PlayStation 4 unveiled

 

NEW YORK (AP) -- Sony unveiled its next-generation gaming system, the PlayStation 4, and promised social and remote capabilities. Wednesday's announcement gives the struggling Japanese electronics company a head start over Microsoft and an Xbox 360 successor. The new PlayStation's controller resembles that of the PlayStation 3, but adds a touchpad, motion control and a "share" button. The Japanese electronics giant said the console will be part of a new ecosystem focused on hardware, software and "the fastest, most powerful gaming network." The PlayStation 4 will be Sony Corp.'s first major game console since the PlayStation 3 went on sale in 2006. Microsoft Corp. is expected to unveil the next Xbox in June at the E3 video game expo in Los Angeles. Last fall, Nintendo started selling the Wii U, though it plays catch-up in some respects in bringing the ability to play high-definition games.

Although the Xbox 360 came out a year before PlayStation 3, Microsoft's game machine has been more popular, largely because of its robust online service, Xbox Live, which allows people to play games with others online. The original Wii has sold more units since its launch than both its rivals, but it lost momentum as the novelty of its motion controller faded. Sales of the new Wii U have been slow. Underscoring the importance of a new PlayStation and the U.S. market, Sony is holding its announcement event in New York rather than in Japan, as it had in the past. The event is at the Hammerstein Ballroom in midtown Manhattan.

Nintendo Wii U Trailer, Release Date Nov. 18th

The console will come in two versions: a basic model with 8GB of storage for $300 and a 32GB model for $350.

Nintendo is expected to release 50 game titles from the launch on Nov. 18 through the end of March 2013, including a new version of Nintendo's classic "Super Mario Brothers," along with "Call of Duty: Black Ops 2," "Mass Effect III," "Assassin's Creed III" and "007 Legends." Two Platinum Games titles, "The Wonderful 101" and "Bayonetta 2," will be Wii U exclusives. Games will cost $60 apiece.  MadOne

Jay-Z executive producing 2K Sports’ “NBA 2k13″

Jay-Z is putting the game’s soundtrack together for NBA 2k13 and will be working directly with developers on off-court aspects of the game, including menus, intro/outro videos, and much more. In addition to two tracks from Jay – “Public Service Announcement” and “On to the Next One” records from the likes of Hip-Hop icons Too Short, Eric B. and Rakim, Nas, Mobb Deep, and Kanye West. Other Artists included are U2, Santigold, Daft Punk, Roy Ayers, and Coldplay will contribute some of their most popular tracks to the games soundtrack as well. MadOne

Full list of songs from the “NBA 2K13″ soundtrack below: 
The Hours – “Ali in the Jungle”
Too Short – “Blow The Whistle (Main)”
Eric B. and Rakim – “I Ain’t No Joke”
Phoenix – “1901″
Jay-Z – “Pump It Up (Freestyle)”
Puff Daddy and the Family – “Victory” (feat. Notorious B.I.G. & Busta Rhymes
Daft Punk – “Around the World (Radio Edit)”
Santigold – “Shove It” (feat. Spank Rock)
Kanye West – “Amazing”
Jay-Z – “Run This Town”
The Dirty Projectors – “Stillness is the Move”
Nas – “The World is Yours”
Coldplay – “Viva La Vida”
Roy Ayers – “We Live in Brooklyn, Baby”
Justice – “Stress”
Jay-Z – “The Bounce”
Kanye West – “We Major” (feat. Nas & Really Doe)
Mobb Deep – “Shook Ones, Pt. II”
Meek Mill – “Ima Boss — Instrumental”
Kanye West – “Mercy” (feat. Big Sean, Pusha T & 2 Chainz)
U2 – “Elevation”
Jay-Z – “On to the Next One”
Jay-Z – “Public Service Announcement”
Jay-Z – “H.A.M. (Instrumental)”

“NBA 2K13″ will be released on October 2.

