Tag: ios

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Mobile Syrup

Niantic’s Pikmin Bloom was downloaded 2 million times in two weeks

Pikmin Bloom, Niantic’s latest augmented reality game that is very inspired by Pokémon Go, seems to be a moderate success — at least so far.

According to app analytics firm Sensor Tower (via Eurogamer), Pikmin Bloom has been downloaded 2 million times in the past two weeks. Breaking the numbers down further, nearly half of the installs come from users in Japan, with the U.S. holding second place and the U.K. coming in third.

In comparison, Pokémon Go hit 75 million downloads in its first two weeks and Harry Potter: Wizards Unite — which is shutting down in January 2022 — gained 12.4 million new users.

Of course, it’s important to note that Pikmin is a less popular property than Harry Potter, which makes these numbers seem far more positive. Niantic likely has far more modest goals when it comes to Pikmin Bloom.

In Pikmin Bloom, players grow and feed Pikmin creatures while collecting various flowers. The game is free-to-play and is available on iOS and Android. I’ve yet to try the game, but as a fan of the Pikmin series and in particular, Pikmin 3, I’m hoping to check it out over the holiday season.

Image credit: Niantic

Via: Eurogamer 

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Mobile Syrup

Netflix Games now available on iOS

Netflix Games has rolled out to iOS following an Android launch last week.

With the release, the following five games can be downloaded and played from the App Store: Stranger Things: 1984, Stranger Things 3: The Game, Shooting Hoops, Teeter (Up) and Card Blast. 

Starting November 10th at 1pm ET, these games will also begin rolling out to the Netflix iOS app. At that time, games will be shown in a dedicated row on the Netflix app homepage.

Additionally, Hextech Mayhem: A League of Legends Story, a new game in Riot’s popular League of Legends universe, has also been confirmed for Netflix Games. The rhythm title will cost $12.99 CAD on Steam and Nintendo Switch, but Netflix members will be able to download and play the game at no additional cost.

So far, Netflix Games is meant to be a small bonus perk to an existing Netflix subscription, offering a handful of titles that don’t feature in-app purchases or ads.

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Mobile Syrup

Netflix Games on iOS will be offered individually on the App Store: report

Netflix Games will be made available individually on Apple’s App Store when they eventually come to iOS, according to Bloomberg‘s often reliable Mark Gurman.

The streamer made its first official foray into gaming last week with five Android titles, including a pair of Stranger Things experiences. However, the company simply said at the time that an iOS rollout is “on the way.”

Per Bloomberg, the hold-up appears to be related to Apple’s strict App Store policies, which prevent third-party apps from offering as an all-in-one hub for a collection of games. Microsoft infamously ran into this issue last year with its Xbox Game Pass’ Cloud Gaming service, which it’s since offered via browsers on iOS.

It should be noted that Netflix Games currently operate similarly on Android; you still need to download each title individually from the Play Store. However, Gurman predicts that Netflix will eventually offer its games in an all-in-one app through the cloud, which would be possible on Android but not iOS based on the current App Store rules.

“To be a true all-in-one service on iOS, Netflix will have to make its move to the cloud — and Apple will need to change its rules or grant Netflix an exemption,” Gurman concluded. “That leaves the ultimate success of Netflix’s service in the hands of Apple, a longtime partner but also a growing rival.”

Netflix Games are offered at no additional cost to Netflix subscribers and can be found on Android under the ‘Netflix Games’ banner on the Netflix app homepage or the new ‘games’ tab. Netflix has also previously said its gaming efforts will be “primarily focused on games for mobile devices,” although this seems to leave the possibility open for AAA console and/or PC titles.

Image credit: Netflix

Source: Bloomberg

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Mobile Syrup

Niantic is shutting down Harry Potter: Wizards Unite in January 2022

Niantic has confirmed that it will soon be discontinuing its Harry Potter: Wizards Unite mobile game.

In a blog post, the San Francisco-based gaming giant said Wizards Unite will be delisted from the App Store and Play Store on December 6th, 2021, ahead of a full January 31st, 2022 shutdown. In-app purchases will also cease on December 6th.

Leading up to the shutdown, Niantic is offering bonus XP and other in-game rewards, as well as a promise that the game’s two-year narrative arc featuring Harry and Hermione will be resolved. A full breakdown of all of the gameplay changes taking effect starting today can be found here.

Wizards Unite originally launched in June 2019 as Warner Bros.’ response to Pokémon Go, also developed by Niantic. The game took the location-based, augmented reality framework of Pokémon Go and applied a Harry Potter coat of paint.

