Tag Archives: microsoftxbox
The new Xbox to be announced!
Firstly let me just say due to academic reasons I’m sorry this blog has not been updated frequently however please keep checking back as I plan on more frequent updates this summer!
Now that is out the way as I’m sure many of you are aware the Xbox (the new console, one up from the 360) is due to be announced today 9am Pacific time which is 5pm for everyone in England.
This announcement will finally recall the look and features of the new Xbox by Microsoft and set aside the rumours allowing us to immerse between fact and fiction.
Make sure you watch the event live on YouTube or IGN or catch up on the event later for those of you who will be busy during this time.
Here is the link for those of you who would like to watch the event via IGN with IGN editors Ryan McCaffrey and Daemon Hatfield joining them is the one and only Peter Molyneux, Fable Creator and former Lionhead boss.
http://uk.ign.com/articles/2013/05/08/watch-the-xbox-reveal-event-live-on-ign
Xbox 720 Reveal Date
Ever since Sony shown off it’s latest console, the PlayStation4, to the world gamers, including myself, have all been wondering what will the Xbox 720 look like and just how Microsoft are going to respond.
Rumours have always been appearing on the internet however just like what happened before Sony lured gamers with the “see the future” event these rumours may start becoming truth. There is no confirmation of the name, price, or release date Microsoft are being very quiet however we could be close.
21st May 2013
This is the date every gamer, Microsoft, Sony fanatic should be aware of.
“Windows watcher Paul Thurrott revealed recently that Microsoft is planning an Xbox event for May 21st, and we understand this date is accurate. This is the tentative date for a next-generation Xbox announcement, but Microsoft had originally planned an April 24th event.” According to The Guardian.
Companies such as The Verge, IGN also suspect a May release date which will then benefit Microsoft by showing off their latest console just one month later at E3.
IGN quote that “Despite fears to the contrary, Thurrott also asserted in the podcast that the Xbox 720 will be a gaming device first and foremost, and will not attempt to serve as an entertainment hub for the living room. Supposedly another model of the console was originally planned to target that niche, but the idea has since been put on the back-burner.”
The Xbox720, who’s name may be changed, will hopefully focus more on gaming rather than an entertainment system,however download content such as movies may once again make the 720 an entertainment system. It is rumored to make use of Windows 8 and a separate unit set to appeal to the more ‘casual gamer’.
Interestingly it may have to be connected to the internet therefore being DRM, as quoted once by Thurrot,
“The thing that interests me, going back and looking at some of the stuff I got a long time ago, it actually says ‘must be internet-connected to use’ in the notes,” he explained, before adding, “And that’s all I have, but it does say that.”
This could be Microsoft way of exploring cross-platform opportunities which may eventually lead towards a phone and television set. However this is another story.
Please remember as of yet there is no comment from Microsoft.
Sources;
IGN (2013) Veteran Tech Blogger Spills Xbox 720 Reveal Date, Pricing and More – IGN. [online] Available at: http://uk.ign.com/articles/2013/04/08/veteran-tech-blogger-spills-xbox-720-reveal-date-pricing-and-more [Accessed: 9 Apr 2013].
The Guardian (2013) Press Start: Xbox 720 event rumoured for May. [online] Available at: http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/gamesblog/2013/apr/09/press-start-game-news [Accessed: 9 Apr 2013].
The Inquirer (2013) Microsoft might announce the Xbox 720 in May. [online] Available at: http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/2259815/microsoft-might-announce-the-xbox-720-in-may [Accessed: 9 Apr 2013].
What’s Your Tag? (2013) Xbox 720 Reveal Date and Pricing. [online] Available at: http://whatsyourtagblog.com/2013/04/08/xbox-720-reveal-date-and-pricing/ [Accessed: 9 Apr 2013].
Xbox plan to announce the 720 soon!
With all the hype surrounding the latest PS4 and the announcement which took place last week in New York, Microsoft have indeed reacted to this, although not in the way that you may have expected.
