Xbox Live adds SmartGlass support for ESPN and NBA Game Time

December 17th, 2012, 22:49 Posted By: wraggster

Today, Microsoft's Major Nelson announced the release of the Sports Picks app for Xbox Live. Equipped with leaderboards, Jimmy the Greek wannabes can compete against friends to see who's the best at handicapping UFC events, NBA games and college football. In addition, Xbox Live Gold members have also gained SmartGlass integration for ESPN and NBA Game Time -- which we've previewed here -- that allows users to watch live broadcasts, highlights and replays via their smartphone or tablet. If you're looking to get your Ace Rothstein on (minus the mafia, murder and mayhem), point your Xbox to the Apps Marketplace to score this new software.

http://www.engadget.com/2012/12/17/x...nba-game-time/

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Borderlands 2 is the year's most played new game, according to Raptr

December 17th, 2012, 22:37 Posted By: wraggster

Online games community Raptr has revealed that Borderlands 2 was the Most Played New Game of the year on Xbox 360 and PC amongst its 15m members.
The game enjoyed 200 per cent more playtime in its first month than its nearest competitor, Blizzard’s Diablo III. Capcom’s Dragon’s Dogma was perhaps the surprise winner of the Most Played New IP, edging out Dishonored.
When games released before 2012 are included, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 emerges as the Most Played Game, beating competition from League of Legends and The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.
“We’re seeing more time invested in games that constantly introduce new content and other community engagement activities, from console titles like Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 and Portal 2 to MOBAs like League of Legends,� Raptr CEO Dennis Fong stated.
Here are the 2012 Raptr awards winners in full:
· Most Played New Game – Borderlands 2 (Gearbox/2K Games)
· Most Played Game (Released Anytime) – Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (Treyarch/Activision)
· Biggest Boost from User-Generated Content – Portal 2 (Valve)
· Most Played Long-Awaited Sequel – Borderlands 2 (Gearbox/2K Games)
· No Bathroom Break – Borderlands 2 (Gearbox/2K Games)
· Most Played XBLA Game – Minecraft (4J Studios/Mojang)
· Most Played New IP – Dragon’s Dogma (Capcom)
· Most Successful Paid to Free-to-Play Game – Star Wars: The Old Republic (BioWare/EA)

http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/borde...-raptr/0108311

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Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 hosting double XP this weekend, League Play now live

December 16th, 2012, 21:49 Posted By: wraggster

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Why Xbox failed in Japan

December 16th, 2012, 21:45 Posted By: wraggster

Bill Gates was preparing to walk out on stage to deliver his much-anticipated keynote at the Tokyo Game Show on Friday 30th March 2001. The Makuhari Exhibition Hall was packed with a 4000-strong audience. Executives from all the major Japanese game publishers were there: Capcom, Square, Tecmo, Sega, Namco, the lot. Press had gathered from all over the world, and they were all there to see one thing: the Xbox.Backstage, Gates turned to Kevin Bachus, at the time Xbox director of third party relations and the man charged with getting all those Japanese executives out there in the audience to make games for Microsoft's new console. “Here, hold this,� Gates said, pulling out his wallet. “I don't like having anything in my pocket when I'm talking.�Suddenly, Bachus was holding the wallet of the richest man in the world. It felt thin, as if only a credit card and a driver's license were inside. “I was terrified to even open it,� he remembers over a decade later. “But of course that's all you need when you're a billionaire right?�Gates' star turn at the Tokyo Game Show was supposed to show the Japanese game industry that Microsoft was serious about getting into the console business. Gates, one of the most famous people in the world, one of the most respected businessmen ever, had taken the time to make sure Japan felt important.But all didn't go according to plan.Bill Gates on stage with Sega executives announcing its 11 game deal for Xbox at TGS Spring 2001.

