Wednesday, July 17, 2013

Halo: Spartan Assault revealed for Windows Phone and Windows 8, we go hands-on

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Halo Spartan Assault announced for Windows Phone and Windows 8, we go handson

Between the Xbox One, Steven Spielberg's latest TV project and the approach of E3, fans have been eagerly awaiting the announcement of a new Halo game. 343 Industries has heard their pleas, but its answer is somewhat unexpected -- the next game in the legendary franchise isn't for Microsoft's next-generation game console, but for the company's mobile and tablet platforms. Built specifically for Windows Phone and touch-enabled Windows 8 devices, Halo: Spartan Assault hopes to offer the essence of Halo in a portable format. Engadget stopped in at the game's launch event to take a look.

"In a nutshell, it's a top-down twin stick arcade-style action shooter," explained Dan Ayoub, executive producer at 343 Industries. "Really, a brand new way to play Halo." Ayoub told us that the game was designed to push the limits of phone and tablet graphics, stressing the Halo franchise's history as a trailblazer on Microsoft platforms. "We wanted this to be no exception," he said, inviting journalists at the event to try the game for themselves. We picked up a nearby Surface Pro slate and tucked in.
Halo: Spartan Assault See all photos 20 Photos

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True to Ayoub's word, Halo: Spartan Assault looked pretty sharp on the tablet's 10.6-inch display, but it took an HDTV to make the title's graphics really shine. It's not that it looked so much better on a 40-inch display, it's just that it didn't look worse -- presenting a clear, detailed world with no noticeable aliasing. It's not going to compete with your Xbox in visual fidelity, but it upscales well.

The game's control scheme is a top-down standard: a virtual left-hand joystick controls your Spartan's movement and a starboard counterpart dictates aim. Fans of games like Gun Bros. should feel right at home. The demo's control sticks felt a little too sensitive at first, but we eventually adjusted and took to the battlefield, tearing through Covenant forces with various rifles, shotguns and even a tank. 343 devs told us that they wanted to make sure the game felt like Halo, and including vehicles was a must.

Most of Halo's trappings seem to have made the leap to mobile well enough, but one fan favorite didn't make the cut: multiplayer. "What we've got right now has been designed for a single player experience," 343's Kevin Grace told us. "There are multiplayer components in the challenges and leader boards -- so you can challenge your friends and get that level of interaction -- but for this story and this particular game, it's just single player." In fact, story seems to be a major part of the project, following the rise of Sarah Palmer and filling in the narrative gaps between Halo 3 and Halo 4. The game will also have a companion comic book series called Halo: Initiation, which further details Palmer's saga.

Halo Spartan Assault announced for Windows Phone and Windows 8, we go handson

Naturally, the adventure is bound for Microsoft Platforms, and will be arriving exclusively on Windows Phone and Windows 8 devices next month. 343 developers wouldn't rule out the possibility of a future Android or iOS port, but they wouldn't entertain the idea either, telling us that the game was being optimized for Windows platforms. Even so, Windows 8 desktop users will have to wait a bit before getting a fully optimized experience: the game won't support the wired Xbox 360 controller, leaving PC gamers with only a keyboard and mouse to control their dual-stick shooter. We're told that controller support will be added sometime after launch.

It's almost surprising that Halo didn't make the transition to mobile sooner, but Grace suggests that its a matter of quality. "Everything that 343 does starts with fan expectations in mind," he told us. "We know where the bar is set for Halo." Is Halo: Spartan Assault good enough to satiate discerning fans? Maybe. It's at least as fun as any other top-down shooter, and the Halo brand goes a long way -- but the game's Windows 8 and Windows Phone exclusivity is bound to burn fans on the iOS / Android end of the spectrum. Still, if you bought into Microsoft's would-be mobile gaming platform, you'll be able to pick it up in July for $6.99. Read on for the game's official press release.

Show full PR text


"Halo: Spartan Assault" Brings the Award-Winning "Halo" Franchise to Windows 8 Devices this July
With best-in-class action, audio and graphics, "Halo: Spartan Assault" showcases the epic scale and action of the "Halo" universe only on Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8

With millions of franchise fans worldwide, Microsoft and 343 Industries today revealed an all-new way for gamers to experience "Halo;" this time, you can do it on Windows 8 devices.

Available this July for $6.99 ERP1 only on Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8, "Halo: Spartan Assault" is the first top-down action shooter that brings a "Halo" video game to touch-based devices. Developed by 343 Industries in conjunction with Vanguard Games, "Halo: Spartan Assault" provides an accessible, pick-up-and-play experience for fans and newcomers alike.

Set between the events of "Halo 3" and "Halo 4," "Halo: Spartan Assault" explores the first missions of the Spartan Ops program and dives deeper into the backstory of Human-Covenant wars. Play through the eyes of either Commander Sarah Palmer or Spartan Davis stationed aboard the UNSC Infinity as they fight in never-before-seen battles against Covenant forces.

With 25 unique missions featuring unrivaled action and intensity, the single-player experience allows you to compete against friends in Leaderboards or hone your skills with Weekly Challenges. Replay the missions to collect more than 40 in-game Achievements and Medals.

For fans who already have a prospering Spartan career aboard the UNSC Infinity, "Halo: Spartan Assault" lets you earn experience points (XP), all-new Achievements, and emblems for your "Halo 4" Spartan, with additional integration features available after launch.