Set after the Battle of Hogwarts, Wizards Unite tasks players with going around to locate mystical creatures and items and “unconfound” them, as well as fight dark wizards. The game allows you to choose your wizarding house, their wand and their profession (Professor, Auror or Magizoologist).

However, the game just never seemed to quite take off, despite the massive popularity of the Harry Potter brand. According to the analytics firm Sensor Tower, Wizards Unite has only generated $4.7 million USD (about $5.9 million CAD) in revenue so far in 2021. By contrast, Pokémon Go has topped $1 billion USD (roughly 1.2 billion CAD) this year alone. Overall, Wizards Unite‘s to-date revenue sits at only $40 million USD (about $50 million CAD).

Looking ahead, Niantic says it has the recently launched Pikmin Bloom and the upcoming Transformers: Heavy Metal in the works. Of course, the ever-popular Pokémon Go will also continue to receive support.

Altogether, the company notes that it has “nine games and apps in our development pipeline.”

Image credit: Niantic/Warner Bros.

Source: Niantic

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Mobile Syrup

Netflix Games to launch on November 3, starting with Android

Netflix’s long-awaited push into video games is officially kicking off on November 3rd.

The company has confirmed that its first five games will launch worldwide in the Netflix Android app on that date. An iOS rollout is “on the way,” the company said.

Notably, these games will be offered at no additional cost to Netflix subscribers. Further, they won’t feature any ads or in-app purchases.

Here are the initial five games:

  • Card Blast
  • Shooting Hoops
  • Stranger Things: 1984
  • Stranger Things 3
  • Teeter Up

To access these games, either select the Netflix Games banner on the Netflix app homepage or navigate to the ‘games’ tab. From there, select the game you want to play, which will direct you to your device’s app store to download the game. You’ll then be able to play the game through the app.

Netflix says all adult profiles under a given account can access games, although kids profiles are not allowed. The company also notes that some games require an internet connection, while others can be played offline, although it didn’t specify which.

In a blog post, Netflix noted that this is only the first step in its broader plans for gaming.

“Just like our series, films and specials, we want to design games for any level of play and every kind of player, whether you’re a beginner or a lifelong gamer,” the company wrote. “And we’re just getting started. We’re excited to continue improving our mobile gaming experience and adding to our entertainment offering in the months ahead.”

Back in July, the company said these efforts will be “primarily focused on games for mobile devices,” although that certainly leaves the door open for at least some AAA console/PC titles.

Beyond that, Netflix hasn’t indicated what types of titles it will make, but the company’s intention, at least in part, appears to be to use games to promote its video content. The two Stranger Things games so far are evidence of that.

Netflix has also seen a benefit from CD Projekt’s The Witcher games. The action-RPG series helped make the Polish fantasy property more popular, which helped Netflix’s Witcher show find its own massive audience. This, in turn, gave The Witcher 3 a significant spike in players, even though the game had been around for four years at the time. Netflix and CD Projekt later partnered on a ‘WitcherCon’ to promote both their respective Witcher projects.

One Netflix property that could get the video game treatment is Squid Game. The breakout success of the South Korean survival drama series has led Netflix to look into various ways to expand that universe, including gaming.

Source: Netflix

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Mobile Syrup

iOS to gain access to Pixel-exclusive ‘Locked Folders’ via Google Photos next year

Thanks to a new feature coming to the iOS and iPadOS apps, Google Photos users on iPhone and iPad will soon be able to lock their sensitive photographs in a dedicated passcode-protected folder.

The Locked Folder, which first appeared in Pixel phones in Google’s June feature drop can be utilized to hide sensitive and secret information, including images and videos.

Since there is no built-in ‘Lock Folder’ to hide specific photos in iOS, iPhone users will be able to safeguard their personal photos in a protected folder Google Photos. According to Google’s blog post, the feature will be available to iOS users early next year.

Google’s blog also noted that the company’s Google One VPN service is expanding to 10 new countries starting this week, including Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland. In Canada, the VPN service is already available with Google’s 2TB Premium cloud storage subscription. 

Lastly, Google has announced that its Pixel 6 lineup-exclusive Security Hub will soon be making an appearance on all Android devices. Security Hub takes inputs from Google Play Protect to indicate a red, yellow, or green indicator in the hub to denote the security level of your device.

Read Google’s blog post to learn more about the latest security updates.

Image credit: Google

Source: Google

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Mobile Syrup

Niantic’s Pikmin Bloom begins rolling out on Android and iOS

Nintendo has begun the global rollout of its next mobile game, Pikmin Bloom.

