These images are the ones Ouchao supplied in the App store, but we couldn't resist looking at all of them, so here are a bunch more.
IMAGE: INSTA EMOJI FOR POKÉMON GO
It's been a big few weeks for emojis, what with the nostalgic Disney emoji and the very current Rio-inspired emoji on Twitter. And then, of course, there's the big news that we'll actually have diverse, professional female emojis being lady doctors and mechanics and and coders and whatnot.
None of this might seem like a huge deal, but as those at New York magazine, Wired, and Slate are pointing out, emoji are having a measurable impact on the way we communicate. Who and what become emojified could more and more important in the future.
's upcoming expansion Rise of Iron introduces a plethora of standard new features along with a complete game-changer: Private PvP matches. Previously, Destinyonly supported matches assembled through the game's matchmaking system, and now players can set up their own games against other teams.
By giving players the ability to choose who they play against in PvP, Destiny is setting itself up to enter the world of esports. If the new feature isn't enough evidence that the game is dipping its toes into competitive gaming, the game's developer Bungie also released guidelines and licensing information for hosting Destiny competitions.
The new PvP features
The new private match feature, which was announced on Tuesday by Bungie during Gamescom, allows up to 12 players to compete in Crucible matches with customizable settings. Players can pick which map they play on, score and time limits, and certain game modes.
With the new expansion comes a new game mode, Supremacy, which is identical to Call of Duty's Kill Confirmed mode. When a player gets killed, they drop crests, which can then be picked up by anyone. If you pick up crests from a player you killed, you get points. If you pick up a crest from someone else's kill, you get points. You can also pick up crests that drop from your own killed teammates to take your enemy's points, which means the game encourages close-range kills.
Along with the new mode there are three new maps: Last Exit, Skyline and Floating Gardens.
Rise of Iron also introduces viewable Clan rosters. Previously, if players wanted to see their fellow Clan members they had to go online. This expansion allows you to connect and interact with Clan members in the game.
Destiny entering esports
By allowing players to set up their own matches with hand-picked opponents and specific settings, Bungie is pushing Destiny into competitive gaming. Matchmaking helps players get into competitive games and grow, but tournament play requires private matches.
For Destiny players who are more interested in PvP than PvE, private matches open up a whole level of competition. Top teams can now specifically practice together without worrying about denting their matchmaking rating. Also, online Destiny tournaments can be organized.
Bungie hasn't announced any plans to specifically promote or put on any tournaments by itself, but the company is giving everyone else the go ahead as long as they follow the rules. Organizers who are looking to pay out more than $5,000 in prizes, charge in-person fees or set up other large-scale ordeals will have to obtain a license.
Destiny: Rise of Iron is expected to arrive on Sept. 20. Players do not need the expansion to play in private matches, but Rose of Irons is required to play any of the new maps or the new game mode.
players, beware: Niantic is starting to get serious about cracking down on cheaters.
The company is starting to permanently ban players who cheat either by spoofing their location or by using software to access the game "in an unauthorized manner."
The company does offer a form for banned users to appeal the decision, if they believe a mistake has been made, though it's not clear how these cases are handled.
"We will continue to work with all of you to improve the quality of the gameplay, including ongoing optimization and fine tuning of our anti-cheat system," the company says.
September 7 is going to be a busy day. Sony sent out invites for a press event in New York. The company will likely unveil the successor to the PlayStation 4. On the same day, Apple could also hold its usual iPhone launch event for the rumored iPhone 7.
The event is called “PlayStation Meeting,” and the company plans to “share details about the PlayStation business.”
Given that Sony already acknowledged that the PlayStation 4 ‘Neo’ was real and wouldn’t be announced at E3 in June, everything indicates that Sony is ready to announce the PS4 ‘Neo’ just in time for a launch before the holiday season.
Rumors of a more powerful PlayStation 4 codenamed ‘Neo’ started emerging in March on Kotaku. The new console is supposed to be much more powerful than the existing PlayStation 4 in order to support more demanding games, and especially for the PlayStation VR headset.
Virtual reality is quite demanding, and that’s why many people are buying new graphics cards for their computers. The PlaySation 4 was released three years ago and could be a bottleneck for good looking virtual reality games. If you want a smooth experience, you need to run a game at a consistent frame rate above 60 frames per second — otherwise you’ll get nauseous. And because the screen in your VR headset is so close to your face, you want a good resolution as well. The existing PS4 will support the PlayStation VR, but the PS4 ‘Neo’ is the console you want for virtual reality.
