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Tag: E3

  • E3 2013: Killer Instinct is Free-to-Play, Digital-Only

    Microsoft promised games for its big E3 conference, and actually delivered. The presentation was packed with games, a few of them exclusive to Xbox One.

    One of the exclusives shown was a reboot of Rare’s Killer Instinct, the Mortal Kombat-like fighting game Nintendo brought to the Super Nintendo in the mid-90s. While the game only got a short trailer and awkward demonstration during Microsoft’s presentation, it was enough to excite fans who spent precious hours of their childhood memorizing Fulgore’s ultra.

    Now, though, details about the new Killer Instinct are coming out, and it appears the game will not be a full-fledged title. According to an IGN report on the game, Microsoft will be launching the title as a free-to-play digital game. While Killer Instinct will be available at the launch of the Xbox One, only one character – Jago – will come with the download. All other characters will have to be paid for. The price for fighters has not yet been released.

  • Here Are All The Games Coming To The PS4

    Here Are All The Games Coming To The PS4

    On Monday night, Sony fired the first shot of the console wars with the announcement of a cheaper console and no restrictions on used games. Those may have been the most important announcements to some, but we can’t forget about the games.

    Here are all the PS4 games that Sony showed off last night. Not all of these will be launch titles, but these will all be making their way to the console at some point this year or next:

    DC Universe Online

    PlanetSide 2

    Transistor

    Destiny

    Doki-Doki Universe

    Knack

    inFAMOUS Second Son

    Killzone: Shadow Fall

    Driveclub

    The Order: 1886

    Out of all the games above, Sony confirmed that Killzone: Shadow Fall, Knack and Driveclub would be available at launch. inFAMOUS Second Son will be a Q1 2014 title. As for everything else, they will launch at some point in 2013 or 2014.

  • Miss Out On the PS4 E3 Press Conference? Watch It Here

    Did you watch Sony’s annual E3 press conference last night? Did you get to check out all the new games, the new hardware and the news that used games would be a thing? If not, do we have just the thing for you.

    For those who were tired or too busy to watch the two hour long press conference, Sony has been kind enough to upload the entire thing to YouTube for your enjoyment. There’s a lot of stuff crammed into those two short hours, but I think you’ll find yourself being surprised a few times.

    For more on the PS4 unveiling, check out our coverage.

  • PS4 To Launch This Year For $399, Will Allow Used Games

    After months of waiting, Sony finally unveiled the PlayStation 4 last night at its E3 press conference. New hardware is always big, but it was the small things (that turned out to be pretty big things) that won the night.

    First up is the hardware itself. We only got to see the controller back in February so it was great to finally see what Sony’s hardware design cooked up for the console itself. Upon the reveal, you could instantly tell it was a Sony product with a nice plastic finish and an ergonomic design. Don’t take my word for it though – check it out:

    PS4 Later This Year $399

    Later on in the conference, Sony addressed the rumors that it would also be implementing an anti-used game system, or that it would require an always online connection. Sony’s Jack Tretton took the air out of those rumors by announcing that the PS4 would support used games, would allow gamers to share and lend games, and that the PS4 would not require an Internet connection. It was a direct stab at Microsoft’s Xbox One, and that was more than obvious when Tretton announced the news:

    Alas, there is always some bad news to go with the good. In the announcement of PlayStation Plus coming to the PS4, Sony quickly (and quietly) noted that Plus would be required for online multiplayer on the PS4. They were quick to note that Plus is not required for any of the video apps and other parts of the PlayStation Network will remain free. Online multiplayer is the only thing going behind a paywall, and Sony is probably betting that the value of PlayStation Plus will make people want to subscribe anyway.

    Speaking of free games, Sony announced that PlayStation Plus members on PS4 will get a special edition of PS4 launch title Driveclub. They didn’t elaborate on the differences between the retail edition and the Plus edition of the game, but it’s a nice perk regardless. Sony also announced that three indie titles – Don’t Starve, Outlast and Secret Ponchos – will be free to Plus members in the first three months of the PS4’s life cycle.