Of course there is, and probably will always be, a dispute between Sony and Microsoft who are the biggest competitors when it comes to Video Game Platforms, WHOIS data, has allegedly stated that XboxEvent.com was registered yesterday.
Another rumor is that Xbox may reveal the Xbox720 at E3 on 11th June, however with the Game Developers conference happening very soon perhaps Microsoft may decide to announce then.
More will be released on this story soon!
Updated 17th April 2013: Please note that since this post has been published the website mentioned is now removed. Please visit https://pwnersmanual.wordpress.com/2013/04/09/xbox-720-reveal-date/ for more Xbox 720 news.
Top 10 Best Selling Video Games of January 2013 (USA)
The NPD Group have revealed the Top 10 highest selling Video Games sold in America during 30th December 2012 and 2nd February 2013 (January period). They are the following:
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Call of Duty: Black Ops II (360, PS3, Wii U, PC)**
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Far Cry 3 (360, PS3, PC)
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Just Dance 4 (Wii, 360, PS3, Wii U)
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NBA 2K13 (360, PS3, Wii, Wii U, PSP, PC)**
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Madden NFL 13 (360, PS3, Wii, PSV, Wii U)
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DMC: Devil May Cry (PS3, 360)
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Halo 4 (360)**
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Assassin’s Creed III (360, PS3, Wii U, PC)**
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Skylanders Giants (Wii, 360, PS3, 3DS, Wii U)**
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FIFA Soccer 13 (PS3, 360, PSV, Wii, Wii U, 3DS, PSP)
**(includes CE, GOTY editions, bundles, etc. but not those bundled with hardware)
Liam Callahan, who works for NPD, reflects upon the January period quoting
“With the exception of Capcom’s new Devil May Cry, January saw no major releases to speak of on the top ten, so 2012′s year-end hot sellers like Call of Duty and Far Cry 3 continued to top the charts. That said, new releases did fare a bit better than in past January periods.”
Some of the above figures may come as a surprise to many, with Just Dance 4 beating games such as Halo 4 and DMC, however it is important to take into account the release dates, target audiences and importantly sales of individual games being combined into groups by platform. For those who love the game ‘Ni No Kuni’, this came close ranking at number 11 however it would have ranked number 7 if sales of individual games were not combined into groups by platform.
Sources;
IGN (2013) NPD: Black Ops 2, Far Cry 3 Top U.S. Sales Charts for January – IGN. [online] Available at: http://uk.ign.com/articles/2013/02/14/npd-black-ops-2-far-cry-3-top-us-sales-charts-for-january [Accessed: 18 Feb 2013].
NPD (2013) Video Game Industry Market Research – Video Gaming Trend Analysis – NPD.com. [online] Available at: https://www.npd.com/wps/portal/npd/us/industry-expertise/video-games/ [Accessed: 18 Feb 2013].
Xbox 720 to ban used games?
Recently there has been speculation surrounding the Microsoft Xbox 720 and if the console, when released will ban used games. This rumour first appeared on the internet when it was published on Edge.
Looking further into this the rumour currently seems to be complete speculation despite Edge informing they have
“…some concrete information from first-hand sources that points to the inevitable end of used-gaming.”
The reason they have behind this quote all comes down to the internet access on the 720. The internet may allow for games to be downloaded straight onto the system resulting in the players never having to purchase a disc. If true then many stores will also be affected by this decision.
“The Xbox 720 will have to have an Internet connection for it to work, which doesn’t bode well for used-gaming. Most games seem like they will be purchased through the system.”
Personally I hope that this is just a rumour and once the console has been announced they will put an end to the rumour.
Meanwhile, a board post has appeared on the IGN boards (please note that any user can upload to an IGN post and they are not always accurate, although IGN members are keen to stay ahead of the game) which discusses the following;
“Wii U May Be the Only Next Gen System to Support Used Games”
However Sony still have to announce the latest PS4. If the alleged posts proves true then, like the Xbox 720 rumour, the PS4 will not allow used games to work. We will have to wait until 20th February 2013 to find out. No one as of yet has spculated that the PS4 will not allow used games to work, however it may not allow previous PS3 games to play.
