However, they were left in utter despair when Remedy announced a complete new IP for Xbox One called Quantum Break. So do you think it means that the fans will not get Alan Wake 2? Well, that’s not the case. According to Remedy Entertainment’s Sam Lake, the initial plan was to make a sequel to Alan Wake 2 but the insufficient funding and lack of resources forced us to shutdown the project, temporarily. He also added that Alan Wake will definitely return when the time is right.

It holds true that Alan Wake was not quite much of a success both on Xbox 360 and PC. Even the downloadable content “American Nightmare” wasn’t that huge of a success but still it’s a decent game whatsoever and fans are eagerly anticipating it.

Although Remedy Entertainment would love to work on the new Alan Wake, they are now focusing their whole attention to Quantum Break which according to Lake is Remedy’s most ambitious project till date.

Lake further added that Quantum Break is under the heavy influence from titles like Max Payne 3 and Alan Wake which clearly shows in the reveal trailer of the game that features bullet-time slow motion and FMV cut-scenes.

Hopefully, we will hear more about Quantum Break at the E3 or later this year at least. Eager fans can have another round of Alan Wake while they wait for the project to be officially announced.

Alan Wake targets a different kind of audience and though it may not appear appealing to everyone out there. True fans are looking forward to it more than anything!

Are you satisfied with Quantum Break or you want Remedy to start working on Alan Wake 2 already? Do tell us in the comment section below!

The post Alan Wake Will Return When the Time is Right appeared first on SegmentNext.

If you like using Far Cry 3′s map editor and loved playing Blood Dragon, then today’s your lucky day. Ubisoft has released the Mark IV Style Map Editor Pack, which contains every major asset from the ’90s retro envisioned game.

The pack is available for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 for free and allows players to now create maps based on Blood Dragon’s VHS theme. A release for PC is inevitable but so far there has been no sign of it. Ubisoft has kept quite and there’s no notion of it coming on Steam or uPlay any time soon.

The Far Cry 3 Map Editor is a handy tool which makes it very easy for players to create their own maps and share them with the community. You only need to own a copy of Far Cry 3 to get started.

A map editor was just one of many things which fans were anxiously hoping for. Ubisoft heard and acknowledged the request, releasing a tool which features a friendly UI and an easy process to set newbies up.

Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon was released earlier this month to pretty awesome reviews. I personally wasn’t expecting such a response. What started out as something which the dev team made up in their spare time to blow off steam, Blood Dragon ended up as a humorous and nostalgic game which I loved playing.

You can read our review here, where we gave it a mighty 9/10; deducting one point for the game being too damn short.

The post Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon Assets Pack Released for Map Editor appeared first on SegmentNext.

What he wrote was, “These architectures are a generation ahead of the highest end PC on the market.” Another thing worth mentioning here is Teneja stating that Electronic Arts handles around 50TB telemetry data on their network on daily basis. And the commitment of next generation of consoles to cloud storage will come in handy in future and will allow this side of gaming to groom more swiftly.

He further added that with Playstation 4 and Xbox One in market, players will now see more and more examples of games running on cross-platforms. He quoted Sony Playstation 4′s cloud storage technology that would enable players to play high-end consoles games on a handheld device such as Playstation Vita. According to him, the Playstation 4 and Xbox One has caused players to shift their games from a console in their living room to a PC, mobile phone or a handheld device enabling them to experience games of their choice anywhere.

To quote him exactly, “The architecture of both the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 present more opportunities to take your game from TV to smartphone to PC, with seamless ubiquity and experience gaming at any time, in any way on any device.”

His full written article can be studied HERE. And for more information on Xbox One, check the news section!

Do you really think that Playstation 4 and Xbox One can win over a high-end gaming PC? Share your views in the comment section below!

The post EA CTO Believes That Xbox One & Playstation 4 are Better Than Modern PCs appeared first on SegmentNext.

Pre-orders have now begun worldwide and as an additional bonus, those who pre-order any edition of the game will receive access to fly the Atomic Blimp in-game (above).

The Special Edition

• Full retail copy of Grand Theft Auto V
• Collectible SteelBook with Exclusive Artwork – features double-sided, never-before-seen artwork of Michael, Trevor and Franklin. Custom colour and metallic treatments bring out the detail of the artwork created exclusively for this SteelBook.
• Blueprint Map – This exclusive, additional 21.5” x 26.75” map displays a blueprint view of Los Santos and Blaine County. Cryptic markings indicate locations for fast cash and other points of interest for the up-and-coming entrepreneur.
• Special Ability Boost – Michael, Franklin and Trevor each have a unique special ability. With this boost, the special ability bar will generate 25% faster.
• Stunt Plane Trials – Single player Stunt Plane Trials let you take on additional aerial challenges spread throughout Los Santos and Blaine County.
• Bonus Outfits, Tattoos and More – Michael, Franklin and Trevor get bonus outfits in their wardrobes, character specific tattoos at tattoo parlors, and special deals from shopkeepers across Los Santos and Blaine County.
• Additional Weapons – When visiting Ammunation stores in single player, merchants will have special weapons in their inventory available for free: the Pistol .50, Bullpup Shotgun and melee Hammer.