    There will be time to talk about more of the games coming to PS4 later, but two in particular deserve special recognition. Square Enix promised a new Final Fantasy title for the PS4 back in February and the developer delivered. Tetsuya Nomura revealed that his long-in-development title Final Fantasy Versus XIII is now being developed for the PS4. He also revealed that it’s now a mainline Final Fantasy title and will take the name of Final Fantasy XV. Here’s the first trailer:

    After that, Nomura dropped an even bigger bombshell by announcing that Kingdom Hearts III was finally in development. That particular announcement was totally unexpected, but was welcome by many fans who have been waiting years for a proper sequel:

    At the end, Sony announced that the PS4 will launch at $399 this holiday season. Those purchasing the console will get the hardware, a controller and a 500GB HDD. Unlike the Xbox One, it does not pack in a camera or any extra peripherals. That alone ensures its ability to undercut the Xbox One on price.

    The past few years at E3 have been somewhat disappointing, but new hardware on the horizon has jumpstarted the friendly competition that makes the console wars so much fun to watch. Sony and Microsoft have both revealed their cards, and Sony came out the winner last night. That may all change in the coming months as more information is revealed, but the Japanese tech giant is definitely basking in the goodwill it gained from last night.

  • E3 2013: Here Are All the Trailers From Microsoft’s Presentation

    Microsoft showed off dozens of games at its E3 press conference, self-consciously making up for its games-light unveiling of the Xbox One. Though only a few of the games were exclusive to the Xbox One, Microsoft is betting that the number and quality of the games was enough for gamers to overlook the console’s draconian DRM scheme and rather high launch price.

    Many of the games shown were touted as having next-generation graphics and high frame rates. It’s hard, though, to see a game’s nice textures while watching the presentation on a poor-quality live stream. Now that the presentation is over, all of the videos shown can now be found online, in high definition.

    The order of the videos will follow the order of their unveiling during Microsoft’s presentation. This page, then, can be thought of as a companion for the Microsoft E3 conference wrap-up found here.

    The presentation kicked off with a new trailer for trailer for Metal Gear Solid 5, featuring the villains and heros that will appear in the game. Watch closely to see a quick glimpse of what appears to be a young Psycho Mantis:

    Dark Souls II was thrown into the presentation as a definite shout-out to core gamers:

    With the Xbox 360 announcements out of the way, Microsoft dove into Xbox One announcements with its biggest launch exclusive, Ryse: Son of Rome. The game follows the story of a Roman soldier who fights “to save the Roman Empire.”

    A reboot of Rare’s Killer Instinct is on the way, though its appearance during the presentation was merely a tease:

    Sunset Overdrive was, perhaps, the most pleasant surprise of Microsoft’s presentation. The “stylized, open-world shooter” comes from Insomniac, the makers of Ratchet & Clank and Resistance:

    The cryptic reveal for Quantum Break is made even more mysterious with a very sci-fi scene from the game. It’s one of the definite exclusives Microsoft has for Xbox One.

    Nothing much was said about D4, but it’s art style made an impression:

    The ideas behind Project Spark are nice, but will definitely rely on great implementation:

    Another short teaser, this one from the creator of Panzer Dragoon:

    Both Dead Rising 3 and The Witcher 3 got fairly good reactions during the presentation:

    Microsoft’s shout-out to the indie crowd:

    What Microsoft conference would be complete without a little Master Chief? This teaser is for a Halo game that will appear in the future on the Xbox One:

    Respawn showed off Titanfall to finish up Microsoft’s conference. It was an action-packed ending, and one that parallels the Xbox One announcement ending with Call of Duty: Ghosts. It’s clear what demographic Microsoft is courting with the Xbox One.

  • E3 2013: Xbox One Launch Details Unveiled

    Microsoft’s E3 conference was filled to the brim with game previews and trailers, even to the extent that details of the Xbox One’s launch got a bit buried. Now, however, with their big game-filled presentation behind them, Microsoft has put out a statement clarifying the launch of its new console.

    The Xbox One will be released sometime in November of this year at for the price of $499/€499/£429. It will have a 500GB hard drive, Blu-ray player, and built-in Wi-Fi. Every console also comes with a new Kinect, which is required to be hooked up for the Xbox One to work. At launch, the Xbox One will come with one wireless controller and a 14-day trial for Xbox LIVE Gold (only for new members).

    For those who pre-order early, Microsoft will be providing an “Xbox One Day One” limited edition package. The package comes with “premium black packaging,” a limited edition “Xbox One Day One” wireless controller, and an exclusive “Xbox One Day One” gamer achievement. In addition, Xbox fans who pre-order the “Day One” Xbox One will get access to special DLC for the system’s launch titles.