In addition to virtual reality, the PS4 ‘Neo’ could be a good companion for your brand new 4K TV. The new console should support 4K movies, TV shows and even games. Sony doesn’t want to fragment its user base, so don’t expect PS4 ‘Neo’ exclusive games — all games should still work on the good old PS4.
Microsoft will unveil a competitor to the PS4 ‘Neo’ next year. The Xbox One ‘Scorpio’ could be even more powerful than the ‘Neo’, but will also launch a year after Sony’s new console. We will have a team on the ground in New York to cover Sony’s PlayStation event.
The HTC Vive VR headset will get its own app store this fall, as the company moves to broaden the experiences available to its users.
Viveport will offer virtual reality experiences in areas like education, communcation, entertainment, shopping and more, said Rikard Steiber, SVP of virtual reality at HTC.
"VR is going to change the world for the better. It will democratize access to experience, anyone can travel anywhere, and learn anything," Steiber told Mashable. "The experiences that were only available to a few are now available to everyone."
Viveport's launchthis fall will bring many more pieces to HTC's virtual reality ecosystem. Currently, Vive owners access VR games and software through Steam, Vive launch partner Valve's PC game platform. Viveport adds an additional layer, with a PC and mobile app to purchase and preview apps, as well as its own home space that acts as both storefront and content launcher.
But Steiber promises much more interactivity from your Viveport VR experience, saying the company will allow users to customize their home menu with skins, apps and widgets.
"My Viveport could be a tropical beach, and yours could be the bridge of a spaceship."
Launching and using apps, Steiber said, will be "a bit like Minority report," with gesture controls reliant on the Vive's two wand-like controllers. Steiber and his team are also encouraging developers to add as much controller support into their apps, despite the fact the Vive is the only headset with included controls currently on the market.
"To get true presence, you need to have interactivity and you need to have room scale," he said. "If you are a developer, I would go for the more immersive experience first, to see how far you can possibly go, then scale for platforms with fewer features."
Developers will get a chance to on the ground floor of Viveport, as Steiber said the beta would be out soon. He also promised that developers who submitted their apps during the beta period would get their apps featured in Viveport when it launches more broadly to consumers this fall.
The HTC Vive VR headset will get its own app store this fall, as the company moves to broaden the experiences available to its users.
Viveport will offer virtual reality experiences in areas like education, communcation, entertainment, shopping and more, said Rikard Steiber, SVP of virtual reality at HTC.
"VR is going to change the world for the better. It will democratize access to experience, anyone can travel anywhere, and learn anything," Steiber told Mashable. "The experiences that were only available to a few are now available to everyone."
Viveport's launchthis fall will bring many more pieces to HTC's virtual reality ecosystem. Currently, Vive owners access VR games and software through Steam, Vive launch partner Valve's PC game platform. Viveport adds an additional layer, with a PC and mobile app to purchase and preview apps, as well as its own home space that acts as both storefront and content launcher.
But Steiber promises much more interactivity from your Viveport VR experience, saying the company will allow users to customize their home menu with skins, apps and widgets.
"My Viveport could be a tropical beach, and yours could be the bridge of a spaceship."
Launching and using apps, Steiber said, will be "a bit like Minority report," with gesture controls reliant on the Vive's two wand-like controllers. Steiber and his team are also encouraging developers to add as much controller support into their apps, despite the fact the Vive is the only headset with included controls currently on the market.
"To get true presence, you need to have interactivity and you need to have room scale," he said. "If you are a developer, I would go for the more immersive experience first, to see how far you can possibly go, then scale for platforms with fewer features."
Developers will get a chance to on the ground floor of Viveport, as Steiber said the beta would be out soon. He also promised that developers who submitted their apps during the beta period would get their apps featured in Viveport when it launches more broadly to consumers this fall.
That’ll be the narrative all season after Westbrook signed an extension with the Thunder, even if the arrangement is still a short-term one.
Russell Westbrook took a sledgehammer to the rumor mill late Wednesday night by reportedly agreeing to an extension that will keep the All-NBA point guard in Oklahoma City through 2017-18. The renegotiated contract boosts Westbrook’s salary considerably this next season (a season for which Westbrook was already under contract) and locks in the following season as well, meaning the point guard’s likely new free agent date is July 1, 2018.
The obvious upshot is that the Thunder no longer have to worry about losing All-NBA talent for nothing in consecutive offseasons. There were compelling reasons for Westbrook to take this deal — not the least of which is that this setup is his most lucrative long-term path — but that doesn’t make it any less of a coup for Oklahoma City.
