Breaking News - Microsoft cut the price of Xbox One!

Yes you read that right. Just three month after the launch of Microsoft's next generation box of tricks and they have announced today the Xbox One will be available to buy at £399.99 from 28th February. Currently the console retails at £429.99.

On top of that, they have also announced a special Titanfall edition of the Xbox One. This pack will include the Xbox One console complete with Kinect 2 , a wireless controller, a headset, one month Xbox Live Gold membership and a digital copy of Titanfall. The kick in the teeth is that all of this will also retail at £399.99.

Titanfall is the most anticipated exclusive title coming on the Xbox One and this announcement will surely upset quite a few "Day One" early adopters of the new console. Pre-orders for the Titanfall bundle are live now pretty much everywhere.

Little Gamer Update: Locking down the Xbox

So, I have a new dilemma... Eldest daughter, Betsy-Lou has been continuing her journey into the wonderful world of gaming. She has started playing Minecraft and for the first time she is addicted. All she talks about is Minecraft, what she is going to do in it, when she is going to do it, when can she next play it, you get the picture. So I am caught between letting her play a game that has harnessed her creativity and imagination and her real life obligations like homework and helping to tidy up her mess around the house. This has caused a few arguments already and it has lead me to something I would never ever do.

I have enabled the Family timer on the Xbox!

The parental settings on the Xbox 360 are full of nice little features that help you as a parent control what your child plays, what advertising they see and also how long they can spend on it. Do parents know that it is there? but also how to to use it to their advantage? Lets take a look at how easy it is to get this working on your Xbox 360 system.

First of all, turn on the Xbox (well, Duh!) and scroll to the settings menu at the far right of the menu (see below). Move down and select the Family tile.

Now you can turn on the console safety. When this is turned on you will need to configure a pin code, via the controller to act as an overide. Once this is done you can start configuring the level of access you want your kids to have.

First, of all go into Ratings and content and select the game rating (based on Pegi ratings) you want to allow your kids to play. Currently, I have allowed content up to PG to be played and no Explict content to be shown on any other service.

The main thing for me to use this was to set a time limit on how much the Xbox gets used. You can set a weekly limit or daily limit. I chose a daily limit of 30 minutes per day. Once this is set and the time runs out, the parent can decide to top up the time in increments of 5 minutes if they choose to.

Simple eh! It has stopped the fighing over Minecraft to a certain degree. At least now she can't just sit there for hours not doing her homework.

Xbox One - Microsoft come to their senses

Well I am gobsmacked! Against all the odds Microsoft have listened to the gamers reaction to the Xbox One and its restrictive practices and backed down completely!

Don Mattick, Head of Xbox, published this statement via the Xbox Wire blog earlier tonight. It reads as follows:

"Last week at E3, the excitement, creativity and future of our industry was on display for a global audience.

For us, the future comes in the form of Xbox One, a system designed to be the best place to play games this year and for many years to come. As is our heritage with Xbox, we designed a system that could take full advantage of advances in technology in order to deliver a breakthrough in game play and entertainment. We imagined a new set of benefits such as easier roaming, family sharing, and new ways to try and buy games. We believe in the benefits of a connected, digital future. 

Since unveiling our plans for Xbox One, my team and I have heard directly from many of you, read your comments and listened to your feedback. I would like to take the opportunity today to thank you for your assistance in helping us to reshape the future of Xbox One. 

You told us how much you loved the flexibility you have today with games delivered on disc. The ability to lend, share, and resell these games at your discretion is of incredible importance to you. Also important to you is the freedom to play offline, for any length of time, anywhere in the world.

So, today I am announcing the following changes to Xbox One and how you can play, share, lend, and resell your games exactly as you do today on Xbox 360. Here is what that means:

• An internet connection will not be required to play offline Xbox One games – After a one-time system set-up with a new Xbox One, you can play any disc based game without ever connecting online again. There is no 24 hour connection requirement and you can take your Xbox One anywhere you want and play your games, just like on Xbox 360.

• Trade-in, lend, resell, gift, and rent disc based games just like you do today – There will be no limitations to using and sharing games, it will work just as it does today on Xbox 360.

In addition to buying a disc from a retailer, you can also download games from Xbox Live on day of release. If you choose to download your games, you will be able to play them offline just like you do today. Xbox One games will be playable on any Xbox One console -- there will be no regional restrictions. 

