Tag: Xbox

‘Call Of Duty: Ghosts’ Extinction Mode Gets A Fancy Trailer

by Shane O'Hare

We reported just yesterday on a new Alien filled game mode for the upcoming Call of Duty: Ghosts. Well the people at Activision reacted quickly and put out this trailer, hot on the heels of the leak. Check out the Extinction trailer below!

Call of Duty: Ghosts introduces Extinction – an all-new 1-4 player cooperative game mode featuring a unique blend of fast-paced survival action, FPS base defense, scavenging and class leveling.

Gone are the much loved zombies, and in their place are some spooky looking aliens! Admittedly, when I first saw the leaked photos I was a little skeptical, but this trailer has brought me back. The  environments look interesting and the gameplay looks like a compelling change of pace from the original zombies missions.

You can get your hands on CoD: Ghosts on PC, PS3, XBOX 360 and Wii U November 5th. It will also be available on the PS4 and Xbox One at launch.

Nine-Minute ‘Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag’ Trailer Teaches You The Basics

by Derek Kraneveldt

Briefly: Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag is now just a few days away from stores, and Ubisoft has just released a new, nine-minute long preview of the anticipated title.

The video teaches us everything there is to know about the largest and most immersive Assassin’s game ever created. See how Edward Kenway takes on the Golden Age of Pirates, and meet the outlaw characters that defined this unforgettable era. Experience the breadth of this open-world, including enhanced naval gameplay, expansive new environments, exotic animals and the vibrant underwater world. And learn more about new combat features and weapons, including dual-sword attacks, multi-gun abilities and the free-aim system.

The game looks great, and looks like a fantastic return to form for the series after the missteps of Assassin’s Creed III. Take a look at the trailer below, and let us know what you think! Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag launches in North America on October 29th!

Games With Gold Goes Permanent!

by Shane O'Hare

Earlier this year at E3, Microsoft announced their new program Games With Gold. It offered 2 free Xbox 360 titles every month to all Gold members. Games range from Arcade exclusives to full blown blockbusters like Halo 3. From a press release today the guys up in Redmond have said it’s here to stay.

At E3 2013, we launched Games with Gold as a limited-time program to thank our Xbox Live Gold members. Within that short period of time, we’ve seen an overwhelming response, with more than 120 million hours played with Games with Gold titles. Today, as a part of the “Week of Xbox Live,” we’re excited to announce that we are making Games with Gold an ongoing benefit for Xbox Live Gold members on Xbox 360.

 

Whether they are blockbuster AAA or popular arcade titles, Games with Gold continues to offer a diverse mix of games with two free Xbox 360 titles a month – yours to keep and at no additional cost. According to recent surveys, 97 percent of participating members have given their stamp of approval for Games with Gold, and we’re excited to continue bringing you great games every month as part of our ongoing commitment to providing great value on Xbox 360.

 

Don’t forget to download “Halo 3,” called “nothing short of epic” by IGN.com and available Oct. 16-31. Stay tuned to Xbox Wire and Major Nelson’s blog for new Games with Gold titles announced each month.

No word if the program is going to continue on Xbox One. Sony have said their competing product WILL continue on the PS4 though, which does offer up newer and some would say “better” games than the Games with Gold program.

‘Assassin’s Creed IV: Freedom Cry’ DLC Revealed!

by Derek Kraneveldt

Briefly: The base game isn’t even out yet, but Ubisoft today announced some very neat single-player DLC for their upcoming Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag.

The DLC is called Freedom Cry, and tells the story of born slave Adewale. Adewale eventually found freedom as a pirate aboard the Jackdaw, where he became Edward Kenway’s second-in-command. Now, 15 years later, Adewale has become a trained Assassin who finds himself shipwrecked in Saint-Domingue without weapons or crew. He starts to meet locals in an effort to assemble a crew and steal a ship. The more he helps, however, the more he is drawn into the Maroon slave community. Forced to face his past, Adewale sets out to free the slaves and bring death to their captors.

Sounds neat, huh? Freedom Cry brings an entirely new single-player story to the already expansive game. Take a look at the first trailer for the DLC below, and let us know if you’ll be picking it up!

http://youtu.be/jErWyTClLPE

Play The Xbox One Before Its Release During Microsoft’s One Tour!

by Derek Kraneveldt

Briefly: Microsoft knows just how much fans are itching to try out the Xbox One, so the company is giving consumers all over the US, Canada, and Europe a chance to play the system before its launch this November.

It’s called the One Tour, and it’ll hit 175 different locations beginning October 1st (and continuing through the end of the year). Gamers will have the opportunity to play the new console on one of four decked-out Xbox One trucks, as well as attend a variety of different parties in Area One events (though these events are 18+).

It’s sounds like an awesome way to build buzz for the console after the dismal announcement and confusing (though rectified) policies. By getting controllers into consumer’s hands this early on, I’m sure they can win over some skeptics! It’s sounds like a damn fun time too!

Take a look at all of the cities that are included in the One Tour, and head to Microsoft’s One Tour website for more info. I just may have to take a trip over to Vancouver to see what it’s all about!

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Planning to attend any of the dates? Are you looking forward to the Xbox One launch? Sound out below!

Xbox One To Launch On November 22nd In 13 Countries

by Derek Kraneveldt

Briefly: We’ve known for some time that Microsoft’s Xbox One would be launching sometime in November. Today, Microsoft announced just which day the launch will occur.

The Xbox One will hit 13 countries, including North America, on November 22nd. That, of course, is just one week after the launch of Sony’s Playstation 4.

The full list of launch countries consists of: Australia, Austria, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Mexico, Spain, United Kingdom, United States and New Zealand.

Microsoft has also revealed that the final build of the Xbox One will feature an improved CPU speed. The 1.6GHZ CPU has been bumped to 1.75GHZ, which should amount to a near 10% performance increase.

I can only afford one console this November, and I’ve chosen to get in line for the PS4 on November 15th. That being said, I won’t lie to myself and pretend that I won’t end up with an Xbox One at some point too! Which console will you be picking up first? What launch games are you most looking forward to? Sound out below!

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Rejoice! Microsoft Points Are Dead!

by Derek Kraneveldt

Briefly: We all knew that it was coming, but the day that we’ve all been waiting for is finally here. Microsoft Points are DEAD!

An Xbox 360 software update was pushed today that officially removed all traces of the antiquated points system from the console.  Now, instead of points, users will see real dollar prices, and any current points will be converted to their local currency. Converted points can be used tax-free, though any new purchases will be taxed at the user’s local taxation rate.

This precedes the Xbox One launch this holiday season, which will use standard currency, and not points, from launch day.