(See our PS4 posts here, https://pwnersmanual.wordpress.com/2013/02/01/sony-ps4-update/
Personally with so much backlash against this alleged rumour then there is a high possibility it is false otherwise Microsoft may not see their sales as high as they would like with the 720. On the plus side the Xbox 720 is alleged to be equipped with a 1.6GHz eight-core AMD CPU, D3D11.x 800MHz graphics, and 8GB of RAM, along with a new Kinect sensor.
Do you think this is just a rumour? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
Sources;
BGR (2013) GameStop warns that Microsoft could ‘significantly diminish’ appeal for new Xbox if it bans used games. [online] Available at: http://bgr.com/2013/02/08/xbox-720-gamestop-used-games-322732/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheBoyGeniusReport+%28BGR+%7C+Boy+Genius+Report%29 [Accessed: 11 Feb 2013].
Examiner (2013) Xbox 720 banning used-games all but confirmed. [online] Available at: http://www.examiner.com/article/xbox-720-banning-used-games-all-but-confirmed [Accessed: 11 Feb 2013].
IGN Boards (2013) Wii U May Be the Only Next Gen System to Support Used Games. [online] Available at: http://www.ign.com/boards/threads/wii-u-may-be-the-only-next-gen-system-to-support-used-games.452870757/ [Accessed: 11 Feb 2013].
Just Push Start (2013) Gamestop Says Xbox 720 Sales Will Suffer With Ban Of Used Games. [online] Available at: http://www.justpushstart.com/2013/02/gamestop-says-xbox-720-sales-will-suffer-with-ban-of-used-games/ [Accessed: 11 Feb 2013].
BioShock Infinite
A game which in particular i am really excited about its release is BioShock Infinite. Not only is this game one of the best games released in March it could also possibly be one of the most anticipated and exciting games to be released this year. Having the release date already been pushed back twice (October 16th, 2012 and February 26, 2013) this game will finally be released on the 26th March, I decided to discuss this game ahead of its release and see what adventures await before us. Published by 2K games and developed by Irrational Games.
Genre Platforms
First-person shooter PS3, Xbox 360 and PC
Booker and Elizabeth
About the game
Set in 1912 you become Booker DeWitt, a main character and also a a former Pinkerton detective. The storyline we know of so far is short, the main goal is to find Elizabeth, a young woman who’s gone missing and been held captive in the floating city and return her unharmed. Unfortunately we can tell it won’t be simple otherwise then the game would be very short. She is guarded by Songbird, a monstrous, winged creature who has become her only friend.
Drawing off the two previous BioShock games (BioShock and BioShock 2) the game could very likely be another game with its main focus being on the story line this may not appeal to all gamers, however if you do like games which have a lot of shooting then this game could be worth playing and switching between a shooting game and this to gain the fast pace, BioShock previous games have been very deliberate and paced. There is also a possibility of the story line continuing further. Like previous BioShock games, the player has the option to use a combination of weapons, gear, psychokinetic powers granted through “vigors” against his attacks.
BioShock Infinite Gear
Breaking away from the underwater setting of the first two games most of the action takes place in a floating city held aloft by dirigibles. The floating city is supposedly Columbia, once a symbol of America’s success as a nation, floating around the world as a traveling World’s Fair, a marvel of human innovation. Hence the logo being similar to a torn American flag with a Carnival twist. If you would like to discover more view the trailers or a special look into the first 5 minutes of BioShock Infinite at the end of this post.
Awards
In 2011 Bioshock Infinite was announced as the big winner of E3 with four awards. They are;
- Best of Show
- Best Original Game
- Best PC Game
- Best Action/Adventure Game
For a full list of winners see the Game Critics Award link at the bottom of this post.
