New Destiny Retail Details

What will we explore in the new Bungie adventure?

Why Am I A Console Game?

[Short Answer] I hate you PC Folk

The Continual Problems with Battlefield 4

Why the DICE multiplayer needs another tweak...

Six Months with Microsoft Next Gen Hardware

Games Console or Entertainment System?

The Best DLC Money Can Buy

Does it have Zombies, Burials or Dragons.....?

Tuesday 28 May 2013

Xbox One - Dynamic Achievements

Earlier this week at a round table meeting following the reveal of the Xbox One, hardware leads from Microsoft mentioned how the fluid, cloud-based nature of the new console opens the door for games and experiences to evolve over time, including Achievements themselves.

They cited the Skyrim's "Arrow in the Knee" meme as an example of how this evolution could happen. On the Xbox One, Bethesda could have gone into the game and specifically created new challenges and rewards based around the online joke to keep players entertained and to keep the games replay value up – not that this particular game needed the push.

A Change to Microsoft Points

With the announcement of the Xbox One this week came the announcement that the long used digital current, Microsoft Points, could be replaced. Sources close to the Microsoft planners believe the decision has been to replace these awkward funds into credit, debit and gift cards following the launch of the Xbox One. In fact, according to The Verge, the currency change could be formally announced at E3 in June.

As I’m sure you are aware gift cards are already available for purchasing the points but are expected to be uniquely different from the new offerings which will apply to Windows 8's Xbox Music, Xbox Games, and Xbox Video services.

The system would, theoretically, launch at the same time as the next Xbox during the run up to Christmas, following suit with the Windows 8 departure from Microsoft's arbitrary currency. Previous rumours suggested that should the change occur before this time – as a bit of a test run – then users’ existing Microsoft Points would transition into their real-world value, similar to the traditional "Wallet" system on PlayStation Network and Steam.

Microsoft Points have always felt a bit cumbersome and usually mean people either shop around or don’t spend online at all. It’s difficult to buy certain point values if you only want a single XBLA game or piece of DLC. It’s

Friday 24 May 2013

Are we ready for 'The Next Generation'?

We are coming closer and closer to the next generation of gaming with the Playstation 4 already shown off and the announcement of the next Microsoft console, Xbox One, coming earlier this week. The gears are starting to sputter as we reach what could potentially be the biggest console war of this generation. The thing is – are we really ready for a new set of consoles?

Across the globe people can easily make the argument that our economy is in a slump, people have less money to purchase luxuries that the next generation is likely to be a slower transition than those that have come before it. At the present time, we do not know what the price points for each console will be or which specific games will accompany them. We often argue about the software market being too expensive and are happy to purchase used games in order to grab at the cheapest rates. It isn’t a priority to own the next generation’s consoles and if the price points don’t sit lower than the releases of the PS3 and Xbox 360 than both of the developers can expect to see slow sales.

The one advantage that Microsoft and Sony have against this is the fact that people have been trained to upgrade on an almost yearly basis. Technology is rapidly being improved and hardcore gamers are keen to sit at the top of the pile. People always want the new iPhone, the new Galaxy or the new Call of Duty and almost expect to have to fork out the money for these in the run up to their releases. Because we’ve been systematically taught to upgrade our electronic technology so frequently, it should be easier to transition into the next console generation.

An argument can be made that the current consoles and services provided are just fine and that many are not rushing to get into the next generation. Obviously this could make the transition a lot harder. If Sony decides that you may need to pay for their newest online service or Microsoft decides that their online service needs to get a bit more expensive in order to provide you with a higher quality of service, then why would you want to leave the comfort of what already works for you?

There are many games out there for consumers to play that have not been played and gaming communities that feel well-established where they are at this point. There are even consumers who have recently bought the newest XBOX 360 Slim or PS3 Super Slim and see no need to upgrade since there are already a myriad of games at their disposal when the newest generation will only have a limited number available upon launch. With that said, a good amount of games that will be available at launch for the next generation consoles will be available on the current generation consoles as well. There is no need to transition into a console future where the current consoles work perfectly fine.