The fear of Westbrook leaving next July as Kevin Durant did this summer was so great that if the guard didn’t agree to this extension, OKC would likely have traded him to ensure there was a return on investment. Obviously, keeping Westbrook and guaranteeing that he can’t bolt in 2017 is a preferred outcome.
But what happens now? This is not the end of the story of Westbrook and the Thunder, just a twist in the narrative. Here’s what happens because of Westbrook’s decision.
1. The Thunder are buyers
OKC was able to offer a renegotiated 2016-17 salary for Westbrook only because the Thunder had cap space this summer. (Thanks, Kevin.) As we’ve discussed all year, the salary cap exploded, giving most teams a large amount of space to sign free agents. Along with the cap (now $94 million and projected to be $102 million next summer), the luxury tax threshold also rose. It sits at $113 million this year and should rise again in 2017.
Because the free agent market is picked over and due to salary-matching rules, it’s unlikely OKC will be able to fully leverage that payroll flexibility between now and next summer. That’s fine. Next July is where an extra year of Westbrook really pays off.
OKC didn’t have a real shot at chasing free agents in 2016. Durant decided on July 4. Most of the top options had found deals by then and Westbrook didn’t commit to stay another year until August. In 2017, Westbrook will already be locked in and the Thunder should have gobs of cap space (presuming they don’t hand out massive early extensions to Victor Oladipo, Steven Adams and Andre Roberson, which is possible but unlikely). The Thunder will be able to credibly chase top free agents.
(This all assumes there’s not a work stoppage.)
If they don’t land any big free agents? Well, Westbrook would still be a highly tradable asset.
2. The 10-year breakpoint becomes an even more prominent tool
A key reason Westbrook chose this route is because he wants to sign his next long-term deal once he has 10 years of service in the league. With 10 years under his belt, he can sign a deal starting at 35 percent of the cap in lieu of 30 percent. With a $100 million salary cap, that’s an additional $5 million in the first year and just under $45 million over a five-year deal (factoring in raises).
There’s a huge financial incentive to lock in once you are a 10-year veteran. It explains Durant’s 1+1 contract in Golden State (he will likely opt out in 2017 and sign a longer, more lucrative deal with the Warriors as a 10-year vet, barring contract rule changes in a new labor deal). It explains James Harden’s renegotiation and extension, which locks him in until 2019 ... when he’ll be a 10-year veteran.
Players and agents are smartly focusing in on that milestone. Teams are offering deals (like Westbrook’s contract in OKC) that play to that strategy. It’s something all analysts should pay attention to when reading tea leaves, and something the league is surely aware of as it looks for ways to increase star retention capacity for teams and boost parity.
3. We have a new babyface to battle Durant’s heel
We all know Westbrook’s decision comes with huge financial incentives, and we all know it’s really just one extra year of commitment. That’s hardly a lifetime tether.
For the broader audience — and arguably for us, too — that doesn’t matter. What matters is that Russell Westbrook chose to commit to tiny, underdog Oklahoma City a month after Kevin Durant bolted for Silicon Valley.
Westbrook is obviously a hero in Oklahoma now, but this will spread beyond: He’s going to be the nation’s favorite sports babyface for the next year or two. He already checks a lot of the Wildly Popular Athlete boxes. He plays crazy hard, he’s essentially indestructible and he has a sharp competitive edge. Ignore for a moment that he’s awful with the media, that his fashion is insane and that he has intense handshake choreography. Those are niche topics compared to the broader, marquee narrative which is that when the going got tough, Russell Westbrook got tougher.
Durant didn’t need help becoming a national villain — he accomplished that by joining the 73-win Warriors. In fact, the Warriors’ own heel turn was nearly complete and Durant was the coup de grace for that whole collective. But by providing a stark contrast, Westbrook has deepened the Durant dislike we’ll see in full effect for the next year. And every little bit of anti-Durant sentiment has the effect of boosting the pro-Westbrook sentiment.
By doing the opposite of what Durant did, Westbrook has elevated his standing among the broad, non-obsessive NBA fandom. (Westbrook has long been a hero among the obsessed.) He’s being touted as an MVP favorite because his box scores are going to be insane. Instead, tout him as the presumptive 2016-17 MVP because America eats this stuff up. This is Derrick Rose in 2011. Watch it happen.
What’s amazing is that the power of the narrative will overcome the basic facts of the situation, which reveal that Westbrook is a surly shot-jacker from L.A. with expensive taste and tendencies toward being a difficult teammate. As an avowed Westbrook booster since forever, I couldn’t be more pleased to witness all that get shrouded by a narrative that says Westbrook is a loyal tough guy willing to sacrifice to bring a little city some big glory.
Whatever gets America fully on board with the Westbrook Experience works for me.
– We have removed the ‘3-step’ display in order to improve upon the underlying design. The original feature, although enjoyed by many, was also confusing and did not meet our underlying product goals. We will keep you posted as we strive to improve this feature.
We have read your posts and emails and we hear the frustration from folks in places where we haven’t launched yet, and from those of you who miss these features. We want you to know that we have been working crazy hours to keep the game running as we continue to launch globally. If you haven’t heard us Tweeting much it’s because we’ve been heads down working on the game. But we’ll do our best going forward to keep you posted on what’s going on.
Don’t be a fun sponge, John. It’s not really cheating, is it? Against the terms of service, possibly. But finding out where an item in a game is and then playing the game in order to find it? That’s not cheating.
My Batman was an asshole. I can see the headlines now.
"Scourge of Gotham!" "The Bat-Man Brutalizes Petty Criminal!" "Can GCPD Keep the People of Gotham Safe from the Growing Threat of Masked Vigilantism?!"
Batman - A Telltale Series, which launched its first episode Tuesday on just about every platform, gets about as dark as the Dark Knight ever can be. By the end of the first episode alone Bruce Wayne's alter-ego will have broken multiple criminal bones, run a man through with a rebar and even shut out the memory of his dead parents.
Maybe.
Choice has been the great strength of every recent Telltale game, but it's especially powerful in a story about a beloved character that's been interpreted and explored in dozens of different ways over the past 75 years.
Personally, I chose to tread the path of Frank Miller's take in All-Star Batman & Robin, the Boy Wonder. That was a dark Batman who delighted in his own viciousness. I didn't send anyone to their grave or pick on someone who didn't deserve it, but only because the opportunity didn't present itself.
The story opens on what is effectively "Year Zero" for Batman. He's a new enough presence in Gotham that the general public doesn't know what to make of him, but he's also been around long enough to have an in with a young GCPD lieutenant, James Gordon.
Gotham's super-villainy is similarly embryonic at the start of the story. Mob boss Carmine Falcone is the biggest threat casting a shadow across the city. Catwoman is kicking around, but extreme wrongdoing from the likes of Penguin, Riddler, Bane, etc. are — at best — slyly hinted at, if they're touched on at all.
This is a Gotham gripped by crime, but you, the player, know what's really out there. Those poor virtual citizens don't even know what true wrongdoing is yet.
The episode fittingly opens with a seemingly mundane armed robbery at Gotham's City Hall. The mayor's office is the target, but why? It's one of several mysteries Batman starts to chase after he interrupts the lawbreaking and enforces his own — and, by extension, your own — brand of justice.
The neat thing about Batman - A Telltale Series is how it forces you to really think about your performance. The role you take on is an aspect of the metagame in all Telltale adventures, but it's a conscious presence in Batman due to the nature of its titular star.
You actively think about this as you play: Batman is always putting on a performance. When he's the Dark Knight, his theatrics are meant to strike fear into Gotham's criminal underbelly. And when he's billionaire playboy Bruce Wayne, he's a self-possessed rich kid.
These dual facets of Batman's personality are true in just about every iteration of the character — including this one. So as you play, you're actively thinking about roles that are already intentional performances, and it fosters a much stronger personal connection to the character.
Would Bruce get mad at Alfred here? Would he push back against the butler's constant mothering? Remain silent and brooding?
They could all fit, depending on the comic you're reading, and they're all courses you can take as you play. In its first episode, Batman is very good about offering choices that feel faithful to the different interpretations of the character through the years.
No matter what you choose, it still hits the right beats. As Bruce, you'll bicker with Alfred over safety concerns and schmooze with Gotham's elite. As Batman, you'll use gadgets to pick apart crime scenes and trade punches with lowlifes.
It's also worth noting: this game features one of the coolest Batmobiles we've ever seen.
A Batman game is only as good as its story, and this one is only a fifth of the way through. Rocksteady's Arkham series is the notable gold standard, but Batman - A Telltale Series takes a different, headier approach in letting you play into the role of whichever Batman you want to be.
For that reason alone, this is a game that's worth any fan's time.
"I would like to thank residents, building managers and businesses for their support and patience as we all try to find an appropriate solution to the ongoing issues of noise, traffic and rubbish, as a result of the game's popularity."
Hanke also said the game aimed to keep people safe while getting them out of the house and interacting with the real world. "We're trying to strike a good balance," he said.
Also speaking from experience, the mode frequently glitched and didn't work. Sayonara. You're better off getting a battery pack or battery case for your phone to extend playing time.
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