The week that was…July 29, 2013.
By Sean Molloy
New Video Details Playstation 4 Online Services
In a new Q&A video from Sony, it was revealed that everyone can utilize a new party chat feature, not just members who purchase the Playstation Plus premium subscription. As of now, if you want to play games online with friends like Call of Duty and the upcoming Destiny from Bungie games, the Plus membership is required. Also during the video, it is confirmed that you can have up to 2,000 people on your friends list and your PSN avatar and username will carry over to Playstation 4. Is this a good deal compared to the Xbox Live service? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.
Xbox One Accessories Priced
Microsoft has released its pricing for the next generation of controllers and controller accessories, here’s the breakdown.
Xbox One Wireless Controller- $59.99
Xbox One Wireless Controller plus Play and Charge Kit- $74.99
Charge Kit- $24.99
Chat Headset- $24.99
Take note that the controller you get out of the box is going to require good old AA batteries and the headset will not come bundled with the system.
Bioshock Infinite DLC Detailed
Irrational games has finally detailed the pieces of downloadable content for their mega hit, Bioshock Infinite. The content will include challenge maps and brand new story content set in the world of Rapture, the underwater city seen in Bioshock 1 and 2. The first DLC, titled “Clash in the Clouds,” will take place in Columbia and is a series of challenge maps and will be available for $5. This first piece will also include a new building to explore allowing players to delve deeper into story of Columbia. The next part of the DLC is titled “Burial at Sea” and will be split into 2 parts. The first of which will allow the player to return to the characters of Booker and Elizabeth. However, in the latter half, we will now be able to play as Elizabeth. Both pieces of “Burial at Sea” will be price at $14.99.
Xbox Smart Match
Microsoft has given out the sweet details of its new online matchmaking system. In an official statement the company claims, “games will be able to share player stats with Xbox Live and each other; to learn, evolve, and provide you with the best possible matchmaking available.” Another great idea is that Smart Match will allow you to search for online games in the background and it prevents the player from sitting around in lobbies waiting for the perfect game.
Playstation 4 is 20 Percent More Powerful than Xbox One
Digital Foundry’s Richard Leadbetter ran a test this week in which he created PCs with the specs of the next gen consoles releasing this Holiday. His conclusion? The PS4 has a 50 percent advantage in power when it comes the GPU but with everything running at maximum output the reality is the Sony dream machine is only about 24 percent stronger than Xbox One. Leadbetter also makes a footnote than without having the final product in his hands it’s very hard to know how similar (or different) both consoles will be.
New Games Confirmed
Two big game confirmations came along this week. EA is now affirming that Star Wars Battlefront is in full development with a release window targeted at Summer 2015, in conjunction with the first of the new Star Wars films. Also Square Enix has also let the cat out of the bag in confirming that the team is hard a work on a Tomb Raider sequel. The company says the game has been in development for some time and will be a direct sequel to last year’s revamp of the series.
Xbox Reputation Explained
Microsoft’s Michael Dunn has said it flat out regarding the Xbox One’s new reputation system saying, “If you don’t want to play with cheats or jerks, you shouldn’t have to.” The new system will mark your profile as “Good Player” (green), “Needs Improvement” (yellow), or “Avoid Me” (red). In simple terms, the more time you spend playing games online without cheating or being a jerk to everyone else the better your reputation will be. Your rep will be based on interactions with other gamers. Heads up Call of Duty campers and foul-mouthed punks, your day is coming.
Nintendo Makes Games, Not Art
According to Nintendo President Satoru Iwata, Nintendo is in the business of making games for the customer versus making “art.” Now I get flack for writing this column and not giving love to the big “N.” But if the interview with Toya Keizai Online is any indication, the company is taking notes as to what fans want. Iwata explains, “Creating is like an expression of egoism. People with a strong energy to create something have a ‘this is the strength I believe is right’ sort of confidence to start from. Their standpoint is that ‘this is the right thing to do, so this must be what’s good for the customer as well.” So there you have it, Nintendo is making the games fans want….unless it’s the next Metroid or Star Fox or a new Zelda. Oye.
Xbox One Speed Boost
Rumors have been floating around the Internet for a while about Microsoft changing the internal hardware of the Xbox One. Chief Product Officer Marc Whitten has explained that as the system gets closer to hitting shelves the internal specifications have changed slightly. Whitten explains, “That’s the time when you really start tweaking the knobs. Either your theory was dead on or you were too conservative or you were a little too aggressive. And an example of that is we’ve tweaked up the clock speed on our GPU, from 800 MHz to 853 MHz. Just an example of how you really start landing the program as you get closer to launch.” The focus now is creating the best product Microsoft can come up with, but one can’t help feeling that this is just is another PR stunt after the backlash the Xbox One has had in recent weeks. Xbox One is scheduled to launch in November for $499. The console is still available for pre-order at most fine establishments, but if you were looking for the Day One Edition, you might be out of luck.
