The Top 5 Gaming News of the Week 4/8 - 4/13

From new games, to why a new console really has always online, let's take a look at what made new last week.

5. Level-5, developer of Ni no Kuni is working on a PS4 game

Level-5, maker of Ni no Kuni, Professor Layton, and one of my favorite PS2 games Dark Cloud, is working on a PS4 game. My hopes that's it's a new Dark Cloud  I loved the first wan wish Sony would put on PSN's PS2 Classics, or a HD update.

4. Microsoft Fires Adam Orth Over Twitter Triad

Microsoft fired Creative Director Adam Orth last Wednesday over his famous "Deal With It" Twitter triad. Wonder how he's dealing with it now?

3. The Possible Reason Why The Next Xbox Will Require An Always On Connection

The real reason why the next Xbox will require an always on connection may have nothing to do with gaming  The next Xbox could connect to a cable box or broadcast TV signals and make you TV more interactive. While I do like the sound of that( This could mean the Next Xbox could have DVR capabilities , the possibility of having consent notification of Xbox live friends coming online while I'm watching TV will get old fast.  

2. EA Games named "Worst Company In America" 2nd year in a row

EA games once again has become the worst company in america yet again. I'm sure this whole Sim City mess did help them any. I really hope EA works on fixing this because there are surely a better (in this case, a worse) company that deserves this title. 

1. Batman Arkham Origins coming in October

Gameinformer magazine announced on their May cover that Batman Arkham Origins is coming on October 25 to Wii U, Xbox 360, PS3 and PC. The big  shocker that the game is being developed by WB Montreal not Rockstudy.  I love the last two Batman Arkham games and I hope WB Montreal does not let us down. 

Taking a look at Minecraft 360 TU9

Last week, Minecraft 360 title update 9 was released. The end has come to MC360, you can now take one the ender dragon along with you Xbox live buddies. Along with that, new textures, and new music for the nether. comes spawn eggs in creative mode that allows to spawn mobs (both good and bad) in creative. Sadly there are a few bugs that make the game a pain in the ass to play. Mainly the lighting...

  

The lighting problem is pretty bad. As you can see in the images above, lighting just won't work right when underground, even with a torch and lava near by this" black hole". But not to threat 4J studios already has TU10  ready to for Microsoft to approve it for release. Here are the fixes coming in TU10 

Top 5 Gaming News Of The Week

5. Borderlands 2 Ultimate Vault Hunter Pack released

GearBox released the Ultimate Vault Hunter Pack this week. Along with a third playthrough for everyone, a level cap and more rare loot was also released. The pack is $5 unless you have the season pass. I have not gotten to play UVHM much, but more of what In think is to come.

4. TU9 released a day early

4J studios released the much waited for Minecraft 360 a day early this week. The End has arrived along with bug fixes...and new bugs too. 

3. EA COO says We're Not that bad

With EA in the running for "Worst Company in America" again, EA COO Peter Moore is on damage control  and trying to win the CEO job. If I was EA, I hire outside of the company, because the ones running are sure doing a bang up job *cough*

2. New Pokemon Revealed

Last on Pokemon Smash, a Japaneses TV show , A new MewTwo, or MewThree was revealed to the world. The new pokemon will be in the first 3D pokemon games Pokemon X and Y

1. Next Xbox "Always On-Gate" continues with a employee making an ass of himself on twitter 

Rumors of the next xbox requiring a consent internet connection and the debate it sparked goes on, with Microsoft Studio's Creative Director making an ass of himself on twitter. Microsoft apologized  yet gave no official word on always on, which I hope the reconsider seeing how high speed internet is as wide spread as Microsoft thinks it is.

Kinect For Windows is coming Feb 1st, but will the price scare the groundhog the next day?

Last Night during Microsoft's final CES Keynote, Kinect for Windows was announced, along with it's launch date of February 1st. The problem? It's going to cost $249, more than a stand alone 360 kinect, and more than a packaged 360 + Kinect. Why do you have to pay more? Because Kinect for windows is more than use to play games with, it's more for unfun important adult stuff. At least you get development software and updates to the already releases Kinect SDK. So can you use your 360 Kinect on Windows? Nope, Microsoft says it an entirely different  licence, you know, those thing that make if illegal to copy software so your grandma can use word with out having to pay for it.  I wonder why Microsoft just make 360 kinect owners pay for the Kinect for windows licence? They just LOVE to bleed money from us, why no squeeze us some more. I predict that the licence will be made available for purchase for 360 kinect owners later on in the year. I also belive PC games will have kinect capabilities some time this year as well

Could the “Great Portable Gaming Crash of 2012” happen?

Portable gaming is having a hard time these days. Slow sales, competing with ipods and smartphones, and attacks form industry insiders is making this section of the gamming spectrum look weak, but could portable console market crash just like video games did back in 1983? Are the conditions the same as they were in ’83? And could portable gaming make a comeback?

 The video game crash in 1983 happened because of too many systems, lack of good games (*cough ET the game  *cough), and rise of the personal  computer which could play games and was a learning tool, something they console didn't do or try to do (remember the basic programing game for 2600?). Are the same conditions affecting the portable gaming market today? Well we can count out the too many systems, 3 systems (DS, 3DS, PSP. 4 if you want to count vita) are not too many. How about lack of good games? Well PSP had its problems, and looks like Sony will try better on vita, and Nintendo makes great 1^st party games, but all the 3^rd party licensed crap out there does hurt it a bit. The one thing that is a threat and is costing sales is a non-gaming competitor.

