Android Tablet Update

Just in case you thought you had no plans this weekend, we’re here to say, “Sure you do!” with another chance to win a Tegra 3 device in honor of the recent release of Sonic 4 Episode II. So far, we’ve given an ASUS Transformer Prime and Acer Iconia Tab A510 to two lucky readers, and this week we have the famed One X from HTC! Be sure to read more about what you can do to win and “get your Sonic on.”

The Trailer

The Download

Sonic 4 Episode II is available as a paid title for $6.99 and a lite version is free to install.

Sonic 4 Episode II THD SEGA of America PLAY QR POWERED BY APPAWARE

Sonic 4 Episode II THD Lite SEGA of America PLAY QR POWERED BY APPAWARE

The Game

The Sonic 4 saga continues with Sonic’s beloved sidekick, Miles “Tails” Power. Players can now experience the Sonic 4 saga as never before with the addition of a brand new engine; bringing you gameplay with updated physics and HD graphics.

“Sonic 4 Episode II is very special because we’ve integrated community feedback into the game,” said Haruki Satomi, Senior Vice President of Digital Business at SEGA of America. “We have some of the most loyal and dedicated fans and I hope they enjoy this next chapter in the Sonic 4 saga.”

For the first time Android gamers can enjoy an experience that is nearly identical to the PS3 and XBox versions, and it comes at half the price. Players with Tegra 3 devices like the HTC One X or ASUS Transformer Prime will enjoy higher quality textures, better lighting and glow effects, and objects on screen that are absent from other mobile versions.

Episode 2 also features a collaborative multiplayer mode where players can team up with a friend via Bluetooth and take control of Sonic and Tails as they battle against Dr. Eggman and Metal Sonic.

We just installed the game on our devices, so look for our full review in the coming weeks.

Release dates:

• May 15: PS3, Playstation Network, PC digital download via Steam
• May 16: TegraZone, Xbox Live Arcade
• May 17: iTunes App Store
• June: Google Play Store (non-Tegra devices)
• July: Xbox Live on Windows Phone

Pricing:

• PS3 and Steam: $14.99
• Android, iOS: $6.99
• Xbox Live Arcade: 1200 points

Episode Metal bonus pack:

Players who have Episodes I and II installed on the same device will gain access to a new bonus pack called “Episode Metal.” This unlockable story will feature a playable Metal Sonic, four exclusive levels, and allow players to discover the rebirth of Metal Sonic and learn more about how he survived the events at the end of Sonic CD. If you missed the first episode, grab it from the link below.

Sonic 4™ Episode I SEGA of America PLAY QR POWERED BY APPAWARE

Benefits of Tegra 3

Tegra 3 offers gamers the most technically advanced mobile version.

• The Tegra 3 version of Sonic The Hedgehog 4 Episode II is the most technically advanced mobile version of the game, a near mirror-image of the full-blown PS3 and Xbox versions of the game.
• In fact, by enjoying a game with a gamepad (either with wired or Bluetooth controllers) and outputting the device to an television via HDMI, it’s the CLOSEST to the actual console experience you’ll get on a mobile device…. All with fast frame rates.
• Sonic on Tegra 3 has dramatically higher quality textures, better lighting and glow effects, and objects on screen that are absent from other mobile versions.

Non-Tegra vs Tegra 3 version of Sonic 4.

The Contest – Win an unlocked HTC One X

Brace yourself for lightning-fast web browsing, remarkable picture quality and seamless gaming visuals thanks to the powerful quad-core Tegra 3 processor. You’ll love the minimalist design and the camera that captures every moment (even in low light) with crisp, vivid, beautiful photos. It also lets you take a photo while shooting HD video. Plus, with Beats Audio you hear authentic, deep sound with true, finely-tuned details.

How to Enter

Draw a picture of any Sonic character and an Android character. Upload the picture anywhere you like and leave a comment with a link below.

Multiple chances to win: Today marks the middle of a multi-week promotion. We will have additional Tegra 3 powered tablets and smartphones to give away, so be on the lookout. Sega also provided us with some limited edition action figures and comics to give away, so go buy the game if you want a chance at winning some more swag.

