Xiaomi plans major expansion in India with new factories and phones

Xiaomi, the Chinese smartphone maker that has taken the mobile market by storm in recent years, is planning a massive expansion. The company is already making incredible headway in China, where it has been able to face up against some of the largest OEMs in the world, and now it’s going to spread its wings further in yet another incredibly important emerging market: India.

The Times of India said that Xiaomi will open two new manufacturing plants in India in addition to releasing several new devices later in the year. Xiaomi is best known for its smartphones, but also makes everything from fitness bands to battery packs and more.

“We believe China will be a flat market, if not, even decline, Xiaomi’s president and co-founder Bin Lin told ET recently. “Also, people buying smartphones from e-commerce are also going to grow very rapidly, and we’re a big part of that,” he said, suggesting Xiaomi will bolster its online store in India as well.

Discussions are ongoing with Foxconn, which will reportedly operate the factories for Xiaomi. New phones coming to the market include the Mi 5 and “new product categories” later in the year, Times of India said.

SOURCE XIAOMI

Apple vs. Samsung appeal heading to Supreme Court

Apple’s drawn out legal battle with Samsung isn’t over yet. The two companies are now headed to the Supreme Court after the South Korean giant appealed the ruling, which found it guilty of copying several design patents from its Cupertino rival.

According to SCOTUSBlog, the Supreme Court hearing will focus on one specific issue. The ruling should decide how much Samsung should pay for copying an individual component of a product rather than the entire device. If the Galaxy-maker wins, Apple could be forced to return the $548 million it was previously awarded in court.

Samsung was originally ordered to pay Apple $1 billion for copying multiple iPhone design patents. The ruling has been revised several times since. Last December, Samsung formally agreed to pay while also appealing to the Supreme Court, arguing that the case could set a dangerous precedent.

It’s unclear when Apple and Samsung will present their cases to the Supreme Court. The new hearing may not reveal any new juicy details about the two companies, but it could still have huge ramifications for both tech giants and the entire industry.

SOURCE SCOTUSBLOG

Salt and Sanctuary is the 2D Dark Souls you’ve been looking for

Ska Studios makes no apologies about the inspiration behind its game, Salt and Sanctuary. In fact, it revels in it. This game is a 2D Dark Souls, and it’s proud of it. What sets it apart from the rest of those games trying to fill in this niche, though, is that it is the best at what it does.

Stumbling through the dark and atmospheric halls of Salt and Sanctuary leads to  familiar experiences found in FromSoftware’s formula: brutal boss fights against towering monsters that reveal very little about their combat patterns, hacking and slashing to the place your character died to regain his salt, and saving at shining “shrines” throughout the darkened land.

Players can also inscribe messages on the floor, leaving them behind for other players to read. I mean, come on guys!

If it wasn’t so brazen about is motivations, and if it also wasn’t half as fun as it is, Salt and Sanctuary could be dismissed as a cheap knock-off riding in someone else’s wake. However, the craft and obvious homage here don’t trump the quality, and fans of the revolutionary Dark Souls franchise should really give this one a try. I’m only an hour into the darkness, but from what I’ve seen so far, I’m here for the long haul.

Salt and Sanctuary is available now for the PlayStation 4, and a PS Vita and PC version will be released on a TBA date later this year.

source: technobuffalo

PlayStation throwing a From the Vault Flash Sale this weekend

The PlayStation Store’s recent sales have all been centered around the biggest and most recognizable franchises in video gaming.The campaign hasn’t exactly given the little guys or the old guys their turn to shine, and that’s why Sony has picked a marvelous time to hold a “From the Vault” Flash Sale, dedicated to classics and indies alike.

Check out the huge list of bargains below.

