Author: Anna Galvez

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Games News

Ubisoft’s “The Division 2” To Roll Out on Epic Games Store Instead of Steam

Epic Game Stores just accomplished its first significant achievement over the Steam platform. According to a recent report, Ubisoft will roll out its The Division 2 video game on Epic Game Store instead of Steam.

When The Division 2 would come out in March 2019, Ubisoft’s online action-RPG will be available in digital format on Epic Games Store, the new online games platform developed by Epic Games, the devs behind many successful titles such as Fortnite: Battle Royale, as a competitor to the Valve’s popular Steam platform.

At the moment, the fans of the Ubisoft’s series can pre-order The Division 2 from Epic Games Store. Also, Epic Games Store would be the only third-party digital store to sell The Division 2, besides the Ubisoft’s own storefront platform. The deal between Epic and Ubisoft is of great significance as it represents a direct blow to Valve’s Steam platform.

Ubisoft’s “The Division 2” To Roll Out on Epic Games Store Instead of Steam

“We entrust Epic to deliver a smooth journey for our fans, from pre-ordering the game and enjoying our Beta to the launch,” stated Chris Early, the vice president of partnerships at Ubisoft. “Epic continues to disrupt the video game industry, and their third-party digital distribution model is the latest example, and something Ubisoft wants to support.”

Epic Games Store has already accomplished a few critical partnerships besides this recent one with Ubisoft. Accordingly, indie publishers like Annapurna Interactive (What Remains of Edith Finch, Journey) and Team Meat (Super Meat Boy) have already signed deals with Epic Games Store.

Besides The Division 2, which would roll out in March this year, Ubisoft announced that it would sell other titles on Epic Games Store in 2019, as well. However, they did not inform if those would be exclusively launched on the Epic store. If so, it would be a significant blow to Steam.

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Games News

Free NES Games on Nintendo Switch Online (January 2019 Update)

When Nintendo rolled out its Nintendo Switch Online, the company also released a series of classic NES games for all the subscribers. Now, here are the free NES games added on Nintendo Switch Online in January 2019. The last time Nintendo added classic NES games to the platform it was before the end of 2018 when the company launched nine games on Nintendo Switch Online.

However, the Japanese entertainment company did not reveal anything about its plans on the release of additional free NES games on Nintendo Switch Online.

A couple of days ago, luckily, Nintendo released a video showing the free NES games on Nintendo Switch Online of January 2019. According to the video, the January 2019 free NES games would be Zelda II – The Adventure of Link and Blaster Master. The games would be available for free for every subscriber of the Nintendo Switch Online platform.

Free NES Games on Nintendo Switch Online (January 2019 Update)

  • Zelda II – The Adventure of Link – “Link returns to Hyrule to search for the Triforce and to awaken Zelda from an endless sleep. Embark on a quest to find the Triforce of Courage and save Hyrule from ruin. Learn magic spells, talk to people in towns to get clues, collect items to increase your power and explore six palaces where the underlings of the evil Ganon await you,” the official game description released by Nintendo reads.
  • Blaster Master – “You have fallen down a hidden manhole into a world of creatures so terrifying they would scare the rats away. You can panic and perish, or blast your way through an endless maze of tunnels, searching for the secret passage to your escape. And that is the easy part, because the Master of the caverns lay waiting with prehistoric creatures so powerful, so gigantic, they literally fill your screen. So load your arsenal and get ready,” the description reads.

Both Zelda II – The Adventure of Link and Blaster Master games are already available on Nintendo Switch Online as the free NES games of January 2019.

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News Tech

Google Launches Google Maps Assistant Integration for Android and iOS

According to a report released on January 8th, Google plans to roll out Google Maps Assistant integration for both Android and iOS versions of the popular navigation application. As Google reported, the implementation of the Google Assistant in the navigation app would deliver information on ETAs, reply to messages, initiate and answer phone calls, play music or podcasts, and search for places on the map, among other features.

“On Android, the Assistant works with messaging services from the following providers: SMS, WhatsApp, Messenger, Hangouts, Viber, Telegram, Android Messages and more. And when you’re driving, the Assistant automatically calculates your ETA from Google Maps if you want to send your arrival time to friends,” Google reported.

“There’s a lot to keep track of when you’re traveling, from your flight confirmation number to the address of your hotel. Soon, you’ll be able to check in to your flight (starting first with domestic flights with United Airlines), save and retrieve your boarding pass, all with the Google Assistant on Android or iOS,” Google added.