The Collector’s Edition

• Contains all of the above
• Grand Theft Auto V Security Deposit Bag with Logo Key – Inspired by the heists in Grand Theft Auto V, this custom 10.75” x 8.5” money bag features a pop-up style lock and laser cut logo key to secure important items. The reverse side features a pressed Rockstar Games logo on the security mount with a framed ID window.
• Grand Theft Auto V New Era 9FIFTY™ Snapback Cap – This exclusive New Era 9FIFTY™ cap features an embroidered Los Santos logo on the front, a stitched, black Rockstar Games logo on the wearer’s left side, a Grand Theft Auto ‘V’ logo applique on the opposite side, and snapback closure for an adjustable fit.
• Custom Characters for Grand Theft Auto Online – Get classic Grand Theft Auto characters to use within the Grand Theft Auto Online Character Creation System.
• Unique Vehicles and Garage Property – Players will instantly receive a garage to store custom vehicles. In single player, the garage will be stocked with the 1930’s style Hotknife hotrod and the CarbonRS sports bike. In Grand Theft Auto Online, players will get the high-end Khamelion electric car.

Rockstar hasn’t mentioned but it’s mostly likely that these editions will be in limited quantity. It’s best to pre-order and confirm one for yourself as soon as possible.

The post GTA V: Special and Collector’s Edition Announced appeared first on SegmentNext.

“If you have an Xbox Gold membership today for 360 and you buy an Xbox One, your membership applies to both systems.” Microsoft’s Phil Harrison said this in an interview with Polygon. He further said, “You don’t have to get another subscription. Anybody who has usage privilege on that machine can use it.” Finally some ray of light for the Xbox One.

In another interview, Microsoft’s Ben Kilgore explained how Xbox Live Gold membership will work on Xbox One by giving out an example of a father and his son who have their separate accounts on Xbox One. To put into Kilgore’s words, “We want to make sure that you and your son both have your own account. We want you log in to get your stuff, and when he logs in to get his stuff. On that console, if you have Gold, he can use Gold as well.”

This again is something to cherish about! No more pain of buying separate Gold Membership for your other accounts on Xbox One. As you could only use one Gold Membership with one account only. And you will have to buy another one if you wish on exploring Netflix, HULU and other services let alone playing online with your friends.

Hopefully Microsoft will explain more about the anticipated Xbox One in near future at E3 and show more games than all that TV stuff – it’s a gaming console after all!

The post You Can Use a Single Gold Membership on Every Account on Xbox One appeared first on SegmentNext.

While Infinity Ward has added the hopping (vaulting), sliding and leaning mechanisms in Call of duty: Ghosts, the studio is still striving hard to make the game better than it’s predecessors.

A few more things they have promised to in-corporate in the forthcoming game include more dynamic and interactive environments and the ability to modify your player.

In an interview with GI, Eric Hirshberg of Infinity Ward said that there is an entire mission in Call of Duty: Ghosts dedicated to underwater wars.

The original statement states, “If you look at the trailer, there’s an entire level that takes place underwater. We’ve had underwater scenes before where you scuba dive from here to there, but this is a whole new thing with underwater physics and underwater gameplay and underwater weapons.” This definitely sounds good but will this be applied to multiplayer as well; we don’t know as of yet.

One more thing that we already know is that Call of Duty usually features 12 to 18 players in Ground War mode of multiplayer but what was asked from Hirshberg was if the studio plans on increasing the number of players to 64 or 100 in normal game modes and his answer was not satisfying as he said that the studio plans on sticking to the winning formula.

What he said was, “It’s hard to argue with the number of people that play it every day and every month. We have a winning formula. We always innovate within that. We always find new ways to keep it fresh and new.”

It is also believed that the Smart Glass will become an essential part of Call of duty: Ghosts as Hirshberg believes that a second screen with gameplay will overall enhance the game’s experience.

Call of Duty: Ghosts will release on Xbox 360, Playstation 3 and Microsoft Windows on November 5th 2013. And it will also come on Xbox One and Playstation 4.

The post Call of Duty: Ghosts Multiplayer What To Expect and What’s Not Happening? appeared first on SegmentNext.

NHL 14 will not be available for Xbox One or PlayStation 4 this year. Our team is laser-focused on delivering the greatest hockey experience to-date on the Xbox 360 and PS3, grounded in the speed, skill, and aggression of the sport. We look forward to developing a best-in-class hockey experience for new platforms in the future.

I suppose that if EA was going to sacrifice a game for this season, NFL would be the most logical choice, being the least popular of the series (outside of Canada). From what we know of the upcoming NHL 14 it seems they’ve really put a lot of work into improving it.

Voting is still going on for the NHL 14 cover art, so you might want to head on over to the voting page and select which athlete you want to represent the sport this year.

NHL 14 is currently set to hit Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 on September 10th in North America and September 13th in Europe.

The post No NHL 14 For PS4 or Xbox One This Year appeared first on SegmentNext.

The news comes through a FAQ page that the companies have published about the Beta testing and one of the questions asked which platform Battlefield 3 Premium members can access the Beta on. In reply EA and DICE says:

You will get access on the same platform that your Battlefield 3 Premium membership is tied to (PC, Xbox 360, or PlayStation 3.) This exclusive Beta will be available world-wide on all platforms, with the exception of Japan and rest of Asia on PS3.

