New rumors emerge for Sony's next console

Today more rumors emerged concerning Sony's next console. Among these rumors were a probable release date, and a probable price for the console.

The console is rumored to be released as early as November and it will come in two separate models. One model will be priced at $429, while the other will be priced at $529. Also, rumor has it that users will be able to control their consoles through their smart phones, a feature that would be similar to the Xbox 360's SmartGlass app. Through this app, players will be able to chat with friends, download games to the console and turn the console on and off.

This could be what the controller ends up looking like

These rumors come after a plethora of rumors that have been circulating the gaming world over the past year. Other rumors include a new controller that features a touch screen, 4k television support, the inability to play used games, cloud streaming and integrated motion technology.


These rumors all sound pretty cool, but as of now, they're simply rumors. Hopefully most of these will be confirmed at Sony's PlayStation press conference tomorrow at 2 PM PST; 5 PM CT; and 6 PM ET.

Bungie's Destiny will not be released in 2013

If you've been paying attention to gaming news the past week, then you should know about Bungie's next project, Destiny. Although the gaming industry is buzzing over the sci-fi shooter MMO, a press release by publisher Activision says that Destiny is not included in their 2013 outlook.

The release also confirmed that Destiny will be released on both Xbox 360 and Ps3. They also stated that it will be released on "other future console platforms," which means that it will probably be released on the next Sony and Microsoft consoles.

Since the next generation of consoles are rumored to be released during the 2013 holiday season, it is unlikely that Destiny will be a launch title. For more information on the game, watch this video posted below.

Dragonborn DLC finally available for Ps3

Although it was released over two months ago on Xbox 360, The Elder Scrolls V: Dragonborn is finally available for Ps3. As of today, Ps3 owners will now be able to traverse back to Solstheim to take on a new foe who happens to also be a Dragonborn.

Since people who don't own an Xbox 360 have been deprived of this expansion for so long, Bethesda is cutting the price in half, so Ps3 owners only pay $9.99 instead of 19.99. This is only for a limited time; the deal will only be available until a week from today.

Still yet to be released for Ps3 are the earlier DLC releases, Dawnguard, and Hearthfire. Bethesda plans on releasing both, and hopefully they'll cut another deal for fans who've had to wait for so long.

Next Xbox may be able to run two games at once

There has great hype surrounding the next Microsoft and Sony consoles. With great hype comes great rumors, and this recent rumor about the next Xbox is groundbreaking.

According to Kotaku, a source who has access to an early development kit has given them some details on the next Xbox. The source said that the next Xbox will be able to run multiple games and apps at the same time, and come equipped with a massive 500 GB hard drive. Other details were that the console will require game installations that automatically take place in the background, and will require a new version of the Kinect sensor to be plugged in at all times.

"Two games at the same time man."

Other rumors include the development of a new controller, and that Xbox 360 controllers will be incompatible with the new console. Built in wi-fi will be included, and the console will be able to support 3D TV sets.

These new rumors join old rumors that have been circulating the gaming community for the past year. Other rumors include a constant internet connection, the inability to play used games and that upgrade to Blu-Ray technology.

This information is exciting, but gamers should not get their hopes up. Microsoft still hasn't even acknowledge that they're making a next generation console, so for all we know, this could all be complete trash.

A look into Daylight: A game built on the Unreal 4 engine

Zombie Studios, the original developer of the Spec Ops series, and Blacklight series, have released information on a new project they teased in December.

Player will be armed with only a cell phone

Daylight is the name of the game, and it is a horror game that is being built on the Unreal 4 engine. Apparently, you play the role of a woman who has just woken up in a dark building. Using her cell phone light, you will guide her through dark rooms, which are randomly generated, and search for clues in order to find out why she is where she is and what she is supposed to do.

The game is supposed to take only 25-30 minutes to complete, but the point of the game is to replay it several times because the experience changes with each play through. "You’re essentially a rat in a cage, but the cage is an asylum and it’s scary as hell," said Jared Garritzen, the creative director of Zomibie Studios, in an interview with IGN. "You need to find your way out, and each time you do it it’s completely different.”