    Gamers will get a multiplayer map, a sword, and “bonus attributes” for Ryse: Son of Rome. Four cars “tuned to the top of their class” will be given to Forza 5 players. Exclusive, unnamed “sporting equipment” will be available in Kinect Sports Rivals. Dead Rising 3 fans will get Frank West and Chuck Greene tribute packs, as well as “bonus attributes.”

    Xbox One headsets, which are not included with an Xbox One purchase, will be available for purchase at the system’s launch. Additional Xbox One controllers and play & charge kits for the new controllers will also be available at that time.

  • E3 2013: Xbox One Will Launch For $499

    In contrast to its big Xbox One unveiling, which focused on TV and sports, Microsoft’s E3 conference was packed full of games. In-between the constant trailers, however, was an important bit of information – the pricing info for the Xbox One.

    In-between previews for an unnamed next-generation Halo game and Respawn’s Titanfall, Microsoft announced that the Xbox One will launch in November at the price of $499/€499/£429.

    The $500 price point is a bit more than gamers may have been expecting, considering the Xbox One’s computing power falls short of the PlayStation 4’s. Just last week, games industry analyst Michael Pachter estimated that the Xbox One would launch at a $400 price point. The estimate was based on material costs for the console’s components, but it seems to have been a bit low. Pachter also estimated that the PlayStation 4 will debut at a $350 price, which might now suggest a $450 price for Sony’s new console. Sony is expected to announce the price of the PlayStation 4, along with the console’s box, tonight at their E3 announcement.

  • E3 2013: Microsoft Brings Games to its Xbox One Conference

    Gamers were wary of Microsoft’s new console when the Xbox One announcement was filled with talk of TV, sports, and Kinect. Tensions on gaming forums were raised even more when the new console’s draconian DRM policies were confirmed last week. Now, Microsoft is betting that a strong lineup of games will win over those those who are not yet onboard with its vision of next-generation gaming.

    Microsoft began its E3 2013 conference by showing off a new CG trailer for Metal Gear Solid 5, featuring glimpses of the characters that will be seen in the game. Though not an Xbox One exclusive, it set the tone for a conference filled with games that Microsoft believes will excite core gamers.

    The future of the current generation of Xbox was front-loaded to get it out of the way. The Xbox 360 has been redesigned to look similar to the Xbox One. The new Xbox 360 is available starting today. Xbox LIVE Gold members will also be receiving two free game downloads per month from July until December, as long as they don’t unsubscribe. The choice of free games will include Assassin’s Creed II and Halo 3.

    A few upcoming Xbox 360 titles were then announced, including World of Tanks, a free-to-play tank battle game, and Max: The Curse of Brotherhood a platformer with a cartoonish art style. Other titles include Dark Souls II and Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII.

    Phil Spencer then took the stage to kick off the Xbox One announcements.

    The first title previewed was Crytek’s Ryse: Son of Rome, a historical action game set in Roman times. The preview featured a massive battle in which the player commands his own troops while hacking away at enemies. The game will be “exclusive” to Xbox One at launch, but the phrasing of the announcement implied the title might only be a timed exclusive for the console.

    Ryse: Son of Rome

    Next up was the much-rumored reboot of Rare’s Killer Instinct, though just a short preview was shown.

    Sunset Overdrive was announced next. Made by Insomniac, the game is a “sylized, open-world shooter” in which game conditions can supposedly change constantly. The preview made the game appear to be a zombie shooter that features different, quirky characters.

    The obligatory next-generation racing title was announced in the form of Forza 5. A gameplay demo was shown for the title, and the concept of a “drivatar” was emphasized. A “drivatar” can be trained and continue to race while the console is sleeping, earning rewards for gamers.

    Forza 5 preview

    A new version of Minecraft, which became a mega-hit on the Xbox LIVE Arcade last year was shown next for the Xbox One.

    Remedy studios then expanded upon the Quantum Break reveal that came at the Xbox One reveal two weeks ago. The game will be an Xbox One exclusive, and a new preview of the game shows that time in the game will be odd, as a science experiment has caused some objects to be frozen in time.

    A cell-shaded game called D4 was up next, though not much was revealed about it.

