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Battlefield 4 release date theories after beta [1]

Posted: 18 Jul 2012 02:12 AM PDT

After EA made a big slip up on their Origin store listing, they have now had to come out and confirm that Battlefield 4 is indeed in development [2] . As previously revealed, a beta will take place in Fall 2013, but when will the actual release date be?

As you can imagine, there are a lot of horrified Battlefield premium owners right now who believe that Battlefield 4 is coming way too soon. A lot of gamers had expected Battlefield: Bad Company 3 to be DICEâ€™s next game, but now it seems like the Swedish developer is moving straight onto BF4 without wasting any time.

The last DLC content for Battlefield 3 is expected to land in March 2013 with the End Game expansion and now we know that after the following Summer, the beta for Battlefield 4 will begin. With the beta being scheduled for Fall 2013 though, with the game really release before the end of the year as well?

Thatâ€™s the question that a lot of people are wondering right now, but we have a feeling that Battlefield 4 will still release sometime in 2014. Another major point is whether or not Battlefield 4 is going to be a next-gen title. If the game is releasing in 2014, you would like to think so, but with the beta already announced for Fall 2013 on Xbox 360, PS3 and PC â€" it now looks very likely that Battlefield 4 is going to be a current-gen game.

Is this a mistake though? In our opinion, we would have liked to see Battlefield 4 on brand new hardware consoles â€" a fresh experience on a fresh console. Weâ€™re also taking into account the potential mindset of console owners after seeing the quality of Battlefield 3 with all of the cut content, compared to the full package on PC.

Will console owners really buy into Battlefield 4 knowing that they are going to get the short stick again? Having Battlefield 4 on next-gen consoles however may even up the playing field though with the added processing power, so itâ€™s a worry. A Fall 2013 beta doesnâ€™t rule out a December 2013 release for example, but we would say a 2014 release is more likely to happen.

First of all, what are your thoughts on the fact that the beta is taking place as soon as next year on current gen consoles? Do you agree with us that the game should be released on next-gen consoles instead?

More About: Battlefield 4, EA [3]

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LG Optimus Vu, Verizonâ€™s suspect Note alternative [5]

Posted: 18 Jul 2012 12:46 AM PDT

With all of the exciting talk surrounding the elusive Samsung Galaxy Note 2 [6] , there is still the matter of the first Note arriving on new carriers in the US. T-Mobile is now getting the device and although a Galaxy Note on Verizon doesnâ€™t look to be happening any more, Big Red does have another â€˜phabletâ€™ device for consumers to consider.

LG has a smartphone and tablet combi in the pipeline after first announcing the device back at MWC 2012 in February, and it looks like the LG Optimus Vu is now ready for launch. The bad news is that the design seems to be coming in for a lot of criticism, as many of you are unhappy with the rectangular design firstly, but also the amount of branding on the device as well.

The Vu is a 5-inch device which Verizon hopes will provide consumers with a Galaxy Note-like experience on their network. Hardware specs are decent, but nothing amazing either â€" youâ€™ll get a 1.5Ghz dual-core Snapdragon S3 processor, 1GB of RAM, 32GB of onboard storage and an 8MP rear camera combined with a 1.8MP front camera.

The choice of software may be a disappointment too, especially with all of the buzz surrounding Jelly Bean at the moment. A report [7] filed by Android Police states that the Vu is only going to come with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich out of the box â€" a potential warning sign if Verizon make that usual â€˜promiseâ€™ of an upgrade to Jelly Bean after launch, when in reality it happens half a year later.

Are you willing to look past the suspect design and give this device a go? With the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 a strong possibility for a reveal next month, we would say that youâ€™d be better off holding on to your money for the moment.