Coming Soon to Theaters: Resident Evil : Retribution

Microsoft's Kinect test in Army Helicopter Cockpits

Kiowa Warrior

Motion-tracking game technology found in American living rooms has a shot at making its way into U.S. military helicopters. The Army envisions Microsoft's Kinect system as a low-cost solution for smarter cockpits that track what pilots see or do — opening the door for smarter war machines capable of responding quickly to human needs during combat. The Microsoft Kinect for Xbox can already recognize gestures, faces and voices under almost any ambient light conditions for about $150. Such off-the-shelf gaming technology looks like a bargain next to expensive military helmets that track a pilot's head movements or eye gaze based on infrared detectors or magnetic sensors. 


New technology from the gaming world has the potential to substantially reduce the cost of adding head tracking to conventional helicopters, as well as the ability to do body tracking and gesture recognition to support future intelligent cockpits. Such intelligent cockpits may feature "Minority Report" virtual controls and displays, automatically identify targets a pilot is seeing outside the cockpit, report on damage based on where a pilot looks, or even monitor a pilot's mental and physical health based on his or her motions. That futuristic vision starts with motion-tracking technology. 

Having cheaper and more capable motion-tracking technology could especially help military helicopters missing head-tracking systems, such as the Blackhawk, Kiowa Warrior and Chinook. But the same system could also end up helping soldiers inside ground vehicles or at work stations, as well as commercial airline pilots and civilian drivers. If it succeeds, the Army would only be the latest in a long line of people who have hacked into the Microsoft Kinect's cheap but powerful capabilities. Geeks have harnessed the Kinect's power to make virtual clothes-fitting rooms and rescue robots. Archaeologists have even turned the gaming device into a 3D scanner for exploring ancient cities and burial grounds. Technews Daily

Assassin's Creed III

Xbox Next May Arrive for Holiday 2013

Microsoft may be readying its third-generation Xbox for the holiday 2013 season. Manufacturers involved in the project expect the next generation game console to be unveiled at E3 2013, according to a report from the gaming-focused news site Develop.

It's been a long wait — as many as eight years since the launch of Xbox 360, which caused a frenzy among gamers hoping to buy the one or two units available daily at retailers such as Walmart and the now-defunct Circuit City. After six years of strong sales, Xbox 360 unit sales slowed in the quarter ending Sept. 30. Microsoft shipped 2.3 million units compared with 2.8 million during the same period last year. The gap between consoles has been punctuated by Microsoft's introduction of Kincect , an add-on for Xbox players that uses the body as a controller. Most recently, Microsoft has added TV streaming to its Xbox Live service as it continues to position the console as the center for family entertainment. 

Microsoft has yet to issue a formal statement regarding Xbox Next. “The collection of data points to a 2013 launch for the system across all main regions, though early 2014 remains a possibility,” Develop concluded on its site. Tech News Daily

Michael Jordan in NBA 2K12 Preview

Recently, the NBA 2K basketball video game series revealed a preview of Michael Jordan in the upcoming NBA 2K12 video game by way of their Facebook page. His Airness is seen in this screen shot wearing the timeless Air Jordan 1 in the White/Black-Red color scheme. MJ and some of his long-time competitors including Larry Bird, Magic Johnson and Julius Erving, will be featured in NBA 2K12′s NBA’s Greatest Mode.MadOne 

Mortal Kombat: Legacy - Episode. 9: Cyrax & Sektor

Warner Bros. Digital Distribution and Machinima have unleashed their finale for the online series Mortal Kombat: Legacy. 

Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird Cover NBA 2K12

Michael Jordan is slowly but surely becoming attached to video games again. If you recall, His Airness covered last year’s NBA 2K11 video game to many fans’ excitement. This year, the NBA 2K gaming series select MJ to rock the cover along with some of his friendly competitors. Larry Bird and Magic Johnson will also share some of the spotlight with Jordan on the soon-to-be-released NBA 2K12 video game. MJ is specifically pictured wearing the “Bred” Air Jordan 13s on the cover. Look for the NBA 2K12 video game to hit shelves on October 4, 2011 (lockout or not). MadOne
 

Court: Calif. can't ban violent video game sales

WASHINGTON (AP) – The Supreme Court on Monday refused to let California regulate the sale or rental of violent video games to children, saying governments do not have the power to "restrict the ideas to which children may be exposed" despite complaints about graphic violence. On a 7-2 vote, the high court upheld a federal appeals court decision to throw out the state's ban on the sale or rental of violent video games to minors. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Sacramento had ruled that the law violated minors' rights under the First Amendment, and the high court agreed. 