Google Launches Google Maps Assistant Integration for Android and iOS

Google Maps Assistant integration would be one of the most important Google Assistant updates that the giant Internet company announced during CES 2019. Besides, Google Maps, the company also informed that the Google Assistant would also roll out in other Google Apps, as well as on several other products, such as Smart Clock and Display.

On smartphone devices, Google would also allow Google Assistant to help users even f the devices are locked. On the other hand, at CES 2019, Google also presented the new Google Assistant interpreter mode which permits users to translate phrases in real-time.

Back on the Google Maps Assistant integration for Android and iOS, in short, this mode would help users make use of the Assistant while on the go.

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News Tech

iPad Mini 5 Leaks Revealed The Design Of The Upcoming Apple Tablet, Reportedly

As reported by 9to5Mac, iPad Mini 5 leaks emerged on the Internet, revealing the design of the upcoming Apple tablet. The 2019 iPad Mini would come out by mid-2019, and it would boast a new antenna design, among other changes, according to recent rumors.

“The only physical attribute that appears changed from the currently selling iPad mini 4 hardware is the antenna line for cellular connectivity. Apple currently sells a version of the iPad mini 4 that works with LTE and uses the mostly plastic iPad antenna design,” reported 9to5Mac.

Besides the revamped antenna design, the future iPad Mini 5 could come out in a new shade of gold. Currently, the iPad Mini 4 is sold in silver, space grey, and gold.

“Starting with the 9.7-inch iPad Pro, iPads have switched to a more minimal antenna design that relies on a slim trace in the shape of the old antenna design (although the new iPad Pro has moved on to yet another design). No iPad that Apple has released has used that antenna style without a four-speaker system,” wrote 9to5Mac.

iPad Mini 5 Leaks Revealed The Design Of The Upcoming Apple Tablet, Reportedly

Besides the minimal design change, the upcoming Apple tablet, iPad Mini 5, would feature the same things as the current iPad Mini 4. Accordingly, the iPad Mini 5 would come out with a 3.5-mm headphone jack, side volume controls, Lightning connector, plus a couple of stereo speakers at the bottom.

Also, iPad Mini 5 would boast Touch ID, a feature missed by the 2018 iPad Pro models. Nonetheless, the next mini Apple tablet would be the first the Cupertino-based company had released since 2015 when iPad Mini 4 rolled out.

The current-gen iPad Mini 4 is still sold around the world, and, in Canada, you can buy it for CAD 529. The future iPad Mini 5 would come out later this year, most likely by the mid-2019.

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Games News

Assassin’s Creed Odyssey Update Brings New “Level Scaling” Options

Assassin’s Creed Odyssey is having a strange approach to how the game is showing the enemies level. Now, Ubisoft announced that an Assassin’s Creed Odyssey update brings new “level scaling” options, among other things.

Currently, “every region on Assassin’s Creed Odyssey map has two numbers associated with it. Those numbers indicate, in part, how leveled up you need to be to explore the region without getting thrashed. If you’re in a region and start leveling up, the quests in that region will level up with you. Enter a level six zone at character-level six and then improve to seven, and any level six quests you grabbed in that region become level seven quests, complete with tougher enemies,” explained Kotaku.

“If you hit the max level for the region and playing at normal difficulty, then quests will keep leveling but will lag some and eventually stay two levels behind your character, no matter how high you go,” the site added.

Assassin’s Creed Odyssey Update Brings New “Level Scaling” Options

Now, Assassin’s Creed Odyssey update of January brings new “level scaling” options, allowing gamers to change the way the game is handling scaling. Thanks to the new feature, players would be able to let the things as they already are, block all enemies to their in-game level, permit them to drop two levels under their own one, and so on.

For the beginners, the new “level scaling” options in Assassin’s Creed Odyssey can help them get used with the game by lowering the difficulty by reducing enemies’ levels by four.

According to Ubisoft, “as soon as the update hits on January 10th, visit the options menu and find the Level Scaling setting. From there you’ll be able to customize how drastically the enemies will scale to your level:”

  • Heavy – All enemies remain at your level.
  • Normal – No change in the difficulty settings.
  • Light – Content is around two levels below your level.
  • Very Light – Content is around four levels below your level.

However, keep in mind that the new Assassin’s Creed Odyssey “level scaling” options are not available for the Nightmare Difficulty Mode.

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