with … but it also gets pretty silly in terms of what you are able to carry by the end of the game. Pistols, machine guns, shotguns, grenade launchers, missiles, etc! Now Mythbusters is going to try to carry it all!
One thing I love about using IK Multimedia gear is how it enhances my ability to make music anywhere by drawing power from the 30-pin or Lightning port of my iPhone or iPad. The obvious problem is the power used by an accessory such as iRig Keys Pro comes from your phone, lowering already precious battery life. Enter iRig PowerBridge.