Find 'n Seek is one of the latest releases from Disney and joins the hidden object puzzle genre of games. Available for Windows 10 PC and Mobile, the game is a library full of puzzles themed after popular Disney movies such as Frozen, Tangled and Big Hero 6.

The free game offers a Donald Duck collection of puzzles and the other puzzle chapters are available through in-app purchase. Disney Find 'n Seek is clearly geared more towards the younger gamer, but the more seasoned gamers should also find it challenging to locate the some of the objects hidden in plain sight.

Disney Find 'n Seek opens up in a strange fashion by jumping directly into a tutorial on gameplay. The tutorial walks you through choosing the puzzle book to play from, solving a puzzle and cataloging the rare items you locate. If Disney Find 'n Seek has a main menu, it would be from an enchanted library scene where a magical book sits center screen. You can access the puzzle library by tapping on the "books" banner and tapping on the magical book opens up an achievement display. There is also two navigation buttons on this screen to go to the help screen and gaming store where you can buy additional puzzle books.

The achievements display highlight any rare objects you find and notes your progress on completing each collection of these items. The game's help screen covers gameplay mechanics and the developer credits. For some reason, this area is password protected much like parental controls are (provided four written numbers and you have to enter them numerically).

Puzzles with Disney Find 'n Seek are sorted by volumes that contain multiple puzzles. The individual volumes are themed after a Disney movie, only a book of Donald Duck puzzles is provided with the free version of the game. Additional volumes include Frozen, Toy Story, Big Hero 6, Tangled and more and are available through in-app purchase. The additional volumes run $2.99 each with bundled deals available for $4.99 to save a little when buying multiple volumes.

Gameplay with each puzzle is your typical hidden-object-style gameplay. You are presented with a scene and a list of items to find sits at the bottom of the display. A collection of power-ups and hints are nestled in the lower right corner.

Each game is timed and if the clock strikes zero before all the objects are located, you fail the level. To claim or locate an item, just tap on it. When first tapped, rare items begin dancing around the screen and require a second tap to collect.

Puzzle scenes are played multiple times and involve the same core set of objects to find (plus the rare objects). Each visit to the scene has these objects shuffled about and I have to give the developers credit with their skills at hiding things. If you do get stumped, the hint button can be used once per game and the power-ups can give you extra time, remove some of the clutter from the scene and reveal hidden objects. The power-ups require an in-app purchase, but you can save a little cash by simply waiting long enough during gameplay until one of the hidden object flashes. The downside to this strategy is that it costs you valuable time. Time is money, so it's your call.

Disney Find 'n Seek does feel as it was developed more for our younger gamers, but gameplay is challenging enough to appeal to all ages (or at least to also stump Mom and Dad when this kid's having trouble locating the final item). The Windows 10 game plays out nicely from the smaller screen of a Windows Mobile phone, as well as from the larger screen of a Windows 10 tablet or PC.

My only gripe with Disney Find 'n Seek is with the number of in-app purchases. From buying new puzzle volumes to buying power-ups, it felt as though at every turn the game presented you with a way to spend a little money. In some cases, a lot of money. Luckily, the volumes can be bundled to reduce the cost a little.

I can see Disney Find 'n Seek being a fun gaming option for road trips, distracting the kids in a restaurant, or keeping them occupied in the waiting room at the dentist. Or you can substitute yourself in there; it's okay, you'll find that hidden snow shoe soon, just look a little harder...

Download Disney Find 'n Seek for Windows 10 PC and Mobile

Disney's Art of Coloring is a coloring book app that is filled with pages upon pages of Disney characters and scenes just waiting to be painted. The Art of Coloring includes designs featuring characters from The Lion King and Frozen, along with a host of villains, princesses and animal characters from the Disney movies.

While our younger readers may enjoy the Art of Coloring, I wouldn't describe it as a children's app. Many of the pages are filled with smaller areas to color that can create more depth to the image and requires more effort to complete than a children's coloring book would.

The free app is available for Windows 10 PC and Mobile and contains a small collection of coloring pages to give you a feel for the app. You can add to the app's library of coloring pages through in-app purchases that run $2.99 and up.

The layout of Art of Coloring is somewhat straightforward. The main menu has a series of options running across the top of the screen and thumbnail images of the coloring pages filling most of the display. The menu options allow you to view your gallery of pages (those that you have completed or currently working on), along with filter options for the library of coloring pages. You can choose to view the free pages, as well as the Princesses, Frozen, villains, animals, florals, cats, Lion King and Jungle Book themed pages.

The free app comes with eight free coloring pages that provide you with plenty of coloring time to get a feel for the app. Additional pages are available through in-app purchase and cost $2.99 for each theme packet or $11.99 for a bundled package. There are additional coloring styles available that cost $1.99 each with the free version only including the basic color choices.

To begin coloring, just tap a thumbnail image and that coloring page fills the screen. Your color selections rest at the bottom of the display with additional color styles sitting in the lower right corner. There are Undo and Redo buttons at the top of the screen with a checkmark button to use when your coloring adventure is complete.

While the coloring pages are of Disney characters, the pages are designed more for an adult to tackle. Many of the coloring spaces are smaller than what you would find in a children's coloring book and can take a considerable amount of time to complete. The smaller sections allow you to be more creative in your coloring habits, but I have to admit completing a page can be tedious and might be a little frustrating to our younger audience. Then again, it could keep them quietly occupied on long road trips.

To color a section, click (or tap) on the desired color circle at the bottom of the coloring screen and then click on the section to be colored. The coloring mechanics are solely click and fill with no brushes available. Again, with so many areas to paint on many of the drawings, completing a page can be time-consuming.