There is some other information on the FAQ that you might be interested in, such as the fact that if you are eligible to access the Beta in different ways on one platform, you are granted some
invites. However most of the time your access to the Beta is tied to your Origin account and will be non-transferable.

You can check out the full FAQ here.

The post No Battlefield 4 Beta for the PS3 in Japan or Asia appeared first on SegmentNext.

The game of course is an FPS released for PS3, Xbox 360 and PC. It looks good on PC but there are some minor issues being reported by the users that we have shortlisted with the possible fixes to help you out.

If you are facing any issue, find the solution in our guide!

#1 Call of Juarez Gunslinger – Micro-stuttering Fix
You may have experienced stuttering now and then while playing the game with keyboard and mouse. If that’s the case, you need to disable repeated key strokes from you access point settings. This is how you can do this:

• Enter the Ease of access center which can be accessed through Accessories after clicking Start. Once, you are there, click ‘Make the Keyboard Easier to use’.
• Click ‘Turn on Repeat Keys and Slow Keys’,and then on ‘Set up Repeat Keys and Slow Keys’.
• Select the “ignore all repeated keys” option and reduce the time to 0.0 mentioned in the box. Make sure that ‘Turn on Filter Keys’ is ticked at the top of the panel.
• Apply the changes and see if the stutter goes away with it.

The issue however is known to the developer and they are working on a proper fix.

#2 Call of Juarez Gunslinger – The Game Stuck at Downloading
If you have been unable to download the game, i will recommend that you restart Steam which should help you to start/continue the download again.

#3 Call of Juarez Gunslinger – The game crashes after “Press any key to Start”
If you are facing crashes at the first screen you see, try unplugging on your USB headset.

I know that’s a real bizarre thing to do but if you want to play it, you will have to unplug it or you can wait for a fix that may or may not arrive soon. And if you have any fix of your own, don’t forget to share with us in the comments.

#4 Call of Juarez Gunslinger – 7.1 Surround System Issue
I am not sure about it but some users using 7.1 surround system have reported that they are facing crashes. While changing it to 5.1 (Control Panel > Hardware and Sound > Manage Audio Devices. Right-click your audio device and hit configure speakers.) makes the crash go away. Try it and let me know if that works for you till the next patch arrives.

#5 Call of Juarez Gunslinger – Poor FPS Fix
If you are experiencing low frame rates at your high end PC then i will recommend that you disable any extra background applications running. For instance, Logitech software or any other third party software can mess it up and either make the game crash or result in poor performance.

#6 Call of Juarez Gunslinger – Bex Error Fix
The error might pop up because you are not meeting the minimum system requirements (Operating System) to run the game. If you are meeting them, make sure that your firewall/antivirus/security tool is not blocking the game.

#7 Call of Juarez Gunslinger – Missing “.exe” File
Just restart your Steam and the download should begin normally. Happens most of the time as we forget to restart.

If you come across any other issues, let us know by commenting below!

The post Call of Juarez Gunslinger Crashes, Errors, Sound, FPS Fixes and Stuttering appeared first on SegmentNext.

In the first few minutes of starting up the game, we’re introduced to ‘Space,’ ‘Earth,’ and Toronto getting nuked during the second Vietnam war, all in a super retro 8 bit cut scene.

If Power Glove’s Terminator/Tron-esque music, or the game’s VHS tracking bar instead of a loading screen didn’t clue you in for what you were in for, then the extremely minimalistic 16 bit cut scenes complete with Michael Biehn voicing the role of Rex ‘Power’ Colt, who is half man, half cyborg, but all cyber commando, should have made it blatantly obvious as to the kind of ride this was going to be: Awesome.

I find it interesting that Blood Dragon starts off where Far Cry 3 left off, on a helicopter minigun sequence. Only this time, the minigun shoots lasers.

It amazes me that I’ve never made the connection before, but 80′s action films and video games have in common. As Rex ‘Power’ Colt once put it, “Get the girl, kill the baddies, save the world.”

What a perfect summary of just about every 80′s action flick and first person shooter. But that’s not where the similarities end, as the game progresses, and the parody continues, Blood Dragon shows us just how alike the modern shooter is, to the cinematic experiences of the 80′s.

Terrible puns and cheesy one-liners never felt so fitting, as they have in first person shooter format, while setting the world on fire with explosive shotgun rounds, to the soundtrack of a retro synthesizer extravaganza.

The most fascinating thing about this game, is the quality in which it was made. Most parodies in any medium, are usually of low quality, both in production value, and the seriousness in which it is crafted.

The original sound track for this game, is absolutely incredible, and could have been its entirely own thing and would have still been just as good. This, by the way, is coming from someone who isn’t much of a fan of the genre in which the music resides.

The voice acting, however, is pure genius. Everyone seems to understand what the game is trying to achieve, and nails the tone with a resounding perfection. Michael Biehn‘s dialogue and delivery is there  to mimic and sympathize with the player.

Any WTF moment the player might have, Michael Biehn is right there with you, delivering the line as if he was sitting right next to you, playing the game himself.

What makes this all the more impressive, is that Michael Biehn, according to recent interviews, is not a gamer and has no understanding of games or the culture surrounding it. So, for him to have nailed this performance so accurately, is a source of wonder and amazement for me.