Platform	Title	Sale Price	Original Price
PS4	Abyss Odyssey: Extended Dream Edition	$4.49	$14.99
PS4	Air Conflicts Vietnam Ultimate Edition	$5.99	$29.99
PS4	Counterspy (Cross-Buy)	$4.49	$14.99
PS4	Duck Dynasty	$14.49	$49.99
PS4	Entwined	$2.99	$9.99
PS4	Flow (Cross-Buy)	$1.79	$5.99
PS4	Giana Sisters: Twisted Dreams: Director’s Cut	$2.99	$14.99
PS4	Home – A Unique Horror Adventure (Cross-Buy)	$0.99	$4.99
PS4	Ironclad Tactics	$4.49	$14.99
PS4	Lets Sing 2016	$9.99	$39.99
PS4	Loot Action-Packed Bundle	$4.99	$19.99
PS4	Mercenary Kings	$3.99	$19.99
PS4	Motogp 14	$11.99	$59.99
PS4	Peggle 2 Magical Masters Edition	$1.49	$14.99
PS4	Project Root (Cross-Buy)	$2.49	$9.99
PS4	Pure Chess Complete Bundle	$5.99	$19.99
PS4	Ride	$10.19	$59.99
PS4	Steamworld Dig (Cross-Buy)	$2.99	$9.99
PS4	Strider	$3.74	$14.99
PS4	Styx: Master Of Shadows	$8.99	$29.99
PS4	Sword Art Online Re: Hollow Fragment	$4.99	$19.99
PS4	The Swapper (3-Way Cross-Buy)	$1.49	$14.99
PS4	Tour De France 2014 Season 2014 (Cross-Buy)	$8.99	$29.99
PS4	Transformers Devastation	$17.49	$49.99
PS4	Zen Pinball 2 – Marvel’s Ant-man (3-Way Cross-buy)	$0.98	$2.99
PS4	Zombie Vikings	$7.99	$19.99
PS4	Zotrix	$3.74	$14.99
PS3	Tales Of Monkey Island Bundle	$4.99	$19.99
PS3	Adam’s Venture Chronicles	$7.49	$29.99
PS3	Air Conflicts: Pacific Carriers	$4.99	$19.99
PS3	Alice: Madness Returns Ultimate Edition	$1.99	$19.99
PS3	Arcania The Complete Tale	$2.99	$19.99
PS3	Atomic Ninjas: Complete Edition	$0.79	$7.99
PS3	Back To The Future: The Game – Full Series	$4.99	$19.99
PS3	Bejeweled 3	$1.49	$4.99
PS3	Bionic Commando Rearmed 2	$1.99	$9.99
PS3	Bionic Commando: Rearmed	$1.99	$9.99
PS3	Blowout (PS2 Classic)	$0.99	$9.99
PS3	Brothers In Arms: Hell’s Highway	$8.99	$29.99
PS3	Cabela’s Big Game Hunter Pro Hunts	$7.49	$29.99
PS3	Call Of Juarez: Bound In Blood	$4.99	$19.99
PS3	Call Of Juarez: Gunslinger	$4.49	$14.99
PS3	Capcom Combo Pack	$5.99	$29.99
PS3	Capcom Super Pack	$9.99	$49.99
PS3	Castlevania Chronicles (PS One Classic)	$1.49	$5.99
PS3	Command & Conquer: Red Alert (PS One Classic)	$1.49	$5.99
PS3	Counterspy (Cross-Buy)	$4.49	$14.99
PS3	Deadly Premonition: The Directors Cut	$4.99	$19.99
PS3	Digimon All – Star Rumble	$2.99	$19.99
PS3	Dirt 3	$4.99	$19.99
PS3	Duck Dynasty	$9.59	$39.99
PS3	EA Sports Mma Digital	$1.99	$19.99
PS3	Entwined	$2.99	$9.99
PS3	Explodemon!	$0.99	$9.99
PS3	Extreme Pinball (PS One Classic)	$1.49	$5.99
PS3	F1 Race Stars	$5.99	$19.99
PS3	Fast & Furious: Showdown	$9.59	$39.99
PS3	Fatal Frame (PS2 Classic)	$0.99	$9.99
