Microsoft Changes Xbox One Policies: Will not Require Mandatory Internet Connection or Restrict Used Games
Xbox One will no longer have mandatory check-in’s, restrictions on used games, a persistent Internet connection, or region locks. This has all been confirmed and outlined directly from Xbox on the Xbox website. Microsoft received a very poor reception from the reveal of Xbox One all the way up to and past E3. The system initially had to be always online, had mandatory 24-hour check-ins, and a used games policy that may have looked great on paper, but when revealed created quite a stir.
Don Mattrick, the President of Interactive Entertainment Business at Microsoft laid out the details in this news update for the Xbox One which completely revamps the policies that have made gamers and the game industry so upset with the Xbox One.
Read More
Iwata: ‘We are to Blame’ for Poor Wii U Performance
Nintendo seems to have gotten a bit cocky with the Wii U launch. They thought they could deliver key software on time, but struggled with HD development, delaying many of their titles by over six month. They thought Wii U would succeed because it inherited the Wii name, but then learned that they needed more marketing than that to make it a smash hit.
Satoru Iwata admits that it’s Nintendo’s own fault that they’ve failed to make Wii U a big success, and outlines a few key areas where the platform needs to improve. Click below to see what he had to say.
Kingdom Hearts III Sends Sora On a Journey to Find ‘A Keyblade That Returns Hearts’
Kingdom Hearts III has been a long time coming. The last numbered title, Kingdom Hearts II, debuted in 2006 in North America – that’s over seven years ago – and since then we’ve had a slew of spin-offs, culminating in Kingdom Hearts 3D for Nintendo 3DS in 2012.
This third numbered title will pick up where the 3DS game left off, sending Sora on a quest to recover a “keyblade that returns hearts” in order to restore those connected to him to their full strength. After that, it’s on to the final battle with Xehanort in a struggle that closes the chapter on the “Seeker of Darkness” saga.
All this and more was revealed in the latest issue of Famitsu in Japan. Click below for more info.
New Super Smash Bros. Screenshots for the Week Ending June 19
If you followed the development of Super Smash Bros. Brawl, you probably remember the Smash Bros. Dojo site. Game director Masahiro Sakurai used the site to tease new character and stage reveals, announce new information, and so on. Nintendo is taking a familiar approach to Super Smash Bros. news with the Wii U and 3DS editions: daily screenshots and news trickles.
Each day, one new screenshot will be revealed. We’ve gathered up all the screenshots revealed last week that didn’t appear in the initial press release for your viewing pleasure. Click below to see.
Sony Not Planning a PS3 Price Cut
Of course many gamers are expecting a PlayStation 3 price cut with the PS4 coming their way. However marketing director, Fergal Gara, has announced that there are no plans for a price cut.
Gara has said that it has not been easy to get the costs down for the PS3. He said that although they are open to future opportunities for a price cut on the system, for right now they will keep it the way it is because of the belief that it will continue to appeal to gamers in the future.
Click below for his full comment.
Miyamoto Believes Zelda II is His Worst Game
Stephen Totilo of Kotaku recently asked Mario and Zelda creators Shigeru Miyamoto which game he believes is his worst. The response may surprise you – or for some, it may make perfect sense: it’s Zelda II: The Adventure of Link for NES. Apparently it’s not so much a matter of the game being bad, but more that Mr. Miyamoto doesn’t believe it came even close to meeting its potential.
Find out what Mr. Miyamoto would have liked to change about the game and why it misses the mark for him by clicking below.
Don Mattrick: Xbox One is Over-Delivering on Value, New Halo is Halo 5
Following the reveal of Xbox One’s $499 price tag, Bloomberg caught up with the company for an interview. Microsoft’s Don Mattrick defended the price point ($100 more than PlayStation 4), stating that as total package, Xbox One is actually over-delivering on value.
Mattrick highlighted things like the Xbox Live experience and Skype as key factors that separate the Xbox brand from the competition. Additionally, he did a rundown of some of the big name games coming exclusively to Xbox One, including ‘Halo 5.’ A new Halo was announced during Microsoft’s E3 press conference, but prior to Mattrcik’s statement, it had not been confirmed as Halo 5. You can catch Mattrick’s interview with Bloomberg after the jump.
Sakurai: Mewtwo’s New Form May be Playable in Smash Bros.
Smash Bros. creator Masahiro Sakurai has been very tight-lipped throughout the entire development process of the new titles for Wii U and 3DS. The games were officially unveiled during Nintendo’s E3 direct, and a total of three new characters (Villager, Wii Fit Trainer, and Mega Man) have been confirmed for the game. According to a report from the Pokémon X and Pokémon Y Developer Roundtable at E3, Sakurai had a rare moment of openness in which he hinted at a new look for an old character.
Cross-Platform Play Unlikely for Titanfall
The thriving Xbox Live community is one of the defining services of Xbox 360. For gamers who spend a lot of time online, the transition process from 360 to Xbox One is going to be a pretty crucial factor. We know that your Gamerscore will carry over to the next gen console, but will Xbox One owners be able to play online against Xbox 360 owners for games that are available on both platforms? In the case of Titanfall, it looks unlikely.
Kingdom Hearts III and Final Fantasy XV Can’t be Easily Ported to Wii U
Square-Enix’s two big next-gen titles, Kingdom Hearts III and Final Fantasy XV, are coming to Xbox One and PlayStation 4, but not Wii U. When they discussed why they’re focusing on those platforms and not Wii U during their E3 conference, Square-Enix replied that the games will not be easily portable to Wii U because they make use of DirectX 11, which Wii U does not support. Thus, while the game will be easy to develop for Xbox One and PlayStation 4, it will be difficult to release a Wii U version.
Metal Gear Solid V Will Feature Orwellian Themes
Hideo Kojima has always placed a heavy emphasis on themes and atmosphere in his games, but Metal Gear Solid V looks to take that to a whole new level. So important is the atmosphere of V that Kojima even went so far as to replace fan-favorite voice actor David Hayter with Kiefer Sutherland in order to more accurately capture the emotions displayed on Snake’s face. Additionally, ‘race’ and ‘revenge’ are going to be the major themes in this game, and Kojima even fears that it may end up being too controversial.
In addition to exploring the dark histories of some of the characters, places, and tales of the Metal Gear universe, V will draw inspiration from the book 1984 – a dystopian tale of a tyrannical government set in the same year as the game itself.
GameStop No Longer Taking Xbox One Pre-Orders
Shortly after Microsoft and Sony held their E3 press conferences on June 10, GameStop had pre-order SKUs in their system for Xbox One and PlayStation 4 respectively. With price points and launch windows announced, both systems were available for consumers to reserve almost immediately. Just over a week later, the pre-order SKU for Xbox One has been removed from GameStop’s system corporate-wide without explanation.