The game will involve no combat, the player is only armed with a cell phone that offers various tools, including a compass. The phone also omits a UV light, which allows players to read secret messages on walls, and see their footprints so they can easily backtrack to a location they've been to.

Dat lighting

The enemies are called phantoms and there is no way to defeat them. Players are encouraged to run whenever they see these enemies.

There are items that can be used to scare off phantoms, however. There are emergency kits scattered across the asylum that contain flares and glow sticks. Flares omit a bright light that scares off the phantoms, while glow sticks omit a light similar to that of the cell phone, so players can see messages on walls and footprints after deploying them.

Daylight will be released in 2013 via Steam. The game will be $20 or less, according to IGN. For more details, go to IGN as they plan to release more information on the game this upcoming week.

Opinion: Video game movies need to stop sucking

Sad news today as another Hitman movie was announced. Why is it sad news you might ask? Hitman is an incredible game series, and although the first movie adaptation of it was atrocious, the second may have some potential.

Well, I'm sad to say that the second movie adaptation of the fantastic game series will probably be worse than the first. The reason for my quick judgement is that our beloved Agent 47 will be played by another talentless hack of an actor, Paul Walker.

Olyphant doesn't even look like a convincing 47

If Timothy Olyphant's dull performance wasn't bad enough, now Paul Walker will slap a bar code on the back of his head and give a performance that will most likely be flatter than the pancakes I ate this morning. This should come as no surprise though seeing that this kind of thing happens all of the time.



In all fairness, the actor doesn't necessarily make or break a movie. Any movie buff knows that the writing is the most important aspect of a great film. Without a great script, you have a shit movie. Cinematography, costume design, effects and the score of a movie are also important aspects of making a great film. A good example of this is Gran Torino. I don't think I've ever seen a movie that good when the acting was so bad.

That should explain why movie adaptations of video games that actually cast good actors (Jake Gyllenhaal in Prince of Persia and Mark Whalberg in Max Payne), still end up being god awful. Those are two of the worst movies that I have ever seen, and it was mainly due to a bad script that wasn't true to the video game. Also, although I consider Whalberg and Gyllenhaal to be good actors, I don't think either of them were the right choices to play their respective roles in either of those films.

Disgraceful

It doesn't just stop with movie adaptation of video games though. Recently, an atrocious movie titled N00bz was released. The movie is a gross over exaggeration of gamer culture and a disgrace to cinema. In fact, the movie pissed me off so much that I couldn't finish it. For more information on this piece of garbage, read this article from Gameinformer.

Hollywood needs to step up and put out a quality video game film. Why should they though? They can just put out a piece of crap and people will go see it because of the name. It's up to us as gamers to protest these movies by simply not paying money to see them. I may seem like a bit of a hypocrite by saying that, but the truth is, I've never paid to see one of these shitty adaptations of great video games and I sure as hell didn't pay to see N00bz.

New Last of Us details emerge

New details have emerged about the highly anticipated Naughty Dog game titled "The Last of Us." The post-apocalyptic thriller will have two different types of infected enemies as well as a crafting system for scavenged items.

What we already know

The Last of Us takes place two decades after the break out of an epidemic fungal virus. The protagonist is named Joel, a black marketeer living in a quarantine zone ruled under a harsh regime. Joel promises an old friend that he will escort a young girl named Ellie out of the zone and journey across the United States.
Joel and Ellie will have to survive against humans infected by the virus, and scavengers who seek to kill them and loot their bodies.

The game is one of the most beautiful games seen on this current generation and character animations are the BEST that I've ever seen. Not only does the game look good, but the AI is brilliant. Ellie will help out Joel in battles by distracting enemies, or throwing objects at them to stun them while Joel goes in for the kill. Ellie also calls out points of interest such as ladders, enemy locations and item locations.

The game will be in third person and will involve action-packed gunfights as well as scenarios that require 'dynamic stealth." Dynamic stealth means that instead of there only being one way to stealthily approach a situation, there are multiple approaches that can be made. Depending on how you handle certain situations affects how enemies react.

