Monday, September 9, 2013

Sony announces thinner, lighter PS Vita with better battery life

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Last month Sony took the much-needed decision to cut the priceof the PS Vita to $199 while promising to significantly reduce the price of the handheld’s memory cards. But that wasn’t the end of the PS Vita announcements as Sony has just revealed a brand new model, the PCH-2000.
From October 10th a new thinner, lighter PS Vita will be available to buy that comes with a range of advantages over the existing model. It’s 20 percent thinner at just 15mm thick, and 15 percent lighter weighing in at 219 grams. The battery life has also been extended by one hour taking the time between charges to around 6 hours.
There’s also good news for those who still think the memory card pricing is too high–you will no longer need one. Sony is including 1GB of memory as standard in the revised Vita, so save games and smaller download games can be played without a memory card inserted. At the same time, a 64GB memory card is being introduced for users who want to carry a lot of games around with them. It’s also thought that lower memory card pricing will happen alongside the launch.
A thinner, lighter PS Vita is great news for gamers, but also a cost saver for Sony. However, there is one cost-saving change gamers may not appreciate. Although nothing is changing in terms of screen resolution, Sony has swapped out the 5-inch OLED panel for an LCD unit. We’ll have to wait and see how good that looks compared to the original unit.
The new PS Vita arrives on October 10 in Japan, but other regions don’t have a release date at time of writing. It also looks like there will be six color options available from day one.

Xbox One UI Leaks, unsurprisingly resembles Windows 8Xbox Music heads to Android and iOS with free web streaming Sony announces thinner, lighter PS Vita with better battery life

PS_Vita_revisedmodel
Last month Sony took the much-needed decision to cut the priceof the PS Vita to $199 while promising to significantly reduce the price of the handheld’s memory cards. But that wasn’t the end of the PS Vita announcements as Sony has just revealed a brand new model, the PCH-2000.
From October 10th a new thinner, lighter PS Vita will be available to buy that comes with a range of advantages over the existing model. It’s 20 percent thinner at just 15mm thick, and 15 percent lighter weighing in at 219 grams. The battery life has also been extended by one hour taking the time between charges to around 6 hours.
There’s also good news for those who still think the memory card pricing is too high–you will no longer need one. Sony is including 1GB of memory as standard in the revised Vita, so save games and smaller download games can be played without a memory card inserted. At the same time, a 64GB memory card is being introduced for users who want to carry a lot of games around with them. It’s also thought that lower memory card pricing will happen alongside the launch.
A thinner, lighter PS Vita is great news for gamers, but also a cost saver for Sony. However, there is one cost-saving change gamers may not appreciate. Although nothing is changing in terms of screen resolution, Sony has swapped out the 5-inch OLED panel for an LCD unit. We’ll have to wait and see how good that looks compared to the original unit.
The new PS Vita arrives on October 10 in Japan, but other regions don’t have a release date at time of writing. It also looks like there will be six color options available from day one.

Xbox Music heads to Android and iOS with free web streaming

Xbox Music
In their continued attempts to be a player in the digital entertainment industry, Microsoft has announced plans to open up Xbox Music to almost everything with a screen.
While the world has no shortage of decent music delivery services right now, the one thing nearly all seem to have in common is that they aren’t available on one platform or another. If you’ve given your music library to the cloud, or just prefer streaming audio as your music discovery method, it can be frustrating to find that you can’t replicate that experience on every screen you use.
Apple’s services are only available where Apple says so, and that is not a particularly long list. Google Play Music All Access is a great service as long as you don’t plan on a great experience outside of Chrome and Android. Microsoft is trying for the hat trick with Xbox Music, by making it available on their console, iOS, Android, and the web.
Xbox Music
Microsoft’s musical history hasn’t exactly been amazing, as anyone with a Zune collecting dust on a shelf will tell you. Xbox Music is an attempt to fix that by making the music service available on nearly everything. This way, subscribers will be able to take their playlists from device to device, no matter what that device may be.
If you’re not sure you want to subscribe yet, Xbox Music on the web will allow for unlimited free streaming for anyone. It’s not a new plan, but one that has yielded positive results for those who have tried it in the past.
This all-inclusive strategy from Microsoft, which is similar in deployment to Xbox SmartGlass, shows that the company is willing to play nice with others if it means their users continue sitting in front of the Xbox at the end of the day. Music playback has been a popular feature on the Xbox consoles for a long time, but not until now has Microsoft decided to wield it as a feature important enough to become its own