PS3	Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly (PS2 Classic)	$0.99	$9.99
PS3	Fatal Frame III: The Tormented (PS2 Classic)	$0.99	$9.99
PS3	Fighting Force (PS One Classic)	$1.49	$5.99
PS3	Final Fight/Double Impact	$2.99	$9.99
PS3	Flashback	$0.99	$9.99
PS3	Flow	$1.79	$5.99
PS3	Foosball 2012 Ultimate Foosball Bundle	$0.59	$2.99
PS3	Galaga Legions DX	$0.99	$9.99
PS3	Game Of Thrones	$1.99	$19.99
PS3	Grid 2	$8.99	$29.99
PS3	Grid 2 – Reloaded	$7.99	$39.99
PS3	Grid: Autosport	$8.99	$29.99
PS3	Grid: Autosport: Grid Autosport Season Pass	$8.99	$29.99
PS3	Heavenly Guardian (PS2 Classic)	$1.99	$9.99
PS3	Jojo’s Bizzare Adventure All Stars Battle	$4.49	$29.99
PS3	Klonoa : Door To Phantomile (PS One Classic)	$1.79	$5.99
PS3	Le Tour De France – Season 2014 (Cross-Buy)	$8.99	$29.99
PS3	Lights Camera Party!	$1.49	$14.99
PS3	Lights Camera Party! (DLC Pack 1)	$0.99	$4.99
PS3	Lost Planet 3	$4.99	$19.99
PS3	Madden NFL Arcade	$0.99	$9.99
PS3	Manhunt (PS2 Classic)	$0.99	$9.99
PS3	Medal Of Honor Frontline	$0.99	$9.99
PS3	Mega Man X4	$1.49	$5.99
PS3	Mega Man X5	$1.49	$5.99
PS3	Men In Black Alien Crisis	$9.59	$39.99
PS3	Motogp 2014	$3.99	$19.99
PS3	Namco Museum Essentials	$1.49	$9.99
PS3	Noby Noby Boy	$1.49	$4.99
PS3	Oddworld: Munch’s Oddysee HD	$0.99	$9.99
PS3	Of Orcs and Men	$5.99	$19.99
PS3	Pac-man World 20th Anniversary (PS One Classic)	$1.49	$5.99
PS3	Pid	$0.99	$9.99
PS3	Prince Of Persia Classic	$0.99	$9.99
PS3	Prince Of Persia: The Forgotten Sands	$1.99	$19.99
PS3	Prince Of Persia: The Two Thrones	$1.49	$14.99
PS3	Prince Of Persia: Warrior Within	$1.49	$14.99
PS3	Rayman (PS One Classic)	$1.49	$5.99
PS3	Rayman 2: The Great Escape (PS One Classic)	$1.49	$5.99
PS3	Rayman 3 HD	$0.99	$9.99
PS3	Remember Me	$8.99	$29.99
PS3	Ride	$9.99	$39.99
PS3	Risen 3 Titan Lords – Complete Edition	$9.99	$39.99
PS3	Risen 3: Titan Lords	$8.99	$29.99
PS3	Rock Band Blitz	$4.49	$14.99
PS3	R-type Dimensions	$2.99	$9.99
PS3	Rune Factory: Tides Of Destiny	$8.99	$29.99
PS3	Sam & Max: Beyond Time And Space – Full Season	$1.99	$19.99
PS3	Sam & Max: The Devil’s Playhouse	$1.99	$19.99
PS3	Shaun White – Snowboarding	$4.99	$19.99
PS3	Shaun White Skateboarding	$4.99	$19.99
PS3	Silent Hill (PS One Classic)	$1.49	$5.99
PS3	Soldner-x 2: Final Prototype Complete Bundle	$2.59	$12.99
PS3	Soldner-x: Himmelssturmer	$1.59	$7.99
PS3	Spelunker HD	$2.99	$9.99
PS3	Spelunker HD Ultimate Edition	$4.24	$16.99
PS3	Spongebob Squarepants: Plankton’s Robotic Revenge	$7.49	$29.99
PS3	Stardrone (Cross-Buy)	$0.99	$3.99