These changes will impact some of the scenarios we previously announced for Xbox One. The sharing of games will work as it does today, you will simply share the disc. Downloaded titles cannot be shared or resold. Also, similar to today, playing disc based games will require that the disc be in the tray. 

We appreciate your passion, support and willingness to challenge the assumptions of digital licensing and connectivity. While we believe that the majority of people will play games online and access the cloud for both games and entertainment, we will give consumers the choice of both physical and digital content. We have listened and we have heard loud and clear from your feedback that you want the best of both worlds.

Thank you again for your candid feedback. Our team remains committed to listening, taking feedback and delivering a great product for you later this year."

This is huge and clearly puts Xbox One back in the fight. With this staggering announcement, is it only a matter of time before they announce a Xbox One that comes without the Kinect 2.0 bundled for £80 cheaper and removing the necessity to have a Kinect connected for the Xbox One to work?

I think its safe to say that the console war is definitely back on!

Xbox One - The Big Reveal

Never since starting this site have sat at a screen for so long, agonizing over what to type. Microsoft's big reveal left the community in a state of divide. Some lapped it up and loved it, some were not so crazy about the whole thing. So rather than write a post caught up in the frenzied aftermath of it all, I thought it was best to take a few days to make sense of the whole thing.

Xbox Reveal tomorrow night!

Just in case you had forgotten!

Don't forget that before all of this, we get to see the Full trailer for Batman: Arkham Origins today.

Xbox Reveal, May 21st

Microsoft have got something they want to tell you, but not yet. You are going to have to wait until May 21 at 6 pm. That's all we know for now. Whether the reveal will go into the controversial always online side of the Next Xbox, who knows.

One thing for sure though, is the line is drawn in the sand now and the Next Generation Console War begin!

Looking forward to 2013

2013 has the potential to be a very special year for us video gamers. I am going to leave the subject of New Playstation 4's and Xbox 720's until they have been announced and there is more to know about them. I am more interested in what is coming to current generation consoles we have now. Usually, The period after Christmas is quiet on the gaming front. Not so this year the has started off with a couple of big releases, including this...

DmC: Devil may Cry (Xbox 360, PS3) - Out Now



Ninja Theory have recreated Capcom's classic demon hunter, Dante and rebooted the Devil May Cry series. The biggest shock to fans of the series was the reveal of Dante's new look. Gone is the trademark white hair and red coat, replaced by a emo inspired punk look to "relate to the kids". This parallel version of Dante still has the ability to kick all kinds of ass, all across Limbo City. Ninja Theory have made something very special here a game that pays homage to the original series whilst taking the series to a new level. Best of all it is out right now!

Ni No Kuni - Wrath of the White Witch (PS3) - 1st February

What do you get when you get one of Japan's most prominent RPG studios and get them to collaborate with a legendary animation studio. No not Kingdom Hearts! You get Ni No Kuni (or The Second Land), the creation from Level 5 (of Professor Layton and Dragon Quest fame) and Studio Ghibli (the legendary studio behind animated films like Spirited Away and Princess Monoke). The game follows Oliver, a little boy, who after a tragic loss finds solace in stuffed toy, that turns out to be lord of the fairies. It really is classic Ghibli tale and the game looks amazing. Looking forward to playing this with the kids, as they already like the look of it. The 1st February cannot come quick enough.

Metal Gear Rising: Revengence (Xbox 360. PS3) - 22nd February



A new Metal Gear game, which focuses on action and features everyone's favorite cyborg ninja. Developed by Kojima Studios and Platinum games (of Bayonetta), this new chapter of the Metal Gear franchise steps out of the dark and slashes its way in to action. Featuring a revolutionary sword mechanic, which lets you slow down time and aim the angle and slash of your sword. This means you can literally slice and dice your way through wave after wave of enemy cyborgs and leave in itty bitty pieces. You can try for yourself now, as the demo has just been released on both Xbox Live and PSN. See how pieces you can slice a melon in to!

Tomb Raider (Xbox 360. PS3, PC) - 5th March



Chris Nolan has set the trend for the 'Reboot'. Last year we saw it done wrong (Syndicate) and almost perfectly (XCOM). 2013 has already seen one much loved series get the reboot treatment (see DmC above) and coming up in March is the eagerly awaited Tomb Raider reboot. Set before Lara became the heroine and adventurer we know. It is her coming of age tale. Shipwrecked on a remote island, where the locals appear to be hunting her and the other survivors. From a demo I played last year it seems that Crystal Dynamics have taken the Tomb Raider format and added a large dose of Uncharted and hint of Assassins Creed III. I have very high hopes for this and I am already hoping that this will be a game of the year contender.

