PC gamers have had it bad over the past one year. The most ambitious version of the Grand Theft Auto came out about a year ago and they still haven’t had the opportunity to try out the three menacing protagonists. The game released for the PS3 and the Xbox 360 last year. Rockstar games are now going to release the much awaited game on PC, PS4 and Xbox in the Fall of this year.
The Game itself is extremely enticing. A gamer can control three protagonists and navigate around the maps on foot or on vehicle, a cause a lot of damage. They have a massive open world to explore and conquer.
This GTA release will include the Grand Theft Auto Online. Apart from that, all content released after the launch will be included in the purchase. It will also carry on game data from previous versions and progresses can be carried forward to the new system.
Get Ready for some enhanced kickass experience
GTA 5 will be enhanced for the PC users. The makers say they want to utilize the full potential of the PC. The new version will have higher resolution and graphical detail, denser traffic, greater draw distances, upgraded AI, and advanced weather and damage effects. These will definitely add to the pleasures of the pernicious protagonists and the players alike.
The PC release is also touted to have new wildlife. Guess the open world exploration of the GTA world just got a lot more interesting. The release last year was a phenomenal success, the game earned a Billion dollars in just the first three days after its release. It also took home most of the “Game of the Year” awards. And with heavy demand on the new consoles and the PC, it is expected to recreate the success of last year.
It’s time that PC gamers stop damping up the floor with their saliva looking at the GTA gameplays. It’s time for them to take care of some serious business.
The gamers paradise is sizzling with action. The E3 or the Electronic Entertainment Expo is the biggest Gaming conference. E3 2014 had some of the biggest names having their moment on the podium and a lots of games found their way to the spotlight. We bring you the latest releases from all of them.
Microsoft:
After the mega release of the Xbox One last year, Microsoft concentrated mostly on the games for their gaming console. The Games list from Microsoft stands at:
a) “Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare”
b) “Forza Horizon 2”
c) “Evolve”
d) “Assassin’s Creed: Unity”
e) “Dragon Age Inquisition”
f) “Sunset Overdrive”
g) “Capcom: Dead Rising 3 DLC”
h) “Dance Central Spotlight”
i) “Fable Legends”
j) “Project: Spark”
k) “Ori and the Blind Forest”
The Announcement of Halo masterclass got a lot of folks excited
The most welcome news from Microsoft’s stable was the Halo Masterchief Collection. This will hold all the previous Halo versions plus the beta versions of upcoming versions, i.e Halo Nightfall and Halo: Guardians.
Electronic Arts(EA):
The Mega Giant of the gaming industry had some sweet surprises for the gaming enthusiasts. Some of these games were demo of future releases. It’s almost like a cool prototype you saw at an auto show and wanted to know when its coming out only to know that date don’t exist. Hopefully that won’t be the case with:
a) Untitled first person racing games: This one will be for the Go-Pro inspired generations. Have you ever seen those epic videos that those puny little cameras have captured and thought to yourself “wish I could do that.” Well this game aims to do just that. It will let the users operate in first person a huge assortment of vehicles such as cars, ATVs, helicopters, planes, jet-skis and more.
b) Mass Effect 4 and other Bioware games
c) Star Wars Battlefront
d) Mirror’s Edge 2: This was one of the most impressive and innovative games. The new version will show Faith (the lead) continue her intense badassery and take it to a new level. The parkour in this version will be more realistic and combat. This will be one of the games to look forward to.
Apart from this the usual sports games from the EA menu are also going to be released in their yearly release. This includes FIFA, Madden and NHL. Along with the Sims 4, the medival bonanza of pop culture will be celebrated with Dragon Age : Inquisition.
A lot of Dhoom in Battlefield Hardline
If you are a fan of fast paced urban action games, then Battlefield: Hardline Demo is the game for you. It’s a crime thriller with cops and robbers Dhooming around town. Somehow the visuals reminded us of the terrible, over used Amir khan dialogues from Dhoom 3.
Ubisoft:
The French gaming conglomerate had some impressive showcase this year. Heres the Ubisoft game list for the year:
a) Far Cry 4
b) Just Dance 2015
c) Tom Clancy’s The Division
d) The Crew
e) Assassins Creed Unity
f) Shape Up
g) Valiant Hearts: The Great War
h) Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Shield
This was a safe year for Ubisoft but their product line up was varied and will impress all kinds gaming pleasure seekers.
