SHORTCUTS FOR GAMEMAKERS

“In the olden days, like 15 years ago, if you wanted to make a game, you needed to have a pretty deep technical background,” says Chris Charla, director of Microsoft’s I.D. at Xbox program. “But in the last 10 years, there’s been more and more middleware – third-party tools and technology that enable creators to make video games.” Here are three you can use to create your dream game.

GAMEMAKER A drag-and-drop, learn-to-code-as-you-go-style creative engine, this will help you create 2D games like Cuphead.

UNITY This 2D/3D engine, based primarily in C# or Javascript, comes with tons of tutorials, as well as a particle system for making flames, clouds and sparks.

UNREAL Engine This C++-based 2D/3D program is centred on forums and has a visual scripting option for code-free planning.

Master & Dynamic MA770 speaker

To answer your first question: 17 kilograms. Second: no, the concrete body isn’t just a novelty. The material dampens like wood and the resulting sound is of the quality you’d expect for this price. It streams via Bluetooth or Wi-fi, but also has auxiliary and optical outlets for record players and theatre systems.

Nokia 3310

This one’s for anyone who just wants the real essentials: phone calls, texts, and a battery that lasts forever. It uses such old technology that it was a challenge to get an old-style SIM card that would work with it. When we finally turned it on, it only did five or six things. But the fact that it all works perfectly is pretty cool.

HTC U11

All the stuff you expect from a flagship phone, like a nice display, build quality, and this goodlooking reflective back. But the squeeze thing – where you press the sides to turn on Google Assistant or the camera or whatever – that’s also for a person willing to try something new.

iphone X

The most beautiful iphone ever. It looks like you would need big hands to use it, but it’s really only a 5.8-inch screen, similar to the smaller iphones. Either way, if you’re an Apple enthusiast, this is the way to go. Expect that Apple will be pushing accessories and making sure things work well on it.

Essential phone

Someone who buys this has to want to try something different. It’s designed by the person who created the original Android operating system, and it’s got some weird quirks – no bezels, it’s made of ceramic, and it has these add-ons like a 360° camera that is actually really fun. As long as you don’t mind the price, it’s solid.

Samsung S8

This is the complete enthusiast’s phone, the one I recommend to people looking to buy an Android phone right now. The only complaint is that you need a special app to remap the side button that opens the Samsung voice assistant, Bixby. By JOHNATHAN WENDEL Retired professional gamer better known as Fatal1ty

Being able to take phone calls and texts right from your wrist – that’s the future. And with Apple Pay, you don’t have to carry around a wallet in your back pocket and sit awkwardly all day. I’m so tired of carrying around things, especially with how big phones are lately. When I want to go out to socialise, to have an easy state of mind, I don’t want to worry about losing my phone. I want to walk out with just my watch.