    Project Spark was previewed next, a game-creation tool/game. Project spark was demonstrated using smartglass, with a tablet interface and Kinect being used to create simple level designs. Characters and enemies were then populated into the game world, showing how Project Spark can be used to create personalized game experiences.

    The new details about Xbox One’s connectivity were previewed next. Smartglass featured heavily, with tablet apps able to access game data from Xbox LIVE, including recordings, friend lists, and achievements. Ryse was demoed, showing how the Xbox one will be able to play one game while still matchmaking for another game.

    A Killer Instinct match that was recorded automatically by the console was uploaded using the “upload studio.” Another was then streamed via Twitch, a feature that has been built into the Xbox One.

    A few more details about Xbox LIVE were revealed before the final few game previews. Microsoft Points will be eliminated, and purchases will now be priced in local currencies. “Xbox LIVE Gold sharing” will allow family members to play online, even when the main Gold account holder is not logged on.

    Crimson Dragon, a game from the creators of Panzer Dragoon series was previewed next, though the audio for the trailer was strangely absent.

    Dead Rising 3 was announced to decent applause, and a preview for the game shows that it will be larger and more open-world than previous Dead Rising titles. Also, the game seems to be a bit more serious than other Dead Rising incarnations, with hundreds of zombies appearing on-screen thanks to the next-gen hardware.

    The Witcher 3, which was already known to be a next-generation title for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, was previewed next. The Xbox One version of the game will take advantage of the Kinect and smartglass to help with spell casting and inventory management.

    The Witcher 3 at the Xbox E3 conference

    DICE was up next to preview Battlefield 4, with a gamplay demo running at 60 fps. After a few technical audio difficulties were ironed out during an awkward pause, some single player campaign footage showed that DICE is still chasing after the gameplay of the Call of Duty titles. The set pieces and shooting were familiar, though the graphics were noticeably fantastic. The Xbox One will be getting timed exclusive DLC content for Battlefield 4.

    Below, a game from the creators of Sword & Sorcery, debuted near the end of the conference. It appears to be a moody dungeon crawler.

    A game from Black Tusk was announced as an Xbox One exclusive, though it was made clear that the game will not be released during the new console’s launch window.

    Of course, a Microsoft E3 conference wouldn’t be complete without a bit of Halo. A CG trailer featuring Master Chief served as an announcement of a new Halo game for Xbox One. The title Halo 5 was conspicuously absent from the announcement.

    Pricing and release information was, thankfully announced during Microsoft’s conference. The Xbox One will be available in November for $499/€499/£429.

    The conference ended with Respawn Entertainment’s Titanfall, the next-gen shooter title that leaked last week. The game features superhuman combatants that can battle with giant mechs called Titans.

    Titanfall battle

  • Watch Dogs Gets A New CG Trailer [E3 2013]

    Watch Dogs is one of the games to watch at E3 this year. To placate the hunger for new info, Ubisoft has released a new trailer before its press conference later today.

    Unfortunately, Ubisoft is following the recent trend of releasing of pre-rendered trailers instead of anything resembling gameplay. Still, it’s a nice trailer that’s far more interesting in a post-PRISM world.

    Ubisoft has to show some new gameplay tonight at its conference to satiate the appetite gamers have for this title. We still know next to nothing about the multiplayer in the title besides a few hints here and there. We’ll hopefully see more of that tonight

    Ubisoft’s press conference is scheduled to begin at 3 p.m. PST/6 p.m. EST. Alongside Watch Dogs, we’re also likely to see a new Just Dance title, something related to Far Cry, and maybe even news about Beyond Good and Evil 2.

    As for Watch Dogs, it will be out later this year for Xbox 360, Xbox One, PS3, PS4, PC and Wii U.

  • Puppeteer Gets A Charming E3 2013 Trailer

    E3 2013 is still a few days away, but that’s not going to stop Sony from releasing a few trailers of the game it intends to show off at the event.

    The first of undoubtedly many is the super charming Puppeteer. The platformer from Sony Japan Studio has been high on my list of most anticipated games of 2013 since it was first announced last year, and we’re almost closing in on its September release date.

    As for the trailer, it introduces some new gameplay mechanics as well as some new bosses. Check it out:

    Sony is likely to show off some more PS3 games before its official presence at E3 so it can make plenty of room for the PS4. That’s only a good thing, though, as it gives us an even earlier look at what the PS3’s last major year holds in store for us.