Sony:
They released the monster last year and now it’s time to feed it. After what must have been a long wait, the company showed off its games counter and it was truly impressive. It has a healthy mix of offerings for everyone this year. Here is what you can feast on this year on your PS4’s
a) Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End
b) The Order: 1886
c) Infamous: First Light
d) LittleBigPlanet 3
e) Destiny
f) Bloodborne
g) No Man’s Sky
h) Mortal Kombat X
i) Batman: Arkham Knight
j) Remakes and Free-to-Play
One of the biggest announcements was that Grand Theft Auto will finally make it on the PS4 by this fall. By the end of July the PS4 version of The Last of Us: Remastered will be out.
Sony also showed off some free to play games such as Kingdom Under Fire II, Planetside 2 and War Thunder just to show that it cares.
Nintendo:
The Japanese came with a plan when they unleashed their games with a kickass Robot Chicken inspired segments. Seth Green’s boys made some hilarious pieces with Nintendo characters that left the audience in splits.
Nintendo also had actual gameplay in the trailer making it a more authentic sell. They also had a good number of games for their handheld platforms Wii U and Ninendo 3DS.
Here is their Games list for 2014:
a) Super Smash Bros.’ for Wii U and 3DS
b) Yoshi’s Wooly World’
c) Captain Toad’s Treasure Tracker
d) The new ‘Legend of Zelda’
e) Pokémon Omega Ruby’ and ‘Alpha Sapphire’
f) Bayonetta 2
g) Hyrule Warriors
h) Kirby and the Rainbow Curse
i) Xenoblade Chronicles X
j) Mario Maker
k) Splatoon
l) Fantasy Life
m) Professor Layton vs Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney
n) Mario Party 10
Nintendo brought some extra fun in gaming with the Amiibos
Amiibos come in your favorite Nintendo Characters
Apart from this Nintendo also released a action figure series called Amiibo. These figures have to ability to remember the user’s stats, fighting styles and character traits and can be used with the Wii U. There a lot of possibilities
The Major players have showcased their goodies for 2014 and we look forward to bringing you more in-depth Game reviews as soon as we get to lay our hands on them.
The Verge has reported that Microsoft is in the process of inducting Kinect features in its next Windows phone, code named “Mclaren”. The Mclaren was introduced to the world through phone tripsters EVLeaks.
The phone will be a successor to the Lumia 1020 and will boast propriety technology like 3D touch and Real Motion. These features will assist in interaction with the phone without actually touching the display.
Kinect is now integral to the Xbox experience
Kinect was reveled at the 2010 E3 conference. Kinect made sense on a large screen system like the Xbox. Its features which made technology invisible was appreciated by people. The question that everyone seems to be asking is whether a phone version of Kinect will actually have some benefits or will be just another gimmicky add-on.
Some of the reported features include the ability to answer a phone call by just bringing it to your ears or cutting a call when the phone is dropped back in the pocket. The phone can also be put on a table to start an speakerphone conversation. These features have to be utility based or else they will end up as the Air Gestures in the Samsung phones.
The phone will also be fitted with pressure sensing instruments on the sides to detect changes in grip. They want to make external buttons completely obsolete. One of the way this can be used is gripping the phone can power on the device. Even the Camera can be zoomed in and out just by doing the usual pinching motions near the device.
These features were originally intended to be used on the Windows 8.1 powered Nokia Goldfinger phones. This phone is now being pushed back for a later release, while the Mclaren is being given priority. This is one more way in which Microsoft is pushing the Nokia name off the edge. Some have said that Nokia’s innovations are being stripped for profitable parts in Microsoft’s research labs.
The new UI will be inspired by Zune Mixview
The phones will also have a tiny UI renovation with the Kinect induction. When pointed above a tile it will open multiple floating tiles. This is inspired by the Zune Mixview. The tech makes sense on a big screen where there was minimum learning curve, but in a small screen it will be a whole different story. Microsoft would have had to go back to the drawing board to make the technology featurable on a handheld device.
Now as these are still leaks and we’d have to wait for the device to come in our hands before we comment on the functionality of these features. This of course will be a good experiment to look forward to. Microsoft Xbox’s Kinectic abilities suit it well for a home entertainment system, but it has to take some real efforts to convince people that hovering fingers over your phone is as good as having a touch response.
Well the wait is over, Microsoft has officially confirmed that Xbox One will be available in India on 23rd Sept 2014 starting at INR 39,990. They will also launch Xbox One with Kinect at INR 45,990. Both bundles will include the Xbox One console with a 500GB hard drive, Xbox One Wireless Controller, and a free 14-day trial of Xbox Live Gold for new members.
Microsoft had announced a rough September timeline for India launch (along with 25 other countries) back in March. Conspicuously, Sony launched the PS4 in India (at the same Rs. 39,990 price) in January making Microsoft lag behind by 9 months.
