At the E3 Conference, Microsoft has launched new console dubbed the Xbox One S. Available in a new “robot white” color, the Xbox One S is 40 percent smaller than the original Xbox One.
It also includes a built-in power supply, and now finally can be placed horizontally or vertically with an optional stand.
The new console will have one of the three USB ports and the pairing button to the front of the Xbox One S alongside the newly added IR blaster. There is no more a Kinect port, however, Kinect for Xbox One will still be compatible with Xbox One S via the Xbox Kinect Adapter for USB connection.
Xbox One S will be available in select markets starting early August for $399 USD, with the 1TB Xbox One S for $349 USD and the 500GB Xbox One S for $299 USD arriving thereafter. The Xbox One Vertical Stand will also be available for standalone purchase for $19.99 USD.
This year’s E3 brought a much needed rush for gamers. With titles like Rise of the Tomb Raider, Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End, Tom Clancy’s The Division, Street Fighter 5, Call of Duty: Black Ops 3, Assassin’s Creed: Syndicate, Gears of War 4, and much more, the upcoming months look incredible.
Along with interesting gaming title, we noted a few interesting gaming trends. Here’s a couple of things we understood about the future of gaming from this year’s mega-event:
Open World Design
Assassin’s Creed: Syndicate
Since the original Elite pioneered Open World Design, most of today’s games are based upon free roam modes. But in E3 2015, we have seen a new high. We saw the usual games that are already based on free-roam like Assassin’s Creed Syndicate and Fallout. But, the open environment became even more massive than its previous installments.
Ghost Recon: Wildlands
Interestingly, linear games, too, have adapted to an Open World model. Previously, Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon and Metal Gear Solid were all mission-based and required tactical stealth. But, what we see in Ghost Recon: Wildlands and Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, is that both the franchise have retained the same type of gameplay, but is re-formatted into an open world context.
Female Protagonists
We have seen a good number of games with standout female leads. Years ago, it was told that female characters do not sell games and are too time-consuming to draw out. But, this year’s edition of E3 proved to go against the statement. This year, we have Lara Croft, of course, and Faith in Mirror’s Edge Catalyst. And with these established heroes came Horizon’s post-apocalyptic hunter, Aloy, Dishonored 2’s Emily Kaldwin, the scavenger in ReCore and Evie Frye in Assassin’s Creed: Syndicate. Many more games either star women or at the very least allow players to choose their gender.
Pets
Metal Gear Solid V Snake with his companion wolf
Pets have been a part of gaming for a while now; it is just that it did not get much attention and was used as a prop. But, this is not the case in the future releases. We will see main protagonists with pets, and even robotic pets in some instances.
Griffon-like creature called Trico in The Last Guardian
Snake from Metal Gear Solid V has a badass wolf with an eye patch. We also see a huge Griffon-like creature called Trico in The Last Guardian.
Nature Vs Civilization
Game still from Microsoft’s ReCore
Most of the games showcased in E3 2015 were based on nature or humankind destroying itself. Each game shows a post-apocalyptic world or on the verge of dying out, with nature triumphing over the human structural remains. Games like Horizon Zero Dawn, The Last Guardian, Tom Clancy’s The Division are some of the examples of the trend.
Sony has taken over what used to be Microsoft’s. The Call of Duty series that was once exclusive to Xbox will be the first to bring all map packs to PlayStation, from now on. Sony has won the marketing deal and with this fresh partnership, PlayStation users will be the first to get access to Call of Duty: Black Ops 3. Sony Executive Andrew House announced on E3 stage saying PlayStation is the “new house of Call of Duty”.
Microsoft’s reassurance at this point is that Call of Duty sequel will still arrive on Xbox One this year, so it doesn’t change anything. The deal is sealed and the exclusive contract will come into effect with the launch of Black Ops 3 on November 6. It will first arrive for PlayStation 4, Windows PC and Xbox One, and later for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.
The multiplayer mode of the gaming adventure was disclosed by Sony in an approximately 7-minute video. It looks amazing, giving a view of real life combat. David Vonderhaar of Treyarch talked about the multiplayer, saying it is about delivering four guns of combat control. It is said to be fast, fluid and unlike any Call of Duty before.
Well, we will be waiting to get our hands on the game.
Here’s the Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 Campaign Coop and Multiplayer gameplay:
Microsoft kicked off the annual E3 Expo yesterday with a bang. The first announcement was a brand new Xbox Controller for elite gamers. In addition to that, the company announced that hundreds of older Xbox 360 games will now be compatible with the newer Xbox One console. But this was just a warm-up. Microsoft then introduced the Minecraft HoloLens demo.