More About: Android, Samsung Galaxy Note [8] [9]

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Vampirism cure includes Skyrim Vampire Lord [11]

Posted: 18 Jul 2012 12:06 AM PDT

Skyrim Dawnguard has been great fun and delivers more hours of gameplay than most people think, which is thanks to keeping a save file when you have the choice of vampire or Dawnguard. Remember to play both sides of this downloadable content to get even more value for money, and youâ€™ll also enjoy other quests. If you have arrived at this story and donâ€™t want to learn more about Dawnguard or how to cure being a vampire, then you should either leave or jump to the comments to save seeing spoilers.

If you joined the Dawnguard in Skyrimâ€™s first DLC rather than becoming a vampire, you would have had another opportunity to change into a Vampire Lord at a later date. This had been thanks to a choice you have to make before entering the Soul Cairn, which we choose to be a vampire and did this hoping we could cure Vampirism even when a Vampire Lord.

After setting Valerica free in the Soul Cairn, defeating the dragon protecting the Elder Scroll, and also making friends with the same dragon later, which now means we can Dragon Shout and call Durnehviir for help when in battle. We then left the Soul Cairn and realised weâ€™re now a vampire and have decided to find a cure considering joining the Dawnguard had always been our first choice.

Vampirism cure for a Skyrim Vampire Lord â€" first up letâ€™s explain this is possible because we have just done it, so if you want to cure being a Vampire Lord and like us had been part of the Dawnguard before entering the Soul Cairn, then this is how you do it.

Itâ€™s pretty simple and starts by entering any Inn, which includes the Moorside Inn at Morthal. We spoke to Jonna at the Inn and asked if sheâ€™d heard of any rumors lately, although it took a few times before Jonna told us to speak to Falion of Morthal. This man has studied vampires and knows how to cure Vampirism.

Falion lives in a house next to the water in Morthal and after speaking to him you will start the Rising at Dawn quest. All you do now is give Falion a filled Black Soul Gem and meet at dawn in the marsh. You can find the exact spot using the objective and map, although you only need to find a summoning circle. When dawn arrives Falion will cure you, which can be seen in the photo above.

Do you prefer being a vampire or part of the Dawnguard? This is the same Vampirism cure that worked before Dawnguard, and it also works after installing the Skyrim DLC and becoming a Vampire Lord.

More About: The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim [12]

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Nexus 7 shipping update for US, UK [14]

Posted: 17 Jul 2012 09:47 PM PDT

It seems very clear to us that a lot of you are still pulling your hair out over the shipping situation regarding Googleâ€™s new Nexus 7 tablet. The launch hasnâ€™t really gone as smooth as Google would have liked, with consumers who even pre-ordered early yet to receive shipping notifications from the company.

The pleasing news, is that Google has now responded to the global shipping issues and have detailed a lengthy statement providing some much needed clarity and more importantly â€" some revised dates for when you can expect to receive your new 7-inch tablet.

Weâ€™re amazed frankly reading through all of your comments here [15] on the frequent nature of having actually paid for the device already, but still not receiving any shipping information from Google. It is turning into a PR disaster you feel and this latest statement on shipping by the company may be seen as the final straw for some.

Google has detailed new shipping dates depending on which country you are ordering from. For example, US consumers who pre-ordered the 16GB model before July 11 will now receive their tablet before the end of the day on July 19 â€" Thursday. If you have ordered past this date, you should expect to receive your tablet by the end of next week via overnight shipping â€" no set date though.

For the UK, all 8GB Nexus 7 models now have a shipping deadline of July 20. Those of you who ordered the 16GB model before June 30 should also receive the device on July 20. For all other orders, you should be getting the tablet sometime next week like US consumers.

July 13 seems to be the specific date that Google are quoting several times as a determining factor on when youâ€™ll receive your device. Ordering before this date should see your Nexus 7 arrive very soon, but all orders after this date may face an even longer wait depending on the date you purchased.

Itâ€™s clear that Google are having big problems keeping up with the demand. If you are still waiting for your Nexus 7 to arrive, let us know if the situation has improved for you or not. You can check out the full shipping statement from Google here [16] .

