Light Start: A Cyberpunk Xbox, Netflix on YouTube (free), Facebook goes gaming and Streets of Rage 4
Brett Venter
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This Cyberpunk 2077-themed Xbox One X console is breathtaking
Limited edition consoles are a weird thing to own. They tend to cost more, they’re usually hard to find but, often, they look rather awesome. That’s certainly the case with this Cyberpunk 2077-themed Xbox One X, unveiled by Microsoft over the weekend. It’s… an Xbox One X console, so it does exactly what the others do. There’s 1TB of storage and, unfortunately, no option to use it to hack into people’s brains. It’s just an Xbox — albeit a rather bloody attractive one. There are custom panels, blue LEDs and the case has been laser etched, while some of the decals will glow in the dark. It will, of course, come with a (likely digital) copy of the game — which launches in September this year. Want one? Tough, there’s only a vague June 2020 release date for the hardware, with no pricing available yet. Whatever’s announced, South Africa’s bound to get it later than that, if at all.
Source: Xbox (YouTube)[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]
Netflix makes 10 documentaries and films free on YouTube (for educational purposes, naturally)
Free seems to be the favourite price for people locked down at home and uncertain about their next salary. And who can blame them? Many companies are stepping up to help in many ways, with Netflix jumping on board with a little something for teachers and home educators (read: parents, these days). It’s released a series of documentaries and films for free on its US YouTube account (but you’ll be able to access it here) so that some teaching can take place. The documentaries are: 13th, Abstract, Babies, Chasing Coral, Explained, Knock Down the House, Our Planet, Period. End of a Sentence, The White Helmets and Zion, covering a fairly large spectrum of subjects. A rundown of each presentation, as well as educational materials related to them, can be found on Netflix’s blog, here. Go forth and educate the little ones, for free.
Facebook’s dedicated Facebook Gaming mobile app is set to drop today
Facebook’s plans, pretty much across the board, have been sped up by the release of the coronavirus on an unprepared planet. The newest bit of the company to jump the gun is a dedicated gaming app, called Facebook Gaming. It seems the largest social network on the planet wants in on those lucrative gaming eyeballs and, since everyone’s suddenly working at home, now’s the perfect time to do that. The app isn’t about playing games, quite so much — don’t expect to find a list that includes Candy Crush and other Activision-owned mobile games — though there will be some casual gaming included. Instead, the free Facebook Gaming app is designed to take on the likes of Twitch, YouTube, and Mixer, offering users a place to stream or watch live gaming. Just how it does is going to be interesting to watch — Facebook doesn’t have the greatest record when it comes to snatching gamers away from preferred platforms. This app’s been in testing for a while, with its broad release pushed up because… well, everyone’s gaming. There will be no ads in the app at launch but, knowing the social network, don’t expect things to stay that way.
Source: The New York Times[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]
Streets of Rage 4 lands when lockdown is supposed to end — giving us another reason to stay home anyway
We’ve been following the progress of Streets of Rage 4, the brawler with the long lifespan, for some time now. Finally, after more than 25 years, we’ve got a release date for the old-school side scroller. Expect the game to drop on 30 April this year, or the same day South Africa’s lockdown is supposed to end. It might be worth staying in for this one anyway, as developers Guard Crush Games and Lizardcube have added a few more features to the title. Specifically there’s Battle Mode, a feature of the previous two titles that turns the co-op brawler into a Street Fighter-like competition. Basically, you turn your kickass skills on your friends, for the ultimate challenge. Unless your mates suck at it. There’s an all-new trailer showing off what Battle Mode consists of (watch it below) as well as some detail on the limited physical edition of the game. Hardcore fans will want that one but, like we said, it’s limited. And, likely, imported. Streets of Rage 4 lands on PC, PS4, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox One next week.
