2012 - Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) - Events

Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3)

Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3)

2012

E3 is the world's premier trade show for computer and video games and related products. The show is owned by the Entertainment Software Association (ESA), the U.S. association dedicated to serving the business and public affairs needs of the companies, publishing interactive games for video game consoles, handheld devices, personal computers, and the Internet.


For one week, Los Angeles, California becomes the center of the gaming universe. In the past, the big 3 (Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo) have announced new consoles, revolutionary games and game-changing hardware. This year, with the help of major and indie studios, we will get to see how everyone plans to change the world with their games and peripherals. We are on site all week, bringing you up-to-the-minute coverage of the major press conferences and special events like Showstoppers! and Shifted2Reality on F5 Live and TPN.tv.

Show Episodes

F5 Live: Refreshing Technology

Episode 250

2012-04-01

This week, BlackBerry has got new ideas, Xbox has got new partners and Windows has got new problems.

F5 Live: Refreshing Technology

Episode 258

2012-06-03

Tonight, Sony plans to keep gaming in the past, Microsoft plans to move media into the future and a very happy birthday to someone special. Season 6: fight!

F5 Live: Refreshing Technology

Episode 259 - Microsoft @ E3

2012-06-04

Today, we've got the news of the morning from Microsoft's E3 2012 Press Conference.

F5 Live: Refreshing Technology

Episode 260 - Sony & EA @ E3

2012-06-05

Today, we've got the news of the day from Sony and EA's E3 2012 Press Conferences.

F5 Live: Refreshing Technology

Episode 261 - Ubisoft & Nintendo @ E3

2012-06-06

Today, we've got the news of the day from Ubisoft & Nintendo's E3 2012 Press Conferences.

PLUGHITZ Live Presents

E3 2012 - Legends of War: Patton is History in Gaming

2012-06-06

During ShowStoppers! at E3 this year I had the pleasure of speaking with Luke Shelnutt from Maximum Games about a cool, historically accurate, turn-based-strategy title for the PS3, PS Vita and Xbox 360.

Something I noticed that sets Legends of War: Patton apart from your typical World War II game is that it is licensed by The History Channel because of its educational properties. As you are playing through General Patton's European campaign during World War II you are first briefed on what took place in the battle before trying your hand at playing through the battle yourself. Then, after successfully completing the battle you are rewarded with actually World War II footage.

I didn't have a chance to play the game yet but I'm very interested in getting my hands on a copy in the future because it seems like a fantastic way to learn about history. I'm also a bit curious to see how they implemented the turn-based-strategy aspect of the game as this isn't something we see often in the genre. As Luke made mention, this game probably isn't for your 8-year-old, but young teens and older are a more appropriate audience. Legends of War: Patton will be available for PS3, PS Vita and Xbox 360 this October at all major video game retailers.

PLUGHITZ Live Presents

E3 2012 - Game Capture HD with Elgato Systems

2012-06-06

For those of you who feel saddened because your glorious video game achievements and heroic epic fails seem doomed to live forever in the obscurity of your memory then you'll want to pay attention to Elgato's Game Capture HD. I had the pleasure of speaking with Tim BÃth, Elgato Systems brand manager, at ShowStoppers! during E3 this year and we got a live demo of the hardware and software in action.

The way that the Game Capture HD works is pretty simple. You have an Xbox 360 and/or a PS3, TV and a Mac or PC. The Game Capture HD hardware had an HDMI pass-through that catches the feed from your console and sends it to your computer via USB 2.0 in 480i/p, 756p, 720p, and 1080i outputs without losing a single frame. So you've got a couple options even if somehow you don't have an HDTV to go with your HD game console. Elgato Systems also has their own software that makes it easy to work with your footage. Check out more after the break and get a first-hand look.

Their software makes it easy to record with features like Flashback Recording which lets you rewind your footage and go back in time to start recording from that point. Their visual editor makes it easy to remove, move and trim your footage so that you can focus on the best of it and easily post to YouTube all from the same place. In case your familiar with other video editing programs like Sony Vegas or Premiere, no worries, you can output your video as an MP4 to use with them as well. That not bad at all for under $200.00, if you're interested, go pick one up from Elgato here.

PLUGHITZ Live Presents

E3 2012 - Kingston Technology - Powerhouse Gaming Rig

2012-06-06

Only Kingston Technology, home of high-quality memory products, could show up at an E3 2012 ShowStoppers! party and bring with them an uber-powerful gaming computer. What do I mean when I say uber-powerful? How about 64GB of HyperX RAM, a $1,000 12-core processor and dual SSDs. One SSD is setup for the operating system and applications and one is setup for an Adobe scratch disk.

This computer is so powerful that rendering full HD video only takes about 7% of the processor. How do they do it? By loading all of the video into RAM, meaning no disk seek times, plus using an SSD as a scratch disk. With no seek time, the video is capable of rendering faster and smoother than the average editing rig. This simulates a lot of how videogames work. In general, the area you are in is loaded into memory and rendered on the fly. A rig like this could make any game run smoother, even at the highest video settings.

PLUGHITZ Live Presents

E3 2012 - Aurasma - Augmented Reality With a Purpose

2012-06-06

Sometimes at events like ShowStoppers! at E3 2012 you are surprised by what products you find. Now, we all know about Augmented Reality (AR) - Sony even showed off their own implementation in the Wonderbook. So far, however, it has mostly been a toy and not really used for anything productive - until now.

Enter Aurasma. Their goal is to bridge the physical and virtual worlds, all through your phone or tablet. This system allows you to take a physical image and turn it into an interactive element. For example, if you use their free software and aim it at the Mona Lisa, you will be treated to a moving version of the image, talking to you. It is done entirely without ugly QR codes, which have become like modern day modem noise, keeping an advertisement or brochure entirely clean and professional. Companies have already used their product for Despicable Me, soccer teams and even Marvel has recently gotten involved to bring your comic book characters to life.

This is one of the coolest technologies I have interacted with, and it is great to see someone trying to eliminate the scourge that is QR codes. You can get the free app in either the Android or iTunes marketplaces right now.

PLUGHITZ Live Presents

E3 2012 - AVerMedia - Video Capture Devices for All Occasions

2012-06-06

Every gamer has watched gameplay footage of their favorite game, or funny footage as we are in the studio this evening. There is only one way to capture that footage, and that is with a capture card. AVerMedia is here to make that capability available to the masses with their offering of computer-based and stand-alone capture devices.

If you are recording on computer games, they have an internal, PCIe-powered, capture device that allows you to capture and live-stream your computer screen over the Internet, called Game Broadcaster HD. It even gives the ability to incorporate commentary into the stream, making it a full, self-contained component for the hardcore PC gamer. If you want to record your console play, the company offers something for that, too. With their external capture device, Game Capture HD you can hook up any console, including the Wii, via component cable, and record either to the internal memory, or almost any external storage you may have.

If you have been looking for a good way to capture, stream and commentary your gaming, look no further than AVerMedia.

PLUGHITZ Live Presents

E3 2012 - The Hip Hop Gamer - Gaming, Music and the Hardwork to Balance the Two

2012-06-07

What happens when you mix hip-hop and gaming? You get The Hip Hop Gamer. The passionate, dedicated, self-made journalist-meets-rap-star was one of the musical acts at the Shifted 2 Reality party and I had the opportunity to speak with him after bumping into him practically everywhere during the convention week.

The Hip Hop Gamer's performance at the event was absolutely great. Part of the greatness around it was that his music is exactly what you would expect it to be: hip hop mixed with lyrics about gaming. The other part of the greatness was that I was able to save the show, as he didn't have a microphone following the performance of a previous act. No worries, our trusty mic we use on camera was obviously ready and available to fulfill its duties to save yet another production and the show went on!