In addition, 343 Industries has teamed up with Dark Horse Comics to create "Halo: Initiation," 2 a 3-part comic series which reveals the story of how Commander Sarah Palmer became a Spartan-IV and leads directly into the exciting missions of "Halo: Spartan Assault."

To watch the trailer and learn more about "Halo: Spartan Assault," please visit Halo Waypoint: http://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/games/halospartanassault

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ASUS Transformer Pad Infinity launches: 2,560 x 1,600 display, capable of 4K output (hands-on)

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ASUS Transformer Pad Infinity launches 2,560 x 1,600 display, capable of 4K output handson

Promising to transform our devices and our lives, Jonny Shih revealed the Transformer Pad Infinity to a packed press room here at Computex 2013. Its 10.1-inch screen packs a potent 2,560 x 1,600 resolution, alongside a quad-core Tegra 4 chip clocked at 1.9GHz, USB 3.0 port, Bluetooth 3.0 and, whoa, 4K output via HDMI. There's 32GB of internal storage, residing inside a spun metallic-finished that's very similar to the current Zenbook series and last-generation Infinity tablets, while you'll get an SD slot through its companion dock too. We're waiting on more specifics (namely something closer to a date and pricing) and we'll let you know here when we hear 'em. For now, a quick hands-on video and some impressions are right after the break. ASUS Transformer Pad Infinity hands-on (2013) See all photos 19 Photos

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In short, that display is pin-sharp. Obviously. According to one Engadget Editor, it was hard to differentiate from that resolution and 4K, but that may have been due to the distance between us and the tablet. Yep, we weren't allowed to touch it, although it's looking pretty similar the Transformer tablets we've seen before, albeit with some heavy-duty specification upgrades. We're looking forward to testing its performance (and that aforementioned UHD output) when it eventually makes it to our review inbox.

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CRTC wireless code lets Canadians cancel contracts after two years, caps excessive data fees

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CRTC wireless code lets Canadians cancel contracts after two years, caps excessive data fees

It's spent the past few months soliciting feedback from Canadian wireless users, and the CRTC has now announced the details of a new wireless code that it says "addresses the main frustrations that Canadians shared with the CRTC." At the top of that list is the length of cellphone contracts, which will now effectively be capped at two years -- carriers may still be able to offer longer terms, but you'll be able to cancel your contract after two years with no cancellation fees. The code also places some significant new caps on data fees: excess data charges will be capped at $50 per month, while international roaming charges will be capped at $100 per month.

Beyond that, Canadians will now be able to get their phones unlocked after 90 days (or sooner if you've bought the device outright, although the actual unlocking fee isn't specified), and they'll be entitled to a 15-day trial period, during which they can return their phone and cancel their contract if they're unhappy with their service. The code also promises to enforce "plain language" in contracts -- ensuring, for instance, that you don't pay any extra charges for services described as "unlimited." Notably, however, the code doesn't immediately cover all current cellphone users. It only applies to new (or extended) contracts starting on December 2nd of this year. In the meantime, you can read up on all the finer details at the source link below.

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Microsoft said to cut prices for OEMs who push Windows RT on small tablets

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Microsoft said to cut prices for OEMs who push Windows RT on small tablets

Acer has already managed to cram full Windows 8 into a $380 8-incher (shown above), but ARM-based Windows RT tablets have the potential to drive prices down even further -- if only someone, somewhere would see their merit. According to Bloomberg, Microsoft is now trying to help things along by offering discounts to OEMs who'll use RT in smaller tablets. The prices in question are confidential, so it's hard to gauge the likely impact for consumers, but with Dell's XPS 10 (shown above) still costing $400 with its dock, and with Surface RT fetching $500, there's definitely scope for improvement.

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Best Bet: Obey Uptown Duffle

Summer weekends mean lake houses and beach getaways — which means you'll need a weekend bag to tote on your travels. But do you choose a stylish bag, or something easy to carry? Obey's Uptown Duffle is both: Shaped like traditional carry-all, the bag has two padded backpack straps in a convertible compartment on the bottom. (As seen here and here.) Yank them out, latch them on, and you've got a supported, posture-friendly version of that thing where you loop your arms through the straps on your gym bag, but it's extremely uncomfortable because it's not actually made to be used that way. This one, however, is.

Obey Uptown Duffle, $121 at Revolve Clothing


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Insert Coin: Sonte smartphone-controlled window film turns opaque in a split second

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In Insert Coin, we look at an exciting new tech project that requires funding before it can hit production. If you'd like to pitch a project, please send us a tip with "Insert Coin" as the subject line.

Insert Coin Sonte smartphonecontrolled window film turns opaque in a split second

Smartphone control of your home is nothing new thanks to the likes of Nest and many, many others -- but automated window coverings have always been a spendy proposition. Now, Sonte is bringing its smartphone-controlled tech onto Kickstarter, giving backers a shot at the high-tech digital shades we saw at CES 2013. It works by going from transparent to opaque in a split second when current is applied, giving you privacy and light control -- or a makeshift projector screen -- at the flip of a switch or via an iOS or Android app. After measuring your windows, you'll be able to purchase the size you need and apply it yourself like a regular window film as shown in the video after the break. Ten square feet or so of the material will run around $184 for a non-WiFi, switch activated piece, while a smartphone-activated strip of the same size will cost $234. So, if you've been looking for electric shades, and are up to the installation challenge, hit the source to pledge.

Previous project update: Lofting telescopes into space requires lofty goals, but ARKYD is orbiting close to its $1 million dollar target, having netted $690,000 with 27 days left on Kickstarter.

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