More About: google, Nexus 7 [17] [18]

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iPhone 5 simplifying supply logistics [20]

Posted: 17 Jul 2012 11:05 AM PDT

Apple is growing rapidly and the company is entering unknown territory for a technology company in terms of worldwide sales and market cap, and the iPhone 5 is expected to be the biggest release date for any Apple phone yet. This means the company is actively planning on simplifying its production process, and saving time and money in small ways can make a massive difference considering the scale Apple are working towards with the iPhone 5 launch.

Weâ€™ve heard from a number of analysts in 2012 and a few of these have produced figures for predicted sales of the iPhone 5, and while these figures vary each analyst clearly expects the biggest launch for Apple yet. One of the latest reports predicts the iPhone 5 already has 80 millions sales lined-up before the device has launched, which are from dedicated fans and expected buyers discovered through surveys. You can read a breakdown of these figures here [21] , although this is another clear sign of the massive number of units Apple need to deliver this year.

Improving the technology that goes into an iPhone 5 can also save time and money, and Apple looks to be doing this in a number of ways, which includes using â€œIn-Cellâ€ technology to simplify supply logistics. Normally Apple would use two suppliers for its iPhone display, and this includes one for the LCD screen and one for the touch panel.

The new tech within iPhone 5 allows for Apple to use one supplier by combining both the touch and LCD into one panel, which is apparently called In-Cell technology. This means Apple can use less suppliers and create a display that is 0.5mm thinner, so if you want to learn more about this tech then head over to this article [22] for more insight.

There had already been signs of a display change for the iPhone 5, more than just increasing the display size, and this had been shown thanks to PK Holding Co. and Wintek Corp. not receiving orders for the next-generation iPhone. These companies were behind the iPhone 4S display and wonâ€™t be supplying the touch-panel for the iPhone 5.

Currently itâ€™s not clear how this change will affect iPhone users when they get their 6th generation iPhone, but weâ€™ll certainly know more nearer the release date, which is expected to land within the next 2 to 3 months. If youâ€™re looking to upgrade your phone and looking at Apple then we recommend holding off considering how close we are to a possible iPhone 5 launch. We reported earlier today about the iPhone 5 front panel altering FaceTime thanks to a reposition, which you can read more about here [23] .

More About: apple, apple iphone [24] [25]

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Deadpool Comic Con 2012 trailer looks amazing [27]

Posted: 17 Jul 2012 08:52 AM PDT

Earlier on we expressed our disappointment [28] on the not so impressive looking Avengers Battle for Earth motion control game. Now though, weâ€™re pleased to say that another Marvel game is in the works and it involves the cult superhero Deadpool.

Youâ€™ll probably be familiar with him from older games such as Marvel Ultimate Alliance and more recently, Marvel Vs Capcom 3. He was also featured in the Xmen: Wolverine Origins movie, but now he is getting his very own game.

Developed by High Moon Studios and published by Activision, the game will be out sometime in 2013. A teaser trailer was announced at Comic Con 2012 and weâ€™re very impressed with what we see. The game looks like a lot of fun and as you can expect, thereâ€™s plenty of humor and breaking the fourth wall from Marvelâ€™s cocky anti-hero.

Whatâ€™s even more exciting is that the press release â€˜written by Deadpoolâ€™ himself even hints of some X-Men characters being involved as well. It almost brings a sigh to our faces when we see this excellent trailer for Deadpool, when only hours ago we were frustrated with the standard set for the upcoming Avengers Battle for Earth game.

Weâ€™re glad though that we finally have a good-looking superhero game to look forward to, itâ€™s definitely not good just having Batman out there on its own leading the way. Weâ€™re also loving the fact that Activision seems to be just fine with making the Deadpool game pretty violent. Thereâ€™s lots of tasty kills to be seen in the trailer so check that aspect out too.

Do you agree with us that this game has amazing potential? We also wonder if this game being released in 2013 will lead into a proper movie for Deadpool. Nolan North is voicing Wade Wilson this time around, but would you have liked Ryan Reynolds to play some part too? Exciting times ahead for sure.