Contest Rules

This contest is open to residents of any country. Entries will be accepted until Monday, May 28th. We’ll announce the winner on this page and on our Twitter account as soon as we draw.

Contest Winner

(coming soon)

Welcome back to the first ever TegraZone Player’s Choice Awards promotion. Last week we gave away a Transformer Pad prize pack to the lucky winner Droilfade and this week we are back with another one. Don’t forget that NVIDIA is also giving away 7 ASUS Transformer Pads with docks, Logitech Controllers and a Jambox Speaker, so make sure you go vote.

NVIDIA is celebrating the first year of TegraZone, the best place to find the hottest Android games for your Tegra-powered device. ASUS, NVIDIA, and Android and Me are partnering on a sweepstakes in which readers can vote on their favorite Tegra games for the chance to win the new ASUS Transformer Pad. Read on for the full details.

About TegraZone

NVIDIA debuted TegraZone one year ago and it now boasts over 3.5 million installs. Over 1.5 million unique visitors have used the app during the past quarter and the average user visits every 3 days. NVIDIA has also helped developers gain exposure for their games with an average conversion rate of 19%, compared to the 5% average conversion rate of Google Play. There are now close to 40 games optimized for Tegra devices and we are seeing the quantity and quality increase every month.

NVIDIA TegraZone NVIDIA PLAY QR POWERED BY APPAWARE

First TegraZone Player’s Choice Awards

Scan to vote.

Starting today and running through May 31st, users can vote for their favorite Tegra games in three categories. Every user that votes in the TegraZone Player’s Choice Awards will be automatically entered to win a free ASUS Transformer Pad from NVIDIA.

Award Categories include:

1. Best Graphics
2. Best Gameplay
3. Overall fun

Once the votes are tallied, the winners will be announced on June 6th at E3.

Vote now in the TegraZone Player’s Choice Awards

The Giveaway: ASUS Transformer Pad Prize Pack

Running latest Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, the ASUS Transformer Pad is a value packed tablet that with multi-color style, and productivity with expandability when connected to the mobile dock. With a 1.2MP front and 8MP rear auto-focus camera with large F/2.2 aperture and exclusive office software, staying connected and productive has never been easier.

Gaming to go prize pack includes:

• ASUS Transformer Pad
• ASUS Mobile dock
• Logitech game controller
• Jambox Speaker

How to enter the weekly contest

Leave a comment below and tell us your favorite first-person shooter game on Android. Note that the game doesn’t have to be a TegraZone exclusive. It can be any first-person shooter in the history of Android.

We normally allow anonymous comments, but for this contest you will need to be a registered user to leave a comment. Not signed up? It only takes seconds to join.

Multiple chances to win: Users can win a tablet from Android and Me or NVIDIA. The Player’s Choice Awards will be running for several weeks, so be on the lookout for more chances to win an ASUS Transformer Pad. Don’t forget we are also running a Sonic 4 promotion that has another chance to win a Transformer Prime.

Contest Rules

This contest is open to residents of the United States, Canada, UK and Germany. Entries will be accepted for one week after the contest goes live. We’ll announce the winner on this page and on our Twitter account as soon as we draw.

Contest Winner

(coming soon)

Last week, we celebrated the release of Sonic 4 Episode II, starring one of the world’s best-known video game characters, on consoles and mobile platforms. Congratulations again to Nicholas Vettese for winning an ASUS Transformer Prime! We’re continuing the celebration this week by giving another lucky reader a chance to win another “Sonic-ready” tablet, an Acer Iconia Tab A510. Read on for more about the latest release and what you can do to win!

The Trailer

The Download

Sonic 4 Episode II is available as a paid title for $6.99 and a lite version is free to install.

Sonic 4 Episode II THD SEGA of America PLAY QR POWERED BY APPAWARE

Sonic 4 Episode II THD Lite SEGA of America PLAY QR POWERED BY APPAWARE

The Game

The Sonic 4 saga continues with Sonic’s beloved side kick, Miles “Tails” Power. Players can now experience the Sonic 4 saga as never before with the addition of a brand new engine; bringing you gameplay with updated physics and HD graphics.

“Sonic 4 Episode II is very special because we’ve integrated community feedback into the game.” said Haruki Satomi, Senior Vice President of Digital Business at SEGA of America. “We have some of the most loyal and dedicated fans and I hope they enjoy this next chapter in the Sonic 4 saga.”

