Before Xbox E3 Conference, New Xbox One And PC Game Pass Games Leak - GameSpot

While brand-new game reveals are often the highlight of an event like Microsoft's Xbox E3 2019 press conference, that's not all we have in store. We might be hearing about new hardware, and we'll certainly learn more about Microsoft's various subscription programs, including Xbox Game Pass. Before the conference begins, eagle-eyed Xbox fans have noticed a slew of new games being added to Game Pass on both Xbox One and Windows 10 PC.

Microsoft is yet to make an official announcement, but users on ResetEra and Reddit have noticed new games ready to install via the Microsoft Store on both Xbox One and PC. The full list includes games like Metro Exodus (which is only available on PC), Shenmue I & II, Hollow Knight, Guacamelee 2, Moonlighter, and Steamworld Dig 2.

The full list is currently as follows:

• Astroneer
• Battle Chasers: Nightwar
• Bridge Constructor Portal
• Everspace
• Guacamelee 2
• Hollow Knight
• Lichtspeer: Double Speer Edition
• Metro Exodus
• Momodora: Reverie Under the Moonlight
• Moonlighter
• Neon Chrome
• Old Man's Journey
• Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun
• Shenmue
• Shenmue 2
• Silence - The Whispered World 2
• Smoke and Sacrifice
• SteamWorld Dig 2
• Supermarket Shriek
• Riverbond
• Thimbleweed Park
• Wizard of Legend

Microsoft recently revealed the price for Xbox Game Pass on PC, and followed that up by giving everyone access to Game Pass Ultimate with the offer of $1/£1 for the first month. The sudden appearance of these new games is another positive for Game Pass ahead of Microsoft's E3 2019 press conference, not to mention the tease of a next-gen Xbox "Scarlet" console.

We reviewed Metro Exodus earlier this year, with reviewer Michael Higham giving it a score of 8 and saying, "You may miss the mystery and intrigue of the previous games, but Exodus puts together a charismatic crew of friends and family that you'll want to follow to the ends of the earth". Meanwhile, Alessandro Barbosa gave Hollow Knight a 9 back in 2017, concluding the review by saying, "Hollow Knight offers a surprisingly large and harrowing adventure, and it's a treat that every bit of it is just as divine as that last".

Microsoft's E3 2019 press conference takes place Sunday, June 9. It begins at 1 PM PT / 4 PM ET / 9 PM BST (6 AM AET on June 10). You can watch the event live here on GameSpot or follow our Xbox liveblog.

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https://www.gamespot.com/articles/e3-2019-new-xbox-one-and-pc-game-pass-games-leak/1100-6467518/

2019-06-09 19:08:00Z
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E3 2019: Xbox Game Pass PC Price, Games Confirmed Before Microsoft's Press Conference - GameSpot

Microsoft's E3 2019 press conference doesn't start for another few hours, but several pieces of information have already emerged regarding its various on its subscription services. A page on the company's website, seemingly live before it was scheduled to go public, has revealed the price of Xbox Game Pass for PC.

A month's subscription will cost $5 / £4 / AU $5, the page says, while there is currently no option to subscribe for a year. That puts the monthly price for the PC subscription at approximately half that of the Xbox One version of Game Pass, which is $10 / £8 / AU $11.

The page also reveals a small selection of games that will come to Xbox Game Pass for PC. Xbox console exclusives such as Sea of Thieves, State of Decay 2, and Forza Horizon 4 are listed, with more--Gears 5, Halo: The Master Chief Collection, and Ori and the Will of the Wisps--stated to be "coming soon" to the service.

Although it shares a name with the Xbox One version, Microsoft has stated the PC Game Pass library will be curated separately. The company calls it "a new experience that we are building together with the PC community." More details will be shared during Microsoft's E3 2019 press conference, where we might also hear about a next-gen Xbox.

Beyond this, Microsoft has also expanded Game Pass Ultimate to everyone. Previously only available to a select group of testers, this is a premium subscription that combines Xbox Live Gold with the Xbox One and PC versions of Game Pass for one monthly fee of $15 in the US. You can transition your existing subscriptions into this, allowing you to stack existing months toward your new Ultimate subscription. The first month is available for $1.

When Game Pass for PC was announced last month, Microsoft said it will give subscribers access to a curated library of more than 100 PC games on Windows 10, representing publishers like Bethesda, Deep Silver, Devolver Digital, Paradox Interactive, and Sega. The company also committed to including new releases from Xbox Game Studios on the PC version of Game Pass on the day of release, just like the Xbox One service. The library will add new games every month. Game Pass members can also permanently purchase the games at up to a 20% discount in the Microsoft Store, and 10% off DLC.

