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A Pair of Kings: NBA 2K14 Gets LeBron James for Its Cover
Solidly established as professional basketball’s best player and a mortal lock for the hall of fame, LeBron James, after 10 years as an A-list superstar, will finally appear on the cover of a video game when NBA 2K14 hits shelves this autumn. 2K Sports has made a practice of luring MVPs of the present and…
By Owen Good Published June 6, 2013 -
Here’s A Pretty Crazy Conspiracy Theory About Metal Gear Solid V
Many Metal Gear Solid fans aren’t exactly happy that David Hayter will not—as far as we can tell—be reprising his role as Snake in the upcoming Metal Gear Solid V. That much isn’t surprising. Amusingly, the inability to let Hayter go has led some fans to concoct a ridiculous conspiracy theory about what’s actually happening…
By Patricia Hernandez Published June 6, 2013 -
Can Your Network Handle The “Optimal” Xbox One Experience?
Along with today’s clarification of the online requirements of the Xbox One, Microsoft also gave us an internet speed target: “For an optimal experience, we recommend a broadband connection of 1.5Mbps.” That doesn’t seem unreasonable. Let’s see how we do! A quick trip to Speedtest.net will tell you how your network is doing, and while…
By Mike Fahey Published June 6, 2013 -
It’s a Game Console. It’s Art. It’s Both.
The PS4. The Xbox One. The Ouya. The Game Stick. 2013’s turning out to be the year for all sorts of new hardware to come out of hiding. And now those systems are joined by the most mysterious and colorful one of all: the iam8bit Entertainment System. Want to know the hardware specs? You’ll need…
By Evan Narcisse Published June 6, 2013 -
The Xbox One Just Had A Very Bad Day
In two weeks’ time, we may look on this as one of the smartest PR moves of all time. But for now? It’s been a bad day for Microsoft. Seeking perhaps to head off criticisms that it had been vague (at best) and incompetent (at worst) in its messaging of core Xbox One services at…
By Luke Plunkett Published June 6, 2013 -
Xbox One Lets You Share Your Games With Up To 10 “Family” Members
Here’s another interesting detail from the Xbox news that popped up this evening. Microsoft says that 10 of your “family” members can access your shared games library. Not just on your console. On any Xbox One. Here’s Microsoft: Xbox One will enable new forms of access for families. Up to ten members of your family…
By Tina Amini Published June 6, 2013 -
Xbox One Kinect Privacy Concerns? Turn It Off. Pause It While Gaming.
Responding to worries that an always-on Kinect sensor recording camera and audio information would be a threat to user privacy, Microsoft offers a simple solution: the ability to turn the Kinect off, which they’d told us about. Better: pause it while gaming. You can also determine which personal data is or isn’t shared with others.…
By Mike Fahey Published June 6, 2013 -
Xbox One Games ‘Can Only Be Given Once’ [UPDATE]
This is unreal. Microsoft’s new policies seem to confuse more than they clarify. Right at the bottom of one section of the big list of policies Microsoft just released for Xbox One is a little detail about how you’ll be able to share games with your friends. Turns out you’ll only be able to give…
By Jason Schreier Published June 6, 2013 -
Xbox One Games Can Be Traded In, If The Publisher Enables It
After much waffling, Microsoft finally delivers a concrete answer on the ability to trade-in or resell your used Xbox One games — it’s not up to them. According to the “How Game Licensing Works On Xbox One” document released today by Microsoft, the console has been designed so publishers “can enable you to trade in…
By Mike Fahey Published June 6, 2013 -
Xbox One Needs To Connect To The Internet Every 24 Hours For Gaming
Following a whole lot of mixed messaging and confusion Microsoft has just confirmed what we told you three weeks ago: the Xbox One will indeed need to be connected to the Internet once every 24 hours to play games. If you don’t connect once every 24 hours, you will not be able to play games…
By Jason Schreier Published June 6, 2013 -
He Uses Battlefield and Call of Duty To Cope With The Horrors of War
AlloySevenVideo—Bryant Chambers, a former platoon leader in Iraq back in 2003—never got formally diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder. But that doesn’t mean war can’t haunt him in some ways. That’s where games come in, as he talks about in this video. “I honestly never thought I had any issues until several years after the event,”…
By Patricia Hernandez Published June 6, 2013 -
The Best Tower Defense Game On iOS Gets A Worthy—If Similar—Sequel
I spent a large chunk of 2012 playing Kingdom Rush, the unfairly addictive tower defense game that tasks you with upgrading towers, maneuvering troops, and throwing down last-minute fireballs in an attempt to thwart invading monsters. I mastered it, maxing out every level on the hardest difficulty. (I am allowed to brag about this, because…
By Jason Schreier Published June 6, 2013 -
Shockingly, Six Critics Really Like Animal Crossing: New Leaf
I mean, come on, it’s Animal Crossing. Nintendo’s addictive life sim series has always maintained consistently high review scores, and New Leaf, coming out on Sunday for the 3DS, is no exception. Although a few chided New Leaf for its stubborn refusal to shake up the series’ gameplay, the sheer number of customization options and…
By András Neltz Published June 6, 2013 -
SimCity Disaster Watch Continues: Mac Version Pushed To August
Originally slated for a June 11 release — that would be this coming Tuesday — EA and Maxis have pushed back the Mac version of SimCity to an unspecified date in August because, as senior producer Kip Katsarelis tells it, “we do not believe it is ready for primetime yet.” Thank goodness for foresight. I…
By Mike Fahey Published June 6, 2013 -
Weird Moments With Kiefer Sutherland, Also Known As The New Snake
Snake’s Cat’s out of the bag: Kiefer Sutherland will play Snake in the upcoming Metal Gear Solid V: Phantom Pain. The announcement was standard stuff, although I couldn’t help but notice some notable, sometimes silly moments—like the one above. Let’s recap with some GIFs. You’re game for that, right? Hooray! Sutherland is a perfect fit,…
By Patricia Hernandez Published June 6, 2013 -
Here’s How the Video Game Comics of the Future Will Probably Look
I have a little guilt over it but I’m doing most of my comics reading on an iPad nowadays. While the convenience is great and the work can look better on the screen than in print, it’s a little weird that comics are still so static on smart devices. Comics legend Jim Lee thinks so…
By Evan Narcisse Published June 6, 2013 -
Brace Yourself For The Man Of Steel Mobile Game
Mobile is the place for movie tie-ins these days, and Phosphor Games Studio is the studio to do them. Fresh off a winning stint doing up the World War Z mobile game, Phosphor returns on June 14 with Man of Steel. It looks quite punchy. At least we’re not flying through rings, right? Man of…
By Mike Fahey Published June 6, 2013 -
There’s Something Poetic About The Home Of The Norse Gods In LEGO Form
LEGO was born in Denmark, the home of the Vikings, so building the realm of the Norse gods in LEGO Marvel Super Heroes using the country’s number one export just makes sense. If you ask me, LEGO Asgard looks much better than the version that appeared in the live action movie a few years back.…
By Mike Fahey Published June 6, 2013 -
Portal 2’s PS3 Version Gets New, Free Co-Op DLC Today
A while back, Sixense Studios delivered the InMotion DLC—which consisted of a bunch of new levels optimized for for the system’s Move controller—to the PS3 version of Portal 2. Now, that version of Valve’s hit sequel will be getting new co-op content, rolling out to today as a free update. You’ll be able to play…
By Evan Narcisse Published June 6, 2013