Gossip Gamer

Don’t forget to tune in to Draw Friends on YouTube tomorrow from 6-8pm EDT to see me and some other awesome dudes get down on some live drawing!

In case that link doesn’t work, tomorrow I will be tweeting out the official link on my twitter account: @natemorebikes

dorkly: If New Game Console Reveals Were Honest

tbesttinlife — Wed, 22 May 2013 11:35:11 -0400

dorkly:

If New Game Console Reveals Were Honest

More Xbox One News!

tbesttinlife — Wed, 22 May 2013 11:33:00 -0400

Does anyone else think this looks like a cross between a NES and PS2?

Check out my first post on the Xbox One here.

Now onto further developments! So Microsoft has not released any sort of indication of when the Xbox One is coming out (aside from sometime this year, probably the holidays) nor how much it’ll cost. However, Amazon, Best Buy, GameStop, and Microsoft are all allowing customers to sign-up and got notifications for when pre-orders will be available. If you know you’re going to get one, best to do that and beat the rush.

In regards to user-customizable storage, onboard storage will not be removable, but that external storage solutions will be supported for all functions (including game installation).

Rumors about the always-on DRM, so always needing an internet connection to use the Xbox One, are not true (thankfully!). However, there is some unsettling news that gamers will not like:

In an interview with Wired, Microsoft has revealed some much anticipated details about the Xbox One. These tidbits go beyond what we heard at the press conference today, but are in many ways more important to how consumers will interact with the system.

The interview goes into great detail about how users will access game content. Xbox One owners will be required to install games to the 500 GB hard drive, but will not need the disc after that. If a second user wants to access the game (or purchase it second-hand), he or she will need to pay a fee. This is the “other shoe” that many were concerned about dropping when EA announced that it was abandoning the online pass practice.

With regard to an always-online console, the Xbox One will be able to play games offline, but developers will be able to utilize Microsoft’s cloud computing, thereby making individual titles require an active, constant connection. Developers have the option of whether to make a connection mandatory, but according to the article, corporate vice president Marc Whitten hopes that they do.

As someone who both buys games new and sometimes used, I am personally not happy about this - and I’ll bet a lot of other people won’t be either. I get that companies like Microsoft have a hate/hate relationship with used games, but this still isn’t fair to consumers who have to pay expensive prices for games. Microsoft has since updated their statements, saying they will have a plan for used games, but do not want to reveal it yet. They commented that, “We are designing Xbox One to enable customers to trade in and resell games. We’ll have more details to share later.”

However, more odd information from Kotaku has emerged:

…corporate vice president Phil Harrison has said users will be able to trade games online. He also indicated that the rumored “used game fee” would be equivalent to the full retail price of the game. Additionally, Microsoft seems to be emphasizing the ability to take your games to a friends’ house, while stressing that you’ll need to be logged into your own account to access your games.

I really hope Microsoft clarifies all this once and for all, because this is sounding pretty horrible. Another random tidbit is that Xbox Live Arcade, Xbox Live Games on Demand, and Xbox Live Indie Games will all be under one tab now. However, now developers need a publisher to get their content on the Xbox One, which is contrary to how Sony and Nintendo are both friendly to self-publishing. However, GameInformer speculates this may change.

So while the always-on DRM is not being implemented, there were strange statements released about the Xbox One’s connection needs. Kotaku further reported from Phil Harrison that a connection was required at least once in a 24-hour period…? I have no idea what that means, and neither does anyone else reporting about this. I mean what would happen if someone didn’t connect during that time? Later on, Microsoft released a new comment with Polygon, stating that “there have been reports of a specific time period — those were discussions of potential scenarios…”

Riiiiiight…

There’s still plenty of other questions gamers have that are still not addressed, such as:

Are Microsoft points coming back? Rumors have been circulating that they are giving them up.
Are game prices rising?
Are Xbox Live Gold subscriptions increasing? Will it even be part of the new system?
Will there be different models?

I don’t know, I’m not sure why Microsoft made some really strange decisions and why they’re acting so shady about some really odd details. I’m almost not even feeling particularly excited about this new console. I know they want to make money, but the whole charging a fee for used games? Ridiculous! Ugh…

Well if you’re thinking about buying one of the next-gen consoles, check out GameInformer’s comparison of the hardware between the PS4 and Xbox One. Hopefully they’ll release another chart comparing other details aside from the parts of the machines.

I have to ask: what are your thoughts on these new details for the Xbox One? Sound off here or in my ask box!

Bioshock Infinite Soundtrack - 03 - Will The Circle Be Unbroken...

tbesttinlife — Wed, 22 May 2013 10:56:00 -0400

Bioshock Infinite Soundtrack - 03 - Will The Circle Be Unbroken (Choral Version). Anyone else spend a little time in the church listening to this and exploring before moving on? Because I know I did.

BioShock Infinite Easter Eggs and Secrets (Spoilers!)

tbesttinlife — Wed, 22 May 2013 00:15:50 -0400

BioShock Infinite Easter Eggs and Secrets (Spoilers!)

blackthorngym: Pokémon Pinball Appreciation Post

tbesttinlife — Tue, 21 May 2013 15:47:43 -0400

blackthorngym:

Pokémon Pinball Appreciation Post

yamelmegames: Happy Mask & Hero of Timeby Emily...

tbesttinlife — Tue, 21 May 2013 15:47:38 -0400

yamelmegames:

Happy Mask & Hero of Time
by Emily Lemay

Tumblr / DeviantArt / Society6

flyingmouse365: FM Pop Culture 009 - Heart Seeker on...

tbesttinlife — Tue, 21 May 2013 15:47:35 -0400

flyingmouse365:

FM Pop Culture 009 - Heart Seeker on Flickr.

