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The extremely popular strategy game Endless Legend is finally getting a sequel, ten whole years after the original game began blowing up sales charts. Developer Amplitude Studios, who made the first one, just dropped a trailer for Endless Legend 2 and it looks pretty darned cool. This game and its sequel fall under the 4X sub-genre of strategy games, meaning the crux of the gameplay involves building an empire of some kind. The Civilization titles are a great example of 4X strategy. 4X actually stands for eXplore, eXpand, eXploit and eXterminate. I guess 4E just didnt have the same vibe. In any event, Endless Legend 2 is set in a new location, the oceanic world of Saiadha. The trailer hints at the mysterious nature of this world and showcases the refined gameplay mechanics. It also looks like players could stumble upon an imprisoned god during campaigns. Good times. Players can adopt the role of various factions in the game, many of which are shown off in the trailer. Theres a human-like race, an insectoid race and a centaur-like race, among others. Here's more good news for fans of the original. While Amplitude hasnt announced a release date yet, it did say that it will enter early access in early 2025. Using my advanced math skills I have deduced that its early 2025 right now. The early access build will let players take control of four of the aforementioned factions, with two more coming with the full release. If that nebulous release date has got you down, there's a way to try the game out even earlier. The company has reopened applications for its insider program. Not everyone will be selected for the initial testing phase, but its worth a shot.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pc/endless-legend-2-is-real-and-theres-a-mysterious-trailer-to-prove-it-191206441.html?src=rss
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Marketing and Advertising
In its year-and-a-half of existence, one of the things thats set Threads apart from Metas other apps is that the service has been entirely free of the advertising that fills up just about every corner of Facebook and Instagram. Thats now about to change. Meta is beginning its first small test of ads on Threads, Instagram head Adam Mosseri announced, as the company looks to finally start making money off the service. The ads will appear as image posts in between content in users feeds and will show up only for a small percentage of people in the US and Japan. According to Mosseri, Meta plans to begin with a handful of brands in the two countries. We know there will be plenty of feedback about how we should approach ads, and we are making sure they feel like Threads posts youd find relevant and interesting, he wrote. Well closely monitoring this test before scaling it more broadly, with the goal of getting ads on Threads to a place where they are as interesting as organic content. It seems that Meta is using its existing advertising infrastructure to bring ads to the app. In a blog post, the company explains that brands can extend their existing Meta ad campaigns to Threadswithout the need for bespoke creative or additional resourcingby simply checking a box in Ads Manager. The company will also test its inventory filter on Threads, which allows advertisers to control the sensitivity level of the organic content their ads appear next to. That will likely be an important feature for marketers as Meta loosens its content moderation guidelines and once again allows more political content to appear in users recommendations. Though the initial test is small, using its existing ad tools would enable Meta to scale Threads ads to many more advertisers, and its 300 million users, very quickly in the future. Mark Zuckerberg has previously indicated that he preferred a slow approach to building Threads ad business. All these new products, we ship them, and then there's a multi-year time horizon between scaling them and then scaling them into not just consumer experiences but very large businesses, the CEO said last year.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/meta-begins-a-small-test-of-ads-on-threads-174523673.html?src=rss
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Marketing and Advertising
It's Friday, which means it's once again time for us to venture into the discount mines and dig out a few tech deals worth your attention. This week's roundup includes the lowest price in a year for Crucial's X9 Pro, which we consider the best portable SSD for those who want a travel-friendly way to back up their data. Apple's 11-inch iPad Air and Google's Pixel 8a phone are each $100 off, while the Meta Quest 3S and OLED TVs from LG and Sony are cheaper than usual too. We're also seeing a few price drops on video games and gaming accessories we recommend. Here are the best tech deals from this week that you can still buy today. The Meta Quest 3S.Devindra Hardawar for Engadget Crucial X9 Pro (1TB) for $70 at Amazon ($31 off MSRP): The X9 Pro is our pick for the best portable SSD, as it combines steady performance for most needs with a rugged, super-compact design that's easy to take on the go. We saw this deal earlier this month, but it matches the largest discount for the 1TB model since late 2023. Also at B&H and Best Buy. Meta Quest 3S (256GB) + $15 Newegg gift card for $350 at Newegg ($65 off): The Quest 3S is the budget recommendation in our guide to the best VR headsets. While its older fresnel lenses aren't as crisp or clear as the pancake lenses in the superior Quest 3, they're good enough for most people just getting started with VR, and the headset as a whole is just as fast as the pricier model. More importantly, it supports all the same apps and games. The 256GB model has been $50 off at several retailers for a little over a week, but at Newegg you can now get a $15 gift card thrown in for no extra cost. Also at Amazon, Meta and others without the gift card. Meta says the price drop will end on February 8. The Google Pixel 8a.Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget Apple iPad Air (11-inch, M2) for $500 at Amazon ($99 off): We consider the latest iPad Air to be the best iPad for most people, as it's significantly cheaper than the iPad Pro but gets you a more futureproof chip, a better display, more RAM, twice as much storage and better accessory support than the standard 10th-gen iPad. We gave it a score of 91 in our review. This deal was available for much of the holiday season, and it's $30 above the tablet's all-time low, but it's still $50 off the slate's usual street price. Clip the on-page coupon to see the full discount at checkout. Google Pixel 8a (128GB) for $399 at Amazon ($100 off): Samsung's new Galaxy S25 devices may have taken the spotlight earlier this week, but we still consider Google's Pixel 8a to be the best Android phone for those on a tighter budget. It gets you most of the headline features from a flagship Pixel phone excellent cameras, a crisp 120Hz OLED display, clean software with updates through 2031, solid performance and battery life only it uses a slightly cheaper plastic frame with slower charging speeds. This $100 discount has been off and on for much of the past few months, but it still comes within $20 of the lowest price we've tracked for an unlocked 128GB model. Also at Best Buy and the Google Store. Google says this offer will end on January 25. The Astro A40 TR.Photo by Jeff Dunn / Engadget Astro A40 TR gaming headset for $100 at Amazon ($30 off): The Astro A40 TR is the top wired choice in our guide to the best gaming headsets. Its open-back design helps it sound wider and more spacious than most options in this market, which makes it better for picking out enemies in online shooters or just feeling more immersed in a big action game. Being open-back means it leaks and lets in a good chunk of outside noise, so you shouldn't buy it if you often play in a noisy environment. The built-in mic isn't the best, either. Still, the enveloping sound makes it worthwhile. This deal is only $10 more than the all-time low we saw around Black Friday. Also at Logitech and Newegg. SanDisk Ultra (1TB) microSD card for $70 at Amazon ($15 off): The SanDisk Ultra is slower than the top recommendations in our microSD card buying guide, especially when it comes to write speeds, so you wouldn't want to stress it with large file transfers. If you can afford one of our main picks, get that instead. But if all you want is a big chunk of storage for as little cash as possible, it should be fine enough in a cheap tablet or gaming handheld. This ties the lowest price we've seen for the 1TB model. Also at SanDisk and B&H. At the former, you can grab two cards for $119 that discount will apply automatically in your cart. Red Dead Redemption 2.Rockstar Games Red Dead Redemption 2 (PC) for $15 at Steam ($45 off): Its mission structure is dated, the movement is clunky and some of the writing can be, let's say, less than graceful. But Rockstar's Old West epic remains an achievement in maximalist world design: painstakingly detailed (literally), filled with stories and shot with unusually cinematic flair. You may not finish it until 2026, but if you've been waiting to take the plunge, this is a new low for the Steam copy and only $2 more than the lowest price we've seen overall. Other Rockstar games are also on sale. Halo: The Master Chief Collection (PC) for $10 at Steam ($30 off): We've seen this deal multiple times over the past year, but it ties the all-time low for Microsoft's Halo compilation, which gathers six of the iconic FPS series' essential games in one package. (Well, five essentials, plus Halo 4.) We include this one in our list of the best couch co-op games, but note that the PC version here only supports online co-op, not local play. Super Mario RPG for $30 at Target: Super NES classic Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars didn't necessarily need a remake, but this Switch version thankfully adheres the original's oddball spirit while sprucing up the visuals for true 3D. If you're in the market for a breezier, lower-stress RPG, it should fit the bill. This deal matches its all-time low. The ASUS ROG Ally.Photo by Sam Rutherford/Engadget ASUS ROG Ally (Z1 Extreme) gaming handheld for $450 at Best Buy ($200 off): The original ROG Ally isn't as powerful or long-lasting as the newer ROG Ally X, and all Windows gaming handhelds are saddled with less optimized software than Valve's Steam Deck, which remains the top pick in our buying guide. However, when it's discounted to this extent, the older Ally is worth considering if you really want a handheld PC that can play games from any client, be it Steam, the Epic Games Store or the Xbox app. It's still a touch more powerful than the Deck, too, and its 120Hz VRR display does wonders to keep games looking smooth. And for as slipshod as Windows can be, ASUS has made its Armoury Crate app at least a little easier to navigate over time. Just don't expect more than a couple hours of battery life, and don't bother using the microSD slot. This deal ties the all-time low for the model with a Z1 Extreme chip. LG B4 OLED TV (48") for $600 at Best Buy ($200 off): This ties the lowest price we've seen for the 48-inch LG B4, which is the entry-level model in LG's 2024 OLED lineup. While it's not as bright or color-rich as some higher-end alternatives, it still offers the essential perks of any good OLED TV: superb contrast with deep black tones, clear motion, wide viewing angles and so on. It's also a nice value for gaming, as it has four HDMI 2.1 ports that support refresh rates up to 120Hz. It's just better off in a darker room, and this particular model is relatively small. If you want something a little bigger, the 55-inch model is also on sale for an all-time low of $798 at Amazon. That's roughly $250 off. Sony A95L OLED TV (65") for $2,498 at eBay via BuyDig ($500 off): The A95L is wildly expensive even with this discount, but many reviewers agree that it's the best TV on the market if money is no object. It uses a QD-OLED panel, which mixes the typical benefits of an OLED display with quantum dots to boost color performance. Compared to a lower-cost QD-OLED TV like the Samsung S90D, it should be more color-accurate out of the box and better at preserving details in shows that aren't presented in 4K. It also supports Dolby Vision HDR. The only serious drawback is that it's limited to two HDMI 2.1 ports, which may be annoying for those who own a soundbar and multiple game consoles. This discount from ties the lowest price to date for the 65-inch model; just use the code SAVEBIG20 at checkout. It comes from eBay via BuyDig, which Sony lists as an authorized seller. Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/our-favorite-portable-ssd-falls-to-70-plus-the-rest-of-the-weeks-best-tech-deals-173250767.html?src=rss
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Marketing and Advertising
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