• A New Home Interface

As a long time Xbox 360 gamer, I can tell you that Microsoft never quite got the interface thing down. The original blades layout seemed unnecessary in places, the NXBE layout wasted a lot of screen real estate and the current Metro layout is cumbersome and it’s hard to get to anything quickly. It should come to no surprise then that a useful main interface is something I’m actually looking forward to. Before the two interface re-designs were released, I anticipated them since I wasn’t happy with the current one and this remains with the upcoming next Xbox.

Many have speculated that the next Xbox would emulate the interface cues of Windows 8, which itself mimics the recent mobile versions of Windows. However, with the less than successful launch of Windows 8, I think the company will think of something else and, to put concerns to rest, show it off at the Xbox reveal tomorrow. Whatever the new layout is, here’s hoping the advertisements are removed as well. Most layouts don’t have ads sprinkled throughout; no reason the Xbox should have them.

• A Revamped Xbox Live

Xbox Live right now is great. It is the most reliable online services in gaming right now, there are millions of users, and many mundane aspects of it such as updates and achievements are downloaded, installed and updated automatically without trouble. That said there’s a lot of aspects about it that are archaic compared to the numerous other entertainment services out there. There’s an obtuse friends limit, the ridiculous Microsoft Points system, and worst of all, most of the Xbox 360’s features are locked behind a $60 a year payment.

Therefore, at the risk of losing the compatibility of certain aspects of the Xbox 360, the next Xbox should have a brand new interface that allows for unlimited friends, broader and friendlier options to share your activity to others, removal of the Microsoft Points system, and either the removal or discount of Xbox Live. Perhaps Microsoft could offer something like Sony’s PlayStation Plus as a paid service. Perhaps combine it with Xbox Music and Xbox Video and offer discounts on music and video as well as video games.

• A Focus on Home Entertainment

The Xbox 360 in recent years has focused on various applications that allow owners to connect to TV providers like Verizon FiOS, video subscription services like Netflix, and streaming music services like last.fm. However, the same attention hasn’t been given to what is supposed to be the driving force of the console: video games.

The video games portion of the Xbox 360 have seen little in the way of innovation or improvements in any way and with the rumored deal with various content providers to create exclusive content for Xbox, it seems that Microsoft is aiming to make the next Xbox more of an entertainment hub along the lines of a supped-up Roku box rather than a proper video game console. I’m not against hardware no longer being exclusively for only one type of entertainment, in fact I support it, but hardware does need to have one focus and seeing as we’re talking about video games, I’m obviously in favor of that focus being towards gaming.

• The Always Online Requirement

Here’s one that’s been very controversial. There have been many rumors and some of them quite legitimate that suggest that the next Xbox will require an internet connection for it to work properly. This means that if you want to play any game, online or otherwise, you need to be online at all times. This also pertains to the other features the next Xbox will have as well. So if you don’t have internet or at least one that’s consistent, you can’t play the new Xbox.

Obviously this is a problem and as this would alienate many people from their product, I doubt Microsoft would implement this form of DRM onto their console. However, it’s been persistent enough in the news and further exacerbated by a certain Microsoft employee that caused a stir on Twitter concerning the matter so I’m considering it a real possibility. Personally, I can tell you that if an internet connection is required for the next Xbox, it will be a very long time until I actually purchase it. So hopefully, Microsoft will debunk  this rumor and not go in this direction.

• Games, Games and More Games!

The Xbox is supposed to be a video game console so of course I want to see the games. To paraphrase Bernie Stolar, software has always driven hardware. Without the software, the hardware will fail. However, as this is a new console, seeing the next gen Halo or Forza or Fable won’t be good enough. I’m sure they’ll be there in some capacity but what we should see is new and revamped titles. New ideas, new properties, and twists on forgotten concepts in the past. This would be the perfect time to re-launch the Banzo-Kazooie series so they can be Microsoft’s mascot.

Speaking of which, the games should also be varied. Appealing to all audiences is fine if the games are good so having kid friendly platformers next to hyper realistic shooters is great as it shows diversity. We also need to see various partnerships with third party developers to bring these games to the Xbox since Microsoft lacks a lot of first party developers. Oh and if Kinect needs to be there, fix it. All you need to do is fix it so it actually works now.