The HoloLens, which was showcased earlier this year, is a one of a kind wearable that brings science fiction into reality. It is a mere headset which when connected with any PC running Windows 10 will merge and blur the lines between the digital and the physical. At the E3 conference, Michael Saxs Persson of Microsoft Studios came on stage with the HoloLens in hand to demonstrate an all-new version of Minecraft. The video also clarified the growing rumours about the company’s Minecraft acquisition worth $2.5 billion. With this, Microsoft has shown its hard work to twist the conventional approach of playing games.
The Minecraft HoloLens demo shows a huge holographic photo running on a plane surface in 3D mode. Users can play Minecraft right on your wall and can also transfer it to another surface. You can control the world through voice input and hand gestures. Also, you can zoom in and zoom out, using your voice. The demo also revealed that the game is aware of your eye movements.
A big plus while playing with HoloLens is that another user can play along with a surface, without the HoloLens on.
After a delay of four long years, Sony finally showcased the ‘The Last Guardian’ at E3 (Electronic Entertainment Expo) last night. The company opened its 2-hour long keynote with the disclosure of The Last Guardian trailer, after which new gaming franchises followed.
The making of the adventure sequel commenced in 2007 and was initially planned to release in 2011. But as the game’s Director Ueda left the project, it had to be stopped in the middle. Thankfully, Sony ensured that the sequel was compiled.
Shifting our focus back to the trailer, The Last Guardian showed a strong friendship between the boy and his mammoth animal mate, Trico. The plot is set in ancient times depicting disintegrated architecture. The giant creature is obedient and helps the boy get through his journey. The detailed 7-minute long trailer showcases incredible animations that are sure to gather a huge following. It’s going to see a release sometime in 2016 for PlayStation 4.
More games are expected to arrive at the ongoing E3 2015 at Los Angeles. Stay tuned for more updates.
The E3 (Electronic Entertainment Expo) has revived the gaming mania, and it is going to soar manifold on its onset. The annual video game conference and show kicks off on June 16, Tuesday, at Los Angeles Convention Centre, and it will allow a sneak peek at haunting animations, mean machines and hulking characters. Many famed developers will mark their presence at the event, bringing a slew of AAA games. Some of the games to draw the spotlight this week are the sequels of the old favourites, in addition to some new titles.
Here’s are some of the biggest games to arrive at E3 this year:
Star Wars Battlefront
Based on Star Wars films, the game is one of the long-awaited titles to release this year. Started in 2004 by developers Pandemic Studios, the franchise was taken over by Electronic Arts DICE. The teaser video released by EA shows a first-person view of the Battle of Hoth and features four planets – Hoth, Tatooine, Endor, and Sullust. Featuring first and third-person gameplay perspectives, the game is slated to launch later this year.
Fallout 4
Developed and published under Bethesda banner, Fallout 4 was introduced ahead of E3 in a press conference organised by Bethesda Softworks. Fallout 4 has a backdrop of approximately 200 years after a war that ends up in a nuclear holocaust in 2077. The setting is a post-apocalyptic desert, known as Commonwealth. The player character takes shelter on Vault 111, just to mysteriously awaken 200 years later without aging a single day. The Fallout sequel is confirmed to release on November 10 with a version for PC, Xbox One, and PS4.
Here’s the Fallout 4 gameplay trailer released in E3 2015:
https://youtu.be/OzV1GlDDlv8
Halo 5: Guardians
Microsoft is ready to showcase its massively popular instalment Halo 5: Guardians in Halo series. Scheduled to release on October 27 exclusively for Xbox One, we are expecting even more alluring visuals from this sequel, which 343 Industries has maintained from the past four series. The follow-up will see Master Chief being hunted by UNSC and solving a mystery that threatens the entire galaxy.
Watch the Halo 5: Guardians trailer here:
Call of Duty: Black Ops 3
One of the biggest jewels in Activision’s games portfolio is the Call of Duty franchise. The incredibly thrilling operations of the intense spy adventure sends chills down the spine. In the third part, you play as a member of a prototype Black Ops unit that has cybernetic enhancements with mission briefings of a missing CIA team in Singapore, set 35 years later in 2060. The forthcoming title Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 is a game taking leap into the future with new characters, landscapes, and weaponry, which can be customized as a player progresses. The major alteration with Black Ops 3 is the multi-player mode where players can share information about threats during the game.