During our short chat, we learned about his career in music, his show, and publication which now is hosted through EGM and also about his future possible appearance in a video game. Want to check out the full scoop? You don't want to miss how animated he gets during the interview! Oh yeah, and I get to hold his championship belt.

PLUGHITZ Live Presents

Sony Recap - Beyond: Two Souls

2012-06-05

This week during LA gaming week 2012 Sony announced a new single-player game, Beyond: Two Souls. We are excited about this game which is estimated to be released in Spring 2013 for the PS3. The main character, Jodie Holmes, who is a young female with supernatural powers and a link with an invisible entity, will be played in a "unique way" by Ellen Page. "{She} is the most incredible Jodie Holmes I could dream of," says David Gage from Quantic Dream.

The F5 Live crew discusses the value of this title.

PLUGHITZ Live Presents

Sony Recap - PlayStation Move and Wonderbook

2012-06-05

What do Sony and books have to do with each other? No, they're not releasing another eReader. Instead, Sony brought to the stage of their press event something that felt a little rushed. The company has teamed up with J.K. Rowling to produce Book of Spells, which is a game based on the Wonderbook platform that they also announced at the event.

What is Wonderbook? It's actually a great little piece of augmented reality hardware and software. Using your PlayStation Eye camera and a special book you must purchase, kind of like the AR Cards from the 3DS, will make several different games and images appear on the screen. When you place the waterproof book on your floor, the book then shows up on the TV, where it animates to life. The images that appear have that Harry Potter feel to them and objects will randomly come out at you in 3D. You can also pick up the book, move it and do whatever you want, and the image on the screen will follow suit. The good news is you'll only need one Wonderbook for all future titles so you won't have to buy any new "hardware."

The F5 Live crew discusses the value of this new hardware enhancement.

PLUGHITZ Live Presents

Sony Recap - PlayStation Mobile

2012-06-05

During Sony's E3 2012 Press Conference they decided to mention PlayStation Suite, seemingly because they felt like they had to. Over the 2 minutes and 32 seconds they dedicated to it there were two important announcements. The first was that PlayStation Suite has been renamed to PlayStation Mobile. For those of you who are unfamiliar, PlayStation Mobile is Sony reaching out to 3rd party game developers on any "open platform" in an attempt to bring the best of gaming to mobile phones and tablets.

The second important announcement is that HTC will be the first third-party manufacturer to work with Sony in producing "PlayStation Certified" devices that will bring the best gaming experience to the masses. Now, if Sony is going to blow over a major topic and leave fans with more questions than answers like they did, they at least know to take a subtle dig at Apple to help smooth things over. This is why they made it a point to emphasize that they are supporting an open platform.

The F5 Live crew discusses the value of this new hardware and software enhancement.

PLUGHITZ Live Presents

Electronic Arts Recap - Battlefield 3

2012-06-05

This year at E3, EA and DICE announced an expansion to Battlefield 3. When I say expansion, I mean they decided to stick with the game that brought them to the dance and enhance it like never before. Plus, it's not just another map pack with no other exclusives and no added benefits, like their competitor.

With Battlefield Premium, you get a ton of new features and a bunch of spread-out expansion packs that include more things than just a map pack. $49.99 may seem like an expensive price point, but here's what you get:

  • All Five Expansion Packs with Early Access
  • Stand out with Exclusive in-game items
  • Powerful New Features
  • Exclusive Online Double XP Events
  • Insider Tactics from DICE

PLUGHITZ Live Presents

Electronic Arts Recap - Dead Space 3

2012-06-05

One of the highlights of EA's presser this year was the announcement of Dead Space 3. This is a franchise that has had lots of controversies, including the "your mom hates this game" ad campaign. Controversy leads to sales and sales usually translates into likes, especially when the games are as good as these. Getting to see gameplay from the next installment is enough to get anyone excited.

In the new game, you will be joined by a new companion: John Carver. The addition of Carver also means the addition of co-op play. The game is even smart enough to adapt the story to whether or not your companion is controlled by another human. A scene that might normally involve a conversation with the NPC Carver might become a fight scene with a co-op friend.

PLUGHITZ Live Presents

Electronic Arts Recap - FIFA 13

2012-06-05

With the things we saw at the E3 2011 EA press event with FIFA 12 I didn't think the beautiful game could get any more impressive. Call me a suspension bridge, because I couldn't be more wrong. EA SPORTS has figured out how to make this game even better than before and with Lionel Messi on the cover this year, arguably the world's best football (soccer) player, it's bound to attract even more fans to the stores to pick up a copy.

David Rutter, Executive Producer for the game, said,

We are perfecting the best sports game in the world with innovations that capture all the drama and unpredictability of real-world football. These are game-changing innovations that will revolutionize our artificial intelligence, dribbling, ball control, and collisions to create a true battle for possession across the entire pitch, and deliver freedom and creativity in attack.

PLUGHITZ Live Presents

Electronic Arts Recap - Madden 13

2012-06-05

EA SPORTS Madden 13 Senior Designer Josh Looman took the stage at EA's press event to tell us something very profound:

Franchise mode is dead. Online franchise mode is dead. Superstar mode is dead. It's really the first true sports RPG.

For the first time in four years, I am actually excited about Madden and, for the first time in three years, it may end up in my game collection. How? From the presentation, to the gameplay, to the mechanics, to the audio, to Madden's new Connected Careers, Ultimate Team rehaul and Madden Social, this year's football franchise could be the best one yet.

PLUGHITZ Live Presents

Electronic Arts Recap - Medal of Honor and Crysis 3

2012-06-05

Seemingly everyone on the planet knows who the Navy Seals are but did you know that most militarized nations have a "tier 1" elite squad? If you had no idea, then Medal of Honor: Warfighter is here to enlighten you. Danger Close, the studio behind this new title, will be bringing together the best of the best - 12 elite squadrons from 10 nations, to play in a modern, realistic shooter.

Unlike other modern shooters, this one takes all of its scenes and scenarios from real-life events and situations. In multiplayer mode, you are given the ability to choose which country, and by default, which unit you want to play as. Then, you are partnered with another player on your team to form a 2-man "fireteam." These pairs are given special abilities, such as the ability to see each other on the map at any time from any distance. You also have the ability to revive a fallen partner by killing his killer. If that doesn't happen, you serve as a mobile respawn point for your partner.

Crysis has been a household name since it first started melting processors many years back. Crytek, the company which started the game, is back with the third installment of the franchise. This game takes place 25 years after the last one and you get to play as Prophet.

Obviously you will still be fighting the Ceph, and you will get to do so in the overgrown ruins of what was once New York City. The city has become a sort of rainforest, with massive trees inhabiting familiar scenes. In addition, it has been taken over and put in a dome to try and contain the problem.

PLUGHITZ Live Presents

Electronic Arts Recap - Need for Speed: Most Wanted

2012-06-05

Another EA press event means another Need for Speed game. This time, developer studio Criterion takes a shot at progressing the series from the ground-breaking addition of Autolog found in Hot Pursuit with Need for Speed: Most Wanted. EA says you can now "outdrive your friends, outrace your rivals and take down a city full of cops" in the most intense edition of the game to date.

The focus? Open world action where freedom is everything. No more scripted chases and sequences when trying to outrun the police. Now, you can do it however you want. If your car is of the off-road type, take the car into the mountain-side. Got a Porsche? Head down the interstate and blow past those roadblocks with ease. Drive where ever you want, go anywhere your car takes you, race your friends down the streets or mess with the cops. The choice is yours.

