Xbox Gaming

PS4, Xbox 720, Wii U = PS2, Xbox, GameCube

2011-09-11T06:53:00.000-07:00

This console generation has been surprising—it’s the opposite of the previous one, with Nintendo having the highest selling console, and Microsoft and Sony having a tug of war for second place (Microsoft currently has the edge). Things could change by the time the PS3, Xbox 360, and Wii are replaced, but it’s a good chance it’ll stay the same. The real shake up will happen during the next generation, and here’s why we could be headed back to the 6th generation.

The PS3’s rocky road to its current success has been well documented. Sony made a few mistakes, but then they got their act together and fixed things. Still, the damage has been done, and while the PS3 is going strong, it’s almost impossible for it to catch up with the competition.

Sony will have to wait until the PS4 comes around to recapture their PS2 glory days. Here’s how they’ll do it, by focusing on games and not bleeding edge tech. Sony’s consoles have always come on top because of the games—not the hardware. Specs are just mental masturbation for enthusiasts and fanboys anyways (sorry, it’s the truth). By making the most powerful console, you’re also making the most expensive one. This is what happened with the PS3 at launch, it was ahead of its time. Sony would be foolish to repeat their mistakes. They’ve been acquiring a lot of studios lately; this could signal a PS4 that puts software over hardware.

The Xbox 360 launched first—and it’s been riding its head start ever since. And despite a few problems (RROD), it’s managed to stay relevant and continue to sell. Yet, the Xbox 360 is starting to show its age, and some gamers feel it’s holding the graphics of this generation back. Hmm, what should Microsoft do?

Make a beefy console when it comes time to release the next Xbox. They know that the 360 is showing its age, and that gamers don’t enjoy games on multiple discs. This is why they’ll step things up, while trying to keep the price reasonable. Although, like I said a few times before, power doesn’t equal success. But despite that, Microsoft still could choose this route since they’ve really matured as a gaming company. Their fans would follow them no matter what at this point.

The Wii is the little console that could; it was an instant success and is responsible for introducing gaming to a new crowd. But it’s had a hard time keeping core gamers satisfied, and thus a lot of them lost interest in it quickly.

Unlike Sony and Microsoft, Nintendo has already announced their next generation console—the Wii U. They’re trying to win the core gamer back with an exciting third-party line-up. This is great and all, but the reaction to the Wii U was barely lukewarm. It doesn’t have the same magic the original had; with the rise of tablets the controller won’t be enough to capture the interest of the mainstream. Also it’s not as affordable as the Wii thanks to the controller. All of this is a sign that Nintendo is starting to turn into the Sony of old, just because you’re in first place, it doesn’t give you the right to become comfortable and overcharge. What’s that old saying? When you’re at the top, the only place to go is down.

If everything above happens the PS4 should be the sells leader (thanks to its software), the Xbox 720 will be the most powerful (but power doesn’t equal instant success here), and the Wii U will underperform because it’ll be too costly and its controller isn’t as innovative as the original’s. All of this would make the 8th generation of consoles like the 6th with Sony in first, Microsoft in second, and Nintendo back in last. This is my prediction, but I’ve been known to be wrong in the past. Still, if this happens don’t be surprising.

Exciting new Battlefield 3 Teaser Trailer- Analysed

2011-09-10T13:43:00.000-07:00

This is why we game, for heart pounding moments like this. In a brilliant new teaser released today by EA, we got a glimpse at more new gameplay for this year’s gaming Blockbuster, Battlefield 3. In a short but sweet 40 second fuel-injected trailer an all new operation, named Operation Guillotine, is displayed for the very first time. Read on for an analysis and first look at the trailer.

Battlefield 3 has been gaining more and more momentum towards its late October release date and has lately become something of a media icon, especially with its COD battling antics. Over the past year we’ve seen an array of operations and spectacular action packed scenes all made possible through the powerful Frostbite 2.0 engine. Today we got a first look at a fully realised Battlefield 3 night assault with mortars, grenades and air strikes taking the explosive centre stage.

