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Apple quietly killed Game Center app today

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Game Center is causing some problems for iOS 9 updaters.
Farewell, Game Center. We hardly knew (or used) you.
Photo: Rob LeFebvre/Cult of Mac

Game Center finally met its demise this morning with the unveiling of iOS 10, which effectively kills Apple’s attempt at creating a gaming social network.

Starting with iOS 10, the Game Center app will no longer be found on iPhones and iPads, after having been preinstalled on devices for years. Apple isn’t just adding it to the list of stock iOS apps you can delete, though. It’s actually getting rid of the platform altogether in favor of GameKit.

Beastly all-in-one proves the iMac could be great for gaming

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gallery-5
The Aura is spectacular inside and out.
Photo: Digital Storm

Apple doesn’t have gamers in mind when choosing components for its latest Macs, but PC maker Digital Storm has proven that it’s possible to build a beastly gaming rig into the iMac’s gorgeous all-in-one form factor.

Check out the company’s stunning new Aura PC, which puts NVIDIA’s latest GTX 1080 graphics card behind a 34-inch curved display.

Win it Wednesday: This $1,000 gift card is your ticket to hackintosh [Deals]

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Newegg's $1,000 gift card giveaway is your last chance to build the machine of your dreams.
Newegg's $1,000 gift card giveaway is your last chance to build the machine of your dreams.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

If you’re coming up against the hardware limitations of your Mac, or just can’t afford one that performs at the level you need, you could always just build the machine you need. Spend a little bit of time on Newegg, and you’ll see that there’s basically no component they don’t carry, and no machine you can imagine that can’t be built. Getting the best parts for your personal computer can be costly, but with the Newegg $1000 Gift Card Giveaway even the highest-performing machine suddenly seems within reach.

Defend the planet with indie music in Loud on Planet X [Reviews]

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Blast aliens while you dance a little on Planet X.
Blast aliens while you dance a little on Planet X.
Photo: Rob LeFebvre/Cult of Mac

I’ve been smashing aliens with multiple eyes for a good while now, and the fantastic indie-flavored soundtrack of Loud on Planet X has invaded my brain.

A mashup of rhythm games like Rock Band and Guitar Hero with lane-based tower defense games like Plants vs. Zombies, Loud on Planet X will scratch that music game itch, getting you to tap your way to victory while getting to play as your favorite indie band, like Tegan and Sara, CHVRCHES, Lights, Purity Ring, and Little Dragon, just to name a few.

Whimsical Slime Rancher is now bigger, better, and slimier

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Glowing graphics and quirky fun will make Slime Rancher a new favorite.
Glowing graphics and quirky fun will make Slime Rancher a new favorite.
Photo: Monomi Park

Slime Rancher, the insanely fun first-person “slimer” from Monomi, is now 50 percent bigger with more slimes and game modes than ever before.

Currently on Steam’s Early Access for Mac and PC, Slime Rancher is a colorful, whimsical game that will capture your heart and game-playing time.

Check out the new trailer for the new Indigo Quarry update to this fun Mac game and see if it doesn’t make you go, “d’awww.”

iPad port of magical miniatures game should be the next big thing [Reviews]

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Bring all the fun of an analog board game to your iPad.
Bring all the fun of an analog board game to your iPad.
Photo: Rob LeFebvre/Cult of Mac

If I ran the world, Krosmaster Arena, a fabulously fun and deep strategy game that started out as a board game with delightfully sculpted miniature figures, would be topping the charts right alongside stuff like Clash Royale or Angry Birds.

Of course, I don’t, but I’m hoping each one of you reading this tries it out on your iPad so you can experience the joy of playing it digitally.

Clash of Clans maker warns gamers to play fair — or else

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Hit mobile game developer Supercell has a few words of warning for cheaters.
Hit mobile game developer Supercell has a few words of warning for cheaters.
Photo: Supercell

Quit cheating, or face the consequences, says top mobile developer Supercell, the team behind insanely popular games Clash of Clans and Clash Royale.

With the incredible popularity of these two top iOS mobile games, it’s no wonder that Supercell has had to crack down on cheaters.

Why won’t Apple build a game-worthy Mac? [Friday Night Fights]

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fnf
Tell us, Apple!
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Mac users needn’t bother pre-ordering an Oculus Rift headset because they can’t use it. According to Oculus founder Palmer Luckey, that’s because none of the machines Apple offers are powerful enough to meet its recommended specifications.

Friday-Night-Fights-bug-2They’re not powerful enough to play the latest games at high-settings, either. Even if you spend thousands on a high-end Mac Pro, you’re going to be disappointed with its gaming prowess — especially if you want to drink in some of those sweet, sweet 4K graphics.

So, is it about time Apple built a Mac that’s good for gaming?

Join us in this week’s Friday Night Fight between Cult of Android and Cult of Mac as we battle it out over this and more!