On the flip side of this we have reached the end of the line with current console capabilities. While they have done remarkable things with graphics, sound and experience, they have simply reached the limits of what they can do. We are a society who is taught to explore uncharted waters and experience new things and an upgraded set of hardware will be need to provide this. Gaming in general is a much more of a social environment than ever before and the abilities of the next generation to be able to play a game, and have the chance to either share your gameplay with others from the console itself, ask for assistance from other players, or to even join a game with such ease is something that the community has been waiting for.

Either way you look at it the next generation is just around the corner and it’ll be here faster than you think. Even if the transition between systems is slower, this time around, we will all be speaking about the Xbox One or PS4’s new releases instead of the current generation and that in itself will get people interested in making that jump.

Is there anything that I've left out that could be possibly important as to why or why not to shift over to the future of gaming? Are you ready to make the leap or are you happy where you are? Let me know in the comments below and as always, thanks for contributing to the conversation!
 
 
 

Tuesday 21 May 2013

Xbox Reveal - 21/05/2013 #XboxReveal (Xbox One)

The Next Xbox is due to be revealed tonight at 6:00pm UK time....
In the lead up I will be giving a rundown of the news as well as regular updates both on here and via my Twitter Feed (@somemanwithplan - remember there's no 'a')

Obviously comment below if you want to get involved.....
________________________________________________________________________________

19:02 - Xbox Reveal is over...... Good Job Microsoft (blew Sony out of the water)

19:01 - Overrun... World Premiere trailer of Call of Duty: Ghosts - Lighting is effective and story seems very strong compared to the run and gun action - standard affair - of previous installments

19:00 - Almost over.... jungle environment and character screens shows the updates and it is pretty

18:59 - Side by Side with MW3 shows - impressive stuff (even my Girlfriend is impressed)

18:58 - And they've made dynamic maps - in multiplyer at least - with crumbling walls and destructable environments (so it's like Frostbite in Battlefield)

18:57 - New fluid annimations, AI updates, fresh lighting tech and movement applications

18:56 - And there's a Dog Squad Member - 'Who you will care about'

18:54 - The game looks fucking ace though (graphically at least) - Writer is Stephen Gaghen (who did Syriana)

18:53 - And it's Call Of Duty: Ghosts [YAWN]

18:52 - World Exclusive coming up...... from Activision .... with early release for Xbox One

18:50 - XboxOne show winding down now....David Maddock on stage again.

18:49 - Live Broadcasts from NFL - Fantasy Leagues and Skype integrated (Shame it wasn't Football/Soccer)

18:47 - Sports being discussed again by Tracy Tellum - 'NFL'

18:46 - Steven Speilberg on screen as Halo Live Action Series is announced (and he's bloody directing) - sounds like a potential followup to 'Forward Unto Dawn'

18:45 - Come on Halo 5.... please please please

18:44 - 343 Industries introduced and Halo name-dropped (Bonnie Ross on stage)

18:43 - You tell'em, Tracy Tellum (on stage now)

18:42 - 15 exclusives in 12 months with 8 new franchises

18:41 - No gameplay, just screens - and cutsceen stuff with some actors too

18:40 - Microsoft Studio up next, with Remedy being discussed - and it's Quantum Break (something new)

18:39 - It's available at launch and is being developed by 'Turn 10'

18:38 - Forza 5 on stage now, graphically impressive

18:37 - Speaking about new franchises - please be Halo

18:36 - Phil Spencer of Microsoft on stage now

18:35 - Exclusive add-on's for Fifa 14's Ultimate Team Mode - Games shown look awesome

18:34 - 10 times more animation depth and detail in EA Ignite game engine for sports games

18:33 - True Player Motion - Buzzword is 'Social'

18:32 - Model capturing for these online games including strategy programs

18:31 - 'All four will be revolutionary' - they work through a program called 'Ignite'

18:30 - Here come the games - EAs Andrew Wilson on Stage - Fifa, Madden, NBA Live & UFC

18:29 - Next generation will be able to hold 'many more' online players at once for better multiplayer experiences

18:28 - Achievements are dynamic, based on your own performances and include entertainment focuses and not just games

18:27 - 300,000 serves for Xbox Live on Xbox-One (more than all the servers worldwide in 1999)

18:26 - Devices work with Kinect to load previous saves, guessing - with intelligence - what you will want to do next

18:25 - SmartGlass intergrated, native to the platform - on Android I think....