Pages can be zoomed and moved about by clicking/tapping and holding the page. If you have to leave the app before finishing a page, your work is saved until you return. Once a page is completed, it can be downloaded locally or shared via the standard Windows 10 sharing options (email, text, Onedrive, etc.).

While I liked the depth of Art of Coloring, I could not help but feel the Windows 10 app was still a work in progress or incomplete. It did not feel like your typical Disney app that is clean and polished.

Case in point, I get the in-app purchase options for more coloring books and color choices. There are enough free pages to get a feel for the app, but the free colors are really lacking. There are a few shades of brown, a few yellows and a few shades of blue and pink. The ten color choices lack any reds or greens and when you are trying to color grass, the greens can really come in handy. Granted, you can buy the shades of greens, reds and other colors for $1.99 but that doesn't help you with the free pages.

At first, I wasn't too keen on this, but I get the lack of brushes in that the click and fill style of coloring makes you slow down and methodically color a page. Take a few deep breaths and coloring a page can be relaxing.

Overall, Disney's Art of Coloring is a Windows 10 app that can tap into your creative juices and offer a way to chill out after a stressful day. I do think the app is a little heavy on the in-app purchases, but the freebies are enough to help you decide if the investment is worth it.

Download Art of Coloring for Windows 10 PC and Mobile

Disney movies purchased through Microsoft Movies & TV can no longer be added to Disney Movies Anywhere, but why?

Proprietary digital rights systems are complex beasts, and Disney's Movies Anywhere effectively doubles that complexity by letting users buy its movies through various digital outlets and "stored" in a Disney digital locker system – dubbed KeyChest – forever.

Disney's service works with iTunes, Vudu, Amazon Video, Google Play, and most recently Verizon Fios. Microsoft's Movies & TV used to be on that list but users today are being informed that the partnership is being ended.

Sample email being sent to users of the Disney Movies Anywhere program.

The reason for the separation is a bit unclear with Disney stating, "Your Microsoft Movies & TV consent has expired and cannot currently be renewed," which sounds like some contract between the two companies has expired, or the system by which authentication occurs is no longer working.

Movies previously purchased through Microsoft Movies & TV and stored in the Disney Movies Anywhere, however, are unaffected:

All of the movies you have previously shared between your Disney Movies Anywhere and Microsoft Movies & TV accounts will be available on Disney Movies Anywhere and your provider lockers.

Future purchases through the Microsoft Movies & TV service will not be able to be added to Disney's service, effectively pushing consumers towards Apple, Google, or Amazon for future digital movies purchases.

Disney launched Movies Anywhere in 2014 with Microsoft jumping on board with Amazon in September 2015. The service competes with UltraViolet, and while it offers convenience, some see it as another attempt at controlling one's media usage with even more digital rights management (DRM) involved.

Regarding if this is a sign that Microsoft Movies & TV is shifting gears or downsizing, it is likely premature to speculate, but Microsoft should get ahead of this story before consumer backlash reaches a fever pitch. Judging by the large volume of email tips we have received just tonight Microsoft has a lot of work cut out for them.

Disney has recently begun consolidating its online digital services starting with pulling movies on Netflix. It is not known if that move is related to this shift with Microsoft.

Thanks, everyone, for the tips

A former Kinect game returns with 4K support and physical controls!

Six years ago, Microsoft pumped out some interesting Kinect-exclusive Xbox 360 games. But one thing held these games back: clunky Kinect controls. Now one of those exclusives is back, as Rush: A Disney-Pixar Adventure (still a terrible title). With levels based on six Pixar properties and Xbox Play Anywhere support, this is a great game for Disney fans – and it can finally be played with a controller!

See at MicrosoftSee at Amazon

Welcome to Pixar camp

Rush: A Disney-Pixar Adventure takes place at a Pixar-themed park, where kids can pretend to be part of their favorite Pixar movies. The park has six playground-ish areas devoted to specific Pixar franchises. It's populated by non-interactive kids who all look the same (other than hairstyles, and skin and clothing colors).

You can walk up to each movie's area and initiate the corresponding minigames, but that's it. Since the hub world doesn't serve any purpose besides establishing atmosphere, the time-saving option to select each game from a menu (as Disneyland Adventures offers) would have been nice.

Before you enter the park, you need to create a character. The part selection is unusually skimpy – you can select skin colors, but there's no pale skin option, for instance. And the models are a bit ugly, so your custom child probably won't look great when you're done.

Every time you select your character (custom or preset), the game runs through a montage of how the character will look in the different minigames: a superhero, car, rat, scout, and toy robot. The montage should really be skippable since it lasts for several seconds and never changes.

Six worlds to explore

Rush features six worlds based on the following Pixar franchises:

• Cars.
• Finding Dory.
• The Incredibles.
• Ratatouille.
• Toy Story.
• Up.

Each world has three levels (except for Finding Dory, which only has two), for a total of seventeen levels. Every movie's world is basically a tiny game based on that franchise, with gameplay tailored specifically to it. So Cars is an arcade-style racing game in which your car must first try out for Lightning McQueen's team and then take place in espionage-themed missions based on the second Cars film. The handling is a bit too fiddly, but it's still pretty fun little racer.

Finding Dory is brand new to the Xbox One and Windows 10 versions of Rush. Instead of playing as a custom character, you simply choose to play as either Nemo the fish or Squirt the sea turtle. This one has full 3D steering, with the right trigger accelerating forward as in the Cars levels. Swimming around underwater environments with control of all three axes might be too complex for small children, but older kids and adults will be fine.