So what do you think the Xbox reveal should or shouldn’t have? Let us know what you think in the comment section below and for a full round-up of the announcements at the Xbox reveal, check back here after the big presentation tomorrow.

I must say that I was beyond upset with this decision when I first saw it because I was not allowed to play the game that I paid for and nothing upsets me more than when a gaming company that makes millions and millions of dollars every year, feels like they have to nickel and dime you with stuff like that. So again, for all of those gamers out there that voted EA the worst company in the world, they are listening to those of us that are smart enough to be faithful and dropping their online passes for all of their games.

It’s true that ten dollars was not and is not a lot of money but the fact that we as gamers pay sixty dollars already, proves that there is no reason why we should have to pay even more money to enjoy the game as a whole. I think that fans will be happier altogether and now those over at EA don’t have to worry about backlash from the community and can focus on their products.

The reason that EA is not going to be making any games for the Wii U (at this point in time), is because Nintendo has decided to get quite a bit cocky with their announcements and cutting a ton of media with their company. I don’t think that Nintendo has been doing things right for quite some time now and I don’t think that they deserve a gaming giant like EA. When Nintendo decided to state that they will be making a ton of games with amazing graphics and several titles that have done before, I think a lot of partners either decided to say no at that point, or developed a negative attitude towards them as a whole.

The Wii U is doing nothing for gamers besides providing a console that has already been done before with a special controller that offers no new features. EA has made the right move with this and the small backlash that they will receive from the Wii U community and instead be happy with the praise and happiness that they will receive from their loyal fans. EA is on the right track and if they stay on this road, they are going to have one hell of a year in 2013.

This news does not have anything backing it up but it should be shared that this news was discovered through an early copy of a press release  and then transcribed over to a Twitter account. According to a blog or two associated with PlayStation, Gran Turismo 6 is going to feature all of the same cars and maps as Gran Turismo 5 but will also bring something to the table on its own with adding a bunch of cars and maps.

I don’t think that the game is worth it but for those that can’t get enough of the racing games, I recommend this over the other games that try to be serious. I still wouldn’t say that the game is going to be a better driving experience than the Need for Speed games or even the Burnout titles. This is because I prefer high action games with crashes and turbo boosts instead of the realism that Gran Turismo 6 will be bringing to the table later this year for the PlayStation 3.

Unlike it’s predecessor, it will be available for the PC via Steam, and also for Sony’s PlayStation 3 and Microsoft’s Xbox 360, both at a retailer near you and as a digital download. With everything released thus far on this upcoming sequel, this co-op first person shooter looks pretty promising. It holds strong to the premise of you occasional heists, holding civilians as hostages in exchange for what you want, and all the creepy masks a bad guy could ever ask for.

You can play up to four players simultaneously, and you will play as the original characters from the first Payday game, Hoxton, Dallas, Chains and Wolf. In this installment of the series, you can plan kidnappings, rob convenience stores, and pillage bank vaults all thanks to CRIMENET, the network within the game that allows players to pull off all these heinous acts.

It’s also said that you can choose your very own special profession. You can choose between being the Mastermind, the Enforcer, the Technician or the Ghost, all of which will have customization via skill trees. This game sounds pretty fun, and looks to out-do Payday: The Heist.

There’s something that I have always felt about horde/survival games and now that one is in the form of a first person shooter, with amazing graphics and a pretty awesome story makes me that much more excited. The game features several towers, upgradeable characters, and a campaign that is easily nine hours of gameplay. Now some may say that there is not too much to do with nine hours of gameplay, but when it’s nothing but tower defense, can you really expect too much more? The graphics are beautiful and the game is available now on Xbox, PlayStation 3 and the PC.

I can’t wait to get my hands on this but the coolest thing I’m looking forward to are the bonuses that the characters get. The older sister gets increased damage with each landed shot and the younger sister is amazing at controlling creatures in the air with her flaming rocket launcher. From all four of the characters, to many levels with different layouts, Sanctum 2 is definitely worth the money and something you should pick up today!