Have a look at its trailer below:
https://youtu.be/58Pspqx0XGs
Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End
As the number symbolises, ‘Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End’ is the fourth and final instalment in the Uncharted franchise. The third-person action-adventure shooter developed by Naughty Dog for PlayStation 4 and published by Sony is set to release early next year. For the first time, vehicles will be playable and the protagonist Nathan Drake will be riding a bike in the upcoming sequel.
The game is set several years post Nathan’s last adventure. He is forced back into the world of thieves. For his loved ones on stake, Drake embarks on a journey across the globe in quest of a historical conspiracy behind a pirate treasure. The gameplay demo is tantalizing, truly. Have a look at it below:
Warner Bros. has posted the E3 gameplay trailer for the upcoming prequel, Batman: Arkham Origins, and it delivers the hits… literally. Black Mask puts a bounty on Batman’s head, which brings the combined might of Bane, Deadshot, Deathstroke, and other villains to Gotham City.
Unlike the CGI Batman: Arkham Origins teaser trailer that was released a few weeks ago, the new gameplay reveal trailer is made up entirely of in-game footage. We get out first look at Bane, and also get to hear Roger Craig Smith as Batman and Troy Baker as Joker for the first time.
Taking place before the rise of Gotham City’s most dangerous villains and assassins, the game showcases a young, raw, unrefined Batman as he faces a defining moment in his early career as a crime fighter that sets his path to becoming the Dark Knight. As the story unfolds, witness identities being formed and key relationships being forged.
Batman: Arkham Origins will be available for the Wii U, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and PC on October 25, 2013.
It’s a film trilogy that’s considered to be one of the best cult classics by many (even with Beyond Thunderdome), and it’s certainly influenced a whole heap of games already, but now Mad Max is set to return in a new game from Warner Bros. Entertainment.
During its E3 press conference today, Sony announced that Mad Max is coming to PlayStation 4. The third-person, open world adventure is set in The Wasteland, which is the setting of George Miller’s Mad Max movies.
There wasn’t much revealed about the upcoming game, but it does feature the Road Warrior himself. In the brief trailer, Max decides to kill a starving bandit by running him over, rather than shoot him with his final shotgun bullet.
Watch the full trailer above, which confirms that Mad Max be released on Xbox 360, PS3, Xbox One and PS4 in 2014.
Destiny made its gameplay world premiere today during Sony’s pre-E3 2013 press conference.
The demo began just outside of the massive city walls that house the last great human civilization. Bungie luminaries Jason Jones and Joe Staten quickly moved underground, showing off the game’s impressive lighting tech, as well as multiple new weapons including a futuristic assault rifle and pistol. The duo also weren’t shy about showing off Halo-style melee attacks.
After a brief firefight, a quick dive into Destiny’s menus revealed a weapon skill tree and an elaborate weapon upgrading/socketing system.
In addition to PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4, Destiny is also set to launch on Xbox One and Xbox 360. Speaking with IGN, senior writer Eric Osborne said that a PC version was not out of the question.
Bungie’s Destiny will be released in 2014. You can watch gameplay footage in the official video below.
Microsoft has announced the prices and availability of its new Xbox One Console at their E3 Press Event. The console will go on sale in 21 countries in November for a retail price of $499.99 in the U.S., £429 (GBP) in the U.K. and €499 (EUR) in European markets. Roughly translated, the Xbox One can be expected in India for a price of Rs. 30,000 including taxes.
Every Xbox One system sold will include the new Xbox One console — which features a 500GB hard drive,1 Blu-ray player and built-in Wi-Fi — the new Kinect, one Xbox One Wireless Controller and a free 14-day trial of Xbox Live Gold for new members.
Several titles were announced to be available by launch time from developers including but not limited to 343 Industries, Crytek, Turn 10 Studios, Respawn Entertainment, Remedy, Kojima Productions, Capcom and Insomniac Games.
The trailer of Halo for Xbox One, was highly unexpected yet well received.
Microsoft Studios is committed to making Xbox One the best place to play games, with more titles in development and more exclusives coming than at any time in the history of Xbox, With amazing games such as ‘Forza Motorsport 5,’ ‘Ryse: Son of Rome,’ ‘Dead Rising 3,’ ‘Titanfall,’ ‘Halo Xbox One,’ ‘Kinect Sports Rivals,’ ‘Project Spark’ and ‘Quantum Break,’ Xbox will continue to lead the industry with the biggest exclusives, new IP and blockbuster franchises that will delight gamers for the next decade and beyond.” said Phil Spencer, corporate vice president, Microsoft Studios.
