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What Gives Xbox One the Edge

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Game consoles continue to advance through time, no doubt about it. Major manufacturers are currently in the race to launch their newest
game consoles. The latest to introduce a new model was Microsoft which unveiled its Xbox One.

Nintendo earlier introduced its Wii U which is now in the market while Sony will launch its newest game console PlayStation 4 late this year.

xbox_one

The new Xbox One console is also equipped with the Microsoft Kinect motion and voice capture and control system. It’s more advanced than the one for Xbox 360 as it can read up to six skeletons at once, can detect faces and expressions, works better in smaller rooms and is better able to detect small objects. …

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Top PS Vita Games for the Boys

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The holiday season is fast approaching and by now, you should already be window shopping or even shopping for gifts for your loved ones. Parents looking for gifts for their young boys can check out the new Playstation Vita or the new games available for this device.

This is the latest version of the PlayStation Portable (PSP) that offers a lot of features other than being able to play games. But of course, most people buy this mainly to play their favorite video games.

Here are the Top 5 PS Vita games you can purchase not only for your small and big boys.

Street Fighter x Tekken – This features a mix of Street Fighter characters and fighters from Tekken. A total of 50 fighters are involved featuring excluive combatants such as Pac-Man and Cole McGrath. What’s great about this cross-play game is that it is not just exclusive to PS Vita owners as it also allows players to fight online against those who own the PlayStation 3 versions of the game. A product of Capcom, this game is now available at $40.


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Gaming Has Gone Beyond Consoles

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As technology advances, people enjoy more upgraded devices. Despite the higher prices that come with the newer models, many consumers don’t mind spending for their favorite gadgets and changing them as often as they like.

This is what’s happening with the video gaming consoles. In the past, it used to be that people relied primarily on them to play their favorite video games. In short, one had to purchase a console and even a cartridge in order to play a game. Such is the case for most of the Nintendo devices like the Atari and Gameboy.

Today, however, this is no longer the case. In fact, gaming has gone beyond the consoles.

With the advent of the internet, it is possible nowadays for players to do what they love to do online either via their computer or their mobile phone. This is convenience and savings at their best. In other words, it is really not even necessary to own a specific console in order to play a particular video game. Keep in mind that a gaming device can cost hundreds or even thousands of dollars but if you’re okay with going online, then you can be sure to enjoy big savings.

The designer of Tekken, one of the most famous video games, agree that manufacturers of game consoles can no longer control the way people games. According to Harada San who is the game director and chief producer of Tekken, major console makers such as Sony, Nintendo and Microsoft can even do more good if they join forces. By this, he means coming up with a single console for the satisfaction of consumers.

Sharing with you some interesting statistics here about gaming console usage. According to the 2012 figures of grabstats.com, there are currently 190 million households in the U.S. that own the next-generation video game consoles and 80 percent have consoles connected to the internet.

Also, 65 million American households play video and computer games while the average age of a player is 35. The regular players have been engaged in their favorite activity for 13 years. You might be surprised to know that of these millions of game players, 40 percent are actually women.

Sony’s PS Vita Has Arrived

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Sony’s much-awaited new handheld console is finally out in the US and the UK, but the question as to how it will fare with the glut of new generation consoles and handheld devices that support gaming (smart phones and tablets) competing with Sony’s target audience.

So what does Vita have to offer that might entice you to ditch you current PSP and get this not too cheap new toy?

Quite obviously the Vita one ups the PSP in almost all of its specs. However, the most obvious improvement the Vita brings is in the dual analog sticks. PSP has been getting much flak for its hard analog nubs and Sony clearly listened to everyone’s complaints, putting in analog sticks that are much easier to use. These analogue sticks are also what will probably make even those who play on their smart phones (not mentioning the sheer power difference). However, this reminds me of Razer’s Project Fiona, which comes with analog sticks as well. Of course, Project Fiona is a tablet and will mean several more months of waiting.