The owners of Xbox One with Kinect will be able to experience a number of games and entertainment experiences special to Xbox such as gesture controls, biometric sign-in, controller paring, Skype video calls, direct personalization, instant scanning of QR codes, and improved features only available with Kinect in games such “Kinect Sports Rivals,” “Dead Rising 3,” and “Project Spark.”
Both the Microsoft Xbox One and Sony PlayStation 4 use an incorporated CPU-GPU design by AMD, including an 8-core low power x86-64 AMD “Jaguar” CPU. The Xbox One’s CPU cores runs at 1.75GHz, compared to the Sony PlayStation 4’s 1.6GHz. Although, it doesn’t make any tangible difference.
Xbox One is packed with features like the Game DVR/Upload which lets you capture and record your greatest game moments and through ‘Upload Studio’ you can easily edit and share clips with your friends and community. It also offers many apps such as Skype which is specially designed for Xbox One, Internet Explorer, OneDrive, Twitch, Machinima and IGN integrated flawlessly with your games and TV experience.
Back in 2013 when it was launched in USA, Microsoft sold approximately 2 million units of Xbox One gaming consoles in its first 18 days on sale. It is too early to say that Microsoft will match its success in India, but it surely will give a tough competition to Sony’s PS 4.
While the Oculus Rift was setting up the stage for the Virtual Reality(VR) revolution, one Chinese open source project might turtle its way to the finish line. A Chinese company called ANTVR is offering VR headsets which have everything that a proprietary system like Oculus lags. Get ready for a whole new iOS-Android like battle.
The shining glory of the ANTVR is it flexibility of integration on multiple platforms. It can be used with Xbox, Playstation, PC, Blu Ray and even the Android. Right now Oculus only plays the games made for its system and Sony’s project Morpheus will only run on the PS4(Lame!).
It is easy to make games for the ANTVR because of its an Asperical Lens system. The lens also allows proper recreation of the image and takes out any aberrations. This might actually help correct the complaints of vertigo in the likes of the Oculus Rift. Adjustable pupil distance also helps to reduce the strain on the eyes.
The headset gives a 360 degrees immersive vision. It has a dual 9 axis Inertial Measurement Unit(IMU), which bestows on it better capabilities for sensing the movements of the user. The IMU is integrated in the headset as well as the controller. The headset’s 100 degree straight vision gives a feeling of wearing an entire IMAX screen on your head.
ANTVR co-founder Qin Zheng quit his PhD to work on the system. He and his entire team look as if they are the members of the fellowship of Nerdliwood. Maybe it is because they themselves are Sci-Fi and gaming nerds that they can perfect a system that other fan boys and girls can enjoy.
Another key area where the ANTVR succeeds in is its transformable controller that offers multiple functionality. The controller can be used as a standard controller, a steering wheel, a gun or even a simulated hand grenades, can it BE more all-round convenient? There is also an option for standard cables as well as a wireless version of the controller.
The designs for the ANTVR systems are done by China based industrial designers LKK. They have come up with really ingenious and kickass designs. The transformable controller especially will be a boon to the gamers.The software’s and sensors are designed for a complete immersive experience. The detachable controller makes it extremely simple to use. Easy placement on the head even with spectacles is a welcome development.
ANTVR’s open source platform opens it up to enormous possiblilities. Qin Zheng has said that he will provide all documentation and libraries to the public. This approach will help increase the rate of upgradation of firmware and rapid feedback and growth for the ANTVR in comparison to its competitors.
The most respectable part of Zheng’s approach is that he has made it clear that he will not sell the company. The company has already scored $212,344 with its kickstarter campaign whose target was $200,000. The selling price of the individual equipment is around 300$ which will be a direct competition to the Oculus Rift’s consumer version.
We seriously hope for the ANTVR project to live long and prosper and set a milestone in the VR arena. This will also force big companies like Facebook (owners of Oculus) to try to one up the competition and come up with better products.
Music games are great for parties with close friends who won’t judge you when you totally tear down that one riff in David Bowies’ Let’s Dance. But they do have one weak spot: you can’t play them without all the plastic instrument accessories, making impulsive sessions at a friend’s place somewhat of a chore. The creators of Sony’s SingStar series have found a solution for that.
To celebrate it’s 10th anniversary, the SingStar franchise is launching a new app that enables you to turn your phone into a microphone. SingStar Director Chris Bruce wrote on the playstation blog, “We’re really pleased to announce that SingStar will be coming to PS4 later this year. Not only that but we will also be launching a free SingStar app that will transform your smartphone into a microphone. That’s right, no more mics required!”