PS Vita TV lets you play Vita games on a TV with a DualShock 3

psvitatv
Alongside announcing a thinner and lighter PS Vita today in Japan, Sony has unveiled a rather unusual little box they are calling the PS Vita TV.
It measures just 10 x 6cm in size and is around the same size as a deck of cards. It is equipped with an Ethernet port, HDMI-out, PS Vita card slot, and memory card slot, and aims to be a multi-function device that interacts with both your PS Vita and PS4, but can also be used alone with a DualShock controller.
Probably the coolest feature it offers is the ability to play PS Vita games on your TV using a DualShock 3 controller. But that’s just the start. The PS Vita TV will allow you to stream video from services like Hulu and Netflix, play PS4 games via Remote Play using a DualShock 4, and play both PSOne Classics and PSPgames, again through your TV. It also counts as the smallest PlayStation branded hardware ever released.
It’s unclear exactly how Sony intends to position the PS Vita TV in the market. At $100 coupled with the media and game playing/streaming capabilities it could be a great competitor toApple TV. Its tiny size also means you can plug it in and forget about it sitting next to your TV. Sony is also sweetening the deal by offering the device bundled with a DualShock 3 and 8GB memory card for $150. Not bad. All we need now is a release date and details of availability.

Forza 5 replaces FIFA 14 as Xbox One Day One Edition free game

xbox_one_fifa14_free
It looks like Microsoft’s previous promise that FIFA 14 would ship with all Day One Edition versions of the Xbox One was based on a set number of downloads, and after that number is crossed the bundle will switch to Forza 5.
The funny thing about digital downloads is that the only way there can be a limited number of them is if there’s something physical like download capacity to get in the way. Anything else is an arbitrary limitation put in place to either create demand or meet a financial obligation.
For the Xbox One Day One Edition, the free game included for Europe meant that Microsoft had to purchase licences from EA Games for each copy that was sold in the bundle. These were purchased from EA at a bulk rate for sure, but there was a limit to how many the company was willing to “give away” at that rate. It looks like the pre-orders for the FIFA 14 bundle have nearly been filled, and instead of working out a new deal with EA GamesMicrosoft has decided to start giving away Forza 5 instead.
Microsoft spun up the usual “while supplies last” line in response to criticism over the swap, but the reality is this is a business deal that Microsoft wasn’t willing to try and renegotiate in order to meet the demands of their consumers.
While “unprecedented demand” is a good problem to have, it’s hard to walk away from the statement made on stage that all pre-orders will include FIFA 14Forza, being a Microsoft owned title, is something they can give away in the million without really losing much. It’s an unfortunate move on the part of Microsoft, and just another in a line of disappointing missteps leading up to the launch of their new console.

First Xbox One TV ad shows Microsoft’s focus isn’t on games

xboxone_nfl_advert
With the Xbox One in full production now, the hardware is set so the focus can turn to promotion in the run up to launch. This is Microsoft’s opportunity to get us excited about the games launching alongside the console and the ones that will follow in 2014. However, Microsoft’s focus isn’t really on games if this TV advert is anything to go by.
By all accounts this is the first TV advert released for the Xbox One, and the surprising thing is, there’s absolutely no games in it.
We get to see the TV-enhancing functions of the console for watching NFL, Skype also gets used, and there isn’t a controller in sight as Kinect is used for voice control input. That’s all great, but it seems strange to lead off your advertising campaign with a non-games commercial.
We’ve already discussed how with the Xbox One Microsoft wants to own HDMI1, but for the launch of a games console the earlier adopters will be gamers. Therefore the focus should ultimately be on gamers, right? If this is a sign of things to come then Microsoft will be marketing as much to the TV viewer as they will be to gamers.
As a gamer, it doesn’t matter what console it is, those added features are a secondary concern. If you want me to buy your console on launch day I need to be seeing the games and getting excited about them. What games do I want to play enough to spend $500 buying your hardware? Watching NFL and talking to friends on Skype isn’t going to get me to do that, plus, I can already do that without the console.
There’s still around 11 weeks until the Xbox One arrives, and I’m sure the marketing campaign will ramp up progressively asNovember 22 draws closer. But I really hope Microsoft is putting more emphasis on selling the games and convincing us whyKinect is essential (for gaming).