18:23 - 1080p widescreen viewing which also reachs Kinect and understand bend in limps, energy of emotion and reads your headbeat as you exercise

18:22 - Kinect responds to personal gestures and voices. It takes 13 billionths of a second to understand your voice

18:21 - Microsoft Kernal again - two operating system running at once (one Windows/one Xbox)

18:20 - Marc Whitten on stage discussing the specifications now - 8GB of ram, Blu-Ray, 3.0 USB (thats all I caught)

18:18 - Yusuf shows off TV voice commands to change stations and view the guides as well as on demand series that autorecord your films/series (obviously 'Trending' is a bit player as usual)

18:17 - Awesome Fantasy team reviews using interactive TV applications for the console. (NBA Fantasy Team updates)

18:15 - So thats what the space is for out the back (a fake sitting room) - Skype can snap in too

18:14 - You can snap different programs into sections of the screen so that you can do multiple things at once... nice touch

18:13 - Kinect controls look smooth too.

18:12 - The Xbox can then simulaneously move between game, tv, music just using easy commands

18:11 - The Xbox can remote your TV - command is 'Watch TV'

18:10 - You still use the words 'Xbox On' to turn it on.... and it logs you in automatically - driving game confirmed too on the home screen.

18:09 - Yusuf Mehdi on stage to, potentially, discuss games

18:08 - New controller too - looks a lot like the old one.

18:07 - and they've shown the bloody thing in full. Looks nice!

18:07 - The new console is called - 'Xbox One' - We we're all wrong - it's going to make us old school games confused when we talk about it.

18:06 - 'Simple Instant and Complete'

18:05 - He's wearing two microphones, perhaps he's in a XBLA Chat???/

18:04 - Blah,Blah,Blah 'The Xbox 360 was great....'

18:03 - David Maddock giving a few works 'TV becomes more intelligent and entertainment becomes more intelligent than ever'

18:01 - Opening from Bill Gates (video features Cliff Bleszinski)

18:00 - AND WE ARE A-GO

17:58 - Share Button could be included - Online Personalities is a massive step for the next console generation

17:56 - Less than 5 minutes and we can expect some concrete information

17:54 - Here is the stage http://assets2.ignimgs.com/2013/05/21/img0982jpg-acbd52_800w.jpg

17:53 - Apparently the Xbox Reveal tent is using a lot of the space for the stage - big show or playable consoles for the attendees?

17:50 - Halo Teaser Perhaps (t-minus 10 minutes)

17:49 - Oh and Destiny will be shown tonight - my prediction - plus Diablo 3

17:48 - Toilet Break....

17:43 - Free online too I hope; especially if it does follow this always online connection rumour (which it won't)

17:42 - Rumoured Names: The Infinity, Xbox 720, Xbox, Fusion

17:40 - FACT - The next Xbox will be green (somewhere)

17:39 - Obviously a racer of some kind which shows of the graphical capabilities and perhaps, as speculated everywhere, a new Alan Wake

17:38 - 343 Industries are at the show [Source:IGN]

17:36 - Going to list off some of my expect (brand new reveal games)..... Starting with Halo 5

17:32 - Come on Microsoft - Start Early

17:27 - IGN are speculating about 'Share Buttons' and Flatter controllers... and touch screen. I really expect this to be revealed tonight

17:24 - The event looks buzzing judging by the posts on Twitter from Brian Crecente etc... DubStep Playing too

17:21 - Console will surely have a new controller but the current one is so nice that that would be suprising and would obviously get some negative press from somewhere

17:19 - Price Guess £299.99 RRP

17:16 - Peter has use those words at least 14 times so far.....

17:13 - I really hope they transfer over gamescores!

17:12 - The Microsoft Event Tent is pretty....

