Month: August 2024
Castlevania’s classic DS trilogy is coming to the Switch
Image: Konami
Three of the best Castlevania games are launching on the Switch very soon — Nintendo just revealed the Castlevania Dominus Collection, which will be available on August 27th.
The bundle brings together the trilogy of Castlevania titles that originally debuted on the Nintendo DS; that means Dawn of Sorrow, Portrait of Ruin, and Order of Ecclesia. As a bonus, the 1987 arcade game Haunted Castle is also included. Konami says that the games have been updated with “extra features such as save states or rewind.” That might make up for the lack of a second screen for displaying the map.
With the launch, the Switch is slowly turning into the ideal Castlevania machine thanks to a number of other bundles, like the Castlevania Anniversary Collection, along with the Castlevania Advance Collection, which similarly gathered together a trilogy of beloved GBA games. Now we just need a port of Castlevania Requiem with Symphony of the Night and Rondo of Blood to complete the set.
And if you don’t have a Switch, the Dominus Collection is also coming to other platforms, including PC, Xbox, and PlayStation.
Image: Konami
Three of the best Castlevania games are launching on the Switch very soon — Nintendo just revealed the Castlevania Dominus Collection, which will be available on August 27th.
The bundle brings together the trilogy of Castlevania titles that originally debuted on the Nintendo DS; that means Dawn of Sorrow, Portrait of Ruin, and Order of Ecclesia. As a bonus, the 1987 arcade game Haunted Castle is also included. Konami says that the games have been updated with “extra features such as save states or rewind.” That might make up for the lack of a second screen for displaying the map.
With the launch, the Switch is slowly turning into the ideal Castlevania machine thanks to a number of other bundles, like the Castlevania Anniversary Collection, along with the Castlevania Advance Collection, which similarly gathered together a trilogy of beloved GBA games. Now we just need a port of Castlevania Requiem with Symphony of the Night and Rondo of Blood to complete the set.
And if you don’t have a Switch, the Dominus Collection is also coming to other platforms, including PC, Xbox, and PlayStation.
AT&T Takes Up to $1,000 Off iPhone 15 Models Ahead of iPhone 16 Launch
We’re just a few weeks away from the debut of the newest iPhone models in September, but you can still get great deals on iPhone 15 models at AT&T this week. The carrier is offering as much as $1,000 off select models of the iPhone 15, and great discounts on previous generation devices as well.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
The headliner is $1,000 off the iPhone 15 Pro Max when you trade in your current smartphone and purchase the new iPhone on an eligible unlimited plan. This offer will be applied in bill credits over 36 months, and it knocks the monthly price of the 256GB iPhone 15 Pro Max down to around $5.56/month (from $33.34/month).
UP TO $1,000 OFFiPhone 15 Deals at AT&T
For the iPhone 15 Pro, AT&T is offering the 128GB model at no cost when you trade in your current smartphone and purchase the new iPhone on an eligible unlimited plan. This offer is the same as the previous one, so you’ll see up to $1,000 applied in bill credits over 36 months, knocking the price of the 128GB iPhone 15 Pro down to $0/month (from $27.78/month).
iPhone 15 models are seeing up to $700 in discounts right now at AT&T, making the iPhone 15 as low as $3.62/month and the iPhone 15 Plus as low as $6.39/month. For even steeper savings, AT&T has the iPhone SE from 2022 for $1.99/month when purchased on a qualifying unlimited plan, but you don’t need to have a trade-in for this offer.
If you’re shopping for an Apple Watch, AT&T is offering $300 off in bill credits over 36 months when you purchase two Apple Watches on an installment plan. This covers Apple Watch Series 9, Apple Watch Ultra 2, and Apple Watch SE.
Of course, there are also numerous deals on non-Apple smartphones, like the Google Pixel 9 Pro for free when you trade in any Pixel phone and purchase the new device on a qualifying installment plan. Additionally, AT&T has a big collection of Galaxy devices on sale, including the Galaxy Z Flip6, Galaxy S24 Ultra, Galaxy S24+, and more.