Smartphones and Tablets are hurting and maybe close to killing the portable gaming market.  Back during the 83 crash, PC were stealing sales by offering a learning experience and a future career path, something like I said before, console could not or at least tried to offer (I still would like to see what the 2600 basic programing game was like). Smartphones/Tablets offer somethings that portable gaming can’t or are trying to offer. Apps, phone calls, and cheap games are some of the offerings.  Both companies are combating this in both of their new systems, but are losing. Even though PS vita looks to change this, I’m reminded that HP’s touchpad did not last too long before they gave up. I’m sure Sony would throw in the towel as fast as HP, but it’s something to think about.

Now what if this crash does happen, will portable gaming make a comeback after? Well I think it will and we already have a possible solution…

 The Wii U pad controller can easy be turned into a table gaming device, it can easily be make to work without the need of a console, and could easily compete with the ipad seeing how Nintendo can reach places where the ipad has seem not to go yet, family gaming. One other company has a change to change portable gaming…

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Microsoft and Sony too already has the tools with windows phone 7 and xbox live to make a smartphone dedicated complete to video games, and Gaming Phone. Gaming Phones are the next step in portable gaming. If the xperia play was not a huge failure, Sony would already have a hold on the market. These are the future of portable gaming.

So will portable gaming market crash next year? There signs are there, but it depends on if the companies are willing to compete and if the economy improves. And who to say it will fail next year, it could crash in 2013 or 2014. I think the market has a great chance of surviving and rising from the ashes if a crash does happen. It's all speculation anyway, just enjoy the gaming. 

New toys for your Xbox 360 coming this fall

This fall, Microsoft will be releasing 2 new toys to use with your 360, a new headset and a new media remote, first lets look at the remote.

It is just like all the other 360 remotes out on the market now, except this remote has been design to work with the 360's soon to be TV service which we don't when it's coming, but probably the same time the remote comes out, early November. The $20 price tag seems good, but I'm wondering if it will work with older 360's?

The $60 Xbox 360 Bluetooth headset comes out the same time as the remote, and it does everything any Bluetooth headset does, works on both phones and PC, along with working on you 360 with any kind of add on, so why spend $60 on this when you can get one for $20 and just keep on using you old 360 headset? Windows Phone 7. I can see Microsoft enabling Xbox live  chat though Windows Phone 7 to other Xbox live users on both console and WP7 users, by using their head set only. Will that happen? we;ll have to wait till November to see if it's true.

Analyzing the Gears of War 3 Horde Mode 2.0

When Gears of war 3 comes out, a new and improved horde mode does too. With fortifications, winning money to buy more ammo and better weapons, and boss battles, Horde mode 2.0 is a much better improvement over the original horde mode.I can already tell that many are going to save up just to get the silver back and raise some hell with it. I can see some tactical uses in having barriers up, more time to mow down some grubs I don't about the teamwork aspect of it, I feel like if i want the sniper rifle (my favorite weapon in gears), or need more money, none of my teammates will hand them over, Hording them for themselves. I've played some of horde mode in gears2, and it's get boring around the tenth,  wave. Horde Mode 2.0 is a much better improvement and should be an enjoyable experience.

Kinect Star Wars.... the Real reason you got a Kinect.

We all is was in the pipeline one year ago when they said it was coming, and now we got video evidence. Kinect Star Wars is coming, and it looks great! Pod racing, space battles, oh yea LIGHTSABERS! This could become the high selling Kinect game of all time, even the high selling Motion Controlled game of all time. I plan on getting this, are you?



  

Halo 4 2012........that is all.

Halo 4 is coming in 2012(hopeful BEFORE the world ends) millions of halo fans pissed themselves when seeing this video yesterday revealed at E3. wonder where Master Chief got the jetpack from?

      

Two Big Name Microsoft Game Franchises Rumored to have reveals at E3

Microsoft is rumored to have to big reveals for 2 of its biggest franchisees, Halo and Gears of war. One is a HD remake, the other is a new kinect game.

Halo HD, a remake of Halo Combat Evolved, which has been in the rumor mill since November may make a reveal at E3. Why a remake? Mricosoft wants to ease the new dev into the hearts of Halo Loyalist, why not use a remake of the game that started it all. Plus some gamers, like me, never got to play the first halo, we were too into our PS2s. I hope this is not a XBLA download, other wise I'll be going back to my plan of getting the original for xbox or PC.

Gears of War: Exile, a kinect rail games which has also be in the rumor mill, is also may make it's first viewing at E3. This would be great for the lacking Kinect games department, in both causal and much need hardcore games. I hope the release a gun accessory with it, just using or hand to shoot doesn't seem right, it would just take a update to Kincet's software. I assume the game will feature different characters that are not from the main gears games.

Both these games will make a big splash at E3 if the rumors are true. Lets Hope they are.
   

Gears Of War 3 World Premiere Trailer!

Released just today, the gears of war 3 trailer! And it's set to Black Sabbath war pigs! It looks great. DAMN I NEED TO GET GEARS 2!

   

New Sonic Kinect game coming

Today, Sega via their Facebook page a video showing some of the sequel of Sonic Free riders, a Kinect launch title. Free riders seem do do well, however it was a lunch game and it was slim pickings for good kinect games(still is).Plus this game will be for PS3 users as well. Will this do well, we'll see, here's the video:

   

Halo Reach map coming soon, just don't know how soon.

Another Map pack for Halo Reach is coming soon according to Microsoft. According to the inside xbox video(that video you can watch on your xbox 360, but AFTER you read this) Major Nelson said to expect a Halo Reach map pack soon. No name or details were given. Bungie has not given any word about a new map pack ether. I expect we will hear about this new map pack later on in the month, or even this week maybe.