Twitch has started testing a new feature that allows streamers to watch Prime Video with their viewers — as long as they’re also subscribers. Travis Shreffler, a content creator and author, has tweeted an email he received from Prime Video, inviting him to test a new feature called Watch Parties. The invitation says streamers will be able to show a selection of Prime Video movies and…
The Google Stadia controller prototypes
October 19, 2019
An exclusive look at how Google designed its Stadia game controller
Stan Horaczek,
Popular Science
We’ve known for months that Google built its own controller for the upcoming Stadia game streaming service. But Popular Science recently got a behind-the-scenes look…
Fortnite is finally getting better spatial audio
October 18, 2019
One of the reasons I couldn’t get into Fortnite was the sound. PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds has an excellent and accurate sound model, and that made it difficult to move to another game that doesn’t. In Fortnite, it was difficult to tell where attacks were coming…
You can now subscribe to your favorite streamers from your iOS device, provided you have an iOS device and have updated the Twitch app. Truly we are living in the future.
Twitch announced the news at this year’s TwitchCon in San Diego, but the feature rolled out today. It’s a little different than your usual Twitch subscribing experience, and yes, it is Apple’s fault. The reason it’s taken…
Sonic & Knuckles turned a problem into success 25 years ago
October 18, 2019
Sonic & Knuckles is what happens when you make the best out of a bad situation.
The Sega Genesis 2D platformer is celebrating its 25th anniversary today. But Sonic & Knuckles only exists because of time and memory constraints. Sega had planned for everything that’s…
Blizzard is banning people in its Hearthstone Twitch chat for pro-Hong Kong statements
October 18, 2019
In February, Blizzard announced a new Hearthstone e-sports program, called the Masters Tour, to pit the game’s best players against each other for a chance to win the acclaim of the internet (and potentially a lot of money). A European leg of the tour is currently…
Twitch viewers can subscribe to streamers on iOS
October 18, 2019
Twitch users on iOS can now subscribe to their favorite streamers directly from the app. It’ll offer the same benefits of subscribing on desktop, including ad-free viewing, sub badges, channel emotes and sub-only chat, as well as supporting the partner or affiliate monetarily.
Subscriptions work differently on iOS than other platforms on which Twitch is available. You’ll need to buy…
IKEA begins selling its FYRTUR smart blinds in some US stores
October 18, 2019
The downright confusing saga that is IKEA’s rollout of its FYRTUR blackout smart blinds in the US continues. The company had initially planned to release them stateside on April 1st, before delaying the launch to October 1st. The appointed date then came and went and…
I’m standing in the middle of my living room. Something resembling a garter belt is wrapped snugly around my left thigh. I’m squatting, fast. I may as well be twerking. I haven’t had coffee yet. I’m supposed to be working. But this week, this is my…
Taking lessons from the success of the Overwatch League, Activision has revamped the structure of its esports competition in the newly re-christened Call of Duty League.
The new league is now ready to share a lot about how it is reinventing the league for the new era of esports. That includes a structure for city-based teams, a way for fans to compete, and the pop culture intersections that could…