This is great news and I know for a fact that many gamers, like myself, could not be happier to hear this as I myself purchased many of the games that helped this company get to this point. For the fiscal year, the net revenue of Take Two just so happens to be over 1.2 billion dollars and that is almost unheard of. But again with games like this, their blockbuster titles alone are proof of why this company was so successful and this means they know what track to stay on for next year. Some exciting news from the actual title’s sides of things are that Borderlands 2 is rapidly on its way to becoming 2K’s most successful title to date and other games like Max Payne 3, although not as popular, are showing some amazing numbers like four million units sold since May of last year.

I love how the CEO of Take Two Entertainment, Strauss Zelnick keeps his composure even after finding out incredible news like this and even goes as far as saying that they plan to stay on the path that got them here and brought up the month of their next huge launch which will be in September of 2013 for Grand Theft Auto V. Take Two deserves these numbers and we all can’t wait to see what comes from them next.

WayForward have created titles that put the player in a position of a classic third person adventure with some puzzle solving and exploration. I think that the game will be a classic game and although I am not an adventurer myself, as the gamers and watchers of the television shows call themselves. Now I’m not going to sit here and say that the game is going to be amazing and that you must buy it, but it is certain that it will be successful based on the following of the show and all of the clothing lines and everything else about the show.

From personal experience, games that are based off of movies, television shows, and “as seen on tv’s” are never any good, but with the development of games in this day and age, it is simple to see how a game modeled after anything can be good. However, it’s still easy for a game to be horrible so I won’t say to get it for sure, but keep an ear out for reviews and keep an eye on gameplay and even for those who are not children, it may be worth getting once it goes on sale or something like that.

One of my favorite things about the Nintendo 3DS is it’s Nintendo eShop. Where you can purchase apps that you’d find on the DSi, and also get you hands on some Virtual Console titles. Virtual Console is the service that Nintendo originally released on the Wii, allowing us to buy titles that take us back to our childhoods, well, that’s how it is for me anyways. From NeoGeo to Sega Master System all the way to NES, Super Nintendo, and Nintendo 64. But on the 3DS, we gain access to many GameBoy games, and some NES titles. For example, coming the end of this month on May 30th, players can download two Zelda titles originally for the GameBoy Color, Oracle of Ages and Oracle of Seasons. There’s nothing better than playing a game from your childhood. In the eShop, you can find a lot of not-so-known game titles, and some of them are pretty fun. I personally own Zenonia, Dark Spirits, Magical Whip, Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening, 3D Mahjong, and Bejeweled Twist. All of which were very inexpensive, but very entertaining! Nintendo’s eShop even offers apps for your 3DS, such as Pokedex 3D, SwapNote, Netflix, various notepads and calendars, and a ton of little art programs. I own Inchworm Animation, where you can draw and bring those drawings to life.

But what I look forward to the most are the titles coming out this year for the 3DS. Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D comes out on May 24th and Animal Crossing: New Leaf on June 9th. The latest installment to the Legend of Zelda series is due out this Fall on the 3DS. A Link to the Past 2: Triforce of the Gods will be available on the Nintendo 3DS only, and is a continuation of A Link to the Past that came out back on the Super Nintendo in 1991. There are also rumors of a brand new Yoshi’s Island for the the 3DS, but no official date has been released for that just yet.

If you haven’t gotten you hands on a Nintendo 3DS just yet, maybe now is the time. Whether it’s for the kid in your life, or the kid in you, the Nintendo 3DS is a great addition to any gamer’s repertoire.

Since the Kalos region is so vast and huge, the makers of Pokemon has decided to add a handy new feature. Who needs a bike or a car when you can ride one of your very own Pokemon? You heard me right, now you can use your Pokemon for transportation, as seen in the trailer for the title’s gameplay.

Also, there are four brand new Pokemon added to line up, making their very first appearance in Pokemon X and Y. Pancham, a panda-esque fighting-type Pokemon, Helioptile, an electric-type Pokemon, Gogoat, a grass-type Pokemon, and Fletchling, a flying-type Pokemon. The Pokemon Gogoat is actually large enough that it can serve as your mount in the game! The final detail released on the game is character customization. Instead of just choosing between the generic male or female trainer and being stuck with that, you can now have a say so on certain details of your trainer, such as skin color and hair color.

You can expect to see Pokemon X and Y hit the shelves for the Nintendo 3DS sometime in October of this year.

Source: The Escapist