Are you happy about the change? Or angry that it didn’t happen years ago? Sound out below!

Microsoft Reveals Xbox One Exclusive ‘Fable Legends’

by Derek Kraneveldt

Briefly: Preceding Sony’s PS4 reveal earlier today, Microsoft announced yet another huge exclusive for the upcoming Xbox One.

The publisher has again teamed up with the acclaimed Lionhead Studios for another title in the Fable franchise. This time, however, you’ll be able to join forces with three other people. Is this a game changer for the franchise?

Fable Legends forgoes the storyline from the original trilogy, and will instead be set 400 years before the first game. I’m guessing that Albion will be a very different place than the one we know and love, and that you’re going to need all the help you can get.

Watch the first trailer for Fable Legends below, and let us know what you think! The game was announced without a release date, but we’ll fill you in as soon as we hear more!

http://youtu.be/XQyv9IDi1Qw

Xbox Live’s Summer Of Arcade Is Back! Check Out An Awesome New Title Every Wednesday In August!

by Derek Kraneveldt

Hmm… Maybe it’s finally time to pick up a new Xbox 360.

It’s August, and the hottest time of the year for many of us. This, of course, means that it’s also the best time of the year to turn on a fan (or AC if you’re lucky enough), grab a controller, and get some quality gaming done.

The Xbox team fully understands this, and again have launched an awesome ‘Summer of Arcade’ promotion that will last throughout August. Each Wednesday in August (including the 7th, which has already passed… whoops), an awesome, must-play new arcade title will release on Xbox Live, leading up to the highly anticipated (and covered) release of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows.

Each Wednesday at 3PM on the Polaris YouTube channel, All That‘s Lisa Foiles (who we had on the show just a few short months ago) will host a live show featuring that week’s new title (plus prominent YouTube gamers JesseCox, Raychul Moore, and GameGrumps). The new games will release the same day, and you’re definitely going to want to play all of them. Here’s the schedule and a description of each title:

August 7th – Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons – 1200 Microsoft Points
Guide two brothers on an epic journey. Control both at once with each thumb stick in co-op play like never before. Explore puzzles, varied locations and fight boss battles.

August 14th – Charlie Murder – 800 Microsoft Points
Fallen punk rock idols Charlie Murder must face off against rival death metal band Gore Quaffer and their army of the damned in an RPG brawler hybrid inspired by coin-op beat ‘em ups and dungeon crawlers.

August 21st – Flashback – 800 Microsoft Points
Conrad B. Hart of the G.B.I. is re-enlisted for the return of an acclaimed gaming franchise. Uncover an alien conspiracy, getting through complex & deadly environments.

August 28th – Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows – 1200 Microsoft Points
TMNT: Out of the Shadows returns to how it all began. Become the four turtles fighting to save New York City from mutants, the Foot & Shredder.

Damnit. All of these games look and sound incredible. What’s a guy to do? Let us know which games you’ll be picking up, and check out the Summer of Arcade announcement video below!

Xbox One No Longer Requires Kinect To Function

by Shane O'Hare

Hallelujah! Hallelujah! The clouds have parted and a great light began to shine down. What was once a terrible console plagued with DRM and an Electronic Eye constantly peering into your living room, has quickly changed.

In a recent interview with IGN, Xbox Corporate Vice President Marc Whitten said that the console will still function with the Kinect sensor unplugged. Though players will miss out on a bunch of the features like voice recognition and player recognition, you will still be able to access your games and entertainment.

This announcement is a couple months after they rescinded their decision for an always on console, as well as revised their used game stance. It looks like the gamers have spoken, and Microsoft answered.

The Xbox One is slated to be released sometime this November.

Oops, I Did It Again… Casual Gaming

by TinyNightmare

When I first started playing Halo over XBox live, I learned how to play from a highly ranked female gamer. We laughed every time she would receive a message in her inbox that made the accusation she must be a “fat ugly loser” to become good enough to beat her male counterpart. Because obviously her only option in life for any social engagement would be to sit on the couch and play Halo with strangers and that could be the only explanation for this guy to have his ass handed to him by a girl.

None of their accusations were true – to this day she is a very beautiful model. That very fact is probably why we laughed so hard at their ridiculous comments.

Of course, whenever I would play I would get my ass beat and a flood of messages would come in about how I should go back to playing house with Sims. Not only did these interactions bring up the obvious problem of the male-dominated world of video games and their very anti feminist points of view – but it also made me think, “I really like Sims and when I am working on my computer waiting for something to render – I really love my casual gaming.”

But then that calls into question: can I still call myself a gamer if my work has forced me to spend more time playing Doodle God, Angry Birds, Cityville or leave me wondering if I should start to play online bingo?

I guess the real question is: What defines a casual or hardcore gamer?

If I love my FPS and MMO‘s but I don’t have a few hours everyday to dedicate to it and I use casual games on my phone to get my fix – am I just a poseur now?

Kind of like people in NA, I still consider myself a hardcore gamer because I know if I start, It’s hard to stop. I get easily addicted to bettering my head shots and I had to cancel my WoW account to make sure I spent more time working on my business than on raids.

So, if really I am just being responsible with my gaming and casually playing Borderlands and Halo every once in a while – maybe the real question is: What’s wrong with being a girl and casual gaming?

SDCC 2013: Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag Press Party

by Shane O'Hare

The biggest prescence at SDCC this year was undoubtedly Ubisoft Games. They pulled out all the stops this year in promotion of their three newest games. AC:IV Black Flag, Watch Dogs and Splinter Cell: Blacklist. Their method of promotion was crazy over the top and probably the best thing I have ever done at Comic Con. They hosted a party, on a pirate ship.

Friday night of the convention, I wandered down to the 5th street marina, behind the convention center. When I got there I was shocked to see the setup Ubisoft had (though a few nights before I was informed we already checked it out, but I do not remember!) on the floating museum The Star of India. Custom liveries, an awesome Assassin’s Sail and some 3D projection on the sails. They went ALL out.

I got to the event early, and was waiting for our fellow writer Jake Lopez to arrive. I checked in with the nice gals at the press desk and wandered around. Soon the press line setup in preparation for some AAA+++ level celebs. That is when I ran into an old Con friend, Kristen! It was a HUGE case of small world syndrome. We caught up and she started getting ready to run the press line. When 9:45 came around they started off the festivities, LITERALLY with a bang.