For the first time Android gamers can enjoy an experience that is nearly identical to the PS3 and Xbox versions, and it comes at half the price. Players with Tegra 3 devices like the HTC One X or ASUS Transformer Prime will enjoy higher quality textures, better lighting and glow effects, and objects on screen that are absent from other mobile versions.

Episode 2 also features a collaborative multiplayer mode where players can team up with a friend via Bluetooth and take control of Sonic and Tails as they battle against Dr. Eggman and Metal Sonic.

We just installed the game on our devices, so look for our full review in the coming weeks.

Release dates:

• May 15: PS3, Playstation Network, PC digital download via Steam
• May 16: TegraZone, Xbox Live Arcade
• May 17: iTunes App Store
• June: Google Play Store (non-Tegra devices)
• July: Xbox Live on Windows Phone

Pricing:

• PS3 and Steam: $14.99
• Android, iOS: $6.99
• Xbox Live Arcade: 1200 points

Episode Metal bonus pack:

Players who have Episodes I and II installed on the same device will gain access to a new bonus pack called “Episode Metal.” This unlockable story will feature a playable Metal Sonic, four exclusive levels, and allow players to discover the rebirth of Metal Sonic and learn more about how he survived the events at the end of Sonic CD. If you missed the first episode, grab it from the link below.

Sonic 4™ Episode I SEGA of America PLAY QR POWERED BY APPAWARE

Benefits of Tegra 3

Tegra 3 offers gamers the most technically advanced mobile version.

• The Tegra 3 version of Sonic The Hedgehog 4 Episode II is the most technically advanced mobile version of the game, a near mirror-image of the full-blown PS3 and Xbox versions of the game.
• In fact, by enjoying a game with a gamepad (either with wired or Bluetooth controllers) and outputting the device to an television via HDMI, it’s the CLOSEST to the actual console experience you’ll get on a mobile device…. All with fast frame rates.
• Sonic on Tegra 3 has dramatically higher quality textures, better lighting and glow effects, and objects on screen that are absent from other mobile versions.

Non-Tegra vs Tegra 3 version of Sonic 4.

The Contest – Win an Acer Iconia Tab A510

“Featuring NVIDIA quad-Core performance, the latest Android 4.0 OS and an amazing productivity suite, you can multitask at a new level and surf the web without waiting. Preloaded entertainment apps like Kindle, Netflix and Google Music keep your entertainment at your fingertips wherever you are. So whether you need to be productive on the go or just want to stay entertained, the Acer Iconia Tab A510 will keep you at the top of your game.”

How to Enter

To enter to win the tablet, all you’ve gotta do is tweet at @NVIDIATegra with the hashtag #Sonic. Tell them how much you loved #Sonic as a kid, why Tails rules- whatever you feel like sharing. Use your own words, we love creativity! Just make sure to include @NVIDIATegra and #Sonic in your tweet. For your convenience, we’ve included a tweetbox below:

Multiple chances to win: Today is marks the middle of a multi-week promotion. We will have additional Tegra 3 powered tablets and smartphones to give away, so be on the lookout. Sega also provided us with some limited edition action figures and comics to give away, so go buy the game if you want a chance at winning some more swag.

Contest Rules

This contest is open to residents of any country. Entries will be accepted for 48 hours after the contest goes live. We’ll announce the winner on this page and on our Twitter account as soon as we draw. As always, we’ll be tracking tweets and picking winners via RowFeeder.

Welcome back to the first ever TegraZone Player’s Choice Awards promotion. Last week we gave away a Transformer Pad prize pack to the lucky winner Golcarcol and this week we are back with another one. Don’t forget that NVIDIA is also giving away 7 ASUS Transformer Pads with docks, Logitech Controllers and a Jambox Speaker, so make sure you go vote.

NVIDIA is celebrating the first year of TegraZone, the best place to find the hottest Android games for your Tegra-powered device. ASUS, NVIDIA, and Android and Me are partnering on a sweepstakes in which readers can vote on their favorite Tegra games for the chance to win the new ASUS Transformer Pad. Read on for the full details.