PLUGHITZ Live Presents

Electronic Arts Recap - SimCity

2012-06-05

One thing we were all looking forward to this year at E3 was SimCity. We've been following it for a while and got to listen in on a Producer Broadcast with SimCity lead producer Kip Katsarelis. We got to hear 30 minutes of questions and answers, along with insight on several aspects of the game, including the sim engine, look and feel and some gameplay aspects.

One of the first questions Kip was asked was, "Why did Maxis and EA bring back SimCity?" He said that with this game, they wanted to bring back the possibilities of creating a world on PCs that can now handle the engine they wanted to create. The new game is a complete reboot of the franchise and Maxis looked at every feature from top to bottom to reinvent the game to make it the best ever. There is a new simulation engine in place, which we knew about, called the GlassBox engine. With GlassBox, every Sim has a place to live, work and shop.

Glassbox is huge and is the foundation for the simulation. It allows everything you see in the world to be simulated. Crime happens in realtime, traffic is amazing, every Sim is actively tracked and managed. If work is close, they will walk or take rail or bus stops, or they may even drive. You can then act on that (those problems) and see the impact of the changes you make.

PLUGHITZ Live Presents

Electronic Arts Recap - Star Wars: The Old Republic

2012-06-05

EA and Bioware seem entirely committed to Star Wars: The Old Republic and they showed it with the E3 press conference. Dr. Ray Muzyka, the founder of Bioware, spent some time showing the crowd what can be expected in the future of the game. He said,

Our goal is to create a living service that's always on.

Fans of the game, and there are a lot of them, will be happy to know that they are committed to maintaining and expanding, and well as enhancing the experience. There are, in fact, so many fans of this title that it is the fastest growing MMO of all time. Because of that, there is always room for growth.

PLUGHITZ Live Presents

Electronic Arts Recap - UFC

2012-06-05

What a difference a few years makes. In 2009, head of UFC, Dana White, made it clear he didn't like EA, and for good reason. He tried to have a meeting with them to discuss his idea for an MMA-based videogame. He thought it would work because the WWE had been successful for a long time with their games. EA, on the other hand, refused to meet with him because they claimed that MMA disgusted them. He, of course, later went to THQ, who produced the official UFC game from their San Diego studio.

EA went on to make their own MMA game, unlicensed. Needless to say, he was not happy about this and threatened to ban any fighter who appeared in EA's MMA title. Suffice it to say, it was a pretty big surprise to see Mr. White standing on EA's stage announcing his exclusive partnership with the company that had stabbed him in the back. Obviously, EA was not happy with their non-existent sales, so they purchased the contract away from THQ, who has much less of a sports background than EA. I would imagine we will see new EA-powered UFC titles later in the year.


UpStream Articles

Pikman 3 and Wii U For You

posted Wednesday Jul 4, 2012 by Jon Wurm

<i>Pikman 3</i> and Wii U For You

Pikman was a fun, family-friendly title that provided countless hours of entertainment for children and families around the world. Finally, after 10 years Nintendo decided to blow the dust out of the cartridge and introduce Pikman 3 for the Wii U during their E3 2012 Press Conference. Not surprisingly, Miyamoto and his trusty translator made it a point to show off what Pikman 3 being a Wii U title actually meant for gamers. The most oblivious improvement comes from the enhanced graphics of the Wii U but Miyamoto also mentioned the extra resolution will make it much easier to deal with Pikman that are spread out across a large area. The gameplay mechanics have also changed a bit as your Pikman can manipulate the environment to build bridges and you have much greater control over targeting. Now you can discover and hone in on key items in the environment or weak spots on enemies to be much more effective in combat. There is also new type of Pikman, the "Rock Pikman," which is used for breaking hard surfaces and enemies that stand in your way.

To accurately control your horde of colorful Pikman you have the option of basic controls that utilize the Wii Remote Plus and Nunchuck or exclusively using the Wii U controller that provides some more advanced options. Depending on which you chose, the gameplay you experience will be different. For example, using the Wii Remote Plus and Nunchuck combination gives you a the more specialized targeting that adds depth to the battle at hand. If you go the Wii U controller route, the game seems to act more like an RTS (real-time strategy) where your focus is more about managing 4 groups of "Leaders" and Pikman at a time. This is done by dedicating the Wii U controller's screen to acting as a map that improves your ability to navigate to the different groups.

If you didn't get to try it out on the show floor then you'll just have to sit tight until whenever the TBA 2012 release date ends up being. In the mean time, check out the Pikman 3 portion of the Nintendo E3 2012 Press Conference after the break.

read more...

The Hip Hop Gamer - Gaming, Music and the Hardwork to Balance the Two

posted Friday Jun 15, 2012 by Nicholas DiMeo

The Hip Hop Gamer - Gaming, Music and the Hardwork to Balance the Two

What happens when you mix hip hop and gaming? You get The Hip Hop Gamer. The passionate, dedicated, self-made journalist-meets-rap-star was one of the musical acts at the Shifted 2 Reality party and I had the opportunity to speak with him after bumping into him practically everywhere during the convention week.

The Hip Hop Gamer's performance at the event was absolutely great. Part of the greatness around it was that his music is exactly what you would expect it to be: hip hop mixed with lyrics about gaming. The other part of the greatness was that I was able to save the show, as he didn't have a microphone following the performance of a previous act. No worries, our trusty mic we use on camera was obviously ready and available to fulfill its duties to save yet another production and the show went on!

During our short chat, we learned about his career in music, his show and publication which now is hosted through EGM and also about his future possible appearance in a video game. Want to check out the full scoop? We have the video after the break and you don't want to miss how animated he gets during the interview! Oh yeah, and I get to hold his championship belt.

read more...

Nintendo Unleashes a Flurry of Hardcore WiiU Titles at E3

posted Tuesday Jun 12, 2012 by Nicholas DiMeo

Nintendo Unleashes a Flurry of Hardcore WiiU Titles at E3

At the Nintendo E3 press conference, there was a lot riding on Nintendo to deliver the goods and the hardware. While some might have been left with a bitter taste in their mouth because an actual WiiU wasn't on stage, the company did manage to show off 23 new titles that were coming out for the WiiU or 3DS.

However, in true Nintendo form, several of those titles were lumped together in what we like to call their "rapidfire title sequence." The problem, though, is that Nintendo could have really impressed us by going into more detail with some of the upcoming releases, which usually aren't games that people would associate or even see on a Nintendo console.

What are the games that we'll see? Did you miss the "rapidfire" session? It's okay, they covered 7 titles in under 90 seconds. We have you covered with full trailers and more after the break.

read more...

AVerMedia - Video Capture Devices for All Occasions

posted Friday Jun 8, 2012 by Scott Ertz

AVerMedia - Video Capture Devices for All Occasions

Every gamer has watched gameplay footage of their favorite game, or funny footage as we are in the studio this evening. There is only one way to capture that footage, and that is with a capture card. AVerMedia is here to make that capability available to the masses with their offering of computer-based and stand-alone capture devices.

If you are recording on computer games, they have an internal, PCIe-powered, capture device that allows you to capture and live-stream your computer screen over the Internet, called Game Broadcaster HD. It even gives the ability to incorporate commentary into the stream, making it a full, self-contained component for the hardcore PC gamer. If you want to record your console play, the company offers something for that, too. With their external capture device, Game Capture HD you can hook up any console, including the Wii, via component cable, and record either to the internal memory, or almost any external storage you may have.

If you have been looking for a good way to capture, stream and commentary your gaming, look no further than AVerMedia.

read more...