Rockstar asks retailers not to ship GTA V until September 16

GTA_V_screen_03
Rockstar has posed a bit of a problem for gamers who want a launch copy of GTA V to play on September 17. That problem being there’s a good chance it may not arrive on time, or at the very least early in the day.
Rockstar has requested that retailers not post out copies of the game until Monday, September 16. So if you order your copy ofGTA V through an online retailer, there’s no guarantee it will arrive on September 17 and depends completely on how good or bad your local postal service is.
The posting limitation is simply to stop anyone receiving the game early, and it seems likely retailers will agree to Rockstar’s request. So do you purchase online and risk not getting the game on September 17? Based on my local postal service here in the UK, if the game shipped on September 16 I would receive it no earlier than 4pm on the following day. That’s not great.
If you want to guarantee you have the full day to play GTA V on September 17 then there really are only two choices: attend a midnight opening at a local store, or pre-order from a local store and go and pick it up when that store (re)opens in the morning. However, if you’re going to be stuck at work all day and won’t get to play the game until the evening, ordering online and selecting next day delivery should ensure your copy is there waiting for you when you get home.

Xbox One will launch on November 22, one week after the PS4

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Not too long ago, we got word that the PlayStation 4 would release to the world starting in North America on November 15 of this year, giving everyone a little bit of time to secure a console for the coming holidays. We knew the Xbox One would release sometime in November, but we didn’t know whether it would land before or after the PS4. Today, Microsoft officially announced that the Xbox One would release one week after the PS4, on November 22.
The console will launch in 13 markets initially, which include the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Austria, Brazil, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Mexico, New Zealand, Spain. Though the console has sold out of pre-orders, Microsoft has made some new launch consoles available. This announcement follows the news that Microsoft has bumped the Xbox One’s CPUby around 10% in power, from 1.6GHz to 1.75GHz. Not too long ago, Microsoft also gave the console’s GPU a modest boost in power — 53MHz — from 800MHz to 853MHz.
The November 22 date holds importance for Microsoft and Xbox fans alike, as the Xbox 360 was released on that very day (in the United States and Canada) back in 2005. It’s a little jarring when you realize that was eight years ago, and the PS3 and Xbox 360 almost lived up to that desired 10-year cycle both Sony and Microsoft claimed they would.
The Xbox One will retail for $499 — one of the only aspects of the console that Microsoft has not yet changed since the initial,disastrous reveal.

Pool table uses Raspberry Pi to let you buy a game with Bitcoin

pool
The online cryptocurrency known as Bitcoin has won a lot of fans for its lack of a centralized authority and high degree of anonymity. Some have worried that Bitcoin is used extensively to fund illegal activities in the seedier parts of the internet, but there’s nothing seedy about a nice, friendly game of pool, right? A company called Liberty Games aims to let you pay for your next game with Bitcoin and a smartphone.
Using Bitcoin online is sometimes a complicated endeavor, but Liberty Games wanted to make it painless to buy a round of pool. The table has a Raspberry Pi built-in to handle the transaction on the user’s end. It then communicates to a server that manages the actual transaction on the Bitcoin network.
The table’s Bitcoin address is embedded in a QR code next to the digital readout, which tells the player how many Bitcoins a game costs. The value of Bitcoin bounces around a lot, so the exact number of coins (technically fractions of a coin) will change over time. The player can use any number of Bitcoin wallet apps to scan the QR code and send the required coins to the address. Once the table gets the signal that everything has gone through, it releases the balls just as if someone slipped a bill into the slot.
The Bitcoin-operated pool table is admittedly a bit of a niche item right now, but Liberty Games (based in the UK) will actually be selling the table in the near future. It will probably cost a whole mess of Bitcoins.

Japanese gamers have to wait until February 22 for the PS4

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Japan used to be the territory that got everything games related first and it fueled a very healthy import business to Western shores and gamers. But there has been a major shift and focus on the US and Europe over the last two generations of hardware, and Japan is really losing out with this round of next-gen consoles.
When the Xbox One launches on November 22, Japan isn’t counted as a launch territory, in fact Microsoft’s console isn’t expected to launch there for 18 months. That’s no great loss as Japanese gamers have never really liked the Xbox consoles. They do love PlayStation, though, so it’s surprising to hear that thePlayStation 4 won’t launch in Japan this year.
While Sony is set to launch the PS4 across the US and Europe on November 15, Japanese gamers will be left waiting until February 22 to get their hands on one. There will be a PlayStation 4 First Limited Pack available that includes Knack for the same price as the standard machine, which in Japan costs $420. There will also be a PlayStation Camera bundle available for $460.
Sony has explained the long delay before launching in its home territory is because of games. Basically, it wants a lot more of them available from day one in Japan. It seems likely a number of those games will be Japan-specific download titles that wouldn’t be considered for launch elsewhere. However, by February next year there’s sure to be quite a few other games available anyway.
I’d suggest stock levels will also have played a part in Sony’s decision to delay the launch. They need to ensure successful launches across Europe and in the US in order to best compete with Microsoft, and that means getting as many consoles into homes as possible before the end of 2013. As the Xbox One won’t feature in Japan, Sony can take a more relaxed approach to the launch there and still easily beat Microsoft to market.