Aside from this seemingly trivial improvement, other major features of the PlayStation Vita include front and rear cameras, an OLED touchscreen display, rear multi-touchpad, six-axis motion sensor, and 3G capability and built-in GPS (for the 3G/Wi-fi version). Of course most PSP games are compatible with the PS Vita with Sony saying that it will be supporting 250 digital PSP titles at launch.

You can get the PS Vita in the UK for £229.99 (Wi-fi only) £279.99 (Wi-fi and 3G enabled) and in the US for $249 (Wi-fi only) $299 (Wi-fi and 3G enabled).

Image via Sony

Sony Working On Universal Game Controller

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Anyone who has had at two or three gaming consoles at the same time will know how irritating it can be to have to deal with all the wires associated with these toys. You also have to consider the game controllers. While the new gaming consoles have wireless controllers, the mere idea of having to buy different controllers for different consoles is not that attractive. We have no choice at the moment, however.

If Sony’s patent application is going to become a reality, though, we just might be able to use one gadget to play games using various consoles. Think PlayStation, Xbox, and the Wii. I think that they’ve also mentioned compatibility with Atari and Sega!

How is this going to work? According to the patent application, the controller will make use of an LCD screen – touch sensitive of course. This screen will display the various buttons and controls that we currently find in game controllers. Obviously, this means that the experience will not be tactile at all. It’s much like the touch screen phones and tablets in the market today. The controller will be able to store 3 different controller configurations but will display only one configuration at a time.

I can easily see how advantageous one controller for all consoles can be. However, I am not so sure about the disappearance of buttons that you can actually feel. I think the tactile experience is part of gaming, and the touch screen idea might not be well-received. Then again, that’s what many said about the iPhone.

Video Game Console Wars Back!

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consolesNot long after Sony released its much awaited PlayStation 3 Slim, video game console makers seem to have woken up from their slumber. If you thought that the video game console wars are over, think again! It’s back and in full force.

Try looking online for a video game console and you will be met with various promises and offers. This console has better hardware to give the best graphic experience. This one is the fastest. This one has awesome sounds. And so on.

More than the actual console itself, manufacturers are coming up with a plethora of hardware add-ons that promise to give gamers the best experience yet. At the most recent E3 convention in May, Sony revealed a new control system that is compatible with the PlayStation Eye. Not to be outdone, Microsoft revealed Natal, a hands-free control system. Of course, Wii had its MotionPlus.

Now we are witnessing the slashing of game console prices. The PlayStation 3 Slim already costs less than the first models. I was really taken by surprise at how low the price was! The Wii is also getting cheaper, with a 20% discount in the works.

What does this mean for us, consumers? Simple! We will have more and better choices in the near future. Looking at things from another angle, owners of the Xbox 360 and PS3 Slim are quite assured of the longevity of their consoles – it doesn’t seem like the units will be phased out for newer ones anytime soon.

My PlayStation 3 Slim Experience

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ps3slimBy now, you’ve probably gotten yourself your own PlayStation 3 Slim – the newest console to roll out of Sony’s manufacturing plants. Then again, you might be holding off on making that purchase, especially if you still have the original PS3. If you do not know it yet, my own 60G PS3 died on me early this year. Apparently, the motherboard just melted. From what I have been reading in the forums, this particular model of the PS3 is really prone to this meltdown. Lucky me.

So you would have thought that I would have gone out and immediately bought a replacement. I thought it wiser to wait for a while, and I am glad that I did! Over the weekend, when the new PS3 Slim was released, I decided to wait no longer and get myself a new toy. So how is it?

Well, it has only been several days but so far, I am more than satisfied. To be honest, though, I have not seen much improvement regarding performance and functionality. I am still doing the exact same things that I did with the original PS3. I play my games, I watch videos and TV shows, I play online, and I download content. The Blu-Ray player is just as handy as ever.

So why buy the Slim? Well, it IS slim! I still am getting used to seeing this sleek black box where a chunky shiny black box used to sit. I don’t hear any noise – seriously, nothing at all – while it is on. It doesn’t heat up (please, motherboard, don’t melt on me again), and they say it uses less power (let’s see the electric bill when it arrives).