Developed by Pokémon Go maker Niantic, Pikmin Bloom is a similar location-based augmented reality smartphone experience. Unlike Pokémon Go, though, you don’t actually battle against any creatures. Instead, Pikmin Go is intended to be a more laidback experience that encourages walking around to grow your collection of titular critters in a combat-free way.

As you go around, you’ll find seedlings that can grow into the plant-like Pikmin. You’ll find more Pikmin as walk, and they’ll all follow you accordingly. You can also collect items like clothes for the Pikmin to wear and fruit to feed them. Meanwhile, you get to control a Mii avatar.

You can see more from the game in this official trailer, which features commentary from legendary Nintendo developer Shigeru Miyamoto and Niantic CEO John Hanke.

If you don’t yet see the game on Android or iOS, keep in mind that Pikmin Bloom‘s global launch began with Singapore and Australia. Nintendo says it’s rolling out to more regions “shortly.”

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Mobile Syrup

PUBG: New State launching on November 11th for iOS, Android

PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds: New State (aka PUBG: New State) will arrive on Android and iOS on November 11th across 200 countries, following a final playtest slated for October 29th to 30th.

Krafton, the company behind the new PUBG mobile experience, showed off New State back in February. Now, the company has a new media showcase video that details New State’s features, services, anti-cheat system and more.

The video’s about 50 minutes long and is subtitled since it was filmed in Korea. You can watch it here, or via the embed below:

At launch, New State will offer four unique maps, including Troi and Erangel. The game will also feature weapon customization, drones and a store to purchase them. It’s still free-to-play and it’s a battle royale like the original PUBG, but is set in the future and boasts “next-gen” graphics.

Android Police reports the game already has 50 million pre-registrations across Android and iOS, so it definitely seems like there are a lot of eager players out there.

If you’re interested in PUBG: New State, you can pre-register on either Android (here) or iOS (here) to get an alert when the game goes live on November 11th.

Source: Android Police

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Mobile Syrup

TikTok can now read your text in the voice of Scream’s Ghostface

One of the signature elements of the late Wes Craven’s Scream films is a creepy stranger (‘Ghostface’) playing mind games with a character over the phone.

Now, Ghostface has come to TikTok. Through an official partnership with Paramount, Roger Jackson, the original voice of Ghostface, has lent his voice to TikTok’s text-to-speech feature. This means that you can have the iconic slasher flick villain read your words.

To use the Ghostface voice:

  1. Film your video
  2. Add text
  3. Tap on the text and select the ‘Scream voice’

The Ghostface TikTok voice not only comes right on time for Halloween, but shortly after the release of the trailer for the series’ fifth film, simply titled Scream. Directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett (Ready or Not), Scream follows a new generation of Woodsboro teens as they’re targeted by a new Ghostface.

Notably, Guelph, Ontario’s own Neve Campbell reprises her original Scream series role of Sidney Prescott, while Courteney Cox and David Arquette also return as Gale Weathers and Dewey Riley, respectively. Some of the series newcomers include Jack Quad (The Boys), Jenna Ortega (You) and Dylan Minette (13 Reasons Why).

The new Scream will hit theatres on January 14th, 2022. TikTok, meanwhile, is available on Android and iOS.

Image credit: Paramount

Via: Bloody Disgusting

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Mobile Syrup

New PS App beta lets Canadian PS5 users access PS5 game captures on mobile

PlayStation is now allowing Canadian PlayStation App users to access their PS5 game captures as part of a Canada- and Japan-exclusive beta.

With this functionality, players will be able to directly share their PS5 screenshots and clips through their mobile devices (either to social media or on PSN within the app) or save them to their camera rolls. Previously, you could only share game captures from your PS5. The official Xbox app has offered similar functionality for a few years now.

PlayStation notes that neither a PlayStation Plus membership nor any beta registration is required to access the feature; simply download the latest version of the PS App from your respective mobile storefront. The PS App will automatically upload non-4K screenshots and game clips under three minutes long to the cloud. These can then be accessed through the PS App for 14 days.

There are a few things to keep in mind, however. To start, you’ll have to enable the feature. Keep in mind that in order to auto-upload your game captures, your PS5 needs to be linked to the PS App and be left in rest mode with the ‘Stay Connected to the Internet’ setting turned on.

Once you’ve done all of this, the PS App will automatically upload non-4K screenshots and game clips under three minutes long to the cloud. These can then be accessed through the PS App for 14 days.

iOS users can download the update starting today, while the Android version of the app is getting the beta as part of a phased release. This means that users may have to wait up to one week for it to become available.

Source: PlayStation