    Puppeteer will be available exclusively for the PS3 on September 10. To sweeten the deal, the title will only retail for $40.

  • Aisha Tyler Will Host Ubisoft’s E3 Press Conference Again

    Ubisoft always has the best E3 press conference. This is an unmistakable fact. While she wasn’t quite as insane as 2011’s Mr. Caffeine, Aisha Tyler did a bang up job hosting last year. Ubisoft seemed to like her enough that they’re bringing her back as the host of this year’s press conference as well.

    Alongside confirming that Tyler is back, Ubisoft released a teaser today that hints at what it will be showing at its E3 press conference this year. It’s obvious that we’ll see more Assassin’s Creed, Splinter Cell and Watch Dogs, but there’s a few other hints for some not so obvious games as well.

    The Cartman figurine on the desk pretty much confirms that Ubisoft will be showing off South Park: The Stick of Truth at E3 after buying the rights from THQ earlier this year. The Vaas bobblehead may indicated that we’ll be getting some more Far Cry 3 content.

    I may be reading too much into this, but does the brief cameo of Professor Farnsworth on the monitor indicate that we’ll be getting a new Futurama game in the future? Probably not, but it’s nice to dream.

    Ubisoft’s E3 press conference is set for June 10 at 3 p.m. PST/6 p.m. EST. There will, of course, be plenty of live streams for those watching at home.

  • Bungie’s Destiny Gets A New CG Trailer, Still No Gameplay

    At the February PS4 conference, Bungie announced that Destiny would be coming to the PS4 and PS3. Now the developer has announced that it will be bringing the game to Sony’s E3 press conference with a new trailer.

    The trailer doesn’t really tell us much about the game, but it does have that cinematic flair that made Halo such a groundbreaking game when it launched on the original Xbox. If the actual game can pull this off, Destiny may just be a keeper.

    We still don’t have any gameplay, but Bungie announced in the above trailer that that the gameplay will finally be shown off at Sony’s E3 press conference on June 10. It’s a pretty big win for Sony when you consider that Bungie was owned by Microsoft just a few years ago.

    Beyond the Sony presser, expect a lot more Destiny news at E3. Besides Call of Duty Ghosts, this is Activision’s other big game for 2013. There’s a lot of expectation riding on it so Bungie has to get it right, and I have no reason to doubt them yet.

  • You Will Finally Get To See What The PS4 Looks Like On June 10

    There was only one question on the minds of many after February’s PS4 conference – where was the console itself? Well, those desperate to see what the PS4 actually looks like won’t have to wait much longer.

    Sony announced today that it’s E3 2013 press conference will be taking place on June 10 at 6 p.m. PST/9 p.m. EST. To hype people up for the press conference, Sony has also released a short teaser that kind of shows what the new PS4 will look like if you squint really hard:

    Of course, we’ll have to wait until June 10 to see what the final PS4 hardware will look like. Well, that is unless somebody decides to leak pictures of the hardware before then. Sony isn’t exactly known for being leak-proof.

    In other next-gen news, we’re likely to see the next Xbox hardware tomorrow at its unveiling event. We might even see the next generation of Kinect hardware. Just don’t expect it to be cheap.

  • Nintendo: No Huge Conference at E3 2013

    Nintendo: No Huge Conference at E3 2013

    [UPDATE:] Nintendo has clarified its E3 plans, stating to GameTrailers that it will host two small events the day before E3. One will be for media, and one for “partners.”

    [ORIGINAL:]
    Yesterday, Nintendo posted its annual earnings, which were a bit disappointing due to slow sales of its newest console, the Wii U.

    Buried inside Nintendo President Satoru Iwata’s statements about Nintendo’s financial standing is something of great intrest to gamers who are looking forward to this year’s E3. It turns out that Nintendo will not be hosting a huge press conference at the event, which is common for console makers and large publishers.

    Since Nintendo does not have a new console to launch the way Microsoft and Sony do, the company will use its presence at E3 to show off upcoming Wii U games. Iwata stated that the company will be working on a “new presentation style for E3” that includes smaller events focused on Nintendo’s U.S. software lineup. For Japan and the rest of the world, Nintendo will be releasing Nintendo Direct presentations to show off its software.

