The Nvidia’s Android powered handheld console, Shield, which we originally revealed in February of this year, has finally begun taking preorders today for its upcoming June release.  The original pre-order date was the 20^th of May, but apparently has been bumped up.  The device has a reasonable $349 price, and pre-orders can be made directly to Nvidia or from participating retailers such as Gamestop, Newegg and Canada Computer.

Shield will come with full Google Play access as well as a myriad of different add ons such as TwitchTV, Hulu Plus, TegraZone, Expendable: Rearmed and Sonic 4 Episode II THD.  Nvidia stated that growing buzz for the device was the reason for the bumped up pre-sale date.  More likely they wanted to space themselves a bit from Microsoft’s reveal of it’s new next gen Xbox on Tuesday the 21^st.  Either way, this device deserves a bit of it’s own time in the spotlight.

If you haven’t yet, check it out and get yours ordered today!

[ source ]

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Popcap, makers of my favorite plant-based zombie game, have announced that they will finally revive the ‘Plants vs. Zombies’ franchise in July. The long awaited sequel to the popular strategy game named ‘Plants vs. Zombies 2: It’s About Time’ is likely to be available on all popular mobile platforms as well as on PC, Mac and select consoles.

Details of the new game haven’t been announced, however a quick read of the Popcap blog seems to suggest that PVZ2 will be a ‘Freemium’ game with possible pay to unlock features and social network integration.

Popcap have also been strangely quiet as to why it has taken so long to launch the sequel, the acquisition by EA and staff layoffs are likely to blame, however they have posted the following video poking fun at themselves for the delay:

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The next generation XBox will be revealed later this month on May 21st, and as you would expect rumors have been heating up over what the next gaming powerhouse could have to offer.

One rumor  which as fans of the current Xbox split, is that the new console could require a constant and active Internet connection to allow games to be played. The idea is provide always-on DRM, as well as provide a way to have constant background updates for the console.

The good news is that this rumor might not be true after all. Instead the newest rumor says that publishers will be able to program whether games need the active connection or not. In addition, further details say that publishers will be able to add new achievements to games without the need of a download. But the most exciting piece of news is that the new Xbox is meant to have a DVR-style recording function, allowing gamers to record game play videos and upload them to social networks somewhat like the social functions expected in the PS4.

Of course these are just rumors, and we will have to wait until later this month for the full details.

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As typical, we will cover 5 Android apps, followed by 5 iOS apps. So let’s jump in, shall we?

Best Apps of the Week – Android

Facebook Home

So whether or not you consider this one worthy of being listed as a “best app of the week” largely depends on how important Facebook is to you and if you find it acceptable to essentially run the app as the forefront of your phone experience.

Facebook Home is a launcher that is designed to replace the lockscreen, homescreen and other areas of Android. The app is currently only officially available for a few devices such as the Galaxy S3, Galaxy Note 2, HTC One X and HTC One X+. That said, there are plenty of work-arounds out there to expand support.

You can grab Facebook Home for free through Google Play.

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Cut the Rope: Time Travel

Can you believe it has been two whole years since the last original member to the series, Cut the Rope: Experiments? Since then, there have been plenty of updates to Experiments and the original Cut the Rope, but no sequel. That situation has finally changed with the latest game, Cut the Rope: Time Travel.

Om Nom is back, but this time there is a time travel theme, two on-screen monsters to feed and plenty of new obstacles to get in your way.

In typical fashion, there is a free and paid version for $.99, both available through Google Play.

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Dungeon Hunter 4

Ah, Dungeon Hunters 4, you’ve finally arrived. Last week lucky iOS users had their day in the sun. Android users didn’t have to wait too much longer, thankfully. If you are a fan of action and hack n’ slash games on the mobile, you pretty are guaranteed to already know about this series.

As I mentioned last week, I’m a huge fan of the first two games, though Dungeon Hunter 3 ruined the experience by turning the paid dungeon crawler into a freemium arena brawler. In Dungeon Hunter 4, the freemium app style isn’t gone – but at least the game has both traditional dungeon crawling and arena battles this time around.

I have now had a little time to play with the iOS version, and must say that Dungeon Hunter 4 is a welcome change, though I’d rather have the freemium app approach ended for good. I’ll take what I can get, though.