About TegraZone

NVIDIA debuted TegraZone one year ago and it now boasts over 3.5 million installs. Over 1.5 million unique visitors have used the app during the past quarter and the average user visits every 3 days. NVIDIA has also helped developers gain exposure for their games with an average conversion rate of 19%, compared to the 5% average conversion rate of Google Play. There are now close to 40 games optimized for Tegra devices and we are seeing the quantity and quality increase every month.

NVIDIA TegraZone NVIDIA PLAY QR POWERED BY APPAWARE

First TegraZone Player’s Choice Awards

Scan to vote.

Starting today and running through May 31st, users can vote for their favorite Tegra games in three categories. Every user that votes in the TegraZone Player’s Choice Awards will be automatically entered to win a free ASUS Transformer Pad from NVIDIA.

Award Categories include:

1. Best Graphics
2. Best Gameplay
3. Overall fun

Once the votes are tallied, the winners will be announced on June 6th at E3.

Vote now in the TegraZone Player’s Choice Awards

TegraZone game I’m looking forward to the most: Renaissance Blood THD

Renaissance Blood, formerly DaVinci, has been in development for a long time, but it should finally arrive on Tegra 3 devices in June. Korean developer Bridea is using the Unreal Engine 3 for this first person shooter and promises the highest graphics quality of any mobile game.

Kijong Kang, Executive Producer, described how they planned to take advantage of NVIDIA’s 4-PLUS-1 architecture by saying, “Renaissance Blood THD will leverage Tegra 3 for its multi-threading capabilities, so we can scale across all four CPU cores and deliver the ultimate console-quality performance.”

We haven’t seen a lot of info about the game released in recent months, so keep an eye on the TegraZone listing for updates. It’s possible the release date could be pushed back to the second half of 2012, but this looks like a game worth waiting on.

The Giveaway: ASUS Transformer Pad Prize Pack

Running latest Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, the ASUS Transformer Pad is a value packed tablet that with multi-color style, and productivity with expandability when connected to the mobile dock. With a 1.2MP front and 8MP rear auto-focus camera with large F/2.2 aperture and exclusive office software, staying connected and productive has never been easier.

Gaming to go prize pack includes:

• ASUS Transformer Pad
• ASUS Mobile dock
• Logitech game controller
• Jambox Speaker

How to enter the weekly contest

Join Android and Me and start a discussion about any gaming-related or Tegra-related topic in our Threads. All Thread creators in the next week will be automatically entered to win. (Learn more about Threads)

Suggested thread topics include:

• X reasons why I want the ASUS Transformer Pad (or any Tegra 3 device)
• X games I wish were coming to Android
• Will cloud gaming be the end of consoles?
• Review your favorite Android game
• Is TegraZone and other exclusive content good or bad for Android?
• Etc., be creative!

Entries will be judged on number of comments they receive, use of images and videos, and overall quality. We will announce the winner next week when we start Week 3 of the TegraZone Player’s Choice Awards promotion.

Multiple chances to win: Users can win a tablet from Android and Me or NVIDIA. The Player’s Choice Awards will be running for several weeks, so be on the lookout for more chances to win an ASUS Transformer Pad. Don’t forget we are also running a Sonic 4 promotion that has another chance to win a Transformer Prime.

Contest Rules

This contest is open to residents of the United States, Canada, UK and Germany. Entries will be accepted for one week after the contest goes live. We’ll announce the winner on this page and on our Twitter account as soon as we draw.

Contest Winner

(coming soon)

Sonic the Hedgehog has become one of the world’s best-known video game characters, with his series having sold more than 80 million copies. Gamers have normally enjoyed new releases of the series on home game consoles, but Sega is now releasing the latest Sonic 4 Episode II on mobile platforms at the same time. Read on as we celebrate the latest release and give away an ASUS Transformer Prime.

The Trailer

The Download

Sonic 4 Episode II THD SEGA of America PLAY QR POWERED BY APPAWARE

The Game

The Sonic 4 saga continues with Sonic’s beloved side kick, Miles “Tails” Power. Players can now experience the Sonic 4 saga as never before with the addition of a brand new engine; bringing you gameplay with updated physics and HD graphics.