BioShock Infinite Artwork
Try BioShock Infinite if you like…
RPGs, FPS, Resident Evil, BioShock, BioShock2, Borderlands
Trailers
Sources;
1Up (2013) Two Possible Reasons for BioShock Infinite’s 2013 Delay. [online] Available at: http://www.1up.com/news/bioshock-infinite-13-delay-possible-reasons [Accessed: 7 Feb 2013].
Bioshock Infinite (2011) The Game. [online] Available at: http://www.bioshockinfinite.com/the-game/ [Accessed: 7 Feb 2013].
Game Critics Awards (2011) Game Critics Awards 2011 Winners. [online] Available at: http://www.gamecriticsawards.com/2011winners.html [Accessed: 7 Feb 2013].
Polygon (2012) BioShock Infinite hands-on: Mysteries in the clouds. [online] Available at: http://www.polygon.com/2012/12/7/3739008/bioshock-infinite-hands-on-preview [Accessed: 7 Feb 2013].
YouTube (2013) City in the Sky Trailer. [online] Available at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vRjNMQZ1qBk [Accessed: 7 Feb 2013].
YouTube (2012) BioShock Infinite Beast of America Trailer. [online] Available at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5gBVZj6ROV0 [Accessed: 7 Feb 2013].
Disney Infinity
A few weeks ago, on 15th January 2013, Disney Infinity was announced to the world during an exclusive media event at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood. Set to be a new video game where a spark of imagination unlocks the freedom to play with some of your favorite Disney and Disney/Pixar characters. This game wants to take us to infinity and beyond (pun definitely intended) so lets go and explore what this game is about.
Have you ever dreamed about writing your own story and having your favourite Disney/Pixar characters join together and star in it? This game can make that dream a reality. Disney Infinity, a third person adventuring mode, sees you accessing characters and environments by standing a series of chunky toys in different slots on the Infinity Base, this base is essential to the game as it allows the characters you have chosen to appear on screen before you. With the characters you have chosen you can choose to either play in worlds native to the characters or make your own worlds.
The Infinity Base which allows characters to appear in the game
It’s creativity and playfulness combined. If you’ve dreamed of ever having different Disney characters meet and explore their own missions then with good old Disney magic, this is a dream come true. Personally for me what would be interesting to see is what characters it features and which ones they do not feature, for example can you have ‘The Beast’ from ‘Beauty and the Beast’ appear or have all the classic Disney characters unfortunately disappeared.
Characters in the world
To play this video game to it’s full potential you will have to purchase additional features, there are power discs, playset pieces and hexagonal skin and item discs as well. The playset pieces unlock themed levels, the power discs which add buffs and abilities to characters when stacked underneath them, and the hexagonal discs allow you to unlock vehicles, items, wallpapers and give you even more to use when creating your own levels. With each play set created to give you an estimated 15+ hours of game play this could be worth it.
John Pleasants, Co-President of Disney Interactive, says it is a “new interactive gaming platform.” He goes on to state, “Disney Infinity is not a single game.”
There will initially be 40 interactive pieces and 17 characters to collect, but additional pieces, sets, and characters will release over time.
- The Disney Infinity starter pack will be $74.99(features the game, 3 figures, Infinity Base, Play-set token for three adventures (Monsters University, Pirates and The Incredibles) and upgrade token.)
- Other play sets/expansion pack will be $34.99(2 figures and a Play-set token for as yet unannounced franchises for launch)
- Additional three-packs of figures for $29.99 (3 figures)
- Individual figures for $12.99 (1 figure)
- Power-disc pack for $4.99 (2 tokens in each foil pack but unseen before purchase)
If you purchased one of each of the above it will cost $157.95 (around £99.80)
We can’t help but feel this is true
What you do in this game is up to you. You can do a mission summoning a range of ‘prank’ devices to install at specific spots in a level, for example – things like call boxes which produce fly swats that knock characters around the map, or manhole covers that spring them into the air. Although each individual sets is reserved only for the specific characters whose worlds they draw upon. There will be no pirates around the plazas of Monster University and no superheroes on the deck of the Black Pearl. Editing is all done without leaving the game world or switching to another mode which of course is a plus. You simply equip your character with a magic wand that lets them highlight and manipulate things. You can load in new texture packs and sky domes by stacking power disks onto the Infinity Base alongside your figurines. The entire process will feel pretty effortless which allows for smoother game play.
