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Venmo heard you like stories, so it added stories to its app to give you more stories
(Except they aren't real stories)
In case you haven't heard, everyone likes stories now. Sure, maybe you don't, but judging by how many apps now carry them as a feature, you're on your own. Everyone from Spotify to Pinterest to Twitter has shown interest in stories in the last few months, to say nothing of old standbys like Snapchat and Instagram. Venmo, the PayPal-owned payment platform that pulls double-duty as a mini social network, has decided to get in on the fun, but not really in the way you might expect.
Spotify is publicly testing its own version of Stories
Because that just makes perfect sense, right?
It looks like Spotify didn't want to be left out in the cold when Twitter introduced its Snapchat stories clone Fleets. The music streaming service has started publicly testing its own version of stories, an exclusive way for artists and companies to connect with their audience.
Perhaps by coincidence, both Instagram and Snapchat have announced new features related to Stories today. Instagram is rolling out stories in the Explore tab, which contain a mishmash of Stories tagged with a certain location or hashtag. Now Snapchat has announced the ability to create Stories for groups.
Instagram created a carbon copy of Snapchat stories last year, but now the company is making them far more discoverable. In a blog post, Instagram announced that Stories will now be accessible by location and hashtags.
Facebook is continually adding features to its Messenger platform, which is great for the many who use it. This time around brings us stories... er, I mean Messenger Days, which are "temporary" photos or videos that your friends can see and reply to. They disappear after twenty-four hours, or you can delete them before then if you so choose.
What you are about to read is unlike anything I have ever written for Android Police before. There are no coupon codes, reviews, leaks, specs, or APKs in this article. Instead, this is a story that I have wanted to share with you, our readers, for quite some time. Today, as I reflected on the things I am grateful for in my life, I made the decision to sit down and write the story of one of the most random, timely, and wondrous things that have ever happened to me, all because I was an Android Police reader. If you have a few minutes to read a story, then sit down, and I'll tell you one. If you want some tech news, go ahead and skip this article and go to the next one – I promise I won't be offended.
Google didn't spend enough time on Material Design during the keynote. We saw a beautiful video and learned a little bit about the intent and thought behind Google's new cross-platform look (which we actually saw a bit earlier than anticipated), but there's so much more to be said. Having attended as many design sessions as possible during I/O, I think it's worth taking a somewhat closer look at Material Design. In this post we'll attempt to scratch a little bit deeper into what Material means, why it's awesome, and why it's a forward-looking move for Google.
Six to Start's latest app is another pedometer for people who need more motivation to get off the couch. Similar to the team's previous game, Zombies, Run!, The Walk is an immersive experience that pits players in the midst of a suspenseful storyline - but rather than tap and swipe at the screen to make progress, you must get on your feet and move. It hopes to change your next walk around town into an adventure you will never forget.
Do you like sword fighting giant spiders, expansive worlds to explore, pickpocketing items from strangers, avoiding jail time, riding horses, sneaking around, gathering loot, switching from first- to -third-person at the tap of a button, choice-based questing systems, ragdoll physics, and ancient lore? Then I can think of two games you might be really interested in! One of them is Ravensword: Shadowlands!
Partnered with Steve Jackson, Tin Man Games has brought another Fighting Fantasy title to the digital age with House of Hell. For the uninitiated, Fighting Fantasy is a series of interactive "gamebooks" by Steve Jackson and Ian Livingstone which began publication in the early 80's. The books each contain their own fantasy adventure, the outcome of which is completely dependent on the reader's choices.
If you can say nothing else about Square Enix, the company sure is raising the bar on both Android game prices and scope. With the recent Final Fantasy ports, mobile gamers with some cash to spare have had the opportunity to spend a considerable amount of time in mythical lands leveling up and fighting outlandish enemies. If you're looking for something in that neighborhood that you haven't played before, though, Chaos Rings has finally been ported to Android, and it looks fantastic.
Gameloft's (Other) First Unreal Engine Game, Wild Blood, Gets Teased On Video And It's Bloody Awesome
We saw a brief hint recently for Gameloft's upcoming game based on the Unreal Engine. A single still image showed a man holding a giant sword, covered
We saw a brief hint recently for Gameloft's upcoming game based on the Unreal Engine. A single still image showed a man holding a giant sword, covered in blood, as he stood alone in a field of his enemies' remains. Yeah. Awesome. Well, now Gameloft has unveiled a trailer for the game that teaser teased. Watch it. Now.
Aby Escape Lands On Android, Perpetuates Stereotypes That All Raccoons Are Thieves On The Run
Yes, this is a story about a running game that was popular on iOS now arriving on Android. No, it's not that one. Or that one. This one is called Aby Escape.
Yes, this is a story about a running game that was popular on iOS now arriving on Android. No, it's not that one. Or that one. This one is called Aby Escape. In this game, you play as a raccoon attempting to escape from a hunter, a cop, and...a biker? Sure, I guess they chase raccoons. Who says they can't? And just to prove it, this raccoon, Aby, is going to run like mad from all of these pursuers.
Kairosoft, makers of the wildly popular Game Dev Story (and a ton of other "Story" games), released Cafeteria Nipponica to the Play Store today, bringing a familiar art style and gameplay format back once again, but this time in a restaurant.
If you've ever taken a look at the top Android games (or if you just follow Android news closely), you've almost certainly heard of Kairosoft before. They're the developer behind major hits like Game Dev Story and Grand Prix story. Now the company is back with a new title: Dungeon Village.
In the ever-expanding world of Kairosoft's Story games, another entry just made its way into the Android Market. This go around it's all about designing your own mall, complete with food court and storefronts. There are several options in place to make your mall the top-dog of them all - you can even add a helipad on top!
So, who's ready for another Story game from Kairosoft? This go around you're not developing games, managing a spa and inn, or racing your way to glory - this time you get an entire planet to yourself!
Kairosoft, maker of the many popular Story games (such as Game Dev Story and Grand Prix Story), has released a new game called World Cruise Story. As with the other games, the title really says it all: your objective is to manage a cruise liner from top to bottom in order to meet objectives and make money, much like old-school games such as Sim City or Roller Coaster Tycoon.