You can now snag this one from Google Play.

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Real Racing 3

Technically this isn’t a new app, but it is a big enough of an upgrade to make it worthy of this week’s list. Real Racing 3 might turn some folks off due to its somewhat wonky in-app purchasing options, but it is still one of the better Android racing games out there.

The new update adds 100 new events, two new Chevy vehicles and even a new cross-platform save function. It doesn’t end there, a new “hunter mode” also has you tracking down and overtaking a car within a lap.

Get it now from Google Play.

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OfficeSuite Pro 7.1

Once again, this app also isn’t “new”, but instead a massive upgrade. If you have ever done productivity work on a tablet or smartphone, you might already know about OfficeSuite Pro. It is arguably one of the best office alternatives you’ll find.

The new version adds support for Samsung devices with multi-window mode, improved UI changes, Oxford Dictionary to English integration, the ability to insert an image from Camera into Word/Excel/PowerPoint docs, and so much more.

At $14.99, it is probably one of the most expensive apps for Android you will ever run into. Still, if you regularly plan on using your Android device for business – it is worth every penny.

Best Apps of the Week – iOS

Cut the Rope: Time Travel

This one already made the list for the best Android apps, but it is certainly one of the best of the week for iOS as well.

Om Nom is back once more, but this time there is a time travel theme, two on-screen monsters to feed and plenty of new obstacles to get in your way.

The game is just $.99 through iTunes.

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The Thirty-Nine Steps

This unique app is based on John Buchan’s famous novel, turned into an interactive iPad experience. The game has you control Richard Hannay and has you collecting items, exploring scenes and experiencing a wonderful story.

The game is a bit on the higher end of the price totem, but is certainly worth the $6.99 to get it.

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Real Racing 3

Is there an echo in here? Real Racing 3 is not new, and was just covered above for Android. Why are we covering it again then? Because a major update has arrived for both Google Play and Apple’s AppStore.

The new update adds 100 new events, two new Chevy vehicles and even a new cross-platform save function. It doesn’t end there, a new “hunter mode” also has you tracking down and overtaking a car within a lap.

Get it now from Apple’s AppStore.

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Fish Out of Water!

Some of my favorite games of all time are by Halfbrick Studios, such as Jetpack Joyride and Fruit Ninja. This new Halfbrick game is equally addictive. Fish Out of Water has now arrived only for iOS (though hopefully Android users will be able to get it soon enough).

The new game is more casual than previous Halfbrick titles, and has you seeing how far you can fling a fish across the ocean. The score is than calculated and presented by a panel of crabs, yes really.

There are different kinds of sea creatures beyond fish, including the dolphin. Each have their own unique abilities as well.

Fish Out of Water can be yours now for just $.99.

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Twitter #music

Twitter released a new music discovery service called Twitter #music earlier this week, though oddly enough they only released it for iOS users. The new app serves up charts of songs that are currently trending on Twitter, and those being tweeted by people you follow.

It doesn’t allow you to listen to the whole song, but it does make it possible to listen to the rest through Spotify and Rdio, or download it through iTunes.

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Summing it all up….

So ends another “Best Apps of the Week”. Is it every app that released this week for Android or iOS? Of course not, but this should certainly help you on your journey to finding a few great new apps or games this weekend.

Any apps debut this week that you feel we should have covered? Let us and other readers know about them through the comments below!

The post Best Apps of the Week: A Look at New Apps for iOS and Android (4/19) appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

You think the Playstation 4 looks exciting? Interested in the next Xbox? Or maybe the idea of an Android-based game console has you waiting in anticipation for the release of the OUYA. They all need to move the hell over, because now we finally get the world’s greatest game console: the Shibasphere.

The Toshiba Shibasphere has 12 cores running at 3.5GHz and a 4GB DDR5 graphics card. It also has no controls and takes the Xbox Kinect experience to new heights. Best of all, it has exciting games like petting a dog.

Obviously this is an April Fool’s joke, and certainly one of the most creative ones I’ve ever seen from a tech company like Toshiba. What do you think, did you like Toshiba’s Shibasphere prank or not? Let us know what you think in the comments below.