“Sonic 4 Episode II is very special because we’ve integrated community feedback into the game.” said Haruki Satomi, Senior Vice President of Digital Business at SEGA of America. “We have some of the most loyal and dedicated fans and I hope they enjoy this next chapter in the Sonic 4 saga.”

For the first time Android gamers can enjoy an experience that is nearly identical to the PS3 and Xbox versions, and it comes at half the price. Players with Tegra 3 devices like the HTC One X or ASUS Transformer Prime will enjoy higher quality textures, better lighting and glow effects, and objects on screen that are absent from other mobile versions.

Episode 2 also features a collaborative multiplayer mode where players can team up with a friend via Bluetooth and take control of Sonic and Tails as they battle against Dr. Eggman and Metal Sonic.

We just installed the game on our devices, so look for our full review in the coming weeks.

Release dates:

• May 15: PS3, Playstation Network, PC digital download via Steam
• May 16: TegraZone, Xbox Live Arcade
• May 17: iTunes App Store
• June: Google Play Store (non-Tegra devices)
• July: Xbox Live on Windows Phone

Pricing:

• PS3 and Steam: $14.99
• Android, iOS: $6.99
• Xbox Live Arcade: 1200 points

Episode Metal bonus pack:

Players who have Episodes I and II installed on the same device will gain access to a new bonus pack called “Episode Metal.” This unlockable story will feature a playable Metal Sonic, four exclusive levels, and allow players to discover the rebirth of Metal Sonic and learn more about how he survived the events at the end of Sonic CD. If you missed the first episode, grab it from the link below.

Sonic 4™ Episode I SEGA of America PLAY QR POWERED BY APPAWARE

Benefits of Tegra 3

Tegra 3 offers gamers the most technically advanced mobile version.

• The Tegra 3 version of Sonic The Hedgehog 4 Episode II is the most technically advanced mobile version of the game, a near mirror-image of the full-blown PS3 and Xbox versions of the game.
• In fact, by enjoying a game with a gamepad (either with wired or Bluetooth controllers) and outputting the device to an television via HDMI, it’s the CLOSEST to the actual console experience you’ll get on a mobile device…. All with fast frame rates.
• Sonic on Tegra 3 has dramatically higher quality textures, better lighting and glow effects, and objects on screen that are absent from other mobile versions.

Non-Tegra vs Tegra 3 version of Sonic 4.

The Contest – Win an ASUS Transformer Prime!

Running latest Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, the ASUS Transformer Prime is a high-performance tablet that with multi-color style, and productivity with expandability when connected to the mobile dock. With a 1.2MP front and 8MP rear auto-focus camera with large F/2.2 aperture and exclusive office software, staying connected and productive has never been easier.

How to Enter

Leave a comment below that describes your favorite Sonic memory and you’ll be entered to win. Did you play Sonic as a kid? Were you the only kid on the block with a Sega Genesis when all your friends had a Nintendo console? What was your favorite game to feature Sonic?

We normally allow anonymous comments, but for this contest you will need to be a registered user to leave a comment. Not signed up? It only takes seconds to join.

Multiple comments are allowed on this post, but each user will only be counted once. The winner will be chosen at random, so don’t bother downvoting each other.

Multiple chances to win: Today is just the first stage of a multi-week promotion. We will have additional Tegra 3 powered tablets and smartphones to give away, so be on the lookout. Sega also provided us with some limited edition action figures and comics to give away, so go buy the game if you want a chance at winning some more swag.

Contest Rules

This contest is open to residents of any country. Entries will be accepted for one week after the contest goes live. We’ll announce the winner on this page and on our Twitter account as soon as we draw.

Contest Winner

(coming soon…)

Back in March we partied with gdgt Live at SXSW and had a blast, but we know a lot of you were not able to make it out to Texas. That’s okay, because the gdgt crew is traveling across the country and they have a bunch more tour dates already lined up. The next gdgt LIVE event takes place in Chicago (#2 city for Android nerds) on Friday, May 11.

If you’ve never heard of gdgt Live, it’s free, all-ages and open to the public. These shows provide a great opportunity to meet people from the companies you love, check out their latest gadgets and hang out with your peers.

For this show they will have new gdgt t-shirts and new gdgt-branded iPhone cases from Speck for the first several hundred folks who join us, so make sure you get there early. (Yo Speck, where’s the Android love?) Of course, they’ll also have a whole bunch of gadgets to win — but only if you show up.