Gears of War: Judgement (Xbox 360 Exclusive) - 22nd March



You cant keep a good COG down and in this new spin off featuring Baird and the rest of Kilo Squad. Set in the aftermath of Emergence Day and acts as the first prequel to the Gears of War series. Epic Games are developing this with People Can Fly, and are focusing on injecting something new into the Gears formula. Multiplayer has two new added modes, Over-run and Free-for-all. Oh! It is worth noting that GOW: Judgement comes with a Digital copy of the original Gears of War. Amazingly over half of Gears of War 3 players have never played Gears of War, according to Epic.

Bioshock: Infinite (Xbox 360, PS3, PC) - 26th March



The true successor to 2008's Bioshock sees you emerge from the oceans and take to the skies. The flying city of Columbia is the location this time and sees the player take on the role of Booker DeWitt. He must travel to Columbia to locate and rescue a young woman called Elizabeth. The city is at war though, and the two warring factions stand in their way, the Founders of Columbia and the Vox Populi, a renegade group representing the common American. Combat sees you use a variety of guns, gear and powerful enhancements know as "Vigors". This game has already won a multitude of awards and looks set to be one of the hottest games of 2013.

The Last of Us (PS3 exclusive) - 7th May



Naughty Dog's newest IP is set for release in May and is quite a departure from Nathan Drake and his fortune hunting adventures. Set in a world destroyed by a virus, pockets of survivors huddle in military controlled quarantine zones. The game follows Joel and his journey to take a young girl, Ellie away from the military rule and to safe haven across the wastelands that are what is left of America. They will need to survive against the environment  bandits and what remains of the infected population. Stealth based survival horror is a new direction for Naughty Dog, but from what has been so far this looks like it could rival the Uncharted games as their finest game yet.

Grand Theft Auto V (Xbox 360, PS3, PC) - Spring 2013



Rockstar... New GTA game... San Andreas! Is there any need to say anything else.

Beyond: Two Souls (Sony PS3 Exclusive) - TBC 2013



Finally, Quantic Dream are actually going to release two games in one console cycle. After the amazing Heavy Rain (which I have only just started playing.), David Cage and his team are back again with another interactive thriller. Not a tremendous amount is know about this game so far. All that is know is it features Hollywood actress Ellen Page as Jodie and the game will allow players to follow her life from 8 to 23 years old. Billed as a psychological, spiritual thriller and looking at the trailer, it certainly has something M. Night Shyamalan about it. We just have to wait for later in the year to find out more.

So there you have the games to look out for in 2013. Even with this bumper load for titles I still didn't have time to mention Dark Souls 2, Disney Infinity, Remember Me, GRID 2, Injustice: Gods among us, Dead Space 3, Crysis 3 and Persona 4:Golden. Its going to be a year to remember.

Far Cry 3 - Out Today!

Far Cry 3 is released today on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC. This game has shot out of nowhere for me. After being a huge fan of the original game (made by Crytek before Crysis), Far Cry 2 was overall disappointing. The move from lush jungles to the deserts of Africa was too much of a change for the series. The open world seemed too vast and littered with enemy check points that re-spawned soldiers making progress very annoying. Whilst, Far Cry 2 has it issues it also introduced some very cool new features. Hacking into mobile phone antennas to get new missions, Safe houses and Upgradable weapons, and the way they introduced a levelling system through recovering from Malaria. The world itself was beautiful and the added wildlife made it into a wonderful ecosystem simulator. The main feature though was fire. Far Cry 2 had the best fire system in the history of gaming. I spent hours in the bush lands setting fire to grass and trees just watch how it spread. If anything it was too ambitious and it failed to find an audience.




Due to the disappointment of Far Cry 2, I had expected the same with Far Cry 3. So imagine my surprise when last week Eurogamer gave it 10 out of 10! Now, having spent 3-4 hours playing the main campaign I honestly think that not only could this be the game of 2012, it could very well be one of the greatest games of this generation!

Ubisoft Montreal have taken all of the best parts of Far Cry and mixed them up with the best bits of Far Cry 2 and the result is gaming heaven. Firstly the game is beautiful on the Xbox, I just wish that my PC was up to the job of running this at Ultra detail. As for the game play, well let me tell you a tale from last nights adventures.