Gates spoke eloquently about the importance of the Japanese game industry, of his reverence of Isao Okawa, the former president of Sega who had died two weeks before the show after a battle with cancer. Okawa was a "great man who accomplished many things" Gates said. The Japanese, wearing headsets pumping out frantic translations, listened intently and respectfully, as the Japanese do. But when Gates started talking about the Xbox his keynote turned from insightful industry analysis into a sales pitch.Gates announced Sega would design eleven games for the Xbox, including Panzer Dragoon, Jet Grind Radio Future, Sega GT 2 and Gun Valkyrie. He announced the Xbox controller S, a slightly smaller version of the reviled controller that would come with US and European launch units, with the buttons positioned to best accommodate styles of gameplay popular in Japan. And he announced Microsoft's Xbox Japan division, run by former Sony game development chief Toshiyuki Miyata, set up to make Japanese games for Xbox to appeal to Japanese gamers and to sign Japanese games made by Japanese publishers.Miyata previewed Xbox games with videos and demos - Azurik: Rise of Perathia, Amped: Freestyle Snowboarding, NFL Fever 2002 and Halo, which would all launch in Japan. Konami's Air Force Delta 2 and Tecmo's recently confirmed Dead or Alive 3 were shown to highlight the support from Japanese publishers. Gates spoke of the console's 8GB hard drive, saying, "people still underestimate the difference it will make�."In the Japanese market feedback is naturally different from the United States," Gates said. How right he was.

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/20...ailed-in-japan

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Medal of Honor: Warfighter 'The Hunt' map pack out next week

December 16th, 2012, 21:35 Posted By: wraggster

Medal of Honor: Warfighter players will be able to download 'The Hunt' map pack (aka the 'Zero Dark Thirty map pack' in US) next week.
The pack will be released on December 17 on PC, December 18 on Xbox 360 and PS3 in US, and December 19 on PS3 in UK.It'll be free to those with Limited or pre-order copies of the Digital Deluxe edition. Otherwise, it will be priced at $9.99 or 800 MS points.
The pack comes with two new maps; The Darra Gun Market and Chitra Compound. Here's are descriptions for those courtesy of level designer Marc Janas:
"The Darra Gun Market map contains a scenic river crossing with high intensity combat over the ravine, the gunsmith pit which is right along the docks, and the abandoned estate that provides an overwatch for the entire middle section of the map. Players of each class will find areas that support their play style - there are great sniper positions, as well as several sneaky routes located around each of the objectives.
"Chitral Compound is based loosely on the area you scoured for the Cleric in single player. It features a small town center checkpoint with roof to roof combat, a large dried up river valley which provides many great sniping opportunities, and the strongly fortified compound which contains several locations perfect for bipod play in Homerun Mode."
The pack will also contain new weapon camo options and new weapon attachments. Here's the list:
14 NEW WEAPON CAMOS
- Atlas
- Mako
- Blackbird
- Grizzly
- Neptune
- Gunslinger
- Ranger
- Wolfpack
- LBT
- Tactical Pink
- Hunter
- Tree Bark
- Snake Peel
- Dev Team
NEW WEAPON ATTACHMENTS
- EBR: Standard Barrel + PEQ-15, Trijicon TA648-308 + RMR
- AK103: Lightweight Barrel + Surefire Rail & Foregrip, Trijicon RMR
- MG4: Lightweight Barrel + Handguard, No Stock
- G36: Quad Rail + LLM01, Aimpoint Micro T1 + 3x Magnifier
- MK16PDW: Lightweight Barrel + PEQ-15, Trijicon 1x42
- OBR762: Standard Barrel + PEQ-15, US Optics SN-8
http://www.computerandvideogames.com...out-next-week/

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Bohemia postpones Arma 3

December 16th, 2012, 21:17 Posted By: wraggster

Arma 3 has been officially postponed until 2013 by developer Bohemia Interactive.
The decision comes as two of its staff remain in jailfollowing their arrest over allegations that they were scouting a military base on the Greek island of Lemnos in the name of research for the game.
All parties have continually denied the claims.
"We’ve been in the process of implementing changes that will help us innovate as a studio under unexpected circumstances – facing problems we simply couldn't have imagined�, Arma 3 project lead Joris-Jan van ‘t Land, who has taken over from the now departed Daniel Musil, stated.
“We're still trying to make sense of the situation and hope that our colleagues will be released soon. Although their plight has certainly affected us on a personal level, we continue working on the tasks identified as key to the release of Arma 3.
"I hope this update provides some answers regarding the status of the project. We’re currently sorting the specifics so we can deliver a more complete announcement at the beginning of next year."
The studio says that the additional development time “enables the project to reach its full potential�.
Bohemia is also working on a standalone version of DayZ along with its original creator Dean Hall.

http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/bohem...arma-3/0108236

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Earth Defense Force 2025 begins in 2013

December 14th, 2012, 00:54 Posted By: wraggster

Giant bugs are making their way back to Earth, and their disposal is in the hands of the usual extermination team: the Earth Defense Force. The PS3/Xbox 360 sequel Earth Defense Force 4 is being localized for North America and Europe as Earth Defense Force 2025, for release in 2013.