Thimbleweed Park will recapture the glory days of adventure gaming

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Agent Scully, is that you?
Agent Scully, is that you?
Photo: Thimbleweed Park

Ready to get your adventure game on? Thimbleweed Park, coming later this year, could be your ticket to doing just that.

Back in 1987, Ron Gilbert and Gary Winnick created Maniac Mansion, the classic LucasArts adventure tale. Now they’re back with Thimbleweed Park, a charming indie adventure game that hopefully brings the genre into the modern world, leaving behind the random puzzles and dead ends of days past.

Check out the new trailer below to see what’s headed our way.

Meet the tiniest game of pong for your Apple Watch

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Play a classic (and super-cute) game of Pong on your Apple Watch.
Play a classic (and super-cute) game of Pong on your Apple Watch.
Photo: Matt Wiechec

Is this the most adorable thing you’ve ever seen on your wrist? Yes, yes it is. It’s the tiniest game of pong you ever did see, too.

Game developer Matt Wiechec has made A Tiny Game of Pong for the Apple Watch and it hits all the right nostalgic notes for ancient gaming fans like myself and retro-cool folks like you.

Check it out.

Why would anyone game on an Apple TV?

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fnf
Which one would you choose?
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

The new Apple TV has been on sale for just over three months now, and the growing catalog of tvOS apps and games looks incredibly promising. It’s what Apple TV fans have been calling out for for years, and it doesn’t disappoint.

Friday-Night-Fights-bug-2But does tvOS and a strong backing from iOS developers make Apple TV a good game console? Is it an ideal buy for casual gamers, and can it mount a real threat against the latest and greatest consoles from Sony and Microsoft? Do we even need another console?

Join us in this week’s Friday Night Fight between Cult of Android and Cult of Mac as we battle it out over those questions and more for your entertainment!

5 new iOS games that will destroy your weekend

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Smack your weekend right in the face with these great new iOS games.
Smack your weekend right in the face with these great new iOS games.
Design: Stephen Smith/Cult of Mac

It’s a new year and a new you, and your iOS device just might be crying out for some new gaming titles to keep you fat and happy while you manage all those resolutions.

Whether you enjoy a deeper role-playing and crafting adventure to keep you tapping well into the evening over a long weekend, a musical adventure that you can create yourself, a Mad- Max-inspired demolition derby, or a quick brain-booster puzzle or two to keep your wits about you, we’ve got the five best on offer right now.

In no particular order, here are the best new iOS games that we’ve culled from a long list on the App Store.

Exploding Kittens iOS game is absolutely claw-some

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Boom goes the kitty.
Boom goes the kitty.
Photo: Exploding Kittens

I’d imagine it’s difficult to bring a beloved tabletop card game to iOS without losing something in the translation, but Exploding Kittens has found the trick.

Created by gaming veterans Elan Lee and Shane Small, and illustrated by internet cartoonist The Oatmeal (Matthew Inman), Exploding Kittens is like Russian Roulette, only with detonating felines. The game is fairly simple, but it has something not many gaming apps include these days: you’ll play with other people in the same room as you.

Even better, the devs have made all the in-app purchases (extra decks, new avatars) free as a launch special over the next four days. You don’t want to miss out on all the extra fun now, do you?

Pac-Man 256 bursts onto the big screen via Apple TV

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Chasing ghosts was never this much fun.
Chasing ghosts was never this much fun.
Photo: Rob LeFebvre/Cult of Mac

Pac-Man is a touchstone of gamer nostalgia, and Hipster Whale (the dynamic duo behind runaway hit Crossy Road) has created one of the best spin-offs yet: Pac-Man 256.

Better yet, it looks like the free-to-play endless runner cum dot muncher is now available on your high-def living room screen via the Apple TV itself.

Temple Run 2 gets largest expansion yet, ‘Frozen Shadows’

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Wish you were here.
Wish you were here.
Photo: Imangi Studios

With over 1 billion downloads, Temple Run and it’s sequel, Temple Run 2, are the very definition of mobile gaming success.

It’s even better that husband and wife developers and co-founders Keith Shepherd and Natalia Luckyanova are such incredibly nice people. Their startup, Imangi Studios, has found the gold at the end of the rainbow, and they’ve no intention of stopping.

“Frozen Shadows” is the latest (and largest) free update to the franchise yet, giving you new characters like Guy Dangerous and Scarlett Fox to run through a brand-spanking-new ice world. You’ll also get new artifacts, winter costumes, and an absolutely terrifying new demon monkey to run from. Yikes!

“We’re really trying to expand the Temple Run universe,” Shepherd told us on the phone, “in much the same way as a novelist or storyteller would.”

Canabalt creator wants you to strategize through an adorable wasteland

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Overland is coming.
Overland is coming.
Photo: Finji

You had me at “ruined continent.”