Head to our full Deals Roundup to get caught up with all of the latest deals and discounts that we’ve been tracking over the past week.Related Roundup: Apple DealsThis article, “AT&T Takes Up to $1,000 Off iPhone 15 Models Ahead of iPhone 16 Launch” first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums
We’re just a few weeks away from the debut of the newest iPhone models in September, but you can still get great deals on iPhone 15 models at AT&T this week. The carrier is offering as much as $1,000 off select models of the iPhone 15, and great discounts on previous generation devices as well.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
The headliner is $1,000 off the iPhone 15 Pro Max when you trade in your current smartphone and purchase the new iPhone on an eligible unlimited plan. This offer will be applied in bill credits over 36 months, and it knocks the monthly price of the 256GB iPhone 15 Pro Max down to around $5.56/month (from $33.34/month).
For the iPhone 15 Pro, AT&T is offering the 128GB model at no cost when you trade in your current smartphone and purchase the new iPhone on an eligible unlimited plan. This offer is the same as the previous one, so you’ll see up to $1,000 applied in bill credits over 36 months, knocking the price of the 128GB iPhone 15 Pro down to $0/month (from $27.78/month).
iPhone 15 models are seeing up to $700 in discounts right now at AT&T, making the iPhone 15 as low as $3.62/month and the iPhone 15 Plus as low as $6.39/month. For even steeper savings, AT&T has the iPhone SE from 2022 for $1.99/month when purchased on a qualifying unlimited plan, but you don’t need to have a trade-in for this offer.
If you’re shopping for an Apple Watch, AT&T is offering $300 off in bill credits over 36 months when you purchase two Apple Watches on an installment plan. This covers Apple Watch Series 9, Apple Watch Ultra 2, and Apple Watch SE.
Of course, there are also numerous deals on non-Apple smartphones, like the Google Pixel 9 Pro for free when you trade in any Pixel phone and purchase the new device on a qualifying installment plan. Additionally, AT&T has a big collection of Galaxy devices on sale, including the Galaxy Z Flip6, Galaxy S24 Ultra, Galaxy S24+, and more.
Head to our full Deals Roundup to get caught up with all of the latest deals and discounts that we’ve been tracking over the past week.
This article, “AT&T Takes Up to $1,000 Off iPhone 15 Models Ahead of iPhone 16 Launch” first appeared on MacRumors.com
Discuss this article in our forums
Klarna Aims To Halve Workforce With AI-Driven Gains
Klarna aims to extend AI-driven cuts to its workforce with plans to axe almost half of its staff [non-paywalled source], as the lossmaking Swedish buy now, pay later company gears up for a stock market flotation. FT: Chief executive Sebastian Siemiatkowski heralded the benefits of AI in Klarna’s second-quarter results on Tuesday, which showed a significant narrowing of its net loss from SKr854mn ($84mn) a year earlier to SKr10mn. The Swedish fintech has already cut its workforce from 5,000 to 3,800 in the past year. Siemiatkowski told the Financial Times that Klarna could employ as few as 2,000 employees in the coming years as it uses AI in tasks such as customer service and marketing.
“Not only can we do more with less, but we can do much more with less. Internally, we speak directionally about 2,000 [employees]. We don’t want to put a specific deadline on that,” he added. Klarna has imposed a hiring freeze on workers apart from engineers and is using natural attrition rather than lay-offs to shrink its workforce. Siemiatkowski has become one of the most outspoken European tech bosses about the benefits of AI, even if it leads to lower employment, arguing that is an issue for governments to worry about. The Stockholm-based group is lining up financial advisers for its long-anticipated initial public offering — due as early as the first half of next year — with Morgan Stanley, JPMorgan Chase and Goldman Sachs in lead positions to secure top roles, people familiar with the matter have previously told the FT.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Klarna aims to extend AI-driven cuts to its workforce with plans to axe almost half of its staff [non-paywalled source], as the lossmaking Swedish buy now, pay later company gears up for a stock market flotation. FT: Chief executive Sebastian Siemiatkowski heralded the benefits of AI in Klarna’s second-quarter results on Tuesday, which showed a significant narrowing of its net loss from SKr854mn ($84mn) a year earlier to SKr10mn. The Swedish fintech has already cut its workforce from 5,000 to 3,800 in the past year. Siemiatkowski told the Financial Times that Klarna could employ as few as 2,000 employees in the coming years as it uses AI in tasks such as customer service and marketing.