The previous console release in the series, Earth Defense Force: Insect Armageddon, was handed off to frequent D3 collaborator and Matt Hazard studio Vicious Cycle. But EDF 4 is the work of Sandlot, the developer who originated the series as a low-cost "Simple 2000" game for PS2.

http://www.joystiq.com/2012/12/13/ea...egins-in-2013/

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Xbox Live: countdown to 2013 sale incoming

December 14th, 2012, 00:46 Posted By: wraggster

Microsoft is to hold a massive Xbox Live content sale in the run-up to 2013.
Kicking off next Tuesday, December 18 and running until Monday December 31, the promotion will include deals on Games on Demand, Arcade titles, DLC and Avatar items.While the discounts are yet to be revealed, aNeoGAF user has published the following list of content set to be offered at reduced prices:
XBLA Games

• Frogger: Hyper Arcade Edition
• Joe Danger 2: The Movie
• Zuma's Revenge!
• The Simpsons Arcade Game
• Wreckateer
• Plants vs. Zombies
• Peggle
• Peggle Nights Content Pack
• Fire Pro Wrestling
• SONIC 4 Episode II
• Sonic The Hedgehog 2
• RAW
• A World of Keflings
• A World of Keflings - Sugar, Spice and Not So Nice
• A World of Keflings - It Came From Outer Space
• Kinect Party
• Jet Set Radio

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Crytek CEO drops possible hint at 8GB of RAM in next-gen consoles

December 13th, 2012, 00:20 Posted By: wraggster

While Xbox 360 and PS3 both have 512MB of RAM, it has been rumoured thatXbox 720 will feature 8GB of RAM, and recent comments by Crytek CEO Cevat Yerli could be seen to back up this theory.
Asked what he'd like the platform holders to factor into new console hardware, Yerli toldVideoGamer "you can never have enough memory"."Memory is the single most important thing that is always going to be underbalanced - I've never seen a console where the memory was the right balance.
"Xbox 360, underbalanced. PlayStation 3, underbalanced. Simply because memory is the most expensive part, hence I wish there would be cheaper ways of doing memory so that memory doesn't become an issue anymore."
He added: "If they find ways to cheapen the cost to a degree they could triple or quadruple their memory. Just say, 'Hey we're going to have 32 gigs of memory'. That would be quite amazing because memory can do so many more techniques and tricks."
Last year Crytek's R&D principal graphics engineer, Tiago Sousa, said he'd really like to see next-gen consoles feature a minimum of 8GB" of RAM.
"My finger-pointing at Microsoft/Sony would really be on the memory side. It's way too low, and the biggest crippling factor from a visual perspective," he added.
Xbox World has been at the cutting edge of Xbox 720 coverage and over the weekend, ahead of the release of the mag's final issue, we published its huge 'Xbox 720: everything we know' feature, which does its best to expose Microsoft's next-gen console plans.

http://www.computerandvideogames.com...-gen-consoles/

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Final issues of PSM3 and Xbox World out today

December 13th, 2012, 00:18 Posted By: wraggster

The final issues of PSM3 and Xbox World go on sale today.
As part of its final issue, the PSM3 team polled its readers and debated the '50 greatest PS moments ever'.
The final issue also includes a list of the 25 greatest PlayStation games ever, voted for by the PSM3 team, a ten page PSM3 celebration feature, and lists including the mag's Top 10 features ever, Worst 5 games ever and where departed staff members are now.
PSM3 editor Dan Dawkins has written a feature talking about the 'making of' PSM3, office secrets, the highs and lows, how things have changed and how the future looks.
Finally, included is a poster with all 161 PSM3 covers.
Meanwhile Xbox World rounds up the biggest, loudest, saddest, funniest, most shocking moments in Xbox history and gives GTA5, arguably the biggest Xbox game of 2013, one final, epic preview.
The team looks back at the history of Xbox World, highlighting everything from the best covers to the worst puns, and ex-editor Tim Weaver also reflects on his years in charge of Xbox World, revealing touching truths, and his special relationship with Master Chief.
Xbox World was launched by Computec Media in 2003, before being purchased by Future later the same year alongside sister mag PlayStation World (PSW).
PSM3 was launched by Future in 2000 as PSM2 and has published over 160 issues.
Buy the final issue of Xbox World online or on Apple Newsstand here (UK) or here (US).
Buy the final issue of PSM3 onlineor on iOS here (UK) or here (US).