PS3	Strider	$3.74	$14.99
PS3	Strider 2 (PS One Classic)	$1.49	$5.99
PS3	Superfrog HD (Cross-Buy and Cross-Play)	$0.99	$9.99
PS3	The Swapper (3-Way Cross-Buy)	$1.49	$14.99
PS3	The Walking Dead Survival Instinct	$9.49	$49.99
PS3	Thief – Digital Bundle	$2.99	$29.99
PS3	Tony Hawk Pro Skater HD	$4.49	$14.99
PS3	Toybox Turbos	$4.49	$14.99
PS3	Transformers Devastation	$17.49	$49.99
PS3	Worms	$3.89	$12.99
PS3	Worms 2: Armageddon	$4.49	$14.99
PS3	Worms Ultimate Mayhem	$4.49	$14.99
PS3	Xblaze Lost: Memories	$11.99	$39.99
PS3	Zen Pinball 2 – Marvel’s Ant-man (3-Way Cross-buy)	$0.98	$2.99
PS3	Zeno Clash 2	$2.99	$14.99
PS Vita	Bombing Busters (Cross-Buy)	$2.09	$6.99
PS Vita	Code: Realize ~Guardian Of Rebirth~	$11.99	$39.99
PS Vita	Counterspy (Cross-Buy)	$4.49	$14.99
PS Vita	Entwined	$2.99	$9.99
PS Vita	Farming Simulator 14	$8.99	$29.99
PS Vita	Flow	$1.79	$5.99
PS Vita	Furmins	$1.49	$5.99
PS Vita	Hyperdimension Neptunia Rebirth1	$8.99	$29.99
PS Vita	Hyperdimension Neptunia Rebirth2	$8.99	$29.99
PS Vita	Metrico	$2.79	$13.99
PS Vita	Mind Zero	$7.49	$24.99
PS Vita	Monster Monpiece	$1.99	$19.99
PS Vita	Motogp 14	$3.99	$19.99
PS Vita	Muramasa Rebirth	$7.49	$24.99
PS Vita	Norn9: Var Commons	$11.99	$39.99
PS Vita	Oddworld Stranger’s Wrath	$2.99	$14.99
PS Vita	Project Root (Cross-Buy)	$2.49	$9.99
PS Vita	Reel Fishing: Master’s Challenge	$5.99	$19.99
PS Vita	Smart As…	$4.04	$13.49
PS Vita	Soldner-x 2: Final Prototype Complete Bundle (Cross-Buy)	$2.59	$12.99
PS Vita	Stardrone Extreme (Cross-Buy)	$0.99	$3.99
PS Vita	Steamworld Dig (Cross-Buy)	$2.99	$9.99
PS Vita	Super Stardust Delta	$2.99	$9.99
PS Vita	Superfrog HD (Cross-Buy and Cross-Play)	$0.99	$9.99
PS Vita	Surge Deluxe	$0.99	$4.99
PS Vita	The Amazing Spiderman	$9.59	$39.99
PS Vita	The Swapper (3-Way Cross-Buy)	$1.49	$14.99
PS Vita	Total Recoil	$0.99	$2.49
PS Vita	Worms Revolution Extreme	$4.49	$14.99
PS Vita	Zen Pinball 2 – Marvel’s Ant-man (3-Way Cross-buy)	$0.98	$2.99
PSP	Capcom Classics Collection Reloaded	$1.99	$9.99
PSP	Chameleon	$1.19	$3.99
PSP	Elminage Original	$3.74	$14.99
PSP	End Of Serenity	$4.49	$14.99
PSP	Harvest Moon: Hero Of Leaf Valley	$4.99	$19.99
PSP	Kurulin Fusion	$1.49	$4.99
PSP	Me And My Katamari	$2.24	$14.99
PSP	Mystic Chronicles	$4.49	$14.99
PSP	Prince Of Persia: Revelations	$0.99	$9.99
PSP	Prince Of Persia: Rival Swords	$0.99	$9.99
PSP	Prince Of Persia: The Forgotten Sands	$1.99	$19.99
PSP	Ridge Racer	$2.24	$14.99
PSP	Strikers 1945 Plus	$1.49	$4.99
PSP	Warriors Of The Lost Empire	$1.79	$5.99