“Not only can we do more with less, but we can do much more with less. Internally, we speak directionally about 2,000 [employees]. We don’t want to put a specific deadline on that,” he added. Klarna has imposed a hiring freeze on workers apart from engineers and is using natural attrition rather than lay-offs to shrink its workforce. Siemiatkowski has become one of the most outspoken European tech bosses about the benefits of AI, even if it leads to lower employment, arguing that is an issue for governments to worry about. The Stockholm-based group is lining up financial advisers for its long-anticipated initial public offering — due as early as the first half of next year — with Morgan Stanley, JPMorgan Chase and Goldman Sachs in lead positions to secure top roles, people familiar with the matter have previously told the FT.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
MySims is making a comeback on the Switch
Image: EA
MySims is back, and it’s coming to the Nintendo Switch. A new bundle featuring revamped versions of EA’s MySims and MySims Kingdom will revive the classic simulation titles with Switch-optimized controls and updated textures.
If you’ve never played MySims, it’s sort of like a cross between The Sims and Animal Crossing. In the mainline game, you’re tasked with rebuilding a run-down town by procuring blueprints, constructing houses, and making furniture to attract new residents. Each character has their own unique characteristics, like the bug-loving Gertrude Spackle and Yuki, who often threatens to bite your face for some reason.
MySims launched on the Wii and Nintendo DS in 2007 before arriving on PC and Blackberry. MySims Kingdom, which switches up the original gameplay by putting you inside a royal setting, launched on the Wii and Nintendo DS a year later. There have been several other entries in the series as well, including MySims Agents, MySims Party, MySims Racing, and MySims SkyHeroes.
It feels like it’s been ages since I got my hands on a MySims game, and I’m excited to jump back in. I just kind of wish EA created a new entry with refreshed stories and characters specifically for the Switch, instead of simply remastering the old games. But, hey, maybe that will happen down the line. There’s been a lot going on with The Sims franchise as of late — along with MySims, EA is also working on a new free-to-play Sims game, codenamed Project Rene.
MySims: Cozy Bundle launches on the Nintendo Switch on November 19th, and preorders are available starting today.
Image: EA
MySims is back, and it’s coming to the Nintendo Switch. A new bundle featuring revamped versions of EA’s MySims and MySims Kingdom will revive the classic simulation titles with Switch-optimized controls and updated textures.
If you’ve never played MySims, it’s sort of like a cross between The Sims and Animal Crossing. In the mainline game, you’re tasked with rebuilding a run-down town by procuring blueprints, constructing houses, and making furniture to attract new residents. Each character has their own unique characteristics, like the bug-loving Gertrude Spackle and Yuki, who often threatens to bite your face for some reason.
MySims launched on the Wii and Nintendo DS in 2007 before arriving on PC and Blackberry. MySims Kingdom, which switches up the original gameplay by putting you inside a royal setting, launched on the Wii and Nintendo DS a year later. There have been several other entries in the series as well, including MySims Agents, MySims Party, MySims Racing, and MySims SkyHeroes.
It feels like it’s been ages since I got my hands on a MySims game, and I’m excited to jump back in. I just kind of wish EA created a new entry with refreshed stories and characters specifically for the Switch, instead of simply remastering the old games. But, hey, maybe that will happen down the line. There’s been a lot going on with The Sims franchise as of late — along with MySims, EA is also working on a new free-to-play Sims game, codenamed Project Rene.