Beyond: Two Souls - Seems as Though I Just Became a New PlayStation Player

posted Friday Jun 8, 2012 by Carla Newsom

<i>Beyond: Two Souls</i> - Seems as Though I Just Became a New PlayStation Player

This week during LA gaming week 2012 Sony announced a new single-player game, Beyond: Two Souls. We are excited for this game which is estimated to be released in Spring 2013 for the PS3. The main character, Jodie Holmes, who is a young female with supernatural powers and a link with an invisible entity, will be played in a "unique way" by Ellen Page. "{She} is the most incredible Jodie Holmes I could dream of," says David Gage from Quantic Dream.

At the press conference, David Gage showed us some scenes from the game that just grasp hold of your attention and do not let go. He explains that Beyond: Two Souls tells Holmes' story in a 15 year timeframe, starting from the time that she was 8 years old. In the first scene of the game we see that Jodie Holmes is sitting in a police station. The officer who seems to have found her on the side of the road is asking her questions to see how he can help her.

Was there an accident?

Did someone try to hurt you?

Is there someone I can contact?

Silence.

Finally when he is about to give up, disappointed by her silence, he notices a scar on the top of her head and asks if it's recent. A look of concern is displayed on Holmes' face and just then the coffee that he brought her shatters against the wall... without anyone's help. The officer, now confused, announces that he is leaving the room and will be right outside the door. Holmes slightly looks up to her left and says, "I know. They're coming." She appears to be speaking to an invisible entity, who Nick is 99.9999% sure is named Ivan. Although unfortunately from the clip, is unclear and there is still debate in the office as to what the name of this entity really could've been. Just then SWAT busts through the front door of the police station and asking for the girl that was brought in earlier. The preview shows more clips, which appear to be flashbacks throughout the game:

  • Holmes on a motorcycle being chased by a helicopter.
  • Holmes fighting off a police dog.
  • Explosions
  • Cars flipping over in the air.
  • Fights on top of moving trains, where she seems to surround herself with an impenetrable force as she jumps off the train, avoiding gunfire.

The video ends with the leader of the SWAT team, that we saw earlier, on the ground after an explosion. Holmes grabbing him by the collar of his shirt telling him to leave her alone or next time she'll kill everyone, and then saying, "Come on, Ivan."

I am more of an Xbox girl and know that with this game, I may just need to start playing on my brother's PS3.

read more...

God of War: Ascension Launches in March but I Want it Now

posted Thursday Jun 7, 2012 by Nicholas DiMeo

<i>God of War: Ascension</i> Launches in March but I Want it Now

Hey, current or potential PlayStation 3 owner. Yes, you there. Do you like God of War? I know, rhetorical question. Well then you probably already know about the newest title from Sony, God of War: Ascension. (Sounds just like Microsoft's attempt of the same game, entitled Ascend: New Gods, right?)

We got to see some intense single-player action on stage during the Sony press event and let me tell you that if you haven't even played the series yet, you will want to with the information and gameplay that I have for you after the break.

read more...

Aurasma - Augmented Reality With a Purpose

posted Thursday Jun 7, 2012 by Scott Ertz

Aurasma - Augmented Reality With a Purpose

Sometimes at events like ShowStoppers! at E3 2012 you are surprised by what products you find. Now, we all know about Augmented Reality (AR) - Sony even showed off their own implementation in the Wonderbook. So far, however, it has mostly been a toy and not really used for anything productive - until now.

Enter Aurasma. Their goal is to bridge the physical and virtual worlds, all through your phone or tablet. This system allows you to take a physical image and turn it into an interactive element. For example, if you use their free software and aim it at the Mona Lisa, you will be treated to a moving version of the image, talking to you. It is done entirely without ugly QR codes, which have become like modern day modem noise, keeping an advertisement or brochure entirely clean and professional. Companies have already used their product for Despicable Me, soccer teams and even Marvel has recently gotten involved to bring your comic book characters to life.

This is one of the coolest technologies I have interacted with, and it is great to see someone trying to eliminate the scourge that are QR codes. We have a great hands-on demo of the product after the break, and you can get the free app in either the Android or iTunes marketplaces right now.

read more...

Kingston Technology - Powerhouse Gaming Rig

posted Thursday Jun 7, 2012 by Scott Ertz

Kingston Technology - Powerhouse Gaming Rig

Only Kingston Technology, home of high-quality memory products, could show up at an E3 2012 ShowStoppers! party and bring with them an uber-powerful gaming computer. What do I mean when I say uber-powerful? How about 64GB of HyperX RAM, a $1,000 12-core processor and dual SSDs. One SSD is setup for the operating system and applications and one is setup for an Adobe scratch disk.

This computer is so powerful that rendering full HD video only takes about 7% of the processor. How do they do it? By loading all of the video into RAM, meaning no disk seek times, plus using an SSD as a scratch disk. With no seek time, the video is capable of rendering faster and smoother than the average editing rig. This simulates a lot of how videogames work. In general, the area you are in is loaded into memory and rendered on the fly. A rig like this could make any game run smoother, even at the highest video settings.

Check out the video after the break to see this beast in action.

read more...

Game Capture HD with Elgato Systems

posted Thursday Jun 7, 2012 by Jon Wurm

Game Capture HD with Elgato Systems

For those of you who feel saddened because your glorious video game achievements and heroic epic fails seem doomed to live forever in the obscurity of your memory then you'll want to pay attention to Elgato's Game Capture HD. I had the pleasure of speaking with Tim Both, Elgato Systems brand manager, at ShowStoppers during E3 this year and we got live demo of the hardware and software in action.

The way that the Game Capture HD works is pretty simple. You have an Xbox 360 and/or a PS3,TV and a Mac or PC. The Game Capture HD hardware had an HDMI pass-through that catches the feed from your console and sends it to your computer via USB 2.0 in 480i/p, 756p, 720p and 1080i outputs without losing a single frame. So you've got a couple options even if somehow you don't have an HDTV to go with your HD game console. Elgato Systems also has their own software that makes it easy to work with your footage. Check out more after the break and get a first hand look.

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Sony Tries to Wow Us with Book of Spells on the Wonderbook, Left us Wondering Why it was Even on Stage

posted Thursday Jun 7, 2012 by Nicholas DiMeo

Sony Tries to Wow Us with <i>Book of Spells</i> on the Wonderbook, Left us Wondering Why it was Even on Stage

What do Sony and books have to do with each other? No, they're not releasing another eReader. Instead, Sony brought to the stage of their press event something that felt a little rushed. The company has teamed up with J.K. Rowling to produce Book of Spells, which is a game based on the Wonderbook platform that they also announced at the event.

What is Wonderbook? It's actually a great little augmented reality piece of hardware and software. Using your PlayStation Eye camera and a special book you must purchase, kind of like the AR Cards from the 3DS, will make several different games and images appear on the screen. When you place the waterproof book on your floor, the book then shows up on the TV, where it animates to life. The images that appear have that Harry Potter feel to them and objects will randomly come out at you in 3D. You can also pick up the book, move it and do whatever you want, and then image on screen will follow suit. The good news is you'll only need one Wonderbook for all future titles so you won't have to buy any new "hardware."

However, while all seems well on the surface and the idea is great, there's a couple of problems that showed up when they presented us Book of Spells, the launch title for the Wonderbook. What's the issue? We'll talk about it all after the break.