I was driving along in a Jeep and I came across an abandoned farm house. I stopped and inside I found some crates of loot. On my way out, I took a couple of shots at a passing pig, as I needed the pig hide to craft a new weapon holster. As I skinned the pig, I heard a strange sort of growl from the long grass ahead of me. Almost immediately, I was attacked by a bloody 6 foot Komodo dragon. Panicked  I dashed back and riddled the bastard with a full clip of machine gun fire.

Unfortunately for me, a passing enemy patrol was passing nearby and pulled up to investigate the gunfire. The soldiers opened fire on me, as I took cover behind a rock. They soldiers took cover near the farmhouse, only to be savaged by two more Komodo dragons,hiding in the grass. I shot the giant lizards, skinned them and took the patrol Jeep, just as reinforcements turned up to investigate.

This led to chase through dusty jungle roads, which only ended when I ditched the Jeep in the sea and stole a nearby jet ski. Evading the soldiers, by speeding into a series of underground caverns and emerging the other side into freedom. Jumping off the jet ski, I swam for shore and I as pulled myself up on to the beach...

I was attacked and killed by a passing Crocodile.

All that happened in just five glorious minutes.

If that isn't recommendation alone to get yourself down to the game shop at lunchtime and pick up a copy, then there is always this....

Did I mention the Shark punching?

E3 - it's the most spectacular time of the year! - Part 1

Electronic Entertainment Expo, or E3. Once a year gamings best and brightest gather at the Los Angeles convention centre and reveal to the world what we can expect to be playing with for the rest of the year. This year rather than flying out to LA myself and report live from the show itself. I decided it was easier to stay here in the UK and celebrate The Queens Diamond Jubilee. I mean who wants the hassle of flying all the way over the LA.

So lets go over the news and announcements straight out of E3 2012.

Microsoft


Microsoft got the ball rolling this year and it was a run of the mill affair. With no new console or hardware to announce, the main focus of the press conference was on media integration and which exclusives can we expect on the Microsoft powerhouse. Lets cover the things that caught my attention.

• Smart Glass - This new system allows the gamer to use any SmartPhone or tablet as a second screen in games (Hi Nintendo!). The demo showed how you can use Smart Glass in Madden 13 to pick plays and monitor the movement of your players. You can also use your tablet or phone to control your Xbox dashboard experience as well.

• Internet Explorer for Xbox - Just what the Xbox needed. I mean there are times when I down on the couch and realise that I can't find my phone, iPad, laptop or Vita to access the web. So at least now I can spend hours shouting at the TV. "Xbox... Internet... Google... No, Gooogle.. G O O G L E!

• Xbox Music - Zune failed and they need something to compete against Sony Music Unlimited

• New TV and Film channels are being added to increase the home viewing experience (in North America)

Thankfully the rest of the presentation focused on what we all love, the games.

Halo 4

Master Chief is back and this time He has dug up a evil more ancient than convenent, The ForeRunners. Audiences were treated to a 5 minute gameplay demo which introduced to the new world and creatures and some of the new toys that Chief gets to play . I love the way that 343 Studios has taken the Chief predicament at the end of Halo 3 and reunited with the UNSC. This should be a belter of a game and Microsoft know it.



Gears of War: Judgement

Bit of a surprise this one. A new Gears game set before the original and featuring Baird as the main character? Alot of the series fans are not too happy about this. Although, this could be very interesting for the franchise. Epic have handed this game over to BulletStorm developers, People can Fly. Looking at the humour they injected into BulletStorm, then a Baird based Gears game could be quite special.



Resident Evil 6

Capcom demoed Resident Evil 6 and I think it is now clear that the days of survival horror are long gone for this series. There was more action in their 5 minute walkthrough than in the first game. Zombies (yes proper ones!) everywhere. Explosions and fire everywhere. Helicopters falling out of the sky, exploding freeways full of cars. The trailer introduces new characters and plots at an alarming pace. I think this game is going to be a full on, adrenaline fuelled, action-fest.



Splinter Cell: Blacklist

Ubisoft demonstrated the new Splinter Cell title. After his spell as Jason Bourne in the last game. Sam Fisher is back and in charge of the new Fourth Echelon. Which means back to sneaking around military camps and cracking the necks of a few terrorists. The stackable execution mode from Conviction is back and expanded, now allowing for moving executions. Ubisoft can do no wrong in my eyes the last few years and 2012 looks like to be another great year for them.