Xbox One UI Leaks, unsurprisingly resembles Windows 8

Xbox One Dashboard
Microsoft seem to be lagging behind Sony in more than just popularity when it comes to their next generation gaming console, as a leaked video of the Xbox One Dashboard reveals an unfinished and buggy UI waiting to be completed.
There’s been a lot of finger pointing over the last few weeks as Sony and Microsoft have offered gameplay demos of their next-gen consoles at gaming events. Many gamers walk away from the experience wondering why Microsoft is still using PCs to show off their great new games, while Sony has been proudly showing off their console and making sure everyone knows the experience being offered up is exactly what they can expect on launch day.
Now it appears that the reason Microsoft hasn’t been eager to show off their UI is that the Dashboard experience isn’t quite finished yet.
The Xbox One UI, if this leak is in fact a glimpse at the final Dashboard, is pretty much exactly what you’d expect from a company that has worked so hard to pull their three platforms into uniformity. The single pane of active and inactive tiles arranged in three different sizes based on importance has been Microsoft’s design for a little while now.
Windows 8.1, Windows Phone, and now the Xbox One all share this design. A quick glance may cause you to think that there’s not a lot of differences here, compared to the Xbox 360. The blades have been fully retired now so there’s no top nav to quickly jump from category to category, which is unsurprising given Microsoft’s focus on pinned apps and the expectation that everyone will want to use their voices.
During the quick demo, the man behind the controller expresses surprise that Ryse launched the first time, and refers to the UI as buggy more than once. The game does load, which allows him to demonstrate the multitasking capabilities of the UI that were partially shown off during the Microsoft presentation. You can jump around and use the browser, flip to the TV, and likely use the video editing tools we’ve heard about but not seen yet.
It’s very flat, and very straightforward, which will appeal to those who weren’t the biggest fan of the flowing social network style layout of the PS4. Hopefully Microsoft has their software under control by November 22, and we don’t have any embarrassing stumbles at the finish line.

Brad Pitt Wants World War Z Sequel

Brad Pitt has been talking about the potential for a sequel to horror hit World War Z, stating that he’d be keen to continue the story.
“We’re certainly talking about it, yes” he told Variety while promoting new film 12 Years a Slave in Toronto. “We have so many ideas on the table from the time we spent just developing this thing and figuring out how the zombie worlds work. We have so many ideas and so much information – we think we have a lot of stuff to mine from.”
But Pitt added it’s all about story, explaining “We gotta get the script right to determine if we go further… We’ll wait and see how the script turns out, but yes, I’d love to come back.”


So would you like to see a World War Z sequel? Let us know in the comments below.

Final Fantasy XIV PS3 Can be Upgraded to PS4 For Free

Square Enix has announced anyone who purchases Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn on PlayStation 3 won't have to repurchase the game for use on PlayStation 4.
All character data will be carried over via a "free service", meaning you'll be able to continue with all the progress you've made so far on the new platform when the game officially launches for PlayStation 4 next year.
Additionally, the company has announced beta testing for the PS4 version of the game will commence on February 22, 2014.
Last week, the game's director Naoki Yoshida confirmed that Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn will support remote play on Vita, so you'll be able to play the MMO on the handheld if you have a PS4.

Josh Brolin Wants Ben Affleck's Batman to "Kick Ass"

Josh Brolin has been talking about the furore surrounding the casting of Ben Affleck as Batman, saying that he hopes the actor will kick ass in the role and make everyone eat their words.
“I’ve never seen such a global reaction in my life” Brolin told The Huffington Post. “I feel for him, truly. I would not want to be him right now. The reaction becomes so personal. It’s like ‘F**k this guy I wish he was dead.’ And you’re like ‘What? Dude, seriously. Thus guy is just working like you are. He’s doing the same thing you are. He’s trying to make the best choices he can.’”
Brolin was also asked if he had had conversations with director Zack Snyder regarding playing the part. “We did” he admitted. “I didn’t have conversations about it, but Zack, that was part of his idea. It just didn’t turn out. It’s OK. It is OK. You know, another scenario might have worked better, but I’m happy for Ben.”
And on that front, Brolin offered his support to Affleck. “I just feel for anybody who gets lambasted at that level” he explained. “I want him to kick ass and I want everyone to love it and kind of eat their words.”


The Man of Steel sequel will hit screens summer 2015.