To view the Disney Infinity Trailer click on the link
Infinity has been set for a June release on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii, Wii U, 3DS, PC, and mobile devices.
These 3 characters will be included in the starter pack
Game footage
Possible characters available
OnLive: a cloud gaming platform
OnLive, an online gaming network for your PC, laptop, mac, or more recently you can download their app. You can play games instantly with no downloads or discs required, whats better is demo games are free!
Taking a step back from reviewing games or informing you of future events we thought we would introduce you to OnLive, a free way trial some of the latest games. It is gamers best kept secret. Some gamers reading this blog post may already be aware of OnLive, if you are then please comment saying how you first discovered OnLive and share your thoughts. I first came across OnLive last summer, 2012, and instantly loved this world where I could free trail a number of games to discover for myself what they were like, what the graphics looked like and the back story to the game. This is a great way to try out as many different games you want while deciding which ones are worth you purchasing.
Back story
First founded in 2009 by Steve Perlman (also the CEO), it was introduced at the GDC (Game devlopers Confrence), for the US and later released in September 2011 for England,
OnLive is an on-demand gaming service. It’s essentially the gaming version of cloud computing – everything is computed, rendered and housed online. In its simplest description, your controller inputs are uploaded, a high-end server takes your inputs and plays the game, and then a video stream of the output is sent back to your computer. Think of it as something like Youtube or Hulu for games.
It was set out to change the way we not only view, but also play our well loved video games. I’m not going to get too technical with the system requirements however if you would like to know what they are a “system requirements” link will be posted at the end of this post. Originally, OnLive was set out to charge a monthly-fee of $14.95 when it was first introduced, luckily now there is no monthly-fee instead you can pay to purchase a game (more to come on that soon!)
Just last year, in August 2012, Onlive went into a like-bankruptcy and was sold to aventure capital group for just $4.8m (£3m). This led to serval workers loosing their jobs and Steve Perlman stepped down to “focus on other projects”.
OnLive has said it had 1.5 million “active users” at the time of the sale – although reports suggest that only about 1,600 subscribers were using the service at any one time.
However there are still many OnLive fans out there
How to play
The service works with pretty much any Windows or Mac machine as a small browser plug-in. To get access to the free trails just sign up to the OnLive website, download and then load up the game service, ‘OnLive Launcher’ and chose a game to play. Depending on your system requirements and network connection speed the connection can be low, it is also common to see a message informing you they are experiencing a high number of players so you will have to wait a while to be connected.
This is a downside as sometimes you can wait much longer times than others, or sometimes you are allowed straight in. you can view what games people are playing live in the arena, or browse games and play any that state “free trail available”. Unfortunately OnLive do not always have the latest games available and the big name console titles do not include games from Activision and Electronic Arts.
However if there are a series of games available by the developer they may have an earlier game available with a free trial instead of the latest one, as is the case with Assassins Creed. This does allow you to have a more general sense of the game. Onlive is also a great place for new gamers to start, they can browse the many different games and explore what platforms they enjoy playing. If you know someone, such as a friend who has bought a game through OnLive, and a free trial is available for that game, they can host a multiplier game for you both to enjoy. The length of a free trial can vary but it is roughly 30 minutes long. Even if you decide to purchase the game for your Xbox or PS it is definitely worth a look.
