Ubisoft will be releasing ‘The Division 2’ exclusively on Epic Games Store

If you want to get your hands on The Division 2, you won’t find the game on Steam when it launches on March 15. Instead, Ubisoft struck a deal with Epic to release the game exclusively on its Games Store. In the meantime, all the other Ubisoft titles are still available on Valve’s Steam. But it looks like the developer wants to test the response on this new distribution platform. Epic has a more generous revenue sharing model versus Steam, with hopes of drawing more developers to launch on its platform. Valve’s current deal gives developers 70% of each sale and goes up from there, while Epic offers developers 88% from the start.

In a statement to Polygon, Ubisoft’s Chris Early said, “Epic continues to disrupt the videogame industry, and their third party digital distribution model is the latest example, and something Ubisoft wants to support.” Early said they planned to release more games on the latter’s store, but didn’t specify if these will be exclusive. That probably depends on how well the games do on the service. What Steam has going for it is its wider reach, but if developers keep flocking to Epic’s store, then that might eventually tip the dynamic.

Source: Slash Gear

New iPhone XI leak shows triple camera setup

It might be a bit too early for us to even think about it but the rumour mill continues to churn for the next iteration of the iPhone and it looks like the reports of the next iPhone getting a redesign might be gaining ground. Industry insider Steve Hemmerstoffer a.k.a. @onleaks recently showed off what’s reportedly the biggest change coming to the 2019 iPhone or iPhone XI. And it’s an entirely new triple camera setup at the back of the phone. If true, it’ll be the first time the company toys with this kind of setup. Apple is reportedly working on incorporating long distance Time of Flight technology into its phone. What this tech will do is allow iPhones to create detailed 3D maps of anything within five meters. This could affect everything from security, to gaming, to augmented reality applications.

Hemmerstoffer said that the iPhone XI is still in the Engineering Validation Test phase, so this design isn’t final yet, excusing the rather unattractive look of the setup. We agree with Forbes’ Gordon Kelly point of Apple being obsessed with a symmetrical design. We’re not sure this look is it. But we’re sure to hear more about the device in the coming months anyway.

Samsung Galaxy Note 9 units in Germany get second stable Android Pie update

Review: Samsung Galaxy Note 9

Samsung has slowly been rolling out Android Pie update to different countries for the Galaxy Note 9. Germany gets a second stable update for the phone with software version N960FXXU2CSA2. It’s a 130MB update but it’s unclear what it brings. SamMobile is hoping it brings some unavailable features from the first Android Pie update, such as schedule option for Night mode and being able to record videos in the camera’s Pro mode. What we’re hoping is the update to make its way here.

Google discontinues Chromecast Audio

Launched four years ago, Google Chromecast Audio turned almost any speaker into one that can cast music from your phone. It just needed to have an analog or digital audio input and then you could cast to it. With its own line of speakers out now, it looks like the company wanted to make sure the attention was there. So, now Google is going to discontinue this nifty accessory. In the US, they even dropped the price to $15 (it’s still $45 in the Canadian Google Store). If you want to grab one, now would be the time to do just that.

Source: The Next Web