17:11 - Ok, IGN have managed to put Naomi Kyle in on their feed (not suprise there)

17:10 - Presure on Microsoft tonight to follow the massive Sony direct broadcast

17:08 - Prizes for anyone that works out how many time he uses the words 'Innovative' or 'Unlimited'

17:06 - Logged In.... Obviously don't follow IGN's stream as Peter Molyneux may runoff with some unlimited ideas

List of Next -Xbox Games

After completing a list of announced PlayStation 4 titles and with the Xbox announcement less than a week away I thought it was time to rundown the speculated Xbox 720 (or whatever the hell it will be called) games. I’ll update this following the reveal event tonight….

Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag
Assassin's Creed 4 is coming to "next-gen consoles," and has already been confirmed for Sony’s next piece of hardware. Similar to other titles in the series this will hit the Next-Xbox console.

Call of Duty: Ghosts
After the full announcement of the game a few weeks ago, and the expectation for this to be released in the Autumn, you’d be hard pressed not to see Activision porting this onto Next-Gen consoles.

Crytek Next-Gen Game
Perhaps TimeSplitters 4? Crytek are well known as the company that originally revealed the Xbox 720's Durango codename.

Destiny
Destiny is confirmed for both next generation systems – enough said!

Doom 4
Bethesda confirmed that an early version of Doom 4 "did not exhibit the quality and excitement that Id and Bethesda intend to deliver and that Doom fans worldwide expect" and was cancelled in favour of a new one. Rumors suggest that the game is targeting next-generation consoles and that a planned sequel to Rage was cancelled in order to add more members to the Doom 4 project.

Dragon Age III: Inquisition
Despite being announced by BioWare for a release in 2013, the resume of an EA Shanghai level designer suggested that the "scope" of the game has changed and that it "will be postponed to 2014" and "target next gen platforms."

EA Sports Titles
Maybe his is a given but we all know that EA will release the likes of Fifa and NBA on next generation – and no doubt this will be shortly after the consoles release so they can still keep players involved in their yearly franchises.

Fallout 4
Although there has been no announcement what-so-ever this major franchise is typically placed by Bethesda to bi-release against The Elder Scrolls series. Skyrim was their last major release, so expect another apocalyptic world at some point soon.

Forza Motorsport 5
An anonymous source suggested that a new entry in the Forza series will be a launch title on the next Xbox. A job listing also suggested in 2012 that a next-gen version was in the works.

Halo 5
Before the release of Halo 4, 343 Industries confirmed that it was the first part of a new Halo trilogy. Obviously this ‘trilogy’ will hit next generation consoles and you would imagine that, even if the release is a long way off, Microsoft will want to show this mega-title off as early as possible.

Ready at Dawn
The developers of the God of War PSP games are developing "an exciting new AAA IP for a Next-Generation home console game system." Enough said.

Ryse
An anonymous source suggested recently that Ryse (the first-person Roman combat game) has been "re-worked into a next-generation game designed to be Microsoft's new Gears of War / Halo mega launch title.” The game is said to “take advantage of the new body tracking improvements in the next Kinect sensor.”

Square-Enix "Luminous" Games
Square-Enix has been showing off its "Luminous" tech engine, capable of highly realistic next-gen graphics for almost a year. Luminous will make games 30% cheaper and shorten development cycles. It would be silly not to show off your engine with a release of your own.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
Witcher 3 was officially announced by CD Projekt RED for release in 2014 and is set to target "all top of the line consoles and PC." It was advertised as "a next generation RPG."

Thief
Square-Enix's reboot of Thief was announced for PlayStation 4 "and other next-gen platforms" for release in 2014. Those of you whom read GamesTM this month will have seen the interesting design features and the honesty that Dishonoured has made a market for the series to be relaunched.

Watch Dogs
You can almost guarantee that this ‘Big-Brother’ style hacker/open-world/crime thriller will hit the next Xbox around the same time it is released on the PS4.

Wolfenstein: The New Order
Bethesda and MachineGames' next Wolfenstein game has been announced for "next-gen consoles" and is coming at the end of 2013 – you can guarantee that this will be a multiple platform project for them.