Future
Hopefully an arrival of OnLive app for Android, such as the Kindle Fire, will be released soon. An announcement was made in December 2011 and is still not released. Although, an app has been released for many tablets and phones, see the link at the bottom of this blog.
Sources;
BBC News (2012) OnLive’s founder leaves company. [online] Available at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-19397037 [Accessed: 27 Jan 2013].
BBC News (2012) OnLive was sold for less than $5m. [online] Available at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-19896362 [Accessed: 27 Jan 2013].
IGN (2011) Hands-on with OnLive’s New Tablet App. [online] Available at: http://uk.ign.com/articles/2011/12/08/hands-on-with-onlives-new-tablet-app [Accessed: 27 Jan 2013].
IGN (2009) GDC 09: OnLive Introduces The Future of Gaming – IGN. [online] Available at: http://uk.ign.com/articles/2009/03/24/gdc-09-onlive-introduces-the-future-of-gaming [Accessed: 27 Jan 2013].
IGN (2011) OnLive: A Beginner’s Guide – IGN. [online] Available at: http://uk.ign.com/articles/2011/08/10/onlive-a-beginners-guide [Accessed: 27 Jan 2013].
OnLive (2012) Devices Compatible with OnLive App for Android. [online] Available at: https://support.onlive.com/entries/22247662-devices-compatible-with-onlive-app-for-android [Accessed: 27 Jan 2013].
OnLive (2012) Computer and Internet Requirements for PC/Mac®. [online] Available at: https://support.onlive.com/entries/22264983-computer-and-internet-requirements-for-pc-mac [Accessed: 27 Jan 2013].
Hitman HD Trilogy
Set for release on 1st February for all Europe fans and luckily 29th January for all North America fans.
Featured in the Hitman HD Trilogy you can enjoy 3 classic Hitman games. However none of which are the first game, Hitman: Codename47) The three games are Hitman 2: Silent Assassin ( released in 2002), Hitman Contracts (released in 2004), and Hitman: Blood Money (released in 2006), all remastered for you Hitman gamers out there, as you may have already guessed, in HD. Available on platforms Xbox 360 and PS3.
As these games have all previously been released the speculation surrounds how good do these games look in HD. If you would like to find out for yourself scroll down to view some of the latest HD pictures. For those who have not played any Hitman games before, or would like a reminder, here is a quick review of all 3 games featured. (Warning: Hitman: Contracts contains a spoiler if you have not yet played Hitman: Codename 47)
Hitman 2: Silent Assassin – Agent 47 has left his life as an assassin and retreated to a church in Sicily wanting to find peace. 47 works as a gardener for his best friend, and mentor, Father Vittorio. Unfortunately an event occurs meaning, the man we know as Agent 47 has to return to his old life as an assassin. Making a deal he agrees to work for an agency, on one condition.
Hitman: Contracts – The start of the game shows Agent 47 wandering through a dark hotel corridor entering his room. Collapsing, he begins to have flashbacks off past assassinations he has committed, they have taken their toll. Starting with the aftermath of killing Dr. Ort-Meyer. The mission mainly focuses on replays of previous missions that take place in the original game, except this time they are played in reverse.
Hitman: Blood Money – This begins with a flash at an abandoned Baltimore, Maryland amusement park. We gather that many people were killed in an incident caused by negligent maintenance of a ferris wheel. The father of one of the victims calls the agency and orders a hit on the park owner, who was cleared of all charges. Agent 47 carries out the hit, following that assignment, he get’s a string of contracts from American clients all of which are eager to hire the famous hitman.
Latest HD Pictures
The pictures below have all been released by Square Enix, the developers, to show off the newly improved look;v
Sources;
So Video Gaming (2013) So Video Gaming. [online] Available at: http://www.sovideogaming.com/ [Accessed: 24 Jan 2013].
The Gaming Liberty (2013) Square-Enix – The Gaming Liberty . [online] Available at: http://thegamingliberty.com/index.php/tag/square-enix/ [Accessed: 24 Jan 2013].
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