http://www.computerandvideogames.com...rld-out-today/

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Final issues of PSM3 and Xbox World out today

December 13th, 2012, 00:18 Posted By: wraggster

The final issues of PSM3 and Xbox World go on sale today.
As part of its final issue, the PSM3 team polled its readers and debated the '50 greatest PS moments ever'.
The final issue also includes a list of the 25 greatest PlayStation games ever, voted for by the PSM3 team, a ten page PSM3 celebration feature, and lists including the mag's Top 10 features ever, Worst 5 games ever and where departed staff members are now.
PSM3 editor Dan Dawkins has written a feature talking about the 'making of' PSM3, office secrets, the highs and lows, how things have changed and how the future looks.
Finally, included is a poster with all 161 PSM3 covers.
Meanwhile Xbox World rounds up the biggest, loudest, saddest, funniest, most shocking moments in Xbox history and gives GTA5, arguably the biggest Xbox game of 2013, one final, epic preview.
The team looks back at the history of Xbox World, highlighting everything from the best covers to the worst puns, and ex-editor Tim Weaver also reflects on his years in charge of Xbox World, revealing touching truths, and his special relationship with Master Chief.
Xbox World was launched by Computec Media in 2003, before being purchased by Future later the same year alongside sister mag PlayStation World (PSW).
PSM3 was launched by Future in 2000 as PSM2 and has published over 160 issues.
Buy the final issue of Xbox World online or on Apple Newsstand here (UK) or here (US).
Buy the final issue of PSM3 onlineor on iOS here (UK) or here (US).

http://www.computerandvideogames.com...rld-out-today/

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Assassin's Creed III smashes through 7m games sold

December 12th, 2012, 23:46 Posted By: wraggster

Assassin's Creed III is the fastest-selling game in Ubisoft's history, shifting 7m units worldwide.
The publisher also showed off some other intriguing stats. Players have spent a combined 8,200 years playing the solo missions, with three billion assassinations.
The company boasts that it has had a lot more success with the multiplayer this time around. Twice as many players have played the game's multiplayer mode than last year's Assassin's Creed: Revelations, with over five billion sessions.
“We are delighted with the performance of Assassin’s Creed III this Christmas,� said UK MD Rob Cooper.
“This is a beautiful and epic game of exceptional quality and we’re pleased that our fans have responded so well to the brand new universe, storyline and game experience.�

http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/assas...s-sold/0108027

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Crysis 3 will require all but "less than 1%" of console horsepower

December 12th, 2012, 01:40 Posted By: wraggster

Crytek CEO Cevat Yerli says Crysis 3 will max out the capabilities of both the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.
During an interview with Videogamer (via VG 24/7), Yerli claimed Crysis 3 will be the most technically demanding title to reach current generation consoles."Crysis 3 is absolutely maxing out the consoles," he said. "There is absolutely not even 1 percent left."
Yerli went on to say that even Crysis 2 proved more demanding than most of the competition. "No game will ever look technically better than Crysis 3 on these consoles, flat out. Most games are not even anywhere near Crysis 2 technically.
"I'm not talking about art style - art is subjective - but the pure fact of what we have been cramming in with Crysis 2 on Xbox and PlayStation, I've yet to see a game do that still today."
Crysis 3 will release on February 19 in US and February 22 in Europe, it was reported last week.

http://www.computerandvideogames.com...le-horsepower/

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Wealth of new content coming to Xbox LIVE

December 12th, 2012, 01:29 Posted By: wraggster

Gold users worldwide to receive TV and service apps
[h=3]Microsoft[/h]microsoft.com


Gold users of Microsoft's Xbox LIVE are to receive a new swath of apps and TV channels for the service, with territory specific offerings coming to consoles across the globe.
Announced via the company's Major Nelson blog, over 50 TV channels and services are featured, as well as some more esoteric brands, including Sainsburys for the UK and Maxim in the US.
All the channels and apps will be available between now and Spring 2013, with several launching today. A full list of the services is below, more details are available at Major Nelson.