I was less than 100 feet from the cannons and my whole body felt the blasts. As soon as they went off I knew tonight was going to be insane. I contemplated waiting for Jake and Kristen, but the temptation of free booze and food was too much to handle. I jumped on board and was blown away AGAIN! The whole ship was done up with lights and AC4 paraphernalia. On the stern Schick was giving away free straight razor shaves. A pirate told me I needed one but if I lost the beard I’d look like a 12 year old. I grabbed a rum and coke (argh!) and went to the bow. On the way I partook in some next level sammiches. Real talk, this was the best catered food from the entire trip. I put on my best Jack Sparrow swag and hit the Bow. The first game of the night was Just Dance 14. Some Ubi Team members were playing and tearing it apart. The graphics for this game have always impressed me, and the music is always the catchy pop you expect from the radio.

Not physically capable of dancing, I left the bow and went down a level. Below deck was HOT, with all the lights and the people it was only getting hotter. I wandered around, gawking at all the AC4 props and posters. Pirate pictures were being taken at the back, while more game demos were at the front. I got another rum and coke and hit up the games. This was when Jake texted me and said that they weren’t letting anymore people on the ship! Fearing I would have no friends on board and would need to rely on my own social faculties I crushed my rum and grabbed a beer. I went down another level and continued to be blown away. They had a giant projector playing AC4 trailers and a mofuggin DJ! At the bottom level looking up through the hold at the sky, my thoughts that this was going to be a crazy night were just reinforced.

I grabbed a vodka this time from what felt like the eighth bar I passed on the ship and went back upstairs. My journalistic duties had to be met, time to play some games. I went upstairs and posted up behind the Splinter Cell station. That is when I ran into Jake! He informed me of the details of the screw up outside, basically no one was counting how many people were coming on. We both then jumped on the two stations to play. I was playing an introductory level while he played something more into the story. Both were on the 360 and I felt what I was playing was a 99% completed game. The controls were much tighter than previous SC games and the narrative was playing out nicely. Shooting felt fluid and didn’t carry a penalty. There were times when Batman level discretion worked and times where Matrix level shootouts worked. All and all I was very impressed with this iteration.

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Jake108 Demoing Splintercell

Next up was some AC4 multiplayer, but not after MORE Vodka! We got in line behind some actors who were dressed as Multiplayer characters, playing as themselves. Could that be considered masturbation? At this time I noticed a reoccurring actor. They had a fully decked out Kenway assassin walking around, being filmed. Doing some crowd hiding and various other AC moves. I am pretty sure my confused face will be in the background of some promo footage. At this time it was my turn at the multiplayer. The Ubisoft guy running the station told me the rules, we were playing pistols only and told me the controls. Then I realized that I was up against a couple of celebrities that I did not recognize.  It was time to crush some 1%.

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Not much has changed since AC3. The same kind of maps and gimmicks  were present. That’s not to say it’s a BAD thing. It was a joy to play. The pistols only mode made for a nice new difficulty twist. You had to present yourself to your target. This gave them the opportunity to guard the shot or flee. This ALSO gave your pursuer a chance to line up his shot on you. There were some cheap moments where I was killed with no real feedback as to what I did wrong, no indication of enemy or kill cam happened a few times. I don’t know if it was all random or just glitches. When it was all said and done I finished third, behind another journalist and an Ubisoft employee. We were playing with PS4 controllers but it was running on a PS4 dev PC. I snapped some pics while they were changing the gametype but they came out awful.

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After that I got another drink and tried to get in on some Watch Dogs. What I got to watch was the last play of the night unfortunately. The game looked GORGEOUS and it was playing at a smooth as silk frame rate. They had a LAN VOIP setup and a Ubi rep was walking players through the mission. I really wish I was able to get a chance to play, but just as I was ready to sit down they closed it off for the night.

I met back up with Jake as he just finished up a round of AC4. We parted ways from there, he going back to his hotel and I went back to the bar.  The DJ started to kick it into high gear, some great EDM started filling my ear holes. The heat of the ship was getting to me so I jaunted upstairs. Just in time to see a Woman in some VERY high heels lose her shit and fall down the stairs. She caught herself just before disaster. Boat stairs and fashion DO NOT MIX!

Back up top I saw the place was packed. The Hollywood elite were there and I barely recognized any of them. I then ran into Kristen again and her friend whose name escapes me. We were in line to get our final drinks of the night before the bars closed when I felt a tap on my shoulder and a whisper in my ear.

Spring Break

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The sultry voice poured the motto of our vacation into my brain. I turned around and it was our boy Derek! He made it onto the ship after all! His expression was priceless, his ability to comprehend the moment was gone. I had to bring him back to reality and tell him that yes, we were on a mother fucking pirate ship. We crushed the drinks and hit the dance floor. The four of us doing our best White person dance moves crammed in the bottom of the shipped danced til a few minutes before closing. W e decided to leave it there and head home. As we were leaving I caught Kenway assassinating a sexy pirate girl, though I couldn’t figure out why. There was no way she had ANY hidden blades on her.

Be sure to click on these Vines for some more footy!

In San Diego For SDCC? Check Out Gam3r Con 2013!

by Kari Lane

Gonna be in San Diego this weekend? Yes, the behemoth that is Comic-Con will be going on (and on and on), but there is another con that you may not have heard about, Gam3r Con (Wednesday-Sunday) will be running at the same time; Gam3r Con is located at the 10th Ave Theater and is a multi-story playhouse dedicated to games, theatre, and more!

There are different rooms designated for different types of gaming: tabletop, old school (Retrocade), and console. It feels like you went over to your friend’s house and all of your buddies are there. There is a little something for everyone. They also have game inspired art throughout the building and even hosted a painting party Wednesday evening.

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Be sure to check out the live entertainment: Gam3rs: The Play, I Wish My Life Was an RPG, and War Games. There will also be some films and stand up comedy!

Gam3rs: The Play recently had a one night engagement in a sold out theater in North Hollywood. They even had to add extra chairs! The audience loved the performance by Brian Bielawski and really connected to the material. One fun moment I remember during the show was when Geekscape’s own Jonathan London approvingly nodded along to a specific Farscape reference. However, one can still enjoy the show without knowing what it is like to play a MMORPG (massive multi-player online role playing game), or not following every nerd shout out. The main character, Steve, is just your average guy trying to survive a soul crushingly boring job, deal with an over bearing boss/bothersome coworker and remember his girlfriend’s birthday. You can still catch this hilarious one man show Saturday at 10pm and Sunday at 2:30pm.

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These are just some of the many awesome things you will discover at Gam3r Con. So be sure to check it out!

Hunt Down Your Killer In ‘Murdered: Soul Suspect’

by Shane O'Hare

Whoa whoa whoa whoa…whoa. I think I can already call E3 2013 best of show. Square Enix just blew my mind with this trailer for Murdered: Soul Suspect.