EA Cancel Online Passes

Online Passes have always been a controversial attempt by publishers to encourage new game sales by locking online-centric content from used copies. This has been aggressively argued against by gamers and retailers alike and it’s no surprise that someone would listen.

The most interesting thing is that it’s a major player too – Electronic Arts. The publisher behind FIfa, Battlefield, Mass Effect and more will be ‘discontinuing’ it’s Online Pass initiative. In a statement provided to VentureBeat, EA’s John Reseburg said that “none of our new EA titles will include that feature.”

He admitted that the passes just don’t seem to be work and that their initial efforts to create a selection of online content have been rejected by many players. They have obviously listened to the crowds – well done to the few of you that didn’t purchase Online Passes.

Many major publishers – including Sony and Ubisoft – continue to use Online Passes, though interestingly, Microsoft never seemed to go down that road. Will EA’s abolishment of this system coerce other publishers to follow suit? It’ll certainly give people a reason to go with their titles over the competition – I’m looking at you Call of Duty.
 
 

CoroCoro Pokemon X & Y - Update

Another day, another CoroCoro update for Pokémon X and Y. This time we have confirmation of the speculated game location and a few interesting new monsters and features.

As I speculated when the first trailer was released, it is indeed set in an alternative version of France. The scans - courtesy of Serebii – which you can see below, reveal that the name of the new region is called Karos, and Miare City is its version of Paris.

It confirms that you'll be able to customise your trainer slightly in details like hair and skin colour after selecting one of a few templates. Probably the most exciting new feature (apart from the 3D world) is that a trainer can be seen actually riding a Pokemon - Gogoat, a new grass type who looks like a ram with a leafy feather boa draped around his shoulders (pictured below).

Three other new Pokemon are also shown: normal type little bird Pokemon called Yayakoma, Erikiteru the floppy-eared lizard who is an electric/normal type, and Yancham the panda-dude who is a fighting-type.

Pokemon X and Y will be out before the end of the year and we're likely to see much more of it at E3 in a couple of weeks.

Replaying Video Games

Every single gamer as a favourite game, heck even a favourite franchise, but that doesn’t mean you’ll always reply that particular game. In fact my personal opinion is that a game is only enjoyed fully during the first playthrough, particularly as I am a fan of narrative and a twist never works properly the second time. There is one exception to this rule; and that is BioShock. I can play this over and over due to its pleasing aesthetics and interesting characters and environments – Thank You Kindly!

For starters the replay treatment is substantially different from replaying a game to obtain the remaining achievements or trophies. No, replay a game yearly is only saved for those truly wonderful experiences – the ones that bring back nostalgia or give you the change to lose yourself for hours at a time.

As I’ve grown old my game purchasing as become smaller and may opinions of games have gotten harsher. Once upon a time I’d have loved the Dead Island series but I cannot forgive its terrible contact systems and unintuitive AI. However, I have a large list of replay games that date back to my childhood.

For starts I often play – Super Mario World, TES: Morrowind, Jedi Knight 2, Grim Fandango and older classics like Pac Man. They all means something to me and aren’t necessarily the ‘best’ games to ever grace consoles but they are games that I have plugged many hours into and plan to plug in many more.

As a fan of stories in games, or more specifically role-playing, I have jumped into the genre with a lot of fever. I have played and continue to play all of the Fallout series (both old and new) which have a very adult feeling and are difficult to grasp for newcomers as well pick up and play titles like Pokemon.

Probably my favourite Role-Playing franchises are Mass Effect and KOTOR – both of which I have played through various times. I guess this shows that I am a fan of Sci-Fi but followers of this blog will know I also love the Final Fantasy series, especially IX which is anything but futuristic. It still gets to me that FFIX gets such negative press, yet it is so well put together. I know why people rave about VII but the involvement from the characters in IX and the distinct locations have given me many hours of enjoyment.

I grew up in the nineties so I’m one of those people who often goes back to their N64. I love the Smash Brothers games as well as the standard classics like Ocarina of Time and Mario 64. In fact I love OOT so much that I have 5 various means of playing it – and it was the sole reason for my ambassador purchase of the 3DS. Still it isn’t quite as epic as A Link to the Past.