I say get yourself one if your PS3 is due for replacement. If not, then you can wait.

Photo courtesy of Letsbuyit

Phil Harrison: Bye Sony

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Phil Harrison
As if Cory Barlog’s leaving was not enough, we heard the news of Phil Harrison’s leave taking last week. Sony seems to be losing a lot of its talents, doesn’t it? Phil Harrison used to be the head of Sony Computer Entertainment Worldwide Studios and his leaving the company is a serious blow – there is no doubt about that. As of February 29, he no longer serves as the president. But wait – there’s more!

On the 3rd of this month (just a couple of days ago), the gaming world went gaga over another bit of news. Not only did Phil Harrison leave Sony but he has joined forces with another big name in the gaming industry! Read this excerpt from a press release:

Infogrames Entertainment announces today the appointment of Phil Harrison as President and Directeur Général Délégué of Infogrames Entertainment, reporting to David Gardner. Phil Harrison also joins the Board of Directors.

What is Infogrames? It’s just the group which owns Atari. Who can forget this brand which so big in the 80s? They could definitely use an infusion of talent and creativity as the brand has suffered immensely over the years. Who knows, maybe Phil Harrison is what they need at this point. As for Sony, it is definitely a great loss – and may insult has even been added to injury here as their president has left for a competitor. As the French say, c’est la vie! I am sure Sony will continue to give us what we want – or die trying.

God of War for PSP Goes Gold

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PSP GOW
You probably know by now that I am a big fan of the GOW franchise. Well, here is the moment that many of us have been waiting for – the GOW for PSP is coming out! In gaming lingo, when developers announce a game has gone gold, it means that the development is complete and that it will be ready to launch pretty soon. For God of War: Chains of Olympus, the PSP version of the popular game franchise, we could expect it to hit the stores early next month – that is, at least in the United States.

So what is notable about Chains of Olympus? Here’s Wikipedia’s take on this:

At a God of War II launch event on March 13, 2007, God of War II director Cory Barlog indicated that the PSP God of War game would be a spin-off, side story, or prequel of the main God of War video game series: “It is its own story that connects to the overall story. God of War, God of War II, and then if all the stars align God of War III will be the telling of a trilogy. This PSP story will be a further fleshing out.”

The Island of Rhodes website revealed that God of War: Chains of Olympus is a prequel to the God of War series. It chronicles the various adventures of Kratos throughout the ten years he spent in servitude of the Gods (hence the game’s name which implies a bond between the series’ protagonist and the deities of Olympus) preceding the events of God of War.

The Official UK Playstation site reveals that, “Kratos will journey to lands that no mortal has ever walked upon. With the world plunged in eternal darkness and the gods rendered powerless, Kratos will face the most feared creatures of Greek mythology, and ultimately be forced to choose between his own personal redemption and saving the ancient world from certain destruction.”

No matter what, we are going to find out what is in store for GOW fans in the coming weeks.

Playstation 3 Units: Is the Buying Price Worth It?

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Playstation 3 Console

So Sony has launched another contraption for its avid gaming followers and it really does cost a lot! While the Playstation series has been obviously something that most people are getting attached to, the cost of purchasing one may need to be looked at again. The suggest retail price for owning a Playstation 3 at the moment stands between $500.00 to $600.00 in the market and for sure, only a few can afford to shell out some cash just to buy this new gaming console launched by Sony for its seventh generation era video game console last November 11, 2006.

The price may be outrageous but the need to analyze its feasibility may be studied. For one, the games available for use with this new Playstation are only a handful. Perhaps the only possible thing that potential buyers would aim for is the distinction of owning the new device ahead of others. But isn’t this the same belief when the Playstation 2 was also launched some years back? One thing that should also be taken into consideration is the fact that people would wait for the price to drop before finally getting their own Playstation 3 device. As it stands, its current price will not attract purchases, considering that most consumers today would rather invest their hard earned money on the more important necessities of life today!

[tags]playstation 3, ps3, sony, playstation[/tags]