• 1. All3M (United Kingdom, United States)
• 2. Ameba TV (Canada, United States)
• 3. ARTE (Germany, France)
• 4. Azteca (Mexico)
• 5. Canalplay Infinity (France)
• 6. CBC's Hockey Night (Canada)
• 7. CrunchyRoll (Majority of LIVE Regions)
• 8. Deezer (Majority of LIVE Regions)
• 9. Eredivisie Live (Netherlands)
• 10. Fightbox (Austria, Germany, Spain, France, Ireland, Italy, Sweden, United Kingdom)
• 11. Flixster (United States)
• 12. GameTrailers (Australia, Canada, Germany, Spain, France, Italy, Japan, Mexico, United Kingdom, United States)
• 13. Globosat Muu (Brazil)
• 14. Gulli Replay (France)
• 15. HBO Nordics (Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden)
• 16. IndieFlix (Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, United Kingdom, United States)
• 17. Livesport.tv (Austria, Belgium, Germany, Denmark, Spain, Finland, France, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, New Zealand, Sweden, United Kingdom)
• 18. Machinima (Majority of LIVE Regions)
• 19. Maxim (United States)
• 20. MTV (United States)
• 21. MyTF1 (France)
• 22. MyTF1VOD (France)
• 23. Napster (Germany, United Kingdom)
• 24. Pathe Thuis (Netherlands)
• 25. PBS (United States)
• 26. PopcornFlix (United States)
• 27. Rai TV (Italy)
• 28. Sainsbury (United Kingdom)
• 29. Saraiva (Brazil)
• 30. SBS (Netherlands)
• 31. SF Anytime (Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden)
• 32. Slacker Radio (Canada, United States)
• 33. SPORT1 (Austria, Germany)
• 34. The CW Network (United States)
• 35. Televisa (Mexico)
• 36. TV3 (Spain)
• 37. Viaplay (Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden)
• 38. Vidéo Ã* la Demande d'Orange (France)
• 39. Vimeo (United States)
• 40. VIVO Play (Brazil)
• 41. Watchever (Austria, Germany)
• 42. Zattoo (Germany)
• 43. Ziggo (Netherlands)
• 44. ARTE (Germany, France)
• 45. CinemaNow (Expanding to Canada)
• 46. CNET (United States, Canada)
• 47. Karaoke (All LIVE regions, excluding Japan and United Arab Emirates)
• 48. Maxim (United States)
• 49. Napster (Germany, United Kingdom)
• 50. SkyDrive (All LIVE regions)
• 51. SPORT1 (Austria, Germany)
• 52. VEVO (Expanding to Spain, Italy & France)
• 53. Zattoo (Germany)

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43 new apps flood Xbox 360

December 12th, 2012, 00:44 Posted By: wraggster

Microsoft has announced the release of 43 apps for Xbox 360 spread across various regions between now and spring 2013.
The new apps for the UK Xbox Live Marketplace are Sainsbury’s, streaming music service Napster, CrunchyRoll, All3M, Fightbox, GameTrailers, IndieFlix and Livesport.tv.
Also available is Microsoft’s new pay-as-you-play Karaoke app. It offers over 8,000 songs across a spectrum of eras and genres and is Smartglass compatible. Tracks are streamed and do not require downloading.
It costs 240 MSP for two hours, 400 MSP for six hours and 800 MSP for 24 hours
http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/43-ap...ox-360/0107934

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'Oban', 'Kryptos' and 'Thebes' - the latest PS4 and Xbox 720 rumours

December 12th, 2012, 00:41 Posted By: wraggster

The safe money is on both Sony and Microsoft announcing their next-gen consoles next year, so expect the rumour mill to intensify from this point onwards.
VG247 has rounded up the latest batch of rumours that suggest new codenames for the mysterious hardware duo.
New reports have reaffirmed previous claims that Microsoft’s console will run on an AMD chip going under the codename of ‘Oban’ that was scheduled to go into mass production at the end of this year. However, component quality concerns have reportedly lead to a delay to the schedule.
It also adds that the current codename for the hardware is ‘Kryptos’, replacing the previously rumoured ‘Durango’.
Indeed, it’s not the first time we’ve heard of Xbox 720 production worries, with a report in September claiming that Oban yields were “worse than painfully low� and a possible delay from the then rumoured September 2013 launch.
As for PS4, its internal codename is said to be ‘Thebes’ with AMD also providing the key components. Global Foundries or IBM are set to become the likely manufacturer, with a release supposedly set for 2014.
However, MCV is lead to believe that both PS4 and Xbox 720 are now squarely on track for a 2013 launch. And one of the pair could even be revealed before E3 in July.