So many games, so many recommendations. If we’re keeping it short, stick to the classic Capcom stuff like Mega Man X and Strider 2. The Strider reboot and Bionic Commando ReArmed will help close out those with a more modern touch.

Namco’s Klonoa: Door to Phantomile is also cheap and totally worth a look. You won’t have to spend your live savings to pick it up on Amazon if you buy it for $1.49 here.

This “From the Vault” sale is absolutely enormous with lots of great games. If you dig enough, you’re bound to find something you want.

SOURCE PLAYSTATION BLOG

Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice trailer picks at the mind of our heroine

Ninja Theory has penned a brand new subtitle onto the end of its latest game, and it is reintroducing us to Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice with a trailer showing off the madness which lurks in its heroine’s mind.

The studio wants its heroine to be one of the most believable characters in gaming history, and it is going all out to make her more realistic than any we’ve seen before. The additional “Dev Diary: Making a Virtual Human” trailer below highlights the strenuous task of recreating a human through digital effects.

As for the trailer, we’ve known for a while that Ninja Theory was aiming for a theme of psychological illness putting our heroine forward, and this is the first we’ve seen of the voices which torment her mind. I gotta say, this trailer is as haunting and convincing as the team is hyping it to be. Senua journeys into the heartland of a violent Viking country, but it is not the horned warriors who she will have to fear the most.

Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice is in development for the PlayStation 4 and PC.

source:  GEMATSU

PS4 and Xbox cross-platform play could hit business snags, says Sony Exec

When it comes to getting cross-platform online play between the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One working, it might be the policy and business side of the equation that ends up stopping the feature, not the technical difficulty.

Eurogamer caught up with Sony Worldwide Studios head Shuhei Yoshida during GDC this week, and they asked him directly about whether this whole Xbox One and PlayStation 4 online multiplayer cross-platform thing could really work out. Yoshida offered, in turn, that there’s a lot that could cause the whole notion to hit some snags.

Interestingly, the technical stuff might be the easiest part. Here’s Yoshida after talking about how PlayStation has been cross-platform with the PC for a while now.

“Because PC is an open platform it’s much more straightforward…Connecting two different closed networks is much more complicated so we have to work with developers and publishers to understand what it is they are trying to accomplish…

…We also have to look at the technical aspect – and the technical aspect could be the easiest. We also have to look at policy issues and business issues as well.”

It turns out that getting beyond the policy and business at hand between the Xbox and PlayStation platforms might be more difficult than actually getting the two closed networks to play together nicely.

If this ever happens, and that’s a huge if, it seems like it’ll take a long time.

SOURCE EUROGAMER

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutants in Manhattan release date confirmed

Platinum Games’ Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutants in Manhattan will be released on the PC, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, and Xbox One on May 24, giving you plenty of time to waste the summer away with friends and your favorite turtles.

This grand return to intellectual properties with video game rights owned by Activision follows in the footsteps of Transformers: Devastation and The Legend of Korra. Platinum Games has been able to make shallow yet solid action games out of licenses that would be treated as an afterthought by others, and many are looking forward to the Turtles returning to a Japanese studio for the first time since Konami’s legendary run with them.

The new trailer shows off the Turtles, of course, but it also gives us our first look at the franchise’s iconic villains: Shredder, Rocksteady, Bebop, Krang, and a shark character.

Cowabunga, dude! Or… is that not what the hip, cool kids say anymore? Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutants in Manhattan will be released for the PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, and PC on may 24.

SOURCE IGN

Now Warcraft 3 Is Getting a New Update

Blizzard's Diablo II isn't the only classic game the company continues to update. The studio today announced that it is planning to launch a new update this coming week for 2002's Warcraft III.

Blizzard Classic Games lead Robert Bridenbecker made the announcement in a YouTube video posted today by Back2Warcraft. The video is themed around the Chinese version of Warcraft III, but Bridenbecker explains that the update, 1.27, will be released around the world on March 15.

"Thank you very much for your support over the past decade, playing Warcraft III," he said. "Over the past few months, you may have noticed we have introduced a new battle platform. It's introduced features like matchmaking [and] the ability to communicate with your friends at a level that is unparalleled to anything we have done with Warcraft III in the market before. And on top of that, we're proud to announce that on March 15, the next patch for Warcraft III will be available in the market, simultaneously with the rest of the globe."