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HTC Partnership Sweetens PlayStation Mobile, Maybe

posted Thursday Jun 7, 2012 by Jon Wurm

HTC Partnership Sweetens PlayStation Mobile, Maybe

During Sony's E3 2012 Press Conference they decided to mention PlayStation Suite, seemingly because they felt like they had to. Over the 2 minutes and 32 seconds they dedicated to it there were two important announcements. The first was that PlayStation Suite has been renamed to PlayStation Mobile. For those of you who are unfamiliar, PlayStation Mobile is Sony reaching out to 3rd party game developers on any "open platform" in an attempt to bring the best of gaming to mobile phones and tablets.

The second important announcement is that HTC will be the first third party manufacturer to work with Sony in producing "PlayStation Certified" devices that will bring the best gaming experience to the masses. Now, if Sony is going to blow over a major topic and leave fans with more questions than answers, like they did, they at least know to take a subtle dig at Apple to help smooth things over. This is why they made it a point to emphasize that they are supporting an open platforms.

Check out the Sony press release after the break and watch the Sony E3 Press Conference segment about PlayStation Mobile as well.

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Assassin's Creed III: Liberation is a Vita-Only Title with a New All White Vita Bundle

posted Thursday Jun 7, 2012 by Nicholas DiMeo

<i>Assassin's Creed III: Liberation</i> is a Vita-Only Title with a New All White Vita Bundle

Sony's press conference was a little bit mixed. While they showed off exclusive games, played catch-up with media partners and made it clear that they were still relevant at least for one more year, the company is putting a lot on their new Vita and the Assassin's Creed upcoming titles.

Yes, I said titles because not only are the PS3 and Xbox 360 consoles getting some love with Assassin's Creed III but the Vita is also getting Assassin's Creed III: Liberation. This Vita-only title hits stores in October and should really add some value to the mobile game system.

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SimCity Shows Off the Good Stuff at E3

posted Wednesday Jun 6, 2012 by Nicholas DiMeo

<i>SimCity</i> Shows Off the Good Stuff at E3

One thing we were all looking forward to this year at E3 was SimCity. We've been following it for a while and got to listen in on a Producer Broadcast with SimCity lead producer Kip Katsarelis. We got to hear 30 minutes of questions and answers, along with insight on several aspects of the game, including the sim engine, look and feel and some gameplay aspects.

Of course, we will dive right into the details after the break and will even have a feed of the broadcast for you. Join us, won't you?

One of the first questions Kip was asked was, "Why did Maxis and EA bring back SimCity?" He said that with this game, they wanted to bring back the possibilities of creating a world on PCs that can now handle the engine they wanted to create. The new game is a complete reboot of the franchise and Maxis looked at every feature from top to bottom to reinvent the game to make it the best ever. There is a new simulation engine in place, which we knew about, called the GlassBox engine. With GlassBox, every Sim has a place to live, work, and shop.

Glassbox is huge and is the foundation for the simulation. It allows everything you see in the world to be simulated. Crime happens in real-time, traffic is amazing, every Sim is actively tracked and managed. If work is close, they will walk or take rail or bus stops, or they may even drive. You can then act on that (those problems) and see the impact of the changes you make.

A big enhancement in the street realm is curvy roads, allowing city planning to be more different than ever before. You also get things like new roads, avenues, and even avenues with light rails. SimCity is "doubling down" in the area of transportation.

GlassBox also helps with things as small as brake lights. Cars have headlights, traffic signals actually work with a simulation that realistically and logically controls all actions happening on the roads. We were told that the things we saw in the trailer were all "real and possible" in the game.

The game also features a new multiplayer so you city-plan with friends and connect friends and cities together in a region so every choice you make has a rippling effect across the region. When players create a game, you can create a region or city either public or private, so you do also have the ability to play by yourself. You can play as one city, multiple cities, or multiple regions if you want. You can even select "Quickplay" and be randomly inserted into a random game with other players and get started right away.

The idea is that everyone is playing in different cities and you can even control multiple cities in the region. Players collaborate in the region but still have individual goals, allowing you to make unique cities. They made the example that they are showing off both a tourism city and a dirty industrial city on the show floor at the convention. Players still need to work together to achieve common goals as well with projects like Great Works, which are big airports or museums that need to be worked on collaboratively to build, and then they benefit the entire region.

Inside those cities you can now control each building, including unlocks and customizables, using the editor from the Spore game to make them look and behave differently. You can automate the buildings after customizing them or fine-tune the settings and have full control.

Zoning was also stressed as still a very important piece of SimCity. Certain things you plop down around the zones influence the zones. The difference is that now there is only one type of zone and the traffic and roads will influence the density of the zone. The impact is dependent on what you plop down.

On ploppable things, this year the developers wanted to offer lots of power options. Coal, oil, wind, solar and nuclear are all available in the game but there are trade-offs that exist with each one. For example, there is an actual wind map, due to having the GlassBox engine, so placing a windmill may not work in the area you want. There are also now resources in the game, so things like a coal power plant actually require coal and you need to acquire the resource to make it function.

All your shops require goods from your factories, too. If you don't have factories, the shops will go out of business. You need shoppers to shop at your stores and your delivery trucks in your factories will ship goods to those stores and other ploppable buildings. You can also work with your friends to deliver goods to your city or even build unique "factory cities" or whatever you can imagine in order to provide those goods to the region.

New attractions have been added as well like a large sports arena and a small civic center. Landmarks are now interactive and provide Sims with jobs and attract them to the area. Casinos now also provide work and fun for the Sims in and out of the city. You will have to "peak inside the buildings" to see what's going on in them.

There's a lot of storytelling also added in SimCity with things like special characters. Robbers and arsonists, for instance, are in the game and need to be combated with the proper law enforcement or fire department in the right place. It's all in the game to capture the humor of Maxis, which hasn't left this game even after 12 years.

All in all, some very exciting stuff coming out of the SimCity camp. I cannot wait to start an F5 region and set fire to Jon's city!

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Medal of Honor Returns With International Elites

posted Wednesday Jun 6, 2012 by Scott Ertz

<i>Medal of Honor</i> Returns With International Elites

Seemingly everyone on the planet knows who the Navy Seals are but did you know that most militarized nations have a "tier 1" elite squad? If you had no idea, then Medal of Honor: Warfighter is here to enlighten you. Danger Close, the studio behind this new title, will be bringing together the best of the best - 12 elite squadrons from 10 nations, to play in a modern, realistic shooter.

Unlike other modern shooters, this one takes all of its scenes and scenarios from real-life events and situations. In multiplayer mode, you are given the ability to choose which country, and by default, which unit you want to play as. Then, you are partnered with another player on your team to form a 2-man "fireteam." These pairs are given special abilities, such as the ability to see each other on the map at any time from any distance. You also have the ability to revive a fallen partner by killing his killer. If that doesn't happen, you serve as a mobile respawn point for your partner.

This pairing concept adds an interesting dynamic to the already existing teamwork foundation for any multiplayer. That isn't the only reason to give the game a chance though. Hit the break for more details.

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Madden 13 Looks Like Football is Fun Again, EA SPORTS Gets it Right

posted Wednesday Jun 6, 2012 by Nicholas DiMeo

<i>Madden 13</i> Looks Like Football is Fun Again, EA SPORTS Gets it Right

EA SPORTS Madden 13 Senior Designer Josh Looman took the stage at ADEA'ss press event to tell us something very profound:

Franchise mode is dead. Online franchise mode is dead. Superstar mode is dead. It's really the first true sports RPG.

For the first time in four years, I am actually excited about Madden and, for the first time in three years, it may end up in my game collection. How? From the presentation, to the gameplay, to the mechanics, to the audio, to Madden's new Connected Careers, Ultimate Team rehaul and Madden Social, this year's football franchise could be the best one yet.

We have the details and video after the break.