MySims: Cozy Bundle launches on the Nintendo Switch on November 19th, and preorders are available starting today.
Taylor Swift’s podcaster boyfriend has a new deal with Amazon
Travis and Jason Kelce after the 2024 AFC Championship. | Photo: Patrick Smith / Getty Images
Taylor Swift’s boyfriend, Travis Kelce, and his brother Jason have inked a $100 million deal to hand over distribution of their sports podcast series, New Heights with Jason & Travis Kelce, to Amazon’s Wondery publisher, reports The Wall Street Journal. The deal gives subscribers to Wondery Plus “early and ad-free” access to the popular series, Amazon announced.
Wondery Plus subscribers will also get a once-a-year livestream of the Kelces’ show, according to the Journal. Otherwise, folks who listen to New Heights (which launched in 2022 and has since become one of the top US podcasts) on other platforms like Apple Podcasts and Spotify, or watch it on YouTube, probably won’t notice much of a difference.
Excited for @newheightshow to join the #Wondery Family! New Episodes drop on Wednesday starting tomorrow! https://t.co/cm9H7B0OaS pic.twitter.com/maeh9KHw7e— Wondery (@WonderyMedia) August 27, 2024
“Wondery understands the shared vision and will offer a wealth of experience and resources to take us to new heights,” said the two cohosts in Amazon’s announcement. “We are going to create some groundbreaking moments together through this partnership.” The brothers Kelce will give Wondery opportunities for other live events and first dibs on any product lines either of them decides to introduce, the Journal writes.
Podcast deals like this, which lack the total exclusivity of Spotify’s older deals, include Call Her Daddy and SmartLess, both of which SiriusXM nabbed this year. New Heights joins other Wondery Plus early access shows like Dax Shepard’s Armchair Expert, which Wondery secured distribution rights for in July.
Travis and Jason Kelce after the 2024 AFC Championship. | Photo: Patrick Smith / Getty Images
Taylor Swift’s boyfriend, Travis Kelce, and his brother Jason have inked a $100 million deal to hand over distribution of their sports podcast series, New Heights with Jason & Travis Kelce, to Amazon’s Wondery publisher, reports The Wall Street Journal. The deal gives subscribers to Wondery Plus “early and ad-free” access to the popular series, Amazon announced.
Wondery Plus subscribers will also get a once-a-year livestream of the Kelces’ show, according to the Journal. Otherwise, folks who listen to New Heights (which launched in 2022 and has since become one of the top US podcasts) on other platforms like Apple Podcasts and Spotify, or watch it on YouTube, probably won’t notice much of a difference.
Excited for @newheightshow to join the #Wondery Family! New Episodes drop on Wednesday starting tomorrow! https://t.co/cm9H7B0OaS pic.twitter.com/maeh9KHw7e
— Wondery (@WonderyMedia) August 27, 2024
“Wondery understands the shared vision and will offer a wealth of experience and resources to take us to new heights,” said the two cohosts in Amazon’s announcement. “We are going to create some groundbreaking moments together through this partnership.” The brothers Kelce will give Wondery opportunities for other live events and first dibs on any product lines either of them decides to introduce, the Journal writes.
Podcast deals like this, which lack the total exclusivity of Spotify’s older deals, include Call Her Daddy and SmartLess, both of which SiriusXM nabbed this year. New Heights joins other Wondery Plus early access shows like Dax Shepard’s Armchair Expert, which Wondery secured distribution rights for in July.
Neva will break your heart on October 15
We called Neva a “grand achievement in emotional game design” in our June preview, and the latest trailer makes that clearer than ever. And now, thanks to the latest Nintendo Direct stream, we know it’ll arrive on October 15th on the Switch, alongside the PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X and S. Developed by Nomada Studio, the creators of the acclaimed Gris, Neva looks like it’ll deliver plenty of action alongside potential heartbreak.