It’s hard to explain how pitch perfect the writing is in this game, for it defies any rational explanation. The tone of the game is serious, yet somehow manages to parody conventional gaming tropes that we’ve been seemingly ignoring and or accepting, for as long as I can remember.

For some reason, with the backdrop of an 80′s cinematic adventure, which I suppose most people have labeled as cheesy, the exploits and conventions of first person shooters become so obvious.

I had one particularly clairvoyant moment, where I knew exactly what would happen, before it happened, but because of the dialogue and Michael Beihn’s delivery of, “I hope the new C-4000 is as good as the old C-400… $@#!,”

I finally recognized that games have been constantly rehashing the same story and game mechanics, to the point where I can subconsciously predict what’s going to happen, before the mission even begins.

After that, I started noticing some of the more subtler parodies. Like, for example, how the stealth weapon is outrageously covered in neon lights, to the point where it’s so bright, that there is no conceivable way that you could ever move around without getting instantly spotted from several hundred yards away.

Yet, in this game, you could use said weapon to take out an entire enemy outpost, without ever getting spotted. Realism!

Honestly, I could go on (seemingly) endlessly, pointing out these subtle, and not so subtle parodies of the gaming culture. However, since that’s pretty much the core of the game, I would feel very irresponsible, to spoil anymore of the fun that awaits you in Blood Dragon.

Keep in mind that, gameplay wise, it’s a micro condensed version of Far Cry 3, the island is smaller, there are less Outposts, but the amount of weapons remains relatively similar, while giving you access to them at a much quicker pace, allowing the carnage to flow all the more sooner. Which is a good thing, obviously.

At the end of the day, though, it is of my opinion that good satire offers a solution, or an alternative, otherwise it is simply self indulgent. As far as I can tell, Blood Dragon offers neither. In fact, I can’t even begin to tell if they even dislike these gaming tropes.

Actually, the more I think about it, it seems as if the makers of this game love the over the top nonsense that occurs in video games and their b-movie counterparts. By the end of this review, I’m still not certain if this game is more of a love letter, or a parody. Either way, I love it. Whatever the hell it is.

Gameplay: 8.5
You can pretty much defer to my Far Cry 3 review on this one, as it’s pretty much the same game, featuring re-skinned versions of the weapons. My only real problem with the gameplay, was that it took way too long to get the attachments you really wanted, considering how short the actual game is.

Graphics: 9
I really loved the graphical style of this game, intentionally cheesy but tastefully done is the name of the game. Oh man, those cut scene… those cut scenes.

Sound: 10
No surprise here, I pretty much spent the entire review admiring the voice acting and sound track. Oh, and the cheesy laser sounds are irresistible, as well.

Presentation: 10
This is one of the few games, where the final product, was exactly what was intended. From the Tron inspired menu screen, to the tracking VHS bar, to the well crafted writing and directing, this game gives you the exact experience that it wanted you to have.

Value: 9
A standalone expansion for Far Cry 3, that costs only $15, and gives a better single player experience than the original, is what I would call a great deal. But without any form of multiplayer, there is a distinct lack of reasons to go back to the game, once you finish the 8 hour single player experience. Perhaps, though, like any good comedic movie, you’ll revisit it just for the humor, on a semi-annual basis.

Verdict: 9
I have a friend who can only play this game in 10 minute increments, on a weekly basis, because he can’t get through 10 minutes of the game, without experiencing something so hilarious, that it makes his entire week. I think an experience like that, is deserving of a 9/10.

The post Far Cry 3 Blood Dragon Review appeared first on SegmentNext.

It might just be me, but with the scant amounts of information that’s been released so far for the game, I can’t help but feel that they’re going to turn him into someone that I cannot recognise. “When the city that created and defines him is threatened; Garrett must step from the shadows and uncover the truth before his world is torn apart forever,” reads the latest press release, and it seems to foreshadow some pretty uncomfortable changes in his personality.

It’s important to understand that Garrett isn’t a hero. He’s not the good guy, hell, he’s not even halfway decent. Garret has one and only one motivation for all the things that he does, which is preservation of Garrett.

If you examine all of his heists, all of his actions and all of his monologues, you can see that even the altruistic-seeming deeds were done in the name of greed.

Garrett does not care for truth; he doesn’t care for the various factions within the city, or their motives. The only thing that concerns Garrett is how he’s going to get his next meal, and paying his rent. Take this example; Early in the first game, he breaks into a Hammerite prison (the Hammerites are a faction of religious fanatics) in order to rescue his fence, Cutty, who’s been captured.

At first glance, it may seem like an act of friendship, loyalty and trust. In truth, the only reason, he did it was because he’d just been on a job to steal a particular artifact that could not be sold without Cutty’s assistance.

Another ‘friend’ of Garrett’s is Basso the Boxman, a skilled arsonist and lock pick. In the first game, he was in a similar situation as Cutty – locked in a cell. The only reason Garret rescued him was because he was interested in getting ‘intimate’ with Basso’s sister.

There is one moment in the third game in which it may seem like Garrett really does not have a heart of stone, but it a purely player-dependent, optional choice. There is a mission where you need to raid the mansion of a sea captain in order to find a special key.

You come across the widow of the captain, and find out that the poor thing has lost her wits with grief (she thinks you’re the maid or Butler or something).

