Native Instruments introduced NEON DRIVE, a new MASCHINE Expansion providing a collection of tailored 80s-inspired sounds for producers working in contemporary pop, electronic, and R&B styles. A genre debut for Native Instruments, NEON DRIVE is available now at the NI Online Shop and runs in the MASCHINE 2 software on MASCHINE STUDIO, MASCHINE, or MASCHINE MIKRO. A compact version for iMASCHINE is also available via the in-app store. NEON DRIVE features a library of sounds drawing heavily on production techniques, instrumentation, and melodic construction native to 80s synth pop. This MASCHINE Expansion includes lush chord and pad sounds, emotive melodies and retro-inspired drums. Exclusive new presets for NI's popular MASSIVE synth, the organic REAKTOR PRISM, and the MASCHINE 2 Drum Synths are also included for deep sound design. NEON DRIVE is available now for $49 US / 49 EUR. [source]

Toon Boom Animation is showcasing its all-in-one animation software tool at the Game Developers Conference (GDC) 2015 in San Francisco. Toon Boom has been invited by Unity Technologies to occupy one of the highly coveted exhibitor stands located within their booth at the entrance of Moscone Center (Booth #1402). Toon Boom Harmony enables animators to create stunning 2D game art and animations for multiplatform games. GDC attendees will learn about Harmony's full-feature set for drawing, its flexible 2D rigging for animation, and how Harmony provides developers with a Unity game object component for seamless game integration. Toon Boom Harmony fully integrates with Unity, the industry's most popular game engine. [source]

Livestream launched its newest product, the Livestream Broadcaster mini. The all-new Broadcaster mini is Livestream's newest addition to its line of live streaming encoders. At about 1/3 the size of the original Broadcaster, it is small enough to fit in a pocket, and despite its size, it features the top notch specs that Livestream users have come to expect -- fast and reliable 5Ghz Wi-Fi, streaming up to 1080p, an internal rechargeable Li-ion battery, full control and setup via the free Livestream app for iOS or Android, and more. The Broadcaster mini is priced at $295 US, well under comparable encoders on the market. To operate it, the user simply needs to connect the Broadcaster mini to an HDMI camera, pair it with the Livestream app, and be ready to go live to millions of viewers on any device. The Broadcaster mini is available for pre-order and ships March 16th. Additionally, Livestream will soon release an update to the original Broadcaster unit, now three years old. The Broadcaster Pro will make its debut in April 2015, keeping many of the great features of the original Broadcaster, with improved specs. [source]

Universal Audio announced the release of UAD Software v8.0 for UAD-2 DSP accelerator hardware and Apollo audio interfaces. UAD Software v8.0 adds Mac OS X Yosemite compatibility and all-new plug-in categories to the UAD Powered Plug-Ins platform: Sound Machine Wood Works ($299 US, designed to record acoustic guitar direct, in real-time with microphone quality sound using Apollo Twin, DUO, or QUAD), UA Distortion Essentials Bundle ($249 US, features the legendary Ibanez Tube Screamer TS808, Raw Distortionm and Bermuda Triangle plug-ins), and Friedman Amplifiers Plug-In Collection by Brainworx ($249 US, faithful emulation of two modern boutique amps inspired by classic British tube amps, designed by legendary amp guru David Friedman). Download the UAD Software v8.0 here. [source]

The new incarnation of VST Connect Pro is now available. The advanced remote recording plug-in for on-line collaborations allows producers and performers to work together in spite of distance by streaming multi-track recordings via the Internet directly to Cubase Pro 8, Nuendo 6.5 and Cubase 7.5 digital audio workstations! New features and enhancements in VST Connect Pro 3 include one-click setup, new design for smarter workflows and more convenience, floating video window for individual screen setups, FX inserts for VST Connect Performer to enhance the monitor signal on the performer side, drag and drop file sending via VST Connect for easy exchange of song texts, playbacks or demos, and more. Updates for VST Connect Performer for iPad and Studio Pass will be available soon. [source]

Corel introduced the new VideoStudio Pro X8 and VideoStudio Ultimate X8 video editing applications. VideoStudio X8 adds new tools, intelligent features and enhanced performance including Freeze Frame and Video Masking, Audio Ducking for pro-quality sound, and 4K hardware acceleration that's more than 4 times faster on 5th gen Intel Core processors. For users looking for additional creative video editing possibilities, VideoStudio Ultimate X8 includes all the power of VideoStudio Pro X8, plus a collection of advanced special effects with plug-ins from proDAD, Boris Graffiti and NewBlue, providing over $500 US in additional value. New additions to Ultimate include proDAD Adorage Starter Pack and NewBlue FX Essentials IV. VideoStudio Pro X8 and VideoStudio Ultimate X8 are available now for $79.99 US / 69.99 EUR and $99.99 US / 89.99 EUR, respectively. Upgrade pricing is also available. [source]

Unity 5 is the new edition of the popular development platform for creating 2D/3D games and interactive experiences. Unity 5 brings a Physically-based Standard Shader to make your materials look consistent in any lighting environment; real-time Global Illumination, built on Geomerics Enlighten technology; new Audio Mixer; HDR Reflection Probes to enhance visual fidelity; PhysX 3.3 with massive performance improvements to 3D physicsl major updates to the animation system; WebGL preview; a 64-bit Editor to handle large projects; iOS 64-bit support; new deferred rendering; and more! Unity 5 Personal Edition is free for professional developers, indies, hobbyists and studios with revenue under $100,000 US and funding under $100,000 US. The Professional Edition (compare) is $1,500 US or $75 US per month. [source]

Unreal Engine is now free to use for everything from game development, education, architecture, and visualization to VR, film and animation. When you ship a game or application, you pay a 5% royalty on gross revenue after the first $3,000 per product, per quarter. It's a simple arrangement in which the Unreal developers succeed only when you succeed. UE 4 scales from indie projects to high-end blockbusters; it supports all the major platforms; and it includes 100% of the C++ source code! And there is a new version of Unreal released last month, Unreal Engine 4.7. With the power to render huge numbers of instanced objects in large worlds, beautiful rendering of leaves and foliage, HDR texture support, in-editor animation editing, along with hundreds of optimizations and improvements, it is the biggest release of Unreal, yet. [source]

Steinberg announced that Nuendo 7 will be showcased at this years Game Developers Conference. A first glimpse on the new functions for game audio workflows as well as exciting features for TV and film post-production will be shown. More information revealed in this official Nuendo 7 trailer. [source]

Rounding out its collection of game development tools, Autodesk, Inc. is previewing its new Stingray Game Engine this week at the Game Developers Conference (GDC) in San Francisco. The company is also launching Autodesk Maya LT 2016, the latest release of its 3D animation and modeling software for professional indie game developers. Built using the core technology behind the Bitsquid engine acquired last summer, Stingray is currently in development and comprises intuitive, powerful tools that make it easier for professional and novice developers to bring graphically advanced games to market on a wide range of platforms. Available March 26, 2015, Maya LT 2016 is packed with new features and advancements that accelerate modeling and animation, enabling indie developers to seamlessly deliver standout visuals for their games. The new release includes integrated sculpting tools and UV editing tools; Advanced Animation and Game Exporter Tool; Physically-Based ShaderFX Nodes; and Creative Market content storefront. Maya LT is available as a Desktop Subscription with pay-as-you-go monthly, quarterly and annual options. For more information about Autodesk's GDC 2015 lineup visit this page. [source]