    Iwata’s statement on E3:

    In the past we invited reporters, investors and analysts, industry partners, such as software publishers, and distributors who attended E3 to our large-scale presentations. We also used them as a communication tool in which we broadcast our presentations on the Internet to reach out to video game fans around the globe. I believe that many are expecting us to host a similar event this year.

    On the other hand, since we set out on new endeavors such as Nintendo Direct two years ago in October, we have been paying special attention to the fact that different people demand different types of information from us. For example, as video game fans are looking for information about games, it seems that they are less interested in sales figures that investors and analysts on the other hand attach much greater importance to, and distribution partners are looking for information on how we are going to market our products in the immediate future. At previous financial briefing sessions we announced information about our products, showed videos and even uploaded the recording of these events onto our website, but given that we now have an established method such as Nintendo Direct, we feel that we will be able to deliver our messages more appropriately and effectively by doing so individually based on the various needs of different groups of people.

    At E3 this year, we are not planning to launch new hardware, and our main activity at E3 will be to announce and have people experience our software. Many people are certainly very interested in learning more about the Wii U titles that we are going to announce. We will use E3 as an ideal opportunity to talk in detail mainly about the Wii U titles that we are going to launch this year, and we also plan to make it possible for visitors to try the games immediately. As a brand new challenge, we are working to establish a new presentation style for E3.

    First, we decided not to host a large-scale presentation targeted at everyone in the international audience where we announce new information as we did in the past.

    Instead, at the E3 show this year, we are planning to host a few smaller events that are specifically focused on our software lineup for the U.S. market. There will be one closed event for American distributors, and we will hold another closed hands-on experience event, for mainly the Western gaming media. Also, I did not speak at last year’s presentation, and I am not planning to speak at these events at the E3 show this year either. Apart from these exclusive events for visitors, we are continuing to investigate ways to deliver information about our games directly to our home audience around the time of E3. We will share more information about them once they have officially been decided.

    During the E3 period, we will utilize our direct communication tools, such as Nintendo Direct, to deliver information to our Japanese audience, including those who are at this financial briefing, mainly focusing on the software that we are going to launch in Japan, and we will take the same approach outside Japan for the overseas fans as well.

    (via Endless)

  • Sony Exec Teases PS4 Reveal In May

    We all know that the next Xbox and PlayStation will be revealed this year. The most obvious place for a reveal would be at the annual E3 show in June, but a Sony exec recently teased that we may see the PS4 even sooner than that.

    Speaking to Chilean tech Web site, Emol, Sony’s VP of Home Entertainment, Hiroshi Sakamoto, might have said more than he should have in regards to the PS4 reveal. When asked if Sony would have anything to show this year, he said that the company will have a major announcement ready for either E3 in June or even earlier in May.

    Now, it makes sense for the reveal to happen in June at E3. It’s the biggest gaming show on the planet, and there will be plenty of press present to spread the word that new consoles are on the horizon. The only thing that makes me think a May reveal is more likely is that game publishers are increasingly turning to private events for major announcement. Why? It’s easier to control the message and they get exclusive press coverage. At E3, Sony would be competing with Microsoft for press coverage and might even be labeled as the loser if the unveiling fails to impress.

    That all being said, E3 is still going to be huge this year. Most likely, both Sony and Microsoft will announce their next consoles before the show and then focus solely on games at E3. This is the best possible scenario for both as software sells hardware. Sony and Microsoft have been pretty bad about exclusive software as of late with only hits from each company’s major franchises doing the heavy lifting. Expect plenty of new IP as well as both companies can’t rely on the likes of Uncharted and Halo to sell new consoles to everybody.

    We’re still half a year away from E3 so all of this is still speculation. More information about the PS4 and next Xbox will surely be leaked between now and then as the hype machine for the next generation of consoles gets underway. 2013 is going to be a huge year for games, and not just for the big guys. Sony and Microsoft will have to floor the general public with something they’ve never seen before to distract them from the allure of cheaper consoles with a variety of cheap and free-to-play games.