More About: Activision, Deadpool [29] [30]

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Skyrim Dawnguard: Counting days until PS3 DLC [32]

Posted: 17 Jul 2012 06:48 AM PDT

Last month on June 26 we heard about Skyrim Dawnguard launching on Xbox 360, which some gamers totally forgot the Skyrim DLC had been promised to Microsoft as a timed exclusive. We had been reviewing Skyrim on the PS3, although considering this extra weight with no confirmed release date for the PS3 version of Dawnguard; we started fresh with the Xbox 360 version of Skyrim. This allowed us to bring hands-on reviews of Dawnguard, although this meant we missed out on what had been achieved with more than 500 hours on the PS3 version.

You can follow our detailed review of Dawnguard via this page [33] , which also includes other news surrounding Skyrim and future DLC. Today we wanted to look at Dawnguard for the PS3 and our expectations for a release date, which is likely to be a silent release after a quick post on the official Bethesda blog.

It had been known for a while that the Xbox 360 had a timed exclusive, although Bethesda didnâ€™t highlight this much over the months, so considering this is a 30-day exclusive you can guess there will be silence leading up to the PlayStation 3 and PC release. Sony PS3 players should expect Skyrim patch 1.6 to land very soon, this is needed before you can download Dawnguard, and considering gamer frustration we should see PC and PS3 players getting hands-on with Dawnguard exactly 30 days after the Xbox 360 received the downloadable content. If this is not the case then expect some gamers to boycott Bethesda thanks to the reasons behind a timed exclusive, and an increased delay.

If Bethesda sticks to 30 days weâ€™re looking at July 26 for the PS3/PC release date, which is just 8 days away at the time of writing. We have included a Dawnguard countdown timer below this article and this is set at Pacific Daylight Time. Itâ€™s worth noting this is counting down to the day and not the release time, although we will update you nearer the time when the DLC goes live.

Do you expect Bethesda to stick to the 30-day Skyrim DLC agreement, or drag the wait on longer for PC and PS3 owners?

More About: The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim [34]

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Nexus 7 review shouts praise [36]

Posted: 17 Jul 2012 06:04 AM PDT

Getting a Nexus 7 hasnâ€™t been a good experience for a growing list of people and this had been seen in our recent article about the Nexus 7 shipping [37] , which saw well over 100 comments from users that are wondering where their pre-order is? There were plenty of people that have their Nexus 7 on the way, but more seem to be complaining. This is why itâ€™s nice to hear some positive news about the Nexus 7, which is clear when you look at the reviews.

We have included a Nexus 7 video review below that takes a look at that device compared to the Kindle Fire, and also explains how nice it is to be able to hold the tablet in one hand, which they explain is much harder to do with the larger iPad. This video gives you a quick take on the pros and cons for Nexus 7, although most of the review is positive and itâ€™s fair to say that while some people have shipping issues, theyâ€™re still positive about the Nexus 7 hardware.

The Nexus 7 review that shouts praise â€" ABCâ€™s technology channel has been hands-on with the Nexus 7 and couldnâ€™t sing and dance more about how good this new tablet is, although they did start out by trying to see if the new kid on the block could beat other 7-inch tablets. These include Barnes & Nobleâ€™s Nook tablet and the Amazon Kindle Fire.

They found the Nexus 7 wipes the floor with the competition, and smashes them on screen quality, although it fails to match up to the iPadâ€™s Retina but this is expected at $200 cheaper. Have a read of the full 2-page review here [38] and let us know if you agree with their findings. In summary the reviewer found that you wonâ€™t find a better tablet for $200.

If you were going to buy a 7-inch tablet would the Nexus 7 be your choice, or would you wait to see if Apple release a mini-iPad [39] in 2012? You might also want to see this unboxing video [40] of the Nexus 7, which we posted earlier today and some of our readers might find quite funny.

More About: google, Nexus 7 [41] [42]

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