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God Save the Queen! ZombiU is Coming to WiiU

posted Wednesday Jun 6, 2012 by Jon Wurm

God Save the Queen! <i>ZombiU</i> is Coming to WiiU

The WiiU's premiere zombie game made it into Ubisoft's E3 2012 Press Conference and at first glance it might bring some new life to the genre for Nintendo fans. We weren't fortunate enough to see live game play so it's difficult to speak about the graphics but the preview we were given looked polished for what ever that's worth. The setting is England, which has always been a bit scary to me even without a zombie apocalypse so they seem to be off to a good start there. Since ZombiU is an exclusive WiiU title what really shines about this game is the integration with the WiiU Pro Controller and we'll discuss that in greater detail after the break.

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Battlefield 3 Gets Premium with Actual Exclusive Content for Only $49.99

posted Wednesday Jun 6, 2012 by Nicholas DiMeo

<i>Battlefield 3</i> Gets Premium with Actual Exclusive Content for Only $49.99

This year at E3, EA and DICE announced an expansion to Battlefield 3. When I say expansion, I mean they decided to stick with the game that brought them to the dance and enhance it like never before. Plus, it's not just another map pack with no other exclusives and no added benefits, like their competitor.

With Battlefield Premium, you get a ton of new features and a bunch of spread-out expansion packs that include more things than just a map pack. $49.99 may seem like an expensive pricepoint, but here's what you get:

All Five Expansion Packs with Early Access

Stand out with Exclusive in-game items

Powerful New Features

Exclusive Online Double XP Events

Insider Tactics from DICE

In total, you get access to 20 new maps, 20 new weapons, 10+ new vehicles, 4+ new game modes, 30+ assignments and 20+ dog tags. Is that more enticing now? We dive into the details of those points after the break.

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ShootMania Storm Surprises With Fun Gameplay

posted Wednesday Jun 6, 2012 by Scott Ertz

<i>ShootMania Storm</i> Surprises With Fun Gameplay

One of the heights of the Ubisoft presser this year was the gameplay shown off for the goofy-named ShootMania Storm. The title is part of Nadeo's Mania series, like TrackMania, which we got excited about last year. The title is a heavily-moddable FPS that implements the same modding engine employed in their highly addictive racing game. The engine, called ManiaScript, allows for almost full customization of all aspects of the game.

For example, if you want to speed up a character, create a map, the size of a team or even what weapons are available in certain parts of a map, it is all possible. Project manager Edouard Beauchemin describes it as working with virtual Logo pieces.

Beauchemin believes that the PC-only title will not only be a fun consumer game, he also believes it has a place in the eSports world as well. Hit the break to find out why and to see the trailer.

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Crytek Brings the Crysis 3 Goodness

posted Wednesday Jun 6, 2012 by Scott Ertz

Crytek Brings the <i>Crysis 3</i> Goodness

Crysis has been a household name since it first started melting processors many years back. Crytek, the company which started the game, is back with the third installment of the franchise. This game takes place 25 years after the last one and you get to play as Prophet.

Obviously you will still be fighting the Ceph, and you will get to do so in the overgrown ruins of what was once New York City. The city has become a sort of rainforest, with massive trees inhabiting familiar scenes. In addition, it has been taken over and put in a dome to try and contain the problem.

What new weapons and abilities does Prophet get in the new game? Hit the break for that, plus the E3 trailer.

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FIFA 13 Takes Beauty and Mixes it with Brains

posted Tuesday Jun 5, 2012 by Nicholas DiMeo

<i>FIFA 13</i> Takes Beauty and Mixes it with Brains

With the things we saw at the E3 2011 EA press event with FIFA 12 I didn't think the beautiful game could get any more impressive. Call me a suspension bridge, because I couldn't be more wrong. EA SPORTS has figured out how to make this game even better than before and with Lionel Messi on the cover this year, arguably the world's best football (soccer) player, it's bound to attract even more fans to the stores to pick up a copy.

David Rutter, Executive Producer for the game, said,

We are perfecting the best sports game in the world with innovations that capture all the drama and unpredictability of real-world football. These are game-changing innovations that will revolutionize our artificial intelligence, dribbling, ball control and collisions to create a true battle for possession across the entire pitch, and deliver freedom and creativity in attack.

Full details and video are after the break.

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Need for Speed Lets You Become the Most Wanted

posted Tuesday Jun 5, 2012 by Nicholas DiMeo

<i>Need for Speed</i> Lets You Become the <i>Most Wanted</i>

Another EA press event means another Need for Speed game. This time, developer studio Criterion takes a shot at progressing the series from the ground-breaking addition of Autolog found in Hot Pursuit with Need for Speed: Most Wanted. EA says you can now "outdrive your friends, outrace your rivals and take down a city full of cops" in the most intense edition of the game to date.

The focus? Open world action where freedom is everything. No more scripted chases and sequences when trying to outrun the police. Now, you can do it however you want. If your car is of the off-road type, take the car into the mountain-side. Got a Porsche? Head down the interstate and blow past those roadblocks with ease. Drive where ever you want, go anywhere your car takes you, race your friends down the streets or mess with the cops. The choice is yours.

It wouldn't be a complete Need for Speed game without multiplayer, though. We talk about that and a lot more after the break.

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Rayman Legends Comes to the Wii U

posted Tuesday Jun 5, 2012 by Jon Wurm

<i>Rayman Legends</i> Comes to the Wii U

Micheal Micholic, Senior Game Manager for Rayman Legends came out on stage during the Ubisoft E3 2012 Press Conference to fill us in on what we can expect to see Rayman and his new accomplice Murphy to accomplish with his new Wii U Pro Controller. One thing that stood out right away was that the controller created a ton of actionable combos for the 2-player mode, all the way up to a five player experience. Rayman developers credit this to the analog sticks, buttons, touch screen and gyroscope features available on the Wii U Pro Controller.

At one point, the person playing the live demo had to physically turn the Wii U Pro controller almost 360 degrees to get Rayman through a loop so as you can see there's a lot of new controls to get acquainted with. In the 2 player mode, the second player (Murphy) sees a different screen on their Wii U Pro Controller than first player. This allows them to have their own unique experience that is complementary to the first player's and very useful for helping both of them complete the level. It was pretty cool to see the fun, get your friends together type of game. Rayman Legends is complimented so well by the Wii U Pro Controller. Check out the video after the break to see for yourself.

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EA Shows Some Star Wars Love

posted Tuesday Jun 5, 2012 by Scott Ertz

EA Shows Some <i>Star Wars</i> Love

EA and Bioware seem entirely committed to Star Wars: The Old Republic and they showed it with the E3 press conference. Dr. Ray Muzyka, founder of Bioware, spent some time showing the crowd what can be expected in the future of the game. He said,

Our goal is to create a living service that's always on.

Fans of the game, and there are a lot of them, will be happy to know that they are committed to maintaining and expanding, and well as enhancing the experience. There are, in fact, so many fans of this title that it is the fastest growing MMO of all time. Because of that, there is always room for growth.

What does Bioware have planned? Hit the break to find out.

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Marvel Avengers: Battle For Earth, Kinect and Wii U

posted Tuesday Jun 5, 2012 by Jon Wurm

<i>Marvel Avengers: Battle For Earth</i>, Kinect and Wii U

If you are in a very small minority because you haven't seen The Avengers movie then don't allow yourself to miss out on the game either. After all, it did give Aisha Taylor girl-wood during the Ubisoft E3 Press Conference so it has to be at least good. Marvel Avengers: Battle For Earth looks like a super hero video game should look with regards to cinematics but sadly we didn't see any game play yet. We do however know who the playable characters are that didn't appear in the trailer and what we can expect some of the epic battles to be like. Find out more after the break.