    [h/t: Trusted Reviews]

  • Playstation 3 Might Be Getting Yet Another Redesign

    A Japanese website has uncovered a new filing by Sony with the FCC that shows a new model for the Playstation 3. The new model, titled CECH-4001 looks to be the same body style as the current Playstation Slim, or CECH-3000. The new version looks like it is yet another way for Sony to keep cashing in on the PS3 and to help its consumers by creating another version with even less moving parts. This means less things that can go wrong.

    The Japanese blogger pointed out that the 3rd redesign of the Playstation 2 features a top-loading design and made the console look cheesy. It actually did make the console look cheaper when they went back to the design used for the Playstation 1. Speculation has it that the new design will be thinner, yet longer than the current Slim.

    Some analysts are guessing that Sony is going to announce the redesign at this years Gamescom. I would bet money that at next years E3, when they announce the new Playstation, that they will simultaneously announce this and the massive hundred dollar plus price drop that is sure to come with it. The huge price drops on the PS2 over the years has led to massive amounts of profit for the 11 year old system still to this day.

    Here is the CECH-3000 which is the current Slim:

    Here is the new CECH-4001 which is the redesign:

  • Two Ways to Play Dishonored: Stealthy or Psycho [Video]

    In the weeks following E3, the news surrounding video games has been mostly bad. It seems that the only news that isn’t a game delay is a company shutting down international offices. Over at Bethesda, though, developers are enjoying business as usual and continuing to pump out great content such as the Dawnguard DLC for Skyrim.

    Today, Bethesda has released even more gameplay footage from their upcoming steampunk assassination simulator, Dishonored. Around a month ago a gameplay trailer was released to show off the different supernatural powers that players would be in control of. The videos below expand on this footage, showing multiple ways for players to solve in-game problems and hunt their targets.

    The first video demonstrates the silent, stealthy approach where a player can accomplish his or her mission by eavesdropping, sticking to the shadows near the ceiling, and choking out henchmen. The second video shows how players can get things done more quickly by simply killing everything in sight. Powers such as a supernatural backhand sends guards flying, while others are eaten alive by a summoned hoard of diseased rats. The narrators of the videos, Co-Creative Directors Raphael Colantonio and Harvey Smith, warn, though, that quicker isn’t always better. Killing more innocent people will affect the “story beats” in the game, as well as the ending. Check out the videos below to see all of the action, but beware that they contain spoilers for what I am guessing is the first mission of the game, as well as some very bloody violence:

  • Borderlands 2 Walkthroughs Showing Up

    Borderlands 2 Walkthroughs Showing Up

    No, the game does not hit the shelves until September, but that doesn’t mean you can’t be completely prepared when Borderlands 2 is released. To help get the gamers ready, a couple of walkthroughs have been released to the public. While this could be considered spoiler material, it also gives you a good idea of what you can expect when you load the game. Besides, it’s not like the developers are going to reveal all of the content on these extended “trailers.” However, if you’re wanting to remain spoiler-free about the content in Borderlands 2, don’t watch the upcoming videos.

    The first was released a couple of weeks ago during the E3 fun, and it focused on the character Zero, who belongs to the sniper class, courtesy of GameTrailers.com:

    No word as to whether or not Gearbox will try to break its own Guinness World Record of most guns in a video game, but it’s a safe bet they’ll give it a run. The next, and most recent walkthrough focuses on the Commando character. While the Zero walkthrough had a lot of talking and in-studio footage over the gameplay, the second does not feature any cutaways to the studio. Instead, there’s much more gameplay to be seen.

    Keep in mind there’s about nine minutes of gameplay on display here, so if you want to remain spoiler-free, skip the next video:


    Too bad we have to wait until school’s back in session before we can go track down all those new guns to be had.

  • Microsoft Skips Out On Gamescom And Tokyo Game Show

    Microsoft was probably the most agressive of the big three over the past few years when it came to trade shows. They would be at E3, Gamescom and Tokyo Game Show trying to convince people of all regions that they had the best games. Unfortunately, that won’t be the case this year.

    Larry (Major Nelson) Hryb announced on his blog this morning that Microsoft would be skipping out on Germany’s Gamescom and Japan’s Tokyo Game Show this year. For those unaware, Gamescom and TGS are by far the largest gaming events in their respective region drawing thousands of people who want to try out the new games in store.

    Previously, Microsoft would use Gamescom to display the new content they had in the works from their European studios. The departure of Peter Molyneux, who headed Microsoft Game Studios Europe and Lionhead, may have had something to do with their absence this year.