She idly mentions to you that she’s very thirsty, as the mansion staff has not allowed her any wine for fear she might try to hurt herself, and if the player chooses they can pick up a wine bottle from elsewhere in the house and drop it next to her in what seems like a purely altruistic action.

Turns out however, that doing this causes her to ramble about a ‘secret message’ her husband left her that reveals the location of the key you’re looking for. Doesn’t help his cause that, on his way out, he takes off with the captains savings, ensuring that the widow loses her fortune, her house and quite likely her life.

I think we can count on one hand all the people that Garrett might have a modicum of respect for and still have several fingers left over. The only person I can think of without a shadow of a doubt that Garrett considers as an ally is Artemus, his old mentor from when he was being trained as a Keeper.

Garrett keeps Artemus at arm’s length, but he is aware of the fact that his old mentor would never seek to harm him. This trust eventually comes back to bite him and almost spells his doom in the third game, Thief: Deadly Shadows (which I will not spoil).

Don’t get me wrong, I love Garrett. I love his character and his personality and I was so goddamn broken hearted when I found out Stephen Russell would not be voicing him in the reboot. I’m still eager to play the game, but I can’t help but wring my hands with anxiety and hope they keep Garrett… Garrett.

The post Garrett: A Character Study of Thief’s Protagonist appeared first on SegmentNext.

This ultimate sale starts now and will be available until 5th June, 2013. You can view the complete list of games available on PSN Europe blog.

There is more to it – you will get a 10% further discount on a ton of games if you are a PSN Plus member. Following is the list of games available for purchase:

Double Dragon Neon
was €7.99/£6.49, now €3.99/£3.19

Final Fight: Double Impact
was €9.99/£7.99, now €4.99/£3.99

Golden Axe
was €4.49/£3.69, now €1.99/£1.59

Lord of the Rings: War in the North
was €19.99/£15.99, now €9.99/£7.99

Marvel vs. Capcom: Origins
was €14.99/£11.99, now €7.49/£5.99

Mini Ninjas
was €19.99/£15.99, now €9.99/£7.99

Mortal Kombat
was €19.99/£15.99, now €9.99/€7.99

Mortal Kombat Arcade Kollection
was €9.99/£7.99, now €4.99/£3.99

Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix
was €14.99/£11.99, now €7.49/£5.99

Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike Online Edition
was €14.99/£11.99, now €7.49/£5.99

Super Street Fighter IV Arcade Edition
was €14.99/£10.99, now €7.49/£5.99

Tekken Tag Tournament 2
was €29.99/£19.99, now €14.99/£11.99

The King of Fighters XIII
was €14.99/£11.99, now €7.49/£5.99

The King of Fighters XIII GOLD EDITION
was €29.99/£23.99, now €14.49/£11.59

Virtua Fighter 5 Final Showdown
was €12.99/£9.99, now €6.49/£5.19

Virtua Fighter 5 Final Showdown Complete Edition
was €24.99/£19.99, now €11.99/£9.69

And here is the list of games on which you will not get the further 10% discount for being a PSN Plus member:

EA Sports MMA
was €29.99/£19.99, now €9.99/£7.99

Fight Night Champion
was €29.99/£19.99, now €14.99/£11.99

It is your chance to grab these titles if you don’t own them already. What do you think of this sale? Do let us know in the comment section below!

The post Fighting Game Sale Brings Huge Discounts On Select PSN Titles appeared first on SegmentNext.

The Xbox One was billed as “simple” and indeed it is. Xbox One can be summed up by two things: TV and Call of Duty. It’s not actually revolutionary, but it is what Microsoft claims it to be — simple. One journalist in particular wrote an insightful piece calling Microsoft out on what she considered a “desperate prayer to stop time“:

“Yet by the end of the console event, I sat disoriented,” said Leigh Alexander on Gamasutra, “feeling like I’d seen one of the Big Three take a hard left into a past decade, a fictional privileged nation where everyone owns a giant television they want to talk to, where they entertain themselves with high-end fictional simulations of football season and futuristic, nebulous wars abroad. Where we supposedly want whole-body play. Where the fantasy is that all our living rooms are big enough for that.”

Like I’m sure many others did, Alexander “streamed it on a PC and took notes on a netbook. [She] talked to a friend about it on an iPhone. [She] participated in, processed and ultimately covered the announcements across three different screened devices, none of which was a television.” Her point: devices are the future of where good games development will flourish, not TV. She’s not wrong.

I also covered the event on multiple devices; I refreshed Twitter on my iPad and obsessively scribbled notes in pen on an actual notepad, paper and all. I iMessage’d my friends on my iPhone. “Yet in Microsoft’s world,” said Alexander, “the TV is still the core of the theoretical home for people who want ‘immersive worlds and epic battles.’” Sadly, I even watched it on a TV.

“The thing is,” continued Alexander, “developers will have to want to spend a lot of money making games in order for consoles to matter to gamers, who now have endless less expensive, more open, more accessible platforms on which to play and socialize. And in order for that expense to seem logical, a device like the Xbox One will have to appeal to a much more revolutionary audience than the exact same one that moved the Xbox 360 at the beginning of the current generation.”

Microsoft’s perception of the privileged lifestyle, however, isn’t fictional. According to Forbes, 96 percent of American homes have a TV and 49 percent own at least one game console. In 2012, 67 million Smart TVs were sold and Forbes predicts 87 million Smart TVs will be sold in 2013.