This announcement is the purest definition of Teaser. There is barely any information online about this game. What I have been able to find out is this. Murdered is an action adventure, puzzle game published by Square and developed by one of their internal studios, though which one is a mystery. It was first teased back in February where the Square official Twitter posted “What is the hardest case to solve?”. Today we got this trailer.

Lets hope we got ourselves another L.A. Noire type game on our hands.

More info from us about this during our E3 coverage. Murdered: Soul Suspect is confirmed released on PC, Xbox 360 and PS3. No next gen release has been announced yet.

Geekscape Games Presents: Ten Returning IPs the Xbox One Needs

by Josh Jackson

Since last week’s Xbox One reveal, the internet has been on fire with speculation, rumors and an endless stream of unanswered questions. Many have tried to make sense of it all, including us here at Geekscape, but one of the solid facts that came out of the conference was that 15 exclusive games, including seven returning IPs, would release within the console’s first year on shelves.

If you’re like me, you’ve been starving for Xbox exclusives. While I think it’s still the console of choice for multiplatform and online gaming, save for the occasional Halo, Gears, Forza or Dance Central release, Microsoft has been pretty thin in the exclusives department.

The Xbox One is going to want to launch strong, and contrary to popular belief, the green machine had plenty of great exclusives during the Xbox and early 360 days. Even without Halo, Gears and Forza, the company has plenty of titles in the vault to draw from. With seven slots for returning franchises, let’s look at 10 games that can help the next Xbox be “The One” for gamers.

10: Dance Central

Starting off with this game probably lost me a ton of readers. Still with me? Good.

While many gamers who identify themselves as hardcore have mostly shunned anything that has to do with motion controls, Dance Central is the definitive motion gaming experience available and shouldn’t be missed. Right out of the gate, the game tracked movements in ways that new games struggle to achieve years later. Each sequel only got better, culminating with Usher bringing in his choreography to create some incredible routines in the latest entry. Imagine the possibilities with heart beat tracking and expanded joint detection? And throw in the fact that every Xbox One will be bundled with Kinect? The potential sales would be sure to grow given that everyone will have the device. It makes too much sense.

9: Viva Pinata

What started out as being Microsoft’s “Pokemon killer,” it turned out Viva Pinata was anything but. It didn’t help that the game was nothing like the series that it was trying to compete with, but what Rare created instead was an enjoyable farm simulator that sucked hours upon hours out of gamers. The game had tons of charm, addicting mechanics and even a TV show to suck in the kids, but disappeared suddenly after a quick sequel.

Not only did it deserve more of a chance, but it would be the perfect game to display Xbox’s family friendly side. After all, every game can’t be a futuristic shooter. Speaking of, that brings me to…

8:Perfect Dark

There was a time where it felt like Joanna Dark was the most in demand woman in gaming. Building off of the success of Goldeneye, Rare produced an FPS masterpiece at the time for the Nintendo 64, leaving its announced prequel anxiously anticipated.

But almost a decade of patience brought us Perfect Dark Zero, a game that removed most of what made the original so innovative. Instead it left us with a cookie cutter title that was soon overshadowed by big guns like Halo and Gears of War.

The Xbox One would be the perfect chance to redeem the series. Bring back the cheesiness. Bring back the quirkiness. But most of all, please bring back limb damage and hostage taking! Zero felt like such a step back, but I’m sure I’m not the only gamer who would welcome the proper Joanna Dark back with open arms.

7:Alan Wake

Alan Wake was one of the most hyped exclusives for the 360 when it was released. From the talented crew at Remedy, (who developed Max Payne 1 and 2,) this surreal horror game took a page out of Stephen King’s book, (no pun intended, I swear!) Gamers took control of Alan, an author who is trapped in a town where his suspense novels were seemingly coming to life.

Using a unique combat mechanic that felt like a survival horror shooter had a love child with Luigi’s Mansion, Wake was praised for its game play as much as it was for its top notch story. The ending and its DLC practically confirmed a sequel, but it never came aside from a somewhat unrelated Xbox Live Arcade release. While Remedy is hard at work on the new IP, Quantum Break, wishful thinking keeps me hoping for a new Alan Wake game to come to the console. I’m going to wish as hard as I can.

6:Kameo

Much like Perfect Dark Zero, Kameo was also in limbo for far too long. Starting development as an N64 game before being moved to the Gamecube launch, she wouldn’t make her debut for years. Not until the Xbox 360 launched did Kameo finally see the light of day, and while it was completely overshadowed by more anticipated titles like Perfect Dark and Call of Duty 2, it was still more than worthy of gamers’ attention.

Putting players in control of the titular elf, she gained the ability to take the forms of various creatures. Each one gave Kameo different abilities that helped her traverse her world and combat trolls outside of internet message boards. While it was a great first effort, the game had points where it didn’t live up to its full potential. An Xbox One revival can change that and expand on this limitless idea of shape shifting, bringing this mostly untapped series to a new generation.

5:Shadow Complex

Xbox Live Arcade was a popular service when it launched. Bringing arcade classics into our homes with the occasional indy game at a cheap price was a strong perk that gamers ate up. This was all we ever wanted, reserving the big, AAA titles for our retail purchases.

That was, until Shadow Complex came along.

Epic Games blew the lid off of what we expected from a downloadable console game. This Metroid style sidescrolling shooter had a strong story, top of the line game play and graphics that rivaled the 360’s top releases. Setting the stage for digital releases, it’s now expected for titles of this caliber to hit the PSN, eShop and Live Arcade. Why a sequel hasn’t been released is anyone’s guess, but what better way to introduce the new Xbox One and its downloadable service than to tout what I feel is the most influential downloadable game of this generation?

4:Banjo-Kazooie

Another lost Rare franchise, gamers begged for an Xbox version of Banjo-Kazooie, one of the most popular platformers on the N64. After teasing us with a Game Boy Advance release of all things, 2008 finally saw the return of the bear and bird.

It just wasn’t in the way we expected.

But change isn’t always bad, and in the case of Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts, I feel it benefited from it. Less of a platform game and more of a create your own solution puzzle/racing hybrid, Nuts and Bolts let players build their own cars, boats, planes and anything in between to conquer different challenges.

A truly unique and well executed idea with plenty of self referential humor helped put it over the top. The game is still met with hostility since it strays so far from its roots, but if a new game were to expand on the already great ideas of the first Nuts and Bolts, I’d say that’s one way for the Xbox to build towards a better future.

3:Mech Assault

When the Xbox Live service launched back in 2002, Microsoft came out with guns blazing. They knew they had to offer something gamers couldn’t say no to when it came to selling them on a paid subscription service, and their answer was Mech Assault.