What games can you play through again and again? Do you play any of the ones I have listed above – Please add your comments to the section below.


Monday 13 May 2013

EA Signs on for Star Wars

EA announced this week a deal with Disney to publish future Star Wars games. As announced the two companies have established a “multi-year exclusive agreement to develop and publish globally under the franchise”.

This will allow DICE and Visceral the production of new games, joining the BioWare team which already develops for the franchise since it’s time with the KOTOR series.

Frank Gibeau, the Labels president at EA, stated that these three studios are already working on games within the Star Wars universe and that “every developer dreams of creating games for the Star Wars universe.” He went on to explain that, “Three of our top studios will fulfil that dream, crafting epic adventures for Star Wars fans. DICE and Visceral will produce new games, joining the BioWare team which continues to develop for the Star Wars franchise. The new experiences we create may borrow from films, but the games will be entirely original with all new stories and gameplay.”

Interestingly a blog post from the developers confirmed that the new games will run on the Frostbite 3 engine created by DICE and made famous by their destructible environments within the Battlefield series.

It was original bad news earlier this year when LucasArts laid off its staff and suspended their current projects, including the juicy ‘Star Wars 1313’.

All signs are pointing to some good opportunities for designed games and EA are well known for listening to the public. At the moment forums and video game sights are all kicking up for a third KOTOR game, another Battlefront and a rebirth for the creation of 1313. Maybe EA had these three games in their mind when they started mentioning the development studios.

I for one need a decent ending to the ‘Knights of the Old Republic’ Saga…. 

What would you like to see from this new set-up? Have you got any original ideas for a game set in the Star Wars universe? If so sound off in the comments section below.

Achievement Whore....

Back in 2005 the Xbox 360 released with critical acclaim and, undeniably the most popular feature of the current generation, Achievements. An additive meta-game tied into each and every title released for the console these became such a phenomenon that Sony jumped onto the bandwagon in 2008 by introducing a trophy system.

This innovation granted many players a reason to replay through games hunting out the most difficult challenges. Anyway with the new hardware just around the corner it’s been suggested that this system will be more open to interpretation by developers.

Polygon has reported that ‘with the next Xbox, developers and publishers will be able to add more achievements to a game after launch, without the need to add DLC. This is designed specifically to allow developers to tweak player behaviour, perhaps urging players to check out specific areas of a game or get past a difficult spot.’

They also note that Achievements can be added for ‘broader events’ like killing a specific amount of enemies in a given amount of time (such as over a specific weekend) and that the new, still unannounced Xbox may allow for ‘cross-platform’ styled achievements like Sony implemented between the PlayStation 3 and Vita.  

The next Xbox will be announced on 21st May and we will follow up the reports with a live text stream here on YVGB.

Tuesday 7 May 2013

Addressing the Xbox 'Always Online' Rumour

Off the back of the Microsoft hardware announcement today I thought it would be a good opportunity to really look into the ever popular internet rumour of an always online system. I believe that the next system will simply be call ‘Xbox’ and although many people have given the rumour heat there are several key reasons why Microsoft may want to implement this option – although obviously we won’t know until the announcement.

If this rumour is true then it is certainly a bold step by Microsoft and there are several advantages and disadvantages looped into it.

Pro: Microsoft’s continued bold approach to challenges
When the company follows a trend the results tend to be somewhat of a failure but when they implement an original idea they really make a success out of it. Look at Xbox Live as an example. People were original worried about the original Xbox shipping with a Ethernet Port back in 2001, especially a broadband wasn’t even on the horizon, but over the past decade this has become a staple inclusion on pretty much everything electronic. XBLA has come on leaps and bounds and is certainly the far more advanced online system when compared to the PSN. The Internet phenomenon that Microsoft anticipated, well ahead of its time, has sprouted extra game content, entertainment offerings and fundamental online multiplayer.
The truth is if Microsoft has decided to go through with this ‘always-online’ rumour then the majority of us will be fine.