It’s safe to say the first thing you’ll notice in the trailer is the highly amplified, highly realistic sound effects; turn your speakers up high and listen to the vibrant soundtrack undertone the shrieking rockets, terrifying explosions and cringing screams of agony. With the now classic Battlefield 3 “Bvvv’s” rounding off the trailer it’s another sure fire indication of DICE’s devotion to realistic and draw-dropping audio.

The trailer also provides a visual treat, kicking off with a manic sprint towards a huge shining metropolis, it also certainly looks as though we are on the side of the aggressors this time around. The image then cuts to an awesome scene in which you aid a fellow trooper load and fire a mortar then follow a squad in to a small canal basin to take on a bunch of darkness shrouded hostiles. The weapons on display show a huge kick of recoil as they unload lead in to the mysterious opposition. The pure unadulterated madness of the scene is perhaps the most staggering feature with explosions and gunfire more prevalent than in any action scene I’ve seen in my life!

Then there’s the melee kill that caps off the adrenaline fuelled ride, it’s quick, brutal and grippingly efficient; your man knows how to get the job done. As we’re reminded that the ‘Back to Karkland’ expansion is available with the pre-order we are treated to a final display of the destructive capabilities that Battlefield 3 offers. “Get that grenade out!” we hear just as a super-sonic boom erupts from a building in front unleashing hell fire and brimstone. What’s more, this is all in-game; we’ll actually be able to play out these manic scenes.

As a last word we’re told that “Operation Guillotine continues 09/01/2011”, so expect more news then. Battlefield 3 is set for release on the 25^th (US) 27^th (AUS) and 28^th (EU) of October on PC, Xbox 360 and PS3. Of course, you can check out the teaser trailer below!

“XBOX Support” On Steam

2011-09-08T18:08:00.000-07:00

‘Allo ‘allo ‘allo what’s all this then? If you head over to the Steam Support area that Valve provides for users to resolve issues with their account, you’ll notice a very inconspicuous reference to “XBOX Support” as an option in one of the initial drop down boxes.
The thing is though, there is no version of Steam available for either of the Xbox platforms, Valve have on several occasions highlighted that Steamworks is – for the time being – only on PlayStation 3 in the home console space due to Microsoft’s reluctance to open up the Xbox Live infrastructure.
So why do they have a dedicated support option for this unsupported gaming platform? The wording is admittedly a little dubious, it should be Xbox 360 surely? Then again Valve also shortens PlayStation 3 to just “PS3″ in the same menu, so perhaps they’re not that big on official branding?
Is this the first hint of Steam coming to Microsoft’s console, an admin error, or something else entirely? We’ll be reaching out to both companies for a response but let us know your thoughts in the meantime in the comments below.

Every Single Feature of Call Of Duty Elite Detailed - Free and Premium

2011-09-06T16:53:00.000-07:00

Activision have today released the full details on the new Elite service coming to the Call of Duty games, players now have access to even more features than before and for a subscription fee of $49.99 you’ll be given the every piece of content Call of Duty has to offer, from monthly DLC packs to Clan levelling and even an Elite TV streaming service.

Players can sign up to the beta now for a free trial or they can pre-order the service and receive some nifty bonus items for Modern Warfare 3 when it releases this November.

Skyrim’s great look on the Xbox 360 gets explained

2011-09-05T12:34:00.001-07:00

Anyone with a pair of eyes can see that Bethesda’s up coming title, Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, looks amazing. It’s safe to say from previously released gameplay footage and trailers that visually, this is Bethesda’s most visually impressive title yet.
In a recent interview, Skyrim director Todd Howard detailed what the development team did to make the 360 version of the game look so good. In the interview, Howard put much of the improvement down to a complete overturn of development processs:

“We’ve rewritten all the graphics and the gameplay system, as well as used a new face system, a new interface”
He then went on to explain what drove the teams change in development direction:

“And we knew coming off of Fallout 3 on the Xbox 360, that there was a lot we could still do to really harness the power of it. There is just this unlimited amount of detail we put into the world, from little things like forks and berries to mountains and dragons. We wanted all of that scale on the screen at once and the trickiest thing but we’ve managed to pull it off”
Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim launches November 11th for Xbox 360, PS3 and PC.