The other movies' levels are primarily 3D platformers. You run, jump, swing from ropes, and more as you team up with NPCs and act out scenarios from each movie. In Up, the player and Russell get to chase after Carl's house, escape from Muntz's zeppelin, and more. The Incredibles has you teaming up with Violet to avoid nasty hazards, rescue Mirage, and battle a spider-like Omnidroid. Toy Story involves helping Woody rescue the porcupine toy nobody cares about from Al (the guy in the chicken suit from Toy Story 2). And you rescue a rat in jar and paddle through a sewer in Ratatouille.

The fact that Rush's levels aren't just minigames is its greatest strength. Instead of just doing movie-ish things like in Disneyland Adventures (which also just came to Xbox One and is great), these levels feel like proper adaptations of the movies. Their atmospheres are perfectly captured with beautiful graphics, spot-on sound (mostly using the real movie voice actors), and great level design. Because there are only three levels per film, none of them wears out its welcome – you can have a blast even if you don't care about the rat movie or Larry the Cable Guy pretending to be a mentally-handicapped truck (instead of a mentally-handicapped comedian).

Each level has a fair bit of replay value, too. The points you earn from collecting coins and completion time at the end of the level fill up a reward meter for that level. You'll unlock secondary objectives (such as trapping Muntz's dogs in Up), new moves, and new helper characters from the films. These open up different areas, a la Metroid, and increase scoring potential, so you can finally achieve Gold and Platinum medals. Each level also hides four hidden collectibles that unlock the ability to play as characters from the films.

Co-op adventures

After selecting your character and save-file at the beginning, the game asks if anyone else would like to play. Rush supports two-player split-screen co-op in both the park and all movie-themed levels. The process of signing in a second Kinect player was terrible on Xbox 360, but all that frustration is eliminated here thanks to improved Kinect performance and especially the ability to just join in with a second controller. The second player can drop in or out at any time.

Bringing along a partner actually makes the game play a little differently, as most levels have one or more simple co-op puzzles. These tend to involve one player stepping on a switch so that the other can reach a new area or unlock a new path. They mostly enhance the co-op experience, especially now that you can play with a controller to avoid unintuitive motion controls.

Also on the plus side, if either player fails too many times or spends too much time in an area, the game gives you the option to skip to the next section. That came in handy when the game glitched in first Toy Story level and wouldn't let me complete an objective. With that one exception, Rush has been a smooth experience.

Better than ever on Xbox One and Windows 10

French developer Asobo Studio did a great job on the original Xbox 360 version of Rush (called Kinect Rush). It's great that Microsoft allowed the company to revisit Rush for Xbox One and Windows 10, adding proper physical controls, HDR, and native 4K support on Xbox One X.

Awkward movement controls always held the original game back, but now Rush plays great with a controller – and you can still use the Kinect if that's your thing. The sheer variety of franchises and gameplay make this a game that parents and Disney-loving gamers won't want to miss.

Rush: A Disney-Pixar Adventure costs $29.99 on Xbox One and Windows 10. It's an Xbox Play Anywhere title, so progress and purchases on the downloadable Xbox and Windows 10 versions carry over between those two platforms.

See at MicrosoftSee at Amazon

Xbox One review copy provided by the publisher.

Finally, everyone can visit Disneyland.

One of the best Kinect games ever, Disneyland Adventures, is now back on Xbox One and Windows 10 with Xbox Play Anywhere support. Players of all ages will love the chance to explore an authentic virtual Disneyland using either a controller or Kinect.

Welcome to Disneyland

Disneyland Adventures is a simulation of the California Disneyland theme park. The park is gigantic and filled to the brim with the sights and sounds you would experience in the actual theme park. People like me who've never been to the real park will love the chance to explore it from the comfort of home.

Walking around a virtual theme park would get old quickly without stuff to do. Thankfully Disneyland Adventures has three main ways to keep busy: interacting with Disney characters, hunting down collectibles, and of course, the rides.

Meet your favorite Disney characters

One of the joys of visiting a real theme park is posing for photographs with people dressed as popular characters. Disneyland Adventures takes that concept to a whole new level as you're not just meeting suited characters, but the characters themselves.

From classic toons like Mickey and Donald to newer creations such as Buzz Lightyear and Stitch, you'll encounter practically every Disney character worth caring about in this game. They look (and usually sound) just like the real things. Using the d-pad you can hug, high five, dance, and ask for autographs, as well as taking pictures with every character. Kids will really love the sense of affection the Disney characters exhibit towards them with these interactions.

The toons often give you fetch quests and other tasks to complete, such as finding Donald's lost hat or food for Stitch. Fetch quests aren't normally very engaging, but the authentic characters and delightful and endearing atmosphere here make these tasks a pleasure. Similarly, the game is overflowing with collectibles – not unlike collectathon platformers Banjo Kazooie and Yooka-Laylee. Hunting everything down will take hours and hours, exposing you to the park's many nooks and crannies.

Minigames and rides

Of course, a theme park simulator would be nothing without rides to go on. Disneyland Adventures does not disappoint, with multiple rides presented as full multi-stage minigames. These include rides based on Alice in Wonderland, Peter Pan, Toy Story, Finding Nemo, and more. You'll also find minigames based on real-life rides like The Haunted Mansion, It's a Small World, and Splash Mountain.

Most of these minigames have transitioned smoothly from Kinect controls to physical ones. Some involve pressing a sequence of face buttons in quick succession though (as pictured above), which is much harder than it should be. The timing and presentation on those bits could use some tweaking.

Exploring the park with a friend

Disneyland Adventures would be a fine single-player game, but two-player local co-op makes it even better. The entire game supports drop-in, drop-out play. As you explore the park, the main player controls movement while the second player tags along on autopilot.