Tomb Raider

Square-Enix showed some gameplay from the new Tomb Raider reboot. It looks incredible! Nathan Drake had better watch his back, because Lara wants her Crown back as Queen of the action games. Some very intense action sequences and some genuine moments of terror and survival horror going on as well. The E3 trailer expands on what is going on a little and it is all a bit Lost. I think this could very well be my game of the year.

Also they announced that all Downloadable Content will be available exclusively on Xbox 360 first.



Call Of Duty: Black Ops 2

Right, look here Activision! I fell out with you and promised never to buy another Call of Duty game ever again. How dare you then go and make Black Ops 2 not only look amazing, but also the best Call of Duty game to date.

The demo takes place in Los Angeles,2025, just after terrorists have launched an attack on the US using their own unmanned drones and weapons. It follows our hero as he attempts to escort the President to safety through the chaos. The look and feel of the game appear to be different from previous COD titles. Things appear to be more open and far less corridor driven. Treyarch look like they are about to emerge from the shadow left by Infinity Ward.



So, at the end of the first day. Microsoft had a pretty quiet press conference. All of the new announcements regarding media and tablet integration are nice, but not as nice as a new Xbox announcement. The games though look great and remember, its all about the games!

Max Payne 3 - Who is Max Payne?

After a nine year absence, Max Payne returns this week with another episode of his damned existance. To some gamers though, Max is someone they might not of heard of or played. So who is Max Payne?

Max Payne - 2001

3 years before the events of the first game, Max arrived home to his wife and baby girl to found them brutally murdered by a gang addicted to a new designer drug, Valkyr. Vowing to get to the people who created and distribute the drug. Max signs up a with the DEA and goes deep undercover.

When Max got too close to minds behind Valkyr, he was set-up and framed for the murder of his DEA colleague and best friend, Alex Balder.

So began his one man war and the majority of New York's organised crime and bent corporations.

The video below explains it better...

Max Payne 2 - 2003

Two years after the Aesir Massacre, Payne had left the DEA and was back as a Detective in the NYPD. Alfred Woden had kept his promise and kept Max out of prison.

Deputy Chief Jim Bravura, is now Max's boss and he has partnered him with the straight laced Detective Winterson. Whilst out, Max responds to a call to shots fired at one of Vladimar Lem's warehouses and soon he finds himself out manned and out gunned by a group of hit men calling themselves the Cleaners.

During the shootout, Mona Sax appears, alive and well and helps Max take out the Cleaners.

Follow the videos below to find out what happens.








So Max hasn't had the sunniest of lives, so far. So maybe its time he took some time in the sun himself...

Max Payne 3 - 2012

Not much is know for certain about the new game. Although the official site has this up for offer.

"For Max Payne, the tragedies that took his loved ones years ago are wounds that refuse to heal. No longer a cop, close to washed up and addicted to pain killers, Max takes a job in São Paulo, Brazil, protecting the family of wealthy real estate mogul Rodrigo Branco, in an effort to finally escape his troubled past. But as events spiral out of his control, Max Payne finds himself alone on the streets of an unfamiliar city, desperately searching for the truth and fighting for a way out."


Max Payne 3 is out this Friday on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 and following on PC in June 2012.

Kinect Sesame Street TV

When I asked for a Kinect this Christmas, I knew that really it would be more for the Little Gamers than me. BG loves running around Disneyland meeting her favourite characters and her recent discovery of a Disney Princess dancing game was just the icing on top of a very sweet cake.

LB the youngest gamer has not really seen anything that she can play. So hopefully today's announcement will change that. Microsoft have announced their new Kinect title today, aimed at kids.

Yep, Sesame Street TV is coming to your Xbox. According to the press release:

“Kinect Sesame Street TV” invites children into a two-way TV experience where they not only watch their favorite Sesame Street episodes, but interact with beloved characters including Big Bird, Grover, Oscar and more. The magic of Kinect for Xbox 360 transforms passive viewing to active participation, encouraging children to use their gestures, voices and bodies to interact with educational content on the screen. 

The episodes will include such activities as counting with Grover, learning letters with Cookie Monster and exploring Elmo’s World, which could be very scary for any passing adults. Also there will be access to thousands of classic clips from the Sesame Street archive. Let's hope that Ernie's Rubber Duckie song is in that list!

Kinect Sesame Street TV will be out late 2012.