Confirmed Xbox Game Pass for PC Games

• Ark: Survival Evolved
• Forza Horizon 4
• Gears 5 -- coming soon
• Halo Master Chief Collection -- coming soon
• Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice
• Hello Neighbor
• Ori and the Will of the Wisps -- coming soon
• Sea of Thieves: Anniversary Edition
• State of Decay 2
• We Happy Few

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https://www.gamespot.com/articles/e3-2019-xbox-game-pass-pc-price-confirmed-before-m/1100-6467516/

2019-06-09 16:08:00Z
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Xbox Game Pass for PC pricing revealed ahead of E3 event - The Verge

Microsoft has published its Xbox Game Pass for PC pricing ahead of the company’s E3 event later today. The subscription service will be available at $4.99 per month, with access to at least 10 games during the beta phase. Gears 5, which Microsoft lists as “coming soon,” is part of the Xbox Game Pass for PC, alongside titles like Halo: The Master Chief Collection.

Microsoft appears to be launching the beta of the service today, priced at just $1 per month until it’s launched more generally. Like its console counterpart, Xbox Game Pass for PC will allow Windows 10 users to download games from the subscription service and play them both online and offline. Microsoft has promised to support more than 100 games from over 75 developers for Xbox Game Pass on PC.

Developers like Sega, Metro Exodus creator Deep Silver, Fallout and Elder Scrolls studio Bethesda, Stellaris creator Paradox Interactive, and indie publisher Devolver Digital are all on board for the launch. We should hear a lot more about Xbox Game Pass on PC and Microsoft’s gaming plans for Windows at the company’s E3 event starting at 4PM ET / 1PM PT today.

Here’s a full list of the games available on Xbox Game Pass for PC during beta:

• Halo: The Master Chief Collection
• Gears 5
• Forza Horizon 4
• Hello Neighbor
• Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice
• Sea of Thieves
• State of Decay 2
• Ori and the Will of the Wisps
• We Happy Few
• ARK: Survival Evolved

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https://www.theverge.com/2019/6/9/18658522/microsoft-xbox-game-pass-pc-pricing-e3-2019

2019-06-09 12:46:44Z
52780311311620

How to Stop Robocalls—or At Least Slow Them Down - WIRED

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How to Stop Robocalls—or At Least Slow Them Down  WIRED

Let's be honest, you can't kill robocalls completely. But you can block more of them than you might think.

https://www.wired.com/story/stop-robocalls-slow-down-apps-tips-carriers-fcc/

2019-06-09 11:00:00Z
CAIiEL_pPWQ9aLZD2utIYqqQrBAqGAgEKg8IACoHCAow-KLyCTDo8XIw2a_pBQ

The iPad Pro might be the ARM-based Mac that we're waiting for - TechRadar

There’s been plenty of speculation over the past few months on Apple porting MacOS to the ARM platform. Apple’s SoC team has been on fire, producing industry-leading processors for the iPhone and iPad that can match, or even beat Intel’s offerings in certain tasks.  

But with the announcement of iPadOS, I wonder if Apple has now changed directions and instead, is looking to bridge the gap between MacOS and iPadOS. 

Ever since Apple introduced the iPad Pro, I have tried numerous times to replace my MacBook with an iPad when traveling, but that's never worked out. 

From a hardware perspective, the iPad has always been ahead of the curve but its iPhone-based operating system has always held it back. That changed with the announcement of iPadOS at WWDC 2019. Maybe that ARM-based Mac that we’ve been hoping for is actually the iPad growing up to become a replacement for some of our Macs.

Limiting factors: Lack of a proper file system and mobile Safari

I’ve had many work-related travels where assets and materials are offered through a USB drive - something that I just couldn’t work with on the iPad previously. I also carry a camera to events and take tons of photos and some video. Bringing those to the iPad has also been challenging. 

With the new iPadOS, Apple is opening up the Files app to access external storage and also allowing third party apps direct access, so you should be able to import images directly to them. 

I’ve tested the USB functionality and it works well, but for apps to have direct access to my SD card, we’ll have to wait till official versions of such apps which will only be released after the iPadOS is released in fall.

The second issue I’ve faced is mobile Safari where I am unable to access many specialized websites such as my bank’s website or the CMS at TechRadar. This is where Chromebook has been more usable than the iPad in the past. 