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South Park Gets a Video Game by the Show Creators and THQ

posted Tuesday Jun 5, 2012 by Nicholas DiMeo

South Park Gets a Video Game by the Show Creators and THQ

Ever wanted to team up with Eric Cartman and run amok through South Park, CO? Well, now you can. At the Microsoft press event, we were told we could do just that, with Obsidian's latest project out of THQ, South Park: The Stick of Truth. Perhaps THQ can turn things around. If you care about South Park, this game will be perfect for you. If you don't, then this title probably won't change your mind.

The creators of the hit TV show Matt Stone and Trey Parker came out to show off the game. Instead of taking control of one of the four hellacious main characters on the show, you are now the role of some new kid who has just moved into the wonderful city and is trying to make new friends. Shortly into the game you run into your favorite characters from the show and proceed to save the South Park from characters spoofed from Lord of the Rings.

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Counter Strike: Global Offensive Launches Aug 21 for Just $15

posted Tuesday Jun 5, 2012 by Nicholas DiMeo

<i>Counter Strike: Global Offensive</i> Launches Aug 21 for Just $15

Not to be outdone by Microsoft, Valve decided to announce something right in the middle of the Xbox press briefing. The long-awaited rehash of Counter-Strike: Global Offensive finally now has a release date! On August 21st, CS:GO will launch on the PS3, Xbox 360 and Steam for only $15.

For details and the video, check after the break.

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Xbox Music Ushers Out the Zune Branding for Good at E3

posted Tuesday Jun 5, 2012 by Nicholas DiMeo

Xbox Music Ushers Out the Zune Branding for Good at E3

Microsoft announced at their E3 press conference the end of the Zune. We've known this was coming for a while now, with Microsoft's Windows 8 rebranding process and then confirmed when we learned that they were working on some sort of streaming service. At the conference, however, we found out that the Xbox branding would continue into the music world with Xbox Music.

Formally codenamed "Woodstock", Yusuf Mehdi from Microsoft announced that Xbox Music will be available on Xbox, Windows 8 and Windows Phones. No specific release date was given, however we did see a very nice presentation and demonstration video that was played for us at the event.

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Nintendo E3 Press Conference Liveblog

posted Tuesday Jun 5, 2012 by Scott Ertz

At 9 AM Pacific (12 PM Eastern) Tuesday we go live with Nintendo's press conference. Hit the break for the liveblog.

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UFC Moves to Exclusive Deal With EA SPORTS

posted Tuesday Jun 5, 2012 by Scott Ertz

UFC Moves to Exclusive Deal With EA SPORTS

What a difference a few years makes. In 2009, head of UFC, Dana White, made it clear he didn't like EA, and for good reason. He tried to have a meeting with them to discuss his idea for an MMA-based videogame. He thought it would work because the WWE had been successful for a long time with their games. EA, on the other hand, refused to meet with him because they claimed that MMA disgusted them. He, of course, later went to THQ, who produced the official UFC game from their San Diego studio.

EA went on to make their own MMA game, unlicensed. Needless to say, he was not happy about this, and threatened to ban any fighter who appeared in EA's MMA title. Suffice it to say, it was a pretty big surprise to see Mr. White standing on EA's stage announcing his exclusive partnership with the company that had stabbed him in the back. Obviously EA was not happy with their non-existent sales, so they purchased the contract away from THQ, who has much less of a sports background than EA. I would imagine we will see new EA-powered UFC titles later in the year.

So, what of THQ? They believed it was in the best interest of everyone involved to transfer the rights to EA. Everyone except the employees of their San Diego studio. Unfortunately, THQ has confirmed that they will be closing the studio. They plan to cherry pick the best of the best for other projects and let the rest of the team go. Maybe they can find a new home at EA.

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EA Shows Dead Space 3 Gameplay

posted Tuesday Jun 5, 2012 by Scott Ertz

EA Shows <i>Dead Space 3</i> Gameplay

One of the highlights of EA's presser this year was the announcement of Dead Space 3. This is a franchise that has had lots of controversy, including the "your mom hates this game" ad campaign. Controversy leads to sales and sales usually translates into likes, especially when the games are as good as these. Getting to see gameplay from the next installment is enough to get anyone excited.

In the new game, you will be joined by a new companion: John Carver. The addition of Carver also means the addition of co-op play. The game is even smart enough to adapt the story to whether or not your companion is controlled by another human. A scene that might normally involve a conversation with the NPC Carver might become a fight scene with a co-op friend.

Carver will accompany you through new terrains, including a frozen planet. This is a stark contrast to the usual setting for this survival horror genre game, the black of space. It is a good idea to change so much of a game? Will it still feel like the same game when put into an entirely new surrounding? Other games have managed to do it successfully, but many fail. From what we got to see of this scene in the demo, this will be the former.

Amazingly Visceral Games has managed to brighten the landscape without losing the horror or the action. You can look forward to getting your hands on this game February 2013.

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Ubisoft: Splinter Cell: Blacklist Does Not Get Blacklisted

posted Tuesday Jun 5, 2012 by Jon Wurm

Ubisoft: <i>Splinter Cell: Blacklist</i> Does Not Get Blacklisted

It wouldn't be a Ubisoft Press Conference without some a new Splinter Cell and that's exactly what we got with Splinter Cell: Blacklist. Sam Fisher looked great and so did his artistic killings, thanks to the "killing in action" system that blends the stealth and action elements of the game together. It makes the pace of the game much faster without losing the challenge that comes along with needing to use tact for survival. Integration with Kinect gives you the ability to interact with enemies by distracting them and taunting them, which is in itself satisfying. You can also issue voice commands to teammates which adds new life to the unique ways you can kill people. We can all look forward to staining our hands with the blood of the guilty in Spring of 2013.

Be sure to stay plugged in as we will also be expanding on other offerings form Ubisoft like Watch_Dog and Assassins Creed III throughout the week. In you were unfortunate enough to miss our liveblog for the event, go here and check out some gameplay footage after the break.

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Ubisoft: Assassin's Creed III

posted Tuesday Jun 5, 2012 by Jon Wurm

Ubisoft: <i>Assassin's Creed III</i>

Producer Francois Pelland took the stage to tell us how Assassin's Creed III brings the fight with the Templar to our very own shores. The good news is that the story is set with in a 30 year time frame which occurs before, during and after the Revolutionary War era of the U.S.A. It's also a good thing that the colonists have Conner, the newest assassin, to help put those Redcoats in their place, for now. In a cut scene Conner makes it clear to someone that he is there because of the Templar and the fight between the Colonists and England is not his concern. Find out more and catch the trailer after the break.

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Ubisoft: Far Cry 3 Means Tears of Joy for Fans

posted Monday Jun 4, 2012 by Jon Wurm

Ubisoft: <i>Far Cry 3</i> Means Tears of Joy for Fans

The Ubisoft press conference hit the ground dancing with Flo Rida and Aisha Taylor introducing Just Dance 4 amidst some pretty backup dancers. Thankfully, it quickly moved on to more interesting things like half-naked tribal women getting felt up by Jason, the main character of Far Cry 3. Dan Hay, the Producer went on record saying that "Far Cry 3 will change the way you play" and I agree that partial nudity has the power to do. However, I think he was referring to the game play and not sexy cinematics because this game in the series focuses on the freedom to explore.

Far Cry 3 is about the freedom to discover and explore and that's just single player.

Just what can you explore and with whom? Find out after the break.