This is not counting Standard HDTVs. Owning a television fit enough for Stan Smith’s “Entertainment Altar” is not the problem. I own a 42 inch Vizio Smart HDTV and I’m poor. How poor? Currently living in a shitty hotel room poor. The real issue is that Microsoft simply doesn’t believe in the term “gamers” anymore.

As of this writing, 55,172 people (who I’m sure most would consider themselves gamers) were polled by IGN on how they perceived the event: 47.15 percent were disappointed, claiming there were “too many elements that didn’t really interest” them; 28.39 percent thought it was a “disaster”; 17.67 percent called it “solid” and only 6.78 percent thought it “fantastic.” However, game journalists and core gamers no longer matter to Microsoft. Its presentation was framed in a smug way that seemed to say, “you are lucky you get to even play in our sandbox.”

The reality is we live in a world where 20 somethings (that’s me!) use multiple devices with screens, of which one may or may not be a TV, where social networking is key, flaunting daily/hourly/instant achievements is compelling, where drawing value from how others perceive us and we perceive others is causing incredible stress.

Just swiping through Facebook pics of our friends is enough to induce a knee-clattering panic. It’s an increasingly connected society where narcissism is the word of the day, whether or not that narcissism was created or has always festered within humanity, now with a platform to holler from.
In this world, people always want the Next New Thing. The reality is we want the fiction if it will make us appear, only slightly, equal to, or better than, the next person.

Microsoft told us that what matters is America. Not the world; America. It is targeting those 67 million people who bought smart HDTVs in 2012, and the millions of current HDTV owners. The ones with children who do want whole-body play and who do want futuristic wars fought in mind-numbingly Hi-Def H-Double-Ds.

The ones whose parents are wearing Google Glass right now. The ones who want to fit in. The ones who are broke but want to feign wealth. The ones who say they won’t buy it but buy it anyway. “Core gamers” might as well be the Easter bunny in Microsoft’s mind.

“I’d like to see the console industry move on,” said Alexander. In a way, it did. We saw Microsoft move on from the “gamer,” scraping its boxy edges against the walls of a narcissistic society where survival of the fittest is a constant effort to fit in.

Even if Xbox One has an excellent ecosystem for independent developers, AppStore-like digital library of hundreds of thousands of free games and the hardest core of hardcore games ever seen this side of the privileged, the reality is that “gamer” is now as meaningless as calling someone a “filmer.”

We all watch movies and now we all play games. Our 49 percent fits snugly in the 96 percent’s belly. For Microsoft, gamers are the fictional privileged nation.

The post How the Xbox One Reveal Killed the “Gamer” Off appeared first on SegmentNext.

In a press release today, NetherRealm Studios has confirmed the long rumored Mortal Kombat: Komplete Edition for release on the PC in July.

The game will be available digitally from July 3rd, while the physical edition will make its way to retailers by August 2nd.

Mortal Kombat: Komplete Edition will include all released DLC for the game, including characters Kenshi, Skarlet, Rain and Freddy Krueger. Additionally buyers will also receive 15 classic skins and three classic fatalities for Scorpion, Sub-Zero and Reptile.

Scorpion’s classic fatality probably is the one where he takes off his mask and burns his enemy to ash. I’m thinking Sub-Zero’s is where he either rips out the head, along with the spine or the simple freeze and smash one. Regarding reptile, there was one where he takes off his mask and gobbles down the enemy’s head, I’d like that to be included.

The PC edition will feature achievements and leaderboard stats, as well as full support for a controller and fight stick.

Mortal Kombat was originally released back in 2011 for the consoles. The PC version is being handled by High Voltage Games, who’ve just released Zombies for iOS.

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The game is out on these Platforms, and PC users are ready to forget the distasteful past of RE6 and enjoy this new iteration. Since it’s a PC game, there can be small issues that may not allow you to run or even start the game properly.

These bugs, error or crashes can most of the times be fixed by a simple patch or by using simple workaround fixes. So, if you are looking for a solution to the concerned problem, you can browse through the following listing:

#1 Resident Evil Revelations – Mouse Aiming Problem
If you have played the demo, then you must have experienced the aiming problem with the mouse. Sometimes, when the gun is aimed down sight, the mouse won’t even respond. Capcom is aware of the issue, and they have promised a patch as soon as possible.

For the time being, I don’t have any effective work around for this, so I guess we will have to wait for the patch. Alternatively, you can plug in your controller to play it with which the game works fine.

#2 Resident Evil Revelations – Stuttering Issue
If you are encountering stutter after regular intervals, you can do the following to avoid it:

• Make sure that you are using the latest drivers for your GPU. If you are an AMD user and have the latest drivers for your card, try rolling back to a recent version.
• If you are using SLI/Crossfire, try disabling one GPU to see if the stutter goes away or not.
• Also if you have any unnecessary applications running in the background, shut them down.

#3 RE.net Error – The Website is not Working
Well, it worked fine for me. If you are having issues, you should try using firefox to open it, and you should be able to use it properly.

#4 Resident Evil Revelations – The Game Doesn’t Support 2560×1440 and 1440×900 Resolutions
The dev team has finally responded to many fans’ agony and appeals and has launched a beta demo to test those resolutions.