A console spinoff to the popular PC series Mech Warrior, this game put players in the cockpit of a variety of robots, each with different weapons, strengths and weaknesses. While the single player mode was there to essentially provide pilot training, the main draw of the game was its multiplayer, and to this day I feel it’s one of the best examples of online gaming done right on consoles.

Oddly enough, the last time it was seen was not on the Xbox, but as a DS title that flew under the radar. I think it’s time for the king to come home. Mech Assault sold gamers on live over ten years ago, I don’t see why it can’t sell them on the “One” now.

2:Crimson Skies

Now if Mech Assault was the game that successfully launched Live into the public eye, Crimson Skies launched it into the stratosphere. An arcade style dogfighting simulator, players took control of World War II style planes in an alternate timeline where steampunk-like technology was intertwined with the weapons of the 1940’s.

Unlike Mech Assault however, Crimson Skies had a strong single player campaign, with an entertaining story, a variety of challenges and a colorful cast. Taking its fast paced action to the internet was still its main draw though, and it was easy to sink hours into shooting down people from all over the world, the simplicity and fun of it all was my favorite reason to own an Xbox.

Since then, the franchise hasn’t even been mentioned outside of an Xbox Original release on the 360. No sequel must mean Microsoft doesn’t want my money! That can change though, because Xbox One will be a lot more attractive if it will take me to the skies again. I’m just waiting for it to sweep me away all over again.

1:Killer Instinct

It’s ironic that the number one game on my list is the only one to never appear on an Xbox console. Acting as Nintendo’s answer to Mortal Kombat back in the day, Killer Instinct and its sequel took violent, over the top fighting and added the depth of a traditional fighter. Last seen in 1996, generations of N64, Gamecube, Xbox and 360 owners have begged and begged Rare to bring back the popular brawler. Rare listened, and we got…

Grabbed by the Ghoulies!

But seriously, Rare has heard our cries. We did get a Sabrewulf spinoff after all, and they don’t hide their love of trolling fans. These are the same guys who hid comments about the game in Banjo-Kazooie, going as far as hiding mock box art for the non-existent game inside of an in game briefcase.

Killer Instinct 3 BanjoTrololol!

But there can only be one reason… One good reason that Rare has waited for so long. They want it to have the biggest impact as possible when it’s finally released. What better way than to launch with a brand new console? I can imagine the roof blowing off of E3 as a 17 year old franchise is revived with new graphics, updated presentation and the same fighting that we’ve been anxiously awaiting for years. I can’t think of any better time to launch it than now.

Are there any games I missed? Are you really looking for Sudeki 2 or Otogi 3? Or did I give too much credit to certain games that don’t deserve it? Sound off below and let us know!

Separating Fact From Rumors – The Xbox One

by jake108

There’s been a lot of confusion on policies, features, and games surrounding the Xbox One. Regardless of what’s rumor and what’s fact, there shouldn’t be mass confusion in the first place. Still, here’s a handy guide that you can reference that will contain facts on the Xbox One. Feel free to comment below with more misconceptions, facts, or questions. I will update it as information becomes available.

Used Games

Playing used games on the Xbox One has become a touchy subject. You can’t go far into looking up information on the console without running into comments on the subject. Many believe that there will be a fee to play used games on your Xbox One console, even if you take your game to play on a friends console. This is not the case. Over the past few days, numerous scenarios have been proposed, most of which lead to the conclusion of a used game fee. As of right now, the most important statement on the matter comes from Larry Hryb’s (Xbox Live’s Major Nelson) latest statement:

“We know there is some confusion around used games on Xbox One and wanted to provide a bit of clarification on exactly what we’ve confirmed today. While there have been many potential scenarios discussed, today we have only confirmed that we designed Xbox One to enable our customers to trade in and resell games at retail.

Beyond that, we have not confirmed any specific scenarios.

Another piece of clarification around playing games at a friend’s house – should you choose to play your game at your friend’s house, there is no fee to play that game while you are signed in to your profile.”

With that, it confirms that I can take my copy of Madden 25 to play at friend’s house, free of charge. Stay tuned for more information.

Region Restricted

Just as the Xbox 360, the Xbox One will be region locked. This isn’t surprising and shouldn’t a hassle unless you’re really into traveling or importing games. The Xbox One is simply following suit with their partners in the movie and music industry to join an already wide array of products that are region locked.

Always Online

The Xbox One will not be required to always be connected to the Internet or Xbox Live, however, there is one possible scenario that would require the console to connect to the internet at least once a day. This has not been confirmed to be the end all be all. More information should be available at a later date.

Kinect & Always On

Yes, each Xbox One will come bundled with a Kinect sensor. This sensor is a step up from what is available now as it can track movements, heart beats, and can power the console on with a simple voice command. This lead to gamers fearing that the Kinect would always be on and would violate their privacy. This is not the case as the Xbox One and Kinect can be turned off altogether. However, in order to power the console on with a voice command, the console and Kinect must be in a low-power state, and not exactly off. But if you’re like me, you’ll probably turn the whole thing off to save electricity. (Note: I’m not going green, I’m just a college student with no money.)

Source: NY Times

Games

Microsoft took a lot of heat for not focusing on video games during the Xbox One reveal. What many failed to realize is E3 is just two weeks away and Microsoft’s Xbox One reveal was just that. There was a quick note that there are 15 Exclusive Xbox One games to be released in the first year, with 8 of them being new franchises. Below some of confirmed and uncomfirmed Xbox One Games:

Battlefield 4

Call of Duty: Ghosts

Destiny

Dying Light

FIFA 14

Forza Motorsport 5

Madden 25

Need for Speed Rivals

Quantum Break

Ryse

Theif

Unconfirmed titles are as follows:

Halo 5

Rare “Historic” Franchise – Possibly Banjo Kazooie or Perfect Dark

The Evil Within

Dragon Age III: Inquisition

The Witcher 3

Rainbow 6: Patriots

The list goes on and will be updated in a separate article.

Xbox Live

Of the biggest bits of news to come out of Xbox Live was the confirmation that gamerscores would carry over and the friends list cap would be bumped up to 1,000. What many don’t know are the number of servers that will be dedicated to the Xbox One. Microsoft plans on having 300,000 servers dedicated to the console. How will this affect those who don’t use the Cloud? Well, the typical 16 player multiplayer matches can now be bumped up to 128 active players.

Backwards Compatibility

The Xbox One will not be backwards compatible. Is it annoying for us consumers? Yes. But as with every new advancement in products that rely heavily on tech, we must move forward. The reason Xbox One isn’t backwards compatible is simply because the hardware is different. The new x86 chip does not allow a native conversion for 360 games to be played on the Xbox One. Here’s the official statement from Microsoft:

“Xbox One hardware is not compatible with Xbox 360 games, … We designed Xbox One to play an entirely new generation of games—games that are architected to take full advantage of state-of-the-art processors and the infinite power of the cloud. We care very much about the investment people have made in Xbox 360 and will continue to support it with a pipeline of new games and new apps well into the future.”

From that, we can assume the 360 will be around for the near future and won’t be completely axed like the original Xbox was. Does anyone remember Call of Duty 2: Big Red One? Ugh.

Specs

There hasn’t been much information regarding the Xbox One’s specs, other than what was shown on the day of its reveal:

xboxonespecs

 

Some believe the Xbox One is underpowered, or hampered by running three OS’ at the same time. Not so, says Jeff Henshaw, Program Manager at Microsoft:

“We’re provisioning for developers for every physical Xbox One we build, we’re provisioning the CPU and storage equivalent of three Xbox Ones on the cloud. We’re doing that flat out so that any game developer can assume that there’s roughly three times the resources immediately available to their game, so they can build bigger, persistent levels that are more inclusive for players. They can do that out of the gate.”

If you’re not familiar with the Cloud on the Xbox One, let me reiterate that it will be powered by 300,000 servers. Microsoft plans to offload some of the heavy lifting in games onto the Cloud to make gameplay more fluid. Here’s another example from General Manager of Redmond Game Studios and Platforms Matt Booty regarding latency-sensitive issues in video games:

“Things that I would call latency-sensitive would be reactions to animations in a shooter, reactions to hits and shots in a racing game, reactions to collisions. Those things you need to have happen immediately and on frame and in sync with your controller. There are some things in a video game world, though, that don’t necessarily need to be updated every frame or don’t change that much in reaction to what’s going on.

 

One example of that might be lighting. Let’s say you’re looking at a forest scene and you need to calculate the light coming through the trees, or you’re going through a battlefield and have very dense volumetric fog that’s hugging the terrain. Those things often involve some complicated up-front calculations when you enter that world, but they don’t necessarily have to be updated every frame. Those are perfect candidates for the console to offload that to the cloud—the cloud can do the heavy lifting, because you’ve got the ability to throw multiple devices at the problem in the cloud.”

Booty goes onto say, “A rule of thumb we like to use is that [for] every Xbox One available in your living room we’ll have three of those devices in the cloud available.” Beyond that, nothing has been fully laid out by Microsoft. I suspect we won’t be able to do a full console comparison until after E3 2013.

Source: Arstechnica

 

As stated above, if you have any questions or contributions, please comment below.

Reports Coming In That Xbox One Game Disks Are Used For Initial Install ONLY! Console Requires Internet Connection

by Shane O'Hare

Reports and rumors are coming on how the Xbox One will handle initial installs and game trading.

From what we can gather from a few initial statements from MS employees is that the Xbox One game disks will ONLY be used for initial installation of the game, and that each game will come with a unique code (Think the same kind of license key you get on PC games) that is tied to your account. A once a day account verification with will need to be done to verify that you still own the product. If you would like to transfer the game to another account, you will need to pay an additional fee to move the product code. Unconfirmed reports of the fee being in the neighborhood of 35 GBP! That is $53 is freedom cash!

Xbox’s Major Nelson has said that these reports are “vague”, but he has refused to comment on whether or not these reports are true or not.

This is a terrible terrible start for this console. The restrictions for the console: Mandatory Kinect, Once a day account authorization, And fee to transfer games make this the least desirable console for gamers. On top of that, the fee for Xbox Live going up for this release there is no point for gamers to purchase this console over the Playstation 4 or WiiU. It also gives stores like Gamestop almost ZERO incentive to carry their products as the fee to transfer cuts them out.

Like I said on the last episode of the Geekscape Podcast, this is the most unappealing console out there.

UPDATE: Our writer Joshua Jackson has put up an extensive writeup of the collect rumours.

‘Halo’ Television Show Coming to ‘Xbox One’

by Josh Jackson

The Halo series has been a multimedia juggernaut practically since it launched back in 2001. Movies, books, Mega Blocks, Risk boards and of course, video games based on the sci fi shooter have helped keep a steady flow of content to appease its fans.

With the announcement of the Xbox One and its large focus on bringing all forms of entertainment into one living room hub, this includes original television programing, first of which is a new Halo program. As a colabaration between developer 343 Industries and presenter of Freakazoid, Steven Spielberg, details are about as slim as the Xbox One’s known game library, (ZING!) but it’s easy to see that Microsoft is all in with this concept.

Watch the reveal and let us know if this is the next step in television evolution or if it’s nothing more than an elaborate Halo 5 commercial.

Is Xbox One The Future We Want? One Geek Is Worried!

by MoreLikeAndy

With Microsoft finally unveiling the Xbox One, we now know where they see the future of gaming headed. It just might not be the future we want.

Heavy focus on the Xbox One being “The One” device you need for all your entertainment needs just sits wrong with me. With all the devices most already own-whether it be a smart phone, PC, laptop or tablet- we already have a great setup for consuming entertainment. Having a immobile device that does everything is not how the busy citizen consumes information these days. For example, when I sit down and watch TV, I always have my smart phone next to me. I check Twitter, Facebook, and news feeds while watching a show or movie. I don’t need my gaming console to do that. I want my gaming console to do what throughout history it was made to do first and foremost, to play games. Everything else should come a distant second.

Speaking of playing games, Microsoft seems to be playing games with our emotions when it comes to used games and always online in regard to the Xbox One. So much back and forth from certain people within the Microsoft camp that just made everyone even more confused. What seems to be known is that games will be tied to your profile and that as long as you’re logged in to that profile, regardless if it’s your Xbox One or a friends, you can play said games. Still no straight answer on fees being involved to install on a 2nd Xbox One or if you simply have to deauthorize the game before selling it. The always online question seems a little more clear. It seems every 24 hours, the Xbox One needs to ping the servers to make sure you in fact own the game you are playing, otherwise it will not work until you do. A minor annoyance to say the least.

If you hated using the Kinect before, be prepared to hate it even more now. Every Xbox One will come bundled with the new Kinect, which is required to be connected at all times for the system to even function. I prefer not to have a camera and mic listening for my every command when I am not using the system it’s attached to. I wonder if there’s a soundproof box I can store the Kinect in while still having it plugged into the Xbox One?

With the first outings by Sony and Microsoft out of the way, we know that Sony went out of its way to show us that it wants to make games easier for developers to make for the PS4 so that people can do what a console is made for in the first place, to play games. Innovation can come from anywhere or anyone. Sony making that easier means that the gaming experience could be phenomenal on the PS4. Microsoft on the other hand? How about you just take a look at this video and you’ll get an idea of what they want you to experience.