Once you start talking to a Disney character, the toon greets each player and then you both have a chance to interact with him or her. I love this aspect of the game because a parent can handle the relatively complex park navigation but their young child still has a chance to hug Mickey and the gang.

The real fun of co-op is taking on the attractions together. Pretty much every ride is made easier with a partner since they can collect coins and attack enemies alongside you. All of the attractions can be instantly selected from the Fast pass menu - a great feature when you and your partner want to enjoy the attractions without running around the park.

Kinect support

Disneyland Adventures supports both physical controllers and Kinect. While the minigames play great with Kinect, park navigation is ill-suited to motion controls. Putting out your left or right arm turns you in that direction, while moving your arms forward (as if you were running or power walking) makes your character walk.

Those movement controls are far too clunky and imprecise. Navigating the park and hunting for thousands of collectibles becomes a chore when you have to flap your arms the whole time. Unlocking the minigames through normal controller play and then accessing them with Kinect through the Fast Pass menu is an option, though.

Xbox One and Xbox One X enhanced

The original Xbox 360 game was developed by Frontier Developments (of Planet Coaster and Jurassic World Evolution fame). The Xbox One and Windows ports, however, come from Asobo Studio, makers of the enjoyable Rush: A Disney-Pixar Adventure, which has also just jumped to Xbox One and Windows.

Playing on Xbox One, the game sports mild graphical enhancements, including new lighting and colors. Some of the textures appear to be enhanced as well, though there are still low-resolution textures here and there. The frame rate hovers at around 30 frames per second, but it dips more than often than it should. Loading times into and out of minigames are also excessively long, unfortunately.

Disneyland Adventures is enhanced for Xbox One X, with native 4K resolution and HDR. If the frame rate and loading are also improved, the Xbox One X will easily be the best way to visit this virtual Disneyland.

Overall impression

When I spoke to the original developers at E3 a few years ago, I remarked that motion controls were the only holding Disneyland Adventures back. Now the game is back on Xbox One and Windows – and we can finally play it with a controller. With a vast virtual park to explore, loads of beloved characters, and plenty of minigames, Disneyland Adventures is one of the best Disney games out there.

Disneyland Adventures costs $29.99 on Xbox One and Windows 10. It's an Xbox Play Anywhere title, so progress and purchases on the downloadable Xbox and Windows 10 versions carry over between those two platforms.

See on the Windows StoreSee on Amazon

Xbox One review copy provided by the publisher.

The Windows 10 version of Disney Infinity 3.0 has received quite the timely update, bringing along new characters straight out of Star Wars: The Force Awakens. In the latest update, you can play as a number of the new characters, including Rey, Finn, and Kylo Ren. Here's the breakdown:

Star Wars™: The Force Awakens™ has arrived. Return to a galaxy far, far away alongside new heroes and old friends as they search for a much needed ally. Play as Rey, Finn, Kylo Ren and Poe Dameron in Disney Infinity 3.0 Edition. All other Star Wars characters are unlock able in all Star Wars Play Sets. Visit the store in the app to find out more.

So, if after you've spent harrowing night at the movies seeing the latest Star Wars blockbuster, you can settle in to a relaxing evening running around as your favorite characters.

Download Disney Infinity 3.0 at the Windows Store

The popular cross-platform game, Disney Infinity 3.0, is getting a new play set expansion on March 15 from the Marvel universe. Snippets of information have been available for some time but in an announcement today, VP of Production for Disney Infinity, John Vignocchi, announced the launch date, price and details on the set you'll be buying. And pre-orders start immediately at selected retailers. In Europe it looks like a March 25 release.

"We're just two months away from the launch of the Marvel Battlegrounds Play Set, and I'm happy to announce that, beginning today, you can pre-order the Play Set. It hits stores on March 15, and for those of you who don't know much about Marvel Battlegrounds, I can tell you that it's one of the most fun play sets we've ever made, and unlike anything we've ever offered.

Marvel Battlegrounds is a four-player, arcade-style brawler that allows you to battle with up to three friends locally. You get to play in 12 levels across eight all-new arenas, including Knowhere and Wakanda. You'll also be able to battle as any playable "Disney Infinity (2.0 Edition): Marvel Super Heroes" figure, making Marvel Battlegrounds the Play Set with the largest selection of playable characters."

The play set will, as ever, be a buy once use on any supported platform affair. Whether you're playing on Xbox 360, Xbox One, Windows 10, Steam, PlayStation, Wii U or the Apple TV, the figures and play set piece will be compatible. PC players will need to cash in the web codes to claim, since there's no physical base included. In the U.S. the new set will cost $29.99, a slight reduction on regular Infinity prices but you also only get one figurine. Pre-orders in the U.S. until March 14 at some retailers will include a free Marvel figure from the 2.0 release to use in the game.

While Marvel Battlegrounds will be compatible with any Marvel characters from the 2.0 and 3.0 versions of the game, included in the price is the brand new version of Captain America. Fashioned around the Captain America seen in the Civil War movie. But what actually is it? Unlike most other Infinity play sets, Battlegrounds is a combat based multiplayer experience. So far, Disney is only referring to local multiplayer, but something like this is obviously set up for online action. But Disney has mostly kept its cards close to its chest thus far.

If this sounds like something for you, you'll find pre-order links below. If you're yet to dive into Disney Infinity 3.0 you can grab the base game for free on Windows 10 (with Xbox Live support) or in starter pack form for Xbox One and Xbox 360.

Pre-order Marvel Battlegrounds at AmazonPre-order Marvel Battlegrounds at Disney

Source: Marvel

There will be no 4.0 this year, but the current version is getting a lot bigger.