At this point, Blizzard isn't saying what's included in the patch. Back2Warcraft suggests in this follow-up video that the patch may include balance tweaks, but this is not confirmed.

Bridenbecker also teased in the video that Warcraft III's upcoming patch won't be the last, as Blizzard is planning more updates of unspecified nature for the future.

Diablo II's patch--its first in almost five years--introduced changes to help the game run better on modern computers. It's possible Warcraft III's will do the same.

These updates for old Blizzard games comes after the company formed Classic Games division last year.

"We need engineers to help maintain our legacy games," Blizzard said at the time. "We have a history of maintaining our games for many years. Our earlier games are still played and enjoyed today, so we want to continue to maintain them for those communities."

source: gamespot

Yahoo Games is dead – An iconic late 90s gaming site bites the dust

Yahoo announced on Friday that it’s shutting down several Web properties including Yahoo Games, which first launched in 1998. I fondly remember playing the mini games that existed on that site, and my favorite among them was Yahoo Pool – now a mobile app.

The site will officially close its doors on May 13, 2016, so enjoy it while you can. Yahoo is also shutting down Livetext, a site I’ve frankly never heard of that apparently allowed Yahoo to “experiment with new user experiences.” Yahoo is also closing Yahoo Astrology in some countries, Yahoo Maktoob and Yahoo BOSS.

The company will focus on other Web properties including News, Sports, Finance, Lifestyle, Search, Tumblr and Mail. Notice how Flickr wasn’t listed there. I wouldn’t be surpised to see that hit the chopping block next.

SOURCE YAHOO

Blizzard just patched Diablo II… after nearly 5 years

Blizzard has patched one of its most popular games of all time. Diablo III? No. World of Warcraft? No. Starcraft II? You have to think older, my friend. Stay awhile and listen.

Blizzard just patched Diablo II. The last time they did this was in October of 2011, and now they have version 1.14a out in the wild.

Why? System glitches “introduced by modern operating systems.” Thanks a lot, OSX and Windows 10. Blizzard announced the news on their forums. Here’s exactly what’s going on with Diablo II‘s latest patch.

It’s been a long time coming, but today we’re releasing 1.14a for Diablo II.

This update focuses on system glitches introduced by modern operating systems. In related news, you can finally retire those old Mac PowerPCs. Included with the update is a shiny new installer for OSX.

We’ve also begun working to improve our cheat-detection and hack-prevention capabilities. There’s still work to be done, but we’re making improvements every day.

There is still a large Diablo II community around the world, and we thank you for continuing to play and slay with us. This journey starts by making Diablo II run on modern platforms, but it does not end there. See you in Sanctuary, adventurers.

Awesome. That OSX installer will be handy for Diablo II on the go. Time for another Baal Run? I think so.

SOURCE BLIZZARD

AMD’s incredible XConnect tech brings desktop graphics to notebooks

This has been a problem since I was reviewing laptops at LAPTOP Magazine almost a decade ago: laptop computers are awesome for gaming if you’re willing to throw down the cost for a beefy gaming system. But, for most of us, our laptops just can’t game as well as a desktop. AMD is going to try to fix that with new XConnect technology, which is being worked on in collaboration with Intel and Razer.

AMD XConnect uses a Thunderbolt 3 connection to connect to an external GPU enclosure that’s outfitted with a Radeon R9 300 series graphics card. That card is then able to power games on the laptop computer, and it’s what powers the Razer Core system that we first saw at CES. The Razer Core is an accessory that enables the Razer Blade Stealth, and otherwise thin and light notebook, to run the latest games. That’s just one laptop that will work with the XConnect tech, but we should expect many more, in addition to other enclosures and graphics cards.

Sadly, the pricing wasn’t announced yet, but we shouldn’t expect it to cost much more than a Radeon R9 300-series graphics card since the rest of the tech is under the surface. Cool stuff.

SOURCE AMD