The web browser is still my most used app on the Mac and while there are some iPad “apps” such as Google Docs etc., they’re usually under-powered versions of web apps. With iPadOS, Apple is trying to get websites to show the full desktop version, and I can confirm some sites that didn’t work well previously are now much better. Also, the iPad now supports downloads in Safari which, along with file management, makes it much closer to a computer.

Prior to WWDC, I had posted a tweet asking for three specific areas that I would love to see on the iPad to make it more Mac like, two of which I’ve stated above. 

My top 3 wants from #ios13 1) MacOS like Safari2) A more open and accessible file system3) Better support for 3rd party background appsJune 1, 2019

Apple is delivering on all three. 

For my last request, Apple has added a new API called BackgroundTasks. I don’t really know how well this will work with third-party apps, so we will have to wait till iPadOS and compatible apps are released to take advantage of this to see any difference. But I’m hopeful this will allow apps such as email clients the ability to sync and download emails, or news readers to download new stories in the background instead of syncing data when the app launches. 

There’s been quite a few other new additions to iPadOS such as widget support on home screen, gestures for copy/paste and undo, and multi-tasking features that improve handling of multiple apps. Also new is the ability to have multiple windows open within one app.

The iPad Pro is the new MacBook

With all of these massive improvements that Apple has made to the iPadOS, it seems obvious that the direction they want the iPad to take is to replace your portable computer - whether that is a Chromebook, a Surface or a MacBook. 

And if that is the case, then why work on porting MacOS to the ARM platform? The new Mac Pro is insanely powerful and based on the x86 architecture, where I think the MacOS platform will continue to stay. 

But for portables such as the MacBook and MacBook Air, I’m not sure I see a bright future. The iPad will be replacing them sooner or later.

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https://www.techradar.com/news/the-ipad-pro-might-be-the-arm-based-mac-that-were-waiting-for

2019-06-09 08:28:00Z
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Kingdom Hearts 3 ReMind DLC Set for Winter Release - E3 2019 - IGN

Square Enix continues to use its orchestra performance before E3 for announcements.

By Jonathon Dornbush

Kingdom Hearts 3’s new story DLC, ReMind, is set for a release this winter. And the first look at what’s to come teases some major story and gameplay additions to the RPG.

Spoilers for Kingdom Hearts 3 follow.

Exit Theatre Mode

Kingdom Hearts 3 ReMind Trailer Scenes

The trailer for the Kingdom Hearts 3 ReMind DLC, which had first been announced in April, showed the following scenes:

• Young Master Xehanort speaking with another hooded figure, who may possibly be the Master of Masters
• Playable Riku
• Playable Roxas
• Playable Aqua
• Sora wielding the Oathkeeper Keyblade and taking on a new form
• A mysterious conversation between Luxord and Xigbar

Exit Theatre Mode

Kingdom Hearts 3 ReMind DLC Gameplay Details

During a teaser trailer exclusively screened to the Kingdom Hearts Orchestra: World of Tres performance in Los Angeles, Square Enix highlighted in-development footage of the DLC. It confirmed more playable opportunities for Roxas, Riku, and Aqua. The scenes shown appeared to offer these characters as playable fighters during certain end-game boss battles during the Keyblade Graveyard sequence.

Another scene appeared to show Sora changing into what may have been an Oathkeeper Keyblade form, wearing a new white outfit while wielding the Oathkeeper Keyblade. The sequence occurs in Scala ad Caelum, but it's unclear at what point Sora can obtain the new form.

Kingdom Hearts 3 ReMind DLC Story Details

The trailer also offered a number of intriguing story teases. The first seemed to show Young Master Xehanort speaking with the Master of Masters. Young Xehanort indicates he's realized he's more important than he thought, but to what end is unclear.

Another scene showed Luxord and Xigbar speaking in a manner that tied to Kingdom Hearts 3’s epilogue.

Luxord tells Xigbar he’ll play dumb and pretend not to know who Xigbar is. But, intriguingly, when Luxord leaves, Xigbar wonders aloud who Luxord may actually be.

While no exact date was given, and all the footage shown was in-development gameplay, the trailer promised a winter release, and Kingdom Hearts franchise director Tetsuya Nomura promised more scenes fans will want to see to come.

Exit Theatre Mode

Kingdom Hearts Orchestra: World of Tres Performance

The Orchestra itself, which is currently going on tour, offered a journey through the entire Kingdom Hearts franchise, and in particular Kingdom Hearts 3. The first half of the concert ran through each Kingdom Hearts game before KH3, with medley suites of music, or specific pieces performed for some of the non-numbered entries. The first half of the show ended with the raucous "Diabolical Bash."