Disney Interactive today announced its plans for what's to come in the smash hit Disney Infinity 3.0 game for the rest of 2016. We already know the Marvel Battlegrounds play set is coming later this month, but the Disney Infinity Next broadcast outlined what we'll be seeing after that.

First up, it was announced that there will be at least one new play set for Disney Infinity 3.0 from each of the core brands: Disney, Pixar, Marvel and Star Wars. The three Star Wars sets so far have covered off prequel times, some of the original trilogy and The Force Awakens, so we're curious as to what's next on that front.

As for what some of the others may be, during the presentation it was teased that forthcoming motion pictures, Finding Dory and Alice Through the Looking Glass could be the focus.

Disney also officially announced a bunch of new figures for Infinity 3.0. These include Ant Man, Black Suit Spiderman, Vision and Black Panther from the Marvel universe, with Baloo joining from the Disney originals catalog. More figures will come throughout the year though these will be announced at a later date.

All of this content will make Disney Infinity 3.0 bigger than any release in the franchise has ever been. If you're curious to see more you can catch a re-run of the broadcast below.

A console favorite has seen its last update on the PC. For now at least.

We're (sadly) no strangers to hearing support for apps and games is being pulled, but the news this time is that the PC version of Disney Infinity 3.0 looks set to go no further. In responding to questions from fans, Disney Interactive seems to have confirmed that development has, for now at least, been ceased on the PC version of the game.

The news was outlined by one fansite this past weekend. The official support channel responded to one question as such:

@halcyonforever At this time, the new content will only be available on console. We will certainly make the community aware if that changes!

— Disney Infinity (@DisneyInfinity) March 12, 2016

The VP of Production for Disney Infinity, John Vignocchi, had a similar message:

@REYzero1 We are evaluating our strategy with the PC version. When we have something to announce, we will let you know. @brian_s_nelson

— John Vignocchi (@JohnVignocchi) March 14, 2016

Until this point all content for the games characters and play sets was contained within the initial download. The new wave that's about to hit that includes the forthcoming Marvel Battlegrounds play set and a whole bunch of characters including Disney's legendary Baloo, all require an additional download to play. The PC, it seems, will not be getting that download.

It's a big step from Disney, though not necessarily a complete surprise. Recently the company confirmed that there would be no 4.0 release this year, instead focusing on delivering content to the current game. But the PC version isn't as slick as its console counterpart, with both the Windows Store and Steam littering with bad reviews. And while you can still buy figures and use them with the PC, it requires entering a code instead of using the base. But they're not necessary and you can get most of them cheaper via IAP.

But without the figures the game loses a lot.

So, for now, PC players have gone as far as they will go. No other versions of the game are affected and will be getting the Marvel Battlegrounds patch imminently. As for the future, we'll have to see if Disney considers the PC worth its time.

Disney will discontinue its Infinity sandbox game for PC and consoles. The company hasn't made a formal announcement, but did note the move in its financial earnings report for Q2 2016, also noting that the company will be exiting games publishing altogether.

From Disney (via Infinity Inquirer):

By now you've heard the news that we have made the difficult decision to discontinue production of Disney Infinity. From the beginning, Disney Infinity was built for you—our fans—and I wanted to take a moment to thank you not just for your support over the years,m but for creating a community that made Disney Infinity more than just a game.

Disney had previously announced a lot of content for Infinity to arrive this year, and the company will still be releasing its Alice Through the Looking Glass playset later this month, and its Finding Dory set in June.

Games based on Disney properties are of course still expected from licensed third parties, particularly EA and the Star Wars franchise.

We expect Disney to provide further details soon.

Fans of Disney Infinity 3.0 on Windows 10 will have until March 3, 2017, to play the sandbox game. After that date, the game will be unavailable to download and unplayable even if you have it installed on your PC.

In May, Disney announced that the company was shutting down the Infinity line of games and figures for PC, consoles and mobile devices, This week, Disney revealed its schedule for shutting down most of the Infinity games, including the Windows 10 version.

The good news is that console players, including the Xbox One and Xbox 360 versions, will be able to keep playing their Disney Infinity games offline; the online multiplayer features and the community content for those games will become unavailable on March 3. The Steam PC versions of Disney Infinity 2.0 and 3.0 will be available to play offline, but its online features will also shut down on that date.

Here's the full schedule of what versions of the game will be shutting down and when:

As of today

• No in-game purchases can be made within the PC, Steam version of Disney Infinity 2.0, iOS, Google Android, Amazon Android and Apple TV versions of the game as this feature has now been removed
• You can continue to make in-game purchases within the Steam version of Disney Infinity 3.0.

As of September 30, 2016

• You will no longer be able to log in to play the PC, iOS, Google Android and Amazon Android versions of Disney Infinity, these will no longer be available on the respective app stores
• The Steam versions of Disney Infinity 2.0 & 3.0 will remain operational with the exception of all online services and community features as these will be discontinued.
• Apple TV versions of Disney Infinity will be removed from the AppStore
• The Disney Infinity Community team will no longer be reviewing or approving any new Toy Boxes that are submitted to Disney for all console, mobile and PC versions of the game. However, if you are playing on any console, Apple TV or Windows 8/10 versions of the game, you can continue to download your favorite Toy Boxes from the Community Content section until March 3, 2017

As of January 3, 2017

• No in-game purchases can be made within the Windows 8/10 versions of the game as this feature will be removed

As of March 3, 2017

• Apple TV and Windows 8/10 versions will no longer be available, supported or playable
• All Disney Infinity online services and community features for all versions will be discontinued

Download Disney Infinity 3.0 at the Windows Store

Dodo Pop quietly hit Store shelves late last month and is an addictive bubble styled game from Disney. Available for both Windows Phone and Windows 8 devices, you are tasked with helping a wayward Dodo Bird, Crash, find his way home.

There are dozens of puzzle levels to tackle, each with a limited number of moves and goals to reach. After taking the Windows Phone version of Dodo Pop out for a test drive, we found the game to have nice looking graphics, challenging game play and a fun way to pass the time.

Dodo Pop jumps right into game play upon first launch with Crash the Dodo Bird walking you through the basics of game play. Crash will show up throughout the game to introduce you to new gaming elements as they become available.

The goal of Dodo Pop is to burst clusters of gumballs to reach the defined goals of each puzzle level. At the start of each level, Crash will outline the goals (pop a set number of colored gumballs, pop all the starred balls, etc.). Each puzzle also has a limited number of moves available to reach those goals. Run out of moves and you fail the level. A counter is displayed at the top of the gaming screen to help track your progress with the puzzle goals and how many moves are remaining.

Clusters have to be at least two gumballs that are touching and if things are close, there is a shake button in the lower left corner that will rattle the playing field. This will shift the gumballs ever so slightly were balls will touch, creating a cluster that can be tapped and removed.

Coins can be earned during game play or through an in-app purchase that can be used to buy power-ups. Power-ups include a rainbow button that will turn all the adjacent gumballs to the color of the center gumball, add bonus moves and a lightning strike that will remove one gumball. You also have a power-up that comes into play when you remove large numbers of the same colored gumball.

A meter will appear around the third level of the game that will increase as you remove the gumballs. Max out the meter any a bonus ball will come into play that when tapped/held will generate a rotating field. Let the field rotate and when you lift your hold, any ball of the same color that appears in this area will be removed.

Puzzle levels are mapped out, guiding Crash back to his home, Dodo Island. Each level can be replayed, but game play is limited to a degree with gaming tokens. You begin the game with five tokens and as long as you don't fail a level, you will not lose a token. Tokens are replenished over time or with your coins.

Game play is challenging through the first dozen or so levels but not too difficult. Around the 15th level, you begin to see things kick in with a rather challenging gaming goal. You have gumballs in play that are numbered. Those numbers dictate the size of the clusters you create and remove. For example, if an orange gumball has a 7 on it, you have to establish a group of at least 7 orange gumballs. The numbers seem to range from 5 to 30 and when you see the "30" gumball come into play, go ahead and reach for the lightning strike power-up to remove it from play.

Dodo Pop does have a few settings that can be accessed through the level map view or the main screen that will appear after your first launch of the game. Settings cover language choice and the customary terms of service and developer credit screens. While Dodo Pop is a universal game, there is no means to save your gaming progress across devices.

Overall Impression

Dodo Pop joins a crowded field of excellent Windows and Windows Phone games from Disney. Graphics are bright and colorful, game play challenging and Dodo Pop has a deceptively addictive pull about it. You can sit down with intentions of playing one or two gaming levels and before you know it, you've tackled half a dozen or more levels.

I'm not a big fan of the gaming token system. It can take the life out of any gaming rhythm you develop. I'd rather pay $.99 for the game and do away with the token system.

While I have enjoyed playing Dodo Pop, the game really needs some form of cloud saving to allow you to pick up game play where you left it from any of your devices.

There is room for improvement but as is, Dodo Pop is a fantastic game to have in your Windows 8 or Windows Phone gaming library. It is strong enough to help you waste short bits of time or keep you entertained for longer periods.

Download Dodo Pop for Windows Phone (Free)

Download Dodo Pop for Windows 8 (Free)

Do you reside in the US and enjoy Disney movies? You're in luck as Microsoft has signed a deal with the massive giant of entertainment to bring Disney Movies Anywhere to Microsoft Movies & TV. Launching in time for the upcoming holidays, those who use the Microsoft Windows and Xbox One will be able to access the catalogue of entertainment.

All your unlocked content with Disney, including Guardians of the Galaxy, Big Hero 6, will be available on your Windows PC and Xbox One. It's worthwhile to simply link your accounts as Disney will throw in a free copy of Monsters Inc. as a thank you. For those rocking the Xbox 360, you'll be able to take advantage of a new Disney Movies Anywhere app.

All-in-all it's a really neat announcement for anyone who loves Disney movies and rely on Microsoft platforms in their home.

Via: Engadget

Fans of everything Disney-related will be able to go nuts with the new release of Disney Infinity 3.0. The sandbox game, which lets gamers play with tons of different characters owned by Disney, is now available to download for Windows 10 PC owners in the Windows Store. It's also available for Windows desktop users via Steam.

Disney says:

Disney Infinity 3.0 Edition for PC welcomes Star Wars to the ever-growing collection of Disney, Marvel, and Disney•Pixar characters, stories and worlds. Now, players can engage in an all-encompassing Disney Infinity 3.0 Edition console experience on PC. Additionally, Disney Infinity 3.0 Edition features mouse and keyboard support, which allows for an extremely intuitive building experience in the Toy Box Mode. Together Disney, Star Wars, Marvel and Disney•Pixar characters can join forces and embark on adventures in the Disney Infinity Toy Box 3.0 while fans can also play in story-driven, true-to-property worlds in the Play Sets.

The game is free-to-play and includes a Rotating Character trial, Toy Box trial, Daily Challenge, and Play Set Demos. However, it also has a number of paid add-ons that add new characters, starter packs and play-sets to the game. The Windows 10 version also supports Xbox Live for unlocking achievements. Be aware that the download size for the Windows 10 version is a large 12.4GB file.