In short, they are working on it and a fix for the complete game is expected soon. And if you want to take part in that beta, you can follow this link.

#5 Resident Evil Revelations Error – Can’t Decrypt the Game
If you are stuck while processing the game after the download or even during the download, you should not panic as it can happen sometimes due to servers not being responsive. In the meanwhile, you can restart Steam and verify the integrity of your game cache.

#6 Resident Evil Revelations – Configuration File Settings
Since it’s a PC game, you can find its configuration file in LOCALAPPDATA\CAPCOM\RESIDENT EVIL REVELATIONS directory. What is it’s use? Well, you can various changes in it according to your need.

For instance, if you need to remap your controller buttons, you can open this file and then find the “Joypad” section in it. Here, you can make the alterations as you desire and after saving the changes, the new setting will automatically take effect when you launch the game next time.

#7 Resident Evil Revelations – Multi-monitor Issue
If you are using multimonitor setup and facing error like unable to initialize then you will have to disable one of them using the control panel of your GPU. Disabling the multi-monitor option will fix the issue.

If you come across any other issues, let us know in comments and we will try to help you out!

The post Resident Evil Revelations PC Tweaks, Errors, Crashes, Freezes and Fixes appeared first on SegmentNext.

We speculated about it and it was mostly confirmed yes; but it’s always great getting an official confirmation from Crytek that Ryse is going to be an exclusive title for the Xbox One.

The announcement came today on the developer’s website where it added that the game will be a “controller-based experience enhanced by Kinect.”

Ryse was first announced at E3 in 2010 and then again in E3 2011, where Microsoft demonstrated how players could use the Kinect to perform actions in the hack-and-slash title, specifically kicking enemies in the gut and performing an overhead sword slash.

The game is set in the Roman Empire where players take on the role of a soldier who can be fully controlled using the Kinect.

Seemingly Ryse was supposed to release earlier but was then decided to be shifted over for the next-gen. Microsoft has confirmed that they will be showcasing the game, again, at E3 next month. It’s highly probable that Ryse will be part of Microsoft’s launch lineup for Xbox One.

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A new image has been uploaded by EA on to their Need for Speed Facebook page, which probably teases an upcoming announcement for the franchise’s entry into next-gen.

The image (above) shows off a Koenigseggon police vehicle and includes the text: “Have no rules, show no mercy.”

Last night following Microsoft’s Xbox One reveal event, EA Labels president Frank Gibeau wrote on EA’s site that they intend to show off a new Need for Speed title at E3 next month.

“Our E3 briefing ‘The Download: EA 2013 Preview’ will be a showcase of next-generation games like Battlefield 4, Need For Speed, a full range of EA Sports games and a first look at our plans for the Star Wars partnership with Disney,” he said.

This year’s E3 is a highly anticipated event as far as the consumers are concerned. A ton of games are going to be shown off by publishers; all in an attempt to reel you into the next-gen era.

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Now that bulk of hardware and technological specifications for Xbox One; the final contender in the next gen console war have been revealed, the comparisons between specifications of each console have started to pour through and we are better able to judge the strengths and weaknesses of each.

Since we have already discussed the merits of Sony’s PS4 reveal to gamers and a much more recent look into what gamers want from the “Next Xbox”, we can now utilize the information shared through Microsoft’s “A New Generation Revealed” event and see how it fares with the expectations of its core-gamer audience.

With “Orbis” and “Durango” finally been unveiled to the public at large, it is time to take a look at how the information revealed regarding each, fares with the wants of the core-gamers.

Addressing Concerns?

Having experienced the prior offerings of both Sony and Microsoft, most gamers harbored several issues and concerns regarding certain aspects of the current, and soon to be previous, generation of consoles; PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 as well as how both companies would cater to them with their upcoming machines.

In relation to Sony and its PlayStation 3, most gamers had issues with too much focus on casual games and motion controls like Move and Sixaxis, comparative quality of PS3 ports of Multiplatform games, PS3 controller issues, Intrusive firmware updates, Lack of cross game chat, Exorbitant launch price of the console as well as concerns about blocking used games and always online restrictions.

With the 20th February’s “PlayStation Meeting” Sony did a commendable job of addressing most, if not all, of these complaints in their PS4 reveal press conference.

On the Xbox front, gamers had similar concerns about focus on casual market with Kinect as well as too much focus on entertainment side, complaints about D-pad of the 360 controller, hardware malfunctions with RROD as well as fears about blocking used games and always online restrictions.

It seems like Microsoft took a definite misstep in addressing these concerns in its recent “A New Generation Revealed” event.

While not totally inept in addressing the fears of their hardcore gaming audience, Xbox One reveal either ignored these concerns, exasperated the confusion through vague information and contradicting statements, or worse; proved them right.

Whereas gamers were concerned about continued emphasis on Kinect functionality, Microsoft reaffirmed its dedication to the technology by unveiling Kinect 2.0. A new, enhanced and much more precise motion tracking piece of technology, that allows the users to interact with Xbox One in a more accurate manner than what was available for Xbox 360.

The new Kinect not only comes bundled with the Xbox One but has also been revealed to be required to operate the new Xbox One console. It seems that the feature is so important to the strategy Microsoft in the gaming market that the company has made it so that Xbox One will not work without Kinect.