When E3 2013 arrives on June 10th, will opinions change on the Xbox One and PS4, or is there no change in the minds of the masses?

‘Forza 5’ to Launch with the ‘Xbox One.’ Gets New Trailer

by Josh Jackson

What was at first shunned as an Xbox rip off of the Gran Turismo series, (which also has a new game coming this year,) Forza has come into its own as one of the premier racing simulations in gaming. It wasn’t a matter of “if,” but “when” a sequel to the series would hit the new Xbox. As we learned at the Xbox One reveal, we won’t have to wait at all.

Forza 5 will launch with the Xbox One when it’s released later this year. Featuring updated graphics to go with the large amount of cars, customization and online features that have become synonymous with the series, Microsoft is hoping that it will be enough to help units zoom off the shelves.

But will it be? Forza will be one of 15 exclusive games that are set to launch with the system. Hit the road with the reveal trailer and let us know if it’s enough to put you into the Xbox One’s driver’s seat.

‘Xbox One’ and Remedy Present: ‘Quantum Break’

by Josh Jackson

During the Xbox One reveal, there was a ton of information flying around about watching TV, watching movies, Skyping, watching TV while Skyping. But the sole new gaming IP featured during the conference was Quantum Break, the newest game from the folks over at Remedy, (who brought us Alan Wake and the first two Max Payne games.)

Part action game, part television show, the trailer showed a shift between live action scenes with a suburban family and an over the top action game that was possibly taking place inside of the mind of a child that was classified as “different.” Not much is known about the game outside of what was shown, but Remedy has a strong track record of quality titles, and are some of the best at weaving together story and game play into a memorable experience.

Quantum Break is expected to launch with Xbox One, promising to blur the lines between television and gaming. Until then, help us make sense of the trailer and let the speculation begin!

How Xbox One Will Change the TV Landscape

by jake108

Earlier this morning, Microsoft unveiled its entry into the next generation of gaming consoles. The Xbox One presentation was spearheaded by the console’s capabilities involving games, internet browsing, movies, and television. With the advent of social media and smart phones, the way we view television has undergone a transformation, and with the upcoming release of Xbox One, television will undergo yet another transformation.

The introduction to the Xbox One strayed from announcing a lineup of next generation games and instead showcased its features as a media center. The things you can do on an Xbox One are unlike those you would be able to do on a cable box or dish service. For instance, you cannot vocally command your cable box to boot up along with the TV or command the box to search for a specific title. Granted, most of these features are impaired with the lack of a Kinect device, a backend product for last generation’s Xbox 360. However, every Xbox One will come bundled with a Kinect, eliminating the hassle of buying it separately. There are features on the Xbox One that will allow things like Instant Switching and Snap Mode, two things exclusive to the Xbox One. Instant Switching enables users to switch between all of the features on the Xbox One in what seemed like two seconds. For example, a user can switch between the game they’re playing to live or On Demand television program. This is done by simply saying, “Xbox, switch to TV.” Once the user is watching TV, they can then enter Snap Mode, which will divide the screen to include a small sidebar that will allow the user to make a Skype call or look something up on an Internet web browser. An example shown during the presentation, a user was viewing Star Trek (2009) while simultaneously looking up showtimes and tickets for Star Trek Into Darkness (2013). These two examples alone eliminate the need for multiple devices and allow the user to find what they want on a single device.

With piracy and other TV services entering the television fray, such as Netflix, Hulu Plus, and HBO Go, ratings has had a direct negative effect. This, in turn, has made Live Event TV that much more important to advertisers trying to get a good slot. For programs like The Super Bowl, 30-second spots can reach into the billions, and advertisers buy it because they know we’re watching. Xbox One plans on revamping Event Television by means of Snap Mode. Let’s say you’re watching an NFL game in Week 14. Your Fantasy Football league is about to end and you’re set to win it all. Xbox One’s Snap Mode allows users to view live up-to-the-minute updates on Fantasy Football scores. This is in partnership with ESPN, and will also encompass the NBA and MLB. Users will also be able to view all of ESPN’s channels. While all of the above features still require a cable provider, it does not change the danger advertisers face. There’s no stopping a user from instantly switching from a program on commercial break to a game they have running in the background. As an avid NFL viewer myself, the Xbox One will definitely be changing the way I view the games I seek. This feature will also be compatible with Xbox Smartglass, which is already available on mobile devices running Android or iOS. What’s even bigger news here is that Microsoft and the NFL announced a partnership starting with the above features for the Xbox One as a direct competitor to NFL Sunday Ticket, only NFL Sunday Ticket won’t be able to Skype call your friend who’s a fan of your rival team that just loss.

Lastly, the Xbox One will be the newest platform offering Original Programming that isn’t owned by any current television network. Their first splash into original programming will be a live-action television series based in the world of Halo. Halo is arguably the most popular science fiction first person shooter that has dominated Microsoft consoles since 2001. With the release of Halo 4, fans were treated to a live-action mini-series used as a primer leading into the Halo 4’s story. This was Forward Unto Dawn, and while this mini-series was marketed toward fans, this new live-action Halo series will be open to a much larger audience as it is using Xbox One as a springboard. As if that wasn’t big enough, Steven Spielberg plans to showrun the series and expressed his excitement this morning during the presentation.

The television landscape is changing and will never stop. Advertisers will need to adapt just as viewers will too. The newest and coolest thing in television is no longer constricted in a dish, cable box, tablet, or 15” monitor. This new iteration of next generation gaming is overflowing into new territory that plans to be a part of the change. The Xbox One will be releasing later this year.

Xbox Reveal Conference LIVE BLOG!

by Shane O'Hare

The newest iteration of the Microsoft console is getting announced RIGHT NOW! So if you can’t watch  then follow along with us here as I try to keep up with these marketing types!

Xbox One

 

20 minutes behind schedule but we’re here! Newest console will be called ” XBOX ONE” So far the newest console will have a lot of the same features the PS4 has. Live game DVR and asynchronous events. Search for your perfect match making game while you do other things.

 

EA Sports president is on stage talking about exclusives. EA Sports ignite. (New game engine?)

Sports stars are on talking about their specific sports. A lot of bombastic music. Appears that EA Sports Ignite IS a new engine or programming platform specifically for sports games.

Got a lot of buzz words going on here. EA Ignite will feature 10x the animation depth and detail from previous engines. Multiple calculations will allow for more life like interactions.

This crowd HAS to be paid or have plants in it because there are some people going CRAZY over polygons. Fifa 14 looks fucking GORGEOUS!

 

Microsoft studios Phil Spencer on stage. This crowd is dubbed! THEY DUBBED THEIR CROWD!

