Sony and Microsoft Conferences Abridged
E3 Sony Conference and Microsoft Conference Highlights…or Lowlights, If You Prefer
If you’re late to the news of E3 and want to quickly catch up, then join Matt Lees, of Videogamer, as he recaps all the high bits and low bits of each conference.
Begin with Microsoft’s, because its like watching the fall of the Roman Empire, only funnier.
And then the rise of Sony; it only took them a decade to figure out.
Five Reasons To Get Forza 5
Drive Fast, Look Pretty. Forza 5 Does Both.
I’ve convinced myself to reserve the game, even though I may not get the Xbox ONE at launch. So I share my list of why its a must have, for gamers and car enthusiasts like myself. Take a look at my list of reasons after the break!
5. Open Wheel Vehicles: Besides the obvious cars like the Ariel Atom, they announced Indy and Gran Prix cars to be included. Turn 10 has even partnered with Ron Howard and his latest film “Rush” so expect some tie-ins to be announced later this summer.
4. The Visuals: You don’t have to take my word for it, but this will be best looking racing game this year, maybe even overall. It’s a whole new level of detail, each track is like its own little world. Granted there are other next gen racing games, but most of them are open world. They’ll have every asset toned down just a bit, lacking the fidelity and detail fore it must all be on check due to its overall grandeur.
3. Forza Vista: Formerly “Auto Vista”, you can now take a deeper look in and out of every car. Not like the past select dozen or so cars from the previous game. It’s something I loved, and would show my friends who love to here the sultry voice of Jeremy “Jezza” Clarkson narrate their highlights. (NOTE the video is from Forza 4)
2. The Sound: It sounds amazing, thanks to a partnership with Skywalker Ranch. They have an orchestra that plays in the background, dynamically changing, in and out of the race. It’s like watching a Top Gear segment, escalating the sense of drama and emotion each time you race.
1. Top Gear: You may be asking “but what about tracks, cars, gameplay”? Well that’s all gravy beans, and those details will be released later this summer. But Top Gear is the icing on the monumental cake. Not only is Jezza back but he brought along his co-host, Richard “Hamster” Hammond and James “Captain Slow” May. Their involvement will be more than just voice-overs. They’ll be key figures on the structure and presentation of the gamers’ career.
And just for some kick, here’s some car porn footage, from buffed.de, from Turn 10s’ Forza 5 E3 event held earlier this week.
Microsoft Points Worth More!?
Not Quite, But Maybe?
Over on Microsoft’s FAQ on currency transition. Your existing Microsoft Points value will be “equal or greater” to local currency when the conversion takes place, though no date has been given. What we do know is that sometime later this year, the antiquated and confusing Microsoft Points system will be put out to pasture (actually, I like to think of it as being taken out back and shot), retired in favor of something much of the rest of the world likes to call “real money.” What this means for consumers is pretty simple: you’ll actually know how much you’re paying for things without breaking out the bizarro-world calculator. And of course, if you’re very, very lucky–you may just see a few extra coins appear in your account beyond what you already have. Perhaps you should consider any extra an advance against how much Microsoft’s planning to screw you on Xbox One.
So if you see deals on MS Points you may want to consider investing for a quiet little flip when it happens. Maybe.
iFixit Dissects Xbox 360 Super Slim
Microsofts New Xbox 360 Gets Gutted
In 1989′s Tim Burton directed former-classic Batman movie, Jack Nicholson, as the Joker, said, “You can’t make an omelette without breakin’ some eggs!” moments before he shot Michael Keaton’s Bruce Wayne. While that movie may not stand up well, the sentiment clearly still does, as evidenced by the fine folks at iFixit, who’ve taken it upon themselves to tear Microsoft’s new Xbox 360 Super Slim to shreds. In the interest of science, of course. The quick and dirty takeaway is this: the new Xbox 360 “E” is a little smaller and a little quieter than the S version it replaces, but in most respects uses the same internals as its 2010 predecessor. It loses one USB port, for a total of 4, and the old AV connector has been eliminated entirely, in favor of a lone HDMI port and an optical output–both of which the very first release of the Xbox 360 lacked entirely.
You can find a screenshot of the new Xbox’s motherboard after the break, but be sure to hit the source link for the full details, especially if you have the urge to gut your own Xbox 360 Super Slim, should you have one.
PS4 User Interface Demo Courts Female Gamers
Sony Shows a Little of PS4′s Player Interaction
One of the big questions that comes with the introduction of a modern gaming console is pretty basic: What does its user interface look like and how is it used? In the modern era, which I’ll arbitrarily declare to be “generation 7 and onward”, games consoles aren’t, after all, strictly games consoles. Instead, they are, to whatever degree, integrated media hubs where we watch movies from disk or streaming, play music in the same ways, and go shopping for games, movies and other kinds of applications. Without a doubt, the way these features are made accessible to a user is extremely important, and it can mean the difference between whether a system is joyful or painful to use. This fundamental truth will apply as much, if not more, to Xbox One and Playstation 4 as it does to their last-generation predecessors. While we still haven’t seen the main part of it yet, Sony has nevertheless put together the following video to show us a little about the ways players will interact with their PS4 systems–both on and off the box. The video and some thoughts about the new UI are after the break, and I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments.
ESA Bullies Ouya
Don’t play by ESA rules, they will barricade you, or Ouya… sorta.
IGN reported the rather comical sparring match between the ESA and the Ouya Team.
Here’s the cliff notes:
On Tuesday morning the Ouya Team sets up in parking lot across the street from E3. Then the ESA goes out of its way to rent out the parking space in front of their booth, filling it with massive trucks to shield them from view. The Ouya Team takes note and retaliates by renting out the spots in front of said trucks with OUYA banners. ESA then calls the cops, in hopes to shut them down. Cops glance at the permits, see no harm or foul and zip away into the sunset.
Julie Uhrman, founder of the Ouya, said “If ten more trucks show up, we’ll come up with another idea. I have a few up my sleeve.”
Major props to you Julie and the Ouya Team.
Xbox One Limits the World With Live.
Microsoft continues to Sour the World with its PR.
A disclaimer on the Xbox One reservation page says “Xbox One games are for activation and distribution only in specified geographic regions.” Essentially limiting most of the modern world on who can play its games if Xbox Live isn’t supported.
Is your country on the list? Check it after the break. as for the Asian Market, it’ll updated once it nears its release in 2014. Late 2014, that is. It’s bizarre, in a way, watching Microsoft systematically dismantle the success it’s had in the games market with the Xbox 360. And yet, here they are, flushing the brand down the toilet. Weird.
Gran Turismo 6 Gameplay: E3 2013
Gran Turismo 6 Thunders Onto Playstation 3 This Fall
The good folk over at GTPlanet have shared a few videos of Gran Turismo 6 gameplay, enjoy.
I’ve only raced/driven on two real world race tracks, the road course at Auto Club Speedway and Big Willow at Willow Springs. And now you and I can relive the latter with Gran Turismo 6. Two more gameplay trailers follow after the break!
The Elder Scrolls Online: E3 2013 Trailer
The Battle for Tamriel erupts Spring 2014 on Xbox ONE and PlayStation 4.
Finally, it looks like the Elder Scrolls will be coming to an MMO-ified world near you. Check out the trailer and let us know what you think in the comments! Are you excited? Disappointed? Annoyed? How will the Elder Scrolls fare in a persistent online world?
Sourced: BethesdaSoftworks