The second half of the show featured music from Kingdom Hearts 3 specifically. Suites based on one or several worlds brought listeners through the story of Kingdom Hearts 3, culminating in a powerful medley accompanied by footage of the final, emotional stretch of the game. Kingdom Hearts franchise composer Yoko Shimomura opened and closed the show, and even took to the piano for an outro piece.

Kingdom Hearts 3 received an 8.7 in our review. If you're working through the game, be sure to check out the Kingdom Hearts 3 wiki to find all its secrets, including a guide on how to how to unlock the epilogue.

Jonathon Dornbush is IGN's News Editor, PlayStation lead, Beyond! host, and resident Kingdom Hearts fan. Talk to him on Twitter @jmdornbush.

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https://www.ign.com/articles/2019/06/09/kingdom-hearts-3-remind-dlc-set-for-winter-release-e3-2019

2019-06-09 07:25:00Z
52780311479243

Kingdom Hearts 3 ReMind DLC Set for Winter Release - E3 2019 - IGN

Square Enix continues to use its orchestra performance before E3 for announcements.

By Jonathon Dornbush

Kingdom Hearts 3’s new story DLC, ReMind, is set for a release this winter. And the first look at what’s to come teases some major story and gameplay additions to the RPG.

Spoilers for Kingdom Hearts 3 follow.

Exit Theatre Mode

Kingdom Hearts 3 ReMind Trailer Scenes

The trailer showed the following scenes:

• Young Master Xehanort speaking with another hooded figure, who may possibly be the Master of Masters
• Playable Riku
• Playable Roxas
• Playable Aqua
• Sora wielding the Oathkeeper Keyblade and taking on a new form
• A mysterious conversation between Luxord and Xigbar

Exit Theatre Mode

Kingdom Hearts 3 ReMind DLC Gameplay Details

During a teaser trailer exclusively screened to the Kingdom Hearts Orchestra: World of Tres performance in Los Angeles, Square Enix highlighted in-development footage of the DLC. It confirmed more playable opportunities for Roxas, Riku, and Aqua. The scenes shown appeared to offer these characters as playable fighters during certain end-game boss battles during the Keyblade Graveyard sequence.

Another scene appeared to show Sora changing into what may have been an Oathkeeper Keyblade form, wearing a new white outfit while wielding the Oathkeeper Keyblade. The sequence occurs in Scala ad Caelum, but it's unclear at what point Sora can obtain the new form.

Kingdom Hearts 3 ReMind DLC Story Details

The trailer also offered a number of intriguing story teases. The first seemed to show Young Master Xehanort speaking with the Master of Masters. Young Xehanort indicates he's realized he's more important than he thought, but to what end is unclear.

Another scene showed Luxord and Xigbar speaking in a manner that tied to Kingdom Hearts 3’s epilogue.

Luxord tells Xigbar he’ll play dumb and pretend not to know who Xigbar is. But, intriguingly, when Luxord leaves, Xigbar wonders aloud who Luxord may actually be.

While no exact date was given, and all the footage shown was in-development gameplay, the trailer promised a winter release, and Kingdom Hearts franchise director Tetsuya Nomura promised more scenes fans will want to see to come.

Exit Theatre Mode

Kingdom Hearts Orchestra: World of Tres Performance

The Orchestra itself, which is currently going on tour, offered a journey through the entire Kingdom Hearts franchise, and in particular Kingdom Hearts 3. The first half of the concert ran through each Kingdom Hearts game before KH3, with medley suites of music, or specific pieces performed for some of the non-numbered entries. The first half of the show ended with the raucous "Diabolical Bash."

The second half of the show featured music from Kingdom Hearts 3 specifically. Suites based on one or several worlds brought listeners through the story of Kingdom Hearts 3, culminating in a powerful medley accompanied by footage of the final, emotional stretch of the game. Kingdom Hearts franchise composer Yoko Shimomura opened and closed the show, and even took to the piano for an outro piece.

Kingdom Hearts 3 received an 8.7 in our review. If you're working through the game, be sure to check out the Kingdom Hearts 3 wiki to find all its secrets, including a guide on how to how to unlock the epilogue.

Jonathon Dornbush is IGN's News Editor, PlayStation lead, Beyond! host, and resident Kingdom Hearts fan. Talk to him on Twitter @jmdornbush.

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https://www.ign.com/articles/2019/06/09/kingdom-hearts-3-remind-dlc-set-for-winter-release-e3-2019

2019-06-09 06:41:53Z
52780311479243