We can’t all make it to the show, but Anthony, Chuck, Sean and I do plan to attend. If you’re coming, too, leave us a comment below and be sure to track us down and say hi while you’re there.

Please tell your friends and help spread the word on all your favorite social sites. The official Twitter hashtag is #gdgtChicago. Head over to the gdgt Live Chicago page for the current list of sponsors.

Where: The Tribune Building, 435 N Michigan Ave, Chicago
When: Friday, May 11 – 7:00pm to 10:00pm
Why: Because we know you love gadgets as much as we do!

Happy Cinco de Mayo! We hope everyone is out enjoying the weekend with their friends and family, but we also wanted to share some of the liveliest discussions from our community this week. We recently launched Threads so our users could share their voice and talk about the topics that matter the most to them.

Best threads of the week:

• Next Google Nexus Wishlist by spazby
• Samsung S III – Sexy or Ugly? by jaxidian
• Carrier/Manufacture Logos Are Killing Beautiful Phones by Chris Lewis
• What do you consider the best browser? by B2L
• How much data do we really use? Are we paying too much? by Canterrain
• Is Pentile really a big deal? by CTown

What is a thread? You could think of them as a community forum, but we have introduced some unique game elements to make people think twice before posting. Each thread costs a user 20 points, but they have the opportunity to earn them back if people leave comments. Check out our docs section for the low down.

Our very own Clark is hard at work implementing some exciting new features for threads, but I’m sure he would love to hear your feedback if you have any suggestions on things you would like to see.

Back in March we partied with gdgt Live at SXSW and had a blast, but we know a lot of you were not able to make it out to Texas. That’s ok because the gdgt crew is traveling across the country and they have a bunch more tour dates already lined up.

The next gdgt Live event takes place in Chicago on Friday, May 11th. We found that Chicago is the #2 city for Android nerds, so we are expecting a great turnout for this event.

If you have never heard of gdgt Live, it’s free, all-ages, and open to the public. These shows provide a great opportunity to meet people from the companies you love, check out their latest products, and hang out with your peers.

For this show they will have new gdgt t-shirts and new gdgt-branded iPhone cases from Speck for the first several hundred folks who join us, so make sure you get there early (Yo Speck, where’s the Android love?). Of course, they’ll also have a whole bunch of gadgets to win — but only if you show up.

I’ve never been to Chicago, but I’m thinking of attending. The only problem is I’ll be in New Orleans for CTIA on May 8-10th, so I don’t know if I can work out the travel to get there on time. If you do plan to attend, please leave a comment below so fellow Android fans will know you are coming.

Please tell your friends and help spread the word on all your favorite social sites. The official Twitter hashtag is #gdgtChicago. Head over to the gdgt Live Chicago page for the current list of sponsors.

Where: The Tribune Building, 435 N Michigan Ave, Chicago
When: Friday, May 11th – 7:00pm to 10:00pm
Why: Because we know you love gadgets as much as we do!

We already know what the typical Android nerd looks like, but where do they live? To answer that question we turned to Google Analytics and tallied up the Top 20 US cities for Android devices that visited our site in 2012. Check out the full list after the break.

Any surprises?

You know that old saying Show me yours and I’ll show you mine? Well, we’ve shown you ours. Now we want to see your favorite Android t-shirt, and we’re giving you a chance to win a spankin’ new tee just for doing so.

To enter to win, simply post a photo of yourself in an Android t-shirt. Any Android shirt. You can post the photo on Twitter, Facebook, Google+, Flickr- wherever you stash your pictures online. Just make sure you come back here to post a comment to enter.

We’ll have two winners, one that takes the best picture (as judged by staff) and one winner drawn at random (as long as there is a qualifying picture attached). Get creative, be funny, or strike a handsome pose. We just want to see you guys decked out in your Android finest.

We’ll leave entries open for 24 hours, at which point we’ll update this post with winners. Make sure to keep an eye on the comments, I’m sure there will be some awesome photos surfacing.

Of course, if you don’t have a tee yet, I’d like to suggest either of the following, which are only on sale for one more day at get.androidandme.com: