Sony Computer Entertainment has taken measures to fix the issues with PlayStation 3’s latest firmware update 4.45. The company has since pulled the update from their site, advising users to not update the console until further notice.

Comments on Sony’s official PlayStation forum revealed yesterday users experienced a console lockdown with the 4.45 update. A user going by the name of JadeTreeInWind initially brought to light the issue, saying the crossbar menu would fail to appear after the update. The problem remained after the user restarted his console. It wasn’t too long other users began to experience the same problem; one user warned the firmware update 4.45 would “brick” PlayStation 3 consoles.

The forum indicated the update’s error affected those who had over 500GB on their PlayStation 3’s. One of the update’s main features was allowing users to disable notifications during gameplay.

According to Joystiq, Sony issued today the following statement:

"We are aware of reports that the recent PlayStation 3 system software update (version 4.45) has caused the XMB to not display on a small number of PS3 systems. We have temporarily taken 4.45 offline and are investigating the cause of the problem. We will announce when the system update is available for download as soon as possible. We apologise for the inconvenience."

Rihanna Pratchett will be collaborating with German independent studio Threaks with scriptwriting for the studio’s musical action-adventure game, Beatbuddy.

According to Polygon, the award-winning writer—with titles such as March’s Tomb Raider reboot, Heavenly Sword and Mirror’s Edge under her belt—will assist in fleshing out the script and storyline for Beatbuddy. Austin Wintory, a friend of Pratchett’s and Journey composer, introduced Pratchett to this task.

Pratchett commented in a press statement about her new role: “No matter what you’ve written in the past, it’s the challenges and the people you work with who really matter. I cut my teeth on smaller indie titles, so it’s great to do more work in that space again with the Threaks team.”

Threak’s art director Denis Rogic says his team was hesitant to contact Pratchett last year, mainly because they thought she was preoccupied with other projects, and more importantly, indie projects might not be of interest to her.

“It turned out that it was exactly the kind of thing she was looking for,” Rogic says. “It’s truly amazing knowing that we have Austin Wintory and Rhianna Pratchett providing their talents to our game.”

Beatbuddy would allow players to navigate across through numerous environments, encounter unique creatures and solve puzzles along the way. Simultaneously, players can interact with and impact each level’s musical score. This symbiotic relationship is made possible through Threak’s sound software, enabling synchronization between animations and music. Catch Beatbuddy on Windows PC, Mac and Linux later this year.

Back in the mid-90s Thief and Deus Ex where the king of nonlinear gameplay on the PC. They offered players many possibilities to achieve objectives and rewarded experimentation. Eidos Montreal presented fans with a fantastic instalment in the Deus Ex franchise in 2011 with Deus Ex: Human Revolution. They are at it again, only this time with Thief, a new game set in the Thief universe starring everyone’s favorite outlaw, Garrett.

The demo shown at E3 was pre-alpha, so many of the things seen could change drastically in the final product. As it stands now, the game is reminiscent ofDeus Ex: Human Revolution, even down to the way characters move and react. It looks solid, but also generic. The feel of the previous Thief games is back, including the dark, industrial city with stone and smoke everywhere. Running on a PS4, the game is clearly pushing more polygons then have been seen in Deus Ex, yet it somehow still feels flat. The darkness of the word hides much of what is shown to the player. Additionally, the shadow indicator is present on screen at all times, and there’s fog around the viewing area, make the game feel extra muted and very dull.

The demo starts off with a mission to steal the ‘heart of the lion’, a precious gem. Starting off in a courtyard, it is up to you as the player to find a way into the mansion, choosing to be lethal and kill everything in your path or be stealthy and avoid all detection. For the demo stealth was chosen, although it was shown how there are plenty of instances to use the arrows and other gadgets to rain destruction on enemies. The arsenal of arrows and other gear seems mostly unchanged. There are all the key arrow types, water, fire, blunt, etc, which can be used in many different ways as the situation presents its self.

Along with all the gadgets there is now a Batman-style focus mode that lets you see objectives along with enemies and obstacles. When demonstrated, it seems to take away much of the trial and error that many players liked about the previous Thief titles. It presents a guided path to what can be done and although it can be very useful to learn the mechanics and experiment, it would be nice to see Eidos put a limit on this ability at higher skill levels.

As Garrett moved though the mansion, the stealth style of gameplay appeared mainly intact. Making noise to distract guards, walking though passages and climbing on the roof are all present. Navigating though the dark seemed to be painless, and even for novices it seems Eidos have made stealth an easy proposition. It is hard to judge how well seasoned players will find this aspect, as it seemed to lack any real challenge. That being said, the key aspects of what made a Thief game are still intact.

Garrett does seem much more lethal in this installment of the game. Thief takes cues from modern titles, ensuring that even when caught, there is always the choice to fight your way out. In previous titles, fighting was always the last resort. It seems it has been adjusted here to ensure that novice players failing at stealth can still survive. It has yet to be seen how experienced players will take to this sort of gameplay, since it does take out much of the dread of being caught that fueled previous titles.

The second part of the demo demonstrated a linear escape section of the game. As Garrett tries to flee with his ill-gotten prize, the guards pursue him, with tension amplified by a fire slow collapse of the building. It looked gorgeous, although seemed to fall into the Call of Duty style of set-piece where if nothing blows up it is not acceptable. The subtle nature of the first part of the demo seems undermined by the bombastic escape and does not seem to fit the Thief style of gameplay. That being said, Eidos have done a great job at making the world change as the fire slowly envelops the structure, with beams falling and floors burning up. It was the one part of the demo that exemplified the new tech being used and how the game engine is more advanced then what was seen in Deus Ex.

Thief could be a great title when it launches in 2014, yet at this time I have some reservations on how it will all work together. I want to see a game that goes beyond Deus Ex with a new coat of paint. I also want to ensure it does not fall into the trap of action for the sake of action. There is potential here and I am interested to see what they do with it. CGM will be reporting on Thief and all other titles we have seen at E3 as we learn and see more. Stay tuned to CGM for all your coverage on E3 and the world of comics and gaming.

The Killzone series seems to be suffering a bit from the Star Trek “even/odd” curse, of odd numbered titles being not as strong as even numbered titles. The original Killzone, unfortunately dubbed a “Halo-killer,” was anything but. Killzone 2 fared better, acting as a graphics whore ambassador for the PS3, with weighty shooting and a surprisingly good multi-player component. Killzone 3 dropped the ball, with some tweaked shooting mechanics and a story that more or less went off the rails.

Now Sony is trumpeting Killzone: Shadowfall (But really, it’s Killzone 4) and at this early juncture, the gameplay is looking to change up a great many of the things people expect in a Killzone game. The game was playable to a select few at E3, and CGM was one of the lucky outlets to give it a spin.The Killzone series seems to be suffering a bit from the Star Trek “even/odd” curse

The first thing that needs to be addressed is the graphics. Yes, this is a flagship PS4 launch game, and as such looks very impressive. It’s doubtful that it’s running on all cylinders at this early point in the PS4’s life, but what’s on show, at 1080p and 30 frames per second, is already quite a step up for keen observers. The lighting is complex and beautiful, the textures are sharp and crisp, there’s a lot happening on screen and the frame rate holds steady despite how hectic it gets.

The portion of the game that Guerilla had playable for the press was a large, wooded area with a single objective that could be executed in multiple ways. It was also immediately apparent that this wasn’t the Killzone as people had been familiar with. The claustrophobic trenches, corridors or even jungles of the past games were pushed to the side in favor of a much larger battlefield that let players actually do some exploring and experimentation. The goal for the demo was to take out a Helghast installation that was built in the woods, but there were many options for how to go about this.

The most unoriginal was, of course, the typical run n’ gun that most FPS games are known for. And while it was a viable option, it also meant that players were missing out on exploring what else the level had to offer, as well as the new tools for espionage and a more tactical kind of combat than simply moving and shooting. It’s in these new modes of play that Killzone: Shadowfall shows off its two obvious influences; the Halo and the Resistance series. From Halo, Guerilla has learned to craft larger areas with more options for battle, allowing flanking, ambushing and even stealth strategies if the player is so inclined. The larger areas also mean multiple objectives or mini-objectives that provide much more efficient strategy. For example, while running and gunning will yield fast results with a massive shooting battle, there are also sentry posts that can be disabled via hacking espionage. For the explorer, however, there is a full on surveillance outpost through which all sentry posts are networked, and hacking that outpost will disable all alerts in the area, thus preventing reinforcements from showing up no matter where you go or what you do. It’s obvious that while Guerilla has set out make a shooter that gratifies with the “bang-bang” they also reward smart players for making tactically effective choices.The Killzone series seems to be suffering a bit from the Star Trek “even/odd” curse.

The Resistance influence comes in when players start toying with the new accessories that are standard issue to a Shadow Marshal, the Killzone equivalent of a covert ops specialist. The OWL is a floating droid that performs many functions via the use of the new touch pad on the Dualshock 4 controller. Swipe in one direction and OWL becomes a Batman-style grapple gun allowing players to zip line to other locations. Swipe in another direction and OWL acts as a floating auto-turret, shooting at enemies either as a distraction or useful assistant to pick off stragglers. Another swipe and the OWL hacks terminals making it a necessary tool for players that want to go the espionage route. Finally, the OWL can also generate a shield to protect against gunfire, but only for a limited time. Even the rifle provided in the game transformed from a semi-auto weapon to a single shot, powerful sniper rifle on command.

Mechanically, Killzone: Shadowfall looks to be changing things up significantly from the past games. The big questions that still remain are what the multi-player component is going to be like, and whether Guerilla Games can salvage the story from its baffling, shock-for-shock’s sake conclusion at the end of Killzone 3.

RPGs are nowhere near as prominent as they used to be in times past, but some people still keep the flame alive. In North America, BioWare is a last bastion of Western/CRPG goodness, but in recent years they’ve gotten some stiff competition from the most unlikely of places. Poland, specifically the developer CD Projekt, has taken their local fantasy fiction hit—translated as The Witcher—and turned it into a very successful series that rivals BioWare’s space and fantasy operas for characterization, choice and consequence.

At this year’s E3, behind closed doors, they showed off the The Witcher III, slated for the PS4, Xbox One and PC, and if this early taste is any indication, BioWare should still be worried.

The Witcher III is finally unshackling itself from the confines of a large, linear world, and embracing the open world style

Like the upcoming Dragon Age: Inquisition, The Witcher III is finally unshackling itself from the confines of a large, linear world, and embracing the open world style that so many next gen titles are featuring. The land Geralt will be exploring this time is 35 times the size of the previous game, and 20% larger than mighty Elder Scrolls IV: Skyrim, the current reigning champion of open world fantasy games. However, a key difference between Bethesda’s direction and CD Projekt’s is that this world will have over 100 hours of gameplay, of which at least 40—according to CD Projekt’s own estimates—is the main quests of the storyline. In other words, this isn’t a massive world that happens to have a story in it, this is a story that happens to take place in a massive world and that subtle shift of intent seems to have significant ramifications for the game.

The graphics—as to be expected from a next gen title set to release next year—look impressive. Geralt, the NPCs around him and the environment they wander in are all bristling with detail. The increased power of today’s PCs and November’s new consoles allow for day/night cycles, and weather effects that go so far as to create choppy seas during storms that Geralt—if he’s foolish enough to go sailing at such time—can drown from.

Geralt—a Witcher, which essentially means monster hunter with some magical powers—doesn’t just live in a big world, he lives in a complex one. As a Witcher, he hires out his sword and magical abilities for payment and the demo showed off a morally ambiguous side-quest that tested his character, his tracking and his combat abilities. A town plagued by a monster is divided between the elders worshipping it as a forest spirit punishing them for straying from tradition, and a younger generation that just sees a situation of a predator exploiting stupidity. Geralt offers his services (for a fee of course). He begins the investigation by exploring the woods and using “Witcher sense” which is for all intents and purposes the Detective Mode from Rocksteady’s Batman: Arkham games, rendering the world in monochrome and highlighting clues through a trail of red butterflies flying through the air. Discovering enough clues eventually leads Geralt to an entry in his bestiary listing tactics, strengths, weaknesses and methodology of the monster, in this case, a Leshen.

One catch during this particular investigation reveals that the Leshen uses a human as an auxiliary battery, drawing energy from the victim to enable it to never truly die. When Geralt returns to the village and informs his employer of this, the young man eagerly eggs him on to find and eliminate this battery, since he is convinced it is one of the elders that protects tradition. Geralt discovers that the unknowing battery is, in fact, his employer’s fiancé. Geralt leaves the townsfolk to deal with this messy situation while he goes on to fight the monster.

It’s here that combat shows some changes from past games. Geralt now has a dodge that resembles a pirouette, more in keeping with the original source material. He still uses magic for various effects in combat, from burning to analyzing enemies. It is, CD Projekt hopes, a hybrid of RPG and fighting game mechanics.

While it’s hard to get a good sense of a massive game from less than an hour of gameplay, what’s on show so far promises a massive scale. Bethesda has ruled the roost when it comes to gigantic, open world fantasy games. But with The Witcher III and the more distant Cyberpunk 2077, CD Projekt looks set to finally providing some decent rivalry. The Witcher III is set for release in 2014.

EA Sports Ignite—EA's next-generation sports engine—is not compatible with PC platforms for the time being, but will do so in the future, according to EA Sports executive vice president Andrew Wilson.

Speaking to Polygon during last week’s E3, Wilson explained the PC’s average hardware specifications are not as powerful as the next-gen consoles. In short, sports games utilizing the Ignite engine would lack the necessary performance on PC as compared to the Xbox One or PlayStation 4. Moreover, sports titles that use the Ignite engine—such as FIFA 14, Madden NFL 25, NBA Live 14 and EA Sports UFC—are currently being developed for the Xbox One and PlayStation 4.

Wilson said the Ignite engine compensated for the components of both Microsoft and Sony’s next-gen consoles—as Wilson puts it, “how the CPU, GPU, and RAM work together in concert in that type of environment”. While that might be the case, Wilson says PC is not out of the picture.

“So could I see the potential for EA Sports Ignite to make it to PC in the near future? Yes, I think it’s possible, but a couple of things need to happen,” Wilson says. “There needs to be some adjustment in terms of how EA Sports Ignite works to facilitate the open nature of PC architecture, rather than the closed nature of console architecture.”

Wilson was present at Microsoft’s Xbox One reveal event in May, introducing the Ignite engine for the first time. And during Microsoft’s E3 press conference last Monday, Wilson said FIFA 14, Madden NFL 25, NBA Live 14 and EA Sports UFC would in launch in the next 12 months.

Running, jumping and smashing though doors as you try to escape from the zombie horde, Dying Light places players in a game that is one part Mirror’s Edge and two parts Dead Island. You play as a runner trying to go through the story in a world infested with the living dead. You have a small assortment of weapons and your feet to take you away as you go from story mission to story mission and try to stay alive.

Built by the people over at Techland and published by WB Interactive, Dying Light is a game that I personally am amazed took this long to create. It feels like a natural fit to have a world where fighting zombies is just not possible. It may be possible to kill a few, but with more being infected every day it becomes an impossibility. Techland looked at that and built a game that focuses more on the escape then the fight, and it feels fantastic.

The demo starts with a small area that lets you hone your skills. All movement relies on running, jumping and the ability to grab and hold onto your surroundings. This is rather hard to get the hang of on first play though. It took me around 10 minutes to get the hang of the movement, though once in motion it felt very natural to keep moving in a specific direction. The ability to get to a given destination in the way that feels best to you was a great move. It felt very open to explore the world and deal with zombies the way that felt best. The randomly generated side quests give a new level to the movement and progression, giving the players the choice of taking them on or focusing on the story beats. The side quests will award valuable resources but may cost you time or a death you cannot afford. It is a choice that is left to the players and from the demo it seems to work wonderfully.

Beyond the normal variety of infected, fast type, tank type, etc, the day/night cycle also gives a new take on the zombie genre. Taking the normal weak enemies and giving them more power when the sun goes down builds on the sense of dread that sadly has been lost with many recent zombie games. They become a thing that needs to be avoided and running becomes a need rather than a choice once it is dark.