CON: Change is not always good
This basically comes down to human nature but we have seen a positive output for changes in recent years. Look at the mobile phone market and the increase in smartphone usage. It’s intriguing to see that many normal people - like you and me – are now playing RPG’s on our phones and endorsing the streamed Film/TV services like Netflix.
It all comes down to simplicity

PRO: System and software updates are done in the background.
The new Xbox automatically downloads trial versions of games it thinks you’ll like, free updates for your games and add-on content as it becomes available. You know, kind of like what the PlayStation 4 is trying to do but they aren’t getting any backlash for it. To return to the smartphone example, just look at what devices are capable of thanks to always being connected to the Internet. Text messages, emails, FaceTime video chats, sports scores, twitter updates, and more are all fed to you automatically without you having to actively connect to a service and seek them out. Imagine what sorts of possibilities the video game space offers - all the pieces from your phone, plus all the speed of being on Wi-Fi connection. You could schedule gameplay sessions with your friend via your Xbox App and as soon as you get in from work the console is ready for you to pick it up and play.
We all hate the damn software updates anyway and the hassle of planning any gaming in advance means you currently spend the first 15 minutes sorting out the hosting.

CON: Server maintenance would become a nightmare
This is probably the biggest change Microsoft would need to implement and would affect everything from the way the Dashboard works to the Updates being completed. But if they have been planning an always-online experience since the off then you would imagine this is something already considered and ‘successfully’ resolved. The big M would need some serious contingency plans in place – if Live went down imagine the backlash. If this issue happened at launch you could definitely see it affecting the uptake of their new system.
Although this has been a problem raved about since the rumour, Microsoft will have done it’s research and will know the impact this could have. All good ideas come with a risk, and a big risk can mean a massive payoff.

PRO: People are embracing their Internet connections.
This sort of goes back to my first ‘Con’ listing but the number of daily internet users has increased massively over the last few years. People are using their connections for their phones, for work purposes and to keep track of their friends and families. Services like Netflix, Hulu, iTunes and potentially even Kindle products could be sent through the new Xbox into your TV. I’m one of the people that use these and the ease of having them on my Console/Entertainment System is a no-brainer for me. Secondly Microsoft has active relationships with their providers whereas Sony will be implementing a lot of these for the first time – and that even if they get them on board.
As people’s lives become busier the need for an a’la carte TV service, and easy access to its programs, becomes more and more prevalent.

CON: You have an Internet outage and you can’t play
This is, obviously, the problem for which Microsoft has no solution – the argument to which it has no rebuttal. It’s difficult to think of a scenario where not being able to play your games when you want to – but if you suffer the problem already this is already an issue regardless of the new Xbox console. Good examples of this always-online experience can be seen in the Diablo III and the more recent Sim City (2013) debacle. Now imagine that grinding your entire console’s ecosystem instead of simply one game. Unfortunately t’s not a very nice picture.
This is one of the big arguments against the always-online connection but by now most providers are offering an uncapped plan. Alternatively get a job and don’t play COD all day – I’ve had a cap but never exceeded it and I always play online

PRO: It might not actually require an always-online connection, it might simply prefer one
While Microsoft have neither confirmed nor denied the rumour it is getting people talking and one thing the Internet likes to do is exaggerate. Think about this one other possibility that seems to be getting lost in the quick fire reactions on IGN and GameFaqs -  always-online may be just a rumours. It’s entirely possible that the Next Xbox will give you all sorts of TV integration and who-knows-what-else if you’re jacked into Xbox Live, but if you’re not, it’ll still retain all of its core functions. The reports are that the console shuts down after three minutes of no connection but this is entirely possible for the development kits anyway. Microsoft would want to monitor what is going on with their kits and also attempting to plug and leaks as quickly as possible.
Remember this is just a rumour

CON: I don’t have another Con
Obviously I’m an Xbox gamer. I love my 360 and would actually miss the darned thing if it broke down. It’s not my life, it’s not my favourite possession but it is something I use frequently and it does everything – entertainment wise – that I need it too. I don’t suffer with slow Internet Connection or Capped Usage so I can’t really see the worried from a personal perspective but I do understand the concerns. 99% of people across the console world have a reasonable Internet connection (because they use it a lot already) and, if they are a heavy gamer, they tend to ensure their usage isn’t capped.
Either way get ready for the 21st May now – Microsoft might just surprise you!