Download Disney Infinity 3.0 for Windows 10

Download Disney Infinity 3.0 for Windows desktop on Steam

Source: Disney

The Circle with Disney 1st-generation in-home parental control for Wi-Fi devices has dropped to $24 on Amazon. It has been going for around $55 for the last six months or so, and it only drops to around $40 when it goes on sale. Today's deal is the lowest it has ever been, a price it has only hit once before.

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The Circle recognizes and manages every device on your home Wi-Fi. You can create daily time limits on apps and social media sites, set filter levels by age, pause the internet, and see where your kids are spending time online. For example, if the kids aren't spending enough time on their homework, you could block Netflix and YouTube until their responsibilities are handled. As long as you have iOS 9 or later or Android Jelly Bean or later, you're good to go. No need to add any extra software to your device.

The 1st-gen version is on sale because there is a newer model, but that one goes for $129.99 and has a monthly pay wall for a lot of the services common on the first one.

The rumors were true.

What you need to know

• Disney is releasing Aladdin and The Lion King games on Xbox One and other platforms.
• The titles come in one collection and should be available in October.
• You can preorder Disney Classic Games: Aladdin and The Lion King for $30 through Best Buy.

When I was little, I used to love Disney's games. I remember playing Aladdin, Hercules, and The Lion King. All three of them were challenging platformers which featured a lot of frustrating stages. It's maybe been almost two decades since I've played Aladdin and The Lion King, but it looks like that's about to change quite soon. Today, Disney announced that it was bringing Aladdin and The Lion King to Xbox One, PC, Nintendo Switch, and PlayStation 4.

On October 29, the 16-bit games, complete with new features and enhancements, will be released on the platforms. According to the company, Disney Classic Games: Aladdin and The Lion King will include the fan-favorite versions of each original title, featuring upscaled visuals to support high-definition displays and additional upgrades to enhance playability with a controller.

The collection also includes a brand-new Final Cut of Aladdin and an original Aladdin Tradeshow Demo that has not been publicly available since 1993. Both of these games are quite challenging so you'll be able to instantly save, rewind, select levels, trigger god mode, or enable infinite lives if you're having problems. There's also an Interactive Game Viewer in there that enables you to view full playthroughs, with the ability to skip forward and start playing at any point.

Best of the best

Disney Classic Games: Aladdin and The Lion King

So much nostalgia

Two of the beloved Disney games make their long-awaited return to modern consoles in Disney Classic Games: Aladdin and The Lion King. This unforgettable package of Disney classics is filled with many new features, enhancements, game modes, display options, and multiple versions of the games.

$30 at Best Buy

Jump into digital

Xbox One S: All-Digital Edition

Ditch the discs

$208 at Amazon

Secure your Xbox One S: All-Digital Edition today, Microsoft's new and ambitious disc-less console. It's the cheapest Xbox One ever made, bundled with three downloadable games like Forza Horizon 3.

Xbox accessories you'll love

Every one of these quality accessories is guaranteed to enhance your Xbox experience.

Microsoft is officially a Disney Studios StudioLAB innovation partner.

What you need to know

• The Walt Disney Studios and Microsoft have announced a five-year partnership focused on innovating content creation.
• The companies will use the cloud to "help accelerate innovation."
• Microsoft and Disney are also working closely with Avid in relation to producing content through the cloud.

Microsoft and The Walt Disney Studios have formed a five-year partnership that utilizes Microsoft Azure and cloud computing to improve content creation. The partnership makes Microsoft a Disney Studios StudioLAB innovation partner and focuses on innovating content creation. In a Microsoft news post announcing the partnership, the company states that the partnership will "pilot new ways to create, produce and distribute content on the Microsoft Azure cloud platform."

The Disney Studios StudioLAB is a technology hub that aims to "create and advance the future of storytelling with cutting-edge tools and methods." The new partnership will see Azure and cloud computing help in this process from "scene to screen" according to the news post.

Kate Johnson, President of Microsoft US, explained how Disney and Microsoft can work together:

"The combination of Azure's hyperscale capacity, global distribution, and industry-leading storage and networking capabilities with Disney's strong history of industry leadership unlocks new opportunity in the media and entertainment space and will power new ways to drive content and creativity at scale. With Azure as the platform cloud for content, we're excited to work with the team at StudioLAB to continue to drive innovation across Disney's broad portfolio of studios."

The partnership will see Disney move production and postproduction workflows to the cloud and improve efficiency. The Walt Disney Studios' CTO, Jamie Voris stated, "Through this innovation partnership with Microsoft, we're able to streamline many of our processes so our talented filmmakers can focus on what they do best."

Both Microsoft and Disney work with Avid to create content while utilizing the cloud. Avid announced the Strategic Cloud Alliance with Microsoft in 2017 and continues to use Azure. Using various Avid technologies and Microsoft Azure, creators can collaborate, archive content, and actively backup content.

This new partnership between Disney and Microsoft moves both companies' efforts forward to innovate content creation through the cloud.

Best answer: At a minimum you'll want at least 1.5 Mbps to stream Disney+. However, if you want to get HD quality for your shows you are going to need 5 Mbps.

• Magic on demand: Disney+ (From $7/mo at Disney+)

The need for speed

If you're like me, then you're anxiously awaiting the launch of Disney's streaming service, Disney+. There are so many franchises and stories that are under the Disney umbrella that it's hard not to be hyped. Not only will we get to rewatch all our favorites, but they will also get further explored through this service. Everything from Marvel to Star Wars, and of course Pixar, have got so much in store for us.