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The Xbox 360 Gets Reloaded with Even More Media Partners

posted Monday Jun 4, 2012 by Nicholas DiMeo

The Xbox 360 Gets Reloaded with Even More Media Partners

The Microsoft press event was certainly something to write home about this year. At the briefing, Microsoft announced an addition to their growing catalog.

However, they first made it easier to access your favorite content. Bing search now has better Kinect voice controls that make it easy to find and watch content with all the new content partners and they have cleaned up the entire feel of it in the process.

If you like the NBA, NHL, ESPN, sitcoms, comedies, documentaries, cartoons or even telenovelas, then what lies in store for you is sure to be a treat. What are the new features and who is now on board with Xbox LIVE? Details are after the break.

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Microsoft Shocks With Xbox SmartGlass's Usefulness

posted Monday Jun 4, 2012 by Scott Ertz

Microsoft Shocks With Xbox SmartGlass's Usefulness

Yesterday I reported on the rumored Microsoft Smart Glass technology that was expected to be shown off today. All signs pointed to a product designed to compete with Apple's living room business strategy. The service would give the capability of streaming a video from your phone or tablet to your television through your Xbox 360. It would have been a major head start on Apple and their desire to control your life. The service that was actually announced, however, was a little different and infinitely more useful.

Xbox SmartGlass, as the service will properly be called, is an extension and major enhancement of the Xbox LIVE Connector, the app on Windows Phone and Windows 8 that allows you to control certain aspects of your Xbox through your alternative devices. There are two aspects to the service: gaming and media (big surprise there). Let's cover gaming first. SmartGlass will allow game developers to enhance the gaming experience in a way never quite explored. It is building on the concept of services like Call of Duty: Elite, but making them part of the game. One great example shown off during their press conference was an interaction with the new Halo 4. When a new waypoint is reached, your phone or tablet can light up and let you know information about where you are, such as maps or personnel. While the game is totally capable of being played without this, an enhancement of this type is a great way to make it feel more like you are IN the game world.

Gaming isn't all that Xbox offers. Hit the break to find out how Microsoft plans to enhance the media side with SmartGlass.

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Microsoft's Entertainment-Focused Keynote Still Had Room for Video Games

posted Monday Jun 4, 2012 by Jon Wurm

Microsoft's Entertainment-Focused Keynote Still Had Room for Video Games

Not unexpected this year, Microsoft came out strong by announcing right away that entertainment is the primary focus with the Xbox Live living room experience. Alas, gamers shouldn't be too disappointed with the video game showing, however, even though no matter how much they give us, we will always want more.

I'm going to give a quick breakdown of what we saw first hand and fill you in with more details throughout the week so be sure to keep plugged in. If you've managed to make it this far why not press start to continue and read on after the break.

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Sony E3 Press Conference Liveblog

posted Monday Jun 4, 2012 by Scott Ertz

At 6 PM Pacific (9 PM Eastern) Monday we go live with Sony's press conference. Hit the break for the liveblog.

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Ubisoft E3 Press Conference Liveblog

posted Monday Jun 4, 2012 by Scott Ertz

At 3 PM Pacific (6 PM Eastern) Monday we go live with Ubisoft's press conference. Hit the break for the liveblog.

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EA E3 Press Conference Liveblog

posted Monday Jun 4, 2012 by Scott Ertz

At 1 PM Pacific (4 PM Eastern) Monday we go live with EA's press conference. Hit the break for the liveblog.

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Microsoft E3 Press Conference Liveblog

posted Monday Jun 4, 2012 by Scott Ertz

Hit the break to join us live for Microsoft's E3 Press Conference!

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Microsoft to Launch Smart Glass, Possibly Tomorrow

posted Sunday Jun 3, 2012 by Scott Ertz

Microsoft to Launch Smart Glass, Possibly Tomorrow

This is one of the two times of year when every time you turn around, there's another rumor, and it is so much fun for us to sift through the muck to find what might actually be truth. This rumor comes to us care of Microsoft and a number of domain registrations. Recently, Microsoft has registered MicrosoftSmartGlass.com. The site does not currently have content, but instead redirects to a Bing search for "microsoftsmartglass." Certainly a clever way to have a website about a product that is unannounced that is full of content.

So, what is Smart Glass? By all rumored accounts, it is an application suite that will allow people to stream content from their mobile phones and tablets directly to any television, using their Xbox 360. It is expected to be unveiled tomorrow at their E3 press conference in Los Angeles. Rumors of a pre-event meeting suggest that the app will be available for iOS, Android and, of course, Windows Phone. The obvious missing platform is BlackBerry, but with the trouble that company is in, that is not all that much of a surprise. If RIM can make their BlackBerry 10 platform successful, maybe it will be added in the future.

Clearly this is direct response to Apple's livingroom strategy, currently involving iPhones, AirPlay-compatible devices and the current Apple TV. With the pending launch of an actual television from Apple as well, their livingroom strategy will be complete. Microsoft has a large install-base of Xbox 360s, though, and with the ability to use it from iOS and Android, this will give Redmond a huge advantage over Cupertino. Everything Apple does works with Apple, meaning you will have to own an iPhone and an Apple Television. With Smart Glass, you will be able to use any television and almost any phone, the only qualifier is that you own an Xbox 360. Honestly, who doesn't, right?

So, is this a product you are excited to see? Would you use it if it becomes a reality tomorrow? Does it bother you that BlackBerry is not included? We want to know in the comments section. Also, don't miss our liveblog from the Microsoft event tomorrow, available right here!

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E3 Defends Its Relevancy but are They Still Relevant?

posted Sunday May 27, 2012 by Nicholas DiMeo

E3 Defends Its Relevancy but are They Still Relevant?

The state of relevance of E3 has been in question for several years now. Their attempt at an "open-door" entrance policy failed and it seems that now they've abandoned it and have gone completely in the other direction with admittance as of late. Major developers and publishers have strayed from announcing market-changing products at the show, opting to announce them at conventions like GDC, Tokyo Game Show or even at their own, separate conferences. Now, aside from the Entertainment Software Association, the group in charge of putting on E3 every year, fighting illegal game distribution and maintaining their stance with Congress on the current game restriction laws that are in place, the actual gaming and entertainment expo doesn't seem to be as interesting to game studios and media outlets anymore.

The ESA seems to disagree.

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ESA: E3 Is Not Irrelevant:Slash Gear

Valve: No New Hardware or Software Announcement at E3

posted Sunday May 6, 2012 by Nicholas DiMeo

Valve: No New Hardware or Software Announcement at E3

Being so close to E3 2012, it wouldn't be right if there wasn't any gaming talk. Unfortunately, Valve says there won't be product announcement talk at E3. I guess we have to wait some more to hear more news about the Steam Box, as expected. We had hopes though and now I have to return the disco ball I rented for the celebration of new products being announced as Valve confirmed the news this week.

Valve rep Doug Lombardi said this week that, "We have no product announcements planned for this year's show."

While we shouldn't be too surprised by this, it still is unfortunate that they aren't a huge player at E3. Last year, they were seemingly nowhere to be found and the year prior was used only to show us another glimpse of Portal 2. We have to trek back to 2009 and the Left 4 Dead sequel in order to see Valve in the limelight.

For now, any hope of Half-Life news also goes down the drain. Valve will maintain the silent treatment about anything regarding the title which is apparently still going through "twists and turns."

There is a glimmer of good news, though. Valve did confirm they will be presenting some of their known projects like DOTA 2, Counterstrike: Global Offensive and Steam's living room project, Big Picture Mode. I'm personally excited about Counterstrike and I really hope Valve makes their presence felt this year. Now if you'll excuse me, I have some Left 4 Dead game-playing to do.

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