The app works with both PS3 and PS4 versions and is also compatible with most iOS and Android smartphones and devices. The app also lets you create your own personal playlists.
The karaoke party game series previously required players to use USB microphones to sing along and compete against friends. Later this year they have promised SingStar: Ultimate Party on PS3 and PS4, which will host a collection of 30 tracks, which represents great value for anyone new to SingStar. Players will be able to select playlists directly from their phones as well.
With its improved scoring system, you can also build up your XP and get rewarded for game activity, or challenge your friends online and entertain them with renditions of your favorite songs,
SCE London Studio is working to expand SingStar’s social features by making it easier to share the best bits of your night on Twitter and Facebook straight from the game. They have also promised to continue adding new tracks to the SingStore. Though the release date for its forthcoming upgrade has not been announced.
Check out the new trailer featuring Carly Rae Jepsen’s Call Me Maybe.
A couple of days back we reported that the PS4 aka the Playstation 4 will be arriving to India on 14th May, and lo and behold major online retailers have started taking orders for the magical black box.
Sony stores and online retails have started taking bookings for the PS4 which has been in shortage since its launch early this year. The Playstation 4 suffered from the Blue light of death problem which had caused the company to rework their console and hence the lack of supplies.
It is said that this new batch of consoles headed for release will be void of that problem and will work without any overheating or chipset issues. Sony is also lining up the console to be available in time for major game releases, so that console sales can see a boost.
There are reports that Sony is also planning to drop the price of the PS4 to around Rs. 34,999 by August, so for those not in a rush a savings of 5000 may be up for grabs later this year.
You can click the button below to book your Playstation 4 , before it runs out of stock again.
[button link=”http://www.flipkart.com/sony-playstation-4-ps4/p/itmdrnshthv9egmf?pid=GMCDNZCHPFVHKGAT&affid=bhnagpalgm” size=”large” text_size=”beta” newtab=”on”]Buy Playstation 4[/button]
The new Amazing Spider-Man movie is coming out this year, and Gameloft is simultaneously working on a game to launch along with the upcoming movie.
This game will be the successor to the Amazing Spider man launched in 2012, which is still available on Android for just 6 INR , and also available on iOS for 390 INR. The Amazing Spider Man 2 game will be available soon for download on Android, iOS and Windows Phone platforms.
The Amazing Spider Man 2 Game by Gamloft, has been teased in a trailer which can be seen above. The game is expected to launch after the movie launches, which will be in May 2014.
[quote text_size=”small”]Web-sling through a free-roam Manhattan in the ultimate playground, as Spider-Man rushes to save New York City from the chaos of a disastrous crime wave. Combined with an original story inspired by the film, the stage is set for Spidey’s greatest battle against film villains Electro and Green Goblin, as well as other iconic foes![/quote]
The Amazing Spider Man 2 is expected to bring better graphics in the game compared to what users have seen on the previous The Amazing Spider Man game. No information on what price this game will launch at, but it is confirmed for May 2014.
Flappy Bird has enjoyed ample of attention ever since its demise on the App store and Play store. Creator Dong Nguyen, decided to take the game off the stores because it was to much for him. As per his interview with the Rolling Stone, he said “I was just making something fun to share with other people.”
[quote text_size=”medium”]I couldn’t predict the success of Flappy Bird[/quote]
On February 9, a new tweet was seen on Nguyen’s account. Reading ,”I am sorry ‘Flappy Bird’ users, 22 hours from now, I will take ‘Flappy Bird’ down. I cannot take this anymore.” This tweet not only marked the end of Flappy Birds from stores but also worried players who were addicted to this game. Having said that, this message was retweeted more than 1,45,000 times.
Dong Nguyen says he never wanted that fame, he could not take it. However, after removing the game he says: ” I can’t go back to my life before, but I’m good now.” He has turned all offers down, that have come across to purchase this game. When asked if he will bring the game back in the stores ? “I’m considering it,” Nguyen said.
Irrespective of when Flappy Bird will go live again, it will surely be a success for both ends. Android users can still download the game(unofficially), but iPhone users still cannot reach it. If the game does return, it will bring joy back to the lovers, and to Dong Nguyen as he was apparently earning $50,000 per day with this game.
Microsoft will reveal the latest version of its gaming and multimedia API – DirectX 12 – on March 20th.
It would appear that all the usual suspects are already on board — the use of their logos on the DirectX 12 website strongly suggests that AMD, Nvidia, Intel, and Qualcomm are all preparing DX12 hardware.