Gamers who reserve the following exclusive Xbox One Day One edition launch titles, also available in limited quantities at major retailers while supplies last, will receive special bonus content:
“Ryse: Son of Rome.” Exclusive multiplayer map and sword with bonus attributes.
“Forza Motorsport 5.” Access to four cars tuned to the top of their class.
“Kinect Sports Rivals.” Exclusive sporting equipment that separates your Champion from the rest of the world.
“Dead Rising 3.” Exclusive Frank West and Chuck Greene Tribute Packs with bonus attributes.
If you have ever played Wolfenstein on PC, you are one of the few who have seen the evolution of the gaming industry. Wolf 3D was one of the First “First Person Shooter” game to release on PC.
The next generation release: Wolfenstein The New Order, developed by MachineGames, is set in an alternate timeline that saw the Nazis win World War 2. How the whole future would have changed and what our hero does to change that.
The graphics seem enhanced, and the game may have been designed for next generation consoles including the Xbox One and The PS4.
iGyaan has got hold of exclusive information that, Gionee will launch a 7.9mm slim smartphone in India soon, according to leaked images and specs. Dubbed “Gionee E3” the phone will be powered by a Mediatek 6589 Quadcore 1.2 GHz CPU and a PowerVR Series 5XT GPU.
The Gionee E3 will carry a 4.7 inch 720p display and will be loaded with 16 GB of inbuilt storage along with 1 GB of RAM. Of course you also get MicroSD expansion upto 32 GB. The Gionee E3 will also have traditional Dual Sim, Dual standby capabilities and 850/900/1800/1900 MHz frequencies for 2G and 900/2100 MHz frequencies for 3G.
Among the features will also be an 8 megapixel camera at back with full HD video capabilities, a 2.0 MP front facing HD camera ( we are guessing 720p). The specifications are quite similar to another device from competition, apart from the internal storage which is evidently different. WiFi b/g/n and Bluetooth 4.0 will come included in the usual set of connectivity features, with GPS and A-GPS.
You can find more details at the companies website link below.
It’s been difficult for the Prince to make his way back into the spotlight over the past few years, and that’s mostly because Ubisoft has another nimble, cloaked mascot who’s been cleaning up at retail. While Assassin’s Creed has been the focus for the French gaming company, an image spotted on the Ubisoft message boards now points to a possible new entry in the Prince of Persia franchise.
What evidence do we currently have? Well, down at the bottom, POP_ZERO_2 is visible. Prince of Persia Zero was the codename for a 2010 reboot that never quite got off the ground, so it’s possible that this could be the second attempt. The setting and protagonist aren’t exactly familiar, but this may be in an attempt to differentiate what’s currently a franchise in need of some life.
An image that in many ways matches the tone of this screenshot was released before E3, so there may be some serious validity to the forum post. Whatever it is, it looks interesting, and we’ll be keeping our eyes peeled for any more information.
The Wii U is the first Wii device to sport it's own screen.
Gaming giants Nintendo unveiled the launch version of their new family gaming device, the Wii U. Presenting the device at the Nokia centre at the E3 gaming event, Nintendo was light on details about the insides of the device, and chose to focus more on the game titles it’ll be bringing out this year for the console.
The Wii U has seen a massive change from what was showcased last year and is now a tablet styled device which comes with a bunch of buttons, including 2 analog sticks on both sides, a stylus and a camera on top of the device for both gaming applications and video chat! This is the first Wii device to sport a dedicated screen.
[quote]Game machines had to be connected to the TV. They couldn’t have a more important role than the TV. We decided our next system would have its own dedicated screen … and make it the first screen people go to when they go to the living room. With the Wii U gamepad we have the first dedicated personal screen in the long history of videogames said game designer and producer Shigeru Miyamoto.[/quote]
Shigeru Miyamoto at the presentation.
Apart from that, Nintendo announced 23 new game titles and by releasing some “hardcore games” made it evident that they were ready to make the Wii console a bit more mature as far as the games were concerned. News that the titles – including Batman Arkham City: Armored Edition; Aliens: Colonial Marines; Mass Effect 3; Assassin’s Creed 3 and ZombiU – are under development will help their appeal. Casual gaming titles like Mario, Wii Fit and Picmin 3 also make their way back into the device.
Nintendo also promoted the integration of its Miiverse social network, allowing a user’s friends to pass on tips or boast of their recent scores while play continued.