http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/oban-...umours/0107943

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Minecraft Xbox Title Update 7 detailed, 'The End' due in Update 8

December 10th, 2012, 23:59 Posted By: wraggster

Minecraft Xbox 360 Edition developer 4J Studios is hard at work on Title Update 7.
Speaking via Twitter (thanks OXM), the developer has offered new info on what's in store for the update, including the arrival of the Enchantment system which lets players enhance weapons and gear at enchantment tables.A new player leveling system is also inbound, with a leveling-up rate of one level per every 30 experience points.
4JS warns that Spawn Eggs, Iron Golems, Ocelots and jungles will not be part of Update 7, but a 'later update'.
At the same time, the studio has confirmed that 'The End' - a sequence that'll see players do battle with a giant dragon in a Hell dimension, will be delivered in Title Update 8.
No release dates were offered for either updates.
Minecraft: Xbox 360 Edition has sold nearly 4.5 million copies, the game's developer has recently claimed.

http://www.computerandvideogames.com...e-in-update-8/

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Xbox World investigates: The 14 game-changing features of Xbox 720

December 10th, 2012, 23:56 Posted By: wraggster

Way back in January, Xbox World revealed everything its sources had to say about the next Xbox, from CPU specs to details on the bizarre augmented reality glasses you'll likely be using in late 2014. Six months later, a leaked Microsoft document confirmed it all.
It's fair to say Xbox World has been at the cutting edge of Durango coverage for over 12 months, and now, ahead of its final issue, their huge "everything we know" feature does its best to expose Microsoft's next-gen console plans.
The final issue of Xbox World goes on sale Wednesday, December 12. You can still buy issues of Xbox World online or via Apple Newsstand here (UK) or here (US).

[h=3]THE 14 GAME-CHANGING FEATURES OF XBOX 720[/h]Words: Xbox World issue 125, November 2012
Microsoft never "comment on rumour or speculation", so we turned to a panel of industry experts and asked them about the most hotly rumoured features of the next Xbox - Kinect 2.0, Blu-ray, a quad-core CPU, 8Gb of RAM, directional audio, a TV output and input, the customisable controller and those incredible AR specs.
Don't expect the next Xbox to be called Xbox 3 or Xbox 720. Apple has changed the rules on branding, so when the next generation arrives it'll almost certainly just be 'Xbox'. That part is speculation, but everything else you're about to read has come from industry experts and from Microsoft's own leaky boat.
The next Xbox will hit shelves in November 2013 and the best developers in the world are already working on it. Rare has Kinect Sports 3, Bungie has Destiny, Lionhead has the long-rumoured Fable MMO, 343 has Halo 5, DICE has Battlefield 4, and Turn 10 has Forza 5, and you won't have to wait long to see them.
Unless something really dramatic changes, everything you see here will be revealed long before June's E3 conference, at Microsoft's annual 'X' showcase in February or March next year. The next-generation countdown starts now...

---

[h=3]MASSIVE POWER[/h]Microsoft's 'Durango' development kits are already in developers' hands, and the CPU at the heart of the machine is a monster. Where 360 has a three-core CPU from 2005, Durango promises four hardware cores, each divided into four logical cores - a spec greater than anything even the most hardcore PC gamer has on his desktop.
"On paper the 360's specs are still fairly respectable," says Matt Ployhar, senior product planner on Nvidia's Consumer Applications Product Team. "It has three cores clocked roughly at 3.2Ghz each, and the newer 360s have a 45nm chip using less power. However, it's not until you really start digging that the bigger advancements that have been made in CPU architectures start becoming more apparent.
Xbox World's mock-up of what it expects the next-gen Xbox to look like. "The future will be black, sharp and curved.""Today, a 'next-gen' console would likely want to use the latest and greatest architecture it could in order to sustain itself over another five to ten year time frame."Specifications-wise, we'd end up with a 22-28nm chip, another processing core at roughly the same clock speeds, a cache that is not only faster but four times bigger, six times the number of transistors; all while keeping in the same ballpark or better for power constraints. That's not too shabby, and it doesn't even begin to cover the fact graphics can occupy space on that same physical die and easily match current-generation graphics performance."