MS Studios wants to focus on original content and story telling. Developers have already been writing for the XBOX ONE.

Forza Motorsports 5 running on XBOX ONE. MY Favorite racing game of all time. Forza 4 looked amazing but this looks pretty damn good. I think slightly less than PS4 Drive Club but still only a trailer. Forza 5 will be available at console launch. More news at E3!

UGGG! “Cloud Powered” games that change. I don’t like this.  Remedy Games (Max Pane) have a new game called Quantum Break. Live action trailer. Game looks as if time will be the major gimmick here.

 

Nancy Tellem head of Xbox Entertainment Studios onstage. She is talking about her work at CBS and various TV shows. TV on xbox will let you “Virtuall jump into the action”. Truly personalized TV. Social TV.

 

Head of 343 industries Bonnie Ross onstage. Possible Halo TV show? She is talking about Halo story telling. They want to expand story telling on XBOX ONE. LIVE ACTION HALO TELEVISION SERIES! LIVE ACTION HALOZ! Steven Spielberg is on the Telescreen talking about his love of games.

 

NFL Network on XBOX TV. Exclusive content that supports Smart Glass and Kinect. Focus on Fantasy Football. Skype integration.

 

Conference recap. Focus of this conference appears to be on TV shows.

 

XBOX ONE will be released later this year. Most likely Holiday. More games will be revealed and shown at E3.

 

All Call of Duty DLC will launch first on XBOX ONE.

 

Activision CEO Eric Hirshberg on stage. Next COD had a focus on an entirely new world, new characters. Infinity Ward dev diary on the Telescreen. Brand new COD game engine for COD Ghosts. Stephen Gaghan writer of Traffic and Syriana worked on the story. The game takes place after a global event where the US is the underdogs, and actual dogs. You will have a dog be apart of your squad. New polygon tech, Sub D, will increase polygon count the closer you get to an object.

Did they really just say that game leaning is a new feature? LEANING A NEW FEATURE? DAFUQ!?

Environments will have an AI. Smoke. Flora and fauna. Shadows.

Dynamic maps. Earthquakes (BF3 much?), player damage. More in depth player customization.

Side by side of COD: MOD 3 and Ghosts. There is a HUGE leap of “visual fidelity”. Granted, COD MOD 3 was running on VERY old tech, this jump is substantial.

New trailer for COD Ghosts. All is supposed gameplay running on an XBOX ONE. So much ‘MURICA in this trailer it hurts. I am getting a confederate flag tattoo because of this!

 

AND THAT IS A WRAP FOLKS! Not a lot of new games displayed but still a good deal of information to go through. Focus on centralizing entertainment was huge. Expect to see more focus on keeping you in the living room and using the XBOX ONE to consume entertainment. Stay with us during E3 and we will be sure to update you on all of the new games promised from XBOX ONE!

New Gameplay Trailer Released For ‘Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag’

by Derek Kraneveldt

Just days after teaching us all about pirates, Ubisoft has released a flashy new gameplay trailer for the next flagship title in the Assassin’s Creed series.

The newest preview, titled ‘Under the Black Flag’ better acquaints us with the game’s new main man (Edward Kenway), and of course showcases a plethora of elegant, brutal assassinations.

Are you excited to sail the high seas in Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag? How about stepping into the shoes of a new Kenway? Watch the new trailer below, and let us know what you think! Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag hits stores on October 26th!

The Golden Age Of Pirates: Watch A New Trailer For ‘Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag’

by Derek Kraneveldt

Assassin’s Creed IV is just months away at this point, so it’s about damn time that we got a new trailer.

The new preview takes us deeper into the history of the game, and helps to explain just why Edward Kenway is doing what he’s doing. The video features very little gameplay footage, so if that’s what you’re looking for, you’re better off checking out the previously released trailer.

Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag hits PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Wii U, and PC on October 26th. Watch the new preview below, and let us know what you think!

Microsoft Refutes Always-On Rumor On Upcoming Xbox Codename Durango

by Jeremy Shepherd

Recently, a leaked email to the Microsoft Durango team refutes the Always-On internet connected rumor that was going around regarding the upcoming Xbox Code Name Durango. This information comes courtesy of the often reliable VGleaks.

I was never too concerned with the rumor. However, in the event that my internet was shut off for some reason, I thought about how, in this instance, I would not be able to play my Xbox at all. These rumors come in advance of the upcoming XBox Reveal on Tuesday May 21st. Obviously, addressing this Always-On rumor would have been a major point for fans but via “Leaked” info we now know this to not be true. Whew! We can all let our cable bills lapse a little longer!

All of these flying rumors have us all very much looking forward to what Microsoft has planned for the next generation of gaming. Luckily, we only have over a week left to find out. Which poses the question: after hearing what the PS4 has to offer, what do you guys want to see in the next iteration of the Xbox?

Official Title And Release Date Confirmed For Next Installment In ‘Call Of Duty’ Franchise

by Shawn Madden

Activision began teasing the next installment in the Call Of Duty franchise on the game’s official site the other day and now the official title and release date for the game have been revealed via a leaked promotional poster. Call Of Duty: Ghosts, which could quite possibly be a prequel game featuring fan-favorite character Simon “Ghost” Riley from Modern Warfare 2, will be released on November 5th.  You can check out the leaked promotional poster below.

ghostscropjpg-acb491-610x645

 

Expect an official announcement regarding the game to be made sometime tomorrow.

Source: IGN

New Xbox Will Be Announced May 21st!

by Shane O'Hare

Just confirmed by numerous sources, Microsoft will be announcing their newest Xbox iteration next month.

The event comes on the heels of countless leaks and rumors of the fabled “Xbox 720”. We can report a new log out of the Rumor Mill. The console may be titled “Xbox Infinity”. Someone from Reddit is claiming to have leaked information from the Xboxevent.com signup page.

Xbox Infinity

We cannot confirm this as of yet. If you would like to check out the press event, you can head on over to the Xbox Event page come May 21st and watch the live stream!

If you CAN’T watch, then be sure to check out our live blog of the event!

MSN & XBox Looking To Bring ‘Heroes’ Back From The Dead

by Shawn Madden

It may be time to save the world again because the cult hit Heroes may be the next series to be brought back from the dead. MSN is currently looking to start bringing out original programming via Xbox and are currently is in talks to relaunch the Universal franchise.

The possible relaunch will see the series return with new stories and heroes, while also mixing in cameos from the original cast of the series that ran for four sesasons on NBC. Following the show’s cancellation, there were rumors for quite some time of a possible TV movie or mini-series to wrap up the storylines, though no such project ever saw the light of day.

Source: TV Line