The California law would have prohibited the sale or rental of violent games to anyone under 18. Retailers who violated the act would have been fined up to $1,000 for each infraction.

Sonic The Hedgehog Turns 20

Sega's beloved blue hedgehog turns 20 years old on Thursday. Since speed-rolling his way into the hearts of gamers in 1991, Sonic has gone on to star in 65 titles, which have sold an estimated 70 million copies worldwide, according to AFP. Originally developed by Sega as a competitor for Nintendo's Mario, Sonic eventually joined Nintendo' cast of characters when the two companies joined forces in 2001. Huffington Post

 

Sony Prices PS Vita

At the E3 gaming expo, Sony officially named their new handheld gaming console the PS Vita and revealed that pricing would start at $249. The Vita had been announced previously, but Sony called it by a codename, NGP, which stands for next generation portable. Sony exec Kaz Hirai said during a press conference that the PS Vita will cost $249 for a Wi-Fi-only version and $299 for a Wi-Fi plus 3G model. Sony announced it would launch this fall or winter, but later revised that to March 2012. 

Sony announced the 3G version of the PS Vita will use the AT&T network exclusively, which will require customers to get a new data contract if they are not currently AT&T customers. It’s not clear if AT&T users will be able to use their existing data account. Technews Daily

Xbox Live to Bring Streaming TV to Users This Fall

At a press event for the E3 gaming expo, Microsoft revealed the next step in its plans for the Xbox Live service: streaming live TV, full YouTube integration and better search features. Microsoft announced that a variety of U.S.-based networks as well as international providers such as Sky and Canal+ would participate, but he didn't give any more information on specific providers. The Microsoft demo showed Castle, an ABC drama, and ESPN logos, indicating those two networks would be available through Xbox Live. The live TV service doesn't appear to have an official name, but it will be available to subscribers this fall.

Bing, Microsoft's search engine, can be activated by voice controls and used to search for media and games, making it much faster to do Web searches on the Xbox 360 (entering text without one of the keyboard peripherals is tedious at best). Microsoft is adding reasons for customers to use Xbox Live, even if they aren't into playing games. The service is becoming ever more a full entertainment hub for the living room. Technews Daily

Mortal Kombat: Legacy - Episode. 8: Scorpion and Sub Zero (Part 2)

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Trailer

Batman: Arkham City

Mortal Kombat: Legacy - Episode. 7: Scorpion and Sub Zero (Part 1)

Mortal Kombat: Legacy - Episode 5

TOMB RAIDER Reboot Writers Found

While we still have sometime to wait before producers Graham King and Tim Headington are ready to announce the "new" Lara Croft, we now know they've grabbed some Academy Award-nominated writers to flesh out the screenplay for their Tomb Raider reboot. GK Films have announced that Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby will write the upcoming relaunch of the theatrical franchise. Fergus and Ostby's credits include Jon Favreau's Iron Man, starring Robert Downey Jr. Their next film Cowboys & Aliens, also a collaboration with Favreau, starring Harrison Ford and Daniel Craig, is set to be released on July 29th of this year.

The original "Tomb Raider" game was published in 1996 by the London based video game company Eidos and became one of the most successful video games of the time. Today Eidos (including Crystal Dynamics), is part of an international interactive entertainment group, Square Enix Europe and the stage is set for this new chapter in "Tomb Raider" history. A pop culture phenomenon, the original games have sold over 35 million game units worldwide and Lara Croft, along with Mario Brothers is the most recognized name in gaming history.

Starring Angelina Jolie, Paramount Pictures made two movies based on the daredevil archaeologist on a series of global missions in 2001 and 2003. They grossed a total of $432 million at the worldwide box office. Mania.com