While we wait for Disney+ to go live on Nov. 12, in the U.S., Canada, and the Netherlands and Nov. 19 in Australia and New Zealand, we can make sure that all of our ducks are in a row to stream away when the day comes.

Part of that process is knowing what internet speed requirements are going to be necessary to use the service. While we don't have anything official from Disney just yet in terms of technical requirements, we can use what another top tier service does require to help us out. Netflix has a nice breakdown of the recommended speeds to get started streaming.

• 1.5 Mbps - This will get you very low-quality video (240p or 320p)
• 3.0 Mbps - Recommended for SD quality (480p)
• 5.0 Mbps - Recommended for HD quality (1080p)
• 25 Mbps - Recommended for Ultra HD quality (4K)

On Netflix's chart there is an option for slower speeds than 1.5 Mbps at 0.5 Mbps, but that will make the media borderline unwatchable.

Can I improve my speeds?

Most of the time if you are at home or on Wi-Fi somewhere you'll get speeds high enough to get at least SD quality streaming. Aside from better speeds typically found via Wi-Fi, the signal is generally more stable, which keeps buffering to a minimal.

When Wi-Fi isn't available and you're pulling signals in on your mobile device to stream, you're going to want to be sure you're on LTE. While you may be able to get by with a strong 3G connection, you'll get lower quality video and far more stutters in your stream. If you seem to have a strong internet connection but there's still buffering, you can do a speed test through Fast and see what you are currently getting. You can also check with your internet service provider (ISP) to see what plan you are on and what speeds you can expect.

Again, these requirements are being pulled from what Netflix requires — not Disney+ — so these could change, but these will be a good benchmark to get started. While we do know a lot of what is coming with Disney+, there are a few technical aspects that aren't official, yet. We'll be sure to update you when we have more information.

No mousing around

Disney+

From $7/mo at Disney+

I 'Tink' this is going to be fun

Disney+ is the first service that will have everything Disney offers in one place. We're talking Marvel, Star Wars, National Geographic, Pixar, Disney Channel, and more.

Check out this collection.

What you need to know

• Disney just Aladdin and The Lion King on Xbox One and other platforms.
• The titles come in one collection so it's a single purchase.
• They include new features like the ability to rewind and trigger God Mode.
• You can purchase Disney Classic Games: Aladdin and The Lion King for $30 on Best Buy.

When I was little, I used to love Disney's platforming games. I remember playing Aladdin, Hercules, and The Lion King. All three of them were challenging experiences that featured a lot of frustrating stages. It's maybe been almost two decades since I've played Aladdin and The Lion King, but that changed today. Today, Disney released a $30 collection that includes Aladdin and The Lion King on Xbox One and other platforms.

Both of the games feature certain tweaks and enhancements. According to the company, Disney Classic Games: Aladdin and The Lion King will include the fan-favorite versions of each original title, with upscaled visuals to support high-definition displays and additional upgrades to enhance playability with a controller.

The collection also includes a brand-new Final Cut of Aladdin and an original Aladdin Tradeshow Demo that has not been publicly available since 1993. Since both of these games are quite challenging, you'll be able to instantly save, rewind, select levels, trigger god mode, or enable infinite lives if you're having problems. There's also an Interactive Game Viewer in there that enables you to view full playthroughs, with the ability to skip forward and start playing at any point.

They're back!

Disney Classic Games: Aladdin and The Lion King

Relive your childhood

Two of the most beloved Disney games of all time make their long-awaited return to modern consoles in Disney Classic Games: Aladdin and The Lion King! This unforgettable package of Disney classics is filled with tons of new features.

$30 at Microsoft Store

Get more Xbox

Xbox

Xbox One X from $380 at AmazonXbox One S from $249 at Amazon

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Disney+ has finally arrived! Now that the streaming service is ready for members in select countries including the United States and Canda, it's time to figure out the best way to sign up and start streaming! The service is available to download as an app on so many devices, from Roku and Fire TV streaming sticks to smartphones, tablets, smart TVs, and more. You can watch it using your computer as well.

Sign up for just Disney+

While the service has a regular monthly cost of $6.99, you can drop that cost down to just $5.83 monthly when you sign up for a full year today. You'll be charged a one-time fee of $70 as opposed to the $84 that it'd cost to pay month-by-month. However, there are two other deals that might make more sense for your family, including one that could score you an entire year for free.

Bundle with Hulu and ESPN+

Another fantastic deal that's available right now nets you access not just to Disney+ but also to Hulu and ESPN+ streaming services all for just $12.99 per month. Separately, these services would cost $18, so it pays to make sure you have the bundle rather than buying them all on their own.

Verizon gives customers free access

The lucky Verizon customers out there can snag a free year of Disney+ at no extra charge to their monthly bill! This deal is valid for all new and existing 4G LTE and 5G unlimited wireless customers, as well as new Verizon Fios Home Internet and 5G Home Internet customers.

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Disney's new streaming service is loaded with content from day one, so you don't have to worry about signing up too early. From every Pixar movie like Toy Story and Up! to classic Disney animated films such as The Lion King and The Little Mermaid, this service is a must-have for parents with younger children, as its regular cost is only $6.99 a month! It also includes a slate of Marvel superhero films such as The Avengers: Endgame, the Star Wars series, all of The Simpsons, and a bevy of Disney Channel TV shows and original movies, from Lizzie McGuire, Phineas and Ferb, and Hannah Montana, to High School Musical, Descendants, and so much more. Some of the content here hasn't been available to watch at all for over a decade, such as the Disney Channel show So Weird, making Disney+ the only place to find certain shows and movies.

To learn more about Disney's new streaming service, this guide can fill you in on everything you need to know.