Does Microsoft Even Need to Build a Better Xbox?

2011-09-05T11:52:00.000-07:00

Has the video-game industry hit a plateau? Is there even a reason to make better consoles? Are the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 the end of the line?

Frank Gibeau, president of the EA label at gaming giant Electronic Arts, says it’s hard to imagine how Sony and Microsoft could improve upon their current game consoles. In an interview with ComputerAndVideoGames.com, he said EA is not itching for a “PlayStation 4″ or “Xbox 720.”
“It’s hard for me to conceive what you would do on a PlayStation 4,” Gibeau told CVG. “The displays are already 1080p, you’re already connected to the Internet. … You could make it faster, you could have more polys and you could up the graphics a little bit … but at what cost?”

Indeed – look at some gameplay video from “Forza Motorsport 4,” coming out in October for Xbox 360. The racing game is nearly photo-realistic. It supports Kinect, the new Xbox 360 motion sensor, for voice commands and “looking around” inside your virtual car. And, like most games these days, it will be updated on a regular basis through the Internet.

Of course, there are always improvements to be made. But there’s also room in the Xbox 360 and PS3 for those improvements, Gibeau said.

“One of the things that we like is that the technology is consistent, and we believe that there are still things that you can do on these systems,” he told CVG. “We haven’t quite squeezed the last ounce of hardware horsepower out of these things.”

Microsoft has already said it plans to keep the Xbox 360 around for a while. First released in November 2005, it’s been refreshed a few times – Microsoft has released different versions with different storage capacities, and last year released the Xbox 360 S with a new motherboard, Wi-Fi support and a dedicated Kinect port (though Kinect still works with older 360 models).
At six years old, the Xbox 360 is ancient for video-game consoles … at least traditionally. But no longer are we in the days of fast-paced hardware upgrades.

The original Nintendo Entertainment System, for instance, was released in North America in 1985, followed by the Super Nintendo in 1991, the Nintendo 64 in 1996, the GameCube in 2001 and the Wii in 2006. Meanwhile, Sega released the Sega Master System to the U.S. in 1987, the Genesis in 1989, the Genesis CD add-on in 1992, the Saturn in 1995 and the Dreamcast in 1999.
Sony entered the race in 1995 with the first PlayStation and released the PlayStation 2 in 2000. In a controversial move, Microsoft jumped into the foray in 2002 with the first Xbox. The Xbox 360 came in 2005 and the PS3 was released in 2006.

At that cadence, the big three — Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo — would be releasing a next-generation console anytime now. But only Nintendo, whose Wii changed the industry with motion control but is now far outdated (it doesn’t even have high-definition video output), is refreshing its hardware with the Wii U, expected to launch in 2012.

Battlefield 3: it takes 100 hours to unlock everything. Per Kit.

2011-09-05T11:43:00.001-07:00

One of the most popular aspects of Battlefield 2 was its deep persistence feature, where players earned unlocks and awards as they played, and which could keep them busy for years. This returned in Bad Company 2, however, you could unlock most of the weapons and gadgets in Bad Company 2 in a few dozen hours, something which took DICE by surprise.
For Battlefield 3, DICE always stated that they were going with a much deeper persistence feature, with many more unlocks and a revamped unlock structure for weapons and attachments. Now DICE’s Alan Kertz has unveiled just how long it takes to unlock all the weapons, attachments and gadgets for a class: 100 hours.
The reason it takes so long is because unlocks in Battlefield 3 are given per weapon basis, where each weapon attachment must be unlocked for a specific weapon, meaning that players will be unlocking the same attachments and gadgets over and over again, for each weapon. Most weapons will be given three slots: one for scope, one for barrel, and one under-barrel slot for grips, bipods, grenade launchers, etc.
On one hand, the more you use a weapon, the more and better accessories you get for it, on the other hand, it might get a bit too repetitive unlocking the same thing again and again. But we’ll have to wait and see how the system works when the game ships. Or in the upcoming beta.