    The absence from TGS, however, isn’t surprising in the least bit. While the Xbox 360 has enjoyed continued success in the U.S. and Europe, it has never found much of an audience in Japan outside of hardcore otaku who love the console’s selection of visual novels and shmups. It could be a sign that Microsoft has finally given up on trying to reach any kind of success in the country.

    Hryb realizes that this news may be a bit saddening for Xbox fans in these regions who were looking forward to the events. He says that Microsoft will be “focusing on smaller, more localized promotions and experiences for press, partners, retailers and customers around the world.” In a way, it’s pretty smart. Gamers appreciate smaller events instead of the large industry events that are harder to get into. Sony has seen massive success out of its PlayStation meetups and Microsoft could be hoping to achieve similar success.

    The lack of Microsoft and Nintendo at Gamescom and Tokyo Game Show gives Sony a major advantage. They will be the only big player at both of these events so they will be able to grab all of the attention without having to compete. Of course, gamers may flock to Nintendo’s and Microsoft’s smaller events since they promise to be more intimate.

    If all these publishers start skipping out on these big trade shows regularly, it may put them at risk. Gamescom’s relevance is already being questioned and Japan’s games industry is shrinking to the point where TGS might not even be worth it. It’s good to remain optimistic and hope that these trade events stick around, but the industry seems to be heading for what Microsoft and NIntendo are doing now – small, localized events tailored for gamers.

  • Unreal Engine 4 Detailed by Epic Artist

    Unreal Engine 4 Detailed by Epic Artist

    The big developers and console makers of E3 have exhausted their supply of surprises for the year, so the gaming community is now left to sort through the endless scraps of indie titles and small publishers for creative surprises. It is also the part of E3 when technical demos begin to appear, showing off how the next generation of computer graphics will look. The trailers for both Square Enix’s Luminous Studio engine and Epic’s Unreal Engine 4 have already been shown off extensively. Now, a GameTrailers interview featuring a walkthrough of all the features included in the updated Unreal Engine has surfaced.

    Epic Games Senior Technical Artist Alan Willard shows off the engine’s lighting, reflection, and particle effects the engine can handle. The remarkable part of the presentation is made clear at around the five-minute mark, when Willard reveals that everything is taking place within the editor that game developers will use. The editor interface has gotten a makeover, allowing toolbars to be docked and resized as needed. In addition, the engine allows developers to compile code on-the-fly, making it easy to modify aspects of the game and immediately see their affects. Take a look at the demo yourself, and see what developers will soon be using to create the next generation of games:

    Obviously, this is a sales pitch to developers, but it’s a fairly impressive demonstration of Unreal Engine 4’s capabilities, one that is certain to lure plenty of developers into licensing the engine. Hopefully the changes to the engine will lead to shorter development cycles of more impressive games, which is what this software could really mean to gamers.

  • Unreal Engine 4 Trailer Shown at E3

    Unreal Engine 4 Trailer Shown at E3

    Though you might not be able to tell from the coverage of it, E3 is often more than just a show to debut games, gaming hardware, and accessories. It is also the place where companies market game development tools to the studios in attendance. This year, both Square Enix and Epic Games showed off their next generation game engines with beautiful trailers. Earlier this week Square Enix demonstrated Luminous Studio, the company’s future game engine, with a spectacular Final Fantasy-inspired trailer full of action, magic, and beautifully-rendered human forms.

    Now, Epic Games is showing off the newest version of the Unreal Engine with its own trailer. While Square Enix’s trailer seems to focus on showing off Luminous Studio’s capabilities when it comes to rendering flesh and the movement of living things, it also features quite a bit of shaky-cam, which seems odd for a tech demonstration. Epic’s trailer, while not as immediately impressive, shows off Unreal Engine 4’s modeling and lighting capabilities with lingering camera movement punctuated by quick, dynamic events that demonstrate the engine’s abilities.

    While Luminous Studio at first looks more impressive, a closer look at the Unreal Engine 4 trailer below will show that it has great variety of lighting sources and matches Luminous’ detail in some places. There is no denying, though, that Square Enix’s trailer is a lot more fun to watch. Take a look for yourself at the “Elemental” trailer for the Unreal Engine 4 and enjoy the flowing lava, crumbling rock, and variety of the landscape.