The post Toshiba Diving Head-First into the Console Business with Its New Shibasphere appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

As promised the console has begun shipping out to early backers of project. Right now this is just the first batch, but it is a good start. If you have received shipping confirmation as part of this first batch, that means the OUYA could be yours in just 5-10 days. Again, the entire Kickstarter early backers rollout will take a few weeks.

For those of you that didn’t get in on the Kickstarter pleding, the official word is that Ouya will be available in select retail stores as well as online through Amazon from June 4th in the US, Canada and the UK. The little Android gaming device will cost considerably less than traditional games consoles have in the past with a retail price of just $99.99.

What do you think, are you planning on picking up an OUYA as soon as it hits retail?

[ Source ]

The post Ouya Kickstarter Orders Already Shipping, Will Hit Retail on June 4th appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

Duck Hunt was the game which came bundled with my NES and I have pretty fond memories of the 8-bit arcade shooter, so news of Duck Retro Hunt’s release on Android has kicked my day off in retro style.

As you would expect from a modern game, this Duck Hunt clone has a few up to date twists to improve and build upon the original’s game play. Aiming is handled either by onscreen controls or via your phone’s built in gyroscope, and a new AR mode has been added to.

This might not be the first or last Duck Hunt clone out there, but is looking to be one of the best implemented clones. Duck Retro Hunt is available on iOS and Android with both free and paid versions up for download.

Download from iTunes

Download from Google Play

The post Duck Retro Hunt Brings 8-bit Duck Blasting to Your Mobile appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

Samsung’s Unpacked featured the all new Galaxy S4, plus a bundle full of new accessories for the new phone. One of these special accessories is the Xbox inspired wireless Bluetooth game controller.

Those who were at the launch event describe the S4′s game controller as “hollow’ and “cheap”, not really encouraging comments and it get’s worse. Apparently the wireless add-on won’t be backwards compatible with other Sammy phones, will only work with games bought through Samsung’s app store and won’t support multi-player gaming!

The idea of an official Samsung controller is a good one, but Sammy clearly missed the mark here. Too bad, it doesn’t look half-bad, but looks can obviously be deceiving. There is currently no mention of pricing but if you really must have one it should be available from May onwards.

[ Source ]

The post Galaxy S4 gets its own Bluetooth game controller appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

Earlier in the year we reported on Nvidia’s Project Shield Android mobile gaming console.  Now Project Shield demonstrates, in a video, its ability to wirelessly pair its Nvidia Project Shield handheld gaming console with a PC.  In the video they access their game titles on their PC by simply having a GeForce GTX 680 enabled PC with the software installed.

The Nvidia Shield sports a Tegra 4 processor, a custom 72 core GPU all being controlled by the dual analog control sticks and the 4 trigger controls.  Click play below to watch the Nvidia gaming console in action!

“In this episode, we take you through a demo of Project SHIELD playing Need for Speed: Most Wanted via a GeForce GTX 680-enabled PC. You’ll see how the best quality graphics from the PC combine with the smooth dual analog 

joysticks of Project SHIELD to deliver one of the best driving experiences possible.”

The Nvidia Project Shield has managed to create an awesome handheld gaming system with enough horsepower to play titles traditionally only available on your stationary consoles.  Is this the future of gaming as we know it or do you think that pricing and other issues will hold it back from taking the mobile gaming world by storm? Let us know what you think in the comment section below.

[ source ]

The post Video Showing Nvidia Project Shield Playing PC Games appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

Are you sick and tired of buying the latest home games console only to have to wait 5+ years before it’s finally updated to the latest hardware? If so, we have some good news for you. Ouya CEO Julie Uhrman has announced that her company’s Android game system will receive a hardware refresh each year.

Just as the Ouya is based on Android and mobile phone hardware, so too will the product’s life cycle, as new Ouya systems will be launched each year with updated specs. Obviously if Sony, Nintendo or Microsoft announced a similar proposal customers would be up in arms, however as the Ouya will be priced at just $99 and will allow customers to easily transfer games from an old console to the new version, it’s a much more acceptable business plan.

The first batch of Ouya systems will be ready to ship to early backers of the product in March with a second batch expected to go on sale in June. Do you think that a yearly upgrade plan is a good idea or will its frequency end up causing fragmentation and other problems?

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