Enemy types revealed

 Now that we're all caught up, it's time to talk about the enemy types. There will be two different types of infected in the game. One type is called the Runner, and the other type is called the Clicker,

That handsome fellow is a Clicker

Runners are infected that have been more recently exposed to the virus. They are in the early stages of transformation, which can be seen by their puffy eyes caused by the fungus growing in their brains. If you haven't assumed already, the Runners get their name from their ability to run full speed at Joel. They can also alert other Runners which can lead to large groups of multiple enemies rushing at Joel at a given time.

Clickers are infected that have already hit the later stages of the virus. The fungus has completely bulged out of their eyes, leaving them blind. This means that they have super sensitive hearing and use sound navigation hence the name Clicker. They make a clicking sound with their mouths to see via echolocation. The sound bounces off objects and comes back to the Clicker, leaving them aware of their surroundings.

Both enemy types look extremely creepy and will be more difficult to take down than expected. In order to kill them, you need to shoot them in the head. Sounds simple enough, but when Runners are running frantically at full speed, it will be hard to get a clear shot at their head as it weaves from side to side.

Crafting

As we already know, scavenging will be a key component of game play in "The Last of Us." Recent details show that scavenging items will be important because more powerful items can be crafted with them. Crafting is not complicated and resources used for crafting are not scarce.

When you pick an item up, an icon with a pie chart will pop up. The chart will show you how much the item is worth. Once you fill in one of the pie charts, you'll have a whole new item. You will collect schematics for different items as you progress through the game. Once you have the schematics for items like med kits or Molotov cocktails, a simple click of a button will create them. 

Concept drawing of a Runner

Crafting will be done in real time. Joel will be digging through his backpack while crafting and will be vulnerable to attack, so make sure you craft in a nice secluded area.

Other details

The game will begin in a quarantine zone in Boston. Joel and his friend Tess are trying to take Ellie to a group called the Firefly, so they venture through an unprotected city that was bombed in an attempt to stop the infection.

There will be a ton of collectible items in the game. These items are comics, Firefly logs, training manuals and notes. Notes are handwritten and three dimensional. They will not be in the form of text that pops up on your screen.



The only crafting materials known as of now are batteries, blades, bindings, rags, alcohol, explosives, sugar and various melee weapons. I'm sure there will be many more in the full version of the game.  

Next years Madden will be titled "Madden 25"

In the spirit of Superbowl Sunday, I figured I would do a football related story.

In next years installment of the popular franchise, EA will not put the calendar year in the title. Instead, they will decide to call it "Madden 25," to draw attention to the 25th anniversary of the series.

The game will launch on August 27, and fans will still be able to vote on the cover athlete, according to a press release from EA. Other than the new title and the information about voting for the cover athlete, nothing else has been released about this game.

I'm hoping that the name change is a sign that EA is going to do something new and exciting with the franchise instead of putting out a more polished version of the same game they released last year. Only time will tell.

Will we see PS4 this year?

After the release of the Future of PlayStation tease yesterday, rumors have emerged about a potential release of a new PlayStation console this year.

There will be a conference held on Feb. 20, and anonymous sources have told The Wall Street Journal that Sony plans on releasing the details for their new console along with a 2013 release date. The Wall Street Journal article said that Sony is aiming at improving the social gaming aspects of the console and are trying to change the ways gamers "interact with the machine."

Maybe?

Edge Online also has their hands on some juicy information. According to them, the PS4 is rumored to be more powerful than the next Microsoft console and will have a new controller design, abandoning the DualShock model. The new controller will be similar to the DualShock, but feature a touch pad in place of the start, select and PS buttons.

Edge also says the new controller will feature a share button that will launch a new feature, allowing screenshots and videos to be shared online. Apparently the system will record the players most recent 15 minutes of gaming. The user then can edit the video and post it online for the community to see.

In an article by IGN, they said that Sony told them that the conference will mostly be about the future of PlayStation. They also said that they will have their team in New York for the conference, so keep checking in with them for more information.