---

[h=3]PUTTING THE POWER TO WORK[/h]So you've got all this extra power... what can you do with it? "We can simulate more things and simulate those things better," says Simon Mack, chief tech man at Naturalmotion - the Cambridge-based studio behind GTAIV's physics.
"You get more physics, you get better fidelity. We can expect to see more simulated characters and richer worlds. We can start to look at having more complex characters under simulation with more complex interactions, and can add more things - hair and cloth and that sort of thing. This all helps to increase believability.

"Right now, game environments are generally restricted to straightforward simulated objects. Having a greater level of physical simulation means you can have more detailed interaction with it. At its most basic, how about destruction? Destruction of objects, of cloth, and soon... That means your character can affect the world in a more detailed and interesting way, as well as have the world affect the character.
"As you up the number of possible interactions in the game, it becomes harder to manage the gameplay. That's the challenge many developers will face, but we think that will benefit gameplay in coming years."

---

[h=3]KINECT 2.0[/h]Kinect 2.0 tracks up to four players and can read even the smallest movements of your fingers thanks to advancements in the camera technology and the additional processing grunt, rumours suggest, but there are other Microsoft technologies which will feed into the next generation of Microsoft's often dubious motion sensor.
"For the last couple of years we have explored how to use depth-sensing cameras to enable interactions on surfaces in the environment," says Microsoft researcher Hrvoje Benko.
His device, Omnitouch, turns any surface into an interactive touch screen using a projector or - potentially - augmented reality specs. "Coupled with a pico projector, one can turn anything into an interactive surface. It's possible to track fingers in mid-air and reason about their collisions with other objects, thus simulating the multi-touch interactions from smartphones and slates."
Coupled with a miniature projector and Benko's tech, the next Xbox could project a board game right onto your coffee table or give you a virtual keyboard at any time. But even that's thinking small compared to what Microsoft has in mind...

http://www.computerandvideogames.com...the-next-xbox/

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Call of Duty suffers 14 per cent sales decline in first month in US

December 10th, 2012, 22:18 Posted By: wraggster

Month one sales for Call of Duty: Black Ops II were down 14 per cent on the 2011 November sales of Modern Warfare 3, a report has claimed.
Gamasutra reckons that the game shifted 4.5m on Xbox 360 and 2.9m on PS3. Sales of the Wii U and PlayStation Vita versions were not included.
MW3 sold 8.8m units in the US in its first month, up ten per cent on the equivalent sales of 2010’s Black Ops. However, Black Ops II sold just 7.4m in the same period. Doug Creutz of Cowen and Company had forecast sales of 7.9m units.
In addition, Longbow Research's James Hardiman reckons that Activision shot itself in the foot by issuing a press release stating that the game had beaten its predecessor to $1bn sales.
"We do not believe that Activision did itself any favours by putting out a press release touting that Black Ops II had crossed $1bn in just 15 days, faster than the 16 days required for Modern Warfare 3 to reach the $1bn mark," he said.
"What management did not mention is the fact that with an earlier release date, Modern Warfare 3 was able to reach $1bn a day before Thanksgiving, whereas Black Ops II was not able to get there until after Cyber Monday."

http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/call-...-in-us/0107851

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Matrix Team news roundup

December 10th, 2012, 16:45 Posted By: wraggster

source: infinitymod.com] Matrix Freedom Light for 16D4S, and coming Matrix Freedom 1175 board replacement for 16D5S. Regarding the 16D5S drives, we are inching to the end of the testing and engineering road. There has been a bunch of issues that needed to be taken care of, now all of this seems solved and we are ready to proceed to the final prototype and testing of the board and the key extractor system. Secondly, due to huge request, we are manufacturing some cheaper 16D4S replacement boards, renamed Freedom Light. The Freedom Light does not have the tray cable fixed on board, but it comes with the double option to solder the cable directly on board of the Freedom Light or to use the optional solder less kit. Installers will be free to solder the cable as we know they prefer to do so, while end user can use the solder less kit to install without need of soldering tools.

http://www.eurasia.nu/modules.php?na...ticle&sid=3115

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