“Neva chronicles the story of Alba, a young woman bound to a curious wolf cub following a traumatic encounter with dark forces,” the trailer’s description reads. “Together they embark on a perilous journey through a once-beautiful world as it slowly decays around them.”
“I’m convinced that every preview of Neva (including this one) will mention how quickly and easily the game will make players cry, and I want to take a moment to recognize the magnitude of this achievement,” Engadget’s Jessica Conditt wrote in her hands-on preview. “The bond that Nomada Studio have built between Neva and Alba is incredibly powerful, and this type of emotional connection doesn’t just happen when you put an animal and a human in the same scene.”This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/neva-will-break-your-heart-on-october-15-143555144.html?src=rss
We called Neva a “grand achievement in emotional game design” in our June preview, and the latest trailer makes that clearer than ever. And now, thanks to the latest Nintendo Direct stream, we know it’ll arrive on October 15th on the Switch, alongside the PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X and S. Developed by Nomada Studio, the creators of the acclaimed Gris, Neva looks like it’ll deliver plenty of action alongside potential heartbreak.
“Neva chronicles the story of Alba, a young woman bound to a curious wolf cub following a traumatic encounter with dark forces,” the trailer’s description reads. “Together they embark on a perilous journey through a once-beautiful world as it slowly decays around them.”
“I’m convinced that every preview of Neva (including this one) will mention how quickly and easily the game will make players cry, and I want to take a moment to recognize the magnitude of this achievement,” Engadget’s Jessica Conditt wrote in her hands-on preview. “The bond that Nomada Studio have built between Neva and Alba is incredibly powerful, and this type of emotional connection doesn’t just happen when you put an animal and a human in the same scene.”
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/neva-will-break-your-heart-on-october-15-143555144.html?src=rss
Balatro is crossing over with Witcher 3 and a bunch of other games
The incredibly popular (and addictive) poker-based roguelike Balatro just got an update that brings a whole bunch of other games into the party, as announced at the Nintendo Indie World showcase. This is separate from the forthcoming major gameplay update, which arrives in 2025.
Today’s update is called Balatro: Friends of Jimbo and includes crossovers with The Witcher 3, Vampire Survivors, Dave the Diver and Among Us. Basically, each of the aforementioned games will get their own themed deck of cards. For the uninitiated, you can choose from a bunch of decks when playing Balatro, and they all have their own perks and drawbacks.
It doesn’t look like the crossovers go beyond decks, so there aren’t any jokers based on the cook from Dave the Diver or anything. The developers did suggest that more cross-promotional team-ups would be coming down the line.
The good news? The update is available right now and it’s free. The bad news? It looks like it’s only for Nintendo Switch at the moment. The game’s Steam page makes no mention of the update, nor do the Xbox or PlayStation pages.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/balatro-is-crossing-over-with-witcher-3-and-a-bunch-of-other-games-143222539.html?src=rss
The incredibly popular (and addictive) poker-based roguelike Balatro just got an update that brings a whole bunch of other games into the party, as announced at the Nintendo Indie World showcase. This is separate from the forthcoming major gameplay update, which arrives in 2025.
Today’s update is called Balatro: Friends of Jimbo and includes crossovers with The Witcher 3, Vampire Survivors, Dave the Diver and Among Us. Basically, each of the aforementioned games will get their own themed deck of cards. For the uninitiated, you can choose from a bunch of decks when playing Balatro, and they all have their own perks and drawbacks.
It doesn’t look like the crossovers go beyond decks, so there aren’t any jokers based on the cook from Dave the Diver or anything. The developers did suggest that more cross-promotional team-ups would be coming down the line.
The good news? The update is available right now and it’s free. The bad news? It looks like it’s only for Nintendo Switch at the moment. The game’s Steam page makes no mention of the update, nor do the Xbox or PlayStation pages.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/balatro-is-crossing-over-with-witcher-3-and-a-bunch-of-other-games-143222539.html?src=rss