Another major concern for most core gamers was regarding the controversial; always online restriction that Microsoft was rumored to implement in their next gen system.

As it turns out, those rumors were false. Well, sort of.

While the Xbox One console definitely won’t be always online, it does, however, require gamers to have internet to play the games.

What this means is that gamers have to go through a mandatory install on their disk based games and then connect via internet to authenticate their copy of the game and link it to their Xbox Live account. This basically means that it is an online DRM.

Whats more; the situation is not as cut and dry and there is still some lack of clarity regarding the absence of always online.

It seems that the company itself is in two minds about this issue. Where on the one hand, in an interview with Kotaku Microsoft Vice President indicated that the system is built to work even if your Internet connection goes down, but you still have to be connected at least once a day to use it. On the other hand other representative have resorted to discrediting the company VP’s words by labeling it “a potential scenario”.

So, in a sense, this concern is still a lingering issue the results of which are still in the air.

Another major concern was Microsoft’s stance against the used game market. Will they allow the present way of playing used games on their new Xbox console?

That core-gamer query was answered by Microsoft with a big no. Apparently the mandatory installs and online authentication also mean that the particular game becomes bound to that specific profile, barring other users from accessing the software in that disk.

This means that the other users will have to pay extra cost to be able to play a pre-owned game on their Xbox One.

However, even this matter is not apparently so clear. On one hand there are several statements endorsing that Xbox One has a pre-owned game fee while the Xbox Tech support twitter says otherwise.

However there is one gamer fear has been unquestionably addressed. Regarding the concerns about whether next Xbox will allow backwards compatibility, Microsoft has answered that Xbox One will neither be backward compatible with Xbox 360 games nor the XBLA titles.

Last, but the most important, major concern for most gamers regarding the Microsoft’s next gen reveal was how much importance will the company put on the “living room experience,” and how much will it focus on the needs of Xbox brand’s core audience; the gamer.

What Gamers Want?

This leads us to the big question; what do core gamers want? What are the things that matter to them?

At the most basic level; things that most hardcore gamers want are Gameplay, Graphics, Quantity, Variety in games and When those games would be available to play.

In my estimation, Sony covered all of those factors in their presentation on 20th February this year.

The Sony representatives shared specifications of their new system, they emphasized on its graphical capabilities, they showed new features in respect to their effects on gameplay, they shared information, videos and gameplay on new games, both first party and third, that span various genres. What they didn’t show was the box itself.

Well, Microsoft shared the box alright. It’s in every other department that their launch event comes off as a bit suspect.

Starting with the system specifications of the new Xbox One system, aside from the looks, the fact that the Microsoft team “forgot” to mention the specifications for GPU of the system makes it quite difficult to compare the capabilities of the system with its closest competitor.

Another glaring thing that the company apparently gave little importance to was the games.

Sure, the company shared a list of games that would be available on the Xbox One games like Forza Motorsport 5, Quantum, Destiny, Call of Duty: Ghosts, FIFA 14 and others. However, barring the first two, rest of the games shown are also coming to the rival PlayStation 4 system.

The post Xbox One Vs. PS4 – Who Won The Gamers? appeared first on SegmentNext.

The creative studio behind Battlefield 4 DICE keeps on teasing the fans with a few screenshots every now and then on the Facebook page or via Twitter. Recently, three brand new screenshots of Battlefield 4 have been released – two soldiers talking to each other in a bunker, a massive explosion and a soldier making his way through an impressively detailed jungle.

We still haven’t heard anything about the multiplayer aspect of the game; which most of the fans are waiting for but these screens certainly look like a treat to the eyes.

And in case you don’t know, Battlefield 4 is coming to all home consoles that include Xbox 360, Playstation 4, Playstation 3 and Xbox One along with PC on 29th of October and includes a new DLC named China Rising as a pre-order bonus. (Release date for Playstation 4 and Xbox One is still unknown).

What do you think of these screens? Let us know in the comment section below!

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Electronic Arts was there at the Microsoft’s Xbox One reveal and it was pretty evident that the studio wanted to keep their sports department in spotlight. But they have also hinted at what gamers can expect from the studio at E3.

It is quite obvious that we will be able to see Battlefield 4 which according to Electronic Arts will release on all home consoles that includes Xbox 360, PS3, PS4 and Xbox One. We have already seen what Battlefield 4 would look like in March when the studio released the game’s 17 minute pre-alpha gameplay. To put into EA’s Frank Gibeau’s words,

“That demo was actually showcasing the next generation of Battlefield, which will run on Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC and will also be available on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.”

Hold your excitement! There is more to come. Not only Battlefield 4 will be making to the stage at E3 but Electronic Arts has also confirmed a number of other games including a new Need for Speed, sports games and according to EA a, “first look at our plans for the Star Wars partnership with Disney.”

Electronic Arts has confirmed several Star Wars games that are in the making but won’t release until 2014 at the earliest but that certainly doesn’t mean we won’t be hearing anything about it. All we do know for sure is that BioWare, Visceral Games and DICE are individually working on a Star Wars game. So let’s keep our fingers crossed.

We also know that these games are in development not for long so we might not get some real gameplay footage but there are other things that can make an appearance at the conference. Hopes are high for a rebooted version of some game, we speculate it to be Need For Speed: Underground.

Let’s wait and watch! E3 come already.

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