Slated for 2014 on all major platforms Dying Light is a game that any zombie lover will want to keep an eye on. The graphics are built on a new in-house engine although they do feel similar in tone to that of Dead Island, also by the same studio. From the early look it was fun, fluid and interesting, yet it will need to be seen if all the ideas will come together in a full package. Keep an eye on CGM for more E3 coverage along with all the articles that keep the site so interesting.

On June 10^th just before E3 this year I was lucky enough to be invited to an event that shows off the latest and greatest from Alienware and to get hands on time with these new powerhouse laptops. The laptop really is the only choice for the gamer on the go, so the need for power is always key.

Alienware with the latest generation of 14, 17, and 18 inch models hope to have the most powerful tools for gaming. After testing them out with this year’s newest games it is clear to see these are the elite laptops gamers will want to drop the money down. They are not for the weak of heart, but if you have the money and can deal with the weight there are few computers that can match the power.

The lineup start with the 14 inch laptop ($1199.99). From the testing I got to do on the floor it seemed powerful, running Tomb Raider with no drops in frame rate and at native resolution (1920X1080) and looked stunning on the IPS screen. The touch pad felt fantastic in my brief time with it. Movement was fast and fluid. The new design on the laptop was apparent, reminiscent of past generations although with more vents and cooling. It was clear the laptop had engineering to ensure it stayed at a cool temperature. The new lighting that was covering the laptop was a beautiful touch, feeling like a device out of Tron; the lights would react as events in the game changed. It must be noted that only a selection of games are compatible with these lights at present although Alienware assures me more will be added as time goes on.

The 14 was a fantastic and powerful machine, although it may be hard to imagine traveling with the unit. Even at 14 inches the laptop was heavy, packed with enough tech to ensure any gaming experience would be enjoyable. It is easy to see how these are not for people that love the Ultrabook style of laptops. These are devices made for power and performance. It would happily replace many peoples gaming rigs and I know it would be one I would consider.

The bigger brothers of 14 have similar basic abilities but pack far more power. The 17 (1499.99) is boasting a single 780M from Nvidia, Compared to the 765M in the 14. This gives more than enough power to not only tackle the latest games at native resolution, but also allows you to hook it up to a large TV for a console-like experience. The 17 inch display was beautiful allowing all games to be played as they were intended. One added bonus on the 17 model was that it allowed for console input, allowing it to be used as a monitor for on the go or if there is not enough space for a bigger TV. This did not sound like a feature I would personally find useful but it was a nice touch by Alienware to make the laptop diverse and to use the fantastic screen for more than just PC gaming.

The biggest brother of the lineup, the 18, is truly the enthusiast laptop. On the show floor, beyond the size little different was seen visibly between the 17 and 18. Games ran smoothly on both machines and it seemed to show no signs of slowdown on anything I threw at it. Although under the hood it is clear to see why this is the top of the line for gamers. The duel 780M will give gamers more power than most will need and the i7-4930MX Overclocked up to 4.3GHz will ensure that nothing will bring it to its knees, at least not for the foreseeable future. As with all good things, this laptop comes with a price tag to match the power, starting at 2099.99, it is hard to justify unless you are an avid gamer. Although if you have the money to spend it makes a fantastic machine that few can compete with on specs.

Alienware are stepping into this year with laptops that can easily play all the latest games, and if you are a player that loves to experience games at their best, they are hard to beat. If you can look past the weight and the price tags these are the laptops to own this year. We will have full reviews of the laptops in the coming weeks, keep on CGM for more E3 coverage and all the regular content you know and love.

Sony Computer Entertainment America’s (SCEA) chief executive officer Jack Tretton says the PlayStation 4 is consumer-oriented console; because of that, there should be no limit on used games nor a constant Internet connection requirement.

In an interview with Bloomberg TV, Tretton believes his company appeals to consumers on a worldwide basis. While he understands there’s a high level of broadband adoption in his native United States, Tretton acknowledges his product is also in countries where “people don’t have the ability to connect on a daily basis”.

With regards to used games, Tretton says the flexibility in sharing titles amongst friends and/or reselling them to retailers creates value for the first-time purchase. He also adds consumers would feel less inclined to purchase games should this type of flexibility be revoked.

“The other thing that it relates to the ownership of the game, if people pay a lot of money for that, they equate the value with flexibility they have in that,” Tretton says. “[They can] do with it as they choose; to give it with their friends, sell it to their friends; trade it in with another retailer; that creates value in the initial purchase they make.”

During Sony’s E3 press conference last Monday, Tretton was the one to be the bearer of good news, revealing to attendees at the Los Angeles Convention Center the PlayStation 4 supports used games and doesn’t call for an online check-in every 24 hours. Upon this news, the crowd rejoiced in a chorus of cheers.

However, rival Microsoft’s Xbox One has besieged much confusion with respects to its online requirements and used game policies. Microsoft has since confirmed users would have to check-in at least once a day. While the console would allow used games, Microsoft says the onus is ultimately on the publishers.

As far as the price point is concerned, Tretton says is company has “hit a really nice chord” in selling the PlayStation 4 for $399. Besides, according to Tretton, the goal is to be consumer-friendly in order to drive volume as quickly as possible.

In the current console generation, few games challenge players like the games of FROM software. The soul series of games (Demon’s Souls and Dark Souls) have returned to a time when little was explained and challenge was what kept players coming back. FROM Software is at it again, this time with Dark Souls II, which I had the pleasure of playing at E3.

The first feeling I had when sitting down to play was the sense of difficulty and dread the enemies gave. The combat felt smoother with the help of a new engine, yet the challenge was still at the forefront. During the short 20 minute play session I found myself struggling to slay all the obstacles that stood in my path. Every attempt to clear the level led to death although it also meant I was one step closer to the soul crushing boss at the end. Apparently, no one that played the demo that day had killed the demo boss and it is clear that FROM Software are not hiding the challenge from the press. The worries people had about the game being dumbed down can be put to rest, at least if this demo is any indication of the final product. Clocking in an estimated 40 hours for the final product, this is a game made for the long term challenge seeker.

The enemies in Dark Souls II seem to also have a slight improvement. No longer do they blindly run at the player attacking, they seem to choose the right moment to attack. The improved healing system seems a nice touch to counter this fact. Still present are the flasks seen in past games, although they are now joined by items that will heal the player slowly once used. I found myself using this item more than the flask since they are dropped by enemies. This also provided a nice attack, dodge, and heal system that allowed even the hard enemies to be taken down with patience and skill.

A few notable changes that are present in Dark Souls II in comparison to Dark Souls include the ability to carry up to three weapons at one time. This allows the player to change on the fly to deal with situations as they present themselves. The ability to duel wield has also been implemented, and was playable in the demo with a duel sword class. It worked when tested and it will be exciting to see how weapons and skills can be customized to fit this play style. There will also be persistent bonfire warping. Any bonfire you come across can be used to warp.

Character customization seems a major area of change that sadly was not playable at the show. It will work by giving the player a series of questions as the game starts. These questions will determine what the starting equipment is along with the overall skillset. This, like in previous games, can be changed at any time. By using the souls collected as the game progresses, the player will still be able to level the stats and skills that fit their play style. It has yet to be seen if this is positive change, since part of the previous games charm was the obtuse nature that the characters started their quest.

Waiting at the end of the difficult path lay the Mirror Knight, a tall glimmering warrior with a polished shield. Not as tall as many enemies seen in previous games, but just as deadly. As the player fights to take down the monster, he calls in AI knights to fight alongside and take you down. Bursting through his mirror, they were easy kills and little more than distractions. Although in the final product it was suggested these knights will be player characters that will be pulled into your game to take you down. Even with a series of attempts, I sadly was unable to take down the knight and I had to leave the demo unfinished. I am excited to play the game again as the game reaches a release date in March 2014. Until that time, a second play though of Dark Souls may be in order.

Hitman: Absolution developer IO Interactive has laid off half of its employees and cancelling multiple projects, in what is to be described as “significant changes” to its business tactic.

A Square Enix spokesperson confirmed the news with GamesIndustry International today, saying the Denmark-based studio—overseen by production director and new studio head Hannes Seifert—would give their full attention to creating a new AAA Hitman project.

“We are making significant changes at IO Interactive as we align our business against a changing and challenging market,” the spokesperson says in a statement.

“The studio will focus resolutely on the future vision of the Hitman franchise and is in pre-production of a new AAA Hitman project. However we have taken the difficult decision to cancel other studio projects and initiatives at IO and reduce the workforce in its studio, which will impact almost half of the employees currently at IO, as we make internal adjustments to face the challenges of today’s market.”

Square Enix continues by saying they’re “extremely grateful” and appreciative of the hard work displayed by the developers affected. The publisher has also agreed, “where possible and appropriate”, to try relocating staff to open internal and external positions.

Avalanche Studios' head Christofer Sundberg believes the secondhand market is the result of developers creating games that are shorter and—consequently—unable for them to be replayed.

Speaking with Edge Online today, the Just Cause creator and chief creative officer acknowledges Just Cause 2 begets “hundreds of thousands” of players each day. He also says games with short gameplay usually get traded in.

When asked about his reasons why the topic of secondhand games is a sensitive issue amongst players during E3, Sundberg responded: “I’m sure it’s been an issue but that’s because games have been too short. I mean when you can play a game through from eight to ten hours, I would return the game too, because there’s no reason for players to play it again.”

Sundberg also describes Just Cause as an example of preserving enough interest for players to keep a game. He says he hardly finds any copies of Just Cause within the used game boxes.

During Sony’s E3 press conference last week, Avalanche confirmed they would be working on Mad Max, with Warner Bros. publishing the game.

Director of Programming for Xbox Live Larry ‘Major Nelson’ Hyrb confirmed over the weekend banned Xbox One accounts would still be able to play purchased games.

Hyrb’s confirmation comes from last Thursday’s Xbox Live Twitter response to a question dealing with banned Xbox Live accounts.

“If your account is banned, you also forfeit the licenses to any games that have licenses tied to it as listed in the ToU [Terms of Usage],” the tweet reads.

As the question in particular specified Xbox One, Microsoft has clarified their answer was in reference to Xbox 360’s games collections. But, speaking with Reddit Games during E3, Hyrb has backtracked on these clarifications, saying prospective banned Xbox One users would "always have access to the games you purchased". Should there be a situation where Xbox One’s authentication servers shut down, Hyrb responded by saying it’s too early to draw conclusions from a generation that hasn’t started yet.

“That’s certainly something we would not do. That’s not the way the system is designed. It’s designed for flexibility. But let’s get the system out there first,” Hyrb says.

Watch Hyrb’s interview with Reddit Games below:

{youtube}2lMhjM9BK7M&feature{/youtube} 

EA Games Label executive vice president Patrick Soderlund confirmed Danger Close, the studio responsible for the Medal of Honor franchise, has shut down.

 “Danger Close as it was doesn’t exist anymore,” Soderlund told Eurogamer last Thursday. “There are people who left LA, people who work with DICE LA, and there are some who work in other parts of EA, as always when something gets dismantled.”

Soderlund said Danger Close had effectively shut its doors after the Medal of Honor franchise was put on hold. The majority of employees either have left the company, or transferred to other EA-based studios such as DICE. EA had previously declined to shed light on Danger Close’s fate.

In May, EA opened DICE LA; DICE is a Swedish studio owned by EA, with titles including the Battlefield series and Mirror’s Edge. DICE LA is expected to staff 60 employees by this year’s end, with the majority of former Danger Close employees jumping ship. DICE LA would help develop titles in already in progress at DICE Sweden, such as Battlefield 4, Mirror’s Edge 2 and Star Wars: Battlefront.

As this year’s E3 came to a close Thursday, the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) announces today 48,200 videogame industry professionals the world over attended the expo. Comparing last year’s results, this is a 2,500 increase.

According to the ESA’s press release, this year’s E3 generated $40 million in revenue, with 230 exhibitors showing the latest in computer and videogame hardware and software.

“This year’s E3 showcased the best that our industry has to offer and channeled the immerse energy, drive and enthusiasm for videogames onto a global stage,” says ESA CEO and president Michael D. Gallagher. “Thanks to our members and exhibitors’ boundless capacity for innovation, billions of consumers of the future of our industry through this outstanding landscape of creativity, technology and content.”

And speaking of the future of the industry, highpoints from this year’s E3 included Sony’s unveiling of their PlayStation 4 console and Microsoft’s continued Xbox One promotion through their press conference. Both companies showcased a lineup for both next-generation and current consoles. Nintendo also made their presence known, through an E3-themed Nintendo Direct.

The ESA also announced E3 2014 would once again occupy the Los Angeles Convention Center on June 10-12. Visit ESA’s official website and their E3 website for more information.

Like The Beatles, breathing, and sugary soda, everyone has a soft spot for Superman. After all, the guy was the first superhero to grace comics and the big screen.

He’s a cultural institution and his iconic “S” symbol will be worn by humans even once we enter the generic jump suit phase of the future promised in so many bad sci-fi movies. The trouble and strength of the man of steel is that as the superhero genre evolved and progressed through various mediums, Superman has remained the same. There’s no Marvel neurosis or Batman brooding in Superman. The character is a god and an icon, and these days that’s a tough sell. He’s too perfect for character deconstruction and too powerful to ever face a threat he can’t overcome. Superman is a little boring in many ways and resistant to reinvention.

Yet, we’re also talking about a brand that sells, custom designed for a blockbuster marketplace that needs to guarantee hundreds of millions of dollars before coming close to cracking a profit. So in the age of superhero movies, it makes sense that filmmakers keep trying to find ways to update Superman for a new generation. Bryan Singer attempted to tap into Richard Donner nostalgia and godly mythmaking in Superman Returns, but delivered a disappointment. Now Zack Snyder and Christopher Nolan have opted for a more grounded Dark Knight approach and fared only marginally better. They come tantalizingly close to delivering something special, but spoil it all about 90 minutes into their epic with a Swiss cheese script ripe for Dark Knight Rises-style internet nitpicking. It’s a shame they come so close, yet fall so far, but maybe Superman just isn’t suited to reinvention. He’s already a groundbreaking legend, why not leave it at that and focus on some more unexplored superhero avenues instead?

Since we’re in reboot territory, the movie starts exactly as you’d expect. We’re transported to Krypton where Jor-El (Russell Crowe) desperately tries to warn his Kryptonian brothers of impending doom that they refuse to hear. General Zod (Michael Shannon) then attempts a military coup to save the planet and just gets himself banished to the Phantom Zone for his troubles. The planet crumbles, but not before Jor-El sends his infant son hurtling towards a new home on a big, blue, living planet called Earth. Then the movie hits its most interesting section with Clark Kent (Henry Cavill) first appearing not as a pint-sized Superman, but as a bearded lost soul who saves a stack of sailors from a crumbling ship with his untested superpowers. From there, Superman’s origin is played out through Clark’s memory and a plucky young Lois Lane’s (Amy Adams) investigative reporting. We see the painful difficulties of a boy who can see through skin and hear across the world struggling to not only control his powers, but hide them on the advice of his adopted Ma (Diane Lane) and Pa (Kevin Costner). At the same time, Lane hears the same stories in hushed tones from witnesses and the relatable tales take on the form of legend. Flashbacks fold into flashbacks and loop back into dream sequences. It’s an incredibly clever and non-linear way of framing the familiar Superman origin through a mix of mythmaking and psychological realism. For 40-minutes or so it seems like Nolan and Snyder might well have found a new way to tell an old story and then it all falls apart.

The moment things get a bit silly is when Clark finds a Kryptonion ship in the arctic that he uses to speak to Jor-El’s ghost. It’s pretty ridiculous and a huge leap in logic for the sake of pacing. If that were the only logic leap, it would be entirely forgivable since superhero movies need to move fast and this one rockets to the end credits. However, those lazy writing tropes pile up fast and furiously (not unlike a certain laughably ludicrous summer movie franchise). Characters appear out of nowhere and make insane decisions just because the plot demands it. Events happen with no correlation between time and space. Lois Lane transforms from a genius journalist into a whiny damsel in distress capable of little more than making goo-goo eyes at Superman. Lame one-liners take over the screenplay like it was written for Nicolas Cage. IHOP gets so much product placement that it practically turns into a reoccurring joke. Things get very, stupid very quickly, but thankfully it’s all mostly redeemed when Zod returns for the climax. The last 40-minutes of non-stop Metropolis crushing action is simply astounding to let into your eyeballs and fulfills every comic book geek’s fantasies of translating the most epic and impossible Superman action scenes to physical reality. The Superman vs. The Kryptonian fights might stretch on a bit long, but deliver everything you could possibly dream of from a Superman beat em’ up. Snyder and his effects crew have certainly gone above and beyond the call of duty in that department, it’s just a shame no one put that much attention into the script.

There’s so much to love and admire in Man Of Steel that it’s just as impossible a movie to hate as it is to love. Aside from the truly jaw-dropping, pants-filling action, the cast is quite special. Cavill probably could have used a little Christopher Reeves winking humor, but still fills the red boots like the hero they deserve. Amy Adams is enchanting as the witty, whip-smart, and tough-as-nails version of Lois Lane. Michael Shannon brings so much charismatic psychosis to Zod that Terrence Stamp’s version somehow slips away from memory almost instantly. Costner and Lane are the perfect parents a little alien boy needs. Even Russell Crowe manages to redeem himself after his awful, terrible, tragic, and heartbreaking “performance” in Les Miserables. It’s an incredible cast so collectively strong that they almost sell every silly plot twist (almost). Sure, everyone else in the cast are little more than pawns in a creaky screenplay, but the pillars that this franchise has been built on are more than strong enough to sustain a sequel or three.

Snyder even mercifully tones down his excessive/irritating slo-mo/fast-mo aesthetic for something more subdued and simultaneously mythic and gritty. Despite all the problems, it’s probably the best movie he’s done and contained enough to suggest that the 12-year-old boy-in-a-man’s-body might be growing up slightly. It’s clear that he, Nolan, and screenwriter David Goyer absolutely love this character and want to provide the movie Supes deserves. The film is littered with references to everything from Superman 2 to Smallville, All-Star Superman, The JLA books, and even Krypto. Thematically the film treats the character right as a godly figure of good that the world should strive to emulate without any needless humanization or forced compassion. Man Of Steel is clearly a movie made by people who love Superman for people who love Superman, but those frequent highs only make the lows that much more difficult to take.

It’s safe to say that this screenplay will be ridiculed on the internet all summer (get ready for some Jesus/Superman parallels even more painful than Superman Returns) and deservingly so. Man Of Steel is far from perfect, but considering that everyone involved had the thankless task of telling the one Superman story everyone has already seen on film, it could and should have been so much worse. There’s enough done right that future movies with tighter scripts and less ambition could genuinely deliver Superman thrills that can compete with an overcrowded superhero movie marketplace. Sure, it would be nice if this guy could be left alone to simply be a comic book hero and American legend, but if Superman movies still need to be made (and apparently they do), this speeding locomotive seems to be headed in the right direction. Man Of Steel might not be the big screen Superman masterpiece the fanboys hoped for, but that movie was already made in 1978 and at least this is the best batch of reheated leftovers to come along since.

As an EA executive confirmed in May the nixing of the proverbial Online Pass program, president of EA Labels Frank Gibeau revealed today the company is putting the final nail in its coffin.

“It’s dead, it’s dead, it’s deep-sixed, it’s at the bottom of the Mariana Trench,” Gibeau tells Joystiq in an interview at E3.

Gibeau continues by saying there was no linkage between EA’s Online Pass cancellation and Microsoft’s Xbox One digital rights management (DRM) plans, and PlayStation 4’s recent revelation wouldn’t have changed EA’s decision to get rid of Online Pass. Gibeau even referred to the Online Pass program as “flat out dumb”.

“We’re not crafting a strategy to bring [Online Pass] back, you will not input codes to unlock your game, it’s not going to happen,” Gibeau says.

Gibeau says the revenue from the Online Pass program didn’t compensate for the frustration imposed on customers, nor shed light on the company’s damaged reputation. Gibeau concluded the complications caused by the Online Pass program “wasn’t worth it”, and the company shouldn’t do “stuff like that anymore”. Gibeau said EA had the chance to “wipe the state clean” under interim CEO Larry Probst.

In terms of the future, Gibeau says EA would implement other services for generating revenue. He used FIFA Ultimate Team as an example of the company’s strategy to make money off authentic DLC purchases.

“Look they own it, they bought the disc and it’s theirs. They have a legitimate right for not doing anything illegal,” Gibeau said. “If we want to be progressive about it, we will make online services available to them that if they want to buy they can, but they don’t have to. At least that way we participate in some monetization. The reputational damage [Online Pass] was causing us was in excess of the dollars we were making.”

So, in summation, according to Gibeau: Online Pass is “not coming back. It’s dead.”

As the dust settles from E3, it’s now clear that the landscape for the next generation (and its respective console warriors) is changing.

Both Sony and Microsoft have clearly laid out their cards and—at least in North America—it’s obvious that the battle for wallets is not going to be one of making hardcore gamers choose a side. Instead the hardcore gamer will go up against the mainstream or “average” consumer to determine a “console victor.”

Sony seems to be spearheading the charge into the next generation for the traditional hardcore gamer. It’s providing the most powerful console, the least intrusive system, and wants gamers to own their games with a traditional used game policy. Microsoft on the other hand is pushing the Xbox One as an “all-in-one” solution for the living room that not only plays games, but enhances TV viewing, keeps sports fans informed of their fantasy football standings, and provides a suite of additional TV services in addition to exclusive television content. It also plays games, but in a fairly restrictive manner that crushes past notions of game ownership. In other words, PS4 is an Old Fashioned Console in the sense that Sony is merely upgrading past practices going into the next generation. Xbox One is an attempt to break with tradition and find a new audience that doesn’t put as much emphasis on gaming and therefore won’t feel the DRM policies on the Xbox One adversely affect their ability to enjoy the hardware because of the broad range of additional functionality it offers.

Sony wants gamers. Microsoft wants the multitudinous “everyone else.” It was a strategy that rocketed the Wii to success this generation, and it worked well for Microsoft when they debuted the Kinect as an alternative interface that anyone could use. They are betting on two different horses to see which one is going to come in first.

Sony’s gamble is that the early adopters, the hardcore, will be the evangelists of their system. By creating goodwill amongst gamers and luring them with a more powerful machine and friendlier game ownership policies, they are hoping that the hardcore will be their educators and marketers. They want happy gamers to encourage the non-enthusiast market to follow their lead. Microsoft, on the other hand, is betting that because gaming is not a priority with their new targeted audience, DRM restrictions will have little to no impact; an opinion not that radical when it’s understood that Call of Duty—a primarily online experience—is one of the best sellers on any console. This average consumer demographic is also far, far more numerous than the specialist, hardcore gamer market by a wide margin. Nintendo is proof of this. The Wii, despite being unilaterally outclassed by PS3 and Xbox 360 in terms of power, is still the best selling console of the generation, and it got there by appealing to casual and mainstream audiences.

Both Microsoft and Sony saw this from the sidelines, realizing that all their effort to produce a high spec machine was side-lined because suddenly grandparents, non-gamer females and even very young children all reacted favorably to the Wii and wanted one. Nintendo had proven just how vast the market—and profits—for a console could be when a company was willing to go beyond the traditional hardcore gamer.

So now the market is faced with an interesting proposition, at least in the USA, which is the biggest battleground for console sales. Which audience is going to drive the sales of these machines? The PS4 is unlikely to tank in sales, but will it regain the dominant position the PS2 enjoyed once upon a time? Or is the combination of a machine that plays Call of Duty and Halo in addition to enhanced television and sports viewing going to work the same magic with vast American public that the Wii and Kinect did?

Put another way, can steady evangelism and education from early adopters/hardcore gamers prove to be more influential to the purchasing decision of the average consumer? Or will a deliberate, casual-centric focus with aggressive marketing be more effective?

 Seth Rogen may have made his share of conventional and even crap comedies, but whenever he and his hetro-lifepartner/co-writer Evan Goldberg crank out a script, they usually bring their particular brand of dick joke comedy to variety of genres.

After slamming a hard R back into teen comedies with Superbad, the duo have tried their hand at a stoner/action movie in Pineapple Express and even an unwise dabbling into the superhero genre with The Green Hornet. Even though the marketing department has gone out of their way to conceal this fact, their latest movie This Is The End is actually an apocalyptic horror flick hidden within a self-mocking celebrity comedy. Sure, the laughs come first and it might actually be the funniest project that Rogen has lent his name to. But make no mistake Rogen and Goldberg have staged their own personal biblical apocalypse as well, filling it with far more severed heads, tattered limbs, and full on demon rape than anyone possibly could have expected. It even works and as a result is one of the most unpredictable and cripplingly funny flicks cranked out of the studio system in years.

Things start off in a fairly standard Seth Rogen stoner comedy mold with his whole gang of big screen buddies playing themselves. Jay Baruchel flies to LA from Canada to visit Rogen for a planned weekend of hazy red-eyed movie watching, videogame playing, and snack consumption. Then they are invited to a big ol’ Hollywood party at James Franco’s house, which the Hollywood-loathing Baruchel attends in exasperation. Franco pops up as a hysterically pretentious version of himself in a custom mansion he designed and decorated with his own paintings. Jonah Hill is an overly sensitive soul bordering on the homoerotic. Craig Robinson sings about panties to Rihanna. Michael Cera double teams girls with juice boxes in his mouth and spits cocaine in strangers’ faces. Jason Segal whines about his sitcom life. So far, so silly and if the whole movie remained a celebrity ego, it would be damn good. But then just as the movie seems to find a comfortable rhythm the apocalypse hits. Bodies are sucked up into the sky, Cera is impaled, and Aziz Ansari falls into a pit of molten lava. This is the point when I’d say, “all hell breaks loose,” but probably shouldn’t because that’s too literal. Ah well, too late.

From there, the movie settles into an apocalypse yarn with Rogen, Baruchel, Franco, Hill, Robinson, and their egos trapped inside a mansion as the world crumbles around them. The bicker and do drugs and occasionally peak outside to see bloody bodies and burning rubble. Danny McBride pops up to do his angry redneck routine and push the tasteless R-rating even farther, ranting about proper masturbation etiquette and eating up supplies just ‘cause. Of all people, Emma Watson turns up seeking refuge, but instead ends up in the middle of rapey confusion. Then just when the movie seems to have hit it’s bleakest point the apocalypse sneaks into the house. Characters are possessed with all the projectile vomiting that suggests. The body count stacks up. Even cannibalism enters the equation. Obviously the laughs come fast and furiously throughout, but Rogen/Goldberg (doing double duty as directors for the first time) stay surprisingly true to their film’s horror roots, delivering some effectives scares, gag-inducing gross outs, and even some big scale effects sequences that you’d never expect going in.

Rogen and Goldberg’s knowledge and love of their genre movie source is a huge reason for the film’s success. They’re a little green as directors and deliver a couple of sloppy set pieces, but the fact that there are even scares and action scenes that work is a pretty damn pleasant surprise. References to flicks like Rosemary’s Baby and The Exorcism pile up and the twisted atmosphere the filmmakers deliver isn’t undermined by unflattering comparisons. After decades of desperation from Leslie Nielsen and the Scary Movie hacks, Rogen and Goldberg even deliver the first rock solid Exorcist parody ever achieved. Horrorheads may not have been told about it before release, but This Is The End is a full on horror/comedy and a pretty great one. As much fun as it will be to watch unsuspecting viewers get sucked into the sick joke, it really is a shame the horror fans will only find out about it through word of mouth because that audience will be impressed. Granted, this falls more into the Ghostbusters scale of horror comedy than something like An American Werewolf In London. It’s very much a laugh factory first, but the fact that the genre flavors are effective is an unexpected joygasm.

The comedy side of things is handled as well as you’d imagine from these laugh-spewing specialists. All of the cast gleefully mock or invert their public personas with a refreshing lack of ego. The guys all gleefully joke about themselves in ways that only good friends could talk you into and the self-satire never gets stale. All of the pee-drinking and drug binge apocalypse desperation humor works well enough to put searing pains into viewers’ sides and even the troubled bromance life lessons give the anarchistic shenanigans a necessary heart rather than serving as a weepy distraction. It might all be as frivolous as a well-timed fart joke, but pure entertainment this consistent and unrelenting is nowhere near as easy to pull off as it seems. It’s a shame that the film is being released to inevitably be buried by a blockbuster about certain ridiculously powerful man in tights this weekend because the same audience of genre n’ comics nuts flocking to that movie is sure to love This Is The End as well. Hopefully it hangs around long enough to be a hit in theaters because this isn’t just the funniest movie of the summer so far, it could end up being the funniest flick of the year. This is the type of movie that will have theaters vibrating with laughter from viewers struggling to fight off heart attacks and is sure to wear out dorm room DVD players along with copies of Anchorman and The Hangover for the foreseeable future. Well, maybe that’s a little much. This Is The End is friggin’ hilarious though and the fact that it’s horror elements actually work is the blood-splattered icing on the corpse.

The Entertainment Software Association (ESA)—the company responsible for E3—decided Tuesday to fold up Ouya’s public presence at this year’s E3 by calling the police.

Ouya founder Julie Uhrman told IGN the police visit was just another chapter in the conflict with the ESA. Instead of having a booth inside the Los Angeles Convention Center, Ouya displayed their console at a parking lot across from the Center. However, on Tuesday morning, the ESA booked spaces in front of Ouya’s display booth, parking semi-trucks in the process. Uhrman believes this act was to hinder Ouya’s presence.

Ouya representatives retaliated by renting the spots in front of the ESA’s trucks, and instead used the spaces to put Ouya banners on display. Soon after, Uhrman said ESA called the police. The LAPD arrived at the scene, asking for Uhrman for her company’s permits. Everything was clear right after.

Uhrman feels her company is being mistreated by the ESA, and hopes to make the best of this year’s E3 by increasing their presence around the Los Angeles Convention Center. The Ouya—an Android-based console—is delayed for a June 25 retail launch.

Nintendo launched today their E3-themed Nintendo Direct, offering a glimpse of what’s to come to the Nintendo 3DS and Wii U. This particular Direct was pre-recorded from Nintendo’s headquarters in Kyoto, with CEO Satoru Iwata once again introducing viewers to the latest in upcoming games.

Pokemon X&Y was announced first within the presentation. A new Pokemon was introduced, appearing to be a fairy-like creature that is effective against dragons. Pokemon X&Y for the 3DS would launch worldwide Oct. 12. Super Mario 3D World was equipped with numerous power-ups, such as turning a cat to climb walls. Also, the game’s multiplayer features allow players to adopt unique moves. Catch Super Mario 3D World this December for the Wii U.

Mario Kart 8 would be released for the Wii U Spring 2014. Also, Super Mash Bros. for the Wii U and 3DS would launch in 2014.

Relive the E3 Nintendo Direct by watching the video below. Also, be sure to check out a live stream of Nintendo’s E3 coverage here.

{youtube}13D1I5s236o&feature{/youtube}

Yesterday proved to be an E3 press conference extravaganza of sorts, with Microsoft starting the day by introducing games for the Xbox One and Xbox 360. EA and Ubisoft filled the in-betweens perfectly, as each publisher revealed their lineup of titles for a variety of platforms. Sony was the final act of this pre-E3 press conference marathon, ready to show the world what’s in store for the PlayStation 4.

Since the PlayStation 4 was revealed this February, Sony—as compared to rival Microsoft—has been laying low. But it wasn’t long ago—specifically, the day before Xbox One’s reveal—that Sony released a PlayStation 4 teaser trailer, reminding everyone the PlayStation 4 would not be take a back seat to the Xbox One.

Sony Computer Entertainment America’s (SCEA) president and CEO Jack Tretton kicked off the press conference inside the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, providing attendees a recap of current PlayStation platforms. Tretton says everyone has loved the PlayStation Vita, ever since its debut two years ago, “once they get their hands on it”. And with that, Tretton announces Flower and Dead Nation would be coming to the PlayStation Vita. Telltale Games’ The Walking Dead would be coming to the Vita as well, as a new bundle released in August, along with 400 Days and other exclusive content.

Tretton proceeded to showcase games coming to the PlayStation 3: Naughty Dog’s critically acclaimed The Last of Us, Puppeteer, Sony Japan Studio’s Rain, Quantic Dream’s Beyond: Two Souls, and Gran Turismo 6. A trailer was also introduced for Warner Bros. Montreal’s Batman: Arkham Origins. Tretton said the PlayStation 3 version for Arkham Origins would includes a “Knightfall” DLC, and a 1960’s Batman skin. Also, a PlayStation 3 bundle and headset would be included with the much-awaited Grand Theft Auto V.

One of the highlights of Sony’s E3 press conference was the anticipated unveiling of the PlayStation 4 console. Andrew House, president and Group CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. (SCEI), was blessed with finally pulling the curtain behind PlayStation 4’s corporeal form. At long last, everyone the world over got the chance to see the PlayStation 4: a black, sleek, square-like, slanted, two-layer console. Its appearance closely resembles the PlayStation 2, and to an extent, the Xbox One.

To talk more about Sony’s entertainment aspects, CEO of Sony Entertainment Michael Lynton took to the stage. Features from Lynton’s presentation included Sony working with the PlayStation Network to enhance Music Unlimited. House came back to stage to accent Lynton’s presentation, by announcing Sony’s Music Unlimited would be available on PlayStation 4’s first launch day. Moreover, House says Verizon’s Redbox Instant would be coming to PlayStation platforms.

Sony Worldwide Studios’ head Shuhei Yoshida dedicated his section of the press conference to the games coming to the PlayStation 4. Yoshida says his team consists of 40 studios, and key members of that particular group have participated in the design and testing stages of the PlayStation 4. Over 30 PlayStation 4 titles are in development, Yoshida says, with 20 planned for release within 12 months of the console’s launch. The Order 1886, which is a collaborative effort between Sony Santa Monica and Ready at Dawn Studios, was demonstrated as an in-game trailer.

Yoshida also revealed an update of four of the new games announced for the PlayStation 4 this year: Killzone: Shadow Fall, DriveClub, inFamous: Second Son, and Knack. With the exception of inFamous: Second Son (released in 2014), Killzone: Shadow Fall, DriveClub and Knack would be available at PlayStation 4’s launch. Attendees also got to see a short, real-time demo of Quantic Dream’s The Sorcerer, in which an old sorcerer breaks the fourth wall.

Sony’s vice president of third-party relations Adam Boyes touched more on Yoshida’s comments of PlayStation promoting independent developers. A slew of indie games coming to the PlayStation 4 were showcased, such as Supergiant Games’ Transistor, Klei’s Don’t Starve, and 17 Bit Games’ Galak-Z: The Dimensional. Boyes says indie developers can self-publish on Sony platforms.

Other games showcased were Final Fantasy XV, Kingdom Hearts III, Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag, Watch Dogs, The Elder Scrolls: Online and NBA 2K14.

In addition to finally seeing the PlayStation 4’s true form, Tretton came back to the stage to discuss PlayStation 4’s policies. There would be no restrictions on used games. PlayStation 4 doesn’t have to be always online, nor would it require players to check in online every 24 hours. The stadium was ecstatic upon hearing the news. Existing PlayStation Plus memberships would carry over to the PlayStation 4, and would support cross-gaming chat and play-as-you-download.

Towards the end of Sony’s E3 press conference, attendees got a glimpse of a live-action demo of Bungie and Activision’s Destiny. Sony finalized their press conference by announcing the PlayStation 4 would hit retail stories this holiday season for the price of $399 in North America, €399 in Europe, and £349 in the United Kingdom.

May 21 was an important day for Microsoft, as they revealed the Xbox One—an all-new console, complete with a refined controller and Kinect. Today, Microsoft’s E3 briefing at the Galen Center in Los Angeles focused on the next-generation of games coming to the all-encompassing entertainment and games console.

Starting off the briefing was the trailer for Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain. The trailer highlighted an all-new gameplay and characters. Microsoft’s President of Interactive Business Don Mattrick took center stage, with Metal Gear series creator Hideo Kojima in tow. Kojima appeared to be a man a few words, and the following quote proves just that: “Xbox One will make Metal Gear shine.” Mattrick concluded his presentation by saying Microsoft would be offering a lineup of titles for the Xbox One.

Next on stage was Yusuf Mehdi, the senior vice president of Microsoft’s Interactive Business. Mehdi’s presentation was dedicated to the Xbox 360, as Mehdi says the console would receive a physical update (a design similar to the Xbox One). This new Xbox 360, Mehdi says, would be available today. Also, Xbox Live Gold members would receive free game downloads after July 1. Xbox Live Gold members would get two free games per month—the starting games would be Assassin’s Creed 2 and Halo 3.

Mehdi said the Xbox 360 isn’t quite obsolete, as he presented three new games coming to the console: Wargaming’s World of Tanks: Xbox 360 Edition, Denmark-based Press Play’s Max: The Curse of Brotherhood, and Namco Bandai’s Dark Souls 2 (released March 2014).

Microsoft Studios’ head Phil Spencer turned the briefing around to focus on the games lined up for the Xbox One. First up was Microsoft Studios and Crytek’s third-person action game, Ryse: Sons of Rome. A live-action gameplay of Ryse introduced a Roman general rallying up his troops and cleaning house against a barrage of enemies. Crytek CEO Cervat Yerli delved more into Ryse: Sons of Rome. The game would run on CryEngine, and is an Xbox One-exclusive launch game.

Amidst the games coming to the Xbox One was an all-too-familiar game that arguably stole the show: Microsoft announced brawler classic Killer Instinct would come to the Xbox One. Killer Instinct is developed by Rare and Double Helix.

Other games that were spotlighted for Xbox One’s launch were: Insomniac’s Sunset Overdrive; Turn Ten Studio’s Forza Motorsport 5; an Xbox One version of Minecraft; Remedy’s Quantum Break; Microsoft Studios’ creation-driven game Project Spark, and D4, which is from the creators of Deadly Premonition.

Marc Whitten, corporative vice president of Xbox Live, discussed the next generation of Xbox Live, as well as discussing the Smartglass tablet and Game DVR. Whitten says the Smartglass tablet could be used to start up single-player games or multiplayer matches. This ability was demonstrated through calling up leaderboards, achievements or player information via the Smartglass component for Ryse: Sons of Rome.

Whitten also went on to say players would no longer be limited to 100 friends, and that Microsoft Points would be out. Anyone in one’s household could use Xbox Live Gold features, and outstanding memberships would roll over to Xbox One.

Towards the end of the briefing, attendees also got to look at first-hand gameplays and trailers for the following: Crimson Dragon, a Kinect-based game from Panzer Dragoon creator Yukio Futasugi; Capcom’s Dead Rising 3; CdProjekt Red’s The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt; EA and DICE’s much-anticipated Battlefield 4: Second Assault. There were some technical difficulties at the start of Battlefield 4’s gameplay debut. Spencer also introduced gameplay for developer Capy and Jim Guthrie’s Below, as well as small glimpse of the upcoming game, Black Tusk.

“We are investing in five brand new studios to create next-gen projects,” Spencer says.

343 Industries’ Bonnie Ross retouched on Halo for Xbox One, Spartan Assault for Windows 8, and the Halo TV show.

But the best was saved for the last. Microsoft announced the Xbox One would launch this November for the retail price of $500 in North America. Europe would get the Xbox One for €500, and the United Kingdom would receive theirs for £430. To sign off Microsoft’s E3 briefing, Respawn Entertainment’s CEO Vince Zampella left attendees with Titanfall.

SquareEnix relases new trailer for Dexus Ex: The Fall

With every franchise going mobile it seems Edios Montreal is following with their signature franchise, Deus Ex. The trailer gives a look at gameplay for the new title, that will be the first time Deus Ex will be on Mobile and tablet devices. It is hard to imagine a mobile title containing all the aspects of a Deus Ex game while maintaining acceptability, yet if Edios Montreal are able to pull it off I know i would be excited. 

{youtube}fw3w68YrKwc{/youtube}

C&G will have more on Deus Ex: The Fall once we see it at E3 next week.

Just days before E3 Gamestick drop a new trailer that shows some of what the device can offer.

Gamestick, the small Android powerd game console have launched a new trailer just days before E3. It does not show all that much, but it does make breaking into a theatre seem like the best way to play the device. It has yet to be proven if these small Android consoles can compete with the big boys in the gaming landscape but for $100 it coud be worth a test. 

{youtube}6bkuD3uXdlE{/youtube}

Today Atlus announced a new horror title built on Unreal 4, Daylight.

It has been confirmed that the title will come to PC and PS4 exclusively in Q1 2014. The title will take players though the halls of a hospital with only a cell phone as there form of light. It seems to be taking a note from Amnesia and the player will have no way to fight back. It also seems that the title will allow for multiple playthroughs as there will be many ways to overcome the the obstacles. It is also interested to note that Daylight is written by IGN alumni Jessica Chobot.

It has been confirmed that Daylight will use all the new features of the PS4 such as gameplay sharing, support  to capture moments using the console's integrated PlayStation Eye to share online, share moments online with the "Share" feature and support for RealD 3D. The price for the title has not been determined at this time. The website for the game is live and can be viewed at http://www.playdaylight.com/

Since the announcement of the Xbox One there have been many questions regarding used games, privacy and always online. 

Microsoft have taken some time and clarified many of the burning questions about the new console. Not everything is as clear as it should be, but it does give a much better picture on what consumers should expect for this new console.

One of the biggest questions people have about the Xbox One is if it will allow used games. Microsoft have gone on record as saying that they will not change for lending or trading in a game but it will leave it open to a publisher to change if they so choose. They went on to say that at the time of release the Xbox One will not support renting games, although this may change in the future. 

The concept of lending to friends has also been explained in more detail. One thing it requires is the game can only be lent to friends that have been on your Xbox friends list for more then 30 days. So ensure anyone you would want to lend games to is on your Xbox list now to avoid complications at launch. It will also allow up to 10 family members to log in and play from the shared game library. 

The Xbox One does not need to always be connected to the internet but it will need to check in every 24 hours if you want to ensure your games do not suffer degradation in performance. This is because many of the Xbox One games will have some of the processes in the game done in the cloud, so without this games will not run as intended.

The question of privacy in relation to the new Xbox Camera was also addressed by Microsoft. They have confirmed the camera can be turned off and If a family is worried about privacy it can be set so it will not watch or listen to voice when the system is off.They went on to confirm that it can be set to the sensitivity that the family may want when being setup. Microsoft also went on to say that the camera will need to be hooked up at all times for the Xbox One to function as intended. 

There will be more questions as we learn more about the new systems, and as we all learn more we will keep you all updated. Stay tuned to C&G Magazine for all your E3 coverage!

Horror movies used to be sold on premises; you know, fresh spins on old concepts that suggested the flick in question was something we’d never seen before. Sadly, in the age of horror remakes, this is about as rare as a sighting of a unicorn kissing a chupacabra.

However, based purely on marketing The Purge seemed to offer just that. A film about an America of the not-so-distant-future in which day-to-day violence was cured by an annual lawless 12-hour free for all where the good folks of the United States could murder as much as they pleased just as long as they tried to keep mass slaughter to a minimum for the rest of the year. However, The Purge isn’t just a throwback to high concept genre fair, but also an homage to the way those big idea loglines tended to barely conceal the fact that the film in question was just a slight twist on an established formula. Unfortunately, when you boil down The Purge, it’s just another home invasion shocker, but at least it’s a good one. That’s more than most audiences have come to expect from the studio horror factory these days.

So with the big pitch premise out of the way (and it’s repeated many times during the first 20 minutes to avoid any confusion) the movie settles into its official plot. Ethan Hawke is introduced as a particularly rich yuppie who made millions selling ludicrously expensive security equipment so that rich folks can feel safe during the annual purge. With the big night fast approaching, Hawke and his family (including Sarah Connor Chronicles tough gal Lena Headly as mommy of two barely distinguishable children) settle in for an evening in their expensively guarded castle away from all the mass slaughter. Things seem off from the start though, from the creepy Stepford-Wives-esque sedated suburban neighbors to Hawke’s daughter’s boyfriend who sneaks into the house before lockdown. But the gooey brown stuff doesn’t really hit the fan until Hawke’s son lets a homeless man pleading for his life into the family home at the exact moment that the pushy boyfriend emerges from his hiding place with a gun. Then things get even worse when a group of masked purging psychopaths (led by ‘evil with a smile’ charmer Rhys Wakefield) show up and demand that the homeless man be released for their murdering pleasure or they’ll bust into the house and kill everyone. So, should Hawke hand over his homeless guest to certain death or give everyone a gun and attempt to fight for their lives? Well, which one would make for the most exciting climax? That’s the real question.

The good news is that despite the flaws (and there are plenty), The Purge is at least quite entertaining. Writer/director James DeMonaco was involved with the fairly decent Assault On Precinct 13 remake as a screenwriter a few years back, so he knows how to play siege horror well. When the house comes under attack, the film explodes to life and rockets from one suspense sequence and bloody kill to the next with barely any breathing room. The movie is certainly a wild ride and carried by three strong performances in Hawke’s caring/sleazy poppa, Headly’s housewife-turned-vengeful-momma-bear, and Wakefield’s smirking purger who turns mass family slaughter into a jaunty prank. There’s a lot to love in the movie and it certainly delivers on the pure visceral thrills part. The trouble comes in around the edges. There are plenty of plot twists that feel a little too convenient, the dialogue in the opening scenes is cringe-inducing, certain stock jump scares are overused endlessly, and there are plenty of logic holes like how a house full of blood thirsty purgers don’t notice that Hawke is running around firing off shotgun blasts until they are right in front of his gun barrels. I suppose, that’s the standard dumb quotient for a horror flick (if people didn’t behave stupidly/dangerously in horror movies the genre would be pretty boring), but combine that with the fact that the movie ignores the mass nationwide insanity of the central concept in favor of traditional home invasion thrills and the film can’t help but feel like a mild disappointment.

Still, even though The Purge doesn’t quite deliver on the promises of the posters and trailers, it is a dark and violent good time for genre fans craving a release from the warm fuzzies of the summer movie season. The film might not stretch beyond the expected genre requirements, but at least it fulfills expectations with ease. James DeMonaco has delivered a perfectly entertaining, nasty little thriller/horror picture and even if he didn’t have the budget to show the full scale implications of The Purge this time, the beauty of genre movies is that success guarantees a sequel that might be able to fill in the gaps (or maybe even a video game). No one would ever confuse this film for a masterpiece, but it is a pleasant genre diversion and I suppose that’s what the summer season is all about. Audiences should be able to expect more from a movie like this, yet when the basics are delivered this well they also shouldn’t be particularly disappointed either. The mistake was expecting anything else.

Square Enix has announced today Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII would be delayed to February 2014.

According to the fresh trailer, the game would launch in North America February 11, and February 14 in Europe. Lightning Returns would be for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. The game would be the third installment in the Final Fantasy XIII saga.

The trailer brings about familiar faces, such as Lightning herself, and Snow Villiers, who appears to be now a former ally.

Square Enix will hold a press conference on June 11, preparing to discuss “the Future of Final Fantasy”. Lightning Returns was announced last year at an event commemorating the 25^th anniversary of the Final Fantasy franchise. It was at the event Square Enix revealed the inital release for Lightning Returns was this year.

Watch the trailer below:

{youtube}7d2nZvrFiwM&feature=player_embedded&oref{/youtube} 

Since everyone loves game bundles the people over at Bundle Stars are serving a new one up for you. 

Unlike many of the other bundle offerings out there today, Bundle Stars have a flat price of $5 for all 10 games. The proceeds from the sale will be going to Special Effect charity. The bundle includes Tropico Trilogy, Dream Pinball 3D,Spacechem, Dino D-Day and Section 8, The First Templar: Steam Special Edition, Legendary,Disciples 3: Resurrection, Insecticide and Imperium Romanum: Gold Edition.

For just 5 bucks the Atomic Bundle is a steel. If you are interested in any of these games jump on it now as the bundle is only around for another 19 days.