Flying Mouse’s personal project of Pop Culture design for 2013.

Prints available here: www.etsy.com/listing/151792238/heart-seeker?ref=shop_home…

Website | Facebook | Tumblr | Twitter | Etsy

sportsgamershow: Electronic Arts Reveals Next-Gen Game Engine...

tbesttinlife — Tue, 21 May 2013 15:47:30 -0400

sportsgamershow:

Electronic Arts Reveals Next-Gen Game Engine at Xbox One Reveal Event

The Xbox One wasn’t the only next-gen news to hit the Internet today.

EA unveiled the “EA Sports Ignite” game engine during the Xbox One reveal event, which is designed for next-gen sports titles.

FIFA, Madden NFL, NBA Live and UFC will all use the engine, which EA says will exceed the animation limitations of current sports games by a “factor of ten.”

A new trailer highlighting the EA Sports Ignite engine and the games utilizing the technology can be viewed here.

dotcore: Game Boy.by Riccardo Albertini.

tbesttinlife — Tue, 21 May 2013 15:47:25 -0400

dotcore:

Game Boy.
by Riccardo Albertini.

And the name of the new Xbox is...

tbesttinlife — Tue, 21 May 2013 15:46:36 -0400

…the ~~Xbox 720~~ Xbox One!

Microsoft streamed their big event and revealed a lot of important details (aside from the new console’s name and look). Here’s some stuff you should know:

It is gonna do a lot of cool TV related stuff!

As a gamer, I’ll be honest: I don’t give a damn about any of that stuff. However, since Microsoft spent a nice amount of time on all these details, I suppose they are worth mentioning.

Microsoft is expanding their partnership with ESPN. Using the Xbox One’s Snap mode, which brings in a side panel of content while you’re viewing stuff on the main window, Microsoft’s Yusuf Mehdi demonstrated how you can bring up fantasy stats, league standings, and other info pertinent to what you’re watching. They’ll also be partnering with the NFL to do similar things. Good for you sports buffs, I guess.

Xbox One will also be your TV Guide! Using the Kinect, you can give voice commands to search for your favorite shows and pin them to watch later. A “trending” tab will also display popular shows that can be filtered by the entire Xbox one community of within your individual region.

The Kinect was a large part of the event. Microsoft seems to be stressing a lot of motion and voice commands to control the console. For example, saying “Xbox on” will turn on your device and you can swipe at the screen to change tabs. SmartGlass and controllers could also still be used. It was noted that avatars were not shown at all, but that is not a definitive sign they are not coming back.

Update: According to IGN, Microsoft’s UK marketing director, Harvey Eagle, said that, “Kinect does require to be connected to Xbox One in all cases, yes.”

I’m not sure if this should be considered a big deal. If it comes with all the consoles in a package, then it shouldn’t be so bad (although it may make the Xbox One more expensive). However, if something were to happen to the Kinect, the console will be rendered useless until you replace it. Hmm…

Skype group chat features are also coming to the Xbox One and it was demonstrated how easy it is to receive a Skype call while playing a video game or doing whatever else on your console. Neat, but I don’t think that will interest many people.

Wait, so…where are the games?

Well, my fellow gamers, expect Forza Motorsport 5 and Call of Duty: Ghosts. Not much time was spent on Forza (expect more at E3), but a DLC for the next COD game will be timed for the One’s release. Graphics for Ghosts looked very good, and you can check out GameInformer’s preview here.

A game called Quantum Break was also announced. Looks interesting: a short video tease was shown involving a girl with some sort of special power to show people mental images of…the future? It is a bit unclear, but more details will be coming later.

What about the console itself? Are all those bad rumors true???

Well, I’ve got good news and bad news. Good news: Your achievements will be coming with you! (collective sigh of relief) Bad news: The Xbox One is not backwards compatible. (BOOOOO) Well, I’m not entirely surprised about this. Todd Holmdahl, Microsoft’s corporate vice president of hardware, had this to say:

“We started with a completely new architecture for this generation, and the architecture that we have with the 360, that would have been limiting to go forward with.”

So you better hold onto your old consoles if you want to keep playing all your old games. At least Microsoft claims they will continue to support the 360 for years to come.

There is a lot to say about the controller, but news sounds good: it looks great and Microsoft addressed many problems the old design had. For more details, click here.

Microsoft has also resigned their logo, apparently:

Subtle difference, but it is there.

More details will continue to emerge. What do you all think?

The Complete History Of Xbox Live (Abridged)

tbesttinlife — Mon, 20 May 2013 12:05:00 -0400

The Complete History Of Xbox Live (Abridged):

From MechAssault to movies on Netflix, GameInformer has compiled the story of Xbox Live’s evolution. Check it out! BTW: Microsoft’s big announcement about their future hardware is tomorrow! Be sure to check it out the event stream on Xbox.com at 1PM Eastern (10AM Pacific, 6PM UK).