Jason Schreier

Xbox One: All Of This Week’s News

The next Xbox is called Xbox One. It’ll be out later this year. It won’t be always-online, but it will restrict used games. Oh, and the next Call of Duty has a dog. That’s just a smidgeon of the news we got at Microsoft’s big event in Redmond on Tuesday, which touted the new Xbox…

What’s In A Name? ‘Xbox One’ Could Confuse Average Gamers

Yesterday, when Microsoft finally announced the successor to their Xbox 360, Don Mattrick took the stage with a giddy grin. “Today, we’re thrilled to unveil the ultimate all-in-one home entertainment system,” the Microsoft executive said. “The one with the power to create experiences that look and feel like nothing else. The one that makes your…

PSP dungeon-crawler Class of Heroes II will be out for PSN on June 4 for $25, publisher MonkeyPaw said today. You’ll be able to get it on both PSP and Vita.

Xbox One Does Require Internet Connection, Can’t Play Offline Forever

The Xbox One doesn’t have to be online all the time, but it does have to be online. Not just once in a while—once a day, according to Microsoft vice president Phil Harrison. In a Q&A on their press site for the new Xbox, Microsoft tackles the always-on question with a strangely-worded answer: “No, it…

You Will Be Able To Trade Xbox One Games Online, Microsoft Says [UPDATE]

Xbox One games will require a one-time activation code to use, but you’ll still be able to trade and sell them online, Microsoft tells Kotaku—although we’re not 100% clear on the details. Speaking to us at the big event in Redmond today, Microsoft corporate vice president Phil Harrison clarified a couple of details about the…

Xbox One Requires Kinect To Function

Your Kinect will need to be connected in order for the Xbox One to function, Microsoft announced at an event today in London. “Kinect does require to be connected to Xbox One in all cases, yes,” Microsoft’s Harvey Eagle told press (as reported by IGN). This may sound familiar. That’s because Kotaku reported it back…

Square Enix just sent over a press release to confirm that the Thief reboot is coming to the newly-announced Xbox One

Xbox One Is Not Always Online, But Seems To Restrict Used Games [UPDATE]

The next Xbox won’t require an Internet connection to function, but could very well block used games, unless you feel like paying Microsoft some extra cash. UPDATE: Microsoft says in an official Q&A: “We are designing Xbox One to enable customers to trade in and resell games. We’ll have more details to share later.” Original…

Sony Is Already Taking Shots At Microsoft On Twitter

While I happen to think the “console war” is one of the dumbest things ever conceived by humankind, there are few things as entertaining as watching corporations snipe at one another. So this got me giddy. Perhaps a bit jealous of today’s big Xbox Reveal, Sony’s PlayStation Europe account took a nice little jab at…

Good news: the next Penny Arcade RPG will be out on June 7. Even better news: the most recent one is free today. Go check it out!

The Next Xbox Will Be Revealed Tomorrow. Here’s What To Expect.

This is it. Tomorrow, during an event that will likely set a new benchmark for dubstep and flashing green lights, we’ll finally get to see Microsoft’s next gaming console. About time, right? Sony announced the PlayStation 4 in February, and now, just a few weeks before E3, we’re finally going to see the other major…

New Star Wars TV Series Will Take Place Between Episodes III And IV

Reeling from the recent cancellation of Star Wars: The Clone Wars? You may or may not be pleased to know that Disney/Lucasfilm just announced a new animated series in the massive sci-fi universe. The series is called Star Wars Rebels, and it’s set between Star Wars: Episode III and Star Wars: Episode IV in what…

It’s like Limbo, but with magnets! Magnetic by Nature looks pretty neat, especially for a student project. Check out the Kickstarter if you’re interested.

The Local News Discovers HIGH-INTENSITY EXER-GAMING

Remember when local news channels across the country discovered that HOLY SHIT WOMEN PLAY VIDEO GAMES??? Today they’ve had another revelation: HIGH-INTENSITY EXER-GAMING!!! Brought to you by the same trite, recycled local news press release copy that brought you this fantastic report about the world of girl gamers, check out our supercut of local news…

Big Layoffs Hit The Studio Behind Defiance And Rift [UPDATE]

We’re hearing of big layoffs at Trion Worlds, the company behind big online games like Rift and Defiance One person connected to the company tells us that the layoffs have affected over 100 people, and that they were triggered by the underwhelming performances of both Defiance and Rift‘s first expansion, Storm Legion The layoffs affect…

Sorry – no Random Encounters today! I’ve been ill and bed-ridden and haven’t had a chance to put together a column this week. But please feel free to talk JRPGs right here.

That new PS3 Metal Gear Solid collection got bumped back to July 9, Konami just announced. It’ll retail for $50.

If Nintendo Did Ever Make A Phone, Maybe It’d Look Like This

Now, I don’t think Nintendo will make a smartphone, nor do I think Nintendo should ever make a smartphone. But this concept video is too cool not to share. Created by the folks at T3, this video shows what a Nintendo Phone (WiiPhone?) could look like. And… it looks kind of awesome. I kind of…

As part of their partnership with Sega, Nintendo will release a whole bunch of Game Gear games on the 3DS Virtual Console. Full list below.

Mario & Sonic At The Olympics Coming To Wii U

The Wii U’s next big sports game will star Mario and Sonic. The next Mario & Sonic At The Olympics game is coming to the Wii U. No word on a release date yet, but it’ll take place in Sochi, Russia, where the real 2014 Winter Olympics will also occur. With EA pulling support from…