Fully Charged: Amazon ends Apple TV and Chromecast sales, and Outlast 2 revealed

Amazon pulls Apple TV and Chromecast

Following through on its threat from earlier this month, Amazon has stopped selling competing streaming devices that don’t have compatible Amazon Prime Instant Video apps, including the Apple TV and Chromecast. Third-party sellers can’t sell the devices either, and searching for one of the items just points you in the direction of Amazon’s own Fire TV products.

Amazon says it’s to "avoid customer confusion" since Prime Video is a big part of the Prime experience, but the argument rings hollow: there’s no clear reason why Amazon can’t simply put its own fully featured apps on those storefronts, particularly since a universal iOS app can run on the new Apple TV out today. Roku boxes and game consoles aren’t affected by the ban.

And Amazon is selling its customers short by insinuating that they can’t tell the difference between different tech products. Still, the lost sales from the Apple TV and Chromecast are probably a drop in the bucket compared to Amazon’s other sales, and if it helps raise awareness of the Fire TV platform and Prime Instant Video, then maybe Amazon will benefit in the long run. Customers won’t, however.

[Source: AppleInsider]

Outlast 2 announced

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Outlast is one truly terrifying modern horror game, and with Halloween on the calendar tomorrow, developer Red Barrels just teased a sequel… for next autumn. It’s expected to maintain elements from the original, including the night vision sheen, and it’s coming to PC, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4.

"Human nature pushes us to extremes of violence and depravity, which we then justify by divine inspiration and a promise of paradise to come. Horror rises from desperation and blind faith," studio co-founder Philippe Morin tells IGN. "Outlast 2 will test your faith, pushing players to a place where going mad is the only sane thing to do.”

Uplifting! Look for it this time next year.

[Sources: YouTube, IGN]

BBC iPlayer coming to Apple TV

The lack of BBC’s iPlayer catch-up app has been a black mark against past Apple TV boxes, although it was possible to stream content over from iOS devices. But with the new Apple TV, the BBC has opted to create a native app… which will be out "in the coming months," says director-general Tony Hall. Baby steps, but at least it’s nice reassurance for prospective buyers.

[Source: BBC]

Force Awakens done in Destiny

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Are you one of the… probably millions of people who loves both Star Wars and Destiny? Well, this trailer is for you: it takes the audio of the last Star Wars: The Force Awakens trailer and lays Destiny footage atop it. And it’s pretty solid! Give it a watch.

[Source: YouTube via Polygon]