The March 20 sponsored session will be hosted by Microsoft graphics development manager Anuj Gosalia, and is described as follows:
“For nearly 20 years, DirectX has been the platform used by game developers to create the fastest, most visually impressive games on the planet. However, you asked us to do more. You asked us to bring you even closer to the metal and to do so on an unparalleled assortment of hardware. You also asked us for better tools so that you can squeeze every last drop of performance out of your PC, tablet, phone and console. Come learn our plans to deliver.”
Another session, dubbed Direct3D Futures, will discuss “future improvements in Direct3D that will allow developers an unprecedented level of hardware control and reduced CPU rendering overhead across a broad ecosystem of hardware.”
The previous version of the interfaces, which enable 3D animation and other multimedia effects used mostly in games, was released in 2009 with the launch of Windows 7. Developers tap into DirectX so their applications can take full advantage of the hardware power of the PC.
Following some pretty miserable financial results, Nintendo president Satoru Iwata has said he will take a 50% cut to his salary. For at least the next five months, Iwata will take home half as much money as usual, and other prominent executive staff will see pay reductions as well. Shigeru Miyamoto and Genyo Takeda, will take a 30% pay cut, while other board members will take a 20% pay cut.
The cuts will stay in place until June, when the board will see if it deserves to go back to normal. That will depend not so much on a turnaround in the Wii U’s fortunes – which won’t really be evident until nearer Christmas – but in how Nintendo presents itself to investors and convinces them it has a new plan for turning themselves around.
The struggling Japanese gaming firm revealed profits slumped 30 per cent in the nine months to December, falling to 10.2 billion yen (£60 million).
Nintendo also warned it expects sales to “decrease significantly” in the current quarter as Christmas sales end.
The Super Mario Brothers and Donkey Kong creator has been weighed down by weaker-than-expected sales of its Wii U console, launched at the end of 2012.
Nintendo will be holding a big corporate meeting tomorrow to outline and plan its new business strategy.
Sony has released a very odd trailer for its discontinued PocketStation device. It was a companion device for PSOne that boasted an LCD screen and worked in tandem with a variety of titles.
The PSP-precursor was only ever released in Japan. What it was, was a memory card that you could play games on, similar to the VMU you’d find on the Dreamcast. The device supported multiplayer functionality via its infrared capabilities, which also allowed users to transfer data such as game saves between devices. In 2002, Sony announced that it discontinued production of the peripheral.
Sony seems to be teasing something related to its resurgence. According to a teaser site, whatever Sony is cooking up is “something that will shake the gaming industry”
It is unclear how Sony plans to revive PocketStation, and whether a possible relaunch will coincide with the PlayStation 4 launch. Whether the peripheral will emerge in all territories, if re-released at all, is not known.
We think that there could be some form of PocketStation mobile app on the way. What do you think?
Rockstar Games, developer of the fantastic GTA 5 have often apologised for the technical issues that were involved with GTA Online’s launch. They are now extending that apology and giving gamers who were attempting to play GTA Online since day one 500,000 GTA dollars.
The stimulus package is an “I’m sorry” gift from Rockstar Games for the cloud server errors, connection issues, and lost game progress and characters during the first days of GTA Online.
In order to keep the current worldwide in-game economy balanced, we will be providing this GTA$ to players via two deposits of $250,000. We will announce specific dates as soon as possible, but are currently hoping to be able to make the first deposit by the end of next week (after we’ve confirmed that issues causing game progress loss have been fixed) with the second installment to happen by the end of the month. For players who experienced cloud server errors, connection issues, and lost game progress and characters in these first days of GTA Online, we hope this GTA$ helps to facilitate a fresh start or makes your continued life in Los Santos and Blaine County extra sweet.
Before receiving your GTA Online cash, though, gamers are instructed to install the upcoming GTAV title update (1.04), which will allow Rockstar Games to provide the GTA$ stimulus cash to players. It will also fix vehicle purchase loss issues, and gamers can expect to see it next week.
There’s a couple of pre-requisites for receiving the cash donation. You need to have logged in and played GTA Online at some point this month (October 2013).
If your usual projects at school were tough, and you thought internships were boring, this piece of news might change your mind. According to Chinese media, over 1,000 students from the Xi’an Institute of Technology have been working on the PlayStation 4 production line at Foxconn as part of a work experience partnership.
Just like regular workers, the students get paid and get workex on their CVs to make PS4 units however there seems to be no relevance to their courses. Foxconn has admitted to Quartz that some students were designated night shifts and overtime in disagreement with internship protocol. Foxconn says it’s taken steps to make sure it won’t happen again.
While reports claim that Xi’an Institute of Technology is holding credits of Students who don’t complete this “Mandatory” Internship. A real strategy for education, or a way to get cheap and effective labor ? You decide!