Overland is an upcoming 3D survival tactics game from the creator of Canabalt, Adam Saltzman. Its beautiful, chillingly-chromatic art style has me itching to play it, as does the cool way the team has created an approachable rogue-like set in a post-apocalyptic wasteland without dumbing it down.

Check out the video below, with Saltzman’s narration.

5 must-play games for the new Apple TV

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Our picks for the 5 best games out on Apple TV right now.
Our picks for the 5 best games out on Apple TV right now.
Photo: Rob LeFebvre/Cult of Mac

Apple TV’s killer feature is the App Store. And with an App Store comes games.

I don’t care what near-sighted gaming sites are saying. Sure, Apple’s new box doesn’t have a whole lot of gaming content yet, but it has some great offerings if you poke around a bit. I’m finding games for the new Apple TV that never grabbed my attention when they were on my iPhone or iPad, but seeing them up on the big screen pulled me right in.

Which are the best games for the Apple TV to check out right now, though? Here are our five favorites, in no particular order. Note that the links below will take you to the iTunes App Store. If you purchase them with the same iTunes ID you have set up on your Apple TV, they’ll appear in the “Purchased” tab of the little black puck’s App Store. Alternately, you can search for the game name directly from your TV.

This headset turns your smartphone into a virtual reality gateway [Deals]

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Homido's VR Headset converts your smartphone into the processor and screen for fully immersive virtual reality experiences.
Homido's VR Headset converts your smartphone into the processor and screen for fully immersive virtual reality experiences.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

The age of virtual reality is here, and you’re probably closer to taking part in this exciting new form of interaction and storytelling than you think. If you’ve got a smart phone, you’ve got most of what you need to drop into virtual reality today — the only other thing you’ll need is something like the Homido VR Headset. Simply slide your smartphone into the headset’s receiver and you’re on your way to another reality, all for $69.95 at Cult of Mac Deals.

10 October iOS games that will shock you with delight

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10 best ios games October 2015
Spooky month; awesome games.
Photo: Evan Killham/Cult of Mac

Every month, the App Store fills up with countless iOS games of varying quality. You want to have something to do on your iPhone or iPad while you’re on the bus or enjoying the quiet solitude of your bathroom. But who has time to figure out which titles are worth your valuable time?

Apparently, we do. So if you’re searching for the best iOS gaming treats from the past month, look no further than Cult of Mac as we find the 10 best that you should be playing right now — no tricks.

Here they are, in no particular order.

One ‘Account’ to rule them all: Nintendo updates membership club

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Nintendo Account doesn't have much of a ring to it, but this is big news.
Nintendo Account doesn't have much of a ring to it, but this is big news.
Photo: Takashi Mochizuki/Twitter

At a strategic briefing for investors today in Tokyo, Nintendo CEO Tatsumi Kimishima took to the podium to talk about the game-maker’s plans for the near future, including, we hope, information on the venerable company’s foray into mobile gaming on iPhones, iPads, and possibly Android devices.

The new service — blandly called “Nintendo Account” — will connect console, PC, and smart device users in a way that has never been seen before in Nintendo’s history.

Skip the grind: 3 fun mobile games that (almost) play themselves

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Look, ma, no hands!
Look, ma, no hands!
Photo: Rob LeFebvre/Cult of Mac

I just leveled up while I was driving to pick my kid up from school. I set up a digital battle using my iPhone while sitting in my driveway, hit “Go,” and then just put my iPhone down on my dashboard while I drove to get him.

I’ve been calling these types of games “auto-battlers” for their central feature: letting you skip tedious, grinding gameplay that tends to be a feature of traditional role-playing games. I don’t have time to micromanage my iPhone; chances are neither do most people, which explains the rise of casual gaming over the past five years or so.

Here are three fun mobile games that let you experience more depth than a typical Flappy Bird clone, but still don’t require too much input to enjoy.

Beware this ‘fix’ for nasty iOS 9 Game Center bug

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Game Center is causing some problems for iOS 9 updaters.
Game Center is causing some problems for iOS 9 updaters.
Photo: Rob LeFebvre/Cult of Mac

If you’ve been having trouble with Apple’s Game Center after upgrading to iOS 9, you’re not alone.

Read Apple’s discussion forums and you’ll find 14 pages of comments from disgruntled gamers complaining about — and trying to solve — this rather massive issue.

ROBLOX games hit the big screen with an app for Xbox

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From the ROBLOX game Angels 15, which will be among 20 games coming to Xbox.
From the ROBLOX game Angels 15, which will be among 20 games coming to Xbox.
Photo: ROBLOX

ROBLOX, the popular user-generated online gaming platform, introduces kids to game building and even helps them earn a few bucks in the process. Some ROBLOX game developers have earned enough money to pay for college.

Now some of the more successful developers will raise their gaming cred even higher as ROBLOX launches a free app for Xbox featuring 20 of its top games.