One way or the other, Microsoft’s plans will be revealed soon enough. While I don’t personally believe this is the right time to attempt an always-online console, I also wouldn’t put it past Microsoft to go all-in on it. Of course they are listening to the Internet Forums and have a far better analysis of developers and customers than we can ever ponder. With E3 around the corner as well the next few months are going to be an interesting time.

Microsofts Next - Xbox Annoucement Dated

After weeks of rumours, Microsoft have finally confirmed that it will be holding an event on Tuesday, 21st May to unveil its next-generation Xbox, commonly referred to as Durango or Xbox 720. The event will take place at the company's Redmond, Washington campus.

An official blog post was released with Microsoft saying that the event will "mark the beginning of a new generation of games, TV, and entertainment," and will come accompanied with a live broadcast on Xbox.com, Xbox Live, and Spike TV. Interestingly, the post goes on to say that the event will serve as only an initial "taste," but that it will save its larger lineup of games for E3. This may be off the back of Nintendo’s announcement yesterday not to have a large floor display at E3 this year.

"On that day, we’ll share our vision for Xbox, and give you a real taste of the future. Then, 19-days later at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) in Los Angeles, we’ll continue the conversation and showcase our full lineup of blockbuster games."

Additional details remain scarce, but you can rest assured that the streams will be very interesting viewing.

For those who haven't been following the deluge of pre-event rumours, the next-generation Xbox is expected to herald the arrival of Microsoft's comprehensive home entertainment strategy, offering significant leaps in graphics processing power, interactive streaming media, and a new, more powerful Kinect. 

The event comes just a few short months after Sony’s debut of their PlayStation 4 at a special event in New York City and is an attempt to halt the competitions steam as quickly as possible.

Sequel Announced for Zelda 'A Link to the Past'

It doesn’t come around often, so a sequel being released for one of the greatest game of all time instantly becomes a viral sensation. Luckily for us – last week sparked one such day and since then the Big N has blown our minds by posting various videos and even letting some select sites play the damn thing.

The sequel is based around the SNES masterpieces The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Part – and is one game I have probably played, start to finish, more times than any other game.

Set in the same Hyrule as the original ALTTP, the game adeptly blurs the line between lovingly accurate fan homage as well as innovative sequel, It’s worth noting that it’s surprising how similar the game feels next to the original experience and how the puzzles incorporate the new 3D features while also being unmistakably set in the same world.

Obviously the graphics have been updated from the old 16-bit designs and the brightly coloured areas truly capture the spirit of Hyrule past. It still holds the top-down view of old but with a loving inflation to the sprites. Even the elf-style Link of old makes a return, replacing the pretty boy seen in recent TV console versions of late.

The world takes on the 3rd dimension in essence with brand new puzzles, transportation methods and tricks. The gameplay shows much of the same attack functions as before but I’m sure you can expect ‘key items’ to utilise the 3D engine.

Nintendo’s journalist demo showed off a dungeon, with Stalfos and flying tiles, as well as new exploration opportunities. One of the new innovations is a mechanic that allows you to paint yourself against a wall to move along un-ledged areas – which also leads to a change in camera angle.

This new adventure also made changes to Link’s magic bar, which now appear to support some Stamina based actions. Replenishing over time but depleting during more activities means that this balance prevents players from overusing their magic without it limiting the players exploration.

All in all, what I’ve seen appears to show a game very much A Link to the Past. It looks to be everything I wanted from a Zelda 3DS debut and is a true successor to what is touted as the greatest SNES game of all time. It is a new experience, and one well worth getting hyped for whether you love Zelda or not.

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On a side note The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages and Oracle of Seasons, a pair of critically acclaimed Zelda games that appeared on Game Boy Colour, will be available on the 3DS Virtual Console in North America and European territories on 30th May.

Oracle of Ages and Oracle of Seasons were released on Game Boy Color in 2001 and are noted for their connectivity. Upon completing either game, players would receive a password that would enable them to play an alternative version of the other.

Both were recently made available on the 3DS Virtual Console in Japan.